1. The greatness of the punishments proposed, Famine, Sword, and Plague: these are the three Besoms with which God sweeps mankind from off the Earth: these are Gods three Iron whips, by which he chastiseth sinful man: these are the three Arrows shot out of the Quiver of Gods wrath, for the punishment of man; they are as one calleth them, Tonsurae humani generis. In Rev. 6. you shall read of four Horses, when the four first Seals were opened, a white Horse, a red Horse, a black Horse, and a pale Horse: After Christ had ridden on the white Horse, propagating the Gospel, then follows the red Horse, a type of War; then the black Horse, an Hieroglyphic of Famine: then the pale Horse, the emblem of Pestilence. Now God was resolved to ride on one of these Horses, and David must choose upon which God should ride: this is a great strait: let me present Davids lifting up his eyes to Heaven, and speaking to God thus; O my God, what is this message thou hast sent me? thou offerest me three things: I am in a strait, I know which to refuse, but which to choose I know not: Shall the Land of Canaan a Land flowing with milk and honey, shall this Land endure seven years Famine, and be turned into a Wilderness, and dispeopled? and shall I, whose hands thou hast taught to fight, and whose fingers to war, shall I that have subdued all mine enemies, shall I in my old age, and all my Captains, fly three months before our enemies, and be driven to Caves and Rocks to hide our selves? O thou my God, who art my refuge, shall I and my people be a prey to the Pestilence, that walketh in darkness and destruction, that walketh at noon day? O my God, I know not what to do, I am in a great strait.
1. The greatness of the punishments proposed, Famine, Sword, and Plague: these are the three Besomes with which God sweeps mankind from off the Earth: these are Gods three Iron whips, by which he chastiseth sinful man: these are the three Arrows shot out of the Quiver of Gods wrath, for the punishment of man; they are as one calleth them, Tonsurae humani generis. In Rev. 6. you shall read of four Horses, when the four first Seals were opened, a white Horse, a red Horse, a black Horse, and a pale Horse: After Christ had ridden on the white Horse, propagating the Gospel, then follows the red Horse, a type of War; then the black Horse, an Hieroglyphick of Famine: then the pale Horse, the emblem of Pestilence. Now God was resolved to ride on one of these Horses, and David must chuse upon which God should ride: this is a great strait: let me present Davids lifting up his eyes to Heaven, and speaking to God thus; O my God, what is this message thou hast sent me? thou offerest me three things: I am in a strait, I know which to resuse, but which to chuse I know not: Shall the Land of Canaan a Land flowing with milk and honey, shall this Land endure seven years Famine, and be turned into a Wilderness, and dispeopled? and shall I, whose hands thou hast taught to fight, and whose fingers to war, shall I that have subdued all mine enemies, shall I in my old age, and all my Captains, fly three months before our enemies, and be driven to Caves and Rocks to hide our selves? O thou my God, who art my refuge, shall I and my people be a prey to the Pestilence, that walketh in darkness and destruction, that walketh at noon day? O my God, I know not what to do, I am in a great strait.
