vs in the certainty of our saluation 1. Cor. 1. Phil. 2. Christians are sure of perseuerance proued by foure reasons Gal. 2. Rom. 6. 1. Pet. 1. 1. Ioh. 2. Commendation of Gods word â—…t will vphold vs when all other comfort will faile Ambrose If we make no conscience of Gods word in prosperity it shall not comfort vs madueâ—…sity The Word of God is the life of our soule If such fruit be in his promise what is in the performance Mockeries and tauntings of euill men is a part of Christs crosse Ismael first began this kind of persecution Gal. 4. Godlines hath many impediments If we remember time begun forethinke time to come the tentations of the time present shall not readily ouercome vs. Prou. 1. Godly men pitie the wicked Euthym. Not so much for wroÌ„g done to them as for the euill that redounds to theÌ„ who doe it Ambr. ☜ The weight of sin aggrauated by this that it is a forsaking of Gods law They who couÌ„t Gods word a wearines which Dauid accounted a refreshment are in a hard estate The word is conuenient for euery state of life In it wee haue prayers for crosses and psalmes for euery deliueraÌ„ce Bodily banishment brings the godly neerer to the Lord how euer it put them further from men Our life vpon earth is but a banishment ☞ It were a sore punishment to dwell for euer in our bodies as they are ☞ Iob. 18. Priuate exercises are surest tryalls of true godliness and why Rom. 2. 29. This age conuinced of coldnes in religion Euery mans life declares if he remember God or no. Ambrose How the beginnings of godliness are euer blessed with increase ☞ God teacheth vs both by precepts and examples All the godly who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before vs. call vpon vs. ☜ Heb. 12. Among the rest Dauid calls vs to follow him If we would be partakers of his approbation 2. Reg. 2. A two-fold protestation in this verse It is a commoÌ„ thing to speak of God not so to speake to him Accesse to the throne of grace in the body is the first degree of eternal life ☜ Macar hâ—…m 8. Dauid a great King yet glories onely in this that God was his 〈◊〉 Worldlings may be ashamed who hauing lesse portions on earth yet for them neglect the Lord. Why we should chuse God to be our portion God rested not in his worke of creation till he had made man ☜ And man shold not rest content with any creature but set his hart vpoÌ„ God Psal. 73. 25. ☜ August The greatest good in the creature is but a sparkle of that infinite good in the Creator Euery creature sends vs from it vp to him that made it ☞ Prou. 1. 8. Man was made for God no other thing but God can content him Bernard August ☜ God is not the lesse portion of one because he is the portion of another Earthly inheritances are diminished being coÌ„muncated to many heauenly are not so How the assurance of our election may be gathered 1. Iohn 4. Comfort for such as are poor in worldly things Psal. 23. 1. Abrahams infirmitie should learne vs to gather strength ☜ Information for such as are rich in the world Shame that they are more zealous to maintain their earthly portion then the heauenly Ierem. 8. It is not enough to say God is thy portion vnlesse thou qualifie it Chrys. in Mat. hom 4. An InterrogatioÌ„ of Chrysostoms meet for professors of this age ☞ Such as enter into religion without determination cannot continue Three helps of a godly life 1. Determination 2. Supplication 3. Consideration Iam. 3. Our purpose perisheth if God blesse it not Three things obserued in Dauids prayer 1 His Reuerence The like reuerence recommended to vs. Eccles. 5. August The second is his Sinceritie Against a false hart vnder a faire tongue ☜ ☞ Pro. 26. 23. The third is his faith Prayers of bastard Christians nothing different from the prayers of Turkes ☜ God promiseth of mercy wee promise of dutie If we would haue the one effectuall let vâ—… make conscience of the other Consideration so necessary that without it no estate of our life can be well ordered ☞ We should not vse the eye of the mind as we doe the eye of the body ☜ By the one we look to others by this wee should look to our selues It is a lamentable folly for a man to take heed to any thing that is his more then to himselfe Basil de verbis Mosis Attende tibi As oft as wee â—…oke to our selues we shal find something 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bern. Delay of repentance dangerous How it brings many to damnation ☜ August Against the delay of repentance Satan seeks but â—… delay God crâ—…ues present repentance ☞ All men seek the Lord at length wise meÌ„ seek him in time True godlines endureth great tentations What the wicked are to the godly ☜ The combination of the wicked shall not helpe them Three things to be marked in this verse Our necessities hinders our spiritual exercises that they can not be continuall as it is with them in heauen Yet wee should indeuour vnto it Why Salomon made Harps of Almuggim trees We soone faint in prayer Though our performance faile our purpose should remaine Time a most pretious jewel ☜ How the time of the day and night should be spent after Dauids example The same Christ teacheth by his example Ambrose Sleepe is the deaw of nature Yet we should quit it to keepe the deaw of grace or else worldlings and Idolators shall accuse vs. ☞ Sleep compared to a sory customer that takes vp more then he should How Alexander and Caesar parted the night Monsters of Nature turne the day into night Ambrose What God promiseth with his mouth he performeth with his hand Sin punished now tels there is a Iudge Sinne spared now tells there is a iudgement to come He that loueth God wil loue his Saints Euery mans company declares what himselfe is Ambr. ad virg deuotam Ambr. offer lib. 3. ca. 16. Christians of an inferior rank to ourselues should be vsed as our companions ☞ An example of great humility ☞ In the godly feare is with loue not so in the wicked No good is to be looked for where the feare of God is not Gods benignitie generall is to all speciall to his owne children The goodness of God toward his creatures should coÌ„firme his children in the assurance of his loue Blind are the wicked who see not Gods goodnes in his creatures ☞ Gods mercy shewed to a man is an vndoubted argument that hee will shew more mercie His present gifts are but pledges of greater Psalm 23. How God is gracious euen wheÌ„ he afflicts Ambrose The same declared by sundry similitudes Basil. Memorials of mercy should be kept The seruant of God an honorable and comfortable stile Iudg. 16. The wicked dishonor God when they call in doubt the truth of his word Esay 37. Zach. 1. But they shall find it
aduantage it is not so with the Lord our God all his commandements are for the vantage and benefite of his seruants Nihil iubet quod sibi profit May a man be profitable vnto God Is it any thing to the Almighty that thou art righteous Or is it profitable to him that thou makest thy wayes vpright yet are we bound to obey and we must be countable for them and therefore should they neuer goe out of our mind And consider thy wayes Dauid his second internall action concerning the word is Consideration where marke well how by a most proper speech he calles the word of God the way of God partly because by it God comes neere vnto men reuealing himselfe to them who otherwayes could not be knowne of them for he dwels in light inaccessible and partly because the word is the way which leades men to God So then because by it God commeth downe to men and by it men go vp vnto God and know how to get accesse to him therefore is his word called his way Of Consideration see Ver. 59. VER 16. I will delight in thy Statutes and will not forget thy word HEe protested before that he had great delight in the Testimonies of God now he sayth he will still delight in them A man truely godly the more good he doth the more he desireth delights and resolues to do Temporizers on the contrary who haue but a shew of godlines the loue of it is not rooted in their hart how soon are they weary of wel-doing If they haue done any small external duty of religiō they rest as if they were fully sanctified there needed no more good to be done by thē True Religion is known by hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse by perseuerance in wel-doing and an earnest desire to do more But to this he addes that he will not forget the word The graces of the Spirit do euery one fortifie and strengthen another for ye see Meditation helps Consideration who can consider of that whereof he thinkes not Consideration againe breedes Delectation and as here ye see Delectation strengthens Memory because he delights in the worde hee will not forget the worde and Memory againe renewes Meditation Thus euery grace of the Spirit helpes another and by the contrary one of them neglected workes a wonderfull decay of the remnant Faile in Loue or in Patience c. Praier decayes faile in Prayer all decayes We haue therefore so much the more carefully to eschue the neglect of any one grace because in the losing of one we lose many and if we want grace we are altogether inexcusable because if we haue a care to keepe any one principall grace one shall keepe many graces vnto vs. GIMEL VER 17. Be beneficiall vnto thy seruant that I may liue and keepe thy word IN the end of the former Section Dauid had protestations now in the beginning of this he hath prayers In his protestations he acknowledgeth the beginnings which by grace he had made in godlinesse to the praise and glory of God in the prayers he acknowledgeth his wants that he was farre from that which he should be and therfore still beseecheth the Lord to bring forward to perfection that which he had begun in him If ye marke the course of this Psalme ye shall see Dauid cannot long abide in any purpose without prayer he learned by experience that prayer is the life of the soule No more can the Soule liue without prayer then the Body can without breathing and as Samsons strength was in his haire so a Christians strength is in the grace of prayer If this be taken from vs we soone become a prey to the spirituall Philistims Now the first thing he craues as a speciall benefite is that hee may liue and keep the word of God Many benefits had the Lord bestowed vppon him of a Shepheard he made him a King to them all he seeks this benefit grace so to liue that he might keepe the word of the Lord he knew that without this all other benefits are nothing and so doe all Gods children illuminate with the light of God if they were preferred to be Monarches of the world They count more of this To be Christians wanting earthly Kingdoms then To be Kings wanting Christianity As good Constantine albeit he knew he was obliged to the Lord for making him an Emperor yet much more bound to his mercie for making him a Christian. And indeede this life without the other grace though it were seconded with the highest honour and wealth that euer befell to any man in his life what is it Not an Introduction onely to eternall death but a procuring and iust deseruing of it Thy seruant That hee stiles himselfe so frequently the seruant of GOD notes in him tvvo things first a reuerent estimation hee had of his GOD in that hee accounts it more honourable to bee called the seruant of God who was aboue him then the King of a mightie auncient and most famous people that vvere vnder him And indeede sith the Angels are styled his ministers shall man thinke it a shame to serue him with them and especially sith he of his goodnes hath made them our seruants Ministring spirits to vs Should we not ioyfully serue him who hath made all his creatures to serue vs and exempted vs from the seruice of all other and hath onely bound vs to serue himselfe That I may liue Dauid ioynes heere two together which whosoeuer disioynes cannot be blessed He desires to liue but so to liue that he may keep Gods word To a reprobate man who liues a rebel to his Maker it had bin good as our Sauiour said of Iudas that he had neuer been borne that the knees had not preuented him or that incontinent after his birth he had been buried The shorter his life is the fewer are his sinnes and the smaller his iudgements But to an elect man life is a great benefit for by it he goes from election to glorification by the way of sanctification The longer he liues the more good he doth to the glory of God the edification of others and confirmation of his owne saluation making it sure to himselfe by wrestling and victory in tentations and perseuerance in well dooing Without grace this life is but a death so the Spirit of God accounts of it and therefore giues to most liuely naturall men the name of dead men Omnia hic plena mortis sunt By the law if a liuing man had touched the dead hee was defiled and wee beside that wee carry death in our selues where can we go and not touch the dead Great need therfore haue wee with Dauid earnestly to seek this grace that we may liue keeping the word of God aunswering that commandement of our lord Relinque mortuos and of his Apostle Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead For as
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
a true word Malac. 3. 18. The Vnderstanding is the taster of the soule that discerns between truth falsehood Phil. 1. 9. Many want this Sense ☜ Our knowledge in this â—…ife â—…ar infeâ—… to that we shâ—… haue in the 〈◊〉 â—…o come 2. Cor. 5. 7. Gods promises cannot coÌ„fort vs if we be not of their number to whom they belong Affliction in the godly worketh humiliation Worldlings can not vnderstand how good can come by the Crosse. Onely sanctified Crosses worke good Ambrose ☜ To be afflicted not purged chastiâ—…ed not corrected is an euill token Ierem. 6. Esay 1. Many now become worse after deliuerance from trouble These are reserued to sharper scourges Gods last stroke is alway heauiest Amos 5. 19. A godly man is couetous of heauenly instruction How due vnto God is the praise of goodnesse Ambros. in Psa. 119. It is his owne goodnesse that makes him good to his creature Luke 11. A great blessing to be in fellowship with God Constancie in Religion Wicked men are restlesse enemies to the godly Ambr. in Psal. 119. No band of nature can conioyne them whom grace hath not conioyned Why wicked meÌ„ are termed proud men Pâ—…ide an horrible euill ☜ Grace workes humility in the godly Gen. 18. 27. Iudg. 6. 15. Examples prouing that they who are greatest in Gods estimation are least in their owne eyes Satans two armes wherby he wrestles against the godly are violence and lies ☜ Lies trimmed vp with the garment of truth We should not fight against Satan and his instruments with their armour ☞ Rom. 12. 20. Dauids disposition and his enemies contrary How different effects are wrought in godly men by their different sights Luke 18. Acts 26. 29. A soft and melting heart a great blessing A hard stony hart a fearfull cuâ—…se ☞ How a sanctied crosse may be discerned from a cursed Namely if the crosse be a correction Nature of affliction changed to the godly Three things wee see in trouble better then in prosperitie Iob. 5. Rom. 5. The crosse makes a man learned by experience The goodnes of wicked men ends wheÌ„ their trouble ends it is otherwise with the godly Esay 38. The less worldly comfort wee haue the stroÌ„ger is the coÌ„fort of Gods word The authoritie of Gods word should be distinguished froÌ„ the ministrie thereof 1. Sam. 3. Vanity of worldly riches It is not pouertie to want gold but to want grace Chrâ—…s in Mat. hom 9. Otherwise Angels might be called poore Man is Gods workmanship and euen in that respect beloued of God Ambr. in Psal. 119. None caÌ„ rightly seeke from God who consider not what he hath already done to them The priuiledges of our first creation are all lost We haue neyther hope nor comfort in theÌ„ A man without vnderstanding is a companion of beasts True knowledge is that which works godlinesse Practise of pieâ—…e is the art of Artes. Ambr. oâ—…i lib. 1. cap. 26. Moses learning The three designes of a godly man The power of godlinesse Amb. in Psal. 119. The sight of a godly man suppose he be silent teacheth others The communion which is among Christians The working of God with one of his seruants teacheth all the rest To praise God in affliction is a great grace ☜ All Gods waies are righteous suppose we see them not Ignorance of this makes men murmure where they haue no cause Iudgement put for plagues and for corrections Why the crosses of godly men are called iudgements Amb. in Pâ—…s 119 Afflictions of the godly and wicked differ 1. In measure Esa. 27. 7. 2. In their ends Faith and not nature teacheth a man to runne to the hand that strikes him Hos. 6. 1. Comfort for men vnder crosses Promise of mercy rendred more ioy to Dauid then the promise of a kingdome Mercy receiued makes the godly thirst for more Psalm 17. 15. Three ranks of mercy craued by the godly ☞ Prayer against enemies how it should be framed Basil in Psalme 119. Ambrose in Psalme 119. Shame with contempt reward of sin The wicked are proud men A proud man â—…is iust punishment Let vs not look for peace from the wicked Satan may wex worse but shall neuer be better Dauids armor Euery Christian hath need of anothers help By reason of the diuersitie of grace dispensed to theÌ„ Publique sin is like Miriams leprosie that separated her froÌ„ the Congregation Why God suffers the countenaÌ„ce of good men to bee cast down on other good men Knowledge â—…are of God â—…equired together Desertions spirituall doe sore cast downe the godly As a body wanting meat fainâ—…th so c. The godly neuer so faint that they lose all life ☜ Our petitions should all be warranted by the word Answer of our prayers delaied many times and why Chrys. in Math. The troubles of the mind distemper the body Gods children exercised with sharp afflictions Reasons hereof giuen The reason of Dauids supplication Psalm â—…8 11. Mans life measured by dayes not yeeres A question alway to be remembred ☞ ☜ Prayer against our enemies how it should be framed Such iudgements as are preparatiues to mercy may be prayed for But not those iudgements that are forerunners of wrath ☜ Godly men euil recompenced of the world Sundry sorts of persecution Enemies of Dauid described Pridecan humble it selfe for a greater vantage Psal. 10. 4. 10. The wicked are taken in their owne sâ—…are Psalm 7. 15. Example hereof in Saul and Haman Comfort when we see wicked men are our enemies The Word giues comfort against all trouble Profitable for vs to be exercised with afflictions Amb. in Ps. 119 ☞ We should take heed to the cause for which we are troubled Cyprian 1. Pet. 4. Malice of the wicked is insatiable against the godly They rent both their names and their bodies after they are dead It is mans infirmity to be cast down with tentations coÌ„ming from men more then those that come from God Nazian ☜ Why God will haue his children brought very low by affliction 2. Cor. â—… Infidelity readie to goe â—… whooring froÌ„ God Desertion is like death to the godly Gods kindness is our defence against mans malice Psalme 52. 1. A two-fold kindnesse in God Psal. 145. Psalm 106. Man without grace is but dead and can doe no good Presumptuous professors reproued ☞ A comfortable meditation of the eternitie of Gods word The word of God opposed to the word of man Cypr. lib. 4. Epist. 2. Philo. The good name of a christian should be regarded and why Innocence defends vs not froÌ„ the calumnies of mâ—…n Words of men most effectless when they are stoutest What is meant here by heaueÌ„ The changes of this world cumber our faith Vatab. Then it is good to looke vp vnto heaueÌ„ Heb. 6. 19. The visible frame of heauen a witnesse of Gods eternall truth The creatures cannot teach the way of saluation but coÌ„firme vs in it ☜ Iere. 31. 35. The certaintie of our saluatioÌ„ The glory of
yet enuy and rage when he sees the children of Adam restored to the possession of any spirituall graces and therefore Dauid like a wise man Abscondit illas in animo suo ne eas per inanem gloriam aut incuriam animarum depraedatores furentur This one example may condemne the folly of worldlings the smallest jewell they haue yea the Charter of their smallest possessions they can hide well enough and lay it vp sure from them who would defraude them of it but as for the promises of God which are the Charters of our heauenly inheritance they neglect them altogether For alas how many be there who affirm in word that heauenly inheritance to be theirs who if they be examined vpon their warrants cannot bring out of the treasure of their heart so much as one promise of God whereby it is made sure vnto them That I might not sinne Among many excellent vertues of the word of GOD this is one that if we keepe it in our heart it keepes vs from sinne which is against God and against ourselues We may marke it by experience that the word is first stollen eyther out of the minde of man and the remembrance of it is away or at least out of the affection of man so that the reuerence of it is gone before that a man can be drawne to the committing of a sinne So long as Euah kept by faith the word of the Lord she resisted Sathan but from the time she doubted of that which God made most certaine by his word incontinent she was snared VER 12. Blessed art thou O Lorde teach me thy Statutes THE soule of a man truely godly when he commeth to seeke God findes in himselfe so manifolde wants and in the Lord so plentifull mercies that he can neuer be satiate with seeking till he be filled and therefore is it that hauing sought much yea and gotten much yet he seekes more as through all this Psalme we may see Dauid can make no end of prayer and this may make vs ashamed of our cold faint and feeble prayers This Verse containes a prayer with a reason of the prayer The prayer is Teach me thy Statutes the reason mouing him to seeke this ariseth of a consideration of that infinite good which is in GOD. He is a blessed GOD the Fountaine of all felicitie without whom no welfare nor happinesse can bee to the creature And for this cause Dauid earnestly desiring to be in fellowship and communion with GOD which hee knowes none can attaine vnto vnlesse he be taught of GOD to know Gods way and walke in it therefore I say prayeth he the more earnestly that the Lord would teach him his Statutes Oh that we also could wisely consider this that our felicity stands in a fellowshippe with GOD. This meditation would weaken or diminish in vs those vnquiet and fruitlesse cares wee haue to enioy the creature for alas man seekes the creatures as if his life and happinesse stood in them but is negligent in the seeking of the Lord and all because he knowes not that his blessednesse stands in a communion with the blessed God Teach mee Dauid wanted not Prophets such as Nathan and Gad and Leuits his ordinary Doctors to teach him but he knew all these were nothing vnless he were taught of God Man his teaching if there be no more cannot remedy the ignorance of the minde farre lesse the corruption of the heart Pauls planting Apollo his watering is nothing if God worke not the increase and therefore Dauid so vses the one as knowing it could not profit without the other Hac à Domino quaerit discere quae homines docere non poterant If this were practised now to ioyne prayer with hearing that when wee offer our selues to be taught of men we would there with send vp prayer to God before preaching in time of preaching and after preaching we would soone proue more learned and religious then we are Againe Dauid was a Prophet himselfe and a man of great knowledge and yet often craues he that God would teach him more Farre was he from the presumption of this age which procures the perdition of many with whom if ye speake concerning their knowledge ye shal heare nothing but that they know their God their dutie their conscience and all they will seeme ignorant of nothing though indeed they doe nothing aright When they heare so excellent a Prophet so desirous of further knowledge and so desirous to be taught let them be ashamed to boast of their knowledge Vaemiserae huic generationi cui sufficere videtur sua insufficientia VER 13. With my lips haue I declared all the iudgements of thy mouth HEere is a protestation of the thankefull vse he had made of the benefits of God already receiued he had tolde vnto others what God had done to his soule he had not kept close God his louing kindnes And truly this is a strong reason to backe our prayers vnto God when we dare say out of a good conscience that the benefits which we haue receiued already we haue vsed them to the glory of him who gaue them But here it may be demaunded seeing the Psalmist sayes that the iudgements of God are as a great deep and the Apostle sayes that they are vnsearchable How saith he now that he hath declared all the iudgements of God To this we answer Non impugnat se velut contrarijs Scriptura venerabilis and therfore we must here make a distinction Sunt iudicia occulta quae Deus â—…obis non patesecit iudicia oris quae annuntiauit per os Prophetarum loquutus est there are secret iudgements and these Dauid leaues to the Lord there are againe the iudgements of his mouth which God hath declared and reuealed himselfe by the mouth of his seruants the Prophets And of these Dauid speakes here I haue declared all the iudgements of thy mouth So then here Dauid protests that what the Lord taught him he also taught others Some will teach who themselues are not taught of God these are in the Church non Conchae sed Canales Others what they haue learned of God declare not vnto others these are guilty of hiding of the Talent they haue receiued from the Lord. With my lips The tongue is a most excellent member of the body being well vsed to the glory of God and edification of others and yet it cannot pronounce without helpe of the lippes The Lord hath made the bodie of man with such maruellous wisedome that no member in it can say to another I haue no neede of thee but such is man his dulnesse that he obserues not how stedable vnto him the smallest member in the body is till it be taken from him If our lips were clasped for a time and our tongue enclosed we would esteeme it a great mercy to haue it
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
remooued or remained according as they were directed by the clowde in the day and piller of fire in the night so should all the vvaies of our life be ordered by the direction of God Otherwise as the vvarriour qui praescripto non incedit ordine armatus non ambulat rectaque via iter non conficit mansionem paratam non invenit who walkes not the way prescribed to him and goes not into it armed to resist the enemy comes not to that mansion prepared by the Imperator for his followers to enioy such furniture as he hath caused to prouide for them so shall it be with the straggling Christian vvhose vvay is a declining from Christ he cannot come to those mansions which hee hath prouided for his followers in his Fathers house nor be resreshed with his delicates Dauid knew this very well and therefore is he so inquisitiue to knowe the way of his Commaunder and earnest to seek grace that he may walke in it Dauid as wee said before was a Prophet indued vvith great vnderstanding yet doth hee earnestlie desire to be further taught of God for the treasures of manifold wisedome locked vp in the word are so rich that no man can attaine to such measure of knowledge but still hee hath neede to learne more The Angels vvho are full of eyes vvithin vvithout so figured for the greatnesse of their vnderstanding for which also by Nazianzen they are called Secundaria lumina are scholars in the schoole of the Church for those things which are preached to vs in the Gospel by the holy Ghost sent down froÌ„ heauen The Angels desire to be hold and shal we not delight to learne with theÌ„ seeing for our saluation whereof they are surealready these things are preached And I will keepe it vnto the end Here is a promise of thankfulness not in word but in deede 〈◊〉 legeâ—… tuâ—…m serâ—…are studui prosequar haue cursum neque fatigabâ—…r in medio itinere vbi tu perrexer is me dâ—…cere If thou continue a teacher of mee saith Dauid I shall continue a seruaunt to thee Perseuerance cannot bee vnlesse continuall light and grace be furnished to vs from the Lord. As the tree which hath not sap at the roote may florish but cannot continue so a man whose hart is not watered with the dew of Gods grace continually may for a time make a faire shew of godliness but in the end shall fall away Wee beare not the roote but the roote beares vs let vs tremble and feare If wee abide not in him we become withered branches good for nothing but the fire Let vs alway pray that hee would euer abide with vs to informe vs by his light and lead vs by his power in that vvay which may bring vs to him VER 34. Giue me vnderstanding and I wil keepe thy law yea I wil keep it with mine whole hart HEre followes a prayer agreeable to this purpose with a promise of thankfulnes amplified WheÌ„ God appeared to Salomon in a vision and offered to giue vnto him whatsoeuer he would aske Salomon as hee had learned here from Dauid his father seekes a wise and vnderstanding heart which thing so pleased the Lord that because Salomon did so and sought not riches nor honour the Lord promised not onely to giue him wisdome which he sought but riches and honour which he sought not Let vs also be moued if we be the sonnes of Dauid to seeke best things from the Lord our God specially knowledge vnderstanding how we may serue him Certainly so great and gratious is the Lord so rich in mercy that then our prayers are most acceptable to him when we seeke most excellent blessings from him And I will keepe thy Lawe True vnderstanding rests not in speculation but breakes out in practise Naked knowledge breeds conuiction it were better to want it for greater knowledge makes the iudgement of the wicked greater because that when they knew God they glorified him not But true vnderstanding changes the heart for by it not only do we behold the glory of God as in the mirrour of his word but are changed into the same image from glory to glory by the spirit of the Lord. And this is that excellent knowledge of Christ wherein the Apostle reioyces to know the vertue of his resurrection the fellowship of his afflictions and bee made conformable to his death And indeede then onely is knowledge a blessing when it workes these happy effects in vs. Yea I will keepe it with mine whole hart As he promised before perseuerance in Gods seruice so now he promiseth sinceritie Some are temporizers in Religion these perseuer not in seruice Some are hypocrites these are not sincere they draw neere the Lord with their lippes but are from him in their harts Dauid promiseth both perseuerance sinceritie but so that stil he craues grace of God to performe theÌ„ When Dauid offred materials as gold siluer for building of the Temple he blessed the Lord ascribed to him the praise both of the things which hee had offred they were Gods own of the hart wherby he offred them Now therefore my God vvee thank thee and praise thy glorious Name But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer vvillingly after this sort For all things come of thee and of thy owne hand haue wee giuen thee But how much more should we acknovvledge this in spirituall graces Haue wee any thing that we haue not receiued And when we doe any good by his grace should not the praise be returned vnto him Yea indeed let vs all say with Dauid all comes of thee and of thine owne hand haue we giuen vnto thee And where hee promiseth that hee will keepe Gods law with his whole hart it is not a presuming of perfection Not as though I were alreadie perfect but a protesting of his sinceritie that he had not the false diuided hart of hypocrites VER 35. Direct mee in the path of thy commaundements for therein is my delight AS before hee craued light to his mind so now he craues grace to direct his heart that he may follow it Naturally man is ignorant of the way to eternall life and if any light or knowledge he haue of it yet is he easily miscaried to wander from it Euen as vvater if it be not walled in ad decliuia fertur of it ovvne nature declines to lowest places if the smallest passage be made vnto it Ita humana natura diabolo viam ad peccatum aperiente ad id quod peius est proruit so the nature of man rushes downeward to sinne vvhen any way thereto is opened to him by Satan And therefore Dauid fearing his owne infirmitie prayes so earnestlie that God would guide him and not leaue him to himselfe Now the way vvhich Dauid chooseth to
them by the armour of the Spirit not meeting wickednesse with wickednesse and falshood with falshood For if we fight against Satan with Satans armor he shall soone ouercome vs but if wee put vpon vs the compleat armor of God to resist him hee shall flee from vs. See ver 69. VER 79. Let such as feare thee turne vnto mee and they that know thy testimonies AS he was troubled by the wicked so hee praieth that he may find help comfort in the godly God hath ioyned his children into one happy fellowship for his Church is a communion of Saints yet so that hee hath distributed his graces to euery one of them in so wise a manner that there is not one of them who stands not in need of the help comfort of one another where one doubts another hath light to resolue where one is grieued another hath the word of consolation to vphold him where one is weake vnder any temptation the Lord hath appointed the stroÌ„ger to bear his infirmities and this is the benefit which here Dauid craues Basile so expounds these words as if Dauid for his sin had been separate from the congregation of Gods people as Miriam was for her leprosie and therfore now praies againe that he may be receiued into the communion of Gods people Which more clearly is expressed by the translation of Symmachus Conuersentur mecum timenteste Let such as feare thee haue conuersation with me and let me not be abhorred of them How-euer it be wee may see that the harts of men are in the hands of the Lord and that ma ny times godly men are made strange to other godly men Wherein the Lord hath no other respect but that our harts should not depend vpon the testimonie of man God is so iealous ouer his children wil haue their harts so wholly bound vnto himselfe that he cannot be content we shold put our comfort or seeke our approbation in any creature And in this sort did hee so humble Dauid that as hee protests Psalm 69. hee found not one to comfort him and all for this end that he might learne to comfort himselfe in the Lord his God In this description of the children of God we see how feare knowledge are required to make vp a godly man knowledge of GOD without feare breeds presumption and feare of GOD without knowledge breeds superstition as we see how the Gentiles fearing a diuinitie which they knew not haue fallen into most beastly Idolatry CAPH VER 81. My soule fainteth for thy saluation yet I wait for thy word DAuid beeing sore troubled by wicked men finding that God delaied to comfort and deliuer him was sore deiected cast downe in his owne mind so that his soule fainted his eyes failed and his body became like a bottle in the smoake All hatred and inimitie of man is easily comported where God shewes his fauorable face but when the godly are sore troubled by men and find not their soules comforted of God their strength failes them Euen as the body wanting naturall helps to refresh it becomes faint and falls in a swoune so the soule destitute of heauenly comfort languisheth For the godly liue by mercy and can no more endure to want the sense of mercy then the body can consist without those naturall means which increase and conserue the life thereof Yet doth hee neuer so faint but that some life remaines in him for he subioynes immediatlie I wait for thy word Waiting for comfort is an action of faith an effect of life As in the midst of Winter there is a substance in the Oake and Elme euen when it seemes to bee dead so is it with the Christian in his greatest extremities some spark of life remaines in him For the life oâ—… Christ Iesus whereby hee liues is of that nature that it cannot die it may be weakened but can not be extinguished For thy word In the first part of the verse hee protested that he waited for Gods saluation and now he saith he waited for Gods word Teaching vs first not to seek any thing froÌ„ God which his word warrants vs not to craue And next how we should giue such credit to the word of God as to belieue it euen then when in our sense there is no likelihood of the performance of it VER 82. Mine eyes faile for thy promise vvhen wilt thou comfort me IT is a customable manner of Gods working with his children to delay the aunswere of their prayers suspend the performance of his promises not because he is vnwilling to giue but because he will haue them better prepared to receiue Tardiùs dando quod petimus instantiaÌ„ nobis orationis indicit he is slow to giue that which we seek that we should not seeke slowly but may be wakened to instancie and feruencie in prayer which he knows to be the seruice most acceptable vnto him and most profitable vnto our selues And for this cause continuance in prayer is commended vnto vs by the Apostle VER 83. For I am like a bottle in the smoake yet doe I not forget thy statutes HEe still insists in his former complaint declaring how the greatnes of his inward anguish had extenuated worne the natural strength of his body so that hee was becom like a bottle dryed in the smoak his skin contracted withered wrinkled with the greatnes of his griefe The like he hath Psa. 32. that the moisture of his body was turned into the drouth of Sommer The troubles of the mind affect the body distemper it and the best way in such cases to mitigate bodily diseases is to pacifie the mind But again when we see the great anguish of Dauids mind and how his beautifull body was now become but a withered skin let vs consider how how hardly the Lord deales with his children whom he loues most dearly He iudgeth vs in this world that wee should not be condemned in the world to come By the fire of affliction he burns vp the superfluities of our nature which in prosperity increase vpon vs to the great hinderance of the work of our saluation And againe that he may make vs capable of heauenly coÌ„fort he takes carnal comforts away from vs for so long as we are delighted with the one we can neuer feele the consolation of the other This should learn vs not to be discouraged when in the same maner God deales hardly with vs. His rods may be sharp but his way is mercy He may doe to his children as Ioseph did to his brethren speak roughly to them and make himselfe strange toward them but his louing affection cannot euer be hid from them VER 84. How many are the daies of thy seruaunt when wilt thou execute iudgement on them that persecute me THis verse containes a supplication wherin Dauid craues that God would iudge between
him his enemies The reason hee vseth lurks in the Interrogation How manie are my daies My time is not long my dayes are but few then let them not passe comfortlesse but let me see that thou art a God of iudgement who wilt do according to thy word and men There is fruit for the righteous Verely there is a God that iudgeth righteously on the earth To shew the breuitie of mans life he reckneth it not by yeers but by daies And this consideration of the shortnes of our life Dauid vseth it as an argument somtime to moue the Lord to compassion and sometime to stirre vp himselfe to further piety godliness as we may see Psa. 39. And truly it were good for vs oftner then we doe to thinke vpon this question of Dauids How many are my daies For we are deceiued vvith the shadow of this life cōceiting it to be longer then we shall find it to be whereof it comes to passe that men are prodigall of their daies as if they would neuer be done Their rents their money their garments or any other thing they haue they spend sparingly with moderation onely they are wasters of their daies as if they had Methusalems yeeres in a treasure Let vs pray vvith Moses for grace to number our dayes that wee may apply our harts vnto wisedome When wee look to the by-gone time and see how wee haue misspent it when we looke to the time to come and see how vncertaine we are of it let vs redeem the time we haue to vse it well When wilt thou execute Dauid was far from hatred crueltie or priuate affection for in all these his petitions he was the pen-man of the holy Ghost and spake nothing of any priuate motion Where that wee may know how farre forth wee are to follow him in these let vs remember that God executes two sorts of iudgements vpon men some are preparatiues to mercy such as were inflicted vpon Saul when hee went to persecute the Saints at Damascus he was cast from his horse and strooken with blindnesse and for these we may pray that God will execute them vpon them who are sleeping in their sinnes that rather they may be wakened by Gods iudgmēts and moued to repent then perish in their impietie Others again of his iudgments are but forerunners of that great and last iudgement which he wil execute on all the wicked such as were the punishments of Caine and Iudas The first works conuersion the second confusion and for these wee can not pray against our enemies because howsoeuer their works be euill for the present yet wee know not what the Lord may doe with them heereafter Who persecute mee Dauid was a godly man approued of God and a profitable instrument to his King and Country When Saul was vexed he did mitigate his trouble with the Harpe hee slew Goliah and ouerthrew the Philistims yet ye see how he is recompenced Such commonlie is the reward which godly men gette in this world at the hands of them to whom they haue been instruments of greatest good And this persecution many waies are the wicked guiltie of The railing of Shimei against Dauid the mocking of Isaac by Ismael these the world esteemes no sinnes or very small but the Lord ranks them in among bloudie sinnes and calls them persecution learning all men not to speake euill or scorne the godly least they fal into greater sinnes then they are aware of VER 85. The proud haue digged pits for mee which is not after thy law HE insists stil in his complaint against his enemies describes them first frō the quality of their persons They were proud Next from their labor subtilty They digged pits for him Thirdly from their manifest iniquitie Their courses against him were not according to Godslaw The proud See ver 69. 21. 51. 78. 85. Haue digged pits Their labour and subtiltie whereby they oppugned Dauid is heere noted Whereby this seemes strange that a proud man should be a digger of pits but so it is that pride for a time can submit it selfe for a greater vantage ouer him whom it would tread vnder foot The wicked is so proud that he seeks not God yet hee croucheth and boweth to cause heapes of the poore fall by his might So proud Absalom abased himselfe to do all men reuerence subiecting himselfe to meanest subiects that so hee might prepare a way to vsurpation ouer his king and father But mark he saith not that he had fallen in the pits which his enemies had digged No no in Gods righteous iudgmēts the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands while the godly escape free He hath made a pit and digged it and is fallen in the pit that he made his mischiefe shall return vpon his own head his cruelty vpon his owne pate Thus Haman hanselled the gallowes which he raised for Mordecai and Saul when he thought by subtilty to slay Dauid with the Philistims sword when he sent him out to seeke two hundreth of their fore-skinnes in a dowrie was disappointed of his purpose but he himselfe at length was slaine by their sword Which is not after thy law As Dauid by this aggrauates the grosse impiety of his aduersaries so doth he also greatly comfort himselfe For why shall we be discouraged to haue these men our enemies of whom we clearely see that neyther their persons nor actions are according to Gods lawe VER 86. All thy commandements are true they persecute me falsly helpe me HEere he reasons from the equity of his cause the iniquity of his enemies vpon these sends he vp his prayer Lord helpe me As for my enemies they persecute me falsly and without a cause as for me I know thy commandements are all true and that they cannot be deceiued who depend vpon them nor yet prosper that are against them He shal neuer want comfort in trouble who cleaues vnto the word of God who euer be against vs keepe it on our side and it shall be well with vs. Againe it is to be marked that he declines no persecution but seeks Gods help in it He knew that all they who will line godly in Christ must suffer persecution Deuotionem fidei praelia persequuntur Cito fides inexercitata languescit Faith not exercised with tentation easily languishes yea sith the Lord chastises euery one whom he loues hee may iustly suspect himselfe who liues without a crosse Si desint certamina vereor ne deesse videatur quicertare desideret If there be a man who hath no battell it is to be feared least he be such a one as desires not to fight and so what can he be but a captiue of Satan But in al our persecutions let vs euer take heed that our cause be righteous and we may say They persecute me falsly potest
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
voluptatum cruci affixa non habeat nayle therefore thy carnall desires to the Crosse of Christ that they may haue no libertie as they were wont to goe loose and wander where they please Otherwise if thou wilt be vaine caried like an instable man after the wandering lusts of corrupt nature fearful is that sentence My Spirit shal not alway striue with man for he is but flesh For feare of thee Familiaritie with men breeds contempt familiaritie with God not so none reuerence the Lord more then they vvho knowe him best and are most familiar with him The Seraphins who couer their faces in presence of his Maiestie teach vs this by their example Such as doe not remember God and far lesse reuerence him when they thinke or speak of his Maiestie declare sufficiently that they were neuer familiar with him I am afraid of thy iudgements It is not to bee thought strange that this feare of Gods iudgements is in men regenerate for the guiltinesse which by sinnes of commission and omission daily they contract cannot be without fear But as I said it cannot continue for in them feare prepares away to loue and loue as it increaseth diminisheth feare Alway we learne here that if the iudgements of God executed vpon others make the godlie afraid how fearefull and importable they will be to the wicked If Moses trembled at the giuing of the law how terrible shall the execution thereof be vnto the wicked Let vs fear in time and we shall not feare in that day wherein horrible feare shall confound the wicked AIN VER 121. I haue executed iudgement and iustice leaue me not to mine oppressors IN this Section Dauid continueth his prayer for protection against his enemies as also for grace to knowe his way vpon earth and follow it He begins with a Petition Leaue me not to mine oppressors and he giues the reason I haue executed iudgement and iustice Where we are not to thinke that he is iustifying himselfe before God but onely declaring how iniustly he was oppressed by men Desensio est non arrogantia Our lesson is If we would haue our prayers forcible let vs intertaine the testimony of a good conscience Iudgement and iustice These two are distinguished by Ambrose in such sort that he makes the one the effect of the other Iudicij finis iustitia est in altero veritatis custodia est in altero fructus aequitatis iudgement is the keeper of verity iustice the fruit of equity the one of these perteyning to the minde makes it giue light for discerning betweene right and wrong the other rectifying the affections and actions Happy is the man in whom these two concurre together Quis autem hodie tanta animi praeditus est puritate vt cum fiducia verbis ist is vti possit But who this day is indued with such purity of minde that with boldnesse he may vse these words My reioycing is the testimony of a good conscience Leaue me not We haue often said that Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart who had also the testimony of a good conscience to sustaine him yet could he not liue free from the oppression of wicked men So long as this battell lasts and Satan wants not instruments let vs euer look to be troubled by them and not to be discouraged thereat but rather comforted considering the inimity proclaimed in Paradise is without reconciliation and sith the Prince of our saluation sustained such contradiction of sinners why shall it grieue vs to beare his crosse And sith Dauid so earnestly prayed not to be left into the hands of his bodily oppressors what shall we doe against our soules oppressors Satan seekes continually to spoile vs of that sparke of spirituall life which God hath put into vs. It is a searfull iudgement where God leaues men to his tyrannie let vs pray for mercy against it VER 122. Answer for thy seruant in that thing which is good and let not the proud oppresse me AMong many crosses wherewith Dauid was exercised the strise of tongues is not one of the least they did persecute him with lies and calumnies scoffers and belly-gods made a by-word of him in their meetings and flattering Courtiers belied him vnto Saul This was not a small crosse Molesta enimres calumnia etiamsi magnum afferat praemium against it Dauid makes his refuge to God Answer for thy seruant His meaning is Lord thou kno west how iniustly I am calumniate and euill spoken of in many parts where I am not nor may not answere for my selfe Lorde answere thou for me And his petition imports not onely a crauing of helpe from God but that God would take his part and ioyne himselfe with his righteous cause And so it is indeede the Lord is partaker with his children in their innocent sufferings and their cause is his cause Blessed are ye when ye are railed vpon for righteousnesse sake c. For the spirit of grace and glorie rests in you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part is glorified This might serue for a warning to wicked men if any wisedom were in them they should be loath to meddle with the children of God for if so they will they meddle with a stronger partie then they are aware of Againe it is to be considered that hee craues protection onely in his good and honest cause It is not for vs to call for the Lords assistance to all our willes and workes Hee is the righteous Iudge of the world and neyther will nor can do vnrighteously To commenda wrong cause to his protection is to prouoke him to hasten our punishment And on the other hand albeit our cause were neuer so righteous yet we must not think to bear it out with our owne strength and wisedome It falles out oft-times that men fall downe and faint through feeblenesse euen in a good cause because they giue not to God his glory In their lawfull affairs they prosper not because they take counsel but not from me saith the Lord They commit not their way to God as Dauid exhorts neyther cast they their burden vpon the Lord as Peter commaunds them but sacrifice to their own net think to cōpasse their affaires by their own wi◅ Sure it is the Lord is then most carefull of vs when we cast our greatest care vpon him For thy seruant Customably King Dauid delights in this stile to call himselfe Gods seruant learning vs also to count this our greatest honor to be the seruants of the great and euer-liuing God for we are not our owne as saith the Apostle We are bought with a price But here is our sin such as are vndervs whether they be bought or hired seruants wee thinke they should serue vs and are offended if they doe not but are not so carefull to doe seruice to
must be tryed by knowledge first let vs consider that to be the zeale of God which fights with the armor of God the Worde Prayer and patient Suffering That againe is a zeale but without knowledge which fights with carnall armour hatred euill speaking and bloudy persecution such a zeale breedes superstition spares not to deale cruelly with all such as are contrary minded By this rule Papists may trie of what spirit they are Because mine enemies Dauid had many enemies but none except such as had cast the Lawe of God behinde their backe It is a great comfort to the godly to see that they haue no enemies but such as are enemies to God VER 140. Thy word is proued most pure and thy seruant loueth it HEere is the third ground of comfort which sustained Dauid to wit that Gods word was tryed to be true by his constant and continuall working according to it To expresse this he compares the word of God here Psal. 12. vnto golde tryed in the fire which not onely indures but becomes fineâ—… when all réfuse or counterfeit matter faileth and vanisheth So will Dauid say when the fire of affliction was kindled I haue seene all comforts perish onely thy word proued a word of consolation for the more the flames of affliction increase the more powerfully doth the word expresse that hidden vertue of consolation which is in it And because he had so felt it so now he speakes of it Where it is to be marked for our greater comfort that albeit the time be not yet come of the full accomplishment of Gods word in the which the least iot thereof must be fulfilled yet the Lord giues vs as many present proofes of it by experience as may confirme vs in assurance of the verity thereof If we be wise to marke the working of the Lord we shall finde witnesses in euery age in euery yeare yea in euery moneth and day to confirme vs that as God hath a mouth to speake so hath he an hand by which he workes according to his word giuing ioyfull deliuerance to his own out of all their troubles and rendring iudgement to his enemies according to their pride And thy seruant loueth it Loue in God is the fountaine of all his benefits extended to vs and loue in man is the fountaine of all our seruice and obedience to our God He loued vs first to doe vs good and hereof it comes that we haue grace to loue him next anâ—…â—…e him seruice Loue is such a duetie as the want whereof cannot be excused in any for the poorest both may and should loue him yet without it all the rest thou canst doe in his seruice is nothing nay not if thou shouldst giue al thy goods to the poore and offer thy bodie to be burned Small sacrifices flowing from faith and loue are welcome to him where greater without these are but abomination vnto him Proofes of both we haue in the Widowes myte and Caines rich oblation wherof the one was reiected the other receiued Happy are we though we cannot say We haue don as God commands yet if out of a good hart we can say We loue to do what he commands VER 141. I am small and despised yet doe I not forget thy precepts HEe renues againe the protestation of his vnfained affection toward Gods word with an amplification therof that albeit his estate was meane and himselfe despised and contemned also of his enemies yet he did not forget the word of God There are many who can professe Religion as long as they see peace and honour following it who rather then they would indure trouble and contempt will vtterly forsake it The Samaritans could very wel reioyce in their new Temple built on Mount Garizin boasting that they were the posterity of Ephraim companions to the Iews no lesse worshippers of God then they were hauing also a Temple of their owne but when they saw that Antioehus Epiphanes King of Syria did cruelly persecute the Iewes for the worshipping of God then did they alter their profession they called themselues not Israelites but Sidonians and that their Temple was dedicate not to Iehoua but to Iupiter Cretensis and so eschued they the fury of the persecutor Many such Samaritan professors are in this age who to eschue the present wrath of men spare not to renounce Religion and so cast themselues in danger of the fearefull wrath of God whom they will finde a consuming fire From such temporizing and counterfeit dissembling the Lord preserue vs and blesse vs with this grace of a constant affection toward Gods word in euery state of life Againe it is no new thing to see them small and despised in mens estimation who with the Lord are highly esteemed being men as here Dauid was according to Gods owne heart Honourable in the eyes of the world was that rich glutton clothed in purple despised was Lazarus but ye see the one was an heire of glory the other but an inheritor of hell A godly man is an excellent treasure in an earthen vessell compared by Macarius to a precious pearle in a contemptible purse despised by many because they know not the jewell that is within it The worla knowes them not because it knowes not the Lord whose sonnes they are neyther doth it yet appeare what they shall be Nazianzen for this compares men in this world to those who in a Stage-play represent another thing then they are there the beggar is busked like a King and by the contrary But when the Play is done and their garments layed by then shall euery one of them appeare such as they are For this Saint Iames giues vs a profitable instruction That wee should not haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons to honour a man onely for his riches or despise an other for his pouertie but where wee see the grace of Christ be they rich or poore we ought for Christs sake to haue them in honourable estimation Yet doe I not forget thy precepts We see by experience that our affection leaues any thing from the time it goes out of our remembrance but earnest loue euer renues remembrance of that which is beloued The first step of defection is to forget what God hath commanded what we are obliged in duety to doe to him for vpon this easily followes the offending of God by our transgression Such beasts as did not chew their cudde vnder the lawe were accounted vncleane and not meet to be sacrificed to God that was but a figure signifying vnto vs That a man who hath receiued good things from God and doth not think vpon them cannot feel the sweetnesse of them so cannot be thankfull to God VER 142. Thy righteousnesse is an euerlasting righteousnesse and thy Lawe is truth DAuid considers here two things in the worde of God first the equity of it next
not for siluer it is but rust nor for gold it is but metall nor for possessions it is but earth Ista oratio ad deum non peruenit such prayer ascends not to God Non audit deus nisi quod dignum est eius beneficijs Hee is a great God and esteemes himselfe dishonoured when great things with a great affection are not sought from him Heare me and I will keep Of this petition and promise see verse 8. 33. 44. 88. 134. 146. VER 146. I called vpon thee saue me and I will keepe thy testimonies HE insists in his former petition expounding euery part of it He protested before hee cryed with his whole heart now he declares to whom hee cryed Prayer is a point of seruice due vnto God Only he craued before that God would hear him now he shewes wherein Saue mee and thirdly hee renewes his promise and the repetition thereof tells vs that the promises of thankfulnes in Gods children are no sodaine nor vanishing motions but settled conclusions And againe it teacheth vs that as Gods children are carefull to seeke from God that which they neede so are they carefull to giue vnto him that which he requires to witte praise and obedience Otherway where men seek benefits froÌ„ God the fruit whereof they minde not to return vnto him either they get not that which they seeke or if they doe they get in his displeasure as Israell got quailes If we would so seeke that we may obtaine let vs not seek that we may bestow vpon our owne lustes which S. Iames reproues but that we may aduance his glory VER 147. I preuented the morning light and cryed for I waiteden thy word HE amplifies yet further the first reason for which he desires the Lord to heare him taken from his earnest feruency in prayer and it is written for our instruction to learne vs continuance in praier It is required by precept Luke 21. Watch and pray continually and againe 1. Thes. 5. Pray continually For example also at midnight morning and at noone tide did Dauid pray yea seuen times in the day all the night long did our Sauiour pray Non precationis indigens auxilio sed statuens tibi imitationis exemplum not standing himselfe in neede of the help of prayer but setting down to thee an example of prayer for imitation Ille pro te rogans pernoctabat vt tu disceres quomodo pro te rogares when he praied for thee he prayed all the night long that thou also mightst learn how to pray for thy selfe Qui rogat itaque semper roget sinon semper precatur paratum semper habeat precantis affectum He therfore that praies let him pray alway or if he do not alway pray let him alwaies haue ready the affection of prayer But the manner of speech is to be marked hee saith he preuented the morning watch Thereby declaring that he liued as it were in a strife with time carefull that it should not ouerunne him He knew that time postes away and in running-by weareth man to dust and ashes But Dauid preassed to get before it by doing some good in it before that it should spurre away from him And this care which Dauid had of euerie day alas how may it make them ashamed who haue no care of their whole life He was afraide to lose a day they take no thought to lose moneths and yeares without doing good in them yea hauing spent the three ages of their life in vanity and licentiousnes scarse will they consecrate their old and decrepit age to the Lord. I waited on thy word See verse 43. 81. VER 148. Mine eyes preuent the night watch to meditate in thy word HIS former purpose is yet continued declaring his indefatigable perseueraÌ„ce in prayer Oh that we could learne at him to vse our time wel At euening he lay down with praiers and teares at midnight hee rose to giue thanks he got vp before the morning light to call on the Lord. This is to imitate the life of Angels who euer are delighted to beholde the face of God singing alwaie a new song without wearying This is to beginne our heauen vpon earth oh that we could alway remember it An nescis ô homo quòd primitias tui cordis ac vocis quotidie Deo deboas Knowst thou not O man that thou owest euery day the first fruits of thy heart and tongue to the Lord our God Shouldst thou thinke of any thing before that first thou remember him in the morning or should thy tongue speake of any thing before the first fruits of thy speech be offered vnto him by prayer and praysing of his holy name But alas the coldnesse of this age in worshipping the Lord in praising him who is most worthy to be praysed is here greatly conuinced no time of the night will they spend in prayer yea in the day time they had rather doe any thing then be exercised in prayer and praysing snorâ—…ing and sleeping in the very time of diuine seruice when others beside them are intertayning fellowship with God by the exercise of the word and prayer If oftentimes they whose lippes are praysing him haue their hearts farre from him how farre is thy heart from him who canst not do so much as with thy lips to praise him when thou shouldst O man wilt thou remember that no time shall render thee comfort in the houre of death but that which thou hast spent in the seruice of thy God And if thou canst not consecrate all thy dayes and euery houre of the day vnto the Lord yet why wilt thou not diuide thy time rightly that where thou giuest one houre to the world and the affaires thereof why wilt thou not giue another to the Lord the works of his worship In this point the Lord make vs more wise giue vs grace to redeeme the time To mediate in thy word See ver 15. 23. 27. 48. 78. 99. 148. VER 149. Heare my voice according to thy louing kindnesse O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgement THis is a petition frequently vsed by all the children of God That he would hear them and not without great cause for the heauy heart is eased and disburdened by praier and it brings a present mitigation of their troubles when they feele in effect that God hears them Beside that it renders vnto them vnspeakable comfort for the time to come it confirmes them against the feare of death and makes them with boldnesse to goe out of the body that they may be with the Lord because by manifold experience they did finde in the body that God heard them and gaue them comfortable accesse to his Throne of grace According to thy louing kindnesse This is the great and maine argument whereby all Gods children moue the Lord to compassion namely his own fauour and louing kindnesse Semper homo etiam
with our affection Of this it commeth to passe as wee see in daily experience that where men once fall away from their first loue and becom luke warme professing a truth but not louing it zealously misliking vntruth but not abhorring it they easily degenerate into Apostates And therefore our affections would euer bee kept in a right temperature by continuall exercises of the word and prayer In the law God commanded his people to hate all vncleannesse euen in their bodies hee that touched a dead body or any vncleane thing was vncleane himselfe This had in it not only a truth for honestie and comelines become the saints of God but a signification also Immunditia iustis iniquitas est To holy men all iniquity is vncleannesse Quid autem immundius quam mentem qua nihil homini datum est pretiosius turpibus commaculare criminibus And what greater vncleannesse then to defile the mind the most pretious thing which God hath giuen man with filthy sinnes These are not onely polluted in themselues but defile others that come neere them Fuge ergo iniustitiam quae viuentes adhuc mortuos facit Flie therefore with Dauid all vnrighteousnes which makes liuing men to bee dead and to become more hurtfull and horrible to others by their life then they can be by their death But thy law No man can serue two masters of contrary wils and dispositions if he loue the one he must hate the other Ye that loue the Lord hate that which is euill Men now boast much of their loue to God but the best rule to try it is the contrarie hatred of all euill See verse 113. 128. VER 164. Seuen times a day doe I praise thee because of thy righteous iudgements AFfections of the soule cannot long bee kept secret if they bee strong they will breake forth in actions The loue of God is like a fire in the heart of man which breakes forth and manifests it selfe in the obedience of his commandements and praising him for his benefits and this is it which Dauid now protests that the loue of God was not idle in his heart but made him feruent and earnest in praising God so that seauen times a day he did praise God Numero studium sanctae deuotionis exprimitur For by this number the carefulnes of holy deuotion is expressed and the feruency of his loue that in praysing God he could not be satisfied sayth Basil. Concerning this duety of the praysing of God and time which is the greatest worldly benefit God giues man see ver 62. Onely let Dauids example prouoke vs to the imitation of the like deuotion and pietie and let vs be ashamed of our negligence in this duetie who scarse can doe that on the Sabboth day which Dauid did euery day Vnder the Lawe the Lord commaunded that the daily sacrifice which euery day morning and euening was offered should be doubled on the Sabboth But alas the prophanenesse of this age is such that not onely now is the daily sacrifice neglected but the Sabboth contemned of many who neyther prayse him for his workes of creation remembring they are his creatures nor yet for the workes of redemption as if they were no Christians redeemed by Christs bloud and so least praise giue they to the Lorde vpon that day wherein they are bound to giue him most A fearfull in gratitude God grant Dauids example may learne vs in this point to be more dutifull VER 165. They that loue thy lawe shall haue great prosperity and they shall haue no hurt HItherto Dauid hath declared his great affection toward the Word of God and that vnspeakable comfort he found in it And now lest it might bee thought that this was by any speciall priuiledge or dispensation of God toward him from which others are excluded he now declares that all who loue the law of God may looke for the like comfort in it which he had found And this he sets downe in this proposition speaking now not in his owne person as before but in the person of others Wherein we haue first to consider a description of Gods children and next the priuiledge or benefites belonging to them The description of the godly is heere They that loue thy lawe Many manner of wayes are the children of God described in holy Scripture as from their faith in God from their loue from their feare from their obedience from their patience to declare it is not one but manifolde graces of the spirit which concurre to make vp a Christian and how they all goe together like the linkes of a chaine that one drawes on all the rest His faith is not without loue his loue is not without obedience his obedience is not without feare his feare is not without hope his hope is not without patience his patience is not without prayer which keepes and conserues all the rest And hereof it comes that the godly in holy Scripture are so many waies described But among all the graces of the Spirit the godly are most frequently described from their loue and therefore of all other we should most take heed that the grace of loue be in vs for two causes first because it leades vs to the surest knowledge of Gods affection toward our selues and next it giues vs the surest notice of that estate and disposition wherein wee stand our selues As to the first the grace of feruent and vnâ—…eyned loue iâ—… it be in vs makes vs certainly to know that we are beloued of God So saith the Apostle Herein is loue not that wee loued God first but that he loued vs. If we know him it is because we haue beene knowne of him If a man vtter not his voyce the Eccho makes him no answere if he looke not into a glasse it makes no representation of his face if the Lord had not called vs we should neuer haue answered him if he had not sought vs wee should neuer haue sought him neyther loued him if first hee had not loued vs. Here then is the first benefire wee reape by this grace of loue that by it we knowe the minde of God toward vs to be full of loue So that now we neede not goe vp to Gods secret counsell to enquire what is his minde concerning vs let vs enter into the secret of our owne hearts and try there what is our affection toward him if wee dare say that we loue him then may we be out of all doubt that we are beloued of him The other benefit is that by loue we know we are in the state of grace translated as saith the Apostle from death to life then we begin to liue when we begin to loue our God There may be in man a shadow of grace a profession of faith obedience but though a man had all knowledge and eloquence wanting loue he is but a sounding Cymbal So that by this
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.