beginning of this Psalme And as farre as hee expresseth his corruption by aggrauating it by such degrees so farre hee doth shew forth his griefe for it and his sinceritie in repentance not hiding but acknowledging and confessing it that as the venom of sinne infected him so he labours to expell it and make no conditions of peace with it to discouer it to quit himselfe of it as his deadly enemie with whom hee will make no paction but make his complaint to God that hee is wearied of it But this seemeth strange that hee sayth hee made his sinne knowne to the Lord How man makes sin knowne to God to whom nothing is vnknowne for hee who foreknew we should sinne before we were can hee be ignorant of our sinne when wee doe it This is spoken after the manner of men So we are bidden shew our necessities to God not that hee is ignorant thereof but that he may prouide for them Psal 37. Gen 7.18 Gen 22. Deut. 13. Psal 26. And God is sayd to come downe and see the affaires of man So God sees mens doings with a most acurat and sharpe eye But he is sayd to know these sinnes which are explicat by vs when we confesse them vnto him that thereby we may be the more moued So God willeth not this for his sake but for our cause for this commemoration of our sinnes sharpeneth our prayers maketh vs more ready to prayer by our confession wee shew no new thing to God but we testifie we know that whereof wee were ignorant before Whence knowledge of sinne proceedeth A man learneth a great lesson if he learne to know his owne sinnes I know mine iniquitie sayth David This knowledge commeth by the law therefore we had neede to haue the law euer before our eyes as a mirrour in which if we looke it will perfectly let vs see all that wee haue done The great miserie which lyeth vpon this world is that they know not their sinne and therefore they cannot acknowledge it wherefore let vs beg from our gratious God that wee may see our sinne and talke with it that we may also finde grace after our acknowledgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cognitum feci I made knowne Hee addeth another degree of his true repētance it was without hypocrisie for hee hid it not nor vsed any subterfuges colours excuses extenuations denyals or other shifts which the Deuill teacheth men to vse to preiudge them of mercie hee quiteth himselfe of all these and this is the second preparation to grace when men not onely come to a sight and acknowledgement of their sinnes but with all growes to a resolution that they will be content to deale with God so sincerelie that they will not hide their sin any more but they will be the greatest censurers of themselues Concerning the hidding and couering of our sinnes Note I spake in the beginning of the Psalme all wayes let vs assure our selues of this that while we obscure our selues we will neuer deale truely with God For I thought or said purposed and resolued to confesse heartily my sinne Doctr. A Christian resolution necessarie to repentance Luk 15. Exod 9.27 1 Sam 15. Gen 4.13 The same phrase the forlorne Sonne vsed I said I will goe home to my father which Christian resolution is necessary to repentance for otherwise men at starts and brads will now and then repent and haue feeling of their sinne confesse as Pharoah Saul Caine but it indureth not because they wanted a resolution Therefore let vs haue our meditations of our sinnes and resolutions to amend our liues for all the rest as lightenings will flie away as soone as they come a wise man doth his businesse aduisedly but a foole bableth forth what he knoweth not Therefore Salomon said and resolued Pro 15.8 The Sacrifice of Fooles is abomination to the Lord. Then I pray you be wise and resolue to doe well I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord. See now how he is not ashamed to confesse his sinne and breake out in an open Proclamation of the same For his knowledge of sinne banished his Hypocrisie that hee would not hide it and the last point of his resolution is to confesse it to God and the Prophet Nathan By this yee may clearely perceiue the degrees by which God worketh grace in a christian The degrees by which God worketh grace and the Diuell indurance in finnes as by the contrary the Deuill worketh induration in sinne For first the Deuill blinds man that hee should not see his sinne next hee teacheth him to couer his sinne and finally neuer to confesse his sinne But God by the contrary bringeth a man to the sight of sin to a discouering of sinne and last to a free confession of the same This confession of sinne is an vnfained profession to leaue it off Doctr. True repentance is voluntary It is not extorted as the confession of Caine who being punished with the furie of conscience said his burthen was greater then hee was able to beare Gen 4.13 neither of Iudas who also confessed he had slaine the innocent blood Mat 27.4 neither through extremitie of paine with Adonibezek professing he was iustly recompenced with that measure Iudg 1.7 wherewith hee had met others seuenty kings were vnder my table their thumbs and toes cut off as I haue done the Lord hath done to me Ionah 3.8 Neither with the Ninivites for feare of the present iudgement at the word of Ionas neither with Achab for the same cause 1 King 21.27 But Dauids confession commeth from an vnfained remorse and griefe for his sinnes and confidence in Gods mercies as being truly moued and hauing a sense and feeling of his owne miserie A man who hides his sinne as yee heard before will not prosper Pro 13.28.13 wherefore let our confession be simple and as we were not ashamed to sinne let vs not be ashamed to confesse out sinne When we haue sinned let vs not hide them as our first Parents hid themselues vnder bushes after they had sinned Gen 3.7.8 neither let vs make clothes of figge-tree-leafes to couer them as they did neither excuse our selues as they did but simplie confesse our sinne that we may be absolued if yee come before an earthlie Tribunall and confesse yee file your selues but before the heauenly tribunall your confession will absolue you Vnto the Lord. Against thee I haue sinned For what causes we should make confession to God therefore to thee onely I confesse and indeed great reason haue we so to doe For God onely knowes all our sinnes Secondly Hee is onely able to pardon them Lastly He is a secret confessor he will not preiudge our confessions and send word of them to the Pope or reueale them to our disgrace to the world It is great reason we should confesse our sinne before God and before men also if we haue
displeasure and wrath and in the former part of this verse he asketh of God that he would haue mercy vpon him and forgiue him those sinnes that had prouoked his wrath and indignation against him and now in the latter part he desires that the Lord would heale him Euery one of these things were so necessarie to Dauid that lacking any one of them hee thought himselfe vnfortunate hee felt the wrath of God and therefore desired the same to be remoued he had offended and therefore desires mercy he was fallen into a most dangerous sicknesse and therefore desires corporall health Yee see here that the best of Gods children are subiect to diseases as well as others Doctr. The best of Gods children subiect to diseases GrauissimuÌ„ omnium tentationum non tentari The fruit of sinne Psal 41.1 Vse for seeing the root of sinne is in them and the fountaine of that sinning sin what other bud can it produce or what spring can flow therefrom but miserable destruction of our nature Therefore when we see good men heauily afflicted with diseases let vs remember that saying Blessed are those that iudge wisely of the poore and also bee carefull lest through our sins wee prouoke the Lord to powre the like vpon vs which if he doe as we iustly deserue then by prayer to runne vnto the Lord with Dauid and crie Lord heale me For my bones are sore vexed He sheweth how hee is made weake in both his parts his body in these words his soule in the next verse Doctr. Sin vndoes the whole man So sinne vndoes the whole man and euery part of him so that as the soule lusts and the body executes and practises the foule desires of the soule so both are punished hee who sinneth in both is punished in both Greatest paine in â—he bones Setting downe his bodily diseases he comprehendeth them vnder the trouble of his bones for as the greatest strength of man is in his bones so his greatest paine is the paine of the bones which exceedeth the paine of the flesh as experience in the tooth-ache or breaking any other bone teacheth for albeit the bones of themselues are senselesse yet not so the membrans and tunicles that compasse them Alwaies the Scriptures of God doe expresse both the greatest strength and ioy in Gods worship and the greatest paines and afflictions to the bones Psal 35.10 Psal 51.8 as all my bones shall say O Lord who is like thee and the bones which thou hast broken shall reioyce that is the whole strength of my body shall bee bent vpon thy seruice And againe Esay 38.13 Lam. 3.4 Psal 38.3 Psal 34.20 Psal 42.10 Lam. 1 13. Iob 20.21 Doct. Great mischief commeth of the euils of misgouerned health Iob 20.11 Esay 51.8 Simil. He hath bruised all my bones as a Lyon and all my bones are out of ioynt and there is no peace in my bones And God keepeth all their bones and while my bones are broken and send a fire in my bones and thy bones shall be filled with the sins of thy youth Obserue first out of this place what a misgouerned health bringeth to man it destroyeth our nature our pleasure becommeth our displeasure Our old bones inherit the sinnes of our youth which haue wasted and consumed vs as the moth doth the garment The poyson and venome of the Aspe is receiued with great sweetnesse but it ouercommeth the body by destroying man So is sinne Can there bee a rush growe without water or sicknesse where there is no sinne Iob. 8.11 Search downe to the bottome of thine heart and thou shalt finde the fountaine of the euill to be within thee that thou maist purge it by vnfained repentance Next consider Doctr. The bestremedie againd diseases is to goe vnto the Lord. 2 Kin. 20.2 Vse How God cures sin Simil. that as this his ficknesse comes from God so he turnes to him for remedie Diseases are Gods arrowes shot by his owne hand why should we not then with Ezekiah turne to the wall and mourne to him that he may helpe vs For so skilfully deales the Lord with vs that hee cures our sinnes by our diseases and visitations albeit they spring out of sinne as Physitians doe curing the sting of the Serpent by the ashes of the dead Serpent so by the bud and fruit of sinne he cures sinne and God is so infinitely wise that he applies that kinde of disease to his patient which is fittest for such a sinne And indeed as there be monstrous sins fallen forth in this ourage Monstrous sinnes produce vnwonted sicknesses which the former ages knew not so likewise hath the Lord punished them with vnwonted sicknesses vpon mens bodies whose nature Galen Hippocrates or the best Physitians haue neuer yet discouered And therfore the Lord remoue from vs these sinnes Cause of diseases 1. The contempt of the Gospel 2 Apostasie from Gods truth that he may take from vs these iudgements but namely the contempt of the Gospell Word and Sacraments for which many are tyed to the bed of sicknesse and this abominable Apostasie from Gods truth to Idolatrie which God is like to punish fearefully by desertion The word meaneth not onely a troubling but also a trembling Marke finally that the word according to the Originall signifieth not only a troubling or obstupifying but also a shaking or trembling of which the Poet saith Gelidusque per ima cuâ—urrit Ossatremor That is The cold trembling ran thorow the deepest bones This teacheth vs Vse The force of sin will shake our strongest parts that sinne can shake the strongest part we haue for if our bones were stones and mountaines yet if sinne sease on them it would shake them asunder VERSE 3. Vers 3 My soule also is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thon delay Doctr. 1 NOw he expounds the other part of his sorrow which is a Spirituall disease the troubles of Conscience Spirituall trouble greater than temporall Reason farre greater yea and more importable than the other for as the soule is a more subtill and Spirituall substance beginner of all life and motion in man it must feele the selfe more when it is troubled and wounded I will therefore by the help of God intreat here about the trouble of Conscience and deduce it in all particulars that if it please God at any time to waken your conscience ye may haue remedie in time to pacifie it Doctr. Yokefellowes in sin yoke-fellowes in punishmeÌ„t My soule Yokefellowes in sinne are yokefellowes in paine the soule is punished for informing the body for performing and as both the informer and performer the cause and the instrument so shall the stirrer vp of sinne and executer be punished That man hath a soule But here appeares first that as a man hath a body so likewise hath he a soule and as the one is pained so likewise is the other And yet alas there are
Lyon but most of all the sorrow which cannot be relaxed through intermission of time Difference betwixt the godly and wickeds griefe There is great difference betweene the dolour of the godly and of the wicked for the passions of the godly proceed from a good ground that is from the sense of Gods anger the other onely from the sense of their paine Then the godly albeit with Iob and Dauid they will sometime ouershoote themselues yet they will take vp themselues againe lest they ouerpasse their bounds VERSE 4. For thine hand is heauie vpon me day and night and my moisture is turned into the drought of summer Selah YEe heard the amplificatioÌ„ of his sorrow which pierced his bones next made him cast out such cryes roarings 3. which coÌ„tinued so long Now he declareth the cause of all euen the heauie hand of God vpoÌ„ him For thine hand is heauie vpon me The hand of God is either a comfortable hand in feeding his Church Thou openest thy hands and they are filled with good things or defending her Psal 104. Psa 136.28 or chastising her As the hand of a father both feedeth and chastiseth his childe the one in him being as necessary as the other Obserue first that all afflictions are Gods hand Doctr. All afflictions are Gods hand Amos 3.6 1 Thes 3.3 Shall there be euill in the citie and the Lord hath not done it his hand ordaines them Hence Saint Paul sayth That no man should be moued with these afflictions for yee your selues know that we are appointed therevnto Secondly His hand who executes them caused Iob to say The Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken Iob. 1.21 and this made David to say 1 Sam. 16.11 Suffer Shimei to curse for the Lord hath bidden him Thirdly His hand orders and disposes vpon them and turnes them to such ends as are fittest Next Doctr. We should looke to God when we are smiâ—ten See how David lifteth vp his eyes to God in the midds of his troubles and acknowledgeth the hand of God smiting him wherein many men faile who albeit they acknowledge all things that befall them to come by Gods prouidence yet when they are touched with some trouble they looke not to God who chastiseth them but to the Secondarie means and instruments that God vseth for that effect Isai 1.5 Why should yee be smitten any more for yee fall away more and more thou hast smitten them sayth â—erâ—mie and they haue not lamented Ier 5 3. And Isai The people haue not turned to him who smot them Isa 9.13 Euen as a man being wounded sometime would accuse his owne ignorance and slouth who would not eschew the stroake sometime would bite the instrument Simil. dart or sword that hurt him when rather hee should seeke remedies to cure his wounds So rather let vs looke to God who chastiseth vs then to second causes and instruments Let vs returne vnto the Lord who hath wounded vs and must heale vs againe Hos 6.1 Nazianz. Nazianzenus sayth a te percussus ad te respicio so doth the Prophet saying I am smiten by thee to thee I looke who hast pierced me Exod. 8.18 Let vs not be like the Egyptians that acknowledge the finger of God but they repented not therefore See that we despise not the iudgements of God by a beastly stupiditie and senselesnesse or the sharpnesse of trouble extort words of impatiencie It is enough that it is the hand of God who smites to whom we looke and from whom we beg mercy A sure ground of patience Here is a notable ground of patience in affliction that it is Gods hand vnder which we should humble our selues that is with meeknesse bow vnder it Ioh. 18.11 for it is the hand of our father Shall I not drinke of the cup that my father hath giuen me to â—rinke Note If it be a little bitter at the top the bottome will haue a pleasant farewell Moreouer the hand that smiteth the Church Doctr. The troubles of the Godly turne to their good Isa 59.1 Cant. 2.6 Psal 39 9. Isa 38.15 1 Sam. 3.18 2 Sam. 15. is no further stretched then to her benefit the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot saue The same hand is vnder her head This made the Saints patient I was dumbe and haue not opened my mouth because thou didest it It made Hezekias to say what should I say for hee hath said it to me and hath done it And Eli it is the Lord let him doe as seemeth to him good And Dauid if he say I haue no delight in thee Loe here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes Then if afflictions be the hand of God 2 Chron. 16.12 as they are indeed what neede we run to Physitians with Asa or with Achaziah Pharaoh Nebuchadnezâ—â— Saul c. to Beelzebub Astrologians Witches Deuils c. to seeke our deliuerie since we haue the hand which made vs al-sufficient to cure vs. Note Let vs goe gripe and kisse that hand which formed vs reformed vs fed vs defended vs drew vs from Idolatrie and hell it selfe Day and night The Circumstances of the time and the continuance of the same should remember vs that wee ceased not night and day to offend him and why should not we be patient both day and in the night to sustaine the markes of his displeasure and â—ust retributions of our sinnes therefore wee should not at least haue no cause to be impatient when our trouble lasts longer in regard we haue spent longer time in sinne without thinking long Doctr. much time spent in sin requires a greâ—t time of troubles Yea iustly he might haue requited vs with euerlasting plagues in hel whom he suffereth not but a little with momentaneal chastisements to be afflicted So Dauid giueth vs a singular example of fortitude and patience who could indure those of long time when wee will scarce abide eight dayes tryall with out grudging Iob suffered his paines night and day for he sayth Iob 7.13 Christians indure â—ong trouble When I say my bed shall comfort me then thou affraiest me with visions c. This threatening was giuen forth When it is euening wee will say would to God it were morning and in the morning would God it were euening Deut. 28. Luk 8.43 A daughter of Israel was bowed by the Deuill 18. yeares The woman with the bloudy issue 12. Yeares Aeneas was sicke of the Palsie 8. yeares Act 9.23 Ioh 55. Doctr. The time of the Churches deliuerie knowne to God Exod. 12.40 Leu. 26.19 the man cured at the Poole of Bethesda 38. yeares So we must not impose houres and dyets to God for he knoweth the appointed time of our deliuerie and hee will saue vs when he pleaseth The Israelites were in Aegypt 400. yeares and in Babilon 70. yeares The ten general persecutions last 300. yeares
in this life many in the life to come many within him many without him So vnhappie is the state of the wicked whose sorrows shall be multiplied Isa 65.13.14 Behold my servants shall eat and yee shal be hungrie c. and in the Revel Revel 9.12 Revel 8.13 One woe is past and two are to come and the Angel flying through heauen cryed Woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth The godly and wickeds sorrow differ The Godly haue sorrow also but nothing comparable to theirs For God remembreth mercie in the mids of iudgement which he doth neuer to the wicked the Lord deliuereth the godly as the Israelites through the Sea and drownes the wicked The examples of Gods iudgements are seene in Lucifer Isa 14.12 Gen. 3.10 Gen. 4.11 Gen 7. Gen. 18.19 Our first parents Caine. the first world The fiue Cities Pharoah Nebuchadnezar Antiochus Herod c. Read ouer the 28. of Dout. There is a Catalogue of the sorrows of the wicked which should affraie any Christian heart And also in the 20. of Iob. where is sayd Iob. 20.22 all sorrow shall fall on him But mercie shall compasse him who trusteth in the Lord. He hath threatned in his doctrine the wicked with a consideration of Gods iudgements Now hee is alluring them with an offer of Gods mercies the godlie are ever well and all turne to the best to them Saluation welfare attendeth them in all places at all times in all causes in all their businesse in things certaine and vncertaine in prosperitie and aduersitie in body and soule in things present and to come Mercie What euer come to him is mercie and flowing from the fountaine of the remission of his sinnes The Lord crowneth them with mercies yea his sinnes turne to mercies to him But of this before Shall compasse him Doctr. The godly as they are compassed with trouble so are they with mercies 2 King 6.15.17 Psal 125.2 Zach. 2.5 Doctr. Mercie belongeth to the faithful As hee was compassed with innumerable troubles So God shall compasse him with as many comforts Dothan was compassed with Aramits so was it also with Angels as the mountaine compasseth Ierusalem so is the Lord about his people and hath promised to be a wall of fire about her That trusteth in the Lord. These are the people to whom mercie appertaines euen the beleeuers for faith onely maks vs acceptable to God But of this likewise before I beseech God make vs all penitent for our sinnes and sensible of his â—uercies but aboue all things roote vs in the Faith of Christ that we may depend vpon his promises that are both faithfull and true VERS 11. Be glad yee righteous and reioyce in the Lord and be ioyfull all yee that are vpright in heart The substance of this verse THis verse containeth the conclusion of the Psalme wherein is set downe an exhortation â—o such as are happie and blessed by remission of their sinnes to a spirituall ioy and praysing of God And this exhortation dependeth very well on the antecedents for hauing spoken of the remission of sinnes and the fruites of repentance and the fatherlie mercy of God towards the faythfull to whom properly this exhortation belongeth For after the remission of sinnes After remission of sinne ariseth ioy Gal. 5. Rom. 5.1 there ariseth an vnspeakeable ioy in the beleeuers heart for ioy is that fruit of faith And after the Apostle Rom. 4. had spoken of iustification hee inferreth Rom. 5. Then being iustifieed by faith we haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ Which doubtlesly coÌ„prehendeth all sorts of ioy and the Angels when they Preached to the shepheards of Christ Luk. 2.10 they professed they tolde ioyfull tydings This exhortation containeth three parts First what hee doth exhort to reioyce Secondly whom the righteous and vpright men Thirdly the limitation thereof in the Lord. Be glad He exhorteth them three times be glad reioyce and be ioyfull and as â—ee made mentioÌ„ of a threefold blessing so doth hee of a threefold ioy Wherein we haue two things necessary to be obserued First the duinesse of our nature who as slow horses neede many spurres Mans senslesnesse in spirituall things and prouâ—câ—tions to spirituall things for we are naturally ouermuch â—ent to carnall things that wee neede no incitations to the same But by the contrary in spirituall things wee are cast in a deepe sleepe who cannot be wakened at the first cry as those men after drinke haue neede to be roused often that they may behold the light so men drunken with the pleasures of sinne as Nazianzen sayth Must be wakened by diuerse exhortations as this same Prophet in the subsequet Psalme redoubleth his exhortatioÌ„s for the same effect And the Apostle to the Philippians sayth Phil. 4.4 reioyce in the Lord continually and I say againe Tho proper signification of the words be glad reioyce Next I perceiue that this exhortation growes for the word Be glad properly in the owne language signifieth an inward and hearty ioy Psal 35.26 Reioyce by the presence or hope at least of a thing desirable or good The second word Reioyce in the owne language signifieth to expresse our ioy by some outward gesture sometimes vsed for dancing as the Hills skip for gladnesse Psal 65.12 Be ioyfull Isa 35.6 The third word Be ioyfull signifieth to cry forth for gladnesse as the dumbe mans tongue shall sing This Gradation teacheth vs Doctr. Spirituall ioy alwayes increaseth that this is the nature of Spirituall ioy That it is alwayes augmented to vs by certaine degrees vntill the time is come to the perfection of all ioy which is signified by the last word importing as it were a triumph and showting after victorie So that they are truly penitent when they haue ouercome sinne and Satan in their spirituall combate triumphes ouer them as vanquished enemies Obi But it may be obiected that the best christians commonly haue the least cause of reioycing in regard they are more subiect to Troubles Crosses Imprisonments Pouerty Sicknesse c. then others Our Sauiour answereth to that In the world yee shall haue trouble Ans Ioh. 16.33 but in me yee shall haue ioy reioyce I haue ouercome the world The Martyrs who suffer the losse of their liues and riches with great ioy answeres in the midst of the fierie flames where they sing and prayse God as though they felt no paine their inward ioy swallowing vp their outward trouble Christians in their very death answeres to that when they cry O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victory So 1 Cor. 15. Inward ioy swalloweth vp outward crosses how so euer they be subiect to the greatest miseries outwardly yet the ioy arising from the assurance of Gods fauour doth swallow them vp Obserue Doctr. Only those truly reioice whose sinne is pardoned Pro. 29.6 Pro. 14.10 Psal 40.16 Isa 65.13 Rev.
to binde Sampson Iudg. 16.21 when hee was spoiled of the marke of Gods presence in his head so one sin not repented for is able to carry any person headlong to destruction Finally 4 Mark Constancy Hosea 13.3 let thy repentance be constant not as the dew of the morning or the morning cloud but the longer thou liuest thou must euer haue the greater remorse for thy sin The ships are in greatest hazard when they ride in shallow waters Simil. and are most sure in deepest places Psal 130.1 according to that of Dauid Out of the deepe places I cried vnto thee And as quicke springs send forth continuall waters both Winter Summer Simil. whereas the filthy dubs are dried vp wanting a quicke spring So is true repentance euer mourning and boyling our teares when the counterfeit dries vp sodainly by the heat of their affections The Argument of the PSALME Diuision generall THe Sixt Psalme is first in order of the Seuen containing a Preface and the Psalme it selfe The Preface containes the Author Dauid and the musicall Instruments and persons to whom it is concredit to be sung Dauid was a chiefe sinner who not onely sinned in his person but by his example made Gods name to be euill spoken of now he becomes a chiefe mourner for his offences committed The Title Musicke lawfull HE commits this Psalme to the Master of Basses and Tenors to bee sung by these tunes which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vndermost and middle Ye see by this that Musicke hath euer beene lawfull and esteemed among the Saints of great vertue to stir vp the affections of men 1 Sam. 16.23 2 Reg. 3.15 The Harpe of Dauid banished the euill spirit from Saul Elisha craued a Minstrill to remoue his anger yea it is alledged that by the sound of Musicke the Delphine is moued it is very commendable if it be rightly vsed for it is not onely meet to stir vp the affectiōs to ioy but also to prouoke them to mourning for so heauie is our nature that it craueth helps and suppliments which may further vs to the seruice of God where by the contrary is force enough in nature to prouoke it to euill for this cause hee commits it to the Base and Tenor. Musicke praised To conclude this point let no man contemne Musicke seeing it is magnified in heauen amongst the Angels the aire is replenished with infinite varietie of tunes and notes the earth should imitate Angels and not bee inferiour to birds but be stirred vp to praise God yea and in hell there shall be sung that blacke Basse the shouts of wicked men who shall be forced to crie Psal 145.17 The Lord is iust in all his iudgements The Diuision Diuision particular THE Psalme hath two parts a Praier and a Triumph after Praier The praier hath two parts a deprecation of euill in the first three verses and a desire of deliuery in the next foure The Triumph and perswasion of obtaining his suit in the three last The Vse The vse of this psalme THIS Psalme serues for all persons who are either troubled in mind or diseased in their bodies or are persecuted by the wicked If they peruse this Psalme they shall find medicine to remedie and cure all VERSE 1. Verse 1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise mee in thy wrath Doctr. 1 O LORD Dauid being heauily vexed hath his refuge to God In our afflictions we must looke to God and not to secondary causes whose hands hee felt vpon him whereby hee would learne vs not to set our eye vpon the instrument which afflicteth vs or the mid causes which deale with vs but let vs looke higher than those to that Primum mobile the eternall God the first mouer of them all without whose speciall aduice and determination the Deuill himselfe is not able to cause the least haire of our head fall to the ground * For al are numbred Mat. 10.30 2 Sam. 16.11 12.23 Iob 1.21 which Dauid considered wel when Shemei railed at him in saying The Lord hath sent him the like he thought at the death of his child This Iob acknowledged when in his great distresse he looked to God and said Wee haue receiued good things at his hand why not euill also the Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken blessed bee the name of the Lord. Whereby wee are taught Vse that when wee are wounded To goe to God for helpe in our distresses Doctr. 2 Praier is our wings to flie to God in our affliction Cant. 2.14 Simil. we may goe to one who shall cure vs euen him who hath heaued vs vp and cast vs downe againe Next Dauid being in distresse runnes to Prayer for Prayer is the wings wherewith we must flie to the mountaine of God in our tribulations to hide our selues in his Rocke as a Doue from the violence of the Hauke which pursueth vs yea oftentimes God sendeth vs afflictions to the end we may be prouoked to prayer Rebuke me not God hath two meanes by which hee reduceth his children to obedience 2. meanes by which Gods brings vs to obedience 1. His word 2. His Rod. Mark 2.17 Psal 141.5 If we refuse to bee ruled by gods word then God will not faile to correct vs with his Rod. Mat. 26.46 his word by which he rebukes them and his rod by which he chastiseth them The word precedes admonishing them by his seruants whom he hath sent in all ages to call sinners to repentance of the which Dauid himselfe saith Let the righteous rebuke me and as a Father doth first rebuke his disordered child so doth God speake to them But when men neglect the warnings of his word then God as a good Father takes vp the rod and beats them Our Sauiour wakened the three disciples in the garden three times but seeing they could not waken he told them that Iudas and his band was comming to awaken them whom his own voice could not waken Many contemne the Word and Sacraments and such gracious warnings 1 Cor. 11.30 For which cause as saith the Apostle many are sicke among you many die also And indeed many warnings haue we receiued but all in vaine and therefore the Lord hath been forced to apply some harder remedies Simil. yea euen to fire the filthy farsie of our sinne But yet happy is that man that can be touched with any of them where by the contrary it is a desperate euill where nothing can moue either with the Word Note Yeeld to the means which God vseth 2 Sam. 12.13 Luk. 15.18 as Dauid was when he said I haue sinned or the rod as the Prodigall being pinched with famine resolued to returne to his father and confesse his owne vnworthinesse But alas the Lord hath too great cause to complaine of this age as he did of the Israelites by his Prophet while he saies I haue
the name of Mercy includeth all things Who gets meâ—cy gets all things Gen. 33.11 according to that of Iacob to his brother Esau I haue gotten mercy and therefore I haue gotten all things Desirest thou any thing at Gods hands cry for mercy out of which fountaine all good things will spring to thee The blind men seeking their light cried Haue mercy vpon vs thou sonne of Dauid The Cananite Mat. 20.30 who had her daughter possessed cried Haue mercy vpon me If ye haue purchased the Kings pardon Mat. 15.22 Simil. then ye may enioy the priuiledges of his Kingdome if yee haue mercy yee haue all that God can giue you yee haue title to Christ to the heauens to all the creatures yea and are freed and deliuered from the prison of hell ArgumeÌ„ts to oâ—taine mercy For I am weake The arguments which he vseth that he may obtaine mercy are taken from his owne vnworthinesse and miserable estate For saith he I am weake This is the generall word vnder which bee comprehendeth all his paines Two sorts of paines and this hee explicates by the diuision of them in his bodily paines in these words My bones are sore troubled and his spirituall temptations in the beginning of the third verse My soule also is sore vexed The order of Gods curing is first to cure the spirituall diseases next the boddy paines But before I handle the argument marke the coherence of this second part of his sute with the former In the first hee craued mercie in this he craueth a cure and remedie for his corporall paines First hee desires to bee freed of the bonds of his sinnes then of his trouble This is the order of Gods curing that first he cures the spirituall diseases next the bodily paines Hezekiah first weeped for his sin turning him to the wall 2. King 20.2 c. and God for gaue it and then commanded Isaias to take a lumpe of drie figges and cure him Mark 2.5 c. And Christ said to the sicke man Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee A double mercy wheÌ„ God cures both spirituall and temporall discases a double iudgement to bee loosed from the bonds of sicknes and bound with the bonds of sinne and then arise and walke It is a double mercy when God hath first loosed the bonds of thy sin and then the bonds of thy disease and a double iudgement when hee hath loosed thee from the bonds of thy sicknesse and left thy soule bound with the chaines of sinne for then thou are reserued for a further iudgement That deliuery is onely profitable to thee when God hath freed thee from thy sinne and from such plagues as follow it Yee see out of these words that it is very lawfull to craue corporall health it being a benefit of God And at this time it is certaine Dauid was vnder some heauie sicknesse in body Doct. 4 as well as he was pressed down vnder the weight of Gods wrath for his sinne It is very lawfull to seek corporall health Dauid was here sick in body contrary to Bellarmin contrary to the iudgement of Bellarmine writing vpon the Title and Argument of this Psalme thinking it onely to bee the opinion of the Rabbines and their followers Albeit Loranus the Iesuit bee contrary to him writing vpon the third verse of this Psalme and produceth Lyranus Innocentius tertius Theodorus Antiochenus and Caietane who in this are all of one iudgement and opinion with vs. And why may they not agree together that a man being distressed in body and troubled in conscience may repent and mourne for them both The beginning of the two thirtieth Psalme sets downe his bodily paines which hee sustained in his flesh Strong men weakned by the power of sinne 1 Sam. 17.49 August Quem non vicit ferrum vicit libido Iudg. 15.15 and 16.21 Euils of Adulterie Whereupon ye may perceiue that albeit Dauid was a strong man yet sinne is able to cast him on his backe Hee ouercame Goliah yet sin ouercommeth him Lust vanquished him whom the sword could not ouercome Sinne debilitateth man and taketh all strength from him and so it befell to Sampson who smote a thousand Philistims and yet one Whore delâ—uered him bound to them Euery sinne weakneth man but especially the sinne of Adultery which doth enfeeble mans nature and abate his strength that it maketh him effeminate and womanly hearted Alexander the Great being bewitched with the pleasures of Drunkennesse and Whoredome sodainely made an end both of his life and conquest yea how many other heroicall spirits haue been wasted therewith Therfore learne all to abstaine there-from otherwise it wil bring you low waste your body conscience substance name and posterity Doctr. Weaknessâ— in man a meanes to preuaile with God But behold what Rethoricke hee vseth to moue God to cure him I am weake an argument taken from his weaknesse which indeed were a weake argument to moue any man to shew his fauour but is a strong argument to preuaile with God Simil. If a diseased person would come to a Physitian and onely lament the heauinesse of his sicknesse he would say God helpe thee Simil. or an oppressed person come to a Lawyer and shew him the estate of his action and aske his aduice he would answer that is a golden question Simil. or to a Merchant to craue rayment hee will elther haue present money or a suerty Simil. or to a Courtier for fauour you must haue your reward ready in your hand But comming before God the most forcible argument that yee can vse is your necessity pouerty teares misery vnworthinesse and confessing them to him it shall be an open doore to furnish all things that he hath to you for which cause the Spirit saith Prou. 9.4 All yee that are destitute of vnder standing come to me and euery one that thirsteth come to the waters Esay 55.1 c. and yee that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without silver and without money And our Sauiour himselfe cried Mar. 11.28 Come vnto mee all yee that are weary and loaden with sinne and I will ease you Martha said to Christ Behold he whom thou louedst is sicke Iohn 11.3 that the mention of his sicknesse might haue moued him to reuiue her brother The teares of our miserie are forcible arrowes to pierce the heart of our heauenly Father Reas 1 to deliuer vs and pitie our hard case The beggers lay open their sores to the view of the world Simil. that the more they may moue men to pitie them So let vs deplore our miseries to God Luk. 10.33 that he with the pitifull Samaritan at the sight of our wounds may helpe vs in due time What thing he seeks wherefore O Lord heale me Dauid in the first verse of the Psalme desired that the Lord would not punish him in his heauy
haue beene for euer A faire commendation of Gods mercies from the eternity thereof His mercies had no beginning as himselfe had none and shall haue no end From euerlasting to euerlasting thou art our God For as the Ocean and maine Sea Psal 100. Simil. can neuer be exhausted but it would furnish water to all the world if euery one should bring vessels to draw water there-from So if wee had faith and prayer to seeke grace from God he is all-sufficient in himselfe to furnish vs all which makes Dauid to cry in one Psalm tweÌ„ty and sixe times Psal 126. thy mercy endureth for euer Therefore we may build our faith on it as on a strong Rocke Mat. 1.6.18 that the gates of hell cannot preuaile against vs for euery thing earthly on which we repose is subiect to mutation and change All things change God onely immutable But herein is our comfort that he is an immutable God on whom wee depend and in whom we trust then as long as God stands our saluation cannot faile Woe to them who put their trust in any other following lying vanities Ionah 2.8 Psal 119. and forsaking mercies I haue seene an end of all perfection sayes Dauid but thy word is very large VERSE 7. Remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my rebellions but according to thy kindnesse remember thou me euen for thy goodnesse sake O Lord. Doct. WheÌ„ God â—â—â—embers â—ercies he â—â—â—gets sin HE conioynes these two memorie of mercies and forgetfulnesse of sinnes the one destroyes the other when God remembers mercy hee forgets sinne when he remembers sinne he forgets mercy when God will plague the Whoore of Babel it is said He will remember her sinnes and in Hosea Hos 8.13 Now will hee remember their iniquity and visit their sinnes they shall returne to Aegypt Doctr. If sin had not beene Gods mercies had not beene knowne Rom. 8.28 He craued mercy before at God now hee let 's vs see the obiect of Gods mercy euen sin and here appeares the great wisedome of God who can turne all things to the best to those that loue him so that hee doth make their sinne which they did commit to manifest his glory and work their owne saluation All the properties of God his iustice and mercy excepted might haue beene knowne to the world by the creation his wisedome in framing the world so artificially his power in maintaining it his goodnesse in making man so excellent a creature but if sinne had not beene neither Gods mercy would haue beene manifested in pardoning it neither his iustice in punishing it Rom. 5.20 For where sinne abounded there mercy super abounds Remember not the sinnes of my youth Hee makes mention of his sinnes for when hee speakes to God who is most iust and righteous that he should remember his owne vnrighteousnesse as the brethren of Ioseph when they sought fauour of him they remembred the wrong they did to him as if one seeking the helpe of his friend he would confesse the faults he did against him Luk. 15.21 as the forlorne son did to his father So seeing sinne is the principall wall which diuides vs from God so that he doth not heare our prayers Dauid here taketh away this impediment Doct. We must confesse our sinne if we would be heard Therefore if wee would haue our prayers acceptable to God let vs begin at an humble begging of pardon and remission at which all our praiers should begin that hauing assurance of Gods fauour we may boldly sute what we please But if wee begin not our prayers at crauing pardon Simil. we become like foolish Physitians who neglect the causes of the disease and onely study to mitigate the present dolour and apply outward somentations for the curing thereof But how is it that Dauid specially nominates the transgressions of his youth Obiect did hee not commit other sinnes and are the sinnes of his age of no moment I answer Answ He doth not extenuate his present sinne by remembring the sinnes of his youth but rather aggrauates and aggredges the same while he repeats from his childhood how many wayes hee had kindled Gods wrath against him Confessing that he had heaped sinne vpon sinne and so by processe of time was loadned and ouercharged with it Next if God should deale with him by extreame rigour hee should not onely call to mind the faults which he did yesterday but whatsoeuer sinnes hee did from his youth The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 includes all the faults either of commission or omission which hee did Therefore so oft as the Lord terrifies vs with his iudgements Note let vs not onely remember our last offence but let our former transgressions make vs bee ashamed and bring new sobs and sighes in our heart Let old men call to minds their former offences which they did commit in their youth Saint Augustine in his confessions reckoneth out all the follies which he committed in his childhood infancy youth and age calling them to minde euen from the beginning Psal 51.5 for we are conceiued in sinne and a child of one day is not cleane before God As we grow in yeares ye grow in sinne as a Lyons whelpe is borne with a sauage nature and as it growes in age so the cruelty thereof increaseth so does man Solomon in the Prouerbs saith Pro. 30.19 It is hard to know the way of a young man with a maid So young men haue need of sure custody that their parents masters and Preachers should take heed diligently to them Saint Ambrose in a Sermon at the Funerall of the Emperour Valentinian the younger bringeth in that place of the Lamentations Blessed is the man who beares his yoake in his youth Lam. 3.27 God is mercifull to that youth whom he corrects Dauid he deplores the sinnes of his youth which were secret from the world and perchance to himselfe yet hee craues pardon for them Now the smallest sinnes trouble him which before were but sports to him and so it will befall to vs those offences now which we accompt no offences after we will esteem them great sinnes Prou. 6.3 now they are honey in the mouth but after in the belly they will be bitter as gall No time of mans life free of sin Ier. 2. Exod. 22.29 Simil. Note Ex. 23.10 There is no time of mans age which is free from sinne but the youth is not onely first but most subiect thereunto for a youth is like an vntamed Calfe like a wilde Asse which will be taken in her moneth The first borne should bee sacrificed to God the first fruits should be offered to him yea the beast if it had not beene redeemed the necke of it behoued to haue beene broken Thinke yee not that God hath more respect of the first fruits of our life then he hath of the first fruits of Bullocks Thou shalt consecrate thy beginnings to God
with Iosias 2 King 22.1 who in the morning of his life euen early began to seeke the Lord. We should in our life keepe such dyets as did Dauid in his prayers Psal 55.17 Morning noone-tide and at euen he sought the Lord. Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Eccles 12.1 before the yeeres come wherein ye shall say I haue no pleasure Eccles 11.9 Be assured O young man yee shall come to iudgement Iob 20.11 yea thy old bones shall inherit the sinnes of thy youth To what sins youth is most inclined The sinnes of youth whereto they are most inclined are first pride and a contempt of their elders the vile doe contemne the honourable and youth despise age Such was the pride of Absolom 2 Sam. 18.9 whose punishment should terrifie all youths Next lust is naturall to them as the Prodigall child spent his time in riot and luxury Luke 15.14 Thirdly hypocrisie they can very well dissemble their doings and when with the Whore in the Prouerbes they are intending sinne then they pretend they were offering their peace offerings and with Absolom pretending their vowes in Hebron 2 Sam. 15.7 but intending to stirre vp rebellion And finally all youths are subiect to inconstancy they are compared to dreggy wine not setled Simil. so that experience hath taught vs to say It is lost which is done to them If thou hast escaped from iudgement in thy youth and hast passed the dangers thereof thou maist greatly praise God I read of a man Simil. who being drunke in the night passed a very narrow bridge which considering in the morning died incontinently so wee should admire when we remember what dangers we haue escaped If sins of his youth and ignorance be grieuous how much more those of knowledge Then if the sinnes of youth now trouble him in his age what doe ye thinke of the sins which ye doe against knowledge and conscience in your old age Should ye not confesse them and bee ashamed of them If a child blush it is thought good verecundia but if an old man blush it is thought euill because hee is bound to doe nothing whereof hee should be ashamed But many are like to the false Elders that lusted after Susanna and to them appertaineth shame and confusion for their example in courageth youngmen to doe wickedly Yea they are very rare who haue escaped the perils of youth either by one notable sinne or other Now Dauid of these his own sins doth make a speciall confession doth not infold himselfe vnder the mantle of generality A simple confession needfull albeit many are taught naturaly to dissemble their sins to excuse them to extenuate them or else to inuolue them vnder a common necessity of sinning but this will not please God vnlesse wee freely say with Dauid I haue sinned Simil. for as a Patient must needs discouer his sore and wound to the Physitian so must a sinner vncouer his sinne to God vvhich is an euident token of a penitent Moreouer hee desires not onely that God would forgiue his sinnes but more Doctr. When God forgiues sinne he forgets it that hee would forget them wherein God differeth from men men may forgiue but they will remember for malice and anger takes such impression in our hearts that it is hard to rase out the memory of our receiued iniuries although wee pardon them with our heart But God as hee remits so hee forgets Num. 23 2â— hee sees no iniquity in Iacob and because the children of God are imperfect and in this can neuer bee like to God so long as they carry about with them this sinning sinne as may be seene in Dauid 1 Kin. 2.8 who in his Testament remembred the iniury done to him by Simei to bee punished by Solomon although in his time hee did dissimulate it yet let this bee some comfort to vs that if the wicked motions of iniuries done to vs come in our minds let vs resist and controule them which shall bee sufficient before God Nor my rebellions Sinne and rebellion are conioyned 1 Sam. 15.23 Simil. Sinnes and rebellions are ioyned together the mother and her daughter sinne if it grow and increase it turneth into rebellion and disobedience which is like to the sinne of witchcraft and Idolatry and as a Serpent by eating a Serpent becommeth a Dragon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so sinne feeding vpon sinne becommeth at last rebellion There are degrees of sinne Nemo repente factus est turpissimus Dauid prayeth to God to forgiue him his secret sinnes and hee desires that God would keepe him from presumptuous sinnes slay sinne in the cradle if yee let it come to maturity it may turne into rebellion The word also imports ignorances which agreeth very well with this youth to declare that the sinnes of youth commonly springs forth from ignorance Youth is ignorant albeit it thâ—â—â—â—th it â—â—â—â—e wise for they are blind through lack of knowledge for they haue no naturall iudgement they lacke instruction they want experience and such like by nature wee are all borne fooles nature hath taught the beasts to know things profitable hurtfull to them The Swallow knoweth her time the Oxe his crib Isa 1.3 but man knoweth not his owner neither the time when hee shall turne to the Lord. And this ignorance makes youth to be rebellious to their parents whereof the Lord complaines by his Prophet Isa 1.2 I haue brought vp children saith the Lord and nourished them and they haue rebelled against me A profitable Lesson for Parents to train vp their children in vertue This shold teach Parents to remedy the ignorance of their youth by instruction that their minds being inlightned by the knowledge of God and learning they may feare God in the morning of their youth and haue the eyes of their vnderstanding opened to know the true God and feare him that it may bee fulfilled that is spoken by the Prophet Ioel 2.28 And in the last dayes I will poure out of my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie and your young men shall see visions We may complaine most iustly with that holy Father S. Augustine of the neglect of education of our youth where hee saith Gods iuft recompence to Parents O flores vere non frondium sed veprarum O truely they are flourishes not of branches but of briers and so the Lord doth recompence the Parents in their age that as they were negligent in training them vp in the knowledge of God so they become crosses to their Parents in their age Plutarch Among the Lacedemonians there was a Law that children were not obliged to maintaine their Parents in their age who were carelesse of their education in vertue when they were young Moreouer Doct. Sinnes of ignorance wil not excuse vs. let vs assure our selue that the sinnes of Ignorance will
hath a particular iudgement vpon men in this world both elect and reprobate iudicie non sâ—â—â—er manifesto semper tamen iusto not alwayes by a manifest yet always by a iust iudgment He erecteth a tribunall in mens conscience he summoneth the party accuseth coÌ„uicteth him This iudgment is by his word Spirit For euery mans work shal be manifest as by the fire For the fire both letteth them see their faults and burneth vp their drosse As also he punisheth them in the sight of the world and in their posteritie as he did as well to Dauid as to Saul 2. Sa. 12.10 for he said that blood should not depart from his house and so it was Therefore let not men although the best Christians thinke to escape the censure of his iustice yea what euer he doth Psal 143.17 we must say God is iust in all his works Next he is pure when he iudgeth or trieth We may be assured God will put men to triall God will put vs to triall by afflâ—ction persecution sicknesse and pouertie Then men will be made manifest the hypocrisie of many will be detected For as the wind is appointed to trie the corne Simil. the fire to trie the gold the floods to trie houses builded vpon the rocke and send so shall the day of the Lords triall discerne those who haue but a shadow of religion and shall appeare ere it be long as it is bâ—â—â—n already Alwayes God is pure in his tâ—â—all he knoweth the one from the other already but he will haue men trying and knowing them Gen. 22.12 Abraham was tried in the slaughter or offering of his son and his faith was approued Ionah 2. so was Ionas tried and Iobs patience and Peters weaknesse In all these trials God was pure and free of any iniury done to any of them for they were knowne to be but men although Prophets and Apostles And it is no maruell though at this time in the triall of the Church Nota. many be found to be but men God is not to be blamed he is pure when he trieth And seeing triall is prophecied to be not onely the Church of Philadelphia Reu. 3.10 1. Pet. 1.7 but also in all the earth which is called the houre of tentation or a time of fiery triall either by heresies schismes or defection from the truâ—h of God or by bloodie persecutions of Gods Saints and his Church as all Europe hath experience this day what shall we do but keepe Gods word Nota. possesse our soules in patience suffering the reproches calumnies cruell dealings yea all that the diuell and his children can do to vs. If we be tried by fire let vs be found gold if by water let vs abide in the Arke and in the Apostles boate let vs be found sure builders vpon the foundation which the Apostles laid euen Christ 1. Pet. 2. if by the aire and winds let vs be as wheate and not chaffe If finally by the earth and earthly allurements let vs be fouÌ„d to haue our conuersatioÌ„ aboue the time of trial is come already We learne also out of this that in all our trials whether inward in our conscience or externall in our bodies yea though our bodies were giuen to the beasts and foules of heauen In all our trials externall or internall God is pure yet God is pure and without fault In the best of vs all there is cause why we should be tried Verse 5. Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sin hath my mother conceiued me THis is the fourth reason by which he would moue God to forgiue him That our nature from the very originall is corrupted from the seminarie and fountain of our conception For from our mothers wombe we bring nothing but sinne And surely we cannot throughly acknowledge our sins vnlesse we condemne our whole naturall powers and faculties of vncleannesse So the knowledge of this one sinne bringeth him to the examination of his whole life ActuaÌ„ll sins are as streames which proceed from original sin which is the fountaine till he find nothing in himselfe but sin For if the fountaine be poisoned what will the streames be that flow from it If we would looke backe to our originall sin we might haue cause the more to lament our actual sins as poisonable streames flowing from such a fountaine So soone therefore as our conscience accuseth vs of any one sin we should call to remembrance the whole course of our life Let the remembraÌ„ce of one sin put vs in mind of all the sins we haue committed Simil. that it hath bin nothing else but a continuall sinning against God that thus the last putting vs in mind of the first we may not be content to repent and aske pardon for one but for all A sick man hauing obtained health doth remember how long he was sicke whereby for the present he both considereth his own frailtie and Gods mercie in deliuering him as also encourageth and inanimateth him in time to come by remembrance of former mercies obtained Happie were we if we would begin to remember our miseries and Gods mercies Lorinus the Iesuite to ecce addeth enim which he confesseth is not in the Hebrew veritie and that Saint Ierome hath forgot it yet maintaineth that it is rightly put in to giue force to the words of his sin See the Sophist who granteth the Scriptures and yet would empaire their credit as though Gods Spirit were not wise enough and the sense could not hold without enim The like do they in these words Hoc est corpus meum they adde enim and say Hoc est enim which is not in the Scriptures and were altogether vngrammaticall In a word they alter and change the Scriptures as they please bringing in their enim as a particle of reason which carieth with it no reason Ye see then what the miserable corruption of our nature is so soone as we take life Man no sooner beginneth to liue but he beginneth to sinne Gen. 6.5 we begin to sin An infant of one day is not cleane before God The masse whereof we be formed is filthy and sinfull and so much the more filthy seeing it is possessed with a soule vncleane and polluted The cogitation of wans heart is only euill continually God knoweth our mold Psa 103.14 We erre froÌ„ the womb And albeit mariage be a bed vndefiled Heb. 13.4 by reason of the institution yet the concupiscence and lust polluteth the ordinance which is most holy Children haue originall sin Then children are not free of original sin for then why should they be baptized and why should they die as many do daily But it may seeme wonderfull strange that children who can neither doe Obiect thinke or speake euill should be culpable I answer by another question Solut. Simil. what is the reason that a yong fox new whelped doth not slay a lamb is it not
of God therefore God fortifieth his citie with al necessary defences which may hold out the enemie The Church hath walls inuisible visible The walles are too fold inuisible the protection of God which the world seeth not for the Lord is a wall of brasse about his Church to repell her enemies and a wall of fire to burne them also he hath his Angels who pitch their tents about his holy and chosen ones 2. Kin. 6.7 there was horses of fire compassing Elizeus The outward and visible walles are made of a number of liuely stones compacted together by the morter of loue strongly resisting all the enemies of the Church for that vnitie of the Saints strengthen them by the power of their God Boni enim ciues mania cinitatis good citizens are the walles of the citie And vpon these walles compassing them on all sides be bulwarks whereupon are set the canons of the word of God mighty in operation destroying the enemies the censures of the Church namely excomunication which being lawfully led is of greater power to subdue the enemie and resist him then all the power of ciuil authoritie The sinnes of princes and people make great gaps in the walles at which the deuil and enemies of the Church and wolfes enter and destroy the Lords vines They with Tobias and Sanballat stay the building of these walles Neh. 4.2 and are striuing to build the walles of Iericho which were forbidden by Iosuah to be redefied vnder a great curse 1. Ki. 16.34 which lighted on Hiel the Bethelite in the daies of Achab pitie is it to see the princes of this world so much enfeebling Ierusalem to strengthen Iericho Dauid crieth to God that he would build them whose power is greater then all the worlds who as he hath inuisible walles of his protection so he hath outward defences to maintaine his Church he is master of it yea master builder and sendeth forth seruants whom he strengtheneth for the building of his worke I see many pulling downe the walles yea with Edom in the destroying of Ierusalem crying sacke sacke Psal 137. â— raze raze vp the foundation Few with Nehemiah mourning for the ruines of Gods house in all parts and helping to restore them Let vs therefore goe to the God of Dauid who albeit he was king of the towne and began to build the citie and walles and laid materials to the Temple yet he knew that the labourers wrought in vaine vnlesse the Lord of heauen builded the citie Lord repaire the decaies of thy Church for thy Christs take For thy good pleasure He findeth the ground of all that perfection to be in God himselfe and his good fauour and not in men or their merits for as the whole building of the Church is the onely worke of God so is the reparation of her ruines onely belonging to himselfe Men might haue builded with stone and bricke the exterior walles It belongeth to God to build the Church but it is proper to God to build his spirituall Church And this is a token that God hath pleasure in his Church when he is building it sending good builders materialls of spirituall graces fortifiers as Cyrus and Darius good Princes Nehemiah good gouernours Esdra and good Priests And our obedient and carefull people who do take the sword in one hand and the instrument of building in the other that the Lords Ierusalem may be edified But when his fauour is departed then in his wrath he giueth Princes Gouernours Nobles Preachers and people who striue either to hinder the building or to pull downe the building to build vp Iericho and cast downe Ierusalem Dauid he craueth that God may be fauorable according to his good pleasure for the building of the Church dependeth vpon Gods good will and pleasure who when he liketh his Church can aduance her and when he is displeased with her cast her downe It appeareth euidently now that God is angrie with his Church in all parts of Christendome when he is pulling downe and not raising vp his Church we haue prouoked his wrath against vs and his soule abhorreth our hipocriticall profession and our wicked conuersation Verse 19. Then shalt thou accept the sacrifices of righteousnesse euen the burnt offering and oblation then shall they offer calues vpon thine altar THis is the promise of thankefulnesse to God wherein is set downe a correspondence or restipulation betwixt the people who shall offer sacrifices and God who will accept them And Gods seruice then goeth well when we offer willingly and God accepteth gladly If our sinnes be forgiuen vs God will heare our pâ—â—erâ— Gen. 4.5 Then Marke the time when God hath beene fauorable to his Church in forgiuing her sinnes then he will accept the offerings For pray what ye please and distribute to the poore if God doe not like of it all is in vaine Caine offered sacrifices but the Lord accepted them not because he hated his cruell heart Abel offered in faith and was accepted But how shall ye know if your offerings be acceptable to God seeing there is no fire to fall downe from heauen as that which burnt vp Elias sacrifice 1. Ki 18.34 Yee shall know that albeit an elementarie or materiall fire falleth not downe Nota. yet the fire of the Spirit falleth on our hearts the fire burning vp the drosse of our corruptions by vnfained repentance warmeing our hearts with the loue of God kindling our hearts with a zeale of Gods glorie This is the fire which will fall downe from heauen vpon our soules which sensiblie we feele if the Lord heare our prayers The sacrifices of righteousnesseâ— Some expound these offerings to be such as agree to his will I reuerence their iudgement but I see not how that exposition can agree with the text But it may be expounded of that righteousnesse which we ought to doe to our neighbours as we offer a sacrifice of a contrite heart the calues of our lippes by praises and these are the sacrifices of righteousnesse by our hands so that heart tongue hand should be all offered to God for God liketh well of righteous dealingâ— that our hand be not defiled with thirst couetousnesse oppression which if we sacrifice to Sathan by sinne let vs not lift to God by prayer but lift vp pure hands wash our hands in innocencie and then compasse Gods altar It would seem to be some differenc wher God said Obiect he would haue none of their sacrifices and now they promise sacrifices Indeed if the sacrifices be onely externall Solut. what accounteth God of them if they want mercie and righteousnesse for he will haue mercie and not sacrifice Therefore let externall and internall worship be conioyned and then God will like best of it but being seperated from spirituall offerings it is abominable and a burden to the Lord. Which be the sacrifices of righteousnes The alter Iesus Christâ— by whom we must offer our prayers
vp might be remembred as was said by the Angell to the Centurion Thy prayers and almesdeeds are come vp before God Act. 10.4 This frequent desire to be heard coÌ„meth not from diffidence and a distrust The more we hope to be heard the more we desire to be heard but from confidence for the more we trust to be heard the more we desire to be heard And this neglect of prayer that we suite seldome or neuer proceedeth from the ground of infidelitie because we beleeue God will not graunt if we suite Therefore knocke often beg earnestly wrestle by prayer with the Lord hold him at a continuall businesse vntill he graunt thy iust and lawfull petitions and out of doubt things lawfull in themselues that is what he hath commanded suited earnestlie with dependance vpon Gods pleasure shal be graunted vnto thee Doctr. He that caÌ„not pray can haue no companie with God My prayer and supplication Prayer is the life of religion and he that cannot pray can haue no company with God Dauid who was a man after Gods owne heart was euermore giuen to prayer morning euening and noone Dauid spent all his life in prayer yea in the midst of the night he arose and prayed vnto God he preuented the morning watches and the breake of day so that he spent all his life in prayer God be mercifull to vs who can not suffer to spend any time in prayer We spend many moneths vainly â—dlely and sinfully without wearing and the time is short which we bestow vpon prayer and yet we thinke it too long Against the too much neglect of prayer in these our timest we sleepe in the night and awake but alas what time thereof doe we spend on Gods seruice when ariseth any of vs to seeke God in the night when thinke we vpon him in the night season many cogitations come in our mind but we neuer thinke vpon God and in the day we beginne in the morning to seeke the world or our fleshly lusts but who seeketh the Lord early The rest of the day we put ouer and consume in pastime as though the Sunne were ordained for none other vse but to let vs see to goe to hell Pray then vnto the Lord that he may giue vnto you the spirit of prayer for as Saint Iames saith very well Iam. 4.2 Yee lacke because you aske not Answere me in thy truth and in thy righteousnes He buildeth his prayer vpon two groundes Goâ—s truth in his promises and his righteousnesse that he being a iust iudge of the world will neuer forsake the righteous 1. Cor. 1.30 in his sonne Iesus Christ who is made our righteousnesse Then God standes much by his word and as he is veritie so his word is yea and amen neither can he neither will he chang or alter his word hath he spoken it must be performed All men are liers Ps 116.17 they falsifie their promises there is no truth in this generation All sorts of men are changable but God who is truth it selfe cannot alter It is a great oath to a prince to sweare per verbum principis but it is possible as is often seene that they alter change Noblemen and Preachers yea all sorts of men are found to say and to gaine say but who euer heard that God promised being as I haue said veritie it selfe and violated one word of his promise since the foundaof the world neither euer shall Then we haue a good God both iust and true and I wish that we would imitate those vertues of our God For truth is exiled and righteosnesse is departed from the earth Verse 2. And enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustefied THis verse containeth a deprecation of Gods iudgement that he would not enter in a straight marking of his sinne He might haue pleaded his innocencie before men but when he commeth to that terrible tribunal of Gods iustice he submitteth himselfe crauing pardon for his trespasse and this generall rule should be obserued if we desire God to be fauorable to vs that we beg the remission of our sinnes For if Dauid could not plead his innocencie Beg for remission of sinne Iob. 15.16 what can any of vs doe who drinke in iniquitie as water who are altogether vncleane and filthie Let vs therefore confesse our wickednesse and make supplication to our iudge and lay our hands on our mouthes being vnable to plead our cause against the Lord. That ye may the better vnderstand this verse obserue First that there is a iudgement into which men must enter or else be absolued from the indicatorie Secondly by what name he stileth himselfe thy seruant Thirdly the argument Because no lauing shall be iustified in thy sight Of those in order 1. There is a iudge and a iudgement Men runne forward in sinne lasciuiously and without care but they remember not there is a iudgement wherein they shall be called to an accompt Reioyce saith Solomon O young man in the daies of thy youth but be sure thou shalt be brought to iudgement Eccl. 12.9 If the seruant remembred his accomptes would he mispend his Masters substance But the Diuell hath blinded mens eies and made them so forgetfull that they thinke not on their reckoning But the iudgement is more then the reckoning Albeit men for debt may lawfully be put in prison and his goods confiscat Gods iudgement more seuere then mans yet no law will take a mans life for debt but the spirituall tribunal is more terrible for if God enter once in iudgement with any man he will kill both body and soule God hath three iudgment seats There be three iudgement seates which God hath made vp for man one which he hath set vp in his conscience accusing him condemning him and punishing him the second is at the houre of his death then God putteth him to triall The third and last tribunall is after death wherein all shall appeare to render an accompt of their actions the bookes of their owne conscience shal be opened and none shal escape that indicatorie neither kings or preachers or people all must appeare and render an account of their thoughtes of their wordes of their actions That iudgement is peremptorie no excuse no subperseges or dilators Vse but away they must goe crying let the mountaines couer vs from the face of that iudge Luk. 23.30 Let princes then and noblemen perswade them selues that albeit they thinke no law can strike against them if they doe whatsoeuer pleaseth themselues God hath a throne and a iustice court before which they must needes appeare and receiue the definitiue sentence whereof oftentimes in this world they haue a feeling Nebuchadnezer may be a proofe for this Dan. 4 29. whom God for seuen yeares made a beast Herod Antiochus and infinite others 2. With thy seruant He was a Lord and a King of a