worke withall But if it come not to passe yet is hee sure for asmuch as God dwelleth in him and he walketh and goeth in Gods commandement For certainly this promise shall not faile him Though a thousand fall at thy side ten thousand at thy right side yet shall it not touch thee But with faith must these wordes be taken holde vpon for naturall reason doth not comprehend them in asmuch as indéede it appeareth farre otherwise And no man néedeth to thinke nor iudge that they which die of this plague be all vnchristian and faithlesse but we ought not to doubt but that there die thereof many vertuous men and leaue many vngodly This is done because that death may happen to a man two manner of waies One way after the common course of nature according as euery mans death is appointed him of God and we haue consented vnto it in baptisme Of this sayth the holy man Job in the xiiii Chapter A man hath his appoynted time the number of his moneths standeth with thee thou hast appoynted him his bounds which hee shall not ouerpasse Another way may death happen to a man before the time by reason of his great grieuous sinnes As the Lord hath threatned by Moyses that if his commandement be not kept he wil cause pestilence to reigne whereout it is certain that when they be kept the plague abideth out Likewise saith he in the commandements Honor Father and mother that thou maiest liue long c. Out of the which it is certaine that his life which doeth them not shall be shortened In like manner sayeth Dauid in the 55. Psalme The bloud-thirstie shal not bring their life to the halfe nomber Whereout it is sure that they should liue much longer if they shed not innocent blood Likewise Christ saith Luk. 12. Ifye doe not repent yee shall all perish as they that the towre in Siloa fell vpon Whereby it is certaine that who so repenteth not may looke for all mis-fortune And of this vntimely death onely speaketh this Psalme and promiseth the faithfull Christian men that they shall be frée from it For from the right apointed death into the which we haue consented in Baptisme we neither can nor shall be deliuered Wherefore if a vertuous right Christian man die of this plague it is certainly his very houre appointed vnto him of God which he cannot preuent But doubtlesse there dye of it many sinners also beside which might well liue longer if they repented And though some bee taken because of their sinnes yet be they not therefore damned but if they aske forgiuenesse of sinnes and beléeue they shall be saued As Paul saith When wee be iudged we are chastened of the Lord that wee should not be condemned with the world Thus goeth it then together that iust men die their owne right death but the wicked die an vntimely death and therewith doeth God punish the world sorest of all because of their sinnes but spareth his owne for their faiths sake Therefore should they not be feareful nor faint-hearted but as the Prophet saieth they should looke and beholde how the vngodly are recompenced For whether the wicked dye before the time or the iust in the right season yet is it done both for the punishment and plague of the vngodly If vertous fathers and mothers die from wicked disobedient children then be the children plaged for they are afterward euil nurtered hanged or slaine If yong children dye from wicked fathers and mothers then be the children deliuered and the fathers and mothers punished in that they haue gathered their goods for those that they wish them not vnto If tyraunts die then bee they punished and the persecuted Christian deliuered If good rulers die which with their wisdome haue maintayned peace and good gouernance then be they in peace And so the vngodly which are left aliue rayse vp warre and sedicion and bee alway punished worse and worse Shortly who so hath eyes of faith séeth that true beleeuers die in a right season but the vngodly before the time Wherefore whether good men die or liue it is done for their wealth But whether the wicked die or liue it is done for their punishment alwaies shal they be plagued their wickednes shal be rewarded them Wherefore my most dearely beloued take ye such doctrine and comfort to hart follow the same Flye in good earnest by true repentance amendment from sinne wherewith the worlde hath deserued this horrible plague And flie by a true vpright faith vnto Gods worde wherein is the fountaine of life the light of men Then shal ye be whole safe from this and other plagues and so liue to the honour of God wealth of your neighbour til the appointed time come wherin God the father in the death of Christ that we be baptised in shal send for vs out of this miserable life to his own euerlasting kingdome which God graunt vnto vs all Amen How VVife Children and other friendes shal be comforted the Husband being dead SEeing nowe that GOD hath called your husband father or other good friend out of this miserie into euerlasting ioy therefore shal ye receiue it willingly for it is his worke Repine not therefore at his worke neither wéepe against his will but commit the cause vnto him take it at his hand as a fatherly proouing and say with Job God hath giuen vs him and hath taken him againe the name of the Lord be blessed as it was the Lords will so is it hapened God almightie will proue you as he did Iob howe yee will behaue your selfe as hee taketh out of your sight the thing that yee loue Hee will admitte well ynough that yee bee sorry For it is seldome séene but a man be hee neuer so vile or of so little reputation hath euer a sundrie gifte wherewith hee serued and profited other And the same gifts were not greatly regarded in a man while he liued for we regarde little commonly such things as are present but as soone as the man is gone so soone as the vessell is spilt then beginne wee to want the gifts that were conteined therein Therefore is it no maruaile that wee be sorry for such a gift of God if it bee taken out of our sight As long as we vse men and the giftes according as they bee ordained of God for our necessitie then doe wee well and that can God suffer well enough But that we misuse them and make an ydoll of them that cannot God suffer For when wee put our trust and comfort in man or any other creature then doe wee wrong and misuse the same and the curse commeth vpon vs whereof it is written Jeremy 17. Cursed is the man that putteth his trust in man For all mans helpe is to be suffered only when they be present and that we haue néede of them but as soone as they are gone then must we looke for other helpe namely God letting goe
A GODLY AND LEARNED SERMON VPON THE 91. Psalme Declaring how and to what place a Christian man ought to flie in the daungerous time of the Pestilence for his best safetie and deliuerance By T. C. VVher-unto are ioyned certaine fruitfull Prayers very necessarie for the time of infection LONDON Printed for Edward White dwelling neere the little North doore of S. Pauls Church at the signe of the Gun 1603. A godly and learned Sermon vpon the 91. Psalme Shewing howe and to what place a Christian man ought to flie in the dangerous time of the Pestilence for his best safetie and deliuerance FOr-as-much as Almightie God doth now visite handle punish this country and region with the horrible and fearefull plague of the Pestilence and many folkes after an vnmanerly fashion are so affraide thereof that there bee heard and séene of them almanner of vnaccustomable woordes and workes which become not well a Christian man And seeing that all the déedes of charitie which one Christian man is bound to shewe vnto another no lesse then vnto Christ him selfe are perilously omitted whereby then riseth all manner of slaunder to the weake and misreport vnto the holy Gospell I thought it profitable and necessary to bestow vpon your charitie in this case a short instruction comfort out of the holy Scripture to the intent that the ignorant may be taught the weake strengthened and euery one counselled after his calling to serue his neighbour And I will take for my Text the 91. Psalme which soundeth after this maner Verse 1 Who so sitteth vnder the defence of the highest and abideth vnder the shadowe of the Almightie 2 He sayeth vnto the Lord my hope and my strong holde my God in him will I trust 3 For hee deliuereth me from the snare of the hunter and from the noysome pestilence 4 Hee shall couer thee with his feathers thy trust shall be vnder his winges his faithfulnes and trueth shall be thy shield and buckler 5 So that thou needest not to feare for any terror by night nor for the arrowes that flye by day 6 For the Pestilence that commeth priuily in the darke nor for the sickenesse that destroyeth in the no one day 7 Though a thousand fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand yet shall it not come nye thee 8 Yea with thine eyes shalt thou see thy desire and beholde how the vngodly shall be rewarded BUt afore wee come to the vnderstanding of these comfortable wordes your charity shal first know that it is not my meaning to forbid or inhibite any man to flye or to vse Physicke or to auoide dangerous and sicke places in these fearefull ayres so farre as a man doth not therein against the beliefe nor Gods commandement nor against his calling nor against the loue of his neighbour For though some will saye Such Plague toucheth no man but those that be ordained of God thereunto like as there be certaine ensamples thereof found in holy Scripture namely as in Ezech. 9. Apoc. 7. there was sent an Angell which aforehand marked the vertuous and elect or euer it was charged and commanded the second Angell to smite with Pestilence or other Plagues those that were not marked Neuertheles against that it might be said Good sir though it went so at such a time in such places who maketh vs sure yet now that it shal therfore chance so in al other deathes of the country Therefore I will nowe at this time let all such things continue in their libertie at your discretiōs like as al other natural things which bee subiect and committed vnto our reason to rule But as for the Christian which by reason of office or for pouerties sake or for other reasonable causes cannot or be not minded to fly I will herewithal shew them their best highest comfort that they haue In like manner I will not enter against them that speake naturally thereof and say Such Plague commeth out of the influence of the Starres out of the working of the Cometes out of the vnseasonable weather and altering of the ayre out of the South windes out of stincking waters or out of foule mistes of the grounde For such wisedome of theirs will we leaue vnto them vndespised and not fight thereagainst But as Christian men we will holde vs vnto the worde of God the same will we suffer to be our most high wisedome and giue credence vnto it and follow it and so shall wee finde much better surer instruction Namely that this horible Plague of the Pestilence commeth out of Gods wrath because of the despising and transgressing of his godly commandements For thus sayth the holy Prophet Moyses in the booke of Deut. Chap. 28. Vers 1. If thou wilt not hearken vnto the voyce of the Lorde thy GOD to obserue and keepe all his commaundements and ordinances which I commaunde thee then shall all these curses come vppon thee c. And it followeth Vers 21. The Lorde shall cause the Pestilence to endure long with thee Vers 22. The Lorde shall smire thee with swelling Feauer heate burning blasting drouth c. And shall persecute thee till hee vtterly destroy thee and bring thee to naught And certainely this is the plaine trueth and the very originall of these Plagues No man ought to doubt thereon For though the foresaide naturall causes doe somewhat agrée also thereunto yet is it sure and vndoubted that the same causes bee sent and stirred vp out of Gods wrath for our sinne and vnthankefulnesse And truely that it is euen so the holy Scripture declareth not with bare wordes onely but sheweth it also with notable ensamples For in the fourtéenth chapter of the book of Numbers when all the spyes except Iosua and Caleb spake euill of the lande of promise and made the people vnpatient in an vprore so that they chose them a Captaine and thought to goe againe into Egypt and to stone Moyses and Aaron which commaunded them the contrary we read thus Then appeared the glory of the Lord and spake vnto Moyses How long doth this people blaspheame me And how long wil it be yer they beleeue me for al the tokens that I haue done vpon them therefore will I smite and destroy them with Pestilence and make of thee a greater nation then this Likewise also when Dauid caused the people to be numbred against Gods commandement he displeased the Lord God horribly therewith Therefore layed he the punishment vpō him so that he was faine to choose himselfe whether he had rather haue seauen yeares dearth or thrée Moneths mischance in battaile or thrée dayes Pestilence in the Lande And when he chose the Pestilence there dyed in thrée daies seauenty thousand men as it is written in the last chapter of the second booke of Samuel Séeing then that out of the word of God wee knowe the very cause of this horrible Plague Namely that it is the faulte of our sinnes as vnbeliefe
disobedience and vnthankefulnes Therefore before all things it shall be necessary that wee refraine from the same repent and amende our liues if wee will bee preserued and deliuered from this horrible Plague For if God punish vs because of sinne it is good to consider that we must first acknowledge and eschewe our sinnes in case that hee shall withdrawe and take away his wrath sharp punishment from vs. For if we continue in our euill sinfull and culpable life certainely he will not cease with the punishmeÌ„t but go foorth more and more till he giue and recompence according to our workes But if we knowledge our sinne refraine from it repent and aske grace then shal he also take away his wrath And this horrible wrath with other heauy burthens as warre dearth that lye vpon our necke shall hee mercifully take away from vs againe As holy Paul sayeth 1. Cor. 11. If we iudged our selues we should not be iudged But when we are iudged wee be chastened of the Lord that we should not bedamned with the worlde And out of all this may your charitie well perceiue howe vnwisely and vnchristianly they doe that out of inordinate feare of this Plague leaue their calling and office maliciously withdrawing the loue helpe and faithfulnesse which they out of Gods commaundement are bounde to shewe vnto their Neighbours and so doe sin grienously against the commandement of God For certainely they doe but stirre vp the wrath of God more earnestly against themselues that hee may the sooner take holde vpon them and plucke them away with this Plague For men may heare on euery side that some doe shunne and flye not onely the sicke but also the whole Yea that which is more foolishnesse euen the Platters and Candlestickes which come out of straunge houses as though death did surely sticke therein And out of such fond childish feare it commeth that not onely some sicke folkes bee suffered to die without any keeping helpe and comforte but that women also great with childe are forsaken in their most néede for at such times fewe or none will come vnto them Yea a man may heare also that the children forsake their Fathers and Mothers and one houshold body kéepeth himselfe away from another and sheweth no loue vnto him Which neuerthelesse hee would be glad to bee shewed vnto himselfe if he lay in like necessitie How be it I suppose there come not many such chaunces to passe neuerthelesse I must speake thereof that it be done no more from hencefoorth For certainely it is vnwisely and vnchristianly handled and wee néede not thinke that the same is the waye to escape this Plague but rather an occasion that it raigneth more mightily ouer vs. For séeing it is sure as yee haue heard afore that such Plague is sent for punishment of our sinnes and Christ hath giuen vs a newe Commandement that we should loue one another as hee hath loued vs it followeth that the farther we departe from the loue of our neighbour the more wee lade sinne vpon vs and deserue this plague so much the more Againe the more diligently that we take héed vnto the loue of our neighbour the surer shall we be from this Plague No man néedeth to doubt thereof But heere withall will I also counsell or compell no man to any vnnéedeful daunger that he is not bound vnto by his calling nor by loue but only warne those which for feare leaue that which they are bound to do before God To the intent that for such naked feares sake they doe not transgresse nor omitte the commandement of God hope by sinne to escape this plague which neuerthelesse commeth because of sinne For that were a foolish vnaduised counsell if one would goe about to escape the wrath of God by transgression and by sinne to auoide the punishment of sinne Besides this doth experience shewe also that they which bee so sore afraide doe commonly miscary Againe they that waite vppon their offices and serue their neighbours be deliuered As it is well séene in the ministers of the Church and other moe that shun not the sicke but must visite them and comfort them with Gods worde and prouide for them with the holy Sacrament For we sée no wher that they therfore must also be soone sicke and must die Yea how must the higher powers of the worlde doe which by reason of their calling and for the common profite and regiments sake abide also in the â—eoperdie must minister because of loue specially the chiefest of one whereof there dyeth more then a thousand of other And yet doth God commonly preserue them also that they bee deliuered left still a liue and dye in a good quiet age Therefore certainely such kinde of inordinate feare and flying against Gods commandement is nothing else but a declaring of a great and sore vnbeliefe that men doe not beleeue trust in God that he can and will deliuer And thus is verifyed the saying The vngodly haue no peace Esa lvij For if we will feare and flye where no perrill is when will we then bestow our liues for our neighbours as Christ hath done for vs and we also be bounde to do likewise 1. Ioh. 3. Who so now desyreth to escape the wrath of God and this horrible Plague let him not aske his owne reason how hee shall doe but beleeue and follow the worde of God which teacheth him not to flye euill ayre and infected places which he may well do neuerthelesse hee remayneth yet vncertaine whether it helpeth or no but it teacheth him to leaue off from sinne as from the very originall cause of this Plague and punishment and by true repentance and amendment of life to walke againe in the right waye For that is the only sure and wholsome flying in this dangerous time whereby a man may escape this Plague But whither a man ought to flye thereof will we heare the holy Ghost by the Prophete in this Psalme He knoweth it much better then wee can thinke and sayeth after this manner Verse 1. Who so sitteth vnder the defence of the highest and abideth vnder the shadow of the almightie 2 He sayeth vnto the Lord My hope and my strong holde My God on whom I hope For hee deliuereth mee from the snare of the hunter and from the noysome Pestilence These wordes my most dearely beloued shall yee take to hart and marke them well with all diligence For they be not the wordes of men which can lie and deceiue Howbeit though they were mens wordes and some olde wise man spake them or some well learned Physitian ye would not yet despise them but receiue keepe them But nowe bee they the very wordes of the high Maiestie of God which the holy Ghost speaketh by the mouth of the Prophete And they teach vs whither we ought to flye from this Plague that we may be safe And certainely they must néedes bee the very truth For heauen and earth must passe