blast of wynde to bee inconstāt and vnstedfast but whiles they are sayling through the waues of the sea they must holde them selues firme and sure in this righteousnesse and sinceritie which is in the woorde of God See then howe me must know the euerlasting stablenes of the righteousnesse of the lawe And in deede wee shall haue thereof a full feeling and declaration in the worde of God when as wee shall receiue it as wee ought but for so much as wee faile herein and that wee haue not as of our selues the spirite to comprehend this righteousnesse wherof in this place mention is made ne yet to attaine thereto yea and if that we should attaine therto so that there were nothing to leade vs to iniquitie yet let vs pray with Dauid that it would please God to giue vs vnderstanding Now it is most true that Dauid had already receiued some portion and measure of vnderstanding for els he could neuer haue saide I haue beene grieued and troubled and yet my delight was in thy lawe Hee coulde not possibly bee carried with such an affection but that the word of God had touched the very bottome of his heart but when he besought God to giue him vnderstāding he meāt to haue God to encrease that grace which before he had receiued Nowe if he who was so greatly aduaūced yea that had receiued the spirite of prophecie to instruct others which is the principall spirite to gouerne the people of God If hee I saye had neede to make such a prayer what shall wee do which haue scarsely any one sparke of vnderstanding in our myndes ought not we I beseeche you to praye with a more feruent desire to haue God to graūt vs vnderstanding And a great deale the more ought wee to bee stirred vp thereto when as Dauid sayeth that wee are not able too lyue vntill such time as GOD hath so enlightened vs too the ende wee might conceiue this truthe and righteousnesse which is in his lawe See here I saye howe that the life of men cannot be but accursed vntill such time as they are come euen vnto this point And so let vs not learne too please our selues as these miserable wretched worldlinges doe who are euen drunken in their pleasures and pastimes and thinke that there is no pleasure nor felicitie without they exceede and outrage in all vanities and follies But lette vs looke a great deale higher lette vs seeke after God know that then our life shal be blessed when as God shall haue deliuered vs from these vayne allurements of this wicked worlde to make vs feele truth and righteousnes which is in his word that it may be the onely ende of our life of all our councelles and our onely exercise and study To be short the very summarie of all whatsoeuer we take in hande According too this holy doctrine let vs prostrate our selues before the maiestie of our good God in acknowledging our offences beseeching him that it woulde please him to make vs to feele them better then heretofore wee haue that we knowing our owne wretchednesse and miseries what neede we haue of his assistance might haue recourse vnto him hauing our whole refuge to his goodnes and mercy and stay our selues vpon his promises not douting but that as he is true and faithfull in all that he sayeth so also that he will fulfill whatsoeuer hee hath shewed vnto vs in his worde to wit that he wil so vnite vs vnto him self as that after he hath separated vs from all the filthinesse of this world he will make vs partakers of his righteousnesse and finally of his glorie That he will not onely graunt vs this grace but also all people and nations of the earth c. The nineteenth Sermon vpon the hundreth and nineteenth Psalme COPH. I haue cried out with my whole heart heare me O Lord and I will keepe thy statutes Yea euen vpon thee haue I called helpe me and I wil keepe thy testimonies Early in the morning I cried vnto thee for in thy word is my trust Mine eies preuent the night watches that I might be occupied in thy wordes Heare my voyce O Lorde according vnto thy louing kindnesse quicken mee according too thy iudgement They drawe nigh that followe after malice and are farre from thy lawe Thou art nigh at hande O Lorde for all thy commandementes are true I haue knowne long since by thy testimonies that thou hast grounded them for euer FOrasmuch as the most requisite thing that wee can possibly desire for our saluation is praier vnto God and bicause we are so slacke and colde therein or els that a very small matter will make vs colde we are to consider of the examples which the holy scripture setteth forth vnto vs of the children of God of the faithfull in deede how they continually were exercised in prayer Euen as in this place Dauid his meaning is to set before our eyes not that he meant to glorifie him selfe of his owne strength thereby to get him estimation but to the ende that this example might direct vs the right waye We see then howe carefull Dauid was to call vpō the name of God how he applied his whole affection and continued therein bicause that euery of vs might doe the like Nowe in the first place he sayeth I haue cried out with my whole heart Wherety he signifieth vnto vs that he babbled not euē as the hypocrites doe or els that he cried not out vppon God for a fashion or coldely but prayed with a true earnest zeale Neither do we any otherwise but euen prophane the name of God when as wee pray vnto him without attentiue mindes hauing our thoughts wandring this waye and that waye and on euery side Let vs then consider what it is principally to be required in our prayers which is that we must not only wagge the tongue and open our mouth with an intent to pray vnto God but we must pray sincerely and purely also vnto him from the bottom of our harts Now in very deed we ought to bring this into a more plaine order But yet according to the manner which wee haue heretofore kept in handling of this Psalme it shal suffice that we set down euery thing briefly in certain articles It remaineth then for this tyme that euery one priuately by himself doth more diligently meditate bestow his whole studie herein Nowe let vs see how we ought too make our prayers to God to wit our prayers must not proceed from the midst of our mouth but from a godly minde and pure truth This word to cry out importeth vehemency as shall again soone after be spoken of Nowe Dauid meaneth not that he strained his throate to cal and cry out but he rather signifieth that he went not coldly vnto it as they do which pray vnto God they know not why nor wherfore without it be for a fashion or if they be pressed through any neede yet are
whome he so greatly loued as the scripture witnesseth of him Nowe heere we are to note two things The one is that when Dauid desired God to looke vpon his afflictions and to deliuer him out of them hee confesseth that hee was astonyed as if God had turned his backe vpon him It is very true that Dauid considered not of all that was too bee considered neither did he conclude that God would cast off his children in such sorte But yet so farre forth as naturall reason coulde reach see howe he might iudge of his estate And at that pointe also are all the Children of God For on the one side when as they shall looke vppon their owne state and condition they cannot chose but that they must be forced to say what a thing is this Surely if God hath any compassion vpon vs and that he seeth vs is it possible that euer wee should bee thus cruelly handled will not he take some better order for this See then that wee cannot choose but to conceiue these and such like imaginations in our heartes when as wee are greeued and persecuted and looke into our owne present estate yea euen as I haue already sayde we cannot choose euen too feele our selues as it were to be forsaken of GOD. And yet for all this wee muste bee fully perswaded and resolued that GOD beholdeth vs and although it seemeth that hee hath turned his backe vppon vs yet that hee ceaseth not too helpe vs and is carefull for our saluation yea and though wee see nothing yet let vs holde this for a certaine and an vndoubted trueth in oure heartes And therfore so often as we shall be thus troubled to thinke that God hath no lenger care ouer vs but that he hath clerely forsakē vs yet let not this hinder vs from praying after the example of Dauid neither let vs be slacke but euen say O Lord beholde me In the second place we haue to note the reason which Dauid here setteth downe For I do not forget thy lawe If then wee will haue God to heare vs wee must haue his lawe as it were fully settled in our heartes And howe is that Forsooth wee must thinke and study vpon his promises we must know him to bee louing and mercifull to helpe all those that are his and too ayde them in all their necessities and besides this must bee oure sure foundation that his promises are infallible and that he will not suffer his children to goe emptie away when as they shall tende them selues thereto See then how we must meditate vpon the lawe of God that is to say vpon his word For vnder this worde the law there is no doubt but that Dauid comprehended the summe of al the doctrine which God gaue vnto his church Euery of vs then must be exercised in this study and we hauing the lawe thus imprinted in our heartes may bee certaine and sure that God beholdeth vs and will helpe vs in all our afflictions yea although it seemeth and wee may iudge according to our carnall senses that hee hath turned his backe vpon vs or that he hath closed vp his eyes and sleepeth and as a man would saye neuer thinketh more of vs. Now it followeth in the second verse Pleade my cause and deliuer me quicken me according vnto thy worde Here Dauid expresseth what this his affection is whereof hee hath spoken too wit howe that the wicked vniustly persecuted him as againe hereafter shall more at large bee declared Now wee knowe that the griefes which the children of God doe suffer in this worlde are diuerse and sundrie For sometimes God will lay heauy hande vppon them without any man his touching sometimes also men shall persecute them with vniust actions so that the wicked shall torment and grieue them Dauid then sheweth that the affliction which he endured was of this second kinde to wit that hee had enemies which did vniustly trouble him And see wherefore hee desireth God too pleade his cause and restore him By this wee are admonished according to that which I haue already saide that when we haue liued in a good conscience and haue trauelled euen to doe good vnto euery man so that no man hath any cause iustly to complaine of vs yet although wee are persecuted and troubled wee must not for all that bee ouermuch abashed bicause as great matters as al these were layde vpon Dauid For this is most sure that hee walked so marueilous soundly as that euery man had occasion too loue him And yet notwithstanding hee was not without troubles amongest men And why so Bicause of their vnthankefulnesse Let vs then vnderstande that this vice began not first in these dayes I meane the vnthankefulnesse and iniquitie of men But long time a goe and therefore as much as in vs lyeth let vs seeke after peace but if so be wee shall procure to doe any wrong the worlde will neuer giue ouer hating of vs and procuring of our hurte yea and goe about euen to destroye vs. But as I haue already saide let not that seeme straunge vnto vs seeing it came so to passe in Dauid And thus much for this Nowe in the second place wee are to beseeche God too auenge our cause too comfort vs when we see our selues to be wrongfully dealt withal when as we are oppressed with false and slaunderous reportes that we are euill spoken of without iust desert we must thē desire God to be our warrant and deliuerer and let vs not dout but that he will take our cause into his owne hand shewe him selfe to be more then a protector lawyer For he saieth that he is the aduerse partie for the maintenance and defence of the causes and quarrels of all his when as they shall haue walked sincerely before him selfe before men Loe here a notable and very profitable admonition That is we must cast all our care vpon God when as we are wrongfully accused iniuriously dealt withall troubled and oppressed and beseech God to take the cause into his own hand and to auenge it him selfe Nowe this may serue too make vs patient for what is the cause that men so trouble and torment them selues waxe so fierce and cruell vse reuenge or els growe to be very cowardes when any wrong is done them but bicause that they haue not recourse vnto God put not thē selues vnder his protectiō pray him not to holde his holy hand ouer them and to defend their cause Now if wee knowe this it is most certaine that oure heartes shall incontinent bee a great deale more quiet and let vs not haue such boyling affections as wee haue to be auenged of them which trouble vs but let vs followe the doctrine which is here set downe vnto vs to wit that when we are vniustly entreated let vs pray vnto God that he will auenge our cause And besides also let vs learne to stay our selues of the promise which is made vnto vs thereof for
with Dauid Alas howe is it possible that I should be euer able to come to the perfect seruing of my God to trust vpon him and wholy to settle my selfe vpon that rule and order which hee hath set downe vnto me Loe I say these should be our wishes and desires But this is not sufficient enough to haue a desire that we might serue God But there is yet much more as when we shall desire that God will pushe vs forward and stirre vs vp thereto and yet we must not stay there neither What must we then do Let vs step forth with Dauid and protest that we will keepe the commaundements of God to wit when wee haue fought against our inordinate affections and that wee are assured to haue victorie ouer them that we then make this conclusion God shall so conduct me that I shal be able to keepe his Statutes As for the rest bicause we can not haue this as of our selues we are alwayes to pray as Dauid did O Lord forsake me not vtterly For if God withhold his holy hand from vs alas what shall become of vs Is it possible for vs to haue one good desire or thought in vs No it is impossible but we shall wholy decline to all euill and mischiefe yea and we shall become his enemies and aduersaries We must therefore hauing all our refuge from God beseeche him with Dauid that he wil not forsake vs. When he saith O Lord forsake me not ouerlong He signifieth vnto vs that God many times suffereth vs to go wrong suffereth vs to fall or els to stūble And why doth he so Because hee would humble vs for what is he which goeth not out of the waye or at the least halteth not and which oftentimes falleth not flat downe But yet for all that hee would not haue vs discouraged When then we see our weakenes and that there are many faultes and imperfections in vs. Let vs beseech the Lorde our God that hee will not forsake vs for euer for there is no difficultie which Dauid woulde not but that we shoulde knowe and hee knew a great many of faultes in himselfe But yet he hoped that God would not forsake him for euer And he knewe also that though he happened oftentimes to fall yet that he would relieue him by his grace And this is his meaning also what we must doe for we knowe this that there is no man which wholy keepeth the lawe of God we are al transgressors thereof we are all miserable sinners We must therefore runne vnto our good God and beseeche him that when we are fallen that he wil relieue vs through his fatherly goodnes as hee is alwayes ready to doe and that he hath promised hee will gouerne vs in supporting of vs vntill such time as he hath despoyled vs of all the imperfections of our fleshe And according to this holy doctrine let vs prostrate our selues before the face of our good God in confessing our faultes beseeching him that it would please him to giue vs a tast that we may feele what a pleasure he doth vs when he communicateth his word familiarly among vs and that hee will instruct vs thereby not onely to vnderstand to discerne betwixt good and euill but that we may also be sure and certaine of his loue and good will towardes vs to the ende that we liuing vnder his charge and conduction might runne vnto him that in the middest of the miseries and wretchednes of this world he will make vs blessed that wee may come to euerlasting blisse and the glorie immortall which hath beene purchased for vs once for all by our Lord sauiour Christe Iesus his sonne And that when he hath once set vs into the right waye that he would keepe vs therein more and more vntill the time that he hath brought vs into his heauenly kingdome That not onely c. The second Sermon of the hundreth and nineteenth Psalme BETH Wherewithal shall a yong man redresse his waye in taking heede thereto according to thy word With my whole hearte haue I sought thee let mee not wander from thy commaundementes I haue hidde thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee Blessed art thou O Lord teach me thy statutes With my lippes haue I declared all the iudgements of thy mouth I haue had as great delight in the waye of thy testimonies as in all maner of riches I will meditate in thy commaundementes and consider thy wayes My delight shal be in thy statutes and I will not forget thy wordes VPon Sunday last past I declared vnto you in summe the argument of this Psalme the vse thereof and the instruction that we may gather by it to weete that a faithfull man is here taught to stirre vp himself to the reading of Gods word and thereby to confirme him selfe accordingly Dauid him selfe hath doone this who of all others was the most excellent how much more then ought we to do the like euen we I say which are so rude and ignorant and farre from so much profiting in the schoole of God as he But bicause we are so colde and haue need to be spurred forward like Asses Beholde why Dauid here sheweth vs what profite and commodity we may receiue by this continual study if euery of vs wil apply our selues to see and heare that which God hath manifested vnto vs in his lawe and in the holie Scriptures As here he sayeth Wherewithall shall a young man redresse his way in taking heede thereto or stāding vpon his gard according to thy word He sheweth vs here that if we be desirous to order ou◠life as it becommeth vs to haue it rightly gouerned and to be pure and simple we must holde that way which GOD hath set before vs. For wee must not trust vnto our owne wits Neither frame fashion vnto our selues such a way as shall to vs seeme best but to suffer God to rule and conduct vs and to obey him simply and playnely To bee short Dauid signifyeth vnto vs that all the wisedome and perfection of our life is to followe GOD and cleaue vnto his will True it is that this sentence at the first sight may seeme to vs too to common and as it were more then needeth For we will say what is he that knoweth not this wil not confesse it I will not deny but that it is an ordinary thing to confes it But in the mean while how few are ther which are persuaded of that which is here spoken or if we imagine such a thing in our head where is the practise of it I feare me we shal finde it in a very smale number of vs. Let vs not therefore thinke that this rule which the spirit of God hath set before vs is in vaine for it is for the amendement of our life according to his worde and to make vs to vnderstande that without it all is but doung filth that we haue al erred
hee sayeth O Lorde open myne eyes that I may see the woonderous thinges of thy Lawe Wherefore vseth hee this woorde woonderous It is as if he would haue saue saide Although the world taketh the lawe of God to be but a light thing and seemeth to be giuen but as it were for simple soules yong children Yet for al that there seemeth such a wisedom to bee in it as that it surmounteth all the wisedome of the worlde and that therein lye hidde wonderfull secrets Asmuch is saide of the Gospell and that not without great cause And in very deede that which at this daye is most plainely declared in the Gospell was before conteined in the lawe onely these were darker shadowes then they are which were since the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ And yet notwithstanding there is no chaung or alteration in this wisedome as God also is not mutable Ephes 3.10 1. Pet. 1.12 It is not then without cause that all the holy scripture is called wisedome and that the Angels of heauen theÌ„selues do woÌ„der thereat If then the Angels be astoyned at the secrets conteined in the holy scripture I beseeche you tell mee what reuerence deserueth it to haue among vs mortall men For we are but poore wormes vpon earth creeping here belowe If there be comparison made betwixt vs and the Angels what shall it be See howe the Angels are wonderfully rauished to see the wisedome of the word of God and yet we make no accompt of it but esteeme of it as a base and childish thing The more therefore ought wee throughly to marke this saying of Dauid that the doctrine of the lawe is not as wee take it to bee to wit a thing of small valure or a common and ordinarie doctrine but a wonderfull wisedome wherein are such secrets as ought to rauish vs with admiration bicause they farre surpasse our wit and reason But what is the cause that we so lightly esteeme of the lawe of God that is to say his whole word Herein the common prouerbe is verified when we saye A foole regardeth nothing Which prouerbe we declare to be rightly verified in vs For many of vs make no estimation of the holy scripture it seemeth to vs that that which we reade there is too to coÌ„mon and this is the reason bicause we know not what it is â—â—e yet the great and abundant treasure hidde therein But such as haue once knowen what the Maiestie of God is which hee sheweth and declareth him selfe to be there and do see whether it is that God calleth and allureth them and do also vnderstand and knowe the large and sweete promises offered vnto them therein such I say will say with Dauid O Lorde thy law is wonderfull And so consequently will desire that their eyes might be lightened confessing them selues to be blind vntill such time as God hath ayded them with his holy spirite Now it followeth I am a stranger vpon earth hyde not thy commandementes from me When Dauid did put to this verse he ment to confirme the matter which before he touched that is to say that he desired not simply to liue as if his life had beene deare and precious vnto him without any other respect but he had a further meaning For he saith by a by after I am a stranger in the world therefore hyde not thy commandements from me They which make their continuall nest here according to their owne fansie and thinke to make their heauen in this world these men I say haue nothing to do with the commandementes of God for their saluation For they are safe enough if they may eate and drinke to be glutted that they may take their pleasures and delightes that they may be honoured that they may be in estimation and credit loe here is all that they desire or wysh to haue Yea forsooth For they looke no further but to this corruptible and transitorie life These men I saye are not greatly troubled ne yet haue any care of the commaundementes of God but when as they shal be taken from them all shall be one to them When as the couetous man the whoremonger the dronkarde the ambitious person shall heare no preaching of the word at all neither any talke of God ne yet of Christianitie nor of life euerlasting He in the meane time ceaseth not to pursue his owne waye Yea and it is to them a lothsome and vnpleasant kinde of speach to heare God spoken of but had rather haue no mention in the whole worlde made of him And therefore it is not without cause why Dauid requireth not to haue the coÌ„mandements of God taken from him this is his reason to wit bicause he is a stranger on the earth As if he should haue sayd O Lord if I had none other consideration but of this present life I should be euen accursed and it had beene better my mother had beene deliuered of me as of a dead body and that I had beene an hundred times plunged in hell And why so For we are here in this world but as pilgrims and wayfaring men and we passe to a more excellent life as to that also wherein we repose our whole trust Seeing then O Lord that I am a stranger in the world let not thy commandementes be taken away from me Nowe in this part is conteined a very profitable doctrine and exhortation for vs for we knowe how cold wee are where in deede we ought to haue an ardent desire to be taught the worde of God and to be more and more confirmed therein And I beseeche you how carelesse are we But what is the cause hereof No doubt of it we must alwayes euen searche and looke into the depth and bottom of this corruption and mischiefe for when we see any vice in our selues we ought to enquire from whence the cause proceedeth to the ende we might finde remedy for the same Now the reason is bicause we are blynde and do suppose our abode should bee here still vpon earth and euery man imagineth him selfe to haue here euerlasting life Wherefore when we are thus giuen to the world thinke our selues to haue here an euerlasting enheritance loe this is the cause of our thus conteÌ„ning of God and his word or rather that we care no whit at all for the seeking out of the doctrine of our saluation What must we then do Forsooth wee must looke a great deale further then to the world if we will come vnto God and be exercised in this study wherof meÌ„tion is here made and to say with Dauid O Lord bicause we are strangers in this world to wit that we are to passe here only that nothing can be shorter then our life is here let not thy commandements be taken away from vs. On thother side Dauid his meaning here is to signifie vnto vs that he was but as a poore pilgrime and wandring man without he were conducted and guided by the worde of
followe the doctrine heerein conteyned Nowe returneth hee to the firste Argument which we haue already touched to wit according to the woord of God Wherein we see that all the assurance and certaintie which we ought to haue in our prayers to God is to looke vnto that which hee hath promised vs. For they which trust vnto themselues and think there is sufficient in them why God should heare them it is most sure that they shal neuer open their mouthes to desire any thing of God or if they doe it shall be all but meere hypocrisie As in Popery where wee are not taught the promises of God True it is that they wil babble much mumble ouer a number of Pater Nosters with a mixture of Aues yea and will also direct their Pater-noster to the Puppet of S. Agatha or some other Saint as if it were too God Nowe this is nothing else but beastly to profane the name of God And therefore I haue sayde that the principalest poynt that we ought to vse in praying vnto God is to lay before him his promises saying O Lord God it is true that we rightly deserue to be reiected of thee but seeing thou inuitest and callest vs shall wee goe from thee Is it not meete that we should doe thee this honour as to giue credite vnto thy worde and to holde it for stedfast and sure Sithens then it is so that we haue thy promises we may boldely trust vnto them considering that they are true and because wee cannot but haue them graunted vnto vs we onely rest and stay our selues vpon them Loe heere the meaning of Dauid in this verse Nowe hee goeth on and sayth Take from me the way of lying and graunt mee gratiously thy Lawe Heere he acknowledgeth that although hee were already exercysed in the lawe of God and in his knowledge and that although he were a Prophet to teach others neuerthelesse that he was yet subiect to a number of wicked thoughtes and imaginations which might alwayes wickedly leade him from the right way except God had helde him with his mightie and strong hande And this is a poynte which we ought heere rightly to note For wee see howe men greatly abuse them selues When any of vs shall haue had a good beginning we straight wayes thinke that wee are at the highest we neuer bethinke vs too pray any more to God when as he hath shewed vs that fauour too serue our turnes but if we haue doone any small deede wee by and by lift vp our sayles and woonder at our great vertues To be shorte wee thinke straightway that the Deuill can winne no more of vs. This foolish arrogancie causeth God to let vs goe astray so that wee fall mightily yea that wee breake bothe armes and legges and are in greate hazarde of breaking our neckes I speake not now of our naturall body but of the soule Let vs looke vpon Dauid him selfe For he it is that hath made proofe heereof It came too passe that he villanously and wickedly erred when as hee toke Bethsabe the wife of his subiect Vry to play the whoremonger with her 1. Sam. 1◠that hee was the cause of so execrable a murder yea that of many for he did asmuch as in him lay to haue the whole army of the Lorde and all the people of Israell to bee vtterly ouerthrowne Loe then too too great negligence and securitie in Dauid and see also wherefore hee sayth Alas my good God I beseech thee so to guide me that I may forsake the way of lyings This is the whole summe that Dauid although he exceedingly profited in the lawe and word of God acknowledged that he was subiect and apt to be carryed away and abused that the deuill might sundry wayes beguile and deceaue him that hee might bee seduced through many temptations allured by the lustes of the fleshe and oftentimes fall were it not that God did take from him the way of lying Loe heere a poynte which we ought thorowly too mark O Lord saith he take from me the way of lying It is spoken to this ende that euery of vs might knowe our owne wante to wit that we should enter into our selues and meditate after this manner Goe to now I am as a poore wretched and so fraile a creature as is possible my faith so very weake and the lustes of my fleshe so stronge as that they might haue sudenly oppressed me Alas my God sithens I am so weake and feeble I must needs be assisted by thee and by thy power and might And againe howe many are our enemyes which molest and greeue vs howe mightie and strong is the Deuil How great and infinite are the meanes wherewith he assayleth vs and when hee shall assayle vs with his Dartes and arrowes it is impossible for vs too escape them we shall become then like vnto the Lambe in the throte of the Lyon Whē we shall thus haue vnderstood these our wantes and needes then may we say with Dauid O Larde take from me the way of lying Nowe he sheweth the remedy when he sayth Cause me to make much of thy Lawe or graunt me thy grace that I may keepe thy law For the word which Dauid vseth importeth meere fauour and free gift As if the should haue said it commeth of thy meere fauour and grace that thou giuest me thy lawe See heere the remedy which our lord and Sauiour vseth when he would withdraw vs from the law of lying to wit that we should keepe his truth For the truth of God is sufficiently able to encounter al the subtelties and slye practizes of Satan to withstande al temptations and to vanquishe and ouercome al the lustes of our flesh The trueth of God then wil suffice against al this And this is it whiche Saint Paule speaketh of Ephe. 6.10.11 12 c. that when we shal be str doctrine of the Gospel that then we shal haue wherwithall too bee Iusty and strong and become valiant Champions too fight vnder thensigne of our Lord Iesus Christ and triumphe ouer al our enimies So then wil we bee farre from hypocrisie wil we be deliuered from lying from al the subtelties of Satan and from al the deceits of the world Let vs beseeche God then to graunt vs his law and to doo vs that good that we might be instructed therein as wee are heere taught by the example of Dauid Now after al this he maketh his protestation That he hath chosen the way of trueth and hath cleauen vnto the testimonies of God that he hath folowed his iudgements and heerevpon he beseecheth him not too bee confounded Heere now we see that when we beseech God to giue vs his law to deliuer vs from temptations to suffer vs not too be deceiued neither by Satan nor the world that we doe it with such a true desire as Dauid sheweth vs heere in this place For there are many which may say with their mouth O Lord I
to open his hand vnto vs and deale liberally with vs to haue vs to feele his mightie power and that wee might perceiue the fruite and benefite of his promises It is meete that we plant them deepely in our heartes that wee may say after the example of Dauid My hope O Lorde is in thy iudgementes For this woorde Integritie or iudgement wee haue heere before already declared signifieth nothing else but the doctrine conteined in the law of God yea although he heere vseth diuerse and sundry woordes yet doe they tende alwayes to one and the selfe same ende Loe then whether we must refer the iudgements of God to wit that that which we reade in the word of God and that which is preached vnto vs out of the same we must vnderstand and knowe to bee sure and certaine Statutes and ordinaunces and so well ordered as that they cannot bee bettered and therfore to haue all our hope and trust in them Now he goeth on and sayth So shall I alway keepe thy lawe yea for euer and euer And I will walke at libertie for I seeke thy commandements Dauid heere maketh protestation not onely of his good affection integritie but also sheweth the fruite and benefite that might come vnto him when as God shall have so holpen him and that he shall haue put in proofe the fruit of his faith Loe then how this place must be expounded O Lord when I shall once haue knowen thee to be my sauiour and felt by proofe thy mercie then will I keepe thy lawe a greate deale better As if he should haue said I shall be continually confirmed in thy obedience and that shall greatly helpe me to make alwayes forward And to say the trueth all the graces which we receiue from God should conduct and leade vs a great deale further that if wee haue already beene in a good way and forwardnesse it is to this end that wee shoulde continue in it and goe on more and more vntill such time as we come to the end It is very true that God in conducting vs looketh not for any recompence For he will lightly passe it ouer but this is spoken for our vse and instruction And when we pray vnto God we ought to seeke after all the thinges that can be which might confirme vs that we should not doubt but that God would heare our requests and that we should also vnderstand and knowe to what ende wee ought to referre those benefites which he bestoweth vpon vs and that we receiue at his hands Now then when Dauid saith I shall alwayes keepe thy lawe yea for euer and euer By this wee haue to note that accordingly as God liberally bestoweth his benefits vpon vs that our faith should be so much the more strengthened in him that we ought the rather too be inflamed with a true desire zeale to yeelde our selues fully and wholly too him to cleaue to his righteousnesse and to keepe his lawe and woorde And I woulde it pleased God that this might bee deepely imprinted in our minde But what we see the vnthankfulnesse which is as it were in vs all For God neuer ceaseth to doe vs good and will dayly giue vs newe matter to trust in him to loue and serue him But whatsoeuer he doth for vs it auaileth vs nothing for we are alwayes colde as yse there is no zeale in vs no not so much as any motion so that it seemeth wee are altogither senselesse And the rather ought we to meditate vpon this Doctrine For it is the right remedy to amend our so great lithernesse and coldenesse Let vs then learne that when Dauid sayth I shall keepe thy Law O Lorde that by this he meaneth that accordingly as God putteth vnto vs his helping hande and that wee haue had proofe of his graces that we receiue the fruite commoditie thereof which we haue hoped for in his promises that it ought to serue vs for a more ample and large confirmation and that we ought a greate deale rather too be stirred vp to loue God and to serue him and too yeelde vs vnto his worde in summe as heere it is saide too keepe his lawe But yet there is a great deale more to be considered For Dauid speaketh not heere of a blast of winde as some shall be very forwarde for a little time But hee sayeth I will alwayes keepe thy lawe yea for euer and euer Wherein he sheweth that we ought to haue such a remembraunce of the benefites of God that it neuer slip from vs. For as I haue heereof already spoken wee shall see some in this behalfe which shall be moued for a little while when as God shall haue deliuered them from any daunger and hath bestowed vppon them some fauour and grace they shall haue a very good taste and feeling and say Alas howe greately am I bounden and beholden to my God Loe a man woulde thinke that these men were well affected But in the turning of a hand no doubte it is soone forgotten or at the least if they remember it a little while they waxe colde againe and thinke no more of it Since then it is so let vs mark according to that which is spoken in this place that it is not meete that the remembrance of God his benefites should at any time be wiped out of our heartes but let vs beseech him to make vs to keepe his lawe for euer and euer and in such sort to instruct vs as that wee desire none other thing of him but to stick vnto his maiestie and to his righteousnesse It followeth That hee will walke at libertie because hee seeketh his Commaundementes To walke at liberty signifieth to go at a mans owne wil pleasure For like as when we are in a narrowe straight rowme we know not which way to turne vs but think our selues cleane pend vp Euen so also are wee ouer narrowly held in or else surely we look about vs to see if we can finde which way to get out and so doe remaine in perplexitie or doubte And is this the assuraunce and ioy that wee must haue in the lawe of God What is this it Dauid contrariwise sayth That he will walke at libertie to wit that hee will boldely walke the brode beaten way as we say after he hath sought the Commaundementes of God This is also a thing which we ought wel to obserue and keepe For the holy Ghost by the mouth of Dauid meaneth rightly to shewe vs that when we are desirous to haue our life ruled by the commaundementes of God to suffer him too bee our leader and guide and giue vnto him the conducte of all our affayres and businesses that hee will so frame himselfe vnto vs so farre foorth as hee shall knowe to bee good and expedient for our saluation And this benefite which wee receiue by the knowledge heereof is inestimable to wit that we may walke at liberty That is to say that wee are deliuered
God presenteth himselfe thus vnto vs Are they our merites haue we any wayes on our parte deserued that he shoulde be so louing and kinde vnto vs No without all doubt We must then needes conclude that the promises do spring out from this fountaine euen his meere mercie And therefore it is not without cause that Dauid after hee hath spoken of the promises of God declareth heere that he desireth not to bee heard but in this respect That God is good and merciful As if he shoulde haue sayde O Lorde if any man inquire the cause why thou hast hearde me and haste pittie on me I am able to say nothing as touching mine owne person but that I iustly deserue too bee reiected of thee but thou hast taken the matter and cause vnto thine owne goodnesse and righteousnesse Now it followeth soone after They drawe nighe that follow after malice and are farre from thy lawe Thou art nigh at hand O Lord for all thy commaundements are true Heere Dauid complayneth vnto God and desireth him to helpe him against the wicked and vngodly contemners of his maiestie As if he had said vnto him O Lorde I can alledge nothing at all for mine one defence but that they which draw nigh vnto me to hurt me are so much the farther of from thy lawe and I the neerer thy commaundements It is a commonen entendement that they which doe imagine ma1ice are farre from God in withdrawing themselues from his lawe but when as wee shall narrowly looke into the matter that is the very true and naturall sense of the Prophet which I haue already touched that they which imagine malice or deceit are farre off that is they are retyred from the lawe of God to persecute those which drawe nigh vnto it And see how Dauid hath taken for his aduantage that that the wicked are farre from God bicause hee did very well see that he had beene ouerthrowne through their malice without God had holpen him Which thing he sheweth by this cōplaint that the wicked troubled him euen to the vttermost And so much the more ought wee to consider of this bicause we being so womānish as possibly may be do by by think that if the wicked beare the sway and craftily goe about too deuise any thing against vs that all is loste and that God hath giuen vs ouer for a spoile We can in no wise abide that God should exercise our patience nor yet humble vs. Let vs then throughly confider of the example of Dauid For although that God had specially chosen him out amongst the rest and had bestowed so many excellent graces vpon him yet for all that hee was contented that the vngodly shoulde persecute him neither could he make them stande aloofe off for hee had neither Rampares or Bulwarkes that he was able to saye you shall not come neare me For he saieth that they drew nigh him So then when God giueth such leaue to the wicked as too haue the raines at will so that it should seeme that they had the power euen to set their feete on our throates yea and to swallowe vs cleane vp Let vs consider that it hath beene the will of our God in all ages to haue his children subiect to the malice of their enemies Let vs also haue a further cōsideration of this which he sayeth that they are farre from the lawe of God For this importeth that they neither had truthe nor equitie in them When then the vngodly shall with the contempt of God and an extreeme impietie euen rushe vpon vs to ouerthrowe vs let vs then I say remember the example of Dauid and saye wherefore doe the wicked thus persecute vs without any regarde too him who ought and will when it pleaseth him both with force and violence represse them It is bicause they are both blynde and blockish and are without all truthe and equitie But on the contrary side let vs not be afearde bicause wee knowe that God is nigh vs let vs continually cal vpō him to the ende he may be alwayes nearer and nearer vnto vs too put him selfe betwixt vs and make him selfe our buckler to put backe the attemptes and to beare the blowes wherewith the wicked shal assail vs. Moreouer let vs besure resolute that notwithstanding that the vngodly shall thus oppresse vs yet that God is not farre from vs although that we can not perceiue it For God will oftentimes be neare vs when as we shall thinke that he is cleane hidden that is to say he sheweth not vnto vs his power and vertue neither laieth he it open at the first chop For we must also call vpō him that we might shew what honour wee beare him that although hee prolongeth the time and tarrieth longer before hee helpe vs then we would yet must we notwithstāding tarry his good leisure In summe we must alwayes bee resolute in this which Dauid here speaketh of saying are the vngodly nighe very well and God is at hand That is to say God is not asleepe in heauen whiles these men are maliciously imagining to do vs hurte God his armes are not a crosse neither are his handes closed notwithstanding that these men seeke nothing els but to deuoure vs. God is not yet blynde whyles these vngodly awake to destroye and confounde vs. Se then howe God according to the necessities which he knoweth to be in vs will alwayes be at hande so to assist vs as that whatsoeuer mischiefe is neare vs it shall neuer be able to ouercome vs yea inuent the wicked what they can on all sides This is it that Dauid meaneth to signifie in this place Nowe he also sayeth That the commaundements of God are true Wherein he exhorteth vs to haue recourse vnto the worde of God for although wee are thus tormented and fast closed vp in sorrowe and griefes yea and that we looke this way and that way for helpe and yet see not God to remedie the same then I saye hee teacheth vs too haue recourse vnto his worde And this is a most profitable admonition For when we seeke after God we must not haue regard to our own fantasies nor to any worldly maner as we are accustomed nor too looke that hee submit him selfe vnto our will to shewe him selfe vnto vs after a visible sort to haue him come downe from heauen in his maiestie too consume with fire and brimstone all our enemies to set vs aloft and to beare vs such fauour as that wee might haue all things at our owne desire Loe I beseech you howe wee desire to haue GOD to shewe him selfe for like as wee are fleshly so also would we haue him to shew him selfe vnto vs in a visible maner All this while his worde is of no great authoritie with vs for if hee shewe vs not why and wherefore we are not contented with that which hee hath spoken but we would forsooth see his hande altogether open Wherefore this admonition which Dauid
here giueth vs is very necessary to wit that the commandementes of God are true As if he should haue said O Lorde I haue already said that thou art neare vnto vs for as much as thou seest vs to bee persecuted and troubled by the wicked and how they come vpon vs to destroye vs and that thou arte right before them and against them to beate them backe and to beare their blowes All this do I confesse O Lorde But yet I vee not this after a visible worldly maner Howe then It is bicause thy commaundements are true Dauid then knewe that God was neare vnto him bicause hee settled him selfe vpon the lawe and the promises which were giuen him And euen so must we do although it seeme very hard as we haue already touched It followeth I haue knowne long since by testimonies that thou hast grounded them for euer In this latter verse for a conclusion Dauid sayeth that he was not like a nouice to bee nowe too learne to knowe what the commaundements of God were but hee was resolute that God was neare him bicause hee had his worde from which he could not starte He sheweth then that the faithfull ought not too bee as it were in their A. B. C. but must bee long time exercised as Dauid protesteth of him selfe I haue knowne them sayeth hee long since Now here he setteth downe a woorde which signifieth continuaunce From the beginning haue I knowen saieth hee long since thy commaundements which thou haste grounded for euer So then let vs learne that if wee will boldely striue against all the assaultes wherewith wee may bee assayled wee muste continue in this knowledge of the woorde of God and we shall alwayes finde him ready to be neerehand vs so that we may be sure of his protection not for a day onely but all the dayes of our life And so let vs throughly recorde this lesson to the ende we may say with Dauid that wee haue the testimonyes of GOD so deepely imprinted in our heartes as that wee haue longe time since knowen what is already in them too witte that God hath established them That is to say that although we shall see a great number of chaunges in this world that all things are chaunged and turned yet that God is no chaungeling that hee neuer altereth his minde that his woorde is as it was from the beginning and as it shall continue for euer that it shall neuer be subiect to al the turnes and chaunges of this worlde but shall euer abide in his ful strength and vertue because that God hath established it for euer And this is euen so as that we ought to bee prepapared to call vpon God to witte when as we shall be setled vpon the true confidence of his promises that we shall haue knowne the euerlasting power strength which he hath giuen to his woorde that is that he will remaine alwayes like vnto him selfe When I say wee shall haue knowen this we may boldely come and present our selues before him beeing assured that hee will make vs feele by proofe that which he promiseth vs so oftentimes as wee shall haue recourse vnto him trusting heerein that he hath rendered vnto vs a testimonie of the loue which hee beareth vs. Nowe let vs prostrate our selues before the Maiestie of our good God and father in acknowledging our innumerable offences which wee dayly commit against him Beseeching him that he will so touch vs as that in steede that wee haue beene ouer much giuen to our fleshly affections and vanities of this world that nowe we seeke none other way but wholy too order our selues according to his good will beeing assured that although we bee feeble and weake yea and vtterly voyde of all strength so that wee cannot stepe one foote forwarde without stumbling or else in going backwarde we bee farre from him yet let vs not doute but that hee will be neere at hand too helpe vs And also that when hee hath made vs too feele his helpe that he will giue vs that grace that wee may bee so thankfull vnto him as hee deserueth desiring nothing else but too glorifie him all the dayes of our life for so many his benefites as he dayly giueth vs and liberally bestoweth vpon vs. That hee will not onely graunt vnto vs this grace but also vnto all people and nations of the earth c. The xx Sermon vpon the hundreth and nineteenth Psalme RESH Beholde mine affliction and deliuer mee for I haue not forgotten thy lawe Pleade my cause and deliuer me quicken me according vnto thy woorde Saluation is farre from the vngodly because they seeke not thy statutes Great are thy tender mercyes O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgements Many there are that trouble me and persecute mee yet doe I not swarue from thy testimonies It greeued mee when I sawe the transgressors bee cause they kept not thy lawe Consider O Lorde howe I loue thy Commaundementes quicken mee according vnto thy louing kindenesse Thy worde is true from euerlasting all the iudgements of thy righteousnesse inudre for euermore IF wee might haue whatsoeuer we would desire wish in very deede wee should bee the better at ease and without any griefe And this is it that man naturally desireth But in the meane while wee are to consider that God wil exercise vs with diuerse afflictions so long as we are in this worlde Wherefore such is the condition and state of Christians so long as they shall liue heere vpon the earth That is they must striue be exercised with diuerse sortes of greeues sometimes of the body and otherwhiles of the soule And therefore for this cause must we arme our selues to the ende we be not ouercome in the midest of our conflicts Now the principal peece of our armour is to pray vn-God and to call vpon him to helpe vs. And to bring this about we are throughly to consider howe all the faithfull which liued long before our time proceeded heerein too the ende we might order our selues after their example as in this texte heere we see howe Dauid was euen extreemely afflicted Againe wee see also howe he behaued him selfe in all his afflictions which although they were very vehement yet did they not hinder him too haue recourse vntoo God and of him he was rescued and saued See then what we haue to meditate vppon too the ende that wee might doe the like Beholde mine affliction and deliuer me for I doe not forget thy lawe When as he desireth God to looke vnto his afflictions it is euen the same which wee haue already saide too wit That although God loued him yet would he not but that he should be subiect too a greate number of miseryes torments and griefes Let vs not think then to be priuiledged so long as we are to walke heere bilowe on the earth but that God will exercise vs and assay and proue our patience as he hath prooued Dauids
Two and twentie Sermons of Maister Iohn Caluin In which Sermons is most religiously handled the hundredth and nineteenth Psalme of Dauid by eight verses aparte according to the Hebrewe Alphabet Translated out of French into Englishe by T.S. ¶ Imprinted at London for Iohn Harison and Thomas Man 1580. To the right worshipful Sir Robert Iermyn Knight and to the right worshipful his godly and vertuous wife the Lady Iudith Iermyn Thomas Stocker wisheth continuall increase of all spirituall and earthly good thinges in this life with an earnest zeale to the glorious Gospell of Christe Iesus and perseueraunce of practise thereof vnto the ende and in the end and after this life euerlasting ioy and blisse in the life to come through the same Christ Iesus our Lorde ALbeit the whole Scripture vniuersally Right Worshipfull is as it were a diuine Maistresse teaching bothe vertue and true faith yet notwithstanding the Booke of Psalmes hath ouer and besides that in a manner an expresse image of the state and condition of soules and therfore very necessary for all people in generall Howbeit this hundreth and ninteene Psalme namely conteyneth a perfect art and a woonderfull vehemencie of the Kingly Prophet in setting foorth and highly extolling the prayse of Gods lawe and the excellency thereof wherein hee cannot satisfie himselfe nor yet sufficiently expresse the affection which he beareth thereunto adding moreouermany notable complaintes and consolations wherfore it is most meete for all the children of God to haue it alwayes bothe in their heartes and mouthes and so continually meditating thereon as this holy Prophet did in his distresse they may also finde the like comfort whensoeuer and whatsoeuer affliction shall assaile them and also to flie and abhorre that which is wicked and euill in the sight of the Lord. Which Psalme beeing deuided into twoo and twentie partes by eight verses aparte according too the Hebrew Alphabet the godly and learned Father and moste famouse furtherer of the glorious Gospell of our Sauiour and Redeemer Christe hath according to that order very religiously handled and drawne into as many Sermons too the benefite and comfort of all the true and faithfull Scholers in the Schoole of God which shall diligently reade them and earnnestly striue to followe the same direction in their life and conuersation Which Sermons according to my poore skill I haue englished frō the French and haue taken boldnesse to dedicate and offer this my simple trauell vnto your Worships as a speciall token of my good will in Christ beseeching you to accept of this my labor not according to the rude translation but the goodnesse of the matter which they propound and my heartie affection vnto you And the rather haue I beene enbo dened this to doe both for that I haue beene crediblly informed off either of your greate paines taking in reading ouer such like godly works as also that my selfe am Testis oculatus of your dayly presence and diligent attention at all Sermons and godly exercises vsed in this countrie of Stuff Whose good godly beginnings with the rest of the right worshipfull both men and women in these partes and all others of what state and condition so euer they be I heartely beseech our good God and merciful father euen for his Christ his trueth mercyes sake to increase strengthen and continue witth dayly practise of the same in some measure in your liues and conuersation with full perseueraunce vntoo the end of your dayes here without which all the rest is but labor lost For as the Apostle witnesseth we are made partakers of Christ if wee keepe sure vnto the ende that beginning wherewith we are vpholden The Lord God therefore by his holy spirit work these effects in you and in vs all that professe his gospell and leade our aduersaryes when it shall please him into the trueth as he is God of trueth that whē his sonne Christ our Sauiour shall appeere in glory wee may be founde to haue walked without halting in whatsoeuer hee hath thought meete to open to vs for our saluation From Mildenhall the 4. of Nouember l579 Your worships to command in the Lorde Tho. Stocker ¶ To all faithfull Readers THE Reading ouer of these present Sermons will sufficiently declare what commoditie and profite they may bring with them As in very deede the Author of them right welsheweth throughout all his woorkes in what sorte the Lorde GOD hath heeretofore beene serued and also how ordinarily hee is serued by him And therefore for a full recommendation aswell of the Author as also of the woorke it selfe I intende through GOD his assistaunce too sette foorth none other thing then the same fruite and profite which they haue already gotten that haue read them and that fruite which they may make reporte of that shall hereafter reade them For this may very well be thought that nothing in the whole worlde maketh a man more blessed then the liuely and continuall meditation of the holy lawe and good will of our heauenly father Nowe then this is the Psalme which is framed and wholly serueth too this ende and purpose dayly to exercise our selues heere in and although that hee so oftentimes repeateth these woordes Lawe Ordinaunces Statutes Edict Commaundements Decrees and other such like yet are they no vaine repetitions but vsed to this intent and purpose too let vs throughly vnderstand howe meruelous peruerse and frowarde our nature is causing these so necessary thinges too too easily to melte like waxe against the Sunne as wee say cleane away from vs and also to make vs too bee touched at the quicke that we might feele howe feruently we ought too sigh and grone after the lawe and ordinaunce of God how zealously too desire to put the same in execution and also how greatly too be greeued with beholding the moste proude and villanous contempt of the vngodly treading the same vnder their feete And because there are some who rather desire too haue such Bookes as they may easily carry aboute with them I haue the rather to please all parties beene very willing too satisfie them herein alwayes reseruing this good affection that GOD might bee honoured and glorified by this my small trauel and the building vp of his Church aduaunced Farewell The first Sermon of M. John Caluine vpon the hundreth and ninteene Psalme of the Kingly Prophet Dauid The first eight Verses vpon ALEPH. 1 Blessed are al those which are vpright in the way and walke in the lawe of the lorde 2 Blessed are they which keepe his Testimonyes and seeke him with their whole heart 3 Surely they worke no iniquitie that walke in his wayes 4 Thou hast commaunded to keepe thy Preceptes diligently 5 O that my wayes were directed too keepe thy Statutes 6 Then should not I be confounded when I haue respect vnto all thy Commaundements 7 I will prayse thee with an vpright heart when I shall learnt the iudgements of thy righteousnes 8 I will keepe thy
the moste wicked wil confesse and say that they desire too bee saued but yet in the desire thereof they cleerely flye from it and goe as cleane away from it as they can for their liues But what is the cause whye they so greately withdrawe them selues from that which they so highly proteste too loue Yea they drawe as neere vnto it as they can possibly flye from it By this it seemeth that they haue conspyred too reiecte and make little accounte of that good which GOD meaneth to doe for them And heere we are too note that Dauid in this firste verse accuseth vs of horrible blindenesse as if he should say Surely you are all senselesse and without witte And to say the trueth if there were but one droppe of reason in vs without doubte wee would not so reiecte and refuse our saluation of a sett purpose as wee doe See heere howe mercifully our good God dealeth with vs who sheweth vs howe and in what manner we may be blessed and yet we for all that drawe altogither backwarde Doth not Dauid then of very right iustly condemne vs But because euery of vs protesteth to knowe the right way hee addeth They which walke in the way of the Lorde Hee hath sayde Blessed are they which are vndefiled in their way that is whiche walke aright And who are they It is very true in deede as before I haue sayde that there are a greate number which will boast them selues too walke aright and that in such sorte as that it can not be much amended and yet notwithstanding if they be asked who made their way and who it is that assureth them that they shoote at the true marke they knowe not what aunswere to make For there is but one way which leadeth to saluation which is the law as Dauid heereof speaketh wherefore as many as walke in the Lawe of the Lorde sayth he goe not out of their way We haue in this firste verse twoo notable lessons The one is that God heere acuseth vs that euery of vs strayeth and erreth from the way of saluation and although wee proteste that we are willing and desirous to bee saued yet for all that our wicked affections doe in such sorte carry vs away as that we desire nothing else but that wee may bee farre from that felicitie and blessednesse which is set before vs. For there it is sayde Blessed are they which walke in the right way And thus much for the first poynte The seconde is That wee may inuent and deuise many and sundry kindes of life and so think that we go the best surest way that may be and by this meane deceiue our selues for there is but one way that leadeth to saluation What way is it It is not that which wee of our owne braine doe imagine For when Isaiah sayth Esay 53.6 that euery one hath declined from his way he meaneth that we all runne into euerlasting destruction The Law of God then is the way which must rule and order our life and when we will hearken vnto it all thinges shall goe well with vs but whosoeuer swarueth from that the same is like vnto a sauage and wilde beaste which can doe nothing else but gallopp and flinge ouerthwart the fieldes There is none of vs all but that may haue many motions which may seeme good to vs as wee may see by the poore and filly vnbeleeuers which are very feruent and earnest to doe this or that which too their thinking seemeth very good and profitable but yet the spirit of God is not their leader and guide Nowe it is sayde That when wee haue the lawe of God before vs it shal go wel with vs that without it it is impossible but that our life must needes bee confounded and come to naught He sayth a little after Blessed are they which keepe his Testimonies and seek him with their whole heart Dauid now vseth another worde then this word the law to wit testimonies This word in it self importeth a couenant or cōtract it is not to be vnderstood otherwise than to be ayplyed to this end to wit that God couenanting with vs declareth that his meaning is to pull draw vs vnto him and also howe we ought to order our life because cause it is a mutuall Contract betweene him and vs. As if he should haue saide Goe to now vnderstand you that heere I make a couenaunt with you that you acknowledge mee to bee your GOD That you doubte not of my loue towards you and in louing you that I am your Sauiour and that you call vppon mee in this affiaunce and trust and besides that you bee also my louing obedient Children that I doo protect and gouerne you and that you are my householde Seruauntes When the Lorde our GOD thus abaseth and offereth him selfe vnto vs and that hee vseth suche famyliaritie and gentlenesse towardes vs as to talke with vs It is sayde that hee giueth vs his Testimonyes of his loue and fauour towardes vs. Heere nowe Dauid declareth That they are blessed which keepe the Testimonyes of GOD and seeke him with their whole hearte As if hee shoulde say that the Lawe of God consisteth not onely in this that it shewweth vnto vs what wee ought too doo but that it carryeth also with it another speciall Doctrine too weete to assure vs that hee will bee our Father that hee loueth vs so deerely that hee desireth none other thing of vs but that wee woulde bee his sonnes and heyres And heerevnto tende all the Ceremonyes whereof wee shall speake hereafter more at large Yet this is true that aswell in this place abouesayde as also by the reste of the names couched in this Psalme as of Statutes Decrees and Ordinaunces Dauid alwayes meaneth the doctrine of the Lawe Howbeit it is to be noted that this diuersitie of woordes it is not heere sette downe without good cause For it expresseth moste plainely vnto vs what varietie of consolation wee receiue by that which GOD sheweth vnto vs in the Lawe of Moyses and in all the Prophetes who are as it were Expositors thereof For many times when wee speake of the Lawe wee suppose that there is nothing else meant but that which GOD commaundeth vs to do But there is a great deale more to be considered to witte hee assureth vs of his fauour and grace and willeth vs to staye our selues thereon that wee might be assured of our saluation and that also we might be certaine of his loue by his sacraments therein ordeined Moreouer that wee shoulde addresse our selues to Iesus Christ and by that meanes be instructed to runne vnto him who is our onely and alone Sauiour When God then speaketh vnto vs we must consider that hee saith not onely doe this or that but declareth himselfe vnto vs what manner of one wee should thinke him to be and what one also he sheweth him selfe on his parte too be towardes vs both by experience and effecte
This diuersitie of woords vsed heere in this Psalme by Dauid is not superfluous For it sheweth vs that the Lawe of God doth hot onely commaunde vs how wee should liue and after what sorte but doth also certifie vs of the good will of God promiseth vs saluation leadeth vs too Iesus Christe stirreth vs vp too call vpon the name of God giueth vs Ceremonies to confirme vs therein and moreouer that it guideth holdeth vs within our limits And surely there is not one verse in all this Psalme although there are very many wherein there is not mention made of one of these wordes too witte either of the lawe of God or of his Commaundementes either else of his Ordinaunces Statutes or Testimonyes or of his voice Iudgementes or Iustice These wordes are heere so many times repeated as that there is not one verse but that there is one or sometimes twoo of them in it as heereafter wee shall see throughout the whole Psalme And now let vs come to the matter heerin contayned Blessed are they which keepe the Testimonies of the Lorde and which seeke him with their whole heart First Dauid decalareth heere as afore said that wee haue greatly profited in the lawe when as wee shall acknowledge and confesse what affection and loue God beareth vs and how we ought to assure our selues of his good will and fatherly loue And afterward he telleth vs to what end and purpose it is that God graunteth vnto vs such an assurance bicause saith he we should seeke him For this is most sure when as we shall vnderstand God to be such a one as he declareth himselfe vnto vs by his worde it is impossible but that wee shoulde stirre vp our selues and be moued to giue our selues wholy vnto him And to proue that this is true behold the inestimable bountie and goodnes declared vnto vs in our God what man is hee that is so peruerse and voide of sense and reason which wil not be contented to place him self there where he thinketh his whole blessednes and felicitie consisteth and lieth Euen so likewise when as become careles in seeking after the Lorde our God it is a signe and token that we haue vnderstoode nothing of that which he hath shewed vnto vs of his goodnes and mercie and of all his fatherly affection which is witnessed vnto vs in the law and in the holy scriptures But because it shall be no great adoe for a number of men to make a countenance of seeking the Lord Dauid sheweth that wee must not seeke him with our feete and handes with the outward gestures of the bodie alone but with a true and pure affection And therefore he saieth Blessed are they which seeke him with their whole heart As if he should say I would not haue you to doe as the hypocrites do which beare of religion with strōg hand no I meane not so but I would haue your loue to be sound and true As touching that saying With their whole heart it is to declare vnto vs That God cannot away with parting of stakes as we men many times doe For we are well contented to bestowe some part vpon God and would be at free libertie to holde vs with the world and to serue God by halfes But Dauid teacheth vs here to serue him with our whole heart to wit in all integritie and soundnes and not with two faces in one hood He would not haue vs patted in sunder to saye Well I am contented to serue God howbeit I would not that he should require my whole seruice to him selfe but that I might after satisfie and followe my owne lustes and pleasures that I might be at libertie to serue the worlde No not so saith he It must be brought into a true and perfect soundnes and not to deuide man after such a maner True it is that wee shall neuer be able to seeke God with such a perfection but that it may be greatly amēded neither doth the holy scripture meane by this saying With their whole heart ful perfection but only opposeth it selfe against the hypocrisie of a great nūber of men and which would be in vs al were it not that God him self did remedy help it That is we would with good wil serue God by halfes if so be he would let vs alone with the rest to do what we thought good As for example Wee shall haue very many which will not sticke with God to come to the Sermon on a Sunday and to be present at the prayers of the faithfull and to make some shewe of religiō and yet they would haue God to giue them free choise to do what they listed at the rest of the weeke after or if they come to a Sermon oftener then on the Sunday it seemeth to them that they haue done very well that they are throughly discharged of their dueties if they tarrie there but one houre But because they might be set at more libertie they will not sticke to saye that they will bee free from some one vice one will say that he will be no whoremaister Another that he will be no drunkarde Another that he wil be no blasphemer yet euery one of these wil haue his particular vice and thinke that God ought to beare with them seeing that for his honour and to do him pleasure they absteined from some synne and that they obeyed him in some point But the scripture telleth vs that all this is nothing but that euery one ought to examine him selfe throughly and in all pointes and finding in him selfe any thing which is against the wil of God to be vtterly displeased therewith clerely to renounce it and to desire nothing but to be cleansed thereof See nowe this is that perfection whereof Dauid here speaketh Nowe let vs see what is the summe of the second verse to weete that wee should doe nothing els but study in the lawe of God not onely to knowe what is forbidden or commaunded but to be certaine what maner of one GOD is towardes vs and what affection he beareth vs that we might put the trust of our saluation in him and call vpon his holy name And besides there is declared vnto vs that when we haue tasted of the mercies of God that hee hath certified vs of his loue and grace that the same ought to stirre vs vp to seeke him and to cleaue wholy vnto him and to yelde our selues wholly to his seruice and that not in the outward shewe and in hypocrisie but with a pure and sound heart and affection and not by halfes so that there bee founde true soundnes and integritie as before I haue touched Now it followeth Surely they woorke none iniquitie that walke in his waies First Dauid here sheweth in this present verse what the cause is why all men abounde in euill and iniquitie to weete for so much as they will not bee ruled by the Lorde their God See here the spring head of the outrages of
all the disorder and confusions in the worlde to weete that God is prest and ready to guyde and gouerne vs but what we may not awaye to beare his yoke euery man refuseth it and wil be exempt from it Loe here whereupon ariseth our dissolute and wanton life to weete bicause we will not suffer the authoritie which God hath ouer vs to leade and guide vs as he is alwayes ready to do and as he also sheweth vs by his lawe Let this then be an Item for vs. And it followeth further For Dauid meaneth to confirme the woordes before spoken to weete howe it commeth to passe that wee are blessed that is if wee keepe the testimonies of our GOD and walke in his lawe For sayeth hee they which doe no wickednesse walke in his wayes contrarywyse wee doe nothing but prouoke his heauy wrath and displeasure against vs in committing of synne and iniquitie when as God then standeth against vs becommeth our enemie must not our life be vnhappy and accursed It can not be otherwise chosen Heere then is one proofe of that which before hath beene said to wit that our whole felicitie consisteth in this that God is our instructer and teacher and that we holde our selues too the doctrine which wee receiue from him And what is the reason For loe sayth Dauid they will abstaine from euill dooing When then wee abstaine from dooing of euill wee prouoke not God his heauy wrath against vs and so let vs conclude that herein consisteth our chiefe felicitie Moreouer here is to be noted that as many as walke not in the law of God cannot but runne into mischiefe and destruction yea how soeuer they thinke of their well doing and persuade them selues to liue holily and godly yet hath God tolde them that it is cleane contrary And here this parcell of scripture is worthie the marking for hereby we may see the pryde of vs men in that wee make all the worlde beleeue that all things goe with vs as well as is possible when as we follow our own fantasies being thus arrogant to say whatsoeuer we do it is all well done But behold what God the onely iudge hereof hath certainly set downe which we can no way repeale or call backe neither shal be possible to be retracted as we lust to wit that no man can abstaine from euill doing but such onely which walke after this heauenly doctrine They then which walke after their owne pleasure must needes runne into euerlasting perdition Now then there are two maner of wayes wherein men doe erre For one sort exceede in open and most manifest transgressions and sinnes and although they very well knowe that they are euill and wicked yet take they leaue continually to followe them As a whoremonger can not iustifie his wicked doing no more can a theefe a swearer nor a dronkard And yet it is so with them that they alwaies giue them selues leaue to goe from better to worse Howbeit there is another maner of way of euill doing which is mere d̄agerous and a great deale more to be feared bicause it is more couert and secret to weete when as men will not acknowledge them selues to be worthy of commendation and that they thinke that there is none that can detecte or condemne them hauing a foolish and diuelish opinion which blindeth their eyes These men then as it is the maner of all hypocrites may well iustifie them selues but yet the case so standeth that God condemneth them as here we may see It remaineth now that we vse nothing for the whole rule and order of our life but the law of God alone for without it all our life must needes bee dissolute and there shal be nothing in it but confusion and destruction It followeth next after That God hath commaunded vs too keepe diligently his precepts That is alwayes according to the truth which Dauid holdeth For it is very sure that God is so carefull ouer our saluation that he procureth and furthereth it as much as is possible for vs to desire No we if God be thus touched with vs and beareth vs such a good will and loue let vs vnderstand that when he chargeth vs to keepe his ordinances and preceptes that he thereby signifieth vnto vs that the same is our whole blessedness and felicitie And to prooue it to be so God requireth not our seruice bicause he hath some busines for vs to do For he hath not nor needeth any helpe of his creattres When then we are not able do that which he commaundeth vs we can neither do good nor hurt vnro our creator What is it that moueth him to bee so carefull ouer vs as he is and what is it that pricketh and thrusteth vs foreward to keepe his commandements Surely since neither his profite nor gaine leadeth him to be thus careful doutles he respecteth onely our saluation By this we may conclude that there is none other blessednes which we can enioy but to walke in his lawe as he hath before said But in the meane while we may see how villanous and wicked a thing our vnthankfulnes is for God sheweth not vnto vs onely in a worde what is our duetie to doe but vseth also a familiar gentle doctrine to drawe vs vnto him And afterward he exhorteth vs because he seeth vs to be very cold and vntoward And for the selfsame cause he vseth much diuersitie and pursueth it diligently as we see to the ende wee might pretende no excuse of ignorance when we haue nor performed that which he hath set downe vnto vs by his lawe but that we should be conuinced of malice and that wee might vnderstand and knowe that wee are well worthie of euerlasting cond̄enation And so much the more ought we thoroughly to marke this doctrine where it is declared vnto vs that no excuse shall serue vs whē as euery of vs outrageth so much and followeth his owne lust seeing that God hath preuented vs and that he hath declared vnto vs that the right rule to walke by is to follow his cōmandementes neither that he hath done the same slightly but that hee hath persisted and continued therein as much as was possible for him to do Thirdly that by this meane hee hath shewed vnto vs his great loue towardes vs and what care he hath of our welfare life Dauid thē goeth on forward saith O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy Statutes Here Dauid pricketh him selfe fowarde and sheweth the desire hee hath to come to that blessednes and felicitie whereof hee hath spoken before And we must be sure to obserue this order for it is not enough for vs to vnderstand and knowe wherein our felicitie and blessednes consisteth and the way to come thereunto as God hath appointed vs but we must also enter into our selues For euery man must thinke thus with him selfe What maner of man am I Seeing my God is so louing and mercifull tha the seeketh me that he
requireth nothing els of me but that I should come vnto him is it reason that I should sit still shall I become a blocke shall I become a sensles and witles creature shall I not be moued with such fauour and grace as my GOD sheweth vnto me and maketh me to feele See here what Dauid meaneth to teach vs in this verse O that my wayes were made so direct that I might keepe thy commaundements When as he speaketh of his waies he meaneth al the actiōs of his life for the life of mā is called a Waye And that not without cause for all our thoughtes and affections are as wayes and as our footesteppes Nowe he sayeth O that my wayes were made so direct that I might keepe thy commandementes Herein he declareth that a faithful mā after he hath knowē this mercie of God in guiding our life ought to enter into him selfe and thinke that there is neither reason nor wisedome in him how to gouerne him selfe but that all proceedeth from the good will and louing kindnes of the Lorde Sythens then that wee are so enclined to roue in our owne wayes hether and thether by reason of the foolishe presumption and vaine confidence which we haue of our own wisedome let vs vse such remedy as God hath assigned vs to weete that we forsake our selues and treade vnder foote this carnall reason which deceiueth vs that wee set at naught all our lustes and vngodly affections that God only may beare rule and our life be guided according to his his lawe It followeth Then should I not bee confounded when I haue respect to all thy commaundementes Here Dauid confirmeth him selfe in the doctrine next before for hee declareth what the marke is whereat he aymeth O Lorde sayeth hee when as thou shalt doe me that good that I may be directed according to thy word I shal neuer be cōfounded When Dauid now hath such a desire he there by right well declareth that euery man ought to be careful to endeuour himself therūto or els he shall neuer obey the will of God cōsidering that there are so many gainsayings in our flesh nature as is most pitifull to thinke vpon For looke how many our affections thoughtes are we haue euen so many enemies rebelling against God and which hinder vs to walke after his will Wee ought therefore to praye vnto him that he will holde vs in that he may be our maister we his vassails Moreouer let vs consider wel of that which is here spoken to weete that in keeping the c̄omaundementes of God we shall neuer be confounded By this he doth vs to vnderstād that so many as followe their owne lustes fantasies which looke this way that way and do imagine them selues a marke forge them selues such away as seemeth good in their owne sight that they shal be confounded and deceiued No doute when men do that which best liketh thē selues they streightwayes thinke all things shall goe so well with them as is possible to bee wished glorying in their owne vaine imaginations but what followeth thereof God confoundeth them in their owne arrogancie wherwith they were puffed vp for a time Woulde wee eschewe this confusion of the vnbeleeuing persons Let vs haue an eye to the commaundementes of God to wit let our eyes be setled on them and looke not on our owne reason nor of our naturall sense neither yet of any other thing that lieth in our owne power which may turne vs away from them And it is a necessary point for vs to be enfourmed thereof For as often as men will giue them selues leaue to imagine and thinke what they list to haue done there shall a thousand thoughtes for close their mindes and so will turne them away from God and wholy estraunge them from the doctrine of saluation And for this cause Dauid declareth that there is but one onely meane to wit that we should wholy settle our eyes vpon the Lawe of GOD without turning away from it either on this side or on that as commonly and vsually we doe Afterward he goeth on and sayeth I will prayse thee with an vpright heart when I shal learne the iudgementes of thy righteousnes Dauid sheweth in this verse how we may praise the Lord our God and that is continually following the plainnes of his matter For wee must all confesse that our life is miserable if it tende not to the prayse and glorifying of God Let vs now see how we may prayse him We must be exercised in his iudgementes that is in the rule which hee hath set downe vnto vs. For this word Iudgements importeth that wee are taught and instructed of that which wee haue to do For our life is outragious if we passe the limits and boundes which he hath appointed vs and contrariwyse we keepe a true vprightnes in obeying of him Now then he sayeth that when he shall haue learned the righteous iudgementes of God that then he will thanke him with an vnfained heart By this hee signifieth vnto vs that although men persuade them selues to loue GOD as much as is possible neuertheles that it is but fained vntill such time as they are vnfainedly instructed in the lawe And thus much for that Moreouer here is to be noted that that is not all which wee haue learned that God sheweth vnto vs in his word but Dauid speaketh here of an instruction which taketh roote and is settled and abideth in the heart of a man according to that which hath heretofore beene said For a number may imagine of their own braine what the lawe of God is but in the meane while it standeth so with them that when we beholde their life and conuersation it appeareth that they haue profited no whit at all in his schoole It is meete therefore that out heart be brought to the schoole of God to weete that whatsoeuer hee teacheth vs it may bee throughly imprinted and engrauen within And this is that maner of learning whereof Dauid here speaketh For if we haue beene exercised in this sort that we haue holden the doctrine and law of God we may very well glorifie his blessed name to weete we may truly praise him as he hath commaunded vs. When he saieth I will keepe thy Statutes that is That he is so resolued and confirmed in the doctrine of the lawe that he hath ouercome all the affections and lustes of the flesh and the worlde which might resist and hinder him in the seruice of God He hath sayd before O that my wayes were made so direct He desireth as a man which when he cannot haue that which he wisheth for is in great paine and trauell It behoueth vs also to poure out such sighes groanes considering the rebellion of our flesh which is so cōtrary to the righteousnes of God that all our thoughtes and affections as is abouesaid are so many gainesayinges that they turne vs cleane away from his obeysaunce Wee must therefore saye
not O Lorde to liue for my selfe alone in this worlde to receiue heere my pleasures and commodyties but desire it too an other more precious and excellent end than that to wit that I might serue thee Euen so then as often as we are desirous to liue we must remember vs of this request which Dauid maketh That is that we shoulde not be like vnto brute beastes lyuing wee knowe not to what end but that we should alwayes ayme at this make to honour GOD. For without this wee are more miserable then all the rest of his creatures Euery creature will followe his owne naturall inclination and albeit that brute beastes haue an hard and irkesome life yet notwithstanding they are not in their kinde so tormented greeued as we are We know feele by experience that our euil desires and lusts are like hot burning furnaces so that we neede no body to persecute and vexe vs for ther is none of vs all but can tel wel inough how to greeue vex our selues one with ambitiō another with couetousnes some with fornication adultery So thē our life should be very accursed if we looked no farther But we must alwayes aime at this marke to serue God to keepe his word For when as all our affection and loue shal reste in it then shall our life be blessed But contrariwise when we are so brutish as to desire nothing else but to liue heere a long time to haue none other care but of our body and this temporall life the longer we liue heere in the world the more do we heape vppon vs the malediction and curse of God Let vs then keepe in minde this prayer which Dauid heere maketh to wit that he beseecheth God to bestowe that benefite vpon him that he might keepe his commandement all the dayes of his life As if he should haue said Alas my God I see vs to bee so peruerse and frowarde as that none of vs all thinketh to what ende we liue And we are so giuen to all sinne and wickednesse that wee doo nothing else but more and more prouoke thy heauy wrath and indignation against vs. Suffer me not O Lorde to be one of that company but graunt vnto me thy grace that my life may bee ruled and gouerned as it ought to bee that is That I may employ my selfe wholy to serue and honour thee It followeth by and by after Open mine eyes that I may see the woondrous things of thy lawe Heere he declareth that it was not without cause that he made this request vnto God For if it were in our power to follow the word of God and keepe it it were meere hypocrysie and feyned holinesse to make any such prayer For we craue at Gods hand that which we haue not and in our Prayers we must alwayes confesse our pouertie and want Were it not a mockery thinke you too craue of God the thing which I haue already I shall beseech him to giue it me and I haue it already in my possession It is moste true that wee must craue that at Gods hande which already wee haue And why so Because wee are certaine that wee cannot inioy it nor yet vse the same without his grace and fauour And that the vse thereof shall neuer profite vs without he blesse it euen as we desire of him our dayly Breade And although the table be couered and the meate sette ready on the boorde yet we desire of God to make it nourishment for our bodyes Wherby as I haue before sayde it shall profite vs no whit at all without God blesse it through his grace and liberalitie It is very so that we doe craue it by reason of our continuall confessing of our want and neede So then it cannot possibly bee that this was in Dauid his owne hand and power to keep the woorde of God And he sheweth it to be so in this which followeth O Lorde open thou mine eyes As if hee should haue saide Alas deere father it is so farre off that I am able to keepe thy worde as that I should not be able to vnderstand any whit thereof if thou guidest mee not thereto For it is thou which must both beginne the same also performe it wholy in me This is the way and meanes for vs to vnderstande what to doe For many there are which knowe the thinge that is good and yet for all that they vtterly refuse it Nowe Dauid declareth that he is not onely voyde of all power too keepe the word of God but also that hee is without all vnderstanding except it be giuen him by the holy Ghost Let vs note well who it is that speaketh Euen Dauid a most excellent Prophet And yet for all that wee see that hee declareth yea and that boldely him selfe to bee ignoraunte without GOD iustructeth him Neither dooth hee heere speake of any worldely iustruction as wee woulde imagine of the thinges whiche wee knewe nor of before Dauid confesseth that all that would serue him to no purpose at all without God added therunto a notabler or more excellent thing to wit that hee did enlighten him with his holy spirite Sithens then it is so that Dauid who was an excellente Prophet did knowe that hee could neither by reading nor preaching vnderstand that which was requisite vnto saluation what shall become of vs which are yet farre from that forwardnesse that was in him And let vs not thinke that through our owne labour and industrie and by our owne sharpnesse of wit to come so farre as to vnderstande the secretes of God but let vs knowe that wee had neede to be inlightned with the grace of his holy spirit to open our eyes for without it we are poore blinde soules Nowe if this were wel vnderstood we should neuer see such a pride amongst vs as is that euery of vs is wise inough too gouerne himselfe It is an easy matter for vs to make protestation that God hath giuen vs his word and yet for all that we shall still be blinde and knowe nothing vntill such time as he openeth our heartes and mindes For when nothing else shal gouerne vs but our own sense and naturall reason what beastes and Calues shall wee then bee See then how we shall be better instructed in humilitie when as the doctrine shal be imprinted in our heartes True it is that this was not spoken in vaine but to the end that we shoulde be admonished after the example of Dauid too present oure selues before God and in confessing our selues that we are not capable to vnderstande any thing without that he put to his helping hand let vs beseeche him too open our eyes by his holy spirit And bicause it should not seeme straunge that Dauid desired to haue his eyes open he declareth that the wisdom conteined in the lawe of God is too high for our capacities yea although we think oure selues to haue neuer so sharpe and fine wittes And therefore
and handled hee maketh his complaint vnto God and sayeth O Lorde the Princes and Gouernours them selues doe sit and speake euill against me And yet for all that I haue kept thy Testimonies Herein summe we are to gather out of this place that if it so fall out when as wee haue walked vprightly and in a good conscience to bee falsely slaundered to bee accused of this and that whereof we neuer once thought yet ought we to beare all thinges patiently for let vs be sure of that that we are not better then Dauid although we would make neuer so great protestation of our integritie and puritie Dauid walked both before God and men so faithfully as none of vs all is able to doe and yet wee see that he was subiect to these slaunderous reportes Let vs then be patient when the like shall happen to vs. But let vs also follow his example in that hee sayeth that is that wee shoulde not be discouraged seeing our selues to be so euill and vniustly recompensed at mens handes that we forbeare not for all that to exercise our selues in the commaundementes of God And howe should we come by that patience wee must come to that which he there speaketh off to wit that wee take all our whole delight and pleasure in the commaundementes of God It is the thing which hee often beateth vpon before by me touched and therefore it shall not be needefull to staye vpon it any longer Let vs onely vnderstand this when Dauid sayeth that all his pleasure was in the commaundementes of GOD that we after his example must doe the like Hee added They are my Councellers Loe here a sentence worthy to be wayed of vs when Dauid calleth the commaundements of God his counsaylers for in the first place he meaneth that he might scorne at all the wisedome of the most able and most expert men in the worlde howe goodly and gay shewes soeuer their counsailes seeme to be to those which so exceedingly commend them and are also commended of all in that he was conducted by the word of God gouerned therby Lo what he meaneth here by the first point The second is That when he shal be so gouerned by the word of God he might not onely saye that hee was truely wyse but that it was so much as if he had all the wisedome of all the men in the worlde yea and a great deale more put euen in one man When any one man mistrusteth his owne witte hee will aske councell and arme him selfe the better and when he shall haue vsed such counsell as euery one shall soundly giue him hee will holde him selfe a great deale the better resolued Dauid then declareth vnto vs that if wee will not bee without good counsell and aduise we must follow the statutes and ordinances of God But what fewe men at this day are able in truth thus to saye Euery man will saye the best for him selfe he can and yet it shal be all but a mere mockerie Howe many of vs are there which will be contented to be gouerned as hee was by this counsell Wee shall hardly finde one amonges an hundreth Howe do we iustly promise our selues rightly to knowe that GOD hath spoken vnto vs And let it be that we are in the right way what assurance haue we of it It cannot be chosen but that the least let in the world will trouble vs Our spirite alwayes greatly desireth to be contrary to God we haue greater regarde to the vayne opinions and fantasies of men then to the heauenly doctrine so that we lende out eares to whatsoeuer men bable and are so caried with euery wynde that we knowe not what it is to holde our selues to the counsell of God And so let vs bee aduised to make out profit of this sentence beseching the Lord to graunt vs that his grace that we may be gouerned by him and that with such humilitie and reuerence as that whatsoeuer is set before vs in this world we may alwayes go on our wayes in true and inuincible constancie And according to this holy doctrine let vs prostrate out selues before the face of our good God in acknowledging our faultes beseching him that it woulde please him to gouerne vs in such sorte as that we looke not downe here on the earth ne yet stoope downe to the corruptible things of this world but that we might continually aspire vnto this heauenly life where unto hee daily calleth vs by his worde And for performance thereof to suffer vs to be truely vnited to our Lord Iesus Christ yea and that with an inseparable bond as wee may alwayes followe the waye which he hath shewed vnto vs vntill such time as wee be come to that immortall glorie whereunto he hath gone before vs to gather vs all vp vnto him and to make vs partakers of that blessednesse which hee hath gotten and purchased by his death and passion and where of he will make vs enheritours with him in the kingdome of heauen That he will not onely graunt vs this grace and fauour but also vnto all people and nations of the earth c. The fourth Sermon of the hundreth and nineteenth Psalme DALETH My soule cleaueth vnto the dust quicken me according to thy word I haue declared my wayes and thou heardest mee teache me thy statutes Make me to vnderstand the way of thy commandements and I will meditate of thy wonderous workes My soule melteth with very heauines rayse me vp according vnto thy word Take from me the way of lying and graunt me graciously thy lawe I haue chosen the way of truth and thy iudgements haue I laid before me I haue sticken vnto thy testimonies O Lord confound me not I will runne the way of thy commaundements whē thou shalt enlarge mine heart DAuid sheweth vnto vs in these eight verses what the ioye and contentation of the children of God ought to bee And this is a doctrine for vs most profitable For there is not that man which longeth not too haue the thing that may content and delight him but there is none of vs which holdeth the true meane So much the more therefore ought we rightly to recorde the lesson heere conteined to wit that all our reioyring is accursed and will come to an euill end if wee looke not to God and to his worde Loe wherefore here he sayeth My soule cleaueth vnto the dust quicken me according to thy word Dauid confesseth here that hee was driuen to an extremitie For behold what hee meaneth by this saying That his soule or life cleaueth vnto the dust As if hee shoulde haue said O Lord there is nothing that I more looked for then my graue I am like to a poore castaway and forlorne creature Nowe whether or to whome should he haue recourse Euen vnto God hee desireth to be restored And how may that be according to the promisse which he hath receiued We see then whether and to whom we must haue
from many doubtes and griefes that we cannot bee vtterly ouerthrowne and caste downe although we happen to be pressed with some griefes because we alwayes conclude thus that wee cannot bee ouercome seeing God holdeth vs with a mightie and stronge hande And in very deede what is the cause I pray you that men are so oftentimes tormented but only that they submit not them selues vnto God It is very true that there are very fewe which knowe this but this is the very cause For when as wee shall haue looked somewhat neerer the matter wee shall find that nothing so much hath hindred vs as our owne vnthankfulness But because we wil be ouerwise in not yeelding vnto God the honor to gouerne vs wholy to rule our life ne yet become his subiects it is meet we should receiue the hier due for the same For men whē any thing is in question that they haue to do wil straight wayes enter into their owne speculations they neuer make question to haue recourse vnto God nor to cal vpon him but euery man wil doe what semeth best to himself And therfore it is meete that God pay vs in such mony as we deserued that he put vs I say in such doubt as that wee shall neuer be able to knowe what shall become of vs so that the anguishes shall force vs too say What shall become of this matters Which way shall I beginne And what shall bee the ende and issue heereof Beholde howe wee see the miserable and wretched worlde dayly so fast shutte vp in streights as that it seemeeth that wee are more then cast away And what is the cause heereof Euen the men which haue built vnto them selues such Mazes For it is euen they them selues that are the cause of their so greate tormentes For Dauid hath heere declared vnto vs that as many as seeke the Commaundementes of God doe walke at libertie It is very true that the faithfull although they indeuour themselues all they can to obey God and suffer him to gouerne them yet for all that they are not voyde of merueylous griefes vexations that they are many tymes at their wittes end and knowe not what to doe but yet they come vnto God and lay all their care vpon him as it is written in the thirtie and seuenth Psalme And there they finde them selues discharged and vnburdened And so goe they dayly on for they are assured that God can neuer fayle them Beholde then howe we may bee very well tempted with many sorrowes and griefes neither can wee be exempt from a great number of disquietnesses but yet God will alwayes vnburden vs of them as it is sayd in an other place of the Psalme that when we haue beene for a while fast shut vpp yet God will set vs at libertie as also Saint Paul sayth in the second to the Corinthes It is very true sayth hee that wee are oppressed with many tormentes and griefes but yet we continue not in sorrowe and payne For God will alwayes deliuer vs and will giue vs a good and ioyfull issue so that in the ende wee shall bee able to ouercome them See then what is declared vnto vs in this place where it is sayde I will walke at libertie O Lorde because I seeke thy Commaundementes Euen so let vs knowe that when our life is miserable and wretched and that we must needes liue in payne torment and sorrowe that all commeth by reason of our sinne because wee present not our selues before GOD suffer vs not to be conducted by him put not our liues into his handes neither doo wee come willingly too seeke for remedie after wee haue once knowen out griefe that is too say too desire God that it woulde please him to take vs into his custodye without hoping or wayting for any other thing but for that which he telleth vs out of his woorde For when wee shall so doo there is no doubte but that he will make vs too walke at libertie Nowe it followeth I will speak of thy Testimonyes also euen before Kinges and will not be ashamed Beholde a declaration of the matter which wee haue already touched heere before For Dauid making this request not to haue the woorde of trueth to bee taken out of his mouth for euer had regarde to twoo thinges that is to say beeing able too speake after that GOD in bestowing his grace vpon him had opened his mouth had confirmed the Children of GOD by his example and brought them vnto him in shewing them the way and in the meane whyle had foyled the wicked and despisers of God and of the Lawe the scorners of his hope and the blasphemers of God yet was hee able I say too beate them backe and make his parte good againste them all And this matter hee manifestly declareth whereas hee sayeth I will speake of thy Testimonyes because GOD shoulde no more take the woorde of trueth out of his mouth Nowe besides this that God giueth vntoo vs matter whereof to speake freely yet must that come from him as we heare that our Lord Iesus Christe hath spoken off that it is the holy Ghoste which guideth our tongues that it cōmeth not of ourselues to be able to answere our enemies that there neded but a small gale of wind to ouerthrow vs. So then it is meete that God shoulde vse his power that we might be confirmed by him For when as he shal put his woorde in our mouth we may speake before Kinges and Princes and neuer be ashamed As if he should haue sayde O Lorde thy woorde ought to be of such power vnto vs as that wee may foyle our enenemyes yea howe greate and mightie soeuer they bee albeit they should bee suche as were able to astonish and feare all the whole world yet let our Fayth be ouerthrowne through their mightinesse and pompe knowing that when as they shall thinke too swallowe all vp yet that we be left stil alwayes as Conquerors yea euen because we haue regarde to it Nowe heere wee are too note that when God maketh his trueth forcible in vs it shall bee sufficient too holde vs vpp yea notwithstanding all the Combates that the Deuill shall stirre vpp agaynst vs and that the whole world opposed it selfe too the contrary And it is not without cause that this is spoken for whereon is our fayth setled Euen vppon the trueth of God Let vs nowe compare God with men and with all their woorkes and vertues Let vs take Emperours and Kinges and let all their glorie and pompe bee set foorth too the shewe and let God be set right ouer agaynst them too witte whether men with all their mightinesse and great boasting are able too surmounte God too reuerse his will or too make voyde his power and vertue Oh it is very sure they can neuer be able to doe it So then let vs consider with whome wee haue too deale and remember this saying of Saincte Paule Thou knowest sayeth hee to
mortally to wounde vs. And to put by these blowes wee had neede to bee armed with the woorde of God which is our sword with the buckler of faith and the Helmet of hope euen as Saint Paul exhorteth vs to doe Marke well this point we must not bee too too tyed vnto men when as they shall thus grieue and vexe vs but wee must looke a great way farther to witte vnto Satan who by such assaultes cōbattes goeth about al hee can too ouerthrowe our sayth Ephe. 6.16.17 if it were possible for him to doo Now the protestation which he maketh is well woorthy the noting for after hee had complayned of these rebukes and mockeries of the vngodly hee addeth yet haue I not shrinked from thy way O Lorde Let vs then conclude that since wee haue the word of God that if al the world shoulde conspire against vs too turne vs from it we ought too abyde stedfastly in it and too bee fast tyed thereto and too cleaue so harde vntoo it as that wee might neuer bee pulled away from the same To this ende ought this protestation to serue vs to witte to strengthen vs in constancie that wee might knowe that if Dauid was so stedfastly setled in the hope which he had that the truthe of God is not at this day diminished or decreased It behoueth vs then to make the promises of God forcible and to be so sure and certaine as that wee be not shaken nor moued for all the scornes and mockes which the wicked can make at vs. Let vs also marke that Dauid speaketh not here of one combat or of a woorde cast out at randon as sometimes it may escape from the mouth of a Scoffer or Iester among the wicked But it must needes bee that the holy Prophet was throughly sooked in them as hee him selfe declareth that they derided and scoffed at him and that exceedingly Let vs applie this too our selues that we quaile not nor faynt for one conflict wherwith Satan shall assayle vs by his substitutes but that wee perseuere in all conflictes that when we shall haue made an ende with the first to bee ready and prest to enter into an other neuer altering or chaunging our determination nor will come there whatsoeuer shall come that the scoffes scornes of the wicked yea and whatsoeuer Satan shall craftily inuent against vs hinder vs not from stedfastly abiding and continuing in faith without turning or writhing vs awaye from the lawe of God after the example of Dauid as here wee haue heard him make thereof protestation And if there were such constancie in Dauid hauing the lawe onely wee that haue the doctrine which is giuen by him and by the Prophetes after him by our Lorde Iesus Christe and his Apostles wee then which haue a great many moe conuenient helpes then Dauid had should wee be shaken and crusshed when as the deuill the wicked and all the girnardes and firebrandes of hell shall assayle our faith There remaineth nowe no excuse for vs seeing hee hath done thus Let vs then learne too helpe our selues with the meanes which God hath giuen vs and putteth in to our hande so that his woorde bee not vayne and vnprofitable vnto vs but that it serue vs in deede as it ought Nowe hee addeth For I remembred thine euerlasting iudgement O Lorde and haue receiued comfort Here Dauid declareth that hee is confirmed ouer and beside the worde in all the iudgementes of God which is the thing that we must also do after that we haue meditated vppon the promises of GOD by which hee testifieth that hee is nere vnto all those which call vppon him after that wee haue knowne that which hee declareth and pronounceth to humble and ouerthrowe the wicked in shewing them to be their iudge that ouer and besides this we would acknowledge as at all times we haue neede how he hath holpen and sustained his howe hee hath deliuered them out of all the miseries they were in and besides how he hath stretched foorth his arme against the wicked and contempners of his iustice See I say howe wee must linke together the woorkes of God with his word for the more notable confirmation of our faith And this is it which Dauid meaneth in this place for he speaketh not here of the iudgementes of God as hee hath done before and as he will hereafter to witte for his statutes and commaundementes but hee meaneth the actes and deedes which GOD in all ages hath done to shewe him selfe to be iudge ouer all men It is very true that such judgements as God hath put in execution are conteined in the Scripture But by this which is here spoken of them we are warned how we ought to reade such histories that is that God neuer forsaketh his faithfull and although for a while he slacketh yet will he not leaue the wicked vnpunished in the ende Dauid then meditated on these iudgements and exercised him selfe in them And so we are to remember that when we haue made the word of God forcible to resist Satan and al the assaultes wherewith he shal assaile vs we must also know that God hath not only spokē but hath likewyse shewed by experience that his worde is no vayne thing but that the execution thereof is at hand And therefore when as wee shall see that God shall put to his helping hande before our eyes and shall giue vs so many testimonies of his iudgementes it is no reason that wee should ouerslippe it but should haue our eyes open and acknowledge these thinges as they are declared vnto vs when as also wee shall feele any of GOD his grace towardes vs that wee ought to imprint the same surely in our myndes Loe howe wee must followe Dauid in that which hee sayeth O Lord I haue remembred thy iudgements Moreouer when it is said that hee hath called to mynde the iudgementes of GOD from the beginning of the worlde I praye you what excuse shall wee bee able too make if wee ouerslippe that which hee setteth before our eyes For when as at this daye GOD shoulde holde him selfe as if hee laye hidden that wee should haue no token nor proufe that hee shoulde bee the iudge of the wicked and vngodly for to confounde them and the Sauiour of those which trust in him and call vppon him yet that which is conteined in the holy Scripture and that which we reade too bee done before wee were borne the same I saye might suffice But nowe since God declareth him selfe vnto vs and sheweth vnto vs his presence and all this to bee cast vnder foote through our vnthankefulnesse must not wee needes be more then culpable or blameworthy In summe let vs marke that here the holy Ghost accuseth vs of negligence for if wee were such as in deede wee should be wee should applye our studie to reade the holy Scriptures where God sheweth vs his iudgementes as it were in beautifull glasses and all for our
instruction and profit See then how we ought to linke together that which is written with that which we daily see before our eyes and to be confirmed throughout all the histories in such sorte as that they might serue as it were to seale vp the woorde of GOD that it might bee of a great deale more strength and force and too magnifie the same when neede shal be Nowe haue we so remembred the iudgements of God and are wee so exercised in them yea euen in those I say which were made before we were borne into this worlde Whatsoeuer then that we shall now perceiue and marke whatsoeuer also shal be declared vnto vs so long as we liue we ought by a more forcible reason so much the narrowlier to consider to bee a great deale the more confirmed in them and not to be like vnto brute beastes when as god stretcheth foorth his hand giueth vs some testimonyes that it is he alone which so helpeth vs when as I say God sheweth vs this wee must thinke on them in good earnest and so stay our selues in them to wit that we make not account of them as vaine speculations but too apply all the Iudgementes of God to our vse since it is to this ende and purpose that he sheweth vs them For when wee shall reade that God reuealed himselfe to Abraham and that hee did helpe him in such a necessitie Let this bee our conclusion Very wel that which God did vnto his seruaunt Abraham is to assure vs that he will doe the like for vs and therefore we must euen now runne vnto God for refuge and succor See howe all the testimonyes which God hath lefte vnto vs in the holy Scripture of all his woonderfull works ought to serue euery of vs for aydes and helpes Nowe Dauid setteth downe soone after I am horribly afrayd for the vngodly which forsake thy lawe Heere Dauid protesteth that hee hath resisted another temptation ouer and besides that which wee haue already seene This is already a very sore and harde combate too abyde when as the wicked mock and scorne vs as if God had deceiued vs as if we had bin too too simple foolish to put our trust in him Loe heere a great trouble for miserable and wretched weakelings yea and that such as it cannot be chosen but that they must at the leaste be mooued and astonyed But this temptation which heere followeth is none of the least to ouercome as when wee see all the whole world addicted and giuen to wickednesse that what soeuer we doe is as it were to conspire to lay a platforme to prouoke God his wrath to distrust him to reiect all his graces and to treade them cleane vnder foote When then wee shall see men so estraunge them selues from God euen to make open warre against him it goeth very hardly if we be not as it were vtterly ouercome And yet neuerthelesse it is as Dauid heere protesteth that it is so farre of that he gaue him selfe wickedly seeing the corruptions to bee such as they were all ouer as that hee was horribly affrayde for the vngodly which so forsooke the law of God Wherefore let vs learne to be thus horribly affrayde so often as we see men exceede in wickednesse Let vs learne I say too haue recourse vnto God and as it were in gathering our wittes vnto vs that we might conceiue an horrour feare when as we see such monsters and such things so committed against nature If this hath beene alwayes a necessary doctrine it is at this day moste necessary for let vs a little beholde what a generall confusion there is when as we shal see the order and doings of the Papistes wee shall finde it to be a most hellish outrage And emongest vs alas where the woorde of God should be of greater power and force yet wee see howe the more parte will not onely alter and chaunge the lawe of God but desire nothing more then euen vtterly to abolishe it What is to be doone then It is not inough that we followe not the wicked and vngodly in their impietie and not to linke in with thē as their companions but wee must bee horribly afrayde because wee know that they must perish as miserable wretched creatures therfore we should be greeued and vexed but yet a great deale the rather when as they see them make open war against the maiestie of God For these are matters too to monstrous to see mortal men lift them selues vp against their creator and in very good earnest to fight against him Lo then what is heere shewed vnto vs by the spirite of God vnder the example of Dauid And in this let vs see whether we ought to couer our selues with such horrible yea and most detestable filthynes vncleannes when as any talke shall arise of the contēning of the maiestie of God of the discrediting of his law or worde whether we ought I say to make countenaunce as if such talke were nothing whether we ought to support maintaine the same and to passe it lightly ouer as though we cared nothing at al for it or that it no whit appertained vnto vs. Nowe if in this behalfe we shal doe so it is a signe and token that there is neither zeale nor affection in vs. And heerin we shew our selues not worthy that God should take vs for his childrē For we must remember that which is written The zeale of thy house hath euen consumed me and the rebukes and slaunders which haue bin laide vpon thee O Lorde are come vpon me Whē then we shall see the name of God to be contemned made no account off and shall see the wicked to caste him cleane without the doores in such sort as that they wil make no more reckoning of the law of God without all question wee must not dissemble and holde our peace make account as though it were nothing but if we be the seruaunts of God it shall behoue vs not onely to be touched but also to be horribly afrayd to be as it were forlorne men when as we see such abhomination that it should in such sort fall out as to haue the name of God to be so contēned by his creatures Now for a conclusion Dauid saith Thy statutes haue beene my songues in the house of my Pilgrimage This was yet another great temptation to Dauid aswel as the other that it so fel out as that he was once driuen out of the countrie of Iudea was far from the temple of God dwelt among the Pagans and Infidels Nowe he sayth that notwithstanding al this that hee was not estraunged from God nor yet from the knowledge of saluation but contrariwise that he was the rather stirred vp to sing prayses vnto God and those Psalmes which God did put in his mouth yea euen such as were taken out of the law For we haue to note that Dauid made not the
Psalmes as a newe doctrine ne yet as a doctrine separate from the doctrine of the lawe but drew them from it as out of a Fountaine So then it is not without cause that he protesteth heere that the Statutes of God serued him for Psalmes and for songes yea in steade of his Pilgrimages that is to say in a strange Countrie in the middest of Infidels when he was as it were banished from the Church that he could not bee in the Temple to make confession of his faith yet was he not for all this wickedly addicted Nowe heere they which are trauellers are admonished of their duetie For albeit they see a greate many of enormities committed in the worlde neuerthelesse they are stedfastly purposed to holde themselues in the feare of God and to walke in a pure and soūd conscience albeit they are mingled emongst the infidels As behold euen the very Christians which are in the Papacy although they are there prisoners hauing no doctrine preached vnto thē without libertie to serue God publikely and to make confession of their faith as they would yet doe they not exceed and outrage with the rest in these villanyes which reigne amongest them but confirme themselues the best they can to the worde of God take all their delight and pleasure therein and make the lawe of God their song which maketh them to withdrawe themselues from all the vanities and corruptions which they commit so that they keepe them selues within this compasse Moreouer if they which are in a place where the worde of life is not taught and doe so yea euen greate store of offences wherewith they may take occasion too be drawne to wickednesse and to be corrupt with the rest these I say be inexcusable but are commaunded to take their delighte and pleasure in God and in his lawe and too incourage themselues taking the holy songs to exhorte them to well doing what shall become of vs when as wee are in a place where the Bell ringeth too call vs that we might bee admonished by the woorde of God to be instructed too call vpon his name and to make confession of our fayth When GOD then calleth vs vnto his Schoole and openeth his mouth to instruct vs I pray you are not we worthy of most horrible condemnation when as wee shall doe altogither preposterously in that whereof Dauid heere maketh protestation As we shall see very many which can neuer bee mery but when as they shall deafely hearken vnto God if they come to a Sermon it is onely to heare their condemnation For whatsoeuer is sayd vnto them and layde before thē to bring them into the right way they soone forget what hath beene saide Must not these mindes then be violently carried with a merueylous fury Yes without all doubte And therefore let vs keepe in minde the conclusion which Dauid heere maketh That hee remembred the lawe of God vnto the ende As if he had sayd Beholde what is the cause that I beeing a miserable vacabond cast out of the Temple and driuen out of my countrie did yet neuer but stay vpon thee And after that beeing assayled by the Infidels haue perseuered in the consideration of thy lawe and delighted my selfe therein Euen so also must wee doe For if we see many offences and many things which might withdrawe vs from the lawe of God let vs ouercome all that in the vertue and power of the promises which God hath made vs that by them we might be confirmed in his loue and bountie to the ende we fall not into such a confusion as wee see the wicked and vngodly fall and dayly caste themselues And according too this doctrine let vs prostrate our selues before the Maiestie of our good God in acknowledging of our offences Beseeching him that it would please him to make vs better too feele what taste wee ought too take in his holy promises and to be exercised in them that we might valiantly fighte against those vices which might hinder vs to stay vpon his protection and that by the power of his holy spirit we might ouercome all offences and griefes to the ende that beeing fortifyed by his grace wee might not haue any accesse to Satan whereby hee might winne and get of vs but that we constantly perseuering in the holy vocation of this good God might followe our course vntill such time as he shall take vs out of this worlde to bring vs vnto that heritage which hee hath prepared for vs before the beginning of the worlde and also which Iesus Christe hath purchased for vs with his moste pretious bloode And that hee will not onely graunt vnto vs this grace but also to all people and nations of the earth c. The eight Sermon of the hundreth and nineteenth Psalme HETH Thou art my portion O Lorde I haue determined to keepe thy lawe I made mine humble petition in thy presence with my whole hearte O be mercifull to mee according too thy woord I haue considered mine owne wayes and turned my feete vnto thy testimonyes I made haste prolonged not the time to keepe thy Commaundementes The handes of the vngodly haue robbed me but I haue not forgotten thy lawe At midnight I will rise too giue thankes vnto thee because of thy righteous Iudgementes I am a companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy commaundements The Earth O Lord is full of thy mercie O teache mee thy statutes THese eight verses nexte before conteine none other thinge but the protestations which Dauid maketh in giuing himselfe wholly too God sticking vnto his law except two requestes which he maketh in the second verse in the last Now in the first place he saith that his soueraigne good and chiefe felicitie was in that he was resolute to keepe the law of God It is very true that some doe expounde this thus that Dauid calleth God his inheritance But when as the matter shal be well wayed and considered the meaning is this that he setteth his whole felicitie in this that hee is fully determined and resolued as already hath bin touched to followe that which God had shewed and taught him Nowe this worde Portion in the Scripture is taken for inheritaunce and inheritaunce is taken for the chiefest and most desired thing that man hath And so it is as much as if hee had sayde That euery man might deuide it as hee woulde and lusted As wee see the desires of men too bee sundry and diuerse one draweth one way another another And in deede sayth hee euery man wisheth as hee fantasieth but as for my selfe I desire none other blessednesse nor felicitie but to content my selfe with the lawe of God and when I haue this I haue gotten a good and an excellent inheritaunce And nowe we see the summe and effect of this first verse it remaineth that wee gather out thereof such Doctrine as is therein conteined For when wee heare Dauid speake after this manner there is no
voyde As at this day it is in Popery for when they pray vnto God they pray at all aduenture And especially this is one of the poyntes that the Papistes striue most about that wee must not assure our selues when wee pray vnto God that hee heareth vs but remaine in suspence Forsooth but the scripture telleth vs that it is not possible that the man which is thus floating as the waues which are tossed with the winde and tempest shoulde obtaine any thing It telleth vs that when we come vnto God that we must come with faith hope and boldenesse And so then as I haue already touched this is an holy and a commendable presumption that when wee stay our selues vppon the worde of God to set downe in summe that hee will accomplish that which hee hath promised vs For we hold him as one bound vnto vs not that he is any thing in our debte but because that of his meere liberality he stoupeth so lowe as to declare vnto vs that hee woulde that wee should haue this libertie and leaue to present our selues so before him with such boldenesse and assuraunce as already I haue declared And thus much for the second verse In the thirde it followeth I haue considered myne owne wayes and turned my feete vnto thy Testimonyes This protestation is woorth the noting For wee are admonished why it is that men so greatly flatter thē selues in their own follyes and deuices and make thēselues beleue that they will make their Prayers vnto God albeit they rest not vpon him trust not vnto him neither yet followe that which hee hath commaunded them but onely their owne imaginations And that forsooth in such sorte as that they thinke a man should offer them great wrong if hee sayd that all is loste labour which they haue bestowed that they greatly tormented themselues to no purpose except they did knowe that God hearde them It is most true that euery one will say And howe so I beseech you wherefore wil not God think wel of that which I doe since it is my finall intent to to serue him no no God forceth not of all this And what is the cause that men so arrogauntly striue and spurne against God It is because they call not their wayes too remembraunce For it they had this consideration and wisdome to looke narrowly vnto their dooings and to think thus with them selues Howe shall I doe In what case am I I must not goe astray but keepe a sure and certaine way and good meane and to consider how to liue and aboue all I must do thus much as that God be not disappoynted of the soueraintie which he hath ouer his So then when as men looke well to their wayes it is very certaine and sure that they will wholely giue themselues to followe the woorde of God and therein take all their delight And this is it that he sayth on the contrary part that he would turne his feete too the testimonyes of God Wherein he sheweth too all men by his example that they shoulde walke as God hath commaunded them and not too be ruled after their owne head and brayne For see from whence this madnesse cōmeth which possesseth as it were all the whole worlde that euery man will serue God as he thinketh best It is because we turne not our feete vnto his Testimonyes Nowe wee ought so much the more too practize this which is heere declared to witte to looke too our wayes that wee shoulde knowe that seeing that God hath placed vs heere in this worlde that he hath not doone it too that ende that we should doe whatsoeuer our senses would lead vs vnto But our life must be ordered ruled And whence must wee haue this rule Euen from the woorde of God And when as wee shal be so carefull as too order and rule our life there remaineth no more for vs to doe but to followe euen whether our God calleth vs. Loe the testimonyes of God loe his trueth which hee hath declared vnto vs Loe there must we place and set our selues Wee must neuer heereafter make any more question too wander any longer and to discourse and say why shoulde not this bee good and commendable No forsooth not so let not vs followe our owne fantasies neither let vs bee wise in our owne conceits but let vs consider with our selues to heare our God and obey him loe then the effecte of this thirde verse where it is sayde That Dauid looked vnto his wayes and that he turned his feete to the testimonyes of God to witte to the lawe where God hath declared his will Now hee addeth I made haste and prolonged not the time to keepe thy Commaundementes He continueth his purpose but he sheweth that this his affection was not slowe I made haste sayth he yea and that without delay Nowe it is not without cause that Dauid putteth to this for we see howe straightly wee oughte too deale against our owne appetites yea euen they I say who are best affected to serue god do yet com as it were halting trayling either an arme or a leg after them as wee cōmonly say And what is the cause heereof We carry about with vs such a number of corruptions as that the very weight of them maketh vs to goe exceding slowly so that we haue much to doe to go on And we know and haue too too greate experience howe weake our nature is when as wee intende to doe well Let vs then vnderstand and knowe these twoo thinges and we shall neuer thinke it straunge that wee are so slowe and slack to followe God as in deede we are yea euen these two things I say For behold Satan wil neuer cease craftily to go about to imagine whatsoeuer he possibly can to cause vs to drawe backe he will set barres and pitch Hayes before vs hee will lay Bushes Thornes and euill fauoured stumbling blockes whatsoeuer which any way may hinder and let vs that if we meane to march on but onely three paces we shal be violently carryed away to turne on this side and on that not knowing what shall become of vs. Againe wee shal be solicited and moued by our inordinate appetites to drawe vs cleane awry For if we will wholly put our trust in God the Deuil will drawe vs too the contrary and make vs to giue our selues vp too this wordly pelfe and so consequently to all the rest Seeing then that we are drawen and haled with so many Cart ropes yea and are of our selues so feeble to doe good euen burning after wickednesse Alas no maruell though wee be slowe too followe God but yet for all that we must needed fight It is no question but that we flatter our selues when as wee see such slacknesse in our selues and say in deed it is very true such is the state condition of our nature and againe our infirmities are so great as that it is an impossible thing for any man too discharge
and so fatted Euen so fareth it with these cursed contēners of God which haue no regarde vnto euerlasting life but are wholely giuen vpp too their God the belly They wallowe them selues in their owne greace as a Swine which hath his groine alwayes in the trough Nowe contrariwise Dauid sayth that all his delight hath beene in the woorde of God Whereby hee doth vs to witte that although God had made him fatte yet that he wallowed not for all that in his owne greace but delighted in that spirituall gifte which was giuen him because that God had taught it him in his Schoole Loe then what we haue to gather out of this place that although wee see the greater parte of the worlde contemne God yet must we not be abashed thereat And why so Let vs well consider wherein men doe put their chiefe felicitie and wee shall finde them too be lyke vnto Oxen and Swine desiring naught but to liue heere in this world without looking any farther Nowe wee must haue a farther regarde if we will serue God as too him appertayneth to witte that wee take such pleasure and delight in the worde of God that wee bee no more giuen too the worlde as we are ouermuch And although God giueth vs aboundaunce yet that wee haue our ease and commodities in this worlde let vs not settle our mindes on them but knowe that all these are but pety small meanes and necessaryes but let vs labour to goe too the principall and acknowledge him too be our Father and Sauiour And when we knowe him too be so then let vs clime vpp vnto him and too that euerlasting life wherevnto hee inuyteth and calleth vs. Loe I say what wee haue heere too retaine Moreouer if God tameth vs by affliction Let vs come to that which Dauid addeth to witte That it was good for him that he had beene in trouble Although then that God pulleth back his hand and that in steade of gently intreating vs hee handleth vs roughly in steade of sending vs plentie of wealth he causeth vs to suffer hunger and thirst in steade of giuing vs health hee greeueth vs with diseases that beeing vexed with many anguishes and tormentes so that wee knowe not what too doe yet must wee alwayes looke to the ende to be comforted with Dauid in saying It is a good turne for mee O Lorde that I haue beene in trouble That I may learne thy Statutes Nowe since it hath so fallen out that Dauid was afflicted to the ende he might be the better disposed too learne the ordinaunces of God what shall become of vs which are full of worldely vanities Let vs then knowe that wee had neede to be corrected by the hand of God and to be tyed short if we will profite in the doctrine of saluation Loe then how we must practice the admonition of Dauid And when we shall haue so done we may conclude and say with that which is set downe in the laste verse to wit That the lawe of God is more deere vnto vs then Golde or Siluer And this is it that we must doe in this point wee must esteeme and make much of the worde of God as it is woorthy and not to stay our selues on the thinges of this worlde but to looke alwayes farther off to wit vnto heauen When then wee shall haue profited our selues thus by the afflictions which God shall send vs hee will bestowe his grace vpon vs by little little that we shal so esteeme of his word as that we shall wholy stick to it And let vs beseech him that it would please him too dispoyle vs of all our wicked fleshly desires and affections to cause vs to craue none other thing but that he wil reigne and liue in vs. According too this holy doctrine let vs prostrate our selues before the maiestie of our good God in acknowledging our offences Beseeching him that it woulde please bim too take from vs the wicked affections whiche might turne vs away from him and from his seruice and that wee might forget all whatsoeuer might turne vs from the right way of saluation that we desire nothing but that wee may attaine too that euerlasting life which we looke for in heauen That it would please him not too suffer vs to liue heere like brute beastes not knowing to what end we were created in this world but that we might acknowledge him to be our Creator our Father and Sauiour that wee might subiect our selues vnto him as his creatures and obey him as true and faithfull Children vntill such time as hee shall take vs out of this world to make vs partakers of that euerlasting blisse immortall inheritance which he hath prepared in Heauen and which is purchased for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christe That hee will not onely graunt vs this grace but also vnto all people and nations in the worlde c. The tenth Sermon of the hundreth and nineteenth Psalme IOD Thine hands haue made and fashioned mee O giue me therefore vnderstanding that I may learne thy Commaundements So they that feare thee when they see mee shall reioyce because I haue put my trust in thy word I knowe O Lorde that thy Iudgementes are right and that thou hast affficted me iustly I pray thee that thy mercie may comfort me according to thy promise vnto thy Seruant Let thy tender mercies come vnto mee that I may liue for thy lawe is my delight Let the proude be confounded for they haue dealte wickedly and falsely with mee but I meditate in thy Commaundements Let such as feare thee and know thy Testimonyes turne vnto mee Let my heart bee vpright in thy Statutes that I bee not ashamed WEE ought to holde and keepe this rule and order in our praiers to God not too measure his affection and loue after our own imaginations thoughts but to acknowledge him to be such one as in deede he is as he sheweth himselfe vnto vs to be And loe why he saith by his Prophet Esaiah after he had declared that he would haue compassion to saue his church Thinke not sayth he that I am like vnto you for there is as great distance betweene my thoughtes and yours as is betweene Heauen and Earth Let vs then measure the goodnesse of God after our vaine imaginations But as I haue already sayd let vs knowe that it is not in vaine which he declareth and testifieth vnto vs that the good will and loue which he beareth vs are infinite thinges which wee must beholde by faith onely And it is to the ende that we should come vnto him with greater boldenesse too call vpon him not doubting but that we shall obtaine whatsoeuer wee craue at his hands yea euen asmuch as shall be expedient for our saluation And according to this Dauid heere setteth downe that God had made him As if he had said I come not vnto thee O Lord as we commonly come vnto men I set not downe any merite or
must stretch it self cleane beyonde the worlde and so we shall not bee tossed with the windes and tempestes which shall blow against vs to make vs turne back when as we shal haue a sure foundation vpon the word of God And as concerning this proofe which Dauid addeth saying That God hath layd the foundation of the earth the same is but a little tast which he giueth vs of the trueth of God Nowe it is not enough for vs to haue this taste onely to knowe whether God be faythfull and that his trueth is euerlasting For to proue it to bee so we see that neither heauen nor earth but are subiect too corruption and that all muste passe onely the woorde of God is said too last for euer And it must needes bee so for else what shoulde become of our saluation It shoulde be corrupt very soone Let vs not once thinke then that Dauid his meaning heere is too make a comparison and an equall proportion of the continuance of this worlde and the constancye which wee see in the order of nature with the trueth of God But he sheweth vnto vs that euen in these corruptible thinges wee might the better perceiue howe faythfull GOD is and if hee bee true in these thinges on the earth what shall hee him selfe then bee I beseech you tell mee from whence hath the earth her foundation It is founded bothe vpon the water and also vpon the ayre Loe her foundation Wee can not possibly build a house fifteene foote hight vpon the firme grounde but that wee muste lay a foundation See all the whole earth is founded onely wauering and as it were hanging yea and vppon so bottomlesse deapthes as that it might be turned vpsidedowne in the minute of an houre and the whole substaunce of it vtterly ouerthrowne It must needes then be that there is a wonderful power of God shewed in the conseruing of it in the same sort it stādeth And that is it which is here shewed vnto vs to witte because that God hath sayde That the earth was in the middest of the worlde and that it was so layde as it is heereby we knowe what the certaintie of his trueth is But wee must heere forsooth compare the lesse thinges with the greater as we say How from the lesser to the greater I wil shew you by example If I say we did se such excellēcie in the body of a man as that it might bethought to be euen the very image of God wherby we knowe the thing that is writtē that God hath ordayned man to be the chiefe of all his creatures and giuen him greate dignitie noblenesse and power ouer all liuing creatures Psal 8.6 Euen so also in praysing that which is in man we may descende from the body to the soule and this is from the hyest too the lowest and from the lesse to the more So likewise is it in this place when Dauid setteth before our eyes the order of nature This is not as I haue already sayde to measure and compare the trueth of God with such a measure But to the ende wee might reason and say If in these frayle and transitory thinges which are subiect to corruption wee see such a constancy because it is God his will it shoulde be so What shall we then say of his trueth which surpasseth all the worlde When then we shall make such a comparison betweene the state of the worlde and the trueth of God we may certainly conclude that God sufficienly graunteth vs wherewith too settle our selues vpon his woorde we muste not bee so inconstant as too let our Fayth bee shaken so often as wee shall see the worlde tossed with any troubles but rather too take this place which is heere shewed vnto vs by Dauid for our refuge And this is the summe of this place Nowe it followeth afterwarde Except the Lorde had beene my delight I shoulde nowe haue perished in my trouble Dauid heere speaketh this of his owne proper experyence and knowledge before hee spake of the trueth and excellencye of GOD in generall and sayth that it was in heauen and afterwarde he prooueth it by visible thinges which is very manifest vnto vs and which God poynteth out vnto vs as it were with his finger In the third place hee sayth that he speaketh not of vnknowen thinges that hee might dispute of them at randon but that hee had rightly practized that which he had spoken because that hee was preserued by the woord of God And therefore hee nowe sheweth vs where we ought to seeke for this worde whereof hee had generally spoken heeretofore For wee may vse this name of the woorde of God and yet it may be hidden in the ayre or emongst the Cloudes But because hee hath giuen vnto vs his word familyarly and communicateth the same with vs dayly euen in the holy scripture Let vs consider that in giuing honor vnto the worde of God Wee say that it is infallible Let vs not imagine it to be an vnknowen word but let vs goe vnto that which God at all times hath giuen to his seruaunts and that is it which is contayned in the law See then how God hath first declared his woorde vnto vs wherein our saluation is altogither certaine Nowe heere wee haue to note in this streine that Dauid hauing had such experience deserueth wel to be heard and that they are no vayne woordes which hee heere setteth downe before hand But that God also woulde haue it so too the ende wee should giue the more credite vnto it and that wee shoulde no whitte doubt of any thinge that hee teacheth vs when as hee him selfe hath made proofe of all that which he before had spoken And thus much for the firste poynte The experience then whereof Dauid speaketh shoulde very well serue vs in steade of our Seale by which GOD meaneth too make the Doctrine of his Prophet to be of so much the more antiquitie And thus much for this Moreouer let vs learne rightly too vnderstande howe sure wee ought too bee of the woorde of GOD not too seeke for the certaintie thereof without our selues but rather in our owne Consciences It is true that wee ought throughly too looke bothe aboue and beneath too make the testimonies which GOD giueth vs too serue our faith too the ende wee might bee certified of the trueth of his word as already wee haue heard but yet the principall point is this for euery man to enter into himself and make such accompt of this certaintie of the woorde of God that it may take such roote in our soules as that wee may there feele it to be such as here it is said to wit that it neuer be shaken although the whole world should be confounded and that it is the same which must giue vs peace and rest notwithstanding it seemed that all were vtterly ouerthrowne We must then acknowledge the effect and accomplishment of this certaintie which the Prophet here attributeth
vnto the word of God In summe it is asmuch as if he had saide that no man is able rightly to feele howe God is faithfull and his worde certaine and sure without he hath a true faith and beliefe thereof within his heart the same to bee discharged of whatsoeuer is contrary to his saluation As namely he saieth that he should haue perished in his trouble if he had not delighted in the word of God Dauid here sheweth what experience he had to wit that he was so afflicted that he was as it were euen in the gulfe of death Now if the worde of God bringeth vs out of the graue quickeneth vs in death preserueth our health notwithstanding that it seemeth to be swallowed vp in the gulfe do we not see a good proufe giuen vs from God how firme sound it is So then let vs well consider as we haue already said that since we haue knowen the power of the worde of God to be such as it is here shewed vs wee may in such sort resist all the greatest temptations which the deuill is able craftely to worke against vs so that we shal be able to escape as it were both from death and the graue And thus much for this Now for the second point Dauid sheweth vs howe it is that we are preserued in all our afflictions by the worde of God how our life shal be saulfe our health assured thereby And that is if we delight therein to wit that wee bee so comforted with the loue which GOD there sheweth vs and wherewith he certifieth vs that since he hath adopted vs for his children he will therefore alwayes shewe him self to be our father Wherefore we may boldely recommende our soules vnto him and he will receiue them so that wee shall not perishe hauing all our refuge so vnto him If wee then content our selues so the worde of God will giue vs life in the middest of an hūdreth thousand deaths But if we heare it without hauing any such affectiō that we taste not of the promisses of God or els that wee alwayes somwhat distrust and doubt to reason how it goeth and afterwarde wander after creatures or els builde vpon our selues if wee bee so changeable wee shall neuer feele any vertue of the worde of GOD but may bee ouerthrowne an hundreth times the lead affliction in the world shal be as a gulfe to swallowe vs vp that we shall not neede the mayne sea but euen a finger depth of water too smouther and drowne vs if it were not that we had learned of Dauid to bee assured of the loue which God beareth vs and that by his worde So then let vs vnderstand what the true delight of the faithfull is and that which preserueth them from death quickeneth them that is when they are contented with the loue of God to set their whole felicitie there to haue him to be mercifull and fauourable to haue this priuiledge to haue recourse vnto him being assured that he will heare them See I say how we should be quickened by the worde of God Nowe when that Dauid hath declared the profit which he receiued by the consideration of the lawe he addeth That he will neuer forget it Wherein hee protesteth that he will not bee vnthankefull to GOD as wee are accustomed Now although wee are not without a great number of vices yet is this one of the greatest that we doe not onely so oftentimes suffer the benefites of God to escape out of our mindes but we are also so wicked as that we desire nothing more then for to burie thē we thinke we should haue neuer time enough vtterly to forget them See I saye the state and condition of our vile and corrupt nature And therefore Dauid in this place protesteth that he will neuer forget the commaundementes of God bicause he hath bin quickned by them And moreouer he speaketh it not only for him self but sheweth vnto vs by his example what our office dutie is When God then shall haue thus aided vs in our afflictions that he shall haue raised vs vp euen from the graue through the might and power of his worde and that wee shall feele such a benefite let vs neuer forget it but be alwaies mindfull thereof And yet Dauid meaneth to shewe vnto vs a farther point to wit that bicause the woorde of God hath already profited him that hee will esteeme of it and haue it in great price for the time to come Knowing that it is is not for a time onely that we must bee preserued and comforted by the word of God but for euer and euer This might seeme for vs to be very obscure were it not declared vnto vs more at large See now then what Dauid his meaning is If a man be as it were cast downe not tasting of the promises of God and when it shall be laide before him that although God afflict his childrē yet that he doth it not vtterly to ouerthrow destroy thē but to the end to calthē to repentance that afterward they might feele his mercifull goodnesse If a man then be thus admonished by the word of God it may be that this admonition will serue him to no purpose bicause he him selfe seeketh not after the remedy which is set before him and so is made voyde of this cōfort which is here touched and by that meane the power of the woorde of God turneth into all euill to himward What is thē to be done Let vs marke wel that which Dauid here speaketh that he wil neuer forget the cōmandements of God bicause he hath bin quickened by them As if he should haue said when as thou hast once preserued me by meane of thy word that thou hast giuē vnto it this power property that I being as one dead out of the world haue bin therby fully restored to helth thē hast thou taught me what I ought to doe all the daies of my life that is I must meditate vpon thy worde I must exercise my selfe therein and I must continually study to thinke vppon the testimonies which thou of thy fatherly loue hast bestowed vppon me to the ende I might hold mee contented and bee sure that thou wilt neuer forsake me The vse O Lord then that I feele by thy worde hath caused mee to applie the same to my profite all the dayes of my life to the ende I might bee able to resiste whatsoeuer Satan shall craftely goe about to worke against mee and too perseuer in thy feare and loue whensoeuer the wicked and vngodly shall make warre against me Thou then O Lorde haste shewed mee that thy worde ought alwayes to be before mee For that neuer loseth his power and strēgth neither is it a thing that is consumed and worne by much wearing A man may soone make an ende of a loafe in eating it but when hee hath so done he must looke for more bread And in continuall drinking of wyne the
but to withdrawe vs cleane awaye from the kingdome of God Nowe it is very sure that when the worde of God shall remaine and continue with vs that wee shall haue wisedome enough too defende and keepe vs from all such enemies We are then throughly too waye this saying too wit that if wee applie the worde of God to our owne vse after that we haue bene instructed therin we may be sure to walke in sauftie and without daunger And how so Bicause God will preserue vs against all our enemies for although Satan pitcheth his nettes to take vs notwithstanding all the marueilous pollicies of men yea notwithstanding all our owne craftes and deceites whereunto we are sufficiently enough inclined of our selues yet cannot we be assayled nor shaken either on the one side or on the other but shall be well fenced when as God shall hold vs with his hande and that we suffer our selues to bee gouerned by him And besides our soules shall not onely bee preserued but also whatsoeuer we haue to do in this world neither shall our enemies be euer able to hurt vs when as we shall haue beene throughly instructed It is very true it shall not bee other wise but that they will molest vs as we see the faithful to be greatly troubled and vexed through the wicked and vngodly but what commeth of it We se that God in th ende turneth all to their profit and too the confusion of those which persecute them Moreouer let vs marke when Dauid saith that he was made wiser thē all his enemies he very wel sheweth that there were a great many of people which sought nothing els but to destroy him neuertheles he speaketh not so much for him selfe as he seeketh to shewe a cōmon example appertaining to all the faithfull And this ought the more to encrease our courage to be more careful to profite in the word of God And why so we had need to be very wel aduised and of good vnderstanding bicause we are cōtinually to fight against Satā his cōpaignions which will neuer cease to lie in priuie waite for vs. And since we see that the wicked are as hungrestaruen dogges rauening wolues against vs their crueltie is insatiable Seing then we see by experience that the childrē of God must needes be compassed with enemies that there are many ambushes layde and many wicked trecheries practized against them so much the more ought we to haue our refuge to this worde which can only keepe and defend vs in such sort as that our enemies can do nothing against vs but that we may be assured as Dauid here maketh mētion But we must note that which he saith that he hath had the word of God continually with him for so he vseth to saye And that is to signifie vnto vs that wee ought neuer to depart from that which God hath once declared vnto vs and not to be so fitching as the more part of vs is accustomed to be And there is not that he amongst vs which is not infected with such a vice that although the worde of God hath taken roote in vs yet can we not hold our selues from howling as the wolues do as we commonly saye when as we shal be vexed with any temptation But see howe Dauid sheweth vs that he abode stedfast constant whatsoeuer came of it although hee had a number of enemies which sought nothing els but to oppresse assault him with horrible temptations he notwithstanding helde the worde of God for euen and whatsoeuer vexing and turmoiling hee sawe on thother side he stil held him to it It followeth That hee was wyser then his teachers yea bicause saieth hee that vpon that was my whole talke or meditation as the testimonies of God In this and in the verse following Dauid meaneth that there is no worldly wisedome nor doctrine which is worthy to be cōpared with that which wee learne in the schoole of God It is very true that we may wel study the doctrines of men and attaine therby vnto some iudgement as ye knowe that learning doth fine a naturall mans wit but what shall it be if wee were the most perfect that is possible to be spoken of in all such knowledge to wit in whatsoeuer man can teach vs It is al but an A.B.C. For we come neuer a whit the sooner to heauē by it but it abideth still in this present life So that as our life is transitorie and lesse then nothing euen so also must we confesse that al the sciences which men teach vs are no better then smoke it is a transitorie thing which is soone vanished And as there is nothing euerlasting but the kingdome of God so also is there but one onely truth which is a wisedome euerlasting and hath a sure and euer continuing foundation See then what Dauid his meaning is here to shewe vs that men may very well teach vs yea but that shal be but as an A. B. C. vntill such time as wee are come to the schoole of God It can not be denied but that God teacheth vs very wel by the meane of men as in deede it commeth from him which wee learne when as men make playne vnto vs his truth and leade vs in the right waye of the Scripture but here Dauid speaketh of that which might hee taught him without this doctrine which hee hath learned of GOD when as hee hath beene inlightened by the holy Ghost and hath knowne what the secretes of the lawe are When then hee hath had this spirituall knowledge hee sayeth that all whatsoeuer hee had learned of men was nothing in comparison Nowe hee addeth for confirmation That he was wiser then his enemies Here hee doth not onely declare that the word of God instructeth vs more perfectly then all the Sciences in the worlde are able to doe but also scorneth the vsage experience and subtletie of all whatsoeuer that may any way come frō men saying that it is all nothing in respect of this wisdome which we learne in the schoole of God Loe heere a place right worthy to be noted and imprinted in our memoryes For we see how men extoll and magnifie them selues when they haue attayned too any knowledge to get them selues credite and estimation For if a man be eloquent and can speake gallantly and write excellently or that hee hath some other especiall science or knowledge he thinketh him selfe a meruelous man able to catch the Moone with his teeth as we say Seeing then it is so that men are so rash and hedstrong that they persuade themselues to be woonderfull men if they haue once gotten neuer so little knowledge in humanitie whiche passeth no farther then the outwarde elementes of the worlde by this wee are so much the more too be admonished too esteeme this heauenly knowledge which is cōtayned in the holy Scripture which we can neuer be able to attaine vnto without it please God to instruct vs to the ende
holy Prophet yea and such a one as wee see the holy Scripture too haue reigned in euen from his youth Hee then hauing receiued so excellent graces of God beeing a mirror of all perfection was it needefull that hee shoulde keepe him selfe frō euery euill way It should seeme that he was alredy vtterly past going any euil way Yea but because he was a mortall man he was not for all that without beeing incompassed with many vices and euill lustes againste which he was to fight And in deede we see how God suffred Dauid to fall once so greeuously as that his fall ought to be an horrour vnto vs all Moreouer let vs well consider that if it was needefull for Dauid too fight against the temptations which might withdrawe him from the right way and that hee was with much to doe turned away from euill wayes to serue God euery of vs verily ought a great deale more too enforce our selues For we are nothing so forwards as he was For if hee hath gone on an hundreth paces wee haue hardly gone on that way three or foure So much the more then ought we rightly to practise this doctrine when it is saide that we ought to refraine our feete from euery euill way And too doe this let vs a little beholde howe naturally wee are inclyned to wickednesse We neede neuer once too remoue our armes legges head nor any thing else within vs to doe wickedly For we are altogither giuen therto And besides we are as it were vpon the yse I pray you tell mee when a mā is not able to hold himself vp that he shal haue neither feete nor legges but that all shall tremble and be afrayde and shall be set vpon the yse and in a steepe place howe is it possible for that man to hold him self vp In like sorte is it with vs for first formost there is nothing in vs but debilitie and weakenes besides what is our life in this world Haue we any firme or certaine place to holde or stay vs in We are alwayes vpon the yse considering the temptations which assayle vs on euery side And Dauid also vseth this similitude in another place and yet this is not all that wee are vpon the Yse but the place is also steepe too bring vs downewarde The more therefore haue we neede too pray vnto God that he will strengthen vs to the ende wee bee not ouercome of the euill For otherwise wee shall neuer come to that ende and perfection constantly too abide by his worde Nowe when Dauid sayth that He kepte him selfe from euery euill way Hee meaneth not that hee was so throughly preserued from all but that he might be amended For as we haue already saide hee fell so horribly as that the very thought thereof should make the hayres of our heade too stand vpright He meaneth not that his life was so perfect as that he was able to say that hee fayled not in some one pointe and that he had wholely fulfilled the law of God That is not the intent of Dauid What is then his purpose he meaneth simply that for the holding of himselfe in the obedience of God and keeping of his woord it was needeful for him too resiste a number of temptations too stand vpon his guarde and to be watchfull or else that hee should be throwne downe hedlong an hundred thousande times And hereby he admonisheth vs that if we wil follow the way of saluation and take good heede that wee be not turned therefro that there is no question of bending nor of leading vs heere and there but that wee must remaine constant in the vocation of God whē we are once brought into it by him It followeth anon after I haue not declined from thy iudgementes for thou haste taught mee Lo in summe what Dauid heere sayth that because God hath instructed him he hath not turned away frō his commaundements When he saith That hee hath bene taught by God he meaneth not that he hath learned any such simple knowledge as is with vs when God sheweth vs that fauor and grace to haue his word faithfully handled amongst vs his Gospel to be preached or that wee haue Lectures reade vnto vs which are requisite to our saluation For we shall haue a great many hearers which shall yet profite nothing at all because it pearceth not their eares Dauid therefore speaketh heere of such a manner of instruction as specially belongeth to Gods chosen For this grace is not common to all but God bestoweth it on them on whome it pleaseth him neither must we say that we are giuen thereto as of our selues But when as it shall please God to instruct vs the same proceedeth from his meere good will and mercie So then Dauid saith not simply in this place that hee was taught because he had a Booke of the lawe and that it was made plaine vnto him but his meaning is that hee was inlightened by the spirit of God And for this cause declyned he not from the right way Nowe he addeth in the end for a conclusion O how sweete are thy woords vnto my throte yea sweeter then hony vnto my moath This sentence hath beene already handled and therefore we will no longer stand vpon it There are two things in the woorde of God which we ought rightly too keepe The one is the maiestie which God sheweth vnto vs therein to the ende we should be brought to a reuerence whereby euery one should humble himselfe and say It is meete O Lord that we tremble and fall downe before thee As also it is said by the Prophet Isaiah that the spirite of God shall rest vpon those which tremble at the woorde of God The firste duetie then that wee owe vntoo the woorde of God is this reuerence and feare Because I say that God sheweth there his maiestie vnto vs that we might be thereby abased and humbled to be short that we should haue it in great admiration The seconde is that it is sweete and amiable vnto vs. For we might in some sorte very well feare the worde of God and yet for all that wee should not bee touched therewith as was meete And in very deede you shal se very many which wil not stick to say Loe God which speaketh therfore it is good reason that wee should lay our eares vnto him But that they should bee subiecte vnto him in all and through all they make thereof no noueltie but caste that farre inough off And that which is more They woulde if it were possible pluck him but of his Throne and make voyde and caste of all instruction to the end they would not be so straightly kept in to be short that they would neither be subiect to God nor too what soeuer else might bee sayde vnto them Nowe in the ende he sayth Through thy commaundements I get vnderstanding therefore I hate all the wayes of falshoode Wherein hee signifieth vnto vs that wee shall neuer hate
that is that we should stay vs vpon the principal for if a man should sacrifice a beast that were nothing at all And wherefore then serued such maner of sacrifice Forsooth it was an aide and help bicause it is nedefull that we should be always stirred vp And besides this is a good aduertisement to shewe vs that when we will giue GOD thankes for his benefites which he bestoweth vpon vs wee must come vnto him by the mediation of our Lorde Iesus Christ for we are not once worthy to open our mouthes to honour God bicause our lippes are vncleane and defiled And so we thē knowing our vnworthines must come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ and giue thākes vnto God by him Heb. 4.14.15.16 as also the author to the Hebrewes exhorteth vs to do For he namely declareth that vnto vs that it is onely Iesus Christe which giueth vs accesse vnto God his father to confesse his bountie towardes vs and otherwise wee shall but profane his name yea he will not accept our praises and thankes giuing but they shal euē as it were stinke in his nosethrilles Se then to what ende the sacrifices are But Dauid notwithstanding sheweth that the principall ende of the benefites of God is that our lippes should open them selues to confesse his goodnesse when as wee haue proued and felte it And that is it which he speaketh of in the hūdreth and sixteene Psalme Ps 116.11.12 What reward shall I giue vnto the Lord for al the benefites that he hath bestowed vpon me I will receiue the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lorde as if he should haue said that he knewe none other waye to please God but to giuethankes vnto him when as hee had liberally bestowed all the benefites of the world vpon him in such sort as that he felt himfelfe most bounden vnto his goodnesse Euen so likewise will hee bee contented with vs when as we render vnto him such thankes Yea but in the meane while let vs consider that Dauid knewe that if God had not freely accepted the praises which hee yelded vnto him that they had byn nothing worth as wee haue already declared but we haue of this here a sufficient and manifest cōfirmatiō What is the reasō why Dauid besought God to accept the praises which he rēdred vnto him he did it not like an hypocrite He cōfesseth then that whē hee presented him self before God to magnifie his name that hee might very well haue byn put by his mouth to haue byn stopped And why so bicause that we profane the name of God seing there can proceede nothing but filth stench from those which are altogether corrupt neither cā there be any one drop of goodnes in thē And although God hath put in to them any good vertues yet they are so entermedted with vices as that it is lamentable And therfore Dauid knowing this to be so praieth God that his praises might please him Now if Dauid knew his vnworthinesse to be such I beseech you dareth any of vs to say that we are of our owne power capable to magnifie the name of God to rēder him such thākes as to him appertaineth without he of his meere free good wil alloweth thē not imputing vnto vs the vices and imperfections which are therewithal entermedled that he wil also thinke wel of our praises and thanksgiuing yea although they deserue it neuer a whit And besides if wee need to desire God to accept our praises which we render vnto him I pray you what shal become of the rest For it is most certain that if ther be any seruice which pleaseth God it is euen this whē we come to do our homage for whatsoeuer we haue receiued at his hands and that we confesse protest that we haue nothing but that we hold of him Whē as wee doo this homage vnto God loe this is the seruice which he chiefly desireth of vs Loe this is that sweete smelling sacrifice which the scripture speaketh of Now so it is that when we would do this homage vnto God therby to humble our selues yet may it be amended in such sorte as that we deserue to haue it to be put by to be disalowed what shal then become of our other meane seruices and in effect of al our whole life Shal we now go and glorify him with our merites as the Papists doo who lift vp their heads against God with an whorish shamelesnes For they thinke that GOD is beholden too them or else although they haue offended his maiestie yet after that they haue reckened with him they thinke that they may very well recōpense him with their satisfactions Go too now let vs think thus of our selues that when wee see that in the very best most requisite yea and as it were the very flower of all our good workes euen of those wherein God guideth vs that they do nothing else but stinke except God himselfe clense them too make them sweete and taketh from them the superfluities and filthinesse which are in them Nowe if of all our good workes yea euen of the most excellent we are exhorted to craue pardon of God for them what shall become of our grosse and ouer manifest sinnes whereof wee are conuinced and whereof men yea and yong children may reprehende vs So then see here an excellent place which rightly abolisheth al vayne and diuelish confidences wherewith we deceiue our selues when as wee thinke too stande before the maiestie of God with our merites and such other like gewgawes and trifling toyes I knowe not what thinking thereby to recompense him And thus much for this verse Now Dauid afterward saith My soule is always in my hand yet do I not forget thy lawe The vngodly haue laide a snare for me but yet I swarued not from thy commaundements Here Dauid protesteth as before that he had such a resolute affection to followe the woorde of God as that no temptations could withdrawe him from it And see how we may say that we serue God without hypocrisie in truth For if we be easily and gently dealte withall so we haue no affliction that our God handleth vs as wee would wishe leaueth vs to our owne pleasure or els if he so much fauoureth vs as that we are not pressed with any griefes and sorrowes it is an easy matter then for vs too serue and honour him But when God afflicteth vs that it seemeth hee would oppresse and grieue vs euery minute of an houre when we see death pursuing vs on euery side that the vngodly are wholy about vs as it were ready to pull out our eyes and our life so wretched as that the world iudgeth vs to be as it were reprobates when then al these temptations shall touch vs and yet we remaine still constant praysing of God and holding vs vnto him perseuering in his obedience and calling vpon him beeing patient in all our afflictions vntill
such time as he deliuereth vs when we haue all this we may then say with Dauid that we haue displaied and layde wide open our life to serue God and this shall be a good and sure profe thereof But if we haue not this constancie a great number may make a wonderfull shewe of godlinesse before the face of the worlde but all that shall proue nothing And so let vs well consider of this place for Dauid spake not this for him selfe but for our common instruction And besides if we will in deede profit our selues by this doctrine let vs consider that if we sometimes see the apparaunt dangers of death so that wee be pressed downe on euery side not to thinke it to be any strange thing And why so Bicause the same came too passe as greatly sometimes to Dauid For he saieth that he was not without continuall trouble My soule saieth he is alwaies in my hand my life is as it were I can not tell where it is put foorth to abide all mischiefe that it seemeth I were at deathes doore euery minute of an houre If Dauid was alwayes thus troubled and yet perseuered in the praysing of God I beseech you ought not we to bee ashamed to be faint harted when as it shal please God to exercise vs onely but now and then Euen so although afflictions oppresse vs yet must we not cease too fight against them attending and crauing the helpe of God And thus much for this And besides when wee are thus assured let vs seeke our comfort where it may hee founde that is in the woorde of God and to be thus constant neuer to forget the lawe of God Let vs thē consider and obserue this doctrine For it is not without cause that Dauid sayeth That although my soule bee in my hande yet haue I not forgotten thy lawe Hee sheweth vs heereby that as wee are weake so we shoulde be soone shaken and in the ende throwne downe when as wee shoulde see our selues laide wyde open to death Wee then hauing this vnderstanding ought to stand vpon our guarde to the ende the diuell might neuer beguile vs vnder the coloure that God had as it were forsaken vs and that we should be as it were in the shadowe of death Moreouer we see what doltishnesse or rather beastlinesse this is amongst the Papistes to take this place for proofe of freewill My soule is in my hand to wit I am able of mine owne nature and of my owne proper strength to discerne betweene good and euill and to do whatsoeuer I thinke best If brute beastes could speake they would speake a little wiselier then thus For to what purpose should Dauid say although O Lorde that my soule is in my hande yet haue I not forgotten thy lawe He should altogether speake cleane against nature But as we haue already declared this is a kinde of speeche much vsed in the scripture to say that the life of a man is in his hande it is as it were in the winde or I know not where Let vs now come vnto the protestation which he addeth The vngodly haue laid a snare for me but yet I swarued not from thy commaundementes This sentence is like vnto the other which we are about to handle For hee sheweth howe his life was in his hande too witte that ouer and besides the afflictions which were directly sent him from the hande of God that the wicked also persecuted him aswel and besides the violences and outrages that were doone vntoo him hee had also secrete ambushes laide for him See then howe diuersly hee is oppressed and yet he neuer shronke from the lawe of God In the ende he addeth and saith Thy testimonies haue I claymed as myne heritage for euer for they are the very ioy of mine hart Nowe heere hee sheweth howe he was able to remaine firme constant without being withdrawne by any temptations but that hee alwaies stood stedfastly in the lawe of God that is bicause hee alwaies chose it for his heritage that is for his chiefe felicitie For this worde heritage in the scripture is taken for the thing that man moste desireth and that which moste properly belongeth vnto him To be shorte it is such a similitude as that is which is spoken of the Treasure as if a man shoulde call it the souereigne good the true and perfect felicitie See then at what ende wee must beginne if in the middest of death we wil abide so constantly as Dauid hath doone too keepe the lawe of god that is I say to choose it for our inheritance And how is that First of al we must vnderstande that al the commodities wherevntoo wee are ouermuch giuen are transitory without certaintie and without propertie For wee may want them euery handewhyle neither can wee enioy any thing be it neuer so iustly giuē but that we may be robbed of it betwixt this day and too morowe What is then the surest felicitie which wee can haue and may enioy for euer it is euen the woorde of God And this is it which wee ought chiefely too desire and wherein wee are especially too reioyce Lo then how wee must vnderstande that which Dauid heere protesteth That hee hath chosen the woorde of God for his heritage Yea and he setteth it downe by and by after that it hath beene the very ioye of his heart For vntill such time as wee haue had this taste in the woorde of God that wee truely ioye in it it is a signe that we neuer yet had any good affection thereto at all Although wee haue knowne that our chiefe felicitie lieth therein yet are wee not able well too keepe our selues in it vntill such time as wee haue conceiued that it is that wherein wee must delight and in none other thing Nowe it is impossible that wee should euer take any delight or pleasure in the lawe of God except we did knowe that he declareth him selfe to vs in it that hee is our father and taketh vs for his children that wee haue a testimonie that our sinnes are forgiuen vs that wee may haue accesse vnto him and hee able to call vpon him in all our necessities If God sayeth onely vnto vs loe what it is that I would haue you to doe I would haue you too take mee for your God to serue me with all your heart if we haue but these two tables to looke into to knowe what wee haue to doe shall the lawe of God delight vs No but contrariwise it shall feare vs. We see then very well when Dauid sayth that hee tooke all his delight and pleasure in the commandementes of God that he had not simply the bare worde of the lawe to say that God commaunded him that which he ought to do but that he also ioyned the promises thereto bicause that God willing his children to come vnto him promiseth to make them feele his goodnesse and fatherly loue which hee vseth towardes those that are his To
bee short he sheweth them that all their felicitie consisteth in his onely mercie He saieth in the ende I haue applied mine heart to fulfill thy statutes always euen vnto the ende Nowe when he sayeth that he enclined his heart to obserue the commaundementes of God he sheweth vs what seruice it is that God requireth that is a voluntary willing seruice See here yet a point which ought well too bee considered off too the ende wee shoulde not thinke that we are euer able to please God when as wee serue him constrainedly as wee see the miserable and wretched faithnesse do which greatly tormēt thē selues And why so For all that they do they doe it cōstrainedly bicause they would the better escape the hande of God but when they come neere vnto him as well as they may it is but as it were enforced and constrained bicause he is their iudge Nowe if we haue such a constāt desire as we terme it that we are enforced to do that which wee are cōmaūded our whole cace is little worth and God will neuer allowe of it And why so bicause he liketh of nothing els but of obedience and woulde haue vs come vnto him with franke and willing mindes See then why Dauid saieth that hee hath inclined his heart to keepe the commaundements of God not that he protesteth that he hath done it of him selfe nor of his own minde but bicause that God hath giuen him both the will and the power to do the same And to proue it to be so wee shall neuer see that Dauid braggeth of him selfe in any one place that he willed any good being so led of his own proper minde Psal 51.5 he will neuer saye that it was his naturall inclination but saieth cleane contrarie I was conceiued in sinne saieth he he reserueth nothing to him self but al that which is naught When then in this behalfe he protesteth that hee had inclined his heart he onely sheweth what the grace of God was in him And for conclusion he addeth That he did it for euer or euen vnto the ende or this is it which we haue touched heretofore to wit we must be like suddaine blasts which passe by and by but wee must bee constant and that when we shall haue once begunne we must pray vnto God that he will continue the same our well doing which hee hath begunne in vs and to holde vs by the hand vntill such time as we haue finished our course After he had sayde for euer he addeth euen vnto the ende It is very true that the saying which hee here vseth importeth sometimes salarie Or rewarde But in this place as in the first verse of the letter HE he vseth the selfe same saying it signifieth but too the ende as if hee shoulde haue saide wee may alter and chaunge our mindes in other thinges but we must follow vnto the death when God calleth vs vnto him beeing assured that in this pursuite wee cannot sayle to come to the true ende without to fayle and erre for euer And according to this holy doctrine let vs prostrate our selues before the maiestie of our good God in acknoweledging our faultes beseeching him that it woulde please him too make vs so throughly too feele them as that wee may in all humilitie bee able too craue pardon of him for them groaning for all the offences which wee haue committed against him And that in the meane while also wee may haue recourse vntoo him beseeching him too remedy all our vices and imperfections and so too confirme our weakenesse as that beeing strengthened by him wee might ouercome all the temptations wherewith Satan can any way assayle vs that beeing more more confirmed in his holy dictrine wee desire nothing els but to submitte our selues vnto it and too bee squared by none other rule but by that which he hath giuen vnto vs through his word That it woulde not please him onely to graunt vnto vs this grace but vnto all people and nations of the world c. The fifteenth Sermon vpon the hundreth and nineteenth Psalme SAMECH I hare vaine inuentions but thy lawe do I loue Thou art my refuge and my shield and I trust in thy worde Away from me yee wicked for I wil keepe the cōmaundementes of my God Stablish mee according too thy promise that I may liue and let me not be disappointed of my hope Hold thou me vp and I shall be saufe yea and my delight shal be continually in thy statutes Thou hast troden downe all them that depart from thy statutes for their deceipt is vayne Thou hast taken away all the vngodly of the earth like drosse therefore I loue thy testimonies My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy iudgementes WE haue so many lettes and stoppes both from aboue and heere beneath which drawe vs on to doe wickedly or at least wise which cause vs too slacke our seruing of GOD that which soeuer of vs that is minded to doe well must remoue frō him al his wicked euill affections and all the temptations which any waye may come against him See then why Dauid in this place meaning to proteste that hee loued the lawe of God sayeth to the contrarie that hee hated high enterprises or rather wicked and crooked imaginations euill considerations For the worde which is here touched signifieth a bough or braunch and by a similitude taketh it for the euill and wicked imaginations and deuises of men which runne this and that way Now we see what a bottomlesse depth the spirite of man is and how he wreatheth or windeth him selfe in his fantasies This selfe same word signifieth the very height and toppe either of an hie hill house or any other hie thing And therevpon also as by a similitude the imaginatiue cōceipts of men whē as they entend to bring them selues into credit and goe about to aduaunce them selues euen as ambitiō ruleth our nature vntill such time as God hath tamed vs by his holy spirite and humbled and made vs gentle and meek And now that wee may haue the true and naturall meaning of this place let vs see in effect that Dauid protesting that he loued the law of God saieth that hee remoued quite from him whatsoeuer might withdrawe him from it Nowe hee speaketh not this here to the ende to bragge of him selfe but rather that this example shoulde bee for our better instructiō For the spirite of God hath spokē it by his mouth to the ende we might vnderstand and knowe which is the meane whereby we might be wholy giuen to the seruice of God and to take holde of the lawe with such an affection as that our heartes might be as it were euen fast tied thereto For it is impossible I say that wee should euer come or attaine vnto it vntill such time as we haue cleane cut of the things which withdraw and turne vs away both on the one side and the other to wit
al our owne fantasies and lustes we must thrust out frō vs all whatsoeuer for the loue which we ought to beare to the lawe of God we must also forget all hawtines or pride yea euen studying howe too separate our selues from those which any waye might drawe vs too euill and not too communicate with the vngodly whiche are double hearted full of hypocrisie or else such as are but vaine glorious and of that pryde which euen moueth thē to lift thēselues vp both against God and men For their company will so corrupt vs as that being uuzzeled amongst them our heartes can neuer be so ordered and ruled in the loue which wee ought to haue to the lawe of God Now then let vs kepe wel in mind this admonitiō as a thing most profitable for vs to wit as before I haue said that as we are enclined to committee a great number of offences and villanies which will withdrawe vs from the loue that we ought to beare to the word of God let vs so much the mere flie from whatsoeuer draweth vs away backward Yea and let vs vnderstand that looke howe many our imaginations and affections are that they are euen so many cartropes to hale pull vs away from this loue or els they are so many poysons which Satan giueth vs to the ende we should not once taste of the word of God neither to be so amiable and pleasant vnto vs as it ought but rather that we might be greeued lothed therwith so to leaue it as if it were a grieuous matter an occasion of heuines Since then it is so let vs be well aduised too purge our heartes of all earthly affections if we will take in hād to loue the word of God And yet it is not enough that wee haue fought against our vngodly lustes and fleshly fantasies but we must also as it were gather our wittes together for hardly can we open our eies to looke about this waye and that waye but that Satan will laye before vs some euill and wicked stops and encountries It is very true that so long as we liue here in this worlde wee can not but both see and heare a great many of things but yet must wee bridle our senses And aboue all the rest we ought to fight against these strange counterfait hypocrisies and affectiōs wherein we are nuzzeled We must euen hate deadly al this in our heart to the ende wee bee not hindred from the loue of the worde of God And thus much for the first verse Now in the second Dauid sheweth howe wee should finde the woorde of God pleasant and gratious that we might loue it that is when as we shall trust to his worde Thou art sayth he my refuge and my shield and I trust in thy word This is not added hereunto without iust cause For if there be none other doctrine in the lawe but too say vntoo vs Loe this must you do wee can neuer bee comforted For we shal find nothing in it but condemnation When as god sheweth vnto vs what our duety is we must needs be confounded and knowe that before him wee are condemned and accursed seeing that no man performeth that which hee ought So then the worde of God shoulde bee both bitter and grieuous vnto vs if there were nothing else conteined in it but a rule too liue well But when God is a testimonie and witnes vntoo vs of his goodnes and mercy and declareth vntoo vs that from him wee must looke too receiue our chiefe felicitie that hee is prest and ready too helpe vs that the treasures of his infinite goodnesse are open vnto vs when I saye this shall be in vs then may wee sauoure and taste his woorde and conceiue the loue of it when as we knowe that therein consisteth and lieth all our health and ioye Nowe then when as wee would profite in the worde of God and exercise our selues in it let vs learne to receiue the promises therein contained And let vs not be like vnto them which thinke that God saieth nothing else vnto in all the whole scripture but doe this or doe that for then this were a very thinne and feeble doctrine For if God were there as a Philosopher to preache vnto vs of vertues and to declare vnto vs that we must be thus gouerned we shoulde haue but a pitifull colde pull of it and bicause we are altogether and wholy contrary to the rightuousnesse of God it is impossible but that wee should bee grieued and troubled with whatsoeuer shal be said vnto vs. But I haue already shewed that the principall matter which God declareth vnto vs in his worde is this that hee protesteth howe well he loueth vs in alluring vs vnto him selfe to the ende we should not doubt but that he will bee our father in all and through all and that wee shoulde bee bolde to come before him that when there is any question of our saluation and of whatsoeuer els we haue neede off we should not doubt but that hee is ready to heare all our prayers that his hande is alwayes liberally bent to the end to giue vs whatsoeuer we want When we shall once knowe this to bee true then as I haue already saide the worde of God shall bee pleasaunt vnto vs. Loe nowe why Dauid by by addeth My trust is in thy worde O Lord. This is also in summe our faith which bringeth vs to the obediēce of God when I saye that it is faith which bringeth vs into the obediēce of God I meane that after we haue vnderstood of his good wil that we are thē stirred vp to yelde our selues vnto him And vntill such time as hee hath imprinted in our heartes the testimonie of his loue and the benefite which hee meaneth vnto vs wee shall flye from him as much as may bee and as often as this woorde of God shall sounde in our eares so often shall it grieue and torment vs as wee see howe the faithlesse doe feare when the worde of God is spoken vnto them it bringeth vntoo them nothing but terrour and feare as if a theefe or murderer were brought before a iudge But when as we haue faith to stay our selues vpon the goodnesse of God too call vppon him as Dauid doth here our succoure and shielde we may call vpon him with such a confidence as that hee will neuer bee deafe too heare our prayers when then wee are thus assured wee are forthwith wonne to loue him then delight we to yelde our obedience vnto his lawe Nowe in following that which wee haue already declared Dauid againe addeth Away from me yee wicked for I will keepe the commaundementes of my God Here hee speaketh of the temptations which come vnto vs by reason of the vngodly who allure vs as much as in them lieth too make vs too contemne God and worke so many offences as that they breake all good order yea euen to leaue the worlde
iudgements vpon the obstinate and vpō all those which were altogether stubburne And see also howe we ought to temper our affections that when we see men go to do mischief let vs haue compassion vpon them if we se them giuen to sinne and wickednesse if we see them to be in the way of perdition let vs trauell too bring them againe into the right way to procure their saluatiō as much as in vs lieth and we ought to desire and to pray for it haue we had any such affection Then let vs neuer cease to pray vnto God to stretch forth his hand vpon those his enemies whom he knoweth to be altogether desperat It is very true we must not condemne them But wee ought rather as I haue already said to vse the effect of charitie towardes all and pray vnto God that he would saue them but bicause there are a great number which are stubburne and without amendement we ought to beseech God to shewe him selfe a iudge ouer those whome hee knoweth to bee such And why so Bicause they drawe the simple and ignoraunt vnto wickednesse and are an offence vnto them bicause also they make the worde of God to be euil spoken of and are the occasion that libertie is giuen to al euil When then we see the name of God to be euill spoken of that there is no reckening made of his word that all doctrine is cast vnderfoote we are to praye vnto him to remedie it It is time saith he for God to lay to his hād for they haue destroyed thy lawe O Lorde He here speaketh in the third person after directeth him selfe to God And why doth he so Although that this order is not alwayes to bee obserued that he which prayeth vnto God is to continue in one self same person yet it is so that in this place it seemeth that Dauid meant to speake with a greater vehemency when he sayth O Lord lay to thy hand As if he should haue shewed what the office of God is for if hee had simply saide It is time O Lord that thou diddest looke vnto the matter bicause thy lawe is destroyed this had not beene spoken with the like vehemencie as when he saide it is time that thou O Lorde lay to thy hande for by this saying hee declareth what the office of God is to wit to be iudge of the worlde and beseecheth him to lay foorth his iustice in punishing the offences and horrible wickednesses committed here below that after he had suffered them a long time he desireth him to prouide for the punishing of all those which had beene so obstinate and hard hearted against him Now by this we are admonished when as we see that the law of God is as it were vtterly cast vnderfoote his doctrine to be a reproche amongst men and all right and equitie ouerthrowne so that there is nothing but confusion throughout that then we ought to pray vnto God the more earnestly to the end it might be known that he doth his office If this euer were necessary it is at this present most necessary For let vs cōsider the estate of the world I beseeche you what hauocke is there made of the lawe of God Are wee not come to the very extremitie to contemne all doctrine of saluation When God at this day speaketh vnto vs what eare giue we vnto him and how reuerently See heere hee hath bestowed vppon vs a singular grace at this daye when as his worde hath beene once againe published Let vs beholde our vnthankefulnesse Let vs lay all these things together and we shall see that the maiestie of God his woorde is no more esteemed then the very pyll of an onion as wee saye See I pray you too what a point wee are growne and come euen vnto such an horrible and brutishe impietie as is most lamētable Moreouer let vs looke into the maner of our life and the order of gouernement shall we finde either iustice loyaltie reason or modestie no but cleane contrary wee shall see the whole state of our life and order of gouernement full of treason malice crueltie and violence al full of blasphemie against God plentie of drunkennesse gluttonie and dissolutenesse store of lecherie and all other vyllanies whatsoeuer To be short it seemeth that the whole world hath conspired to exceede euen vnto the highest degree of wickednesse When then wee see the lawe of God to be thus ouerthrowne euery maner of waye ought not wee to giue our mindes a great deale more then wee doe to beseeche God to take order to prouide for the same Now when we shall haue such a zeale to pray vnto God as wee see that Dauid had let vs not doubt but that he wil remedy all the confusions which we see to be at this day And now he concludeth and sayeth Therefore loue I thy commandementes aboue gold yea aboue most fine golde Therefore I esteeme all thy commaundements most iust and all false waies I vtterly abhorre See here what a notable protestation he maketh such one as we ought throughly to marke For whē Dauid hath said here before that the wicked haue destroied the lawe yea speaking of no small number of men but as of all in general seeing al the world to exceede to be corrupt hee addeth for this cause O Lord I haue loued thy cōmandements aboue all gold yea and aboue most fine gold I haue loued them in all through al haue vtterly abhorred all false wayes Nowe I haue saide that this is an excellent protestation considering the circumstances For if Dauid had dwelt amongest the godly faithfull ones which had serued God and walked in his feare then it might haue beene said that it was an easie matter for him to haue conformed him selfe vnto them For although we see men alwayes enclined to euill yet they are many times reduced and framed to goodnesse through good examples But I pray you in what time was it that Dauid liued Forsooth in such a time as that he was compassed with the despisers of God hee see nothing but following of euill throughout the worlde hee see as it were a madde and diuelish impietie he see euery thing full of all infection to bee short there was neither iustice nor equitie no feare of God nor yet any religion And yet notwithstanding he saith that he loued the word of God and his commaundements and that hee made more accompt of them then of all the most precious things in the world Let vs thē learne to loue the word of God not only whē as wee shall be stirred vp by those which keepe vs company to serue God all with one accorde but also when we shall bee amongest peruerse and frowarde people that wee bee as it were in hell amiddest all the deuilles yet to perseuer in this affection and not to leaue following of the worde of God that whatsoeuer offences wee shall see committed by men that they withdrawe vs
traditions Yea but it is heere namely set downe that we must be ordered by the woord of God For all our whole life is a very great disorder and we wander stray like vnto brute beasts except the word of God be our only rule and plaine square Wherefore let vs bee wel aduised not to stray as these miserable accursed people which close vp their eyes in the cleere day light yea and which whet them selues and stubbornly stand in opinion against God when he goeth about to reforme them and to shewe them that they haue hitherto vainely spente and loste all their time and trauell And although that they bee altogither so hardened yet let not vs be so But let vs knowe that there is none other direction that is good but the very same which God sheweth vnto vs as was sayde too Moyses Loe this is the way which thou must followe Nowe it followeth soone after O deliuer me from the wrongfull dealings of men and I will keepe thy commaundements Dauid by this manner of speaking right well declareth that the Children of God shall alwayes bee assayled with many and sundry assaultes persecutions griefes so long as they liue heere in this worlde and the meaning of God is to appoint him to be as it were a Glasse for all the faythfull to looke in For as we see how he hath beene intreated and do also see his condition and state no doubt God hath set him as it were vpon a scaffolde to the ende we might be conformed according to his example as he was also in very deede a figure of our Lord Iesus Christ Now we knowe that our Lorde Iesus was a true patron of all the Children of god according vnto whose image we must be made like namely in this poynt to wit in afflictions in anguishes and miseryes as Saint Paule therof witnesseth to the Romanes Since then it is so let vs know that so long as we are to liue in this world we shall be alwayes afflicted and troubled by wicked and vngodly men Rom. 8.35 neither ought wee too thinke it any strange thing since that Dauid hath shewed vs the way and that God hath purposed too haue vs framed after his example let not the afflictions and persecutions which wee must abide at this day seeme newe and strange vnto vs. Nowe heerevpon it followed That he will keepe his commaundements Whereby he signified that he will not forget him selfe of such a benefite when as he shall haue God too be his protector to succour him against the malice of men that hee will keepe his commaundementes Let vs learne then that when God shall haue maintained and defended vs that we ought to be a great deale the more ready too obay and feare him and that this ought alwaies too stirre vs vp to a greater consideration that as hee dayly increaceth more and more his benefites vppon vs so ought our affeetion also to serue him increase and besides it muste more profite and inflame itselfe Nowe it followeth by and by after Shewe the light of thy countenaunce vpon thy seruaunt and teach me thy statutes By this he confirmeth the matter which he before handled and therefore we shall not neede to stande much vpon this verse for he sheweth that he is contented too haue God to looke and care for him And to proue this too bee true you may see that the thing which hee desireth is that which I haue already touched that is the principall safetie which the Children of God ought to haue is to stay them selues vpon this prouidence of God when as they certainly knowe and may boldely say that God standeth for vs and will neuer forget vs and although wee be neuer so miserable creatures yet for all that he careth for vs watcheth ouer vs yea and also hee hath an eye vntoo vs neither will he suffer any hurt to come vnto vs but will prouide for all our needes and wantes And if we carry this minde with vs we haue the greatest benefite that is possibly to be wished And this is it which Dauid speaketh of in this place when he sayeth Shewe the light of thy countenaunce O Lorde vpon thy seruant For he meaneth that when he shall feele the protection of God he is then sure that God looketh vnto him and that the same is it which shall deliuer him from all cares Nowe let vs note that this manner of speech is drawne from a similitude as when wee thinke God his countenaunce to be darkened in the time of our trouble aduersitie and feeling no comfort whereby too glad our selues in him it seemeth to vs by by that there are great and monstrous thick cloudes betwixt him and vs and indifferently we imagine that God seeth vs not And therefore Dauid so farre as flesh and blood coulde reach vnto saith Shewe the light of thy countenaunce that is make me to feele that thou hast care ouer me And in the ende he sayth Mine eyes gush out with riuers of water because men keepe not thy law Here he declareth that ouer and besids the desier which we ought to haue and wherwith we ought to be affected to cleaue vnto God according to his word what a great mischiefe grief it should be vnto vs to see the scorners which so contemne and despise the word of God too treade the same vnder foote besids to see the wicked to ouerthrow all good order and iustice See then that the true childrē of God ought not onely to be contented with their own walking aright to be framed according to the law of God But they ought also by al meanes possible to labor to bring the whole world to that passe with them too the ende that all the creatures of God might with one accord reuerence and glorifie his maiestie And therefore when as they see God to be contēned they should begreeued thereat not only to be sory vexed but also to bee as it were mortally wounded For it is not without cause that Dauid saith here That riuers of water gushed out of his eyes He meaneth hereby that he was so sorrowful vexed as could not be expressed Now if Dauid had occasion to grone and weepe after this sort when he see God to be reiected what shall become of this our time I pray you to what an extremitie are we cōe Is not impietie or vngodlines growne at this day to a full measure Doe we not see the vngodly exceede in al abundance of wickednes one sorte is fallen out with God and the gospel Another sort will confesse with the mouth that they allowe of it or desire it and yet we see them to be an hundreth thousand times worse then the papists no dout of it we shall find amongst vs of that sort such deuils incarnate and so vilanous and detestable as that the very aire cryeth out vnto god for vengeāce against them When then we shall see these accursed
monsters to make no account of God nor godlines must we not needs be greeued as Dauid was Let vs know that God wil blesse our crying and groning when we shall haue this godly sorrowe as too see his law thus destroyed and ouerthrown not to bee regarded with that reuerence that it deserueth And yet notwithstanding the contemners of God must one day come to an account when as they shal be mery after another sorte then they shal be assured to make a reckoning for the grones and lamentations of the childrē of God when they do not only vexe the mortall creatures of God but euen the liuing God him self and his holy spirit which dwelleth in vs frō whome all such sighes and grones doe proceede And so when as we lament to see the law of God to be so destroyed by the wicked let vs put them ouer too the iudgement of God before whome they shall make an accounte of all the grones and sighes whiche wee shall haue powred out which they thought by their gibinges and laughinges too strangle and choke For although they treade vnder foote the lawe of God so much as in them lyeth yet the sorrowe and griefe which we abide for it shall ascend into the heauens to cry for vengeaunce of them According to this holsome Doctrine let vs prostrate our selues before the maiestie of our good God in acknowledging our offences beseeching him that it woulde please him to make vs better to feele our miseryes then we haue heretofore felt them yea to the end we may lay them open vnto him and to seeke for remedy where it is too bee founde that is that after this our good God hath inlightened vs in his knowledge that it would please him more and more to increase the brightnesse thereof in vs and so to confirme vs as that wee neuer chaunge from the right way And although we are too withstand a great number of assaultes and that the Deuill neuer ceaseth craftely too goe about infinite wayes too trouble vs yet notwithstanding let vs beseech him too giue vs an inuincible power to resist them vntill such time as we beecome fully Conquerors and bee conioyned vnto him selfe too liue in his kingdome in euerlasting ioy and felicitie The xviii Sermon vpon the hundreth and nineteenth Psalme ZADE. Righteous art thou O Lorde and true in thy Iudgement Thou hast commaunded iustice by thy testimonies and trueth especially My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemyes haue forgotten thy words Thy word is proued moste pure and thy seruant loueth it I am small and of no reputation yet doe I not forget thy commaundements Thy righteousnesse is an euerlasting righteousnesse and thy lawe is the trueth Trouble and heauinesse haue taken holde vpon mee yet is my delight in thy commaundements The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is euerlasting graunt me vnderstanding and I shall liue IT is certaine that there is no man but will easily graunte the lawe of God to be bothe good and holy and that wee ought not onely to allowe of it but also to receiue it with all feare and reuerence Notwithstanding there are very few touched with this affection to vnderstand that there is such a perfection in the word of God as that nothing can bee founde therein but all puritie and sinceritie and too be so infallible a trueth a righteousnesse so certaine as possible can not be more certaine and sure But very fewe there are which vnderstand this or at the leaste which are very greatly touched heerewith And therefore it is not without cause that Dauid in this present psalme vseth such a repetitiō that he so highly magnifieth the doctrine which hee hath learned out of the lawe of God to the ende too declare vntoo vs that wee haue greatly profited when wee shall haue such a sauour and iudgement throughly imprinted in our heartes When as I say this righteousnesse this wisedome and this sinceritie which is contayned in the woorde of God shall be very well and throughly knowen vnto vs then may we be able to say with Dauid Righteous art thou O Lord and true in thy iudgements Now as the holy spirite of God speaking by the mouth Dauid hath set down here no superfluous matter but such as he knewe to be profitable for our instruction Let vs also dillgently weigh and consider all the wordes which are heere touched In the first place he sayth Righteous art thou O Lord and true in thy Iudgements We haue already heretofore handled that the iudgements of God in this Psalme are called the commandements of the law which he giueth vnto vs to rule our liues by Euen so when Dauid saith that God is righteous true in his iudgemēts It is asmuch as if he had said That god hath declared what his nature is in his law that we might behold him in it as in a glasse This then is asmuch as if he should haue said O Lord wee haue thine Image truely and liuely pictured and expressed in this doctrine which thou hast deliuered vnto vs in thy law there we see thee to be righteous and also that thou hast commaunded nothing therein which tendeth not to the same ende Wil we thē magnifie God aright We must know him to be such a one as he sheweth himselfe to be by his word not to fashion our selues like vnto a great number of scoffers which wil not stick to say that god is altogither good wise and righteous but yet they wil separate them selues frō his word forge thēselues a God in the aire or else they would bee contented that there were such a medley as that there were no more diuinitie known Now see how god sheweth himself as I haue said by his word We must then if wee intend to cōfesse him to be righteous good true faithfull to giue these cōmendarions vnto his word wherin he hath once for all declared vnto vs his wil. Now after Dauid hath vsed this word righteous he addeth Thou hast commanded iustice by thy testimomes and trueth especially See thē how Dauid handleth it him selfe shewing that the lawe of God is wholy righteous because saith he that it leadeth vs to righteousnes and trueth Now when these two thinges are in it what may we say but that which hath already beene before said What is that It is so far of with a greate number that when they are cōuinced heerof are perswaded in good earnest to say Amen without dessēbling And to proue it to be so how many men shal we see submit thēselues in this point to the trueth of God whereunto he desireth to leade vs by his word How many I say shal we find which wil yeeld thē selues teachable vnto it But contrariwise we shall finde the greatest part cleane contrary It is very true we shal be ashamed yea euen horribly affraid to say that there is any thing in the law of God which is not true iust yet for al
that it may as easily be perceued that there is no such knowledg ingrauen in our harts as to be assured therof To be short this is fardest of from our mindes when we shal say thus I speake now of those which are not yet throughly instructed by the spirit of God Neither yet let vs think this too be a common ordinary thing when as Dauid saith That the testimonies of God are nothing but true righteous For although we haue learned somwhat out of them yet is not this inough vntil such time as we are conformed framed vnto them that we fully wholy agree with this saying cōmendation which is heere giuen to the law of God Now because Dauid would shew with what affectiō he is moued he protesteth that he was not only greued whē as he felt in himself any rebellion against God but whē he perceiued it in others that he conceiued a wonderful sorrow and griefe yea euen a memelous torment of minde For hee sayeth That his zeale had euen consumed him that he was as one deade and so throwne downe as hee coulde not be more Now he namely speaketh of his enemies and of such as had affiled him But hee signifieth anon after that all the mischiefes and iniuryes which they had done vnto him did not halfe so mightily greeue him as the contempte which he kriewe to be in them touching the lawe of God For hee sayth My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemyes haue forgotten thy woordes Heere then Dauid sheweth in effect that hee was not so greatly greeued nor yet so sorrowfull for all the euils and wrongs which he indured at the handes of men as too see the woord of God to be cast vnder feete and clcerely forgotten See heere I say a moste sure testimony that he highly preferred the word of God before his owne person that he had not that pleasure in his life nor in whatsoeuer concerned the same as he had in the reuerēce which al the creatures of God ought to haue towards his maiestie Nowe if he had not had this zeale he could neuer haue bene thus grieued and vexed when as men made no reckoning of the word of God and cast it behinde their backs And heere we are throughty too consider that Dauid spake not in this place of a meane sorrowe For then this had beene inough to haue said Alas my God I haue beene a great deale mote greeued to see the wicked cōtemne thy word then when as they persecuted my self although that I wis sore troubled greuously oppressed yet had I greater regard to thy law then to alwhatsoeuer concerned mine owne person This had bin inough say I if Dauid had said but thus much but he went a great deale farther saying The zeale of the house of God hath euen gnawne and eaten me vp Heere he saith that he was consumed brought to nothing fo that he had no strength in himself Now here we must note by the way that Dauid spake not this to bragge of him self but rather hath set foorth this his example for our better instruction to the ende we might learne to haue the honour of God and the reuerence of his woorde in such recommendation as that when we see the worlde to make light of it and too forget it we should be grieued and tormented a great deale more then if we did abide all the griefes extreeme wronges and iniuries that were possible yea that all our particular benefite or domage and whatsoeuer is most deare ought to be nothing vnto vs in respect of this light reckoning of the word of God Loe here what holsome lessons and instructions we haue to gather out of this place Nowe when he saith that it grieued him to see the word of God cleane forgotten what then shall become of the matter when as men shall not onely forget it but euen with a most detestable furie oppose them selues wholy against it As at this day we shal not onely say that the word of God is forgotten but men of a set purpose runne violently vpon it vtterly to abolishe it And to proue it to bee so I beseeche you whence commeth this crueltie and furie of the Papistes but bicause that they are purposed clerely to goe against it to be angry with God not abiding too suffer them selues to be subiect vnto him by any maner of meanes They will not say thus in plaine woordes but wee may iudge of the matter so farre foorth as wee see it For howe should it be possible that they should so rage against the knowne and certaine truth if they were not euen the very professed enemies of God and without they went about to stand against him euē to the hard hedge as we say I will not denie but that men many times shall forget the word of God when as they shal be carried away with their wicked affections As thus when a man is greatly giuen to lecherie this villainous desire so blindeth him as that hee clerely forgetteth whatsoeuer he hath heard spoken against it neuer so little before to wit they which defile their bodies with lechery do deface as much as in them lieth the image of God pollute his temple deuide and pull in pieces the body of Iesus Christ shut them selues quite out of the kingdome of heauen and prouoke the heauy wrath and curse of God against them And yet an whoremaister forgetteth all these notable sayings which are set downe too keepe him within his reyne The couetous man also forgetteth what equitie and right is let him be admonished thereof neuer so often as to bee pitifull to his neighbours to helpe the poore and needy rather then to take away an other mans goods and substance and to be so giuē to our own gaine to procure and profit the welfare of our neighbours rather then to be giuen too seeke our owne priuate commoditie A couetous man I say will quite forget all this And why so Forsooth bicause he is blinded with this couetous desire of gayne and too heape vp together the goods of this world See then when it is that the worde of God shall be forgotten verely euen then when as men shall be drunken with their inordinate greedy passiōs But they which set them selues against God yea with a fury frensy vtterly to abrogate his worde too turne his truth into leasings these mē I say do not onely forget the word of God but remember them selues of it too too much euen to sett them selues purposely against it And we need to go no further but euen into the state of Popery to see such a villanous and detestable impietie For we shal see these contemners of God which are euen here amōgst vs yea and which come sometimes to defile the temple of God to thrust in their swynish groynes and to scorne the doctrine which shal be read which maketh euen the very deuils in hell too tremble Wee shal see then here
and feare of God or els will be so lightly discharged thereof as that it may be done without any great paine As howe I praye you We see that they which pretend colour of ignorance which haue neither knowledge either of God or of true religion will say surely for my part I am but a poore simple man and without learning and therefore I will leaue this geare to those that are learned One sort will excuse them selues one way another another way but yet they all tende to this ende to exempt them selues from the obedience of God not to be subiect either to him or yet to his word See here the common saying amōgst the Papistes Ha sirra This is the office of the priestes the cloysterers our prelates haue the charge ouer vs wee are secular and lay men we must haue nothing to do with this geare And besides euen the meanest sort of vs haue also our excuses and will say I am a poore mā I must get my liuing with great paines all the day long by my handy worke I haue scarsly any leysure once co come to heare a sermon on the Sunday See what starting holes we finde out to the ende we might followe our vanities pleasures and idle times or I knowe not what other our slouthfulnes rather then wee woulde heare the word of God and meditate thereon So then Dauid contrarily sheweth that whiles he was small and of no reputation yet that he neuer ceased continually to be exercised in this lesson euen to submit him selfe to the obedience of God And so we see him to be giuē from his childhood and that he did not onely take pleasure therein when God had aduaunced him to the kingdome that hee did not begin then to taste of the lawe of God to apply his whole study thereto but when hee kept his fathers sheepe and cattle and was brought vp in the sheepecoates before hee came any thing neare the court euen all that while I say he neuer ceased but was wholy occupied in the holy study of the lawe of God Nowe let vs learne hereby not to exempt out selues by our trifling excuses as a great number of men do but let vs vnderstand that Dauid here exhorteth all the faithfull in general that the contemptible base and simple pesons yea euen as simple as yong children and that haue no knowledge of that which is most esteemed amōgst mē that they ought not for all that to forget the word of God And so let also both great and smal giue them selues to the study thereof that we may be all the schollers of the lawe and of the Prophets but especially of our sauiour Iesus Christ seeing that God hath now bestowed a more excellēt grace vppon vs then euer hee bestowed vppon Dauid For ouer and besides the doctrine which Dauid receiued from the mouth of Moyses see how God hath layd open vnto vs the infinite treasure of his heauenly wisedome insomuch as we haue the Gospel out of which the sonne of God hath spoken vnto vs who is maister ouer the whole houshold as it is said in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Now is this the doctrine that must make heauen and earth to tremble Heb. 3.6 as it is spoken by the Prophet Haggay as this place is alledged by the Apostle Hag. 2.7 to shew vnto vs that we ought to receiue the Gospel with greater reuerence then the fathers did the law the Prophets For God made the earth to shake when he gaue the law by Moyses Heb. 12.25.26.27 which since that time hath bin cōfirmed ratified by the Prophets but when as hee opened his holy mouth by his sonne to teach vs that was to make both heauen and earth to shake bicause he hath layd open such a wonderfull wisedome as that it ought to shake astonish vs when as God speaketh with such power maiestie vnto vs. See then as concerning this saying where Dauid saith that he did not forget the cōmandemēts of God although he was smal of no reputation Now he addeth Thy righteousnes is an euerlasting righteousnes and thy lawe is the truth Yea in such sort that when he was afflicted grieued that he tooke pleasure in saying thy righteousnes is an euerlasting righteousnesse heere Dauid repeateth a word which hath a double significatiō For in the first place Righteousnes signifieth the law of God that bicause it is the rule of all goodnes And thē next he giueth it the title of righteousnesse signifying thereby that this law is so certaine a rule as that when we shal haue throughly soūded it euen to the bottome we shal finde that God hath set down therein a perfection of all equitie and sinceritie as if hee should haue said this is without all doubt a perfect rule of righteousnes Now he coupleth as hee hath already before done truth with righteousnesse I haue already saide that these wordes here are oftentimes repeated and yet it is no superfluous kinde of speache And what is the reason Because we might fully and wholy confesse that God hath spoken moste wisely that all mennes mouthes might be stopped and that we al at once might be silent and stil to heare him There is no man but will confesse this at the tōgues end But in the meane time for vs to knowe this equitie and trueth which is contayned in the word of God Alas we are too too farre off So then let euery man looke well vnto him selfe and see whether his life be agreeable vnto the word of God or no. And if it be it is a manifest proofe that the righteousnesse and trueth thereof is deepely imprinted in his heart Nowe if this be so then no doubt of it God his woord is honoured as it is worthy Then let vs render vnto him effectually the prayses which are heere attributed vnto him and as they doe appertaine vnto his maiestie But if wee doe say that the word of God is good and holy that it is a wonderful righteousnesse and power that cannot fail and yet despise it in deede shewe our selues cleane contrary vnto it in our life and conuersation and making a goodly shewe to honor it doe spit at it What a kinde of honor call yee this Wherfore we are to consider that it is mete that this righteousnesse and trueth of the lawe of God be imprinted in our heartes that we may make such a confession thereof as Dauid heere hath doone And see why heere hee addeth Yet is my delight in thy Commaundements Yea when hee was afflicted and in aduersitie For it is an easy matter for men to praise God whiles they are quiet and out of trouble haue all their heartes desire Yea wee shall see the very hypocrites cry out with open mouthe O blessed bee God and our good God Forsooth when as hee sendeth them euen their wishe and intreateth them according too their owne desires But when God shall
afflict vs so that wee be grieuously vexed vntill we can no more Loe heere a good tryall to make vs feele that we haue willingly and in earnest honored him in his word And we shall shew it too bee so when as we shall not chaunge our mindes but constantly perseuer in it and say whether shall I now runne see how I am afflicted well it is my God that must restore me It is very true that I am not without great stoare of sorrowes and griefes which trouble mee But yet I will content my selfe with this that God loueth me It is true that as touching the worlde I am tormented but I will comfort my selfe that my God hath called me vnto him that he sheweth vnto me in deede that he will haue compassion vpon mee that he taketh me for one of his children and will extende his fatherly goodnes towardes mee See here a very good proufe and triall that we take the woorde of God to bee true and righteous that is that if wee bee grieued with trouble and aduersitie yet that we do neuer forget him nor it But what let vs once come to the practize thereof and then we shall see howe it fareth with vs. For it is a matter of nothing too lende our eares and saye surely this is a very good sermō that there was nothing taught in it but very good and holsome doctrine and truely if wee haue once sayde but euen thus much wee will by and by thinke that God is greatly in our debte A man that commeth thus euen with the eares of an Asse to playe the hypocrite thinketh verly that God is bounde vnto him bicause hee hath done him thus much honour Now this is an ouergrosse and impudent kinde of dissembling in this maner to thinke to please the maiestie of God But yet the case so standeth as that the greater part is euen so giuen nowe what is the next way for vs too bee ridde of all togither Forsooth euen this That when wee for a time shall make a showe to giue diligent eare vnto the worde of God that all whatsoeuer we haue heard will incontinent melt and vanish cleane away from vs. And hereby wee very well shewe that the truth and righteousnesse which is in his word is not so imprinted in vs as it ought to be Now Dauid addeth in the ende Yet my delight is in thy commandements Whereby he aduertiseth vs that it is not enough that we cal to minde that we haue vnderstoode the word of saluation too the ende to profite our selues in the time of affliction but it must be of this strength and power euen to gladde vs in the middest of our sorrowes It is very true that we shall not be senseles and without feeling And Dauid also hath very well experimented how greatly affliction and anguish tormented him He felt then both harde and bitter passions and yet this hindered him little to reioyce and to be glad And although he was greatly vexed as touching the flesh yet felt he such spiritual ioy in the testimonies of God that sorrow ouercame him not Now if Dauid as before wee haue declared tooke such pleasure in the law wheras God only shewed himself to the ancient fathers as it were in shadowes I beseeche you how ought the word of God at this day to glad vs Where as he sheweth him self so familiar a father towards vs euē opening vnto vs the very botome of his heart hiding nothing from vs When thē our Lord God poureth out the treasures of his infinite loue and goodnes vpon vs so aboundantly haue not wee a farre greater occasion to reioyce then the fathers who liued vnder the lawe Yes verely but our vnthankefulnesse so hindreth vs as that in knowing we know nothing and in seeing we see no whit at al. And yet is not this written without cause Euen so when as we shall feele the griefes anguishes and afflictions of this worlde to trouble vs let vs haue recourse vnto this word of God for in it we shal finde him to stretch forth his hand to drawe vs vnto him declaring that he will helpe the afflicted haue pitie of the miserable and vexed ayde the wretched desireth nothing els but to bring back againe poore sinners which wil yeld them selues vnto him lay all their cares in his lappe and that hee will vnburden vs of them all When then wee are sure and resolute of such God his goodnesse towardes vs by his promises wee ought to come vnto him to call vpon him and to reioyce in him so that we may say with Dauid O Lord my delight hath byn in thy testimonies that they might glad me in the middest of my afflictions Loe how the children of God win all the time of their affliction may continually doe reioyce in the assurance of their saluation yea when as they shal settle them selues vpon his promises and receiue them in such sort as that they may turne to their benefit Now for a conclusion Dauid saith The righteousnes of thy testimonies is euerlasting and afterward he maketh his prayer saith graunt me vnderstanding and I shall liue See yet againe this worde righteousnes which is here repeated and that to very good purpose For this is according to that which I haue already said that they which dare not openly rayle iangle against God to blaspheme his word yet will they be for all that ful of malice and treason or els they wil be so nusseled in their vanities as that the righteousnes of God shall not appeare in them So then Dauid yet setteth it down to bee an euerlasting righteousnesse signifying that we ought not to take them as puftes of wynde as a great number of men haue done to magnifie God and after in the turning of an hand to go cleane backward As at this daye wee shall haue them which will make a shew of great deuotion and say O what an excellent sermon O what notable doctrine was taught this day But I beseeche you what wil they say the next day Forsooth they will not for all this sticke too mocke God make one iest or other at his word or els if God send them any aduersitie they wil be grieued and angry with him so that if they be put in minde of that which they before had heard they will answere that they haue cleane forgotten it Dauid therefore meaning to shew that wee must not bee so slacke as at sometimes to commende the worde of God sayeth that it is an euerlasting righteousnes As if he should haue said it is very true that men are chaungeable and this present life also is subiect to very many chaunges as to daye we shall haue some griefe or other and to morrowe be well againe oftentimes many troubles shall come vnto vs and wee shall see them at last too haue an ende and yet for all these continuall chaunges men must not in the meane while be carried away with euery
like as a Dauid maketh here such a request so also we are to consider that he made it not of his owne head nor at aduenture but he knewe it to bee the office of God That is That he will auenge all outrages Exo. 15. as it is said in the song of Moyses That if men oppresse any vniustly our Lord sayeth that it is be which auengeth the cause of the innocent and of him that is troubled without a cause Dauid then knowing that God hauing taken this title vnto him selfe and declared that he will not suffer the throates of the righteous too bee thus cut to be tormented and troaden vnderfoote but that hee will stretche foorth his hand too helpe them hee hauing knowne this calleth vpon God with a sure constancie that will receiue him Wherefore it is meete that we looke vnto this promise when as wee praye to the ende wee praye not doubtfully but in full assurance that God will be incontinent ready to helpe our necessities And this is it why Dauid by and by after sayeth Quicken mee according vnto thy worde It is not without cause that this saying was added For as I haue already said when as we will beseeche the the lorde our God to take vpon him our quarrell and too assiste vs in our afflictions and then we in the meane time shall stand in doubte of his so doing wee shall profite our selues little in so praying But we must bee fully assured that he will deliuer vs. And whensoeuer it shall come too passe that we shal be destitute of all mens ayde yea that it shall seeme that all the whole worlde had conspired our destruction and decay then should we chiefliest assure our selues that God will auenge our cause and not onely serue vs in steade of a proctour but will be altogether also our iudge aduerse partie against our enemies and against all those which haue vniustly afflicted vs. For he it is that must take in hand all iust causes Wee had neede then too assure our selues of this But from whēce shal we learne this euen out of the worde of God bicause hee hath lefte vnto vs a testimonie thereof in it as wee see that Dauid speaketh not here at a wilde aduēture but hath already groūded him self vpon a good foundation whereon he hath settled him self Now it followeth Saluation is farre from the vngodly bicause they seeke not thy statutes And afterwarde hee sayeth Great are thy tender mercies O Lorde quicken me according to thy iudgementes Nowe here are two thinges to bee considered off The one is that Dauid telleth the reason why all the contemners of God and all that rebell against his maiestie runne headlong into destruction and that hee forsaketh them that they feele no taste nor ease in their afflictions but that God clerely forsaketh them Dauid setteth downe here the cause of all this it is saith he bicause they haue not sought after thy lawes and therefore are farre from thy saluation Nowe he cleane contrary protesteth of him selfe that hee followed the lawe of God and kept it in his heart So then we must needes conclude that he could not be estraunged from it In very deede this sentence at the first sight is somwhat darke but I will make it plaine in three woordes and then by little and little shewe what doctrine wee are too gather out of this When any telleth vs of our saluation wee must in the first place know whence it proceedeth to wit from God and that there is no saluation but in him in so much that so long as God is good and gracious vnto vs it must needes be that all must goe very well on our side and be assured that our life is blessed and that we shall want nothing that is meete for our welfare and felicitie So then our saluation and all fulnesse and perfection of benefites consist in this one onely pointe that God loueth vs and receiueth vs vnto himselfe And since it is so let vs nowe consider what he is whome God will forsake Once we are his creatures and euen as he hath created and fashioned vs so also will he continne his goodnesse towards vs. Now seeing that his mercie extendeth euen to brute beasts euen to the moste vile and abiect thinges yea euen which wee contemne and disdaine once to looke on seeing the mercie of God extendeth so farre as the holy Scripture teacheth vs how can it be that he wil forsake vs yea vnto whom he hath graunted so great dignitie and excellencie For wee haue a thing excelling all other his creatures which is this that God hath imprinted-his owne similitude and likenesse in vs Now when as he hath exalted vs vnto so highe a degree of honor will he thinke you now forsake vs Hee will not without all doubt What is the cause then that wee see so many caitifes and miserable wretches which are euē giuen ouer so that God sendeth them not so much as the leaste ayde and comfort that it seemeth that he hath set them as it were vpon a stage to be a shame and rebuke to the whole worlde Whence commeth this Forsooth because they withdrawe them selues from God for when as they withdrewe not them selues from him it is most sure that then he shewed him selfe vnto them such a one as indeede hee is of his owne nature that is louing kinde pitifull gentle mercifull To be short so long as we will be ordered by him as his children it is most sure that he will play the parte of a father towards vs so long as we will yeelde our obedience vnto him he wil intreate vs gently But when we are so peruerse as that wee will not submitte our selues neither vnto him selfe nor yet vnto his word but contemne his loue grace offered vnto vs is it reason that God should put forth his hand to helpe vs is it meete he should entreat vs as his children and accompt vs in the number of those which wholy dedicate them selues vnto his maiestie No not so But we rather are worthy to be set farre from him and too haue nothing at all to do with him Loe here the meaning of Dauid in this place when he saieth O Lord helth is farre from the vngodly bicause they regard not thy statutes As if hee should haue said we ought not to be abashed O Lorde although thou giuest vs ouer and that we feele no succoure of thy goodnes but that we languish in al miserie and calamitie And why so Bicause wee haue forsaken and refused thy grace and therefore of very right we ought to be confounded and come to naught Now I pray you tell vs what meaneth it that God will not be nigh vs but by meanes of his word we must needes feele his goodnes by the effect yea forsooth and yet God commeth nigh vnto vs by his word for that is a preparatiue by which he fashioneth our heartes to the ende he might shewe him selfe
and glorifie him as he ought to be glorified And this is a very necessary point for vs to learne For wee must not bee afeard of our owne shadowes as we say And therefore if there be two or three men which are in credit and authoritie that shall make warre against vs wee are so faint hearted before the blowe come as that it semeth vnto vs that we are vtterly vndone euen as though God were not strong enough to helpe vs. See how we through fond ignoraunce glorie in the power of men and vtterly ouerthrowe the power and might of God And therefore wee ought a great deale the better to consider of this place where it is saide Many there are O Lord which trouble and persecute me yet doe I not swarue from thy lawe neither yet haue I forgotten it That is to saye that although wee see an infinite number of people too rise vp against vs that wee see a generall conspiracie of the whole world and of all the creatures therein yet let vs not be too too much afeard knowing that the power of our God shal be sufficient inough to saue defend vs. See what we haue to note out of this place where it is said It grieued me when I sawe the transgressors bicause they kept not thy lawe Here Dauid sheweth that which we haue already seene before to wit that it greeued him more to see the offences which were committed against God then all the outrages which he bare in his owne person And this is also it which we ought to haue in great recommendation For if we bee so fine and as it were womannish that wee can abide nothing and yet in the meane while haue no care howe God is dishonoured his iustice violated and his commaundements broken I beseech you do we not right well shewe that wee are so giuen too please our selues as that wee euen contemne his sacred maiestie If a man meaning to defende his honour euen with tooth and nayle as we saye and maketh no accompt too see the glorie of God troden vnder feete if he bee so gallant and hawtie as to bee reuenged for euery iniurie and can abide too heare the holy name of God to be euill spoken off his lawe to be cast vnder foote doth he not right well shewe him selfe to be a very sensuall and fleshly man Yes surely hee is no better then a brute beaste And therefore for this cause let vs learne after the exāple of Dauid to be chiefly grieued and vexed whē as we shall see the commaundements of God to be broken It is the common and ordinarie fashion amongest vs too bee extreemly vexed when as any iniurie is done vnto vs as if the honour or credit of any of vs be touched we are by and by in a great heate and desire nothing els but too followe the matter hoatly And why so bicause we haue no regarde but to our owne person If one man shall robbe another his choler or anger will not be apeased hee looketh to his purse his medowes his possessions and to his houses euen as he shal be hindered either in this thing or in that Now a man that can well rule his affections shall neuer haue so great regard to his honour nor to his goodes as hee shall haue when as hee shall see the righteousnes of God to bee violated What shall hee saye euen groning in him selfe ought men in this sort to peruert the righteousnes of God shall men breake and corrupt all order and equitie Loe say I what it is that ought to touch vs and to make vs very angry that is when we see offences committed against God and not that which toucheth our owne persons But what shall we speake of this for very fewe there are which haue any care hereof And yet for all that it is not in vaine that Dauid hath set downe vnto vs this example but to shewe how the children of God ought to moderate their passiōs that is they should alwaies beginne at this end to be grieued and sorrowfull to see the transgressors which breake contemne and treade vnder foote the worde of God and this should bee their chief grief and sorrowe which should crucifie them and not to haue such regarde to their owne persons as they haue but to let God alwayes to be preferred before them selues and to let him to haue the most soueraigne degree as he is most worthy Now if it grieueth vs to see the transgressors which teare in pieces and breake al iustice and pollicy it is certaine that we should also be grieued at the euil which we know to be in our selues For euery man is to iudge of him selfe without exception As for those which will say Oh see I am not grieued as touching mine own person and in very deede I care not so much for my selfe as I am grieued to see men thus horribly to offend the maiestie of God and yet they themselues will take leaue to cōmit as great or els greater villanies wickednes thē the rest and yet when they haue thus said they will couer their own vices flatter thē selues when they haue offended his maiestie wheras they should lay thē wide opē now in deede these men shew thē selues to be right hypocrites And why so I beseech you bicause they are not grieued at the transgressors when as they see the glorie of God impaired his seruice not obserued and his righteousnesse contemned But rather persecute the persons and hate not the vices which are nourished and purposely mainteined in them For what shewe soeuer they make of condemning the euil yet it may bee easely seene that they are no whit touched therewith And by this they right well shewe that they know not what it is to be grieued as they ought Now this is not to do as wee ought For whatsoeuer shewe wee shall make of the great zeale wee haue to the honour and glorie of God we shall very well see that there is nothing but hypocrisie and dissimulation in vs if wee looke indifferently into the matter Loe here what we haue to note out of this place Now Dauid saieth in the ende Consider O Lord how I loue thy commaundementes quicken me according vnto thy louing kindnesse Here Dauid doth nothing els but setteth downe more manifestly that which was spoken of heretofore Consider O Lorde I loue thy commaundementes hee speaketh not onely of that which is said vnto vs that wee must loue our neighbour liue chastely honour our father and mother do wrong to none but vnder these wordes hee comprehendeth all the doctrine wherewith God meaneth to gouerne his people and church as we haue already handled Nowe in this doctrine are conteined the promises which witnesse vnto vs his goodnesse yea and they haue the chiefest place bicause that God shewing himselfe vnto vs to bee our father wil not giue vs ouer for any thing forsomuch as we be assured of our eternall saluation and
or that we bee threatened and that the vngodly beare the sway we are incontinent astonyed yea and that in such a feare as that we are not able once to stirr a finger And that which is more to gratifie the wicked whom we see to be in authoritie we will make no bones at it as we say to offend the maiestie of God And frō whence commeth this but that we loke not vnto his word as here it is set downe We are then euen conuinced of infidelitie when as we assure not our selues of the helpe of our God to do that which he hath ordayned and that which is our duty to doe that we haue not this inuincible power to resist the assaultes of men And why so Because it is most certaine that we haue not earnestly stoode in awe of the word of God which ought to be as an assured fortresse and not to make any account of whatsoeuer that Satan can any way craftely inuent against vs. Now after that Dauid hath thus spoken hee goeth on and sayth I am as glad of thy worde as one that findeth great spoyles That is to say he gladded more in the promises of God then in all the riches in the worlde as wee haue seene in the nienth parte beginning with the letter TETH which hath beene in that place song That hee esteemed more of the worde of God then of all the golde Siluer in the worlde And heere he sayth that he reioyceth to heare God speake more then if hee had sounde all the goods in the worlde that all the riches in the worlde were nothing to him in respect of it It seemeth greatly at the first sight that heere is some contrarietie as to stand in feare awe of the word of God also to reioyce in it For ioy feare are meere contraryes But we haue already declared what it is that Dauid meaneth by this feare not that hee was abashed too serue God ne yet that he douted of his saluation But it was to bridle him and to holde him in obedience and also to declare that God gaue him such a constancy against all the men in the worlde as that when hee seeth all the creatures of God to lifte thē selues vp against him yet that hee ceased not to goe on to doe that which God had committed vnto him and that which he saw was his duetie to doe To be short let vs then holde this for a resolute point that Dauid had not such a feare as made him fierce and cruell ne yet which made him to flye from the presence of God but he so reuerenced that which God spake as that hee stoode boldly at defyaunce with all men declaring that hee made no reckoning of their fury poyson nor yet of all their deadly enmities Dauid I say cared for none of all this And why so Because he so reuerenced and honoured God as that he fully reposed him selfe vpon his worde Nowe when as we haue such a feare it is nothing contrary to the ioy which Dauid heere speaketh off But it is rather an excellent accorde or sweete hermony for it is impossible for vs rightly to giue our selues vnto God and to obay him in such sort as we ought without we loue him and that his word be pleasaunt and sweete vnto vs. And see wherefore Dauid doth not onely say that the woorde of God was more deere vnto him then either golde or siluer but he sayth that it was sweeter vnto him then hony Hee setteth downe these two thinges which ought too be coupled together to wit that the word of God ought too be more deere and sweete vnto vs then all other thinges and that we ought to take all our delight and pleasure therein desiring nothing else but to order and holde our selues to it knowing that whatsoeuer God hath is to this ende too communicate the same vnto vs that wee might taste of his bountie and loue Nowe wee see that Dauid did not without cause ioyne this ioy which he conceiued of the woorde of God with feare signifiing that he stoode not in awe of God perforce and with a slauish feare as we say but he did it in acknowledging him too be his God and Sauiour and setling him selfe wholly vpon his promises And thus much for this second verse Nowe he addeth soone after I hate falshod and abhorre it but thy lawe doe I loue This verse is not heere added but to good purpose For Dauid sheweth that we can neuer be glad as hee hath declared how he hath beene neither yet stand in awe of the word of God without we detest falshod Now we of our owne nature are so nusseled in vanitie as that it is lamentable The lawe of God then shall neuer come so fully home vnto vs as that we may iustly say that we earnestly heare it and receiue it from the hart vntil such time as we haue striued against our fleshly affections that is too say against all whatsoeuer is in our nature because it is all but vanitie In summe Dauid after hee had spoken of this ioy which hee had conceiued of the promises of God wherein hee declareth vnto vs his goodnesse after he had spoken of the feare which we owe him to become subiect vnto him and after that he had giuen him the authoritie which hee deserued aboue all other men and creatures for a conclusion hee addeth the meane howe to attaine to all this to wit that we must eschewe falshod and not onely eschew hate it but also detest it yea signifying that wee must greatly abhorre it so that wee ouercome all our wicked desires and tame them and all other our lustes which cary vs away too wickednesse withdraw vs from the obedience of God So then we see nowe that naturall men can neuer be disposed to serue God vntil such time as they haue striuē against the vanitie of their owne nature and that not onely once or twise but also too continue it all the dayes of their life For what are the lustes which are in vs and which doe wickedly leade vs from the right way In very deede the more parte are so preuented with them as that they feele them not or else thinke that it is nothing so meruelous thicke darkenesse remaineth in them As for those which haue a desire with all their hart to forsake them yet shall we finde them also to be ouermuch nusseled in them Moreouer if all the men in the worlde were examined and an inquisition made I confesse that wee shall finde the moste wicked sometimes to be remorsed and stoong and to be inwardly pricked and constrayned manger their hearts to haue loathing to doe euill They haue an eye vnto it by fittes and yet they cease not too follows the euill with a continuall course although betweene whiles they haue a lothing of it And we must not greatly meruell at this For carnall men which are not gouerned by the spirit of God
are carryed away with their wicked affectiōs as with a fury so that their whole reason is altogither brutish And euen they shal very wel haue an hatred of their euill but yet not so flye frō it as that wee shall not be able to say that they haue such a feare of God as is to be required too forsake them selues and wholy to submit themselues vnto his will Se heere what we haue to consider out of this place But in the meane while one thing is to be obserued that Dauid maketh a comparison betweene the lawe of God and all whatsoeuer that men can imagine on their owne head with all their reasons and desires as if he should haue said That there is but onely rule that is good and worthy to be beloued to wit the lawe of God When then our life shal be conformable to the word of God all shall goe wel But wee shall not withdrawe our selues neuer so little from it as that we shal not by and by royle ouerthwart al the fields And why so For all our trueth and sinceritie is inclosed within this rule which God hath set downe vnto vs. Wee ought then to beare this honor vnto the word of God too heare it as it is layde out vnto vs and to follow it in all simplicitie or else so soone as we shall decline from it neuer so little see we are quite out of the way of saluation so that we cannot chose but to be confounded vntill such time as we are entred againe into the way which God hath shewed vs. Now hee addeth Seuen times a day doe I prayse thee because of thy righteous iudgements Heere we may take this word Iudgement for the manner which God holdeth in gouerning the worlde and the punishments which he layeth vpon the vngodly as also for the grace which he causeth them to feele which call vppon him and which walke sincerely before him For the holy Scripture oftentimes when it speaketh of the Iudgementes of God meaneth al this But because that in this Psalme the Iudgements are for the most parte taken for the statutes ordinaunces that are contayned in the law of God I gladly meane too handle it at this present thus that is That Dauid praysed GOD because he had giuen vnto his people a lawe which was bothe iuste and full of equitie and that therein hee had whereof to bee glad and to prayse and magnifie him Loe heere a place well woorthy the noting For by these woordes Dauid doth vs too witte that wee cannot prayse GOD so longe as wee are not instructed in his woorde our mouthe shall bee closed vppe and our hearte looked fast vppe so that a man shall not pull from vs one good woorde which may turne too the prayse of God And to proue this to be so we see that the vnfaithful shal not onely bee dumbe too praise God But they will also fall out with him that whatsoeuer shall come from their mouthes shal be to blaspheme God to murmur against his diuine maiestie As for the ignoraunt they shal be so blockish as that they shall haue no desire to prayse God if they doe prayse him it shall bee but for fashions sake because it is but a mocking of God and his word How then may we praise God in good earnest without hypocrisie Forsooth euen when as wee shall be instructed in his ordinaunces when as we shall haue knowen what care he hath of our saluation how he gouerneth his Church howe hee embaceth him selfe to apply him self vnto our grosse capacities to make himself to be familiarly acquainted with vs. When then we shal see God to haue such a care ouer vs to instruct vs that he hath so rightly ruled our life that hee so purueieth for al our necessities as that we want nothing ought not we to giue our mindes vnto him yea euen to be inflamed wholly to magnifie his holy name and to bee rauished with that desire which Dauid heere speaketh of Let vs now see what we haue to gather in summe out of this place and thereby we may see how slenderly wee haue at this day profited in the Schoole of God For whence commeth this circumspection Where is that zeale of ours in praising of God which Dauid sayth that he had Seeing that sarcely one word can bee pulled from vs when any speech shal be of praysing God yea were it not for fashion sake and contenaunce onely This is farre from continuing in it and farre from extending our whole study thereto as to make it the most principall thing that ought to bee in our whole life Now we are heereby conuinced of our slender studving and meditating in the worde of God because we are so colde and negligent in praysing of him and without hauing a greater care in acknowledging his benefites bestowed vpon vs. And that which is more Let vs throughly consider that Dauid sayeth not onely that he was stirred vp to prayer vnto God for once so continued it for certaine dayes but hee sayth dayly afer seuen times that is that he cōtinued in it all his life long For this word Seuen is taken in the holy Scripture for a meruelous perseuerance when as men continue it and are not drawne away for any cause whatsoeuer but do alwayes holde thē selues therto And this is the meaning of the Scripture for this number of Seuen Nowe Dauid protesting that hee dayly praysed God seuen times meaneth that he exercised him selfe therin from the morning vnto the euening And after that hee exhorteth all other men too haue the like desire and zeale too praise God So then let vs compare our selues with Dauid and we shall finde that wee haue learned very little out of the word of God considering that we are so slouthfull in praysing of him And yet for all that wee are greatly too giue him yea infinite thanks when as wee shall haue knowne his grace and goodnesse towards vs in that hee is so carefull to gouerne and order our life and too shewe vs the way of saluation The Papistes haue applyed this saying to their set houres and haue layde holde onely on the first parte of the verse saying That they prayse God seuen times a day when as they sing their Mattaines Primes their third houre sixth houre at midnight their euensong and Compline See heere how God shall be well praysed seauen times a day as they thinke Yea yea good inough As though God would call back that which hee hath pronounced by his prophet Isaiah This people saith he honor me with their lips but their hearts are very farre from me Isai 29.23 He goeth on farther and sayth that hee will shewe them that hee cannot abide such mockeryes and to be so dallyed withall See heere howe God threateneth the Iewes with an horrible vengeaunce because they onely praysed him with the mouth Nowe we knowe what their set houres which their Monkes Fryers and
vs and therefore that we cannot flye from his hand but must submit our selues vnto it albeit wee wil not doe it freely and of our owne accorde And so let vs willingly be contented to be ruled by him beeing certifyed of his loue and goodnesse towards vs to the ende wee might in trueth make this protestation which Dauid heere maketh According too this holy doctrine let vs humbly prostrate our selues before the maiestie of our good god in acknowledging our offences beseeching him that it woulde please him to make vs to feele the power of his woorde in such sort as his holy Prophet heere sheweth vs and so too feele it as that wee may wholy submitte our selues vnto it Knowing that when it shall come in question for vs too remitte our selues and cleaue vnto him as hee requireth that wee must forsake the whole worlde and all our carnall affections which any way hinder vs from comming vnto him to the ende wee may so climbe vp vnto his maiestie as that not fearing the world nor all his assaultes wee may putte our whole confidence in his mercifull goodnesse and boldly present vs before his face to the ende the may receiue vs so that wee might alwayes bee gouerned through his holy spirit vntil such time as he hath brought vs vnto that perfectiō wherevnto he calleth and biddeth vs. That hee will not onely graunt vntoo vs this grace but also c. The xxii Sermon vpon the hundreth and nineteenth Psalme THAV Let my complaint come before thee O Lorde and giue me vnderstanding according to thy word Let my supplication come before thee and deliuer me according vnto thy worde My lippes shall speake of thy prayse when thou hast hast taught me thy statutes My tongue shall treate of thy worde for all thy cōmandementes are righteous Let thine hande helpe me for I haue chosen thy cōmaundementes I haue longed for thy sauing health O Lorde and in thy lawe is my delight Let my soule liue and it shall prayse thee and thy iudgementes shall helpe me I haue gone astray like a sheepe that is lost seeke thy seruaunt for I doe not forget thy commaundementes THese eight last verses which arche knitting vp of the whole Psalme do shew vnto vs that which we oftentimes haue before seene to wit that Dauid his chiefest desire was this to be duely and truely instructed in the word of God and therin to be cōfirmed for he tooke such pleasure in it as that all the rest was little or nothing worth vnto him in respect of the same Now it is very true that he hath already sufficiētly spoken of this matter and yet that which he presently addeth is not supperfluous especially if we consider in what sort our carnall desires rule vs. For that is it which letteth vs that we can not onely haue that feruency which Dauid had to seeke throughly to profit in the schoole of God but we scarsely haue so much as any small desire And therefore as I haue already said we are too too much nuzzeled in our earthly affections Wherefore this is a lesson which ought many times too put vs in minde that if wee will pray vnto God according vnto his will wee must not come vnto him with a desire of our owne to saye whatsoeuer commeth in our brayne yea and to leaue out the most principall parte but we must beginne with this saying to wit that it would please God so to instruct vs as that our life may be squared according to his law and we to cleaue so vnto it as not to come with a double and twyfold heart Although we are to striue against the worlde and our owne nature yet must we remaine constant in this chiefly to loue the woorde of God And therefore for this cause Dauid here sayeth Let my Complaint come before thee O Lord and giue me vnderstanding according vnto thy word When he speaketh of his complaint which hee maketh vnto the Lord he sheweth that he made no cold prayer vnto God as we many times and as it were daily do but with great vehemency I can not deny but that an hypocrite may very well make complaint with a loude noyse and thrust out his weasaunt But Dauid hauing here consideratiō of God meaneth not to make an outward shew before men Wherefore That he cried out aloude importeth as much as an earnest testimonie wherewith hee was pricked forward Now by this we see that he chiefly desired that which he craueth to wit to haue God to instruct him and to giue him vnderstāding And in desiring this gift of God he cōfesseth that he was of him selfe a very wretched blind soule that hee neuer vnderstoode any thing yea although he had the lawe in his hands which he might reade wherein was conteined a true perfection of all wisedome yet that he still continued euē like a poore miserable blind wretch except God enlightened him So then let vs vnderstande that this is an especiall gift which God bestoweth vpon vs when hee openeth our eyes too make vs vnderstande that which is shewed in his word whether we reade it or that it be preached vnto vs. Yea and let vs not here make any exception thinking our selues to bee more sharpe witted or abler then Dauid was but let vs rather knowe that if hee needed to beseech God to giue him vnderstanding that we for our partes haue as great neede So then it can not bee chosen but that whē God hath deliuered vnto vs his word and declared his will therein conteined and for performance hereof inlighteneth our hearts by his holy spirite for other waies we shal haue our cares beaten in vaine and then the doctrine which we haue heard will do vs no good Now that which followeth According vnto thy worde may two wayes beset forth According vnto thy word that is to say that thou wilt make me wise And after what maner That I be altogether ruled by thee and do that which thou commaundest This is a very true saying for by this wee are admonished to heare God speake and we againe must suffer him to haue dominion ouer vs and not to be ouertakē with this fooolish arrogancie and saye I haue knowledge inough I neede not so much teaching Wherefore when as God shall haue spoken the worde let vs passe it simply and without gainesaying This sentence then which I haue spoken is very true but yet it agreeth not with the meaning of Dauid he yet with the plamenesse of the text For he craueth here two things the one in the first verse the other in the second He sayeth in the first verse Let my complaint come before thee that I might be instructed according vnto thy worde And afterwarde he addeth 〈◊〉 my supplication come be fore thee and deliuer me according vnto thy worde It is very true that he vseth two sentences but yet they are not without a marueilous grace in one selfe same signification and by this repetition we
otherwise then from God alone to wit when as we haue taken delight in his lawe It is meete then that we tame and brydle our affections that weseuer them from all other our desires and saye that in looking vpon his word and in cleauing thereto we take there our repast and in it doe truely ioye For whensoeuer we shall be brought vnto this point it will stande vs in nothing to seeke our sauing health in God And why so bicause wee see none other thing in all the holy Scripture but so many promises where God so gently biddeth vs and where hee declareth vnto vs that hee is most ready to receiue vs that hee looketh for none other thing at our handes but that we should seeke him and that he thrusteth him selfe forwarde and presenteth him selfe euen before vs. The Scripture I say is full of this doctrine to shewe vnto vs that God is ready prepared too helpe vs when as we shall take pleasure in his lawe We may very wel then long after the sauing health of God when as wee shall in truthe haue sought him But what wee see very fewe whose heartes are so confirmed as too saye that they will holde the right way whatsoeuer commeth of it And therefore see heere consequently why God disapointeth vs helpeth vs not as wee gladly desire to bee holpen Nowe he addeth Let my soule liue and it shall praise thee and let thy iudgementes helpe me He alwayes pursueth his purpose but here hee coupleth together two thinges which before he seuered When hee sayeth let my soule liue that is alwayes as he hath sayd that he seeketh his sauing health of God and longeth after it He sayeth not I will that my soule liue but hath recourse vnto God knowing right well that hee is the keeper of his life and therefore putteth it into his handes and leaueth the keeping thereof vâ—to him as appertaining onely vnto him and after he saâ—eth that hee will giue him thankes for that his life shall bee prolonged Nowe heere wee see too what ende the faithfull ought to desire too liue in this worlde to wit that they might prayse GOD as it hath beene also spoken in the other places And chiefly without going farre in the song of Ezechias Psal 113. For there as in the huÌ„dreth thirteenth Psalme and as it were in the song of Ionas it is shewed that if we must liue wee must not liue for too liue as wee saye and to haue none other regarde neither yet too say I will onely liue to eate and drinke and to dwel heere in this present world But we must goe yet farther to wit wee must liue to the ende to prayse God so that if this bee wanting in vs Let vs wish to be a hundreth feete vnder the ground that we may be neuer more spoken off Loe I say how our life shall be blessed and agreeable vntoo the will of God to wit when as we bend our selues to none other ende but to prayse and magnifie his holy and blessed name Now in the meane while Dauid addeth O let thy iudgements helpe me This is it which he had in effect before spoken of the sauing health of God For he setteth the Iudgements of God against all the helpes which men and the faithlesse are any way able too inuente for the seeking of God For they suppose that they shall bee very well holpen else where when as they shall haue their prety shiftes too think that the creatures shall be sufficient inough to helpe them When then these worldlings think too bring it so about to be defended without the ayde of God they must needes be deceiued in forgetting the iudgements of God to wit his prouidence whereby he vseth to rule the world as we must be fully assured that he holdeth the vngodly in a bridle when as they skirmish forcibly set them selues to hurt the good and innocent and that it is too represse the malice of all those which torment his because he hath taken them into his hand and protection See then how the faithfull ought to put them selues to the Iudgementes of God to wit to this prouidence by which all is disposed and gouerned It is very true that God may very well arme all his creatures to defende and maintaine vs but yet must we not cease for all that to feele his hand and too beholde it by faith when as it shall helpe vs. Wee must not cease too see this prouidence which is hidden from the faithlesse because their spirites are wreathed vpp in horrible darkenesse To be short let not vs cease too attribute all the helpe which we shall feele from the hand of God vnto his iudge mentes although hee hath inferior meanes too helpe vs Nowe in the ende Dauid concludeth I haue gone astray like a Sheepe that is loste seeke thy seruant for I doe not forget thy Commandements Heere wee might thinke it very straunge why Dauid sayth that hee hath strayed like a loste sheepe seeing that he addeth That he hath not forgotten the Commaundementes of God and that wee haue already seene by so many goodly protestations that it was his whole delight to serue God yea and that it was too him more deere then Golde and Siluer And howe is it then that he now compareth him selfe vnto a loste sheepe For to make plaine this hard point it is commonly said that Dauid confesseth him selfe to be a strayed sheepe yea notwithstanding the great desire that he had to please GOD too gouerne his whole life aright and yet that he ceased not to erre This saying is very well verified in him selfe For although that this appertaineth not vnto the whole life of Dauid yet he had a terrible fall and was like a pore loste beaste in the sin which he committed with Bethsabe Vrias wife For it seemeth that he had then forsaken God and that he was as it were a lost man He might then very wel say that hee had highly and mightely erred like a loste sheepe But this might be taken more properly That Dauid respected not the time wherin God had called him set him in a good way but rather respected his owne naturall estate and condition and saith O Lord what am I of my selfe without thou guidest me Alas what had become of mee In what case had I beene Where should I haue first begunne Dauid then might very well make heere protestation of such his condition as is comman with vs. For this is a generall thing amongest vs all that wee all go astraye like wilde and forlorne beastes vntill such time as GOD repayreth and amendeth vs. For in what case shall GOD finde vs when as he choseth vs vnto him selfe doe not wee swarue from the way of saluation Wee are not onely in the mountaines and deserts but also drowned ouer head and eares euen to the bottomlesse depthes So then Dauid and wee with him may very well say that wee are lost sheepe
this free mercie of our God that he declareth him selfe pitifull vnto vs in that he seeth vs to be miserable wretched creatures and to put foorth our hand vnto him to receiue his mercie Nowe Dauid in the ende sheweth whereuppon he buildeth him selfe in making such a request According vnto thy worde made vnto thy seruant Loe whereupon we must builde and settle our selues when as we will come vnto God to be heard of him to wit vpon his meere mercie as we haue here aboue said But are wee already come thus farrefurth And if wee be yet is there an other point farther required to wit wee must assure our selues that the graces of God shall adorne and garnishe vs so we seeke them according to his word And to proue it to be so marke I beseeche you for it were marueilous great presumption in vs to come vnto God without we had his promises for it and to desire of him any thing and say O Lord I haue neede of this and that Go to now here is already some occasion which causeth vs to come vnto God And againe O Lord thou art good and gracious loe this is an other thing also which augmenteth our courage and boldnes But bicause we are so farre from God that we are not able to come nere his maiestie without he come down vnto vs we must then before wee can haue any accesse to make our prayers vnto him lay this foundation which is here set before vs that is to say the word of God when as thereby God witnesseth vnto vs that his mercie is alwayes readie that he there laieth it before vs and offereth the same there vnto vs. There remaineth now nothing els but that wee receiue it by faith and that there wee declare our faith through our calling vpon him So then we see the order which Dauid here setteth downe that is that hee bringeth vs to God to the ende we might take our whole contentation repose and reioysing in his meere goodnesse And since that he hath receiued vs through his mercie let vs beseeche him that he would looke vnto vs with his eyes of pitie For the third point he sheweth vs how we ought to make such our petitions that is bicause God hath bounde him selfe vnto vs of his own good will and hath witnessed vnto vs that he wil be neare vs. When then we shal come vnto him in this sort let vs not doubt but that he wil heare vs graunt whatsoeuer we shall desire according to his will And namely he sayeth thy woorde made vnto thy seruant to th ende he would declare to euery of vs that euery man should apply the promises of God particularly vnto him selfe And not to vse the maner of the Papistes to saye It is very true that God hath promised this and that but we know not whether the same belongeth vnto vs or not And these are no fooles which say thus but this is the doctrine which they teache in all their Satanicall and deuelish Schooles and Synagogues Loe here the very doctrine of popish doctors that the promise of God are vncertaine that we must receiue thē as things hanging in the ayre not to take them generally to say I doubt not but that GOD speaketh the same vnto me But contrariwise we must conclude as Dauid here doth and O Lord let it be done vnto thy seruant according to thy word He saith not according to thy word I knowe not to whom nor vnto such mē of which number I am not so that I can not builde vppon it but he saith according to thy promise O Lord made vnto me Let vs then learne by his example that when we desire the Lord God to assiste vs to charge him with his promises yea let vs apply them vnto our selues and beleeue that they are also spoken to euery of vs in particular and generally vnto all I meane vnto all the faithfull When as the Lord our God saieth I receiue all sinners to mercy let euery one saye O Lorde I am one of those miserable and wretched creatures and therefore I come vnto thee charging thee with thy promise made vnto me Loe howe wee must behaue our selues herein for els we shall but wander in the holy scripture all the daies of our life It followeth immediatly after Let thy tender mercies come vnto me that I may liue for thy lawe is my delight In this verse we may very well see that Dauid was as it were estranged from the mercie of God Now this is a very notable point to be considered off for what is the cause of our distrust yea euen to close vp the gate against God for that we would not come vnto him but onely bicause wee thinke that God hath estraunged him selfe from vs and that we should be thereby confounded It is very true that he will sometimes cause vs to feele them as if he had cleane turned him selfe away from vs and all bicause we first forsooke him but yet we must notwithstanding returne vnto him and not be discouraged but followe the example of Dauid that although the mercies of God to the outwarde apparance and in our iudgement bee farre from vs and in such sort as that we may well perceiue it yet must we neuer cease to say O Lord let thy louing mercies come vnto me surely to the outrward shew so farre as I can iudge they are farre of me but yet O Lorde I knowe that thou wilt in the ende make me to attaine vnto them yea and although thou manifestly shewest me them not yet notwithstanding I will wayte and surely looke for them with an assured faith and hope Moreouer when he sayeth that I may liue that is to signifie vnto vs the same which I haue already said to wit that although his wit and spirite stayed it selfe vpon creatures yet that he was but as a dead man whiles he thought God not to be neare him hee supposed him self to be but as a forlorne man And in deede although we had all the world on our side and had GOD against vs and were sure that he neither loued nor fauoured vs all the rest would turne but to our ruyne and destruction And if wee esteeme not thus of him must it not needes be but that we must bee bewitched by Satan and caried violently away when we shall content vs onely with these worldly things and neuer haue regard vnto the spring head and fountaine of all goodnesse to wit the bounty of God But in the meane while let vs note this that although we bee dead for a time after the example of Dauid yet shall wee be quickened so that we come to God beseeching him not to holde backe his mercies farre from vs. Now he saieth in the ende For thy lawe is my delight By this we are admonished what it is that we must craue at the handes of God in good earnest forsooth that his mercies may remaine with vs
to wit when as we are conformable to him and to his woorde Let it not now abash vs although wee feele so little taste of God his mercies And why so For what is he that will acknowledge it Wee are so beguiled with these false deceiptes of the worlde that we thinke we may triumphe by them that wee shall bee exceedingly blessed when as wee shall haue all thinges after our owne heartes desire But in thus doing we can contemne God and his grace We must not then be abashed if we be set besides that which apperteineth to our saluation and that God suffereth vs to languishe in wretchednesse and miserie And so let vs learne after the example of Dauid to bee as it were reiected of the worde of God and to bee as it were estraunged from it to craue in good earnest to cause his mercies to retourne vnto vs to wit that he would graunt vs this grace to let vs in such sort vnderstand what neede we haue of his fauour and aide that notwithstanding that we haue declined from his commandements yet that he would graunt vs for all that to feele his mercie although he hath held the same from vs for a season Now it followeth Let the proude be confounded for they haue delt wickedly and falsely with me but I meditate in thy commaundementes Here Dauid setteth downe another reason to confirme him self continually more and more that hee shall obtaine that which he praieth vnto God for to wit bicause the wicked do persecute him whom he calleth the proud And this is the sentence which wee haue already heretofore treated off neither will the time suffer vs to stay any lenger vpon it It shall therefore suffice vs for this time that faith onely is the thing which bringeth vs within the compasse of humilitie when as we know that there is nothing in vs but wickednesse and that wee are thereto tied by the iust iudgementes of God When I say that the faithfull knowe this it pulleth downe their high mindes they are no more arrogant nor presumptious to lifte themselues vp against God and their neighbours Contrariwyse the wicked and enemies of GOD are called proude for the pride which they vse against GOD engendreth also crueltie against their neighbours As many as will humble them selues before God will also bee very gentle too their neighbours but they which haue a fierse and high mynde to stande against God must needes likewise cast their poyson against their neighbours And for this cause Dauid sayeth let the proud O Lord be confounded for they go wickedly about to confound me Whereby wee are admonished that although the wicked vexe and grieue vs neuer so iniuriously and without cause yet we are thereby taught to haue the rather a great deale more trust that God wil haue mercie vpon vs. And why so bicause it is he which graunteth our request and when as we shall make it vnto him it shall not come of our selues but he shal be authour thereof So then when as we shall be grieued and iniuried by malitious and cruell men let vs go boldly vnto God and beseeche him to haue pitie and compassion vpon vs. Nowe he addeth that he neuer ceased to meditate vpon the testimonies of God although he was so afflicted And this is an excellent admonition for vs that when wee are tormented both from heauen and on the earth that God on the one side to the outwarde shewe estraungeth him selfe from vs and we on the other side are so forsaken that wee are troden vnder mens feete besides a thousand other villaines done vnto vs when as I say wee shall be so vexed and grieued We must learne after the example of Dauid to meditate of the testimonies of God and there to seeke our whole comfort for that is the very meane by which God meaneth to plucke vs out of all our anguishes and griefes which might any way trouble vs. That now which foloweth hath beene already handled to wit that men which feare God doe turne vnto him to say that they will keepe him companie And in the ende he setteth downe this conclusion Let my heart bee vpright in thy statutes that I bee not ashamed Now like as in the first verse hee desireth GOD to giue him vnderstanding that hee might learne his Lawe here he desireth that he would graunt him affection Whereby we may see that this proceedeth from vs from our nature to wit to be very poore blynd soule vntill such time as God openeth our eies And thus much for the first point But yet vnderstanding onely shall not serue God must make our heartes pliant vnto his obedience and place vs so with him selfe as that we haue none other desire but to serue him Let vs thē learne to pray vnto him as Dauid here hath done for after he had desired him to giue him vnderstanding of his law he desireth him also to giue him a pure and a sound heart yea and that we should also doe the same in veritie truth not doubting but that when God hath bestowed vpon vs some graces that he will also encrease them more more and haue compassion vpon vs so that we be obedient vnto him in our behalfe and yelde him the homage and authoritie which vnto him belongeth And according vnto this doctrine let vs in all humilitie prostrate our selues before the maiestie of our good God in acknowledging our offences beseeching him so to touch vs as that wee might learne after the example of his Prophet how to make and present our requestes vnto him to bereaue vs of all our earthly affections which we feele to be most violent against vs to the ende that our minde bee not withdrawne through them from his righteousnes but that wee submit our selues wholy vnto his holy will desiring nothing els but to haue him to gouerne vs to the end that being fortified by his holy spirite we might perseuere vnto the end to resist those temptations which shal grieue vs to obteine the victory abouesaid and come to the triūphe which is prepared for vs in heauen aboue That he wil not onely graunt vs this grace but also vnto all people and nations of the earth c. The eleuenth Sermon of the hundreth and nineteenth Psalme CAPH My soule fainteth for thy saluation yet I wayte for thy worde Mine eyes faile for thy promisse saying when wilt thou comfort me For I am like a bottle in the smoke yet do I not forget thy statutes How many are the dayes of thy seruant when wilt thou be auenged of them that persecute me The proude haue digged pittes for mee which are not after thy lawe All thy commandementes are true they persecute me falsely be thou my helpe They had almost made an end vpō me on the earth but I forsooke not thy commaundements Quicken me according to thy louing kindnesse so shall I keepe the testimonies of thy mouth IF we could rightly call to our remembraunce