have power in his name to pronounce his absolution and free pardon of that and all the rest sincerely repented saying Whosoever sinnes yee remit they are remitted And the true penitent hath comfort to his heart in that absolution Some of our owne brethren at home have quarrelled this as popish not well advised of the ordinance and institution of Iesus Christ our Master by whose commission we performe this as the cleare Text doth warrant Tertullian calleth the Clergie a distinct order separate from all other callings to a speciall worke of Gods holy service for the enlightening of ignorants and converting transgressors and comforting the disconsolate and confirming such as are weake And what greater comfort can we administer then the assurance of forgivenesse to distressed soules languishing under the oppression of their conscience for their sinnes Therefore Christ in our Commission useth the same word for our pardoning of sinnes that he teacheth us to use in our owne prayers to God for our pardon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoever sinnes yee remit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Forgive us A departing soule being to leave the world and hearing that he that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper having the sting of conscience and the Angell of Sathan buffetting him can no longer hide this fire in his bosome which burneth him but hee bringeth it forth in confession And wee finde in the capitall punishment of malefactors that the feare of judgement and terrour of conscience a little before their end hath detected many murthers adulteries felonies and foule transgressions which till then lay hidden in the secret of their hearts concealed from the worlds intelligence and suspicion In such cases having disburdened their soules and declared their repentance our absolution is of force and then the penitent cryeth Nâ—nc dimittis servum tuum Domine in pace Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace and as one that hath his yoke taken off and his burthen eased he removeth hence with joy 2 This petition teacheth that the sinne of shedding innocent bloud oppresseth the conscience and is of a crimosin dye hardly washt out After the fall of our Parents the first sinne we reade recorded was murther the first death by it He that maketh inquisition for bloud beginneth his search and vengeance at the bloud of Abel That sinne of bloud in Caine is set for terror in the beginning of the holy story of the Bible to advise us of that roaring Lyon who goeth about continually seeking whom hee may devoure He was a lyar and a murtherer from the beginning hee practised upon the soules and bodies of our first Parents and by a cunning lye brought in death upon them in Paradise Then he incensed a brother against a brother in the first infancie of time Observe that murther 1 In the conception of it 2 In the act and execution 3 In the sequell and event of it 1 In the conception the provocation was onely Gods accepting of his brother in his service and his refusing him which made his death a persecution in Caine a Martyrdom in Abel This put murther into the heart God saw it there yet he taketh notice of it by the countenaÌ„ce of Cain Anger cannot well conceale it selfe and God is so tender as not to endure a frowning countenance in us to one another He expostulated the cause with Caine he layed the fault upon himselfe If thou doe well c. he gave him place of his brother and promised him his subjection Hee would have cured Caine of this disease but he would not 2 In the act It was the foulest that could be Cain talked with Abel his brother no question but it was a faire â—poken parley which tempted him â—alone with him into the field and there he arose against him and slew him A strange act worthy to be recorded The first borne in the world a murtherer the first recorded sinne in the generation of man murther the first brother a murtherer the first death murther Death followed sinne God would rather have it performed by the hand of man than by his owne hand the better to shew the effect of his justice and mans sinne according to the sentence Thou shalt dye the death 3 The sequell to that I hasten for 1 Cain sought not out God said nothing to him the text saith The Lord said unto Cain he spake first and enquired after the murther he maketh inquisition for bloud 2 His question where is Abel thy brother he calleth for him by name Abel God nameth him by the name that his Mother gave him He challengeth a right in his person hee challengeth their right in him who named him And the interest that the murthered had in the murtherer frater tuus thy brother 3 When this would not bring forth a confession and repentance of the fault but was frowardly answered first with a nescio I know not a lye then with a surly question Am I my brothers keeper Then God replieth with 1 Detection of the murtherer What hast thou done for hee so troubleth the conscience of such persons as shed bloud 2 Production of evidence vox sanguinis fratris tui de terra inclamat me the voyce of thy brothers bloud cryes unto me from the earth 3 Vpon so cleare evidence he proceedeth to judgement 1 The earth is cursed for his sake to him so before in his fathers sinne we thinke much if the earth serve us not with the fruits thereof we may thanke our sinne 2 His person is cursed a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be on the earth 4 When hee stood convicted in his conscience by the voyce of the Iudge and evidentiâ facti the plainenesse of the deed done 1 He turnes desperate and speakes a speech which beares a double construction My punishment is greater than I can beare or My iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven 2 He takes upon himselfe a necessity of grievous punishment which he distributeth into foure great griefes 1 Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth 2 And from thy face shall I be hid 3 And I shall be a fugitive and vagabond upon the earth 4 And it shall come to passe that every one that findeth me shall slay me Observe the first punishment of murther in this full example for it is notable 1 In the Iudge secondly in the judgement 1 The Iudge is God himselfe he taketh it into his owne judicature conventeth convinceth judgeth the offender himselfe The fault is exprest in the words of my Text vox sanguinum the voyce of blouds for hee not onely spilled the bloud of his brother but he destroyed the posterity that might have bin derived from him and he is called Abel the just so he might have had semen sanctum an holy seed All this hope of after-generations all their bloud spilt in him The judgement an heavy curse 1 Without him in the earth 2 Excommunication from the face
Whatsoever we do against God we do it against our selves Whatsoever we do evill is against God it opposeth his will it resisteth his word and commandment it valueth the pleasure of sinne more then his favour and exchangeth God for a vain delight Is not this an high offence 3 He putteth it home Tibi soli peccavi against thee alone have I sinned Some question is made how David can say Soli Thee alone Did not he offend Vriah in defiling his bed in sending for him to colour his adultery in taking him home under a pretence of entertainment to make him drunk After all to procure his death did he not sinne against Bathsheba to defile her Did he not sinne against Joab to make him a murtherer Did he not sinne against his own body to destroy the temple of the Lord and to defile a vessell of holinesse with uncleannesse Did he not trespasse the Church which was ashamed and grieved at his aberration Did he not trespasse his double unction of King and Prophet how then doth he say Tibi soli against thee alone Mr. Calvin doth two wayes answer this question 1 That he had done this sinfull act secretly and so had none to make his peace withall but God who onely knew the offence This doth not help for Joab knew that he was an instrument of Davids injustice he knew he had defiled his own body she knew And no question but it was resented of many But this Psalme was made for the use of the Church after all was out against him 2 That he denyeth not the full extent of his fault but making his confession to God he declareth what did most cruciate and disquiet his conscience onely this that he had sinned against God and provoked his anger against him This may passe for a good solution of the question for the sinne against God extendeth to both Tables of the Law and when we trespasse our own selves or our neighbours we sinne mainly against God in both The full extent of our sinne is onely against God Every sinne hath a branching and dispersion like so many brooks running into one maine streame all empty themselves into the Sea all finally wrong God Mr. Calvin addeth his own judgement Tibi soli against thee alone Howsoever the secrecie of my sinfull acts may keep it out of sight from some and the flatterie of others may cast excuses or defences upon it and the charity of others may like Sem and Japhet cast a garment upon it to hide it may connive at it or pardon it To thee I have sinned thou doest know it and it appeares onely to thee in the full and true proportion I cannot hide it from thee This also may be well received He addeth that he nameth God onely because God onely hath the vengeance in his hand and he is in no danger but of him For who on earth hath power to chasten Kings for sinne but God onely There was no Pope above Kings in David's time The high Priest a type of Christ was nothing so great a man as the Pope the Vicar of Christ But the truth is when Christ came to reveale himself then began Sathan first to lay claime to all the kingdomes of the earth and the power to dispose of them and he made Christ a great offer to give them all to him But what Elisha would not Gehezi his man would what Christ refused his Vicar sticks not to accept of after Saint Augustine cleareth the doubt another way Tibi soli peccavi quiatu solâ—ss sine peccato ille justus punitur qui non habet quod puniatur Against thee onely have I sinned because thou alone art without sinne That just one was punished who had nothing in him to be punished Some reade to thee onely Peccavi I have sinned because none but he can pardon sinne as God saith I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake I best may satisfie my own judgement with reference of this complaint of David to the reproof of Nathan Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evill in his sight David striketh here at the root of his sinne from whence all his other iniquities and transgressions and sinnes of which he complained derived themselves It was my sinning against thee in the contempt of thy word that hath undone me and made me a prey to Sathan He that in the Serpent found that way to undo the first Adam in Paradise by drawing him away from the word he ever since hath tried that conclusion with all his posteritie and hath much advanced his kingdome by it he tryed the same way with Christ in the wildernesse but he kept him to the word Scriptum est it is written And therefore he tryed him by the word and urged Scriptum est it is written to him hoping by the word to have recovered him from the word And ever since his great agents especially Hereticks and Schismaticks are great Textmen This clearing of the words of David pointeth us to the beginning of all sinne in us which is at swarving from the word of God David found it so dangerous that the whole 119. Psalme is aymed at that sinne Vers 1. and 2. he pronounceth them blessed that walk in this way and keep his testimonies Vers 3. They do no iniquitie c. Vers 4. he urgeth Gods commandment for this to keep his precepts diligently Vers 5. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes 8. I will keep thy statutes O forsake me not utterly His desire to the word his comfort from the word his joy in the word his estimation of the word his love to the word all the Psalme is full of these holy meditations We may all confesse in this respect with David that we have sinned against God onely for having the word in that plentie and so many helps by hearing and reading to take benefit of it Our ungodly lives testifie that we depart from it Which of our sinnes doth the word of God favour which doth it not threaten with losse of the kingdome of heaven as the Angels that sinned lost their habitation and Adam his paradise for departing from that word Israel Gods darling people lost their Canaan and first ten Tribes were lopt from the Church then cut off from the state and carried away and never heard of The remaine lost all and live now in dispersion it is our sinne and we begin to stinke in the nosthrils of God heare and feare And done this evill in thy sight 2 Here is the boldnesse of his sinne wherein let us consider 1 The person I. 2 The commission done 3 The trespasse evill 4 The particularity this 5 The daring of it in thy sight 1 Of the person It is againe prest and may not be omitted in our consideration For let every one consider his own person in all his delinquences and he shall finde so much more quarrell
it self will prove the burthen of the conscience the feare of a deadly blow the trembling of our hearts the shame of our faces the disquieting of the whole man This sheweth us what a body of sinne we beare about us for as the proverbe is Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked this calleth the heart uncleane and the conscience defiled Cease therefore to do evill and learne to do well This is the way of life to escape the paths of death Evils are a shamed of themselves and Sathan dare not be so open in his temptations as to tender them to us bare-faced but he putteth either some matter of vertue upon them to hide them out of sight or some pretence of great pleasure or profit to sweeten them that they may go down with us without distaste Let us but take so much leasure as to take off this disguise and behold evill in it own proper colours and we shall see such a loathed deformitie we shall feele such an abhorred complection of stench and commistion of filthinesse as will discourage us from it We shall discerne danger in the touch of it and death in the committing of it Libera nos à malo Deliver us from evill 4 The particularity This sinne Here Davids repentance doth come home to his present disease this great exemplarie teeming and pregnant this parturient sinne which brought forth so many so horrible sinnes Lust when it conceiveth bringeth forth sinne Lust was Davids sinne see the present issue and encrease of it it broughtforth adultery Two bodies defiled Matrimony Gods ordinance polluted Gods good creatures abused to drunkennesse Joab corrupted Uriah murthered This sinne cherished veiled with a marriage and for ten moneths unrepented I have done this evill all this beside all the other sinnes of my life I have added this also No doubt but he did consider this sinne also in the punishment of it 1 With vexation in his conscience 2 With shame in the world 3 With the griefe of the Church 4 With the joy of Gods enemies 5 With the anger of God 6 With the chiding of Nathan 7 With the death of the childe 8 With a continuall incumbent punishment in his own house Non discedet gladius c. The sword shall not depart c. Before he craved mercy against his transgressions and iniquitie and sinnes Now he comes to this eminent and notorious sinne I have done evill this evill Which teacheth us when we come to repaire the decayes of our spirituall man by repentance to have speciall care of those particular sinnes which have especially corrupted us and provoked God against us A generall peccavi iniquè egi I have sinned and done wickedly will not serve without we come to this evill As the people of Israel did when the Lord affrighted them with thunder and raine in their wheat-harvest they confessed and said to Samuel Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God that we dye not for we have added unto all our sinnes this evill in asking us a King We say of some man he is a very true hearted honest man but he will sometimes over-drink or he will sometimes sweare in his passion or he will over-shoot himself in his anger or he is somewhat covetous or prodigall or wanton c. Let every man so account with God for his sinnes as to confesse with griefe shame and fear this evill to which either some corruption of nature or some continuance of custome or some temptation of pleasure profit or some present occasion for want of grace by some sudden surprize hath prevailed with him to give him a fall Opportunitie doth often tempt and prevaile against a great measure of knowledge and grace and God sometimes leaveth us to our selves to try our strength how we can resist Sathan If we prove too weake for him and that he do over-beare us we have no remedie but this particular repentance All sinnes foule us therefore David prayeth to be washed some sinnes steine us and an ordinarie washing will not cleare us therefore he prayeth Wash me throughly and make me cleane It is our wisedome to discerne this difference of our sinnes and consider which be dyed in crimsin which in scarlet and to bring them to the washing especially So shall we be purged from our great offence Here is Noahs drunkennesse and Lots drunkennesse and incest Pauls persecution of the Church Peters denyall of his Master In multis offendimus omnes in many things we sinne all But if we survey our consciences carefully and inquisitively we shall finde this evill some especiall sinne that we have either much accustomed our selves to or that we have once committed overtaken with some sudden strong temptation which we may call this evill How evill this evill tasted in the end we see his appetite desired it before as a chiefe pleasure and now it is become his griefe and greatest paine He was very warie after of falling into this sinne Yet another temptation put him into new sinne of numbring his people when he had done this evill also he fell to this remedy of particular repentance And David said unto God I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing but now I beseech thee do away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly He that hath many of these grosse and high-growne sinnes blasphemies prophanations of the Lords-day adulterie drunkennesse c. to account for is in heavy case If one at once smart so shâ—rply and weigh so heavily what will many do Aperiantur ut operiantur sanemus ut sanemus Let them be shewn that they may becovered let us reveal them that we may heal them 5 The daring of this sinne In thy sight He had conveied this sinne as closely and warily as he could God took notice of that also Thou diddest it secretly Bathsheba was secretly sent for and entised and defiled Vriah dyed in a just warre But now David seeeth that all this was done in the sight of God he seeth what the hand doth and what heart setteth it awork David could not be ignorant of this but we willingly embrace temptations to evill which we can keep out of the worlds eye The searching eye of God cannot be benighted it is over all the world and discerneth both good and evill Will any man steale whilest the owner looketh on Dare any man trespasse a King when his eye is upon him A king sitting on the throne of judgement driveth away all evill with his eye He was a foole that said in his heart Non est Deus there is no God he saith so that denyeth him a sight of all things There is no power like the power of God there is no strength to execute power like the strength of God There is no fire so hot as the fire of his furie There is no threatning so surely accomplished as his menaces Yet when we are afraid of every eye of man in our secret sinnes we dare
these in this distresse can tell you whether this be not a breaking of their bones Let the Word therefore work upon us and let every hearer when he heareth his sinne reproved take the reproofe to him and prevent an accusation tu es homo thou art the man with a confession Me me ad sum qui feci I I have done it So breaking our bones with remorse and contrition wee shall save them from his breaking we shall reserve them to his healing and binding up I conclude this point in the words of our Saviour He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day 2 Davids suit wherein 1 Where he seeketh remedy it is from God the hand that â—â—oke his bones can set them againe no other hand can doe it Come let us returne to the Lord for he hath torn and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will binde us up David knoweth that God hath a multitude of tender compassions he layd that foundation of his faith repentance and prayer Verse 2. Whom have I in heaven but thee there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever David had good friends in heaven Abraham the father of the faithfull Isaac the seed promised Iacob that wrastled with God and prevailed yet he seeketh to none of these and I never read in either Testament of any one that had any suit to Abraham but the rich man in hell To countenance the use of invocation of Saints yet that hath no life in it to encourage any such mediation All the booke of God through the addresse of prayers hath beene onely to God and he hath revealed so open a way of accesse to him that wee need not goe so farre about for David saith He also will heare their prayers and will helpe them David was put to it to try all the wayes of comfort and hee used no other invocation The sorrowes of death compassed me the paines of hell gate hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soule God maketh this good use of our sinnes to bring us to him and sinne never undoeth us till it driveth us away from God to seeke help elsewhere You see what good successe the richman had with Abraham he could not get a drop of cold water he was sent to Moses and the Prophets for his brethren They sought no helpe any where but immediately in God he hath healing under his wings wings are the emblemes of speed he is swift to heare our complaints to heale our sores He healeth all our infirmities and forgiveth us all our sinnes 2 How he seeketh remedy by prayer he doth not come pharisaically to God to justifie himselfe by his former conscionable living he doth not â—lledge how he hath walked and done that which is right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the daies of his life save onely in this thing All our former holinesse will not beare us out in any one sinne but when we fall we cause all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in the sinne that he hath sinned in them shal he dye rather our sinne is aggravated thereby therefore the way of prayer is the way of remedy Let us seeke the face and favour of God so by confession deprecation and supplication The fountaine is deepe but we have wherewith to draw up the waters thereof our prayer is a bucket that will not come up empty The Apostle biddeth semper orate pray alwayes Christ biddeth aske seeke knocke This the Prophet calleth buying without money when we have all good things for asking The Church of Rome hath not a worse barre to keepe her children from God and other men from their communion then by teaching them to say prayers in a strange tongue for all such petitioners have their answer nescitis quid petatis ye know not what ye aske our understanding our affections our faith our hope all must be exercised in our prayers 3 What is his suit Make me to heare joy and gladnesse We may demand why David doth desire this now seeing he had no sooner confest his sinne but Nathan pronounced his absolution he heard joy in his pardon he heard gladnesse in the remedy of his punishment non morieris thou shalt not dye 1 David had heard this comfort from Nathan yet hee desireth further assurance of it from the spirit of God for in so sudden joyes we are not our owne men so are wee transported with the gladnesse thereof When thou broughtest againe the captivity of Sion we were like to them that dreame Our foule sinnes doe make us feare that it is too good to be true 2 He desireth more of this comfort more joy and more gladnesse The joy of sinne and delight of sense doth much hinder repentance the joy of the holy Ghost doth crown repentance 3 David openeth himselfe in his phrase of Petition he doth not say give me joy and gladnesse but make me heare for the vessell of his heart was not yet capable of the joy that was now tendred to him griefe and anguish had filled it he prayeth therefore for capacity to receive this gladnesse Five notes grow upon this point 1 When he had heard already he desireth to heare more they that have once tasted of this joy are never satisfied but cry alwaies give give till they come to the fulnesse and fatnesse of Gods house 2 See what a distressed man a sinner is Enosh he is â—â— fraid he shall never have joy enough â—â—◠〈◊〉 prayeth here for double joy joy and gladnesse joy in his pardon of sin gladnesse in his favour 3 See how long the conscience of a sinner is tost like to the sea after the winde is laid 4 Observe how he would have his joy come to him ex auditu fac me audire by hearing make me to heare for ex auditu fides faith comes by hearing he lost his joy by harkening to the voyce of the Serpent 5 It will not come so except God make him heare fac me aâ—dire make me to heare he must say ephata to our eare that we may not onely receive the sound of comfort in our eare but sound comfort in our heart If the foure windes should breath nothing but joy and gladnesse and all the Prophets and Angelâ— of God should like Ababs Prophets prophecie good to us unlesse God by his spirit did suggest to our spirits this joy wee were still in evill taking for till our spirit witnesse with Gods spirit wee have no joy He desireth assurance in his faith 4 The
shutting up of Davids penitentiall supplication in a broken and contrite heart I conclude 1 That in an arraignement for sinne there is no plea of good workes David had the conscience within him and the testimony without him of God and the Church that he had served the Lord and had walked in all the wayes of the Lord with all his heart save onely in this matter Yet this one matter cannot be answered without the exact fulnesse of repentance Here is no setting off of any sinne for some singular good worke before done The sinne that he hath committed doth extinguish the light of all his former righteousnesse as if it had never beene But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquitie all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned The Pharisâ—e might have past with us for a devout and an holy man if Christ had not detested him 1 He went up to the Temple to pray which was an exercise of devotion 2 I here he prayed with himselfe though in a publike place he had a private prayer here was no vaine ostentation in sight 3 He rejoyced in two things which have reference to the two duties of Repentance 1 Cease to do evill for he saith I am not as other men extortioners unjust adulterers nor as this Publicane not like them in their sinnes But I thanke thee for it 2 Learne to do well I fast twice I give tythes c but we referre this also to I thanke thee The Publicane had another bearing which became humble repentance well But the Pharisee for any thing I can discerne might have past for an holy man if Christ himselfe had not detected him I tell you this man went downe to his house Yet observe the Text He went justified more then the other the other not altogether unjustified 2 This directeth me in the deduction of a second conclusion that a broken and a contrite heart for sinne is as safe rest for the soule as the conscience of a good life This appeareth in the direction betweene the state of our innocent creation and our costly redemption For our creation set us in a way of happinesse rather in possession and fruition of happinesse but such as might be lost but our redemption bought us a never-withering crowne of glory Our holinesse of life may be corrupted as Davids was but our contrite and broken spirit none can heale but God onely and because it is his sacrifice he will not despise it In all the examples of repentance above-mentioned we see how firmly the Penitents stood upon that ground for that put away all their former sinnes and established them in the good favour of God Therefore David having this sacrifice ready and now tendring the same to his God doth cease further solliciting of God for himselfe and beginneth as one fully reconciled to God to sollicite him in the behalfe of his Church as followeth From whence we draw this exhortation Let us all labour our repentance as the most needfull worke of all We must charge all our afflictions upon our sinnes and we have but this one way left to repaire us to redeeme the favour of our God to us even our repentance One joynt sacrifice of broken hearts and whole hecatombes of contrite spirits would mend all that 's amisse Let us therefore commence a just warre against our owne corruptions and sinnes it is not enough to conquer the weake Island to destroy the vines the fewell of our drunkennesse to possesse the towns and villages the habitations of sinne in the outward members of the body There is in every one of us a strong Fort an hard and stonie heart fortified against all piety and holinesse where Sathan as a strong armed man holdeth possession this Fort and strong hold this propugnacle of sinne this heart must be broken Let us bend all our batterie against that and see to it that the world the flesh the devill may not supply it and then the day is ours and to him that overcometh shall be given a crowne of life Nothing overcometh this Fort of sinne in our hearts nothing breaketh them so soone as 1 A good watch kept that they may take no rest 2 Fasting to sterve the body of sinne 3 Weeping to open the sluces and drowne it with our teares 4 Praying for our Amaleth within us cannot stand if our soules like Moses hold up their hands in prayer to the God of our lives 5 An holy implacable furie against it never to give over the assault till we have brought it to subjection This fort thus conquered the Island is ours VERSE 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Ierusalem HEre beginneth the second part of this Psalme containing the prayer of David for the Church From the sequence of this prayer observe When we have by true repentance made our peace with God for our selves we have accesse with boldnesse to the throne of grace to put up petitions to God The Reason is Our sinnes do separate our God and us So Isaiah But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he will not heare David confesseth If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me God treating with a sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquitie sheweth them the way into his favour 1 Wash you make you cleane 2 Come now let us reason together saith the Lord. David confesseth because of his iniquities which are an heavy burthen to him I am troubled I am bowed down greatly When we should lift up our heads our eyes our hands to God our sins confound us with shame wee â—ile from the presence of God they shake us with feare wee are afraid of his judgements But true Repentance doth wash us so clean and reconcileth us so perfectly to our God that wee dare come in fight we dare present God with our requests We sâ—cke the face of God when we ayle any thing every griefe of our persons or of the state in which wee live sendeth us presently to God for remedy In affliction wee seeks God early We secke him but we finde him not alwayes we aske of him but hee granteth not our requests wee cry lowd to him but he heareth us not and we take it ill to be denied to be delayed Saint James gives us the reason Ye aske and receive not because you aske amisse There is mors in olla death in the pot there is sinne in the heart our fountain is impoysoned the waters of it are corrupt Hose directeth a speeding way ô Israel returne to the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thy iniquitie Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all inquity and give good so will we render the calves of our lips In this course of removing our sin first we
of prosperity So They are waxen fat they shine yea they over-passe the deeds of the wicked So They are enclosed in their own fat with their mouth they doe speake proudly Therefore this is a great promise that David here maketh for himself and his people Generally God is most sought and best served in affliction Before I was afficted I went astray but now I keep thy word In their affliction they will seek me early It is a provoking unthankfulnesse to receive good and to do evill in retribution This spot is not the spot of his children i. a sin of infirmity Doe you thus requite the Lord ô foolish people and unwise David saith Ne sis tanquam equuâ— mulus Be not as the horse and mule I would in some things we could be like them For the exe knoweth his owner c. And bruit beasts are at the command of such as feed them Beares and Lions forget their naturall fiercenesse to such When God doth us good and giveth us peace and plenty and pleasure when our soules are free from care from feare from griefe What should hinder us but that in this vacation we may attend the service of the Lord We have had many yeares of this favour remember Iob. O that I were as in moneths past as in the dayes when God preserved me when his candle shined upon my head 2 Observe the matter of this speech and you shall find it to be a vow whereby David doth binde himselfe and his people to the worship and service of God In Circumcision then in our Baptisme now wee and they are dedicated separated to the service of God but to fortifie that solemne vow and the more to oblige and necessitate us to that holy dutie wee shall do well to re-enforce that vow what new promises and protestations of our service So David I have sworne and I will performe it to keepe thy righteous judgements Here he bindeth himselfe by an oath and bindeth his oath by a promise I will performe it There is no such tye as the bond of a vow wee must make conscience of it For it is vinculum animae the bond of the soule It is called a vow or binding oath to afflict the soule Some understand that place of the vowes of Fasting Watching or of Penance and Mortification which are called the humbling and afflicting of the soule But it may be understood of all vowes of men for all vows do afflict the soule being nuncupate to Gods glory 1 Because they are restraints to us we cannot do what we will which our unruly nature beareth impatiently For our video see is for meliora better our sequor folow is for deteriora worse 2 Because the breaking of these vows is the affliction of the soule 1 In the torment of the conscience which cannot choose but be much charged with such a sinne For our vows lye heavy there 2 In regard of Gods just and severe punishment which followeth the breach of vowes For it is asnare to a man after his vows to enquire The vow of our Baptisme doth oblige all our life and we should ever call it to remembrance to keepe us in constant obedience to our God But we have many great examples of the renewing that by new vows the more to restrain us voluntary bindings of our soule to the obedience of God The people returned from captivitie sinned in strange wives Nehemiah was no satisfied in their putting of theÌ„ away but caused a covenant to be drawne betweene God and them that they should not take them againe nor commit the like sinne and the people sealed the covenant Joshua a little before his death to settle the feare of God there did bring the people into a covenant and set up a stone for a witnesse of the Covenant saying Behold this stone shal be a witnes unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us it shal be there for a witnesse unto you lest you deny your God Christ Loquentur lapides the stones shall speak to give evidence against the breakers of a covenant and solemne vow So in the reigne of Joash when Religion had beene corrupted And â—ehoiâ—da made a covenant betweene him and all the people and the King that they should be the Lords people So in the reigne of Iosiah the King caused the book of the Law to be read to all the Elders of the people the Priests and Levites And the King stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord to waâ—ke after the Lord and to keepe his Commandements and his testimonies with all his heart and his soule to performe the words of the Covenant which were written in that booke These examples do legitimate to us a voluntary obligation of our selves by vow either for duties to be done or sinnes to be avoyded for they sticke close to the conscience So Iob made a covenant with his eye to keepe it from lustfull sight and if swearers drunkards oppresâ—ors c. should for their better restraint make such vows to God to relinquish these sinnes there would be a double covenant upon them both of the sinne and their vow made to God against it The Lord hath a controversic with the Land for these sinnes The oath against them would be the end of all strife Quer. But â— am not able to performe this oath Sol. Not that we are able of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God These vows are not made in confidence of our owne strength but in faith of Gods promise I will put a new spirit within you That they may walke in my statutes and keepe my ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God We go forth here in the strength of the Lord not in our owne strength We declare our zeale best when we not onely take bonds but do make bonds for our selves to oblige to obedience God faileth not those that depend upon him Thou hast also wrought all thy works in us Let no man discourage himselfe to decline this serviceâ— as unfeisible This is opus Dei Gods worke Gods grace is sufficient for us his strength is perfected in weaknesse I am able to do all things through him that strengtheneth me Omnia possibilia credenti all things are possible to him that bâ—leâ—veth 3 He mentioneth here the legall sacrifices of burnt-offerings c. which were outward acts of holy worship these God required as outward testimonieâ— of the good affection of his people yet any hypocrite any prophane person might serve God thus God findeth much abuse this way and complaineth of it Religion is in the heart not in the hand yet seeing we have an hand too as well as an heart let not that appeare before God emptie Honour God with thy riches Before Christ was
The Broken Heart OR DAVIDS PENANCE Fully exprest in holy Meditations upon the 51 PSALME BY That late Reverend Pastor SAM PAGE Doctour in Divinity and Vicar of Deptford Strond in the Countie of Kent Published since his death BY NATHANAEL SNAPE of Grayes Inne Esquire LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper 1637. TO THE HONORABLE Sir ROBERT AYTON Principall Secretary to the Queenes most excellent Majestie and Master of Saint Katherines neere the Tower of LONDON Sir MY intentions had fastened the patronage of this Booke upon that pious and Right Honorable Gentleman Sir Iulius Caesar your predecessour in the Mastership of St Katherines whose dedication of himselfe to that great Master and maker of the world renders you the Successour of his place and my service Therefore and because all that know you rightly speak you to be a friend to Learning and Philagathus in abstracto a true Religion Lover I thought fit to present these devouâ— Meditations to your judicious acceptation These royall Penitentials deduced and exemplified unto us from the sacred person of a King conclude all persons and degrees from an exemption in the practise And the command of that excellent duty is more especially incumbent on us in these particular times of humiliation when that formidable pestilentiall sword hath so smitten us and hangs still so perpendicularly over our heads The profit of Repentance it removes our sinne in reatu poena it blunts that weapons point whose thirst is sooner quencht with â—ear then bloud and it preferreth the miserable delinquent from the shamefull Barre to the most glorious Bench. Let the Reverend Authors pen declare his worth and let the worke commend it selfe to the world Onely Sir be you pleased to give it countenance and protection which I am confident will improve it to a more generall and publique approbation and make it the more redundant in the Churches benefit Health honour and Heaven at last I wish you from the heart of Your humble Servant N. S. MEDITATIONS upon the 51. PSALME VERSE I. Have mercie upon me O God according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions IN this Psalme David is 1. For himself ad fin v. 17. 2. Then for the Church 18. 19. In the first part 1. He is all crying God mercie and supplication v 1 2. 2. Confession of sinnes 3 4 5 6. 3. Supplication against 7. ad fin 17. 1. In the first consider 1. What ailes him where is his griefe his transgressions his iniquitie his sinne 2. What remedie loving kindnesse multitude of tender mercies 3. What effect of these to blot out to wash throughly and cleanse away all this uncleannesse 3. What he ailes He varieth the phrase and calleth his disease transgressions Arias Mont. rendreth it praevaricationes to our sence For the Law setteth us bounds thus farre we may go and no further every sinne is a transgression an over-reaching of our bounds Peshang signifieth the same to forsake the commandment and it answereth Gods challenge of him by Nathan Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord Vers 2. He calleth his griefe his iniquities these also are against the Law which S. Paâ—l calleth holy and just He calleth it sinne which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is privatio legis This shewethus the danger of all our sinnes They put us out of the way for our way is the way of Gods commandments all other are called false wayes It is Uia legis the way of the Law which guideth our thoughts words and actions It is Via veritatis the way of truth which guideth our understandings and judgements It is via pacis the way of peace which guideth our heart and the affections thereof Sinne putteth us out of all these wayes Into those false wayes which David doth utterly abhorre Yet he is fallen into them by a strong temptation It is our wisedome to know and consider the nature of sinne that every sinne is transgression of Gods Law So Joseph answered his wanton Mistresse How shall I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God And now David hath bethought him he saith to Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. We must not think that any of our sinnes do hurt God or take from him any thing to empaire him For when we live in his obedience we give him occasion to exercise his holinesse in our sanctification his goodnesse in our conservation his bounty in donation of all good to us But if we transgresse he exerciseth his wisedome in his detection of us his holinesse in abhorring of us his justice in punishing of us So that the going out of our way which he hath set us in his Law is the hinderance of our owne journey and the danger of our own souls and bodies It is our great blindnesse of judgement and hardnesse of heart that we should delight in sinne against the Law of God The Law of God is an undefiled law The Law is holy and the commandment holy just and good This was ordained of God to be a bridle to restraine sinne yet our corruption hath made it a spurre to provoke and put on sinne So the Apostle found it For sinne that it might appeare sinne working death in us by that which is good that sinne by the commandment might be exceeding sinfull For corrupt nature is impatient of restraint and no fruit seemes so faire to the eye or taste so sweet to the palate as the forbidden fruit doth Every man above all things in the world affecteth his own will and desireth libertie to do what seemeth good in his own eyes The Law doth restrain us of this and it is 1. Holy in directing us a way wherein we may wâ—lk in all pleasing to God 2. Iust in declaring the danger of going astray from it 3. Good in rewarding our obedience for godlinesse hath the promises of this life c. David hath professed great love to this Law great delight in it all his Psalmes over He hath confessed great benefits received from it yet here he confesseth transgression and iniquitie and sinne he hath not kept this Law and hath sinned against God Now we see in this example how heavy sinne is when the conscience groweth sensible of it Nothing so pleasant as our sinne for the time but Citò praeterit quod delectat It soone passes away which delighteth now David gronesunder the burthen of it he hath the whole weight of the law upon him for it and he hath found that he hath walked contrary to God We have great use of this recollection of ourselues 1. We have need of God every moment for his help and comfort and counsell So long as our sinnes are upon our conscience unrepented unpardoned we cannot pray to God for any favour 2. We cannot give thanks as our prayers are turned into sinne if we regard wickednesse in our hearts for God heareth not sinners 1.
that sinned are not capable of it The Angels that stand in their first estate never came to miserie and they stand by the providence and love of God But sinfull man maketh God called mercifull and he putteth him to his multitude of tender compassions This is the rock of our refuge our strong Citie of refuge against the pursuer it is our hiding place In nothing doth God comfort us more Therefore be ye merciful with this sicut Sicut pater vester coelestis as your heavenly Father There is nothing that flattereth sinne more and that giveth it growth and vegetation amongst us then the overweening of this mercie Every wicked man can say God hath multitude of tender compassions and his mercies are more then my sinnes it is true But what interest such a one may have in those mercies he little considereth For with the Lord is mercie that he may be feared and that a sinner may apply himself not to continue in his finne presuming upon it but for sake it beleeving it for he that confesseth and for saketh his sinne shall have this mercie Let us therefore begin with David at Confitebor contra me I will confesse against my self and say Peccavi contra Dominum I have sinned against the Lord with a conscience of our sinnes and a sense both of the pollution of them within our selues and of the provocation of Gods due displeasure against us for them Then it will be in season to call for mercie But if we over-weene our own integritie as some justiciaries do Sani non egent medico the whole need no Physitian or if we sinne on in confidence of mercy at last We shall finde that God sitteth in his throne and judgeth uprightly and that the ungodly shall not stand in judgement nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous For the Lord knoweth the way of the just but the way of the ungodly shall perish 3. What effect he desireth of these mercies This is varied in phrase for he is passionate and exceeding earnest with God and plieth him with strong cries and supplications 1. To blot out his transgressions 2. To wash him throughly 3. To cleanse him 1. The blotting out of his transgressions hath reference to the books of God wherein all our transgressions are recorded 1. The book of Gods remembrance 2. The book of our conscience 1. The book of Gods remembrance God is a Seer and there is nothing hid from his eye and he doth consider the sonnes of men his eyes are upon all his wayes There is not a thought in our hearts but he knoweth it long before we our selues know it As he seeth so he remembreth and that we call his book of accounts wherein he recordeth all that is said done or thought that he may judge us according to all that is registred in that book whether it be good or evill He is said to blot us out of that book when our true repentance and his free pardon hath removed our iniquity from us Two Doctrines arise from hence 1. One of terrour all our sinnes are booked and kept upon record 2. Another of comfort they may be blotted out thence 1. Doctr. Knowing the terrour of the Lord we must be wariehow we sinne against him for though we love sinne he hateth it He is a God that loveth not wickednesse neither shall any evill dwell with him Though we sleight sinne and passe it over gainsomely and pleasantly yet he taketh it to heart and recordeth it that he may be able to set all our sinnes in order before us when time comes This is a black book and it will be a fearfull and shamefull thing to behold all our sinnes inventoried together All our idle words vain lascivious malitious false slanderous speeches all our loose thoughts all our vast and unlawfull desires all our ungodly works done all the good duties omitted all the evils we would have done all the imaginations of the thoughts of our hearts are not all these things written in his book We may conceive it by this David hath the honourable memory of walking in all the wayes of God alwayes save onely in the matter of Uriah the Hittite That matter is recorded in this living book of holy Scripture so are many of the infirmities of his holy ones chiefly for terrour of his children that they might feare to sinne against him who keepeth so exact a score of all our transgressions These are called debts and God our creditour keeps his debt-book very perfect The Steward in the parable called his Masters debtors they could tell every man what he owed but who knoweth how often he hath offended We have no hope to pay these debts and therefore we desire mercy to blot them out of the book And if we look back upon the transgressions of our whole life we shall see need not onely of the loving kindnesse of the Lord but of the multitude of his tenderest compassions 2. Another book is the book of our Conscience this also keepeth a record against us It was called of old our inwit for though our appetite and witbe so corrupt that the deceivable lusts of the flesh do often transport us to Gods offence yet our understanding and reason and memorie informe our conscience of our sinnes and that booketh them This book is not so exactly kept as the other because 1. Many sinnes passe us which we are not aware of 2. Many thoughts words and works escape us which we think to be no sinnes our consciences not being rightly informed 3. Many sinnes our memory doth not retein which should give in evidence to our conscience against us 4. The conscience it self may be corrupted benummed seared and so many foule deeds may escape unrecorded Yet for all this if we had no other book opened against us to convince us of sinne but this This alone would call us guilty and expose us to wrath David sueth to have his transgressions blotted out of both these books For if the tender mercies of God should blot his book and the book of our conscience remaine against us we should live upon the rack in a perpetuall torture our spirit wounded within us It is well observed of Cardinall Bellarmine Sciebat David ex actione peccati relinqui in animâ— reatum mortis aeternae David knew that by the acting of sinne in his soul was left the guilt deserving eternall death You may discerne the convulsions and strong cramps of the soul for sinne in David There is no rest in my bones because of my sinne So long as we live in sinne we feele not the pain of it David for ten moneths found no great need of these mercies of God For a sinner during his impenitencie is as a man besides himself but reversus ad se returning to himself then he bethinketh in what case he stands before God Demersus in profundo drowned in the deep the Sea above him seems not heavy Elementa in loco non
our hearts are purged by that faith Verbum lavat non quia dicitur sed quia creditur The word washeth not because it is spoken but because it is beleeved 2 God washeth us by the water of baptisme which is therefore called the Laver of our new birth Which though it be received but once in our life as the Nicene Creed saith I beleeve one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes Yet it is available for our whole life and the vertue of it extendeth to our last gaspe thereof The Sacrament of Baptisme is for our new birth and as S. Augustine noteth As we are born once for our life so new born but once For the Lords Supper is renewed being for nutrition But the gift of God is without repentance David needed not a new circumcision after his fall his repentance renewed the vertue and power thereof 3 We are of Gods washing by the faith of Christ in his bloud which cleanseth us throughly from all sinnes That is the true and perfect lavatorie the fountain which God set open to the house of David and the inhabitants of Ierusalem that is to the whole Church of God for sinne and for uncleannesse For He gave himself for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquitie and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 3 Cleanse me See how fervent David is in his prayer he reneweth the same petition for his purification he hath but changed the phrase the suit is the same it was to be washt throughly but he expresseth it to the effect that he may be clean Sinne of all pollutions is the foulest it maketh uncleane eyes uncleane hands foule feet foule consciences A little washing of foule hands doth but foule them more we must wash till we be clean No unclean thing shall ever enter into the new Ierusalem So soone as the Angels had sinned they were cast out of Paradise aloft And so soone as Adam had sinned he was cast out of Paradise below So soone as Cain had sinned he was cast out of the presence of God and became a vagabond on the face of the earth The pure in heart shall see God who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place He that hath clean hands and a pure heart Therefore make me clean wonder not that David is so importunate with God for his full purgation from his sinne being so sensible of the danger of his impuritie For the reason why our uncleannesse remaineth upon us unpurged and we continue untroubled at it is we are not enough sensible of the foulnesse that defileth us or the danger that it brings along with it Some of us pretending holinesse can be well content and can pray to be washt but we affect not a perfect cleannesse We have some sinnes that bring in profit as usurie symonie bribery fraud lying perjurie and such like Some that put us forward in the world as ambition pride flatterie c. Some that give us pleasure and delight as adultery fornication immoderate eating and drinking chambering and wantonnesse c. Some that please our malitious disposition as revenge secret inâ—idiations cunning under minings satanicall libellings and wit-blasts c. David is for cleannesse he would have no remaine left upon his conscience of any unrepented sinne Wash me throughly and make me clean It is true penitence to forsake and abhorre sinne all kinde of sinne and to let no iniquitie have dominion over us We cannot so long as we live here put away sinne so that no remaines shall annoy us If we can quite the dominion of sinne that we suffer it not to reigne in our mort ll bodies this is our utter most And so long as sinne dwelleth in us not a received inmate but a violent intruder we shall finde that the Spirit of God will aid us so against it that as the Spirit in us doth daily grow with the increasing of God so the flesh will loose ground and the old Adam will grow weaker and weaker Our wounds which now stink and are corrupt through sinne will be so clean washt that there will be way made for healing of them up Medicus est offer ei mercedem Deus est offer ei sacrificium Is it a Physitian offer him a reward is it God offer him sacrifice The Prophet hath found out one alter in this Psalme Cor contritum a contrite heart VERSE 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is ever before me 2 HIs confession wherein 1. He at large and in a generalitie confesseth his sinnes For I acknowledge my transgressions 2 He sheweth the motive to this confession a perpetuall sight of his sinnes 3 He considereth both the generalitie of his sinnes and this last speciall sinne in the offence by it given 4 He recounteth his originall sinne the fountain of his corruption 5 To aggravate his digression he compareth himself in a state of sinne with that condition which God exacteth of him and which he will hereafter work in him 1 His confession at large After a â—ight and sense of sinne in the work of repentance confession followeth 1 David confessed to Nathan sent of God to him to charge him with his sinne and that authoritie Christ left in his Church in the new Testament with the Priests therof Whosoever sinnes you remit they are remitted unto them absolution is not rightly administred but upon a faire evidence of a true and serious repentance Which must begin at confession and therefore the power of absolution doth suppose a duty of confession The abuse of confession in the Church of Rome hath gotten it an ill name some of them having many times corrupted it to their own ends to ransack the consciences of men and to romage the hearts of men to finde how they may serve their turns Yet was it an holy institution in the intendment thereof that a man should often survey all his thoughts and words and actions Censure them with griefe tremble at them with fear confesse them with shame cure them with good counsell expiate them with some revenge extinguish them with full purpose of amendment of life and establish their hearts with some healing comforts from the holy Word of God administred as cordials from our souls Physitians But as Auricular Confession hath been sometimes practised it is a kinde of encouragement to sinne for beleeving as some do that their confession and penance and absolution doth wash them throughly from all their iniquities and cleanse them from all sinne They spare not to commit all kindes of sinne in trust of this remedie making the remedie of sinne a provocation to sinne Like those mountebanks that in sight will wound themselves to shew the vertue of their salve and drink poyson in confidence of their antidote Penances also have been sometimes so easie and perfunctorious as they may make a sport at sinne study it with deliberation practise it with
letter that which weakeneth the power of our Baptisme and maketh the Lords Supper an eating and drinking of judgement that which maketh all our praises of God a sacrifice of fooles that which turneth all our prayers into sinne and transformeth the grace of God into wantonnesse is We either hide our sinne out of sight cautè closely wherein we may deceive the world but we cannot shut up the eye of God or benight the light of our own conscience Or we plead Non est factum not our deed against two witnesses at least one in heaven another in our own bosomes Or we put on some honest names upon our dishonest carriages calling wantonnesse recreation and prosecution of revenge a standing upon our credit and a maintenance of honour Or we face out our sinnes with societie as drunkards plead they do no other then is done in Court in City in Countrey and amongst all sorts and degrees of men these times adde women too for many will not sit out in a fashion And if we reprove such they regest that some of our selves are good fellows too Here the proverbe failes The more the merrier when they go in the wayes of death Or we devolue our fault upon others as Adam Mulier quam dedisti the woman which thou gavest me It falleth upon God Vinum quod dedisti inebriat vestes quas dedisti superbum me cibus gulosum c. The wine which thou hast given me makes me drunken the clothes thou hast given me make me proud thy meat gluttonous c. Some proceed further the full growth of impudence and impenitencie justifying their sinnes and calling evill good and good evill treading under foot the bloud of the covenant as an unholy thing raging waves of the Sea foming out their own shame wandring starres for whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever whose condemnation sleepeth not Beloved your reason and judgement and common understanding doth call swearing blasphemie It calleth doing that which you would not suffer injury It calleth immoderate eating gluttony intemperate drinking drunkennesse It calleth unlawfull copulations adulterie and fornication By the light of nature and of Religion we abhorre the denomination of these sinnes who is willing to be called a blasphemer an oppressour a glutton a drunkard If the names of these sinnes be shamefull make conscience of the sinnes themselves For it was ever in fashion in the world and will be that they which do wickedly and foolishly shall be called wicked and foolish persons I conclude with Joshuahs speech to Achan My sonne give I pray thee glorie to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him tell now what thou hast done and hide it not He that hideth his sinne shall not prosper shame and feare are the two great hinderances of confession they are also the rods of sinne These should rather move us to confession and repentance for repentance removeth them both ut ante And my sinne is ever before me 2 Here is a great motive to confession for David found his sinne troublesome to him Sinne is taken commonly for the fault and so our fault alwayes in sight bringeth shame Sinne is also taken sometimes for the punishment and that in our sight alwayes bringeth fear It must needs be combersome to have these two roddes alwayes lashing of us shame and fear Sinne is also said to be before us 1 Either in the eye of understanding and judgement and reason knowing and disliking it 2 Or in the eye of our conscience pleading guilty to it And this is ever so till our repentance and Gods pardon hath removed it Our first parents in paradise did see the forbidden fruit 1 That it was good for food 2 It was a desire to the eyes 3 To be desired to make one wise They considered not that the eating of it was against the commandment that it was certain death to eat of it I he sinne was not before them In every temptation to evill and commission of evill there is a pleasure that offereth it self to the eye upon that our yeelding weaknesse fastneth That is ever before us to put us into sinne and when we have done it that is before us to keep us from repentance That was it that corrupted Davids holinesse at first to sinne and that held him so long impenitent But when God had awaked him by his Prophet then the pleasure of finne ceased and the shame and fear and sorrow of it succeeded then was his sinne ever before him The words of Davids complaint weigh heavy if we take the full weight of every one of them they amount to a talent of lead and we may call them The Burthen of David 1 Here is sinne 2 My sinne 3 Coram in sight 4 Coram me before me 5 Semper ever 1 His complaint is of sinne All sinnes are not alike deadly nor all of equall provocation There be different magnitudes of sinne one sinne differeth from another in qualitie Some more offensive then other to God to man to our selves Some in quantity of number hath more sinnes retaining to it then others have for no sinne doth ever go alone Some in quantitie of dimension greater then other more provoking Some in quantitie of weight heavier and more incurving and slooping towards and immerging deeper into the gulf of perdition Some in quantitie of measure more filling and more heaped up more pressing down more running over Some in the seed of concupiscence some in the root of delight some in the blade of consent some in the eare of perpetration some in the full growth and ripenesse of custome some shedding self-sowing by defence and justification of it and by publique profession and maintenance When Sathan would strike us with a fiery dart he will shew us our sinne at the worst In confession of sinnes to God we must consider that we are in his eye to whom all things are manifest from whom no thing can be concealed and therefore there is no slubbering or mincing our confession We must confesse all as we desire to be made clean from all let us be as particular as we can in the enumeration of our sinnes And because our memorie may fail us in particularities let us help it with opening before God our Corpus peccati body of sinne So I understand here my sinne that is Corpus peccati the body of sinne in the grosse summe is ever before me David doth come to particular sinnes after in his confession This peccatum sinne is that corruption of nature which is ever striving against the Law that flesh which is ever rebelling against the Spirit that old man which is corrupt according to the deceiveable lusts of the flesh The bed of sinne in us the stool of wickednesse the throne of Sathan the remnants of sinne which abide even in the regenerate upon which S. Paul complaineth so much I know that in me that is in my flesh is
what danger to both We can never repent heartily till we come to this and we are very loath to come to it Now David seeth his sinne clearly the whole sinne the motives the means the acts the colours and conveyances there all coram me before me Coram populo before the people shame to him Coram Ecclesia before the Church griefe to them Coram inimâ—cis before the enemies joy to them Coram Deo before God anger against him Coram Nathane before Nathan a chiding But if any hope of repentance and amendment it is in Peccatum meum coram me my sinne before me Here is the distresse of a sinner he never discerneth how unhaphie he is till his sinne is before him Excused be the masks of sinne pleasure is the sweetning of sinne secrecie is the night of sinne Remove all these and let thy sinne appeare naked and stript of this shelter Mulier formosa supernè turpiter atrum desinet The fairest womans face Foule nether parts disgrace How quickly could David see his own sinne in another person in the parable of Nathan It was ten moneths before his own sinne was before himself We are very blinde to behold our own faults yet we are most beholding to them that help our weak sight and cleare our eyes that way It was the wish of a well-minded heathen man that he might ever dwell either by a true friend or some very malitious and spightfull enemy because either love or malice would ever tel him his own and he should be sure to know his faults Christ What say men that I am we must use all the meanes we can to search our wounds that they may be healed To know our disease ut curetur it is S. Gregor note upon this Text Ascendat tribunal mentis suae constituat se ante se Videat foeditatem suam at corrigat ne nolens videat erubescat Let him ascend the tribunall of his minde and place himself before himself let him see his foulnesse to correct it lest against his will he see it and be ashamed at it Some put all their vertues before themselves as the Pharisee he gave not himself an ill word in his confession I am not like other men I fast I pay tithes I give almes I pray c. The poore Publicane could not see any good Corn within his field it was so over-grown with tares Lord be mercifull to me the sinner Great persons have so much the more danger from sinne because they have so many flatterers to keep their vertues ever in their sight or to lay vertues to their charge that they have no right too And so few Nathans to shew them their sinnes and to say Tueshomo thou art the man How can they repent when their sinne is yet behinde their backs and no body dares put it in sight Or if it come in sight there may be foâ—nd law to make it good Sinnes when they are grown to have countenance of authority and strength of custome to establish them are no longer sinnes Leges fiant they are made laws And time cals that a sinne now which anon is a singular vertue But let us call sinnes and vertues by their proper names and let them be in our sight and we shall begge the grace of repentance very heartily 5 Sempe alwayes Sinne is sweet in the mouth Job speaks of hiding it under the tongue but in the stomacke it is unwholsome and upbraiding David found it so when once it came before him it was ever in his sight as before he said There is no rest in my bones propter pâ—ccatum by reason of my sinne Sometimes he thought how he had sinned against Vriah a faithfull servant in defiling his bed in betraying his life sometimes how he sinned against his own â—oul and body in defiling it with the flesh Sometimes how he had sinned against Joab to make him an instrument of injury against Vriah to defile him also with innocent bloud Sometimes how he abused the good creatures of God to make Uriah drunk how he twice wronged the honorable state of matrimony once desiring to make Vriahs repaire to his house a cover for his sinne and when that failed and Vriah was slain he veiled his sinne with his own marriage of the defiled widow alwayes he thought how he had sinned against God This case of David is a lively peece describing to the life the unrest of an unquiet conscience overcharged with sinne That which Poets feigned of Furies ever disquieting some persons was nothing else as Tully found and applied it but a troubled conscience which hath no peace And we can never attain to peace before we have felt the sting of sinne the rigour of the law the terrour of the Lord the rods and scorpions of an afflicted and unrestful conscience And this will hold till our repentance Gods pardon sealeth our quietus est no company no pleasure no comfort will help this no such sorrow as Animus dolet the minde is sorrowfull VERSE 4. Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight 3. HIs confession expresseth where he hath given offence which hath two parts For 1 He accuseth himself 2 He cleareth almighty God 1 In his self-accusation 1 Here is the height of sinne against God Tibisoli c. Against thee onely 2 Here is the boldnesse of his sinne In thy sight In the first here is 1 Ego I the person 2 Peccavi have sinned the trespasse 3 Against thee Pars laesa the party offended 1 Ego I the person This comes in still for it maketh weight alwayes in the confession Some charge the malevolent aspects of their starres some charge Sathan with all their sinne Others have other put-offes to save themselves harmlesse David takes all upon himself his own corruption his own rebell flesh his unregenerate part his old Adam did it Me me adsum qui feci Here here I am that did it I whom thou tookest from following the ewes great with lambe whose sheep-hooke thou hast changed for a Scepter whose sheep for thine own people Israel upon whose head thou hast set a crown of pure gold I whom thou diddest lately invest in the full Monarchie of thy people to whom thou gavest the possession of Ierusalem from the Iebusites I who setled peace Religion and Courts of justice in Ierusalem that thou mightest be served and honoured and I would faine have built thee an house there Ego I to whom God committed the trust of government to rule others the trust of judgement to punish others as King over his inheritance I to whom God committed the care of others souls to guide them by his word to direct them by good counsell to allure them by his gratious promises to terrifie them by his threatnings as the Lords holy Prophet I who both wayes as King and Prophet should have beene an example of holinesse and righteousnesse to all Israel Nathan said Tues homo thou art the
man in just accusation and now David saith Ego sum homo I am the man in humble confession Great Princes and persons in eminent ranke can take it upon them highly in termes of honour then ego I am the man They must do so here also 2 The trespasse Peccavi I have sinned David ever had a tender conscience for sinne he never slept in any of his trespasses so long before or after as in this For when he had opportunitie to come so neare to Saul as to cut off his skirt of his garment his heart smote him So did it after he had numbred the people now he feeleth the weight of sinne upon his conscience and cries Peccavi I have sinned Every true penitent doth so but every one is not a true penitent that doth so for Cain said more Mine iniquitie is greater then it can be forgiven Pharaoh said as much I have sinned this time The Lord is righteous I and my people are wicked for the thunder and haile mingled with fire After he said more upon the judgement of the locusts I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you Now therefore forgive I pray thee my sinne this once and intreat the Lord for me Judas went further I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent bloud He repented saith the Text he said with the price of his sinne in his hand in the act of restitution But Cain and Judas confessed in finall desperation Pharaoh shrunk onely at the punishment the sinne grieved him not Davids peccavi I have sinned had more in it he knew his sinne fully it was ever before him And he was more troubled with his fault then with his punishment he made the worst of it yet he had faith in the loving kindnesse and in the multitude of the tender compassions of God he had the spirit of supplications and prayed fervently His first suit is for his washing and his strong cries are like them of the Leper to Christ Lord that I may be clean and the further we go in this Psalme the more pregnant remonstrances he maketh of his true repentance the more cleare example doth he give for ours As feare shooke him and as shame covered his face so faith supported him and prayer to God sanctified his mortification Such a peccavi I have sinned so open in confession without so stinging with compunction within so quickened by a lively faith so winged with zealous prayer will soone finde the ready way to the throne of grace and finde mercie there in a time of need 3 Parslaesa the party offended Here the spirit of David is troubled he is full of passion 1 He confesseth the wrong done to God Contra te against thee 2 He resumeth it with a duplication Against thee 3 He putteth it home with a soli Tibi tibi soli peccavi Against thee thee onely have I sinned 1 Contra te Against thee That is the sting and torment the rodde and scorpion of the conscience when we consider that our trespasse hath beene bent and aymed against God Si non Jehova pro nobis If the Lord had not beene on our side is Israels word we had perished Auxilium nostrum à Domino Oâ—r help is from the Lord In his favour is our life This makes every wilfull sinne we commit mortall because it trespasseth the majestie of God therefore no sinne in this nature is veniall and this makes every sinne of infinite merit because it is a sinne against an infinite majestie And for that our persons are finite and not capable of infinite punishment there is no way to satisfie this infinite majestie offended but by eternity of punishment This appeares in this sentence Go ye cursed into everlasting fire The smoke of their torment shall arise for evermore The worme never dyeth the fire never goeth out We have many great motives to make conscience of trespassing against this majesty of God 1 For the good that he is 2 For the good that he doth 1 For the good that he is He is one that hateth iniquitie no evill shall dwell with him He is all holinesse and righteousnesse 2 For the good that he doth 1 He is our faithfull Creator He made us not we our selves he fashioned us in the wombe he kept us there he took us thence 2 We came naked into the world he clothed us we came hungry he gives us daily bread we came ignorant he taught us weak and he strengthened us unclean and he washed us in the laver of regeneration 3 We were born children of wrath he adopted us heires of grace and glory and redeemed us with the deare cost and expense of his Sonnes bloud 4 He is the preserver of men he giveth us spirituall and temporall favours His loving kindnesse and mercie followeth us all the dayes of our life 3 We may adde for the evils that he doth For is there any evill or punishment which he sendeth not He is velox ultor a swift revenger and his right hand doth finde out all his enemies We would not willingly anger a person that hath power to do us hurt though we have no hope that he will ever do us good But our God is a father as well as a judge and with him is mercy that he may be feared that we may not runne our selves upon the edge of his sword Let us consider how all things else serve him but we onely and the Angels that sinned They unhappied their estates by sinning against God and of glorious Angels became unclean devils there is no part of the work of Gods hands so eternally cast away reserved in chains of darknesse for the judgement of the last day We had a way opened to us a new and living way 2 He therefore resumeth this against thee either doubling the consideration of his sinne or doubling the consideration of the party offended by it both which shews that he had laid it to heart and that lay heavy upon his conscience he had throughly considered against whom he offended We cannot think too much of it we cannot confesse it too often we cannot deplore it too bitterly that we have sinned against God For many are the pressures of this life but they are all comforted with a sure refuge to God He is our help in trouble Vana salus hominis the help of man is vaine But when we sinne against God we lop the tree that should shelter us from a storme We undermine the tabernacle of our dwelling Whither shall we go for our healing when we are wounded Whose counsell shall we aske when we are sick Who shall feed our hunger c. Who shall then have pitie upon thee O Ierusalem or who shall be moane thee or who shall go aside to aske how thou doest Thou hast forsaken me saith the Lord thou art gone backwards therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee and destroy thee I am weary with repenting
foule shame In the Apostles time it was a modest sinne he saith They that are drunke are drunke in the night Now day and night are both guilty of it it is a sinne in fashion meetings of purpose called and intended for it The farewels of friends parting the welcomes of friends returning the celebration of great Festivals as if Bacchus had washt us in the bloud of the grape from our sinnes But God will be justified in his sayings he will declare his justice in his severe punishment of this sinne here and if it be not sincerely repented he hath told us home what he will do No drunkard shall enter into the kingdome of heaven I should lay your sinne to my own charge if I should not let you know the terrour of the Lord in this case The defence of it by the societie of sinners aggravateth the sinne God hateth it so much the more Malum quo communius Sinne the more common the worse 2 He declareth his justice in the performance of his mercie to his elect For even in these examples in my text alledged 1 To Adam he shewed mercy who sinned having onely a Law for his obedience with a penalty threatned in case of disobedience but there was no promise a foot if he should trespasse that Commandment And that made Adam when he had sinned hide himself from the presence of God ashamed and afraid to come in sight But God in free favour did seek him out and before he called him to his answer for his sinne he reveiled mercie in the promised seed When he laid his curse upon the Serpent that tempted him and therefore ever since his time sinners have a way of grace opened in that promise and no sinnes if sorrowed for can evacuate the force of that promise it standeth good to all that truly and sincerely repent So as David saith In judgement he remembreth mercie There he did so in the very sentence of judgement upon the Serpent was the first revelation of mercie to man He had no Obligation of a former promise to binde him to it but it was a free and voluntarie tender of favour growing out of his own perfect and absolute goodnesse In the tender whereof he hath given us strong assurance that if in free favour he would do so much much rather when he had put us in securitie thereof by promise 2 The example of favour to Noah doth justifie God in his sayings for he shewed him much favour after his fatherly correction of his fault 1 In verifying his blessing upon his two sonnes Sem of whom Abraham came and the twelve Patriarches and David and Christ Iesus And to whose tents in the fulnesse of time he invited Japhet and brought in the fulnesse of the Gentiles 2 In accomplishing his curse upon his yongest sonne many yeares after by giving away their Land from them and rooting them out with a violent destruction This performed upon the repentance of Noah which thought it be not in expresse and full termes set forth in the storie yet we may take it so signified when Moses saith And Noah awoke from his wine that is not onely recovered after sleep to sober judgement but to a penitent recognition of his sinne And by the spirit of prophecie he was enlightned to looke into times to come and to foresee the future estate of his posteritie and by the spirit of supplication to desire God for his eldest sonne and by the spirit of faith to beleeve in the resolved goodnesse of God to his second sonne And in all the story of holy Scripture we finde that the sinnes of repentant men though chastened with some temporall roddes of affliction yet never failing of mercie Davids children that transgressed were threatned with the roddes of men but with reservation of favour not to take his mercie utterly from them as from Saul 2 We shall now see how David did beare himself in the wise consideration of these two things 1 When he confest his sinne whereby God was justified in his threatnings of judgement He declareth his own humble patience submitting himself to the holy hand of God q. d. I confesse all my sinnes this my horrible and crying sinne that the world may see thy justice in punishing me and my patience in bearing it Stripes were ordained of purpose for the backs of fools I am one of them and I put my self under thy punishing hand He is content that as he hath made himself an example of a grievous sinner so God should declare in and upon him an example of his severe justice and so be justified in his sayings If God did forbeare all other punishments of our sinne in our own persons in our house and familie in our goods in the necessaries of life in which kindes he ordinarily avengeth himself upon offenders yet if the sinner shall but truly repent him of his sinne repentance it self is a greater punishment then all these There is more in it when it is said of Peter that he went forth and wept bitterly then in the disciples Reliquimus omnia We have left all And Saint Paul felt more smart in the thorne in his flesh and the Angell of the Lord bufferring of him then in all his dangers by Sea and Land his stripes shipwracke imprisonment When our own consciences are upon torture our souls upon the rack when we judge and take vengeance upon our selves it is judgement without mercy We ever feare we underdo Therefore the conscience of his sinne doth beare witnesse to the justice of God and he findeth no fault with his punishment Surely murmurers that repine at the punishing hand of God and think much of his judgements enflame the anger of God more by their resisting his right hand which hath found them out If they went in Davids way to take a just dimension of their sinne and did confesse it contritely to God they would be content that he should declare his justice in their punishment and they would see that he would overcome if he came to be judged Speak thy conscience when thou abusest thy drink to drunkennesse if God punish thee with thirst hast not thou well deserved it If thy meat to surfet if thy strength to wantonnesse c. 2 He sheweth faith For notwithstanding these many and this foule great sinne he beleeveth that God will be justified in his sayings that is declared just in his gracious promises of mercie The sinnes of the elect cannot outgrow the mercies of God nor our offences make his truth faile David is so full of this faith that as he spendeth part of this Psalme in a deploration of his sinnes so he bestoweth also part of it in supplications whereby he declareth his faith VERSE 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquitie and in sinne did my mother conceive me 4. HE recounteth his originall sinne the corrupt fountaine of all his impurities he makes way to it with an Ecce for now he is at the
Adams was actuall and death reigneth not but where sinne reigneth The same Apostle finding in his understanding enlightned and in his zeale inflamed and in his will rectified by the Spirit of God good motions to serve God uprightly yet those discouraged and ineffectualled in him often he chargeth all this upon his corrupt nature which he calleth Peccatum inhabitans Sinne dwelling in him Vers 20. Lexmembrorum the law of his members Vers 23. Corpus mortis the body of death Vers 24. The flesh Vers 25. With my minde I serve the Law of God with my flesh the law of sinne This the Author to the Hebrews doth call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sinne that doth so easily beset and inviron us For this little Infants unborne and new borne are subject unto death and to charge death without a charge of sinne would call the judge of all the world unjust That there is originall sinne and that David here complaineth of it we have made it cleare Now observe that David in his repentance to make it full doth apply all his sinnes to the multitude of Gods tender compassions For a full confession maketh way to a full absolution When Jeremiah advise thus to search and try our wayes first and then to turn to the Lord he intendeth that we must examine our hearts in this search to the bottome and go so farre back in this inquisition as to the mother sinne the primitive and originall masse of corruption which empoysoneth our nature which cancreth our manners and in time gangreneth our whole conversation mortally to the very dominion of sinne David doth so for here he looketh back so farre as to his first conception and diggeth so deep as the root of his sinne For he chargeth all his transgressions upon this beginning of sinne which indeed in all the children of Adam is not onely a naturall pollution defiling us but it is a corrupt seed shooting out in time into a blade and bearing a full eare of actuall prevarications Therefore no man knoweth his own heart and let no man be so bold of his own strength to promise resistance to such temptations as have corrupted others It is the Apostles good counsell Brethren if any man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse considering thy self lest thou also be tempted In which words The considering of thy self is no other then the wise remembrance of thy originall corruption for there is tinder in thee apt to take fire from a little spark There is in Sathan both cunning and malice enough with his temptations to strike this fire The Apostle useth a fit word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si anticipetur for sometimes we are by sensuall motives perswaded and by semblance of good deceived or by entisements of pleasure or profit allured to evill When the Serpent as with Eve disputeth with us and corrupteth our judgement darkeneth our reason blindeth benummeth or deadeth our conscience and so we not onely take but gather and give the forbidden fruit Sometimes Sathan catcheth us by surprise and with a sudden temptation having all opportunities for sinne to friend he overtaketh us and embarketh us in some trespasse before we have leasure to advise our selves So was Troy taken at last by a cunning stratageme Victâ—mque quamvis videat Vix or edit sibi potuisse vinci She saw her self orecome by foes Yet scarse beleeves she what she knows Thus was David here caught he was at leasure in peace in glory and power at ease his mind now quiet his breasts full of milk his bones of marrow and walking on the leads of his house his eye no sooner was fastened on the beauty but his heart was fired with lust after Vriahs wife he enquired of her sent for her defiled her prevented and surprized with a sudden temptation This he imputeth to his naturall corruption by his originall and birth sinne So some that have ever made conscience of an oath yet upon a sudden passion sometimes rap out a fearfull oath to Gods great dishonour and their foule offence So some that make conscience of giving Suum cuique to every one his own yet upon an opportunitie offering them anothers goods upon faire termes of likely secrecie have robbed a neighbour I have upon like occasion given examples of this work of corrupt nature in the sonnes of men in Hazael who brought a present from Benhadad to Elisha to demand whether his master should dye of that disease The man of God looked Hazael so stedfastly in the face that Hazael was out of countenance but the man of God wept And when Hazael demanded why weepeth my Lord He answered Because I see the evill that thou wilt do to the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire and their yong men wilt thou destroy with the sword and wilt dash their children and wilt rip up their women with childe And Hazael said But whâ—t is thy servant a dogge that he should do this great thing Yet presently he returned to his master brought him comfort of his recovery and on the morrow he took a thick cloth and dipt it in water and spread it on his face that he dyed He reigned in his stead and did like a dogge all that evill c. When Christ said one of his twelve should betray him Judas was one of them that demanded with the rest Nunquid ego Domine Is it I Lord But a sudden temptation surprised him Then entred Sathan into Judas Iscariot And he went his way and communed with the chiefe Priests and Captains how he might betray him unto them Most memorable is the example of Peter whom Christ forewarned of his denyall of him A thing so farre from Peters heart that he took it ill to be so charged he protested against it and vowed to dye with him or for him rather then he would deny him Yet being in the high Priests Hall when Christ was ill used there for feare of his own skinne he denyed and forswore him thrice This body of sinne we do all alwayes beare about us and therefore we passe the time of our so journing here with feare for which of us may not be thus surprised For there is no kinde of sinne which our heart abhorreth most but we are in danger of it by reason of our naturall corruption wherefore Christ taught us to pray Et ne nos inducas in tentationem And leade us not into temptation Therefore a wise man feareth and departeth from evill but a foole rageth and is confident Folly is rash and goeth on inconsiderately and trusteth to his own strength We live in perpetuall danger by reason of this naturall corruption for the Spirit hath his eclipse and often upon our grieving him leaveth us in our own wayes that we may see our naturall impotencie to that which the Law requireth of us and be so much the more
God This vernish and guilding may deceive men and all is not gold that glisters therefore to regulate our faith and manners our best rule is to compose our selves not to the eye of man but to the eye of God for what need we feare the judgement of man With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgement It was the praise of Noah Thee onely have I found righteous before me Righteousnesse before God is that which in my Text is called truth in the inward parts sineeritas cordis purity of heart My sonne give me thy heart This is the difference betweene true and false religion In false religions it is enough to present the service of the outward man the heart is not required But true religion layeth the ground of devotion in the inward man according to the first commandement of the Law with all the heart and soule and then with all the strength This Christ calleth facâ—re veritatem to performe our service to God sincerely Those gods that cannot discerne the inward parts neither can distinguish betweene sincerity and hypocrisie may be easily put off with any formall service But the eye that seeth profunda cordis the depth of the heart searcheth in abscondito the hidden part must not be dallied with David could say If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me Two things here arise doctrinall 1 That God searcheth so deepe as our inward parts 2 That he requireth sincere service from them 1 O Gods search It were no matter for more then shew if Gods search went no further then our outward man I here were those that spoke him faire and fâ—attered him with their mouthes but their heart was not upright toward him neither were they faithfull in his covenant he detected them for so hee put difference betweene the sacrifices of Caine and Abel betweene the prayers of the Pharisee and the Publican This people honoureth me with their lippes but their heart c. By Davids rule it must be so he that formed the eye should not he see he that made the eare should not hee heare he that framed the heart should not he search the heart Such as our hearts are such is our service and so accepted 2 He requireth in this heart truth for onely such hearts are like a field which the Lord hath blessed they are onely the good ground for the seed of the word who receive it into an honest and good heart There is not a more foolish sinne in the world than that of hypocrisie for it serves our turnes onely with a shew of goodnesse Which convinceth the conscience as Chrysostome saith Si bonum est bonum ad parere melius est bonum esse If iâ— be good to seeme much more to be good It serveth our turn onely with men such as daily are taken away from us and we dye from amongst them but God remaineth ever with us to behold all our waies And when we goe hence we remove to the judgement seate of God So the benefit of hypocrisie is soone lost the joy of hypocrites perisheth but the guilt and punishment thereof abideth for ever The last reward of hypocrisie is deadly for all the wicked are threatned to have their portion with hypocrites The phrase is varied thus with the divell and his Angels There was a divination in use amongst the Romans by opening of beasts and looking upon their inwards Aruspices Soothsayers God hath ever used that kinde of inspection to distinguish seeming from being his servants And therefore we knowing how patent our hearts and waies are to the all-seeing eyes of God ought to purge our consciences from dead workes to serve the living God Our inwards are that Temple of the holy Ghost there Christ standeth at the dore and knocketh and would faine come in to abide with us Let not Gods house of praier be made spelunca latronum a den of theeves We confesse that we have not in our selves either wisedome or goodnesse sufficient to plant truth within us and to purge this temple Christ must make the whip and scourge out the defilers thereof But seeing God delighteth in truth and sincerity this I dare say there is not a sinne to which our free-will may extend and against which our owne naturall strength may serve us better then against hypocrisie For though it be not in the power of my free-will to embrace truth yet I may choose whether I will be an hypocrite I may appeare as I am This maketh the sinne of hypocrisie so damnable because I may eschew it if I wil. And knowing how contrary it is to the pure and holy divine nature how unworthy of GODS creature how provoking to GOD our sinne is the greater It is our wisedome to observe what God desireth and to apply our selves wholy to the fulfilling thereof Wee would have him deale so with us and when we doe onely affect his favours in desire before wee come to be petitioners to him He heareth the desires of the poore Alas what benefit is the truth of our inward parts to him he desireth it for us that we may be holy and so we shall come to see the face of God for without holinesse no man shall see God I have set God alwaies before me saith David that is the way of true holinesse For comparing our selves with him we shall see our owne impurity the better Iob did so I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee therefore I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes David now in the way of repentance taketh God into his sight and considereth what hee requireth and findeth his sinne so much the greater by how much he hath failed of that which God desireth If we come not to this of our selves God sendeth his Prophets to us to tell us of it and to put it home to us as he did to his owne people For ye dissembled in your hearts when you sent mee to Almighty God saying Pray for us unto the Lord our God and according to all that the Lord our God shall say so declare unto us and we will doe it And now I have this day declared it to you but you have not obeyed the voyce of the Lord your God nor any thing for the which the Lord hath sent me unto you Now therefore know certainely that ye shall dye c. They bee great losers by it at last for they live in feare of being detected and layd open whereas he that liveth uprightly walketh boldly The righteous is bold as a Lyon And they dye damnably for when they are stript out of their borrowings and appeare naked in the sight of Gods pure eyes they have the reward of hypocrites Yet they abuse this Text who because God desireth truth in the inward parts care not how they outwardly carry themselves Some such there
the latter end it will not be a luxation of our bones putting them out of joynt but a breaking literally this must not be understood of the breaking of bones neither the contrary spoken also by David Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him our of them all He keepeth all his bones so that not one of them is broken for wee know that not onely alive but dead the bones of the Lords servants have beene violated their dead bones lye scattered like chippes of wood at the mouth of the grave By bones the strength of the body the inward strength and vigour of the soule is meant And the conscience of sinne and the terrour of judgement doth breake the heart of a true penitent so long as he beholdeth his sinne deserving his death his judge ready to pronounce the sentence of it hell open to receive him for it and the evill Angels Gods executioners at hand to hurry him to it Here is extremity of anguish even anima doloris dolor animae the soule of sorrow the sorrow of the soule enough to make a man goe weeping all the day long I beseech you lay this example to heart David that walked with an upright heart and the holy Ghost hath testified him unblameable save onely in this matter of Vriah the Hittite Yet see how he afflicteth himselfe for all his other transgressions which were not laid to his charge his conscience forgiveth him nothing No question but David had many infirmities and many other aberrations some upon record yet they were all by his repentance and the favour of God past over yet they upbrayd him now all of them come upon him like a breach of waters with so fierce irruption and so deluging inundation that they steepe him in deepe waters and cover him all over with affliction The reason is as in sinne the fault he that breaketh the least Commandement and repaireth not himselfe by repentance is guilty of the whole law so in transgressions he that repenteth of all the sinnes he hath done and hath his pardon under seale by the next offence is lyable to all the evidence againe of his former sinnes he cancelleth and forfeiteth his pardon for pardon ever bindeth to good behaviour This breakes the bones of David to have all this weight upon him 2 The author of this Thou hast broken God in favour to his children doth afflict them for sinne and the very phrase of breaking his bones though it expresse extremity of misery and paine yet it hath hope in it for broken bones by acunning hand may be set againe and returne to their former use and strength so that a conscience distrest for sinnes is not out of hope yet upon that hope no wise man will adventure upon sinne saying though I am wounded yet I may be healed againe though I am broken I may be repaired for let him consider 1 Who breakes his bones Thou he that made us our bones and put them in their severall places and tyed them together with ligaments and covered them with flesh he that keepeth all our bones from breaking it must be a great matter that must move him to breake the bones of any of us The God of all consolation that comforteth us in all our distresses when he commeth to distresse us this makes affliction weigh heavy It was Iobs vexation The arrowes of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God doe set themselves in array against mee He will not suffer me to take my breath but filleth mee with bitternesse What greater sorrow can be then to have God in opposition 2 The paine of the affliction exprest so feelingly in the breaking of bones which as is said is the anguish of the soule for sinne and feare of the consuming fire of Gods wrath and the tempest as Iob cals it of anger 3. The paine of setting these bones againe for though bones dislocate may be put in joynt and though bones broken may be set againe yet this is not done without paine and great extremity to the Patient Repentance setteth all our broken pained bones it recovereth the soule from the anguish thereof but hee that once feeleth the smart of a true repentance will say the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season are as hard a bargaine as ever he made and as deare bought they cost teares which are sanguis vulner aticordis the bloud of a wounded heart they cost sighes and grones which cannot be exprest they cost watching fasting taming of the body to bring it in subjection even to the crucifying of the flesh with the lusts thereof Therefore let no man adventure his bones in hope of setting them againe But how did God breake the bones of David here 1 Outwardly by his word sent in the ministerie of Nathan the Prophet for the word and voyce of God is a two edged sword This was all the strength by which Jeremie was sent forth by God on that great businesse over nations and over kingdomes to root out to pull downe and to destroy and to throw downe Behold I have put my words in thy mouth This is the sword of the spirit and though our doctrine drop as the raine gently and easily if we drinke it in and become fruitfull by it yet when our sinnes doe overgrow we shall finde it a sharpe Conlter to rend the fallow grounds of our hearts we shall finde it a rod of iron to breake our soules in pieces and this word runneth very swiftly it is gladius versatilis a sword that turneth every way 2 But it is a dead letter and draweth no bloud till it come to the conscience for so long as it beateth the eare and ayre onely and worketh no further than the understanding there is no great cumber with it as wee see in those who daily heare their swearing and drunkennesse reproved in the house of God and threatned with losse and deprivation of the kingdome of God it worketh not upon them but when Nathan comes home to their consciences tu es homo thou art the man God hath sent mee to thee to charge thee with this sinne and to tell thee hee is angry and is whetting his sword to cut thee off for it this breaketh and shattereth the bones and though our publike ministery doe not descend to such particulars as tu es homo thou art the man and our private reproofes are subject to ill constructiou yet a plaine dealing death bed will roare it in our eares of our inward man Tu es homo thou art the man thou hast lived a blasphemer of the name of God a glutton a drunkard c. This fils the soules of many dying persons with so much bitternesse that when the sorrowes of death are upon them and the judgement of their whole life in sight the conscience of their sinnes doth make their soules much sicker then their bodies One of
effect ut ossa exultent that the bones may rejoyce David had sensuall joy he had the full desire of his heart yet that proved the breaking of his bones and the wounding of his conscience his faith is that God will heale all with his saving grace There is no such joy here below as the forgivenesse of our sinnes and the Ministers of the Gospell in no part of their Ministery doe bring fuller tidings of peace then in absolution of penitents O quà m speciosi pedes c. O how beautifull are the feet c. The wicked man hath none of this peace Blessed is hee whose unrighteousnesse is forgiven c. Let the children of peace comfort themselves all their teares are botteled all their sighes and grones numbred all their bones set and healed the storme of Gods threatnings the tempest of the conscience calmed But none but God can doe this VERSE 9. Hide thy face from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquities 3. HE sueth for pardon he doubleth his request and varieth the phrase still importunate with God 1 He desireth that God in mercy would not see his sinnes but hide his face as Sem and Japhet looked another way when they came to cover their fathers nakednesse which phrase of hiding the face of God cannot bee literally understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee speaketh after the manner of men for men hide their faces from that which they would not see But the face of God cannot be hid and it is impossible to conceale our sinnes from him impossible for him to put our sinnes out of his sight his eye seeth all things yet David in this phrase doth shew that desiring to be washt and purged hee would have his sinnes now forgotten and no more laid to his charge for as Saint Augustine saith Vnde se Deus non avertit advertit si advertit animadvertit From whom God turnes not away he turnes unto if he turne unto he observes he would have God looke upon him still but not upon his sinnes for that is his suit ne averte faciem tâ—am â—â— me turne not thy face away from me God is said then to hide his face from sinnes when hee pardoneth them and that is Davids suit 1 I observe here that the face of God and our sinnes are incompatible his face is all holinesse and it cannot endure to behold sinne for his soule loatheth it Our sinnes are all workes of darkenesse and cannot endure the light of his face We are very carefull to keepe our grosse sinnes out of the sight of men whose power extendeth no further then our goods our reputation or our life here Christ saith Feare not them that kill the body and can doe no more feare his face who hath power of soule and body to cast them both into hell The face of God is fearefull to a sinner for God threatneth the disobedient to his Commandements I will set my face against you then followeth yee shall be slaine before your enemies Qui odeâ—unt vos regnabunt super vos fugietis nemine persequente they that hate you shall raigne over you ye shall flye no man pursuing you How dare we tempt that face and provoke it against us nothing is hid from the light of it and there is no suggestion more foolish or that declareth us more shallow and simple then Dominus non videbit the Lord shall not see Wee are sure that all our sinnes are seene numbred recorded before his face 2 This phrase to my understanding importeth that as David before prayed to be washt purged and cleansed from his sinnes that they might no more annoy him so he desireth God to turne his face from them that they may no more offend him For a true penitent is more grieved at his offence given to God than at the shame or feare or paine that sinne putteth him to therefore Averte faciem tuam turne thy face away amounteth to a request that God would no more take offence at his sinnes 3 The phrase importeth an absolute and full pardon desired for so long as there is any sinne the face of God must be against it but when he desireth averte faciem turne away thy face he desireth a remove of his sinne which cannot be cleare from his countenance any way but by his gratious pardon for Gods pardon doth extinguish all iniquities so it is equivalent to our petition Dimitte debita nostra Forgiveus our trespasses 2 He resumeth the same Petition and re-enforceth his suit for Gods pardon in a phrase before used verse 1. Blot out mine iniquities which hath reference to the two bookes one of our conscience the other of Gods remembrance in which all our sinnes are recorded ut antè as before Onely here he addeth a request for pardon of all his iniquities that he may have a cleare conscience within himselfe and an even reckoning with God If any shall wonder why David urgeth Gods pardon so earnestly and with such importunity of strong supplications let him know that such offences as provoke God are not easily pardoned we must pray heartily and ply him continually with our requests to have our sinnes remitted for though God be very ready to forgive in respect of his mercy yet he is wise to see some cause for it And a sinner is not capable of mercy presently till his soule hath beene in bitternesse for his trespasse and is humbled before God It is our fault and it corrupteth us much our over-weening of the mercy of God to us for though hee be full of tendernesseâ— yet is he full of holinesse and nothing provoketh him more then our bearing our selves too bold upon his mercies Master Calvine Ubi quis defunctoriè pro remissione vota concipit nondum didicit quam horribilis sit Dei offensâ—o He that slightly prayes for pardon of sinnes hath not yet learned how horrible the offending of God is Saint Augustine commendeth this Petition of David hee saith Bene rogas thou well askest for 1 He opened his owne face and then he desireth God to hide his face his face was opened to behold his sinne For I acknowledge my wickednesse and my sinne is ever before me Si tu peccatum â—uâ—â—â—â— derso ponis dens ibâ— facsem ponit Tu peccatum eâ—â—m ante facioÌ„ pone sivis ut deus auertat faciem suam ab eâ— Sie securur rogas exandiâ— If thou settest thy sinnes behinde thy backe God sets them before his face set thy sinne before thy face if thou wilt have God turne away his face from it So thou safely askest and hee heareth thee 2 He desireth God to blot out all his iniquities out of the booke of his remembrance But he putteth them into this Psalme and commendeth this Psalme to the Master of Musicke and so depositeth the record of it in the perpetuall use of the Church so the greatnesse of the fault is kept in fresh memory of all ages Wee have no
that the purse hath saved the life yet that is but the price of intercession But the Kings pardon onely saveth life It is so in the state of our soules sinne is a capitall fault and the wages of it death and no way of escape from this just judgement but by Gods gratious and free pardon We cannot purchase a mediation at any rate to availe us without true and unfained repentance and then we have but one Mediatour to the Father and he must purchase our pardon with his bloud he must be wounded for our transgressions and we must be healed by his stripes and hee must dye for us that we may live in and by him Let Papists seeke heaven by their righteousnesse at their owne perill For my selfe I am so farre from trusting to any merits of our owne workes that I dare resolve that if the salvation of all mankinde had beene put to the plunge that Sodome was at with the other Cities to finde tenne righteous from Adam to the last man that shall stand upon the earth all mankinde must have perished for want of tenne such I dare adventure further in resolution that if the bringing one good worke before God done in all the generations of men performed without any tast or taint of sinne might save all mankinde I except none but Iesus Christ I doe beleeve that he that searched Jerusalem with candle and lanterne even his seven eyes which tunne to and fro through the whole earth cannot finde out one such good and perfect worke the caske distasteth the liquour who is he that doth good and sinneth not who doth good and sinneth not in the very good he hath done To make a worke perfectly holy is one thing to make it meritorious is another If no good work we doe can come from us holy it is not possible it should aske wages Our corruption of nature sprinckles every word worke and thought of ours with some graines more or lesse of our old Adam for as we consist of flesh and spirit ever conflicting there is of both in all we are or have it cannot bee otherwise for the imaginations of the thoughts of our heart are onely evill continually and from that neast these birds doe flye Adultery Fornication Strife c. But if wee could doe any worke holy and pure â—â—oâ—n blame yet there goeth more to it then holinesse to make it meritorious 1 It is required that we be able to doe it of our selves for no thankes to us for any good we doe if he land us the faculties and abilities of doing it 2 It is required that hee which deserveth should doe something for the benefit of him of whom he deserveth but our well-doing extendeth not to God 3 It is required that hee which meriteth doe his good worke out of his owne free will ex mero motu non ex debito meerely by his owne mooving not as of due debt For what we doe of duty we pay we doe not give 4 It is required that the reward bee proportionable to the worke for else whatsoever is more is gift not wages They that wrought all day deserved their penny they that came late had more gift then wages eternall life is too much reward for any service wee doe This putteth workes of supererogation quite out of countenance to name them is to shame them Micah 6. 6. Where withall shall I come before the Lord burnt offerings Calves of a yeare old Will the Lord bee pleased with thousands of rammes or with tenne thousand rivers of oyle shall I give my first borne for my transgressions the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule Hee hath shewed thee c. To doe justly to love mercy to walke humbly before thy God The way of repentance and crying God mercy is the way of humility we cannot pay our debt we cannot buy out our fault we have nothing to give our plea is miserere have mercy we can finde no way out of our sinnes but by Gods gratious and free pardon This is not so easie a favour obtained as many thinke for suppose the pardon were obtained and sealed for God have mercy yet there is no moment of our life in which we doe not forfeit it and therefore we must renew it continually When you pray say Pater noster dimitte nobis Our Father forgive us and semper orate pray alwayes Be sure to renew your pardon by repentance and prayer continually especially at such times when we come to the house of God to the Table of God now wash us throughly O Lord now O Lord have mercy upon us now purge us with hysope now hide thy face from our sinnes and blot on t all our iniquities Now make us heare joy and gladnesse which thou impartest to us in the Sacrament of thy sons passion Our Church service is holily accommodated to this for we beginne at the words wherein God maketh us heare of joy and we humble our selves to God in a contrite deploration of our sins O Lord heare us from heaven and when thou hearest shew mercy VERSE 10. Create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me 4. HE prayeth for newnesse of life Here also he doubleth his petition and changeth the phrase 1 For his heart the seat of his affections 2 For the holy Ghost to sanctifie him throughout in his body soule and minde In the first observe 1 His suit is for the heart 2 He desireth that cleane 3 He wisheth it so by creation In the second 1 His suit is for the spirit 2 He would have that right 3 He would have it by renovation 1 For the heart there breed adulteries murthers and all other sinnes as Christ hath taught us and that was the neast of all his sinnes The message of God by Nathan descended into the secrets of his heart there he hid the word he saith before Thou requirest truth in the inward parts he found his heart no fit habitation for truth as it was It is our chiefest care to looke to the heart because Christ asketh that of us for himselfe My sonne give me thy heart The Church of the Iewes in tender care for the Church of the Gentiles complaineth We have a little sister and she hath no breasts what shall we doe for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for that is how shall wee doe for her when Christ shall be speake her for a Spouse for himselfe That should be our care every one for his heart wee have a foule and uncleane heart what shall we doe for it or how shall we answer when Christ saith My sonne give me thy heart Our care therefore must be for it to prepare it so that we may neither be ashamed nor afraid when Christ calleth for it to present him with it Here Salomon adviseth well Keep thy heart above all keeping for out of it are the issues of life This heart of ours hath many
away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy wayes and sinners shall be converted unto thee HEre he petitioneth for a constant course of Gods favour for hereafter wherein 1. Deprecatur he prays against v. 1â— 2. Supplicat prayes for Verse 12. 3. Promittit promiseth Verse 13. 1 Deprecatur prayes against 2. 1 Gods casting him away from his presence 2 Gods taking his holy spirit c. 1 Cast me not away from thy presence Our sinnes deserve that God should deny us to come before him for why should the children of darkenesse presse to the light or the children of death to him in whose presence is life Our first Parents soone found how unfit they were for the presence of God and therefore so soone as they had sinned of their owne accord they fled from the presence of God and hid themselves When Cain had done that murther upon Abel his brother it was Gods just punishment a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be And he was sensible of it Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight This is excommunicatio major the greater excommunication When Pharaoh was exasperate against Moses he said Get thee from me take heed to thy selfe see my face no more When David heard how Absolon had slaine Amnon hee was moved like a father for the death of a sonne more that hee suffered that griefe from a sonne yet when the strong fit was off he could not but returne to his fatherly affection to Absolon yet neither his owne naturall inclination or the perswasions of Ioab by the woman of Tekoah did yet readmit him to the Kings presence The King said let him returne to his house and let him not see my face Much more sorrowfull is the punishment of exile from the face of God for David preferreth the presence of God before all other good whatsoever Many say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Christ is the light of Gods countenance a light to lighten the Gentiles God to Moses My presence shall goe with thee and I will give thee rest Christ is called the Angell of his face So David prayeth that Christ may not faile him and that he would not in respect of his sinnes deprive him of the comfort of his Redeemer Saint Gregory saith he prayeth here against Cains sinne of despaire for A facie dei projicitur cui spes veniâ— post peccatumnegatur Hee is cast from the sight of God to whom hope of pardon after sinne committed is denyed Augustine hath a good note here prius dixit averte faciem à peccatis meis first he said turne thy face from my sinnes but here ne projicias me à facie tuâ Cujus facieÌ„ timet ejus faciem invocat Cast me not from thy face whose face he feares his face he desires to see It was Abrahams prayer O that Ishmael might live in thy face or before thee â—he would aske no more of him They that walke uprightly and conscionably before God are not cannot be ashamed to behold his face As for me I will behold thy face in righteousnesse I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse 1 Here in the righteousnesse of Christ I shall see thee but hereafter I shall fully enjoy thee when after I have borne the image of the earthy I shall beare the image of the heavenly 2 Take not thy holy spirit from me Christ calleth this spirit a Comforter David had need of him now in distresse because of his sinnes This spirit he promised a guide to leade us in the way of all truth David had need of him for seeing God loveth truth in the inward parts and hee had gone in false waies he needeth this guide to guide his feet in the wayes of peace When David hearkened to the voyce of temptation and his eye did walke after his heart then did God withdraw his spirit from him and left him to goe alone He findeth the want of that faithfull guide of his waies and prayeth O take not thy holy spirit from mee David had a double portion of Gods holy spirit for hee had 1 The spirit of holinesse to direct and guide his life and conversation as a private man and by that hee became a man after Gods owne heart 2 He had the spirit in plentifull measure in regard of his office and place and that also was double for 1 Juveni Davidem servum meumâ— oleo sancto meo uâ—xi eum I have found David my servant with my holy oyle have I annoynted him he had not onely Samuels externall unction but God gave him a spirit fit for a King to goe in and out before his people Else how could the yongest sonne of Ishai bred abroad in the field and taken from following the ewes great with lambe have beene fit to have come from managing a sheepe-hooke amongst his fathers cattell to have managed a Scepter in Israell the Lords inheritance And wee have example hereof in Saul his predecessor of whom we reade that when hee parted from Samuel who annointed him King God gave him another heart for so Samuel had told him that the spirit of the Lord should come upon him and hee should be turned into another man Hee that called him to be a King accommodated him for government Thus did God also deale with David Then Samuel took an horne of oyle and annointed him in the middest of his brethren and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward So that he not onely was sanctified in further measure as a private man but was indued with heroicall graces fit for a Prince And it is said after this that 1 He walked wisely 2 He governed prudently 2 David was a Prophet also of the Lord herein not inferiour to Saul for it is said of him that he prophecied and it was a wonder Etiam Saulinter Prophetas Is Saul also amongst the Prophets David is called the sweet singer of Israell and we have many of his holy Psalmes whereof the Church of God maketh singular use No question but the sinne of David had much weakened the power of the holy spirit in him all these waies and he seemed now to himselfe as a man divested of these graces in such sort as was grievous to him besides he had the fearefull example of Saul his predecestor of whom it is said But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evill spirit from the Lord troubled him Now charged with the conscience of his sinne and peradventure comparing his sinne with Sauls he feared the like punishment Saul
departed from the word of the Lord in sparing the life of an enemy David in taking away the life of a friend Had he not cause to feare at least an equality in his punishment whom he had exceeded in his sinne no question but God giveth his graces with his holy callings and we hazard the withdrawing of them from us when we embrace sinne Wee finde examples too frequent in all sorts of men that they doe lose by their falling into sinne the graces of God which commonly doe follow their lawfull callings When Kings leave good counsell and embrace enemies of their state to the grievance and vexation of the Common-wealth on when they turne sensuall and attend onely their loose delights God taketh from them the spirit of government When Ministers study nothing but riches or honour or follow pleasures God taketh from them the spirit of prophecie In ordinary mechanicall and manuall professions many excellently able in their way perish and drowne their abilities in idlenesse in gaming in drinking c. Yet when any of these come againe to themselves and refraine these evill courses the spirit of God returneth againe to them and they doe well Saul had many graces of the spirit but the maine hee wanted and the other he lost and that example putteth David into this suite Spiritum sanctum tuum ne ausera◠take not thy holy spirit from me VERSE 12. 2. SUpplicat he prayeth for herein also hee is double and desireth two things first restitution secondly confirmation 1 His restauration Restore to me the joy of thy salvation he meaneth that inward spirituall joy which before he had in the faith of his salvation For having fallen so foully and thereby deserved so ill at the hands of God hee was jealous of himselfe that he had lost the favour of God and the salvation of his soule The word in the originall hath Jesus in it The joy of thy Iesus for he beleeved that Iesus the Saviour should come of his seed That was joy to him and his sinne did shake his faith therein ne Deus ei offensus subtraheret quod pacatus promiserat formidavit hee feared lest God offended should withdraw that which being pleased he had promised So before him Saint Augustine understood David Redde exultationem salutaris tui i. Christi quis enim sine illo sanari potuit nam in principio erat verbum tempora variata sunt non fides restore the joy of thy salvation that is of Christ For who can bee saved without him the times are changed not faith Our observations from hence are 1 That Davids joy was in making sure of his salvation he had now made experience of a carnall and sensuall joy he findeth it loathsome and defiling and the end bitternesse therefore he returnes to the pursuit of that joy So in a better minde the Church said I will goe and return to my first love for then it was better with me than now The truth is there is no such joy here as in the favour of our God and the faith of our salvation with him David once said Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more then in the time that their corne and wine and oyle increased This is our summum bonum our chiefe good and upon our deathbeds we hearken to them that speake comforts to us of our salvation when we must part with all here But the Apostle would have it the maine care and businesse of our whole life to worke out our salvation with feare and to make our election sure As the Sea-man regardeth so the businesse within boord as alwaies observing the way of his ship and also looking to his Chart and Compasse for the accomplishing of his voyage In the comforts and joyes of life in things temporall we ever hope that to morrow will be better than to day and when that comes we fall short still Deterior semper posterior dies seldome comes a better But for the joy of our salvation the more we taste of it the more we thirst after it and as we grow in grace we increase in spirituall joy and as our tast so our desire of eternall life doth increase that we thinke long till we appeare before our God in Sion 2 Sinne depriveth us of this joy for when our conscience accuseth us of having done that which displeaseth our God how can we hope that he who is not the God of our obedience should be the God of our salvation Sinne is a thing so hatefull to God that his soule abhorreth it Adam the first sinner hid himselfe Caine beleeved himselfe banisht from the presence of the Lord. The spirit of God departed from Saul sinne turneth our prayers into it selfe If I regard wickednesse in my heart Dominus non exaudiet me the Lord will not heare me sinne turnes our praises of God into the sacrifice of fooles There can be no peace to the sinner so long as we continue in a state of sinne without search of Gods gratious pardon wee are in the deepe pit if we then despaire the pit shutteth its mouth upon us if yet we hope there is no health in our bones because of our sinne till God hath sealed our pardon and that his spirit doe witnesse with ours that wee are in his favour Doe not our owne corruptions and the evill counsels of the ungodly and the temptations of Sathan worke strongly upon us when they prevaile against the joy of our salvation We under value that joy very basely when we change it for any other that holds out in number weight and measure that filleth the measure full and presseth it downe and maketh it runne over Dic animae meae salus tua sum say to my soule I am thy salvation let mee have thy word for that and then as Saint Augustine saith hic ure hic seca here burne here cut me we shall not feare them that kill the body for if wee had all the joyes of the world we could hold them but during this life this joy survives our death Satietie of other joyes breeds surfet of this thirst beati qui esuriunt c. blessed are they that hunger c. Whereas David desireth to be restored to this joy we see our evill condition we cannot tell when we be well when we have joy the best and truest joy that can be we part with it for vanitie of vanities and when we feele the want of it we complaine It is the weakenesse of our judgement we cannot value good things so priceably in the possession of them as in the subduction Carendo magis quà m fruendo by wanting more then enjoying is an old rule of our imperfect reason Godlinesse should ever be joyned with contentednesse and our desires should be limited to our enjoyings when wee affect any thing beyond Gods allowance we are often abated in the allowance and our vast and unlawfull desires are corrected by withdrawing from us the good that
I beene holden vp from the wombe and resolveth to trust to that supportation I will goe in the strength of the Lord God Wee have many great examples in the best of Gods servants of falling into great sinnes Adam and Eve Noah Abraham Lot Isaack Iacob David Salomon Sampson Peter c. This feare shaketh David so that he craveth ayde of the good spirit for corroboration This is a singular marke of a just man so David describeth him he guideth his waies by discretion Surely he shall not be moved for ever his hart is fixed trusting in the Lord his heart is established We see here that the grace of repentance whereby weforsake sinne and turne to God and put our selves into the way of a new life will not serve unlesse the grace of confirmation doe establish us and keepe us from evill We are the Lords husbandry there is no end of that kinde of worke in the culture of ground there must bee breaking up of our fallow grounds stirring and plonghing till it be fit for seed There must be semination hrrowing to cover the seed There must be weeding of it and watering from heaven then an harvest then begin againe else Grandia saepe quibus mandavimus bordea sulcis Infelix lolium steriles dominantur avenae Often the furrowes where we sow good seeds Are overgrowne with cockle darnell weeds In the story of the widow that was so much in debt and her exactious creditours demanded her two sonnes for bondmen in satisfaction of the debt we reade that shee made her moane to Elisha he finding nothing in her house valuable but a small pot of oyle bade her borrow empty vessels and poure out and sell the oyle and pay the debt and said Live thou and thy children of the rest The Prophets care extended beyond the paiment of the debt to her maintenance In this miracle of Gods mercie here is a lively representation of his love to his elect For our sinnes doe make us debtors the justice of God is the creditour the graces of Gods spirit are the oyle he giveth of this plentifully to cleare the debt That is not all for this spirit which David here prayeth for he giveth for our after-maintenance that we grow not necessitous againe and renew our debt These two cares must not be parted the care of repentance and of a constant good life Christ joyned them together Ecce sanus factus es Behold thou art made whole and then noli amplius peccare sinne no more The corruption of nature is such even in the regenerate by the remaines of sinne that as tinder we are apt to take fire by the touch of the least sparke How then shall we bee fenced against the fiery darts of Sathan The grace of the spirit to beare off these and that which preserveth us from this fire is the shield of our faith for that establisheth our heart and moysteneth it so with the bloud of Iesus Christ that it cannot be apt to kindle suddenly And that faith doth David here request of God which is our best munition against these fiery assaults To shew what need every one of us hath to make this petition to our God for his confirming spirit 1 Let us see the miserable and unhappy condition of such as doe want this spirit 2 The singular benefit of such as have obtained it 1 Of the want we may all complaine of it for that want unheavened the Angels that kept not their first estate and turned the best of Gods creatures into divels and uncleane spirits the rebell and profest opposites of God and corrupters of man This want unparadised our first Parents and made them wofull spectacles of scorne Ecce homo factus est ut unus c. Behold the man is become like one of us What wanted in these two creatures to consummate the glory of their creation and to make their very making and happinesse but this free spirit of God to confirme and establish them It may be a wonder in reason and in religion why Almighty God did not accomplish his worke of creation by this addition of this spirit to the prevention of that misery that for want of it befell the creature and to the preservation of his owne worke from that malignity which followed sinne For hereby the creature became in it selfe corrupt and abhominable to the fellow creatures noxious and to God himselfe peccant and offensive all which had beene stayed by this one free spirit here desired I remember in the plea of God for his own full care of his people he urgeth that 1 He chose a fruitfull hill 2 He fenced it 3 He gathered out the stones 4 He planted it with the choisest Vine 5 He built a Tower in medio in the midst of it 6 He set up a Wine-presse in it and then he saith And now O inhabitants of Israell and men of Iudah judge I pray you betweene me and my Vineyard what could have beene done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it may we not heare his like complaint of Angels and man I created them in mine owne image I gave the one the fruition of heaven the other of Paradise the Angels saw my face Man was but a little lower than these Angels crowned with glory and honour invested in the dominion of his sublunarie creatures in the service of the very Angels and celestiall bodies What could have beene done more to these Angels and to man that I have not done in them may we not all answer Yes Lord thou mightest have given with these great favours thy free spirit to confirme and establish us in that happinesse and so we had beene alwaies as thou haddest made us In answer to this quere I could say who knoweth the minde of the Lord or who hath beene of his Councell we may step too farre having our shooes on our feet if we adventure to set our feet on holy ground the secrets of Gods will must be adored not searched God is not accountable to his creatures for his purposes or his actions With men the rule holds qui justè faciunt bis justi sunt they that doe justly are twise just but with God it is so that fecit omnia â—enè he hath done all things well and if he doe or say or decree or will any thing it is therefore just and good in high perfection because he doth it But you may take this for a put off and yet goe away unsatisfied Therefore seeing God calleth to the men of Iudah and inhabitants of Ierusalem to judge betweene him and his Vineyard I thinke we may boldly sit upon this cause and heare it indifferently God pleaded what could have beene done more clearing himselfe from all defectivenesse or failing on his part toward his creature Man replyeth one thing wanted even this spirit that David here desired I answer for God against all the world that that spirit was also given
were filled with laughter and our tongues with joy Then they said the Lord hath done great things for us the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we rejoyce As God is described in the shepheard who recovered his lost sheep and in the woman who found her lost groat and in the father who recovered and received his prodigall sonne with more joy than the shepheard had in his 99. than the woman had in the rest of her money than the father had in his eldest sonne that had alwaies beene with him So a converted sinner delighteth more in God after his conversion then he did before Ibo revertar ad patrens moum I will goe and returne to my father I will goe and returne to my first husband for then it was better with me than it is now A Convert can tell transgressors how his father espied him a far off how he met him upon the way how he fell on his necke and kissed him and bade him welcome how he brought first stolam primam the chiefe garment to cover him how he killed vitulum illum that calfe and had musicke and dancing for joy for his returne One of the greatest feares of a sinner who hath sold God for some vaine pleasure is that God will never be recovered to favour him againe and that is one of the Scorpions wherewith the very Saints of God are scourged Sathan abetteth that feare in them with terrible overtures of the impartiall justice of God and it is the voyce of the wicked of the earth Tush God hath forsaken him and there is none to helpe him David was heart-sicke of this disease Many there be that say to my soule there is no helpe for thee in thy God A true penitent reconciled to God can tell such that they belye the holy one of Israell with the Lord there is mercy that he may be feared He giveth pardon for sinnes and forgiveth all thine iniquities He continueth but a while in anger if a sinner wil not come to him he wil whet his sword he will make ready his bow and prepare his arrowes for execution But if a sinner will forsake his evill wayes and returne to him he will behold him a farre off and meete him upon the way and embrace him with his savour This is the chiefe errand that we have from God to his Church to carry to them the word of reconciliation to preach peace to them that are neare and to them that are farre off liberty to the imprisoned and to such as are opprest the taking off of the yoke He that hath beene scorched with the flames of hell who hath felt the sting of a cruciating conscience who hath beene shaken and shattered with the terror of the Lord and hath found joy and comfort upon his repentance he can testifie for God that he is gratious and mercifull that he may be entreated so David Come hearken to me all ye that feare God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soule There is a Psalme of purpose for it wherein the Prophet magnifieth both his owne miserie and Gods singular mercy with a probatum est so it is experto crede beleeve him that hath found it by experience he tels what he hath comfortably found and the Church hath joy of it Seeing a convert is so fit for this service let all sinners labour to hasten and accomplish their conversion of purpose to doe God this good service in teaching others This would multiply teachers in the Church and turne us all into ministers of reconciliation Every one should teach his neighbour the feare of the Lord. We cannot put our selves in a fairer way to glory for They that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres in the firmament Be they Ecclesiasticall or Lay be they such as doe it ex officio out of duty by vertue of a speciall calling or ex charitate from the love they beare to God and their brethren Their reward is with God and they shall eate the fruit of their labours from the tree of life in the middest of the garden It is the nature of goodnesse for Bonum est communicativum sui Good is of a spreading nature bonus malum bonum esse vult ut sit sui similis the good would have the evill to be good that he may be like himselfe We cannot more holily more charitably expresse our conversion to God than by teaching transgressors his waies We cannot want schollers for totus mundus est in maligno positus the whole world is set upon evill what if some say Nolumus scientiam viarum tuarum wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies and hate to be reformed yet others will hearken and even they may by the favour of God be softened to an impression In our evill conversation we were forward enough to draw in others to the societie of our evils to corrupt and pervert good manners So theeves that say we will all have one purse and immoderate drinkers sit together till strong drinke inflame them Me thinkes the Apostle is very reasonable Sicut dedistis membra vestra as you have given your members so give your members I may say to a Convert doe but the same diligence in converting thy brother that thou hast done and used in corrupting him and it will passe currant let thy counsell and example looke that way and thinke thy conversion effected for this The father of mercies and God of all comfort comforteth us in all our tribulation that wee may be able to comfort them which bee in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God The rule holdeth throughout as in consolation so in instruction and in reprehension and in conviction of the conscience As every one hath received any measure of grace from God so let him communicate his knowledge and his grace to others in love remembring that we are members one of another This is the way to advance the building up of the Church of God and to demolish the power of Sathans kingdome None can pleade exemption from this duty for when David the King offereth his service this way who can sit out The more eminent the person is the more effectuall is his teaching and the sooner will transgressors give eare to him See here the wisedome and goodnesse of God how he hath wrought good out of evill for he hath stooped the Majestie of a King to the service of a teacher and hath sanctified the person of a transgressor to the conversion of transgressors The corrupter of his owne waies becommeth a guide to others This also doth encourage our labour for our conversion because it is a new making to us The proofe of it we haue in Saint Paul who no sooner was himselfe converted but he laboured the illumination of such as were in darkenesse the confirmation of the weake and the conversion of all that were in their owne crooked
joy is not yet full 2 That the knowledge of such conversation here would adde to their joy 3 That God is free to fill up their measure how farre and in what kinde Ignoramus we know not 3 Gratum in instituto acceptable in the thing it selfe No comfort to piety or charity like to communication The liberall man is in his trim quando distribuit when hee gives in such chests reponit thesauros Christ layes up his treasures It is my joy to say my bread my wooll my friends my purse my hand my letter made such a one In charitie aurum mâ—um in altari Domini my gold upon Gods Altar Of all the friends we have we esteeme them best that have converted us from sinne to righteousnesse by reforming the errors of our judgement or the vices of our conversation He that of a poore man makes me rich he fitteth me for this world He that of a wicked lewd lascivious man makes me godly fitteth me for this life and that which is to come for godlinesse hath the promises of both We hold our calling and meanes by this service we doe it ex officio out of duty We lift up our voyces like trumpets to tell the house of Iacob their sinnes not to shame but ad dignam emendationem to amâ—nd them No calling requireth more integrity more fidelity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is sufficient none hath a greater reward our reward is with God yea God is our exceeding great reward We have the office and name of Iesus servabis teipsum quite audiunt thou shalt save thy selfe and them that heare thee They that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine like starres he telleth the number of these starres and calleth them all by their names 4 Gratum Deo acceptable to God he is emblemed in the father of the Prodigall Bring my sons from farre and my daughters from the ends of the earth Good Ministers undergoe a great hazard in this service for if any perish in his sinne for want of our warning his bloud is upon us Ob. But doth not David presume to promise this Sol No our labour is not in vaine in the Lord for 1 If some sinners like the high way non recipiunt bonum receive not the good as they that hate to be reformed sinne raigning in them crying Nolumus scientiam viarum tuarum non possunt audiri strepitus in domo We desire not the knowledge of thy wayes they cannot bee heard there is a noyse in the house Christ would gather them noluerunt they would not 2 If some like stony ground receive seed and it wither for want of moysture 3 If some receive it with joy and the cares or pleasures of life choake it 4 Yet there is some good ground which cultured and well ploughed and stirred by the sharpe coulter of the law watered with the teares of their teachers and the dew of heavenly grace will take the seed and bring forth fruit Saint Ambrose to Monica Saint Augustines mother impossibile est ut filius harum lachrymaruÌ„ pereat it is impossible that the sonne of these teares should perish True it is many conneâ—s little thanke for labouring their conversion yea theâ— are angry with us for it Thou thankest him that putteth thy stray beast into the way why art thou offended with him qui teipsum vellet reducere aberrantem which would bring thee thy selfe backe going astray Bonam vis domum uxorem bonam cur non teipsum bonum thou wouldst have a good house a good wife why not thy selfe good Let us cut a passage through all impediments with zeale and faith and love beleeving that this good worke cannot miscarry True it is that good workes exact our uttermost of performance propter se for themselves successus est extra nos the successe is out of our power yet our hope and faith may cheerefully look to the successe Davids faith hath ground 1 From the fitnesse of him to teach 2 From the acceptablenesse of the worke 3 From the dignity of the subject vias tuas thy wayes 4 From the auxiliarie cooperation of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-workers with God From this passage observe God hath sundry wayes to teach 1 By Catechisme so Lois and Eunice did teach Pauls Timothy The Creed oratio dominica lex Lords prayer the Law Three Sermons teaching credenda petenda agenda things to be beleeved to be asked to be done 2 By reading the Word these are sure oracles able to make thee wise to salvation Moses of old time hath in every Citie them that preach him seeing he is read in the Synagogue every Sabbath day 3 By Sermons giving the sense of the word dividing and applying it aright Where able men are wanting the Church provideth Homilies profitable In Conc. Vasensi Anno 444. Si presbyter infirmitate prohibente non potuerit prâ—dicare Sanctorum patrum Homiliae à Diaconis recitentur If the Priest by reason of infirmity cannot Preach let the Homilies of the holy Fathers be repeated by the Deacons Some hold good preferments in the Church that are very sicke of an impotency to that service these have this helpe Preaching learnedly and conscionably by laboured Sermons hath ever had great honour and hath great efficacie but Cavete quomodo audiatis take heed how ye heare There may be danger in the failing of the Preacher in judgement or discretion For some vent their fancies for truth their owne selfe flatteries for the spirit of consolation their owne furies for zeale their owne spleene for reprehension and turne the bread of life to gravell Try the spirits si ex Deo if they be of God as they of Berea Scrutamini Scripturas search the Scriptures 4 Here is another kinde of teaching when converted sinners turne teachers This is the rich mans suit si unus â— mortuis if one from the dead Benhadads servants shewed comfort to their drooping Master saying We have heard that the Kings of Israell are mercifull men If one of them could have said it by any experience or a King in his case had found it so how had he comforted him David could say Dicam quid fecit animae meae I will tell you what he hath done for my soule I was in misery and he helped me I sinned foully provokingly scandalously I continued in sinne impenitently At last I was chidden I was sorry I was ashamed I cryed God mercy he heard me forgave me and received me to favour They that speake from hearing reading or contemplation speake not so to the heart as they that have had experience Give me a grieved man comforted let him tell his owne tale There is no oratorie no varnish or guilded speech wrought and laboured by the sweate of art that may compare with his plaine tale He hath cor in linguâ— his heart in his tongue no musicke like his voluntarie David will loose no time Then will I teach then when I heare of
joy and gladnesse when my broken bones rejoyce c. These words doe further afford a very cleare description of repentance which is the conversion of a sinner to God Et peccatores ad te convertentur and sinners shall be converted unto thee 1 The subject wrought upon sinners 2 The worke to turne them 3 The object to which they are inclined God 4 The author of this conversion 1 The subject Sinners a very crosse unto ward piece to worke on Creation made us Saints our fall transformed us to divels and originally we are no better than the children of darkenesse blinde to all that may please God children of weakenesse unable to performe any good service to God filii irâ— ad pâ—â—am sonnes of wrath fitted for punishment so the name of sinner doth containe 1 A totall corruption of nature deserving 2 A necessary obligation ad poenam to punishment In the one there is pudor maleficii the shame of evill doing in the other is terror judicii the terror of judgement Take a sinner as he is in himselfe without grace sanctifying him and mercy pardoning him he is the vilest and unworthiest of all the creatures that God made in whom the image of God is blemished and almost utterly defaced The Angels that stand in integrity are as they were made and they doe his will who made them The celestiall bodies keepe their places and doe the service for which they are made The Sunne knowes his rising and the Moone her going down The Sunne goeth forth as a Bridegroome and as a Gyant to his race as if these heavenly bodies had reason to doe their makers will so are they guided evermore by the law of their creation The earth and the bruit creatures in their kinde follow the rule of that first law onely divels and men resist it and goe their owne waies to Gods dishonour and their owne hurt The divels in malice to God and in envy to man ever labouring to pervert the waies of God Sinners goe in their owne crooked waies yea they runne violently in them as an hot and fierce horse into the battell Such are we all naturally conceived in sinne and borne in iniquity and after drawing sinne to us with the cords of vanity For our naturall corruption first defiling us and the example of evill infecting us and the temptations of Sathan instigating us and the sweetnesse of the pleasure of sinne enticing us and the custome of sinne hardening us we become abhominable and to every good worke reprobate Miserable men that we are who shall deliver us from this body of death And that which maketh our misery most miserable is Israell doth not know My people doe not consider have ye no regard all ye that worke iniquity No they have no regard Let a man ayle any thing in his health by sicknesse or sorenesse he feeles it he complaines of it he seeketh for remedy so Ieremie My bowels my bowels I am pained at the very heart Ezec bias boile Asaes gowt make them very full of griefe Let a man ayle any thing in his estate he is very sensible the poore widow makes great moane to Elisha being in debt Helpe O Lord the King cryes the woman of Samaria in the famine thereof Onely the sinner whose soule is divested of grace habited in sinne in hazard of hell neither feeleth the want nor feareth the danger neither complaineth of what it is nor seeketh remedy David himselfe who had tasted and drunke deepe of the spirituall favours of God lyeth tenne moneths together wallowing in the mire of uncleannesse sleeping in the deep and dead sleepe of sinne and not thinking upon a recoverie A sinner during the time of his impenitencie stands suspended from the holy temple of God which is excommunicatio minor the lesser excommunication The faithfull cry Away from me ye transgressors and God himselfe hideth his face from him There is not amongst vegetables a bramble a thistle things unvalued noxious There are not amongst the animate creatures of the earth not the least of the winged flies in the ayre or the creeping wormes on earth which the unheedy foot of man or beast compoundeth with the earth it goes on but it hath more of God in it than a sinner hath during his impenitencie These are as he made them but a sinner not returning to God hath lost himselfe and Gods image in him is defaced All other creatures stand to health in their owne natures man is diseased morbus est he is all disease It is worth the noting that God corrupted not the nature of any creature to punish the sinne of man he would not lose the glory of omnia bene fecit he did make all well In wrath he remembred mercy for those creatures that are the curse of the earth brambles thistles and thornes are also of singular vertue and use for the good of man onely he used these for roddes to scourge man This it is to be a sinner and such as these was David and upon such he promiseth to worke 2 Opus convertentur the worke shall be converted This is repentance begunne for the impenitent goeth on still in his wickednesse he goeth of himselfe for we may goe downe the hill easily nostro pondere ferimur we are carried with our owne weight The faster and the further we goe in a wrong way the more we erre it is not profectus a going on but aberratio wandring All we like sheep have gone astray errabundâ— vestigia our footsteps are wandring A travailer that regardeth his way and heedeth his journey is still asking the way Therefore the Prophet alluding hereunto biddeth us from the Lord thus saith the Lord Stand upon the waies and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein and you shall finde rest for your soules It is no losse of time noâ— hinderance to our speed to stand upon the waies to aske for the good way for they that goe out of that way finde no rest God hath left us certaine guides of our way his word and his spirit let us aske of them the way they will direct us aright Aske the Patriarkes the Prophets the Converts of all times the Sonne of God and his holy Apostles they have gone this way themselves and knew it perfectly these will say haec est via ambulate in â—â— this is the way walke ye in it turne not to the right hand nor to the left keepe on forth right for that is the way of true wisedome They that keepe the right way must take heed of turning Remember Lots wife doe not so much as looke backe but let them that either doe know they goe wrong or doubt whether they goe right stand upon the waies and behold let them looke about them and see if by their owne judgement they can direct themselves but let them not trust that too farre let them also aske for the good way for there is
a way that seemeth good in a mans owne eyes but the end thereof are the wayes of death This is viaâ—on bona the way not good we must turne out of it here repentance beginneth Leave to doe evill Natures way the way of corrupt will the way of our lusts the way of the world are beaten waies many travaile them but these are new waies which are called our owne crooked waies turne out of them 3 The object to the Lord. This may seeme to import very small comfort for transgressors to turne to the Lord for he hath declared himselfe a jealous God and a consuming fire he hath digged a pit for sinners his wisedome cannot but see his lawes broken his holinesse can doe no lesse than abhorre it his justice cannot but punish it To turne sinners to God is to bring stubble to the fire but marke the sequence of my text First he will teach sinners Gods waies and then there can be no danger of their turning to God For Adam when he had turned from God by disobedience it was no wonder that he turned not to God by repentance but fled from his presence and hid himselfe because the way to God was shutup till God himselfe opened it in the promised seed yet there is no record of his turning kept This point affordeth the most comfortable doctrine that we can preach or you heare That a sinner may turne to God and be welcome to him it is the oyle of gladnesse it is the bread that strengtheneth mans heart Manna reconditum the hidden Manna It is a flagon of wine from the Lords Cellar It is the fulnesse and fatnesse and marrow of Gods house It is the living water drawne from the rivers of Gods pleasure which refresh the City magni regis of the great King It is the very extraction and distilment of the two Testaments of the Law and of the Gospell Let a sinner upon survey of his conscience and the detection of his sinne whilest his iniquities are in number and are set in order before him even then in the cold fit of feare resort to the Lord and cast himselfe at his feet and seeke his face There be great reasons for it 1 There is a necessitie in it there is no helpe elsewhere none can forgive sinnes but God onely The Apostles and Ministers of the Word forgive sinnes upon repentance but ministerially they doe pronounce Gods pardon ex officio by their office Therefore the Iewes accused Christ of blasphemy for forgiving sinnes for they knew him not to be God He healeth all our infirmities and pardoneth all our sinnes 2 God though he abhorre sinne yet he loveth the person of the sinner he cannot despise the worke of his own hand he hath sworne by his life that he will not the death of a sinner but rather that he turne to him All the while that he hath his hand in his bosome while he is plucking of his sword out of the sheath while he is whetting of it while he is lifting it up all this while he is expecting our repentance and if we turne not he smiteth home if we doe convert he saith Put up thy selfe into thy scabberd rest and be still He dealeth not withus as with enemies at armes end but forbeareth us and openeth his bosome and revealeth to us the bowels of his compassion The two greatest and dearest loves that are he taketh upon himself to declare his tendernesse over us 1 the love of an husband secondly of a father for under these titles he hath desired to appeare to his Church yet he taketh an holy pride to transcend husbands and fathers in their naturall love for thy Maker is thy husband the Lord of hoasts is his name What husband will receive againe a disloyall divorced wife that hath given her body to be defiled and hath scornefully abused him and borne children to strangers yet God receiveth us after all this wrong yea whilest we are in the height of this sinne he wooeth and courteth us and seeketh our conversion I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse and speake friendly to her heart Though fathers provoked by disobedient children forget naturall affection and mothers cast off all compassion yet God cannot yea though he doe for a time forbeare yet upon repentance if thou turne to him In the place where it was said ye are not my people there it shall bee said unto them ye are the sonnes of the living God Hee was that father who saw met received and cloathed and welcommed his vnthrifty sonne he sent not after him but when he returned he embraced him Our God is kinder than that father for he sendeth into the farre Country after to seeke us out he sendeth his Prophets Apostles Ministers Ite in universum mundum goe into all the world he riseth early to send them God himselfe offereth his owne wings how often would I have gathered you some parables expresse chiefly what God doth somewhat we should doe The parable of the Prodigall chiefly sheweth quid nos what we The parable of the lost sheepe quid Deus what God 3 We have comfort from Gods often inviting sinners to him nothing shall dismay us for he requireth and commandeth our resort to him with a non obstante nothing hindering and Samuel saith to the people yee have done all this wickednesse yet turne not aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart and Christ saith Come all weary and heavy laden 4 God taketh more pleasure in the returne of a sinner to him then he conceived anger for his departing from him When God had lost Adam by his sinnes the griefe was not so great as his joy was when he recovered him by the seed of the woman The second Adam had twise from heaven proclaimed over him Hic est filius meus dilectus this is my beloved Sonne There is a parable for that more joy for the lost sheepe than the 99. Sinne is an act of depraved nature it is opus nostrum our worke Grace is opus Dei Gods worke he loves his owne workes more than hee hates ours Iacob Satis est vivit filius meus It is enough my sonne is yet alive The father in the parable pleaded and justified the cause of his joy My sonne was lost and is found This shewes the sure mercies of God which declare him God But because of us sinners thou shalt be called mercifull for ubi non est miseria non est misericordia where there is no misery there is no mercy The first sinners were Angels they fell not all and those that fell did corrupt onely themselves there was no propagation of that creature When Adam and Evah fell they corrupted the whole nature of mankinde and this magnified the Creators mercie when he raised up an horn of salvation to preserve a creature whose generations had else beene subject to ruine
God is above his law his lawes binde him not neither is his truth or justice prejudiced or any way blemished by his dispensation and indulgences and maintenance of his prerogative His revealed will holdeth in the generall but limiteth him not he will shew mercy on whom he will Neither is he bound to his owne ordained meanes of grace but he can save without them and no doubt he doth also therefore though sinne deserve hell fire yet he may forgive this punishment where he will without violence to his law which much encourageth our turning to God for though it come to a decree yet before the decree come forth it may by repentance be delayed in the very egression the childe may come to birth and no strength to bring it forth And howsoever we finde no way of salvation without the Church nor meanes of grace without Iesus Christ yet let me tell you I dare not say that all those morall heathen who lived in the light of nature onely yet by the law written in their hearts did conscionably performe that which that law did command were certainely damned I will shew you what hope may be There was a law given to Adam poena â—ors punishment death When Adam sinned hee saw nothing but death before him he had no hope of favour God had reserved an unrevealed meanes of mercy in his owne secret wisedome and will It was not a contradiction to the will revealed but a gratious dispensation to declare him all in all Now seeing it is so excellent and so beneficiall a duty to turne to the Lord consider that God hath concluded us all under sinne and that must be the lesson of us all to turne to him What then is required to a perfect conversion to God 1 A search of our hearts for sinne comparing our waies with the rule which is the law of God This is that the just man doth when he meditateth on the law of God day and night for that meditation serveth 1 For information of the judgement quomodo ambulandum how we are to walke 2 For search of our conscience quid feci what have I done 3 For full resolution quid merâ—i what have I deserved 2 Vpon this followeth percussio cordis the smiting of the heart a true sorrow and penitentiall deploration and confession of sinne for he that confesseth shall finde mercy 3 A present holy and constant reformation of life to the uttermost of our power and desire with care and feare for the future all this David here promiseth in peccatores convertentur ad te sinners shall be converted unto thee But how shall this be unto me 4 The Authour of this Here David is modest he beginneth with docebo vias I will teach thy wayes but he saith not et convertam and I will turne he will not take that upon him nor convertent se they will turne themselves he will not promise so much for them Convertentur they shall be turned it must be Gods owne worke turne us and we shall be turned Christ hath delivered us from the extreme rigour and exaction of the law and by the good favour of God it will now suffice that we labour our conversion to God using the meanes by him ordained to that purpose and cherishing in ourselves the good motions of Gods Spirit abstaining from sinne all that we can and declining the occasions thereof and when we finde our selves falling away from him to take our selves in the manner and speedily to cry God mercy for it and to be more warie hereafter by taking heed to our words and thoughts and waies that we may doe no more so If you desire to know whether you doe abide in him or not 1 Examine your selves by the fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse in your selves for Christ saith He that abideth in me and I in him he bringeth forth much fruit 2 You shall know it by your zeale in prayer and the successe thereof for if you abide in me and my words abide in you you shall aske what you will and it shall be done unto you 3 By your following the example of Christ in walking as he walked for as the merit of his obedience serveth for our justification so the example of his holinesse advanceth our sanctification for he hath said discite à me learne of me he is a Doctor as Bernard saith Cujus in â—re verbum vitae cujus in more vita verbi in whose presence is the word of life in whose conversation is the life of the word His love his patience his meekenesse and humility his obedience to his father are all exemplarie and Blessed is the servant whom his Master when he commeth shall finde so doing Where we affect and endeavour this way he is assistant to us and will not faile either in the worke to ayd it or in the reward to crowne it VERSE 14. Deliver me from bloud-guiltinesse O God thou God of my salvation and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousnesse 6 HE supplicateth in particular for pardon of his late great sinne of bloud in the murther of Uriah 1 Orat he prayes 2 promittit promises In the petition observe 1 Quid petit libera me â— sanguine what he prayes for Deliver me from bloud 2 A quo Deus Deus salut is meae from whom he askes O God thou God of my salvation 1 Quid petit what he asketh here we are directed in our pursuit of pardon to search our consciences for sinne and to crave speciall pardon for such sinnes in particular as doe most disquiet our conscience and offend God and scandall our profession of religion abroad and grieve the Church of God at home Such was this notorious sinne of David the crying sinne of murther the murther of a loyall faithfull servant Though all sinnes are mortall yet they are not all of equall magnitude the circumstances of persons time occasion place motives and such like doe either aggravate or extenuate them This murther of Davids hath full weight a King appointed by God to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shepheard of the people to be the butcher of a subject a preserver of men to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a destroyer He on whose head God had poured his holy oyle to rent gall and wormewood to any subject to turne tyrant A Prophet of the Lord appointed to guide others in the way of life to become a plotter of death This bloudy execution done on a subject so ready to expose his life in defence of his Soveraigne so deserving honourable reward so receiving dishonourable injustice And this to revenge an honest good affection to his Master and to make way for a marriage to conceale a shamefull adulterie a former injurie done also to him in defiling his Subjects bed Some sinnes affected with strong desire and committed with sensuall delight doe charge the conscience after the glosse of their faire seeming is worne off
of God 3 A wandring unsetled life 4 Terrour of conscience Observe the effect upon himselfe for 1 He repineth at the justice of God for inflicting too much punishment 2 He despaireth of the mercy of God he neither hopeth nor asketh Gods pardon 3 He lookes for retaliation whosoever meeteth me will kill me he holdeth himselfe now no better than a man of death The reason why God declared himselfe so soon so quick so sharp an avenger of murther is because hee is author of life and conserver of it Iob giveth him that title the preserver of men and he cannot beare it that hee taking care of all to preserve their lives men should unsive one the other In the plantation of Paradise he set in the middest of the Garden a tree of life not onely a Sacrament but an instrument of life It was one of his quarrels with the old world For the earth is full of violence because of men Therefore when he renewed the world after the floud hee exprest his care of mans life Surely the bloud of your lives will I require at the hand of every beast will I require it and at the hand of every man and at the hand of every mans brother will I require the life of man Whosoever sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed for in the image of God made he man Cains conscience thought this just when he said whosoever meeteth me wil kill me This was after established for a law whosoever killeth any person the murtherer shall be put to death Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murtherer which is guilty of death but he shall surely be put to death he giveth two reasons of this severe law 1 For bloud defileth the land and the land cannot bee cleansed of the bloud that was shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it The Iewish Doctors interpret this law thus The avenger of bloud cannot pardon wilfull murther because the bloud shed is not the possession of the avenger of bloud i. e. of the Magistrate but it belongeth to God 2 For I the Lord dwell among the children of Israell This agreeth well with their exposition of the Law God taketh this into his owne judicature his peremptory law must stand Salomons doome is A man that doth violence to any mans person to bloud shall flye to the pit let no man stay him God unpriviledgeth him Thou shalt take him from mine Altar that he may dye In overt acts of murther this law is cleare and just There be covert acts as when our hand is not the actor but our instigation and proxie as in Naboths case whom Ahab murthered by a coloured processe and in Davids case here Consent and approbation in the Court of conscience extendeth so farre as drawing in a party as principall So Paul confest that he slew Stephen who saâ—e by and kept the garments of them that stoned him Yet God favoured the lives of such as by misadventure without malice which our law calleth Chance-medly had shed bloud he priviledged Cities of refuge for them to flye unto where they continued till the death of the high Priest then they had liberty Which shewed that involuntary murther needed the expiation of the death of Christ our high Priest For shedding of bloud in our owne defence for preservation of our lives in an assault nature reason religion and the lawes under which we live doe all excuse it Yet there ought to be a tendernesse in us to favour life as much as may be because the law of God is so expresse proximum ut teipsum love thy neighbour as thy selfe but wilfull murther is my Text. Davids fault was no lesse and against the vengeance of that sin he here prayeth For engagements to duels which in point of honour do often inflame great spirits to bloudy executions Let us wisely weigh the matter and we shall finde manifest injurie maintained on one side professed revenge on the other both naught The heinousnesse of this sinne of bloud thus detected in culpa poena in the fault and punishment Our use of this point is 1 A caution ne fiat let it not be 2 A remedy post factum when it is The first I confesse is not in my Text yet seeing how heavy this sinne lay upon the conscience of David we may deduce this use of it knowing the terrour of the Lord to admonish all men to looke to the law non occides thou shalt not kill For these things are written for our learning as the Apostle applyeth the commemoration of the old sinnes of Gods people to them to whom he wrote Not to lust after evill things not to be idolaters not to commit fornication not to tempt Christ not to murmure as they did so we may admonish not to shed bloud as many have done Take heed of murther I may use the words of Gamaliel Lest haply ye be found even to fight against God for it is against God 1 In his law not occides thou shalt not kill 2 In his image for man is so 3 In his Magistrate who beareth not the sword in vaine he weareth it as a defender of thy life and as an avenger of thy bloud 2 For remedy post factum after the sinne committed David was a King and in no danger of temporall lawes to avenge the bloud by him shed and it was carried so cunningly as he appeared not to it But had Zimri peace who slew his Master or had David any peace who slew his servant he repaireth to God by holy devotion and prayer to be delivered from blouds for this bloud had defiled him If bloud doe make the land uncleane in which it is committed it doth much more defile the person guilty of it till it be avenged And surely now we come to the reason why David doth not before pray Lord forgive remit or pardon but wash wash throughly make mee cleane wash me with hysope blot out all my sinnes For bloud defileth it is no ordinary pollution it is a foule steine it will not easily out it is a crimosin a scarlet dye No man can ever wash out that tincture no man can pardon that sinne We may say as our Saviour doth with men this is impossible but with God all things are possible hee must be sought by prayer libera me deliver me The words of Davids petitioâ— libera me Deus deliveâ—â—e O Lord doe shew that David is in durance for this is â—â—x Captivi the voyce of a captive He is in laqueo diaboli in the snare of the divell so the Apostle calleth the guilt of sin and before hee calleth it the condemnation of the divell The divell hath his snares like a cunning fowler as well as his pawes being a roaring Lyon he maketh snares of our owne sinnes to hold us fast and David himselfe saith of God Vpon the wicked
he shall raigne snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest 1 Snares to hold them then if they be not delivered follow fire and brimstone and they cannot escape This is the case of a sinner if he repent not if God pardon not hee is in the snare of Sathans temptation he is in the snare of divine vengeance let him therefore cry aloud for his deliverance that he may have his feet in a large roome The wicked lay snares for the righteous but God either preventeth them that their soules ever escape them or else he subventeth them The snares are broken and we are delivered No snares hold us so fast as those of our owne sinnes they keepe downe our heads and stoope us that wee cannot looke up a very little ease they are to him that hath not a seared conscience 2 A quo petit from whom he askes Christ directeth us to say Pater noster qui es in coelis Our Father which art in heaven libera nos à malo deliver us from evill David directeth his prayer to God the God of his salvation This prayer is like to speed 1 Oratio plana an open prayer It is confession and prayer for in that he prayeth to be delivered from bloud-guiltinesse he pleadeth guilty to the evidence of bloud Confession hath a great efficacie to induce mercy prayer of great force to obtaine it Here they are in composition and they shew that the two punishments of sinne shame and feare are upon him Confession sheweth his shame prayer sheweth his feare of Gods anger and just vengeance so it is oratio plana an open prayer 2 Legitima lawfull It is an honest lawfull request his soule is Gods for he saith all soules are mine hee desireth deliverance of their soule 3 Plena full He desireth two things herein to be delivered from the sinne of bloud ne relabatur lest he relapse into it from the vengeance due to that sinne ne corruat lest he perish by it so it is oratio plena 4 Recta right Hee knowes that this is a sinne which none but God can pardon he hath not left the dispensation of pardon of this sinne to any subordinate Magistrate on earth he hath deputed under him an avenger of bloud no pardoner therefore he directeth this prayer onely to God so it is oratio recta it goes the right way as he saith I will direct my prayer to God and will looke up 5 Fidelis faithfull It is full of confidence for he calleth God to whom he addresseth himself the God of his salvation My Saviour my King my God challenging a propriety and interest in him so it is oratio fidelis 6 Fervens earnest It is full of zeale and holy earnestnesse and importunitie as appeareth in the â—ngemination here used O God he resumeth it and taketh better hold of him Thou God of my salvation 1 O God is a good invocation for hee heareth prayers 2 Yet to distinguish him from all false Gods hee is so particular as to single him from all other thou God 3 And to magnifie him and to reenforce his Petition he calleth him Deum salutis the God of Salvation which expresseth him able to deliver him for it is his nature and his love and his glory to be a preserver of men 4 And to bring home this joy and comfort into his own heart he addeth salutis meae of my salvation So it is oratio fervens and the Apostle telleth us that such a prayer prevaileth much with God For God may be a Saviour and a deliverer and yet we may escape his saving hand his right hand may skip us Wee can have no comfort in the favours of God except we can apply them at home rather we may thinke on God and be troubled I finde that in David himselfe My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Why art thou so farre from helping me and from the words of my roaring 2 O God I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent This would never have troubled him if he had seene that all had fared alike if he had heard none complaine but it followeth Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted in thee and thou diddest deliver them They cryed unto thee and were delivered But I am a worme and no man despised c. His enemies upbraided him he trusted in the Lord that he would deliver Let him deliver him c. But a stedfast faith laying hold on God as my salvation the decreer the worker the giver of my salvation that armeth me against all the malice of the world against all the sinnes of my soule against all the divels of hell Why art thou so sad c. Confidam in Domino ipse mihi salus I will trust in the Lord he is my salvation But here is a Quaere why David doth in particular desire to be delivered from the sinne of bloud and mentioneth not his great sinne of adultery for which hee did commit that murder That that sin was the fulnes and height of his transgression as the Apostle saith when sin is finished it bringeth forth death so that is the comprehension of the whole transgression If he be freed from that he is câ—â—ere of all When Judas made confession of his sinne hee saith no more but I have finned in betraying innocent bloud that passeth for a full confession yet he sinned in covetousnes also for so one of our Ancients saith Auaritia Christum vendidit Covetousnesse sold Christ yet because his treason was the finishing and full growth and stature of his sin that comprehendeth all the rest The word blouds here used is by Saint Augustine Saint Gregory and others interpreted according to the frequent use of Scripture to contain our whole naturall corruption In multis sanguinibus tanquam in origine peccati multa peccata intelligi voluit In many blouds as in the originall of sin hee would have understood many sins Ad peccata respiciens looking to his sinnes plus dicit he saith more Caro sanguis non possidebunt regnum Dei Flesh and bloud shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Refert ad Vriae caedem referri dicit ad omnia ejus peccata mortaâ—iâ— Hee hath reference to the murder of Uriah and saith that all his mortall sinnes are to be referred to it So Saint Gregory and after them Master Calvine Both Davids sins were sins of hot bloud First bloud enflamed with lust Secondly bloud enflamed with anger and revenge Here was the right bloud of lawfull marriage extinct by murder a propagation of illegitimate bloud added by adultery Uxor a wife became mulier ahenea a brazen-fac'd woman a shamefull and hatefull title So both sins here contained 3 The greater sin is here named for murder is a more hainous sinne then adultery Adultery defileth the body that may be thoroughly washed and made clean but
murder destroyeth the body and spilleth the bloud on the earth like water which cannot be gathered up againe Adultery increaseth the world though with an illegitimate issue murder depriveth the world of a legitimate Here adultery defiled a woman but murther lost the state of a faithfull servant Adultery is an act of peccant nature murther is against nature contrary to humanity Sâ—vire in propriam speciem to be cruell against our own kinde is hainous and therfore lay more heavy upon the conscience of the offendor was more offensive to God and man and needed more speciall deprecation 4 Sins are much weighed according to the measure of comfort given to them and therfore such sins as are done upon a sodain temptation be commonly no other then sins of infirmity Satans surprizes and our overtakings Such was Davids adultery for he was idle he walked on the roof of his house Vidit concupivit accersivit convenit c. He saw desired sent for her confers c. caetera quis nescit the rest who knows not But his other sin a deliberate act of study a premeditated mischief seen and allowed Here was fulnesse of malice depth of cunning fairest pretexts of high favour all to palliate a close designed practice against the life of a faithfull servant Sins on the by are often more hainous then the maine sin As here the making Uriah drunke and killing him worse then the adultery So when we have deceived a neighbour in bargaining the maintenance and supportation of our deceit by lying and swearing defileth the conscience more then the first sin Sinnes that come on for the shelter and occultation or for the defence and justification of any sinne weigh twice their own weight because they seem to make sins out of measure sinfull Adultery should have beene declined but being committed it should have been presently repented but when in stead hereof sin is added to sinne that over-measure of iniquity is more then the first transgression Therefore here wanted not cause from the monstrous provoking condition of this sin to put in a speciall caution by prayer against it that it destroy not utterly 5. When David purposed to build an house to God which was before this fall of his God refused his offer Thou hast shed bloud abundantly thou hast made great wars thou shalt not build an house to my name because thou hast shed much bloud upon the earth in my sight If the bloud of lawfull warre shed in the quarrell of God and his Church did foule Davids hands and made them unfit for that work No question but now David doth consider how he hath shed the bloud of warre in peace How he hath defiled his hands with innocent bloud wilfully shed which taketh from man the privilege of Gods Altar And the conscience of this might well stirre him up to this particular request To be delivered from blouds all serveth to admonish us 1 To be very carefull how we do charge our consciences with deliberate sinnes for they cleave fast and they weigh heavy Repentance hath somewhat to doe to put them off So long as wee go no further then the evill wee would not do and commit sin with reluctation and griefe wee are within the verge of mercy But when once wee commit 〈◊〉 with greedinesse and delight and beare out one sinne with another we forget and forsake quae ad pacem what concerns our peace 2 To do our best to preserve the life of our brother It is our bloud that runs in his veins he is caro de carne nostra flesh of our flesh and calls Adam and Eve father and mother as well as we The vexation that David sustained for this sin may discourage any man to have bloudy hands There is no conveyance to hide and conceal it and grace is hardly obtained to pardon it 2 Promittit hee promises And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousnesse 1 Quod promittit that hee promises 2 Quid what 1 Quod that This may beare a double construction 1 As a vow Lingua mea my tongue c. 2 As a declaration of the effect of that deliverance desired 1 Votum a Vow These be noble and holy great and good thoughts As Araunah spake like a King to David when he offered him his Floore Oxen c. So David speaks like a King to God when he promiseth to do somwhat for him All receive daily benefits of donation of condonation every one desireth his owne turne served but few think of returning to give thanks as the tenth of the Lepers Many seeke the face of God for such things as they want spirituall or temporall few bethink Ego autem quid Domino What shall I render to the Lord David joyneth Petition and Promise with a conjunction copulative Liberame lingua mea Deliver me and my tongue c. They should not part Beneficium Benefit Officium Duty With us one good turn asketh another and they speake to purpose who when they request do also promise And it is happy for us that we have to do with one that may be entreated to doe us favours and to expect our retribution after Thankfulnesse is a great loser by our times 1 It hath got an ill name for bribes and all gifts either to buy or to corrupt justice are called thankfulnesse 2 It hath not the libertie it had it had wont to be free now forced 3 Onely it hath got place for it had wont to follow a benefit now it commonly goes before it Nothing loseth us the favour of God more then our barrennesse If like the earth wee would bring forth an harvest for the seed sowed in us if like the Sea wee did evaporate If like rivers we did return to our Sea whence we came we might have spem augustiorem a fuller hope but commonly we are sepulchra beneficiorum graves of benefits 2 These words may be understood onely to declare the effect of Gods pardon for the joy of it will set him a singing and the favour of it will set him a worke to magnifie the righteousnesse of God It is Davids owne rule O give thanks to the Lord Let the redeemed of the Lord say so But indeed the Prophet here desireth God to set his instrument in tune that hee may sound his prayse For till God deliver him from the foulnesse of sinne he is unclean and cannot be admitted in chorum into the number of singers God will refuse him as before What hast thou to do to declare it But if God be pleased to remove all his sins then he shall be a fit instrument to sound the prayse of God Therefore Augustine Admonet non ut deponat praedicationem sed ut assumat poenitentiam obedientiam It is not as if he ceased to prayse God but that he takes to himself repentance and obedience Ex bono thesauro bona Good things from a good treasury God looked on Abel and his
offering So soon as sin is removed wee are presently fit for prayse It is the generall part of our service of God and it makes our prayers and prayses miscarry when we come to God charged with sins without repentance wash you make you clean c. Then come and let us reason together 2 Quid promittit What hee promises Here observe 1 What instrument he will use for Gods service lingua the tongue 2 Lingua mea my tongue 3 Cantabit shall sing The manner of his service 4 Aloud the intention 5 The argument of his song justitiam righteousnes 6 Tuam Thine 1 Lingua the tongue This is tuba animae the soules trumpet The best member that we have for this service So our old English Church Psalmes doe reade I will sing give prayse with the best member that I have The K. B. readeth I will sing give prayse even with my glory So Awake up my glory awake Psaltery Calvin readeth Exurge lingua arise ô tongue For that is the glorious instrument of Gods prayse The tongue hath an ill name in Scripture because it is the instrument of Gods dishonour and our neighbours great hurt oftentimes The tongue of David had lasciviously courted Uriah's wife and had spoken him faire to his hurt The tongue often blasphemeth God the common crying sinne of the time lying swearing flattering slandering false witnes multiloquium much-speaking turpiloquium filthy-speaking cursing boasting c. There are so many sins of the tongue that Saint Iames saith If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the wholebody But if any man seeme to be religious and bridleth not his tongue this mans religion is vain It is Davids first note of the tenants of Gods house aloft He that speaketh the truth in his heart and backbiteth not with his tongue And it is the first rule for him that desireth life and loveth many dayes that hee may see good Keepe thy tongue from evill and thy lips from speaking guile No lesson so hard to be learned of us here as the wise and â—â—â—creet government of the tongue David promised a singular care of this I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not in my tongue Socrates reports of one Pambâ— an honest wel-meaning man who came to his friend desiring him to teach him one of Davids Psalmes he read to him this Verse He answered This one Verse is enough if I learn it well Nineteen yeers after he said In all that time he had hardly learned that one Verse David is now in a good way to employ his tongue in the service of God For they are out which say with our tongue will we prevaile our lips are our owne who is Lord over us he that distinguished man by this excellent gift from all other his creatures meant it not to him for a rod to scourge himself for a Scorpion to sting his neighbour nor for mans own self punishment There is better use to be made of it as here 2 Lingua mea my tongue God cannot want prayse and glory from his creatures for Coeli eâ—arrant gloriam Dei the Heavens declare the glory of God and one generation prayseth him to another But that is no thanke to thee Lingua mea tua sua thy tongue mine his As David Let every thing that hath breath prayse the Lord. So let every thing that hath a tongue sing aloude c. Thou God of my salvation let it be lingua mea my tongue that sings To say the truth why is it lingua mea my tongue but to serve mine own turn in offices of piety charity it hath not a better employment then the prayse of the Lord. When any thing of ours doth omit or slight duty to our maker our interest in it ceaseth For our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost and our tongue is the Organ of the Church hee that made it tuned it to his prayse Christ cured the dumbe as well as the blinde deafe and lame c. 3 Shall sing This is the voice of joy and gladnesse in the tabernacles of the righteous These carry forth their seed with teares they sowe in teares their dwelling is in convalle laeâ—rymarum in the vale of teares Though they sit by the rivers of Babel they never hang up their Harps they can and do sing the song of the Lord in a strange Land For whatsoever their outward calamities are which often wash their faces with their teares they have upright hearts to God My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour There is in every one of the Elect an outward man which negotiateth in outward things and hee hath his hande full There is also an inward man and he is willing but weak The calamities of life the dishonours done to Gods name and glory by others the failings on our own part in duty our fallings from it doall work our grief and turn our organs into the voice of them that weep Yet in the midst of these sorrowes wee may rejoyce in the Lord like Musique in the cabin when the ship is in a storm My song shall be alwayes of the loving kindnesse of the Lord. Amongst all the favours of God none tasteth stronger of his divine nature none happieth us more in the peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost then his pardon of our sin and deliverance from it Fils dimittuntur tibi peccata tua Sonne thy sinnes are forgiven thee answereth Davids suite Sana animam meam heale my soule for donation the Lord doth not magnifie himself so much in it seeing he hath power over all But to pardon sinnes which do so violate his Majesty and are so contrary to his holinesse and doe so abuse his bounty and free favour this may make us sing I never read that any thing which God gave away grieved him but the sins of men grieve him at the heart and make him repent his making of them Therefore no such provocation to sing as deliverance from sin by pardon Songs were in fashion of old the Church was full of Musique the old Testament full of songs Some of our curious Zelotes cry it down in Churches it did well when time was â— but every particular person receiving Gods gracious pardon of his sin in the spirituall comfort of his conscience shall doe well to declare his thankfull recognition of it and his singular delight in it the cheerfullest way he can Is any merry let him sing 4 Alowd This â— for God for himselfe for the Church 1 For God That his honour may be proclaimed therfore they borrowed the voice of still and lowd instruments David make the voice of his prayse to be heard Dicitâ— in gentibus tell it among the nations Sicut in Câ—lo as in Heaven there the quire of the new IerusaleÌ„ cease not day and night to voice
gold and pictures of silver 3 Ubi Where As there is a time so there is a place to open our lips Christ was like a Lambe non aperies es thou shalt not open thy mouth before Pilate 4 Cus to whom David refrained even from good words whilst the â—icked â—â—â— before him Counsell and reproofe are cast away upon fooles and mad men and scorners Saint Gregory addeth there must be 1 Gravitâ—â— in sensu Weight in the sense 2 Moâ—â—â— in verbis Measure in the words 3 Poâ—dâ—â— iâ— sermone Weight in the words Otherwise wee open our own mouthes God openeth them not It is Davids prayer to God Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keepe the doore of my lips Saint Augustine noteth that it is osâ—iâ—m â—riâ— ergo aperiatur claudatur Aperiatur aâ— confessioneÌ„ â— laudatur ad excusatione in peccati The door of the mouth therfore let it be opened and shut opened to confession shut to excusing of sin And Luâ—olphus faith Aperiri debet Deo clauci diabolo aperiri Deo in oratione claudi in vanalâ—cutione It must be opened to God shut to the Devill opened to God in prayer shut to the Devill in vain-speaking David for ten moneths together was mute sinne had shut up his mouth for as long as we live in impenitencie a spirit of dumbnes possesseth us we cannot neither pray or prayse God In this time his acultery did cry alowd so did Uriahâ— drunkennesse so did his letters to Joab to did the murther of Uriah Now hee prayeth that the mouth of accusation may be stopt and that God would open his mouth that he may speak for himself against these accusing sins that hee may magnifie the loving kindnesse of the Lord. 1 I conceive that this petition for the opening of his lips intendeth a â—itting preparing of him for the praise of God Wee advise well before wee put up a petition in the causes of our estate or good name to any superiour authority More ought wee to God he best knoweth himself how to accommodate us to his service and therefore Domine aperias Lord open thou The necessity of an holy preparation for any part of Gods Service doth admonish and exact an holy advice with God before we go about it Reading of his word meditation invocation of his Name by prayer that hee would put our hearts in tune and set our song of his prayses for us that wee may sing Canticum Domini the song of the Lord and then it will be Canticum Domino a song to the Lord. 2 We may also conclude from hence that though an inward worship of the heart be much commended to us in Scripture so Mary My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spiâ—it rejoyceth â—n God my Saviour and David stirreth up his soule to this service My soule prayse thou the Lord c. Yet that menâ—all and animal service is not all that God requireth hee would have the service also of our lips of our tongue which is our glory And to make the voice of Gods prayse to be heard be saith I wil prayse God with my glory Awake Lute and Harpe awake my tongue of my glory And he calleth upon the Church to prayse him in the sound of the trumpet with timbrell and pipe with stringed instruments and organs Upon the lowd Cymbals upon the high sounding Cymbals For as we have our private Chappels for our private duties the secret of our heart and the closets of our conscience So we have our part in Choâ—â— in the Congregation of Gods Saints and there wee must sing cheerfully and lowd that God may be praysed according to his excellent greatnesse this is heaven upon earth 3. The bold sinners say Our lips are our own who is Lord over us These assume to themselves both power and skill to menage their tongue and acknowledge no Lord above them to restrain or check them David in his Domine aperias Lord open thou confesseth a Lord above him And there is no such way to impudent freedome of speech as a bold contempt of autority It is one of the provoking sins of our time the over-bold liberty of speech and procacity of the pen censuring and depraving Superiours scandalizing all that our dislike hath set light The ground of this gall and worm-wood in the tongues and pens of the time is a vain opinion that there is no Lord over us to stop our mouth and to tongue-tie us Yet wee know the lash of the Law smarteth upon some that shoote for arrowes bitter words and some are made examples of terror to awe others But if men feare not those Lords and Lawes which take this petulancie of the tongue to talke David confesseth a Lord in my Text to whom he committeth the opening of his mouth Domine aperias Lord open thou Let us take heed how we rule our Lips and how wee open them before him for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned And of every idle word that we speake we shall give accompt to him in the day of judgment Evill words corrupt good manners and such as doe evill are but hardned and exasperate by Libels and scandalous obloquies When Michael the Archangell disputed against the Divell about the body of Moses he durst not bring against him a rayling accusation True and just quarrels by intemperancie of the tongue may turne into rayling accusation and it is not reproofe but rayling so Aug. Quicquid lacerato animâ— dixeris malè dixeris Whatsoever thou speakest with a distructed minde thou speakest evill Beloved there is a Lord over us who hath dominion of all our parts if he open our eyes we shall see clearely if he open our earâ—s we shall heare quickly if he open our lippes we shall speake wisely and soberly This is our Master-piece to governe our tongue well to open and shut the doore of our lippes wisely and seasonably He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life but hee that openeth wide his lippes shall have destruction The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lippes but a man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth Who so keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soule from troubles We have no better way to decline the danger of the tongue to reape the good fruit of it then 1 To pray as here Domine labia Lord open thou my lips or as David Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable c. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth 2 To resolve as David to take heed ne peccemus lingua lest wee offend in our tongue To keepe our mouth bridled not to speak thine own words 3 The promise subjoyned setteth the tongue a work and giveth it matter of long and speech And my mouth shall shew forth c. Saint Gregory observeth the sequence of the text first
omnia sanguinem filii ejus His food apparell the use of his time above all the bloud of his Sonne Would these severall seeds of grace yeild him no harvest 2 Our sins our folly trespassing his wisdome our vanity offending his holinesse our falshood his truth our unrighteousnesse his justice our presumption his mercy and our rebellion his power Saint Bernard in meditation of the account for this is all broken heart and all Paveo gehennam paveo judicis vultum ipsis angelicis potestatibus tremendum horreo vermâ—m rodentem ignem torrentem fumum sulphur tenebras exteriores Quis dabit capiti meo aquam oculis meis fontem laâ—hrymarum ut praeveniam fletibus meis fletum stridorem dentium c. Heu me mater mea ut quid genuisti me filium doloris amaritudinis indignationis plorationis aeternae natum in combustionem cibum ignis I feare hell I feare the countenance of the judge to be feared by angelicall powers I feare the worme gnawing the fire broyling the smoke the brimstone the outer darknesse Who will give water to my head and a fountaine of teares to my eyes that I may prevent by my weeping the weeping and gnashing of teeth O my mother why hast thou begotten me a sonne of sorrow of bitternesse of wrath of eternall wayling born to be burnt and to be meat for the fire We are here convicted in two tryals and receive sentence of condemnation in both 1 In the judgement of the Law which wee have broken 2 Of our conscience which pronounceth us children of darknesse and heires of condemnation When the sad consideration of these things hath broken our hearts and ground them to dust then the nest of sinne will be destroyed and concupiscence shall not have where to lay her yong Observe the difference of true Religion from false The gods of the Heathen doe never exact such breaking of hearts of their worshippers Let them have your eye your tongue your knee your gifts and keep your hearts to your selves For they know not whether you give them hearts or no. But our God will have our hearts and hee will have them thus broken and there is no delaying or dallying with him hee searcheth us to the bottome and tryeth hearts and reins We cannot deceive him with unreall semblances The way to heaven is not so easie as most men deem it We must suffer with Christ if we will reigne with him his soule was heavy and he was broken for our sins when the 〈…〉 of our peace lay upon him And we must rent our hearâ—◠〈…〉 not our garments when wee turne to the Lord if we will have mercy and forgivenesse There is nothing that flattereth sin more in us then an opinion of the easinesse of repentance But if we observe David in this Psalme we shall discern that there is no such tribulation as true repentance it is a washing throughly a rubbing and scowring with hysop it will cost hote and scalding water to purge the stains and blemishes of our life It will cost the breaking of our bones strong cryes and supplications that wee may heare of joy and gladnesse It will cost us a breaking first then a new making of our hearts to fill them a present for him who saith My sonne give me thy heart And now what shall I say and what shall I doe unto thee thou preserver of men My heart is not worth the giving to thee If we should search Ierusalem with candles should we finde such a heart O that there were such a heart saith our God in them that they would feare me and keep my Commandements alwayes that it might go well with them and with their children for ever Our broken heart is such an heart when our stubborne will is corrected and made pliant and obedient to the wil of God when our love is taken away from the world and the things therof and fixed on the Lord. When our vast desires are limited to the seeking of the Kingdom of God and the righteousnesse therof When our flattering hopes are taken off from things temporall which profit not and reach out to the promises of God which concern better things When our â—uscious delights are no longer grazed on the green pastures of vain pleasure which saginate them to slaughter but our delight is in the law of God and in that law we do exercise our selves day and night When our strong endevours and labours are not for bread that perisheth but for that which feedeth to everlasting life When our high flowne ambition ceaseth to affect the false and unconstant honors of the world and reacheth forth an hand to the never-withering crown of glory When our feare is not of them that can kill the body and there an end but of him who can deliver soule and body to death eternall When our griefe is not for the punishments we suffer but for the sins that deserve them These be broken and contrite hearts You see to what all that I have said driveth even to stirre up my selfe and you to a true repentance which the Prophet calleth the breaking up of the fallow ground of our hearts Why should our hearts lye fallow and receive no seed and bring forth nothing but weeds It asketh culture digging and ploughing to make it capable of good seed No man casteth away seed upon fallow ground If we would bring forth fruit to God we must suffer the plow the renting and tearing of the share this is repentance John began his preaching at repentance So did Christ And he sent forth his Disciples admonishing men every where to repent If destruction were within forty dayes of us repentance would stand in the gap and keep it out If the Decree were ready for birth repentance would make an aborcement If wee be nailed to the crosse of shame and pain wheron we suffer justly repentance will open Paradise to us If our sins were grained in crimson or scarlet repentance would wash us whiter then snow If our iniquities had hid the face of God from us repentance would uneclipse it and our eies should see our salvation Our sins breake the hearts of others David weepeth for transgressors here is sanguis vulnerati cordis the bloud of a wounded heart O weepe for your selves and your children 2 Sacrifices of God This title given to these Sacrifices called Sacrificia Dei the Sacrifices of God doth shew 1 The necessity 2 The excellency of them 1 The necessity No Nation was ever so irreligious but it acknowledged and worshipped some God Nemo simpliciter atheos No man is simply an Atheist And they thought him that they worshipped worthy of some oblations and gifts It is one of the honors that inferiors do to their superiours to present them with gifts It is recorded of Israel that when God had set Saul over them for their King that the children of Belial said How shall this man save us And they despised him
and brought him no presents They are called men of Belial i. sine jugo without a yoke But of Moab it is said when David had subdued them and they came under his yoke The Moabites became Davids servants an◠brought gifts In the short story of the old World little is recorded of the acts of those persons who lived then Yet this is of the two first brethren before any Law exprest for it In processe of time it came to passe that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought of the first-lings of his flocke and of the fat therof No question instructed by Adam and by him exampled to it and seasoned with that axiome of nature that God must have gifts from us Aristotle that great Naturalist doth maintaine that gifts are of good use for conservation of friendship Every good and perfect gift commeth to us from God Thankfull gifts returned from us to him conserve his friendship The Athenians who worshipped an unknowne God yet had an altar in the street for oblations and sacrifices to be offered to him Not David onely saith Quid retribuam Domino What shall I render unto the Lord But the people who had perverted their wayes by many revolts from God do bethink themselves Wherwith shall I come before the Lord and bow my selfe before the high God Here is not care taken how to shift the charge and to doe it as cheape as may be Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings with calves of a yeare old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oile Shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soule Here are gratulatory and propitiatory and expiatory sacrifices studied to remunerate and to reconcile God It is true that God hath no need of us or our gifts If he were hungry hee would not make his moan to us Yet these tenders of our thankfull duty to him doe acknowledge our love and humble subjection to his government and confesse him Lord of all that we possesse and stoop all that we have to his power and will How glad are wee when our Prince will receive graciously any such present as wee are able to bring him More should it concern us in duty to present our God with our gifts and more cause have we of joy if hee doe accept our persons in them And seeing wee cannot adde any thing to him by any present that we can tender to him for our wel-doing extendeth not to him yet wee may at second hand do him honour in his house by adorning that in his Saints by feeding their hunger clothing their nakednesse healing their sicknesse And with such sacrifices God is well pleased Now that wee have seen in Davids overture what is the most acceptable tender wee can make to God and that a broken spirit and a contrite heart are called the sacrifices of God Wee behold the absolute necessity of these Sacrifices For God must have his due And they be no better then sonnes of Belial that deny him his due herein If wee fall short herein God will lay Felony to our charge You have robbed mee Will a man rob God but ye say wherin have wee robbed thee in tithes and offerings Ye are cursed with a curse for yee have robbed me even this whole Nation God requireth of you broken spirits and contrite hearts and you with-hold them from him You will not endure the smart and paine of contrition The losse of your vain fancies and imaginations The crossing of your sensuall and carnall delights and desires the disquieting of the body of sinne your separation from the World The mortification of your earthly mēhers the crucifying of your old man The bringing of your body into subjection Caro sanguis flesh and bloud cry Durus est hic sermo It is an hard saying And when God demandeth all we have of us as Benhadad of Aram did of Ahab King of Israel wee put him off with this answer This thing I may not do But remember the necessity of this Sacrifice of a broken spirit and a contrite heart For these are Sacrifices to God such as God exacteth of all and without which there is no appearing in his presence Let no man appeare before me empty is his Law and we have no fulnesse but in this Sacrifice How unkindly doe wee take it at the hands of God when we cry unto him and he heareth us not at least as one that did not vouchsafe us the hearing hee doth not grant our requests Yet hee may say of every one of us of some twenty of some forty of others sixty yeers long and more have I been grieved with this generation That is the shame and it threatneth to be the sorrow of our unthankfull Land God hath not his due amongst us though he give us rain and fruitfull seasons Corne and Wine and Oile all the necessaries of life Wee give him not the sacrifices of our broken spirits and contrite hearts which are the sacrifices of God We come off liberally to men to purchase their favour and mediation in our suits and bribes given to men have robbed God of the Sacrifices due to him Let us lay it to heart I reade of the Sybarites a people effeminate and vaine in their sensuall delights that they had a prophecy that their City should subsist till their gods were in lesse estimation then men It fell out that a slave obtaining no mercy at the hands of his Master for the gods take fled to the monument of his Masters Ancestors and for their sakes implored and obtained pardon When Amyris a Philosopher living there heard of this that men were more regarded then their gods hee looked for a ruine to come upon the City fled away from it Shortly after the Crotonians their adversaries subdued them and fulfilled that Prophecy Wee may take home this example to our times and apply it to those with whom God is neglected and men regarded more then God Their voluptuous and Sybariticall life hath opened a way to the indignation of God And they have no way to helpe it but with a full Sacrifice of broken spirits and contrite hearts We need not with the fearfull Philosopher quit our Country forsake our habitations let us remove our crying sins by which God is dishonoured and there will be peace within our walls and prosperity within our Palaces And the eyes of them that desire to see us in the dust shall faile and the ruines of our hearts shall repaire the ruines of our temporall Felicitie 2 This title expresseth the excellency of these Sacrifices they be Sacrifices of God For there be Sacrificia stultorum the Sacrifices of Fooles Be more neere to heare then to offer the Sacrifice of fools they know not that they do evill Cains was not the Sacrifice of God
the voice of them that weep Their whole bodies and mindes and soules are living sacrifices holy unto God and therefore acceptable for so it followeth God will not despise them Here ariseth a Quaere Now wee have seene the excellency and necessity of these sacrifices What hindereth that wee doe not offer them up to God continually We do bear about us a body of sin and in it these hinderances of this excellent and holy service 1 An over-bold presumption of the favour and remisnesse of God in putting us to this pain 2 An over-delight in our works of darknesse and the forbidden pleasures of life 3 A naturall slothfulnesse in doing such things as carry with them painfulnesse in the doing of them 4 A naturall tendernesse of our selves whereby wee do favour our own flesh and cannot put it to griefe 5 The cares of life I Presumption on the favour of God to us We think the word more severe and the killing letter of it more cutting then it need to be and the minister of this word more harsh then is cause We confesse that for terrour these things are set down and the Ministers must threaten us with heavy judgement if our hearts be not broken But it is God who is veiled in the parable of that Master to whom his servant deep in his debt came and besought him for favour and hee forgave him all the debt So we confesse that this sacrifice of broken hearts is a due debt but our Master is so gracious and pitifull to forgive it all There be many fair spoken texts that seem to nourish this presumption in us As a father hath compassion of his children so hath the Lord compassion but it is on them that fear him not on them that presume on him And the parable of that father of the prodigall who did not so much as chide his unthrifty son but met him afarre off fell on his neck welcomed him with a kisse and feasted and clothed him doth expresse a great tendernesse But let no man presume upon that for that sonne came home with a broken hart Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee Non sumdignus vocari fac me unum ex mercenariis tuis I am not worthy to be called and make me one of thy hyred servants His father was sensible of his contrition hee was lost by his sin and found in his repentance he was dead by the wound of his own conscience and made alive by his fathers favourable pardon receiving him againe to his grace And the servant to whom his master forgave all his debt was put to his miserere have mercy his master saw his heart broken with the grief of his debt and heard his willing protestation to pay all and received his humble supplication for mercie God is a loving Father but not indulgent he loveth not so but that he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom hee receiveth for â—ods are for the backs of fools Iudgment beginneth at the house of God and the righteous are hardly saved Saint Peter would put any man out of heart to presume too much upon the favour of God for by three great examples he declareth the severe justice of God against sin For if God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into chains of darknesse to be reserved unto judgment And spared not the old world bringing in the floud upon the world of the ungodly â—urning the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished 2. Peter 2. 4. Presumption doth make an Idole of God for it advanceth the mercy of God against his holinesse which hateth sinne against his truth which threatneth sinne against his justice which punisheth sinne Presumption crucifieth againe the Lord Iesus and layeth on more stripes upon him Presumption resisteth grieveth quencheth the holy Ghost by whom wee are sealed to the day of Redemption and so boldly trespasseth the whole Trinity I need not urge any other evidence against presumption on the favour of God then his severity against his own Son Misit dedit non pepercit non fuit dolor sicut He sent he gave he spared him not there was no sorrow like unto his And was this to quite us from all passion No if wee suffer with him wee shall also reigne with him hee did not drinke of a sponge of vineger and gall Transeat calix Let this cup passe from me Hee began the health of his Spouse the Church all the faithfull must doe him right they owe him a pledge Some are put to it to suffer for him none are exempt from suffering with him This is the least and easiest plunge wee can be put to to break our hearts with contrition for our own sins ò mihi tum quà m molliter ossa quiescent ô then my bones shall take their sweet repose When I can tender to my God a broken heart no laceration no dissipation of it can so unfashion it but that he can put it together again like the dry bones in Ezech. Vision and say unto it live In our mortification it dieth a naturall heart in our first resurrection it riseth againe a spirituall heart I conclude with Davids suite O keepe thy servant from presumptuous sins that they have no dominion over me so shall I be innocent from the great offence 2 A second impediment to the sacrifice of a broken heart is an over-delight that we take in the vain pleasures of life God was pleased to make a singular triall of two men in two contrary wayes for example of others 1 Hee made tryall of his servant Job by afflictions they came upon him suddenly and they came thick In all the things wherin he had blessed Job above most men he afflicted him beyond example In his honor autority he tryed him with disgrace and contempt In a fair posterity he tried him with orbitie In his abundance of riches he tryed him with poverty In his friends with paucity he had few left and they proved grievous to him In his health he afflicted his body with painfull and lothsome diseases and sores Yet you have heard of the patience of Job saith the Apostle hee came off faire In all this Iob sinned not neither did hee charge God foolishly 2 His servant Solomon he tryed with honour riches and power with victory over his enemies and the cup of temporall pleasures of life he made to over-flow never did any man on earth drinke so deep of that cup. In this tryall Solomon miscarried pleasures stole away his heart Solomon lost his integrity his wisdome wherin he excelled all that were before him was benighted in him the salt in him was infatuate Such power have worldly pleasures against wisdome See his Ecclesiastes
cut saile But to stemme the tyde of nature asketh more it comes to Hic labor hoc opus est This is pains-taking with a witnesse and requireth Multa tulit fecitque even to sudavit alsit Hee suffered much and sweat endured cold and heat Me thinks I heare the Master of the Vineyard say to us Quid statis hîc otiosi Why stand you here idle How easily did God make man and a paradise for man But for his Vineyard we read of digging and fencing and building and weeding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thinke on it A fourth impediment our tendernesse of our selves Every man is his own Satan and saith parce tibi spare thy selfe No man ever hated his own flesh All the work of mortification which belongeth to the breaking of the heart is very grievous to flesh and bloud For behold this thing that ye have been godly sorrie 1 What carefulnesse it hath wrought in you 2 Yea what cleering of your selves 3 Yea what indignation 4 Yea what feare 5 What vehement desire 6 What zeale 7 What revenge Here is a great burthen to be born and here is a crosse that flesh and bloud hath no heart to take up 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 study this word doth comprehend 1 Great inward carefulnesse to please God in absteining from sin 2 Earnest endevour to doe that which may be acceptable in Gods sight 3 Speed and cheerfull expedition to accomplish this We need go no further in this duty then that care that we take for our temporali good let our soules be as precious in our sight as our bodies are and let us do as much for God as for the World So the Apostle As you have given your members servants to unrighteousnesse c. 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this signifieth defence to plead our cause with God not in the Court of justice for our merits will not justifie us but in the Court of mercy for our true Repentance will exonerate us 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sorrow of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valdè greatly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onus We must groan under the burthen of sin for Repentance doth not satisfie of it self and our excuse and defence of our selves doth not take away our just vexation of our selves for our sins Considering 1 Who we are 2 Against whom we sin 3 How much and long 4 For how small gain 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feare this extendeth both to 1 The judgment following our sins committed 2 The conscience of our fraile condition and propension to sin which must make us fearful of Relapses and temptations to new sins 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vehement desire the indignation before mentioned and the feare serve to pluck us back this desire is a spur to put us on Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee Here sin beginneth at a vehement desire of evill and this must be changed the same earnestnesse reteined onely the object therof better chosen 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 zeale this is that fire from heaven which consumeth the light crash of our vanities and enflameth the desire before named this carries up our prayers and almes and all our good affections and operations as high as heaven This breedeth in us an holy emulation of our brethren whereby we strive to exceed one another in the duties of Religion The Apostle would have us servent in spirit 7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe-revenge this is judging and punishing our selves that we may escape the hand of God Castâ—gâ— corpus â—ncum I chasten my body This is done by watching fasting and depriving our selves of the pleasures of sinne God who cannot endure us to revenge our owne quarrell against others likes our revenge taken against our selves The true penitent doth afflict his soule and is all bitternesse of heart for sinne he taketh up his crosse and followeth Christ This amounteth to a great deale more then Lord have mercy upon us And it is so much that when we come to examine whether our hearts be truly broken we shall very few of us finde this worke done for feare of the griefe and paine that are in true repentance For it is truth that there is no such affliction in the world as a true breaking of the heart is 5 Impediment the cares of life These breake the heart the wrong way for we have many feares which much disquieâ—us 1 From our selves lest our own improvidence should undo us if we should take so much time from our necessarie businesses as the duties of Religion do exact this makes many keepe home when they should be at Church and the world will not give them leave to serve God 2. From our brethren for every man commonly is so much for himselfe as abateth the help we should have one from another And so many lye in secret await to mend their owne heaps by lessening and impairing their neighbours that a curious warmesse is necessarie And this it is that maketh our life a continuall watch to save our owne from the injury of men of Christians There is a contentious sort of men that are ever vexing their brethren with molestation of suits There be base people that are prying what they may pilfer And there are cunning cheaters that practise upon their brethren by frauds The truth is here is enough for us all for the earth God hath given to the children of men If they that have most of it would know that their full cups should overflow to the use of their brethren and would so dispose the over-measure there could be no want God is much displeased 1. Because we generally do want the faith of his providence not caring for him onely and casting all our other cares upon him 2. Because we walk inordinately for we should first seeke the kingdome of God and then all these things 3 Because we distract our hearts with immoderate care as if God had set us here to feed our selves Christ disswadeth and forbiddeth this 4. Because often enough doth not content us we do love to have to look upon 5 Because in the use of these outward things many take more then their share wasting and consuming more then needs There may be found for use enough which waste will soone consume Christ chose a poore condition of life such as required other mens charitie to relieve it The bagge that Judas bore was not of rents but of almes he sent to a fish in the sea for money to pay tribute He fed many by his miraculous power he shewed his power upon himselfe rather in fasting then in feasting himselfe Yet having nothing his followers could confesse they wanted nothing 1 I confesse that too much love of the world and the iches thereof 2 And too many wayes for expense pride gluttonie drunkennesse ambition contention luxurie spend apace 3 But the poore do harden the hearts of the rich against them 1 By their
idlenesse 2 By their dishonesty and falshood 3 By their waste 4 By their unthankfulnesse To settle the heart against this distraction of cares 1 Thinke how these cares came first in â— for God placed man in a Paradise in full possession of all things necessarie for him sinne shut him out thence and lodged him where Luctus ultrices posuere cubilia curae Sorrow and care residents are Let us labour by repentance to remove sinne and cares will give way presently 2 Let us see how farre by the sentence of the Iudge upon man our â—â—re is extended We shall finde that the tartnesse and acrimonie of the sentence is sweetned with a blessing for in judgement God remembreth mercie The sentence is In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eate bread till thou returne to the ground Here is 1 In sudore in sweat this sweat that cometh of labour and exercise is wholsome and preserveth health labour is now enjoyned Qui non laborat ne manducet He that labours not let him not eate This is no such great affliction for we can be well content to sweat at our pleasures 2 In sudore Faciei in the sweat of thy face he saith not In angore cordis in sorrow of thy heart Omni custodia custodi cortuum With all keeping keepe thy heart Mi fili praebe mihâ— cor My son give me thy heart Christ ne turbetur cor vestrum let not your heart be troubled 3 Vescêris thou shalt be fed if we go not further A small matter may serve for food Nature is no great demander here is no gluttonous waste allowed 4 Pane with bread this is all we may aske of God Panem nostrum Our bread And no further should our care streine then the necessaries of life and no other way then in the way of our calling 5 Donec untill for we shall not be alwayes drudges to the flesh we have our donec untill and then all the cares of life determine They that will studie and labour for bread for posteritie may overdoe Fathers are allowed to lav up for their children but let them take heed they cast them more upon Gods providence then their owne provisions for them lest God blow upon them You may observe it that commonly such as rise to wealth from low beginnings are commonly most carefull to heape up for their children None trust God lesse then they and no estates are sooner blasted then theirs God never intended when he placed us in the world to make us for the world he set our face a better way Many have found the cares of this world such hinderances to repentance of sinnes such encreasers rather of sinne such remora's to godly life that they have freely abandoned the world and embraced a necessitous poverty rather then they would teare themselves with these thornes 3 The acceptation of this sacrifice with God O God thou wilt not despise There are none more despised in the world amongst the braves and gallants of the earth then those who go mourning all the day long for their sinnes But O God thou wilt not despise such How many great adulteries murthers and soule sinnes have beene committed by Kings and great persons But what say the books of time or what can our observation of our time testifie of broken and contrite hearts for them Our comfort is if grace do so farre prevaile against corrupt nature to sanctifie it to true repentance God will accept it we shall do well to see some examples of broken hearts and how they have beene accepted with God 1 Of Solomon who after his surfeit of all temporall pleasures made a whole booke of recantation and repentance wherein he calleth all those pleasures of life which had carried him away from God Vanitie and Vexation of spirit vanitie of vanities and concluded that the end of all things is to feare God and keep his Commandments How God accepted him we need no other proofe then that book of the Preacher received into the Canon of holy Scripture 2 Of Manasseh king of Judah for his sinnes were high growne and like an harvest of corne yellow for the sickle of divine vengeance He did evill in the sight of the Lord like to the abhominations of the heathen What his Father Hezechiah had done to remove idolatry he undid built up againe the abhominations which he had ruined He made his children passe through the fire he used witchcraft erected an Idoll in Gods house wrought much evill in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger A greater sinner I read not of theÌ„ Manasseh was And when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his Fathers and prayed unto him and he was entreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him againe to Jerusalem where he brought forth fruits worthy of Repentance For he fortified the City of God he removed the Idols which he had set up and he repaired the Altar of the Lord and offered peace-offerings thereon 3 Of Mary Magdaleno the sinner whose broken and contrite heart had comfort in the pardon of her sinnes and Christs first appearance to her 4 Of the poore Publicane who came his owne accuâ—er into the Temple and went away justified more then the proud Pharisee 5 Of Simon Peter upon whom Christ looked and that looke sent him forth to weepe bitterly And his Master forgave him and imployed him in his Church Such is the unlimited loving-kindnesse of God to broken hearts For Christ was sent of purpose to binde up the broken-hearted The Apostle saith that there is breadth and length depth and height in the love of God 1 For breadth The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord. 2 For length His mercie is for them that feare him from generation to generation 3 For depth Where sinne aboundeth grace superaboundeth 4 For height Thy mercies are exalted above the heavens 1 In breadth like the garment of Sem and Japhet which covered their Fathers nakednesse 2 In length like the ladder of Jacob whose foot on earth whose top reached heaven 3 In depth like the Red-sea which swallowed Pharaoh and his hosts 4 In height like the ascension of Christ into heaven seene till a cloud involved him For our God is gentle milde and gracious and passeth by offences Let Jacob repent and he seeth no iniquitie in him Gods pardon healeth broken hearts for it removeth sinne In those dayes saith the Lord the iniquitie of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sinnes of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve Sinners converted joy him how welcome was the Prodigall to his Father he had not so much as a chiding for all his loosenesse and waste There is joy in heaven over every convert David hath done for himselfe here he endeth his suit for himselfe By this
that I should sinne against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you God to Abimelech Now therefore restore the man his wife for he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee So when the Lord had reproved the unkinde friends of Iob who had not spoken of God the things that are right he biddeth them to prepare a sacrifice for themselves and saith My servant Iob shall pray for you for him I will accept We must not conceive that God is an accepter of the persons of men to regard one man more then another in regard of his person neither is one place for it selfe more esteemed then another But by speciall priviledge there is difference put betweene persons and places in regard of the ordinance of God The Priestand the Prophet hath an office imposed on him to pray for others The Church is Domus oratioâ—is the House of Prayer by speciall consecration therefore both such men and such places are a readier way to God 3 Consider him as King Kings under God are heads of the Churches under their dominions and God hath committed the care of his Churches to them David was anointed by God to this supremacie the chiefe Priest in those dayes did not Lord it over Gods heritage as the Bishop of Rome now doth in all those Nations over whom he claimes the primacie As by all other possible wayes so especially by holy and devout prayers good Kings ought to seeke and procure the peace and welfare of the Church The Common-wealth is the body the Church is the soule of the State Kings that wish their Realmes well do discerne that there is a power above theirs For the Lord is King the earth may be glad thereof That King of kings before whose throne all the kings of the earth must cast their crownes he must be sued to By him Princes reigne And God having committed his Church to their government for him how can they better acquite themselves of that dutie and exonerate themselves of that great care then by devolving the same againe upon Gods protection by their holy and humble prayer David did commend his Church to the prayer of all the faithfull O pray for the peace of Jerusalem He propounded a forme of blessing 4 Consider David as a penitent newly converted to God after a great defection from him and Gods spirituall desertion of him Now having offered to God a sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart now his prayer is againe in season For now God rejoyceth in him he delighteth in God and the prayers of such are welcome to the throne of grace God heareth not sinners 1 Such as continue in their sinne without repentance But if with all our hearts we turne to him he will turne to us repentance hath removed the sinnes that separated betweene God and us And what should a true penitent rather desire of God then the well-fare of his Church for in the peace thereof he shall have peace This is a good remonstrance of our sincere conversion to God when we seeke to do good to his Jerusalem Here is piety to God for the house of Gods sake for Religion and the worship of God Here is charity to our neighbours for our brethren and companions sakes And these be the fruits of repentance and newnesse of life here is that love which is the fulfilling of the Law of God even the love of God and the love of our neighbour 2 For whom he petitioneth 1 For Sion 2 For Jerusalem 1 For Sion This was an high mountaine then within Ierusalem and here was that strong peace which the lebusites did fortifie against David He reigned seven yeares in Hebron before he could recover the Fort of Sion and before he could expell the Iebusites thence They were so confident in the naturall strength of this place and in their militarie fortification of it that they ieâ—red David when he came against it saying to him Except thou take away the blinde and lame Non intrabis thou shalt not enter Thinking David cannot come in hither The meaning is they were so confident in the strength of Sion that they thought their blinde and lame able to deâ—â—nd it against all the force of David But David tooke it and possessed it and seated his owne royall house there and it was after called the Citie of David It was the highest of those hills that compassed Ierusalem of which David As the mountaines are round about Jerusalem so is the Lord round about his people And this mountaine semi-circled Ierusalem on the South part of the same But not the naturall or artificiall strength of the place did so much honour it as the holinesse thereof for it was famous in the Prophets that way For out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord out of Ierusalem This prophecie was fulfilled in the Messiah for the promulgation of the Gospell came thence So Christ himselfe said that Repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name beginning at Ierusalem Sion is first named as being the chiefe ornament and strength of the Citie and the seat of the Kings royall palace 2 Ierusalem called the Citie of the great King of which many excellent things are spoken and especially it is honoured with the right and just title to be the mother Church and all other Churches in the world are the daughters of Sion And it is named often in holy Scripture and is to be here understood as the representatorie body of the whole Church And it is also a figure of the full Church of the glorified Saints which is called the new Ierusalem the mother of us all So it is cleare for whom David here prayeth even for the whole â—ody of the militant Church This example of David doth teach that we ought not to pray onely for our selves charitie begins at home but it endeth not it ceâ—â—eâ—h not there Christ in his forme of prayer directeth us to seeke further then for our selves Pâ—ter noster â—a noâ—â—â— diâ—â—itte nobis â—e nos inâ—â—cas libera nos Our Father give us forgive us leade not us deliver us Saint Ambrose Si proâ—e â—olâ— prote soluâ—â—raâ—is Si pro â—â— nibus â—â—g as 〈…〉 pro is â—â—g â—â—unt If thou pray for thy selfe onely thou alone shalt pray for thy sefe if thou pray for all all shall pray for thee In things concerning this life we are loath to pray too earnestly for our brethren 1 Out of a naturall distrust that we have in God we feare that he hath not enough for us all 2 Out of a naturall covetouâ—â—esse that wee have to have all 3 Out of a pride which putteth us into an ambition to exceed and out-shine others 4 Out of naturall envy that we have at the well-being of others These â—e grosse and sinfull corruptions in us and they do trespasse both piety and charitie Our Saviour hath directed us better for he teacheth us to pray
for this life no â—arther then panâ—m quotidianum our daily bread And there is enough to suffice nature in the world without any mans want And our sentence in Adam was Vesâ—â—r is paâ—e thou shalt eate thy bread c. The sonne of Iakeâ— Give me not riches feed me with food convenient for mâ— This limitation may destroy in us all these corruptions of distrust of covetousnesse of pride of envie For that feare which undoeth charitie lest God should abate from us to supply the want of others we have great examples oâ— his â—ulnesse The poore widow payed her debt with oyle she was relieved and no body the worse for it Christ payed his tribute and no body had the lesse he sent to sea to a fish and had it He improved a short provision â—o the suffisance of many We need not feare to pray one for another God is rich to all that call upon him 2 Secondly we are here taught to pray God for the state of his Church she is our mother let us seeke her peace Here we were new borne of water and the holy Ghost At her breasts we sucke the sincere milke of the Word of God she feedeth us with strong meat and feasteth us with the body and bloud of our Redeemer We have great cause to ply God with our devoutest supplications and to give him no rest for his Church for his Lillie is ever among thornes And his Church complaineth Circâ—ndederunt me tanquam apes They have compassed me about like Bees Strepitus a noyse and stimulus a sting We see the bow of God bent against our brethren in other Lands we see the enemie prevaile and insult What are we or how have we setled the favour of God upon us that we should be spared in the day of his wrath or that a Passeover of mercie should skip our Cities and townes and houses We may in the inventorie of our sinnes reade our danger better then we can discerne an issue out of it in the course that we runne Let our prayers comfort the sorrows of the Church and establish our comfort And let our teares runne downe like a river day and night and let not the apple of our eye cease Let us poure forth our hearts like water before the face of the Lord and lift up our hands towards him for his favour to his poore distressed Church God seeth the corne yellow and ready for the sickle the day of the Lord is at hand it was hor a novissima the last houre in Saint Johns time now the last minute of that houâ—e approacheth he is comming to judge the world in righteousnesse And judgement beginneth at his owne house Turne thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned renew our dayes as of old 3 The petition Do good Do good O Lord to the good and to them that are upright in their hearts Deale favourablie or bounteously Benignefac Do good Lâ—rgam benedictionem impende Bestow a great blessing Which may be done 1 Peccata diâ—â—ttendâ— by forgiving of sinnes 2 Graciam conferendo by giving of grace And this is the summe of Davids whole supplication for himselfe he knows that all the members of the Church have need of this favour The petition in the letter hath respect to Sion and Ierusalem and desireth the bountie of God to them For God hath promised to receive an house there builded to his name and to establish his holy Arke there the visible Sacrament of his reall presence This was also after performed and not onely the outward peace and strength and plentie and honour of Ierusalem is here desired but the establishing also of the holy worship of God and the seats of justice as after This is good for Ierusalem for any state when Religion and justice are cherished But this is not all he looketh prophetically into the state of the universall Church to the worlds end and prayeth for the welfare of it That God would do it good that he would be favourable to it in his bountie It is a short prayer Subita ejaculatio a sudden ejaculation but it is full of content for it may comprehend summam petendorum the summe of thing to be prayed for It is the Lord prayer in little for wherein may we desire or God shew us favour which may not be comprehended in this petition Do good Every good and perfect gift cometh from this Father of lights to whom David saith Thou art good and thou doest good This request of David Benefac do good doth begge the favour of God to Ierusalem For it is not peace nor strength nor plentie nor honour nor victory over enemies that can make a state happy except God be pleased to turne all these in bonum to good Therefore they have fared better that have fed on green herbs then they that have had their share of a stalled oxe Daniel thrived better of his pulse then others â—ed from the Kings trencher Riches have beene given to the owners of them for hurt The prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them Many carefull parents gather wealth for their children which proves their ruine therefore our prayer in all things must be Benefac c. Do good For neither prosperity shall corrupt our faith nor adversitie our patience If God do us good we shall finde as David Bonum est mihime affâ—igi It is good for me to be afflicted 4 The limitation of the petition In thy good pleasure We must take â—eed in all ouâ— suits to God that we submit our selves to the holy will of God And that we confine our desires to his good pleasure Not like unto Israel who turned backe and tempted God and limited the holy One of Israel God is many wayes limited by us in our petitions 1 If we â—â—â—â— his power by our infidelitie doubting whether he can performe to us what we desire As Israel Can God furnish a table in the wildernesse They remembred â—â—â— his hand 2 If we limit his goodnesse and mercy doubting whether he will do us good which is a great wrong to him from us after our full experience of his loving kindnesse to David was perplexed Hath God forgotten to be gracious â—â— his mercy cleane gone for evermore But he recovered and calleth this his own infirmity and remembred the yeares of Gods right hand 3 For the kinde of favour we may limit God if we hold him to this speciall favour and leave him not to his owne wisedome to do us good in what kinde he pleaseth The Lord hath copiosam redemptionem plentifull redemption and he will either give quod petimus what we aske or quod novit utilius what he knows to be more profitable Christ Take this cup from me but with reservation of the libertie of his Father Si vis If thou wilt 4 For the quantity of favour we limit God when we appoint him in what measure he shal relieve uâ— and how much good he
shall do us Therfore David here in the beginning of this Psalme desireth to reâ—er himself to Gods good pleasure according to his mercy so as God may magnifie his mercy in the grant of his petition For weere member that our first request is the foundation of all prayer Hallowed be thy name For all our desires must respect the glory of God chiefly our owne good at second hand 5 We may limit our God in respect of time if we set him a time wherin hee must shew us favour or not at all So Oâ—ias promised to yield Bethulia â—f God relieved them not within five dayes Which Judith after reproved If he will not help us within these five dayes hee hath power to defend us when hee will every day Doe not binde the counsels of the Lord our God for God is not as man that he may be threatned neither is he as the sonne of man that hee should be wavering Therefore let us wait for salvation of him and call upon him to help us and hee will heare our voice if it please him We are commonly in haste either when we ayle any thing and would be delivered out of our suffering Or when wee want and would be supplyed or when we hope for any good and would come to the possession of it This is for want of Faith For Qui credit non festinat He that beleeves makes not haste The best way then to prevent these evils which corrupt our prayers is to limit our selves and to refer all our requests to the good pleasure of God Wee have great reason to doe so for wee are safest in that Wee may thanke the good pleasure of God for all wee have for all we hope for Here the foundation of our welfare was laid in our election Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will And when we are capable of heavenly light Hee maketh knowne to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himselfe So Christ I thanke thee Father even so Father Quiabene placuit tibi because it was thy pleasure And the dayes of our life are here limited to his good pleasure wee fulfill our time inconsilio Dei according to Gods counsell And at last Feare not little stock for it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome Wee have great reason to stoop all our desires to this good pleasure of God For it is a safe harbour against all stormes Let God be pleased and nothing can succeed improsperously to us It was the rest of the Disciples when they saw no remedie but that Paul would goe up to Jerusalem we ceased saying â—iat voluntas Domini the will of the Lord be done 2 Petition Build thâ—n the walls of Ierusalem In the letter Ierusalem was but newly come into Davids possession he wonne it by war and now hee was to build and to fortifie there Hee commendeth this good worke to the blessing of God For except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it The Heathen never built Cities but they invocated some one god or goddesse to whose tutelary protection they commended it David a King full of power and riches and good will to employ these upon Jerusalem doth prostrate all to Almighty God and desires him to be the builder The Prophet teacheth the use of this point when he saith Commit thy wayes to the Lord and trust in him and hee shall bring it to passe Whatsoever by Faith wee commit to him is both safe in his protection and wisely done by his direction and without sinne by his holinesse and fully by his power working with us working for us and it is accomplisht perfectly against all opposition If God prevent us with his gracious favour and further us with his continuall help all our works begun continued ended in him prosper in our hands Pray therfore Prosper thou the wâ—rke of our hands upon us prosper thou our handy-work 2 David for all his trust in God and assrance of his protection yet neglecteth not the outward means of safety For though Jerusalem was encompassed with Mountains and naturelly defended against an enemy yechee would have the Citie walled â—difiâ— a â—â—â—â—s build walls For our Faith doth not evacuate the use of good means Treasure Victuall Armour Wals Fortifications and men to manage these are the sinewâ— of Cities and Common-wealths Moses on the top of the Hill praying Aarâ—n and Hâ—â— supporting his hands and Joshâ—a beneath with an Army fighting against Amalek wee must worke and God prosper it After David came to make Jerusalem the Chamber of the King the seat of the Kings Throne he much enlarged and beautified and fortified it Solomon did â—uch more and succeeding Kings added both strength and beauty and roome to it Yet all we devise and do in this kind for safety is nothing without the hand of God Hee must build us our walls or else like the walls of Jericho these will fall down of a sudden Means must not be neglected but means must not be trusted Walls are no fencâ—â—â—inst God but with his blessing they are impregnaâ—â— What are our Armies if God go not forth with them what are the walls and guard of our strong Cities if God keep not the City Therfore let Jerusalem have walls but let them be of his building for outward meanes with his blessing faile not of effect Ierusalem was more safe in Gods favour then in their walls For though it was compassed with three walls one without another a great distance and streets and houses between and seemed an impregnable piece yet when God withdrew his protecting hand from it Nebuchadnezâ—â— after it had flourished 477 yeers came upon it and laid it waste for 70 yeares It was after the returne of the people from Babylon rebuilt yet was it unwalled for 63 yeeres after then Nehemiah within 50 days walled it and was in flourish 562 yeeres till the Romans delivered it There perished in it 110000 by Famine Pestilence and the Sword of the enemies and intestine sedition It was after in the possession of Christians now in the hand of the great Turke We â—â—e in this example how sinne destroyeth the most flourishing States and poureth them from veslel to veslel It is not Wals nor Mountains Men nor Treasure that can preserve without God against God Therfore when we have done all we can pray for Jerusalem Sit pax in praemâ— nitione tua Peace be within thy walls But the prayer of David hath a further extent then that City he desireth the building of the walls of Gods universall Church the defence propugnation of the spouse of Christ She hath need of strong walls and of Gods own building for she hath many enemies God said to his sonne Be thou ruler in the middest of thine enemies So soon as we have