erant in montibus illis Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Much talking many words * Eccles. 5.2 Solomon gives Item against it especially in all speech passing twixt God and us Let thy words be few pithy as thou wilt but few fit for the matter thou prayest for and such as befits the Majesty of that God whom thou prayest unto And if a man consider the use that speech hath in prayer I meane private prayer it is not to * Matth. 6.32 informe the Lord of our wants for he knows what we need before we aske and professeth his audience of * Rom. 8.26 Exod. 14.15 sighes and groans But first to expresse our affections by that instrument which God hath given us for that end to wit our Tongue Psal 35.28 See Psal 5.1 2 3. Secondly Then to kindle our affections that when we hear from our selves the sound of our misery or wants or blessing by the redounding thereof upon our minds our affections may be doubled whereto if few as well as many words suffice quorsum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to what purpose is the use of many The point in hand is tender and must warily be dealt withall yet give leave to minde you what I observe in perusing the Psalmes the chief pattern I know extant for Devotion is Psal 5.1 2 3. there are First Words Secondly Meditation to guide them Thirdly Crying to shew the Earnestnesse of Affection one tearm he there useth is borrowed from Warr I will direct order my prayer as Curiously as men do their battell where no man must be out of rank nor hear a word out of his order Truely * Aug. ep 121. Austine Aliud est sermo multus aliud diuturnus affectus there is difference between much speech and much affection our Saviour spent whole nights in prayer and we must never think our prayer long while our affection keeps up in vigour Multum loqui est in orando rem necessariam superfluis agere verbis multum autem precari est ad eum quem precamur diuturna piacordis excitatione pulsare In a word as a man may not beat upon and blunt his affection with babling when he feels it languish so while he feels it in vigour he may not over-soon break off his prayer Vse 1 They have a kinde of devotion in the Church of Rome which they number amongst their most meritorious and satisfactory works It is this to pray by the Bead by the Tale so many Ave-Maries Pater-nosters in a strange tongue which they understand not and he is counted the devoutest man who spends most houres in prayer in the interim neglecting all other offices of Religion or speciall calling for my part rumpatur pereat let him burst and perish that opposeth Devotion especially this part of it that is spent in prayer But first Is there no place for Meditation for * Eccles 5.1 Hearing Secondly Is this to pray to blatter we know not what in a strange tongue How do they in praying attain the end of ends which is saith Austin not to inform God but First To minde our selves of what we ask Secondly To excite affection Thirdly And why so many words so much babling As if the Lord we serve were asleep as Elias speaks of Baal or as if fewer words with more affection did not better please him Eccles 5.2 Secondly It shews us the great grace of God Vse 2 and his propense favour to us who with so little ado is ready at a call when he sees the season fit to hear us I deny not but he sometimes deferres but it is First To prove our faith Secondly To humble us the more under conscience of our own indignity Thirdly To set better price of the blessing asked Fourthly That he may whet affection Fiftly He means to double the blessing as we do our devotion but certainly when he sees us fitted to receive presently he grants what we pray for Thirdly If I should prescribe a form of private Vse 3 devotion I should preferre the custome of Aegyptian Churches mentioned by Austin Let them be frequent pithy passionate but yet consider whom you have to deal withall few words but pithy and affectionate such as beseem such a Majestie to be called upon withall The issue remains He helped me But before he comes to expresse the issue he seems a little to interrupt himself and to breathe out into celebration of the grace and mercy of God which he had experimented in his deliverance As touching the sense of the words by Graciousnesse of God we conceive that property of his nature inclining him above our merits without our merits against our merits to do good unto us see Psal 111.4 and 86.15 Exod. 33.19 Righteousnesse or Justice that inclines him to give to every one what belongs unto him If any ask how justice appeared in his deliverance this is the answer First There is Iustitia dicti as well as facti Justice of word and promise as well as of fact and deed 1 Ioh. 1.9 Heb. 6.10 Secondly They put upon God a threefold Justice according to a fourfold person he sustains First That whereby he doth what is meet for him that is good that is naturally good to do for his creatures from this Justice issues his loving kindnesse see Psal 36.6 7. and 40.10 Secondly Paternum Fatherly justice so it is equall and just he should protect his children Psal 103.13 hear their prayers Matth. 7.11 c. Thirdly Judiciary if you think here meant It is just Justice requires it of God himself to vindicate the innocent from their oppressours and to give them testimony of innocencie Object But who is so innocent Answ None indeed simply so and in respect of God yet in respect of men for particular faults see Psa 7.3 4. and 18.19 20 21. Our God that is the God whom we serve taking it contradistinct to idols as Psal 115.3 Is mercifull the word signifies tenderly mercifull such an one as whose bowels yern upon our miseries so propense is he to releeve them by old Zacharie they are called * Luke 1.78 Bowels of mercy But in this passion of devotion two things he commends to every devout soul in any experiment he hath had of any attribute of God The first is Observation noticing and observing those attributes of God which have manifested themselves in the blessings reached unto us or in any his operations towards the sonnes of men see Psal 107.43 who so is wise will observe these things Iehu no great good man yet had his observation of the truth of God spoken by his Prophets 2 Kings 10.10 Know now that no word of the Lord shall fall to the ground confer 2 Kings 9.36 Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1.15 he is in a long commemoration of Gods grace towards him in his conversion in the midst of it he breaks out to this point of observation Certainly it is a truth Jesus Christ came into the world to
in knowledge and observation as to know to whether attribute to ascribe whether blessing As in a body perfectly mixt there are all elements yet still one predominant so in all the works of God towards the sonnes of men Mercy and Truth Righteousnesse and Peace Wisdome and Power have their concourse yet so as some one or other have their predominance Let our wisdome be such in observing that we may not let passe that speciall attribute without speciall celebration so doth David here and Saint Paul also in like sort 2 Cor. 1.3 stileth the Lord on like observation Father of mercies and God of all comfort As for example In pardon of sinne there is Wisdome there is Justice c. but the predominant is Mercy Secondly In crowning of our services there is eminent Grace and Bounty Thirdly In supporting in temptations there is Power c. VERSE VI. The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me IN this Verse we have First A conclusion Secondly The proofe of it In the conclusion again three things First The blessing Preservavation Secondly The Authour of it the Lord. Thirdly The persons capable and their qualification the Simple Preservation conceive their safeguarding from evill from mischief as 2 Tim. 4.18 Simplicity in Scripture often hears ill as bad as folly so Prov. 1.22 How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and Prov. 7.7 Among the simple ones there was a young man void of understanding and again Prov. 9.4 Who so is simple let him turn in hither and so the word after the Genuine Etymon imports A silly man one that with any perswasion is lead or mislead to any thing as Pro. 14.15 Here he stiles them so whom else he calls plain men and harmlesse * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.15 Saint Paul calls such men perfect see also Rom. 16.19 and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 14.20 They are such as honestly keep the plain way of Gods Commandments without those slights or creeks of carnall policie for which men are in the world esteemed wise see Gen. 25.27 Iacob called a plain man Simple or foolish he calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they are generally so esteemed amongst the wise of the world not that they are so silly as they are esteemed for if the Lord can judge of wisdome and folly the onely fool is the Athiest and profane person Psal 14.1 the onely wise man in the world is the plain down-right Christian Deut. 4.6 who keeps himself precisely in all states to that plain honest course the Lord hath prescribed him And to such simple ones Gods fools who in their misery and affliction keep them onely to the means of deliverance and comfort which the Lord hath prescribed them belongs this blessing of preservation and safeguarding from mischief or destruction so Salomon Prov. 16.17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evill the benefit is He that keepeth his way preserveth his soul see also Prov. 19.16 23. exemplification see in Asa 2 Chron. 14.9 10 11 12. and 16.7 8 9. read the excellent speech of Hanani the Seer Reason if ye ask none can better be given then this That it gives unto the Lord glory of wisdome more then all the turning of devices amongst the wicked How pleaseth it the Lord to see himself magnified amongst his children to see them deny themselves their own wisdome and policie and to relie simply on him And where have you seen any person or state leaving the direct broad way which the Lord hath prescribed ever prosperous It was in the eye of reason a notable policie that Ieroboam used to prevent the revolt of Israel to the house of David see 1 Kings 12.26 27 28. but it became a sinne to the house of Ieroboam to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth 1 Kings 13.34 This may learn us to bewail the wisdome of some states in the world and to wish they were more simple I mean in Davids sense to keep Gods high way to make hiâ— statutes of our counsell though Moab and Ammon be confederate together these devices without God shall be unprosperous though hand joyn in hand yet shall not the wicked go unpunished But for our own particular Let us count it our best wisdome to cleave close to our God to walk in his ways to this belongs promise of Gods protection Psal 91.11 Excellently David Psal 5. compassed about with so many adversaries ver 8. Lead me O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of mine enemies make thy way straight before me this do hereby thou shalt be safe Psal 37. These Caveats remember First It being a temporall blessing is to be understood with limits ordinary to such favours As first With exception of the Crosse Secondly Reservation of power to the promiser to chasten particular delinquencies Secondly Though perhaps we suffer losse yet life given for a prey Ier. 45.5 Thirdly Manner of preservation divers First By sustaining 2 Cor. 12.9 Secondly By taking us from evill Isa 57.1 Thirdly Or by deliverance out of evill by giving issue 1 Corin. 10.13 2 Pet. 2.9 See Annotat. ad 2 Thes 2.16 pag. 210. Edit 1627. The proofe follows I was brought low and he helped me Where we have two things considerable First The ground of proofe chosen to make it good and that is experience Secondly The sufficiencie of the proofe The ground of proofe is experience or example which if any thing most swayes as most running into sense so is God pleased graciously to exemplifie his promises for the confirmation of our faith And this generally observe there is not a promise of God in any kinde but we have seen or may see it daily exemplified that if for his bare word we beleeve not yet for his works sake we may beleeve him Sure it is true In dayes of famine we shall be fed Psal 37. so we are sure was the family of Iacob so was Elias so the widow of Saâ—epkath Surely it is true God will deliver his out of temptation though his wrath come upon the whole world of the ungodly 2 Pet. 2.9 so was Noah so was Lot delivered c. Sure it is true In pestilence we shall be preserved except either we our selves hinder it or except God means us some greater good in it Israelites were so Exod. 12. Certainly it is a truth God will not leave the righteous nor their seed except perhaps they degenerate Kept he not so his mercies to David It is undoubtedly true God shall bring the innocencie of the righteous to light and make it as the noon-day Psal 37. Was it not so in Ioseph In a word Ye cannot name the promise of this life or of that to come which God hath made to his Church but he hath plentifully exemplified according to the purport and tenour and intention of the promiser God shall certainly binde up the broken in heart he shall
what more then Simulationem cautelae his affliction drave him unto before Achish King of Gath But there is slipping Psa 73.2.94.18 suppose in those passionate murmurings and discontentments Gods children feel rising under the Crosse Secondly There is falling perhaps into grosser sinne as impatience blasphemy abnegation as Peter Matth. 26.75 Iob 3. Ier. 10.14 And thirdly There is Prolaepsio or Ruina Psal 44.17 18. In one of these at least the Lord is gracious to support his children see Iob 1. and 2. Psal 44.17 18. Hebr. 11.35 Fourthly Stumbling at Rom. 14 c. Comfort your selves with these things Vse either all divine presages are false else certainly evill times will come some God is so mercifull unto to take away from the evill to come as * 2 Kings 22.20 Iosiah was taken and * Gen. 5.24 Enoch Ne malitia mutaret intellectum and many other righteous Isa 57.1 Yet questionlesse there are some whom God reserves to trialls perhaps sharp and bitter surely the tendernesse we shew towards verball persecutions may give us cause to fear in respect of our selves we shall be more delicate and timorous in the fiery triall yet here is our comfort God hath been mighty in mans weaknesse enabled many a weak Christian to endure great fights of affliction and to resist in striving against sinne to the shedding of blood that cloud of witnesses Heb. 12. are so many evidences of Gods goodnesse and power to support us see Rom. 15.4 This rest assured of either he will not suffer us to be tempted or else will give issue with the temptation 1 Cor. 10.13 Nothing shall separate finally from Gods favour Rom. 8.38 VERSE IX I will walke before the Lord in the land of the living THe Result of Davids Deliverance else as some conceive a Promise or Vow of thankfulnesse to God for his great bounty towards him Sense The reading may be diversly conceived I shall walk so it denotes the summe of the blessing or I will walk so it points at the duty Walk before the Lord Walking with God we read of Henoch Gen. 5.22 24 which the Apostle following the Septuagint renders Pleasing God Heb. 11.5 and in Gen. 17.1 we reade of walking before God prescribed to Abraham and the explication after a sort sub-joyned and be thou perfect or upright the practice of the precept in that sense see Gen. 24.40 by Abraham see also Isa 38.3 1 Sam. 2.35 I will build him a sure house and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever that is minister or do service to mine Anointed the Messiah in the Priests Office Confer Luke 1.74 75. In the land of the living Fondly do some Ancients here conceive heaven or the heavenly countrey to be understood and thereupon take occasion Allegorically to shew that this earth is Terra morientium Consult with Scripture ye shall finde it imports no more but this upper face of the earth where living men dwell and converse as Iob 28.13 where shall wisdome be found man knoweth not the price of it neither is it found in the land of the living that is amongst men here on earth Psal 52.5 David fortelling the destruction of Doeg God shall take thee out of thy dwelling place and cast thee out of the land of the living Clearly Isa 38.11 I said I shall not see the Lord in the land of the living I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world The whole sense amounts to this summe I shall live to do God service amongst men here on earth and that service will I perform in the uprightnesse and sincerity of my heart contra see Iob 10.21 22. Psal 88.12 Which me thinks he utters with the voice of joy and thankfull rejoycing that the Lord had so graciously delivered him from those deadly perils for this end that he should yet live amongst men to do service unto God Notice it then as no small blessing of God to have life prorogued to do good service upon earth whether in the Ministery or Magistracie or family as a craftsman or husbandman For in all these saith the Apostle Col. 3.24 ye serve the Lord Christ Three things we may observe in the practice of Saints serving to evidence this truth First Bitter wailings and lamentations when God hath threatened to take them away by untimely death see David making his bed to swimme with tears and with hearts grief piâ—â—ed away with sorrow in his sicknesse Why if ye ask Psal 6.5 he saw he was likely to be cut off from doing service unto God Hezekiah Isa 34.14 Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a Dove Ver. 3. Wept sore I said in the cutting off of my dayes I shall go to the gates of the grave I shall be deprived of the residue of my years compare Vers 18 19. Secondly A second thing observable in their practice is their earnest deprecation of untimely death and fervented supplication to have life prorogued Psalmes are full see Psal 102.23 24. his wailing he weakened my strength in the way he shortened my dayes Then said I O my God take me not away in the midst of my dayes let that wrath be upon my adversaries nay even when yeers were come upon them yet some remains of ability to serve God Psal 71.18 Now that I am old and gray-headed forsake me not untill I have shewed thy strength to this generation and thy power to them which are yet to come see Psal 30.8 9 10. Thirdly Observe again the joyfull thanksgiving that they have returned unto God when he hath pleased to renew hopes of surviving Isa 38.17 Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption Papists would assigne this reason For that the blessednesse that stands in the vision of God they were excluded from shut up in the strait of Hell wherein though they rested from outward miseries yet wanted their souls the chief part of beatitude the blessed vision and fruition of the God-head Was that the matter Yet were they In refrigerio in a place where they received comfort Luke 16.25 And of Elias it is noted he was taken up into heaven that he with Moses appeared unto our Saviour at his Transfiguration Matth. 17.4 who doubts but clad with heavenly glory Our people fancie another reason and that forsooth is because they had not in the old Testament that clear revelation of the glorious state of Gods Kingdome nor that plentifull assurance of their salvation that we now have And was that the reason they desired so long to live First herein we affirm untruths for had not Abraham Moses and David as firm assurance of the blessed state of Gods children after this life as the ordinary rate of Gods people now see Heb. 11.10 26 27. And secondly slander the generation of the righteous not because they had lesse assurance of Gods love then we but because they had lesse self-love then we yea more zeal
Priscillianists of the ninth that if ever there were times to say as David now are the dayes It is * Psal 119.126 time for thee Lord to lay to thine hand for men have destroyed thy Law Let us be warned to be better informed in our judgements and remember what our Saviour saith Matth. 5.17 He never came to destroy the Law and Prophets and what Paul Rom. 3.31 We do not abrogate the Law by faith Thus understand First From obligation to Laws Ceremoniall and Judiciall particular to Jews we are freed so that now no longer lies bond or any mans conscience simply as from Gods Precept to observe dayes and times and difference of meats and apparell Secondly Yet though that be so we are not freed from obligation to obedience of the Morall Law for that is the Law of nature in all the parts of it given to Adam in innocencie when as yet was no difference betwixt people and people Thirdly But when we say we are free from the Law as the Law is abrogated to us thus we desire Scriptures should be understood First From the Curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 and 5.18 23. Secondly From the Justification of the Law requiring every man to bring unto Gods judgement seat the perfect righteousnesse of the Law of his own personall performance For without the Law is the righteousnesse of God revealed Rom. 3.21 22. Thirdly From the rigour of the Law that promiseth no life nor reward but to the perfect in obedience for our weak services are accepted yea crowned by promise of God in the Gospel Fourthly From exasperating vertue of the Law expressed by Paul Rom. 7.8 see Psal 40. But from obedience of the Law no man is freed Mat. 5.17 18. The second errour reproved is the misapplying and abuse of the Doctrine of Christian liberty even when it seems to be rightly understood as amongst our more intelligent people that will confesse they stand bound to the obedience of the Decalogue and their freedome to be onely from the Curse c. yet may we observe many abuses of Christian liberty First St Paul notes one frequent in his time Rom. 6.1 It seems this That because they were not under the Curse of the Law therefore we may sinne Mention if I see it not rife amongst many of our people I would it were not amongst some professing best mindes that because there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ therefore they take liberty to sinne Rom. 8.1 But where learnt we thus to turn the grace of God into wantonnesse that because Christ hath died to redeem us from the Curse therefore we should sinne against God Me thinks that of Paul should rather be our inference 2 Cor. 5.14 That the love of Christ should constrain us to live to his glory withall therein we should behold the strictnesse and severity of God against sinne which nothing could expiate but the death of the Sonne of God and can we forget what Saint Paul speaks Heb. 10. If we sin wilfully there remains no more sacrifice for sin and how can we be assured that we have share in freedome from the Curse not being freed from the reign of sinne Rom. 6.2 Yea see the qualification of men freed from damnation Rom. 8.1 They are such as walk not after flesh but after Spirit Secondly Saint Iames notes another that from the other part of freedome from Morall Law inferred a lawfull neglect of good works for sith we are justified by faith alone what necessity of good works see Iam. 2. But know we though faith justifie alone yet is not alone Gal. 5.6 though heat of fire warm alone yet is it not without light And are there no uses of good works but onely to justifie us What say you to these Obedience to God Matth. 5.16 Eph. 2.10 The glory we bring to God in adorning the Gospel Tit. 2. In stopping the mouthes of aliens 1 Pet. 2. In preparing them to glorifie God 1 Pet. 2. and 3. and is it nothing that by them We make calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 And how shall we assure our selves that we are justified except by our works see Iames 2. And me thinks the glorious reward and crown of righteousnesse which God hath prepared for them that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 should excite us see Mat. 10.20 The third abuse is that of the freedome from rigour of the Law that because God hath promised to accept our endeavours though mixt with many imperfections therefore cry out Quorsum such precisenesse and such striving for perfection as if the Lord had not promised to judge us after the mitigation of the Gospel True it is there is such a promise to spare us Mal. 3.17 yet withall there is a precept to make * Heb. 12.13 strait steps to our feet To walk * Eph. 5.15 accurately To keep our selves * Iam 1.27 unspotted of the world To abstain from the very * 1 Thes 5.22 appearance of evill Secondly He that promised to accept our endeavours required that they should be strenuous and bent to the utmost of our ability Act. 24.16 Phil. 3.12 13 14. and so onely God spares as a father the sonne that serves him Thirdly The imperfections which God hath promised to pardon issue not from presumption or malice but from ignorance and infirmity There are three sundry degrees of actuall sinnes in men First Such as issue from ignorance Psal 19.12 Cleanse me from my secret sinnes Heb. 7. The high Priest offers sacrifice for sinnes of ignorance Secondly From infirmitie or passion Gal. 6.1 1 Ioh. 2. For these were ordained sacrifices of atonement and propitiation Thirdly From presumption Num. 15.30 And he that thus sinnes dies without ransome for he hath in pride of his heart contemned the Commandment of God and what do they lesse that thus presume of Gods mercy and bounty See Deut. 29.19 20. But mark we in the next place the ground of Davids protestation For thou hast loosed my bonds and see whether it be not applicable unto us Besides that freedome from Civill thraldome and from Spirituall bondage under the Law Morall Ceremonial in that sense that hath been explained There is yet a threefold liberty which we in this Church are partakers of and they should be all so many obligations to do service unto God First What say you to this Freedome from thraldome to Idolls and humane Traditions Saint Paul mentions it to Galatians as no small blessing of God Gal. 4.8 9. and Col. 2. If we look back to our forefathers or cast our eye upon other Nations Christian what miserable vassallage live they in under Antichrist the Idolls of wood and stone which he hath erected Besides the many will-worships which he forceth upon the consciences of men more then the Commandments of God from these bonds God hath freed us Secondly Come yet to a more generall favour of God Those of you I mean whom Gods truth hath
hath to this end sanctified afflictions to wean thee from the earth or art thou ignorant of the sinne that hangs so fast and presseth down so sore Heb. 12.1 Knowest thou neither the stubbornnesse of thy Nature nor thy strong propensions to evill Certainly it is true there are of Gods own many whom rods amend not they must be scourges yea scorpions as Rehoboams I found trouble and sorrow The word signifies such sorrows as are usually joyned with * Isa 35.10 and 51.11 sighing it should seem then Gods Saints are sensible of their afflictions and they pierce them oft with sorrows inexplicable I speak not onely of those which come as chastisements but such also as come as trialls Hezekiah * Isa 38.3 weeps sore David makes his bed to * Psal 6.4 6. swimme his soul is vexed groans cryes in one place he * Psal 38.8 roars for the very disquietnesse of his heart Reasons are First Though they have put on grace yet they have not quite put off nature strong * Heb. 5.7 cryes and tears we read even of our Saviour and of his soul that it was * Mat. 26.38 sorrowfull unto death he fears and mourns yet without sinne The fear of death and sorrow is naturall yea according to rectitude of Nature Secondly Though they know God cannot hate his children yet they know he may be and is oft angry with his Saints The Lord was angry with Moses with whom he spake as a man with his * Num. 22. See Deut. 3.14 15 16. friend and whether our exigents come for tryall or for chastisement Gods children cannot alwayes easily discern Thirdly There are infirmities incident to the best Saints Iobs * Iob 6.11 fear I confesse a little distrustfull in regard of Gods promise 1 Cor. 10.13 yet such blasts or blooms of distrust doth sense of naturall infirmity oft cast upon us Fourthly Oft times in afflictions extreme Satan shall I say or Conscience presents to our * Gen. 4.21 remembrance our sinnes and then if affliction be gall and * Iob 13.26 wormwood even unto Saints who can wonder Vse Christianity is not Stoicall much lesse stockish if there be grace sensible it is above the ordinary rate even of a frown of the Almighty but his word his threat makes to tremble the least noise of wrath makes them to melt as * 2 Kings 22.19 Iosiah There is something like patience that is not so we call it stupidity Ier. 5.3 thou hast smitten but they have not sorrowed Pro. 23.35 It is said of Iob in all this he did not sinne with his mouth neither charged God * Iob 1.22 foolishly but who doubts but the losse of so many children pierced him as a father except perhaps we think grace makes us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without naturall affection which Paul taxeth amongst sinnes that accompanied a * Rom. 1.31 reprobate minde Two faults or errours come here to be reproved First Of them that when Gods hand is on them by losse of things dearest please themselves in this that they are not moved with their affliction they feel not the smart of Gods visitation and herein they pride themselves as if they exceeded Iob himself in measure of patience as if a man that had a mortified member should think it his fortitude that without sense of smart he endures the cutting or searing of it Nay fear rather lest it be stupid of such patience he said well who said it was Virtus Asinina Secondly There are another sort of people that when they see in any man mourning or sorrow though never so moderate presently begin to condemn of impatience or to perswade to patience in losse of friends or children monitions in this kinde to keep a mean in mourning I blame not howbeit I finde never any Prophet or Apostle condemning mourning no nor lamentation see 1 Thes 4.13 and see Ieremiah * 2 Cor. 35.25 lamenting the fall of Iosiah VERSE IV. Then called I upon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul IN the former Verse is declared Davids state and condition full of deadly and inextricable perils here in this Verse we have his behaviour his issue ye shall see anon Vers 5 6. In his behaviour we have two things First An Act I called Secondly The form of Prayer he used To call upon the Name of the Lord is to pray unto God 1 Cor. 1.2 as singing unto the Lord and singing unto his Name are the same see Psa 135.3 Of this Act hath been spoken above already therefore I shall here treat of it shortly and onely as it is here inferred immediatly upon the mention of his troubles and perplexities and so from thence we have commended to our notice thus much That no extremity of affliction can drive Gods children from him they quench not devotions inflame them rather * See Psal 44.17 to the 22. Doctrinally we have it Hos 5.15 and Practically Iob 13.15 though he kill me yet will I trust in him saith Iob. * See Psal 44.17 to the 22. Three things onely I finde in this kinde wherein they have been defective First Preposterousnesse in seeking as in * 2 Chron. 16.12 Asa preferring the Physitian in the first place before God Secondly Over-fearfulnesse * Ezra 9.6 dismaying to approach unto the Throne of Grace yet approaching also as Ezra blushes in Gods presence Thirdly Outward feeblenesse in particulars as in Primative Christians But of any one whom it wholly drave from God I never finde mention But with the wicked it is not so The * Ier. 44.17 Queen of Heaven shall be God if she will give Victuals the Lord of Hostes shall be forsaken if he bring to exigent that 's a cursed speech whether of a cursed man I know not at least I say not * 2 Kings 6.33 This evill is of the Lord and why shall we wait on him any longer The forme of Prayer it self next is to be noticed it is short but pithy full of earnest and most passionate Devotion Sense Maitah Erue Rescue My soul that is my life or my person as vers 8. Now though I doubt not but David in some of his afflictions used larger forme of words yet to this summe amounted all O Lord I beseech thee rescue my soul wherein are almost all things required to acceptable prayer First The Person or objectum cui Secondly Faith of Audience Thirdly Earnestnesse of Affection Annah Fourthly The matter Rescue my soul That Regular I would not be mistaken in what I deliver Doctrinally from hence but sure it is true rightly taken It is not multitude of words but muchnesse of affection that formes our prayers to acceptability Two faults our Saviour found in the Pharisees devotion First * Matth. 6.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vaine babling or needlesse repetitions as that of Battus in the Poët erant in montibus illis
of like nature First Of Donatists in Saint Austins dayes whose doctrine was That God had no Church but in Afrique and that in the party of Donatus Secondly Exactly ye shall observe the same errour revived by Papists and Brownists Papists labouring for an enclosure of the Church to their Rome thereto alledge that which specially thwarts it the Title of Catholique for if Catholique then not Romane no more then Jewish that tearm being devised by Ancients especially to distinguish the Church Christian from that of the Jews And if to all Nations then not to Africa onely or to the part of Donatus for all Nations must praise God for his mercy and therefore no necessity for any man to submit himself to Donatus or Browne or Saint Peter himself though it be true out of the Church is no salvation yet out of this or that Church is salvation except Christ be not the Saviour of his whole Bodie But those things which the Lord so long ago foretold to our fathers by the Prophets he hath fulfilled to us their children making us who once were Aliens and Strangers from the Covenants of Promise * Eph. 2.12 13. nigh to himself by the blood of Christ To this end tended that gift of Tongues Act. 2. The memory whereof we this day Celebrate For in that so many Nations heard the Apostles speak in their own tongues the manifold works of God it serves to shew that God meant now to verifie his Promise to us I say onely as * Rom. 15.11 Paul Let us Gentiles praise God for his Mercy VERSE II. For his mercifull kindnesse is great towards me IN these words we have the ground of Davids thanksgiving and praysing God First Gods Mercy Secondly The Measure of it Great My purpose is not to insist on this occasion in the common place of Gods mercy Thus onely for so much as concernes the Sense of the Scripture The mercy of God some call the property or attribute of his Nature inclining him to relieve the misery of his Creature some the Essence of God shewing mercy Trueth is there is no Reall difference twixt his Essence and his Attributes save onely in our manner of conceiving The Trueth of God and his Essence are not two things but in our apprehension no more is his Power Omniscience c. This Mercy of God is of three sorts First Generall towards all Creatures wrapped in misery whereof see Psal 145.9 Secondly Speciall towards men 1 Tim. 4.10 preserving them from many dangers yea relieving their miseries with service of his other Creatures see Matth. 5.45 Thirdly Singular to his Church not onely in giving them means of salvation and deliverance from Curse but to many of them vouchsafing the sense of his choisest favours in remission of sins gifts of the Spirit and life everlasting And hereof speaks the Prophet in this place for these are the benefits which Christ brings to his Church As if there were no mercy of God like unto this The mercy that he shews unto us in Christ and surely consider all other miseries we shall see none like this To be without Christ for the Reasonable Creature Secondly The amplifications it hath in Scripture Thirdly The kinds of mercy in him vouchsafed us For the first Goe over all the miseries of the brute Creatures and compare them with the misery of man without Christ ye shall see they all come short of it The * Psal 34.10 Lions lack and suffer hunger It is true but suppose them pined with hunger yet with their life ends their misery When a man out of Christ hath endured Hunger and Cold and Nakednesse and Fire and Water or what ever man can devise to be most terrible to Flesh yet is it but a Flea-bite to the misery whereto a man out of Christ is subject their * Mar. 9.44 Worme dies not their fire goes not out which made our Saviour say It was better with losse of Lim or Life to go to heaven then enjoying all the pleasures of this life at death to be cast into hell Secondly Look again to the amplifications it hath in Scripture He denied all these to * Heb. 2.16 Angels they fell and no Redeemer He denied these to many men even to so many as had * Psal 147 20. not knowledge of his Laws Thirdly In his very Church though offer be made to all yet actuall performance and taste onely to the Church of the faithfull the first borne whose * Heb. 12.23 names are written in heaven All are not * Rom. 9.6 Israel that are of Israel Thirdly Thinke of the excellency of the blessings First Remission of sinnes see David * Psal â—2 1 2. celebrating and if ever thou have tasted how bitter conscience of sinne is thou wilt taste and acknowledge also how over-gracious the Lord is therein unto thee Secondly Besides the gifts of the Spirit and gracious endowments whereby we are renewed after his Image and that which passeth knowledge the fulnesse of Joy reserved for us at the right hand of God This taxeth that earthly or rather brutish estimate that men set on this prime mercy of God preferring before it the worst of those favors they partake in common with Heathens with Devills with brute Creatures with Hypocrites How many be there even of a brutish disposition in the Church of God who never have thought of Heaven or Hell God or the Devill Let them have meat and drinke and ease to the fill as * 1 Cor. 15.32 Paul and * Isa 28. Isaiah speak it is their Summum bonum and yet the very heathen could say It was the thought of a Beast rather then of a Man And have ye not heard of him who had all these things and yet * Luke 16. afterwards was in Hell in torments or can you forget our Saviour when all is had that the world can afford you in profit or pleasure yet what shall your advantage be when you must loose your * Matt. 16.24 Soul and have ye not heard of them who cry out What hath pride * Wisd 5.8 profited them or what the pompe of Riches availed Go farther to other gifts of God in providence Suppose it be Art Whose is like that of Aristotle Suppose it kingdomes Whose like to that of Assyria or Grecia or Persia or Rome Suppose it wisedome as that of Achitophel the Oracle of Israel Yet what is all this without the * Phil. 3.8 knowledge of Christ save onely to deprive of excuse see Rom. 1 and 1 Cor. 1.21 Go yet farther to the power of Knowledge and Faith and of deep Mysteries in the Gospel the very * Iam. 2.19 Devils herein equall excell us and though we had all Knowledge and Faith What were it without Christ as Saint Paul speaks in the point of Charity 1 Cor. 13.2 Yet farther for I thinke Hypocrites go farther then Devills suppose thou hast morall Honesty as