euery particular man For a speciall attribute of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answ. God loueth all men but not alike for wee must distinguish of Gods loue vnto man which is twofold 1. Vniuersall or generall by which he loues men as his creatures 2. Speciall and particular whereby hee loues them as new creatures By this speciall kinde of loue he loues onely his elect and no wicked men who yet as his creatures are loued of him but not in such effects of loue as the elect are The third obiection is taken from the generalitie of the death of Christ Christ say they died for all men and therefore all men are redeemed Answ. Christ dyed for all men that is all kinds and degrees of men but not for euery seuerall and indiuiduall person for then could there bee no place left either for election or reprobation seeing where all are taken none are either chosen or left 2. The reason of the Name of Iesus was because he must saue his people from their sinnes And the Euangelist saith he shed his bloud not for all but for many for the remission of sinne Mat. 26. 26. Yea himselfe affirmeth He gaue his life onely for his sheepe Ioh. 10. and that hee prayeth not for the world that is the wicked of the world and much lesse dyeth for them To which purpose well said Augustine In coelo interpellat pro te qui in terra pro te mortuus est 3. It is the voice of the Church Reu. 5. 9. Thou hast beene slaine and redeemed vs vnto God by thy bloud out of euery Tribe Language People and Nation She saith not Thou hast redeemed euery particular man in euery Nation but out of euery Nation and Language some 4. Caiaphas himselfe prophecying by the instinct of the Spirit as another Balaam said that Christ must dye to gather into one not all the sons of men but all the sonnes of God dispersed But the wicked are not the sonnes of God and therefore Christ was not to dye for them The fourth obiection is taken from the validitie of the merit of Christ If Christ say they payd a price of infinite value sufficient for the sinnes of the whole world and euery singular man then he hath redeemed the whole world and euery singular man But he hath paid such a price therefore c. Answ. The price which Christ payd was for the efficacie infinite as being the bloud of a Person that was God but this efficacie is twofold 1. Potentiall by which it was in it selfe sufficient for euery particular person in the world or in a thousand worlds if we suppose so many 2. Actuall and this is only where it is applied In which latter respect it was decreed by God and purposed by Christ to be paid onely for the elect and such as are predestinate to eternall life for he purposed not to be a satisfaction to any to whom he is not sanctification Heb. 9. 13 14. but no wicked man is sanctified Neither did hee purpose to die for any for whom hee purposed not to rise againe or whose persons he sustained not both in his death resurrection and to whom the vertue of both is not applied and at one time or other apparent in their death to sin and rising to newnesse of life In a word If Christ purposed effectually to die for wicked men then he failed of his purpose both in the matter of his Redemption as also in the effect of it The former because wheras the whole Redemption of Christ wrought by his death standeth of two parts 1. A freedome from sin in respect of the power of condemning and 2. In respect of the power of raigning he failed of both the essentiall parts of Redemption in such as they say he redeemed A strange redemption I trow must that be where is no freedom from sin neither in the guilt nor in the raigne of it The latter in that parties who they say are redeemed must yet be condemned for those sinnes from vnder which Christ is risen so was actually absolued from them then which an higher indignity cannot bee ascribed to the Sonne of God or the merite of his suffering or resurrection The fifth obiection is taken from the vniuersality of Christs calling he calleth all vnto him and therfore he died for all Answ. The antecedent is false for many haue liued who neuer heard of the Name of Christ as the Gentiles before Christ now many barbarous parts of the world want the very mention of him as our Trauellers haue found But to the consequent that also is as false for howsoeuer Christ call all vnto him within the bosome of the Church yet not al in the like manner For calling is twofold either common in respect of the meanes or speciall in respect of effectuall working By the former all are promiscuously called by the latter only the godly Secondly consider Christ himselfe in calling two waies 1. As he is one Cod with the Father and holy Ghost and thus he calleth good and bad 2. As the head of his Church and Mediator and thus he effectually calleth the elect onely who are members of his body embraced in a singular loue The sixt obiection is taken from the generall communication in the nature of Christ thus Christ tooke euery mans flesh and therefore euery man hath part in that worke of Redemption in that flesh performed Answ. In the great worke of mans Redemption two things must be considered first the Instrument and that is the flesh of Christ secondly the principall Agent which is the Spirit and power which herein puts forth itselfe If we looke vpon the former in it selfe our Sauiour himselfe saith The flesh profiteth nothing further then it is ioyned with the Spirit life of Christ which wicked men want and therefore notwithstanding the former can haue no part in this Redemption The seuenth obiection is taken from the latitude or extent of the grace in the second Adam which say they must not bee short or inferior to the guilt in the first Adam But all and euery particular man is made a sinner in the first Adam and therefore all and euery particular man is made righteous and consequently redeemed in the second Answ. The grace brought in by the second Adam is to bee considered two waies first in the weight of it secondly in the number of such as partake in it In respect of the weight and excellencie of it selfe it is not lesse to the sin of Adam for there is far more power required to the putting away of many sins yea innumerable sins of all the elect by iustification then to propagate one sin vnto all by natural pollution Whence the Apostle notably preferreth Christs power aboue Adams Rom. 5. 16. who not onely abolished one sinne brought in by him but infinite more But not as the sin so was the gift And the reason is because that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adami
are very large And now hauing spoken of the person whose sinne is thus freely remitted wee come to speake of the blessednesse promised vnto him Blessed NOw we are to enquire First what is meant by the blessednesse pronounced on such a man as hath this ease couer and acquittance from his sinnes Secondly the instructions to be learned By blessednesse is meant an effect of iustification namely that happy state and condition of a man arising from all those heauenly blessings in Christ which are chained together Ro. 8. 29. 30. as from Gods prescience predestination vocation iustification sanctification and glorification This blessednesse of a man in Christ hath two degrees First in this life which may bee called a blessednesse of grace Secondly in the life to come which is a blessednesse of glorie The former is heere principally meant which may be reached in this life and necessarily draweth after it the other as he that draweth one linke of a chaine draweth the whole Pardon of sinne is such a gift as makes a man fully happy for the Text cleareth it thus First that which remoueth all miserie and burden maketh a man happy such as are the curse of God due to sinne in this life and the life to come the guiltinesse of conscience horrour of soule and expectation of vengeance which is hell before hell c. But this doth pardon of sinne it is the ease of our burden Secondly that which brings into fauour with GOD otherwise an enemie so as God and man can now walke together as friends God can looke with a cleare countenance on man and man looke vp with sweet comfort in his God This makes a man a happy man the light of Gods countenance is better then life But this doth pardon of sinne which couereth all our nakednesse and deformitie Thirdly that wherein we are iustified before God is our blessednesse but in not imputing of sinnes is our iustification as the Apostle from this place proueth Rom. 4. 6. 7. Hence is it that Zachary in his Song Luk. 1. 77. sayth that God by remission of sinne teacheth the knowledge of saluation Fourthly and lastly euen nature will draw this confession from the worst that the best to be happy need pardon that if God straitly mark what is done amisse none could abide and that euery man by the Law is accursed Secondly and much more doth the Scripture teach that before God haue begunne his grace with a man his whole life is hatefull his mind and conscience polluted yea and after euery thing is imperfect so as the best workes need pardon Thirdly and most of all the experience of the godly confirmeth this truth Neuer did any man feele the burden of sinne and Gods wrath in his soule for it but hee could say his happinesse was to be eased Neuer did any see the ougly face of his sinne and Gods angry face beholding it out of Heauen as a consuming fire but hee would proclaime him happy whose sinne is couered Neuer did any feele Gods Tribunall set vp in his conscience and God and his conscience casting him for his insufficiencie but he did place his peace and happinesse in Gods not imputing his sinne vnto him If blessednesse stand in the pardon of sinne and imputation of righteousnesse then not in merits and satisfactions This vse the Apostle draweth out of this place Rom. 4. If righteousnesse stand in the hiding of sin then not in meriting it Besides there are but two wayes of discharging debts eyther forgiuenesse or payment If I pay it is not forgiuen Popish doctrine standeth here against the light of the Scripture in the Campes of naturall reason which suggesteth that something must bee done by a man to his owne iustification as the young man What good thing shall I doe to be saued And the Papists neuer asking God what they should doe set themselues on workes satisfactorie which hee neuer enioyned as Donations to Churches Pilgrimages Fastings Pater-nosters Aueës Creeds Inuocations Visitations Oblations to Saints keeping and kissing yea praying to Reliques Merits of Saints Workes supererogatory Purgatory Vowes Vigils Masse-chantings Iubileës martes of pardon and a thousand such Symoniacall trickes to make a sale of remission of sinnes all which wage battell and warre to this learning of Dauid Of all these in generall will one day bee said Who required these things at your hands these things so derogatorie to the bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all sinne Secondly to the nature of iustification which is the full absolution of a sinner before God by reason of Christ who is made our righteousnesse by imputation Thirdly so derogatory to the truth of the doctrine concerning good Workes which are farre from iustifying or meriting I speake of good Workes euen of grace which first are imperfect in number secondly in degree not being done with all due intents nor the whole heart and strength neither can be because the heart is partly spirituall partly fleshly the best workes therefore haue flesh and corruption in them and whatsoeuer is defiled performeth not the Law needeth a couer and cannot in it selfe be accepted Thirdly they are imperfect in the person No good worke can proceede from any but a good worker and a iustified person first make the tree good and then the fruit will be good also therefore they cannot iustifie seeing the person is already iustified And the iustified person when he doth the best is vnprofitable he cannot answere one of a thousand and if the Lord should marke what is done amisse who could stand The best worke hath matter of humiliation which may exclude all our reioycing Paul knew nothing by himselfe but had practised workes of grace many yet saith he was not thereby iustified But they say God hath promised a reward of life eternall to good workes Let them shew a place where it is promised to the worke but to the worker being a beleeuer to whom Christs righteousnesse is imputed in which regards all such rewards are meere mercy But Christ hath merited that our good works should merit That is false for then Christ merited that our good workes should fulfill the iustice of the Law which they cannot being stayned with sinne and that they are dyed in the bloud of Christ maketh them not meritorious of eternall life but that they bring not eternall death Dauid prayeth Psal. 7. 3. to bee iudged according to his righteousnesse Righteousnesse is either of the cause or of the person Dauid here speaketh of the former for hee had a good cause and conscience though Saul pursued him to the death but he speaketh not of the righteousnesse of his person before God of which Iob speaketh when hee saith that if hee should iustifie himselfe namely before God his owne clothes would defile him The last iudgement is by workes and therefore iustification These are diuers workes of God in the first
is a preparation to it and makes way to it as the needle to the thread and the Diuines call it truly a beginning of grace that is of preparation not of composition And indeed till legall feare hath through serious sense of sinne made a man feare euen for punishment and despaire in respect of himselfe he is neuer in earnest stirred to consider of and much lesse to desire the promise of saluation published and propounded in the Gospell And hence the Lord partly by his Word doth driue men to their wits ends as Acts 2. 37. at Peters Sermon the conuerts said Men and brethren what shall we doe and partly by his works vpon them as the Iaylor Act. 16. 29 30. and Manasseh 2. Chron. 33. 12 13. God binds him in chaines and sends him to Babel and in his captiuitie he humbled himselfe and sought the Lord when he was in affliction saith the Text. Secondly the promise is made onely to the hungrie that the Lord will fill them with good things Lu. 1. 53. Now till a man come to see his miserie by sinne hee can neuer get out of himselfe he neuer sees in what neede he stands of Christ he hungers not nor thirsts after him and his merits he prizeth not his blood and therefore is without any part in him because hee is not capable of him If any man thirst I will giue him to drinke of the water of life saith our Sauiour Iohn 7. 37 38. see Isa. 55. 1. A begger so long as he hath any thing at home cares not greatly for stirring abroad and so long as we finde any content in our selues and see not our vtter beggery and that how without Christ wee are readie to starue wee are but weakely importunate with him Thirdly the heart of euery man by nature is like a fellow field which must be ploughed vp rent and harrowed before the seede of God come there hee sowes not among thornes nor will cast in his heauenly seed of grace or comfort till our surrowes be ploughed neither can all this renting and ploughing be without sense of paine For this purpose hath the Lord set vp a ministrie in the Church to charge men with their spirituall sicknesse and speciall sinnes as he sent Nathan to tell Dauid Thou art the man and as Christ himselfe said to the woman of Samaria that she was a woman little better then a harlot here was the Lords plough that subdued their clods and prepared their ground for the seede of grace this is the Lords sacrificing knife to make wounds in the conscience to pare away the dead flesh and so to make way to sound cure Fourthly the conuerting of a sinner is the curing of a sicke and wounded soule and the Phisician is God himselfe who that his cure may bee sound first searcheth and lanceth and stirreth in the wound which puts the patient to much paine before he powre oyle into it and binde it vp Many are the gashes and mortall wounds of our soules inflicted by Satan and our owne corruption and we must and shall feele the smart of them before we be throughly healed To this purpose hath the Lord placed the conscience in a mans soule to tell him what hee hath done amisse and to follow him with hue and crie yea to apprehend him and set vp a gibbet in his soule to which it adiudgeth him and all to bring him into himselfe to seeke and sue for pardon Fifthly and lastly God will be honoured in the humble confessing of that which is amisse 1. Iohn 1. 9. If wee acknowledge our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue them DAVID himselfe must confesse that he had done very foolishly in numbring the people Nay hee will haue an healing of their error an vndoing of that that is done and a building vp of that which they haue destroied as Saul the more zealous persecutor the more zealous preacher Zacheus the more heauie oppressor the more heartie restorer First then we see that God dealeth here as in all the matter of our saluation to set forth his mightie power in bringing the ioy of his elect out of sorrow as at first he did light out of darkenesse as by Christs death hee works out our life so he killeth vs also to make vs aliue as once he set his Bow in the heauens a signe of present raine yet a perpetuall and generall signe that the world shall neuer be drowned againe euen so the Lord giues his children the couenant of life but through death a righteousnesse but by a sense and groning vnder vnrighteousnesse a present blessednesse but through sense of miserie an happy resurrection but through dust and corruption Thus he foundeth their soundest ioy in sorrow their laughter in teares their happines in vnhappinesse and miserie all the former weight that lay vpon Dauid doth but make him seeke reliefe and preserue his peace when he hath regained it Secondly heere is a ground of sound comfort for Gods children in sorrow if it bee godly sorrow that they may say with IOB After darknesse I shall see light this sense of miserie shal leade me to the sense of mercy this sorrow may last for a night but ioy shall come in the morning after two daies he will reuiue vs and in the third we shall liue in his sight Hos. 6. 2. I know this hand which is so heauie vpon me is vnder my head to bring me light out of this darknesse and life out of that which for the present is more bitter then death it selfe Notes of that sense of miserie which shall haue sense of mercy are these First it workes a displeasure against a mans selfe for displeasing God as 2. Cor. 7. 11. What indignation hath this wrought in you that is an holy blaming of our selues and iudging our selues worthy any punishment and this not in generall onely but euen in particular sinnes and in all the sinnes that we can know by our selues as a Surgeon in curing tumors brings the matter to a head Secondly a constant purpose not to sinne for a world but to cleaue vnto God with full purpose of heart Acts 11. 23. Thirdly a change of the whole man in affection and action what a change was wrought in the Iaylour vpon his conuersion Acts 16. Fourthly a trembling at the Word Isa. 66. 2. This was in Eli and good Iosiahs heart did melt at the reading of the Law the Conuerts hearing the words of Peter were pricked in their hearts Fifthly it feeles and watcheth the worke and stirrings of corruption it auoides occasion of offence and seekes occasions of God it grieues as oft as it falls or offends euen in smaller things Ioseph fled from his Mistresse and Dauids heart smote him in cutting off the lap of Sauls garment Sixthly it lookes not to outward things more then needs must it is not comforted but by Christ and waites patiently for Christ being no whit hasty to
of God and this is the assurance that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. Faith is an hand or arme by which wee lay hold vpon blessings if once wee bee perswaded that God hath giuen vs Christ wee will easily beleeue that hee will giue vs all things with him for he that giues the greater will not denie the lesse Our Sauiour when diseased persons came for bodily health or ease was wont to say According to thy faith be it vnto thee so in all our requests the presence or absence of faith giues our prayer returne according to the weakenesse or strength of the arme of faith so is the coldnesse or abundance of comfort to our heart so that faith onely giues taste and rellish to the prayer which a beleeuer makes Fifthly Christ in his prayer teacheth vs to begin with Our Father teaching thereby that he must call God Father who must pray acceptably and that includeth sundry child-like affections all concurring in a rightly disposed person to pray as first Reuerence and feare when hee comes before his heauenly Father A Sonne honoreth his Father If then I bee a Father where is mine honor and feare Malach. 1. 6. Secondly a child-like boldnesse comming through Christ to a Father full of mercy and compassion pittying his children more then earthly parents can Isa. 49. 15. By Christ we haue boldnesse Heb. 4. 16. Thirdly loue to God as to a Father for a godly man seekes not himselfe in prayer but Gods glory with his owne shame Fourthly charity and loue to our brethren for when wee come into the sight of our Father wee dare not bring prayers in one hand and malice in another but pray Forgiue vs as we forgiue Sixtly onely the godly man can pray acceptably because hee alone hath remoued the barre and partition-wall that stood betweene God and him bringing repentance and godly sorrow for sin with him The blinde man could say God heareth not sinners that is impenitent ones but hee heareth those that are repentant Psal. 66. 18. If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me Incense in the Law was a type of prayer yet in Isa. 1. 13. the Lord tells the Iewes who came in their sinnes that incense was an abomination vnto him God hates our incense our prayer if we come with prophane hearts as they did he neither receiues it from vs nor we any good thing from him but a godly man hath remoued this rub First Note hence the miserable condition of an impenitent sinner and of an vngodly man that is without remorse and wallowes in vnconscionable sinnes hee cannot pray he neuer prayed in all his life he was neuer in mercy heard in his prayer but loseth all his labour and well if it were no worse for all his prayer is turned into sinne his prayer is abominable Prom. 28. 9. as often as he went about to pray he did nothing but multiply sinne against God he mumbled vp a few prayers and fared accordingly If this be so then it seemes vnlawfull for the wicked to pray if he pray not it is condemnation if he pray it is no lesse He is bound to pray but not to sinne in prayer in the second Commandement hee is inioyned to bow downe and worship God in prayer and the third bindes him euer to doe it well lest he pray in sinne and so take Gods name in vaine Alas then what must he doe only the grace of repentance can reconcile these two and draw the sinner out of this maze and make him pray aright Yea but God heareth the wicked often-times and granteth what they aske as peace vnto Ahab vpon his humiliation God heareth what a wicked man saith in prayer and yet heares not his prayer no not when he giues the same thing that he asketh for first all that the wicked get from him is externall and common to good and bad but no one fauour of speciall grace Secondly he giues them euen that in wrath and vengeance not for their prayers sake Thirdly when they aske things good in themselues and euill for them not knowing to vse them aright hee granteth in iustice what it had beene mercy to haue denyed as contrariwise hee heareth his children in mercy denying them that which they haue sinfully asked Fourthly that which he giues shall turne to their woe and miserie and shall but heape coles vpon their heads euen wealth prosperitie and dignitie all shall but make their sinne out of measure sinfull whereas all things shall worke together for the best to the godly euen crosses and afflictions Fifthly God giues nothing but by vertue of the promise no promise but is by Christ a wicked man hath no part in Christ and therefore neither in the promise a plaine case Sixtly neither is the wicked mans prayer a meanes of granting the request or obtayning his desire so as God stil heares not his prayer for how can that prayer finde accesse or acceptance which is not preferred in Christ but they are fed onely by a generall prouidence as the beasts are Psal. 14. 4. The wicked man calls not on the Lord that is either prayes not at all or as good he did not Let this be a motiue to further our repentance for else if a man vtter neuer so many words of prayer God will not heare him how iust is it that he that will not heare God when he calleth should not be heard of God when hee calleth that he that is a prophane mocker of God God should mocke him in his destruction that he that turnes his eare from the Law should haue Gods eare turned from him that he should aske and not receiue that asketh amisse How iust was it vpon the Iewes who were cruell and of bloudy hands that God should hate their persons and prayers and is it not as iust that vnmercifull men Oppressors Vsurers Ismaels Quarrellers whose hand is against euery man and euery mans against them hard-hearted persons that stop their eares against the cry of the poore that they should cry and not be heard Surely the sentence is passed already that iudgement mercilesse belongs to him that shewes no mercy Secondly this doctrine ouerthrowes the idle conceit wherewith numbers of men delude themselues O if they haue but time at their death to say Lord haue mercy then they shall doe well enough though all their life they cast off all care and counsell But what Is the godly man he that shall pray and find mercy and shall prophane wretches that haue set their faces all their dayes against heauen thinke to bee heard in the day of their distresse and death How canst thou then claime any one promise and much lesse all when thou neuer keptest the least condition of faith and repentance How then shall God be iust who hath said that he will laugh at such when their sorrow commeth Besides we must obserue a
sorrowes of it freed vs from the guilt of sinne appeased the wrath of God abolished eternall death and destroyed the Deuils Kingdome Now the Sonne thus freeing vs we are free indeed Oh! the greatnesse of this deliuerance should astonish vs whereby we auoid those great and insuperable euils which otherwise had for euer oppressed vs. Now in way of thankefulnesse First beware of turning backe to the seruice of sinne and obey the precept giuen to the blind man Thou art made whole sinne no more Secondly loue him much who hath forgiuen so much Luc. 7. 47. Thirdly Studie to please him in all things Psal. 116 8. Because thou hast deliuered my soule from death mine eyes from teares and my feet from falling I will walke before the Lord in the Land of the liuing Fourthly magnifie and speake of this great deliuerance and saluation as the Church did Psalme 126. 3. The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof wee reio yee and say with Mary Luc. 1. 49. Hee that is mightie hath done great things for me and holy is his Name But hee that trusteth in the Lord mercie shall compasse him THis is the second motiue or enforcement of Christian obedience wherein first consider the meaning of the wordes Hee that trusteth in the Lord here is a description of a godly man by a Periphrasis A godly man is not hee that wants all sinne but he that being a Beleeuer manifesteth the fruit of faith in reposing himselfe vpon Gods mercie as the rocke of his safetie Thus the Church is described comming out of the Wildernesse and leaning on her well-beloued Cant. 8. 5. And the people of Gods delight are such as feare God and attend vpon his mercie Mercie hee sayth not ioy as in true opposition he should haue said for ioy is properly opposed to sorrow not mercie but in this Word First he both includeth that and Secondly he noteth also the ground of the godlies reioycing which is mercie not merit Thirdly mercie also vpholds and preserues this ioy Shall compasse him opposed to the many sorrowes of wicked ones and it noteth First a full and complete felicitie of the godly Secondly the large goodnesse of God towardes them not giuing them onely one blessing or mercie or of one kind but besetting them and meeting them at euery corner with mercies Thirdly that Dauid had here tasted abundantly of mercie and hauing assurance of the pardon of sinne had experience in his owne person and here speakes of it according to his abundant sense of it Fourthly that being now compassed with mercie hee would allure and perswade euery godly man to get the pardon of his sinne also and that is mercie enough Out of this exposition ariseth this instruction namely that Hee that trusteth in God shall haue a plentifull part in the mercies of God mercie shall compasse him Psal. 103. 11. As high as the Heauens are aboue the Earth so great is his mercie towards them that feare him Psal. 125. 2. As the Mountaines compasse Ierusalem so the Lord is round about his people Zach 2. 5. The LORD promiseth to the Church to bee a wall of fire round about her and her glorie in the midst of her Here are euery where mercies within and without And the reasons of this point are these First the godly are vessels prepared for mercie Rom. 9. 23. Whom God hath chosen to declare the riches of his glorie vpon Secondly where Gods comfortable presence is there are great mercies because he is great in mercie Isa. 55. 7. and rich in mercie Ephes. 2. 4. Where the Sunne is there is abundant light and where the Sea is there must bee abundant water Now Gods promise on his part and the faith and trust of the godly on their part holds God present with his people at all times Thirdly the mercie that God sheweth to the godly is great in kind because it is a speciall mercie which is peculiar to them flowing from speciall loue True it is that the Lord is good to all and his mercie is ouer all his worke Psal. 145. 9. that is there is no worke of his hands which receiueth not from him some mercie But that is but a generall mercie as when the Sunne shines on the good and bad and the raine fals on euery mans ground by this hee sends away the worst men with good gifts But there is a speciall mercie reserued for the Elect and reseruing the Inheritance for them to these hee is not only a mercifull Lord but a mercifull Father a Father of mercies rich in mercie Psal. 103. 3. As a Father pities his Children so the Lord pities them that feare him A mercifull man pities his beast much more his brother but if his childe bee in distresse his pitie is more inward and working as his affection is such is the compassion of God towardes his Children who is therefore sayd to haue bowels of compassion Fourthly GODS mercie is great in quantitie and measure it filleth all the space betweene the Earth and Heauen and all the distance betweene East and West Psal. 103. 11. 12. so as if a man bee betweene Earth and Heauen or within the quarters of eyther this mercie must compasse him Dauid shewes the vnmeasurable measure of it Psal. 40. 5. O Lord thou hast made thy wonderfull workes so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts toward vs I would declare and speake of them but they are more then I am able to expresse For the better cleering of the point although wee can neuer set out the infinite mercies with which God compasseth his Elect yet wee may point at some of them especially those speciall ones which are peculiar to the godly and which like the childrens bread are not cast vnto Dogges it faring with the godly as with a mightie rich man that knowes no end of his wealth Though hee cannot haue his eye ouer it all yet his thoughts sometimes are vpon his goodliest Mannors his Treasury his most precious Pearles and Iewels The kinds of this mercy towards the godly concerne eyther this life or the life to come The first and chiefe mercie the fountaine of all is that euen in this life God hath pleased to afford vs himselfe the chiefe good that himselfe is become our portion Psal. 16. 5. and that the soules of his people can rest and stay themselues in him alone and ioy in the light of his countenance when the World doth what it can to make them miserable Psalme 73. 25. Whom haue I in Heauen but thee and whom haue I in comparison of thee My flesh faileth and my heart also but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer Now can an Hypocrite euer reioyce in God or what comfort can he haue in God who is not in couenant with him heere then is a speciall mercy without bound or banke euen infinite as God himselfe is Secondly from hence
DAVIDS LEARNING OR THE WAY TO True Happinesse In a Commentarie vpon the 32. PSALME Preached and now published by T. T. late Fellow of CHRISTS Colledge in CAMBRIDGE To which is prefixed the Table of method of the whole Psalme and annexed an Alphabeticall Table of the chiefe matters in the COMMENTARIE LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Henrie Fether stone and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Rose 1617. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE VICOVNT WALLINGFORD Lord KNOLLYS Baron of GREYS Master of the WARDS and LIVERIES Knight of the noble Order of the GARTER and one of HIS MAIESTIES most Honorable Priuie Councell Grace Mercy and Peace here and euerlasting RIGHT HONORABLE GReat is the affinitie of soule and body neerely coupled and wedded by God like Husband Wife for better and worse till death depart them Like Hippocrates his twinnes they weepe and laugh stand and fall liue and dye and euery way sympathize together Both haue their seuerall life and nutriment both haue their seuerall sicknesse and diseases which tend to the issues of death Among all other vncleane issues both of them haue their leprosie one the better knowne by the other In neither any substance but in both an accident corrupting the whole substance Bodily leprosie is from the corrupt and poysoned humors in the body Spirituall is from the corruption and poyson of the soule The former quickly spreadeth ouer the whole bodie The latter ouer the whole man The former infecteth onely some men The latter hath poysoned all The former corrupteth the breath by which others are infected The latter poysoneth and infecteth many others not onely by breathing out corrupt speeches but also by corrupt example The former was to be discerned by the law of leprosie Leuit. 13. The latter namely the knowledge of sinne is by the law morall Rom. 3. The former is hard to cure and the most earry it to their death naturall as Gehezi Azariah The latter is an harder cure and therefore the most carrie the running sores of sinne incurably vnto death eternall This disease being so loathsome so dangerous the Lord chargeth all Israel with speciall care both to discerne it to preuent it and if it were possible to cure it They must discerne it by sundry marks both for the certaintie and curablenesse First for the certaintie Wee neede not halfe so much caution or curiositie to be perswaded of our spirituall leprosie which is too too apparent Onely those many ceremonies put vs in minde how much more requisite our diligence ought to bee in finding out and hunting out our speciall sinnes The speciall markes which we read of to shew whether the bodily leprosie be curable or no are these First If rubbing the place of the leprosie it grow not red it is held incurable So if sinners being rubbed and admonished blush not nor be ashamed of their sinne there is little hope of their amendment Secondly If pricking the place with an Instrument there come out still a corrupt moysture there is little hope of cure So if after the preaching of the law and pricking the conscience of the sinner the corrupt issues of sinne still preuaile there is lesse hope of the sound cure of such a sinner Thirdly If after pricking with a needle there come foorth bloud it is a signe it is curable So if sinners pricked with the needle of the law cry out of the paine of their sinnes and see the need of the bloud of Christ and lay hold of it for saluation their spirituall leprosie is in the way of full cure Secondly when it is discerned the Lord takes order to preuent it from others first They must vncouer their heads that men might not mistake them and in token also that God had thus humbled them for that ceremony was a signe of humilitie Secondly They must couer their lippes that by their breath they might not infect others Thirdly They must haue a rod put into their hands that men might auoide them as children doe the rod. Fourthly They must proclaime themselues vncleane and giue warning to others Fiftly They must bee shut vp many daies and excluded the host vtterly if they be vncurable as King Ozias 2. King 15. A notable type of the suspension and excommunication of impenitent and desperate sinners shutting them out of the Congregation of God lest they infect and poyson others with the contagion of their sinne Thirdly after discerning they must speedily attempt the cure wherein the Lord enioyneth them first To goe to the Priest signifying that Iesus Christ the High Priest of our profession is the onely Phisician of this leprosie of sin Secondly They must rent their garments a signe of great sorrow for sinne and of casting off their owne raggs that they may bee couered with a wedding garment euen the garment of saluation Thirdly There must bee a vessell of water which must be sprinkled on the party and of oyle with which he must be suppled This vessell is the heart the water signifieth the bloud of Christ the lauer of the Church the sprinkling of this water noteth the washing of the conscience from dead works and the oyle signifieth the glad tidings of the Gospell all which the Lord vseth in this great cure Fourthly There is required the shauing of all the haire of the Leprous that no infection any way cleaue to him which noteth the purging away and daily paring of lusts and superfluities by the grace of sanctification which are to the soule as excrements are to the body And this is the law of the Leprosie This one Psalme presenteth in one view the whole truth of this excellent type wherein holy DAVID cleerely discouereth the foule leprosie of his soule which is so odious in his eyes as hee pronounceth him the onely happie man that hath got a couer and cure Loth he was for shame according to the law to proclaime himselfe vncleane he would hide his vncleannesse and hold his tongue as long as hee could but all this while there was no hope of cure for being let alone it ate vp his marrow consumed his bones and dryed and drunke vp his moysture as in the drought of Summer Now when there was no other remedie he goes to the high Priest confesseth his vncleannesse against himselfe who immediately answered him as that leper Mar. 1. 42. I will be thou cleane And as that leper could not hide his ioy but no sooner was he gone then he began to publish the matter so this leper no sooner was cured but hee calleth euery one to teach them in the like estate how they may procure the like remedie And then according to the precept of Christ to the leper he offereth the gift which MOSES commanded euen the sacrifice of prayer and praise and exciteth others by sundry arguments to doe the same These Meditations I haue presumed to dedicate
they see not their sinnes in a right glasse but in a false glasse which lets them see them onely in the profit or pleasure or as in one of those trunke optick glasses which make great things very small and things at hand as if they were farre off whereas if they did behold sinne in the true glasse of the Law and of the curse of God of the eternall damnation of sinners and of Christs death for sinners they would not account any sinne small nor the iudgement of them farre off This sight and view of sin makes the godly cry out and continually bewaile the captiuity they are in as Paul himselfe did who was aliue without the Law but the Law strucke him downe and made him cry out of himselfe as a miserable man Thirdly most men neuer meditate of their owne estate nor consider of their owne condition to apply the Law to their liues to see their crookednesse and faylings as they doe who are in the way to happinesse they want will or skill time or conscience if it hap well so it is The godly meditate of their owne estate and apply the Law to their owne sinnes which made Dauid Psal. 38. 5. cry out that his sinnes were too heauy a burden for him to beare so could men try their owne strength with the burden of their owne sinnes they would come to a little more quicke sense of their estate and with holy Dauid here pronounce him a happy man that is eased Fourthly the strong man is gone away with all and hence comes in this vnfeelingnesse and peace and he luls men asleepe in false perswasions wherein they goe on vnto death What say many miscreants Hell is not so hot nor sinne so heauy nor the Deuill so blacke nor God so vnmercifull as the Preachers say or if all this were so they are not alone others haue as heauy burdens as they they shall haue company whatsoeuer become of them and though they heare the burden of the Word of the Lord daily and see the burden of his hand lie heauy vpon others yea and often vpon themselues yet are they as senselesse as dead men vpon whom if you lay all the weight of the earth they feele nothing O beware of this fearefull iudgement which is a great part of this burden the which the lesse it is felt the greater it is and know that there is no man that shall not feele the burden of his sinne one time or other though the wicked doe neuer till it be too late Shall the Lord himselfe be pressed vnder the burden of thy sinnes as a Cart laden with sheaues and art not thou Amos 2. 13. shall all other dumbe and senselesse creatures grone vnder the burden of thy sinne as Rom. 8. 20. and art thou thy selfe more senselesse then they Feeling this burden seeke meanes to be deliuered and disburdened and this will he doe that findes this burden pressing and oppressing him The meanes is to come to Christ as he calleth Matth. 11. 28. Come vnto mee all yee that are weary and laden c. Come not with the body and feet but with first Repentance secondly Faith First come in confession of sinne and godly sorrow come groning and bewayling thy sinne and estate come creeping to God with thy burden on thy backe confesse thy sinne and forsake it this is the way to finde mercy thus Dauid found ease vers 5. Secondly come in Faith hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse lay hold on Gods mercy and Christs merit which are as two shoulders to beare it quite away Feare not but as the people said to Bartimeus Be of good comfort he calleth thee He calleth thee in the Word he giueth a gracious promise Come to me I will ease you he sealeth vp his promise by the Sacrament in which thou shalt finde him ready to giue thee ease that longest and gronest after him Doth any sinne oppresse thy conscience thou hearest and seest in the Word and Sacrament how he was made sinne that is a Sacrifice for sinne for thee Doth any burden of misery or crosse inward or outward presse thee hee offereth himselfe to ease the laden to pacifie the perplexed conscience to strengthen the heart and to remoue or mitigate all our burdens for vs according to the prophesie Isay 53. 4. 11. He hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes the word is sebalon of sabal to carry as a Porter doth a burden vsed in both places But alas euery man must carry his owne burden how then can Christ Legally euery man must carry his owne the Law requireth personall obedience and satisfaction but Euangelically Christ our suretie beares them and therefore come to him in the Word and Sacrament with Faith and Repentance Once finding ease of this burden lode thy selfe no more Christ hauing cured the blinde man and eased him of that burden bids him Goe thy wayes and sinne no more lest a worse thing befall thee Heb. 12. 1. The Apostle aduiseth if sinne presse downe and so incumber vs to cut off this compassing sinne If a man be to deale with a great burden he will once or twice try his strength with it if it bee too heauy for him he will let it alone Hast thou euer felt the ouer-burden of sinne euen the least with which haddest thou the strength of all Men and Angels thou couldest not encounter nor stand vnder it and wilt thou againe meddle with it Besides hast thou not when thou art at the lightest sufficient burden of that originall sinne of which Paul said Rom. 7. 21. Euill is present with me it lies euery-where vpon thee and of actuall sinnes without number that still in stead of disburdening thy selfe and lightning thy lode daily thou addest to the heape and it is neuer big enough as though all thy sinnes had no weight at all O but this is nothing a small sinne an oath an idle word rash and hasty anger to play the good fellow to drinke with my friend lose my time credit c. If thou couldest bring me an instance of any one sinne that had no weight thou shouldest haue good leaue to wed thy selfe to it neuer to depart but no sinne is so small but hath such a weight as will presse to the bottomelesse pit bring me any sinne the wage of which is not death an idle word for which thou must not giue account any tricke of youth for which thou shalt not be brought to iudgement Sand euen euery little sand hath his weight and though small in quantity yet if great in number will drowne the ship of the greatest burden but what if all the sands of the Sea-shore were in one ship must it not sinke and are not thy sinnes for weight and number like the sands of the Sea-shore If sinne be such a burden then helpe thy brother from vnder this burden the Law of God enioynes thee to helpe and pitty the
we owe them to God to whom wee owe all loue feare obedience and duetie but by similitude and resemblance from ciuill debts for first euery debt ariseth of some contract betweene the creditor and the debter so God is the great creditor Man is the debter whose debt ariseth out of the contract and first couenant of workes Doe this and liue Secondly euery creditor hath a bill bond or booke wherein the debt standeth to be seene and there remaynes vn-cancelled and vn-crost till the debt be satisfied The bill or bond betweene God and man is his Law which shewes the parcells of this debt and how it riseth it shewes the forfeiture and the totall summe whereto the sinner is bound to satisfie The Morall Law is Gods bond against vs the hand-writing of ordinances which is against vs Col. 2. 14. and contrarie to vs. The Law shewes the parcels of this debt namely that we are bound First to the obedience of the whole Law in perfect loue to GOD and our neighbour whence Rom. 13. 8. loue is called a debt to our neighbour this debt wee still owe notwithstanding our transgression Secondly the Law sheweth that sinne is a debt in regard of the corruption which accompanieth the transgression and the blot which the sinne committed leaueth in the offender which is attended with an aptnesse either to the same or any other sinne by reason of the former act That this is a debt appeares because the Law requires perfect puritie and sanctimonie which we owe vnto God though the hearts of vs all be full of corruption and vnholinesse Thirdly the Law sheweth the forfeit which is the guilt binding ouer the sinner to punishment both temporall and eternall This curse of the Law by reason of transgression wee are indebted to vndergoe we owe vnto Gods iustice by reason of sinne eternall death without which Gods iustice cannot be satisfied 4. The Law sheweth how and wherein we wrong our neighbor bindeth vs straightly besides the satisfactiō to God to a recompence of the wrong done vnto him Thirdly sinne is a debt because it brings a man euery way into the seate of a debter First it argues and brings a man into a weake state which is very comfortlesse what a grieuous burden is debt aboue a mans abilitie Secondly it makes a man hide his head for shame Thirdly hee loseth his libertie that he dares not goe abroad Fourthly he feares the Sergeant and the Iayler continually and fiftly at length hee is catcht and clapt vp in prison and thence comes not out till hee hath payed the vttermost farthing but there is laid in bonds and chaines of darknesse for euer Fourthly because till sinne be discharged and satisfied for the sinner hath all these sinnes vpon him but as a debter once satisfying the debt by himself or a surety and compounding with the creditor is as free as if hee had neuer come in debt so for sinne once discharged the sinner is neuer charged with it any more Now sinne is discharged two wayes First when the debter himselfe satisfies in his owne person according to the strict letter of the Law Thus the damned men and Angels discharge their debt to God who because they are able to pay are kept in perpetuall prison and damned euerlastingly as a man dying in prison satisfies all But no liuing man can thus satisfie Gods iustice if God shal straitly mark what is done amisse When we haue done all we can we are vnprofitable there is not a clause in the bond which we haue not forfeited a thousand times ouer so haue we broken in anfinite Law sinned against an infinite God deserued an infinite punishment which no finite creature can sustaine neither man nor Angell The second vvay of discharging this debt is Euangelicall namely when another satisfies for the debter and thus the debts of beleeuers are discharged through the satisfaction of Christ who hath payed the vttermost farthing for the Elect. And this is the not imputing of sin here meant which is all one with the free remission and forgiuenesse of it But Math. 18. 26. the seruant said Master haue patience with mee and I will pay thee all therefore wee our selues may pay our owne debts First it is a Parable and this is not the maine scope Secondly feare forced the seruant to promise more then he was able to performe But if no seruant bee able to pay one talent much lesse is he able to pay 10000. yea the Parable teacheth that hee that ought but 50. pence was as vnable to pay it as he that ought 500. Luke 7. 41. But is this not to impute sinne to iudge a sinner as no sinner not to require the sinne not to inflict the penaltie how will this stand with Gods Iustice It is proper to God to account of things that are not as if they were so also of things that are as if they were not without any violation of iustice it beeing an Euangelicall imputation not Legall for that vvould not stand with iustice whereby GOD accepts Christs satisfaction in full payment But is this no imputing of sinne seeing wee pay the whole debt in our surety is this a forgiuenesse of a debt to exact it wholly It is a free forgiuenesse and no imputing to vs that receiue this grace we conferre nothing to it it cost vs nothing but good acceptance God the Father saw nothing in vs why he should not impute our sinne but giue vs so free redemption God the Sonne saw nothing that wee could returne to gratifie him againe in any measure so in regard of God and vs it is a free forgiuenesse and no imputation to vs though it bee not so to Christ. If sinne be a debt then note the misery of sinners and our wofull estate before God by reason of sinne being no better then desperate banquerupts laden with debt and danger vnable to satisfie the least farthing What remaines but either the mercy of the Creditor or perpetuall prison Thou that canst say thou owest not all the world a penny I challenge thee and arrest thee of an infinite summe and the forfeite of a bond aboue all thy substance if thou hadst the Kingdomes of the earth at thy dispose wert the god of the world I ask no more witnesses then thy own conscience First to proue the debt and therefore it is time to bestirre thee and looke about thee to procure thy libertie If thou hast paide all thy debts to men thinke of Gods debt at length for this must bee satisfied and thou shalt know that delay is no payment Thou that wouldst neuer come into bonds for any man thou hast not kept thee out of bonds which wil cast thee into euerlasting bands if thou lookest not the better and timelier to thy selfe Secondly see the carelesnesse of most men that runne on still in sinne and increase their debts which endanger them
to Gods iustice and wrath like prodigall ding-thrifts that neuer regard how much they runne vpon the score and neuer think that a day of reckoning and payment will come If wee see a man who is a borrower of euery man and takes no care to pay any man wee vvill conclude he must needs breake one day And many vvho scorne shame at such courses with men are bold with the Lord and runne in with him still but let the Creditor care for his debts they will not torment themselues with them Many deceiue themselues and thinke GOD respects not their sinnes especially if they bee small ones but small or great they be vvritten vp and stand in Gods debt-booke or inuentorie till they bee wiped away the least debt imputed casts thee into perpetuall prison Besides seest thou not what a fearefull debt one sinne of ADAM hath brought vpon vs all Secondly considerest thou not how the LORD enquires to punish sinne in the third and fourth generation euen as the fathers debt is required of his sonne and posteritie Thirdly thou that owest the least doest thou not owe too much already and if thou summe vp thy Debt-booke thou shalt see thou hadst neede runne in no farther for thou art so farre in as thou must be sold for it or else CHRIST must for thee Fourthly thou that thinkest sinne a small thing and a trifling or dribbling debt consider of the blood of Christ and the merit of it which must wash away small sinnes as well as great Consider the forfeit in the exquisitenesse and eternitie of the torments of hell and then tell me how small a mote sinne is Thirdly seek to come out of debt and that is by seeking pardon of our debt Math. 5. 25. Agree with thine Aduersarie while thou art in the way The aduersarie is the Lord who will prosecute and put his bond in suite against vs and the greater the Creditor the more heauie is the debt it will be our wisedome to agree with him in the way whilest hee friendly reasoneth with vs in the Ministrie lest Death the Lords Sergeant arrest vs and we be cast into perpetuall prison into hell neuer to bee released Pray and intreat him as Christ hath taught to remit our debts not to impute not to require them not to exact our forfeits not to sue our bond nor cast vs into prison but to pardon our faults and punishment and accept of Christs satisfaction whereby hee hath cancelled that handwriting which was to bee layed against vs and by fasting it to his crosse did crosse out all our reckoning and seeing he must be satisfied pray him to take it out of his Sonnes coffers who is become suretie for vs. Fourthly acknowledge a wonderfull mercie of God to forgiue and not impute so great a debt for a rich man to forgiue a poore man a debt of a pound or two would be thankefully taken our God rich in mercie forgiues our debt not by pieces and not because he cannot get it from vs but freely and fully forgiues the whole debt Luk. 12. Did not I forgiue thee all yes the good Samaritane will discharge all for vs. Now in way of thankefulnesse what remaines for vs to doe but First beware of running into further debt A man that hath felt the burden of debt and hath bin in bonds will make hard shift to keepe out and doe not thou heape vp wrath against thy selfe Secondly though we shall daily by corruption runne vpon scores yet wee must take heed our debts stand not too long in Gods Booke vnraysed but daily renew our repentance and so wipe them away As they be daily written let them bee daily blotted out let them not bee like the sinnes of Iudah written with a penne of iron and with the point of a Diamond Thirdly if thy Creditor forgiue thee all Luk. 12. goe thou and doe the like bee mercifull as thy heauenly Father is mercifull In wrongs and iniuries offered abstaine from malice and reuenge count the wrong and iniurie as if it were not impute it not for thus thy heauenly Father doth with thee and thus thou desirest hee should doe for thee Wouldest thou haue an Ocean of mercie fall vpon thee and wilt not thou let a drop fall on thy brother Thus shalt thou testifie thy thankefulnesse and thus as Rom. 3. 5. our vnrighteousnesse shall commend the righteousnesse and glory of God which is not in the nature of our sinne so to doe for our sinne rather rewards him with shamefull contempt and dishonour but First both in respect of his admirable goodnesse in pardoning so great sinnes Secondly and our thankefull acknowledging of that grace in walking answerable and worthie of it The second thing in this phrase is The person that must not impute sinne is the Lord Isa. 43. 25. I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes So Chap. 48. 9. 11. For my Names sake will I deferre my wrath and for my prayse will I refraine it from thee that I cut thee not off For mine owne sake for mine owne sake will I doe it For first not all the Angels and Saints in the World whether in Heauen or Earth can forgiue the least sinne because they cannot satisfie the debt nor cancell the bond Secondly the Scribes and Pharises saw cleerly though blind in many other things that none but GOD could forgiue sinnes Luk. 5. 21. Thirdly the Lord is the father of mercies and the God of all comfort whereas there is no comfort without pardon of sinne And with thee is mercie Psal. 130. 3. that is with thee alone to whom it is proper to say I will forgiue sinne Fourthly who can forgiue sinne but he who is a God like thee that passest by the iniquitie of thy people who can remit a debt but he to whom it is due If another doe it he abuseth both the Creditor and debtor Whose sinnes yee remit they shal be remitted therefore Ministers can remit sinne and not God alone God onely remits sinne by his proper authoritie and power which is here meant the Minister onely ministerially declaring that which God doth Can Ministers remooue burdens giue a couer large enough and remit anothers debt Is my sinne against a Priest or against the Pope of Rome that he must bestow pardon on me Shall I hide me vnder the Saints wings or what bond of theirs haue I broken which they can release mee of Nay rather say First Against thee against thee haue I sinned and prayeth for mercie onely from him Secondly If I owe a man nothing I care not for his forgiuenesse and forbearance Thirdly There mercie is a poore mercy I need a rich mercy Eph. 2. 4. God rich in mercy 1. Pet. 1. 3. who of his great mercy hath begot vs. Theirs is too strait a mercy I need those large mercies of which Dauid speakes Ps. 119. 156. Thy compassions
deceiued them and shall pronounce the sentence of death against themselues and the flower of their righteousnesse Secondly this deceit is fed by the bounty fauour and blessing of God who prospereth them in their labours houses in themselues others O if I were not in Gods fauour he would not prosper me so long and so sundry wayes Thus they wil know loue or hatred by the things afore them This is the guile of rich men whose houses being peaceable without feare pride compasseth them but little know they the end of their fat pastures or of their lifting vp vt lapsu grauiore ruant that they may catch the greater fall These seeke not their peace in the pardon of sinne but haue set vp themselues a-fatting till the day of their destruction Thirdly what way soeuer God deale the heart vvill deceiue it selfe For let God change his hand and bring crosses and tryalls on a man which should shake him vp from drowsinesse and securitie yet hence without further ground many will presume of Gods loue for why doth not the Lord loue those whom he chasteneth and I hope I haue my punishment here vvhen indeede the Lord doth curse them in their counsels and attempts And thus men throw poyson into the Lords cup wheras were these signes of loue amendment would accompany it sorrow for sinne feare of offending and diligence in good duties in a word their security would rise of the pardon of sinne and not of punishment of them The second guile is in respect of sinne the worke of it is manifold and that eyther before the sinne be committed or after Before the sinne First it flatters a man and tolles him on many wayes First it beares him in hand that great sinnes are but small and veniall which the sinner easily beleeues for he would haue them none at all Hence charge men with swearing rayling drinking gaming away the Sabboth their answere will bee I would I had neuer done worse c. Grosse sinnes with them are but infirmities Secondly that if it be greater yet GOD will not regard it conceiuing of God as an idle Essence that had shaken off his power of iudging the World The foole that is euery naturall man sayth in his heart there is no God to see or require such frozen persons that say God will doe neyther good nor euill Zephanie threatens that God will visit them as with lights lest any thing escape him and will teare them and none shall rescue them Thirdly when men shake hands with hell and death absoluing themselues from guilt while they fauour themselues in their lusts though the Lord say Sword goe thorow the Land yet it shall passe ouer them such as blesse themselues when the Lord pronounceth the words of the curse Deut. 29. 20. The Lord will not bee mercifull to that man Yet what a number of Ruffians Contemners and Prophaners of the Lords Ordinances Scorners of Religion Out-facers of godlinesse Drunkards Adulterers and Swearers whom the Lord hath shut Heauen against goe on in a gracelesse and ventrous presumption by this guile kept from seeking peace in season with God though the Lord say hel was made for them they say I shall escape hell Isa. 28. 15. Whether of these words shall stand Fourthly they thinke nothing more easie then repentance this sinne if I doe it is not vnpardonable I shall repent and find forgiuenesse hereafter GOD cals at all houres so he neglecteth all counsell those exhortations come not neere him Seeke the Lord while he may be found to day if ye will heare his voyce c. I gaue her a time to repent but shee repented not The Lord would haue purged them but they would not bee purged till his seueritie sudenly cut them off as vnprofitable Trees to the burning Would a man bee so carelesse of his bodie as to suffer a disease to preuaile by weekes and moneths together because so long as there is life hee may seeke helpe and recouer no he will seeke present helpe be hee neuer so young but for the soule men put off care from age to age and because they can repent hereafter they will doe that whereof they may repent and whereof indeed they shall repent though too late Secondly after sinne the guile of the soule is not sleeping though the conscience often bee for whereas after bodily harmes men are for the most part wiser here they are more foolish vnlesse the deceit be more timely discouered They can warily abstaine from whatsoeuer hath bred them sorrow or sicknesse but here the deceite of the heart first nourisheth and hideth yea maketh cloakes and vizards for sinne to which it is more prone after euery new practice The truth is if euery sinne might be seene in it owne colours it would be as blacke as a Deuill but that sinne might goe downe the cleanlier and stay in the bowels the heart ioynes with Satan in the varnishing and colouring of it Hence is it that Cut-throat couetousnesse goes masked vnder the habit of good husbandry fornication but a tricke of youth scarce an ouersight ryot and excesse is counted liberalitie drunkennesse but good-fellowship pride but comelinesse or ornament at most and blacke vices are growne neere of kinne to the most beautifull vertues Secondly after sinne committed the wiced heart can defend it all Eues brood suckt this from her When God came to her the Serpent gaue her to eate when he comes to Adam his wife gaue him to eat it seemed but reasonable when he comes to Cain Who made him his brothers keeper Come to the couetous man hee hath Scripture for himselfe He that prouides not for his family is worse then an Infidell Come to the Drunkard why was not Noah and Lot drunke and many good men besides Come to the Swearer hee is safe so long as hee sweares nothing but truth and by that which is good be it bread or fire or salt c. Come to an Athiest that neuer kept Sabboth in all his life so that with him there is but little difference betweene it and another day of the six why was not the Sabboth made for man and not man for the Sabboth hee can serue GOD on his horsebacke none but he and his horse together another laden with all vnrighteousnesse tels vs how the best sinneth seuen times a day Thus is sinne growne wittie and strong within the wals of a false heart and feares no colours nor forces Thirdly If any sinne hap to make any gash or skarre in the conscience that it troubles a little the sinner the heart is not backward to seeke to apply remedies in which are as little helpe more danger for it seekes to stoppe the mouth of the conscience and to choake and stifle the voyce of it First by calling in other distractions to take him from such melancholy it sets Cain on building a Citie and Saul to fetch in Musicke
when hee lifted vp a loud voice and wept in the losse of the blessing but kept reuenge in his hart and could threaten his brothers death Hos. 7. 14. the Lord calles it the howling on their beds as Dogs and Wolues vse to doe in the sense of paine and threatens that when they call he will not heare as if he should say Let them semble neuer so much feruency it is but as the roaring of beasts out of the tumult of heart If this noise had a good rise or ground it were well the sorrow were deepe according to the greatnesse of the euill but it is onely the violence of affliction that mooues this vehemency of affections sense of paine not sense of sinne affecting of deliuerance not of repentance Now the reason why this sorrow is so helpelesse is because it stirres not the heart out to seeke for reconciliation with God in Christ and then the greatest pleasure must be in withdrawing themselues so farre as they can from God as Adam after his fall could not endure the presence of God but hid himselfe among the trees of the Garden How can this sorrow end in ioy which driues from the fountaine of ioy and when as much comfort is taken in God as a guilty felon taketh in the sight of the Iudge who is to pronounce the sentence of death vpon him This is a heauie and comfortlesse sorrow and the beginning of sorrows euerlasting which yet many content themselues withall as godly sorrow but it brings repentance to bee repented of and is a sorrow to be still sorrowed for if there were no hell nor iudgement a wicked man would neuer sorrow his sinne hath no place in his sorrow nor God offended Thirdly is not the sorrow of godly men alwaies godly sorrow out of which they can reape ioy and comfort how then can men reape any ioy out of carnall and contrary meanes as many being troubled with these grudgings of conscience get them to worldly comforts to thrust away the sight and memory of sinne they get them into merry company and suppose that by drinking dancing banketing and gaming they shall forget their griefe but so doth he that for a dropsie drinkes a cup of cold water he hath brewed his griefe and drinketh his sorrow his paine returnes and he roares for it and is worse then euer he was And if euery sorrow for sinne ease not the sinner then much lesse can the delight in sinne doe it Fourthly if euery sorrow for sinne will not remedie the sinne which is of all other the most likely meanes then let any thing in the world bee applied to the griefe of conscience besides the right remedie which afterwards Dauid findeth out and it doth but inlarge the sorrow Dauid had worne out much time in hiding his sinne and had drawne all the couers hee could deuise ouer his conscience but all in vaine his sinne returnes againe and all his meanes are so farre from easing his griefe that they increase it and bring matter of roaring So then carry thy sinne in a cloud as long as thou canst thy conscience will find it out and tell tales then finde out as many pretexts and couers as thou canst to defend or diminish it they are but figge-leaues too short and thinne a couer Nay couer all with an externall shew of Religion and obseruance of outward worship as Dauid did yet the gash of thy sinne remaines as his did it will at length bring such paine into thy soule as will make thee roare as though thy bones were broken In one word sinne cannot be couered nor the conscience eased but only by Christs righteousnesse obtained and put on by faith and repentance euery thing else increaseth matter of biting and accusation So much of the effects of hiding sinne in changing the body and roaring of the voice Now of the continuance of the trouble VERS 4. For night and day was thy hand vpon me HEre is another amplification of the Prophets miserie and sorrow It was no light sorrow which pearsed to the marrow of his bones and made him expresse it not in ordinarie cries and voices but made him roare out more like a Lyon then a man But this makes it sad and heauie indeede that it was continuall and without release or intermission And the reason of all his sorrow was the heauinesse of Gods hand Hand The hand being a member of mans body and the instrument of manifold actions is referred to God and signifies sometime first his effectuall purpose and counsell concerning things to be done so Act. 4. 28. c. to do whatsoeuer thy hand and counsell determined Secondly his actuall power working all things according to that counsel of his will so Act. 4. 30. so that thou stretch forth thy hand And thus God hath a twofold hand First of blessing and protection with which he filleth euery liuing thing Psal. 104. 28. Thou openest thy hand and they are filled Secondly a smiting or heauie hand and this is twofold First a reuenging hand and so it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hand of the Lord. Secondly a correcting hand meant in this place whereby he scourgeth buffeteth his owne children Now the sense of Gods power punishing or correcting is called Gods hand as 1. Sam. 5. 11. The hand of the Lord was sore at Ekron because of the Arke And an heauie hand in resemblance because when men smite they lay their hand heauier then ordinarie Hence we may note three points of doctrine first that all afflictions are Gods hand Secondly that God laies his hand heauily often vpon his deare children Thirdly that God often continues his heauie hand night and day on them First All afflictions are Gods hand Amos 3. 6. Shall there be euill in the Citie and the Lord hath not done it Isa. 28. 21. The Lord shall stand as in mount Perazin and bee wroth as in the valley of Gibeon that he may doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act his strange act that is execute his iustice which wee inforce him vnto whereas shewing of mercy is familiar to his nature more proper and familiar to him he is loth to reuenge as in mount Perazin Dauid did vpon the Philistims when he smote them and called the place the Mount of diuision 1. Chron. 14. 11. or as in Gibeon when he slew the Canaanites with hailestones and made the Sunne and Moone stand still till Ioshua had slaine them all Iosh. 10. 12 13. 1. Cor. 11. 32. When wee are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord. The reasons hereof are these First they are from Gods hand purposing and ordaining them Rom. 8. 29. Wee are predestinate to be like the image of Christ that is in suffering 1. Thes. 3. 3. No man should be mooued by these afflictions for your selues know that we are appointed thereunto Secondly they are from Gods hand executing them as Isaiab 45. 7. I make
smiting them he will haue his blowes felt the strong purgation at last worketh out most health and soundnesse Thirdly the greater the affliction is the more odious doth sinne appeare to bee vnto God a strong poyson must haue a strong antidote the more the godly are striken downe for sinne the more are they stirred vp to godly sorrow to hatred of it to zeale against it the better and more watchfully do they preuent sinne to come and looke better to themselues as a good Physician oftentimes letteth blood not to make a man sicke but to preuent sicknesse Fourthly the greater the tryall is the better experience haue they of themselues for first God afflicts the body heauily but it is for the soule the soule would neuer perceiue the owne euill but for the euil of the body nor feele the miserie but by the body Secondly in great trials there is experience of a great combat betweene the flesh and the Spirit where any faith is it will lift vp the heart in inuocation silence and an expectation of the good hand of God but the flesh will be complaining of Gods absence desertion and deferring his hand and helpe here is sense of the spirits willingnesse and the weakenesse of the flesh Thirdly there is great experience of their graces in great trials that both themselues and others may take knowledge of their constancie and patience Thus Iob was made a mirror of patience and a patterne of constancy which he could not haue been if the trial had not been so sharpe as it was Then the Mariners skill is best tried when the tempest is vehement and the valour of a Captaine is best seene in the hottest skirmish Fourthly in great trials there is great obseruation of Gods dealing of the comforts of God and of the strength of God and therefore the Lord brings many of his as it were vpon the stage and theater of the world that they may be instruments of his praise and may by their experience be able to teach others how they shall finde God in affliction for as one piece of yron cannot be soldred and fastned to another vnlesse both be made red hot and beaten together so one Christian cannot be so soundly affected to another vnlesse both haue had experience of the like miserie Fifthly Gods children haue great afflictions and are pressed with an heauie hand that God himselfe may be cleerely seene to bee their deliuerer when in the eyes of all flesh they are lost therefore they see themselues in the red Sea of affliction and in a wildernesse of temptation and sometimes with Ionas in their owne and other mens sense drowned in the bottome of the sea in the belly of the Whale that as Lazarus lay foure dayes in the graue that Christs power might bee manifested in raising him so also may the goodnesse of God who after two daies will reuiue vs and in the third will raise vs vp Sixthly as great afflictions make way for abundant mercy from God to vs so also for abundant thankes from vs to God If one cure a trifeling matter it neither so bindes the patient nor yet commends the Physician but if any be cured of some deadly and almost-vncurable desease then we professe we could neuer haue met with such a Phisician in all the world againe and we are accordingly thankefull Seuenthly were it not for great afflictions we could neuer know the power of Gods Word in quickning vs chearing and comforting vs in them that it is the Word of life is most euidently seene in death it selfe First then let vs hence take a view of the wickednesse of our nature and of the working of it euen after our calling and conuersion and cease to wonder that the Lord often brings violent afflictions vpon his owne children which he sees most necessarie to awake them out of their slumbers and quicken them to their seeking of sound peace and reconciliation Dauid himselfe before hee was afflicted went astray like a lost sheepe Secondly we may learne hence that vehement afflictions and Gods heauie hand is no signe of his hatred to his children good Dauid had Gods heauie hand lying sore vpon him For First all outward things fall alike to all and no man knoweth loue or hatred by the things that are before him Eccles. 9. 2. Secondly in iudgement hee remembreth mercy Hab. 3. 2. and afflicteth in measure though our sinnes haue beene beyond all measure and deserue that our crosses should be so too Isa. 64. 9 12. Thirdly his wisedome knoweth the due quantitie and proportion that will doe vs good and though there wants no will in Satan and wicked men to passe it yet the miserie shall not exceed Gods limit who hath said to the proud waues Hither shall ye come and no further Fourthly he hath a seuerall measure for the godly and the wicked for his children hee measureth iudgement according to their strength to the wicked according to the measure of their sinnes but as the best garden and flowers lye open to stormes and haile to fall on them as well as the wildernesse so the dearest of Gods Saints to afflictions Thirdly if the Lord chastize and punish his children so heauily the whole burthen of whose sinnes Christ hath borne in his body on the crosse where shall the wicked and vngodly appeare 1. Pet. 4. 17 How heauie shall his hand lye on those who with high hand sinne against him the weight of the mountaines shall be nothing to it to which they shall say Fall vpon vs and couer vs. If the way to heauen be so strawed with crosses and heauinesse what is the way to hell and of wickednesse strawed with but woes and curses Shall not many prayers and teares much sorrow and strife against sin nay nor the request of the Spirit and the intercession of Christ keepe off such bitter things from them who seldome and not without some resistance breake out What then shall become of those who neuer pray neuer sorrow for sinne but sell themselues to commit wickednesse if infirmities be so lashed what shall rebellions If weakenesses in his children what shall wickednesse in his enemies Fourthly this admonisheth the godly not to bee too much discouraged if they lye vnder an heauy hand but consider of these foure things First that to expect continuance of outward prosperitie is earthlinesse or selfe-loue yea a meere folly seeing it is a priuiledge of the Church triumphant Secondly that through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of God Acts 14 22. and therefore that there is more cause of discouragement in the want of them then in their presence Thirdly that no new thing befalls them Dearely beloued saith Saint PETER thinke it not strange concerning the fierie triall which is among you to proue you as though some strange thing were come vnto you But reioyce inasmuch as yee are partakers of Christs sufferings c. 1. Pet.
and neuer open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done c. Secondly if thou settest thy selfe before God in confession it will breed anguish and sorrow of spirit for that sinne which is confessed as the conuerts Act. 2. 37. were pricked in their hearts in conscience of their sinnes there will be inward griefe for offending a good God and grieuing his good Spirit Thirdly it will bring in a purpose to leaue and forsake that sinne which is confessed and all other Can a man setting himselfe before God confesse that sinne which he purposeth to liue in and hold and not forsake this is but to aske leaue to sinne Nay the setting of a mans selfe before God wil bring in a resolution to renounce all sinne as Hos. 14. 9. Ephraim shall say What haue I more to doe with Idols Fourthly it will bring in a secret but most earnest desire of forgiuenesse for it cannot but consider in God First the Maiestie offended Secondly the danger of his wrath which is a consuming fire and an execution of all the plagues written in the booke of the Law and thirdly the riches of his mercie in prouiding so precious a meanes of redemption which neither man nor Angell could once thinke of 1. Pet. 1. 18. Fiftly it breeds a reforming of that which is amisse and an healing of the error as Zacheus did Luke 19. 8. Lord halfe my goods I giue to the poore according to the counsell of Samuel 1. 7. 3. If ye be come againe to the Lord with all your heart put away the strange gods frō among you Sixtly it breeds an holy feare for time to come because it beholds Gods eye vpon euery sinne his anger on euery one till by the bloud of Christ he be appeased his mercie in forgiuing that he may be feared and this feare abates the rage of sinne nay it will feare the occasion and hate the appearance of euill 1. Thes. 5. 22. and the garment spotted with the flesh Iude 23. Seuenthly there is a mourning and complaining vnder the burden and bondage of sinne Oh who shall deliuer me from the body of this death saith Paul and Isa. 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardned our heart from thy feare Eighthly there is great desire 2. Cor. 7. 11. namely a longing to satisfie Paul and the rest of the members of the Church with desire to be restored to their fauours and fellowship Ninthly Confession to men For duties of Pietie and Charitie must goe together or else all is abominable as appeares Ier. 7. 9. 10. Will ye steale murder and commit adultery and sweare falsely and burne incense vnto Baal and walke after other gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say We are deliuered though we haue done all these abominations So Isay 1. 11. What haue I to do with your sacrifices c. for your hands are full of blood verse 15. Against my selfe This is the second branch of the manner of Dauids confession hee will confesse against himselfe Hence note that He that will truely and soundly confesse his sinne must become his owne vtter enemie he must set himselfe against himselfe as much as possibly he can So did DAVID here hee shamed himselfe to all posteritie and spared not his owne name though a King so GOD might haue the praise of his mercie and the Church the benefit of his example Iob 42. 6. When Iob was reproued for his inconsiderate words he brake out at last into this speech I abhor my selfe and repent my selfe in dust and ashes He is a great enemie that hates man but farre greater that abhors him yet so was Iob to himselfe Daniel in his prayer saith I am confounded and ashamed to looke vp to heauen shame and confusion of face belongs vnto vs this day Dan. 9. 5. c. So close doth he follow the matter against himselfe 1. Tim. 6. 13 15. Saint Paul rippeth vp his owne grieuous sinnes in such sort as his greatest enemy could not haue spoken more against him then he spake against himselfe Hee was not contented to call himselfe a vile person but as though he had said too little he adds that he is the chiefest of all sinners Who could more accuse the poore Publican then he did himselfe Oh I am not worthy to lift vp mine eyes to heauen Luc. 18. 13. and the Prodigall Son I am not worthy to be called thy Son Luc. 15. 18 19. And good reason it should be so for First sound confession is called a iudging of our selues 1. Cor. 11. 31. Now in the course of iudgement there are foure things all against the partie to be iudged First arraignement and this in confession is when wee present and summon our selues before the barre of Gods iustice Secondly examination and this is when wee narrowly inquire of our selues what wee haue done wherein as the Kings Atturney sifteth out and exaggerateth euery circumstance of the crime against a Traytor to make it seeme as odious as may be so should we sift out euery circumstance of our sinne to make it as vile to our owne eyes as may be so as our hearts may be conuinced Thirdly conuiction or pleading guiltie and confession that is when with the penitent Thiefe our soules can say We are righteously here and iustly laid vnder Gods indignation worthy to be cast into Hell And neuer was he truely humbled that is more ashamed to confesse sinne then to commit it Fourthly there is an execution and holy reuenge 2. Cor. 7. 11. and this is when we beate downe our bodies and mortifie our members and vndertake good duties that the like occasions may be preuented for afterward These parts of an enemy doth euery humbled soule take vp against it selfe when it iudgeth it selfe before God and who can be a greater enemie to himselfe then he that doth so Secondly it is an essentiall difference betweene the sound confessions of the godly and the slubberd confessions of the wicked the godly renounce themselues and their sinnes but hypocrites doe not they neuer learned the first lesson of Christianitie which is selfe-denial their mindes are set vpon euill workes and therefore how can they be against them They repent not but with a repentance to be repented of Thirdly all the accusers and enemies that the child of God hath if they be put together cannot obiect halfe so much against him as hee can against himselfe men may speake much but not so much as himselfe And therefore if he deale truely betweene God and himselfe he will so shame himselfe as all his enemies cannot And for this end God hath seated the conscience in the middle of the soule as a Iudge of the actions and hath giuen it an eye to pry into the secrets of the heart and cleared
c. but hee will not because it is against his decree Againe God hath not eternally decreed to saue all but out of all a few a little flocke now if hee should remit the sinnes of the impenitent and of vnbeleeuers then he should saue all and so the way to heauen should bee the broad way and not many but all should goe in it which was Origens errour directly against Gods decree and word Secondly it will not stand with the iustice of God to forgiue their sinnes who repent not of them but rather loue them who obey their lusts and follow the leading of them most willingly 2. Thes. 1. 6. It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you If God haue any iustice he must exercise it against such as hate him and reiect all his commandements but to saue all would prooue him to bee a God all made of mercy Thirdly God could haue no mercy if hee should forgiue the sinnes of all good and bad for there could be no difference betweene his mercie and his iustice this is mercy to some to pull them out of the common corruption and curse of sinne and mercy only reioyceth against iudgement if there were no iudgement neither could there bee any mercy Besides will it stand with Gods wisedome to bestow and giue mercy to him that refuseth and despiseth it or to fill with mercy the vessels of wrath Fourthly where were Gods truth if he should forgiue the sinnes of impenitent and vnbeleeuing ones what strength were in the curses of the Law that the soule that sinnes shall die to what vse could the promises of the Gospell serue what vse of the prayer of Christ for beleeuers that his Father would keepe them in the truth why did he put such difference betweene men that hee would not so much as pray for the World What neede of the death of Christ of whom the Apostle saith The Iust died for the vniust but so as they should be righteous in him or what neede of any part of his righteousnes and obedience who fulfilled the Law for righteousnesse to euerie one that beleeueth Fifthly God hath made it a priuiledge of the Church and the members of it onely to haue their sinnes forgiuen So we say in the Creed I beleeue the Communion of Saints and remission of sinnes Isa. 33. 24. The people that dwell there shall haue their iniquitie forgiuen and 62. 12. They shall call them The holy people the redeemed of the Lord. Forgiuenesse of sinnes then is a part of the promise of God made to those that are in couenant with him Ier. 31. 31 34. The dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new couenant for I will forgiue their iniquitie and remember their sinnes no more Yea this Psalme in the first verse makes it a note of a blessed man and a prerogatiue of the Saints Sixthly if God should bestow remission of sinnes in generall to all what neede is there of any grace what vse of the feare of God of faith c then we might set open all the doores of licenciousnesse and sinne and euery man might doe what hee list without all restraint or bridle So that to tye remission of sinne to repentance makes not onely for our saluation hereafter but also to correct and bridle sinne here and set vs into the beginnings of eternall life euen in this present World But how is this remission of sinne free if wee cannot haue it without these conditions of faith repentance confession c Yet is it still free first because though it bee not giuen without these yet it is not giuen for these as our iustification is free though it cannot be had without faith because it is not giuen for the dignitie of our faith Secondly euen these conditions are not of our selues but the gifts of God and so can merit nothing Thirdly faith and repentance are required not to shew for what but to whom remission of sinnes is bestowed namely to such only as haue obtained mercy and for whom Christ hath freely merited the same This serues to confute a grosse and ignorant conceit of many who say That God who made all will saue all and so lay all the care of saluation on God and neuer trouble themselues in vsing the meanes Alas poore soules No no neuer thinke that thou canst diuorce what God hath coupled namely the ende from the meanes it is true which Saint Augustine saith Hee that made thee without thee doth not saue thee without thee Why say some did not Christ dye for all and euerie man and shall not they bee saued for whom Christ dyed To this the Schoolemen say that Christ dyed for all sufficienter but not efficaciter Christs merits were sufficient to redeeme 10000. Worlds if they had faith to apprehend them saith Leo. But we speake of the effectuall shedding of Christs bloud which was shed for many not all to the remission of sinnes Matth. 26. 28. Secondly Christ died for all that is for all those many saith Augustine namely all the Elect for the sinnes of the World of the Elect for there is a World of the Elect standing of Iewes and Gentiles who are brought to faith and repentance Thirdly all and euery singular man cannot receiue remission of sinnes but onely beleeuers by the hand of faith some of all sortes of men now the Apostle saith that faith is not of all men and therefore it is called the faith of the Elect Tit. 1. 1. Therefore let no man deceiue you with vaine words for for such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience Ephes. 5. 6. Secondly by this doctrine wee may see that no man can be assured of remission of sinnes but the true beleeuer who truly repenteth of his sinnes Euery man indeed will professe in his Creed that he beleeueth the remission of sinnes but this is but a vaine blast in the most whose sinnes binde them ouer to eternall death Onely the true beleeuer hath the right markes of remission of sinne which are these First he onely is weary and heauy laden and sees his neede of Christ whereas the wicked are whole in part or wholly and neede not the Physician Secondly onely hee hath a spirit free from guile which is made a note of remission vers 2. Of all other we may say as Peter did of Simon Magus Thy heart is not right with God one mans heart is a temple of Gods Spirit another hath not the Spirit of Christ and therefore is not his Thirdly onely a true beleeuer hath the consequents and fruites of remission of sinnes from which as from fruites we may goe to the tree as First the first of them is regeneration he is borne of God and sinneth not that is he hath not raigning sinne with him nor sinne vnto death because the seed of God is in him
little faith Thus the Apostle saith We are in all things more then conquerours Secondly the Prophet yeelds Psal. 34. 19. that great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuers them out of all but marke how First sometimes they are exempted from the common inundation that it doth not come neere them as those 7000. marked who bowed not their knees to Baal were saued from Iezabel and the tenth and remnant reserued from common plagues to propagate Gods grace and glory with the manner of his dealing and their deliuerance Secondly sometime they are wrapped in the common miserie as suppose the plague or fire or sword but herein finde the Lords compassion and mercy in speciall deliuerances Ieremy was taken into Babylon with the captiues but it was better with him there then among his owne people So Dauid saith Thou hast afflicted me sore but hast not deliuered me vnto death Thirdly sometimes the godly are left vnto death and led as sheepe vnto the slaughter and sustaine all the cruelty and ignominy their enemies can deuise And this the Lord doth permit first in respect of their enemies that they may by their blasphemies and cruelty prepare and hasten their owne destruction Secondly of the truth which is sealed and ratified with the blood of the Martyrs Thirdly of the growth of the Church which is sowne and watered with the bloud of the Saints as being the seede of the Church Fourthly in respect of the godly themselues to sweeten them for the fire is the fittest place for perfumes But yet First the Lord is not carelesse much lesse prodigall of the liues of his seruants but by speciall counsell thus ordereth and disposeth of them for hee numbers their flittings puts their teares into his bottle and suffers not a haire much lesse the head it selfe to fall without his prouidence Precious to the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal. 116. 15. Secondly being thus left in the enemies hand the promise of deliuerance is most true seeing first the rod of the vngodly doth not rest vpon them but by being deliuered to them are deliuered from them Secondly in the midst of death they liue conquer and raigne so saith the Apostle We are slaine but not ouer-come the reason is because Tyrants and Persecutors cannot ouercome their Faith Hope and Profession Thirdly they are deliuered from all the bands of sinne and death and the imperfect man is wholly renewed Fourthly they rest in their beds euen euery one that walketh before the Lord and are deliuered from seeing the euill to come But seeing the wicked are deliuered from troubles as well as the godly out of many iudgements what priuiledge is this First the wicked are often temporally deliuered as well as the godly but a sting is left behinde so as deliuerance is a blessing in it selfe but not to them whereas the godlies deliuerance is a true blessing both in it selfe and vnto them Secondly God deliuers either as a Creator or as a Father As a Creator and preseruer of things created hee preserues the wicked from some present euill to reserue them to a greater mischiefe Thus are the Deuils preserued by God and reserued to finall iudgement only the wicked haue offer of grace which the Deuils haue not But as a Father he deliuers his children who often deliuers his owne by correction taking them away from euill which might corrupt them so as if they be not temporally deliuered they are deliuered eternally The godly by being taken away by iudgement are freed from iudgement the wicked euery way preserued or rather reserued vnto iudgement Thirdly God deliuereth either by vertue of a promise made and applyed to the faithfull claymed and obtayned by fasting prayer and obedience as Mordecai Ester 4. 16. and Iehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20. 3. or else not by vertue of any promise as the wicked who haue no promise no faith and therefore no sound blessing Thus we see the great difference betweene the deliuerance of the godly and of the wicked and as great comfort in the one which the other wants This serues to comfort the godly in that the Lord sits vpon the floods and that to this purpose to performe this gracious promise Isa. 42. 3. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the floods that they shall not ouerflow thee So Eliphas telleth Iob chap. 5. 19 In sixe troubles he will deliuer thee and in the seuenth euill shall not come neere thee as if hee had said Though sixe and seuen troubles beset thee yet the euill of them shall not come neere thee This presence of God with his children makes them glorie in their troubles as in a crowne vpon their heads and the Apostle Paul gloried that hee was more in affliction then al the false teachers 2. Cor. 11 and Heb. 11. 35. the Saints were in most deadly tryalls and would not bee deliuered namely vpon vnlawfull cōditions because they found God as good as his word Secondly miserable men are they that withdraw their hearts from the Lord and seeke him not in his promises nor in their prayers but trust to wind out themselues by other meanes some make falshood their refuge and some embrace the world and carnall meanes and leane vpon the arme of flesh These fly from their defence wait vpon lying vanities and forsake their owne mercy Ion. 2. 8. 't is as if Noah for feare of the inundation should haue left the Arke and flyed to the Mountaynes which had beene to haue throwne himselfe into the midst of the waters and thus doe they that to auoid troubles feare and fly their profession and so Apostasie and Idolatrie and corruption drownes them We must rather with the Church fly to the Rocke Psal. 69. 2. Saue me O God the waters are vpon me yea I am come to the deepe waters and then being deliuered we must goe backe vnto him saying Saluation is the Lords and Psal. 124. 1. If the Lord had not beene with vs the waters must needes haue drowned vs when they rored vpon vs. Thirdly this serues to perswade euery man to become godly seeing this priuiledge belongs only to such there is no man but desires safetie in danger and yet no man but the godly man can assure himselfe of safetie therein If then thou wouldest haue assurance of this promise thou must practise pietie in these seueralls First become an humble person repent and turne to God cry out of sinne sue daily for pardon as for life and death and then let all the miseries in the world come haile-shot vpon thee thou shalt be safe Only sinne is as poyson cast into the Lords cup God giues thee no poyson to drinke but that is of thy owne tempering pull the sting out of these Scorpions and the sight onely will be dreadfull but the danger is past Secondly as thou mournest for thy owne so for other mens sinnes 2.
them all things falling out to the best to them that loue God Neither may it be strange that although remission of sinne be the ground of all deliuerances yet all that haue remission of sinne haue not deliuerance from temporall dangers but some of the Saints are hewne asunder tempted slaine burnt hanged and ignominiously put to death For as the subiection of the creatures to vs dependeth vpon our subiection to God and our peace with men vpon our keeping peace with God so our subiection and peace with God here being only begunne and imperfect we must recouer our safetie from the creatures and peace with men but in part and imperfectly But yet that which is wanting here is recompensed with spirituall peace euen here as Ioh. 16. 33. In the world yee shall haue affliction but in me yee shall haue peace and afterward with that peace that is euerlasting First then where God begins our safetie let vs begin it in labouring to feele our inward peace with God which will quiet our hearts in the assurance of Gods prouidence and protection in outward things it will be an easie descent from the greater to the lesse In the want of outward things say to thy selfe God out of his loue hath giuen me his owne Sonne and will hee not giue mee all things with him Shall he giue me heauen and not earth In the want of inward comforts say to thy soule Why art thou cast downe my soule while I was yet an enemie and a sinner God hath reconciled me by the death of his Sonne how should hee now cast mee off being reconciled In bodily dangers what a prop doth this doctrine giue vs Hath my Lord prouided with so much cost so great saluation for my soule and will he neglect to saue and preserue my bodie hee that doeth the greater will not hee doe the lesse In molestation by externall aduersaries What hath my Lord and head foiled the Deuill for me troden Satan vnder my feet and trampled vpon all spirituall enmities for mee and will hee not beate backe the endeuours and vniust practices of my enemies Shall I beleeue the greater and not beleeue the lesse Secondly in receiuing and enioying outward benefits labour to see them all to be the riuers streames of this fountaine for then they be sweet indeed as the streame is then sweet when the head and fountaine is so but if the Fountaine be bitter or poisoned so are the streames For first they are no further mercies then they proceede from mercy and then they be mercies indeed as they are called Secondly else we enioy them by a broken title if not by vertue of the Couenant and euen those creatures are in a kinde of bondage from which God frees them often by plucking them from vniust owners as Hos. 2. 9. Thirdly else we distinguish not our selues from the wicked scarce from the beasts who find and taste the sweetnesse of the creatures as we do but not of GOD in them Naturall men stay in the fruition and delight of the things themselues and can goe no further whereas as the riuers lead vs to the sea so ought wee to bee led by them to the minde of the Lord towards vs in them Fourthly those that delight themselues in the pleasures and delights of things below and want the pardon of sinne are as if a man should drinke off a cup of sweet poyson with much delight but presently or not long after it workes deadly Thy sinne is poyson which thou castest into the cup that the Lord hath made to run ouer Fiftly a little gift with loue and good will is more acceptable then a great deale with strife and grudging If a man can see Gods loue and good will toward him in Christ hee will be content with a little thankefull for a little cheerefull with a little and his portion though very small will bee very precious Sixtly if assurance of remission of sinnes giueth vs such ioy in trouble and affliction that the Saints can reioyce in tribulation Rom. 5. 3. how will it reioyce the heart in the fruition of Gods mercies Oh then how ought we to labour earnestly by the eye of faith to discerne the beames of Gods loue and fauour chasing away the cloud of our sinnes without which all our comforts are but bitter and vnsauorie Thirdly hence gather the priuiledge of Gods children to whom remission of sinnes is sealed vp which is to be secure either from perils or in perils For first once in Gods Couenant and euer safe for the couenant is vnchangeable as God himselfe is an euerlasting couenant Isai. 55. 3. Secondly their afflictions are not punishments of sinne but either tryals or louing corrections the sting of them is gone Thirdly whereas the wicked whose sinne is not pardoned are haunted and vexed with terrours and feare where no feare is a godly man is as bold as a Lyon yea in the presence and sense of danger Iob 5. 22. Thou shalt not bee afraid of destruction when it commeth but shalt laugh at destruction and death For the stones shall be at league with thee and the beasts c. Who would not be exempted from danger or fearelesse in danger as seeing his owne safetie Surely the way is to get the Lords louing countenance vp vpon vs and then we shall be safe Psal. 80. 3. 7 19. Thou art my secret place THe Prophet borroweth a comparison from liuing creatures who being in danger or in chase or pursuit haue their hiding places to defend themselues in the Lyon hath his denne the Foxe his hole the Conie his burrow and the Godly man hath his asyle or refuge but with this difference First the beasts haue their dens caues in the earth wherin they hide themselues but the godly hath his hiding or secret place in heauen Secondly they may be fetcht and hunted out of their hiding places and be destroyed for all them but so cannot the godly who make God their secret place seeing none is able to plucke them out of his hands who is stronger then all Hence we may note that The Lord is the hiding place of the godly in trouble and danger As a man in a storme or showre seeketh shelter so in the stormes of the Church and Common-wealth in which the enemies thunder and roare and seeme to mingle all into one confusion then the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous flye vnto it Psal. 27. 5. In the time of trouble hee hath hid me Psal. 91. 1. The godly is said to dwell in the secret of the most High How is the Lord the hiding place of the godly First by his promise Secondly by his protection First his promise couereth and compasseth his Elect vnder which they are as safe as in a towne of warre Psal. 119. 114. Thou art my shield I trust in thy Word Many were the plots which Dauids enemies impugned him withall
but his onely armour by which hee defended himselfe was the Word of God and he makes the Lord his shield by trusting in his Word Exod. 14. 13. When Moses and the Israclites were compassed with Sea Mountaines and Enemies how were they hid and couered with the promise onely Stand still feare not and behold the saluation of the Lord. Iudg. 7. 2. Gedeon appointed with three hundred men to goe against the Midianites and Amalekites who lay in the valley like Grashoppers for multitude and their Camels without number as the sands of the Sea saith the Text What could hee expect but to be eaten vp presently but hauing a word that God would deliuer him he was as safe as any of those whom he had sent from the warre God being his shield he was secure When Athaliah had put to death all the seede of Ahaziah onely Ioash his sonne escaped and was hid in the house of the Lord sixe yeres GOD had a chamber of prouidence to keepe him safe when there wanted no meanes nor diligence in Athaliah to finde him But whence was this safetie euen from the Word and promise of the Lord 2. Chron. 23. 3. Behold the Kings Sonne must raigne as the Lord hath said of the sonnes of DAVID that hee should neuer want a man to sit vpon his Throne after him According to that Psal. 91. 4. His faithfulnesse and trueth shall bee thy shield and buckler Secondly God hides his children by his protection which is the accomplishment of his Word this protection of God is called his wings which is a borrowed speech from Birds which by their wings keepe their yong ones both from iniury of weather and from the rauenous Hawkes and birds of prey that looke as the Hen gathers her chicken vnder her wings so the Lord wil couer his owne vnder his wing that is vnder his protection as Psal. 91. 4. He shall couer thee with his feathers and vnder his wings shalt thou trust And this wing of God is represented by the wings of the Cherubins extended ouer the Arke these are the wings of grace and mercie vnder which Dauid desireth to bee hid Psal. 17 8. It is also called Gods shield and buckler because as vnder a shield or buckler the bodie is hid and couered from the blowes and deadly thrusts of the enemie so the godly are hereby wholly protected from dangers This is a great comfort for Gods children who haue such a hiding place as that God himselfe vouchsafeth to prouide for their safetie who is stronger then all and most faithfull The Lord needs feare no tyrant to expose his children to their rage as Moses his parents who durst not hide him aboue three moneths And for his faithfulnesse he neuer failed them that runne vnder his wing Dauid calls him the saluation of all them that trust in him from such as resist his right hand A man without God is a bird without a nest and a beast hunted without a denne lyable to any danger that comes but great is the comfort of the godly who know whither to go to be hid both from the strife of tongues Iob 5. 21. and from the violence of tyrants Secondly we learne hence how to behaue our selues in troubles namely to hide our selues in heauen as the poore beasts doe hide themselues in earth May wee not hide our selues in earth by vsing the meanes of safetie Did not Dauid hide himselfe in Woods in Caues Holes and Rockes 1. Sam. 22. 1 5. and 23. 5 6. 14. Yes neither must we neglect any good meanes of our owne safety yet we must trust in none of them but in Gods blessing who must watch vs and hide vs or else all comes to nothing Well knew Dauid how little helpe there was in any thing to hide him vnles he had with the same Gods wing to couer him The strong Citie of Keilah could not hide or defend him and therefore the Lord warned him to come out of it himself became a shield brazen wall vnto him The vaste solitarie wildernes of Maon could not hide secure him there Saul and his Souldiers had compassed him onely the Lord hid him and turned his pursuers another way For this purpose the Lord often brings his children into the streits that they may runne vnder his wing for those who at no time else will seeke him will then seeke to him as Pharaoh himselfe He knowes it is with the godly as with a beast in the field which is safer in a storme then in the fayrest seasons the storme driues him to his den and the hunter to the clefts of the Rocke but that being blowne ouer he comes forth and is in danger of taking So the godly in trouble drawes into his secret place and so long as danger continues so long he cleaues to God but after danger he lyes open to Satan his owne corrupt lusts and other snares as we may see in Dauid himselfe who in the wildernes and his flight before Saul and Absalom lay not so open to temptation as in his Palace God often imprisons and streytens his that they may bee more warie in their enlargement But how may we make God our hiding place First by faith leaning vpon the promises For what good can all the promises of God do being not mingled tempred with faith Ps. 119. 49. Remember thy promise made vnto thy seruant wherein thou hast caused me to trust Habac. 2. 4. The vision shall come in the meane time the iust shall liue by faith which in times of danger fenceth and compasseth them with all the promises of God wheras vnbeliefe layes a man open to iudgements debarred Moses of Canaan and strucke Zacharie dumbe the greatest dishonour to God is not to relye on his Word and the Prince that beleeued not in the Word of the Lord was troden to death 2. King 7. 19 20. Secondly couer thy selfe vnder the wing of God by the practice of repentance for the way to escape iudgement is to iudge our selues Ezek. 9. 4. When Ierusalem was to be destroyed they that mourne and sigh for all the abominations thereof must bee first marked for deliuerance And can an enemie of God an impenitent sinner haue the face or any hope to goe to God for safetie and hiding Thirdly hide thy selfe with GOD by prayer and in extraordinarie danger by fasting which exerciseth both faith and repentance thus our Prophet often prayes the Lord to keepe him as the apple of his eye and to saue him vnder his wing 2. Chron. 20. 12. Iehoshaphat thus hid himselfe There is no strength in vs saith he to stand before this great multitude neither doe we know what to doe but our eyes are toward thee and being in this hold hee had strength enough from enemies who slew one another and had no vse of his owne Hezekiah likewise against Sennacherib had recourse to this hiding place hee put on
fire But why did it not goe from her Did shee want meanes No I would haue purged thee saith the Lord and thou wast not purged therefore now thou shalt not be purged till I haue caused my wrath to light vpon thee The same is Gods dealing whether with people or persons if his Word cannot separate the skum from thee his fire shall and if the meanes of purging cannot preuaile thou shalt haue thy will a while thou shalt not be purged but then God will haue his will his wrath shall light vpon thee Thou that by Gods Word wilt not be perswaded to leaue thy vaine swearing the bridle of the Law and the menaces of it restraine thee neuer a whit God hath another bridle of his reuenging hand and power which will make thee know that though his patience for the present be great ye hee wil not euer hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine Thou that art in league with thy drunkennesse and drunken companie hearest the Word say that Drunkards shall not come into the Kingdome of Heauen this is no bridle for thee thou runst vpon head without rule or reynes of moderation and sobrietie Gods hand and power will bridle thee well enough when thou shalt drinke the cup of his wrath mixed for his enemies and thou being one shalt not auoyd Thou that art an enemie to the Word because it is an enemie to thy sinne and scoffest the profession and professors of Religion vnder the titles of Heretickes hearest the Word cursing those that curse GODS people Genes 12. 3. yet this is no bridle nor stay to thee but thou pleasest thy selfe still in disgracing them know that God hath his bridle to hamper thee with and hee will binde thee if thou wert as fierce as a Beare and thou shalt know it when Christ shall bee ashamed of thee and say to thee standing without In that thou hast scoffed one of these that beleeued in mee thou diddest it to me Remember Iulian when the Lords bridle was in the mouth of that Monster hee cryed Vicisti Galilaee vicisti the like shall bee vnto thee and vnto Sabbath-breakers Vsurers Lyars c. Fourthly consider the vncertaintie of our liues no man hath a lease of his life and if death take vs away in our obstinacie we perish for euer as the tree fals so it lyes as death leaues vs so the iudgement finds vs. Secondly let this consideration perswade vs to willing and free subiection to God and his Word lest God bee inforced with the bridle of his might to tame our fiercenesse and senselessenesse for this is the threatning that the Lord will walke stubbornely with his owne people till their vncircumcised hearts be humbled Leuit 26. 41. And to the effecting hereof consider First God requires a reasonable seruice of thee Rom. 12. 1. not vnreasonable like that of vnreasonable creatures that doe all by constraint by the rod and the spurre but voluntarie and cheerefull All sound obedience to God must proceed from sense of his loue and this puts life into it for that which is forced and constrained for feare is hypocriticall Secondly the subiects of Christ are called a willing people Psal. 110. 3. and those that are inwardly taught of God worke and obey not by the compulsion of the Law although the best need sometimes not onely threats but rods aso and bitts and bridles to keepe vnder their lusts but the Spirit hath in their generall purpose and course freed them to a voluntarie subiection and obedience Thirdly Gods acceptance of our dutie and consequently our comfort is in the willing and cheerefull manner of performance A wicked man may doe the same things with the godly and go beyond him in matter the difference is in the manner and end God loues and accepts free-wil Offrings If a man giue God loues a cheerefull giuer If a man doe any dutie of his calling let him say as Paul sayd of himselfe If I doe it willingly I haue a reward 1. Cor. 9. 17. It is not thanke-worthy but the worke is lost when a man is drawne to the duties of pietie or charitie as a Beare by the ring in his nose or an Horse by the rod and spurre to his wayes end GODS loue must bee our spurre and then wee may looke at the recompence of reward VERS 10. Many sorrowes shall bee to the wicked but hee that trusteth in the Lord mercie shall compasse him NOw follow the reasons or enforcements of the former precepts to lay aside brutish senselessenesse and peruerse obstinacie and they are drawne First from the great and manifold plagues which are reserued for indocible and incorrigible persons Many sorrowes shall bee to the wicked Secondly from the infinite loue and good will of God towards penitent sinners But he that trusteth c. And these two reasons are the two parts of this verse which containes in it the summe both of all the curses of the Law and of the sweet promises of the Gospell And Dauid as a good Teacher takes the right order first hee preacheth the Law to terrifie the dull and secure and then offereth the sweete and gracious promises of the Gospell to beleeuers thus Iohn Baptist makes way vnto Christ and thus the Lord by Earth-quakes and Thunders prepares men to his still voyce he that hath felt the breakings of the Law feeles the sweetnesse of the bindings of the Gospell If therefore we preach the Law it is to prepare men for the Gospell and little know men that shunning the Law they flye from the Gospell First of the commination or threatning Many sorrowes shall bee to the wicked And first we must know what is meant by this wicked man hee is not euerie sinner but as the Text it selfe notes him out First an ignorant and indocible person who is as the Horse or Mule without vnderstanding Secondly an obstinate person in his sinne an incorrigible person one whom Gods Word nothing preuailes withall nor can bee ruled without bitt or bridle Thirdly a man that trusts not in the Lord as the words following shew The handling of this text is fit in our congregation wherein not a few of all these sorts be Secondly this man shall haue sorrow the wicked man is euer miserable though seldome or not euer sorrowfull that is sensible of his misery Now the wicked triumph and seeme the happyest men vnder the Sunne and it hath troubled the godly that they haue all to their hearts desire Iob. 21. 7. Psal. 73. 3. Ier. 12. 1. the rich glutton goes in skarlet and fares deliciously euery day But their sorrowes shall bee as the sorrowes of a woman their delights shall be turned into torments their laughter into teares Now all our working on them cannot bring them to take knowledge of their misery but they shal one day be afflicted with sorrowes and shall not so easily turne them off Many sorrowes because of many plagues and many plagues because of many sinnes Many
heart is ready to make any thing thy portion but God and when by sinne thou hast prouoked him to hide his face or stand aloofe from thee then say thou trustest in God and not before True it is that the godly haue some failings and slidings from these rules but yet hereunto they striue and in some comfortable measure attaine Now if these bee the practices and qualities of such as mercy belongs vnto wee see easily by the contrary that there bee sundry kindes of men to whom the Lord doth couenant wrath as First many ciuill men who content themselues without the knowledge of God they say they meane well and doe no man harme liue in peace with their neighbours and follow their Church as others doe yet haue no care of religion but for fashion they say they trust in God but doe not because they vse not the meanes nor walke in the way of faith and repentance nor in the conscionable hearing and obeying of the word Secondly such as walke stubbornely against God and the meanes of Saluation mercy belongs not to these How know you that Well enough first out of the text which saith Mercy belongs to him that trusteth in God Now he that trusteth in God walketh on in a course of godlinesse and cannot stand out against God Secondly by an expresse text Deut. 29. 20. He that heareth the curses of this law and yet blesseth himselfe saying Though I walke in the stubbornnesse of my heart the sword shal not come neer me I will not be mercifull to that man saith the Lord. Secondly heere is a great comfort for the godly who haue no small security hence that whatsoeuer their outward estate is or may bee Gods mercy compasseth them as the hilles compasse Ierusalem see it in some instances First If Satan assault vs on euery side with temptation to vex and disquiet vs with inward feares he shall not haue so nimble eyes to spy our weaknesse as the eye of the Lord to spy meanes to strengthen vs. Let him obiect the greatnesse and infinite number of our sinnes yet hee shall but amplifie the great mercie of GOD which is greater and more large then all the sinne and miseries in the world Thus Moses comforteth GODS people Deut. 4. 31. The Lord thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake nor destroy thee nor forget the Couenant of thy Fathers which he sware vnto them Secondly If vnmerciful men compasse them and come about them like Bees Psal. 118. 12. and sharpen their stings yet the mercies of the Lord are neerer them then that they can hurt them Thus Dauid comforted himselfe Psal. 86. 14. 15. O Lord the proud are risen against mee but thou Lord art strong and mercifull gracious and long-suffering and a pitifull God Thirdly If a man should conflict with Gods owne hand by inward temptations or outward tryals of sicknesse pouertie persecution if hee were so beset as hee could see nothing but troubles without and feares within now is the time to mound and fence himselfe with this comfortable Doctrine that euen now GODS mercies doe guard and compasse him seeing he cannot deny himselfe nor faile of any of his promises Dauid when he was to chuse one of the three Rods of GOD the Sword Famine or Plague he chose to fall into the hands of God because he is mercifull 2. Sam. 24. 14. Hee may afflict and chasten vs a while and for a moment seeme to forsake vs but with great compassions he will gather vs Isa. 45. 7. 10. For Hee chides not alwayes neyther retayneth hee his wrath for euer Psal. 103. 8. Fourthly If a man were in the hands of Death and the Messengers thereof had already taken hold on him as on Hezekiah yet euen then hee need feare none ill seeing Gods mercies compasse him this is euer our couer though wee cannot alwayes see it as Elisha his seruant saw not the great mercies of God compassing him and his Master euen then when we know not GODS mercie is all about vs there are still more with vs then against vs our Mountaine is alway beset with Heauenly Warriours Was Ionas euer more compassed with mercies then when he was in his owne sense cast off and compassed with Waues and Weedes Was Israel euer more compassed with mercie then when they were compassed with Mountaines Sea Enemies Death and deadly things these our extremities are Gods oportunitie Nay fiftly suppose a man were in the house of death in the graue yet euen this separates not from GODS mercies which being eternall leaue vs not in death but when we are most compassed with dust and corruption shall then bee most abundant and mightie for vs. Oh therefore let so many as trust in God flye in all their straits to this Sanctuarie which can make not onely Deaths forerunners but euen Death it selfe welcome which depriues vs of all things else but this mercie into the full estate of which it setteth vs. Thirdly labour aboue all things in the World to get part in this mercie by getting assurance of the pardon of sinne get this and thou gettest a mercie reaching vp to Heauen a Crowne of Blessings a plentifull Redemption Our Prophet here cals it a compassing mercie for a godly man thinkes not himselfe compassed whith mercie when hee is compassed onely with outward blessings when GOD hath hedged about his house and hee hath wealth to tumble in though the World breathe after nothing else but when he hath a voyce telling him that God in Christ is mercifull to his sinne and hath couered his iniquitie oh now thinkes Dauid himselfe compassed with mercie and not before although hee was a King and had all outward things to his hearts wish Zacheus had mercie enough when saluation was come to his house hee neuer got so fast before as now hee forgoes and restores hee was neuer compassed with mercy till now though he was a great rich man neuer so rich as now when hee was impouerishing himselfe to entertaine Christ in his house and heart Iaakob when hee saw Iosephs face his best beloued sonne Now sayth hee I haue enough let mee now dye seeing I haue seene my sonne Iosephs face How much more shall wee haue enough to see the face of the well-beloued Sonne of God yea and of God himselfe in that wel-beloued one appeased and fully pacified Simeon hauing seene Christ with his eyes and held him in his armes Now Lord sayd hee let thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation But to see Christ by the eye of faith and hold him in our hearts will make death much more welcome to vs we shall thinke we haue enough the sweet sense of it within will frame the mouth to speake plentifully of it as our Prophet doth in this place Neyther can any good heart eyther lightly account or speake slenderly of such a mercy neyther content it selfe with slight meanes to get it or with superficiall