Word to them Ier. 36. 7. It may be they will present their supplication before the Lord this will stirre them up to pray fervently Secondly I find singing of Psalmes used in a most publike and solemne fast 2 Chron. 20. 19. For as there be Psalmes of all sorts of mourning and lamentation as well as of thanksgiving so is the exercise of singing them a singular meanes to stirre up holy affections of all sorts Ephes. 5. 18 19. Be ye filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Psalmes Thirdly I find Gods people have used to joyne with their extraordinary prayers as a meanes to make them the more effectuall almes-deeds and giving to the poore Acts 10. 4. Thy prayers and thine almes-deeds are come up for a memoriall before God And no marvell for see what testimony our Saviour gives unto this Luke 11. 41. Give almes of such things as ye have and behold all things are cleane unto you Fourthly and lastly I find that in their solemne fasts they have beene wont to examine and inquire what foule sinnes have beene committed amongst them that might be the causes of Gods judgements and to censure and reforme them This to have beene the custome of Gods people may appeare by the fast that was kept in Iezrel 1 King 21. 8 10. Iesabel wrote to the Elders and Nobles there to proclaime a fast upon occasion pretended as it seemes of some great judgement on the land or on that city present or feared In this fast inquiry was made as it may appeare what should be the cause of that judgement Two false witnesses step up suborned for the nonce and charge Naboth to be the cause of that judgement for he had blasphemed God and the King And indeed of all things that can be done at a fast this hath beene held by Gods people the principall and that that would give more force to their prayers than any thing els See it in Ezra 10. 1 3. so Neâ— 9. 2. The seed of Israel upon the day of their fast separated themselves from all strangers And Verse 38. they made a solemne covenant with God and Cap. 10. 29 30. bound themselves by an oath to walke in Gods Law and to observe and do all His commandements and that they would no more match with idolaters Where this was not done by those whom it concerned where no care was taken to find out and amend those things that did provoke God to wrath the prayers of the best men in the world could never prevaile much with God See a notable example of this Iosh. 7. A better man than Ioshua could not pray a more fervent and effectuall prayer could no good man make than he did Iosh. 7. 6 9. yet the Lord was so farre from hearkening to him that He checks him for it Verse 13. Get thee up wherefore lyest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sinned and shall never stand before their eâ—emies till they have found out and purged themselves from this sinne And as soone as Achan was found out and punished Ioshuahs prayer was heard presently Iosh 8. 1. I have shewed you what these helpes are that are â—o be used in our extraordinary prayers which consist in doing and performing of certaine duties There are some other helpes to be used which consist in forbearing and waiâ—ing our selves from some things upon that day which at other times we may lawfully use Therefore the fast-day is called a day of restraint Ioel. 1. 14. Zâ—c 7. 3. The Iewes say that on every fast that they had kept foure times a yeare during the whole time of their captiviâ—y Zac. 8. 19. they had separated themselves Now the things we must forbeare on the fast-day are five in number First All manner of food all kind of meat and drinke whatsoever So in the fast that Esther enjoyned they might neither eat nor drinke while the fast lasted Est. 4. 16. And so in the fast of Niniveh Ion. 3. 7. Let them not taste any thing let them not feed nor drinke water So of Ezra Chap. 10. 6. it is said that on the fast-day he did eat no bread nor drinke water Secondly All costlinesse and neatnesse in our apparell and attire must be forborne on that day See such examples for this as are beyond all exception even of great Princes In a private and domesticall fast I meane not a secret fast of which our Saviour saith Mat. 6. 17. When thou fastâ—st annoint thine head and wash thy face it is said of David 2 Sam. 12. 20. and of Esther Chap. 5. 1. that when their fast was ended they changed their apparell and put on that that befitted their degree which argueth plainly that while their fast lasted they had forborne to weare it And in a publike fast we have the like example of the King of Ninâ—veh Ion. 3. 6. He laid his robe from him and câ—vered himselfe with sackcloth For as bravery costlinesse and neatnesse in apparell hath great cause to puffe up our flesh and make it proud so the neglect of the costlinesse and neatnesse of our apparell when it is voluntary is a speciall meanes both to testifie and increase the humiliation of the heart So Mephibosheth sheweth his sorrow for Davids trouble 2 Sam. 19. 24. He had neither trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes from the day that the King departed till he came againe in peace So Exod. 33. 4. When the people had heard those evill tidings that God would not go with them into Canaan they mourned and no man did put on his ornaments and this they did by Gods expresse commandement as appeares in the nâ—xâ— Verse Thirdly we must abstaine while the fast lasteth from delights of all sorts from all meanes of joy and gladnesse which at other times are most lawfull Even from the delight which is taken in the mariage bed 1 Co. 7. 5. even the new-maried couple must do it Ioel 2. 16. much more from musicke Dan. 6. 18. and from all recreations whatsoever It is spoken of therefore as a foule sinne Esa. 58. 3. Behold in the day of â—our fasting ye find pleasure Fourthly We must also abstaine from the works of our calling not onely servilâ— as on other holy dayes Levit 23 7 8 21 25 35. but on the Sabbath and on the fast day all workes are forbidden Levit 16. 29 23 28 31. and that upon no small penalty Levit. 23. 30. Whatsoever soule it bee that doth any work in that same day the same soule will I destroy from among his people Fiftly and lastly We must also upon the fast day make some abatement of our naturall rest and sleep 2 Sam. 12. 16. David fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth and Ioel 1. 13. Ly all night in sack-cloth ye ministers of my God which it was not possible for them to doe without some abatement of their ordinary rest and sleep And the reason of this is evident because as ordinary
till three whole weekes were fulfilled Now for the reasons and grounds of the Doctrine why such bodily exercises especially this abstinence must be used upon the dayes of our humiliation I need go no further than this that God hath ordained them in His Word as you have heard and therefore we may be assured 1. They are usefull and profitable for us For whatsoever He commands us to doe is for our good Deut. 10. 13. 2. That He will make them effectuall to His people unto those ends He hath ordained them for Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you saith our Saviour Mat. 28. 20. and loe I am with you alway even unto the end of the world And those ends are three principally First to further and helpe forward the inward humiliation of the heart to make us the better to feele what sinne is and what it hath deserved at Gods hands For as the full feeding and pleasing of the body in these things is a meanes to increase corruption Ier. 5. 7 8. When I fed them to the full then they committed adultery c. they were as fed horses in the morning c. so the abridging of it in these things is effectuall to weaken and abate the strength of sinne 1 Cor. 9. 27. I keepe under my body and bring it into subjection By this we take revenge of our selves which is a great helpe unto true repentance as the Apostle sheweth 2 Cor. 7. 11. Secondly To further and helpe forward the fervency of our hearts in prayer This is evident by that speech of Christ Mar. 9. 29. This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting Thirdly To professe and make outward protestation of our repentance and submission unto God and humble desire to be reconciled unto Him And even this is highly pleasing unto God as we may see in the example of Ahab 1 King 21. 29. Because he humbleth himselfe before me therefore I will not bring the evill in his dayes and of Rehoboam and his Princes They have humbled themselves saith the Lord 2 Chron. 12. 7. therefore I will not destroy them and Verse 12. When Rehoboam humbled himselfe the wrath of the Lord turned from him and yet had these no truth of grace in them In which respect Though 1. No man can please God in his fast nor find sound comfort to his soule in it that is not in his heart troubled for his sinne doth not unfainedly repent that cannot pray that doth not believe We know saith the man that was borne blind Ioh. 9. 31. that God heareth not sinners And without faith it is impossible to please God saith the Apostle Heb. 11. 6. 2. Though no man be fit to keep a private and voluntary fast that is a novice in religion and hath not attained to some good measure of grace for feare of taking hurt and being made the worse by it according to that speech of our Saviour Luke 5. 36 37. The new piece will make the rent greater the new wine will burst the bottels Yet in publique and generall calamities they may be injoyned to keepe a fast that have no such measure of grace in them as we see Ioel 1. 14. Gather the Elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord 2 16. Gather the children and those that sucke the breasts Yea it hath gâ—eatly furthered the efficacy of the prayers of Gods owne people when in such a case all have come tag and rag as we say to joyne with them in this service as I noted to you the last day out of Iudg. 20. 26. If any man shall object God will not heare hypocrites and wicked men Iob 27. 9. Will God heare his cry and if I regard iniquity in my heart saith David Psal. 66. 18. the Lord will not heare me I answer It is true such can have no assurance that God will heare them or respect their prayers because they have no promise Godlinesse hath the promises saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 8. All Gods promises belong to the godly and to them onely But yet for temporall blessings God hath oft had respect to the cryes even of such as have had no truth of grace as is plaine Gen. 21. 17. God heard the voice of Ishmael and Psal. 78. 38. Many a time upon their prayers whom he had described Vers. 37. turned He His anger away For 1. in this they were thus farre no hypocrites because they were heartily sensible of Gods judgements and desired unfainedly to be eased of them Therefore it is said 2 Chron. 12. 6. The Princes of Israel and the King humbled themselves 2. This taking to heart of Gods judgements and professing their humiliation and their yeelding to the commandement of authority in this case as in the dayes of the Iudges and Iehoshaphat we heard all the people did these I say were good things and remainders of Gods image in them In which respect the Holy Ghost saith 2 Chron 20. 12. In Iudah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandement of the King and of the Princes by the Word of the Lord. And these remainders of His owne image God loves wheresoever He sees them Marke 10. 21. Iesus beholding him loved him The Use this Doctrine serveth unto is First For instruction to direct us how we should keepe our fasts Though this be a Doctrinall point and not so fit haply to worke upon our affections as some other might be and such as doth also concern but the outside of the true fast yet have I beene the larger in it because it may serve for a preparation to all the fasts we shall keepe hereafter and the fruit and successe of our fasts depends on our performing of them in that manner God hath appointed Many that are willing to obey God in this duty may through ignorance faile in the right manner of performing it and so not onely lose their labour but offend God further 1 Chron. 15. 13. The Lord our God said David made a breach upon us because we sought Him not in due order And though God have in our fasts a principall respect to our hearts 1 Sam. 16. 7. yet lookes He also for the service of our bodies specially in such exercises of publike and solemne profession 1 Cor. 6. 28. Glorifie God in your bodies saith the Apostle And though these you have heard be not the chief dutys to be performed at a fast yet are they duties commanded and hee that makes not conscience of the least Commandement of God can have no comfort in his estate Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandments Secondly For exhortation to us all to make conscience of every one of these outward duties that have beene commanded to us that is 1. Of joyning with the congregation in hearing the Word even read aswell as preached See what
and returned And Esa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them And we find by experience that at such a time a faithfull Minister may much better worke up on the hearts of men to bring them to remorse and repentance then at another time According to that speach of Elihu Iob 33. 22 24. When a mans soule draweth neere to the grave if there bee then a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightnesse then he is gracious unto him And so speaketh Davidâ—lso â—lso Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastnest ô Lord and teachest him out of thy Law This is a singular favour of God when correction and instruction goe together And herein wee are bound to acknowledge the great mercy of God to our Land that in the time of so generall and grievous visitation as hath been upon it he hath put it into the Kings heart to command so much preaching that thereby the hearts of the people might bee effectually wrought upon now the Lord hath so by his judgement prepared them And certainly if in such a time the word doe not work upon mens hearts it will never doe them good Fiftly and lastly When wee feele a secret pensivenesse and sadnesse to come upon our hearts so as they even melt within us like ground that thaweth after a frost so as we could even weepe abundantly this is an excellent season and opportunity to bring our hearts unto godly sorrow in For 1. sadnesse and heavinesse maketh the heart more apt to bee wrought to goodnesse Eccle. 7. 3. Sorrow is better then laughter for by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better 2. This is the way to turne the streame and current of our sorrow the right way by making our sin our greatest sorrow as indeed it ought to bee because it is the onely just cause of all other our sorrowes Lam. 3. 39. 40. Wherefore doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinnes Let us search and try our wayes and turne againe unto the Lord. And surely to conclude this first point in this we have all cause to acknowledge our owne folly and to bee humbled for it and to impute that want of grace and ability that is in us to mourne for our sins unto this that wee have neglected these times and seasons whereby we might have beene so much helped in this work We know the fittest seasons for the plowing and breaking up of our ground and we carefully observe them but we know not or care not to observe the fittest seasons for the breaking up of the fallow ground of our hearts which yet concerneth us much more then the other doth Breake up your fâ—llow ground saith the Prophet Ier. 4. 3. and sow not among thornes The second thing wee must doe to worke our hearts to godly sorrow is this after we have made choise of a fit time to goe about this work we must also make choise of a fit place for it even such as wherein we may be most free from all distractions For though this also be but a circumstance yet may it yeeld us some help in all exeâ—cises of devotioÌ„ Christ bids us make choise of a secret place for our private prayer Mat. 6. 6. And so did he himsâ—lfe Mar 1. 35. Hee went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed And Act. 10. 9. Peter went up to the top of the house to pray So though it be no shame for a man to weepe for his sinnes as we have heard Gods people have done abundantly in their solemne fasts yet is a solitary and secret place the fittest to worke our hearts unto godly sorrow Commune with your own hearts upon your beds in secret saith David Psal. 4. 4. and be still Hâ—Zechiah turned his face to the wall when he prayed and wept so sore Esa. 38. 2 3. And Ieremiah 13. 17. saith his soule should weepe in secret And Zâ—ch 12. 12. it is said they should mourne every family apart the husband apart and the wife apart And Ieremy describing the man that is humbled under Gods hand aright saith Lam. 3. 28. Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence Thirdly When wee have made choise of a fit time and a fit place also for this businesse then must we examine our hearts seriously and impartially And in this examination two things are to be performed by us 1. We must labour to find out and call to mind our sinnes for which wee should bee humbled 2. We must lay them to our hearts and so consider and weigh with our selves the hainousnesse of them and aggravate them against our selves that we may be affected with them For the first Hee that desires to have his heart humbled and to bee able to mourne for his sinnes must labour by diligent search and examination to finde out his sinnes and call them to mind and set them before his face Bring it againe to mind ô yee transgressours saith the Lord Esa. 46. 8. Let not man be affraid or unwilling to doe this To commit sinne is dangerous and hurtfull to thy soule but to call thy sinnes to remembrance hath no danger in it will doe thee no hurt at all to have an enemy or a mortall disease upon thee is dangerous and hurtfull but to be aware of them to know them when thou hast them may doe thee much good Iob knew this well and therefore prayeth earnestly to God to helpe him in this Iob 13. 23. Make mee to know my transgression and my sinne For 1. till then thou canst never truly mourne for thy sin and repent of it Ier. 8. 6. No man repented himselfe of his wickednesse saying what have I done To know in generall and in grosse that thou art a sinner wil never huÌ„ble thee aright thou must know thy sins in particular or thou canst never truely repent This was that that humbled Gods people so in the dayes of Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 19. Wee have added to allour other sinnes this evill to aske a King This was that that humbled those 3000. mentioned Act. 2. 36 37. and pricked them at the heart God made knowne to them their sinne in particular even that hainous sinne of crucifying the Lord of life 2. It is profitable for us in another respect For the more carefull we are to remember our sinnes and call them to mind the more ready will the Lord bee to forget them and cast them behind his back This is plaine by that prayer David maketh Psalm 51. 1 2 3. Have mercy upon me ô God wash me throughly from my iniquity for I know my transgressions and my sinne is ever before mee But if thou strive to forget them never to thinke of them to cast them behind thy back bee thou sure God will remember them and never have them out of his eye Thou hast
Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes Soe is it as certaine we never truly repented of our sinnes if wee have not unfeignedly sorrowed and mourned for them 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation Wee must be made though not equall yet conformable to Christ in his death and passion as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 3. 10. or we shall never reigne with him This is a faithfull saying saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 11. 12. if wee â—ee dead with him wee shall also live with him if we suffer with him wee shall also reigne with him And this was a cheif part of his passion wherein we must be conformable unto him When he suffred for our sinnes Mat. 26. 37. He began to be sorrowfull and very heavy insomuch as he could not containe but must needs acquaint his three Disciples with it verse 38. Then saith he unto them my soule is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death When he suffred for our sinnes hee wept abundantly as the Apostle saith Heb. 5. 7. He offred up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares We cannot sorrow and weepe in that measure as he did for our sinnes but we must sorrow in our measure as he did we must be made conformable to him in his passion as you have heard or wee shall never have part in him We must either mourne as Peter did with a saving sorrow Mat. 26. 75. or wee shall mourne as Iudas did with a desperate sorrow Mat. 27. 3 5. We must either now in this life mourn for our sinnâ—s as we have heard all Gods servants have done or we shall certainly herafter cry for sorrow of heart as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 65. 14. and houle for vexation of spirit in Hell where shall bee nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth as our Saviour speaketh Luk. 13. 28. where their worme never dyeth and the fire never shall be quenched Mar. 9. 44. Secondly Because men are very apt to bee deceived in this point and to thinke they have beene rightly humbled and have rightly sorrowed for their sinnes when indeed they have not We read of the hypocrites expostulation with God Esa. 58. 3. They had afflicted their soules and God tooke no knowledge of it Zach. 7. 3 5. They had mourned and wept in their fasts and the Lord saith of them they had not done it unto him they had their owne ends in it Yea it is certaine many hypocrites doe indeed mourne and are exceedingly humbled sometimes You know the Lord giveth this testimony of Ahab himselfe that he was humbled 1 Kings 21. 29. And yet as good never a whit as never the better their sorrow and humiliation is to no purpose at all because it is not sound and sincere Thirdly Because many of Gods children that are indeed true mourners are apt to doubt of themselves and to complaine their hearts are so hard that they cannot mourne for their sinnes ô if they had soft and melting hearts that they could sorrow that they could weep for sinne they were in an happy case but alas they cannot Thus Gods Church and people complaine unto God Esâ— 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou hardned our heart Seeing therefore it is as you see in these three respects a matter of so great necessity to have a sure direction given us out of Gods Word how to discerne that humiliation of soule and sorrow for sinne that is sincere and saving from that that is counterfait I will give you some principall notes of differences betweene them whereby they may be judged of And these are to bee referred to foure heads The first is from the object of our sorrow and humiliation the thing the matter that we are grieved and humbled for The second from the measure and degree of our sorrow The third from the cause that breedeth it in us and fountaine from whence it floweth The fourth and last from the effects and fruits that proceed from it For the first If we desire to know whether we were ever yet rightly humbled or whether we doe still remaine in the hardnesse and impenitency of our hearts we must examine what it is that hath troubled us and made us to mourne First He that is truly humbled mourneth for the evill of sinne rather then for the evill of punishment It is no ill signe to mourne and to be humbled under the judgements of God Nay it is our duty to be so and a passing ill signe it is of an ungratious heart not to be affected with the judgements of God not to be troubled when the Lord sheweth himselfe to be angry with us The Prophet complaineth of this as of a great sinne Ier. 5. 3. O Lord thou hast stricken them and they have not grieved It is said of Gods people Ezr. 10. 9. that they trembled because of the great raine And David and the Elders of Israel humbled themselves greatly for the plague that God sent upon the land 2 Sam. 24. 17. And so did Iehoshaphat when God threatned an invasion 2 Chron. 20. 3. When the state and government of the Kingdome of Israel in the dayes of Saul was so broken and out of order had so many breaches in it that it did even shake and totter as ready to fall and come to ruine as the Prophet complaineth Psal. 60. 2. Gods people were so troubled with the sensible token of Gods displeasure that they were euen astonished with it thou hast made us to drinke the wine of astonishment as the Prophet speaketh verse 3. And certainly this is a dangerous signe that our people generally are given up of God to a marvellous hardnesse of heart that the Lord having by all these tokens of his anger cald us to weeping and to mourning as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 22. 12. we have beene generally given to asmuch jollity in these times as ever we were Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you dye saith the Lord God of Hosts as it followeth there verse 14. Yet though it be a good thing to be humbled under Gods judgements this is not enough to prove our humiliation to bee sound and sincere Many an hypocrite hath gone so farre Thus farre Ahab went ô how he was humbled at the hearing of that fearefull judgement that God threatned by the Prophet to bring upon him and his house 1 King 21. 29. Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe Thus farre Iehoram his sonne and as bad a man almost as he went when a grievous famine was upon the land he greatly humbled himselfe for though he were a King he wore sackcloth not as his upper garment as the manner was to expresse their humiliation outwardly but secretly next his skin 2 King 6. 30. See how farre an hypocrite may goe in humbling himselfe under Gods judgements But the true repentant though he is humbled for and can mourne for Gods judgements yet that is neither the onely nor the chief cause of his sorrow his
l have sinned and have done wickedly but these sheepe what have they done He knew well that not the sinnes of those that perished in that grievous plague but his owne sinnes had a chiefe hand in provoking GOD unto that judgement So that we see that there is no one man amongst us all that hath not just reason to be affected with GODS judgements upon the Land though himselfe be spared seeing that he is a cause of it as well as they that are smitten and it may be as great a cause as they nay it may be a greater cause than any of them were And this was that that made good Nehemiah cry thus in his prayer unto GOD Neh. 1. 6. Both I and my fathers house have sinned As if he had said that Ierusalem prospers no better I and my fathers house are as great a cause as any other We have heard the Doctrine which this example of David teacheth us delivered and confirmed in a generall manner let us now come to make use of it and to apply it to our owne case and to the occasion of our meeting at this time This Doctrine therefore serveth to exhort us unto two duties 1. That we would labour to take to heart and to be rightly affected with this judgement of GOD that is now upon London and sundry other parts of the Kingdome 2. That when we are rightly affected with it we would make right use of it to our selves For the first You will say it is a needlesse exhortation for who is not affected with this plague who is not affraid of it and wherefore come we hither els if we be not affected with it I answer That none of us I feare are sufficiently affected with it and that this is the fountaine and foundation of all good uses we can make of it either for their benefit that are visited with it or for our selves that we would labour to be affected with this judgement of GOD as we ought to be I will therefore shew you what just causes we have to be deeply affected with this judgement And they are principally three First In respect of the grievousnesse of the judgement it selfe For wee shall finde this called one of GODS sore judgements Ezek. 14. 21. And when the LORD threatens that Hee Himselfe would fight against Ierusalem with an out-stretched hand and a strong arme even in anger and in fury and in great wrath Ier. 21. 5. He tels them in the next Verse how He would do this He would smite the city with a great pestilence Certainly the LORD therefore now fights against our Land yea He fighteth against it in fury and in great wrath Observe foure things in this judgement 1. What a waster it is Psal. 91. 6. it is called the destruction that wasteth at noone-day In a short time even in three dayes it consumed seventy thousand in Israel 2 Sam. 24. 15. A grievous judgement it must needs be when GOD Himselfe matcheth a pestilence of three dayes continuance as a thing of equall force to afflict and destroy with a famine of seven yeares and with flying by the space of three moneths before their enemies that pursued them as we know He doth 2 Sam. 24. 13. And hath not the pestilence that GOD hath now sent into our Land proved a terrible waster when in one weeke in one City it hath swept away three thousand five hundred eighty two 2. Consider how suddenly it takes them away that have beene smitten with it many that were well in the morning have beene dead of it before night it is therefore called the LORDS arrow Psal. 91. 5. It strikes and pierceth men suddenly with a deadly wound and Vers. 6. it is said to walke in darknesse And certainly sudden death though it be not absolutely to be prayed against yet it is to be esteemed a temporall judgement and a signe of GODS anger Let destruction come upon him at unawares saith the Prophet here Vers. 8. It must needs add much to the bitternesse of death when it comes so suddenly that a man can neither commend himselfe to GOD nor set things in order for the world before he die 3. Consider it is such a judgement as oft makes men destroyers of them whom they most love and desire to keepe alive the father setting at unawares the infection upon the child the husband on the wife a man on his dearest friend A great cause of humbling it is for a man to have killed any other man at unawares as you may see by that law Numb 35. 28. and what is it then to have killed them that are dearest to them 4. It is such a sicknesse as doth usually debarre men of many comforts that other sicke persons do enjoy First many that are visited with this sicknesse do want convenient attendance and lodging dying in the streets and high-wayes of whom that may be said Esa. 51. 20. Thy sonnes have fainted they lie at the head of all streets the fury of the LORD the rebuke of thy GOD. Secondly their friends dare not visit them which as it is a worke of mercy so it is a great meanes of comfort to the afflicted and such as CHRIST hath enjoyned us Mat. 25. 36. 3. Whereas none have so much need of spirituall comfort as they because the very disease makes them more subject to terrors and feares than others and is therefore called the terrour by night Psal. 91. 5. they poore wretches can have none to comfort them but may in anguish of soule cry out Lam. 1. 16. The comforter that should relieve my soule is farre from me So that in respect of this first consideration the grievousnesse of the judgement it selfe they may cry to us all and to all GODS people throughout the Land as Lam. 1. 12. Is it nothing to you all ye that passe by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of His anger And will you not be affected with it Secondly if this will not serve come to a second cause we have to be deeply affected with it because none of us can tell how farre it may go how neare it may come to our owne dwellings In which respect though we may say as Namb. 16. 46. we are sure wrath is gone out from the LORD the plague is begun yet as the Psalmist saith Psal. 74. 9. There is not amongst us any that knoweth how long it will last or how farre it will spread Let no man say I am farre enough from London I dwell in a good ayre and we have taken good order to prevent all danger of this infectioâ—s disease no carriers shall come from thence to us no Londoners shall lodge amongst us These are good meanes I will not deny if they be used with that compassion that becomes Christians to shew unto them in misery and must not be neglected But all these cannot secure us from
plague nor make right use of it unlesse every one of us enter into his owne heart aâ—d say what have I done To this end it wil be profitable for us to search the Scriptures and find out what were the speciall sinnes which either have brought the pestilence upon GODS people in former times or which the LORD hath threatned to punish in this manner and with this judgement For the first I find five great plagues of pestilence recorded in the holy Scriptures and the speciall sinnes that were the causes of them are also plainly set downe The first great plague we read of was that which is spoken of Numb 11. 33. The wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague And what was the cause of that plague Surely their murmuring and discontentment at their present condition their unthankfulnesse to the LORD who had brought them out of the land of Egypt Vers. 20. their loathing of Manna Verse 6. which the Prophet for the excellency thereof calleth Angles food Psal. 78. 25. and the corne and bread of heaven Psal. 78. 24. 105. 40. their lusting after the flesh-pots of Egypt and longing to be there againe Numb 11. 45. Exod. 16. 3. Secondly Another we find mentioned Numb 14. where although the LORD was stayed by the prayer of Moses from smiting the whole congregation with the pestilence and from dis-inheriting them as He threatned to do Vers. 6. yet often of those men that were sent to search out the Land it is said Vers. 37. that they died of the plague before the LORD And the cause of this is said to be Verse 36 37. that they did bring up a slander and evil report upon the promised Land and thereby made all the congregation to murmure against Moses who had spoken so much good of it Thirdly Another great plague Moses hath set downe the story of Numb 16. 49. wherein there died foureteene thousand and seven hundred and yet then so soone as wrath was gone out from the LORD so soone as the plague was begun as we read Vers. 46 48. Aaron the true â—ype of our onely High Priest and effectuall Intercessour for us unto GOD went with his incense and stood betweene the dead and the living and made an attonement for the people and so the plague was stayed How fearefull a pestilence would that have beene if it had continued any time if it had not been presently stayed And the sin that provoked GOD to send this pestilence among His people we find to have been their murmuring and rebelling against Moses and Aaron the Ministers and servants of the LORD as it is plain by the 41 and 42 Verses of that Chapter Fourthly The fourth memorable pestilence that we read of is that which is recorded Num. 25. of which there fell in one day as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10. 8. three and twenty thousand Moses in setting down that story saith Numb 25. 9. those that died in the plague were twenty and foure thousand putting all together in that summe that perished at that time and for that sinne as well those whom himselfe and the judges had put to death according to the commandment of GOD Vers. 4 5. which may seeme to have beene in number about a thousand as those that perished by that plague which the LORD in His fierce anger as it is said Vers. 4. did send amongst them which were the three and twenty thousand that the Apostle speaketh of For that most of them that then perished died of an extraordinary pestilence and not all by the sword of the Magistrate as some learned men judge may appeare by that which the HOLY GHOST speaketh of it in other places as Numb 31. 16. There was a plague among the Congregation of the LORD and Iosh. 22. 17. where the very same words are used by Phinehas who had a chiefe hand in the staying of it and Psal. 106. 29 30. The plague brake in upon them then stood up Phinehas and executed judgement and so the plague was stayed And what was the cause of this strange and fearefull pestilence that consumed in one day three and twenty thousand Surely it was whoredome as both Moses Numb 25. 1 6. and the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 8. do expresly teach us Fiftly the fift and last plague we read of in holy Scripture was in Davids time the story whereof is set downe 2 Sam. 24. 15. this went thorough all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba in three dayes and consumed in so short a time no lesse than seventy thousand men And the cause of this plague was the pride of Davids heart and the confidence he reposed in his owne strength and in the outward meanes he had to defend himselfe by and to provide for his owne safety And besides these five great plagues I find also mention made of another dangerous and strange sicknesse wherewithall the LORD in his just judgement did smite and afflict his people in the Church of Corinth which though I cannot certainly say it was the pestilence because the text doth not expresly say so yet I may boldly say it was an epidemicall disease and grievous mortality most likely to be it Many are weake and sicke among you saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 30. and many sleepe that is die of it And the cause of this sicknesse and mortality the Apostle tels us was this that they came carelesly unreverently and without due preparation unto the holy Sacrament Thus you see what sinnes have brought the plague upon men in former times yea upon such as have beene GODS people by profession aswell as we And This happened unto them for ensample as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 10. 11. and all the seen samples are written and recorded in Scripture of purpose for our admonition And although we read of no plagues that are recorded in the holy Scriptures but those that I have mentioned and for those sinnes yet find we diverse other sinnes also which GOD hath threatned to punish this way GODS people were afraid that He would fall upon them and consume them with the pestilence as we read Exod. 5. 3. even for their negligence of His solemne worship and service though they were then in Egypt where they could not performe it without extreme danger And because Pharaoh had despised and hardened his heart against former and smaller judgements the LORD threatneth Exod. 9. 15. to smite him and his people with the pestilence To conclude the LORD did by His Prophet Ieremiah 21. 5 6. threaten in anger and fury and in great wrath to smite the inhabitants of Ierusalem both man and beast and that they should die of a very great pestilence because they stood out in rebellion against the King of Babylon and refused to yeeld unto him as GOD had commanded them whereby it appeareth that an obstinate refusing to obey the Word and commandment of GOD in any thing though it
of Christ for the people which indeed is that thâ—t did the deed but know 1. that when incense was offred Gods people also prayed Lâ—ke 1. 10. And 2. that Christs intercession goeth with our prayers also â—nd is that that makes them effectuall He offâ—eth His incense with the prayers of all Saints Rev 8. 3. 4. In strange and extraordinary judgements that are upon Gods people we are bound not onely to pray for them but to do it in an extraordinary manner When the decree was sealed for the destruction of all the Iewes and Ester resolved to venture her life for the revoking of it then ordinary prayer would not serve the turne but Ester commanded extraordinary prayer to be used in such a case and that for sundry dayes together Ester 4. 16. Go fast ye for me and neither eat noâ— drinke three dayes night nor day 5. In publike and generall calamities that are upon Gods people or hang over them publike and generall prayers should be used for them This course Ieâ—osâ—phat tooke in that case 2 Chroâ— 20. 13. All luda stood before the Lord in that fast And so did the Ninivites likewise Ion. 3. 5. They prâ—clâ—imed a fast and put on saâ—kcloth from the greatest of them to the leâ—st of them And the more publike and solemne the prayers are that are made in this case the more pleasing they are unto the Lord. This appeareth lâ—dg 20. 26. they had before gone up to the house of God and asked counsell of God Vers. 18. they had gone up the second time to seeke the Lord and then did weepe also before the Lord Vers. 23. but prevailed not the third time they prevailed Why What did they more now than they did before 1. They fasted 2. All the childreâ— of Israel â—nd all the people weâ—t up An evident proofe of this that when Gods judgements are publike and generall upon Gods people our prayers and humiliations should be as publike and generall as is possible and the more publike the more pleasing unto God Reason First The Lord is He that both layeth the judgement upon any of our brethren and He that must take it off and therefore the best way we have to helpe them is to seeke to Him in their behalfe It is the Lord that sends the pestilence I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt saith the Lord Amos 4 10. And it is He and He only that moderates and sets bounds unto it He saith to it as to the sea Iob 38. 11. Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves â—e stayed He hath set downe in His counsaile and decree whom it shall smite and whom it shall spare The just number that He hath appointed shall die of it use they what meanes they can which they are bound to do because this is a secret unto them to avoid it Ier. 15. 2. Such as are for death that is for the pestilence as it is expounded Ier. 21. 7. to death and such as are for the sâ—â—rd to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine and such as are for the captivity to the captivity And it shall not touch any of them whom He will have to be spared though they live in never so much danger Psal. 91. 7. A thousand shall fall at Thy side and ten thousand at Thy right hand but it shall not come nigh Thee And it is the Lord onely that removes it when He pleaseth that saith to the destroying Angell It is enough stay now thy hand 2 Sam. 24. 16. And lastly it is He onely that can cure those that are smitten with it 1 Sam. 26. The Lord killeth and â—aketh alive He bringeth downe to the grave and brings up againe So that to conclude this reason we may say with the Prophet Amos 3. 6. Shall there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it The plague is in the City and that is one great evill secondly it increaseth there wonderfully that is another evill thirdly the people in the out-parishes will not be restrained nor kept in that is another evill fourthly many perish with famine that is another evill And hath not the Lord done all this What better course then can we take for their good than to seeke to the Lord for them Secondly The Lord hath commanded us to do this He desires and lookes for this at our hands and is highly pleased with it when we seeing his judgements upon our brethren become suiters to Him in their behalfe He hath commanded 1 Tim. 2. 1. Before all things let supplications c. be made for all men Yea He desires it greatly and lookes for it even when He is most offended with a people to be thus sought unto in their behalfe Ezek. 22. 30. I sought for a man amongst them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before Me for the land that I should not destroy it Esâ— 59. 16. He wondred that there was no intercessour Yea He is highly pleased with this in which respect Ieremy desires God to take notice of this grace in him and remember it Ier. 18. 20. Remember that I stood before Thee to speake good for them and to turne away Thy wrath from them So that it is a sinne against God to neglect this duty unto our brethren 1 Sam. 12. 23. God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you Thirdly The force and efficacy that there is in the prayers of Gods people to helpe and relieve them that are in misery is very great The prayers of Gods people have prevailed wonderfully with Him even for wicked men How oft did Moses prayer remove Gods plagues even from Pharaoh Exod. 8. 13. 31. 9. 33. 10. 18 19. When Ahâ—â— and his land were almost consumed with a drought and famine Elias prayer delivered him from that judgement and brought raine yet he was a man subject to the like passiâ—ns that we are lam 5. 17 18. Yea in this very judgement of the pestilence ye shall see the force of prayer For when God hath drawne out this terrible sword of His in His fierce displeasure and consumed many by it and stretched out His arme to smite more the prayers of Gods people have even stayed Him and held His hand and prevailed so with Him that they have even overcome Him and compelled Him to change His mind and put up His sword When wrath was gone out from the Lord and the plague was begun Aâ—râ—n stood with his incense betweene the dead and the living and the plague was stayed Numb 16. 48. When God had said unto Moses against Israel for their idolatry Exod. 32. 10. Let Me alone that my wrath may waxe â—ot againâ—â— them and that I may consume them Upon Moses prayer Vers. 14. The Lord repented Him of the evill which He thought to do unto His people The like He did upon Davids