make choise for their gods and religion yet saith hee I and mine house will serue the Lord And as Dauid here saith let the prophane multitude of vnbeleeuers run to the creatures in their necessities forgetting the Lord of life yea some to the meanes hee vtterly forbiddeth and others not a few to the meere professed enemies of God to Pagans and Idolaters as often did the Kings of Israel and Iudah yea to Sathan himselfe as all such do which run to the diuellish faculties of witchcraft and sorcery as the Egyptians when they were smitten with sundry plagues they sought to their wizardly priests and coniurers so the Chaldees Babilonians Saul Manasses Nero ◅ulian and such like in all ages The hypocrites iudgement and practise is cleane contrary to this holy canon here taught vs for he thinks it neuer safe to walke that way which most men treade not of the way of the multitude it is said Many si◅de it and like it but the end is destruction The 2. thing to be noted here is how he laboureth to teach others by his example This is a singular good way for teachers to conuert and confirme soules by speaking vnto men of their owne sence and experience of their faith I finde saith hee by most comfortable experience that they be safe which are in the Lords secret chamber and vnder his almightie shadowe I meane such as make God their castle and protection and boldly cry vnto him that they depend vpon him trust and rest in his almightie prouidence This is the best way to teach the ignorant and to conuert sinners vnto God by our owne faith feeling experience and practise of this we haue many sweet presidents in scripture This Prophet when hee hath receiued any spirituall comfort and instruction hee is euer ready to communicate vnto others what graces hee hath receceiued and how to come by them Hauing receiued inspeakeable cōfort in the free pardon of his sinnes Ps. 32. v. 5. he saith v. 8. I will instruct thee and teach thee the way that thou shalt goe And Psal. 51. he sheweth how greatly God is delighted that wee should teach others what benefits we haue receiued I will teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and sinners shall bee conuerted vnto thee This manner of teaching the Apostle thinkes most effectuall and profitable and therefore he vseth often in his owne example to teach others great mysteries of religion as of the dangerous conflicts between the flesh and the spirit Rom 7. and 8. of the vertue and great ◅fficacie of Christs crosse death and resurrection Gal. 6. 14. 15. 16. Rom. 66 How greatly the faithfull esteeme of Iesus Christ and his Gospell 1. Cor. 2. 2. Phil. 3. 8. 9. And the Apostle thinks also this way best to cōsort others in afflictions for thus he writeth Blessed be God euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ the f◅ther of all mercies and the God of all comfort which comforteth vs in all our tribulations That we may be able to comfort them which are in any affliction by the comfort wherewith we are our selues comforted of the Lord. The vse of this doctrine is this euery man to stirre vp himselfe to be mindfull of his brethren to pe◅orm spiritual duties vnto them of instruction admonition exhortation c. as their state and condition shall require And to this end to begge of God as a louing and a mercifull spirit so specially the spirit of wisedome and iudgement that wee may know how to speake a good word seasonably vnto him that is wearied with his afflictions Es. 50. R. v. 4. Pro. 25. 11. Verse 3. Surely hee will deliuer thee from the snare of the hunter and from the grieuous Pestilence HEere the Psalmist laboureth to apply the generall doctrine of the first verse and what hee hath spoken of his owne saith and experience in the second verse vnto the present calamitie which was vpon the Iewes in his time and he striueth to perswade euery one of the faithfull that they shall be deliuered from the flying Angell which like a hunter raunged throughout all Iurie destroying so many thousands with the grieuous and deadly pestilence if they slie by faith farre aboue the secundarie causes vnto the Lords prouidence and holy protection 1. Here learne how that we must endeuour with all our might to strengthen one an others faith in calamities Doest thou beleeue canst thou beleeue All things are possible to him that beleeueth Wilt thou lie downe in the shadow of the Almightie surely he will deliuer thee 2. The Pestilence is heere called the snare of the Hunter because the Angell which was sent from the Lord like a Hunter or a fowler strangled slew many from Dan to Beersheba throughout all that kingdome with the Pestilence And it is not vnfitly compared vnto a snare for that it catcheth sodenly some walking some feeding some sporting some waking some sleeping as wee haue seene by our experience The Pestilence is here saide to bee noisome grieuous and painefull The word noysome or grieuous is in the originall a word of the pl◅n signifieth grieses So the plur n. is vsed for the superlatiue degree q. d. the most grieuous pestilence so it was in elder times vnto Dauid Heze iah and Iob and so it is vnto this day in such as are smitten we see and know daily by their complaints Verse 4. He will couer thee vnder his wings and thou shalt be sure vnder his feathers his truth shal be thy shield and buckler HEere the Prophet applyeth vnto the beleeuers spirit and conscience the same gracious promise of protection in other most sweete rearines and familiar speeches When men are dulled with griefes sorrowes and calamities they will hardly admit any consolation for this cause the holy Ghost here so often repeateth the same promise of mercie and comfort vnto vs. The metaphor of the Hen couering her young with her winges and feathers is no lesse comfortable than familiar Our Sauiour liketh it Math. 23. 27. The like is also vsed Exod. 19. 4. I haue carried you vpon Eagles wings and haue brought you vnto me The metaphor wherein he compareth the truth of Gods promise vnto a shield and buckler in the warres is thus vnderstood Like as the shield and buckler couereth our bodies from the strokes and darts of our enemies so the holy promise of Gods protection and deliuerance receiued by faith strongly confirmeth our hearts to receiue any calamities or plague and to rest confidently as out of all danger in Gods almightie shadow So is Gods promise called Pra. 30. 5. Euery word of God is pure and a shield to those that trust in him Here note that whereas before hee said the Lord to bee the most sure protection of his people hee ascribeth now that protection here vnto Gods truth that is the reuealed promise of God because the Lord ca◅ no other way be found but in the word o◅ promise
least of it sometimes in their mirth-making feasting gaming c. Fourthly an arrow if it come neere the heart giues a deadly wound so this euill if it come once neere the heart the Phisitions confesse it incurable In the 6. verse The 2. trophes set down verse 5. are expressed verse 6. Hee deliuers his meaning in plaine tearmes which hee had vttered before verse 3. and 5. in metaphors and in borrowed speeches The Hebrew hath in verse 5. The feare of the night the arrow that flyeth c. then the verse 6. The Pestilence so that we may very fitly ad the word I meane or I vnderstand the better to expresse the Prophets minde It is said againe 1. that the Pestilence walketh in the darknes 2. that it destroyeth at noone-day The pestilence as some of iudgmeÌ„t auouch is more violent in the night then in the day at mid-day then in any other part of the day First for the night the ayre is made more grosse and thicke with the coldnes of the night and then the strong contagious poyson spread in the ayre being driuen togither as in the generatioÌ„ of meteors thunder and lightnings in the middle region of the aire it is made more violent and deadly where it lighteth or smiteth any man Secondly where it is saide to destroy at noonday the cause of this they say is for that in the day the pores of our bodies are opened and then when the Sun is in the highest pitch of the meridionall line most open in all parts and arteries This time therefore are we most apt to receiue any poyson and this infectious vapour can soonest pierce into our secret parts And it is knowne by the experience of many yeares that albeit the heate of the Sun cause not this pestiserous exhalation yet it may cause it to be more violent and that all windes that come from that part breed putrifaction and rottennesse in all places This saith one Aphorisme of Hipocrates which is Venti meridionales hyemales sâ—…nt mortales South windes in winter doo bring death or mortalitie But I iudge the simple meaning of the holy Ghost may be this That the Pestilence spares not where God sends it but smites downe at all times as at midnight so at mid-day all alike in saire weather and in soule in the mountaines and in the vallevs in the best ayres and in the worst c. And therefore when God shootes this arrow men are warned here to be in a readines at all times and in all places Watch saith our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ for ye know not what houre the theefe commeth Thus much briefly for the sense and meaning of these two verses Now let vs consider yet somewhat more carefully seeing the Pestilence breeds so many feares and terrors night and day and is so great an enemie and destroyer of man-kinde what instrumentes and meanes the Lord vseth for the affliction of his people in the Pestilence 3. Question How the wicked spirits are Gods speciall instruments in the Pestilence 3. Surely hee will deliuer thee from the snare of the hunter verse 3. FIrst here it seemes to mee very expedient that wee take a short viewe in the booke of God how Sathan and his wicked spirits come to this great Dominion principalitie vpon earth among men and then wherfore he so hunteth and striueth by all meanes in all ages for the death and destruction of mankinde The holy Ghost telleth vs that Sathan and his angels were created Angels of light and companions in grace with the elect Angels of God commended and blessed of God in that generall benediction and commendation of all the creatures But they continued not long in that loue and obedience of God being made mutable and hauing a freedome of will as all the rest of their owne accord God so permitting it and denying in that instant the assistance of his grace and mightie hand of his holy spirit they disobeyed and displeased the Almightie and so fell from that blessed light to extreame darkenesse and from that wonderfull glory to inspeakable and endleste consasion Afterwards these wicked spirites haue neuer rested to blaspheme God and to dâ—stroy man by all the meanes they can for Sathan is a murderer and euer hath sinned with al his wicked angels from the Beginning He first began with our first parents for hee knew the rootes once infected the whole bodie armes branches are soone poysoned And to the ende hee might inuisibly deceiue them he first possessed the serpent for this cause the Scriptures call him that old Serpent Mâ—…tum spiritualibus virâ—…bus licet The Diuell can doe much by his spirituall strength saith one To be short the holy Ghost sheweth it how after this by certaine degrees he sought and had entrance into the woman Fâ—…st that lying spirit perswadeth her most impudently of the vntruth of Gods law and holy word concerning the forbidden fruite Secondly by long conference with that wicked spirit the woman beginneth to doubt and to call in qustion the certaintie of Gods loue and holy truth Genes cap. 2. 17. cap. 3. 2. Thirdly as that holy light of God was emptyed out of the minde by degrees so Sathan stept in for where that light is hee hath no entrance Fourthly when Sathan had once possessed her minde blinded it he then soorthwith slipt into the hart there wrought infidelitie first he blindes iudgement then he easily corrupts affections Fiftly when the heart was thus poisoned he easily filled it with euill thoughts vncleane lustes and wicked imaginations Sixtly wicked lustes of the heart beeing set on fire with the sight of the forbidden fruite stirred vp the affections the affections the will the mutable will the endeuor Seuenthly from this inward corruption and subscription vnto Sathans sophistrie and calumniation against the trueth followed that outward rebellion and manisest apostacie and falling away from God Lastly the woman bewitched by Sathan was the second instrument to deceiue the man who yeelded in all pointes by degrees as the woman and so was brought to the same most horrible condition of death and condemnation And thus began Sathan in our first parents to exercise his spirituall iurisdiction and kingdome vpon earth Man is not able to expresse how blessed and how glorious man then was before he fell to this league and societie with Sathan Hee was more beloued of God more deare and precious vnto the Almightie than all the frame of heauen and earth and all things contained therein For that hee was the end and last of all his creation prouided for of all necessaries before his creation onely created with that wonderfull consultation of the Trinitie the onely creature vpon earth resembling his God in many beautifull graces the glorious Lorde and Emperour ouer all creatures in body shining like the Sunne and immortall Math. 13. 45. In minde beautified with wisedome and knowledge Col. 3. 10.
serue him 3. They do Gods will 4. They do it faithfully according to his word Thus far for the first point The 2. thing to be knowne is their loue to Gods Church and great care ouer the faithfull members of the same And certainly their loue is great For it is saide they reioyce ouer one sinner that repenteth and turneth vnto God The Psalmist testifieth of their loue and care when hee faith They pitch their tents round about them which feare the Lorde and desiuer them And here it is said they beare them like as louing parents nurces do their children in their hands and armes to keepe them from scandals and offences And the Lord giueth them in charge thus to doo faith this Prophet heere And hence it is the Author to the Hebrewes describeth them to be Ministring spirits sent from their sakes which shall be heires of saluation And as for their number wee must not curiously search how many each man hath to keepe him for the scriptures tell vs that sometimes many are sent to one man and againe sometimes one Angell is sent for the deliuerance of the whole Church To saue Elisha against the king of Syria the mountaine was full of horses and chariets of fire round about Elisha But in Daâ—â—els time one Angell seemeth to be sent for the protection of the whole Church And in Ezechias time one was of streÌ„gth sufficient to kil and destroy in one night 185000. of the enemies of Gods people And if yet we further desire to learn what ther causes besides that speciall charge of God moue them so to loue vs affect vs and to minister vnto vs for our protection and deliuerance the holy Ghost teacheth vs that first they are members with vs of one bodie which is the whole catholicke Church wherof part is triumphant in heauen part militant vpon earth secondly they haue with vs one spirit for their Lord as to conuert and sanctifie 〈◊〉 so to confirm them in the truth Thirdly they haue with vs one Gospel of comâ—…ort for the Angels saith Peter desire to â—…ehold the mysteries therein contained â—…or their confirmation and our conuersion and euerlasting saluation They are present in the holy assemblies reioyce no doubt greatly to see the Gospell of Iesus Christ preached vnto theiâ—…â—…retheren Lastly they haue one head with vs euen Iesus Christ our Lorde this the Apostle speaketh Christ is set at the right hand of the father in heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery nâ—…me that is named not in this worlde but also in that that is to come and hath made all thinges subiect vnder his feete and hath giuen him ouer all things to bee the head to the Church which is his boâ—…y euen the fulnesse of â—…im that â—…th all things Here foolish Rabbims obiect by occasion of the words of this Psalme Of bearing in their hands That the holy and elect are more worthy persons and more honorable then the Angels because the Angels must as it were attend vpon them and keepe them Their reasons are weake and they too too curious for parents beare children and yet the children are not the â—…re worthy the good shepheard finâ—…th the sheepe which was lost and carrieth it home on his shoulders and yet is not the sheep more worthy then the shepâ—…eard An other question is here demanded of their appearance what letteth it now more then in elder times They know now their visible appearance is both needelesse and dangerous 1. Needlesse for instruction for they know we haue now in the booke of God all the counsell of God reuealed vnto vs so they had not in the old times in that cleare maner that we haue 2. Needlesse for our protection for they can do this inuisibly as well as in sight Elishas guard was as strong and as faithfull before he sawe them as after Lastly their â—…ppearance now is dangerous since Antichrist hath peruerted many with the false worship and inuocation of Angels for since this Idolatrie crept into the Church wee know assuredly that wicked spirits haue taken the forme of good Angels and haue bene adored of miserable men and so deluded many And the visible appearance vnto men would be more terrible in these daies then it was to Manoab and his wife Iudg. 13. And thus farre of their loue towardes the Saints The third and last point to be considered briefly is how long their charge lasteth ouer vs the answere is So long as they walke in their wayes This is that which Sathan left out when hee made assault against Christ for hee can both pare and shred the scriptures and stretch them also otherwhiles to serue his purpose So he can heape vp iudgements to terrifie and amaze poore consciences which are humbled and multiply mercies before such as stand to breede in them dangerous presumptions By these words Their wayes The Psalmist vnderstandeth our seuerall vocations wherein we must walke circumspectly and not rashly runne forth to any vnlawfull meanes as Sathan would haue Christ to do for so doing wee shall tempt God as Christ answereth the diuell in the second temptation Here then we are taught to walke wisely within our boundes and not to vse vnlawfull meanes or to neglect the good meanes giuen vs of God for our benefit and good We must not â—…lie in the ayre for God hath not giuen vs wings to flye but legges to walke We must not talke of reuelations for God doth not so teach vs now but by his written word Wee must not goe to witches in extremitie to theft in pouertie for so wee walke out of our wâ—… and the holy Angels forsake vs 〈◊〉 wicked spirits will maister vs and confound vs. The workes of our calling are called in scripture the way wherein we must walke desiring the Lord to blesse them and all lawfull meanes appointed for vs. Now to make vse of this doctrine briefly for our present purpose no doubt of all other spirituall preseruatiues this of the Angels is one of the best against the pestilence For we may not doubt but â—…mly beleeue they pitch their tents and â—…et as it were an hedge about vs for our custodie and preseruation as the diuell conâ—…esseth it of Iobs protection So then consider euill angels are cruel good Angels are mercifull euill angels are olde and subtile good Angels are of â—…ke yeares and more wise euil angels are very expert to send forth venimous exhalations to poyson the ayre the good Angels are more wise to purge the same the euill angels are strong and mightie but they be fearefull and feare abates strength the good angels are more mightie and excell them in strength and voyd of feare for that they be voyd of 〈◊〉 To bee short looke wherein the euâ—…â—…ngels haue any might to hurt vs and annoy
vs in soule or in body the blessed Angels far passe them to preserue vs and protect vs in both Now blessed be God in this inspeakable mercie for this wonderfull honour and glory hee giueth his poore children heere vpon earth that hee accounts them worthy the communion and fellowship of his most holy Angels And yet hee giueth them a greater glory then this for they haue his owne presence most comforable for Iesus Christ walketh with them in afflictions as partly before hath bene shewed and yet in that which followeth shall be more plainely proued Here to conclude this question forget not to make this vse of this holy doctrine First learn by the excellencie of these holy creatures the great glory of their creator Secondly learne by their loue to conceiue rightly of the infinit loue of thy God towardes thee Thirdly remember seeing they be but our fellow-seruants they must not be adored Fourthly consider often how much thou art bound to bee thankefull ◅or this blessed protection Fifthly learne humilitie by their examples they take vp poore Lazarus in their armes and poore sinners often Lastly let thy behauiour be comely with all reuerence in thy secret chambers and priuate affaires because of their presence And so much for this question Verse 13. Thou shalt walke vpon the fierce lion and the aspe thou shalt treade vpon the young lyon and the dragon THis verse againe containeth a consequent of an antecedent set downe in the last verse aforegoing And here hedoth amplifie what he spake before of the Pestilence well I said the pestilence was like the snare of a hunter like an arrow c. I say yet further let it be as fierce as a lyon as venemous as an aspe as terrible as a dragon yet if thou canst beleeue in Iesus Christ and repose thy selfe in the prouidence of the Almightie in the Almightie and watchfully walke in thy waies it shall goe well with thee This reason is thus formed Such as haue the holy Angels to preserue them may walke safely amongst lyons and aspes and pestiferous euils such as the Pestilence is But thou that beleeuest in the Almightie thou that watchfully walkest in thy wayes thou hast the holy Angels to preserue thee Wherefore thou shalt be preserued in the Pestilence Here we may well vnderstand first generally by lyons and aspes and dragons all the great dangers secret and open euils of this present life Note here for instruction and comfort what the life is of Gods Saintes on earth Assoone as thou hast giuen vp thy name to Iesus Christ there wil bend themselues against thee and beset thee all the wicked spirits that can flie vpon thee and all the euil men of this world will vow thy destruction and like dragons lyons aspes will these euer bestir themselues to poyson thee to sting thee teare thee in peeces But be no whit dismaied this was and is the condition of all thy bretheren and remember there are more better stronger and mightier with thee then against thee which thing thou mightest visibly discerne if thine eyes were opened But we walke and liue by faith Againe I am of iudgement that the Psalmist doth here also in other termes laie before vs the plague and the great danger therof as touching this mortal life For like as before he calles the pestilence tropically 1. The snare of the hunter 2. the feare of the night 3. the arrow that flieth by day 4. the reward of the wicked so here 5. he calles the same euil a fierce lyon 6. a venimous aspe 7. a yoong lyon and lastly a terrible dragon First let vs see wherefore the plague is compared to a lyon 1 FIrst because of the rauenous crueltie of this beast she teareth all our beasts in peeces especially then when shee hath young the she lion spareth as they say no pray euen so the pestilēce spareth no sorts of men 2 For the inuincible strength of this beast there is none comparable vnto the lion Euen so the pestilence of all other diseases is most strong deadly brings downe to the earth as well the strongest as the weakest 3 The lion is a beast of a most hotte and fierie nature euen so the plague for the infected complaine much of their extreame burning Secondly hee compareth the Pestilence to the aspe WHere the aspe biteth his wounds be not great But like as they say to the prickes of pins or needles but there followeth his bitings strange effects for such as the aspe biteth are smitten with a numnesse throughout all parts and there followeth a wonderfull coldnesse continuall gasping heauinesse in the head and after all this a deadly sleepe There be diuers kindes of these serpents Some breede dimnesse in the eyes paine of the heart swelling in the face and deafenesse in the eares some bring present death and some kill within three houres space Wee haue here then not an vnfit comparison considering what like dangerous effectes the aspe and the plague breed in the bodies of men Some by the Hebrue word here vsed vnderstand the Basilisco or Cockatrice There is no◅reeping thing can abide the least hissing of this venemous worme Such as be bitten by this beast are tormented with extreame heate and burning in their bodies the falling of the haire followeth and present death not long after And some say it is death also to see it or to heare the hissing of it Surely there are some such lke symptomes to bee found in the Pestilence and the Phisitions counsell vs not to eie them greatlie which are infected But I thinke our sinfull feares bring manie euils vpon vs which otherwise might well be auoided Thirdlie hee compareth the plague to the Dragon THis beast saith Plinie and other naturall writers doth not cast forth poison but killeth by violence and tearing in peeces as the lions do For these beasles haue great sharpe teeth like wilde sowes with which they crush and rend in peeces any thing The P◅stilence is compared to this beast by the Psalmist and by a man of wonderfull experience and sight in naturals because they are alike dangerous terrible and of like poison and qualities together THE 6. LECTVRE Verse 14. Because he loueth me therefore will I deliuer him I will exalt him because hee hath knowne my name NOw the Lord himselfe speaketh and confirmeth as it were to the conscience by his good spirit all that his Prophet hath hitherto spokē both of Gods promises and of his owne experience for it is but a small comfort onely to heare the experience of other men the sweete promises of the Lord in the outward ears vnlesse the holy spirit speake also effectually vnto the heart conscience But here obserue how first the Lord will haue vs to attend vnto the experience of his Saints and the ministrie of his word before hee adde his owne effectuall working The reason is thus framed He that knoweth