most described by loue for two causes 1 Loue in vs â—…des vs to a 〈◊〉 knowâ—…dge of Gods â—…ue to vs. 1. Ioh. 4. ☜ A great comfort to know that God is well minded toward vs. 2. By loue in vs we know we are in the state of grace Two things to trie if we haue loue or not 1. He that loues God cannot but loue his law fith it is a pourtrait of his image 2. He that loues God cannot but loue his Saints Ioh. 13. 1. Ioh. 4. And now our affection toward himselfe â—…s to be declared in our affection to his Saints As Dauid intreated weake Mephiboseth for Ionathans sake So should we poore weake Christians for Christs sake ☞ The great recompence of godlinesse Our greatest comfort is proâ—…ised now but not exhibited now Amb. The priuiledge of godly men No trouble can hurt them To the wicked prosperity is pernitious Their peace ends in perturbation ☞ The miserable estate of wicked men when comforts externall faile theÌ„ Esa. 28. Example hereof in Nero. Without application we can reape no comfort of Gods promiâ—…es Yea most comfortable promises are most terrible to such as 〈◊〉 not apply them Faith carries vs out of our selues to leane on the Lord. Matth. 7. Bern. Loue proued by obedience and obedience tryed by loue We sinne against God because we loue him not as we should if we loue him not we are inexcusable ☜ Hypocrisie and dissimulation farre from men who are truely godly Ambrose They lay open their cogitations and affections to God The wicked cannot hide from God yet will â—… be laid to their charge ☞ Godly men interrupt their prayers against their will We should pray for our praiers Basil. Prayer reiected a sore plaguâ—… Ambrose Three sorts of complaint made by the godly 1. Against inuisible enemies 2. Against visible 3. Against themselues Rom. 7. No wisedome in man without the word Ierem. Gifts of nature grace wherein different Praier should be seasoned with faith Iames 1 Feruencie Iames 5 Humility Prayer makes man on earth a great Courtier with God in heauen To pray and not preuaile is Moabs curse Praiers should bee seconded with promises and promises with performances They who goe before the pâ—…oin honour should goe before them also in good example Both soule and body and all that we haue receiued from God should be returned to him ☞ Christians are Prophets and should edifie one another The word of God keeps religion and order among men No successe in temporall things without Gods helping hand In spirituall exercises much more labour is lost if the grace of God help not Ier. 8. 22 ☞ The beginning of saluation we haue now the perfection we looke for 1. Peter 1 We haue comfort by the beginnings but no contentmeÌ„t Worldlings cold professors reproued who long not for better then they haue Luke 6 The word to vs in our pilgrimage is like Manna to Israell in the wildernes They who dispise the word need not look for saluation If naturall life may be loued How much more should eternall life be loued But many liue by the one who are dead as concerning the other Fruit of all Gods benefits is profit to vs praise to himselfe Dauid persecuted with banishment It is common to all men to wander from God Basil in Psal. 119. Ambrose Psal. 119. ☜ Such as thinke themselues without sin are but blinde Esay 6 An answere to presumptuous Papists boasting of perfection Bern. ☞ Confession of sin profitable Amb. de pâ—…nit lib. 2. c. 6 Gregor moral 22 God the great shepheard of his people Ambros. His 〈◊〉 toward his wandring sheepe The praise of the beginning progresse and perfection of our saluation is dew to God onely The godly neuer so fall that they lose all grace Ambr. The manifolde vses of Gods word to the godly What comfort we should finde in it if our affection toward it were like Dauids August ☜
kept him that he perished not in his affliction Thy word Dauid here makes a secret opposition between the words of his enemies and Gods word Sore was he troubled with the long toūgs of the wicked Hoc enim est opus diaboli vt seruos Dei mendacio laceret falsis opinionibus gloriosum nomen infamet vt qui conscientiae suaeluce clarescunt alienis rumoribus sor didentur It is true which Philo saith Veritas opinione melior est non tamen est negligenda fama truth is better then opinion and it makes not much what wrong opi nion be conceiued of vs yet the same or good name of a man is not to be neglected specially if he be in a publick office that by his name he may do good vnto others But because this cannot be obtained and Innocencie itselfe cannot hold off the scourge of the tongue wee must oppone the word of God to the words of wicked men resting with Io◅ in this That our witnesse is in heauen and with S. Paul in the testimonie of a good conscience Then shall we not be discouraged for the words of man hauing both Gods word and our owne conscience to warrant vs. And for our farther comfort let vs remember how the words of men when they are greatest are most vaine and effectlesse and on the contrarie that GOD is as good as his word yea and better doing more then can be expressed by word It was a proud word of Iezabel God doe so to me and more also if I haue not the head of Elijah ere tomorrow at this time but the dogs got her head and shee got not the head of Elijah Such also were the words of Sennacherib boasting by Rabsache that he would make the inhabitants of Ierusalem to drink their own piss but these were vaine words and vanished with the wind Onely the counsell of the Lord stands what hee determines shal be done and as he speakes it shall assuredly come to passe In heauen By this Basile vnderstands Angelorum coetus coelum inhabitantes qui diuin◅m legem custodiunt the company of innumerable Angels who obserue the law of God But the words following declare hee meanes the frame of the same visible works wherein the constancie of Gods truth doth appeare most manifestly For two causes then doth Dauid so speak First to draw vs from looking to the instabilitie of things heere vpon earth wherein are restlesse changes and vicissitudes to a consideration of the stabilitie of Gods decree in heauen Vtcunque versentur res humanae omnia sint varijs inclinationibus obnoxia tamen verbum Dei non est subiectum ordini naturali In earth the word of God is not onely controuerted but contradicted and resisted and the state of things so mutable that oftentimes the wicked prosper and are exalted the godly cast downe and sore oppressed To vphold vs against this tentation let vs looke vp cast the anchor of our soules within the vaile there we shal see an vnchangeable decree of God which shall change all these things againe and bring to the end spoken of in his word The other cause why he so speaks is that this visible frame of the heauen stands as an eternall witnes of the veritie of Gods word that hee will not retreat nor call back that which hee speaks for he once commanded the heauens to be and incontinent they were and euer since continue Thus wee see how the godly profit by looking into the works of God euer drawing some spirituall consideration out of them but of this hereafter VER 90. Thy truth is from generation to generation thou hast laid the foundation of the earth and it abideth AS hee collected the certaintie of Gods word by the indurance of heauē so now he confirmes it by considering the foundation of the earth Sith the foundation of the earth made by the word of God abides sure shal we not think that the foundation of our saluation laid in Christ Iesus is much more sure Though the creatures cannot teach vs the way of saluation for that we must learn by the word yet doe they confirme that which the word saith Thus saith the Lord vvho giues the Sunne for a light to the day and the courses of the Moone and Starres for a light to the night If these ordinances depart out of my sight then shall the seede of Israel cease from beeing a Nation before mee for euer As there Ieremie gathers the stabilitie of the Church from the stabilitie of the creatures so here Dauid cōfirmes the certainty of our saluation by the most certaine vnchangeable course of the creatures and both of them are amplified by Christ Iesus Heauen earth may passe but one iot of Gods word shal not fall to the ground Let vs therefore be strengthened in the faith and giue glory to God Tho◅ hast laid This worke of God is often mentioned in holy Scripture to commend the glory of Gods wisdom and power Yea the Lord himselfe glories in it as ye see in his speech to Iob Where was◅ thou when I laid the foundation of the earth declare if thou can who laid the measures thereof who first stretched the line ouer it whervpon are the foundations of it set or who layd the corner stone therof He hath founded it without a foundation for the pillars of the earth mentioned by Anna are no other but his word and decree But alas how great is our stupiditie vvee walk vpon earth it beareth vs vp but we neuer consider how God sustaineth it by his mightie power that we may giue glory to him And it abides As the Lord by his vvord made the vvorlds so beares hee vp all things by his mightie word Creation is as the mother and Prouidence the nurse conseruer of al the works of God God is not like man for hee when hee hath made a worke cannot maintaine it hee buildeth a shippe and cannot saue it from shipwrack hee edifies a house but cannot keepe it from decay it is otherwise with God we daily see his conseruing power vpholding his creatures vvhich should confirme vs that hee will not cast vs off nor suffer vs to perish sith we are the works of his hands if wee doe depend vpon him and giue him the glory of our Creator Conseruer and Redeemer VER 91. They continue to this day by thine ordinance for all are thy seruaunts THe same argument by which Dauid here proues the truth of Gods word is vsed by profane mockers to improue it Where is say they the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation There is so great difference between a godly and a godlesse hart that where the one of euery thing learnes to be more godly the other learnes to be more profane like poysonable Waspes
persecuted by their tongues not by their hands let vs giue thanks to God who as he commaunded the fire that it could not hurt Daniels companions and bridled the fury of Lions that they could not hurt Daniel himselfe so hee restraines the wicked that they cannot do vnto vs according to the malice of their harts And therefore finding this goodnesse of our God wee should be the more confirmed against the rayling of their tongues Sith the Lord bindes their hands shall wee be mooued at the breath of their mouthes or shal the stroke of their tongues put vs out of patience which preserues peace in our harts But great is our weaknes Dauid suffered this iniurie of Princes and we cannot suffer i◅ of the basest people When shall we be prepared for greater tentations that will not learne to despise the smallest If thou be wearie in running with footmen how shalt thou match thy selfe with horses But thy seruaunt Perceiue heere the armour by which Dauid fights against his enemie Arma iusti quibus omnes adversario◅ū repellit impetus are the word and prayer Hee renders not iniurie for iniurie reproach for reproach It is dangerous to sight against Satan or his instruments with their owne weapons for so they shall easily ouercome vs. Let vs fight with the armour of God the exercises of the word and prayer for a man may peaceably rest in his secret chamber and in these two see the miserable end of all those who are enemies to Gods children for Gods sake VER 24. Thy testimonies are my delight my Counsellers THe other protestation Dauid makes is of the great profit and fruite hee had found in the vvord that it was both a delight to him and a counseller of him Saul had his Nobles and Counsellers by whom he ruled his affaires Dauid protests that he had no other for the men of his counsell but the testimonies of God These are two great benefits which commonly men craue Pleasure to refresh thē Con̄sell to gouerne them Dauid protests hee found them both in the word and sends all other who would haue them to seeke them there where he found them As for ioy and recreation of mind commonly men seeke it in other Cisterns but with no good successe for as a man in a hote Feuer is eased no longer by drinking strong drinke then he is in drinking of it for then it seemes to coole him but incontinent it increaseth his heat so is it with the troubled and heauie hart which seeks comfort in externall things how-euer for a time they seeme to mitigate the heauinesse they doe but increase it Onely solid and permanent comfort must be drawne out of the fountaines of the word of GOD. The other is wisedom which vvithout Gods word can neuer be obtained As Ieremie spake of the wicked in his time They haue reiected the word of God and what wisedome then is in them So is it true of all the wicked The wisedome of this world is but foolishnes Achitophel his end vvith innumerable moe may teach all men that hee shall neuer be found wise who is not godlie The beginning of wisedome is the feare of the Lord. DALETH VER 25. My soule cleaueth to the dust quicken me according to thy word MAny states of life did Dauid change but his hart neuer changed from the Lord the loue of his word In his doubts the word was his counseller in his griefs the word was his comforter therefore was hee not cast downe or overcome vvith griefe In his greatest prosperitie the word was his greater ioy therefore vvas hee not puft vp with pleasure teaching vs that in euery state of life we shall find comfort if we will rule our life by the word In this verse Dauid hath a complaint My soule cleaueth to the dust And a prayer Quicken mee according to thy vvord The prayer beeing vvell considered shall teach vs the meaning of the complaint that it was not as some thinke any hard bodily estate vvhich grieued him but a very sore spirituall oppression as I may call it bearing downe his soule that where he should haue moūted vp toward heauē he was pressed downe to the earth and was so clogged with earthly cogitations or affections or perturbations that hee could not mount vp His particular tentation hee expresseth not for the children of God many times are in that estate that they cannot tell their own griefs and somtime so troubled that it is not expedient albeit they might to expresse them to others And heereof wee learne how that vvhich the worldling counts wisedome to the Christian is folly what is ioy to the one is griefe to the other The ioy of a vvorldling is to cleaue vnto the earth when he gripes it surest hee thinks himselfe happiest for it is his portion to take heed to his worldly affaires and haue his minde vpon them in his estimation is onely wisedom For the Serpents curse is vpon him he creepes on the earth and licks the dust all the daies of his life This is the miserable condition of the vvicked that euen their heauenly soule is become earthly Qui secundum corporis appetentiam vi◅it ca◅ est etiam anima eorum car◅ est as the Lord spake of those who perished in the Deluge that they were but flesh no spirit in them that is no spi◅uall or heauenly motion But the Christian considering that his soule is from aboue sets his affection also on those things which are aboue he delights to haue his cōuersation in heauen and it is a griefe to him when he finds his motions and affections drawne downe and entangled with the earth His life is to cleaue to the Lord but it is death to him when the neck of his soule is bowed downe to the yoke of the vvorld Erecta ad Deum ceruix ◅ugo Christi habilis quae nulla in terrarum illecebras inflexione curuetur regalis Christi turris est The necke of the Spouse of the Lord IESVS is raysed vptoward God meet to receiue the yoke of Christ but wil no way bow for any earthly allurements to beare the yoke of another such a soule is the royall towre of Christ Iesus By this disposition let men try themselues and see of what Spirit they are Againe the vicissitude and change of estates where-vnto the children of God are subiect comes heere to be marked sometime◅ they are borne downe by carnall affections to the earth sometimes raised vp by spirituall desires to the heauen This comes to passe of the battell that is between two irrecōcileable parties the old man the new Nature Grace For as in them who wrestle with any equall strength sometime the one is aboue and sometime the other till at length one be ouercome so is it in this combat In the Christian sometime the power of Nature othertimes
thy portion but the Lord. Whom haue I in heauen but thee And I haue desired none in the earth with thee Let vs looke to the creatures consider how they are very good let vs vse them also but so that we remember alway how with them a greater good then they are is offred vnto vs namely that good GOD that made them What is the creature if it be compared with him that made it Can the vvorke of a mans hand bee so excellent as man that made it And vvhy then shouldst thou thinke that there is either beautie or vertue in a creature for which it should bee more desired and loued then the Lord vvho made it Pulchrum coelum pulchra terra sed pul chrior qui fâ—…cit illa Ethnicks saw by the light of Nature specially the Platoniques that whatsoeuer good is in the creature it is but Splendor quidam summi illius boni a certaine beame of that great and infinite good which is in God and that then onely was the good which is in the creature rightlie vsed when by it men learned to goe vp and returne to the Creator But alas such is our wretched corruption that the same things which should cary vs vpward toward God drawe vs downe and we are oftentimes so snared with the loue of the creature that wee forget the Creator not that any blame is in the creature but as I saide in our owne corrupt nature for euery creature in the own kind sends vs to him that made it speaking with such a voice as it hath Seeke not rest nor contentment from vs Goe vp and seeke it in him that made vs no contentment no satisfaction haue wee to giue you The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing This then is the first motiue that as the Lord would not rest till hee had made man so man is bound of his dutie neuer to rest till he find the Lord. The other motiue is It is impossible that man can get rest or contentment to his soule in any thing but in the Lord his God Man vvas made for God and to the image of God and therefore can no other thing fill and content the desires of his soule but GOD himselfe Caeteris rebus occupari potest repleri non potest Other things may busie and vex the spirit of man but cannot fill or replenish it Fecisti nos Domine propter te semper in quietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te thou madest vs ô Lord for thy selfe and our hart is alway vnquiet till it rest in thee As the point of the Mariners compasse touched with the Adamant trembles euer till it be directed toward the North so doth the hart of man till it bee directed to the Lord. And as the Doue which Noah sent forth of the Aâ—…ke went flying abroad and could find no rest for the sole of her foot the earth being couered with waters till she returned againe to Noah so the soule of man may goe through the world caried in the body as a chariot or otherwise flee abroad and view al the creatures vpon the wings of contemplation but it shall find no place of rest no creature to content it till it returne to the Lord. Otherwise anguish of spirit and sore tribulation shall be the portion thereof But heere it is demaunded whether or no is this preiudiciall to the rest of Gods children that Dauid saith The Lord is his portion I answer no manner of way for the Lord shall not be the lesse the portion of one that feares him because he is the portion of another hee is sufficient for all Earthly heritages are the lesse when they are communicated to many and therefore oftentimes is there stâ—…ife among them about the diuision heere it is not so there needs no contention about the diuision of this inheritance one shal not haue the lesse because another hath much the Lord shall bee all in all euery one of his Saints shall be filled with his glory Wee see the Sunne in the firmament shineth vnto all the vvorld neither is there any man who thinks that the light is the lesse because it is common to many If GOD haue created the Sunne with such maruailous wisedome that the light thereof is not the lesse to euery one because it is common to many what may wee looke to find in himselfe The generall vse of this towards vs all is to assure vs of our election If from our heart wee haue made this choise that we can say in sinceritie with Dauid O Lord thou art my portion we may be assured that first of all hee did choose vs to bee his inheritance Yee haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you saith Christ. Heerein is loue saith Saint Iohn not that wee loued him first but that hee loued vs. If the Lord had not chosen vs to be his peculiar people we should neuer haue chosen him to be our portion The particular vse of it is first to those vvho are poore in worldly things let this comfort them that GOD is become their portion The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want vvhat matter is it who haue the greatest measure of Gods mooueables sith the permanent goods of the inheritance are ours His mooueables I call the things of this world which goe from hand to hand the permanent good is himselfe his fauour his loue toward vs in Christ Iesus It was the infirmitie of our father Abraham when the Lord said vnto him Feare not I shall be thy buckler and exceeding great reward that hee answered What canst thou giue mee Lord seeing I goe childlesse As if this were no more then all children or gifts temporall whatsoeuer that the Lord promised to giue himselfe to him for a reward It is marked in him that by his weakenesse wee may learne to gather wisedom and strength neuer to thinke vvee can vvant any thing seeing we haue the Lord himselfe for our portion The other particular vse of it is toward those who haue receiued a greater measure of worldly things from the Lord if with it they haue also grace to loue and feare him Let them knowe they haue gotten a double portion which obligeth them in a double seruice beyond their brethren I wish of God men of honour in the world professors of the Gospel could shew as much holy zeale for the maintenance of the gospel which is the testimony of God witnessing that he is become their father and portion in Christ as they can declare carnall zeale against those that would preiudice them in the smallest portion of their earthly inheritances yea for a foote bredth of their land But this is the time wherin men are fallen from their former zeale not onelie is the fruite decaied but the leaues also are fallen away and there is no courage
nothing on earth more pretious then hee Sed in eo quod non videtur multo pulchrior est but in that which is not seene namely his soule hee is much more beautifull So ye see Dauids reasoning is very effectuall all one as if he should say as he doth elswhere Opus manuum tuarum ne deseras Te authorem conuenio te teneo conditorem aliena praesidia non quaro Forsake not ô Lord the worke of thine hands thou art my author and maker thine help I seek and the helpe of none other No man can rightly seeke good things from God if he consider not what good the Lord hath already done to him But many are in this poynt so ignorant that they knowe not how wonderfully God did make them and therefore can neither blesse him nor seeke from him as from their Creator and conseruer But this argument drawne from our first creation no man can righly vse it but he who is through grace partaker of the second creation for all the priuiledges of our first creation we lost them by our fall So that now by nature it is no comfort to vs nor matter of our hope that GOD did make vs but rather matter of our feare and distrust that wee haue mismade ourselues haue lost his image and are not now like vnto that which God created vs in the beginning Giue mee vnderstanding Dauid knew that a man without vnderstanding were hee of neuer so noble bloud or comely of personage he is but a companion of beasts and therefore the Spirit of GOD commonly giues the stile of a man vnto man eyther made or restored to the image of God But a man destitute of that image Aut serpentem aut equum aut vulpeculam aut iumentum vocare consueuit he cals either a serpent or a horse or a foxe or a beast That I may learne Hee sheweth heer what is the vnderstanding which he craued namelie that hee might learne to obey the commaundements of God It is not wisedome in Gods account for a man to knowe all other things and be ignorant of himselfe neither is this learning to haue knowledge of all Sciences and secrets of Nature and to be without godlinesse This is the beginning of all wisedome To feare GOD and the Art of Arts to practise pietie To this purpose said Ambrose Quid tam obscurum quam de Astronomia tractare profundi aeris spatia metiri relinquere causam salutis error is quaerere Where if saith hee it be obiected Was not Moses learned in all the learning of the Egyptians let it be answered So hee was but hee thought all this wisedom losse and foolishnesse in comparison and turned to seeke GOD with inward affection Ideoque vidit interrogavit audiuit loquentem Deum hee saw therefore hee asked and heard God speaking vnto him VER 74. So they that feare thee seeing me shal reioyce because I trusted in thee THe godly in ordering their life haue a respect first vnto God that he may haue glory Next to themselues that in conformitie with God they may haue peace and comfort And thirdly vnto his neighbour to giue vnto him that is godly matter of ioy and edification by his godly life according to that precept of our Sauiour Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your godly conuersation may glorifie your Father who is in heauen Beside this appeareth the great power vertue of godlines that euen the very sight of a godlie man ministers ioy to the godly terror to the wicked Plerisque iusti aspectus admonitio correctionis est perfectioribus verò laetitia to many men the sight of a righteous man is a warning of correction For they are admonished what neede they haue to amend their life that they may be like vnto him but to such as haue profited more in godlinesse it is alway a matter of ioy Quam pulchrum ergo si videaris prosis How excellent a thing then is this that as oft as thou art seene so oft thou doost good And againe there is such a fellowshippe and communion among all the liuely members of Christ his mystical bodie that they mourne together they reioyce together the grace of God cōmunicated to one is a cause of ioy to al the rest Bonis enim insitū est vt virtutes su as in alijs amēt It is the propertie of the godly to loue those vertues in others which either they haue or would in themselues to enuy the good of another and be grieued thereat is a diuellish thing Infirme Iosua may murmure when Medad and Eldad prophecie in the assembly of the people but meeke Moses shall reioyce and wish that all the Lords people did prophecie in like manner Because I trusted in thee Gods working with any one of his seruants is a confirmation of all the rest for what hee is to one that feares him he is vnto all that feare him So that mercy shewed to any penitent and promises performed to any beleeuing man should confirme vs in the assurance of the like fauour of God to bee found by our selues if we also repent and beleeue in him VER 75. I knowe O Lord that thy iudgements are right and that thou hast afflicted mee iustlie THis Verse consists of a thankesgiuing wherin he ascribes to the Lord the praise of truth and righteousnesse in afflicting him Many vse to praise God in prosperity who in time of trouble impatient of his heauie hand murmure against him but such as are truly godly do then blesse the Lord most heartily when he seems to deale with them most hardly giuing him the praise of equity and acknowledging that his greatest rodds are not so great as their sins as also the praise of fidelity that according to his word he afflicts his children for no other cause but to purge them and make them more capable of grace and consolation I know How is this seeing the Apostle saith Rom. II. that the iudgements of God are vnsearchable and his waies past finding out The answer is Dauid doth not so speake as if he were priuy to al the secret waies of God but that thus much hee knew in generall that all his iudgements whereby he strikes eyther the godly or the wicked were all right suppose the causes and particular ends of them were secret And this knowledge is learned out of the word The Lord is righteous in all his workes and holy in all his wayes And againe All the wayes of God are mercie and truth to them that feare him And againe All things worke for the best to them that loue him And it is the want of this knowledge that makes vs oftentimes to murmure or faint and be discouraged at the works of God apprehending in our ignorance that to be euill which in Gods working is good and directed to a good end For if
vs in the certainty of our saluation 1. Cor. 1. Phil. 2. Christians are sure of perseuerance proued by foure reasons Gal. 2. Rom. 6. 1. Pet. 1. 1. Ioh. 2. Commendation of Gods word â—…t will vphold vs when all other comfort will faile Ambrose If we make no conscience of Gods word in prosperity it shall not comfort vs madueâ—…sity The Word of God is the life of our soule If such fruit be in his promise what is in the performance Mockeries and tauntings of euill men is a part of Christs crosse Ismael first began this kind of persecution Gal. 4. Godlines hath many impediments If we remember time begun forethinke time to come the tentations of the time present shall not readily ouercome vs. Prou. 1. Godly men pitie the wicked Euthym. Not so much for wroÌ„g done to them as for the euill that redounds to theÌ„ who doe it Ambr. ☜ The weight of sin aggrauated by this that it is a forsaking of Gods law They who couÌ„t Gods word a wearines which Dauid accounted a refreshment are in a hard estate The word is conuenient for euery state of life In it wee haue prayers for crosses and psalmes for euery deliueraÌ„ce Bodily banishment brings the godly neerer to the Lord how euer it put them further from men Our life vpon earth is but a banishment ☞ It were a sore punishment to dwell for euer in our bodies as they are ☞ Iob. 18. Priuate exercises are surest tryalls of true godliness and why Rom. 2. 29. This age conuinced of coldnes in religion Euery mans life declares if he remember God or no. Ambrose How the beginnings of godliness are euer blessed with increase ☞ God teacheth vs both by precepts and examples All the godly who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before vs. call vpon vs. ☜ Heb. 12. Among the rest Dauid calls vs to follow him If we would be partakers of his approbation 2. Reg. 2. A two-fold protestation in this verse It is a commoÌ„ thing to speak of God not so to speake to him Accesse to the throne of grace in the body is the first degree of eternal life ☜ Macar hâ—…m 8. Dauid a great King yet glories onely in this that God was his 〈◊〉 Worldlings may be ashamed who hauing lesse portions on earth yet for them neglect the Lord. Why we should chuse God to be our portion God rested not in his worke of creation till he had made man ☜ And man shold not rest content with any creature but set his hart vpoÌ„ God Psal. 73. 25. ☜ August The greatest good in the creature is but a sparkle of that infinite good in the Creator Euery creature sends vs from it vp to him that made it ☞ Prou. 1. 8. Man was made for God no other thing but God can content him Bernard August ☜ God is not the lesse portion of one because he is the portion of another Earthly inheritances are diminished being coÌ„muncated to many heauenly are not so How the assurance of our election may be gathered 1. Iohn 4. Comfort for such as are poor in worldly things Psal. 23. 1. Abrahams infirmitie should learne vs to gather strength ☜ Information for such as are rich in the world Shame that they are more zealous to maintain their earthly portion then the heauenly Ierem. 8. It is not enough to say God is thy portion vnlesse thou qualifie it Chrys. in Mat. hom 4. An InterrogatioÌ„ of Chrysostoms meet for professors of this age ☞ Such as enter into religion without determination cannot continue Three helps of a godly life 1. Determination 2. Supplication 3. Consideration Iam. 3. Our purpose perisheth if God blesse it not Three things obserued in Dauids prayer 1 His Reuerence The like reuerence recommended to vs. Eccles. 5. August The second is his Sinceritie Against a false hart vnder a faire tongue ☜ ☞ Pro. 26. 23. The third is his faith Prayers of bastard Christians nothing different from the prayers of Turkes ☜ God promiseth of mercy wee promise of dutie If we would haue the one effectuall let vâ—… make conscience of the other Consideration so necessary that without it no estate of our life can be well ordered ☞ We should not vse the eye of the mind as we doe the eye of the body ☜ By the one we look to others by this wee should look to our selues It is a lamentable folly for a man to take heed to any thing that is his more then to himselfe Basil de verbis Mosis Attende tibi As oft as wee â—…oke to our selues we shal find something 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bern. Delay of repentance dangerous How it brings many to damnation ☜ August Against the delay of repentance Satan seeks but â—… delay God crâ—…ues present repentance ☞ All men seek the Lord at length wise meÌ„ seek him in time True godlines endureth great tentations What the wicked are to the godly ☜ The combination of the wicked shall not helpe them Three things to be marked in this verse Our necessities hinders our spiritual exercises that they can not be continuall as it is with them in heauen Yet wee should indeuour vnto it Why Salomon made Harps of Almuggim trees We soone faint in prayer Though our performance faile our purpose should remaine Time a most pretious jewel ☜ How the time of the day and night should be spent after Dauids example The same Christ teacheth by his example Ambrose Sleepe is the deaw of nature Yet we should quit it to keepe the deaw of grace or else worldlings and Idolators shall accuse vs. ☞ Sleep compared to a sory customer that takes vp more then he should How Alexander and Caesar parted the night Monsters of Nature turne the day into night Ambrose What God promiseth with his mouth he performeth with his hand Sin punished now tels there is a Iudge Sinne spared now tells there is a iudgement to come He that loueth God wil loue his Saints Euery mans company declares what himselfe is Ambr. ad virg deuotam Ambr. offer lib. 3. ca. 16. Christians of an inferior rank to ourselues should be vsed as our companions ☞ An example of great humility ☞ In the godly feare is with loue not so in the wicked No good is to be looked for where the feare of God is not Gods benignitie generall is to all speciall to his owne children The goodness of God toward his creatures should coÌ„firme his children in the assurance of his loue Blind are the wicked who see not Gods goodnes in his creatures ☞ Gods mercy shewed to a man is an vndoubted argument that hee will shew more mercie His present gifts are but pledges of greater Psalm 23. How God is gracious euen wheÌ„ he afflicts Ambrose The same declared by sundry similitudes Basil. Memorials of mercy should be kept The seruant of God an honorable and comfortable stile Iudg. 16. The wicked dishonor God when they call in doubt the truth of his word Esay 37. Zach. 1. But they shall find it
great signe a sure fore-runner of a further and more fearefull iudgement to come if it be not remedied It is an enemy to grace it is the mother of presumptuous sins it makes smallest sins irremissible it makes a man Gods aduersary for the Lord resisteth the proud As two hard things when they encounter together the weakest of thē is broken in peeces so is it with man when with his hard hart he contends with the invincible God Let vs pray wee may be deliuered from this plague of a hard hart But my delight see ver 14. 16. 35. 76. 77. 174. VER 71. It is good for mee that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes HEe renewes his former protestation which he madever 67. declaring how his afflictions made him more godlie then he was before Heereby may we discerne a sanctified crosse from a cursed the crosse which makes thee better then thou wast how sharpe so euer it be if it worke a correction of thee thou maist be sure it is a blessing It is commonly in the mouthes of many when they are in trouble We must thanke God for his correction But alas how can that be called a correction which corrects thee not If thou be not corrected with Dauid thou hast matter of griefe in thy trouble but none of ioy and so canst not say with Dauid It is good for me that I haue been afflicted Affliction as we said ver 67. in it owne nature is euill being a punishment of sinne but the Lord who changed the bitter waters of Marah and made them sweet vnto Israel hath also changed to his children the nature of the crosse that not onely they find comfort in it but most happy effects are wrought in them by it In trouble wee see three things better then in prosperitie First how prouident mercifull and true the Lord is Secondly how weake and miserable our selues are Thirdly how false changable the world is Beside all these it is an effectuall meane whereby the Lord beates downe the pride of Nature and humbles vs for our sinnes Hagar was proud and blind in Abrahams house but in the wildernesse she is humbled and begins to looke to the Lord. Israel learned not to mourn vntill they were sent into Babel Ionas sleepes in the shippe but wakes and prayes in the Whales belly Blessed is the man whom the Lord corrects therefore refuse not the chastisement of the Almighty For tribulation bringeth forth patience patience experience experience hope hope maketh vs not ashamed That I may learne Hee now condiscends in particular and shewes what good hee got by afflictions he learned Gods statutes by them He speakes not of that learning which is gotten by hearing or reading of Gods word but of the learning which he had gotten by experience that he had felt the truth comfort of Gods word more effectual and liuely in trouble then he could doe without trouble which also made him more godly wise and religious when the trouble was gone Wicked men are somwhat good whē they are in affliction but so soon as they are deliuered they return to their old sinnes as ye see in Pharao These are like Iron which is soft and will bow at the workmans wil when it is in the fire but soon after it is drawn out it returns to the old hardnes These men vse repentance as worldlings doe an old garment which they put about thē in time of a showre but cast it away so soon as the weather becomes faire It is otherwise with the godly the fire of affliction purgeth their drosse and makes them finer all the daies of their life so that with good Ezechia being once rightly humbled they recount their by-gone sinnes in the bitterness of their hart all their dayes VER 72. The law of thy mouth is better vnto me then thousands of gold and siluer DAuid at this time beeing spoyled of his kingdome by Absalom as Basile thinks reioyceth that hee found more comfort in Gods word then all the gold or siluer or treasures of Canaan could afford And indeede the lesse worldly comfort wee haue the greater find we the comfort of the word of God But heere his speech is to be marked for hee calls the word the law of Gods mouth Which leades vs to consider two things concerning it the authoritie of the word and so it is from Gods mouth the ministery of the word so it comes from mans mouth Sometime men looke to the ministery of the word and not to the authoritie of it and then it is no maruell they disesteeme of it euen as Samuel ranne to Eli when he should haue runne to God because hee thought the voice that called him had been but the voice of Eli. So many regard not the word because they take it to be the voice of man and not of God Then thousands Worldly riches are gotten with labour kept with care lost with griefe They are false friends farthest from vs when we haue most need of comfort as all worldlings shall trie to be true in the hour of death For then as Ionas gourd was taken from him in a morning when he had most need of it against the Sun so is it with the comfort of worldlings It is farre otherwise with the word of God for if we wil lay it vp in our harts as Mary did the comfort thereof shall sustaine vs when all other comfort shal faile vs. This is it that makes vs rich vnto God when our soules are Storehouses filled with the treasures of his word Shall we thinke it pouertie to bee scant of gold and siluer An ideo Angelus pauper est quia non habet iumenta c. Shall we esteeme the Angels poore because they haue not flocks of Cattell or that S. Peter was poore because he had not gold nor siluer to giue vnto the Criple No he had store of grace by infinite degress more excellent then it Let the riches of gold be left vnto worldlings wee haue to remember these are not currant in Canaan not accounted of in our heauenly countrey If we would be in any estimation there let vs inrich our soules with spirituall graces which we haue aboundant in the Mines and treasures of the word of God IOD VER 73. Thine hands haue made mee and fashioned mee giue mee vnderstanding that I may learne thy commandements THis verse hath a petition for vnderstanding and a reason with it I am tho workmanship of thine hands therefore giue me vnderstanding Nemo est qui operibus beneficus suis non faueat There is no man but he fauours the works of his hands And shall not the Lord much more loue his creature especially man his most excellent creature whom if yee consider according to the fashion of his bodie Nihil poteris in terra pretiosius iudicare ye shal find