Sermons, Meditations, and Prayers, upon the Plague. 1636.  
BY T. S.  
Oh praise the God of Heaven, for his Mercy endureth for ever.  Ps. 136. 
LONDON, Printed by N. and Io. Okes, for john Benson, and are to be sold at his shop in S. Dunstan's Churchyard in Fleetstreet. 1637.   

TO THE RIGHT Honourable EDWARD Bromfield, Lord Maior, and to the right Worshipful Aldermen, Governors of this Honourable City of London.  
My Lord, and Gentlemen,  
THE lines following begin mournfully, and end thankfully; the mourning was, if not altogether, yet almost only the Cities; the Thankfulness is most of all, if not only by, yet for the City: of these the beginning express the one, the ending the other: nor one, nor other coming abroad could find shelter more safely or more justly then under the umbracula of your Honours and Worship's protection: Into which custody if it shall please you to take them, the Author will, as he is bound, pray that God's judgements may ever reap your Repentance, your Repentance receive his deliverance, his deliverance accept your thankfulness, through jesus Christ; in whom is ever ready to serve you,  
Your Honour, and Worships devoted, T. S.   

The Disease. 1636.  2. Chron. 7.13.14. 
If I send a Pestilence amongst my people. If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray; and turn from their wicked ways, and seek my face; I will hear in Heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their Land.  
THE Text is a piece of a Promise, to a piece of a Prayer: the Prayer was made in the day by Solomon to God: the Promise was made at night by God to Solomon: Solomon's whole prayer was, That what prayer soever should be made of any man, or of all the people of Israel stretching their hands towards the Temple that he built, that then God would be pleased to hear in Heaven and be merciful, 
Chap. 6. 29. 30.  and give to every man according to his ways; and Gods whole promise was, 
Chap. 7. 12.  That he had heard his prayer, and chosen that place to himself, for an house of Sacrifice.  
Solomon distinguishes this whole tree of his Devotion, into particular branches, viz. If thy people be put to the worse before their enemies, 
chap. 6. 24. 25  because they have sinned against thee, and shall return, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication before thee in this house: Then hear Thou from Heaven, and forgive the sins of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the Land, that's for War, and therefore not for us; for blessed be the name of God, we have peace.  
He goes on: When the Heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, 
c. 6. 26. 27  because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray towards this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them; then hear thou from Heaven, and forgive their sins, and send rain upon the Land. That's for Dearth, and therefore not for us, for yet, blessed be the name of God, we have plenty.  
He proceeds: If there be Pestilence, 
c. 6. 28. 29  or any other sore or sickness whatsoever, then hear thou the prayer and supplication of thy people. That's for the plague, and that's for us: For it is a time of plague, a fearful time it is; yet as fearful as it is, it is not desperate; for we have Gods particular promise for this, as well as for the rest, If I send a Pestilence amongst my people. If my, etc.  
Nay, we have not only Gods Promise, but our own experience also for the truth of that Promise: For in Anno 1625. when in one Week there died 3344. the next week fell to 2550. the next to 1612. the next to 1551. the next to 852. the next to 558. the next to fewer, and the next to none. I pray God, we may see none of those great Weeks. But if we do, what then? shall we despair? no, we need not, he that performed his promise then, will perform his promise now; so that we will perform our conditions, and humble ourselves and pray; etc. And so I have brought you by a circular motion to my Text again: and my Text is for all the world like a pair of Indentures, the one on God's part, the other on man's part: God the Master, Man the apprentice; and both their conditions run on former conditions: Man's sin, and Gods judgements; chap. 6. ver. 22. When a man shall sinne against his neighbour: ver. 24. When there shall be no rain because they have sinned. When there shall be sickness, and Famine, and Plague, if they sin against thee. ver. 36. So, God's conditions of Destruction, run upon man's condition of Transgression, and again, God's condition of Deliverance runs upon man's condition of Repentance. And they are four on either side: first on Man's, 

1. Humility.  
2. Prayer.  
3. Seeking.  
4. Turning. 
Division.    If my people, etc. These are the conditions of our Indentures. And Gods are answerable: 

1. He will Exalt.  
2. He will Hear; hear in Heaven.  
3. He will forgive. And  
4. He will heal the Land.   Or you may consider this Text, as a Malady and a Medicine; as a Disease and a Cure: the Disease, the Disease of the time, Pestilence; the Cure, the Cure of that, and all Diseases, Repentance.  
In the Disease I ask: first Propter quod, the provoking cause. Secondly, Quid, the matter, what it is? thirdly, Vnde, the Author. Fourthly, Inquos, who and what they are that are sick of the Plague. Fifthly, Ad quod, the end and final cause. These five are in those five first words of my Text. If being a supposing Word, implies the first and last: If God does it, something must provoke him to it: And if he be provoked to do it, he hath some end in the doing of it: And then I the second word, describes the Author: and Pestilence, the third word, the matter; and amongst my people, the last word tells you who, and what they be. In the Cure, I look upon the several simples; they are made by Man, as the Apothecary: And made effectual by God; as the Doctor. The first is the gesture of Repentance, Humble. The second is the voice of Repentance, Devout. The third is the care of Repentance, Diligent. The fourth is the Digesture of Repentance, Wholesome, If my, etc.  
And thus you see the coherence of the Text, and Context; and the concordance of the Time with the Text: For it is a penitential Season, and this is a penitential Sermon; it is a sorrowful Time, and this is a sorrowful Theme: it is a fearful Time, and this is a fearful Text: And yet it is a Hopeful time, and this is a hopeful Text too, for even in this Fear we hope: We sin, Heaven frowns, God strikes, that's fearful; we repent, Heaven laughs; God strokes, that's Hopeful.  
Now, if I draw not these conditions like a perfect Scribe, if I compound not this Recipe like a learned Galen; you must impute part of that to my ignorance, and God mend it: part you must impute to my negligence, and God forgive it what I fail, you in your meekness pardon, God in his goodness perfect. I begin with the first, The Disease, If I send a pestilence, etc.  
The first word is a tottering word, 
Pars 1. Si, If.  If; it runs upon wheels, & so hath set my brains backward and forward: if I go forward with it, I enter into an house of diligence and Devotion, a Haven of Happiness and Deliverance; into a●● House of Humility, and Prayer, o● Seeking and Turning; into an Haven of Hearing and Healing, o● Mercy and Forgiving; and this may be seasonable for some. If 〈◊〉 look backward with it, I enter into a ship fraught full of iniquity; into a sea casting up waves of judgements: a ship full of sin; that is the lading, into a sea full of pestilence, that is the exchange. If: so loath is God to send some judgements amongst us. If: If he doth it, it is a chance; and a great mischance must force him to it. Some punishments come hardly from heaven; but if they come, they come as hardly upon man. No punishment at any time, but for sin: but such punishment as the pestilence, surely it is for great sins; and that resolves my first Quaere, the propter quod.  
Why is the pestilence amongst us? 
1a 1ae Propter quod? Why the plague  Why so great a punishment as the plague? Because we are sinners, because we are great sinners: Ingentia peccata, ingentia supplicia, God visits often, because we sinne often; but never sends his great visitation of the plague, but when sins are very great: ordinary sins beget ordinary diseases; but the desolation of the pestilence never followed, unless some great abomination preceded. Never was destruction threatened, until transgression was conceived. Never such a destruction as the plague executed, until some great transgression was committed.  
The word of God, the history of man, this very time, they all make this true; Not a misery since the beginning of the world was, not a● misery to the end of the world will be, not a misery at this present is, but they are all the Brats of sin; but the Plague; the Plague, Oh, that was evermore the spawn of some Whale-like sin. Sin and Happiness could not stand together in Paradise; as soon as sinne entered in, man was thrust out. Mala gens bonam terram malam efficit: an ill people makes a good land bad. 
Psal. 107.33.34.  He turneth the flood into a wilderness, and drieth up the water springs: a fruitful land maketh he barren for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. For the wickedness of them that dwell therein: mark you that. Never was an ounce of judgement without a pound of sin. 
Zephan. 1.1.2.  I will surely destroy from the land, saith the Lord, I will destroy man and beast, I will destroy the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and ruins shall be to the wicked, and I will cut off man from the land, saith the Lord. And why will the Lord bring such a destruction upon the land? Why? why verse 4 because there were a remnant of Baal, and Chemarims; verse 5 because there were some that swore by the Lord and by Malcham: verse 6 because there were some that turned back from the Lord, and enquired not after God: verse 8 Because there were some clothed with strange apparel: verse 9 Because there were some danced proudly upon the thresholds. Run to and fro through the street of that chapter, from the head to the foot, from the beginning to the ending, and see, and hear, and fear, and tremble. Sins were the cause of that threatened destruction: Sins were the Engines, Whirlwinds, Thunderbolts, Earthquakes, and devastation of that state.  
And what is the cause of this plague? I do but ask the question; and I would to God that you could return a Negamus to my question, an Ignoramus to my interogatorie. Have not we Schismatics and Heretics amongst us? Papists and Anabaptists? Papists for their Baalites, and Anabaptists for their Chemarims? Have not we hollowhearted Hypocrites? men of two religions? that say with their tongues, Vivat Rex, and wish in their hearts, Praevaleat Papa? Have not we Apostates and Atheists? people that turn back from God? people that forget God? that forget even God that made them? Have not we Gulls, and Gallants; and painted jezabels'? Have not we Crane-paced levaltoes, that walk with stretchedout necks? Have not we covetous, deceitful, greedy, sinful, oppressing Usurers, Brokers, Tradesmen, and Gentlemen? and is it any wonder then, if God send a plague? Very loathe he is to send it, and therefore he says, If: If I do it; but such sins as these will enforce him to it.  
Why 14700. of the plague at one time, besides them that died in the conspiracy of Corah? Because they murmured. And have not we them amongst us, that spurn at authority, and murmur against God himself? That chide with God himself, if he send not a shower of rain when they would have him? And is it any wonder if the plague be amongst us? God is loath to shoot these arrows, very loath, and therefore he says, If: but such sins as these, murmur and distrust, will bend his bow, and make ready his quiver.  
Why 70000. in the time of King David? 
2 Sam. ●4.  But because King David would number his people, and trust in his own strength. And have not we them that Sacrifice to their own nets? that trust in the multitude of their riches? and think they shall never be removed? No wonder then, if the plague be amongst 'tis. Very hardly is God provoked to draw this Sword; but selfe-confidence will whet it.  
And the history of man, the very Heathens tell you as much. Why was the plague so grievous upon the Scythians? It was inflicted, says Herodotus, 
Lib. 1. pag. 57  for their sacrilege in sacking the Temple of Venus. And have not we Church-robbers? Do not many of you pay the parson by an under-verted lease? and yet you will not give the overplus to your painful priest. And is it then any wonder that the plague is amongst us? God is loath to lift up his hand against you: but these sins will prevail.  
Why was the pestilence sent amongst the jews? It was, 
In Achaic. pag. 279.  says Pausanias, for the profane lust of Menalippus and Camaetho. And have not we as barbarous lusts amongst us? Some Poligamists, that have many wives: some Incestists, that uncover the mothers and the daughter's nakedness, some the sisters, and many their neighbours? Is it then any wonder, that the plague is amongst us. God i● loath to consume us this way; but such sins as these must provoke him.  
Why was there such a devouring plague in the time of Romulus? I was inflicted, 
In vita Romuli, pag. 67.  says Plutarch, for the treachery that was practised in the murder of Tatius. And do not we deal treacherously one with another? Do not we hunt every man his brother with a net? Do no● we seek to undermine and cir● co●ve●t one another? Is it then any wonder that the plague is amongst us? God is hardly drawn to send this judgement; but such sins as these, will persuade him to send many more, and many worse.  
You see the Quare, why the plague is sent; Now upon the Qua●e, you must give me leave to play ●he Lawyer, and propose a cross ●●terogatorie, by Quomodo, How the ●lague may be sent away again. 
Applic. 1.  It is ●●y application of it: And no way ●o remove it, that I know, 
Numb. 16 46.47.  but A●●ons way, or Phinees way, or King David's way. When there died ●4700. of the plague, Aaron takes censor, puts fire therein from the Altar, and put incense thereon, and goes into the congregation, and atonement was made. Sic vos, so do you; Take the censor of humble devotion; put therein the fire of ●eale from the altar of the Cross; and put thereon the incense of Christ's merits, and offer it quickly for the congregation; and God's ●and is not shortened, his ear is not stopped; but as then, so now, he will be reconciled, and accept of this for atonement, and stay the plague; only you must stand, as he did, beewixt the living and the dead● your dead sins with sorrow, and the living graces of God with desire, and desire God with those tears, That from plague and pestilence he would deliver us, for ●esu● Christ his sake, Amen.  
Or, if it increase to Phinea's number, and there dye 24000. why then you must do as Phineas did and what did he? He rose up from amongst the congregation, and took ● javelin in his hand, and thrust Zimri and Cozbi through the belly, so the plague was stayed. Sic vo●, so do you: you are Phineas, Christ hath made you so to God his Father, Kings and Priests. Rise up● from the congregation, for you are down; down and asleep in the sins of your companions: But at last awake; awake by repentance, and arise; Rise by faith, and take a Javelin; the Javelin of Reluctancy ●●d Fear; and smite Zimri, the edentation of sin, and Cozbi, your consent to, and delectation in sin; ●●d smite them through the belly, ●●at there may never again be a conjunction of your consent with ●●e Devil's tentation; and entreat God, and he will do it, say the ●●ague through jesus Christ. Amen.  
Or if yet the sickness increase far●●er, as in King David's time, from ●●an to Beersheba, and slay 70000. ●●en; why then you must do as King David did: He spoke unto the Lord when he saw the Angel smite ●●e people, and said, Lo, 
2 Sam. 24.17.  I have sin●ed, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and my father's house. Sic vos, so must you. If any of you are more conscious than others; and which of you is not? why than you must; or, if you are loath to bewray yo●● selves, why then I will, I will spe●● unto the Lord; for I have seen t●● Angel smiting, and I will say; Wh●● have the people of this parish, 〈◊〉 this City done, O God: it is I th●● have sinned, it is I that have do●● wickedly; they, alas, knew not ho●● to contrive these sins that I have committed; so that thou wilt spa●● them, let thy hand be against me, and my house: for I am the greatest sin amongst them all; and yet, but of th●● extent I trust whom I●SUS CHRIS● will save; and if thou wilt save me and them from the plague, and he●● than we will go up, and rear thee a●● Altar, and offer burnt offerings, an● peace offerings unto thee. From ou● sins we go up, and the altar of ho●●ly protestations we rear, and swears unto thee, to meddle no more with sin● which hath brought this plague: an●● will for ever offer unto thee the  offerings of broken and contrite spirits; and the peace offerings of Turtle repentance, and Dove charity, and 〈◊〉 leavened sincerity upon the altar ●f faith, in the cross of jesus Christ, for whose sake hear us, and help us, ●nd have mercy upon us, and bid the Angel that destroyeth thy people, to ●old his hand, that we may live and ●raise thee in the great congregation ●●ilitant, till we come to thy congregation triumphant, to sing eternal Hallelujahs to him that sits upon the ●hrone, and to the Lamb at his right ●and for ever. Amen.  
If any of you think the removing of the plague is not worth so much ●aines, I entreat you to go along with me, and be resolved upon my second Quaere, the Quid, 
2a 1 ae, ●●uid, what is the plague  what the plague is. And what is the plague, think you? To know what it is, you must not look upon it under the genus of sickness: for than it is but Humores male dispositi, an ill disposition of the body, so Secundum definitionem, it is defined so, sickne● is; or, it is a want, a defect, a privation of health. It is not a thing i● nature; but it is a thing against nature, a violation of nature: for therefore is sickness called Disease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because it is sine sanitate without health. So secundum ●em or it is Macula, a spot, quia corporis formain deformat, because it disfigures the beauty of the body: i● makes him mauc and meager, pal● and wan: and it is Debitum, a debt, quia ad mortem obligat, because i● binds us over to death, and arrests us at his suit. So it is, secundum nomen, it is named so, sickness is: Nay, sometimes it is a double debt, a debt to nature, and a debt to physic: if we die, than nature's debt is paid: if we recover, yet we are still in debt to the physician: so fare sometimes, that we spend the ●●st farthing of our substance: So it 〈◊〉 as said of the woman in the Gos●ell; she consumed her whole estate ●●on the Physicians; or, it is a percus●on, and desolation; either a smiting 〈◊〉 a desolation; so the Prophet ●●yes, I will make thee sick in smiting ●●ee, in making thee desolate: 
Mica. 6.13.  And I ●●ink the Prophet there means the ●lague; for the plague is a smiting licknesse, and the plague is a desolating sickness. It is a smiting, & therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for the fierceness ●f it, it leaves a scar behind it: and 〈◊〉 is a desolating sickness, & is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because it spreads and diffuses itself into many, if not into all people: so secundum divisio●em, it is distinguished so, sickness is, and this distinction complies most with the plague, such a thing is the plague, such a fearful thing is the plague, and I pray God deliver us all from it.  
You will see the Fear of it mo●● perspicuously, and be afraid of 〈◊〉 more hearty, if you look upo● it comparatively, and if you lo●● upon it consequently; what it is 〈◊〉 respect of other Diseases; and wh●● it doth, which no other Disease● can, which all other Diseases cann●● do.  
Compare it first with the Agu● the Ague only weakens a Man; 〈◊〉 seldom kills a Man; but the Plague that weakens and kills both, seldom any Man dies of the Ague; an● therefore is the Proue●be become● truth, An Ague is Physic, if in the Spring, for the King; seldom an● Man recovers of the Plague; som● do, but they are but some; and pray God deliver us from that hazard.  
Compare it secondly with the Fever; the Fever distracts some times, and sometimes destroys; but it is but sometimes: but the Plague often distracts, and oftener destroys; few it leaves undistracted, few it leaves undestroyed; few it does, and they are but few. I pray God we may never try it.  
Compare it thirdly with the Pleurisy, That is but Membranae inflamatio intrinsecus latera & costas succingentis, a pain in the side, an inflammation of the Liver, and blood-letting lets it out: But the Plague, that is, Totius inflamatio, inferius pedes, superius caput, interius Cor, Exterius corpus succingentis, an inflammation of the whole, and a pain all over; a pain in the head above, and a pain below in the Feet; a pain within in the heart, and a pain without, all the body over; and bleeding, and purging, and Sweeting will all hardly help us. I pray God help us so, that we need no such help.  
Compare it fourthly with the Epilepsy, the Falling-sickness, they that are troubled with those Convulsions, fall down, and rise against but they that fall down of the plague seldom rise again: that we may not fall, or if we do fall, that we may rise again, God deliver us from the Plague.  
Compare it lastly with the Leprosy, and of all Diseases, it is most like that; and yet the Leprosy was never so as this. Like it it is, for as the Leprosy might not be pronounced, till the white Scab, or some other Symptom appeared: So, till the Soar arises, or the Spots appear in the Body, no Body can say, any Man is infected with the Plague. Like it it is, for as the Leper was, so the Man infected with the Plague is shut up, and shut ou● from the Congregation. 
Cyrill. lib. 2. De Adu.  Like it, i● is, for as Lepra est morbus adeo gravis, ut medicorum vim superet & Scientiaem. The Leprosy is such a Disease, that no Doctor can meet it, either by his Extractions, or his Instructions. Gravior, saith the Father, quàm ut a Medicis ei succurri possit, aut illorum peritia expugnari: Such a strange Disease, that it withstands the Physician's Science and his Ingredients: So I wonder, what Galen, what Doctor can cure the Plague! let him that can do it, Dic bone Damaetas, & eris mihi magnue Apollo: He that can, shall win the golden Fleece.  
Like it though it be, yet it is a great deal worse; for the Priest might go to the Leper: Might? nay he was bound to it; but no Priest is bound to go to a Man sick of the Plague, not bound by any Law of Man or God. So fearful a thing is the Plague comparatively; but it is a more fearful thing effectually; For it brings with it the two greatest punishments this World can inflict. It brings with it an Outlawries and it brings with it an excommunication. An outlawry is the greatest punishment in the common Law and an excommunication is the greatest punishment in the civil law, and the plague does both. I● excommunicates us, and it outlaw ●ries us too: It outlaws us from all works of civility in the Commonwealth, and we cannot go about our lawful callings: and it excommunicates us from all work of piety in the Church, and we● may not go to public prayers. No body will go to visit them not, or very hardly, the Physicians They may not go to visit any body, not the Divine. Their doored are shut up, the red Cross upon their doors, to bid us stand farther off, and over their doors, Lord have mercy upon us. And I pray God have mercy upon them that are infected, and howsoever he deal with their bodies, save their ●oules: and I pray God have mer●ie upon us, that we may not be in●ected: not in our bodies with the plague, nor in our souls with sin; but deliver us through jesus Christ, Amen.  
You see the Quid est, what it is, 
Applic. 2.  what the plague is; I must propose upon this Quaere, another Quomodo, for the application of it: for being a thing so fearful, I make no question, but they that are infected, would willingly be restored; and they that are not yet infected, would willingly be so preserved: How then first, may they that are infected, be restored? The Physicians prescribe Bleeding, Purging, Sweeting; so I entreat you to Bleed, to Purge, to Sweat: to bleed by Confession, to Purge by Contrition, to Sweat by Restitution. Zacheus heard of no Salvation, vntil● he had made Restitution. If there be any accursed thing in your hands, as the Babylonish garment, o● Wedge of Gold in the hands of A●chan, restore it, that the plague may be stayed, that God my have glory and yourselves health.  
King David heard of no Transtulit peccata Deus, 
2 Sam. 12.13.  the Lord hath taken away thy sin, till he had confessed, and said, Peccavi, I have sinned. If there be any sin lies heavy upon your soul, if any sin that in your conscience hath provoked God to this displeasure. If any rich man amongst you all, have taken away the poor man's lamb; i● any Usurer, or Bro●er, hath taken the poor man's bed to pawn, upon which he should lie, and for want of which he lies in straw, or upon the hard boards, or the poor man's  which he should wear, or for want of which he goes naked, or in such rags that he is ashamed to come to Church, confess it, for peccatum est, it is a sin, and restore too: for, Non remittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum, no hope of remission without restitution: never think to be forgiven by God, till thou hast restored to man. No hope to be delivered from the pestilence, till this accomplishment of repentance. Make confession of your enormous sins to the Priest, that he may ease you, and make restitution of your ill gotten goods to the true owner, that he may pray for you, and then, and not till then, it is to be feared, will God have mercy upon you, and deliver you from the plague.  
Nor did the Publican hear of any justification, until he had purged by Contrition: No, Abiit justifiaetus, dones venit mortificatus; He went away justified, but first he came mort●●●ed. He smote his breast, and begged for mercy, and cried aloud, Lord be merciful to me a sinner, 
Luke 18.  before God in mercy did put away his sins. And so do you, smite your breasts, break your hearts, bruise your spirits, and write upon the posts of your souls, with the earnestness of your desires, Miserere, that God may have mercy upon you, and open your doors, and bring you into the open gates of Zion, to sing praises to the Lord. Go with the Leper, and say, Domine, si vis, 
Matth. 8.  potes, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean; and ten to one if he do not make thee clean. Go thou that art outlawed, and take out a writ of Reversation, and unfile the outlawry. Go thou that art excommunicated, and appeal: appeal from God to God: from God's wrath, to God's mercy; from God offended, to God appeased, ●nd say with them, We have sinned, 
judg. 10.15.  we know not what to do; deliver us his day, we beseech thee, and he will; or if not restore you, yet he will do ●hat which is better for you, if you ●ave faith, and present you to him●elfe a glorious body, through jesus ●hrist.  
But Quomodo. 2. How may we ●e preserved? How may we that ●re not yet infected, be kept still from infection? How? why thus; ●y Abstinence, and Patience, and Charity, and Zeal: the Abstinence of David, the Patience of job, the Charity of Cornelius, and the Zeal of S. Peter.  
If sins that you have longed for, your neighbour's wife, your neighbour's house, or what else soever, be brought home to your door, as the water that David longed for, was brought to his cave; yet do as he did: and what did he? Marry, he poured the water upon the ground, when he had weighed his folly, 
2 Sam. 23.17.  and said, God forbidden that I should drink this water: Is not this the blood of these men? So do you; though you have played the fools, and longed for a cup of Drunkenness, to please your palate; or a kiss of Uncleanness, to please your flesh; yet now, before you drink that cup, or touch this woman, consider your folly, and pour them upon the ground, and say, God forbidden I should commit these sins: will they not damn my soul? Did not jesus Christ suffer death for them?  
If goods that you have gotten honestly, be lost by thiefs; if children that you have brought up carefully, and prayed for fervently, be destroyed by fire; if the body that you have kept temperately, be blained with plague sores: yet, as job did, so do you; rend your hearts, and say, Deus dedit, & abstulit Deus, 
job. 1. ●1.  benedictum nomen Dei. God hath given, and God hath taken, blessed be the name of God.  
If the poor be about you, your neighbours; or under your charge, the pensioners, let them not languish at home, nor starve in your streets; but give alms as the Centurion did, 
Act. 10.4.  that God may respect you. It is no Popery, I assure you, to say, That God respects men for their charity.  
If any Magus shall offer you money for Res sanctas, or Res sacras, for the holy things of God, or the holy things of the Church, answer him with zeal and indignation, as Saint Peter did, 
Acts. 8.20  Pereat tecum pecuniatua, Thy money perish with thee.  
When you have done all, keep a constant fire of Devotion, to purify your hearts, that no corruption may come in by the windows o● your eyes; and perfume your apparel with the righteousness o● Imputation, that the infection mistake you not; and pray, pray with the Church, From plague and pestilence good Lord deliver us: and pray with the Church again, O Almighty God, which in thy wrath in the time of King David, didst slay with the Plague, etc.  
For who else can? 
3a 1 ae, Vnde? The Author.  who can remove the Plague, but he that sends the Plague? and who is that but God? If you look upon it as praemium, or meritum; a wages, or a merit, so my sin, so your sin is the cause of it; Causa deficiens: but if you look upon it as it is Paena, or Correctio, a punishment, or a chastisement, so God is the cause of it, Causa efficiens: So the Prophet Micah points to God; 
Mica. 6.13  I will make thee sick, I: and so does the Prophet Moses too; 
Num. 16.46.  Wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the plague is begun: And so does the Prophet Amos too; Is there any evil in the City, and the Lord hath not done it? 
Amos 3.6  that is, any evil of punishment, not of sin; for God is not the Author of any sin, though he be the Author of all punishment. Not any punishment, not any mercy; but we may discern in it Digitum Dei, The hand of God, and so says David; Storm, hail, tempest; they are all his Ministers to fulfil his Will: and so says God himself of this particular, If I send a pestilence; If I.  
And the very word itself speaks no less, Plague; it is Verbum asperum, A kill word, the plague is: but it is the Lord that kills, says Moses, and it is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, To kill, to kill as 〈◊〉 were with the sword; but it is th●● Sword of the Lord, no hand ca●● wield this Sword, but the hand o●● the Lord: 
2 Sam. 24.14.  And therefore it is called sometimes the hand of the Lord because in this punishment the Lord shows his power after a wonderful and fearful manner: sometimes it is called an Arrow; 
Psal. 91.6.  The Arrow that flies by day: But no Bow can shoot this Arrow, but Gods: An Arrow it is, for the suddenness of it; and an Arrow it is, for the swiftness of it; it brings a sudden destruction; for it creeps not as do other Diseases, by little, and little; but it pierces suddenly, and it flies with speed too, thorough a whole City, over a whole Country, even from Dan to Beersheba; and who can shoot so suddenly, or so swiftly, but God?  
And therefore take you heed of that fearful curse and imprecation which is too rife in your mouths, 〈◊〉 your servant do but anger you; ●our servant did I say? if your Child that comes out of your ●ines; nay, if your Wife do but displease you, by and by you say, what do you say? that which I ●m afraid to think of; but you say 〈◊〉; The plague, the plague of God light upon you: You see how God hath heard, not your prayers, but your sins; and now you pray with all your souls, Good Lord deliver us from plague and pestilence.  
But In quos? 
4a, 1ae, In quos. Amongst whom.  Amongst whom is the plague? for the plague being a thing so fearful, and God, a God so gracious, surely he sends it not, but In hosts, Amongst his enemies, if any; Does he? man indeed would do so; He will love his friends, and plague his enemies, but God's ways are not like Man's; He loves his enemies, and punisheth his friend's 〈◊〉 for his enemies, he will not love them so well, as to be angry with them; and that is the worst God does to any man in this world● when he does not love them so well, as to be angry with them. Th● Israelites were in a good case, so long as God whipped them; but when 〈◊〉 came to Auferam zelum, I will take away my jealousy, 
Ezech. 16.42.  and be no more angry; by and by Loammi followed They were none of God's people. A sure mark, They are Gods enemies, he wi● not frown upon.  
But if it be not, in hosts, amongst his enemies, that God sends a plague● yet in peregrinos, is it not? If not amongst his enemies, that he hates, yet amongst strangers, that he cares not for. Man indeed would do so; if he cannot spit his venom● upon his enemies, yet he will never do it upon his acquaintance: but if upon any, upon them he knows not: But God's ways are not like Man's; for strangers that will not know him, he will suffer them to run on in their course; but for his acquaintance, he will visit them, sometimes with plague and pestilence; so he dealt with David, so with job; two men, his nearest Acquaintance, and dearest Favourites of all men upon the face of the Earth.  
It is not In hosts, amongst my enemies; it is not In peregrinos, amongst strangers; nor yet In vulgus, amongst the common people; no, none of these; but it is In populos, and In meo●, My people; If I send a pestilence amongst my people.  
So sure are they, they that are his people, above all men in the world, of Rods: The Father whips his own Child, not his Neighbours, or a strangers: Nor doth God whip another people, but his own; they come in no misfortune like other folk; so King David speaks of the wicked: They have children at their desire, and leave the rest of their substance for their babes: but the troubles of the Righteous, they are many. All crosses, and amongst them, the Plague, tell us, we are children; and somewhat more, they tell us, we are sons of Age, sons grown to some strength and ripeness; for Babes, and Infants are too weak for the yoke. 
Prov. 3.11 12.  My son therefore says Solomon, that is God by Solomon, despise not the chastisement of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him: for the Lord correcteth every one that he loveth, as a Father doth his son, whom he receiveth.  
The Comic said as much, when he said, Castigo te non quòd odio habeam, sed quòd amem: Why doth the Master whip his Scholar? Because he hates him? No, because he loves him. Does God send a plague amongst us, because we are not? No, because we are his people.  
I draw this to a period; but the period of this I must speak to you in tears & comfort: in the tears of sorrow, & in the words of comfort.  
But first, in tears: For though God doth send a plague amongst his people; 
Application.  yet he doth not send a plague amongst his people with de-delight: because amongst his people, therefore you that live, must take heed how you censure them that dye: for the plague, to dye of the plague, is no evidence of reprobation. No, it is the mad zeal of some foolish people to say so: were it so, King David would never have desired God to set his hand, his hand of plague against him, if he must have gone to hell for it: but yet it is an evidence of wrath, and therefore you must take heed of security; God takes no pleasure in our smarting: No, he would willingly lay aside his blows, if words would serve. If: if he does send a plague, it comes hardly from him. He would fain lay aside this sharp plough, but he cannot otherwise break up the fallow ground of our hearts. Feign would he lay aside these hammers, but he cannot by the instrument of words, beat understanding into our brains. Such stout and stubborn Scholars are we grown, that no Schoolmaster will fit us, but this severe and swinging one. God deals with us by these foul, because we will not be overcome by fair means. Oh God, thou dost not willingly plague us, but the strength of our corruptions necessarily enforce thee thereunto; which will not otherwise be subdued. So Physicians and Surgeons are constrained to cut, and lance, and burn, when milder remedies will not prevail. When God did first lift up his hand against us in this plague, me thoughts, he pulled it back again, as if he were loath to do it; yet, says he, I will give them a testimony, that they are my people, it may be, they will repent and cry. That's the first. It desires your Tears to be wail the hardness of your hearts, though you are his people; because, If he sends a plague.  
But secondly, though you cry, because the plague is amongst you for the hardness of your hearts; yet, despair not: for the very plague sent by God, testifies that you are his people. Never despair, till God leave you to yourself; when he does not love you so much as to afflict you. When God gives you not so much peace as to trouble you, than you may despair. But if you have trouble and sickness, though that sickness be the plague, and sent, despair not; for you are yet his people. So long as God punishes you, he gives you physic: If he draw his knife, it is but to prune you; you are his vine. If he draw blood, it is but to rectify a distempered vein; you are his patiented. If he break your bones, it is but to set them staighter. If he bruise you in mortar, it is but that you may breathe up a sweet savour into his nostrils; you are his handy work: and if one hand be under you, let him lay the other as heavy as he pleases upon you: let him handle you which way he will, if he does not throw you out of his hands, it is no matter. If GOD frowns upon you, his threatenings are hopeful: But if God look not upon you at all; then, oh then; you are gone. If he pursue you, you are well; but if he have left you to you to yourselves: then, oh then, farewell: but so long as God studies your recovery, you are well. Vox est animi non habentis in promptu quid statuat, & desperantis salutem. When God hath tried all means to reduce you, and failed in all, and then leaves you to your own desperate ways; then, oh then, thou art gone. It is the worst that ever God did say, 
Ezech. 16.42.  Auferam zelum. This is God's greatest anger, when he will not let us know that he is angry. 
jer. 6.30.  Refuse silver shall men call thee, because the Lord hath rejected thee. Cain cries out, 
Gen. 4.  My sin is greater than can be forgiven. But why does Cain cry out so? Because I shall be hid from thy presence. Cain grew desperate, not because God looked not graciously upon him; but because God would not look upon him at all.  
See then, if God look upon you any way, though with frowns in his brow, rod in his hand, menaces in his mouth, plague-sores upon your bodies; submit unto him, and repent, and turn from your evil ways, and God shall not only turn from the evil which he hath brought upon you, but your trembling soul also shall no sooner cry out, Why am I thus visited with the plaguen? but your faith shall make a sweet reply from this Text, Therefore hath God sent a pestilence to assure us we are his people, if we will humble ourselves.  
That's the ad quod, 
5a 1 ae, Ad quod, The end.  the end why we are plagued; To put an end to our sins. But this end of the sickness, is the beginning of the cure; and therefore I say no more of it, but Blessed be the name of God for calamitous days; praised be the Name of God, even for the plague, since by this bee calls us to repentance, and writes upon our doors, Lord have mercy upon us; And do thou, O God, in mercy look upon us, and send such a blessing with this punishment of plague, as that we may humble ourselves, and pray, and seek thy face, and turn from our wicked ways, that thou also mayest hear us, and forgive us, and heal our land through jesus Christ. Amen.   

The Cure. 1636.  
The second Sermon.  2. Chron. 7.14. 
If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray; and turn from their wicked ways, and seek my face; I will hear in Heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their Land.  
THE words are, as I told you, 
Pars. 2 a.  the Cure of the Disease: In the composition there are four simples, and several ingredients, and they are four dosses of Pills: The first is a preparing Pill: It preprepares us to receive of God, and prepares God to give us Exaltation, If we humble ourselves, he will hear in Heaven: and it is a great Exaltation that God in heaven, should hear us upon earth. The second is an opening Pill, it opens our lips to pray, and opens God's ears to hear our prayers: If my people pray, I will hear. The third is a purging Pill; it purges us of sin, and God of wrath; If my people turn from their wicked ways, I will forgive their sin. The fourth is an healing Pill; 
1 a, 2ae.  if my people seek my face, I will heal their Land. I begin first with the 1. the preparing Pill, Humility; and in this I shall with God's leave, sh●w you first, Quid est: and secondly, Quid efficit: First, what Humility is; and secondly, what Humility does: And first, Quid est? What is it?  
Humility is the first Ingredient that cures the plague, for pride is the first sin that brought the plague, and all other Judgements into the world: 
Gen. 3.  Eritis sicut Dij, To be like God: Oh, it tickled Adam to the heart, and therefore he made himself unlike a man, he made himself like to the beasts that perish: In forma servi, 
Philip. 2.7  To be like a servant, this rejoiced Christ at the heart; and for this cause hath God exalted him with a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.  
There is a Ladder of seven steps, by which we go down to Hell, and the first of those steps is pride; pride hath got the first place of the seven deadly sins; and there is a Ladder of eight steps, by which we go up to Heaven: And mark that, seven to go down, and eight to go up, for facilis descensus Aver●i, sed revocare, etc. We easier, and with less pains go to Hell downwards, than to Heaven upwards: but seven steps down to Hell, eight up to Heaven; and the first of those eight is Humility; Humility hath the first place of all God's graces, so Cromatius.  
The eight Beatitudes are like jacobs' Ladder, that reach from Earth to Heaven, and the very first step, as the foundation of the rest, is Humility; so Christ gins the Sermon of his Blessings: Blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are the humble; 
Matth. 5.  for humility is a poverty in spirit: that's the Quid est, and Definition of it. 
1a 1 ae, 3ae. What is Humility.   
If any one asks you, what humility is, you answer him truly, if you say, It is a poverty in spirit; and as poor men are in their attire ragged, in their diet course, and hungry, in their speech lowly, and reverend: so Humility hath a lean● body; it keeps the body under, an● many times empty; a freeze coate● a coat of sackcloth, and covering of ashes; and a submiss language, 〈◊〉 ever speaking in a low style, and phrase. Look else upon the Centurion for the speech of humility; he hath an high conceit of God, and a low conceit of himself: looke● else upon King David for the die● of humility; he will neither eat, nor drink: look else upon the King of Niniveh, for the dress and garments of humility; he will have no gay clothes in a time of destruction upon his grey heart: The Centurion speaks the voice of humility, King David cooks the diet of humility, the King of Nineveh  the back of humility, and they all act the gesture of humility upon their knees.  
1. And first, what says the Centurion for the voice of Humility? 
Humilities voice. Math. 8.8.  what but this? Lord, I am not worthy thou shouldst come under the roof ●f mine house: Non sum dignus, I am not worthy, is evermore Humilities ●anguage: Non sum dignus, I am not worthy, says jacob, not worthy of what? de maximis of God's Rega●ioes; 
Gen. 32 10.  it may be so, very likely: no the minimis; I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies: Non sum dignus, says St. john Baptist. I am not worthy; no not to carry Christ upon his shoulders, as it is reported of St. Christopher: not so; but Non sum dignus calceamenta portare: 
Mat. 3.11.  I am not worthy to untie his shoestrings; a poor office we would think: Non sum dignus says Daniel, 
Dan. 9.7.  We are not worthy of any thing but confusion. Quis ego? says Gideon, that mighty man of valour: Who am I that I should save Israel? 
Jud. 6.15.  behold my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's honse: I am not worthy to do it. I? Qui● ego ut alloquar? says Abraham the Father of the Faithful. Who am I, 
Gen. 18.17.  that I should speak unto the Lord? I am not worthy, I.  
So low a value does the humble man ever set upon himself, that no man lower: proud men take it well if we humble ourselves lower than is cause: so jacob the Patriarch pleased his proud brother Esau with saying, Thy servant: and does not God take such submiss extenuations of ourselves very well? I am a worm and no man, says David: and God made David a King, and no subject, I am more foolish than a man, and have not the understanding of a man in me; and God made him wiser than his enemies. Who did ever brag to God, even within the compass of his desert, and was accepted? we may be too lowly in our dealings with men, with God we cannot: the lower we fall, the higher he raises us: so it was with Naomi: o call me no more Naomi, quoth she, but Marah; no more Beauty, but Bitterness; and God made her the Grandmother of David: But now, how many be there, that set faces upon want, and in the bitterness of their condition affect the name of Beauty? Are there not too many in this age, that care more to seem, than to be good?  
But a good Christian hates this Hypocrisy, and those whom God hath humbled, and those who humble themselves before God, care not to be respected of men: Good men think it not dainty, if the world think them filthy; but are commonly the first proclaimers of their own unworthiness: the Pharisie comes with Gratias in his mouth. 
Luk. 18. 11.1●  I thank thee oh God that I am not as other men are; but the Publican thinks not himself worthy to lift up his eyes to Heaven: such a voluntary dejectedness shall you ever find in the humble: they humble themselves, though not humbled by God; but if humbled by God, then much more humble: whereas the wicked, though humbled by God, yet will not be humble; such were Pharaoh, Herod, and julian, 
Exod. 5.2.  and such I fear, there are many now. Who is God, that I should let the people go? says Pharaoh: What is the Plague, these foolish preachers speak of? say some wicked men now, that I should forsake my sins? vicisti Galilee, says julian in scorn and contempt to Christ: Thou hast overcome me, thou Carpenters son of Galilee, but for all that I will not ●●oope to thee; and so doth many a son of Belial say now: There is a Plague amongst us, and destroys many, but for all that I will not yield yet.  
And for all this, I trust there are some Godfrees too, who in the top of his honour refused to be crowned with a Crown of Gold at jerusalem, because Christ was there crowned with a Crown of thorns: some Aurelius' of whom St. Cyprian writes: 
Ep. 3 4.  In quantum gloria sublimis in tantum verecundia humilis at dum nihil in honore sublimius, nihil in humilitate submissius, as humble as the lowest in their places of highest honours: Some St. Austin's, 
Li. 13. cum Falci Manich.  who acknowledged himself the least, when indeed he was the best Bishop of his time: Some Davids, that are humbled in their own heart; now they are humbled under God's hands by the Plague: And I pray God make us all so humble, that he may take off this heavy hand; to seek him early, now he slays us; to confess ourselves worthily punished for our former sins, that we may be partakers of his future mercies, Health and Happiness: Health here, and Happiness hereafter, a continued preservation from the plague, and eternal deliverance from hell, through jesus Christ. Amen.  
But I must entreat you to testify your humility not only by your tongue, but also by your back; either like job, 
joh. 42.6.  I abhor myself in dust and ashes, or like the Ninivites, Let Man and Beast put on sackcloth. 
jona. 3.8.   
Some there be that say, 
Humilities .  and say truly, that Humility confists not in the outside, but the inside; and Beggars may be as proud with rags, as Gentlemen with robes. Nor are the rich denied, or dissallowed by any wise man, such vestments as are fit for their callings, and their estate and substance will bear. And yet for all this, in times of mourning, it wants not proof, that the Back should testify the humility of the Heart so well as the tongue. So when the approach of Holofernes was feared, 
judith 4.9.10.  every one cried to God with great fervency, and their souls were greatly afflicted, and they, and their wives and children, and their cattles, and every stranger, and hireling, and their bought servants, put on sackcloth upon their loins. So Achaeb, when he heard of evil upon himself, and his posterity, 
1 Reg. 21.27.  He rend his , and put sackcloth upon his flesh.  
Never did grey heart delight in gay ; humility is as well content with base freeze, as the proudest gallant with his Silk and Tissue. But I forbear to speak of the attire of Humility: for I believe, if I should spend a whole Sermon, as the Prophet Isaiah spent almost a whole Chapter, and tell the proud Dames of England, That the Lord will make them bald, 
Isa. 3.17.  and take away the ornament of the slippers, and the Cawl, and the round tires of the head, and the head bands, and the rest there named? I should be answered, That this as the fashion of the time; or, it may be, laughed at for a fool. I am content, but not satisfied: for it is verily imagined, that the rarity, and superfluity of such strange dresses, are abomination unto God, as if we might follow the times; yet in a time of mourning, such as the plague is, a modest dress fits with an humble heart. Howsoever, I shall turn the Prophet's reproof into a wish, 
vers. 24.  That God in stead of sweet savour, may not give you a stink; and in stead of a Girdle, a Rent; and in stead of dressing the hair, baldness; and in stead of a Stomacher, a girding of Sackcloth; and burning in stead of beauty. Surely, when God clothes our bodies, as he did jobs, with Byles and Plague-sores, we should then testify our humility, even in our . Howsoever our  be without, I pray God our  within be black and white; Black with Sorrow, and white with Purity, that he seeing our repentance for our sins, may also repent of this plague, and  us with those white raiments which they wear that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. Amen.  
And so from the Dress, I pass to the Diet of Humility, which is always spare and thin; either like that of Daniel, Water and pulse; 
Dan. 1.12.  or that of David, when he ●ourned for his child, He would not eat: 
2 Sam. 12.17.   
A Doctrine it is, This, That Papists ascribe too much to, the Schismatic too little to. They make it an immediate matter of Religion, These no matter of Religion at all: They superstitiously observe it; These scrupulously decline it.  
Such an act of Religion it is not, as wherein principally we worship God, 
Rom. 14. ●●  For the kingdom of God consists not in meat and drink. says Mr. Paul, Et qui Deum per ventrem colit, propè est us Deum ventrem haheat, says Tertullian, He that worships God by his belly, is not fare from making his belly his God. And yet for all that, it is a religious work; else why did God command it, saying by his Prophet, 
〈◊〉 2.15.  Proclaim a fast.  
This Fast is either corporal, in abstaining from meat; or spiritual, in restraining the affections from sin. The corporal is not always commanded by the State, nor do I meddle with it; the spiritnall is evermore commanded by God, especially in time of Plague, and Famine, and War. And this from God I beseech you to observe, Let your wanton eyes fast this time of weeping, from the sight of vanity; Let your curious ears fast this time of mourning, from idle rumours, and unsavoury talk; Let your glibbe tongues fast this time of fear from evil speaking.  
But what need I press you to this? The time presses you enough; for let but your eyes imagine, they see their eyes, who are shut up by the plague, watering and washing their bed, bedewing their cheeks; and then your eyes will have little list to roave upon forbidden flesh. Again, by as strong a fancy, let your ears imagine they hear their doleful complaints, O Lord, thou hast justly restrained me of my liberty, for I have abused my liberty. I am worthily deprived of health. These sores are deservedly upon my body: for I have infected my soul more than once, and often: And then your cares will have little desire after news and vanity. And with your tongues speak what they speak; How long, Lord, how long shall thy jealousy burn like fire? for ever? O when shall I come into thy house? O forgive my sins, that brought this plague. O remove this plague, the just scourge of my sins; and I believe your tongues will not easily lie and swear, or talk idly.  
In a word, let your polluted souls fast, and deny their own wills, to do Gods; so diet your bodies, that you may fat your souls; so feed your bodies, so fat your souls, that your Humility may have her perfect work, and that brings me to my second consideration.  
Quid efficit, What it doth: what doth humility? Exaltat, it exalts: 
2a1 ae, 2 ae. what doez Humility.  Humilitas est Schola, & scala coeli: He that desires to build high, and seek those things which are above, must lay his foundation low; for humbleness of mind is the School teaching, and the Scale reaching Heaven: so he, and so the Poet, Quo minor est quisquis, maximus, etc. He that is least in his own conceit, 
Prov. 18.12.  is highest in Gods; so the Prophet, Before honour is humility: and so the Apostle, 
jam. 46.  God giveth grace to the humble. Pride is the beginning of sin, and Humility is the A, B, C, of our Christian Ethics; and therefore says the Apostle again, Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may lift you up. 
jam. 4.10.  Humility mounts the soul that uses it, to Heaven; Pride keeps us down, for it is a plague. The plague is Tumour in corpore, and so pride is Tumour in ment; That a swelling in the body, this in the soul. 〈◊〉 the plague be exalted, and become Macula in corpore, Tokens in the body, than the body dies: so, if prid● be exalted, and become Macula in anima, Spots in the soul, than the soul dies. And yet it is observed by some, that though the Tokens do appear, yet lying upon the earth, and breathing into the earth, may possibly cure it: And so humility, the lowest, and lowliest of all God's graces, will cure the plague of the soul, pride.  
O quantum crimen superbiae, says St. Ambrose, ut ei etiam adulteria praeferantur! Oh how great a sin is the sin of Pride, that even Adulteries are preferred and saved before it! Noverca virtutum, matter vitiorum, The stepmother of virtue, and the mother of vice. The stepmother of Virtue, because it hates them, as many women do those children their husbands had by former wives; and the mother of Vice, because there is not one vice in the world, but therein is found the contempt of God, and that is Pride.  
Humilitati autem nihil aequale, 
Tom. 5. p. 171. De Humilit.  says St. Chrysostome, haec est bonorum matter, & radix, altrix, & occasio, simul & vinculum: What is comparable to humility? Humility is the mother of all Graces, the root, the nurse, the occasion, and the bond of all Graces: The mother of all Graces she is, for she conceives them; God had respect unto the lowliness of his Hand-maiden: 
Luke 1.  The lowliness conceived a respect in God towards her. The root she is, for they grow upon her; if they be not upon the stock of humility, they turn into vices: Nothing more wicked than to cleanse the Leper, than to heal the lame, than to raise the dead, says St. Chrysostome; How? nothing more wicked? why, these are good works, how then are they wicked? Why, the Father tells you, 
Ibid.  Si sit cum insolentia, If it be done in arrogance, and selfe-conceite, if it be done without humility: No fire of Charity, if it be not raked up in the cinders of humility; and the Nurse she is; for the Graces of God, if they suck not upon the Breasts of humility, they wax lean, and starve: He hath filled the hungry, (Humble) with good things, but the rich he hath sent empty away. And the occasion of other Graces she is; when Saul sought his Father's Asses humbly, he found a Kingdom gloriously: when he sought himself vainly, he lost himself, and his Kingdom foolishly. And the Bond she is; for when the other Graces of God, sever themselves from humility, they become sins: 
Luk. 1.51.  God puts down the mighty from their seat, but exalts the humble and meek.  
You see what Humility does; It exalts, I could tell you much more that it doth; for all that I could and would tell you, I tell you, it secures. Socrates' secured himself from death, when the Tyrant threatened him with death, saying, volo mortem I would dye: Nay, but then says the Tyrant, thou shalt live: why says he, volo sive mortem sive vitam, I will either dye or live, as you please, and so was safe: And so is the Humble man; as the Reed answered the Oak, The Oak wonders why the strongest of all Trees should be sometimes Eradicated, rooted up by the Roots, and sometimes blown down by the wind; when the Reed, the weakest of all things, should never be hurt by the wind: Why, says the Reed, thou need est not wonder at this, for thou art a proud, and inflexible piece of wood, and will not yield; and therefore the wind that is stronger than thyself, breaks thee; whereas, I yield to every wind, and so no wind hurts me, but I am secure; so says the Humble man: Now God hath sent a Plague, I am willing to dye, and if it please him to take it away again, I am willing to live: If I live; says he, I will live to thy glory in newness of life, and ascribe it to thy mercy, if this destroying Angel pass over my house; and if I die, I will dye to be glorified with thee, through jesus Christ my Saviour: if I die, in Heaven I will praise thee; and if I live, in Earth I will pray unto thee.  
And that is my second part I am to speak of: 
2 a, 2 ae.  The second ingredient for the cure of the Plague; Prayer: It is an opening Pill, it opens out hearts to conceive, our lips to utter a Prayer; and it opens Gods ears to hear our Prayer: If my people shall pray. I will hear.  
In this I shall, if God will, show you: 1. Quid est, what Prayer is: 2. Cui, to whom we must pray: 3. Quid efficient, what Prayer doth: And 1. Quid est, What is Prayer?  
Some have defined Prayer Comparatè, 
1 a. 2ae 2 a. Prayer what?  and some Absolutè: They that define it by Comparison, tell us, That Prayer is the sacrifice of a Dove; that is, a Peace offering; and they that define it thus, direct us to first, Electio, the choice of a clean one, by preparation, they mean, as the Psalmist saith, That our hearts indite a good matter: 
Psal. 45.  and secondly, Corpus, a Body, verba pura, viz. good words, & not to speak to God, as too many speak in this place to you, Non sense, by speaking Quicquid in bucc am vener it, whatsoever comes next to hand: but so to speak, as God hearing, may accept, and man hearing, may not pity, if not laugh: not to compliment with God in uncoth language, nor yet to slight God with slovenly words, nor yet to weary God with tedious babble, but with words well composed, that it be neither a lean body, nor a lame body. And thirdly Animan, A Soul: viz. Intentionem fixam, a fixed intention; not to suffer our heart to roave & wander, while our lips move and speak, but to observe what we pray for, as we desire God to observe and grant our prayers. We pray often, and God hears us not; and the reason is plain, because we hear not ourselves. And fourthly, Alas, Wings, viz. Fidem, & spem; faith, & Hope; Faith, to deliver the message in Heaven; and Hope, to return the answer upon earth, believing he doth hear them, and hoping he will grant them: And grant them God will, if fifthly, this Dove have plumas, and be not bare of feathers, viz. Gemitum & lachrymas, sighs, & tears. But last of all, you must be sure they have pedes, feet too, opera Charitatis, Works of Charity: And then, when GOD sees your prayers so complete, he will, questionless he will accept it for a peace offering. They that define Prayer absolutely, tell us, it is Expressio mentis ad Deum in Nomine jesu Christi, an expression of our desires in the Name of jesus Christ to God.  
An expression of our desires, not that words are ever necessary; for sometimes the heart may be so overcharged with grief, as that the tongue cannot speak. So we read of Hannah, and so of Moses; but that we would make our tongues the Ambassadors of our hearts, when there is not a greater occasion to keep them at home: For God made our Tongues, so well as our Hearts; and we desire to have our Tongues in Heaven with our Hearts, and therefore must glorify the God of Heaven equally with our Tongues and Hearts. So the Psalmist, 
Psal. 45.  My heart is enditing of a good matter, and my tongue is the pen of a ready writer; I will speak of the things which I have made unto the King. And so we, we must utter, utter with our Tongues, what we desire with our Hearts.  
But both our desire and expression must be in the Name of jesus Christ; no promise but in him; no purchase but by him: Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, God will give it you: In nomine ejus it must be: for without him, we are like to have as course entertainment with God, as joseph promised his brethren, if they brought not Benjamin. By the Prince's favourite, the subject obtains the Prince's favour; and by Jesus Christ, in whom, and in whom only, God is well pleased, 
Math. 3.  we obtain whatsoever we obtain: and therefore as the Apostle, so I to you, Let your prayers be made known by him (viz. by jesus Christ) to God.  
And being made known by him, our prayers are sure of acceptance; for he hath purchased God's favour for us, and that by a bloody rate, 
Hebr. 5.  By his own blood; By that he entered into the holy place, to make intercession for us, this makes our Evangelicall sacrifices acceptable to God.  
To God, I say: For as our prayers must be offered, By; 
2a, 2 ae, 2 ae.  and in the name of jesus Christ, so they must be offered to God, and to God only; for God only is the Cui, the object, To whom we must pray.  
Not to Patriarch, or Prophet; for no precept for that. Not to Angel or Archangel; for no promise to that. Not to the Virgin Marie, or any she Saint; for no example of this, let Rome say what Rome can to the contrary. But this is a matter of dispute, and so disputed it hath been, that it needs no dispute here; for they are not able to reply. And beside, their own Doctrine and Example chokes them: for their doctrine never taught to offer, their example never did offer any thanksgiving to any Saint, or Angel whatsoever. And yet thanksgiving is a part, and a chief part, of prayer: and therefore where no thanksgiving is due, there no prayer is due. Nor the one nor the other hath any object, but God: I shall therefore conclude this with a prayer to God.  
God grant we may never betake ourselves to any other shelter, than Vmbra altissimi, that of God; for blessed be the people that be in such a case; yea, blessed are the people which have the Lord for their God. God make us Saints in Heaven, and give us grace never to pray to any Saint; and to pray to him so, that when we pray, he may hear.  
It is my third consideration, in Quid efficit? what does prayer? 
3 a, 2 ae, 2 ae.  And did I propose it so low, What does prayer? I should rather have proposed it thus, What does it not? It opens Heaven, and it shuts Heaven. 
1 Reg. 18.  Raine or no Rain, are at the command of prayer. It defeats our Enemies: So David overthrew the counsel of Achitophel by Prayer. 
2 Sam. ● 31.  It obtains favour with Kings: 
Neh, 2.4.  So Nehemiah won grace with Artaxerxes the King, by Prayer. It opens Gods hands, and it shuts Gods hands: 
Numb. 11.2.  So Moses, when God was angry, shut his hands, by Prayer. and when the people were hungry, by prayer Moser opened God's hands to give them Manna. In a word, Prayer is, as Luther, speaks, though Hyperbolically, yet Divinely, Res omnipotentissima, an Almighty power. By this, 
2 Sam. 24 Psal. 106. ●●.  prayer, David in his time, and Phineas in his time, stayed the Plague. As they did pray, so God give us grace to pray, and to pray so, that this plague may be stayed, through jesus Christ. Amen.  
Many objections are made against the necessity of prayer, and against the efficacy of prayer. I have solved those objections else where; 
The third Sermon.  and all that I say here, is, If any one amongst you all miss the aim of your prayers, it is, I will lay my life on it, it is because your prayers are amiss: Mend them, and God will hear them; hear them, and forgive your sins, so that you mend yourselves, and turn from your wicked ways.  
It is the third thing I am to speak of, 
3 a, 2ae.  and the third ingredient for the cure of the plague, Repentance is; It is a purging pill, it purges us of sin, and God of wrath. If my people turn from their wicked ways, I will forgive their sin. And herein I shall desire you to observe with me, 1. Qui, who are to turn, populus, & populus universus, my people, and all my people. 2. Quid est, what it is to turn. That we must take by the example of Turner's. 3. A quo, from what we must turn, from our wicked ways, from all our wicked ways. 4. Ad quem, to whom we must turn: for every motion hath a double term, To God; turn to me saith the Lord. 5 And lastly, Quid efficit, what good turning does us: It obtains forgiveness, forgiveness of sins, forgiveness of all sins. And when they are once forgiven, there is no fear, but with one help more, but the land will be healed, and the plague removed.  
Of which, may I so speak, and you so hear, and all of us so do, Turn from our wicked ways, that God may forgive us all our sins, and preserve us from the plague, and remove the plague from us, through jesus Christ. Amen.  
I begin with the first, 
1 a, 3 ae, 2 ae. Who to turn.  Qui, Who should turn; populus, & populus universus, My people, and all my people: 1. God's people: for they that are not God's people, either cannot, or do not: They cannot, for want of grace; they do not, for want of skill: They have no correction to drive them to it, they have no direction to guide them in it: so unhappy they, they that are not God's people, that they have no unhappiness; They come in no misfortune, like other folk. So happy we, we, that are God's people, that we have many unhappinesses. We come into misfortune above all other folk; only our mishap becomes a good hap; and our misfortune, a Fortune, a good fortune.  
For when God whips us, we read it in Corrigit, a Chastisement; but when God whips them, it is in punit, a punishment. Chastisements are always for amendment, punishments commonly for amercements. When God does Castigare, correct his people, it is to amend them: When God does punire, punish them that are not his people, it is to end them. With his people, God deals as a Father with his Child, as a Master with his Scholar. And why doth the Father whip his Child? to make him better. Why the Master his Scholars To make him learn his book. But with them that are not his people, God deals as a Judge with a malefactor: and why doth a Judge condemn a Thief? To hang him, to hang him out of the way. Thus did God deal with the Egyptians, He sent them Frogs, 
Exod. 6. etc.  and Lice, & Flies, and Grasshoppers, and Murrain: and what was the end of all this? To overthrow them in the red Sea. But why did he send Fiery Serpents amongst the Israelites? 
Numb. 21 9  To make them look up to the Brazen Serpent, that they might be healed. Why did he smite them at Ai? 
Iosh. 7.13.  But to make them up, and sanctify themselves, Why did he suffer the Philistimes and Ammonites to oppress them? but to make them say, We have sinned against thee, 
judg. 10.15.  deliver us we pray thee, this day. Why did he send them Thunder and Rain in Harvest? 
1 Sam. 12.19.  but to make them pray unto the Lord, and confess the addition of their sins. Why a plague in King David's days? 
2 Sam. 24 17.  but to make him confess his sins. Why a plague now? but to make us that are his people, to turn from our wicked ways.  
Such a happiness there is in being God's people, for all the plague; and as Plato said, He thanked God, he was a Man, and not a Beast; a Grecian, and not a Barbarian: So we must, at least, so we should, bless the Name of God, that we are men, and not beasts, Christians, and not Infidels; his people, and not them, nor of them that are not his people: and God make us all so happy, that all of us may always, especially in this time of plague, as to turn from our wicked ways.  
For it is not only first, Populus, 
2. Vniversus, all the people.  but secondly, Populus universus; not only My people, but All my people must turn: For all the people are sinners; and therefore all the people are in danger of the plague; and in more danger, because this sickness is more dangerous than all other sickensses, it is infectious; it is amongst us that tarry here in the City; it may overtake them that are gone into the Country. I pray God it may not overtake them; I pray God remove it from amongst us: But yet it is amongst us, and for aught they know, or any man else, it may go after them. If in King David's days, it went from Dan to Beersheba; it may in our days go from London, to the farthest parts of England: No way to remove it from us, no way to keep it from them; but for them, and us, and all the people of God, To turn from our wicked ways.  
Were the sin but private, and particular, and the punishment answerable, why then happily that particular man's turning might turn the plague out of doors. But the sin, alas, is universal, and the punishment Epidemical: All of us are sinners, all of us, though not happily all of us in the same degree, yet all of us in some degree are sinners, and most of us all in a very high degree, God have mercy upon us; and all of us are punished, some by feeling, some by fearing; some of us smart actually, all of us potentially; and therefore all of us must turn.  
Nay, now I think on't, though the sin were but private, and that private man had the passion of Repentance in respect of his own sin, and cried out with the Publican, God be merciful unto me a sinner; yet notwithstanding all men should be compassionate towards the ill case of others, and communicate with him in a joint Repentance; the reason is, because he is a member of the same Body. But the sin, as I said before, is general; we all say, and many of us, God mend our manners; do but say so, We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep; and therefore all of us must participate in Repentance, and say, There is no health in us; but thou oh Lord have mercy upon us miserable offenders: For the Church is Corpus Homogeneum, and therefore Eadem est ratio partis & totius. All men are one Body, and every man is a member of that one body; and therefore the same remedy serveth both; what every man must do in particular, all men must do in general.  
All men are but one Body, and thus the Members are placed: The King is the Head, the Divine is the Heart, the Physician is the Liver, the Lawyer is the Tongue, the Soldier is the Arms, the Merchant is the Lungs, the Commons are the Feet. The King rules, the Priest prays, the Physician feeds, the Lawyer pleads, the Soldier fights, the Merchant breathes, the Commons travail: None of these can be spared, for then the Body will be imperfect; and therefore all of these, all God's people must Turn. The King, though a King, and therefore the best of men; yet he is but a man, and therefore a sinner: and a Carbuncle may come upon the Head; but I pray God, preserve our Head, King Charles, from plague and pestilence: The Priest, though a Bishop, and the holiest of then, yet he is but a man, and therefore a sinner; and the poison of the plague may possess the Religion of the Heart; but I pray God preserve the Heart of our Religion, and Devotion, the Clergy, from plague and pestilence. The Physician, though the liveliest of men, yet he is but a man, and therefore a sinner; and the plague may by his venom stop the Fountain of Blood; but I pray God preserve the Liver of our Body, the Physician, from plague and pestilence. The Lawyer, though the nimblest of men, yet he is but a man, and therefore a sinner; and the Sore may rise in the throat close by the Tongue; but I pray God preserve the Tongue of our State, the Lawyer, from plague and pestilence. The Soldier, though the strongest of men, yet he is but a man, and therefore a sinner; and the Plague, stronger than himself, may break the Arms; but I pray God preserve the Arms of our Kingdom, the Soldier, from plague and pestilence. The Merchant, though the richest of men, yet he is but a man, and therefore a sinner; and the plague may suffocate the Lungs; but I pray God preserve the Lungs of o●● Kingdom, the Merchant, from the plague. The Common people is a man, and but a man, and therefore a sinner; and the plague may weaken the Feet, a Sore may rise in the Groin, but I pray God preserve the Feet of this Kingdom, the Common people, from the plague.  
No way to persuade God to this, but for the Head, and the Heart; and the Liver, and the Tongue; and the Arms, and the Lungs; and the Feet, and all; all God's people to turn from their wicked ways. Some there be, that think themselves too good to humble themselves, and turn; and some that think themselves too unworthy to pray, and turn; but here is a check for the one, and a comfort for the other; all my people must turn, The good man hath need, and the bad man hath leave.  
Be thou as good as King David, a man after Gods own heart; yet K. David may fall into an adultery, and a self confidence: and therefore not he so good, but he must turn. And indeed, how often did he turn? Sometimes himself to God, and sometimes God to him, God to him by prayer, Turn not away thy face from thine anointed. And sometimes himself to God by repentance, Turn me, O God, and I shall be turned. And this is to teach good men, that when God is turned from them, or they from God, then that they by prayer should turn God to them; and they by repentance turn themselves to God, by turning from their wicked ways.  
Nor none so bad neither, but he may turn; not the Publican: and therefore Saint Matthew was called, and Zacheus saved. Not the Thief; and therefore the Thief from the Cross went into Paradise. Not the Harlot, and therefore Marry Magdalene had many sins forgiven her. Not the Persecutor, and therefore Saint Paul was converted. Not the Denier, and therefore Saint Peter wept bitterly. And I pray God give us all grace to weep so bitterly, and to turn so truly, that God may remove the plague speedily, and send health into our houses perpetually, and grace into our souls eternally, through Jesus Christ. Amen.  
This is not only our Ministry persuading: for you may think, and too many of you do too often think too lightly of that; but it is also God's Majesty commanding: and which of you dares think but highly of that? God commands all men every where to repent, 
Acts 17.30.  viz. To turn. All men, deep Politicians, rich Citizens, great Sinners, holy Saints, all his people, to turn.  
But what is it to turn? 
2a, 3ae 2 ae., To turn, what.  That's my second consideration must tell you; and I must tell it you from the examples of Turner's: And for these examples, I look upon Nehemiah; he met with an uneven piece of Timber, and he turned it round. I look upon King David, he met with a knotty piece of Timber, and he turned it smooth. I look upon King Nabuchadnezzar, he met with a lofty piece of Timber, and he turned it thin and low. I look upon Israel, she met with a rotten piece of Timber, and she turned it into the fire. I look upon S. Peter, he met with a foul piece of Timber, and he turned it clean and fair.  
1. Nehemiah at his return from the Captivity, 
Nehem. 13.3.23.  found in jerusalem an uneven piece of Timber, a mixed multitude; Jew's that had married wives of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab, people that spoke half the language of the Jews, and half of Ashdod, and he rounded them: he put away all their strange wives. Sie vos, so do you: If you have in your house a mixed multitude, goods gotten honestly, by your labour; and goods gotten dishonestly, by Rapine, or Theft, or Usury, or Lying: away with them, return them to the true owners, that jerusalem may be repaired, that the plague may be stayed, that your bodies may be healed, that your souls may he saved.  
If the affections of your souls have married strange wives, the World, or the Flesh; if you come to Church, and speak half the language of Canaan, and yet serve the World, or lust after the flesh; take out a divorce, that you may serve God only, that God, who only can, may repair the breach of the people.  
King David met with a knotty piece of Timber, 
2 Sam. 11.4. ● 8.13  he commits adultery with Bathsheba, when joab is besieging Rabbah, and sends for Vriah her husband to cover it; and when he would not go home, neither drunk nor sober, he dispatches him with letters, to dispaeth him of his life. And when his subtlety was found out by Nathan, he smooths it, 
2 Sam. 12.13.30.31.  and says plainly, and sorrowfully, Peccavi, I have sinned; Et transtulit Dominus,, And the Lord took away his sin. Sic vos, so do you. If any of you, while your tongue hath been besieging Hell by prayers, as joab Rabbah by weapons; and in the mean time your heart hath committed adultery, by roving and wand'ring imaginations upon your gold at home, your business abroad, or your neighbour in the Church, either by lust, or talk, as David with Bathsheba; and you have sent for your eye, the husband of your heart, to cover this wickedness, by lifting up the white of it to Heaven; why then dispatch it, pull it out: and now that Nathan your Minister, hath told you on't, be sorry for it, and confess it, and say, I have sinned, that God may forgive your sins, that your tongue may conquer Hell, that the Crown of the King thereof, Lucifer, that Crown which he ware when he was in Heaven, may be put upon your head, and all his people, his tentations, and sins, and plagues, may go under the Harrows, and Axes, and Saws of your repentance: and so shall the plague be stayed, and you saved.  
3. 
Dan. 4.30.31.32.37.  King Nabuchadnezzar met with a lofty and proud piece of Timber, Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? And by and by his kingdom was taken from him, and he was driven from men, to eat grass as Oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagle's feathers, and his nails like birds claws, and he confessed that God's works are truth, and those that walk in pride he is able to debase. Sic vos, so do you. If any of you rich Citizens, that came hither with a staff, like jacob over jordan, and are now become great, and have built you fair houses, City houses for profit, and Country houses for pleasure, yet walk not in the pride of your heart, say not, you have got this by the policy of your brain, or the strength of your hand; or if you have said so, as too many of you have said so, why then go, eat grass with the Oxen, feed hardly: wet your body with the dew of heaven, with thowres of ne●venly grace, with tears of true repentance: let your hairs grow like Eagles, like Ostrich feathers, to break off the Iron chains o● your sins; and your nails like birds claws, to pick out the eyes of these proud tentations: Break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquity by showing mercy to the poor, that there may be an healing of your error, and a lengthening of your days, and a staying of the plague, through jesus Christ. Amen.  
4. Israel met with a rotten piece of Timber, cover of graven Images, and ornaments of molten Images, and she cast them away as a menstruous cloth. Sic vos, so do you. 
Isai. 30.22.23.26.  If you have p●● your crust in the graven Images of silver, or millea Images or gold; If you have worshipped your wealth, before you have your God; if you have taken more delight and pains in getting this trash, than the favour of God, why then, throw away these, be angry with these selfe-confidences, that God may send you seasonable weather, and give you bread, and bind up the breach of the people, and heal the stroke of your wound.  
Fiftly and lastly, Saint Peter met with a foul piece of Timber, a Damsel meets him, and charges him to be Christ's servant, and he denies him: Another charges him, and he denies him again; and so the third time. Then jesus looks back, the Cock crows, and he goes out, and weeps bitterly. Sic vos, so do you: If when you have met with a Maid, with a Woman, you have denied Christ, and defiled yourself, his members. If a second time you have polluted his Temple, and lay with your neighbour's wife: if a third time, you have defacced his Image, and denied him; and belied him, by selling his Wares at high rates, and put them off by Oaths and lies: Why see, jesus looks back, looks back with pity, and anger both: The Cock crows, his Ministers call to you, do you go out, and turn from such wicked company, and weep bitterly; that your Faith may not sail, that your bodies may not dye, that your Souls may not be damned; that you may live to praise God here joyfully, and in Heaven eternally.  
For by turning here, God means a motion opposite to going on: you are in a way of sin, that hath made away for the plague; if you go on, you go a wrong way still, and still the plague continues: If you would have the plague away, why then turn from that way; turn from it with indignation, and hate your sins as the Israelites did, turn from it by contrition, as Nabuchadnezzar did, and be sorry for your sins: Turn from it by confession, as King David did, and acknowledge your sins: Turn from it by Resolution, as Nehemiah did, and divorce your sins: Turn from it by compunction, as St. Peter did, and weep for your sins: send up St. Peter's tears to Heaven, that God may send some showers from Heaven, send up King David's groans to Heaven, that God may send health upon the Earth: Turn you from, that God may turn you to: They that will not turn, shall be turned; The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the people that forget God. If you would have a turn to Heaven when you go from hence; Then while you are here, turn from your wicked ways.  
That's the A quo, and my third consideration, 
3 a 3ae 2 ae.,, Fron what we must turn.  From what must we turn? From our wicked ways. And And here by the way, I look upon the Metaphor, Ways; and by ways here is meant Manners, Courses, Conversations, 
1. Fron our wicked ways.  and the meaning is, Turn from your wicked manners, your wicked courses, your wicked conversations. And again, by Way is meant, not only a course, but a settled course; not a starting, or a fit: but a constancy. Good men may start aside; as David into an adultery, Peter into a denial. but, Non est via eorum, It is not their way. This, and so the wicked may sometimes try the right way. Cain may stumble upon a sacrifice, and Saul upon an offering, and Caiaphas upon a prophecy, but it is not via eorum, they quickly take their former road again; and so the whole meaning is You that are good, turn you from your wicked start; you that are bad, turn you from your wicked courses: 
2. From all our wicked ways.  from all your wicked ways. For not a sin, but must be repent of.  
Israel was guilty of other sins; yet Israel could not get the victory, till achan's sin was done away. Other sins there were, but Rabbah could not be taken, till King David turned from his wicked way of adultery. Other sins there were, but the plague would not be stayed, till King David turned from his wicked way of selfe-confidence. Many other sins there are now, for which this plague is amongst us, but there are some ways we walk in, some continued sins, either inwardly or outwardly, Drunkennesses outwardly, Hypocrisies inwardly; Adulteries outwardly, Concupiscences inwardly; Pride outwardly, Ambition inwardly; Usury outwardly, and Avarice inwardly. And answerably we must turn; Turn outwardly from our outward wicked ways; and turn inwardly from our inward wicked ways. Outwardly we must be sober, continent, humble, and liberal: and inwardly we must be sincere, chaste, humble, and content. And this we must especially do; especially turn inwardly: for if we do turn inwardly, we do turn outwardly. Whereas many men turn outwardly, that do not turn inwardly. We may be civil, yet hypocrites: we may be chaste for the outward man, and yet adulterous within: we may be humble outwardly, as Achab was, and yet ambitious in our hearts, as Absolom was: we may be prodigal in the outward acts of charity, and yet covetous within in our desires.  
And what say the Schools of this? Our actions are so fare virtuous or vicious, as the will hath a hand in them. Vera bonitas & malitia sunt tantum in cord. True goodness, true wickedness is only in the heart. And God oftentimes takes not off his heavy hand, because we turn not from our wicked ways with all our hearts. Non facta numerat, sed corda. He looks not upon our hands, but upon our hearts. Animae amaritudo est anima poenitentiae. The turning with our heart, is the heart of turning; the repentance of the soul, is the soul of repentance. And because this is all in all, I shall show you in a word for all, whether you do turn from your wicked ways with your hearts. There are two special rules to know it by: The first is Si in, the second is Si post.  
1. Si in: if in the act of our turning, we resolve never to have any more to do with sin: if we throw our sins away, 
Hosea 14.8.  as repenting Ephraim did: What have I any more to do with Idols? Fie, Get you hence. Give me leave to ask some of you, Why do you Usurers call in for your money now? Because you will have no more to do with usury? or for fear you should lose your money in this sickness, and that when the sickness is past, you may have money to put out to use again? It is a turning this; But such a turning, that for all this, the plague may turn you into the earth, and these Reservations into Hell. I could ask the Drunkard the same question, Why does he lay aside his pots now? Because he will never be drunk again? or because he fears by such quaffing, he may inflame his blood, and get the infefection? and that at the fall, he may have his health, and fall to his Healths again? It is a turning, this but, etc.  
If you would have the plague turn from your heart, turn you from your sins, with all your hearts, with the resolutions and protestations of your hearts, That you will never have any more to do with sin. That is the first note.  
2 The second, 
Tertul.  Si post sequatur emendatio vitae, If after this resolution there follows amendment, and a better life. Poenitentia sine emendatione vitae vana, quia caret fructu cui Deus eam servit. In vain is that repentance, which is not followed with a better life; because it bears not that fruit, for which God planted it: that is, the fruits of Righteousness. If thou find thyself after the plague, as bad as thou wast before the plague; in the plague thou hast repent, but so, that for all that, God will follow thee with another plague, or send thee into hell for it. The plague never kills, till it hath poisoned the heart: nor is the plague ever killed, till the heart hath poisoned it with Repentance.  
From Plague and Hell good Lord deliver us all. And that we may all be delivered thence, God give us grace to turn from all our wicked ways with all our hearts; and assure us thereof in our holy resolutions presently, and in our holy conversations futurely; that presently we may obtain health, and futurely salvation, through Jesus Christ. Amen.  
But being turned from our wicked ways, to whom, 
4 a, 3ae 2ae., Turn to what.  or to what must we turn? Why, we must not turn, as too many wicked men in this world do turn, from one sin to another; not from prodigality to covetousness: This is to turn from one Devil to another; not from the extortion of pawn taking, to the oppression of usury. This is to turn out one Devil by another: and for such a turning we may fear, That God will turn the plague of Pestilence into the plague of Famine, and that is worse: and turn out the plague of Famine by the plague of War; and that is worst of all. If you would have God turn away all these sore plagues, and leave a blessing behind, than you must turn to him. 
joel 2.12.  Turn to the Lord your God, says the Prophet.  
We need not go so fare for the example: Look but in the former chapter upon the petition; and there it is in the 38. verse. 
2 Chron. 6.38.  If they return to thee with all their heart.  
And indeed, to whom else should we turn? He is the Lord and so only can: He is our God, and so surely will: With the Lord is power, with our God is mercy. By the power of the Lord he did create us, and doth preserve us: and therefore says the Psalmist, 
Psa. 100.3.  It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves: and therefore saith the Psalmist again, 
Psa. 124.2  If the Lord himself had not been on our side, now may Israel say, etc. And may not we say so now? If the Lord himself had not been on our side, when the plague destroys a thousand on our side, and ten thousand on our right hand, but that it should light upon us too? No hand can keep it from us, but the hand of the Lord. And by the mercy of our God he did redeem us, doth forgive us, and will save us. He redeemed Israel, he will save his people, says the Psalmist. 
Luk. 1.71.  He hath redeemed us from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate us, says Zacharie: and says he here, I will forgive their sin.  
It is my fist and last consideration of this part, 
5a 3ae 2ae, what good by Turning.  Quid efficit, what good does this turning from our wicked ways to God do? Why, it obtains forgiveness, and here I shall show you, God willing, first, that God only can forgive sins: Secondly, that God certainly doth forgive all sins.  
First, God only can forgive sins; so the Iewe● disputed well, 
1a, 5ae, 3ae 2ae. Muk 2.20  when they said, Who can forgive sins, but God only? Nor did Christ gainsay it, though he said again, The Son of Man hath power to forgive sins: for that was by virtue of the Union of the Godhead and Manhood into one Person; Originally it is in God, I, and only too.  
Nor is Quorum remiseritis any Bar, 
joh. 20.  Whose sins ye forgive, they are forgiven: for the power of the Priest is but a Delegate, a ministerial, a dependent power; a power to ascertain us, that such a thing is done Sicut in terra, sic in Coelo; As in Earth, so in Heaven: It is Primitive, Imperial, and Sovereign in God; therefore says the Church, O God, whose nature and property is always (It will bear only too) to have mercy, and to forgive; therefore says Daniel, To thee o Lord belongeth mercy: 
Dan. 9 2 Cor. 1.3.  therefore St. Paul calls him, The Father of mercy, and God of all consolation; and so GOD proclaims himself, 
Exod. 3 4.  The Lord, the Lord God, strong, gracious, merciful, and ready to forgive, etc. And so King David prays, According to the multitude of thy mercies do away all mine offences. 
Psal. 51.1.   
In a word, sin is only directly against God, and therefore God only can directly forgive sin. As David therefore to his Auditory, Trust not in wrong, & robbery, nor in my child of man, for there is no help in them: so I to you, trust not in Indulgences, nor in Supererogations though the Churches, though the Saints; they are fallen, that you may stand upright; go to God, but go to God in the face of Iesu● Christ; for as it is God's property to forgive, so it is his property to forgive in Christ. GOD looke● graciously upon none, but in the face of jesus Christ: And then Ec● Agnus Dei qui tollit peccata mund● Behold the Lamb of God which take away the sins of the world. 
joh. 1.29.   
And secondly, 
2 a, 5 ae, 3 ae, 2ae.  as God only ca● forgive sins: so God certainly doth forgive all sins, all sinne● that men turn from, and ask for givenesse for: so Christ himself tells us, All sinews shall be forgive● save the blasphemy against the Ho● Ghost. 
Mark. 3.38.   
Object. And shall not that sin be forgiven? how then doth God forgive all sins? Solut. To answer this, you must understand what Christ there speaks of; He speaks not, De personae Spiritus, Of a sin against the person of the Spirit, but Dona, Against the graces of the Spirit: No sure; for, God bless us, which of us have not sinned against the person of the Spirit? Which of us have not resisted, quenched, and grieved the Spirit? I: o God have mercy upon us, and against the Graces of the Spirit too; yet not to death, we trust ●n God.  
For howsoever the Schools say, The sin against the Holy Ghost, is ●ot a sin of Ignorance; No, that's pardonable, as St. Paul's was; because a man may affect too much knowledge, as Adam did; nor yet is it a sin of Infirmity; no, that's pardonable, as St. Peter's denial was; because a man may affect too much Sovereignty, as the Angels did; but a sin of Malice it is, because a man cannot affect too much Love. Yet with submission, I dare not send any weak conscience to despair for this; for which of us have not sinned, when we have known sin to be sin, and that against the arguments and persuasions of our own Conscience; yes, against the motions of God's Spirit● and what is this less than a sin of Malice? and God forbidden, this should be sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable.  
No sure, it is not: The sin against the Holy Ghost, that which is impardonable, is for all the world, like the mad man's sickness; not that it cannot be cured, but because it will not be cured: The Glasse● which brings his health, he throws against the Physician's head, and fights against his own Cure: And such is the sin against the Holy Ghost; when God hath tried all ways, Judgements, Mercies, promises, and threats; and all these are received in vain, and the man will not repent: then, ah, then, I say no more; but as from all sin, so from this sin above all sin, Good Lord deliver us. Till then, blessed be the Name of God for it, there is no sin against God, but may be forgiven.  
No sin, though Tam multa, though Tam magna; though they be as many as Manasses', more than the sands of the Sea; though they be as heavy as King david's, a sore burden, and too heavy for us to ●eare; why yet for all this, God forgave them, and why not us? surely he will forgive us, if we will ●oe as they did, Repent, and turn from our wicked ways. For all this, Repentance doth, or rather entreats God to do all this, you may be sure on't, so that your Repentance be not like a Planet; sometimes i● Conjunction with God; some times in more, sometimes in less aspect; sometimes in plain opposition, for than you are not forgiven else if your Repentance be fixed, be sure on't; so that your Repentance be not like the plague: The plague takes one away, it may be to day and then shuts up that house for Month; when the Month is expired within a Week, and the poor souls hope for liberty, the the plague takes away another, an● shuts up the house for a Monet longer: So if your Repentance b● only for fits, you may doubt o● forgiveness; otherwise, if it be steady and constant, if you are sorry for what is past, and resolu● for the time to come, and sin 〈◊〉 more, why, behold thou art ma● whole. All that I have to say to you more of this, is this, to beseech you to labour for forgiveness: To be a sinner, Oh God, a sinner, it is the greatest plague that man ever pulled upon his own head; but to be a forgiven sinner, to have our sins forgiven, this is a blessing of blessings; I, this makes a man blessed indeed: 
Ps. 32.1, 2.  For blessed is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and whose sin is covered: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sin.  
Many there be that care not, so they may have the carnal desires of their hearts; but as Abraham ●ayd to God, when he had given him Canaan, and many a larger promise, Lord, what is all this, seeing I go childless? 
Gen. 15.2  So say I to them; they have children at their desire, pleasures at their command, aches at their beck; but what are all these, if they want forgiveness: Oh happy, oh peaceable forgiveness, let me be as poor as job, as sick as Hezechias, as hungry as Lazarus, I care not, so I may have the forgiveness of my sins.  
If you once have this, you may be sure, the next thing will be, The Land will be healed, if you seek the face of God. It is my fourth, and last part, but the time parts this, and that; for that I must rest your Debtor till we meet again: In the mean time, God give us grace so the turn from our wicked ways, that he may forgive us our sins through Jesus Christ: To whom with the Holy Ghost, three persons, one God, be ascribed all honour and glory, now, and forever, Amen.   

The third Sermon.  2. Chron. 7.14. 
And seek my face, and I will heal their Land.  
THis is the fourth, 
4 a, 2ae.  and last Ingredient that cures the Plague; I called it the healing Pill, and so it is, and so it had need to be: For the purging Pill left some Excoriasions; we did not so turn from our picked ways, but there were many infirmities left, even enough to destroy us; many bleeding sores for all that, even enough to drive us to despair, if God enter into Judgement with us: But there is mercy with God, mercy with him to heal us; and to obtain it, we must seek his face. And here I shall show, with God's leave, and your patience, first, what it is to seek; and secondly, what is the Face of God.  
In the first of these, we must observe first, a Quando; secondly, a Quomodo, thirdly, an Vbi; and them from all, which may be a third general part, what all this doth; it heals our Land, or rather intreat● God to do, what here he says, 〈◊〉 will heal their Land, and first of the first, what is it to seek.  
Quaerere est actus diligentiae, 
1 a, 4 ae, 2ae. What it is to seek. Rom. 3.23  to seek proposes diligence, and supposes 〈◊〉 loss; so we are all at a bay, an● loss. Having sinned in Adam, w●● are all deprived of the glory of God and so it came to pass with Adam as with a griping Usurer, who extorting more than was due, lost all, both Principal and Interest: For Adam, by striving to know more than was allowed him, lost that knowledge which before was granted him; and so became ignorant of God, and ignorant of himself; and what befell him, befell us. For as a man that is in the dark, cannot see any thing, no, not himself: so Adam's brats being borne in sin, which is the thickest darkness, are ignorant, and cannot see either God their Creator, or themselves, his Creatures.  
And hence it is, that there is a continual seeking up and down in the world; so that if a question were asked, what all men in the World ●oe? it might be answered in a word, Quaerunt, They seek: somewhat we want, somewhat we would have: though when we have it, we are not contented with it; Multa pete●tibus desunt multa; until we find that which is able to satisfy us, and that is God himself. So St. August. Ate Domine sumus, & irrequietum est cor nostrum, 
Lib. Confess.  donec revertamur ad te: From thee oh Lord we are, and we are not at quiet till we are with thee again. The wanton seeks to please his Flesh, the worldling seeks to fill his Purse, the profuse seeks to corrupt his manners, the Devil too, he seeks to damn our Souls; all these, and many more, run about the street, and seek, and are never satisfied: Only God seeks our Conversion, and is well pleased in it. As I live saith the Lord, 
Ezek. 33.11.  I desire not the death of a sinner, but rather that the sinner turn● from his wicked way, and live. And the godly man seeks the face of God and delights in it: Oh when shall come & appear before the face of God says David?  
So all men seek, and therefore all men are lost; lost all in themselves, because they have all lost God: Tua perditio ex to o Israel, Thy perdition is of thyself oh Israel; They are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become abominable, 
Rom. 3.12  there is also none that doth good, no, not one.  
We are all, God help us, like the Woman in the Gospel, that lost her Groat; God give us the grace that she had, To light a Candle, and seek; to light the Candle of Nature, and seek the face of God in the book of the Creatures, the Works of his hands: To light the Candle of the Law, and see●e the face of God in the Words of his Mouth, the Books of Moses, and the Prophets: and to light the Candle of Grace, and to seek the face of God in the express Image of his person, the Son of God incarnated, jesus Christ. You see what it is to seek; it is to use diligence for the recovery of what we have lost, and that is the face of God.  
It is my second Consideration, 
2 a. 4ae. 2 ae, The Face of God, what.  wherein I am to tell you, what is meant by the Face of God; and I conceive it necessary I should unfold this phrase unto you; for we cannot behold the face of GOD, and live; and how then are we here commanded to seek the face of God, that we may live, that our Land may be healed? Why that we shall know, when we know, what is meant by the Face of God, and what is here then meant by the Face of God?  
1. Some by the face of God do understand, Fancies majestatis, The face of his majesty and glory, but this in this life we cannot enjoy; and whether we shall throughly and perfectly enjoy it in the next, it is a question: For the Cherubims, as glorious and unspotted creatures as they are, cannot behold it for glory, 
Isai 6.2.  and therefore they do veil their faces with their wings. In this life it is only , and we may say with David, O when shall I come and appear before the presence of God? 
Psal. 27.4.  One thing have I desired of the Lord, which I will still seek after ever, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, to behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his holy Temple. In the next life it is admirable, and full of glory.  
2. Others understand, Fancies justitiae, The face of his justice and judgement; But this is formidable, and full of fear; we dare not behold it, we dare not: For King David, a man after Gods own heart, did not dare; and therefore did he so de precate it, 
Psa. 143.2.  Enter not into judgement with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. So fearful it was to him; how much more fearful to us? For we fear and tremble now we see but the back parts of it, the plague. The plague, and all other judgements in this world, are but the back parts of the Face of God's judgement. His judgements in Hell are intolerable. Here we deprecate, From plague and pestilence deliver us, O Lord; if not from these, for these tall alike upon good and bad; yet from Hell, for jesus Christ his sake. For Hell is only for the bad, and not for the good.  
Or if you you will take juslitia here in the fairest acception, for Righteousness; why even so, we are not able to make answer to one of a thousand. Should God but examine our good deeds, our Devotions, and our Charities, our Fast and our Repentances, by the exact rule of Righteousness, O God, how short should we by them come of Heaven!  
3. Others therefore by the Face of God, understand Fancies Misericordiae, The Face of Mercy. And this is it we must seek. The face of his Majesty strikes us dead, the Face of his Wisdom we admire, the Face of his justice we stand in awe of, the Face of his Vengeance we fly from, but the Face of his Mercy, his Mercy, This is that strong, out of which came this Sweet, and the full unfolding of Sampsons' Riddle, This is that Lion out of which came this Honiecombe. I will not fear what man or Devil can do unto me, so long as I can seek the Face of God's mercy.  
This is it, we are here bid to seek, and seek it till we find it, till we behold it, till it doth manifest itself unto us.  
But how may we know when we find it? how may we know when the Face of God's mercy doth manifest itself unto us?  
Why that we may know, if we know how and when the Sun doth manifest itself unto us. And the Sun, you know, doth manifest itself, 1. Obscurely, 2. Plainly, and 3. Fully. The Sun is manifested, 1. by Day light, that is, Obscurely, and this manifestation is common to all in the same clyman unto which the Sun is risen. 2. It manifests itself by Sunshine, that is, Plainly, and this is not in all places where the day light is. It is 3. manifested in his full strength, that is, Perfectly, and this is only in the Heavens, where the body is present, & no bodies enjoy it but the stars, because no other bodies can endure it but the stars; and there by they are glorious bodies. So God doth manifest his Face of mercy. 1. By the works of his genetal providence to all the world, 
Act. 1●. 28  In him we live, we move, and have our being. This is an obscure manifestation of himself, as it were, by day light; yet even this, as obscure as it is, is enough to make all men without excuse, 
Rom. 1.20.  because hereby we may understand His eternal power and Godhead. He 2. manifests the Face of his mercy, by the peculiar works of Grace to his Church. This is the Plain Sunshine of his mercy: And blessed are the people that be in such a case; 
Psal. 144.15.  for He hath not dealt so with every nation, neither have the Heathen knowledge of his Laws. The ●est of the world, in respect of the Church, sits in darkness, and in the hadow of death. May this face of is mercy, the Sun of his Gospel, ●hine bright & pure within the walls of this kingdom, till we and our posterities after us, come to see and behold the third manifestation of his face in Heaven, which is the fullest manifestation that any creature is capable of whether Saint or Angel, and thereby they are glorious and sanctified bodies.  
That, that is here spoken of, is the second, and the meaning is this; seek my face, viz. Seek my mercy. My mercy as it is revealed unto you in the Mercy seat, and in the Sanctuary, where the Incense Altar, and the Ark stood: the Incense Altar in the middle of the Sanctuary, and the Ark in the Sanctum Sanctorum; 
1 Reg, 8.9.  that in the body of the Church, this in the Choir, or the Chancel. Here stood the Ark with the Law of God in it, and the Mercy-seat upon it, which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Propitiatory, or a Propitiation, because it covered the Law, and hide it, that it might not appear before God, to plead against man: and there in the Sanctuary stood the Incense Altar, 
Exod. 30.10.  which was sprinkled once every year with the blood of the Sacrifice, or the Sin offering once every year, because an atonement was thereby made for the people. This was a type of Prayer, that of jesus Christ, with whose blood, if our prayers be sprinkled, He is the propitiation for our sins. 
1 joh. 2.22.   
That you may be sure this is the meaning, you may look upon the prayer, to which this Text is the answer. The prayer was this, If there be a pestilence, 
2 Chron. 6.28.29.  and the people shall pray with their hands spread towards this house, viz. the Temple of Solomon: that Temple was but a type, that type is long since ruined, but the truth thereof abides for ever, and it is this, If God sends a pestilence amongst us Christians, than we must humble ourselves and pray, and turn from our wicked ways, and seek his face by bonding our eyes towards the mercy seat, viz. his right hand, where Jesus Christ sits making intercession for us, that our prayers may be accepted, that our Land may be healed.  
I conclude this with that of Saint Stephen, when his enemies stoned him, 
Act. 7.55.  He looked up steadfastly into Heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, Si● vos, so do you; now the plague destroys your neighbours about you, look you steadfastly up to Heaven, and by the light and Eye of Faith, see jesus Christ at the right hand of God, and with faithful prayers never leave importuning God, till he have healed your Land, or saved your souls.  
And one of these you shall be sure of, if not both; for mark the Apostles inference: 
Rom. 8.32  He hath given his Son for us, and will not he with him give us all things? It is as if he should have said, he hath delivered the better part, your Souls from Hell; and will not he deliver your worse part, your Body from the plague? He did that by jesus Christ, when you desired him not; and will not he do this for jesus Christ his sake, when you desire him? there is no doubt to be made of it, so that we seek him, as we should: It is my third thing I have to do, and here I am first to tell you, when you must seek him.  
First, there is a time we may find, 
1 a, 1 ae, 4 ae, 2ae. Seek God, when.  if we seek; secondly, there is a time we shall find, if we seek; and thirdly, there is a time, though we seek, yet we shall not find.  
First, we may chance to find him, if we seek him upon our Deathbeds, and never till then. But it is a chance, this, and a mere chance, if we do; some one, or two there are amongst 10000 that have so done: but it is not safe to follow this example; he were but a mad man, that having a long journey to go, would leave his money behind him, because he hath heard of one or two that have found a purse of money in their journey: And little less than mad is he, that will defer seeking of God till his Deathbed, hoping to find him then, because one Thief upon the Cross did so: there is no certainty this way; no wisdom to trust to this.  
To seek, I told you before, is an act of diligence, we must stir ourselves, and turn ourselves this way, and that way, and every way; and inquire of every one we meet, if we intent to find what we seek: But then, upon our Deathbeds, alas, God knows, we cannot stir ourselves, much less turn ourselves; nor hardly inquire what we have to do for pain. All that we can do then, is to lie still in our beds, and let the Minister speak a few words in our ears; and if he will be so kind, as to administer a little comfortable Divinity to our souls, and so send them away, God knows whither: I speak not this, that any old man should despair, no, despair not, though you never sought God till your Deathbeds; for one there was, and a Thief he was, that never sought till then, and then did find: But he was but one, and therefore do you young men take ●eed how you presume till then: For there were five Virgins, and this makes the Wager five to one, that were shut out for not seeking sooner, and received for answer, when they knocked for entrance, Nescio vos, 
Math. 25.12.  Away, I know you not; that we may not receive the like answer, I pray God give us grace to seek sooner. There is more hope to prevent the fire, when it is upon our Neighbour's house, than to quench the fire, when it is upon our own house: and it is more possible to find God, if we seek his face, when the plague is amongst us, then if we defer it, till the plague be upon us: If I send a pestilence amongst my people, is the Text, not upon them: while it is In aelios, amongst others, let us seek, and not put off till it be In nos, Upon us; and so happily we may find him so, as to preserve us still from the plague, and to heal them of the plague. And God grant we may so seek, and seek so successfully through jesus Christ, Amen.  
Secondly, there is a time, that though we seek, yet we shall not find; so says the Prophet: 
Hose. 5.6.  They shall go with their flocks, and with their herds to seek the Lord, but they shall not find him, he hath withdrawn himself from them: And Isaiahs' Limitation says as much, Seek him while he may be found. 
Isa. 55.6.  And this shows plainly, that a time there is, though men seek him, yet they shall not find him; And so St. Bernard comments the words, Erit procul dubio cum inveniri non poterit, 
In Cantic. Serm. 75.  and that is when this life is ended. Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of Salvation: you may put it off if you please, Et expectare salutem in medio Gehennae, quae facta fuer at in medio terrae: And seek for salvation in the midst of Hell, which was purchased in the midst of the Earth. But when this life is ended, our seeking too is ended; if we find not here, we are sure to miss hereafter; no hope to find either in the Grave, or in Purgatory or in Hell. Here if we miss, 
Chrysost. Com. de Lazaro.  we miss for ever. Non est postea situm in nobis poemtere aut commissa diluere. No power to repent after this life, says St. St. Chrysostome; and St. Cyprian, Hic vita amittitur aut tenetur, Here we lose or gain eternity. The next life is a time of rewarding, this only a time of seeking.  
And thirdly, in this life there is a time we shall be sure to find, if we seek; and this is referred to primum, and that primum is again enlarged to semper. 
Mat. 6.33.  First seek the kingdom of God, says Christ. And says David, 
Psa. 105.4.  Qaerite faciem ejus semper, Seek his face evermore. Remember thy creator in the days of thy youth, 
Eccles. 12.1.  was salomon's direction. They sought Christ early in the morning, 
Mark. 16.1.  was the women's commendation: So do you, and you shall be sure to find, if so be your early be stretched to perpetually; that is, If you seek him first, and last, and always, why then, you shall find God in grace to your souls, against sin, in health to your bodies, against, the plague; and hereafter in glory to your souls and bodies against hell.  
That is the first, Tempus opportunum; 
2 a, 1 ae, 4 ae, 2 ae, Seek God, Where? Cant. 3.1.  the second is, Locus requisitus, or ubi decet; that a fit time, and this a fit place: Non in lectulo, not in your bed lazily. In lectulo quaesivi, says the Church; I sought him in my bed. I sought him, but I found him no●. Non in tumulo, Nor yet in the grave. The women sought him there, and were reproved with a Quid quaeritis? Why seek you the living amongst the dead? Non est hìc, He is not here: whereupon Saint Austen reproves Mary Magdalen thus; Quid quaeris in tumulo, 
De temp. Serm. 133.  quem adorare debes in coelo, Why dost thou seek him in the grave, whom thou oughtest to worship in heaven? Non inter cognatos; Nor yet amongst our kinsfolk neither: there, amongst them, joseph and Mary sought; they sought, but found him not: Whereupon St. Bernard thus; Quomodo, o bone jesus, inter cognatos meos te inveniam, qui inter tuos minimè es inventus? O sweet jesus, what hope to find thee amongst my kindred, when thou wouldst not amongst thine own?  
But where? if not here, nor there, where then must we seek for him? Why, in sinu matris Ecclesiae, says Saint Gregory, 
Moral. lib. 18.  in the bosom of our holy mother the Church. But where is that bosom? In Scriptures in Ecclesia expositis, In the Scriptures expounded in the Church. There only you shall find both Christ and the Scriptures. Et ubi Christus, ibi facies Dei, And where Christis, there is the face of God.  
The Scriptures are in the Church, 
Rom. 3.2.  For to her are committed the Oracles of God, and the Church is in the Scripture, and God in both. So S. Austen, In sanctis libris ubi manifestatur Dominus jesus, 
Ad Bonif. Ep. 50.  ibi & eius Ecclesia declaratur. In the holy books of God, there is both the Lord jesus and his Church. So joseph and Mary found Christ in the Temple after three days search. There is his seat, and there he is still, 
Luk. 2.46.  In medio Doctorum, In the middle of his Ministers, to aid them in preaching. In medio discipulorum, & in the middle of you to hear you in praying. Sic amat medium mediator Dei & hominum, Such love bears he to the midst, that is the mediator betwixt God and Man.  
In medio jumentorum natu, when he was borne in the midst of cattles, In medio Doctorum anno duode●●mo, when he was twelve years old, in the midst of Doctors. In medio discipulorum doctrina, when he was preaching in the midst of his disciples. And now, where is he now? but, in medio nostrûm, in the midst of us. 
Matth. 18.20.  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.  
So then, that you may find, do you seek the face of God in the Church; in the Scriptures, but seek him there in the middle part of yourselves too, your hearts.  
That is the Modus; 
3 a, 1 ae, 4 ae, 2 ae. Seek God, How?  the manner how we must seek the Face of God, and the last consideration of the first part, I am to speak of.  
Si quaeritis, 
Isa. 21.12.  quaerite, saith the Prophet, If you will inquire, inquire: If you will seek, seek. Seek not loosely, slightly, slenderly; but if you will seek to find, seek him with all your heart: so holy Bonaventure distinguishes these words, Petite quaerite, 
In Luke 11.9.  pulsate, Ask, seek, knock; Distinguish these wo●●s, says he, as they are means to come to glory. Then you must ask by prayer, seek by living well, and knock by perseverance and holding out; but the sincerity of our heart is the greatest matter in living well.  
Or distinguish them as means to come to wisdom; and so St. Austen does distinguish them, saying; Ad sapientiam non venitur, nisi quemadmodum Dominus docet; We cannot attain to wisdom, but by that way the Lord jesus hath directed us, viz. by ask, seeking, knocking; that is, by praying, reading, and repenting; but we do not only read with our eyes: no but with our hearts too, if we will understand what we read: or else, by believing, hoping, and working, but hope is placed in the heart: if hope were not there, the heart would break.  
Or distinguish them, Ex parte petiti, in respect of the thing sought, so it is petite veniam, Quaerite gratiam, pulsate ad gloriam, Ask forgiveness, seek for grace, knock to enter into glory. But grace is no grace, unless it be, as sought with the heart, so put into the heart. In a word, so he concludes it, To ask is the labour of the mouth; to knock, is the labour of the hand; and to seek, that is the labour of the heart. So that there is no hope to see the Face of God, if we seek it not with our hearts. And so I conclude this part too, by contracting all that I have said, into these three conclusions.  
1. Seek him by the light of his Word: all other lights are but false, and like so many ignes fatui, as you walk up and down to seek God, let his word be a Lantern to your steps.  
2. Seek him by the conformity of your life; Oculus enim cordis perturbatus, says S. Austen, avertit se a luce justitiae: for if your life be bad, you dare not look upon the Sun of Righteousness. By living ill, you may be seen of God, but shall never see God; whereas by a well ordered life, you shall both see, and be seen of God: see him with comfort, and be seen of him with delight.  
3. Seek him by a heart established in grace: Oculus circumactus non videt etiam quae ante se sunt, says the same Father, a rolling or a squint eye cannot see the things that are just before it. Nor the heart that is in and out, in grace to day, and out of grace to morrow: to day in a state of Repentance, and to morrow in a state of Sin, can ever seek to see the Face of God. Look therefore for God in the Word of God: seek God by conforming your lives to that Word, and see God you shall, if you hold out accordingly to the end.  
But, 
3 a, 4 ae, 2ae. What good by seeking?  Cui bono? what good o● all this? Why all this pains? Why seek the Face of God? Why now? Why early? Why always? Why at Church? Why with all ou● hearts? Why, do you aske● why, it heals our land. It is the last par● of this Text, and high time I had made an end of it: I only prove● it for the explication; and for the application, I pray God we may find the truth of it.  
Look upon jacob, 
Gen. 32.30.  Vidi D● minum à facie ad faciem, & salva facta est anima mea: I have seen God face to face, and my jire is preserved. He sought the face of God, and God healed his life.  
Look upon Moses, 
Exo. 4.12.  he sought and saw the face of God, and his tongue that stammered, and was slow before, was healed.  
Look upon Gideon, 
judg. 6.16.  he saw the face of God, and his hand that was weak before, was healed, and strengthened to save Israel.  
Look upon the Leper, 
Mat. 8.3.  he saw the face of God, to wit, jesus Christ, and was made whole.  
Look upon the Hemorisse, 
Mat. 9.20.  she sought the face of God, and touched the hem of his garment, and was healed.  
Now, I pray GOD give us grace so to seek his face, in the face of his love, in the love of his countenance, in the countenance of his wellbeloved Son, JESUS CHRIST, that our land may be healed, this plague stayed, our bodies preserved, and our souls saved, and all this, and all things else, for JESUS CHRIST his sake, To whom with the holy Ghost, three persons, one God, be ascribed all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.   

Meditations upon the Plague.  
What is the Plague? whence is the Plague? why is the Plague? three good questions to propose, they want three good Answers: well proposed, and well answered: They make a fit Meditation for the time; the Plague is the subject of the Time; the Time seeks the Cause of the Plague; the Cause desires the End for which the Plague is sent. First then, what is the Plague?  
THis Quid hath many an Id, and Hoc; it is this, 
What is the plague  or it is that: If I look upon it under the Genus of Sickness, why then it is an ill disposition of the body: 
1. Mala dispositio.  so Secundum Definitionem, It is defined so; Sickness is: or it is a want, a defect, a privation; a privation of health. 
2. Privatio.  It is not a thing in Nature, but a thing against Nature, a violation of Nature; for therefore is Sickness called Disease, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  because it is Sine Sanitate, Without Health: So Secundum Rem, it is thinged so, Sickness is. 
3. Macula.  O● it is Macula a spot, Quia corporis for mam deformat, because it disfigures the beauty of the body. 
4 Debitum  And it is Debitum, ● Debt, Quia ad mortem obligat, Because it binds us over to death; It arrests us at Death's Suit: so it is Secundum nomen, It is named so, Sickness is: Nay, sometimes it is a double Debt; a Debt to Nature, and a Debt to Physic: If we die, than Nature's debt is paid; if we recover, yet we are still in debt to the Physician; so fare sometimes, that we spend the last Farthing of our substance. So it was said of the Woman in the Gospel, she consumed her whole estate upon the Physicians: Or it is a percussion, 
5. Percussio. 6. Desolatio.  or a desolation; either a smiting, or a desolating: So the Prophet says, I will make thee sick, in smiting thee, 
Mica. 6.13  in making of thee desolate by reason of thy sins. It is distinguished so, Sickness is; and of all sicknesses, this Division best complies with the Plague; and I believe the Prophet there means the Plague: for the plague is a smiting sickness, and is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for the fierceness of it: And it is a desolating sickness, and it is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because it spreads, and diffuses itself into many, if not into all people.  
In a word, the plague is an Outlawry, and the plague is an Excommunication: It is the greatest punishment in the Civil Law; and it is the greatest punishment in the Common Law; it outlaws us, and it excommunicates us too: It outlaws us from all works of Civility in the Commonwealth, and we may not go about our lawful Callings; and it excommunicates us from all works of Piety in the Church, and we may not go to public prayers. No body may go to visit them, hardly the Physician, they may not go to visit any body, not the Divine; such a fearful thing is the plague, and I pray God deliver us from it.  
For who else can? 
The pla●tre whence.  who can remove it, but he that causes it? and who is the cause of it but God? If I look upon it as it is Praemium, or Meritum, A Reward, or a Desert; so my sin is the cause of it, Causa deficiens: But I look upon it as it is Poena & Correctio, A punishment, or a Chastisement, and so God is the Cause of it, Causa efficiens: So the Prophet Micaiah points to God; I will make thee sick, I will: 
Mica. 6.13  And so does the Prophet Moses too; Wrath is gone out from the Lord, 
Num. 16.46.  and the plague is begun. And the very word itself, Plague, speaks no less; for it is Verbum asperum, A kill word, the plague is. But it is the Lord that kills; and therefore it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, To kill as it were with the Sword: But it is the Sword of the Lord, no hand can wield this Sword, but the hand of God. And therefore sometimes it is called the hand of the Lord; 
2 Sam. 24.14.  be cause in this punishment the Lord shows his punishment after a wonderful and fearful manner. And sometimes it is called an Arrow, The Arrow that flies by day: but no Bow can shoot this Arrow but Gods. 
Psal. 91.6.  An Arrow it is for the suddenness, and an Arrow it is for the swiftness of it: It brings a sudden destruction; for it creeps not, as do other diseases, by little and little: but it pierces suddenly, and it flies with speed too, thorough a whole City, over a whole Country, Even from Dan to Beersheba; 
2 Sam. 24.  and who can shoot so suddenly, or so swiftly, but God?  
Manes indeed in one of his fanatical dreams, tells us, that a certain Spirit in the air, called Messor, diffuses that contagion which breeds the plague. But wots you what his drift was? Marry to establish that Devilish conclusion of two beginnings, the one good, the other bad; and so to join another power in commission with God. But I believe, and I believe all good men believe the same, with me, that this Messor is one of God's mowers.  
Others there be that say, 
Beterg. de Vrbib. lib. 2. & 11.  particular cities have their Crytical days, and Clymactericall years; Every third year is fatal to the Grand Cayre in Egypt, in which 300000. commonly dye of the plague; every fifth, or seventh year to Constantinople, wherein the mortality seldom costs her less than 200000. And so some have noted the twentieth year to be mortal to London; but surely they are out in their account: for we have had three plagues within less than three parts of twenty years, one in 1625. another in 1630. and now a third is begun this year 1636. Surely then, they were then, and this is now, from the hand of God.  
Others conclude the pestilence to proceed from nothing else, but a malignity of course arising from an ill conjunction of planets, or a concurrence of some other disaffected causes in nature; and their reason is, because they are able to trace the infection to the first body that died, or because they can distinguish betwixt a contagion received per contactum of other bodies, or occasioned by an infected air.  
They may as well deny Thunder to be the voice of God, because by the help of Philosophy, they can probably guess it to be the collission of two clouds, and in them the contestation of two repugnant qualities.  
No sure, as there is no mercy, so no judgement neither, wherein we may not discern Digitum Dei, the hand of God, whether it be Wind or Storm, Tempest or hail, they are all his Ministers to fulfil his will; yea, and the very plague too: So says another Text, The wrath of the Lord kindled, 
Num. 11.33.  and smote the people with an exceeding great plague. And another to that, and many more. If I send a pestilence. 
2 Chron. 7.13.  But why? Why doth the Lord send the plague? 
The Plague, why.  If it be asked in propter quod, for what reason, It is for our sins. But if ad quod, to what end; It is to put an end to our sins, that we repenting for our sins, he may repent of his anger. Our humility is the final cause and end of the plague; and I end it thus.  
I dare not say, God hath infected the air; but I dare, and do say, I have infected the air, I have infected it by my sins; I have made my sins more infectious than the plague: For the plague infecteth but by scent, and that scent must be near. But I, wretch that I am, have sent my sins fare and near. Some I have infected with the sores of Drunkenness, near at the table; some with the spots of adultery, nearer in the bed; some with the tokens of pride, farther off in the street; many with the swellings of oaths, and many more fare and near with those dangerous symptoms of covetousness and idolatry, of profaneness and hypocrisy, of theft and oppression, of lying and vanity; And what fire can purge this air; but that of zeal? And who can kindle this fire, but thee, O God? O God, that thou wouldst once kindle it in me: And lest it exalt the infection, I bessech thee to qualify it with the moisture of wisdom, that my wisdom prove not dangerous subtlety, nor my zeal rash and saucy presumption: give me grace to tender them both unto thee in the Censor of an humble devotion upon the Altar of the Cross: and do thou so accept of both, that thy mercy may purge the air, through the merits of Jesus Christ. Amen.  
I dare not say, God hath infected my house; But I do, and dare say, I have infected my house. My sins of anger, of rash and unadvised anger to my servants, have made thee my God, angry with me the unworthiest of all thy servants. My sins of ill example to my children, have provoked thee, my God, to make me the undutifullest of all thy children, an example to all thy children. My sins of unkindness to my wife, have incited thee, my God, to deal as unkindly with me, as with any the disloyallest piece of thy Spouse. And therefore in the lowest humility of a servant, in the submissivest duty of a child, and in the truest loyalty of a wife, I desire to make an atonement with thee my God, now while the plague is but yet begun. O God, receive it from him, who desires to receive from thee a blessing in those garments which he hath put on by the hand of Faith, of thy Son Jesus Christ. I believe he died for my sins, and rose again for my Justification; and in him I trust, as thou canst, so thou wilt preserve me, and mine this day, and ever, from Plague, and pestilence.  
But whatsoever befalls my body by the hand of man, or by thy hand o God, deal well with my Soul; which I beseech thee never to behold, but as it is dipped all over, and died clean thorough with the blood of jesus Christ: In whose garments strengthen my Faith, that I may not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the Arrow that flies by day, 
Psal. 91.  nor for the Pestilence that walks in darkness, nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday. Oh let not a Thousand fall at my side, nor ten Thousand on my right hand; let no evil befall them, nor any Plague come nigh my dwelling: But deliver me from the snare of the Fowler, and from the noisome pestilence; from the Tentations of Satan, and from the consequents of sin, for his sake who overcame the Tempter, and suffered for sin, jesus Christ, Amen.   

The Sick man's Recovery, or his Duty after his Recovery.  John 5.14. 
After that, Jesus found him in the Temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole, sinne no more, lest a worse thing come upon thee.  
WHat a fit Meditation i● this Text for me? I● may be called The Sick● man's Recovery; or the sick man's Duty upon his Recovery. And have not I been sick? and an● ● not recovered? Blessed be the Name of God, I was sick, and am well; and what is it fit I should do, but what this Man that was sick, did do after he was well? and what that was, St. john tells me, He went to the Temple; and thither he went; as I believe, to give thanks; and after Prayers, he heard a Sermon, a Sermon of three parts: 

1. Of Commemoration.  
2. Of Admonition.  
3. Of Persuasion.    
Was this Sermon preached only to him? surely it was penned also for me: For whatsoever is written, is written for our instruction. And the Instruction of this is, to tell me, whither I should go when I am recovered of a Sickness, from this man's Example, To the Temple; and what I should do, from Christ's Sermon: Even first, to remember this benefit, That I am made whole, Secondly, to obey this Precept, Sin no more. And thirdly, the rather for the persuasions sake, Lest a worse thing fall upon me.  
This is the Theory, and these are the parts of thy Medication; may my execution and practice of it be answerable, that in the Temple of the Church Militant, jesus may find me; and I in the Temple of the Church Triumphant may find jesus, Amen.  
In hope I shall have grace to perform thy Desire, I begin; and in my beginning I desire thee to accept my Duty, it is my Duty, for Moses did it by way of Duty: He sung praises to the Highest, after that God had delivered Israel; and so did Deborah, she gave thankes to the Almighty, after that God had given her victory over Siserah. And did King David, after that God had blessed him, he blessed GOD again, with a Quid dabo? What shall I render unto the Lord for all the benesits that he hath done unto me? This is the very end why GOD hears us in the day of trouble, to glorify him. Thus did Christ's Patient, and woe be to me, if I do not so too: If I am unthankful for what I have, I am unworthy of what I would have; whereas a thankful acknowledgement of what I have received already, is a successful invitation to receive more hereafter.  
To thee therefore o God I give thanks for what I have received; I have received Health, the Health of my Body; I bless thee for it with my Soul. Oh that thou wouldst with that, give me this, the health of my Soul, with the health of my Body, and then would I bless thee with my Soul and body: with my Soul I would give the Soul of Thanks; and with my Body, the thankes of my Body. The Heart of my body shall bless thee with thankful thoughts, the Tongue of my body with thankful words, and the Hands of my body with the works of Thankfulness: My Soul shall be thy Temple continually, and I will daily visit thy Temple with my body; my Soul shall be a Temple of Thankfulness, no Inscription shall be there, but Sanctitas jehovae, but Deo gratiae: Holiness to the Lord, Thanks be given to Almighty God. And the Thankfulness of my body I will offer in thy Temple, and testify it to thy Temples, to thy ruinated and decayed Temples, thy poor and needy servants, I will give the Oblations and offerings of Thanks: I will  them, I will feed them, and I will offer thee a thankes offering in thy Temple. Fit it should be offered there, so that I am fit to offer it there. A fitness is required in me to come thither, and if I am fitted, than no place so fit to offer thankfulness, in as there. I must be fitted to come there, for jesus is there: and that is the fittest place, for there thou requirest it; jesus will find me there: & there thou acceptest it, for I shall find jesus there.  
1. And jesus is an extraordinary person, as the Temple is an extraordinary Place: and therefore my coming thither, and carriage there, must be more than ordinary. The place requires Zeal, and Reverence: Reverence in my behaviour, and zeal in my affections. The person requires Zeal and Reverence, Obedience and Confidence; Zeal, Obedience and Confidence inwardly, and Reverence outwardly: indeed, all these in the inside of my soul, and outside of my body. My soul must stoop, and my body must bow: For at the Name of jesus every knee must bow. Every knee, not only that of the soul, but this of the body also. My affections must be servant, and my actions must fly. Sursum corda, & corpora, not only the thoughts of my heart, but the hands of my body also must ascend, and be lifted up. My heart must believe, and my tongue must confess: for both desire to be saved, and both are required to salvation, and with both I must obey. My heart, by enditing a good matter; my tongue, by being the pen of a ready writer. The cold of Winter must not quench my zeal, nor the heat of Summer thrust out my obedience. The Summer's drought must not suffocate my confidence, not the Winter's frost cover my reverence. I may not take that liberty in God's house, which I take in mine own house. Nor may I be so arbitrary in my Saviour's precepts, as I am in my friends entreaties, and leave them as I please, done or undone. The place is holy, and the person is heavenly, and therefore I must wash my hands, before I compass that Altar, and so present myself before that person, as if I were entering into heaven. And see, O jesus, so I do: In heaven there is no worldliness, no fleshliness, no devilishness; and to thy Temple I go, without covetousness in my head, without wantonness in mine eye, without maliciousness in mine heart. O suffer not the Devil to divert mine attention by any carnal object, left I mind not my duty; suffer him not to lull my devotion ●nto a slumber, by heaviness, lest my drowsy prayers pierce not heaven. Suffer him not to kindle the coals, or blow the fire of malice in mine heart, by an enemy, lest my thankfulness prove fectlesse: And what is wanting in me, do thou, for thine own sake supply, sweet● jesus, that thou may est find me in the Temple.  
2. Nor do I this, and go thither, to prejudice thy Ubiquity, in giving thee a ubi, and a certain place of residence, no more than I diminish thy Eternity, in giving thee a Quando, and a certain time of obedience. When I pray, Our Father which art in Heaven, I do not do it to deny thee to be here where I kneel, when I say that prayer. But it is, that I acknowledge thee to be there, where thou canst grant and accomplish that prayer, that I may look for thee in the best places, look for thee, as thou grantest my petitions in the best place of the next world, at the right hand, and in the bosom of the Father, and look for thee, as thou hearest my petitions here, in the best places of this world; in thine own house, in the Church, in the Temple. For so thou hast Christened thy house, saying, Domus mea Domus orationis vocabitur, My house shall be called the house of prayer; and my thankfulness, which I am going there to offer, is a part, and a chief part of prayer.  
3. Nor yet do I go thither, to thy house, to give thee thankes, to bar myself from giving thankes at home in mine own house, or abroad in the fields: for every where I am commanded to pray, because I am commanded to pray always; and by the same rule, to give thanks every where, because for all things. For thy blessings in the field, I must give thankes in the field, else why hath the Church apppointed perambulations? and for thy private blessings at home, I must give thankes at home, for thy bounty at my board, and safety in my bed, I must give thee thankes at my meals when I eat, and in my chamber when I rise, and so for my present health, as it is a private blessing, I give thee private thankes at home; and as it is a public blessing, by continuing a member in thy Church, I cannot do less, and would I could do more, than give thee hearty thankes in thine own house, where the public Congregation may take notice of it in thy Temple.  
4. Thither I go, because I am not yet so strong, but that I need help; because I am not yet so holy, but that I need holiness. In heaven there is no Temple, but the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, 
Apoc. 21.22.  they are the Temple of it. There is no danger of falling, & therefore no need of assistance there. But here, upon the earth, we need both; and to supply us with both, thy Temple is called Auxilium, an Helper, 
2 Chron. 4.9.  not only to tell us, that none is so well, but that he needs the help of the Church; but also, that when we are not well, we shall have the help of the Church to make us better, if we go to Church, to the Temple. In Heaven too, they are perfectly holy; but upon the earth we are holy but imperfectly; and thy Temple is called Sanctificium, 
Psal. 78.69.  not only because it is made holy by consecration, but because it makes us more holy by jesus being in it. I am in some measure holy here where I am now at home; but I make no question, but I shall be more holy there, not only because jesus will find me there; but also because I shall find jesus there. Else, why didst thou, O blessed jesus, resort to the Temple? Not that thou needest a subsidy of local holiness in thyself, but that thy example might bring others who need it, and amongst them myself, who need it more than all others, into thy Temple; so necessary is my thankfulness in the Temple, that I fear me, I shall be no more holy, not longer healthy, unless I offer it there.  
5 Nor yet do I go thither with this offering, to defer my thankfulness till I come thither; for God is no dilatory God: he refuses not my thankfulness in my bed, nor a● my board; not in my house, nor i● the fields. He commands them every where, he expects them every where; but he accepts them there, in the Temple: for there is the place of reconciliation, there is the word of reconciliation; and there is the author of reconciliation, jesus Christ.  
And thither I go, not only for that necessity; but also for this utility; not only because jesus will find me there, but because I may find jesus there; And there, O blessed jesus do I desire to find thee. As the Tables of the Law were found in the Ark, as the Ark was covered, & as the cover of it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Propitiatory, or Mercy-seat, because it covered and hid the Law, 
1 Reg. 8 9  that the Law might not appear before God, to plead against man.  
This was thy type, O blessed jesus, and be thou the accomplishment of it to me, let me find thee, as thou art called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Rom. 3. 1 joh. 2.2.  my Propitiatory, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, my Propitiation. Do thou cover the imperfections of my best sincerity, or my sincerest thankfulness can find no acceptation. I may find thee elsewhere, but especially there; my praises may find acceptation in other places, there they shall be sure of it. The high Priest once in the year could be found no where, but in the Sanctum Sanctorum, Thou art my high Priest, O sweet jesus, and there I desire to find thee.  
2. Not only in the Choir, but also in the body of the Church: in the Choir, as the Mercy-seat in the Sanctum Sanctorum; and in the body of the Church, as the Incense-Altar in the middle of the Sanctuary. This I find, was sprinkled once every year with the blood of the Sacrifice by the High Priest: 
Exo. 30.10.  so let me find thee purifying my prayers; and my praises with thy Blood, else my prayers will be unavaileable before God, else my praises will be unacceptable with God: That they may be both available, and acceptable, I offer them in the merits of ●he sweet Incense-Altar, jesus: So let me find thee in my Oblations, so let me find thee in thy Directions, so in my service to thee, and so in thy Sermon to me.  
And what is the first part of thy Sermon? what but this? 
The Sermon.  Ecce sanus es factus, Behold, thou art made whole. But what needs this? Can I forget this? Can I ever hold from beholding this? When I look not upon this Ecce, and behold it not, I am worthy to be, and to be called Coece, and behold nothing: And yet my memory is very brittle, very brittle this way: An injury I can remember a long time, an 〈◊〉 turn, or an ill word from my Neighbour, from mine enemy; Manet alta ment repostum, I cannot easily remove it; such a thing as this is sound settled. But Benefits, how quickly, alas, do I forget them! 
Hose. 4.6. Psal. 106.21. Ps. 78.42.  The Israelites forgot the Law of God: Nay, they forgot God that gave them that Law: They forgot God their Saviour, and the day when he delivered them. And my Soul leaks as much as theirs: His Day, notwithstanding his Memento, I forget; even that Day which he commanded to be sanctified; whether the seventh, or the eighth day, or one in seven, I profane them all: That day wherein he made me whole from the horror of Hell, by the Resurrection of my Saviour, and that Day wherein he made me whole from my Sickness, by the restauration of myself to my former health. And therefore I bless thy Name for this Ecce, and beseech thee to put so much virtue into it, as that I may never behold this word Behold, but that I may therewithal remember I am made whole.  
I am made whole; not, I have made myself whole, or the Physicians have made me whole; but I am made whole by thee, and bless thee for it with my whole soul and body, in doing what thou commandest me to do.  
Sin no more; for sin caused this sickness, 
The Precept.  the stopping my ears at thy Word, hath stopped my ears from the quickness of hearing, and the shutting mine eyes to thy Directions, hath taken from mine eyes the quickness of seeing. My sins which weakened my soul in serving thee, have weakened my body in serving me. And now that I know my sins provoked thee to inflict this Sickness, and weakened me by this sickness, I will sinne no more, not so much for the smart that I feel, as for the act that thou forbiddest.  
But Durus hic Sermo, and Superbus hic sermo: This is a hard Speech from thee o God: for who can bear it? and this is a proud speech from me, and I cannot do it; and yet I will do it as I can, and beseech thee I may do it, as thou wilt accept, though I look never so narrowly over myself all day, yet at night, I cannot say, my Heart is clean; and therefore I beseech thee, Cleanse me from my secret faults, & that my lips may not break out into out ragiousnesse, or my hands into wickedness. I beseech thee again and again, keep me from presumptuous sins, and whilst thou dost thus forgive me the one, and preserve me from the other, I shall so fare observe thy Precept, Sin no more; as that a worse thing shall not fall upon me.  
For though I suffer by the hand of thy providence, 
The persuasion.  though I smart by the common accidents of this life, though I am persecuted for righteousness sake: Haec non durabunt atatem, none of these shall last for ever: Terminus malorum Mors, the Grave will be a Quietus est, a bed of rest; and Death an end of these miseries. But, Si amplius peccavero, pejus. If I sinne again, If I sinne again presumptuously, my miseries will be longer lived: There is a worm will gnaw upon my Conscience, a fire that will never be quenched, a torment that will never be eased, a Devil that will never be entreated, a Hell that will never give me rest: from whence that I may be preserved, I beseech thee so to preserve me from sin, as that I may be preserved into everlasting life through jesus Christ; upon the Altar of whose Cross, I offer thee my thankes, and beseech thee to accept them in the sufficiency of whose Merits, I desire thee to justify me, that I may pray, and call thee, as he hath taught me, Our Father, which art in Heaven, etc.   

Meditations upon the Plague.  
IT is I that have sinned, Oh Lord, 
2 Sam. 24.17.  it is I, etc. So said King David, and he said it as a King: Is it not too much sauciness in me, the meanest subject, to say what the mightiest King said? It would be so, if I did it to emulate it as a King. But alas, I do it as a sinner; a sinner, not like him, but a sinner fare greater than himself. He committed the sin for which that Plague was sent, and who hath provoked God to send this Plague, but myself? or if any man sins bear mine company, yet what man's sins can equal mine? Is any man so selfe-confident as I am? who so bold, so presumptuous as the blind? And for David's selfe-confidence was that plague inflicted, and why not this for mine? He was the Head of that Commonwealth, and am not I the Priest of this Parish? The plague was no where then but there; and where is it so great as here? What Parish about this City compares with this? In many Parishes, none, in some, one; never a one near this, never a two: The two greatest of all do but equal this in the 
* For one Week.  number; and surely it is for my sins, this; though they are all sinners, yet none of them all can say, It is I that have sinned, It is I; but only I myself. Their sins alas, are but sins of Ignorance, at worst, but sins of Negligence: but mine are of Knowledge, and contempt; so I acknowledge my contempt, and to the confusion of mine own face I say it, It is I, o God, it is I that have sinned; but these sheep, the people of this Parish, o Lord what have they done? nothing in comparison of me, theirs alas, are but infirmities: But mine, woe is me, are impieties: they sinne one against another in unrighteousness, and against other Creatures in intemperateness; and so I, and more I, against my GOD in profaneness. O my God, forgive them, and remove thy heavy hand; forbidden thy destroying Angel to strike them any more; and if thy anger be not yet appeased, set thy hand against me and my family, See, here is myself, and what is as dear to me as myself, my wife and children, take which of us all, or all of us, which thou pleasest, so thou wilt spare the Parish; so thou wilt spare the City; O spare them, and take me: or if, as thou wilt, spare us all, and give them all grace to do what thou hast given me grace to promise, that I will do what King David did: Rear thee an Altar; And this I will no longer put off to do, but I do it now. The Altar of a holy protestation I rear, that I will never have any more to do with sin, at the thought of it I will tremble, the tentations of it I will resist, the company of it I will shun; and those particular sins, to which I am most subject, I will subdue. Strengthen me, O Lord, to perform this, and be pleased to accept these Sacrifices, which upon this Altar I offer. Some meals weekly I will purposely miss, while the plague lasteth, and that I will give to the poor. Not a night will I go to bed, but I will water it with tears, because it is I that have sinned; and yet thou sparest me. O spare them all, and accept from me these alms, and put these tears into thy bottle; send us health, fill us with grace to do thy will, & bless us all with the grace of our Lord jesus Christ. Amen.  
And David built there an Altar unto the Lord, 
2 Sam. 24.25.  etc.] And so have I, O God, I have built an Altar; the foundation of it is laid upon the earth; and I tremble at mine own infirmities: The top of it reaches unto heaven; and I am constant in my resolutions, I will meddle no more with sin, not only with those sins which brought this plague, but not with any sin at all. Nor do I this out of presumption, or that I promise more than I mean to perform, though I know I cannot live, and not sin; for I will not live in any sin; And lest the Devil should hereafter suggest falsely, that I am as selfe-confident as St. Peter was, I do not say, I will not, as if the power were mine; but, by thy grace, O God, I will not. That I may not, pursue me continually with thy grace. Never cease giving till I cease begging. And that I never cease begging, let the begging of thy grace be evermore the beginning of my prayers; which prayers, as thou hast in some measure heard, so I beseech thee, accept of what thou hast heard, my  offerings of a broken heart & a contrite Spirit: For see, O God, I break my heart, I sigh, I sob, I pine, I moan, and my heart pants after thee, the fountain of living water, as the Hart doth after the fountain of water, that he may live. Thou hast hunted me with this Hound, the Plague: It hath been on my right hand, and there slain; on my left hand, and there destroyed; behind me, and before me, and not gone empty away; and yet it is not, blessed be thy name, in my dwelling. O take it out of my parish, take it out of this City, say to the Angel that destroys this City, as thou didst to that, that destroyed the people in jerusalem: It is enough: stay thine hand; blessed be thy Name for the Decrease of this week: Go on o God, go on in thy Mercies towards us: And as I think it not enough to break my heart, unless I bruise my Spirit too: by denying it those Recreations, and potations, and comestions that it desires; so do not thou think it enough to diminish but distinguish the Plague; and I will, not only not diminish, but increase those  offerings for my passed, and these peace offerings for my present and continued sins, of Repentance, Charity, and Sincerity: of Repentance to thee for my sins, of Charity to the Poor for thee; of Sincerity to both: yet not expecting that thou shouldst be entreated for the Land, and stay the Plague from the City for this; For I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies: but that I trust, Thou wilt be entreated in mercy to accept these my sacrifices, and stay that thy judgement, through the merits of him for whose sake thou hast promised to deny nothing that shall be asked according to thy will: If it be thy will, deliver us from the Plague: As it is thy will, save our souls, or both; through jesus Christ. Amen.  
In whose Blessed Name and words, etc.   

Resolves and Meditations upon St. Matth. 6. fit for all times, especially this of the Plague.  Matth. 6. 
Ver. 2 When thou dost thine Alms.  
Ver. 5 When thou dost pray.  
Ver. 16 When thou dost fast.  
Ver. 33 Seek first the kingdom, etc.  
UNDER these four Duties Christ comprises the whole sum of Religion: for what doth Religion bind us to do? but to Give? to Pray? to Fast? to Seek? To give to the Poor? to pray to God, 
Ver. 16. When thou dost Fast.  
Ver. 33. Seek first the Kingdom, etc.  to fast from sin always, from meat sometimes, and to seek the Kingdom of God first: Or it may be the former three contains all Religion commands; and in these three, we are to seek the Kingdom of God; If any other thought thrust into our Charity, or Prayer, or Fasting, to thrust them out, and only to entertain this, To seek the Kingdom of God in these; to seek it, and to take it; to seek it in those two, as with two eyes, of Prayer and Fasting; and to take it with that one, as with a hand, the hand of Charity, consists Religion in those three, as the work? and that one as the wages? or in all four; as the work and wages? (for it is a wages, and a great reward, when we either give Alms, or Pray, or Fast) it is all one to me; for I do those three for this end, or seek this end in those three, 
Ver. 2. When thou dost thine Alms.  
Ver. 5. When thou dost pray.  and do all four for no other end, but because Christ hath commanded me; and those other ends which are subordinate to this.  
It is a Part of thy Sermon, o thou sweet Preacher to thy Hearers, and Saviour of thy doers I amongst the rest have heard this Sermon, and I with the rest, set myself to do this Sermon; For, I do give Alms, I do Pray, I do Fast, and I do seek.  
I do give Alms ', 
2. Quam facis Eleemosynam.  else I should put less into the pot, and more into my purse; but what good will the saving of the one, or the filling of the other do me, if I lose my own soul? My soul is lost if I do it not, though I do not do it, thereby to save my soul: My salvation is thy gift, and I beg it, but I shall not obtain it, though I beg it, unless I work it out, to obtain it: The Alms of my meat, 
Ver. 16. When thou dost fast.  
Ver. 33. Seek first the Kingdom, etc.  of my money, of my , cannot purchase it; for Christ purchased it by his blood, yet for me that purchase is not effectual, without these works: These works will move thee to such a mercy, as to turn away this Plague, or some such temporal judgement: These works will make me like thee; for thou art the Father of Mercy: and these are works of Mercy: These works shall follow me to the grave hereafter; & are to me now an evidence, and sure foundation of eternal life: And yet, none of these ends do I look upon in mine Alms; all that I aim at in them, is to glorify thee, to glorify thee in my obedience, to glorify thee in my example, to glorify thee in my Faith; and if thou pleasest to accept this Charity so well, ●s to make it a light to shine so far, as that others may thereby be stirred up to do likewise, 
Ver. 2. When thou dost thine Alms.  
Ver. 5. When thou dost pray.  as to take it done by me, because thou hast charged it upon me; as by it, to make my calling and election sure: I bless thee with my soul, and shall evermore acknowledge myself created to good works in Christ Jesus, and walk in them, and so carefully, that my left hand of vanity and vain glory, shall not know what my right hand of sincerity and obedience doth, for I do give this Alms because thou hast commanded me so to do, and beseech thee to accept them, as that they may abound to my account; through jesus Christ Amen.  
And as I give Alms; so I pray, I pray Deaetically; 
5. Quam or as.  and I pray proseucetically; and I pray Eucharistically, and all these Exteuxetically, I Deprecate, and pray against evil; Lead us not into Tentation, 
Ver. 16. When thou dost Fast.  
Ver. 33. Seek first the Kingdom, etc.  but deliver us from evil; I supplicate and pray for good, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgine us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us: And I gratulate and pray thee in praise and thank sgiving: Thine is the Kingdom power, and glory, and in all these, I intercede and pray for all men, as for myself, saying, Our Father which art in Heaven. In Faith I pray, and dare say, My Father, as Thomas said, and prayed to Christ, My God, and my Lord; but in Charity, I dare not but pray and say, as Christ taught St. Thomas to pray, Our Father: Father of us all; all Creatures and things, by Creation, of all men, by Redemption; of all Christians, by Regeneration; of all Saints, by Adoption, and Obsignation; still, 
Verse 2. When thou dost thine Alms.  
Verse 5. When thou dost pray.  Our Father, and that so I may find thee, I pray that prayer in the same words, Our Father, which art in Heaven; not that my thoughts limit thy ubiquity in this place of residence, or confine thee to Heaven: but that this place may limit the ubiquity of my thoughts, and give them no other residence but in, and confine them only to Heaven: to restrain my thoughts from roving and ranging, and to fix them only on heavenly things; to level them especially for heavenly blessings, while I pray to a heavenly Father; and principally for that, which is the principallest of all things, and all blessings, the Hallowing of thy Name; not only for the knowing of thy Name to be great, not only for the acknowledging of thy Name to be good, not only for the allowing thy Name to be good and great, but for the hallowing of thy Name; 
Ver. 16. When thou dost Fast.  
Ver. 33. Seek first the kingdom, etc.  to think of it reverently, to speak of it fearfully, to swear by it truly, to call upon it confidently, to use it in thought, word, and deed holily. A good Name is preferred by men above all things; and Thy Name is preferred by Christians above all Names, and the Hallowing of thy Name, is the chiefest of all Christian desires: This I desire, and desire that thy Name may be esteemed, believed, honoured, obeyed, and reverenced by all men as Holy: And to effect this, I desire again, Thy Kingdom come: Thy Kingdom come into us powerfully to rule us, justly to bridle us, mercifully to pardon us, graciously to sanctify us; and gloriously to change our vile bodies, and make them like unto Thy glorious Body; or rather, like His glorious Body, who hath taught us to pray, Our Father which art in heaven, 
Ver. 2. When thou dost thine Alms.  
Ver. 5. When thou dost pray.  Hallowed be thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, and that we may obey thee in the kingdom of Thy Grace, and reign with thee in the kingdom of Thy Glory. I desire, Thy Will be done in Earth, in the kingdom of thy grace, as it is in Heaven, in the kingdom of thy glory: Thy Will that was delivered by thy Mouth, written by thy Finger, preached by thy Son, revealed by thy Spirit, expounded by thy Prophets, and applied by thy Pastors. This thy will I will & desire be done, as knowingly without error, as faithfully without hazard, as fearfully without pride, in earth by earthly men, as it is in heaven by heavenly Angels: i● earth by sinners, as in heaven by Saints: in the earth of the commonwealth, as in the heaven of the Church: in the earth of the outward man, as in the Heaven of the inward man; 
Vers. 16. When thou dost hast.  
Vers. 33. Seek first the kingdom, etc.  in the earth of the flesh, as in the heaven of the Spirit, in the earth of passion, as in the heaven of action; that we may not blaspheme thee in suffering, by too much adversity, and not do thy will passively, nor forget thee in action, by too much abundance, and not do thy will actively, I desire and pray unto thee, Give us this day our daily bread; give freely, for we deserve it not; give liberally, for we stand in need of it; Give perpetually, for else our sins will abridge it; give Us thy unworthy servants, Us thy adopted sons, Us thy divorced Spouse, Us thy defaced Image, Us thy wand'ring sheep; Give us this day of the Sun, and delay it not; this day of our life, else we enjoy it not; this day of the Gospel, and deny it not; this day of thy grace, and refuse it not, this day of peace, and thy blessing with it; 
Vers. 2. When thou dost thine alms  
Vers. 5. When thou dost pray.  give us bread to nourish our booys, to feed our souls, even all things necessary for our being and well-being: But let it he, as thy gift, so our bread, gotten by labour honestly, obtained by prayer fervently, sanctified by than. sgiving holily; and let it be our daily bread, as is eaily fie for us, and may make us daily depend on thee, without murmur or distrust.  
That thy hand may not be shortened to give, I desire and pray thee, to forgive and drown in the sea of thy mercy, to forgive and blot out of the book of our accounts, to forgive us, poor, rich, great, small, old, young, all, Our dehts, both original, wherein we were borne, and actual wherein we have lived; whether omitted by ignorance, neglect, or disobedience, or committed against thee, thy creatures, others, or ourselves; unreservedly, without future revenge; 
Vers. 16. When thou dost fast.  
Vers. 33. Seek first the kingdom, etc.  unconditionally, without present exception, as we do with our hearts sincerely, all debts wholly, to all men generally, for Christ's sake lovingly; in whose name, and for whose sake, I pray by deprecation.  
Led us not into tentation, but deliver us from evil: For if thou join not perseverance to my repentance, I shall run upon a new score of debts, and make my end worse than my beginning; give us therefore either freedom from tentation, and lead us not into it, or assistance in tentation, and deliver us from the evil of it; either exempt us from the fight, or assure us of the crown. Our estate is weak, and we desire therefore to be led; the way is dangerous, and we desire therefore not to be led into tentation; or if by the leading hand of thy justice, we take some falls in the way; 
Vers. 2. When thou dost thine alms.  
Vers. 5. When thou dost pray.  yet by the guiding hand of thy mercy, lead us out, that we feel no harm in the end. We desire not to be encountered by the Devil's fury, or the world's subtlety, or the flesh's treachery: not with the force of that Lion, or the fraud of this enemy, or the falsehood of the other friend; or if thou dost lead us into these encounters of tentation, yet bail us again, and deliver us from evil. We desire thee to keep thy hand over us, that we be not foiled; at least to keep thy hand under us, that we be not foundered; we desire such a trial, that we be not cast, or if so, yet that we be not condemned. We are fearful, not of thee, for thou temptest no man; but of them, and ourselves, and therefore we deprecate, Led us not into tentation: and we are faithful, not in ourselves, but in thee; and therefore we obsecrate, Deliver us from evil. Led us not; 
Vers. 16. When thou dost Fast.  
Vers. 33. Seek first the kingdom, etc.  beyond our ability to bear, above our strength to resist, without thy grace to quench the fiery Dorts of Satan. Led us not into tentation of the Flesh within us, by delight of wanton imaginations, or presumption in vain opinions, lead us not into tentation of the World without us, by the suggestion of wicked motions, or motions to wicked suggestions: Led us not into tentation of the Devil against us, by the injection of wicked desires, or the illusion of desperate attempts, but deliver us by thy preventing Grace before the infection, by thy present Grace, in the assault; by thy redeeming Grace, after the fall from evil; from the cause of evil, which is the Devil; from wicked companions, which are the instruments of evil; from worldly vanities, which are the enticements to evil; 
Vers. 2. When thou dost thine Alms.  
Vers. 5. When thou dost pray.  from sin, which is the guilt of evil, and from damnation, which is the curse of evil.  
Hear us, o our Faether, in our desire of Holiness, that thy Name be hallowed; in our desire of Hope, that thy Kingdom come; in our desire of Obedience, that thy will be done: Hear us o our Father, in our desire of thy providence, to give us our daily bread; in our desire of Repentance, to forgive us our sins; in the desire of our Charity, as we forgive others; in our desire of perseverance, to preserve us from Tentation, and deliver us from evil; and none of this for our sakes, but thine own; For thine is the Kingdom: wherein keep us, in the desires of our Holiness, Repentance, Charity, and Obedience: For thine is the Power; whereby establish our desires in thy providence, and our perseverance; and thine is the Glory; wherewith crown our desires in the longing Amen of us the wishers, 
Vers. 16. When thou dost Fast.  
Vers. 33. Seek first the kingdom, etc.  in the needful Amen of us the suitors, in the confident Amen of us the believers, in the faithful Amen of thyself the promiser, in the certain Amen of jesus Christ, the teacher of us, from thee; who to thee, and him, and the Holy Ghost, ascribe the glory, and power of thy Kingdom, of the Kingdom, of this Kingdom, and of all Kingdoms; so be it, Amen.  
And that these prayers may ascend, and pierce thy Ears, and not return empty, I send them up empty; for I fast, and I fast not coactively, or by constraint: for I bless thy Name, I am in health, and have meat for my stomach, and stomach to my meat: But I fast willingly, I do it cheerfully; not politically. to exchange a meal of Flesh, into another of Fish, not Hypocritically, to macre my face, 
Verse. 2. When thou dost thine Alms.  
Verse. 5. When thou dost pray.  and make it look lean; but I do in religiously. For why do I withhold suftenance from my body, but to cheer up my Soul? Why do I bar my Soul of her delights, but to keep down my body? why do I keep them both hungry, but to observe that Law thou gavest in Paradise, Eat not this Fruit? but to imitate the promulgation, the restauration, and the consummation of the Law? Thou didst not pronounce it by Moses, thou didst not restore it by Elias, thou did dost not consummate it by thy Son without fasting; why do I thus diet them both, but that I may enjoy the promise of the Gospel, and be filled? be filled with grace to do thy Will upon Earth, as it is in Heaven. Never am I so like an Angel, as when I fast: For in this Act Nature and Grace conourre; by Nature his memory is strongest, 
Ver. 16. When thou dost fast.  
Ver. 33. Seek first the Kingdom, etc.  his mind clearest, his understanding brightest, his affections most moderate that eats but little: And by Grace his flesh most mortified, his Chastity best preserved, from evils loonest delivered, and with blessings longest beautified, who fasts oftenest. Why do I deny myself all manner of food, but to recover Paradise by fasting, which Adam lost by eating? Why do I not touch so much as Bread, or Water, but that God may pardon my glutton and drunken sins? why do I abstain from all meat, but to prevent those sins, which if my belly were full, my flesh would lust after? why do I restrain my hungry stomach from that Dish it would, but that my Soul may obtain that blessing it wants? why do I forbear those dainties my throat desires, but to avert those Judgements my Soul fears, 
Ver. ●. When thou dost thine Alms.  
Ver. 5. When thou dost pray.  and in some measure feels already?  
And yet I do not fast to merit any of these blessings at attry hand, oh God: But, I fast from worldly labour, that my devotion may be quickened, and without distraction, and I fast from bodily food, because I am unworthy of the least of all thy mercies; because I deserve the greatest of all thy judgements: I have abused myself in the use of thy Creatures, and I take this godly revenge upon myself for that abuse, in the want of thy Creatures; my soul knower not how to hunger for Heavenly Graces; and to teach it, my body shall hunger from earthly creatures: my soul hath surfeited in times unlawful, and therefore my body fast● from meat that is lawful: My senses have been gluttons in the dishes of pleasure, and therefore my body shall be her Physician, 
Ver. 16. When thou dost fast.  
Ver. 33. Seek first the Kingdom, etc.  and prescribe her a more sparing diet by example:  
O God, I fast, because I have sinned; and my sins are of those kinds of Devils, that will not out, but by fasting and prayer; I have sinned against the mercy of a rather, who hath provided for me: I have sinned against the mightiness of a Master, who hath preserved me from evil Nay, I have sinned against the Majesty of God, a God so righteous, that he hath threatened my sins with curses upon curses, and hath at last sent a Plague round about me, and a God so gracious, that though nothing else could keep me from eternal damnation, yet rather than I should be damned, gave his son jesus Christ to die ●or me: a God, that will upon these considerations, and my rebellions, are long send some grievous Affliction upon me, 
Ver. 2. When thou dost thine Alms.  
Ver. 5. When thou dost pray.  or deny me those blessings that I want, unless I prevent the one, and obtain the other by repentance: But, can my heart bleed with sorrow? can my heart melt with remorse? can my heart dissolve itself into tears? and repent without fasting? Therefore I fast, that I may remember my sins and confess them: therefore I fast, that confessing my sins. I may bewail them; therefore I Fast, that bewailing my sins, I may forsake them; therefore I Fast, that forsaking my sins, thou mayst forgive them; & forgiving them, thou mayst divert those judgements my sins cry for; and send those blessings, my sins kept from me.  
Hear me oh my God, I do confess; I confess all my sins, my original, that I brought into the World, and my actual sins, that I have brought up in the World but especially amongst them all, that () and that other () and those () which I committed yesterday, 
Ver. 16. When thou dost fast.  
Ver. 33. Seek first the Kingdom, etc.  which I committed then, then and there in thy presence, with a great deal of delight; I did commit them with pleasure, and do confess them with sorrow: For see, oh my God, I bewail them, I groan inwardly, and cry outwardly, and cry out upon myself, What a fool was I? What a Beast was? Oh wretch that I am, that I should ever be so unthankful to God, so unkind to myself, less I dare not do, than thus bewail those sins, in punishing myself: I would I could do more, and I would more than Fast, and bewail them: if forsaking bee more, I vow never again to meddle with them: O God, do thou forgive them, and 〈◊〉 possess me of these Devils by the virtue of thy promise made to my charitable Fasting Prayers, that I may never again be troubled with them, 
Ver. 2. When thou dost thine Alms.  
Ver. 5. When thou dost pray  and preserve me from the Plague I have ●eserved, and thy other punishments which I fear; bless me with obedience, which I have rob myself of, and all other thy graces which I love. No other end, oh God, have I in this Fast, but to subdue my flesh, and humble myself, but to dechne thy punishments, and enjoy thy blessings, unless happily it be to seek thy Kingdom. Not that I think by the merit of this, or any thing else that I have done, or can do to find it, but that by these means, and in this way, I shall the sooner and more easily find it. Indeed I find it in these, and so seek it first, because I do these. For though the kingdom of God consists not in meat and drink, in the belly full, or empty, in fasting, or not fasting; yet it consists in right ousnesse, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost. 
Ver. 16. When thou dost fast.  
Ver. 33. Seek first ●he ●ngdome, etc.  And my char●●e gets me righteousness, righteousness before man, my prayers get me peace, peace with God; my fasting g●● me joy, joy in the holy Ghost; 〈◊〉 faith, all; and all these I have ●●ne faithfully: faithfully for the manner, for I have done them secretly and sincerely; no body knows of them but myself, and faithfully for the end, for the glory of God, for I care not to be seen of men, I care not for the praise of men, and faithfully in the foundation: for I do believe these works of mine are accepted; and I know, no works are accepted but by jesus Christ. And faithfully I enjoy ●ll these, Righteousness, and Peace, and joy: for none of these are without Christ; but in Christ all these are, and in Christ, I am righteous, God hath justified me, and being justified, I have peace: 
Ver. 2. When thou dost th' n● Alms.  
Ver. 5. When thou dost pray  for being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through jesus Christ our Lord. And the peace of God passeth all understanding, and therefore must bring with it that joy which never entered into the heart of man to understand, the joy of the holy Ghost.  
Thus, O God, I have sought thy kingdom; and thus I have found thy kingdom; thus I desire to seek it continually, and continually principally; and these I desire to find in it, till I be taken from the seeking of thy kingdom in grace to the the seeing of thy kingdom in glory, through jesus Christ. Amen.  
Now follows the Sermon of Our thankfulness, and God's Mercy, which was Preached in St. Paul's Church the three and twentieth of october. 1636.   

Our Thankfulness for God's Mercy.  PSAL. 136. Vers. 26. 
O praise the God of Heaven, for his Mercy endureth for ever.  
THE Text cannot want a welcome, when it is easy, short, and sweet; easy to the Understanding, short to the Memory, and sweet to the Affections. This Text, blessed be Gods holy Name for it, is so, and therefore does not so much desire, as deserve your kind entertainment, & courteous embraces; so easy, that the thinnest capacity may understand it, that the dullest understanding may conceive it; for who understands not Man's duty? O give thanks unto the God of Heaven: and God's pity, For his mercy endures for ever; so short that it consists but of six words, three in the former, Celebrate Deum Coelorum; and three in the latter part of the Verse, In saeculae misericordia ejus: And which of your memories is so brittle, that it cannot remember six? I never read but of one man that could not remember five; not one of you is that one man: you can remember six. And to invite your Memory, it is sweet to your Affections too, as sweet as heart can desire. What doth the guilty man desire, but Mercy? Mercy to remit his sins. What doth the offending man desire, but Mercy? Mercy to dimit his faults. What doth the leprous man desire, but Mercy? Mercy to cleanse him of his leprosy. What doth the captived man desire, but Mercy? Mercy to redeem him from his bondage, and to set him at liberty. What doth the sick man desire, but Mercy? Mercy to cure him of his sickness. This, this is the desire of all your hearts; this relishes sweetly in your affections, that God in mercy would remove the Plague from amongst us: Why see, to give the Text a welcome, this is in the Text too; it is the very ground of the Text, For his mercy endureth for ever.  
If this be not easy, short, and sweet enough, why then divide the Text, and the parts of it will be more facile for the Understanding, more portable for the Memory, and more toothsomme to the Affections: so portable for the Memory, that they are but two; and those two so facile for the understanding, that they are the plainest of all other.  
First, an Exhortation to the Duty of Thankfulness, O give thanks unto the God of Heaven: And secondly, a Persuasion to do that Duty; for if any one should ask why? why give thanks unto the God of Heaven? why? why because his mercy endures for ever, that is the main part, and what so delightsome to the affections of miserable man, as the Mercy of a pitiful God?  
Or if you will enlarge it, to make it more delightsome to the affections, and more plain to the understanding, though a little more cumbersome to the memory: Then you have in the Exhortation these three particulars.  
First, the passion of the delivery, Oh; not simply, do it, but Oh, do it.  
Secondly, the Ingemination of the Duty, Oh, give thanks, in the beginning; and Oh, give thanks in the ending of the Psalm.  
Thirdly, the Excellency of the object, not to the King of men, not to the gods of the Heathen, no; but to the God of Heaven, or the Heavenly God.  
Then again, in the persuasion you have these four particulars.  
First, What it is to endure for ever: if you do not ask that question, you will hardly understand what it means, how his mercy endures for ever.  
Secondly, How this is true, His mercy endures for ever: For if you do not know that to be true, or how that is true, the Affections will by and by, grow nauseous.  
Thirdly, why David chooses rather this than Judgement. If you read the Psalm, and read therein, He overthrew Pharaoh in the Red Sea, 
Verse 15.  he slew famous Kings: 
Verse 18.  Or if you look upon the times, and therein see the Plague; why it may as well stand, one would think, His judgement endures for ever.  
And then fourthly and lastly, why the Prophet repeats this so often, His mercy endures for ever, Twenty six times in this one Psalm? and when you understand this, it will make the Duty go down a great deal better; that is my first part, and I begin with it: I called it an Exhortation, and so it is; for herein David the King exhorts us that are subjects, to give thankes to the God of Heaven. 
Part 1.   
A duty this is, and such a duty, that it needs not my Rhetoric to fasten it upon you: The Heaven and the Earth, the Sea and the Rivers, the Husbandman and his ground, the Shepherd and his Sheep, the Carrier and his Ass do all persuade it: Heaven drops down showers, and the Earth in Thankfulness sprouts up Flowers; the Sea fills the Rivers, the Rivers in Thankfulness empty themselves into the Sea again; the Husbandman throws his Corn into the ground, the ground in Thankfulness returns him ten for one; the Shepherd feeds his sheep, the Sheep in Thankfulness  the Shepherd; the Carrier baits his Ass, the Ass in Thankfulness carries him. I pray God we prove not worse than the Ass in unthankfulness to God, for delivering us from the plague and pestilence.  
Such a Duty it is, that no duty hath stronger precepts for it; no duty hath better patterns of it, no Duty hath fairer promises to it. The Old and the New Testament do both command it, Moses, and the Prophets, Christ, and the Apostles did all practice it, and the God of all, will reward it above all other services.  
First, 
Ps. 50.14. 1 Thes. 5.  Offer unto God Thanksgiving says the Prophet; In all things give thankes saith the Apostle; and as if Nature did concur with Scripture, Ingratum si dixeris, & omnia dixeris says the mere natural; you cannot say worse of any man, than to say, He is unthankful: And well said that Royal King of blessed Memory, who knew the depths of Nature, and Texts of Scripture as well as any King before him, Ingratus de praeteritis, indignus de futuris: He that is unthankful for what he hath, is unworthy to have what he wants: And if we are unthankful for our preservation from this last Plague, we shall be unworthy to be preserved from the next Plague.  
Christ therefore charged the Leper that was cleansed, to offer for his Cleansing, as Moses commanded; and what was that, but as at least a Lamb, and a log of Oil, 
Leu. 5.14.  and a tenth ●eale of fine flower for a meat offering: 
Leu. 14.21 22.  〈◊〉 two Turtle Doves, or two young Pigeons; the one for a sinne-offering, and the other for a  offering, for an offering of Thanksgiving.  
A Duty you see it is strongly commanded, and so it is secondly as highly practised: For jacob the Pa●iarke did it; 
Gen. 32.10.  I am not worthy of the ●east of all thy mercies: with my staff ●assed I over this jordan, and now ● am become two bands: A thankful acknowledgement this was, and David the Prince did it, and did it when ●he plague was stayed: 
2 Sam. 2●. 25.  David bought the threshing floor of Araunah the Je●● site, and built there an Altar unto the Lord, and offered thereon burnt offerings, and peace offerings. Samuel the Priest did it, Isaiah the Prophet did it, and bids us do it too. 
1 Sam. 9.13. Isa. 12.4.  Praise the Lord, call upon his Name, declare his doings amongst the people, make mention that his Name is exalted. And jesus, that is both Prince, Priest, and Prophet, 
joh. 11.41  our Saviour did it; Father I thank thee, that thou hast hear● me. And shall not the children do what the Father did? the Prince did it, and shall not the Subjects do it● shall not the people do what the Priest did? jesus Christ the Saviour did it, and shall not we that hope to be saved by him, do it? and give thankes unto the God of Heaven, for shame else! For it is thirdly so fairly rewarded, that no Duty like unto it; if we do the duty of Devotion, and pray, we are preserved, i● we do the duty of Faith, and believe, we are justified; if we do the duty of Love, and forgive, we are forgiven; if we do the duty of Charity, and give, it shall be given to us: But if we do the duty of my Text, and give thankes to the God of Heaven, God will glorify us with himself in Heaven: 
1 Sam. 3.30.  They that honour me, I will honour; so sure is the thankful man of glory.  
And now I doubt not, but you are all ready to say, Give thankes, who does not? we all give thankes unto the God of Heaven: Nor do I doubt but you all say so; my doubt is whether you do so: For Thanksgiving, I must tell you, is no compliment, no verbal thing, but a Reality; it hath three words to express it by, and must be done in all three, else it is not done at all.  
The first is, Gratias habere, To have thanks; and it is called Recognition, his place of residence is the Heart: when we think how gracious God hath been to us this Visitation, the Plague took some away before me, some behind me; some on my right hand, some on my left, yet I am left; God hath anointed the posts of my door with the blood of the Lamb, that the destroying Angel might pass over me, and my heart muses what to render to the Lord for this his goodness? when we do so, why then Gratiaes' habemus, we have thanks in our hearts for God, or we have Thankful hearts to God.  
2. Is Gratias refer; To return thankes, and it is called commemoration, his Elocutour is the Tongue, when we declare the wonders God hath done for us, the Plague knocked at my Neighbour's door, but passed mine, I was as fit an object for that destruction as any man, but God in mercy spared me, Blessed be his name, and my Tongue says, what shall I render unto the Lord for all the Benefits he hath done unto me, when we say so, why then we do Gratias refer, give Thanks with our Tongues to God.  
The 3. is Gratias agere to do Thanks; and it is called Retribution; the Actor of it is the Hand, or Life; when the hand gives the oblations of Thanks, and the Life does the offerings of Thanks in sanctity to God, and is acceptable to him: in equity to man, and is unreprovable with them: in Charity to the poor, and is profitable to them: When we do so, why then, Gratias agimus, We do, and we do give thankes to the God of Heaven.  
So we do to man, if a man doth us but ordinary courtesies at an extraordinary pinch; why then we do first study to magnify him in our hearts: we were in Prison, he hath paid our Debts, and set us at liberty: we were in Captivity, he hath redeemed us, and made us free, we were in danger, he hath rescued and made us safe, o what a friend was this, think we! how good hath he been unto us! and so Gratias habemus. And then secondly we speak of him to others, how good he hath been to us; this, and this he hath done for me, God reward him for it, and so Gratias referimus. And thirdly we cast with ourselves how to requite him; he shall no sooner command, but we obey, and so Gratias agimus; and shall we not do so to God? From him we have whatsoever we have, Redemption from the hands of all that hate us, Preservation from the Plague and pestilence, and therefore we must give thanks to the God of Heaven.  
Surely the very Heathens intended no less in their Charites, they were three: The first was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and that signifies Letitia, joy; but joy is in the dilation of the heart. The second was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which signifies to flourish, and that is in the Tongue. And the third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which signifies Splendour, and who shines more than he, whose life is a glorious Sun? And do you ever think to shine as the Sun in Heaven, or to flourish like a green Bay-tree in Paradise, or to be filled with those joys, which never entered into the heart of man, unless you thus, with your hearts, tongues, and hands give thanks unto the God of Heaven?  
King David surely thought so, else he would never have delivered it with so much passion, as, Oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven. It is my second consideration, and the first particular of the first part, Oh; And this particle is sometimes Vox exhortantis, An exhorting word; so the Psalmist, 
Psa. 30.4.  Sing unto the Lord o ye Saints of his, and give thankes at the remembrance of his holiness: Sometimes it is Vox optantis, A wishing word: So the Psalmist again, 
Ps. 107.21  Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness: Here it is both, o th● you would do it says David ● way of exhorting, and o that could wish you to do it by way desire.  
So passionate he for this duty, th● sometimes he exhorts himself Praise the Lord o my Soul, 
Psa. 103.1  and n● only his soul, but also his Tong●● and his hand; and all that is with me praise his holy name: sometime his company, 
Psa. 95.1  O come let us sing un●● the Lord, and Hymnus is a Psalm of Thanksgiving, 
Psal. 134.  sometimes the Clergy, Praise the Lord o house ● Aaron, praise the Lord o house of Lev● sometimes whole Assemblies, Pra●● ye the Lord, 
Psa. 13●. 1 2, 3.  praise ye the name of the Lord, Praise him o ye servants of the Lord, ye that stand in the house of t●● Lord, in the courts of the house of o●● God; Praise ye the Lord. Sometimes whole Countries, let Isra●● now confess that he is gracious, and that his Mercy endureth for ever: 
Psa. 150.6  sometimes all creatures, Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord: and such he aims at here, a public Thanksgiving for a public Blessing; private thankes do well, but not well enough; for they do ●ut pierce Heaven, whereas public scales it. And as he, so we; we should not think it enough to be ●ood ourselves, but strive to make others good too: As GOD hath ●●fused Grace into us, so should we ●ndeavour to beget Grace in others. When we see a choleric hasty man, we should strive to make him a job, a ●nne of patience; when we see a dissolute swearing man, we should ●rive to make him a Peter, a son ●f Repentance, when we see a false dissembling man, we should strive 〈◊〉 make him a Nathaniel, a true Is●aelite, a son of Sincerity; when we ●●e a natural and unthankful man, a man that ascribes the Plague to the malignity of the Air only, and the staying of the Plague, to the serenity of the Air only, we should strive to make him a David, a man of Thankfulness; both wishing and exhorting with a great deal of earnestness, Oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven.  
This we should do indeed, but indeed, this we do nor; we rather seek to make men worse and worse, than better and better: We, alas, if we see a Drunkard, we call him to the Tavern; if an Adulterer, to the Stews; if a Glutton, to the Ordinary; if a coverous man, to the house of providence, the Usurer or the Broker: So forward are we for sin, that we infect one another; and therefore no wonder that the Plague hath been amongst us; so backward are we for Grace, that a wonder i● is, the Plague is stayed; since we exhort not, since we wish not one another to give thanks unto the God of Heaven.  
Were David living now, or we that live now, of David's mind, the Duty would be doubled, and the desire would be ingeminated, Oh give thanks, oh give thanks.  
It is my third Consideration, and the second particular of my first part, the Ingemination.  
But what needs this? what needed the Prophet to double an Exhortation of such consequence? had not one been enough? can we forget this, To give thanks? Can we remember this year 1636, that so many have been swept away, swept away by the Plague, and we left behind? Can we remember this, and not give thankes to the God of Heaven, though it were but once spoke of? Such a School master as David would not; but we, we, such Scholars as we are, have memories so labile, and so fragile, so brittle, and so short, that, as St. Paul says, we need Repetition upon Repetition; Exhortation upon Exhortation; else we shall, and will forget to give thankes unto the God of Heaven. So brittle are our memories this way, God bless us, that we need an In emination; but so fast, and strong another way, God be merciful unto us, that we need not so much as a single remembrance: An injury we can remember a long time, an ill turn, nay, an ill word from our Neighbour, from our enemy, Manet alta ment repostum, we cannot easily remove it; such a thing as this is sound settled: but benefits and good turns, how quickly, alas, do we forget them?  
So forgetful were the Israelites this way, 
Hosea 4.6 Ps. 106.21  that they forgot the Law of God; nay, they forgot God that gave them that Law: 
Ps. 78.42.  They forgot God their Saviour, and the day when he delivered them: And do not our Souls leak as much as theirs? His Day, notwithstanding his Memento, we forget; even that Day which he commanded to be sanctified, whether the Seventh, or the vl day, or one in the seven, we profane them all. That day wherein he made us whole from the horror of Hell, by the Resurrection of our Saviour; and that day wherein he made us whole from the terror of the Plague, by commanding that destroying Angel to hold his hand: And therefore blessed be his Name for this Ingemination of his servant David, Oh give thanks, o give thanks unto the God of Heaven.  
Deum Coelerum, The God of Heaven: This is the mark whither we must aim in shooting our Thanks; and my fourth Consideration, the third particular of my first part: And herein you have three Directions.  
First, a Direction for the Object, to God. Secondly, a Direction for the matter, for heavenly blessings: and thirdly, a Direction for the manner, with heavenly praises. The Direction for the Object, is directly against Papists; the Direction for the matter, is pointblank against Mammonists, the Direction for the manner, is absolutely against Hypocrites.  
First, the Papist, he prays to Saints, but never gives thankes to Saints; and yet Thanksgiving is a chief part of Prayer, the first part, the last part, indeed, all in all. He that prays, prays for what he wants, and so looks upon his own necessity: but he that gives thankes, gives thankes for what he hath, and so looks upon God's bounty. Now by the rule of Order, he, to whom one part of Prayer is due, to him is every part of Prayer due: But the Papists by their own Act deny Thanksgiving to be due to Saints. For where is the Papist that did ever give thankes to Saint Roch, or Saint Sebastian for staying of the Plague? yet they are their Plague-saviours: where is the Psalter that hath any Benedicamus to any, but to the God of Heaven? But this is a matter of Dispute, and this is not a place for Dispute, I therefore say no more of it, but this to the God of Heaven: God grant, that in the time of the Plague, or any other calamity, we may never betake ourselves to any other refuge than Vmbra Altissimi, The right hand of God; nor give our praises, when we are delivered from the Plague, than Nomen Altissimi, The mercy of God, as we do this Day, give thanks to the God of Heaven, who hath delivered us from the plague.  
Secondly, the Mammonist, the worldling, the covetous man, the Usurer, and his pewfellow, the Broker; he prays for earthly blessings, and he gives thanks for earthly blessings; earthly blessings must not be forgotten; no: therefore the Church hath appointed Perambulations, to give thankes to the God of Heaven for his blessings upon the Earth: but for all that, Heavenly blessings must especially be remembered; for sparing us so long, and giving us so large a time of Repentance; for his Word and Sacraments, for a religious King, for a holy Clergy, for a conscionable Magistracy, and such other means of Grace; for the forgiveness of our sins, and such heavenly blessings, Ob give thankes unto the God of Heaven.  
Thankfulness, I confess, is a common duty for all blessings, and a necessary duty for all blessings; and yet sometimes the very doing of this duty, is worse than the neglect of it: When the Tailor looks upon his , which he stole from the Gentleman he made the last suit for; when the Usurer looks upon his Thousands which he hath gotten by Eight in the Hundred: when the Shopkeeper beholds his bags, which he hath filled by selling his Wares at unconscionable rates: when the Executor looks upon his large revenues which he hath cou●ened poor Orphans of; and such like as these, shall give thankes to the God of Heaven for such like blessings is these, it is as acceptable as the sacrifice of a Dog, or Whore, and that's abominable: You should first have made Restitution of such ●● gotten goods, and then come and offer the sacrifices of Thankfulness, that the God of Heaven might and Salvation into your houses.  
Thirdly, the Hypocrite, he gives thankes to the God of Heaven, but it is with lips, his heart is fare off; or if his heart and tongue be sometimes friends, yet his life is false, and spurious, because he is envious and malicious; sometimes barking at the Church's Discipline, sometimes detracting from his neighbour's worth, and so he seems to man to give thankes, he cares not to abuse, and mock, and dissemble with the God of Heaven.  
But I might have spared these three last Notes: for you are not superstitious Papists; you give thankes to God only: you are not covetous Mammonists; your blessings that you give thanks for came from Heaven's you are not dissembling Hypocrites give Heavenly praises for Heavenly blessings. If I do not now speak● truth, you are too blame; and if have done you any wrong in speaking too well of you, I pray GOD make you such as you should be, and so direct you in giving thanks ●● the God of Heaven, that his mercy may endure for ever. As in itself so ●o you.  
It is my second part of my Text; the Reason, and persuasion to enforce us to perform the Duty: Oh ●ive thanks unto the God of Heaven: Why so? for his mercy endureth for ●ver.  
Were there no more but the precept Celebrate Deum Caelo●um: Oh give thanks unto the God of heaven, I were bound to do it: ●or I am bound to obey God: but then God is pleased to woo our bedience, and to back his Precepts with persuasions, we are then much ●o blame, if we obey not: Give ●●anks therefore to the God of Heavenize ●●e must, because his mercy endureth 〈◊〉 ever. It is a fair Reason; that of all Creatures, God made only one reasonable; if you look upon yourselves, you may soon know who it is; it is Man, only Man, a●● his fellow servants, the Ange●● Stones have Being, Plants life, Beast have Sense; only Men and Angel have Reason: Nor was man ma●● Reasonable, only to have Reason and to use it, but to be improved b●● it, and made better: Scripture nee● no Reason to enforce it, yet rath● than man should neglect Scripture and not obey it, see the goodnesse● God; He backs his Exhortation with such a Reason, as is able 〈◊〉 turn the most rebellious heart i●● Duty and Obedience: Oh give than unto the God of Heaven, for his mer● endures for ever.  
But I must not stand here for ever my time gins to fade and vanish before it quite ends, I shall resole those four Inquiries in this part● cluded, I proposed but now; the first whereof is; What it is to endure for ever?  
To endure for Ever, and Everlasting, are in opinion vulgi, conversible: and a thing is said to be Everlasting, either, first because it lasts ●ong: as it is said of the Idolatrous City in Deuteronomy; 
Deu. 13.16  It shall be an ●eape for ever: and so of Ai; Joshua burned it, and made it an heap for ever. 
Josh. 8.1 ●  And yet that heap is mouldered ●ong since into nothing, or into dust, which is as little, and next neighbour ●o nothing: and here it is Aeternum ●uia Diuturnum: Or secondly, a ●hing is said to be Everlasting, because it lasts for ever, for the time to ●ome: so the fire of Hell is said to ●e Everlasting: Depart ye hence into Everlasting fire, 
Mat. 25.41.  is the last and lasting ●oome of the wicked: and here it is Aeternun quia sempiternum; or thirdly, a thing is said to beeverlasting, because it is continually and perpetually: so God who is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, and yet hath neither Beginning nor Ending, is said to be Everlasting; and here it is Aeternum quis extra Terminos.  
Betwixt these you may distinguish; Eternal is that which hath an Everlasting Forenoon, and an Everlasting Afternoon; so God only can be said to be Eternal. diuturnal, is that which lasts long, though it hath both a Morning and an Evening; it knew a Sunrising, and shall know a Sunne-setting: so the World may be said to be diuturnal; it was made in the Beginning, and it shall be destroyed in Ending. Thirdly, Everlasting, or Sempiternal, is that, which hath an Everlasting afternoon, it shall never have a setting, though it had a rising, no Evening though a morning: So man's soul and Angels may be said to be Everlasting. In a word, man cannot define what Eternal is. St. Augustine describes what it is not: Aeternum est in quo non est praeteritum aut futurum, non fuit aut fuerit sed solum est. Eternal is that, in which there is no Time past, no Time to come, nor hath been, nor none shall be, but only ●s: And yet other Tenses sensu composito absque presentis temporis exclusione, may truly, though not properly be given to Eternity, which is God: 
Rev. 1.8.  I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the Ending saith the Lord, which is, which was, and which is to come. Whereupon St. Austin: Fuit, quia nunquam defuit: Erit, quia nunquam deerit; Est, quia semper est. God was, because never Time was, wherein God was not: God shall be, because never Time shall be, wherein God shall not be: God is, because he is Everlasting, Eternal: And who can define what God is? The Angels enjoy it, but they cannot define it, for than they must perfectly know what God is, who only is Eternal; and therefore can only tell what Eternal is.  
And yet, that you may know how God's Eternity differs from other things that are said to be Eternal, you may please to understand, that things are said to be Eternal or Everlasting more plainly thus.  
First, that have both beginning and ending, or secondly which have beginning, and no end; or thirdly, which have no beginning, yet an end: or fourthly, which have neither beginning, nor end.  
First, things having both beginning and end, are said to be for ever; and of these are two sorts: First, things that have no determinate Date, 
Deu. 13 16 〈◊〉 ●. 2●.  as the heaps before spoken of. Secondly, such as are immutable while their Date lasteth; so those things which remain inalterable for the time of a man's life, are said to be for ever, 
Exod. 21.6 Exod. 12.24.  as the boaring of a man's ear made him a servant for ever: so were the Passeover and Legal Rites called an Ordinance for ever.  
Secondly, things that have a beginning, but no end; as good and evil Angels, men's souls, Heaven, and Hell; all these had a beginning, but none of all these shall ever have an end.  
Thirdly, things that have no beginning, but an end, as God's Decrees: They never had beginning; and therefore says St. Paul, Grace was given us before the world began: 
2 Tim. 1.9  but his Decrees have 〈◊〉 end.  
Fourthly, things that have never beginning, nor ending, and so only God; God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, and his properties are everlasting, or endure for ever, and amongst them his Mercy.  
It is my second Enquiry how this is true, His Mercy endures for ever? and I resolve it thus: Whatsoever is in God, is God, and everlasting as God is; and therefore his Mercy, his Mercy endures for ever; Et à parte ante, in the everlasting Forenoon or our Election: Et à parte post, in the everlasting Afternoon of our Glorification. Yet here you must consider for ever, either absolute in God, and so it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, In saecula, for ever and ever: Or else Respective to us; and so it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, In saeculum, for ever. As I take it the Prophet here speaks in the last sense the Respective: so in the three Age● of the world; first, Ante, Before the Law; there God's Mercy endure● for ever: He taught them by instinct. Secondly, Sub, Under the Law; there he writ them a Rule, the Ten Commandments, how they should live, and live well. Thirdly, Post, After the Law, which lasts to the World's end, in the Covenant of Grace, the Gospel of jesus Christ, which will bring us, if we obey it, from being beholding to his Mercy, to the beholding of his Mercy for ever.  
Or divide the world into six Ages: First, the Infancy of the world, from Adam to Noah; there God's Mercy was everlasting, and endured for ever. Judgement seemed to prevail twice: first, in Adam's nakedness, and his exile from Paradise, but Mercy presently got the upper hand, 
Gen. 3.15  in the promise of the Woman's seed to break the Serpent's head; and covering our nakedness with the Merits of jesus Christ, which shall bring us again into Paradise. Secondly, judgement seemed to prevail again in the Deluge, and drowning of the World; 
Gen. 7.23  but Mercy got the upper hand instantly, in saving Noah and his Family in the Ark; figuring thereby our Regeneration by his holy Baptism.  
Secondly, the Childhood of the World, 
Gen. 19.16.  from Noah to Abraham. There His mercy endured for ever: Judgement seemed to prevail in the fire of Sodom; but mercy took place again in saving Lot.  
Thirdly, 
Exo. 2.23.  the youth of the World, from Abraham to David: There His mercy endured for ever: Judgement seemed to take place in the Egyptian bondage, but mercy prevailed in their deliverance by Moses.  
Fourthly, the Manhood of th●● World, from David to the Captivity: There, His mercy endured for ever: Judgement seemed to prevails in the demolishing of jerusalem by Nabuchadnezzar; 
1. Chron. 36.19.  but mercy took place again in the re-edifying it by Nehemiah: And now I am upon that hint, I may say the same of this place: Judgement seemed to prevail upon this Temple of St. Paul, (St. Paul, I say, the only Cathedral Church in the Christian World, dedicated to the service of God, under the name of St. Paul) when it lay like the Diacony the Deacons of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in the very dust; but mercy hath got the upper hand, and we may say as they said, nay, we are too blame if we do not say it: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which hath put such a thing as this into the King's heart; 
Ezr. 7.27.  to beautify the house of the Lord which is in jerusalem: Yea, blessed be the Majesty of our King, and blessed be all those, who put a helping hand to this religious work, of Re-edifying, and Beautifying St. Paul, and above all, Blessed be the God of Heaven, because his mercy endureth for ever.  
Fifthly, the Age of the World, from the Captivity to St. john Baptist: There, His mercy endured for ever: Judgement seemed to prevail in the departing of the Sceptre from judah, but mercy took place in the coming of Shilo.  
Sixtly, and lastly, the old and last age of the World, from St. john Baptist to the World's end: There, His mercy hath endured, and doth, and will endure for ever: Judgement seemed to prevail in Herod, in Pilate, in judas, in the jews, when they put Christ to death and buried him but mercy got the upper hand, and Christ came up again, and rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven, and fits at the right hand of God to make Intercession for us: Judgement seemed to prevail, when Arius denied the Divinity of Christ: When Apollinarius stumbled at the Humanity of Christ: When Nestorius declined the Union of these two Natures in one person: When Enty●hes forged a confusion of the two Natures: but mercy got the start again, when the Council of Nice defined Christ to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, God of God, very God of very God, of the same substance with his Father: When the Council of Constantinople de●●ned Christ to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only perfect God, but also perfect Man, of a reasonable soul, and Humane flesh, subsisting: When the Council of Ephesus defined God and Man to be but one Christ: When the Council of Chalcedon defined Christ to be one, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person: for which blessed union; Oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven; because by the Merit of that union, his mercy endures for ever to us. And so now, to let other times pass; Judgement seemed to prevail in the Plague: This Plague that scattered us asunder, and consumed many of us; but mercy you see hath got the upper hand again, & this week there died of the Plague but 555. a fair and a large decrease; for which, Oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven: And do Thou, who art the God of Heaven, not only diminish, but extinguish the Plague; command this destroying Angel to hold his hand; because Thy mercy endures for ever: Amen.  
And if God's mercy endures for ever; Quare tumultuatur anima tua? Why is thy soul disquieted within thee? because of thy present estate, thou art fallen into some deadly sin, and canst not tell whether thou shalt be forgiven; or is it because of thy future state: thou art holy now, but fearest thou shalt not so continue, and persevere in grace: Why man, thy present falls do but show thee thine own weakness, and for it thou must be humbled, and repent, that thou mayst be forgiven; and the fear for thy future condition, does but show thy changeableness; and for it, thou must be careful, and pray for a continuance in holiness, that thou mayst be sure.  
God may for a while forsake thee, and suffer thee to be an instrument of vexation to others, as he did Saint Paul: he may give thee over to the Plough, to the Harrow, to the Dung hill, as He did holy job. He may give thee over to a Fever, to a Sadness, to a Sickness, to a plague, as he did Hezekiah; thou mayst be led into the tentation of an Adultery, of a Drunkenness, of a Murder, as was David: to a denying of jesus Christ, as was Saint Peter; yet none of these can make a final separation, if thou seriously repent. The Madianite Merchants of sin, sadness, sickness may buy the present possession of thy Soul; yet if thou wilt grow due to God by a new and true Repentance, thy dejected soul shall no sooner cry out, Quis liberabit? O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me? but thy Faith shall make a sweet Reply from this Text, The God of Heaven; because his mercy endures for ever. This is a good Reason why we should not despair, and a forcible persuasion it is, to give thankes to the God of Heaven, for his Mercy endures for ever.  
It is my third Enquiry, why David makes choice of Mercy to persuade our Thankfulness? Will it not stand as well, Oh give thankes unto the God of Heaven, because his judgement endures for ever? It may seem so if you read the Psalm; Which overthrew Pharaoh in the Red Sea; which slew mighty Kings, Og● the King of, etc. No; rather Mercy for all that, than judgement; because his Mercy is more everlasting to us than his judgement.  
For take the disproportion betwixt a Year, and a Month, and that is twelve for one; betwixt a year and a week, and that fifty two for one; betwixt a year, and a day, and that is three hundred sixty five for one; betwixt a year, and an hour, and that is eight thousand, seven hundred sixty for one; betwixt a year, and a moment, and that is many thousands for one; and such a disproportion there is betwixt the Everlastingness of God's judgement, and Mercy to us.  
In the Apocalyps it is said, 
Cap. 9 ver. 10.  Their tower, the evil Angels was to hurt Men five Months: Then again, 
Apoc. 2.10  Ye shall have tribulation ten days: And in Daniel, Seventy Weeks are determined upon this people, 
Dan. 9.24.  and upon the holy City, to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting Righteousness. And so in the Prophet Isaiah, For a small moment have I forsaken thee, 
Isa. 54.7, 8  but with great mercies will I gather thee: In a little wrath I hide my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.  
Observe ye now, there is a Month, we may be hurt; five Months; there is a week, seven weeks for iniquity; there is a day, tribulation for ten days and there is a moment, wrath for a moment, but Righteousness everlasting, everlasting kindness, everlasting mercies: And therefore rather Mercy than judgement, oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven, for his mercy endures for ever.  
For 1. his mercy hath a prerogative of Alliance; his mercy is manifeste● in himself; his judgement never, but for our sins. He made us in mercy, when we desired him not; he redeemed us in mercy, when we deserved it not; and without desert, upon desire and endeavour, he will save us in mercy; Oh praise the God of Heaven therefore, for his mercy endures for ever.  
For 2. his mercy hath a prerogative of Antiquity, his judgement shown not itself in the Creation, his mercy did, his judgement was in posse, and by way of condition; but his mercy was in esse, and act, and possession; therefore rather Mercy, than judgement.  
For 3. his mercy hath a prerogative of Honour; it honours God, and God honours it; it honours his power, in overcoming the power of Satan; it honours his justice, in satisfying the justice of himself; and it honours his Wisdom, in finding out such a Sacrifice which was propitiatory for the sins of the whole World, jesus Christ: And whence is all this honour to God, but from the mercies of God; 
joh. 3.16.  For God so loved the World, that He gave His only begotten son, etc. And God honours it: for He gives it the right hand at the last day: The Merciful are those Sheep which he will set at his right hand at Doomsday: 
Mat. 25.33.  and the right hand is the hand of Honour. Oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven therefore, for his mercy endureth for ever: His Mercy rather than his Judgement.  
For fourthly, his mercy hath a prerogative of Duration and continuance: sometimes an interruption of mercy there may be by Judgement, but evermore mercy recovers again. In the year 1602, (to go no farther than the easy compute of our own remembrances) Judgement interrupted mercy, and there died of the Plague, 30578. but mercy saved many more thousands alive, and took place again for 22. years: for till 1625. no Plague in this City, and then there died of the Plague, 34576. but many more thousands mercy saved alive, and reigned sole liver again for 5. years: for till 1630. no Plague in this City; and then there died of the Plague, but 1317. but many, many more thousands did mercy preserve and keep alive; and hath reigned 6. years again; and there are some thousands dead of the Plague this year, but many more thousands, by mercy's favour, reserved, and amongst them, ourselves, blessed be the God of Heaven: And why are we preserved yet? but to give thanks unto the God of Heaven, because his mercy endureth for ever.  
Would you be preserved still? and would you have mercy sweep away this Judgement? would you have mercy continue for ever, and give no more place to Judgement for another Plague? why no way so good, as for us to be like God; and this is a sure way, when our mercy, like Gods, endures for ever.  
God hath respect to us, for his own mercy's sake, and God hath respect to us for our mercy's sake too: For his own mercy's sake; and therefore it is, that we are not consumed: And for our mercy's sake; for God respected Cornelius for his works of mercy; so the Angel told him: Thy Prayers and thine Almsdeeds, are come up for a memorial before God. 
Act. 10.4.   
And do not you think that God hath respect to this City, for the merciful works of this City? Your Hospitals, wherein so many poor Widows, Orphans, Men, Women, young and old are relieved, so many sick and lame cured: Your Bridewells, wherein so many idle loiterers are made to work: and so many wanton Harlots punished: Your Bedlams, wherein so many mad men are Dieted, and some restored: Your Pest-houses, wherein so many infected persons are regarded, and some recovered: All these, and many more cry to God, that His mercy may endure for ever.  
Shall I commend one work of mercy more to you all; to all you that are hardhearted Creditors, where you see your debtors so poor, that they have nothing to pay; that then you would be like God, and forgive them all the debt: Else if nothing will serve your turns, but their bodies, to make Dice of their bones; then read that Parable in St. Matthew the 18. and you shall find, the merciless Creditor hath little hope of mercy with God.  
Nor is this any way advantageous to you who are Debtors, to find out shifts, and break, and convey your wares into your neighbour's Storehouses, thereby to make your Creditor believe you have nothing to pay, and therefore to forgive you: no, you that are debtors, must pay all that you own, if you have wherewith: if not all, yet so fare as you have to pay withal: This you must do, you must do this, as you hope to be saved, and find the mercy of God. 
Luk. 19.8.9.  Zacheus never heard of salvation, till he had first made restitution: nor may you hope for it, if you have wherewith to restore; But if you have nothing to pay, nothing indeed, why then your Creditors must be like God, and forgive you all the debt: His mercy endures for ever: and so must ours.  
Yet one more, for one more work of mercy: And this to you all, all in general, and together, rich and poor, if you would have God's mercy endure for ever to you: your mercy must endure for ever to God. But can a man be merciful to God? Yes, he may; and no Popery in it upon my life: God complains, and complains of you, and complains to you: That you press him with sins, 
Am. 2.13  as a Cart 〈◊〉 pressed with sheaves: And this pressing him, is a mere oppressing of him, and therefore you must be more merciful unto him, and lay no more load upon him: thou 〈…〉 the single ears 〈◊〉 Infirmities yet you must take head of the double sheaves of Impresses, 〈◊〉 press, 〈◊〉, and God forbidden that man should press his God: These your Impieties have pressed and squeezed a Plague out of the Cup of his Wrath, and it hath been drunk amongst us: If you would not drink the dregges of it yourselves, be more merciful to God, press him no more with sins, if you would have this Plague quite and clean removed: and then you shall live, and live to give Thanks to the God of Heaven, because his mercy endures for ever: Else if you press him still, His Judgements will endure for ever. And David you see, makes choice of mercy rather than Judgement, to persuade our thankfulness: Oh give thankes unto the God of Heaven, because, not his judgement, but his mercy endureth for ever.  
For ever, and Everlasting are the mercies of God indeed: Everlasting, and for ever in number; so many, that no Arithmetician can number them: Divide them, if you will, you may, into Temporal, Spiritual, Eternal: Temporal, to our bodies, Spiritual to our souls, Eternal to both souls and bodies: but number them you cannot, for they are a multitude, an infinite multitude: 
Psa. 51.1.  Do away mine offences, according to the multitude of thy mercies, saith David: A multitude they are, not only in the Genus, but the Species; and in the particular of the Species too: A multitude of Temporal; Bread to feed us, Cloth to cover us, Fire to warm us, Wine to refresh us; Oil to cheer us; the whole World is not able to recount them all: A multitude of Spiritual; his word to teach us to believe, to work, to pray; his Spirit to help us to pray, His son to pray for us, His Sacraments to preserve our souls and bodies unto Everlasting life, and who can name them all? A multitude of Eternals; Beauty to the Body Joy to the Soul, Glory to both, Everlastingness in all.  
Everlasting thus in the number, and Everlasting in the extension too; they compass us round; before us, in his preventing mercy; behind us, in his forbearing mercy; over us, in his forgiving mercy, under us, in his supporting mercy; on our right hand is his embracing mercy; As the Hills stand round about Jerusalem, 
Psa. 125.2  even so stand the mercies of God round about them that fear him: yourselves, I trust in God: His everlasting mercies are about you.  
Everlasting thus, in the Number, and extension; and Everlasting thus, in the Succession too: His jealousy visits the Iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children, 
Ex. 20.5.6.  unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate him, but he shows mercy unto thousands in them that love him, and keep his Commandoments. To us, o God, we beseech thee, & to our children, and to our children's children, so long as the Sun and Moon endures, and for ever, and for ever.  
Everlasting thus in number, in extension, in succession, and everlasting thus too in duration: Si dixerit, totâ die, dixerit nihil; sed in saecula saeculorum, non dixisset amplius. Had he said, his Mercy endures for a Day, he had said as much as nothing: but saying, for ever, his Mercy endures for ever, what could he say more? And that is a sufficient Reason to resolve my fourth Enquiry, why David repeats it so often, Twenty six times in this Psalm, his mercy endures for ever.  
So sweet a Theme it was, that the good man was ravished with it; he thought he could never speak enough of it. And indeed, who can? There are only two men that think they speak too much of it, the Papist, and the Schismatic: If the Papist did not think he spoke too much of it, he would never come in with his merit: would Andradius the Jesuit stand up with his Debitum ut donum, and tell us, that eternal life is not so much of God's mercy, as of man's merit? would Bellarmine lay down his Paradisum ex merito, and tell us, We may purchase Paradise by merit? would Vega more desperately say, Gratis non accipiam, I will none of Heaven, unless I may merit some part of it, if they did not think too much were spoke of mercy? You shall amongst them, find Merit twenty six times in one Chapter, and Mercy not above once: whereas in one of David's Psalms, you shall find Mercy twenty six times together, and Merit not so much as once, David and the jesuites surely were not of one opinion in this point.  
And so the Schismatic too; if he did not think, he spoke too much of Mercy, would he ever come in with his absolute Reprobation, that God made some men purposely to damn them? A likely thing that God should be more cruel than man! Did ever any of you, nay, did ever any man get, or beget a child purposely to break his neck when he was borne? Why? if there could be a man so cruel to his Child that came from his own loins, why yet God would be more cruel, if he should make any man on purpose for to damn him: for Damnation is a thing fare, and infinite worse than Death; for by Death, a Child is delivered from the miseries of this World; but by Damnation, a man is taken from the pleasures of this world, and hurled into unspeakable torments.  
Good God, that any man should think, that God, who exhorts all men to give him thankes, because his mercy endures for ever, should make any man amongst them all, on purpose for to Damn him! Reprobation is a word that came from Fury, not from Mercy; let him believe it that never means to give God thanks, and despair: I will believe, that I, the greatest of all sinners, that thou, that any man may be saved, if thou, or I, or any man do believe, that God's mercy does endure for ever; so that thou, and I, and any man do live answerable to that Mercy, and repent, and believe, and pray, and give thankes unto the God of Heaven, because his mercy endures for ever.  
His Mercy! This, this is the only thing we live by; this is the only thing we hope to be saved by, such a thing, This, his Mercy, so sweet, as in the Contemplation thereof, I could even Live and Die, or rather could live, and not Die; for whosoever lives and believes in God's mercies, and in jesus Christ, shall not die eternally. The Mercy of God; it is david's Amabaeum, and the burden of this Song, Praise the Lord, for his Mercy endures for ever: And so twenty six times in this Psalm; Praise the Lord, for his Mercy endures for ever. His Majesty may astonish us, his Glory may beat us down, his Greatness may strike us dead, his Omnipotency we adore, his Wisdom we admire, his justice we stand in awe of, his Vengeance we fly from; but, his Mercy! his Mercy! this is that strong, out of which came this sweet, and the full unfolding of Sampsons' Riddle: this is that Lion out of which came this Honeycomb, I will not fear what Man, or Devil, what Plague, or Pestilence can do unto me, so long as I can give thankes unto the God of Heaven, because His Mercy endures for ever. Amen.  
That was my beginning, and it is my ending; it was the beginning of us all, for of his mercy we all are, and are what we are: and I pray God it may be the ending of us all, and all of us Die in the Mercy of God; while we live, God give us grace to make such use of his Mercy; his Mercy temporal, and his Mercy spiritual, that then, when we die, we may enjoy his Mercy, which is Eternal Eternally, through the merits of his eternal Son, jesus Christ. To whom, with the holy Ghost; three persons and one God, be given everlasting thanksgiving, for his mercy which endures for ever. Amen.  
FINIS.