people he giveth to them good Princes and counsellours When God would haue the Iewes to bee exercised and afflicted with the Philistims hee gaue wicked Princes to the people Saul Ioram Achaz When againe he would haue the Iewes to be in a prosperous estate and flourish hee gaue them good Princes David Ezechias Iosias The common sorte of men while they looke vpon these thinges and marke this interchaunge they impute all either to the cowardice and foolishnesse or to the courage and wisedome of the Princes themselues Or finally to Fortune chance But they cry miserably for all those things proceed from GOD by reason of the thankfulnesse or ingratitude of the people Wherefore while we see these things to be done by princes let vs lift vp our eies not so much to the Princes as to God our selues Again see David in this place wheÌ„ by his owne sinne he had hurt the whole people being touched with the conscience of the mater he earnestly prayed to god for the repairing of his skaith wherby he daÌ„nified the people of god Moreover obserue Dauid himselfe being reconciled to God presently he interceedeth for the people he who him self is first reconciled to God nowe is quiet in his owne conscience hee is bolde also to interceed for others at Gods hands But he who is not yet reconciled to God and is therefore yet guiltlie in conscience he dare not indeed be so bolde as to plead his owne cause before God How much therfore is it profitable for a people to haue sum certain good man familiar with god that hath his conscience well pacified and that by faith in Iesus Christ Surely one such like man by his prayers is able to be profitable to many others before God God grant that the Lorde may giue to everie one of vs this faith in Christ Iesus which is the ground of all these things with the which we can neither do or be bold to do any thing Last of al in the last verse he mooveth God to do well to his people from his owne thankfulnesse which hee together with the people wil be bounde to performe to God to wit in offring the lawfull sacrifices acceptable to God according as it was the custome of those times when men were vnder the rudiments of the worlde discipline of the Law The words are Then shalt thou take pleasure in the sacrifices of righteousnesse That is lawfull sacrifices shal be offered vnto thee according to the prescript of thy law therefore they shal be sacrifices of righteousnesse For it is not permitted vnto vs to worship God according to our pleasure but it is necessary that wee serue him according to his own ordinance The meaning therefore is as if he should saye The sacrifices appoynted by thy selfe shal be offred vnto thee and thou shalt take pleasure in them Thou shalt also delight in burnte offerings yea which shal be altogether consumed to ashes They shall also offer according to the custome Bullockes vppon thine altar God seeketh his owne glorie yea and David also acknowledgeth the same in deed neverthelesse except he himself furnish matter to his glory that is vnlesse hee provoke men to glorifie himslfe by his benefites they will not glorifie him For none there is in hell that can worship God Againe al men indeed are not thankfull to the Lorde for the benefites bestowed vpon theÌ„ but these onely who haue tasted howe gracious the Lord is that is who haue some feeling of his favour in Christ Iesus Of the mercy of God there are many evidents indeed for looke how many his benefites are so many documents are there But sundry of them are of a common and vulgare mercie only such as is to wit of the Creator toward his creature But Christ alone is a sure evident to vs of singular mercy and loue such as is the favour of the father towarde the Son For God will not haue that mercy and that loue of his whereby hee hath loved the VVorlde to bee made manifest by any other thing then by his Sonne given for the world VVherefore only those who are in Christ and embrace him by faith those alone I saye feele how sweete the Lorde is because into their hearts onely that loue of God is powred out Wherefore also they alone are these who can be thankful vnto God for his benefites received We conclude therefore that which hath now oft bene beaten in our eares that we must chiefely endevour to beleeue in Iesus Christ without whome no good thing can we get without whoÌ„ we doe no parte of our duety either to God or men without whom finally there is no salvation Therefore God is to be prayed vnto continually that as of his infinite mercy he hath given vnto vs his only begotten sonne so he would open the eies of our minde to the end that we might see himself Also that he would open our hearts that we might entirely feele him without whom there is no feeling of gladnes in the hearts of sinners And this is to be prayed for by vs for and by the same Iesus Christ the sonne of God our Lord To whom with the father and the holy Spirite be al honour and glory for ever and ever Amen The Argument of the LXII Psalme The author of this Psalme is Dauid And it was written at that time in which Saul persecuted Dauid by his spies â—ent out The whole Psalmeâ— concerning his confidence in God For partly he shewed his confidence vnto the 9. verse partly hee recommendeth to all the godly this confidence from thence vnto the end of the Psalme The LXII Psalme 1 A Psalme of DAVID committed to be sung to the maister of Musick in Ieduthun 2 My soule onely is at rest in God from him is my saluation 3 He is only my rock and my saluation my strong hold I shall not be mooved out of my place with a great motion 4 How long will ye be devising troubles against a man ye shall bee all slayne howe long will ye be like a bulgeing wall a wall of drye stones thrust downe 5 They onely devise counselles to thruste him downe from his dignity they take pleasure in a lye they blesse with their mouth but within themselues they curse Selah 6 O my soule be at rest in God onely for of him is mine expectation 7 He is only my rock and my salvation my strong hold I shall not be mooved out of my place 8 In God is my salvation and my glorie my strong rock my refuge is in God The first part of the psalm MY soule onely As concerning his confidence first he gloryeth of his assurance in God Then he gloryeth against his enemies Thirdly hee returneth to that former glorying As concerning the glorying in his assurance David after hee had bene afflicted and troubled in minde at length he quieteth himselfe in God Having then felt so great a joy of that rest hee gloryeth thereof
in Christ only for this life we were miserable If onely in this life sayeth the Apostle wee had hope in Christ 1. Cor. 〈◊〉 19. of al mortal creatures we were the most miserable But if the form of spech is not to bee pretermitted which he vseth in propounding vnto vs those two benefites of the life to come For he maketh his preface in the ninthe verse that he is glad feeleth an exceeding great joye to aryse from theÌ„ Hee expounded not vnto vs after that manner those former benefites of this life neither vsed hee such a preface being about to speak of them so that thereof it manifestlie appeareth that there was a greater joy of the soule Two benefites of the blissed life to come hope of the glory of God of our owne resurrection yea of the hope of the benefites which shall be bestowed vpon vs in that other life then of the present injoying of the benefites which be fall vs in this life present We glorie sayeth PAVLE writing the Epistle to the Romanes and fifth Chapter verse second vnder the hope of the glory of GOD. Behold the gloryiing vnder the hope of the benefites of that everlasting life to come The Apostle also warneth vs that there is ane exceeding greate comforte yea of the speeches which are vttered in conference concerning that glorious resurrection that is to come Thes 4. 18 But we must a little more diligently marke this example of DAVID He saw not but a far off after many yeares the resurrection of his bodie to be For how many yeares ar now passed bye since he spake those thinges and since hee departed this life And yet notwithstanding hee hath not risen agayne neither yet also shall hee arise before that seconde comming of Christe and yet nevertheles through the very hope of the resurrection which was to come to passe a long time thereafter hee rejoyceth exceeding greatly What is therefore to bee done of vs who are fallen in into the poynt of time of the comming of Christ to whom being once departed this preseÌ„t life there shall be so shorte a buriall of our bodies But we must considder more diligently the Prophets words hee attributeth to the hart joy and exceeding gladnes to glorie that is to the tongue which is the instrument of holy glorying in the Lorde Finally he attributeth a secure habitation vnto his fleshe that is to his owne grosser part which we call the bodie For of necessitie this parte of man after his owne manner taketh death chiefly most grieuously in respect it is to be layd vppon the graue when in the meane time the soule the other part of man flitteth away into the heauens Notwithstanding this self same flesh is secure Gen. 49. 6. vnder the hope of rising again Psal 30. 31 rejoyceth after the owne maner Behold here joy spread abroad through-out the whole man and all his parts and that indeed through the hope of the resurrection to come and of life eternall Which thing surely seeing it is so great vnder hope and faith how great shall it be vnder sight Of this rejoycing vnder hope which is as it were the earnest penny which also is saide to be enutterable wee may easely gesse that that joye shall be incomprehensible which shall be after this life through the present sight of God in Christ Iesus 1. Pet. 1. 7. â— Peter reasoneth this waye for after hee had spoken of joy glory honor which shal be when Christ shall be made manifest then he layeth downe the argument of that so great a glory from our faith and loue towarde Christ absent and from that joy vnspeakable and glorious which wee now feele yea and it were no more but through faith in him absent Because thou wilt not leaue Peter in the second Chap. of the Acts 25. verse The resurrection of the head of the Church is the cause of the resurrection of the members c. interpreteth this place from the 8. verse forth to the end of the Psalme to be spoken properly of christ which David in this place spak as a Prophet yea that not only as a Prophet but also as a figure of Christ Iesus who was to come For David in him selfe also felt all those things in experieÌ„ce in some measure which he fore-telleth were to come vnto Christ Then those things which are here spoken of are chiefely to be vnderstood concerning the resurrection of Christ and of his glorious life which thing Peter prooveth manifestly in the same place verse 29. And thereafter yea even out of these words in which it was said That the holy one of the Lorde should not see cor Corruption I meane the rotting of the buried flesh and resolution into dust For out of these words Peter assumeth that David saw corruption He dyed sayeth he and was buried his sepulchre is with vs vnto this daye Wherefore sayth Peter those thinges cannot be properly spoken of David but of Christ his seede whom David saw to come in the promiâ—e made to himselfe Notwithstanding David in the meane while saw in that rising againe of his seede Christ his owne resurrection also which was to bee accomplished through the power of Christs rising again who was made the first fruites of them that sleep â— Cor. 13. â—0 And so we al likewise wheÌ„ we look vpon Christ we may see the fulnesse of that grace which is in him to redound vnto vs as it were againe But namely if now drawing neere to death and to the graue if then we looke vppon him we shall feele in him and his glorious resurrection our own rising againe For the Lord shall bring those who sleepe in Iesus Christ together with him 1. Ths 4. 14. Finally that is to be marked which he sayeth That God wil not suffer him to whom he is gratious to see corruption By this defyning and description of himself he sheweth the ground both of the glorious resurrection of Christ and also of all the godly in him To wit that fatherlie loue of God whereby both he loveth Christ and likewise all the godly howbeit it bee after a great difference For he loveth vs in that his beloved Eph. 1. 6. The difference betuixt the rising againe of the godly and of the wicked which shal be is no waies obscure out of this ground of our resurrection The loue of God in Christ shall sweetely rayse vp the godly out of the graue But the warth and justice of God being judge shall rayse the wicked yea against their wil drawing them out of their graues at that last day to everlasting and just punishment Thou wilt cause me This is the other benefite which he is to attayne vnto after this life to witte that everlasting life vnto the which after the resurrection he shal straight go As if he should say after that I am awakened vp againe and raysed out of the graue
sufficiently the thing that is spoken except wee also feele the same yea with our bodelie senses in the seales and sacraments even from the beginning he hath reached forth as it were his grace in Iesus Christ to bee seene with the eies to be handled with the handes Wash me Againe hee craveth remission of sinnes wash mee sayeth hee to witte with that selfe-same blood That I may waxe whiter then the snow But hee speaketh this out by waye of comparison yea and that indeede making the comparison with the thing which in the owne nature is most white Also the comparison is made from thinges that are lesse to the end hee might declare that there is nothing in nature so white pure and cleane as is man to whome sinnes are once forgiven and who is once washen by that blood of Christ Consider here first Dauid while hee craveth forgiuenesse of sins and peace of conscience hee seeketh it vnder the symbolls and figures of these washings of the lawe whereby sometimes was shaddowed-out that washing through the blood of Christ We see therefore that Dauid soght the forgiuenesse of his sinnes in the onely bloud of Iesus Christ There hes never ben nor never shal be in time to come remission of sinnes and consequently quietnes of the conscience except by the bloud alone of Iesus Christ which is certain that the ancient Church fathers haue apprehended in the sacrifices and shaddowes It may be indeed that the Papistes so long as they feele not the weightines of their sin of the wrath of God for sinne for the conscience of those men so far indeed as my judgement can reach is cast vp in a deep sleep by that doctrine which daylie is taught among them I saye indeed it may be that for a time being thus afflicted they vaunt in their merites indulgences Purgatory and I cannot tell what satisfactiones By all which it is certaine somewhat is pulled awaie from the grace of Christ But if it come to passe that they bee oppressed in earneste with the burthen of sinne and with the sense of the wrath of GOD they shall feele surely and publickly professe that all those things are vaine and none other things but dreames and trisles which now they so much commend for then they shal feele in experience that there is no remission of sinnes or peace of conscience without that bloud and alone sacrifice of Iesus Christ Which would to God at length those miserable men sawe and learned that both Gods wrath is pacified and the consciences of miserable men quieted by that blood alone which in themselues are not disquieted troubled by any other thinge then by that sense of the wrath of God O blessed is that peace quietnesse which is by that bloud of Christ only Mark again in this place he promiseth cleannes whitenes whiter then the very snow If hee but once get that to be washen with the bloude of christ And indeed he doth this thing not to the end that he thinketh it shall not come to passe that sinnes once being forgiven in time to come there shall be no remnant left of sinne and vncleannesse in his nature But to that end because hee thinketh and perswadeth himselfe that all the guiltinesse of sinne shal be taken away by the blood of Christ and by his perfite satisfaction once imputed and that he shall be in that estate as if he had never sinned in his life For wee haue a two-folde purging and washing in Christe the one which is by blood the other which is by the Spirite of Christ That washing which is by the blood of Christ is most perfite and quieteth our consciences But this washing which is by the Spirite it is begunne onely in this life and quieteth not the conscience properly and of the owne selfe To speake it in a worde the forgiuenes of sinnes which is by Christs blood is perfite and absolute in all the partes thereof But the regeneration which is by the Spirite of Iesus Christ is but begun onely in this life Make mee to heare He doth yet continue in the self same petition The meaning is as if he should say witnesse vnto me through thy holye Spirite inwardelie that my sinnes are forgiuen me And so it shall come to passe that thou shalt furnish vnto me ane exceeding great matter of joy and gladnesse This is it which in other wordes hee speaketh els-where Lift vp the light of thy face vpon vs Psal 4. ◠Iehoua and put greater gladnesse in my minde then at that time when their cornes and their wines are increased For the sixtenth Psalme speaketh There is sacietie of joyes before the face of GOD. Then he addeth in the text let the bones which thou hast brused reioyse As if he shoulde say forgiue mee my sinnes and then I whome thou hadest humbled before shal reioice with an vnspeakable gladnesse For the ioye of the man caste downe and humbled is invtterable after that now hee is lift vp with that sense of mercy and confidence of remission of sinnes But wee are to considder the wordes more diligently Make me sayeth hee to heare ioy But by what Preacher and Messenger was it not alreadie before preached by the Prophet Nathan that Davids sinnes were forgiven him It is true But the outwarde testimonie of all men is nothing except that inwarde also of the holy Spirite be conjoyned Wherefore Dauid in this place requireth that inwarde testimony of the Spirite For the remission of sinnes is an action intirely hid in the minde of God And as no man knoweth the thinges of man but the Spirite of man So these thinges of God no man knoweth but the Spirite of God which as Paule sayth searcheth the deapthes of God himselfe ◠Cor. 2. 10 Wherefore except the holy Spirite of God testifie in our heartes that our sinnes are forgiven vs surely no testimonie either of the creature or of man is able to assure vs of that thinge But after what manner at length doth the holy Spirite testifie that our sinnes are forgiven vs The holy Spirite of God worketh in our heartes a wounderfull sense of the loue of God as the Apostle speaketh powreth out loue into our harts whereby God loveth vs in christ But what a loue is this surely not any common loue but a special natural to speak so that affectiō which they cal the natural affection such as is the natural affection of the Father toward his onely begotten Son For the Spirit of God testifieth that fatherlie most tender affection towards vs Of the which also it followeth that the same Spirite beareth witnesse that we are the Sonnes of God For if it witnesse a certaine fatherlie loue It followeth by the force of thinges equal that wee are the sonnes of God From whence also hee is every where called the Spirite of Adoption to witte in respect he witnesseth Rom. ◠1◠19. that we are the sons of
in the plurall number because that onelie one sacrifice of a contrite soule is insteede of manie yea and of all whatsoever haue beene at anie-time Hee calleth them The sacrifices of GOD that is acceptable to GOD. I vnderstande by the broken Spirite as it were brused into little peeces and abjecte through the conscience of the owne weaknesse and vnworthinesse Then turning vnto GOD hee sayeth O God thou despisest not a broken and contrite soule It is a speech vttering lesse but meaning more whereby hee signifieth that the broken and the contrite soule is moste acceptable to GOD. But let vs considder some-what more diligentlie what hee calleth a broken hearte After that anie man is awakned vppe out of his sinne and his eyes are opened that hee may see his owne filthinesse having compared it to witte with that nature of GOD which is sette downe to vs to bee righteous and holie in the Lawe hee hath seene also the punishmente of his filthinesse the wrath and curse of GOD for no man at anie time canne sufficientlie wounder at the blindnesse of corrupted nature those who are blinde in bodie haue notwithstanding some sight for they see and knowe that they are blinde But those that are blinded in soule they are in this respect more miserable that they do not know indeed that they ar blinde yea they think that they see very clearely when in the meane time miserable men they are blinder then any Mowle while at length by God their eies bee opened vnto them After then I say any hath looked vppon the filthinesse and vncleannesse of his nature and Gods anger therewith then in hart he is cast downe and he who appeared to bee some thing to himselfe before now he is most abject in his owne eies and seemeth nothing to himselfe and this is the one cause of casting downe and contrition There is also another to witte the mercy of God in Christ being tasted surely in some certain measure which as soone as any man hath tasted he is not so much sorrowful because of the paine as because he hath offended GOD so merciful a father And this is that sorrow 2. Cor◠10. which the Apostle Paule calleth godly sorrowe which causeth repentance that is the changing of the minde the mortifying of the old man and the quickning of the new man This sorrow which aryseth from God offended hath conjoyned therewith an vnspeakable ioy proceeding from the sense of Gods loue For it is not possible that that sincere feling of that fatherly loue should lacke all sense of gladnesse For which thing may appeare wounderfull to any the more the feeling of the loue of God in Christ be so much more is the sorrowe yea the gladnesse is so much the more For no man reioyceth in earnest who hath not bene in earnest sorrowfull And this the estate of a repenting sinner this is the most sorrowfull yea and also the most ioyfull estate of mortal men Now then God having looked vpon the heart of man thus broken and contrite he wonderfully delighteth therein and therein quietly satisfieth himself Frō whence God himselfe denyeth Psay 66. that hee dwelleth in Temples made with hands yea he denyeth also that hee dwelleth either in heaven or earth but hee professeth that his dwelling place and house of rest is a poore a contrite hart But if thou say seeing our minde is not fully regenerated in this life no not the hart of any man who most seriously repenteth how commeth it to passe that God taketh so much pleasure therin so that also he dwelleth quieteth himselfe therein I answere He who hath a contrite heart this man therewith is indued with faith For contrition proceedeth of faith and of the perswasion of the mercy and loue of GOD in Christ And the heart although it bee not altogether regenerated by faith pleaseth God to witte by faith in that alone sacrifice wherby both the wrath of God against sin is pacified and the conscience of the sinner is quieted Therefore God taketh pleasure in the contrite hart because the same is faithful also and hath Christ dwelling therin by faith To the ende therefore that we may please God wee should never suffer that sacrifice of Christ to slip out of our eies 20 Do well according to thy good will to Tzijon build the walles of Ierusalem 21 Then shalt thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousnes in the burnt offring that that shal be altogether consumed away then shal they offer bullocks vpon thine altar The other part of the psalme DO wel Hither to hath bene the first sort of petitiō for himself here followeth the other for the whole people the cōmon-wealth whereof he was then thought to haue had no respect when hee provoked GOD to wrath by his sinne for the sinne of the Prince casteth the whole people in danger when he layd them out to the sworde of the enemie Nowe this dammage whereby he damnified the people is compared allegorically with the fall of the walles because the faithfull are living stones in the house of God Then he sayeth that wee may come to his owne words Doe well according to thy good will to Tzijon according to thy will sayeth he that is 1. Pet. 2. according to thy free mercy For he pretendeth no innocencie of the people when he hath to doe with GOD although otherwise he abused the innocent people Neither yet doth he thus pray Do well to Tzijon because it is innocent but thus Doe wel to Tzijon according to thy good wil that is according to thy mercy Build the walles That is O God repaire a mend that breach which I haue made in thine house who of thy own power alone art able to do it It was an easie thing for mee surely to destroy this people by my sinne But it is not so easie to repaire the ruine againe and to make it of new whole Of the which you see that David when he craveth of GOD that he would doe well to his people he acknowledgeth therewith that in his default the people were destroyed The conscience therfore of that evil where by hee hurte the people vrgeth him now to pray to God for them If Princes fayle in any thing commonly it is in their office to wit that they governe not the common-wealth aright Such was the fault of David when he layde out the people of God to the sword of the enemie and therefore of necessity it is that their fault redoundeth to the whole people And from thence it commeth to passe that the sinne of the Prince is more grievous then any private mans fault in respect it spreadeth further abroad and by the daunger thereof involveth moe And from thence it proceedeth that when God deliberateth either to chastife or oppresse any people he giveth to that nation foolish Princes and counsellours that stirre vp alway pernicious or not necessary warres But contrariwise when he will prefer any
in this speech My seule onely i◠at rest in God The Hebrew worde it selfe signifieth to bee silent which our interpreter turneth to be at rest Then Davids soule made a noyse within him as he sayeth in another place Why art thou cast downe my soule why makest thou a noyse within me But it may be demanded doth now his soule keepe silence when notwithstanding wee see that hee vttereth out these speeches I answere that then any mans soule keepeth silence when it maketh not a noyse and is not troubled although in the meane time it glory never so greatly Then there are three arguments wherfore his soule taketh rest in God The first is because God is the author of his salvation Then drawing neere to God himselfe and not content with this his benefite alone except hee possesse God him self and sit vpon him as it were a rocke or mountaine He is only my rocke sayth he c. The third argument is the effect of the second I shall not be mooued out of my place saieth he by any great motion indeed whereby it shal come to passe that I shal altogether fall Mark first David surely wold haue patiently suffred affliction Psal 39. as he speaketh of himselfe in another place to witte because hee had decreed to take heede to al his waies least he should sin with his tongue But the affliction bursteth out and his soule maketh a sturre notwithstanding at last he quieteth himselfe in God Every one of the godlie would indeede humble them selues with silence vnder Gods hande but troubles waxing greater greater the affection cannot conteine the selfe which after that it is loused it resteth not and taketh breath to the self firste before it feele GOD present with it I will speake this once there is no solide quietnesse indeede to our soule except to GOD alone It is not in riches not in honoures it is not in the arme of man Finally it is not in Idolles and fayned Gods of whome DAVID speaketh They multiply sayeth hee their sorrowes Psal 〈◊〉 that giue in dowrie to a strange God For with what other thing I praye you doe Idols fill mens mindes but with fearefull superstition The same DAVID in the fourth Psalme manifestlie declareth that his soule taketh not rest in riches Lift vp sayeth hee the light of thy countenance vppon vs ô Iehoua and thou shalt put more gladnesse in our soules then at that time vvhen the cornes and vvines are increased In which place you see that hee preferreth his securitie and gladnesse in God to that whole gladnesse of those men which take their rest in such like things My soule therefore doth rest in God only and therefore because the wicked cannot reste in GOD there is no peace to them sayeth the Lorde Obserue againe that DAVID meaneth not here anie commoun securitie of minde but a singular and notable whereby it commeth to passe that one may gather that such a notable quietnesse of mind went before some certaine notable perturbation For surely looke howe much the more the reste of the minde is so much the more was the commotion of the mind before Mark in the third roome David seeketh not out the causes of his securitie in himselfe but without himselfe in God in whom to wit his soule doth quiet the selfe while he calleth him his rocke and his rower Nothing therefore which is in our selues can properly be the cause of the tranquillity of our mind no albeit thou shouldest speake indeede of faith it selfe or of hope if by the name of faith thou vnderstand onely the instrumēt of the apprehending of christ For whatsoever thinges in vs yea even the regenerate they are imperfite all faith hope loue and workes flowing from these as from their beginning In God alone therefore is the cause of our peace and quietnes in the strength of God alone in the loue of GOD alone through Christ Paule when hee published the security of mind he sayeth not indeed who shall separate vs from that loue whereby we loue God But in that place hee sayeth Who shall separate vs from that loue of Christ that is from the loue whereby God loveth vs in Christ let the papistes take heed to this who seek ease to themselues and their soules in their owne workes whereby it is that I cannot be perswaded to beleeue that those men can enjoy loue peace and quietnesse of mind with a conceit of their owne workes Note fourthly that he sayeth hee shal not bee remooved out of his place with any at the least a great commotion He denyeth not altogether a commoving but hee denieth that it shall not bee any great or notable commoving For in this life we must not hope that we shal be free alwaies from all commotions For David reasoneth not so because no waies shall I bee commoved therefore my soule resteth in God For if thou haste not decreed with thy selfe to quiet thy selfe in GOD vnlesse it be vnder that cōdition that thou shalt nowaies be commoved all thy life long truely it will never come to passe that thou shalt rest thy selfe in him either in this life or in that other life Let it be sufficient to thee if thou be not oppressed with afflictions For the godly haue a promise not indeed that they shall bee altogether free from all kinde of affliction but that they shall not bee vtterly oppressed with troubles For it is said 1. Cor 7. 10. 1◠That God wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able to beare Looke also concerning the same matter Pauls example Cor 4. ◠9 How long will Now he turneth himselfe to the enemies and being set as it were in a castell hee gloryeth against them all Two things there are which he demādeth of the which the latter openeth vp and declareth that which is the former For the meaning is as if he should say as a bulgeing wall and full of riftes falleth downe through the owne weight thereof or is throwen downe by no great travell so ye shal be consumed by your owne envie and wickednes They onely deuise He poynteth out clearely that their deuising They enter in counsell to thrust me downe from my dignitie Concerning this dignitie looke 1. Sam 18. Dauid being appoynted captaine of Sauls gard he so bare himselfe that his gouernement was approuen of all men yea and was preferred by the damsels that sang to the governement of Saull himselfe Saull hath slaine his thousand but DAVID hath slaine his ten thousand Then he shewed vnder what pretence they did this thing They haue pretended a lie to their counsells sayth he which againe hee declareth by these wordes With their month they blesse but within them salues they curse As if he he should say they profes indeed friendship but in verie truth they are enemies Marke first the things which mooued David before now the same thinges moue him nothing while his soule quieteth the selfe
adjoyneth and amplifieth the cause of this loue vnto the 7. verse Secondly by saith he gloryeth with his owne soule Thirdly he gloryeth with God vnto the 10. verse Fourthly hee confesseth his owne weaknesse which was sometime in him and that by a comparison of the faith which the◠he had vnto the 12. verse Fiftly he taketh purpose to render thanks vnto God The CXVI Psalme 1 I loue Iehova for he heareth my voice my deprecationes 2 For he hath bowed the eare vnto me when I called vpon him in my dayes 3 And when the dolours of death compassed mee about and the griefes of the graue met me finding anguish and sorrow 4 I called vppon the name of Iehova saying I besseech thee O Iehova deliver my soule 5 Gracious Iehova and righteous Our God I say mercifull 6 Iehova preserving the simple when I am brought to nothing he besieweth salvation vpon me I Loue Iehova The first parte of the Psalme as we haue spoken in which he professeth that loue whereby hee loved God Also loue is ane certaine affection in the hearte whereby any man carnestlie desireth the communion conjunction of that thing which he loveth whatsoever thing surely it be But if the loue of any man towarde another be very fervente then verely he who loveth desireth himselfe to be made one as it were one man with him whom he loveth Paule expresseth the force of this loue when he saide O Corinthians 2. Cor. 6. 11. 12. my mouth is opened towarde you mine heart is made large Ye are not kept straight in vs but ye are kept straight in your owne bowels By which words indeede hee sheweth by the affection of his loue toward the Corinthians that his heart was so enlarged that he received them as it were within himselfe and into the bosome of his heart and that hee became as it were one man with them The loue of God is whereby we desire the communion conjunction with God ◠Cor. 5 6 8. Paule sayeth Wee are hold though we know that whiles we are at home in the bodie we are absent from the Lorde Neuerthelesse wee are bold and loue rather to remooue out of the bodie and to dwell with the Lord. From whence proceedeth this Pauls approbation surely from that loue of his Lord who as hee sayeth in the same Chapter verse 14. The loue of Christ constrayned him and continually carryed him forward vnto the Lord. And this is the cause wherefore we sighing wait for the comming of Christ For the loue whereby wee embrace Christ earnestly thirsteth for that conjunction with Christ There is also another thing that is required in this loue that is that for the loue of Christ wee would be willing to loose the most deare things whatsoever we haue in this life So Christ speaketh in Luke Luk. 14. 20. If any man come vnto me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Desciple By which wordes Christ signifieth that his loue is to be bought yea with the hatred of those thinges which are most deare if it can no otherwise be obteined And this indeede was Davids loue which hee professeth in this place Such should al our loue be who professe the same God with him And in this respect wee are chiefely most happie because wee haue that God of Abraham Isaac Iahakob and David whom we may loue whome wee may worship For he heareth This is an argument of loue frō the benefite of his deliverance from whence arose a certain earnest feling of the mercie of God toward him Marke then that the knowledge of the goodnes of God and the sense of his mercy and loue towarde vs continually goeth before our loue toward him He loueth vs sayeth IOHN not because we haue loued him first 1. Iohn 4. 19. For it is impossible that any man can loue God vnlesse that now firste that loue of God in Christ Iesus be powred out in his heart by the holy Spirit Dauid in every place professeth his loue toward God Rom. 5 5. hee giveth an account thereof continually from the mercy of God toward him I wil loue thee saith he frō my very most inward bowels And what is the reason Psal 18. 2. Iehova is my strength Iehova is my rocke and my strong tower c. By which words indeed he declareth the cause wherefore hee so much loved GOD that it was the mercy of God toward him But if verely we wil loue God for except we loue him we are miserable and if we will set our affection vpon God we haue neede of nothing so much then of diligent marking of all his benefites which he continually heapeth vpō vs. For these ar so many testimonies of gods loue toward vs. Now wee haue said that the loue of God towarde vs is the cause of our loue toward him Wherefore to the end that wee may loue God from our soule every particular benefite of God so farre as it is possible is to be marked by vs. For surely the cause wherefore our harts burne not in that loue where in they ought to burne towards God proceedeth from this that we considder so slightlie his benefites toward vs especially that greatest benefite of all the benefite of our Redemption in Iesus Christ for while his benefites are nor weighed there is no sense of his loue toward vs. And when there is not a feeling of his loue towarde vs howe can it come to passe that wee can loue him He heareth my deprecation Therefore the prayers went before the benefites of God and the sense of his mercy For by those degrees we come as it were vnto the loue of God First wee seek at Gods hands any benefite whether it be Temporal or Spiritual Then after we haue gotten the benefite wee feel his mercy loue toward vs as the fountain frō which that benefite flowed Finally from that sense of the loue of God toward vs that our loue again towrad him aryseth Wherefore to the ende that any man may earnestly loue the Lord his prayers ought to be continuall for of continuall prayers and supplications continuall benefites of God come vnto vs which are so many testimonies of that his loue toward vs in Christ For he hath bowed Hee openeth vp at greater length the reason immediatly preceeding of his loue he abydeth in amplifying thereof vnto the 7. verse In my dayes Hee vnderstandeth the dayes of affliction and anguish as the verse following maketh manifest In this meaning the word of daye is taken Psal 137 Remember against the Edomites of the day of Ierusalem that is of the affliction whereby the Edomites afflicted the Church So Ieremy in the Lamentation 1. 21. For times metonymically in every language vse to be taken for misery in times and dayes We see therefore in this place that affliction thrusted David forward to praiers For
muste proceed from the Spirit of God himselfe They call this Spirite the Spirite of adoption which as PAVLâ— speaketh Rom. 5. 5. powring out into our harts that fatherlie loue of God testifieing therewithal that we ar the sons of God therfor it openeth our mouth that we cry Abba father that in our affliction we complaine vnto God For this is it which the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. 26. The Spirite it selfe maketh requeste for vs with sighes that cannot bee expressed From this Spirit therefore this so familiar a complaynt of afflicted DAVID commeth For except this spirit and some sense of the fatherly loue of God be present as in the meane time I grant vnto you that it may be that some man will shout and howle in afflictiones and roare according to the custome of Lyons wildbeastes as DAVID speaketh of himselfe Psal 32. at which time in troubles he is not so tuitched with this feeling of the fatherly loue of God Neverthelesse that a man may familiarly turne himselfe vnto God and complaine vnto him as vnto a father of the grievousnesse of the affliction no maner of way can it come to passe except this Spirit be present and that there be some sense of the fatherly loue of God Servile 〈◊〉 soâ—â—y 〈◊〉 A servant that onely feareth his maister because of wrath and therewith loveth him not also neither yet on the other side feeleth that he is beloved of his maister while he is beaten by his angrie maister hee turneth not vnto him hee quarrelleth not with him familiarlie but as his maister handleth him inhumanelie so he complayneth not so much according to the maner of men as hee roareth and howleth like vnto wilde beastes without all sense of the loue of his maister But the sonne who is touched with a sense of his fathers loue in the midst of the chastening he turneth him vnto his father and quarrelleth with him familiarly So the afflicted childe of God quarrelleth with God his father of whome he feeleth himselfe much more loued yea euen then while he is afflicted be Gods hand then any naturall sonne whosoeuer can be beloved of his father Hee feeleth also God the father to suffer together with him to be commoved by the self same afflictions of his which otherwise hee him selfe sendeth vpon him euen as a father is touched with a compassion in the very meane time while he is chastising his sonne notwithstanding that of necessitie he is compelled to chastise his sonne specially to the ende he should not grow worse by libertie and impunitie And so to this place wee haue spoken of DAVIDS complaynt which we ought to follow in our afflictiones in which certainlie we should endeuour that ther be ever present with vs a sense of the loue of God in Christ Iesus But so far as concernes the person of DAVIDS enemies you haue in them not onely an example of blasphemie against God but of extreame malice against men who spare not so much indeede the soule or the other life in so far as they indevour altogether to cut away the hope of Gods helpe In which thing also yet see their wonderfull blindnesse who thinke that the godly are altogether left by God in the meane time when they are afflicted of him yea and also that they themselues are stirred vp by God to destroy and vtterlie to overthrowe them like as that blasphemous lowne Rabschake gloried against the people of God 1. King 18. 25. Am I nowe come vp without Iehova vnto this place to destroy it Iehova hes saide vnto me Go vp against this land and destroy it And thus much haue wee spoken of the first part of this Psalme 4 But thou Iehoua art a buckler about me my glorie he who lifteth vp mine head 5 I crying vnto Iehova with my voice he answered me out of the mountaine of his holines Selah 6 I Layd me downe and slept I awakened because Iehoua susteined me 7 I will not be affrayd for ten thousands of the people which standing round about mee haue pitched their tentes against mee The other part of the Psalme BVt thou Iehova The second parte of the Psalme in which through the sense of the presence and help of God albeit hee was not yet in effect delivered notwithstanding he glorieth as if hee were euen now delivered For he had scarse complayned vnto God when hee felt some presence and protection of his before hand For surely no man wil haue his recourse vnto God in Iesus Christ before he first in some measure feele his helpe Come vnto mee saithe hee Matth. 11 28. all yee who are wearie and burdened and I will make you to rest But what are these helpes to the ende we may come to the particular which DAVID felt to come from God in the time he had his refuge to him DAVID being disarmed fledde from his sonne Abschalom now he felt God as a buckler to cover and protect him whollie over David miserie 〈◊〉 glorie Hee was in shame hee felt God to be vnto him Glorie He lay prostrate he felt God lifting vp his head And to speake it in a word hee felt God to supplie all that wanted in him The matter is so then surely thou shalt want nothing which that onely one God shall not furnish if thou haue thy refuge to him yea thou shalt also feele him only to be all vnto thee Desirest thou wisedome he shall be wisedome vn-thee desirest thou glorie He shal be glorie vnto thee Desirest thou riches hee shall be riches vnto thee Finally he shal be vnto thee al things that thou desirest Moreover DAVID whiles he felt the sethings he holdeth them not within himselfe but the things he feeleth he speaketh out professeth them first before GOD. This sense of the mercie of God The seeling of the mercy of God it cannot be altogether suppressed and restrayned but it will burst foorth in an open confession For so both God himselfe is glorified and he who hes that sense receiueth the greater consolation especially the sense of the mercy of God being inlarged by the confession For how much the more we vtter foorth that sense of Gods mercy in our harts so much more it groweth and is enlarged But hee who never at any time speaketh a word either with God or men of the mercy of God in Christ Iesus this man by his silence declareth plainely ynough that he is not touched as yet with that sense of the mercy of God with which it became him to be touched The acknowledging of the mercy gotion I crying out Hee goeth forward in his glorying and as first hee had professed before God himselfe that feeling of his mercy so turning himselfe vnto men hee commendeth the same vnto them beginning first from the manner and fashion whereby hee had apprehended the mercy of God Then in following out every particular parte of the mercy For so it commeth to passe that both
sorte of quietnesse of minde that is none other thinge but a fleshlie securitie which is a token of the suddaine destruction to come PAVLL sayeth 1. Thess 5. 3. When they shall say peace and safetie then shall come vppon them suddaine destruction as the trauel vpon a woman with childe and they shall not escape Therefore to the ende there may be a deepe sleepe and a softe wakening out of sleepe that is that there be a true securitie of minde every man must take heede that hee feele God present with him present I say when he goeth to bed when he awaketh in the night for our sleepe should bee no sooner interrupted in the night but we should haue our recourse vnto God Albeit men commonly are chiefely distracted in the night with the cares of this worlde yea with lighter and vayner tryfles More-over nothing hath more strength either to settle the minde in the night time or to call it backe againe to sleepe and to refresh the bodie with rest then that sweete meditation vpon God Finally when the time of awaking commeth in the morning everie man must take head that he finde God present with him when he goeth foorth of the house when hee commeth in againe while he eateth while he drinketh while he is doing any thing continually that presence of God is to be sought Also wee haue God present at all times if with our voyce we cry vnto Iehova as DAVID did or if also when there is not place for the voyce wee call vpon him with our hearte which thing yerely may be done without hindring the most serious businesse we haue ado to leaue also that vnspoken of that this way specially all the honest adoes of this life may be handled with a certain inutterable delight Now the grounde of this presence is Christ without whose croce and sacrifice set before our eies no entrie is patent vnto God An other effect of Gods presence I will feare none euill In this verse he enlargeth that securitie which he felt through Gods presence while hee sayeth that hee hath no cause to feare hereafter no not indeed ten thousands of his enemies The amplifying therefore is partly from the time to come partly from the multitude of the enemies As if he should say Not onely was I secure but also hereafter I will be so secure Davidâ— coÌ„fidence exhorteth vs to invincible constanciâ— that if ten thousandes of the people would pitch their tents about me notwithstanding I will not bee shaken with fear Of the which thing you learne that this is the force of the quietnesse of the minde in God that there is nothing which it is not able to over-come From thence Paule after he had numbred out many things which are contrarie to vs in this life such as were anguishes oppression and the rest finally hee subjoyned Rom. 8. 36. 37. Yea in all those things we are more then conquerours through him who hath loved vs Behold you may see the grounde of this securitie and victorie To wit the loue of God in Christ For when there is that sense of the loue of God in Christ and consequently any taist of that life to come for this last followeth alway of that former then in deede the childe of God is so caryed aboue al those thinges inferiour that from on high he despiseth and contemneth them The cause brought out of the Apostle Nowe the Apostle in the same place bringeth in the cause why we are more then conquerours through the loue of God For I am perswaded saith he that neither death nor life c. is able to separate vs from the loue of God For if those things which are reckoned out in that Chapter might separate vs from the loue of GOD then certainely wee shoulde easilie fall vnder the burden through them But seeing they are not able to bring that to passe that GOD in Christ should not loue vs and wee also feele that loue in Christe and out of that loue life surely it will never come to passe that those things fall vtterlie oppresse vs But on the other it falleth out directlie to the contrarie that wee over come them all DAVID therefore to returne to him agayne was so caryed away through the sense of Gods presence and loue in the middest of persecution that hee securelie despised all the contrarie power as one who had perswaded himselfe of that that it was not able to separate him from that loue of God in Christe the sense whereof indeede he had at that time For it is not to bee thought that this voyce of DAVID and his glorying arose chiefelie of that securitie which hee had then perhaps of the certainty of the keeping of this life presente But much more of that securitie which he had of the certainty of that life to come yea that through the feeling of the loue which is in Christ Iesus For that is the differance betuixt the godly and others which stretch not their hope farther nor this life Those are never at ease neither yet can they glorie except they be first sure of this life yea but the godly being vncertaine of this life and certaine of that that is to come through the feeling of the loue of God in Christ they are in quiet rest The difference beâ—uixt the godly and vngodly concerning this life do glorie Sadrach Mesach and Abeanego Dan. 3. 16. aunswered so to Nebuchad-netzar threatning them with all extreame torments whatsoeuer We are not carefull say they concerning this matter And thus much haue we spoken concerning the seconde parte of the Psalme The glorying and commendation of the benefites of GOD The suÌ„me of the second part whereof the first was the sense of the help of God the second of the securitie pâ—st to come proceeding froÌ„ that sense of Gods help Now followeth the third part of the Psalme 8 Aryse Iehova saue me my God who hath stricken all mine enemies vpon the cheeke bone thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked 9 Saluation it selfe is to be ascribed to Iehova let thy blessing be vppon thy people Selali ARyse Iehova The last part of the Psalme The third part of the Psalme as wee haue spoken in which DAVID turning himselfe againe vnto God First prayeth for himselfe that hee may be delivered from the present danger Then for the people Now he praieth for himselfe in these words The combat of faith Aryse saith he Iehova saue me For so long as we feel not a full deliverance we remember God so as if he were vn-mindfull of vs and did sir idle in the heauens casting away all care of his owne vpon the earth Saue me saith he my God Embracing GOD as it were in his heart he craveth that he would saue him For when hee sayeth my God he embraceth God and by faith applyeth him to himself now he doth and speaketh this through the right of the covenant in which
him of the which it came to passe that being now sicke hee is more troubled in mind through the feeling of Gods wrath then in the body through the feeling of the sicknesse For that we speake somewhat of the wrath of God it is intollerable for it is not possible that hee can be satisfied vnlesse it be with the everlasting punishment of that man who is out of Christ It is not the sicknesse of one two or mo yeares not of a thousand yeares that can satisfie the angrie God if you be found out of Christ but thou must be punished for evermore The common place of Gods anger And even as the wrath of God in the selfe is intollerable so the sense of the flesh and of this corrupt nature conceiveth it to be vnappeaseable to be mixed with no kinde of mercy of which thing Cain complayneth Gen. 4. 13. My punishment is more saith hee then that I am able to beare But certainely prophane Cain lyeth against God and against his nature For where sinne aboundeth grace aboundeth much more If the minde could be brought on earnestly to seeke the same How Spiritual Davids feeâ—â—ng was For then it shall feele the wrath of God in Christ pacified which the flesh corrupt nature feeleth vn-appeaseable DAVID therefote to returne vnto him having once felt this wrath of God was more troubled through the sense of the wrath then through the sense of the most grievous sicknesse hee craveth then that not so much the sicknesse be remooved from him as the feeling of the wrath and he doubleth that petition as one who was deeply touched with the sense of that wrath O Lord saith he rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastiseme in thy burning wrath For hee apprehendeth not only the anger What doctrine the afflictions of the godly is but the burning wrath Therefore in the example and persone of DAVID this is to bee learned of vs The afflictions of the godlie are not indeede so many satisfactiones for their sinnes neither doth God lay them on vpon his owne to that ende that hee may satisfie his wrath and justice For Christ hath satisfied once the wrath of his father for the sinnes of al the beleevers yea and that indeede most perfitely For the Papistes lie The Papists 〈◊〉 concerning satisfaction in that they say that the afflictiones of the godlie are so many temporall punishments inflicted because of their sinnes which of necessitie they must suffer either in this world or in the other That is in Purgatorie For they saye that Christhes onely taken away by his death that everlasting punishment By which lie who is he not that seeeth how much is derogated froÌ„ that only one perfit sacrifice of Christ Therefore I affirme that these are not satisfactiones for sinnes or the punishments of sinnes but fatherlie chastisements by which God of his mercie exerciseth his owne in this life that they be not vtterly casten vp in a deepe sleepe of fleshlie securitie so perish with the rest of the world Which thing albeit it be true yet notwithstanding afflictiones manie times darkeneth so in our sight that mercy and loue of God in Christ that the very Godly are afrayde also when they are chastised least together at one time the whole wrath of God bee poured out vpon them Now this feare aryseth not so much of the renevved part of the minde as it doth of the flesh and vnregenerate part of the soule For loue casteth out feare 1. Ioh. 4. 18. Therefore it proceeded of the flesh that DAVID feared so much the wrath of God and his prayers some thing savoring of the flesh What the prayers of the godly are and of the corrupt nature mixt with them For the prayers yea of the most holy men contract a certaine spot on some one side or other of the remanent vncleanesse of this nature Neverthelesse in the meanetime he turneth himselfe vnto God and prayeth that he would turne away his wrath from him which is againe a sure evidence that he even at that time had apprehended some certain portion of that grace of God in Christ Iesus for vtherwaies surely he durst not haue bene so bold to come vnto God or to common with him so familiarly vnlesse he had bene allured by some feeling of that mercie in Chrisâ— Then the godly in the midde clowde of afflictiones surelie haue some sight howsoever at some time it be somewhat obscure of the mercie and grace of God by which they being allured come vnto God earnestly craue his mercy For they are not able who are not at least touched with some sense of his mercy earnestly to craue that mercy But we will make the matter manifest by this similitude When a mid cloude is cast in betuixt our sight the Sun the cloude indeede in the matter it selfe diminisheth nothing of the bright shining of the same which by nature is in the Sunne albeit the Sun be not seen of vs in the cleare brightnesse thereof be reason of the cloude that is cast betuixte Even so it is of that cloude of affliction that is casten in betuixte our sight and that sunne of the countenance and mercy of God The exposition and applying of the similitude in effect surely it taketh nothing away from the loue of God howsoever indeede it appeare vnto vs wherby God loveth vs in Christ which as God himselfe is vnchangeable so he remayneth the selfe same for evermore and is ever like to the selfe yea and remayneth even then when he chiefelie afflicteth vs. For even then when hee looveth vs in that his Welbeloved how-so-ever it appeare not so vnto vs because of the affliction which is cast in betuixt vs and his countenance And againe as the cloude cast betuixt darkeneth not the Sun so vnto vs that nothing of the sunne vtterly is seene and wee thinke that the day is suddenly changed into the night nevertheles surely some portion of the light shineth vnto vs through the middest of that darke thicknesse of the cloude even so neither doth that cloude of afâ—liction cast in darken that Sunne of the loue of GOD in Christ but some beames thereof will clearely strike vpon our mindes and hearts These thinges are somewhat more largelie spoken of me that we suffer not our selues to be so oppressed in the darknesse of afflictiones so that al beames of the favour of God in Christ bee vtterly taken away out of our sight but so much coÌ„tinually of that light which is in his face should be seene of vs as may shew vs the way earnestly to craue mercy and deliverance Iehova be gracious vnto me Hitherto once and againe hee hath prayed that the wrath might be remooved Now hee earnestly prayeth for the grace and mercie of God Wrath by prayer being removed wee should earnestly seek grace after the example of David Be gracious vnto me ó Iehova sayth he Hee had
Butt that they themselues ar taken hold on by God and that they are led on vnto that selfe same Butt while they feele also GOD to be present with them in all their waies moste dangerous whatsoever whereby they must of necessitie passe vnto the heauens For there is no solide ioy in doing of any thing vnlesse wee feele the holy Spirite of God to be the directer and the moover Moreover it is to bee marked in this place that no daungers no afflictiones no not death it selfe can separate vs from God The sure confidēce of the godly For he saieth Although I walk through the valley of the deadly shaddow I would not feare because thou art with me Commonlie it is thought that God is absent from that man who is brought to some extreame danger who hath his abiding in the middest of death For they perceiue not howe those thinges can stande with the providence of God even as though God were not able to hold vs vp vnlesse he vpheld this body and this present life Also this is the most sure signe of Gods presence in perils that the godly are voyde of all feare and that they are of a bold couragious spirit For for this he sayeth I would not feare because thou art with mee Thou seest then to speake it in one summe how particular the care of GOD is toward his owne For seeing in man three things are to be considered the bodie the soule the actiones God leaveth none of those destitute of his presence to the bodie he furnisheth nurishment and governement hee maketh the soule to be at rest he directeth the actions of the body Neither yet onely hath he this particular care of his owne But which thing I haue ever reckoned amongste the chiefest of Gods benefites he perpetually causeth them to feele some sense of his providence and care towarde them so that they are able to declare particularlie the sortes of Gods providence and to attribute fullie to God the whole glory of the same Thou furnishest Hee openeth vp in proper wordes the former allegorie borrowed from the custome of a good sheepheard and hee comprehendeth that whole care of God toward him in those three parts as it were The first is That he furnisheth a table before him The second That he annoynteth his head with oyle The third 2. Sam. 12 20. That he maketh his cup very full The first and the third parte Mat. 6. 17. belong to the necessary nurishment 2. Sam. 13. 12. The second to the decorement for the auncientes for the most parte were annoynted with oyles and oyntments for braverie and seemelinesse cause and not for any necessity Wherefore those who were in the mourning estate absteyned from annoyntings That which he sayeth in the first part is to be marked Thou furnishest a table before mee over against mine enemies Wherby he signifieth that in despite of his enemies he was fed nurished of God by the which great honour redounded vnto him and the greater was the confusion of his enemies while in the meane time that they are looking on he is so honoured of GOD. Then wee are to note in the third part that which he sayeth That God maketh his cup to abound For hee vnderstandeth the aboundance and increase of thinges necessarie to this life as of drink Considder therefore of the care of God toward his owne and howe liberallie he dealeth with them he bestoweth vpon them not only those things which belong vnto necessitie but those things which are for decorement againe he furnisheth not the thinges niggardlye which belong vnto necessitie but aboundantly and liberally And all those thinges surely he doth for their cause their enemies in the meane time looking on and sore againste their willes whereby the greater glorie may redound vnto them and that the confusion of their enemies may be the greater while they see those to be honoured of God whom they earnestly desired to be destroyed So God honoureth euery waye those who honour him Surely goodnesse and mercy An exposition of the seconde part of the proposition that is of the securitie for the time to come For he gloryeth of the securitie and hee promiseth vnto himselfe both all good things in this life and also the everlasting kingdome in the life to come Concerning this securitie we haue observed some thing vpon the first verse before now this one thing I adde to this only And I seeke the cause from whence it commeth to passe that anye man gloryeth so securely of the feeling of the presente favour of God promiseth so surely to himselfe that he shall never be destitute of that favor in time to come The cause is not any thing in vs nor that loue whereby we loue God for there is nothing in vs that can make vs to be at rest such is our inconstācy by very naturall disposition but the cause is that free favour of God who loveth him whom he hath begun to loue forever in that his welbeloved sonne Iesus Christ PAVLE gloryeth securely not indeede of the sense of that loue whereby he himself loved God but of the Feeling of that loue whereby God in Christ had embraced him Rom. ◠Who shall separate vs sayeth he from the loue of God For this is that ground of all glorying and security the loue of God toward vs from the which by no kinde of force wee are able to be pulled away The glorie therefore of al securitie be vnto God in Christ for ever Amen THE ARGVMENT Of the XXXII PSALME It is manifest out of the inscription that it is a Psalme of Doctrine and that it was written by David In it is handled the blessed nesse of man and it conteineth the doctrine of happinesse First therefore is set downe the generall doctrine vnto the 8 verse Then the applying of the generall doctrine vnto the last verse and finally a conclusion of exhortation in the last verse it selfe The XXXII Psalme 1 DAVIDS Psalme of doctrine Blessed is he which is eased of defection whose sinne is covered 2 Blessed is the man vnto whom Iehova imputeth not iniquitie and in whose Spirite there is no guise 3 When I keept silence my bones waxed old in my roaring all the day 4 For thine hand was heavy vppon me day and night my most excellent iuioice was turned into summer droughts Selah 5 I will make my sinne knowen vnto thee neither will I hide mine iniquitie I said I will confesse my defectiones vnto Iehova and thou tooke away the punishment of my sinne Selah 6 For this thing shall every one to whome thou art gracious pray vnto thee what time it shall fall out in the overflowing of many waters they shall not somuch as touch him Saying 7 Thou art a lurking place to me preserue me from trouble compasseme about with songs of deliverance Selah The first propositiō BLessed is he which is eased The proposition of the blessednes of man in
indeede is done for this cause that they themselues may come vnto the knowledge of Gods nature And maie knowe firste howe good hee is who will not haue his owne to lye sluggishing in their sinnes Then nexte because hee is holye and just in respect he beginneth his judgement at his owne house yea and will not winke indeed at the sinnes of his owne For that I may affirme boldlie that the godlie for the most parte are chastised of GOD in this life And that GOD is exceeding long suffering towarde the vngodlie But the Godlie on the otherside are touched with a sense of Gods loue in this life From thence arise that interchaunge of sorrowe and joye in this life But the vngodly abusing the long suffring of God in this life they shal feel at last the vnappeaseable wrath of God Hitherto hath bin repeated the petition of remission of sinnes Now he seeketh that other benefite of Regeneration which is conjoyned of necessity with the forgiuenes of sins Creat in me a clear mind Then by way of clearing of the mater be preseÌ„tly subjoyneth Renew a firme spirit within me as if he shuld say This work of New-birth begun in me by thy Spirit but vpon my parte interrupted O God renew repaire in me that thy Spirite in time to come may be firme and constant and I through the benefite thereof may persevere in thine obedience There are two benefits necessary in reconciling vs to â—od which selfe same thinges God promiseth to vs in the free covenant to wit forgiuenesse of sinnes and regeneration Ier. 31. 33. and both are obtained in Christ For by the blood of Christ our sinnes are forgiven and by the powerful holy Spirite of Christ wee are borne of new againe For the alone and selfe-same Christ as the Priest died for our sinnes and as King he is powerfull to regenerate vs by his holy Spirite and worde Dauid therefore after hee hath sought forgiuenesse of sins in Christ hee earnestly craveth the New-birth and renewing of that interrupted worke of Gods holye Spirite in himselfe Considder here first that the holye Spirite is made so joyfull by Gods workes and a good conscience that he courageovsly maketh progres in the work of our Regeneration But contrariwise Ephes â— 30. the Spirite of God is so touched with griefe by evil works as the Apostle testifieth that hee ceaseth as it were from that work and leaveth off in the middest that begun worke of New-birth The Spirite now leaving his owne worke in the middest presently there aryseth darknesse in the minde which maketh that bright light of the countenance of GOD to passe out of sight and to vanish away from our eies and incontinent our heart waxeth harde as a certaine skarre of a wound and becommeth benummed and without sense so that the holy Spirite of God is very hardly raysed vp againe being oppressed with the darknesse of mind and hardnesse of heart And from thence aryse those mournings and sighes of the godlie fighting with the darknesse of their heart And from thence arose that speeche of PAVLE O miserable man that I am who shall deliver mee from the bodie of this death Rom. 7. 24 Considder here againe DAVID craveth not Regeneration by the Spirite of Christ before hee first haue sought the forgiuenesse of sinnes through the blood of Christ This order of the petitiones evidentlie declareth that of necessitie we must bee first justified by Christ before we bee sanctified in our selues which thing also the righteousnesse of GOD requireth which suffereth not the Image of GOD to bee repaired in vs which is according to righteousnesse and holinesse before first God bee satisfied for all our â—innes For it is not possible that GOD canne renounce his owne justice Nowe after that thou art justified then there is place to Regeneration and the Petition thereof not indeede that having attayned to it thou quiet thy selfe chiefelie in the same But thou muste speciallie and alwaie thereafter quiet thy selfe in that moste perfite righteousnesse of Christe without the which not all this holinesse which is in vs dare bee so bolde to come foorth once into the sight of GOD. For our Regeneration and holinesse is but begunne onelie in this life and neither by the selfe pacifyeth the wrath of GOD neither 〈◊〉 our consciences And 〈…〉 the Papistes are more 〈…〉 leaving this moste perfiâ—e righteousnesse of Christ will quiet themselues in their owne and in that which they call inherente And againe for this cause they are more miserable that vnderstande not what this inherente righteousnesse is which is none other thing in verie deede but that the Regeneration of our nature is onely but begun in this life wherfore we ought to praye to GOD that he would not suffer vs to be involved in this darknes and that he would not suffer vs to bee seduced by men which this daye are blinded in so cleare a light Cast me not away Hee continueth in this seconde petition of the holy Spirite and of Regeneration Cast me not away sayeth he from thy face then expressing the same thing clearely Take not thine holy Spirit from me sayeth hee Nothing can befall a man more grievous in this life then if he be left of GOD. For seeing that God is the fountaine of all good thinges GOD leaving man all good thinges also therewith leaue him All good things leauing him hee is therewith layde open to all evill thinges If God be on our side Rom. â— 31. who shall be against vs No not these thinges indeede which seeme to bee most displeasant contrary For all things worke together for the best to them that loue God Contrariwise all worke together for the worse to them that loue not GOD yea even those things which otherwise appeare to make for vs. Nowe although there be so great an evill in the desertion of God Notwithstanding the elect also are at some time destitute of the Spirit of GOD which is the thing that DAVID teached vs in this place by his owne example Verely I say not this for this cause that I thinke the Spirite once giuen to the elect thereafter is allutterly taken from them For the giftes and calling of God are without repentance But that for a certaine space the efficacie of the holye Spirite is not seene in governing of the elect yea that especially for this ende that they maye bee humbled that they may learne that it is not possible for them to stand yea but for one momente vnles they bee susteined by Gods grace and his holy Spirit Whereby it commeth to passe that the elect after they haue found in experience howe infirme and fragill they are by nature without the Spirite of God nowe being destitute thereof for a time they more carefully and with more feruent desires earnestlie craue his presence and helpe This is the second thing which hee offereth here to vs to bee learned by his owne
that we walke in the liberty of the Spirit For by nature there is no free-will But where the Spirite of God is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3. 17. sayeth PAVLE And this is that blessed Christian libertie wherby we are so delivered that we may serue God and not that wee should liue according to our owne will such as libertie as these Libertines Fpicures doe faine neither yet must wee thinke that we are forced to doe our duty by this Spirite but that willingly we are led For God loveth those that are willing as Dauid speaketh in an other place Neverthelesse in this life this libertie is but begunne onely which at last shal be perfited in that life to come But we must yet a little more diligently marke the word of freedome for it signifieth not any common liberty but a speciall noble freedome such as is the liberty of a Noble man or kings son Neither yet without cause this worde is applyed to the presente purpose For wee are the sonnes of a king that is indeed Noble the King of kings and the most hie God For whosoever is regenerated by his Spirit he is his sonne in Christ although otherwise if wee considder these prerogatiues among men hee be base borne notwithstanding hei noble and more noble then any King who hath onely the first nature and is not regenerated by the holy Spirit For the regenerate man to speake this with Peter is made participant of the most noble divine nature 2. Pet. 1. Iohn esteemed much of this noblenes when he said whosoever receiued the Worde that they haue gotten this dignitie Iohn 1 12 to be made the sons of GOD. Beholde hee calleth dignitie that estate to the which the Sonnes of GOD were lifted vppe which if men would some-what more diligentlie take heede to they would not trouble themselues with those thinges which the Apostle calleth Carnall as are kindred 2 Cor 5. â—iches honoures but would seeke rather the new Creature in Christ for olde thinges are paste awaie and all thinges are made newâ— And hitherto the petition hath bene two folde The first of remission of siâ—â—es The other of Regeneration Nowe followeth the common argumente of the craving of both from the edifying of our neighbours I shall teach back slyders thy waies sayeth hee As if hee should saye if I shall obtayne at thy handes the thing that I craue O God I shall be a Preacher of thy infinite and incomprehensible mercy to others Thy waies he sayeth not my waies such as were man slaughter adulterie c. For those then were DAVIDS waies which waies indeede men are skilfull ynough commonly to pretend to their evill deedes who seeke none other thing then liberty to sinne yea and that vnder some certain cloake when notwithstanding this example of life is not set before them by David that they should follow it yea but much rather the waies of God aâ— set before them that is his vnspeakable mercies toward sinners which also appeareth of that that where sinne abounded grace superabounded The waies of God by nature ar vnknowen to man and specially that way of infinite mercy in his owne Christ of the which natur indeed was not able ever at any time to suspect But after beside nature and against nature it was reveiled notwithstanding the conscience trembling through the feeling of sin and of the wrath of God so that a mid cloud as it were is cast in betuixt the sight thereof and the grace of God that it cannot but see very hardly For then such an huge heape of sinne aryseth that it taketh away by force the whole sight of the grace of GOD almost from it In the mean time infidelitie which proceedeth of nature perswadeth vs to despayre of the mercy of God Finally a thousand impediments ingire themselues which al maketh it to come to passe that we are blind at the light of that grace of God so that wee finde in experience howe hard a thing it is especially to a man who is touched with an earnest feeling of his sinne to haue before his eies that mercy of God in Christ For I speake of him who is touched with a sense of his sinne For others who while they sinne yea and sinne grievously indeede notwithstanding they feele not that their sinne in speech surely they promise to themselues the mercy of God in Christ nevertheles in very deed they feele it not For it is easie to any secure man and that sleepeth in his sinne in a dreame to promise all things to himselfe God therefore willing the weill of sinners in this so great a difficultie of feeling of grace hee would haue left vnto vs an example of that this mercy whereby moste grievous sinnes are pardoned such as was this example of Gods mercy in DAVID the more notable in this respect the more grievous that his sinnes were as manslaughter adultery c. Also they were the heavier in that selfe-same respect that hee was a King PAVLE the Apostle 1. Timoth. 1. Professeth indeede himselfe to bee the chiefest of all sinners to witte a Blasphemer a persecutor a man that did wrong Notwithstanding sayeth hee God for this cause had mercie vppon mee that hee might shewe first on mee all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him to everlasting life This way of bringing men vnto grace which is by experience by his own exaÌ„ple God wil haue without al dout every one whosoever haue felt at any time in experieÌ„ce his mercy to follow to coÌ„municate to others willingly that tast of grace which they theÌ„selues before haue felt which thing David promiseth to do in this place I wil teach back-sliders saieth he thy waies In this place thou shalt marke that the godly when God as it were taking holde of their hande lift vp themselues they stretch out their other hand as it were to lift vp others whereby they also may be participant of the same grace WheÌ„ Christ calleth vpon them they also at the same time cal others that they may come together vnto him according to that commandement of Christ vnto Peter When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren For true faith not only is careful for the self but chiefly this is the ende of the purpose thereof through a certain zeale of the glory of God to promoove the salvation of others to wit that other sinners may be turned vnto God repent For David respecteth this ende in teaching others that is the mercie of GOD towarde sinners that they also might repent being mooved to wit with that sense of the mercy of God toward theÌ„ Of the which that thinge appeareth that some taste of the mercy of GOD preceedeth turning vnto God that faith is the cause of Repentance For it cannot bee that men can be turned vnto God vnles they be allured with some â—eeling of his fatherlie loue Deliver me from blood
in Tzijon O Iehoua The first part of the psalme the complaint in which the diuers passions of Davids mind being banished vtter themselues And first indeede the affection of that loue whereby hee embraceth Gods presence in his Church is brought out in this verse For David when he had felt that sweetnesse of the presence of GOD which then was tied vnto the Church of the Iewes he was taken with a wonderfull loue thereof Also hee openeth vp that most tender loue in this word How amiable For this word is the speech of a lover By the name of Tabernacles he vnderstandeth that visible Ministrie which then was bounde to the temple of Ierusalem onely and in which God exhibited himselfe to his people to be seene in some sort My soule is touched In this the passion of desire vttereth the selfe For when the holy man was banished from that presence of GOD which he so greatly loued hee was not touched with a meane desire thereof For desire properly ariseth of the absence of these thinges which we loue Considder therefore what it is to haue once taisted how gracious the Lord is for of the taist commeth the loue of the loue ariseth the desire of the thing absent which thinge the felle surelie is neuer destitute of some sorte of enioying and presence Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnes because they shall be satisfied But they who at no time haue taisted howe gracious the Lorde is they surelie are not taken with his loue and they who loue not they desire not him that is absent For what is the cause that you see manie destitute of this visible presence of God which is in his Ministerie not-with-stan-ding are not so much as by the leaste feeling touched with the sense thereof These neuer tasted how sweete this presence of GOD was in his ministerie From thence there is no loue of God againe from thence there is no desire of him But what would you thinke of those which not onely doe suffer themselues willinglie to be depriued of this presence of God but also persecute the same al the waies they can I pray you of what minde ar those men toward God how wickedly are they disposed Yea my soule fainteth He aggravateth that his desire to come vnto God and firste indeede from that that through the desire his minde fayleth him Then from that that he is whollie occupied with that desire both in his heart in his flesh in his minde in his bodie Thirdlie from that that through the desire he cryeth out Marke therefore in this place how vehement the passion vseth to be in the godlie not onlie of desire but of loue sorrow and rejoysing c. For that spirit of GOD which stirreth vp this affectiō in the godly is in cōprehensible From thence his operation is marueilous in the hart not such natural commotiones indeede as vse to bee in the mind as the naturall desire the naturall loue the naturall sorrow c. From thence the sighes of the godlie are said to bee vnspeakeable Rom. 8 and the joye vnutterable and glorious 1. Pet. 1 Neuertheles there is something in the affection of the godlie which you may vvounder at and which you cannot finde in the naturall passion Their desire is vehement it is not without some presence and enjoying of that thing which they desire from thence ariseth that pleasure while they desire For their sighes cannot be expressed surelie they are not without some ioye if the vnspeakeable ioy bee not conioyned with inutterable sighes To the strong God Vnder these titles of God there is some cause of so great a desire for he felt that his whole power his life was from God who is both strong and liuing that is whoe is not onelie strong in himselfe but furnisheth strength vnto his creatures not onelie liueth himselfe but powreth in life into the things created they then which feele themselues to liue by God that they moue and are surelie they suffer not themselues to wante the presence of God But they who feele not that thing they take that absence of God in a good ynough part I grant all liue indeede and are by him but all vnderstand not that onelie they vnderstand and feele that who haue begun to liue that life of God haue the first fruites of the Spirit They indeede ascribe to God alone as his gifte not onelie that spirituall life but euen the sensuall life Yea the sparrow The third affection Indignation for he is angrie yea that a sparrow or a swallow shall haue some entrie to the altars of God when not-with-standing the altares of GOD belong nothinge to those litle birdes But he himselfe which is a member of the Church all entrie vnto the Church of God is vtterly stopped vp You see therefore that the Godlie being destitute of Gods presēce envie that the little birdes shoulde haue the same and they thinke themselues miserable in respect of the birdes You see also that God by the birdes doeth after some sorte prouoke men to aemulation The vngodlie in this life do suffer easilie the things created and dum to draw neerer vnto god thē thēselues and yet for all this thinke not themselues in this respect either more blessed or more miserable thē themselues But when they shall come to that latter judgement or to that aire and to those clowdes wherewith the Lorde shall be invironed and vpon which he shall set miserable men they shall thinke the birdes happie in respect of themselues My King and my God Those names of God sufficientlie declare that there was also some presence of God present at that time when hee so grieuouslie complaineth of his absence For these words proceede from faith that is from some present apprehension You will see then the godlie complaine of the absence of GOD when notwithstanding they feele him present in some sorte They complayn also of his absence because they cannot get that presence and communion of God which they would haue For we liue here by faith and not by sight that is we looke a far off onely vppon the Lorde and that selfe same sight which is from a farre off is hindred many waies yea many times also all presēce of God is rest away from our eies From thence ariseth that desire of flitting out of this bodie and going to dwell with the Lord. From thence come these complaints concerning the Lords absence Blessed are those who dwel This is the fourth affection woundring He cannot sufficiently wounder at the blessednesse of these men who haue some entry patent vnto God that is to that visible ministerie in which God exhibited himself to be seene in some sort For whosoeuer at any time haue God present with themselues those define that blessednesse that felicity of man by that same presence and communion which is with God Neither ar they able at any time who haue not seene God in Christ either to thinke
and honorable styles but for the most part fayned styles But the godly when they speake reverently vnto God they speake from the entire sincerity reverence faith and loue of the heart For wee must deale with GOD the searcher of the hearts with vprightnes of heart and not make our word so much as our soule approoved vnto him and this cannot bee done without his owne spirit For no man calleth Iesus Christ but by the holie Spirite Behold As he first sought the eare so nowe hee desireth the eie of GOD For the godly are not at reste within themselues before they firste feele that all the senses of their God as it were are exercised vppon them for even as they who favoure not but of those earthly things some not to themselues able to liue vnles they haue the eare of the Princes of this world open vnto them and haue their eie fixed vpon them so they who seek that everlasting life they depend altogether vpon the eie and eare of God who is the alone author of life and in whose face there is sacietie of joyes For one day is This is the argument of the petition from that joye which is in the Church of God Of this joy he entreateth by way of comparison and he aggregeth it by a comparison taken frō a thing that is lesse of that joy which is in the pavillions of wickednes that is which is without the Church without the which there is nothing but wickednesse as if he should saye The joye of one daye in the Church is more then the joy of a thousand daies without the Church from thence hee concludeth Therefore I had rather hant the threshold in the house of God c. Hee preferreth then the joye of one day in the Church to the joy of many dayes without the Church The reason is because the weight quantity of that spiritual joye which is in the Church recompenseth the shortnesse of the time For one crumme if it were no more of that spirituall joy is of greater weight estimation then is the whole joy of this world Marke if so little a time of spirituall gladnesse begun but onely in this fighting Church vppon earth surpasseth by so many degrees that whole time of the joy which is of this world I pray you how much shal wee say the eternitie of that spirituall ioy to be which at length is to be perfited in the triumphant Church to be more excellent I say then all the joye of this worlde which lasteth but for a moment as it were For the whole time of this joy if it be compared with eternitie what other thing is it then a certaine moment and that gladnes of the world if it be compared with that heavenly ioy how vaine and light is it Compare therfore that everlasting weight of that excellently excellent glorie so to speake with the Apostle with this momentanean lightnesse of worldly ioye 2. Cor. 4 The Prophet said not greate ioye which is in the Church when he brought in the cause wherefore he desired to bee brought home againe into the Church but by waye of comparison he saide that this ioye was greater then that ioy of the whole world is yea he preferred one daye of this ioy to a thousand dayes of worldlie ioye and not only preferred he this ioye which is in the Church to that ioy which is in the world but having vtterly abandoned this worldly ioye he choose that spiritual ioy Here then I marke that is not sufficient if we saye there is a great ioye in the Church of God vnlesse wee prefer the same also vnto the whole ioye of this world Againe it is not ynough if in worde we prefer the same except also wee make some choise thereof also in this life Moyses choose rather to bee afflicted with the people of God then to enjoy the commodities of iniquitie If therefore Moyses choose the affliction and misery of the Church having contemned altogether the royall pleasures how much more ought we to choose that gladnesse which is in the Church of God having despised in the meane time all the pleasures of this worlde Which ioy surely if we choose not in this life in some certaine measure certainely wee shall never enioy that perfite pleasure which is in the other life For God is the Sun The reason wherefore hee choose rather to haunt the thresholde in Gods house taken from God himselfe and from his presence in the Church as of a certaine Sunne and Shield God is a certaine Sun because the beame of his grace shineth in our harts 2. Cor. 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaketh And hee is a shield because he protecteth rescueth his Church and defendeth it from evill For without the Church there is no protection no salvation as there is no light no grace But the borrowed figuratiue speeches following expound these wordes by which it is saide first Iehova giveth grace and glory For for this cause he is called a Sun Then is subjoyned Hee restrayneth not good from them which walk in vprightnes That is who are truly and really of the Church But vnderstand therewith he holdeth off and restrayneth evill from the Church and the members of the Church For for this hee is called a shield Mark who finally ar they who chose to dwell in the house of God or in the church to wit those only ar they who behold that Sunne shining in the Church and that buckler which protecteth the Church But others vpon whome that Sun hath not shined and whom that shield defendeth not they are so farre from that that they would dwell in the Church of GOD that contrariwise with all their heart they abhor the societie of the Church and of the Saintes It is therefore greatly to the purpose once to haue looked vpon that presence of god in his church 13 O Iehoua of hostes blessed is the man that hath his confidence in thee O Iehova blessed is the man The conclusion of the prayer conteining an excellent acclamatorie sentence in which Dauid having considdered that presence of GOD in his Church hee publisheth him to bee blessed who putteth his trust in God that is who is in the Church and enjoyeth that presence of God in his Church He therefore that beholdeth God present in his Church not only he chooseth to dwel in the Church but he judgeth him to be blessed whosoever hee be that by faith and loue in God joyneth himself vnto the Church and that man alone indeede is the judge of the true felicitie and miserie of man who seeth the presence of GOD in his Church for this man judgeth yea and he judgeth indeede aright from that presence of God either of the happinesse or miserie of man To God therefore in his Church be all glory through Iesus Christ for evermore Amen The Argument of the CXVI Psalme Of this Psalme there are fiue partes The first he professeth his loue toward God and he
they called him either just or powerfull or wise or merciful Paule going about to speake of quickning Ephesa 4. aswell of the Iewes as of the Gentiles first hee described God froÌ„ the cause of quickning to witte from his mercy God saieth he who is rich in mercy because of his great loue whereby hee hath loved vs hee hath quickened vs together with Christ That is hee had considdered diligentlie the benefite of quickning and felt it intirely in his soule From thence he ascendeth to the cause it selfe to wit to the mercy of God For they who meditate earnestlie concerning the effects of God those same men also doe not les seriouslie panse of the causes of the effects which are in God they glorifie God in them and every man surely as hee weigheth the effects and benefites of God so hath he an apprehension either more light or more weightie of God so that wee may gather yea of the very naming of God how much men are mooved with the workes of GOD if at any time they speake of them For if in the meane time that they speake of the workes of God they name not God with that reverence which is due surelie that is an evident that there is but a light apprehension onely of Gods workes 7 Returne vnto thy rest ô my soule seeing Iehoua is beneficiall toward thee 8 Because thou hast delivered my selfe from death mine eies from teares my feete from falling 9 I will walke continually before Iehova in the countreyes of the living REturne vnto The second parte of the Psalme The glorying of faith both in his owne soule and likewise before God And first he gloryeth in his owne soule Returne sayeth hee ô my soule vnto thy rest Hee opposeth this reste or peace to anguish sorrow of the which hee had spoken before in the third verse As if he should saye Disquiet not thy selfe any more neither be in any sorrowing but nowe at last quiet thy selfe The cause is adjoyned For God is bountifull vnto thee The reason then is taken from the present benefite of God It may be asked in this place whether if the benefit of GOD setteth the soule of the disquieted man at rest Which if it be so what is the efficacie of faith or hope which is of a thing that is absent I aunswere seeing faith vnder which hope is conteined the present enjoying of the thing are two divers things Faith indeede hath great strength to quiet and pacifie the troubled minde Notwithstanding the prefence of the thing it self hath greater strength to bring that matter to passe Faith indeede which respecteth that lise to come and as it were exhibiteth it present to vs I grant iâ—urnisheth a peace that is aboue all knowledge But how great shall this peace be when we shall enjoy that life to come fully and perfitly That is not to be in silence pretermitted that hee nameth Iehova to bee the authour of this benefite and deliverance Iehoua sayeth hee is bountifnll vnto me Hee said not â—awlie nakedly to his soule because thou hast delivered mee from present danger but he nameth God to bee the author of the deliverance from thence aryseth that rest For God himselfe the author of all benefites is a thing somewhat more excellente and the conscience of God the chief worker hath greater strength to quiet the mind then all the benefites of GOD haue for if we shall speake properly not so much the gift it selfe as the well willing hart of the giver quieteth our mind That peace which proceedeth onely from benefites temporall and worldly is deceivable such as was the peace of that rich man which after that his barnes were enlarged and filled full promised to his soule in time to come all peace and happinesse But what heard he then O foole sayeth he they shall take away thy soule from thee this same very night Luk. 12. 20 Because Now he gloryeth before God as if he should saye I shall not perish nowe but I shall liue among the living for this is it which he sayth I shal walk alwaies in the land of the living and not only saith he that but he saith I will liue before Iehova that is I wil liue justlie vprightly so that by mylife God shal be glorifyed this is not without a cause adjoyned For vnles we walk before God in this life while we liue we ar dead as the apostle speketh of that widow â— Tim 5. 6 which liveth in pleasure While she is living saieth he she is dead Also he taketh the reasoÌ„ of his glorying from the gift of God it selfe which by three degrees is amplified Thou hast deliuered my selfe sayeth hee from death Yea and not only that but thou hast delivered me froÌ„ al sorrow Yea and not onely that hast thou done but thou hast delivered me from all impediment which could be able any way to procure sorow vnto me Learne out of this place first that there is no mater of glorying but in the grace of God alone Rom. 3. 〈◊〉 in god alone when is the glorying saith Paul it is excluded by what law by the law of workes No waies yea by the law of faith Whereby hee signifyeth that there ought to bee no glorying in our owne workes no not so much in deede as in the workes of regeneration For Abraham himselfe being regenerate had not matter to glorie in workes before God For the works of regeneration were even now al done wherefore he that desireth to glory let him glory in Christ alone and his merites Secondly marke David speaketh here of his owne deliverance as if it were full perfite But surely thereafter hee was layde out to many and great dangers and hee was in displeasure Wherefore of necessitie here he hath a respect to another deliverance and to another life then to this that is present For it is not likely to be true that so godly a man gloryed so much of this temporall life in which none of the godly at any time ever contented themselues But to the end I may speak of those Fathers who lived before Christ they indeed respected continually vnder figures as it were and shaddowes of temporall things things everlasting and in their temporall deliverances and benefites whatsoever they looked within that everlasting redemption and all spirituall and heavenly things And almost all those temporall things earthly was given them as shaddowes of the Spirituall blessings in Iesus Christ Also al those Temporal benefites should be so many earnest-pennies vnto vs of that Spirituall and heavenly life and perfite redemption which then we shall attayne vnto when Christ the second time shall come 10 I beleeved when I spake those things I had spoken aboue measure 11 I had said making hast Every man is a lyar I Beleeued The fourth part of the Psalme in which hee confesseth his weaknesse yea and his former infidelitie also and he cleareth the same
without a most weighty cause Thirdly that the very death of the godly it selfe howsoever it seeme vile in the sight of the world notwithstanding in Gods sight it is precious Fourthly that continually the memory of the death of the godly is alwaies fresh recent Of these foure manners that first is chiefly to be vnderstood in this place To wit that for this cause the death of Gods owne is precious in the eies of God he suffereth in respect them not many times to die but delivereth theÌ„ out of extreame great daungers But whose death is precious in the eies of Iehova Even the death of those saith he whoÌ„ he beareth at good wil. Therefore the loue and favour of God is the cause wherefore the death of his own is precious those whom he loveth he keepeth them aliue neither doth he at any time suffer them to die rashlie Any would suddenly wounder at the first shew why God hath not only permitted but also hath commanded oft that so many Nations should bee destroyed no choise being had of men wemen and infants which thing wee reade in the booke of Ioshua come to passe vpon the people which were in the Land of Canaan When I was occupied in seeking out somewhat more profoundly the cause of this so greate a severitie this first came in my minde because God favored not those Nations but contrariwise hee hated them whereby it came to passe that their death was not precious in the eies of God If their precious death or not precious death dependeth vppon the loue or hatred of God how blessed are those whome the Lord loveth aswell in life as in death I beseech thee Iehoua Hee confirmeth Gods providence toward his own by his own experience as if he should saye hast thou not I beseech thee ô Iehova lowsed my bondes For he speaketh of himselfe as if hee were drawen bound hand and foote to execution For he meaneth that hee was brought to an extreame daunger of losing his life when by Iehova he was delivered He subjoyneth the cause of his deliverance to wit that he was the servant of Iehova for this cause a servant because he was the son of a hand maid for the sonnes of the handmaid are therewithall according to the law servants When he sayeth that he is the sonne of an hand maid hee signifieth that he is not a stranger a servant coÌ„ming from far but a houshold servant among the rest of Gods domestickes Hee meaneth then that he is not a man that is a stranger a sojorning servant in the house of god but that he himself hath some right title in the house of god either froÌ„ his parents which befor him wer coÌ„prised within the covenant of God for that is no coÌ„mon benefit of that we are borne as it were of the domesticques and confederates of God And surely the affection of Davids mind vttereth the selfe clearely in this gradation of words as it were For the wordes shew that the affection of the minde approched vnto God more more For first he sayeth I am thy servant This is the first degree or steppe of the words and the first approching of the soule vnto God Then he repeapeth the felfe same thing and he saith I am thy servant This is the seconde step of the wordes and the second approching of his soule vnto God Then he sayeth in the third place I am the sonne of thine hand-maid This is the third step of the words and chief signe of his exceeding great and third drawing neere vnto God For while he speaketh this last hee coupleth himselfe altogether with GOD and he cleaveth straitly vnto him and so for this cause he becommeth blessed For our happinesse consisteth in that communion and fellowship with God Thou feest therefore that thing in this place first from whence it proceedeth that hee publickly recoÌ„mendeth with so great a confidence of mind that providence of God toward his owne Surely it commeth from that his owne experience and of the particular providence of God toward him selfe For no man can prayse generally the providence and mercy of God toward his owne Church except he hath in particular felt the same in experience himselfe Certainly that saying would haue bin but coldly spoken by Paule To witte that Christ came into the World to saue sinners vnlesse that he himselfe had firste felt in experience both the miserie of sinne and the mercy of God and for this cause he subjoyneth these words Of whom to witte of sinners I am the chiefest to the end he might conclude in his own conscience that he himself was saved by Christ Therefore that generall faith of the Papists is vnmeet to recommend the providence grace of God toward his owne Church For never did I ever yet esteeme at anie time any Papist to be a meet Preacher or publisher of the benefits of God towarde his Church who is not able to bring out any thing from his own feeling or experience who is not able to say that of the which before we haue spoken in this Psalme I beleeued and therefore did I speake Marke secondly There ar men whom this or that kinde of death doth greatly vexe and torment as violent death as filthie suddaine exquisite and cruell deathes concerning which sortes of death indeede they do no sooner meditate vpon but presently they are striken with a horrible fear but this care thought which is coÌ„cerning the maner of death is preposterous Why should not that much rather be takeÌ„ thought of by vs that we may feel our selues beloved of God for if we be grounded rooted in that loue of God our death of whatsoever sort it be shal be precious in the eies of God we shal be more then conquerors in very death it self obserue thirdly Dauid out of all question Rom. 8. â—7 attayned to that hid loue of God which was in the hart of God he obtained some sense from the effect of some special notable deliverance he learned also that he was beloved of Iehova froÌ„ that becaus his death was precious in the eies of Iehova This is that our onely comforte in life and death that wee are not our own but our most faithfull Lordes Iesus Christs and that we are the Lords and that hee taketh a care of vs From thence also those godlie auncient men chiefly learned the same thing because they felt God present with them in very deede in whatsoever perrilles Amongst the rest David is to be nuÌ„bred who as he was laid open to many dangers so he felt exceeding many deliveraÌ„ces he perswaded himself that god had a speciall care of him in the selfe same place in which hee saide that the death intended against the godly was Precious in the eies of Iehova he without all doubt meaneth that this was a document of the favour care of God toward vs in respect that our death is precious in his
aright or speak truly of that happines From thence proceed these shamefull errours of prophane Philosophers of which number some haue beene so mad that they haue placed the miserie of man in place of his happines Also those whom in the first place hee published to bee blessed those appeare to be the Levites and the Priestes For those are they who dwelt in the house of God and according to their office perpetually praysed him The Ministers therefore of the Church obteine the first place of happinesse and no marvell indeede if thou wilt measure happinesse by Gods presence and the glorifying of his name For the Ministerie are sanctified separated aboue others to communicate with GOD vpon whom this thing lyeth as a parte of their office that they poynt out as it were with the finger God whom they first haue seene in Christ and paynte out Christ before the eies to others in the preaching of the Gospell and crucifie him as it were to others there fore the faithfull Ministers and stewards of the mysterie of Christ ar chieflie blessed but if they be not faithfull they are of all men the most miserable Blessed is the man Secondly he esteemeth them to be blessed who haue an easie entrie into the Church of God For this is that which he sayeth Who in thee haue libertie of thy pathes For here also is the matter of happines that there is an easie passage made vnto vs to the assemblies of the Church in which the worde of God is heard and preached and the Sacraments are ministred But wee very oft fulfill that which is commonly spoken The nearer that wee draw to the Temple of God in our bodie wee are the farther in our soule from God and we abuse that libertie and power in which there is any matter of blessednes For wee haue taken a loathing of the worde of God and of the Ecclesiasticall assemblies long since Blessed are they Thirdly hee counteth these among the blessed who howbeit they had a hard way a droughthie place to passe through as was the valley of the mulberie are compelled to journey likewise travell in a raynie weather Notwithstanding they are able to come vnto the Church of God Appoynt that fountaine That is they refresh themselues with a consideration of that fountaine of GOD vnto the which they striue through those droughthie places The rayne of thy blessing That is which for the most parte is sent to communicate the blessing of God with the earth maketh it fertil Thou seest then that those are blessed to whome otherwise there is an hard entry into the Church of GOD if in the meane time they come vnto him For the difficultie of comming vnto God taketh not away our happinesse if sobeit at length wee take holde on him But these surely are the meet judges of this happines who haue once tasted howe gracious the Lorde is and what greate sweetnes is in his presence They goe from battle array The reason of their blessednes who haue an vneasie waye vnto the Church of God from the event They go sayeth he from battel aray to battel aray That is after they are commed into the Church that difficil way being accomplished they passe from one holy assembly to another daylie to exercise publickly the whole worshippe of GOD. It is a borrowed speech from warfare Let every man compeare This is done according to the Lawe Hee sheweth evidently then their happinesse who haue an hard journey vnto the Church from the notable issue for wee must measure blessednesse from the issue and not from the meanes whereby wee attaine vnto the issue And therefore our Saviour in the fifth of Matthew saieth Blessed are they that mourne for they shal be comforted whereby hee signifieth that blessednes is not so much in the mourning as it is in the consolation Not-with-standing hee sheweth that mourning is a necessarie midds for comfort so that if wee mourne not in this life there shall be no comforte for vs in that that is to come vnles we passe as it were in some sort through the Helles wee shall not come vnto the Heavens 9 O Iehova God of hostes heare my prayer conceiue with thine eares ô God of Iahakob Selah 10 O our shield behold ô God and looke vpon the face of thy Christ 11 For one daye in thy courtes is better then a thousand I choose to haunt the thresholde in the house of my God then to dwell in the pauillion of iniquitie 12 For God Iehova is the sunne the shield Iehova giveth grace and glory hee with-holdeth not good from them that walke in vprightnes The second parte of the Psalme the prayer O Iehova Now hee prayeth vnto GOD that of his mercy hee would bring him home from banishment into his Church The petition is conteined in two verses The reason therof is vnto the 13. verse The ground of the petition vppon the which it is built is easilie perceived from the titles and names whereby hee incalleth God Also the ground of the petition firste is indeede in taking holde on GOD in his everlasting essence from whence hee is called Iehova Then next in that his infinite power from whence hee is called the GOD of hostes and that he hath vnder his dominion al hostes and armies aswel the heavenly as the earthly Thirdly in his mercy which he hath made manifest in that covenant made with Abraham Isaac and Iakob from whence hee is called the God of Iahakob For wee cannot pray vnto God except we take holde on him in our heart not only in that his everlasting essence wherby he is distinguished from all things created but also in his proprieties but chiefely in two power whereby he is able to saue vs and mercy whereby he is willing to saue vs. Also we vtter this apprehension of heart in the titles and names of God while wee call him Iehova sometime the God of armies at other times the God of Iahakob and finallie when wee are praying we call vpon him by other titles It is to be marked in the petition that hee repeateth the selfe same petitiō This repetition sheweth evidently the earnest desire of the thing sought for without the which wee should not call vppon God for the desire of the heart is a certaine necessary foundation of praiers From thence aryse those vehement and repeated petitions the which self-same askings againe of necessitie God must heare But if there be not a desire of the heart the askings are but colde and drye and therefore againe they get nothing but a colde a drye aunswere from God and procure rather some judgement then any benefite For we should not deale for the fashion sake with God O our shield How of the craveth so oft he calleth vppon God most reverently which thing is an evidente that every one of these words proceed from particular apprehensions of the heart Men commonly when they speake to superiour powers they vse oft