charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes Thus now men shall be preserved and delivered in the time of a Plague by the ministry of Angels And so you have the words opened Now to bring things home to our selves by way of application Here we may see what is our work our great work in this day The day we are fallen into is a dark day a day of the Plague and the Pestilence 't is good for us to inquire what our works is 't is good at all times but now especially to inquire what our work is Oh what is my work this day Now the work of this day our work is to trust in the Lord this is the work that protection and deliverance in the time of a Plague is entailed upon Who is there that does not desire to be protected and delivered from this Plague Oh that I and my family may be preserved behold here your Antidote to keep you from the Plague Trust in the Lord as ever you and your family may be protected now in this evil day Trust in the Lord and call upon yours to trust in the Lord But what shall we do that we may trust in the Lord in this day of the Plague First of all you must repent of your own sins and be sorrowful for the sins of others and of the times wherein you live When the Plague camâ— in David's time you know what David did he repented Lord says he I have done foolishly as for these sheep what have they done 'T is I Lord 't is I. So let every one do this God expects in the time of a Plague In the 4th Câ—apter of Amos says the Lord there in the 10. verse I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt your young men have I slain with the sword and have taken away your horses and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. When God sends the pestilence then he expects that men and women should return unto him repent and return unto him in the 9th of Ezekiel those that sigh and mourn for the abominations they are marked when men go into the City with their destroying weapons Those that sigh and mourn for the evil of the times they are the marked men They are not marked for deliverance that do abstain from sin a man may be given to drunkenness and may leave his drunkenness but that will not bring him under the mark Men are not brought under the mark for deliverance that do repent of their own sin but the mark is set upon those that do mourn for other mens sins but now I put both together If you trust in the Lord in this evil day in the time of a Plague repent for your own sins and mourn for the sins of others For how can I trust in the Lord for protection if I do not repent of my sins if I live in any sin and do not turn from all my evil ways how can I trust in the Lord I cannot do it therefore repent and be sorrowful for your own sins and for the sins of others Secondly Get assurance of your interest in Christ Christ is our great High Priest that makes the atonement as Aaron did in the time of a Plague it is by the ministry of Angels especially that we are kept in the time of a Plague Now says our Saviour Christ to Nathaniel because I saw thee under the fig-tree believest thou thou shalt see greater things than these And he saith unto him verily verily I say unto you hereafter ye shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man The Angels ascend and descend upon Christ all the ministry of Angels is upon Christs account and you are preserved and protected in the time of a plague by the ministration of Angels what then get an Interest in Christ and if you doubt of your interest get assurance do not let that slip now now get an interest in Christ now get assurance Thirdly Go to God to make good this promise in this 91. Psalm if you do but mind it the Lord doth not onely promise protection and deliverance from the Plague to those that trust in him but he promises grace to trust in him he promises protection upon condition that you trust in him and he promises you grace also to trust in him saith he at the 5th verse Art thou afraid and canst not trust in me Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by night nor for the arrow that flyeth by day at the 4th verse He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust Thou shalt not be afraid c. thou shalt be secure and I will keep thee from fear The Lord that hath promised protection in the time of a Plague hath also promised freedom from fear and grace to trust in him therefore go to God for this grace go to him to make good this promise Then again fourthly consider what motives ye have to trust in God in the time of a plague you will say what arguments or motives have we in the consideration whereof we may be moved to trust in God in the time of a plague there are many give me leave a little that we may help one anothers faith in this needful day First of all though the destroyer be abroad yet there is a man with his pen and ink-horn by his side also abroad and that man is your friend 't is Christ as you read in the 9th of Ezekiel there goes a man out with a pen and ink-horn by his side to mark those that sigh and mourn and cry for the abominations that are done Now to this man Christ is a friend and therefore why should not you believe why should you not trust in the Lord But 2ly If that the Lord do know those that do trust in him in the time of a plague why should you not trust in him In the first Chapter of Nahum you find very great expressions of Gods anger and indignation 't is said at the 2. verse God is jealous and the Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth wrath for his enemies c. At the 5th verse The mountains quake at him and the hills melt and the earth is burnt at his presence yea the world and all that dwell therein who can stand before his indignation and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger his fury is poured out like fire and the rocks are thrown down by him What then in the 7th verse The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him The Lord when he is angry doth distinguish betwixt those that trust in him and those that do not trust in him If a man be angry and in
5ly The time of the Plague and pestilence as 't is a time of want want of provision so 't is a time when many of Gods people are put to go for 't to fly for 't to run for 't to seek abroad for their houses and habitations don't know which way to go 't is the work of a good angel to go before them to order and direct their way In the 24. of Genesis vers 7. says Abraham to his servant He shall send his angels before thee 't is the work of a good angel to order and direct and guide the people of God in their way Lastly the time of the Plague and pestilence is a time when people need Physicians and Surgeons Surgeons and Physicians against their malady a good angel can do this and sometimes doth it in the 5. of John vers 4. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stept in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had this is the work of an angel to prepare a medicine this is the work of an angel Ay but you will say all these instances are extraordinary what 's this to me in this time of the Plague and sickness what 's this to me these are extraordinary things does their ministry still continue or no Mark yes certainly the Lord of hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge and how God was the God of Jacob and how his refuge ye heard even now in the first of the Hebrews 7th verse 't is said And of the angels he saith who maketh his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire Who maketh in the present tense as if 't were always a doing not who hath made but who maketh who maketh his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire 't is the present tense 't is continually a doing and if you look into the old Testament and compare the Cherubims that were in the tabernacle with the Cherubims that were in the Temple you shall find that the Cherubims that were in the tabernacle were but two and the Cherubims that were in the Temple were four why but to shew that their protection shall rather be inlarged than lessened in the first Chapter of John says our Saviour Christ there to Nathaniel last vers Verily verily I say unto you that hereafter ye shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man hereafter this is a Gospel truth and the more you know and see the mystery of the Gospel revealed the more will this mystery be revealed to you hereafter ye shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending c. hereafter in Gospel times and pray mark the words of the text He shall give his angels charge over thee over thee say you I confess this a comfortable truth the protection of Angels in the time of the Plague and pestilence especially but what 's this to me yes says he He shall give his angels charge over thee over thee Now pray tell me when you read the Commandments Thou shalt not steel thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt do no murder do ye think that the Thou there doth belong to you yes I dare not steal I dare not do any murder I dare not commit adultery for 't is said Thou shalt not murther thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not steal and this Thou belongs to me and why should not the Thee of the promise belong to you as well as the Thou of the Commandement Oh that those that are afflicted and troubled in conscience would think but of this one thing If thou concernest thy self in the Thou of the Commandment thou art concerned in the Thee of the Promise the thee of the promise concerns thee as certainly as the thou of the Commandment and thus now ye see I have gone through the Doctrine The Lord hath a singular care and providence over his people especially in the time of the Plague and pestilence which is managed by the hands of angels God will take special order with the angels for the safety of his people in the time of the Plague and pestilence Now I come to the Application If these things be so first great is the dignity of the Saints of the Saints here on earth though never so much despised by the world they are attended with angels they have angels for their attendants is it not an honour to have such attendants as these the great ones of the earth think it an honour to have a company of glittering fellows attending upon them and following them in reds and ribbands and gold and silver laces Oh the beggarly attendants of this earth unto the attendants the Saints have glorious angels attend them 't was much that Paul spake All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas all are yours Paul's or Apollo's or Cephas's why what were they they were Ministers and Ministers are called angels angels of the Churches but not only these angels are the Saints attendants but heavenly angels are the Saints attendants ah what dignity what honour is here who dare despise any of the Saints or people of God although they be never so mean you see what our Saviour saith Mat. 18. ver 10. Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven that 's the first 2ly If these things be so why then surely the highest enjoyment and the meanest employment commanded may and can stand together what meaner employment than to attend upon a man that hath a plague-sore running upon him this the angels are to do and they have the highest enjoyment at the same time says he after they always behold the face of my Father So that then our highest enjoyments and meanest employment commanded may and can stand together it may be you say I won't go to my calling 't is a poor and mean calling I shall not enjoy God in it ay but know this you may enjoy God in the lowest employment the highest enjoyment and the meanest employment commanded may and can stand together that 's the second 3ly If these things be so great is the Saints security great is the Saints safety are they not in safe hands that are in the hands of angels not of one angel but many angels if this be not enough why the angels bear them up in their armes if this be not enough God himself carries them in his armes as in the days of old Gods eye is upon them his ear is open to their cry Christs left hand is under their head and his right hand doth embrace them all the angels attending upon them Oh the safety and security of the Saints and people of God even in the worst of times in the time of the Plague and
pestilence 4ly If these things be so how good and gracious is the Lord unto you you that are the Saints and people of God how good and gracious is the Lord to you no sooner had David said Psal 34. 7. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them but the next words he subjoyns Oh tast and see that the Lord is good Ay here you may tast and see the goodness of the Lord indeed in the ministration of angels that the angels nurse you and carry you up and down in their armes the more you look into this the more you will see how good and gracious the Lord is In the 8th Psalm when David had considered the creatures round Lord says he what is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him a little lower than the angels for a time all sheep and oxen and all creatures thou hast put under his feet He begins the Psalm thus Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth and because his heart was full of the sense of Gods love he ends the Psalm with the same words O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth ay this is a taking thing indeed here you may see how gracious and good the Lord is to you 5ly If these things be so how infinitely are we all beholden unto Jesus Christ upon whose account 't is that the Angels are your attendants in this time of the Plague and sickness he is the ladder that Jacob saw Christs explains that ladder himself You shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man 't is upon Christs account all the ministry of angels is upon Christs account here you have more than Adam had in the state of innocency whem Adam fell then you read indeed of the Cherubims set to keep the tree of life to keep Paradise but you don't read that before the fall he had the angels to minister to him but now in and by Jesus Christ we have the ministration of angels we are reconciled unto all the angels and not only so but they are brought in to be our attendants Oh blessed be God for Christ why should we not say I love thee dearly O Lord my Saviour by whom I am made partaker of this infinite priviledge of the ministration of angels 6ly If these things be so what a mighty difference is there betwixt the godly and the wicked even in the time of the Plague Your great desire in this sickness time is that God would make a difference betwixt the one and the other whatever outward difference there is I am sure there is this difference the Saints and people of God have the angels to attend upon them but the wicked have not The Corn and the weeds are cut down by the same sythe by the same stroak but the corn and the weeds are differenced Two men a godly man and a wicked man lay sick of the Plague at the same time the wicked man hath little or no attendance when his friends leave him it may be he hath no body to attend him except it be a halberteer at the door no Angels to attend him but the good man when all his friends are gone then come the Angels and comfort him and attend upon him and he may comfort himself and say though my friends have left me yet here are the Lords Angels to look to me and comfort me What a mighty difference is there betwixt the one and the other Oh who would not be godly who would not get into Christ upon this very account 7ly If these things be so why then why should we not trust in the Lord in this day of great mortality this sickly time this time of the Plague and Pestilence what shall the Angels be your attendants now especially and won't you trust in God what have you such a promise as this is and will you not trust in the Lord shall the Lord himself be your protectour and charge his Angels with you for such a time as this and will you not trust in the Lord 'T is recorded of Alexander that being in great danger and to fight next day with his enemies he slept very soundly the night before and he being ask'd the reason thereof said Parmenio wakes meaning a great faithful Captain of his Parmenio wakes says he The Angels are called watch-men they watch are faithful therefore you may be secure quiet and at rest trust in the Lord for ever upon this account in this day trust in the Lord. 8ly If these things be so then friends why should we not stoop to any work commanded though it ly much beneath us Don't you think that the attending upon a sick man a man that hath a Plague-sore running upon him is a work that lyes much beneath Angels yet the Angels do it because 't is commanded though much beneath them yet they stoop to it because it is commanded and what though a work ly much beneath you yet if it be commanded why should you not stoop to it you will say such a one is much beneath me I wont lay my hand under his shooes he is much beneath me ah but the Angels lay their hands under your shooes and the work they do for you is much beneath them why should we not be like our attendants this is Angelical obedience the Angels do you many a kindness and never look for thanks from you they do many a kindness that you are not aware of why are you delivered sometimes you know not how here 's a hand under a wing the ministration of Angels is the cause of it But I say the work they stoop to for you is much beneath them and therefore why should we not stoop to any work commanded though it ly much beneath us 9ly If these things be so friends what manner of men and women ought we to be in all holy conversion what your attendants so holy and you so unholy let the women be covered because of the Angels sayes the Apostle so say I let us walk holily because of the Angels they are alwayes about us if you be in company with a grave man you won't giggle nor be so frothy as with others if a man have a servant attending upon him that is grave and sober he won't be frothy and vain behold what grave and holy attendants there are about you and will you giggle and be frothy and vain Oh what manner of men and women ought we to be in all holy conversation But tenthly and lastly to conclude if these things be so why should we not alwayes be found in that way whereby we may come within the compass of this protection in the 34. Psalm it is put upon fearing God they shall pitch their tents round about them that fear him in this Psalm it is put most