sand should fall at his side, and ten thousand at his right hand;" at the 8th verse, it is said, so Montanus, rather than only but, "with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the wicked:" as if he should say, Though this or that particular believer die of the plague, believers shall outlive the wicked and be last upon the ground, and they shall see the reward of the wicked; they shall see this judgment sweep away the ungodly.

But again, further, if I should interpret this as Austin doth in the ist of John, concerning Christ, where it is said, "He enlightens every one that comes into the world;" that is, says Austin, all that are enlightened are enlightened by him. As you say of a schoolmaster in a town, This schoolmaster teaches all the boys in the town; not that he teaches every particular boy in the town, but that all that are taught are taught by him. So, says he, Christ enlightens every one that comes into the world; that is, all that are enlightened are enlightened by him. So here the Lord doth promise protection and deliverance to all those that do believe in the time of a plague; that is, all that have protection and deliverance, in the time of a plague, have it from him.

But to end this, I do think that this xcist Psalm doth hold forth a promise of special protection in the time of a plague, for believers. The scope of it is not, that every particular believer shall not die; but the drift and scope of the Psalm is, to hold forth a speciality of protection for believers in the time of a plague. For as the time of a plague is a time of special danger; so God hath given out a special promise, and there shall be a speciality of protection for his people in the time of this danger; and that is the meaning of this place.

Well, but how, and by what means will God protect and deliver those that trust in him in the time of a plague?

For that I shall say only thus much; he will do it by the ministration of angels: especially by the ministration of angels. When angels go forth to destroy, then angels must go forth to deliver, seal, and secure: as in the viith of the Revelation, and 1st verse," After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw an

other angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth, and the sea, saying, Hurt not," &c. When angels go forth to hurt, then angels must go forth to seal, and save, and protect. Now in the time of a plague, angels go forth to destroy; therefore saith the Lord here, "I will give my angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways; they shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against the stone.” Have I given my angels commission to destroy? I have given my angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Thus now men shall be preserved and delivered in the time of a plague, by the ministry of angels. And so you have the words opened.

Now to bring things home to ourselves by way of application. Here we may see what is our work, our great work in this day. The day we are fallen into is a dark day, a day of the plague and the pestilence: it is good for us to inquire what our work is; it is good at all times, but now especially, to inquire what our work is. Oh, what is my work this day? Now the work of this day, our work is to trust in the Lord; this is the work that protection and deliverance in the time of a plague is entailed upon. Who is there that does not desire to be protected and delivered from this plague? Oh, that I and my family may be preserved! Behold here your antidote to keep you from the plague: Trust in the Lord, as ever you and your family may be protected now in this evil day. Trust in the Lord, and call upon yours to trust in the Lord.

But what shall we do that we may trust in the Lord in this day of the plague? First of all, you must repent of your own sins, and be sorrowful for the sins of others, and of the times wherein you live. When the plague came in David's time, you know what David did, he repented: "Lord," says he, “ I have done foolishly: as for these sheep, what have they done? It is I, Lord, it is I." So let every one do: this God expects in the time of a plague. In the ivth chapter of Amos, says the Lord there, in the 10th verse, “I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword; and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your

camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord." When God sends the pestilence, then he expects that men and women should return unto him: repent and return unto him. In the ixth of Ezekiel, those that sigh and mourn for the abominations, they are marked, when men go into the city with their destroying weapons. Those that sigh and mourn for the evil of the times, they are the marked men. They are not marked for deliverance, that do abstain from sin; a man may be given to drunkenness, and may leave his drunkenness, but that will not bring him under the mark: men are not brought under the mark for deliverance, that do repent of their own sin; but the mark is set upon those that do mourn for other men's sins. But now I put both together; if you trust in the Lord in this evil day, in the time of a plague, repent for your own sins, and mourn for the sins of others. For how can I trust in the Lord for protection, if I do not repent of my sins? If I live in any sin, and do not turn from all my evil ways, how can I trust in the Lord? I cannot do it; therefore repent and be sorrowful for your own sins, and for the sins of others.

Again, get assurance of your interest in Christ.

Christ is our great High Priest that makes the atonement, as Aaron did in the time of a plague; it is by the ministry of angels especially, that we are kept in the time of a plague. Now says our Saviour Christ to Nathaniel, "Because I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." The angels ascend and descend upon Christ. All the ministry of angels is upon Christ's account, and you are preserved and protected in the time of a plague by the ministration of angels. What then? Get an interest in Christ, and if you doubt of your interest, get assurance, do not let that slip now. Now get an interest in Christ, now get assurance.

Again, go to God to make good this promise. In this xcist Psalm, if you do but mind it, the Lord doth not only promise protection and deliverance from the plague to those that trust in him, but he promises grace to trust in him; he

promises protection upon condition that you trust in him, and he promises you grace also to trust in him. Saith he, at the 5th verse, "Art thou afraid, and canst not trust in me?" "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day." At the 4th verse, "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: thou shalt not be afraid," &c. Thou shalt be secure, and I will keep thee from fear. The Lord that hath promised protection in the time of a plague, hath also promised freedom from fear, and grace to trust in him; therefore go to God for this grace, go to him to make good this promise.

Then again, further, consider what motives ye have to trust in God in the time of a plague. You will say, What arguments or motives have we in the consideration whereof we may be moved to trust in God in a time of a plague? There are many; give me leave a little, that we may help one another's faith in this needful day.

First of all, though the destroyer be abroad, yet there is a man with his pen and ink-horn by his side also abroad, and that man is your friend, it is Christ; as you read in the ixth of Ezekiel, there goes a man out with a pen and ink-horn by his side, to mark those that sigh, and mourn, and cry for the abominations that are done. Now to this man, Christ is a friend, and therefore why should not you believe? why should you not trust in the Lord?

But, again, if that the Lord do know those that do trust in him in the time of a plague, why should you not trust in him? In the first chapter of Nahum you find very great expressions of God's anger and indignation. It is said at the second verse," God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies, &c." At the fifth verse, "The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burnt at his presence; yea, the world and all that dwell therein; who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him." What then? In the 7th verse, "The Lord is good, a strong-hold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him." The Lord

when he is angry doth distinguish betwixt those that trust in him, and those that do not trust in him. If a man be angry and in fury, he strikes any that comes in his way, he does not know his friends from his enemies; but the Lord knows them that trust in him, though he be angry, and in fury, and in indignation, yet he knows them that trust in him; and therefore why should ye not trust in the Lord in the day of a plague ?

Again, if that a plague and pestilence do make room for God's people, why should ye not trust in the Lord in the time of a plague? what, think you, should be the meaning of that which we read in the iiird of Habakkuk ? "Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet." When was this? It was when God led his people into Canaan: "God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise; before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet." He sent the pestilence among the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites to consume them, and make for his people. God can send a pestilence into a city, to make room for his people, and to take off persecution. You see you have scripture for it: "Before him went the pestilence." Now, I say, if God by a pestilence can, and doth, and will make room for his people, why should not ye, who are the people of God, trust in the Lord in the day of a plague?

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Again, if there be mercy with the Lord in the time of a plague, if God be ready to be entreated, and to receive atonement, and to show mercy unto his people, why then should not you trust in the Lord in the time of a plague? Now I pray look upon the story of David's time, and you may see how ready God was to show mercy in the day of a plague. First of all, upon that ground, God told David where the temple should be built, which he never told him before: but, secondly, look into the story, and you will see what abatement there is; how God threatened and abates. There was threatened seven years famine, and observe two abatements: 1 Chron. xxi. 12. God came to David, and said, Thus saith the Lord, choose thee either three years famine, &c. In the 2 Samuel xxiv, it is seven years famine: in the 13th verse, "God came to David and told him, and said