Seven godly and fruitful sermons. The six first preached by Master John DodSeuen godlie and fruitfull sermons. The six first preached by Master Iohn Dod

2 Again, the people were not so reformed as they should be at this time, and therefore God in this plague doth aim at their humbling, thrusting David out of the gap (as it were) who had formerly by his prayers & tears stood in the breach, to keep of the Lords wrath from them, so that all this while being entangled with his own matters, he could not so freely deal for them.

2 Againe, the people were not so reformed as they should be at this time, and therefore God in this plague doth aime at their humbling, thrusting Dauid out of the gappe (as it were) who had formerly by his prayers & teares stood in the breach, to keep of the Lords wrath from them, so that all this while beeing intangled with his own matters, he could not so freely deale for them.

Now in that David must have such a sharp corrosive to consume that proud flesh that had grown about his ⟨p. 20⟩heart, Doct. 6 by reason of his mighty forces, and the largeness of his dominions, ¹the Doctrine is, that it is a wonderful hard thing to take down the pride of mans heart: it is no small affliction that will do it, as is plain Job 33.14. &c: where is at large showed, that God useth all means, and that again & again, and yet men will not profit thereby: then he finds out the cause of it to be pride, verse. 17. and so layeth corrections upon them suitable thereunto, smiting them with sorrow upon their beds; so that the grief of their bones is sore: pinching them with grievous sicknesses and diseases, and making their bones to clatter, so that their souls draw near to the grave, and their life to the buriers. Now when these or the like woeful distresses have tamed and mastered their unruly affections, then do they begin to be somewhat more tractable: and whereas neither dreams, nor visions, nor any of Gods ordinances would do any good upon them before, after that, if God send unto them a messenger or Interpreter one of a thousand, they will begin to hearken unto them, and to learn how they may obtain mercy and reconciliation with God, that they descend not into the pit of destruction. Further, we may observe what a great deal of woe David sustained by reason of the haughtiness of his heart, and his earthly confidence (which is a sign thereof) when he thought his mountain so strong,