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unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land, or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies ?" Seven years of famine, says one place, three years of famine, says the other: Why? because God abates. Well, but there is a great abatement if you look upon the business of the plague. The Lord gave David his choice; "Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land, or wilt thou fly three months before thine enemies, or that there be three days pestilence in thy land?" Well, at the 15th verse, 2 Sam. xxiv. 15, "So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, from the morning even to the time appointed." The time appointed, how long was that? What, three days? no, there was abatement; how doth that appear?" So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, from the morning even to the time appointed;" even to the evening sacrifice, for so it signifies. But how do you prove that it did not last three days? By two reasons, says Peter Martyr; one, because it is said, "The Lord repented him of the evil :" and another, because, says he, at the 16th verse, "When the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him;" Why? if the three days had been at an end, the angel would not have stretched out his hand to have destroyed Jerusalem: therefore the angel still putting forth his hand to destroy, shows that the three days were not an end; so that there was an abatement. I speak it to show God's readiness to abate, and to show mercy in the time of a plague.

Again, you may observe here in this story, that when the plague came to Jerusalem, which was the most populous place, there it stayed: at the 16th verse, "And when the angel stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil." When it came to the most populous place, where it was most likely to be infective, there it stayed: see the readiness of God to show mercy.

But, further, you may observe, if you look into this story, that the Lord repented him, and gave commandment for the staying of the pestilence before David repented. I confess there is somewhat of his repentance before. But afterwards, “David said unto God (1 Chron. xxi. 17.), Is it not I that have commanded the people to be numbered, even I it is I that have sinned, and done evil indeed, let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord, my God, be on me and on my

father's house, but not on this people, that they should be plagued. David lift up his eyes (in the 16th verse) and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over against Jerusalem." And then follows that speech of David. But if you look before, you shall find the Lord made an abatement before this speech of his; before this humiliation of his; the Lord shewed mercy, and gave him his choice before, in the second of Samuel, xxiv. 16, "And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough, stay now thine hand; and the angel of the Lord was by the threshing-floor of Araunath the Jebusite. And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have said, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me and against my father's house," at the 17th verse; but the Lord repented him, at the 16th verse; as if the Lord did prevent David's repentance with his loving kindness; before his full repentance came out, the Lord gave commission to stay the plague: look well upon this story, and you may see how ready the Lord is to shew mercy, and be entreated by his people in the time of a plague.

But, again, if this promise in Psalm xci., which is nothing else but a promise in the time of a plague; if this promise be full, and certain, and solid, as it may obviate all our fears and objections; why then should we not trust in the Lord in the time of a plague? Now do but mark the Psalm, and you shall see the words are so said as may obviate all your fears and objections.

Will you say, The destroying angels are now abroad, the arrows of the Almighty are now about us? Says he, "He will give his 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 a stone." Will you say, Aye, but hundreds fall on this side and on the other side, and thousands may quickly? then says he, "Yet it shall not come nigh thee: there shall no evil befal thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling," verses 7, 10.

Will you say, Oh, but this same disease of the plague, it is

like a lion and an adder, and as a young lion and dragon; yet, saith he, "Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder, and the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet," in the 13th verse.

Will you say, Oh, but suppose the plague should come, all my friends would leave me; I shall be left all alone, and wht shall become of me then? Why, says he, at the 15th verse, "He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble:" spoken in regard of the plague; I am of Molerus' mind, that the whole Psalm relates to the plague. Will you say, Oh, but I cannot believe this; there is no likelihood that I should escape in a general plague. Mark what he says in the last verse: "With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation:" it shall be my salvation; thou shalt not be saved by second causes, but it shall be my salvation. And in the 3rd verse, saith he, "Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, from the noisome pestilence." Do not doubt it, surely he shall deliver thee. The words of this Psalm are so said, as to take off, and to obviate all our objections and fears; therefore why should we not trust in the Lord in the time of a plague?

But you will say, then, How shall this work of faith and trusting in the Lord be carried on? I shall say no more in it, but only two or three things from this Psalm. It must be carried on with love to God, knowledge of his name, and In the 14th verse, prayer. "Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him." As you must believe and trust in God, so you must set your love on God; and, says he, "I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him." Here are three things; love to God, knowledge of his name, and prayer; your faith and trust in such a day must go along with these three: some say, they do believe and trust in God, but they do not set their love upon God; some say they love him but do not know his name, that whereby God is distinguished and worshipped; some say they know God's name, but they do not pray. But, now, if you would carry on your faith and trust in the Lord as you ought to do, your trusting in the Lord must be carried on with love to God, knowledge of his name, and prayer.

Again, go on in your way, christians, do not start out of your way; "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to

keep thee in all thy ways:" in all thy ways, the ways of thy calling: take heed you be not found out of your way, that the plague does not find you out of your way, look that you do not start out of your way.

Again, and so to end; go to God, and tell the Lord that you do trust in him, and make him your habitation; "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, (in the Hebrew, I will say to the Lord,) My refuge, my fortress, my God, in him will I trust." It is not enough to trust in the Lord, but you must go to God and tell him, that you do trust in him, that you make him your habitation; say, Lord, I make thee my habitation, I trust in thee, thou art my refuge, and my fortress, in thee do I trust.

PSALM XCI.

11. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

"FOR he shall give his angels charge over thee," &c. Having treated of this Psalm already, I shall not spend much time in showing you the coherence of these words. with the former; you see they are brought in with a for; "For he shall give his angels charge over thee," as giving an account and reason of that which was said before. In the former part of the Psalm, you read of the saint's protection in, and their deliverance from, the plague and pestilence in the day thereof. At the tenth verse," There shall no evil befal thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling." Why? "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." &c. So that here still you have the promise of protection in the time of the plague and pestilence; the means whereby God will protect and deliver. The condition of this promise in these words, "Keep thee in all thy ways." So that though the danger of the plague and pestilence be never so great, yet if we be found in our ways, God's angels, under Him, shall be our pro

tection. "He shall give his angels charge over thee," &e. In which words, you may read the special and singular care and providence of God over his people in the time of plague and pestilence, to be managed by the hands of angels. God will take special order with the angels, for the safety of his people in the time of the plague and pestilence.

For the clearing of which argument, three things will fall under our consideration. First. That God hath singular care and providence over his children. Secondly. That this care and providence is managed by the hands of angels. Thirdly. That this and all this, is and shall be exerted and drawn out especially in the time of the plague and pestilence.

As for the first, it is so full and clear in the words, that I shall need go no further. He doth not say that God will provide for his people in the general, but there is a singular and special care and providence that God hath for his people. For if you mind the words: first, he says, "He will give his angels charge over thee." Charge; charge is a strict command, more than a bare command, as when you would have a servant do a business certainly and fully, you lay a charge upon him, I charge you that you do not neglect that business; you do not barely tell what he should do, prescribe him his work, but you charge him to do it. So says the Lord unto the angels, My servants or children, now. they are in the plague and pestilence, O my angels, I charge you, stir not from their houses, I charge you stir not from such an one's bed-side; it is a charge," He shall give his angels charge."

Further, he doth not only, and will not only charge his angel, but his angels; not one angel charged with the safety of his people, but many angels, for their better guard and security," He shall give his angels charge."

And again, "He will give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee;" to keep thee; charge, over thee, and to keep thee; not only over the whole church of God, but over every particular member of the church of God; "He will give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:" this is his marvellous care.

Well, but besides this, "He will give his angels charge to keep thee in all thy ways;" not in some of thy ways, but in all thy ways. As God's providence is particular in

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