performe it open therefore the eyes of our minds that we may see what is good put thy good Spirit within vs giue vs fleshly hearts and pliable affections draw our minds from the loue of this present world teach vs to vse it as if we vsed it not that we haue heere no continuing Citie but to seeke one to come that so wee may seeke for that kingdome that cannot bee shaken but eternall in the heauens Lord teach vs to do thy wil knit our hearts vnto thee that we may feare thy name ô Lord heare ô Lord forgiue ô Lord consider the complaint that we make vnto thee and giue a gracious answere vnto our prayers for the Lords sake And now ô Lord we thanke thee euen from the bottome of our hearts for thy inestimable blessings wherwith in Christ Iesus thou hast blessed vs for our Election before the foundation of the world for our Vocation Iustification Sanctification and Preseruation and for that thou hast put in vs a hope of Glorification in the life to come We thank thee more especially for that thou hast defended vs this night past from all perils dangers and hast safely brought vs to the beginning of this day Now Lord wee humbly pray thee keepe vs and all that belong vnto vs this day from al euill that may hurt vs set thy feare before our eyes and let thy spirit so rule our hearts that we may not sin against thee As for outward things we submit our selues to thy wise and fatherly prouidence only we beseech thee to giue vs this day whatsoeuer thou knowest needfull behouefull vnto vs let vs not want those things without which we cannot serue thee blesse vs in our going out and our comming in and grant that whatsoeuer we shall thinke speake or doe may tend to thy glory the good of our brethren and the comfort of our owne consciences when wee shall come to make before thee our last accounts Blesse thy whole Church O Lord and build it vp more and more in perfect beautie disappoynt the hope of the Papists let them perish as many as haue euil wil at Syon comfort them that mourne especially such as mourn for sin fulfil the desires of all that truly long sigh after thee Blesse this good land in which we liue make thy glorious Gospell to shine more more vntil it be perfect day Lord send it where it is not and blesse it where it is that Babylon may fall and neuer rise vp again and to this end strenthen the hand of thine annoynted seruant and our dread Soueraigne Iames Lord make him to see and know euery day more and more what belongs vnto thy glory what belongs vnto his owne peace and safety and Lord giue him a heart that he may duly practise the same Blesse likewise our gracious Queene Anne Prince Charles and rhe Count Palatine of Rhine with the Lady Elizabeth his wife Assist with thy spirit and grace all that are in authority sanctifie all those whom thou employest in the Ministery Be mercifull vnto all that wee are bound in duty to pray for as if we had named them in particular vnto thee Hasten the comming of Iesus Christ make vs euer mindfull of our last end and of the reckoning that one day we are to make vnto thee And in the meane time Lord make vs carefull to follow Christ in the Regeneration during this life as that with Christ one day we may haue our portion in the resurrection of the Iust when this mortall life is ended These graces and all other blessings which thou knowest to bee needfull for vs O Lord we humbly begge and craue at thy hand in the name and for the sake alone of Iesus Christ thy deere Sonne and in that forme of prayer which hee himselfe hath taught vs saying Our Father which art in Heauen c. A Prayer for the Euening O Lord God by whose gracious prouidence the night succeedeth the day and the day the night wee acknowledge thy wonderfull power therin forasmuch as day vnto day vttereth thy goodnes and night vnto night teacheth knowledge O Lord amongst other thy mercies with which thou doest euen follow vs most rebellious wretches wee must needs acknowledge that this is not the least that we haue this libertie to come into thy presence O Lord wee come not now to excuse our selues but to accuse our selues yea and to acknowledge that we are worthy of all those iudgements which thy iustice might most iustly inflict vpon vs our sinnes they make vs seeme vile in our eyes how much more loathsome in thy sight O Lord we must needs confesse that we are so farre vnworthy to bee called thy sonnes as that we are not worthy to bee reckoned amongst thy seruants yea were it not that thou wert a God of mercy and that thy mercy were ouer all thy workes and doth extend it selfe euen to poore sinners we should vtterly be discouraged in comming vnto thee considering that our whole life hath been but a life of sinne and that we haue drunke downe iniquity as it were water euer powring in but neuer powring out our filthinesse O Lord teach vs to value this mercy of thine aright that thou hast spared vs so long and giuen vs so large a time of repentance that thou hast not preuented vs with death in the time of our ignorance hardnesse of heart as many haue beene before vs O Lord it is thy mercy not our worthinesse Thus hast thou shewed thy selfe to be a God of mercy one that delighteth in the prosperity of thy seruants Now Lord we humbly entreat thee that thou wouldst pardon and forgiue vs all our sins and offences bathe them in the bloud of thy Sonne naile them to his Crosse bind them in a bundle and throw them downe into the bottome of the sea that they may neuer rise vp against vs either in this world to accuse vs or in the world to come to condemne vs. O Lord wee are heartily sorry that wee haue abused thy blessings prophaned thy Saboths despised thy word and quenched thy Spirit For these and the like blessed father we condemne our selues do not thou therefore marke them nor deale not with vs as we haue deserued but teach vs to rise vp against our sinnes that our warre with them may assure vs that wee haue peace with thee O Lord we abhorre our selues for to vs belongs nothing but shame and confusion of face for euer and we do humbly entreat thee to looke vpon vs in thy Son Christ Iesus O let the chastisement of our peace bee vpon him and heale vs through his stripes Lord let vs euer remember our latter end and the straight reckoning that we must render vnto thee one day and in health and prosperity to thinke of a time of sicknesse and aduersity and especially good Lord deliuer vs in the houre of temptation that when Sathan his assaults shall be greatest as his policy is when wee are weakest and least able to resist him that thy power may then appeare in our weaknesse that these things may not ouertake vs as a snare but that with the wise virgins wee may in some sort bee prepared for the comming of Christ Iesus the sweete Bridegroome of our soules And to that end we may haue comfort both now and at that time goe forward wee humbly pray thee with the worke of our new birth that thou hast begun in vs and neuer take away thy hand vntill such time as thou hast made an end of it And now O Lord hauing in the first place sought thy kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof giue vs leaue in the next place to seek thy fauour in outward things First according to our duty we giue thee hearty thankes praise for that thou hast this day preserued vs from all euill and danger wee humbly pray thee take care ouer vs this night and defend vs from that roaring Lyon who night and day goeth about seeking whom hee may deuoure Take thou vs this night into thy blessed tuition we know that thou dost neither slumber nor sleepe keepe vs euen in our sleepe from being vnmindfull of thee that whensoeuer thou shalt call for vs by the generall Alarum of thy iudgement whether at mid-night at Cocke-crowing or at the dawning of the day we may bee found ready to accompany the Bridegroome into the Marriage-chamber And to this end Lord sanctifie our sleep vnto vs that by it wee may bee the better enabled to performe the duties of the next day and night and day being guided by thee they may fit vs and prepare vs for that day of thine that shall neuer giue place to night And we beseech thee O Lord to be mercifull likewise to thy whole Church heare the cries of thine elect heare the mourning of all such as mourne in Syon let the cries of thy children cry downe the cries of the sinnes of this land and bee reconciled vnto vs O Lord our God in the multitude of thy mercies that so thou maist continue still a mercifull God vnto this Land the Vineyard which thy own right hand hath planted Preserue our gracious King blesse and prosper the Queene the hopefull Prince Charles Princely Palsgraue of Rhene with the Princesse Elizabeth his wife And as thou hast crowned them with worldly honour vpon earth so direct them vnto that more glorious Crowne in heauen Blesse the Nobility and Magistracy of this Land Prosper the worke of thy Gospell in the hands of thy Ministers And good Lord giue vs all grace to bee one of those wise virgines that our hearts may bee prepared like a lamp furnished with Faith and good workes like Oyle to meete the Lord Iesus Christ the Bridegroome of our soules there to see the felicity of thy chosen and to reioyce with the ioy of thy people To whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit bee all Honour Glory Might Maiesty and Dominion henceforth for euer Amen FINIS
proued pag. 275. Doct. 2. All mankind diuided into two rankes pag. 286. VERSE 6. Doct. 1. A great comfort to the godly that God doth approue of them pag. 294 Doct. 2. The Lord hateth a wicked man and all hee doth pag. 298 A Prayer for the Morning p. 301 A Prayer for the Euening p. 309 A Plaine and Familiar Exposition vpon the first Psalme first Preached and now published for the benefite of Gods Church The first Psalme VERSE 1. Blessed is the man that doth not walke in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seate of the scornefull CONCERNING the Book of the Psalmes Quid est quod non in Psalmis August Psal it is an Epitome of the whole Bible teaching vs what wee are to beleeue and doe both to GOD and man in which we may as in a glasse cleerely behold the natute of GOD his Wisedome Goodnesse and Mercy towards his Church and Children as also most notable spectacles of his fearefull wrath and vengeance against the wicked and vngodly If men would learne to pray vnto God and craue for any mercy and blessing at his hands Loe heere bee excellent plat-formes of true Idem Nonne omne quod potest dici bonū quod ad vtilitate animae pertinet procedat ex ipsis hearty and earnest prayers If men would giue thankes for blessings receiued or for iudgements escaped or for deliuerance from wicked and vngodly men heere bee most worthy examples and directions Againe if men would finde comfort in temptation trouble and affliction and learne with patience to beare them there is no part of the Bible more sweete and comfortable then this Book of the Psalmes And therefore it should bee our delight and study and wee ought to spend the more time in the reading and in the meditating of so excellent and worthy a Booke This Psalme is set downe before the rest This Psalm is a preface to the whole Booke of Psalmes Iohn 5.39 as a Preface to stirre vp euery faithfull Christian to the dilligent and carefull study of the holy Scriptures and the blessed Booke of GOD as our Sauiour saith Search the Scriptures c. Because that will bring a man to true happinesse in the end namely to know GOD to bee his GOD to know IESVS CHRIST to know himselfe and to direct him in the narrow way that leadeth vnto life This first Psalme is set downe without any inscription As Athanasius and Hilar. affirme and therefore it is vncertaine by whom it was penned whether by Dauid as most like it was or by Esdras who is rather thought to haue gathered them together and ioyned them thus in one Volume or Booke as now wee haue them This Psalme doth teach vs these two worthy points namely how the godly man liues and walkes in this world Summe of the Psalme what manner of life hee leads on earth and also what happinesse and blessednesse is reserued for him in the life to come in heauen v. 1.2.3 The second part shewes the contrary life of the wicked and vngodly as also what fearefull vengeance and eternall iudgements are prepared for them ver 4.5 And the parts of this Psalme are two In the former part is a description of the contrary estate of the godly man and the wicked man namely that the godly man is certainely blessed and the wicked man cursed in the fiue first verses The other part shewes the chiefe cause of the happinesse of the one and the misery of the other verse the sixth Because GOD knoweth that is likes loues and allowes yea doth blesse and prosper the way of the one but he hates abhorres and dislikes the way of the other and GOD doth curse it and make it most vnhappy and miserable vnto them So that we see the summe of this Psalme is this that those are blessed whose way that is whose life and conuersation the LORD loues likes and allowes of so as he doth direct and blesse it But the LORD allowes and takes care of the way of the righteous and godly man therefore the godly man is blessed Now seeing this is the maine Proposition of this Psalme to proue that the godly are blessed Therefore the Prophet doth first shew who bee truely godly as verse 1.2 and then wherein their blessednesse doth consist v. 3. The godly man is described two waies First Negatiuely shewing what hee doth carefully shunne and auoide v. 1. Secondly Affirmatiuely shewing what he doth carefully embrace and follow v. 2. Concerning the things which the godly man doth euer carefully shun and auoide they are heere laid down to bee three in number by a most excellent kind of speech laid downe by way of graduation wherein the Prophet shewes how men proceed by degrees to bee wicked for there is an increase and proceeding in sin Three sorts of wicked men as we may see in euery step of this graduation first in the persons secondly in the manner and thirdly in the sin it selfe And indeed there is a variety and multiplicity of sinnes and as they are diuers and of diuers kinds so the variety of number causeth a diuersity of names The counsell of the wicked the way of sinners the seate of the scornefull For as one saith well there is a fruitfull crop of sinne Peccata frugifera seges c. Cypri ser de morta and there is none of the sonnes of Adam but may say with Manasses in his prayer I haue sinned aboue the number of the sand of the sea First Hee doth not walke in the councell of the wicked where we see the persons are said to be wicked the originall word signifieth a man that is neuer quiet but euer thinking or doing something that is euill like the raging sea whose minde is euer troubled and tempted with euill thoughts and perturbations By Counsell hee vnderstandeth heere the craftes and subtelties of the wicked by which they push themselues forward and labour to draw others to the like according to that of Salomon My sonne if sinners intise thee consent thou not Pr. 1.10.11 Prou. 4 14. if they say come let vs lay waite for bloud c. So that the Prophet meaneth heere that hee is blessed that ioyneth not himselfe to commit sinne with the vngodly nor by himselfe doth commit the same as sinners do The second sort of euill men whose company hee doth auoide are called Sinners the word signifies such as not onely are of a naughty heart and being seduced by bad counsell liue in sinne but such as delight in sin and haue in them a constant and setled purpose to liue in sinne The third sort of euill men whose company he doth auoide are called Scorners And they are such kind of wicked men as being hardened in heart do still confirme themselues in their wicked life and get such a habite and custome in sinne that they shame not to make a mock of GOD and
preached or taught but abound in all kinde of sinne and iniquitie If the Rich man bee damned that did not giue of his bread to feede the poore good Lord what shall become of those that haue takē away the bread of the poore that all their life haue drunke downe iniquity as it were water their damnation doeth hot sleepe If these things be doone to the greene tree what shall become of the dry tree In a word if the not doing of good shall bee punished so seuerely as wee haue heard Oh! what will then become of those whose liues abound in all maner of sinne and impiety whooredome drunkennesse c. Where shall such sinners as these appeare If the others which haue seemed to haue beene iust and righteous men shall not be saued O consider this yee that forget God Psal 50.22 lest I teare you in peeces and there bee none that can deliuer you Psalme 50. and verse 22. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord. THAT is the godly man who is truely blessed and happy doth wonderfully loue and is greatly affected with the word of Almightie God and hath exceeding delight ioy in the doctrine of God because there is reuealed the will of God whereunto men must bee carefull to frame and conforme all their desires thoughts words and deeds because heerein is chalked out and declared the very high-way to eternall life and saluation Doctr. 2. A godly man performeth godly dueties cherefully Hence then wee are taught this doctrine that it is a speciall note and property of a godly man to perform Christian dueties to God willingly and cheerefully and to make them his delight and ioy Indeede it is worthy yea thrice worthy to be delighted in both in regard of the Author of this Lawe which is God as also in respect of the authority of it which is manifold In regard of God the author of it it is to be delighted in who is the only true euerliuing God 1. Cor. 8.6 of whom are all things and we in him Secondly in respect of the authority of the same containing in it perfect wisedome truth iustice wisdome mercy goodnesse c. It is called by the Prophet Dauid Psal 19.7 Reu. 22.18 a perfect Law to the which if any man shall presume to adde anie thing God shall adde to him the plagues written in this book and if a man shall diminish any thing God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life and from the holy Citty Heere and no where else is to bee found the true VRIM and THVMMIM the VRIM that is Light and the THVMMIM that is Perfection and the Saints of God in all Ages haue esteemed highly of it Thus did Iob Iob 23.12 I esteemed thy word more then my appoynted food Thus did Dauid when he said Lord what loue haue I to all thy commaundements Psal 119. all the day long is my study in them And Dauid shewes his wonderfull loue and account of it by the names that hee doth giue vnto it calling it Doctrine Testimonies Commaundements Feare Iudgements Way Statute Word c. And in another place hee saith That it is more to be desired then Golde Psa 16.10 Mat. 22.37 Rom. 12.8 yea then fine Golde that it is sweeter then the honny and the honny-combe And this is that which the Lord him selfe doeth require when he saith Leuit. 1.3 Heare O Israel the LORD thy GOD is LORD onely Deut. 6.5 And thou shalt loue the LORD thy GOD with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy might And so the Prophet Dauid prayeth O Lord I beseech thee accept of the free offerings of my mouth and teach mee thy iudgements And this is the rule which the Apostle Saint Paul setteth downe when hee sayth 2. Cor. 9.7 As euery man wisheth in his heart so let him giue not grudgingly or of necessitie for God loueth a chearefull giuer Now that which the Apostle speaketh of Charity and Almes may truely be vnderstood of euery Christian dutie when wee pray wee must pray vnto God chearefully when wee giue thanks to God we must do it cherefully Genes 4.5 and so of all other dueties of Gods worship layed downe in his Word And indeede this is it which dooth put the difference betweene the godly and the wicked the seruice of the one and the seruice of the other Caine will come with his Sacrifice aswel as Abel but he brought of the worst thinking any thing to be good enough for God and this he did very grudgingly Whereas Abel brought of the best to sacrifice to God this hee did willingly and cheerefully And all those dueties that are not thus performed they haue no life nor vertue in them to giue them any grace or acceptance with God So that we see that outward profession is not enough to assure vs of our saluation if it be not ioyned with sincerity of heart Now where it is said heere Reason that the godly mans Delight is in the Lawe of the Lord there is great reason why the children of God should be thus affected to his blessed word and heauenly Doctrine aboue all things in the world that it should be Sweeter vnto them then the honny and the honny-combe Tit. 2.11 First because it is the bread of life it is the power of God to saluation Rom. 1.16 And therefore is called the Gospell of the Kingdome and the Kingdome of Heauen Mat. 13.44 because it is that whereby men are brought to eternall life and the kingdome of Heauen Secondly it is the effectual means and instrument which the Lord vseth and hath appointed to beget all sauing grace in the hearts of his children Ro. 10.14 1 Cor. 1.21 namely knowledge faith humility obedience and the like Thirdly it is the bread of life euen the heauenly Manna whereby our faith is confirmed and our soule comforted yea it is the staffe whereto wee must leane in all dangers as Dauid saith I had perished in my trouble had it not beene for thy word Psal 119. And thy Rod and thy Staffe doth comfort me Psal 23. Fourthly the word of God is that direction whereby wee may square all our thoughts words and deedes as Dauid saith Thy word is a Lanthorne vnto my feete Psal 119. and a light vnto my paths And without this we can not liue well but shall wander vp and downe as blind men in the darke And last of all it is the two-edged-Sword of Gods Spirit Matth. 4.4 whereby wee must put to flight all the temptations of the Diuell so as we cannot repell them or withstand them vnlesse we be skilfull and cunning to vse this weapon This Doctrine may seeme to reproue Vse 1 the greatest part amongest vs as wicked and vngodly because generally men haue no loue vnto the word of God no delight in this heauenly Doctrine it is not sweete nor
him from the loue of God And whatsoeuer hee doth shall prosper Doctr. 9. God doth euer blesse the godly endeuours of his children HEere is described another part of the blessednesse of a godly man containing the mercy and goodnesse of God to him in the lawfull things wherein hee hath to deale that God doth of his infinite mercy and loue direct and prosper soule to the day of slaughter This should admonish all godly Vse 3 men to take heed how they fret and grieue at the vaine and vncertaine prosperity of the wicked and vngodly it is that which troubles the godly much as it did Iob Ieremie Dauid and Asaph who wondred and were much grieued at this to see the vngodly flourish and to abound in honour dignity wealth authoritie the onely men of the world and on the contrary part the godly inmiserie trouble c. But when they went into the house of the Lord Psal 37.35 Iob. 21.13 Psa 37.1.7 then vnderstood they they the end these men namely that God did set them in slippery places and that their end was fearefull And as Iob saith They spend their dayes in pleasure and suddenly goe downe to hell Let vs then consider well of these things not to grieue at the wicked because they prosper or to be drawne hereby to think the better of them or their vile courses because they flourish a while or the worse of the godly because they endure some trouble but consider their latter end and in the meane time to possesse our soules with patience notwithstanding the iollity of the wicked for it is but for a time like a great thistle which starts vp in the Summer and at the comming of Winter is gone or the poore estate of the godly for in the end they shal be exalted Vse 4 Last of all if wee desire to thriue in the world to prosper and to haue the blessing of GOD vpon our labours the best yea and the surest way is to become religious to walke with GOD to leade a godly life The examples of Abraham Ioseph 1. Tim. 4.8 Deut. 28.1.2 c. Iosh 1.7.8 Psal 127. Iosua Dauid Iob c. may perswade vs hereunto Wee see many take great paines night and day toyle and moyle all the yeare long euen wearing out their bodies early and late and yet doe not thriue doe not prosper and come forward but rather goe downe the winde The reason is God doth not blesse them and their labours because they bee wicked and liue in the practise of some knowne sinne And therefore if thou wouldest finde Gods blessing vpon thee and thine vpon thy soule body goods good name wife childe corne cattell c. The best way is to serue God to call on his name to lead a godly life and then certainly thou shalt finde that God will blesse thee and make thee to prosper The first Psalme VERSE 4. The wicked are not so but as the Chaffe which the winde driueth away The secōd generall part of the Psalme HItherto we haue heard the description of a godly man and of his blessed and happy estate wherein hee stands Now hee proceedeth to a description of a wicked and vngodly man And he sets out his estate by a generall speech opposite to that which hath beene spoken of the godly The wicked are not so Then by a similitude comparing him to Chaffe and then the propertie of Chaffe is noted to be light vaine vnconstant carried away with the winde In the generall description or the Introduction into the Description of a wicked man The wicked are not so the speech is negatiue and excludeth the wicked from all that which the Spirit of God hath spoken of the godly both concerning their vertues themselues as also concerning the recompence of their vertues The vertues of a godly man were described two wayes first negatiuely They walke not in the counsell of the wicked stand not in the way of sinners sit not in the seate of the scorners Now this negatiue in the godly is affirmatiue in the wicked Because they walke in the counsell of the wicked they stand in the way of sinners and they sit in the seat of the scorners The other description of a godly man is affirmatiue verse the second But his delight is in the Law of the Lord c. But this affirmatiue in the godly is negatiue in the wicked For their delight is in nothing lesse then in the Law of the Lord. Neither do or will the wicked meditate therein either day or night So that in respect of the vertues of a godly man it may well be said The wicked are not so And last of all for the recompence of the vertues of a godly man the wicked are also excluded the godly man is compared vnto a Tree that is planted by the riuers of water that brings forth fruit in due season whose leafe doth neuer fade and whatsoeuer hee doth shall prosper The wicked are not so But as the chaffe c. Where by the way wee may obserue the care that God hath that euery man should haue his part in that pertaineth to him hee would not that the wicked should encroch vpon the portion of the godly or that the Saints should be dismaied by the iudgements of the wicked but hee laboureth as to a lot and allow to one their part so to exclude the other from their portion Psal 37.34 Esa 3.10.11 Mala. 4.2 to shew that they haue no interest in their Blessednesse And so it is a vsuall thing in the course of the whole Scriptures that where the Holy Ghost setteth downe the blessings and promises pertaining to Christians In the same place hee setteth downe the iudgements that belong to the wicked and vngodly Out of the generall Description Doctr. 1. The state of the wicked most miserable or the Introduction into the Description of a wicked mā in these words The wicked are not so We gather this Doctrine That the estate of all wicked men be they what they may be neuer so great glorious rich wise beautifull and learned in the world yet their estate is wofull cursed miserable and wretched hee is cursed in his soule cursed in his body cursed in his goods good name wife children corne cattell c. Thou hast destroyed the proud Deut. 28. Psa 119.21 Psal 5.5 Tit. 1.13 Acts 7.51 Esay 63. and cursed are they that doe erre from thy Commandements The foolish shall not stand in thy sight for thou hatest all them that worke iniquitie Now what though a man should abound in wealth liue in honour bathe himselfe in pleasures yet if he be not a godly man that is truly sanctified Pro. 8.9 Pro. 11.7 hee can take no sound comfort in any of these For to them that are defiled is nothing pure But euen their prayers are abhominable he that turneth away his eares from hearing the Law euen his prayers shall bee abhominable And as