about the matter I will not strike many blowes I will quickly with a blow dispatch him Some English Translators expound the word in the text quickly Here have we a mixture of Mercy Iustice Mercy in seeking to preserve some Iustice in resolving to destroy others The former is expressed in an admonition The latter in a resolution The admonition intimates 1. Gods mind that he would not have them perish 2. Mans endeavour Here is noted 1. Their action Get ye up 2. The company From this Congregation The resolution expresseth 1. The Author of the judgement 2. The Kinde of the judgement The Author is the Lord. I will saith God The Kind of judgement setteth out 1. The Matter intended consume them 2. The Manner of doing it at once The Connexion of the Resolution with the Admonition THAT I may or AND I will implieth Gods unwillingnesse to plague the righteous with the unrighteous Seven principall Doctrines are here commended to our due consideration I. God is not willing that the righteous should perish with the unrighteous For he giveth advice to such as were righteous to escape when he thinks of destroying the unrighteous II. They that would avoid the judgement that fals on the wicked must avoid communion with them The action here enjoyned get you up intends as much III. Multitudes conspiring in evill must be left The word congregation from which they must goe implies thus much IIII. Mixture of the godly with the wicked is a stay of judgement For by saying Get yee up AND I will or THAT I may consume them he intimates that he would not consume the one till the other were gone V. The Lord revengeth the rebellious For he it is that saith I will consume VI. Stubbornenesse after some stroaks causeth utter destruction Sroake upon stroake had beene stroken before for the earth had swallowed up some and fire had devoured others yet they persisted in their rebellion therefore now saith God I will consume them VII Suddennesse adds much to the severity of a judgement For God intending severity threatneth to do what he intends at once §. 12. Of the godlies exemption from the ungodlies destruction I. * See §. 11. GOD is not willing that the righteous perish with the unrighteous S t. Peter gives three of the most famous instances that have bene hereof since the beginning of a 2 Pet. 2. 4 c. the world One is of the Angels when they that fell were cast into hell the other were reserved in heaven Another is of the old world when it was drowned Noah and his family was preserved in the arke A third is of Sodom and Gomorrah when they were destroyed with fire and brimstone Lot and his two daughters were kept alive Thence the Apostle inferres this conclusion very pertinent to our purpose b 2 Pet. 2 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished c Ezek. 9. 4 6. The marke which God caused to be set on the forehead of such as cried for all the abominations that were done and this charge given thereupon come not neare any man upon whom is the marke shewes his mind to wards such as keepe themselves free from sinnes which cause vengeance So also such exhortations as this come out of her my people that ye receive not of her plagues Rev. 18. 4. Hereby God giveth evidence that d Pro. 15. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evill and the good that he can distinguish betwixt such as differ that he can deale with men as they deale with him that e Psal 18. 26. with the pure he will show himselfe pure and with the froward he will shew himselfe froward and that it is not in vaine to feare him and to keepe our selves unspotted from the world §. 13. Of the cases wherein Saints have their share in publique judgements Ob. TRue may some say if this were universally and infallibly true that no righteous man did at any time perish with the unrighteous But experience affoords evidence Servi Dei sanct dupliciter mala temporalia patiuntur quia ab ipsis impij◠cum ipsis patiununtur Aug. Epist 122. ad Victor to the contrary For in all publique judgements we see the righteous involved with the wicked They may suffer temporall evils two wayes by the wicked and with the wicked Answ If the extent of Gods deliverance be rightly conceived it wil be found to be universally and infallibly true that God delivereth the righteous from the judgement of the wicked It doth indeed oft fall out that righteous men have a share in some externall judgements which the wicked pull upon themselves and that 1. When they make themselves accessarie to those common sinnes that cause judgement As f Numb 20. 12 Propeccatis ecrum Deus slagel lat etiam ipses sanctos suos Aug. loc citat Moses and Aaron became incredulous in the wildernesse as well as the other Iewes whose carkasses fell therein 2. When the wise Lord knoweth that greater evils would befall them if they should then escape Thus when the time was come that God had determined to heape judgement upon judgement till at length the land of Iudah should be made desolate in the beginning of those dayes was g 2 King 23. 29 Iosiah that good King Iosiah slaine with the sword of the enemie Yet because he lived not to see the miseries of succeeding times he is said h 2 King 22. 20 to be gathered into his grave in peace 3. When the just God will shew the fiercenesse of his wrath how farre the wicked have provoked him to aggravate the judgement he taketh away the righteous therewith who are as chariots and horsmen while they remaine Thus was good i 1 Sam. 31. 2. Ionathan taken away who if he had lived might have beene a meanes of preserving the house of Saul from utter ruine though David had beene King The death of righteous Ionathan much aggravated the sinne of Saul and the judgement that followed thereupon 4. When the Lord to whom vengeance belongeth will give the wicked an occasion to expect sure and sore vengeance then he maketh his Saints a signe and an example unto them Thus k 1 King 13. 24. he caused a Lion to slay the man of God that was seduced by a lying Prophet to transgresse the word of God In this case saith the Apostle l 1 Pet. 4. 17. Iudgement must begin at the house of God And if it first begin at us what shal be the end of them that obey not the Gospell of God §. 14. Of sundry wayes of exempting Saints from judgements YET hath God his wayes and meanes to deliver the righteous in the forementioned cases and all other cases whatsoever As 1. By visible preservations of them from externall judgements as m Ier. 39. 17.
congregation and behold the Plague was begun among the people and he put on incēse and made an attonement for the people To demonstrate the Efficacy of the foresaid Remedy it is further related 1. How it was used 2. How in the use of it it proved The Manner of using it is 1. Generally propounded And Aaron tooke as Moses commanded 2. Particularly exemplified In the particular exemplification are expressed 1. The speed made and ranne into the midst of the congregation 2. The reason ratified and behold the Plague was begun among the people 3. The meanes used and he put on incense 4. The thing effected and made an attonement for the people Verse 48. And he stood betweene the dead and the living and the Plague was stayed 5. The Manner of doing it And he stood betweene the dead and the living The proofe of the efficacy of the foresaid remedy in the use thereof is manifested by the Effect following thereon And the Plague was stayed The determinate expression of the judgement is Verse 49. Now they that died in the Plague were foureteene thousand and seven hundred beside them that died about the matter of Korah 1. Manifested by the number of those that died of the Plague 14700. 2. Aggravated by relation to a former judgement beside them that died which is described by one of the principall Persons that pulled that judgement on their owne and on the peoples pates about the matter of Korah §. 2. Of the exposition and observations of NVMB. 16. 44. NVMB. 16. 44. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying THis first particle AND being a copulative knitteth this upon the former History as a consequence justly following thereon Now in the former History the Sinne of the people is laid downe For after that the Lord had manifested his fierce wrath against Korah Dathan and Abiram with those that tooke part with them by causing the earth to swallow up some of them alive and by sending forth a fire to consume other of them the people that saw these fearefull spectacles of Gods vengeance were so farre from feare and trembling as most audaciously and presumptuously they murmured and gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron as the other who were before destroyed had done Hereby the Lord was provoked to adde to the former judgements the Plague here noted in my text So as they added sinne to sinne and the Lord added Sequentium accessione ad majorem se contemptum peccatum extollit Chrys Hom. 22. ad Pop. judgement to judgement For their sinne therefore the Lord plagued them For by the multiplication of sinne they grew into a greater contempt then before The title here given to God and translated the LORD is Gods proper name a See the Churches Conquest on Exo. 17. 15. §. 72. Iehovah Gods speaking here mentioned implieth an extraordinary manifestation of his mind and that so evidently as a man doth when he speaketh to another and thereby declareth his meaning The Person to whom he spake was b See the Churches Conquest on Exo. 17. 9. §. 9. Moses even he who was made both a Prince and Prophet to that people Three especiall observations are here most remarkeable I. Iudgements are consequents of sinne The inference of this Plague upon the peoples sinne gives evidence hereto II. God foretels what he intends against sinners For Gods speaking here mentioned was a foretelling of that he intended against the rebellious Israelites III. God reveales his mind to his Ministers Moses to whom God here speakes was his Minister His Minister to governe and to instruct his people §. 3. Of judgements as consequents of sinne I. * See §. 2. Malorum in corpore causa est animae nequitia Chrys ad Pop. Hom 46. IVdgements are consequents of sinne Take a view of the judgements recorded in Scripture and you may easily find sinne to be the cause of all The first that ever was inflicted on a creature was a 2 Pet. 2. 4. the casting downe of Angels into hell But these are expresly said to be Angels that sinned b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The next was on the Serpent to whom the Lord thus said c Gen. 3. 14. Because thou hast done this thou art cursed In like manner to Adam d 17. Because thou hast eaten c. Cursed c. Thus e 6. 5. the generall deluge of the world the f 18. 20. burning of Sodom and Gomorrah the g Exo. 3. 9. 56. plagues of Egypt h Heb. 3. 17. the judgements in the wildernesse i Iudg 2. 20. in the time of the Iudges and afterwards were all for sinne But not to insist on more particulars in a case so cleare the Wiseman expresly saith k Pro 13. 6. The kinde of Iobs afflictiōs wickednesse overthroweth the sinner He that acknowledgeth this commendeth the justice of God Ob. Sore judgements fell upon Iob yet were they not consequents of sinne Answ 1. Surely Iob was not free from all sinne l 1 King 8. 46. Sancti in medio tribulationis peccata sua consitebantur pro quibus se aigne justè humiliari noverant Aug. Epist 122 ad Victor de afflict piorum For there is no man that sinneth not Before sinne seazed on man he was free from all judgement and as free shall he be when againe he shal be without sinne Therefore Saints in their afflictions have confessed their sinnes for which they knew they were deservedly and justly humbled 2. Distinction must be made betwixt judgements Some are m 1 Pet. 1. 7. Iam. 1. 3. See §. 49. for evidence proofe and exercise of such graces as God hath endued men withall Others are for punishments of sinne and they either n 2 Chro. 33. 12 to bring a sinner to repentance or o Iud. Vers 7. to make him an example of just vengeance The judgements which befell Iob were of the first kinde The judgements intended in the point in hand are of the latter kinde The direct contrariety that is betwixt sinne and Gods purity on the one side and Gods holy jealousie and perfect Why judgements follow sinne hatred of sinne his impartiall justice his truth in executing what he threatneth his care to keepe others from being insected his wisdome in stopping the mouth of such as are punished and the many ill consequences that might follow upon sinnes impunity on the other side as they hold judgements from such as by their impenitency pull them not upon their owne pates so they hasten judgements on notorious sinners §. 4. Of the sinnes that cause judgement 1. p Ios 7. 13. THE charge which God gave to Ioshua when he Search cut cause of judgement and the men of Israel with him fled before the men of Ai to search out and take away from among them the accursed thing affordeth a direction very pertinent to the point in hand which is when we see any judgement
Ministers and * Ian. 13. 1624 only one died Feb. 3 three Feb. 10. five Feb. 17. three Feb. 24. one Mar. 17. two Mar. 24. eight 1625 Mar. 31 six Apr 7. eight Apr. 14. eighteene Apr. 31. eighteene And after that it increased every weeke more and more till Aug 18. when there died in one weeke 4463 of the Plague And of all diseases 5205 in London and in the nine out parishes Luk. 21. 34. begun this judgement of the Plague by degrees that so like wise-men we might fore-see the uttermost perill and answerably prepare our selves Direction to be so watchfull over our selves so well furnished and prepared by that spirituall furniture which in the Word is prescribed unto us that no evill may suddenly surprize us nor ordinary nor extraordinary evils not death it selfe nor the last judgement Take heed saith the Iudge himselfe to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overchanged and so that day come upon you unawares §. 24. Of the exposition and observations of the last part of the 45. Verse NVMB. 16. 45. And they fell upon their faces A Remedy for the fore-mentioned calamity is here set out in the practice of Moses and Aaron For this Relative THEY hath reference to them two especially For these rebels a Vers 41 42 43 46 47. murmured and gathered themselves against these two and they two are said to come before the Tabernacle and after this these two take order for cure of this Plague b See more of these in the Churches Conquest on Exo. 17. 9 10. Moses was the supreme Governour and Prince over this people Aaron was their chiefe Priest By falling upon their faces is meant their humble and hearty prayer to God for this people c Metonymia Adjuncti vel Signi The outward gesture whereby their inward intention was set out is put for prayer It is in effect all one as if he had said They prayed But yet this Tropicall speech is not without its emphasis For it implieth 1. A reverend respect to the Divine Majesty For of old when men would testifie reverence to excellent persons at sight of them they fell on their face as d Ruth 2. 10. Ruth before Booz e 1 Sam 25. 23. Abigail before Dauid Thus did f Gen. 17. 3. 17 Abraham testifie his reverence to the All-sufficient God 2. An holy astonishment at and admiration of surpassing excellency and glory In which respect g Ezek. 1. 29. Ezekiel fell on his face 3. A feare which at the apprehension of Gods terror and our wretchednesse perplexeth the soule So * Dan. 8. 17. Daniel was afraid and fell on his face Luke 5. 8. 4. An humble mind in regard of ones selfe This h 1 Sam. 20. 41. David manifested when he fell on the ground before Ionathan And i 1 Cor. 14. 25. they that are effectually wrought upon by the Word and have the secrets of their heart made manifest in humility falling downe on their faces worship God 5. Shame and confusion of face for great provocations of Gods wrath k 1 Chr. 21. 16. This moved David when he saw the fiercenesse of Gods wrath for his great sinne to fall downe on his face before the Lord. 6. Earnest and ardent desire of obtaining what we pray for In this respect l Ios 7. 6. Ioshua and all the Elders of Israel fell to the earth upon their faces before the Arke of the Lord. 7. An agony whereinto one is cast thorow some inward trouble of soule or some outward fearefull sight In the former respect m Mat. 26. 38 39. Christ fell on his face and prayed In the latter respect n Dan 10. 9. Daniel lay on his face as in a dead sleepe Most of these may be applied to Moses and Aarons falling on their faces here in this text For o Vers 42. The glory of the Lord appeared and the wrath of the Lord was manifested and the people had committed a great sinne and a Plague was already begun therefore without all question in reverence to the Divine Majesty in admiration of his glory in some feare yet in an humble submission to God in shame of the peoples in gratitude and in earnest desire of pardon for their sinne and removall of the judgement they fell upon their faces So as this gesture implieth an extraordinary manner of prayer Sixe Obseruations hence arise whereof three concerne the action performed and three the Persons that performed it I. a See The Saints Sacrifice on Psal 116. 4. Prayer is a ready remedy for a desperate calamity Such a calamity was the peoples here And this remedy is here with approbation used II. b See The whole armour of God on Eph. 6. 18. §. 95 c. In extraordinary need extraordinary prayer must be used The sinne of the people and the threatning of God shewes the extraordinary need Their gesture in falling on their faces argues their extraordinary prayer III. c See The Churches Conquest on Exo. 17. 11. §. 29. Inward devotion of the soule must be manifested by an answerable outward disposition of body Such a disposition was this falling on their faces IIII. d See the whole armour of God on Eph. 6. 18. §. 36 c. Prayer is to be made for others in their necessities God bids these that fell on their faces get them away that they might be safe yet they for them that were in danger fell on their faces V. e Ibid §. 51. Prayer is to be made for such as wrong us This people for whom the prayer is here powred out murmured and gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron who here in their behalfe fell on their faces VI. Magistrates and Ministers are especially to pray See the Churches Conquest on Exo. 17. 12 §. 40. for averting publique judgements Such were they who here fell on their faces Moses was a Prince Aaron a Priest These Observations are all of them worthy our due observation but I have handled them elsewhere as the places quoted in the margent shew §. 25. Of the sense and notes of the former part of Verse 46. NVMB. 16. 46. And Moses said unto Aaron take a censer and put fire therein from off the altar put on incense and go quickly to the congregation and make an attonement for them TO the fore-mentioned remedy of prayer here is another added whereby their prayer was made the more effectuall This is first prescribed in this text and then performed in the next verse Moses he prescribes and that on just grounds For 1. Moses had a more immediate inspiration and more extraordinary revelations then Aaron or any other at that time With him saith the Lord will I speake mouth to Num. 12. 8. mouth even apparantly and not in darke speeches c. 2. Moses was the supreme head and chiefe governour on earth at that time of that people b Act.
and do what might be done to obtaine pardon And will ye spend this precious time in eating drinking and sporting which is affoorded to get grace and attaine to glory Thinke with thy selfe how many soules are now in hell without hope of pardon and mercy If the love of God hold thee not in at least let the feare of judgement and terrour of hell restraine thee and affright thee §. 33. Of attonement with God after his wrath hath beene kindled VI. * See §. 25. THere are meanes of reconciliation betwixt God and man after Gods wrath is incensed As the charge which in this text Moses gives to Aaron Make an attonemēt so the event which followed thereupon a Numb 16. 47 He made an attonement for the people proves as much So doth this answer which God gave to Moses his intercession for the people b 14 20. I have pardoned according to thy word Memorable in this case is that meanes which at first God affoorded to man by the d Gen. 3. 15. Seed of the woman after he had revolted so provoked the Lords wrath All the propitiatory sacrifices that from Abels time to Christs have beene offered up by Saints give demonstration hereof especially if the end of them and the events following upon the offering of them be duly weighed The end of them is thus expressed in the Law e Lev. 1. 4. It shal be accepted for him to make an attonement for him The events are thus set out f Gen. 4. 4. The Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering g 8. 21. The Lord smelled a sweet savour h Lev. 9. 23. The glory of the Lord appeared to all the people i 1 Sam 7. 9. The Lord heard him k 2 Sam. 24 25. The Lord was entreated for the land l 2 Chro 7. 1. Fire came downe from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the house The many invitations propounded in Scripture to sinners to come unto God imply grounds of reconciliation betwixt God and man Such are these m Isa 1. 18. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord. n Pro 9. 5. Come eate of my bread c. o Isa 55. 1. Come buy wine and milke without mony c. p Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour c. q Psal 34. 8. O taste and see that the Lord is good To these for further confirmation may be added the many promises of receiving and accepting such as come which use to be annexed to the forementioned invitations Yea and the embassage which God hath given to his Ministers who * 2 Cor. 5. 20. as though God did beseech you by us pray you in Christs stead be reconciled to God But most evidently and plentifully is the point proved by the truth of all the legall types Christ Iesus r Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation s 5. 11. by whom we have received the attonement That word propitiation hath relation to the * Exo. 25. 17 c. propitiatory under the Law translated by our English a mercy-seat which was an especiall type of Christ in whom all the mercy of God is manifested to man Where * Ezek. 43. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezekiel maketh mention of a greater and lesse settle The LXX translate it a propitiatory Propitiatorium minus est quando i◠se Christus formam servi accipiens propitiatorium majus quum recepit gloriam c. Hier. Comment l. 13. in Ezek. 43. and S t. Hieron applieth the greater propitiatory to Christs Divine nature and the lesse to his humane nature Thus as God-man is Christ the meanes of attonement betwixt God and man No reason hereof can be found out in man For man having once rebelled against his Creatour persisted in his rebellion and neither offered to God nor sought of God any attonement t Rom. 5. 10. When we were enemies we were reconciled The whole cause therfore resteth in God even in his free grace and undeserved love For there is a peculiar love which God beareth to man u Tit. 3. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle compriseth under one compound word which signifieth love of man and thus setteth downe the true reason of the fore-mentioned attonement After that the kindnesse and love toward man of God our Saviour appeared not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us §. 34. Of Gods peculiar love to man 1. Chrysostomus in lib. 1. de Prov Dei elegantissimè describit divinam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THis peculiar love of God to man is the rather to be observed by man because it is such a love as is proper to him and on him onely conferred The like hath not beene extended to any other creature whatsoever I need not bring the senslesse creatures either above in the visible heavens or below on earth no nor any of the living and sensible but unreasonable creatures into comparison None can be so senslesse or unreasonable as to imagine that Gods goodnesse extended to them can be compared to his kindnesse shewed to man There remaine therefore the Angels onely in this blessed contention about more love to be poised with man The Angels may be distinguished into two ranks good and evill The evill angels though they stood in as much need of such mercy to be shewed to them as was extended to man because they implunged themselves into as deepe a gulfe of miserie yet was not God pleased to take such pitie of them y Iude v. 6. He hath reserved them in everlasting chaines under darknesse unto the judgement of the great day The good Angels fell not into such misery nor stood in need of such mercy They were indeed by Christ established in happinesse but not redeemed from misery The favour which they primarily had with God is everlastingly confirmed new favour is not purchased for them They never were at odds with God no need therefore of attonement of reconciliation This is the transcendent proper and peculiar evidence of Gods love to man z Heb. 2. 16. He therefore that tooke not on him the nature of Angels tooke on him the seed of Abraham §. 35. Of their desperate condition who reject reconciliation 2. WHat now may be thought of such children of men as notwithstanding the meanes of reconciliation and attonement which God hath ordained and revealed for mans good still stand at odds with God and maintaine enmity against him Their case may well be accounted desperate Infirmi donec medicantes admittunt multam habent spem sanitatis post quà m verò in mentis alienationem deciderint immedicabiles sunt nullo curante non propter morbi naturam sed propter curantis absentiam Chrs Hom. 22. ad Pop. While they who
thus framed When a plague is begun Gods wrath is gone out But now a plague is begun Therefore c. Here are two points to be considered 1. The Substance of the reason 2. The Inference of the reason The Substance setteth out 1. The cause Wrath. 2. The effect Plague The Inference noteth out a duty to be thereupon performed which is to appease Gods wrath First of the Cause wrath amplified by the Author whence it came From the Lord. §. 41. Of the sense of these words Wrath is gone out from the Lord. THe originall word translated wrath signifieth a fervor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excanduit vehemencer fiercenesse or vehemency of anger a Hos 10. 7. The some that ariseth from the raging and beating of the sea is set out by this word It hath affinity with b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— King 6. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lignum a word that signifieth to cut downe and importeth such vehemency of wrath as moves him that is angry to cut off or destroy the other Whereas the Hebrewes have sundry words to expresse distinct degrees of anger this is used to expresse the uttermost c Deut. 29. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excandâ— centia seâ—â—ore Moses to set out the fiercenesse of Gods wrath useth three severall words the latter implying more then the former thus The Lord rooted them out of their land in ANGER and in WRATH and in great INDIGNATION The last of these three is the word used in this text and noteth an higher degree then the two former By this phrase d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exivit is gone out a manifestation thereof by an outward evidence is signified It is opposed to keeping in or hiding close and secret What things men would not have seene or knowne they keepe in What they would have seene and knowne they suffer to go out In this respect wrath is here said to go out It imports that God was so provoked as he could not keep in his wrath From the Lord or word for word e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A facie Iehovae Trem. Iun. From the face of the Lord. When a man is angry passion will soone manifest it selfe in his face by bringing bloud into it and making it hot by bending his browes by a fierce cast of the eyes and other like signes In which respect wrath is said to come from the face of a man that is in and by the face to shew it selfe Thus by a Metaphor and by resemblance to man when the Lord doth by any visible signes manifest his wrath it is said to come from his face that is as our English according to the usuall acception of the Hebrew phrase hath translated it From the Lord. The great ineffable and most proper name of God Iehovah is here expressed When matters of favor are applied Of the title Iehovah See the Churches Conquest on Exo. 17. 15. §. 72. to this name Iehovah they are much amplified thereby They are the favours of Iehovah But when wrath is attributed to him it is much aggravated The wrath of Iehovah must needs be a wrath that makes all to tremble §. 42. Of anger attributed to God Of the kinds of affections See The Saints Sacrifice on Ps 116. ver 1 §. 4. Ista verba in Scripturis posita non sunt ut aliquam Dei perturbationem significent sed quia nihil dignum de Dco dici potest propterea usque ad ca perventum est Aug. contr Adi mant c 13. What anger is in man Ira est motus naturalis concept us ex causis qui solet ad profectum pertinere Delinquentis Amb. Comment in Eph. 4. Quest. IS anger in God Answ Not properly as in a man a passion distinct from the Essence For God is a most simple and pure Essence He is all Essence There is nothing in him different from his Essence The things that are attributed unto him are spoken of him onely by way of resemblance for teaching sake to make us somewhat more distinctly conceive Gods dealing with us Anger in man is a passion whereby upon apprehension of some evill done he is stirred up to punish him that hath done it The evill that stirreth up anger is either a true evill that justly deserveth to be punished and in that respect anger is deservedly provoked as a Exo. 11. 8. Moses his anger was provoked at Pharaohs obstinacy Or only an evill in appearance or in the apprehension of him that is angry and in that respect unjustly incensed as b 1 Sam. 20. 30 Si offâ—nditur debet irosci si irascitur debet ulcisci Nam ultic fructus est irae ira debitum offeÌ„ sae Tertul advers MarcioÌ„ l. 1 Sauls anger against Ionathan Anger attributed to God setteth out his dislike of evill and his resolution to punish evill doers God can not mistake the evill at which he is at any time angry is indeed evill When any way God manifesteth his dislike and his resolution to punish he is said to be angry Thus c Rom. 1. 18. the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse that is God who is in heaven manifesteth from thence his dislike of ungodlinesse and his purpose to take vengeance thereof And because that dislike and purpose to punish useth to be manifested sometimes by threatning so to do and somtimes by putting his purpose into execution and performing it such his threatning and executing of judgement is called the anger or wrath of God Who can tell saith the King of Nineveh if God will turne away from his fierce anger By Ion 3. 9. anger he meaneth Ionahs threatning of vengeance for no punishment was then inflicted But where e Rom. 25. the Apostle saith Thou treasurest up to thy selfe wrath he meaneth judgement as is further evident by this phrase f Rom. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui infert iram God inflicteth wrath that is taketh vengcance as our English turnes it To apply these as to dislike and to purpose to punish sinners or to threaten vengeance or to execute judgement may be attributed to God so to be angry And as Gods threatning and execution of judgement is lesse or more terrible so his wrath therefore to manifest and aggravate the terrours thereof sundry Metaphors and Epithites are added thereto as g Psal 69. 24. wrathfull anger h Deut. 29 24. Heate of great anger i 2 King 23. 26 Fiercenesse of great wrath k Isa 42. 25. Fury of anger and his anger is said to l Exo 32. 11. waxe hot m Numb 11 10 to be kindled greatly n Deut. 29. 20. to smoke o 32. 22. Difference betwixt Gods anger on Saints and others to burne unto the lowest hell According to the persons with whom God is angry may his anger be distinguished 1. By reason of the flesh in his
importeth an infectious mortall disease otherwise stiled pestilence Our English word plague seemeth to be taken from the e Plaga Latine and that from the f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 percutio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeke in both which languages it is usually put for a stroake a blow a stripe a wound c. Figuratively therefore a speciall put for the generall it signifieth the pestilence In the Scripture there are also g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tetigit percussit Inde nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plaga Exo. 11. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 percussit Inde nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plaga Deut. 28. 59. other words to set out that disease which we commonly call the plague and that as generall as this properly signifying stroakes and scourgings so as they all imply that a plague is an extraordinary stroake or scourge of God Yet there is in Hebrew h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum duplici segol a word that is more properly put for the plague which our English doth commonly translate pestilence It is the word that God used when he offered to David the choice of one of these three judgements Sword Famine Pestilence i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Piel significat evertere Inde nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pestis quia multi caaem evertuntur The roote from whence this word is derived signifieth to overthrow or destroy And experience sheweth that by the plague many are destroyed k Sic Latinè pestis quia pessundat In Latine pestis importeth as much whence the Scots call this sicknesse the pest l Sic Graecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desicio Quia facit defectum The Greeke word also intendeth the like This latter word pestilence is more restrained to one kind of disease then the former translated plague Every pestilence is a plague because it is an extraordinary stroak and judgement of God But every plague is not a pestilence for all the plagues of Egypt were not pestilences As for the plague here mentioned though it be not expressed under m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that word which properly signifieth pestilence yet was it questionlesse a pestilence For 1. n 2 Sam. 24. 21 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such a word as this is attributed to the pestilence that in Davids time destroyed 70000 within the space of three dayes 2. It was infectious which was one reason why o Numb 16. 48 Aaron stood betwixt the dead and the living that he might keepe the living from being infected by the dead 3. It was extraordinarily mortall For p Numb 16. 49. in a short space there died of it 14700. Quest If so many died how is it said that the plague is begun Answ In the very beginning of the plague on a sudden so many were destroyed even as at once Thus in a very short time on a sudden there were found 185000 dead in the Campe of the Assyrians lying in siege against Ierusalem In these words The plague is begun is an effect of Gods wrath More particularly we may observe 1. The Matter propounded The plague 2. The Manner of expressing it is begun Hence arise two observations I. A plague is an evidence of Gods wrath II. God can make the beginning of a judgement terrible The connexion of these two clauses There is wrath gone out from the Lord The plague is begun give proofe of the former This intimation of the beginning of the plague Aarons speed in offering incense the vertue of that speed that the plague was stayed and yet 14700 to be dead gives evidence to the latter observation §. 48. Of a plague as an effect of Gods wrath I. * See §. 47. Indignationem Dei pestilentia subsequitur Hieron Comment in Isay lib. 4. cap. 19. A Plague is an evidence of Gods wrath The plague which upon Davids numbring the people was inflicted on Israel is expresly noted to be an effect of Gods wrath For first it is said for demonstration of the cause of that judgement that a 2 Sam. 24. 1. The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and againe that b 1 Chro. 21. 7. God was displeased with Davids numbring the people and Therefore he smote Israel c Deu. 32. 22 23. Where God saith Fire is kindled in my wrath he addeth as an effect thereof I will send plagues among them d Ezek. 5. 16 17 There are three arrowes of Gods wrath mentioned in Scripture and the plague is one of these The other two are sword and famine Generall and extraordinary judgements are such as alway come from the wrath of God Instance the judgements which were inflicted on the Israelites in the wildernesse They were generall as in handling the next doctrine we shall shew and extraordinary as the severall kinds of them do shew And they are oft noted to come from the wrath of the Lord e Numb 11. 1. The Lords anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them f 33. The wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague g 25. 4. The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and the Lord said unto Moses take all the heads of the people and hang them up c. But not to insist on more particulars the Psalmist rendreth this as a generall cause of all the judgements that were inflicted on them h Psal 106. 40. A plague is generall and extraordinary The wrath of the Lord was kindled against his people insomuch that he abhorred his owne inheritance Now experience sheweth that a plague is both a generall and an extraordinary judgement Generall it is for it useth to spread farre and neare from person to person from house to house from street to street from towne to towne from city to city and it taketh away all of all sorts young old male female weake strong meane ones great ones c. Extraordinary it is because the immediate hand of God in sending it in increasing it in lessening it in taking it away is more conspicuously discerned then in other judgements It is observable to this purpose that when David chose the plague he thus expresseth his mind i 2 Sam. 24. 14. Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord. §. 49. Of afflictions as effects of wrath or love Quest ARe not diseases and other kinds of judgements somtimes sent for triall and for other like ends which are demonstrations of the wisdome love and care of God towards his people as well as in wrath and vengeance to destroy them Answ We must distinguish 1. Betwixt particular or private afflictions and general or publike 2. Betwixt kinds of publike and generall afflictions 3. Betwixt the persons on whom calamities are brought being of different dispositions though they be mixed together in the same place for co-habition 4.
Betwixt the cause of a judgement and the effect and fruit of it 1. Particular and private afflictions are oft in love by reason of Gods wise and tender care over his children inflicted on them a Heb. 12. 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth And b 10. See the profitable ends of afflictions in The whole armour of God on Eph. 6. 11. §. 2. Eph. 6. 15. §. 13. God chasteneth us for our profit But we read not of any publike and generall judgement which came not from the wrath of God Many instances of the affirmative that they were effects of wrath were given before and the Scripture affoordeth many more but not one to the contrary 2. There are common calamities that fall on all of all sorts and there are other more speciall that are intended onely against professours of the true Religion as persecutions made by enemies of the Gospell c 1 Pet. 4. 12 13 These may be for triall to their honour that suffer But a plague is not of that kind 3. When publike and generall judgements come from wrath against sinfull nations cities and other societies there may be some righteous ones mixed among those wicked ones and by reason of that mixture they may taste of the bitternesse of that cup that is given to the wicked to drinke Yet the Lord can so sanctifie that See §. 15. Sive famen sive bellum sive aliud quodcunque molestum inducat Deus ex benignitate multa dilectione hoc efficit Chrys ad Pop Hom. 7. common judgement to the Saints that partake thereof as that which is an effect of wrath to others may be a fruit of Gods love to them Thus a plague may be sent in wrath against a society and yet therein Gods love be manifested to his Saints either in preserving them from it or taking them by it to heaven In relation to such persons we may truly say that whether God send famine or war or any other trouble he doth it of his goodnesse and love 4. A judgement may at first be in wrath inflicted and yet upon the sense of the smart thereof people may be so humbled and brought to such repentance as the nature of that judgement be altered and prove to be an evidence of Gods love Yea such reformation may be wrought thereby as that calamity though generall and extraordinary prove very profitable and an evidence of Gods fatherly care over such a people whom he hath so purged e 2 Chro. 33. 11 c. Instance that fearefull judgement that was laid on Israel in Manassehs time This latter fruit of Gods love maketh not against the former evidence of his wrath For on such occasions God is said to repent him of the evill which he hath sent He was angry but his anger is turned into favour The conclusion then remaineth true that a plague as first sent to a people is an evidence of Gods wrath §. 50. Of the duties to be done when a plague is begun A Plague being an effect of Gods wrath for staying the plague meanes for pacifying Gods wrath must be used So did David He humbled himselfe confessed his sinne and that with a penitent heart and offered sacrifice to God Apply to this judgement of a plague the directions a § 4 5 6 10. before given And because Moses giveth here a direction when this plague begun be carefull betimes even at the beginning of a plague to seeke to asswage Gods anger Hereof also b § 30. before And that ye may be the more conscionable herein know that plagues come not by chance come not by any ordinary course and meanes They come from Gods wrath Let the directions therefore before given for pacifying Gods wrath be rather observed then any physicall directions I denie not but that they are lawfull needfull usefull But this which I speake of is more lawfull needfull and usefull All other without this is nothing at all In all diseases Gods helpe is especially to be sought It was Asa his fault that c 2 Chro. 16. 12 In his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the Physitians If in all diseases most of all in this that is such an immediate effect of Gods wrath The Lord is to be sought unto And so much the rather because the plague among other evidences of Gods wrath is a most fearefull one as * §. 71. 72. hereafter is shewed §. 51. Of the terrour of the beginning of Gods judgements II. * See § 47. GOD can make the beginning of a judgement terrible I denie not but that the Lord doth oft times begin very mildly and gently as he dealt with the Israelites in the wildernesse bringing them a Exo 15. 23. to bitter waters making them to feele b 16. 3. the want of bread and c 17. 1. water not starving them and d Deut. 25. 18. suffering Amalek to smite the hindmost of them to try if they would learne to cleave close vnto the Lord. But afterwards his stroaks were more heavy upon them Yet he can and oft doth make the beginning of his judgements very terrible At the first raising of the floud to drowne the world e Gen. 7. 11. All the fountaines of the great deepe were broken up and the windowes of heaven Was it not a terrible sight to behold the waters fall downe from heaven and rise up out of the earth so fast as they did Immediately upon the f Gen. 19. 23 24. Sunnes rising on the earth the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven How fearefull a spectacle was that even at the first sight thereof The Egyptian plagues give also evidence hereof So doth the drowning of Pharaoh and his hoste in the red sea For while they confidently pursued the Israelites supposing to get over as safe as the g Exo. 14. 24 25 Israelites did on a sudden The hoste of the Egyptians was troubled and their chariot wheeles taken off In a word stormes so arose and waters so fell upon them as they were all soone drowned Such were many of Gods judgements in the wildernesse Such h 2 King 19. 35 the destruction of the Campe of the Assyrians Such i Luke 13. 1 4 their death Whose bloud Pilate mingled with their sacrifices and theirs on whom the tower of Siloe fell and k Act. 12. 23. Herods and many other like judgements Gods almighty power makes his judgements to be very terrible His infinite wisdome makes him know when it is fit at the first and in the beginning to manifest his terrour answerably he doth so For in wisdome he ordereth all his actions and that so as may most make to the glory of his name Herein l Eph. 3. 10. his wisdome is manifested to be manifold in that he can sometimes by degrees encreasing his judgements and
avoid death which they could not escape Behold here the difference betwixt men that have faith and faithlesse men §. 61. Of publique persons forbearing to visit particular persons infected with contagious diseases 1. Quest ARe such as have publique callings bound to goe to particular and private persons being infected with the plague to visit them Answ I find no ground in sacred Scripture to bind publique persons to hazzard their life in particular mens cases They are set over a Society not over one or two particular persons Indeed every particular member of the Society belongeth to their charge and they ought to do what they can to the good of every particular person under their charge so farre as may stand with the good of the whole body and prove no prejudice thereto But if by visiting particular persons they should be infected and by that infection their life taken away would not this prove a prejudice and dammage to the whole body Is it the way is it the calling of a publique person to go into a particular mans house that is infected Private persons may every where be found out competently enabled to do such duties as are requisite to be done to such as are visited with the sicknesse or at least fit persons that have not publique imployments may be chosen out and set apart to visit the sicke in contagious places to comfort them and to see all things meet for them to be duly performed §. 62. Of substituting others in ones place in time of danger Quest WHat if others may be got to supply the places of such as have the fore-mentioned speciall callings may not this supply give dispensation to them for some absence Answ Questionlesse difference may be put betwixt persons Some Magistrates are of such use in a common-wealth as it is meet they be as much as lyeth in man preserved from danger On this ground when David the King would have gone out with his souldiers to battell The people answered 2 Sam. 18. 3. Thou shalt not go forth Thou art worth ten thousand of us Wherefore eminent excellent persons may be exempted from abiding in dangerous places and others substituted in their name and stead to preserve peace keepe good order and provide necessaries Provided that they who are substituted be able and willing to performe the duties whereunto they be deputed The like may be said of Ministers Yea of husbands parents masters and the like to leave a wife a child a servant infected with an infectious disease to the tendance of others that are fit and willing to do that duty and faithfull in what they undertake is not to forsake wife child or servant §. 63. Of observing Gods judgements V. * See §. 52. Oportet Dei judicia prae oculis haberc mox mala extincta suerint omnia Chrys in 1 Cor. 2. Hom. 5. GOds judgements are duly to be observed Of them saith the Lord a Hab. 1 5. Behold regard and wonder marvellously c. It is usuall in holy writ to prefixe this note of observation b Gen. 3. 22. 6. 17. 1 Sam. 3. 11. Isa 13. 17. Rev. 11. 14. behold before Gods judgements Christ intended a serious observation of Gods judgements when he said c Luk. 17. 32. Remember Lots wife d See The Churches Conquest on Exo. 17 14. §. 65. The many memorials which among the Israelites were made of Gods judgements did imply a due consideration of them e Psal 9. 16. Isa 26. 9. The Lord is knowne by executing judgement His power his justice his hatred of evill his jealousie his truth his providence and other his Divine attributes are evidently manifested in and by his judgements By a due observation therefore of them we have the more knowledge of God and are brought the more to trust in him and to feare him to be more carefull of pleasing him more heedfull in avoiding all things that may offend him On this ground saith the Prophet When thy judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learne righteousnesse Not heeding Gods judgements takes away the profit of them Behold here one especiall reason of the small profit that is made of judgements which the Lord from time to time executeth in the world They are not regarded but are passed over without any right observation of them f Psal 28. 5. Isa 5. 12. 57. 1. The Prophets much complaine hereof It may be that men may take notice of judgements that fall upon their owne pates at least while they lie under them and feele the waight or smart of them But who almost considers and layes to heart Gods judgements inflicted on others Or judgements laid on himselfe after they are removed or taken away Mans egregious folly and servile disposition is hereby manifested His folly in omitting the opportunity of receiving warning by other mens harmes as we speake in the proverbe It is an avidence of Gods great indulgency to us to punish others before our eyes whereas he might justly punish us for example to others It is an especiall point of wisdome to make such use thereof as to be bettered thereby But not to regard such a providence is notorious folly His servile disposition in regarding stroaks no longer then they are laid upon him and he feels the smart of them Thus he provoketh God to deale with him as with a slave and to adde stroake to stroake judgement to judgement Phrâ—x plagis Learne we to be more wise more ingenuous Let us apply the fore-mentioned point of considering Gods judgements All kinds of judgements to be duly observed to all manner of judgements whether inflicted on others or on our selves whether publique or private whether immediately from Gods owne hands or mediately from the hands of others who are Gods instruments whether sudden or lingring judgements whether temporall or spirituall of what kind or sort soever Thus will light arise out of darknesse meate out of the eater comfort out of judgement profit out of punishment Thus are Gods judgements sanctified thus are Saints brought to say and that by true experience It is good for me that I have beene afflicted Psal 119. 71. §. 64. Of the sense and scope of the 48 Verse NVMB. 16. 48. And he stood betweene the dead and the living And the plague was stayed HEre is a circumstance used by Aaron more then is expressed to be enjoyned by Moses but yet not against any thing enjoyned but that which may rather be by consequence gathered For he was to go to the congregation among whom the plague was begun He was also to make an attonement the attonement was not for the dead but for the living To shew that it was for the living he stands betwixt the living and the dead leaving the dead behind him turning his face to the living holding the incense before him that the living might behold the smoke thereof ascending to heaven for them Herein he
appointed But when the wrath of the Lord was pacified the plague was stayed c Exo 8. 12 13. 30 31. 9. 33. 10. 18 19. Did he not remove the plagues from Egypt so soone as Moses prayed unto him This power of the Lord over plagues and diseases was visibly manifested in the Sonne of God while he lived on earth For he spake the word and they went away which the Centurion well observing said to Christ d Mat. 8. 8 Speake the word onely and my servant shal be healed The Lord as he is the Creatour so the Governour of all things nothing can be without him nothing can abide longer then he will He calls he sends he bids come he bids go away answerably they come they go e Psal 105. 28. They rebell not against his word As ye desire to have this plague that burneth so fiercely among us and destroyeth so many to be stayed use the only remedy that is of power to that purpose Call upon God to stay it The plague it selfe is like a fierce mad mastivedog that will not cease to bite if he be loose The Lord of plagues must chaine him up Yea it is like ravenous lions that are ready to teare in peeces and devoure all they can catch The Lord onely can stop the mouth of this lion as f Dan. 6. 22. he stopped the mouthes of the lions among whom Daniel was cast All antidotes all preservatives all manner of outward meanes are nothing without the Lord. He can preserve whom he will while the plague rageth most He can stay it as speedily as suddenly as thorowly as he please Call therefore upon him turne unto him trust on him and doubt not but that our God that hath such power over plagues will in his good time when his worke is accomplished upon this Citie and upon this Land stay this plague This is a point of much comfort to such as have assurance of Gods fatherly love to them that their Father hath an absolute power over plagues §. 69. Of the meaning of the 49 Verse NVMB. 16. 49. Now they that died in the plague were foureteene thousand and seven hundred beside them that died about the matter of Korah THe severity of Gods stroake by the fore-mentioned plague is here set downe and that by the expresse number of them that were destroyed by that pestilence The particle translated IN * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plague among other significations oft setteth out the instrumentall cause whereby a thing is effected as where the Lord saith to the Iewes that were in Egypt I will punish them a Ier. 44. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 BY the sword BY the famine and BY the pestilence Others therefore thus translate this text Of the plague that is by it The plague was the instrumentall cause of their death Circumstances shew that this plague from the first beginning to the end of it continued not a whole day For so soone as the people gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron the Lord threatned to consume them Then instantly Moses and Aaron fell on their faces and Moses then discerned that the plague was begun which so soone as hee espied he bad Aaron quickely offer up incense Aaron accordingly ranne for incense brought it offered it up and the plague was stayed These circumstances duely weighed who can imagine that there was more then a day from the beginning to the end of this plague so as in the space of a few houres foureteene thousand and seven hundred died together of a plague O terrible stroake To aggravate the terrour hereof mention is made of another fearefull judgement which fell upon that people not long before thus inferred Beside them that died about the matter of Korah What this matter was the former part of this chapter expresly recordeth It was a conspiracy of Korah here mentioned with Dathan and Abiram against Moses the chiefe Prince and Aaron the chiefe Priest appointed by God over the children of Israel b Exo. 6. 18. This Korah was cosen german to Aaron for they were brothers children He therefore being of an ambitious spirit scorned that his kinseman should bee so farre preferred before him as to bee High-Priest Thereupon hee gathers many of the Princes together to take part with him supposing by strong hand to wrest from Aaron the dignity of Priest-hood which the Lord had conferred upon them Dathan and Abiram were of another Tribe the tribe of Reuben These as is probable had another aime and that at the chiefe civill government wherein God had set Moses Reuben being the eldest sonne of Israel these two brothers were d Pronepotes Numb 26. 5. under nephewes to Reuben three generations from him and imagined that they comming from the eldest sonne should be the chiefe overall Thus having no regard to the choice which God had made of Moses and Aaron they would thrust themselves into places of eminency The Lord was so highly displeased hereat as he destroyed them and such as tooke part with them with two fearefull judgements The earth suddenly opened and swallowed up some of them alive and fire suddenly flamed out upon others and destroyed them e Numb 16. 35. Two hundred and fifty are expresly noted to be consumed by the fire How many were swallowed up by the earth is not expressed but it may be conjectured that they were a great multitude This was the matter of Korah here mentioned Korah was the Ring-leader of all For f Numb 16. 1. he is the first mentioned in the conspiracy g 5. He impudently gathered an head against Moses and Aaron while h 12. Dathan and Abiram abode in their tents i Numb 26. 9. It is said of Dathan and Abiram that they strove against Moses and Aaron in the conspiracy of Korah So as the conspiracy was Korahs especially He was the chiefe conspirator The matter therefore here intended compriseth under it both the earths swallowing up of some and the fires consuming of others The people that by the earths opening and fires breaking out perished are said to die in the matter of Korah because his ambition being the first motive of that rebellion he was a cause of their sinne and so of their judgement Thus their death is imputed to him They died in his businesse about his matter The Summe of this verse is A declaration of the severity of Gods indignation which is 1. Propounded in the number of those that died of this plague 14700. 2. Aggravated by other fearefull judgements executed the day before Besides those that died about the matter of Korah Here have we 1. A generall intimation of the judgements Besides those that died 2. A manifestation of the originall cause of all The matter of Korah The first point sheweth that I. A plague can quickly destroy a multitude The aggravation pointeth at other judgements that were the day before inflicted on the people and giveth
are conferred upon many of your sex 2. The excellency of your parts which enable you with judgement to read such treatises as are published to the view of all 3. The correspondency of your disposition to the most principall points of this treatise This treatise is of famine and of means to remove it or restraine it and keep it from excesse Piety towards him that causeth plenty and scarcity Prudence in well ordering present abundance Providence for the future Compassion in times of want Liberality to such as need Contentment in that whereunto God calleth Patience in all judgements Diligence in searching after the causes thereof Conscience in using the meanes warranted and sanctified for averting judgements Confidence in greatest necessities are principall points handled in this treatise The naming of the particulars is enough to give evidence of the sutablenesse of your disposition thereunto The present necessity of the times wherein bread the staffe of mans life is so scarce have drawne my thoughts to meditate on the subject matter handled in this treatise which is in one word FAMINE that I might stirre up my selfe and others to take notice of the beginning of Gods judgement that wisely we may seek the Lord betimes and use all good means for moderating and removing this instant dearth and for preventing the like or any other heavier judgment for the future So as I cannot think such a subject at such a time to be unseasonable if at least the Composer of the Treatise were able answerably to handle it But as it is I have made bold to dedicate it to your patronage whom for the reasons before rendred and many other like to them I judge to be as fit thereto as the treatise it selfe is fit for the present time In all greatefulnes it is presented unto you With all kindnes let it be accepted of you As for recompence To him that is ready graciously to accept and able plenteously to reward all goodnesse done for his sake to any of his knees are humbly bowed at the Throne of his Grace by Black Friers London 1. Ian. 1630. Your Worships Remembrancer WILLIAM GOVGE A Table of the principall Points handled in DEARTHS DEATH on II SAM XXI I. § 1. OF the meaning of the text 129 § 2. Of the resolution and observations of the text 133 § 3. Of famine a judgement 134 § 4. Of the effects of famine 135 § 5. Of preventing famine by procuring plenty 138 § 6. Of the sinnes which cause famine 139 § 7. Of moderating a famine 141 § 8. Of removing famine 143 § 9. Of promises for succour in famine 145 § 10. Of instances of Gods preserving in famine and removing famine 146 § 11. Of famine in a pious polity 147 § 12. Of the causes of judgements under good Gouernors 147 § 13. Of punishing predecessours sinnes in their successours time 148 § 14. Of mis-judging a profession by outward judgments 150 § 15. Of duties which judgements under pious Princes require 151 § 16. Of long continued famine 152 § 17. Of duties by reason of long famine 153 § 18. Of searching out causes of judgements 154 § 19. Of Governours care in publique judgements 155 § 20. Of seeking to God for removing judgements 157 § 21. Of Gods causing famine 157 § 22. Of the meanes of famine ordered by God 158 § 23. Of enquiring of God in and by his Word 161 § 24. Of the extremity of famine in the last siege of Ierusalem 163 § 25. Of extremity of famine where were no invasions of enemies nor sieges but immediately from Gods hand 168 § 26. Of famines in England 170 § 27. Of uses to be made of the terriblenesse of famine 171 DEARTHS DEATH OR A Removall of Famine gathered out of II SAM XXI I. §. 1. Of the meaning of this text 2 SAM 21. 1. Then there was a famine in the dayes of David three yeares yeare after yeare and David enquired of the Lord. A Remedy for a famine is here set before us Such a remedy as removed the famine where it was used For it is said a Verse 14. After that God was entreated for the land that is such satisfaction being made for the sin which provoked Gods wrath and brought the famine upon the land Gods wrath was appeased and thereupon the famine removed b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exoratus The word translated entreated signifieth by entreaty to be moved to do what is desired Now David besought the Lord to remove that famine and God granted his desire c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first particle is a copulative particle and properly signifieth and yet is it oft used as a conjunction of time especially when it coupleth histories together Therefore not unfitly is it here translated then But great question is moved about the time when this famine In what yeare of David the famine began should be Whether after all the forementioned histories of Absaloms rebellion and Shebaes defection or before them That which hath given occasion to this question is a computation of time set downe for the beginning of Absaloms rebellion thus And it came to passe after forty yeares that 2 Sam. 15. 7. Absalom said c. Those forty yeares are supposed to be the forty yeares of Davids raigne Which if it be granted this famine can neither follow after Absaloms rebellion nor be about that time For David raigned but forty yeares and this famine continued three yeares To take away all question some say that this and other histories following to the end of this booke are not set downe in just order of time but as memorable matters are e Per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pet. Mart. Comment in hunc loc Tremel Iunius an notat in 2 Sam. 24 1. utraque haec historia aempe de Fame Peste per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 temporum ultimoloco penitur added after the former histories that depended one upon another It cannot be denied but that the Scripture sometimes so transposeth histories Neither will I much contend about the transposing of these histories No great inconvenience will follow thereupon Yet the ground of all seemeth not to be very sound For by many arguments it may be evinced that those forty yeares before mentioned are not to be accounted the forty yeares of Davids raigne For first beside that there is no mention of Davids raigne in that place the phrase is thus expressed in the originall f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fine 40 annorū From the end of forty yeares Now it s more probable that David ended his raigne rather within the forty yeares then beyond them Because both in sacred Scripture and other writings the yeare wherein a King dieth is computed in the yeares of his raigne so as if David had raigned full forty yeares and entred into another yeare he would in a round reckoning have beene said to have raigned one and forty yeares Now if Absalom began
accessary thereto and in that respect are visited for them As the vertues of predecessors descend to their posterity as Davids and others so the wickednesse of sinners shall fall upon their posterity if their children and childrens children do the like things In Iosiahs dayes c 2 King 23. 2 c. though he himselfe did what lay in him to redresse the remainder of his fore-fathers abominations yet d Ier. 3. 6. 10. the people were not thorowly reformed e 2 King 23. 26. That therefore which is noted of Gods remembring Manassehs abominations in Iosiahs daies was not in regard of Iosiah for it is said that f 2 King 22. 20. he should be gathered into his grave in Deus non exaudiet Moysen aut Samuelem quoniam consummata sunt scelera populi delinquentis Hier. Comment l. 3. in Hier. 15. peace but it was in regard of the people who continued to cleave to the sinnes of Manasseh notwithstanding all the care that Iosiah tooke for an universall reformation For God will not accept the intercession of his best Saints when the wickednesse of a sinfull nation is full and in that kind perfected As for Sauls sinne 1. David had not redressed it as he might and should have done The slaying of the Gibeonites was a publique fact and that against a publique agreement and oath so as David could not be ignorant thereof He might therefore and ought to have enquired of the remnant of the Gibeonites what satisfaction he should make as he did being put in mind of Sauls sinne by Divine oracle 2. It may be thought that the people had their hand as accessaries in slaying the Gibeonites For it is said that d 2 Sam. 21. 2. Saul sought to slay the Gibeonites in his zeale to the children of Israel and Iudah They therefore are justly punished with this famine 3. Sauls sonnes were a wicked of-spring of a wicked stocke and retained their fathers evill disposition For Sauls house is stiled e 1. a bloudy house Vnder his house his children are comprised The Lord therefore purposing to root out all his posterity taketh this just occasion And by this meanes Davids fact in rooting them out is more justified before all the people the envy thereof taken from him and his kingdome the more secured to him and his posterity In hoc Dei Creatoris clementia demonstratur Non enim truculeliae est severitatis ir ā tenere usque ad tertiam quartam generationem sed signum misericordiae paenam differre peccati c. Hier. Comment lib. 5. in Ezek. 18. Herein therefore the clemency of the Creatour is manifested for it is not a part of severity and cruelty to withhold wrath till the third and fourth generation but a signe of mercy to deferre the punishment of sinne For when he saith The Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and addeth visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children he sheweth that he is of such compassion that he doth not presently punish but defers the execution of punishment §. 14. Of mis-judging a profession by outward judgements IT being so evident that famines befall pious polities it Audlant qui temerè incircū spectè loquuntur divinant dicentes quoniam quispia madvenit sames facta Ecce etiam in adtētu justi fames c. Chrys Hom. 32. in Gen. 12. must needs be a perverse ground of censure to question a Religion and the truth thereof by reason of such an event Was there any true Church in the world but the Church of the Iewes while that politie stood Yet was there no externall judgement from which that was not exempted A Religion may be sound and good though the Professours thereof thorow their unworthy walking pull many judgements upon their owne heads a 1 Cor. 11. 30. The Church of Corinth in the Primitive and purest time thereof provoked God to judge them in this world Yet was the Religion which they professed taught them by an Apostle the Religion I say not their abuse therof There is a better touch-stōe to try the truth of Religion by then externall events b 1 Pet. 4. 17. Iudgement must begin at the house of God c Pro. 11. 31. The righteous shal be recompenced in the earth Shall then that be accounted no Church where judgements are Or they not righteous who on earth are recompenced Well may we judge that God inflicteth no judgement without a just cause But a false Religion is not the onely cause of judgement Wherefore neither judge other Churches in their Religion because of famine plague or other like judgements befall them nor thinke the worse of thine owne profession especially when thou hast evidences of the correspondency thereof to Gods Word for such causes §. 15. Of duties which judgements under pious Princes require WOrthy directions are affoorded even to pious Governours and their people by this publique judgement which God laid on Israel in Davids time Governours must therefore 1. Make the best enquiry they can into former times and take notice of such publique crying sinnes as have beene committed and not expiated either by any publique judgement on Gods part or by any publique humiliation and satisfaction on peoples part Such sins are treasured up Vengeance may be executed for them in succeeding times Successours therefore ought to do what lieth in their power to make an attonement in such cases 2. Be carefull over their people to keepe them in good order That as they themselves professe affect and maintaine true Religion so their subjects may subject themselves thereto and shew forth the power thereof Not common A Principibus non requiruntur opera tantum trita vulgaria sed ut sapiāt alijs ut vivant alijs ut illis praeluccant omni virtutum genere Martyr Comment in 2 Sam. 21. 17. and ordinary works onely are required of Governours but that they be wise for others live for others and shine out to them in every kind of vertue Otherwise the sinnes of subjects notwithstanding the piety of their Governours may pull downe publique vengeance As for people under pious Governours 1. They may not be secure and carelesse much lesse dissolute and licentious because they have such Governours as if no judgements could fall on a land in the time of good Governours God hath many wayes to punish such people even in such times As by inflicting such judgements as prove greater plagues to the common people then to their Governours as this famine was For famine for the most part lieth most heavy on the meaner sort Or by giving over their Governours to commit such sinnes as will pull downe publique judgements as he gave over David or by taking away their Governours as he tooke away Iosiah 2 Sam. 24. 1. 2 King 23. 26 29. and then powring out the vials of his indignation 2. They must
them in points of common equity and policy malice like a thick cloud ariseth before that light and so obscureth and hideth it as no direction can from thence be taken Herein then men offend against the light of nature For the Heathen Philosophers who had no other light accounted that Summa quidem authoritate Philosophi quicquid justum sit id utile etiam esse censent Cic Offic. l. 2. Complex est honestatis semper utilitas utilitatis honestas Amb. Offic l. 3. c. 14. which was just and honest to be profitable and nothing but that Profit is alwaies a companion of honesty and honesty of profit Ob. Were the two sonnes of Iacob who first set upon the Shechemites and slow all the males among them Gen. 34. 25. and Ioshua who went and fought against the Canaanites and utterly destroyed them Ios 12. 7 c. and David who went and smote the Philistines Moabites Edomites Syrians and other nations 2 Sam. 8. were these and others of the people of God-blinded with hatred and whetted on with malice in that they first set upon their enemies Answ 1. All particular actions of such as are otherwise good men are not every way justifiable and imitable Instance that of q q q Gen. 49. 7. Simeon and Levi which their old good father by divine instinct cursed 2. That which those sonnes of Iacob did they did not altogether without cause They did it in r r r Gen. 34. 31. revenge of the dishonour done to their sister But this is not altogether to excuse them For their anger was fierce and their wrath was cruell 3. As for Ioshuaes rooting out of the Canaanites he was How warre justly begun not moved thereto by malice because he did it not of his owne motion but by expresse s s s Ios 1. 1. charge from God himselfe For the Canaanites by their extreme wickednesse had deserved utterly to be rooted out of their land God therefore the supreme Lord over all nations made Ioshua his Minister to execute his just judgement upon them 4. The enemies whom David subdued had before his time done exceeding great wrong to Israel that therefore which he did was partly as a just punishment of their unjust wrongs for lawfull warre is a publique execution of publique justice and partly as a means to secure Israel for the time to come from further wrong These premises duly considered it may truly be said that David never began Nunquam David nisi lacessitus bellum intulit Amb. Offic. lib. 1 cap 35. Deus hoc providit ne David prior illis inferret bellum ne videretur ingratus P. Martyr Comment in 2 Sam. 5. 17. Fories magnanimi sunt habendi non qui faciunt sed qui propulsant injuriam Cic Offic. l. 1. waâ—re but provoked thereto Of the Philistines it is in speciall said that when they heard that David was annointed King over Israel all the Philistines came up to seeke David 2 Sam. 5. 17. that is to prevent David by giving the first on-set and beginning warre For God so ordered it that David should not begin warre against them least he might seeme ungratefull By these answers the difference betwixt warres begun lawfully on just causes and unlawfully and maliciously upon no just ground may be discerned The application of this point especially concerneth Kings Princes States Generalls Captains Souldiers and all such as wage warre to take heed that inward passion hatred malice undue desire of undeserved revenge or any such like unjust and unwarrantable provocation whet them not on to begin warre They are to be accounted truly valorous The issue of unjust war begun and magnanimous not who offer but who protect from wrong I shall afterwards § 18. have occasion to treat of the just causes of lawfull warre In the meane let notice be taken of the ill successe that such warres have Not to insist on this of Amalek or of other malicious enemies of the Church let the wofull issue of Iosiah his going to fight 2 Chro. 35. 20 c. against Necho King of Egypt without any just cause on Nechoes part be noted If God punished this fault so severely in such a worthy such a beloved one as Iosiah was who not in hatred or malice but upon rash suspicion and unadvised policy went out and fought against Necho how can they whom malice sets on worke in like cases looke to escape the revenging hand of a just God Behold the righteous shal be recompenced in the earth much more the wicked and the sinner Pro. 11. 31. §. 5. Of the title Israel Cum Dco invaleseens est in terpretatio Israelis Tertul advers Marcion l. 4. III. THe party assaulted was Israel Israel was a name given to Abrahams grand-child who was first called Iacob But in memory of his stedfast faith whereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b compâ—nituo ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principatum obtinuit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus Est igitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Princeps Dei nut qui principalem potentiam obtinuit à Deo he is said to prevaile with God who wrestled with him hee was called Israel Genesis 32. 28. The word is compounded of two words the one signifieth to obtaine principality or to prevaile the other is the name of God so as it signifieth as the Holy Ghost himselfe expoundeth it a Prince that hath power with God So doth the Prophet c c c Hos 12. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principent se gessit cum Deo Hosea also expound the meaning of this word for in relation to this name Israel he saith of him that was so called He had power with God or he behaved himselfe princely with God This being a title of much honour and a name which gave evidence of Gods great favour to him and of his strong faith in God It was first given to d d d Gen. 32. 28. Iacob himselfe 2. To an e e e 33 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus Deus Israelis Vel ut Trem. Iun. sic Altare Dei sortis Dei Israelis altar that Iacob built to God which was called God the God of Israel or as some by inserting the word altar expound it thus The altar of the strong God the God of Israel 3. To all the Posterity of IacoÌ„b who as they are called f f f Gen 32. 32. The children of Israel so also are they called g g g 47. 27. 48. 20. Israel And this name was in common given to all the twelve Tribes that descended from the twelve sonnes of Iacob till the Tribe of Iudah together with the Tribe of Benjamin that bordered next to Iudah and lay part within him grew so populous and so potent as it got a peculiar name to it selfe which was h h h 1 Sam. 18. 16. 2 Sam. 5. 5. Iudah and the other ten Tribes retained this name Israel This
c Thou hast saved us from our enemies and hast put them to shame that hated us But thou hast cast off and put us to shame and goest not forth with our armies Thou makest us to turne our backs to the enemy c. There are many more like these thorowout the Scripture The heathen by their experimentall Levissimus saepe casus ex victo victorem ex victore victum exercitum reddit 10. vian de bello Neopolit observations were moved to acknowledge as much True it is that warres are ordered by God so as this uncertainty of warre is not without him And yet is it not thorow any neglect or impotency in him Our God is not like the Gods of the Heathen who by such as tooke them for gods are accounted oftentimes unable to helpe in battell yea antiquo memores de vulncre poenas Exigit alma Venus Ovid. Metamorph lib. 14. De Marte a Diomede vulnerato Homerus Iliad β 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2 Sam. 15. 25. when they came themselves to succour such as they favoured they are said to be wounded But our God is farre from any such impotency He is able at all times to make whom he will victorious Onely in his wisdome he seeth it meet somtimes to suffer enemies to have the better over his people Though we could see no reason why he should suffer enemies to prevaile yet ought we to lay our hands upon our mouth and not dare to impeach his power wisdome justice truth or any other of his infinite excellent properties but rather to say as good old Elie did It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good And as David If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me againe But if he thus say I have no delight in thee Here I am let him do to me as seemeth good to him Yet in Scripture many weighty reasons are implied to demonstrate to us the equity of Gods providence in this particular Some of these reasons are such as these that follow 1. To cause his Church and people more narrowly and Why God suffereth enemies to prevaile over his Church thorowly to search themselves For many evils many times are so closely conveighed and concealed as unlesse God by some visible judgement force men to search it out it may lie and fester and so cause the greater mischiefe This was the chiefe cause that moved God so to leave Ioshua and his army Ios 7. 10 c. as they fled before the men of Ai 2. To punish some scandalous sin whereby the profession of godlinesse is slandered This reason God himselfe renders 2 Sam 12. 10. of those crosses which by the sword befell David Thus did God punish the Israelites for their presumption Num. 14. 44. 3. To bring people to sound and solemne repentance Iudg. 20 26. This fruit was manifested in the eleven Tribes after they had beene twice foiled by the Benjamites 4. To shew that victory commeth not meerely from Iudg. 20. 17. c mans preparation For after that the foresaid eleven Tribes had lost at one time two and twenty thousand men and at another time eighteene thousand then God gave them the victory 5. To turne the boasting of enemies to their greater shame and dammage as that advantage which the Philistims got against Sampson did Read for this purpose Isa 10. 5 c. the just insultations over the proud King of Assyria 6. To give evidence of his wisdome and power in casting downe and raising up againe according to that which 1 Sam. 2. 6 7. is said of him The Lord killeth and maketh alive he bringeth downe to the grave and bringeth up he bringeth low and lifteth up On this ground when David was forced out of his native country and the city which he had in a strange country was spoiled and burnt by enemies and his owne 30. 6. souldiers spake of stoning him he encouraged himselfe in the Lord his God 7. To make men more fervently instantly and constantly to call upon God as Moses here did For observing that when his hands fell Amalek prevailed he used all the helpe he could to keepe his hands up and steddy as is noted in the next verse Good ground of hope and comfort is hereby ministred to Hope to such as are overcome such as somtimes have the worst in war and against whom enemies have prevailed that the streame may turn that they who are overthrowne may rise againe and the conquered prove conquerers For the Lord who is the orderer and disposer of the successe of war ever remaineth the same as wise to know when to suffer Amalek and when Israel to prevaile as able to give victory to the conquered as ready to heare the cries of those that are overthrowne and to receive such as thereby are brought to renew their repentance as carefull of his owne honour as observant of enemies insultations as ever he was Let us wisely observe the ends of Gods permission in this case whereof some are noted and answerably make use thereof These times give just occasion Mis-judge not such as are vanquished to make a wise application of this point Enemies as hatefull to God as Amalek was have in many places had the upper hand of such as have had as true notes of the true Church as Israel had What then shall we hereupon impeach God of injustice or make question of the truth of their religion or so loade them with sinne as if they were the greatest sinners of all Farre bee that from us 1. Concerning God we ought not to suffer a thought to arise in our minds derogatory to his justice but if any such do begin to rise presently to quash and suppresse them God in justice may make Idolaters his rod as he did the Heathen Isa 10. 5. to punish those that are of the true Religion But after the rod is thus used to what end is it but to be cast into the fire 2. Concerning the difference of religion betwixt Protestants and Papists we are not to judge of it by event and successe in warre There are other more sure evidences grounded on Gods Word which give such demonstrations of the truth of the one and falshood of the other as we may pawne life soule and eternall salvation upon the truth of that which we professe and renounce salvation if Popery be the means of attaining thereto 3. Concerning their sins whether they be more or greater then the sins of others that are of the same profession but not so trampled upon as they we are to leave to the determination of the highest Iudge The Lord hath given us a wise caveat in this case Luke 13. 1 2 3 4 5. Let us believe and hope the best and do as Moses here did be more earnest in prayer for them Iudg. 20. 26. Ios 7. 6 c. Num. 21. 2. To
Azariah to Asa and g g g 2 King 19. 25 Isaiah to Hezekiah Governours over others being by such meanes well instructed in the mind and power of God and therby brought to feare God and to trust in him have opportunity according to their calling to instruct and encourage others so as the benefit which they reape thereby may prove a singular benefit to many others The application of this point as it concernes Governours themselves to use all diligence in acquainting themselves with Gods former works especially such as concerne his Church the preservation of it and the destruction of the enemies of it so it concernes their Chaplens and such Ministers as in any particular relation belong unto them to rehearse in their eares and declare unto them the marvellous works that God hath done for such as feare him and rest upon him §. 69. Of Gods avenging VIII * * * See §. 61. See also The Plaister for the Plague on on Num. 16. 45 § 21. IT is God that avengeth The Lord challengeth this as his owne prerogative a a a Deut. 32. 35. To me saith he belongeth vengeance b b b Rom. 12 19. Vengeance is mine Iustly therefore doth the Psalmist give this title to him c c c Psal 94. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of vengeances and by an d d d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elegant figure thus doubles it O Lord God of vengeances O God of vengeances So the Prophet Nahum and that with somwhat more emphasis e e e Nah. 1. 2. God is jealous and the Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance of his adversaries Gods absolute soveraignty almighty power infinite justice incomprehensible wisdome perfect hatred of sin indulgent care over his Church and other like divine properties give proofe hereof For 1. It is a part of supreme or absolute soveraignty to take Gods properties manifested in destroying enemies vengeance of such as obstinately rebell against his will and seek to do what mischiefe they can to his servants and Saints 2. By so doing he gives evidence of his almighty power whereby he is able to subdue his Churches enemies and shewes how f f f Act. 9. 5. hard it is to kicke against the pricks 3. Iust revenge is as true an effect of justice as due reward e e e Rom. 2. 5 c. The Apostle therefore exemplifieth the righteous judgement of God in both 4. His incomparable wisdome is manifested by ordering the evill plots and practices of wicked men so as they tend to the ruine of the contrivers of them g g g Psal 9. 15. They are sunk down in the pit that they made in the net that they hid is their foot taken 5. Execution of due vengeance of sinne is an apparent demonstration of his hatred of sinne 6. By that vengeance which the Lord executeth on enemies of the Church the Churches tranquillity and security is maintained and Gods providence over her thereby manifested On these premises it may well be concluded that h h h Psal 9. 16. Iudgment on enemies ministers comfort to Saints The Lord is knowne by judgement which he executeth 1. Great consolation hence ariseth to the Church of God God is their Lord. What if their enemies be many mighty malicious sedulous yet are they under the power of him who is the Protectour of the Church Their power their wit their breath is in his hands to take away all as he will On this ground i i i Heb. 13. 6. Wee may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I will not feare what man can doe unto mee 2. When we see judgement executed on the Churches God to be praised for enemies destruction enemies we are to take notice of the principall agent therein and to say This is the finger of the Lord and answerably to give him the glory thereof as k k k Exo 15. 6. Moses l l l 2 Sam. 22. 1 c. David and others 3. The terrour of the Churches enemies must needs be Gods executing vengeance terrour to wicked much aggravated by this that God takes upon himselfe to execute vengeance For this Lord is an almighty ever-living just and jealous God His stroaks are heavy There is no avoiding them no enduring them His vengeance is endlesse and easelesse mercilesse and remedilesle It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Hebr. Deus justè vindicans tradit impios in concupiscentias aliorum nocere volentium sua semper incommutabili aequitate servato Aug. ad Simplic l 2. Quaest 1. 10. 31. Quest How doth God revenge Answ Sometimes by causing judgements to descend immediately from himselfe as on Sodom Gen. 19. 24. and somtimes by giving men over to the desire of such as have a mind to worke misehiefe but so as he alwayes keeps safe his owne immutable justice and equity §. 70. Of Gods vengeance extended to mans utter ruine IX * * * See § 61. GOD may be provoked to the utter ruine of a people Instance a a a Gen. 6. 7. the old world b b b 19. 24 25. Sodom and Gomorrah the c c c Num. 21. 32. Amorites d d d Ios 11. 14. Canaanites and other nations utterly rooted out by Israel As much is proved by these and such like phrases frequent in the Prophets e e e Nah. 1. 14. No more of their name shal be sowen f f f Ier. 48. 42. They shal be destroyed from being a people g g g Isa 13. 19. They shal be as the destruction of God in Sodom and Gomorrah Quest When was Amalek of whom this utter desolation was here threatned utterly destroyed Answ This was not done at once but at severall times by degrees If Saul had faithfully executed h h h 1 Sam. 15. 3. the charge of God by him had this denunciation beene executed But yet then it was i i i 14. 48. 15. 7 8. in part performed k k k 30. 17. afterwards more fully by David For after Davids time we read little of any of them Extremity of judgement is somtimes executed 1. To give instance of Gods almighty power For l l l Psal 47. 2 3. by utter ruinating of kingdomes and nations he sheweth that no power can stand against his almighty power 2. To give proofe of the severity of his wrath which being kindled and not quickly quenched burneth up whole nations 3. To give demonstration of his patience in sparing such as stand for he that rooteth out some nations can as easily root out others one after another as he did the seven nations before Israel Deut. 7. 1. 4. To give evidence of the intolerablenesse of mens impiety and iniquity For such severity of vengeance shewes that mens sinnes are growne to Afulnesse
6 7. Moses Ioshua and the Israelites under them to make warre against them By warre was b b b 2 King 17. 6. Samaria and c c c 25. 9. Ierusalem ruined So was the spacious and populous city of Troy It was made as an open field The foure great Monarchs Iamseges est ubi Troia fuit Ovid. in Epist Penel. ad Vliss of the world that made many places in the world desolate did what they did in that kind by warre Experience of all ages gives too evident proofe of the truth hereof Warres ordered by God are the instruments of his wrath and justice against impenitent people in justice therefore they cause utter ruine in such causes As for men that delight in warre they are commonly cruell and mercilesse No marvell then though they where they can utterly destroy all before them Should men now delight in warre True it is that lawfull it is and necessary as hath beene proved * * * §. 13. before But it is mans iniquity that makes it a lawfull remedy and necessary It is directly contrary to comfortable and profitable peace and in that respect stiled d d d Isa 45. 7. evill O take heed of provoking the Lord of hostes least to other lighter judgements he adde this the heaviest externall judgement and so bring us to utter ruine e e e 2 〈…〉 14. Let me not fall into the hand of men By men are warres waged Whence it comes to passe that the evils there of are many and great §. 84. Of the continuance of Gods vengeance VI. * * * Sec §. 76. DIvine vengeance may continue age after age The extent of that vengeance which is denounced in the law giveth evidence hereof for it saith that a a a Exo. 20. 5. 347. Num. 14. 18. The Lord visiteth the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation This in particular is threatned against b b b Isa 13. 20. Ier. 50 39. Babel that executed much cruelty upon the people of God By a propheticall spirit the c c c Psal 109. 13. Psalmist imprecateth as much against the enemies of Christ 1. d d d Rom. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 9. Gods patience and long suffering is one cause hereof For he doth not utterly destroy and cut off all at once that give him cause so to do to try if by forbearing the extremity of vengeance they or their posterity may be brought to repentance Read Ier. 26. 18 19 c. 2. Gods jealousie and fiery indignation is also a cause of the continuance of vengeance For his wrath is such a lasting fire as if it be once kindled it cannot easily be put out The Law before the fore-named denunciation premiseth this cause * * * Exo. 20. 5. The Lord is a jealous God 3. Mens persisting in their impiety they and their posterity is another cause hereof and that the more immediate and meritorious cause which e e e Ier. 44. 21 22. the Prophet expresly upbraideth to the rebellious generation of the rebellious Iewes The law mentioneth this cause in this clause f f f Exo. 20. 5. Of them that hate me Here have we a ready answer to such as take boldnesse to Eccl. 8. 11. themselves because they behold not the whole wrath of God powred out at once But here they may learne that God can have warre with his enemies generation after generation now slaying some then others and at length all It was above 400 yeares before all Amalek was utterly destroyed yet here by Ioshua were many slaine After this more by g g g Iudg. 6. 33. Gideon yea h h h 10. 17. more also by other Iudges By Saul they were i i i 1 Sam. 14. 48. once and k k k 15. 7. againe smitten and finally by l l l 30. 17. David they were utterly vanquished And whereas many generations after this m m m Est 3. 1. Haman the Agagite who was of this stocke got some head the Lord had warre with him and destroyed n n n 7. 10. him and o o o 9. 10. his posterity Let children of wicked parents and succeeding generations of impious predecessors take heed how they tread in the wicked foot-steps of such as have gone before them especially where there are ensignes displaid of Gods battels against them For in such cases he useth to have warre from generation to generation Be not as your wicked fore-fathers were But cease yet to sin against God that he may cease to warre against you We have worthy presidents hereof in p p p 2 Chro. 29. 6 c. Hezekiah and q q q 34. 20 c. Iosiah Hitherto of such particular observations as arise from the words of this historie Now further in that Warre is here noted to be the means of Gods executing his fierce wrath on an obstinate people it is requisite that the evills of warre be distinctly noted and for aggravation thereof the benefits of peace §. 85. Of the evils of warre 1. FOr warre multitudes of men are gathered and those for the most part lusty stout and strong men In such multitudes it is scarce possible to have none but such as feare God Many many armies there have beene in all ages wherein not one that truly feared God could be found Very few armies have beene heard of whereof the greater Quis finis fructusve secularis huius non dico militiae sed malitiae Bern. ad Mil. Temp. c. 2. Quis ense accingetur non contraria lenitati iustitiae exercet id est dolum asperitatem iniustitiam propria scil negotia praesiorum Tertul. advers Iud. advers Marcion De militum vio lentia lege Chrys Hom. 76. ad Pop. Quovalidior est eo promptior ut inseriorem opprimal Ambr. Offic l. 1. c. 35. Erat ubique iustitium ob bellorum frequentiam Hier in Zac. 8. part have beene men truly religious and men fearing God but rather impious licentious and violent persons Where multitudes of such are assembled together what mischiefes may not be feared 2. For warre men use to be furnished with all kind of deadly weapons and mortall munition whereby souldiers are the more emboldened to all manner of outrages much cruelty is thereby occasioned Hence it comes to passe that men assembled in armies account all that they can come by be it by hooke or crooke right or wrong to be as their owne So as the places thorow which they passe and where they make any stay suffer much prejudice by them Instance the Danites that robbed Michah Iudg. 18. 16. 17 25. This undoubtedly was the cause that moved Iohn the Baptist to warne the souldiers that came to be instructed by him to take heed of doing violence Luke 3. 14. For the more potent men are the more forward they are to oppresse others And
food destroy the inhabitants of a land enemies will forbeare to invade it especially if they be not able to bring with them provision enough for horse and man to so remote a place fearing least they and their cattell be all starved Thus these two judgements may be some meanes to avert warre But warre ordinarily causeth plague and famine These Lev. 26. 25 26. Ier. 14. 12. Ezek. 6. 11. three Sword Pestilence Famine are very oft joyned together and for the most part Sword is put in the first place as the cause of the other two Plagues oft arise from multitudes of people thwacked together from noisome savours from want of cleane shiftings from unwholsome food from infected aire and other like causes which are ordinarily occasioned by warre especially when people are by enemies blocked up and have not liberty to goe abroad and to provide for themselves In Ierusalem when it was besieged by the Babylonians Ier. 21. 6 7. there was a great pestilence and much famine but much greater * * * Ioseph de Bello Iud. l. 6. c. 11. when it was besieged by the Romanes The first great plague that was in Queene Elizabeths daies was brought into England by the souldiers that came from Stow in his generall Chron. of Engl. an 4. Eliz. New haven that was somwhile besieged and after taken by the enemy Of famine caused by warre see Dearths Death on 2 Sam. 21. 1. § 22. 24. If warre be an usuall occasion of plague and famine it must needs be the greatest of them and if of them surely the greatest of other judgements §. 89. Of delighting in warre II. NO true Christian can or may delight in warre He may b b b §. 17 18. on just cause wage warre but there is a great difference betwixt the doing of a thing and delight therein God doth afflict and grieve children of men but not c c c Lam 3. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex corde suo from his heart willingly Iudgement is d d d Isa 38. 21 his strange worke his strange act So ought warre to be unto Christians A true Christians heart is possessed with true charity But charity delighteth not in spoiles in wounds in paines and tortures in bloud of men nor in any other evils that warre ordinarily causeth They are therefore destitute of true Christian charity and in that respect no true Christians that simply desire warre that without just and urgent cause raise warre that with delight enbroile themselves therein They are worse then savages yea then savage beasts Though the Lord made many of the Heathen his rod to correct his people yet because they delighted in shedding bloud the Lord brought heavy judgements upon them as on Ashur Isa 10. 5 c. on Babylon Isa 14. 4 c. Ier. 50. 23 24. Hab. 2. 7 8. on Mount Seir Ezek. 35. 5 6. Yea also upon the house of Iehu who destroyed the stocke of Ahab Hos 1. 4. §. 90. Of Christians backwardnesse to warre III. CHristians ought to be very backward to warre The evils thereof are ordinarily so many as they should make a Christian trie all other faire meanes for retaining or recovering his owne and for preventing or redressing wrongs then by warre to seeke the accomplishing of his desire Christians should be affected to warre as the Apostle would have them to law 1 Cor. 6. 1 c. They ought not to use it but in the last place after all other good meanes have beene used as a desperate remedy when no other remedy will serve the turne Vrgent necessity should force Christians to warre The evill effects of warre cannot but be very grievous to a true Christian soule How then may he be forward to that which causeth such evill effects See the caution even for just warres before given in the latter end of § 18. §. 91. Of circumspection in waging warre IIII. GReat circumspection must be used in waging war Many evils ordinarily arising from warre if men be not watchfull over themselves pride wrath revenge cruelty and many other corruptions whereunto our nature is much prone will soone find occasion to display themselves by reason of that power which men gathered together in an army have David a man in a great measure renewed a a a Act. 13. 22. yea a man after Gods owne heart b b b 1 Sam. 25. 22. being accompanied with an army of valiant men upon a discurtesie offered unto him by a churle was so incensed with rage and enflamed with revenge as he vowed and swore to destroy all that pertained to that churlish Nabal before the next morning If such a man by reason of his warlike power was so soone provoked to so great an evill what will not warre provoke others unto especially if they be confident in their power and get any advantages against their enemies Wherfore to prevent the evils of war such as have just occasion of waging war must look to their manner of waging war and lay aside al malice envy wrath revenge desire of bloud cruelty other inhumane passions and continually walk before him carying themselves as in the presence of God ordering all their actions according to the word of God yea and oft looking to God calling upon him and doing such things as in the good successe of them may give them just cause to praise God Thus may we avoid the ordinary evils of warre §. 92. Of warre kept out of a land V. IT is a blessing to have warre kept out of a land Warre being a cause of many evils to have war kept out is to be freed from those many evils This is that case wherof the Psalmist thus saith a a a Psal 144. 15. Happy is that people that is in such a case This was the happinesse of Salomons raigne for b b b 1 Chro. 22 9 God gave him rest from all his enemies round about As a blessing on Iehosaphat and his kingdome it is recorded that c c c 2 Chro. 17. 10 The feare of the Lord fell upon all the kingdome of the lands that were round about Iudah so that they made no warre against Iehosaphat Thrice happy is England in this respect that under the blessed government of Queene Elizabeth King Iames and our now and long may be be our now royall Soveraigne King Charles hath beene preserved from warre the cause of many evills and from the many evills of warre It cannot be denied but that in blessed Queene Elizabeths daies there was much warre and that many attempts were made by enemies abroad and traitors at home to disturbe our Peace extirpate our Religion and ruinate our State but they all turned to the increase of our happinesse in that we are delivered from them all and so preserved from the evils of open hostility and privy conspiracy as those attempts proved thorow the divine providence more glorious and many wayes beneficiall to Soveraigne
to be put to death so as all his raigne death and slaughter never ceased till himselfe was slaine and brought like an hog all bare on an horses backe to his grave in the 3. yeare of his raigne and about the 40. of his age 19. Henry 7 the next living heire of the house of Lancaster having vanquished Richard 3. obtained the Crowne 2485. Aug. 22. maried Elizabeth the heire of the house of Yorke and therby united those two distracted houses Yet was not his raigne without troubles The Crowne being gotten with hazard and much bloud he was maligned by the Dutches of Burgundy who set up first a Lambert then a Perkin Warbeck to disquiet him Warres he had in France Insurrections there were in the North Rebellions in Cornwall besides many grievances which his Subjects complained of He died in the 24. yeare of his raigne and 52. of his age 20. Henry 8. sonne of Henry 7. by a just title came to a 1509. Apr. 22. setled throne He that will read Sir Walter Raleighs preface to his history shall see enough if not too much of the tronbles of this Kings times He ended his reigne and life in the 38. yeare of his raigne and 56. of his age 21. Edward 6. sonne of Henry 8. in his childhood came 1546. Ian. 28. to the crowne yet in his daies the brightnesse of the Gospell shined forth but so as there wanted not clouds of troubles The Kingdome being engaged in warre with France and Scotland the country troubled with insurrections in Norfolke and Devonshire and the Court and Counsell distracted into faction whereby the Kings two uncles the Lord Protector and Lord Admirall came to violent deaths which hastened or hindred not the Kings and that in the 7. yeare of his raigne and 17. of his age 22. Mary eldest daughter to Henry 8. came with much 1553. Iul. 6. difficulty to the Crowne Another Queene was first proclaimed at London But that storme lasted not long for 9 dayes after at London also was Mary proclaimed Queene As for the continuance of her raigne some may remember most have heard and all may read how dangerous and dolefull those smoaky daies were Many hundreds were burnt then for the Gospell sake many more were forced to fly their country and exile themselves Callis that for very many yeares before had appertained to the English was lost which losse is thought to make so dead a wound in her heart as it could never be healed In the last period of Queene Maries daies many imprisoned and adjudged to the fire for the cause aforesaid were released by her departure out of this world in the 6. yeare of her raigne and 43. of her age Though God were pleased to cause the light of his Gospell to appeare in King Edwards daies yet for a surer setling of it he suffers it to be sealed by the bloud of many worthy Martyrs in Queene Maries daies Since which time to the immortall glory of God and the eternall salvation of many thousand soules it hath beene continued among us 63. yeares So Lord let it continue till the comming of thy Sonne unto judgement By this briefe narration of the troubles of former times let any indifferent Reader judge if God have not reserved us to the best times that ever England had both in regard of the Gospell of peace so long enjoyed and also in regard of the peace of the land so long continued The benefit wherof followeth next to be declared §. 96. Of peace and the benefits thereof * * * See §. 88. The last conclusion which as a just consequence I inferre from the evills of warre is this VI. PEace is a good thing Warre and Peace are contrary each to other As many evills arise from warre so many benefits from peace Good therefore it is as in the kind of it so in the effects that arise from it By peace lands are freely tilled orchards gardens vineyards and other like fruitfull places tended all manner of cattell encreased all kind of trading followed inheritances and what els of right appertaineth to men quietly possessed by the true owners thereof children well educated old men well nourished Schooles and Vniversities maintained The Gospell with free liberty preached all Gods ordinances observed good lawes duly executed wrong doers suppressed men respected according to their places and dignities opportunity afforded for exercising such abilities as God bestoweth on any mutuall communion made of such good gifts as God in any kind conferreth on severall persons poore men set to worke and relieved plenty procured meanes for sicknesse and all manner of maladies afforded decent buriall performed and many other like benefits obtained of all which by warre men are very oft spoiled and deprived Peace is the maine end of just and lawfull warre All the benefits * * * § 17. before noted to arise from warre are enjoyed in peace and are therefore attributed to war as effects thereof because by warre peace is procured and secured No marvell then that Christians are so much called upon a a a Rom 12. 18. If it be possible and as much as in them lieth to have peace with all men And that b b b Mat. 5. 9. the peacemakers are pronounced blessed And c c c Pro. 12. 20. joy is to the counsellours of peace And it is an usuall blessing to say d d d 1 Sam. 25. 6. 1 Chro. 12. 18. Peace be to you Yea e e e Deut. 20 10. Pax concordia omnibus hominibus amantur omnibus hominibus sunt necessariae Bern de modo benè viv Serm. 7. God would have peace proclaimed to enemies before they were invaded by warre Peace is it that is loved of all and is necessary for all Peace as an especiall blessing of God hath in all ages beene promised by God to his Church Lev. 26. 6. 1 Chro. 22. 9. 2 King 22. 20. Isa 26. 12. Prophets have thereupon incited Gods people to pray for peace as for a blessing Psal 122. 6 7. Ier. 29. 7. Yea Angels do desire peace on earth Luk. 2. 34. Peace according to Gods owne promise and his peoples prayers hath as a blessing beene given them Iud. 3. 11 30. 1 King 4. 24. 2 Chro. 17. 10. Saints have answerably been thankfull unto God for peace as for a great blessing Psal 29. 11. 55. 18. 147. 14. On the contrary God hath threatned as a judgement to the wicked that they shall have no peace Ier. 12. 1◠30. 5. Rev. 6. 4. And as a judgement peace hath been taken away from people Ier. 16. 5. Such is the excellency of peace as the high and great Lord is stiled f f f Rom 15. 33. the God of peace g g g 2 Thess 3. 16. the Lord of peace and his Sonne h h h Luke 10. 6. the Sonne of peace i i i Isa 9 6. a Prince of peace
crosse iron barres Thus though Smiths and other workemen were sent for yet it was more then an houre before succour could be afforded unto them When passage was made for others I had accesse into the roome and viewing the bodies observed some yet but few to be mortally wounded or bruised with the timber others to be apparently stifled partly with their thick lying one on another and partly with the dust that came from the seeling that fell On the Lords Day night when they fell there were numbred The number flaine 91 dead bodies whereof many of them were secretly conveighed away that very night For there were a paire of water stairs leading out of the garden appertaining to that house into the Thames On the morrow following the Coroner and his Inquest comming to view the bodies found remaining but 63. Of those that were caried away some were buried in a Their buriall burying place within the Spanish Ambassadours house in Holborn among whom the Lady Webb was one the Lady Blackstones daughter another and one Mistris Vdall a third Master Stoker and Master Bartholomew Bavine were buried in S. Brides parish Robert Sutton Iohn Loccham and Abigail Holford in S. Andrewes Holborne Captaine Summers wife in the vault under Black-Friers Church and her woman in the Church-yard For the Corpses remaining two great pits were digged one in the fore-court of the said French Ambassadours house 18 foot long and 12 foot broad the other in the garden behind his house 12 foot long 8. foot broad In the former pit were laid 44 corpses whereof the bodies of the forenamed Redyat and Drury were two These two wound up in sheets were first laid into the pit and a partition of loose earth to sever them from the rest Then were others brought some in somwhat a decent manner wound up in sheets but others in a more lamentable plight the shirts onely of the men tied under their twist and some linnentied about the middle of the women the other parts of their body naked one poore man or woman taking a corpse by the head another by the feet and so piled them up almost to the top of the pit The remainder were put into the other pit in the garden Their manner of buriall seemed almost if not altogether as dismall as the heape of them when they lay on the floore whereupon they last fell No obsequies or funerall rites were used at their buriall Onely on the day after a blacke crosse of wood was set upon each grave But soone was it by authority commanded to be taken downe Thus they being interred thorow search was made about the cause of the failing of the timber The timber of The scantling of the timber that brake each floore was laid together and the measure of the Summiers that brake taken The maine Summier which crossed the garret was ten inches square Two girders were by tenents and mortaises let into the midst of it one just against another The Summier was knotty where the mortaises were made whereupon being over-burdened it knapt suddenly asunder in the midst The maine Summier of the other floore that fell was much stronger being 13 inches square smooth and sound every where no knot in it neither did the girders meet so just one against another Yet that also failed not in the middest as the uppermost but within five foot of one end and that more shiveringly and with a longer rent in the timber then the other For this chamber was almost full with such persons as comming too late to get into the sermon went into Redyats chamber Besides it did not only beare the weight which lay on the upper floore together with the weight of that floore that fell but also received all that weight with a sudden knock and so the massy timber shivered in two as suddenly as the other knapped asunder and the people were irrecoverably downe before they could feare any such thing on the third floore which was above 20 foot from the first If this be not an evidence of the eye and hand of the divine Providence both seeing and ordering things below what evidence can be given thereof True is that of the Wiseman All things come alike to all Eccl 9. 2. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked c. There is nothing that befalleth any one but may befall every one And even such an accident may befall an assembly of true worshippers of God as either the floore to fall under them or the roofe and walls to fall upon them For 1. The judgements of God are unsearchable and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11. 33. 2. He hath other meanes to put difference betwixt his Saints and others then externall events 3. He will have his to feare alwaies Prov. 28. 14. and alwaies to depend on him Yet notwithstanding where we see judgements executed on sinners when they are in their sinne when they are impudent and presumptuous therein not to acknowledge such to be judged of the Lord is to winke against a cleare light a a a Psal 9. 16. God is knowne by the judgement which he executeth To suppose then that the judgement which he executeth is no judgement is to put out that light which he affordeth of making knowne himself b b b Dan 4. 3 c c Shall Nebuchadnezzar while he is vaunting of his great Babylon be bereft of his wits c c c Act. 12. 22 c. Shall Herod while he is priding himselfe in the peoples flattering applause be eaten of wormes d d d Hest 3. 8. 5. 14. 6. 4. 7. 10. Shall Haman while he is practicing to destroy all the people of God and intending to hang Mordecai on a gallowes of 50 foot high be hanged thereon himselfe e e e 2 King 19. 37 Shall Sennacherib while he is worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god be slaine by his owne sonnes f f f Iudg. 16. 30. Shall the house where the Philistines met to make sport with Sampson fall upon their heads Shall these and such like judgements overtake men in the very act of their sinning and yet be accounted no judgements no evidences of the divine providence no signes of his indignation Then let all things be ordered by chance or rather let there be no order at all For the Conventicle where the fore-mentioned Downefall was It was for the greater part of Papists who are palpable idolaters whose doctrine is a masse of ancient heresies who are by Law interdicted the execution of ministeriall functions who at this time gave outbefore hand that such a priest should preach who made choice of a spacious place who let the doore be open for all commers who taking advantage at some present connivence most audaciously and impudently without feare of God or man did what they did Now for such in such an act after such a manner done so many of them by such a
sometimes by powring them out at once bring greatest glory to his name For by the former kinde of proceeding with men he giveth evidence of his patience and long-suffering in that though he be provoked to powre out the vials of his anger yet he is slow to wrath and would not that men should perish in his anger but rather by the beginning of it be brought to repentance By the latter kinde he giveth instance of his terrour when he hath to do with obdurate and obstinate sinners Having to do with such a God as can make even the beginning of his judgement so terrible how watchfull ought we to be that we provoke him not at once to powre out the vials of his wrath against us This severity is usually executed after contempt of milder proceedings as hath been * §. 22. before proved or upon the committing of grievous sinnes that cry up to heaven for vengeance as the sins of m Gen. 18. 20. Sodom did or upon obdurate and obstinate persons that n Psal 50. 17 22 hate instruction So as men themselves are the cause that Gods stroakes are so heavy If a Lion that at first teares all to peeces if a flaming fire that quickly turnes all to ashes if a raging storme that soone oversets ship with all that 's in it if other like violent evils that affoord no time of seeking helpe and remedy be much feared should not the violent terrour of the Lord be much more feared The inference of the beginning of the plague upon the direction to make an attonement and that as an enforcement of the reason as hath beene shewed before § 40. affoords this Doctrine Gods wrath in the beginning of a judgement is to be pacified But hereof we had occasion to treat before § 32. §. 52. Of the meaning and method of the 47 Verse NVMB. 16. 47. And Aaron tooke as Moses commanded and ran into the midst of the congregation and behold the plague was begun among the people and he put incense and made an attonement for the people THe fore-mentioned charge for staying the plague is here noted to be put in execution for it is expresly said that Aaron tooke as Moses commanded That is He tooke a censer and put fire therein from off the altar For these are the things which Moses commanded in the former verse This word * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dibbar cum dagesh in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commanded is fitly translated For though usually the word in the first conjugation import no more then to speake Yet a In Piel quae dadeshatur in the second an emphasis is added by a doubled letter and so especially if the Person that spake Moses the Prince and chief Governour and the Matter spoken which was a Divine direction for staying the plague be duly weighed it will appeare to have the force of a command As Aarons obedience in the generall substance is commended so also in the particular circumstances which is implied in this particle * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quemadmodum AS or according to that which So much the Hebrew importeth Besides this generall that Aaron tooke as Moses commanded some particulars are expressed For where Moses charged to go quickly it is here said that Aaron * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rà n which importeth the greatest speed that man can make for he hath not wings to fly withall It is added * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Into the midst of the congregation namely where the plague was hottest to shew that feare of infection kept not him from executing his function And where this reason is rendred by Moses The plague is begun to move Aaron to make speed the same reason is here againe repeated and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—cce a note of attention prefixed before it Behold the plague is begun among the people to shew that he was the rather thereby stirred to make the speed he made and to do the deed he did Where further Moses commanded to put incense on the fire that Aaron tooke from the altar in his censer it is here said that He put incense And to shew Gods approbation and acceptation of that which Aaron so did according to the charge given him where Moses said Make an attonement for them to give Aaron to understand the reason of the charge he gave him it is here said He made an attonement for the people Declaring thereby that the end which Moses aimed at was accomplished The Summe of this Verse is A remedy used for redresse of a plague This is 1 Generally propounded And Aaron tooke as Moses commanded 2. Particularly exemplified Wherein there are foure observable points 1. The manner of doing what was done Implied in this particle AS And expressed in two branches 1. The speed he made He ran 2. The courage he had Into the midst of the congregation 2. The Motive which moved him the rather to doe what he did The plague was begun among the people This is further amplified by a note of attention or observation Behold 3. The Matter or thing which was done He put incense 4. The End or Effect and Efficacy thereof And made an attonement amplified by the Parties for whom For the people Five usefull instructions besides those which were noted in the charge on the 46 Verse whereof many of them might be here noted againe are here offered to our due consideration I. Obedience is to be yeelded to the good directions of pious Governours Moses was a pious Governour his direction was a very good one Aaron yeelded obedience thereto which is here commended and recorded as a patterne for us to follow II. Obedience is to be ordered according to the charge given Not onely in the generall substance but also in the particular circumstances This particle * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AS importeth as much So do the particular branches of Aarons obedience being answerable to the particulars of Moses his charge III. Haste must be made to relieve such as are in distresse When Aaron heares that a plague was among the people he runnes to succour them IIII. A good calling may make one bold in danger Aaron was a Priest and by vertue thereof to offer for the people He was commanded of Moses to go to the congregation Therefore he is bold to run into the midst of the congregation where the plague was begun V. Gods judgements are duely to be observed The note of observation BEHOLD imports as much Of putting incense and making attonement See before § 25 27 31 36 37 38. 39. §. 53. Of obedience to Governours directions I. * See § 52. Cum omni vigilantia omne licitum adimpleat Maximè circa suos superiores sâ—udeat id ipsum observare Bern. in Form honest vitae OBedience is to be yeelded to the good directions of pious Governours I say good such as are lawfull and warrantable because such an one was