captivity their sorrow was exceeding great yet the day of their deliuerie brought with it greater abundance of joy and a gladnes more exceeding And thus they confesse themselues in the 126 Psalme When the Lord say they brought againe our captivity we were as men in a dreame It was a worke so farre beyond our expectation that we doubted whether we were waking or sleeping Our mouthes were filled with laughter our tongues and words did show vs joyfull men yea the worke was so great and marvailous as at the sight thereof the very Heathen was amased and moued to cry out and say Surely the Lord hath done for this people marvailous and great things In the signification of the wordes as they are referred to the glad day of the deliuerie of the people from their bodily trouble and captivitie these things wold be obserued First as it is true of Christ and his suffering so is it also of his members and people The day of his ingraving a darke day The day of his suffering vpon the Crosse a blacke day the Sunne covered his face but the day of his resurrection a glorious day such a day saith Paul as in it he was manifestlie declared to be the Sonne of God It was so with this people heere They had a black day of captivitie but a glorious day of deliuerie It is true of all his people these that are in covenant with him Although they haue a darke day of trouble and affliction yet there succeedes vnto it a cleare day of comfort Albeit they lying in the graue of affliction it appeare not what they are yet being raised by Gods hand it shal be not onely sensible to themselues but manifest to others that they are the children of God Secondly althogh all this life were an continued day of trouble yet there is a day comming that shall recompense all which is the day of the glorious libertie of the Sons of God Let vs therefore hold fast these comforts which Dauid out of his owne sense and inspired by the Spirit hath laid in register to vs. To the righteous that is to them that are made righteous in IESVS CHRIST there shall arise Ioy in trouble light in darknesse God will not alwayes frowne vpon his owne but though weeping be in the euening Ioy shall come in the morning Thus the people liued in an hard and miserable case being in Babel yet in regard of the promises made to them many of them liued in hope of the cleare day of their deliverie And therefore they can say in their mournfull song at the rivers of Babel Let my hand forget to touch the harp and my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth if I ioy before I see the deliverance of Ierusalem past But when the day came according as it was promised then are they not onely ioy full in their owne deliverie but in that same 126 Psalme they register out of their experience a sentence to stand to the perpetuall comfort of the Church and all the members thereof that shall goe vnder whatsoeuer crosse heere They that sow in teares shall reape in Ioy. Take it therefore and vse it as an vndoubted consolation The teares of the Saints shall haue a succeeding Ioy This is not so generall as all teares shall haue comfort and all that weepe shall haue ioy Esau had teares and Iudas had teares and the hand of the Lord vpon most wicked men will expresse teares But mark the phrase of the Church heere It is not they that sow teares but they that sow in teares or with teares They that in the day of Gods visitation doe sow with teares the confession of their sinnes they that sow with teares a true acknowledgement of their owne deserving They that sow with teares their prayers and supplications to GOD from whom commeth the reliefe of his owne They that sowe with teares their holy promises and vowes of amendment Assuredly although the seed-time be dolorous the haruest shal be fruitfull pleasant they shall reape remission of sinnes they shall finde from GOD a ioyfull deliverie The LORD in the beginning after he had destroyed the World with water being againe pacified hee setteth downe in the 8. Chapter of Genesis a vicissitude of these things while the world lasteth There shall be seed-time and harvest cold and heate sommer and winter day and night al 's long as the earth remaineth It is euen so with the Church of GOD and members thereof Al 's long as the earth remaineth cold and heate sommer and winter darkenesse of trouble light of deliverie weeping and reioycing till in end they bee brought to that perpetuall day and all teares bee wiped from their eyes But leauing this of the temporall deliverie because the speech hath beene hitherto of the Messias and his Kingdome Heere mention is made of the secure and peaceable estate of the subiects thereof And that this may bee the more cleare comparison is borrowed from the peaceable and quiet estate of subiects dwelling in a temporall and earthly Kingdome vnder a temporall and earthly King The peaceable estate of subiects in a worldlie Kingdome is set out this way When a man may without harme or interruption call his neighbour vnder his Vine and vnder his Fig-tree In the dayes of warre or time of oppression of enemies men draw apart to holes and holds and haue not these free meetings In the dayes or time of pestilence neighbour doth not call neighbour but neighbour skarreth with neighbour yea the friend with his friend the father with the sonne the man with his wife In the dayes or time of famine neighbour doth hardly call or invite neighbour lest as the wise Virgins said to the foolish there bee not sufficient for vs and you both But heere is the peaceable and happie estate of a Kingdome when openly without feare when familiarly without danger when vnder the vine and figtree in plentie without scarcitie hauing the Creatures of God not onely to necessitie but to delectation a neighbour may invite and call his neighbour and peaceablie enioy the benefite of God As this is in generall the description of the peaceable estate of the subiects dwelling in a Kingdome and vnder a King whom God doth blesse with peace So haue you a notable example agreeable to the same description in the Kingdome of Salomon Of which it is said in the first Booke of the Kings and fourth Chapter That all Israel from Dan to Beersheba dwelt safely vnder his vine and vnder his figtree all the dayes of Salomon Before wee come to the translation of this speech to the Kingdome of Christ something would be spoken of the comparison that forasmuch as the Spirit of God doth here borrow and take comparison from the peaceable estate of earthly Kingdomes to shadow out the peaceable and prosperous estate of the spirituall Kingdome of the Messias that
him and that the Lord bringeth him out as a Branch yee may learne that if yee looke to the manner of his springing if ye looke to his outward forme if ye consider the growth and incresse that he tooke if ye consider what he calleth vs to to be ingraft in him that we may be fruitfull in our soule then shall ye easily sea that his kingdome is not of this World Althogh he be the Heire of all and his Father hath said to him Aske of me and I will giue thee the ends and coastes of the earth for thine in heritance yea there is no creature can exeeme it selfe from his subiection Yet the kingdome that he came to administer heere is not earthly but spirituall the manner of administration is not earthly but spirituall the desires that hee would waken in his owne is not of earthly but of spirituall things The reward that he bringeth with him to his owne is not earthly nor of corrupted things but an incorruptible Crown of euerlasting glory which shall neuer fade away Vses to be made heereof are these 1. a foolish and fleshly conceit of the restitution of their earthly kingdomes blinded the eyes of the Iewes and made them mistake the Messias But now the mysterie of the kingdome being so clearely revealed our blindnesse must be farre beyond theirs if we should thinke that Christs comming is to establish an earthly or worldly Monarchie or to giue his seruants ouer Kings earthly and temporal jurisdiction Secondly althogh CHRIST ought to bee followed and waited vpon for bodily provision for the eyes of all things looke to him and it is he who satisfieth them yet that is not the chiefe thing which is to bee sought in him It is true that CHRIST allured many to follow after him by these temporall gifts some he fed and some he healed But the end was that from the earthly they should be led to the heauenly and bee mooued to seeke of him a better thing In the order of the petitions of that perfite forme of Prayer which hee hath giuen vs. Hee knowing that we are earthly yeeldeth as it were this farre vnto vs that the first petition for our selues is for our daylie bread but will not haue vs therewith to be content But remembring hee is a spirituall King seek the blessing of the Kingdome seek spirituall grace to thy soule And so he hath learned thee in the next place to say Lord forgiue me my sinnes Thirdly he being a spirituall King dispensing grace spirituall to his subiects Then comparison being made there is no choice but hee is more worthy to bee followed then any whatsoeuer Moyses was a Prince mighty in deed and in word worthy to be followed for in the following him the people were easily fed they neither tilled nor laboured but were fed with Manna but what was that Our Master CHRIST in his own words will tell you your fathers did eat Manna and they died But he giues vnto vs himselfe the Bread of Life of which who so eateth shall liue for euer Iacob the father of the Patriarches a great Prince So that the woman of Samaria speaking to IESVS CHRIST asketh the question Art thou greater then Iacob what did he he gaue vs this Well yes he is greater for I haue saith he water to giue of which who so drinketh shall not thirst againe Secondly this point would yet be further considered CHRIST the Branch for as heerein is set out the manner of his comming forth growth incresse and perfection So hath this beene also the manner of the beginning spreading and growing of his Kingdome vpon the face of the earth yea and in the hearts and soules of his own Hath he not out of a dry stock and of no appearances raised instruments that of smal beginnings haue brought his kingdome to a mighty growth And how from small beginnings the Evangell which may be called the Chariot of this King carying him to Nations and Countries hath gone thorow is more then evident And in the hearts of his people is not the first beginning of the kingdome of Heauen comparable to one graine of mustard seed but afterward groweth as it were to a great tree so fast rooted that the hand of the Deuill cannot pull it forth againe This is a point serving to these vses First think not that it is a kingdome that can be overturned or overthrown No althogh it were broght in appearance to a very stock yet a branch shall ay bud forth and flourish euen as of old he made the blood of the Martyrs the seed of the Church Secondly nourish in thy heart the small seeds of grace and they were al 's small as the smallest graine of faith of loue water thy heart now and then with the teares of repentance seeke from God the dew of Heauen the former and the latter raine and thou shalt finde thy smal beginnings shall come to a good perfection Thirdly seeing this King is so marvailous a worker that out of a dry stock he can make a flourishing branch to spring Let no greatnes of trouble or tentation make thee euer to despaire of him althogh thy eye can not perceiue by what meanes thy deliverance should come He can make a Whale wait vpon Ionas He can make a bush catch a Ram by the hornes in the day of Abrahams great perplexity He can open Hagars eyes in the wildernesse to see a fountaine of water when she had throwne away the child desparing of his life he that made his Son spring of a dry stock can make that same rock yeeld waters of consolation for thee His power is infinite he is able his wisdome is infinite hee can finde out meanes anow his love is infinite whereby he is exceeding willing to helpe all that seeke vnto him Al 's long as these pillars stand and they stand vnchangeable Let vs neuer giue ouer nor despaire but let vs vphold and vnderprop our faith in holy patience to await the time of Gods comfort and deliverance Fourthly this Branch is become a tree and in this tree we must be ingraft that is by faith we must be imped in him from whom drawing life it is known this way by our flourishing in all sort of Christian vertue Of this flourishing the Apostle Peter maketh mention in his first Epistle 1 chapter 5 verse Wherof it is evident that a Christian respecting all persons and in all estates bee in what condition he will his faith euer flourisheth and bringeth forth some fruit if he looke to God his faith flourisheth and bringeth forth godlines if he looke to himselfe either in prosperity or adversity his faith flourisheth in prosperity bringing forth temperance and in adversity bringing forth patience If he regard his neighbours they are either such as are more neerely conjoyned to him being of the same family of faith and
yet heere is the supply of all Art thou set vpon the right Stone vpon Iesus Christ hee shall make thee ouercome it may be with fighting combat euen to the going downe of the Sunne to the end of thy life yet in the end thou shalt prevaile And as the going downe of the Sun is Ioyfull to the man that hath beene wearied in the fields with labour all day long for then he goeth to his rest So shall the Lord make the latter end of his owne ioyfull after their wearisome combat in this life they shall then rest from their labors and be in glory for euer A third stone or rock we read of Num. 20. chap. In the day whē the people wanted waters were ready to perish for thirst Moyses striking that rock with his rod forthwith there came abundāce of water wherof the people drank and were satisfied we cannot erre in the signification of this stone for the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 10 cha giues vs the same in expres words affirming that this stone or rock is Iesus Christ. And hereby are we informed of these things 1. that al mankind should haue perished for euer And for them not a drop of refreshment could haue beene found if the Lord himselfe had not demonstrate and pointed out this Rock euen IESVS CHRIST his Sonne Secondly from him flowes rivers of spiritual waters euen abundance of consolations to refresh the weary heart Thirdly as Moyses got no water from the Rock till he touched it with his Rod So must thou stretch out the Rod of thy Faith and therewith touch CHRIST or els thou canst draw no vertue from him althogh he be a Rocke for abundance of spirituall waters in him yet he is not so called as though he were hard intractable and that it were hard to get any good from him No he is meek and gentle easie to be entreated Thogh he be a Rock yet the smallest touch of Faith will draw healing vertue from him Althogh the Rod of thy Faith be weake and smal like a bruised reed yet he will not breake the bruised reed nor extinguish the smoaking flax Stretch out thy withered hand and touch him with thy weake faith thou shalt draw waters of refreshment and comfort from him Fourthly we reade in the 4 Chapter of Iehoshua of a heape of stones which Ioshua set vp in a testimony that Israell had past with dry foot thorow Iordane These stones are also a representation of IESVS CHRIST tovs who is set vp as a great signe of God to vs by whom we haue passage to eternall life by him we shall escape all dangers by him shall we goe with dry foote without feare through the valley of death and shal be brought to that Land of rest euen that promised Land Feare not saith he little flocke It is my Fathers will to giue you the Kingdome Fiftly we reade in the first booke of Samuel and 17 Chapter of a stone wherewith David killed Goliah This stone also hath a representatiō of IESVS CHRIST who hath overthrowen the Devill led captivity captiue bound that strong one And it is hee in whose strength we are able to prevaile Sixtly in the second Chapter of Daniel we reade of a stone was hewed out of the mountaine without hands wherein there is proper resemblance of his nativity and manner of bringing foorth in the World being brought from the Wombe of the Virgine without the company of man by the worke of the Holy Ghost It is not my purpose to digresse Let it therefore be sufficient that all these places haue beene mentioned to make out this first reason wherefore IESVS CHRIST is called a Stone Euen because in him is truely fulfilled all which by a stone or stones in the old Testament was prefigured The second reason why IESVS CHRIST is called a Stone is Because he is that Rocke vpon which his Church is founded and builded This the Apostle telleth vs in the first to the Corinthians and 3 Chapter Another foundation can no man lay then that which is already laide that is IESVS CHRIST Let the Papists abuse as they please it is of himself he meanes when speaking to Peter he saith Thou art Peter and vpon this Rock that is vpon me that am the Rocke will I build my Church vpon which shee being builded the gates of Hel shall not prevaile against her The words of the confession of Peter referres vs to CHRIST himself Thou art saith he the Son of the liuing God Vpon him the Sonne of the liuing God who is God made man in time is founded and builded the Church It is of him that these words of Dauid are to be vnderstood in the 118 Psal. The stone which the builders refused is made the head of the corner He is in his birth Daniel his Stone hewen out of the mountaine without hands In his passion he is this grauen Stone of Zacharie all full of eyes In his résurrectiō he is Esay his Stone a Stone laid in Sion that whosoeuer beleeues in him shal not be confounded He is to vs the rock of our faith that fundament wherevpon the true Church and euery member thereof is built This reason would be well considered whereby 1. ye may perceiue that this hath beene of before the craft and malice of the Deuill to make them who by profession were the builders of the House of GOD misknow the foundation and neglect the principall Stone of the building Was not Caiphas and his Priests the professed builders for the time and what did they they reiected with despight and cast away Iesus Christ so that Barrabbas was of more accompt in their eyes then he But in his resurrection hee was lifted vp and declared to bee the chiefe Stone of the building This same craft and malice of the deuill doth still rage in the world Is it not to be seene in the Antichristian Church making them to reiect and cast aside the chief Stone foundation of the building euen Iesus and to build vpon the foolish inventions and traditions of men a building althogh it appeare to rise high yet shall it be Babell it shall come to confusion Let it be farre from vs to thinke that flesh and blood can bee sufficient for the Church to build vpon There is no foundation but this pointed by the Finger of God Behold the Stone that I haue laide the same is Iesus Christ the Lord. Secondly as the Church in generall is a building set vpon this Stone foundation so euery member of the Church is a builder And he would take heed how he buildeth The instrument of thy building is Faith he cannot build that wanteth Faith hauing Faith build vpon the right ground let thy Faith take hold of Iesus Christ. The more thou growest in Faith the faster thou art built vpon
proper effect thereof which is to transferre take away the sins of the people Of the suffrings of Christ there is heere two words 1. they were according to the determinat counsell and appointment of his Father for speaking of them he sayth I graue the grauing of this Stone 2. his suffrings were weighty and grievous if ye consider first the hand that laide them on it was the Hand of God angrie for the sinnes of man If yee consider next the manner and measure there was no light nor superficiall doing heere but it was a profound and deepe sinking and ingraving As for the first word albeit in the suffrings of Christ there were many agents and instruments The Deuils malice the Iewes rage Iudas treason Pilate his seeblenesse in yeelding to their vnreasonable desire the souldiers spight of whom he suffered many things yet this remaineth alwayes firme and sure Nothing befell vnto him but according to the determinate counsell and decree of his Father The Apostles althogh they were a long time very blind in the matter of his Kingdome and vnderstood not that his way to triumph was by the Crosse yet after his ascension hauing receiued according to his promise the Holy Ghost looke to the testimony that they gaue of his sufferings in the 4 of the Acts speaking to God in their prayer they say Against thy holy Child IESVS whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel were gathered together but what to doe to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done Then heere is the Father giuing CHRIST to this suffering and CHRIST giuing himselfe which would be well marked and considered of vs for otherwise wee can haue no solide comfort of his Crosse. The Father giuing him he whose providence stretcheth it selfe to the meanest things of the earth without whose will a sparrow whereof two are solde for a farthing falleth not to the ground Thinke yee that without his speciall will and decree one drop of that blood which was more precious then all the Creatures of the world could fall to the ground CHRIST that sayth truely of himselfe The Father and I am one and If I please I may call for Legions of Angels to defend me from the malice of men Thinke ye that the power of the deuill or man could haue made him subiect to such pain if he had not willingly submitted himselfe to it That ye may therefore haue comfort in his suffring heare him tell you No man taketh my life from me but I yeeld it heartily and lay it downe willingly for your sake It is a great providence of God that ruleth the worke of his Sonnes suffering according to his determinate Counsell that heereby thou may learne to bow the knees of thy soule and worship him As GOD almighty who hauing made man of nothing was able when he had lost himselfe to finde out the way of his safety 2. As GOD infinitly wise that found out a way how his iustice might be satisfied and man also saued and so you may haue recourse to him still as that Fountaine of all good the streames of whose mercie are euer flowing and can neuer be dryed vp for heere mayst thou reason with the Apostle He that without thy knowledge and deseruing gaue his owne Sonne to indure such suffring for thee if thou hast gotten his Sonne and if thou be in him what can he deny thee that thou shalt aske in his Name But let vs consider in this word Behold I sayth the Lord of hostes doe graue the grauing of this Stone The weight and gravitie of the suffering of CHRIST In this worke of mans redemption there was no collusion betwixt the Father and the Sonne But the Father laying him before him as the obiect of his wrath by reason of our sinnes the burdens whereof he tooke vpon him he spareth him not he striketh at him and woundeth him deep and to the heart with the weapons of his wrath and iudgement and hee leaueth him not vntill his Iustice bee satisfied to the full he forbeareth him not nor suffereth him to get vp his Head till he hath payed the last farthing of the debt and say vpon the Crosse consummatum est The pleasure that our first Parents tooke in sinning hee payed well for them by paines and suffering For their wandring and lustful eyes lusting after that forbidden fruite his eyes shed many teares Their heads were lifted vp in pride against God his Head was crowned with a crown of thornes to the effusion of his Blood for their delicacie in their taste hee got vineger in his thirst to drinke But all this may be thought but external for their drinking of the cup of sin to the impoysoning of their soule he had a cup set to his Head of the hot wrath and anger of God which made him cry out Father if it be thy will let this cup depart frō me This is a doctrine would be marked of vs to tell vs 1. that man hauing sinned there is no remeed but the Iustice of God must be satisfied to the full Which satisfaction man not being able to make himselfe God taketh it of his own Son And therefore it is a cōfortles doctrine that would haue thee turne thy eyes any other way or would put in any thing betwixt the eye of thy soule that perfect satisfaction that he hath taken of his own Son for thee Secondly Christs suffering to the full the Hand of God lying vpon him and his wrath to the extremitie which made him a heauie soule yet his Fathers loue was not separat from him that oracle remained alwayes true He is my beloved Son his soule was neuer far from God but he is able in his greatest agonie to say My God my God And the like of this shall neuer come to passe in any man that shal be sent to suffer for his own sins for in Gods brest there is no spark of loue nor favor toward them that is an absolute sentence which can admit no mitigation Go ye to the devil his angels in their brest there is no spark of trust to say My God but a perpetuall desperation an eternall separation of the soule from God And therfore if the rich glutton is broght in being in hell pitying the souls of his brethren vpō earth Learne much more euerie one while it is time to pity your owne soules Heare Moyses and the Prophets heare Christ himselfe and while his Armes are stretched out runne vnto him that he may hide thee from the wrath of God saue thee from that place of torment where there is no cōfort nor end of paine Thirdlie all these suffrings of Christ althogh they are infinite in weight yet are they finite in time and therfore the loue of his Father and his hard handling
the voice of the world nor of any thing that is in the world that will bring quietnes It is the voice of IESVS CHRIST come from Edom with his red garments dyed in his Blood that quieteth the heart saying peace be vnto thee And no rest to a disquieted soule till she come to take vp this voice and say I know it is the voice of my beloued The great end of Christs comming in the world was to deliuer men from feare and put them to rest Before this peace come to a man where can hee turne him or what way can hee looke but he hath cause of great feare If he looke vp he hath cause of great feare is not God his enemy Is it not a fearefull thing to fall in his hands who is a consuming fire The man that is not in Christ and partaker of this peace how dare he looke to God If he looke below hath he not matter of feare for hell enlargeth it selfe and openeth the mouth wide If he looke behinde him hath he not matter of feare for then is the multitude of his by-past sinnes following him like an armie If he looke before him hath hee not matter of feare for O how fearefull is death to a man that is not reconciled with God If he looke to the creatures either aboue or beneath what hath he but matter of feare for how can they be in friendship with him who is not in friendship with their GOD and Creator But a man comming to Iesus Christ and by a true faith ingraft in him as a branch in the stock He hath peace within that passeth vnderstanding When he looketh to God in Christ he is his Father and so he is at peace with him his Father to whom he may safely trust commit himselfe to whom in his end and at his death he may say Father into thy hands I commit my spirit When he looketh to hell it troubleth not his peace because there is registrat in his soule this sentence infallible There is no condemnation to me that am in Iesus Christ. When he looketh to his sins they may appeare as Pharaohs hoste to follow him but they shal neuer overtake him The Lord hath drowned them in the bottomlesse depth of his mercie When he looketh to death death troubleth not his peace death can no◅sting him death can not take his peace from him But by death shall he come to a more full possession of his peace if he looke to the Angels they are his guard if he looke to the inferiour creatures they are his seruants and in league and covenant with him And so as it is said heere of the subiects of a peaceable worldly Kingdome Euery man shall call his neighbour vnder his Vine and vnder the Fig-tree so that man that is a subiect of the spirituall Kingdome of Iesus Christ he may say I will lay me downe quietly and rest in peace for thou art my Lord and my God thou hast reconciled me to thy Father Since thou art with me I feare not the world the flesh sinne nor the deuill Now for as much as all men are such louers of externall peace that rather or men dwell vnder a King and in a Kingdome where there is daylie found bellicous instruments the trumpet and the drumme the thundering of the canon the pitifull cry of them that are put to the edge of the sword they would choose rather with the losse of their commoditie to goe and dwell where they may haue peace And many vpon this same respect haue changed their residence Let vs learne this point of wisdome for our soule that we may say rather then we liue vnder the noise of the Law and thunder of the threatnings of it the noise of Gods Iudgement the fearefull cry of our conscience we will rather goe and choose to dwell in this Kingdome and bee subiects of this King where there is such peace and rest Happie is hee that is alreadie a subiect of this Kingdome seek to draw to it for there is no true rest peace nor tranquillity but heere The second thing pointed at heere of the subiects of this Kingdome is their safetie and protection and that is figured by lying vnder the shadow of a tree a vine or a fig-tree As the two former are conioyned The Lord forgiueth sinne vpon which followeth ioy and peace of heart so whom the Lord forgiueth and to whom he giueth peace them he taketh as his owne in his protection so that they rest safely vnder the shadow of his wings These the Prophets conioyneth in his 84 Psalme The Lord is a Sunne and shield to his owne by the one signifying that he is comfort and ioy to his owne and by the other signifying that he is their safety protection all they vpon whom hath shined the beames of the louing countenance of God to whom God hath showne his pleasant face they liue vnder his tuition in security against all dangers and assaults The same two as conioyned are comfortably expressed in the words of the 27. Psal. The Lord is my light and my saluation he hath shined vpon me like a bright Sunne Then followeth his security by reason of this divine protection Whō shall I feare when the wicked euen my enemies come against me they stumbled and fell though an hoste should come against me I will not feare though warre should be raised yet in this will I trust He that dwelleth in the secret of the most high hee shall rest vnder the shaddow of the Almightie And to tell how sure this protection is he bringeth in example of one of the most fearefull dangerous euils that can come to man that is the pestilence And to expresse the terror of it he giueth it many names it is called the fearefull pestilence it is called the snare of the Fowler it is called the feare of the night and the arrow that slieth by day And yet there is promised to the man that trusteth in God safetie and protection in the midst of the rage of the plague From this particular he would draw a generall he that resteth in the secret of the most high he who is a member of this Kingdome of Iesus Christ he dwelleth in safetie he lyeth vnder the shadow of his owne tree free from all sort of euill But this appeareth to bee against common sense and experience for they who haue inward peace haue not alwayes outward quietnes And the dearest children of God haue beene and are subiect to great outward mutations and troubles How standeth this doctrine of their protection and safety from outward euils with their day lie experience in the contrair may not a godlie man die by the sword by famine by pestilence Doth a mans Religion and the feare of God put a man in that assurance that he may say I can not feare the sword famine nor pestilence For answer to