L 18 , XV I. The numb'ringoftbe people. 1139 ~ his rcincs cllallifcd himin the night,yct his Seer fcourgcs him io the morning, Th111 --- . fa~th the L.,d,T •ffer thee thru things,chDift the r>hlch •fthtm I {hall d~e um•tbee. But whadhall we fay rothis~Whcn upon the Prophets reproofe for an adultery cloaked with murder, Dwid did but fay,t havefinned,itwas prefenrly rerurocd,G•dharh p111 '"''}thy finnt; neitherdid any fmart follow, but the deathofa mif.bcgorten infant· and now when he voluntarily reprovcth himfclfe for both a needletfe muller and foUght for pordon unbidden with great hnmiliation, God fends him the three ;crrible fcourges, Famine,Sword,or Pellilcnce, that be may choofewirh which ofthem he had rather to bleed;he lhall have the favour ofan clethon,not of a rcmillion:God is more angrcd with a fpiriruall, and immediate affront offered to his Majffly in our pnde, and falfc confidence in earthly thicgs, then with~ !lclhly crime tho~gh hainoufly fccondcd. It was anhard andwoful choice,ofthrce yearcs famine added to three fore-palls or ofrhree moncthcs flight from the fword ofan enemy, or three daies peftilence. TheAlmighty that bath fore-determined his judgemenc,rcfcrres it toDavids will a; fully,as ifit were utterly undmrmined1God had refolved, yet David may choofe 1 That infinite wifdomc bath forefeene the very will ofhis creature! \vbich whiles it freely inclines it fclfe to what it had rather, unwittingly wills that which was fore. appointed in heaven. Wedo wdl bcleeve thee,O Davld,thatthou Wert io a wonderfullllrait;this very liberty is no other rhen fetters; Thou nccdll not have famine, thou needll not have the fword,thouneedll not have pellilence;oneofthem thou mullhave;There is miC fcry in all,thcre is mifery in any ; thou and thy people can die but once; and once they mull dye, eithor by faminc,warre, or pellilence. Oh God,howv•inely dowe hope to patfe over ourlins with impunity,when all the favour that David and Ifrael can receive is to choofe their bane~ Yet bchold,neithcr fins,nor threates,nor feares can bereave a true penitent ofhis faith,Ltl m faO n•• iniD the hanJ,f the L~rd,[~r hilmtrcies.regrtAI. There can be no cvillofpuoilhmenc wherein God bath nota hand; therecould be no famine, no fword without him; but fomc cvills are more immediate from a divine llroke; fuch was that plague ioro which D•vidis unwillinglywilling to fallrHe had his choi{e of dayes, monetbs,yeares in the fame number; and rhough the !hortnetre oftime prefixed to th~ thrcatned pdlilmce mighr fc~m to of~'<r fom: advantage f?rthe leading D of h:s cle~!lon, yet God meant (and Davtdkncw tt) hcrem to proporuon the difference oftime to the violence ofthe plague,ncithcr lhould any fewer perilhby fofew dayes pellilonco, then by fo many yeares famine : The wealthiell might avoid the dearth,the fwiftcll mighr run away from the fword,no man could promife himfclfe fafcty from thatpcftilcocc: In likelihood GodsAngcll would rather llrike the moll guilty1How ever therefore David might welllooke to be inwrapped inrhecommon dtllrutlion, yet he rather choofeth to fall into that mercy which he had abufed,and tofuffer from that jullice which he had provoked; Ltl m ngw foO intD tht hands •ftbe Lord. Humble confeJiions, and devout penance cannot alwaies avert temporal! judgements;Gods Angell is abroad,and withinthat lhortcompatfeoftimc fweepcsaway E fcvchty thoufand l[raelires;David was proud ofthe number of his fubjetlssnow they l!c abated,that he may fee caufe ofhumiliation in thematter ofhis glory 1 In what wehave offended,wecommonly fmart!Thefe thoufands of!frael werenot fa inno· ccnr, that they fhould onely perilh for Davids finne : Their fins were the motives both ofthis fin, and punilhmcnt 1 befides the rcfpetlo£ DAviJs offence, they die for thcmfelves. It was no ordinarie pellilcncc that was thus fuddenly and univcrfally momi;Co . mo;> ey:s faw the botch,& the markcs,fawnotthe Angcii;VAvids clearerfight bath efp:ed !urn (afrer that killing peragration through the Tribes of Ifracl) lhaking his fword ovcrlem{alom,and hovering over Mount Sion; and now he who doubtle!fe had fpentthofe three difma\1 dayes in the faddcll contrition, humbly calls himfelfe down at the feet of the avenger, and la yes himfelfe ready fortbefatal! firokeof jufiice;
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