The righteous man's habitation in the time of plague and pestilence being a brief…

As for the first, I shall not be long in it. The misery and ⟨p. 7⟩danger of the Plague is sufficiently known. It is called the Plague above all other diseases, as if it were the Plague of plagues.

The several and particular judgments and evils that fell upon Pharaoh, they were called Plagues, they were all plagues; but now the Pestilence carries the name of the Plague, as if that of all other diseases were the plague of plagues.

It is, first of all, a most dreadful and terrible disease: it is here called in this Psalm, the terror by night, 5. verse, Thou shalt not be afraid by the terror by night: terror by night, why? the night it self is a time of fear and terror: darkness brings fear; but the Plague is the Night of nights, and the King of Terrors. How do men quake and tremble, and fly away at the noise of this? the report of this? When God appeared in his greatness, majesty and glory, gave a terrible appearance of himself, 'tis said in the third of Habakkuk, that the Pestilence went before him, in the 3d. verse, 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, and his brightness was as the light. He had horns coming out of his hand, and there was the hiding of his power. In the 5. verse, Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. Before him went the Pestilence, as his Officer and Executioner. When the Lord doth set forth his terrible appearance, thus he sets it forth, The pestilence went before him. Without all doubt, it is that disease that is most dreadful and terrible. And 2ly, as 'tis the most dreadful and terrible disease, so it is the most painful disease. The more suddenly any man is taken away in his strength, the more painful is his disease he dies of: a man that is spent with sickness, he is easily blown out; but when a man in his full strength shall suddenly dye, it costs him a great deal of pain. Thus it is, when the Plague takes one away in his full strength in a little time, therefore it is a very painful disease;