of God Marke therefore how David speakes They will be still praysing him It is not enough to praise him it must bee a praising him still before it will make a Blessednesse and though to praise God be an easie matter yet to praise him still will be found a busie worke indeed to flesh and bloud a miserable worke for if I be still praising him what time shall I have for any pleasure O my soule if thou make it not thy pleasure thy chiefe thy onely pleasure to bee praysing him thou art not like in hast to come to Blessednesse And marvell not that David speakes thus under the Law When Saint Paul under the Gospell saith as much Whether ye eat or drinke or whatsoever yee doe else let all be done to the glory and praise of God And indeed how can I doubt of attaining to Blessednesse by praising of God when it is praising of God that makes the Angels in heaven Blessed for the seeing of God would never make them blessed if seeing him they did not praise him and praising him would never make them blessed if they did not praise him continually crying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabbath for as we praise God here on Earth with saying O Lord God of Hosts because here he fighteth for us against our enemies so wee shall praise him in heaven with saying O Lord God of Sabbath because there he will give us rest from our enemies Verse 5 But if it bee thought that praising of God will not be enough to make Blessednesse or not to make Blessednesse enough at least take this with it and it will surely be enough Blessed is the man whose strength is in God and in whose heart his wayes are For though our praising of God being our owne worke must needs be too weake to make a blessednesse yet when our strength is in God this makes it his worke and then our blessednesse hath a sure foundation When we trust to our owne strength for Blessednesse we are often deceived indeed as often as alwayes but when our strength is in God we may rest secure our blessednesse is upon a Rocke and cannot be shaken But then Gods wayes must be in our hearts for what way hath his strength to the heart if his wayes be not in the heart That 's their place if wee looke for strength from him Are we not in a continuall fight against Sin and have we any strength to fight but onely in him and will he take it well to be placed in a Wing No my soule he will strengthen us no longer then hee is placed in the heart of the Battell That 's his place if wee looke to bee strengthened in him It is not enough that Gods wayes bee knowne if they be not walked in nor walked in if not embraced and it is not enough to embrace them with the armes which is oftentimes feigned and but onely complimentall they must be embraced with the two armes of the heart Integritie and Sinceritie Integritie will embrace them all Sinceritie will embrace no other Though Gods wayes be many yet they must all goe into one Heart if any be left out the rest will not tarry though they must be in singlenesse of heart yet they must not be single in the heart They are fruites that grow in clusters not one by one There are many that have Gods wayes in their mouthes can talke holily and make Sermons of godlinesse though they bee no Preachers but because they draw neere to God with their lips and their hearts are farre from him they are like to have but the Pharisees entertainment not so well justified as the Publican There are many that have Gods wayes in their hands they give almes plentifully they distribute their bread to the Poore liberally but because their left hand knowes what their right hand doth they have their reward already They that have Gods wayes in their hearts they onely are in the right way to blessednesse and no rubbes of the world can turne them out of the way For when Gods wayes are in the heart together they lend assistance to Verse 6 one another For passing thorow the Valley of Baca they make it a Well the raine also filleth the pooles That which seemed an impediment turnes to a furtherance at least no misery can be so great no estate so barren but a godly heart can make it a Well out of which to draw forth water of comfort either water to clense and make it a way to Repentance or water to coole and make it a way to Patience or water to moysten and make it a way of growing in grace and if the Well happen to bee dry and afford no water from below yet the raine shall fill their pooles and supply them with water from above If naturall forces bee not sufficient there shall bee supernaturall graces added to assist them that though troubles of the world seeme rubs in the way to blessednesse yet in truth they are none they hinder not arriving at the marke we ayme at they hinder us not from being made Members of Syon they hinder us not from approaching the presence of God No my soule they are rather helpes for by this meanes wee goe from strength to strength from strength of Patience to strength of Hope from strength of Hope to strength of Faith from strength of Faith to strength of Vision and then will be accomplished that which David speakes here Blessed is the man whose strength is in God and in whose heart his wayes are If my strength were not in God I should not dare to call upon him being Lord of Hosts but now that my strength is in him and that I know hee is Lord of Hosts for me and not against me a Shield to me a Sword onely to my enemies now I have confidence to say O Lord God of Hosts heare my prayer give eare Verse 7 O God of Jacob for as I doubt not but hee will heare me though he bee Lord of Hosts so I have much more confidenne he will give eare unto me being the God of Jacob for he hath made a Covenant with Jacob and with his posteritie for ever that he will be their God and they shall be his people of which number it is my happinesse that I am one not after the flesh which profiteth nothing but according to Faith the onely thing that makes the true Israelite But yet what good will it doe me that God heare my prayer and give eare unto it if he be still averse and turne away his Face O therefore Behold O Lord our shield and looke upon the face of thine anoynted For I shall never come to looke upon thy Face if thou vouchsafe not first to looke upon mine if thou afford me not as well the benefit of thine Eyes to looke upon me as the favour of thine Eares to heare me I shall be left onely to a bare expectation but never come to the happinesse of
a transitorie thing and wert not to continue thou mightst justly then looke after transitorie pleasures and such as have no continuance but seeing thou art a substance perpetuall and immortall O therefore looke after pleasures like thy selfe pleasures that may last and never come to the last that may last and be durable and not leave thee to the miserie of Fuit Ilium ingens gloria teucrorum for Fuisse foelicem miserrimum est To have beene happy and not to bee to have flourished and now to bee withered is the greatest miserie in the world And the greater for that once pluckt off from his stalke Once taken from the Earth the Earth will never know him any more Alas it will scarce take notice that ever such a one there was and the Verse 16 notice it takes but in specie neither not in Individuo some perhaps as of a man None as of this man or rather some as of a Name None as of a man Or is it rather that Man turned once to Dust his place will know him no more for how should it know one from another when they are all so like How know Dives from Lazarus when they have both the same face seeing Death hath but one copie to draw all her pictures by Or is it rather that Man once turn'd to Dust is blowne about with every wind from place to place and what knowes the place when Dust falls upon it whether it be the Dust of a Prince or of a Peasant whether of a Man or of a Beast And must not Man then bee needes very miserable when Time and place the two best helpes of life doe both forsake him for what helpe can hee have of Time when his dayes are but as Grasse What help of Place when his place denyes him and will not know him But O how vaine a thing is Man to forget not onely the very matter of which he is made but the very condition under which hee is made and so to forget it that God must bee faine to remember him of it but much the vainer that being remembred of it never so often yet hee regards it never the more but contenting himselfe to be fading grasse at most a fading flowre never seekes to improve his Dust to that true solidnesse which nothing but the feare of God is able to procure nothing but the pitty in God is able to effect But now at last if neither the Distances of Place nor the Affection of Nature can make you sufficiently conceive the greatnesse of Gods mercy then take an expressing in plaine tearmes and this will certainly make you conceive it For his mercy is from everlasting Verse 17 to everlasting upon them that feare him It is from everlasting for it began to be before the Foundations of the world were laid and it is to everlasting for it will continue to be when the Frame of the World shall bee dissolved that now O my soule there can bee no feare of the greatnesse of Gods mercy all the feare now is of thine owne feare for although Verse 18 Gods mercy bee so Everlasting yet it is so but to them that feare him for if thou feare him not and keepe not his Commandements then his mercy to thee is neither from Everlasting nor to Everlasting but if thou feare him and keepe his Commandements then his mercy to thee is both and not onely to Thee as though Gods mercy were onely a Personall benefit and should end with thy selfe but it shall be continued to thy childrens children Et natis natorum qui nascentur ab illis to thy whole Posteritie O my soule what an Inheritance is this to purchase to our children at least if it bee not an absolute Inheritance yet it is so sure an Entayle that nothing but the want of fearing God can cut it off And indeed why else hath God prepared Verse 19 his Throne in Heaven but to the end the godly may bee assured that though they bee now oppressed on earth yet thither they shall come at last to bee with him in Joy to bee there in Joy for having obeyed him when the wicked shall bee left behind to bewayle their miseries for not obeying him For though his Throne be prepared onely in Heaven Yet his kingdome ruleth over all Over All both Man and Beast both the Godly and the Wicked both blessed Angells and damned Spirits and because his Kingdome ruleth over all therefore All shall serve him and shall serve him indeed with feare yet there shall be a difference for the godly shall serve him with feare and joy where the wicked shall serve him with feare and trembling And now seeing God hath prepared his Throne in heaven Therefore O yee his Angells inhabitants of Heaven that obey his Commandements by the freedome of your will Doe you begin first and prayse his Name for you excell in strength and are best able to doe it And seeing his Kingdome ruleth overall Therefore all ye his Hosts his other Creatures that obey his Commandement too though not by will yet by instinct Doe you second the Angels in praising his Name And then thou my soule that partakest of both the Natures Doe thou also and with thee also the Soules of all the godly joyne with them in his Prayses that so at least there may bee a Consort of Three to Blesse and Praise him who is a Trinitie in Unitie Three Persons and one God to be Blessed and praised for ever and ever But to be blessed and praised as by all the persons of his Kingdome so in all the places of his Dominion which are Heaven and Earth and Hell a Triplicitie too for even Hell is a place within his Dominion And for praising him in Heaven the Angells will be sure enough to looke to that and for praising him in Hell let the wicked and the damned spirits looke to that at their perill but for praising him on Earth Thou my soule and the soules of all the godly will undertake to doe that at least will pray continually to him that sitteth upon the Throne to be enabled to doe it and when all these shall faile or lest they should faile when Heaven and Earth shall passe away when Time and Place shall bee no more yet his Prayse shall bee continued still by his owne Workes which are his Glory and his Power his Infinitenesse and his Eternitie but above all which is above all his Workes the Workes of his infinite and Everlasting Mercie THE HVNDRED AND SIXTEENTH PSALME OF DAVID 1I Love the Lord because hee hath heard my voyce and my supplication 2 Because hee hath inclined his eare unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live 3 The sorrowes of death compassed me and the paines of hell got hold upon mee I found trouble and sorrow 4 Then called I upon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soule 5 The Lord is gracious and righteous
MEDITATIONS AND DISQVISITIONS UPON SEVEN CONSOLATORIE PSALMES OF DAVID NAMELY The 23. The 27. The 30. The 34. The 84. The 103. The 116. By Sir RICHARD BAKER Knight LONDON Printed by J. D. for F. Eglesfield and are to be sold by Henry Twiford at the signe of the Beare over against the middle Temple gate in Fleetstreet 1640. A CATALOGVE OF THE SEVERALL Treatises written by this Authour NAMELY MEditations and Disquisitions upon the Lords Prayer Meditations and Disquisitions vpon the 1 Psalme Meditations and Disquisitions vpon the seven Penitentiall Psalmes Meditations and Disquisitions vpon seven Consolatorie Psalmes Also a Poem of his entituled Cato Variegatus or Cato's morall Disticks vaâ—ied TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE WILLIAM Lord CRAVEN Baron of Hamstead c. MOST HONOURED LORD I Shall perhaps move Envie to say Quae te tam laeta tulerunt sâ—ecula but for my selfe I am bound to say it who have received from your Lordship indeed a great Favour the remission of a great Debt for which notwithstanding I account my selfe to stand obliged still though in a lesse profitable yet in a more binding Obligation to bee your perpetuall servant I am called upon by Gratefulnesse to erect some Monument in honour of your Bountie and a more lasting Monument I could not thinke of within the compasse of my poore abilities then to Dedicate these Psalmes of David to the memorie of your Name for though your owne Heroick vertue have made you a Monument of the same mettall that Fames Trumpet is made which is likely and worthy to last long yet this perhaps may prove Monumentum Fama perennius a Monument that will continue your memorie when Fame it selfe shall be buried in oblivion But how long soever it shall continue yet not so long as my Devotion to be as my Desire to be accounted to be Your Lordships humble and obliged servant Richard Baker Imprimatur Tho Wykes R. P. Episc Lond. Sacell Domest Septemb. 11. 1639. THE TVVENTIE THIRD PSALME OF DAVID Verse 1 THe Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want Verse 2 Hee maketh me to lye downe in greene pastures he leadeth me beside the still waters Verse 3 Hee restoreth my soule hee leadeth mee in the paths of righteousnesse for his Names sake Verse 4 Yea though I walke through the Valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill for Thou art with mee Thy rod and thy staffe they comfort mee Verse 5 Thou preparest a Table before me in the presence of mine enemies Thou anoyntest my head with Oyle my cup runneth over Verse 6 Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever MEDITATIONS VPON THE XXIII PSALME OF DAVID IS it not a grievous fall that Verse 1 where I might have said The Lord is my Creatour and hath made me after his own Image I am now glad to say The Lord is my shepheard as though I were but a sheepe and yet perhaps no Fall in this at all For what was I when I was at best but the Lords sheepe Depending wholly upon him for all I had No cloathes to cover my nakednesse but of his making no food to satisfie my hunger but of his providing and oh that I had continued his sheepe still for then though weake I should have beene innocent though feeble I should have been harmelesse Where by taking O miserable mistaking the Serpent for a shepheard I became of an innocent Sheepe a ravening Wolfe and should have so continued at least a perpetuall strayer if my true shepheard O the wonderfull bowells of compassion had not left the Ninetie nine in the Wildernesse to seeke after mee and had not found mee out and brought me back againe into his Fold that if there be joy in Heaven that the lost sheepe is found there ought to bee much more joy in Earth that the lost sheepe can say The Lord is my shepheard I shall not want But how can I truly say The Lord is my shepheard seeing hee hath turned me over sheepe and lambes and all to Saint Peter to be our shepheard Can he turne me over to another and yet himselfe reteine a propertie in me still But is it not that there is a Hierarchie of shepheards Saint Peter and his successours but Ministeriall shepheards God himselfe the shepheard Paramount Psal 77.20 Hee ledd his people like sheepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron Hee but used the service of Moses and Aaron himselfe was the shepheard still it was hee that led them And is it not said of Kings too that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shepheards of the people and perhaps David speakes here as hee was a King for though a King be a shepheard in relation to his Subjects yet he is but a sheep in relation to God for relation in all created things makes quidlibet ex quolibet a sheepe of a shepheard and a shepheard of a sheepe till we come at God and there Relation ceaseth for God being summum bonum unum idem can take no disparagement by any relation we are all sheepe to him David and Kings Saint Peter and all All faine to say The Lord is my shepheard or else can neuer truly say I shall not want It is a great happinesse for sheepe to have a good shepheard but a greater happinesse to have him both good and able many shepheards are the one and not the other few are both indeed none are both None able to secure from want but onely the shepheard who is Elohim Saddai God All-sufficient Kings no doubt are able shepheards but yet not able to secure from want for we see them often-times to be in want themselves Saint Peter an able shepheard yet not so able as to secure from want for who knowes not what want he was in himselfe when time was Wee shall never be sheepe secure from want till wee come to say The Lord is my shepheard and then wee may justly inferre We shall not want Indeed God is a shepheard as able as hee is good and as good as he is able For hee leadeth mee into greene pastures Not onely hee hath greene pastures to lead me into which shewes his Abilitie but hee leads mee into them which shewes his Goodnesse Hee leades me not into pastures that are withered and drye that would distaste me before I taste them but he leades me into Greene pastures as well to please my eye with the verdure as my stomacke with the herbage and inviting me as it were to eate by setting out the meat in the best colour A meat though never so good yet if it looke not handsomely it dulls the appetite but when besides the goodnesse it hath also a good looke This gives the appetite another edge and makes a joy before enjoying But yet the goodnesse is not altogether in the greennesse Alas Greene is but a colour and colours are but deceitfull things they might be greene
Wall betweene God and us the Wall that barres us from having accesse to God and this Wall the naturall man sees not neither can see Illumination onely makes it visible There is a Threshold of pride in the heart of man a swelling of selfe-love that lyes in the way wee are to passe and is a cause of stumbling if not avoyded and this Threshold the naturall man sees not neither can see onely Gods illumination makes able to see it And many other Walls and Thresholds there are which without Illumination can never be seene and not seene can never be avoided and not avoided are cause of falling into endlesse perdition And as Illumination makes us to see these lights of Terrour so it makes us to see also sights of Comfort It makes us see Death lye dead before us and swallowed up in Victory It makes us see the powers of Hell astonished as not able to endure the lustre of this Light It makes us see the doores of Heaven open into which by vertue of this Light wee have meanes to enter It makes us see him that is invisible God himselfe that is our enlightening in whose Presence is the fulnesse of Joy for evermore and of whom then of what now should I be afraid These indeed bee comfortable sights but what comfort for me to see them if I bee not sure I shall enjoy them and how can I be any more sure to enjoy them then the Angells that fell For they had Illumination in a greater measure then I can hope to have it and yet for all their Illumination they stumbled at the Threshold of Pride and ranne their heads against the Wall of sinne and utterly lost Alas have lost for ever all benefit of all these comfortable sights All this is true and therefore David stayes not here neither but Deus illuminatio mea salus mea God is my enlightening and my salvation too and this hee was not to the Angels that fell hee left them at Illumination never conducted them to salvation for if hee had done this their Illumination had never beene turned into darknesse either they had not stumbled at all or at least not so stumbled as to fall If God were onely my illumination I should by that light goe to Video meliora proboque but should presently follow it with Deteriora sequor but when he is my salvation too this makes me breake off at Deteriora sequor and where God was heard to say Perditio tua ex te O Israel Thy destruction is from thy selfe O Israel Now to heare him say Ego autem salus tua but I am thy salvation If my illumination reflected upon my selfe to make me seeme bright in my owne eyes as though I had something which I had not received then indeed I should bee in the case of the Angels that fell for so did they but now that my illumination reflects upon God and makes me see all goodnesse to be originally in him none in my selfe but what he is pleased to impart or impute unto me Now Illumination becomes a step to salvation and as they are free indeed whom the Spirit frees so they are safe indeed whom God saves and of what then of whom now should I be afraid But though God be my salvation yet this perhaps may be onely in the life to come and if it be no more but so I may doe ill enough in this present life for all his salvation in the next and have I not cause then to bee afraid To free thee therefore of this scruple David stayes not here neither but God is my salvation and the strength of my life too Not onely of my life to come which will be strong of it selfe but of my present life which hath no strength but in him Or rather seeing godlinesse hath the promise of both lifes both of this life and the life to come the first shall be first served and then if God be the strength of my present life there shall be in it no present weaknesse and if no weaknesse there need bee no feare and of what then of whom now should I be afraid But though Gods strength be sufficient to defend me if I had no enemies Or if I were to fight but a single combat yet can it be sufficient to preserve me when an Army of enemies assaults me at once and can I choose but feare when I know my selfe unable to resist O my soule take heed thou be not in the number of those to whom it was said What feare yee O yee of little faith For what can an Army doe against the arme of God What can all Might do against him that is Almightie Have my enemies any strength but what they have from God And can they have any strength from him against me when hee employes his strength against them for me No my soule though an host encampe against mee though warre bee made upon mee yet as long as God is the strength of my life it is neither their multitude nor their malice that can hurt mee but rather their very malice is the meanes their multitude cannot hurt me for Malice hinders Illumination and makes them they cannot see their way that when they came upon mee and thought they had me sure enough even then I was sure enough from their having For hee that is the strength of my life had layd a block in their way which for want of Illumination they saw not at which they stumbled and fell But yet it is a grievous thing to have Caniballs for ones enemies and such my enemies seeme to be They seeke not more to destroy mee then devoure mee They came upon mee to eat up my flesh as if I had beene their shambles It is not enough they could kill mee but they could find in their hearts to eat me They are not satisfied with procuring my death if they bee not themselves actours in it It is not enough for them to have my bloud unlesse their owne hands be imbrued in it Indeed there is no such daintie dish to a malicious stomack as the flesh of an enemy it goes downe without chewing and they swallow it up whole like Cormorants But though Malice have a ravenous stomack yet she hath but slow disgestion though her teeth be sharpe yet her feet are lame at least apt to stumble and this made well for David for when his enemies came upon him to eate up his flesh because they came upon the feet of malice they stumbled and fell A man may stumble and yet not fall but to stumble and fall withall is the proper stumbling of the wicked and especially of the maliciously wicked and such it seemes was the stumbling of Davids enemies because his enemies were such and such I doubt not shall bee the stumbling of my enemies because mine are such and of what then of whom now should I be afraid But to the end I may have some exercise for my illumination that it
Fruition but when thou vouchsafest to looke upon my face that looke of thine hath an influence of all true blessednesse and makes me find what a happinesse it is to have the God of Jacob for my shield But it should seeme that this Prayer belongs onely to David or at least to Kings who like David are the Lords anoynted and what is it then to us that are private persons It is true indeed that Kings are the Lords anoynted in a speciall manner but yet every child of God is his anoynted too for why else is it said of Christ that he was anoynted with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes if it bee not that his fellowes meaning the children of God be anoynted too Anoynted no doubt with the oyle of Grace but to bee anoynted with the oyle of gladnesse is the very thing I pray for here the very thing that makes mee long so much for the Courts of the Lord For one day Verse 10 in his courts is better then a thousand It is not so much the length of time as the measure of joy that makes the blessednesse Or is it that one day which shall never end as the day is in Gods Courts is better than a thousand which have an end as all the dayes of this world are If he had said one day in his Courts is as good as a thousand though this had beene a mighty odds yet it had bin but a thousand to one there had at least beene some proportion but when he saith One day in his Courts is beter than a thousand this seemes to exceed all possibilitie of comparison and leaves no place for any proportion Indeed one day in his Courts gives seisin of Eternitie where a Thousand that are spent any where else are but steps of Mortalitie If I be but one day in his Courts I shall see that which will bee a joy unto mee all the dayes of my life where if I be a thousand in any other Courts I shall see nothing but vanitie and vexation of spirit that which will grieve me to thinke of as often as I remember it And as it is true in respect of Time so it is no lesse true in respect of Place For I had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of my God then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse But is it such a disparagement to be a Doore-keeper What was the Angell with the flaming Sword but the Doore-keeper of Paradise and is there not a conceit that Saint Peter is the Doore-keeper of Heaven Which though it be a vaine conceit yet it may leade us to this congruous interpretation of Davids speech to conceive as if he said that hee had rather be Saint Peter in the house of God then be Annas or Caiphas in the Court of Herod Indeed in the sence that Christ is a Doore David may well bee content to be a Doore-keeper and though in Gods House there bee many Mansions yet seeing all of them are glorious even the Doore-keepers place is not without its glory But if you thinke the Office to be meane consider then whose Officer hee is for even a Doore-keeper is an officer in Gods house and God never displaceth his Officers unlesse it be to advance them to a higher Where in the Courts of Princes the greatest Officers are often-times displaced turn'd off often with disgrace However it be it shewes not onely the great glory of Gods House but the great humilitie of Davids heart and that he is not of the ambitious humour of the Mother of Zebedees sonnes whom no place would serve for her sonnes but to have one of them sit at his Right hand the other at his left O gracious God grant me but a Doore-keepers place in thy house and I will never aspire after any higher roome Not that I desire to let in and keepe out whom I please but that I may thereby have liberty to walke in thy house and to enjoy thy Presence in whose presence is the fulnesse of Joy for evermore What are the Tents of wickednesse but like Caves that have no light and like Vineyards that have no Fences and is there any comparison to bee made betweene such Tents and the meanest place in the House of God where God not onely affordeth Light but is Himselfe the Light Not onely is a Defendour but the Defence it selfe For the Lord is a Sunne and shield the Lord will give grace and glory I had heard Verse 11 before that In sole posuit Tabernaculum suum God hath placed his Tabernacle in the Sunne But I never knew he was himselfe a Sunne till now but what Sunne Not the Sunne that is but the child of light but the Sunne who is the Father of Lights Not the Sunne that was not till three dayes after it was light but the Sunne that was before ever any light was made Not the Sunne which the Heathen commit Idolatrie in worshipping but the Sunne whom it is Idolatrie not to worship Oh that the Heathen would all worship this Sunne it should not then be said Plures adorant Solem orientem quam occidentem That more worship the Sunne rising then setting for this Sunne once Risen never sets againe once shining is never any more Ecclipsed Oh then vouchsafe O God if thou be a Sunne to lighten my darknesse if a shield to protect my weaknesse if thou bee a Sunne warme my soule with the beames of Devotion if a shield defend my soule from the blowes of Temptation if thou be a Sunne O shine upon me with the light of thy Countenance if a Shield O stand betweene me and the assaults of Sathan for alas O Lord I am darknesse and weaknesse the Anvile of temptations the very Butt of Sathan if thou bee not a Sunne and a Shield unto mee O my soule God will doe more then this Hee will give grace and glory Grace to be a Shield unto us and Glory to be a Sunne unto us Hee will give Grace to prevent us and Glory to follow us Grace to walke uprightly and Glory if walking uprightly Grace for a foundation to Glory and Glory for a Crowne to Grace and if these things bee not enough hee will doe more yet Doe thou but walke uprightly and what good things soever there are in Gods gift they shall all be given thee for No good thing will God with-hold from them that live uprightly But how is this true when God often-times with-holds Riches and Honours and health of body from men though they walke never so uprightly We may therefore know that honours and riches and bodily strength are none of Gods good things they are of the number of things indifferent which God bestowes promiscuously upon the just and unjust as the raine to fall and the Sunne to shine The good things of God are chiefly Peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost in this life Fruition of Gods Presence and Vision of his blessed Face in the next and these
kingdome of Heaven But if you thinke this distance of height from Earth to Heaven not sufficiently to expresse the greatnesse of Gods mercy then take the distance of length from East to West For as farre as the East is from the West so farre Verse 12 hath he removed our sinnes from us that if the East and the West can never come to meet together no more shall our sinnes bee ever able to come against us in the sight of God But alas this gives not so good satisfaction as the other for though the distance from East to West bee vast indeed to us as to which our sight cannot reach though wee should use all the Perspective glasses of the world yet what is this to God who can as easily see from East to West as if they were hard by and close together But is it not that all Gods mercy to us is onely in Christ and may wee not then conceive that these Distances are represented by the manner of Christs hanging upon the Crosse where his Feet and his Head seeme to point from Earth to Heaven and the stretching out his hands seemes to point from East to West But though Relation to Christ be not the ground of these expressions yet it cannot be doubted but that they sufficiently expresse the greatnesse of Gods mercy seeing they are the greatest distances that humane apprehension is capable to conceive But if you bee not satisfied with these expressings from Distances of place then take an expressing from the affection of Nature Verse 13 For as a Father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him And now let any that is a Father examine his owne Bowells how much he pitties his children and then say If Gods pitty to them that feare him be not in a very high degree Certainly if any Name could expresse a greater pitty then the name of a Father Christ would never have taught us to use this Name in making our prayers And who could be so fit to make this comparison as David who gave a testimonie of it in himselfe by making his moane O my sonne Absolom my sonne my sonne Absolom would God I had dyed for thee O Absolom my sonne my sonne that now it seemes Gods pitty is matcht and this example reacheth home to expresse the greatnesse of Gods pitty to the full No my soule it is too short yet for though the pitty of a Father may reach to be willing to dye for his Child yet Gods pitty reacheth further not onely to be willing to dye but to dye indeed and not onely for a Child but for his Enemies for when wee were enemies even then did Christ very God dye for us that Gods pitty holds the supremacie still and cannot indeed be matcht alas it cannot be exprest by any thing that is in man But though there may be comparison in the tendernesse of their pitties yet in the abilitie there can bee none for a Father pitties often-times a child when he cannot helpe him but Gods pitty is alwayes active and powerfull and never without releeving that though it be commonly said It is better to be envied then pittied yet here it is not so but it is a farre happier thing to be pittied of God then to be envied of men But whom is it that God pitties onely them that feare him and indeed Feare is a thing that deserves to be pittied for it makes the joynts to tremble and puts the spirits in amazement But O my soule it is not such a Feare that is here meant but this Feare is all one I may say with love and differs but in the Object for looking upon Gods Justice wee feare him and looking upon his Mercy wee love him although wee love him for his Justice too and wee feare him for his Mercie too for as there is Mercie with him that hee may be feared so there is Justice with him that he may be loved But why is it that God pitties them that feare him Indeed hee hath cause enough to Verse 14 pittie them For hee considers of what wee are framed Hee remembers that we are but dust and alas what is there in dust to helpe it selfe if God in mercy take not pitty upon it When God lookes downe upon us and sees how foule we are growne whom hee Created cleane hath he not cause to fall a chiding and to be angrie yet when he considers of what we are framed and that wee are but dust this is some cause againe to make him leave his chiding and not to keepe his anger for ever that we may truly say Our miseries are our happinesse for if it be our miserie that we are framed of so meane a matter as Dust It is our happinesse that wee have the meannesse of our matter for God to take into his consideration and perhaps this was it at least one circumstance that made so ill for the Angels that fell that God could find no excuse of their sinne in their matter the more hee considered of what they were framed the more he found he had cause to bee angrie and therefore no marvell if his anger to them continue for ever But this is every ones case to bee framed of Dust and why then should God pitty some more then others seeing they bee equally of Dust All Is it not that hee is the lesse angrie indeed for that they are but Dust but yet he pitties them not for being Dust but for being Dust and fearing him for if they feare him not he never pitties them but lets them goe on in their Pride at least in their securitie and make what they can of their Dust for they reckon upon great matters from their Dust and thinke they can improve it to a great heigth but alas what can they make of it but to come to be grasse at most to get up to be a flowre a poore fading thing that whether Verse 15 you gather it or let it grow whether the Sunne shine upon it or the Wind blow upon it it quickly withers and once withered becomes a pittifull sight to be seene a loath some thing to be smelt that where all the grace of it consisted in the two Senses of sight and smelling it is now offensive to both and is no longer carried in the hand or worne in the bosome Alas it is scarce thought worthy to have a place upon the dunghill And indeed what could more be lookt for of Dust being so light a thing as it is that if the wind but passe over it if you but blow upon it it is presently scattered and gone and the place where it was will know it no more And such is Man his flourishing is but as a Flowre as quickly withered as a Flowre and as soone cropt off from his stalke as a Flowre and alas what good is in a flourishing that ends in a withering What happinesse in pleasures that have no continuance O my soule if thou wert thy selfe
torment then despaire of remedie What is it for the sorrowes of death to compasse me about but as it were to besiege me and was it ever knowne where they once besieged that ever they did raise their siege Was it ever knowne where the paines of Hell did once take hold that ever they did let goe their hold and alas in this extremitie of distresse in this gulph of despaire what hope could David possibly have that ever hee should be delivered O my soule the hope of Abraham In spe contra spem credidit Hee beleeved against all credibilitie Hee hoped against all possibilitie against all possibilitie indeed in the course of nature against all credibilitie in the eye of Reason and therefore he makes his moane to one above the reach both of Nature and Reason Verse 4 O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soule a short Prayer for so great a suite and yet as short as it was it prevailed that if wee wondred before at the power of God wee may wonder now at the power of Prayer that can prevaile with God for obtaining of that which in Nature is impossible and to Reason seemes incredible There are many short Prayers recorded in the Scriptures of which we may note especially three This of David here O Lord deliver my soule and that of the Publican in the Gospell Lord be mercifull to me a sinner and that of the Thiefe upon the Crosse Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome All three short yet all three Prevalent that wee may know it is not the multiplicitie of words or the length of Prayers that prevailes with God but the fervencie of spirit and the devotion of the heart Yet lest it should be taken as a restraint of longer prayers and specially lest it should be a scandall to the Prayer which Christ taught us and is much longer we may observe withall that each of these prayers is but of one Petition in Christs Prayer For to say O Lord deliver my soule is no more nor fully so much as to say Deliver us from evill and to say Lord be mercifull to me a sinner is no more nor fully so much as to say Forgive us our trespasses and to say Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome is no more nor so much as to say Thy kindome come But seeing David with his short Prayer prevailed with God to deliver his soule why should I despaire of the like successe of my prayers to be delivered from my troubles O my soule I should not despaire of the like successe as David had if I could but pray with the like spirit as David did O therefore thou great God that didst inspire Davids heart with a spirit of zeale which made his prayers not onely acceptable but effectuall vouchsafe also to kindle in my heart a fire of Devotion that my prayers may ascend unto thee like the sacrifice of Abell so acceptable that they may be accepted so accepted that they may be effectuall and may make mee able to sing this Allelujah of David I will love the Lord for he hath heard my voyce and my supplication And now O my soule me thinkes I see the Lord as it were inclining his eare unto me and I seeme to feele an accesse of force in my confidence Verse 5 of his goodnesse for indeed the Lord is gracious and righteous yea our God is mercifull Hee is gracious in hearing Hee is righteous in judging hee is mercifull in Pardoning and how then can I doubt of his will to helpe me Hee is righteous to reward according to deserts He is gracious to Reward above deserts Yea he is mercifull to reward without deserts and how then can I doubt of his Will to helpe mee Hee is gracious and this shews his bountie he is righteous and this shews his Justice Yea hee is mercifull and this shews his love and how then can I doubt of his Will to helpe mee If hee were not gracious I could not hope he would heare me If he were not righteous I could not depend upon his Promise If hee were not Mercifull I could not expect his Pardon but now that he is gracious and righteous yea and mercifull too how can I doubt of his Will to helpe me But are there no others that are gracious and righteous and mercifull as well as Hee Are not the Saints and Angels in Heaven They are so no doubt but not as well as hee God forbid wee should once have such a thought They are Gracious and Righteous and Mercifull by participation onely and onely by having as it were some beames imparted to them but to bee gracious as the Fountaine of Grace to be Righteous as the Sunne of Righteousnesse to be Mercifull as the Authour of Mercie there is none there is none at all neither Saint nor Angell that is so but onely God and therefore of Gods Power and Will to helpe me of his and of his onely I can onely be assured And if I erre in simplicitie yet the Lord preserveth the simple he takes Verse 6 not advantage of errours where there is a good intention yet not a good intention onely where the truth is manifest and revealed for then should Uzzah have beene preserved but in matters obscure and not plainly revealed there to serve God in simplicitie of heart this falls within the compasse of Gods mercy and such he takes into his Protection He gives them perhaps some resentment of their errours by worldly crosses but yet hee denyes them not his assistance and this I can speake of my owne experience For I was brought low and yet hee helped me I was brought low and in trouble by the just provocation of my sinnes but because I sinned not in presumption but in simplicitie at least by infirmitie the Lord hath had mercy on me and preserved me Or I was brought low and hee helped mee for then is the time of helpe when we are brought low and therefore God who doth all things in due time when I was brought low then he helped me Wherefore O my soule let it never trouble thee how low soever thou bee brought for when thy state is at the lowest then is Gods assistance at the neerest that we may truly say Gods wayes are not as the wayes of the world for in the world when a man is once brought low he is commonly trampled upon and nothing is heard then but downe with him downe to the ground but with God it is otherwise for his propertie is to raise up them that fall and when they are brought low then to helpe them That it is no such hard case for a man to bee brought low may I not rather say his case is happy for is it not better to be brought low and have God to helpe him then to be set aloft and left to helpe himselfe At least O my Body this may bee a comfort to thee for thou art sure to bee brought low as low