to God O Lord. 2 A note of asseveration truly 3 An The Asseveration is a note of confidence So as II. Saints may confidently professe that relation which God is pleased shall passe betwixt him and them The Ingemination importeth an earnestnesse in that which he professeth and giveth instance that III. Confidence in the interest which Saints have in God maketh them earnest in pressing it The continuance of the mutuall relation betwixt God and him even from his birth is added as a prop to his faith Therefore IIII. Faith is much strengthened by constant evidences of Gods favour The expresse mention of his mother which is for honour sake sheweth that V. It is an honour to children to descend from pious parents §. 99. Of Saints being Gods servants I. SAints are Gods servants As this Prophet here so stileth himselfe so are the three great Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Israel so also Moses Iob all the true Prophets the Apostles as Paul Peter Iude yea and Christ himselfe stiled Sundry are the respects wherein Saints may truly and properly be termed Gods servants 1 As all creatures are being made sustained ordered and governed by the Lord. 2 As many naturall men being deputed by the Lord to speciall functions and services 3 As many in the Church making profession of God to be their Lord. 4 As true faithfull professors who doe indeed take God for their Lord. In the three former respects as Gods creatures as deputed to select functions by God as professors of the name of God others are servants of God as well as Saints but the fourth respect which is the most honourable profitable and comfortable respect is proper and peculiar to Saints and that two waies 1 By reason of Gods affection to them 2 By reason of their disposition to God 1 God accounts them members of his house and answerably affects them as of his houshold In regard of such an affection he thus saith of Moses My servant Moses is faithfull in all my house Yea as united unto Christ and in him adopted and accepted he saith to Saints as to Christ Behold my servants whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soule delighteth 2 They are affected to the Lord as dutifull faithfull gratefull servants An heathen Monarch observed thus much and thereupon saith O Daniel servant of the living God whom thou servest continually This relation thus taken affordeth matter of gratulation and direction to such as can truly and justly apply it to themselves Gratulation by reason of the dignity of it Direction by reason of the duties that are thereupon expected 1 It is here as a dignity expressed and made the ground of gratulation And that not without cause For though this title servant be in it selfe a meane title yet in relation to God it is an high an honourable title The greatest noble-man in a kingdome thinks himselfe honoured with this title The Kings servant But what are mortall Monarchs to the immortall and incomprehensible King of kings Not onely Patriarchs Kings Prophets and Apostles but Christ the Sonne of God thought himselfe dignified with this title servant in relation to God It is therefore a noble service whereof David here saith to God I am thy servant c. and blessed Mary to the angell Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Moses also and other Saints were such servants Neither is it any marvell that holy men were dignified with this title whereas the Father thus speaketh to his Sonne It is a great thing for thee to be called my servant Such is the Maiesty Omnipotency Immutability Perpetuity Integrity Clemency Mercy Bounty and Excellency every way of this Lord as it nor will nor can repent any one to have any relation to him or dependance upon him which the royall Prophet well understood when he said to this Lord A day in thy courts is better then a thousand I had rather be a doore-keepein the house of my God then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse Psal 84. 10. The particular dignities and prerogatives of the Lords servants are such as these 1 They are all free 1 Cor. 7. 22. 2 All the services which the Lord enjoyneth are faire services Psal 19. 7 c. 1 Ioh. 5. 3. 3 The Lord gives ability to doe the worke which he expects and exacts of us Ioel. 2. 29. Phil. 2. 13. 4 He accepteth and approveth what he enableth his servants to doe Mat. 25. 21. Iob. 1. 8 9. 5 He bountifully rewardeth every good thing His wages are good and great Mat. 10. 42. 19. 29. 25. 21. 6 Gods servants get favours even for others also Iob 42. 8. 7 They are sure of safe protection from all hurtfull things and of sufficient provision of all needfull good things Isa 65. 13 14. 8 The Lord taketh care of his servants seed Psal 69. 36. 2 This relation directeth us unto such duties as here follow 1 To honour our Lord Mal. 1. 6. 2 To obey him Mat. 8. 9. Col. 3. 22. 3 To feare him with an holy trembling Eph. 6. 5. 4 To be faithfull to him Num. 12. 7. 5 To do all that we do on duty Luk. 17. 10. 6 To be no men-pleasers Gal. 1. 10. 7 To serve him onely not to serve Mammon or any other master save the Lord Mat. 6. 24. §. 100. Of Saints confidence in Gods mind to them and theirs to God II. SAints may confidently professe that relation which God is pleased shall passe betwixt him and them This confidence is manifested sometimes in the acknowledgement of that part of the relation which is on mans part and other times that which is on Gods part In this text that on mans part is professed truly I am thy servant So where he saith We are the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his hands People and sheepe are notes of relation on mans part So are clay and worke of Gods hands where the Prophet saith We are the clay and the worke of thy hands On Gods part he saith O Lord thou art our father and thou our potter To like purpose are other like notes of relation on Gods part with confidence professed thus Thou art my father my God and the rocke of my salvation Thou art my King O God Thou O Lord art my glory In these and other like places though the note of asseveration truly is not expressed yet the manner of expressing the notes of relation on the one and the other part import much confidence These and such other relations betwixt God and man give assurance of Gods gracious acceptation and favour If God meant not to deale with us as a Father with children as an Husband with his wife as a King with Subjects as a Master with servants as a Shepheard with sheepe as a Potter with pots for all these and other like notes of relation betwixt God and us are expressed
there is just occasion Ioel 1. 13. and hath commended it in such as have rightly done it 2 Chro. 34. 27. yea and hath expresly recorded the passion of him that is the wisdome of God Mar. 3. 5. and taxed the contrary in obdurate persons Isa 22. 12 13. it cannot but seeme a more then Heathenish and brutish conceipt 2. Be not too censorious of others passionate manifestation of their griefe especially when there is just cause and a Christian meane is not exceeded All that Sathan could doe against Iob did not so deeply pierce to his soule as his friends unfriendly censure of him 3. Have compassion of such as having cause are in passion Weepe with them that weepe Let us shew our selves to be fellow-members of one and the same body by a Christian Sympathy and fellow feeling of one anothers sorrowes 4. As for such as take occasion from the signes and effects of others sorrowes to insult over them let them well weigh the fearefull imprecations made against them and withall know that propheticall imprecations are divine denounciations of judgement It much provokes the righteous Lord to give them just matter of sorrow who laugh at others sorrowes §. 54. Of Gods turning sorrow into solace V. GOD can remove all matter of mourning He here delivered this Prophets eyes from teares he tooke away all occasion of weeping in which sense he is said to wipe away all tears from mens eys Isa 25. 8. Rev. 7. 17. and to bid them refraine their voice from weeping and eyes from teares Ier. 31. 16. Luk. 7. 13. Pertinent to this purpose are these proverbes They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Psal 126. 5. weeping may endure for a night but joy commeth in the morning Psal 30. 5. Answerable hereunto have beene Saints prayers Gods promises and performances For instance of prayers take these Make me to heare joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Make us glad according to the yeares wherein thou hast afflicted us Of promises these I will turne their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoyce for their sorrow Their fasts shal be joy and gladnesse and chearefull feasts Thou shalt weepe no more Of performances these Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladnesse When the Lord turned againe the captivity of Zion then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing Were not the eyes of that woman which so wept as with her teares she washed the feet of Iesus delivered from teares when Christ said to her Thy sinnes are forgiven When Hezekiah heard this doome Thou shalt die and not live he wept with great weeping But this second message from the Lord I have seene thy teares behold I will adde unto thy daies fifteene yeares did questionlesse wipe away all his teares Most pregnant for the point in hand is the end of the commission given to Christ thus expressed The Lord hath annointed me to preach good tidings to comfort all that mourne to give unto them beauty for ashes the oile of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse That which God said to Hezekiah I have seene thy teares giveth the true and just reason of Gods removing all matter of mourning For the Lord being full of pity the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort his bowels are moved at the sight of his childrens teares as it is noted of Christ When he saw Mary weeping and the Iewes also weeping he groaned in the spirit and was troubled and wept And againe when he saw a widow weepe he had compassion on her Vpon that compassion he tooke away the occasion of her weeping When God came to deliver Israel from the Egyptian bondage he renders this reason of his purpose I have surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their crie by reason of their task masters for I know their sorrowes Yea further to demonstrate the notice which the Lord taketh of his Saints teares there is in Scripture mention made of a bottle wherein they are put as a liquor most precious in Gods account and of a booke wherein they are registred as things to be reviewed and not forgotten Learne hereby to set a meane to mourning Sorrow not as others which have no hope Know that God taketh notice of thy teares believe that God can and will wipe them away Believe this when sense and smart of affliction makes thee weepe and waile but especially when with a deepe apprehension of thy sinnes against God and of his displeasure against thee thou doest as Peter did weepe bitterly In these and other like cases thou maist and must pray as the Psalmist did and say O Lord give eare unto my cry hold not thy peace at my teares For assuredly he that putteth teares into his bottle and registreth them will wipe all tears from thine eyes What he hath done to others thou being like to them in like cases maist expect For God ever remaineth like himselfe §. 55. Of Saints fallings by affliction VI. GReat afflictions may 〈◊〉 Saints Though they be not utterly overthrowne thereby they may be as a man in a quagmire out of which he hath much adoe to come much foiled In such a case was he who said My feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt My foot slippeth I am ready to halt My flesh and my heart faileth My strength faileth My spirit was overwhelmed My life is spent with griefe and my yeares with sighing How it falls out that this thus befalls the Saints is shewed before on vers 7 § 44. The Apostle giveth a seasonable exhortation for preventing or redressing the danger of this infirmity which is this Lift up the hands which hang downe and the feeble knees and make strait paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed Hanging hands and feeble knees are the signes of a fainting spirit and here put for that whereof they are signes To lift up these is to rouse up our spirits and to quicken them The danger which otherwise may follow upon fainting much enforceth the exhortation For these words least that which is lame be turned out of the way imply that upon fainting may follow a falling away A fresh-water-souldier once fainting soone falls to the enemy Let us therefore well looke to our standing and well prepare our selves before hand The Apostle giveth an excellent direction to this purpose Eph. 6. 10 11 c. For particular directions to keepe from fainting read The Whole Armour of God Treat 2. Part. 5. § 22. Is the forementioned weaknesse of Saints and
satisfied Be therefore if possibly ye can where Gods house is Blessed are they that dwell there The Psalmist in a rhetoricall amplification of this point seemeth to envy the sparrowes and swallowes which roosted and built their nests about the house of God whereunto he could not come though his soule longed and even fainted for it Finally ye that have that favour and honour to dwell where Gods house is esteeme it as a great favour and high honour and testifie as much by your answerable cariage 1 Frequent Gods house on all occasions The Christians of the purer primitive times of the Church continued daily with one accord in the Temple This one thing did the Man after Gods owne heart desire and professeth more and more to seeke after it even to dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his life that is as an inhabitant to have recourse unto it on all occasions For saith he to the Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth 2 Keepe thy foot when thou goest to the house of God that is keepe thine heart which is to thy soule as thy foot to thy body to carie it this way and that way Go therfore to Gods house with a well prepared heart There is he present who searcheth and trieth the heart 3 At the very entring into Gods house let an holy trembling and awfull feare possesse thy soule The great God the King of glory is there When Iacob by a divine vision which was shewed him in a place where he slept perceived that the Lord was in that place hee was afraid and said How dreadfull is this place This is none other but the house of God 4 When thou art there keepe thy thoughts from wandring Let not thy soule be fixed on any other thing then on God and his holy ordinances which thou performest least thou be reckoned in the number of them Who draw neare to God with their mouth and with their lips do honour him but have removed their heart farre from him and so thy service be rejected of God 5 Prophane not Gods house with Merchandizes for which Christs indignation was so incensed against the Iewes in his time as with a scourge he drave them out Prophane it not with worldly communications or actions much lesse with any impious or unrighteous words or deeds 6 Pervert not Gods house by making it a pretext for any impiety or iniquity As if having Gods house by thee thou shouldest thereby be justified or bolstered up against evill Will ye steale commit adultery sweare falsly and walke after other gods and come stand before me in this house saith the Lord which is called by my name and say we are delivered to do all these abominations §. 118. Of holy boldnesse in praising God III. GOds praises must be boldly set forth We may not be daunted or ashamed therein as men which do things secretly in a corner but by doing this duty in the middest of populous places manifest holy boldnesse as he that said I will praise him among the multitude I will speake of thy testimonies also before Kings and will not be ashamed Before the Gods will I sing praise unto thee Thus Saint Paul though as a malefactor he was brought before King Agrippa and Bernice sitting in great pompe with Festus the chiefe captaines and principall men of the city where were great multitudes of people yet in declaring the admirable worke of God in his conversion saith I speake freely Herein hath the Lord Christ made himselfe a worthy patterne for in this case thus he saith In the middest of the congregation will I praise thee My praise shal be of thee in the great congregation 1 Such is the excellency such the necessity of praising God so honourable so acceptable unto God so usefull and beneficiall is it to us by so many bonds are we bound thereunto as if all the things in the world which can be pretended to make any ashamed or afraid thereof whether reputation promotion riches friends liberty life or any thing els were put into one ballance and the inducements to move us boldly to performe it put into another they would be found beyond all comparison too light 2 By Saints boldnesse in praising God as they who are like minded are much affected and stirred up to blesse God so the weake and faint-hearted are strengthened and encouraged and gaine-sayers scorners and all sorts of adversaries daunted and put to silence Great cause of just complaint may hence be taken not onely against impious and prophane persons who care not to give any praise at all to God either in private corners or in the middest of assemblies but also against such as in their judgements are convinced of the equity of the duty and in their consciences perswaded of the necessity thereof and thereupon are moved inwardly in their hearts or secretly in their closets or other like places to praise the Lord but to do it in assemblies in the middest of populous places they are ashamed What is this but to preferre man to God and applause of men to Gods approbation May it not be said of such They have their reward Surely their owne judgement and conscience are terrible witnesses against them Fearefull is the doome which Christ hath denonnced against them For saith he Whosoever shal be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the fonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father with the holy Angels If therefore we stand before Kings and Governours for the Lord we ought not to be ashamed but resolute and constant Be bold be bold ye servants of the Lord in sounding forth the praises of your God Goe into presses of people and in the middest of them praise the Lord. Wicked men are over-bold in belching forth their blasphemies to the dishonour of God they care not who heare them They sticke not to do it in the middest of cities Shall they be more audacious to dishonour God then ye zeelous to honour him Assuredly Christ will shew himselfe as forward to confesse you as you are or can be to confesse him This holy boldnesse is the ready way to glory To adde an edge to this exhortation well observe these few rules following 1 Duly consider the difference betwixt God and man It is dis-respect of God and too much respect of man that maketh many ashamed and afraid to declare before men that duty which they owe to God 2 Take an invincible resolution to doe what you see just cause to do Want of a setled resolution makes men when they meet with any discouragements to turne back and to cease prosecuting that which in their conceipt causeth feare and shame 3 Passe not for praise or dispraise
massacres were made among them and the miserable effects of warre so depopulated their countrie and destroyed their persons as they were left destitute without all succour or hope of reliefe And since the last taking in of Rochel the King who was of a contrary religion to them became an absolute Master of them What now in mans eye could be looked for but that utterly they should be deprived of the liberty of their religion and by little and little be enforced to the idolatrous superstition of the Romish Church or at least be bred up in blindnesse and ignorance being left without the light of the Gospell to guide and comfort them in that their miserable condition Yet now in these happy daies of deliverances behold how in their greatest extremity when all humane meanes failed them the Lord of hosts hath beyond all hope afforded them much peace and quietnes and provided for them new Churches built with their Kings good leave yea and at his cost and charges because they had beene demolished by the fury of impious souldiers and by the out-rage of superstitious people Thorow that liberty which now they enjoy their Churches are diligently frequented and all Gods ordinances duly observed and their religion with lesse scorne and derision professed then formerly Their peace and security is now greater then when they had the fore-mentioned meanes to embolden them to stand upon their owne guard This is the Lords doing It is marvellous in our eyes They had no Moses no Ioshua to worke for them As they had no power within to defend them from the might and malice of their enemie so they could expect no aid from abroad to encourage them to stand out against their enemies All the aid that from abroad was afforded unto them proved altogether in vaine God is all in all to them He that said The wolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the leopard shall lie downe with the kid and the calfe and the lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them and the sucking child shall play on the hole of the aspe and the weined child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den hath wrought this concord betwixt them and the adversaries of their religion The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water he turneth it whether soever he will To his Churches therefore hath the Lord turned the heart of that King for their good What the inward affection of the King to those of the reformed religion is is a secret Whether the peace that those Churches enjoy be occasioned by reason of that supreme power which now he hath obtained over them or by reason of his embroilements at home and undertakings abroad little skilleth for the matter in hand Sure it is that the Lord hath ordered all things that have fallen out in France for the good and peace of his Churches there Should not due notice be taken hereof §. 124. Of Gods late mercies to the Low-Countries FRom reformed Churches in France we will passe to the Low-Countries who are of the same profession In recounting Gods late mercies to them which is the taske that we have undertaken thereby to shew what great cause we now have to set out the praises of the Lord it would be too farre a digression to begin with those extraordinary deliverances which they had when first they recovered their liberty against the cruelty and tyranny of Duke D' Alva Later mercies are these that follow 1 A strong faction of Arminians being raised up and dispersed thorowout all their provinces whereby the truth and purity of religion was much corrupted and the tranquillity and security of their State put into great hazard a Nationall Synod not without the counsell and consent of our royall Defender of the Faith King IAMES was assembled at Dort whereunto most grave learned and judicious Divines out of all the reformed Churches in Christendome came who all with one unanimous consent determined sundry fundamentall points of our Christian Religion against the contrary errors of the Adversaries of Gods free grace A mercy not to be forgotten 2 The enemy having gathered such an army as made him master of the field whereby he so strongly besieged Breda a frontier town of great command every way round about as no succour could be afforded it but it was forced to yeeld at which time also Grave Maurice Prince of Orange their brave Generall died great feare there was of much mischiefe if not of utter ruine to befall that State But by Gods Providence their great enemy Spinola was called into another country and a supply made of the losse of their former Generall by substituting in his roome his owne brother whose prudence and prowesse successe hath crowned so as they are now better secured then they were before 3 Spaine provided an exceeding great treasure for the fore-said States which it never intended to them The whole fleet of gold silver and other rich merchandizes which the Spaniards by the helpe of the West-Indians had beene sundry yeares gathering together the Nether-landers tooke on a sudden whereby their enemies were much disfurnished and they themselves so plentifully furnished as they were the better enabled not onely to defend themselves but also to offend their enemies 4 The States being now well prepared they quickly become masters of the field and with much resolution attempt that which the enemy little feared they should attaine namely to take in the Bosche a very strong frontier towne well fenced well manned and every way well prepared and provided for But they so besiege it as no reliefe can be afforded to it they so assault it as there is no standing out against them They take it and keepe it 5 While they lay at this siege another booty falls into their hands Wesell the magazin of their enemie wherein all warlike provision was in great abundance stoared up sending out some of their garrisons abroad notice thereof comes to the armie of the States in siege at the Bosche They forthwith send some troupes to surprize Wesell on a sudden They come to it unexpected and quickly take it Thus are the States againe furnished with their enemies provision They take a strong towne of great consequence which is as an inlett for them into the Palatinate And by this meanes an enemy that with a great army was entred into their country and burnt and spoiled all before him was forced backe againe 6 This last yeare while the army of the States is quiet at home the enemy having plotted some mischievous designe against them unexpectedly sends an army by water into their territories which like a flocke of foolish birds flew into nets that were not laid for them and were taken What can we thinke but that the finger of God hath beene in the ordering of these successefull matters for the better security of them who professe and maintaine the true religion against the professed
possessions Many people are eased of their heavy burdens and grievances There hath also hereupon followed a great abatement of the greatnesse of the house of Austria and such a diminution of the power thereof as that they who have beene the chiefe pillars of the Church of Rome are by these late victories got against them disabled as we hope from helping forward the Popes designe of reducing the Christian world to an absolute obedience unto his chaire yea and from further promoting their owne ambitions desires of the Monarchy of Europe By the fore-named successe there is also procured much addition and great strength to the Protestant parties by digesting all Germany into their body and a great means effected for facilitating the unions betwixt those that to the great scandall of the Profession and dishonour of those worthy lights of the Church Luther and Calvin have beene distinguished by these factious titles Lutherans and Calvinists Great security is hereby further brought to the reformed Churches in France who could never be reduced to the termes wherein they now are so long as the Protestant Princes in Germany retained freedome and power in their owne dominions A way is also hereby opened to the very gates of Rome whereby the threatnings against the seven-headed beast may in the Lords appointed time be accomplished Finally there is great hope given of establishing much peace and security to all the true Churches of God and many other blessings are expected which the Lord grant to his people §. 128. Of praising God for the fore-said mercies TO make a briefe recapitulation and to gather up the Summe of all for the better application of the maine point intended The Lord having secured our Peace and removed from us his judgements of Plague and Famine The Lord having restored to the reformed Churches in France a gracious liberty for exercising their Religion The Lord having with more then ordinary successe prospered the affaires of our nearest Neighbours the States generall of the united Provinces in the Netherlands The Lord having succoured his oppressed Churches in Germany and given to their Deliverer victories beyond expectation unto admiration The Lord having given very many cleare evidences of his fatherly care over his Churches every where and of his gracious providence towards them even now in these our daies Should not our soules be affected with all and every of these mercies Should they not be incensed with an ardent zeale of setting forth the honour of his name We and others of the same profession of the same religion enjoy the comfort and benefit of the fore-mentioned mercies and of many other mercies flowing from the divine Providence and shall not the Lord who so ordereth his Providence for our good have the praise and glory thereof Who can give suâ—â—icient thanks Nay whose soule can be satisfied in rendring praises to so good and gracious a God for so many and so great blessings so seasonably and so freely conferred on his Churches Should not all Ministers of the Gospell make their Churches to ring againe with sounding forth Gods praises Should not publishers of bookes make mention of these mighty works of the Lord to the further publishing of his name Should not the wits of all divine Poets bee set on worke to indite due formes of praises for the better magnifying of his name who hath done so glorious things for us Should not every Christian soule in the best manner that it can adde something to the magnifying of Gods name as every one brought something to the building of the Tabernacle Did we not while the Lord was time after time shooting out against us and others his three deadly arrowes of plague famine and sword humble our soules before him and call upon him instantly continually to spare his people to remove his wrath to take away his judgements Should we not now the Lord having gratiously heard our prayers for our selves and others be hearty and zealous instant and constant in rendring all possible praise and thankes unto him It hath beene before declared how true gratefulnesse hath especiall relation to God and ascribeth the glory of all deliverances to him and that Praise is the best gift that can be given him and that thereupon Saints are never satisfied in setting forth Gods praises They content not themselves with an inward affection of praising God in their owne soules or secretly betwixt God and themselves but they must needs breake forth into praises of God and manifest their inward gratitude by outward gratulation and that publikely boldly among much people in the middest of great assemblies exhorting and inciting others to praise God with thee and themselves conscionably practising what they incite others unto Now we have so great and just grounds at this time to praise God let us take the occasions of stirring up our owne and others spirits to do it heartily and zealously that God finding his blessings conferred on a gratefull people may never repent any kindnesse done but may go on to adde victory to victory successe to successe blessing to blessing till he have finished the good worke done for his Churches and accomplished the promises which he hath made for destroying the kingdome of Antichrist calling the Iewes bringing in the fulnesse of the Gentiles and consummating all things by his last and most glorious comming Wherefore Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and giue praise Awake vp my glory I my selfe will awake early My tongue shall speake of thy righteousnesse and of thy praise all the day long Behold blesse ye the Lord all yee seruants of the Lord. Giue vnto the Lord glory and strength giue vnto the Lord the glory due to his name O giue thankes vnto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for euer Let the redeemed of the Lord say so whom hee hath redeemed from the hand of the enemie Let them that were exiled say so whom he hath brought to the place of their habitation Let them that were oppressed say so whom hee hath eased of their heauie burdens Let them that are freed from the infectious plague and from pinching famine say so So let them say who are restored to a free exercise of their religion Praise yee the Lord who quietly sit on your thrones of iudgement to execute righteous iustice and Chance See Fortune 31. Children to bee dedicated to God betimes 220. Children so soone as capable attend to instruction 221. Childrens honour to have pious parents 222. Church See House of God Confidence whence it ariseth 217 Confidence which Saints have of their interest in God makes them bold to presse it 217. Confidence manifested by earnestnesse 218. Counsell how one may himself 97. Courts of Gods house 253. D DAnger See Distresse Death
and comforts arising from a due consideration of the foresaid power of God See The Guide to go to God § 213 214. And of other instructions arising from the helpe which God affords in mans extremity see the next § but one to this §. 40. Of Gods perfect preservation II. GODS succour is salvation It freeth out of all danger Thus much intended Moses when the Israelites despairing of all helpe he thus said to them Feare yâ— not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Such was that salvation as they had no cause to feare those their enemies any more The like may be exemplified in other deliverances which God undertooke to give especially in the cures which Christ did in the daies of his flesh When his pleasure was to heale any he made them whole and for evidence thereof he commanded Lâ—pens to shew themselves to the Priests whose office it was to judge whether a leprosie were perfectly cured or no. Others that had beene very weake and impotent he willed to carrie their beds that thereby is might be seene that they were perfectly cured The dead he caused to rise up Dâ—moniacks he charged to preach the Gospell But the greatest and best evidence that can be given hereof is the eternall salvation which is given to Saints whereunto the Apostle having relation saith He is able to save to the uttermost God will have his works to be manifested to be divine to be so perfect in their kind as nothing need be added thereto non helpe sought of any other but of him that so by evident demonstrations men may be forced to say This is the finger of God 1. Assuredly they that know and believe this truth that the Lord â—weth them whom he undertaketh to help cannot but be much encouraged in their distresses to seeke helpe of him In such cases as are to men incurable we use to do much for some present case and yet faile oftentimes in that which we seeke for and expect at mens hands as that woman which had suffered manythings of many Physitians and had spent all that she had and was nothing bettered but rather grew worse If we could believe as she did assuredly we should do as she did and have as good successe as she had 2. Let us beware of Asa his fault who in his disease sought not to the Lord but to the Physitians How much better had it beene to have sought not to the Physitians but to the Lord. Which I would not have so taken as if Physitians were not at all in any case to be sought unto but to shew that it is much better to neglect all means then to neglect the Lord who giveth a blessing to all the means that are at any time of any use Warrantable meanes may lawfully must conscionably be used but used as the hand of Gods providence whereby he doth whatsoever good thing is done by them Woe is denounced against them that trust to means without the Lord Isa 30. 1 c. and 31. 1 c. Whether therefore meanes be used or not used let not the Lord be neglected He saveth §. 41. Of Gods taking occasion to helpe at a pinch III. MAâ—â— extrimity is Gods opportunity Then even then especially is God ready to helpe when men are at the lowest To passe over those instances which are mentioned before § 39. there are two proverbes asod in scripture which give good proofe to this point The one is this â— In the monus will the Lord â—e scene Knowledge of the just occasion of this proverbe will give light to the true interpretation thereof The occasion therefore was this God gave an expresse charge to Abraham to take his onely his beloved sonne even him of whom it was said In Isaac shall thy sâ—en be called and to offer him for a burnt offering on a mountaine which the Lord should shew him Abraham in obedience to the Lords charge went on whither the Lord appointed him with a full resolution to do what he was commanded to do Three daies was he in journying to the place and at length came to the top of a mount where he built an altar laid the wood in order bound Isaac laid him thereon tooke a knife and stretched out his hand to slay his sonne Thus in his intent he had slaine and sacrificed his sonne In all this time did not God shew any mind or meanes to save Isaac but even then when there was scarce a step betwixt him and death the Lord shewed himselfe and declared his pleasure for preserving Isaac Now because it was on a mount where Isaac was thus neare unto death and that on the mount and not before God shewed himselfe for the preservation of Isaac thence arose this proverbe In the mount will the Lord be seene And to be an evidence to all future ages of Gods wisdome in affording his help at the last cast the Holy Ghost prefixeth this clause as it is said to this day The other proverbe is this The children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth By this proverb Ierusalem being so besieged by the King of Assyria as there was in regard of humane helps little hope of deliverance is compared to a woman great with child in paine of travell the Inhabitants of the city are resembled to the children in the mothers wombe the extremity of distresse wherein they were to the difficulty and danger of travell Such then was their case as the case of a woman which having a weake child not able to helpe it selfe is spent with paine and travell and hath no midwife nor any other meanes of helpe Were they not now brought even to uttermost extremity In this extremity when they were so low brought the Lord helped them The helpe that in such extremities is afforded manifestly appeareth to be from God When the Egyptians observed the succour which was afforded to the Israelites in the midst of the Red Sea they said The Lord fighteth for them Thus is God the more honoured by reserving himselfe to such extremities In extremities succour is much more welcome much better accepted more highly prized and mans heart more affected and enflamed therwith When the Israelites were safely led thorow the depths then they sang the Lords praises Is there not now great and just reason that God should take this opportunity to helpe 1. Wait therefore to the very uttermost of an extremity This being the most seasonable time for God to helpe most meet it is that we should tarry the Lords leasure and wait for his season This the Prophet noteth to be a property of true faith He that beleeueth maketh not haste He seeketh not to preuent the time appointed of the Lord. If the Lord tarry the beleever will wait He well knoweth that there is an appointed time which cannot be prevented which shall not be overslipt
For the Lord will take his opportunity 2. When thou supposest that the uttermost of an extremity is come then put fire to the powder of thy prayer then stirre vp thy soule to all feruency then be instant and importunate then giue the Lord no rest then especially plead these and such like promises I will neuer leaue thee nor forsake thee He that shall come will come and will not tarry God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape When thou passest thorow the water I wil be with thee and thorow the rivers they shall not over flow thee when thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Be so farre from fainting by reason of the extremity of distresse as rather with stronger confidence expect deliuerance This being Gods opportunity put him in mind of thine extremity and thus plead it Arise O Lord haue mercy for the time to haue mercy yea the set time is come Psal 102. 13. O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and doe deserve not for thine owne sake Dan. 9. 19. Onely let the truth of confidence be manifested by repentance He that repenteth may be confident when the time to saue is come §. 42. Of applying to our selves Gods dealing with others IIII. DVe obseruation of Gods mercy to others maketh men in like cases to acknowledge Gods mercy to them This was it that moved the Prophet to say that when he was brought low the Lord saved him because he had duly obserued how the Lord preserved the simple Well note the formes of praise that are recorded in Scripture and you shall find it vsuall with the Saints to relate Gods accustomed dealing with others to be such as it was with them To omit the many Psalmes of David that are pertinent to this purpose the two hymnes of Annah and the Virgin Mary give good proofe hereof Men ordinarily behold Gods dealing with others with a single eye whereby they are so convinced of the verity and equity of that which they see as they cannot but acknowledge the like when the like falleth out in their owne case Behold here what good we may gaine to our selves by taking notice of the divine properties as they are exercised on others Few or none can so well discerne the evidences of Gods providence and mercy or of his justice jealousie and displeasure in themselves as in others Objects brought too neare to the eye cannot be distinctly and clearely discerned Selfe-love dimmes mens sight in their owne case When others partake of any good thing we can soone say O how good is God unto them When judgements are executed on others we are ready to ascribe it to the justice of the Lord. Well seeing we are so forward to discerne Gods dealing in other mens cases let us make good use of this our disposition and do so still that hereby we may be brought to the minde of this holy man and finding the Lord to deale with others as he doth with us acknowledge as much and that as in works of judgement to be humbled the more so in works of mercy to be provoked to more hearty thankfulnesse as we shal be when in truth and on just ground we can say The Lord that sheweth mercy to them that are in misery was very mercifull to me when I was in miserie §. 43. Of the exposition and resolution of the seventh Verse PSAL. CXVI VII Returne unto thy rest O my Soule for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee HEre beginneth the second part of this Psalme which setteth out the Prophets Protestation for his after purpose This hath respect 1. To his Inward disposition 2. To his Outward conversation For his inward disposition he professeth a quiet setling of his soule Rest whereby his inward disposition is here expressed is opposed to travell and labour or to trouble and sorrow and that both outward and inward Here it is taken in the latter respect as opposed to inward trouble and anguish as is evident by the relation it hath to his soule It importeth an assurance of Gods favour to him and tranquillity of mind and peace of conscience thence arising This rest he calleth his soules because it was a rest wherein his soule had solaced her selfe before which the Lord having given he sweetly and quietly enioyed as his owne But it seemeth that his bitter affliction had bereaved him of it and therefore as to a right lost and recovered againe he saith Returne For this is the very word which the Angell useth to Hagar when she fled from her mistresse Returne As Hagar thorow her mistresses rough dealing with her fled from her so the soule of this Prophet by reason of affliction fell from her former quiet confidence in God As the Angell therefore biddeth Hagar returne to her mistresse so the understanding of this Prophet biddeth his soule returne to her rest Very elegant and emphaticall is this manner of the Prophets directing his speech to his Soule as to another person thus O my soule Hereby his vnderstanding well enlightned and resolved of Gods favour to him stirreth up his will conscience heart and affections to be quieted and no longer perplexed and troubled with doubts and feares about Gods wrath but to rest assured of his love and favour To shew what good ground there was for his soule to repose it selfe quietly in the Lord headdeth For the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee The first particle being a causall particle FOR sheweth that this is added as a reason of that which went before The reason is taken from the manifestation of Gods fauour to him and it may thus be framed He with whom the Lord dealeth bountifully may well rest on the Lord. But the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee O my soule Therefore thou O my soule maist well rest on the Lord. One Hebrew word is expressed by this circumlocution hath dealt bountifully The word properly signifieth to repay it hath in that signification relation to some thing done before and that good or evill and in both these senses it is attributed to God and men God is said to repay or reward the righteous according to their righteousnesse and to the wicked to repay or render a recompence In these respects he is called a God of recompences Men likewise are said to repay or render for good and for evill But the word is also simply used without relation to any thing before especially being attributed to God and that in the better sense for conferring or bestowing some good Thus doth the Psalmist pray to God to be recompenced that is graciously dealt with by him and acknowledgeth that he hath so dealt with him In this simple signification doe Hebrew Expositors
by that all many more receive hurt then good by his his prescripts To be an Emperick about the maladies that affect the soule and endanger the eternall salvation thereof is insufferable Do therefore good do it as David did According to the integrity of thine heart by the skilfulnesse of thine hands For which end pray for wisdome of him that is wisdome it self that so thou maist be perfect as he is perfect Hitherto of the Prophets protestation for his inward disposition §. 58. Of the meaning and parts of the ninth Verse PSAL. CXVI IX I will walke before the Lord in the land of the living THe Prophets protestation for his outward conversation is here generally propounded This phrase I will walke is taken diversly Some take it for an expression of his confidence in the continuance of Gods favour towards him that God who had freed him out of the jaws of death would now continue him in the land of the living there to remaine and abide before the Lord. Ancient English Translators enclining to this sense thus interpret it I shall walke in relation to the divine providence whereby he should be preserved yet longer to live on earth so as according to this acception to walke before the Lord is to live to advance the glory of God A pious interpretation this is But this phrase of walking before the Lord is in Scripture most frequently used to set out a duty on mans part rather then a kindnesse on Gods part for God requireth it of Abraham as a duty and commendeth David for it as for a duty performed by him To this acception do the Kings Translators incline and translate it as a promise made on the Prophets part to God thus I will walke By this manner of expressing his purpose under a solemne promise he bindeth himselfe to performe the duty promised This word walke importeth a motion and a proceeding on in that motion step by step from place to place Metaphorically it is taken for a practice of good or evill The words joyned with it will shew what kind of practice it importeth To walk in the way of the wicked is to practice evill To walke after other Gods is to practice Idolatry But to walk in the law of the Lord is to practice what that law requireth To walke in righteousnesse is to practise and deale righteously The verb in the Hebrew is of the seventh conjugation which implieth a reciprocation or reiteration of an action Some learned and judicious Expositors to expresse the emphasis of the Conjugation thus translate it I will continually walke These words before the LORD word for word at the face or in the presence of the Lord do determine the kind of walking which he intendeth namely such an one as he would not be afraid or ashamed that the Lord should see but such a walking as the Lord should well like and approve In other places to this kind of walking these phrases are added with God after the Lord worthy of the Lord all which in effect import one and the same thing He that walks with God so carieth himselfe as knowing God is by him He that walks after the Lord behaveth himselfe a◠a servant following his master and is ever at hand to doe what his master requireth He that walks worthy of the Lord so demeaneth himselfe as becommeth a servant of the Lord so as the Lord may be honoured by him He that walketh before the Lord doth all things as in the sight of the Lord whom he knoweth to be every where present to see in the darke as well as in the light and to be a searcher of the heart and thereby he is moved in all places open and secret at all times day and night in deed in word in thought to have such respect to God as to doe nothing but that he which seeth it may approve it nor to make shew of more then he intendeth but to doe the good which he doth sincerely heartily as to the Lord. The Apostle that was guided by the same spirit that he which penned Henoks history was having relation to that history saith Before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God What Moses stileth walking with God the Apostle expoundeth pleasing God The intent therefore of the Psalmist here is to endeavour to please God That this intention of his may not seeme to be put off till it be too late and he in the grave where none can walke where no worke can be done he addeth the place where he would so walke In the land of the living On earth there be diverse divisions for habitation and therefore he expresseth the word in the plurall number thus in the regions implying that in what place soever he should be he would walke before the Lord. The living are here opposed to the dead so as the land of the living is a description of the place and time where and while men live in this world In this sense is this phrase frequently used in the Old Testament In another Psalme this time of life is stiled the light of the living in opposition to death which is thus described A land of darknesse as darknesse it selfe Thus this verse setteth out The duty of him that is delivered from a deadly danger Concerning which here is expressed 1 The Matter I will walke 2 The Manner Before the Lord 3 The Place and Time In the land of the living This Promise of walking being inferred upon his former profession of his affection towards God and resolution to rest on him sheweth that I. Mans inward affection to God must be manifested by his outward conversation The Metaphor of walking which is a going on and proceeding forward and the conjugation wherein the word is used which noteth a reiteration giveth us to understand that II. Saints must proceed in their approved practice The rule that he prescribeth to himselfe for his walking which is this Before the Lord teacheth that III. Eye must be had to God in every action The description of the Place in this phrase The land of the living declareth that IIII. This world is a place and time of life The end of describing this Place and Time thus which is to set out the proper place and seasonable time of walking before God importeth that V. While men live they must endeavour to please God The manner of expressing this duty under a solemne promise thus I will walke implieth that VI. Saints must bind themselves to duty The inference of this verse wherein his duty is declared upon the former wherein Gods kindnesse is manifested demonstrateth that VII Manifestation of Gods good pleasure to man must make man carefull to please God §. 59. Of practising duty I. MAns inward affection to God must be manifested by his outward conversation It is usuall with the Holy Ghost to
inferre upon feare and love of God which are the two principall affections whereby our high esteeme of God and due respect to him are manifested a walking in his waies and keeping his commandements thus Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his waies Feare God and keepe his commandements Love the Lord and walke in his waies This is the love of God that we keepe his commandements The duty comprised under this Metaphor of walking is oft and much pressed thorowout the Scripture and that under this very word It is commanded commended rewarded and thereupon conscionably it hath beene and still must be observed and that in regard of 1 Gods glory 2 Others good 3 Our owne good 1 By practice it is that the virtues or praises of him that hath called us out of darknes into his marvelous light are shewed forth Thus men may see our good works and glorifie our Father which is in heaven Good cause therforehad the Lord to say Herin is my Father glorified that ye beare much fruit 2 By practice it is that such as are called are stirred up to an holy emulation for they that walke aright become ensamples to others and such as are not called may either be wonne or haue their mouthes stopped 3 By practice it is that sincerity of heart integrity of conscience soundnesse of faith and truth of all graces are manifested cherished and increased Yea and the presence of Gods Spirit in us testified Hereby inward assurance is gained and outward evidence is given of our election before the world and of our salvation after the world Many judgements are by this walking or prevented or removed or mitigated or sanctified and everlasting perdition avoided If motives may be of force to provoke us to performe a duty motives are not wanting to provoke us to this duty of walking as here it is professed What may now be thought of such as having attained to a sufficient measure of knowledge and are with that which they know of God and of his kind dealing with them inwardly affected and are thereupon moved to professe as much loue as the Prophet here doth but yet faile in performance in practice They walke not Their apprehension affection profession are all in vaine except to be as so many evidences against them to make them the more inexcusable and to aggravate their judgement the more I deny not but that knowledge of God and of his favour towards us a good liking thereof and a cheerfull acknowledgement and profession of what we know are very needfull and usefull For walking without knowledge must needs be preposterous and erroneous without a good affection hypocriticall and vaine and without a free profession too too timorous So as these three are necessary though not sufficient Question may be made of the truth of them all where they are not sealed and ratified by an answerable walking and practice And adversaries of the truth will take the more occasion to slander the truth Our adversaries doe much urge against us and our profession that we walke not that we practise not and alleage this against our profession to impeach the integrity of our religion which should make us more conscionable in shewing forth our good workes for stopping of their mouthes Our doctrine is even in this point as in others sound and orthodoxe In Schooles in Churches by preaching by printing we teach a necessity of walking of practising of doing good works according to this rule of the Apostle Tit. 3. 14. Let ours learne to maintaine good works for necessary uses that they be not unfruitfull And we acknowledge them to be so necessary as without them we cannot be saved The ground of their cavilling against our doctrine about good works is because we do not set too high a prize upon them and make them meritorious which is to make them no good works but proud presumptuous damnable diabolicall works There be many forceable reasons for the necessity of good works though that vaine frothie windy false arrogant impious blasphemous reason of merit be not pressed They are expresly commanded of God therefore necessary Though they be not the cause of raigning yet they are the way to the kingdome out of which way we cannot attaine to the Kingdome therefore necessary Though the faithfull are not justified by them yet by them is their faith justified Iam. 2. 22. therefore necessary Though the doing of them do not merit eternall life yet the not doing of them meriteth everlasting death Mat. 25. 41 42 therefore necessary Though by the strict standerd of the Law being found unperfect they are rejected yet by the gracious mitigation of the Gospell being found sincere they are accepted therefore necessary Though when we shall have done all those things which are commanded us we are unprofitable servants yet by doing according to our ability what we are commanded we shew our selves gratefull children therefore are good works necessary This last motive is of more moment with an ingenuous child then any merit can be For when the beleever thorowly pondereth the free grace and rich mercy of God in giving him Christ in accepting him in Christ in pardoning all his sinnes in reserving eternall life for him his heart is so inflamed with a desire of testifying all gratefulnesse as he is ready with his uttermost power to do whatsoever he may know to be well-pleasing unto God Now Gods Word declaring that to do good is a sacrifice well-pleasing to God the fore-named desire doth more enforce him to do good then the merit of many heavens could Gratefulnesse more worketh on an ingenuous spirit then reward can And that which in way of gratefulnesse is wrought is much more kindly wrought then that which is done for recompence Answerably it is also more acceptable to God for it manifesteth a better respect towards him 2 Ye that have tasted of the bounty of the Lord and are well informed in his good-will towards you and thereupon have your hearts inflamed with the heavenly fire of love and are stirred up to purpose and promise to approve your selves to him have a care of your cariage and ratifie the truth of all by an answerable walking Sweet is that melodie and happy is that harmony where mind heart tongue life and all consent to make a concent Say therefore and do as ye say I will walke and that with such a mind as is set out in the next doctrine §. 60. Of persisting in good courses II. SAints must proceed in their approved practice They must not be wearie in well doing Marke them saith the Apostle which walke so as they have vs for an example What kind of walking doth he meane He himself hath plainely and fully expressed it in the verses before It was this To follow on To reach forth unto the things which are before
man no more with the inhabitants of the world Thus also is Christs death set out He was cut off out of the land of the living Isa 53. 8. that being dead in earth after that life which he had there lived he might for ever live in heaven In this sense the time while we live in this world is called the day and the light of the living Ioh. 9. 4. Psal 56. 13. Fitly is this world so called in relation to all kind of lives naturall spirituall eternall 1 Naturall life which is subject to mortality corruption and all manner of infirmities is here onely in this world lived After this life corruptible must put on incorruption and mortall must put on immortality 1 Cor. 15. 53. This life was meant when Hezekiahs departure out of this world was thus threatned thou shalt not live Isa 38. 1. 2 Spirituall life which is the life of grace is also lived in this world For the Apostle speaking of it thus saith The life which J now live in the flesh I live by faith c. 3 In this world we first lay hold on eternall life They that doe not here get a right unto it shall not hereafter attaine to the possession thereof How unmeet how shamefull how odious a thing is it that dead men should be here on the face of the earth which is the land of the living That there are such is too true She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth Sardis had a name that she lived but was dead The dead bury their dead All naturall men are dead in sinnes Much more they that unto their naturall corruption adde prophanenesse uncleannesse all manner of riotousnesse These are as dead and putrified carions that infect the aire round about them To prevent noysome savours which might arise from dead corps we use to bury them under the ground Though Sarah was a deare wife to Abraham yet when she was dead he took order to bury her corps oâ—â— of his sight Note the care that was taken to bury Gog with his multitude because the stinking savour was so great as it caused them that passed by to stop their noses Assuredly if the spirituall sense of our soules were as quicke in spirituall matters as the senses of our body are in earthly things we should feele a more noisome and loathsome savour to arise from such as in relation to spirituall life are dead then from such as are dead in relation to naturall life God that is most sensible of this spirituall stanche is oft moved to sweep the land of the living with the broome of his judgements and to remove noysome dead persons especially when by their multitude they â—ause the stanche to be too too intolerable I will sweepe Babel with the besome of destruction saith the Lord of hosts Thus the Lord swept away the stinking carions of the old world and of Sodom and Gomorrah the rebellious carkasses of the Israelites in the wildernesse the foule corps of the nations yea and the unsavoury bodies of all Israel and Iudah Of Ierusalem in another metaphor thus saith the Lord I will wipe it as a man wipeth a dish wiping it and turning it up side downe There is just cause to feare that the stanche of the sinnes of this City and other places in this Land was so ranke in the nostrels of the Almighty as thereby he was provoked to sweepe away so many as he did with the broome of the pestilence If it be said that many righteous ones were swept away who have presented even their bodies as well as their soules a sacrifice living holy acceptable and of a sweet smelling savour unto God and many wicked ones left I answer that God may take away in a common judgement many righteous ones the more to aggravate the judgement and yet therein shew mercy to those righteous ones by translating them to eternall blisse and reserve wicked ones to bring them by that judgement executed on others to repentance or els to make them the more inexcusable The day of thorow cleansing the Lords floore is not till the day of judgement The harvest is the end of the world Then shall the Sonne of man send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a fornace of fire Yet least the stanch of sin even in this Land of the living should be too great as in former ages so now science void of offence toward God and toward men 2 The things which God by vertue of the Gospell requireth of us he hath promised to worke in us The summe of his promise is this I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and ye shall keepe my judgements and doe them Now Saints resting in assurance of faith on God for accomplishing of this and other like promises are emboldened to promise that to God which God hath promised to enable them to do 3 All the promises of obedience which Saints make to God they make with reference to the assistance of Gods Spirit whereof they assure themselves As when they promise any temporall civill matter they do it either expresly or implicitly with relation to Gods will and leave as they ought Iam. 4. 15. so in holy duties to the worke of Gods Spirit in them Thus in the absolute promises which Saints make they arrogate nothing to themselves above their ability and yet manifest an unfained heart and unalterable resolution to God wards So as where they say I will walke I will hope I will do this and that it is as if they had said this is my desire this is my purpose this is the intention of my heart By these meanes as true intention earnest desire prudent jealousie and holy zeale are manifested so is a dull spirit much quickned and the weake waiward revoulting flesh bridled and curbed yea and bound to her good behaviour §. 65. Of mans answering Gods mercy with dutie VII MAnifestation of Gods good pleasure to man must make man carefull to please God Where God saith I wil be their God which is an evident manifestation of Gods good will to them this is thereupon inferred They shal be my people which as it noteth a dignity for it is a prerogative to be Gods people so also a duty for it is added They shall returne unto me with their whole heart Yea in another place where God is brought in to say to them It is my people they are brought in to answer The Lord is my God More plainely Hezekiah having thus expressed Gods good will to him The Lord was ready to save me maketh this â—â—ference Therefore will we sing And the Psalmist yet more directly to the point in hand saith to the Lord I will praise thy name for
thy loving kindnesse Gratefulnesse and all equity requireth that they who taste of the sweetnesse of Gods kindnesse and goodnesse should so walke before God as to seeke in all things to please him Kindnesse requireth kindnesse goodnesse goodnesse especially such kindnesse and goodnesse as the Lord sheweth and doth But all the kindnesse and goodnesse that we possibly can shew or doe to God is to please him Gods good pleasure is the ground of all our hope the spring from whence do slow all the good things which in any kind we have or can expect Thereby God manifesteth his mind and respect toward us Our care to please him is the best evidence that we can give of our good mind and respect to God We can really give nothing to him wherefore the more and greater good things we receive from God the more carefull we ought to be to please him That this generall duty may be the better performed three or foure particulars are duly to be observed 1 Take due notice of Gods good will to thee and distinctly observe the severall evidences that he giveth thereof Kindnesse not observed is as no kindnesse But when thou canst in truth say of Gods goodnesse as he did who said That my soule knoweth right well then will thy judgement be convinced of the equity of the duty which thou owest to God which is a forceable meanes to bring the will to yeeld thereunto For this end learne to make a catalogue of Gods mercies and to set them in order 2 Enquire what can be done by thee that may be pleasing and acceptable to him many are the admonitions of Scripture hereunto as Vnderstand what the will of the Lord is Prove what is the good acceptable and perfect will of God This doth the holy Scripture expresly and distinctly declare Well acquaint thy selfe with Gods Word and thou maist be well instructed in Gods will 3 Being thus instructed stirre up thy spâ—â—it and whole man to do that which thou knowest ought to be done I exhort you saith the Apostle by the Lord Iesus that as you have received of us how to walke and to please God thus they were sufficiently instructed so you would abound more and more thus he would have them to stirre up themselves to do what they had learned to doe 4 Because We are not sufficient to thinke any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God It is God which worketh in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure to thine owne endeavour adde faithfull prayer for Gods assistance We have for this the patterne of an Apostle who when he had declared a great evidence of Gods kindnesse to the Hebrewes namely their redemption by the bloud of Iesus Christ he prayeth that God would worke in them that which is well pleasing in his sight If by these and other like meanes we shall indeed answer Gods mercy with doing our duty and so walke worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing he will never repent him of any kindnesse shewed to us but will rather delight in doing more and more goodnesse §. 66. Of the meaning and doctrine of the 10 and 11 Verses PSAL. CXVI X XI I beleeved therefore have I spoken I was greatly afflicted I said in my haste All men are lyars THese two verses are a digression from his forementioned profession which is prosecuted in the verses immediately after these so as they may not unfitly be included in a parenthesis The Prophet in penning this Psalme was even ravished with an holy admiration of the great deliverance which he had and that beyond his expectation Hereupon as men in such cases use to doe he falleth into digressions concerning the greatnes of his distresse the weaknes of his flesh yea and of his recovery of himselfe after that weaknesse which is here noted in the first place thus J beleeved c. Some take this of the Prophets too much credulity in the case betwixt Ziba and Mephibosheth Or of his too much credulity to Absolâ—m Achitophel and other flattering courtiers which were the cause of his flying from Absolom But that sense can be nothing to the Prophets purpose in this place Besides the word thus set alone I beleeved will not well beare that sense As the first word of this Psalme thus set I love so this I beleeved hath an especiall emphasis It sheweth that the greatnesse of his affliction could not quell his faith Saint Paul expresly sheweth that the Prophet here meanes by this phrase I beleeved a stedfast confidence in God such a confidence as by the spirit of God is wrought in Saints hearts Therefore some for more perspicuity insert this word God thus I beleeved God This faith so quickned his spirit and wrought such an holy zeale in his soule as he could not containe himselfe nor conceale his mind but was in a manner forced to expresse himselfe and to utter his thoughts whereupon he maketh this inference Therefore have I spoken Some turne it in the future thus I will speake An in the Hebrew it is so simply considered But it s usuall in that tongue to expresse things past by the future especially in rendring a reason of that which is past as in the first verse of this Psalme Quest What then was it that his faith made him utter and speake Answ All that is mentioned in this Psalme His faith made him call upon God in the midst of his deadly distresse His faith made him acknowledge Gods grace and mercy His faith made him promise and vow praise and obedience to God This clause I was greatly afflicted may have a fit relation either to that which goeth before or that which followeth In the former respect it is added as an amplification of the great measure of his faith which notwithstanding the greatnesse of his distresse could not be extinguished If a discretive conjunction although be prefixed the emphasis of this clause will better appeare thus I spake although I was greatly afflicted In the latter respect it is premised as an extenuation of his weaknesse shewing that this was a cause thereof namely his sore affliction If this causall particle because be prefixed the force of the reason wil be evident thus Because I was greatly afflicted I said in my haste c. I take the former relation to be here especially intended by reason of that * note of distinction which is betwixt this clause and the verse following Vers 11. I said in my haste The word translated haste properly signifieth to flie for feare It is used to set out the fearefull flight and haste of the Assyrians when they thought that the Hittites and Philistines were suddenly comming upon them they cast away their garments in their fearefull flight Hebrew Interpreters do sometimes translate it to make haste as in the place quoted and sometimes to be
it should be performed By this take notice of a maine reason of mans ingratitude The benefits of the Lord which occasion matter of thanksgiuing are either not at all obserued but passed ouer without regard or else soone forgotten When the Lord by his Prophet upbraideth to the Israelites their great ingratitude he rendreth this reason thereof Israel doth not know my people doth not consider And when the Psalmist speaketh of their like ingratitude he rendreth this reason They sorgat God their Sauiour which had done great things in Aegypt Where there is no knowledge of a benefit there can be no good esteeme thereof What is not esteemed can not be affected No man will enquire what hee may render for that which he affects not Againe that which is forgotten is as not knowne as not esteemed as not affected They therefore that either take no notice of Gods benefits or soone forget them after they have once knowne them must needs be ungratefull But without all doubt remembrance of kindnesse incites gratefulnesse To preuent this crime of ingratitude a crime most odious to God and man 1. Be diligent in obseruing Gods benefits Psal 85. 8. 2. Oft and seriously meditate thereon that they may not slip out of thy mind and memory Psal 77. 11 12. 3. Speake of them to others as he that said Come heare all yee that feare God and I will declare what he hath done for my soule Psal 66. 16. This is the way to make thee see and say Gods benefits are towards mee and thereupon in testimonie of gratefulnesse heartily to enquire what shall I render to the Lord §. 81. Of a fourth property of gratitude by one kindnesse to be put in mind of many V. GRatefulnesse raiseth the mind from some favours to all This generall particle all is not so strictly to be taken as if no favour or benefit were to be left out for so many are the benefits which God from time to time doth bestow upon vs as it is not possible to fasten our mind upon them all but it is to be taken of the severall kinds of Gods benefits as Generall Particular Publike Private Temporall Spirituall c. and of as many seuerall and distinct brāches of these as we can Thus whē David was setled in his Kingdome and thereupon tooke occasion to praise God in his Psalme of praise he reckoneth up all those kindnesses which God had done to his people from the time of their firstfathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob yea he giveth this expresse charge Talke ye of All his wondrous workes So Iehosophat when he consulted upon the promise of victory which God by his Prophet had given him to praise the Lord the 136. Psalme which containeth a catalogue of all Gods mercies was appointed to be sung That sweet singer of Israel who well knew how to order his formes of praise to God as affirmatively he promiseth to shew foorth All Gods marveilous works so he giveth a negative charge to his soule not to forget all or any of his benefits As more fuell added to fire maketh the flame the greater so more benefits brought to an heart set on fire to praise the Lord enlargeth it the more and enflameth it with an holy zeale This patterne is worthy our imitation and affordeth an excellent rule to stir us up heartily cheerfully and zealously to praise the Lord. The rule is this to be so acquainted with the severall kinds of Gods benefits as on all occasions they may be presented to our minds Without all question the Prophets mind was upon many and sundry sorts of benefits when he said all his benefits are towards me He did not confusedly use this generall particle all as many doe when they professe to thanke God for all his benefits and yet have none at all in their minds His spirit was otherwise disposed then to content it selfe with such a generall indefinite cold loose formall forme of acknowledging Gods benefits If we would accustome our selves to make diaries of Gods blessings on us and when we are before God recompt them in order oft call to mind how frō our mothers womb he hath bone our God how in every estate and degree of our age he hath blessed us and that with all manner of blessings temporall and spiritual privative and positive conferred on our selves and those that belong unto us yea on the nation city parish or family where we live then would not such a generall clause as this all his benefits are towards me be an idle clause but the mind which is large in apprehension where it is well informed would comprise much matter on it even so much as would set the heart on fire with zeale §. 82. Of particular sence of kindnesse whereby the heart is stirred up to thankfulnesse VI. SEnce of Gods kindnesse to ones selfe doth most enlarge the heart to thankfulnesse Words of particular relation betwixt God that is praised and the persons that praise him used in formes of praise give good proofe to this point Such are these O Lord my God my strength my defence the God of my mercy my rocke my fortresse my deliuerer my buckler the horne of my salvation mine high tower c. That which here is generally implied under this clause all his benefits towards me is in sundry particulars exemplified thorowout the whole booke of Psalmes Take a few instances for many Thou hast maintained my right and my cause He tooke me he drew me out of many waters he deliuered me he was my stay c. In particular let the five first verses of the 103. Psalme bee well obserued for this purpose Men are most sensible of kindnesses done to themselves the sweetnesse whereof their owne soules doe taste Now according to the taste and sence of a kindnesse is the heart quickned and stirred up to thankfulnesse Though it be an effect of naturall selfe loue to affect the heart with such good things as a man himselfe is made partaker of yet is it not against spirituall love to make an advantage thereof and to use that affection of the heart to kindle and inflame our zeale unto a more feruent manner of praising God Among other mercies take especiall notice of such as in particular concerne thy selfe as he that said I will declare what God hath done for my soule In this consideration first marke such as are most proper and peculiar to thy self wherof thou maist say He hath not dealt so with others So did he who said He chose Dauid his servant c. Then observe what part thou hast in such as are common with others And here consider what relation there is betwixt thee and those others whether they bee such as are committed to thy charge neerely united to thee of the same family or alliance or parish or incorporation or nation or profession Neere relations will affect
backwardnes and dulnes thereunto Satan by time gaines great advantage and we by time loose as much in that our zeale is prone to slake in the heat of it Strike the iron therefore as it is in the proverbe strike it while it is hot It is then fit to be wrought upon for any thing Take the first opportunity which is the fittest season If in any thing thou wilt make speed and manifest forwardnesse do it in performing thy vowes Hast thou made a vow whilest thou art at sea pay it so soone as thou commest to land if thou canst pay it so soone Hast thou vowed in sicknesse let the payment of it be the first thing thou doest upon thy recovery So on other like occasions Hast thou by vow bound thy selfe to read the word and pray every morning Let this be the first worke thou doest being up If thou hast any weighty businesse to doe betimes rise the sooner that thy vow may bee first done Let all things give place to it it to nothing A man that is able and willing to pay a debt accounts no money his owne till the debt be paid He will keepe in mind and memory the day of paiment he will watch for it his money as we say burneth in his baggs till it be paid Account thy vow a debt No debt can be more due No bond more binding A man of his word had as leave forfeit a bond as faile of his word Be thou a man of thy word with God Pay thy debt performe thy vow and that on the day of paiment in due time even now if the now be come Deferre not to pay thy vowes Very pertinent to this purpose and emphaticall is this phrase of the Psalmist Thy vowes are upon mee O God Though hee made the vowes yet he stiles them Gods vowes because being made to God they were as a debt due to him as a bond made by a debtor to a creditor is not now the debters but the creditors Thus then he accounts his vow as a due debt unto God Thereupon he adds Thy vowes are upon me whereby he shewes that as a faithfull debter who hath a mind to discharge his bond oft thinkes of the time of paiment and in that respect his debt lyeth as a burden upon him neither can he be quiet till it be paid As a porter that hath a burden on him is not at rest till he be freed from it so this Psalmist had the vow which hee had made to God as a debt as a burden upon him whereby hee shewes that his mind and desire was with the first opportunity to be eased thereof which could not be but by performing the same Such respect let us have to the vowes that we make to God such let our care be in performing of the same and that with all speed so as we may truly use these words Thy vowes are upon me O God §. 93. Of performing vowes openly V. VOwes secretly made may be openly performed This is to be limited according to the nature of the vow Such things may be vowed as in the performance of them it is not meet that the left hand know what the right hand doth The doctrine therefore saith not must be but may be openly performed So were most if not all of the approved vowes in Scripture I will praise thee in the great congregation saith the Psalmist and pay my vowes before them that feare thee and againe I will go into thine house with burnt offerings I will pay thee my vowes Hannah brought her sonne which shee vowed to the Lord unto the Tabernacle at a festivall time when all the people assembled thither Iacob built an altar a visible and open memoriall of his vow the Israelites gave a name as a publike proofe of the performance of their vow to the place where their vow was performed 1 Hereby God is more glorified An open testification of that respect which Saints beare to God and of that care they have to bind themselves to do service to him maketh much to his honour 2 The Church is hereby much edified Instances of Saints standing to their holy resolutions and performing their pious purposes cheere the strong strengthen the weake and thus is the Church built up 3 They that make the vowes by this open manner of making them good cannot but bee much more cheered in spirit when they see their good intentions so much to tend to the advancement of Gods glory and others good They who in testimony of their due respect to God and in way of gratitude are moved to make vowes to the Lord let them here learne what are the best kind of vowes and by what vows they may give most honour to God and do most good to themselves and others even such as may be openly performed in publike assemblies For a Prince a Noble-man a Magistrate or any other of great esteeme of high place of good note and name to vow to joyne himselfe with assemblies that use to worship God together to vow to maintaine truth and purity of religion in the places where he liveth is a worthy vow For Ministers to vow to preach the word where people are gathered together diligently and faithfully a worthy vow For such as are taken captives in danger on the fea imprisoned visited with sicknesse or any other way so distressed as they are restrained from the publike places of Gods worship to vow when they are delivered openly publikely to give thankes to God a worthy vow In common judgements especially of plague of famine of sword such vowes of publike gratitude are to be made and publikely to bee performed It is not enough to vow secret duties betwixt God and our selves nor yet private duties in our families but by this patterne we have direction and incitation for more open common and publike duties which are more honourable kinds of vowes Yet that herein is a limitation the next doctrine will shew §. 94. Of performing holy duties in holy assemblies VI. SAints are fittest witnesses of sacred duties That which in this verse is implied under this particle of restraint HIS in the presence of all HIS people is other where more expresly noted by a more apparent description thus I will pay my vowes before them that feare him None but true Saints do truly feare God 1 This property of Gods people that they feare the Lord sheweth that they will make the best use of such sacred solemne duties performed in their presence They will glorifie God for this your zeale They will joyne their spirits with your spirits in this open performance of duty They will become followers of you and learne of you to vow and pay unto the Lord and that openly publikely 2 As for others they are no better then such hogges and dogges as are not meet to have such precious pearles and holy things cast before them lest they trample
not part with them This is Gods mind towards the soules of his favourites Saul acknowledgeth that his soule was precious in Davids eyes because he did not take it away when he had opportunity Surely then their soules must needs be precious to God who doth not only not take them away when he may but also preserve them when they are in great hazard of death On the contrary when S. Paul esteemed not his life in comparison of the Gospell but was rather prodigall therof he saith I count not my life precious or deare to my selfe This phrase in the sight word for word in the eyes of the Lord is used by way of resemblance to shew that God taketh notice of our life and death and is watchfull over the same as men take notice of the things which are before them and by fixing their eyes on things doe manifest a watchfulnesse or otherwise it may indefinitely be used as a note of application onely and so in the sight of the Lord imports no more but to the Lord as if it had been thus said Precious to the LORD is the death of his favourites In this verse is set out Gods esteeme of men More particularly here is noted 1 What these men be His favourites 2 Wherein that esteeme consisteth Their death is precious in his sight These two parts give evidence of these two points I. God hath favourites II. God is tender of his favourites death §. 96. Of Gods favourites I. GOD hath favourites Without all question they were his favourites that had these testimonies following The Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering Enoch was translated that he should not see death for before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Abraham was called the friend of God The Lord spake to Moses face to face as a man speaketh to his friend The Lord said to Ioshuah I wil be with thee I will not faile thee nor forsake thee And to David I have found David a man after mine owne heart Salomon was called Iedidiah because of the Lord the Lord loved him Daniel a man greatly beloved Zerubbabel as a signet Iohn the disciple whom Iesus loved The rest of the Disciples he called friends And Paul a chosen vessell Yea to the whole communion of Saints these titles are given A peculiar treasure above all people A chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation the apple of Gods eye dearely or onely beloved children first borne heires of God joynt-heires with Christ Begotten againe to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven If they that are made partakers of such prerogatives be not compassed about and followed with mercies if they be not favourites and that in regard of the favour of the great Lord and King of heaven and earth surely there can be no favourites at all These and other like to these being chosen in Christ are given of the Father to him and by him are redeemed reconciled sanctified cleansed made holy and without blemish and made accepted The beloved one of God hath taken these for his wife and made them members of his body by vertue of which mysticall and reall union God loveth them with that love he beareth unto Christ and so maketh them his favourites The very word of this text is primarily attributed to Christ and in and thorow him to others Good and great ground of comfort have Saints by reason of this prerogative that they are the favourites of the great King What needfull thing doe they want that they may not confidently expect from this their Liege What hurtfull thing need they feare Is not the King who favours them able to supply all their necessities Is he not able to protect them from all enmities If he be what doubt can be made of the one or of the other Consider what mortall Monarchs do for their favourites They invent they consult how to doe them honour Though it oft fall out that they have unworthy favourites instance Haman yet a King can deny his favourite nothing Let a favourite aske Honours Mannours Offices Immunities for himselfe or for his friends he soone obtaineth what he asketh In the light of the kings countenance is life and his favour is as a cloud of the later raine and as the dew upon the grasse He is therefore counted an happy man that may come to be a Kings favourite Such an one scorneth the envy the disdaine the backbiting and all that the vulgar can doe against him As for all his enemies he puffeth at them If it be thought an happinesse to be a mortall Kings favourite what is it then to be a favourite of the King of Kings Kings on earth are not alwayes able to do what they will Their favourites may desire and they may be willing to grant more then they can They have not alwayes understanding to know what is best for their favourites Their favourites may beg and they give that which is pernicious They doe not alwaies retaine the same mind Their favour may be cleane alienated from their old favourites and cast upon new They do not alwayes live They may die before their favourites and their favourites then be the worse dealt withall even for that favour sake which by the deceased King was shewed unto them Most of these may be exemplified in Ahashucrosh and his favourite Haman But the Lord our God is subject to none of these He is able to doe what he will and what his favourites can justly aske He knoweth what is good what not good to be granted to his favourites He is alwais of the same mind His favor is stable and perpetuall He ever liveth It never did it never shall it cannot repent any to have beene this Kings favourite As Christ himselfe that high and chiefe favourite said so may every one that is in him accepted for a favourite say The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage If thou wilt acknowledge the truth God is thy delight thy rest thy health thy joy thy happinesse thy refreshing thy glory and whatsoever thy soule may piously desire God wil be all that to thee Boldly and safely may we also on this ground encourage our selves against all the envy malice ill language and evill intreating of the men of this world What if the world account us forsaken desolate so long as God saith to us Hephzibam my delight in them Isa 62. 4. That we may the more soundly and safely comfort and encourage our selves in this great prerogative of being Gods favourites let us distinctly note what
A good inducement this is to provoke parents to suffer this word of exhortation 2 Be ye also O Children exhorted and perswaded to yeeld your selves pliable from the time that you have any capacity to the good instruction of your parents that by your continuing to grow in grace answerably to the means which by the divine providence have been afforded you you may with the greater comfort and stronger confidence both in time of humiliation when for preventing or averting some judgement or obtaining or regaining some blessing you powre forth your soules to God or in time of gratulation for some judgement removed or some blessing bestowed you enlarge your hearts and open your mouths you may say to God I am the sonne of thine hand-maid and thou hast beene my God from my mothers wombe Take heed that being borne in Gods house and by your parent the son of his hand-maid you become not a bond slave and have the flesh a bond-woman for your mother They that serve the flesh in the lusts thereof are such What can such expect but the doome denounced against the bond woman and her sonne which was this Cast out the bond-woman and her sonne for the sonne of the bondwoman shall not bee heire with the sonne of the free woman A wofull doome for such as are borne in Gods house to be so cast out Thereby they may know that they have nothing common with the true sonnes of God Nothing I say in regard of those spirituall priviledges which belong to Gods free-borne children So walke therefore O children that are borne in the Church so carie your selves all your daies as you may on all occasions say to the Lord I am the sonne of thine hand maid §. 103. Of childrens honour by pious parents V. IT is an honour to children to descend from pious parents This is true in relation to ancient progenitors For it was a greater honour to the Iewes in all succeeding ages that they descended from the pious Patriarchs But the nearer such parents are the more honourable it is to children Most of all honourable when their immediate parents from whose loines and out of whose wombe they proceed are pious Of such an one the Prophet here speaketh I am the sonne of thine hand-maid For questionlesse he here calleth his mother Gods hand-maid as hee called himselfe Gods servant in a spirituall respect in regard of Gods grace to her and in her Such were Salomons parents of whom for honour sake he maketh frequent mention Such was as Lois the grandmother so Eunice the mother of Timothy Nothing in truth can make any more honourable then piety Whatsoever mens outward condition bee in this world though never so meane yet if they excell in vertue they are most honourable in Gods eye What man before God more noble then Peter who was but a poore fisherman What woman more illustrious then blessed Mary who is set out to be a carpenters wife Pious persons for birth are borne of God For dignities they are Gods favourites of Gods Court the most honourable therein they are the spouse of his sonne For revenewes the exchequer of Gods treasures is alwayes open for them to have out of it his most precious jewels yea they are the true heires of this world and of the world to come 1 Such parents as desire that their children should all their daies make an honourable mention of them let them here take notice of the onely right course to have their desire accomplished Let them so walke before their children as they may have sure evidences that they are Gods servants that when children make mention of their father before the Lord they may have cause to say of him as Salomon did of his father Thy servant my father and of their mother Thy hand-maid For a child to stile himselfe the sonne of a Duke and Dutches Earle and Countesse Lord and Lady or any other like is not in truth such an honour as this Sonne of Gods servant and hand-maid By this poore meane despised parents in this world may make their children honourable and may make their owne names honourable to their children 2 Such children as would have just cause not vaine-gloriously to bragge but divinely to glory in their parents let them here know what kind of parents doe give that just cause If indeed their father be Gods servant and their mother Gods hand-maid let them not be ashamed of them because they be poore of meane condition not esteemed in this world but heartily thanke God that they are borne of such parents as may give them occasion to say I am the child of Gods servant and of Gods hand-maid It is an hard taske to perswade most children hereunto But they that know God and the dignities and immunities of his servants will without all question yeeld to the truth and equity hereof §. 104. Of the resolution and instructions of the last clause of the 16. Verse PSAL. CXVI XVI Thou hast loosed my bonds THe fourth reason which stirred up the Prophet to give publike thanks to God was the kindnesse which God had done to him That kindnesse was a gracious deliverance from a grievous distresse thus expressed Thou hast loosed my bonds The argument may bee thus framed They whose bonds thou O Lord hast loosed are bound to praise thee But Thou hast loosed my bonds Therefore I am bound to praise thee Thus these words have a relation to the principall duty promised in this Psalme They may also have an immediate reference to the other part of this verse and that as an effect following from the cause The Lord accounted him his servant and therefore loosed his bonds To make this reference the better discerned some joyne this part of the verse with the former in one entire sentence which they expresse in forme of a petition thus I beseech thee O Lord seeing I am thy servant I am thy servant the sonne of thine hand-maid loose my bonds But the mood and tense whereby this last clause is expressed admitteth not the forme of petition And the very matter whereabout he now is namely gratulation sheweth it rather to be a profession of a former then a supplication for a future deliverance Besides the inference of the 17 verse immediately on this clause doth demonstrate that he speaketh of a thing past a favour done and succour received And that mention is here made thereof as of the cause of praising God For if the question should be asked why mention is here made of loosing his bonds The 17. verse giveth a ready answer I will offer c. As if it had beene more fully expressed Because the Lord hath loosed my bonds therefore I will offer a sacrifice of praise Wherefore to take the words as our English hath truly and properly translated them thus Thou hast loosed my bonds The word translated loosed doth properly signifio to open and
thus it is diversly applied as to the parts of ones body mouth eyes eares c. To the earth and that when ordinarily it openeth it self to receive rain or seed or extraordinarily aswhen it opened it selfe to devoure Dathan and his associates To the engraving of stones metals or any like thing To doores gates treasures and such like To the drawing out of a sword and to the undoing opening and loosing of such things as are bound Thus this word is used to expresse the undoing of a girdle wherewith a man is girt the opening of a sacke that is tied and the loosing of cords and chaines wherewith one is bound Where Nebuzaraden saith to Ieremiah I loose thee from the chaines c. this word is used In this sense is it here used Afflictions and calamities are as bonds cords and chaines which fast tie and bind men which girt and gall pinch and paine them yea and oft strangle and kill them and in these respects called bonds as in this and many other places where the very word that is here is used in the same sense Yea because death holdeth men downe as fast bound so as they cannot stirre it is said to have cords as was before noted on vers 3. § 15. and when one is delivered from death the grave is said in the word of this text to be loosed or opened This phrase then thou hast loosed my bonds is metaphoricall It implieth two things 1 That he was in sore and grievous afflictions wherewith he was as it were bound as a man that is taken by robbers and pirates or by enemies and fast bound by ropes chaines or other like bonds Thus Ieremiah among other Iewes that were taken captives by the Babylonians was bound 2 That the Lord delivered him from those afflictions which deliverance was a kind of loosing those bonds so as they continued not to binde him as before Thus Nebuzaraden said to Ieremiah I loose thee this day from the chaines which were upon thine hand The occasion of mentioning this deliverance is to convince his soule of the equity of that which hee was now in doing to praise the Lord. Thus we have A profession of a great deliverance This may be considered two waies 1 Simply in and by it selfe 2 Relatively in and with reference to the occasion thereof In the former consideration One thing is implied Another expressed 1 The thing implied is that he was in great distresse The mention of bonds together with the loosing of them importeth that bonds were on him he was bound with them 2 The thing expressed pointeth at 1 The Author or Deliverer Thou 2 The Kind of deliverance hast loosed The Reference hereof is partly immediate to the very next words partly remote to the words further off The immediate reference sets it downe as an effect of that relation which was betwixt God and him He was Gods servant therefore God loosed his bonds The remote reference expresseth it as a cause of his praising God God loosed his bonds therefore he would praise God So also doth the immediate inference of the 17 verse Because thou O Lord hast loosed my bonds I will offer praise to thee The thin◠implied bonds intimateth that I. Saints may fall into inextricable perplexities Even such as they fall into who are bound with cords and chaines and know not how to unloose them Hereof before on verse 3. § 16. The Author acknowledged to be his deliverer Thou giveth proofe that II. God is a deliverer from distresse III. Deliverances are to be ascribed to God Of both these before Of the former on vers 6. § 35 36. Of the latter ver 8. § 51. The Kind of deliverance hast loosed giveth evidence that IIII. God can deliver out of inextricable straits Hereof before on ver 6. § 39. 41. and on vers 8. § 52. The immediate reference importeth that V. God taketh especiall care of his servants This Prophet was Gods servant and God loosed his bonds Yea the inference importeth that therefore even because he was his servant he loosed them The remote reference and immediate inference implie that VI. They that are delivered from distresse are especially bound to praise the Lord. §. 105. Of Gods respect to his servants V. GOD taketh especiall care of his servants As here under a metaphor he is said to loose his bonds so other where his care is in other phrases set downe thus The Lord redeemeth the soule of his servants He delivereth his servants from the hurtfull sword He revengeth the bloud of his servants He sent plagues among them that dealt craftily with his servants He hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants As the affection and respect which he beareth to them which moveth him to make them his favourites so the honour which he bringeth to himselfe thereby moveth him so and so to deale with his servants This reason God himselfe thus expresseth and presseth For my name sake will I deferre mine anger and for my praise will I refraine c. For mine owne sake even for mine owne sake will I do it For how should my name be polluted They who have assured evidence that they are Gods servants have good ground to cast their care on him who careth for them And in their distresse to remember this their condition and with the remembrance thereof to support their faith and that by pleading it before God as he who said Make thy face to shine upon thy servant save me for thy mercies sake Enter not into judgement with thy servant Deale bountifully with thy servant that I may live and keepe thy word Destroy all them that afflict my soule for I am thy servant Believe Gods Word and then say to God Remember the word unto thy servant See more hereof before § 96. §. 106. Of their forwardnesse to praise God who have beene succoured by God VI. THey that are delivered from distresse are especially bound to praise the Lord. This duty is in speciall enjoyned to them and where it is enjoyned this patheticall exclamation of desire is as the staffe of a divine hymne foure severall times repeated Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wondrous workes to the children of men On this ground doth the Psalmist vehemently incite his soule to this duty And it hath beene the constant practise of Gods servants after God hath delivered them from danger and loosed their bonds to praise him as Moses and Miriam Barak and Deborah David Iehosaphat Hezekiah and many others 1 Praise is that which God expecteth for his kindnesse in delivering us for saith he I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me so as if any just occasion can be given for performing this duty this is especially a most just
if indeed he were profited by that which we offer unto him Be liberall and bountifull to the Lord whosoever ye be that have any thing to give to the Lord. And who is it that hath not something yea that hath not much to give if hee be no niggard of what he hath The poorest that be have as many calves as Salomon had to offer to the Lord calves of their lips Hos 14. 2. These are sacrifices which may bee offered up to God Heb. 13. 15. The poorest that be have a body which they may present as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God Rom. 12. 1. The poorest that be may every day morning and evening and at other times also direct their prayer to God as incense Psal 141. 2. Yea they may mixe therewith the sweetest incense of the intercession of Christ and offer all up upon the golden altar which is before the throne Rev. 8. 3. The poorest that be may bring to God a broken heart and a contrite spirit which is a sacrifice that God will not despise Psal 51. 17. The poorest that be may do justly love mercy and walk humbly before God which the Lord preferreth before burnt offerings and calves of a yeare old yea before thousands of rammes or ten thousand rivers of oile Mic. 6. 8. These and other like offerings have all of all sorts not the poorest excepted now under the Gospell to bring and give unto the Lord. These sacrifices Saints offer to God These sacrifices they solemnize without intermission day and night especially that of giving themselves to God All good workes are sacrifices fit for God and acceptable to him There are also severall talents given to severall persons though not to all alike for to one are given five to another two to another but one yet to him that hath the least so much is given as by a good improvement thereof hee may bring some increase and advantage to the Lord and that so acceptably as the Lord thereby wil be moved to say Well done thou good and faithfull servant thou hast been faithfull over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things c. Mat. 25. 21. As for rich men they may yet further honour God with their substance Prov. 3. 9. They may do good and distribute for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13. 16. They may so communicate to the necessities not onely of the poorest Saints but also of the Ministers of Gods Word as what they doe in this kind may be an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God Phil. 4. 18. Thus as there were sacrifices of old there are sacrifices still as oblations of old so oblations still Onely the kind of them is altered These sacrifices allowed approved accepted under the Gospell Please the Lord much better then oxen and bullocks that have hornes and hoofes yet to us are they nothing so chargeable as the oblations and sacrifices were to the Iewes Why then do we returne so little to the Lord Are his mercies fewer in number or lesse in worth to us under the Gospell then they were to his people under the Law If the difference betwixt the old and new covenant betwixt Gods dealing with his Church before and since Christ was exhibited were thorowly discerned we should find just cause to say He hath not dealt so with the Iewes as he hath dealt with Christians We want those zealous affections which the pious Iewes had Were our inward disposition answerable to theirs we would not we could not come so short as we do of outward expressions of gratefulnesse Let us by due meditation of Gods surpassing kindnesse to us be stirred up willingly and chearefully to give what we shall understand to be acceptable to him God gives all to God againe let all be returned §. 114. Of vowing praise to God PSAL. CXVI XVIII I will pay my vowes unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people THe immediate inference of this verse upon the former sheweth the principall matter of the Prophets vow For he maketh mention of his vow as of a motive the more to provoke him to offer up a sacrifice of thanksgiving But if he had not vowed such a sacrifice what motive could his vow have beene thereto This approved patterne of the Prophet giveth evidence that Praise to God is a meet matter to be vowed Where mention is made of performing vowes expresse mention useth there to be of this very matter and that where directions are given for vowes thus Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vowes and where performance is promised thus My praise shal be of thee I will pay my vowes Thy vowes are upon me O God I will render praises unto thee I will sing praise to thy name for ever that I may daily performe my vowes The praises which he sang to the Lord tending to this end that hee might performe his vow evidently prove that he had vowed so to doe Where Iacob vowed that the stone which he set for a pillar should be Gods house what intended he thereby but that publike and solemne praise should be given to God This was the maine substance of Iepthahs vow that in way of thanks he would give something to the Lord. If his vow had not too farre extended it selfe even to such things as might not bee offered to the Lord it had beene a warrantable and commendable vow 1 A vow rightly made is of something to be done for the Lords sake and to testifie our respect to him If a vow be made against any sinne or against temptations or occasions that lead thereto it is because by sinne God is offended and dishonoured Now to vow against that whereby God is offended and dishonoured is implicitly to please and to honour God If a vow be made for performing any duty that is made somewhat the more directly to the honour and praise of God for all good duties tend thereunto Now because there is nothing wherein and whereby we can more honour God or better testifie our respect to God then by giving praise to him to praise God must needs be a very fit subject for a vow yea the best that can be 2 In making a vow something is aimed at either as received or as expected from the Lord which occasioneth the making thereof When in distresse a vow is made it is in expectation of deliverance from that distresse When to avoid sinne a vow is made it is to gaine assurance of pardon for that sinne before committed and assistance against it for the time to come Though in these and other like cases a vow be made before the kindnesse for which it is made be received yet it is to binde us unto gratitude for the kindnesse which wee desire and expect If after a kindnesse conferred a vow bee made then it is an apparent testimony of
gratefulnesse But what duty more proper to gratitude then praise of God Wherefore to praise God is a matter most meet to be vowed 3 Those duties whereunto we are most bound from performance whereof no superiour power on earth may hinder us which by the gift of grace that God useth to give to his children wee are able to doe wee ought especially to vow But in the uppermost rancke of all such duties praising of God is most justly to bee placed So as if any bee meet to bee vowed this is of all most meet 4 A vow must alwayes bee joyned with prayer Commonly when men earnestly desire the removall of some evill or the obtaining of some good thing in opening their desire to God they will vow something to him At least when a vow is made prayer must then be made for grace to keepe it Now when in making any petition to God the mind is fixed on rendering something to God and is thereby brought to vow praise unto him this vowing of praise will much enlarge the desire of a mans heart and settle his soule in assurance of obtaining what hee desireth A vow of praising God in craving any blessing from God is like to this protestation As wee forgive them that trespasse against us annexed to the fift petition whereby we are stirred up more earnestly to crave and more stedfastly to believe pardon of our sinnes The thought of praising God especially when it is ratified by a vow workes much confidence in Gods favour towards him that is in truth resolved to performe that vow Is not this then a very meet matter to be vowed Do ye now enquire what ye may vow what ye may render Whether such creatures as were sometimes offered on altars Thou needest offer no such thing There is in thee what thou maist vow and render From the arke of thy heart bring forth the incense of praise Now therefore yee who are well informed in the lawfulnesse meetnesse excellency and utility of this duty of making vowes to God whereof before and are thereupon moved to put the duty in practice here take notice of this maine matter of a vow and be forward in vowing praise to God When for themselves men crave in sicknesse recovery of health in penury supply of their necessities in restraint liberty in sterility children in oppression protection in their labours successe in any danger safety or in any other case any needfull blessing yea when they pray in the behalfe of others whether for the Church in generall or such parts thereof as are in distresse or for their owne nation citie towne parish family children or any others when they pray for any more then ordinary blessing and favour from the Lord let them in making that prayer vow to render praise unto the Lord that when the Lord giveth any evidence of hearing their prayer they may say I will praise thee O Lord that I may performe my vow See more of this verse before on verse 14. §. 115. Of the meaning and method of the last Verse PSAL. CXVI XIX In the courts of the LORDS honse in the middest of thee O Ierusalem IN these words the Prophet determinately and expresly setteth downe the place where he vowed to praise the Lord. In the former verse and before that in the 14 th verse he generally professed to do it in the presence of all Gods people Here he describeth the place of the presence of Gods people where they assembled together and that 1 By the Relation thereof to God 2 By the Scituation of it The place in relation to God is stiled the LORDS house This title is in Scripture used to expresse a select place or an elect people As it hath reference to a place it is taken indefinitely or determinately 1 In an indefinite acception any place where God is pleased to afford an especiall representation of his presence may be named Gods house Thus that place where Iacob in his journey lay and slept is called The house of God because of that divine vision wherein the Lord there appeared to him The reason of this name given to that place is expresly rendred in these words Surely the LORD is in this place On a like ground the places where the Lord appeared to Moses and to Ioshua are called holy ground Determinately this title Gods house is attributed to places on earth or in heaven On earth it was given to two places the Tabernacle and the Temple both that which was built in Salomons time and that also which was built after the captivity These in their severall times were places where were especiall representations of Gods presence and whither Gods people by Gods appointment assembled to worship him and in those respects were called Gods house 2 The Tabernacle continued to be Gods house the space of 487 yeares from the first making of it in Moses his time till the Temple which Salomon built was finished Then was the Tabernacle caried into the Templâ— and after that remained no more to be of use for an 〈…〉 God 3 The Temple which Salomon 〈…〉 continued to be Gods house for the space of foure hundred â—â—ares from the time when it was first built till the burning of it downe in Zedekiahs time 4 The Temple built after the â—aptivity continued for the space almost of five hundred yeares from the time of Zorobabel till it was utterly ruinated by the Romans 5 The highest heaven is called Gods house most properly because the most perspicuous manifestation of Gods presence that can be given is there given 6 The elect people who are stiled The house of God are those that are comprised under this title Church which is the communion of Saints In this communion all that professe the true Christian Religion and subject themselves to the ordinances thereof are in the judgement of charity reputed To these S. Paul having given this title house of God to shew whom he meant thereby he addeth which is the Church of the living God These Saint Peter meaneth where he saith Iudgement must begin at the house of God 1 Pet 4. 17. For as the whole Church jointly considered in it selfe so also every particular member is counted and called Gods house Thus is this phrase taken where the Apostle in relation to the Lord saith Whose house we are Heb. 3. 6. and againe Ye are the temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them 2 Cor. 6. 16. So as every one may account himselfe to be a spirituall house of God so he walk not in the flesh but in the spirit Concerning the particular house of God which is here in this Psalme mentioned it can hardly be determined for certen which it should bee because the Author and Time of penning this Psalme are not expressed If the Psalme were penned by any Prophet after Davids time then questionlesse
Founders may have more liberty then such as find Churches planted and setled in good order 4 There are places of persecution where no liberty is granted for publike assemblies and places of peace where Churches have much rest and great liberty In places of persecution bounden duties must rather be performed in private then omitted For matter of circumstance must give place to matters of substance matters of conveniency to matters of necessity Wherefore to leave extraordinary persons to their extraordinary warrant we that live in well setled Churches where thorow the diviue providence we have publike places for divine services set apart whereunto we have much liberty on all occasions to resort ought to bee of his mind who Was glad when they said let us goe into the house of the Lord and was exceedingly perplexed when by force hee was kept from thence It was of old fore-told that this should be the disposition of Saints under the Gospell in the kingdome of Christ to say Come ye let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord c. Christ and his Apostles though they had just cause and good warrant to performe many publike duties in private places yet did they much frequent those publike places where publike duties were in their time performed Of Christ it is expresly recorded that as his custome was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day Of the Apostles also and of them that continued in their doctrine and fellowship it is said They continued daily with one accord in the Temple praising God Herein lieth a maine difference betwixt such as like Christ do all to edifying He ever taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither the Iewes alwaies resort and such as doe all for their owne ends seeking to beguile others They creepe into houses and lead captive silly women Wherefore to manifest a mind that aimeth at Gods glory the edification of the Church the quickening of our owne spirits let us take the occasions that are offered to go into the courts of the Lords house and performe duties of piety according to their kind publike duties publikely solemne duties solemnely This is a good Christian decorum agreeable to that Apostolicall rule Let all things bee done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14. 40. Let us therefore be every one of his mind who said in the midst of the faithfull people I will praise thee I will publish thee O Lord. §. 117. Of Gods houses II. PLaces set apart for Gods worship are Gods houses More then five hundred times is this title house of God or house of the Lord in holy Scripture attributed to places deputed unto divine service And because worship is done to God not onely in materiall Temples but also in the communion of Saints yea and in the bodies and soules of particular Christians they also are called Gods houses 1 Though the Lord in his infinite essence be every where present filling heaven and earth and have the eyes of his providence in every place beholding the evill and the good yet the speciall presence of his grace and favour abideth in the places where he is truly and and duly worshipped These places therefore are to him as Kings palaces and houses which most properly they account their owne 2 Gods greatest care is over these places He bringeth light into them by his word he beautifieth them by his ordinances he continually repaireth them and keepeth them from ruine by holy discipline In them are the treasures of his graces Orders Offices All needfull provision The bread of life The wine of spirituall consolation and other like blessings of an house are there There God dines and suppes with his people All things fit for an house are there which whosoever observeth cannot but say of such a place it is the house of God 3 God is very jealous over such places He cannot endure to have them defiled profaned It was one cause of the Iewes captivity that they polluted the house of the Lord. O how enamoured should we be with such places If we be where we cannot come to them nor joyne with Gods Saints in worshipping the Lord how should it grieve us No place in the world were it every way as faire as fertile as pleasant as profitable in all earthly commodities as Eden or Paradise was should give us content if Gods house be not there if no place be there for Saints to assemble together to worship God In nothing is any part of the earth made more like to heaven then in having Gods house scituate on it The Prophet fore-told that the mountaine of the Lords house should be established in the top of the mountaines and exalted above the hils Why should it not be accounted the hill of hils where there is such plenty of all delectable things where there is such a plenitude of plenty It is an hill of peace an hill of joy and hill of life an hill of glory We count cities and townes that have Kings and Noblemens houses in them happy by reason of the great provision and all manner of commodities that are brought to them Much more happy may we account those cities and townes where are many houses of God if indeed they be true houses of God Externall buildings made with stone or bricke timber lead iron and other such materialls though never so pompous and glorious without and within can not justly be accounted Gods houses if Gods people assemble not in them to worship God if Gods ordinances be not there duly observed if there be no prayers made to God no Word of God preached no Sacraments administred no divine discipline exercised in them But where these are there are Gods houses And happy are the places where Gods houses are Ye that desire to dwell in cities or townes be sure that Gods houses be in those cities or townes What are best ordered companies without the communion of Saints What the best merchandizes without such as are brought from the celestiall Canaan What all sort of wares without such as the wisdome of God setteth out And ye that desire to have your houses stand by themselves in the open aire bee sure that an house of God be so neare them as on all occasions ye may resort to them What is the sweetest aire without the breath of Gods Spirit What the most fertile soile without the fruitfull word of God What the clearest springs and brooks without the current of grace What the best growne woods without Gods plants What the most melodious singing of birds without Saints singing hymnes and spirituall songs making melody to the Lord in their hearts What all country or city commodities without divine ordinances But in Gods houses rightly and justly so called are all these to be had There is a kind of fatnesse of Gods house that is a fulnesse and sweetnesse whereby all that duly frequent the same shal be