Man only haue not Women also these Prerogatiues Yes doubtlesse Women also and they aswel as Men. And therfore consider they with themselues what cause they haue to be ashamed of their Sex as many of them of late shew thēselues to be Insomuch that it seems displeased with their Maker for not making them Men maugre God and Nature they endeauour to transforme themselues into the Habits of Men. Videlicet into their Belt Scarfe Hat Points †Ferrum est quod amant luvenal Sat. 6. Steele-lettoes Cut-Haire Doublet Horsemans-Coat and as it is said Boots to Resolued they are it seemes to bestow themselues on Sathan and to yeeld him somewhat to boote The Prophet l Esay 3.18 Esay hath said ynough so hath the Apostle m 1. Pet. 3.3 S. Peter if neither prevaile with them Law nor Gospel let them beware God himselfe takes not the Matter into his owne Hands n Heb. 10.31 It is a fearefull thing to fall into the Hands of the Liuing God But to returne vnto my purpose First as touching Mindfulnes to speake properly in very deed no Mindfulnes nor Forgetfulnes can be said to be with God forasmuch as with him all things are present both which haue bene from all Eternity which now are at this instant and which shall be euer hereafter vnto the Ends of the World So that as his Substance is Immutable right so is his Knowledge to seeing with him as o Iam. 1.17 speakes S. Iames is no Variablenes neither Shadow of Turning Whensoeuer then in Holy Scripture God is said to Forget as also to be Mindefull it is spoken Figuratiuely according to the manner of Men who Forget or Remember thereafter as they helpe or denye their helpe vnto the Needy Thus Pharaoes Butler p Gen. 40.23 forgat his old Frend Ioseph and Many no sooner vp the Ladder of Preferment but they begin to want in this kind that which Pharaoes Butler had not I mean a good Memory Thus is it said to be with the Lord. q Aug. in Evang Ioan. Tract 7. Almae Nutricis blanda atque infracta Loquela Lucr. l. 5. v. 222 For thus the Scriptures like Nurses speak vnto vs in our own Language When the Lord helps vs not he is said to Forget vs when he helpes vs he is said to Remember like as he remembred r Gen. 8.1 Noah in the Arke Why but will some say if this be all God remembreth euen Beasts to as he did euery Beast and all the Cattell that was with Noah And againe ſ Ps 145.15 Ps 147.9 The Eyes of all waite vpon him he giues them their Meat in due Season hee openeth his Hand and filleth all things liuing with Plenteousnes True he is Mindfull of Beasts indeed but it is for our sakes that he is so Mindfull of them For in respect of themselues Doth God take care for Oxen t 1. Cor. 9.9 saith the Apostle Or saith he it altogether for our sakes and the Answer there is that for our sakes he saith it indeed Secondly concerning Visiting To Visite in holy Scripture is taken two manner of wayes either in Iudgment or in Mercy In Iudgment as elswhere u Ps 89.32 If his Children forsake my Law and walke not in my Iudgments If they breake my Statutes and keepe not my Commandements I will visite their Offences with the Rod and their Sin with Scourges And againe x Ps 59.5 Stand vp O Lord God of Hoasts thou God of Israel to visite all the Heathen and be not mercifull vnto them that offend of malitious Wickednes but in this place as also in some others it is taken in the way of Mercy according to that of Zacharias the Father of S. Iohn Baptist y Luc. 1.68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his People So the Lord is said to visite Sarah in the z Gen. 21.1 Booke of Genesis in that he did to Sarah as hee had spoken concerning Isaac her Sonne borne and bred in her old Age. Vers 5. Thou madest him lower then the Angels to crown him with Glory Worship Two Dignities of Man wee haue heard already this is the Third namely that he is crowned with Glory and Worship which two words Glory and Worship though briefly thus spoken yet conteine no doubt much matter and substance in them I doubt not a Calv. in hunc Ps saith Calvin but in these words he commends those excellent Graces which shew that Men are made to the Image of God and created to the hope of the blessed and euerlasting Life to come For in that they are indued with Reason whereby they may discerne betweene Good and Euill in that the Seed of Religion is sowed in them in that there is mutuall Society betweene them tyed together with certaine Sacred Bonds in that the Respect of Honesty and Shamefastnes and Gouernment of Lawes is of esteeme amongst them all these are of a very excellent and heauenly Wisdome And therefore Dauid in this place worthily cryeth out that Mankinde is crowned with Glory and Worship But what is that he here saith †Ita est Charissimos nos habuerunt Dij Immortales habentque Et qui maximus tribui honos potuit ab ipsis proximos collocaverunt Senec. de Benef l. 2. c. 29. Thou madest him lower then the Angels Man in the former Respects comming so neere to the Deity it selfe b Conimb in 2. de Coel. c. 1. qu. 2 art 2. p. 184. they endeauoured to signifie his Excellency who cal'd him the Tye of all things Visible and Invisible or the Horizon of things Materiall and Immateriall forasmuch as he obtained a middle kinde of Nature that is a Nature aboue all things that were Materiall though inferiour to such as were Immateriall Now of this sort are the Angels Angels c Hooker Eccles Pol. l. 1. §. 4 saith Reverend Hooker are Spirits Immateriall and Intellectuall the glorious Inhabitants of those sacred places where nothing but Light and blessed Immortality no shadow of matter for Teares Discontentments Griefes and vncomfortable Passions to worke vpon but all Ioy Tranquility and Peace euen for euer and euer doth dwell Such Obseruants of that Law which the HIGHEST whom they adore loue and imitate hath imposed vpon them that our Saviour himselfe being to set downe the perfect Idea of that which we are to pray and wish for on Earth did not teach to pray or wish for more then d Mat. 6.10 only that here it might be with vs as with them it is in Heauen And againe a little after Of Angels we are not to consider only what they are and doe in regard of their owne being but that also which concerneth them as they are linked into a kinde of Corporation amongst themselues and of Society and Fellowship with Men. Consider Angels each of them severally in himselfe and their Law is that which the Prophet David mentioneth
worthie if God should examine it without any Mercy at all And Iust men Å¿ Greg. Moral l. 8. c. 9. vid. D. Abb. Apol. against Bishop Part. 1. c. 8. p. 255. p. 293. saith St Gregory knowe before hand that perish they must without remedy if God in the iudging of them set Mercy aside because even that which seemeth our iust Life is but Sinne if Gods Mercy when he iudge that doth not excuse the same Behold t Iob 4.18 saith Iob he put no trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with â—olly how much lesse on them that dwell in Hâ—uses of Clay whose Foundation is in the duâ—â— which are crushed before the moth The Party to whom the Petition is made is God aboue who is styled by the Apostle S. Paul a 2. Cor. 1.3 The Father of Mercies which though it be a sufficient Reason why this Petition is made to him yet the Prophet here implies another namely for that the Lord had set him at liberty when ever he was in trouble As b 1. Sam. 19.12 First when Michol saued him c 1. Sam. 20.38 Secondly when Ionathan d 1. Sam. 21.8 Thirdly when his owne Pollicy e 1. Sam. 23.28 Fourthly when the Messenger by bringing tydings to King Saul that the Philistians invaâ—ed the land f 2. Sam. 17.11 Fiftly and lastly when Hushai holpe him Hushai and the Messenger and his owne Wit and Pollicy and Ionathan and Michol his Wise being but so many severall Instruments which it pleased the Lord to vse in sauing of him g Ps 115.1 Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy Name giue the Praise for thy louing Mercy and for thy Truthes sake I but how comes it here to passe that the Prophet in these words styles the Lord The God of his Righteousnesse Heare me when I call O God of my Righteousnes Doubtles it was not in respect of any Righteousnesse of his owne Not his Speeches are to well knowne even in this his Booke of Psalmes for any confidence hee had in that respect As for example where he saith h Ps 19.12 Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou me from my secret Faults And againe i Ps 130.3 If thou Lord wilt be extreame to marke what is done amisse oh Lord who may abide it And yet againe l Ps 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified What is his meaning then in these words DEVS IVSTITIAE MEAE O God of my Righteousnesse It may be taken two waies as First Thou O God who art the Redresser of my Right or Revenger of my Wrong or Secondly in regard of some righteous Cause hee had in hand mistaken by his Adversaries Much like to that which hee saith in another place m Ps 7.3 O Lord my God if I haue done any such thing or if there be any wickednesse in my hands If I haue rewarded evill to him that dealt frendly with me yea I haue deliuered him that without any cause is mine Enemy Then let mine Enemy persecute my Soule take me yea let him tread my Life downe vpon the Earth and lay mine Honour in the Dust So that in regard of those many Slanders raised against him by the Wicked he calls God to witnesse of his Integrity in those points and therefore may seeme to style him here The God of his Righteousnesse Our Reioycing n 2. Cor. 1.12 saith the Apostle is this the testimonie of our Conscience that in simplicity and godâ—y Synceritie we haue had our Conversation in the World And Conscience if it be bad as it is a continuall Torture so is a good one a continuall o Secura Mens quasi iuge Convivium Prov. 15 15. Vulg. Feast The great Benefit of a good Conscience S. Chrysostome declares by this Similitude As if you let fall a little sparkle p Chrys ad Pop. Antioch Hom. 25. saith hee into a large plash of water you presently extinguish it so all our Griefe and Sorrowe if so bee it light on a good Conscience it is most easily driuen away Verse 2. O yee Sonnes of Men how long will yee blasphâ—ame mine Honour and haue such pleasure in Vanity and seeke after Leasing It may seeme somewhat strange that hauing spoken in the Words before to God alone hee should now leaue speaking with God as it were and apply himselfe to the Sonnes of Men. But this is no novelty with David throughout his whole Booke of Psalmes who speaketh sometimes to the Lord sometimes to Himselfe sometimes to the Godly sometimes to the Vngodly and then to the Lord againe and that in one and the selfe-same Psalme The lesse cause had Cartwright and such as followed his steps to finde fault with our Church-Service for intermingling Reading of Scriptures and Prayers one with another We q T. C. vbi supra saith he haue no such Formes in the Scripture as that we should pray in two or three lines and then after hauing read a while some other thing come and pray asmuch more and so the twentith or thirtith time with pawses betweene If a man should come to a Prince and keepe such order in making his Petitions the Prince might well thinke that either he came to aske before he knewe what hee had need of or that he had forgotten some peece of his Suit or that he were distracted in his vnderstanding or some other such like cause of the disorder of his Supplication Loe here a Prayer euen in two or three lines after that as it were a Lesson namely an Instruction to his Adversaries Lastly somewhat concerning Himselfe namely how ioyfull in Heart Himselfe was and secure in hauing nothing when his Enemies had the World at will Shall we now say that David was distracted in this case God forbid Nay hee spake forth the Words of Truth and Sobernesse euen as did the Apostle S. Paul when hee also was r Act. 26.25 challenged by Noble Festus in like sort As for the Similitude hee brings of petitioning before a Prince and how vnsavory it would be to make Requests in such sort it is well Å¿ Hooker Eccles Pol. l. 5. §. 34. answered by Reuerend Hooker and retorted vpon himselfe and al his Complices how much more vnsavory it would proue to pray in their fashion who so much mislike ours Cartwright got nothing by that Similitude But now concerning the Words First for the Appellation here O yee sonnes of Men it is in the Hebrew t As there is difference betweene Home and Vir in Latine Non sentire mala sua non est Hominis non ferre non est Viri Senec. de Consolat ad Polyb. c. 36. so in the Hebrew betwixt Adam and Ish BENI ISH not ADAM wherein S. Ierom was mistaken as u Drus Observ l. 3. c. 19. Drusius obserues so that the
knowledge of God but whereas they lived in great warres of ignorance those so many so great plagues they called peace The zeale that they had and the contentation of their hearts made them believe that all their superstition and idolatry and other enormities was Catholique unitie This zeale as on the one side it hath many tokens of goodnesse for that it hath a conscience and a feare and an obedience towards God so on the other side it is very dangerous because it lacketh knowledge even as a ship for lack of a governour is ever in danger of the Rocks and as the body which hath no eye is ever in danger of falling Such kinde of zeale the greater it is the worser it is the more vehement it seemeth the more vehemently it fighteth against God For our good meaning maketh not our doings good our zeale is not a rule whereby we may measure out either our faith or our works but only the knowne will and pleasure of God Therefore speaketh God in this manner by the Prophet Esay Esai 55. my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your waies my waies Therefore saith Solomon Prov 3. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and leane not to thy own wisdome in all thy waies acknowledge him and he shall direct thy doings This counsell also doth Moses give Deut. 5. take heed that yee doe as the Lord your God hath commanded you turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left But the true and godly zeale proceedeth not from hypocrisie or intention but is led and trained by understanding and is molten into the heart and the vehemency and heat of it no man knoweth but he that feeleth it It taketh away the use of reason it eateth devoureth up the heart even as the thing that is eaten is turned into the substance of him that eateth it as iron while it is burning hot is turned into the nature of the fire so great and so just is the griefe that they which have this zeale conceive when they see Gods house spoiled or his holy name dishonoured 1. King 19 So saith Elias J have been very jealous for the Lord God of hoasts for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant broken down thy Altars and slaine thy Prophets with the sword and I only am left and they seek my life to take it away So when Moses found that the people had forsaken God and were fallen down before a molten Calfe did put their trust in the work of their own hands his wrath waxed hot and he cast the tables out of his hand Exod. 32. and brake them in peices beneath the mountaine his heart was so inflamed with zeale that he considered not what he had in his hand nor what he did Jeremy when he saw the disorder of the people how they were not mended with his preaching and would inwardly conceale the griefe he conceaved and purposed not to make mention of the Lord nor to speak any more in his name yet could he not for his zeale found way Ierem. 20. and brake out His word saith he was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and J could not stay And albeit there is much likenesse between the rage and fury of hypocrites the godly zeale of good men for either are hot either are vehement either wisheth redresse yet this is an evident difference godly zeale is tempered and seasoned with charity the ungodly is joyned with bitternesse and revenge the godly seeketh to win the ungodly to kill and to destroy the ungodly have their hands full of bloud they kill the Prophets they say we have a law and by our law He must dye they say come let us destroy them that they be no more a nation Let not the name of Israel be had any more in remembrance they burn the holy books of the Scriptures as did Aza and Antiochus they say ransack it pull it down rase it to the foundation let not one be left alive they dig up the bodies of the dead out of their graves they shew their crueltie upon the bones and ashes which were long before buried and well nigh consumed It grieveth them when they lack upon whom they may whet their bloudthirstie and cruell zeale It grieveth them no one thing else so much that they did not work surely and cut up the root Such is the zeale of the ungodly even such a zeale as was in Nero in Caligula of whom it is reported he wished that all the Romans had but one neck that he might cut off all their heads at one stroke as was in Herod in Annas and Caiphas the like murtherers But the godly when they see any disorder they doe nothing like the other they mourne in their hearts to see that the truth is not received to see the mindes of their brethren so obstinately hardned they make prayer to God for them they are deeply touched with the feeling of such calamities which God layeth upon other The zeale of Moses could not like the Idolatry of the people yet he went unto the Lord againe and said Exod. 32. Now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercy shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of thy book which thou hast written Christ lamented over Jerusalem ô Jerusalem Jerusalē which killest the Prophets Mat. 23. stonest them which are sent to thee how often would I have gathered thy childrē together as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and yee would not behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate Paul suffered much at the hands of the wicked Jewes they troubled the Church of God they hindered the course of the Gospell they were enimies of the Crosse of Christ they were dogs they were Concisiō yet he saith I have great heavinesse Rom. 9. and continuall sorrow in mine heart for I would wish my selfe to be separated from Christ for my brethren that are my kindsmen according to the flesh which are the Israelites David saith Psal 118. Mine eyes gush out with rivers of water because they keepe not thy law And again My zeale hath even consumed me because mine enimies have forgotten thy words Againe I saw the transgressours was grieved because they kept not thy word And when he saw the whole nation of Israel wasted by the enimies how mournfull a complaint made hee to God O God the heathen are come into thine inheritance Psal 19. thine holy Temple have they defiled and made Jerusalem heapes of stones the dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the foules of the heaven and the flesh of thy Saints unto the Beasts of the earth At this time when the Tabernacle was lost when Saul was unquiet and the Priests were slaine and the Prophets despised and the people left without all comfort
Cura sine Beneficio Charge or cure without Benefice J speak not this of myselfe many here present know I speak the truth and my selfe know the places which have continued still these many yeares without a Minister resident among them and have provided themselves as they might with their own mony Your Graces subjects had hope of amendment in your Graces late Visitation but yet it standeth still in case as miserable as it did before I know your Grace heareth not of these matters And I hope God will work in Your Gracious heart to provide some remedy against them For otherwise the Schools will be forsaken the Church desolate the people wild and dismaied the Gospell discredited otherwise we shall see that wrought against the house of God that never any Jeroboam or Julian or Licinius could have brought to passe against us This noble Realme which ever was famous for the name of Learning is like thereby to come to such Ignorance and Barbarisme as hath not bin heard of in any memory before our time I know that there are grievous complaints made that the Bishops appoint Priests Ministers that are ignorant and have no understanding in the Latine tongue Would God it were not true or would God that they which be the causers hereof would somewhat help to amend it But alas are we able to make learned men upon the sudden Or can we make others then such as come unto us or will come to live in misery But there are many which can say such as be Ministers in the Church should teach freely without hope of recompence or hire for their labour Our preachers are no better then Peter and Paul and the other Apostles they are no better then the holy Prophets who lived poorely poverty is a commendable estate So say some in like devotion as did Judas What needed this wast this might have been sould for much given to the poore not that he cared for the poore but because he was a theife and had the bag and bare that which was given J doubt not there are many which teach Christ for Christs sake which say in their soule the Lord is my portion who in that heavy time from which God delivered thē if they might have received their life only for a recompence would have been glad to take the paines who seek you and not yours which have forsaken all they had to follow Christ I doubt not there are such But for the hope of posterity I report me to all you which are Fathers have childrē for whom yee are carefull Although your selves have a zeale and care for the house of God yet will you breed them up keep them at schoole untill 24 yeares old to your charges that in the end they may live in glorious povertie that they may live poorly naked like the Prophets and Apostles Our posterity shall rue that ever such fathers went before them and Chronicles shall report this contempt of Learning among the punishments murraines other plagues of God They shall leave it written in what time under whose raigne this was done Or if we grow so barbarous that we consider not this or be not able to draw it into chronicle yet forraine nations will not spare to write this publish it to our everlasting reproach and shame In the mean time what may be guessed of their meaning which thus ravin and spoile the house of God which decay the provisiō thereof so basely esteem the Ministers of his Gospell they cannot say to God the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up Howsoever in other things they doe well howsoever they seem to rejoyce at the prosperity of Sion and to seek the safety and preservation of the Lords anointed yet needs must it be that by these meanes forraigne power of which this Realme by the mercy of God is happily delivered shall again be brought in upon us Such things shall be done unto us as we before suffered the truth of God shall be taken away the holy Scriptures burnt and consumed in fire a marvellous darknesse and calamity must needs ensue For if the tempest be so dark in the sea that the load-star loose her light and the needle faile to give token of the North Pole no marvell though the ship lose her course and be swallowed up in the sands The Gospell of Christ is the fountaine of light and of knowledge It cannot be maintained by ignorance and darknesse these be the props of their kingdome which take away the Scriptures which hold the people in blindnesse which fly the light which have their Common-prayers administer the Sacraments marry bury their dead in a strange tongue that the people may understand nothing which make a famine of hearing the word of God which stop up the springs of the water of life which take away the keyes of the kingdome of heaven neither enter in themselves nor suffer them that would enter which say ignorance is the mother of devotion and the Church is then in best order and the people most devout when they are hood-winkt and blinded see nothing These are not fit instruments wherewith we may overcome the adversaries this is not the sword of the Spirit these are not the spirituall weapons which cast downe holds and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God What man that would keep out his enimie will pull downe his holds What Captain that meaneth to give a forcible assault upon the enimy will discourage his fighting souldiers but our souldiers are out of courage our Castles are falne therefore that which we feare will fall upon us The Oxe that treadeth out the corne is mussled he that goeth to warfare receiveth not his wages the cry hereof goeth up into the eares of the Lord of hosts He will not abide so great contempt of his word and preachers his owne name is thereby dishonoured Our Saviour saith Luk. 10. 1. Thess 4. he that despiseth you despiseth me And St Paul he that despiseth these things despiseth not man but God And think we that he will suffer his holy name to be despised nay his wrath is already kindled he hath already begun his judgements therfore many places are left desolate There is none that can warn them of their sin none that can move them to repentance none that can preach unto them forgivenesse through Christ none that can instruct them in the comfort of everlasting life because they work such things against the Lord the hearts of many are astonished though they heare they understand not they scorn jest at the word of salvation it is unto them a savour of death unto death they are earthly minded whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame For this cause you liue still in your sins in adultery in covetousnes in pride without any feeling of conscience without any feare of God Your daughters your Heires to whom you shall
not escape which have zeale without knowledge what shall become of us which have knowledge without zeale And you whosoever you are that by such meanes have decayed the Lords house and abridged the provision and maintenance thereof and see the miserable wrack of Gods Church if there be any zeale of God in you if you have any fellowship of the spirit if any compassion and mercy if you love God if you desire the continuance of the Gospell Oh remember you have the Patrimonie due unto them that should attend in the Lords house You take unto your selves wrongfully that which was not lotted for you Give unto Caesar those things which belong to Caesar and unto God the things which appertaine to him and make for the beautie furniture of his house Enrich your selves by lawfull meanes without the spoile and wast of Gods Church Let not the Ministery by your meanes be despised you enriched them which mocked blinded and devoured you spoile not them now that feed and instruct and comfort you Let us seek the glory of God let us at length serve the Lord and not our belly and greedie wantonnesse So shall God blesse you and prosper you in all your affaires so shall he strike a terrour of you into all forraigne Princes that dwell about you so shall your heart be kept stedfast in the hand of God so shall your heart be perfect before the Lord so shall you leave such as shall alwaies praise the Lord in Sion so shall you see your childrens children and peace upon Jsrael And thou ô most mercifull Father grant that thy words be not spoken in vain in is thy cause Thou art our Father we are as clay in thine hands Thou hast the key of our hearts give zeale to them that have knowledge give knowledge to them that have zeale that they may be enflamed and ravished with the love of thy house to sorrow for the decay thereof and to doe all their endeavour to build up and establish the same for ever AMEN FINIS PSAL. I. Beatus Vir. 1 BLessed is the man that hath not walked in the Counsel of the Vngodly nor stand in the way of sinners and hath not sit in the seate of the scornfull 2 But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law will he exercise himselfe day and night 3 And he shall be like a Tree planted by the water side that will bring forth his fruit in due season 4 His leaf also shall not wither and looke whatsoever he doth it shall prosper 5 As for the Vngodly it is not so with them but they are like the Chaff which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth 6 Therefore the Vngodly shall not be able to stand in the iudgement neither the Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous 7 But the Lord knoweth the way of the Righteous and the way of the Vngodly shall perish THE ANALYSIS THis First and Formost Psalme be it but an Introduction to the rest as some will haue it or a Psalme it selfe and one of the rest as all in a manner are of opinion certaine it is that as it yeelds vs good Instruction so was it framed to that purpose In the which the Psalmist endeauouring to describe the Felicity of the Godly he both prôposeth vnto vs and ôpposeth betweene themselues the Godly and the Wicked Concerning the Godly he declares vnto vs their Condition their Reward Their Condition in that abhorring Impiety as it is in the First Verse they follow religious courses as it is in the Second Their Reward in that they participate of the manifold Blessings of God as the same Blessings are intimated to vs in the Third and Fourth Verses Concerning the Wicked he proclaymes vnto vs both their State their End their State in the Fift Verse their End in the Sixt which State and End of theirs to be most miserable he prooueth from the Day of Iudgement and that in the Seauenth and last Verse And thus much briefly of the a Concerning this Analysis as also all the rest they are for the most part taken out of Huldericus Herlinus his Analises Synopticae printed 1603. Analysis or Resolution of the whole Psalme into those severall Parts whereof it doth consist Come we now to the word◠themselues verse by verse and let vs rub them as S. Austen b Aug. de Verb. Dom. Ser. 14. speakes like Eares of Corne in our hand Vt ad latentia grana perveniamus that so we may come to the wheat that lies hid in those words as it were in the husk VErs 1. Blessed is the Man that hath not walked in the counsel of the Vngodly nor stand in the way of Sinners and hath not sit in the seate of the Scornfull It was Pindarus his c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. Od. 6. obseruation that in beginning any worke the Forefront thereof should bee made glittering and glorious And I may truely say of this First Psalme whether we respect the Psalme in generall or the very first word of it in particular it is most glittering most glorious Blessed is the Man Quà m aptum quà m opportunum principium d Ambros in hunc Psal saith St Ambrose how meet and convenient a beginning For as they saith he that take vpon them to exhibit Games are wont to propose a Reward and the Excellency of a Crowne that they which come to the Games may striue the more earnestly to obtaine the same so our Lord Iesus Christ hath proposed the Glory of an heauenly Kingdome the benefit of perpetuall Rest the Blessednesse of eternall Life to the best endeauours of men And as a Generall saith he going to warfar promiseth a Donatiue to the Souldier and Promotions to his Captaines Vt spes commodi furetur laborem metum abscondat periculi that the hope of gaine may both steale away their labour from them and hide and conceale the feare of any danger that may betide them so Dauid as the Herald of that great Generall exhorteth the Souldiers calls the Combatants to the Lists and proposeth the Reward in these words Blessed is the Man which hath not walked in the Counsel of the Vngodly A Praemio coepit vt pondu◠futuri certaminis eleuaret He begins with the Reward to make the burthen of that which they should afterwards endure the lighter He proposeth the wages that every man leaping over in his heart the troubles and vexations of these present worldly affaires should contend with most speedy desire to the happinesse of things to come Blessed saith he is the Man and what could more be giuen to Man then which nothing greater by the Apostle himselfe could be giuen vnto God For God is called by the e 1. Tim. 6.15 Apostle the Blessed and only potentate and King of Kings and Lord of Lords Beatitudinis tamen non supergreditur potestatem and yet for all that God goes not
may haue as it were one foot in the water and be ever drinking all the yeare long especially in a dry season Secondly where it is said He shall be like in the Future Tence the Future in this place signifies the Future and Present Tence both It is like the Lawyers Oportebit Verbum Oportebit tam praesens quà m futurum tempus significat The word Oportebit i De Verb. signif nu 8. say they signifies aswell the Present as it doth the Future Tence So that He shall bee like in this place signifies indeed that like he is already and then he Is and shall be too what is it but a continuance in that happy estate of his without any intermission at all Thirdly whereas he is likened to a Tree that will bring forth his Fruit it is apparent that here he is likened to a Fruitfull Tree And not only here but elsewhere for seldome or never shall wee read in Scriptures that a Godly man is likened to any other And therefore S. Iohn the Baptist l Mat. 3.10 Now the Axe is laid vnto the root of the Tree therefore every Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Concerning the Fruitlesse Tree it is the Masters question in the Gospell m Luc. 13.7 Why cumbreth it the ground And though the Dresser of the Vineyard make answere for it Lord let it alone this yeare also till I shall dagge about it and doung it yet his Conclusion there is to shew his Iustice aswell as Mercy If it beare not this yeare then after that thou shalt cut it downe The Fruitlesse Figtree had not such respite but in a moment in a tryce in the twinckling of an eye n Mat. 21.19 Let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever And presently the Fig-tree withered away Fourthly this Fruit here specified must be in due season to that is such as is ripe and rellishing and of a good and wholsome tast Behold o Esay 28.16 saith the Lord in Esay I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation he that beleeueth shall not make hast Indeed as Liuy p Liu. Dec. 3. l. 2. speakes Festinatio improvida est caeca Hast or speed hath no foresight but is blind and as we vsually say in our English Proverb Hast makes Wast so Hast in this case makes wast of Faith therfore those Seeds that made such hast to spring vp because they had no deepnesse of earth our Saviour q Mat. 13.5 sheweth how they were scorched and withered away because they had not root I verily thinke r Senec. de Tranquill. Vit. l. 1. c. 1. saith Seneca that many might haue attained to wisdome indeed but that they thought themselues sure of it to to soone and it was an excellent Å¿ Hist of Spain translated by Mr Grimst l. 28. p. 1069. saying of Charles the fift in his Instructions to his Sonne that Wise men must not disdaine to goe forwards by insensible degrees for so saith he the Sun goeth about the whole World But of this kind of argument I spake of in the Verse going before Fiftly and lastly the Season here specified is not so to be taken as if now very now were not a seasonable time of bringing forth some Fruit. Euer since we haue had the meanes to come to the knowledge of sauing Trueth the Time and Season hath bene to Vs nor can any man make excuse that he hath not heard of the Gospell of Christ For as the Apostle in like case t Rom. 10.18 Haue they not heard Yes verely their sound went into all the Earth and their words vnto the ends of the World So may we say of all Christians that as many as haue but heard the Word at any time preached to them are answerable for the bringing forth of such Fruit as will be required at their hands Verse 4. His Leafe also shall not wither and looke whatsoeuer he doth it shall prosper Hauing done with the Fruit he commeth now to the Leaues of the Tree which Nature that doth nothing in vaine hath not placed in Trees to no purpose Some be for Shade some for Medicine and some as Pliny u Plin. Nat. Hist l. 16. c. 24. obserueth may be giuen as fodder to Beasts All for Ornament insomuch that the Poet obserues that Trees without Leaues are as x Et Foliis viduantur Orni Horat. Carm. l. 2. Od. 9. Widows The same y Plin. Ib. c. 22. Pliny relateth that all Trees except some that he had named before whereof the Date Tree was one doe loose their Leaues in Winter and he tells of some of a wilde sort that be greene all the Yeare long but then are they fruitlesse Trees as the Firre the Iuniper the Cedar the Box the Holly the Yew and so forth But seeing it is said of the Godly man here that His Leafe shal not wither let vs see what that Leafe may be Some thinke by Leaues in this Verse the Godly mans Words should be vnderstood as his Workes in the Verse before and there is indeed the same correspondence betweene Fruit and Leaues that is betweene Works and Words Howbeit me thinkes it is more probable to say with z Tremell in hunc Ps others that as in the Verse before His plantation by the water side might signifie his Regeneration in Christ who is indeed the water of Life His bringing forth fruit in due season his Sanctification so in this Verse The not withering of his Leafe what should it be but his Constancy his Stedfastnes his Perseuerance to the end For hee it is that shall be saued as a Mat. 10.22.24.13 speakes our Sauiour once and againe Or if Leaues be taken here for his temporall estate his worldly Goods and so forth euen these also may be said not absolutely to wither if so be they be taken away which in good and convenient time may bee as b Iob. 42.12 Iobs Goods were restored to him againe He that nombreth the c Mat. 10.30 Haires of our head so that not d Act. 27.34 one of them shal fall nombreth these Leaues to And that which St Austen e Aug. Confess l. 7. c. 6. saith of Providence in general that the World is gouerned thereby Vsque ad Arborum volatica Folia to the very Leaues that fell from Trees may be applyed to the Godly man in this case that the least little belongs vnto him is not despised or vnregarded with God Whereas it is here added And look whatsoeuer he doth it shall prosper First for the Word Looke as much as Ecce Behold I graunt it is not in the Originall nor yet in the Greeke or Septuagint no nor yet in the last Traâ—slation nor in that other that was before yet being in a Translation that was before both these I mean a Translation
e Printed by my FATHER William Seres Aº D. 1549. set forth in King Edwards time it seemes it came from thence if not from the English Psalter which was in King Edwards dayes But whensoeuer or howsoeuer the Word Looke came first in here it is to good purpose lest we should passe ouer such a passage as this without any obseruation at all But now to the matter it selfe According as the Actions of Men are so are Men most commonly esteemed of in the World For Man as speakes the f Arist Ethic. l. 3. c. 5. Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is the Fâ—untaine and Father of his Actions as of his Children As then it cannot be but a speciall joy vnto him to see euery thing thriue with him that he taketh in hand so hath he a Promise made him that so it shall be So was it with g Gen. 30.27 Iacob when he serued vnder Laban so was it with h Gen. 39.23 Ioseph when he serued in the Prison And yet this vniversall whatsoeuer we must in some sort restraine to as being to be vnderstood of those things that he doth according to his Vocation So that if he follow his Vocation keepe himself within those bounds then may he build on this Promise then shall the Lord make him plenteous in euery worke of his hand as i Deut. 30.9 Moses speakes then l Psal 32.11 Mercy shall embrace him on euery side and the m Psal 91.11 Angels shal be charged with him to keep him in all his wayes as speakes the Prophet Dauid But thus much of the Godly come we now vnto the other sort against whom they are opposed I meane the Wicked whom the Prophet shewes next as the n Plutarch de Ira cohibenda Lacedemonians did vnto their Children their drunken Helots to teach them to beware of the Vice of Drunkennes the better Verse 5. As for the Vngodly it is not so with them but they are like the Chaffe which the wind scattereth away from the face of the Earth It might haue beene thought that the Prophet in this place would haue held on his Metaphor and haue compared as the Good to a Good Tree So the Wicked to a Tree to though it were but to a fruitlesse Tree and so St Iude doth These are Trees without fruit o Iude v. 12. sayth he twyse dead plucked vp by the roots Howbeit the Prophet here compareth them with that which is much worse They are saith he Like the Chaffe It is Motz in the Originall and Motz signifieth the huske or hull wherein the Corne lieth when it is brought into the Barne It is likely St Iohn Baptist alluded hereunto when speaking of the Wicked he compares them to Chaffe to p Mat. 3.12 saith that our Sauiour shall gather his Wheat into his Garner but will burne vp the Chaffe with vnquencheable Fire And as the Wicked here are compared vnto Chaffe so are the Iudgments of God compared here to the Wind. The Wind is an q Frytschius de Meteoris Exhalation hot and dry eleuated by the Sunne to the middle Region of the Aire by reason of the Coldnes whereof being driuen downewards againe and meeting with other Exhalations it is driuen sidewayes vpon the Earth in the lowest Region which it fanneth vp and downe lest the Aire should be corrupted by too much stilnesse It is called by this our Prophet elsewhere r Ps 18.15 The breath of Gods displeasure so powerfull against all withstanding that we read of goodly Edifices nay Townes and Cities that haue bene ruinated thereby And how may Chaffe then stand before it Wherefore as the Rulers of Iezreel said concerning Iehu Å¿ 2 King 10.4 Behold two Kings stood not before him how then shall we stand So may the Wicked say if his Iudgments be like the Winde and our selues but to Chaffe seeing so great Buildings cannot stand before the Winde much lesse Chaffe how shall we be able to stand The same which in the next words the Psalmist sayth by way of Conclusion Verse 6. Therefore the Vngodly shall not be able to stand in the iudgement neither the Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous The Iudgement here spoken of is likely to be the last Day when they shall say to the Mountaines and Rocks t Rom. 6.16 Fall on vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great Day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand And it is the more likely to be that Day because it is here said The Congregation of the Righteous for otherwise here in this World there is no such Congregation of them they are rather dispersed through the World Some are tortured as u Heb. 11.35 speakes the Apostle others haue triall of cruell mockings and scourgings yea moreouer of bonds and imprisonment They are stoned they are sawen asunder are tempted are slaine with the Sword they wander about in sheepe-skinnes and goat-skinnes being destitute afflicted tormented Of whom the World is not worthy they wander in Desarts and in Mountaines and in Dennes and Caues of the Earth But x Horat. Carm. l. 2. Od. 10. Non si malè nunc olim sic erit There will be a Day when they shall at length be gathered togither He shall send his Angels y Mat. 24.31 saith our Saviour with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shal gather together the Elect from the fowre winds from one end of Heauen to the other It is not vnlikely our Saviour in that place alluded to that of Ezechiel where Life being put into dead bones They liued z Ezech 37.9 saith the Prophet and stood vpon their feet an exceeding great Army In this great Congregation then in this great Assembly wherein We must al appeare a 2 Cor. 5.10 before the Iudgement seat of Christ that every one may receaue the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be Good or Bad how shall the Vngodly be able to Stand. And if the Righteous scarcely be saued b 1 Pet. 4.18 saith S. Peter where shall the Vngodly Sinners appeare If any hidden Crime of ours c Chrys in Ep. ad Rom. Hom. 5. saith S. Chrysostome should now at this time be notified vnto the Congregation here met would not hee whose fault it were rather dye in the place and wish the earth would swallow him vp then to haue but so many witnesses of his Fault as now are present And in what case then shall we bee Wretches as wee are when all shall bee laid open to the whole World in such a glorious great Thâ—ater as that shall be consisting partly of those wee knowe partly of those we knowe not And yet why saith he doe I terrifie you with this opinion of Men when it is much more convenient to doe
Dioces delâ—uered to his Maiestie DeceÌ„b. 1 1605. Reprinted A â— 1617. p. 15. say Men of our owne Coat appoints such a Translation to be read in the Church as doth add both Words and Sentences to the Text as part of the Text and without any neat of distinction from it that sometimes to the changing or obscuring of the meaning of the holy Ghost As in the Book of the Psalms Ps 2.12 this word Right is added Ps 4.8 this word Oile Ps 13.6 these words Yea I will praise the Name of the Lord most High Ps 14. three whose Verses are added Viz. 5.6.7 Ps 22. these words Looke vpon me Ps 22.31 this word My c. Concerning the rest when we come vnto them But as touching the word Right whether it be added or no doubtlesse they are in the wrong For if it bee so in the Septuagint I meane in the Greeke m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ps 2.12 and indeed so it is then is it not added the Translators following them and not the Hebrew But suppose it be added yet is there an additament of explication which illightneth the meaning of the holy Ghost as this doth in this place Now God forbid that every such Addition should be that adding to the Scripture which the Scripture forbids and they intimate Oh but it implyeth a Contradiction to that Tenet of ours concerning the Certainty of Salvation for if a man may perish from the Right Way then is he not certaine to persist in it if not certaine to persist then not certaine of his Salvation Nay but the meaning here is not of them that are effectually called and haue their Conversation in Holinesse such as they are that from the Word of God haue that Certainty but of Christians in generall of whom some may perish indeed I make no doubt but of all men liuing Protestants are in the right The Faith that we professe is doubtlesse the Right Way Howbeit for many Protestants liue so loosely and licentiously as they doe how are they likely to perish from this Right Way and to come to vtter destruction both of Body and Soule That which is here annexed If his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him is a Caveat the Prophet giues that they should not moue by their wicked behauiour the Sonne of God to Wrath or Anger He saith not here as in another n Ps 103.8 place and as every man is ready to say and most of all they to whom least of all it appertaineth The Lord is full of Compassion and Mercy long suffering and of great Goodnesse and so forth No but If his Wrath be kindled yea but a little and with that he makes a stop a kind of Apostopêsis o Quintil. Instit l. 9 c. 3. Quid taceat incertum est wee knowe not what it is hee suppresseth but he shuts vp all with this Conclusion Blessed are all they that put their trust in him It seemes p Dr Fentons Persume against the Plague p. A. 7. b. saith a worthy Divine that when the Prophet did but thus thinke of the Wrath of God it put him into such a Passion that as men astonished and halfe frighted vse to blesse themselues so the Prophet here in this place S. Auston goes another way and it is a good way too The Prophet q Aug. in hunc Ps saith he saith not here that they are safe and secure that put their trust in him as if this onely were the profit that they reaped thereby that when Others were punished they should escape but he saith they are Blessed and in this Blessednesse is contained the Perfection and Consummation of all good things whatsoeuer that possibly can betide the Soule of Man Indeed Gods publique Punishments Plague Famine Sword and the like sometimes light vpon the Godly aswell as vpon the Wicked and yet the Godly in midst of their Miseries are Blessed and Happy notwithstanding S. Cyprian hath an excellent saying to this purpose Some r Cyp. de Mortal saith hee are at a stand for that the Plague now raging laies hold on vs Christians as it doth on the Heathen As if Christians beleeued only to this purpose that they might with hearts case in this present World be free from all adversities and inioy their time here with much Felicitie and not rather after they had suffered here all Sorrowes whatsoever be reserued for those Ioyes which are in the World to come No a Man must make full account in this world to tast of Bitter and Sweet that so he may say as S. Austen Å¿ Aug. Confess l. 10 c. 28. saith Contendunt Laetitiae mea flendae cum laetandis Maroribus ex qua parte stet victoria nescio My Reioycings to be Sorrowed for contend for superiority with my Sorrowes to be Reioyced at and whether of which shall haue the Victory I as yet knowe not And thus are we come at length to the end of this Second Psalme A Psalme that besides the ordinary saying of it the First Day of the Moneth is appointed to bee road in the Church at Morning Prayer on Easter Day Easter Day is the Day of our Saviours Resurrection when triumphing over Death and Hell hee began that spirituall Kingdome of his that shall never haue end And this Psame as it was in Davids time a Prophesie thereof namely that such a thing was to be so is it now in these times a Gospell as it were of the same wherein David shewes no lesse that such a thing hath beene indeed then did the Evangelists themselues that wrote the Story For what is this whole Psalme but a Comment as it were on those words of the Evangelist S. Mathew t Mat. 28.18 All Power is giuen vnto me in Heaven and in Earth and on those of S. Marke u Marc. 16.16 He that beleeueth and is baptized shal be saued but he that beleeueth not shall be damned and on those of St Luke x Luc. 24 46. Thus is it written and thus it behooued Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and on those of St Iohn y Ioh. 18.36 My Kingdome is not of this World My Kingdome is not from hence True it is that David here did in a literall Sence meane himselfe against him it was that the Heathen so furiously raged and the People imagined so vaine things howbeit David as he was herein a Figure of our Saviour CHRIST so did he meane no doubt in this very Psalme our Saviour CHRIST to Witnesse the Apostles of our Saviour who in the z Act. 4.21 Acts of the Apostles not only so tooke it but the Apostle St Paul also in his Epistle to the a Heb. 1.5.5.5 Hebrewes Our Saviour then thus meant and this Psalme being an Exhortation vnto all such as should liue in our Saviours Time that they should all of them take speciall
Pietie and Godlinesse This that he might the better effect he calleth their Sin first to minde and that was Treason against himselfe and that in the Second Verse Secondly hee shewes vnto them his lawfull calling to the Kingdome and that in the Third Verse Thirdly he counselleth them to repent to turne from their wicked waies and that in the Fourth Verse Fourthly to shew vnto the World the Fruit of that repentance and that in the Fift Verse These things thus premised he teacheth them to ayme at true Felicity concerning which seeing it was a great Question even in those daies wherin it did consist as it is in the Sâ—xt Verse He shewed that it consisted in the favour of God towards Man as it is in the Seauenth Verse and amplifieth that favour of his in respect of the Effects that followe which are Gladnesse of heart as it is in the Eight Verse fearelesse Security as it is in the Ninth And thus much of the Analysis VErse 1. Heare me when I call O God of my Righteousnesse for thou hast set me at liberty when I was in trouble haue mercy vpon me and harken to my Prayer Between the Throne of God in Heaven his Church vpon Earth here militant b Mr Hooker Eccles Pol. l. 5. §. .23 saith Reverend Hooker If it be so that Angels haue thelr coÌ„tinual intercourse where should we find the same more verified then in these two ghostly Exercises the one Doctrine the other Prayer For what is the assembling of the Church to heare but the receauing of Angels descended from aboue What to pray but the sending of Angels vpward His heauenly Inspirations and our holy Desires are as so many Angels of Entercourse Commerce betweene God and vs. Now that our Prophet here though in exile had this Angelicall Attendance about him and an Heauen as it were vpon Earth in regard of those Troopes coelestiall what more pregnant Proofe vnto vs then those many Prayers in this Book and this amongst the rest of singular good importance The Prayer it selfe is not many words it is short and cutted but of which we may say as c Tull. Epist Fam. l. 11. Ep 24. Tully in another case Quà m Multa quà m Paucis How much in how few words The Christians vpon this Example made their Prayers it should seeme of this mould The Bretheren in Egypt d Aug. Ep. 121. c. 10. Vid. Hooker Eccl. Pol. l. 5. §. 33. saith S. Austen are reported to haue many Prayers sed eas tamen brevissimas taptim quodammodo jaculatas but al of them very short as if they were so many Darts throwne out with a kinde of suddaine quicknesse least that Vigilant and erect attention of Minde which in Prayer is very necessary should bee wasted or dulled through continuance if their Praiers were few and long Such a darted Prayer was the Publicans e Luc. 18.13 Lord be mercifull to mee a Sinner Such another was S. Stephens f Act. 7.59 Lord laie not this Sinne to their charge And such a short one was that of our Saviours when being vpon the Crosse g Luc. 23.34 Father saith he forgiue them for they knowe not what they doe Where by the way may be noted the obliquity of Him who finding fault with many our Church Prayers vsed at Divine Service that are not much longer will not afford them the name of Prayers Insteed of such Prayers h Cartwrightâ— Reply to D. Whitegift l. 1. p. 108. saith he as the Primitiue Churches haue vsed and those that bee reformed now vse we haue divers short Cuts Shreddings which may be better called Wishes then Prayers which hee speakes to as good purpose as if he should say in defence of some that would stab Men with their Daggers they vsed short little cutted Things and Shreds of Iron which may better be called Daggers then Weapons Otherwise what is a Wish but a thing much desired a Request a Prayer which the Poet might haue taught him by ioyning them both together i Virg. Aeneid l. 6. Cessas in Vota Precesque Tros ait Aenea cessas And yet the Prophet here in this place tearmes these few Words as short a Cut and as small a Shredding as they seeme to be a PRAYER Haue mercy vpon me saith he hearken vnto my Prayer But to come vnto my purpose The Prayer here in this place as it is but short briefe so let me briefly consider therein First for what it was Secondly to whom Thirdly why to him to whom it was made It was first for a Day of Hearing and for Mercy on that Day whenas that hearing should be Which yet is not so to be taken as if the Court of Heauen were like some earthly Courts where the Petition may be put in to day and a day of hearing a Tweluemonth after I twaine I k Only the Areopagites went beyond such Iudges who posted off a matter till an hundred years after A. Gell. Noâ—t Att. l. 12. c. 7. Valer. Max. l. 8. c. 1. twenty Nor meane I in Vtopia but perhaps in Eutopia too where all things are or should be not Benè onely but Optime by reason of the GOSPELL No God heareth in a moment and the Petition is no sooner put vp but the Day of Hearing is granted presently nay sometimes before Witnesse the Prophet m Esay 65.24 Before they call I will answere and whiles they are yet speakiâ—g I will heare Indeed the selfe same Prophet tells vs that some others he wil not heare n Esay 1.15 When you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eies from you yea when you make many Prayers I will not heare marry then there was reason for it for what kinde of Hands spread they forth Puras Manus as o 1. Tim. 2.8 vulg speakes the Apostle in his first Epistle to Timothy Pure and Cleane Hands No but they were bloudy nay they were full of Bloud for so it followeth in that place And yet euen that such also should not vtterly despaire Wash ye make ye cleane p Esay 1.16 saith he put away the euill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to doe well seeke Iudgment relieue the Oppressed iudge the Fatherlesse plead for the Widow Come now and let vs reason together saith the Lord though your Sinnes be as Scarlet they shall bee as white as Snow though they be red like Crimsin they shal be as Wooll And this is the Mercy here petitioned in this place without this Mercy what had the Prophet bene but a Map of Misery If thou Lord wilt be extreame q Ps 130.3 saith he to marke what is done amisse oh Lord who may abide it And S. Austen to like purpose r Aug. Confess l. 9. c. 13. Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota Misericordia discutias eam Woe to the Life of Man be it never so praise
Sheepe-skins And was not the grauing of a Seale the cheefe Cause of the most horrible Breach and Topsy-tuâ—uy that ever this Worlds Frame endured For Pompey Caesar are but the new Buddings and continuation of two others And a little after Poets haue most iudicially lookt into this who but for an Apple haue set all Greece and Asia on Fire and Sword We learnt it in Tullies Offices long agoe but we left it at Schoole behind vs as soone as we left the Schoole h Tull. Offic. l. 2 Convenit à Litibus quantum liceat nescio an paulò plus quà m liceat abhorrentem esse Est enim non modò liberale paulum nonnunquam de suo iure decedere sed interdum etiam fructuosum Which were it englished as it should be would teach English Men how convenient it is as much as may be and happily more then well may be to abhorre BRABLING i Vid. D. Prideaux his Two Sermons of Christs Counsell for ending Law Cases LAWING For that it is not only a point of Ingenuity sometimes to yeeld a little of our Right but there is also Profit in it But thus much of this Psalme PSAL. V. Verba mea Auribus 1 POnder my Words O Lord consider my Meditation 2 O hearken thou vnto the voice of my Calling my King and my God for vnto thee will I make my Prayer 3 My Voice shalt thou heare betime O Lord earely in the Morning will I direct my Prayer vnto thee and will looke vp 4 For thou art the God that hast no pleasure in Wickednes neither shall any Euill dwell with thee 5 Such as be Foolish shall not stand in thy Sight for thou hatest all them that worke Vanity 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speake Leasing the Lord will abhorre both the Blood-thirsty and Deceitfull man 7 But as for me I will come into thy House euen vpon the Multitude of thy Mercy and in thy Feare will I worship towards thy holy Temple 8 Lead me O Lord in thy Righteousnes because of mine Enemies make thy Way plaine before my Face 9 For there is no Faithfulnes in his mouth their inward parts are very Wickednes 10 Their Throate is an open Sepulchre they flatter with their Toung 11 Destroy thou them O God let them perish through their owne Imaginations cast them out in the multitude of their Vngodlines for they haue rebelled against thee 12 And let them that put their trust in thee reioyce they shall euer be giuing of Thankes because thou defendest them they that loue thy Name shall be ioyfull in thee 13 For thou Lord wilt giue thy Blessing vnto the Righteous and with thy fauourable kindnes wilt thou defend him as with a Shield THE ANALYSIS THis Fift Psalme of David as it is a Prayer in general so is it a Combination and Bundle of Prayers containing in it many Severals as it were so many severall Suits Here is a Prayer for Himselfe here is a Prayer against his Enemies and here is a Prayer for the Church or to goe more particularly to worke as we haue done in the former Psalmes Verse by Verse our Prophet performeth in this Psalme three severall Things First by the way of Preface hee prepareth as it were the Heart of the Lord to giue him Audience now at this time and that in the First and Second Verses Secondly he proposeth two Things First his Confidence and Trust that he hath in the Lord in regard whereof he will be bold to approach vnto Him as it is in the Third Verse Secondly his Arguments and Reasons confirming that his Confidence drawne partly from the Persons of his Enemies who are hated and detested of God as it is in the Fourth Verse in regard whereof they shall not only not bee able to stand before him as it is in the Fift but they shall be all of them confounded as it is in the Sixt Verse partly from his owne Person for that trusting in the Mercies of God he will reverently come vnto him as it is in the Seauenth Verse Thirdly he makes his Petition to God partly to direct him in the Course of his Life by reason of his Enemies and that in the Eight Verse whom he describeth inside and out-side in the Ninth and Tenth Verses partly to destroy those his Enemies as it is in the Eleauenth Verse that so the Godly may haue comfort thereby as it is in the Twelfe and Thirteene Verses And thus much of the Analysis VErse 1. Ponder my Words O Lord consider my Meditation Concerning the Word LORD I haue spoken a Exposit on Ps 3.1 p. 64. before Prayers b Mr Hooker Eccles Pol. l. 5. §. 23. saith Reverend Hooker are those c Hosea 14.3 Calues of Mens Lips those most gracious and sweet d Rev. 5.8 Odours those rich e Act. 10.4 Presents and Gifâ—s which being carried vp into Heauen doe best testifie our dutifull Affection and are for the purchasing of all Favour at the Hands of God the most vndoubted Meanes we can vse Now Prayer is twofold namely Vocall by way of Voice when as we vse Words to that purpose or Mentall when we vse no Words but onely the Conceits of our Mindes According to both these waies did the Godly vse to pray and though most commonly the Former way yet sometimes the Latter to So f Exod. 14.15 Moses so g 1. Sam. 1.13 Hannah and S. Austen speaking of himselfe My Confession oh my God h Aug. Confess l. 10. c. 2. saith he is made in thy Sight secretly and yet not in secret Tacet enim strepitu clamat affectu it makes no noyse at all by way of sound and yet is it clamorous by reason of her Loue. And S. Gregory to this purpose They are not our Words i Greg. in Iob l. 22. c. 18. saith he but our Desires that yeeld a most forcible Sound in the most secret Eares of God For if we aske Eternall Life onely with the Mouth and desire it not in Heart Clamantes tacemus for all our crying we are indeed but dumb but if wee desire it from the Heart though we speake neuer a word Tacentes clamamus though we hold our peace yet we doe cry Thus the Prophet here in this Place hee hath his Vocall Prayer and his Mentall he hath his Words and his Meditation and in our Private Devotions at Hoame it is all one to God aboue whether we vse the One or the Other As our Eares l Aug. in Ps 148 Hom. 16. saith S. Austen are to our Words so are Gods Eares to our Thoughts and againe in an other place We m Aug. in Ps 141. saith he heare not One the other without the Benefit as of our Lungs so of our Toungs Cogitatio tua Clamor est ad Dominum thy very Thoughts are shrill in Gods Eares But what saith the Prophet here concerning these Words and Thoughts Ponder Consider Ponder my
Plut. Apopth Lacon Apopth Vbi Leonina Pellis non sufficit ibi adsuenda est Vulpina Where the Lyons Skinne will not serue it must bee peeced out with the Foxes Case is of much more force with Many then an Hundred of such Passages as these in the Apostle S. Peter z 1. Pet. 2.21 Christ also suffered for vs leaving vs an Example that ye should follow his Steps Who did no Sinne neither was Guile found in his Mouth Vers 7. But as for me I will come into thine House even vpon the Multitude of thy Mercy and in thy Feare will I worship toward thy holy Temple Howsoever the Lord when time was spake by the Mouth of the Prophet Esay a Esay 66.1 The Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Footstoole where is the House that ye build vnto me and where is the Place of my Rest In regard whereof King Solomon had said long before b 1. King 8.27 Behold the Heaven and Heaven of Heavens cannot containe thee how much lesse this House that I haue builded Yet sure and certaine it is that as out of the whole Masse of Mankind the Lord hath reserved Some to Himselfe whom he calleth his Elect out of the Times and Seasons Some which he calleth his Sabbaths and Solemne Feasts out of his Servants and Attendants Some whom he calleth his Ministers and Priests out of the Goods and Wealth of Men Some which he calleth his Tithes and Oblations so out of Houses and Habitations Some he reserueth which he calleth his owne House like as Iacob c Gen. 28.22 prophesied long before This Stone which I haue set for a Pillar shall be Gods House First then concerning the House here specified no doubt but the Sanctuary is thereby meant and it is called the House of God for that God had said he would d Exod. 25.8 dwell amongst them and it was the Place e Ps 26.8 where his Honor dwelt Secondly in that it is called here the Temple the Temple as yet not being built it is by the Figure Prolepsis or Anticipatio and that Figure then is vsed when a Place is called by a Name that it hath a long time after not when formerly it is so called As when it is said in the Book of f Numb 32.9 Nombers Venerunt in Vallem Botri it is so said saith g Aug. Locut de Numer l. 4. S. Austen by the Figure Anticipatio not because that Vally was called so when the Israelites came thither but for that it was so called when the Booke was written It is in the Originall HEICALL which †Vid. Ains worth in hunc Ps signifieth a Palace and is attributed to the Places where Gods Maiesty was said to dwell as the Tabernacle and Temple and Heauen it selfe Thirdly in that it is called The Holy Temple it is therefore so called for that it was set apart by Gods Ordinance to holy Vses and Offices Thus the Priests and the Altar and the Sacrifices and the Shew-Bread and the Fire and the Incense were all of them Holy euen Ierusalem as wicked as otherwise it was was in this respect The Holy City and so stiled by h Mat. 5.45 S. Mathew Fourthly that David here did promise to come into this House was in regard of the great Benefits that occurred vnto him therby what in respect of the Parties that were present in that House what in respect of the Things performed by those Parties Fiftly in that he would come euen vpon the Multitude of Gods Mercy he thereby intimates the Multitude of his Sinnes For as S. Austen on an other Psalme i Aug. in Ps 50. Qui magnam Misericordiam deprecatur magnam Miseriam confitetur he that sues for great Mercy acknowledgeth great Misery right so is it here in this Place he would come to that House even vpon the Multitude of Gods Mercy to diminish thereby the Multitude of his Transgressions Sixtly and lastly whereas hee saith And in thy Feare will I worship toward thy Holy Temple no doubt but that as Filiall Feare is here vnderstood whereof hath bene spoken l Exposit on Ps 4.4 p. 95. heretofore so a holy Preparation to Prayer is intimated also according to that of the Sonne of Syrach m Ecclus. 18.23 Before thou prayest prepare thy selfe and be not at one that tempteth the Lord or that of the Sonne of David rather n Ecclus. 5.1 Keep thy Foot when thou goest to the House of God and be more ready to heare then to giue the Sacrifice of Fooles No doubt but that of Iacob was alwayes in his Minde o Gen. 28.17 How dreadfull is this Place this is none other but the House of God and this is the Gate of Heauen But how is it here said that he would worship toward the Temple whereas he had said in the Words before that he would come into the House The Answer is that the Temple here meant being the Tabernacle and the Tabernacle hauing a Court the Priests onely when they vsâ—d to pray did enter into the Tabernacle the Rest stood without in the Court and prayed towards the Tabernacle Now the Tabernacle and the Court like as afterwards the Temple and the Court were both called Gods House therefore is it here said that David would both come into it and also pray towards it Where by the Way we may call to Minde how Bellarmine wrongs Calvin in a Matter of this Argument Calvin had said in his p Calv. Instit l. 3. c. 20. §. 20. Institutions That Christ being entred into the Sanctuary of Heauen vnto the end of the Ages of the World he alone carrieth to God the Prayers of the People abiding farre off in the Porch Bellarmine hereupon q Bell. de Eccles Triumph l. 1. c. 1. inferrech that Calvins Opinion was that the Soules of the Saints doe not see God before the Day of Iudgment Why because in Calvins Iudgment they are excluded from the Sanctuary of Heaven Yea but then by like consequence the People came not into the Temple But if Bellarmine confesse that the a Luc. 20.1 People I that b Luc. 2.37 Women I that c Luc. 18.10 Publicans went vp into the Temple who were admitted onely into the d 2. Chron. 4.9 Ioseph cont Ap. l. 2. Court of the Temple needs must he granut by like consequence that the Saints euen in Calvins Iudgement were not excluded from Heauen for all our Saviours Prerogatiue in being entred into the Sanctuary of Heauen But to returne vnto my purpose That which caused our Prophet here to promisâ— to come to this House was dâ—uâ—tlesse the Service of God performed in this House and that not only in his Word but in his Sacraments and Sacrifices and Prayer aâ—d Pâ—ayses Especially PRAYER which albeit the Prophet could haue performed by himselfe alone no Man bâ—tter yet did he desire to make his Prayers in those
of this Nature is that which remaines for euer The other Riches b Aug. de Temp. Ser. 74. saith S. Austen what are they but a Testimony of our Want Maior Indigentia quasi maiores comparat Facultates and because our Wants be greater we procure our selues greater Wealth but here in these is All-sufficiency and therefore we heard in the Former c Ps 4.8 Psalme Thou hast put Gladnes in mine Heart since the time that their Corne and Wine and Oile increased That the manner of Defence is said to bee as with a Shield it was it seemes his vsual Phrase for so he vseth the Word Shield in divers of his d Ps 33.19.35.2.91.4 Psalmes And King Solomon to this purpose e Prov. 30.5 Every Word of God is pure he is a Shield vnto them that put their trust in hâ—m So Aiax of Vlysses when Vlysses was in danger and Aiax bestrid him with his Shield and saued his Life f Ovid Met. l. 13. Opposui molem Clypei texique iacentem Servauique Animam Clypeus g Serv. in Virg. Aeneid 7. apud Latin Ling. Auctor p. 607. saith Servius of the Greeke VVord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that it hides and covers the Body which would otherwise be exposed to the Blowes of the Enemie h Isid l. 18. c. 12. Isidore of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the same i Plin. Nat. Hist l. 35. c. 3. Pliny o◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the chasing or engraving that was therein l Vid Isid Loc. cit Others of an old Latine VVord Cluêre which did signifie to fight or to be well reputed of of Cluco Clues not Cluo Cluis for the VVords are divers It was of a round Forme and therefore Virgil as hee compares Polyphemus his Eye to such a Shield †Virg. Aeneid l. 3. Argolici Clypei aut Phoebeae Lampadis instar so Ovid not onely compares the Sunne in the Firmament thereunto but calls it by the selfe-same Name m Ovid. Met. l. 15. Ipse Dei Clypeus Terra cum tollitur ima Mane rubet Howbeit the Word in the Originall is CATSINNAH which though Tremellius interpret Clypeus yet Arias Montanus and the Vulgar haue Scutum which commeth of the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a n Steph. Thesaurus in Verbo Scutum Skinne or Hide for that they were made of Hides Both which words Clypeus and Scutum though they herein differ that Clypeus belongs to Footmen and Scutum to Horsemen as o Isid â—oc cit Vid. Turneb l. 11. c. 27. Isidore obserues yet for matter of protecting there is no difference at all Only this one thing let me remember before I passe from hence that Demaratus being demanded why they were accounted infamous at Laecedemon who had lost their Targets not their Head-peeces or their Corselets for that these Things p Plut. Apopth Lacon Hence that of the Lacedemonian Mother to her Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cum hoc inquit aut in hoc redi Auson Epig. 24. said he they beare for their own Safety but the Target for the Safety of all the Army And thus is the Lord a Defence vnto the Righteous not that he vseth any such Shields it were Folly so to thinke but for we are vnder him as safe nay more by much then Shields can make vs. But why is it here said that He shall defend them with his Favourable Kindnes and not rather with his Power The Holy-Ghost q Marlorat in hunc Ps saith Marlorat had rather ascribe the Benefit of his Protection to his Favourable Kindnes then to his Power thereby the better to confirme the Mindes of the Weake For his Favourable Kindnes includes his Power and all that belongeth therevnto but his Power doth not include his Favourable Kindnes Nor ought we to carry our selues Proudly and Insolently hereupon that thus we are defended but as the Apostle giues vs counsaile to work out our Salvation with r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil 2.12 Feare Trembling The Certainty and Assurance of our Salvation being not such as whereby a Man is meerely Secure and made absolutely out of doubt but Å¿ Dr Abbot his Defence of the Reform Cath. Part. 2. c. 3. p. 256. such as many times is assembled and shaken with many Difficulties and Feares and Doubts which oft doe intricate and perplexe the Soule of the Righteous and Faithfull Man And againe t Dr Abbot Ib. p. 289. The Truth of God is alwayes alike not subiect to Alteration neuer increased or diminished but our Faith is greater or lesse sometimes hath a Full and sometimes a Waine and to vs the Truth of God is according to our Faith and according to our apprehension and feeling of it Wherein we are variable and diverse euen after the manner of Peters Faith of whom S. Austen u Aug. de Verb. Dom. Ser. 13. saith Peter was the Patterne of vs all sometimes he beleeueth sometimes he wauereth one while he confesseth Christ to be Immortall an other while he is afraid least Christ should die In a word All our Prose may bee concluded in that Distick of the Poet applying to our Saviour CHRIST what he doth to Augustus Caesar and putting in FAITH in steed of Hope x Ovid. Trist l. 1. Eleg. 1. Spes mihi magna subit cum TE mitissime CAESAR Spes mihi respicio cum MEA FACTA cadâ—t * Fit miâ—i magna FIDES cum TE mitissime IESV At mihi respitio cum MEA FACTA cadit Great is my FAITH when I on thee Sweet SAVIOVR cast an Eye But when I looke on my MIS-DEEDS That Greatnes seemes to die Vnlesse we would mend one thing more namely that where the Poet begins with CAESAR and ends with his owne MISDEEDS we beginne with our MISDEEDS and end with our SAVIOVR As if so be we should vse those Words of our Prophet in an other y Ps 130.3 last Translat place If thou Lord shouldst marke Iniquity O Lord who shall stand But there is Forgiuenesse with thee that thou mayst be feared PSAL. VI. Domine ne in Furore 1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine Indignation neither chasten me in thy Displeasure 2 Haue mercy vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale mee for my Bones are vexed 3 My Soule is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou punish me 4 Turne thee O Lord and deliuer my Soule O saue me for thy Mercies sake 5 For in Death no man remembreth thee and who will giue thee Thankes in the Pit 6 I am Weary of my Groning euery Night wash I my Bed and water my Couch with my Teares 7 My Beauty is gone for very trouble and worne away because of all mine Enemies 8 Away from me all ye that worke Vanity for the Lord hâ—th heard the Voice of my Weeping 9 The Lord hath heard my Petition the Lord will
wrathfull Hand With how great circumspection n Wisd 12.21 saith the Wisdome of Solomon diddest thou Iudge thine owne Sonnes vnto whose Fathers thou hast sworne made Covenants of good Promises Therefore whereas thou dost Chasten vs thou scourgest our Enemies a Thousand times more to the intent that when we Iudge we should carefully thinke of thy Goodnesse and when we our selues are Iudged we should looke for Mercy But what Is there Indignation then and Displeasure in the Highest Is he subiect to Passions as we our selues are No the Lord is not as sinfull Man Fury is not in mee o Esay 27.4 saith he These Words then Displeasure Indignation are spoken here of God according to the Nature Property of Men who when they Punish seuerely vse to bee Furious in their Punishments and so the Lord is said to be This it was that Iob experimented which the Prophet now feared Thou huntest mee p Iob. 10.16 saith Iob as a fierce Lyon and againe thou shewest thy selfe marvellous vpon me Thou renuest thy Witnesses that is thy Plagues against me and increasest thine Indignation vpon mee Changes and Warre are against me Verse 2. Haue mercy vpon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord Heale me for my Bones are vexed From the Lords Iustice in the former Verse hee Appealeth in this Verse vnto his Mercy and of Mercy hath beene spoken q Expos on Ps 4.1 p. 88. before Nor is the Prophet at a wrong Doore in crauing these Almes forasmuch as the Lords Title is r 2. Cor. 1.3 The Father of Mercies and the God of all Comfort The Mercy here meant is a Commiseration over his Miseries a Tender Compassion towards himselfe that suffered Affliction which how well it agreeth to God aboue witnesse the Words of the Apostle S Paul Å¿ Heb. 4.15 For we haue not an High Priest which cannot bee touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all Points Tempted like as we are yet without Sinne. His Conclusion there is Let vs therefore come boldly vnto the Throane of Grace that we may obtaine Mercy and finde Grace to help in time of Need. And again in the same t Heb. 2.18 Epistle In that he himselfe hath Suffered being Tempted he is able to succour them that are Tempted Now that here was the Time of Need wherein this Helpe of Grace was to be found witnes the Words of the Prophet here for that he was Weake and his Bones vexed which Weaknesse of his what it was though it be not here expressed yet may we gather by the Circumstances Infirmum non se vocat quia Aegrotat sed quia Deiectus ac Fractus sit He calls not himselfe Weake in this place by reason of any Sicknesse u Calvin in hunc Ps saith Calvin but for he was Deiected and Cast downe by reason of his Broken and Contrite Heart A Case which oftentimes happens to the dearest Children of God though sometimes they haue Boldnesse againe and Vndauntednesse of Courage against all Opposition whatsoeuer By the Vexing of his Bones here the Prophet perhaps meanes not his Bones indeed but Firmamentum Animae vel Fortitudinem as x Aug. in hunc Ps S. Austen interprets it the very Strength of his Soule suppose his Faith or Hope or so forth Praecipuum Robur suum as y Calvin in hunc Ps Calvin tearmeth it his Might his Strength Excellency of Dignity or Excellency of Power or if so bee hee meant his Bones indeed then as z Iansen in hunc loc Iansenius obserueth they are put for the Members of his Body by an vsuall Synecdoche among the Hebrewes Verse 3. My Soule is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou punish me The Spirit of a Man a Prou. 18.14 saith Solomon will sustaine his Infirmity but a Wounded Spirit who can beare That is saith the Note in the Margent of our Former Translation The Mind can well beare the Infirmity of the Body but when the Spirit is Wounded that is the Mind it selfe it is a thing Vnsupportable If we Reply as did the Disciples of our Saviour in another Case when our Saviour had told them that it was easier for a Camell to goe through the Eye of a Needle then for a Rich man to enter into the Kingdome of God Who then can bee saued so who then can be sustained who can possibly bee supported The Answere must bee as our Saviours there was b Mat. 19.25 With Men it is impossible but not with God for with God all things are possible The Lord c 1. Sam. 2.6 saith Hannah killeth and maketh aliue he bringeth downe to the Graue bringeth vp Words which She had learnt no doubt of Moses the Prophet in his Booke of Deuteronomie d Deut. 32.39 Howbeit the Prophet here in the meane time is driuen to such Extremities that hee is faine to come to VSQVE QVO to How long he should be Punished It seemes he was long in Punishing then it was not with him as at other times e Ps 30 5. Heavines may endure for a Night but Ioy commeth in the Morning no but happely he endured many Nights many Mornings in this plight So the Prophet here in this place Vsque quo How long but especially in another f Ps 13.1 Psalme How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever How long wilt thou hide thy Face from me How long shall I seeke Counsaile in my Soule and be so vexed in my Heart how long shall mine Enemies triumph over me How long and How long and again How long and How long again the fourth time Indeed it is Long to vs but it is our Infirmitie which makes vs think that Long which we haue not in a Tryce Iust for all the world like those that are Sicke especially if in their Sicknesse they be Cholerick to How hasty g Aug. in Ps 36 saith S. Austen are sicke Men to haue their Wills Nothing seemes so long vnto them as while the Cup they call for is in fetching They who doe attend them make all the speed they can and all for he should be pleased yet the Sick Man When why When I say When will you bring it mee When shall I haue it They make as much hast as possible they may and yet that which they with so much hast endeauour to perfourme thy Sicknesse makes it seeme long vnto thee But it is a good Note and fit to this purpose which S. Austen hath vpon this Psalme h Aug. in hunc Ps That which is easily Cured is not greatly cared for the Difficulty of Healing makes vs take the greater heed when Health is once obtained And again i Aug. Ib. The Prophet is in this long Perplexitie that hereby hee might knowe how great the Punishment is that is prepared for those that will in no wise bee Converted when they that are Converted find so
great difficulty in obtaining of Pardon as it is written l 1. Pet. 4.18 saith hee in another place If the Righteous scarcely be saued where shall the Vngodly and the Sinner appeare Verse 4. Turne thee O Lord and deliuer my Soule Oh saue me for thy Mercies sake Himselfe being now converted to the Lord his Petition to the Lord now is that the Lord would be converted vnto him according vnto that of the Lord himselfe in the Prophet Zachary Turne yee vnto me m Zach. 1.3 saith the Lord of Hoasts and I will turne vnto you saith the Lord of Hoasts Now what hee here meant by the Lords Turning vnto him hee explicateth in the Words that follow namely in deliuering his Soule and sauing him for his Mercies sake First for his Soule likely ynough that his Life is meant thereby being now as it were at the last cast and vpon the Coâ—fines of Death For howsoeuer the Soule is sometimes taken for that Spirituall and best Part of Man whereby we vnderstand and discourse of things sometimes for the Will and Affections whereof the Soule is the Seat yet here in this place considering the Sequences it may be taken for Life by the Figure Metanomia for that the Soule is Cause of Life Secondly where he petitioneth to be Saued and that is the Summe of his Request he tooke no doubt the right course in making his Repaire vnto God For as this our Prophet acknowledgeth elswhere that he is the n Ps 17.7 Saviour of them that put their trust in him so the Lord saith of himselfe o Esay 43.11 I euen I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour And againe p Esay 45.21 There is no God els beside me a iust God and a Saviour there is none beside me The like hath the Prophet q Hos 13.4 Hosea True it is that the Word to SAVE is applyed to Others to either Spiritually or Corporally as Paul to Timothy r 1. Tim. 4.16 Take heed vnto thy selfe and vnto the Doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both saue thy selfe and them that heare thee and S. Iames to this purpose Å¿ Iam. 5.19 Brethren if any of you doe erre from the Truth let him know that he which converteth a Sinner from the Error of his Way shall saue a Soule from Death So Ministers by Preaching Magistrates by Protecting Christians by Admonishing doe saue But thus to saue is to serue Gods Providence onely as a meanes in the preservation of others as Instruments vnder God who for their Service herein honoureth them with the Title belonging to Himselfe Thirdly where he pleads not Merit but Mercy which Merit no doubt he might haue pleaded aswell as any our Merit-mongers whatsoeuer it teacheth vs what wee in like case should bring as a Present to the true IOSEPH our Governour not a t Gen. 43.11 little Balme and a little Hony Spices and Mirrhe Nuts and Almonds of our owne Workes and Deeds but only his owne MERCY Periculosa habitatio eorum qui in Meritis suis sperant periculosa quia ruinosa Dangerous is their Dwelling u Bern. in Psal Qui habitat Ser. 1. saith S. Bernard that trust in their owne Merits it is a Dangerous for it is a Ruinous Dwelling When an House is ready to tumble downe x Plin. Nat. Hist l. 8. c. 28. saith Pliny the Mice goe out of it before and first of all the Spiders with their Webbes fall downe and surely we should bee more brutish then either Spiders or Mice should we trust to such ruinous Dangers as such Confidence would bring vpon vs. Vers 5. For in Death no man remembreth thee and who will giue thee thankes in the Pit Two Sorts of Men haue liued in the World would God we might say Haue liued as Tully y Plut. in Cic. said Vixerunt of Some whom he had caused to bee executed as Traitours for so are these against God but two Sorts of Men haue liued in the World that deny the z Zanch. de Oper Dei Part. 3. l. 2. c. 8. Immortality of the Soule the One of them absolutely the Other by a Consequence Of those which doe it absolutely we haue now no cause to speake cause we shall haue sufficient when we come to the Fourteenth Psalme They which doe it by a Consequence are such as hold that the Soules dye when as the Bodies doe dye and that they rise not till the Bodies rise againe They dare not deny flatly a Zanch Ib. saith Zanchius the Soules Immortality for that it is so manifest throughout the whole Scriptures but what they dare that they doe they depriue it of all Sence of all Knowledge of all Affection and Operation stifly maintaining that it sleepeth forsooth till the Day of the Bodies Resurrection and then that it shall bee wakened and not till then Among the severall Parcels of Scripture which they haue heaped vp to this purpose this of this Psalme is one and as many besides in the Psalmes as describe Man to bee of such a Condition as that hee cannot after Death praise the Name of the Lord any more As namely where David b Ps 88.10 saith Doest thou shewe Wonders among the Dead or shall the Dead rise vp againe and praise thee Shall thy louing Kindnes be shewed in the Graue or thy Faithfulnes in Destruction Shall thy wondrous Workes be knowen in the Darke and thy Righteousnes in the Land where all things are forgotten And againe c Ps 115.17 The Dead praise not thee O Lord neither all they that goe downe into the Silence but we that is we which liue will praise the Lord from this time forth for euermore And yet again d Ps 30.9 What profit is there in my Bloud when I goe downe to the Pit Shall the Dust giue Thankes vnto thee or shall it declare thy Truth But there is as Zanchius e Zanch. vbi supra obserues a twofold Praise the One when in this World we shew forth vnto Others the Lords Goodnes towards vs that Others also by our example may be stirred vp to put their Confidence in God and to worship God in like sort and of this kind of Praises are the foresaid Places to be vnderstood The Other when the Praises of God are reserved for the World to come to be perfourmed by the blessed Saints that shall at that time praise the Lord. And that they praise the Lord in the World to come witnes those severall places in the Revelation that might bee brought to this purpose f Rev. 5.13 Euery Creature which is in Heauen and in the Earth and vnder the Earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them heard I saying BLESSING HONOVR GLORY AND POWER BE VNTO HIM THAT SITTETH VPON THE THRONE AND VNTO THE LAMB FOR EVER AND EVER Againe g Reu. 14.2 I heard a Voyce from Heauen at the
will deliuer thine Enemy into thy Hand that thou mayst doe to him as it shall seeme good vnto thee Oh how sweet would Reuenge haue bene to Thousands vpon like Advantage How readily would they haue said with him in the Tragedy m Senec. Thyest Act. 2. Sc. Ignaue Bene est abunde est hic plâ—cet Poenae modus and to him that should haue said the Punishment was greater then the Offence that was made they would haue replyed againe as readily n Senec. Ib. Act. 1. Sc. Festum Diem Sceleri modus debetur vbi facias Scelus Non vbi reponas but David would none of this So likewise at an other time when Abishai would haue bene the Man to haue perfourmed that Seruice Destroy him not o 1. Sam. 26.9 saith Dauid for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed be guiltles I that base Shemei that Rayling Wretch whom with a Wry or Frowning look as p His MAIEST Defence of the Right of Kings in his Workes p. 464. speaketh his Excellent Maiestie hee was able to crush as an Earth-worme in peeces how did he shelter him from Death when the same Abishai would haue strucken that Head off that carried so diuelish a Tongue yet Dauid at that time to Let him Curse q 2. Sam. 16.10 saith he r Extr. De Transt Episcopi Quanto in Glossa because the Lord hath said vnto him Curse David Who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so From whence I trowe came that of the Popes Lawyers concerning the Pope Papa dicitur habere coeleste arbitrium The Pope is said to haue a heauenly Iudgement therefore in such things as he willeth his Will standeth insteed of Reason neither may any man say vnto him Domine cur ita facis And againe Å¿ Petrus de Palud de Potest Papae Totus Mundus non potest accusare Papam Nemo potest dicere Papae Domine cur ita facis The whole World may not accuse the Pope No man may say to the Pope Sir why doe you so So that there is but a Domine between Shemei and the Pope But to returne vnto my purpose David no doubt was a good Scholler and brought vp by that Master that hath taught vs also to doe the like if we could possibly light on it Loue your Enemies t Luc. 6.27 saith our Saviour doe good to them which hate you Blesse them that Curse you and Pray for them which Dispightfully vse you And againe u V. 32. If yee Loue them which Loue you what thanks haue you for Sinners also loue those that loue them And if yee doe good to them which doe good to you what thankes haue you for Sinners also doe even the same But let vs beware to be such Sinners we heard of such in the First x Ps 1.6 Psalme namely that the Vngodly shall not bee able to stand in the Iudgement neither the Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous Verse 5. Then let mine Enemy persecute my Soule and take me yea let him tread my Life downe vpon the Earth and lay mine Honour in the Dust Dauid y Aug de Temp. Ser. 168. saith S. Austen though adorned with many Vertues yet none of them all more familiarly coupled him vnto God then the Loue of his Enemies And speaking a little after of this Parcell of Scripture Behold saith hee with what a Curse he condemneth himselfe if contemning the Precepts of God concerning louing our Enemies hee feared not to keepe hatred still in his Heart Wherevpon it is to be considered with what Face or Conscience hee can possible pronounce this Verse with his Mouth who rendreth to his Enemies Evill for Evill Now how loath King David was to come within the Clutches of his Enemies his Answere well witnesseth to Gad the Seer who when hee propounded to him that threefold Choice either of Famine or Fall before his Enemies or Pestilence Let vs Fall z 2. Sam. 24.14 saith he into the hands of the Lord for his Mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of Man He refuseth not now to fall into Mans hand if so be the Premises had beene true and not so onely but hee could haue beene contented it seemeth that his Name Fame should haue beene odious to all Posterity An evident Signe and Token of his Innocency could every of vs shewe the like the Hand of God would be more ready to helpe vs then oftentimes it is But for many times it comes to passe a Calvin in hunc Ps saith Calvin that they which annoy hurt vs either are formerly provoked by vs or being annoyed wee breath out presently nothing else but Revenge wee make our selues vnworthy of the Helpe of the Lord in such Cases nay our Distemper Fury is such as that it shuts Heauen Gates against our Prayers Verse 6. Stand vp O Lord in thy Wrath and lift vp thy selfe because of the Indignation of mine Enemies arise vp for me in the Iudgement that thou hast commanded The Prophet here speaketh as if he spake what he speakes not of God but of Man Man indeed when hee is mooued to anger stands vp and lifts vp himselfe as it was noted long agoe in that old Honourable Captain the Earle of Shrewsbury whose patience when a French Embassadour had moued at a Dinner where before his Head by great Age was almost groueling on the Table hee roused himself in such wise that hee appeared b A Defence of Priests Marriages thought to be Dr Parkers so Dr Cosens Apol. Part. 2. c. 12. and Others but I take it rather to be D. Poynets My Reason is for that no lesse then 21. Pages videl from p. 36. to p. 57. are Verbatim taken out of a Book of Dr Poynets mentioned in that Defence p. 36. a Point which Dr Parker would never haue performed D. Poynet might bee bold with his owne saith my Author in length of Body as much as hee was thought ever in all his Life before knitting his Browes gaue the French man such a looke that the Monsieur spoiled no more Vittaile at that Dinner but drancke wondrous oft But to come to the Matter in hand Such Tearmes as these To stand vp and To lift vp himselfe are vsuall throughout the Scripture especially in the Psalmes and applyed vnto God howbeit properly they belong to Man not to a Spirit but God is a c Ioh. 4.24 Spirit So the Psalmist in other Places d Ps 78.66 The Lord awaked as one out of Sleepe and like a Gyant refreshed with Wine And againe in another Psalme e Ps 12.6 I will Vp saith the Lord and will helpe every Man from him that swelleth against him and will set them at rest And where the Prophet here saith Stand vp in thy Wrath In Ira tua id est Paenis In thy Wrath f Mollerus in hunc Ps saith Mollerus that
is with thy Punishments for then the Lord is said to be Angry when he destroyeth his Enemies But what is that which here followeth Arise Vp for me in the Iudgement that thou hast commanded The Iudgement g Chrys in hunc Ps saith S. Chrysostome that God hath Commanded is to helpe those that are in need and not in any wise to neglect such against whom there are Dangers towards and therefore thou O Lord who by thine owne Law hast taken order that so wee should doe doe it also by thine owne Deeds No doubt but God is the Fountaine of Pitie and if we that are but Conduits come from him ought to be Pitifull how much more should he himselfe be who is the Fountaine it selfe Some corrospondence this Passage hath with that in the Lords Prayer h Mat. 6.12 Forgiue vs our Debts as we also forgiue our Debters Meaning that seeing we who haue but a Drop of Mercy in respect of thee forgiue others thou who art the Fountaine of Mercy doe thou forgiue vs. Verse 7. And so shall the Congregation of the People come about thee for their sakes therefore lift vp thy selfe againe It is storyed in i Exod. 18.13 Exodus that when Moses sate to iudge the People The People stood by Moses Or as it was in our Former Translation The People stood about Moses from Morning vnto Eauen It was the Custome belike in those Ages to stand about their Magistrates as it were in a Ring that so the Words of the Iudge that spake might haue the better accesse to every of them The Crowne is set vpon the Kings Head and compasseth it l His MAIESTIES Meditat. on Mat. 27. v. 27.28.29 Or Paterne for a Kings Inaugur p. 48. saith his Excellent MAIESTIE vpon whose Head may it long set and compasse it for ever to shew that as the Crowne compasseth the Kings Head so is he to sit in the Midst of the People his wakerife Care is ever to be imployed for their Good their Loue is his greatest Safety and their Prosperity is his greatest Honour and Felicity For many times among the Romans the Word CORONA signifies the People m Steph. Thesaurus in Verb. Corona Perottus takes it to come of Chorus and therevpon in old time it was written with an H though n Quintil Instit Orat. l. 1. c. 5. Vid Polit. Misâ—ell c. 19. Quintilian mislikes that writing But to returne where I left As Moses then did sit in the midst of the People and the Iudges with him so to such a Custome it is that the Prophet alludeth in this place Intimating that if the Lord would be thus beneficiall to him it would be a Cause the whole People would the rather relye vpon him in regard they saw the Fruit thereof in the Prophet himselfe But what was it the Prophets meaning that the People should compasse the Lord in Heauen No but the meaning is n Chrys in hunc Ps saith S. Chrysostome that they should Sing vnto him that they should Praise him that they should Honour and Extoll him in their severall Congregations which forasmuch as in the Temple was perfourmed by such Assemblies as stood in Circuit round about for so were their Synagogues built as we see to this Day hence it is that the Prophet thus speakes Like as our Saviour in like sort o Mat. 18.20 Where Two or Three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them Thus was he in the p Luc. 2.46 Midst of the Doctors hearing them and asking them Questions And after his Resurrection when the Disciples were assembled together for feare of the Iewes came Iesus and stood in the Midst q Ioh. 20 19. saith S. Iohn and againe Eight Dayes after the Doores being shut came Iesus and stood in the r V. 26. Midst againe Indeed IESVS is the true CENTER to whom Euery of the Faithfull by equal Lines hath his true Reference Whereas it is added here in this place For their sakes therefore lift vp thy selfe againe That is Å¿ Piscat in hunc Ps saith Piscator Once more get thee vp into thy Seat of Iudgement For such Thrones and Seates were set very high Vers 8. The Lord shall iudge the People giue sentence with me O Lord according to my Righteousnes and according to the Innocency that is in me First whereas it is here said The Lord shall iudge the People what Lord t Aug. in hunc Ps saith S. Austen but IESVS CHRIST for the u Ioh. 5.22 Father iudgeth no Man but hath committed all Iudgement to his Son Though in this place it may signifie to Rule and Gouerne like as the x Heb. 10.30 Apostle to the Hebrewes applyes it out of y Deut. 32.36 Deuteronomy So the Prophet David in an other a Ps 9.8 Psalme He shall iudge the World in Righteousnesse and minister true Iudgement vnto the People And againe b Ps 67.4 O let the Nations reioyce and be glad for thou shalt iudge the Folke righteously and gouerne the Nations vpon the Earth And Abraham to this purpose c Gen. 18.25 Shall not the Iudge of all the Earth doe Right Secondly in that the Prophet cryeth here Ad Sententiandum to haue Sentence giuen him we are to obserue his Assurance in the Equity of his Cause And what a Comfort it is to sue in that Court where the Equity of the Cause may prevaile I leaue it to poore Suitors to consider of in their Extremities and what a World it was euen among Heathens when of a Iudgement giuen at one time it was said by a good Remembrancer d Valer. Max. Memorabil l. 7. c. 7. Si ipsa Aequitaes hac de re cognescere potuisset iustiusve aut gratius pronunciaret Had AEQVITY it selfe sate in Iudgement could shee haue giuen a more Righteous and Gracious Sentence But I feare me they finde those other of the same Author more oftentimes true which he spake of a Sentence ill giuen e Valer. Max. Memorab l. 6. c. 6. Crediderim tunc ipsam Fidem humana Negotia speculantem moestum gessisse Vultum perseverantissimum sui Cultum iniquae Fortunae Iudicio tam acerbo exitu damnautem cernentem The best English to this is PATIENCE and in no wise to be forgotten that f Nebrissens Dec. 2. l. 3. c. 1. My LORD of CANT on Ionas Lect. 3. §. 17. Lewes the Eleuenth King of France did on his Death-bed restore two Counties to the Heires of Iohn the King of Arragon to which in all his Life-time before he would neuer condiscend CONSCIENCE at last wrought with him But how comes it that the Prophet here calleth for Sentence according to his Righteousnes and according to his Innocency This had not wont to bee the Prophets Plea His Plea had wont to be for so it was in the Former g Ps 6.4 Psalme O saue me for thy Mercies
sake And againe in an other h Ps 143.1 Psalme Hearken vnto me for thy Truth and Righteousnes sake and enter not into Iudgement with thy Seruant for in thy sight shall no Man liuing be iustified The i Calvin in hunc Ps Answere is that the Prophet here in this place deliuereth not vnto vs what Answer himselfe would make if so be the Lord would take account of him concerning his whole Life past but comparing himselfe with his Enemies he sheweth himselfe Righteous in respect of them and especially in this one Point which they laid to his Charge he declareth in these Words how Innocent hee was In respect of God l Titleman in hunc Ps saith an Other let vs in no wise say if I haue offended in thy sight and if there be any Iniquity in my Hands Nay rather let vs say m 1. Sam. 7.6 We haue sinned against the Lord and that which the Prodigall said who devoured his Fathers Liuing with Harlots o Luc. 15.21 Father I haue sinned against Heauen and in thy Sight and let vs add therunto p Ps 51.1 Haue Mercy vpon me O God after thy great Goodnes and q Ps 25.6 According to thy Mercy thinke thou vpon me O Lord for thy Goodnes And againe †Ps 51.4 Against thee only haue I sinned Where by the way it is worth the obseruing how the Prophet comes to say Against thee ONELY haue I sinned Sinned not David against Bethsabee Sinned not David against Vriah Sinned not David against Others I doubt not r Mr Doctor GOODWIN Deane of Christ-Church in Oxford Serm. before the KING at Woodstock Aug. 28. Aº 1614. p. â—1 saith a Reverend DOCTOR and as Reverend a DEANE of the Church but David sinned against Bethsabe that a grieuous and an vncleane Sin against Vriah and that a Bloudy and a Crying Sin against the Child of Adultery and that a Deadly and a Killing Sin against his Kingdome and that a Ruinating and Demolishing Sin against his owne Soule and that a Dreadful Pernicious Sin In istos peccavit soli Deo peccavit Against all these he sinned but he sinned to God only They might Complaine Accuse and Testifie against him but GOD alone was to Iudge to Condemne to Punish him But to returne to my purpose Was it so that notwithstanding Dauids Innocency David was thus driuen to the Walls Doth the Å¿ Habak 1. â— Wicked still compasse about the Righteous and doth wrong Iudgment still proceed The Wicked doth he still deuoure the Man that is more t V. 13â— Righteous then he Sed non debemus super hac Rerum inaequalitate turbari But wee ought not u Hieron in Habak c. 1. saith S. Ierom to be troubled with the Iniquity of Things in regard that we see from the Beginning of the World Righteous x Gen. 4.8 Abel slaine by Wicked Cain and afterwards Esau domineering in his Fathers House when y Gen. 28.5 Iacob was in Banishment and the z Exod. 5.12 Aegyptians afflicting the Children of Israel with Brick and Yâ—le the LORD against whom Complaint was made crucified by the Iewes and a Mat. 27.26 Barabbas the Theefe let goe Time saith he will not suffise me if I should endeavour to write and reckon vp in particular how the Godly in this World goe to wrack the Wicked flourishing and prevailing See more hereof in his b Hieron Epist ep ad Castrus Epistle to Castrutius whom he comforteth in that Epistle for the losse of his Eyes Vers 9. O let the Wickednesse of the Vngodly come to an end but guide thou the Iust He that thus prayeth that the Wickednesse of the Vngodly should come at length vnto an end implyeth that their Wickednesse was by all likelyhood of long Continuance Long Continuance in respect of Men though in respect of God not long For what can bee long with God with whom a Thousand Yeeres are but as one c 2. Pet. 3.8 Day But yet seeing to Man the Time seemes so long and Wickednesse oft-times is a great while a lengthning indeed no marvaile though the Prophet here direct his Prayer for an End for feare if it should continue there would bee no Righteous at all Which yet we must not so take as if wee would prescribe to God how farre hee should lay vpon vs such Affliction it is ynough for our comfort that what is done is done by him that the Wicked shal doe no more then in his Prouidence hath determined shall be done So S. Peter of our Sauiour himselfe Him d Acts. 2.23 saith he being deliuered by the determinate Counsell and foreknowledge of God ye haue taken and by wicked hands haue crucified and slaine And what if we haue not those Sinnes that our Enemies vpbraid vs with yet may we haue Others of an other sort and those as S. Austen e Aug. in Ps 68. speaketh may worthily bee punished in vs. Thus one Addaeus in the Ecclesiasticall f Evagrius Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 5. Vid. My L. of CANT on Ionas Lect. 7. §. 21. Historie a speciall Friend of the Emperor Iustinian when he had escaped the Law for one Murther was afterwards put to Death for a Fact wherewith he was charged but in trueth had neuer done it He escaped for that which he did and died for that which he did not Oh but the Time is long it is a very long Time that thus I am afflicted Dayes and Moneths and Yeeres why but be Patient yet and for these Dayes and Moneths and Yeeres of Sorrowes thou shalt haue Euerlastingnes thou shalt haue Eternity of Ioy thou shalt haue as g 2. Cor. 4.17 speakes the Apostle an eternall Weight of Glory What! wouldst thou haue in this Life Foelicity and hereafter to Nay then thou art too-too Couetous It is as if King h 1. King 3.11 Solomon would haue chosen Long Life and Riches and the Life of his Enemies and Wisdome to But David here as he prayes against the Wicked so his Prayer is here made also in behalfe of the Iust to wit that God would guide them But concerning Leading and Guiding I haue spoken i Exposit on Ps 5.8 p. 130. before Vers 10. For the Righteous God tryeth the very Hearts and Reines The Spirit that said by the Mouth of Solomon l Prou. 25.3 The Heart of Kings is vnsearchable said asmuch of the Heart in generall by the Mouth of the Prophet m Ier. 17.9 Ier. 11.20 Ieremy By Hearts here in this place may be signified our Wills and Affections which are seated in our Hearts and by Reines Mens privat and secret Thoughts Now none can do this but God and as here he is said to trye them so elswhere he is said to a 1. Sam. 16.7 looke on the Heart to b Ier. 20.12 see the Reines and the Heart to c 1. Chro. 28.9 Ier. 17.10 Reu. 2.23 search all
Hearts Vox mea in Ore nondum erat sed Auris Dei iam in Corde erat My Words were not come so forward as my Mouth d Aug. in Ps 31. saith S. Austen and the Eare of God was already in my Heart And againe e Aug. in Ps 141 Nisi voce Pulmonum Laterum Linguae claemes Homo te non audit Cogitatio tua clamor est ad Dominum Vnlesse thou vse the helpe of the Lungs and Sides and Tongue Man heares thee not but thy Thought in regard of God is Clamour ynough And yet againe in a Third place f Aug. in Ps 148. Hom. 16. Quomodo Aures nostrae ad Voces nostras sic Aures Dei ad Cogitationes nostras As our owne Eares are to our Words so are Gods Eares to our Thoughts Onely one thing let me note for the Comfort of them that are sometimes too-too much troubled with their Thoughts that †B. Bilsons Survey of Christs Sufferings p. 200. A Man may thinke and speake of all the Errors and Heresies in the World and yet not sinne It is the liking and embracing of them that maketh the Offence and not Thinking or Reasoning of them The Will causeth Thoughts to be good or euil the Vnderstanding doth not Vers 11. My helpe commeth of God which preserueth them that are true of Heart The Art of Physick hath two severall Offices the One of Healing the Other of Preseruing in Health According to the Former g Aug. in hunc Ps saith S. Austen it was said in the Former h Ps 6.2 Psalme Haue mercy vpon me O Lord for I am weake according to the Latter it is said in this Psalme If there be any Wickednes in my Hands If I haue rewarded evill vnto him that dealt friendly with me yea I haue deliuered him that without any cause is mine Enemy In that Psalme his Prayer was that being weake he might be healed in this Psalme his Prayer is that being sound he may not be diseased According to the Former it is there said i Ps 6.4 O saue me for thy Mercies sake according to the Latter it is here said Giue sentence with me O Lord according to my Righteousnes and according to the Innocency that is in me There he desired a Remedy to bee rid of his Disease here he requests a Preservatiue least he should relapse againe According vnto that it is there said O saue me for thy Mercies sake according vnto this it is here said My helpe commeth of God which preserueth them that are true of Heart Yea but who will you say are such Who but such as was Nathaniel of whom our Saviour l Ioh. 1.47 Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no Guile Such as was Iacob of whom the Scripture m Gen. 25.27 Esau was a cunning Hunter a Man of the Field and Iacob was a plaine Man dwelling in Tents It is in the Vulgar Iacob Vir simplex a simple Man The like in the Vulgar is said of Iob to n Iob. 1.1 Simplex Rectus Simple and Vpright and so indeed they are and are to be who will haue their Names in Gods Booke The Wisdome of the Serpent and Simplicity of the Doue is the true mixture that God requireth in those that are his Where as his Excellent o His MAIESTIES Meditation vpon 1. Chron. 15. v. 25 26 27 28 Part. 5. in his Workes p. 88 MAIESTY hath obserued Christ recommends vnto vs the Wisdome of Serpents not thereby to deceiue and betray others but to arme vs against the Deceit and Treason of Hypocrites that goe about to trap vs. What an Helper God is hath bene spoken p Expos on Ps 37. p 78. before Vers 12. God is a righteous Iudge strong and patient and God is prouoked euery day The Almighty God our Heauenly Father as he is both Good and Mercifull Patient and of long Sufferance so he vseth two manner of wayes to allure and call vs to him when we of our owne Heads follow our own Devices and lewdly runne whethersoeuer our Lusts doe leade vs Sometimes in his great Mercy he vseth Promises sometimes in his Iustice hee vseth Threatnings And therefore Dauid in this place God saith he is a righteous Iudge The very Name of a Iudge may put vs in minde of Gods Seuerity A Iudge is a Person appointed ouer Criminall Causes and Civill Controuersies to end and determine them by his Sentence To the Guilty such as all of vs in an other case are by Nature Experience teacheth how dreadful a Sight the Face of a Iudge is Rulers q Rom. 13.4 saith the Apostle are not a terror to good Works but to the euill Wilt thou then not be afraid of the Power Doe that which is good and thou shalt haue praise of the same For he is the Minister of God to thee for good but if thou doe that which is euill be afraid for he beareth not the Sword in vaine for he is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute Wrath vpon him that doth euill But God is a Righteous Iudge that is he will by no meanes cleere the r Exod. 34.7 Guilty and it is a righteous thing with God ſ 2. Thess 1.6 saith S. Paul to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you And t Gen. 18.25 Abraham as you heard before Shall not the Iudge of all the Earth doe right And as he is Righteous so is he Strong that is of Power to be revenged of all the Wicked Seek not u Ecclus. 7.6 saith the Sonne of Syrach to be Iudge being not able to take away Iniquity least at any time thou feare the Person of the Mighty and lay a stumbling block in the Way of thy Vprightnes And in some it is so indeed they want ability to curbe the Impiety of Many in the Land With the Lord it is not so hee is so Powerfull in such Cases that the x Ps 104 3◠Earth shall tremble at the Looke of him if he doe but touch the Hils they shall smoke If I speake of Strength y Iob. 9.19 saith Iob Loe he is strong and againe z Iob. 36.19 Will he esteeme thy Riches no not Gold nor all the Forces of Strength But as God is Righteous and Strong so is he Patient to and God is prouoked euery Day And now are we in a Sea of Matter where we may haue plenty at will I will content my selfe with that of Cyprian who speaking of this Argument The Patience of God What manner of Patience is in God a Cyp. de Bono Patient saith hee and how great for quantity who patiently suffereth profane Temples of the Heathen worldly Inventions and execrable Sacriledge to be committed by Men in contempt of his Maiesty and Honour and yet notwithstanding causeth the Day to shew and the Sunne to shine aswell vpon the b Mat. 5.45 Evill as the Good Hee watereth the Ground