shall not stand in Iudgement c. is partly shewed in the former verse And that is because they are but as the Chaffe euen the refuse of man-kind vaine light vnnecessary persons without fruit wholly voyd of that worth and weight which should make them of esteeme in the sight of God Yea such as cannot bee able to endure his iudgements because they will bee vnto them as the winde scattering Chaffe Alas who would imagine this seeing the brauery of this worlds Fauorites but that the Spirit of God hath sayd it Now they are so mighty that they thinke it impossible to bee mooued They haue Counsells in which the Righteous are not to walke Wayes wherein they must not stand Iudgements in which the innocent dare not appeare And they haue Assemblies and solemne meetings from which they exclude all good men But when the Iudgement here spoken of comes for there will come such a day the poore dispersed and despised members of Christ shall bee gathered into one Congregation whereinto no vncleane thing shall enter Nor shall the vngodly mingle among them in their Assembly but bee separated from them and thrust vnto the left hand of the Iudge And although here they may appeare powerfull make great boast of their authority and perhaps in our Courts of Iudgement on earth be able to stand out vntill they haue ruined the innocent for in any cause fauours are to bee had among the corrupted Iudges of this world Yet in the generall Doome when euery man shall appeare naked without bribes and before a Iudge that can neuer be corrupted Alas what will those things those vain things profit them wherein they now glory Then those noble Tyrants shall be glad to sneake into corners and cranies of the earth to hide themselues from the presence of God They shall not haue power to stand among those poore men ouer whom they haue heretofore tyrannized nor bee able to abide the least triall of Gods Iustice but affrighted with the terrible aspect of their angry Iudge and tortured with the horrours of an accusing conscience shall be vtterly amazed deiected confounded and with a distracted feare be glad in vain be glad to intreat the hills that they would fall down and couer them That you may be confident of the terror of this Iudgement that there will be a separation of the wicked from the Congregation of the righteous as it is here sayd See what our Sauiour speaketh in the 25 chapter of Saint Matthewes Gospell to this purpose But this place may haue respect to other Iudgements For beside that great and generall Doome there is a two-fold Iudgement in this life wherein the wicked shall not bee able to stand One is the Iudgement of themselues when their owne conscience shall accuse and condemning them as guilty cast them downe headlong into despaire The other is when the plagues and iudgements of God are suffered to lay hold of them in this world for the example of others Now in neither of these shall they be able to stand out before God Note here that those Hebrew words which are interpreted in our Translation They shalt not stand are in the Septuagint and vulgar Latine Translations turned thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non resurgunt that is They rise not againe And thence some haue weakly and ignorantly gathered that the wicked shall not rise in the flesh to come and receiue Iudgement in the last Day Yea with this opinion was that learned Father Origen a while deluded But it is a great heresie for they shall surely bee raised and summoned to that Doome as appeareth in many places of holy Scripture but there indeed they shal not be able to stand out in their owne Iustification as belonging to the Assembly of the righteous Because when they shall thinke to excuse themselues the King shall turne them forth with this terrible sentence Goe yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Deuill and his Angells Hence then I obserue that there shall bee a generall Doome wherein both good and bad shall be summoned before the Tribunall Seat of God And that althogh Hypocrites like tares amongst wheat or rarher like good wheat may be suffered in this life to shrowd themselues in the Church of God and come into the Congregation of the Righteous vnder the name of Christians yet in the haruest that is in this Iudgement hee will seperate them And the vngodly shall not bee able to stand in that Assembly of the Iust but The Lord will gather the Righteous which are the wheat into his Granard cast the sinners which are the chaffe into vnquenchable fire But that no weake conscience may be driuen into despaire I desire the Reader not to imagine that euery man who hath the pollutions of sin is in danger of this separation for euery man is so guilty of sinne that if God should marke all that were amisse and enter into Iudgements with his seruants None were able to stand in the Iudgement No not the most Righteous neither should any flesh be saued in his sight We must then consider that there be two sorts of Sinners The one regenerate who offends vnwillingly and falling into transgressions through infirmity by repentance true contrition and amendment of life riseth againe and seekes forgiuenesse in his Redeemer Iesus Christ. The other vnregenerate who out of wicked impiety and malicious wilfulnesse followes without repentance the study and practice of sinne obstinately refusing or neglecting the grace of Christ. And they are such whose estate is so miserable to be excluded from the Assembly of the Righteous The other laying hold on Christ are by faith made righteous in him and shall be reckoned among the faithfull and happy Congregation For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous c. The reason is here giuen why the Iust man is so much more happy then the Sinner and how it comes to passe that hee walketh not in the Counsells of the vngodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornefull And why in the last Iudgement there shall bee a separation made and a difference put betweene the good and the bad And it is this God knoweth the way of the righteous and the way of the vngodly shall perish Which implyes that there is a contrariety in their way and that therfore they cannot meet in one Congregation But why is it sayd God knowes the way of the Righteous Doth hee not also know the way of the wicked you will say I answer yes For Gods diuine knowledge extends itselfe to all Yet in this place the word knoweth includes especially a regard or approbation and is as if he should haue sayd God acknowledgeth takes care for regards or alloweth the way of the Righteous and because their endeauours and aimes are to shunne the Counsels of the vngodly and by obedient directing themselues after the
it finde So that vngodly irreligious crue Who make their heauen on earth and scorning these True paths of blessednesse those toyes pursue Which may their owne proud eye or belly please Eu'n those by puffes of windy vanity Strong-raging passion and vntamed lust Are hurried with such strange incertainty To this and that euery act vniust As whatsoeuer rest they seeme to take Their life is wholly restlesse and no day No houre no minute sleeping or awake In any setled peace continue they The Glutton would be rich but is perplext To thinke that he must then abate his fare The Miser would haue honour and is vext To see how costly courts and greatnesse are Th' Ambitious couets ease but findes it mars His high designes and may his hopes deface The Coward would haue fame but feares the wars And Leachers doubt diseases or disgrace Yea in their hearts so many strange desires Are often lodg'd and those so opposite That by enioying what one lust requires They bar themselues some other wisht delight But grant their outward state were setled more More thriuing and in losse and changes lesse That they haue ease and honour with their store And to the world-ward setled happinesse Yet neither can they wake nor sleep in peace Their conscience like a flaming-fire within Will seare and scorch and burne and neuer cease Vntill dispaire to nestle there begin Or say they scape this to And whilst they liue So stupid grow that in securitie They senselesse lie vntill their soules it driue Into a helplesse hellish lethargie Yet which is worse far worse then what is past And makes me tremble when I call to minde Their fearfull cause there is a Day at last In which they pay for all that is behinde But those sad terrours will my Muse rehearse In what she singeth on the following Verse VERS 5. Therefore the Vngodly shall not stand in the Iudgement nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous OH you whom neither Gods eternall loue Nor vertues beauty nor his sacred Law Nor promises of matchlesse Blisse can moue Nor threatned losse therof preserue in awe You that are neither wooed to repent Your follies for this lifes vncertainties Nor won to seeke the way of true content By inward feares nor outward miseries Though none of these can gaine you to assay For that high Blessednesse which crownes the good Nor force you to forgoe that damned way Which seemeth pleasing vnto flesh and blood Oh yet for that rare priuiledge which those Who loue Gods Law shall haue when flaming fire Doth all this massie Globe of earth enclose To rectifie your course I you require For know there are not onely in this world A thousand mischeefes plagues heart-stinging cares And dreadfull Iudgements ready to be hurld From Heauens high Battlements about your eares But after death there is a time will come To hasten all which is delayed here A Day of vengeance and a Day of Doome In which all Adams Of-spring shall appeare The dreadfull Iudge in glory will descend With his great Hoast of Heauen compast round Seas Earth and Hell shall at his Bar attend With al their prisoners when the Trump doth sound A hideous Bonefire through the world shall blaze The Roofe of Heauen shall like a parchment scrowle At his appearing shrinke and with amaze The dead shall rise the liuing frighted howle And neither sex condition nor degree Shall haue respect or place but euery one Without distinction shall in person bee Before the great Almighties Iudgement Throne Your purest beauties shall attract no more That Iudges eye then foulest vlcers can He shall not bribed be with Indian Ore Nor moued by the flattring tongue of man Kings are in his esteeme no more that Day Then slaues or poorest wretches on the earth He prizeth no man for his rich aray Nor ought regardeth noblenesse of birth In his Grand Court of Iustice he admits No subtill Trauers no Demurs Repeales Delayes Iniunctions neither any Writs Of Error nor Excuses nor Appeales No bribed Fauorites hath Hee to raise By motions at his Bar On him attends No Groomes nor Kinsmen that his Lordship swayes To wrest the course of Iustice to their ends No great man sends his letters to entreat To change his sentence nor a costly fee That hires him any way to mitigate What he hath once resolued to decree You sons of Adam you shall doubtlesse come Though sleight perhaps my counsell may appeare To such a Iudge to such impartiall Doome And finde all true that I foretell you here Yea if you harken not to the command Of your Creator nor his Law delight You shall not in that Iudgement guiltlesse stand But fall condemned in the Iudges sight And when the Righteous are assembled there With Come you Blessed And at full possesse According to the promise made them here The ioyfull Crowne of endlesse happinesse Then with a curse excluded shall you goe Amongst the damned spirits into hell Shut out from blisse into a world of woe Amid those tortures which no tongue can tell And when as many hundred thousand yeares You haue endur'd as there be on the shore Small stones or sands the time no shorter weares Nor will your plagues grow fewer then before Nay though you were reseru'd for no more paine Nor other discontentment then the misse Of that great good to which the iust attaine In such priuation hell enough there is We see that when ambitious men haue got Respect and meanes enough to liue at rest Yet if they misse some marke wher at they shot They fret as men without compare vnblest We see that Worldlings who on tempting gold Haue set their thoughts can ten times better beare The brunt of labour hunger thirst and cold Then liue well fed and warme with coffers bare We likewise know that Louers barr'd the sight Of their deare Mistresses can ne're receiue Content nor cause of comfort or delight Though free from outward paines or want they liue Nay rather it torments and greeueth more Their vexed soules then smart of body may And more themselues they thinke insulted ore Then if for triall on the Racke they lay This we haue knowne And if priuation can On earth so torture where euen torments are Imperfect Oh! how much more greeuous than Shall those soules finde it that must feele it there If here thou canst not brooke contempt disgrace To be depriu'd of honour or the view Of those false beauties wherein thou do'st place Contentment here Ah! what will there ensue How how wilt thou endure it wretched Elfe When thou shalt know what riches they possesse Who shall be blessed and perceiue thy selfe Debarr'd for euer of that happinesse When thou eternally shalt be a scorne Of thy contentment stript of peace of friends Of all the fellowship of Saints forlorne And no Companions left but damned Fiends When thou to endlesse darknesse banished Shalt burne with the desire of seeing Him With whose perfections Angels eyes
the winde makes most hauock among tall Cedars on high Mountaines So shall their pride and loftinesse make them more subiect to the tempest of Gods indignation As appeared in Pharaoh Nebuchadonezor Herod and such other But some may say many vngodly men liue free from all those miseries and crosses here spoken off Truely it seemes so for a time but the greater will be their sorrow at the last Nay I am perswaded that euen in this life and at the best they haue so much bitternesse to make vnsauorie all their delights as if we could look into the hearts and consciences of those that seeme happiest men to the worldward I beleeue we should discouer so much horror and disquietnesse as would make vs set light by our discontentments For many of them amid their aboundance of wealth and honours are more distempered with toyes then a constant Christian is with his greatest afflictions And if trifles will not moue them they haue matters of greater consequence to disturbe their rest One grieues to see the familie which he thought to make honourable by his owne pollicy quite rooted out by the improuidence of his Children Yea the miserable Catiue liues to behold his sonnes prodigalitie consume his vsury and yet hath not the power to afford himselfe the benefit of his owne labours neither to doe one good deede that may purchase a prayer for him vntill it is too late Another hath labour'd for the applause of the people and with vexation of spirit comes to heare his name made the iust subiect of Libels and himselfe reputed odious in the common-wealth One is sicke for some disgrace receiued from his Prince A second grieued with the vnkindenes of those whom he thought his best friends A third mad at the pride of his equall A fourth ready to hang himselfe for the insolence of his inferiour A fift pines with enuying at his superiour A sixt sleepes not for desire of preferment A seauenth trembles through feare of losing his office The eighth hath a wife that is more shame and discontent vnto him then all these And which is worse then that too he knowes not what shall become of him at last For sometime he thinkes that men die like beasts without hope of another life And then it grieues him that he must for euer leaue the world which he so much loued Another while he remembers he hath heard of a God and a Day of Iudgement Which putteth him into such a desperat feare that he is neuer alone but his heart quakes and his guilty Conscience so stings threatens him with hell and damnation that hee sometime wisheth hee were indeede realy dust or Chaffe and that the winde might scatter him into nothing Oh God! that I were able so to scrue this into the hearts of worldlings as to make their muddy apprehensions more sensible of their vnhappinesse and allure them to seeke for that true and perfect felicitie which is here promised But alas it is beyond my power For the whole world almost hath runne through all the degrees of wickednesse and the greatest part are become Benchers in that damnable society of Scorners with whom it is impossible to preuaile Nay my God would thou mightst bee pleased though it were but so farre to enable mee with thy spirit that the apprehension of these things might euer continue in my selfe so feruent as at sometimes they be For by that meanes I should not onely neuer more againe be carried away by those vanities and infirmities whereunto youth and the frailty of my condition is prone but become also so highly delighted with the contemplation and hope of that incomparable blessednesse which is prepared for the louers of thy Law that the worlds minions shold see I did not meerely in word but truely in deede neglect and despise all those things which they account eyther felicities or disasters in this life Yea they should perceiue me so farre from thinking my selfe a miserable man For being in pouerty slandered neglected contemned tortured with such like or from imagining my selfe a happy man in the fruition of that vaine fauour honour wealth ease fame and respect which they glorie in as they should with enuie be forced to confesse within themselues that by a meanes which the world knew not I had ariued at such felicitie as in respect thereof their happinesse was but as dirt and dung to Gold and Siluer And perhaps also when they were in their greatest earthly pompe It should more vexe them to behold me whom they account miserable disdayning those things as triuiall wherein they place their highest blessednesse then it can delight or content them to possesse those pleasures or preferments which they enioy This oh Lord were possible if thou wouldst alwaies preserue in thy seruant the consideration which at sometime thou vouch safest to bestow vpon me But I am the meanest of thy children and I confesse that these good affections and apprehensions which I sometime haue of the blessednesse here promised doe often yea too often faile in me And then I doe not onely shrinke as much as any other vnder the burthen of temporall afflictions but my heart is also intangled with those desires and preposterous contentments that vainest world-lings seeke after Which weakenesse I both heartily pray thee Oh God to heale in me and surely beleeue also that thou wilt doe it when it shall be most for thy glory and my furtherance in the way of truest Blessednesse The thought whereof hath now so highly transported me that I had almost forgotten what I had more to say touching the infelicity of the wicked But now I descend againe to speake of them Therefore the vngodly shall not stand in the Iudgement c. You haue formerly beene giuen to vnderstand of the great difference that is betweene the Righteous and the vngodly both in their condition and their reward Now he shewes that a difference will be betwixt them not in this life only but also in the last day For that is the principal Iudgement here ment and spoken of per Antonomasiam as the Arabick Interpreter by these words in sine doth plainely denote They shall not be able to stand in the iudgment nor in the congregation of the righteous That is they shall not be approued but haue iudgement pronounced against them to their ouerthrow at the generall Doome For so are these words shall not stand to bee vnderstood And the phrase is not onely proper to the Hebrewes but vsuall among the Latines and vs also Cicero hath Causa cadere which is after the same manner of speaking And Terence where hee saith Se vix stetisse meanes that some of his Fables were scarse approued of by the common people And when with vs a man comes to his triall before a Iudge we often say Hee cannot stand out Or that Hee will haue a fall when we meane his cause shall not receiue approbation Now the reason why the vngodly
GOD well knowes their way that Righteous are But perish shall the path of wicked men a Blessings or all happy things belong to that man c. For some take the Hebrew word to be a Substantiue plurall and some an Adiectiue plurall but which soeuer it be it is fully enough expressed in this our English phrase Blest or Blessed is the man b The word astray seemes heere to be added onely for the verse sake but the sence indeede includeth it seeing it is an erroneous walking from God which is meant in this place c This Epithite is not added in the Originall nor other which I somtime vse in my metricall translation of the Psalmes neuerthelesse I think I may with a good conscience insert them where they are either such as are warrantable in some other places of holy Scripture to bee well vsed in that sence or such as may bee naturally proper to the subiect which they are applyed vnto As I thinke this is d This word Eternall is an attribute most proper to God and indeede not to be applyed to any other For nothing can be rightly called eternall but that which euer u was and shall bee without beginning or ending and therfore I haue added it to the word LORD that it might the better expresse here the Hebrew Tetragrammaton 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e This and many other such like words may seeme to bee added in diuers places of my translation whereas the power of the Hebrew being considered they will bee found included in the Text. f These words are added explicandi causâ and therefore put in a different character which liberty all Translators haue taken euen in their prose-translations and to authorize me heerein I haue not onely the example of moderne Interpreters but of the Septuagint also who both explicandi ornandi causâ haue added many words in their translation As in the fourth verse of this Psalme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the second verse also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither of which are in the Hebrew g The word exercise which is vsed in some English Translations doth in my opinion better and more fully expresse the meaning of the Holy Ghost then the word meditate seeing it may as properly bee applyed to the heart and tongue as to the hand whereas the word meditate is neuer with vs vsed so largely although it be sometime so taken with the Latines h Riuers of it self aswell expresseth the meaning of the Prophet in our tongue as Riuers of water for as by Flames without other addition we vnderstand Flames of fire so without other addition also by Riuers we fully enough vnderstand the water diuiding it selfe into many streames i These words are explicandi causa also as that spoken of before in the second verse k And he shall make what e're he doth to thriue so it may be read also for some translate the words thus Et quicquid faciet prosperare faciet l Explicandi causa as before m In the first verse because there are degrees of Sinners mentioned and in the Hebrew distinguished by three seuerall words which the Latines interpret Impij Peccatores and Derisores that is the Vngodly Sinners and Scorners therefore in that and in all such places where is meant more then one sort of offenders I haue called them which the Latines terme Impij the Wicked or Vngodly and those which they call Peccatores I haue termed Sinners but in this and such like places where one kinde of euill doers is onely spoken of I haue indifferently named them sometime the Wicked sometime the Vngodly sometime Sinners and sometime by such other names as I knew were vsuall in our tongue to denote such Sinners as the Holy Ghost there poynted at for howsoeuer the circumstances doe in many places appropriate these words the Sinners or the Vngodly to particular degrees of Offenders yet in our tongue we indifferently vse either of them to signifie the congegation of reprobate-members of the Deuill n These words are included in the sense though not literally expressed vide annotationes Francisc. Vatabl. o This is added explicandi causa for here seemes to be meant that great Assembly of the Faithfull which at the generall Iudgement shall bee perfectly made one in Christ who is the head of that mysticall body p I may seeme perhaps to haue inserted this word then more for the rimes sake then for any force it here hath but being well considered it will appeare to be necessarily added for it hath respect to the time of that iudgment spoken of before in which will be congregated that principall Assembly of the righteous out of which all vnrepentant sinners shall be vndoubtedly excluded q I told you in my Preparation to the Psalter that where soeuer in translating these Psalmes I met with the Hebrew tetragrammaton 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I would either expresse it by the word LORD as the Apostles the Septuagint the Fathers and some English translators haue done or else by such a word as should somewhat estentially expresse the Godhead and distinguish it also by writing the same in Capitall letters as in this place the word GOD is Charactered Which how euer some may thinke is a significant essentiall name of the Deitie yea except the Hebrew Tetragrammaton whose mysteries I am not able to search into I thinke there is no one word of any language more significant to expresse the essence of the Deitie then is the word GOD which though it be for difference sake a little otherwise pronounced is the same in signification with the word GOOD an English tetragrammaton out of whose number and forme of letters if it were to any purpose I durst vndertake to gather mysteries equall to many of those which some Iewish Rabbines and Cabalisticall Doctors haue framed out of the letters and forme of the Hebrew vnspeakeable Name It comprehends in it selfe all attributes whatsoeuer which are expressed in the knowne Names of God vsed throughout euery language of the world for eternity omnipotency beautie knowledge loue prouidence blessednes with the perfection of these and all other excellencies serue but to make vp one Summum Bonum one Chiefe good and that is GOD who is the perfection of all Goodnesse and he to whom onely this essentiall Name ought to be giuen As appeareth in St Mathews Gospell Chap. 19. vers 17. where Christ himselfe telleth vs that there is none to whom this name of GOOD appertaines but to the Deitie There is none good but one sayth he euen God And this is made somwhat the plainer by considering the english word by which we signifie him that is Gods opposite for we call him not as other Nations doe by a name comprehending some one attribute of his as the deceiuer or so but we impose a name on him which at once expresseth all that can be said of him in a thousand words to wit the Deuill for all the particular vnhappinesses