we shall neuer enter thereinto God resisteth the proud Iam. 4.6 and giueth grace to the humble On whom will the Spirit of the Lordrest on the contrite heart The Palace of Heauen is very ample Simil. but the entry very narrow let vs then liumble our selues vnder the mighty hand of God and learne of Christ that hee is meeke and lowly Mat. 11.29 and wee shall finde rest to our soules The word meeke is in Latine mites of which our Sauiour speaketh Who are meeke Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the meek or mansueti quasi ad manum venire sueti accustomed to come vnder the hand so God so mitigateth the fury of our nature and tameth vs that wee become so obedient that as a childe commeth vnder the hand of his Parent Psal 123.2 or as a handmaid is directed by the eye of her mistresse so doe wee attend vpon God Doctr. Whom God directeth he also protecteth Will he guide God who teacheth the meeke he also guides and directs them and leades them through the way For as children are ignorant so are they impotent they are taught by their parents led by them whom God directs he also protects and guides to heauen or else we should soon perish He must order the actions of our whole life rightly which is the second grace that God will bestow on his children when they submit themselues obediently to beare his yoake This docility will neuer be till our proud heart be subdued what Gods iudgement and his way is His iudgement and his way is nothing else but his gonernment whereby he declares himselfe as a louing Father carefull to prouide for the saluation of his owne children that he may relieue them that are oppressed raise vp those who are cast downe comfort those who are sorrowfull and grieued and succour such as be in misery And because in the former verse hee spake of sinners he will teach sinners his wayes he expounds of what sinners he meant God teacheth sinners but not all hee will not teach euery sinner but those whom he hath receiued into his fauour First hee bears downe our pride and contumacy and humbles vs First God will haue our pride beaten downe then hee will teach vs. but being cast downe he will not forsake vs and being humbled by the crosse he directs all the actions of our life in his holy obedience of which Apollinarius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Viros iustitiae diriget mansuetos Humility the first second and last gift of a ChristiaÌ„ August Epist 56. He will direct righteous men that are meek Wherefore ye may clearly see that the gift of modesty and humility is so necessary as without which wee can neuer be capable of the mysteries of Gods kingdome Which made Augustine to say borrowing the allusion from Demosthenes the Grecian August Epist 75 ad Auxilium Episcopum who being demanded what was the chiefe thing required in an Orator answered thrice pronunciation thrice that the chiefe vertue required in a Christian was humility and in another Epistle En adsum senex à iuuene coepiscopo Episcopus tot annorum à collega nondum anniculo paratus sum discere I am here an old man ready to learne from a young man my coadiutor in the ministery and so old a Bishop from a young man who scarce hath beene one yeare in the seruice VERSE 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth vnto such as keepe his couenant and his testimonies ALl the paths c. An 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exclamation whereby hee explaineth what he would shew euen the wayes of the Lord a most comfortable saying such as Paul hath another Rom. 8.28 To those that loue the Lord all things worke together for the best Sicknesse pouerty infamie yea death which is the greatest mercy when we are separate perfectly from sinne and the world and conioyned to Christ So that God is euer accumulating mercies and heaping them on our head Lam. 3.22 that whateuer befalleth vs certainly commeth from his mercie and it is of his mercy that we are not consumed and daily brought to confusion He comprehendeth the paths of the Lord in two words Doct. All Gods wayes are mercy and truth Pro. 20.28 mercy and truth or as others expound iustice These are the two pillars which vpholdeth a King and his kingdome Mercy and truth preserue the King for his throne shall be established with mercy Whateuer we heare or reade of the wayes of God is either mercy or truth mercy in pardoning sin truth in performing his promises Doct. Mercy and truth belong not to the wicked Other qualiâ—ies that are in God may tend to the reprobate but with none of these two haue they any thing to doe for they haue no repentance therefore no remission of sinnes they haue no faith and therefore they depend not on his truth But the godly are not to bee afraid of his iustice because mercy interuenes his power maintaâ—nes them his wisedome foresees their reliefe Rom. 8.33 Who shall intend any thing against the elect of God Christ iustifieth who can condemne But with the wicked he will dealt very hardly Psal 18.25.26 with the godly he will shew himselfe godly vvith the vpright man he will shew himselfe vpright with the pure hee vvill shew himselfe pure and the froward he vvill shew himselfe froward To such as keepe his couenant But to whom vvill he shew this mercy To those who keepe his couenant Of this couenant which God made with his Church reade Gen. 17.2 Exod 24.7 Iosh 24.16 Ier. 3.31 and in many other places This is the third name which he giueth to those who shall bee partakers of his mercy Three names giuen to the chosen First they are sinners next humble and penitent sinners and thirdly their repentance is declared by their life in that they keepe Gods couenants What a couenant is A couenant must be mutuall A couenant is a mutuall band betweene two persons hauing mutuall conditions God humbleth himselfe so farre that he couenants with man to be his God and promiseth to be their Father we againe oblige our selues to be his children and people if we forget to honour our Father then hee will not accompt vs his children Hee craues that wee should keepe his Commandements and couenants not the traditions of men Doct. Mans traditions cannot binde the conscience Note which can neuer bind the conscience yea oftentimes it falleth out that those who are too curious in obseruing these idle and vaine rites are carelesse in keeping these things which are absolutely commanded by God VERSE 11. For thy names sake O Lord bee mercifull vnto mine iniquity for it is great FOr thy names sake O Lord bee mercifull vnto mine iniquity What before hee spake generally of Gods mercy promised to all humble penitent sinners Doct. Particular application of mercy needful 1 Cor.
redemption It is called great in regarde of the great maiestie that redeemed vs God eternall Secondly Wherein the redemption of man is great the greatnesse of the price his blood Thirdly the number of those who are redeemed all the beleeuers Fourthly the strong man out of whose prison we are freed Fiftly the graces which he powreth on his Church Verse 8. And he shall redeeme Israel from all his iniquities A comfortable promise with which he concludeth this Psalme assuring the Church that God will redeeme her Since the greatest danger from which the Church is deliuereâ— And wherefrom euen from her sinnes all her sinnes which is the greatest danger euer the Church fell into and the mother of all other euills For what could the deuill hell or wicked men doe to vs without sinne nothing Israel Euery one is not deliuered but onely the Israel of God Onely Gods Israel shall be deliuered Ioh. 1.47 Rom. 2.29 those who are true Israelits as was said of Nathanael in whom is no guile and the Apostles Israelits not in the letter but Spirit From all his iniquities Whatsoeuer they be whether against God our neighbour or our selues they shal be forgiuen and pardoned The ioyfull iubilie is now come which to the Israelites was the 50. yeare and now to the true Israelites it is proclamed euery houre In that Iubilie the lands which were ingaged became free Nota. and returned to the owners but we our selues who were captiues to the diuill are made free and returne to God by redemption of Christs blood yea all our debts and iniquities are pardoned though our sinnes were as crimson Isa 1.18 they shall be made white as snow though they were red as scarlet they shall be as woole though they were as many as the sand of the sea and as heauy as leade we are freed of all by that blood and if of all what neede we seeke any other remedie but that allouerlie We neede not with the Turkes to runne to Mahomet or with the Papists to Saints and images God through Iesus Christ hath taken them all away He who made all cureth all It is his honour he will not giue his glorie to another Our Sunne illumilinateth all the world our Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse shineth to all the world but none are partakers of his light but true Israelites which dwell in the land of Goshen The Lord graunt that we may be such that being illuminated by the light of Christ here we may be conueied thereby through the dangerous wildernesse of this world to the kingdome of heauen where we shall be with him world without end Amen A GODLY AND FRVITFVL EXPOSITION ON THE CXLIII PSALME the seuenth of the Penitentials AT the making of this Psalme as plainly appeareth Dauid hath bin cast into some desperate danger 1. Sa. 24.4 whether by Saul when he was forced to flee into the caue as in the former Psalme or by Absolon his sonne or by any other it is vncertaine Alwaies in this he complaineth grieuoushe to God of the malice of his enemies The substance of this Psalm and desireth God to heare his prayers he acknowledgeth that he suffereth those things by Gods iust iudgement most humbly crauing mercy for his sinnes desiring not onely to be restored but also to be gouerned by Gods spirit that he may dedicate and consecrate the rest of his life to Gods seruice This worthie Psalme then conteineth these three things The parts of the Psalme First a confession of sinnes Secondly a lamentation for his iniurie Thirdly a supplication for temporall deliuerie and spirituall graces to the end of the Psalme Verse 1. Heare my prayer O Lord and hearken vnto my supplication answere me in thy truth and in thy righteousnesse Those pray in vaine who are not assured that God will beare them Heb. 6.11 HEare my prayer O Lord He craueth attention in the first place and prepareth Gods eare for it is in vaine to pray vnlesse we be sure God will heare vs and answere vs for he that commeth to God must first beleeue that God is and that he will reward those who serue him for otherwsie we pray without faith and our prayer is sinne Thus he doth in diuerse Psalmes as in the 102. Psalme 2. and in 5. Psalme and 54. Psalmes By this we learne that the Saints should begin their prayers with a request to be heard so long doth the Lord seeme to men not to heare them and to hold backe his eares and eyes that he heareth not their sutes and seeth not their tribulations as he delayeth to graunt their desires and therefore they craue audience and attention He doth here three times repeate his earnest desire to be heard as in the fift Psalme foure times he doubleth and ingeminateth this same suite to be heard There he desireth God to heare his wordes vnderstand his meditation hearken vnto the voice of his cry and heare his voice in the morning the like he doth here thereby declaring the vehemencie of his affection if any be desirous to haue their suites graunted they goe not slowly about their businesse they doe not vse cold rife wordes Simil. as though they were speaking for a thing they did not care for but they cry as beggers at a noblemans gate who are so importunate in crying that men are ashamed to refuse them Luk. 18. Ged denieth our request because we doe not confidently and earnestly desirs them As the importunitie of the widow moued the false iudge How much more will our heauenly Father by loath to refuse vs yea there is no cause why he disdaineth our suites but by reason we neither confidently nor earnestlie desire them nothing would be refased to thee if thou wouldest beg as thou shouldest do The Spirit would request for thee with sights that cannot be expressed and he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit Rom. 8.26.27 Is it possible that a mother can heare the mourning suites of her childe without mouing and yeelding yea though the mother could forget the childe Esa 49.15 yet God cannot forget vs. Then speake and he will heare be thou not dumbe and he will not be deafe try knocke aske seeke be instant in thy petitions for the Lord is ready to heare all those who seeke him truely instantly and constantly God reiecteth none who desire to be heard neuer man sought to be heard whom God hath reiected and refused In this verse he desireth Ichouah his God to heare hearken and answere Secondly the subiect of his speech and the thing which he desireth to be heard is his prayer and oration Thirdly the maner how he desireth his prayer to be heard in thy truth and righteousnesse When he doubleth his request of hearing he would haue God hearing him with both his eares that is most attentiuely and readilie so instant is a troubled minde he desireth the prayer he putteth
displeasure and wrath and in the former part of this verse he asketh of God that he would haue mercy vpon him and forgiue him those sinnes that had prouoked his wrath and indignation against him and now in the latter part he desires that the Lord would heale him Euery one of these things were so necessarie to Dauid that lacking any one of them hee thought himselfe vnfortunate hee felt the wrath of God and therefore desired the same to be remoued he had offended and therefore desires mercy he was fallen into a most dangerous sicknesse and therefore desires corporall health Yee see here that the best of Gods children are subiect to diseases as well as others Doctr. The best of Gods children subiect to diseases GrauissimuÌ„ omnium tentationum non tentari The fruit of sinne Psal 41.1 Vse for seeing the root of sinne is in them and the fountaine of that sinning sin what other bud can it produce or what spring can flow therefrom but miserable destruction of our nature Therefore when we see good men heauily afflicted with diseases let vs remember that saying Blessed are those that iudge wisely of the poore and also bee carefull lest through our sins wee prouoke the Lord to powre the like vpon vs which if he doe as we iustly deserue then by prayer to runne vnto the Lord with Dauid and crie Lord heale me For my bones are sore vexed He sheweth how hee is made weake in both his parts his body in these words his soule in the next verse Doctr. Sin vndoes the whole man So sinne vndoes the whole man and euery part of him so that as the soule lusts and the body executes and practises the foule desires of the soule so both are punished hee who sinneth in both is punished in both Greatest paine in â—he bones Setting downe his bodily diseases he comprehendeth them vnder the trouble of his bones for as the greatest strength of man is in his bones so his greatest paine is the paine of the bones which exceedeth the paine of the flesh as experience in the tooth-ache or breaking any other bone teacheth for albeit the bones of themselues are senselesse yet not so the membrans and tunicles that compasse them Alwaies the Scriptures of God doe expresse both the greatest strength and ioy in Gods worship and the greatest paines and afflictions to the bones Psal 35.10 Psal 51.8 as all my bones shall say O Lord who is like thee and the bones which thou hast broken shall reioyce that is the whole strength of my body shall bee bent vpon thy seruice And againe Esay 38.13 Lam. 3.4 Psal 38.3 Psal 34.20 Psal 42.10 Lam. 1 13. Iob 20.21 Doct. Great mischief commeth of the euils of misgouerned health Iob 20.11 Esay 51.8 Simil. He hath bruised all my bones as a Lyon and all my bones are out of ioynt and there is no peace in my bones And God keepeth all their bones and while my bones are broken and send a fire in my bones and thy bones shall be filled with the sins of thy youth Obserue first out of this place what a misgouerned health bringeth to man it destroyeth our nature our pleasure becommeth our displeasure Our old bones inherit the sinnes of our youth which haue wasted and consumed vs as the moth doth the garment The poyson and venome of the Aspe is receiued with great sweetnesse but it ouercommeth the body by destroying man So is sinne Can there bee a rush growe without water or sicknesse where there is no sinne Iob. 8.11 Search downe to the bottome of thine heart and thou shalt finde the fountaine of the euill to be within thee that thou maist purge it by vnfained repentance Next consider Doctr. The bestremedie againd diseases is to goe vnto the Lord. 2 Kin. 20.2 Vse How God cures sin Simil. that as this his ficknesse comes from God so he turnes to him for remedie Diseases are Gods arrowes shot by his owne hand why should we not then with Ezekiah turne to the wall and mourne to him that he may helpe vs For so skilfully deales the Lord with vs that hee cures our sinnes by our diseases and visitations albeit they spring out of sinne as Physitians doe curing the sting of the Serpent by the ashes of the dead Serpent so by the bud and fruit of sinne he cures sinne and God is so infinitely wise that he applies that kinde of disease to his patient which is fittest for such a sinne And indeed as there be monstrous sins fallen forth in this ourage Monstrous sinnes produce vnwonted sicknesses which the former ages knew not so likewise hath the Lord punished them with vnwonted sicknesses vpon mens bodies whose nature Galen Hippocrates or the best Physitians haue neuer yet discouered And therfore the Lord remoue from vs these sinnes Cause of diseases 1. The contempt of the Gospel 2 Apostasie from Gods truth that he may take from vs these iudgements but namely the contempt of the Gospell Word and Sacraments for which many are tyed to the bed of sicknesse and this abominable Apostasie from Gods truth to Idolatrie which God is like to punish fearefully by desertion The word meaneth not onely a troubling but also a trembling Marke finally that the word according to the Originall signifieth not only a troubling or obstupifying but also a shaking or trembling of which the Poet saith Gelidusque per ima cuâ—urrit Ossatremor That is The cold trembling ran thorow the deepest bones This teacheth vs Vse The force of sin will shake our strongest parts that sinne can shake the strongest part we haue for if our bones were stones and mountaines yet if sinne sease on them it would shake them asunder VERSE 3. Vers 3 My soule also is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thon delay Doctr. 1 NOw he expounds the other part of his sorrow which is a Spirituall disease the troubles of Conscience Spirituall trouble greater than temporall Reason farre greater yea and more importable than the other for as the soule is a more subtill and Spirituall substance beginner of all life and motion in man it must feele the selfe more when it is troubled and wounded I will therefore by the help of God intreat here about the trouble of Conscience and deduce it in all particulars that if it please God at any time to waken your conscience ye may haue remedie in time to pacifie it Doctr. Yokefellowes in sin yoke-fellowes in punishmeÌ„t My soule Yokefellowes in sinne are yokefellowes in paine the soule is punished for informing the body for performing and as both the informer and performer the cause and the instrument so shall the stirrer vp of sinne and executer be punished That man hath a soule But here appeares first that as a man hath a body so likewise hath he a soule and as the one is pained so likewise is the other And yet alas there are
many who thinke they haue not a soule There were Sadduces who denied that there were spirits Two sorts of Sadduces Psal 14.2 these were Sadduces by prosession but this Age hath the like by action The wicked haue said in their heart there is not a God and therefore seeing the soule sinneth Vnlawfull pleasures bring lawful paines of necessitie the vnlawfull pleasures thereof must be punished with lawfull paines for it is better to suffer a short and momentanie tribulation in this world to subdue sinne in vs than to vnder-lie eternall punishment of the soule in hels fire How to know whē the soule is at true peace with Ged But before wee can speake of the trouble of the soule let vs finde out when the soule is in a good constitution and at peace The peace of the soule is the tranquilitie of the minde vpon the assurance of Gods fauour in Christ Being therefore iustifyed by faith Rom. 5.1 we haue peace with God in Christ Iesus Grace begins and brings peace and therefore these two are alwaies conioyned Rom. 1.7 Grace and peace from God the Father Let no man thinke to get that peace that passeth vnderstanding Phil. 4.7 but by Gods free mercie and forgiuenesse of sinnes But there be many that cry peace peace 2 King 9.18 19. and say vnto the Lord as Ioram said to Iehu Is there peace To whom he shall answer What hast thou to doe with peace and as there is a great and apparant similitude betweene sleeping and swouning Similitude of true and false peace the senses being then both closed yet is there great contrarietie the one being the messenger of life the other of death So is there bewixt the peace of the godly like a refreshing sleepe and the counterfeit securitie of the wicked leading them to eternall paine with the rich Glutton Luk. 16.23 so their peace is worse than any warre that euer was Ionah was sleeping when the tempest was raging Ionah 1. ◠and the waues were ouerwhelming the ship so men are in securitie when God is pursuing them in his iudgements It were good we were wakened in time Simil. Party gold hath a similitude with true gold Tokens to know peace from securitie 1. Token so securitie a great appearance of true peace But by these tokens yee may discerne the one from the other First consider who made thy peace with God 1. Token was it thy Peace-maker Iesus Christ or is thy agreement made by any creature or trusts thou by thy merits to be at one with God all things in heauen or in earth are reconciled by his bloud Ro. 5.9 10. Luk. 3.22 He is Gods well beloued Sonne in whom he is well pleased He is the authour and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 He hath broken the partition wall He hath brought peace to them that are farre and neere Eph. 2.17 2 Thes 3.16 Hee is the God and Lord of peace Heb. 7.2 the King of Salem by whom the Saints sought peace The Virgin called him God and Sauiour Luke 1.47 Rom 1.8 And Paul saith I thanke God through Iesus Christ. And Peter To whom should we goe thou hast the words of eternall life Iohn 6.68 And Iohn If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate I Iohn 2.1 Why then should we seeke reconciliation by them who could not purchase it to themselues but by him and sendeth vs to him in all their writs Hypocrites Pharisees would yee extoll the seruant with disgrace of his Master seeking not his honour but your owne gaine God helpe the poore Papist who seeketh lying vanities forsaking Gods mercies Next thou must obserue the forme how thy peace was wrought for if thou hast gotten peace to thy conscience first no doubt thou hast found a warfare and a battell the flesh rebelling against the spirit nature against grace Esau and Iacob must striue together in the belly of Rebecca Gen. 25.22 23 and after a mighty combat the elder serued the younger The Israelites found peace but after many and sharpe battels with much shedding of their bloud First you must see Hell then Heauen Repent saith Iohn Baptist and then he addeth Math. 3.2 for the kingdome of Heauen is at hand we must first come to the Mount Sinai Exod. 19.14 c. where the sound of the thunder earth-quake lightnings smoake and other such like things are and then to Mount Sion the New Ierusalem Deut. 4.48 Reuel 3.12 the Vision of Peace for if yee see not God first in the throne of his Iustice yee will neuer see him on the throne of his mercy The deuils rocking The deuill Reprobates in a cradle and lets them neuer see hell till they be in it 2 King 6.20 c. as the Prophet led the Aramites into the midst of Samaria before their eyes were opened and they knew where they were Thirdly 3. Token remember what was the instrument by which peace was wrought in thy conscience There is no instrument vnder heauen that can bring peace but the word of God conueyed by the mouth of his seruants of which is said Esay 52.7 Nahum 1.15 Rom. 10.15 O how beautifull are the feet of those who bring the glad tidings of peace it is the Gospell of peace the instrument of reconciliation he giueth by their hand the wand of Peace by which the King receiues thee in his fauour Yee who contemne the word and the Ministers thereof thinke yee to get peace but by them Christ commanded his Apostles to what-euer house they come leaue their peace there Matth. 10.13 c. and if the Sonne of peace be in that house their peace shall abide if not depart Gods seruant euer bringeth peace with him and reconciles men with God with men with heauen with earth therefore welcome him to thy house as thou wouldst welcome his Master Matt. 10.40 He that receiues you receiues me O gracelesse generation of men who dislike Gods seruants and gladly would welcome this deuill comming by Iesuits Finally 4. Token try how thou hast entertained that peace if it be truly purchased thou wilt vse all the meanes thou canst to nourish it and what-euer may breake it Sin breaketh peace with God that thou wilt eschew which is namely sinne which for this cause thou wilt flie and auoid both in thought word and deed wherein thou maist offend Gods diuine Maiestie imitating therein the example of those who once haue felt a dint of the wrath of their Prince and being reconciled to him will be loth to offend him againe Simil. So thou once being at peace with God labour to eschew all occasions whereby thou mayest displease him And thus much concerning the peace of the soule Now let vs see how it may be disquieted Disquioted soule not worst in the meane time considering with our selues that sometime the soule when it is disquieted
these three things to obserue Doctr. An appointed time set by God for the end of our crosses First that there is an appointed time which God hath measured for the crosses of all his children before which time they shall not be deliuered and for which they must patiently attend not thinking to prescribe times to God for their deliuerie or limit the holy One of Israel Exo. 12.40 The Israelites remained in Aegypt till the complete number of 400 yeares were accomplished Ps 115.18 Ioseph was three yeares and more in the prison till the appointed time of his deliuerie came The Iewes remained 70. yeares in Babylon Dan. 9.2 Simil. So that euen as a Physitian appointeth certaine times to the Patient both wherein he must fast and be dieted and wherein he must take recreation So God knoweth the conuenient times both of our humiliation and exaltation The impatience â—f our nature vnder the crosse Next ye see the impatience of our nature in our miseries our flesh still rebelling against the Spirit which oftentimes forgetteth iâ— selfe so farre that it will enter in reasoning with God and quarrelling with him as we may reade of Iob Ionas c. and here also of David Thirdly albeit the Lord delay his comming to releene his Saints yet hath he great cause if wee could ponder it for when wee were in the heat of our sinnes many times he cryed by the mouth of his Prophets and Seruants Our iust recompeÌ„ce from God O fooles how long will you continue in your folly and we would not heare and therefore when we are in the heat of our pains thinking long yea euery day a year till we be deliuered let vs consider with our selues the just dealing of God with vs that as he cried and we would not heare so now we cry he will not heare VERSE 4. Returne ô Lord deliuer my soule saue me for thy mercies sake DAVID before hath vsed some arguments to moue the Lord to deliuer him from his present troubles the first whereof was taken from his infirmitie the next from Gods mercies hauing an obiect before them his miseries Now he goes forward in a repetition of his request desiring God to returne to him Returne ô Lord. These words presuppose that in his tentation God was alienated from him Simil. and went his way as when a Physitian goeth from his patient And againe that he had felt Gods presence sensibly before this his absence not that God indeed at any time vseth to absent himselfe from his elect but to their conception and iudgement he seemeth to do so when they feele not the tokens of his presence at some time for their humiliation as the Sunne goeth not out of the firmament Simil. suppose he be obscured by the clouds ouercasting or some other impediments naturall So albeit the clouds of our sinnes and miseries hide the faire shining face of God from vs yet he wil pierce thorow dissipate these clouds and shine clearly vpon vs in his owne appointed time How God is said to returne God is said to returne to vs not by change of place for he is in all places but by the dispensation of his gratious prouidence and a declaration of his new mercies and benefits toward vs. Such a returning God promised to Abraham Gen. 18.10 I will certainly come againe vnto thee according to the time of life and lo Sarah thy wife shall haue a sonne So he promised to returne to the Israelites to doe them good Ier. 32.40 and he will turne againe and haue compassion vpon vs and Ier. 12.15 returne vnto me Zach. 1.3 and I will returne vnto you And Iames the brother of our Lord Acts 15.16 bringeth further a sentence out of the 9 of Amos After these things I shall returne restore the Taberuacle of Dauid Therefore as Dauid hath lamented the absence of God in the former verse in this he desireth a signe of his presence to be giuen to him Herein stands our happinesse if God looke fauorably vpon vs for then all things prosper well in our hand But because I haue spoken largely of the presence and absence of God from the soule in my Booke on the seauen words which our Lord spake on the Crosse and namely vpon the fift word My God my God why hast thou forsaken me whither I referre the Reader who is desirous to vnderstand any more of this subiect Desperate dangers get comfortable remedies Deliuer my soule This clearly declareth that Dauid hath beene in some extreame dangers both of his spirituall and corporall enemies from which he could not be deliuered but by the mighty hand of God who behoued to doe violence to his enemies euen as Dauid himselfe deliuered his fathers sheepe from the clawes of the Lion 1 Sam. 17.34 and pawes of the Beare and smote them both So it is miraculous to consider in how desperate perils and dangers good men will be cast wherein no doubt they would perish if they were not supported by the mighty hand of God Doctr. Saluation onely belongeth to God Obserue farther that it lyeth not in the power of any man to deliuer himselfe for saluation onely belongeth to the Lord yea whether hee worke our deliuery mediately or immediatly alwaies he is to be praised The reason why Iehouah so often named I finde that the name of Iehouah is fiue times mentioned in this prayer which is emphatically done being a great testimony of the certainty of his knowledge that hee knew assuredly vpon whom he called not vpon an vnknowne God but vpon him who manifested himselfe to Moses vnder the name of Iehouah Exod. 6. whereby his faith was greatly strengthened hauing assurance of deliuery by him who onely is and giues being to others makes his promises to be extant and the sweet name of Iehouah is so comfortable to a Christian that in the middest of dangers yea at deaths doore Pauls defire Dauids conceâ—ing lice death reconciled it will not onely temper the bitternesse of afflâ—ctions but also quite take them away Saue me This ingemination of his praier to be deliuered from death would presuppose that Dauid was ouer-much afraid of death when as the faithfull should not loue this life ouermuch neither feare death aboue measure but ought to say with the Apostle Paul Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolued and be with Christ And again My life is not deare to me that I may finish my race with gladnesse as also when Agabus prophecied of his bonds the faithfull of Caesarea requesting him not to goe to Ierusalem answered Acts 21.13 What doe ye weeping and breaking my heart for I am not onely ready to be bound but also to dye at Ierusalem I answer Dauid desired the continuation of his life to settle the kingdome in Solomons person that the promises of God might be confirmed and that himselfe might haue longer space
haue beene for euer A faire commendation of Gods mercies from the eternity thereof His mercies had no beginning as himselfe had none and shall haue no end From euerlasting to euerlasting thou art our God For as the Ocean and maine Sea Psal 100. Simil. can neuer be exhausted but it would furnish water to all the world if euery one should bring vessels to draw water there-from So if wee had faith and prayer to seeke grace from God he is all-sufficient in himselfe to furnish vs all which makes Dauid to cry in one Psalm tweÌ„ty and sixe times Psal 126. thy mercy endureth for euer Therefore we may build our faith on it as on a strong Rocke Mat. 1.6.18 that the gates of hell cannot preuaile against vs for euery thing earthly on which we repose is subiect to mutation and change All things change God onely immutable But herein is our comfort that he is an immutable God on whom wee depend and in whom we trust then as long as God stands our saluation cannot faile Woe to them who put their trust in any other following lying vanities Ionah 2.8 Psal 119. and forsaking mercies I haue seene an end of all perfection sayes Dauid but thy word is very large VERSE 7. Remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my rebellions but according to thy kindnesse remember thou me euen for thy goodnesse sake O Lord. Doct. WheÌ„ God â—â—â—embers â—ercies he â—â—â—gets sin HE conioynes these two memorie of mercies and forgetfulnesse of sinnes the one destroyes the other when God remembers mercy hee forgets sinne when he remembers sinne he forgets mercy when God will plague the Whoore of Babel it is said He will remember her sinnes and in Hosea Hos 8.13 Now will hee remember their iniquity and visit their sinnes they shall returne to Aegypt Doctr. If sin had not beene Gods mercies had not beene knowne Rom. 8.28 He craued mercy before at God now hee let 's vs see the obiect of Gods mercy euen sin and here appeares the great wisedome of God who can turne all things to the best to those that loue him so that hee doth make their sinne which they did commit to manifest his glory and work their owne saluation All the properties of God his iustice and mercy excepted might haue beene knowne to the world by the creation his wisedome in framing the world so artificially his power in maintaining it his goodnesse in making man so excellent a creature but if sinne had not beene neither Gods mercy would haue beene manifested in pardoning it neither his iustice in punishing it Rom. 5.20 For where sinne abounded there mercy super abounds Remember not the sinnes of my youth Hee makes mention of his sinnes for when hee speakes to God who is most iust and righteous that he should remember his owne vnrighteousnesse as the brethren of Ioseph when they sought fauour of him they remembred the wrong they did to him as if one seeking the helpe of his friend he would confesse the faults he did against him Luk. 15.21 as the forlorne son did to his father So seeing sinne is the principall wall which diuides vs from God so that he doth not heare our prayers Dauid here taketh away this impediment Doct. We must confesse our sinne if we would be heard Therefore if wee would haue our prayers acceptable to God let vs begin at an humble begging of pardon and remission at which all our praiers should begin that hauing assurance of Gods fauour we may boldly sute what we please But if wee begin not our prayers at crauing pardon Simil. we become like foolish Physitians who neglect the causes of the disease and onely study to mitigate the present dolour and apply outward somentations for the curing thereof But how is it that Dauid specially nominates the transgressions of his youth Obiect did hee not commit other sinnes and are the sinnes of his age of no moment I answer Answ He doth not extenuate his present sinne by remembring the sinnes of his youth but rather aggrauates and aggredges the same while he repeats from his childhood how many wayes hee had kindled Gods wrath against him Confessing that he had heaped sinne vpon sinne and so by processe of time was loadned and ouercharged with it Next if God should deale with him by extreame rigour hee should not onely call to mind the faults which he did yesterday but whatsoeuer sinnes hee did from his youth The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 includes all the faults either of commission or omission which hee did Therefore so oft as the Lord terrifies vs with his iudgements Note let vs not onely remember our last offence but let our former transgressions make vs bee ashamed and bring new sobs and sighes in our heart Let old men call to minds their former offences which they did commit in their youth Saint Augustine in his confessions reckoneth out all the follies which he committed in his childhood infancy youth and age calling them to minde euen from the beginning Psal 51.5 for we are conceiued in sinne and a child of one day is not cleane before God As we grow in yeares ye grow in sinne as a Lyons whelpe is borne with a sauage nature and as it growes in age so the cruelty thereof increaseth so does man Solomon in the Prouerbs saith Pro. 30.19 It is hard to know the way of a young man with a maid So young men haue need of sure custody that their parents masters and Preachers should take heed diligently to them Saint Ambrose in a Sermon at the Funerall of the Emperour Valentinian the younger bringeth in that place of the Lamentations Blessed is the man who beares his yoake in his youth Lam. 3.27 God is mercifull to that youth whom he corrects Dauid he deplores the sinnes of his youth which were secret from the world and perchance to himselfe yet hee craues pardon for them Now the smallest sinnes trouble him which before were but sports to him and so it will befall to vs those offences now which we accompt no offences after we will esteem them great sinnes Prou. 6.3 now they are honey in the mouth but after in the belly they will be bitter as gall No time of mans life free of sin Ier. 2. Exod. 22.29 Simil. Note Ex. 23.10 There is no time of mans age which is free from sinne but the youth is not onely first but most subiect thereunto for a youth is like an vntamed Calfe like a wilde Asse which will be taken in her moneth The first borne should bee sacrificed to God the first fruits should be offered to him yea the beast if it had not beene redeemed the necke of it behoued to haue beene broken Thinke yee not that God hath more respect of the first fruits of our life then he hath of the first fruits of Bullocks Thou shalt consecrate thy beginnings to God
9.27 that in this verse he particularly applyeth vnto himselfe shewing vs hereby how necessary the application of mercy is to a Preacher lest preaching to others hee become a Reprobate himselfe He runnes euer to mercy pretending no merits and craues pardon to his iniquity which before hee called sinne for hee sinned against God and did iniquity to Vrias Doct. Who sinneth against God hurteth his neighbour 1 Ioh. 4.20 where obserue that sinne and the forgetfulnesse of God causes vs to doe iniquity and wrong to our neighbours how can wee loue God whom wee see not and hate man made to his I mage whom wee see For it is great Doct. To aggrauate sin a true marke of a penitent Gen. 3.12.13 A true marke of a petitent sinner to aggrauate his sinne Some vse to extenuate their sinnes by comparing them to others whom they thinke sinne more then they doe others excuse them as Adam did when hee said The woman which thou gauest to bee with me shee gaue me of the Tree and I did eate shee againe excused herselfe The Serpent beguiled me and I did eate Doctr. WheÌ„ man remembreth sinne God forgetteth it But let the children of God search and finde out the greatnesse of their sinnes and aggrauare them that God may extenuate them and so forget them Are yee loadned with sinne remember it and God will forget it and ease you if yee haue it before your eyes hee shall cast it behind his backe but if you thinke nothing of sinne God will binde it on your backe so that it shall presse you downe as a milstone But he craueth this for Gods names sake his name is his honor Doctr. Gods chiefest honor is his mercie Pro. 25.2 shewing vs that God purchaseth his chiefe honour by his mercy It is the honour of the King to try sinnes but the honour of God to couer them VERSE 12. What man is hee that feareth the Lord him will hee teach the way that he shall choose IN this and the other two verses following is contained another quality which God craueth in his penitent humble and obedient sinner to wit that he haue the feare of God who is rewarded with temporall and spirituall blessings in his soule body and posterity So godlinesse is great gaine hauing the pâ—omâ—es of this life the life to come 1 Tim 4.8 What man is he By this forme of interrogation hee would note the raritie of those that shall finde mercie and this indefinite speech answerable to an vniuersall declareth that whatsoeuer they bee of whatsoeuer estate and condâ—tion who feare God shall bee sure of these after following blessings Doct. God directs them whom hee forgiues Next obserue that God hee directs all these in the course of their life whom hee hath pardoned therfore those who are not reconciled to God need not looke for Gods direction he was a Pillar of fire and Cloud to the Israelites for they were vnder the Couenant Exo. 14.19 The feare of the Lord is the chiefe vertue Pro. â—5 33. What the feare of God is euen the beginning of wisedome It is a secret reuerence bred in the heart of a Christian proceeding out of the sense and feeling of Gods loue whereby a sinner is affraid that hee neither thinke speake or doe any thing which hee supposeth may offend Gods Maiestie This secret feare if it bee once planted in the heart will direct thee in all good actions acceptable to God and correct thy euill doings Note The two properties of Gods feare Simil. The loue of God hath a constraining power whereby it compelleth and forceth vs to serue him the feare of God hath a restraining power by which it restraineth and stayeth vs and keepeth vs backe from offending him this is like a bit the other like a spur Abraham feared that the feare of God was not Gen. 20.11 in the place wherto he went Ioseph being inticed by his Mistris to commit wickednes with her answered How can I do this great wickednes and so sin against God Gen. 39.9 the Lord plant this feare in our harts This is a filial feare which he craueth comming from loue not a seruile feare which commeth from a feare of punishment The preseruer of this feare is a continual nourishment in thy minde of the presence of God How the feare of God is preserued to whoÌ„ thou presentest all thy actions When thou coÌ„mittest any thing vnworthy of his presence be ashamed of it flie froÌ„ it craue mercy for it make the quiet Cabinet of thy mind the Chamber of his presence wherin thou darest admit no lewd thought no filthy thing And because it is impossible to fray thy hart minde from the conceptions of that sinning sinne in thee Note yet haue this testimony that it is no sooner conceiued but as soon repented Will he teach the way that he shall choose He promiseth foure benefits to the man that feareth God he heapeth vpon him grace vpon grace before hee pardoned him and now he directeth the man whom he forgaue for no sooner receiueth hee any man in his fauor when he immediately takes the protection and direction of him But out of these words we see three things First there are diuers yea contrary wayes as there are contrary ends the broad and the narrow the Kings way and by-rodes the way of life and of death Many promise to themselues a Kingdom not being in the way leading thereto This is against such as dreame to themselues that whatsoeuer religion they professe or howsoeuer they liue they shall goe to heauen but they are deceiued for if thou be not in the way to the Kingdome thou shalt neuer attain to the Kingdome many yea the most part are not going but riding not running but posting to hell whom if ye demand whither they goe they will answere to heauen yea and they will bragge they shall be nearer God then the Preacher himselfe euen as if one would dreame of life at the poynt of death Next wee see that a man cannot of himselfe choose the right way to heauen Doct. Man of himselfe is ignoâ—ant of the rigâ— he way 1 Cor. 2.1 4 for the naturall man cannot apprehend those things which pertaine to Gods Kingdome neither yet can he see them for they are spiritually discerned Whereupon followeth the third that is how man shall choose the good and refuse the euill way Rom. 9 1â— Non est currentis nec volentis sed miserentis Dei It is not in him that runneth nor in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercy Heb. 11.25 Moses choosed rather to suffer with the Church then to bee called the sonne of Pharohs daughter Ios 24.15 Ioshua and his house choosed to serue God though all the people should serue Baal Psal 4.6 Dauid the King choosed the light of Gods countenance to shine on him 1 Kin. 3.9 Solomon made
beene committed therfore hee sayth Isa 44.22 Mic. 7.19 I haue put away thy transgressions as a cloude and thy sinnes as a mist He will subdue our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the Sea Psal 103.7.12 as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie toward them that feare him as farre as the East is from the West so farre hath he remoued our sinnes from vs. Isa 1.18 Though our sinnes were as crimson they shall be made whâ—te as snowe though they were red as Scarlet they shall be as wooll I euen I am hee that puttâ—th away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes if the wicked will turne c. Ibid. 44.25 All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnesse that he hath done Ezech. 18.21.22 he shall liue So it is a like to bee couered of God as not to haue sinned at all When God forgiueth sinne hee couereth it The allusion of the words Nassui and Cassui is proper for the sinnes that are pardoned are also couered So most miserable is the state of those who are nor reconciled vnto God for his maiestie hath his revenging eye looking on them and their actions to destroy them The Lord setteth their iniquities before him Psal 90.8 and their secret sinnes in the light of his countenance whereas hee casteth the sinnes of his elect behind his backe What shall become of those who thinke their sinnes to be hid if they come not to the open sight of the world as though the sight of man were more to be feared then the sight of God Note why should wee not be more afraid of Gods sight who may avenge himselfe on vs then of mens who though they behold vs may either pittie vs or offend at vs. There are many who to couer their sins Nazianzenus runne to human a satisfactions They purge clay with clay they adde superstition to superstition and in so doing in my iudgement they carrie timber on their backes that the more timber they haue they may kindle the the greater fire Mans satisfaction cancouer sinne for what are our merits but a new fewell to kindle Gods iudgement and the more trees yee bring yee kindle vp the greater flame Then wee are greatly bound to the Lord who when he might haue written our faults vpon our browes he hath couered and hid them therefore let vs not renue and raise them vp againe since the Lord hath buried them in the bottome of the Sea of his obliuion Simil. For his mercies are as an Ocean furnishing water to the whole world but can neuer be dried vp VERSE 2. Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie and in whose spirit there is no guile Doctr. Sinne is a debt THis third similitud is taken from debt that albeit we are oblieged and bound to God either to satisfaction or obedience yet the Lord taketh paiment from our surty and so freeth vs. For God will not take twise paiment for one debt so that we may say truly if we beleeue in Christ we are not oblieged nor bound to God for paiment for hee hath our obligation and nailed it to the Crosse This the Apostle testifieth writing to the Corinthians 2 Cor 5.18 19. and all things are of God which hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe by Iesus Christ and hath giuen vnto vs the ministrie of reconciliation for God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himselfe not imputing their sinnes to them See how the Prophet by reiteration of this remission of sinne extennuats and annihilats himselfe and brings him so low that by impietie sinne and iniquitie whereof hee granteth he found himselfe culpable and by lightening him of that burthen couering of his sinne not imputation of his debt hee assured himselfe to be releeued But it may be asked Ob how farre we should be mindfull of our sinnes and whether they are so couered by God that wee should burie them by perpetuall silence To dissolue this question Ans wee must remember what is sayd by the fathers that our sinnes are remitted before God when wee accuse our selues then are wee iustified Note when wee concondemne our selues our sinnes are then couered best when they are most discouered to God And therefore wee ought to call our sinnes to minde Why wee should remember our sinnes not that we should distrust of the remission thereof but that the remembrance thereof may make vs more thankfull to God and more prudent that we sinne not againe yea it maketh vs readie to haue compassion on others who offended But another question ariseth Ob whether we should desire that our sinnes should bee hid from mens eyes or opened I answere Ans if God hath hidden them reueale not thou them thy selfe lest thou be an authour of thine owne offence and it being the honour of God to conceale sinnes Why shouldest thou dishonor God so farre Pro 25.2 as to reueale that which God hath concealed Iosh 7.20 But if it be publicke why should it not be publickely confessed as was Achans Moreouer it may bee demaunded how can it stand with the most righteous God Ob. who is the iudge of the world that he should suffer an vnrighteous man to goe free without punishment for if he diminish any part of his righteousnesse hee must deny himselfe and his owne nature Ans It is answered that his iustice is perfectly satisfied to the vtermost fâ—rthen by Iesus Christ neither could it stand with the equitie and iustice of the eternall God that hee should haue receaued satisfaction from Christ our suertie and recouer and claime that of vs as I said before Doctr. True felicitie stands in iustification and Sanctfication And in whose spirit there is no guile Yee heard the first part of the felicitie of man which standeth in his iustification that is the remission of his sinnes the second part stands in his Sanctification and purification of his heart by the Spirit of God from Hypocrisie which are the fruites answerable to the former Note For the Lord neuer bestowed his Sonnes bloud to wash away any sinne but he bestowed his Sonnes spirit to Sanctifie that man the chiefe vertue that he craueth in a Christian is sinceritie the chiefe vice hee hateth Hypocrisie God esteemes not of outward pâ—rts but being a Spiâ—iâ— he looketh to Spirits My Sonne saith hee giue me thine heart and aâ—â—ee is a spirit Pro 23.26 so he will be worshippâ—d â—n spiâ—â—â— Basilius as he commendeth that sentence of Plato Basil ad popul hom 24. that is greâ—test extremitie of iniquitie when an vnrighteous man would sâ—eme to be righteous so hee condemneth the opinion of Euripides I had â—ather some to be good then be so So that of all the things in the world the Spirit
euen till Constantines dayes For if wee walke stubbornely against him hee will bring seuen times more Plagues vpon vs according to our sinnes And againe God by the continuance of his hand will hold vs in continuall exercise of grace Doctr. Continuance of troubles exerciseth our grace as of humilitie faith patience praier and repentance for as one hauing a precious Iewell in his hand so long as hee watcheth he is carefull to keepe it but being a sleepe it may ready fall out of his hand So God holds vs waking by continuall exercise Simil. that we may keepe the grace which we haue gotten The fire is kept in by often blowing which dieth out by discontinuance My moysture is turned into the drought of Summer Doctr. Body and soule iointly punished being yoke-fellowes in sinne The dolour of Dauid was not onely internall but also externall by sicknesse for as the body was an instrument of sinne it worthily and duely is punished and as they were yoake fellowes in sinning it is iust with God that they should be companions in sorrow It is no small matter when the body is diseased although the mind were well established but when both are vnquieted it is harder Pro 18.14 The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie of the body but who can beare a troubled Spirit So that the Philosophers supposed that man to be happie who had mentem sanam in corpore sano a sounde minde in an whole body Then if we be whole let vs giue thakes to God and dedicate our liues to his seruice if we be sicke craue him pardon and mercie seeking reliefe at his hand repent our sinfull life Therefore I thinke that many in their best health are sicke because they abuse their health Many being whole are most diseased and many sicke are whole who turne to God and from their greatest sicknesse seeke medicine against their sinne Selah It is here added Bueherus first to show what a torment it is rightly to feele the burthen of sinne so that hee leaueth this pause or groane as we will doe at things wherewith we are greatly affected Next it declareth what weight this doctrine hath and of what consideration to rebuke vs who thinke so little of sin as we haue in all our dayes neuer mourned for it VERSE 5. Then I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee neither hid I mine iniquity for I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne Selah DAvid hath hi herto propounded the the doctrine of the remission of sins and brought in his owne example for confirmation of the same We haue spoken already of his sorrow for his sinne now followeth the confession of the same before God which is a necessary part of repentance Doctr. Confession necessary part of repentance Then I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee Yee haue heard the estate of Dauid before his confession when the heauie hand of God was vpon him The Second part of his experience is set downe in this verse comprehending the feeling of Gods mercie the occasion whereof was the confession of his sinnes and the end the remission of the same The division of this verse The former hath these parts first the time then secondly the ground I thought or said will confesse thirdly the matter my sinne iniquitie and wickednesse fourthly the manner first in respect of God to thee secondly in respect of himselfe against my selfe The latter part And thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne Selah Dauid ouer came hypocrisie This diligence in describing his confession so oft First That hee acknowledged his sin Secondly That hee would not hide his iniquitie but confesse his Apostasie to the Lord declareth hee hath gotten victorie ouer all Hypocrisie and obtained the holde of sinceritie and simplicitie God chooseth the most fit times to workegrace in vs. Simil. Then This circumstance argueth that first hee behoued to feele his sinne and the bitter panges inflicted vpon him because of it For when men are cast downe then is a most sit occasion for God to worke grace vpon them as when men are greatly extenuate by sicknesse it is a conuenient time for a Physitian to giue medicine And surely afflictions are necessarie preparations to grace For our nature is like fallow ground which if it be not broken vp by tentation Simil. it is in vaine to sowe seed vpon it To which purpose The vse of the conscience in man God placed the conscience in mans Soule to shew vnto him his wrongs to follow him apprehend him yea set vp a gibbet in his soule to which it adiudgeth him to the end it may bring him to himselfe to seeke pardon and mercie Simil. So yee see as God brought light out of darkenesse in the beginning of the world Gen 1.3 so he bringeth the ioy of his elect out of sorrow Simil And as by Christs death hee brought life to the world so hee killeth vs to make vs a liue Simil that we may take heart to vs and say after darknesse I shall see light And I know that this hand that is so heauie vpon me is vnder mine head to bring mee light out of this darknesse life out of that which for the present seemeth more bitter then death it selfe Hos 6.2 We see also here an infallible example of the frowardnesse of our owne nature Doctr. Force must reclaime the frowardnes of our nature which cannot be restrained without extreme dealing for Dauid is layd vpon the racke and almost stretched asunder and disioynted be fore hee can be brought to a sincere confession which should teach vs that wee should enter to an heartie mislike of our selues and to be displeased with our intractablenesse which hath moued God to heaue vs vp and cast vs downe againe For if wee would iudge our selues we would not prouoke him to such extreme dealing for he would not cōdemne vs but be a comforter in our agonies Yea Dauid in this teacheth vs to iudge wisely of the poore and those who are troubled in their Conscience for when men are so afflicted they are called mad Melancholike desperate assuring our selues that Gods dearest children are often rent in peeces all their tackles may be burst asunder their bruised barke left to the mercie of the winde and waues and yet come to a comfortable harbour and safelie arriue at shoare Moreouer these wicked sort of people are to be damned who with a Sardinian laughter reioyce in their sinne and sport themselues therewith yea boast of their mad humors when God in the meane time is bending his bowe at them I acknowledged my sinne neither hid I mine iniquitie Hee vseth three phrases to shew his confession I made it knowne I hid it not and I confessed it he in like manner to expresse his filthinesse vseth three termes wickednesse sinne and iniquitie as he did in the
we haue sinned in asking vs a King beside all other sinnes But a sincere heart seekes no starting holes or subterfuges but deales truely betwixt God and it selfe yea grace is at warre with all sinne especially with that which is nearest and dearest to man and will not spare to disgrace it by all meanes so that discovering the loath somnes thereof it maketh man willing to confesse it Ezra 9.6 Ezra sayth I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eyes Thou shalt remember thy wayes Eze. 16.61 Act. 2.37 and be ashamed c. They were pricked in their hearts when they heard it God will haue his children like himselfe that as he esteemeth of sinne and as it is most oditious to him so we may account it odious and abominable and we can never hate and abhorre it overmuch Yea further when he maketh vs to aggravate our sinne he maketh vs so much the more to haue an earnest desire of mercy that when we haue seene sinne in an vgly visage we may see Gods grace more gladly laughing vpon vs with a merry countenance whereby we may the more glorifie him and accept of his mercie yea the more we confesse our debts to God and in humilitie craue forgiuenesse thereof the more he pitieth vs and the more we confesse our basenesse the more we magnifie the goodnesse of God pardoning the same The Lord will haue vs to confesse our sins that these being hewed from vs we may be more fit stones for his building Simil. And as the Carpenter taketh away chippes from the tree to make vp a goodly workemanship so will God haue our superfluous excrements cut off to make vs glorious ornaments to himselfe Against merits and superogation Gods superogation Mat. 18.27 Against Atheists This humble and penitent Confession of sinnes not onely damneth that divellish doctrine of merits and superogation or supererrogance when as the Master is sayd to forgiue all the debt But also convinceth such Atheists of our age who can well in grosse and generall termes say God forgiue vs we are all sinners and others who make a sport of sinne and others who will defend and patronize their sinne excusing the same and saying I am not alone I loue not to be singular it is the fashion of the world to whore and sweare and be drunke I hope God is not so strait laced as you are Yea many haue answered to my selfe You will not answere for our sinnes although I should haue beene partaker of them if I had not reprooved them They say to the Ministers as the Sodomites said to Lot Gen. 19.9 Shalt thou iudge and rule or as Corah and his confederates sayd to Moses and Aaron Num. 16.3 Yee take too much vpon you or as those in the second Psalme Psal 2.3 Let vs breake their bonds asunder And thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne Doctr. Repentance and remission meet together In the former part Repentance and remission meet together in few words Davids true Repentance is liuely expressed Now in this part is set downe the remission of his sinnes and both are closed in one verse to let vs see that the one is not so soone done as the other meeteth David sayth 2 Sam. 12.13 I haue sinned and Nathan subioynes presently and thy sinnes are forgiven thee So this may encourage penitent sinners that God will not suspend or drift time with them but will presently what time soever a sinner repent him of his sinne put away his sinnes out of his remembrance Forgiuenesse meets repentance in the face as the father of the forlorne Sonne met him and kissed him Luk. 15.22 But how can Confession be sound Ob before sinne be pardoned it seemeth rather that Confession should follow the remission of sinne It is answered Ans that all Gods gifts are given at once for in the first act of grace there is a change of the whole soule for faith repentance loue to God men are given at once but in respect of vs and our apprehension or application one grace goeth before another Simil. for as the cracke of Thunder and the Lightning are both at one time but we see the one before we heare the other because our sight is more apprehensiue then our hearing So these graces are all wrought together by God yet in regard of vs and our sense pardon commeth after Confession albeit God in the beginning of our conversion giues vs the grace whereof we haue not the present feeling Simil. as a childe in the mothers wombe liues and moues yet knoweth not of his life and motion So Gods children scarse can acknowledge that which is within them The Lord forgaue not onely his sinne but the iniquitie of his sinne Dan. 12.2 as we say terra pulveris or caenum luti the dust of the earth or dirt of clay Note By this he would teach vs that albeit we be altogether sinfull yet God is altogether mercifull great is our sinne I grant but his mercy is farre greater Ps 10.11 as farre as the heaven is aboue the earth Next yee see that God onely pardoneth penitent sinners It is an idle doctrine to cause men to beleeue that Christs bloud is sufficient for all sorts of sinners whatsoever they doe for if it were so what needeth repentance faith the loue and feare of God c. Wee cannot haue these without their conditions for as the auncient sayth fides iustificat correlativè How faith iustifieth August We must merit God by faith and repentance for as Augustine sayth he that made thee without them doth not saue thee without them But Christ died for all all therefore must be saved for whom Christ died It is answered Christs death had beene able as Leo sayth to saue infinite worlds but we speake of the effectuall shedding of his bloud which was shed for many not for all for the remission of sinnes VERSE 6. Therefore shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou maiest be found surely in the flood of great waters they shall not come neere him Doctr. The godly shall reape the benefit of remission of sinne THis is the second part of the Psalme for hauing taught that the happinesse of man consisteth in the remission of his sinnes now he sheweth who shall reape the benefit of the same So this gift of God is not restricted onely to David but to all the godly as a cleare light shining abroad for the vtilitie of the whole Church We receiue gifts from God to impart them to others 1 Tim. 1.16 Hereby we may learne for what end God doth bestow his gifts vpon vs to wit that we may reach forth the fruit thereof to others So the Apostle sayth he found mercie that he might be an example to others As also we should looke to the examples going before vs. Aske the former ages sayth Iob Iob. 8.9
in this life many in the life to come many within him many without him So vnhappie is the state of the wicked whose sorrows shall be multiplied Isa 65.13.14 Behold my servants shall eat and yee shal be hungrie c. and in the Revel Revel 9.12 Revel 8.13 One woe is past and two are to come and the Angel flying through heauen cryed Woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth The godly and wickeds sorrow differ The Godly haue sorrow also but nothing comparable to theirs For God remembreth mercie in the mids of iudgement which he doth neuer to the wicked the Lord deliuereth the godly as the Israelites through the Sea and drownes the wicked The examples of Gods iudgements are seene in Lucifer Isa 14.12 Gen. 3.10 Gen. 4.11 Gen 7. Gen. 18.19 Our first parents Caine. the first world The fiue Cities Pharoah Nebuchadnezar Antiochus Herod c. Read ouer the 28. of Dout. There is a Catalogue of the sorrows of the wicked which should affraie any Christian heart And also in the 20. of Iob. where is sayd Iob. 20.22 all sorrow shall fall on him But mercie shall compasse him who trusteth in the Lord. He hath threatned in his doctrine the wicked with a consideration of Gods iudgements Now hee is alluring them with an offer of Gods mercies the godlie are ever well and all turne to the best to them Saluation welfare attendeth them in all places at all times in all causes in all their businesse in things certaine and vncertaine in prosperitie and aduersitie in body and soule in things present and to come Mercie What euer come to him is mercie and flowing from the fountaine of the remission of his sinnes The Lord crowneth them with mercies yea his sinnes turne to mercies to him But of this before Shall compasse him Doctr. The godly as they are compassed with trouble so are they with mercies 2 King 6.15.17 Psal 125.2 Zach. 2.5 Doctr. Mercie belongeth to the faithful As hee was compassed with innumerable troubles So God shall compasse him with as many comforts Dothan was compassed with Aramits so was it also with Angels as the mountaine compasseth Ierusalem so is the Lord about his people and hath promised to be a wall of fire about her That trusteth in the Lord. These are the people to whom mercie appertaines euen the beleeuers for faith onely maks vs acceptable to God But of this likewise before I beseech God make vs all penitent for our sinnes and sensible of his â—uercies but aboue all things roote vs in the Faith of Christ that we may depend vpon his promises that are both faithfull and true VERS 11. Be glad yee righteous and reioyce in the Lord and be ioyfull all yee that are vpright in heart The substance of this verse THis verse containeth the conclusion of the Psalme wherein is set downe an exhortation â—o such as are happie and blessed by remission of their sinnes to a spirituall ioy and praysing of God And this exhortation dependeth very well on the antecedents for hauing spoken of the remission of sinnes and the fruites of repentance and the fatherlie mercy of God towards the faythfull to whom properly this exhortation belongeth For after the remission of sinnes After remission of sinne ariseth ioy Gal. 5. Rom. 5.1 there ariseth an vnspeakeable ioy in the beleeuers heart for ioy is that fruit of faith And after the Apostle Rom. 4. had spoken of iustification hee inferreth Rom. 5. Then being iustifieed by faith we haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ Which doubtlesly coÌ„prehendeth all sorts of ioy and the Angels when they Preached to the shepheards of Christ Luk. 2.10 they professed they tolde ioyfull tydings This exhortation containeth three parts First what hee doth exhort to reioyce Secondly whom the righteous and vpright men Thirdly the limitation thereof in the Lord. Be glad He exhorteth them three times be glad reioyce and be ioyfull and as â—ee made mentioÌ„ of a threefold blessing so doth hee of a threefold ioy Wherein we haue two things necessary to be obserued First the duinesse of our nature who as slow horses neede many spurres Mans senslesnesse in spirituall things and prouâ—câ—tions to spirituall things for we are naturally ouermuch â—ent to carnall things that wee neede no incitations to the same But by the contrary in spirituall things wee are cast in a deepe sleepe who cannot be wakened at the first cry as those men after drinke haue neede to be roused often that they may behold the light so men drunken with the pleasures of sinne as Nazianzen sayth Must be wakened by diuerse exhortations as this same Prophet in the subsequet Psalme redoubleth his exhortatioÌ„s for the same effect And the Apostle to the Philippians sayth Phil. 4.4 reioyce in the Lord continually and I say againe Tho proper signification of the words be glad reioyce Next I perceiue that this exhortation growes for the word Be glad properly in the owne language signifieth an inward and hearty ioy Psal 35.26 Reioyce by the presence or hope at least of a thing desirable or good The second word Reioyce in the owne language signifieth to expresse our ioy by some outward gesture sometimes vsed for dancing as the Hills skip for gladnesse Psal 65.12 Be ioyfull Isa 35.6 The third word Be ioyfull signifieth to cry forth for gladnesse as the dumbe mans tongue shall sing This Gradation teacheth vs Doctr. Spirituall ioy alwayes increaseth that this is the nature of Spirituall ioy That it is alwayes augmented to vs by certaine degrees vntill the time is come to the perfection of all ioy which is signified by the last word importing as it were a triumph and showting after victorie So that they are truly penitent when they haue ouercome sinne and Satan in their spirituall combate triumphes ouer them as vanquished enemies Obi But it may be obiected that the best christians commonly haue the least cause of reioycing in regard they are more subiect to Troubles Crosses Imprisonments Pouerty Sicknesse c. then others Our Sauiour answereth to that In the world yee shall haue trouble Ans Ioh. 16.33 but in me yee shall haue ioy reioyce I haue ouercome the world The Martyrs who suffer the losse of their liues and riches with great ioy answeres in the midst of the fierie flames where they sing and prayse God as though they felt no paine their inward ioy swallowing vp their outward trouble Christians in their very death answeres to that when they cry O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victory So 1 Cor. 15. Inward ioy swalloweth vp outward crosses how so euer they be subiect to the greatest miseries outwardly yet the ioy arising from the assurance of Gods fauour doth swallow them vp Obserue Doctr. Only those truly reioice whose sinne is pardoned Pro. 29.6 Pro. 14.10 Psal 40.16 Isa 65.13 Rev.
In this verse he pointeth out his inward diseases in the former words My reines are full of burning and his outward in the latter words And there is no soundnesse in my flesh He was vniuersally tormented both within and without Should not this asswage our griefe when God visiteth vs in any one part of our bodie seeing Dauid was visited in them all The word Csihelim is diuersly expounded but I agree best with those that call it the reines vnder the loines and by a Metonymie the generatiue facultie For the strength of man is in the loiues and it is mentioned of the children who came out of the loines of Iacob and in the 35. of Genesis vers 11. Kings shall come out of thy loins And in Prouerb 31.17 she girdeth her loines with strength So that as Dauid gaue his strength to sin and that filthy act of adulterie so God punisheth those same parts which did offend his Maiestie Obserue Gods iustice against whorehunters And commonly God in his righteous iudgement recompenceth whore-hunters and harlots with filthy consumptions in those places whereby they took pleasure to offend God Therefore giue not your strength to sinne Rom. 6.13 nor your members to be weapons of iniquitie remembring that sentence of the learned Father Per quod quis peccat per idipsum punitur Man is punished by that selfe same thing by which he sinned Of the latter part of this verse is spoken before in the beginning of the third verse Verse 8. I am weakned and sore broken I roare for the very griefe of my heart Againe by diuers formes of speaking he expresseth the intolerable vehemencie of his paine that it rent and brayed him and forced him not to crie but to roare as a Lion See ye not such a weight of miserie which sinne bringeth on mans bodie and soule forcing God to disgrace his owne image that pleasant pourtraiture of mans bodie and soule which he builded vp for his glorie and to breake it downe and turne it into ashes and to deface that picture which he painted so gloriously and artificially that he taketh as much pleasure to pull it downe as did to reare it vp to cut downe his carued worke verse 1 to be angrie and chastise that child whom he loued so well verse 2 to shoote his arrowes at his spouse whom he kept in his bosome verse 3 to turne his hand which fed him to correct him to afflict that flesh which he cherished verse 4 to lay burdens on him whom he eased verse 5 to putrifie him whom he beautified verse 6 to bow him whom he straightened verse 7 and to turne his laughter into mourning verse 8 and his beautie into blacknes and deformitie his warming into burning his strength into weaknesse his manly speaking into beastly roaring Ye may see therefore how sinne can turne Gods good disposition towards vs into hard dealing his louing lookes into a frowning countenance Sin enfeebleth mans nature But where he saith he is weakned it is euident that sinne enfeebleth mans nature As we may cleerly perceiue in Samson and Dauid For when Goliah and all Dauids enemies were not able to ouercome him 1. Sam. 17. his owne sinne weakneth him And when Samson killed a thousand Philistins Iudg. 15.15 16.9.21 and no bands were able to keep him fast his owne sinne made him a slaue to the Philistims And in like maner he complaineth of his roaring as he did in the 22. Psal verse 1. So that as sinne changeth vs into beasts and through it we liue as beasts so in the end it will make vs to crie as beasts Then let vs liue as men subduing by reason our beastly passions and affections and like Christian men let vs ouercome the same by the Spirit of grace which is in Christ Iesus that we may speake to God as children crying Abba Father Rom. 8 15. Verse 9. Lord I powre my whole desire before thee and my sighing is not hid from thee THis desire is a desire of mercie and forgiuenesse and of his fauour and to walk innocently and holily before him For God looketh to the purpose of mans heart in repentance more then to the words of his outward confession For albeit Ezekiah chattered like a swallow and mourned like a done Esa 38.14 turning him to the wall yet the Lord said I heard thy prayers and saw thy teares This is the desire of mercie of which the Apostle Paul speaketh 2. Cor. 7.12 calling it epipthesis My whole desire By this he would shew that he parted not his thoughts betweene God and the diuell or his flesh and the world but keepeth a sound and a whole heart to God He would not deuide the child 1. Kiâ— 3.26 but keepe it altogether for God whereas the worldlings do farre otherwise Against by poeriâ—â— giuing their countenance outward shew of holinesse and repentance to the Lord and keeping that which is best to sinne Which sort of dealing the Lord euer did abhorre Esa 29.13 This people come to me with their lips but their heart is farre away from me Thirdly he taketh God to be witnesse who is onely cardiognostes the searcher of the heart And such should be our disposition in Gods seruice that albeit our heart be not so well disposed as it should be yet we may protest of the soundnesse thereof that it is not false or double And my sighing Yet againe he protesteth of his sinceritie and vprightnesse that in his heart there is no guile that not onely his purposes are vpright before God but also his sobs and sighs For sighs may be counterfet as the Hiena doth a mans voice and Crocodile doth teares In euery action of religion In Gods seruice vse always sinceâ—itie and vprightneâ— but especially in repentance we are to present our vprightnesse and sincerity before God that we do it from a single minde without counterfeit hypocrisie wherein albeit we may delude mon yet can we not mocke God who esteemeth our seruice by our intention and not by our action For men onely can iudge by our actions but God by our vpright intentions Verse 10. Mine heart panteth my strength faileth me and the light of mine eyes euen they are not mine owne WHen he hath protested of the sinceritie of his repentance hee falleth forth to his former passions that his heart is troubled confused circumagitate and caried about as it were giddie troubled with diuers cogitations and rolling about scarce knowing what he was doing The Hebrew word signifieth such an agitation which maketh him to wag and thereby breedeth such anxietie that he as destitute of all counsell knoweth not what he doth For when men are disquieted they turne them on all sides not knowing what to do first When the sorrow and dolour rageth the heart vseth to pant and leape insolently and therefore he saith that his heart panteth and goeth about as it were altogether inuerted but
his sins was taken from God himselfe and that great mercie whereto he is inclined The next from his great filthinesse vncleannesse whose misery was an obiect of Gods mercie desiring God to purge and cleanse him from the same Now followeth the third argument taken from â—is acknowledgement of his sin and true confession thereof As though he would say Lord I know I haue sinned I confesse my sin to thee therefore pardon me What force thinke ye this argument would haue in a guiltie mans mouth if he came before an earthly Iudge and would say I haue committed murder and adulterie I confesse it Surely the Iudge would answer Ex ore tuo te iudico I iudge thee according to thine owne confession as Dauid commanded him to be killed 2. Sa. 1.16 An humble acknowledgement of sinne a good argument to obtain pardon from God who reported that he had killed Saul But before the heauenly Tribunall such an argument hath onely force There is no meane to acquit vs from Gods iustice vnlesse we come to him humbly confessing our sin and accusing our selues for then he will pardon and excuse vs. Our condemning of our selues maketh him to absolue vs our remembrance of our sins maketh him to forget them and our repentance bringeth his pardon But how cometh it to passe that thus he lamenteth Obiect seeing before Nathan had assured him that his sins were forgotten and pardoned I answer the godly Solut. albeit they be perswaded of mercie yet for the loue they beare to God they cannot but be displeased with themselues so often as they remember how vnhappily they haue offended so gracious a maiestie The wicked forget the euils which they do remember the good which they haue done if they haue done any whereas the godly remember alwayes their sins 1. Cor. 15.9 1. Tim 1.13 but the wicked forget their sins most â—asiâ—y and if they haue done any shew of good they remember it continually The godly by the contrary forget their good and remember their sins and the euill which they haue done as the Apostle Paul saith I am the least of all the Apostles and not meete to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church And againe When before I was a blasphemer a persecuter and oppressor but I was received to mercie And againe Christ died for sinners among whom I am the chiefe They account themselues the least among the godly the greatest among sinners So it is good to vs to nourish a continuall remembrance of our owne sins that it may humble vs before God make God so much the more pitie vs that he seeth vs vnfainedly displeased with our selues that we haue offenâ—ed him by our many many sinâ— For I know my sinne The knowledge of his sin doubtlesse came by Gods word out of the mouth of Nathan For albeit by a generall notice hee knew hee had done wrong and the particular punctions of his conscience forced him to thinke so yet the true knowledge came neuer vnto him vntil God said by his Prophet Thou art the man So the word of God serueth vs to this vse that it openeth our blinde eyes to see what is euill in vs. And therefore wo to that people who haue not the word and faithfull Preachers who may let them see their sins For when they know not sin to be sin they die in their sins By the law saith the Apostle is the knowledge of sin Rom. 7.7 for if the law had not said Thou shalt not lust I would not think concupiscence to be sin Ye may see how great an euill is ignorance when mens eyes are blinded whom the god of this world hath blinded in so great a light The most part of the world couers their sin by translating the cause ouer vnto others as Adam vpon Euah Euah vpon the Serpent But the Scripture saith Gen. 3. Pro. 28.13 He that hideth his sin shall not prosper Non medioâ—re est saith Ambrose vt agnoscat peccatum suum vnusquisque It is not a small thing to euery one to know and acknowledge his sin So saith Dauid Delicta quis intelligit Who vnderstandeth his sin He who knoweth them may the sooner auoide them If any knew a danger he could easily flie from it and go by it Our Sauiour wept because they knew not the day of their visitation That a man may know his sin it is necessary he be admonished and rebuked and he who desireth to attaine this knowledge must be content to receiue rebukes kindly How to attaine to an acknowledgement of sinne He must resolue before God to shun the occasions of sin and such euill companie as allureth him to folly that he do call to mind what a gracious God he hath offended what good things he hath lost how many he hath offended by his example and to addresse himselfe henceforth to leade a holy and religious life according to Gods word The Philosophers thought it most necessary for euery man to know himselfe and in their precepts had this euer He who knoweth not himselfe can neuer know God Nosce teipsum Know thy selfe Then much more it becometh a Christian to know himselfe for otherwise he can neuer know God in any of his properties For if we know not our sin how shall we either know Gods iustice pursuing vs or his mercie pardoning vs. Oh that we knew our selues But Satan doth with vs as the Rauen doth with the Lambe Simil. it first pulleth forth the eyes then deuoureth it first he blindeth vs then we follow him Therefore we should labour vpon our soules that the darkned eye thereof may be cleare the dimnesse remoued Acts 9. the scales which lie vpon them as vpon Saint Paul may fall to the ground that seeing our selues and our nakednesse we may craue to be couered seeing our wounds we may desire to be cured As also it is the principall part and duty of Pastors to deale in their Sermons with people that they may see their sins Sonne of man saith the Lord to Ezekiel make knowne to Ierusalem their abhominations Pastors ought to exhort the people to a sight of their sin We flatter the people in their sin and vse conniuence to their wickednesse We are afraid and belike dare not light the candle of the word and bring it to them being lying in darknesse lest they put forth the candle or smite vs who by the light thereof let them see their misbehauiour And my sinne is euer before me When Satan doth present his baited hooke of sin to vs Satans policy in presenting the greatnes of our sins after we haue sinned to vs he neuer letteth vs see the hooke of Gods iudgements but euer the bait of pleâ—sure but when we haue swallowed the baite he neuer letteth vs see any comfort of Gods mercies but proposeth to vs a troubled conscience the flames of Gods wrath and the terrors of his iudgements as the Prophet saith Our
iniquities are multiplied before vs. And yet we must take heed of the diuels craft who obscureth from many their sin so that they can neuer repent for that which they neuer see or feele And yet on the other hand he letteth some see the mountains of their sins and hugenesse of them that they see nothing else in God but his iustice thereby to leade them to despaire as he did with Iudas But we must not looke with such fixed eyes vpon our sins that we lift not vp our eyes to Gods mercie which is ready to pardon and to apply to-our heart all the sweete promises which we reade in the Scriptures so that as feare beareth vs downe faith may vphold vs that we fall not They must euer be before vs in this world and be purged by vnfained repentance not that our repentance can expiate them or pacifie Gods wrath or as the foolish Papists thinke that we can do penance for them For what satisfaction can thy humiliation do which is imperfect to satisfie the wrath of an infinite God Vnlesse his Son had intervened by his satisfaction Gods wrath could not haue bin appeased The more we repent for sin the more we are eased The more we remember our sin and lament for the same the more ease get we to our afflicted minds and consciences and the more sensibly shall we feele the mercie of God pardoning our offences Therefore we cannot be better exercised then in an humble confession of our sin and by bitter teares with Peter weepe for our offences which I pray God the Lord may worke in our hearts that we may find that blessing vpon vs which Christ pronounced Math. 5. Blessed are they who now mourne for they shall be comforted Verse 4. Against thee against thee only haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight that thou maist be iust when thou speakest and pure when thou iudgest THe ancients haue so far differed in expounding this verse some running forth on Allegories others on far sought interpretations that Lorinus the Iesuite numbreth twelue diuers interpretations hereof of which The diuers interpretations of this verse two are most agreeable to the words and meaning of the text The first expounds it this way Howsoeuer say they Dauid did wrong to Vriah yet it was hid from all men and onely knowne to God and these sins are onely done against God whereof none is witnesse but he only And surely albeit we would couer our sins from the sight of the world there is one witnesse whose sight we cannot flee Plato affirmeth that we should do nothing in secret whereof we would be ashamed in publik And Cicero Ne siquidem deos omnes celare possumus albeit we could keepe it secret from all the gods The other whereto I rather incline is thus Albeit say they Dauid had offended man yet it touched him more nigh at the heart the sin he did against God in breaking of his law For so Nathan said vnto him Why didst thou contemn the word of the Lord that thou shouldst do euill in his sight 2. Sa. 12.14 As though Dauid would say Though all the world would absolue me this is more then enough to me that I feele thee my iudge my conscience citeth me before thy tribunall Let vs haue our eyes and our senses fixed on God and not be deceiued with the vaine allurements of men who either extenuate or conniue and winke at our sins For God Nâ—tâ— as he is witnesse to our sins so is he sole and onely Iudge Admire the loue of God who can punish both soule and bodie in hell fire of whose wrath we should be more afraid then of all the kings or tyrants of the world As also we should be sorie that we haue offended so gracious a God who when he might haue damned vs yet hath pleased to pardon vs and taketh no other satisfaction at our hand but repentance for our sin and faith in his Son Iesus Christ Who will not giue vs to our enemies hand to be destroyed but will set vs free from prison out of his free loue Therefore O sinner in time be reconciled with thy Iudge and take no rest till thou haue suretie of his fauour Say with Dauid Peccaui I haue sinned 2. Sa. 12.13 and God shall say with Nathan Peccatatua remissa sunt thy sins are forgiuen Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight The ingemination of the word against thee signifieth the deepnesse of his feeling and griefe who is the more wounded the more he findeth the greatnesse of that maiestie and goodnes whom he hath offended So it were happie for vs that we could be deeply moued with a conscience of our sin that out of the deep places of a contrite heart we might redouble our sighs which would pierce that fatherly heart if we could shoot vp such arrowes to heauen but we laugh ouer the matter not remembring that our laughter shall be turned to mourning This also serueth to conuince such miscreant Atheists who can generally say God forgiue vs we are all sinners as it were excusing their sins when as they are neuer touched at the heart with a sorrow for them They feed their foolish humours with a cloake of the multitude that sinneth quasi patrocinium erroris sit multitudo peccantium as though the multitude of sinners should be a patrocinie and defence of errors saith Augustine Hell is spacious large enough hauing all the dimensions which will containe all the diuels and their children if they were more in number then they are That thou maist be iust when thou speakest and pure when thou iudgest By this it is cleare that the iustice of God shineth most in mens soules and his truth in their lies As though he would say Because I haue sinned so grieuously and haue committed such wickednesse that thou canst not be blamed of vnrighteousnesse though thou shouldst punish me most rigorously for I haue deserued worse then I haue suffered But because the Apostle Paul Rom. 3.4 would seeme to turne this text to another sense we shall reconcile them easily A reconcâ—liation betwixt this place and that of Rom. 3 4. For the Apostle seeing the Iewes to bring the testament and couenant of God in stander as though he had bin the cause of their ruine by casting that vpon themselues he freeth God of their fall But Dauid here vindicateth Gods iustice laying all the cause on himselfe Whereof we gather that if any euill come to man the cause of it is to be found in himselfe we need not cast it on God But out of this that Dauid confesseth God to be iust when he iudgeth we learne first that God as Abraham said is the iust Iudge of the world Gen. 18.25 and albeit he hath reserued a generall iudgement after this life God hath a particular iudgement in this world as Augustine saith yet he
by sharpe meanes to be wakened Ionah 1.6.17 that God is forced to vse sharpe remedies to awaken vs. Ionas lay sleeping in the shippe when the tempest of Gods wrath was persâ—eing him God therefore threw him into the bellie of the whale and bottome of the deepe that from these deepe places he might cry to his God When therefore we are troubled either by heauie sicknesse Vse or pouertie or oppressed by the tirannie of men let vs make profit and vse thereof considering that God hath casten his best children in such dangers for their profite and that it is better to be in deepe dangers praying then on the high mountaines of vanity playing Nota. By the deepe places may be vnderstood also an heart deepely wounded with the consideration of sinne and Gods iustice for God will not accept such superficiall and scrufe praiers which come onely from the lippes and not from a contrite and broken heart 1. Sa. 1.16 Anna the mother of Samuel out of the bitternesse of her heart powred out her soule before the Lord. Exo. 14.15 Moses albeit he spoke not at all yet the Lord said vnto him Why criest thou for out of the deepe places of his heart he called on God Will not God cast backe the dung of those foolish prayers in their faces who thinke to be heard by their much babling and idle repetition of an vncouth language which they vnderstand not or numbering their beedes as though God could be pleased with such foolish and childish toies which come not from faith because they lacke knowledge nor yet from repentance or a sorrow for sinne Let not men thinke to find mines of gold or siluer in the streets Simil. no they must digge into the bowells of the earth for them So let vs not deceiue our selues thinking Gods fauour may be gotten euerie where for in the deepe places it is to be found I called vpon the Lord. The person vpon whom he calleth was the Lord Iehouah one who onely both might as omnipotent and would as most loujug heare him Psal 73.25 Whom haue I in heauen but thee and in earth none beside thee God is all sufficient therefore pray to him If Christ were not onely sufficient to whom and by whom we should pray we might seeke for others but seeing he is sufficient and none other what follie is it to pray to any but to him God differeth from kings kings are not able to doe all the duties of their office to their subiects Exo. 18.18 as Moses although indued with extraordinarie graces for his ease had seuentie ioyned to him to be iudges of the people and therefore we must addresse our selues to the kings officers to end our businesse But our God is infinite and willeth all men to come to him Mat. 11.28 Come to me all ye that are wearie and laden To adde to a thing perfect is to diminish it as to light a candle to the Sunne Simil. or poure a drop of water in the Ocean addition to things imperfect makes them the greater as the more waters the greater riuer the more men the greater armie more gold the greater treasure Then to adde to an infinite God To adde to a thing perfect is to make it imperfect a perfect Christ is nothing else but to dishonour him Search all the Scriptures if they yeeld one example or commanding of either Patriarkes Prophet or Apostle doing or commanding any to be prayed vnto but God onely Their apocrypha and vnwritten verities and their Legenda aurea must be all their warrand Let vs therefore with Dauid in all our prayers call vpon God 1. Kin. 18 29.37 and with Elias when Baal could not heare his priests pray to our God and with our Sauiour Christ say Our Father which art in heauen Mat. 6.9 I called He setteth downe the forme of his praier vnder the name of calling which sheweth his feruent intention not onely in calling vpon God but crying And this maner of feruent prayer is most necessarie albeit God doth as well heare vs when with Ezechias we mourne as a doue Pray vnto the Lord feruentlie Esa 38.14 and chatter as a swallow both to stirre vp our selues and others to call on God For we are more moued when we call and cry then when we speake with a lower voice Verse 2. Lord heare my voice and let thine cares be bowed to the voice of my prayer IN this verse he craueth attention that God would lay his care to his suite before he propouÌ„d it Simil. For as a subiect wheÌ„ he finds the kings eare prepared to heare him he thinketh that then he will be the more ready and willing to grant his suite So Dauid heere out of the aboundance of his heart vseth this repetition heare me not that he doubted but God heard for himselfe faith Psal 94.9 He that planted the eare dâ—â—h not he heare But by hearing he desireth the grant of his suite As the king is then said to haue heard a supplication when he hath granted it Let vs with Dauid cry from a penitent heart and in faith Vse 1 and then we may be assured the care of the Lord is ready to hearken all requests Those are to be blamed who thinke that the Lord doth not heare them if immediatly he doth not grant their desire Vse 2 for his delay is for our best and it is our duty patiently to attend his pleasure and time This petition is often repeated in the Psalmes as Psal 16.2 5.4.17.7 c. Prepare your hearts to pray and his eare is euer open to heare you Read 2. Chron. 6. concerning Solomons dedi ation of the Temple there he prayeth that God would bow downe his eare so often as they called for grace Verse 3. If thou O Lord straightly markest iniquity O Lord who shall stand Verse 4. But mercy is with thee that thou maiest be feared These two verses are the summe of all the Scriptures THese two verses containe the summe of all the Scriptures In the third is the forme of repentance and in the fourth the mercies of the Lord. These are the two mountaines Gorazin and Ebal mentioned in Deut. 27.12.13 These are the two pillars in Salomons Temple 1. King 7.21 called Iachin and Boaz we must with Paul perswade our selues that we are come from mount Sinai to mount Sion where mercie is although some sowre grapes must be eaten by the way Ier. 24.1.2 Ieremie tasted in his vision first a bitter figge out of one basket then a sweet figge out of the other In the daies of Moses Exo 15.25 the waters were first bitter then sweetned by the sweet woode And Elizeus cast in salt in the pottage of the sonnes of the Prophets 2. Kin. 4.41 then they became wholsome If thou O Lord. Marke here that in this third verse he two times nameth God by the Lord as in all the other 8 verses he
not Blessed is that King who leaues behind him as great testimony of his conuersion to God as he hath giuen proofe of his defection from him And therefore let Kings learne of a King and Pastors of a Prophet that when they sin and become stumbling blocks to others they may repent and blot out the note of ignominie which through their sin they haue receiued by a true conuersion and open confession as the King of Niniueh Ionah 3.6 Ester 4.16.17 2 Chro. 33.12 Simil. Queene Hester Mordecay Manasses and here Dauid for their sinnes are more offensiue and greaâ—er than others for they make many to fall with them as the fall of a Cedar is the ruine of many inferiour trees If our sinnes be secret we are not bound to any auricular Confession Prou. 25.2 for Gods honour is to conceale a sin in doing otherwise we doe double wrong one by our sin to offend God another by our reuealing to dishonour our selues and offend the Church But if our sin be publike as was Dauids to deny colour 2 Sam. 11.4 or extenuate it wee sinne grieuously against God and our owne soules defrauding God of his glory and our soules of saluation But marke the truth of that sentence all things worke for the best to those that loue the Lord Rom. 8.28 for Dauids sin turnes to the glorie of God the comfort of the Church and his owne saluation Simil. so that as the dung and excrements of nature are profitable to fâ—tten the ground so is his sinne to better and make him more fruitfull to God Herein also is the mercy of God greatly to be admired that where sin did abound now grace doth superabound Rom. 5.20 for albeit Dauid did fall through the corruption of his nature in those hainous sinnes yet God magnifieth his compassions in his conuersion and in his vnfained repentance But hereby let not licentious libertines be prouoked by Dauids example to sin as commonly they abuse the falls of Gods children to be warrants to themselues and arguments by which they corroborate and strengthen themselues in their wickednes as Drunkards cast vp Noah Gen. 9.21 Gen. 19.33.35 2 Sam. 11.4 â—7 Act. 9 1 2. Mat. 26.74 Incestuous men Lot Adulterers Murtherers Dauid Persecutors Paul Apostates Peter c. But oh wretched men that ye are doe ye make the fals of the Saints allurements provoking you to sin where by the contrary they should bee as so many Beacons warning you that yee take heed Simil. lest yee fall vpon such rockes vpon which they were in hazard to haue beene drowned yea rather by their example yee ought to eschew such dangerous gulfes whereinto they were plunged and learne by their repentance to repent for sin for their sins are not so much to be obserued as their repentance Comparison But alas these desperate men take the instrument which should launce their wound to kill themselues therewith Dauid hath left behind him seuen Psalmes of Repentance according to the number of the seuen daies of the weeke that as each day we sinne and fall so we may haue one of these Psalmes as a sheepe-crooke to pull vs out of the ditch of sin Simil. Numb 35.13 These are as seuen Cities of refuge whereinto a sinner may flie for safegard when he findeth himselfe pursued by the auenger of blood for his sins Simil. or as seuen ports whereinto a Christian tossed with the waues of temptations may get safe harbour They are not to be misliked because they beare the number of seuen as though any magicall superstition were inclosed in that number for all the holy Fathers haue obserued that in all the 150. Psalmes of Dauid whereof some are instructions to a godly life others deprecations against his aduersaries many of them praises of Gods mercies others praiers for the Church these Seuen are left as witnesses of his vnfained repentance therefore they beare the name of penitentials Why called Penitentials à poenam tenendo because they beare in them the paine and griefe of his heart which he sustained for his sins Wee haue all sinned with Dauid let vs learne to repent with Dauid for the bloud of Christ wiâ—l not be effectuall to any but to a penitent sinner Now is the time when repentance may helpe thee for though as Augustine saith after this life it be perpetuall Augustine Gen. 27.38 it is in vaine euen as Esau mourned bitterly while there was no place left for the blessing so shalt thou doe if thou neglect the opportunity of repentance But that ye may learne to discerne Foure markes of Repentance 1 Mark The grouÌ„d of repentance Exod. 9.27 2 Sam. 12.13 whether ye haue obtained the gift of true repentance as Dauid did obserue these foure markes First what was the ground and first motiue which made you to repent your sinne if the plagues and scourges of God as they made Pharo to say I haue sinned Or the sweet voice of Gods word which moued Dauid to say I haue sinned If some paine shame or sicknesse hath made thee to repent it being remoued thou maist change but if the Word hath won thee thou art won indeed The Spouse in the Cantiâ—les was raised from the bed of sinne by the voice of her Beloued Cant. 5.5 Luk 22.61.62 Act. 2.41 Christ looked on Peter and he wept bitterly The word of God by Iohn conuerted the Souldiers by Peter three thousand Iewes and Paul by the voice of Christ why persecutest thou mee Act. 9 4. 2 Mark Sinceritie Simil. Next trie the sinceritie of thy Repentance whether thy heart hath greater griefe for sin than thy tongue vtters The Comoedians who play the siege of Troy can represent the dolefull habite teares and sorrow of Priamus and Hecube King and Queene of Troy but they are not in heart touched with their grief neither are they sensible of their sorrow 2 Sam. 14.2 The woman of Tecoah counterfeited her dole to Dauid for Absolon but felt none Such and no better is the repentance of Hypocrites they may weepe with Saul counterfeitly 1 Sam. 24.17 their heart not being truly touched which hypocrisie of theirs and fained repentance the Lord detests more then any sinne that a man can commit for a man sinning professeth himselfe to be the Deuils seruant but fainedly repenting hee professeth himselfe to be Gods seruant in the meane time keeping his heart to the Deuill and with Ananias and Saphira Act. â— 2 stealing back sacrilegiously that which he offred to God yea euen the best part his heart Thirdly 3 Mark Vniuersalitie 1. Sam. 15.9 trie the vniuersality of thy repentance for it must not be of one but of all sins ye must not spare Agag and the fat cattel with Saul and your principall most profitable and pleasant sins but if ye deny one deny all if ye refuse one refuse all if ye reiect one reiect all for as one rope was able
smitten them with Mildew Amos 4.9 Grashoppers c. and yet they haue not returned vnto me 1 Sam. 2.25 4.11 and therefore it is to be feared that it befall to vs as to the Sons of Eli who would not heare the voice of their Father Distiction betwixt Gods chastising his children punishing his enemies because the Lord would sâ—y them In thine anger Dauid deprecates not Gods rebukes or corrections but that hee would not rebuke him in his anger neither chastise him in his wrath by which he makes a manifest distinction betweene Gods chastisements to his owne and his punishments to his enemies for God strikes them both but not with a like affection as a father will correct his childe and punish his enemy being in a contrary disposition to the one Gods children increase their griefe in not discerning betwixt a curse and a crosse Some marks betwixt a curse and a crosse in which he was not to the other It is true there is a great similitude betweene a curse and a crosse and oftentimes Gods children haue beene deceiued thereby and through his hard handling of them haue iudged him to haue become their enemie but indeed there is great difference as the one comming out of his loue the other out of his hatred as a beginning of their euerlasting paines And to the end yee may know whether they come from the hands of a louing God or no 1. Mark To look to our selues as caâ—sing it and not to secondary meanes consider these marks and tokens First if they lead thee to a consideration of thy sinne which is the ground and cause of them so that thou lookest not to the instrumentall or second cause but to thy selfe the cause of all they come from the hand of a louing God 2. Mark If by them we be driuen from sinne Secondly if these corrections and chastisements make thee leaue off to sinne and reiect it they come from a louing God And thirdly 3. Mark If they driue vs to God 2 Kin. 6 33. if vnder thy crosse thou run vnto God whom thou hast pierced that he may deliuer thee and not say with that godlesse King Iehoram Why should I attend any more vpon the Lord. Moreouer 4. Mark If they worke in vs humilitie and patience Simil. the crosse worketh in the godly a wonderfull humilitie and patience so that they submit themselues vnder the hand of the liuing God that they vnder it may be tamed and from Lions be made Lambes The wicked either howle as doe dogges that are beaten through sense of their present stroke or if they be humbled and seeme patient it is coacted and perforce as a Lion which is caged and cannot stirre In a word Note their affliction may well restraine their peruerse nature but it can neuer change alter nor renue it it must be the power of Gods restraining grace which will renue man and mortifie his affections The Lord sanctifie our corrections that they may worke in vs a true conuersion to our God for which God hath laid them vpon vs. And let vs desire his Maiestie that since he visiteth vs euery morning and deales to the outward appearance more strictly with vs than with our enemies that he may whip vs with the rod of his children take not away his holy Spirit from vs as he doth from the wicked The thing that he deprecates here is the wrath of God and therefore it falleth out naturally that I should speake concerning the wrath of God Opinions of Gods anger The Philosophers said of old that there was neither wrath nor grace in God and therefore that he neither rewarded his worshippers nor punished those that contemned him The Stoicks affirmed that there was no wrath in God because they considered nothing in wrath but that which is corruptible and sinfull as to runne after a beastly manner to reuenge But alas these persons doe not consider the difference betwixt the qualities that are in our sinfull nature and the essentiall properties which are in God for he is angry and sins not His anger is as pure as his mercy for his Iustice is his anger but our anger is annexed with sinne and therefore euill The Scriptures themselues make mention of Gods wrath that he was angry against the Israelites Num. 11.1 Gen. 19.24 Exod. 4. c. 1 Kin. 11.9 Hosea 1.4 against the Sodomites against Pharaoh against Salomon against the Iewes for the sin of Ioacham the sonne of Iehu But it is to be vnderstood that the names of Furie and Anger are not in God secundùm affectum How anger is in God that is not according to the passion and affection vnto which God is not subiect sedsecundùm effectum but according to the effect as when God chastiseth sinne it seemeth to the sinner that God is in choler and so he measureth God according to humane sense The anger of God is threefold 1. Generall Gods anger threefold 1. General Ephes 2.3 2. Temporarie 3. Eternall which is laid vpon all men for which cause the Apostle saith we are all the children of wrath 2. Temporary wherein God is angry both against the sins of the elect reprobate is this present life 3. That eternall wrath which the Apostle calleth the wrath to come 1 Thess 1.10 Matth. 3.7 of which also Iohn the Baptist speaketh Who hath forewarned you to escape the wrath to come Three sin in mans anger 1. To be angry against them they should not 2. For things they should not 3. More than they should Neither of which befall God Those who are subiect to anger whom the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are suddenly passionate and haue three great infirmities in being angry 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against those whom they should not 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for matters they should not 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more than they should be which three fall not into God for his wrath is only against sinners who doe transgresse his Law not against the righteous as a iust Iudge being angry at malefactors Next his anger is one y against sin for he hateth not his owne creature but the corruption of sin that destroyes his creature And thirdly the whole Scriptures testifie vnto vs that he doth moderate and temperate his wrath that in his greatest indignation he hath remembred mercy and hath not prosecuted with the extremitie and rigour of his iustice But yee must remember that as his grace is very great Gods angeâ— great Psal 90.11 so his wrath is very heauy And therefore saith the Psalmist Who knoweth the weight of thy indignation The wrath of a King is as the roaring of a Lion Pro 19.12 Dan. 3.16 19. as the wrath of King Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel was great and the fire very fearefull But the three Children feared not so much that temporall fire as the fire of the angry
countenance of God himselfe being a consuming fire and an euerlasting burning Deut. 4.24 Heb. 12.29 Deu. 32.22 A fire is kindled in my wrath saith the Lord and shall burne vnto the bottome of hell and shall consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the mountaines c. Then since we will be loth to vnder-lie the wrath of a King ought we not to be carefull and circumspect that we come not vnder the danger of the highest wrath The anger of a mortall King reaches and extends to the bodies Differences betwixt the anger of a King of God goods and posteritie of the offenders but the anger of God reaches further euen to the soule The anger of a Prince is finite and will haue an end but Gods anger is infinite and endlesse as himselfe is Esay 30.33 The breath of his nostrils as a riuer of brimstone will kindle Topheth prepared for the King But woe will be to those that for feare of any earthly Prince or Monarch come vnder the indignation and wrath of God What sins God hates All sinnes offend God and prouoke him to anger but there are some pointed out by Scripture whereat he is more offended as Witchcraft Idolatrie Hypocrisie c yea those which seeme lesser sinnes to vs being multiplied and not repented for will also kindle him to anger yea more what euer sinne we commit God will be angry at it and offended therewith not that he câ—n receiue any euill by our euill doing more than he gets good by our well doing Why God hates sin but he is angry that we should vndoe his Image in vs and be cause of our owne damnation As a father is offended at his sonne not for any wrong comming to him but to see his owne image before his eyes and a part of his owne nature destroying it selfe Neither chastise me in thy wrath The duplication of the word anger and heat or furie sheweth vnto vs that Dauid apprehended deeply Gods indignation for there are many alas who doe thinke little of it but a heart afflicted and mortified will redouble the grieuance and thinke more and more of his Maiesties anger But it may be asked Obiect Esay 27.4 how God saith there is no anger with me and here Dauid craues to be exempted from his anger I answer He hath no fleshly anger Answer such as proceeds from rash iudgement or the corruption of man but he is angry and sins not when he is onely angry at sinne for it is certaine that God will be angry at nothing in his creatures but only sinne which bringeth man to destruction for as if a father saw a serpent in his childs bosome he would hate the serpent notwithstanding his loue to the boy Simil. So we are Gods children he loues that which he made of vs our body and soule and hates that which the deuill hath put in vs our sinne Gods anger differs from mans And as the anger of God differs from the anger of man the one being grounded vpon partiall affections of the corrupted heart which is offended at any thing which crosseth it the other being onely moued at finne So they differ in continuance for Gods wrath lasts but a moment Psal 53.8 slow he is to conceiue a wrath and ready to pardon But the anger of man on the contrary ariseth vpon the smallest motiues and it cannot cease till it be conuerted into malice as at last the serpent becommeth a fiery flying Dragon Simil. Therefore let vs imitate God in our anger obseruing that rule of the Apostle Be angry and sinne not Eph. 4.26 Let vs be angry at nothing but sinne in our selues and in others And againe Eph. 4.26 Let not the Sunne goe downe on our wrath In the meane time Let vs remember that there is nothing more terrible than the wrath of God And therefore let vs walke in feare and trembling before him who is able to kill both body and soule Are they not then desperate and miserable men who at euery word cry that the wrath of God be vpon them and the vengeance of God vpon their neighbours alas one day they shall feele the dint of that wrath when they shall be forced to cry O mountaines couer Reuel 6.16 and O hills hide vs from the face of that terrible Iudge VERSE 2. Vers 2 Haue mercy vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed Doctr. 1 HAue mercy To flie and escape the anger of God No meanes to eschew Gods anger but to go to himselfe he sees no meanes in heauen or in earth and therefore he retires himselfe to God euen to him who wounded him that he might heale him He flies not with Adam to the bush Gen 3.8 1 Sam 28.8 Ionah 1.3 nor with Saul to the Witch or with Ionas to Tarshish but he appeales from an angry iust God to a mercifull God from himselfe to himselfe The woman who was damned by King Philip appealed from Philip being drunken to Philip being sober But Dauid appeales from one Vertue Iustice to another Mercy There may be appellation from the Tribunall of man to the Iustice seat of God Vse In the sense of Gods wrath seeke to him for mercy Psal 73.25 but when thou art indited before Gods Iustice whither or to whom wilt thou goe but to Himselfe and his Mercy-seat which is the highest and last place of appellation I haue none in Heauen but thee nor in earth by thee Doctr. 2 Next obserue what Dauid craues Mercy wherby we may perceiue that he was broght to a coÌ„sideration of his own misery A sense of misery iâ— a spurre to craue mercie or else he needed not to haue asked for mercy Then it is necessary that to the end we may the more effectually craue pardon euery one of vs first haue a sense and fâ—eling of our owne sin and miserie Vse Labour for a true â—â—nse of our miserie to make vs theâ— more earnest for mâ—â—y Ioh. â— 7 c The woman of Samaria sported herselfe with the offers of the waters of life which Christ Iesus offered her out of his owne blessed mouth vntill the time be obiected her sins to her then shee receiued them gladly communicated them to the whole Citie so did the Magdalen Peter Manasses Luke 7.37 Luk. 22.62 2 Chro. 33.12 Act 9.4 c. Paul and so haue and must all penitent sinners doe so necessarie a thing it is to feele our owne miseries that the mercies of God may be more welcome and sweet vnto vs. And therefore it is but an idle voyce when men call for Gods mercy not hauing the least remorse for their sinne Luk. 18.11 ark 2.17 Matth. 5.4 The Pharisee needed not Christ as the whole need not the Physitian God giue vs then the spirit of repentance that we may mourne to the end we
may be comforted As for the Mercy of God Gods mercies innumerable Eph. 3.18 to me to speake thereof it is impossible yea to expresse the height bredth depth and length thereof as impossible as if I should recken the number of the sand of the Sea yea all the creatures Angels and men if they would bend their wits they were not able to expresse the least part of the mercies of our God for they are finite creatures and he an infinite God whose mercies are innumerable and infinite yet according to my humane capacitie what I haue conceiued and doe beleeue of his mercy that I will deliuer to you And as I spake before of his wrath and anger that endureth but for a season Psal 136.1 c. Psal 145.9 I will intreat of his mercies which endure for euer and which are aboue all his workes himselfe also being stiled The Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 His mercies are either Generall or Speciall Foure sorts of mercies 1. Generall Temporall or Eternall His Generall mercies are those benefits which he bestowes vpon all mankinde as well elect as reprobate whereupon our Sauiour sheweth vnto vs That he maketh the Sunne to shine vpon the good and vpon the bad and thereupon he inferreth Mat. â— 4â— Be mercifull as your Father in heauen is mercifull So that these same Externall benefits are to the reprobate vnseene and vnfelt benefits and mercies The Speciall mercy is the remission of sinnes 2. Speciall which he bestoweth vpon his owne children allanerly Gen. 25.5 6 So that as Abraham gaue gifts to the children of the Concubines and reserued the heritage for Isaac his sonne and as Helcanah gaue to Peninnah a portion 1 Sam. 1.4 5 but vnto Anna a worthy portion So God giues riches to the wicked but only grace to his chosen children The Temporary mercy is the forgiuenesse whereby he pardons the sinnes of the reprobate 3. Temporarie mercies and out of his clemencie deferies their temporall punishments to make them the more inexcusable Iâ—â—ah 3.10 1 King 21.29 as he did to the Niniuites and to Achab. But that Sempiternall mercy is that whereof the Apostle speakes 4 Eternall That God who is rich in mercy for his great loue by which hee loued vs when wee were dead in sinnes Eph. 2.4 c. hath quickned vs in Iesus Christ to make manifest in the ages to come the riches of his grace This mercy flowes from himselfe Gods mercies vnchangeable and he extends it to whom he pleaseth and it is so sure and constant that he can denie himselfe as soone as he can alter his mercy towards any whom hee hath receiued vnder his fauour And this constancie of his mercy is a sure hold to which all troubled consciences may retire Vse 1 This should incourage all poore sinners to runne to him To encourage Gods poore afflicted children â—say 61.1 Reuel 3.18 Simil. where there is sure and perfect Physicke to be found innumerable riches to the poore eye-salue to the blinde c. Thinke yee that your sins are of greater weight than his mercies or that the gold of his goodnesse in thee cannot ouersway the drosse of thine owne sinfulnesse Hath not the Lord sworne that he delights not in the death of a sinner Ezec. 18.23 will he falsifie his word belie his promise Num. 23.19 or is he like man that he can repent Vse 2 And againe as this his mercy should inarme vs against despaire Against presumption vpon consideraon of Gods mercy so on the other part we should take heed that we presume not too farre by abusing his mercies and making them a couer for our wickednesse so that a false perswasion of mercy maketh vs liue as we please no no there is no mercy for an impenitent sinner The mercy of God should leade thee to repentance and thou on the head of it shouldest not entertaine and nourish thy sinne Vse 3 Further as thou hopest for mercy from God Be mercifull as God is Math. 9.13 so likewise giue thou mercy to others flowing from that mercy which thou hast receiued from God I will haue mercy saith the Lord and not sacrifice Therefore since it shall be an vndoubted token of thine election that thou hast receiued mercy from Gods hands try if thou findest thy selfe vnfainedly disposed to forgiue others whatsoeuer yea euen the greatest faults committed against you for that is the oyntment running downe Aarons beard to the hemme of his garment Psal 133.2 Against merits foure Reasons Moreouer yee see that Dauid doth not present his merits which might redeeme the filthinesse of his sinnes as the Papists thinke neither yet prayers Reas 1 praises alinesdeeds victory ouer Gods foes wherein hee was frequent but he leaueth them all as a broken reede Esay 36.6 to the which he could not well leane in the day of his spirituall temptation as he confesseth oftentimes in the Psalmes and hath his onely refuge to Gods mercy The merits of men alas what are they The best workes we doe are so full of imperfections that there is more drosse than gold in them Simil. What man would be content for good gold to receiue such coyne as is neere by altogether drosse and thinke yee God for his perfect Law which he gaue vs to obserue and doe will receiue our imperfect workes Reas 2 And albeit they were perfect yet are they not of vs Iames 1.17 August for all good gifts come from the Father of lights Cùm numero merita mea saith Augustine enumero dona tua When I number my merits I reckon thy gifts What haue we that we haue not receiued 1 Cor. 4.7 Why then glory we as though we had not receiued them Reas 3 Thirdly although our workes were perfect yet are we bound to doe them by vertue of our Creation Redemption Sanctification Preseruation and if bound to do them what deserue we then Reas 4 Finally he is an infinitly perfect God how then can we thinke our base deeds though they were our owne can merit for wee ought to doe good workes to serue Via regni non causa regnandi August Obiect not to deserue they are the way to the Kingdome not the cause thereof But how is it that Dauid sometimes protests of his innocencie and desires God to iudge him according to the innocency of it Psal 7.8 This is to be vnderstood of his innocencie before men Answ to whom he did no wrong as to Saul Psal 143.2 Absolon A hitophel Doeg c. But not before God in whose sight shall none that liueth be iustified if he enter into iudgement with them as Dauid confesseth What mad doctrine is it then Vse which teacheth men that there is any worthinesse in them Iob 4.18 15.15 since the heauens are not cleane before him yea he hath found folly in his Angels Doct. 3 Dauid vnder
the name of Mercy includeth all things Who gets meâ—cy gets all things Gen. 33.11 according to that of Iacob to his brother Esau I haue gotten mercy and therefore I haue gotten all things Desirest thou any thing at Gods hands cry for mercy out of which fountaine all good things will spring to thee The blind men seeking their light cried Haue mercy vpon vs thou sonne of Dauid The Cananite Mat. 20.30 who had her daughter possessed cried Haue mercy vpon me If ye haue purchased the Kings pardon Mat. 15.22 Simil. then ye may enioy the priuiledges of his Kingdome if yee haue mercy yee haue all that God can giue you yee haue title to Christ to the heauens to all the creatures yea and are freed and deliuered from the prison of hell ArgumeÌ„ts to oâ—taine mercy For I am weake The arguments which he vseth that he may obtaine mercy are taken from his owne vnworthinesse and miserable estate For saith he I am weake This is the generall word vnder which bee comprehendeth all his paines Two sorts of paines and this hee explicates by the diuision of them in his bodily paines in these words My bones are sore troubled and his spirituall temptations in the beginning of the third verse My soule also is sore vexed The order of Gods curing is first to cure the spirituall diseases next the boddy paines But before I handle the argument marke the coherence of this second part of his sute with the former In the first hee craued mercie in this he craueth a cure and remedie for his corporall paines First hee desires to bee freed of the bonds of his sinnes then of his trouble This is the order of Gods curing that first he cures the spirituall diseases next the bodily paines Hezekiah first weeped for his sin turning him to the wall 2. King 20.2 c. and God for gaue it and then commanded Isaias to take a lumpe of drie figges and cure him Mark 2.5 c. And Christ said to the sicke man Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee A double mercy wheÌ„ God cures both spirituall and temporall discases a double iudgement to bee loosed from the bonds of sicknes and bound with the bonds of sinne and then arise and walke It is a double mercy when God hath first loosed the bonds of thy sin and then the bonds of thy disease and a double iudgement when hee hath loosed thee from the bonds of thy sicknesse and left thy soule bound with the chaines of sinne for then thou are reserued for a further iudgement That deliuery is onely profitable to thee when God hath freed thee from thy sinne and from such plagues as follow it Yee see out of these words that it is very lawfull to craue corporall health it being a benefit of God And at this time it is certaine Dauid was vnder some heauie sicknesse in body Doct. 4 as well as he was pressed down vnder the weight of Gods wrath for his sinne It is very lawfull to seek corporall health Dauid was here sick in body contrary to Bellarmin contrary to the iudgement of Bellarmine writing vpon the Title and Argument of this Psalme thinking it onely to bee the opinion of the Rabbines and their followers Albeit Loranus the Iesuit bee contrary to him writing vpon the third verse of this Psalme and produceth Lyranus Innocentius tertius Theodorus Antiochenus and Caietane who in this are all of one iudgement and opinion with vs. And why may they not agree together that a man being distressed in body and troubled in conscience may repent and mourne for them both The beginning of the two thirtieth Psalme sets downe his bodily paines which hee sustained in his flesh Strong men weakned by the power of sinne 1 Sam. 17.49 August Quem non vicit ferrum vicit libido Iudg. 15.15 and 16.21 Euils of Adulterie Whereupon ye may perceiue that albeit Dauid was a strong man yet sinne is able to cast him on his backe Hee ouercame Goliah yet sin ouercommeth him Lust vanquished him whom the sword could not ouercome Sinne debilitateth man and taketh all strength from him and so it befell to Sampson who smote a thousand Philistims and yet one Whore delâ—uered him bound to them Euery sinne weakneth man but especially the sinne of Adultery which doth enfeeble mans nature and abate his strength that it maketh him effeminate and womanly hearted Alexander the Great being bewitched with the pleasures of Drunkennesse and Whoredome sodainely made an end both of his life and conquest yea how many other heroicall spirits haue been wasted therewith Therfore learne all to abstaine there-from otherwise it wil bring you low waste your body conscience substance name and posterity Doctr. Weaknessâ— in man a meanes to preuaile with God But behold what Rethoricke hee vseth to moue God to cure him I am weake an argument taken from his weaknesse which indeed were a weake argument to moue any man to shew his fauour but is a strong argument to preuaile with God Simil. If a diseased person would come to a Physitian and onely lament the heauinesse of his sicknesse he would say God helpe thee Simil. or an oppressed person come to a Lawyer and shew him the estate of his action and aske his aduice he would answer that is a golden question Simil. or to a Merchant to craue rayment hee will elther haue present money or a suerty Simil. or to a Courtier for fauour you must haue your reward ready in your hand But comming before God the most forcible argument that yee can vse is your necessity pouerty teares misery vnworthinesse and confessing them to him it shall be an open doore to furnish all things that he hath to you for which cause the Spirit saith Prou. 9.4 All yee that are destitute of vnder standing come to me and euery one that thirsteth come to the waters Esay 55.1 c. and yee that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without silver and without money And our Sauiour himselfe cried Mar. 11.28 Come vnto mee all yee that are weary and loaden with sinne and I will ease you Martha said to Christ Behold he whom thou louedst is sicke Iohn 11.3 that the mention of his sicknesse might haue moued him to reuiue her brother The teares of our miserie are forcible arrowes to pierce the heart of our heauenly Father Reas 1 to deliuer vs and pitie our hard case The beggers lay open their sores to the view of the world Simil. that the more they may moue men to pitie them So let vs deplore our miseries to God Luk. 10.33 that he with the pitifull Samaritan at the sight of our wounds may helpe vs in due time What thing he seeks wherefore O Lord heale me Dauid in the first verse of the Psalme desired that the Lord would not punish him in his heauy
saluation onely belongs to the Lord let vs runne to him and seeke it at his hands who is onely able to performe and bring it to vs. Seeke it not at Saints but at the King of Saints In thee doe I trust There is described the powerfull instrument apprehending Gods mercies euen faith adorned with his chiefe quality Constancy crowneth all our vertuâ—â— constancy for all the day signifieth as much as continually for there is no vertue in man which can be responsable to God if it be not ioyned with constancie Ye must wait patiently beleeue confidently seeke knocke aske hold vp your hands without fainting strengthen your weake hands and feeble knees Gen. 32 2â— He abode with Iacob the heat of the day and the cold of the morning and shrinked not till the Lord came at last and we must abide to the end of the day of our life Many begin in the morning of their youth to seeke God who forsake him in the euening of their age The day hath a morning a noone and an euening-tide so hath our age a youth a middle age and a declining time blessed is he that perseuers to the end and till his later breath constantly depends on God and leaues him not for certainly that man shall haue the crowne of eternall glory VERSE 6. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy louing kindnesse for they haue beene for euer IN the preceding words Dauid first prayed that God would deliuer him from shame and contempt next that hee woud teach him his wayes Doct. No assurance of the remission of sin till God put his law in our hearts and now he desires that God would haue mercy vpon him and pardon him his sinnes Marke by this his order in prayer how first hee desires that God would teach him his law and then that he would put away his sinne for we can neuer get assurance of the remission of our sinnes till God put his law in our heart After these dayes saith the Lord by Ieremy I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teath no more euery man his neighbour and euery man his brother saying Know ye the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest of them sayes the Lord. For I will forgiue them their iniquity and remember their sinnes no more Which the Apostle to the Hebrewes reciteth word by word Doctr. Knowledge of sinne comes before remission of sinne For God first by his word and Spirit workes in the mind of a sinner a light and sight of his sinnes and in his heart a sorrow for it and then he putteth it away and forgiues it Therefore let vs try what sight and sense of sin the word of God hath wrought in vs that we haue a certificate to our conscience of the remission thereof Ps 107.20 He sendeth his word and healeth them He sent Nathan to Dauid and then pardoned him In these two verses he thrice repeateth the word remember not that there is any memory or forgetfulnesse in God as in man for time makes man to forget but God changeth no time absence makes vs forget but all things are present to him memory hath a seat in mans braine which being perturbed it fayles God is all memory But he is said to remember or forget How God is said to remember Gen. 8.1 and 19.29 Gen. 30.22 1 Sam. 1.19 when by visible tokens of doing he sheweth his fauour or displeasure to man As he remembred Noah when the flood diminished Abraham when he saued Lot and brought him out from Sodome Rachel when he made her conceiue and Anna when he granted vnto her her petition Thy tender mercies and louing kindnesse First he craues at God that he would remembe his mercies which is the first thing wee should seeke at God for if we get it as said Iacob wee get all things Gen. 33.11 Mercy against merit And hereby it is clearly seene that hee disclaimes all merits for albeit he fought the Lords battells gouerned his people by the word and sword in executing iustice prayed and praised God continually fasted and bestowed almes on the Saints Psal 16.2 Vse Of confutation of the Papists merits yet he confesseth they cannot extend to God which refureth and damneth the foolish Papists who pretend merits but commit murthers and adulteries and yet with open mouth they cry merits merits Hee amplifieth Gods mercies by three names mercies benignities goodnesse benignity twice repeated see how highly hee doth esteeme of Gods goodnesse when hee cannot finde termes sufficiently to expresse them A liuely representation of the Trinity But these three liuely represent vnto vs the Trinity the Father the fountaine of goodnesse yea goodnesse it selfe the Sonne mercie supplying our misery the holy Spirit benignity and bountifulnesse gratiously working and bestowing these things which the Father and Sonne giue The goodnesse of God is the fountaine begetting mercy and mercy bringeth forth benignity Let vs learne by this that whateuer commeth to vs must either come out of the fountaine of Gods mercy or else it is a curse not a benignity but a malignity Many say Who will shew vs any good thing Psal 4.6 but Dauid sayes Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance on me We should imitate the three properties of the Trinity These three properries of the Trinity all Christians should imitate the goodnesse of the Father the mercy of the Sonne and the bountifulnesse of the Spirit that in so doing they may haue society with the Father Son and Spirit I know thee to be a good man because thou art not cruell but mercifull I know thee to be mercifull in that thy hand is bountifull thou giues and distributes to the poore Psal 112.9 thy righteousnesse endureth for euer The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rachamim signifieth bowels which are the seats and places of the fatherly and motherly loue and therefore the children are called parentum viscera the bowels of the parents which phrase the Apostle writing to Philemon both in the 12. and 20. verse expoundeth spiritually Thou therefore receiue him that is mine owne bowels and in the 20. verse Comfort my bowels in the Lord. Esay 49.19 Can a mother forget her child c. yet the Lord cannot forget Israel Ps 103.13 And as the Father pitties his children so the Lord hath pitty on those that feare him So we see hereby how deare and neere we are to Gods very heart that we haue a place in his innermost affections Infinit miseries haue need of infinit mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 Gods mercies are eternall But when hee speakes of mercies and benignities he speakes in the plurall number because as our sinnes and miseries are infinit so we haue need of infinit comforts and pardons he is called the father of mercies For they
not excuse vs albeit they may extenuate our paines and make vs to bee punished with fewer stripes I will not insist in this poynt because I haue spoken sufficiently thereof in that Sermon on Christs first word spoken on the Crosse Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe But according to thy kindnesse remember thou mee euen for the goodnesse sake O Lord. The fountaine hee runnes vnto is the mercy of God where hee plainly disclaimes his owne merits Lorinus the Iesuite against merits Lorinus a Iesuite here bringeth in sundry passages of Scripture to qualifie the mercy of God against merits Psal 6.8.51.3.69.14.86.5.15.106.45.119.156.130.7 Dan. 9.18 Isa 55.7 VERSE 8. Gratious and righteous is the Lord therefore will hee teach sinners in the way IN this second part of the Psalme after his Petition Doct. Gods truth and mercy props of a Christians faith Psal 116. he setteth downe the props to the which his faith doth leane to wit the mercy truth and righteousnesse of God He beleeued therefore hee spake so our Prayers except they bee grounded on faith and an assurance that God will grant them they are offensiue to God and not profitable for vs Hee who prayeth without faith saith S. Iames is like a waue of the Sea Iam. 1.6 tost of the winde and carried away The proofe of this is in the sixt Psalme wherein after his prayers with a constant assurance he concludeth all mine enemies shall be confounded Psal 6 1◠After hee had prayed for mercy hee falleth out in a meditation consideration and proclamation of Gods goodnesse in the eighth ninth and tenth verses Simil. as it were to stir vp himselfe vp to Prayer againe as a man finding a fire almost consumed doth put thereinto more coales to kindle it Gracious and righteous is the Lord. First in his owne nature hee is good and righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rectus next he is good to vs in teaching vs his way God is not only good but goodnes it selfe but how doth his goodnes appeare not in shewing mercy on Abraham Isaacke Iacob Moses and the righteous but on the most miserable sinners as Manasses saith in his Prayer the Prodigall child harlots such other Therefore will he teach sinners in the way Mat. 6.11.12 In this common benefit of remission of sinnes he inuolueth himselfe with the rest of the Saints and so should all our sutes bee common that wee desire nothing alone but that whereof our brethren may participate This is the communion of Saints which wee beleeue Our dayly prayers are for all Giue vs this day our dayly bread forgiue vs our sinnes and lead vs not into temptation Note Who seeketh any thing for himselfe of God and not for the rest of his brethren shall be repelled receiue nothing The persons to whom mercy appertaines are called sinners Doct. Sinne the onely obiect of Gods mercy Rom. 5.20 as though hee would make sinne the onely obiect of Gods mercy as indeed it is for Gods mercy would not haue been manifested if sin had not been knowne that so where sinne abounded there grace might superabound the whole haue not need of the Physitian Luk. 5.31 but the sick Think not that the multitude of thy sinnes will exclude thee from Gods grace Christ at the vvell was found of the Samaritan woman Ioh 4. mercy and misery met together in the Pharisees house Luke 7.36 euen Christ and the Magdalen Mat. 20.31 in the field hee met with the blind who cried Luke 18.14 Sonne of Dauid haue mercy on vs in the Temple vvith the Publican Iohn 5.2 at the Poole with the Paralitique for Luke 5.32 He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance But what teacheth he His wayes He teacheth Godswaies not mans traditions Ionah 2.8 not the tradition of men of Popes of Councels who could and haue erred but Gods owne wayes his statutes so oft repeated in the 119. Psalm Woe to the Papist who followeth lying vanities forsaking their owne mercy The great Doctor and teacher is God himselfe who hauing the key of the heart must open it himselfe Doct. The conuersion of a sinner is not a work of nature 1 Cor. 3.6 Therefore the conuersion of a sinner is not a worke of nature but it is Gods principall fauour who must giue encrease to Pauls planting and Apolloes watering We should therefore feruently pray to God for the Preachers that hee would so blesse them that by their labours many may be conuerted to himselfe The Israelites vnder the Law being terrified by Gods voice said Let not God speake any more vnto vs Exod. 20 1◠but Moses But wee vnder the Gospel being comforted by his voice say Note Let Moses and Paul be silent but let God speake to vs. The worke of conuersion of sinners Dauid draweth to the fountaine euen Gods grace and free fauour whateuer commeth to vs doth proceed out of his grace But this is wonderfull Doctr. Mercy and iustice meet in the saluatiō of man how grace and righteousnesse which seeme so opposit in the saluation and conuersion of a sinner meets together and kisses one another I answer In the worke of our redemption they accorded when Gods iustice was fully satisfied by the death of Christ and his mercy was cleere by full pardoning vs Simil. Leu. 16.8 when we escaped with the scape-Goat to the wildernesse and he died the suerty paid the debt and wee were freed In the conuersion of a sinner hee vseth both hee vvounds and humbles cures and exalts againe Deducit ad inferos reducit Hee cast downe Paul Acts 9.4.8 made him blind rebuked him and then conuerted and comforted him and sent him to teach the Gospel and conuert others VERSE 9. Them that be meek will he guide in iudgement and teach the humble his way HE setteth down in this verse to whom the former benefit doth appertaine and what sort of sinners shall participate of mercy to wit the meeke and humble whom God hath so prepared by afflictions and crosses Doct. Afflictions teach humility Who are humble Simil. that he hath made them to giue an open way and place to the Gospel to worke in them For as the waxe first is by labour and by fire made soft and pliable before it can take stampe and impression of the Kings image and superscription yea clay must bee made soft and pliable before it bee made a vessell so must God humble vs before he put his image in vs so the gold Simil. siluer c. must be battered before it be stamped Ps 119.71 It is good saith Dauid that thou hast humbled me for thereby I learned thy Commandements If he had not beene first humbled hee had neuer learned Gods Commandements He desired children to come to him for of such is the Kingdome of heauen yea except we become as these Mar. 19.14
mine afflictions and my trauell and forgiue all my sinnes THere he acknowledgeth the root of al his troubles to be sin for which he craueth mercy at God Ye may see here that sin toucheth him so neere the heart that he cannot find ease but in the remission thereof Sin is sweet in the mouth as honey but it is in the womb as grauell There is no venome in the affliction but sinne so being quit of sin he esteemes nothing of the affliction Sin is the noysome humour purge the humour and saue the patient The goodnes wisdome of God which maketh affliction a bitter water to eat vp the rust of sinne The affliction is not profitable which hath not made some diminution of sin When Gods anger was quenched Gen. 8.1 then the flouds were abated so as thy sin decreases thy affliction diminisheth daily VERSE 19. Behold mine enemies for they are many and they hate me with cruell hatred THis endeth as the sixt Psalme Doct. The subduing of sinne is the triumph ouer out enemies Acts 9.3 1 Sam. 31.4 for triumphing aboue sin his spirituall enemies he triumpheth aboue all his bodily foes he preuailes with God he preuaileth also with men He vseth no imprecations against them but that God would looke on them either mercifully to conuert them with Saul who was called Paul or to confound them as the first Saul who killed himselfe His enemies are described from their multitude number next frō their malice cruelty Alwayes Gods honor is so much the more greater that he is one for all his loue preuents their cruelty He complained of their craft before they had spred nets for him and the deuill who before was a Serpent and could not preuaile now becommeth a fiery flying Dragon Gen. 3.1 Apoc. 12.3 to deuoure the seed of the woman so craft disappointed becomes cruell he was first a Serpent yet he is more dangerous when he is a serpent cheaping Doct. Craft disappointed becomes cruelty Eph. 6.14 then when he is roaring as a Lyon when he roares he is heard far off and is eschewed but who can shun a Fox and a Serpent therefore craft is alwaies cruell Since then we haue to doe with malitious enemies and crafty deceitfull men let vs inarme vs against them by the brest plate of righteousnesse to strike by their darts and by patience to suffer their wrongs VERSE 20. Keepe my soule and deliuer me let me not be confounded for I trust in thee HE ends as Christ ended his life Doct. The soule is wel kept when God keepeth it Luk. 23.46 Mat. 6.19 In thy hand I commit my spirit By the soule he meaneth also the life for it is well kept when the Lord keepes it no earthly place so sure but the thiefe may come in or rust consume but if thy soule be bound vp in the bundle of life and treasured with God no violence or cōsumption can attain therunto And he vseth that same argument in the end which he did in the beginning For I trust in thee VERSE 21. Let mine vprightnesse and equity preserue me for mine hope is in thee LEt no man claime the patrocinie of God Doct. God will not patronize an vnrighteous cause 1 Sā 26.17 vnlesse he maintaine a righteous cause quarrell for what fellowship hath the Lord with the throne of iniquity This he speakes because of his enemies to whom he neuer did iniury and the more ingratefull were they yea these he benefited as Saul with whom in the field he pleaded his innocency when Saul said Psal 143.2 My son Dauid thou art more righteous then I. But when he came before God he cried Enter not in iudgement with thy seruant but recountering with men he braggeth of his innocency Our eyes are sharp sighted and bright enough to behold the earth but when we looke to the Sunne they will be dim For I trust in thee Ye see albeit he claimes to his innocency yet he retireth him to faith and hope in God Our righteousnesse is not such as that we can altogether stand by it there are some slips and faults in the best of our actions Note therfore we are forced to retire to God who can supply them all in his al-sufficiency VERSE 22. Deliuer Israel O God out of all his troubles THis last verse containeth a prayer for the Church Doct. Atrue note of a Christian to be affected with the state of the Church Psal 51.8 Doct. The Church subiect to infinit troubles so that hee is not contented to enioy any priuate benefit from God himselfe vnlesse the Church of God be partaker thereof whose welfare he promiseth to procure and desires others to pray for the peace of Ierusalem and this is a marke of a feeling member of Christ who remembreth not his owne sorrowes without regard of the tribulations of Gods Church Next ye see that the Church is subiect to infinite tribulations she is a Lillie among thorns Exod. 3.2 Mat. 14.24 Gen. 8.1 there must be a fire alway in that bush is no maruell to see the ship of the Disciples tossed in the seas and the Arke of Noah in the deluge but indeed it were a maruel to see the Church not persecuted Doct. God will in the end deliuer his Church Finally he prayes for deliuery to her letting vs see two things First that the Lord will compasse his Church with ioyfull deliuerances and not let the rod of the wicked lie alwayes on the backe of the righteous but as they haue many crosses Doct. The Churches deliuerance is Gods prerogatiue so they get many comforts from God Next God commonly takes that honour to himselfe to deliuer his Church when Princes persecute the same to their owne ruine and shame Let vs pray vnto our God to deliuer his Church in Europe this day which is fearfully assaulted by wicked men and to giue his Saints patience and perseuerance in the truth to the end Amen FINIS A GODLY AND FRVITFVLL EXPOSITION ON THE THIRTIE TWO PSALME THE THIRD OF THE PENETENTIALS THis is the third Psalme of Repentance the Title thereof is Davids Instruction 12. Psalmes are Psalmes of instruction shewing both the substance and matter of the same that is Instruction as also the writer thereof David There are many other Psalmes which beare this title especially the 42.44.45.52.53.54.55.74.78.89.142 For if yee would deuide the 150. Psalmes vnto classes yee shall find some instruction as these twelue others for consolation others of deprecations The Scriptures are profitable for all vses 2 Tim. 3.16 Simil. others of imprecations for the Scriptures of God are profitable for all vses to rebuke to comfort to instruct c. Amongst all this booke of the Psalmes especially is as an Apothecaries shop wherein yee shall finde all sorts of Drugs Cordiall to comfort our heart or Corrasiue to eate vp the cancer of our nature yea in what estate was
euer man or can hee be but he shall finde comfort and good in this booke of Psalmes For the Psalmes are an Epitome of the old Testament Simil. a mirrour or looking glasse of the grace of God a perfect Anatomie of the whole man Wherein are expressed all sort of documents both of the gracious promises of God to his owne children and his iustice against his aduersaries also of our faith in the promises of God of our infirmities our patience our constancie our deliuerie from our troubles and our thankesgiuing for the same finally of our duetifull obedience to God and care of his Church Dauid by his doctrine teacheth these to repent whom by his example he had taught to sinne A generall lesson for al persons This is a Didascalique Psalme wherein David teacheth sinners to repent by this doctrine Who teached them to sinne by his example This science is vniuersal and pertaineth to all men and which necessarily wee must all learne Princes Priests and people men and women children tradsemen and whatsoeuer they be mâ—st be put to this Schoole without which lesson all others are vnprofitable A marke of a true penitent sinâ—er But to the poynt This is a marke of a true peâ—itent when hee hath beene a stumbling blocke to others hee may be as carefull to raise them vp by his repentance as hee was hurtfull to them by his sinne and I neuer thinke that man truly penitent who is ashamed to teach sinners repentance by his owne particular proofe The Samaritan woman when shee was conuerted Ioh 4.29 left her bucket at the Well entred the City and sayd come forth yonder is a man who hath told mee all that I haue done Luk 22.32 and our Sauiour sayth to S. Peter when thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren 1 Tim 1.14 S. Paul also after his conuersion is not ashamed to call himselfe chiefest of all sinners and to teach others to repent their sinnes happie and thrise happie is the man who can build as much as hee hath cast downe Let Princes be ashamed to sinne but not to repent Next hee is a King and yet not a shamed to be an example of repentance by which all kings and noblemen should learne to be ashamed of their sinne but neuer be ashamed to repent Theodosius the Emperour after the slaughter that his Souldiers made at Thessalonica came to S. Ambrose The example of Theodosius the Emperour and humbly fell downe on his face amongst the penitents saying that part of the Psalme Agglutinata est terrae anima mea Ps 44.25 my soule is glewed vnto the earth David an experimented teacher Thirdly David is an experimented doctor as I haue said in the former two Psalmes who hauing felt himselfe teacheth others The Pilot who hath Sailed the Sea can best teach others the art of Nauâ—gation Simil. a Captiane can direct an armie best who hath had proofe of the enemie himselfe So experience in Spirituall combates is of great worth and hee can best teach others to avoide sinne who hath ouercommed sinne in his owne person Learne to get remission of sinne The doctrine most necessarie for a Christian to learne is the remission of sinnes For although yee had learned all other sciences what could they auaile you without this For as one of the worthiest fathers sayes all sciences without this are vnprofitable What if thou thou were neuer so prudent in the lawes if thine owne conscience accuse thee and expert in Physicke if thine owne soule be sickly and know the power of the stars if thy sinne throw thee downe to the lowest hels yea albeit yee learned all the heads of Theologie and taught them vnto others yet they are nothing worth to thy selfe if thou hast not learned to repent thy sinnes and to haue perswasion of mercy for them Iam. 2.19 Mar. 5.12 The Deuils beleeue and they tremble the legion of Deuils which came from the possessed could pray to Christ that hee might licence them to enter into the heard of Swine they they could confesse and professe that Christ was the Son of God 2 Cor 7.14 the Deuill can change himselfe into an Angell of light Balaam can Prophecie and many shall say Numb 23. we haue done miracles in thy name Iudas can preach and many can speake eloquently thinking to adde to Pauls bands but one thing can they neuer doe euen assure themselues that their sinnes are forgiuen them This lesson none can learne but those who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught by God And this is the lesson that David teacheth al Christians who come to his Schoole which if they learne it is sufficient this is that one thing which is needfull I wish to God from mine heart Note that Pastors of Gods word would leane ostentation words of humane eloquenâ—e and the shew of learning and labour more to worke most vpon the hearts of the people a remorse for sinne and an assurance of mercie Et vt plactum populo non sibi plausum moâ—eant that they may moue a weeping among the people more then an applause to themselues VERSE I. Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinnes is couered BEfore I come to the particular parts of this excellent Psalme I must obserue wherein David doth place happinesse and felicitie He more then twentie times in the Psalmes d scribing who are happie accounteth thesee onely happie who are godly Sometimes in the cause Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord Psal 33.12 Psal 41.1 Psal 128.1 Psal 32.1 Blessednesse sometimes imputed to the causes sometimes to the effect sometimes to the meane sometimes in the effect Blessed is the man who iudgeth wisely of the poore sometimes in the meanes as blessed are those that feare God whose sinnes are forgiuen for as gold is alwaies gold whither it be in the mine where it grew or put forth to exchange or in the kings treasurie so godlinesse must be esteemed all one whither yee iudge it by the cause from which it had its beginning or from the effects thereof or from the meanes whereby it is intertained albeit euery one of those haue their owne place the one as the fountaine the other as the spring flowing therefro There is no man although neuer so vnhappie who doth not aspire and desire to be happie Wherein many put happines 2 Sam. 13.4.29 but they perceiue not wherein happinesse consisteth some put it in the pleasure of their flesh with Ammon but his sudden repentance in thrusting away his sister and his infortunate end shew that there is no happinesse in those filthie pleasures some place happinesse in riches with Crassus but finding the incertaintie thereof they wil be forced to cry Plutarchus O Solon Solon other place happinesse on honours as Absolom and Haman who were both exalted on trees 2 Sam. 18.9 Ester 7.10 But David albeit hauing riches honours and pleasures
in his kingdome accompteth himselfe onely happie in this that his sinnes were pardoned Those earthly things are a weake foundation wherevpon to build Note should we expect happinesse of an vnhappie world The vanitie of the Philosophers concerning happinesse is to be put away Chrys in 1. Cor hom 4. of whom Chrysostome writeth they haue wouen Spiders webes by which they might maâ—re the minds of foolish men He who is a rebell to the king can enioy no benefites of his kingdome Simil. but when hee hath receiued the rod of peace and hath procured the kings fauour then hee is happie So although we had all the priuiledges of nature what will they be to vs if we haue not the fauour of God and assurance of the remission of our sinnes Blessed is he He giueth out this beatitude in the singular number The man as Habackuk also hath Hab 2.4 iustus ex fide sua viuet the iust man shall liue by his faith The Apostle Saint Paul sayth 2 Cor 4.13 I haue beleeued therefore I spake that wee may not infold our selues vnder the lap of generalitie and say with Athists and Papists Euery man must be assured of his Saluation wee will be saued as other men are for we beleeue as the Church beleeueth but euery man must haue a faith of his owne by which hee must be saued for albeit there be but one common Medicine applyed to all Christians who are penitent yet euery one of them must haue that applied to himselfe euen that Salue to cure his soare For medicaments must be personall we must haue our particular warrand in our pocket for our debts and not dreame that wee are free of debt when others are freed thereof There are three gradations or climaxes answerable to the three degrees of nature A threefold Gradation 1 Nature 2. grace 3. glory grace and glory The naturall estate of man is noted by sinne impietie and iniquitie grace by lightned of it couered not imputed glory blessed blessed Nature beginneth the worke and it is full of vanitie and it hath the roote of sinne which groweth in all our hearts that sinning sinne concupiscence that Originall corruption without which neuer man was borne except Christ Iesus Of this man esteemeth little albeit hee haue it in his house and the thiefe lying in his bosome This roote of sinne springeth vp in two branches impietie against God and iniquitie against man this monster with these two twinnes are euer found together they growe together and liue together a sinner vnrepenting is impious and irreligious toward God and profane and inequitable toward men When sinne reignes as a tyrant and hath taken any captiue to doe him seruice is it any maruaile that he rage against God by blasphemies and against man by iniuries The man possessed with Diuels who was amongst the graues threw stones at the passengers Math 8.28 as by the contrary hee who is holy and Sanctified is also godly and iust for these three cohere Pietie Iustice Sanctitie Sinne is neuer alone as neither commeth the iudgement of God alone one draweth another Math 22.13 they are linked together as a chaine of iron by which man is bounde and caried to vtter darkenesse if the Angel who came to Peter in prison doth not lose them Act 12.7 Psal 1.1 This Chapter is depainted in the first Psalme at the first verse for hee calleth them sinners wicked The degrees of sinne and scorners Peccatum peccatum trahit one sinne draweth on another for sinne groweth to wickednesse and wickednesse to scorning of all religion which is the extremitie and highest degree of all euill The deformitie of beasts we alow in our selues This further is to be noted that what deformitie we see and dislike in al the beasts they are found in one man Wee detest the the falshood of the Foxe and the subtiltie of the Serpent and yet man is falser then both we cannot abide to looke vpon a Dogge when hee licketh vp his vomit neither on a Sowe while she is wallowing in the puddle and our onely delight is to swallow vp sinne and feede on our owne filthinesse and when we haue beene clensed from it by repentance wee returne to it within a little time we abhorre the greedinesse of the Wolfe albeit sometimes hee can be satisfied and yet our couetous heart is insatiable The crueltie of the Lyon is odious vnto vs albeit it spareth the owne kinde but man as Athaliah rageth against his owne bloud 2 Chron 22.10 euerie beast hath one deformitie which is no sinne in it but a spectacle whereby man may hate that in himselfe which hee abhorreth in a beast but man hath all deformities Note hee is subtil then a Serpent more craftie One may haue all beasts properties then a Foxe more cruel then a Lyon more filthie then a Sow more greedie then a Wolfe c. Yea much differing from all these for all may be tamed I am 3.8 but the tongue of man cannot be tamed and if one member of man be worse then all beasts Note what thinke yee of the whole powers of mans nature Looke then what euill commeth of sinne it seemeth to be profitable and pleasant for the present as honey in the mouth Pro 20.17 but in the bellie it turneth in grauell and wormewood Iudas thought his wages sweete in receiuing them Math 27.3 but after cast that money backe in great sorrow Ammon was sicke for loue of his sister but when hee had fulfilled his lust 2 Sam. 13.15 he hated her more then before he had loued her Behold what Leprosies Phrensies Feuers Botches haue euer fallen vpon mans body as many sinnes as fountaines of them are pressing downe his soule which we should lament if wee were sensible of the smallest of them Whose wickednes is forgiuen This threefold repetition of the remission of Sinnes argues the necessitie of the perswasion of this doctrine for it is an article of our Creede which we must beleeue and for the which we are commanded to pray dayly hee hath promised it who is faithfull hee hath sworne and giuen the earnest of his Spirit to seale it We must not doubt with these doubting Doctors Doctr. We may be assured of the remission of sinne Eccles 9.1 Ob. whether wee shall obtaine mercie or not but wee may assure our selues of the remission of our sinnes They alledge that of Ecclesiastes No man knoweth either loue or hatred of all that is before him I Answere that place is to be vnder vnderstood thus Ans that externall things are not notes of Gods loue or hatred because they are common to good and euill This perswasion indeede wanteth not the owne doubtings wee doubt but we dispare not Whence doubts arise in Gods children these doubtings spring from the sense of our vnworthinesse not of Gods goodnesse But if a man be not assured of the
remission of his sinnes his conscience must be left in a most miserable agonie and torment What shall become of him at the latter day for the feare of eternall death and the horrour of Gods iudgements will euer be before him It is a very true sentence there can be no pleasure in the hoping for any good thing Note if the feare of the contrary be ioyned to it and if this be the greatest infelicitie of the wicked to be tormented in conscience because they see the anger of an irreconciable God then that must be the greatest felicitie of Gods children when they finde that God is at one with them which felicitie commeth not without this assurance of his mercie But there is as great difference betweene this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full perswasion and a presumption as there is betweene two rebels whereof one hauing repented doth finde means of reconciliation with the king Simil. and so getteth his remission sealed and the other who presumeth so much of the king without any warrand And betweene one who dreameth of Golde and an other who hath it Gods grace amplified by three similitudes The grace of God is amplified by three notable similitudes the first from a burthen of the which the sinner is lightned and made free Sinne albeit before it be committed it seeme light as a fether yet it is the heauiest burthen that euer man did beare Doctr. Sinne is the heauiest burthen Hereditarie in these three respects First Because it is Hereditarie and man is borne with it whereof except he be cased by baptisme and the mercies of God in Christ it shall presse him downe to hell Heb 12.1 for it hangeth on fast and it presseth downe Secondly Because it lyeth both vpon soule and body Vniversall the Israelits were burthened with the taske layed vpon their flesh Exod. 1.14 Gen 39.19 and Ioseph with irons their soule being free thereof albeit both burthened with sinne Thirdly Alburthens are sensible to the bearer Vnfâ—lt and the heauie burthen the greatest sense but a sinner is contrarie hee hath no sense yea the greater be his sinne the more senselesse is he Exod 2.23.24.3 Meanes to be free of sinne Math 7.28 The seeling of thy sinne is the preparation to thy ease and reliefe The Israelites groaned vnder Pharaoh and the Lord sent Moses next rinne to him who is only able to pacifie God and thy conscience euen Iesus Christ who cryeth Come vnto me all yee that are wearie and loaden with sinne and I will ease you Thirdly Indeuour to be quit of it Doctr. Christonly can take away the burthen of sinne and be loath to take in on againe There is nothing able to disburden thee of thy sinne but Christ Fâ—ie to the fonde and new found out remedies of Merrit Pardons Pilgrimages and see what they can auaile thee Musculus in Psal Musculus vpon the Psalmes maketh mention of a Seruant in Germanie who stole some of his Masters goodes and after being become wealthy was greatly tormented in conscience for the same Wherefore desirous of some ease at the aduice of a Popish Priest hee gaue some part to the Church some to the poore but yet his torment no whit eased he restored at the counsell of the true Seruant of God to his master his owne and craued mercy at Christ and so receaued ease wherefore there is nothing that can ease a troubled mind but Christ Iesus who hath taken our burthen vpon himselfe There are two sorts of persons to whom this Doctrine doth appertaine the one who are touched with no sense of sinne those feele not the burthen yea being drowned in the Sea they feele no waters and burnt vp Some sinners haue no sense others too great sense Ionah 1.6 sents no fire O dead soule that when Gods iudgements are as so many wayes pursuing thee with Ionas thou art a sleepe The other ouer much pressed downe and moued with their sinnes almost disparing who are the rarest sort to whom this comfortable sentence doth appertaine Pro 25.2 It is Gods honour to passe by sinnes and to couer them The triplication of this remission argues the certaintie thereof And whose sinne is couered He is not content once to speake of the remÌ„ission of sinne but thrise vsing three similitudes to expresse the same to declare that it is a matter of great moment as also that it is perfect and absolute He sayth the wickednesse is pardoned the sinne couered the iniquitie not imputed a pretie gradation so that the weight of our sinne shutteth not the way to Gods mercie He sayth not that he is happie who couereth his sinnes for hee who couereth his sinne shall not prosper but hee who confesseth his sinne shall bee saued Pro 28.13 For the hiding of our sinnes from God closeth the doore to repentance He is happy whose sinne God couereth and so as long we vse subter-fuges and coloures our sinnes so long can we neuer heartily repent them and God will not pardon an impenitent sinner Hee is a foole who would couer his wounds from the Physitian Simil. for when the Physitian couereth it by healing it it is best couered This couering hath relation to some nakednesse and filthinesse which should bee couered euen sinne which defileth vs and maketh vs naked Doctr. Sinne maketh vs naked Exod. 32.25 why sayth Moses to Aaron hast thou made the people naked Sinne maketh vs blacke as a Moore defileth and maketh vs like menstrous garments and thus being so disgracefull we haue neede to be couered our owne garments of our merits are too short and cannot couer vs we haue neede therefore to borrow at Christ Iesus his merits and the mantle of his righteousnesse that hee may be vnto vs as a garment Simil. and as those breeches of lether which God made vnto Adam Gen 3.7.21 The properties of a garment when they cast away those figge-tree-leafes which they sewed to themselues garments are ordained to couer our nakednesse defend vs from the iniurie of the weather and to decore vs. So the mediation of our Sauiour serueth to couer our nakednesse that the wrath of God sease not vpon vs hee is that white raiment Reuel 3.18 wherewith we should be cloathed that our filthy nakednesse doe not appeare to defend vs against Sathan Isa 63.1 Math. 22.7 Rom 13.14 he is mightie to saue c. and to be an ornament to decore vs for hee is that wedding garment Put yee on therefore the Lord Iesus Christ Obiection But it may appeare that the word hiding or couering is not proper seeing there is nothing hid from the eyes of God whose eye pearceth vnto the most secret thought of our heart I answere with the Apostle Rom 4.17 Ans he calleth those things that are not as though they were things that are as though they were not because he forgiueth them as though they neuer had
beginning of this Psalme And as farre as hee expresseth his corruption by aggrauating it by such degrees so farre hee doth shew forth his griefe for it and his sinceritie in repentance not hiding but acknowledging and confessing it that as the venom of sinne infected him so he labours to expell it and make no conditions of peace with it to discouer it to quit himselfe of it as his deadly enemie with whom hee will make no paction but make his complaint to God that hee is wearied of it But this seemeth strange that hee sayth hee made his sinne knowne to the Lord How man makes sin knowne to God to whom nothing is vnknowne for hee who foreknew we should sinne before we were can hee be ignorant of our sinne when wee doe it This is spoken after the manner of men So we are bidden shew our necessities to God not that hee is ignorant thereof but that he may prouide for them Psal 37. Gen 7.18 Gen 22. Deut. 13. Psal 26. And God is sayd to come downe and see the affaires of man So God sees mens doings with a most acurat and sharpe eye But he is sayd to know these sinnes which are explicat by vs when we confesse them vnto him that thereby we may be the more moued So God willeth not this for his sake but for our cause for this commemoration of our sinnes sharpeneth our prayers maketh vs more ready to prayer by our confession wee shew no new thing to God but we testifie we know that whereof wee were ignorant before Whence knowledge of sinne proceedeth A man learneth a great lesson if he learne to know his owne sinnes I know mine iniquitie sayth David This knowledge commeth by the law therefore we had neede to haue the law euer before our eyes as a mirrour in which if we looke it will perfectly let vs see all that wee haue done The great miserie which lyeth vpon this world is that they know not their sinne and therefore they cannot acknowledge it wherefore let vs beg from our gratious God that wee may see our sinne and talke with it that we may also finde grace after our acknowledgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cognitum feci I made knowne Hee addeth another degree of his true repētance it was without hypocrisie for hee hid it not nor vsed any subterfuges colours excuses extenuations denyals or other shifts which the Deuill teacheth men to vse to preiudge them of mercie hee quiteth himselfe of all these and this is the second preparation to grace when men not onely come to a sight and acknowledgement of their sinnes but with all growes to a resolution that they will be content to deale with God so sincerelie that they will not hide their sin any more but they will be the greatest censurers of themselues Concerning the hidding and couering of our sinnes Note I spake in the beginning of the Psalme all wayes let vs assure our selues of this that while we obscure our selues we will neuer deale truely with God For I thought or said purposed and resolued to confesse heartily my sinne Doctr. A Christian resolution necessarie to repentance Luk 15. Exod 9.27 1 Sam 15. Gen 4.13 The same phrase the forlorne Sonne vsed I said I will goe home to my father which Christian resolution is necessary to repentance for otherwise men at starts and brads will now and then repent and haue feeling of their sinne confesse as Pharoah Saul Caine but it indureth not because they wanted a resolution Therefore let vs haue our meditations of our sinnes and resolutions to amend our liues for all the rest as lightenings will flie away as soone as they come a wise man doth his businesse aduisedly but a foole bableth forth what he knoweth not Therefore Salomon said and resolued Pro 15.8 The Sacrifice of Fooles is abomination to the Lord. Then I pray you be wise and resolue to doe well I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord. See now how he is not ashamed to confesse his sinne and breake out in an open Proclamation of the same For his knowledge of sinne banished his Hypocrisie that hee would not hide it and the last point of his resolution is to confesse it to God and the Prophet Nathan By this yee may clearely perceiue the degrees by which God worketh grace in a christian The degrees by which God worketh grace and the Diuell indurance in finnes as by the contrary the Deuill worketh induration in sinne For first the Deuill blinds man that hee should not see his sinne next hee teacheth him to couer his sinne and finally neuer to confesse his sinne But God by the contrary bringeth a man to the sight of sin to a discouering of sinne and last to a free confession of the same This confession of sinne is an vnfained profession to leaue it off Doctr. True repentance is voluntary It is not extorted as the confession of Caine who being punished with the furie of conscience said his burthen was greater then hee was able to beare Gen 4.13 neither of Iudas who also confessed he had slaine the innocent blood Mat 27.4 neither through extremitie of paine with Adonibezek professing he was iustly recompenced with that measure Iudg 1.7 wherewith hee had met others seuenty kings were vnder my table their thumbs and toes cut off as I haue done the Lord hath done to me Ionah 3.8 Neither with the Ninivites for feare of the present iudgement at the word of Ionas neither with Achab for the same cause 1 King 21.27 But Dauids confession commeth from an vnfained remorse and griefe for his sinnes and confidence in Gods mercies as being truly moued and hauing a sense and feeling of his owne miserie A man who hides his sinne as yee heard before will not prosper Pro 13.28.13 wherefore let our confession be simple and as we were not ashamed to sinne let vs not be ashamed to confesse out sinne When we haue sinned let vs not hide them as our first Parents hid themselues vnder bushes after they had sinned Gen 3.7.8 neither let vs make clothes of figge-tree-leafes to couer them as they did neither excuse our selues as they did but simplie confesse our sinne that we may be absolued if yee come before an earthlie Tribunall and confesse yee file your selues but before the heauenly tribunall your confession will absolue you Vnto the Lord. Against thee I haue sinned For what causes we should make confession to God therefore to thee onely I confesse and indeed great reason haue we so to doe For God onely knowes all our sinnes Secondly Hee is onely able to pardon them Lastly He is a secret confessor he will not preiudge our confessions and send word of them to the Pope or reueale them to our disgrace to the world It is great reason we should confesse our sinne before God and before men also if we haue
1 Cor. 10.7 for our dayes vpon earth are as a shaddow and be not Idolaters as some of them were Therefore David being kindled doth kindle others Simil It is not possible that a cold coale can giue light but once kindled it will giue both light and heat He that doth not edifie his owne heart will be the more vnable to edifie others Paul sayes I beleeved Psal 40.10 2 Cor. 1.14 therefore I spake David becommeth an example to others of Gods mercie neither yet do we lacke examples both of his mercie and iustice But here we faile we cannot vse these examples neither make profit by them There ariseth here a question Ob since Dauid was an holy experimented Doctour taking vpon him to teach others must they be all like Dauid that is holy and truely religious who are able to teach others I answere Doe ye not thinke Ans that Balaams prophecies wrought good to the Church Simil May not a man with a leprous hand sow good seed which will fructifie May not a false Steward giue good bread to the children Iudas taught and wrought miracles and was not Saul among the Prophets 1 Sam 10.7 The Apostle Paul seeing many Preach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not purely but of envie and pride sayth Phil. 1.15.18 I reioyce Christ is Preached any manner of way Gaudet in re non in modo sayth one of the Fathers And why was Paul so carefull Lest while he preached salvation to others 1 Cor. 9.27 he should be a Reprobate himselfe if a man might not miscarrie himselfe Preaching Saluation to others The worke that the Hypocriticall Preacher doth shall not prosper to himselfe but I know no reason why it may not prosper to others as I haue showne you by the pretending similituds Simil. Let none refuse the kings almes because they get it from his Amner 1 King 16.6 Note Elias refused not his meat although a Rauen brought it for if thou finde it to be Gods word take it out of what so euer mouth This 6 verse hath two parts First the meanes which godly men will vse to bring them in Gods fauour They will pray vnto him in a time when he may be found Secondly The effect of their Prayer Surely in the floude of great waters they shall not come neere him In the former after the inference therefore is noted the person praying euery godly man next to whom hee prayes to thee thirdly the time when thou maiest be found Doctr. Remission of sinne belongeth to all Gods children Deut 29.29 In this inference Therefore Dauid giues vs to vnderstand that this worke of Gods mercie in the remission of his sinnes shall not die in himselfe but shall surviue for euer and refresh the godly of all ages Things shewed to vs belong to vs and our children Euerie one that is godly Here is the person who must pray the godlie and euery one of them The word Chasid in the owne language signifieth two things the first a gracious man who hath receiued fauour from God Isa 7.6 He that hath grace can pray for grace Pro 15.8 Secondly It signifieth one who sheweth mercy or a meeke man a mercifull man Wherein we obserue that onely hee that hath grace can pray for grace The sacrifice of the wicked is an abhomination to the Lord. Gen. 4.4 The Lord hath respect to the offering of Abel but not to Caines offering Hee sayth of the men of Iudah the inhabitants of Ierusalem that though they cry vnto him Ier. 11.11 he will not heare them c. Onely those can pray rightly who haue the Spirit to cry Abba Father which no reprobate hath Rom 8.15 but onely the godly God heareth not sinners Ioh 9.31 but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him heareth he Hee hath no promise to be heard therefore his prayer turneth vnto sinne Pro 28.9 and God will cast backe the dung of his Sacrifice vpon his face neither hath he fayth to beleeue Rom 14.23 and what so euer is without faith is sinne then the wicked are in a miserable estate who in all their life cannot pray they call not on the Lord. Psal 14.4 The Second signification is a meeke or mercifull man to declare that that prayer is in vaine which doth not proceede from a meeke and humble heart in thy selfe and mercifull to men and therefore in the praier which is prescribed to vs by our Lord we protest that wee are free from all hatred and doe heartilie forgiue such as offend vs. Who wold haue pardon of God let them forgiue others Which I wish to God we remembered so off as we pray for we haue daylie contentions and strife which no doubt interrupteth our praiers With what mouth can yee protest to God yee haue pardoned others when the hatred which yee haue locked vp in your heart accuseth you of a manifest lie before God Thou wouldest haue thy sinnes to be pardoned which thou committest against the eternall and omnipotent God and thou wilt not pardon the sinnes which are done against thee by a worme dust and ashes Then this is the way to right prayer that thou be bountifull mecke and mercifull Mat 10.16 The Scriptures calls Gods children Doues then they must be farre from the crueltie of the Hauke Shall pray this is the office and part of godly and meeke men to pray for praier hath great fruite and is profitable both to purchase things present and to come if any man be pressed by aduersitie in any Perâ—ill or danger sicknesse hunger Prayer profitable for al things or bee vrged by any calamitie what shall he doe pray If the memorie of his former sinnes sting his conscience if he be terrified with the feare of hell and eternall death Iam. 5.23 Let him pray for this is the onely hope and refuge of a Christian Chrys de oratione lib. 1. Yea as Chrysostome sayth it is the life of the soule and the soule would die without it What can affright vs if wee take our selfe to the hold of praier Exod. 14 21 Iosh 6 20. Exod 17.11 1 Kings 17.1 2 Chron 20 3. 2 Chron. 14 11. and 32.20 Prayer need full to all This diuided the red Sea cast downe Iericho ouerthrew Amalek closed and opened the heauens By this Ichosaphat ouercame Moab and Ammon Asa the Ethiopians Ezechias the Assyrians c. Let vs therefore runne to these weapons in all our troubles Prayer is necessary that it is required of what so euer age yong or old of what euer fexe men or women of what so euer cailing Princes Pastors and people so that who euer lacke this are not godly and by this a manifest difference is made betwixt the godly and vngodly Let each man try himselfe of what Spirit hee is and craue the spirit of prayer Vnto thee Now hee setteth downe the person to whom hee should
prayse God and our necessities but when we praise we haue our chiefe respect to God and his honour and the Lord he doth both for he worketh deliuerie of vs and thankfullnesse in vs Ab eo incipient ab eo desinent operatur velle et perficere They beginne of him they shall end of him he worketh to will and to perfit Iacob was deliuered by God Gen. 35. and hee said to him Goe vp to the God of Bethel Often christians are grieued at themselues that they know not how to performe a dutie to God for his blessings for which cause Dauid sayth What shal I render to the Lord c. Psal 116.12 I will take the cup of Saluation c. Compassest mee about This word importeth Doctr. As we are beseiged with troubles so are we compassed with deliueries that as wee are beseiged on euery side with troubles so wee are compassed with as many comforts and deliueries as our crosses grow daily so our consolations are augmented day by day Wee are on euerie side offended and on euerie side defended therefore wee ought on euery side sound Gods praises as Dauid sayth Psal 103.1 My soule praise the Lord and all that is within me With Songs of deliuerance This noteth the the greatnesse of his praises and what delight hee had in them that hee would not onely speake them but sing them This was verie familiar to the Iewes namely to Dauid to sing songs on Harps Viols Tabrets and all instruments of Musicke All my springs shall bee in thee Awake Viol c. The tears of Gods children end in ioy But first let vs obserue that the teares of Gods children end in ioy they sowe a precious seed with sorrow but they bring home sheaues of corne dancing In that hee will not be content onely with thankes but also will haue them conioyned with songs hee letteth vs see how high all the strings of his heart are bended that hee cannot containe himselfe for the mercies of God to his Church and for his manifold deliuerances for the same Many sing prayses to God with an halfe open mouth Many haue an halfe open mouth in singing prayses to God who are too ready to sing filthy Ballads to the dishonour of God and albeit they can sing alowde any filthy ballad in their house they make the meane I warrand you in the Church that scarce they can heare the sound of their owne voyce I thinke they be ashamed to proclaime and shew forth Gods prayses or they feare to deafen God by their lowde singing But David bended all his forces within and without to praise his God Neither doe wee approue those foolish songs of the Papists Against Popish singing who doe not only wearie the hearers but the Idoles themselues with their rowting and crying and that in an vnknowen Language Saint Basil sayth eos demum cantus recipiendos qui nos possunt efficere meliores Those Songs are to be receiued which may make vs better in old they sung as though they had beene speaking that men might rather vnderstaÌ„d their meaning then delight their eare by the instrument VERSE 8. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt goe and I will guide thee with mine eye VERSE 9. Be not like an Horse or like a Mule which vnderstandeth not whose mouthes thou doest binde with bit and bridle lest they come neere thee VERSE 10. Many sorrowes shall come to the wicked but hee that trusteth in the Lord mercie shall compasse him NOw David after he hath gotten assurance of there mission of his sinnes described the vertues which flow from the same in these three verses The substance of these three verses giueth forth a worthy and Doctorall admonition to all sinners to take heed vnto themselues in the eight verse propounding himselfe to to be their Doctor in the ninth sharpely admonishing them that they become not brutish beasts in not giuing voluntar obedience till they be coacted and lastly in the 10. verse hee threateneth those that will not obey many sorrowes shall come to them Concerning the first part I spake in the Inscription of the Psalme yet somewhat I will adde Seeing it pleaseth Gods Spirit to repeate I am not grieued once or twise for your edification to repeate the same matter albeit not after the same maner for this is true Philosophie to teach repentance A King becommeth a Philosopher in the teaching of repentance and these are the fruiâ—s of true repentance He who hath ouercome sinne in himselfe will striue to ouercome it in others when wee will communicate our feelings to others for he who hath ouercome sinne in himselfe will studdie to banish it from others for repentance cannot be without charitie Some translate this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will make it knowne So I will make it euident to you if yee be ignorant Since I haue showne you the way yee your selues are blame worthie if yee will not follow it This is the zeale of the Lords glorie which is in the hearts of Gods children that it bursts forth as a vessel of new Wine as Elihu sayd Simil. Iob. 41. Luk. 13.21 as fire as oyle that giueth smell to all who are in the house as Leauen which leaueneth the whole batch as a light which inlighteneth the whole house Pro. 27.17 as yron sharpeneth yron so doth a Christian a Christian Andrew found Simon and brought him to Christ Philip found Nathaneel they brought others to Christ Ioh. 4. The Samaritan woman being called did also call the Samaritans to Christ Paul conuerted studied to conuert others Act. 9. Luk. 22.32 and Peter conuerted by our Sauiour was commanded to strengthen his brethren And if wee would consider how busied wicked men are to intise others to their sin Pro. 1.14 Goe wee shall haue a common purse cast in thy lot among vs and againe how wicked Proseâ—its goe by Sea and Land Note to make others of their profession Wee both Pastors others would be ashamed that we take no paines vpon â—ur selues to strengthen weake Christians and â—raw those who are without and confirme those who are within in the truth of God whereof our owne consciences are sufficiently perswaded Our coldnesse in this poynt hath neede to be kindled and let vs indeauour to amend it and bee more relaxe in our owne affaires and more bent in the cause of God The Lord waken vs also for Vt ingulent homines surgunt de nocte Latrones Theeues rise in the night to kill men tu vt te ipsum serues non expergisceris thou that thou maiest saue thy selfe doest not awake Math. 26.40.47 Iudas arose in the night to betray Christ while the Apostles were in a heauie sleepe and would not watch for him and themselues Such is the securitie of our nature that wee are not prouident for good things and the pronesse of the
Whether may not men lawfully reioyce in the blessings that God hath given them as a man in the Wife of his youth Parents in their children and in their temporall blessings I answere yea verily providing alway that God be the ground and end of their reioycing Ans that they reioyce in them as pledges of Gods mercie and loue them because they see them readie to serue God and that they regard more grace then nature in their wiues and children otherwise their preposterous affection turneth into sorrow and griefe 1 Sam. 4.17 18. as did the loue of Eli to his children who in the end smarted for it The Lord moderate our ioyes that they may be all in him and sanctifie our persons that they may be righteous and vpright that the loyes we receiue here may be entrances to the euerlasting ioyes we shall receiue in the kingdome of Heaven through Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS A GODLY AND FRVITFVL EXPOSITION ON THE xxxviij PSALME THis Psalme hath three parts to be considered First The diuision of the Psalme the title and superscription A Psalme for remembrance Secondly Dauids humble confession of his sinnes which brought forth such miseries on his body and mind which he regrateth throughout all the Psalme vntill the two last verses Thirdly a prayer to God for support and reliefe out of those troubles contained in the two last verses The title A Psalme for remembrance THe meaning of this title is that he would keepe it to be a memoriall and a memento of his miseries which because of his sinne he did sustaine at the making hereof For man by nature is forgetfull of his miseries Man remembreth his trouble no longer then whilst he is vnder it so that they passe as waters that are gone yea albeit they vrge him very vehemently while they are lying on him yet he presently forgetteth them when he getteth the smallest reliefe as men do the stormie blasts of Winter so soone as some few faire Sommer dayes do appeare Simil. This forgetfulnesse springeth out of that roote of ingratitude which is a capitall sin Forgetfulnes springeth of ingratitude Psal 103.2 Doctrine God who deliuereth vs must put vs in mind of our deliuerie Gen. 28.20 and therefore Dauid prayeth vnto the Lord that his benefits slip neuer out of his mind So that God who deliuereth vs out of our troubles must also furnish vs with memorie both to remember the deliuerie as also the troubles out of which he hath deliuered vs. Iacob made a vow at Bethel that if God went with him and would keepe him in the iourney which he went and would giue him bread to eate and clothes to put on c. then he should be his God But when he returned God put him in mind of his vow saying Arise go vp to Bethel and dwel there and make there an altar vnto God that appeared vnto thee when thou fleddest from Esau thy brother Gen. 35.1 And as it is naturall in vs to forget Gods benefits so is it as naturall in vs to remember euill Man remâ—bers euill too well If any hath offended vs in the smallest word that we keepe fresh in memorie Nam ira tardissimè senescit wrath slowly groweth old As the sieue retaineth and beareth aboue the clats and bran Simil. the grosse excrements of the corne and suffereth the good grain easily to passe thorows so doe wee easily retaine euill and forget good This superscription is not to be found in all the Psalmes except in this and in the seuentie Alwaies let vs pray vnto the Lord to furnish vs with a faithfull remembrance both of our sinnes prouoking him to wrath against vs and of his manifold mercies pardoning our manifold sinnes as also that we may forget the particular iniuries wrongs done vnto vs. The substance and vse of this Psalme In this 38 Psalme Dauid deploreth vnto God the violence of his sicknesse the malice of his aduersaries who seeming to pitie him mocked him by their craftie visitation exulcerating his wounds by their deceitfull dealing while he in the meane time in patience possessed his soule not making answer to their iniuries in the first twenty verses in the two last imploring Gods helpe for his deliuerance from them The vse of this Psalme This Psalme will be very pertinent for euery one who is outwardly or inwardly grieued for they haue this godly Prince and Prophet set down before them in that same case as Christ also whose type he was was acquainted with the like miseries and an high Priest who hauing tafted of all our dolours may more heartily compassionate vs in our afflictions The Papists think that this Psalme should be sung for those that are in Purgatorie Against the Papists songs for those in Purgatory which they themselues grant was not before Christs dayes but if they marked it rightly they would be ashamed of that assertion for it destroyeth all the grounds of their purgatoriall fire which some of themselues confesse from whom albeit Lorinuâ— the Iesuite and Bellarmine do not disassent yet they think it not meet to condemne the opinion of others who affirme the same lest thereby they should giue vs whom they call Heretikes cause of reioycing Whereby we may plainly perceiue how those two arch-heretikes detaine the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse 〈◊〉 1.18 commending and approuing the false wresting of the Scriptures yet not daring to condemne that as hereticall doctrine which they cannot proue to be canonicall and agreeable to the truth VERSE 1. O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy wrath THere are 22 verses of this Psalme answering to the order of the Hebrew Alphabet This first verse is agreeable to the first verse of the sixt Psalme of which I haue written at length except only in the two Hebrew words Beappecha and Bekitspecha which are Synonyma and of one signification which two Psalmes Saint Basil conferring together findeth them to agree in many things as the diligent Reader by comparing them together may perceiue He also compareth a sinner to a sicke man Basil lib. 1. de staâ—u animae qui leuia ac mitia pharmaca desideret ferrim incisiones ignem deprecetur who desireth light and easie plaisters and again would be free of cuttings fire and extreme remedies To the foresaid place of the sixt Psalme lest I should seeme tedious in repetition I referre the Reader VERSE 2. For thine arrowes haue light vpon me and thine hand lyeth vpon me SAint Ierom translateth the Hebrew word Nichathu piercing me The arrowes of God are the calamities vexations whereby he was vnquieted in minde and bodie compared to arrowes frequently in the Scriptures as Deut. 32.23 I will bestow mine â—rrowes vpon them And in the 42 verse I wiâ— make mine arrowes drunke with blood And Iob 6.4 The arrowes of the Almightie are in me For God is compared to an archer whose hand is strong
originall language mippene from the face is two times repeated both in speaking of Gods wrath and his owne owne sinnes that is for the sight of them both Wherein I perceiue a lesson worthy of consideration Doctrine God will not looke fauourably vpon vs vnles first we looke both vpon our owne sins and his anger at theÌ„ that is that we must haue a two-fold sight before we get the sight of Gods fauourable face First we must haue our owne sinnes before our eyes next we must see the countenance of an angrie God looking downe vpon vs with austere and heauie lookes because of them and then in the third roome we must beg Gods fauourable face to shine vpon vs. The Lord grant vs the right sight of all those three that as Iosephs brethren first saw his angrie countenance Gen. 42. and then his fauourable acceptation with the greater gladnesse so we may see what we haue deserued at Gods hand and so after may heare the voyce of ioy and gladnesse Psal 51.8 that the bones which he hath broken may reioyce again First we must heare the terrible thundering of mount Sinai then the ioyfull shouting of mount Sion VERSE 4. For mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head and as a heauie burden they are too heauie for me HAuing spoken before of the cause of his miserie which was his sinnes now he aggrauateth them in respect of their multitude comparing them to waters which had ouergone his head and in respect of the magnitude weight A mark of a truly penitent to aggrauatâ— his sinne Psa 138.18 comparing them to a burden which surely is a marke of a penitent sinner when he as was Dauid can be content to confesse his sinnes to be in number more then the sand of the sea or the haires of his head Why sins are compared to waters He compareth his sins to waters which albeit in the first entrie are shallow that scarce they will touch the ankles yet the further ye go into them they wil be deeper and will soone passe from your knee to your shoulders and ouergo your head Ezek. 47.1.2.3.4.5 and drowne you except God prouide a remedy as if a planke or boord be casten in whereupon taking hold you may easily escape the danger euen so we go from sin to sin and from lesse to greater vntill that many sinâ— meeting and concerning together ouergo vs and we filling the cup of our iniquitie be poisoned with the dregs thereof Therefore let vs take heed and turne back in time lest going forward contemning such warnings we become selfe-murderers of our owne soules We haue better waters thorough which we may go in safetie the waters of Siloah Esa 8.6 which run softly by which we may refresh our owne soules the blessed blood of Iesus Christ and the waters of Ezekiel Ezek. 47.12 which flow in the Sanctuarie that we may grow from grace to grace till we come to glorie Against auricular confession Out of this place is cleerly condemned that auricular confession by which men are bound vnder pâ—inâ— of condemnation to confesse euery particular sinne to the Priest which is impossâ—â—â—â— for them to do when as Dauid saith thâ—y are gone ouer mine head and againe Psal 19.12 Who can vnderstand his faults It is no maruell that he saith his sinnes haue gone ouer his head for in this one he committed many sins The persons against whom Dauid sinned and offended many persons He sinned against himselfe in defiling his owne bodie against Bathsheba against Vriah against those slaine with Vriah against his concubines against the bodie of the people by giuing them an euil exampleâ— and which was worst of all against God by making his Name to be blasphemed And as a weightie burthen they are too heauie for me The second comparison is taken from a burden weightier then lead Wherin sin is heauier then any bâ—rden heauier then sand And indeed sin is more weightie then any burden whatsoeuer for first it presseth downe both soule and body When Peter was chained in prison Act. â—2 in the night he had libertie with ioy to raise vp his soule to praise God Paul was in prison Act 16.25 but Gods word was not bound Next burdens are vpon some parts of the body not vpon all as manicles are on the hands fetters on the feete c. other members being free but sin and the bonds thereof are vpon euery member binding and pressing it downe so that it cannot do any seruice to Christ The eares are dull in heâ—ring the eyes full of adulterie Iob 24 1â— Psal 13.9 the mouth an open sepulchre the foote readie to shed blood c. Thirdly this is the greatest miserie that when all other burdens are felt we take thiâ— on with pleasure we vndergo it with delight without wearying and are as Issachar asses couching betweene two burdens Gen. 4 â— 1â— And surely I thinke we are worse then asses For when our burden groweth greatest we do not onely not groane vnder them but are glad to vnder go them the two burdens both of our conscience and of our bodies The Israelites groaned in Egypt vnder temporall burdens Ezod 2.13 and were heard the Iewes in Babylon Psal 147. and were relieued would God we could groane that so we might be helped I will not deny but Dauid may also meane in this text of the burden of afflictions seeing the originall word gnon signifieth pain and Cain vsed that selfesame word in the fourth of Genesis For three burdens are mentioned in the Scriptures Three fortâ— of burdâ—â—ns Mat. 11.28 of sin as Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and loaden with sin and I will ease you Of paine as Cast thy burden vpon the Lord. Psal 37.15 And of Gods benefits as Praised be God who daily loadneth vs with his benefits Psal 10.3 God he loadneth vs with his blessings both spirituall and temporall and we againe loaden him with our sins with which we are loadned our selues Ah sinfull nation Isa 1 4â— a people loaden with iniquitie And therefore God iustly must againe loaden vs with his corrections But it may be asked how this selfesame speech is spoken both by Cain a reprobate â—biec â— and Dauid an elect child of God I answer Solut. that sinne was alike heauie to them both but Dauid had a sight of Gods mercie in the midst of his sins which Cain did neuer see and therefore did not runne vnto God for reliefe as here Dauid doth Verse 5. My wounds are putrisied and corrupt because of my foolishnesses HE goeth further in the enumeration of â—is miseries which he setteth downe by the putrifaction and rotting of his wounds and confesseth the cause of them to be his owne foolishnesse Where first ye see Sin causeth putrifactioÌ„ and rottennesse Gen. 3.19 that sin bringeth putrifaction and rottennesse to mens flesh For as the
in our hearts to the Lord Col. 3 16. reiecting vaine idolatrous and profane ballads and sing spiritually vnto the Lord. When Nathan the Prophet came to him Dauid as is thought lay a yeare almost in this sinne asleep till God wakened him by Nathan Ionah 1.6 as he did Ionas by the Pilot. It is certaine we would sleep vnto death before we awake from sinne if God did not put vpon vs Man is lying asleepe till God waken him and stirre vs vp We are so benummed by the spirit of slumber and possessed by a lethargie that all our senses are stupified till Nathan come and awake vs. Next God sends him that which he praied for euen a faithful admonisher Psal 119. One Prophet cometh to another yea a greater then himselfe 1. King 13.18 not as the old Prophet came to the yong at Bethel to deceiue him but as a father to admonish his child There should be an holy freedome and libertie among Preachers Pastors should freely rebuke the vices one of another each one should freely rebuke another when they see them doing wrong One should not winke at an other as most part do and others being reproued rage mightily saying with Zidkiah When went the Spirit of the Lord out of me to thee 1. King 22.24 Esa 30.10 They rebuke the rebuker They say to the Prophet Prophecie not Obserue moreouer that Nathan cometh first to Dauid not Dauid to Nathan the Physitian to the patient not the patient to the Physitian Christ himselfe came to the sinners and Publicans and called them to repentance This is against the pride of some Mat. 9.13 Against the pride and lazinesse of Preachers and lazinesse of others who will not come or take the paines to visit weake Christians yea will scarce admit them to their presence when they come as though they were Princes Woe to their pride who come not to the sicke and heale not the broken as saith the Prophet but feed themselues with the fat of the sheepe Let none of higher gifts despise those of lower Acts 9.17 God vseth Nathan a Prophet inferiour to Dauid both in Prophecie wisedome and other gifts to be an instrument to warne Dauid Let none then of greater gifts despise those of lesser Ananias taught Paul and here Nathan Dauid After he had gone in to Bathsheba Albeit Dauid thought he had hid himselfe well enough yet God found him out by Nathan Adam hid himselfe among the bushes but God called to him Gen. 3.8 Where art thou Let vs not then dreame that God doth not see vs and whatsoeuer starting holes we seeke to hide our selues in The woman lighteth the candle Luk. 15.4 and findeth the lost pennie and our Shepheard will seeke his lost sheepe and bring it home againe No wither can we go from the all-seeing eye of God Gone in to Bathsheba As Dauid was an example of the frailtie of mans nature and Nathan of a faithfull Preacher so Dauid setteth down what euils do come of the beautie of women which is conioyned with impudencie and leuitie For if she had not washed her selfe naked before the pallace and consented so readily to the King Against the impudency of women that he should come in to her a filthy action spoken in cleane termes as Christians should do the like there had not bin such abhominable crimes committed She representeth many women in our days shamelesly haunting such places where they may giue occasion to meÌ„ to suit after theÌ„ Gen. 38 1â— as Tamar sitting by the high way when Iudah came by This doth not disgrace honest women but rather giueth them matter to glorifie God who hath not suffered them to be deborde in their filthy affections As the wise mariner seeing others by throwing themselues in danger suffer shipwrack Simil thanketh God who kept him from the like so honest women may praise God that he hath preserued their honestie which was not in their owne hand Beautie is not to be euill thought of being a benefit and blessing of God Beautie a blessing of God if not abused but the abuse of beautie by the tentation of the diuell and deceitfulnesse of our owne nature when Satan allureth vs to dishonour God and destroy that goodly peece of workmanship which God hath made vp in vs by that which should haue bin an instrument to prouoke vs to Gods seruice Pro. 31.30 Beautie is deâ—â—â—tfull Absoloms beautie deceiued him c. Sa. 14.15 and many with him haue beautie but haue no grace to vse it well Finally I see both the persons are noted by their names and not obscured wherein the Spirit of God in his word as in a true mirror and glasse representeth euery ones naturall face either in their beautie or in their blemishes So Iohn Baptist spoke particularly to Herod Math. 14.4 and the Prophets to their Princes They closed not vp their reproofes vnder generalities that they might interprete them any way which pleased them best but called blacke blacke sowre sowre and sweete whosoeuer sin openly ought opeÌ„ly to be rebuked sweete For particular applications to eminent persons is most requisite and those that sin openly should be openly rebuked that others may stand in awe Verse 1. Haue mercie vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities HAue mercie vpon me O God The thing he craueth most of God is mercie for God hath many qualities which are essentiall to him but none of them could do vs any good without his mercie his power would destroy vs his wisedome confound vs his iustice condemne vs his maiestie affright vs but all these by it turne to our good To beg for mercie is the first word of a supplicant The first word of the forâ—orne sonne to his father was Father Luk. 15.21 I haue sinned against heauen and against thee This Christ in his prayer hath taught vs to pray Math. 6.12 Forgiue vs our sinnes So in euery prayer we should begin at haue mercie vpon me O God We sin daily and vnlesse we offer vp at the doore of the Sanctuarie a sin-offering we cannot offer an offering of thanksgiuing and the sweete incense of praises Thus prayed the woman of Canaan saying Mat. 19.22 Haue mercie vpon me comprehending vnder that the cure of her daughter and the two blind men cried O Sonne of Dauid haue mercie Mat. 9.27 as also did many others The greatest comfort that Christians haue in their trouble is that they haue to do with a mercifull God and not rigorous nor one who wil chide with vs continually Psal 103.9 but one who is flow to anger readie to forgiue whose name is mercie whose nature is mercifull who hath promised to be mercifull who is the Father of mercies 2. Cor. 1.3 The earth is full of his mercies they are aboue the heauens and the clouds
his mercy is aboue all his works extending to a thousand generations Exo. 20.6 Psal 100.5 Hos 6.6 whose mercie endureth for euer With the Lord is mercie and great redemption I will haue mercie and not sacrifire His mercies are often repeated in the Scriptures as Psal 5.6.12.16.17.20.22.23.24 thrice 25.30 thrise 32. twise 35. thrise 39. twise 41. thrise 47.50.50.58 thrise 60.61.62.63.68 twice c. Ioel 2.13 Mica 7.18 Mâ—th 12.7 rich in mercie â— Tim. 1.2 Eph. 2.4 c. The Apostles salutation is Grace mercie and peace Since so it is As a gardeÌ„ is replenished with flowers so is the Scriptures with mercie that this herbe of mercie groweth in euery corner of the garden of holy Scriptures and all the Prophets and Euangelists by plucking thereof haue nourished themselues let vs also in our greatest distresses run vnto it perswading our selues that God will as soone denie himselfe vnto vs as he will denie his mercie if we come with penitent hearts and beg it with such humility as becometh supplicants such faith as beleeuers such hope and patience as becommeth the elect we need not doubt he is faithfull who hath promised The Papists Bellarmine and Larinus in their translations Lorinus Bellarmine adde to the Scriptures following the Septuagints and not Saint Ierome as they confesse do adde magnam great giuing greater credit to their owne translation then to S. Ierome who was knowne to haue bin a godly and learned translator or to the Hebrew veritie They confesse the Scriptures in the originall language to be the best and yet do not spare to adde or pare therefrom as pleaseth them and therefore that curse must fall vpon them in the 22 of the Reuelation that God will adde all the curses of the law vpon those who adde to the Scripture and the words of this book and put their name out of the booke of life who diminish any point of them What need haue they to put in magnam great as though the multitude which followeth did not include the greatnesse O God The person to whom he prayeth is God Obiect Against iâ—uocation of Saintâ— But in regard of his basenesse and vnworthinesse why doth he not make suite to Abraham Moses Samuel Iob or some other holy men onely contenting himselfe with God For I thinke the sinners of old time had as much need of the suppliment of the old Patriarkes and Fathers of the Church as we haue now of the helpe of our Apostles and Saints If they had not mind of such Mediators â—â—â—siâ— but fled onely to God I thinke we should follow their footsteps When God is deficient then let vs go to them and when the Sunne of righteousnes doth not shine it is time to light our halfe â—pennie candles Paul saith O foolish Galatians Gal. 4.3.1 who hath bewitched you and I say O foolish Papists when will you leaue off your folly If Christs intercession being God who knoweth all our necessities and pitieth them were not perfect then we might claime some subsidies but it is vaine to seeke otherâ— when he hath all for that doth greatly derogate to his glorie as I haue spoken in another place He vseth the word Elohim representing the holy Trinitie He inuocateth the whole Trinitie of which some of the ancients haue this coniecture because he failed against the Fathers omnipotencie when he abused his regal power in slaying Vriah against the Sonne being the wisedome of the Father vsing deceitfulnesse and fraud in this murder against the Spirit when he by his filthinesse abused his holinesse who is the Spirit of sanctification Therefore say they he now prayeth to Elohim Iudge of this nomination as ye please Elohim representeth the Trinitie as Iehouah the vnitie of both which Saint Augustine in his Confessions admonisheth vs We should saith he neâ—er remember the vnitie of the essence but we should as soone remember and dissolue our mind vpon the trinitie of the persons and not so soone thinke vpon the trinitie of the persons but to gather in our minds the vnitie of the nature which albeit they be vnspeakable and incomprehensible to vs it is enough that we speake with the Scriptures beleeue with the Scriptures and pray at the direction of the Scriptures whose direction if we follow we cannot erre in whose paths as being the vndoubted writs of God if we walke we cannot fall According to thy louing kindnesse The thing which he reposeth and resteth vpon Against merits is not his owne deserts but Gods good wil. Iudge ye if this ouerthroweth merit or no. For if any man might haue preteÌ„ded good works it was he Psal 16. I giue saith he my goodnesse to the Saints I am companion to all them that feare thee I wash my hands in innocencie and compasse thine altar Looke the 101. Psalme concerning the gouernment of his family and his owne person Of his vpright life he saith Iudge me according to my righteousnes While he hath to do with men there was no man more pure in life and religion but when he hath to do with God he renounceth all and taketh him to Gods kindnes and fauour While we looke downe to the earth our sight is sharp enough and we may see far and cleerly Simil. but when we looke to the Sunne then our sight is dazled and blinded so before men we may brag of our vprightnesse and honestie but when we looke vp to God we are ashamed of our selues yea of the least thought of our harts The Lord of his mercie keep vs from presumption that we presume not in any good thing we do seeing that it is Gods worke in vs let him take the honour of his owne worke and let vs say with Dauid Shame belongeth to vs but glorie to thee Out best actions are contaminate with such imperfections and spots that we haue cause to â—top our mouthes and blush and be ashamed of them we are conscious of the manifold faults and defects which are in them According to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities He exaggerateth the weight of his sin in that it hath need of many mercies whereby he testifieth that his sinnes were many passing the number of the heires of his head and like waters that had gone ouer his head So Gods mercies are more then mans miseries many sinnes require many mercies Men are greatly terrified at the multitude of their sinnes but here is a comfort our God hath multitude of mercies If our sinnes be in number as the heires of our head Gods mercies are as the starres of heauen and aâ— he is an infinite God so his mercies are infinite yea so far are his mercies aboue our sinnes as he himselfe is aboue vs poore sinners By this that he seeketh for multitude of mercies The godly account one sin tâ— be many he would shew how deeply he was wounded with his manifold sinnes that one seemed a hundred where
by the contrary so long as we are vnder Satans guiding a thousand seeme but one but if we betake our selues to Gods seruice one will seeme a thousand Againe we may admire the wonderfull largenesse of the mercies of God the bredth whereof extends ouer all the world the height to place vs in heauen the depth to draw vs from the lower hell the length betwixt hell and heauen O the bredth length deepnesse and height of the mercies of ouâ— God Admire the mercies of God the multitude of whose compassions neither man nor Angell is able to comprehend Why then doest thou despaire thereof O man though thy sins were neuer so many his mercies exceed them and although thou sinnest seuentie seuen times a day Mat. 7. he can pardon and forgiue thee Thy compassions the word in the original signifieth an ardent and earnest affection of the heart compassionating that which it pitieth as it were the commotion of the bowels as I noted before that his very bowels are moued toward his children Philem. 12 Luk. 15.20 2. Sa. 18.33 Psal 103. as Paul writeth to Philemon This compassion was demonstrate in the father of the prodigall sonne and in Dauid to Absolom much more in God toward his deare children Looke what pitie parents haue to their children greater hath God towards vs. Are not parents touched at the very heart when they behold the miseries of their children yea would they not hazard their liues and estates as many times they doe to deliuer them and will not God be moued towards vs if we considering his compassion and meeknesse would but pitie our selues by confessing our iniquities vnto him Put away He borroweth a similitude from Merchants who haue their debts written in their account-booke and at the paiment thereof they score out that which before they haue written Therefore since our sinnes are written with a pen of iron and a point of a diamond we must pray to God to blot them out that the hand-writ may be nailed to the crosse It is God that putteth away iniquities he can remoue them as a cloud Dan. 9.24 Daniel prophesying of the Messiah saith Seuentie weekes are determinate vpon thy people and vpon thy holy Citie to finish the wickednesses and to seale vp the sinnes and to reconcile the iniquitie All our sinnes shall be washed away by the streames of his blood so that they shall neuer be read or brought to an account either in this world or the world to come Mine iniquities He committed iniquitie against Vriah whom he killed for which he is so charged in his conscience being summoned before the bar of Gods iustice that he can get no rest vntill he get pardon and none could giue him pardon and rest in his mind but God whom he principally offended in killing and destroying one formed to Gods owne image So when we do wrong to men In wronging our neighbour we do most iniurie to God let vs not thinke it enough if we be reconciled to the partie wronged but by repentance and an humble confession of our sinnes let vs seeke to be at one with God who is the partie whom we do most wrong to Verse 2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquitie and câ—eanse me from my sinne HE expresseth by similitudes taken from washing and cleansing the mercie which he craued in the former verse that is Similitudes are much vsed in the Scriptures remission of his sinnes Similitudes are very common in the Scriptures and in the ancient Fathers The Prophets spake by similitudes Christ spake by parables the Epistles of the holy Apostles and Sermons of the Fathers are full of them So earthly obiects should serue vs to this end that in them we may see heauenly things and there is no creature There is no earthly thing which may not be applied to some spirituall vse which doth not represent to thee the Creator and if we had spirituall eyes we would apply euery earthly thing to some spirituall vse The dust teacheth vs whereof we came and what we are euen dust The grasse admonisheth vs to seeke a dwelling elsewhere for here we are as grasse which soone fadeth The wormes will vs not to be proud for we are meâ—te prepared for them The Sunne when it beginneth to shâ—ne putteth vs in minde to beg for the Sun of righteousnesse to shine in our soules Euery bird after his kinde praiseth God so should we When we behold bread we should remember that of our Sauiour Labour not for the meate that perisheth Ioh. 6.27 So God hath set all his creatures to be as so many masters to teach vs our dutie The Lord sanctifie our sight that we may looke attentiuely and consider God in his creatures and that they may be as steps of a ladder to draw vs vp to him Sin maketh man to appeare filthy before God Wash me throughly from mine iniquities There is nothing can make men appeare filthy before God but onely sinne as naturall Philosophers through the light of nature haue bin forced to confesse And therefore saith Seneca Seneca Si scirem homines ignoraturos deos ignoscituros non peccarem tamen propter peccati vtilitatem If I knew saith he that the gods would pardon me and men would not see me yet would I not sin because of the filthinesse of sin It blacketh the body with shamefull ignominie The enâ—â— of sinne burdeneth the soule with an euill conscience disgraceth the gifts of the minde and defaceth them blotteth them out maketh them stinke and seeme nothing Vertue in a profane man is as a gold ring on a swines snout The vomit of a dog seemeth filthy to vs and a sow wallowing in the puddle is loathsome albeit not so in the sight of God A man polluted with sin of all creatures the most beastly but more loathsome is a man defiled with blood whoredome and drunkennesse and such like of all beasts he is the most beastly Man was in honour but became a beast and when he is drunken he is then inferiour to a beast which wil drink no more then is necessary and hauing drank can discerne the right way home Alas men now make no end of drunkennesse they adde drunkennesse to thirst The euils of drunkennesse whereby they weaken their nature exhaust their money impouerish their posteritie become infamous to the world make shipwrack of their conscience and so destroy bodie soule conscience riches name and all A woman though she were a Princesse and neuer so gallant a Ladie if she be knowne to be like Herodias Psal 15. she is to be contemned in all godly mens eyes and to be esteemed of as Mordecai esteemed Haman Let vs be ashamed of sinne in any and Blush at our owne filthinesse because of it But alas we are fallen in such a time when sinners are become shameâ—esse and women not of the meaner sort Nota. delight as much to be harlots
hath a particular iudgement vpon men in this world both elect and reprobate iudicie non sâ—â—â—er manifesto semper tamen iusto not alwayes by a manifest yet always by a iust iudgment He erecteth a tribunall in mens conscience he summoneth the party accuseth coÌ„uicteth him This iudgment is by his word Spirit For euery mans work shal be manifest as by the fire For the fire both letteth them see their faults and burneth vp their drosse As also he punisheth them in the sight of the world and in their posteritie as he did as well to Dauid as to Saul 2. Sa. 12.10 for he said that blood should not depart from his house and so it was Therefore let not men although the best Christians thinke to escape the censure of his iustice yea what euer he doth Psal 143.17 we must say God is iust in all his works Next he is pure when he iudgeth or trieth We may be assured God will put men to triall God will put vs to triall by afflâ—ction persecution sicknesse and pouertie Then men will be made manifest the hypocrisie of many will be detected For as the wind is appointed to trie the corne Simil. the fire to trie the gold the floods to trie houses builded vpon the rocke and send so shall the day of the Lords triall discerne those who haue but a shadow of religion and shall appeare ere it be long as it is bâ—â—â—n already Alwayes God is pure in his tâ—â—all he knoweth the one from the other already but he will haue men trying and knowing them Gen. 22.12 Abraham was tried in the slaughter or offering of his son and his faith was approued Ionah 2. so was Ionas tried and Iobs patience and Peters weaknesse In all these trials God was pure and free of any iniury done to any of them for they were knowne to be but men although Prophets and Apostles And it is no maruell though at this time in the triall of the Church Nota. many be found to be but men God is not to be blamed he is pure when he trieth And seeing triall is prophecied to be not onely the Church of Philadelphia Reu. 3.10 1. Pet. 1.7 but also in all the earth which is called the houre of tentation or a time of fiery triall either by heresies schismes or defection from the truâ—h of God or by bloodie persecutions of Gods Saints and his Church as all Europe hath experience this day what shall we do but keepe Gods word Nota. possesse our soules in patience suffering the reproches calumnies cruell dealings yea all that the diuell and his children can do to vs. If we be tried by fire let vs be found gold if by water let vs abide in the Arke and in the Apostles boate let vs be found sure builders vpon the foundation which the Apostles laid euen Christ 1. Pet. 2. if by the aire and winds let vs be as wheate and not chaffe If finally by the earth and earthly allurements let vs be fouÌ„d to haue our conuersatioÌ„ aboue the time of trial is come already We learne also out of this that in all our trials whether inward in our conscience or externall in our bodies yea though our bodies were giuen to the beasts and foules of heauen In all our trials externall or internall God is pure yet God is pure and without fault In the best of vs all there is cause why we should be tried Verse 5. Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sin hath my mother conceiued me THis is the fourth reason by which he would moue God to forgiue him That our nature from the very originall is corrupted from the seminarie and fountain of our conception For from our mothers wombe we bring nothing but sinne And surely we cannot throughly acknowledge our sins vnlesse we condemne our whole naturall powers and faculties of vncleannesse So the knowledge of this one sinne bringeth him to the examination of his whole life ActuaÌ„ll sins are as streames which proceed from original sin which is the fountaine till he find nothing in himselfe but sin For if the fountaine be poisoned what will the streames be that flow from it If we would looke backe to our originall sin we might haue cause the more to lament our actual sins as poisonable streames flowing from such a fountaine So soone therefore as our conscience accuseth vs of any one sin we should call to remembrance the whole course of our life Let the remembraÌ„ce of one sin put vs in mind of all the sins we haue committed Simil. that it hath bin nothing else but a continuall sinning against God that thus the last putting vs in mind of the first we may not be content to repent and aske pardon for one but for all A sick man hauing obtained health doth remember how long he was sicke whereby for the present he both considereth his own frailtie and Gods mercie in deliuering him as also encourageth and inanimateth him in time to come by remembrance of former mercies obtained Happie were we if we would begin to remember our miseries and Gods mercies Lorinus the Iesuite to ecce addeth enim which he confesseth is not in the Hebrew veritie and that Saint Ierome hath forgot it yet maintaineth that it is rightly put in to giue force to the words of his sin See the Sophist who granteth the Scriptures and yet would empaire their credit as though Gods Spirit were not wise enough and the sense could not hold without enim The like do they in these words Hoc est corpus meum they adde enim and say Hoc est enim which is not in the Scriptures and were altogether vngrammaticall In a word they alter and change the Scriptures as they please bringing in their enim as a particle of reason which carieth with it no reason Ye see then what the miserable corruption of our nature is so soone as we take life Man no sooner beginneth to liue but he beginneth to sinne Gen. 6.5 we begin to sin An infant of one day is not cleane before God The masse whereof we be formed is filthy and sinfull and so much the more filthy seeing it is possessed with a soule vncleane and polluted The cogitation of wans heart is only euill continually God knoweth our mold Psa 103.14 We erre froÌ„ the womb And albeit mariage be a bed vndefiled Heb. 13.4 by reason of the institution yet the concupiscence and lust polluteth the ordinance which is most holy Children haue originall sin Then children are not free of original sin for then why should they be baptized and why should they die as many do daily But it may seeme wonderfull strange that children who can neither doe Obiect thinke or speake euill should be culpable I answer by another question Solut. Simil. what is the reason that a yong fox new whelped doth not slay a lamb is it not
vse of his tongue now grace restoreth it The tongue is a noble instrument and as it were a bell hanging in a high place It is a shame it should not be occupâ—ed in sounding and much more shame that it should be ill occupied in sounding euill things It is best vsed when it soundeth Gods praises who formed it Nota. The tong is best vsed when it praiseth God Simil. As the golden bell of Aarons garment sounded so should our tongues sound Gods praises if we be his Priests This condemneth two sorts of persons one Those are to be condemned who do not speake for God who neuer speake any thing to Gods honor thinking they are well discharged when they do not openly blaspheme or speak vilde speeches out of the filthy groues of a polluted heart although they heare others and cannot open their mouthes to rebuke them being ashamed to speake for the Lord and glorifie him by maintenance of his truth Those are to be condemned who speake against God Mat. 12.36 The other sort is more to be condemned who open their mouth daily to lies blasphemies slanders But be assured that if for euery idle word we are to be countable much more for euery wicked speech we shall be answerable to God at the last day Shall sing ioyfully He is not content to say shall speake For the more vehement intention of the minde kindled vp with ioy maketh the tongue to burst out in Psalmes hymnes and spiritual songs to stirre vp thy selfe and prouoke others with greater delight and pleasure to praise God This sweete singer of Israel answereth to his name when he singeth sweete songs and ballads to the praise of our sweet God Against those that sing profane balads So much in this are those to be condemned who sing profane baudie songs to the dishonour of God and offence of his Church Of thy righteousnesse that is not of his iustice in punishing him but of his righteousnes in couering his iniquitie For which Christ is called God our righteousnesse So he would be vnrighteous and denie himselfe if he should denie vs mercie so sure is our saluation which is our great comfort We must praise God for all his benefits whereof we are lesse then the least and if for the smallest much more for the greatest euen that worke of our redemption by Christ that he is made our righteousnesse to saue vs when we had nothing of our selues and knew not our danger he prepared a salue for vs before we were wounded and the remedie before our danger If we were sicke and had receiued health poore and were relieued would we not thanke God and thinke our selues obliged to him as we are Nota. The greatest benefits deserue the greatest praises but seeing he hath deliuered vs â—rom our sins and from hell haue we not â—he greater cause to be thankfull for the greatest benesits deserue the greatest praises Verse 15. Open thou my lips O Lord and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise HE promised in the former verse to sing ioyfully of Gods righteousnesse now he bethinketh himselfe that this is not in his owne power but it must come from God That as his faith and repentance was of him so his thankfulnesse must also proceed from him There is no temporall or spirituall gift which doth not come from God Phil. 2.13 So there is no temporall or spirituall gift which doth not come from God He worketh in vs velle perficere to will and to do The tongue was consecrated before to God now he presenteth his lips another instrument and at last the mouth it selfe which containeth both Seeing God hath giuen to euery member the owne facultie and power Euery meÌ„ber should sound Gods praises it is good reason it should be vied to his glorie God hath giuen thee a tongue mouth and lips for no other end but to proclaime his praises And cursed is that man if he repent not who soundeth any thing with his tongue but Gods honour We see further that we are all close and bound vp by nature except the God of nature enlarge our hearts with his loue and fit our mouthes with his praises God hath the key of his lips he can make infants and sucklings proclaime his praises Psal 8.2 NuÌ„ 22.28 In Soliloq yea he can open the mouth of Balaams asse to vtter his praise Augustine thinketh non posse laudare Deum sine ipso qui non ipsum habeat qui se adiuuet that God cannot be praised without himselfe he who hath not him to helpe them Moreouer obserue Doctr. Sorow for sinne will break open the dumbe mouth to speake for Gods mercie Simil. how sorrow for sin will breake forth the dumbe mouth to speake for Gods mercie I reade of Croesus his sonne who seeing a traitor going about to murder his father though before he was alwayes dumbe began to speake and crie pitifully why should not we when we see that God is wounded with our sinnes once at last begin to crie Obiect But there ariseth here a question whether by our praises Gods name may be more amplified Solut. I answer with that worthy seruant of God M. Robert Rollock a holy man writing on this Psalme Deum in se esse perfectissimum that God is most perfect â—n himselfe without the worke of any creaâ—ure The Father glorifying the Sonne and â—he Sonne the Father the Father and Son the holy Spirit the holy Spirit the Father the Sonne But yet will be glorified by the creature Because he is iust his righteousnes craueth that the creature should acknowledge the Creator whose felicitie standeth in this that he should reuerence his Maker with all dutifull seruice he craueth it more for our weale then for himselfe Thinke ye that God can be either worse or better for our praises but we our selues are then best when we haue grace to praise him Philip finding Nicanor detracting him Plut. relieued him from his necessitie and then he began to praise him wherefore he said Videtis esse in nostra potestate bene male audire Ye see it is in our power both to be well and euill thought of But God is not so he careth not for our praises and our obloquies do not touch him he is so farre from the one and the other We can neither augment nor impaire his dignitie speake what we will or please wee may doe our selues euill him we cannot offend Sinne taketh away the benefit of our tongue Sin maketh a man duÌ„b that he can not praise God that we become dumb and cannot praise God till he forgiue vs our sinnes and then we shall speak and although we would speake God thinketh nothing of our speeches vntill we be reconciled to him What hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances Psal 50.16 and to take my name in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed But wo to the tongue mouth and
lips which are not employed in the seruice of God that made them to proclaime his praises and double woe to them who employ them to his dishonour for they shall say would God they had bin rather dumbe Nota. and could haue spoken nothing then to haue spoken to the dishonour of that Maiestie which made them Verse 16. For thou defirest no sacrifice though I would giue it thou delightst not in burnt offering NOw toward the end of the Psalme he is bursting forth in thankfulnesse setting downe the sacrifice which the Lord would not haue to wit externall sacrifices and declaring that which he would haue a contrite heart Sacrifices of olde comprehended all Gods worship For the burnt offerings and sinne offerings represented Christs blood The thanksgiuing offerings The vse of the legall sacrifices peace offerings the incense the thankfulnes of the Saints for his benefits and what of all these he was wearied with them when they were not mixed with faith and repentence Nazianzen saith Vna Dei est purùm gratissima victima pectus Then if God delight not in sacrifices which were commanded by himselfe Nota. what careth he for trifles inuented by men of which he can haue no pleasure His delight is not in outward sacrifices at any time if they be alone I will haue mercie saith he not sacrifice Hos 6.6 much lesse doth he respect the sacrifice of the Masse hauing no warrant in his word neither yet of our prayers and praises when we do but pretend religion not serue God vnfainedly Away with all our offerings if we offer not to him that which he craueth chiefly to wit a penitent heart Lorinus obserueth well Sacrificia non operari per se peccatorum remissionem posse sed tantum represent are praefiugare sacrificium illud vnicum redemptoris that is that the sacrifices of old could not worke by themselues remission of sinnes but onely did represent and prefigure the onely sacrifice of our Redeemer Then as he saith truly their sacrifices ex opere operato by the external working of them cannot giue remission of sins What reason then hath he to affirme that the Sacrament of the new Testament conferreth grace by the very externall giuing thereof Lorinus against him selfe seeing that same thing was prefigurated by their sacrifices which is represented by our Sacraments that is Christs blood both in Baptisme and in the Lords Supper Verse 17. The sacrifices of the Lord are a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt not despise WHen he hath remoued that which God misliked and refused now he placeth that which God liketh and receiueth that is the sacrifice of a contrite spirit In the plurall number called sacrifices that is this one for all A broken heart is such a heart which is humbled through a sight and sense of sin What a broken heart is For it is needfull that as we haue worne our heart by sinne so our heart should be worne againe by repentance and sorrow for sinne and that we should take paines to subdue our hearts and all the thoughts thereof and bring them captiue to Gods obedience That is that poore spirit of which Matthew speaketh Mat. 5.3 Esa 66.2 Isaias speaketh of the spirit that trembleth at Gods word Why sacrifices in the plurall number This caused Dauid to put the word sacrifices in the plurall number that he might expresse the better that one contrite heart which is the sacrifice of repentance alone suffiseth for all legall sacrifices If he had said that a contrite heart is a sweet smelling sacrifice they might haue excepted the so are many others as the papists do mixe their works with the grace of God But Dauid excludeth purpossie all sacrifices and sheweth that what euer sacrifices God respecteth are comprehended vnder a penitent heart beleeuing in Christs bloud and seeking mercie for the same This sort of people are called mourners in Sion who mourne to God for their owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people who powre out their heart with their teares to God who doe lament for the affliction of Ioseph Oh what cause haue we to lament this day for our sinnes and to breake our hearts for the persecution of the Church in euery place Let our feasting be turned into fasting our laughter in teares Mourne with Ieremiah for the desolation of Sion Nota. A contrite and broken heart thou wilt not despise Here he encourageth the penitent sinner who may be affraied to appeare before the Tribunall of God in regard of the conscience of his sinne and be feared that God will not accept him howsoeuer he be humbled Him here he encourageth God will not despise a troubled heart yea rather he will like it and manifest his skill in healing and comforting it God liketh a troubled heart To which agree all those places in Isaias which comfort the Church those sweet inuitations of Christ to the laden and wearie to come vnto him and to those that were athirst and he that calleth vpon vs will not reiect and cast vs away The Lord is nigh to them that be of a contrite spirit Psal 144.8 Who speake to him in the bitternesse of their soule Iob. 10.1 Crying like the Dragon or Ostrich Mich. 1.8 Who cry wonderfull being ouercomed by the Elephants As Saint Ierome saieth who slay their affections and offer them as a sacrifice to God as the Magdalen Peter other Saints who forsake their former lusts and say with a certaine young man who being temped by an harlot and seeming to be ignorant who she was she said ego sum it is I he answered ego non sum it is not I for he was conuerted by repentance If thou would preuaile with God Pro. 23.26 giue him thine whole heart if thou doe any thing for God doe it with thine heart 2. Chro. 31 21 seeke him with thine whole heart loue him feare him pray to him turne to him Deut. 4.29 obey him with thine whole heart Deut. 10.12 Rom. 6.17 Ier. 32.40 Ioel. 2.12 Psal 119.145 Their heart is deuided saith the Lord of hoste now shall they perish Hos 10.2 God is one and vndeuided and craueth an heart one and whole in affection and rent onely by deiection nothing can breake God but a bâ—oken heart The string can bow the bowe the fire can temper and molifie the steele the goates bloud the adamant and the heart contrite can moue God saith Mantuan in these verses Virga recens Zephyris neruo curuabitur arcuâ— Igne chalybs adamas sangnine corde Deus Finallie obserue that albeit repentance doth make a contrite heart and as I said before we should take such paine on our contrition that we should not let any thought of our heart escape vnrepented mourned for yet the onely hammer which must burst our soules is the word of God The word of God bruseth the heart Simil. which bruseth
the rockes of a stonie heart and maketh an heart of flesh And as out of rags being brused is brought forth fine paper so is a troubled heart brused with sorrow for sin turned into a gratious subiect whereinto God may worke and write his law And as the poole of Bethsaida being troubled Ioh. 5.4 brought health to mens bodies so doth the conscience afflicted by God bring certaine health and saluation to soule and body Saint Ambrose sayeth that repentance is so difficult and hard a matter that he hath oftner found mo who liued innocently then who did truely repent It is written of Augustine that he caused the psalmes of repentance to be put on the wall ouer against him before he died and reaped aboundantly reading them ten daies at which time none came to him but either the phisitians or his refreshment Seeing therefore God liketh this sacrifice of a contrite heart without which none other thing will please him let vs take the bests of our affections seperate them from their olde pleasures to God bind them by the coards of the word lay them downe at his feete and slay them and that sacrifice shall please him offer thy selfe a liuing sacrifice and be assured God will accept of thee and neuer reiect thee not thine offering other sacrifices die being offered Nota. but we by offering our selues to God yet liue Verse 18. Be fauourable vnto Zion for thy good pleasure build the walles of Ierusalem HE hath prayed for mercie to himselfe now he praieth for the Church which he hath offended by his sinne and vpon which he had brought such euills that it would please God to be mercifull to her build vp her walles and repaire her ruines No man can truely pray for himselfe vnles he pray for the church No man can truely pray for himselfe vnlesse he pray for the Church also as Dauid doth in many Psalmes If a man be a sensible member of the body it is not possible but the euills which befall to any one member let be all touch not him to the heart as it were done to himselfe In this verse are three things contained first for whom he prayeth for Sion and Ierusalem secondly what he suiteth Gods fauour thirdly out of what ground for thy good pleasure But before we enter to any of these particulars we haue some generalls necessarely to be marked The chiefe care of princes should be for the Church First that the chiefe care of Princes should be the weale of the Church The Church is as the heart in the body which being troubled of necessitie the body must be in danger if ye loue your head keepe your hear The Church is as the heart The Church nurisheth the heart bloud of Christ in her bosome the resâ— of the members haue also their owne of fices but she hath the chiefest office being the most noble part and who should maintaine her more then the head whâ— hath all the sences infixed therein anâ— from which all the members sinewes anâ— veines take their life And what greater honour can they haue then to be nursinâ— fathers of the Church If a king concrediâ—â— his child and his first borne to be nourisheâ— by any of his subiects may not that subieâ—â— thinke he hath gotten great honour Simil. anâ— may expect for his trauell great commodâ—tie and when a king hath receiued Gods first borne for Israel is his first borne in his custodie may he not thinke he hath gotten great glorie and if he neglect his first borne shall he not receiue great infamie Those who are greatest officers in a kingdome as Chancelour Chamberlane President Secretarie and men of estate are in greatest estimation and credite and shall not great men thinke they are greatlie obliged to God who hath made them administrators of his kingdome whose standing is the weale of the Church the principall estate of their Common-weale if it stand then they stand if it fall they fall for their subiects obey them more for conscience then for any terrour or feare of their lawes Then it is best for them to be religious and to propagate holie religion for their owne standing The Romans wrought more by religion then the sword The auncient Romans Lacedemonians Athenians were most carefull of religion because they affirmed that they wrought more by deuotion then they were able to doe by the sword This was their good poâ—icie as Plutarch amplie reciteth in his Historie Then when Princes innade religion and draw the people to atheisme see if they be not gratest enemies to themselues to their estate and posteritie The Turke and other polititions may giue Christian princes sufficient proofes of this my assertion as also if examples of Dauid Solomon Iosias Ezechia Constantine Let princes follow Dauids example Theodosius may moue them whose posteritie hath brought eternall renowne vnto them and if not let Iulian affray them and wicked princes like vnto him The care of religion a princes chiefest safeguard The care of religion and to be a religious prince is the greatest safeguard to a prince For religion hath Gods maintainnance and God hath shewen his mightie hand for Ezechia against Senacherib and for Dauid against all his enemies for Queen Elizabeth who died in peace notwithstanding all the maginations of her enemies and for our dread Soueraigne Lord King Iames against all the horrible and monstrous designes of his enemies Princes religious bring wealth to their subiects 1. King 10.21 Princes maintaining religion bring great wealth to themselues and to their subiects as Solomon did when gold was as dust and siluer as the stones Next the Church being vnder continual danger should be helped by princes The Church being troubled should be helped by princes Since the Church is the princes depositum which God gaue to their custodie they ought to haue a chiefe regard of her The fatherlesse widow and orphans are concredited to them much more they should defend the Church because the deuill and his instruments and her fight against her and who should maintaine her but princes who are set in authoritie onely for her cause to debate and take her part against all the world Her enemies are more then notorious she was neuer at rest her enemies are assaulting her continually hell hath broken loose against her in these latter daies princes haue put their diadems on the hornes of the beast people are rageing And seeing that eternall spouse of God is so hated of the world should not princes with Dauid procure her welfare euen to their vttermost Princes must by prayer and power support the Church Princes who would fight well must pray well Exo. 17.11 Gen. 31.28 Prayer hath more power then armour Therefore princes who would fight well must pray well Moses did more with his hands lifted vp to God then Iosua did with his sword Israel wrestled with God gat his name by prayer for otherwaies he could not
to the Father The sacrifices of righteousnesse are those which be lawfull and are commanded by God They shall offer calues vpon thine altar The calues are the calues of the lippes the alter Iesus Christ who was both represented by the brasen altar and by the golden alter For no sacrifice or prayer could euer be acceptable to God vnlesse it were offered vpon Iesus Christ for he is sacrificium sacerdes et altare Augustine saith he is the Priest the Altar and the Sacrifice the offerâ—r the thing offered and the altar vpon which it is offered All the mosaicall altars are abrogated because the sacrifice is made The heathnish altars haue no place The popish altars are abominable after the apish imitation of the Iewish altars they would offer that incrementum sacrificium â—issa without any warrand of Gods word It is enough for vs to offer not Christ to the Father but our prayers by Christ to the Father who will smell asweet sauour of rest of all our peticions and thankes which are presented vpon Christ and for thirst of him Lord keep vs from the altar of Damasâ—us and let vs offer all our offences vpon Iesus Christ with whom we shall be very heartily welcome to God Amen A GODLY AND FRVITFVL EXPOSITION ON THE CXXX PSALME the sixt of the Penitentials The Title A Psalme of degrees OF the Psalmes there are fifteene called Psalmes of degrees or cantica maaloth of assension whereof foure are assigned to Dauid and one to Salomon Why they are thus intituled it is controuersed vpon some thinke them to be thus called Why called a psalm of degrees because there were so many steppes in the Temple of Solomon wherby men ascended as Angustine in his hundred fiftie Psalme whose opinion Bellarmine citeth But apparantly they haue not taken their name from this because in Dauids daies not so much as the Church was builded Others be of opinion that it was after the people came from Babilon which is as light when that captiuity was so many hundred yeares after their death I thinke the Hebrew word would rather be referred to the tune and notes which should asend in singâ—ng and be swift in high notes being so excellent and so easie to be sung 〈◊〉 allegorie The allegorie is not to be neglected that we should by singing them ascend from this earth to that heauenly Ierusalem in our affections Bellarmines eâ—rour coÌ„cerning the singing of this Pâ—alme for thoâ—e that 〈◊〉 purgatorie Bellarmine thinketh this Psalme should be sung for the soules of those that are in profundo in a deepe place who desire to arise and get Gods mercie But who doth not see except he be blind the heretiques errour What doth he know whither such haue repented whether they haue confessed their sinne or no For thousands dies without confessing them If their sinne be mortall they go to hell say they wherefrom there is no redemption The forme of prayer then seeing it hath no warrand in the word it should be reiected as seruing to no vse and no credite should be giuen thereto This Psalme was made many hundred yeares before purgatorie was inuented for purgatorie was after Christ before Christs daies there was none as they themselues confesse And in this Psalme there is not one word that can giue the smallest warrant to that diuelish and foolish inuention Let them sing their De profoundâ—s as they please they doe themselues no more good then they doe to others and that is none at all Nota. onely they spend some idle houres and gaine somewhat to themselues The substance of this Psalme In this Psalme is contained an earnost and ardent prayer of a troubled heart first for mercie to his sinnes and next for deliuerence therefrom and last an exhortation to all men to hope in God because he will be a continuall redeemer of his people and can find meanes to deliuer them from all their sinnes and iniquites The parts of the Psalme In the first foure verses is contained his tentation by commemoration of his praier which he conceiued when he was in greatest perrill Next by forme of transitation he affirmeth that yet he will depend vpon God and his word in the fift and sixe verses And last he recommendeth this same hope to the Church in the last two verses with a bold assurance of the fauour of God toward his chosen Verse 1. Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto thee O Lord. OVt of the deepe places In this verse he setteth downe First the place from which he spoke de profundis out of the deepe places Secondly the forme of his prayer I called Thirdly the person to whom he prayeth To thee O Lord. By the deep places is meant afflictions into which the godly are often plunged By the deepe places as all the ancients consent is meant the deepe places of afflictions and the deepe places of the heart troubled for sinne Afflictions are compared to deepe waters Psalme 18.17 He drew me out of many waters saue me O God for the waters haue entred to my soule Psalme 96. And surely Gods children are often cast into very desperate cases and plunged into deepe miseries To the end they may send out of a contrite feeling heart such prayers as may mount aloft and pierce the heauens When we are in prosperitie our prayers comes from our lippes Nota. and therefore the Lord is forced to cast vs downe to the end our prayers may come from our heart and that our senses may be wakened from the securitie in which they are lying Albeit the throne of God be most high Nota. yet he delighteth to heare the petition of hearts that are most low that are most casten downe by the sight of sinne And there is no affliction neither any place so low yea if as low as the belly of the whale wherein Ionas lay which can seperate vs from the loue of our Lord Ionah 2.6 or stay our prayers from comming before him Those that are furthest casten downe are not furthest from God but neerest vnto him God is neere to a contrite heart God nighest vnto them that are most low Simil. and it is the proper seate where his Spirit dwelleth Isa 62. And this way God dweleth with vs as men doe with such houses as they are minded to build sumptuously and on high for then they digge deepe grounds for the foundation Thus God purposing to make a faire shew of Daniel and the three children in Babel of Ioseph in Aegipt of Dauid in Israel he first threw them into the deepe waters of affliction Daniel is casten into the den of Lions Dan. 6.16 Dan. 3.23 Ge. 39.20 The three children are throwne into the firie ouen Ioseph is imprisoned Dauid exiled 1. Sa. 27.2 yet all these he exalted and made them glorious Temples to himselfe Marke hereby the dulnesse of our nature that is such The dulnes of our nature hath need
is at least once named shewing to vs hereby his earnest desire to take hold of God with both his hands He nameth him not onely Adonai but also Iah which two signifie his nature and power all the qualities of God must be conioyned and concurre together for vs All Gods qualities must concurre together for our good although he be Adonai yet if he be not also Iah we are vndone If thou straightly markest iniquitie Hauing craued attention in the preceeding verses he setteth forth his petition that God would not vse the extremitie of his iudgement but deale mercifully with him not crauing an account of his debt but freely pardoning him This petition he doth not propound in simple termes but inuolueth it in a reason by which God should be moued if thou saith he wouldest marke al mens iniquities thou wouldest condemn all but it seemeth not thine infinite goodnesse to destroy all flesh therefore I should not seeme to be ouer bold to seeke to be free of these gulfes of miseries whereinto my sinne hath throwne me headlongs In the first part of this verse I obserue these three things First that God is the marker Secondly that he marketh iniquities Thirdly that he marketh iniquities straightly If thou markest O Lord Here we see the phantasies of those controlled who sinne and say as the Psalmist saith of them tush God seeth not Psal 64.5 or regardeth not O foole he that made the eie Psal 94.9 cannot he see he that made the heart can he not discerne of the thoughts thereof and marke them where wilt thou go from the presence of the Lord God is said to obserue and marke mens sinnes when he taketh heed to punish them How God is said to mark mens sinnes and he passeth by the sinnes of his elect when he mindeth not to punish Non aduertit saith one of the Fathers quia non animaduertit he seeth them not because he punisht theÌ„ not Cum aduerethit euertit when he looketh to the sinners wickednesse he ouerthroweth them A Iudge looketh with an other eie on the faultes of his childe and the crime of rebells Simil. he feeth the one with a reuenging eie to punish them the other with a pitifull eie So God after he hath louingly chaftised his owne children he ouerseeth them and couereth them with the mantle of his sonne Baalam though a false Prophet saith most truly Nu. 23.21 The Lord seeth no sinne in lacob nor iniquitly in Israell If thou markest iniquitie The thing that God marketh is iniquitie The word iniquity is somtimes taken generally for any fault or offence against God our selues The significan of the word inquire or our neighbours sometimes especially for those sins which are directly against the first table and concerneth God immedialy or for the violation of the second table concerning our neighbour which toucheth God mediatlie as also for the sinne directly against our selues all of them both in respect of the number quantitie and qualitie are pointed out by Dauid vnder this word Let vs therefore whatsoeuer our iniquities be marke the same our selues and bewaile it and then God shall marke it as letters written on the sand Let vs be a Cato and Momus against our selues And howsoeuer the proud pharises of the world vaunt and brag of their integritie let vs with the publican cast downe our selues Luk. 18.13 knocke on our brestes and say God be mercifull to vs miserable sinners If thou straightly markest iniquitie The maner how he is said to marke is not lightly as many iudges doe but straightly euery circumstance God marketh stricklie euery word euery action yea euery thought Christ saith of euery idle word we must giue an account Mat. 12.36 he is a strict exacter with whom we haue to doe Therefore our dutie is to marke narrowly our owne actions yea euen our thoughts and our idle lookes which the papists account not a sinne these we must marke straightly that is dayly and hourly and driue them away Gen. 15.17 as Abraham did the foules from his sacrifice Who shall stand All of vs are sinking in the pit and filth of sinne with Ierimie Ier. 38.17 while Ebedmelech come and let downe coards to draw vs out None can stand before this God who findeth follie in the Angells Iob. 4.18 yea the Angells are not cleane before him and the Seraphimes couer their face and feete with winges Abraham saith What am I Gen. 18.27 dust and ashes Iob saith I will lay my hand vpon my mouth If I should iustifie my selfe Iob. 9.20 my cloathes would condemne me A man may see farre vnder the Sunne Simil. but he can not looke the Sunne in the face A man may be righteous before men not fal vnder danger of the kings lawes but who can stand before God This should teach vs in time to leaue off to sinne and offend him if we abuse his patience which should leade vs to repentance it is a signe we are not children Abuse not the patience of God but slaues for children will be verie loath to offend their louing fathers but and will feare to incurre their wrath Let vs remember that sentence of the wiseman albeit an Ethnike Furor fit laesa sapius patiâ—ntia patience often offended in the end turneth in furie and rage By this his example Dauid giueth a caueat to all the Church Let none come before God vnlesse they acknowledge their owne vnworthines that none should offer themselues in the sight of God without an humble confession of their vnworthinesse for God marketh straightly whosoeuer flattereth himselfe with an opinion of his owne holinesse deceiueth himselfe and is vnworthy to receiue the smallest relaxation at Gods hands Albeit he prayeth here as one man yet he prayeth here in the name of all the Church as though he would say from the first Adam to the last all are lost and damned if God would exact a straight account of them Therefore the holiest on the earth must acknowledge with Dauid his owne vnworthinesse and flee to Gods mercie as to a citie of refuge Although Dauid speaketh generally of all mankinde he doth not thinke thereby to extenuate his sinne but rather to amplifie and aggrauate it confessing himselfe to be in the common satalitie and naufragie of mankinde Many will say God forgiue vs we are all sinners as though the multitude of sinners could be a patron and excuse to their wickednesse No by the contrary when he hath acknowledged himselfe to be culpable he confesseth himselfe to be so much the more guilty of iudgement that of all mankinde there is not one who can escape eternall iudgement The more generall miserie is it is the greater Then if euery one would examine himselfe he would succumbe for the more generall that miserie is it is the greater This place then letteth vs see that no man can stand by his owne workes For if God would call
the holiest to an account he could finde them euen by their owne conscience guilty of iudgement Thus Christ reasoned with the Iewes taking an argument from their conscience Let him Ioh. 8.7 saith he who is without sinne among you cast the first stone at the woman taking in adulterie The papists confesse that the imperfection of our workes are supplied by Gods mercie but they diuide righteousnesse giuing Christ one part and taking to themselues another who doth not see how farre they erre from the Prophet Dauids confession Why establish they workes of supererogation which is a superlatiue folly if they cannot deserue more then may saue themselues It is a vaine thing to dreame either of satisfaction or satispassion Against merits that either a man can doe enough or suffer enough to satisfie God for his sinne Christ hath satisfied for vs all both the law by obedience and the iustice of God by his suffering who hath closed all vnder sinne that he may haue mercy on all Rom. 11.32 Bellarmine saith well on this place Vide Bellermin Psal 130. Offensio in Deum est infinita magnitudinis The offence done against God is of an infinite hudgenesse that we can neither condignely and worthily satisfie for them yea not acknowledge the grauitie and weight of them 2. How can a finite man make account for an infinite summe to such a God who knoweth the number of them and craueth so exact a reckoning But mercie is with thee that thou maiest be feared He being plunged in the deepthes of sinnes sorrowes is not able to reskew himselfe What he fâ—ndeth not in himselfe or others he sindeth In God Simil. till God relieued him The thing which he cannot finde in himselfe or in any other he seeketh it in God The earth is barren by nature an hard deud and cold element till it get life heate and moisture from heauen the same warmeth and quickeneth it and so it becommeth fruitfull euen so by nature there is neither light life nor grace in vs vntill God send them downe from heauen Wherefore then doe sinners seeke any releefe from beneath Iam. 2.17 Euery good gift commeth from the father of lights Let vs seeke it where it is to be found Luk. 24 5 Why seeke yee him that is liuing saith the Angell among the dead Why seeke we life in the dead world Mercy excludeth merit Rom. 3.28 Mercie excludeth all merits For grace and merits as Paule reasoneth doe fight ex diametro If we be saued by grace then merite is no merite if by merite then grace is no grace To ioyne those two grace and merite with these olde heretiques the Pelagians or with the Semipelagians arch-here-tique papists is great folly for they can no more agree together then fire and water of which of force the one will destroy the other 1. Iam. 5.2 Dagon and the Arke of God or the foote of Nebuchadnzars image composed of iron and clay Dan. 2.43 How mercie is said to be in God and with God Is with thee It is of him and from him as the author and God of all mercies it is in him as a fountaine to be found It is with him lying in his treasurie yea in a word it is himselfe beginning mids and end is ener mercie and compassion Are you in miserie stand you in neede of mercie ye know where to finde it euen in God and with God All the waies of the Lord are mercie and truth Psal 25.10 to them that walke vprightly If thou be sick thou knowest where to haue medicine without mony if poore where true riches are to be gotten if hungry wher food is The mercies of God supplie all the miseries of man There is no miserie in mans nature which may not be helped by Gods mercie and remission of thy sinnes This mercie as Augustine saith is to be found in the redemption of Christ blood That thou maiest be feared The consequent of this mercie is showen in the latter part of this verse that God may be feared But it seemeth very strange that mercy should beget feare Obiect where rather loue by it should be stirred vp in our hearts Solut. I answere the obteining of mercie begetteth both feare and loue a childish feare least we offend him a childish loue whereby to please him When the Apostle saith Charitas expellit timorem 1. Ioh. 4.18 loue expelleth feare he meaneth of a beastlie and slauish feare True loue and true feare are alwaies together Simil. but true loue and true feare may stand both together a child may feare to offend his louing father whom he loueth The end for which God offereth himselfe so peaceablie to man and so ready to graunt him mercie is that he may be feared If men were not assured to get mercie when they repent there could be no worshipping of God or godlinesse and if we had no esperance of grace why should we pray or vse diuine seruice in vaine The papists vnderstand not this ground for albeit they speake largely of the feare of God The papists are miserable comforters yet they keepe miserable soules in perplexitie denying that God will shew mercie vnto them calling it an high presumption that any should assure himselfe of Gods mercie what do they I pray you but build without a foundation for God can neuer be rightly worshipped vnles we haue an assurance of his mercie I wish that those Doctors who obscure the grace of God and teach mens righteousnesse could weigh this rightly Is it not a vaine thing in them to affirme that they would haue Gods seruice and worship aduanced themselues in the meane while obscuring Gods graces and mercies which should moue men most to worship him But the doctrine of grace say they maketh men secure and negligent of good workes Obiect it is true Solut. fleshly men will abuse Gods grace in wantonnesse but it is reasonable that for their peruersitie the glorie of God should be obscured and the elect and faithfull should be defrauded of their comfort Verse 5. I haue waited on the Lord my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in his word Verse 6. My soule waiteth on the Lord more then the morning watch watching for the morning IN these two verses Dauid declareth that out of the faith which he had of the remission of his sinnes sprang forth the hope which he had of the accomplishment both of his spirituall and temporall deliueries for faith must preceede Wherein faith and hope differ and hope must follow and attend vpon that which was beleeued faith and hope are both one in substance they differ in this that faith presently apprehendeth the promises of God and hope attendeth the receiuing of them If a king would giue his word Ex verbo Principis vpon the word of a king he would giue such a token to his subiects whereby he might be sure of that which he promised Simil.
little world and yet he calleth himselfe Gods seruant not as the Pope who stileth himselfe seruus seruorum Dei seruant of the seruants of God when he is a Lord ouer Lordes both Ecclesiasticall and ciuill But he indeede in the humilitie of his heart confesseth God to be his onely liege Lord Princes as much bound to serue God as their subiects to obey them vpon whom he depended of whom he holdeth his crowne So princes may thinke that their subiects are no more bound to them then they are to God and that they are as inferiour and more to God then their subiects are to them Vse which should moue princes to humble them vnder the mightie hand of God Inferiour subiects may at certaine termes put their seruants from them and take others in their place for seruice is no heritage and if they much more princes who may put their seruants away whether ob culpam or placitum none ought to inquire So God the supreame Maiestie hath an absolute and vnlimited libertie ouer all as well rich as poore he can displace kings and giue their kingdomes and crownes to others if they displease him He can rent the kingdome from Suul and giue it to Dauid 1. Sa. 15.28 1. Ki. 12.24 from Rehoboam and giue it to Iereboam if they breake his commandemenents Psal 2.10 Be wise therefore O kings serue the Lord in feare For no liuing shal be iustified in thy sight The like he hath in the 130 Psalme Who can stand before thee so that not onely he refuseth any clame of mercy by himselfe but includeth all liuing vnder sinne so that none is exempted for all are sinners All are sinners that all may at God beg the remission of sin and are destitute of grace that God may shew mercy to all and all his creatures may beg from himselfe alone that which is not in any of them Away away with merits away with our worthinesse seeke it where it is to be found euen in Christ Where he saith they cannot be iustified there he cleerelie auoucheth the Doctrine of Saint Paul that iustification commeth by faith and not by workes Rom 3.24 directlie against the Papisticall heresie Against iustificatiō by workes which teacheth men to seeke a part of it at least in others and themselues whereas here all men are excluded from righteousnesse but that which they must finde in God Verse 3. For the enemie hath persecuted my soule he hath smitten my life downe to the earth he hath laid me in the darkenesse as they that haue bin dead long agoe THis is the complaint of his enemies extreme malice against him by a threefold exaggeration thereof their persecuting of his soule their throwing downe of his life to the earth and their laying him into darknesse as a dead man Their malice was so vehement against him that nothing could content them till they vtterly ruine him both in body and soule and name This representeth cleerely vnto vs the malice of the enemies of the Church Note the malice of the Church her enemies especially of the Iudasits orders Pro. 17.10 which is so extreame that nothing can satisfie them vnlesse they bath themselues in the blood of the poore members A Lyon is more mercifull to his prey then a tyrant is to a Christian there is not the smallest fauour to be looked for at his handes The mercies of the wicked are cruell a cleere example hereof we haue in the Papists but specially in those blood thirstie wolues the Iesuites who will bragge of a singularitie in puritie and yet will stirre vp princes and all other fauourers of their sect to roote out Christians who professe the name of Iesus according to his word those they go about dayly to massacre without respect of any as witnesseth the bloodie massacrie of Paris Anno 1572. August 24. at which time they murthered a great many thousands in France for professing Christ As also that diuelish and hellish pouderplot what a bloudie execution was intended against our gratious Soueraigne and hopefull children These bloudie Iesuites and mastiue dogs are not fierce against the Turkes Panims but against the Israel of God Yea as Lyons Wolues and Foxes take most pleasure in the bloud of the lambes then in any other beast which they will spare and passe by except they be in great hunger so these must desire Christian bloud and thinke they doe God good seruice in killing v◠And this should be a matter of great comfort to the Church of God seeing persecution is a marke of the true Church and Christ accounteth men blessed when they are persecuted and euill spoken of for his sake Mat. 5.10.12 For so saith he did their Fathers to the Prophets that were before you Let vs therefore be patient and suffer calamities through hope of eternall glorie which we shall inherit when these short tribulations shall expire The more the Church be troden vnder foot the greater is Gods honour in her deliuerie Moreouer yee may see how farre the Lord permitteth the wicked to preuaile aboue his children that he will suffer them to tread vpon their bellies as though they were dead and no hope of life left to them that his honour may be the more magnified who out of their dead ashes could make a resurrection as he did to Dauid who was as a dead man and forgotten yet God raised him vp and erected his throne aboue his enemies O Lord deliuer thy Church from her troubles and persecution Verse 4. And my spirit is in perplexitie in me and mine heart within me was amased HE spake before of his externall calamities now he confesseth the infirmetie of his minde that he was wonderfully cast downe in heart and troubled in his soule so that his strength was almost gone not like the strength of a whale fish or of a rocke but being ready to drowne with sorrow he was sustained by faith and Gods Spirit he swimmed vnder these euils Our Sauiour himselfe confessed of himselfe my soule is troubled to the death Mat 26.38 God knoweth our moulde we are not stockes without passions or perturbations Gods children haue their owne passions we are not like lepers whose flesh is senslesse but we are sensible of euills that we may run to God for helpe and comfort Iob. 42.7 Had not Iob his owne perturbations and griefes which made him vtter hard speeches for which God rebuked him and he afterward repented Simil. yea God affirmed that he spake better of him then all his friends did Can a shippe saile a long with such a constant and direct course in stormie weather as it were calme and before the winde it is enough that it directeth the course euer toward the port albeit it be forced to cast boord twentie times So God careth not albeit we be troubled in our course to heauen Let vs euer aime at the port of eternall glory howsoeuer we be disquieted with contrarie
he said Iudg. 15.19 I die for thirst and opened a spring out of the law-bone of an Asse will he forsake vs in time of our distresse if we thirst aright Verse 7. Heare me speedily O Lord for my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me else I shall be like vnto them that goe downe into the pit HE is now brought as it were to the latter sweat he crieth for speedy helpe or else he seeth nothing but death before his eies Our impatiencie maketh vs so bold and familiar with God that we would prescribe time to him as though he knew not which were the most conuenient time for his comming My spirit faileth He is now as it were in a swouning he craueth quicklie to be helped Doctr. Gods children are often brought low that the loue power of God may be manifested in their deliâ—eâ—â— or he is gone See to what extremitie God will bring his Saints euen neere the graue and yet bring them back againe that his loue and power may be known so much the more seeing to him belongs the issues of death God bringeth vpon his owne children such fainting as it were deliquium animi a lossing of our life that then feeling the weaknes of our naturall powers and after being restored by his grace we may learne how greatly we are beholden to him as by whom and in whom we haue our life and being and can be restored by none but by him alone and may bestow al the rest of our life vpon himselfe and his owne seruice and depend not on naturall strength but on him Hide not thy face from me He declareth plainly that he hath no sparke of life but from the fauorable face and countenance of God that he is then dead when he seeth not God reconciled to him in Christ Simil. The face of the Sunne bringeth life to the earth and all the world and the face of God bringeth life to men soules Simil. The countenance of the husband gladdeth the wife but the countenance of God reioyceth the soule He who hath once seene the countenaÌ„ce of God cannot liue without it He who once hath seene a blanke of his countenance can no more breathe or liue without it then a fish or bird out of their owne elements Else I shal be like vnto them that goe downe into the pit As though he would say I shall be like a deade man without sense and life The soule is the life of the body and God is the life of the soule should we not then be busie to seeke him and when he hath hid himselfe to find him againe There is no life in the soule without the sensible presence of God Psal 22.1 Mat. 27.46 for I will assure you there is neither life comfort peace or ioy in a mans soule vnlesse he haue the sensible presence of God Dauid not feeling it cryeth My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And Christ himselfe vttered the same voice on the crosse My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Of which I haue spoken in another place on the same wordes Verse 8. Let me heare thy louing kindnesse in the morning for in thee is my trust shew me the way that I should walke in for I lift vp my soule vnto thee AS he was cast downe in the former verses so he now ariseth by prayer which was the chiefest bulwarke whereto he did runne in time of his troubles In this verse he craueth two things First that he might heare Gods kindnesse and the reason because he trusteth in him Secondly that he would shew him the way wherein he should walke the reason because he lifted vp his soule to him Let me heare thy louing kindnesse Here he craueth Gods fauour and kindnesse as he doth in many other Psalmes Because in his fauour is life grace wealth all good things and pleasure for euermore How we may be assured of the fauour of God so that if he look kindly to vs we need be affraid of nothing But how shall he be assured of his fauour euen by hearing it as he saith in the 51. Psalme Let me heare the voice of ioy and gladnesse The voice which is heard is the word of God which being apprehended by faith is onely able to comfort our soules in whatsoeuer tentation And no meruell that such athiests and papists who altogether refuse the word of God Why papists and Athists liue die comfortles liue comfortles and die without comfort because they refuse that instrument which should carry ioy to them Good reason they die athirst since they reiect that vessell the word oâ— God by which they might be refreshed Therefore since faith coÌ„meth by hearing of Gods word and all our comfort commeth by it let vs pray God to bore our eares and our hearts that we may receiue the glad tidings of reconcilation from God In the morning Psal 90.14 The time when he seekes to heare Gods kindnesse is in the morning as in another Psalme Fill vs with thy sweet mercies in the morning Psal 55.17 Dauid vsed to pray morning noone and eueningtide In the morning in the beginning of the day he addressed himselfe to God offering his morning sacrifice he desireth that God may betime meete him that he may begin the day with some comfort for then we know that God hath accepted our prayer when he hath sent down the comfort of his spirit in our hearts when he with the fire of his loue and ioy of his countenance burneth vp our sacrifice This gladdeth our heart and encourageth vs to seeke him the rest of the day Seeke God early Then let vs seeke God early euen in the morning of our youth and euery morning not perfunctoriously or for a fashion but from our hearts that he may let vs heare that comfortable voice saying Thy prayers are come vp before me Act. 10.4 and I haue heard them For thy sinnes are forgiuen thee For in thee is my trust Confidence and faith in God is a great argument to moue God to speake good things vnto vs for otherwaies our prayers are in vaine Praiers not in faith are a scorning of God and shall not preuaile with him if they proceede not from faith if you come vnto him without confidence in him you scorne him and so doe double iniurie to your selues adding to your former sinnes a scorning of God These also who put their trust in any thing beside him neede not to looke for any good thing from him If yee would vse a thousand Angells as intercessours to moue God to heare you it is nothing only faith will preuaile with God The Pharises almes deedes Luk. 18.11.12.13.14 his tithes-giuing his prayers of which he much bragged wrought nothing with God but the Publicanes faith and contrition were forcible arguments preualing with him Shew me the way that I should walke in The second petition ariseth very well from the first