your Master My Lord at yee haue learned to serue most faithfully a King on earth and for good seruice haue receiued the recompence of his Princely liberality so thinke with your selfe how greatly ye shall be conuinced if ye doe not learne to serue the King of heauen whose wage to his seruants doth as farre exceed any thing yee haue as the heauens are aboue the earth The third is Ye are now striken in yeares your Almond tree is flourished these fiftie and eight yeares hath God spared you and not taken you away in your ignorances and sinnes as he hath done many others both at your right hand and at the left My Lord the patience of God is called long but his mercy euerlasting the vse of his mercy toward his owne is to beare with them till they be deliuered into the hands of his mercie then are they out of all danger for his mercy endures for euer and whom once he receiues he neuer casts away again But wo is to the wicked for they abuse Gods patience to fulfill the measure of their iniquity heaping vp wrath to themselues by the multiplication of sinnes as it were in a treasure against the day of wrath Thus as the Fish of Iorden goe sprinkling and playing in the streame thereof till at length they fall into the Loch or salt Sea of Sodome where they die so are all the wicked abusing Gods patience carried on by their deceitfull pleasures of sin to a miserable end For where in their young yeares they will not repent in their olde age custome of sinne so confirmes them in euill that they cannot repent no more then a Leopard can change his spots or a Blacke Moore his colour Of this your ◅may perceiue that God his long pattence whereby he spares a man is not a blessing if mercy to pardon sins past and grace to renne for the time to come doe not follow it yea rather quo diutius expectat districtius iudicabit the longer he tarie and spare the sharper will he strike when he comes Let this waken in your L. a care to redeeme the time and a resolution to sacrifice the residue of your few yeares vnto the Lord your God For which cause it shall not be vnprofitable your L. remember these counsels first that ye examine diligently your by-gon life No man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of a man this will tell you more of your selfe then all the world can tell you In this examination spare not your selfe if you would haue God to spare you iudge your selfe accuse your selfe correct your selfe and GOD shall not iudge you Remember when yee come to iudgement there will be none to stand against you if it be not your owne sinnes so long therfore as you haue time fall vpon them fight with them and doe all that ye can to vndoe them Where if your L. would know how is it that a man may vndoe the euill which he hath done The answer is that two manner of waies ye may doe it first if with good Ezechia ye recount your by-gon sinnes in the bitternesse of your heart mourning for them euer when ye thinke vpon them and with the eyes of faith looke to him who being righteous died for our sinnes sending vp strong supplications to God that by the merit of Christs death your sinnes may be buried in the graue and haue neuer place to stand against you in iudgement If they be such as may be m◅nded by restitution faile not to do it after the manner of good Zaccheus if they be not of that nature mend them by doing the contrarie good This is that holie reuenge which the Apostle commends as a not able effect of repentance That we should be reuenged of our by-gon euils by doing the good which we know is most contrarie vnto them This being done for annulling of your by-gon sinnes let your next care be to rectifie your life for the time to come Salomon saies The end of a thing is better thē the beginning thereof His meaning is of good things for euill men waxe worse and worse but an elect man by grace makes his latter end better then his beginning and they who are planted in the Courts of the Lords house flourish and bring forth fruit euen in their olde daies And here againe I recommend to your L. a three fold duetie First remember how manie are the obligation vvherein ye stand bound to the Lord your God thinke vppon that question of godlie Dauid What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me Take an answer for it out of these vvords of Salomon My sonne giue me thine heart Euerie morning offer vnto the Lord Primitias cordis oris tui the first fruits of your heart and mouth thinke vpon nothing before yee thinke on him speake of nothing till first yee speake vnto him be feruent and continuall in prayer Si non semper precamur semper debemus habere paratum precantis affectu◅ ◅f we be not alway praying we should alway haue readie a heart disposed to pray The vessels of mercy should smell of mercie and the Temples of God should neuer want the sacrifices of God giue to the Lord both the thankes and the seruice of all the good ye haue receiued from him Many giue him verball thankes for his benefites acknowledging themselues debitors to him for the good which they haue who will not serue him with his owne benefites Let these men know that their thanks are not acceptable to him The second point of your care I would haue entended to the poore and needy as ye haue receiued mercy from God or looke to get it shew mercy for Gods sake to such as are vnder you Salomon saith The mercies of the wicked are crueltie but the mercies of a righteous man extend euen toward his beast how much more then will he be mercifull to his Christian brother Remember what comfort Iob found in the day of his trouble arising from this That he restrained not the poore of their desire and caused not the eyes of the widdow to faile that he did not eate his morsels alone but the fatherlesse eat thereof that he saw none perish for want of clothing nor suffered the poore to be without a couering that the loynes of the poore blessed him because hee was warmed with the fleece of his sheepe It is a great grace where a man not onely sets his owne heart to praise God but hyreth the heart and tongue of others to praise God with him and for him therfore To do good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is pleased And with these thinke it a peece of your honour to honor the seruants of the Lord. Beautifull saith Esay are the feet of those who bring the glad tidings of peace If their feet be beautifull what should their face be Looke not to their weakenesse but for their Master and their
thy portion but the Lord. Whom haue I in heauen but thee And I haue desired none in the earth with thee Let vs looke to the creatures consider how they are very good let vs vse them also but so that we remember alway how with them a greater good then they are is offred vnto vs namely that good GOD that made them What is the creature if it be compared with him that made it Can the vvorke of a mans hand bee so excellent as man that made it And vvhy then shouldst thou thinke that there is either beautie or vertue in a creature for which it should bee more desired and loued then the Lord vvho made it Pulchrum coelum pulchra terra sed pul chrior qui fâ—…cit illa Ethnicks saw by the light of Nature specially the Platoniques that whatsoeuer good is in the creature it is but Splendor quidam summi illius boni a certaine beame of that great and infinite good which is in God and that then onely was the good which is in the creature rightlie vsed when by it men learned to goe vp and returne to the Creator But alas such is our wretched corruption that the same things which should cary vs vpward toward God drawe vs downe and we are oftentimes so snared with the loue of the creature that wee forget the Creator not that any blame is in the creature but as I saide in our owne corrupt nature for euery creature in the own kind sends vs to him that made it speaking with such a voice as it hath Seeke not rest nor contentment from vs Goe vp and seeke it in him that made vs no contentment no satisfaction haue wee to giue you The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing This then is the first motiue that as the Lord would not rest till hee had made man so man is bound of his dutie neuer to rest till he find the Lord. The other motiue is It is impossible that man can get rest or contentment to his soule in any thing but in the Lord his God Man vvas made for God and to the image of God and therefore can no other thing fill and content the desires of his soule but GOD himselfe Caeteris rebus occupari potest repleri non potest Other things may busie and vex the spirit of man but cannot fill or replenish it Fecisti nos Domine propter te semper in quietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te thou madest vs ô Lord for thy selfe and our hart is alway vnquiet till it rest in thee As the point of the Mariners compasse touched with the Adamant trembles euer till it be directed toward the North so doth the hart of man till it bee directed to the Lord. And as the Doue which Noah sent forth of the Aâ—…ke went flying abroad and could find no rest for the sole of her foot the earth being couered with waters till she returned againe to Noah so the soule of man may goe through the world caried in the body as a chariot or otherwise flee abroad and view al the creatures vpon the wings of contemplation but it shall find no place of rest no creature to content it till it returne to the Lord. Otherwise anguish of spirit and sore tribulation shall be the portion thereof But heere it is demaunded whether or no is this preiudiciall to the rest of Gods children that Dauid saith The Lord is his portion I answer no manner of way for the Lord shall not be the lesse the portion of one that feares him because he is the portion of another hee is sufficient for all Earthly heritages are the lesse when they are communicated to many and therefore oftentimes is there stâ—…ife among them about the diuision heere it is not so there needs no contention about the diuision of this inheritance one shal not haue the lesse because another hath much the Lord shall bee all in all euery one of his Saints shall be filled with his glory Wee see the Sunne in the firmament shineth vnto all the vvorld neither is there any man who thinks that the light is the lesse because it is common to many If GOD haue created the Sunne with such maruailous wisedome that the light thereof is not the lesse to euery one because it is common to many what may wee looke to find in himselfe The generall vse of this towards vs all is to assure vs of our election If from our heart wee haue made this choise that we can say in sinceritie with Dauid O Lord thou art my portion we may be assured that first of all hee did choose vs to bee his inheritance Yee haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you saith Christ. Heerein is loue saith Saint Iohn not that wee loued him first but that hee loued vs. If the Lord had not chosen vs to be his peculiar people we should neuer haue chosen him to be our portion The particular vse of it is first to those vvho are poore in worldly things let this comfort them that GOD is become their portion The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want vvhat matter is it who haue the greatest measure of Gods mooueables sith the permanent goods of the inheritance are ours His mooueables I call the things of this world which goe from hand to hand the permanent good is himselfe his fauour his loue toward vs in Christ Iesus It was the infirmitie of our father Abraham when the Lord said vnto him Feare not I shall be thy buckler and exceeding great reward that hee answered What canst thou giue mee Lord seeing I goe childlesse As if this were no more then all children or gifts temporall whatsoeuer that the Lord promised to giue himselfe to him for a reward It is marked in him that by his weakenesse wee may learne to gather wisedom and strength neuer to thinke vvee can vvant any thing seeing we haue the Lord himselfe for our portion The other particular vse of it is toward those who haue receiued a greater measure of worldly things from the Lord if with it they haue also grace to loue and feare him Let them knowe they haue gotten a double portion which obligeth them in a double seruice beyond their brethren I wish of God men of honour in the world professors of the Gospel could shew as much holy zeale for the maintenance of the gospel which is the testimony of God witnessing that he is become their father and portion in Christ as they can declare carnall zeale against those that would preiudice them in the smallest portion of their earthly inheritances yea for a foote bredth of their land But this is the time wherin men are fallen from their former zeale not onelie is the fruite decaied but the leaues also are fallen away and there is no courage
voluptatum cruci affixa non habeat nayle therefore thy carnall desires to the Crosse of Christ that they may haue no libertie as they were wont to goe loose and wander where they please Otherwise if thou wilt be vaine caried like an instable man after the wandering lusts of corrupt nature fearful is that sentence My Spirit shal not alway striue with man for he is but flesh For feare of thee Familiaritie with men breeds contempt familiaritie with God not so none reuerence the Lord more then they vvho knowe him best and are most familiar with him The Seraphins who couer their faces in presence of his Maiestie teach vs this by their example Such as doe not remember God and far lesse reuerence him when they thinke or speak of his Maiestie declare sufficiently that they were neuer familiar with him I am afraid of thy iudgements It is not to bee thought strange that this feare of Gods iudgements is in men regenerate for the guiltinesse which by sinnes of commission and omission daily they contract cannot be without fear But as I said it cannot continue for in them feare prepares away to loue and loue as it increaseth diminisheth feare Alway we learne here that if the iudgements of God executed vpon others make the godlie afraid how fearefull and importable they will be to the wicked If Moses trembled at the giuing of the law how terrible shall the execution thereof be vnto the wicked Let vs fear in time and we shall not feare in that day wherein horrible feare shall confound the wicked AIN VER 121. I haue executed iudgement and iustice leaue me not to mine oppressors IN this Section Dauid continueth his prayer for protection against his enemies as also for grace to knowe his way vpon earth and follow it He begins with a Petition Leaue me not to mine oppressors and he giues the reason I haue executed iudgement and iustice Where we are not to thinke that he is iustifying himselfe before God but onely declaring how iniustly he was oppressed by men Desensio est non arrogantia Our lesson is If we would haue our prayers forcible let vs intertaine the testimony of a good conscience Iudgement and iustice These two are distinguished by Ambrose in such sort that he makes the one the effect of the other Iudicij finis iustitia est in altero veritatis custodia est in altero fructus aequitatis iudgement is the keeper of verity iustice the fruit of equity the one of these perteyning to the minde makes it giue light for discerning betweene right and wrong the other rectifying the affections and actions Happy is the man in whom these two concurre together Quis autem hodie tanta animi praeditus est puritate vt cum fiducia verbis ist is vti possit But who this day is indued with such purity of minde that with boldnesse he may vse these words My reioycing is the testimony of a good conscience Leaue me not We haue often said that Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart who had also the testimony of a good conscience to sustaine him yet could he not liue free from the oppression of wicked men So long as this battell lasts and Satan wants not instruments let vs euer look to be troubled by them and not to be discouraged thereat but rather comforted considering the inimity proclaimed in Paradise is without reconciliation and sith the Prince of our saluation sustained such contradiction of sinners why shall it grieue vs to beare his crosse And sith Dauid so earnestly prayed not to be left into the hands of his bodily oppressors what shall we doe against our soules oppressors Satan seekes continually to spoile vs of that sparke of spirituall life which God hath put into vs. It is a searfull iudgement where God leaues men to his tyrannie let vs pray for mercy against it VER 122. Answer for thy seruant in that thing which is good and let not the proud oppresse me AMong many crosses wherewith Dauid was exercised the strise of tongues is not one of the least they did persecute him with lies and calumnies scoffers and belly-gods made a by-word of him in their meetings and flattering Courtiers belied him vnto Saul This was not a small crosse Molesta enimres calumnia etiamsi magnum afferat praemium against it Dauid makes his refuge to God Answer for thy seruant His meaning is Lord thou kno west how iniustly I am calumniate and euill spoken of in many parts where I am not nor may not answere for my selfe Lorde answere thou for me And his petition imports not onely a crauing of helpe from God but that God would take his part and ioyne himselfe with his righteous cause And so it is indeede the Lord is partaker with his children in their innocent sufferings and their cause is his cause Blessed are ye when ye are railed vpon for righteousnesse sake c. For the spirit of grace and glorie rests in you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part is glorified This might serue for a warning to wicked men if any wisedom were in them they should be loath to meddle with the children of God for if so they will they meddle with a stronger partie then they are aware of Againe it is to be considered that hee craues protection onely in his good and honest cause It is not for vs to call for the Lords assistance to all our willes and workes Hee is the righteous Iudge of the world and neyther will nor can do vnrighteously To commenda wrong cause to his protection is to prouoke him to hasten our punishment And on the other hand albeit our cause were neuer so righteous yet we must not think to bear it out with our owne strength and wisedome It falles out oft-times that men fall downe and faint through feeblenesse euen in a good cause because they giue not to God his glory In their lawfull affairs they prosper not because they take counsel but not from me saith the Lord They commit not their way to God as Dauid exhorts neyther cast they their burden vpon the Lord as Peter commaunds them but sacrifice to their own net think to cōpasse their affaires by their own wi◅ Sure it is the Lord is then most carefull of vs when we cast our greatest care vpon him For thy seruant Customably King Dauid delights in this stile to call himselfe Gods seruant learning vs also to count this our greatest honor to be the seruants of the great and euer-liuing God for we are not our owne as saith the Apostle We are bought with a price But here is our sin such as are vndervs whether they be bought or hired seruants wee thinke they should serue vs and are offended if they doe not but are not so carefull to doe seruice to
hee a prophet to teach his brethren for vnto vs all stands that commandement Edifie one another in the most holy faith But alas yee shall see many Christians now who at their Tables and in their Companies can speak liberally of any subiect onely for spirituall matters which concerne the soule there they are dumbe and cannot say with Dauid My tongue shall intreate of thy word For al thy commandements are righteous The reason why among men hee will intreate of the word of God Because they are all righteous and so most forcible to reform the vnrighteousnes of men Non possunt homines reduci ad vitae reformationem nisi per verbum tuum there can be nothing among men but confusion in manners corruption in religion where the word of God is not reuerenced as a rule to the which the actions of men should be squared VER 173. Let thine hand helpe mee for I haue chosen thy precepts DAuid hauing made promises of thankfulnes seeks now help from God that hee may performe them Our sufficiency is not of our selues but of his furniture to will and to doe are of him In temporall things men oftentimes take great paines with small profit first because they seeke not to make their conscience good next because they craue not the helpe of Gods hand therefore they speede no better then Peter who fished all night and got nothing till he cast in his net in the name of the Lord. But in spirituall things wee may farre lesse looke to prosper if wee call not for the Lord his helping hand the meanes will not profit vs vnlesse Gods blessing accompany them and his hand-worke with them Paul may plant Apollo may water but God must giue the increase The Law was giuen by Moses grace comes by Iesus Christ. This is the cause why in this age few grow in grace notwithstanding they haue the meanes of grace in most plentifull manner because the hand of God is not sought to worke with the meanes There is preaching but for the most part without profit there is prayer but it preuailes not there is hearing of the word but without edifying Balme enough in Gilead and there is the Physitian also euen the great Physitian of our soules among vs yet is not the health of people recouered And all because in spirituall exercises instant prayer is not made vnto God that his hand may be with vs to helpe vs. VER 174. I haue longed for thy saluation O Lord and thy law is my delight IN this verse is a twofolde protestation first of the great desire he had of Gods saluation next of his delight in the law of God But how is this he longed for saluation was hee not euen now partaker of it doth he not glorie Psal. 27. that God was his light and saluation Both are true that hee had it and yet he longed for it We must distinguish betweene the beginnings and the perfection of our saluation the beginning we haue now by belieuing Gods promises whereupon wee haue receiued the Earnest of his spirit the perfection wee shall haue when all his promises shall be fully accomplished vnto vs. Therefore S. Peter cals it a saluation prepared to be shewed in the last time Wee see then the disposition of Gods children toward this saluation to be such that howsoeuer they haue comfort in the beginnings thereof yet no contentment This is expressed in holy scripture by the words of seeking waiting sighing panting braying hungring thirsting longing by all which a vehement desire of promised saluation is noted to them This condemnes both worldlings who haue set the desire of their soul vpon the perishing trash of the earth counting that their treasure which the spirituall man accounts to be but doung as also cold professors who pretend an hope of eternall life but long not for it Non desiderat patriam peregrinatio sine lacryma He that liues in his pilgrimage without teares declares that he hath no desire of his country Non satis futura gaudia nosti nisi renuat consolari anima tua donec veniant Thou knowest not well the ioyes to come if thy soule loath not these that are present and long for those that are promised To such terrible is that warning of our Lord Woe bee to you that are full for ye shall hunger And thy law is my delight In this other protestation Dauid shewes what it was that vpheld him in this time of delay of Gods promised saluation to weet the comfort of Gods word this is like Manna to Israell in the wildernes which ceased so soone as they entred into Canaan but sustained them in the iourney So shall the exercises of the word cease when we shall come to our heauenly Canaan in the meane time so long as wee are in the way let vs comfort our selues with it Againe wee see how Dauid alway conioynes these two saluation and the word of God This is to be marked for contemners of Gods word who liue as if God were to saue them by miracles and not by his owne ordinary meanes appointed in his Church They looke to bee saued and yet will not reuerence the word but they shall be deceiued VER 175. Lette my soule liue and it shall praise thee and thy iudgements shall helpe mee SOme expound this to bee a petition for the prolongation of his naturall life that he may liue and praise God This I knowe is lawfull to seeke and for it he prayeth Psal. 90. Oh spare a little that I may recouer my strength before I goe and be not But here I thinke Dauid stretches his affection toward that spirituall life which now in Gods children is the beginning of life euerlasting when the soule quickened by spirit of God is able to walke with God For as the bodily life is discerned by actions competent vnto it so the spirituall life is knowne by actions competēt to it Also where there is grace to pray and thanksgiuing with ioy delighting in Gods word and obedience giuen thereunto these are vndoubted arguments of a spirituall life But it is a pitie to see how many are liuing concerning their bodies lusty and strong who are but dead carrying a dead soule in a liuing body strangers from the life of GOD painted sepulchers pleasant without full of rottenness within hauing a soule which can no more pray nor praise the Lord then a dead body which can neither heare nor speake vnto men And it shall praise thee Much throughout this Psalme and in all the rest doth Dauid esteem of this exercise of praising GOD sometime hee prayeth for it as a grace sometime he promiseth it as a dutie sometime hee practiseth it in himselfe and sometime hee prouokes others vnto it The Lord so parts the fruite of all his benefits that he giues vs the profit reseruing no more but the praise vnto himselfe and the more praise
a true word Malac. 3. 18. The Vnderstanding is the taster of the soule that discerns between truth falsehood Phil. 1. 9. Many want this Sense ☜ Our knowledge in this â—…ife â—…ar infeâ—… to that we shâ—… haue in the 〈◊〉 â—…o come 2. Cor. 5. 7. Gods promises cannot coÌ„fort vs if we be not of their number to whom they belong Affliction in the godly worketh humiliation Worldlings can not vnderstand how good can come by the Crosse. Onely sanctified Crosses worke good Ambrose ☜ To be afflicted not purged chastiâ—…ed not corrected is an euill token Ierem. 6. Esay 1. Many now become worse after deliuerance from trouble These are reserued to sharper scourges Gods last stroke is alway heauiest Amos 5. 19. A godly man is couetous of heauenly instruction How due vnto God is the praise of goodnesse Ambros. in Psa. 119. It is his owne goodnesse that makes him good to his creature Luke 11. A great blessing to be in fellowship with God Constancie in Religion Wicked men are restlesse enemies to the godly Ambr. in Psal. 119. No band of nature can conioyne them whom grace hath not conioyned Why wicked meÌ„ are termed proud men Pâ—…ide an horrible euill ☜ Grace workes humility in the godly Gen. 18. 27. Iudg. 6. 15. Examples prouing that they who are greatest in Gods estimation are least in their owne eyes Satans two armes wherby he wrestles against the godly are violence and lies ☜ Lies trimmed vp with the garment of truth We should not fight against Satan and his instruments with their armour ☞ Rom. 12. 20. Dauids disposition and his enemies contrary How different effects are wrought in godly men by their different sights Luke 18. Acts 26. 29. A soft and melting heart a great blessing A hard stony hart a fearfull cuâ—…se ☞ How a sanctied crosse may be discerned from a cursed Namely if the crosse be a correction Nature of affliction changed to the godly Three things wee see in trouble better then in prosperitie Iob. 5. Rom. 5. The crosse makes a man learned by experience The goodnes of wicked men ends wheÌ„ their trouble ends it is otherwise with the godly Esay 38. The less worldly comfort wee haue the stroÌ„ger is the coÌ„fort of Gods word The authoritie of Gods word should be distinguished froÌ„ the ministrie thereof 1. Sam. 3. Vanity of worldly riches It is not pouertie to want gold but to want grace Chrâ—…s in Mat. hom 9. Otherwise Angels might be called poore Man is Gods workmanship and euen in that respect beloued of God Ambr. in Psal. 119. None caÌ„ rightly seeke from God who consider not what he hath already done to them The priuiledges of our first creation are all lost We haue neyther hope nor comfort in theÌ„ A man without vnderstanding is a companion of beasts True knowledge is that which works godlinesse Practise of pieâ—…e is the art of Artes. Ambr. oâ—…i lib. 1. cap. 26. Moses learning The three designes of a godly man The power of godlinesse Amb. in Psal. 119. The sight of a godly man suppose he be silent teacheth others The communion which is among Christians The working of God with one of his seruants teacheth all the rest To praise God in affliction is a great grace ☜ All Gods waies are righteous suppose we see them not Ignorance of this makes men murmure where they haue no cause Iudgement put for plagues and for corrections Why the crosses of godly men are called iudgements Amb. in Pâ—…s 119 Afflictions of the godly and wicked differ 1. In measure Esa. 27. 7. 2. In their ends Faith and not nature teacheth a man to runne to the hand that strikes him Hos. 6. 1. Comfort for men vnder crosses Promise of mercy rendred more ioy to Dauid then the promise of a kingdome Mercy receiued makes the godly thirst for more Psalm 17. 15. Three ranks of mercy craued by the godly ☞ Prayer against enemies how it should be framed Basil in Psalme 119. Ambrose in Psalme 119. Shame with contempt reward of sin The wicked are proud men A proud man â—…is iust punishment Let vs not look for peace from the wicked Satan may wex worse but shall neuer be better Dauids armor Euery Christian hath need of anothers help By reason of the diuersitie of grace dispensed to theÌ„ Publique sin is like Miriams leprosie that separated her froÌ„ the Congregation Why God suffers the countenaÌ„ce of good men to bee cast down on other good men Knowledge â—…are of God â—…equired together Desertions spirituall doe sore cast downe the godly As a body wanting meat fainâ—…th so c. The godly neuer so faint that they lose all life ☜ Our petitions should all be warranted by the word Answer of our prayers delaied many times and why Chrys. in Math. The troubles of the mind distemper the body Gods children exercised with sharp afflictions Reasons hereof giuen The reason of Dauids supplication Psalm â—…8 11. Mans life measured by dayes not yeeres A question alway to be remembred ☞ ☜ Prayer against our enemies how it should be framed Such iudgements as are preparatiues to mercy may be prayed for But not those iudgements that are forerunners of wrath ☜ Godly men euil recompenced of the world Sundry sorts of persecution Enemies of Dauid described Pridecan humble it selfe for a greater vantage Psal. 10. 4. 10. The wicked are taken in their owne sâ—…are Psalm 7. 15. Example hereof in Saul and Haman Comfort when we see wicked men are our enemies The Word giues comfort against all trouble Profitable for vs to be exercised with afflictions Amb. in Ps. 119 ☞ We should take heed to the cause for which we are troubled Cyprian 1. Pet. 4. Malice of the wicked is insatiable against the godly They rent both their names and their bodies after they are dead It is mans infirmity to be cast down with tentations coÌ„ming from men more then those that come from God Nazian ☜ Why God will haue his children brought very low by affliction 2. Cor. â—… Infidelity readie to goe â—… whooring froÌ„ God Desertion is like death to the godly Gods kindness is our defence against mans malice Psalme 52. 1. A two-fold kindnesse in God Psal. 145. Psalm 106. Man without grace is but dead and can doe no good Presumptuous professors reproued ☞ A comfortable meditation of the eternitie of Gods word The word of God opposed to the word of man Cypr. lib. 4. Epist. 2. Philo. The good name of a christian should be regarded and why Innocence defends vs not froÌ„ the calumnies of mâ—…n Words of men most effectless when they are stoutest What is meant here by heaueÌ„ The changes of this world cumber our faith Vatab. Then it is good to looke vp vnto heaueÌ„ Heb. 6. 19. The visible frame of heauen a witnesse of Gods eternall truth The creatures cannot teach the way of saluation but coÌ„firme vs in it ☜ Iere. 31. 35. The certaintie of our saluatioÌ„ The glory of