with our affection Of this it commeth to passe as wee see in daily experience that where men once fall away from their first loue and becom luke warme professing a truth but not louing it zealously misliking vntruth but not abhorring it they easily degenerate into Apostates And therefore our affections would euer bee kept in a right temperature by continuall exercises of the word and prayer In the law God commanded his people to hate all vncleannesse euen in their bodies hee that touched a dead body or any vncleane thing was vncleane himselfe This had in it not only a truth for honestie and comelines become the saints of God but a signification also Immunditia iustis iniquitas est To holy men all iniquity is vncleannesse Quid autem immundius quam mentem qua nihil homini datum est pretiosius turpibus commaculare criminibus And what greater vncleannesse then to defile the mind the most pretious thing which God hath giuen man with filthy sinnes These are not onely polluted in themselues but defile others that come neere them Fuge ergo iniustitiam quae viuentes adhuc mortuos facit Flie therefore with Dauid all vnrighteousnes which makes liuing men to bee dead and to become more hurtfull and horrible to others by their life then they can be by their death But thy law No man can serue two masters of contrary wils and dispositions if he loue the one he must hate the other Ye that loue the Lord hate that which is euill Men now boast much of their loue to God but the best rule to try it is the contrarie hatred of all euill See verse 113. 128. VER 164. Seuen times a day doe I praise thee because of thy righteous iudgements AFfections of the soule cannot long bee kept secret if they bee strong they will breake forth in actions The loue of God is like a fire in the heart of man which breakes forth and manifests it selfe in the obedience of his commandements and praising him for his benefits and this is it which Dauid now protests that the loue of God was not idle in his heart but made him feruent and earnest in praising God so that seauen times a day he did praise God Numero studium sanctae deuotionis exprimitur For by this number the carefulnes of holy deuotion is expressed and the feruency of his loue that in praysing God he could not be satisfied sayth Basil. Concerning this duety of the praysing of God and time which is the greatest worldly benefit God giues man see ver 62. Onely let Dauids example prouoke vs to the imitation of the like deuotion and pietie and let vs be ashamed of our negligence in this duetie who scarse can doe that on the Sabboth day which Dauid did euery day Vnder the Lawe the Lord commaunded that the daily sacrifice which euery day morning and euening was offered should be doubled on the Sabboth But alas the prophanenesse of this age is such that not onely now is the daily sacrifice neglected but the Sabboth contemned of many who neyther prayse him for his workes of creation remembring they are his creatures nor yet for the workes of redemption as if they were no Christians redeemed by Christs bloud and so least praise giue they to the Lorde vpon that day wherein they are bound to giue him most A fearfull in gratitude God grant Dauids example may learne vs in this point to be more dutifull VER 165. They that loue thy lawe shall haue great prosperity and they shall haue no hurt HItherto Dauid hath declared his great affection toward the Word of God and that vnspeakable comfort he found in it And now lest it might bee thought that this was by any speciall priuiledge or dispensation of God toward him from which others are excluded he now declares that all who loue the law of God may looke for the like comfort in it which he had found And this he sets downe in this proposition speaking now not in his owne person as before but in the person of others Wherein we haue first to consider a description of Gods children and next the priuiledge or benefites belonging to them The description of the godly is heere They that loue thy lawe Many manner of wayes are the children of God described in holy Scripture as from their faith in God from their loue from their feare from their obedience from their patience to declare it is not one but manifolde graces of the spirit which concurre to make vp a Christian and how they all goe together like the linkes of a chaine that one drawes on all the rest His faith is not without loue his loue is not without obedience his obedience is not without feare his feare is not without hope his hope is not without patience his patience is not without prayer which keepes and conserues all the rest And hereof it comes that the godly in holy Scripture are so many waies described But among all the graces of the Spirit the godly are most frequently described from their loue and therefore of all other we should most take heed that the grace of loue be in vs for two causes first because it leades vs to the surest knowledge of Gods affection toward our selues and next it giues vs the surest notice of that estate and disposition wherein wee stand our selues As to the first the grace of feruent and vnâ—…eyned loue iâ—… it be in vs makes vs certainly to know that we are beloued of God So saith the Apostle Herein is loue not that wee loued God first but that he loued vs. If we know him it is because we haue beene knowne of him If a man vtter not his voyce the Eccho makes him no answere if he looke not into a glasse it makes no representation of his face if the Lord had not called vs we should neuer haue answered him if he had not sought vs wee should neuer haue sought him neyther loued him if first hee had not loued vs. Here then is the first benefire wee reape by this grace of loue that by it we knowe the minde of God toward vs to be full of loue So that now we neede not goe vp to Gods secret counsell to enquire what is his minde concerning vs let vs enter into the secret of our owne hearts and try there what is our affection toward him if wee dare say that we loue him then may we be out of all doubt that we are beloued of him The other benefit is that by loue we know we are in the state of grace translated as saith the Apostle from death to life then we begin to liue when we begin to loue our God There may be in man a shadow of grace a profession of faith obedience but though a man had all knowledge and eloquence wanting loue he is but a sounding Cymbal So that by this
Lord I haue trusted in thy saluation and haue done thy commandements WHat in the former Verse Dauid hath spoken in generall of the happie estate of Gods children hee now applyes to himselfe making heere the assumption of that proposition But so it is Lord I loue thy law which in this Verse and the Verse following he amplifies whereupon the conclusion followes Therefore let me haue none hurt but great prosperitie Of this we learne that without application we can reape no comfort of the promises of Gods word for suppose they were neuer so sweete vnlesse they belong vnto vs what comfort can we get by them yea certaine it is that vnto an euill conscience which dare not make the application of them to it selfe the most comfortable promises are most terrible Let vs so liue that they may be ours let vs so heare them or reade them that we may apply them to our selues and then shall we finde comfort in them Into thy saluation Such is the nature of faith that it carries vs out of our selues in vnto the Lorde and makes vs to leane vpon him rest in him and liue in him and to him and so this phrase imports They who abide in themselues resting in any thing that is in them eyther wisedome strength or merit shall bee found to haue built their house on the Sand which will not continue Periculosa habitatio eorum qui habitant in meritis But such as goe out of themselues and trust in the Lorde haue built their house on the Rocke that shall neuer faile them VER 167. My soule hath kept thy testimonies for I loue them exceedingly HEe insists still in the assumption prouing his loue to God by his obedience and commending his obedience from this That it flowed from loue otherwise though a man should giue all that hee hath to the poore though hee should subdue his bodie in most seuere manner yea though he gaue his bodie to be burnt in the fire if these actions flowe not from such a loue as is the daughter of faith they are not acceptable vnto God And the manner of Dauids speech being more narrowly considered will let vs see that his reioycing was rather in the sincerity of his affections then in the perfection of his actions The Apostle saith that faith workes by loue What it workes our Sauiour tels vs He that loueth me keepeth my commaundements and Dauid againe shewes here how loue flowing from such faith is the mother of all dutifull obedience If we sinne against God it is for want of loue toward him and sith his lawe craues nothing but loue and we are bound by so many obligations to loue him wee are made most inexcusable if wee loue him not Oh that we could consider this we would account our sinne more weightie then it is Why sinne we Because we want the loue of God And why loue we him not haue wee any excuse for this Let vs yet stirre vp our hearts and endeuour to cherish this little sparkle of Gods loue that is in vs let vs increase it to a great flame till it kindle all the powers of our soule vpward toward our God Oh that it were so VER 168. I haue kept thy testimonies and thy precepts for all my waies are before thee HIs former purpose is yet further amplified that he dealt not with God as a dissembler or an hypocrite but truely and sincerely he laide open his heart to God and made his wayes manifest vnto him as hee protests elsewhere That he had not at any time spoken to God with his tongue that which was not in his heart there was not in him discolor mentis intentio materialibus negotijs occupatu quae à propositi spiritu alis executione deflectat when he spake vnto God a diuided minde busied with worldly matters that might stay his spirituall intention or turne it another way Beatus qui dicere possit Omnes viae meae ante te Blessed is he that may so say in sincerity All my wayes are before thee that will not suppose that he might hide his cogitations nor affections from the Lord. Adam hid his way from God he concealed the iniquity of his bosome Caine in like manner couered the slaughter of his brother and dissembled it this they did in affectu non in effectu in their affection not in effect for what can be hid from the Lords all-seeing eye Plena abscondent is perfidia et si apud deum nulla sit latebra their perfidie and falshood in seeking to hide from God is not the lesse that they are not able to hide it Et si Deus omnia videt cordis occulta bonum tamen est vt vnusquisque animam suam ei aperiat expandat tanquam lumini vel calori eius occurrat Albeit the Lord see the secrets of our hearts and nothing can be concealed from him yet it were good for vs that we should offer them willingly to be seene that we lay open our soules vnto him occurring to his light and heate not flying from him that where we are good he may confirme vs where wee are faulty hee may amend vs. The Lord worke it in vs. TAV VER 169. Let my complaint come before thee and giue mee vnderstanding according to thy Worde WEe are now come to the last Section of this Psalme wherein we see Dauid more seruent in prayer then he was in the first as ye shall easily obserue by comparing them both together The godly the longer they speake to God are the more seruent and earnest to speake to him so that vnlesse necessity compell them they desire neuer to intermit conference with him Many prayers hath hee made to God in this Psalme now in the end he prayes for his prayers that the Lord would let them come before him Some men send out praiers but God turns them into sinne and puts them away backe from him therefore Dauid seeks fauour to his prayers Let vs take heed vnto this sith we liue onely by Gods liberality and haue not till he giue and he cannot giue till wee seeke in what a miserable case are we if our prayers whereby wee seeke from him be not receiued of him Let vs abhorre euery thing that may procure this Peccato grauescit oratio longè fit à Deo by sinne prayer is made heauie that it cannot ascend vnto God Volare facit orationem bonae vita dat alas precibus but a good life giues winges vnto prayer and makes it flie vpward toward God Three sortes of complaints are made by the godly vnto the Lorde sometime they complaine vpon their inuisible enemies Satan with his Principalities Powers and spirituall wickednesse These most properly are tearmed Soules oppressors Sometime vpon their visible enemies wicked men of whom eyther they suffer great wrongs and iniuries or then they cannot get
ouercome with a small tentation so presumption and want of feare in vs will not faile to procure our fall Of the promise following see ver 16. 35. 47. 70. VER 118. Thou hast trod downe all them that depart from thy statutes for their deceit is vaine DAuid heere by a new meditation confirmes himselfe in the course of godlinesse for considering the iudgements of God executed according to his word in all ages vpon the wicked he resolues so much the more to feare God and keepe his testimonies Thus the iudgements of GOD executed on others should be awe-bands to keepe vs from sinning after their similitude But few are like Dauid who trembled when hee saw Vzzah striken and many like Lamâ—…h who because hee saw Cain the murtherer spared confirmed himselfe to commit murther also Because iudgement is not speedilie executed on the wicked therefore the hart of the children of men is set in them to doe euil IudgemeÌ„t in this life is not executed on all the wicked because this is the time of his patience the day of his iudgement is not yet come but by the plagues executed vpon some of the wicked all the rest may learne to feare For God is no accepter of persons what he punisheth in one hee will punish in all if repentance preuent not Trode downe The Lord in chastising his owne children takes them in his hand like a father to correct them but when his wrath is kindled against the wicked he tramples them vnder his feete as vile creatures which are in no account with him That depart When the wicked are said to depart from God it expresseth very properly both the nature of their sinne and fearefull punishment thereof Sin is a departing of man from God his statutes Non interuallo locoruÌ„ Deus relinquitur sed prauitate moruÌ„ it is not by distance of place but by peruerse manners that men depart from God and in so dooing their own deede become a punishment to themselues For all that goe a whoring from him shall perish For hee that runs from light where can he goe but to darknes and he that departs from the God of life what is hee but posting to eternall death For their deceit is vaine Mendacium hîc non refertur ad alios hee meanes not heere of that deceit whereby the wicked deceiue others but that whereby they deceiue themselues And this is two-fold first in that they looke for a good in sin which sinne deceitfully promiseth but they shal neuer find Next that they flatter themselues with a vaine coÌ„ceit to eschew iudgement which shall assuredly ouer-take them VER 119. Thou hast taken away all the wicked of the earth like drosse therefore I loue thy testimonies HE insists still in his former purpose shewing how Gods hand punishing the wicked made him more godlie Many waies are wicked men taken away sometime by the hand of other men sometime by their owne hand The Philistims slew not Saul but forced him to sley himselfe yet the eye of faith euer lookes to the finger of God and sees that the fall of the wicked is the work of God The word which he vseth imports Thou hast made them to ceasse The wicked stir their time and are restlesse they compasse sea land they cannot sleepe except they haue done wickedlie for they are inspired of that Dragon and roaring Lyon that Compasser that goeth about continually seeking all occasions to doe euill The facultie of mouing breathing which God hath lent them they vse against himselfe but let them remember he will shortly take his breath out of their nosethrills and then shall they cease and the fruit of their temporall sinnes shall be eternal paines for their worme dies not and the smoake of their torment shall ascend for euer The wicked of the earth It is customable to the Spirit of God to describe the wicked by calling them Men of the earth for their original is earth themselues are earthly minded and they end in earth They haue sometime in their pride high imaginations as if with the builders of Babel they would mount vp into heauen but the higher they mount the lower they fall they end in dust then their thoughts perish By his birth he comes into vanitie saith Salomon and by his death he goeth into darknes Like drosse The men of this world esteeme Gods children as the off-scourings of the earth so Paul a chosen vessell of God was disesteemed of men buâ—… yee see heere what the wicked are in Gods account but drosse indeede which is the refuse of gold or siluer Let this confirme the godly against the contempt of men Onlie the Lord hath in his owne hand the balance which weigheth men according as they are Thy testimonies So very frequently hee calleth Gods word wherein there are both commaunds and promises the commandements of God appertaine to all his testimonies belong to his children onely whereby more strictlie I vnderstand his promises contayning speciall declarations of his loue and fauour toward his own in Christ Iesus VER 120. My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraide of thy iudgements HOw Dauid by consideration of Gods iudgements on others profited in the loue of GOD hee shewed in the last verse now hee declareth how he also profited in the feare of GOD by looking to the iudgements of God which he had executed vpon others It is a grace of the godly that when they looke to many things without them they are alwaies drawne home to edifie themselues by that which they see in others whether it be good or euill Electorum corda semper ad se sollicitè redeunt Other men so looke vnto other things that they forget themselues onely feeding their senses there-with contracting guiltinesse which for the present they knowe not Happy is hee who of all that he sees learnes to be more wise and godly himselfe But how doe these two consist together Hee said before he loued the testimonies of God and now he saith hee feared the iudgements of God It is answered they agree very well in the godly militant in this body If our loue were perfect as theirs is who are glorified it would cast out all feare as saith the Apostle but in this bodie of sinne we cannot so loue him for his mercies but by reason of the great corruption of our nature we must also feare him for his iudgements Yea which is more the loue of God cannot be kept in our harts but by the feare of God and if the feare of God conserue vs not our harts should easily be caried away to the loue of other things not worthy to bee loued and no place for the loue of God should be left in our harts Confige ergo clauis spiritualibus destrue fomenta peccati affige carnes patibulo crucis dominicâ—… vt libertatem vagandi cupiditas
it that they haue done it For as the godly shall haue imputed to theÌ„ that good which faine they would haue done albeit they did not performe it so shall the wicked be charged as verely with that euill which they would haue done albeit they neuer did it O what a heape of finnes shall be gathered against them wheÌ„ with the sinnes of their actions and words the sinnes of their affections shall be conioyned also And here we see how-euer God for a time tolerate them yet he hath his owne appointed time to punish them and will not passe it Omnia in statera gubernat Deus God ruleth all things in a balance Diu quidem fert 〈◊〉 peccata vbi verò patientiae eius intuitâ—… aâ—…geri malitiam videt tum pâ—…nas sumit Long doth the Lord suffer the sinnes of mortall men but when they abuse his patience to increase their wickednes then hee doth punish them he doth nothing out of time Totum oportunum est quod fecerit but whatsoeuer hee doth hee doth it most seasonably and therefore whether it bee deliuerance to vs or iudgement vpon our enemies that God delaies let vs knowe it is because his houre is not yet come VER 127. Therefore loue I thy Commandements aboue gold yea aboue most fine gold WE may see here that Dauid was not a temporizer in religion whose affection towards Gods word depends vpon the state of times and persons of men but euen when his enemies did disdaine it yea because they sought to destroy it therefore he loued it This is a tryall of true religion euen then to cleaue to the word of God and professe it constantly when honourable and great men of the world are against it This was Iosua his resolution Albeit all the world should for sake God yet I and my fathers house will worship him And Peters in like manner when many of Christs disciples did forsake him and it was asked at them Will yee go also from me he answered where away shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life To professe religion when it is warranted by law when both rulers and people professe it is no great matter but when the powers of the world forsake it then to stand to it is an argument of true religion Loue I thy commandements Hee professeth not that hee fulfilled them but that hee loued them and truely it is a great progresse in godlines if we be come thus far as from our heart to loue them The natural man hates the commandements of God they are so contrary to his corruption but the regenerate man as he hates his owne corruption so he loues the word because according to it he desires to bee reformed And here is our comfort That albeit we cannot doe what is commanded yet if we loue to doe it it is an argument of grace receiued Aboue gold It is not vnlawful to loue those creatures which God hath appointed for our vse with these two conditions the one is that the first seat in our affection of loue be reserued to God and any other thing wee loue that we loue it in him and for him and giue it onely the second roome Thus Dauid being a naturall man loued his naturall foode but he protesteth hee loued the law of the Lord more then his appointed foode and here he loues the commandements of God aboue all gold VER 128. Therefore I esteeme all thy precepts most iust and I hate all false wayes IN this verse are two protestatioÌ„s In the first he declares how he esteemed of Gods word in his minde in the second how in his affection he was disposed toward it As the minde of a man esteemes of any thing so are his affections moued to flie or follow it It is shame for many professors now to say they esteeme of Gods word when they shew their affections more set vpon any thing in the world then vpon it Most iust In two respects is the word of God iust first because it commands nothing but that which is most reasonable and next because it shal not faile one iot but the euent of things shall bee according to the predictions of this word What cause haue we then to reioice That how euer our tribulations be many yet wee heare out of this most iust word It cannot bee but well with them that feare the Lord And again what cause of feare is there to the wicked when this same word saith There is no peace to the wicked saith my God And a sinner of an hundred yeeres old shall dy accursed If wee behold the wicked in their most flourishing estate and looke to them in the glasse of the word we shall see their miseraend long before it come And I hate all false wayes The best tryall of our loue to God and his word is the contrary hatred of sin and impietie Yee that loue the Lord hate that which is euill He that loues a tree hates the worme that consumes it he that loues a garment hates the moth that eates it he that loueth life abhorreth death and he that loues the Lord hates euery thing that offends him Let men take heede to this who are in loue of their sinnes how can the loue of God be in them All false wayes Religion binds vs not onely to hate one way of falsehood but all the wayes of it As there is nothing good but in some measure a godly man loues it so is there nothing euil but in som measure he hates it And this is the perfection of the children of God a perfection not of degrees for we neither loue good nor hate euill as wee should but a perfection of parts because euery good we loue and wee hate euery euill in some measure The worst man in the world loues some good and hates some euill Plerumque enim peccata huiusmodi sunt vt si alterum declines incurras alteruÌ„ ofttimes he that declines one sin fals into another It may be thou haâ—…est couetousness yet art snared with lechery there is one very temperate of his mouth but of a proud hauty heart there is another not ambitious of honour but a seruant to gluttony Diuerso vsu in eundem indeuotionis errorem vterque concurrit And this is very dangerous when as men because some good thing is in them take the greater liberty to coÌ„mit some euill for if Sathan get a gripe of thee by any one sin is it not enough to carry thee to damnation As the butcher carries the beast to the slaughter sometime bound by all the foure feete and sometime by one onely so is it with Satan Though thou be not a slaue to all sin if thou be a slaue to one the gripe he hath of thee by that one sinfull affection is sufficient to captiue thee P E. VER 129. Thy testimonies are wonderfull therfore doth my soule keepe them THE familiarity of
must be tryed by knowledge first let vs consider that to be the zeale of God which fights with the armor of God the Worde Prayer and patient Suffering That againe is a zeale but without knowledge which fights with carnall armour hatred euill speaking and bloudy persecution such a zeale breedes superstition spares not to deale cruelly with all such as are contrary minded By this rule Papists may trie of what spirit they are Because mine enemies Dauid had many enemies but none except such as had cast the Lawe of God behinde their backe It is a great comfort to the godly to see that they haue no enemies but such as are enemies to God VER 140. Thy word is proued most pure and thy seruant loueth it HEere is the third ground of comfort which sustained Dauid to wit that Gods word was tryed to be true by his constant and continuall working according to it To expresse this he compares the word of God here Psal. 12. vnto golde tryed in the fire which not onely indures but becomes fineâ—… when all réfuse or counterfeit matter faileth and vanisheth So will Dauid say when the fire of affliction was kindled I haue seene all comforts perish onely thy word proued a word of consolation for the more the flames of affliction increase the more powerfully doth the word expresse that hidden vertue of consolation which is in it And because he had so felt it so now he speakes of it Where it is to be marked for our greater comfort that albeit the time be not yet come of the full accomplishment of Gods word in the which the least iot thereof must be fulfilled yet the Lord giues vs as many present proofes of it by experience as may confirme vs in assurance of the verity thereof If we be wise to marke the working of the Lord we shall finde witnesses in euery age in euery yeare yea in euery moneth and day to confirme vs that as God hath a mouth to speake so hath he an hand by which he workes according to his word giuing ioyfull deliuerance to his own out of all their troubles and rendring iudgement to his enemies according to their pride And thy seruant loueth it Loue in God is the fountaine of all his benefits extended to vs and loue in man is the fountaine of all our seruice and obedience to our God He loued vs first to doe vs good and hereof it comes that we haue grace to loue him next anâ—…â—…e him seruice Loue is such a duetie as the want whereof cannot be excused in any for the poorest both may and should loue him yet without it all the rest thou canst doe in his seruice is nothing nay not if thou shouldst giue al thy goods to the poore and offer thy bodie to be burned Small sacrifices flowing from faith and loue are welcome to him where greater without these are but abomination vnto him Proofes of both we haue in the Widowes myte and Caines rich oblation wherof the one was reiected the other receiued Happy are we though we cannot say We haue don as God commands yet if out of a good hart we can say We loue to do what he commands VER 141. I am small and despised yet doe I not forget thy precepts HEe renues againe the protestation of his vnfained affection toward Gods word with an amplification therof that albeit his estate was meane and himselfe despised and contemned also of his enemies yet he did not forget the word of God There are many who can professe Religion as long as they see peace and honour following it who rather then they would indure trouble and contempt will vtterly forsake it The Samaritans could very wel reioyce in their new Temple built on Mount Garizin boasting that they were the posterity of Ephraim companions to the Iews no lesse worshippers of God then they were hauing also a Temple of their owne but when they saw that Antioehus Epiphanes King of Syria did cruelly persecute the Iewes for the worshipping of God then did they alter their profession they called themselues not Israelites but Sidonians and that their Temple was dedicate not to Iehoua but to Iupiter Cretensis and so eschued they the fury of the persecutor Many such Samaritan professors are in this age who to eschue the present wrath of men spare not to renounce Religion and so cast themselues in danger of the fearefull wrath of God whom they will finde a consuming fire From such temporizing and counterfeit dissembling the Lord preserue vs and blesse vs with this grace of a constant affection toward Gods word in euery state of life Againe it is no new thing to see them small and despised in mens estimation who with the Lord are highly esteemed being men as here Dauid was according to Gods owne heart Honourable in the eyes of the world was that rich glutton clothed in purple despised was Lazarus but ye see the one was an heire of glory the other but an inheritor of hell A godly man is an excellent treasure in an earthen vessell compared by Macarius to a precious pearle in a contemptible purse despised by many because they know not the jewell that is within it The worla knowes them not because it knowes not the Lord whose sonnes they are neyther doth it yet appeare what they shall be Nazianzen for this compares men in this world to those who in a Stage-play represent another thing then they are there the beggar is busked like a King and by the contrary But when the Play is done and their garments layed by then shall euery one of them appeare such as they are For this Saint Iames giues vs a profitable instruction That wee should not haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons to honour a man onely for his riches or despise an other for his pouertie but where wee see the grace of Christ be they rich or poore we ought for Christs sake to haue them in honourable estimation Yet doe I not forget thy precepts We see by experience that our affection leaues any thing from the time it goes out of our remembrance but earnest loue euer renues remembrance of that which is beloued The first step of defection is to forget what God hath commanded what we are obliged in duety to doe to him for vpon this easily followes the offending of God by our transgression Such beasts as did not chew their cudde vnder the lawe were accounted vncleane and not meet to be sacrificed to God that was but a figure signifying vnto vs That a man who hath receiued good things from God and doth not think vpon them cannot feel the sweetnesse of them so cannot be thankfull to God VER 142. Thy righteousnesse is an euerlasting righteousnesse and thy Lawe is truth DAuid considers here two things in the worde of God first the equity of it next
one grace which the Apostle cals a most excellent grace all other graces of the spirit will come to be tried That faith which workes not by loue is no faith that obedience which flowes not from faith is no obedience Loue is the balance of the Sanctuary wherein euery thing is weighed which is offered vnto God let vs therefore couet this most excellent grace That this comfort may be made the more sure vnto vs let vs consider these two infallible tokens of our loue the first is the loue of Gods law the next is the loue of his Saints The law of God hath in it a certaine pourtraiture of his image What he is in himselfe he hath declared in his lawe therefore such as knowe him and loue him cannot but loue his law If any man loue me said the Lord Iesus he will keepe my commandements Dauid ioynes these two together in the 16. Psalme hee protests that God was the portion of his inheritance and againe in the III. verse of this Psalme That he had taken the Testimonies of God as an heritage for euer Alas that foolish man should think to disioyne these two pretending to loue God when he shewes himselfe a plaine contemner of his word The other marke whereby Gods loue is tryed is the loue of his Saints By this shall yee bee knowne to be my Disciples if yee loue one another He that loueth not his brother whom he hath scene how can hee loue God whom hee hath not seene Man was made to the image of God Can he be a louer of God who loues not man made to the image of God Dauid many times hath protested that he loued God dearely but he proues it by this That he loued the lawe of God and the Saints of God I am companion said hee to all them that feare thee ver 63. And againe My loue extends not to thee but for thy sake my delight is in thy Saints and excellent ones vpon earth There are many good Christians who when they heare that Marie washed the feete of our blessed Sauiour with her teares and wiped them with the haire of her head they doe wish they had the like occasion that they might shewe the like affection toward him These would do well to remember What thou cannot do to himselfe why wilt thou not doe to such as hee loues and hath recommended to be loued of thee for his sake accounting that done to himselfe which is don vnto them When Ionathan was slain in the battell with Saul and Dauid came to the Kingdome how diligent was he to seeke any that did belong to Ionathan to whom hee might shew kindnesse for Ionathans sake at length he found a â—…ame and infirme sonne of Ionathan and for Ionathans sake he intertained him Very kinde was Ionathan to Dauid but not so kinde as Iesus hath beene to vs and should not we for Iesus sake be kinde to those who belong vnto him If thou be willing to doe it and carefull to enquire Is there none to whome I may shewe fauour for that fauour Christ shewed to me in euery place thou shalt still finde some Mephiboseth some poore some lame and infirme Christian. Why then wilt thou defraude thy selfe of this comfort that by extending comfort to those which are his thou declare thy louing affection toward himselfe considering also that the smallest benefite giuen to any in his Name though it were but a cuppe of colde water shall not want the reward Shall haue great prosperitie This being spoken of the description of godly men now sollowes the priuiledge and benefite heere promised to them They shall haue great prosperitie for so by the word of peace the Hebrewes expresse all manner of good Godlinesse saith the Apostle hath the promises both of this life and of the life to come euen in their present troubles the godly are comforted with vnspeakeable ioy or if for the present they feele it not yet are they borne out with a liuely hope thereof afflicted on euery side but neuer forsaken casten downe but they perish not But our greatest comfort is promised now not exhibited now excellent promises are made vnto vs but sure they are farre inferiour to that which shal be performed Worldlings haue their heauen vpon earth they enioy their portion heere but we looke for a better Serua futuris mercedem tuam keepe thou thy reward for the time to come When we shall passe this redde Sea of tribulation and be possessed in our heauenly Canaan then shall we know the performance of this promise They that loue thy lawe shall haue great prosperitie This he expounds more cleerely in the negatiue part when he saies They shall haue none hurt he meanes not that they are exempted from all trouble but indued with this priuiledge That no trouble can hurt them for all things worke for the best to them who loue the Lord. By the contrary most miserable is the condtion of them who hate Gods law There is no peace to the wicked saith my God The prosperity they seeme to haue is their ruine and their peace like the calmes of the Sea which incontinent is troubled with stormie windes in such sort that the waues thereof are dashed one against another it rageth and foometh out the dirt and myre which is in the bowels thereof So is it with the wicked so soone as trouble cometh vppon them they walter from one perturbation to another foming out their shame and at length ende in comfortlesse desperation Thus before they bee aware all their mirth and apparant prosperity is concluded as Beltasars banquet was with a cuppe of Gods wrath For their comfort being onely in things externall and not in the Lord their God so soone as the one failes them who can tell the horrible confusion wherein they fall For want of the other they are casten as Esay saith in a strait bedde wherein they can finde no ease nor reliefe for at one time the earth failes them and the heauens also are closed vpon them Such comforts as they had in creatures vpon earth forsake them and if they looke to heauen they finde nothing but the angry countenance of God looking downe vpon them so was it with Saul Achitophel Iudas and with Aero O what a straite bedde was hee casten into when the Senate discerned him an enemie to Rome when Galba came against him to execute the sentence when hee shaken with the plague of the heart and his owne conscience within him did torment him when the heauens cast downe their countenance vpon him when the earth whereupon hee was flying opened as hee thought her mouth to swallow him when such as hee had murthered seemed to rise and pursue him Such shall be the miserable end of all those who loue not the Lord they shall finde no comfort who cannot comfort themselues in him VER 166.
most described by loue for two causes 1 Loue in vs â—…des vs to a 〈◊〉 knowâ—…dge of Gods â—…ue to vs. 1. Ioh. 4. ☜ A great comfort to know that God is well minded toward vs. 2. By loue in vs we know we are in the state of grace Two things to trie if we haue loue or not 1. He that loues God cannot but loue his law fith it is a pourtrait of his image 2. He that loues God cannot but loue his Saints Ioh. 13. 1. Ioh. 4. And now our affection toward himselfe â—…s to be declared in our affection to his Saints As Dauid intreated weake Mephiboseth for Ionathans sake So should we poore weake Christians for Christs sake ☞ The great recompence of godlinesse Our greatest comfort is proâ—…ised now but not exhibited now Amb. The priuiledge of godly men No trouble can hurt them To the wicked prosperity is pernitious Their peace ends in perturbation ☞ The miserable estate of wicked men when comforts externall faile theÌ„ Esa. 28. Example hereof in Nero. Without application we can reape no comfort of Gods promiâ—…es Yea most comfortable promises are most terrible to such as 〈◊〉 not apply them Faith carries vs out of our selues to leane on the Lord. Matth. 7. Bern. Loue proued by obedience and obedience tryed by loue We sinne against God because we loue him not as we should if we loue him not we are inexcusable ☜ Hypocrisie and dissimulation farre from men who are truely godly Ambrose They lay open their cogitations and affections to God The wicked cannot hide from God yet will â—… be laid to their charge ☞ Godly men interrupt their prayers against their will We should pray for our praiers Basil. Prayer reiected a sore plaguâ—… Ambrose Three sorts of complaint made by the godly 1. Against inuisible enemies 2. Against visible 3. Against themselues Rom. 7. No wisedome in man without the word Ierem. Gifts of nature grace wherein different Praier should be seasoned with faith Iames 1 Feruencie Iames 5 Humility Prayer makes man on earth a great Courtier with God in heauen To pray and not preuaile is Moabs curse Praiers should bee seconded with promises and promises with performances They who goe before the pâ—…oin honour should goe before them also in good example Both soule and body and all that we haue receiued from God should be returned to him ☞ Christians are Prophets and should edifie one another The word of God keeps religion and order among men No successe in temporall things without Gods helping hand In spirituall exercises much more labour is lost if the grace of God help not Ier. 8. 22 ☞ The beginning of saluation we haue now the perfection we looke for 1. Peter 1 We haue comfort by the beginnings but no contentmeÌ„t Worldlings cold professors reproued who long not for better then they haue Luke 6 The word to vs in our pilgrimage is like Manna to Israell in the wildernes They who dispise the word need not look for saluation If naturall life may be loued How much more should eternall life be loued But many liue by the one who are dead as concerning the other Fruit of all Gods benefits is profit to vs praise to himselfe Dauid persecuted with banishment It is common to all men to wander from God Basil in Psal. 119. Ambrose Psal. 119. ☜ Such as thinke themselues without sin are but blinde Esay 6 An answere to presumptuous Papists boasting of perfection Bern. ☞ Confession of sin profitable Amb. de pâ—…nit lib. 2. c. 6 Gregor moral 22 God the great shepheard of his people Ambros. His 〈◊〉 toward his wandring sheepe The praise of the beginning progresse and perfection of our saluation is dew to God onely The godly neuer so fall that they lose all grace Ambr. The manifolde vses of Gods word to the godly What comfort we should finde in it if our affection toward it were like Dauids August ☜
se conuertit quod lux oculo non praestat GOD who is the light of the inward man doth more to him then the light doth to the externall eye for the light illuminates the eye that lookes vnto it but forsakes the eye which is closed and turned from it But the Lord doth not onely illuminate the mind conuerted to him but he also converts the mind vnto him Which thing the light cannot doe to the eye Diligenter itaque notandae sunt hae loquutiones in scripturis Conuertimini ad me cum his comparandae Conuerte nos Deus sanitatum nostrarum ne putemus libero arbitrio nos ad Deum conuerti Wee haue diligently therefore to obserue these manner of speeches in the Scripture wherein God commaunds vs to conuert to him and to compare them with others wherein we are taught to pray that the God of our saluation would conuert vs and then shall wee be conuerted least otherwise wee thinke that wee conuert to God of our owne free will This choise which Dauid makes here of Gods truth proceeds from that choise and election vvhereby the Lord before all time made choise of Dauid in Christ to be one of his Elect. For as it is true of loue Heerein is loue not that wee loued God first but that he loued vs vvec could neuer haue loued him if first he had not loued vs so is it true of election if he before time had not chosen vs to be his people wee could neuer in time haue chosen him to be our God And this I mark in them vvho loue the word of God delight in it who can say out of a good heart that the Lord is their portion and the ioy of their hart this is a sure seale of their election imprinted by the finger of God in their heart assuring them that what they are in loue and affection toward him that hath he been first toward them and so much the more aboundant in his loue toward vs as he himselfe is greater then we What is the eye to the sunne vvhat is the Well to the Ocean what is the earth to the heauen By infinite degrees is man lesse then his Maker and as farre our loue and affection to him inferiour to his loue affection toward vs. As far as the heauens are aboue the earth so far are my thoughts aboue yours saith the Lord. This doth some-vvhat shadow it but how far his thoughts are aboue ours no similitude can expresse it And thy iudgements Gods word is called his iudgement because it discernes good from euill and is not a naked sentence but as it points out euill so it pronounceth plagues against it vvhich shall be executed according to the sentence therof The remembrance of this scrued as an aw-band to keepe Dauid from sinne and shall keepe vs also if as saith he Psal. 16. wee set the Lord still in our sight and if as heere he doth we lay his iudgements before vs. VER 31. I haue cleaued to thy testimonies O Lord confound me not THe protestation of his former affection is amplified by this that as he had once chosen the testimonies of God so by a constant affection hee cleaued vnto them Dauid was not a Temporizer to make choise of the word this day and reiect it to morrow as were those Iewes who for a time reioyced in the light of the Gospel brought to them by the Baptist and after reiected his testimonie True godlinesse wants neuer vpon her head the garland of perseuerance where the hypocrisie of temporizers who make a shew of beginning in the spirit and end in the flesh is expressed by our Sauior by coâ—…n which springs shooteth to the blade but grows not to perfection because it was neuer vvell rooted And Basil compares these qui bene coeperunt noÌ„ perseueraruÌ„t who begins well but continues not to vnhappy passengers qui naufragium prope portum patiuntur vvho suffer shipwracke not farre from the harbour Confound me not Forasmuch as Dauid in a good conscience endeuoured to serue God hee craues that the Lord would not confound him This is two waies done either when the Lord forsakes his children so that in their trouble they feele not his promised comforts and then great confusion of mind perturbation is vpon them or otherwise when hee leaues them as a prey to their enemies who scorne them for their godly and sincere life and insult ouer them in time of their trouble when they see that all their prayer and other exercises of religion cannot keepe them out of their enemies hands Hee trusted in God let him deliuer him From this shame and contempt he desires the Lord would keep him and that he should neuer be like vnto them who being disappointed of that wherein they trusted are ashamed VER 32. I will run the way of thy coÌ„mandements when thou shalt enlarge mine heart HIs affection toward the word of God is yet further amplified by this that as in time past hee had cleaued to it so hee promiseth with ioy alacritie to continue in it for the time to come which he expresseth by the word of running But hee adds this protestation or rather condition that the Lord would enlarge his hart without which grace hee grants he can make no progresse in the way of godliness Heereof wee learne how wee should doe the will of God not by constraint but cheerfullie willingly as one that runneth a race intends the whole force of his body to advaunce himselfe forward toward the end thereof But heere we may stand and lament Alas we runne not with Dauid oh that we could halt to Canaan with Iacob or at least creep forward like children to our fathers house But many in steed of running lie downe and which is worse goe backeagaine like dogges to their vomits or carnall Israelites to their flesh-pots of Egypt for whom it had beene better not to haue knowne the way of rightcousnes HE. VER 33. Teach mee O Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it to the end THE life of man is compared by the Apostle to a race wherein all must run that looke to obtaine the high prize of the calling of God and so run that all the way they must fight with sundry aduersaries that stand vp against them There must be no declyning neither to the right hand nor to the left but as souldiers direct their way according to the commandement of their Imperator Non ipsi pro suo arbitrio viam carpunt nec voluntaria captant compendia ne à signis recedant so must it be with Christians we should stedfastlie looke to IESVS the authour and finisher of our faith who for the ioy set before him despised the Crosse and endured shame let vs remember our life should be a following of him As Israel in the vvildernesse
thy portion but the Lord. Whom haue I in heauen but thee And I haue desired none in the earth with thee Let vs looke to the creatures consider how they are very good let vs vse them also but so that we remember alway how with them a greater good then they are is offred vnto vs namely that good GOD that made them What is the creature if it be compared with him that made it Can the vvorke of a mans hand bee so excellent as man that made it And vvhy then shouldst thou thinke that there is either beautie or vertue in a creature for which it should bee more desired and loued then the Lord vvho made it Pulchrum coelum pulchra terra sed pul chrior qui fâ—…cit illa Ethnicks saw by the light of Nature specially the Platoniques that whatsoeuer good is in the creature it is but Splendor quidam summi illius boni a certaine beame of that great and infinite good which is in God and that then onely was the good which is in the creature rightlie vsed when by it men learned to goe vp and returne to the Creator But alas such is our wretched corruption that the same things which should cary vs vpward toward God drawe vs downe and we are oftentimes so snared with the loue of the creature that wee forget the Creator not that any blame is in the creature but as I saide in our owne corrupt nature for euery creature in the own kind sends vs to him that made it speaking with such a voice as it hath Seeke not rest nor contentment from vs Goe vp and seeke it in him that made vs no contentment no satisfaction haue wee to giue you The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing This then is the first motiue that as the Lord would not rest till hee had made man so man is bound of his dutie neuer to rest till he find the Lord. The other motiue is It is impossible that man can get rest or contentment to his soule in any thing but in the Lord his God Man vvas made for God and to the image of God and therefore can no other thing fill and content the desires of his soule but GOD himselfe Caeteris rebus occupari potest repleri non potest Other things may busie and vex the spirit of man but cannot fill or replenish it Fecisti nos Domine propter te semper in quietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te thou madest vs ô Lord for thy selfe and our hart is alway vnquiet till it rest in thee As the point of the Mariners compasse touched with the Adamant trembles euer till it be directed toward the North so doth the hart of man till it bee directed to the Lord. And as the Doue which Noah sent forth of the Aâ—…ke went flying abroad and could find no rest for the sole of her foot the earth being couered with waters till she returned againe to Noah so the soule of man may goe through the world caried in the body as a chariot or otherwise flee abroad and view al the creatures vpon the wings of contemplation but it shall find no place of rest no creature to content it till it returne to the Lord. Otherwise anguish of spirit and sore tribulation shall be the portion thereof But heere it is demaunded whether or no is this preiudiciall to the rest of Gods children that Dauid saith The Lord is his portion I answer no manner of way for the Lord shall not be the lesse the portion of one that feares him because he is the portion of another hee is sufficient for all Earthly heritages are the lesse when they are communicated to many and therefore oftentimes is there stâ—…ife among them about the diuision heere it is not so there needs no contention about the diuision of this inheritance one shal not haue the lesse because another hath much the Lord shall bee all in all euery one of his Saints shall be filled with his glory Wee see the Sunne in the firmament shineth vnto all the vvorld neither is there any man who thinks that the light is the lesse because it is common to many If GOD haue created the Sunne with such maruailous wisedome that the light thereof is not the lesse to euery one because it is common to many what may wee looke to find in himselfe The generall vse of this towards vs all is to assure vs of our election If from our heart wee haue made this choise that we can say in sinceritie with Dauid O Lord thou art my portion we may be assured that first of all hee did choose vs to bee his inheritance Yee haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you saith Christ. Heerein is loue saith Saint Iohn not that wee loued him first but that hee loued vs. If the Lord had not chosen vs to be his peculiar people we should neuer haue chosen him to be our portion The particular vse of it is first to those vvho are poore in worldly things let this comfort them that GOD is become their portion The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want vvhat matter is it who haue the greatest measure of Gods mooueables sith the permanent goods of the inheritance are ours His mooueables I call the things of this world which goe from hand to hand the permanent good is himselfe his fauour his loue toward vs in Christ Iesus It was the infirmitie of our father Abraham when the Lord said vnto him Feare not I shall be thy buckler and exceeding great reward that hee answered What canst thou giue mee Lord seeing I goe childlesse As if this were no more then all children or gifts temporall whatsoeuer that the Lord promised to giue himselfe to him for a reward It is marked in him that by his weakenesse wee may learne to gather wisedom and strength neuer to thinke vvee can vvant any thing seeing we haue the Lord himselfe for our portion The other particular vse of it is toward those who haue receiued a greater measure of worldly things from the Lord if with it they haue also grace to loue and feare him Let them knowe they haue gotten a double portion which obligeth them in a double seruice beyond their brethren I wish of God men of honour in the world professors of the Gospel could shew as much holy zeale for the maintenance of the gospel which is the testimony of God witnessing that he is become their father and portion in Christ as they can declare carnall zeale against those that would preiudice them in the smallest portion of their earthly inheritances yea for a foote bredth of their land But this is the time wherin men are fallen from their former zeale not onelie is the fruite decaied but the leaues also are fallen away and there is no courage
rest of his creatures Psal. 104. But this is intollerable That vnder pretence of a little time allowed vnto vs the halfe of our time should bee exacted from vs. Ethniques in this point may make vs ashamed It is written of Alexander and Caesar among many moe that they parted the night in three the first they tooke vnto rest the second to the workes of Nature the third to their studies for encrease of knowledge and learning and that because they were forced to spend the day time in gouernment of their Kingdomes and administration of their warlike affaires Yet we haue now such a number whom wee may call Monsters of Nature who are not content to spend all the night ouer in works of darknesse such as Drunkennesse and Gluttonie and Chambring and slumbring but they turne also the noon-tyde of the day into midnight Per diem illis fit media nox yea not sparing the holy Sabboths of the Lord they sleepe by themselues like Howlets in their holes when the Saints of God are assembled together to praise him but miserable are they for as they tooke no part of Gods seruice so shall they bee strangers from the recompence The third circumstance pointing out the cause or matter of his thankesgiuing is here because of Thy righteous iudgements Where by iudgements he vnderstands Gods iust working according to his word both in executing threatned plagues vpon the wicked and performing promised mercies to the godly And for this cause Dauid praiseth God because he found him alwayes as good as his word and what he promised with his mouth hee performed with his hand And this cause which moued Dauid to praise God should moue vs all for wee haue felt his promises kept to our selues and his iudgements executed on the wicked in so manifest a manner that men might say as in the Psalme Verely there is a God that iudgeth righteously on earth and there is fruit for the righteous There is no transgression of Gods law which in som wicked men we haue not seene punished If the Lord did only speake and neuer punish men would say There is not a God and if on the other hand all transgressions were punished here men might say we need not look for a iudgement to come Of such sinnes as we haue seene punished let vs learn that there is a Iudge and of such sinfull men as we see spared let vs also learne that there is a iudgement to come VER 63. I am companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts HE said in the first verse of this Section that God was his portioÌ„ now he saith All the Saints of God are his companions These two goe together the loue of God and the loue of his Saints He that loueth not his brother made to Gods image whom hee seeth how shall he say he loueth God whom hee hath not seen Seeing our goodnes extends not to the Lord if it be shewed to his Saints and excellenâ—… ones vpon earth for his sake it shall be no small argument of our louing affection toward him selfe Godly Dauid when Ionathan was dead made diligent inquisition Is there none of Ionathans posteritie to whom I may shew kindnes for Ionathans sake and at length he found a silly lame Mephiboseth So if we enquire diligently Is there none vpon earth to whom I may shew kindnesse for Christs sake who is in heauen wee shall euer find some to whom whatsoeuer wee doe shall be allowed as done to himselfe Euery mans company wherein hee delights tells what manner of man he is himselfe Qualiscunque quis fuerit cum tali se coniungit The fowles of heauen flocke together according to their kinds ye shal not see Doues assembling with Rauens Inter dispares mores quae potest esse amicitia What fellowship or friendship can be among men of inequall manners Non potest homini amicus esse qui Deo fuerit infidus he can neuer be friendly to man who is false vnto God But there is yet a greater argument the Lord IESVS hath honoured vs to be his companions so wee are called Psal. 44. God hath anointed thee aboue thy fellowes To worke this fellowship he assumed our nature he abased himselfe he was baptized as we are he died as vvee doe hee rose againe as we shall doe hee walked in all our waies that hee might traine vs vp to walke in his waies and might euery way make vs like himselfe and shal we thinke it a derogation to our honor to humble our selues for Christs sake to men of a rank inferior to vs and euen for the feare and loue of God that is in them to account them our companions Yet further his great modestie is to bee marked Non dixit imitantium te sed timentium he saith not I am companion to all that follow thee but to all that feare thee The feare of God is the beginning of wisedom Inter rudes se constituit humilitate cum veteranos superaret deuotione hee placeth himselfe among nouices in humilitie when he excelled antients in pietie That feare thee The godly are commonly described by this grace That they fear God but so that they also loue and obey him therefore Dauid ioynes these two together That fear thee and keepe thy precepts Apostat Angels saith S. Iames feare GOD but there-withall they hate him and rebell against him In the Godly feare prepares a way to loue when loue is perfected then feare shall cease but in the wicked fear prepares a way to despaire restlesse perturbation Abraham looked for no good in Gerar because he thought the fear of God was not there on the contrary Ioseph confirmed the timorous harts of his brethren that they should looke for none euil at his hands because said he I feare God Therby letting vs know that this is a sufficient reason to assure vs of all good duties from a man if truly it may be said of him He feareth God VER 64. The earth O Lord is full of thy mercies teach mee thy statutes HEere is a prayer with a reason Seeing ô Lord thou art good to all thy creatures shew thy goodnes also to mee in this that thou teach me thy statutes Gods generall benignitie is extended to all his creatures his speciall benignity is for his children and this is it that Dauid here craueth And indeed Gods generall goodness vnto all his creatures should serue to confirme his children in the assurance of his more speciall fauour toward them as heere Dauid vseth it If hee care for sparrowes if he feed the young Rauens when they cry if hee clothe the Lilies of the fielde are not his own children much more worth will he not much more care for them Seeing of his goodnesse he sends raine to the wicked makes his sunne to shine on the vniust will he not of his mercie lift vp the
to be iudge of his loue to the word Nec speciem sed plenitudinem charitatis tali conventione testatur Witnessing thereby that it was no counterfet loue but compleat and sincere loue which he bare vnto it The like protestation was vsed by S. Peter Thou knowest O Lord that I loue thee It were good that in things pertayning to godlinesse wee did declare our vpright hart by speaking as they spake Sith at the length wee must be presented before him and made manifest such as wee are let vs in time present our selues vnto him for many by custome speake that of themselues which in conscience they durst not speake beeing presented vnto God All that GOD craues of vs is loue Therefore saith the Apostle that the end or perfection of the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is loue and againe that loue is the fulfilling of the law Amari exigit qui omnes amat quia charitas est hee desires to bee loued of all who loues all because hee is loue it selfe This one commaundement containes all and it is most reasonable for what excuse can a man bring for this that he loues not God Yet many in word profess that they loue him who loue not indeed The triall of our loue to God is our loue to his word our care to keep his commaundements If any loue mee he will keepe my commaundements Qui enim diligit ex voluntate facit quae sibi sunt imperata This one triall conuinceth many to be lyers who say they loue God and yet delight not in his word nor are carefull to obey him It is my meditation continually Hee proues that which hee hath spoken The nature of loue is that it is euer thinking of the thing beloued and vseth all meanes to obtaine it Strong loue is like fire that cannot be quenched with much water So Dauid proues his loue to God by his loue to Gods word and his loue to Gods word by his continuall meditation in it no change of other exercises could make him forget it Marke againe the meanes by which after Dauids exāple we must grow in the knowledge of the word of God First meditation of that which wee haue heard or read Secondly prayer for grace to belieue and practice it Thirdly thanksgiuing for grace receiued Fourthly godly conference thereof one of vs with another All these shal a man find carefully practiced by Dauid And truly the greatest cause why now there being so much preaching there is so little profiting in godlinesse is that men before hearing prepare not in hearing pray not after hearing neither meditate thereof in themselues nor speak thereof vnto others VER 98. By thy cōmandements thou hast made me wiser thē my enemies for they are euer with me NOw he prayseth the word for the singular profit fruit which he reaped by it to weet that he learned wisedom by it And this he amplifies by cōparing himselfe with three sorts of men his enemies his teachers and the ancients And this he doth not of vaine glorie for bragging is farre from him who is gouerned by the Spirit of grace but to commend the word of the Lord and to allure others to loue it by declaring to them what manifold good hee found in it Wiser then mine enemies But how can this be seeing our Sauiour saith that The men of this world are wiser in their owne generation then the children of God The answer is Our Sauior doth not call worldlings wise men simply but wiser in their owne generation that is wise in things pertaining to this life Or as Ieremie calls them Wise to doe euill and when they haue so done wise to conceale and cloak it All which in very deed is but folly therfore Dauid who by the light of Gods word saw that it was so could not be moued to follow their course Well there is a great controuersie between the godly the wicked either of them in their iudgement account the other to be fooles but it is the light of Gods word which must decide it VER 99. I haue had more vnderstanding then my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation HEere is the second amplification That the word of God had made him wiser then his teachers which might indeed seem to be Incongrua presumptio Where note stil hee is magnifying not himselfe but the grace of God toward him It is no new thing to see many teachers often pretending to learne others that which they haue not learned thēselues and who can tell how miserable these men are who will be Doctors but not disciples teaching others but not taught of God themselues because they are not carefull to learne from him To such saith Nazianz. Our Lord was 30. yeers old ere hee beganne to be a Preacher Et tu magister vis fieri antequam discipulus and thou wilt be a master of Christians before thou be a scholer of Christ. Vnus verus est Magister qui solus non didicit quod omnes doceret caeteri omnes discant prius quod doceant ab illo accipiant quod alijs tradant There is one true Master who teacheth all and learnes of none as for all others they must first learne what they should teach and receiue from him that which they should deliuer vnto others But alas Quam multi sunt qui sermone valent loquuntur non tamen sale coelesti conditi sunt recensent que multa de mensa regia quorum nullum adepti sunt gustum How many are powerfull in speech who are not seasoned with heauenly salt rehearsing many delicates which are on the table of the heauenly King whereof they neuer tasted themselues More wise was the holy Apostle who subdued his body by discipline least while as he preached to others he should haue beene a reprobat himselfe God grant that wee may follow his example And yet euen where the Preacher is godlie partaker of that grace himselfe whereof hee is an Embassadour to others it falls out oftentimes that greater measure of light and grace is communicated by his ministrie to another then is giuen to himselfe As Augustine first illuminated and conuerted by Ambrose did far excell both in knowledge and spirituall grace him that taught him And heerein God wonderfully shewes his glory That whosoeuer be the instrument he is the dispenser of light and glorle giuing more by the instrument then it hath in it selfe And this is so farre from beeing to a godly Teacher a matter of griefe that it is rather a matter of glory The wicked glory to make others more wicked then themselues as our Sauior said the Pharisees did with the Proselyts that they made them tenne times more the children of Satan then themselues and shall the godly grudge to see that they haue made others more godly then themselues Nay truely but rather such
which he reaped by it for he not onely got by it vnderstanding to his minde but sanctification to his affections In the beginning of the Section he protested that he loued the word of God and now in the end of it hee protests hee hated all the wayes of falshood Here is a triall of our true loue to God if we hate euery thing that is contrary to it whether it be a false Religion or euill manners This convinces the lukewarme professors of this age who say they loue God and his word when in the meane time they are companions to idolators they take part with adulterers they runne with theeues they drinke with drunkards they blaspheme with blasphemers and they hate not the workes of them that fall away NVN. VER 105. Thy word is a Lanterne vnto my feet and a light to my pathes THe vse of a Lanterne is in the darke night for no man will carrie it when the Sunne shineth clearly Dauid here protests what a Lanterne is to men in darknesse the same the word of God was to him in his pilgrimage In nocte huius praesentis vitae in the night of this present life it shewed him the right way to leade him forward to his desired and determinate end And as men when they come to their lodging require no more the help of the Lanterne so shall we when we shall finish our pilgrimage and shall come to our heauenly Ierusalem not thē any more stand in need of this ministeriall light there shall bee no Sunne nor Candle there The Lord is the light of that Citie Basil makes heere a comparison betweene the Lawe and the Gospell and thinkes that the Law is called a Lanterne because it did but illuminate the house of Israel but Christ Iesus the Sonne of righteousnesse by his light of the Gospell hath illuminate all the houses and families of the earth It is true indeed the light of the Gospel is both cleerer and larger then the light of the law but that which heere Dauid speakes doth properlie belong to the whole word of God as S. Peter saith It is as a light shining in darknes to the which we shall doe well to take heed Alway we see the necessitie of the vvord of God and how impossible it is for men to direct their waies aright without it As the Sun is necessary for the day the Moone for the night and as in a darke house nothing can be seene without a Lanterne or candle so cannot the right way be discerned from the wrong in this darknes of our life without the light of the word Multae foueae multi scopuli in istius seculi caligine non videntur praefer tibilucernam quam Prophet a monstrauit there are many pits in this mistie world many rocks in this turbulent sea which are not scene carie before thee this Lanterne Nullicre das tuum nisi praeeunte lucernae istius luce processum Credit not thy steppes to any vnlesse the light of this Lanterne goe before to direct thee Dauid was a man of very good wit and naturall vnderstanding but he giues to God this glorie that his best light was but darknesse when he was not lightned and ruled by the word of God Oh that wee could consider this that in all our waies wherein the word of God shines not vnto vs to direct vs wee doe but walke in darknesse and our waies without it can lead vs to none other end but vtter darknes If we hearken not to the word of GOD if wee walke not by the rule thereof how is it possible wee can come to the face of God Israel in the wildernesse were gouerned by a clowde in the day and by a piller of fire in the night their campe was raised and settled as God gaue them the signe till at length they came to Canaan Happy shall we be if so our life be gouerned in all the course thereof that our resting and remoouing our going in and going out and all that we do may be ordered by the Lords direction for so shall he bring vs at length to his promised Canaan But that this may be done let vs remember that as a man lighteth one light at another so we must seeke to haue the light of our mind illuminated by the light of the word Ex hac lucerna accende et tu lucernam vt luceat interior oculus tuus qui lucerna est tui corporis At this Lanterne of the word light thou the Lantern of thy mind that the interior eye which is the light of the whole body may shine cleerly VER 106. I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements THis verse containes a protestation of Dauids resolution to walke in Gods obedience and not a naked protestation but confirmed by an oath which in effect is no other thing but a ratification of his promise which he made in circumcision to weet that hee should serue God as one of his people And this kind of oath whereby we confirme our harts to doe that which wee haue promised according to Gods words as it is et iudicium scientiae testimoniū conscientiae both a testimony of our science and a testimonie of our conscience that we know we should doe so and therefore resolue we will doe it so is it a necessary help of our great weaknes who are ready either to forget and not remember or if we remember to faile and not perform For remedie whereof it is good that by an holy oath we should strengthen our selues to the performance of that dutie which once by the light of God we haue resolued O! but heere the weake conscience wil obiect and say If I swear and afterward faile doe I not increase my guiltinesse But to such it is answered Shal we neuer resolue to doe good yea and to confirme ourselues by an oath to do it because we are infirm faile in many things and can not bring our good purposes to perfection Or shall we think that euery faile in our particular duties against our resolution our promise yea against our oath is alway a falling away frō the couenant which by our great oath in Baptisme wee once ratified No no for the certaintie and continuance of this couenant is not grounded on vs but vpon GOD himselfe It falls not by our falling but wee rise againe and stand by the stabilitie thereof Because I am not changed yee are not consumed Thirdly albeit of infirmitie there be many failes in performance of our promise and oath yet is there any renouncing of it God forbid but these same sinnes where-into wee fall make vs the more ashamed of our selues the more afraid of our weakenes the more earnest to renue our former resolution and the more carefull to call vpon God for grace to performe it Thy righteous iudgements
voluptatum cruci affixa non habeat nayle therefore thy carnall desires to the Crosse of Christ that they may haue no libertie as they were wont to goe loose and wander where they please Otherwise if thou wilt be vaine caried like an instable man after the wandering lusts of corrupt nature fearful is that sentence My Spirit shal not alway striue with man for he is but flesh For feare of thee Familiaritie with men breeds contempt familiaritie with God not so none reuerence the Lord more then they vvho knowe him best and are most familiar with him The Seraphins who couer their faces in presence of his Maiestie teach vs this by their example Such as doe not remember God and far lesse reuerence him when they thinke or speak of his Maiestie declare sufficiently that they were neuer familiar with him I am afraid of thy iudgements It is not to bee thought strange that this feare of Gods iudgements is in men regenerate for the guiltinesse which by sinnes of commission and omission daily they contract cannot be without fear But as I said it cannot continue for in them feare prepares away to loue and loue as it increaseth diminisheth feare Alway we learne here that if the iudgements of God executed vpon others make the godlie afraid how fearefull and importable they will be to the wicked If Moses trembled at the giuing of the law how terrible shall the execution thereof be vnto the wicked Let vs fear in time and we shall not feare in that day wherein horrible feare shall confound the wicked AIN VER 121. I haue executed iudgement and iustice leaue me not to mine oppressors IN this Section Dauid continueth his prayer for protection against his enemies as also for grace to knowe his way vpon earth and follow it He begins with a Petition Leaue me not to mine oppressors and he giues the reason I haue executed iudgement and iustice Where we are not to thinke that he is iustifying himselfe before God but onely declaring how iniustly he was oppressed by men Desensio est non arrogantia Our lesson is If we would haue our prayers forcible let vs intertaine the testimony of a good conscience Iudgement and iustice These two are distinguished by Ambrose in such sort that he makes the one the effect of the other Iudicij finis iustitia est in altero veritatis custodia est in altero fructus aequitatis iudgement is the keeper of verity iustice the fruit of equity the one of these perteyning to the minde makes it giue light for discerning betweene right and wrong the other rectifying the affections and actions Happy is the man in whom these two concurre together Quis autem hodie tanta animi praeditus est puritate vt cum fiducia verbis ist is vti possit But who this day is indued with such purity of minde that with boldnesse he may vse these words My reioycing is the testimony of a good conscience Leaue me not We haue often said that Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart who had also the testimony of a good conscience to sustaine him yet could he not liue free from the oppression of wicked men So long as this battell lasts and Satan wants not instruments let vs euer look to be troubled by them and not to be discouraged thereat but rather comforted considering the inimity proclaimed in Paradise is without reconciliation and sith the Prince of our saluation sustained such contradiction of sinners why shall it grieue vs to beare his crosse And sith Dauid so earnestly prayed not to be left into the hands of his bodily oppressors what shall we doe against our soules oppressors Satan seekes continually to spoile vs of that sparke of spirituall life which God hath put into vs. It is a searfull iudgement where God leaues men to his tyrannie let vs pray for mercy against it VER 122. Answer for thy seruant in that thing which is good and let not the proud oppresse me AMong many crosses wherewith Dauid was exercised the strise of tongues is not one of the least they did persecute him with lies and calumnies scoffers and belly-gods made a by-word of him in their meetings and flattering Courtiers belied him vnto Saul This was not a small crosse Molesta enimres calumnia etiamsi magnum afferat praemium against it Dauid makes his refuge to God Answer for thy seruant His meaning is Lord thou kno west how iniustly I am calumniate and euill spoken of in many parts where I am not nor may not answere for my selfe Lorde answere thou for me And his petition imports not onely a crauing of helpe from God but that God would take his part and ioyne himselfe with his righteous cause And so it is indeede the Lord is partaker with his children in their innocent sufferings and their cause is his cause Blessed are ye when ye are railed vpon for righteousnesse sake c. For the spirit of grace and glorie rests in you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part is glorified This might serue for a warning to wicked men if any wisedom were in them they should be loath to meddle with the children of God for if so they will they meddle with a stronger partie then they are aware of Againe it is to be considered that hee craues protection onely in his good and honest cause It is not for vs to call for the Lords assistance to all our willes and workes Hee is the righteous Iudge of the world and neyther will nor can do vnrighteously To commenda wrong cause to his protection is to prouoke him to hasten our punishment And on the other hand albeit our cause were neuer so righteous yet we must not think to bear it out with our owne strength and wisedome It falles out oft-times that men fall downe and faint through feeblenesse euen in a good cause because they giue not to God his glory In their lawfull affairs they prosper not because they take counsel but not from me saith the Lord They commit not their way to God as Dauid exhorts neyther cast they their burden vpon the Lord as Peter commaunds them but sacrifice to their own net think to cōpasse their affaires by their own wi◅ Sure it is the Lord is then most carefull of vs when we cast our greatest care vpon him For thy seruant Customably King Dauid delights in this stile to call himselfe Gods seruant learning vs also to count this our greatest honor to be the seruants of the great and euer-liuing God for we are not our owne as saith the Apostle We are bought with a price But here is our sin such as are vndervs whether they be bought or hired seruants wee thinke they should serue vs and are offended if they doe not but are not so carefull to doe seruice to
watered by the earth For the teares of the godly fall not to the ground the Lord gathers them like most pretious pearles vnto him and puts them in his bottell and they bring still increase of comfort to such as shed them They are sowen like good seede on earth the first fruite whereof is reaped on earth but the fulness thereof in heauen according to that of the Psalmist They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy ZADE. VER 137. Righteous art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements HEere Dauid sore troubled with griefe for the wickednesse of his enemies yea tempted greatly to impatience and distrust by looking to their prosperous estate notwithstanding their so grosse impiety doth now shew vnto vs a three-fold ground of comfort which in this dangerous tentation vpheld him The first is a consideration of that which God is in himselfe namely iust and righteous the second a consideration of the equity of his word thirdly of his constant truth declared in his working and doing according to his word When we find our selues tempted to distrust by looking to the prosperity of the wicked let vs looke vp to God consider his nature his word his workes and we shall finde comfort Righteous art thou There is the first a meditation of the righteousnes of Gods nature he alters not with times he changes not with persons he is alway and vnto all one and the same righteous and holy God Righteousnesse is essentiall to him it is himselfe and he can no more defraude the godly of their promised comforts nor let the wicked go vnpunished in their sinnes then hee can denie himselfe to be God which is impossible Iust are thy iudgements The second ground of Dauids comfort is heere and in the next verse VER 138. Thou hast commanded iustice by thy Testimonies and truth especially AS the tree is so is the fruit From so righteous a God nothing can proceede but righteousnesse God forbid that the Iudge of all the world should doe vnrighteously This meditation of the equity of Gods command flowing from his most righteous nature confirmes Dauid in this sure conclusion It cannot be but well with them who walke after his word and by the contrary such as goe a whooring from it cannot but make a miserable end how-euer they prosper for a time And out of this we may further learn how the law of God expresseth to vs the liuely linâ—…ments of his image for from his righteous nature flowe his commandements commanding righteousnesse This lets vs sâ—…e 〈◊〉 fearfull an euill sinne is sith it is a transgression of that holy law which flowes from Gods righteous nature it is a direct impugning violating of the diuine nature so farre as the creature may The lawes of Kings may be broken and their persons not touched farre lesse their nature violated yea oft-times their nature likes of that euill which their lawe forbids It is not so with the lawe of God it flowes from his righteous nature and God and his lawe are so straitly vnited that the breaking of his lawe is an impugning of his very nature so farre as the creature may as I haue said already By thy Testimonies The word of God is called his Testimony both because it testifies his will which he will haue vs to doe as also because it testifies vnto men truely what shall become of them whether good or euill Men by nature are curious to know their end rather then care full to mend their life and for this cause seeke answers where they neuer get good but if they would know let them goe to the word and testimony they need not to seeke any other Oracle If the word of God testifie good things vnto them they haue cause to reioyce if otherwise it witnesse euill vnto them let them hast to preuent it or else it shall assuredly ouertake them VER 139. My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy word THroughout this Psalme we see that Dauid cannot satisfie himselfe in declaring the loue he had to Gods word for that comfort which hee had felt in it as likewise his insatiable affection crauing more comfort by it What he speakes of himself he speakes it not like that Pharise who boasted of his good not mourning for his euill nor yet longing for better Such presumption is farre from the godly If at any time they make mention of any good disposition in them they doe it to the glory of God from whom all good comes and to comfort themselues for the beginnings of Gods grace in them but still they know their wants and mourne for them Neuer contented in this life with the grace receiued with earnest affection they crie for more Three things haue we to consider in this his his protestation first the nature secondly the sorts thirdly the effects of zeale As for the nature of zeale It is a mixed affection of griefe and anger flowing from loue for what a man loues earnestly he is carefull to see it honoured and by the contrary grieued when it is dishonoured The sorts of it are many for according as our loue and griefe are so is our zeale If our loue be vpon the right obiects moderate in due measure it causes a zeale which is holy and spirituall otherwise if our loue be inordinate it begets a carnall or inordinate zeale Sometime the zeale is not vpon the right obiect and then it may be great but it cannot be good such is the zeale of Heretiques who compasse Sea and Land to make one of their owne profession Sometime againe the zeale is on the right obiect not in the due measure eyther too colde which is remission or too hote which is superstition Of these saith the Apostle It is a zeale but not according to knowledge Zelus ad mortem non ad vitam a zeale which tends to death not vnto life The effects of Dauids zeale he toucheth when he saith it had consumed him Affections of the soule are very forcible to moue the body A sorrowfull heart saith Salomon dryes vp the bones But men should carefully marke what spirit inflames their zeale and what zeale moueth their bodies There are som who vnder shew of zeale or at least because they thinke it zeale neglect the duetie which they owe to their bodies not remembring the seruice which God craues of the body is a reasonable seruice not vnreasonable Others with their zeale fight against the Gospell so did Paul before his conuersion Let vs try the Spirits and see that our zeale be according to knowledge For these two Knowledge Zeale are compared by Bernard to the two wings of a fowle the Bird that hath but one wing falleth the more that it mindeth to flie These are two excellent giftes Knowledge and Zeale but if the one be without the other it were better to want it And now sith zeale
he was persecuted and sore oppressed for his profession yet no trouble could make him swerue from the testimonies of God Trouble is the best tryall of true Religion Non est magnum si tune a Dei testimonijs non declines cum te nullus persequitur It is no great thing to cleaue vnto the testimonies of God when none pursues thee for it when authority allowes it when honour and prosperitie follows it it is no great praise then to professe it When the Lord gloried of his seruant Iob that he was an vpright man fearing God c. Satan replied And what maruell Doth Iob worship God for nothing He knew there were many hyrelings temporizers in the world that worshipped not God sincerely and therefore would not continue in it He thought Iob to be one of these Lay now thine hand vpon all that he hath and he shal blaspheme thee to thy face But he was deceiued for the more he was crost the neerer did he cleaue vnto the Lord. Let vs remember as S. Paul hath warned vs We haue not yet resisted vnto the bloud neither yet that which S. Peter cals The siery tryall haue we endured And yet what a shame is it to see how many moued by the naked example of the Apostles are becom colder in Religion An euident argument that they were neuer truely religious for if they cannot stand against offences how should they stand against oppressions and persecutions What persecuters they were and what was the kinde of persecution Dauid expresseth not Basil thinkes Quod quacunque sibi acciderant omnia hoc Psalmo congessit that what-euer befell him of any trouble eyther by Saul or Absalom or vncircumcised Nations among whom he soiourned all is gathered together in this Psalme which containes eyther prayers he made when he was in trouble or prayses he gaue when God deliuered him out of trouble or else spirituall gloriations of that strength constancy which God gaue him to indure it Properly there is but one persecuter of all the godly this is Satan the enemie of Gods glorie of our saluation Vnus persequutor est sed multos habet ministros but he hath many seruants instruments vnder him some inuisible some visible and according as they are so is the kinde of persecution eyther bodily or spirituall There is an euill spirit of fornication another of auarice another of pride Hi sunt persequutores graues these are fearefull persecutors Otherwise the Apostle would not say Flie fornication if the spirit of fornication were not a pursuer Many are stout in the outward persecution qui occulta hac persequutione ceciderunt who by this secret persecution haue beene ouercome Hi tibi hostes cauendi hi grauiores tyranni per quos Adam captus these are the enemies whō thou must eschew these are the most grieuous tyrannes by whom Adam was captiued and thou art to beware of them By visible enemies also Satan fights against vs but these are not so dangerous as the other yet for the present more displeasant let vs not bee discouraged with them Si multae persequutiones multae et probationes If our persecutions bee many so are our trialls and probations tryals I meane both of our sinceritie and of the truth of God If Daniel had not by wicked men beene cast into the denne of Lyons and the three children by Nebuchadnezzars fury into the fiery furnace then should not their constant affection towarde God and his truth power in preseruing them haue beene so clearely manifested Tibi ergo prodest quòd multi persequutores sunt vt inter multas persequutiones facilius inuenias quomodo coroneris The more waies thou be persecuted the more wayes hast thou to bee crowned for by many tribulations doe wee enter into the kingdome of heauen VER 158. I saw the transgressours and was grieued because they did not keep thy word ALbeit his trouble were great by the restlesse malice of his enemies and his dangers oftentimes desperate yet he protests none of these went so neere his heart as the dishonour of God and contempt of Gods word The glory of God shining in his word is dearer to the godly then their liues and they haue no pleasure to liue but melt away for griefe when they see wickednes and idolatry exalted pietie and true religion trode vnder foot This made good Eliah desire that the Lord would take him out of this life this made Dauid pine away for griefe And it may condemne many who if so be their owne estate be peaceable they will not disquiet themselues with griefe for any dishonor that by impiety of wicked men is done vnto God See ver 136. VER 159. Cōsider O Lord how I loue thy precepts quicken me according to thy louing kindnes THis verse containes a protestation of his great loue toward the word of God for probation whereof hee appeales to the testimony of God desiring the Lord to consider if it be so or not It is an argument of a good conscience when a man dare present his heart vnto God and desire him to looke into it Nemo dicit vide nisi qui iudicat se si videatur esse placiturum No man saith to God Looke vpon me but he who knowes that God will like him when hee lookes vpon him for hee that doth euill hates the light and an euill conscience dares not stand before God but hides the selfe so farre as it can from him as we see in Adam But sith so it is that the knowledge of our estate cannot be hid from the Lord but wee must be presented naked before him it is but vanity now to hide our wayes from him Woe be vnto them that seeke in deepe to hide their counsell from the Lord their waies are in secret and they say who seeth them But He that made the eie shall hee not see Wisedome rather craues that wee should lay open our hearts to the Lord in time walking so in a good conscience before him that we might be bold to say with Dauid Looke vpon mee Lord and consider me How I loue He saith not consider how I performe thy precepts but how I loue them The comfort of a Christian militant in this body of sin is rather in sinceritie and feruencie of his affections then in the absolute perfection of his actions He failes many times in his obedience to Gods precepts in regard of his action but loue in his affection still remaines so that both before the temptation to sin and after it there is a griefe in his soule that hee should finde in himselfe any corrupt will or desire contrary to the holy will of the Lord his God and this proues an inuincible loue in him to the precepts of God Thy precepts He saith not that he loued Gods promises onely for euery man hath a liking of these but his precepts also Naturally
man Content but God 140. Contentment only in the ende though comfort before 391. Conuersion requireth Confirmation to crowne it 261. Couetousnes a mother-sin 98. A godly Couetousnes 172 Two Courses in the life of euery man the one seene the other secret 8. A Courtier of heauen made by prayer 385. Gods Curse is a secret Consumption 61. Our first Creation is without hope or Comfort 186. Creation is as a Mother Conseruation is as a Nurse 216. Goodnes of Creatures but a glimpse of the Creators to whom they direct vs. 140. Tâ—…e Creatures cannot teach saluation but they confirme it 215. Other Creatures consist by Gods word how much more a Christian 218. All Creatures except Man and Apostate Angels are ruled by the word of God 304. A cursed Crosse and a sanctified discerned 180. The Crosse necessary to a Pilgrime and why 325. D DAuids disposition and approbation Page 3. Dauids affection to GODs word and why 4 Dauid compareth himselfe with others not to commende himselfe but Gods word 230. A double Deceit of sin 267. Delight in godlines a great argument of progresse 40. Delight in the Word a proofe of Godlines 118. 326. Delights diuers alwayes sweete from the same word 219. Deliuerance vnlooked for in dangers 256 Desertions finall temporall 25. 310. Desertions temporall more grieuous to the Godly then temporall Death 71. 209. Desertions spirituall doe much daunt and cast downe 198. Good Desires are of GOD. 84. 94. Desires accepted of GOD for deeds 106. Desires of the Soules saluation are the chiefe 278 Determination helpeth a Godly life 145. Detractions of men not to bee feared 103. Deuotion of these dayes colde 369. Diligence in keeping GODs lavv required for three reasons 18. Discipline doth good 167. A man must be a Disciple before a Doctor 232. Diuision of this 119. Psalme 5. They onely to expect Donations from God which are vnder Gods Domination 282. E THe whole Earth a place of banishment Page 55. The Earth founded without foundation 216. Edification must beginne at home in a mans owne heart 33. Edification may arise from euery thing 347. Our Election of Gods truth issueth from GODs Election of vs. 86. Our Election is sealed to vs certainely by our loue to God sincerely ibid. How to pray against Enemies 194. 202. The diligence and the cruelty of the iust mans Enemy 224. The Enemies of God are the onelie Enemies of the Godlie 286. 319. 336. Lightlie Esteemed of men highlie Esteemed of GOD. 322. Examples to teach vs godliness 136. 360. How to be followed how not ibid. Excellency of the Word 250. Experiences of Gods truth comfort excedingly 340. The Eyes deathâ—… windowes to enter into the heart 98 The Eye of the minde and body differ and how 151. The Eyes right gouernement 311. F EVery Article of Faith is a wondrous mysterie Pag. 53. 296. Faith in Gods promises is the Anchor of the soule 111. The nature of Faith is in particular application of the generall promises 122. Faith required in prayer 148. Faith carrieth vs out of our selues 378. Falling to be feared and why 265. Familiarity of the Godly with God more then with Men. 245. It breedeth no contempt as with Men. 271. It commeth by a good conscience 343. Gods Fauour illuminateth the minde 310. Feare and trembling for repenting of sinne for preuenting of sinne 104. The Godly described by the Feare of God 162. The Feare of God in any assureth vs of good duties in such an one 163. Feare to the Wicked horrible 272. The Feare of God ouercometh the Feare of Mans displeasure 362. Felicity of Man is conformitie with God 6. Fellowship with God diuideth vs from wicked men 257. No Fighting against Satan in his weapons and armor 178. 196. First Fruits of our hearts to be offered to God 333. A godly man is euer Fruitfull either without or within 43. G GOds Gifts pledges of greater 165. Small Gifts accepted of God 247. Great Gifts are to bee asked of God 329. Gifts of Grace and Natue differ how 384. A Glory to the Godly to make others more godly then themselues 233. God the obiect of prayer 730. Gods dishonour more grieuous to the Godly then their own 354. True Godlinesse hath perseuerance with sincerity 94. Impediments of Godlinesse many both within without vs. 127. Truth of Godlinesse tryed by priuate exercises 133. Godlinesse is the gaine of Godlinesse as one talent begetteth another 134. The power of Godlinesse 188. The recompence of Godlinesse 188 A Godly man is more afraid of sinne that he may do then a Godlesse is for sin that he hath don 104. The Godly pitie the Wicked 128. The Godly in their life haue respect to God to themselues to their neighbours 188. The Godly silent teach others ibid. A Godly man described 370. His priuiledge 375. God sheweth his Goodnesse in being good to his creature 173. Worldly Goods are Gods Moueables 142. They that haue worldly Goods and God haue a double portion 143. The more Good a Godly man doth the more hee desireth and delighteth to doe 45. Good things to bee sought for good ends 77. Graces are linked together lose one lose all 46. Without Gods quickning Grace man is dead 210. Growth in Grace wrought how 230. H THe Heart the Godlies treasure-house why Page 34 It is kept by three things 98 Being well disposed it dareth present it selfe to God 105. A soft melting Heart an happy thing and an hard stony Heart a grieuous curse 179. God speaketh to the Heart 237. Hatred of sinne is a triall of our loue to God 291. Cold Hatred turneth to liking 367. Hatred of sinne is in him that loueth Gods Law 368. No Hearing of God by vs no Hearing of vs by him 293. 327. Heauinesse of the Godly continuall how outwardly happy soeuer 78 Heauinesse according to the tentation 79. One needeth the Helpe of another because of the diuersities of Grace dispensed seuerally 196. Gods Helpe the best 206. 389. God is neerer to helpe then any enemy to hurt 337. The Hiding of wickednesse is proper to the wicked 380. Humility in the godly 176. 298. Hypocrisie a vile sinne 147. It is farre from men who are truely Godly 380. I IEsus is our guide in the narrow way Pag. 96. Ignorance of the Worde cometh not from the Word but from our owne darknesse 52. Illumination Gods worke alone ibid. Illumination of the eyes and conversion of the heart goe together 53. Impunitie an argument of Gods anger 245. Inabilitie to God is natural 236. Instabilitie in the Godly 260. God giueth more grace by an Instrument then the Instrument hath 232. Good Intentions strengthened by prayer 259. Interruptions of prayers in Godly persons 382. The Ioy that commeth from Gods Word surpassing all 40. Ioy by the practise of the Word not by professing 41. The Ioy of a true Christian is onely in God as in his owne 259. Ioy and Griefe goe together in this life 311. 325. Ioy in the Worde inexplicable
364. A warning for Iudges 344. Iudgements of God secret and reuealed 38. Iudgements of God double Directory Correctory 57. 191. Of Conuersion and Confusion 203. Iudgements of God diuersly applied by Dauid and by Lamech 59 Iudgements Awe-bands to keep vs in 266. Iudgement and Iustice distinguished 273. How Dauid desired to be dealt with in Iudgement how not 335. Iudgements past shold perswade the certainety of Iudgements to com it doth with the Godly 358. K GOds Kindness mans much different Pag. 110. Gods Kindnesse a sufficient defence against Mans malice and ill will 111. 209 Gods Kindnesse generall special 209. Gods Kindnesse is the Godlies argument in prayer 334. Knowledge which reformeth not is dangerous 93. Knowledge of this life farre inferiour to that of the life to come 169. Knowledge and Feare of God go together and so destroy both superstition and presumption 197 L THe Lawe of God the rule of mans life Pag. 8. Then learned when writ in the heart 83. A Lanterne and why so called 240. 241. Lawe written in the Scripture and in the conscience which the wicked would destroy if they could 287. Gods Lawe his image 315. True Libertie what and wherin it is 116. Carnall is thraldome 114. Naturall Life maketh a Reprobate worse because Life without grace is death 49. Our Life a race and restlesse battell 90. Mans Life measured by dayes not yeares 201. The Life of the Godly excelled diuersly but he in the Life of grace excelleth all 262 263. Of a Godly Life three helpes Determination Supplication and Consideration 145. Of Life naturall eternall 39◅ Light not onely to bee had but grace withall to be desired to walk after the Light 95. The Light of the Gospel clearer then the Light of the Law 240. At the Light of the Lanterne of the Word we must light the Light of the Lanterne of our mind 242. Light externall internall speciall of Creatures of Conscience of Gods Countenance 308 A Looke of mercy a Looke of displeasure 302. To Loue to liue to sinne is wicked but to Loue to liue to repent of sinne good 50. Louers of God loue the Godly 161. Gods Loue to his exceeding great 221. Dauids Loue to Gods Law not counterfeit but complete 228. Loue is all God asketh the tryall thereof 229. Loue coupled and conserued with feare 270. Loue of obedience an argument of Godlinesse 255. 289. Loue of creatures must be conditionall ibid. Loue in God the fountain of his benefits Loue in Man the fountaine of his obedience 320. Loue to God in vs assureth vs of the Loue of God tovs 371. Two trials of true Loue. 372. 278. A Lying way the way of nature 81. Lyes trimmed vp with the garment of truth 177. M MAn quick to works of sinne dead to works of grace 100 Man Gods work manship therfore loued by him 185. Man without vnderstanding a Beasts fellow 186. Man at the best standeth in need of mercy 301. Martyrs of inuincible courage whence 362. Meditation necessary 43. The matter of Meditation 44. Members naturall one neede another 39. Mercies begun moue God to more mercies 72. 165. Gods Mercy in forgiuing and mans Truth in confessing meete together 73. Desire of Mercy vseth the means of Mercy 106. Memorials of mercy to be maintained 167. Mercy receiued maketh men thirst for more 193. Mercy for remission for consolation for reformation ibid. Gods mercies are registred constant not onely for our consolation but for our confirmation 303. Mercy in God and grace in man meet together ibid. It is Gods mercy that differēceth the gratious gracelesse 347. 348 Gods mercies why called great why tender 349. Mans minding God may be seen by his godly life 133. The troubles of the minde distemper the body 200. 300. The godly shold open their mind when God openeth his mouth 301 Moabs curse 386. Mockeries of euill men a part of Christs crosse 126. Motions of sinne Grace 105 Mourning for our selues for others commended why 312. N A Good Name to be regarded and why Pag. 213. Naturall men cannot mount aboue the earth 268. Nature cannot conioyn whom Grace doth not 175. Not Nature but Faith leadeth vs to the hand that smiteth 192. Necessities hinder spirituall duties 156. As God is Neere vnto vs so we should be Neere vnto him 338. Nero his miserable end 376. O A Godly Oath necessary to a godly resolution Page 243. Obedience qualified how 57. Obedience resolued on by the Godly for eternity 114. The Oblation of a mans selfe most pleasing vnto God 248. The Oblation of his hart is euer in the godly mans hand ibid. Obl◅uion leadeth to rebellion and defection 17. 323. Offences offred God should grieue vs more then iniuries offered vs. 286. He must Offer to God that asketh of God 330. The Opening of sin before God 780. A spirituall Oppression in Dauid 68. Oppressors of our soules to bee most prayed against 274 P TWo great motiues to Patience Pag 246. Our Perfection is rather in desires then in deeds 105. 379. 396. Persecutions and Persecutors diuers 203. 306. 352. True Godlines neuer wants the crowne of Perseuerance 87. Gods last Plagues the more grieuous 172. Pleasures diuers 2. Pleasures earthly all vain 225. God is the Portion wherein a boue all the Godly do glory 138. Motiues to make God our Portion ibid. God a Portiō no whit lesse thogh communicated vnto all 141. Comfort to the Poore that God is their Portion 142. Our Practise must proue that God is our Portion 144 Pouerty not to want golde but grace 184. To Practise what we prescribe 31 Prayer the life of the soule 47. The Godly answer Gods precepts with Prayer 18 Rules for Prayer 80. Argument of Prayer ariseth out of all our diuers dispositions 82. Prayer to be feruent frequent why 108. 265 294. 385. When to be long when short 295 In Dauids Prayer 3. things his Reuerence Sincerity Faith 146. For Prayer Christs and Dauids precepts and practise 158. Nothing to be Prayed for but what warranted by the Word 199. Prayers to bee framed to God promises 261. 385. Praier is seed to be sowne 328. Prayers of the Godly interrupted 382. Euery crying is no piercing Praying 328. Prayer must be with Perseuerance 331. Prayers to be prayed for 382. Praiers reiected a sore plague ibid. Error of pride accursed 61. Prides policy 203. A preseruatiue against pride 307 Religious Princes a great blessing 64. Princes though Persecutors to be reuerenced 361. Presumptuous Professors reproued 210. Gods Promises most sure in themselues must be made sure vn to vs by Prayer 100 All Gods Promises are conditionall 102. 262. He that prayeth vnto God must Promise vnto God 109. 386. The generall Promise of mercy containeth euery mans particular comfort that is godly 120. It standeth with Gods honor to performe his Promise 122. Gods Promise is our hopes warrant 279. Gods Promises some made with a time set some without 284. 285. Not onely Gods Promises but his precepts
The other of loue and obedience Adam indued with many graces but not with perseuerance ☜ The prayers of godly meÌ„ how they are framed Gods promises are made on a coÌ„ditioÌ„ which we must regard Iudg. 10. Many thinke they haue life who are but dead Amb. in Psalm 119. In the life vegetatiue trees excell man In the life sensitiue beasts excell man In the life rationall reprobates excell Christians ☜ Wherein then stands the life of a Christian by which hee excells all Wisedom prouides for the time to come But the foolish are so snared with things present that they see not what is to com Lamentable that we should want when wee may haue grace for thâ—… seeking Iohn 4. Words without affection a dead sacrifice Three things caused Dauid to fear least hee should fall 1. Tentation 2. Corruption 3. The falls of others The iudgemeÌ„ts of God executed on wicked men should be awe-bands vnto vs. Eccles. The Lord strikes not the godly as hee doth the wicked Sin is a departing froÌ„ God Ambr. in Psal. 119. Deceit of sin is two-fold The fall of the wicked is Gods worke who-euer be the instrument The wicked are restlesse in raging now but God shall bridle them The fruit of temporall sin is eternall paine Naturall man cannot mount aboue the earth Comfort wheÌ„ the godly are disesteemed of the wicked The testimonies of God what they are and for whom Euerything that a godly mâ—…n sâ—…es sends him back to consider himselfe Greg. moral Our loue not without feare Loue of God conserued in our hart by feare Ambr. in Psal. 119. Gene. 6. Familiaritie with God breeds no contempt of him but greater reuerence â—…ith the godly are not freed from feare what horrible feare abides the wicked A good conscience makes boldnes in prayer Amb. in Ps. 119 Iudgement and iustice how distinguished Basil in Psalm 119. We cannot in 〈◊〉 life be 〈◊〉 oâ—… trouble by wicked men How should we pray against our soules oppressors Calumnies of men heauy crosses Psal. 35. 16. Basil. God is a partaker with his owne in their innocent sufferings 1. Pet. 4. Dangerous to commend a wrong cause to Gods protection Gen. 19. Or yet were our cause neuer so good we must not think to beare it out by our wisedome Psal. 37. 34. 1. Pet. 5. 7. Mans greatest honor is to be Gods seruant The seruice is not base but honourable wherein God imployes vs. Ambrose Dauids seruent desire of Gods saluation Basil. Saluation is of two sortes Dauid seekes the best Psal. 4. The restlesse vanity of worldlings ☜ Gods promise is the warrant of our hope Small present gifts more esteemed by worldlings then promises of greater things to com ☜ We cannot serue God as we should Yea our best seruice is farâ—…e inferior to his wages Amb. in Psalm 119. Two things proue a man to be Gods seruaunt Outward and ordinary teachers are nothing if God teach not They may lawfully seeke all good from God who can truely say they are his owne Amb. in Ps. 119 Basil. in Ps. 119. The godly can not learne so much but they would still vnderstand more Ambrose Statutes and Testimonies of God would be learned together Dauids complaint against his enemies God is a continuall working vertue euen when we think he is resting How Dauid prescribes a time to the Lord. Some promises made with a time when they shall be performed Some without a time In these wee should haue patience waiting till Gods time come ☜ When the godly may vse this reason in their prayer The time is come Offences done against God should grieue vs more then our owne iniuries Godly meÌ„ haue no enemies but such as are enemies to God Seeing Gods law can not be destroyed how are the wicked charged with this crime The law written in the Bible they cannot destroy The law written in the conscience they can neuer destroy Yet because their malice would doe it if they might they shall be charged with it ☜ There is a time appointed for the punishmeÌ„t of euil men Basil. Ambrose True religion cannot be tryed without trouble Loue of Gods obedience an argument of true godlinesse With what coÌ„ditions Gods creatures may be loued As the minde esteemes of any thing the affections go after it The word of God called iust in two respects 〈◊〉 of euill â—…s a â—…val of our 〈◊〉 to God The perfection of the godly is in parts not in degrees Ambrose It is sufficient to mans damnation if he be captiued by any one sinne If we heare not God when hee speakes in his word we shall not be welcom when we pray If men seek not from God it is because they know him not Our manifold necessities require manifolde prayers To continue long in praier and be feruent also is a difficult thing August ad Probam Prayers would be short frequent ☜ Praiers should be made long or short according to our disposition Good to deale with God by teares more then by talke Two things in this verse CommendatioÌ„ of Gods word Euery article of our faith is a mystery 1. Tim. 3 ☞ The word serues for food and light to the soule Without the word men walk in darknes Shame it is now to see aged men children in vnderstanding Vatab. Onely simple men and not they who are high minded profit by the word No maruaile Papists profit not by it Papists calumnie of the obscuâ—…ity of scripture confuted Basil. Euthym. Iren. l. 2. c. 46 Lactan. l. 6. c. 21 How a moued mind affects the body The feruent desire of godly men toward the word When God opens his mouth to giue wee should open our hearts to receiue Psalme In our best estate we haue need to seeke mercy A good conscience presents it selfe vnto God Godly exercised with spirituall desertions To some God looks in mercy to others in wâ—…th Examples of Gods mercy oâ—… others should confirme vs. Mercy gracâ—… are benefits in diuisible foolish are they who seek the first and not the second ☞ The steps of the Soule are motions of the affections Al creatures except man and apostate Angels are ruled by Gods word Satan an vnreasonable Tyrant Seruice to Satan hurtfull to them who yeeld it Satans officer can neuer be satisfied ☜ Armour of the godly is patience prayer The wicked are but roddes in the hand of God They who persecute with their tongues will not faile if they might to persecute with their hands also Man by sinne is become a weake and silly creature A preseruatiue against pride ☜ Benefits should binde vs to the loue and obedience of God who gaue them A common light externall A common light internall A speciall light internall Basil. in Ps. 119. Angry face of God most fearfull Prou. 16. How God forsakes his children Not according to his truth but our sense Gods countenance illuminates the â—…inde and changes the heart of him vpon whom he lookes Amb. â—… Cor. 4. 6. No ioy in this life
without griefe nor yet griefe without ioy ☜ Of the right gouernement of our eyes Reasons mouing vs to mourning 1. If we mourn not for other mens sinnes they become ours 2. If we mourn many blessings follow it ☜ A three-fold comfort that sustained Dauid 1. A meditation of the righteousnesse of God 2. A meditation of the equity of Gods commands flowing from his righteous nature The Lawe of God represents to vs the image of God How horrible an euill sinne is ☞ If any man desire to know what will be his end let him inquire at Gods word The loue which godly men carry to the word cannot be satisfied in this lâ—…fe The nature of zeale Sundâ—…y sorts of zeale ☞ Rom. 10. 2. Ambrose The effects of holy zeale Rom. 12. Knowledge Zeale two wings of the soule How true zeale may be tried from false ☜ Who are enemies to godly men 3. A meditation of Gods constant and continual working according to his word As God hath a mouth to speake so a hand to doe as continuall experience hath proued ☞ Loue in God the fountaine of all his benefites Loue in man the fountaine of all his seruice ☞ Temporizers in Religion Carol. Sigon de rep 〈◊〉 lib. 1. c. 3 ☞ They are little esteemed of men who are great in the account of God Macar â—…om â—…â—… 1. Ioh. 3. Persons should â—…e regarded for heir faith Iam. 2. Obliuion of our duety is the first steppe to defection What a sure comfort we haue by the word of God The Crosse is necessary for a Pilgrime and why The kindly sonnes of God cannot want a Crosse. Carnal and spirituall ioy consist not together Delight in the word an argument of true Godline The fearefull recompence of them who loue not Gods word Vatab. Three things in this verse Praier is a seede which now wee should sowe plentifully that in haruest wee may reap the fruit thereof ☞ Feruency and zeale of heart required in praier Ambrose Psal. 119. Euery crying pearces not heauen The voice of the wicked in praier â—…uailes not Great things should be asked from the great God Praier a seruice due to God only He that seeks from God should also offer to him Continuance in praier recoÌ„mended vnto vs Ambrose in Psal. 119. ☜ How time posts away and we should striue with it ☞ How a man on earth may imitate the life of Angels Ambrose The first fruits of our hart and tongue euery morning shold be offered to God ☜ Gold professors reproued who spend all their time on the world If they cannot giue all at least they should giue the halfe of it vnto God Prayer mitigates trouble The common argument of al Gods children in Prayer Ambâ—…n Ps. 119 Is from his mercy not from their merit How Dauid desires God should deale with him in iudgement The godly are a mark of contradiction to Satan and al his instruments Comfort against the contempt of men No enemy so neere to hurt vs as God is neere to helpe vs. Comfortable examples therof Vpon what condition will the Lord be neere vnto vs. Amb. in Psalm 119. If we in our heart be also neere vnto him They that in affection goe farre from the Lord hurt themselues ☜ The word is a â—…affe to sutaine vs in trouble Man commands without reason he proâ—…es without performance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without effect not to the Lâ—… Experience of the truth of Gods word doth greatly comfort vs. The Word an Anchor of the soule The prouidence of God by stable order ruleth all things ☜ Eurip. Aug. in Matth. Ephes. 1. Dauids prayers proper to euery member of the Church How God is a spectator and partaker with vs in all our afflictions ☞ A good conscience makes a man familiar with God An appellation from men to God To be vsed of them who are wronged by men A warning to Iudges 2. Chron. 19. ☞ Wicked men are the authors of their owne wracke Amb. in Psalm 119. Basil. in Ps. 119. The word of God and his saluation are conioyned together Externall prosperity of wicked men not to be regarded Acts 26. The godly guilty of transgression but not of conteÌ„pt It is grace only by which one man differs froÌ„ another in godlinesse Godly men edifie their harts by euery thing they see in others In Gods mercy not in our merit stands our comfort Ambrose The mercies of God why they â—…re called great Esa. 40. Comfort against the greatnesse of our sinnes ☜ 1. Tim. 1. The mercies of God are called tender why Iam. 3. ☞ Life of grace should be cherished continually Constancy in Religion Trouble a tryall of true Religion Iob 1. Such as are not sincere worshippers will not continue ☞ Manifold were Dauids troubles There is one persecuter of the godly Satan but he hath many instruments Corrupt affections sore persecutors 1. Cor. 6. ☞ By visible enemies also he persecutes vs. ☜ The godly esteeme more of Gods glory then their owne liues A good thing that a man can desire God to look vpon him Ambrose Psal. 119. Vanity to hide our way from the Lord. Loue of Gods word in the godly is inuincible Not only Gods promises but his precepts also are loued of the godly Rom. 7. 8 Worldly things sought earnestly by worldlie men May make vs ashamed that cannot seek excellent things with an excellent affection Perswasion of the truth of Gods word brings out obedience Vatab. 2. Pet. 1. 19 The iudgement by-gon should warne the wicked of iudgements to come Euery man feares when iudgement comes Onely godly men feare before it come Euery example of godlie men learnes vs some lesson How Dauid saith he was persecuted without cause He compares not himselfe with God but with men Princes suppose they were wicked yet should they be reuerenced ☜ Murther of Kings is from the spirit of Saâ—…au 1. Sam. 24 The feare of Gods wrath ouercomes the feare of man his displeasure Psal. â—… The awe-band of wicked men is without them The awe-band of godly men is within them ☜ Ambrose Psal. 119. With what affection Gods word should be receiued ☞ Why naturall men esteeme not of Gods word The godly find ioyfull tydings by the word and therfore esteeme of it But the wicked finde it a message of their damnation What maruaile then they like it not Euery thing contrary to Gods word is a falsehood and why Colâ—… hatred of euill shortly turnes into a liking of euill ☜ Bodily vncleannes vnseemely for Gods people Ambrose Much more spirituall vncleannes He that hateth sinne must loue Gods law Affections if they be strong cannot lurke but will breake forth in actioÌ„s Ambrose Such is our coldnesse that we scarse pray so frequently on the Sabboth as Dauid did euery day Yet on the sabboth the daily sacrifice should be doubled ☜ It is not for one but for all the godly what euer comfort is in Gods word Godly men many wayes described in holy Scripture and why ☞ Yet are they
God shineth in the worke of creation Iob. 38. Earth founded without a fouÌ„dation Creation as a mother Prouidence a nurse conseruing things created ☞ Out of the wholsom word profane men like wasps gather poyson 2. Pet. 3. 4. All creatures froÌ„ the Angel to the worme serue the Lord of Hosts Psalm Gene. 6. Sith other creatures are vpholdeÌ„ by his word much more the Christian. Comfort which is not from Gods word brings two great euills The word hath comfort for euery estate of life An answer to worldlings who say they find no delight in Gods word ☜ Men fruitful in godlinesse by affliction made more fruitfull Iohn 15. ☞ None coÌ„temne Gods word but such as haue gotten no benefit by it Basile in Psal. 119. It is not the Word that quickens but God by his Word Sith man is carefull to keep that which is his owne shall we thinke that God loues not those who are his owne Euery man câ—…n not say to the Lord I am â—…hine Basil. in Ps. 119 Rom. 6. 16. Ambrose Yea rather men now are so profane that euery kinde of siâ—…ne may say vnto them Thou art mine ☞ Cent. How the Lord acknowledges not profane men to be his How Satan challenged Iudas as his owâ—… ☜ How Dauid proues that he was Gods man A great miracle that the sheepe of Christ are preserued in the midst of rauening Wolues Psal. 124. The vanitie instabilitie of all earthly pleasures ☜ Iudg. 16. Esay 14. 1â—… Psalm 1. A cleere declaration of the vanitie of this life Chrys. in Math. hom 24. ☞ The word of God is called large because the comfort therof indures Euthy in Psalm 119. WheÌ„ all world ly comforts fai'e Many speake that by custome which in conscience they dare not present vnto God A great grace to speak to God froÌ„ an vpright hart ☞ God craues nothing of man but loue 1. Tim. 1. Ambr. in Psal. 119. We are inexcusable if wee giue it not How loue to God may be tryed The nature of loue it cannot lurk but will tell where it is Means to grow in grace are meditation prayer thanksgiuing conference ☞ Dauid coÌ„pares himselfe with three sorts of men his enemies his teachers and the ancient Not to commend himselfe but the word of God Worldlings in what respect they are called wise Time will try whether they or the godly be more wise Godly men tel what they are but not of presumption Nazian He is not meet to be a teacher of Christians who is not a disciple of Christ. Ambr. lib. 1. off cap. 1. Macar hâ—… 16. ☞ That God giues more grace by an instrument then the instrument hath proues that hee is the dispenser of graoe ☜ Sith the wicked glory to make others more wicked shal we grudge that others by vs are made more learned godly then our selues How youth old age are to be considered A warning to aged men To resist sinne not to want sin is our greatest perfection on earth Amb. in Psalm 119. He can resist no sinne who resists not all sinne ☜ Euery sin receiued within vs opens the dore to another Our naturall inabilitie to good They onely learne who are taught of God God when he teaches speaks to the heart Euthym. The causes why many now profit not by hearing of the word ☜ A Christian apprehends good offered in the word not with one but all his leâ—…ses Sith Gods promises are sweet how sweet will their performance be 1. Cor. 2. 9. Two great benefits Dauid got by the word Lukewarme professors of this age convinced The word of God compared to a Lanterne Euthym. in Psal. 119. 1 Because it sheweth light in darkenesse 2 We shall set it by when we come home Reuel 22. 5. The light of the Gospell is clearer then the light of the Lawe 2. Pet. 1. 19. As the Sun is necessary for the day so the light of the word to direct our way Ambr. in Psal. 119. Ambrose Our waies are in darknesse without the word As Israels course in the wildernes was directed by the Lord so should ours be As a maÌ„ lights one light at another so should we light our minds at the word ☞ Dauids resolution confirmed by an oath A godly oath a necessary helpe of our great weaknes Ambr. in Psal. 119. The obiection of a weak conscience concerning an oath Why we should not cease to coÌ„firme our good purposes by an oath albeit we be weake in performing ☞ Gods word why called his iudgement How familiar the godly are in declaring their griefes to the Lord. Afflictions no arguments of hatred Amb. in Psalm 119. Heb. 12. By the contrary impunitie libertie to sin is an argumeÌ„t of Gods anger Hosea 2. The state of the godly in trouble after trouble to be distinguished Hebr. 12. Two great motiues to patience in trouble Vatab. It is a great sauour that the Lord accepts any thing from vs and that in three respects 1. If we consider who the Lord is Psalme 16. 2. If we consider who our selues are 3. If wee consider what our oblation 〈◊〉 1. Chron. 29. No gift so smal if it come from a good hart but God accepts it A reproofe of them vvho praise not God with their lips And of theÌ„ also who offer seruice of their words not of their harts vnto him Mich. 6. 7. The godly maÌ„ hath his life alway ready in his hand to offer to the Lord. ☜ It is far otherwise with the wicked Three things concurre in wickednes Which are not in the godly Constancie of Christians Excellencie of Gods word aboue all other things Phil. 3. 8. It is the sure Charter of our heauenly inheritance The contempt of Gods word reproued ☜ Seeing mans hart is not in his owne hand how saith Dauid he had applied his hart How a man after grace receiued works his own saluation Basil. in Psalm 119. The godly fail in performaÌ„ce not in purpose ☞ Beginnings of good are nothing without perseuerance Greg. moral In trouble mans comfort consists in one of these two 1. A by-gon good life 2. Or else a present vnfained repentance Three things in sinne to be escliued 1. The occasioÌ„ 2. The beginning of it ☜ 3. The perfection Iam. 1. 15. Men grow more skilfull in sinning then they were before In most desperate dangers God comes with vnlooked for deliuerences Why our hearts should be diuded from wicked men Psal. 50. Euery mans company tels what he is Wicked company for borne for two causes 1. Because they offend God Psal. 1 39. 2. For feare they hurt vs. How euery company warnes vs to walke circumspectly Vatab. Wicked company not meet for godly men and why He that knows God to be his God by no meanes can be 〈◊〉 from him ☜ A Christian hath nothing wherein he reioyceth as in his owne but the Lord. Psal. 73. 26. Prayer strengthens all our good intentions A two-fold instability incident to godly men 1. One of faith ☞ 2.