That which is let down touching them, is of two forts: First, The cause of this plague, They provoked, God with their inventions : Secondly, the Cure, Phinekas stood up and prayed, and it ceased. The Caufe is double, Firit, Their inventions Secondly, Gods Anger, provoked by them. And from these two come both, The wrath of God is the mediate Caufe, per quod, and their inventions, the Caule propter quod. So a double Cure Against Gods Anger, is oppofed, as a remedy, Prayer, and against Inventions, the exccuting of judgement upon these finners. The Prayer is qualified in two forts: First, that is Phinchas pray er Secondly, he stood up in the cause. The first thing to be fet down is, That fickneffe and mortality of people is caufall, and not cafuall, for nothing is more contrary than Chance or Fortune, and Judgement. For feeing a fparrow cannot light on the ground, without Gods providence, fuch is Gods care for them, though two of them be fold for a farthing, Matthew the tenth, chapter, it is a fenfeleffe thing to think that fickneffe can befall a man by chance. Therefore the Philiftims, being plagued by God would try whether that disease came of Gods hand, or by chance, the first book of Samuel, the fixth chapter and the ninth verle. But the very name of plague fignifying originally judgement, fhews it . is no casual thing, as in the first epiftle to the Corinthians, the cleventh chapter, where he faith, They did eat and drink their own judge ment, that is, that many were fick among them, and many flept. So the mortalitie at Corinth, was Gods judgement: and fo the Latin word plaga, being a stripe, fheweth the fame. It a ftripe,there is a striker : To then, they are not cafual. If a Surgeon, Phyfician, or Philofopher, were to give a reason hereof, he will impute the caule to the infection of the aire, the putrefaction of the bodies by humors, and to converfing one with another; and they are good caufes of it: For fo faith God,Exodus the ninth chapter and the tenth verfe, vofes took the afhes of the furnace, and caft them up in the aire, and they caused a ftink And David in his fickneffe faith, Pfalm the thirty fecond, His moisture was like the drought in Summer. Therefore in the plague of Leprolic, Leviticus the thirteenth chapter and the fourty fift verse, the Leper was to have his mouth fhut up. David, in that great mortalitic, fpoken of in the first book of Chronicles, the twenty first chapter and the thirtieth verfe, would have gone to Giboah, but he found he should not, feared with the Angel. Therefore the fervant of God faith, Proverbs the fourteenth chapter, A wife man fecth the plague, and shunneth it, but the foolish goeth on still. But thefe are not the only caules For befides nature, there is fome divine thing to be confidered, for there is no infirusity, but a fpirit belongs to it, as Luke the thirteenth chapter and the eleventh verfe, a pirit of infirmity. So are we ro conceive, that befides natural causes, there is fome spiritual, of the fickneffe, as Exodus the twelfth chapter, 4 deftroying Angel. So in Davids plague in the second book of Samuel, the twenty fourth chapter: And Isaiah the Nonn 3 thirty thirty feventh chapter and the thirty fixt verse, the Angel went forth and flue: And, Apocalyps the fixteenth chapter and the fecond verfe, The Angels poured out the vials of the sorash of God, and there fell a noy fome fore: So it is Gods hand that brings in thefe plagues. The caule ftands on two parts, Firft, Gods wrath, from which all evil things proceed; For affliction commeth not from the earth, Fob the fift chapter and the fixt verie: They are sparks of hu anger. And he is not angry with the waters, that they should drown, Habakkuk the third chapter; nor with the aire, that it should corrupt; but for these things commeth the wrath of God, that is, for our finnes, Ephefians the rift chapter. He doth but make a way to his wrath, and then the earch fwalloweth up, the aire infectech, Pfalm the feventy eighth. The finnes of the people are the caufe of Gods wrath. Peccata morum goe before peccata humorum. There is firft corruption of the foul, Michah tic firft chapter and the third verfe: All flesh had corrupted their wayes, Genefis the fixt chapter: So there is infection in mens wayes, before the streets be infected. There is plaga anima, the plague in the foul, before it appear in the body. It is finne that bringeth ficknesse and death, Romans the fixt chapter: So they are both joyned, Pfalm the thirty eighth and the third verfe, There is no rest in my bones, becaufe of my finne Therefore it is our finne and infection of the foul, that must be looked into. If it were fome outward cause only, it could not be but the plague should stay, fecing there is lo great ftore of means, Feremiah the eighth chapter, Is there no balme in Gilead: But he faith, Feremiah the fourty fixt chapter and the eleventh verfe, Fruftra multiplicas medicanda; finne being not taken away, phy fick will doe noe good. First, the corruption of manners must beholpen, and then bodily help will follow; Pfalm the fourty first, Heal my foul; for I have finned against thee. And that course our Saviour keeps, Matthew the ninth chapter, firft he faith, Thy finne is forgiven; and then, Take up thy bed and walk. Thele finnes he calls inventions. Inventions pleafe us greatly, and all new things; our new omnia, better than old Manna, Numbers the eleventh chapter: But if it be our own inventions, then we goe a whoring after it. Such is the delight we take in it, verfe the thirty ninth. Our firft Parents were of this minde, fo proud they would not take a rule of life from God, but would ficut Dii,Genefis the third chapter; They fet up to themselves graven Images,Exodus the twentieth chapter: They have Dii alieni, fuch as their Fathers had. Not when men living otherwile then God commands fhall fay, I shall have peace, Deuteromie the twenty ninth chapter and the thirtieth verfe, Thefe webbs that we weave our felves, and thefe eggs that we hatch, Ifaiah the fifty ninth chapter, are our confufion, and displease God; and great reafon For, Exodus the fifteenth chapter and the twenty fixt verfe, he faith, if thou wilt hearken to my voice, I will lay no difeafe, Ego Dominus curator tuus: But it we follow our own inventions, we can look for nothing but diseases, quid tibi præcipio, hæc tantum fac, Deuteronomie the twelfth chapter, it-men will be wiler than God; that that was Sauls rebellion; he would not deftroy all, as God commanded, he was wiser than fo. But what were thefe inventions? It is faid, verfe the twenty eighth, They joyned themselves to Baal Peor Numbers the twenty fift chapter, that is, the finne of whoring and fornication; and that impudently before the congregation, committed by Zimry and Cosby. It was the adoring of an abhominable Idoll, a finne fo grievous, as it is faid many years after, Have we not enough of the finne of Peor? Foshuab the twenty fecond chapter; it is a finne that will not be cleaned at the firft. And we fee daily the finne of uncleanneffe ends with a plague that is infectious. For the Cure, It is certain, As there are natural causes, so natural cures of this Disease. Hezekiah, as some Writers doe hold, had this Disease, and used not only prayer, but a plaifter, by the Prophets direction, Ifaiah the fifty eighth chapter. But as the cause of the plague is not only natural, to here is ufed a fpiritual remedy; that is, in as much as contrary, curantur contrariis viis. If the provoking of Gods anger be the Cause of the plague, the appeafing of it by prayer must be the Remedy. The two remedies are out of the double fenfe of the word, which fignifieth prayer and punishing. Prayer is an appeaser of Gods wrath, not only in other points, but in this, Numbers the twenty fift chapter, They all wept and prayed: And David, in the fecond book of Samuel, the twenty fourth chapter and the feventeenth verfe, fled to this remedy, I have finned, bat thefe Sheep what have they done? And Hezekiah being infected with the plague, turned himself to the wall, Ifaiah the thirty eighth chapter: And in Salomons prayer, the first of the Kings and the eighth chapter, where plagues, or corrupt agues fball hop, here then in heaven, And there is a good proportion between this remedy and the dif eale. For if there be a corrupt fmell, the way to take it away is by the good smell of incenfe or perfume. So, as our finne doth give an evil favour, and ftink in Gods noftrils; fo the fpiritual incenfe will remove it, and that incenfe is prayer, Pfalm the fourty firft: Therefore the prayers of the Saints are called odours, Apocalyps the fift chapter. But it must be prayer qualified in two forts. Firft, Phineha's prayer, that is, the prayer of the Prieft. So David had Gad to pray for him, Hezekiah had Ifaiah, Lift thou up thy prayer, Ifaiah the thirty eighth chapter: The Corinthians had Paul to pray for them, the first epiftle to the Corinthians the eleventh chapter. The prayers of all the juft are available, but fpecially of the elders, therefore fend for them, Fames the fift chapter. A Serjeant, Constable, or Scrivener, by virtue of his office, may doe that which a greater man cannot dọc; so the prayer of a perfon called to that holy function, may prevail more: The Priefts are appointed to offer up prayers, and the calves of the lips, Hofea the fourteenth chapter. So, Genefis the twentieth chapter, Abraham is a Prophet, and fhall pray for thee, Leviticus the fixt chapter and the feventh verfe: he fhall pray for thee,orabit pro eo Sacerdos: Therefore Hezekiah faith, Lift up thou thy prayers, Ifalah the thirty eighth chapter. And Saint Fames ་ Fames faith in his fift chapter, The prayer of faith made by the E'ders fhall fave the fick. The prayer of the juft avails much, but efpecially of the elders and Priefts; for to fuch a grace is given, as ia the first epiftle to the Corinthians and the fifteenth chapter, Gratia data eft mihi; and this grace is not in vain. Secondly, But it must be oratio cum ftatione, Phinehas flood up and prayed. For, as in the first epiftle to the Corinthians and the eleventh chapter, of a woman uncovered, judge whether it be a comely thing to fit ftill in prayer. All things in the Church must be done dgyvas, the first epiftle to the Corinthians, the fourteenth chapter, We must please and ferve God, etiam habitu corporis. The Angels of God ftood before God, Fob the first chapter; The Cherubims flood and bid their faces, Ifaiah the fixt chapter: And millions of Angels flood before the feat, Daniel the feventh chapter. Therefore we muft conclude our fitting is not pleafing to God: Sedentes orare extra Difcipulum est. The other fenfe is, the execution or judgement : And it hath a good relation to finnes, They prayed and wept, Numbers the twenty fift chapter; but that prevailed not, till Phinehas executed vengeance upon the finne: but the vengeance being performed, by Phinehas, the plague ceafed, verle the eighth. So then the wrath of God will ceafe, if people ceafe to finne; or if Phinehas, the Magifrate, begin to pun fh fione in the people. For punishment is of two forts: Firft, Every man in himf. If, is to punish finne, as David (mit his heart, in the fecond book of Samuel, the twenty fift chapter and the twenty fourth verfe, and the first epistle to the Corinthians the eleventh chapter, judge your felves. But if not Mofes, the Magiftrate must take vengeance of finne; for if he will not, God himself will fet his face against that Magiftrate, Leviticus the twentieth chapter. When the people look not at him that strikes them, but to natural caules, then shall the hand of God be stretched out still, Ifaiah the ninth chapter and the thirteenth verfe. The wrath of God for our finnes being the cause of this plague, we must appeafe him with prayer and repentance. If we fail to doe this, the devotion of the Priest, and the zeal of the Magiftrate, muft look to it, clfe the plague cannot but Atill increase. Amen. Amen. Addenda. Va vobis Legis interpretibus, quoniam fuftuliftis Clavem cogniti- Luke 18. 53.] onis ipfi non introistis, & eos qui introibant prohibuistis. K 1590% Sermon upon troduction to NOWLEDGE of holy things is compared O&ob. 13. by our Saviour Chrift to a Key, in the eleventh chapter of Luke and the fifty second verie, as be. Place this in the beginning ing a thing neceffary both to fhew us in this life of the book the way we thould walk in, Proverbs the fecond next before the chapter, the tenth and twelfth verfes; as alfo for G. For the entrance into the kingdome of God, in the this was the Bilife to come. For which caufe holy men, in all ages, have called us us fr fhops first Lein Saint to this kinde of knowledge, Feremiah the thirty fift chapter and the Pauls, prea thirty fourth verfe; and thefe have made it their delight, falab the ched as an Infiftyeighth chapter and the thirteenth verfe; and prefer it before his following their daily food, Fob the twenty third chapter; and efteem it above difcourfe upon all treatures, Proverbs the fecond chapter and the fourth verfe. But the four firft chapters of Ge fuch as are ignorant, and know not these things, Solomon biddeth to nefis, goe out and dwell among beafts, Cant. the first chapter and the seventh verfe, as if they were not worthy the company of men and therefore Chrift weepeth for them, Luke the nineteenth chapter, as if their cafe were most lamentable, which knew not that they ought. Wherefore God hath given unto us means and wayes, by which we may come to knowledge. The one is the frame of the World, by the view of his Creatures. The other is the hearing of his word, by the Ministry of Men. Thefe two, are the two great leaves of this gate and way to Heaven, which that key of knowledge muft unlock and fet wide open, that fo we may learn to enter therein. Which two means are spoken of, and commended unto us, in Pfalm the nineteenth, the first and the seventh verses : And St. Paul begianeth his epistle to the Romans with these two, Romans the first chapter, the fixteenth and twentieth verfes; and it was his order in preaching, and teaching men the knowledge of God, as at Athens, Acts the feventeenth chapter and the twenty third verfes Thefe are, as it were, the two great books of God, which he would have known and read of all men: For as his written word is called Oooo a scroll, |