Saviour expresseth when he calleth upon his Disciples and in them all Christians to let their light shine before men to wit the light of grace within shine in the actions of their lives without that men seeing their good works might glorify their Father which is in heaven a good heart delighteth God but it a good life honoureth him It is the fruitfulnes of the vineyard which credits the husbandman when we bring forth much fruit then is our Father glorified 2. It is our walking that edifyeth others It is not fire in the embers but fire that flameth forth which warmeth it is not grace in the heart but in the life that profiteth if the believing husband would gain the unbelieving wife or wife the husband S. Pauls advise is so let him walk if we would be exemplary to others it must be in walking before others it is not our inward disposition but our outward conversation which hath an influence on them with whom we converse 3. It is our walking that in some sense justifieth our selves Nothing so truly speaketh a man as his conversation a man is not alwayes what he seemeth or saith but he is what he doth 1. This justifieth the reality of our inward disposition to man God indeed judgeth the actions by the affections but men judge of our affections by our actions Show me thy faith saith Saint James by thy works so say men show us your faith your love by your works Every tree is known by its fruits saith our blessed Saviour by what we do men know what we are 2. Yea this justifieth the truth of our good affections in themselves Indeed an heart enlarged will not onely walk but run the way of Gods Commandements and therefore saith S. Gregory where love is present there will be a proportionable acting and if there be a refusing to act it argueth love to be absent The truth is love is neither idle nor weary it is willing to walk and the walk seemeth easy so much S. John expresseth when he saith this is the love of God that we keep his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous 3. Nay yet once more this justifieth the sincerity of our intentions in the sight of God They are Christs express words If any man love me he will keep my commandements onely the obedient is an acceptable lover in Christs account yea his Judiciall proceeding at the last day will not be according to what is within but what is without nor will God onely or so much enquire at that day what thy thoughts or thy desires have been as what thy actions have been Let none therefore flatter themselves in their good meanings devout affections pious intentions whilest yet their lives are barren and fruitless as men do not gather grapes of thornes nor figs of thistles so neither can thorns be gathered from grapes nor thistles from figs and as we cannot expect a clean thing from an unclean so neither an unclean thing from a clean It is a meere delusion to think that an holy heart can consist with a prophane life nay to allude to Saint Johns expression if any may say he love God and walketh not before him he is a lyar Since his practise giveth the lye to his prosâ—ssion and the dissonancie of his life proclaimeth a no to what he saith with his lips And therefore let us all think we heare Christ speaking to us as he did to his Spouse Let me see thy countenance to wit in good works so the Chaldoes Paraphrase as well as heare thy voyce and again Set me as a seal upon thy heart as a signet upon thy arm not onely upon thy heart by a pious affection but on thy arm by a religious conversation this is that which David here purposed when he saith I will walk 2. The Conjugation is no less Observable than the verb as giving to it the signification of a frequentative hence the same word is rendred elswhere a going on and here by Vatablus continenter ambulabo I will continually walk so that we have hereby some thing further expressed concerning the matter of Davids resolve namely a progressive constancy in a religious conversation That you may discern what plain footing this truth hath in this Scripture be pleased to trace it in these three steps 1. The Metaphor it self of walking intimateth so much To walk is not to take a step or two in a path but to continue going till we come to our journeys end nor is it only a continued but a progressive motion every step a man taketh he gaineth more ground and is so much neerer the term of his motion 2. The conjugation carieth in it an addition to the verbe walking implieth a repetition of steps and this a frequency of walking indeed the most proper signification of it is reciprocall but sometimes it is frequentative and in this verbe it is most suitably so to be construed assiduè continuò ambulare to walk on daily and constantly 3. The meaning of those words in the land of the living may be understood in the same sense with those at the second verse as long as I live and so they confirm this truth Davids purpose is to serve God not only for a day or a year but always during the whole time of his abode in this world This then is the pattern here set before us as not to be good onely within but without so not onely to be good but better yea to hold fast our goodnes to the end Indeed as the moralist saith una actio non denominat it is not one action that denominateth a man either vertuous or vitious no man so evill but may do some good nor so good but may do some evill on the one hand we find Cain sacrificing Saul Prophecying Jezabel fasting Ahab humbling and the Pharisees praying on the other hand we may observe a Noah overtaken with wine a Lot committing Incest a David falling into adultery and a Peter guilty of perjury It is not then particular acts but the generall course of the life by which we must judge either our selves or others Apposite to this purpose is Saint Basils note on these words of the Psalmist he that walketh uprightly It is not he that hath walked but he that doth walk for one action doth not speak a man good but his frequent practice Indeed this is that which differenceth a godly from a wicked man the wicked man like the thief may sometimes cross the Kings high way but still his walk is in by-paths the godly man may sometimes be drawn aside into a by-path but still Religion is his road and therefore if thou wouldst passe a right censure observe these two things the constant bent of thy heart and course of thy life ask thy self what is my love whither tends my walk and accordingly judge righteous judgment And as this must be the rule of thy censure so
let it be the scope of thy endeavour to walk constantly in the way of righteousness We read concerning Henoch that it is twice said he walked with God once about the beginning of his age after he begat Methuselah and againe before his translation to intimate his continuance in that walk till the end of his life It is that which the Scripture calleth for under the Metaphor of standing as well as walking so the Apostle Paul adviseth the Ephesians having done all to stand as a pillar in the building perseverance being the pillar of obedience or rather as a souldier in the field who keepeth his ground It is the desire of David that the lifting up of his hands might be as an evening sacrifice Saint Chrysostome asketh the question why not as a morning sacrifice and he answereth it aptly to this present purpose because the morning sacrifice expects the evening but when the evening is done the service of the day is finished such would David have his service to be not onely begun but compleated Very fitly is this expressed by that phrase of supping with Christ it is not enough to break our fast with him by good beginnings nor yet to dine with him by some forward progress but we must sup with him by constant perseverance till at last we lye down in the bed of the grave and sleep the sleep of death The truth is non tam initia sunt in bonis studiis spectanda quam finis it is not so much to get as to keep the faith to have done well as to continue doing to the end and he must carry his goodness to the grave who will have it carry him to heaven The sacrifice which we offer to God must have a tayl as well as an head and the coat of piety must be not only particoloured for variety of graces but down to the heels by perseverance Nor yet is this all having begun we must continue and in continuing we must move forward from step to step grace to grace It is said of Aarons rod that it brought forth buds and bloomed blossoms and yeelded Almonds whereby is shadowed forth the daily progress of a Saint from the buds of thoughts to the blossoms of words from the blossoms of words to the Almonds of works or as Origen from the Buds of beginnings to the Blossoms of increase yea the Almonds of perfection As God in the Creation proceeded from imperfect to more perfect Creatures Plants to Beasts Beasts to Man so must we from one degree of goodness to another Nor must we onely hold out till we come to the end but as we draw nearer the end run the faster and to use St. Chrysostome's comparison as Pilots having pass'd many storms are exceeding solicitous lest they should miscarry in their approach to the Haven or as Runners put themselves forth the most when they approach nearest the Goal so should we as every day we are nearer the Grave draw nearer Heaven Our goodness must not be like the Morning-Cloud that quickly vanisheth but like the rising Sun that shineth brighter not like the early Dew that is soon dried up but like the green Olive-tree which flourisheth more and more And as the last Wine of the Feast was the best so our last Works be better than our first Though then we must stand as it is opposed to going backward or running away yet we must not stand as it is opposed to going forward or walking on We are not at the end of our race till the end of our life and therefore must not think of staying in the way but of hastning to the end The Man cured of his Palsie must not onely rise but take up his Bed and go to his House Math. 9. 6. Christ calls upon his Love not onely to rise but come away and that not once but again Cant. 2. 10. 13. Non operis boni sed mali feriae sunt saith St. Ambrose We must cease from sin but not from good a Saint keepeth every day as an Holy-day in respect of peace of conscience and yet every day as a work-day in respect of the actings of grace Christ healed them that were sick on the Sabbath-day as well as on any other to intimate that there is no day no not the day of rest wherein we may cease from religious actions Vera virius finem nescit Grace like Fire is of a restless nature still ascending Thou must never say with the rich Fool Soul take thy ease but still resolve with David I will walk And that thou mayst not erre in thy walking be sure to perform it in the right manner and that is 2. Before the Lord the particular that cometh next to be handled If you please to observe the Scripture-phrase you shall find three several expressions frequently used to wit walking with God after God and before God postures which in a literal sense are inconsistent It is impossible for a Man at the same time to walk before and after another and if he walk with he is neither before nor after But all of these in a spiritual sense may well agree together nay the truth is they are all one in substance though yet each hath its particular and emphatical signification 1. It is said of Enoch that he walked with God Gen. 5. 22. and that implyeth an heavenly holy and humble yet familiar enjoyment of God in our way Can two walk together and not be agreed Amos 3. 3. is the Prophets question thereby intending a negation God and a Saint are agreed and acquainted because they walk together 2. It is said of Josiah that he made a Covenant to walk after the Lord 2 King 23. 3. in opposition to which is the phrase of walking after other Gods and the imaginations of their own hearts Jer. 16. 11. and it imports as much as a following those directions God hath given us in his Word especially in matters of his Worship He goeth before us as it were with the light of his Word in his hand and we are to follow after Finally It is God's prescript to Abraham Walk before me and be perfect Gen. 17. 1. and that is when as to allude to that known expression Manus ad clavum oculus ad coelum as our hand is upon the work so our eye upon God in every thing we do which is the ground of that uprightness call'd in the Scripture-dialect perfection In sum we walk with God as a sweet Companion after God as a commanding Lord before God as an observing Judge we walk with him as his Friends after him as his Servants before him as his Children finally we walk with him by an humble familiarity after him by a regular conformity before him by a cordial integrity and this is David's resolve I will walk before the Lord To give you the full meaning of this phrase be pleased to consider three things in reference to a Saint's
of men but his preserving eye the eye of his Care is onely upon his righteous ones who fear him Their eye is upon him in duty as the eye of the Handmaid is upon her mistris to serve her his eye is upon them in mercy as the eye of the owner is upon his cattell to feed them One upon the Text conceiveth in this expression of walking before God an allusion to the practice of tender parents especially towards their little Children Omnis enim in nat is chari stat cura parent is Such is for the most part the love of parents to their Children especially when young that they cannot endure them out of their sight but would always have their own eye upon them in which respect the Children may be said to walk before their parents no less is the Fatherly yea Motherly affection of God towards his people whom he adopts for his children and keepeth ever in his sight Hence is that sweet expression of God to the Church Behold I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands thy walls are continually before me It is the command given to Israel concerning the Commandements Thou shalt bind them for a signe upon thine hand and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes whereby is intimated a sedulous care both in perusing and performing them not much unlike is this of Gods graving Israel upon his hands and setting his walls before his eyes the intent thereof being to express the singular Care and mindfull regard of God to his Church and which would not be past by it is not a writing that may be blotted out but an ingraving and this ingraving is not upon the back then it might be the sooner rubd off or worn out but upon the palms of his hands so firm and permanent is the Almighty's Care of his people To this purpose are those choice Metaphors which Moses useth concerning Gods Care of Jacob meaning his posterity he led him about to wit in the wilderness or as the septuagint translate and the Hebrew will beare it he compassed him about to wit with his love he kept him as the apple of his eye no part of mans body so strongly guarded by nature nor which men are so tender of as the apple of the eye so singular was Gods Providence towards Israel yea that he might most fully represent it he compareth God to an Eagle bearing her young ones not as her prey in her talents but on her wings wherby they are safe from all danger Finally upon this account it is that the godly man is said not only to walk before but to dwell in God and abide under his shadow and surely as there must needs be safety in those walls where salvation is appointed for walls so there cannot but be security in his dwelling to whom the most high 's secret becommeth an habitation How happy is the condition of a Saint whereas the Lord is far from the wicked he is nigh to the good Cain goeth out from the presence of the Lord David continually walketh before the Lord the ungodly are like stragling Chickens often snatch'd up by the devouring Kite whilest the godly are close under the hens wings those like stray sheep wander up and down exposed to variety of dangers whilest these being under the shepheards care feed securely Indeed no felicity like to that which is to be found in Gods affection nor safety to that of his Protection Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep saith the Psalmist that which Cain refused to be to his brother God is to his servants their keeper yea so watchfull a keeper that his eye is never off them day nor night it closeth not no not so much as winketh it sleepeth not by night nor slumbreth by day and therefore well may they lye down and sleep in peace yea rise up and walk without fear it is Saint Paul's challenge if God be for us who can be against us let it be the comfort of every Saint none can be so against him as to prevail because he walketh before God and so much shall suffice for the matter pass we on to the Ground of his hope which will the better appear by the connexion of the former verse with this because thou hast delivered I shall walk his confidence for the future is strengthened by his former experience It is that way of arguing which David often useth Thus in the 61. Psalm I will trust in the covert of thy wings is his resolution v. 3. For thou hast been a shelter for me so he reasoneth v. 2. and again Psal. 63. 7. Because thou hast been my help therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I reioyce and once more in the 1 Sam. 17. 37. The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistin nor is he alone in this kind of argumentation Jacob being pursued by his brother Esau in his prayer for deliverance pleadeth with God that prosperity he vouchsafed him under Laban by which means he that passed over Jordan with his staff was now become two bands Josuah having beheld one miracle in the discomfiture of the Amorites from the ayriâ— heaven to wit great stones cast down upon them is bold to expect another from the starry heaven and therefore calleth upon the Sun to stand still in Gibeon and the Moon in the valley of Ascalon For this reason it was that Daniel wrestling with God for the peoples liberation out of Babylon maketh mention of his bringing them out of Aegypt and thence emphatically inferreth a therfore now therefore Oh Lord heare the prayer of thy servant and from the same praemises S. Paul draweth a like Conclusion Who delivered as from so great death and in whom we trust he will yet deliver and again the Lord stood by me and strengthened me I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon and the Lord shall deliver me from every evill work And to name no more the whole Church upon this consideration addresseth her self to God with confidence Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou hast wrought all our works for us and which is not unfitly taken notice of upon Gods suspending of his wonted favours she expostulateth with him where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowells and of thy mercyes towards me are they restrained as if it were a strange and unwonted thing for God not to renew his mercyes where he had formerly conferd them Indeed with God the Collation of one blessing is a sufficient reason of bestowing more As Saint Gregory speaking of the signes of the last day saith sequentium rerum certitudo est praetâ—ritorum exhibitio the accomplishment of some assureth the fulfilling of all So it is no less true of divine benefits the donation of
doubt it is that God compareth the benefits which he conferred on Israel to the Cords of a Man and the Bonds of Love Stripes are the Cords of a Slave a Beast and the Bonds of Justice Favours are the Cords of a Man and the Bonds of Love but these as well as nay rather than the other are Cords and Bonds Bonds to keep us from sin Cords to draw us nearer and bind us faster to God Indeed this is the end at which God aimeth in bestowing the riches of his goodness that it might lead us as to repentance so obedience It was the saying of Fulvius to his Son Patriae te genui non Catilinae I begat thee to be a servant of thy Countrey not an associate of a Traitor In like manner God saith to us I have brought you up that you might serve me not your lusts So much he expresseth concerning his Vineyard when having elegantly delineated the care he took for its flourishing he saith Wherefore I looked it should bring forth Grapes Nor Is it any more than reason that he should expect and we should return service to him for his favours to us What man plants an Orchard and looketh not to eat of the Fruit builds an House and hopeth not to enjoy the comfort thereof feedeth a Flock and expecteth not to eat of the Milk of the Flock Well then may God call for obedient fruitfulness when he hath afforded his mercifull goodness The Philosopher could say {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Prosperity engageth a Man to love God supposing Men to have so much humanity in them as to love him from whom they have received so many curtesies and the Poet 's reasoning was very valid had it been pitched upon a right object to wit Jehovah not Caesar Deus nobis haec otia fecit Namque erit ille mihi semper Deus He shall be my God from whom I receive security plenty and tranquillity Hence it is that St. Paul beseeching the Romans to offer up their bodies a sacrifice useth no other obtestation to back his obsecration but this I beseech you by the mercies of God and Zachary in his Song asserteth this to be the end of our deliverance from the hands of our Enemies that we might serve God without fear in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our lives And the Psalmist plainly insinuateth as much in that parallel text Thou hast delivered my soul from death that I might walk before thee in the Land of the Living 2. For the clearer illustrating and fuller opening of this truth be pleased to view in particular on the one hand to what David conceiveth himself obliged and on the other hand what it was obliged him 1. The duty which the Psalmist here expresseth as the obligation of mercy is observable in each parcel 1. Because c. I will Promises of obedience are seasonably made or rather renewed after mercy received Indeed there are three special seasons of taking up pious resolutions 1. Before we are to perform our solemn services to God 2. Vnder any straight danger distress inflicted on us by God 3. After any deliverance blessing mercy vouchsafed to us from God An instance of each of these we have in this holy man David Before he will compass God's Altar he resolveth I will wash my hands in innocency when he was in trouble his mouth uttered vows to God and here being delivered from danger he promiseth I will walk The first sort of promises are preparatory none being fit to draw nigh to God but such as at least seriously purpose to clense their hands and purifie their hearts The second are impetratory those prayers being most effectual which are accompanied with religious promises Faith and Repentance are the two wings of prayer since Faith is that which pleadeth with God his own promises and Repentance engageth the soul to God by promise The last are gratulatory holy vows being choyce testifications of our thankfulness At the twelfth verse of this Psalm we find David putting a question what shall I render in this and other verses we find him making resolutions I will call I will pay I will offer I will walk A gratefull heart studyeth nothing more than a proportionable return and if it cannot do what it would it will do what it can 2. Walk The rich Fool having his Barns filled calleth upon his soul to take its ease but good David being mercifully delivered calleth upon himself to walk That Servant is branded as evil and wicked who having received a Talent laid it up in a Napkin Mercies as they are received so they must be imployed for the Donor's glory God sends Men into and continueth their daies in this World not that they should stand idle in the Market-place but work in the Vineyard and do him service Again The thankfulness which here David resolveth is not verbal but real talking but walking Indeed elsewhere he saith I will talk of thy doings that being one part of our gratitude to declare what God doth for us But that is not all as there I will talk so here I will walk is his thankfull resolve we must offer to God the Calves of our lips but if nothing else they will prove but the Lips of Calves Whoso offereth praise saith God glorifieth me but then it must be by ordering his conversation aright Many with Peter's fish have money in their mouths thanks in their lips but whilst they honour God with their lips they blaspheme him in their lives Oh remember he praiseth God most who serveth him best the life of thankfulness consists in the thankfulness of the life yea a good conversation is both the most effectual prayer and real praise 3. Before the Lord Thankfulness is a spirit still upon the wing rising to Heaven and conversing with God it is an Eagle-grace whose game lyeth all in soaring and mounting towards the Sun the gratefull man is still ascending it is a low mercy cannot raise him up as high as Heaven with the Bird he drinketh and looketh up with the Beast he lyeth down and riseth kneeling he taketh every blessing as from God's hand and therefore his eye is still upon God 4. Not to neglect the Septuagints version I will please the Lord is a suitable resolve to a thankfull heart Whom should a Man labour to please if not his Benefactor it is Lex talionis that which the Law of retaliation calls for to return kindness for kindness love for love pleasing for pleasing it is but fit that as God fulfilleth our desires so we should at least strive to fulfill his precepts and as by his mercies he pleaseth us so we should by our service endeavour to please him 5. Lastly In the Land of the Living to wit so long as he should be among the Living thankfull David resolveth to walk before God so runs Zacharies song all the daies
nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me by Hosea Though I have bound and strengthened their arms yet do they imagin mischief against me And may they not as truly be charged upon us we are fatted with God's blessings and spurn at his precepts the beams of his goodness have shone hot upon us and our vicious lives have sent up the more noysome stench into his Nostrils he hath magnified his mercies and we multiply our iniquity Very apposite to this purpose are those complaints of Salvian and Lactantius God giveth us good things that we might be good we on the contrary abuse those good things to increase our evils he calls us by his benefits to repentance and we become the more dissolute Then most unthankfully forgetting and injuriously dishonouring God when we have the most reason to remember and glorifie him But do we thus requite the Lord oh foolish People and unwise Consider I beseech you 1. Is not this the most odious ingratitude to retaliate injuries for curtesies That we should receive good at the hands of God and not evil is unreasonable to expect but to receive good and return evil is very injurious to act There is a retaliation of good for evil this is admirable of good for good this is laudable of evil for evil this is blameable of evil for good this is abominable 2. Doth not the Law of Nature teach us to do as we would be done to and would we have others deal by us as we do by God I appeal in Salvian's words to you that are the great and rich Men of this World how great were the guilt of that Servant who should cast reproach upon endeavour mischief against an indulgent and bountifull Master And shall we our selves practice that towards God which we would abhorr and condemn in a Servant towards us 3. VVhat shall we answer to God in that day of account when he shall plead with us for our ungratefull disobedience Oh thou rebellious Wretch had God instead of restoring destroyed sparing thee in cut thee off from the Land of the Living thou mightest have pleaded Lord if thou hadst lengthened my daies I would have reformed my life but now that patience hath tried thee and goodness waited on thee what excuse canst thou make for thine impenitency The sense of this made Ezra to blush in behalf of the People crying out And now Oh our God what shall we say after this for we have forsaken thy Commandments In the apprehension of this devout Bernard exclaimeth against himself With what face can I so stubborn a Child lift up my eyes to so gracious a Father I am ashamed of my ingratitude in returning hatred for love Imagine thy self Oh ingratefull Sinner standing at God's tribunal his mercies and thy iniquities set in order before thy face and think thou hearest God upbraiding thee in words much like those by Nathan to David I have many a time delivered thee from great dangers I have given thee Wife and Children with many other blessings and if this had been too little I would have given thee such and such things wherefore hast thou despised my Commandments dishonoured my Name abused my Mercies and surely thou canst not but cover thy self with a Cloud of shame yea pour out a shower of tears 4. Finally Do we not think that God is highly provoked with and therefore will surely and sorely avenge himself upon such ingratefull Rebels Was not David greatly inraged against Nabal when he said In vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the Wilderness he hath requited me evil for good VVas not God incensed bitterly against the old World when he said It repented me that I made Man upon Earth He saith no less of all unthankfull Sinners In vain have I both given and kept all that they enjoy it repenteth me that I ever made them or conferred the least mercy on them And will you know what followeth upon such provocations Hear what God saith concerning his People She did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oil and multiplyed her Silver and Gold which they prepared for Baal therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof and my Wine in the season thereof and will recover my Wool and my Flax given to cover her nakedness Hear what Joshua saith from God to Israel If ye forsake the Lord and serve strange Gods then he will turn and do you hurt and consume you after that he hath done you good Believe it Brethren if mercy induce not to obedience disobedience will ruine our mercy nor are either life or health or any other blessing so entail'd upon any person but that ingratitude may yea will cut it off Nay let me adde Ingratia beneficia ingentia flagitia ingentia supplicia if as mercy hath abounded iniquity superabounds as iniquity abounds so calamity shall much more and by how much the Oil of God's compassion hath been the more plentifully poured upon us by so much shall the flame of his judgements burn the hotter against us And therefore Ezra pronounceth this as a most just sentence against himself and the People in case of their disobedience Seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve and hast given us such deliverance as this should we again break thy Commandments and joyn in affinity with the People of these abominations wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us so that there should be no remnant nor escaping Oh therefore yet at last let the bounty of God lead us to repentance and obedience give unto the Lord the glory due to his name and serve him according to his great goodness To which that we may be the better enabled observe and practice these following directions 1. Keep God's mercies fresh in thy memory and often ponder especially upon eminent deliverances This remembrance of Divine benefits is that which St. Bernard commendeth as fit to be a pillar in the spiritual house of our souls and this is that which thankfulness taketh care of it is God's faithfull Register she is never forgotten and she never forgetteth she writeth God's love as he doth his Beloved on the palms of her hands she hath still new thoughts of the daies of old and maketh a deliverance live as God doth for ever And surely this duty well performed would be a singular means of exciting and enabling us to walk worthy of mercy When Ahasuerus on the night he could not sleep commanded the Records to be brought unto him and read before him and therein found how instrumental Mordecai had been in delivering him from the treason of his Chamberlains he presently asketh What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this So will the soul that faithfully and seriously meditateth on God's deliverances and benefits whereof he is not onely an instrument but a principal