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

3ly. If that Plague and Pestilence do make room for Gods people, why should ye not trust in the Lord in the time of a Plague? what (think you) should be the meaning of that which we read in the 3d of Habakkuk? Before him went the Pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. When was this? it was when God led his people into Canaan: God came from Teinan, and the Holy One from mount Paran. (Selah.) His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise; before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. He sent the pestilence among the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Peresites, to consume them and make way for his people. God can send a Pestilence into a City, to make room for his people, and to take off persecution. You see you have Scripture for it, before him went the pestilence: now I say, if God by a Pestilence can, and doth, and will make room for his people, why should not ye, who are the people of God, trust in the Lord in the day of a Plague?

4ly. If there be mercy with the Lord in the time of a plague, if God be ready to be entreated, & to receive atonement, and to show mercy unto his people, why then should not you trust in the Lord in the time of a Plague? Now I pray look upon the story of David's time, and you may see how ready God was to show mercy in the day of a Plague. First of all, upon that ground God told David where the Temple should be built, which he never told him before: but 2ly. look into the story, and you shall see what abatement there is; how God threatened, & abates. There was threatened seven years famine, and observe two abatements; first Chron. 21. 12. God came to David, and said, thus saith the Lord, choose thee either 3. years famine. In the 2 Samuel 24, 'tis 7. years famine• in the 13. v. ⟨p. 21⟩God came to David and told him, and said unto him, shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land, or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies: seven years of famine, says one place; three years of famine says the other: why? because God abates. Well, but there is a great abatement if you look upon the business of the Plague. The Lord gave David his choice; Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land, or wilt thou fly three months before thine enemies, or that there be three days pestilence in thy land? well, at the 15th verse,