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

But stay; the Plague is called the hand of God; and can a man flee from the hand of God; mark a little for answer: The hand of God is either mediate or immediate; suppose that ⟨p. 13⟩the Plague or pestilence were the immediate hand of God, and nothing of nature or infection in it: yet 'tis lawful to fly, 'tis lawful to go out of that place where the immediate hand of God rests. In the 16th of Numbers there was an immediate hand of God upon Korah, Dathan and Abyram, for the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up; here was an immediate hand of God: yet the Lord speaks unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, in the 21. verse, Separate your selves from amongst this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment; and at the 24. verse, Speak unto this congregation, saying, get ye up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; which was the immediate hand of God, and yet notwithstanding they were to go from among them that the hand of God fell upon, though 'twere an immediate hand. And in the following part of the Chapter the same expression is used for the Plague: in the 44. v. They murmured, and the Lord struck them with the Plague. Well, the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, in the 45. verse, Get you up from amongst this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment: the same that is said before, is said here concerning the Plague. So that I say, although the Plague were the immediate hand of God, and there were nothing of nature or infection in it, yet it were lawful to fly.

But stay; the Plague is called the hand of God; and can a man flee fron the hand of God; mark a little for answer: The hand of God is either mediate or immediate; suppose that ⟨p. 13⟩the Plague or pestilence were the immediate hand of God, and nothing of nature or infection in it: yet 'tis lawfull to fly, 'tis lawfull to go out of that place where the immediate hand of God rests. In the 16th of Numbers there was an immediate hand of God upon Korah, Dathan and Abyram, for the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up; here was an immediate hand of God: yet the Lord speaks unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, in the 21. verse, Separate your selves from amongst this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment; and at the 24. verse, Speak unto this congregation, saying, get ye up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; which was the immediate hand of God, and yet notwithstanding they were to go from among them that the hand of God fell upon, though 'twere an immediate hand. And in the following part of the Chapter the same expression is used for the Plague: in the 44. v. They murmured, and the Lord strook them with the Plague. Well, the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, in the 45. verse, Get you up from amongst this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment: the same that is said before, is said here concerning the Plague. So that I say, although the Plague were the immediate hand of God, and there were nothing of nature or infection in it, yet it were lawfull to fly.