with our affection Of this it commeth to passe as wee see in daily experience that where men once fall away from their first loue and becom luke warme professing a truth but not louing it zealously misliking vntruth but not abhorring it they easily degenerate into Apostates And therefore our affections would euer bee kept in a right temperature by continuall exercises of the word and prayer In the law God commanded his people to hate all vncleannesse euen in their bodies hee that touched a dead body or any vncleane thing was vncleane himselfe This had in it not only a truth for honestie and comelines become the saints of God but a signification also Immunditia iustis iniquitas est To holy men all iniquity is vncleannesse Quid autem immundius quam mentem qua nihil homini datum est pretiosius turpibus commaculare criminibus And what greater vncleannesse then to defile the mind the most pretious thing which God hath giuen man with filthy sinnes These are not onely polluted in themselues but defile others that come neere them Fuge ergo iniustitiam quae viuentes adhuc mortuos facit Flie therefore with Dauid all vnrighteousnes which makes liuing men to bee dead and to become more hurtfull and horrible to others by their life then they can be by their death But thy law No man can serue two masters of contrary wils and dispositions if he loue the one he must hate the other Ye that loue the Lord hate that which is euill Men now boast much of their loue to God but the best rule to try it is the contrarie hatred of all euill See verse 113. 128. VER 164. Seuen times a day doe I praise thee because of thy righteous iudgements AFfections of the soule cannot long bee kept secret if they bee strong they will breake forth in actions The loue of God is like a fire in the heart of man which breakes forth and manifests it selfe in the obedience of his commandements and praising him for his benefits and this is it which Dauid now protests that the loue of God was not idle in his heart but made him feruent and earnest in praising God so that seauen times a day he did praise God Numero studium sanctae deuotionis exprimitur For by this number the carefulnes of holy deuotion is expressed and the feruency of his loue that in praysing God he could not be satisfied sayth Basil. Concerning this duety of the praysing of God and time which is the greatest worldly benefit God giues man see ver 62. Onely let Dauids example prouoke vs to the imitation of the like deuotion and pietie and let vs be ashamed of our negligence in this duetie who scarse can doe that on the Sabboth day which Dauid did euery day Vnder the Lawe the Lord commaunded that the daily sacrifice which euery day morning and euening was offered should be doubled on the Sabboth But alas the prophanenesse of this age is such that not onely now is the daily sacrifice neglected but the Sabboth contemned of many who neyther prayse him for his workes of creation remembring they are his creatures nor yet for the workes of redemption as if they were no Christians redeemed by Christs bloud and so least praise giue they to the Lorde vpon that day wherein they are bound to giue him most A fearfull in gratitude God grant Dauids example may learne vs in this point to be more dutifull VER 165. They that loue thy lawe shall haue great prosperity and they shall haue no hurt HItherto Dauid hath declared his great affection toward the Word of God and that vnspeakable comfort he found in it And now lest it might bee thought that this was by any speciall priuiledge or dispensation of God toward him from which others are excluded he now declares that all who loue the law of God may looke for the like comfort in it which he had found And this he sets downe in this proposition speaking now not in his owne person as before but in the person of others Wherein we haue first to consider a description of Gods children and next the priuiledge or benefites belonging to them The description of the godly is heere They that loue thy lawe Many manner of wayes are the children of God described in holy Scripture as from their faith in God from their loue from their feare from their obedience from their patience to declare it is not one but manifolde graces of the spirit which concurre to make vp a Christian and how they all goe together like the linkes of a chaine that one drawes on all the rest His faith is not without loue his loue is not without obedience his obedience is not without feare his feare is not without hope his hope is not without patience his patience is not without prayer which keepes and conserues all the rest And hereof it comes that the godly in holy Scripture are so many waies described But among all the graces of the Spirit the godly are most frequently described from their loue and therefore of all other we should most take heed that the grace of loue be in vs for two causes first because it leades vs to the surest knowledge of Gods affection toward our selues and next it giues vs the surest notice of that estate and disposition wherein wee stand our selues As to the first the grace of feruent and vnâ—…eyned loue iâ—… it be in vs makes vs certainly to know that we are beloued of God So saith the Apostle Herein is loue not that wee loued God first but that he loued vs. If we know him it is because we haue beene knowne of him If a man vtter not his voyce the Eccho makes him no answere if he looke not into a glasse it makes no representation of his face if the Lord had not called vs we should neuer haue answered him if he had not sought vs wee should neuer haue sought him neyther loued him if first hee had not loued vs. Here then is the first benefire wee reape by this grace of loue that by it we knowe the minde of God toward vs to be full of loue So that now we neede not goe vp to Gods secret counsell to enquire what is his minde concerning vs let vs enter into the secret of our owne hearts and try there what is our affection toward him if wee dare say that we loue him then may we be out of all doubt that we are beloued of him The other benefit is that by loue we know we are in the state of grace translated as saith the Apostle from death to life then we begin to liue when we begin to loue our God There may be in man a shadow of grace a profession of faith obedience but though a man had all knowledge and eloquence wanting loue he is but a sounding Cymbal So that by this
our aduersary that seeks to snare vs by the transgression of them is diligent in tempting For he goes about night and day seeking to deuoure vs next because we our selues are weake and infirme by the greater diligence haue we need to take heed to our selues thirdly because of the great losse we sustaine by euery vantage Sathan gets ouer vs. For we finde by experience that as a wound is sooner made then ◅ is healed so guiltines of conscience is easily contracted but not so easily done away VER 5. O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy Statutes IN the former verse Dauid hath meditated vpon the commandement of God Now the fruit of his meditation is ye see a prayer vnto God wherein he wishes that all his actions were answerable to the commandements of God this is customable vnto the godly to answere all the precepts of God by prayers what he commaunds them to doe they seeke from himselfe grace to doe it My wayes In this Psalme sometime ye see mention is made of Gods wayes as Vers. 3. and sometime of man his wayes as Vers. 5. It is well with man when his wayes and Gods wayes are all one for if man haue another way then the way of God of necessity his end must be miserable God is the fountaine of life he that walks not with God abides in death God is the father of light he that will goe from him shall goe to blacknes of darknes yea to vtter darknes where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth Loe all they that withdraw themselues from thee shall perish therefore will we resolue with Dauid It is good for me to draw neere vnto the Lord. Dauid knowing that naturally man is diuided from God and hath a way of his own which will not faile to lead him vnto a miserable end he wisheth from his heart to be vnited with the Lord that Gods will were his will and Gods way were his way This is a worke aboue the power of nature and therfore he humbly prayes that God would worke it Dignoscens quod ex seipso nihil possit efficere nisi Dei ope gratia adiutus fuerit humbly acknowledging that in the framing of his waies to Gods will of himselfe he was able to do nothing without the help of grace We are not of our selues able to thinke a good thought our sufficiency is of God neither is it in him that wils nor in him that runnes but in God that shewes mercie VER 6. Then should I not be confounded when I haue respect vnto all thy commandements SInne hath many euill fruites it offends God and grieues his Spirit it hurts thy neighbour for by it thou temptst some and infectst others but the sosest wound it giues to thy selfe for it brings vpon thee shame confusion and in the end eternall death For sinne when it is finished brings out death Thy owne wickednes shall reproue thee and thou shalt knowe that it is an euill thing a bitter that thou hast for saken the Lord thy God How were Ad◅m and Euah consounded after their fall how ran they away from the Lord in whom they delighted before How lurked they among the b◅shes thinking shame of thēselues they sought to couer their nakednes Praeuaricationis enim fructus est cōfusio If we think to pluck better fruit from the tree of sinne we doe but deceiue our selues It standeth true in all which the Apostle spake of the Romans When ye were the seruants of sin yee were freed frō righteousnes what fruite had yee then of those things wherof yee are now ashamed The end of these things is death If therefore vvee thinke euill to be confounded with shame let vs bevvare we be not perverted by sinne Respect to all thy Commandements Wee must not make a diuision at our owne hand of the commaundements of GOD making a shew to keepe some and taking libertie to transgresse others as Naaman did who resolued that hee vvould offer no sacrifice vnto any other God saue onely to the Lord onely this he reserued that he would bow with his Master the King of Assur to the Idole Rimmon Like him are many now vvho professe they will serue the Lord but still reserue an Idole of their owne to the which their heart enclines so answer the Lord with halfe obedience like the Eccho which makes not a perfit respondence of the voice of men but of some part thereof But the commaundements of GOD are so vnited among themselues that hee who failes in one point of the law is guiltie of all and therfore to euery one of them should we giue obedience wherin if wee cannot doe what wee should yet at least should we haue a respect a purpose and a care so to do hauing a begun obedience to them all not exempting our selues frō any And this for them who thinke all is well if they be not adulterers when in the meane time they are idolaters and so forth of the rest VER 7. I will praise thee with an vpright heart vvhen I shall learne the iudgements of thy righteousnes IN this verse wee haue a prayer for further knowledge together with a protestation of Dauid his thankfull affection for it Thankfulnes is a dutie wherein we are all obliged to the Lord. It is a good thing for vpright men to praise thee Lord. It is good first in regard of the equitie of it Sith the Lord giues vs good things shal not we giue him praises againe especially seeing the Lord is content so to part all his works between his Maiestie and vs that the good of them be ours the glorie of them be his owne When we haue taken good things from him why shall we defraude him of his part that is glory by thanksgiuing Surely the earth vvhich renders increase to them that labour it the oxe that knowes his owner and euery beast in their kind that bowes to the hand of him who giues it meat shal condemne vnthankfull man who receiues dailie from the Lord but neuer returnes praises vnvnto him Secondly it is good to praise the Lord in regard of himselfe who is the obiect of our prayses Sith he is the treasure of all good the author of all blessings it cannot be but a good and blessed thing to blesse him Thirdly it is good in respect of our associates companions in this exercise the Angels Cherubins and Seraphins delight continually in his praises Our elder brethren that glorious congregation of the first borne are described vnto vs falling downe on their faces casting their crownes at the feet of the Lord to giue him the glory of their redemption Now seeing wee pray that the will of God may be done in earth as it is in heauen why doe we not delight in these exercises of praising God by which we haue fellowship with them who are glorified in heauen Lastly
that they are carelesse of the grace of confirmation wherof it comes to passe that they end in the flesh who made a shew of beginning in the Spirit not considering these two distinct graces requisite to saluation Conuersion and Confirmation Let vs therefore still pray with Dauid that God would stablish and confirme vs. According to thy promise The prayers of the godly are poured out in faith they seek nothing but according to Gods promise Many do otherwise who pray neither looking to Gods promise nor leaning to the Mediator such prayers are vvords poured out into the ayre and carried away with the wind Yet others are more profane who pray not onely without a promise but against the commaund of God for either when they goe to doe wickedlie they pray GOD to prosper them or else in their perturbations they cry for vengeance on their neighbours where they should cry for mercy These praiers are the offring of strange fire to the Lord which is abhomination Yet are wee to remember that if wee vvould haue our prayers grounded well vpon Gods promises wee must also remember the condition whereupon hee hath made the promise Wee reade that when Israel was opprest by the Philistims and cryed vnto God at the first he gaue them a hard answere Goe to the Gods whom yee haue serued and let them deliuer you But beeing humbled by this answer they pray againe and with their prayer put away the salse Gods from among them and then it is subioyned that the soule of God was grieued for the miseries of Israel VVhereof wee learne that it is but a vaine thing to charge GOD with his promise where wee make no conscience of the condition he requires of vs. That I may liue But what life is this he craues Had hee not already the life of a King vvith worldly wealth and honour enough Hee had indeede but this is not the life which Dauid esteemes to bee life There is nothing naturall men loue better then life nor feare more then death yet knowe they not what is the life they should loue nor what is the death they should flee Sunt enim qui viuentes mortui sunt qui mortui viuūt for there are some liuing men who are but dead some dead who are liuing If this be life to grow well and wex strong frō infancie proceeding to old age wil not in this the trees of the field excell man who from little plants grow vp into most excellent Cedars Or if this be life to see to heare to smell c. will not in this the beasts of the earth excell thee for there is no sense wherein some beasts doe not far excell men some see better some heare better some smell better And generally all of them haue a greater appetite to their meat are more strong to digest it But if ye◅◅hou glory in this that thou art indued with reason then remember how many Philosophers and Ethnicks haue excelled thee in the vse of reason So that neither can thy comfort be in the vegetatiue life wherein trees excell thee nor in the sensitiue which beasts haue better thē thou nor in the reasonable life which many reprobates haue that shal neuer see the face of God If man haue no better life then these hee hath but a shadow of life and it may truelie be said of him that while he is liuing he is dead The life of a Christian stands in this To haue his soule quickned by the spirit of Grace For as the presence of the soul quickens the body the departure thereof brings instant death and the body without it is but a dead lumpe of clay so it is the presence of Gods Spirit which giueth life to the soule of man And this life is known by these two notable effects for first it brings a ioyfull sense of Gods mercy and next a spirituall disposition to spirituall exercises And without this pretend a man what he will hee is but the image of a Christian looking some-what like him but not quickned by his life And disappoint mee not of my hope That is in the time of need let mee feele the truth of thy promises to comfort mee as now I hope to find thy helpe in the time of trouble so I pray thee that I may find it It is the manner of the godlie to fore-thinke of that whi◅ is to come and to prouide for trouble ere trouble come VVherefore Salomon describing a wise man saith that his heart is alway at his right hand and that his eye is in his forehead A prudent man seeth the plague and hideth himselfe in time hee knoweth that trouble and heauie tentations are before him and that hee must fight fore battels before hee enter into his promised Canaan and therefore prayeth feruently before hand that God would not be farre from him when trouble comes neere him It is on the contrary the follie of the vvicked They goe on saith Salomon and are snared they neuer fore-thinke what is to come they rest vpon present false comforts which disappoint them in the time of their need Others that stand by may bid them be of good comfort but what cōfort can they haue when outward comforts where-to they trusted faile them and inward comforts they neuer knew VER 117. Stay thou mee and I shall bee safe and I will delight continually in thy statutes THis verse contains a prayer in substance and effect one with the former and the repetition of the prayer sheweth that he was touched with a deepe sense of his owne necessitie which made him feruent in prayer and it doth greatly reproue vs who are cold in prayer We may haue store of grace for seeking and alas wee are carelesse to seeke If thou knewest thou wouldest aske and if thou askedst I vvould giue It is true our Sauiour forbids vs to make repetitions in praying like the heathen who thinke to be heard for their much babbling For to offer vnto the Lord multitude of words without spirit or affection is to offer a dead sacrifice to a liuing GOD but certaine it is that words doubled from a feruent and intended affection are euer gracious and acceptable to the Lord. Stay mee Like a man ready to fall hee prayeth God to hold him vp Three things made Dauid afraid First great tentations without for from euery ayre the wind of tentation blowes vpon a Christian. Secondly great corruption within Thirdly examples of other worthie men that haue fallen before him and are written for vs not that wee should learne to fall but to feare least we fall These three should alway hold vs humble according to that warning Hee that stands take heed least he fall Sure it is we are most strong when distrusting our owne weakenesse we leane to the Lord praying him to stay vs otherwise as Peter in his carnall confidence was
men knew this or could apprehend it they would not redeeme the pleasures of sinne so deerely as for them to defraude their ownesoules of saluation despising against themselues the counsell of God And this Oracle of God should confirme vs against all these tentations which arise vnto vs by looking to the prosperity peace and worldly pompe of the wicked What is the glory of their outward state to be regarded so long as this fearfull sentence lies vpon them that the saluation of God is farre from them This sustained the Apostle S. Paul when he saw the great pompe of Agrippa he would not for all that exchange estates with him he wished not to be like vnto Agrippa but rather that hee had beene such as he was Because they seeke not thy Statutes Heere is noted the cause of all their misery namely the contempt of Gods word they did not so much as seeke the Lords Statutes An argument they esteemed nothing of it for who will seeke that whereof they account not or who will despise that which they esteeme pretious and necessary to them This is much more then if he had only said They transgresse thy Statutes The children of God may be guilty of the one transgression for in many things we sinne all And if any man say he sinnes not he is a lâ—…ar and the truth is not in him but they are farre from the other to dis-esteeme of Gods word and cast off all care to seeke it VER 156. Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgements NOw Dauid turns his consideration from wicked men vnto himselfe acknowledging that he was no better by nature then they but that Gods his mercy had made a difference between him and them where there was none by nature And therefore prayes he that the work of Gods mercy may be continued with him to quicken him and giue him life that he defile not his conscience by dead workes as they doe nor yet haue fellowship with them in their vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse but that being quickned by God he may liue the life of God from which he saw them to be strangers Thus we see that how-euer the godly exercise somtime their consideration about other things yet in the end they returne still to themselues What-euer they heare or see or speake of others they enter into their owne hearts and edifie themselues by it if they looke to such as are godly they are confirmed to follow themâ—… if they looke to the manners of wicked men they are affraid of their owne weakenesse runne to Gods mercy praysing him who hath preserued them from the like impiety and praying also for grace to keep them that their harts incline not to walk with them Thus of euery thing they reape some profit to themselues but naturall men look so to things which are without them that they enter not into their owne hearts to edifie themselues by that which they heare or see in others Againe the manner of the children of God in their prayers is to flie alway to Gods mercy it is of mercy that they begin well of mercy that they continue well of mercy that they looke for any good at the hands of God let them leane to merits who will we wil depend vpon mercy Are we able to giue vnto God himselfe Are we able to requite his benefites which we haue gotten Quis potest debitum referre naturae debitum salutis gratiae Can any man requite him for benefits of nature which we haue receiued farre lesse for benefites of grace saluation these are debts which wee are neuer able to pay Where then are thy merits Quis nostrûm sine diuina potest miseratione subsistere Who among vs all can subsist without diuine miseration Quid possumus dignuÌ„ facere praemijs coelestibus Or what can we do worthy of a heauenly reward Let vs therfore learnat Dauid to send vp our requests Non secundum merita nostra sed misericordiam Dei not according to our merits but his mercies Two Epithets he ascribes to Gods mercies first he cals them great and then he cals them tender mercies They are great in many respects for coÌ„tinuance they endure sor euer for largenes they reach vnto the heauens are higher then they yea they are aboue all the workes of God And this is for the comfort of poore sinners whose sinnes are many and great let them not despaire his mercies are greater and moe for sith they are greater then all his works how much more greater then thou and all thy sinsull workes All the Nations of the earth are but like the droppe of a bucket or as a graine of sand compared with his Maiestie what art thou then that thou shouldst magnifie thy deedes aboue his rich mercie as if thy sinnes were so great that his mercie could not compasse them Onely doe not abuse his mercy neyther turne thou his grace into wantonnesse but if thou vnfeinedly repent then doe thou also stedfastly beleeue that thy sinnes were they neuer so great shall easily be swallowed vp by his infinite mercies As the Ocean when it flowes couers sands and rockes and all that they are not seene so where the floud of Gods compassions breaks out how easily doth it ouerflow and couer all thy transgressions This is the meditation of the Apostle that where before he had beene many manner of wayes sinfull and ignorant a blasphemer an oppressor a persecuter yet the grace of our Lord had beene exceeding abundant toward him where sinne had abounded grace had superabounded to ouer flow and couer it And in this he stands for an example to all that will beleeue that they should neuer distrust Gods great mercies for the greatnesse of their sinnes The other Epithet he giues them is That they are tender mercies because the Lord is easie to be intreated for he is slowe vnto wrath but ready to shew mercy S. Iames saith that the wisdom which is from aboue is gentle peaceable easie to be intreated If his grace in his children make them gentle and easie to be intreated what shall we thinke of him selfe Sith he will haue such pitie in vs poore creatures that seauenty times seauen times in the day hee will haue vs to forgiue the offences of our brethren O what pitie compassion abounds in himselfe Thus we see our comfort is increased that as his mercies are great so are they tender easily obtained where they are earnestly craued Quicken me Dauid found the life of grace in himselfe continually hindred impugned yea oft-times sore weakened by the power of his corrupt nature and therefore the more frequent is he in this petition that God would quicken him VER 157. My persecuters and my oppressors are many yet doe I not swerue from thy testimonies A New protestation of his constancy vnder affliction that albeit
turne asâ—…e after their crooked wayes So that in the life of euery man there are two motions courses the one seene which is common to good and euill the other more secret the seene course is the way of a man from the wombe to the graue this is common and as Ioshua calles it The way of all flesh this is so sensible that all men perceiue it the growing of a man from infancie to child hood from child-hood to young age from young age to olde age the other I said is more secret wherein some by the crooked wayes of sinne walke on vnto perdition others by the way of holinesse to glorification And this way I call more secret because the course of wicked men is oft-times couered with hypocrisie the course againe of godly men obscured by calumnie both of them being esteemed among men the one for good the other for euill that which indeed they are not Who walke in the Law of the Lord. What before he spake obscurely hee now deliuers more plainly namely that they who walke in the Law of the Lord are vpright in way The Lawe of God is the rule of our life that narrow rodde within the limits whereof we should alway containe our selues neyther declining to the right hand nor to the left but euer proceeding by this one rule we should forget that which is behind and endeuour our selues to that which is before and truely seeing by the lawe onely our actions will be iudged wisedome requires that by the lawe onely our actions should be squared VER 2. Blessed are they who keepe his testimomonies and seeke him with their whole heart EVery man desires to be blessed euen they who had but the light of nature sought after it but could not find it here the Lord who in the last day will pronounce some to bee blessed and some to be cursed dooth now tell vs who they are What can comfort them to whom the Lord shall say Depart from me ye cursed Where away shall they goe whom the Lord shall command to depart from him And what greater ioy can com to a man then to heare the Iudge of all saying vnto him Come to me ye blessed Oh that we were wise in time to thinke of this that so we might endeuour to becom such men as to whom God in his word hath promised the blessing The doubling of the sentence Blessed blessed in the first verse and second is to let vs see the certainty of the blessing belonging to the godly The word of God is as true in it selfe when it is once spoken as when it is many times repeated the repetition of it is for confirmation of our weake faith That which Isaac spake of Iacob I haue blessed him and he shall be blessed is the most sure decree of God vpon all his childen Sathan would faine curse Israel by the mouth of such as Balaam was but he shall not be able to curse because God hath blessed Keepe his Testimonie The word of God is called his Testimony not onely because it testifies his will concerning his seruice but also his fauour and good wil concerning his own in Christ Iesus If the word of God were no more but a Law yet were we bound to obey it because we are his creatures but sith it is also a Testimony of his loue wherein as a father he witnesseth his fauour toward his children we are twise inexcusable if most ioyfully we doe not embrace it And againe sith the word is Gods Testimony let vs take heed what it testifies vnto vs. Achab complained to Iosaphat on Michaiah that he neuer prophecied good things vnto him but the blame was in Achab himselfe Are not my words saith the Lord good vnto him that walkes vprightly If the word of the Lord witnesse no good vnto vs it is because we are not good our selues Vtilis enim aduersarius est it is enemy to none but such as are enemies to themselues Let vs therefore take heed vnto it for if the word condemne vs then our conscience and the Lorde who is greater then them both will much more condemne vs but if we repent of our sinnes and continue in mourning seeking mercy amend our liues then shall the word bring vnto vs the glad tidings of peace yea not onely shall the word without but the spirit also testifie to our conscience within that our sinnes are forgiuen vs. Now as concerning the keeping of Gods Testimonies the children of God do it in minde in affection in action In mind as Mary laid vp the words of the Angell in her heart and Dauid laid vp the promises of God in his hart that he should not sin against the Lord in affection they haue euer a godly desire and a purpose to practise it ioyfull when they doe the commandements of God sorrowfull when they transgresse them in action they haue a begun obedience which God at length shall perfite in them for The righteousnesse of the Law shall be fulfilled in vs also And seeke him with their whole heart The seeking of God so often recommended in holy Scripture imports that naturally men are strangers from God diuided from him by sinne for what needeth a man to seeke that which he hath not lost This is man his most miserable condition by nature he hath lost the familiar presence of his God â—…or lo they that withdraw themselues from thee shall perish thou destrâ—…yest all them that goe a whooring from thee What shall we do to remedie it but practise that which there Dauid protests hee had concluded with himselfe As for me it is good for me to draw neere vnto God we lost him by sinne let vs seeke him by grace we went a whooring from him by our iniquity let vs returne vnto him by repentance other-way as he that will hide himselfe from the Sunne empaires not the light thereof hee may well shut himselfe in miserable darkenesse so he that departs from the Lord shall derogate nothing to his all-sufficient Maiesty hee may well plunge himselfe in the bottomlesse pit of remedilesse misery But this euill the losse of Gods familiar presence is not felt by carnall men so long as they enioy the comfort of his creatures and therefore is it that where they can seeke any other thing they want with solicitude and care eyther else they seeke him not at all or then seeke him not as they should As he that seekes a jewell which he hath lost lookes still to see it with so earnest an attention that what â—…uer other thing is in his way he sees it not casting all other things out of his minde Vnum illud intendit quod solum requirit so is it with him that seekes the Lorde Mundana omnia pertransieâ—…s illum solum inquirit passing by all other things in the world he makes inquisition for God only
And truely if it be the Lord whom we seeke it will appeare by this no other thing shall content vs but still we will goe on seeking himselfe till we finde himselfe But we must remember sixe conditions required in them who would seeke the Lord rightly First we must seeke him in Christ the Mediatour No man can come to the Father but by the Son and He is able also perfectly to saue all that come vnto God by him And this excludes Papists who content them not with the Mediatour from the right seeking of God Secondly we must seeke him in truth for God is a God of truth he will be worshipped in spirit and truth for God is a Spirit and loueth truth in the inward affections And this is the condition which here is required Blessed are they who seeke him with their whole heart And this excludes hypocrits Thirdly we must seek him in holiness Let euery one that calles on the name of the Lord depart from iniquity and again saith the Apostle Follow peace and sanctification without which no man can see the Lord. And Whosoeuer hath this hope in himselfe namely that he shall see God as he is purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure And this condition excludes from seeking of God all Atheists vncleane vnpeniâ—…ent persons Fourthly we must seeke him aboue all things and for himselfe not as the carnall Iewes did with whom the Lord was angry They howle vpon me for wine and oyle It is a great dishonouring of God when any thing is sought from him more then himself or not for himself Quisquis à deo praeter deum quaerit non castè deum quaerit as if his creatures serued not to this end principally to lead vs vnto himselfe or among them all there were any thing more precious then himselfe and this excludes mercenaries and worldlings Fiftly we must seek him by the light of his own word the Gentiles sought to finde him by the light of nature but they became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart being full of darknes could neuer find him As the Sun without the light of it selfe cannot be knowne so God without his owne light which shines in his word cannot be known No man hath seene God at any time the Sonne who hath come from the bosome of the Father he hath declared him and the direction of the Sonne is Search the Scriptures And this excludes all those children of darkenesse who disdayning the light of the word depend vpon phantasies or presumptions of their owne Last of all we must seeke him diligently and with perseuerance neuer resting till we finde him with the Spouse in the Canticles We must not seeke him by startings casting off all caâ—…e when we finde him not at the first but without wearying wee must wait vpon him They that looke vnto him that is constantly attend vpon him their faces shall not bee ashamed And this excludes carelesse Christians and temporizers who seeke him by starts but continue not VER 3. Surely they worke none iniquity that walke in his wayes THis Verse containes a commendation of the word of God from this notable fruit and effect thereof that they who keepe it are kept by it from iniquity and so made partakers by it of the third degree of man his felicity which is sanctification If it be demaunded here How is it that they who walke in Gods wayes worke none iniquitie Is there any man who liues and sinnes not And if they be not without sinne How then are they to be blessed The answere is as the Apostle sayes of our knowledge Wee knowe but in a part so is it true of our felicity on earth wee are blessed but in a part It is the happinesse of Angels that they neuer sinned it is the happinesse of triumphant Saints that albeit they haue beene sinners yet now they sinne no more but the happinesse of Saints militant is that our sinnes are forgiuen vs and that albeit sinne remaine in vs yet it raignes not ouer vs it is done in vs but not by our allowance I doe the euill which I would not not I but sinne that dwels in me Secondly to the working of iniquity these three things must concurre first a purpose to do it next a delight in doing it thirdly a continuance in it which three in Gods children neuer concurre for in sinnes done in them by the old man the new man makes his exceptions and protestations against them It is not I sayes hee and so farre is hee from delighting in them that rather his soule is grieued with them euen as Lot dwelling among the Sodomites was vexed by hearing and seeing their vnrighteous deeds In a word the children of GOD are rather sufferers of sinne against their willes then actors of it with their willes like men spiritually oppressed by the power of their enemie for which they sigh and crie vnto God Miserable man that I am who will deliuer mee from this bodie of Death And in this sense it is that the Apostle saith Hee who is borne of GOD sinneth not In his wayes The course of mans life ordered according to the worde of the Lorde is called the way of GOD first because it pleaseth him and next because it leades vs vnto him There are many desirous to be where the Lord is that shall neuer com there all because they delight not in the way that leads vnto him blessed are they who walke in this vvay Confirme mine heart ô GOD that I may keep it vnto the end VER 4. Thou hast commanded to keepe thy precepts diligently AL the sinnes vvhich in this age men commit against the Lord proceed eyther from rebellion or at least from obliuion of his commaundements for now in this great light all excuse of ignorance is taken away None of the former two are good but of the two rebellion is the vvorst Gods children abhorre it as a diuelish euill to rebell against God how-euer by obliuion many times they fall both in sinnes of omission and commission so long as they remember what God hath commanded to be done and what reasons they haue to obey him they are not easily snared but beeing once preuented by obliuion they are easily caried vnto transgression It is good therefore to keep in our hearts with Dauid this short remedy against obliuion Thou hast commaunded to keepe thy precepts diligently As the eyes of seruants looke vnto the hand of their Masters so should our eyes vvait vpon the Lord our GOD euer looking to that way vvhere-vnto his countenaunce â—…oth direct vs. Diligently In worldly affaires no weighty thing can be done without diligence farre lesse in spirituall Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently For three causes should we keepe the commandements of the Lord with diligence first because
it is good in respect of the great benefits vvee receiue by it nothing thereby accrues to the Lord all the vantage is our owne Gratiarum actio est ad plus dandum in vitatio With an vpright heart Many musicall instruments had they vnder the law where-with they praysed God as ye may see in the last Psalm but such as were spirituall among them knew that all these availed nothing vnlesse the hart had been well tuned and prepared This is to make them ashamed who now in a greater light come to praise GOD but forget their hart behind them or else bring it very euill tuned full of so many discordant desires that they cannot as they are commaunded make melody to the Lord in their harts When I shall learne But when saies Dauid he will be thankfull euen when GOD shall learne him both the matter and the grace of thankfulnesse is from God As he did with Abraham he commaunded him to worship and gaue him the sacrifice so doth he with all his children for he giues not onely good things for vvhich they should thanke him but in like manner grace by which they are able to thanke him VER 8. I will keepe thy Statutes forsake me not ouer-long THis verse containes a protestation that he was resolued to keepe the Lords Statutes which because he knewe of himselfe he was not able to accomplish with this protestation of his purpose he ioynes a prayer wherin he craues to be assisted and not forsaken of the Lord. It is a great helpe to godlinesse to resolue that we will liue godly for that which is not concluded how shall it be performed or what hope is there we should attaine to the end that is to the perfection of pietie when we are carelesse of the beginnings thereof which are purposes intentions and resolutions that wee will be godly Where when of weakenesse we faile in following foorth our resolution it shall be well done againe to renew it for by often renewing of our resolution to doe any good wee become the stronger to accomplish it Forsake me not ouer-long It is a feareful thing to be vtterly and finally forsaken of the Lord as Iudas was who therefore Parata inimico praeda factus est For man left vtterly to himselfe becomes a prey to the enemy and can no more stand by himselfe then a staffe not sustained by the hand of man and therefore doth Dauid pray that the Lord would not forsake him And yet because he knew that the Lord exercises his deerest children with temporall desertions forsaking them for a time and withdrawing his helping hand from them ex eo commodū ipsorum procurans as is euident in Peter vvho was left for a time to himselfe that the proofe of his owne weaknes might make him more humble and lesse confident in himselfe therefore he craues not simply to be freed of desertion but that if the Lord will desert him to try him or to humble him he would not desert him ouerlong Such as know what help and comfort the presence of the Lord in mercy brings to his childrē they think a short time of his absence a very long time Absalom spake out of his policie that it was better for him to die then liue and not see his Fathers face but in truth it is more bitter then death to the godly to liue in the body and not be refreshed with the fauourable beames of the countenance of God and therfore they preuent the desertion with prayer as heere Dauid doth Forsake me not ouer-long And when they are exercised with it al other comforts are loathsome to them they sigh and cry continually How long ô Lord how long Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer c. They run with the Spouse in the Canticles to fro seeking him and with the mourning Maries they shed teares vncessantly till they find him againe and hee shew his fauorable face vnto them BETH VER 9. Where-with shall a young man redresse his way in taking heede thereto according to thy vvord SAint Iames compares the word of God to a glasse whereinto hee vvho lookes rightly may see two images the image of God to the which wee should be conformable and our owne naturall image What we are by nature and how farre altered from that first exemplar of God his image wherevnto we were created may be euident to any man that vvill consider himselfe in the glasse of the word and that especially will try himselfe by this Psalme When we read it and dare not in a good conscience say that for our selues which Dauid protests of himselfe let vs thereby knowe how far we are from that which we should be and studie to amend it As the first section marked with the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 containes eight verses euerie one of them beginning vvith that letter so the eight verses of this second section begin all with this letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For heere is deliuered vnto vs an A. B. C. of godlinesse consisting of 22. letters and eight times in euery letter is the vvord of GOD commended to vs to teach vs that as words and sentences cannot be without letters so no good in any religious dutie can be performed without the word of God This ninth verse containes a commendation of the vvord from the profitable effect thereof and it is proposed by way of a Dialogue a question asked and an answer giuen Dauid beeing a young man in the Court of Saul and refrained from that licentious conuersation whereinto others deborred now he deliuers that for the edification of others which hee had learned by experience had done good to himselfe The vvord is needfull for all sorts of men but specially for young men because this age of al other is most subiect to the dangerous disease of inordinate lusts Vicina lapsibus est adolescentia And therefore as they who are sicke of the Feuer haue need of cooling things and young vndaunted colts haue need of the stronger bits so is the furie of youth to be tempered and bridled by the word Iuuentut is assecla est stultitia stultitia autem ad exitium ducit the Page of youth is foolishnesse and foolishnesse if it be not cured leades to destruction Foolishnes said Salomon is bound in the hart of a child but the rodde of correction will driue it away And what better correction can be to cure it then the wholsome information of the word of GOD this is the yoke which is good for a man to beare in his youth But alas it is lamentable that no age doth so much despise the word as this which most stands in need of it It is now a rare thing to find among young men a Ioseph or a Samuel where they should liue as Nazarits consecrate to the Lord they are rather like men who haue vowed and
dedicated themselues vnto Sathan As the sonnes of Eli despised the rebuke of their father so young men now for the most part are impatient of the rebukes of the word contemning the medicine which Dauid by experience found most effectuall to cure the disordered affections of youth Among those sacrifices where-with God was honored in the law he required their first fruits to be consecrate to him eares of corne dryed by the fire and wheat beaten out of the green eares teaching vs to honour the Lord not onely with the first fruits of our increase but of our selues also It is an euill diuision that is made by many who giue their young age to Satan by the seruice of sin and behight their old age to the Lord for so they incurre that curse of Malachie Cursed be hee that hath a strong beast in his slocke and vowes and sacrificeth a corrupt thing vnto the Lord. The feruency strength of youth should be imploied not in the satisfaction of their lusts but in the seruice of their God in fighting against Sathan This is it which that youngest Disciple of our Lord requires of young men that hauing the Word of God abiding in them they may be strong to ouercom the wicked not louing the world nor things that are in the world such as lust of the flesh lust of the eyes and pride of life These are not of the Father but of the world and the world passeth away and the lust therof but he that fulfils the word of God abides for euer But how-euer mention be made here of young men only yet as no age is without the owne tentations and blemishes so haue they all need to take heed to the word that they may learne to redresle their wayes It is a double shame and sinne for an old man to be of an vncleane life or ignorant of the word Such as had liued long without making progresse in knowledge and godlinesse were properly called by Philo Longaeui pueri The neerer we drawe vnto Canaan the further should we be from the delights of Egypt otherwise it shall come to passe in God his righteous iudgements that when in regard of thy long iourney thou art at the very borders of Canaan thou shouldest be put further backe againe with these carnall Israelites yea neuer suffered to enter into it O miserable condition of that man whose body is declyning to the graue but his spirit hath not learned to ascend to him that gaue it he comes as I said to the border of Cana◅n to the very point of time wherein Gods children make their happy transmigration but by reason of his sinnes he is thrust backe againe when he should die and ascend to the blessed fellowship of God the Father of light he dies and descends to the pit of vtter darkenesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Now the maner of the answer which he makes to his former Interrogatiue commends the certainty of his counsell for he answers by turning his speech to the Lord from whom he had obtained by praier this knowledge How to gouern his life Vt sic non praesumptionis humanae sed dignationis diuinae remedium crederetur that so it might be knowne vnto others that this remedy came not from humane presumption but diuine reuelation VER 10. With mine whole hart haue I sought thee let me not wander from thy Commandements WHat Dauid deliuered by way of instruction vnto other yong men he now shewes that he practised himselfe for this Verse contaynes a protestation of that earnest desire hee had to haue his life ordered by the written worde of God That hee sayes I haue sought thee with my whole heart imports no presumptuous boasting of his owne perfection but rather a sense and feeling of his owne wants which made him the more earnestly to seek for seeking is of those things which a man wants faine would haue And where he saith he sought the Lord with his whole hart he speakes it by comparison Ad differentiam eorum qui Deum non toto corde quaerunt sed illud in curas seculares et concupiscentias absurdas partiuntur Let me not wander As our first calling so our cōtinuing in the state of grace is of the Lord for hee is both the author and finisher of our faith Customablie in holy Scripture elect men are called the Sheepe of Christ to tell vs that all our welfare consists in the prouident care of our Pastor who first must keepe vs that we wander not and next when of infirmitie vvee wander must reduce and bring vs home againe VER 11. I haue hid thy promises in mine heart that I might not sinne against thee IT is not Dauids meaning that hee had hid the talent vvhich hee receiued from the Lord after the manner of that vnprofitable seruaunt for that he did put his talent to the vttermost profit for the edification of others he witnesseth both by this Psalme and many other specially Psal. 40. I haue declared thy righteousnesse vnto the great Congregation lo I will not refraine my lippes O Lorde thou knowest I haue not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart but I haue declared thy truth and thy saluation I haue not concealed thy mercy and truth from the great Congregation What is this then Dauid affirmes that he hath not hid Gods righteousnesse within his heart Here he protests that hee hid Gods promises in his heart Surely here is no contradiction for in the one he shewes how his first care was to comfort and confirme himselfe by the promises of GOD and next to benefite others And truely he that doth not first edifie his owne heart in the assurance of Gods mercy can neuer be a meet instrument to declare the mercies of God vnto others There is great difference betweene Christians and Worldlings The Worldling hath his Treasures and Iewels without him the Christian hath them within Neyther indeede is there any recepracle wherein to receiue and keepe the word of consolation but the heart onely If thou haue it in thy mouth onely it shall be taken from thee if thou haue it in thy Booke onely thou shalt misse it when thou hast most to doe with it but if thou lay it vp in thy heart as Marie did the wordes of the Angel no enemie shall euer be able to take it from thee and thou shalt finde it a comfortable treasure in time of thy need They who possesse earthly riches expose them not to the eyes and hands of euery one they locke them vp in their surest places to conserue them from theeues and robbers it is euen so here with holy Dauid he knew no good spirituall can be possessed here in this earth without temptation That subtill Serpent who stole from our first parents the glorious Image of God wherein consisted their originall felicity and happinesse doth
to thē who loue to liue in the body for no other end but that they may enioy carnall pleasures in the body no tongue can expresse their miserie To a godly man sin makes his life bitter so the Apostle protested O miserable man who shal deliuer me from this body of death And if they loue to liue it is that they may mourn for sin break off the course of their sins by amēdement of life This straited godly Nazianzen that he knew not whether to make choise of death or life when he considered that death makes an end of sin he desired to die but when he remembred that after death there was no time to mourne for sin he desired to liue VER 18. Open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy law MAn by nature is blind in the matters of saluation He vnderstands not the things of God neither can he because they are spiritually discerned Satan promised man great knowledge both of good euill but experience may declare what a false deceiuer he is By nature we are all borne blind ignorant of things vvhich concerne the kingdom of God and by reason of our darkned mind so wicked is the hart of man that by looking to the best works of God miserable man contracts euill So euill doth hee see with the eyes which are left him that by looking to that which is good the hart of him is wakened vnto euill So traiterously hath this aduersarie dealt with mankind that where he promised thē more knowledge he spoiled them of that which they had and hath brought now vpon them all a greater shame then that vvhich Naash the Ammonite vvould haue done to Israel For hee hath put out their right eye that no light remaines in them vvherby they can see that which is good to saluation till the Lord restore it againe vnto them And heere if it be asked seeing Dauid was a regenerate man and so illuminated already How is it that hee prayes for the opening of his eyes the aunswere is easie That our regeneration is wrought by degrees The beginnings of light in his mind made him long for more for no man can account of sense but he who hath it The light vvhich he had let him see his owne darknes and therefore feeling his wants hee seekes to haue them supplied by the Lord. Neque enim medicū rogat nisi qui remedium agritudini suae poscit But the word which here Dauid vseth imports the taking of a vaile from his eyes detrahe velamen oculis meis So that the blame of his ignorance he layes not vpon the word which is cleer enough in it selfe as he confesseth ver 130. The entrance of thy vvord giues light to the simple but he blames himselfe and the vaile which couered the eyes of his mind Till this be remooued no reading no hearing no teaching can make a man vnderstand the wonders of the lavv of God This is it saith the Apostle which hinders the Iews that in reading the old Testament they cannot see Christ because of the vaile that couers their harts And this same is it that this day hinders many wise and learned men that albeit they read the most cleare prophecies of Antichrist whereas S. Paul and S. Iohn poynts him out as it were with the finger yet can they not perceiue him The doctrine of Christ is the mysterie of godliness the doctrine of Antichrist is the mysterie of iniquitie Who can learne it till God remoue the vaile that couers the mind Non omnes qui diuina eloquia legunt quae in illis admiranda sunt considerant nisi illi qui coelesti splendore potiuntur But whose worke is this to remoue the vaile Who is able to doe it Certainly neither Angel nor Power nor Dominion It is onely the vvorke of GOD who giues sight to the blind Hee sends forth his spirit and renewes the face of the earth He opened the disciples eyes made them to know him He made scales to fall from the eyes of the Apostle Paul when he conuerted him These two benefits hee giues together to his owne the opening of the eyes and conversion of the hart So long as a man abides vnder the seruitude of sin and earthly affections he can neuer haue eyes to see the secrets of Gods word Therefore saith the Apostle speaking of the blinded Iewes when their harts shall be turned to the Lord then the vaile shall be taken away The wonders of thy law The wonders of the works of God are many and great the wonders of his word are greater Euery article of our faith is a mysterie to be wondred at that a Virgine conceiues a child that GOD is manifested in the flesh If wee will be fruitfull scholars in the learning of these mysteries let vs pray for the opening of our eyes and for grace to belieue VER 19. I am a stranger on earth hide not thy commaundements from me THis petition in effect is one with the former hauing no more but an annexed reason vvhich is this I am a stranger on earth and knowe not the way may lead me to heauen vnlesse thou teach me therefore hide not thy cōmandements from me The like of this he hath Psa. 43. Send thy light thy truth let them lead me bring me to thy holy Mountaine This is not the voice of euery man I am a stranger on earth Sed eius qui terrenis renuntiauit voluptatibus mundanae cupiditatis exuerit affect us It is the voice of him who hath renounced pleasures of the earth is weary of this life desires to be dissolued not fearing when his dissolution approches but rather reioycing because he knows he shall be with Christ vtitur hac vita vt transitoria ad aliam nimirum vitam festinans He vseth this life as a transitory life because he makes hast to a better It is true in regard of time and continuance the wicked are also strangers on earth but in affection they are not so for neither know they of a better Cittie neither desire they a better But the Christian accounts himselfe a stranger not so much for his short continuance vpon earth as for that his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is aboue that Citie wherof he is Burges and freeman that countrey frō which he came that fellowship wherein he reioiceth is aboue therfore longs he to be where they are But as to the wicked they are called by Gods Spirit inhabitants or indwellers of the earth Men of this world who haue their portion in this life they haue receiued their cōsolation here their generation is of the earth they speak of the earth their whole disposition is earthly Higher then the earth in thoughts and desires they cannot go Praesentibus bonis quasi diuturnis inflati insolescunt The godly
presumption vsurped to be equal with GOD Similis ero altissimo like vnto the most high Cum sit ne quissimus peiores tamen discipulos erudiuit He himselfe is a Prince of spirituall wickednesse yet hath he trained vp disciples more vvicked then himselfe such as That man of sinne who as if it were little to be equall with GOD extolls himselfe aboue GOD. And like him are many blinded captiues of Satan vvho in the pride of their heart doe all they can to subiect the Lord his throne his will to their wicked and corrupt will These are fooles and of all fooles the greatest they set themselues as parties against the Lord for he resists the proud not considering that he is stronger then they they cannot stand before him The Lord is the most high GOD but it is not height makes a man stand before him None so sure to stand in his sight as they who are humble and little in their own eyes to them he giues grace Humilis non habet vnde cadat where it is the iust recompence of the proud that because they vsurpe to be before all others the Lord puts them behind all casts them down to the lowest roome for mounting to the highest A notable example heereof we haue in that Pharisee who was not so farre before the Publican in his ovvne estimation as he was behind him in the account of Christ who iudgeth of things according as they are O quantum crimen superbiae vt ei etiam adulteria praeferantur Cursed are they which doe erre from thy commaundements Heere first we haue to see hovv these words must be vnderstood Saith not Dauid of himselfe that he wandred like a lost sheepe Saith he not also of others Who knowes the errors of his life How then doth he pronounce them cursed which erre from the commandements of God The answer is easily made if we conioyne his words together The proud which erre are cursed Heere then we must put a difference between sinnes of pride and of infirmitie he that of rebellion and pride departs from Gods comman dements not so he that sinnes of weaknesse in whom euery sin committed increaseth a griefe for sinne a hatred of sinne and a care to vvithstand it for these there is no condemnation These are not vnder the law but vnder grace Mercie alwaies waits on them as a refreshing medicine to restore them when of infirmitie they fall But as for the wicked who sinne are proud and impenitent in their sinnes the curse of God is vpon them though it be not seene at the first Like a Moth or secret cōsumption it eates them vp it shall deuoure their substance shal quickly turne their glory and prosperitie into shame and confusion VER 22. Remoue from mee shame contempt for I haue kept thy testimonies DAuid beeing a young man liued godlie in the Court of Saul and for godlinesse was mocked and disdained of others For so the blind world counts religion a matter of mockerie which in the estimation of Gods Spirit is man his greatest gaine and glory But from time they saw that Saul the King was displeased with Dauid then did all his flatterers speake against Dauid doing what they could to sley his honest name with calumnies and slaunders And hee borne downe with the iniquitie of time commits his cause to the Lord beseeching him who knew his conscience to cleere his innocencie Which he also did for the shame and contempt which they thought to bring vpon Dauid God poured it vpon themselues For I haue kept thy testimonies Sometime Dauid iustifies himselfe in regard of men And if at any time he reioyce in his vprightnesse before God it is not a boasting of his owne perfection but rather a comforting of himselfe from the honestie of his affection VER 23. Princes also did sit and speake against mee but thy seruaunt did meditate in thy statutes THese two last verses of this section containe two protestations of Dauid his honest affection to the word The first is that albeit he was persecuted and euil spoken of and that by great honorable men of the world such as Saul and Abner and Achitophel yet did hee still meditate in the statutes of God It is a hard tentation when the godly are troubled by any wicked men but much harder when they are troubled by men of honor authoritie And that first by reason of their place the greater power they haue the greater perill to encounter with their displeasure therefore said Salomon The wrath of a King is the messenger of death Next because Authorities and Powers are ordained by God not for the terror of the good but of the euill And therefore it is no smal griefe to the godly when they find them abused to a contrary end that where a Ruler should bee to good men like raine to the fields new mowen on the contrary hee becomes a fauourer of euill men and a persecuter of the good Then iustice is turned into wormwood that vvhich should bring comfort to such as feare God is abused to oppresse them And therefore it should be accounted a great benefit of God when he giues a people good and religious rulers The Christians in the Primitiue Church being sore troubled by the bloody persecutions of Nero and Domitian thought it a great benefit vnto them when vnder Nerua the persecution was relented Albeit he did not professe Christ with them yet he did not persecute them What then should we account of such a King as is not onely a protector of the Church but a professor himselfe so farre from persecuting Christian religion that for professing of it many times hath his Maiestie been persecuted to the death but blessed be the Lord who hath giuē many glorious deliuerances to his annointed Alway we learn here to arme our selues against the like tentation if at any time it shall please the Lord to try vs with it It was an argument the Pharisees vsed against our Lord Doth any of the Rulers belieue in him The Apostle confirmes vs against it Brethren yee see your calling Not many wise men not many noble hath God chosen c. We must not haue our faith in respect of persons nor measure religion by the authoritie of men that are with it or against it but resolue with Iosua Albeit all the vvorld should forsake the Lord yet vvee vvill worship him No Number no Greatnes of men can take out of the harts of such as are truly godly the loue of God and of his truth And speak In externall actions the first weapon wherby the wicked fight against the godly is their tongue Where Satan looseth their tongues to speak euill against vs we may be sure if hee be not restrained he will also loose their hands to do euill And where otherwise it falls out that wee are
persecuted by their tongues not by their hands let vs giue thanks to God who as he commaunded the fire that it could not hurt Daniels companions and bridled the fury of Lions that they could not hurt Daniel himselfe so hee restraines the wicked that they cannot do vnto vs according to the malice of their harts And therefore finding this goodnesse of our God wee should be the more confirmed against the rayling of their tongues Sith the Lord bindes their hands shall wee be mooued at the breath of their mouthes or shal the stroke of their tongues put vs out of patience which preserues peace in our harts But great is our weaknes Dauid suffered this iniurie of Princes and we cannot suffer i◅ of the basest people When shall we be prepared for greater tentations that will not learne to despise the smallest If thou be wearie in running with footmen how shalt thou match thy selfe with horses But thy seruaunt Perceiue heere the armour by which Dauid fights against his enemie Arma iusti quibus omnes adversario◅ū repellit impetus are the word and prayer Hee renders not iniurie for iniurie reproach for reproach It is dangerous to sight against Satan or his instruments with their owne weapons for so they shall easily ouercome vs. Let vs fight with the armour of God the exercises of the word and prayer for a man may peaceably rest in his secret chamber and in these two see the miserable end of all those who are enemies to Gods children for Gods sake VER 24. Thy testimonies are my delight my Counsellers THe other protestation Dauid makes is of the great profit and fruite hee had found in the vvord that it was both a delight to him and a counseller of him Saul had his Nobles and Counsellers by whom he ruled his affaires Dauid protests that he had no other for the men of his counsell but the testimonies of God These are two great benefits which commonly men craue Pleasure to refresh thē Con̄sell to gouerne them Dauid protests hee found them both in the word and sends all other who would haue them to seeke them there where he found them As for ioy and recreation of mind commonly men seeke it in other Cisterns but with no good successe for as a man in a hote Feuer is eased no longer by drinking strong drinke then he is in drinking of it for then it seemes to coole him but incontinent it increaseth his heat so is it with the troubled and heauie hart which seeks comfort in externall things how-euer for a time they seeme to mitigate the heauinesse they doe but increase it Onely solid and permanent comfort must be drawne out of the fountaines of the word of GOD. The other is wisedom which vvithout Gods word can neuer be obtained As Ieremie spake of the wicked in his time They haue reiected the word of God and what wisedome then is in them So is it true of all the wicked The wisedome of this world is but foolishnes Achitophel his end vvith innumerable moe may teach all men that hee shall neuer be found wise who is not godlie The beginning of wisedome is the feare of the Lord. DALETH VER 25. My soule cleaueth to the dust quicken me according to thy word MAny states of life did Dauid change but his hart neuer changed from the Lord the loue of his word In his doubts the word was his counseller in his griefs the word was his comforter therefore was hee not cast downe or overcome vvith griefe In his greatest prosperitie the word was his greater ioy therefore vvas hee not puft vp with pleasure teaching vs that in euery state of life we shall find comfort if we will rule our life by the word In this verse Dauid hath a complaint My soule cleaueth to the dust And a prayer Quicken mee according to thy vvord The prayer beeing vvell considered shall teach vs the meaning of the complaint that it was not as some thinke any hard bodily estate vvhich grieued him but a very sore spirituall oppression as I may call it bearing downe his soule that where he should haue moūted vp toward heauē he was pressed downe to the earth and was so clogged with earthly cogitations or affections or perturbations that hee could not mount vp His particular tentation hee expresseth not for the children of God many times are in that estate that they cannot tell their own griefs and somtime so troubled that it is not expedient albeit they might to expresse them to others And heereof wee learne how that vvhich the worldling counts wisedome to the Christian is folly what is ioy to the one is griefe to the other The ioy of a vvorldling is to cleaue vnto the earth when he gripes it surest hee thinks himselfe happiest for it is his portion to take heed to his worldly affaires and haue his minde vpon them in his estimation is onely wisedom For the Serpents curse is vpon him he creepes on the earth and licks the dust all the daies of his life This is the miserable condition of the vvicked that euen their heauenly soule is become earthly Qui secundum corporis appetentiam vi◅it ca◅ est etiam anima eorum car◅ est as the Lord spake of those who perished in the Deluge that they were but flesh no spirit in them that is no spi◅uall or heauenly motion But the Christian considering that his soule is from aboue sets his affection also on those things which are aboue he delights to haue his cōuersation in heauen and it is a griefe to him when he finds his motions and affections drawne downe and entangled with the earth His life is to cleaue to the Lord but it is death to him when the neck of his soule is bowed downe to the yoke of the vvorld Erecta ad Deum ceruix ◅ugo Christi habilis quae nulla in terrarum illecebras inflexione curuetur regalis Christi turris est The necke of the Spouse of the Lord IESVS is raysed vptoward God meet to receiue the yoke of Christ but wil no way bow for any earthly allurements to beare the yoke of another such a soule is the royall towre of Christ Iesus By this disposition let men try themselues and see of what Spirit they are Againe the vicissitude and change of estates where-vnto the children of God are subiect comes heere to be marked sometime◅ they are borne downe by carnall affections to the earth sometimes raised vp by spirituall desires to the heauen This comes to passe of the battell that is between two irrecōcileable parties the old man the new Nature Grace For as in them who wrestle with any equall strength sometime the one is aboue and sometime the other till at length one be ouercome so is it in this combat In the Christian sometime the power of Nature othertimes
the power of Grace preuailing but this comfort wee haue that at length Grace shall preuaile the power of corrupt Nature shal be captiued vnder the obedience of Christ. Quicken me Dauid being sore oppressed as I said and dead in himselfe doth now beseech the Lord to quicken him raise him vp againe for he knew that not onely the beginnings but the continuance of our life must come from the Lord. Thus we see how the children of God are wakened by their wants stirred vp by their falls and decaies to a greater feruencie in prayer And truely these changes of our life which this manner of waie wakens vs and prouokes vs to prayer we are to account them as the mercifull hand of God stretched out toward vs to drawe vs home to himselfe â—…et no man thinke euill of that trouble that chaseth him to the Lord. Yea I may say his falls which make him more humble and feruent in prayer are of Gods dispensation who when he will in most maruailous manner can bring light out of darknes But seeing hee was aliue how prayes hee that God would quicken him I answere The godly esteeme of life not according to that they haue in the body but in their soule If the soule want the sense of mercie and a heauenly disposition to spirituall thinges they lament ouer it as a dead soule for sure it is temporall desertions are more heauie to the godlie then temporall death According thy word This is a great faith that vvhere in respect of his present feeling he found himself dâ—…ad yet he hopes for life froÌ„ God according to his promise Such was the faith of Abraham who vnder hope belieued aboue hope And truly many times are Gods children brought to this estate that they haue nothing to vphold them but the word of God no sense of mercie no spirituall disposition but on the contrarie great darknes horrible feares and terrors Onely they are sustained by looking to the promise of God and kept in some hope that he will restore them to life againe because it is his praise to finish the worke which he beginnes VER 26. I haue declared my waies and thou heardest me teach me thy statutes THis verse containes a prayer vvith a reason after this forme O Lord I haue oft before declared vnto thee the whole state and course of my life my wandrings my wants my doubts my griefes I hid nothing sroÌ„ thee thou according to my necessity didst alway hear me therfore now Lord I pray thee to teach me by thy light illuminate me that I may know thy stâ—…tutes receiue grace to walk in theÌ„ This is a good argument in dealing vvith the Lord I haue gotten many mercies and fauourable answers from thee therefore Lord I pray thee to giue memo sor whom he loues he loues to the end where he begins to shew mercy he ceaseth not til he crown his children with mercy And â—…o gratious is the Lord that he esteemes heâ—… is honoured as oft as we giue him the praise that we haue found comfort in him and therefore come to seeke more It is farre otherwise with men if they doe vnto vs any small good they thinke it vncourteous importunity to require them to do any more But as the Strand is easily emptied where the Ocean can neuer be exhauâ—…ted so mans liberality is soon dried vp but the goodnes of the Lord remains for euer who hath not the less because he hath giuen but stil delights â—…o giue more to such as are thankefull vnto him Next is to be marked how he saith I haue declared my wayes and thou heardst me these two go well together Mercy Truth Truth in the nearâ—… of man confessing Mercy in God hearing forgiuing happy is the soule wherin these two meete together Many there are who want this comfort they cannot say God hath heard me â—…nd all because they deale not plainely and truely with the Lord in declaring their waies vnto him For the wicked neyther will nor dare manifest heir wayes vnto the Lord. As the eye which is â—…urt dare not look to the light so the conscience of him that doth euill dare not look to the Lord â—…ea they doe what they can to hide their wayes â—…rom him and to conceale the iniquity of their bosome against such the Prophet denounces a wo â—…o to them that seeke in the deepe to hide their counsell from the Lord their workes are in secret and they who sees it Their turning of deuises and flying to refuges of vanity in the infidelity of their hearts will no more auaile them then the figge leaues did Adam to hide his nakednes For the Lord will bring euery worke to iudgement Better were it for vs to iudge our selues in time and with Dauid to examin our harts in our secret chamber to declare truely our wayes vnto the Lord that if they be good he would by his grace confirm vs in them if they be euill he would diuert vs from them then that otherwise we should sleep securely in our sins tarry till our aduersary accuse vs and the Lord enter into iudgement with vs nay rather let vs tell our sins our selues that the Lord who is gratious may forgiue and Sathan who is a most shameless and malitious accuser may be confounded Qui se accusauerit vocem parati accusatoris excludit qui solet acerâ—…are peccata vniuscuiusque exaggerare â—…agitia obstruit â—…s eius qui de seipso fuerit ante confessus This is the great vantage we haue by declaring our own sins to the Lord Qui sua delicta non taâ—…uit videtur in se doluisse quod fecit in diabolo prodidisse quod suasit that in so doing wee shewe our selues sorrowfull and penitent for the euill we haue done and therwithall also becom accusers of Sathan by whose subtile instigation we did the euill Last of all we learne here that then our life is well gouerned when we declare the course of it to the Lord lay open our harts nakedly before him This Dauid protests of himselfe Acta mea tibi Domine manifestani omnia and in another place that he set the Lord alway before him And this is it which is praised in Henoch that he walked with God Happy is the man whose wayes are so ordered that before his actions he consults with the Lord in his actions he remembers the Lord when he hath done presents them to the Lord if they be good seeking his approbation if they be euil seeking pardon forgiuene â—…of theÌ„ Teach me thy Statutes Now follows his prayer wherein he seekes light from God to direct him in his waies Non satis est vt confiteamur errorem verumetiam si corrigi volumus à Domino postulemus vt doceat nos iustificationes suas ne postea errare possimus It is
se conuertit quod lux oculo non praestat GOD who is the light of the inward man doth more to him then the light doth to the externall eye for the light illuminates the eye that lookes vnto it but forsakes the eye which is closed and turned from it But the Lord doth not onely illuminate the mind conuerted to him but he also converts the mind vnto him Which thing the light cannot doe to the eye Diligenter itaque notandae sunt hae loquutiones in scripturis Conuertimini ad me cum his comparandae Conuerte nos Deus sanitatum nostrarum ne putemus libero arbitrio nos ad Deum conuerti Wee haue diligently therefore to obserue these manner of speeches in the Scripture wherein God commaunds vs to conuert to him and to compare them with others wherein we are taught to pray that the God of our saluation would conuert vs and then shall wee be conuerted least otherwise wee thinke that wee conuert to God of our owne free will This choise which Dauid makes here of Gods truth proceeds from that choise and election vvhereby the Lord before all time made choise of Dauid in Christ to be one of his Elect. For as it is true of loue Heerein is loue not that wee loued God first but that he loued vs vvec could neuer haue loued him if first he had not loued vs so is it true of election if he before time had not chosen vs to be his people wee could neuer in time haue chosen him to be our God And this I mark in them vvho loue the word of God delight in it who can say out of a good heart that the Lord is their portion and the ioy of their hart this is a sure seale of their election imprinted by the finger of God in their heart assuring them that what they are in loue and affection toward him that hath he been first toward them and so much the more aboundant in his loue toward vs as he himselfe is greater then we What is the eye to the sunne vvhat is the Well to the Ocean what is the earth to the heauen By infinite degrees is man lesse then his Maker and as farre our loue and affection to him inferiour to his loue affection toward vs. As far as the heauens are aboue the earth so far are my thoughts aboue yours saith the Lord. This doth some-vvhat shadow it but how far his thoughts are aboue ours no similitude can expresse it And thy iudgements Gods word is called his iudgement because it discernes good from euill and is not a naked sentence but as it points out euill so it pronounceth plagues against it vvhich shall be executed according to the sentence therof The remembrance of this scrued as an aw-band to keepe Dauid from sinne and shall keepe vs also if as saith he Psal. 16. wee set the Lord still in our sight and if as heere he doth we lay his iudgements before vs. VER 31. I haue cleaued to thy testimonies O Lord confound me not THe protestation of his former affection is amplified by this that as he had once chosen the testimonies of God so by a constant affection hee cleaued vnto them Dauid was not a Temporizer to make choise of the word this day and reiect it to morrow as were those Iewes who for a time reioyced in the light of the Gospel brought to them by the Baptist and after reiected his testimonie True godlinesse wants neuer vpon her head the garland of perseuerance where the hypocrisie of temporizers who make a shew of beginning in the spirit and end in the flesh is expressed by our Sauior by coâ—…n which springs shooteth to the blade but grows not to perfection because it was neuer vvell rooted And Basil compares these qui bene coeperunt noÌ„ perseueraruÌ„t who begins well but continues not to vnhappy passengers qui naufragium prope portum patiuntur vvho suffer shipwracke not farre from the harbour Confound me not Forasmuch as Dauid in a good conscience endeuoured to serue God hee craues that the Lord would not confound him This is two waies done either when the Lord forsakes his children so that in their trouble they feele not his promised comforts and then great confusion of mind perturbation is vpon them or otherwise when hee leaues them as a prey to their enemies who scorne them for their godly and sincere life and insult ouer them in time of their trouble when they see that all their prayer and other exercises of religion cannot keepe them out of their enemies hands Hee trusted in God let him deliuer him From this shame and contempt he desires the Lord would keep him and that he should neuer be like vnto them who being disappointed of that wherein they trusted are ashamed VER 32. I will run the way of thy coÌ„mandements when thou shalt enlarge mine heart HIs affection toward the word of God is yet further amplified by this that as in time past hee had cleaued to it so hee promiseth with ioy alacritie to continue in it for the time to come which he expresseth by the word of running But hee adds this protestation or rather condition that the Lord would enlarge his hart without which grace hee grants he can make no progresse in the way of godliness Heereof wee learne how wee should doe the will of God not by constraint but cheerfullie willingly as one that runneth a race intends the whole force of his body to advaunce himselfe forward toward the end thereof But heere we may stand and lament Alas we runne not with Dauid oh that we could halt to Canaan with Iacob or at least creep forward like children to our fathers house But many in steed of running lie downe and which is worse goe backeagaine like dogges to their vomits or carnall Israelites to their flesh-pots of Egypt for whom it had beene better not to haue knowne the way of rightcousnes HE. VER 33. Teach mee O Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it to the end THE life of man is compared by the Apostle to a race wherein all must run that looke to obtaine the high prize of the calling of God and so run that all the way they must fight with sundry aduersaries that stand vp against them There must be no declyning neither to the right hand nor to the left but as souldiers direct their way according to the commandement of their Imperator Non ipsi pro suo arbitrio viam carpunt nec voluntaria captant compendia ne à signis recedant so must it be with Christians we should stedfastlie looke to IESVS the authour and finisher of our faith who for the ioy set before him despised the Crosse and endured shame let vs remember our life should be a following of him As Israel in the vvildernesse
remooued or remained according as they were directed by the clowde in the day and piller of fire in the night so should all the vvaies of our life be ordered by the direction of God Otherwise as the vvarriour qui praescripto non incedit ordine armatus non ambulat rectaque via iter non conficit mansionem paratam non invenit who walkes not the way prescribed to him and goes not into it armed to resist the enemy comes not to that mansion prepared by the Imperator for his followers to enioy such furniture as he hath caused to prouide for them so shall it be with the straggling Christian vvhose vvay is a declining from Christ he cannot come to those mansions which hee hath prouided for his followers in his Fathers house nor be resreshed with his delicates Dauid knew this very well and therefore is he so inquisitiue to knowe the way of his Commaunder and earnest to seek grace that he may walke in it Dauid as wee said before was a Prophet indued vvith great vnderstanding yet doth hee earnestlie desire to be further taught of God for the treasures of manifold wisedome locked vp in the word are so rich that no man can attaine to such measure of knowledge but still hee hath neede to learne more The Angels vvho are full of eyes vvithin vvithout so figured for the greatnesse of their vnderstanding for which also by Nazianzen they are called Secundaria lumina are scholars in the schoole of the Church for those things which are preached to vs in the Gospel by the holy Ghost sent down froÌ„ heauen The Angels desire to be hold and shal we not delight to learne with theÌ„ seeing for our saluation whereof they are surealready these things are preached And I will keepe it vnto the end Here is a promise of thankfulness not in word but in deede 〈◊〉 legeâ—… tuâ—…m serâ—…are studui prosequar haue cursum neque fatigabâ—…r in medio itinere vbi tu perrexer is me dâ—…cere If thou continue a teacher of mee saith Dauid I shall continue a seruaunt to thee Perseuerance cannot bee vnlesse continuall light and grace be furnished to vs from the Lord. As the tree which hath not sap at the roote may florish but cannot continue so a man whose hart is not watered with the dew of Gods grace continually may for a time make a faire shew of godliness but in the end shall fall away Wee beare not the roote but the roote beares vs let vs tremble and feare If wee abide not in him we become withered branches good for nothing but the fire Let vs alway pray that hee would euer abide with vs to informe vs by his light and lead vs by his power in that vvay which may bring vs to him VER 34. Giue me vnderstanding and I wil keepe thy law yea I wil keep it with mine whole hart HEre followes a prayer agreeable to this purpose with a promise of thankfulnes amplified WheÌ„ God appeared to Salomon in a vision and offered to giue vnto him whatsoeuer he would aske Salomon as hee had learned here from Dauid his father seekes a wise and vnderstanding heart which thing so pleased the Lord that because Salomon did so and sought not riches nor honour the Lord promised not onely to giue him wisdome which he sought but riches and honour which he sought not Let vs also be moued if we be the sonnes of Dauid to seeke best things from the Lord our God specially knowledge vnderstanding how we may serue him Certainly so great and gratious is the Lord so rich in mercy that then our prayers are most acceptable to him when we seeke most excellent blessings from him And I will keepe thy Lawe True vnderstanding rests not in speculation but breakes out in practise Naked knowledge breeds conuiction it were better to want it for greater knowledge makes the iudgement of the wicked greater because that when they knew God they glorified him not But true vnderstanding changes the heart for by it not only do we behold the glory of God as in the mirrour of his word but are changed into the same image from glory to glory by the spirit of the Lord. And this is that excellent knowledge of Christ wherein the Apostle reioyces to know the vertue of his resurrection the fellowship of his afflictions and bee made conformable to his death And indeede then onely is knowledge a blessing when it workes these happy effects in vs. Yea I will keepe it with mine whole hart As he promised before perseuerance in Gods seruice so now he promiseth sinceritie Some are temporizers in Religion these perseuer not in seruice Some are hypocrites these are not sincere they draw neere the Lord with their lippes but are from him in their harts Dauid promiseth both perseuerance sinceritie but so that stil he craues grace of God to performe theÌ„ When Dauid offred materials as gold siluer for building of the Temple he blessed the Lord ascribed to him the praise both of the things which hee had offred they were Gods own of the hart wherby he offred them Now therefore my God vvee thank thee and praise thy glorious Name But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer vvillingly after this sort For all things come of thee and of thy owne hand haue wee giuen thee But how much more should we acknovvledge this in spirituall graces Haue wee any thing that we haue not receiued And when we doe any good by his grace should not the praise be returned vnto him Yea indeed let vs all say with Dauid all comes of thee and of thine owne hand haue we giuen vnto thee And where hee promiseth that hee will keepe Gods law with his whole hart it is not a presuming of perfection Not as though I were alreadie perfect but a protesting of his sinceritie that he had not the false diuided hart of hypocrites VER 35. Direct mee in the path of thy commaundements for therein is my delight AS before hee craued light to his mind so now he craues grace to direct his heart that he may follow it Naturally man is ignorant of the way to eternall life and if any light or knowledge he haue of it yet is he easily miscaried to wander from it Euen as vvater if it be not walled in ad decliuia fertur of it ovvne nature declines to lowest places if the smallest passage be made vnto it Ita humana natura diabolo viam ad peccatum aperiente ad id quod peius est proruit so the nature of man rushes downeward to sinne vvhen any way thereto is opened to him by Satan And therefore Dauid fearing his owne infirmitie prayes so earnestlie that God would guide him and not leaue him to himselfe Now the way vvhich Dauid chooseth to
promise to Dauid The meaning is I knowe ô Lord that thy promise is sure enough in it selfe but I pray thee make it sure to me Sure it is the promises of God are most cercertaine the earth may mooue and mountaines may fall yea the earth at length shal be shaken and the heauens wimpled vp like a garment but one iot of the word of GOD shall not faile This is the maine poynt vvhereat in all our life vvee should aime To make sure our calling election that the promises of God most sure in themselues may be made sure vnto vs. Many waies hath GOD confirmed his promise to vs First by the blood of his sonne Next by his owne oath he hath not onely spoken that he will giue mercie to the penitent belieuer but hee hath sworne it that by two immutable things wherin it is impossible that hee should lie he might shew to the heires of promise the stabilitie of his counsell But for all this neuer is his promise sure vnto vs till we receiue the seale of the spirit of adoption For this let vs pray For so long as we are in this body of sinne our infidelitie will euer be sending out feares and doubtings and distrusts against vvhich vvee haue neede to pray the Lord alwaies to confirme vs. Omnes enim Dei benignitate indigemus et qui extremum consequutus est virtut is apicem hac indiget continuò No man hath made such progresse in faith but hee hath neede further to be confirmed Lord incrcase our faith Lord helpe our vnbeliefe And therefore let not our wants and great weakenesse driue vs to despaire but so much the more vvaken and prouoke vs to feruent prayer To thy seruant Dauid frequently vseth this stile as very honourable and indeed so it is The seruaunt of God onely is a free man yea and a King but hee who is not the Lords seruaunt though hee were a Monarch and ruler of the whole earth he is but Satans captiue and a seruaunt of seruaunts O quam multos Dominos habet qui vnum non habet Because hee feares thee Hee who hath receiued from the Lord grace to feare him with loue may be bold to seeke any necessary good thing from him because the feare of GOD hath annexed the promises of all other blessings vvith it Sometime Dauid brings the reason of his petition from the Lord as from his mercy or his truth sometime from himselfe as from this that hee trusts in the Lord ver 42 or that hee hath a great desire toward the Lord ver 40 or that he feares God as heere All the promises of God are conditionall if the condition bee no way in vs how shall the promise be performed vnto vs It is true the Lord is gracious mercifull readie to forgiue c. But what is that to thee who repentst not belieuest him not louest him not and trustest not in him VER 39. Take away my rebuke that I feare for thy iudgements are good THere is a rebuke which comes vpon the godly from men without a cause and this suppose it grieue the godly yet they feare it not but rather reioyce in it according to that of our Sauiour Blessed are yee when men reuile you and speake all manner euill of you for my names sake be glad and reioyce for great is your reward in heauen With this meditation did Augustine confirme himselfe against the detractions of his Aduersarie who sought to empair the credit of his name Quisquis volens detrahit famaemeae nolens addit mercedi meae Hee that willingly would empaire my name against his will increaseth my reward And Dauid glorieth in this that the rebukes of them who rebuked the Lord had fallen vpon him There is againe a rebuke and shame comming from God as the fruite and iust punishment of sin for this the godly are afraid if they looke to their begun sinnes they know they haue deserued it they feare it and therefore pray vvith Dauid Psalmo 6 Lord rebuke mee not in thine anger If againe they looke to the time to come they feare least their infirmities bring them to shame euery one of them according to their seuerall tentations And this also they preuent by prayer as heere Dauid doth For it is to be marked that a godlie man is more afraid for sinnes vvhich hee may doe then a vvicked man is for sinnes that he hath done as hee liues in a continuall sorrow for begun sinnes so also in a continuall feare of sinnes wherein he may fall Semper est in dolore et tremore the one for repenting of sinne the other for preuenting of sinne For thy iudgements are good This reason heere subioyned declares that the rebuke which he feared was Gods rebuke The meaning is As to man his iudgement it is so peruerse that I passe not for it at all I knowe hee condemnes vvhere thou vvilt absolue It is high many a time in mans eye vvhich is abhomination to thee but as to thy rebuke I know Lord it comes neuer vndeserued for thy iudgement is good And therefore prayes he that the Lord vvould keepe him from those sinnes which may bring shame and reproach vpon him VER 40. Behold I desire thy commandements quicken me in thy righteousnesse SOmetime he confesseth his naturall inclination to euill as yee may see out of his prayers in the verses preceding sometime his new disposition by grace vnto that which is good The children of God finde in themselues motions of sinne but not without motions of grace to restrain them the one fights against the other and in this battell are we militant here vpon earth let vs mourne for the one and giue thankes for the other with the Apostle Rom. 7. He offers his desires to the Lord to be looked vpon It is an argument of a well set and disposed heart when a man dare present it vnto the Lord that hee may looke vpon the desires and intention thereof An euill conscience dare not doe this for as an eye when it is hurt craues some couering to hide it from the light so the guiltie conscience flies from the Lord and hath no desire to come before him let vs refuse to liue in that course of life wherein we dare not be bold to looke to the Lord nor content that he should looke vnto vs. I desire Our perfection in this life is rather in godly desires then in a full obtayning of things desired Phil. 3. yet haue the godly this comfort that where desires goe before satisfaction shall follow for the Lord hath promised to fulfill the desires of them that feare him Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied yea sure it is how great soeuer our desires be we cannot desire so much as the Lord hath to giue vs for he is rich in mercy
able to doe abundantly aboue all that we can aske or thinke Example hereof we haue in Zaccheus he desired but to see Christ and hee got not onely a sight of him but familiar speech of him yea Christ went to his house and dined with him and made him by grace the childe of Abraham So shall the Lord do to all his children he shall giue them more then eyther they desired or looked for at his hands For the heart cannot vnderstand those things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Thy commandements He saith not I haue done thy commandements but I desire to do them Let this serue as a Commentarie to other places wherein he makes protestation of his begun obedience so gratious is the Lord that in his children he accepts their will for a deed There is no man so wicked but he desires mercie but the godly doe so desire mercy that first they desire the way to mercy They know that without sanctification no man can see the Lord therefore all their care is to purge themselues euen as God is pure as here ye see for this end Dauid prayeth for the grace of obedience It was a preposterous desire of Balaam who wished the death of the righteous and would not liue the life of the righteous no better are the desires of wicked men Quicken me He acknowledgeth that his desires were nothing vnlesse the Lord gaue him life As a false conception which evanisheth and comes not to the birth so is the desire of man not quickned nor continued by the grace of God More of this see ver 149. 159. VAV VER 41. And let thy louing kindnesse come vnto me O Lord and thy saluation according to thy promise OVt of this Psalme we see how feruent and continuall Dauid was in prayer Euery third Verse hee turnes him to prayer No maruell he was inriched with a great measure of spirituall grace for hee sought it diligently Not like the colde professors of our time to whom a colde morning prayer is sufficient for the whole day and of that also oftentimes they are weary before they haue done it A lamentable euill that hauing all good for the seeking yet we should not seeke If we would consider how many sinnes we haue contracted which we must craue to be forgiuen would offer vp but one supplication for euery one of them and againe that albeit all our sinnes vvere presently forgiuen yet hovv readily should we fall into new sinnes if we get no grace daily to reforme vs and thirdly how difficil a thing it is against so many strong enemies as Principalities Powers and spiritual wickednes which with restlesse tentations pursue vs vpon the right hand the left to enter through them all into the kingdome of God and lastly how our time is short and when it is done no more place of supplication will be left vnto vs If all these with many moe wee did consider they would waken in vs a more earnest care to call vpon our God while we haue time This whole section consists of petitions and promises Petitions are two ver 41. 43. Promises are six This among many is a difference betweene godly men and others all men seeke from GOD but the wicked so seeke that they giue him nothing backe againe nor yet wil promise in sinceritie to giue Their prayers must be vnprofitable because they proceed from loue of themselues and not of the Lord. If so be they obtaine that which is for their necessitie they haue no regard to giue to the Lord that which is for his glory but the godly as they seek so they giue praise to God when they haue gotten and returne the vse of things receiued to the glorie of God who gaue them They loue not themselues for themselues but for the Lord vvhat they seeke from him they seeke it for this end that they may be the more able to serue him Let vs take heed vnto it because this is a cleere token whereby such as are truly religious are distinguished from counterfet dissemblers Let thy louing kindnes c. In his first prayer he ioynes these two Gods louing kindnes and his saluation and so it is they goe together inseparably As for the kindnes of man thou maist haue it and not be the better for it the friend may loue his friend and not be able to help him yea the Father may looke with compassion vpon his child in danger and not be able to relieue him but the kindnes of the Lord euer works saluation he can doe what he will and none is able to resist him All creatures in heauen earth are vnder his commaund health sicknes life death heauen and hell for he hath the keyes of both Let vs seek his fauour that we may be saued let vs feele his loue and none euill present nor to come temporall nor eternall shall make vs afraid According to thy promise As Dauid seekes his comfort in GOD onely so seekes hee it for Gods sake alleaging nothing in himselfe for which hee should obtaine it but that the Lord as of his mercie hee had promised so of his truth hee vvould performe And this is first for Papists who either doe seeke from others beside the Lord or if they seek from him they seeke for others sake then for his founding their prayers vpō the merits of others not vpon the mercie of God and merits of Christ onelie And next it giues this vvarning vnto all men that seeing the chiefest argument vvee can vse in prayer to mooue the Lord to pittie is his own promise vvee should remember alwaie to make conscience of our promise of seruice and obedience vvhich vve haue made to the Lord otherwise vvee can not vvith boldnesse seeke comfort in that promise which God hath made vnto vs. VER 42. So shall I make aunswer to my blasphemers for I trust in thy word SEe what great effects the sense of Gods louing kindnes works in the harts of his children hee feares no malice nor power of man vvho finds the Lord kind and mercifull to him This works gloriation against euill men a bold confession before all men as after followes and toward God an holy conuersation in all his obedience to the law For I trust Confidence in the promises of Gods word is the anchor of the soule vvhich holdeth it fast that it abide stable not driuen to and fro with the wind of tentations nay not with the feares terrors of death I know whom I haue belieued VER 43. And take not the word of truth vtterly out of my mouth for I wait for thy iudgements BY the word of truth Euthymius vnderstands the grace of prophecie by which Dauid comforted his owne hart and was able to speake to the edification of others and to stop the mouthes of his Aduersaries This grace
the Prophet craues that the Lord would neuer vtterly take it from him If at any time in thy wise dispensation thou relent it yet I beseech thee neuer vtterly to remoue it This iudgement which Dauid heere craues to be averted from him lyes vpon many who doe not marke nor perceiue it that they are so much the more miserable that they knowe not their misery in this that hauing and hearing the word of GOD so plentifully they can neither vse it to their owne consolation nor to the edification of others And this proceeds from the euill conscience which is in them that neither can they heare it with comfort no more then Achab could heare Michaiah because hee neuer prophecied good vnto him nor yet can they speake it to the comfort of others Vnto the vvicked God saith What hast thou to doe to take mine ordinances in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed Obmutescit facundia si aegra sit conscientia cloquence becomes dumbe when the conscience waxes diseased For I wait Gods iudgements are some-times taken for his plagues executed according to his vvord vpon the wicked with the which is euer conioyned a performance of his promised deliuerance to the godlie vvhereby hee makes knowne That there is fruite for the righteous how euer for a time hee suffer them to bee euill intreated and that there is a difference between them vvho feare him and them that feare him not And this Dauid heere praies for that the Lord would so deale with his enemies that the truth of his word being declared vpon them the godly might haue no cause to be ashamed for taking that word of truth in their mouthes VER 44. So shall I alway keepe thy law for euer and euer HEre is a protestation of thankfulnes to his God which he promiseth to declare in obedience Whereof first wee obserue hovv our standing and perseuering in the obedience of Gods law proceedes from Gods louing kindnesse toward vs keeping his word of truth in our harts and mouthes Hee is the stocke vvee are the branches vvee beare not him he beares vs let vs abide in him and giue him the praise of all our well dooing and perseuerance in it Now the doubling of the word notes his promptitude to Gods obedience and willing resolution to pers◅uere in it not for a day or a yeere but alway yea for euer and euer not in this life onely but in that also which is to come as Ambrose expounds it Pollicetur se hic ibi legem Dei custoditurum hic in exemplari in speculo in aenigmate illic in ipsa facie veritatis And the same also hath Euthymius Custodiam legem tuam non tantum in hoc saeculo sed in futuro quod saeculum saculi appellatur tanquam praesenti saeculo honoratius VER 45. And I will walke at libertie for I seeke thy precepts THere is a libertie of the flesh taken by men not giuen by God falsely so called for it is not libertie indeede but thraldome where men casting off the yoke of GOD giue ouer themselues to follow their owne affections vvhich can neuer but breed them doubts feares and horrible terrors wherwith they are straited so that they know no outgate Improbus in seipso coarctatur malitiae suae laqueis strangulatus Take to you for an example a couetous wretch euery day extending the borders of his possession excluding his neighbours doth the enlarging of his bounds enlarge his heart doth hee therfore walke at libertie because hee hath more ample roomes No no Quantumcunque domus suae spatium porrexerit clauditur angustis opinionis suaefinibus eui quod habet non est satis But how-soeuer large his possessions be hee is still inclosed in the straits of his owne narrow heart vvhich thinks hee hath nothing at all And so is it in all other sinnes the giuing of libertie to the will of man drawes on a thraldome whereby he is not onely captiued of his owne affections but straited with the sense of wrath in his conscience which alway followes euill dooing This is that strait bedde wherein God threatens to cast the wicked in a punishment of their carnall libertie Herod tooke this liberty to defile his brothers wife he beheaded Iohn for reproouing of it and so thought the more freelie hee might enioy his sinfull pleasure but did hee by this meanes walke at libertie No on the contrarie hee cast himselfe into the straits of a terrifying and accusing conscience hee could neuer bee quit of Iohn vvhom hee had beheaded for hee conceited that Iesus was Iohn risen againe from the dead What euer mirth he pretended in his countenaunce hee found himselfe sore straited vvith anguish in his conscience True libertie is that which GOD giues and whereof our Sauiour speaketh saying Then are you free if the Sonne make you free hee looseth vs from all other bondage that hee may bind vs to himselfe onelie And this libertie consisteth first in our deliuerance from the tyranny of our owne lusts by which all those are thralled who shake off the yoke of God and next in the freedome of a peaceable conscience which is a Christians Paradise on earth VER 46. I vvill speake also of thy testimonies before Kings and will not be ashamed IN these three last verses Dauid promiseth a three-fold dutie of thankfulnes First the seruice of his tongue Next the seruice of his affections Thirdly the seruice of his actions Bona conscientia maximum semper praestat solatium a good conscience renders alwaies great consolation vitalegitima fiduciam procreat and an honest life makes great boldnes to speak without feare or shame as yee see in Dauid toward Saul in Elias to Achab in Paule to Agrippa to Festus and to Felix The first dutie that heere hee promiseth is to speake of the testimonies of God before Kings This is not a small thing if vvee doe consider that albeit no sort of men bee more obliged to God then Kings are yet vnto none is Gods word more vnwelcom then to thē for the most part they are so accustomed to commaund and to giue out words for lawes vnto others that they thinke strange to heare of a word which should stand in steed of any law to them It is a rare thing to find a Iosiah whose heart melted at the hearing of the law like vnto him was no King before him who turned vnto the Lord with all his hart Where such are giuen to a people they are the exceeding great blessings of God If Dauid was not ashamed to speake of Gods word before Kings farre lesse may wee thinke was he ashamed to speake of it before his familiars and companions as hee protests hee vvould doe in another place Come vnto mee all ye that feare God and I will tell you vvhat God hath done to
Dauid vnto the Sanctuary of God and with Abaeue to our Watch-towre where we may looke out and see what hath bin the miserable ends of the wicked and we shall say they buy full deare their short and perishing pleasures for their prosperity is their ruine VER 53. Feare is come vpon me for the wicked that for sake thy lawe LEast it might seeme out of the former words that Dauids comfort stood in the destruction of the wicked by the execution of Gods iust iudgements vpon them he addes this that their impiety was the cause of his feare and griefe and that he was partim iratus quòd legem Dei contemnerent partim dolens quòd ipsi perituriessent This is the meekenesse and loue which the godly carie euen toward those who haue offended them they are touched with a commiseration of them not so much for any wrong done to themselues as for the euill they see their enemies incurre by wronging them Nam qui fortior est non proprtam dolet contumeliam sed aliena peccata et in sua iniuria lapsum alterius ingemiscit As a louing father offends at the contumelious words hee receiues from his frantique child not so much sorrowfull for the wrong done to himselfe as for the disease of his child which forâ—…eth him to speake that vvhich he should not so godly Dauid Dolebat non quia contemnebatur sed quia lex Dei relinquebatur eorum qui hoc faciebant damnuÌ„ dolebat quòd Deo perirent Hee was afraid and grieued at the sinnes of the wicked who scorned him not because he was contemned but God was offended nor yet for any losse he suffered by their sinnes but for the harme they did vnto themselues The impietie of wicked men is here described to be a forsaking of Gods law thereby letting vs know what is the weight of sinne The law is holy good contayning in it a most perfect rule of righteousnes and therefore the forsaking of it cannot be but a very high crime And sure it is many of this age are guiltie of it in regard of their deeds how euer it be that in regard of their words they will not hold with it but when God shall iudge theÌ„ what euer liking of the law they pretend in word they shall be found indeed forsakers of it VER 54. Thy statutes haue beene my songs in the house of my pilgrimage HE still insists in a commendation of the word of God froÌ„ the comforts which hee found in it in the time of trouble Naturalists refresh themselues in their griefes with profane Ballades and Songs but these increase guiltinesse and consequently griefe but mitigate it not As to Dauid hee protests hee sought his comfort in the word of God worldlings count it a melancholique subiect but he found ioy in it let men in this take heede vnto themselues Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart that is approued of him and they who count that to be a wearines which hee found to be a refreshment how can they haue this comfort that they are also approued of God Againe see how the Lord in his wise dispensation attempers himselfe to our infirmities Our life is subiect to many changes and God by his word hath prouided for vs also many instructions and remedies Euery crosse hath his owne remedy and euery state of life his own instruction Sometime our griefe is so great that we cannot sing then let vs pray sometime our deliuerance so ioyfull that wee must breake out in thanksgiuing then let vs sing If any man among you bee afflicted let him pray if hee be merie let him sing Prayers for euery crosse and Psalmes for euerie deliuerance hath GOD by his own Spirit penned vnto vs so that now wee are more then inexcusable if wee faile in this dutie In the house of my pilgrimage Vatablus expounds this of his banishment among the Philistims that vvhen hee vvas put from his natiue Countrey and kinred and all other comforts failed him that then the word of the Lord furnished matter of ioy to him And indeed the banishment of Gods seruaunts may cast them farre from their kinred and acquaintance but it chaseth them neerer to the Lord and the Lord neerer to them Proofe of this in Iacob when hee was banished and lay without all night in the fields he found a more familiar presence of God then he did when he lay in the Tent vvith father and mother But wee may rather with Basil referre it to the whole time of his mortall life Omnem viâ—…am suam peregrinationem vocare arbitror So Iacob acknowledged to Pharao that his life was a pilgrimage and Abraham and Isaac dwelt in the world as strangers S. Peter therfore teacheth vs as Pilgrims to abstaine from the lusts of the flesh and S. Paul to vse this world as if we vsed it not for the fashion thereof goeth away Many waies are wee taught this lesson but slowe are wee to learne it Alas what folly is this that a man should desire to dwell in the earth when God calleth him to be a Citizen of heauen Yet great is the comfort wee haue of this that the houses wherein we lodge vpon earth are but houses of our pilgrimage The faithfull Israelites endured their bondage in Egypt the more patiently because they knew they were to be deliuered from it If the houses of our seruitude were eternall mansions how lamentable were our condition but God be thanked they are but wayfaring cottages and houses of our pilgrimage Such a house was the womb of our mother if we had beene enclosed there for euer what burden had it been to her what bondage to our selues Such a house will be the graue of the which wee must all say with Iob The graue shall be my house and I shall make my bed in the darke if vvee were there to abide for euer how comfortlesse vvere our estate But GOD be praised our mansion house is aboue and the houses we exchange here on earth are but the houses of our pilgrimage happy is he can so liue in the world as esteeming himselfe in his owne house in his owne bed yea in his owne body to be but a stranger in respect of his absence from the Lord. VER 55. I haue remembred thy name O Lord in the night and haue kept thy law THis verse containes a new protestation of his honest affection toward the word of God Wherin first let vs mark his sinceritie he was religious not onely in publick but in priuat for priuate exercises are the surest tryalls of true religion In the publique oftentimes hypocrisie caries men to simulate that vvhich they are not it is not so in the priuat for then either doth a man if hee make no conscience of Gods worship vtterly neglect it because there is no eye of man to see him or otherwise if hee
be indeede religious euen in priuate hee presents his heart to GOD seeking it to bee approoued by him For his prayse is not of men but of God Againe this argueth his feruencie in religion for as else-where he protests that he loued the vvord more then his appoynted food so heere hee protests hee vvanted his nights rest that hee might meditate in the vvord But now so farre is zeale decayed in professours they will not vvant their superfluities farre lesse their needfull refreshment for loue of the vvord of GOD. And haue kept thy vvord Dauid vvas not a naked professor of the vvord but a practiser of it also his life declared that hee remembred the Lord Fides probitas innocentiae memorem probant VER 56. This I had because I kept thy precepts AS sinne is a punishment of sinne and the wicked waxeth euer worse worse so godlinesse is the recompence of godlinesse The right vse of one talent encreaseth moe and the beginnings of godliness are blessed with a growth of godlinesse Dauids good exercises held him in memory of his God and the memory of God made him euer the more godly and religious CHETH VER 57. O Lord that art my portion I haue determined to keepe thy word IT hath pleased the Lord to teach vs not by precepts onely but examples also in the one hee teacheth vs what we should doe if we would be saued in the other he lets vs see what the godly before vs haue done that they might be saued If wee were the first who haue entred into that narrow way that leads to eternall life our faintings fallings backslydings were somewhat excusable but that way is now Via trita in euery part of it we see the footsteps of our brethren who haue trode it before vs. All of them entred into Canaan standing on the other side of Iorden and calling vpon vs by their example who yet are iâ—… the wildernesse and on this side of Iorden Come forward feare not faint not the way indeede is hard and difficile but the end is sweet and ioyfull Wee haue felt with you the paines of the one come yee forward and enioy with vs the pleasures of the other Thus being compassed with so great a clowde of witnesses who haue trode the way before vs and by faith haue inherited the promise wee are altogether inexcusable if wee doe not follow Among many wee haue heere the Prophet Dauid who hath gone before vs and by his counsell and instruction teacheth vs how to follow him There is no doubt but as wee spake in the first Section if wee follow him in disposition wee shall also be partakers of his approbation Some part of his disposition wee haue seene alreadie let vs yet goe after him foot by foot neither turning to the right hand nor to the left not as Asahel followed Abner that was for euill and therefore in this course hee perished as many shall doe vvho seeke from Dauid a patrocinie for their sinnes but make him not a paterne to them of repentance But let vs follow him as the Prophet Elisha follovved his Maister Eliah vvhom hauing once found hee would neuer againe goe from him Let vs walke with Dauid in one way that wee may bee partakers with him of one happy and blessed end O Lord. This verse containes a two-fold protestation In the first hee protests that God was his portion In the second that hee had determined to keepe the word of GOD. And this hee conceiues in such manner that hee directs his speech to God Laying open his heart to God he dare make bold out of a good conscience that God was his portion It is a thing common to all sorts of men to speake of God but to speake to him is a grace proper to his children euen to them onely Either the vvicked dare not come vnto him their conscience beeing so euill that it is afraide to looke vnto the Lord no otherwise then a wounded eye which can not behold the light or if at any time forced by necessity they would yet they cannot come to him beeing voyde of faith without which there can be no prayer Accesse to the throne of grace that vvee may speake with God while wee are in the bodie is the first degree of eternall life hee shall neuer be afraid to goe out of the body and ascend to the Lord who when he was in the body went vp by prayer and got accesse to the Lord. This is the comfort of the children of God that sometime they get such ioyfull accesse to God by prayer that they wish and desire that their soule at that same instant might goe out of their bodie vvith their supplication 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vt simul egrediatur anima cum precatione But who is this that glories the Lord was his portion Euen Dauid a King of a most mightie people of a florishing kingdome and a fertile land flowing with milke and hony but in this hee reioyceth not all his comfort is heere that God was his portion This I marke to make those worldlings ashamed who haue lesse portions of the earth then Dauid had and yet reioyce so in them that they neglect altogether the Lord their God They brag with Nabuchadnezzer of their buildings Is not this great Babel that I haue built for honour of my Maiestie They talke foolishlie with Nabal Shall I take my flesh and my bread and giue away As if all that they haue were their owne And they glorie with that Glutton when their Garners and Barnes are full Novv my soule thou hast enough for many daies but a short time shall declare that they haue nothing at all who haue not the Lord to be their portion Now that wee may be mooued to make this same election which heere Dauid makes let vs first consider the louing kindnesse of the Lord our God toward vs who passing by all his creatures hath set his hart vpon man all things hee hath made for man and man for himselfe and for no other thing beside himselfe This is euident in the creation when hee had made his glorious works the first second third fourth and fift daies hee considered them all in their kinds and saw they were very good but still he proceeded to create more and could not rest till he had made man When man was created then is it said that the Lord rested No sight of the creature could content the Lord till hee had seen man all the thoughts of the diuine mind aymed at him When the Lord had created man as the perfection of his workes the compend of his creatures and the end wherevnto he looked in creating all other creatures then it is said that hee rested O man where-with shalt thou require the kindnesse of the Lord thy GOD but by resoluing with Dauid that thou wilt choose none for
thy portion but the Lord. Whom haue I in heauen but thee And I haue desired none in the earth with thee Let vs looke to the creatures consider how they are very good let vs vse them also but so that we remember alway how with them a greater good then they are is offred vnto vs namely that good GOD that made them What is the creature if it be compared with him that made it Can the vvorke of a mans hand bee so excellent as man that made it And vvhy then shouldst thou thinke that there is either beautie or vertue in a creature for which it should bee more desired and loued then the Lord vvho made it Pulchrum coelum pulchra terra sed pul chrior qui fâ—…cit illa Ethnicks saw by the light of Nature specially the Platoniques that whatsoeuer good is in the creature it is but Splendor quidam summi illius boni a certaine beame of that great and infinite good which is in God and that then onely was the good which is in the creature rightlie vsed when by it men learned to goe vp and returne to the Creator But alas such is our wretched corruption that the same things which should cary vs vpward toward God drawe vs downe and we are oftentimes so snared with the loue of the creature that wee forget the Creator not that any blame is in the creature but as I saide in our owne corrupt nature for euery creature in the own kind sends vs to him that made it speaking with such a voice as it hath Seeke not rest nor contentment from vs Goe vp and seeke it in him that made vs no contentment no satisfaction haue wee to giue you The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing This then is the first motiue that as the Lord would not rest till hee had made man so man is bound of his dutie neuer to rest till he find the Lord. The other motiue is It is impossible that man can get rest or contentment to his soule in any thing but in the Lord his God Man vvas made for God and to the image of God and therefore can no other thing fill and content the desires of his soule but GOD himselfe Caeteris rebus occupari potest repleri non potest Other things may busie and vex the spirit of man but cannot fill or replenish it Fecisti nos Domine propter te semper in quietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te thou madest vs ô Lord for thy selfe and our hart is alway vnquiet till it rest in thee As the point of the Mariners compasse touched with the Adamant trembles euer till it be directed toward the North so doth the hart of man till it bee directed to the Lord. And as the Doue which Noah sent forth of the Aâ—…ke went flying abroad and could find no rest for the sole of her foot the earth being couered with waters till she returned againe to Noah so the soule of man may goe through the world caried in the body as a chariot or otherwise flee abroad and view al the creatures vpon the wings of contemplation but it shall find no place of rest no creature to content it till it returne to the Lord. Otherwise anguish of spirit and sore tribulation shall be the portion thereof But heere it is demaunded whether or no is this preiudiciall to the rest of Gods children that Dauid saith The Lord is his portion I answer no manner of way for the Lord shall not be the lesse the portion of one that feares him because he is the portion of another hee is sufficient for all Earthly heritages are the lesse when they are communicated to many and therefore oftentimes is there stâ—…ife among them about the diuision heere it is not so there needs no contention about the diuision of this inheritance one shal not haue the lesse because another hath much the Lord shall bee all in all euery one of his Saints shall be filled with his glory Wee see the Sunne in the firmament shineth vnto all the vvorld neither is there any man who thinks that the light is the lesse because it is common to many If GOD haue created the Sunne with such maruailous wisedome that the light thereof is not the lesse to euery one because it is common to many what may wee looke to find in himselfe The generall vse of this towards vs all is to assure vs of our election If from our heart wee haue made this choise that we can say in sinceritie with Dauid O Lord thou art my portion we may be assured that first of all hee did choose vs to bee his inheritance Yee haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you saith Christ. Heerein is loue saith Saint Iohn not that wee loued him first but that hee loued vs. If the Lord had not chosen vs to be his peculiar people we should neuer haue chosen him to be our portion The particular vse of it is first to those vvho are poore in worldly things let this comfort them that GOD is become their portion The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want vvhat matter is it who haue the greatest measure of Gods mooueables sith the permanent goods of the inheritance are ours His mooueables I call the things of this world which goe from hand to hand the permanent good is himselfe his fauour his loue toward vs in Christ Iesus It was the infirmitie of our father Abraham when the Lord said vnto him Feare not I shall be thy buckler and exceeding great reward that hee answered What canst thou giue mee Lord seeing I goe childlesse As if this were no more then all children or gifts temporall whatsoeuer that the Lord promised to giue himselfe to him for a reward It is marked in him that by his weakenesse wee may learne to gather wisedom and strength neuer to thinke vvee can vvant any thing seeing we haue the Lord himselfe for our portion The other particular vse of it is toward those who haue receiued a greater measure of worldly things from the Lord if with it they haue also grace to loue and feare him Let them knowe they haue gotten a double portion which obligeth them in a double seruice beyond their brethren I wish of God men of honour in the world professors of the Gospel could shew as much holy zeale for the maintenance of the gospel which is the testimony of God witnessing that he is become their father and portion in Christ as they can declare carnall zeale against those that would preiudice them in the smallest portion of their earthly inheritances yea for a foote bredth of their land But this is the time wherin men are fallen from their former zeale not onelie is the fruite decaied but the leaues also are fallen away and there is no courage
for the truth I haue determined to keepe thy word This he brings in by way of probation of that which hee said in the former words Many wil say with Dauid that God is their portion but heere is the poynt how doe they proue it If God be their portion then they would loue him if they loued him they would loue his word if they loued his word they would liue by it and make it a rule of their life If it were demaunded of these bastard Christians as Chrysostome enquired of the like Wherby shall I know you to be Christians their onely defence behoued to stand in their tongue for if yee looke to the works of their hands yee shall not discerne them from Infidels Looke to their eating and drinking they are like Epicures look to their garments they are vaine-glorious looke to their feet they delight in any place more then in the courts of the Lords house Is not this then a small defence all the parts of their conuersation testifie against them onely their words speak for them let them beware for this will bee no sufficient proofe of true Christianitie when God shall iudge them Hee saith not onely that hee will keepe Gods word but he had determined to keepe it Many enter into religion but not vpon determination these doe no otherwise saith our Sauiour then if a man should goe to battell and not consider if he may fight it out or as if a man should build a house and not lay his count whether or no he is able to finish it for this man leaues it at the last with more shame then if he had not begun it so fareth it with many who embrace religion lightly and as lightly fall away from it they not beeing rooted nor grounded nor built vpon Christ Iesus Three helps of a godly life are heere vsed by Dauid the first is Determination this makes a man to begin well The second is Supplication this makes a man to continue well The third is Consideration and this makes a man when hee goes wrong to come home againe to his determination He that begins to liue well not laying his grounds by Determination is easily altered and hee that vpon Determination beginneth to do well if by instant prayer he obtaine not grace from God shall ouer readily faint and fall away for what are best purposes if grace from aboue strengthen vs not to performe them but vanishing motions And in the third roome because in many things we sin all wee haue need of Consideration whereby we doe examine our waies and returne againe to our first course when wee haue wandred from it VER 58. I haue made my supplication in thy presence with my whole hart be mercifull to mee according to thy promise THese words stand of a protestation and prayer They teach vs to second our determinations vvith prayers both because our purposes shall perish if God blesse them not as Psal. 127 as also for that Satan then doth most busily impugne vs when hee sees wee haue most resolutely concluded to serue the Lord. Three things are to be obserued in Dauids praier 1. His reuerence 2. His sinceritie 3. His faith His reuerence is heere that he made his supplication in Gods presence if we did so thinke when we go to pray we goe to shew our selues in Gods presence how would it humble vs in our selues make vs reuerent toward God Wee know what we do when we come before Kings of the earth wee prepare our selues wee come with the reuerence of Hester to Ahasuerus of Bathsheba to Dauid and good reason so we should doe But how much are we bound to do as Abraham did when wee come before the Lord to remember wee are but dust ashes and that it is a great benefit that wee should get license to speake to the Righteous Iudge of all the world And this reuerence our Sauiour commends vnto vs when in the preface of the prayer which he hath taught vs he remembers vs that our father to whom we speak is in heauen we should not be rash with our mouth nor hasty in our hart to vtter a thing before God For God saith Salomon is in heauen and we are in the earth Let faith mooue our harts to goe to him when we haue neede let feare bridle vs that we be not suddaine but first temper our harts ere wee speake with our tongue to so reuerent a Maiestie It is abhomination to offer vnto the Lord the Sacrifice of fooles that is words without affection and yet alas how often doth our infirmitie miscarie vs to doe so Magni certè ingenij est seuocare mentem à sensibus cogitationem à consuetudine abducere It is a worke of great difficultie in prayer to sunder our soule frō our senses and to withdrawe our cogitations from their custome The second thing to be obserued in his praier is his sinceritie in these words With my vvhole hart Hypocrisie is a vile sinne in dealing with men but much more abhominable when by it men presume to mocke the Lord making a shew in his presence of that which they are not Rebecca decked vp Iacob in so subtile a maner that Isaac his father mistooke him but Satan now pranks vp his coūterfet Christians in more subtil maner for there Isaac tooke some notice of him by his voice but now men haue learned to speak so cunningly and Christian-like that hardly can a man think how a false hart should lodge vnder so faire a tongue But let not men deceiue themselues God wil not be deceiued his eyes are not dimme as Isaacs but liuely quick and pearcing like vnto flames of fire he can see they are but a potshard ouer laid with siluer drosse and a little time shall discouer them Certum est nihil simulatum aut fictum verae esse virtutis sed nec diuturnum for it is sure that a counterfeit thing can neuer haue solid vertue nor continuance in it Let vs studie with Dauid to make our hart good vpright before God The third thing to be marked in his prayer is his faith grounded vpon the promises of God in these words Be mercifull vnto me according to thy promise He protested before that he sought the Lord from his whole hart and now he prayeth he may find mercie So it is indeede boldlie may that man looke for mercy at Gods hand vvho seekes him truely there Mercie and Truth meet together and embrace one another where truth is in the soule to seeke there cannot be but mercie in GOD to embrace If truth be in vs to confesse our sinnes forsake them wee shal find mercy in God to pardon and forgiue them Again we see that as our prayers should be sent vp in Christes name so shold they be groūded on Gods promises It is a shame that the prayers of many Christians
light of his countenaunce vpon his owne and make the dewe of his grace to fall vpon them Yea if we our selues when we were enemies were reconciled how much more now beeing reconciled shall we be saued And this as it serues to confirme the godlie that the whole earth is full of Gods goodnes so doth it also convince the wicked of a blind stupiditie Euery creature hath in it some note of Gods goodnes and yet they cannot see it they looke to heauen they walke vpon earth they breathe in the ayre they warme at the fire euery moment they vse Gods creatures but neuer see nor feele his his goodnesse in them to lift vp their harts and praise him for them TETH VER 65. O Lord thou hast dealt graciously with thy seruaunt according to thy word IN the verse following Dauid seekes mercy in this hee giues thankes for mercy receiued Mercies receiued as they should be returned with praise to him who gaue theÌ„ so should they confirme our harts in an expectation of greater to bee receiued It is not with God as it is with man a man the more he giueth the lesse he hath it is not so with the Lord. Among men this is a reason as they alledge why they should not giue I haue giuen you already why then doe yee trouble mee any more but it is not so with God the treasures of his grace can neuer be emptied whom he loues he loues vnto the end and to him that hath hee giueth more Yea all that now wee get hee willeth vs to receiue as an earnest or a pledge of greater good hee hath to giue vs. So Dauid confirmes himselfe Psalme 23. that because the Lord had beene a Shepheard to him in time by-gone hee gathers this conclusion Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercy shall follow me all the daies of my life But how saith Dauid did God deale graciously with him seeing hee did humble him from his youth with many sore afflictions These agree very well together for the Lord is most louing when he chastiseth EtiaÌ„ in seueritate est bonitas Dei vt recurrat vnusquisque castigatus pedem referat à peccatis ad tramitem bonamque conuersationem reuertatur euen in seueritie Gods gracious goodnesse appeares in that hee vvho is chastised returnes from his sinnes to the right trade of a godlie conuersation Will any man accuse a Physition of cruelty because hee cutteth away the rotten member vvith yron or burnes with fire a fretting canker Or shall the Master bee blamed for correcting his negligent Disciple that hee may make him more diligent and attentiue to learning Sic castigare amantis est non execrantis ideo bonitatis est noncrudelitatis so to chastise is the vvorke of one that loueth not that hateth there is no crueltie in that but gratious goodnesse And albeit these chastisements seeme not sweete for the present yet afterward as the Apostle saith they bring the quiet fruite of righteousnesse to them vvho are thereby exercised And therefore Dauid still craueth to bee taught of GOD the same manner of way Sciebat namque Propheta disciplinae vtilitatem because hee had learned by experience vvhat great good Gods discipline doth to the soule of a man Yee may perceiue by this how Dauid kept remembrances of the seuerall proofes of Gods fauour shewed vnto him in performing to him the promised kingdome and in deliuering him from many outward and inward temptations Thus the children of GOD keepe with themselues memorials of mercie receiued for albeit the time of the full performance of Gods promises bee not yet come yet doth he performe so much of them as binds vs in all conscience to remember his praises who is a most true and mercifull God vnto vs. Thy seruaunt Dauid frequently delights in this stile Hee found that his greatest comfort stood in the seruing of GOD in a good conscience and if we do not so with what boldnes can we looke for comfort from him in the day of our trouble or houre of death who made no conscience of his seruice Yea rather iustly may the Lord giue vs that fearefull answer which he gaue to the rebellious Iewes wheÌ„ they sought his help in the day of their distresse Goe vnto the gods whoÌ„ yee haue serued and let them deliuer you According to thy vvord Naturall men will not belieue that GOD will doe according to his vvord they haue it in derision The vision say they is but wind In so dooing they highly offend the maiestie of GOD imputing this note of dishonestie vnto him That hee is not so good as his word but in experience they shall find the contrary The godly shall find the truth of his word in mercie as Ezechias did so shall they praise him The Lord hath said it and the Lord hath done it but the wicked shal find it in iudgement Your Fathers vvhere are they and doe the Prophets liue for euer But did not my word and my Statutes vvhich I commaunded by my seruaunts the Prophets take hold on your Fathers And they returned and said As the Lord of hosts hath determined to doe vnto vs according to our ovvne waies and works so assuredly hath he dealt with vs. So shall all the wicked find at the length that as God hath a mouth to speak so hath he a hand to execute it Then shall they discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked between him that serueth God and him that serueth him not VER 66. Teach mee good iudgement knowledge for I haue beleeued thy coÌ„maundements THis verse containes a prayer with a reason In the prayer he beseecheth God to teach him good iudgement The word Tob Tagnam signifieth the goodnesse of taste so Vatablus Bonitatem sensus doce me The naturall sense of tasting is heere by a Metaphortranslated to signifie iudgement and vnderstanding and that because as taste discernes meat makes choise of vvhat is to bee sent into the stomacke â—…o the vnderstanding discernes betweene truth to be embraced and falshood to be reiected This is the grace for which the Apostle prayeth to the Philippians I pray that yee may abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that yee may discerne things which are excellent This is a rare grace For many by the iudgement of light knowes what is good and what is euill who knowe it not by the iudgement of taste for if by sense they felt the bitternesse of sinne and sweetnesse of righteousnesse they wold not so loue the one set light by the other as they doe And againe this puts a difference between that knowledge which wee haue in this life and that which we shall haue in the life to come Now we haue but a taste then shall we be filled and satisfied with his image now wee knowe but in part heereafter wee shall knowe fully now we
walke by faith then wee shall walke by sight now we haue but the earnest of the Spirit but in heauen wee shall be filled with his graces and receiue the principall summe Now that Dauidâ—…o â—…o frequentlie and feruentlie desires the Lord to teach him see ver 34. For I belieue Sometime Dauid brings the reason of his petition from Gods mercy goodnesse righteousnesse power and so forth sometime againe from himselfe as from his loue his feare his faith in God and some such like It is not sufficient to seeke from God because of that which he is wee must also consider what vvee are otherwise as Iehu said vnto one demanding Is it peace What hast thou to doe vvith peace So may it bee answered to vs Though the Lord bee good and gracious and mercifull yet vvhat is that vnto vs if vvee bee such as beleeue not in him loue him not and feare him not VER 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keepe thy word IN this verse Dauid protests that the chastisements of God had made him more godlie Euthymius thinks Dauids meaning is that his sinnes had made him more humble This is true in the godly that their sinnes humble them and make them more godly as is euident in S. Paule but the former sense is most agreeable to these words as ye may perceiue ver 71. As the Philistims could not vnderstand Samsons riddle How sweet came out of the sowre and meat out of the eater so can not worldlings vnderstand what comfort is in the Crosse or what profit comes by afflictions But certaine it is there is none truly godlie but they will testifie this that either they first learned Religion or at least vvere confirmed in it by some notable crosse But this is to be vnderstood of sanctified crosses vvith the vvhich GOD ioynes grace such a Crosse changeth the nature of it and is not Poena sed remedium delinquentis a punishment of sinne but a remedie Otherwise as of their owne nature afflictions are euill being the fruits of sinne so they bring out euill fruites in the wicked as impatience murmuring blasphemie for if euen good things become euill vnto them what maruaile that by those which are euil they become worse But now I keepe thy word To be afflicted and not purged by affliction to be striken vvith the roddes of God and no correction to follow is an argument of fearefull induration As siluer metall put in the fire if nothing come of it but dross is found to be reprobat siluer so these men who are not fined in the fornace of affliction if they so continue shall be found reprobate men the lead is consumed the bellowes are burnt but their wickednesse is not taken from them Alas how many are there such among vs of whoÌ„ the Lord may complaine Wherefore should yee be smitten any more for yee fall away more and more God hath strooken them with Pestilence beside many other roddes he hath marked their bodies with the Byle but after their deliuerance they haue become more profane then euer they were before as if now they had escaped all wrath of God and no plague after this could ouer-take them sith the Pestilence had not deuoured them But as Esau spake of his fathers blessings Hast thou but one blessing my father so doe wee wish them consider of Gods plagues Hath the Lord but one plague The Sodomits escaped the sword of Chedarlaomer and the perill of the Lime-pits but they perished with fire from heauen And the Israelites who drowned not in the Red sea because they repented not many of them were stinged to death by fiery SerpeÌ„ts So the wicked escaping some heauie iudgement and still continuing in their sins are but reserued to a worse as if one flying a Beare should be deuoured of a Lyon for the last plague of God is euer heauiest to the impenitent VER 68. Thou art good and gracious teach mee thy statutes HE repeates his former petition desiring againe that God would teach him And no maruaile he frequently makes this prayer Diuinae doctrinae auidus couetous of heauenly instruction for he had not onely himselfe to gouerne in his priuat conuersation but being called to be a gouernour of others he prayeth so much the more earnestly that God would teach and gouerne him The reason is taken from Gods goodnesse in himselfe his beneficence toward his creature Bonus es beneficus When we haue to do with men we labour by praysing them to conciliate their fauour and oftentimes we praise them for that which is not in them but we would wish to be in them or else in so praysing them admonishing them what they should be Quanto magis Deo laus sua est deferenda cuius proprium est vt bonus sit qui nisi bonus esset super terram stare quis possit How much more should Gods owne praise be giuen to himselfe whose propertie it is to be good yea goodnesse it selfe And if he were not good none vpon earth could stand before him And it is this goodnesse of God that moues him to be beneficiall gratious to his creature Omne enim bonum est Communicatiuum sui for euery good thing communicates the selfe vnto another And as it excels in goodnesse so excels it in this vertue of communicating the selfe vnto others as ye see the Sunne which is a most excellent light doth aboue all 〈◊〉 lights communicate his light to other 〈◊〉 And if so it be with the creatures which are good how much more with the Creator who is goodnes it selfe And this is the reason whereby our Sauiour confirmes vs If ye who are euill can giue good thinges to your children how much more shall your heauenly Father who is good giue good things to them that seeke from him And surely if wee knew with Dauid how good the Lord is in himselfe how gracious and beneficent to them who wait vpon him we would account it a greater blessing then we doe to be in fellowship with him and would testifie it by a more carefull seeking of his fauour by prayer VER 69. The proud haue imagined a lie against me but I wil keep thy precepts with my whol hart HE professeth here again his constancy in religion amplifying it by this circumstance that albeit hee was hated persecuted by wicked men yet still he followed after godliness Here we haue three things First who were Dauids enemies Proud men Secondly how they did warre against him by lies Thirdly how they trimmed their lies To the first it is manifest by Dauids example how the godly are exercised with the continuall inimitie of the wicked Quanto magis quis Deo seruice â—…esiderat tanto magis in se excitat aduersarios yea the more a man sets himselfe to serue God the more stirs hee
vp Sathan and his instruments to be aduersaries vnto him No band of nature can conioyne them whom grace hath not conioyned Iacob Esau both gotten of one father Isaac both borne of one mother Rebecca lying both together in one wombe yet euen there doe they fight together Let vs neuer looke for peace where God hath proclaimed warre the world wil hate vs bicause we are not of the world Let vs neuer be dismaied when we are crossed by them but rather so much the more comforted being assured that while as wicked men are enemies to vs for a good cause we are vpon that side whereof Christ is Captaine his Saints are souldiers and victory is most certaine Neither is it without cause that wicked men are so commonly called proud men for pride is the mother of all rebellion against God and man By pride Satan and his confederat Apostats vsurped to be like vnto God and by the same sin he drew man into the similitude of his condemnation so that now euery man by nature is a proud man which makes him shake off the yoke of God and without regard transgress the limits of obedience appointed to him by God As Pharaâ—… would not let Israel go til the Lord slew his first borne so our nature now corrupted shall neuer render obedience to God nor loue to man til the first borne sin that is pride be subdued by grace Forgrace on the contrary euer works humility so soone as the eyes of Gods children are opened to see their sinnes they abhorre themselues the combe of their naturall pride is pulled downe and they abase themselues before God and man It was the humble speech of Abraham the great father of the faithfull I am but dust and ashes it was the voyce of Iacob I am not worthy of the least of Gods mercies Dauid hath the like Who am I Lord Gedeons voyce My fathers house is the least in all Israel and the Baptist who receiued this praise That a greater Prophet was not among the children of women acknowledged in humility That he was not worthy to loose the latchet of Christs shooe the Centurion confessed hee was not worthy that Christ should come vnder his roofe Saint Peters voyce was Depart from me for I am a sinfull man S. Pauls I am not worthy to be called an Apostle yea he confessed plainely he was the least of all the Apostles and the chiefe of all sinners Thus all the children of God giue glory to God by downe-casting themselues And if ye will go thorough all the examples of the booke of God ye shall finde that they who haue beene greatest in Gods estimation haue beene alway smallest in their owne eyes the heart which hath receiued most from God 〈◊〉 thinking least of it selfe Alye The 〈◊〉 â—…cumstance is hâ—…re shewing with what 〈◊〉 proude did fight against him namely with lyes Satans two armes by which hee wrestles against the godlie are violence and lyes vvhere hee cannot or dare not vse violence there be sure he will not faile to fight with lyes And herein doth the Lord greatly shew his carefull prouidence in fencing his children against Satans malice and the proud bragges of his instruments in such sort that their proudest harts are forced to forge lyes their malice beeing so great that they must doe euill and yet their power so bridled that they cannot doe what they would The third circumstance is in the words they haue imagined Vatablus translates it Concinnarunt mendacia So Tremel They haue trimmed vp lyes As Satan can transforme himselfe to an Angel of light so can hee trimme vp his lies vnder couerings of truth to make them the more plausible vnto men And indeed this is no small temptation when lyes made against the godlie are trimmed vp with the shadowes of truth and wicked men couer their vnrighteous dealings with appearances of righteousnes Thus not only are the godly vniustly persecuted but simple ones are made to beleeue that they haue most iustly deserued it In this case the godly are to sustaine themselues by the testimonie of a good conscience But I will keepe thy precepts Dauids enemies fought against him by lies Hee takes him to the obedience of Gods word Wee should not fight against the wicked with their owne armour rendring one wrong for another a lie for a lie rebuke for rebuke no more then Dauid could fight against Goliah with Saul his armor which was like vnto the armor of Goliah If we encounter Satan with his owne armour he shall soone ouerthrowe vs for by striking lying euil doing we are deadly wounded But to the weapons of flesh we must oppose the weapons of the spirit ouerocmming after the manner of our Lord the furie of men with our patience their persecutions vvith our prayers their euill with our good so shall we either winne them vnto vs or else heape coales of fire on their heads With my whole hart See ver 2. 10. 34. 58. 69. VER 70. Their hart is fat as grease but my delight is in thy law DAuid makes here an oppositioÌ„ between his disposition and the disposition of his enemies shewing how their hart vvas become fat and senselesse through their worldlie wealth but he being humbled by the rods of the Lord had his delight in the law of God counted more of it then thousands of gold and siluer When the godly looke into their owne harts or vp vnto GOD they see in themselues such a power of corruption as humbles them and makes them account themselues the cheefe of all sinners but vvhen they looke to the effects of Gods grace in them working a renouation which is not in the wicked then ariseth to them matter of reioycing That which the Pharisee in the pride of his heart spake of the Publican the penitent Publican in humilitie and a good conscience may turne ouer to the Pharisee I thanke God I am not like this Pharisee For the Christian by the light of God seeing the miserable estate of the wicked they could wish as St. Paul did to Agrippa that the wicked were like vnto them but would not change their state of grace with the most honourable estate that worldlings can haue on earth without grace In this that hee saith their heart was fatte as grease hee noteth two things First that they abounded in worldly wealth Next that their hart was become fat senselesse and voyd of feeling Quaedam veluti crassities occupat coruÌ„ corda vt stupidi sint in sua obstinatione neque Deum curent audeantque simul contra seruos eius insurgere a certaine grossenes possesseth their harts which makes them senseless in obstinacy It is the principal blessing of the new couenant to haue a soft feeling melting hart like the hart of good Iosiah but a hard hart called a stony hart an adamantine and stubborne hart is a
nothing on earth more pretious then hee Sed in eo quod non videtur multo pulchrior est but in that which is not seene namely his soule hee is much more beautifull So ye see Dauids reasoning is very effectuall all one as if he should say as he doth elswhere Opus manuum tuarum ne deseras Te authorem conuenio te teneo conditorem aliena praesidia non quaro Forsake not ô Lord the worke of thine hands thou art my author and maker thine help I seek and the helpe of none other No man can rightly seeke good things from God if he consider not what good the Lord hath already done to him But many are in this poynt so ignorant that they knowe not how wonderfully God did make them and therefore can neither blesse him nor seeke from him as from their Creator and conseruer But this argument drawne from our first creation no man can righly vse it but he who is through grace partaker of the second creation for all the priuiledges of our first creation we lost them by our fall So that now by nature it is no comfort to vs nor matter of our hope that GOD did make vs but rather matter of our feare and distrust that wee haue mismade ourselues haue lost his image and are not now like vnto that which God created vs in the beginning Giue mee vnderstanding Dauid knew that a man without vnderstanding were hee of neuer so noble bloud or comely of personage he is but a companion of beasts and therefore the Spirit of GOD commonly giues the stile of a man vnto man eyther made or restored to the image of God But a man destitute of that image Aut serpentem aut equum aut vulpeculam aut iumentum vocare consueuit he cals either a serpent or a horse or a foxe or a beast That I may learne Hee sheweth heer what is the vnderstanding which he craued namelie that hee might learne to obey the commaundements of God It is not wisedome in Gods account for a man to knowe all other things and be ignorant of himselfe neither is this learning to haue knowledge of all Sciences and secrets of Nature and to be without godlinesse This is the beginning of all wisedome To feare GOD and the Art of Arts to practise pietie To this purpose said Ambrose Quid tam obscurum quam de Astronomia tractare profundi aeris spatia metiri relinquere causam salutis error is quaerere Where if saith hee it be obiected Was not Moses learned in all the learning of the Egyptians let it be answered So hee was but hee thought all this wisedom losse and foolishnesse in comparison and turned to seeke GOD with inward affection Ideoque vidit interrogavit audiuit loquentem Deum hee saw therefore hee asked and heard God speaking vnto him VER 74. So they that feare thee seeing me shal reioyce because I trusted in thee THe godly in ordering their life haue a respect first vnto God that he may haue glory Next to themselues that in conformitie with God they may haue peace and comfort And thirdly vnto his neighbour to giue vnto him that is godly matter of ioy and edification by his godly life according to that precept of our Sauiour Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your godly conuersation may glorifie your Father who is in heauen Beside this appeareth the great power vertue of godlines that euen the very sight of a godlie man ministers ioy to the godly terror to the wicked Plerisque iusti aspectus admonitio correctionis est perfectioribus verò laetitia to many men the sight of a righteous man is a warning of correction For they are admonished what neede they haue to amend their life that they may be like vnto him but to such as haue profited more in godlinesse it is alway a matter of ioy Quam pulchrum ergo si videaris prosis How excellent a thing then is this that as oft as thou art seene so oft thou doost good And againe there is such a fellowshippe and communion among all the liuely members of Christ his mystical bodie that they mourne together they reioyce together the grace of God cōmunicated to one is a cause of ioy to al the rest Bonis enim insitū est vt virtutes su as in alijs amēt It is the propertie of the godly to loue those vertues in others which either they haue or would in themselues to enuy the good of another and be grieued thereat is a diuellish thing Infirme Iosua may murmure when Medad and Eldad prophecie in the assembly of the people but meeke Moses shall reioyce and wish that all the Lords people did prophecie in like manner Because I trusted in thee Gods working with any one of his seruants is a confirmation of all the rest for what hee is to one that feares him he is vnto all that feare him So that mercy shewed to any penitent and promises performed to any beleeuing man should confirme vs in the assurance of the like fauour of God to bee found by our selues if we also repent and beleeue in him VER 75. I knowe O Lord that thy iudgements are right and that thou hast afflicted mee iustlie THis Verse consists of a thankesgiuing wherin he ascribes to the Lord the praise of truth and righteousnesse in afflicting him Many vse to praise God in prosperity who in time of trouble impatient of his heauie hand murmure against him but such as are truly godly do then blesse the Lord most heartily when he seems to deale with them most hardly giuing him the praise of equity and acknowledging that his greatest rodds are not so great as their sins as also the praise of fidelity that according to his word he afflicts his children for no other cause but to purge them and make them more capable of grace and consolation I know How is this seeing the Apostle saith Rom. II. that the iudgements of God are vnsearchable and his waies past finding out The answer is Dauid doth not so speake as if he were priuy to al the secret waies of God but that thus much hee knew in generall that all his iudgements whereby he strikes eyther the godly or the wicked were all right suppose the causes and particular ends of them were secret And this knowledge is learned out of the word The Lord is righteous in all his workes and holy in all his wayes And againe All the wayes of God are mercie and truth to them that feare him And againe All things worke for the best to them that loue him And it is the want of this knowledge that makes vs oftentimes to murmure or faint and be discouraged at the works of God apprehending in our ignorance that to be euill which in Gods working is good and directed to a good end For if
wee saw the end of Gods worke which is euer his glorie the good of his Church and euery member therof we would not offend at his workes whereby he works that end a way that is vnpleasant to vs because it is vnknowne to vs. That thy iudgement The iudgement of God is taken in two significations first for the plagues whereby hee punisheth wicked men in his anger proportionall to their sinnes And this iudgement Dauid declines Psal. 143. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant Secondly for the roddes and corrections wherewith hee chastiseth his owne children And these are called iudgements because iudiciously he measures and moderates them according as the state of his children requires not powring out the ful viol of his wrath as he doth on the wicked but proffering a temperate cup to be drunken by his owne as their weakenesse may beare it And in this sense Ambrose speaking of Gods chastisements sayes Omnia Dei iudicio fiunt That hee sends sickenesse rather then health pouertie and not wealth it is because in his most iudicious consideration hee findes it expedient that it should be so Thus then wee see how among many other differences betweene the afflictions of the godly and the wicked they differ also these two wayes first in measure Hath hee smitten Iacob as hee smote those that smote him No no hee powers a violl on the one but proâ—…ereth a moderate cuppe to the other secondly in the end for the one hee strikes for punishment the other for purgation And that thou hast 〈◊〉 mee iustlie More of this see ver 7. 20. 30. 39. 43. 52. 62. 75. 67. 107. VER 76. I pray thee that thy mercie may comfort me according to thy promise made to thy seruant IN the former Verse hee acknowledged the Lord had afflicted him now in this he prayeth the Lord to comfort him This is strange that a man should seeke comfort at the same hand that strikes him it is the worke of faith Nature will neuer teach vs to doe it Come and let vs returne to the Lord for he hath spoyled and he will heale vs he hath wounded and he will binde vs vp Againe wee see that the crosses which God layes on his children are not to confound nor to consume them only to prepare them for greater consolations With this Dauid sustained himselfe against Shimei his cursing The Lord will looke on my affliction and doe me good for this euill with this our Sauiour comforts his Disciples Your mourning shall be turned into ioy As the last estate of Iob was better then his first so shall the Lord render more to his children at the last then now at the first he takes from them let vs therefore beare his crosse as a preparatiue to comfort According to thy promise Dauid had a particular promise of a particular benefit to weet the kingdome of Israel And this promise God performed vnto him but his comfort stood not in it For Saul before him had the kingdom but the promises of mercy belonged not to him and therfore when God forsooke him his kingdom could not sustaine him But Dauid heere depends vpon the general promises of Gods mercie made to his children wherein hee acknowledgeth a particular promise of mercie made to him For the generall promises of mercy and grace made in the Gospel faith makes them particular to euery beleeuer Of this see verse 41. 58. 76. 170. VER 77. Let thy tender mercy come vnto mee that I may liue for thy law is my delight HE prayed before for mercy now againe he prayeth for mercy The children of God haue such an earnest and feruent desire of mercy that what-euer sense therof they get they still cry for more and sure it is in this life they can neuer be satisfied Neuertheless happy are they who now hunger thirst for hereafter they shal be satisfied And when I awake I shal be satisfied with thine image But if we marke more narrowly we shall find that Dauid heere seekes another sort of mercie then he sought before For first he sought mercie to forgiue his sinnes then he sought mercy to comfort him in his troubles now hee seekes mercy to liue and sinne no more Alas many seek the first mercy of remission and the second mercy of consolation in trouble who are altogether carelesse of the third mercy to liue well It is a great mercy of GOD to amend thy life where this is not let no man think he hath receiued either of the former Magna est miseratio Dei quae non solem remissionem tribuit peccatoruÌ„ sed etiam certantibus addit calcaria vt in suscepto certamine pergant It is a great mercie of God which not onely pardons euill that is done but strengthens vs also to further good that we haue not done and this is the mercy which here Dauid seekes For thy law is my delight Of this reason see verse 70. VER 78. Let the proud be ashamed for they haue dealt wickedly and falsely with mee DAuid here praieth not against the person of his enemies but against their course their false wicked dealing against him Or rather as we may think with Basile Orat pro inimicis The reason hereof is giuen by Ambrose Pudor enim plerumque corrector est nostri dum incipit nos pudere commissi ne diutius pudeat deserere quaeerubescenda sunt admonemur For shame oftentimes corrects our waies when wee thinke shame of that which we haue done we are admonished not to doe that againe which may make vs more asham'd in time to com For where a gentle shame cannot moue men to amend it is a iust recompense of God to poure vpon them shame with contempt and confusion Still wee see how the Spirit of God stiles the wicked by the name of proud men for a wicked man shakes off the yoke of God and will not be subiect to his Maker and so spares not to exalt himselfe ouer men in such sort that there is nothing in man so sacred so worthy reuerence which he tramples not vnder his feet But heere is the iust recompence of his pride Let the proud be ashamed Hee would faine haue honour or preheminence which God will not giue vnto him hee flies shame contempt but God shall poure them vpon him For they haue dealt Hee complaines of the wicked and false dealing of his enemies against him and it is written to vphold vs in the like tentation For Satan is alway like himselfe hating them whom the Lord loueth hee may well be worse he can neuer be better and therfore with restlesse malice stirres he vp all his cursed instruments in whom hee raignes to persecute them who are loued and protected of the Lord. But I meditate Dauids enemies fought against him with the armour of flesh wickednesse and falshood he withstands
them by the armour of the Spirit not meeting wickednesse with wickednesse and falshood with falshood For if we fight against Satan with Satans armor he shall soone ouercome vs but if wee put vpon vs the compleat armor of God to resist him hee shall flee from vs. See ver 69. VER 79. Let such as feare thee turne vnto mee and they that know thy testimonies AS he was troubled by the wicked so hee praieth that he may find help comfort in the godly God hath ioyned his children into one happy fellowship for his Church is a communion of Saints yet so that hee hath distributed his graces to euery one of them in so wise a manner that there is not one of them who stands not in need of the help comfort of one another where one doubts another hath light to resolue where one is grieued another hath the word of consolation to vphold him where one is weake vnder any temptation the Lord hath appointed the stroÌ„ger to bear his infirmities and this is the benefit which here Dauid craues Basile so expounds these words as if Dauid for his sin had been separate from the congregation of Gods people as Miriam was for her leprosie and therfore now praies againe that he may be receiued into the communion of Gods people Which more clearly is expressed by the translation of Symmachus Conuersentur mecum timenteste Let such as feare thee haue conuersation with me and let me not be abhorred of them How-euer it be wee may see that the harts of men are in the hands of the Lord and that ma ny times godly men are made strange to other godly men Wherein the Lord hath no other respect but that our harts should not depend vpon the testimonie of man God is so iealous ouer his children wil haue their harts so wholly bound vnto himselfe that he cannot be content we shold put our comfort or seeke our approbation in any creature And in this sort did hee so humble Dauid that as hee protests Psalm 69. hee found not one to comfort him and all for this end that he might learne to comfort himselfe in the Lord his God In this description of the children of God we see how feare knowledge are required to make vp a godly man knowledge of GOD without feare breeds presumption and feare of GOD without knowledge breeds superstition as we see how the Gentiles fearing a diuinitie which they knew not haue fallen into most beastly Idolatry CAPH VER 81. My soule fainteth for thy saluation yet I wait for thy word DAuid beeing sore troubled by wicked men finding that God delaied to comfort and deliuer him was sore deiected cast downe in his owne mind so that his soule fainted his eyes failed and his body became like a bottle in the smoake All hatred and inimitie of man is easily comported where God shewes his fauorable face but when the godly are sore troubled by men and find not their soules comforted of God their strength failes them Euen as the body wanting naturall helps to refresh it becomes faint and falls in a swoune so the soule destitute of heauenly comfort languisheth For the godly liue by mercy and can no more endure to want the sense of mercy then the body can consist without those naturall means which increase and conserue the life thereof Yet doth hee neuer so faint but that some life remaines in him for he subioynes immediatlie I wait for thy word Waiting for comfort is an action of faith an effect of life As in the midst of Winter there is a substance in the Oake and Elme euen when it seemes to bee dead so is it with the Christian in his greatest extremities some spark of life remaines in him For the life oâ—… Christ Iesus whereby hee liues is of that nature that it cannot die it may be weakened but can not be extinguished For thy word In the first part of the verse hee protested that he waited for Gods saluation and now he saith he waited for Gods word Teaching vs first not to seek any thing froÌ„ God which his word warrants vs not to craue And next how we should giue such credit to the word of God as to belieue it euen then when in our sense there is no likelihood of the performance of it VER 82. Mine eyes faile for thy promise vvhen wilt thou comfort me IT is a customable manner of Gods working with his children to delay the aunswere of their prayers suspend the performance of his promises not because he is vnwilling to giue but because he will haue them better prepared to receiue Tardiùs dando quod petimus instantiaÌ„ nobis orationis indicit he is slow to giue that which we seek that we should not seeke slowly but may be wakened to instancie and feruencie in prayer which he knows to be the seruice most acceptable vnto him and most profitable vnto our selues And for this cause continuance in prayer is commended vnto vs by the Apostle VER 83. For I am like a bottle in the smoake yet doe I not forget thy statutes HEe still insists in his former complaint declaring how the greatnes of his inward anguish had extenuated worne the natural strength of his body so that hee was becom like a bottle dryed in the smoak his skin contracted withered wrinkled with the greatnes of his griefe The like he hath Psa. 32. that the moisture of his body was turned into the drouth of Sommer The troubles of the mind affect the body distemper it and the best way in such cases to mitigate bodily diseases is to pacifie the mind But again when we see the great anguish of Dauids mind and how his beautifull body was now become but a withered skin let vs consider how how hardly the Lord deales with his children whom he loues most dearly He iudgeth vs in this world that wee should not be condemned in the world to come By the fire of affliction he burns vp the superfluities of our nature which in prosperity increase vpon vs to the great hinderance of the work of our saluation And againe that he may make vs capable of heauenly coÌ„fort he takes carnal comforts away from vs for so long as we are delighted with the one we can neuer feele the consolation of the other This should learn vs not to be discouraged when in the same maner God deales hardly with vs. His rods may be sharp but his way is mercy He may doe to his children as Ioseph did to his brethren speak roughly to them and make himselfe strange toward them but his louing affection cannot euer be hid from them VER 84. How many are the daies of thy seruaunt when wilt thou execute iudgement on them that persecute me THis verse containes a supplication wherin Dauid craues that God would iudge between
him his enemies The reason hee vseth lurks in the Interrogation How manie are my daies My time is not long my dayes are but few then let them not passe comfortlesse but let me see that thou art a God of iudgement who wilt do according to thy word and men There is fruit for the righteous Verely there is a God that iudgeth righteously on the earth To shew the breuitie of mans life he reckneth it not by yeers but by daies And this consideration of the shortnes of our life Dauid vseth it as an argument somtime to moue the Lord to compassion and sometime to stirre vp himselfe to further piety godliness as we may see Psa. 39. And truly it were good for vs oftner then we doe to thinke vpon this question of Dauids How many are my daies For we are deceiued vvith the shadow of this life cōceiting it to be longer then we shall find it to be whereof it comes to passe that men are prodigall of their daies as if they would neuer be done Their rents their money their garments or any other thing they haue they spend sparingly with moderation onely they are wasters of their daies as if they had Methusalems yeeres in a treasure Let vs pray vvith Moses for grace to number our dayes that wee may apply our harts vnto wisedome When wee look to the by-gone time and see how wee haue misspent it when we looke to the time to come and see how vncertaine we are of it let vs redeem the time we haue to vse it well When wilt thou execute Dauid was far from hatred crueltie or priuate affection for in all these his petitions he was the pen-man of the holy Ghost and spake nothing of any priuate motion Where that wee may know how farre forth wee are to follow him in these let vs remember that God executes two sorts of iudgements vpon men some are preparatiues to mercy such as were inflicted vpon Saul when hee went to persecute the Saints at Damascus he was cast from his horse and strooken with blindnesse and for these we may pray that God will execute them vpon them who are sleeping in their sinnes that rather they may be wakened by Gods iudgmēts and moued to repent then perish in their impietie Others again of his iudgments are but forerunners of that great and last iudgement which he wil execute on all the wicked such as were the punishments of Caine and Iudas The first works conuersion the second confusion and for these wee can not pray against our enemies because howsoeuer their works be euill for the present yet wee know not what the Lord may doe with them heereafter Who persecute mee Dauid was a godly man approued of God and a profitable instrument to his King and Country When Saul was vexed he did mitigate his trouble with the Harpe hee slew Goliah and ouerthrew the Philistims yet ye see how he is recompenced Such commonlie is the reward which godly men gette in this world at the hands of them to whom they haue been instruments of greatest good And this persecution many waies are the wicked guiltie of The railing of Shimei against Dauid the mocking of Isaac by Ismael these the world esteemes no sinnes or very small but the Lord ranks them in among bloudie sinnes and calls them persecution learning all men not to speake euill or scorne the godly least they fal into greater sinnes then they are aware of VER 85. The proud haue digged pits for mee which is not after thy law HE insists stil in his complaint against his enemies describes them first frō the quality of their persons They were proud Next from their labor subtilty They digged pits for him Thirdly from their manifest iniquitie Their courses against him were not according to Godslaw The proud See ver 69. 21. 51. 78. 85. Haue digged pits Their labour and subtiltie whereby they oppugned Dauid is heere noted Whereby this seemes strange that a proud man should be a digger of pits but so it is that pride for a time can submit it selfe for a greater vantage ouer him whom it would tread vnder foot The wicked is so proud that he seeks not God yet hee croucheth and boweth to cause heapes of the poore fall by his might So proud Absalom abased himselfe to do all men reuerence subiecting himselfe to meanest subiects that so hee might prepare a way to vsurpation ouer his king and father But mark he saith not that he had fallen in the pits which his enemies had digged No no in Gods righteous iudgmēts the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands while the godly escape free He hath made a pit and digged it and is fallen in the pit that he made his mischiefe shall return vpon his own head his cruelty vpon his owne pate Thus Haman hanselled the gallowes which he raised for Mordecai and Saul when he thought by subtilty to slay Dauid with the Philistims sword when he sent him out to seeke two hundreth of their fore-skinnes in a dowrie was disappointed of his purpose but he himselfe at length was slaine by their sword Which is not after thy law As Dauid by this aggrauates the grosse impiety of his aduersaries so doth he also greatly comfort himselfe For why shall we be discouraged to haue these men our enemies of whom we clearely see that neyther their persons nor actions are according to Gods lawe VER 86. All thy commandements are true they persecute me falsly helpe me HEere he reasons from the equity of his cause the iniquity of his enemies vpon these sends he vp his prayer Lord helpe me As for my enemies they persecute me falsly and without a cause as for me I know thy commandements are all true and that they cannot be deceiued who depend vpon them nor yet prosper that are against them He shal neuer want comfort in trouble who cleaues vnto the word of God who euer be against vs keepe it on our side and it shall be well with vs. Againe it is to be marked that he declines no persecution but seeks Gods help in it He knew that all they who will line godly in Christ must suffer persecution Deuotionem fidei praelia persequuntur Cito fides inexercitata languescit Faith not exercised with tentation easily languishes yea sith the Lord chastises euery one whom he loues hee may iustly suspect himselfe who liues without a crosse Si desint certamina vereor ne deesse videatur quicertare desideret If there be a man who hath no battell it is to be feared least he be such a one as desires not to fight and so what can he be but a captiue of Satan But in al our persecutions let vs euer take heed that our cause be righteous and we may say They persecute me falsly potest
who out of most wholsome hearbs gather nothing but poyson For all are thy seruants From the Angel to the worme all serue him he is the Lord of Hosts let vs also serue him and then shall they serue vs. But it is both sinne and shame that where the raging water and furious fire serue God at his commaund onely man made to his own image disobeyes him And therefore againe feareful is the recompence that where it is said The Lord reioyceth in all his works of man onely the Lord said It repents mee that I made man The Lord grant it may repent vs that euer we offended so good a God and so the Lord may be pacified toward vs in Christ Iesus VER 92. Except thy law had been my delight I should now haue perished in mine affliction HE now declares vnto vs what profit hee made of his former meditatiō to weet that the certaintie of Gods word kept him that he perished not in his affliction Sith he saw it was a sure and powerful word whereby other creatures were sustained he collects it could neuer faile him so leaning vpon it he foūd him selfe vpholden by it in his greatest afflictions Let vs learne of Dauid to seeke our comfort in time of trouble out of the word of GOD for all other comfort which is sought with neglect of this comfort brings two great euils First it encreaseth griefe how-euer for a time it seeme to mitigate it And next it leaues a man destitute when he hath most need of comfort Onelie the comfort of Gods word bides with vs when all other comfort for sakes vs. My delight The word signifieth delights in the plurall number Many were the sorowes of Dauids life but against them all he found as many comforts delectations in Gods word With such varietie of holy wisedom hath God penned his word that it hath conuenient comfort for euery state of life therfore the children of God account nothing so deere as it they preferre it to their appointed foode Yea as the body cannot liue out of the owne element of aire so cannot the soule of a godly man without comfort of the word Where if it be obiected to vs by worldlings Where are those manifold delights which ye say are in the word we hear nothing but one the selfe same thing repeated vnto vs The best answer to them is Come and see Taste and consider how gracious the Lord is and yee shal find that euery repetitiō of it brings new delight And this they may learne by their naturall affection toward bodily foode which is so great that the same kind of foode where-vpon they feede this day they long for it againe to morrow and with a new appetite long to haue renewed euery day And if they were as well acquainted with the spirituall life their affection would be in the same manner renewed euery day toward the word of God For the truth is that no Monarch in the world can furnish his table with such varietie of delicates as are offred to vs in the treasures of Gods word Perished in mine affliction Dauid was a godly man and deerely beloued of the Lord his GOD yet is hee sore humbled by affliction for euen those branches which are fruitfull God will purge to make them more fruitfull Our nature is so rebellious that without sore afflictions it cannot be tamed subdued Stones cannot be squared for palace-worke without strokes of the hammer gold can not be purged and prepared for work without fire neither is corne separated from the chaffe without wind We are Gods corne let vs abide the wind of tentation to clense vs from the chaffe of our corruption Wee must suffer the fire of affliction that we may be fined and made vessels of honour for the house of God And we must be content that the hammer of God strike vpon vs to beat away our proud lumps that so we may be squared and made ready like liuely stones to be laid in heauenly Ierusalem More of this see ver 50. 52. VER 93. I will neuer forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickned me THis verse hath a protestatiō of his thankfulnes he had found life in Gods word and he resolues neuer to forget it Experientia edoct us iustificationes tu as producere vitā inextinguibilem illarū memoriā seruabo It is no maruel that they who neuer got life by the word of God haue no delight in it the excuses of men here auaile not Certain it is the cause of all contempt of Gods word is from this that men neuer found life nor comfort by it Whereof see Sect. 1. But it is worthy to be marked that he saith not the Word quickned him but God by the Word quickned him The Word was preached at one time by one Preacher S. Paul to many people assembled together at Philippi but many heard it who got not life by it onely Lydia by that Sermon had her heart opened Paul may plant Apollo may water but God must giue the increase Let vs thanke God for the word he hath giuen vs and let vs pray to God that grace may be ioyned with it so with the Gospell hauing the blessing of the Gospell it shall become the power of God to our saluation VER 94. I am thine saue me for I haue sought thy precepts MAny reasons hath Dauid vsed hitherto to mooue the Lord to bee mercifull to him but none more forcible then this I am thine A strong reason indeed where man in a good conscience can vse it for if we who are euill and weake haue a care of euery thing which is ours that we will not if we may suffer it to perish euen our garments and our houses and our cattell we haue a care to conserue them because they are our owne how great may we thinke is the Lords care toward his owne whom he tenders with greater compassion thē any earthly father can doe to his children But howsoeuer this seeme facilis vox communis Tuus sum as easie a voyce as it is common to say I am thine yet few are they who in a good conscience may say it Mentitur enim peccator si se seruum Dei nominet A man in his sinnes lies if hee say that hee is the seruant of God for to what-euer thing a man giues obedience vnto that same is hee a seruant O how many people and nations and wealthy men are there in the world Qui paupertatem putant Domino seruire who thinke it a pouertie to serue GOD Hee who is aboue all seemes nothing to them and they seeke other things with such insatiable affection as if the Lorde Iesus in whom are all things were not sufficient for them Can these men say to the Lord I am thine But these men are not the worst for yee shall finde now a bastard
So Dauid stiles the word of God because it iudgeth most righteously between right and wrong truth and falshood And secondly because according to the iudgement giuen therein God will doe Let vs take heede vnto it for the word containes a catalogue of such as shall not inherite the kingdom of God and another of such as shall dwell in Gods tabernacle let vs read and see in which of the two catalogues our selues are for according to that word will the iudgement goe VER 107. I am very sore afflicted O Lord quicken me according to thy word THe godly in al their troubles make their recourse to God in most homely manner pouring out their griefes in his bosome so that I may well say there are none in earth nay not the most deare vnto them to whō they can speake so familiarly as vnto the Lord their God Their wants their weakenes their griefe their sinnes whereof they think shame to speake to others they think not euill homelie to communicate to him But as Moses in all his troubles ranne euer to the dore of the tabernacle so they to the throne of grace and happy are they who close not this doore vpon themselues by their sinnes Againe we are still remembred that afflictions are no arguments of Gods hatred but rather of his loue A father that spares the rodde hates his child Nunquid non frequentius corripitur filius quam seruus Is not the son oftner chastised then the seruant It is the voice of our heauenly father Quos diligo castigo If yee be without correction ye are bastards and not sonnes Where the Physitian refuseth to giue medicine it is a token there is no hope of life where the Lord giues a man loose reanes liberty to goe where hee pleaseth not hedging in his waies with thornes as he promiseth to his Israel it is an argument of his great displeasure But seeing hee protested before it was good for him that God afflicted him how doth hee now complaine The answere is that there is a great difference between the sense of the godly in trouble and after it For no chastisement is sweet for the present but afterward it brings the quiet fruit of righteousnes to them who are thereby exercised Sore afflicted Two things should restraine vs from cōplayning of the greatnes of our trouble First if wee consider it is measured by the Lord who is faithfull and wil lay no more vpon vs then we are able to beare And next that our stripes are not according to our sinnes for if hee should beat vs with as many roddes as wee haue grieued him with sinnes he should adde yet tenne times more to all our greatest afflictions Quicken me Defatigatas vires me as restitue sicut pollicitus es Restore my decayed strength as thou hast promised Hee confesseth he was almost dead by the greatnes of his trouble But of this see ver 17. 77. 116. VER 108. O Lord I beseech thee accept the free offrings of my mouth teach me thy iudgmēts IT is a great grace that the Lord should accept any thing from vs if we consider these three things First who the Lord is Next what we are Thirdly what it is we haue to giue vnto him As for the Lord he is All sufficient stands in need of nothing wee can giue him Our goodnes extends not to the Lord. As for vs we are poore creatures liuing by his liberalitie yea begging from all the rest of his creatures from the sunne and moone from the ayre the water and the earth from fowles and fishes yea from the worms some giue vs light some meat some cloth and are such beggers as we meet to giue to a King And thirdly if wee well consider What is it that we giue Haue we any thing to giue but that which wee haue receiued from him and whereof wee may say with Dauid O Lord all things are of thee and of thine owne hand haue vvee giuen thee againe Let this humble vs and restraine vs from that vaine conceit of meriting at Gods hand Of my mouth Dauid at this time in his great necessitie hauing no other sacrifice to offer vnto the Lord offers him the calues of his lippes but no doubt when he might he offred more There is nothing so small but if it come from a good heart God will accept it the widowes myte a cup full of cold water yea the praise of our lippes although it haue no other externall oblation ioyned with it but where men may doe more and will not it is an argument their heart is not sincerelie affected toward him and their praises are not welcome to him And such as haue libertie to come to the holie assemblies and offer not there the praises of their mouth to God but sit as if they were dumbe as also they that offer naked words without the willing heart are here much more conuinced They were great beasts vnder the law that thought to please God by offring a beast vnto him keeping back themselues and they are greater beasts vnder the Gospel that will giue their hart to another and thinke to please God by giuing some other gifts vnto him Will the Lord be pleased vvith thousands of Rammes or with tenne thousand riuers of Oyle Shall I giue him my first borne for my transgression or the fruit of my wombe for the sinne of my soule Is it such sacrifices will please the Lord No if thou wilt not offer thy selfe vnto him hee will haue nothing that is thine VER 109. My soule is continually in my hand yet doe I not forget thy law THis verse hath a renouation of his former protestation with an amplification that he would keep it albeit he was daily in peril of his life and was also resolued readie to lay it downe For so this phrase imports when he saith he had his soule in his hand ready to giue when euer God should take it And this is to be obserued that there is no trouble so ready to take away the life of Gods children as they are readie to giue it As Elijah came out to the mouth of his caue to meet with the Lord and Abraham stood in the doore of his tabernacle to speake to the Angel so the soule of the godly stands readie in the doore of the tabernacle of this body to remooue when the Lord shall commaund it whereas the soule of the wicked lies back hiding itselfe as Adam among the bushes and is taken out of the body perforce as was the soul of that worldling This night they vvill take thy soule from thee but they neuer sacrifice their soules willingly to the Lord. VER 110. The wicked haue laid a snare for mee but I swarued not from thy precepts DAuid continueth his complaint to God against the malice of his enemies but
voluptatum cruci affixa non habeat nayle therefore thy carnall desires to the Crosse of Christ that they may haue no libertie as they were wont to goe loose and wander where they please Otherwise if thou wilt be vaine caried like an instable man after the wandering lusts of corrupt nature fearful is that sentence My Spirit shal not alway striue with man for he is but flesh For feare of thee Familiaritie with men breeds contempt familiaritie with God not so none reuerence the Lord more then they vvho knowe him best and are most familiar with him The Seraphins who couer their faces in presence of his Maiestie teach vs this by their example Such as doe not remember God and far lesse reuerence him when they thinke or speak of his Maiestie declare sufficiently that they were neuer familiar with him I am afraid of thy iudgements It is not to bee thought strange that this feare of Gods iudgements is in men regenerate for the guiltinesse which by sinnes of commission and omission daily they contract cannot be without fear But as I said it cannot continue for in them feare prepares away to loue and loue as it increaseth diminisheth feare Alway we learne here that if the iudgements of God executed vpon others make the godlie afraid how fearefull and importable they will be to the wicked If Moses trembled at the giuing of the law how terrible shall the execution thereof be vnto the wicked Let vs fear in time and we shall not feare in that day wherein horrible feare shall confound the wicked AIN VER 121. I haue executed iudgement and iustice leaue me not to mine oppressors IN this Section Dauid continueth his prayer for protection against his enemies as also for grace to knowe his way vpon earth and follow it He begins with a Petition Leaue me not to mine oppressors and he giues the reason I haue executed iudgement and iustice Where we are not to thinke that he is iustifying himselfe before God but onely declaring how iniustly he was oppressed by men Desensio est non arrogantia Our lesson is If we would haue our prayers forcible let vs intertaine the testimony of a good conscience Iudgement and iustice These two are distinguished by Ambrose in such sort that he makes the one the effect of the other Iudicij finis iustitia est in altero veritatis custodia est in altero fructus aequitatis iudgement is the keeper of verity iustice the fruit of equity the one of these perteyning to the minde makes it giue light for discerning betweene right and wrong the other rectifying the affections and actions Happy is the man in whom these two concurre together Quis autem hodie tanta animi praeditus est puritate vt cum fiducia verbis ist is vti possit But who this day is indued with such purity of minde that with boldnesse he may vse these words My reioycing is the testimony of a good conscience Leaue me not We haue often said that Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart who had also the testimony of a good conscience to sustaine him yet could he not liue free from the oppression of wicked men So long as this battell lasts and Satan wants not instruments let vs euer look to be troubled by them and not to be discouraged thereat but rather comforted considering the inimity proclaimed in Paradise is without reconciliation and sith the Prince of our saluation sustained such contradiction of sinners why shall it grieue vs to beare his crosse And sith Dauid so earnestly prayed not to be left into the hands of his bodily oppressors what shall we doe against our soules oppressors Satan seekes continually to spoile vs of that sparke of spirituall life which God hath put into vs. It is a searfull iudgement where God leaues men to his tyrannie let vs pray for mercy against it VER 122. Answer for thy seruant in that thing which is good and let not the proud oppresse me AMong many crosses wherewith Dauid was exercised the strise of tongues is not one of the least they did persecute him with lies and calumnies scoffers and belly-gods made a by-word of him in their meetings and flattering Courtiers belied him vnto Saul This was not a small crosse Molesta enimres calumnia etiamsi magnum afferat praemium against it Dauid makes his refuge to God Answer for thy seruant His meaning is Lord thou kno west how iniustly I am calumniate and euill spoken of in many parts where I am not nor may not answere for my selfe Lorde answere thou for me And his petition imports not onely a crauing of helpe from God but that God would take his part and ioyne himselfe with his righteous cause And so it is indeede the Lord is partaker with his children in their innocent sufferings and their cause is his cause Blessed are ye when ye are railed vpon for righteousnesse sake c. For the spirit of grace and glorie rests in you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part is glorified This might serue for a warning to wicked men if any wisedom were in them they should be loath to meddle with the children of God for if so they will they meddle with a stronger partie then they are aware of Againe it is to be considered that hee craues protection onely in his good and honest cause It is not for vs to call for the Lords assistance to all our willes and workes Hee is the righteous Iudge of the world and neyther will nor can do vnrighteously To commenda wrong cause to his protection is to prouoke him to hasten our punishment And on the other hand albeit our cause were neuer so righteous yet we must not think to bear it out with our owne strength and wisedome It falles out oft-times that men fall downe and faint through feeblenesse euen in a good cause because they giue not to God his glory In their lawfull affairs they prosper not because they take counsel but not from me saith the Lord They commit not their way to God as Dauid exhorts neyther cast they their burden vpon the Lord as Peter commaunds them but sacrifice to their own net think to cōpasse their affaires by their own wi◅ Sure it is the Lord is then most carefull of vs when we cast our greatest care vpon him For thy seruant Customably King Dauid delights in this stile to call himselfe Gods seruant learning vs also to count this our greatest honor to be the seruants of the great and euer-liuing God for we are not our owne as saith the Apostle We are bought with a price But here is our sin such as are vndervs whether they be bought or hired seruants wee thinke they should serue vs and are offended if they doe not but are not so carefull to doe seruice to
constraint nor for feare onely but willingly and with ioy as being such seruants as are also his sonnes He acknowledgeth here his owne wants that as a naturall man he had no vnderstanding of the wayes of God his Word is full of mysteries which we cannot know till God reueale them And as a Regenerate man hee had not so much knowledge as he should haue Habebat intellectum sed vt redundaret vberiorem inquirit he had vnderstanding but he craues he might more more abound in all knowledge iudgement We will not with Euah aspire to that knowledge which God hath forbidden but that which God hath reuealed vnto vs wee will neuer thinke wee can learne it so well but that still we haue need to learne it better To knowe thy Testimonies Hee prayed before for knowledge of Gods Statutes now he prayeth for the knowledge of Gods Testimonies The Statutes more strictly taken are that parte of Gods Word declaring his Will which wee should obey the Testimonies properly are that part of Gods Word declaring his Promises which we should beleeue To know the first without the second will not make vs godly for it is the sense of Gods loue and faith in his Testimonies that workes kindly obedience and therefore Dauid prayeth for it See vers 2. 14. 22. 24. 36. 46. 59. 79. 88. 95. 99. 111. c. VER 126. It is time for thee to worke for they haue destroyed thy Lawe HEe hath complained before of the oppression of his aduersaries besought the Lord to arme him against them with knowledge vnderstanding now he complaines their iniquity was come to such a height that they did giue battell euen to God himselfe and were not only enemies to Dauid but such as had done what they could to destroy the law of God So the verse containes a prayer that God would work and a reason taken from the ripenesse of the wickednesse of his enemies According to our sense there is a time wherin God worketh not whereof proceedes in the godlie the like of these complaints Arise Lord why sleepest thou How long wilt thou forget It is true in himselfe hee is a continuall working vertue but wee beeing ignorant of the waies whereby he walkes to his owne end think sometime that hee is not working because hee is not executing although euen then when wee so thinke hee be most busily working a way to effect his owne determinate conclusion But how is this that hee prescribeth a time to the Lord Is not this to fall into that fault which is reprooued Psalme 78 They limited the Holie one of Israel For answere of this GOD hath made some promises with a time declaring to his children when hee would performe them So hee promised to free Abrahams seede from the Egyptian persecution after foure hundred yeeres as hee did for it was no lesse between the beginning of that persecution in Ismael mocking Isaac the deliuerance from it in Pharao oppressing Israel with burdens Again he promised to bring Israel out of Babel after seauenty yeers and therfore the godly who thought very long for expiring of that date praied earnestly that God would haue mercy on Sion because the appointed time was come So also he promised to send Shiloh the true deliuerer of his people at that time when the Scepter shold depart from Israel and therefore at that time Simeon waited for the consolation and his eyes saw the saluation of God Other promises againe hee makes without a time that is not telling when he will performe them He put Noah in the Ark but told him not when hee would bring him out and hee taried a yeere and a day waiting Gods time with patience He sent Ioseph and Mary into Egypt commaunding them to tarie there till he told them they inquired not how long neither did hee tell them Learning vs when God layes a crosse on vs not to capitulate with him concerning the time of our deliuerance but patiently to beare it till his time come It was Sauls ouer-hastiness he taried for Samuel seauen daies but would tarie no longer And it was the blasphemous speech of Iehoram Why should I attend any longer Let vs not dishonour the Lord by prescribing a time to him If he should alway tell vs the time of our deliuerance the praise of our patience should be the lesse and our prayer the colder but when hee conceales the time and wee with patience wait vpon it we giue good proofe of our faith and patience and finde our deliuerance the sweeter when it comes Yet in publick troubles of the Church when the pride of the enemie is become great and the cup of the Amoâ—…ites seemes to be full when the children of God are brought low their soules humbled to the dust it is no limitation of the Lord when with Dauid they pray that GOD would haue mercy on them because the time is come For they haue destroyed thy law It is a great proofe of true godlinesse when we are more displeased with offences done against the Lord our GOD then with such as are done against our selues But it is now far otherwise with most part of Professors so that they bee not preiudiced in their names and commodities they care not what be done against the glory of God An euident argument that they neuer loued him In the second verse of this Section hee complained that the proud would oppresse him now he complaineth that they destroyed the law of God Who then are Dauids enemies and seek to oppresse him Onely such as are enemies to God and seeke to destroy his law A great comfort haue we in this that if we loue the Lord and studie in a good conscience to serue him wee can haue no enemies except such as are enemies to God And so long as God wants his due at their hands that is loue and seruice may not wee be content to want their affection toward vs Truly it should greatly increase our patience to remember that if they were not enemies to God they would neuer be ouâ—… enemies But how is this hâ—… 〈◊〉 They haue destroyed thy law Is this posâ—…ble that Gods law can be destroyed No indeed yet because their malice would if their power might they shall be charged with it There is a law of God written in holy Scripture which the wicked in all ages haue sought to destroy but GOD hath marueilously preserued it There is a law written in the booke of euery mans conscience which the most profane in the world doe what he can is not abloto scrape out but still it iudgeth him conuinceth him and rebukes him when he doth wrong And as for the execution of the law all the wicked in the world are not able to stay it when Gods time commeth yet because as I said the wicked would do it if they might they are charged with
binde vs not if mercies allure vs not if the cordes of his loue drawe vs not to be thankfull seruants to our God how inexcusable are wee VER 135. Shew the light of thy countenance vppon thy seruant and teach me thy Statutes THis verse contains a petitition which in this Booke of the Psalmes Dauid frequently makes to God as ye may see Ps. 4. 6. Psal. 67. 1. Psal. 80. 3. 7. 19. For vnderstanding whereof wee are to see what the light of Gods countenance is Ther is a common light externall whereby the Maiesty of Godshines after a sort vnto all his creatures There is a common light also internall whereby he illuminates euery one that commeth into the world This is the light of the minde and conscience communicated both to iust and vniust but here he seekes a greater benefite then any of these to wit a declaration of Gods speciall fauour and loue toward him This is called a shewing of his face or the light of his countenance Crassius de Deo sacra Scriptura inter dum loquitur sermones ad Naturam hominis attemperans The spirit of God in holy Scripture attempers his speech to mans nature and so here he puts the face of God for the fauor of God Salomon saith that the wrath of a King is the messenger of death but in the light of the Kings countenance is life and his fauour is as the cloude of later raine The downe-looke of Ahashuer us confounded Haman It was Absaloms speech to Ioab suppose in hypocrisie That it was better to him to be banished then abide in Ierusalem wanting the Kings countenance If such moment bee in the countenance of earthly Kings what is the face of the King of kings Surely such as knowe him reioyce to behold his face continually and it is death to them to want it Certain it is the Lord looks alway fauorably vpon his own elect but he doth not alway shew it no not vnto themselues Before their effectuall calling in themselues they differ nothing from the children of wrath albeit in Gods counsell there be a great diffrence and after their calling for the tryall of their faith he many times forsakes them not according to his truth which is vnchangeable but according to their sense which is changeable He loues them but will not let them knowe that hee loues them but sometime will frown vpon them as Ioseph did on his brethren euen then when his affection was most strong toward them And then the want of the light of the Sunne in the firmament is not so heauy to naturall men as this is to a Christian To want the sight of Gods fauourable face and therfore is it that Dauid heere prayeth so earnestly Shew the light of thy countenance vpon me And teach me As the sunne makes other things bright whereupon it shines so the countenance of GOD workes light in that soule vpon which he looketh fauourably Cum sapientem videris cognosce quia descendit super eum Dei gloria illuminauit eius mentem scientiae fulgore So that this is a speciall argument of Gods fauorable face looking vpon a man when his minde is illuminate and God hath taught him to knowe his way and giuen him grace to follow it according to that of the Apostle God who commanded light to shine out of darkenesse is he who hath shined in our hearts to giue vs the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. VER 136. Mine eyes gush out Riuers of water because they keepe not thy Lawe MAny a time hath Dauid protested his great ioy now here he makes mention of his exceeding great griefe We haue no ioy without griefe in this life neyther yet thankes to God haue we griefe without ioy As the wine failed in that banquet whereat Christ was present so oftentimes failes ioy euen in the heart where Christ dwels But as in the one he turned water into wine so in the other will hee turne all sorrow into ioy To haue ioy without griefe is the condition of them who are glorified in heauen To haue griefe without ioy is the condition of them who are damned in hell I meane to be both without sense and hope of ioy But the godly on earth haue their ioy mixed with griefe and griefe tempered with ioy and albeit sometime they want the sense of ioy yet do they neuer want all hope and expectation of ioy He prayed before ver 37. that the Lord would turne away his eyes from regarding of vanity now hee shewes how hee practised it He was so farre from delighting to behold vanity that he mourned when he saw the vanity wickednesse of other men God who hath made the eyes to be Organs of sight hath also made them to be Conduits of teares if we mourne as we should when we looke to the creatures we shall not easily be snared by them If we look to vnreasonable creatures we may see lying vpon them the fruits of that curse which our sinne procured if we look to reasonable creatures our selues or others what a great dis-conformity is betweene vs and the holy Lawe of the Lord our God If these moue vs to mourning the power of sinne shall be greatly restrained Malum innatum that seekes to breake out by looking and speaking and Malum seminatum that seeks to come in by hearing and looking both of these euils shall greatly be weakened if euery thing we looke to moue vs to mourning as iustly it may in the respects aforesaid And to moue vs yet more to this mourning disposition let vs consider two things the euill we incurre if we mourne not and the good shall ensue to vs if we mourn for the sinnes of others As for the first Among many wayes whereby the sinnes of other men become ours this is also one If we know their iniquities and be not grieued therewith and therefore are the Corinthians reproued that they sorrowed not for the incestuous man that was among them by so doing they were defiled by his sinne became one polluted lump with him And Ezech. 9. Not only is iudgement determined vpon the committers of sinne but of such also as mourned for sin they are involued in the same iudgement as partakers of the same sinnes by reason that they mourned not for them And as for the great good we get by mourning for the sinnes of the wicked whereby they dishonour the Lord our God it is also euident Blessed saith our Sauiour are they that mourne for they shall be comforted When the heauen waters the earth in due season there followes a fruitfull increase but when the earth waters the heauen then shall follow a more plentifull haruest of all spirituall comfort And this is done when a sinner powres the teares of his penitent heart into the bosome of God then the heauens are
not for siluer it is but rust nor for gold it is but metall nor for possessions it is but earth Ista oratio ad deum non peruenit such prayer ascends not to God Non audit deus nisi quod dignum est eius beneficijs Hee is a great God and esteemes himselfe dishonoured when great things with a great affection are not sought from him Heare me and I will keep Of this petition and promise see verse 8. 33. 44. 88. 134. 146. VER 146. I called vpon thee saue me and I will keepe thy testimonies HE insists in his former petition expounding euery part of it He protested before hee cryed with his whole heart now he declares to whom hee cryed Prayer is a point of seruice due vnto God Only he craued before that God would hear him now he shewes wherein Saue mee and thirdly hee renewes his promise and the repetition thereof tells vs that the promises of thankfulnes in Gods children are no sodaine nor vanishing motions but settled conclusions And againe it teacheth vs that as Gods children are carefull to seeke from God that which they neede so are they carefull to giue vnto him that which he requires to witte praise and obedience Otherway where men seek benefits froÌ„ God the fruit whereof they minde not to return vnto him either they get not that which they seeke or if they doe they get in his displeasure as Israell got quailes If we would so seeke that we may obtaine let vs not seek that we may bestow vpon our owne lustes which S. Iames reproues but that we may aduance his glory VER 147. I preuented the morning light and cryed for I waiteden thy word HE amplifies yet further the first reason for which he desires the Lord to heare him taken from his earnest feruency in prayer and it is written for our instruction to learne vs continuance in praier It is required by precept Luke 21. Watch and pray continually and againe 1. Thes. 5. Pray continually For example also at midnight morning and at noone tide did Dauid pray yea seuen times in the day all the night long did our Sauiour pray Non precationis indigens auxilio sed statuens tibi imitationis exemplum not standing himselfe in neede of the help of prayer but setting down to thee an example of prayer for imitation Ille pro te rogans pernoctabat vt tu disceres quomodo pro te rogares when he praied for thee he prayed all the night long that thou also mightst learn how to pray for thy selfe Qui rogat itaque semper roget sinon semper precatur paratum semper habeat precantis affectum He therfore that praies let him pray alway or if he do not alway pray let him alwaies haue ready the affection of prayer But the manner of speech is to be marked hee saith he preuented the morning watch Thereby declaring that he liued as it were in a strife with time carefull that it should not ouerunne him He knew that time postes away and in running-by weareth man to dust and ashes But Dauid preassed to get before it by doing some good in it before that it should spurre away from him And this care which Dauid had of euerie day alas how may it make them ashamed who haue no care of their whole life He was afraide to lose a day they take no thought to lose moneths and yeares without doing good in them yea hauing spent the three ages of their life in vanity and licentiousnes scarse will they consecrate their old and decrepit age to the Lord. I waited on thy word See verse 43. 81. VER 148. Mine eyes preuent the night watch to meditate in thy word HIS former purpose is yet continued declaring his indefatigable perseueraÌ„ce in prayer Oh that we could learne at him to vse our time wel At euening he lay down with praiers and teares at midnight hee rose to giue thanks he got vp before the morning light to call on the Lord. This is to imitate the life of Angels who euer are delighted to beholde the face of God singing alwaie a new song without wearying This is to beginne our heauen vpon earth oh that we could alway remember it An nescis ô homo quòd primitias tui cordis ac vocis quotidie Deo deboas Knowst thou not O man that thou owest euery day the first fruits of thy heart and tongue to the Lord our God Shouldst thou thinke of any thing before that first thou remember him in the morning or should thy tongue speake of any thing before the first fruits of thy speech be offered vnto him by prayer and praysing of his holy name But alas the coldnesse of this age in worshipping the Lord in praising him who is most worthy to be praysed is here greatly conuinced no time of the night will they spend in prayer yea in the day time they had rather doe any thing then be exercised in prayer and praysing snorâ—…ing and sleeping in the very time of diuine seruice when others beside them are intertayning fellowship with God by the exercise of the word and prayer If oftentimes they whose lippes are praysing him haue their hearts farre from him how farre is thy heart from him who canst not do so much as with thy lips to praise him when thou shouldst O man wilt thou remember that no time shall render thee comfort in the houre of death but that which thou hast spent in the seruice of thy God And if thou canst not consecrate all thy dayes and euery houre of the day vnto the Lord yet why wilt thou not diuide thy time rightly that where thou giuest one houre to the world and the affaires thereof why wilt thou not giue another to the Lord the works of his worship In this point the Lord make vs more wise giue vs grace to redeeme the time To mediate in thy word See ver 15. 23. 27. 48. 78. 99. 148. VER 149. Heare my voice according to thy louing kindnesse O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgement THis is a petition frequently vsed by all the children of God That he would hear them and not without great cause for the heauy heart is eased and disburdened by praier and it brings a present mitigation of their troubles when they feele in effect that God hears them Beside that it renders vnto them vnspeakable comfort for the time to come it confirmes them against the feare of death and makes them with boldnesse to goe out of the body that they may be with the Lord because by manifold experience they did finde in the body that God heard them and gaue them comfortable accesse to his Throne of grace According to thy louing kindnesse This is the great and maine argument whereby all Gods children moue the Lord to compassion namely his own fauour and louing kindnesse Semper homo etiam
si sanctus si iustus sit debet orare vt exaudiat eum Dominus secundum misericordiam suam non secundum merita virtutis alicuius quia rara virtus multa peccata A man were he neuer so iust or holy should euermore pray that God would heare him according to Gods mercy not according to the merit of his vertue whatsoeuer because in the best men their vertues are rare their sinnes are many It is true they vse also secondary arguments taken from God his graces in themselues as that they loue him or feare him or call vpon him but these in effect are but the alledging of the conditions whereupon God out of his kindnesse hath made the promises and so being his owne graces freely giuen may lawfully be vsed to moue the Lord to the performance of his promises Quicken me See ver 37. 40. 50. 88. 93. According to thy iudgement Iudgement is sometime taken for the execution of Gods threatnings against transgressors and this Dauid declines Psal. 143. Enter not into iudgement with me Sometime it is taken for the performance of his promises according to his word and this Dauid desires as in this Verse See ver 7. 13. 20. 30. 39. 43. 52. 62. 66. 75. 84. 102. 106. 108. 120. 137. 149. 156. 160. 164. 175. VER 150. They drawe neere that follow after malice and are farre from thy Lawe HEe reiterates againe his complaint against his enemies whom he describes after this manner That toward God they were impious men farre from his Lawe toward Dauid they were malicious yea such as followed malice and hunted after all occasions to doe him euill This is the condition of the children of God as their head and Lord Christ Iesus was set for a signe of contradiction so is it with his seruants they are set as a marke butte whereat Satan and his instruments shoot all the arrowes of their indignation but in vaine for God is their buckler And truely it should greatly comfort all the godly to remember that such as are their enemies are Gods enemies also sith they are farre from the obedience of Gods Law what maruell they be also farre from that duety of loue which they owe vnto vs It may content vs to want that comfort in men which otherwise we might and would haue when wee consider that God wants his glory in them Let this sustaine vs when we see that Godlesse men are enemies vnto vs. VER 151. Thou art neere O Lord for all thy commandements are true FRom the meditation of his enemies malice hee returnes againe to the meditation of Gods mercie and so it is expedient for vs to doe least the number and greatnesse and malitiousnesse of our enemies make vs to faint when we looke vnto them It is good that we should cast our eyes vpward to the Lord then shall we see they are not so neere to hurt vs as the Lord our God is neere to helpe vs and that there is no euill in them which we haue cause to feare but we shall finde in our God a contrary good sufficient to preserue vs. Otherwise we could not indure if when Satan and his instruments come neere to pursue vs the Lord were not neere to protect vs. Comfortable is it that when Laban with great fury followed Iacob the Lorde stepped in betweene them and commanded Laban not to hurt him and when Satan many a time intended to destroy Iob hee found that hee could not because the Lord was a hedge and defence vnto him This is of GODs marueilous working that wee being in the middest of the wicked who like so many rauening Wolues thirst for our bloud and before the mouth of that roaring Lion that seekes to destroy vs we should still be preserued for the which we may giue thankes with Dauid It is so O Lorde because thou art neere vnto vs. But let vs remember if wee would haue this presence of the Lorde rendring vs comfort wee must also bee moued by it to render him reuerence Prope est omnibus qui vbique adest nec refugere eum possumus si offendimus nec fallere si delinquimus nec amittere si colamus He is neere vnto all who is euery where present if we offend him wee cannot flie from him if we ◅ne we cannot siele nor couer his eyes if wee worshippe him we cannot want him neere to vs in all our necessities De sole non dubitas quod vbique resplendeat de Deo dubitas quod non vbique fulgeat Thou doubtest not of the Sunne that it shines into euery place why doubtest thou that the Lord is present in euery place Be where thou wilt hee is neere vnto thee be thou also in thy affection neere vnto him to feare and loue him in all thy wayes walke with him as Henoch did set him alway in thy sight as Dauid did Vnlesse thou be with him to waite vpon him and serue him how can he be neere vnto thee to preserue and comfort thee in all thy necessities Hee is neere vnto all illum tamen fouet qui appropinquat sibi but he comforts and nourisheth such as come neere vnto him He that hides himselfe from the light of the Sunne and closeth the dore and window of his house that it shine not vnto him what maruell hee haue no comfort by the light thereof In tenebris ambulat in omnium luce ipse sibi est causa caecitatis He walkes in darknesse and in the middest of light shining vnto all hee becommeth a cause of blindenesse vnto himselfe If by iniquity wee depart from the Lord wee may finde him neere as a Iudge to punish vs not as a Father to protect vs. For all thy Commaundements are true His meaning is Albeit O Lorde the euill will of wicked men follow me because I follow thee yet I knowe thy commaundements are true and that it is not possible thou canst desert or faile thy seruants who stand to the maintenance of thy word Then ye see Dauids comfort in trouble was not in any presumptuous conceit of his owne wisedome or strength but in the truth of Gods promises which he was perswaded could not faile him And heere also hee makes a secret opposition between the word of the Lord and the word of his enemies Somtime men command but without reason sometime they promise but without performance sometime they threaten but without effect Herods cōmanding Rabsac◅e his ray ling Iezabel her proude boasting against Elijah may proue this But as to the Lord our God he is alway better then his word and his seruants shall finde more in his performance hereafter then now they can perceiue in his promise like as his enemies shall finde more weight in his iudgements then now they can apprehend in his threatnings VER 152. I haue knowne long since by thy Testimonies that thou hast established them for euer THat which he hath
he was persecuted and sore oppressed for his profession yet no trouble could make him swerue from the testimonies of God Trouble is the best tryall of true Religion Non est magnum si tune a Dei testimonijs non declines cum te nullus persequitur It is no great thing to cleaue vnto the testimonies of God when none pursues thee for it when authority allowes it when honour and prosperitie follows it it is no great praise then to professe it When the Lord gloried of his seruant Iob that he was an vpright man fearing God c. Satan replied And what maruell Doth Iob worship God for nothing He knew there were many hyrelings temporizers in the world that worshipped not God sincerely and therefore would not continue in it He thought Iob to be one of these Lay now thine hand vpon all that he hath and he shal blaspheme thee to thy face But he was deceiued for the more he was crost the neerer did he cleaue vnto the Lord. Let vs remember as S. Paul hath warned vs We haue not yet resisted vnto the bloud neither yet that which S. Peter cals The siery tryall haue we endured And yet what a shame is it to see how many moued by the naked example of the Apostles are becom colder in Religion An euident argument that they were neuer truely religious for if they cannot stand against offences how should they stand against oppressions and persecutions What persecuters they were and what was the kinde of persecution Dauid expresseth not Basil thinkes Quod quacunque sibi acciderant omnia hoc Psalmo congessit that what-euer befell him of any trouble eyther by Saul or Absalom or vncircumcised Nations among whom he soiourned all is gathered together in this Psalme which containes eyther prayers he made when he was in trouble or prayses he gaue when God deliuered him out of trouble or else spirituall gloriations of that strength constancy which God gaue him to indure it Properly there is but one persecuter of all the godly this is Satan the enemie of Gods glorie of our saluation Vnus persequutor est sed multos habet ministros but he hath many seruants instruments vnder him some inuisible some visible and according as they are so is the kinde of persecution eyther bodily or spirituall There is an euill spirit of fornication another of auarice another of pride Hi sunt persequutores graues these are fearefull persecutors Otherwise the Apostle would not say Flie fornication if the spirit of fornication were not a pursuer Many are stout in the outward persecution qui occulta hac persequutione ceciderunt who by this secret persecution haue beene ouercome Hi tibi hostes cauendi hi grauiores tyranni per quos Adam captus these are the enemies whō thou must eschew these are the most grieuous tyrannes by whom Adam was captiued and thou art to beware of them By visible enemies also Satan fights against vs but these are not so dangerous as the other yet for the present more displeasant let vs not bee discouraged with them Si multae persequutiones multae et probationes If our persecutions bee many so are our trialls and probations tryals I meane both of our sinceritie and of the truth of God If Daniel had not by wicked men beene cast into the denne of Lyons and the three children by Nebuchadnezzars fury into the fiery furnace then should not their constant affection towarde God and his truth power in preseruing them haue beene so clearely manifested Tibi ergo prodest quòd multi persequutores sunt vt inter multas persequutiones facilius inuenias quomodo coroneris The more waies thou be persecuted the more wayes hast thou to bee crowned for by many tribulations doe wee enter into the kingdome of heauen VER 158. I saw the transgressours and was grieued because they did not keep thy word ALbeit his trouble were great by the restlesse malice of his enemies and his dangers oftentimes desperate yet he protests none of these went so neere his heart as the dishonour of God and contempt of Gods word The glory of God shining in his word is dearer to the godly then their liues and they haue no pleasure to liue but melt away for griefe when they see wickednes and idolatry exalted pietie and true religion trode vnder foot This made good Eliah desire that the Lord would take him out of this life this made Dauid pine away for griefe And it may condemne many who if so be their owne estate be peaceable they will not disquiet themselues with griefe for any dishonor that by impiety of wicked men is done vnto God See ver 136. VER 159. Cōsider O Lord how I loue thy precepts quicken me according to thy louing kindnes THis verse containes a protestation of his great loue toward the word of God for probation whereof hee appeales to the testimony of God desiring the Lord to consider if it be so or not It is an argument of a good conscience when a man dare present his heart vnto God and desire him to looke into it Nemo dicit vide nisi qui iudicat se si videatur esse placiturum No man saith to God Looke vpon me but he who knowes that God will like him when hee lookes vpon him for hee that doth euill hates the light and an euill conscience dares not stand before God but hides the selfe so farre as it can from him as we see in Adam But sith so it is that the knowledge of our estate cannot be hid from the Lord but wee must be presented naked before him it is but vanity now to hide our wayes from him Woe be vnto them that seeke in deepe to hide their counsell from the Lord their waies are in secret and they say who seeth them But He that made the eie shall hee not see Wisedome rather craues that wee should lay open our hearts to the Lord in time walking so in a good conscience before him that we might be bold to say with Dauid Looke vpon mee Lord and consider me How I loue He saith not consider how I performe thy precepts but how I loue them The comfort of a Christian militant in this body of sin is rather in sinceritie and feruencie of his affections then in the absolute perfection of his actions He failes many times in his obedience to Gods precepts in regard of his action but loue in his affection still remaines so that both before the temptation to sin and after it there is a griefe in his soule that hee should finde in himselfe any corrupt will or desire contrary to the holy will of the Lord his God and this proues an inuincible loue in him to the precepts of God Thy precepts He saith not that he loued Gods promises onely for euery man hath a liking of these but his precepts also Naturally
far lesse ouer-turne them they are like rocks in the sea induring euery waue like trees planted by the riuer side Gods owne plantation they may be shaken but not ouerturned they abide rooted and stablished by the Lord. The angry countenance of Princes is very awefull vnto men but Dauid heere shewes what sustained him against them to weet the awe of God so Moses feared not Pharaoh because he had seene him who is inuisible A greater feare ouercomes the lesse hee who knowes the power of Gods wrath will not cast himself in danger therof for no wrath of man And hereof proceedeth that inuincible courage of Martyrs who by no terrour of most strange and vncouth torments that the wit of man could deuise could euer bee induced to deny the Lord Iesus because they stood in awe of his word Besides this wee see that both good and euill men haue their owne awe-bands but the awe-band of an euil man is without him in the countenance of man that may controle and punish him if this restraine him not he stands in no awe of the Lord. This was Abners reason why hee would not slay Azahel How shall I holde vp my face to my brother Ioab where he should rather haue saide How shall I holde vp my face to the Lord my God But the awe-band of a godly man is within him Albeit no man were to see him nor punish him and he might doe wickedly vncontrolled of man yet the reuerence of God restraines him For he walks as the Apostle saith in simplicity in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in such godly perspicuitie as might be discerned in the sunne Nec tam pudenda apud eum publicatio slagitium quam conscientia est neither thinkes he such shame of the publication of his cryme as of his euill conscience Da Gygis annulum sapienti vt beneficio cius latere possit cum deliquerit non minus fugiet peccatorum contagium quaÌ„ si non posit latere Giue saith he to a wise man the ring of Gyges by the benefit whereof he may lurke when hee doth euill yet will he not the lesse flie the affection of sinne then if he could not lurke at all Non enim latâ—…bra sapienti spes impunitatis sed innocentia est for the defence of a wise managainst publike shame is not in the hope of impunity but in innocencie And heerein stands the tryall of a man truely religious from an hypocrite VER 162. I reioyced at thy word as one that findeth a great spoile THe word of God renders such manifold fruit to the godly that by no comparison can they expresse it and therefore Dauid changes so many similitudes The Apostle cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word worthy of all acception because look with what affection men receiue any thing in the world that is most pleasant or profitable for them with the like affection should men receiue the word of God A man that is hungry how blythe is he when meate is offered him a man very thirsty deuoureth drinke when it is giuen a sick man or sore pined greedily imbraces soueraine medicine that he knowes will cure him a poore man when he findes a treasure with a ioyfull heart receiues it How did that lame man lcap and exult for ioy when hee found that Peter had restored his feet vnto him After the same manner should poor miserable sinners receiue the word of God it is meate to feede them it is drinke to refresh them it is light to illuminate them it is life to quicken them But alas where men finde not their wants no maruaile they finde not the comfort which the word offers Let be they cannot receiue it with all reception they receiue it not at their eares they delight not to heare it but good Dauid contents not himselfe to declare how it was sweeter to him then hony more preâ—…ious to him then treasures of gold but now also he tels how his ioy by it exceeds the ioy of men victorious in battell returning with the spoile which how great a ioy it is see Esay 9. Many great victories had he had he gotten by the sword but now finding that by the armour of Gods word he had gotten patience and strength to ouercome all the malice of his enemics hee protests here it rendred to him a more excellent ioy then any that could be expressed And this ioy which Gods children finde by the word ariseth from the glad tidings which it brings vnto them When the Lord Iesus saide to Zacheus This day saluation is come to thine house when he said to the man sicke of the palsie Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and again to the diseased woman Thy faith hath made thee whole how could they but exult for ioy to heare it What then he spake to them out of his owne blessed mouth he daily speakes to the like of them that is to such as belieue and repent out of his holy oracle that their sinnes are forgiuen that they are the sonnes of Abraham yea the sonnes of God to whom belongs saluation This renders to them a ioy which surmounts all that comfort the world is able to giue It is far otherwise with the wicked As Achab spake of Micah He neuer prophesieth good vnto mee So finde they that the word of God neuer prophesieth any good vnto them but by the contrary when they heare it they receiue within themselues a sentence of damnation What maruaile then they delight not in it yea rather count it a wearines and oftentimes be moued to furie when they heare it like those faithless Iewes who gnashed their teeth and were like to burst for anger at the hearing of the gospell preached by Iesus Christ. Who can expresse their misery whose euill conscience grieues them to heare the glad tidings of the gospell and to whom the word of life is no other but a sauour of death VER 163. I hate falsehood and abhorre it but thy law do I loue BY falsehood heere Dauid vnderstands euerie thing which is not agreeable to the word of God and so truely it is a deceitfull vanitie which in the ende will faile and beguile all them who are delighted with it And to declare it was not any light hatred of sinne which he had hee subioynes that hee did abhorre it which imports not a simple refusall but a vehement indignation a hostile hatred mixed with such a dolour and horrour as vseth to be in the hearts of men when any horrible or hurtfull thing is offered to them Colde hatred of euill by processe of time turnes to a liking of euill that wee begin in some respects to thinke it tolerable and so at length are intangled in the snare thereof No man at the first commeth to the worst if we haue not sin at the end of the staffe to count it for our enemy it will easily creepe in acquaintance
Lord I haue trusted in thy saluation and haue done thy commandements WHat in the former Verse Dauid hath spoken in generall of the happie estate of Gods children hee now applyes to himselfe making heere the assumption of that proposition But so it is Lord I loue thy law which in this Verse and the Verse following he amplifies whereupon the conclusion followes Therefore let me haue none hurt but great prosperitie Of this we learne that without application we can reape no comfort of the promises of Gods word for suppose they were neuer so sweete vnlesse they belong vnto vs what comfort can we get by them yea certaine it is that vnto an euill conscience which dare not make the application of them to it selfe the most comfortable promises are most terrible Let vs so liue that they may be ours let vs so heare them or reade them that we may apply them to our selues and then shall we finde comfort in them Into thy saluation Such is the nature of faith that it carries vs out of our selues in vnto the Lorde and makes vs to leane vpon him rest in him and liue in him and to him and so this phrase imports They who abide in themselues resting in any thing that is in them eyther wisedome strength or merit shall bee found to haue built their house on the Sand which will not continue Periculosa habitatio eorum qui habitant in meritis But such as goe out of themselues and trust in the Lorde haue built their house on the Rocke that shall neuer faile them VER 167. My soule hath kept thy testimonies for I loue them exceedingly HEe insists still in the assumption prouing his loue to God by his obedience and commending his obedience from this That it flowed from loue otherwise though a man should giue all that hee hath to the poore though hee should subdue his bodie in most seuere manner yea though he gaue his bodie to be burnt in the fire if these actions flowe not from such a loue as is the daughter of faith they are not acceptable vnto God And the manner of Dauids speech being more narrowly considered will let vs see that his reioycing was rather in the sincerity of his affections then in the perfection of his actions The Apostle saith that faith workes by loue What it workes our Sauiour tels vs He that loueth me keepeth my commaundements and Dauid againe shewes here how loue flowing from such faith is the mother of all dutifull obedience If we sinne against God it is for want of loue toward him and sith his lawe craues nothing but loue and we are bound by so many obligations to loue him wee are made most inexcusable if wee loue him not Oh that we could consider this we would account our sinne more weightie then it is Why sinne we Because we want the loue of God And why loue we him not haue wee any excuse for this Let vs yet stirre vp our hearts and endeuour to cherish this little sparkle of Gods loue that is in vs let vs increase it to a great flame till it kindle all the powers of our soule vpward toward our God Oh that it were so VER 168. I haue kept thy testimonies and thy precepts for all my waies are before thee HIs former purpose is yet further amplified that he dealt not with God as a dissembler or an hypocrite but truely and sincerely he laide open his heart to God and made his wayes manifest vnto him as hee protests elsewhere That he had not at any time spoken to God with his tongue that which was not in his heart there was not in him discolor mentis intentio materialibus negotijs occupatu quae à propositi spiritu alis executione deflectat when he spake vnto God a diuided minde busied with worldly matters that might stay his spirituall intention or turne it another way Beatus qui dicere possit Omnes viae meae ante te Blessed is he that may so say in sincerity All my wayes are before thee that will not suppose that he might hide his cogitations nor affections from the Lord. Adam hid his way from God he concealed the iniquity of his bosome Caine in like manner couered the slaughter of his brother and dissembled it this they did in affectu non in effectu in their affection not in effect for what can be hid from the Lords all-seeing eye Plena abscondent is perfidia et si apud deum nulla sit latebra their perfidie and falshood in seeking to hide from God is not the lesse that they are not able to hide it Et si Deus omnia videt cordis occulta bonum tamen est vt vnusquisque animam suam ei aperiat expandat tanquam lumini vel calori eius occurrat Albeit the Lord see the secrets of our hearts and nothing can be concealed from him yet it were good for vs that we should offer them willingly to be seene that we lay open our soules vnto him occurring to his light and heate not flying from him that where we are good he may confirme vs where wee are faulty hee may amend vs. The Lord worke it in vs. TAV VER 169. Let my complaint come before thee and giue mee vnderstanding according to thy Worde WEe are now come to the last Section of this Psalme wherein we see Dauid more seruent in prayer then he was in the first as ye shall easily obserue by comparing them both together The godly the longer they speake to God are the more seruent and earnest to speake to him so that vnlesse necessity compell them they desire neuer to intermit conference with him Many prayers hath hee made to God in this Psalme now in the end he prayes for his prayers that the Lord would let them come before him Some men send out praiers but God turns them into sinne and puts them away backe from him therefore Dauid seeks fauour to his prayers Let vs take heed vnto this sith we liue onely by Gods liberality and haue not till he giue and he cannot giue till wee seeke in what a miserable case are we if our prayers whereby wee seeke from him be not receiued of him Let vs abhorre euery thing that may procure this Peccato grauescit oratio longè fit à Deo by sinne prayer is made heauie that it cannot ascend vnto God Volare facit orationem bonae vita dat alas precibus but a good life giues winges vnto prayer and makes it flie vpward toward God Three sortes of complaints are made by the godly vnto the Lorde sometime they complaine vpon their inuisible enemies Satan with his Principalities Powers and spirituall wickednesse These most properly are tearmed Soules oppressors Sometime vpon their visible enemies wicked men of whom eyther they suffer great wrongs and iniuries or then they cannot get
right and iustice at their hands Against these they runne to the Lord appeale to his Tribunall and hee receiues their clamours griefes and wrongs into his bosome And sometime they complaine vpon themselues eyther for want of grace which faine they would haue or else for abundance of euiil which faine they would want as we see in the Apostle Miserable man who will deliuer me from this body of sinne Dauid here tels not what his complaint was but vnto one of these three it may be referred Giue me vnderstanding according to thy Word Hee seekes vnderstanding not simply for the wisedome of the flesh is death and the children of this world are wiser in their owne generation then the children of light But he seekes vnderstanding according to Gods word without this the wit of man is foolishnes and the more subtill he seemes to be in his wayes the more deepely involues he himselfe in the snare of the Diuell They haue reiected thy word and what wisedome can be in them But sith he was an excellent Prophet and protested before hee had more vnderstanding then the auncient yea then his Teachers how is it that still he prayes for vnderstanding There is a great difference betweene the gifts of nature and grace Nature oft-times giues to men very excellent gifts as rare memory knowledge quicke wit strength externall beauty but therewithall it teacheth not man to consider his wants wherof it cometh to passe that he waxeth proude of that which he hath This is a common thing to men in the state of nature that of small gifts they conceiue a great pride but grace as it giues vnto man more excellent gifts then nature can affoord so it teacheth him to looke vnto that which he wants that he be not puft vp by considering that which he hath but forgetting it is carried in all humility of his heart to pray for that which he wants VER 170. Let my supplication come before thee and deliuer me according to thy promise WEe should marke the graces wherwith Dauid seasons all his prayers that our prayer beeing like vnto his wee may finde fauour with God as he did First his prayer flowed from faith and was grounded vpon Gods promises If any man pray saith Saint Iames Let him aske in faith otherwise his motions and words are but like the rauing and instable waues of the sea Next hee prayed with feruencie as his frequent repetition declares The praier of a righteous man auailes much if it be feruent Thirdly he praied with humble acknowledgement of his owne vnrighteousnes and vnworthines esteeming it a great fauour if the Lord let his supplication come before him and last hee concludes them with some solemne promise of thankfulnes these make our prayers sauorie and sweet-smelling to the Lord our God That wee may the more earnestlie bee stirred vp vnto this dutie let vs consider how by this grace of prayer a man vpon earth is made a great courtier with God in heauen They are much esteemed vpon earth who haue accesse to the eares of Kings when they like but this is a farre greater benefit That if we will wee may by prayer haue accesse to the king of Kings to request both for our selues and for others also The contrary euill is a fearefull curse when God turnes the prayer of a man into sinne Hee prayeth with Moab and preuailes not How comfortlesse and confused was the estate of miserable Saul who in his neede prayed to God and got no answere We shewed before what are the euils which debarre a man from this comfort onelie now let those that seeke mercy from God beware they deny not mercy to others when they seeke it and they may shew it See wee not how that rich glutton who shewed no mercy to Lazarus got no mercy himselfe what then shall becom of those who are robbers and oppressors of others If he was reiected qui non dedit sua Who gaue not his owne what shall become of them qui rapiunt aliena who robbe from other men that which is theirs With what measure yee mete vnto others with that same shall it bee measured to you againe VER 171. My lippes shall speake praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes AFter his petitions he subioynes promises of thankfulnesse There are some who seeke from God but offer no promise or if they promise they performe not these are louers of themselues not of God So their necesities bee fulfilled they care not what become of his glory and therefore either they seeke and get not or if they get it is not for their good for what good can be to them who seek that they may haue to satisfie their own lusts and not how to doe seruice to their God Let vs second our praier with promises promises with performance if we would haue them effectuall Dauid was a man of honour preferred to the Kingdome of Israel yet he was not onely an example to others but a ringleader also for so he protests that he ledde the people in great multitudes to the house of God with such ioyfull affection as if he had beene going to a feast They who haue receiued most from God are most bound to honour him but now it is farre otherwise For great men for the most part thinke it not seemely for them to open their mouth and praise God they giue that seruice ouer to cōmon people and therefore many a time God turnes their honor into shame for he hath said I wil honour them that honour me and by the contrary There are some giue their lippes to the Lord and not their heart C◅rsed be the man that hath a male in his flock and vowes and sacrifices a corrupt thing to the Lord. Others notwithstanding they can reade and sing will not doe so much as with the mouth praise the Lord but good Dauid sometime stirres vp his soule to praise God sometime encourages his tongue yea cals vpon all that is within him to praise the Lorde And is it not good reason that all which we haue receiued from the Lord should be imployed to serue him Nam et oculos et os et auditum propterea posuit in nobis deus vt omnia ipsi membra seruirent et quae ipsius sunt audiremus quae ipsius loqueremur For this cause hath the Lord our GOD giuen vs both a mouth and eyes and eares That all of them should serue him ◅hat vvith our eares wee should heare his word and with our mouth wee should speake his praises and with our eies we should beholde his glorious works VER 172. My tongue shall intreate of thy word for all thy commandements are righteous THe other duty of thankfulnes promised by Dauid is To intreat of Gods words for the edification of others Euerie Christian man as he is a priest to offer sacrifice vnto God so is
hee a prophet to teach his brethren for vnto vs all stands that commandement Edifie one another in the most holy faith But alas yee shall see many Christians now who at their Tables and in their Companies can speak liberally of any subiect onely for spirituall matters which concerne the soule there they are dumbe and cannot say with Dauid My tongue shall intreate of thy word For al thy commandements are righteous The reason why among men hee will intreate of the word of God Because they are all righteous and so most forcible to reform the vnrighteousnes of men Non possunt homines reduci ad vitae reformationem nisi per verbum tuum there can be nothing among men but confusion in manners corruption in religion where the word of God is not reuerenced as a rule to the which the actions of men should be squared VER 173. Let thine hand helpe mee for I haue chosen thy precepts DAuid hauing made promises of thankfulnes seeks now help from God that hee may performe them Our sufficiency is not of our selues but of his furniture to will and to doe are of him In temporall things men oftentimes take great paines with small profit first because they seeke not to make their conscience good next because they craue not the helpe of Gods hand therefore they speede no better then Peter who fished all night and got nothing till he cast in his net in the name of the Lord. But in spirituall things wee may farre lesse looke to prosper if wee call not for the Lord his helping hand the meanes will not profit vs vnlesse Gods blessing accompany them and his hand-worke with them Paul may plant Apollo may water but God must giue the increase The Law was giuen by Moses grace comes by Iesus Christ. This is the cause why in this age few grow in grace notwithstanding they haue the meanes of grace in most plentifull manner because the hand of God is not sought to worke with the meanes There is preaching but for the most part without profit there is prayer but it preuailes not there is hearing of the word but without edifying Balme enough in Gilead and there is the Physitian also euen the great Physitian of our soules among vs yet is not the health of people recouered And all because in spirituall exercises instant prayer is not made vnto God that his hand may be with vs to helpe vs. VER 174. I haue longed for thy saluation O Lord and thy law is my delight IN this verse is a twofolde protestation first of the great desire he had of Gods saluation next of his delight in the law of God But how is this he longed for saluation was hee not euen now partaker of it doth he not glorie Psal. 27. that God was his light and saluation Both are true that hee had it and yet he longed for it We must distinguish betweene the beginnings and the perfection of our saluation the beginning we haue now by belieuing Gods promises whereupon wee haue receiued the Earnest of his spirit the perfection wee shall haue when all his promises shall be fully accomplished vnto vs. Therefore S. Peter cals it a saluation prepared to be shewed in the last time Wee see then the disposition of Gods children toward this saluation to be such that howsoeuer they haue comfort in the beginnings thereof yet no contentment This is expressed in holy scripture by the words of seeking waiting sighing panting braying hungring thirsting longing by all which a vehement desire of promised saluation is noted to them This condemnes both worldlings who haue set the desire of their soul vpon the perishing trash of the earth counting that their treasure which the spirituall man accounts to be but doung as also cold professors who pretend an hope of eternall life but long not for it Non desiderat patriam peregrinatio sine lacryma He that liues in his pilgrimage without teares declares that he hath no desire of his country Non satis futura gaudia nosti nisi renuat consolari anima tua donec veniant Thou knowest not well the ioyes to come if thy soule loath not these that are present and long for those that are promised To such terrible is that warning of our Lord Woe bee to you that are full for ye shall hunger And thy law is my delight In this other protestation Dauid shewes what it was that vpheld him in this time of delay of Gods promised saluation to weet the comfort of Gods word this is like Manna to Israell in the wildernes which ceased so soone as they entred into Canaan but sustained them in the iourney So shall the exercises of the word cease when we shall come to our heauenly Canaan in the meane time so long as wee are in the way let vs comfort our selues with it Againe wee see how Dauid alway conioynes these two saluation and the word of God This is to be marked for contemners of Gods word who liue as if God were to saue them by miracles and not by his owne ordinary meanes appointed in his Church They looke to bee saued and yet will not reuerence the word but they shall be deceiued VER 175. Lette my soule liue and it shall praise thee and thy iudgements shall helpe mee SOme expound this to bee a petition for the prolongation of his naturall life that he may liue and praise God This I knowe is lawfull to seeke and for it he prayeth Psal. 90. Oh spare a little that I may recouer my strength before I goe and be not But here I thinke Dauid stretches his affection toward that spirituall life which now in Gods children is the beginning of life euerlasting when the soule quickened by spirit of God is able to walke with God For as the bodily life is discerned by actions competent vnto it so the spirituall life is knowne by actions competēt to it Also where there is grace to pray and thanksgiuing with ioy delighting in Gods word and obedience giuen thereunto these are vndoubted arguments of a spirituall life But it is a pitie to see how many are liuing concerning their bodies lusty and strong who are but dead carrying a dead soule in a liuing body strangers from the life of GOD painted sepulchers pleasant without full of rottenness within hauing a soule which can no more pray nor praise the Lord then a dead body which can neither heare nor speake vnto men And it shall praise thee Much throughout this Psalme and in all the rest doth Dauid esteem of this exercise of praising GOD sometime hee prayeth for it as a grace sometime he promiseth it as a dutie sometime hee practiseth it in himselfe and sometime hee prouokes others vnto it The Lord so parts the fruite of all his benefits that he giues vs the profit reseruing no more but the praise vnto himselfe and the more praise
we giue him the more profit by new benefits reap we at his hands And thy iudgements shall help me How Gods word is called his iudgement See verse 7. 13. 20. 30. 39. 43. 52. 62. 66. 84. 102. 106. 108. 120. VER 176. I haue gone a stray like a lost sheepe seeke mee for I doe not forget thy commandements IN this conclusion of the Psalme wee haue three things a confession of sinne a petition of mercy and a protestation The confession I haue wandred like a lost sheep Euthymius Vatablus vnderstand this to bee a complaint of his persecution he sustained of Saul who like a rauening Wolfe of Beniamins tribe chased Dauid like a poore sheepe from his natiue soyle hunting him to and fro like a Partrige through the mountaines of Israel and that therefore leaning to the testimonie of his good conscience he makes bolde with GOD that hee would reduce him and bring him home againe And this exposition is also agreeable to the Analogie of faith But wee rather take this with Basil and Ambrose to be a petition for spiritual deliuerance froÌ„ his sinnes wherein first he premiâ—…s a confession of his misery that he had wandred from God Hoc et propheâ—… a post peccatum omni humanae naturae dicere conuenit and this not onâ—…lie the Prophet but the whole nature of man after the transgression is bound to confesse Quod lapsum fateris in eo tibi cum omnibus commune consortium est quia nemo sine peccato negare hoc sacrilegium est solus enim deus sine peccato est confiteri hoc deo impunitatis remedium est that thou confessest thy sin in this thou hast a common fellowship with all mankinde there is no man without sinne that is Gods prerogatiue to deny this is sacriledge to confesse it is the waie to impunity Dic itaque et tu iniquitates tuas vt iustificeris Confesse thou therefore thy sins that thou maist be iustified It is the presumptuous voyce of Antichrist That a man in this life can be without sinne and fulfill the law in perfection If their eies were opened to see either the Lord or themselues they would be farre froÌ„ this abhominable presumption When holy Esay saw a vision of the Maiestie of God he cryed out Woe is me I am vneleane When patient Iob had seene the Lord it was his voyce Now I haue seene the Lord therefore I abhorre my selfe And Dauid heere by his deepe meditations of Gods word is moued to acknowledge his great disconformity from it by reason of his sinnes As the small motes of the â—…yre Atomi are onely seene where the sunne shineth so the manifold imperfectioÌ„s of our nature are best seene where the light of Gods word shines most cleerely And therefore to all such presumptuous papists as boast with the Pharisie of their perfection and fall not down with the penitent Publican and humble Dauid to make confession of their sinnes wee returne that answere of Bernard Site videres tibi displiceres mihi placeres If thou saw thy selfe thou wouldst be displeased with thy selfe shouldst please me Sed quia te non vides tibi places mihi displices but because thou seest not thy selfe thou pleasest thy selfe and displeasest mee Veniet autem dies quandâ—… nec tibi nec mihi placebis non mihi quia peccasti nec tibi quia in aeternum ardebis But the day will come wherein thou shalt neither please thy selfe nor mee thou shalt not please mee because thou hast sinned against mee neither shalt thou please thy self because thou shalt be punished with euerlasting fire In any spirituall disease the knowledge of our sinne and confession of it is the first token of the returne of health Soluit criminum nexus verecunda confessio peccatorum the bands of sinne are loosed when they are confessed And againe Erroris medicina est confessio Medicine for error is confession But to this purpose notable is the saying of Gregory Mirentur quâ—…cunque volent in quolibet castitatis continentiam mirentur viscâ—…ra pietatis egâ—… non minus admiror in â—…o confessionem humilimam peccatorum Let men admire as they please in others either their continency or commiseration I will much more admire in a man to see the humble confession of his sinnes Scio enim per infirmitatis verecundiam grauioris esse certaminis praeterita peccata prodere quam non admissa vitare For I knowe through the infirmitie of shame that the godly haue a greater battel to confesse sinne committed than to represse it that it be not committed Seeke mee The second thing in the verse is petition of mercy after the confession of sinne I haue wandred like a lost sheep but thou who art the great pastor of thy sheepe who causest ioie in heauen at the conuersion of a sinner thou that leauest ninetie and nine feeding in the mountaines to seeke one of thy sheepe that hath wandred from thee Come thou Lord and by thy grace bring me home againe Quaere me quia te requiro Seeke mee for by thy grace I seeke thee Potes inuenire quem tu requiris Thou maist finde him whom thou seekest Dignare suscipere quem inueneris Vouchsafe to receiue him whom thou hast found Impone humeris quem susceperis And lay him vpon thy shoulders whom thou hast receiued Non est tibi piuÌ„ onus fastidio It is no wearisom burden to thee to beare thine owne and bring them home againe vnto thy selfe Thus we see how not onely in our first conuersion God did communicate life to vs when wee were dead as he followed Apostate Adam that ranne away from him and brought him again but in all the course of our life he is the conseruer and restorer of life to our soules No man can reckon the errours of his life We should perish in the least of them if the mercy of God did not watch ouer vs to saue vs when we haue lost our selues to reduce vs when we wander to raise vs when we fall So that the whole praise of the beginning continuance and consummation of our saluation belongs to the Lord our GOD onely For I forget not thy commandements The third and last thing in the verse is this protestation Where if it be demaunded How do these agree with the former He hath euen now said that he wandred like a lost sheep now he saith that he forgets not the coÌ„mandements of God The answere is The godly neuer so fall but there remaines in them some grace quae spem medicinae reseruat which reserues a hope of medicine to cure them so Dauid here Licèt quaedam mandatorum dei transgressus est omnimodam tamen illorum obliuionem non admisit Albeit hee transgressed some of Gods commandements yet hee fell not into any full obliuion of them And last we see here
that as Dauid first got life to his soule by the word so by it life was conserued vnto him and if at any time hee fell it was the word that wakened him to turne againe to the Lord by repentance When we are tempted vnto sinne the word armes vs to resist it when we are vvounded with sinne the word lets vs see how to cure it And as the crowing of the Cock wakened Peter to mourne for the deniall of Christ so the warning of the word wakens vs to repent when we haue sinned Happy vvere we if such affection vvere in vs toward the vvord of God as here was in Dauid So should we finde that manifolde comfort in it which hee found to the reioycing of his heart If vve receiue it vvhen vvee heare it vvith a liuelie faith Fiet nobis quodcunque desideramus It shall be vnto vs what euer we desire if wee be in trouble it shall be to vs a word of consolation if we be in ioy it shal augment our ioy Certainly if vve knew it we would be more delighted with it It is the seede of our new birth it is the foode that conserues an immortall life in vs it is a preseruatiue against all euill it is the restoratiue of our soules in all diseases it is the staffe of our infirmityes it is our armour against our enemies it is the light of our eyes euen that day starre that shineth in darknes If we walke in the light thereof it shall leade vs to the bright-shining sunne of righteousnes Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the Holy-ghost be praise honor and glory for euer Amen FINIS A Prayer commonlie vsed by the Author before his Euening Doctrine to the people O Lord prepare our hearts to seeke thee and open thou thy mercifull eare to heare vs. Let the meditation of our heart the words of our mouth and the lifting vp of our hands be vnto thee an acceptable Euening sacrifice and let thy blessing descend vpon vs thy people that by the ministery of thy word holy spirit light may increase in our mindes by which wee may knowe thee life in our hearts by which we may liue vnto thee that so long as wee are here in this miserable absence from thee we may continually be guided with thy grace and in thy owne good time receiued vp to thy glory through Iesus Christ to whom with thee and thy holy spirit be praise and glory for euer Another LOrd quicken vs that we may call vpon thy holy name Lord make vs wearie of our sinnes that we may come to thee and thou may refresh vs powre thy spirit vpon vs that we may hunger and thirst for thy righteousnesse and saluation that thou according to thy promise may satisfie vs. Declare thy presence in mercie vpon vs who heere wait for thy louing kindnes in the midst of thy Temple Water thine inheritance with the deaw of thy grace that we may fasten our roots in Christ and may growe vp in him in all holines fruitfull in euery manner of good worke which may be to thy glory through Iesus Christ. To whom with thee and thy holie spirit be praise and honour and glory for euer Amen A TABLE DIRECTING the Reader how to finde out the Principall points of Doctrine contained in this Book A A Brahams infirmity to teach vs strength P. 143. Gods Acceptation of any thing at our hands a great fauour for three respects 246. Accesse to God by Prayer while we are in the body will make vs not affraide to go out of the body 137. Adam had all graces except Perseuerance 260. Affections to be feruent in seeking spirituall things 356. Affections if strong will breake forth in Actions 368. Afflictions are fauours and proued such 166. 245. They are profitable 206. Afflictions and offences humble the Godly 170. Affliction not affecting Purgation is an argument of fearefull induration 171. In Affliction we see three things better then in prosperitie viz. What of the Lord what of our selues what of the world 181. The goodnes of the Wicked endeth with their Affliction It doth not so with the Godly 182. In Affliction to praise God a great grace 189. Afflictions of good and bad differ and how in the measure and in the end 191. They make the fruitfull more fruitfull 219. Alexanders and Caesars parting the night 159. Almuggim trees are such as rot not 156. The Anchor of the soul is Gods word 340. Angels to be imitated 332. Answere of Prayer delayed and why 199. Appeale to God frō the wrongfull iudgements of men 62. 344. Application of the word a speciall grace 377. Armour of the godly the Word and Prayer 65 The Art of Arts is the practise of piety 187. Assurance of saluation is no Arrogance 123. 215. Assurance confirmed by Arguments 124. The Awe-band of the wicked is without them of the godly within them 362. B THe Bands Combinings of the Wicked auaile not P. 155 Banishment and Pilgrimage bringeth vs neerer to God the farther from Men. 131. Beginnings nothing without perseuerance 252. God is a Beholder of our afflictions and Wrestlings 342 Benefits receiued well vsed beget Boldnes to aske more 38. Benefits should binde vs to Obedience 308. The fruite of Gods Benefits is our profit and Gods praise 393. Benignity of God generall speciall 163. Blessednes of Man described foure wayes 6. Mans Blessednes is in Gods Approbation 9. Desire of the best Blessings pleaseth God best 93. Blindnes of Man by Nature 51. Our Bodyes are houses of Bondage 132. Christs Burden beareth the Bearer 79. C CAlumnies are heauy Crosses Page 275. To commend a wrong Cause to Gods protection is dangerous 276. Bee our Cause neuer so good our owne wisedom will not help it ibid. Christians more honourable then Kings not Christians 48. Christians maimed which haue an eare to hear a tongue to speak but no hand to practise 119. Christians called Christs Companions 162. Christians are Prophets 388. Commandements all to be kept not with halfe obedience 21. Solide Comfort and Counsell commeth from the word 67. Comforts to bee sought from God for Gods sake 110. The Comfort of the Crosse vnknowne to Worldlings 171. Comfort the lesse worldly the greater heauenly 182. Comfort not comming from Gods word hath two euils with it 218 Comfort cōsisteth in two things 254. A three-fold Comfort 314. The Comfort of the worde is common to all the Godly 370. A man knowne by his Company 161. 257. Wicked Company to be for born for two causes 257. A threefolde Complaint against three sorts of Enemies 383. Confession of Sinnes confoundeth Sathan 274. 396. Confusion twofolde either a Desertion of God or Oppression of Men. 88 A Good Conscience affordeth continuall boldnesse in Prayer 273. 302. 343. 354 Consideration necessary in all things 150. Dauids Constancy in religion 174. Constancy of Christiās 250. 351. Conuersion to God not of any freewill in nature 85. Nothing can giue a
can say to another I need thee not Speech taken from good men for two causes Iob 12. 1 For punishment of their people 2 For correction of themselues The ioy gotten by Gods word surmounts all worldly ioy whatsoeuer Basil. Ambrose In a miserable estate are they to whom Gods word is a wearinesse Sathans baits â—…e pleasure or profit but we should not be moued with any of them and why Amb. 1. Cor. 1. It is not the hearing or reading of Gods word that will worke vs ioy if we practise it not ☞ Basil. Of the vexation and vanity of worldly riches Ambros. in Luc. cap. 16. They flie farthest from vs when we haue most need of comforts A threefold internall action of the soule about the word ☜ How a godly man is euer fruitfull in good The necessity and vtility of meditation The minde of man is restlesse and vexes it selfe with euill if it be not exercised with good Gods word should be the matter of our meditation August Marcellinâ—… Iob 22. The word is Gods way because by it God commeth to vs and we go to him The more good a godly man doth the more he desires to do The graces of the Spirit are linked together lose one lose all keepe one keep all ☞ Our best estate vpon earth is that we haue not that which we should and yet want not altogether The strength of a Christian is in his prayer The greatest benefit men receiue from God is grace to obey him Constantine the great his notable saying It is more to be a Christian then a Monarch of the world So Dauid reioyceth more in this that he was Gods seruant then king of Israel Sith Angels serue him shal we think shame to serue him Naturall life makes a reprobate man in a worse case then if he had neuer been But to an elect man euen naturall life is a great benefit This life without grace is but a death Num. 19. Math. 8. Eph. 5. Miserable are they who desire to liue for loue of the pleasures of sin A worthy meditation of Nazianzen Satan by experience is found a false deceiuer How blind maÌ„ is by nature ☜ Our regeneratioÌ„ is wrought by degrees Ambrose If we be ignorant of the word the blame is in our darke mind not in it Vatab. 2. Cor. 3. 14. Why many learned men attaine not to the knowledge of the truth ☞ Basil. Illumination of the mind is Gods worke Psal. 104. Luk 24. 2. Cor. 3. 16. Euery Article of our faith â—…s a wonderful mysterie Man on earth is a stranger knowes not the way hee should walk till God shewes it vnto him Ambrose Worldlingâ—… shal not continue on earth yet cannot say they are strangers in it And that because in affection they be content with this desire not a better Phil. Reuel 8. Psal. 17. Worldlings â—…e inhabitants of the earth Christians are â—…ut strangers in it Basil. Luke The whole earth is but a place of banishment Nazian in vita Basil. A man euen in his owne house should esteeme himselfe a straÌ„ger This world can neither wil nor teach men a way to go out of her selfe we must seeke a guide froÌ„ heauen ☞ The right knowledge of the ten Commandements Two things required in true obedience Both the word and the plagues of God are called his iudgments how Such as are not moued by the first shall be confounded by the second A hart full of spirituall desires is an argument of great grace Ambr. Ambrose Comfort against coÌ„tempt of men wherby they scorne the godly for sighing and teares The begunne wrath of God on them shold confirme vs against their contempt But many wax worse with Lamech when they see euill men spared Gene. 4. 24. Few become better with Dauid when they see them punished Eccles. Wicked men coÌ„monly styled proud men and why Proud Satan hath made disciples prouder then himselfe Esay 14. Ambr. The miserable condition of a proud man Iam. ☞ Ambrose Euery error is dangerous but proud error accursed Sinnes of pride and of infirmitie should be distinguished Curse of God on the wicked is like a secret consumption Dauid his appellation to God from the wrongful iudgments of men How Dauid iustifies himselfe before God and man A triall of true religion A hard tentation to be troubled by men of great authority for two causes 1. For their power Prou. Rom. 13. 2. 〈◊〉 place Psalm Princes godly and râ—…us are a great blessing of God Great cause haue we to be thankfull for the King hee hath set ouer vs. Psalm christians measure not the veritie of religion by the number or greatnes of them that are with it or against it Such as persecure the godlie with their tongues will not faile to loose their hands against them if they may Where we find that God binds their hands we should beare their tongues the more patiently ☜ Ierem. 12. Armour of godly men is the word and prayer Ambrose ☞ The word renders vs both counsell for gouernment pleasure for delectation Comfort gotten by other recreations continues not ☜ No wisedome without the word The word of God is conuenient for euery state of life Dauid sore troubled with a spirituall oppression Tentations of the godly somtimes cannot be told sometimes it is not expedient they should be told In a worldling the very heauenly part is becom earthly Ambrose The contrary disposition of Christians Ambr. Cant. 4. 4. The royall towre of christ is a soule moâ—â—ting vp to heauen Change of estates wherevnto the godly are subiect ☞ Godly men by 〈◊〉 waÌ„ts falls infirmities become more godly The life of a ChristiaÌ„ wherin stands it It is great faith to belieuâ—… when there is no feeling of mercie Dauids argument to moue the Lord vnto mercie Where God begins to shew mercy he ceaâ—… not tâ—…ll hee crowne with â—…cie Mans liberality is but like a Strand Gods like the great Ocean Happy is the soule wherein mercy truth meet together An euill conscience hides it self from God Esa. What a great benefit it is to manifest our wayes to God in time Ambrose Sathan confounded when we confesse our sinnes ☞ A profitable rule to make vs liue godly Basil. After confession he ioynes prayer for amendment Ambros. See ver 12. Remission and renouation are two inseparable benefits ☜ We haue great need to pray for further light We can walke the wayes of sinne without a teacher not so the wayes of God Miserable is man so long as his way and Gods way are different Good things should be sought from God for good ends Iam 4. The works of God are all maruellous The godly sore humbled by affliction A Christian is eyther looking to his owne necessities or to God his mercies Naturall comforts cannot sustaine a man iâ—… spirituall troubles 1. Pet. 1. Luk. 6. Christians should not thinke that their tentations are singular 1. Cor. 10. Christs crosse is such a burden is easeth them on whoÌ„
vs in the certainty of our saluation 1. Cor. 1. Phil. 2. Christians are sure of perseuerance proued by foure reasons Gal. 2. Rom. 6. 1. Pet. 1. 1. Ioh. 2. Commendation of Gods word â—…t will vphold vs when all other comfort will faile Ambrose If we make no conscience of Gods word in prosperity it shall not comfort vs madueâ—…sity The Word of God is the life of our soule If such fruit be in his promise what is in the performance Mockeries and tauntings of euill men is a part of Christs crosse Ismael first began this kind of persecution Gal. 4. Godlines hath many impediments If we remember time begun forethinke time to come the tentations of the time present shall not readily ouercome vs. Prou. 1. Godly men pitie the wicked Euthym. Not so much for wroÌ„g done to them as for the euill that redounds to theÌ„ who doe it Ambr. ☜ The weight of sin aggrauated by this that it is a forsaking of Gods law They who couÌ„t Gods word a wearines which Dauid accounted a refreshment are in a hard estate The word is conuenient for euery state of life In it wee haue prayers for crosses and psalmes for euery deliueraÌ„ce Bodily banishment brings the godly neerer to the Lord how euer it put them further from men Our life vpon earth is but a banishment ☞ It were a sore punishment to dwell for euer in our bodies as they are ☞ Iob. 18. Priuate exercises are surest tryalls of true godliness and why Rom. 2. 29. This age conuinced of coldnes in religion Euery mans life declares if he remember God or no. Ambrose How the beginnings of godliness are euer blessed with increase ☞ God teacheth vs both by precepts and examples All the godly who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before vs. call vpon vs. ☜ Heb. 12. Among the rest Dauid calls vs to follow him If we would be partakers of his approbation 2. Reg. 2. A two-fold protestation in this verse It is a commoÌ„ thing to speak of God not so to speake to him Accesse to the throne of grace in the body is the first degree of eternal life ☜ Macar hâ—…m 8. Dauid a great King yet glories onely in this that God was his 〈◊〉 Worldlings may be ashamed who hauing lesse portions on earth yet for them neglect the Lord. Why we should chuse God to be our portion God rested not in his worke of creation till he had made man ☜ And man shold not rest content with any creature but set his hart vpoÌ„ God Psal. 73. 25. ☜ August The greatest good in the creature is but a sparkle of that infinite good in the Creator Euery creature sends vs from it vp to him that made it ☞ Prou. 1. 8. Man was made for God no other thing but God can content him Bernard August ☜ God is not the lesse portion of one because he is the portion of another Earthly inheritances are diminished being coÌ„muncated to many heauenly are not so How the assurance of our election may be gathered 1. Iohn 4. Comfort for such as are poor in worldly things Psal. 23. 1. Abrahams infirmitie should learne vs to gather strength ☜ Information for such as are rich in the world Shame that they are more zealous to maintain their earthly portion then the heauenly Ierem. 8. It is not enough to say God is thy portion vnlesse thou qualifie it Chrys. in Mat. hom 4. An InterrogatioÌ„ of Chrysostoms meet for professors of this age ☞ Such as enter into religion without determination cannot continue Three helps of a godly life 1. Determination 2. Supplication 3. Consideration Iam. 3. Our purpose perisheth if God blesse it not Three things obserued in Dauids prayer 1 His Reuerence The like reuerence recommended to vs. Eccles. 5. August The second is his Sinceritie Against a false hart vnder a faire tongue ☜ ☞ Pro. 26. 23. The third is his faith Prayers of bastard Christians nothing different from the prayers of Turkes ☜ God promiseth of mercy wee promise of dutie If we would haue the one effectuall let vâ—… make conscience of the other Consideration so necessary that without it no estate of our life can be well ordered ☞ We should not vse the eye of the mind as we doe the eye of the body ☜ By the one we look to others by this wee should look to our selues It is a lamentable folly for a man to take heed to any thing that is his more then to himselfe Basil de verbis Mosis Attende tibi As oft as wee â—…oke to our selues we shal find something 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bern. Delay of repentance dangerous How it brings many to damnation ☜ August Against the delay of repentance Satan seeks but â—… delay God crâ—…ues present repentance ☞ All men seek the Lord at length wise meÌ„ seek him in time True godlines endureth great tentations What the wicked are to the godly ☜ The combination of the wicked shall not helpe them Three things to be marked in this verse Our necessities hinders our spiritual exercises that they can not be continuall as it is with them in heauen Yet wee should indeuour vnto it Why Salomon made Harps of Almuggim trees We soone faint in prayer Though our performance faile our purpose should remaine Time a most pretious jewel ☜ How the time of the day and night should be spent after Dauids example The same Christ teacheth by his example Ambrose Sleepe is the deaw of nature Yet we should quit it to keepe the deaw of grace or else worldlings and Idolators shall accuse vs. ☞ Sleep compared to a sory customer that takes vp more then he should How Alexander and Caesar parted the night Monsters of Nature turne the day into night Ambrose What God promiseth with his mouth he performeth with his hand Sin punished now tels there is a Iudge Sinne spared now tells there is a iudgement to come He that loueth God wil loue his Saints Euery mans company declares what himselfe is Ambr. ad virg deuotam Ambr. offer lib. 3. ca. 16. Christians of an inferior rank to ourselues should be vsed as our companions ☞ An example of great humility ☞ In the godly feare is with loue not so in the wicked No good is to be looked for where the feare of God is not Gods benignitie generall is to all speciall to his owne children The goodness of God toward his creatures should coÌ„firme his children in the assurance of his loue Blind are the wicked who see not Gods goodnes in his creatures ☞ Gods mercy shewed to a man is an vndoubted argument that hee will shew more mercie His present gifts are but pledges of greater Psalm 23. How God is gracious euen wheÌ„ he afflicts Ambrose The same declared by sundry similitudes Basil. Memorials of mercy should be kept The seruant of God an honorable and comfortable stile Iudg. 16. The wicked dishonor God when they call in doubt the truth of his word Esay 37. Zach. 1. But they shall find it
God shineth in the worke of creation Iob. 38. Earth founded without a fouÌ„dation Creation as a mother Prouidence a nurse conseruing things created ☞ Out of the wholsom word profane men like wasps gather poyson 2. Pet. 3. 4. All creatures froÌ„ the Angel to the worme serue the Lord of Hosts Psalm Gene. 6. Sith other creatures are vpholdeÌ„ by his word much more the Christian. Comfort which is not from Gods word brings two great euills The word hath comfort for euery estate of life An answer to worldlings who say they find no delight in Gods word ☜ Men fruitful in godlinesse by affliction made more fruitfull Iohn 15. ☞ None coÌ„temne Gods word but such as haue gotten no benefit by it Basile in Psal. 119. It is not the Word that quickens but God by his Word Sith man is carefull to keep that which is his owne shall we thinke that God loues not those who are his owne Euery man câ—…n not say to the Lord I am â—…hine Basil. in Ps. 119 Rom. 6. 16. Ambrose Yea rather men now are so profane that euery kinde of siâ—…ne may say vnto them Thou art mine ☞ Cent. How the Lord acknowledges not profane men to be his How Satan challenged Iudas as his owâ—… ☜ How Dauid proues that he was Gods man A great miracle that the sheepe of Christ are preserued in the midst of rauening Wolues Psal. 124. The vanitie instabilitie of all earthly pleasures ☜ Iudg. 16. Esay 14. 1â—… Psalm 1. A cleere declaration of the vanitie of this life Chrys. in Math. hom 24. ☞ The word of God is called large because the comfort therof indures Euthy in Psalm 119. WheÌ„ all world ly comforts fai'e Many speake that by custome which in conscience they dare not present vnto God A great grace to speak to God froÌ„ an vpright hart ☞ God craues nothing of man but loue 1. Tim. 1. Ambr. in Psal. 119. We are inexcusable if wee giue it not How loue to God may be tryed The nature of loue it cannot lurk but will tell where it is Means to grow in grace are meditation prayer thanksgiuing conference ☞ Dauid coÌ„pares himselfe with three sorts of men his enemies his teachers and the ancient Not to commend himselfe but the word of God Worldlings in what respect they are called wise Time will try whether they or the godly be more wise Godly men tel what they are but not of presumption Nazian He is not meet to be a teacher of Christians who is not a disciple of Christ. Ambr. lib. 1. off cap. 1. Macar hâ—… 16. ☞ That God giues more grace by an instrument then the instrument hath proues that hee is the dispenser of graoe ☜ Sith the wicked glory to make others more wicked shal we grudge that others by vs are made more learned godly then our selues How youth old age are to be considered A warning to aged men To resist sinne not to want sin is our greatest perfection on earth Amb. in Psalm 119. He can resist no sinne who resists not all sinne ☜ Euery sin receiued within vs opens the dore to another Our naturall inabilitie to good They onely learne who are taught of God God when he teaches speaks to the heart Euthym. The causes why many now profit not by hearing of the word ☜ A Christian apprehends good offered in the word not with one but all his leâ—…ses Sith Gods promises are sweet how sweet will their performance be 1. Cor. 2. 9. Two great benefits Dauid got by the word Lukewarme professors of this age convinced The word of God compared to a Lanterne Euthym. in Psal. 119. 1 Because it sheweth light in darkenesse 2 We shall set it by when we come home Reuel 22. 5. The light of the Gospell is clearer then the light of the Lawe 2. Pet. 1. 19. As the Sun is necessary for the day so the light of the word to direct our way Ambr. in Psal. 119. Ambrose Our waies are in darknesse without the word As Israels course in the wildernes was directed by the Lord so should ours be As a maÌ„ lights one light at another so should we light our minds at the word ☞ Dauids resolution confirmed by an oath A godly oath a necessary helpe of our great weaknes Ambr. in Psal. 119. The obiection of a weak conscience concerning an oath Why we should not cease to coÌ„firme our good purposes by an oath albeit we be weake in performing ☞ Gods word why called his iudgement How familiar the godly are in declaring their griefes to the Lord. Afflictions no arguments of hatred Amb. in Psalm 119. Heb. 12. By the contrary impunitie libertie to sin is an argumeÌ„t of Gods anger Hosea 2. The state of the godly in trouble after trouble to be distinguished Hebr. 12. Two great motiues to patience in trouble Vatab. It is a great sauour that the Lord accepts any thing from vs and that in three respects 1. If we consider who the Lord is Psalme 16. 2. If we consider who our selues are 3. If wee consider what our oblation 〈◊〉 1. Chron. 29. No gift so smal if it come from a good hart but God accepts it A reproofe of them vvho praise not God with their lips And of theÌ„ also who offer seruice of their words not of their harts vnto him Mich. 6. 7. The godly maÌ„ hath his life alway ready in his hand to offer to the Lord. ☜ It is far otherwise with the wicked Three things concurre in wickednes Which are not in the godly Constancie of Christians Excellencie of Gods word aboue all other things Phil. 3. 8. It is the sure Charter of our heauenly inheritance The contempt of Gods word reproued ☜ Seeing mans hart is not in his owne hand how saith Dauid he had applied his hart How a man after grace receiued works his own saluation Basil. in Psalm 119. The godly fail in performaÌ„ce not in purpose ☞ Beginnings of good are nothing without perseuerance Greg. moral In trouble mans comfort consists in one of these two 1. A by-gon good life 2. Or else a present vnfained repentance Three things in sinne to be escliued 1. The occasioÌ„ 2. The beginning of it ☜ 3. The perfection Iam. 1. 15. Men grow more skilfull in sinning then they were before In most desperate dangers God comes with vnlooked for deliuerences Why our hearts should be diuded from wicked men Psal. 50. Euery mans company tels what he is Wicked company for borne for two causes 1. Because they offend God Psal. 1 39. 2. For feare they hurt vs. How euery company warnes vs to walke circumspectly Vatab. Wicked company not meet for godly men and why He that knows God to be his God by no meanes can be 〈◊〉 from him ☜ A Christian hath nothing wherein he reioyceth as in his owne but the Lord. Psal. 73. 26. Prayer strengthens all our good intentions A two-fold instability incident to godly men 1. One of faith ☞ 2.