against sinners The reasons God is a righteous Iudge who will send no Plague where is no Reason 1 cause of Plague nor visite with euill but where are euill doers And if a wise father will not punish where is no fault God onely wise will much lesse Secondly as afflictions come not by chance see Iob 5.6 So Reason 2 when man suffereth he suffereth for his sin Lam. 3.30 No suffering but for sinne that is for sinne vnpurged and vnrepented of and therefore no sinne no suffering A terrour to these dayes and manners in which we liue For Vse 1 what can this land standing not as it doth in tearmes of sinne with God looke for but the Lords comming in anger and with great Plagues against it And if the euill of sinne brought the last great Plague how can we but looke for a greater in the same kind whose sinnes are more and greater now then euer Or is it the best and onely way for the auoyding of Pestilence sicknesse famine warre and death with other notable iudgements and strange Plagues to auoide the cause with the occasions for which they are sent then what hope can we haue to be long free from all these whose hearts are so carnall and wayes without repentance by all kinds of sinne old and new we haue runne our selues into great debt to God and his iustice and what can wee looke for but that he should speedily and fearefully require it in our destruction one way or another the sinnes of all ages are deriued to vs and our land is the sinke of them all at this day For what contempt is there euery where of God his holy word in his seruice what disorder and negligence his blessed name how fearefully and commonly is it blasphemed in all tongues and mouthes how are his Sabbaths violated and how is Gods day made the diuels day by an vniuersall prophanenesse how is the land filled with outrages and strange slaughters what shedding of bloud openly by frayes and quarrels closely by extortion and cunningly by poysons Incest adulterie fornication with their In-mates go through the land and when was there greater or like excesse in apparell and building as now How much of the patrimonie of the land goeth away in smoke and fumes and how much do these smoke-mongers consume daily in that which doth them no good but great hurt theses are common so are robberies oppression and the spoyle of the poore lying is become a science and art of great gaine and for false witnesse in iudgement strengthened with periurie and bold swearing what is it but an office of friendship and filthie hire These and the like sins are the sinnes of our age and nation we keepe them in our bosome and hide them vnder our tongue and how can we thinke to be spared in such consciences and delight of sinning how can it be but that as one cloud followeth another till the Sunne consume them so iudgement should be after iudgement till we be consumed either by the comming of the last day of by an end of Englands best dayes except repentance that Sunne of our skie that expelleth where it hath a strong and right worke all mists nay clouds of sinne turne all into a cleare heauen vnto vs by other manners and a better conuersation in Christ there is small hope to auoyde a disease and not to forbeare the things that bring it and who can hope to be in fauour that careth not to please So how can we thinke to auoyde any Plague fostering the plague of sinne or hope turning against God which wee do by impenitencie to haue credit with him Therefore as I said in these manners and in this state of sinne we prepare our selues and are readie for any destruction that God shall send not to auoide it not auoyding the cause but to perish in it whether Pestilence sword famine or other death But must wee if wee will preuent the Plagues that are sent Vse 2 auoyde the cause for which they come the cause is sinne or the euill custome of sinne much desired and followed by vngodly persons then we must abhorre and forgo by speedie repentance all such death-threatning customes and courses of life that make carelesse sinners naked that is open to all the strokes of God Exod. 32.25 we must strangle our sinnes if we would not bee strangled in them by Gods iudgements hauing stained our vessels we must cleanse them by repentance and fauour nothing that may bring vs out of fauour with God And specially let vs thinke of this when any iudgement begins For if we put iniquitie out of our hand and let no wickednesse dwell in our tabernacle we shall lift vp our faces without spot to wit of shame we shall be stedfast and shall not feare Iob 11.14.15 and 22.23 The wicked thinke of nothing this way either when a Plague is begunne or hath long wrought but as a man ouercome with his wine careth not in what dangers he lieth downe Prou. 23.34 nor where he makes his pillow so they are indifferent so strongly doth the wine of sinne worke in their heads and whole man whether they be in a storme or calme whether God be with them or against them whether it be peace or destruction that comes from the Almightie But such in stead of preparing for God prepare for the curse of God to which they make haste and in stead of reuersing euils bring them Here we further see that sin is the onely cause as of the Plague Vse 3 so of all Plagues and miseries that lie vpon our bodies soules or consciences sin is the only thing that God burneth vp in the wicked and purgeth in his children by his corrections for take away sinne and ye take away the cause of all punishments which is onely sinne God drowned the old world in a sea of waters but first they were drowned in a sea of sinne Gen. 7.11.12.21 and Sodome burning in lust was burnt with fire Gen. 19.24 25. There is a Cup in Gods hand mixed with red wine and they drinke of it who haue made vp their measure with their scarlet or red sins yea the dregges of it are powred out but alwaies vpon those that are frozen in their dregges Psal 75.8 Zeph. 1.12 If God send a wasting Pestilence vpon a Land it is because that Land hath sinned against him and sin is though not the naturall yet the prouoking cause thereof so the Scriptures teach Exod. 5.3 Ier. 29.18 1. Chron. 21.1.14 Psal 106.28 Deut. 28.28 Ezech. 16.46.47 1. Cor. 11.30 Leuit. 26.14.15 If therefore we serue God coldly or not at all if wee bee rebellious to him and his Ministers if we trust to creatures in the streights of troubles if we serue God superstitiously after our owne waies not after his word if young and old in our streetes horribly sweare and blaspheme if our fulnesse of bread cause pride and contempt if we eate in the leauen of bitternesse and drinke
vs 1 King 22.8 shall say and may truly say peace is come Esay 57.2 So much for the Plague of Pestilence darkly described and vnder the cloud of the figure the description of it without figure and plainely followeth And from the most grieuous Pestilence OR from the Pestilence of griefes in the Hebrew deliuering it by weight from thence and it is called the Pestilence of griefes because it pierceth them through with many sorrowes and is most grieuous to all or most of all that are visited with it as by pensiue solitarinesse their friends forsaking them and their neighbours not daring to come neere them by the anguish and worke of the sicknesse it selfe being very painfull and so pernicious that it passeth presently and terribly to the vitall parts getting into the head or working vpon the heart the castle of life and destroying there by opportunity of temptations the soule in so dangerous a priuatenesse being open to Satan and his malicious obiections not strengthned with the aides of Preachers or christian brethren in some by sundrie pitifull distractions caused by a hot bath or fire in the braine and through the whole bodie which maketh them to fall into fits of rauing and madnesse in many by the extremitie of paine and shortnesse of time in which so little respit is left if any to dispose their estate to their friends or to order their soules to God and in whom not who by reason of the contagion that it sendeth out dare not take leaue of their friends nor see the children of their owne bodie and must die separate and comfortlesse And is it not a sicknesse of griefes that maketh a mans whole acquaintance and best friends to forsake him that hurteth trades and impouerisheth townes that snatcheth here there emptying not some few houses only but whole townes and large towneships that breaketh and weareth men to nothing Doct. 1 The Doctrine from hence is the Pestilence of griefes is not to be regarded so little as some regard it who reuerence none of Gods iudgements The consideration hereof moued Dauid and the Elders of Israel clad in sack-cloth to fall vpon their faces 1 Chron. 21.16 for when they saw the drawne sword of this sicknesse in the hand of the Angel readie with it to destroy Ierusalem as hee had done other parts of the land with authoritie from the Lord that sent him they in humble cloathing and with their faces to the earth feared then as before some great destruction Where if they had regarded it no better nor otherwise then farre meaner persons at this day do they would neither haue feared so much nor walked so humbly before it He profiteth d Psal 4 4. Prou. 28.14 in the loue of God that profiteth in his feare by considering his iudgements And therefore he loued much that said My flesh trembleth for feare of thee Psal 119.120 that is in my imperfect state here when thou threatnest I feare and my heart is moued when thou art a little moued For feare makes way to loue and loue as it increaseth diminisheth feare But wherefore is the Pestilence in this Scripture called most grieuous and else where in the Scriptures the most terrible Plague Deut. 28.59 60. Ezech. 14.21 If it were no more to bee regarded It is one of Gods curses Deut. 28.45 and is any curse of God light or lightly to be respected The Lord by Amos complaines of the gouernours and people of Israel dwelling in Samaria that none of his strokes whereof the Pestilence that he sent among them was one could turne them by repentance Amos 4.10 Would he haue complained of this as of some strange thing if the Pestilence considered in it selfe had not bene a forcible outward meanes to worke in them this repentance and turning to God The Reasons The desolations it worketh are fearefull and the distractions Reason 1 that it is cause of are lamentable as hath bene said Secondly the finger of God is to be regarded in any stroke Reason 2 and shall not his whole hand bee feared in this of the Pestilence Thirdly of the foure valiant men that the Lord will send to reuenge Reason 3 the breach of his couenant Pestilence is and is said to bee one Ezech. 14.21 And if one then to be feared not desperately but profitably when it cometh Then the foole-hardinesse of some is no way tolerable who Vse 1 like mad persons runne vpon the naked point of this perillous sicknesse hazarding themselues vpon it by eating and drinking with those that haue it These feare too little and not where they should and therefore cannot but fall into euill Prou. 28.14 For as moderate feare worketh tendernesse so want of feare causeth hardning The godly though they haue greater confidence and more boldnesse in the changes then such audacious fooles can haue yet expell not godly feare but make the Lord their feare by fearing to amendment when such trumpets are blowne in the kingdome Amos 3.6 And therefore they cleaue to God and vnclaspe with sinne fearing his iudgements and feeling his louing fauour when the other go on still and are punished Prou. 22.3 Vse 2 An admonition to Christians wisely to looke into themselues when a iudgement of such griefes is sent For where a grieuous Pestilence walketh there are great sinnes and grieuous that make way for it in Towne and Countrey which is true and would be considered in euery other iudgement of God that is strange and grieuous For where he so visiteth he is forced by Mans impudencie in sinning so to visite As the world groweth in wickednesse so of the seede of sinne it bringeth forth according to the growth of that ill weede a like growing and proceeding in Plagues and Iudgements God hath new punishments for new sinnes and strange Plagues for strange offenders the store-house of his iudgements can neuer bee emptied It therefore much concerneth Christians well to obserue the workes of God whether they be done in mercie or iustice in his Church and if he execute iustice in it whether after the common rule or extraordinatily For if his strokes be other then vsuall the sinnes so visited are more then common and ordinarie This meditation will make the godly wise in such varietie of iudgements as haue within these few yeares shewed themselues among vs to feare not them so much though they bee all fearefull and fearefully wrought as the more fearefull sinnes of the State and Times that caused them nor onely the rod but chiefly the striker But because we saw nothing extraordinarie in so long and strong a Plague as so much and terribly wrought in London and all England so few yeares since and do see nothing but common matter in those varied Plagues which the yeares after fearefully and successiuely followed that therefore We are not wise to consider our end Deut. 32.29 And it is to be feared that we are giuen vp to the hardnesse of our heart to walke in our owne counsels to
THE SHIELD of the RIGHTEOVS OR The Ninety first Psalme expounded with the addition of Doctrines and Vses Verie necessarie and comfortable in these dayes of heauinesse wherein the Pestilence rageth so sore in LONDON and other parts of this KINGDOME By ROBERT HORN Minister of Gods Word PSAL. 3.3 But thou Lord art a Shield for mee my glory and the lifter vp of mine head PSAL. 91.3 Surely he shall deliuer thee from the snare of the Hunter and from the noisome Pestilence 4. His truth shall be thy Shield and Buckler LONDON Printed for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith and are to be sold at their shop at the golden Lyon in Pauls Church-yard 1625. TO THE RIGHT Worshipful EDWARD WATIES Esquire one of his Maiesties Justices in attendance at the Councell of the Marches of WALES * ⎠* Worthie SIR THe first draught of these meditations on this whole Euangelicall Psalme I sent some yeeres agoe to a friend and louer of a One of the Iustices in attendance at the Councel in the Marches of Wales and chiefe Iustice in one of the welsh Circuits yours Richard Atkins Esquire now with God yet without any meaning then to bring thus vpon the stage of publick iudgement Howbeit if he had ouerliued this purpose in Mee of now sending them abroad into the hands of men I confesse or professe rather they must haue carried his name with them into the world to the Altar of which I did owe the Sacrifice of my best in this kinde which must haue beene so not onely though chiefly in respect of himselfe who was vnreproueable in his place of Iustice and priuate wayes as you know but much in regard of my bond to him while he liued whereof b In my Epistle before my Sermons on Luke 15.13 14 15 16 17. else where I gaue true and plaine signification But being translated since to the house of glory from his house of clay whom could I finde out next fitter vpon iust matter then your worships selfe to receiue the debt I owed him your similitudo morum with him or profession like his your great respect and loue to Me with your esteeme of all who in the Ministerie doe seruice faithfully and with paines may rightly command Mee in this Dedication which I esteeme much lesse then your owne Add vnto this that hauing long knowne you I could neuer finde other minde in you then that which was of the side and part of goodnesse opposing euill and the workers thereof Much else might bee spoken of you particularly and truly to the praise of God but He that seeth in secret will reward you openly This at this time made me bold with your Name which is as an ointment of sweet odour in the Countrie you liue in And so I make humble tender of a mean Commentarie vpon a Psalme of grace the Psalme was Dauids the Speakers God and Dauid God spake to Dauid with good words and comfortable as Zacharie 1.13 and the same Almighty God in the same most gracious Psalme speakes with like comfort to you and to all his by Him Reuerend Beza in his argument vpon it tells what comfort the had by it when hee first heard it sung in an assemblie of Christians It so carried him by diuine rape at that instant that euer after he laid it vp grauen in his heart for as if it had lift him vp from the earth into heauen it rauished all his powers making him to thinke hee heard God himselfe to call vnto him by particular name what that Worthy conceiued by the singing of the Psalme that may your worthy selfe gather by the meditation The Shield of it is large enough to compasse you also with the like mercie If you put on the defence of the Highest this Psalme will guide your wayes to peace and finish your course with much true comfort Thinke therefore Christian Sir in reading of this Psalme what godly Beza conceiued vpon the singing of it and that is that God calleth you by Name meaning to inuest you in these priuiledges of his Saints and to be on your right hand euer wherefore what is here spoken to the Saints reade with faith as spoken to your selfe being a Saint by calling with this meditation you may make your pillow when you shall bee ready to make your bed in the darke and the graue shall bee your house Iob. 17.13 Then shall you goe with much contentment to your bed of earth and in great peace to the Lord. Meane while turne your purer eyes into this excellens Psalme set foot into it rather walke through it in your deeper consideration and then confesse with gladnesse what God hath done for your soule May you not say that God hath been or will bee shortly all that vnto you that the Psalme so comfortable speaketh of for hath not God beene in all remoues your standing house to remooue vnto verse 1. hath hee not beene your hope from your youth nay from your cradle and haue you trusted in him at any time in vaine verse 2. haue not the feete of many beene taken in the Snare or Net of Pestilence and you deliuered verse 3. haue not thousands fallen and you stood verse 7. and haue you not seene your hope when there was nothing but destruction to sinners verse 8 9. haue not the Angels kept the Lords watch about you in your continuall safety to this day verse 11 12. Is not the Dragon of hell and that roaring Lion of the nethermost hell put vnder your feet for euer verse 13. In many troubles haue not you beene quit and not quit onely but raised to place and worship verse 14 15. and for length of dayes though not full of daies for I trust there are many behinde you are not farre from Dauids yeeres of seuenty verse 16. in which space of time I doubt not but you make your short life a short draught of the dayes euerlasting Finaly God hath shewed you his large saluation But these few from the Text of the Psalme may serue as so many fingers to point to much more which your owne experience can better enlarge and gather not to hee set downe in a short Epistle And now to God all-sufficient I commend the remnant of your dayes for his best blessings vpon them vpon your Christian yoke-fellow and vpon all the branches of you both As I am much bound to pray so I will and doe daily for the true prosperity of you and all yours being From Clon-bury neere Ludlow Iuly 1625. Your good Worships for my best seruice in the Gospell ROBERT HORN THE SHIELD Of the RIGHTEOVS PSALME 91. VERSES 1 2 3 c. Verse 1. Who or He that dwelleth in the secret of c. THis Psalme most comfortable and throughout most excellent seemeth to haue binne made at what time the destroying Angell in the daies of King Dauid hauing slaine with the sword of Pestilence so many thousands in so short time as threescore and
and least thought of death euen then this infectious arrow pierced to the heart The summe of all is When God sends the Pestilence or any other iudgement in some haste to a land or priuate place it cometh as an arrow out of a bow Where we learne that Gods messengers and seruants sent in Doct. 1 this deadly sicknesse or any other visitation for sinne are swift and vnresistable For the Pestilence our selues do know how soone it is taken how small a matter brings it with how little a winde it comes and how suddenly it passeth to the head and pierceth to the heart Seuentie thousand in lesse then three dayes and in a land not very large died of it 2. Sam. 24.15 So Exod. 12.29 when God would shew his power by death vpon the great armie of the King of Ashur he smote by an Angell in one night an hundred fourescore and fiue thousand Esay 37.36 At another time he slue three and twenty thousand in one day 1. Cor. 10.8 And because Herod would not giue glory to God he was presently smitten by an Angell in all his glorie Acts 12.23 The reasons He that so quickly made man of the dust Genes 2.7 can as Reason 1 quickly turne man vnto dust and for the Pestilence or any other destruction if he speake but the word and how soone is a word spoken it presently comes He is the Centurion of this great hoast of all the creatures If he say to one go he goeth and to another come he cometh Math. 8.9 Psal 105.16.31.34 Secondly he can send by his Angels that swiftly execute his Reason 2 commandements and as it were flie about them Psal 103.20 or he can command the diuels who in an instant commanded by him can as well corrupt the aire with Pestilence as the riuers with bloud Psal 78.44.49.50 Thirdly God hath power and may command and commanding Reason 3 lackes not authoritie and will be heard An admonition speedily to turne to God who is able so speedily Vse 1 to turne vs to destruction Ioel 2.12 For should we not meete him with an armie of prayers who can come against vs so quickly and so strong with armies of death in the Pestilence and other innumerable diseases Luke 14.32 He can send to vs by flying messengers and shall we not seeke him by speedie repentance Amos 5.6 It is not long since his arrowes flew among vs and he yet hath his quiuer full of them to trouble our aires againe and with a fresh charge to shoote at vs by the contagious Pestilence in Towne and Countrie should we not therefore dread to make God our aduersarie or being made our aduersarie by sinne should we not agree with him quickly Mat. 5.25 who can so quickly destroy vs if we stand out proudly against him If he finde disorder and impenitencie in our houses or selues he can visit for it with flying arrowes and punish it when he is disposed with present death and should not this constraine vs to expell sinne and iniquity euery priuate person out of himselfe and euery faithfull publick person out of his familie and gouernment should it not moue the Christian housholder christianly to order both himself and others vnder him whether children or seruants by the word bringing them to Sermons more carefully and more orderly to prayers at home for how soone God can take vs away wee haue heard how quickly he will we know not also should it not perswade the publick Magistrates with the sword of his office not lightly to pare away but vtterly to cut off all proud and rotten sinnes that abound yea soundly to correct to a reformation all publick and grosse both enormities and offendors as swearers drunkards fornicators prophaners of the Sabbath disobedient to Parents and authority with such like seeing he beareth not the sword in vaine Rom. 13.4 Vse 2 A terrour to those who haue no hope but in long life for death may come they know not how soon and it commeth suddenly to many and when it is come it will not be answered with an I pray thee haue mee excused Luke 14.18 If we be not ready it will take vs as we be and when it knocketh if we will not open it will cast vs open The godly preuent this hardning by liuing so that is so repentantly and holily during their short time here that when the flying arrow of death sent from the hand of their supreame Lord shall make toward them they are euer in fit state to meete their Sauiour To such present death is prepared death as it was to Simeon and Anna who waited for Christ in the Temple Luke 1 25.36.3â— and they cannot dye suddenly that dye so Contrarily the carelesse and they that put off death by turning these flying into creeping arrowes can haue no such hope in their death which commeth as a theefe to their house Matth. 24.43 and not as a Messenger to bid them to the Supper of the great King Luke 14.17 They will not vnclaspe with the comforts of their deare life for the toilesome life of mortification and precisenesse in Gods seruice for they are lustie and strong Therefore their death cannot be good nor comfortable but irkesome and violent of which they are ouercome not yeelding to it as the Saints but mastered by it as they who say with Iulian Galilean thou hast preuailed so hee spake of Christ and so speake they of God when they find he is stronger then they A reproofe of those who when God shoots the infectious Vse 3 arrow of Pestilence at a Towne or City promise to themselues safetie because they dwell farre off because that part in which they inhabit is free or because they dwell in the Countrie and not in the Towne For cannot God reach them wheresoeuer they dwell in the East or West Is his arme shortened Doth any arrow misse that he shoots and he that went progresse from Dan to Bersheba in a running plague and in lesse time then three dayes can hee not in few houres goe a little way and visite further from a Towne then fiue sixe or seuen miles where is their safetie then in such a case but in turning to him that threatneth them And how can they auoide this arrow but by watching still the fall of it in their penitent liues Neither is this only true in the arrow of the Pestilence but in euery arrow of his quiuer if he shoot at vs by enemies by mortalitie of men by murraine of cattell or by cleannesse of teeth and leannesse in all our quarters what can ward any of these arrowes but repentance and our turning to God He that will auoide an arrow must turne the face and not the backe vnto it and hee must looke toward God and not from him by impenitencie that will reconcile him A further description of the Pestilence followeth Verse 6. Nor for the Pestilence that walketh in the darknes VVEe haue in this Verse two effects more whereby this
that caused it Rom. 6.23 but this hath bene spoken 〈◊〉 This is the deliuerance propounded the same further proued followeth VER 8. Doubtlesse or onely with thine eyes shalt thou behold c. WHat was before propounded is here earnestly affirmed concerning the deliuerances of Gods people in daies of trouble when thousands fall For the Prophet saith Thou shalt behold these Plagues vpon others to wit with eyes of faith and seeing or God will lay them before thee and not vpon thee prouided that thou feare before his anger and loue his goodnesse And he speaks of seeing because the experience bringeth peace vnto the godly and many good things but then they must haue eyes to see his iudgements and an eye of faith to obserue his loue his iudgements vpon the wicked his loue to them Where the Doctrine is Gods children must not passe ouer Gods iudgements vpon others Doct. 1 with a carelesse eye nor be without eyes to behold his goodnesse vpon themselues When they meete with such an experience by day or night they must haue their day-booke and night-watches for a remembrance of it So Dauid marked diligently as it were with a Selah Gods proceedings in mercie to him and his Church Psal 32.4.5.7 for where he had done any notable thing for his people or for his King he as it were foulded downe a leafe at it and committed it to tables of memorie Neither lost he by the hand nay the obseruation was gainefull to him for it ministred great courage to him against that brauing monster Goliah 1. Sam. 17.37 Abraham also was comforted in God by the same obseruation of Gods former wayes when out of him he could haue but small comfort to offer to death his best sonne Isaac in whose bloud the whole world might seeme then to haue bene drowned Genes 22.3.8 Further it was the practise of that excellent Author of 119. Psalme who in like case of Gods speciall doings meditated in his precepts and considered his wayes that is carefully considered them or wrote them downe The flesh is dull in these matters therefore Dauid summons his soule vnto them saying O my soule praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits Or let no benefit of his be forgotten Psal 103.2 as if he had said write them vp in thy memorie and let not thy forgetfull sense keepe the booke of them or trust not thy senses with them but write them in thy heart In another Psalme the same Prophet for he was a great obseruer of things in his time doth not onely penne these mercies of God as in a booke for his owne memorie but calls others to the meditation as if hee would helpe their remembrance also by reading these things out of his booke to them and therefore saith Come and behold the workes of the Lord Psal 46.8 as if he should haue said I haue noted them and do you obserue them As if one of vs should say to another Come and see what times haue bene and how they be changed what sicknesse raigned once and what health raigneth now what want of fruites at some times and what abundance at other This yeare great stormes of trouble and the next a great calme of peace v. 9. The reasons Reason 1 Gods children must be thankfull for Gods benefits which cannot be long if they forget them nor longer then they be remembred therefore God hath commanded that his high Acts should not be forgotten as where he hath beene extraordinarily good to his people or seuerely sharpe to his peoples enemies Deut. 6.12 and 25.17.19 Reason 2 Secondly the Lord doth these great things that they might be remembred Psal 111.4 and shall we by our neglect of them frustrate his ends Reason 3 Thirdly if men threaten vs we remember our danger and count it a dishonestie if they do vs good to forget their loue and shall Gods threatnings not moue vs nor his loues make vs thankfull Shall a heathen Monarch keepe a Chronicle or day-booke of good turnes done to him by his subiects Hest 6.1.2 And shall Christians keepe no memoriall of so wonderfull things done to them by the soueraigne Lord of all worlds Lastly the faithfull consideration of Gods iudgements vpon Reason 4 others mercies to vs will make vs to feare his anger and to loue his goodnesse Habac. 3.2 Exod. 14.31 Iudg. 5.1 Psal 78.35.40.42 A reproofe of the slumbring multitude that passe no obseruation Vse 1 vpon Gods doings let him be angrie or pleased they are one kind of men still and neuer care to draw any thing from his anger or kindnesse for their amendment Let him thunder maruellously with his voice Iob 37.5 it is but a voyce that passeth by and when the earth is moued they are not moued If hee bring the sea out of his place as lately he did to punish our disorder what great thing doth he worthy noting His iustice in punishing with so long and fearefull a Plague is not in our minds and wee haue forgotten his maruellous goodnesse in the discouerie of the Powder-plot which is past as if God had done nothing The earth hath trembled vnder vs the heauens haue bene vnquiet and much distempered ouer vs our houses haue bene tossed and shaken with winds the staffe of our bread hath bene broken the enemie hath threatned vs at our doores and God hath taken away the wise man and the Counsellour yea the righteous perish and who hath considered Esay 57.1 Hath the Lord done any thing to wit in our opinion in all this or have we learned ought by it more then if nothing had bene done Haue not his wonderfull works lately done deserued the pen of a readie writer in euery of our hearts but we haue prepared them not as bookes of remembrance but as graues to burie his kindnesse An admonition to Gods faithfull Ministers the louder God Vse 2 is in his iudgements the louder to sound the trumpet of exhortation in their preachings Our admonitions must not runne alwaies in one tenour but haue the point put vpon them as the Lord is more or lesse prouoked Esay 58.1 For he hath placed vs in the watch-tower of his Church that wee might haue an eye to his iudgements The like admonition to all the faithfull to obserue Gods doings and to vse the eyes that he hath giuen them to see his workes and not to behold vanitie It hath beene said of the righteous that they see the Plague that is as they thankfully score vp blessings when they come so they dolefully record the curse when it commeth Prou. 22.3 Neither do they see it onely but hide themselues from it in a pure heart and innocent life where the wicked not fearing the shot of God neither the artillerie of his iudgements go on still to wit after one fashion and in their old way of impenitencie and hardnesse till they be destroyed Good men will deepely imprint Gods doings and be sure to haue an arke of prouidence builded by
the good well the euill like themselues the good with their right hand the euill weakely with the left the good for their fathers honour the euill for their own honour to Gods reproach Vse 3 An admonition to carie our selues with all modestie and comely reuerence not publickly only before men but in our priuatest closets and counsels for the good Angels are in our bed-chambers and when we doe or speake any thing in our beddes that is not seemely they see and heare we will not be rude in the presence of a Noble-man and shall we forget to be ciuill at least in the worthy presence of the Angles The woman must not be bare-headed in the assemblie because of the Angles 1 Cor. 11.10 our women now are and are not ashamed the meaning is all things must bee done and spoken reuerently and fitly where such witnesses are by and if so then how great is the impiety of some Christians Christians in name and beasts in life whose mouthes not onely priuately but at publick tables send forth so many corrupt words of so ill a fauour and example to modest mindes and eares and whose impure life is no better then a Pageant or stage of dishonestie and villany to all that obserue them or are neare them The condition vpon which the righteous are thus watched and kept by the Angels is that they keepe the way that is the good and right way which is appointed to them to walke in keeping within the bounds and circle of their vocation for so long as they neither vse euill meanes nor neglect the good of their safety following the word the Angels are charged to keepe them Doct. 2 From whence we learne that the good Angels are our keepers but with the condition of our keeping within the compasse of Gods will in his word and no otherwise or so long as we attend him in the way of our lawfull callings and no further which would be well obserued for the diuell alledging this Scripture to Christ omitted this that is that which was principall in the Text thy waies wronging the words and wresting the sense Luke 4.10 when Iacob was in the straight way that God had set him Angels were found with him in it Gen. 31.3 32.1 and Dauid saith that the Angel of God or Gods Angles the singular for the plurall encampe about those that feare God Psal 34.7 that is that walke in the way of his feare or so long as they feare him So after Christ had foiled Satan in those three head-temptations that are spoken of by Saint Mathew and Saint Luke walking in his fathers path through them all it is said the Angels came and ministred vnto him Mat. 4.11 Marke 1.13 Also they that mourned for the abominations that were done in Ierusalem a Citie of blood and of corrupt iudgement because that so to doe was to be in a way wherein Angels are set and minister for the welfare of the righteous were priuiledged by a sauing Angel or Christ in him from the destruction that was then made Ezech. 9.4.11 The reasons The Angels can doe no seruice where God is not serued but Reason 1 God is serued onely in the way of his truth and by our walking in the way of his commandements out of this way the Angles meete vs as that Angel did Balaam Num. 22.22 not as deliuerers but as enemies Secondly if they should keepe vs when we are out of our way Reason 2 they should be leaders to vs in our errings and of counsell with vs in our sinne Thirdly all Gods promises are with condition that we keepe Reason 3 the iudgements as it were way that hee hath commanded for not keeping this way the diuell may take vs as strayes or vagabonds from God being in by-waies or in the waies of falshood not in the way of which it is said and the simple shall not erre by it Esay 35.8 If then we forsake the way of Gods truth and of our lawfull Vse 1 callings in matters wee haue no promise of safetie or good successe by the ministerie of the good Angels Indeed so long as we abide in the truth God hath mercifully giuen vs his bond by the Angles but this obligation of our safetie is void so soone as we beginne to wander from his commandements which would be considered when danger is neere by any stroke of Gods hand be it Pestilence sword or famine for if we haue erred from his statutes and returne not at the call of these or the like perswaders to repentance we disclaime our priuilege in the safetie of the Angels and cannot with comfort flie to Gods promise for that hath no hope for vs it being certaine that none can haue his protection that walks not in the way to it that is by faith and sound repentance If sicknesse should be sent and the same of an infectious nature if enemies if famine should come many or rather all would expect Gods protection and say Lord helpe but if such be not in the way thereof by his feare but in strange waies by audacious sinfulnesse their expectation is vaine and they haue no promise to be heard when they call in the day of their necessity Esay 1.15 Prou. 1.24.28 Micah 3.4 Ezech. 9.9.10 Vse 2 A reproofe therefore of all those who promise to themselues the fauour of God and seruice of the good Angels in any life In a whorish life they crie peace and in a drunken life and life not lifted vp from sinne they say GOD will bee mercifull though they walke in the stubbornesse of their heart adding drunkennesse to thirst Deutronomie 29.19 but GOD will not bee mercifull to such verse 20. neither will the mercifull God of his people and righteous GOD of the earth take such by the hand Iob 8.20 They may haue the euill Angels for executioners and the good for their destruction but not to waite vpon them as keepers in their way Ieremie 23.17.29.20 6.15 5.12.14.15 This would bee considered at all times specially when the iudgement is begunne or hath for some time continued Some where the Plague of Pestilence hath broken out as a fornace of flaming fire in a Towne or Citie doe for all that most desperately increase the wrath as it were fire by adding further matter of new sinnes vnto it that there may bee no end till all bee consumed and some when GOD denieth his blessing to the fruites of the earth by some pinching yeares powre out themselues to as great excesse of riot by large drunkennesse and other intemperancies as if the yeeres then serued as well as euer but let such know being out of the way of the good Angels that they are in the high way of the euill to bee destroyed one way or other then or at some other time with first death or with first and second So much for the keepers of the righteous the Angels the perills from which they keepe and deliuer them followe That thou