4.

443, abfque utilitate, nibili, ina-
tilis.

Children of the Devil, 1 John iii. 8.
John viii. 44.

2. What contemptible things they are compared to. Reprobate Silver, Fer. vi. 30. Smoke, Pfa. xxxvii. 20. Stubble, Pfa. lxxxiii. 13. a barren Heath, Jer. xvii. 6. Duft, Pfa. i. 4. Dogs, Pfa. xxii. 16. Hogs, Matth. vii. 6.

3. What contemptible Bufineffes they are employed about; in Sin, the Devil's Drudgery.

4. What contemptible Pleasures they are delighted in: No other than the Pleafures of Senfe, which the Beasts enjoy as well as Man.

Nos aper

auditu præcellit aranea tatu, Vultur odoratu, lynx vifu, fimia guftu.

5. What contemptible things they are put off with; the things of this World, Pf. xvii. 14.

USE.

1. Examinat. It behoves us to try, and know whether we be Despisers of GOD or no. They despise GOD who

1. Despise his Son, Luke x. 16.
2. His Word, Ifa. v. 24.

1. His Commands, Lev. xxvi. 15. Amos
ii. 4. 2 Sam. xii. 9, 10.

2. His Promises.

3. His Threatnings.

3. His Works, Ifa. v. 12. Pfa, xxviii. 5. 4. His Ordinances.

5. His Minifters, Luke x. 16.

6. His Magiftrates, 2 Pet. ii. 10. Jud. 8.
7. His Mercies, Rom. ii. 4.

8. His Judgments, Job. v. 17. Heb. xii. 5.
9. His Saints, 2 Tim. iii, 3.

10. His Favour.

11. His Spirit.

12. His Vicegerent, Confcience.

Let us

2 SA M. XXIV. 14.

us fall
fall now into the Hand of the

Lord.

HE Hand of the Lord is in a peculiar man

T'her feen in the Sickness:
TH

Or, It is the Hand of the Lord, and the Sword of the Lord, 1 Chron. xxi. 12. and Hand, Exod. ix. 3.

I. Neg. Not as if it always came immediately from God, for he useth fecundary.

1. Supernatural Causes.

1. Good Angels, v. 15, 16. 2 Paral.xxxii.

21.

2. Bad, Fob ii. 7,8.

2. Natural.

II. Pof. But still it is in a peculiar manner from God. Ecce digitus Dei.

As appears,

1. In the beginning from fuch various or no
Causes.

2. The Poyfonous Qualities of all forts.
3. Its Contagion, one not another, fome-
times rich fometimes poor.

4. Effects, it takes away fo many.

Athens. Vefpafian 10000. Indies. Eufeb.
5. Its Attendants.

2. Why does God fend it? for Sin.
1. The Pride of Superiors, 2 Sam. 24.
2. Injustice and Oppreffion, as in Egypt.
3. Contempt of the Word, Exek. v. 11, 12.

USE. What muft we do?

1. Prefervatives.

1. Common.

1. Repentance.

2. Faith.

3. A Refignation of our Wills to God's.
4. A ferious Confideration of the Mercy
in God in all Judgments.

5. Live above the Fear of Death.

2. Special.

1. In the Morning.

1. Prayer.

2. Reading the Word, Pf.xci. Pf.

xxxi. 19.

3. Renewed Acts of Faith in Christ.
2. All Day.

1. Trust in God's Promifes, Pf. xi.
Rom. viii.

2. Frequent Ejaculations.

2. Cure of infected.

1. Look up to the Author.

2. Acknowledge his Juftice, and thy Sins.
3. Lay hold on Chrift, and the Promises.
4. Think much on the Power and Mercy
of God.

5. Submit to his Will and Pleasure,

6. Strengthen your felves with the Thoughts of the Sting of Death taken out by Chrift

1

1 REG. viii. 37, 38, 39,

Ver. 37. If there be in the land famine, if there be peftilence, blasting, mildew, locuft, or if there be caterpillar: if their enemy befiege them in the land of their cities, whatfoever plague, whatfoever fickness there be:

Ver. 38. What prayer and fupplication foever be made by any man, or by all thy people Ifrael, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and Spread forth his hands towards this houfe:

Ver. 39. Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive and do, and give every man according to his ways, whofe heart thou knowest (for thou, even thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men.)

HERE are,

1. Some things fuppofed.

2. Defired.

1. Supposed.

1. That a Land may lie under great Judg-
ments from God; and that,2Cbron.vii.13.
1. In Mercy to fome of the Land.
2. In Anger against others.

2. That at fuch a time the People pray, v.38.

1. That

1. That God would fanctify.

2. And then remove them.

3. That they that do thus pray, first know the Plague of their own Hearts.

Where confider,

I. What are we to understand by the Plague of our own Hearts ?

Sin; which is like the Plague.

1. In its Cause. Sin, as the Plague, proceeds from Corruption.

2. Its Infection, Gal. v. 9.

3. Its Prevalency: It is Epidemical.
4. Its Power in turning other Diseases into
it felf: So Sin makes all Actions Sin,
Prov. xv. 8. and xxi. 27. Ifa. lxvi. 3.
Prov. xxi. 4.

5. Its fad Effects.

1. The Plague diftempers the whole Body, Sin the Soul, Ifa. i. 5, 6.

2. The Plague flies up into the Head, and Sin makes mad, Fer. 1. 38.

3. The Plague ufually kills the Body, and Sin the Soul.

6. Its manner of Prevention.

1. By Purges or Catharticks, P. li. 27. 12. By Antidotes.

Antidotes againft Sin.

1. Prayer each Morning.

2. Carrying the Fear of GOD about with us all Day, Prov. xxiii. 17. and xvi. 6.

7. Its manner of Cure.

1. By Sweats; Sin by Repentance.
2. Cordials; Sin by Faith.

II. How should we know this Plague of our

Hearts?

I. Se