kept him that he perished not in his affliction Thy word Dauid here makes a secret opposition between the words of his enemies and Gods word Sore was he troubled with the long toūgs of the wicked Hoc enim est opus diaboli vt seruos Dei mendacio laceret falsis opinionibus gloriosum nomen infamet vt qui conscientiae suaeluce clarescunt alienis rumoribus sor didentur It is true which Philo saith Veritas opinione melior est non tamen est negligenda fama truth is better then opinion and it makes not much what wrong opi nion be conceiued of vs yet the same or good name of a man is not to be neglected specially if he be in a publick office that by his name he may do good vnto others But because this cannot be obtained and Innocencie itselfe cannot hold off the scourge of the tongue wee must oppone the word of God to the words of wicked men resting with Io◅ in this That our witnesse is in heauen and with S. Paul in the testimonie of a good conscience Then shall we not be discouraged for the words of man hauing both Gods word and our owne conscience to warrant vs. And for our farther comfort let vs remember how the words of men when they are greatest are most vaine and effectlesse and on the contrarie that GOD is as good as his word yea and better doing more then can be expressed by word It was a proud word of Iezabel God doe so to me and more also if I haue not the head of Elijah ere tomorrow at this time but the dogs got her head and shee got not the head of Elijah Such also were the words of Sennacherib boasting by Rabsache that he would make the inhabitants of Ierusalem to drink their own piss but these were vaine words and vanished with the wind Onely the counsell of the Lord stands what hee determines shal be done and as he speakes it shall assuredly come to passe In heauen By this Basile vnderstands Angelorum coetus coelum inhabitantes qui diuin◅m legem custodiunt the company of innumerable Angels who obserue the law of God But the words following declare hee meanes the frame of the same visible works wherein the constancie of Gods truth doth appeare most manifestly For two causes then doth Dauid so speak First to draw vs from looking to the instabilitie of things heere vpon earth wherein are restlesse changes and vicissitudes to a consideration of the stabilitie of Gods decree in heauen Vtcunque versentur res humanae omnia sint varijs inclinationibus obnoxia tamen verbum Dei non est subiectum ordini naturali In earth the word of God is not onely controuerted but contradicted and resisted and the state of things so mutable that oftentimes the wicked prosper and are exalted the godly cast downe and sore oppressed To vphold vs against this tentation let vs looke vp cast the anchor of our soules within the vaile there we shal see an vnchangeable decree of God which shall change all these things againe and bring to the end spoken of in his word The other cause why he so speaks is that this visible frame of the heauen stands as an eternall witnes of the veritie of Gods word that hee will not retreat nor call back that which hee speaks for he once commanded the heauens to be and incontinent they were and euer since continue Thus wee see how the godly profit by looking into the works of God euer drawing some spirituall consideration out of them but of this hereafter VER 90. Thy truth is from generation to generation thou hast laid the foundation of the earth and it abideth AS hee collected the certaintie of Gods word by the indurance of heauē so now he confirmes it by considering the foundation of the earth Sith the foundation of the earth made by the word of God abides sure shal we not think that the foundation of our saluation laid in Christ Iesus is much more sure Though the creatures cannot teach vs the way of saluation for that we must learn by the word yet doe they confirme that which the word saith Thus saith the Lord vvho giues the Sunne for a light to the day and the courses of the Moone and Starres for a light to the night If these ordinances depart out of my sight then shall the seede of Israel cease from beeing a Nation before mee for euer As there Ieremie gathers the stabilitie of the Church from the stabilitie of the creatures so here Dauid cōfirmes the certainty of our saluation by the most certaine vnchangeable course of the creatures and both of them are amplified by Christ Iesus Heauen earth may passe but one iot of Gods word shal not fall to the ground Let vs therefore be strengthened in the faith and giue glory to God Tho◅ hast laid This worke of God is often mentioned in holy Scripture to commend the glory of Gods wisdom and power Yea the Lord himselfe glories in it as ye see in his speech to Iob Where was◅ thou when I laid the foundation of the earth declare if thou can who laid the measures thereof who first stretched the line ouer it whervpon are the foundations of it set or who layd the corner stone therof He hath founded it without a foundation for the pillars of the earth mentioned by Anna are no other but his word and decree But alas how great is our stupiditie vvee walk vpon earth it beareth vs vp but we neuer consider how God sustaineth it by his mightie power that we may giue glory to him And it abides As the Lord by his vvord made the vvorlds so beares hee vp all things by his mightie word Creation is as the mother and Prouidence the nurse conseruer of al the works of God God is not like man for hee when hee hath made a worke cannot maintaine it hee buildeth a shippe and cannot saue it from shipwrack hee edifies a house but cannot keepe it from decay it is otherwise with God we daily see his conseruing power vpholding his creatures vvhich should confirme vs that hee will not cast vs off nor suffer vs to perish sith we are the works of his hands if wee doe depend vpon him and giue him the glory of our Creator Conseruer and Redeemer VER 91. They continue to this day by thine ordinance for all are thy seruaunts THe same argument by which Dauid here proues the truth of Gods word is vsed by profane mockers to improue it Where is say they the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation There is so great difference between a godly and a godlesse hart that where the one of euery thing learnes to be more godly the other learnes to be more profane like poysonable Waspes
our aduersary that seeks to snare vs by the transgression of them is diligent in tempting For he goes about night and day seeking to deuoure vs next because we our selues are weake and infirme by the greater diligence haue we need to take heed to our selues thirdly because of the great losse we sustaine by euery vantage Sathan gets ouer vs. For we finde by experience that as a wound is sooner made then ◅ is healed so guiltines of conscience is easily contracted but not so easily done away VER 5. O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy Statutes IN the former verse Dauid hath meditated vpon the commandement of God Now the fruit of his meditation is ye see a prayer vnto God wherein he wishes that all his actions were answerable to the commandements of God this is customable vnto the godly to answere all the precepts of God by prayers what he commaunds them to doe they seeke from himselfe grace to doe it My wayes In this Psalme sometime ye see mention is made of Gods wayes as Vers. 3. and sometime of man his wayes as Vers. 5. It is well with man when his wayes and Gods wayes are all one for if man haue another way then the way of God of necessity his end must be miserable God is the fountaine of life he that walks not with God abides in death God is the father of light he that will goe from him shall goe to blacknes of darknes yea to vtter darknes where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth Loe all they that withdraw themselues from thee shall perish therefore will we resolue with Dauid It is good for me to draw neere vnto the Lord. Dauid knowing that naturally man is diuided from God and hath a way of his own which will not faile to lead him vnto a miserable end he wisheth from his heart to be vnited with the Lord that Gods will were his will and Gods way were his way This is a worke aboue the power of nature and therfore he humbly prayes that God would worke it Dignoscens quod ex seipso nihil possit efficere nisi Dei ope gratia adiutus fuerit humbly acknowledging that in the framing of his waies to Gods will of himselfe he was able to do nothing without the help of grace We are not of our selues able to thinke a good thought our sufficiency is of God neither is it in him that wils nor in him that runnes but in God that shewes mercie VER 6. Then should I not be confounded when I haue respect vnto all thy commandements SInne hath many euill fruites it offends God and grieues his Spirit it hurts thy neighbour for by it thou temptst some and infectst others but the sosest wound it giues to thy selfe for it brings vpon thee shame confusion and in the end eternall death For sinne when it is finished brings out death Thy owne wickednes shall reproue thee and thou shalt knowe that it is an euill thing a bitter that thou hast for saken the Lord thy God How were Ad◅m and Euah consounded after their fall how ran they away from the Lord in whom they delighted before How lurked they among the b◅shes thinking shame of thēselues they sought to couer their nakednes Praeuaricationis enim fructus est cōfusio If we think to pluck better fruit from the tree of sinne we doe but deceiue our selues It standeth true in all which the Apostle spake of the Romans When ye were the seruants of sin yee were freed frō righteousnes what fruite had yee then of those things wherof yee are now ashamed The end of these things is death If therefore vvee thinke euill to be confounded with shame let vs bevvare we be not perverted by sinne Respect to all thy Commandements Wee must not make a diuision at our owne hand of the commaundements of GOD making a shew to keepe some and taking libertie to transgresse others as Naaman did who resolued that hee vvould offer no sacrifice vnto any other God saue onely to the Lord onely this he reserued that he would bow with his Master the King of Assur to the Idole Rimmon Like him are many now vvho professe they will serue the Lord but still reserue an Idole of their owne to the which their heart enclines so answer the Lord with halfe obedience like the Eccho which makes not a perfit respondence of the voice of men but of some part thereof But the commaundements of GOD are so vnited among themselues that hee who failes in one point of the law is guiltie of all and therfore to euery one of them should we giue obedience wherin if wee cannot doe what wee should yet at least should we haue a respect a purpose and a care so to do hauing a begun obedience to them all not exempting our selues frō any And this for them who thinke all is well if they be not adulterers when in the meane time they are idolaters and so forth of the rest VER 7. I will praise thee with an vpright heart vvhen I shall learne the iudgements of thy righteousnes IN this verse wee haue a prayer for further knowledge together with a protestation of Dauid his thankfull affection for it Thankfulnes is a dutie wherein we are all obliged to the Lord. It is a good thing for vpright men to praise thee Lord. It is good first in regard of the equitie of it Sith the Lord giues vs good things shal not we giue him praises againe especially seeing the Lord is content so to part all his works between his Maiestie and vs that the good of them be ours the glorie of them be his owne When we haue taken good things from him why shall we defraude him of his part that is glory by thanksgiuing Surely the earth vvhich renders increase to them that labour it the oxe that knowes his owner and euery beast in their kind that bowes to the hand of him who giues it meat shal condemne vnthankfull man who receiues dailie from the Lord but neuer returnes praises vnvnto him Secondly it is good to praise the Lord in regard of himselfe who is the obiect of our prayses Sith he is the treasure of all good the author of all blessings it cannot be but a good and blessed thing to blesse him Thirdly it is good in respect of our associates companions in this exercise the Angels Cherubins and Seraphins delight continually in his praises Our elder brethren that glorious congregation of the first borne are described vnto vs falling downe on their faces casting their crownes at the feet of the Lord to giue him the glory of their redemption Now seeing wee pray that the will of God may be done in earth as it is in heauen why doe we not delight in these exercises of praising God by which we haue fellowship with them who are glorified in heauen Lastly
to thē who loue to liue in the body for no other end but that they may enioy carnall pleasures in the body no tongue can expresse their miserie To a godly man sin makes his life bitter so the Apostle protested O miserable man who shal deliuer me from this body of death And if they loue to liue it is that they may mourn for sin break off the course of their sins by amēdement of life This straited godly Nazianzen that he knew not whether to make choise of death or life when he considered that death makes an end of sin he desired to die but when he remembred that after death there was no time to mourne for sin he desired to liue VER 18. Open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy law MAn by nature is blind in the matters of saluation He vnderstands not the things of God neither can he because they are spiritually discerned Satan promised man great knowledge both of good euill but experience may declare what a false deceiuer he is By nature we are all borne blind ignorant of things vvhich concerne the kingdom of God and by reason of our darkned mind so wicked is the hart of man that by looking to the best works of God miserable man contracts euill So euill doth hee see with the eyes which are left him that by looking to that which is good the hart of him is wakened vnto euill So traiterously hath this aduersarie dealt with mankind that where he promised thē more knowledge he spoiled them of that which they had and hath brought now vpon them all a greater shame then that vvhich Naash the Ammonite vvould haue done to Israel For hee hath put out their right eye that no light remaines in them vvherby they can see that which is good to saluation till the Lord restore it againe vnto them And heere if it be asked seeing Dauid was a regenerate man and so illuminated already How is it that hee prayes for the opening of his eyes the aunswere is easie That our regeneration is wrought by degrees The beginnings of light in his mind made him long for more for no man can account of sense but he who hath it The light vvhich he had let him see his owne darknes and therefore feeling his wants hee seekes to haue them supplied by the Lord. Neque enim medicū rogat nisi qui remedium agritudini suae poscit But the word which here Dauid vseth imports the taking of a vaile from his eyes detrahe velamen oculis meis So that the blame of his ignorance he layes not vpon the word which is cleer enough in it selfe as he confesseth ver 130. The entrance of thy vvord giues light to the simple but he blames himselfe and the vaile which couered the eyes of his mind Till this be remooued no reading no hearing no teaching can make a man vnderstand the wonders of the lavv of God This is it saith the Apostle which hinders the Iews that in reading the old Testament they cannot see Christ because of the vaile that couers their harts And this same is it that this day hinders many wise and learned men that albeit they read the most cleare prophecies of Antichrist whereas S. Paul and S. Iohn poynts him out as it were with the finger yet can they not perceiue him The doctrine of Christ is the mysterie of godliness the doctrine of Antichrist is the mysterie of iniquitie Who can learne it till God remoue the vaile that couers the mind Non omnes qui diuina eloquia legunt quae in illis admiranda sunt considerant nisi illi qui coelesti splendore potiuntur But whose worke is this to remoue the vaile Who is able to doe it Certainly neither Angel nor Power nor Dominion It is onely the vvorke of GOD who giues sight to the blind Hee sends forth his spirit and renewes the face of the earth He opened the disciples eyes made them to know him He made scales to fall from the eyes of the Apostle Paul when he conuerted him These two benefits hee giues together to his owne the opening of the eyes and conversion of the hart So long as a man abides vnder the seruitude of sin and earthly affections he can neuer haue eyes to see the secrets of Gods word Therefore saith the Apostle speaking of the blinded Iewes when their harts shall be turned to the Lord then the vaile shall be taken away The wonders of thy law The wonders of the works of God are many and great the wonders of his word are greater Euery article of our faith is a mysterie to be wondred at that a Virgine conceiues a child that GOD is manifested in the flesh If wee will be fruitfull scholars in the learning of these mysteries let vs pray for the opening of our eyes and for grace to belieue VER 19. I am a stranger on earth hide not thy commaundements from me THis petition in effect is one with the former hauing no more but an annexed reason vvhich is this I am a stranger on earth and knowe not the way may lead me to heauen vnlesse thou teach me therefore hide not thy cōmandements from me The like of this he hath Psa. 43. Send thy light thy truth let them lead me bring me to thy holy Mountaine This is not the voice of euery man I am a stranger on earth Sed eius qui terrenis renuntiauit voluptatibus mundanae cupiditatis exuerit affect us It is the voice of him who hath renounced pleasures of the earth is weary of this life desires to be dissolued not fearing when his dissolution approches but rather reioycing because he knows he shall be with Christ vtitur hac vita vt transitoria ad aliam nimirum vitam festinans He vseth this life as a transitory life because he makes hast to a better It is true in regard of time and continuance the wicked are also strangers on earth but in affection they are not so for neither know they of a better Cittie neither desire they a better But the Christian accounts himselfe a stranger not so much for his short continuance vpon earth as for that his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is aboue that Citie wherof he is Burges and freeman that countrey frō which he came that fellowship wherein he reioiceth is aboue therfore longs he to be where they are But as to the wicked they are called by Gods Spirit inhabitants or indwellers of the earth Men of this world who haue their portion in this life they haue receiued their cōsolation here their generation is of the earth they speak of the earth their whole disposition is earthly Higher then the earth in thoughts and desires they cannot go Praesentibus bonis quasi diuturnis inflati insolescunt The godly
persecuted by their tongues not by their hands let vs giue thanks to God who as he commaunded the fire that it could not hurt Daniels companions and bridled the fury of Lions that they could not hurt Daniel himselfe so hee restraines the wicked that they cannot do vnto vs according to the malice of their harts And therefore finding this goodnesse of our God wee should be the more confirmed against the rayling of their tongues Sith the Lord bindes their hands shall wee be mooued at the breath of their mouthes or shal the stroke of their tongues put vs out of patience which preserues peace in our harts But great is our weaknes Dauid suffered this iniurie of Princes and we cannot suffer i◅ of the basest people When shall we be prepared for greater tentations that will not learne to despise the smallest If thou be wearie in running with footmen how shalt thou match thy selfe with horses But thy seruaunt Perceiue heere the armour by which Dauid fights against his enemie Arma iusti quibus omnes adversario◅ū repellit impetus are the word and prayer Hee renders not iniurie for iniurie reproach for reproach It is dangerous to sight against Satan or his instruments with their owne weapons for so they shall easily ouercome vs. Let vs fight with the armour of God the exercises of the word and prayer for a man may peaceably rest in his secret chamber and in these two see the miserable end of all those who are enemies to Gods children for Gods sake VER 24. Thy testimonies are my delight my Counsellers THe other protestation Dauid makes is of the great profit and fruite hee had found in the vvord that it was both a delight to him and a counseller of him Saul had his Nobles and Counsellers by whom he ruled his affaires Dauid protests that he had no other for the men of his counsell but the testimonies of God These are two great benefits which commonly men craue Pleasure to refresh thē Con̄sell to gouerne them Dauid protests hee found them both in the word and sends all other who would haue them to seeke them there where he found them As for ioy and recreation of mind commonly men seeke it in other Cisterns but with no good successe for as a man in a hote Feuer is eased no longer by drinking strong drinke then he is in drinking of it for then it seemes to coole him but incontinent it increaseth his heat so is it with the troubled and heauie hart which seeks comfort in externall things how-euer for a time they seeme to mitigate the heauinesse they doe but increase it Onely solid and permanent comfort must be drawne out of the fountaines of the word of GOD. The other is wisedom which vvithout Gods word can neuer be obtained As Ieremie spake of the wicked in his time They haue reiected the word of God and what wisedome then is in them So is it true of all the wicked The wisedome of this world is but foolishnes Achitophel his end vvith innumerable moe may teach all men that hee shall neuer be found wise who is not godlie The beginning of wisedome is the feare of the Lord. DALETH VER 25. My soule cleaueth to the dust quicken me according to thy word MAny states of life did Dauid change but his hart neuer changed from the Lord the loue of his word In his doubts the word was his counseller in his griefs the word was his comforter therefore was hee not cast downe or overcome vvith griefe In his greatest prosperitie the word was his greater ioy therefore vvas hee not puft vp with pleasure teaching vs that in euery state of life we shall find comfort if we will rule our life by the word In this verse Dauid hath a complaint My soule cleaueth to the dust And a prayer Quicken mee according to thy vvord The prayer beeing vvell considered shall teach vs the meaning of the complaint that it was not as some thinke any hard bodily estate vvhich grieued him but a very sore spirituall oppression as I may call it bearing downe his soule that where he should haue moūted vp toward heauē he was pressed downe to the earth and was so clogged with earthly cogitations or affections or perturbations that hee could not mount vp His particular tentation hee expresseth not for the children of God many times are in that estate that they cannot tell their own griefs and somtime so troubled that it is not expedient albeit they might to expresse them to others And heereof wee learne how that vvhich the worldling counts wisedome to the Christian is folly what is ioy to the one is griefe to the other The ioy of a vvorldling is to cleaue vnto the earth when he gripes it surest hee thinks himselfe happiest for it is his portion to take heed to his worldly affaires and haue his minde vpon them in his estimation is onely wisedom For the Serpents curse is vpon him he creepes on the earth and licks the dust all the daies of his life This is the miserable condition of the vvicked that euen their heauenly soule is become earthly Qui secundum corporis appetentiam vi◅it ca◅ est etiam anima eorum car◅ est as the Lord spake of those who perished in the Deluge that they were but flesh no spirit in them that is no spi◅uall or heauenly motion But the Christian considering that his soule is from aboue sets his affection also on those things which are aboue he delights to haue his cōuersation in heauen and it is a griefe to him when he finds his motions and affections drawne downe and entangled with the earth His life is to cleaue to the Lord but it is death to him when the neck of his soule is bowed downe to the yoke of the vvorld Erecta ad Deum ceruix ◅ugo Christi habilis quae nulla in terrarum illecebras inflexione curuetur regalis Christi turris est The necke of the Spouse of the Lord IESVS is raysed vptoward God meet to receiue the yoke of Christ but wil no way bow for any earthly allurements to beare the yoke of another such a soule is the royall towre of Christ Iesus By this disposition let men try themselues and see of what Spirit they are Againe the vicissitude and change of estates where-vnto the children of God are subiect comes heere to be marked sometime◅ they are borne downe by carnall affections to the earth sometimes raised vp by spirituall desires to the heauen This comes to passe of the battell that is between two irrecōcileable parties the old man the new Nature Grace For as in them who wrestle with any equall strength sometime the one is aboue and sometime the other till at length one be ouercome so is it in this combat In the Christian sometime the power of Nature othertimes
able to doe abundantly aboue all that we can aske or thinke Example hereof we haue in Zaccheus he desired but to see Christ and hee got not onely a sight of him but familiar speech of him yea Christ went to his house and dined with him and made him by grace the childe of Abraham So shall the Lord do to all his children he shall giue them more then eyther they desired or looked for at his hands For the heart cannot vnderstand those things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Thy commandements He saith not I haue done thy commandements but I desire to do them Let this serue as a Commentarie to other places wherein he makes protestation of his begun obedience so gratious is the Lord that in his children he accepts their will for a deed There is no man so wicked but he desires mercie but the godly doe so desire mercy that first they desire the way to mercy They know that without sanctification no man can see the Lord therefore all their care is to purge themselues euen as God is pure as here ye see for this end Dauid prayeth for the grace of obedience It was a preposterous desire of Balaam who wished the death of the righteous and would not liue the life of the righteous no better are the desires of wicked men Quicken me He acknowledgeth that his desires were nothing vnlesse the Lord gaue him life As a false conception which evanisheth and comes not to the birth so is the desire of man not quickned nor continued by the grace of God More of this see ver 149. 159. VAV VER 41. And let thy louing kindnesse come vnto me O Lord and thy saluation according to thy promise OVt of this Psalme we see how feruent and continuall Dauid was in prayer Euery third Verse hee turnes him to prayer No maruell he was inriched with a great measure of spirituall grace for hee sought it diligently Not like the colde professors of our time to whom a colde morning prayer is sufficient for the whole day and of that also oftentimes they are weary before they haue done it A lamentable euill that hauing all good for the seeking yet we should not seeke If we would consider how many sinnes we haue contracted which we must craue to be forgiuen would offer vp but one supplication for euery one of them and againe that albeit all our sinnes vvere presently forgiuen yet hovv readily should we fall into new sinnes if we get no grace daily to reforme vs and thirdly how difficil a thing it is against so many strong enemies as Principalities Powers and spiritual wickednes which with restlesse tentations pursue vs vpon the right hand the left to enter through them all into the kingdome of God and lastly how our time is short and when it is done no more place of supplication will be left vnto vs If all these with many moe wee did consider they would waken in vs a more earnest care to call vpon our God while we haue time This whole section consists of petitions and promises Petitions are two ver 41. 43. Promises are six This among many is a difference betweene godly men and others all men seeke from GOD but the wicked so seeke that they giue him nothing backe againe nor yet wil promise in sinceritie to giue Their prayers must be vnprofitable because they proceed from loue of themselues and not of the Lord. If so be they obtaine that which is for their necessitie they haue no regard to giue to the Lord that which is for his glory but the godly as they seek so they giue praise to God when they haue gotten and returne the vse of things receiued to the glorie of God who gaue them They loue not themselues for themselues but for the Lord vvhat they seeke from him they seeke it for this end that they may be the more able to serue him Let vs take heed vnto it because this is a cleere token whereby such as are truly religious are distinguished from counterfet dissemblers Let thy louing kindnes c. In his first prayer he ioynes these two Gods louing kindnes and his saluation and so it is they goe together inseparably As for the kindnes of man thou maist haue it and not be the better for it the friend may loue his friend and not be able to help him yea the Father may looke with compassion vpon his child in danger and not be able to relieue him but the kindnes of the Lord euer works saluation he can doe what he will and none is able to resist him All creatures in heauen earth are vnder his commaund health sicknes life death heauen and hell for he hath the keyes of both Let vs seek his fauour that we may be saued let vs feele his loue and none euill present nor to come temporall nor eternall shall make vs afraid According to thy promise As Dauid seekes his comfort in GOD onely so seekes hee it for Gods sake alleaging nothing in himselfe for which hee should obtaine it but that the Lord as of his mercie hee had promised so of his truth hee vvould performe And this is first for Papists who either doe seeke from others beside the Lord or if they seek from him they seeke for others sake then for his founding their prayers vpō the merits of others not vpon the mercie of God and merits of Christ onelie And next it giues this vvarning vnto all men that seeing the chiefest argument vvee can vse in prayer to mooue the Lord to pittie is his own promise vvee should remember alwaie to make conscience of our promise of seruice and obedience vvhich vve haue made to the Lord otherwise vvee can not vvith boldnesse seeke comfort in that promise which God hath made vnto vs. VER 42. So shall I make aunswer to my blasphemers for I trust in thy word SEe what great effects the sense of Gods louing kindnes works in the harts of his children hee feares no malice nor power of man vvho finds the Lord kind and mercifull to him This works gloriation against euill men a bold confession before all men as after followes and toward God an holy conuersation in all his obedience to the law For I trust Confidence in the promises of Gods word is the anchor of the soule vvhich holdeth it fast that it abide stable not driuen to and fro with the wind of tentations nay not with the feares terrors of death I know whom I haue belieued VER 43. And take not the word of truth vtterly out of my mouth for I wait for thy iudgements BY the word of truth Euthymius vnderstands the grace of prophecie by which Dauid comforted his owne hart and was able to speake to the edification of others and to stop the mouthes of his Aduersaries This grace
the eternity of it And by these two he sustaines himselfe against all tentations wherwith hee was compassed and namely the contempt of men Sith the Lawe of God is truth and his righteousnesse euerlasting they cannot be deceiued who depend vpon it and they who liue in a contrary disposition vnto it cannot be but miserable eternally Neyther is it enough for vs to know this generally as many do but with Dauid wee should earnestly pray wee may bee taught by his word stablished by his truth rectified by his righteousnesse Haec conciliant sempiterna bona that so we may be partakers of that euerlasting good which cometh by them VER 143. Trouble and anguish are com vpon me yet thy commandements are my delight ALbeit Dauid was laden with heauy troubles yet did he neuer quit his affection toward the word of God Where if it be enquired why did the Lord lay such heauy trouble vpon a man whom he loued so dearely and why suffers he his children to be so hardly handled in this life for whom he hath prepared a blessed fellowship and communion with himselfe in the life to come The reason is because as saith the Apostle Neede so requires Necessaria est crux peregrinanti The crosse is necessary for a pilgrime for by it sin is subdued pride weakned patience and all other graces of the spirit increased It workes a contempt of this world and prepares vs for the kingdome of God Of this let such as are vnder the crosse learne with patience to beare it and others who know not yet what it is prepare them-selues for it For if they bee the kindly sonnes of God they shall not eschew it For hee chastiseth euery one whom he receiues Are my delight This is strange that in the midst of anguish he hath delight yea indeed the sweetnesse of Gods word is best perceiued vnder the bitternes of the crosse the ioy of Christ and the ioy of the world cannot consist together A heart delighted with worldlie ioie cannot feele the consolations of the spirite the one of these destroyes the other But in sanctified trouble the comforts of GODs word are felt and perceiued in most sensible manner Many a time hath Dauid protested this delight of his in the vvorde of GOD and truely it is a great argument of godlinesse vvhen men come not onely to a reuerence of it but to loue it and to delight in it Let this bee considered of those vnhappy men who heare it of custome and count it but a wearinesse VER 144. The righteousnes of thy testimonies is euerlasting Grant mee vnderstanding and I shall liue THis verse is one with the 142. saue only that he adioynes to it his accustomed petition for vnderstanding that hee may liue Nam propriè homines non viuunt sine intelligentia diuinae legis for it is no life which men haue vvho are destitute of this knowledge The vvord of God is contemned of none but suchas knowe not the excellencie thereof And they are repayed with this fearefull recompence that because they knowe not nor cannot account of it the light the vertue the grace there of is not dilated toward them but they abide still in their naturall darknes and death From which most vnhappy condition the Lord deliuer vs. KOPH VER 145. I haue cryed with my whole heart hear me O Lord and I will keep thy statutes IN this verse wee haue three things a petition Heare mee a reason I haue cryed with mine whole heart a promise I will keepe thy statutes The reason is first sette downe which in effect is this O Lord thou hast bound thy selfe by thy promise to answere them who call vpon thee and thou hast not at any time sent them away comfortlesse that call vpon thee in spirit and truth yea thou hast been found of them vvho sought thee not Then Lord seeing thou hast giuen me this grace to cry to thee with my whole heart shew me also this grace that thou maiest heare me As the husbandman seeks no increase of that land wherein he hath sowen no seed so hee that prayeth not and seekes not the Lord while hee may be found what comfort can hee expect in the time of his trouble Our praiers are seede sowen not in the earth but in the heauen wee cast them into the bosome of God he that sowes sparingly shall reape sparingly if wee looke for a plentifull haruest let vs sowe more aboundantly in the seede time for euery praier feruentlie and in faith sent vp to God either presently returnes with some good or then laies good vp in store for vs which we shall enioy heereafter The feruency of his praier he expresseth when he saith that he cryed it notes Animi propensioneÌ„ the earnestnes of his soule without this the earnestnes of the tongue is but LudibriuÌ„ quoddaÌ„ quo deus non honore sed contumelia afficitur a mockery of God and a dishonouring of him Non â—…ocis magnitudine sed cordis magnanimitate clamaÌ„dum est non sono corporis sed cogitationum sublimitate concentu virtutum It is not by lowdnes of the voice but stoutnes of the heart not by sound of the body but by sublimity of our cogitations and by consent of vertues that wee must cry vnto God When Israell was straighted at the red sea the Armie of Egyptians vpon their backe and the sea before them and in their iudgement they saw no outgaite but lookt either to be deuoured by the sword or drowned by the water no doubt there was among the people murmuring and crying with dolefull lamentation but what Clamabat populus et non audiebatur tacebat Moses audiebatur the people cryed and were not heard Moses is silent and God heares him for his heart was fixed vpon God waiting till God should shew the way of deliuerance which they could not see What auailes the voice of the wicked who honour God with their lips but their heart is far from him Iniustianima deo mertua est The soule of an vnrighteous man is dead vnto God Nihil in illa sublime nihil magnificum est There is no high nor excellent thing in it which can go vp to the most high and excellent God With mine whole heart He amplisies this yet further when he saith that hee cryed with his whole heart Non solum ergo elamandum est sed et toto corde clamandum For as a man cryes most loudly wheÌ„ he cries with al his mouth opened so a man praies most effectually when hee praies with his whole heart Neither doth this speech declare onely the feruency of his affection but imports also that it was a great thing which he sought from God Et tu cum oras magna ora id est ora quae aeterna sunt non caduca And thou when thou prayest pray for great things for things induring not for things perishing praie
right and iustice at their hands Against these they runne to the Lord appeale to his Tribunall and hee receiues their clamours griefes and wrongs into his bosome And sometime they complaine vpon themselues eyther for want of grace which faine they would haue or else for abundance of euiil which faine they would want as we see in the Apostle Miserable man who will deliuer me from this body of sinne Dauid here tels not what his complaint was but vnto one of these three it may be referred Giue me vnderstanding according to thy Word Hee seekes vnderstanding not simply for the wisedome of the flesh is death and the children of this world are wiser in their owne generation then the children of light But he seekes vnderstanding according to Gods word without this the wit of man is foolishnes and the more subtill he seemes to be in his wayes the more deepely involues he himselfe in the snare of the Diuell They haue reiected thy word and what wisedome can be in them But sith he was an excellent Prophet and protested before hee had more vnderstanding then the auncient yea then his Teachers how is it that still he prayes for vnderstanding There is a great difference betweene the gifts of nature and grace Nature oft-times giues to men very excellent gifts as rare memory knowledge quicke wit strength externall beauty but therewithall it teacheth not man to consider his wants wherof it cometh to passe that he waxeth proude of that which he hath This is a common thing to men in the state of nature that of small gifts they conceiue a great pride but grace as it giues vnto man more excellent gifts then nature can affoord so it teacheth him to looke vnto that which he wants that he be not puft vp by considering that which he hath but forgetting it is carried in all humility of his heart to pray for that which he wants VER 170. Let my supplication come before thee and deliuer me according to thy promise WEe should marke the graces wherwith Dauid seasons all his prayers that our prayer beeing like vnto his wee may finde fauour with God as he did First his prayer flowed from faith and was grounded vpon Gods promises If any man pray saith Saint Iames Let him aske in faith otherwise his motions and words are but like the rauing and instable waues of the sea Next hee prayed with feruencie as his frequent repetition declares The praier of a righteous man auailes much if it be feruent Thirdly he praied with humble acknowledgement of his owne vnrighteousnes and vnworthines esteeming it a great fauour if the Lord let his supplication come before him and last hee concludes them with some solemne promise of thankfulnes these make our prayers sauorie and sweet-smelling to the Lord our God That wee may the more earnestlie bee stirred vp vnto this dutie let vs consider how by this grace of prayer a man vpon earth is made a great courtier with God in heauen They are much esteemed vpon earth who haue accesse to the eares of Kings when they like but this is a farre greater benefit That if we will wee may by prayer haue accesse to the king of Kings to request both for our selues and for others also The contrary euill is a fearefull curse when God turnes the prayer of a man into sinne Hee prayeth with Moab and preuailes not How comfortlesse and confused was the estate of miserable Saul who in his neede prayed to God and got no answere We shewed before what are the euils which debarre a man from this comfort onelie now let those that seeke mercy from God beware they deny not mercy to others when they seeke it and they may shew it See wee not how that rich glutton who shewed no mercy to Lazarus got no mercy himselfe what then shall becom of those who are robbers and oppressors of others If he was reiected qui non dedit sua Who gaue not his owne what shall become of them qui rapiunt aliena who robbe from other men that which is theirs With what measure yee mete vnto others with that same shall it bee measured to you againe VER 171. My lippes shall speake praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes AFter his petitions he subioynes promises of thankfulnesse There are some who seeke from God but offer no promise or if they promise they performe not these are louers of themselues not of God So their necesities bee fulfilled they care not what become of his glory and therefore either they seeke and get not or if they get it is not for their good for what good can be to them who seek that they may haue to satisfie their own lusts and not how to doe seruice to their God Let vs second our praier with promises promises with performance if we would haue them effectuall Dauid was a man of honour preferred to the Kingdome of Israel yet he was not onely an example to others but a ringleader also for so he protests that he ledde the people in great multitudes to the house of God with such ioyfull affection as if he had beene going to a feast They who haue receiued most from God are most bound to honour him but now it is farre otherwise For great men for the most part thinke it not seemely for them to open their mouth and praise God they giue that seruice ouer to cōmon people and therefore many a time God turnes their honor into shame for he hath said I wil honour them that honour me and by the contrary There are some giue their lippes to the Lord and not their heart C◅rsed be the man that hath a male in his flock and vowes and sacrifices a corrupt thing to the Lord. Others notwithstanding they can reade and sing will not doe so much as with the mouth praise the Lord but good Dauid sometime stirres vp his soule to praise God sometime encourages his tongue yea cals vpon all that is within him to praise the Lorde And is it not good reason that all which we haue receiued from the Lord should be imployed to serue him Nam et oculos et os et auditum propterea posuit in nobis deus vt omnia ipsi membra seruirent et quae ipsius sunt audiremus quae ipsius loqueremur For this cause hath the Lord our GOD giuen vs both a mouth and eyes and eares That all of them should serue him ◅hat vvith our eares wee should heare his word and with our mouth wee should speake his praises and with our eies we should beholde his glorious works VER 172. My tongue shall intreate of thy word for all thy commandements are righteous THe other duty of thankfulnes promised by Dauid is To intreat of Gods words for the edification of others Euerie Christian man as he is a priest to offer sacrifice vnto God so is
your Master My Lord at yee haue learned to serue most faithfully a King on earth and for good seruice haue receiued the recompence of his Princely liberality so thinke with your selfe how greatly ye shall be conuinced if ye doe not learne to serue the King of heauen whose wage to his seruants doth as farre exceed any thing yee haue as the heauens are aboue the earth The third is Ye are now striken in yeares your Almond tree is flourished these fiftie and eight yeares hath God spared you and not taken you away in your ignorances and sinnes as he hath done many others both at your right hand and at the left My Lord the patience of God is called long but his mercy euerlasting the vse of his mercy toward his owne is to beare with them till they be deliuered into the hands of his mercie then are they out of all danger for his mercy endures for euer and whom once he receiues he neuer casts away again But wo is to the wicked for they abuse Gods patience to fulfill the measure of their iniquity heaping vp wrath to themselues by the multiplication of sinnes as it were in a treasure against the day of wrath Thus as the Fish of Iorden goe sprinkling and playing in the streame thereof till at length they fall into the Loch or salt Sea of Sodome where they die so are all the wicked abusing Gods patience carried on by their deceitfull pleasures of sin to a miserable end For where in their young yeares they will not repent in their olde age custome of sinne so confirmes them in euill that they cannot repent no more then a Leopard can change his spots or a Blacke Moore his colour Of this your ◅may perceiue that God his long pattence whereby he spares a man is not a blessing if mercy to pardon sins past and grace to renne for the time to come doe not follow it yea rather quo diutius expectat districtius iudicabit the longer he tarie and spare the sharper will he strike when he comes Let this waken in your L. a care to redeeme the time and a resolution to sacrifice the residue of your few yeares vnto the Lord your God For which cause it shall not be vnprofitable your L. remember these counsels first that ye examine diligently your by-gon life No man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of a man this will tell you more of your selfe then all the world can tell you In this examination spare not your selfe if you would haue God to spare you iudge your selfe accuse your selfe correct your selfe and GOD shall not iudge you Remember when yee come to iudgement there will be none to stand against you if it be not your owne sinnes so long therfore as you haue time fall vpon them fight with them and doe all that ye can to vndoe them Where if your L. would know how is it that a man may vndoe the euill which he hath done The answer is that two manner of waies ye may doe it first if with good Ezechia ye recount your by-gon sinnes in the bitternesse of your heart mourning for them euer when ye thinke vpon them and with the eyes of faith looke to him who being righteous died for our sinnes sending vp strong supplications to God that by the merit of Christs death your sinnes may be buried in the graue and haue neuer place to stand against you in iudgement If they be such as may be m◅nded by restitution faile not to do it after the manner of good Zaccheus if they be not of that nature mend them by doing the contrarie good This is that holie reuenge which the Apostle commends as a not able effect of repentance That we should be reuenged of our by-gon euils by doing the good which we know is most contrarie vnto them This being done for annulling of your by-gon sinnes let your next care be to rectifie your life for the time to come Salomon saies The end of a thing is better thē the beginning thereof His meaning is of good things for euill men waxe worse and worse but an elect man by grace makes his latter end better then his beginning and they who are planted in the Courts of the Lords house flourish and bring forth fruit euen in their olde daies And here againe I recommend to your L. a three fold duetie First remember how manie are the obligation vvherein ye stand bound to the Lord your God thinke vppon that question of godlie Dauid What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me Take an answer for it out of these vvords of Salomon My sonne giue me thine heart Euerie morning offer vnto the Lord Primitias cordis oris tui the first fruits of your heart and mouth thinke vpon nothing before yee thinke on him speake of nothing till first yee speake vnto him be feruent and continuall in prayer Si non semper precamur semper debemus habere paratum precantis affectu◅ ◅f we be not alway praying we should alway haue readie a heart disposed to pray The vessels of mercy should smell of mercie and the Temples of God should neuer want the sacrifices of God giue to the Lord both the thankes and the seruice of all the good ye haue receiued from him Many giue him verball thankes for his benefites acknowledging themselues debitors to him for the good which they haue who will not serue him with his owne benefites Let these men know that their thanks are not acceptable to him The second point of your care I would haue entended to the poore and needy as ye haue receiued mercy from God or looke to get it shew mercy for Gods sake to such as are vnder you Salomon saith The mercies of the wicked are crueltie but the mercies of a righteous man extend euen toward his beast how much more then will he be mercifull to his Christian brother Remember what comfort Iob found in the day of his trouble arising from this That he restrained not the poore of their desire and caused not the eyes of the widdow to faile that he did not eate his morsels alone but the fatherlesse eat thereof that he saw none perish for want of clothing nor suffered the poore to be without a couering that the loynes of the poore blessed him because hee was warmed with the fleece of his sheepe It is a great grace where a man not onely sets his owne heart to praise God but hyreth the heart and tongue of others to praise God with him and for him therfore To do good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is pleased And with these thinke it a peece of your honour to honor the seruants of the Lord. Beautifull saith Esay are the feet of those who bring the glad tidings of peace If their feet be beautifull what should their face be Looke not to their weakenesse but for their Master and their
are not so they are as I said pilgrims on earth not indwellers Suppose they walke on earth their conuersation is in heauen they are risen with Christ and set their affections on those things which are at the right hand oâ—… God They vse this world as if they vsed it not knowing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shape or figure thereof passeth away they soiourne in it but vvill not dwell in it But like vnto the Eagles as they are figuratiuely called in the parable they see and sent things which are aboue and mount vp toward their prey Christ Iesus counting the most excellent things on earth to be but doung in respect of him On earth He makes no exception heere the whole earth hee acknowledged a place of his pilgrimage Not only wheÌ„ he was banished among the Moabits Philistims was he a stranger but euen when he liued peaceably at home in Canaan stil he thinks himselfe a stranger This consideration mooued godly Basile to despise the threatning of Modestus the deputy of Valens the Emperor when he braued him with banishment Ab exilij metu liber sum vnam hominum cognoscens esse patriam paradisum omnem autem terram commune Naturae exilium And it shall moue vs to keepe spirituall sobrietie in the midst of pleasures if we remember that in our houses at our owne fire end and in our owne beds wee are but strangers from which we must shortly remoue and giue place to others Hide not The maner of Dauid his reasoning we touched before to be this I am heere a stranger and knowe not the way therefore Lord direct me The similitude is taken from passengers who comming to an vncouth countrey vvhere they are ignorant of the way seeke the benefit of a guide but the dissimilitude is heere In any Countrey the country people can guide a stranger to the place where he would be but the indwellers of the earth cannot shew the way to heauen and therefore Dauid seekes no guide among them but prayes the Lord to direct him Thy commandements We are not to thinke that Dauid was ignorant of the ten commaundements no doubt hee knew them and could distinctly repeat them but hee craues that GOD would further teach him the vse the necessity the vtility the obedience of them And this for our carnall professors who if they can repeat the beliefe and the commandements think they are religious enough albeit they neither belieue nor obey but remaine ignorant of the vse practice of theÌ„ both without which ignorance is better then knowledge for the seruant that knowes his Masters will and doth it not is worthy of double stripes VER 20. Mine hart breaks for the desire of thy iudgements alway HEre is a protestation of that earnest desire he had to the obedience of the word of God he amplifies it 2. waies first it was no light motion but such as beeing deeply rooted made his hart to breake when hee saw that he could not do in the obedience therof as he would Next it was no vanishing motion like the morning dew but it was permanent Omni tempore he had it alway Thy iudgements Gods iudgements are of two sorts first his Commands so called because by them right is iudged discerned from vvrong Next his plagues executed vpon transgressors according to his word Dauid here meanes of the first Let men who haue not the like of Dauids desire remember that they whose hart cannot break for transgressing Gods word because they loue it shall find the plagues of GOD to bruse their body and breake their hart also Let vs delight in the first sort of these iudgements and the second shall neuer come vpon vs. Now that Dauid this way presents his desire is an effectuall manner of supplication for desire of grace is a great grace Non est potestatis nostrae desiderium sanctum sed gratiae and the Lord hath bound himselfe by his promise to fulfill it Blessed are they vvho hunger and thirst for righteousnes they shall be satisfied And againe The Lord will fulfill the desires of them that feare him Cum oblectarinos viderit Deus cupiditate iudiciorum suorum sobrium auget affectum And therefore Dauid here presents his hart full of desires to the Lord that he may fill it And here because the profane world makes a scorne of the contrite disposition of the godlie laughing at their teares taunting them in their sighes and sobs let vs looke heere to Dauid If it cannot alway be an argument to mooue men to godlinesse yet is it forcible to moue God to mercie The broken hart for the griefe of sin and loue of righteousnes how euer the world despise it the Lord wil not despise it yea it is the sacrifice of God acceptable to him in Christ Iesus VER 21. Thou hast destroyed the proud Cursed are they that do erre from thy commandements HEre Dauid confirmes himselfe in godlines by meditation of the miserable estate of the wicked who lead a life coÌ„trary to Gods word wherof the sum is The begun iudgements of God executed on the wicked may let vs see the curse of God on them who follow their footsteps Walking in the trade of their sinnes how-euer they seem to prosper flourish for the present there is a curse of God vpoÌ„ them which will consume and destroy them Begun or present iudgements of God vpoÌ„ the wicked should moue vs to abhor their sins But in this great securitie we haue many Lamechs few Dauids Lamech saw the impunity of Caine because he was not punished for his cruell murthering of his brother therefore his hart was prouoked to the like impietie and he reioyced in it I would slay a man in my wound and a young man in mine hart if Caine shall be avenged seauen fold truly Lamech seauentie times seauen fold Thus in the pride and profaneness of his hart did he mock and abuse the patience of God And so fareth it with many of whom Salomon speakes Because iudgement is not speedily executed on the wicked therefore the hart of the children of men is set in them to do euil But few are like Dauid who when he saw Vzzah striken to death for vnreuerent touching of the Arke was mooued in his hart to a greater reuerence of God The proud This is a stile commonly giuen to the wicked because as it is our oldest euill so is it the strongest and first that striues in our corrupt nature to cary men to a transgression of the borders appointed by the Lord. From the time that pride entred into Adams hart that he would be higher then God had made him he spared not to eate of the forbidden tree And what else is the cause of all transgression but that man in his ignorant pride vvil haue his wil preferred to the will of God Satan in his
se conuertit quod lux oculo non praestat GOD who is the light of the inward man doth more to him then the light doth to the externall eye for the light illuminates the eye that lookes vnto it but forsakes the eye which is closed and turned from it But the Lord doth not onely illuminate the mind conuerted to him but he also converts the mind vnto him Which thing the light cannot doe to the eye Diligenter itaque notandae sunt hae loquutiones in scripturis Conuertimini ad me cum his comparandae Conuerte nos Deus sanitatum nostrarum ne putemus libero arbitrio nos ad Deum conuerti Wee haue diligently therefore to obserue these manner of speeches in the Scripture wherein God commaunds vs to conuert to him and to compare them with others wherein we are taught to pray that the God of our saluation would conuert vs and then shall wee be conuerted least otherwise wee thinke that wee conuert to God of our owne free will This choise which Dauid makes here of Gods truth proceeds from that choise and election vvhereby the Lord before all time made choise of Dauid in Christ to be one of his Elect. For as it is true of loue Heerein is loue not that wee loued God first but that he loued vs vvec could neuer haue loued him if first he had not loued vs so is it true of election if he before time had not chosen vs to be his people wee could neuer in time haue chosen him to be our God And this I mark in them vvho loue the word of God delight in it who can say out of a good heart that the Lord is their portion and the ioy of their hart this is a sure seale of their election imprinted by the finger of God in their heart assuring them that what they are in loue and affection toward him that hath he been first toward them and so much the more aboundant in his loue toward vs as he himselfe is greater then we What is the eye to the sunne vvhat is the Well to the Ocean what is the earth to the heauen By infinite degrees is man lesse then his Maker and as farre our loue and affection to him inferiour to his loue affection toward vs. As far as the heauens are aboue the earth so far are my thoughts aboue yours saith the Lord. This doth some-vvhat shadow it but how far his thoughts are aboue ours no similitude can expresse it And thy iudgements Gods word is called his iudgement because it discernes good from euill and is not a naked sentence but as it points out euill so it pronounceth plagues against it vvhich shall be executed according to the sentence therof The remembrance of this scrued as an aw-band to keepe Dauid from sinne and shall keepe vs also if as saith he Psal. 16. wee set the Lord still in our sight and if as heere he doth we lay his iudgements before vs. VER 31. I haue cleaued to thy testimonies O Lord confound me not THe protestation of his former affection is amplified by this that as he had once chosen the testimonies of God so by a constant affection hee cleaued vnto them Dauid was not a Temporizer to make choise of the word this day and reiect it to morrow as were those Iewes who for a time reioyced in the light of the Gospel brought to them by the Baptist and after reiected his testimonie True godlinesse wants neuer vpon her head the garland of perseuerance where the hypocrisie of temporizers who make a shew of beginning in the spirit and end in the flesh is expressed by our Sauior by coâ—…n which springs shooteth to the blade but grows not to perfection because it was neuer vvell rooted And Basil compares these qui bene coeperunt noÌ„ perseueraruÌ„t who begins well but continues not to vnhappy passengers qui naufragium prope portum patiuntur vvho suffer shipwracke not farre from the harbour Confound me not Forasmuch as Dauid in a good conscience endeuoured to serue God hee craues that the Lord would not confound him This is two waies done either when the Lord forsakes his children so that in their trouble they feele not his promised comforts and then great confusion of mind perturbation is vpon them or otherwise when hee leaues them as a prey to their enemies who scorne them for their godly and sincere life and insult ouer them in time of their trouble when they see that all their prayer and other exercises of religion cannot keepe them out of their enemies hands Hee trusted in God let him deliuer him From this shame and contempt he desires the Lord would keep him and that he should neuer be like vnto them who being disappointed of that wherein they trusted are ashamed VER 32. I will run the way of thy coÌ„mandements when thou shalt enlarge mine heart HIs affection toward the word of God is yet further amplified by this that as in time past hee had cleaued to it so hee promiseth with ioy alacritie to continue in it for the time to come which he expresseth by the word of running But hee adds this protestation or rather condition that the Lord would enlarge his hart without which grace hee grants he can make no progresse in the way of godliness Heereof wee learne how wee should doe the will of God not by constraint but cheerfullie willingly as one that runneth a race intends the whole force of his body to advaunce himselfe forward toward the end thereof But heere we may stand and lament Alas we runne not with Dauid oh that we could halt to Canaan with Iacob or at least creep forward like children to our fathers house But many in steed of running lie downe and which is worse goe backeagaine like dogges to their vomits or carnall Israelites to their flesh-pots of Egypt for whom it had beene better not to haue knowne the way of rightcousnes HE. VER 33. Teach mee O Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it to the end THE life of man is compared by the Apostle to a race wherein all must run that looke to obtaine the high prize of the calling of God and so run that all the way they must fight with sundry aduersaries that stand vp against them There must be no declyning neither to the right hand nor to the left but as souldiers direct their way according to the commandement of their Imperator Non ipsi pro suo arbitrio viam carpunt nec voluntaria captant compendia ne à signis recedant so must it be with Christians we should stedfastlie looke to IESVS the authour and finisher of our faith who for the ioy set before him despised the Crosse and endured shame let vs remember our life should be a following of him As Israel in the vvildernesse
walk in is the path of GODS commaundements not anie nevv vvay but the old and pathed vvay vvherein all the seruaunts of GOD haue vvalked before him and for vvhich the Graecians as Euthymius noteth called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi viam tritam But how-so-euer this vvay bee pathed by the vvalking and treading of many in it yet he acknowledgeth it is but one yea and a narrow and difficil path to keepe and therefore seekes he to be guided into it As to the broad way there are many rodes and pathed wayes into it although they meet all in one end all men goe not to hell by one way for we see many men abhorring a sinne in others who yet intertaine a farre more odious sin in themselues but the narrow way that leades to heauen hath but one path or road into it from which if we decline we fall incontinent into some roade of the broad way that leads to hell Let vs therfore vvalke circumspectly considering our naturall disposition to decline and the dangers and difficulties of the vvay let vs wait vpon our guide and follow his foot-steps Praecedit Christus vt sequamur nos hee hath gone before that we should follow he fasted and prayed to traine vs vp in the like exercises he suffred to learne vs patience Ascendit Crucem vt doceret mortem non esse metuendam he went vp to the Crosse that he might teach vs death is not to be feared By this way of innocence holinesse humility patience contempt of death let vs follow our guide nothing doubting but this path shall lead vs to his Paradise For therein is my delight Of this see Verse 47. VER 36. Incline mine heart vnto thy Testimonies and not to couetousnes THis prayer among the rest no doubt flowed out of Dauid his sense hee found his hart euill inclined at least tempted to bow a wrong way For we stand betweene two parties that seek vs the one for our weale the other for our wrack The Lord on the one hand allures vs My sonne giue mee thine hart and offers vs more for it then wee yea or tenne thousand worlds can be woorth and I shall be thy portion On the other hand Satan the deceiuer by faire but false allurements seeks to haue our hart drawne after him Happy is the man can consider this that hee may offer his hart to the Lord and seeke it as a grace as heere Dauid doth Vnto thy testimonies Gods word is called his testimonie because in it hee testifieth his vvill concerning his worship and our saluation and witnesseth also how he is affected to euery man For out of it to some men he speakes as a louing Father to others as a feareful Iudge Men neede not runne vp to Gods secret counsell to enquire how hee is affected toward them if they list they may learne it out of his word But as Achab desired not to hear Michaiah because hee prophecied not good thinges vnto him so many novv because they doe euill can not abide the light of the word they find no ioy in the hearing of it but are striken vvith feare and trembling as Felix was at the hearing of Paul But in truth the blame is in thy self Are not my wordes good to him that walks vprightlie saith the Lord. No doubt if thou wert good thy selfe the word of the Lord should testifie good things vnto thee And not to couetousnes Hee prayes in particular that his hart may be diâ—…crted from couetousnes which is not only an euil but as saith the Apostle The roote of all euill Dauid heere oppones it as an aduersarie to all the righteousnesse of Gods testimonies it inverts the order of Nature and makes the heauenly soule earthlie It is a hand-maid of all sinnes for there is no sinne which a couetous man wil not serue for his gaine We should beware of all sinnes but speciallie of mother sinnes VER 37. Turne away mine eyes from regarding vanitie and quicken me in thy way HAuing prayed for his hart now he praieth for his eyes also Omnia à Deo petit docens illum omnia efficere By the eyes oftentimes as by windowes death enters into the hart therefore to keepe the hart in a good estate three things are requisite First a careful custody of the senses specially of the eyes for it is a righteous working of the Lord Vt qui exteriorâ—… oculo negligenter vtitur interiori non iniustè caecetur that he who negligently vseth the externall eye of his body shold be punished with blindnes in the internal eye of his mind And for this cause Nazianzen deploring the calamities of his soule wished that a dore might be set before his eyes eares to close them when they opened to anie thing that is not good Malis autem sua sponte vtrumque clauderetur The second thing is a subduing of the body by discipline And the third is continuance in prayer Euery creature of God is good and the beholding thereof should waken in vs an affection to praise God Oculi idcireo dati sunt corpori vt per eos intueamur creaturam aâ—… per huiusmodi mirabilem harmoniam agnoscamus opificem for this cause were eyes giuen to the body that by them we might looke to the creature and by the maruailous harmony which is among theÌ„ we might learne to know the Creator But since the fal the creature also is become subiect to vanitie in euery one of them hath the Serpent laid his deceiuable snare to entrap man and steale his affection from GOD so that now Inter tot passiones huius corporis inter tantas illecebras huius saeculi difficile est tutum intemeratum seruare ve stigium in the midst of so many passions of so many allurements of this world it is a dissicile thing to walke and not to be snared Hee that lookes on a woman saith our Sauiour and lusts after her hath committed adultery Behold in how short a time great guiltinesse is committed Malè sic vidit oculus videat ergo fungatur suo munere non lubricae mentis imperio dirigatur ad lapsum vt vitiuÌ„ referat pro officio Dauid knew this hee found the euill of it by experience let vs learn of him to watch ouer our eyes that we may keepe the hart the better Quicken mee in thy way Man by nature is quick enough to walke in his owne waies and the works of nature he can doe them without a teacher but vnlesse the Lord put life in him keepe life in his soule quickning him at all occasions hee hath neither knowledge nor strength nor pleasure to walke in the waies of God Of this petition see ver 88. 145. VER 38. Stablish thy promise to thy seruaunt because hee feares thee HEere is a prayer with a reason The prayer is that God would make sure his
promise to Dauid The meaning is I knowe ô Lord that thy promise is sure enough in it selfe but I pray thee make it sure to me Sure it is the promises of God are most cercertaine the earth may mooue and mountaines may fall yea the earth at length shal be shaken and the heauens wimpled vp like a garment but one iot of the word of GOD shall not faile This is the maine poynt vvhereat in all our life vvee should aime To make sure our calling election that the promises of God most sure in themselues may be made sure vnto vs. Many waies hath GOD confirmed his promise to vs First by the blood of his sonne Next by his owne oath he hath not onely spoken that he will giue mercie to the penitent belieuer but hee hath sworne it that by two immutable things wherin it is impossible that hee should lie he might shew to the heires of promise the stabilitie of his counsell But for all this neuer is his promise sure vnto vs till we receiue the seale of the spirit of adoption For this let vs pray For so long as we are in this body of sinne our infidelitie will euer be sending out feares and doubtings and distrusts against vvhich vvee haue neede to pray the Lord alwaies to confirme vs. Omnes enim Dei benignitate indigemus et qui extremum consequutus est virtut is apicem hac indiget continuò No man hath made such progresse in faith but hee hath neede further to be confirmed Lord incrcase our faith Lord helpe our vnbeliefe And therefore let not our wants and great weakenesse driue vs to despaire but so much the more vvaken and prouoke vs to feruent prayer To thy seruant Dauid frequently vseth this stile as very honourable and indeed so it is The seruaunt of God onely is a free man yea and a King but hee who is not the Lords seruaunt though hee were a Monarch and ruler of the whole earth he is but Satans captiue and a seruaunt of seruaunts O quam multos Dominos habet qui vnum non habet Because hee feares thee Hee who hath receiued from the Lord grace to feare him with loue may be bold to seeke any necessary good thing from him because the feare of GOD hath annexed the promises of all other blessings vvith it Sometime Dauid brings the reason of his petition from the Lord as from his mercy or his truth sometime from himselfe as from this that hee trusts in the Lord ver 42 or that hee hath a great desire toward the Lord ver 40 or that he feares God as heere All the promises of God are conditionall if the condition bee no way in vs how shall the promise be performed vnto vs It is true the Lord is gracious mercifull readie to forgiue c. But what is that to thee who repentst not belieuest him not louest him not and trustest not in him VER 39. Take away my rebuke that I feare for thy iudgements are good THere is a rebuke which comes vpon the godly from men without a cause and this suppose it grieue the godly yet they feare it not but rather reioyce in it according to that of our Sauiour Blessed are yee when men reuile you and speake all manner euill of you for my names sake be glad and reioyce for great is your reward in heauen With this meditation did Augustine confirme himselfe against the detractions of his Aduersarie who sought to empair the credit of his name Quisquis volens detrahit famaemeae nolens addit mercedi meae Hee that willingly would empaire my name against his will increaseth my reward And Dauid glorieth in this that the rebukes of them who rebuked the Lord had fallen vpon him There is againe a rebuke and shame comming from God as the fruite and iust punishment of sin for this the godly are afraid if they looke to their begun sinnes they know they haue deserued it they feare it and therefore pray vvith Dauid Psalmo 6 Lord rebuke mee not in thine anger If againe they looke to the time to come they feare least their infirmities bring them to shame euery one of them according to their seuerall tentations And this also they preuent by prayer as heere Dauid doth For it is to be marked that a godlie man is more afraid for sinnes vvhich hee may doe then a vvicked man is for sinnes that he hath done as hee liues in a continuall sorrow for begun sinnes so also in a continuall feare of sinnes wherein he may fall Semper est in dolore et tremore the one for repenting of sinne the other for preuenting of sinne For thy iudgements are good This reason heere subioyned declares that the rebuke which he feared was Gods rebuke The meaning is As to man his iudgement it is so peruerse that I passe not for it at all I knowe hee condemnes vvhere thou vvilt absolue It is high many a time in mans eye vvhich is abhomination to thee but as to thy rebuke I know Lord it comes neuer vndeserued for thy iudgement is good And therefore prayes he that the Lord vvould keepe him from those sinnes which may bring shame and reproach vpon him VER 40. Behold I desire thy commandements quicken me in thy righteousnesse SOmetime he confesseth his naturall inclination to euill as yee may see out of his prayers in the verses preceding sometime his new disposition by grace vnto that which is good The children of God finde in themselues motions of sinne but not without motions of grace to restrain them the one fights against the other and in this battell are we militant here vpon earth let vs mourne for the one and giue thankes for the other with the Apostle Rom. 7. He offers his desires to the Lord to be looked vpon It is an argument of a well set and disposed heart when a man dare present it vnto the Lord that hee may looke vpon the desires and intention thereof An euill conscience dare not doe this for as an eye when it is hurt craues some couering to hide it from the light so the guiltie conscience flies from the Lord and hath no desire to come before him let vs refuse to liue in that course of life wherein we dare not be bold to looke to the Lord nor content that he should looke vnto vs. I desire Our perfection in this life is rather in godly desires then in a full obtayning of things desired Phil. 3. yet haue the godly this comfort that where desires goe before satisfaction shall follow for the Lord hath promised to fulfill the desires of them that feare him Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied yea sure it is how great soeuer our desires be we cannot desire so much as the Lord hath to giue vs for he is rich in mercy
Dauid vnto the Sanctuary of God and with Abaeue to our Watch-towre where we may looke out and see what hath bin the miserable ends of the wicked and we shall say they buy full deare their short and perishing pleasures for their prosperity is their ruine VER 53. Feare is come vpon me for the wicked that for sake thy lawe LEast it might seeme out of the former words that Dauids comfort stood in the destruction of the wicked by the execution of Gods iust iudgements vpon them he addes this that their impiety was the cause of his feare and griefe and that he was partim iratus quòd legem Dei contemnerent partim dolens quòd ipsi perituriessent This is the meekenesse and loue which the godly carie euen toward those who haue offended them they are touched with a commiseration of them not so much for any wrong done to themselues as for the euill they see their enemies incurre by wronging them Nam qui fortior est non proprtam dolet contumeliam sed aliena peccata et in sua iniuria lapsum alterius ingemiscit As a louing father offends at the contumelious words hee receiues from his frantique child not so much sorrowfull for the wrong done to himselfe as for the disease of his child which forâ—…eth him to speake that vvhich he should not so godly Dauid Dolebat non quia contemnebatur sed quia lex Dei relinquebatur eorum qui hoc faciebant damnuÌ„ dolebat quòd Deo perirent Hee was afraid and grieued at the sinnes of the wicked who scorned him not because he was contemned but God was offended nor yet for any losse he suffered by their sinnes but for the harme they did vnto themselues The impietie of wicked men is here described to be a forsaking of Gods law thereby letting vs know what is the weight of sinne The law is holy good contayning in it a most perfect rule of righteousnes and therefore the forsaking of it cannot be but a very high crime And sure it is many of this age are guiltie of it in regard of their deeds how euer it be that in regard of their words they will not hold with it but when God shall iudge theÌ„ what euer liking of the law they pretend in word they shall be found indeed forsakers of it VER 54. Thy statutes haue beene my songs in the house of my pilgrimage HE still insists in a commendation of the word of God froÌ„ the comforts which hee found in it in the time of trouble Naturalists refresh themselues in their griefes with profane Ballades and Songs but these increase guiltinesse and consequently griefe but mitigate it not As to Dauid hee protests hee sought his comfort in the word of God worldlings count it a melancholique subiect but he found ioy in it let men in this take heede vnto themselues Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart that is approued of him and they who count that to be a wearines which hee found to be a refreshment how can they haue this comfort that they are also approued of God Againe see how the Lord in his wise dispensation attempers himselfe to our infirmities Our life is subiect to many changes and God by his word hath prouided for vs also many instructions and remedies Euery crosse hath his owne remedy and euery state of life his own instruction Sometime our griefe is so great that we cannot sing then let vs pray sometime our deliuerance so ioyfull that wee must breake out in thanksgiuing then let vs sing If any man among you bee afflicted let him pray if hee be merie let him sing Prayers for euery crosse and Psalmes for euerie deliuerance hath GOD by his own Spirit penned vnto vs so that now wee are more then inexcusable if wee faile in this dutie In the house of my pilgrimage Vatablus expounds this of his banishment among the Philistims that vvhen hee vvas put from his natiue Countrey and kinred and all other comforts failed him that then the word of the Lord furnished matter of ioy to him And indeed the banishment of Gods seruaunts may cast them farre from their kinred and acquaintance but it chaseth them neerer to the Lord and the Lord neerer to them Proofe of this in Iacob when hee was banished and lay without all night in the fields he found a more familiar presence of God then he did when he lay in the Tent vvith father and mother But wee may rather with Basil referre it to the whole time of his mortall life Omnem viâ—…am suam peregrinationem vocare arbitror So Iacob acknowledged to Pharao that his life was a pilgrimage and Abraham and Isaac dwelt in the world as strangers S. Peter therfore teacheth vs as Pilgrims to abstaine from the lusts of the flesh and S. Paul to vse this world as if we vsed it not for the fashion thereof goeth away Many waies are wee taught this lesson but slowe are wee to learne it Alas what folly is this that a man should desire to dwell in the earth when God calleth him to be a Citizen of heauen Yet great is the comfort wee haue of this that the houses wherein we lodge vpon earth are but houses of our pilgrimage The faithfull Israelites endured their bondage in Egypt the more patiently because they knew they were to be deliuered from it If the houses of our seruitude were eternall mansions how lamentable were our condition but God be thanked they are but wayfaring cottages and houses of our pilgrimage Such a house was the womb of our mother if we had beene enclosed there for euer what burden had it been to her what bondage to our selues Such a house will be the graue of the which wee must all say with Iob The graue shall be my house and I shall make my bed in the darke if vvee were there to abide for euer how comfortlesse vvere our estate But GOD be praised our mansion house is aboue and the houses we exchange here on earth are but the houses of our pilgrimage happy is he can so liue in the world as esteeming himselfe in his owne house in his owne bed yea in his owne body to be but a stranger in respect of his absence from the Lord. VER 55. I haue remembred thy name O Lord in the night and haue kept thy law THis verse containes a new protestation of his honest affection toward the word of God Wherin first let vs mark his sinceritie he was religious not onely in publick but in priuat for priuate exercises are the surest tryalls of true religion In the publique oftentimes hypocrisie caries men to simulate that vvhich they are not it is not so in the priuat for then either doth a man if hee make no conscience of Gods worship vtterly neglect it because there is no eye of man to see him or otherwise if hee
thy portion but the Lord. Whom haue I in heauen but thee And I haue desired none in the earth with thee Let vs looke to the creatures consider how they are very good let vs vse them also but so that we remember alway how with them a greater good then they are is offred vnto vs namely that good GOD that made them What is the creature if it be compared with him that made it Can the vvorke of a mans hand bee so excellent as man that made it And vvhy then shouldst thou thinke that there is either beautie or vertue in a creature for which it should bee more desired and loued then the Lord vvho made it Pulchrum coelum pulchra terra sed pul chrior qui fâ—…cit illa Ethnicks saw by the light of Nature specially the Platoniques that whatsoeuer good is in the creature it is but Splendor quidam summi illius boni a certaine beame of that great and infinite good which is in God and that then onely was the good which is in the creature rightlie vsed when by it men learned to goe vp and returne to the Creator But alas such is our wretched corruption that the same things which should cary vs vpward toward God drawe vs downe and we are oftentimes so snared with the loue of the creature that wee forget the Creator not that any blame is in the creature but as I saide in our owne corrupt nature for euery creature in the own kind sends vs to him that made it speaking with such a voice as it hath Seeke not rest nor contentment from vs Goe vp and seeke it in him that made vs no contentment no satisfaction haue wee to giue you The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing This then is the first motiue that as the Lord would not rest till hee had made man so man is bound of his dutie neuer to rest till he find the Lord. The other motiue is It is impossible that man can get rest or contentment to his soule in any thing but in the Lord his God Man vvas made for God and to the image of God and therefore can no other thing fill and content the desires of his soule but GOD himselfe Caeteris rebus occupari potest repleri non potest Other things may busie and vex the spirit of man but cannot fill or replenish it Fecisti nos Domine propter te semper in quietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te thou madest vs ô Lord for thy selfe and our hart is alway vnquiet till it rest in thee As the point of the Mariners compasse touched with the Adamant trembles euer till it be directed toward the North so doth the hart of man till it bee directed to the Lord. And as the Doue which Noah sent forth of the Aâ—…ke went flying abroad and could find no rest for the sole of her foot the earth being couered with waters till she returned againe to Noah so the soule of man may goe through the world caried in the body as a chariot or otherwise flee abroad and view al the creatures vpon the wings of contemplation but it shall find no place of rest no creature to content it till it returne to the Lord. Otherwise anguish of spirit and sore tribulation shall be the portion thereof But heere it is demaunded whether or no is this preiudiciall to the rest of Gods children that Dauid saith The Lord is his portion I answer no manner of way for the Lord shall not be the lesse the portion of one that feares him because he is the portion of another hee is sufficient for all Earthly heritages are the lesse when they are communicated to many and therefore oftentimes is there stâ—…ife among them about the diuision heere it is not so there needs no contention about the diuision of this inheritance one shal not haue the lesse because another hath much the Lord shall bee all in all euery one of his Saints shall be filled with his glory Wee see the Sunne in the firmament shineth vnto all the vvorld neither is there any man who thinks that the light is the lesse because it is common to many If GOD haue created the Sunne with such maruailous wisedome that the light thereof is not the lesse to euery one because it is common to many what may wee looke to find in himselfe The generall vse of this towards vs all is to assure vs of our election If from our heart wee haue made this choise that we can say in sinceritie with Dauid O Lord thou art my portion we may be assured that first of all hee did choose vs to bee his inheritance Yee haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you saith Christ. Heerein is loue saith Saint Iohn not that wee loued him first but that hee loued vs. If the Lord had not chosen vs to be his peculiar people we should neuer haue chosen him to be our portion The particular vse of it is first to those vvho are poore in worldly things let this comfort them that GOD is become their portion The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want vvhat matter is it who haue the greatest measure of Gods mooueables sith the permanent goods of the inheritance are ours His mooueables I call the things of this world which goe from hand to hand the permanent good is himselfe his fauour his loue toward vs in Christ Iesus It was the infirmitie of our father Abraham when the Lord said vnto him Feare not I shall be thy buckler and exceeding great reward that hee answered What canst thou giue mee Lord seeing I goe childlesse As if this were no more then all children or gifts temporall whatsoeuer that the Lord promised to giue himselfe to him for a reward It is marked in him that by his weakenesse wee may learne to gather wisedom and strength neuer to thinke vvee can vvant any thing seeing we haue the Lord himselfe for our portion The other particular vse of it is toward those who haue receiued a greater measure of worldly things from the Lord if with it they haue also grace to loue and feare him Let them knowe they haue gotten a double portion which obligeth them in a double seruice beyond their brethren I wish of God men of honour in the world professors of the Gospel could shew as much holy zeale for the maintenance of the gospel which is the testimony of God witnessing that he is become their father and portion in Christ as they can declare carnall zeale against those that would preiudice them in the smallest portion of their earthly inheritances yea for a foote bredth of their land But this is the time wherin men are fallen from their former zeale not onelie is the fruite decaied but the leaues also are fallen away and there is no courage
for the truth I haue determined to keepe thy word This he brings in by way of probation of that which hee said in the former words Many wil say with Dauid that God is their portion but heere is the poynt how doe they proue it If God be their portion then they would loue him if they loued him they would loue his word if they loued his word they would liue by it and make it a rule of their life If it were demaunded of these bastard Christians as Chrysostome enquired of the like Wherby shall I know you to be Christians their onely defence behoued to stand in their tongue for if yee looke to the works of their hands yee shall not discerne them from Infidels Looke to their eating and drinking they are like Epicures look to their garments they are vaine-glorious looke to their feet they delight in any place more then in the courts of the Lords house Is not this then a small defence all the parts of their conuersation testifie against them onely their words speak for them let them beware for this will bee no sufficient proofe of true Christianitie when God shall iudge them Hee saith not onely that hee will keepe Gods word but he had determined to keepe it Many enter into religion but not vpon determination these doe no otherwise saith our Sauiour then if a man should goe to battell and not consider if he may fight it out or as if a man should build a house and not lay his count whether or no he is able to finish it for this man leaues it at the last with more shame then if he had not begun it so fareth it with many who embrace religion lightly and as lightly fall away from it they not beeing rooted nor grounded nor built vpon Christ Iesus Three helps of a godly life are heere vsed by Dauid the first is Determination this makes a man to begin well The second is Supplication this makes a man to continue well The third is Consideration and this makes a man when hee goes wrong to come home againe to his determination He that begins to liue well not laying his grounds by Determination is easily altered and hee that vpon Determination beginneth to do well if by instant prayer he obtaine not grace from God shall ouer readily faint and fall away for what are best purposes if grace from aboue strengthen vs not to performe them but vanishing motions And in the third roome because in many things we sin all wee haue need of Consideration whereby we doe examine our waies and returne againe to our first course when wee haue wandred from it VER 58. I haue made my supplication in thy presence with my whole hart be mercifull to mee according to thy promise THese words stand of a protestation and prayer They teach vs to second our determinations vvith prayers both because our purposes shall perish if God blesse them not as Psal. 127 as also for that Satan then doth most busily impugne vs when hee sees wee haue most resolutely concluded to serue the Lord. Three things are to be obserued in Dauids praier 1. His reuerence 2. His sinceritie 3. His faith His reuerence is heere that he made his supplication in Gods presence if we did so thinke when we go to pray we goe to shew our selues in Gods presence how would it humble vs in our selues make vs reuerent toward God Wee know what we do when we come before Kings of the earth wee prepare our selues wee come with the reuerence of Hester to Ahasuerus of Bathsheba to Dauid and good reason so we should doe But how much are we bound to do as Abraham did when wee come before the Lord to remember wee are but dust ashes and that it is a great benefit that wee should get license to speake to the Righteous Iudge of all the world And this reuerence our Sauiour commends vnto vs when in the preface of the prayer which he hath taught vs he remembers vs that our father to whom we speak is in heauen we should not be rash with our mouth nor hasty in our hart to vtter a thing before God For God saith Salomon is in heauen and we are in the earth Let faith mooue our harts to goe to him when we haue neede let feare bridle vs that we be not suddaine but first temper our harts ere wee speake with our tongue to so reuerent a Maiestie It is abhomination to offer vnto the Lord the Sacrifice of fooles that is words without affection and yet alas how often doth our infirmitie miscarie vs to doe so Magni certè ingenij est seuocare mentem à sensibus cogitationem à consuetudine abducere It is a worke of great difficultie in prayer to sunder our soule frō our senses and to withdrawe our cogitations from their custome The second thing to be obserued in his praier is his sinceritie in these words With my vvhole hart Hypocrisie is a vile sinne in dealing with men but much more abhominable when by it men presume to mocke the Lord making a shew in his presence of that which they are not Rebecca decked vp Iacob in so subtile a maner that Isaac his father mistooke him but Satan now pranks vp his coūterfet Christians in more subtil maner for there Isaac tooke some notice of him by his voice but now men haue learned to speak so cunningly and Christian-like that hardly can a man think how a false hart should lodge vnder so faire a tongue But let not men deceiue themselues God wil not be deceiued his eyes are not dimme as Isaacs but liuely quick and pearcing like vnto flames of fire he can see they are but a potshard ouer laid with siluer drosse and a little time shall discouer them Certum est nihil simulatum aut fictum verae esse virtutis sed nec diuturnum for it is sure that a counterfeit thing can neuer haue solid vertue nor continuance in it Let vs studie with Dauid to make our hart good vpright before God The third thing to be marked in his prayer is his faith grounded vpon the promises of God in these words Be mercifull vnto me according to thy promise He protested before that he sought the Lord from his whole hart and now he prayeth he may find mercie So it is indeede boldlie may that man looke for mercy at Gods hand vvho seekes him truely there Mercie and Truth meet together and embrace one another where truth is in the soule to seeke there cannot be but mercie in GOD to embrace If truth be in vs to confesse our sinnes forsake them wee shal find mercy in God to pardon and forgiue them Again we see that as our prayers should be sent vp in Christes name so shold they be groūded on Gods promises It is a shame that the prayers of many Christians
are nothing different from the prayers of Turks for what shall ye heare among them but the like of these voyces God helpe vs God be mercifull to vs these are prayers which any Ethnique will make in time of his distresse but we must learne to frame our prayers another way when we pray wee must pray in the name of Christ and to be heard for Christes sake because he is the Mediator and peace-maker betweene God and man and in him the father is well pleased And againe wee must not take libertie to seeke what wee like out of our corrupt humors as the custome of many is but we must ground our prayers vpon Gods promises which in Christ Iesus he hath made vnto vs. And lastly seeing this is an argument which commonly we vse to moue God to be mercifull vnto vs Because he hath so promised if we wold haue this argument forcible let vs make conscience of those promises which we haue made vnto God Offree mercie hath the Lord made promises vnto vs but of bouÌ„d duty we haue made promises vnto him With what face can that man desire that the Lord should keepe his promise to him who had neuer any care to keep his promise vnto God More of this see ver 76. 116. 176. VER 59. I haue considered my waies and turned my feet vnto thy testimonies NExt vnto determination and supplication consideration would be vsed in all our actions to try and examine whether or no wee haue done according to our purpose and prayers Consideration is so necessary that without it no state of life can rightly be ordered The Mariner considers his course by his Compasse if he neglect it he runneth into remedilesse dangers The Merchant who adviseth not his affaires with his Count-book becommeth quickly a bankrupt The Pilgrim who hath proposed to himselfe an end of his iourney considers euery houre whether or no hee bee in the right way that may bring him to his proposed end and if he see many waies before him stat cogitat ipse secum vtram debeat eligere nec prius adoriendum iter quam animo definierit et pleniore mentis intentione deciderit hee stands and adviseth vvith himselfe which of them he should choose neyther will hee goe forward till he haue by inward consideration resolued what is best How much more should hee whose course is to the kingdome of heauen consider his waies and thinke with himselfe Non omnis via illò ducit non omnis via dirigit ad Hierusalem illam quae in coelis est that euerie vvay directs not a man to that Ierusalem which is in heauen Seeing no estate of life can be rightly ordered without consideration shall onely a Christian be so carelesse as to thinke he can goe from earth to heauen and not vse consideration But what is that which Dauid did consider I haue saith he considered my waies He was not like them who vse the eye of their mind as they doe the eye of their body for with it they looke vnto all things but not vnto it selfe so is it with many carelesse of themselues curious to censure others iudging of euery mans waies and not regarding their owne The godly indeede they looke into all things and make their advantage of all but so that first they looke into their own estate And heere is wisedom All men are naturally wise enough to looke vnto that which is theirs onely religion teacheth a man to looke to himselfe Take heed to your selues saith Moses to Israel the same said the Apostle to Timothie and in them the warning stands for vs all Aliud tu aliud tua there is a great difference betweene thy selfe and that which is thine but this is a pittiful folly that a man shall take a time to consider and take heed vnto all that is his his houses his fieldes his rents his garments and shall take no time to consider himselfe that hee may amend his waies vvhere hee hath gone wrong and repaire his decaied estate which before hee hath hurt by inconsideration And turned my feete vnto thy testimonies As oft as Dauid considered his waies he found alwaies some defect that needed redresse Who can â—…ay hee hath in such sort cleansed his hart that hee hath not neede to make it more cleane Quis ita ad vngueÌ„ omnia à se supersluà resecaâ—…it vt nihil se habere putet putatione dignum Who hath so cut away his superfluities that hee may thinke he hath nothing that needes to be cut away Crede mihi putata repullulant effugata redeunt reaccenduntur extincta Beleeue me when sinnes are lopped they grow againe when they are chased away they returne againe and their fire being once quenched kindles againe Sape putanduÌ„ est imò si fieri possit semper quia si non dissimulas semper quod putari oporteat inuenis Wherefore we should often loppe our superfluous affections yea if it be possible alwaies if a man wil tell the truth as it is he findes alwaies something in himselfe that needs to be reformed Thy Testimonies Of this see ver 79. 95. VER 60. I haue made hast and delayed not to keepe thy Commandements HEere is another protestation of his earnest loue affection toward the Lord That hee delayed not to keep his commaundements It is one of Satans customable policies to tempt men with a delay of repentance hee dare not plainely say that repentance is not needfull onely to deceiue the simple he craues a delay and so after one hee steales away another till all the time bee past wherein man should repent And in this snare many one perisheth that where in their young yeares they will not repent but delay till they be older in their olde age they cannot repent the affection through long custome of sinne waxing strong euen then when the body is weake So that the day of death which they thought to make the day of their repentance becomes to them a day of fearefull perturbation by reason of the great debt of sinne which oppresseth their soules that would not take order with it in time Thus the miserable man for lacke of timely repentance ends not his pilgrimage in peace but in fearefull perturbation vnder this punishment that Moriens obliuiscitur sui qui dum viueret oblitus est Dei When hee dyeth hee forgets himselfe because when he liued he forgat his God In things perteyning to this life delay of good is dangerous If a wound bee not cured before it rotte it becomes incurable if the fire be not quenched in time it becomes vnquenchable and if flesh be not salted before it stinke it becomes so vnsauorie that it cannot be mended If a motefal in the eye or a thorne in the foot we take them out without delay but in things perteyning to the health of the soule delay is much more dangerous
The Lord when hee exhorts to repentance cryes My sonne delay not to turne to the Lord. This day vvhile it is called vpon you harden not your harts but Satans voice is Tarry till the morne Let me first goe and kisse my father that is delight yet a space in the pleasures of this life It was offred by Moses to Pharao When shall I pray for thee and he answered To morrow It is offred by the Lord to man When wilt thou that I haue mercie on thee and in effect it is answered by many Not till mine old daies Miserable was Pharao who delayed Moses but one day and more miserable are they vvho delay the Lord for many yeeres vvhen hee offers them mercy I knowe no difference betweene the vvise Virgins and the foolish but that the one did that in time which the other would faine haue done out of time and could not The most profane men of the world are forced in death to make their refuge to the Lord then the eye and the hand are lifted vp vnto him then they cry for mercie and desire all others to pray for them If wee be wise let vs doe that in time which al men are faine to doe at the length VER 61. The bands of the wicked haue robbed me but I haue not forsaken thy law TRue godliness will indure great tentations euen as trees wel rooted abides the blast of strong winds and gold that is fine abides the triall of fire Many waies was Dauid tempted and among the rest the wicked by troupes and multitudes combined against him yet did he not forsake the law of the Lord. The godly liue in this world like sheep among vvolues euery wicked man in whom Satan ruleth is like a Cananite to an Israelite a thorne in our eye a prick in our side yea and as a dart of Satan shot at vs to driue vs away from the fear of God if so wee can take them it should greatly strengthen vs to indure all troubles that come from them There will neuer be peace among those two parties between whom the Lord himselfe in Paradise proclaimed inimity And howsoeuer to strengthen themselues in an euill cause the wicked goe together by bands and companies yet shall it not availe them nor hurt vs. Babels builders Moab Ammon Edom conspyring in one may tell vs Though hand ioyne in hand the wicked shall not escape vnpunished the wickd are like thornes before the fire their multitude may well embolden it but cannot resist it VER 62. At midnight will Irise to giue thanks vnto thee because of thy righteous iudgements IN this verse we haue a protestation of Dauid his thankfull affection toward the Lord wherein we haue three things 1. The dutie promsed namely to giue thanks 2. The time at midnight 3. The cause because of thy righteous iudgements As for the dutie of thanksgiuing wee spake of it verse 7. As for the time hee saith hee will rise at midnight and giue thanks to God We pray that we may doe Gods will on earth as it is done in heauen now in heauen we know they praise God continually without ceasing we should doe so vpon earth but our necessities of sleeping eating and such like interrupt vs that wee cannot doe it as we should yet happy shall we be if wee season all our dyets and doings with prayer and thanksgiuing That as God in nature hath made the knee to bow at euery step so the hart in euery action might bow and blesse the Lord acknowledging our Maker and Redeemer and directing all our dooings to his glory When Salomon made harps and other musicall instruments for the praise of God he made them of Almuggim trees that is of such trees as rotte not Teaching vs by like signification how induring should bee those instruments of our heart and affections wherewith wee praise God that we should not suffer them to decay But alas how soone do we faile Oftentimes we begin the day with some feruencie in praysing and prayer but wee faintere euen yet shall we haue great comfort if when our performance faileth our purpose remaine for this will reuiue our former zeale and make vs to returne vnto an earnest calling vpon God and that with the greater feruencie That we finde our great infirmity hath carried vs away from our former purpose Let vs againe consider here how Dauid spends the time of his life that we may learne at him to be wise Time is a most pretious thing not such a jewell among all things perteyning to this life By this it may be esteemed that in a small point of time an infinite weight of glory may be acquired and men who haue beene prodigall of it spending yeares and moneths without consideration would haue giuen great riches yea all the jewels of the world if they had beene in their possession for prorogation of their life one year yea one moneth Let vs therefore learne at Dauid how he vsed his time when he lay downe at night he watered his couch with teares after the examination of his heart At midnight againe he rose vp to giue thankes there-after he preuented the morning watch that he might meditate on the word of the Lorde then in the day time morning noone and even hee made a noise to the Lord yea seauen times in the day he called vpon God Our Sauiour hath commended the like care vnto vs both by his precept and practise in the Temple at the table in the garden in the mountaine did he pray all night Vt te proprio ad de precandum inuitaret exemplo Happy were we if so we could spend our dayes for certaine it is when our last day coms we shal haue comfort of no by-gone time but that which we haue spent in the seruice of God Sleepe is most necessary for the intertainment of bodily health it is Ros naturae the dewe of nature more necessary then meate or drinke yet as Dauid protests ver that hee loued the word of God more then his appointed food so heere hee preferres the prayses of God to his sleepe and rest in the night This may make vs ashamed when we see how wicked men cannot rest except they haue done euill and how they defraud themselues of sleep that they may commit iniquity and how againe the superstitious Priests of Baal can wake in the night to attend vpon their Idols that Christians professing Gods true worship should so pamper themselues that they will not rise out oâ—… the bedde to bowe their knee to the Lord yea scarsely lying still with their bodies will raise vp their spirits to praise him Sleepe is compared by one to a sory customer that eyther takes vp more then wee should giue or then his Master allowes him The Lord allowes a certaine time for our sleepe and rest as he doth to all the
rest of his creatures Psal. 104. But this is intollerable That vnder pretence of a little time allowed vnto vs the halfe of our time should bee exacted from vs. Ethniques in this point may make vs ashamed It is written of Alexander and Caesar among many moe that they parted the night in three the first they tooke vnto rest the second to the workes of Nature the third to their studies for encrease of knowledge and learning and that because they were forced to spend the day time in gouernment of their Kingdomes and administration of their warlike affaires Yet we haue now such a number whom wee may call Monsters of Nature who are not content to spend all the night ouer in works of darknesse such as Drunkennesse and Gluttonie and Chambring and slumbring but they turne also the noon-tyde of the day into midnight Per diem illis fit media nox yea not sparing the holy Sabboths of the Lord they sleepe by themselues like Howlets in their holes when the Saints of God are assembled together to praise him but miserable are they for as they tooke no part of Gods seruice so shall they bee strangers from the recompence The third circumstance pointing out the cause or matter of his thankesgiuing is here because of Thy righteous iudgements Where by iudgements he vnderstands Gods iust working according to his word both in executing threatned plagues vpon the wicked and performing promised mercies to the godly And for this cause Dauid praiseth God because he found him alwayes as good as his word and what he promised with his mouth hee performed with his hand And this cause which moued Dauid to praise God should moue vs all for wee haue felt his promises kept to our selues and his iudgements executed on the wicked in so manifest a manner that men might say as in the Psalme Verely there is a God that iudgeth righteously on earth and there is fruit for the righteous There is no transgression of Gods law which in som wicked men we haue not seene punished If the Lord did only speake and neuer punish men would say There is not a God and if on the other hand all transgressions were punished here men might say we need not look for a iudgement to come Of such sinnes as we haue seene punished let vs learn that there is a Iudge and of such sinfull men as we see spared let vs also learne that there is a iudgement to come VER 63. I am companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts HE said in the first verse of this Section that God was his portioÌ„ now he saith All the Saints of God are his companions These two goe together the loue of God and the loue of his Saints He that loueth not his brother made to Gods image whom hee seeth how shall he say he loueth God whom hee hath not seen Seeing our goodnes extends not to the Lord if it be shewed to his Saints and excellenâ—… ones vpon earth for his sake it shall be no small argument of our louing affection toward him selfe Godly Dauid when Ionathan was dead made diligent inquisition Is there none of Ionathans posteritie to whom I may shew kindnes for Ionathans sake and at length he found a silly lame Mephiboseth So if we enquire diligently Is there none vpon earth to whom I may shew kindnesse for Christs sake who is in heauen wee shall euer find some to whom whatsoeuer wee doe shall be allowed as done to himselfe Euery mans company wherein hee delights tells what manner of man he is himselfe Qualiscunque quis fuerit cum tali se coniungit The fowles of heauen flocke together according to their kinds ye shal not see Doues assembling with Rauens Inter dispares mores quae potest esse amicitia What fellowship or friendship can be among men of inequall manners Non potest homini amicus esse qui Deo fuerit infidus he can neuer be friendly to man who is false vnto God But there is yet a greater argument the Lord IESVS hath honoured vs to be his companions so wee are called Psal. 44. God hath anointed thee aboue thy fellowes To worke this fellowship he assumed our nature he abased himselfe he was baptized as we are he died as vvee doe hee rose againe as we shall doe hee walked in all our waies that hee might traine vs vp to walke in his waies and might euery way make vs like himselfe and shal we thinke it a derogation to our honor to humble our selues for Christs sake to men of a rank inferior to vs and euen for the feare and loue of God that is in them to account them our companions Yet further his great modestie is to bee marked Non dixit imitantium te sed timentium he saith not I am companion to all that follow thee but to all that feare thee The feare of God is the beginning of wisedom Inter rudes se constituit humilitate cum veteranos superaret deuotione hee placeth himselfe among nouices in humilitie when he excelled antients in pietie That feare thee The godly are commonly described by this grace That they fear God but so that they also loue and obey him therefore Dauid ioynes these two together That fear thee and keepe thy precepts Apostat Angels saith S. Iames feare GOD but there-withall they hate him and rebell against him In the Godly feare prepares a way to loue when loue is perfected then feare shall cease but in the wicked fear prepares a way to despaire restlesse perturbation Abraham looked for no good in Gerar because he thought the fear of God was not there on the contrary Ioseph confirmed the timorous harts of his brethren that they should looke for none euil at his hands because said he I feare God Therby letting vs know that this is a sufficient reason to assure vs of all good duties from a man if truly it may be said of him He feareth God VER 64. The earth O Lord is full of thy mercies teach mee thy statutes HEere is a prayer with a reason Seeing ô Lord thou art good to all thy creatures shew thy goodnes also to mee in this that thou teach me thy statutes Gods generall benignitie is extended to all his creatures his speciall benignity is for his children and this is it that Dauid here craueth And indeed Gods generall goodness vnto all his creatures should serue to confirme his children in the assurance of his more speciall fauour toward them as heere Dauid vseth it If hee care for sparrowes if he feed the young Rauens when they cry if hee clothe the Lilies of the fielde are not his own children much more worth will he not much more care for them Seeing of his goodnesse he sends raine to the wicked makes his sunne to shine on the vniust will he not of his mercie lift vp the
light of his countenaunce vpon his owne and make the dewe of his grace to fall vpon them Yea if we our selues when we were enemies were reconciled how much more now beeing reconciled shall we be saued And this as it serues to confirme the godlie that the whole earth is full of Gods goodnes so doth it also convince the wicked of a blind stupiditie Euery creature hath in it some note of Gods goodnes and yet they cannot see it they looke to heauen they walke vpon earth they breathe in the ayre they warme at the fire euery moment they vse Gods creatures but neuer see nor feele his his goodnesse in them to lift vp their harts and praise him for them TETH VER 65. O Lord thou hast dealt graciously with thy seruaunt according to thy word IN the verse following Dauid seekes mercy in this hee giues thankes for mercy receiued Mercies receiued as they should be returned with praise to him who gaue theÌ„ so should they confirme our harts in an expectation of greater to bee receiued It is not with God as it is with man a man the more he giueth the lesse he hath it is not so with the Lord. Among men this is a reason as they alledge why they should not giue I haue giuen you already why then doe yee trouble mee any more but it is not so with God the treasures of his grace can neuer be emptied whom he loues he loues vnto the end and to him that hath hee giueth more Yea all that now wee get hee willeth vs to receiue as an earnest or a pledge of greater good hee hath to giue vs. So Dauid confirmes himselfe Psalme 23. that because the Lord had beene a Shepheard to him in time by-gone hee gathers this conclusion Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercy shall follow me all the daies of my life But how saith Dauid did God deale graciously with him seeing hee did humble him from his youth with many sore afflictions These agree very well together for the Lord is most louing when he chastiseth EtiaÌ„ in seueritate est bonitas Dei vt recurrat vnusquisque castigatus pedem referat à peccatis ad tramitem bonamque conuersationem reuertatur euen in seueritie Gods gracious goodnesse appeares in that hee vvho is chastised returnes from his sinnes to the right trade of a godlie conuersation Will any man accuse a Physition of cruelty because hee cutteth away the rotten member vvith yron or burnes with fire a fretting canker Or shall the Master bee blamed for correcting his negligent Disciple that hee may make him more diligent and attentiue to learning Sic castigare amantis est non execrantis ideo bonitatis est noncrudelitatis so to chastise is the vvorke of one that loueth not that hateth there is no crueltie in that but gratious goodnesse And albeit these chastisements seeme not sweete for the present yet afterward as the Apostle saith they bring the quiet fruite of righteousnesse to them vvho are thereby exercised And therefore Dauid still craueth to bee taught of GOD the same manner of way Sciebat namque Propheta disciplinae vtilitatem because hee had learned by experience vvhat great good Gods discipline doth to the soule of a man Yee may perceiue by this how Dauid kept remembrances of the seuerall proofes of Gods fauour shewed vnto him in performing to him the promised kingdome and in deliuering him from many outward and inward temptations Thus the children of GOD keepe with themselues memorials of mercie receiued for albeit the time of the full performance of Gods promises bee not yet come yet doth he performe so much of them as binds vs in all conscience to remember his praises who is a most true and mercifull God vnto vs. Thy seruaunt Dauid frequently delights in this stile Hee found that his greatest comfort stood in the seruing of GOD in a good conscience and if we do not so with what boldnes can we looke for comfort from him in the day of our trouble or houre of death who made no conscience of his seruice Yea rather iustly may the Lord giue vs that fearefull answer which he gaue to the rebellious Iewes wheÌ„ they sought his help in the day of their distresse Goe vnto the gods whoÌ„ yee haue serued and let them deliuer you According to thy vvord Naturall men will not belieue that GOD will doe according to his vvord they haue it in derision The vision say they is but wind In so dooing they highly offend the maiestie of GOD imputing this note of dishonestie vnto him That hee is not so good as his word but in experience they shall find the contrary The godly shall find the truth of his word in mercie as Ezechias did so shall they praise him The Lord hath said it and the Lord hath done it but the wicked shal find it in iudgement Your Fathers vvhere are they and doe the Prophets liue for euer But did not my word and my Statutes vvhich I commaunded by my seruaunts the Prophets take hold on your Fathers And they returned and said As the Lord of hosts hath determined to doe vnto vs according to our ovvne waies and works so assuredly hath he dealt with vs. So shall all the wicked find at the length that as God hath a mouth to speak so hath he a hand to execute it Then shall they discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked between him that serueth God and him that serueth him not VER 66. Teach mee good iudgement knowledge for I haue beleeued thy coÌ„maundements THis verse containes a prayer with a reason In the prayer he beseecheth God to teach him good iudgement The word Tob Tagnam signifieth the goodnesse of taste so Vatablus Bonitatem sensus doce me The naturall sense of tasting is heere by a Metaphortranslated to signifie iudgement and vnderstanding and that because as taste discernes meat makes choise of vvhat is to bee sent into the stomacke â—…o the vnderstanding discernes betweene truth to be embraced and falshood to be reiected This is the grace for which the Apostle prayeth to the Philippians I pray that yee may abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that yee may discerne things which are excellent This is a rare grace For many by the iudgement of light knowes what is good and what is euill who knowe it not by the iudgement of taste for if by sense they felt the bitternesse of sinne and sweetnesse of righteousnesse they wold not so loue the one set light by the other as they doe And againe this puts a difference between that knowledge which wee haue in this life and that which we shall haue in the life to come Now we haue but a taste then shall we be filled and satisfied with his image now wee knowe but in part heereafter wee shall knowe fully now we
Christian so profane that when all vices are gathered euery one may say to him Thou art mine Quomodo ergo qui huiâ—…smodi est potest dicere Christo Tuus sum How then may such a man as he say vnto Christ I am thine Concupiscence Auarice Ambition and the rest vpon iust reasons of seruice done by him to them challenge him to be theirs Of such a man it may be spoken that was said of Constantinus Copronymus Eum nee Christianum esse nee Iudaeum nee Paganum sed colluuiem quandam impietatis That he was neyther a Christian nor a Iew nor a Pagan but a confused masse of all impietie And how then can such a one say to the Lord I am thine But if so they will say let them receiue their answere Away ye workers of iniquitie hee is not alway mine that saith Lorde Lorde Wicked men may so say Sed voâ—…e non corde but it is with their tongue not with their heart As Iudas euen then pretended that he was one of Christs when Satan had entred into him but the aduersary iustly might challenge him by the like of these speeches which by Ambrose properly are ascribed to him Non est Tuus Iesu sed mens est quae mea sunt cogitat qua mea sunt in pectore volutat tecum epulatur meâ—…um pascitur à te panem à me pecuniam accepit tecum bibit mihi sanguinem tuum vendit He is not thine said Satan to the Lord Iesus he is mine his thoughts and cogitations are mine he eats with thee but is fedde by me he takes bread from thee but mony from me he drinkes with thee and selâ—…es thy bloud to me A fearfull conuiction of men who giue their word to Christ professing his name but their workes to Satan doing what hee commaunds them These men cannot say with Dauid I am thine O Lord. For I haue sought See here how Dauid qualifies his protestation from his earnest affection to the word of God hee proues that hee was Gods man and his owne seruant It is not wordes but affections and actions which must proue vs to be the Lords Tuus sum quia id solum quod tuum est quasiui I am thine because I sought nothing but that which is thine and how I might please thee Mihi in tuis iustificationibus est omne patrimonium in the obseruance of thy precepts is all my patrimony VER 95. The wicked haue waited for me to destroy me but I will consider thy Testimonies TWo things againe he notes in his enemies diligence in waiting all occasions whereby to doe him euill and cruelty vvithout mercy for their purpose was to destroy him wherin still we see how restlesse and insatiable is the malice of the wicked against the godly Daniel his preseruation in the Lions den was a great miracle but it is no lesse a maruellous vvorke of God that the godly who are the flock of Christ are daily preserued in the midst of the vvicked who are but rauening Wolues thirst for the bloud of the Saints of God hauing a cruell purpose in their heart if they might performe it vtterly to destroy them When we see them disappointed let vs giue thankes with the Iewes If the Lord had not beene on our side may Israel now say If the Lord had not beene on our side when men rose vp against vs then had they swallowed vs quick when their wrath was kindled against vs but praised be the Lord who hath not giuen vs a pray to their teeth But I will consider The coÌ„sideration of Gods word is a strong stay against all temptations See verse 9. 15. 59. 95. 159. VER 96. I haue seene an end of all perfection but thy commaundements are exceeding large IN the conclusion of this Section hee compares Gods word with all other most perfect and excellent things that are in the vvorld and hee sheweth how they shall faile and vanish but the word of the Lord endureth Nihil tam perfectum vel absolutum est omniex parte quod finem suum non habeat Experience lets vs see this to be a truth for there is no day so pleasant but a night puts end to it no Sommer so fruitful but a barren Winter ouertakes it no body so pleasant and liuely but death destroyes it frequent eating and drinking in the dayes of Nâ—…h but the flood came and tooke them all away great mirth among the Philistims vpon their Patrons holy-day but their banquetting house became their buriall The Monarch of Babel that golden head had feet of clay and in the end wormes spred vnder him and wormes couered him All the pomp of the world is like the gourd of Ionas flourishing one day and fading another The wind shall cary away the vngodly like chaffe all their most perfect pleasures are like a light thing bound vp in the wings of the wind which is easily caried away When we come to be men we laugh at those things wee did when we were children for they as wee see take great delight to build houses to themselues in the streets of shells and stones and delight to behold them which albeit they were able to stand yet could they not profit them We are not yet come to the perfect age of Christian men but when we shall be then shall wee vnderstand how foolish now men are whose care is to increase their rents and inlarge their sumptuous buildings Quae ciuem coeli capere non possunt which cannot lodge a Citizen of heauen Let vs therefore so vse this world as if wee vsed it not possessing it so this day as ready to part with it to morrow But thy commandements There 's the other member of the opposition Hee calls the commaundements or word of God exceeding large Quia cos omnes recreat corda corum dilatat qui in angusâ—…ijs afflictionibus versantur because it refresheth them all and inlargeth their harts who are in distresse and affliction And againe it is so large that it hath none end Propter amplitudinem suam fideles nunquam deseret and the amplitude thereof is so great that it neuer failes the faithfull Worldly riches serue worldly men so long as they liue and make some seruice also in conueying their bodies with a pompous funerall to the graue but there it leaues them and goes no further with them Onely the word of God sustaines the godly against all tentations so long as they liue it conuoies them vnto death and the comfort therof abides with them for euer when they are dissolued MEM. VER 97. Oh how loue I thy law It is my mediditation continually HE insists here still in the declaration of his earnest affectioÌ„ toward the word and the notable fruites which he reaped thereby His affection is declared ver 1. Oh how loue I thy law Wherin ye see hee calls God himselfe
ouercome with a small tentation so presumption and want of feare in vs will not faile to procure our fall Of the promise following see ver 16. 35. 47. 70. VER 118. Thou hast trod downe all them that depart from thy statutes for their deceit is vaine DAuid heere by a new meditation confirmes himselfe in the course of godlinesse for considering the iudgements of God executed according to his word in all ages vpon the wicked he resolues so much the more to feare God and keepe his testimonies Thus the iudgements of GOD executed on others should be awe-bands to keepe vs from sinning after their similitude But few are like Dauid who trembled when hee saw Vzzah striken and many like Lamâ—…h who because hee saw Cain the murtherer spared confirmed himselfe to commit murther also Because iudgement is not speedilie executed on the wicked therefore the hart of the children of men is set in them to doe euil IudgemeÌ„t in this life is not executed on all the wicked because this is the time of his patience the day of his iudgement is not yet come but by the plagues executed vpon some of the wicked all the rest may learne to feare For God is no accepter of persons what he punisheth in one hee will punish in all if repentance preuent not Trode downe The Lord in chastising his owne children takes them in his hand like a father to correct them but when his wrath is kindled against the wicked he tramples them vnder his feete as vile creatures which are in no account with him That depart When the wicked are said to depart from God it expresseth very properly both the nature of their sinne and fearefull punishment thereof Sin is a departing of man from God his statutes Non interuallo locoruÌ„ Deus relinquitur sed prauitate moruÌ„ it is not by distance of place but by peruerse manners that men depart from God and in so dooing their own deede become a punishment to themselues For all that goe a whoring from him shall perish For hee that runs from light where can he goe but to darknes and he that departs from the God of life what is hee but posting to eternall death For their deceit is vaine Mendacium hîc non refertur ad alios hee meanes not heere of that deceit whereby the wicked deceiue others but that whereby they deceiue themselues And this is two-fold first in that they looke for a good in sin which sinne deceitfully promiseth but they shal neuer find Next that they flatter themselues with a vaine coÌ„ceit to eschew iudgement which shall assuredly ouer-take them VER 119. Thou hast taken away all the wicked of the earth like drosse therefore I loue thy testimonies HE insists still in his former purpose shewing how Gods hand punishing the wicked made him more godlie Many waies are wicked men taken away sometime by the hand of other men sometime by their owne hand The Philistims slew not Saul but forced him to sley himselfe yet the eye of faith euer lookes to the finger of God and sees that the fall of the wicked is the work of God The word which he vseth imports Thou hast made them to ceasse The wicked stir their time and are restlesse they compasse sea land they cannot sleepe except they haue done wickedlie for they are inspired of that Dragon and roaring Lyon that Compasser that goeth about continually seeking all occasions to doe euill The facultie of mouing breathing which God hath lent them they vse against himselfe but let them remember he will shortly take his breath out of their nosethrills and then shall they cease and the fruit of their temporall sinnes shall be eternal paines for their worme dies not and the smoake of their torment shall ascend for euer The wicked of the earth It is customable to the Spirit of God to describe the wicked by calling them Men of the earth for their original is earth themselues are earthly minded and they end in earth They haue sometime in their pride high imaginations as if with the builders of Babel they would mount vp into heauen but the higher they mount the lower they fall they end in dust then their thoughts perish By his birth he comes into vanitie saith Salomon and by his death he goeth into darknes Like drosse The men of this world esteeme Gods children as the off-scourings of the earth so Paul a chosen vessell of God was disesteemed of men buâ—… yee see heere what the wicked are in Gods account but drosse indeede which is the refuse of gold or siluer Let this confirme the godly against the contempt of men Onlie the Lord hath in his owne hand the balance which weigheth men according as they are Thy testimonies So very frequently hee calleth Gods word wherein there are both commaunds and promises the commandements of God appertaine to all his testimonies belong to his children onely whereby more strictlie I vnderstand his promises contayning speciall declarations of his loue and fauour toward his own in Christ Iesus VER 120. My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraide of thy iudgements HOw Dauid by consideration of Gods iudgements on others profited in the loue of GOD hee shewed in the last verse now hee declareth how he also profited in the feare of GOD by looking to the iudgements of God which he had executed vpon others It is a grace of the godly that when they looke to many things without them they are alwaies drawne home to edifie themselues by that which they see in others whether it be good or euill Electorum corda semper ad se sollicitè redeunt Other men so looke vnto other things that they forget themselues onely feeding their senses there-with contracting guiltinesse which for the present they knowe not Happy is hee who of all that he sees learnes to be more wise and godly himselfe But how doe these two consist together Hee said before he loued the testimonies of God and now he saith hee feared the iudgements of God It is answered they agree very well in the godly militant in this body If our loue were perfect as theirs is who are glorified it would cast out all feare as saith the Apostle but in this bodie of sinne we cannot so loue him for his mercies but by reason of the great corruption of our nature we must also feare him for his iudgements Yea which is more the loue of God cannot be kept in our harts but by the feare of God and if the feare of God conserue vs not our harts should easily be caried away to the loue of other things not worthy to bee loued and no place for the loue of God should be left in our harts Confige ergo clauis spiritualibus destrue fomenta peccati affige carnes patibulo crucis dominicâ—… vt libertatem vagandi cupiditas
binde vs not if mercies allure vs not if the cordes of his loue drawe vs not to be thankfull seruants to our God how inexcusable are wee VER 135. Shew the light of thy countenance vppon thy seruant and teach me thy Statutes THis verse contains a petitition which in this Booke of the Psalmes Dauid frequently makes to God as ye may see Ps. 4. 6. Psal. 67. 1. Psal. 80. 3. 7. 19. For vnderstanding whereof wee are to see what the light of Gods countenance is Ther is a common light externall whereby the Maiesty of Godshines after a sort vnto all his creatures There is a common light also internall whereby he illuminates euery one that commeth into the world This is the light of the minde and conscience communicated both to iust and vniust but here he seekes a greater benefite then any of these to wit a declaration of Gods speciall fauour and loue toward him This is called a shewing of his face or the light of his countenance Crassius de Deo sacra Scriptura inter dum loquitur sermones ad Naturam hominis attemperans The spirit of God in holy Scripture attempers his speech to mans nature and so here he puts the face of God for the fauor of God Salomon saith that the wrath of a King is the messenger of death but in the light of the Kings countenance is life and his fauour is as the cloude of later raine The downe-looke of Ahashuer us confounded Haman It was Absaloms speech to Ioab suppose in hypocrisie That it was better to him to be banished then abide in Ierusalem wanting the Kings countenance If such moment bee in the countenance of earthly Kings what is the face of the King of kings Surely such as knowe him reioyce to behold his face continually and it is death to them to want it Certain it is the Lord looks alway fauorably vpon his own elect but he doth not alway shew it no not vnto themselues Before their effectuall calling in themselues they differ nothing from the children of wrath albeit in Gods counsell there be a great diffrence and after their calling for the tryall of their faith he many times forsakes them not according to his truth which is vnchangeable but according to their sense which is changeable He loues them but will not let them knowe that hee loues them but sometime will frown vpon them as Ioseph did on his brethren euen then when his affection was most strong toward them And then the want of the light of the Sunne in the firmament is not so heauy to naturall men as this is to a Christian To want the sight of Gods fauourable face and therfore is it that Dauid heere prayeth so earnestly Shew the light of thy countenance vpon me And teach me As the sunne makes other things bright whereupon it shines so the countenance of GOD workes light in that soule vpon which he looketh fauourably Cum sapientem videris cognosce quia descendit super eum Dei gloria illuminauit eius mentem scientiae fulgore So that this is a speciall argument of Gods fauorable face looking vpon a man when his minde is illuminate and God hath taught him to knowe his way and giuen him grace to follow it according to that of the Apostle God who commanded light to shine out of darkenesse is he who hath shined in our hearts to giue vs the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. VER 136. Mine eyes gush out Riuers of water because they keepe not thy Lawe MAny a time hath Dauid protested his great ioy now here he makes mention of his exceeding great griefe We haue no ioy without griefe in this life neyther yet thankes to God haue we griefe without ioy As the wine failed in that banquet whereat Christ was present so oftentimes failes ioy euen in the heart where Christ dwels But as in the one he turned water into wine so in the other will hee turne all sorrow into ioy To haue ioy without griefe is the condition of them who are glorified in heauen To haue griefe without ioy is the condition of them who are damned in hell I meane to be both without sense and hope of ioy But the godly on earth haue their ioy mixed with griefe and griefe tempered with ioy and albeit sometime they want the sense of ioy yet do they neuer want all hope and expectation of ioy He prayed before ver 37. that the Lord would turne away his eyes from regarding of vanity now hee shewes how hee practised it He was so farre from delighting to behold vanity that he mourned when he saw the vanity wickednesse of other men God who hath made the eyes to be Organs of sight hath also made them to be Conduits of teares if we mourne as we should when we looke to the creatures we shall not easily be snared by them If we look to vnreasonable creatures we may see lying vpon them the fruits of that curse which our sinne procured if we look to reasonable creatures our selues or others what a great dis-conformity is betweene vs and the holy Lawe of the Lord our God If these moue vs to mourning the power of sinne shall be greatly restrained Malum innatum that seekes to breake out by looking and speaking and Malum seminatum that seeks to come in by hearing and looking both of these euils shall greatly be weakened if euery thing we looke to moue vs to mourning as iustly it may in the respects aforesaid And to moue vs yet more to this mourning disposition let vs consider two things the euill we incurre if we mourne not and the good shall ensue to vs if we mourn for the sinnes of others As for the first Among many wayes whereby the sinnes of other men become ours this is also one If we know their iniquities and be not grieued therewith and therefore are the Corinthians reproued that they sorrowed not for the incestuous man that was among them by so doing they were defiled by his sinne became one polluted lump with him And Ezech. 9. Not only is iudgement determined vpon the committers of sinne but of such also as mourned for sin they are involued in the same iudgement as partakers of the same sinnes by reason that they mourned not for them And as for the great good we get by mourning for the sinnes of the wicked whereby they dishonour the Lord our God it is also euident Blessed saith our Sauiour are they that mourne for they shall be comforted When the heauen waters the earth in due season there followes a fruitfull increase but when the earth waters the heauen then shall follow a more plentifull haruest of all spirituall comfort And this is done when a sinner powres the teares of his penitent heart into the bosome of God then the heauens are
watered by the earth For the teares of the godly fall not to the ground the Lord gathers them like most pretious pearles vnto him and puts them in his bottell and they bring still increase of comfort to such as shed them They are sowen like good seede on earth the first fruite whereof is reaped on earth but the fulness thereof in heauen according to that of the Psalmist They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy ZADE. VER 137. Righteous art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements HEere Dauid sore troubled with griefe for the wickednesse of his enemies yea tempted greatly to impatience and distrust by looking to their prosperous estate notwithstanding their so grosse impiety doth now shew vnto vs a three-fold ground of comfort which in this dangerous tentation vpheld him The first is a consideration of that which God is in himselfe namely iust and righteous the second a consideration of the equity of his word thirdly of his constant truth declared in his working and doing according to his word When we find our selues tempted to distrust by looking to the prosperity of the wicked let vs looke vp to God consider his nature his word his workes and we shall finde comfort Righteous art thou There is the first a meditation of the righteousnes of Gods nature he alters not with times he changes not with persons he is alway and vnto all one and the same righteous and holy God Righteousnesse is essentiall to him it is himselfe and he can no more defraude the godly of their promised comforts nor let the wicked go vnpunished in their sinnes then hee can denie himselfe to be God which is impossible Iust are thy iudgements The second ground of Dauids comfort is heere and in the next verse VER 138. Thou hast commanded iustice by thy Testimonies and truth especially AS the tree is so is the fruit From so righteous a God nothing can proceede but righteousnesse God forbid that the Iudge of all the world should doe vnrighteously This meditation of the equity of Gods command flowing from his most righteous nature confirmes Dauid in this sure conclusion It cannot be but well with them who walke after his word and by the contrary such as goe a whooring from it cannot but make a miserable end how-euer they prosper for a time And out of this we may further learn how the law of God expresseth to vs the liuely linâ—…ments of his image for from his righteous nature flowe his commandements commanding righteousnesse This lets vs sâ—…e 〈◊〉 fearfull an euill sinne is sith it is a transgression of that holy law which flowes from Gods righteous nature it is a direct impugning violating of the diuine nature so farre as the creature may The lawes of Kings may be broken and their persons not touched farre lesse their nature violated yea oft-times their nature likes of that euill which their lawe forbids It is not so with the lawe of God it flowes from his righteous nature and God and his lawe are so straitly vnited that the breaking of his lawe is an impugning of his very nature so farre as the creature may as I haue said already By thy Testimonies The word of God is called his Testimony both because it testifies his will which he will haue vs to doe as also because it testifies vnto men truely what shall become of them whether good or euill Men by nature are curious to know their end rather then care full to mend their life and for this cause seeke answers where they neuer get good but if they would know let them goe to the word and testimony they need not to seeke any other Oracle If the word of God testifie good things vnto them they haue cause to reioyce if otherwise it witnesse euill vnto them let them hast to preuent it or else it shall assuredly ouertake them VER 139. My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy word THroughout this Psalme we see that Dauid cannot satisfie himselfe in declaring the loue he had to Gods word for that comfort which hee had felt in it as likewise his insatiable affection crauing more comfort by it What he speakes of himself he speakes it not like that Pharise who boasted of his good not mourning for his euill nor yet longing for better Such presumption is farre from the godly If at any time they make mention of any good disposition in them they doe it to the glory of God from whom all good comes and to comfort themselues for the beginnings of Gods grace in them but still they know their wants and mourne for them Neuer contented in this life with the grace receiued with earnest affection they crie for more Three things haue we to consider in this his his protestation first the nature secondly the sorts thirdly the effects of zeale As for the nature of zeale It is a mixed affection of griefe and anger flowing from loue for what a man loues earnestly he is carefull to see it honoured and by the contrary grieued when it is dishonoured The sorts of it are many for according as our loue and griefe are so is our zeale If our loue be vpon the right obiects moderate in due measure it causes a zeale which is holy and spirituall otherwise if our loue be inordinate it begets a carnall or inordinate zeale Sometime the zeale is not vpon the right obiect and then it may be great but it cannot be good such is the zeale of Heretiques who compasse Sea and Land to make one of their owne profession Sometime againe the zeale is on the right obiect not in the due measure eyther too colde which is remission or too hote which is superstition Of these saith the Apostle It is a zeale but not according to knowledge Zelus ad mortem non ad vitam a zeale which tends to death not vnto life The effects of Dauids zeale he toucheth when he saith it had consumed him Affections of the soule are very forcible to moue the body A sorrowfull heart saith Salomon dryes vp the bones But men should carefully marke what spirit inflames their zeale and what zeale moueth their bodies There are som who vnder shew of zeale or at least because they thinke it zeale neglect the duetie which they owe to their bodies not remembring the seruice which God craues of the body is a reasonable seruice not vnreasonable Others with their zeale fight against the Gospell so did Paul before his conuersion Let vs try the Spirits and see that our zeale be according to knowledge For these two Knowledge Zeale are compared by Bernard to the two wings of a fowle the Bird that hath but one wing falleth the more that it mindeth to flie These are two excellent giftes Knowledge and Zeale but if the one be without the other it were better to want it And now sith zeale
men knew this or could apprehend it they would not redeeme the pleasures of sinne so deerely as for them to defraude their ownesoules of saluation despising against themselues the counsell of God And this Oracle of God should confirme vs against all these tentations which arise vnto vs by looking to the prosperity peace and worldly pompe of the wicked What is the glory of their outward state to be regarded so long as this fearfull sentence lies vpon them that the saluation of God is farre from them This sustained the Apostle S. Paul when he saw the great pompe of Agrippa he would not for all that exchange estates with him he wished not to be like vnto Agrippa but rather that hee had beene such as he was Because they seeke not thy Statutes Heere is noted the cause of all their misery namely the contempt of Gods word they did not so much as seeke the Lords Statutes An argument they esteemed nothing of it for who will seeke that whereof they account not or who will despise that which they esteeme pretious and necessary to them This is much more then if he had only said They transgresse thy Statutes The children of God may be guilty of the one transgression for in many things we sinne all And if any man say he sinnes not he is a lâ—…ar and the truth is not in him but they are farre from the other to dis-esteeme of Gods word and cast off all care to seeke it VER 156. Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgements NOw Dauid turns his consideration from wicked men vnto himselfe acknowledging that he was no better by nature then they but that Gods his mercy had made a difference between him and them where there was none by nature And therefore prayes he that the work of Gods mercy may be continued with him to quicken him and giue him life that he defile not his conscience by dead workes as they doe nor yet haue fellowship with them in their vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse but that being quickned by God he may liue the life of God from which he saw them to be strangers Thus we see that how-euer the godly exercise somtime their consideration about other things yet in the end they returne still to themselues What-euer they heare or see or speake of others they enter into their owne hearts and edifie themselues by it if they looke to such as are godly they are confirmed to follow themâ—… if they looke to the manners of wicked men they are affraid of their owne weakenesse runne to Gods mercy praysing him who hath preserued them from the like impiety and praying also for grace to keep them that their harts incline not to walk with them Thus of euery thing they reape some profit to themselues but naturall men look so to things which are without them that they enter not into their owne hearts to edifie themselues by that which they heare or see in others Againe the manner of the children of God in their prayers is to flie alway to Gods mercy it is of mercy that they begin well of mercy that they continue well of mercy that they looke for any good at the hands of God let them leane to merits who will we wil depend vpon mercy Are we able to giue vnto God himselfe Are we able to requite his benefites which we haue gotten Quis potest debitum referre naturae debitum salutis gratiae Can any man requite him for benefits of nature which we haue receiued farre lesse for benefites of grace saluation these are debts which wee are neuer able to pay Where then are thy merits Quis nostrûm sine diuina potest miseratione subsistere Who among vs all can subsist without diuine miseration Quid possumus dignuÌ„ facere praemijs coelestibus Or what can we do worthy of a heauenly reward Let vs therfore learnat Dauid to send vp our requests Non secundum merita nostra sed misericordiam Dei not according to our merits but his mercies Two Epithets he ascribes to Gods mercies first he cals them great and then he cals them tender mercies They are great in many respects for coÌ„tinuance they endure sor euer for largenes they reach vnto the heauens are higher then they yea they are aboue all the workes of God And this is for the comfort of poore sinners whose sinnes are many and great let them not despaire his mercies are greater and moe for sith they are greater then all his works how much more greater then thou and all thy sinsull workes All the Nations of the earth are but like the droppe of a bucket or as a graine of sand compared with his Maiestie what art thou then that thou shouldst magnifie thy deedes aboue his rich mercie as if thy sinnes were so great that his mercie could not compasse them Onely doe not abuse his mercy neyther turne thou his grace into wantonnesse but if thou vnfeinedly repent then doe thou also stedfastly beleeue that thy sinnes were they neuer so great shall easily be swallowed vp by his infinite mercies As the Ocean when it flowes couers sands and rockes and all that they are not seene so where the floud of Gods compassions breaks out how easily doth it ouerflow and couer all thy transgressions This is the meditation of the Apostle that where before he had beene many manner of wayes sinfull and ignorant a blasphemer an oppressor a persecuter yet the grace of our Lord had beene exceeding abundant toward him where sinne had abounded grace had superabounded to ouer flow and couer it And in this he stands for an example to all that will beleeue that they should neuer distrust Gods great mercies for the greatnesse of their sinnes The other Epithet he giues them is That they are tender mercies because the Lord is easie to be intreated for he is slowe vnto wrath but ready to shew mercy S. Iames saith that the wisdom which is from aboue is gentle peaceable easie to be intreated If his grace in his children make them gentle and easie to be intreated what shall we thinke of him selfe Sith he will haue such pitie in vs poore creatures that seauenty times seauen times in the day hee will haue vs to forgiue the offences of our brethren O what pitie compassion abounds in himselfe Thus we see our comfort is increased that as his mercies are great so are they tender easily obtained where they are earnestly craued Quicken me Dauid found the life of grace in himselfe continually hindred impugned yea oft-times sore weakened by the power of his corrupt nature and therefore the more frequent is he in this petition that God would quicken him VER 157. My persecuters and my oppressors are many yet doe I not swerue from thy testimonies A New protestation of his constancy vnder affliction that albeit
one grace which the Apostle cals a most excellent grace all other graces of the spirit will come to be tried That faith which workes not by loue is no faith that obedience which flowes not from faith is no obedience Loue is the balance of the Sanctuary wherein euery thing is weighed which is offered vnto God let vs therefore couet this most excellent grace That this comfort may be made the more sure vnto vs let vs consider these two infallible tokens of our loue the first is the loue of Gods law the next is the loue of his Saints The law of God hath in it a certaine pourtraiture of his image What he is in himselfe he hath declared in his lawe therefore such as knowe him and loue him cannot but loue his law If any man loue me said the Lord Iesus he will keepe my commandements Dauid ioynes these two together in the 16. Psalme hee protests that God was the portion of his inheritance and againe in the III. verse of this Psalme That he had taken the Testimonies of God as an heritage for euer Alas that foolish man should think to disioyne these two pretending to loue God when he shewes himselfe a plaine contemner of his word The other marke whereby Gods loue is tryed is the loue of his Saints By this shall yee bee knowne to be my Disciples if yee loue one another He that loueth not his brother whom he hath scene how can hee loue God whom hee hath not seene Man was made to the image of God Can he be a louer of God who loues not man made to the image of God Dauid many times hath protested that he loued God dearely but he proues it by this That he loued the lawe of God and the Saints of God I am companion said hee to all them that feare thee ver 63. And againe My loue extends not to thee but for thy sake my delight is in thy Saints and excellent ones vpon earth There are many good Christians who when they heare that Marie washed the feete of our blessed Sauiour with her teares and wiped them with the haire of her head they doe wish they had the like occasion that they might shewe the like affection toward him These would do well to remember What thou cannot do to himselfe why wilt thou not doe to such as hee loues and hath recommended to be loued of thee for his sake accounting that done to himselfe which is don vnto them When Ionathan was slain in the battell with Saul and Dauid came to the Kingdome how diligent was he to seeke any that did belong to Ionathan to whom hee might shew kindnesse for Ionathans sake at length he found a â—…ame and infirme sonne of Ionathan and for Ionathans sake he intertained him Very kinde was Ionathan to Dauid but not so kinde as Iesus hath beene to vs and should not we for Iesus sake be kinde to those who belong vnto him If thou be willing to doe it and carefull to enquire Is there none to whome I may shewe fauour for that fauour Christ shewed to me in euery place thou shalt still finde some Mephiboseth some poore some lame and infirme Christian. Why then wilt thou defraude thy selfe of this comfort that by extending comfort to those which are his thou declare thy louing affection toward himselfe considering also that the smallest benefite giuen to any in his Name though it were but a cuppe of colde water shall not want the reward Shall haue great prosperitie This being spoken of the description of godly men now sollowes the priuiledge and benefite heere promised to them They shall haue great prosperitie for so by the word of peace the Hebrewes expresse all manner of good Godlinesse saith the Apostle hath the promises both of this life and of the life to come euen in their present troubles the godly are comforted with vnspeakeable ioy or if for the present they feele it not yet are they borne out with a liuely hope thereof afflicted on euery side but neuer forsaken casten downe but they perish not But our greatest comfort is promised now not exhibited now excellent promises are made vnto vs but sure they are farre inferiour to that which shal be performed Worldlings haue their heauen vpon earth they enioy their portion heere but we looke for a better Serua futuris mercedem tuam keepe thou thy reward for the time to come When we shall passe this redde Sea of tribulation and be possessed in our heauenly Canaan then shall we know the performance of this promise They that loue thy lawe shall haue great prosperitie This he expounds more cleerely in the negatiue part when he saies They shall haue none hurt he meanes not that they are exempted from all trouble but indued with this priuiledge That no trouble can hurt them for all things worke for the best to them who loue the Lord. By the contrary most miserable is the condtion of them who hate Gods law There is no peace to the wicked saith my God The prosperity they seeme to haue is their ruine and their peace like the calmes of the Sea which incontinent is troubled with stormie windes in such sort that the waues thereof are dashed one against another it rageth and foometh out the dirt and myre which is in the bowels thereof So is it with the wicked so soone as trouble cometh vppon them they walter from one perturbation to another foming out their shame and at length ende in comfortlesse desperation Thus before they bee aware all their mirth and apparant prosperity is concluded as Beltasars banquet was with a cuppe of Gods wrath For their comfort being onely in things externall and not in the Lord their God so soone as the one failes them who can tell the horrible confusion wherein they fall For want of the other they are casten as Esay saith in a strait bedde wherein they can finde no ease nor reliefe for at one time the earth failes them and the heauens also are closed vpon them Such comforts as they had in creatures vpon earth forsake them and if they looke to heauen they finde nothing but the angry countenance of God looking downe vpon them so was it with Saul Achitophel Iudas and with Aero O what a straite bedde was hee casten into when the Senate discerned him an enemie to Rome when Galba came against him to execute the sentence when hee shaken with the plague of the heart and his owne conscience within him did torment him when the heauens cast downe their countenance vpon him when the earth whereupon hee was flying opened as hee thought her mouth to swallow him when such as hee had murthered seemed to rise and pursue him Such shall be the miserable end of all those who loue not the Lord they shall finde no comfort who cannot comfort themselues in him VER 166.
are loued of the Godly 356. Prosperity of the Wicked not to be regarded 346. The Wicked commonly stiled Proude men 59. 175. 195. Proude Satan hath made Disciples prouder then himselfe 60. A Proude mans punishment shame which he shuns most 195. Prouidence against the time of trouble commended 264 Purposes and protestations to be seconded with prayers 24. Purpose in vs perisheth if God prosper it not 146 Purpose of prayer must remaine though performance often fayleth 157. 252 R THE Reason of our Petitions must sometimes be drawne from God sometimes from our selues Page 170. Rebukes of God to be feared of man not 104 That is a Refreshing Recreation to the Godly which is a tedious wearinesse to the Wicked 130. Regard good wherin man looketh into his owne necessities and looketh vp to Gods mercies 78 Regeneration wrought by degrees 51. A tryall of true Religion 63. Truth of Religion not to bee measured by the number or greatnesse of those that oppose it 64. One tryall of Men truely Religious 109. Religion is the more loued by the good the more it is hated by the badde 288. How God is said to Remember 120. We that desire God to Remember his promises made to vs must Remember our promises made to him ibid. Remission and Renouation two inseparable graces 75. Repentance delayed dangerous and damnable 152. A godly Resolution is the beginning of a godly life 24. Reuerence in prayer 146. Worldly Riches full of vanity and vexation 42. 183. Ignorance of Gods Righteousnesse maketh men murmure 190. S A Man worketh his Saluation after grace receiued Pa. 252. Saluation and Gods worde are ioyned together 346. 392. 398. Satans two armes violence and lies 177. Satan an vnreasonable insatitiable vsurping Tyrant 305. Seeking of God sheweth he was lost 12. Intention required in Seeking ibid. Sixe conditions in Seeking 13. The spirituall man apprehendeth good with all his Senses 238. To bee Gods Seruant is more honour then to bee a King 48. 167. 276. Gods Seruant proued by two badges 281. The Seruice of God must bee cheerefull 89. The great Shepheards fauour towarde his vvandring sheepe 397 Godly Singing and teares 58. Simple men vnderstand Gods word 298. Sinceritie in Prayer 147. Sinnes whence they proceede 17. Sins euill fruits and effects 20. Sinne aggrauated in that it is a forsaking of GODs Lawe 129. Sinne punished heere sheweth there is a Iudge and Sinne spared sheweth there is a Iudgement to come 160. To resist Sin is our greatest perfection 235 Sinne vnresisted and receiued weakneth our spirituall strength 236. In Sinne three things to be es◅hewed the occasion the beginning the perfection 255 In Sinne men growe more Skilfull euerie daie then other ibid. Sinne is a departing from God 267. 339 By any one Sinne a man may be damnably captiued 291. Sinne maketh a man a silly Creature 307 Sleepe the dewe of Nature 158. The Soule not satisfied in this life 35. The Soules three-folde action about the word 43. The Soule liueth by mercy as the Body by meate 198. To Speake of God common to all To Speake to God is proper to Gods 137 Speech why sometimes taken away from the faithfull 39. Manie Speeches vsed by custome but not with Conscience 228. Gods Statutes and Testimonies must bee learned together 283. Christians confesse themselues to bee Strangers heere 54 The Strangers guide must bee God 56. Two Suters whereof the one seeketh vs for our Weale the other for our Wreck 97. T THE subiect of our Talking should bee GODs Word Pag. 117. No Teaching vnless God Teach 36. 281. Prayer vnto God to be ioyned to the Teaching of men 37. Dauid a Teacher desireth Teaching ibid. 91. Teachers to learne first 39. GOD continuing a Teacher wee shall continue his Seruants 92. God Teacheth by precepts and presidents 135. Teares with GOD beter then Talke 295. Temporizers in Religion are Samaritan Professors 321. Tentations of the Godly sometimes cannot and sometimes are not to be tolde 69. Tentations ouercome by remembring time to come 128. True Godlines endureth great Tentations 155. Thankefulnes commended for foure causes 22. It must be from the Heart 25. Declared in Obedience 113. In tongue in affection in action 116. Time to be taken while it is present 154. It is a pretious Iewell 157. Dauids st◅ife with the Time 331. The Royall Tower of Christ is a soule ascending to heauen 70 Trouble mitigated by Prayer 334. Trouble a Tryall of true Religion 351. V VErtues of Gods seruants to be marked Page 3 The Vertuous loue those Uertues in others which either they haue or would haue 188. Vnderstanding is the Soules Taster 169. W OVr seruice is farre inferiour to the Wages which God giueth Page 280. All men Wanderers from God 394. Wants waken the Godly and make them wiser 71 Wayes of Learning 1 Mans life a Way 7 A Godly mans life called Gods Way 16. 19. 45. The Waies of God want a Teacher The Wayes of Sinne neede none 76. The Law of God is the Way of Truth in three respects 82. The straight Way hath but one path the broad Way many 96. Our Wayes neede alwayes redresse 151. They are darknes without the word 249. Sinnes of Weaknes and of Wickednes differ much 250. The first Weapon of the Wicked against the Godly is their tong 65 The Wicked are insatiable in Crueltie 207. Wickedmen why so called 250. The fall of the Wicked is Gods worke 268. The Wicked Gods Rods. 306. The Wicked authors of their owne Wrack 345 Their miserable estate 376. No Wisedom without the Word 383. Gods Word why called a Testimony 10. 97. 269. 316. Why his Iudgement 86. 244. Kept in mind affectiō actiō 11 Keepers of Gods Word are kept by it 15. 35. Gods Word a glass wherein may be seen Gods image ours 27. As no Word without letters so no good without this Word 28. It is needfull to all especially to young and why ibid. It is to be vsed to our Consolation and our Edification 112. God will a way make good his Word 113. 160. 320. Gods Word vnwelcom to Kings vvhy 117. It is comfortable 125. It is the life of our soule 126. It is the light 297 Conuenient for euery estate of life 130. The truth thereof shal be found of the wicked in iudgement of the righteous and beleeuers in mercy 168. The authority thereof from God the Ministery frō man 183. The eternitie and equity thereof 212. 324. It is not only controuerted but contradicted in earth not so in heauen Therefore looke vp 214. Thereout the Godly and the Wicked gather Contraries 217. Contemned onely by such as get no benefit by it 220. It is the tryall of Wisedom 231. Two great benefits thereof Vnderstanding in the mind Sanctification of the Affections 239. It is the sure Charter of our heauenly inheritance 251. Gods Word called iust for two respects 290. It is Gods Oracle to be enquired at 316. It is a staffe to sustaine vs in trouble 339.
can say to another I need thee not Speech taken from good men for two causes Iob 12. 1 For punishment of their people 2 For correction of themselues The ioy gotten by Gods word surmounts all worldly ioy whatsoeuer Basil. Ambrose In a miserable estate are they to whom Gods word is a wearinesse Sathans baits â—…e pleasure or profit but we should not be moued with any of them and why Amb. 1. Cor. 1. It is not the hearing or reading of Gods word that will worke vs ioy if we practise it not ☞ Basil. Of the vexation and vanity of worldly riches Ambros. in Luc. cap. 16. They flie farthest from vs when we haue most need of comforts A threefold internall action of the soule about the word ☜ How a godly man is euer fruitfull in good The necessity and vtility of meditation The minde of man is restlesse and vexes it selfe with euill if it be not exercised with good Gods word should be the matter of our meditation August Marcellinâ—… Iob 22. The word is Gods way because by it God commeth to vs and we go to him The more good a godly man doth the more he desires to do The graces of the Spirit are linked together lose one lose all keepe one keep all ☞ Our best estate vpon earth is that we haue not that which we should and yet want not altogether The strength of a Christian is in his prayer The greatest benefit men receiue from God is grace to obey him Constantine the great his notable saying It is more to be a Christian then a Monarch of the world So Dauid reioyceth more in this that he was Gods seruant then king of Israel Sith Angels serue him shal we think shame to serue him Naturall life makes a reprobate man in a worse case then if he had neuer been But to an elect man euen naturall life is a great benefit This life without grace is but a death Num. 19. Math. 8. Eph. 5. Miserable are they who desire to liue for loue of the pleasures of sin A worthy meditation of Nazianzen Satan by experience is found a false deceiuer How blind maÌ„ is by nature ☜ Our regeneratioÌ„ is wrought by degrees Ambrose If we be ignorant of the word the blame is in our darke mind not in it Vatab. 2. Cor. 3. 14. Why many learned men attaine not to the knowledge of the truth ☞ Basil. Illumination of the mind is Gods worke Psal. 104. Luk 24. 2. Cor. 3. 16. Euery Article of our faith â—…s a wonderful mysterie Man on earth is a stranger knowes not the way hee should walk till God shewes it vnto him Ambrose Worldlingâ—… shal not continue on earth yet cannot say they are strangers in it And that because in affection they be content with this desire not a better Phil. Reuel 8. Psal. 17. Worldlings â—…e inhabitants of the earth Christians are â—…ut strangers in it Basil. Luke The whole earth is but a place of banishment Nazian in vita Basil. A man euen in his owne house should esteeme himselfe a straÌ„ger This world can neither wil nor teach men a way to go out of her selfe we must seeke a guide froÌ„ heauen ☞ The right knowledge of the ten Commandements Two things required in true obedience Both the word and the plagues of God are called his iudgments how Such as are not moued by the first shall be confounded by the second A hart full of spirituall desires is an argument of great grace Ambr. Ambrose Comfort against coÌ„tempt of men wherby they scorne the godly for sighing and teares The begunne wrath of God on them shold confirme vs against their contempt But many wax worse with Lamech when they see euill men spared Gene. 4. 24. Few become better with Dauid when they see them punished Eccles. Wicked men coÌ„monly styled proud men and why Proud Satan hath made disciples prouder then himselfe Esay 14. Ambr. The miserable condition of a proud man Iam. ☞ Ambrose Euery error is dangerous but proud error accursed Sinnes of pride and of infirmitie should be distinguished Curse of God on the wicked is like a secret consumption Dauid his appellation to God from the wrongful iudgments of men How Dauid iustifies himselfe before God and man A triall of true religion A hard tentation to be troubled by men of great authority for two causes 1. For their power Prou. Rom. 13. 2. 〈◊〉 place Psalm Princes godly and râ—…us are a great blessing of God Great cause haue we to be thankfull for the King hee hath set ouer vs. Psalm christians measure not the veritie of religion by the number or greatnes of them that are with it or against it Such as persecure the godlie with their tongues will not faile to loose their hands against them if they may Where we find that God binds their hands we should beare their tongues the more patiently ☜ Ierem. 12. Armour of godly men is the word and prayer Ambrose ☞ The word renders vs both counsell for gouernment pleasure for delectation Comfort gotten by other recreations continues not ☜ No wisedome without the word The word of God is conuenient for euery state of life Dauid sore troubled with a spirituall oppression Tentations of the godly somtimes cannot be told sometimes it is not expedient they should be told In a worldling the very heauenly part is becom earthly Ambrose The contrary disposition of Christians Ambr. Cant. 4. 4. The royall towre of christ is a soule moâ—â—ting vp to heauen Change of estates wherevnto the godly are subiect ☞ Godly men by 〈◊〉 waÌ„ts falls infirmities become more godly The life of a ChristiaÌ„ wherin stands it It is great faith to belieuâ—… when there is no feeling of mercie Dauids argument to moue the Lord vnto mercie Where God begins to shew mercy he ceaâ—… not tâ—…ll hee crowne with â—…cie Mans liberality is but like a Strand Gods like the great Ocean Happy is the soule wherein mercy truth meet together An euill conscience hides it self from God Esa. What a great benefit it is to manifest our wayes to God in time Ambrose Sathan confounded when we confesse our sinnes ☞ A profitable rule to make vs liue godly Basil. After confession he ioynes prayer for amendment Ambros. See ver 12. Remission and renouation are two inseparable benefits ☜ We haue great need to pray for further light We can walke the wayes of sinne without a teacher not so the wayes of God Miserable is man so long as his way and Gods way are different Good things should be sought from God for good ends Iam 4. The works of God are all maruellous The godly sore humbled by affliction A Christian is eyther looking to his owne necessities or to God his mercies Naturall comforts cannot sustaine a man iâ—… spirituall troubles 1. Pet. 1. Luk. 6. Christians should not thinke that their tentations are singular 1. Cor. 10. Christs crosse is such a burden is easeth them on whoÌ„
most described by loue for two causes 1 Loue in vs â—…des vs to a 〈◊〉 knowâ—…dge of Gods â—…ue to vs. 1. Ioh. 4. ☜ A great comfort to know that God is well minded toward vs. 2. By loue in vs we know we are in the state of grace Two things to trie if we haue loue or not 1. He that loues God cannot but loue his law fith it is a pourtrait of his image 2. He that loues God cannot but loue his Saints Ioh. 13. 1. Ioh. 4. And now our affection toward himselfe â—…s to be declared in our affection to his Saints As Dauid intreated weake Mephiboseth for Ionathans sake So should we poore weake Christians for Christs sake ☞ The great recompence of godlinesse Our greatest comfort is proâ—…ised now but not exhibited now Amb. The priuiledge of godly men No trouble can hurt them To the wicked prosperity is pernitious Their peace ends in perturbation ☞ The miserable estate of wicked men when comforts externall faile theÌ„ Esa. 28. Example hereof in Nero. Without application we can reape no comfort of Gods promiâ—…es Yea most comfortable promises are most terrible to such as 〈◊〉 not apply them Faith carries vs out of our selues to leane on the Lord. Matth. 7. Bern. Loue proued by obedience and obedience tryed by loue We sinne against God because we loue him not as we should if we loue him not we are inexcusable ☜ Hypocrisie and dissimulation farre from men who are truely godly Ambrose They lay open their cogitations and affections to God The wicked cannot hide from God yet will â—… be laid to their charge ☞ Godly men interrupt their prayers against their will We should pray for our praiers Basil. Prayer reiected a sore plaguâ—… Ambrose Three sorts of complaint made by the godly 1. Against inuisible enemies 2. Against visible 3. Against themselues Rom. 7. No wisedome in man without the word Ierem. Gifts of nature grace wherein different Praier should be seasoned with faith Iames 1 Feruencie Iames 5 Humility Prayer makes man on earth a great Courtier with God in heauen To pray and not preuaile is Moabs curse Praiers should bee seconded with promises and promises with performances They who goe before the pâ—…oin honour should goe before them also in good example Both soule and body and all that we haue receiued from God should be returned to him ☞ Christians are Prophets and should edifie one another The word of God keeps religion and order among men No successe in temporall things without Gods helping hand In spirituall exercises much more labour is lost if the grace of God help not Ier. 8. 22 ☞ The beginning of saluation we haue now the perfection we looke for 1. Peter 1 We haue comfort by the beginnings but no contentmeÌ„t Worldlings cold professors reproued who long not for better then they haue Luke 6 The word to vs in our pilgrimage is like Manna to Israell in the wildernes They who dispise the word need not look for saluation If naturall life may be loued How much more should eternall life be loued But many liue by the one who are dead as concerning the other Fruit of all Gods benefits is profit to vs praise to himselfe Dauid persecuted with banishment It is common to all men to wander from God Basil in Psal. 119. Ambrose Psal. 119. ☜ Such as thinke themselues without sin are but blinde Esay 6 An answere to presumptuous Papists boasting of perfection Bern. ☞ Confession of sin profitable Amb. de pâ—…nit lib. 2. c. 6 Gregor moral 22 God the great shepheard of his people Ambros. His 〈◊〉 toward his wandring sheepe The praise of the beginning progresse and perfection of our saluation is dew to God onely The godly neuer so fall that they lose all grace Ambr. The manifolde vses of Gods word to the godly What comfort we should finde in it if our affection toward it were like Dauids August ☜