I knew what meanes to vse what are they If thou wouldst haue the preuailing of the Spirit take these courses First bee humble in thine owne eyes empty thy selfe of pride and vaine conceits the promise is that God giueth grace to the humble nay he dwels with the humble and broken heart Isay 57. 15. that is abides and continues with it Secondly be diligent in the ministerie of the Word of reconciliation which the Apostle cals the ministerie of the Spirit for it is as fuell to feede and strengthen the Spirit yea as bellowes to blow vp the graces which else lye idle 2. Tim. 1. 6. Stirre vp the gift of God that is in thee 1. Thes. 5. 18. Quench not the Spirit Despise not Prophesying marke the neerenesse of Spirit and Prophesie Thirdly obserue the motions of Gods Spirit feede them and from motions proceede to resolutions and practices not the worst man but hath some good motitions as Balaam and Saul acknowledged that Dauid was more righteous then he but imitate thou good Dauid here hee followes the motion that hee had hee said he would confesse and confessed So the Prodigall Son had a good motion he remembred his estate he had been in and his Fathers house but said he I starue here then hee resolues to goe to his Father and went Goe and do thou likewise this is to adde thy strength to the Spirit and thus a conuert is not meerely passiue in working out his saluation but actiue once being acted Fourthly pray earnestly for the Spirit for he is powred on thirstie grounds as Isay 44. 3. I will powre water vpon him that is thirsty and floods vpon the dry ground and Luk. 11. 13. If yee being euill know how to giue good gifts vnto your children how much more shall your heauenly Father giue the Holy Spirit to them that aske him I acknowledged my sinne neither hid I mine iniquitie HEre is Dauids confession it selfe he did not resolue suffer his resolution to dye but he said he would confesse and confessed but many are of another spirit they resolue professe promise 1. Tim. 1. 13. Paul saith of himselfe I was a Blasphemer a Persecuter an Oppresser but I was receiued to Mercie Here were three heinous degrees of sinne the sight of which made him confesse himselfe the chiefe of all sinners verse 15. and made him admire and magnifie the Mercie of God who vouchsafed so aboundant grace to such a desperate wretch as hee vvas and of this kinde are the confessions of all the godly The Reasons of this point are very good First a Reason hereof is drawne from the nature of grace which First worketh alike against all sinne and he that hath grace to confesse one sinne aright by the same grace confesseth all he that truely hateth one sinne truely hateth all If a man truely feele the weight of one it makes him grone vnder the burthen of all much more For all sinnes are of the same nature so as repentance cannot be sound if any one sinne be laid hold on which made our Prophet being humbled for one to repent of all Thus also doe the Israelites in their conuersion 1. Sam. 12. 19. Pray for thy Seruants said they to Samuel that we dye not for wee haue sinned in asking vs a King besides all our other sinnes Secondly the grace of sound conuersion suffereth not starting holes and hollownesse in the soule but worketh it to sinceritie Now the sincere heart deales truely betweene God and it selfe it knowes that God loues trueth in the inward parts therefore it will confesse fully and frankely vvithout hiding or lessening any sinne Againe it knowes that God loues a free-will offering and therefore it will offer a free and heartie confession and there can bee no better signe of sinceritie then this Thirdly sound grace is an open enemie and at warre with all sinne especially the sinne which is next it and will not spare to disgrace it by all meanes it vvill shew true hatred against it that if confession will discouer the loathsomenesse of sinne it will not bee nice in it but bring it into discredit with it selfe And where grace is more abundant there is more abundant sense of sin and this sense brings abundance of words like so many swords and weapons against it euery one expressing greater hatred of it then other as Dauids words here Secondly another Reason hereof is drawne from the nature of sinne which first is a debt as we haue heard a debt which is impossible that euer we should bee able to pay this debt stands vpon our heads in Gods debt-booke Now it vvill not stand with an honest disposition to deny or seeke to out-face or lessen a due debt to any man and much lesse will it stand with a godly disposition to deny or conceale our debts to God with whom wee cannot play false if we would And therefore it is as little as a man of a broken heart can doe to goe to the Creditor and in humilitie confesse the debt and craue pardon and forgiuenes So Christ our Lord hath taught vs to pray Forgiue vs our debts which implyes confession And Dauid prayes the Lord to blot out all his sins wherein hee secretly confesseth that hee hath a large score in Gods booke which he is vtterly vnable euer to satisfie Secondly sinne is a loathsome filthinesse and vn cleannesse and a good heart is ashamed of euery nakednesse of the Soule which it sees Gods eye to bee vpon and because it knowes that the next way to couer this nakednesse is to vncouer it as the whole experience of Dauid in this Psalme teacheth it labours by confession to couer all whereof it is or may be ashamed and indeede all true confession must proceede from the shame and confusion of face for sinne Thirdly sinne is a gash or wound in the soule and a man hauing many wounds or diseases seekes the cure of them all howsoeuer of the greatest first and soonest yet he neglecteth none because the least of them is dangerous and painefull so it is in sinne the confession of which is as the laying open of a sore that the plaister may bee fitly laid on a man that would haue all cured will not hide any but vncouer euen the least Thirdly God will haue his children in some measure like himselfe herein and resemble his owne image that as hee esteemes of sinne not as a light or small thing but the most vile and odious thing in all the world and so hee euer speakes of it and carries himselfe to it so shall his children in their measure and for this purpose First he vsually putteth forth his worke of iustice and layeth an heauy hand on the soule as on Dauid here when the eye of the soule beholdeth the Lord frowning vpon it without and the conscience within accusing then shall nothing be small little sinnes shal be counted great enough that which Satan did
I not drinke of the cup that my Father hath giuen me to drinke It is a cup a measure tempered and measured by our Father if it be a little bitter in the top the bottome will haue a pleasant farewell it is giuen vs of him to drinke and therefore we must needs drinke it Thirdly it is the hand that shall not be further stretched out to smite then it shall be to saue vs this comforted the Church Isa. 59. 1. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot saue the same hand that imbraceth the Church is vnder her head Cant. 2. 6. Fourthly the Saints grounded their patience hereon Psal. 39. 9. 10. I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou diddest it Remooue thy stroke away from me I am consumed by the blow of thine hand So Isa. 38. 15. Hezekiah rested himselfe on this What shall I say hee hath said it and he hath done it and Eli 1. Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good Also 2. Sam. 15. 26. If he say I haue no delight in thee loe here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good vnto him Thirdly if all afflictions be the hand of God then we see whither to goe for release we cannot expect it at the hands of men or Angels but from God none can take off Gods hand but himselfe Hos. 6. 1. Come let vs turne to the Lord he hath spoiled and he will heale vs hee hath wounded vs and he will bind vs vp Iob 10. 7. there is none that can deliuer out of thine hand How doth the Lord rebuke those who will not acknowledge the hand that smites them Isa. 1. 5. Wherefore should ye be smitten any more yee will fall away more and more yee seeke not vnto me Asa insisted in the hand of the Phisician to remooue Gods hand but his example teacheth that euen lawfull meanes must not preuaile against Gods hand where God himselfe is not chiefly sought men goe no further then the hand of a man oppressing them and seeke deliuerance that way which is as if a malefactor should seeke to the executioner and not to the Iudge who hath power to pardon or repriue or hang him Others runne vnto vnlawfull and wicked meanes to the Witch the Wise or Cunning man and woman who are no better then diuels incarnate and yet are more sought to euerie one of them then all the Ministers in a Countrie as though all the deuils or gates of hel could stirre Gods hand or breake his arme Oh but they doe good and helpe vs. Indeed God permits them so to doe to mens further hardening and remooueth one hand that is sensible to lay on one which is farre heauier the deliuerance is by breaking the prison to be clogd with more burden some fetters The generall rule for all troubles is Psal. 50. 15. Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Fourthly in all deliuerances out of trouble repaire to God with thankefulnesse who hath remooued and staied his hand so did Moses Exod. 15. 1. So did Hezekiah Isa. 38. 18. 19. 20. and so did the nine Lepers Thankefulnesse is the onely impost that God requires at our hands So much of the first point Secondly God laies his hand heauily often vpon his owne deare children as here vpon Dauid vpon Iob cha 6. 2. Oh that my griefe were throughly weighed my calamity laid in the balances together it would be heauier then the sand of the sea c. So also cha 16. 12 13. He hath taken me by the neck and beaten me and set me as a mark for himself His archers compasse me round about he cutteth my reines and doth not spare powreth my gall vpon the ground He hath broken me with one breaking vpon another and runneth vpon mee like a Gyant All which phrases imply first that his inward and most noble parts were afflicted and secondly that God in his sense was become his enemie and could not be more fierce against him then he was Isa. 38. 15. Hezekiah complains that God had bruised all his bones like a Lyon Psal. 6. 3. Dauid shewes that his affliction was violent both in his body and soule My bones tremble saith he and my soule is sore vexed and Psal. 116. 3. hee affirmes that the paines of hell had caught hold on him that is such temptations distresses and horrors as most neerely resembled the very paines of the damned What a heauy hand was that vpon Ionas when he was cast into the sea and was in the Whales belly three daies and three nights when he cried out of the belly of hell and said that he was cast away out of Gods sight And why doth the Lord lay such heauie things vpon his children For sundrie Reasons First there is deepe corruption lurking in the best who not feldome are cast vpon so dead a sleepe of securitie that they cannot be wakened with a little shaking till by most grieuous afflictions the Lord breake their bones consume their strength and bring them into such griefe and paine as sets them a roaring A wonderfull thing that those that haue tasted the sweet loue of God in Christ which should alwaies allure them and remaine as a prouocation and perpetuall spurre to follow after God should so far be carried back with lusts as that vnlesse God seek them out and whip them home with sharp scourges they were likely to perish with the world Let vs see in our example Dauid deare to God hauing not shaken off the delight of his sinne would couer it if he could from Gods eyes for he cannot peaceably inioy that sinne which hee thinkes God sees but God makes him know that he sees it and because smal checks of conscience will doe no good he laies on to the breaking of his heart with his bones and spares not for his roaring It is our owne fault that wee need so great crosses to subdue so great corruptions for as the vntamednesse of some colt is such as if he be not sore ridden and beaten he would neuer be broken so is it with our corrupt natures which as hard knots must haue hard wedges Secondly smaller troubles haue often a smaller work small things cannot make great hearts stoope a smal fire will not purge away drosse from gold but it must bee quicke and pearcing a small wind doth not fan away the chaffe of vanitie a small correction or smart makes the child more froward till sounder correction subdue him small trials doe not so exercise faith nor send men out of themselues to God for as none for the scratch of a pinne or a little headach will seeke to the Phisician or Surgeon so a sinner in smaller grieuances of the soule will scarce thinke he needs goe to God Iob 33. 14. God speakes once or twice and then makes the obstinate sicke with
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
peace and create euill I the Lord doe all these things So also Genes 45. 8. Ioseph said to his brethren God sent me before you Iob confesseth the like Chap. 1. 21. The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away 2. Sa. 16. 11. The Lord bade SHEMEI to raile vpon DAVID Hosea 6. 1. He hath spoiled and he hath smitten Thirdly afflictions are from Gods hand ordering and disposing them first in their causes circumstances kinds manner measure and time both of their beginning and ending Secondly in their ends and issues which are first his owne glory in manifesting his mercy iustice wisedome power c. Secondly the euerlasting saluation of his children whilest by afflictions First he stops them in their course of sinne as with an hedge of thornes Hos. 2. 6. that they should not breake ouer into the pleasant pastures of sinne therein to be fatted to the slaughter Secondly hee brings them to a true hatred of sinne when they taste the bitter fruite of it Thirdly to the exercise of mortification and desire of heauen and heauenly things and thus they are iudged of the Lord that they may not be condemned with the world Yea but afflictions are euill in their nature the curse of sinne and flashes of hellish torment so the Lord calls them euil and makes the daies of the afflicted euill they are enemies to the ioy peace and comfort which the godly at length shal eternally enioy how then can they be the hand of God True afflictions are in their nature euill but not euill so simply and absolutely but that there is some respect of good in them for first as they proceed from the chiefe good whose will is the chiefe rule of all good and euery thing is therefore good because he willeth it thus are afflictions good yea euill of sinne is so farre good as it is willed by God Secondly as they are punishments inflicted by a righteous iudge they are good thus all execution of iustice vpon Pharaoh Saul c. is good Thirdly as they are chastisements comming from the hand of a mercifull Father vpon his children they are good for a father doth good and his dutie in correcting his child Fourthly as they are ouer-ruled by Gods wisedome and power they are good not onely harmelesse but profitable and by his blessing are meanes to draw vs neerer the chiefe good by furthering both our graces heere and our glorie heereafter Fifthly as they are sanctified by Christ they are good for had they been simply euill Christ had not been so laden with them but as himselfe was consecrated by them so himselfe consecrateth them to the wholesome vse of all beleeuers and so they are finally good because they are a part of that straite way that leadeth vnto life But how can afflictions bee the hand of God when such wicked instruments as all wicked men and the diuill himselfe band themselues against the Church Ans. Very well for first it is not against the honor of the Iudge and course of iustice that some base slaue bee vsed for the hangman and executioner Secondly it cannot preiudice the iustice and goodnes of God but rather magnifies his wisedome and power when by the most wicked wiles of the diuell and his instruments he brings his owne righteous will to passe here is a mightie worke of God that can draw light out of darkenesse Thirdly it exalteth his iustice in the ouerthrow iust destruction of such as exercise their malice against his seruants for while they hate and maligne them vniustly they heape vp coales vpon their owne heads This teacheth vs that we must with the Prophet acknowledge euery affliction befalling vs to bee Gods hand It is easier to feele a sorrow then to conceiue or see Gods hand inflicting it men thinke it enough in generall to say and beleeue that the world and all things in it are ruled by Gods prouidence but come to applie it to this or that particular there they faile If prosperitie come vpon vs and things fall to our minde wee can thanke God but when the crosse comes we are willing to see any thing but God then we runne vpon inferior causes either we are wronged by wicked men or it came by our own ouersight or by the vnconstant wheeling about of worldly things As if a man beaten should altogether looke at the staffe wherewith he is smitten and not at the hand mouing and ruling it or as the foolish Curre bites at the stone and looks not after the thrower Neuer seuer thy crosse from Gods hand though there be neuer so many instruments Ioseph looked beyond his brethrens sinne and said The Lord sent me before you Iob beyond the Sabeans and Chaldeans robbing and stealing and said The Lord hath taken away Dauid beyond Shimeis wickednesse and said The Lord hath bidden him Christ himselfe looked beyond the Pharises Priests Iewes Iudas and the souldiers to his Fathers cup which he must drinke Iohn 18. 11. So if we can see Gods hand the affliction will be borne meekely but if we gaze on men or meanes it will be intolerable and we must needs breake patience 1. Sam. 6. 7. The Philistims would trie whether Gods hand strucke them or it was a chance thou needst not doe so But may we not looke at second causes Yes but not as the hand but as rods in the hand of God as Isai. 10. 5. Ashur is called the rod of Gods wrath and whilest such rods serue our heauenly Father in chastizing his children and amend them themselues are torne in peeces and worne to the stumpes and quickely after cast into the fire For a man therefore to flie vpon wicked men and to complaine of them is rather to confesse their sinne then his owne and to shew that he knoweth what was their dutie better then his owne To fret and storme at second causes were as if a man deepely wounded should chafe at himselfe because hee auoided not the blow or should fal to biting the sword that stickes in his flesh whereas his businesse were to plucke it out and runne to the Surgeon Let vs therefore consider of these three things First that all power is from God and in his hand Secondly that none haue any power against vs but from aboue Thirdly that the iust Iudge of the World would not afflict vs if there were no cause in our selues Secondly heere is a notable ground of patience in that our afflictions are the hand of God 1. Pe. 5. 6. Humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God that is with meekenesse and silence buckle and bow vnder it for First it is his hand who is infinite in glory power and Maiesty and may dispose of his owne as he pleaseth and it is to no purpose to struggle by murmuring or impatiencie to get out of his hand Secondly it is the hand of our Father thus Christ sustaineth himselfe Ioh. 18. 11. Shall
prayers and teares we keepe more carefully and make meere account of whereas lightly come by lightly set by The euill we hardly auoide we are more watchfull against for afterward whereas a disease soone cured is not much cared for to preuent it Sixthly and lastly God by the continuance of his heauie hand vpon his children would haue vs acknowledge how heauy and continuall those torments are which are prepared for impenitent persons If repentant sinners be laid vnder such lingring euills in this life what shall the wicked and vngodly endure If the Lord shew himselfe so stiffe to his children that often he will not be intreated of a long time how will he pursue the hard-hearted sinner that still stiffeneth his necke against him surely his wrath shal abide and settle vpon such and come vpon them to the vttermost But how will all this stand with those many places of Scripture as that the Apostle calles our afflictions light and momentany 2. Cor. 4. 17. and that God endureth but a while in his anger Psalm 30. 5. and that for a moment he hides his face Isa. 54. 8. doth not both this text and our owne experience shew that they belong and tedious and therefore I am either no child or else God may lay tedious euils vpon his children First euills cannot belong where life is so short as a spanne if our daies be euill yet are they but few saith Iaacob Secondly they are long to sense but not to faith though they last al the life faith expecteth a blessed fruit and is supported by patience Thirdly they are long if they be compared with the continuance and terme of our life but not long if they be compared as in that place of the Apostle they are with that eternall glory and neuer-ending happinesse which followes them This is Gods Arithmetike with whom a thousand yeeres are but as one day Fourthly afflictions are long if wee looke at themselues alone and not at our sinnes but compare thy sufferings for weight or continuance with thy sinnes thy afflictions with thy transgressions and they will seeme short and light Fifthly they would not onely seeme but also be long indeed if we should not see Christ in them lightning and shortning them but when we see Christ sanctifying our lingring afflictions and sorrowes and carrying a way the eternitie of them by his suffering which was short for time but infinite in merit then they are short indeede euen a moment seeing they last but a part of this life the whole being but short and momentany First then those who are neere vnto God haue no reason to flatter themselues or beare vp themselues vpon his fauour when they embolden themselues to sinne against him For he lookes to be glorified in them that come neere him and though hee take not away his grace yet he will scourge them with such rods as they shall thinke him to breake their bones Secondly if Gods hand be on thee which thou wouldest haue remoued take heed of delight in sinne or coldnesse in goodnesse harden not thy selfe in thy departure from God for then thou shalt surely find him hardning himselfe and walking stubbornely against thee Thirdly in lingring euils iudge thy selfe and thy lingring in sinne if the Lord were not mercifull to vs as he was to Lot we would neuer go out of our Sodom and therefore all this is righteously vpon vs. Fourthly this serues to comfort the godly who are longer exercised with trials both inward and outward Oh they thinke God neuer dealt so with any and crie How long Lord and will he neuer be more intreated Yea but stay a little First know that Gods waies are aboue the reach of flesh and bloud Secondly compare thy sufferings with thy sinnes thy afflictions with other godly mens yea with Christ the deare Son of God thē thou wilt see that no affliction hath befallen thee but as great or greater hath befallen thy fellow-members and thy Head also Thirdly know this for certaine were health peace and prosperitie as good for thee as troubles thou shouldest haue it but thy present estate is best for thee and doth God enuie that to his children which he throwes to his enemies see wee not numbers that it were better for them to be bound on their beds and perpetually sicke and bedrid then to abuse their health and strength as they doe hast not thou also abused thy health peace c. and thereby forfeited them Selah An Hebrew word Some thinke it to bee a note of Musicke because it is most vsed in Meeter or Song and the Iewes put it in the end of their Epitaphs either Selah or Amen Some take it for a note of perpetuitie in the praise of God for euer and euer Some for a word of asseueration for verè or Amen It is most probable that it was a note of intention or lifting vp of the voice comming of the roote Salal to lift vp for wheresoeuer it was met with the Singers were to exalt their voices signifying that here was required more then ordinarie intention of the mind and consideration Where this note is al things are worthy more speciall obseruation And it is here added as Bucer saith first to shew what a torment it is rightly to feele the burden of sinne Secondly what weight this doctrine hath and how worthy it is of our consideration VERSE 5. Then I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee neither hid I mine iniquitie for I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sin SELAH NOw wee come to the second branch of Dauids experience in the sense of Gods mercy hiding his sinne the meanes to come by it was acknowledging not hiding confession the ende hereof remission The former hath these foure parts 1. The time Then 2. The ground I thought or said 3. The matter or what he will confesse his 4. The manner Sinne Iniquitie Wickednesse 1. In respect of God to thee 2. Of himselfe against my selfe The latter which is the fruite of all in these words And thou forgauest c. Then I acknowledged my sinne WHen I was in such perplexitie all day and all night then and not before Hence wee may learne that The sense of miserie must goe before the sense of mercie God first called Adam and said Adam where art thou in what estate and then promised him a Sauiour Psal. 126. 5. They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Mat. 5. 4. Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Prou. 28. 13. He that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall finde mercy Psal. 51. DAVID before he could be restored to the ioy of his saluation had a deepe sense of his sinne a deepe sorrow and touch of conscience for it And good reason that this should be so for First touch of conscience though it be no grace yet it
great difference betweene the prayers of the godly and the wishes of the wicked First the one is an earnest desire of the heart prizing greatly that which he desires the other is but a snatch or a sudden flash out of an illumination of the vnderstanding but not out of any affection of the heart because he vnderprizeth the thing prayed for and will not sell all for it That which others get with much labour and strong cryes a wicked man thinks he may only call for it and haue it hee will enioy his lusts all his dayes and then the last day promise reformation No no God is not so prodigall of mercy as to take thy leauings and be beholding to thee for a little lip-seruice in all the Scripture there is but one example of one receiued to mercy the last houre thinke not that thou shalt bee the second Secondly the one is a true desire with endeuour in the right meanes and care to referre it to the right end he will obtayne heauen by Faith Repentance Mortification c. but the vngodlies proceeding is but a iump to the end without the meanes Cursed Balaam desired to die the death of the righteous but he would leape ouer the life of the righteous so many leape ouer the meanes and thinke to come to the end immediately but twentie to one if they leape not too short Simon Magus desired the gifts of the holy Ghost but to a bad end to make gaine of them and that he might be beleeued to be some great man whereas a godly man aymes onely at Gods glory in his owne saluation And thirdly if euery true desire hath assurance to obtayne because it must be directed by the Word lifted vp by the Spirit and encouraged by the Promise then can no such vnsettled and vncertaine wishes bring any comfort to the heart when a man hath all his life long resisted the Word despised the meanes of Faith contemned the Promises and grieued nay despighted the Spirit how can hee haue any comfort by his prayer and how can he haue any elsewhere if not from that Thirdly this shewes vs that the way to bee heard of God in prayer is to be godly to bring Godlinesse and Religion an heart mortified to sinne and quickned to grace adorned with faith and settled in good conscience Dauids example of finding deliuerance in trouble and comfort in affliction of Spirit belongs only to godly and humble men that shall confesse and pray as hee did If thou wilt be heard of God in prayer First get the notes of Gods child vpon thee and thou shalt obtayne mercy for it is the priuiledge of a child to be heard in whatsoeuer his father sees good for him What saith Christ If you being euill can giue good things to your children how much more will your heauenly Father Secondly become Gods seruant for it was the vsuall ground of Dauids prayer to say Lord I am thy seruant heare and deliuer thy seruant Thirdly get humilitie vnto thee for the sacrifice of God is a contrite spirit Psal. 51. 17. such sacrifices hee is well pleased with Fourthly the poore blinde man sheweth the qualitie of that man whom God heareth Ioh. 9. 31. God heareth not sinners but if any be a worshipper of him and doth his will him he heareth The same condition is required of him that would speed in his suites 1. Ioh. 3. 22. Whatsoeuer wee aske wee receiue of him because wee keepe his Commandements and doe things pleasing in his sight Yee aske and haue not saith IAMES because yee aske amisse and when doe wee aske amisse when wee doe not keepe Gods Commandements but how shall we know that we keepe them Vers. 23. if we loue one another for charitie is an vndiuided companion of true pietie To conclude this point let vs take Iobs friends counsell vnto him Acquaint thy selfe with God and he shall prosper thy way before thee thou shalt cry vnto him and he shall heare thee Iob. 22. 21. Now in the second place in that the word translated Godly signifies a mercifull man note that No seruice of God or exercise of Religion can be acceptable to God which is not performed by mercifull men All Gods worship must be ioyned with mercy for here it is said The mercifull man shall pray Isa. 1. 11. to 16. God reiected all the Iewes seruices because they did not fast from strife as wel as from meat and because their hands were full of bloud Zeph. 2. 3. Seeke yee the Lord all the meeke of the earth whence is noted both that this is a denomination of a righteous man to be meeke and that none but such meeke persons can seeke God to find him Mat. 15. 5. The doctrine of the Pharises was that if men brought oblations to the Temple though they relieued not their poore Parents yet God was well pleased with them but the words following shew that this was but an hypocriticall tradition reuersing the Commandement of God Matth. 5. 7. Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtayne mercy what is it that we aske for when wee come to doe God his due homage but to obtayne blessednes and happinesse but this we cannot doe to be accepted without mercifulnesse So Vers. 24. If thy brother haue any thing against thee goe first and bee reconciled and then come and offer thy gift Reasons of this point are these First those things which God hath ioyned together no man must separate but God hath ioyned together the workes of the first and second table the loue of himselfe and of our brethren of himselfe and of his image of our forgiuing our neighbours and his forgiuing of vs these are inseparably ioyned and therefore we must not dissolue them Hence Isa. 58. 10. hypocrites pretending Religion are called to breake their bread to the hungry that is the true fasting Secondly vnmercifulnesse hindreth both the preferring of our prayers and likewise the preuailing of them First it cuts off prayer 1. Pet. 3. 7. Husbands must dwell with their wiues like men of knowledge and take heed of strife lest their prayers be interrupted The very husband and wife the neerest couple cannot pray priuately if they doe not put away strife and how can the same but hinder publique prayer also The Spirit of God cannot light on a Christian but in the shape of a Doue as it did on Christ the Temple that is fit for the holy Ghost to dwell in must be mercifull see Isa. 11. 6 7. Secondly it hinders our prayer from preuailing because of the promise and the threatning the promise of being heard is made only to the mercifull that the meeke shall inherite the earth Psal. 37. 11. and that the Lord will hide them in the day of wrath Zeph. 2. 3. So threatning is gone out against the mercilesse euen iudgement mercilesse belongs to him that shewes no mercy and as a man iudgeth so he shall be iudged
and his owne measure shall be met to him againe Mat. 7. 1 2. so that if a man be an Ismael rough against euery man God will be rough against him and if we be vnpittifull we shall be vnpittied of God and Men. Thirdly no sound worship can proceede but from a sound Religion and that is the Religion and wisedome which is from aboue and the qualitie of it is that it is peaceable Iam. 3. 17. gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits The Gospell which we professe is a Gospell of peace fostereth peace and seeketh it by all meanes Fourthly so long as any aâ—e slaues to the deeds of the flesh it is impossible they can be acceptable to God but debate hatred anger rage murthers are condemned for the vvorkes of the flesh which shut a man out of heauen Gal. 5. 21. But vvherein stands this mercy vvhereunto prayer must be coupled It stands in these things First in pittying the bodies of men in their wants Secondly their soules much more Thirdly in supplying their wants as reliefe succour comfort counsell c. to be rich in good workes and restore them that are fallen by the Spirit of meeknesse This teacheth all of vs that professe the doctrine of the Gospell and true Religion and the pure worship of God how wee ought to be disposed when wee come to performe vnto God religious duties as prayer c. Those that come neerest to God to present seruice acceptable to him must more especially look to this point namely to take heede of the spirit that lusteth after enuie and sets men in a rage against Gods image and those of the same profession with them and they must take the counsell of the Apostle 2. Cor. 13. 11. Bee of one minde liue in peace and the God of peace shall be with you And let vs consider First we are all members of one bodie wherof Christ is the head nature teacheth one member to pitie and help another if one bee ill affected to get remedy for it and so must Christians Secondly a meeke and mercifull spirit is much set by of God and called for at our hands by Christ of whom wee must learne to bee humble and meeke a sure note of one that is brought into Christs Kingdome and sheepefold Thirdly God hath taken all execution of vengeance out of our hands Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord Deut. 32. 35. and if we will take the sword of reuenge into our hands it will prooue but a sword to our owne destruction Fourthly if we looke at the recompence of reward we are to be prouoked to the workes of mercie As a man sowes so shall he reape sowe mercy and reape mercy sowe liberally and reape liberally God giues seede to the sower 1. Cor. 9. 10. and makes men rich vnto the works of mercie ver 11. How was the poore widdowes oile increased when shee sowed mercie to Elias in his want She had sufficient till the hard yeere was blowne ouer Thy expences shall haue a rich returne it shall bee but a lending to God with abundant vsury for earthly and base things we shal obtaine heauenly and glorious it is a sowing on earth to reape in heauen Fiftly if we desire patternes and presidents in mercifulnesse we haue enough First wee haue God himselfe whose mercies are aboue all his workes how mercifully did he forbeare the world an hundred yeeres and what experience haue our owne soules how he daily forgets and forgiues innumerable sinnes Therefore be we mercifull as our heauenly Father is mercifull Secondly Christ the Sonne of God is a president herein whose mercy and compassion was such as hee laid downe his life for vs that wee should also lay downe our liues for the brethren 1. Iohn 3. 16. Thirdly the Saints of God haue gone before vs in examples of mercy Moses was a man mightie in word and deede yet the meekest man on earth Numb 12. 3. Abraham yeelded to Lot his inferior Isaac swallowed many indignities at Abimelechs hands and Iaacob as many at Labans Dauid spared Saul his enemie when he had him at an aduantage and pardoned Shimei a Traytor when hee had cursed him and threw stones at him Yea all the Prophets Apostles and Saints as much as lay in them had peace with all men If wee professe our selues the Sonnes of God how are we so rough against our brethren so without pittie and charitable disposition as Lamech Ismael or Cain who learned of the Deuill who was a murtherer from the beginning to hate and kill his brother Let professors leaue these workes of the flesh to such as are in the flesh let vs be led by another rule as Christians mercifully considering one another and not as bruit beasts ledde by sensualitie We must not follow noysome lusts and humours but the rule of Gods Word to blesse though we are cursed and take things at the best and seeke peace and follow after it Let professors consider the sweet fruit of Christian communion which by a mercifull and meeke spirit is enioyed but by wrath and rash anger violenced how that the peace of the Church and publike quietnesse the honour of their profession the comfort of their conscience and acceptance of their prayers or any seruice cannot stand by them if they subdue not their spirits in this behalfe Secondly this shewes vs what to thinke of that religion which vpsetteth and vpholdeth it selfe by crueltie and malicious rage and furie it is a religion which God hath no delight in hee neuer did set it vp nor accepted it It cannot be the right religion which by crueltie sword and fire either planteth it selfe or seeketh to supplant others Therefore wee may note in the Scripture that those religions that were hated of God were cruell and vnmercifull One might haue read in Cains forehead what religion he was of no maruell if God reiected his sacrifice seeing hee bore such deadly malice against his brother Of what religion were the Egyptians that kept vnder the Israelites so tyrannically but barbarous wicked and idolatrous Iaacob must haue a place by himselfe to dwell in because his religion was an abomination to them they must not see him performe the seruices of it Manasseh set vp Idols sought to witches yea himselfe was a Magician or Coniurer and what was his practice Looke and wee shall see that no man euer shed more innocent blood then hee did Here was a note of a false religion euen cruelty such as wee read not of in any of his predecessors Antiochus Epiphanes a monster among Idolaters did so prodigiously waste the blood of the holy people as neuer was since there began to be a Nation till that time Dan. 12. 1. The heathen Emperours made such butcheries vpon the bodies of the Saints as euery street seemed a shambles of Christians and euery line of the story written in blood and their religion was sutable
thy worthinesse is the sense of vnworthinesse and an apprehension of Christs worthinesse What worthinesse was in Israel when the Lord couered her with his skirt and shee became his Did shee not wallow in her blood and filthinesse And is not God the same promising and performing mercie to them that confesse their sinnes and forsake them Oh but my sinnes haue abounded and haue so separated betweene God and mee that I doubt I shall neuer finde him Not so For where sinne hath abounded grace hath abounded much more and in the forgiuenesse of many sinnes God shall haue honour of much mercy and loue from the sinner in greater measure And if hee delighted in the death of a sinner or tooke pleasure in the death of him that dyes any one sin would furnish him with matter of reuenge enough but he is much in pardoning and delights therein The Apostle Paul saith I was a persecutor an oppressor a blasphemer c. yet God had mercie on me to be an ensample in time to come to all that should beleeue in Christ Iesus Alas he sinned of ignorance but I of knowledge against the light of my minde the voice of God the motions of his Spirit the cryes of my owne conscience and haue so quenched and grieued the Spirit that hee will come no more I may not look to finde God as Paul did Tell mee when Iohn said The blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth vs from all sinne 1. Epist. 1. 7. doth he meane onely sinnes of ignorance No verily and if GOD haue made no distinction of small great sinnes sinnes of knowledge and of ignorance of weaknesse and of presumption you may iustly and must defie a distinguishing deuill Thirdly the godly must bee incouraged by this doctrine to seek the Lord in a time when he may be found Oh that I knew that time when is it First one time of finding is when a man hath beene truely humbled and-toucht for his sinne Of this time our Prophet speakes in the Text after humiliation Dauid found God and teacheth that euery godly man shall then find him It is the troubled spirit that God respects and at whom else doth the Lord looke Isai. 66. 2. CHRIST came not to the righteous in their owne conceit but to call laden and humble sinners Secondly another time of finding God is when all good meanes and care haue been vsed to finde him God will not be found at first because he will try the diligence of his seruants in which hee sees the price they set vpon him and the thing asked The Spouse in her bed cannot finde Christ but if she get out and vse all good meanes enquiring and seeking after him at last hee is found and a godly heart cannot but thinke that the comforts Christ brings with him are worth all his paines and labour And it will manifest our care if wee seeke him First early as Prou. 8. 17. I loue them that loue mee and those that seeke mee early shall finde mee Secondly if we seeke him with all our heart as Deut. 4. 29. Thou shalt find him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and all thy soule Thirdly in perseuerance not by starts and fits as the carelesse and temporizers but as the Church that neuer rests till she finde him Thirdly another time of finding God is the godly mans extremitie and vrgent necessitie for that is Gods opportunitie The Lord will be a refuge for the poore a refuge in due time euen in affliction when hee hath no refuge elsewhere Psal. 9. 9. and Psa. 10. 1. Why hidest thou thy selfe O Lord in due time euen in affliction Deut. 4. 29 30. When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come vpon thee at the length if thou returne to the Lord he wil not forsake thee When Ionas was wrapt with waues and weedes in the bottome of the Sea hee cryed and God spake to the fish to set him on land Dauid called out of the deepe and God heard him Moses cryed at the Red Sea and then God was found Christ in his agonie in the garden prayed and GOD sent the Angels to comfort him Abraham found God three dayes after the commandement on the mount And after three dayes when the case was hopelesse and the Disciples faith was a little preiudiced Christ rose againe Therefore wait thou art not yet in the deepes nor yet at the mount the third day is not yet come Fourthly another time of finding God is when God offers himselfe to be found in the preaching of the Gospell for by it God comes and knockes at our doore and seekes entrance Reu. 3. 20. and the opportunitie of the Gospell is called the day of saluation and the day of visitation Let vs walke while wee haue the light this is the acceptable time The Iewes knew it not till it was past and they were left in their sinnes let vs take heed it be not so with vs. How can wee want motiues to seeke the Lord with comfort and assurance of finding him for First God hath a fatherly care ouer vs and as a faithfull Shepheard seekes thee leauing ninetie nine to saue one and is not he willing to be found if thou seeke him oh goc and meet him Secondly Christ seekes and sues to thee Open vnto me my beloued and why should not wee set open the gates of our hearts that the King of glory may enter in Euen when wee runne away from him hee seekes vs and offers vs conditions of loue hee runnes after fugitiue ADAM that if hee will beleeue in the promised Messiah hee shall bee saued And haue not wee encouragement enough to knocke at the doore of his mercy Thirdly consider what a wofull threatning is sent out against such as will not seeke the Lord as Zeph. 1. 6. Hee will stretch out his hand against all them that turne from him that sought not the Lord nor inquired after him and Zech. 7. 13. It is come to passe that as I cryed and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord of Hosts Fourthly the Gospell is the hammer by which God still knockes now if thou wilt lay hold on mercy offered thou shalt haue a blessed answere but if thou wilt bolt vp thy heart with securitie and ignorance how can he come vnto thee Christ when hee was borne found no roome in the Inne but was content to lie in the Stable and surely the world is no changeling it is as vnthankfull still men are loth to make Christ a roome in the Inne of their hearts If now in his glory he would be content with Stables that is hearts filled with noysome lusts as so many filthy beasts this roome they could afford him But know that hee is past infancie and abasement and hath shewed himselfe a Lord of glory and will haue a roome and entertainement like himselfe and if thou
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
is either secret or manifest Manifest when he mightily preserues men in the sight of others for the confirmation of the faithfull and confusion of their enemies as the three fellowes of Daniel in the furnace and Daniel himselfe in the den of Lyons Secret and spirituall by which he eternally deliuereth from all trouble those who manifestly seeme to perish as the Martyrs who seemed left in their enemies hand the body is slaine but the soule is preserued and sent to a better life here is a secret spirituall and eternal preseruation these are in occulto coronati Augustine According to which grounds our Prophet is bold to declare his confidence in God being fully assured that the Lord of whom he had so good experience would in all troubles make some way for him and either by himselfe or some other meanes vouchsafe either a secret or a manifest deliuerance But seeing none are more troubled then the faithfull and none indeede lesse preserued from troubles how can Dauid or any other beleeuer so confidently vtter this It is true none are more troubled then Gods children for first there is a perpetuall enmitie betweene the serpent and his seede against the woman that is the Church and her seede and if there be hope that the deuill and the wicked may grow kinde to the godly there may be more hope of lesse trouble Secondly the word of truth hath said In the world yee shall haue tribulation and The world shall laugh but you shall weepe Thirdly the way to heauen is straite and narrow and troublesome because of the crosses it is strewed withall Fourthly experience hath concluded that all that will liue godly in Christ must suffer persecution wherein they are conformable to Christ their head who by the crosse went to the crowne Fifthly the blessing of sound peace and ioy is promised and bestowed onely vpon them that mourne But this is not the meaning of the text that they should be so preserued from trouble which Dauid was neuer without as trouble should neuer come neere them or afflict them but as the word in the original signifieth Thou shalt saue me from the straitnesse or in the distresses of trouble Note that The godly shall not bee exempted from trouble but preserued from it that is kept in it and happily led out of it For Dauid himselfe notwithstanding his confidence here said Certainely I shall one day fall by the hand of Saul 1. Sam. 27. 1. And when he asked God if he had forgot to bee mercifull did he see any way to escape death and danger So as his resolution here is this that though the godly be in neuer so deepe distresse they perish not but are preserued in the straite they are raised out of this depth of miserie and this stablisheth the heart with confidence as the words following intimate Thou shalt compasse me with songs of deliuerance This doctrine and phrase is expressed and confirmed by other places of Scripture Psal. 4. 1. Thou hast set me at libertie when I was in distresse implying that he was in a straite and as it were strongly besieged with enemies or dangers but the Lord inlarged him and so preserued him Psal. 25. 15. He will bring my feet out of the net the godly may be in as great danger as a silly bird in a net but the Lord will breake the net that the bird may escape Psal. 1 24. 7. 2. Cor. 1. 10. who deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that he will hereafter deliuer vs. First Gods care of his children though it free them not from the exercise of troubles yet leaueth them not till he haue deliuered them Can a mother forget her child she may let it get a knocke and feare it with the sense of some danger but leaue it in danger she cannot And who be they towards whom the Lord thinketh thoughts of peace or to whom he will remember mercy but vessels of mercy Once haue I heard saith Dauid yea twice that mercy belongs to God Psal. 72. 11. And therefore it is so true as it can neuer be false once yea twice that is once by the Scriptures and another time by the holy Ghost Secondly Gods promise is that hee will not suffer his to be tempted aboue that they are able to beare and therefore at length they find him as Dauid saith Psalm 73. 2. My feete were almost gone but not altogether the man of God may slip and slide and much adoe to keepe his feete but at worst his feete are but almost gone and this comes from Gods promise Thirdly Gods prouidence limiteth the times in which his Church shall suffer and no longer sometimes a longer time as Israel in Egypt foure hundred yeeres sometimes shorter seuentie yeeres in the Babylonish captiuitie sometimes shorter then so Yee shall suffer tribulation for ten daies Reuel 2. 10. Sometimes three daies as Ionas in the Whales belly and Christ in the graue sometimes but one night Sorrow may indure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning and sometimes there is but an houre for the power of darknesse then Gods time is come and the godly see the saluation of the Lord. Fourthly he preserues them in their troubles by his presence first of power and so a fourth like the Sonne of God was in the furnace with the three children and it is said I will be with thee in sixe troubles and in seuen in fire and water Secondly of grace his right hand is vnder their heads giues them grace sufficient proportions their strength to the burden mitigates their sorrow makes them possesse their soules in patience yea reioyce in sorrow which else would sinke them and at length recompenseth their light affliction with an eternall weight of glory But sometimes the godly are not preserued but made meate for the sword and appointed as sheepe for the slaughter they die of the plague and are slaine in battell as well as others Consider the Church either in the whole or in the parts First the Church for the body of it is euer preserued as in all ages may appeare the case being with it as in a militarie condition wherein although some souldiers bee wounded and slaine as the Martyrs and other godly persons yet the Church carries the victorie out of the field and is preserued the Church for the body of it is euer the conquering part for Michael and his Angels must ouerthrow the Dragon and his angels Secondly the particular members are often slaine and seeme not preserued as Steuen and Iames whom Herod slew Peter Paul c. yet they are first preserued by that secret and spirituall preseruation Secondly sinne and corruption which is alway present with vs makes our preseruation to bee but imperfect Thirdly God turnes the corporall destruction of his Saints to the best so as Heb. 11. 35. They would not be deliuered
according to the slaughter of them that were slaine by him c Here the Prophet shewes great differences betweene Gods afflicting hand vpon his people and vpon his enemies and theirs and the difference is First in the measure on the one but drops on the other a sea of wrath One drinke a cup the other draw a viall of his displeasure hath hee smitten him as hee smote those that smote him Secondly in Gods intention his intendement in afflicting the godly is to lop off their superfluous boughs In the branches thereof wilt thou contend with it He saith not with the root of it But hee quite stockes vp the roote of the vngodly In the one he intends purgation by taking off fruitlesse boughes and branches Ioh. 15. 2. in the other he intends punishment to ouerthrow them with his rough winde in the day of his East winde Thirdly in the issue and fruit of them By this shall all the iniquitie of IAACOB be purged and this is all the fruit the taking away of his sinne In the one the sinne onely in the other the person is destroyed The Lord therefore doth not so punish the members of his Church either as the enemies of the Church would punish it or as himself punisheth them As for example The Deuils the greatest enemies of the Church are punished without hope of all mercie no time of deliuerance is set for them but the Church is assured of a good and ioyfull end The Egyptians were terrible enemies to the Church did God euer smite his Church as he smote them though it was long vnder their oppression yet it had a promise of deliuerance a time set for it and a ioyfull departure when all Egypt was lasht with that terrible whip of ten cords and drowned and destroyed in the Sea by Gods immediate hand Here is then first of all a notable ground of patience in sorrowes God hath set the time how long they shall last and shall not exceede the appointed time yea hee hath not onely set a time of duration but also of exchanging thy sorrowes into ioy Art thou in any trouble or vnder any molestation of Satan or wicked men vnder reproch scandall hatred persecution c nubecula est transibit it is a storme too violent to last long nay it shall bee changed into a calme into a faire and comfortable season Suppose thou be in the night of disgrace blacked and darkned by wicked ones as Dauid was suppose thou haue things laid to thy charge that thou neuer knewest and art forced to repay that which thou neuer tookest yet waite still the good time after thou hast endured a little scouring all the soile will tend to thy brightnesse and the time comes that God will make thy innocencie to breake out as the light Art thou sicke in thy soule or pained in thy body and seest no way but present death waite the time and thou shalt meete not onely with perfect cure but perfect health also onely see thou makest Christ thy Physician God had appointed a time of Abrahams tryall for three daies but the third day turned his sorrow into ioy in which he had the comfort both of his sonne and his owne obedience Ionas had his appointed time of sorrow in the belly of hell in the bottom of the Sea when he was cast out of sight but at the ende of three dayes he was cast on the drie ground and his sorrowes and feares were turned into ioy and praises The thiefe on the Crosse was euen in the hands of death his paines and sorrowes increasing as hee felt his life decreasing how did our blessed Sauiour comfort him and support him with patience but with this assurance that the ende was comming and a time appointed which should instantly turne that shame and sorrow into glory and ioy This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Lazarus was not onely in the hands but in the house of death foure daies yet a time was appointed euen the fourth day wherein the bands of death were to be loosed and he restored to his former life And thus shall it be with all the Disciples of Christ whose troubles shall not last alwaies the longest they can last is but for this life and while they doe last they haue the comfort of both those petitions of Christ first that the Father would keepe them in the world and secondly that after they bee safely passed through the world and the troubles and disgrace of it they may bee where himselfe is to behold his glory Iohn 17. 15 24. Secondly in all troubles learne to iudge and measure thy selfe by this doctrine not according to thy present feeling and comfort which faith doth not alway minister for that may be where there is no feeling Looke out at the ende and at that time which shall change thy state and giue thee the fruite of this sorrowfull seede-time Should an Husbandman measure himselfe by his seede-time what is there but labour and losse but when he considereth that without a seede-time he shall neuer see haruest and the more liberally he sowes the more abundantly he shall reapc he is well contented to so we in all weathers So if the godly could consider that their sorrow shall not onely end in ioy but that their ioy must rise out of sorrow they would cheerefully sowe euen in teares for the hope of a ioyfull haruest How do men out of their sorrowes disquiet and vexe themselues and thinke themselues cast off whereas out of the quantitie and qualitie the measure and manner of their sorrow springeth their truest ioy Againe in the maner of Dauids speech saying that the Lord would compasse him not with mercies but songs Note what the godly man must doe in the times and occasions of ioy and in receiuing deliuerances and comforts from God namely breake out into songs or speeches of thankefull praises Thus Dauid professeth elsewhere being deliuered from danger Psal. 40. 3. He hath put into my mouth a new song of praise he neuer receiued a new mercie into his hand but withall a new Song into his mouth Psal. 66. 20. Praised be the Lord which hath not put backe my prayer nor hid his mercy from me I called vpon him with my mouth and he was exalted with my tongue It was the practice of the Church after her deliuerance from Pharaoh to compile a Song of praise Exod. 15. and of Deborah Iudg. 5. 1 2. and of Ionah chap. 2. 9. I will sacrifice vnto thee with the voice of thankes-giuing First this is the returne that God lookes for of all his benefits and is all that we can giue him for all and as it is as much as we can do so it is as little as we can do yea it is the condition vpon which he promiseth mercies Ps. 50. 15. Call vpon mee in the day of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt praise me Which the godly know so
compasse him on euery side The wordes of the Preface contayne first the person that speakes 1. Secondly the person to whom hee speakes thee Thirdly the matter of the speech in three particulars First I will instruct thee that is make thee to vnderstand Secondly I will teach thee the way that is not only by precept but also by example I will leade thee into the practice Thirdly I will guide thee with mine eye that is I will watch ouer thee lest thou stray out of that good way to set thee in againe 1 the person vttering these wordes is not God as some thinke but Dauid as the title of the Psalme proueth A Psalme of Dauid to giue instruction so here he fitly professeth himselfe an Instructer Dauid was a King how then commeth he to professe himselfe a Prophet or Teacher in the Church Can one man carry both Magistracie and Ministrie Yes In the old Testament the Sword and the Word did sometime concurre in one person for these causes First because the Church was a long time shut vp in one Familie and then the same man might sufficiently performe both Thus Adam was a Gouernour and a Priest in his house Thus the Patriarke Abraham was a great Prince and Magistrate as appeared by his rescue of Lot by a band of men gathered out of his owne house and yet a Prophet too as the Lord told Abimelech and appeares by sacrificing his Isaak Iob was a great man and a Magistrate and yet offered sacrifices as a Priest for his sonnes And thus it was all the while the Church was in Families Secondly after the people of the Iewes were settled into a Kingdom the Scriptures were the positiue lawes of the Iewes so as the Leuites were both of the Priesthood and their Lawyers and then one man might more easily performe both but this was a proprietie of that Common-wealth of the Iewes for neuer any other but that had the Scriptures for their positiue written Law Thirdly sometimes for necessitie they did concurre in one man as when there was an vniuersall corruption or ruine of the State God stirred vp some extraordinarie man to take vp both for the repaire of the Church and Common-wealth Thus Eli the chiefe Priest also iudged Israel fortie yeeres 1. Sam. 4. 18. and the corruptions of those times and the generall discontent of men both in matters of Gouernment and of Gods worship appeare manifestly in the Historie After Eli when Gods worship was broken vp at Shilo the Arke in the Enemies hand and a wofull confusion was in the state of the Iewes the Lord stirred vp faithfull Samuel who was a faithfull Prophet of the Lord 1. Sam. 3. 20. and also iudged Israel all the dayes of his life Chap. 7. 15. Fourthly some by way of type were both Kings and Priests before the giuing of the Law Melchisedec was the King of Salem and a Priest of the most high God Gen. 14. 18. so Dauid here and his sonne Salomon after him were notable types of Christ who would in those darke shaddowes be in some particular men declared to be both the King Priest and Prophet of his Church And this is the reason here why Dauid being a King doth take vpon him to teach others and for this Christ is often called the Sonne of Dauid To come neerer to our Text Dauid hauing after a long conflict obtayned mercy at Gods hand earnestly desireth and endeuoureth that others may be partakers of the same grace also and he hauing found the way to comfort wil set others in the way also Hence note that A man that hath true grace earnestly wisheth that all others did partake in the same grace with him Ps. 34. 8. 11. Come children harken vnto me I will teach you the feare of the Lord and Oh taste and see how good the Lord is a man cannot taste of Gods mercy but he wisheth all did taste with him Hos. 6. 1. the first note of the sound conuersion of the people was that they call one another saying Come let vs turne to the Lord and it is indeede a marke of true repentance to take one another by the hand and leade one another towards heauen As in a naturall body one member seekes the safetie and well-fare of all so is it in the mysticall body of Christ. First this is one condition of our owne conuersion euen to conuert others Luc. 22. 32. Thou being conuerted strengthen thy brethren Neither is there any man that receiues any grace for himselfe alone but that others may share with him neuer had any man any talent but a charge also with it Occupy till I come And hence are those Commandements in generall As euery man hath receiued a gift so let him minister and Returne and cause others to returne and those speciall charges to exhort one another admonish one another to conuert one another to comfort one another with the comforts receiued from God to prouoke one another to the loue of God and good workes all which shew that euery one as he is borne in the Church so he is borne also for the Church Secondly it is a propertie and an assured signe of sound saith to worke by loue And this loue is first set vpon God and his glorie it earnestly desireth that his Kingdome may come and that his will may be done in earth of men as of the Saints and Angels in Heauen and this it endeuoureth in a mans selfe and in others Secondly this loue lookes out vnto others and commiserateth the estate of vnconuerted persons and seeketh to releeue them true sense of their owne change and former estate mooues them to compassion for such as are still in their sinnes and surely none are so mercifull as those that haue obtained mercie One that loues another will pull him out of danger if he can So will a beleeuer bemoane another and plucke him out of the fire as Iude speakes Thirdly it looketh to such as are conusrted and for Gods sake loues his Image especially renewed it loues him that is begotten for his sake that begat 1. Ioh. 5. 1. and as Dauid did good to Mephibosheth for Ionathan his fathers sake so doe good men to Gods children for Gods sake their heauenly father Fourthly this loue which is the life of faith at least the pulse of it is cleane opposite to selfe-loue which is of an hard and niggardly nature and enuious of any good to any about him but it is like Gods loue which communicates it selfe and is liberall for the good of all Thirdly where there is any sound grace of conuersion there is zeale for God which worketh the heart to the cherishing and setting vp of grace and vertue and to the hatred and resistance of sinne and vice in a mans selfe and others it will shew it selfe for God as Act. 26. 29. Paul said to King Agrippa I would that not onely thou but also all that heare me this day
to amendment as a child or seruant is then stubborne when hee will haue his owne wayes notwithstanding all meanes the Father or Master can vse to the contrary he intreates faire threatneth and layes on a loade of stripes but the other stands close to his owne disordered will and to disobedience addes a wilfull and peruerse frowardnesse But what gets a man by his obstinacie and frowardnesse against God why God walkes frowardly in anger against him his hardnesse of heart hardeneth God against him his stonie heart brings vpon him Gods brazen hands And then God is said to walke stubbornly when he doth as a stubborne and peruerse man being mooued against another vseth to doe as first a stubborne man seekes all the hurt hee can to him whom hee spites so God findes out plagues against sinners but all in the way of iustice as the froward man doth not Secondly he shuts his eare to all prayer and entreaties and will not heare of any reconciliation so doth the Lord in sinnes of this nature Thirdly hee reioyceth to see his harme and the Lord laughs at a wicked mans destruction Prou. 1. 26. What be the bridles wherewith God curbeth obstinate sinners Diuers first his owne will and good pleasure by which he lets them sometimes go with the reine in their neckes and sometimes againe reines them vp at his pleasure for as men by an halter or bridle leade an Horse and other vnruly creatures whither they would not so the Lords will ouer-rules the sinner and orders him this way or that Iudas was often warned of his sinne of couetousnes yet he went on obstinately in it the Lord suffered him to perfect it but instantly the Lord ouermastered him put his halter about his necke and made an end of himselfe and his sinne Secondly the law a part of Gods wil reuealed is another bridle the law is added because of transgressiō saith the Apostle and is giuen not to the righteous but to the lawlesse and disobedient namely by feares threats and the cursings of it to represse and restraine them that looke as harmefull and vnruly beasts as Lyons Dogs Horses are tyed vp and chayned that they doe no hurt so vnruly sinners are hampred by the Law the doctrine of which is as a Tedder and the threats as a Curbe to contayne them within some bounds Thirdly Gods hand and power in iudging and reuenging is another bridle to tame wicked persons and keepe them from rising vp against him or contemning him Pharaoh who would not know who the Lord was was onely by this bridle ouer-mastered and subdued This bridle sometime the Lord hampreth the inner man and conscience withall vexing the wicked man with horror accusation and despaire as Cain sometimes the outward man with visible iudgements often by others he lets them fall into the hand of the Magistrate and so he cuts them off not seldome by themselues by quarrelling drinking or intemperance insensibly to slay themselues and often in desperate impatience and wickednesse he makes their owne hands their Executioners to cut off the thred of their liues as Iudas and Achitophel Nay this bridle doth not only in this present life curbe and hamper the wicked but eternally in the life to come and shall neuer be drawne out of their mouthes to giue them the least ease or hope of an end when it shall be made as sharpe and cutting as GOD himselfe can deuise The reasons why God hath these bridles for indocible and incorrigible sinners are these First because he is a iust Iudge and rendreth to euery man according to his workes Psal. 18. 26. With the froward thou wilt shew thy selfe froward that is thou vvilt by the effects declare another carriage to the wicked then to the godly Wilfull sinners must reape as they haue sowne and drinke as they haue brewed and haue returned to them according to their owne measure Secondly for the declaration of his mightie power vpon the wicked Isa. 37. 29. Senacherib Because thou hast raged against me and thy tumult is come vp before me I will put my hooke in thy nostrils and my bridle in thy lips that is because as a wild Horse thou hast tumultuously rebelled against me I will bridle thee and with shame enough leade thee against thy heart from thy enterprises Thirdly necessitie calls for it for if God should not bridle and restraine the malice of the Deuill and his Agents there would be no liuing in the world for sinne is of that spreading nature that it would neuer know bound or banke Neither hath any sinner any bridle or stay in himselfe therefore God vseth this bridle for the preseruation of the world and humane societie in it he hath set vp his solemne Ordinances of Magistracy in the Commonwealth and Ministrie in the Church to represse and bridle sinne and sinners but when these either faile or are contemned his owne hand holding the reynes checks and controls those who will know nothing else This should moue vs further to beware of standing out with God while he gently calleth vs by his Word If we will not heare his fatherly voyce wee must feele the hand of his seueritie If we will not be bended with the rod of his mouth we must be broken with the rod of yron that he holds in his hand Here consider first how brutish it is not to heare reason not to be capable of perswasion but all that is done must be with bit and bridle Secondly that there is no resisting of God by force and armes by warre and weapons but by humilitie faith and repentance Were it not better then to take the rod of mortification betime into our owne handes and beat our selues gently then force the Lord to take the rod of his indignation against vs Thirdly consider God is the same in his dealing with his Church and his manner hath alway beene first to warne and admonish the sinner and wait with patience his amendment but not attayning his purpose he hath alway turned to seueritie when his vocall Word could not be heard his reall Word must Hos. 5. 4. 12. how many meanes vsed the Lord to reclaime Ephraim that is the people of Iudah from her Idolls and transgressions but vers 4. they will not giue their mindes to turne vnto their God hereupon the Lord turnes him to his reall Word that is his iudgements but as one slow to wrath vers 1. therefore I will be to Ephraim as a moth to the house of Iudah as a rottennes that is by leisure and smaller iudgements beginne to consume them and if Ephraim now seeing his sicknesse will goe away still and seeke to others beside me then I will be vnto Ephraim as a Lyon and as a Lyons whelp to the house of Iudah not as a moth but in rage teare and spoile and none shall rescue Ezek. 24. 12 13. the skumme of Ierusalem went not from her therefore her skum shall be consumed with
them forewarnes the wicked of their danger For if iudgement begin there where shall the wicked appeare Secondly hee most manifesteth his power in his childrens weakenesse in supporting their soules and bodies Now if his power and mercie were not aboue the iudgement they should perish in it Secondly he traines and betters his children which is great mercie by the iudgement first he scowres and purgeth their sinne afflictions are as Gods laundrie wherin his children by beating scowring and rubbing are made whiter and whiter Venimous creatures breed not in winter nay a sharpe winter kils the Vermine so afflictions nip and stay our corruptions This is another mercie aboue the iudgement Secondly by them hee exerciseth and stirreth vp the grace that is in them as the winde blowes vp the sparkes of fire yea manifests the synceritie of their hearts to themselues and others for a man is that indeed which he is in triall Thirdly he fits them by afflictions to comfort others in triall with the same comforts wherewith hee hath comforted them A great mercie to fit them to mercifulnesse and to set out Gods mercie to others See Exod. 23. 9. Fourthly he teacheth them to esteeme more of his blessings in the want of them Is there not an ouer-ruling mercie in all this that whereas afflictions are in themselues euill and reuenges of sinne yet they make the godly better now whatsoeuer makes vs better is from a hand of mercie Thirdly the Lord by his seruants trouble would teach all first that the euils chiefly esteemed so in the world are not so indeed for the godly are exempted from the greatest euils if only wicked men were blind blindnesse would bee thought a fearefull iudgement therefore to confute that Isaac must bee blinde Secondly how such euils should be borne It is a mercie that by the godly the world may bee taught how to beare the hand of God Thirdly an infallible marke of the resurrection Luc. 16. 25. Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy good things and Lazarus euill things therefore now hee is comforted and thou art tormented Fourthly that all their miseries end in mercie and are turned to their best Marke and consider the godly man for his end is peace his light afflictions are recompensed with an eternall weight of glory From all which we may conclude that if godly men in the midst of their miseries bee so compassed with mercie in the beginning carriage and conclusion of them that the doctrine propounded is most true But if we turne our selues to the second branch and consider those kindes of mercies which shall meete vs in the life to come we can looke no way but we are intrenched with such mercies as eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither can enter into the heart of man to conceiue much lesse can wee speake of them as they are but must breake out into Dauids admiration Psal. 31. 9. O how great is that goodnesse which thou hast layd vp for them that feare thee But yet as Moses wee may see the good land a farre off and with the searchers let you see by a cluster or two and giue a taste of the good things therin If God loue vs sayd they he will bring vs vnto it so many as God loueth shall be brought to it and not onely taste as here how good and gracious God is but shall drinke plentifully of the riuers of his house for with him is the Well of life and in his light wee shall see light First how can the Elect but be compassed with mercie when all the miserie and sorrow with all the causes and effects wherewith they are now compassed shall be abolished and vtterly chafed away Now we are vexed with the remembrance of euils past with the sense of euils present and with the feare of euils to come but all these first things must passe away and all teares must be wiped from our eyes In our bodies all weakenesse naturall infirmitie sickenesse labour mortality and corruption shall bee remooued they shall need neither meate nor cloth for which here we toyle so much nor Marriage nor Physicke nor sleepe there shall be no care for the familie no toyle in the calling for they rest from their labours no labour spent in teaching or learning in preaching or hearing mortalitie hath put on immortalitie and death being destroyed it can dye no more The soule shall be from all sinne and sinfull passions from ignorance vnbeliefe pride enuie and all the workes of the flesh yea not onely from sin but from the power of sinning the will hath no freedome to euill being perfectly freed to good neither can the affections set themselues vpon any other obiect In our names we are now lyable to many contumelies and reproches and slanders as our Lord himselfe was numbred among the wicked Hee was not knowne no more are wee but then shall our innocencie breake out as the light and it shall be manifest what we are 1. Ioh. 3. 2. When Christ our Head shall appeare we also shall appeare with him in glory Now wee are in spirituall combat but then wee shall bee perfectly freed from the deuil from his Angels from sinne and sinners from the world and the lusts that are in it and God shall fully and finally tread Satan vnder our feete Secondly If wee be so happie in Priuatiue mercies what shall we be in Positiue how shall we be compassed with them First how shall wee be beset with mercie yea and glory in enioying the immediate fellowship and vision of God in whose face is fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand pleasures for euermore If a man had all the paines of hell vpon him this blessed vision of God would make him an happie man We see God now but as in a glasse and yet that sight of him vpholds vs in all our troubles how much more shall we be fully happy when we shall see him as he is face to face euen so fully as being glorified we shall be capable of So many mercies compasse the Elect in this one as if I had a thousand tongues and should doe nothing but speake them till the day of Iudgement I could not recount them Secondly what a wonderfull mercie shall compasse vs in our immediate vnion and coniunction with Christ our Head by which we shall be like him not like him as he was a man of sorrowes and in the shape of a seruant for thus he was like vs but like him as hee is now the glorified Head of his Church not equall to him but like him both in soule and body Our soules perfect in knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse and standing in a perfect image of God like to the perfect holinesse of Christ himselfe Our bodies clothed with beauty strength shining agilitie and glorie as his is He walketh in white so shall wee His face is shining and glorious so shall ours As hee sits on his Fathers
feele them and set himselfe on some merrie pinne to face out the matter as if hee were at good ease when all this is eyther a senselesse estate more void of comfort then of feeling or a laughter in the face when the heart is heauie or the laughter of fooles as Salomon sayth whose propertie is to laugh most when they haue least cause Thirdly what true ioy or cause of ioy can he haue on whom the sentence of condemnation is passed the execution of which sentence hee may daily expect Surely the greatest Monarch aliue if hee were in chaines vnder his greatest Enemie and condemned to dye could take no ioy of his wealth greatnesse or of any earthly delight but wicked men are in the chaines of the Deuill and abide vnder the sentence of death euer readie to feed vpon them Baltazer indeede was merrie and in his Reuels with his Princes but what cause had hee when the Hand-writing appeared on the wall So Amnon was merry in his brother Absoloms House but what cause had hee seeing men were appointed presently to kill him Let a wicked man be as merry as hee will sure it is his estate giues him no leaue Fourthly what can minister true ioy to him that hath no part in any of Gods Ordinances which begin and perfect the ioy of Gods people First for the Word of God hee refuseth the ioyfull tydings of his saluation the doctrine of free Remission of sinnes which onely bringeth lasting ioy he hath no part in nor in that Redemption purchased by Christ and published in the Gospell thus the word is a bill of Inditement to him Secondly the Sacraments seale nothing to him but are as seales set to blankes for hauing no part in the Couenant hee hath nothing by the seales onely hee makes himselfe guilty of the bodie and bloud of Christ as Iudas did and for want of faith eates and drinkes his owne damnation Thirdly Prayer from him is not onely not heard but euen abominable besides hee hath no helpe of Christs intercession for he prayes not for the World nor of the Prayers of Gods people because he is not of that communion Fourthly the duties of his calling are sinne to him To the impure all things are impure euen his best actions exclude him out of heauen neyther can a man haue any ioy of his actions till he can reioyce that his person is a member of Christ. Fiftly the creatures of God hee can no more truely reioyce in then a Thiefe can of a true mans purse neyther can that be true ioy in the creature that riseth from the creature resteth in the creature and goeth no higher then the creature but such is the wicked mans ioy Sixtly lesse ioy can hee haue in his sufferings or sorrowes because their nature being not altered they are no tokens of loue nor tend to their good as in the godly but are punishments in part and in hand and flashes of Gods euerlasting wrath and beginnings of Hell In the Lord. from this limitation which is the third part of the verse we may learne this instruction namely that All the reioycing of godly men ought to bee in the Lord that is spirituall and Christian a ioy worthy the Lord. And then it is spirituall and Christian when it hath two conditions First when it is in the Lord as the authour and fountaine of all the good wee can enioy or ioy in yea the matter of our ioy Secondly when it is in the Lord that is according to the will of the Lord and not against it so the phrase is vsed 1. Cor. 7. 39. Let her marry onely in the Lord that is according to Gods Word and direction and not against it First God must be the authour and matter of our ioy as Dauid made the Lord his Song all the day long for First how great reason haue wee to make him the matter of our ioy of whom wee are all that wee are both in our first and second Creation He is the Potter and we are the Clay nay we are his new Creation and workemanship regenerated iustified sanctified and saued are become his by a new couenant in which hee accepts vs as children reconciled by the death of his Sonne in whom wee may reioyce as in a mercifull Father yea as a wife married to a most louing husband by vertue whereof she hath interest into his person and whole estate Of this the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5. 11. Wee reioyce in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue receiued the atonement Secondly this ioy is most perfect which riseth of the presence of that which is most perfect and the greater the good enioyed is the greater is the ioy and therefore in Heauen it shall be most perfect and glorious because wee shall perfectly enioy God and see him as hee is in whose face is fulnesse of ioy Thirdly to make God the matter of our ioy is to perpetuate our ioy and make choise of that which shall neuer faile vs for as GOD himselfe is euerlasting so shall the ioy of his people bee like a streame which continually runs knoweth not the yeere of drought yea it shall hold out in dangers troubles and persecution Romans 5. 3. as the Martyrs reioyced in the verie flames What may wee not ioy in outward things as meat drinke wife children wealth honour c. Yes but neuer out of God or without reference vnto him neyther in outward nor inward things we hold all in capite and must bee Homagers of all vnto him hee must haue the glorie of all as Ier. 9. 23. 24. Let not the rich man reioyce in his riches nor the wise man in his wisedome c. but herein let him glorie that he knoweth mee to be mercifull and righteous this must be the chiefe pleasure honour riches and wisedome of a Christian to know God reconciled and to hold all in this tenure We may also reioyce in the meanes of saluation but if wee reioyce not onely in Gods fauour but desire to bring something of our owne towards it as the ignorant or wilfull Papists doe This is not to reioyce in the Lord but in our selues We must reioyce in our Prayers but onely because God is a God hearing Prayer in our hearing reading and receiuing of the Word with ioy but in this respect to God that hee teacheth and speaketh to the soule in the duties of our callings but because we are in Gods Worke in the duties of loue but because we lend to the Lord and feed and cloath Christ in all the comforts of life in the wife of our youth in gracious children in prosperitie c. but because and so farre as these are pledges and fruits of Gods fauour in Christ. Yea more we must reioyce in aduersitie and tribulation because it is that estate which God sees best for vs yea in death it selfe but as it is a going to GOD to enioy him more immediately
to recall Gods mercies into memory two 291 To helpe vs in singing to God foure 308 To know our selues in Gods way foure 332 To get vnderstanding foure 350 Of assurance of remission of sinnes fiue 174 To helpe memory of good things foure 270 Mercy of God twofold 230 Mercy manifested to any one must bee of vse to euery one reasons foure 183 Mercy which must attend prayer stands in three things 201 Nothing is Mercy but what proceeds from mercy 256 Mercies of God how to be prized fiue rules 290 Mercies of God towards the godly enlarged in three seuerall kindes 381 Mercies spirituall in this life reduced to sixe heads 382 Mercies meeting the Saints in the life to come distinguished into one Priuatiue two Positiues 387 Mercies positiue in the life to come reduced to three heads 388 Ministry that setteth mens sinnes plainely before them to be reuerenced 139 Minister must haue a flame in his owne heart that must kindle another 176 A good Minister must be a good man 182 Minister must be a leader as well as an instructer foure reasons 339 Misery of a wicked man who cannot pray in foure things 195 Motiues not to runne in further debt with God foure 27 To sincerity seuen 60 To diligent custodie of the heart foure 61 To get a sence of our spirituall mysery foure 115 To consider of our wayes and estates fiue 120 To mercifulnesse fiue 202 To seeke the Lord foure 293 To get experience of God three 271 To Thankefulnesse fiue 294 To call one another forward in grace three 319 To get vnderstanding foure 352 To lay aside obstinacy in sinne fiue 356 Musicke in Gods seruice and the rules 305 N NAturall men to be pitied 320 Naturall men obstinat against God and his word 353 Naturall man vnderstandeth nothing of God and his word without a teacher three reasons 311 Notes of a sincere heart foure 57 Of godly sorrow fiue 83 Notes or attendants of sound confession nine 148 Notes of a man discharged of his sinnes 172 Notes to know when a man maketh God his hiding-place foure 262 Notes of a man gotten out of obstinacy fiue 358 Nothing shall preuaile against godly men to their hurt 277 O OBiections for humane merites answered fiue 33 Obiections to prooue that one wicked man cannot conuert another answered 180 Obiections why men should not be so precise answ 190 Obiections for praying to Angels 214 Obiections for inuocating Saints departed 215 Obiections against certaintie of saluation answ 35 Obiections of the troubled heart not finding God so comfortably as it desireth resolued 290 Obiections terrifying from godly life answered 409 Obseruations to helpe forward experience 269 Obstinacie ariseth out of fiue causes 354 In the Old Testament the Sword and Word might better concurre in one person then in the new 310 No Ordinances of God bring any true ioy to wicked men proued by sixe instances 415 P PAtience sundry wayes vrged from consideration of Gods hand 46 And from the shortnesse of time 285 Pardon of sinne maketh an happie man foure reasons 31 Pardon of sinne must be certainly beleeued 35 Pardon belongs onely to penitent Confessors sixe reasons 167 Pastour must haue his eye on his flocke foure reasons 340 Patternes of mercie to bee im'tated 203 People must indure speciall application of the Word 324 People must diligently attend to things taught three reasons 338 Plague of wicked men not to bee heard in prayer foure reas 236 Popish positions trumpets to rebellion and treason 208 Practices contrary to sound confession of sinne 137 Prayer is a seeking of God 220 Presence of God both of Power and grace euer with his children 276 Gods Preseruation is Mediat or Immediat 273 Priuiledges of such as whose sinnes are remitted 257 Promises of deliuerance true when godly seeme most left in their enemies hands foure wayes 249 Gods promise limiteth the measure and his prouidence limiteth the time of his childrens trouble 275 Properties of true trust in God foure 392 All vse of Psalmes must edifie 2 Q Quest. VVHy men feele not the heauy burden of sinne foure reas 8 How sinne can be couered seeing God cannot but see it 14 How good men may comfort themselues discouering the deceit of their owne hearts 51 Why wicked men feele not so great a burden of sinne vnpardoned as the godly of pardoned sinnes 78 How the body commeth to bee troubled by the minde two reas 79 Why all the godly are not alike terrified by sinne three reasons 79 How a man may know his sorrow to be godly 84 How Christian ioy and sorrow may stand together 87 How Afflictions euill in themselues can be the hand of God fiue wayes 93 How they be the hand of God when the Deuils hand or wicked mens be in them 94 How a man in crosses may looke at second causes 95 Why the Lord layeth so heauy things on his children seuen reas 99 How long and tedious afflictions are short and momentany in fiue respects 107 How a man by confession can make his sinnes knowne to God who knowes them before 141 Why we must confesse to God that which God knoweth already three reasons 142 How Confession can be sound before sinne be pardoned seeing nothing is acceptable before pardon of sin 161 How can faith be a full perswasion when it is not perfect answered in sixe conclusions 163 Whether God cannot pardon sinne without the condition of Repentance and godly sorrow 168 How Remission of sinnes is free seeing we cannot haue it without condition of Faith Repentance Confession c 170 Whether Christ died for all and euery particular man 171 Whether an vnregenerate man may saue and conuert a soule 177 How can a man pray and obtaine the holy Ghost who hath him alreadie 193 Whether a wicked man may pray seeing if he doe it is sinne if hee doe not it is no lesse 195 How God heareth or rather heareth not wicked men 196 Whether Romane Religion be not of God being so prospered so strong so embraced and defended by the great Kings of the earth 209 Why the Kingdom of Antichrist hath taken so deepe roots in the world or somany ages foure reas 210 Why none are more troubled then godly men 274 How the Church is euer preserued in trouble and from it 276 How we can seeke or finde God who is neuer absent but euery where present 220 Whether a man hath free will to change himselfe 345 Who is a righteous man 397 Why and how sinners are called righteous and perfect 4. reas 398 Why godly men are called vpright in heart 3. reasons 399 How we are said to reioyce in the Lord namely when our ioy hath fiue properties 401 How we may lawfully reioyce in outward things 417 R REasons why God will only pardon sins of such as are godlysorrowfull six 168 Reasons to looke to vprightnesse of heart three 403 Reioycing of godly men ought to be in the Lord 3. reas 417 Religion vpset and vpheld