his owne person Secondly from the person of his aduersaries Thirdly from the person of the godly In his owne person first his prayer is signified by this circumscription I. From his owne person because hee beleeues in him I lift vp my soule to thee and his faith I trust in thee What is prayer but a lifting vp of the heart to God for the heart must first be affected and then it will frame all the members of the body and draw them vp with it Simil. As the Magnes drawes the Iron after it so will the soule draw the cold and lumpish flesh where it is where the soule is there is the body also and where the soule is there is the man Whereby it appeareth that there is no praier or spirituall seruice acceptable to God Doct. No spirinâ— all seruice but that which proceeds from the heart Pro. 23.26 Isay 29.13 but that which comes and is deriued from the heart My sonne giue me thy heart This people seeke mee with their lips but their heart is farre from me Yee are praying but your heart is as the eye of the foole euery where Sometime yee are thinking of the earth somtime of your pleasure sometime sleeping sometime yee know not what yee are thinking At preaching yee heare the voyce of a man speaking but say not Amen And sometime your voyce is repeating some idle and deafe sounds your heart no whit being moued but as a Parrat or Pye vttering incertaine sounds or a Bell Simil. sounding it knowes not what so are ye with your mouth praising God your heart being absented from him Faith only fixed on God Lifting vp of the heart presupposeth a former deiection Next his faith is not carried about hither and thither but only fixeth it selfe vpon God Thirdly the lifting vp of the heart presupposeth a former deiection of his soule The soule of man is pressed downe with sinne and with the cares of this world which as lead doth the net draweth it so downe that it cannot mount aboue till God send spirituall prayers as corke to the net to exalt it Simil. which arise out of faith as the flame doth out of the fire Heb. 12.1 and which must bee free of secular cares and all things pressing downe which sheweth vnto vs that worldlings can no more pray Simil. than a Moule is able to flie But Christians are as Eagles which mount vpward Seeing then the heart of man by nature is fixed to the earth Simil. and of it selfe is no more able to rise there-from Simil. then a stone which is fixed in the ground till God raise it by his power word and workmen it should be our principall petition to the Lord that it would please him to draw vs that we might runne after him that he would exalt and lift vp our hearts that we might raise them vp to heauen and not lie still in the puddle of this earth Here the future tense vsed for the present In the Hebrew it is I will lift vp by a common phrase vsing the future time for the present but he sayes not I lift vp my voice or my hands to thee which both he did for these are in vaine without the heart So Anna the mother of Samuel saies 1 Sam. 1.15 I poured foâ—â—h my heart in the sight of the Lord as a body without the soule VERSE 2. My God I trust in thee let me not be confounded let not mine enemies reioyce ouer me 2. Argument taken from the person of his aduersaries opposing his faith to their fury Mat 10.13 Psal 20.7 2 King 1.2 1 Sam. 28.8 THe second argument that hee vseth is taken from the person of his aduersaries who albeit they were furiously bent against him yet hee onely runneth to God without whose permission they were not able to cause one haire of his head fall to the ground Some seeke for the helpe of men some trust in horses and charioâ—s some goe to Beelzebub and deuils by wirches but let a true Christian with Daâ—id here haue his refuge to God Doct. Faith is the ground of prayer I trust in thee Here is faith the root and ground of prayer When Christ bestowed any benefit vpon his patients he asked them Doe ye beleeue and then answered Mark 9.23 Mat. 8.13 Simil. Be it to thee according to thy saith It is a naturall dependance that all creatures vse this argument to their superiors and masters As my trust is in you helpe me And should not we vse this same to our Lord and say My trust is in thee O Lord therefore hâ—lpe me He stands vpon the points of his honor will he then cast off his dependants Faith in God a stroÌ„g argumeÌ„t wherby God is moued to defend vs. Mark 9.23 24. No truly there is no stronger argument to moue God to defend thee then if thou alledge thy faith in him there is nothing impossible to him that beleeueth Let vs therefore craue the augmentation of our faith and say Lord increase our faith and then wee need not to doubt but God will giue vs all things His prayer is grounded vpon faith 1 Cor 4.13 Prayer grounded on faith Paul saith I beleeued therefore haue I spoken therefore such prayers as proceed of an incertaine faith are abhomination in the sight of the Lord and scorning of his Maiesty Doe yee not thinke Words without faith and feeling vnprofitable Doct. Shame the daughter of sinne that if wee conceiue words in our owne language if we want a feeling of them that they will bee acceptable to God no indeed but much lesse will they please him if in an vncouth language wee repeat vaine words we know not what Let me not be confounded Shame is the daughter of sinne and a condigne punishment for sinne Rom. 6 2â— What fruit had ye then in those things wherewith now ye are ashamed For the end of those things is death But no shame can befall to a Christian Qui credit non erubesces He that beleeueth shall not be a shamed Doct. RepentaÌ„ce blotteth out the memory of sinne Heb. 11.31 2 Pet. 2.7 for if hee fall in sinne it will by Gods blessing turne to the best to him and his repentance will blot out the memory of his sinne Rachabs faith hath blotted away the remembrance of her whoredome Dauids repentance and Manasses hath blotted out their sinnes Lots righteousnesse is remembred their sinne is not shamefull for God honoured them with such vertues as tooke away the filthinesse of their sinne Simil. If a gold ring should fall in the mire the price of the gold remaines and the dirt may soone be wiped away Albeit Iacobs thigh made him to halt Gen. 32.3 yet the strength of his armes who wrastled with the Angell his reuelations that he got and his holinesse made not that to bee thought a deformity in him Simil. Doct. The afflictions of Gods children are honorable
â—et holinesse to the Lord be written on your brests Exo. 28.36 Leuit. 20.7 Holinesse becometh the house of God Be holy Many study to attain to knowledg but not to sanctification as I am holy For what fellowship can the most holy God haue with vncleane and profane people This miserable age studieth to attaine to knowledge but not to sanctification Let Atheists call you what they please studie you to puritie of liâ—e A true Christian will make more conscience of an idle word or filthy thought which wil arise in their hearts Nota. and will correct it more sharply then those leud miscreants will do for adultery and the worst actions they commit Verse 8. Make me to heare ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce HAuing craued before remission of sins now he beggeth the fruite which followes vpon the same that is ioy and gladnes which is one of the fruits of the kingdome of God and marks of Gods children Ioy proceedeth of sorrow This ioy which he suiteth must of necessiâ—ie presuppose a sorrow which he had for his sinne For as repentance can neuer want sorrow no more can remission want ioy So that ioy springeth out of the bitter goote of sorrow And the greater sorrow we haue the greater shall our ioy be The deeper thy griefe be the higher shall thy comfort be He doubleth ioy and gladnesse both of soule and bodie he will not be contented with some one or two consolations but wil haue them to be multiplied that as his tribulations did increase so his comforts in Christ Iesus might be enlargod As a Christian is the most sorowfull man in the world Of all men a Christian hath most cause to reioyce so there is none more glad then he For the cause of his ioy is greatest in respect his misery was greatest his deliuery greatest therefore his ioy greatest from hell and death is he freed to life in heauen is he brought What can make men more glad then this if he will beleeue No offers can satisfie the minde of a prisoner appointed to death vnlesse his remission be proclaimed and giuen him Simil. so all the ioyes in the world will not satisfie a conscience till he heare that his sins are forgiuen him Psal 4.8 This ioy Dauid compareth with the ioy of worldlings who reioyced in their corne and wine and saith that he had more ioy then they had and more peace of conscience This ioy eateth vp all false ioyes that men haue in sinne True ioy eateth vp false ioyes Exod. 7.12 as the rod of Aaron did the rods of the Egyptians For it is not possible that men can haue both ioy in God godlinesse and in sin for the one will euer quench the other as water doth fire All other ioyes wil alter whatsoeuer they be Nothing can alter this true ioy but nothing can take this ioy from vs. Not tribulation we reioyce in the midst of tribulation Not death no paine no hatred of men no persecution all these rather in crease it Acts 5.41 We reioyce with the Apostles that we are thought worthy to suffer for the word of God Why do worldlings call vs melancholious persons and too precise that we cannot do away with an idle word Ioh. 4.32 let be an idle action let them say what they please we say as Christ said to his disciples he had meate they knew not so we haue ioy that they know not of That which is thy ioy O hypocrite that is my sorrow I laugh with Democritus at that Democritus alwayes laughed Heraelitus alwayes weeped Iam. 5.1 for which thou weepest I weepe with Heraclitus at that whereat thou laughest Wo to them that laugh for they shall weepe Howle ye rich men saith the Apostle Make me to heare The person froÌ„ whom he seeketh this ioy is God make me to heare saith he whereby he would teach vs Doctrine Spirituall ioy proceedeth from God that this ioy cometh onely from God it is he who is the fountain of ioy and all pleasure for all good things come from aboue Naturall ioyes proceed from a naturall and fleshly fountain spirituall ioyes spring only from God so he who seeketh these ioyes beneath seeketh hot water vnder cold ice Can any good thing come out of Nazareth Ioh. 1 46. can any grace come from a gracelesse ground The instrument by which he seeketh ioy to be conueyed to him is the hearing of that word Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee There is none other ordinary meanes by which God will worke or euer hath wrought ioy to the troubled heart then by his word preached by the mouth of his seruants The word of God is the cause of this ioy Act. 16.14 and beleeued by Christians Faith commeth by hearing God opened the heart of Lydian He that hath eares to heare let him heare I haue giuen eyes and they do not perceiue eares to heare do not vnderstand their eares are heauie c. Preaching of the word is a necessary instrumeÌ„t by which spiritual gracesis coÌ„veied into our harts God craueth this ofteÌ„ in the old new Testanent that we should heare his voice And Dauid confesseth that God had prepared his eare Psal 40. God from heauen said This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 heare him If then ye giue an obedient eare to Gods word ye may be assured of this ioy wrought in your hearts after yee haue beleeued the comfortable promises of saluation in Christs blood Against Atheists and Papists lothing the word What thinke ye then of Atheists who will not heare the word but for fashions sake calling those too holy who will heare two Sermons on one Sabbath or of Papists who will no wayes heare the word which may be the meanes of their conuersion Wo to the one and to the other And because they haue refused to heare him of whom they may receiue comfort and instruction therefore the Lord shall refuse to speake to them any longer vnlesse betimes they repent That the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce The effect which he hopeth to receiue of those glad tidings is a restitution of his first estate wherein he found himself wonderfully broken by his sin and affliction and hopeth to be restored by remission and pardon thereof Where he speaketh of the bones he would let vs to vnderstand that there is no strength of nature able to resist the stroke of Gods iustice No streÌ„gth in man able to resist the stroake of Godsiustice For if he begin to fight with vs we are vnable to resist The bones are very hard and the strength of man stands in them but if God bring the hammer of his wrath it shall be as iron and steele to crush them in peeces being but as potters vessels God cureth none but those whom he hath woun ded Man woundeth but
to Pharaoh Hâ— that câ—mmitteth sinne saith Christ is a seruant to sinne as by the contrary He that is borne of God sinnes not because the seed of God is in him The worke of sinne seemes pleasant and againfull but in the end yee shall find it both vnplesant and painfull Vse when you get your wages payed you from your master the Deuill ye shall know the truth of that saying of the Apostle The reward of sinne is death Rom 6.23 Ibid. 21. And in another place What haue ye gaine whereof now ye are ashamed whose end is death The deuill may giue you the bait of present pleasures but he lets you not see the mischieuous hooke lying vnder the bait Vse 2 Let vs refuse therefore to worke any longer task vnto Satan and betake vs to a better Master and better seruice and work in the Lords vineyard Iohn 6.27 Labour after that meat which perisheth not whose fruits shall be eternall life Of iniquity Some thinke these to be hypocrites as in the 41. Psalme verse 7. All they that hate me whisper together against me euen against me doe they imagine mine hurt But here it imports more when he cals them workers of iniquity A manifest practice of their wicked deuices in their actions against Dauid What iniquity is for iniquity is that which is contrary to equity and iustice and equity is defined by Cicero Suum cuique tribuere whereas iniquity is to defraud any man of his due Whereby yee see that God abhorreth all iniuries wee can doe to our neighbours Doct. God abhorreth all iniuries done to our neighbours 1 Ioh. 4.20 Mat. 9.13 and esteemes then his seruice to be true when it beginneth at our neighbours For how can we loue God whom we see not saith the Apostle when wee loue not man made to the Image of God whom we see And our Sauiour saith I will haue mercy and not sacrifice So that he refuseth the principall part of his seruice which consisteth in sacrifices if they bee not conjoyned with mercy to our neighbours and in Isaiah Isai 66.3 he that kelleth a Bullocke or a Lambe offers a gift as though he had killed a dogge or a sowe and onely because of their iniuries Woe to this sinfull generation Vse who make no conscience but doe all manner of iniuries to whom they may and doe not spare either fatherlesse or widow or strangers or the gray haires or pupils or Orphans and yet vaunt of their religion Note I wish rather they would professe Papistry or Paganisme that their confession and profession might be answerable and that they would either professe as they liue or liue as they professe for it is shame that a good faith should be backed with had works For the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping Doctr. The neerer we draw to God the further we must flee from all his enemies The argument whereby he repelleth the wicked from his is taken from his familiarity with God and sure it is the nearer we draw to God the further will we flee from all his enemies what makes vs such associates with the children of the Diuell but that wee are strangers to God and when once we haue drawne in friendship and seruice with him then we hate the other partie Next Prayer ioyneth vs to God yee shall know that the principall mean by which we can frequent with God is Prayer for if God giue vs the Spirit of Prayer then he giues vs an accesse to the throne of his grace Many yea the most part of the world know not what prayer meaneth others pray perfunctoriously and hypocritically and their prayer turneth into sinne The benefit of true prayer But happy are those whom Gods most holy Spirit teacheth to pray and those onely can pray aright The voyce There is ascribed to prayer a voyce Doctr. The voice of prayer more mentall then vocall which is not so much vocall as mental alwayes it hath a piercing voyce which pierceth the heauens and preuaileth mightily with God and is so importunate that it will not come from heauens gates till and answer be giuen as Ezechias Moses c. Of my weeping As Dauids prayers were not dumbe His prayer was not dry but had a voyce so they are not dry but full of teares those sappy prayers be acceptable to God which proceed not from a barren and dry heart but from an heart well watered with the clouds of heauen hears planted at the Riuers of waters which wee should all pray after Hee hath this comfort that God heard his prayers Doct. Our prayers in faith will surely be heard not that he heard them wit eares as he who planted the eares doth heare but hee heard his praier when he granted yeelded to his petition And this is a great prouocation to vs to make vs pray in faith and then wee may perswade our selues God wil heare them Thinke ye not that a mother will discerne the voyce Simil. but much more the weeping of her owne childe nad the Ewe discerne the bleating of her owne lambe amongst a thousand and will not God regard the praier of his own childe being in affliction Vse And this certaintie that we haue to be heard should hearten vs all to pray Whomsoeuer Christ cured he asked if they beleeued then said Mat. 9.29 Marke 7.9 Be it to thee according to thy faith And again I saw not greater faith in Israel It is then superfluous to pray except thou beleeue Infidelitie is the cause why we lacke many good things Vse Distrust is the cause we receiue nothing from God for wee doe God great iniury in vttering forth words to him when eyther we doubt of his power that he cannot or of his loue that he will not bestow good things necessary to vs. Verse 9. The Lord hath heard my petition the Lord will receiue my prayer Why he repeateth three times that he was heard HE repeats the hearing of his prayer three times for two causes First to let vs see how frequently he vsed the exercise of praier for he diuide the day in three Morning noon and at euening tide did I call vpon thee and the night in three for he beganne the night with prayer I arose at midnight and called vpon thee and he preuented the breake of day and the morning watch Secondly that by his threefold repetition he might perswade himselfe of the acceptation of his prayers that they were heard of God which is a great matter for God heareth not sinners Ioh. 9.31 but If any be a worshipper of God and doth his will him heareth he then if the Lord heare our suifs grant them Vse we may perswade our selues that we are in his fauour Ester 7. When Hester obtained her suite at Ahashuerosh it was an argument she was acceptable to him So is it with vs in our petitions to God VERSE 10. All mine
by sharpe meanes to be wakened Ionah 1.6.17 that God is forced to vse sharpe remedies to awaken vs. Ionas lay sleeping in the shippe when the tempest of Gods wrath was persâ—eing him God therefore threw him into the bellie of the whale and bottome of the deepe that from these deepe places he might cry to his God When therefore we are troubled either by heauie sicknesse Vse or pouertie or oppressed by the tirannie of men let vs make profit and vse thereof considering that God hath casten his best children in such dangers for their profite and that it is better to be in deepe dangers praying then on the high mountaines of vanity playing Nota. By the deepe places may be vnderstood also an heart deepely wounded with the consideration of sinne and Gods iustice for God will not accept such superficiall and scrufe praiers which come onely from the lippes and not from a contrite and broken heart 1. Sa. 1.16 Anna the mother of Samuel out of the bitternesse of her heart powred out her soule before the Lord. Exo. 14.15 Moses albeit he spoke not at all yet the Lord said vnto him Why criest thou for out of the deepe places of his heart he called on God Will not God cast backe the dung of those foolish prayers in their faces who thinke to be heard by their much babling and idle repetition of an vncouth language which they vnderstand not or numbering their beedes as though God could be pleased with such foolish and childish toies which come not from faith because they lacke knowledge nor yet from repentance or a sorrow for sinne Let not men thinke to find mines of gold or siluer in the streets Simil. no they must digge into the bowells of the earth for them So let vs not deceiue our selues thinking Gods fauour may be gotten euerie where for in the deepe places it is to be found I called vpon the Lord. The person vpon whom he calleth was the Lord Iehouah one who onely both might as omnipotent and would as most loujug heare him Psal 73.25 Whom haue I in heauen but thee and in earth none beside thee God is all sufficient therefore pray to him If Christ were not onely sufficient to whom and by whom we should pray we might seeke for others but seeing he is sufficient and none other what follie is it to pray to any but to him God differeth from kings kings are not able to doe all the duties of their office to their subiects Exo. 18.18 as Moses although indued with extraordinarie graces for his ease had seuentie ioyned to him to be iudges of the people and therefore we must addresse our selues to the kings officers to end our businesse But our God is infinite and willeth all men to come to him Mat. 11.28 Come to me all ye that are wearie and laden To adde to a thing perfect is to diminish it as to light a candle to the Sunne Simil. or poure a drop of water in the Ocean addition to things imperfect makes them the greater as the more waters the greater riuer the more men the greater armie more gold the greater treasure Then to adde to an infinite God To adde to a thing perfect is to make it imperfect a perfect Christ is nothing else but to dishonour him Search all the Scriptures if they yeeld one example or commanding of either Patriarkes Prophet or Apostle doing or commanding any to be prayed vnto but God onely Their apocrypha and vnwritten verities and their Legenda aurea must be all their warrand Let vs therefore with Dauid in all our prayers call vpon God 1. Kin. 18 29.37 and with Elias when Baal could not heare his priests pray to our God and with our Sauiour Christ say Our Father which art in heauen Mat. 6.9 I called He setteth downe the forme of his praier vnder the name of calling which sheweth his feruent intention not onely in calling vpon God but crying And this maner of feruent prayer is most necessarie albeit God doth as well heare vs when with Ezechias we mourne as a doue Pray vnto the Lord feruentlie Esa 38.14 and chatter as a swallow both to stirre vp our selues and others to call on God For we are more moued when we call and cry then when we speake with a lower voice Verse 2. Lord heare my voice and let thine cares be bowed to the voice of my prayer IN this verse he craueth attention that God would lay his care to his suite before he propouÌ„d it Simil. For as a subiect wheÌ„ he finds the kings eare prepared to heare him he thinketh that then he will be the more ready and willing to grant his suite So Dauid heere out of the aboundance of his heart vseth this repetition heare me not that he doubted but God heard for himselfe faith Psal 94.9 He that planted the eare dâ—â—h not he heare But by hearing he desireth the grant of his suite As the king is then said to haue heard a supplication when he hath granted it Let vs with Dauid cry from a penitent heart and in faith Vse 1 and then we may be assured the care of the Lord is ready to hearken all requests Those are to be blamed who thinke that the Lord doth not heare them if immediatly he doth not grant their desire Vse 2 for his delay is for our best and it is our duty patiently to attend his pleasure and time This petition is often repeated in the Psalmes as Psal 16.2 5.4.17.7 c. Prepare your hearts to pray and his eare is euer open to heare you Read 2. Chron. 6. concerning Solomons dedi ation of the Temple there he prayeth that God would bow downe his eare so often as they called for grace Verse 3. If thou O Lord straightly markest iniquity O Lord who shall stand Verse 4. But mercy is with thee that thou maiest be feared These two verses are the summe of all the Scriptures THese two verses containe the summe of all the Scriptures In the third is the forme of repentance and in the fourth the mercies of the Lord. These are the two mountaines Gorazin and Ebal mentioned in Deut. 27.12.13 These are the two pillars in Salomons Temple 1. King 7.21 called Iachin and Boaz we must with Paul perswade our selues that we are come from mount Sinai to mount Sion where mercie is although some sowre grapes must be eaten by the way Ier. 24.1.2 Ieremie tasted in his vision first a bitter figge out of one basket then a sweet figge out of the other In the daies of Moses Exo 15.25 the waters were first bitter then sweetned by the sweet woode And Elizeus cast in salt in the pottage of the sonnes of the Prophets 2. Kin. 4.41 then they became wholsome If thou O Lord. Marke here that in this third verse he two times nameth God by the Lord as in all the other 8 verses he
he said Iudg. 15.19 I die for thirst and opened a spring out of the law-bone of an Asse will he forsake vs in time of our distresse if we thirst aright Verse 7. Heare me speedily O Lord for my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me else I shall be like vnto them that goe downe into the pit HE is now brought as it were to the latter sweat he crieth for speedy helpe or else he seeth nothing but death before his eies Our impatiencie maketh vs so bold and familiar with God that we would prescribe time to him as though he knew not which were the most conuenient time for his comming My spirit faileth He is now as it were in a swouning he craueth quicklie to be helped Doctr. Gods children are often brought low that the loue power of God may be manifested in their deliâ—eâ—â— or he is gone See to what extremitie God will bring his Saints euen neere the graue and yet bring them back againe that his loue and power may be known so much the more seeing to him belongs the issues of death God bringeth vpon his owne children such fainting as it were deliquium animi a lossing of our life that then feeling the weaknes of our naturall powers and after being restored by his grace we may learne how greatly we are beholden to him as by whom and in whom we haue our life and being and can be restored by none but by him alone and may bestow al the rest of our life vpon himselfe and his owne seruice and depend not on naturall strength but on him Hide not thy face from me He declareth plainly that he hath no sparke of life but from the fauorable face and countenance of God that he is then dead when he seeth not God reconciled to him in Christ Simil. The face of the Sunne bringeth life to the earth and all the world and the face of God bringeth life to men soules Simil. The countenance of the husband gladdeth the wife but the countenance of God reioyceth the soule He who hath once seene the countenaÌ„ce of God cannot liue without it He who once hath seene a blanke of his countenance can no more breathe or liue without it then a fish or bird out of their owne elements Else I shal be like vnto them that goe downe into the pit As though he would say I shall be like a deade man without sense and life The soule is the life of the body and God is the life of the soule should we not then be busie to seeke him and when he hath hid himselfe to find him againe There is no life in the soule without the sensible presence of God Psal 22.1 Mat. 27.46 for I will assure you there is neither life comfort peace or ioy in a mans soule vnlesse he haue the sensible presence of God Dauid not feeling it cryeth My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And Christ himselfe vttered the same voice on the crosse My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Of which I haue spoken in another place on the same wordes Verse 8. Let me heare thy louing kindnesse in the morning for in thee is my trust shew me the way that I should walke in for I lift vp my soule vnto thee AS he was cast downe in the former verses so he now ariseth by prayer which was the chiefest bulwarke whereto he did runne in time of his troubles In this verse he craueth two things First that he might heare Gods kindnesse and the reason because he trusteth in him Secondly that he would shew him the way wherein he should walke the reason because he lifted vp his soule to him Let me heare thy louing kindnesse Here he craueth Gods fauour and kindnesse as he doth in many other Psalmes Because in his fauour is life grace wealth all good things and pleasure for euermore How we may be assured of the fauour of God so that if he look kindly to vs we need be affraid of nothing But how shall he be assured of his fauour euen by hearing it as he saith in the 51. Psalme Let me heare the voice of ioy and gladnesse The voice which is heard is the word of God which being apprehended by faith is onely able to comfort our soules in whatsoeuer tentation And no meruell that such athiests and papists who altogether refuse the word of God Why papists and Athists liue die comfortles liue comfortles and die without comfort because they refuse that instrument which should carry ioy to them Good reason they die athirst since they reiect that vessell the word oâ— God by which they might be refreshed Therefore since faith coÌ„meth by hearing of Gods word and all our comfort commeth by it let vs pray God to bore our eares and our hearts that we may receiue the glad tidings of reconcilation from God In the morning Psal 90.14 The time when he seekes to heare Gods kindnesse is in the morning as in another Psalme Fill vs with thy sweet mercies in the morning Psal 55.17 Dauid vsed to pray morning noone and eueningtide In the morning in the beginning of the day he addressed himselfe to God offering his morning sacrifice he desireth that God may betime meete him that he may begin the day with some comfort for then we know that God hath accepted our prayer when he hath sent down the comfort of his spirit in our hearts when he with the fire of his loue and ioy of his countenance burneth vp our sacrifice This gladdeth our heart and encourageth vs to seeke him the rest of the day Seeke God early Then let vs seeke God early euen in the morning of our youth and euery morning not perfunctoriously or for a fashion but from our hearts that he may let vs heare that comfortable voice saying Thy prayers are come vp before me Act. 10.4 and I haue heard them For thy sinnes are forgiuen thee For in thee is my trust Confidence and faith in God is a great argument to moue God to speake good things vnto vs for otherwaies our prayers are in vaine Praiers not in faith are a scorning of God and shall not preuaile with him if they proceede not from faith if you come vnto him without confidence in him you scorne him and so doe double iniurie to your selues adding to your former sinnes a scorning of God These also who put their trust in any thing beside him neede not to looke for any good thing from him If yee would vse a thousand Angells as intercessours to moue God to heare you it is nothing only faith will preuaile with God The Pharises almes deedes Luk. 18.11.12.13.14 his tithes-giuing his prayers of which he much bragged wrought nothing with God but the Publicanes faith and contrition were forcible arguments preualing with him Shew me the way that I should walke in The second petition ariseth very well from the first
his choyce of wisdome Luk. 10.42 Mary choosed the better part Paul thought all things to be dung in respect of the excellent knowledge of Christ Phil. 3.8 The Church of Laodicea was counselled to buy gold Apoc. 3.18 But all these their choyces were of God who put it in their hearts to choose good things Wisedome cryed in the streets that all that were destitute of vnderstanding should come to her Pro. 8.1 but the foole heard the voyce of the harlot Goe to our daliance Pro. 7.22 saith shee and hee went like a sheepe to the slaughter So by nature we choose the way to destruction Hos 13.9 Thy perdition is of thee O Israel thy saluation of me VERSE 13. His soule shall dwell at ease and his seede shall inherite the Land What the peace of conscience 〈◊〉 HIs soule shall dwell at ease The second promise and spirituall blessing the peace of conscience which is the tranquility of the soule flowing from the assurance of Gods fauour in Christ wrought by the holy Spirit This is that white stone in the Reuelation Reuel 2.17 wherein a name is written which none can read but hee that hath it Thy good life may bee a marke to others of thy saluation but thy inward peace is a token to thy selfe that howsoeuer thy outward man bee afflicted yet thy inward man hath that peace which passeth all naturall vnderstanding of which Christ saith My peace I giue you Ioh. 20.19 not as the world and hee commanded the Apostles to giue their peace The giuer of this peace is called the Prince of peace the wicked cry peace Ier. 8.11 when as sudden destruction is approaching as the trauell of a woman But there is no peace to the wicked Esa 48.22 saith my God they may sometimes lye in carelesse security not wakened by the sight of Gods iudgements but sleeping in the bottome of the Sea hauing no true rest for the worldlings haue three wormes which eate them vp care feare and dolour Care feare and griefe are three wormes which eate the worldlings care to conquest the things of this world so excessiuely that they are eaten vp by it feare lest it be taken from them and commonly God as hee threateneth by his word the thing they feare shall come on them and then followeth an excessiue sorrow for the losse of them they despaire and oftentimes are the cause of their owne death but the godly cast their care vpon the Lord they haue a reasonable care of their Familie but with measure they feare nothing but the offence of God all other feares are swallowed vp in the gulfe of that feare for they assure themselues that God will maintaine their Lot and finally at the losse of any creature the godly haue a naturall sorrow albeit not out of measure Iob. 1.21 but with Iob saying The Lord hath giuen and taken The third benefite And his seede shall inherit the Land The third blessing temporall he promiseth wealth to the posterity of the righteous that their daies shall be long in the Land that God hath giuen them First in this promise yee see the constancie of Gods fauor towards them that feare him their death doth not withdraw Gods loue from their posterity 2 Sam. 19.38 as Dauid after Barzillai went home remembred his kindnesse in intertaining Chimham and on Mephibosheth hee shewed the mercy of God for Ionathans sake 2 Sam. 9.3 Doctr. Gods loue dieth not with the Parents but reuiues in their posterity A note for Parents so Gods loue dies not with the Parents but reuiueth in their posterity as the Lord promised to Dauid 2 Sam. 7.12 Here is a promise to the godly who feare him of a sure and perpetuall maintenance to their posterity The consideration hereof should abate that excessiue care that Parents haue of their children whereas the best care they can haue of them is that they feare God themselues and labour to bring them vp in that feare Kings haue not such surety of the continuance of their crownes to their succession neither Noble-men of their Lands as â— godly man hath of Gods prouision Psal 37.25 I was young saith Dauid and now am old yet I neuer saw the iust man nor his seed to beg Moreouer we see that Lands are at the disposition of God Doct. All changes come of sinne who wil giue them to whom he pleaseth and altereth Dominions as the Monarchie of the Babylonians Persians Grecians and Romanes the cause of this alteration was their sin and doe we not see amongst our selues within these thirty yeares Example of our time many and strange alterations of Lands and houses translated from the right owners thereof to others neither of their name nor any way belonging to them Should not this teach vs all to feare God and make our houses as Sanctuaries to him left he be forced as he extirped the Canaanites for their sinnes to root vs out and sweepe vs away as with a besom VERSE 14. The secret of the Lord is reuealed to them that feare him and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding 4. Benefit and promise reuelation of his secretâ— THe fourth benefit which the Lord will bestow vpon the godly men he will if they feare him reueale to them his secrets First Doct. Gods word is a secret â—eu 5.5 ye see the word of God is called a secret a mystery and hid treasure a closed booke which none is able to loose but the Lambe For all the naturall wit of man is not able to attaine to the vnderstanding of the meanest Article of faith All things which we beleeue are aboue the compasse of reason or flat against it The Gospell commeth by reuelation The Gospell comes by reuelation Mat. 16.17 Blessed art thou Simon the Sonne of Ionah flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this to thee but my Father where he manifestly testifieth that the confession of Christ is a hid matter which must bee reuealed to vs by himselfe The wit of man can search the profundities of nature albeit it is not able to attaine to the hundreth part thereof as of Physicke Astronomy Geometry c. but it cannot scaâ—se vpon Diuinity without inspiration which must come from aboue It is no maruaile therefore that so few beleeue the word for faâ—â—h is not of all men it is the gift of God as iâ— is a secret so are they called his secret ones to whom he reuealeth it But men may thinke Obiect that it being a secret why should it be made common to all and God hath closed that booke Answer I answer vvith Augustine it is a flood on vvhich a Lambe may swimme and an Elephant may walke Mat. 13.11 To the children of God it is plaine to those it is giuen to vnderstand but to others they are parables Esay 6.9 That seeing they should not perceiue But to vvhom doth he
we haue sinned in asking vs a King beside all other sinnes But a sincere heart seekes no starting holes or subterfuges but deales truely betwixt God and it selfe yea grace is at warre with all sinne especially with that which is nearest and dearest to man and will not spare to disgrace it by all meanes so that discovering the loath somnes thereof it maketh man willing to confesse it Ezra 9.6 Ezra sayth I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eyes Thou shalt remember thy wayes Eze. 16.61 Act. 2.37 and be ashamed c. They were pricked in their hearts when they heard it God will haue his children like himselfe that as he esteemeth of sinne and as it is most oditious to him so we may account it odious and abominable and we can never hate and abhorre it overmuch Yea further when he maketh vs to aggravate our sinne he maketh vs so much the more to haue an earnest desire of mercy that when we haue seene sinne in an vgly visage we may see Gods grace more gladly laughing vpon vs with a merry countenance whereby we may the more glorifie him and accept of his mercie yea the more we confesse our debts to God and in humilitie craue forgiuenesse thereof the more he pitieth vs and the more we confesse our basenesse the more we magnifie the goodnesse of God pardoning the same The Lord will haue vs to confesse our sins that these being hewed from vs we may be more fit stones for his building Simil. And as the Carpenter taketh away chippes from the tree to make vp a goodly workemanship so will God haue our superfluous excrements cut off to make vs glorious ornaments to himselfe Against merits and superogation Gods superogation Mat. 18.27 Against Atheists This humble and penitent Confession of sinnes not onely damneth that divellish doctrine of merits and superogation or supererrogance when as the Master is sayd to forgiue all the debt But also convinceth such Atheists of our age who can well in grosse and generall termes say God forgiue vs we are all sinners and others who make a sport of sinne and others who will defend and patronize their sinne excusing the same and saying I am not alone I loue not to be singular it is the fashion of the world to whore and sweare and be drunke I hope God is not so strait laced as you are Yea many haue answered to my selfe You will not answere for our sinnes although I should haue beene partaker of them if I had not reprooved them They say to the Ministers as the Sodomites said to Lot Gen. 19.9 Shalt thou iudge and rule or as Corah and his confederates sayd to Moses and Aaron Num. 16.3 Yee take too much vpon you or as those in the second Psalme Psal 2.3 Let vs breake their bonds asunder And thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne Doctr. Repentance and remission meet together In the former part Repentance and remission meet together in few words Davids true Repentance is liuely expressed Now in this part is set downe the remission of his sinnes and both are closed in one verse to let vs see that the one is not so soone done as the other meeteth David sayth 2 Sam. 12.13 I haue sinned and Nathan subioynes presently and thy sinnes are forgiven thee So this may encourage penitent sinners that God will not suspend or drift time with them but will presently what time soever a sinner repent him of his sinne put away his sinnes out of his remembrance Forgiuenesse meets repentance in the face as the father of the forlorne Sonne met him and kissed him Luk. 15.22 But how can Confession be sound Ob before sinne be pardoned it seemeth rather that Confession should follow the remission of sinne It is answered Ans that all Gods gifts are given at once for in the first act of grace there is a change of the whole soule for faith repentance loue to God men are given at once but in respect of vs and our apprehension or application one grace goeth before another Simil. for as the cracke of Thunder and the Lightning are both at one time but we see the one before we heare the other because our sight is more apprehensiue then our hearing So these graces are all wrought together by God yet in regard of vs and our sense pardon commeth after Confession albeit God in the beginning of our conversion giues vs the grace whereof we haue not the present feeling Simil. as a childe in the mothers wombe liues and moues yet knoweth not of his life and motion So Gods children scarse can acknowledge that which is within them The Lord forgaue not onely his sinne but the iniquitie of his sinne Dan. 12.2 as we say terra pulveris or caenum luti the dust of the earth or dirt of clay Note By this he would teach vs that albeit we be altogether sinfull yet God is altogether mercifull great is our sinne I grant but his mercy is farre greater Ps 10.11 as farre as the heaven is aboue the earth Next yee see that God onely pardoneth penitent sinners It is an idle doctrine to cause men to beleeue that Christs bloud is sufficient for all sorts of sinners whatsoever they doe for if it were so what needeth repentance faith the loue and feare of God c. Wee cannot haue these without their conditions for as the auncient sayth fides iustificat correlativè How faith iustifieth August We must merit God by faith and repentance for as Augustine sayth he that made thee without them doth not saue thee without them But Christ died for all all therefore must be saved for whom Christ died It is answered Christs death had beene able as Leo sayth to saue infinite worlds but we speake of the effectuall shedding of his bloud which was shed for many not for all for the remission of sinnes VERSE 6. Therefore shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou maiest be found surely in the flood of great waters they shall not come neere him Doctr. The godly shall reape the benefit of remission of sinne THis is the second part of the Psalme for hauing taught that the happinesse of man consisteth in the remission of his sinnes now he sheweth who shall reape the benefit of the same So this gift of God is not restricted onely to David but to all the godly as a cleare light shining abroad for the vtilitie of the whole Church We receiue gifts from God to impart them to others 1 Tim. 1.16 Hereby we may learne for what end God doth bestow his gifts vpon vs to wit that we may reach forth the fruit thereof to others So the Apostle sayth he found mercie that he might be an example to others As also we should looke to the examples going before vs. Aske the former ages sayth Iob Iob. 8.9
In this verse he pointeth out his inward diseases in the former words My reines are full of burning and his outward in the latter words And there is no soundnesse in my flesh He was vniuersally tormented both within and without Should not this asswage our griefe when God visiteth vs in any one part of our bodie seeing Dauid was visited in them all The word Csihelim is diuersly expounded but I agree best with those that call it the reines vnder the loines and by a Metonymie the generatiue facultie For the strength of man is in the loiues and it is mentioned of the children who came out of the loines of Iacob and in the 35. of Genesis vers 11. Kings shall come out of thy loins And in Prouerb 31.17 she girdeth her loines with strength So that as Dauid gaue his strength to sin and that filthy act of adulterie so God punisheth those same parts which did offend his Maiestie Obserue Gods iustice against whorehunters And commonly God in his righteous iudgement recompenceth whore-hunters and harlots with filthy consumptions in those places whereby they took pleasure to offend God Therefore giue not your strength to sinne Rom. 6.13 nor your members to be weapons of iniquitie remembring that sentence of the learned Father Per quod quis peccat per idipsum punitur Man is punished by that selfe same thing by which he sinned Of the latter part of this verse is spoken before in the beginning of the third verse Verse 8. I am weakned and sore broken I roare for the very griefe of my heart Againe by diuers formes of speaking he expresseth the intolerable vehemencie of his paine that it rent and brayed him and forced him not to crie but to roare as a Lion See ye not such a weight of miserie which sinne bringeth on mans bodie and soule forcing God to disgrace his owne image that pleasant pourtraiture of mans bodie and soule which he builded vp for his glorie and to breake it downe and turne it into ashes and to deface that picture which he painted so gloriously and artificially that he taketh as much pleasure to pull it downe as did to reare it vp to cut downe his carued worke verse 1 to be angrie and chastise that child whom he loued so well verse 2 to shoote his arrowes at his spouse whom he kept in his bosome verse 3 to turne his hand which fed him to correct him to afflict that flesh which he cherished verse 4 to lay burdens on him whom he eased verse 5 to putrifie him whom he beautified verse 6 to bow him whom he straightened verse 7 and to turne his laughter into mourning verse 8 and his beautie into blacknes and deformitie his warming into burning his strength into weaknesse his manly speaking into beastly roaring Ye may see therefore how sinne can turne Gods good disposition towards vs into hard dealing his louing lookes into a frowning countenance Sin enfeebleth mans nature But where he saith he is weakned it is euident that sinne enfeebleth mans nature As we may cleerly perceiue in Samson and Dauid For when Goliah and all Dauids enemies were not able to ouercome him 1. Sam. 17. his owne sinne weakneth him And when Samson killed a thousand Philistins Iudg. 15.15 16.9.21 and no bands were able to keep him fast his owne sinne made him a slaue to the Philistims And in like maner he complaineth of his roaring as he did in the 22. Psal verse 1. So that as sinne changeth vs into beasts and through it we liue as beasts so in the end it will make vs to crie as beasts Then let vs liue as men subduing by reason our beastly passions and affections and like Christian men let vs ouercome the same by the Spirit of grace which is in Christ Iesus that we may speake to God as children crying Abba Father Rom. 8 15. Verse 9. Lord I powre my whole desire before thee and my sighing is not hid from thee THis desire is a desire of mercie and forgiuenesse and of his fauour and to walk innocently and holily before him For God looketh to the purpose of mans heart in repentance more then to the words of his outward confession For albeit Ezekiah chattered like a swallow and mourned like a done Esa 38.14 turning him to the wall yet the Lord said I heard thy prayers and saw thy teares This is the desire of mercie of which the Apostle Paul speaketh 2. Cor. 7.12 calling it epipthesis My whole desire By this he would shew that he parted not his thoughts betweene God and the diuell or his flesh and the world but keepeth a sound and a whole heart to God He would not deuide the child 1. Kiâ— 3.26 but keepe it altogether for God whereas the worldlings do farre otherwise Against by poeriâ—â— giuing their countenance outward shew of holinesse and repentance to the Lord and keeping that which is best to sinne Which sort of dealing the Lord euer did abhorre Esa 29.13 This people come to me with their lips but their heart is farre away from me Thirdly he taketh God to be witnesse who is onely cardiognostes the searcher of the heart And such should be our disposition in Gods seruice that albeit our heart be not so well disposed as it should be yet we may protest of the soundnesse thereof that it is not false or double And my sighing Yet againe he protesteth of his sinceritie and vprightnesse that in his heart there is no guile that not onely his purposes are vpright before God but also his sobs and sighs For sighs may be counterfet as the Hiena doth a mans voice and Crocodile doth teares In euery action of religion In Gods seruice vse always sinceâ—itie and vprightneâ— but especially in repentance we are to present our vprightnesse and sincerity before God that we do it from a single minde without counterfeit hypocrisie wherein albeit we may delude mon yet can we not mocke God who esteemeth our seruice by our intention and not by our action For men onely can iudge by our actions but God by our vpright intentions Verse 10. Mine heart panteth my strength faileth me and the light of mine eyes euen they are not mine owne WHen he hath protested of the sinceritie of his repentance hee falleth forth to his former passions that his heart is troubled confused circumagitate and caried about as it were giddie troubled with diuers cogitations and rolling about scarce knowing what he was doing The Hebrew word signifieth such an agitation which maketh him to wag and thereby breedeth such anxietie that he as destitute of all counsell knoweth not what he doth For when men are disquieted they turne them on all sides not knowing what to do first When the sorrow and dolour rageth the heart vseth to pant and leape insolently and therefore he saith that his heart panteth and goeth about as it were altogether inuerted but
vse of his tongue now grace restoreth it The tongue is a noble instrument and as it were a bell hanging in a high place It is a shame it should not be occupâ—ed in sounding and much more shame that it should be ill occupied in sounding euill things It is best vsed when it soundeth Gods praises who formed it Nota. The tong is best vsed when it praiseth God Simil. As the golden bell of Aarons garment sounded so should our tongues sound Gods praises if we be his Priests This condemneth two sorts of persons one Those are to be condemned who do not speake for God who neuer speake any thing to Gods honor thinking they are well discharged when they do not openly blaspheme or speak vilde speeches out of the filthy groues of a polluted heart although they heare others and cannot open their mouthes to rebuke them being ashamed to speake for the Lord and glorifie him by maintenance of his truth Those are to be condemned who speake against God Mat. 12.36 The other sort is more to be condemned who open their mouth daily to lies blasphemies slanders But be assured that if for euery idle word we are to be countable much more for euery wicked speech we shall be answerable to God at the last day Shall sing ioyfully He is not content to say shall speake For the more vehement intention of the minde kindled vp with ioy maketh the tongue to burst out in Psalmes hymnes and spiritual songs to stirre vp thy selfe and prouoke others with greater delight and pleasure to praise God This sweete singer of Israel answereth to his name when he singeth sweete songs and ballads to the praise of our sweet God Against those that sing profane balads So much in this are those to be condemned who sing profane baudie songs to the dishonour of God and offence of his Church Of thy righteousnesse that is not of his iustice in punishing him but of his righteousnes in couering his iniquitie For which Christ is called God our righteousnesse So he would be vnrighteous and denie himselfe if he should denie vs mercie so sure is our saluation which is our great comfort We must praise God for all his benefits whereof we are lesse then the least and if for the smallest much more for the greatest euen that worke of our redemption by Christ that he is made our righteousnesse to saue vs when we had nothing of our selues and knew not our danger he prepared a salue for vs before we were wounded and the remedie before our danger If we were sicke and had receiued health poore and were relieued would we not thanke God and thinke our selues obliged to him as we are Nota. The greatest benefits deserue the greatest praises but seeing he hath deliuered vs â—rom our sins and from hell haue we not â—he greater cause to be thankfull for the greatest benesits deserue the greatest praises Verse 15. Open thou my lips O Lord and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise HE promised in the former verse to sing ioyfully of Gods righteousnesse now he bethinketh himselfe that this is not in his owne power but it must come from God That as his faith and repentance was of him so his thankfulnesse must also proceed from him There is no temporall or spirituall gift which doth not come from God Phil. 2.13 So there is no temporall or spirituall gift which doth not come from God He worketh in vs velle perficere to will and to do The tongue was consecrated before to God now he presenteth his lips another instrument and at last the mouth it selfe which containeth both Seeing God hath giuen to euery member the owne facultie and power Euery meÌ„ber should sound Gods praises it is good reason it should be vied to his glorie God hath giuen thee a tongue mouth and lips for no other end but to proclaime his praises And cursed is that man if he repent not who soundeth any thing with his tongue but Gods honour We see further that we are all close and bound vp by nature except the God of nature enlarge our hearts with his loue and fit our mouthes with his praises God hath the key of his lips he can make infants and sucklings proclaime his praises Psal 8.2 NuÌ„ 22.28 In Soliloq yea he can open the mouth of Balaams asse to vtter his praise Augustine thinketh non posse laudare Deum sine ipso qui non ipsum habeat qui se adiuuet that God cannot be praised without himselfe he who hath not him to helpe them Moreouer obserue Doctr. Sorow for sinne will break open the dumbe mouth to speake for Gods mercie Simil. how sorrow for sin will breake forth the dumbe mouth to speake for Gods mercie I reade of Croesus his sonne who seeing a traitor going about to murder his father though before he was alwayes dumbe began to speake and crie pitifully why should not we when we see that God is wounded with our sinnes once at last begin to crie Obiect But there ariseth here a question whether by our praises Gods name may be more amplified Solut. I answer with that worthy seruant of God M. Robert Rollock a holy man writing on this Psalme Deum in se esse perfectissimum that God is most perfect â—n himselfe without the worke of any creaâ—ure The Father glorifying the Sonne and â—he Sonne the Father the Father and Son the holy Spirit the holy Spirit the Father the Sonne But yet will be glorified by the creature Because he is iust his righteousnes craueth that the creature should acknowledge the Creator whose felicitie standeth in this that he should reuerence his Maker with all dutifull seruice he craueth it more for our weale then for himselfe Thinke ye that God can be either worse or better for our praises but we our selues are then best when we haue grace to praise him Philip finding Nicanor detracting him Plut. relieued him from his necessitie and then he began to praise him wherefore he said Videtis esse in nostra potestate bene male audire Ye see it is in our power both to be well and euill thought of But God is not so he careth not for our praises and our obloquies do not touch him he is so farre from the one and the other We can neither augment nor impaire his dignitie speake what we will or please wee may doe our selues euill him we cannot offend Sinne taketh away the benefit of our tongue Sin maketh a man duÌ„b that he can not praise God that we become dumb and cannot praise God till he forgiue vs our sinnes and then we shall speak and although we would speake God thinketh nothing of our speeches vntill we be reconciled to him What hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances Psal 50.16 and to take my name in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed But wo to the tongue mouth and
lips which are not employed in the seruice of God that made them to proclaime his praises and double woe to them who employ them to his dishonour for they shall say would God they had bin rather dumbe Nota. and could haue spoken nothing then to haue spoken to the dishonour of that Maiestie which made them Verse 16. For thou defirest no sacrifice though I would giue it thou delightst not in burnt offering NOw toward the end of the Psalme he is bursting forth in thankfulnesse setting downe the sacrifice which the Lord would not haue to wit externall sacrifices and declaring that which he would haue a contrite heart Sacrifices of olde comprehended all Gods worship For the burnt offerings and sinne offerings represented Christs blood The thanksgiuing offerings The vse of the legall sacrifices peace offerings the incense the thankfulnes of the Saints for his benefits and what of all these he was wearied with them when they were not mixed with faith and repentence Nazianzen saith Vna Dei est purùm gratissima victima pectus Then if God delight not in sacrifices which were commanded by himselfe Nota. what careth he for trifles inuented by men of which he can haue no pleasure His delight is not in outward sacrifices at any time if they be alone I will haue mercie saith he not sacrifice Hos 6.6 much lesse doth he respect the sacrifice of the Masse hauing no warrant in his word neither yet of our prayers and praises when we do but pretend religion not serue God vnfainedly Away with all our offerings if we offer not to him that which he craueth chiefly to wit a penitent heart Lorinus obserueth well Sacrificia non operari per se peccatorum remissionem posse sed tantum represent are praefiugare sacrificium illud vnicum redemptoris that is that the sacrifices of old could not worke by themselues remission of sinnes but onely did represent and prefigure the onely sacrifice of our Redeemer Then as he saith truly their sacrifices ex opere operato by the external working of them cannot giue remission of sins What reason then hath he to affirme that the Sacrament of the new Testament conferreth grace by the very externall giuing thereof Lorinus against him selfe seeing that same thing was prefigurated by their sacrifices which is represented by our Sacraments that is Christs blood both in Baptisme and in the Lords Supper Verse 17. The sacrifices of the Lord are a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt not despise WHen he hath remoued that which God misliked and refused now he placeth that which God liketh and receiueth that is the sacrifice of a contrite spirit In the plurall number called sacrifices that is this one for all A broken heart is such a heart which is humbled through a sight and sense of sin What a broken heart is For it is needfull that as we haue worne our heart by sinne so our heart should be worne againe by repentance and sorrow for sinne and that we should take paines to subdue our hearts and all the thoughts thereof and bring them captiue to Gods obedience That is that poore spirit of which Matthew speaketh Mat. 5.3 Esa 66.2 Isaias speaketh of the spirit that trembleth at Gods word Why sacrifices in the plurall number This caused Dauid to put the word sacrifices in the plurall number that he might expresse the better that one contrite heart which is the sacrifice of repentance alone suffiseth for all legall sacrifices If he had said that a contrite heart is a sweet smelling sacrifice they might haue excepted the so are many others as the papists do mixe their works with the grace of God But Dauid excludeth purpossie all sacrifices and sheweth that what euer sacrifices God respecteth are comprehended vnder a penitent heart beleeuing in Christs bloud and seeking mercie for the same This sort of people are called mourners in Sion who mourne to God for their owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people who powre out their heart with their teares to God who doe lament for the affliction of Ioseph Oh what cause haue we to lament this day for our sinnes and to breake our hearts for the persecution of the Church in euery place Let our feasting be turned into fasting our laughter in teares Mourne with Ieremiah for the desolation of Sion Nota. A contrite and broken heart thou wilt not despise Here he encourageth the penitent sinner who may be affraied to appeare before the Tribunall of God in regard of the conscience of his sinne and be feared that God will not accept him howsoeuer he be humbled Him here he encourageth God will not despise a troubled heart yea rather he will like it and manifest his skill in healing and comforting it God liketh a troubled heart To which agree all those places in Isaias which comfort the Church those sweet inuitations of Christ to the laden and wearie to come vnto him and to those that were athirst and he that calleth vpon vs will not reiect and cast vs away The Lord is nigh to them that be of a contrite spirit Psal 144.8 Who speake to him in the bitternesse of their soule Iob. 10.1 Crying like the Dragon or Ostrich Mich. 1.8 Who cry wonderfull being ouercomed by the Elephants As Saint Ierome saieth who slay their affections and offer them as a sacrifice to God as the Magdalen Peter other Saints who forsake their former lusts and say with a certaine young man who being temped by an harlot and seeming to be ignorant who she was she said ego sum it is I he answered ego non sum it is not I for he was conuerted by repentance If thou would preuaile with God Pro. 23.26 giue him thine whole heart if thou doe any thing for God doe it with thine heart 2. Chro. 31 21 seeke him with thine whole heart loue him feare him pray to him turne to him Deut. 4.29 obey him with thine whole heart Deut. 10.12 Rom. 6.17 Ier. 32.40 Ioel. 2.12 Psal 119.145 Their heart is deuided saith the Lord of hoste now shall they perish Hos 10.2 God is one and vndeuided and craueth an heart one and whole in affection and rent onely by deiection nothing can breake God but a bâ—oken heart The string can bow the bowe the fire can temper and molifie the steele the goates bloud the adamant and the heart contrite can moue God saith Mantuan in these verses Virga recens Zephyris neruo curuabitur arcuâ— Igne chalybs adamas sangnine corde Deus Finallie obserue that albeit repentance doth make a contrite heart and as I said before we should take such paine on our contrition that we should not let any thought of our heart escape vnrepented mourned for yet the onely hammer which must burst our soules is the word of God The word of God bruseth the heart Simil. which bruseth
the rockes of a stonie heart and maketh an heart of flesh And as out of rags being brused is brought forth fine paper so is a troubled heart brused with sorrow for sin turned into a gratious subiect whereinto God may worke and write his law And as the poole of Bethsaida being troubled Ioh. 5.4 brought health to mens bodies so doth the conscience afflicted by God bring certaine health and saluation to soule and body Saint Ambrose sayeth that repentance is so difficult and hard a matter that he hath oftner found mo who liued innocently then who did truely repent It is written of Augustine that he caused the psalmes of repentance to be put on the wall ouer against him before he died and reaped aboundantly reading them ten daies at which time none came to him but either the phisitians or his refreshment Seeing therefore God liketh this sacrifice of a contrite heart without which none other thing will please him let vs take the bests of our affections seperate them from their olde pleasures to God bind them by the coards of the word lay them downe at his feete and slay them and that sacrifice shall please him offer thy selfe a liuing sacrifice and be assured God will accept of thee and neuer reiect thee not thine offering other sacrifices die being offered Nota. but we by offering our selues to God yet liue Verse 18. Be fauourable vnto Zion for thy good pleasure build the walles of Ierusalem HE hath prayed for mercie to himselfe now he praieth for the Church which he hath offended by his sinne and vpon which he had brought such euills that it would please God to be mercifull to her build vp her walles and repaire her ruines No man can truely pray for himselfe vnles he pray for the church No man can truely pray for himselfe vnlesse he pray for the Church also as Dauid doth in many Psalmes If a man be a sensible member of the body it is not possible but the euills which befall to any one member let be all touch not him to the heart as it were done to himselfe In this verse are three things contained first for whom he prayeth for Sion and Ierusalem secondly what he suiteth Gods fauour thirdly out of what ground for thy good pleasure But before we enter to any of these particulars we haue some generalls necessarely to be marked The chiefe care of princes should be for the Church First that the chiefe care of Princes should be the weale of the Church The Church is as the heart in the body which being troubled of necessitie the body must be in danger if ye loue your head keepe your hear The Church is as the heart The Church nurisheth the heart bloud of Christ in her bosome the resâ— of the members haue also their owne of fices but she hath the chiefest office being the most noble part and who should maintaine her more then the head whâ— hath all the sences infixed therein anâ— from which all the members sinewes anâ— veines take their life And what greater honour can they haue then to be nursinâ— fathers of the Church If a king concrediâ—â— his child and his first borne to be nourisheâ— by any of his subiects may not that subieâ—â— thinke he hath gotten great honour Simil. anâ— may expect for his trauell great commodâ—tie and when a king hath receiued Gods first borne for Israel is his first borne in his custodie may he not thinke he hath gotten great glorie and if he neglect his first borne shall he not receiue great infamie Those who are greatest officers in a kingdome as Chancelour Chamberlane President Secretarie and men of estate are in greatest estimation and credite and shall not great men thinke they are greatlie obliged to God who hath made them administrators of his kingdome whose standing is the weale of the Church the principall estate of their Common-weale if it stand then they stand if it fall they fall for their subiects obey them more for conscience then for any terrour or feare of their lawes Then it is best for them to be religious and to propagate holie religion for their owne standing The Romans wrought more by religion then the sword The auncient Romans Lacedemonians Athenians were most carefull of religion because they affirmed that they wrought more by deuotion then they were able to doe by the sword This was their good poâ—icie as Plutarch amplie reciteth in his Historie Then when Princes innade religion and draw the people to atheisme see if they be not gratest enemies to themselues to their estate and posteritie The Turke and other polititions may giue Christian princes sufficient proofes of this my assertion as also if examples of Dauid Solomon Iosias Ezechia Constantine Let princes follow Dauids example Theodosius may moue them whose posteritie hath brought eternall renowne vnto them and if not let Iulian affray them and wicked princes like vnto him The care of religion a princes chiefest safeguard The care of religion and to be a religious prince is the greatest safeguard to a prince For religion hath Gods maintainnance and God hath shewen his mightie hand for Ezechia against Senacherib and for Dauid against all his enemies for Queen Elizabeth who died in peace notwithstanding all the maginations of her enemies and for our dread Soueraigne Lord King Iames against all the horrible and monstrous designes of his enemies Princes religious bring wealth to their subiects 1. King 10.21 Princes maintaining religion bring great wealth to themselues and to their subiects as Solomon did when gold was as dust and siluer as the stones Next the Church being vnder continual danger should be helped by princes The Church being troubled should be helped by princes Since the Church is the princes depositum which God gaue to their custodie they ought to haue a chiefe regard of her The fatherlesse widow and orphans are concredited to them much more they should defend the Church because the deuill and his instruments and her fight against her and who should maintaine her but princes who are set in authoritie onely for her cause to debate and take her part against all the world Her enemies are more then notorious she was neuer at rest her enemies are assaulting her continually hell hath broken loose against her in these latter daies princes haue put their diadems on the hornes of the beast people are rageing And seeing that eternall spouse of God is so hated of the world should not princes with Dauid procure her welfare euen to their vttermost Princes must by prayer and power support the Church Princes who would fight well must pray well Exo. 17.11 Gen. 31.28 Prayer hath more power then armour Therefore princes who would fight well must pray well Moses did more with his hands lifted vp to God then Iosua did with his sword Israel wrestled with God gat his name by prayer for otherwaies he could not
of God therefore God fortifieth his citie with al necessary defences which may hold out the enemie The Church hath walls inuisible visible The walles are too fold inuisible the protection of God which the world seeth not for the Lord is a wall of brasse about his Church to repell her enemies and a wall of fire to burne them also he hath his Angels who pitch their tents about his holy and chosen ones 2. Kin. 6.7 there was horses of fire compassing Elizeus The outward and visible walles are made of a number of liuely stones compacted together by the morter of loue strongly resisting all the enemies of the Church for that vnitie of the Saints strengthen them by the power of their God Boni enim ciues mania cinitatis good citizens are the walles of the citie And vpon these walles compassing them on all sides be bulwarks whereupon are set the canons of the word of God mighty in operation destroying the enemies the censures of the Church namely excomunication which being lawfully led is of greater power to subdue the enemie and resist him then all the power of ciuil authoritie The sinnes of princes and people make great gaps in the walles at which the deuil and enemies of the Church and wolfes enter and destroy the Lords vines They with Tobias and Sanballat stay the building of these walles Neh. 4.2 and are striuing to build the walles of Iericho which were forbidden by Iosuah to be redefied vnder a great curse 1. Ki. 16.34 which lighted on Hiel the Bethelite in the daies of Achab pitie is it to see the princes of this world so much enfeebling Ierusalem to strengthen Iericho Dauid crieth to God that he would build them whose power is greater then all the worlds who as he hath inuisible walles of his protection so he hath outward defences to maintaine his Church he is master of it yea master builder and sendeth forth seruants whom he strengtheneth for the building of his worke I see many pulling downe the walles yea with Edom in the destroying of Ierusalem crying sacke sacke Psal 137. â— raze raze vp the foundation Few with Nehemiah mourning for the ruines of Gods house in all parts and helping to restore them Let vs therefore goe to the God of Dauid who albeit he was king of the towne and began to build the citie and walles and laid materials to the Temple yet he knew that the labourers wrought in vaine vnlesse the Lord of heauen builded the citie Lord repaire the decaies of thy Church for thy Christs take For thy good pleasure He findeth the ground of all that perfection to be in God himselfe and his good fauour and not in men or their merits for as the whole building of the Church is the onely worke of God so is the reparation of her ruines onely belonging to himselfe Men might haue builded with stone and bricke the exterior walles It belongeth to God to build the Church but it is proper to God to build his spirituall Church And this is a token that God hath pleasure in his Church when he is building it sending good builders materialls of spirituall graces fortifiers as Cyrus and Darius good Princes Nehemiah good gouernours Esdra and good Priests And our obedient and carefull people who do take the sword in one hand and the instrument of building in the other that the Lords Ierusalem may be edified But when his fauour is departed then in his wrath he giueth Princes Gouernours Nobles Preachers and people who striue either to hinder the building or to pull downe the building to build vp Iericho and cast downe Ierusalem Dauid he craueth that God may be fauorable according to his good pleasure for the building of the Church dependeth vpon Gods good will and pleasure who when he liketh his Church can aduance her and when he is displeased with her cast her downe It appeareth euidently now that God is angrie with his Church in all parts of Christendome when he is pulling downe and not raising vp his Church we haue prouoked his wrath against vs and his soule abhorreth our hipocriticall profession and our wicked conuersation Verse 19. Then shalt thou accept the sacrifices of righteousnesse euen the burnt offering and oblation then shall they offer calues vpon thine altar THis is the promise of thankefulnesse to God wherein is set downe a correspondence or restipulation betwixt the people who shall offer sacrifices and God who will accept them And Gods seruice then goeth well when we offer willingly and God accepteth gladly If our sinnes be forgiuen vs God will heare our pâ—â—erâ— Gen. 4.5 Then Marke the time when God hath beene fauorable to his Church in forgiuing her sinnes then he will accept the offerings For pray what ye please and distribute to the poore if God doe not like of it all is in vaine Caine offered sacrifices but the Lord accepted them not because he hated his cruell heart Abel offered in faith and was accepted But how shall ye know if your offerings be acceptable to God seeing there is no fire to fall downe from heauen as that which burnt vp Elias sacrifice 1. Ki 18.34 Yee shall know that albeit an elementarie or materiall fire falleth not downe Nota. yet the fire of the Spirit falleth on our hearts the fire burning vp the drosse of our corruptions by vnfained repentance warmeing our hearts with the loue of God kindling our hearts with a zeale of Gods glorie This is the fire which will fall downe from heauen vpon our soules which sensiblie we feele if the Lord heare our prayers The sacrifices of righteousnesseâ— Some expound these offerings to be such as agree to his will I reuerence their iudgement but I see not how that exposition can agree with the text But it may be expounded of that righteousnesse which we ought to doe to our neighbours as we offer a sacrifice of a contrite heart the calues of our lippes by praises and these are the sacrifices of righteousnesse by our hands so that heart tongue hand should be all offered to God for God liketh well of righteous dealingâ— that our hand be not defiled with thirst couetousnesse oppression which if we sacrifice to Sathan by sinne let vs not lift to God by prayer but lift vp pure hands wash our hands in innocencie and then compasse Gods altar It would seem to be some differenc wher God said Obiect he would haue none of their sacrifices and now they promise sacrifices Indeed if the sacrifices be onely externall Solut. what accounteth God of them if they want mercie and righteousnesse for he will haue mercie and not sacrifice Therefore let externall and internall worship be conioyned and then God will like best of it but being seperated from spirituall offerings it is abominable and a burden to the Lord. Which be the sacrifices of righteousnes The alter Iesus Christâ— by whom we must offer our prayers
to the Father The sacrifices of righteousnesse are those which be lawfull and are commanded by God They shall offer calues vpon thine altar The calues are the calues of the lippes the alter Iesus Christ who was both represented by the brasen altar and by the golden alter For no sacrifice or prayer could euer be acceptable to God vnlesse it were offered vpon Iesus Christ for he is sacrificium sacerdes et altare Augustine saith he is the Priest the Altar and the Sacrifice the offerâ—r the thing offered and the altar vpon which it is offered All the mosaicall altars are abrogated because the sacrifice is made The heathnish altars haue no place The popish altars are abominable after the apish imitation of the Iewish altars they would offer that incrementum sacrificium â—issa without any warrand of Gods word It is enough for vs to offer not Christ to the Father but our prayers by Christ to the Father who will smell asweet sauour of rest of all our peticions and thankes which are presented vpon Christ and for thirst of him Lord keep vs from the altar of Damasâ—us and let vs offer all our offences vpon Iesus Christ with whom we shall be very heartily welcome to God Amen A GODLY AND FRVITFVL EXPOSITION ON THE CXXX PSALME the sixt of the Penitentials The Title A Psalme of degrees OF the Psalmes there are fifteene called Psalmes of degrees or cantica maaloth of assension whereof foure are assigned to Dauid and one to Salomon Why they are thus intituled it is controuersed vpon some thinke them to be thus called Why called a psalm of degrees because there were so many steppes in the Temple of Solomon wherby men ascended as Angustine in his hundred fiftie Psalme whose opinion Bellarmine citeth But apparantly they haue not taken their name from this because in Dauids daies not so much as the Church was builded Others be of opinion that it was after the people came from Babilon which is as light when that captiuity was so many hundred yeares after their death I thinke the Hebrew word would rather be referred to the tune and notes which should asend in singâ—ng and be swift in high notes being so excellent and so easie to be sung 〈◊〉 allegorie The allegorie is not to be neglected that we should by singing them ascend from this earth to that heauenly Ierusalem in our affections Bellarmines eâ—rour coÌ„cerning the singing of this Pâ—alme for thoâ—e that 〈◊〉 purgatorie Bellarmine thinketh this Psalme should be sung for the soules of those that are in profundo in a deepe place who desire to arise and get Gods mercie But who doth not see except he be blind the heretiques errour What doth he know whither such haue repented whether they haue confessed their sinne or no For thousands dies without confessing them If their sinne be mortall they go to hell say they wherefrom there is no redemption The forme of prayer then seeing it hath no warrand in the word it should be reiected as seruing to no vse and no credite should be giuen thereto This Psalme was made many hundred yeares before purgatorie was inuented for purgatorie was after Christ before Christs daies there was none as they themselues confesse And in this Psalme there is not one word that can giue the smallest warrant to that diuelish and foolish inuention Let them sing their De profoundâ—s as they please they doe themselues no more good then they doe to others and that is none at all Nota. onely they spend some idle houres and gaine somewhat to themselues The substance of this Psalme In this Psalme is contained an earnost and ardent prayer of a troubled heart first for mercie to his sinnes and next for deliuerence therefrom and last an exhortation to all men to hope in God because he will be a continuall redeemer of his people and can find meanes to deliuer them from all their sinnes and iniquites The parts of the Psalme In the first foure verses is contained his tentation by commemoration of his praier which he conceiued when he was in greatest perrill Next by forme of transitation he affirmeth that yet he will depend vpon God and his word in the fift and sixe verses And last he recommendeth this same hope to the Church in the last two verses with a bold assurance of the fauour of God toward his chosen Verse 1. Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto thee O Lord. OVt of the deepe places In this verse he setteth downe First the place from which he spoke de profundis out of the deepe places Secondly the forme of his prayer I called Thirdly the person to whom he prayeth To thee O Lord. By the deep places is meant afflictions into which the godly are often plunged By the deepe places as all the ancients consent is meant the deepe places of afflictions and the deepe places of the heart troubled for sinne Afflictions are compared to deepe waters Psalme 18.17 He drew me out of many waters saue me O God for the waters haue entred to my soule Psalme 96. And surely Gods children are often cast into very desperate cases and plunged into deepe miseries To the end they may send out of a contrite feeling heart such prayers as may mount aloft and pierce the heauens When we are in prosperitie our prayers comes from our lippes Nota. and therefore the Lord is forced to cast vs downe to the end our prayers may come from our heart and that our senses may be wakened from the securitie in which they are lying Albeit the throne of God be most high Nota. yet he delighteth to heare the petition of hearts that are most low that are most casten downe by the sight of sinne And there is no affliction neither any place so low yea if as low as the belly of the whale wherein Ionas lay which can seperate vs from the loue of our Lord Ionah 2.6 or stay our prayers from comming before him Those that are furthest casten downe are not furthest from God but neerest vnto him God is neere to a contrite heart God nighest vnto them that are most low Simil. and it is the proper seate where his Spirit dwelleth Isa 62. And this way God dweleth with vs as men doe with such houses as they are minded to build sumptuously and on high for then they digge deepe grounds for the foundation Thus God purposing to make a faire shew of Daniel and the three children in Babel of Ioseph in Aegipt of Dauid in Israel he first threw them into the deepe waters of affliction Daniel is casten into the den of Lions Dan. 6.16 Dan. 3.23 Ge. 39.20 The three children are throwne into the firie ouen Ioseph is imprisoned Dauid exiled 1. Sa. 27.2 yet all these he exalted and made them glorious Temples to himselfe Marke hereby the dulnesse of our nature that is such The dulnes of our nature hath need
redemption It is called great in regarde of the great maiestie that redeemed vs God eternall Secondly Wherein the redemption of man is great the greatnesse of the price his blood Thirdly the number of those who are redeemed all the beleeuers Fourthly the strong man out of whose prison we are freed Fiftly the graces which he powreth on his Church Verse 8. And he shall redeeme Israel from all his iniquities A comfortable promise with which he concludeth this Psalme assuring the Church that God will redeeme her Since the greatest danger from which the Church is deliuereâ— And wherefrom euen from her sinnes all her sinnes which is the greatest danger euer the Church fell into and the mother of all other euills For what could the deuill hell or wicked men doe to vs without sinne nothing Israel Euery one is not deliuered but onely the Israel of God Onely Gods Israel shall be deliuered Ioh. 1.47 Rom. 2.29 those who are true Israelits as was said of Nathanael in whom is no guile and the Apostles Israelits not in the letter but Spirit From all his iniquities Whatsoeuer they be whether against God our neighbour or our selues they shal be forgiuen and pardoned The ioyfull iubilie is now come which to the Israelites was the 50. yeare and now to the true Israelites it is proclamed euery houre In that Iubilie the lands which were ingaged became free Nota. and returned to the owners but we our selues who were captiues to the diuill are made free and returne to God by redemption of Christs blood yea all our debts and iniquities are pardoned though our sinnes were as crimson Isa 1.18 they shall be made white as snow though they were red as scarlet they shall be as woole though they were as many as the sand of the sea and as heauy as leade we are freed of all by that blood and if of all what neede we seeke any other remedie but that allouerlie We neede not with the Turkes to runne to Mahomet or with the Papists to Saints and images God through Iesus Christ hath taken them all away He who made all cureth all It is his honour he will not giue his glorie to another Our Sunne illumilinateth all the world our Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse shineth to all the world but none are partakers of his light but true Israelites which dwell in the land of Goshen The Lord graunt that we may be such that being illuminated by the light of Christ here we may be conueied thereby through the dangerous wildernesse of this world to the kingdome of heauen where we shall be with him world without end Amen A GODLY AND FRVITFVL EXPOSITION ON THE CXLIII PSALME the seuenth of the Penitentials AT the making of this Psalme as plainly appeareth Dauid hath bin cast into some desperate danger 1. Sa. 24.4 whether by Saul when he was forced to flee into the caue as in the former Psalme or by Absolon his sonne or by any other it is vncertaine Alwaies in this he complaineth grieuoushe to God of the malice of his enemies The substance of this Psalm and desireth God to heare his prayers he acknowledgeth that he suffereth those things by Gods iust iudgement most humbly crauing mercy for his sinnes desiring not onely to be restored but also to be gouerned by Gods spirit that he may dedicate and consecrate the rest of his life to Gods seruice This worthie Psalme then conteineth these three things The parts of the Psalme First a confession of sinnes Secondly a lamentation for his iniurie Thirdly a supplication for temporall deliuerie and spirituall graces to the end of the Psalme Verse 1. Heare my prayer O Lord and hearken vnto my supplication answere me in thy truth and in thy righteousnesse Those pray in vaine who are not assured that God will beare them Heb. 6.11 HEare my prayer O Lord He craueth attention in the first place and prepareth Gods eare for it is in vaine to pray vnlesse we be sure God will heare vs and answere vs for he that commeth to God must first beleeue that God is and that he will reward those who serue him for otherwsie we pray without faith and our prayer is sinne Thus he doth in diuerse Psalmes as in the 102. Psalme 2. and in 5. Psalme and 54. Psalmes By this we learne that the Saints should begin their prayers with a request to be heard so long doth the Lord seeme to men not to heare them and to hold backe his eares and eyes that he heareth not their sutes and seeth not their tribulations as he delayeth to graunt their desires and therefore they craue audience and attention He doth here three times repeate his earnest desire to be heard as in the fift Psalme foure times he doubleth and ingeminateth this same suite to be heard There he desireth God to heare his wordes vnderstand his meditation hearken vnto the voice of his cry and heare his voice in the morning the like he doth here thereby declaring the vehemencie of his affection if any be desirous to haue their suites graunted they goe not slowly about their businesse they doe not vse cold rife wordes Simil. as though they were speaking for a thing they did not care for but they cry as beggers at a noblemans gate who are so importunate in crying that men are ashamed to refuse them Luk. 18. Ged denieth our request because we doe not confidently and earnestly desirs them As the importunitie of the widow moued the false iudge How much more will our heauenly Father by loath to refuse vs yea there is no cause why he disdaineth our suites but by reason we neither confidently nor earnestlie desire them nothing would be refased to thee if thou wouldest beg as thou shouldest do The Spirit would request for thee with sights that cannot be expressed and he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit Rom. 8.26.27 Is it possible that a mother can heare the mourning suites of her childe without mouing and yeelding yea though the mother could forget the childe Esa 49.15 yet God cannot forget vs. Then speake and he will heare be thou not dumbe and he will not be deafe try knocke aske seeke be instant in thy petitions for the Lord is ready to heare all those who seeke him truely instantly and constantly God reiecteth none who desire to be heard neuer man sought to be heard whom God hath reiected and refused In this verse he desireth Ichouah his God to heare hearken and answere Secondly the subiect of his speech and the thing which he desireth to be heard is his prayer and oration Thirdly the maner how he desireth his prayer to be heard in thy truth and righteousnesse When he doubleth his request of hearing he would haue God hearing him with both his eares that is most attentiuely and readilie so instant is a troubled minde he desireth the prayer he putteth
winds and tempests God will passe by all these our frailties and imperfections and will at last deliuer vs from them all if in the midst of these our extremeties our heart set it selfe toward heauen This Prophet in the 77. Psalme findeth himselfe so farre cast downe that his soule refused comfort and in this verse he thinketh himselfe so astonied that his senses were become scupified and benumed through the great paines which he sustained Verse 5. Yet doe I remember the time past I meditate on all thy workes yea I doe meditate in the workes of thine hands Verse 6. I stretch forth mine hands vnto thee my soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land Selah IN the two former verses were expressed his double tentations bodilie and spirituall in these two are double comforts so As the Churches troubles encrease so doe her comforts 1. Cor. 10.13 as the crosses of Gods childreÌ„ do increase so doe their consolations day by day for God is faithfull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we haue abilitie to beare but with the tentation will giue vs a comfort to his glorie One of the greatest comforts which Christians can haue in their extreame miseries Experience of former mercies a great comfort in time of extremitie 1. Sa. 17.34 is the ancient mercies of God bestowed either on themselues in particular or on the Church in generall This moued Dauid to enterprise the nomachie against Goliah The Lord saith he who deliuered me from the pawe of the Lyon and from the pawe of the Beare will deliuer me also from this vncircumcised Philistim Remember mercies past if thou would be deliuered in time to come Wee should recount the ancient mercies of God that they may encourage vs to seek him in time to come a Christian mans memorie should be a faithfull chronicle of antiquitie we should remember what our fathers haue told vs and shew that to our children but especially the works we haue found done by God to our selues God would hide nothing from Abraham Gen. 18.17 because he would shew it to his children The foole and idiot doe not ponder the workes of God but the righteous doe lay them vp in their hearts and shew them to those who come after them So let vs make a register and book of remembrance of the auntientie of Gods goodnesse to his Church which will comfort our soules in the present day of sorrow Our memories may easily shew to our children the antient mercies of God in the first beginning of our Church threescore yeares agoe and how he deliuered her in her infancie from the furie of the Frenchmen and againe in the 1588. yeare from the great armado of Spaine and diuerse others bloudie interprises of wicked men Let vs therefore haue a fresh memorie of Gods benefits which may furnish vs with comfort in our present necessities let our owne particular benefits encourage vs against our owne particular euills and generall blessings and deliueries which the Church hath had strengthen vs against those euills which befall to her in our time Let vs recollect our Spirits and take vigour in this our present distresse that we faint not If Gods mercies be rooted in our hearts our tongues will vtter the same From his remembrance there floweth a meditation twise remembred in this verse for a sanctified memorie of Gods goodnes stirreth vp an holy meditation and reuolution in our mind of the same from whence floweth our gratitude and thankefulnes to God and if we looke lightly to the mercies of God we speake as lightly but when they are rooted in our hearts then we begin to speake magnificallie and worthilie The workes of thine hands Here he letreth vs see that these works could haue bin done by no humane power but by the immediate power of God Exod. 8. â—â— As the Aegiptian sorcerâ—rs spake of the lice so may we say concerning the deliuerances of the Church God reserueth to himselfe the deliueries of his Church surely this is the finger of God He will otherwaies honour his owne children but he keepeth the honour in deliuering the Church to himselfe He will haue it said in the ages to come the Lord hath done this As he by the workes of his hand made the Church so by these same sauing hands he hath redeemed it from hell and damnation and it is the worke of his owne hands that shall deliuer her from temporall dangers Therefore let God arise and deliuer his Church for she is now in great hazard Psal 6â— â— but the Lords arme is strong enough and in his appointed time can deliuer her I stretch forth mine hands vnto thee His â—econd comfort 〈◊〉 prayer which springeth â—rom his earnest meditation Here the fruit of holy meditation it stirreth vp our hearts tâ—o an earnest prayer Such meditations of Gods goodnes and power are the best helpers and confirmations of our faith Earnest prayer from a serious meditation consideration of Gods workes to lighten vs of our sorrowes and griefes Hence it followeth where there is no meditation and earnest consideration of Gods workes there will be no earnest prayer but perfunctorious dealing with God which we will not regard but repudiat and forsake The instruments of his prayer is the stretching forth of his hands The stretching forth of the hands noteth the lifting vp of the heart Exo. 17.11 which noteth the lifting vp of the heart As Moses hands were lifted vp when Israel fighted against Amalek and when they fell Israel had the worse and therefore Aaron and Hur held them vp and so Israel preualed Thus we should compose the gestures of our body in spirituall exercises as they may be most helpefull vnto vs to our inward and secret worshipping of God My soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land He declareth his vehement affection to God by a verie prettie similitude taken from the ground which is thirstie by the long drought of summer wherein the earth rent in peeces as it were and with open mouth through long thirst seeketh drinke from heauen By which he sheweth that he came to God as distitute of naturall substance and therefore seeketh from aboue that which he lacked So in all his extremities he looketh euer vpward from aboue he seeketh helpe and comfort Doctr. Art thou athirst ther is water in heauen to refresh thee Albeit we be in extremitie and as it were rent in sunder yet here is comfort there is water in heauen which will refresh vs if we gape after them Here is a blessing those that thirst shal be satisfied If we thirst for mercie for deliuerie and spirituall and temporall comfort thou shalt be satiffied therewith for if God heard the prayer of Hagar and Ismael being athirst in the wildernesse Ge. 21.17 and opened vnto them a fountaine will he forsake Isack the childe of promise If he heard Samson in the bitternesse of his heart when