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

But secondly, the Plague or Pestilence is not so the hand of God, as if there were no infection in it; for if there were no infection in it, if there were not something of nature in it, it could not be cured by remedies, nothing would do good; therefore it is not so the hand of God, as if there were nothing of infection in it; but 'tis called the hand of God because Gods providence hath a special hand in the sending and ordering of it. So now, the Famine may be called Gods hand: God sends it, I will call for a famine upon the land, says God: a Famine is of Gods sending, and therefore may I out fly from a Famine? Abraham, when there was a Famine in ⟨p. 14⟩the land went down to Abimelech: Isaac, when there was a famine in the land went down: and Jacob when there was a famine in the land went down to Egypt. And is it lawful to fly in the time of Famine, and is it not lawful to fly in the time of a Plague? Certainly the one as well as the other.

But secondly, the Plague or Pestilence is not so the hand of God, as if there were no infection in it; for if there were no infection in it, if there were not somthing of nature in it, it could not be cured by remedies, nothing would do good; therefore it is not so the hand of God, as if there were nothing of infection in it; but 'tis called the hand of God because Gods providence hath a special hand in the sending and ordering of it. So now, the Famine may be called Gods hand: God sends it, I will call for a famine upon the land, sayes God: a Famine is of Gods sending, and therefore may I out fly from a Famine? Abraham, when there was a Famine in ⟨p. 14⟩the land went down to Abimelech: Isaac, when there was a famine in the land went down: and Jacob when there was a famine in the land went down to Egypt. And is it lawfull to fly in the time of Famine, and is it not lawful to fly in the time of a Plague? Certainly the one as well as the other.

But then you will say, if the Lord hath promised protection and deliverance to those that trust in him in the time of a Plague, whether is it possible for a believer to dye by a Plague, seeing the whole Psalm is made to those; and Promise such protection to those that trust in the Lord, whether may a believer dye of the Plague? without all doubt he may. Seventy thousand dyed in David's time; do you think there was not a good man among them? 'tis recorded of several good men, that they dyed of the Plague; but you know what's said, All things fall alike to good and bad. If a good man may not dye of the Plague, how can all things fall alike to good and bad?