that is that the sacrifices of old could not worke by themselues remission of sinnes but onely did represent and prefigure the onely sacrificâ— of our Redeemer Then as he saith truly their sacrifices ex opere operato by the external working of them cannot giue remissioâ— of sins What reason then hath he to affirm that the Sacrament of the new Testamen conferreth grace by the very externall giuing thereof Lorinus against himselfe seeing that same thing waâ— prefigureted by their sacrifices which is represented by our Sacraments that is Christâ— blood both in Baptisme and in the Lords Supper Verse 17. The sacrifices of the Lord are 〈◊〉 contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt noâ— despise WHen he hath remoued that which God misliked and refused now he placeth that which God liketh and receiueth that is the sacrifice of a contrite spirit In the plurall number called sacrifices that is this one for 〈◊〉 A broken heart is such a heart which is humbled through a sight and sense of sin What a broken hâ—arâ— is For it is needfull that as we haue worne our heart by finne so our heart should be worne againe by repentance and sorrow for sinne and that we should take paines to subdue our hearts and all the thoughts thereof and bring them captiue to Gods obedience That is that poore spirit of which Matthew speaketh Mat. 5.3 Esa 66.2 Isaias speaketh of the spirit that trembleth at Gods word Why sacrifices in the plurall number This caus d Dauid to put the word sacrifices in the plurall number that he might expresse the better that one contrite heart which is the sacrifice of repentance alone suffiseth for all legall sacrifices If he had said that a contrite heart is a sweet smelling sacrifice they might haue excepted that so are many others as the papists do mixe their works with the grace of God But Dauid excludeth purposlie all sacrifices and sheweth that what euer sacrifices God respecteth are comprehended vnder a penitent heart beleeuing in Christs bloud and seeking mercie for the same This sort of people are called mourners in Sion who mourne to God for their owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people who powre out their heart with their teares to God who doe lament for the affliction of Ioseph Oh what cause haue we to lament this day for our sinnes and to breake our hearts for the persecution of the Church in euery place Let our feasting be turned into fasting our laughter in teares Mourne with Ieremiah for the desolation of Sion Nota. A contrite and broken heart thou wilt not despise Here he encourageth the penitent sinner who may be affraied to appeare before the Tribunall of God in regard of the conscience of his sinne and be feared that God will not accept him howsoeuer he be humbled Him here he encourageth God will not despise a troubled heart yea rather he will like it and manifest his skill in healing and comforting it God liketh a troubled heart To which agree all those places in Isaias which comfort the Church those sweet inuitations of Christ to the laden and wearie to come vnto him and to those that were athirst and he that calleth vpon vs will not reiect and cast vs away The Lord is nigh to them that be of a contrite spirit Psal 144.8 Who speake to him in the bitternesse of their soule Iob. 10.1 Crying like the Dragon or Ostrich Mich. 1.8 Who cry wonderfull being ouercomed by the Elephants As Saint Ierome saieth who slay their affections and offer them as a sacrifice to God as the Magdalen Peter other Saints who forsake their former lusts and say with a certaine young man who being temped by an harlot and seeming to be ignorant who she was she said ego sum it is I he answered ego non sum it is not I for he was conuerted by repentance If thou would prevaile with God Pro. 23.26 giue him thine whole heart if thou doe any thing for God doe it with thine heart 2. Chro. 31 21 seeke him with thine whole heart loue him feare him pray to him turne to him obey him with thine whole heart Deut. 10 12. Rom. 6.17 Ier. 32.40 Ioel. 2 12. Psal 119.145 Their heart is deuided saith the Lord of hoste now shall they perish Hos 10. â— God is one and vndeuided and craueth an heart one and whole in affection and rent onely by deâ—ection nothing can breake God but a broken heart The string can bow the bowe the fire can temper and molifie the steele the goates bloud the adamant and the heart contrite can moue God saith Mantuan in these verses Virga recens Zephyris neruo curuabitur arcus Igne chalybs adamas sangnine corde Deus Finallie obserue that albeit repentance doth make a contrite heart and as I said before we should take such paine on our contrition that we should not let any thought of our heart escape vnrepented mourned for yet the onely hammer which must burst our soules is the word of God The word of God bruseth the heart which bruseth the rockes of a stonie heart Simil. and maketh an heart of flesh And as out of rags being brused is brought forth fine paper so is a troubled heart brused with sorrow for sin turned into a gratious subiect whereinto God may worke and write his law And as the poole of Bethsaida being troubled Ioh. 5.4 brought health to mens bodies so doth the conscience afflicted by God bring certaine health and saluation to soule and body Saint Ambrose sayeth that repentance is so difficult and hard a matter that he hath oftner found mo who liued innocently then who did truely repent It is written of Augustine that he caused the psalmes of repentance to be put on the wall ouer against him before he died and reaped aboundantly reading them ten daies at which time none came to him but either the phisitians or his refreshment Seeing therefore God liketh this sacrifice of a contrite heart without which none other thing will please him let vs take the bests of our affections seperate them from their olde pleasures to God bind them by the coards of the word lay them downe at his feete and slay them and that sacrifice shall please him offer thy selfe a liuing sacrifice and be assured God will accept of thee and neuer reiect thee not thine offering other sacrifices die being offered Nota. but we by offering our selues to God yet liue Verse 18. Be fauourable vnto Zion for thy good pleasure build the walles of Ierusalem HE hath prayed for mercie to himselfe now he praieth for the Church which he hath offended by his sinne and vpon which he had brought such euills that it would please God to be mercifull to her â—uild vp her walles and repaire her ruines No man can truely pray for himselfe vnles he pray for the church No man can truely pray for
youth to seeke God who forsake him in the euening of their age The day hath a morning a noone and an euening-tide so hath our age a youth a middle age and a declining time blessed is he that perseuers to the end and till his later breath constantly depends on God and leaues him not for certainly that man shall haue the crowne of eternall glory VERSE 6. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy louing kindnesse for they haue beene for euer IN the preceding words Dauid first prayed that God would deliuer him from shame and contempt next that hee woud teach him his wayes Doct. and now he desires that God would haue mercy vpon him and pardon him his sinnes No assurance of the remission of sin till God put his law in our hearts Marke by this his order in prayer how first hee desires that God would teach him his law and then that he would put away his sinne for we can neuer get assurance of the remission of our sinnes till God put his law in our heart After these dayes Note saith the Lord by Ieremy I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teach no more euery man his neighbour and euery man his brother saying Know ye the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest of them sayes the Lord. For I will forgiue them their iniquity and remember their sinnes no more Which the Apostle to the Hebrewes reciteth word by word Doctr. For God first by his word and Spirit workes in the mind of a sinner a light and sight of his sinnes Knowledge of sinne comes before remission of sinne and in his heart a sorrow for it and then he putteth it away and forgiues it Therefore let vs try what sight and sense of sin the word of God hath wrought in vs that we haue a certificate to our conscience of the remission thereof Ps 107.20 He sendeth his word and healeth them He sent Nathan to Dauid and then pardoned him In these two verses he thrice repeateth the word remember not that there is any memory or forgetfulnesse in God as in man for time makes man to forget but God changeth no time absence makes vs forget but all things are present to him memory hath a seat in mans braine which being perturbed it fayles God is all memory But he is said to remember or forget How God is said to remember Gen. 8.1 and 19.29 Gen. 30.22 when by visible tokens of doing he sheweth his fauour or displeasure to man As he remembred Noah when the flood diminished Abraham when he saued Lot and brought him out from Sodome Rachel when he made her conceiue and Anna 1 Sam. 1.19 when he granted vnto her her petition Thy tender mercies and louing kindnesse First he craues at God that he would remember his mercies which is the first thing wee should seeke at God for if we get it as said Iacob wee get all things Gen. 33.11 Mercy against merit And hereby it is clearly seene that hee disclaimes all merits for albeit he fought the Lords battells gouerned his people by the word and sword in executing iustice prayed and praised God continually fasted and bestowed almes on the Saints Psal 16.2 yet he confesseth they cannot extend to God Vse which refuteth and damneth the foolish Papists who pretend merits Of confutation of the Papists merits but commit murthers and adulteries and yet with open mouth they cry merits merits Hee amplifieth Gods mercies by three names mercies benignities goodnesse benignity twice repeated see how highly hee doth esteeme of Gods goodnesse when hee cannot finde termes sufficiently to expresse them A liuely representation of the Trinity But these three liuely represent vnto vs the Trinity the Father the fountaine of goodnesse yea goodnesse it selfe the Sonne mercie supplying our misery the holy Spirit benignity and bountifulnesse gratiously working and bestowing these things which the Father and Sonne giue The goodnesse of God is the fountaine begetting mercy and mercy bringeth forth benignity Let vs learne by this that whateuer commeth to vs must either come out of the fountaine of Gods mercy or else it is a curse not a benignity but a malignity Many say Who will shew vs any good thing Psal 4.6 but Dauid sayes Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance on me We should imitate the three properties of the Trinity These three properties of the Trinity all Christians should imitate the goodnesse of the Father the mercy of the Sonne and the bountifulnesse of the Spirit that in so doing they may haue society with the Father Son and Spirit I know thee to be a good man because thou art not cruell but mercifull I know thee to be mercifull in that thy hand is bountifull thou giues and distributes to the poore Psal 112.9 thy righteousnesse endureth for euer The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rachamim signifieth bowels which are the seats and places of the fatherly and motherly loue and therefore the children are called parentum viseera the bowels of the parents which phrase the Apostle writing to Philemon both in the 12. and 20. verse expoundeth spiritually Thou therefore receiue him that is mine owne bowels and in the 20. verse Comfort my bowels in the Lord. Esay 49.15 Can a mother forget her child c yet the Lord cannot forget Israel Ps 103.13 And as the Father pitties his children so the Lord hath pitty on those that feare him So we see hereby how deare and neere we are to Gods very heart that we haue a place in his innermost affections But when hee speakes of mercies and benignities Infinit miseries haue need of infinit mercies he speakes in the plurall number because as our sinnes and miseries are infinit so we haue need of infinit comforts and pardons he is called the father of mercies For they haue beene for euer 2 Cor. 1.3 Gods mercies are eternall A faire commendation of Gods mercies from the eternity thereof His mercies had no beginning as himselfe had none and shall haue no end Fâ—om euerlasting to euerlasting thou art our God For as the Ocean and maine Sea Psal 100. Simil. can neuer be exhausted but it would furnish water to all the world if euery one should bring vessels to draw water there from So if wee had faith and prayer to seeke grace from God he is all-sufficiâ—nt in himselfe to furnish vs all which makes Dauid to cry in one Psalm tweÌ„ty and sixe times Psal 126. thy mercy endureth for euer Mat. 16.18 Therefore we may build our faith on it as on a strong Rocke that the gates of hell cannot preuaile against vs for euery thing earthly on which we repose is subiect to mutation and change All things change God onely immutable
learning but doe neuer attaine to the power of godlinesse and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding His couenant is specially mentioned Doct. because the Iewes brag of the couenant made to Abraham their Father Gods couenant belongeth to such as feare him Iohn 8.33 But here he declareth to them that they haue no title to the couenant except they feare God The Iewes bragged that they were descended of Abraham but Christ sends them to their father the deuill because they follow his manners and are murtherers Therefore there is no part in the couenant to those who haue not the true feare of God VERSE 15. Mine eyes are euer towards the Lord for who will bring my feet out of the net NOw he doth apply the benefits of God which generally were propounded to the Church to himselfe as he began the Psalme so he ends it with a prayer for his deliuery from his enemies In this Verse hee perswades himselfe by faith that God will set him free for as saith the Text his eyes are euer towards the Lord that is he depended on God as the eye of the handmayd is towards her mistresse This he testifieth when he saith Psal 123. Psal 121. And I lift vp mine eyes to the mountaines my helpe commeth from thee O Lord for thou wilt deliuer me who trusts in thee Note Men may looke for helpe at the hands of men but in vaine But God will not frustrate the expectation of his owne which should make vs not to turne our eyes from him seeking helpe from Aegvpt Wee cannot at one time looke vp to heauen downe to hell or the earth no more put our confidence in God and man Next ye see that if we desire to get deliuery we must in al our actions set him before our eies direct all our actions to glorifie God and edifie his Church Psal 16.8 I haue set the Lord alwayes before my face for he is at my right hand therefore I shall not slide Will God defend an vnrighteous man who aimeth not at Gods glory but his owne designes Note If thou haue him before thine eies then will he stand at thy right hand to maintaine thee He will bring my feet out of the net Comparison He compareth his estate to a bird insnared in the fowlers net for his enemies were fowlers their engins were nets himselfe was the poore bird circumnened The Churches enemies vsing subtilties to intrap her The Church hath many enemies but none are so crafty as these fowlers fraud and craft is a marke of Gods enemies they imitate their father the deuill who is a wily Serpent and more subtile then any beast of the field Gen. 3.1 Let Christians haue their conuersation in heauen God will breake the snare Thirdly let Christians be birds that as they haue their chiefe abode in the ayre so we may haue our conuersation in heauen as they fill the aire with their sounds so let vs praise God Fourthly Gods children may be ensnared but God will breake their nets and deliuer them as Paul Silas and Peter out of prison Acts 16.26 for that which seemes impossible to men is possible with God Psal 124. Simil. Man is as the bird escaped out of the snare of the fowler for as the bird compassed cannot deliuer it selfe no more can man escape their attempts by his owne strength but onely by Gods power VERSE 16. Turne thy face vnto mé and haue mercy vpon me for I am desolate and poore HE thinkes in aduersity that God turnes away his face Doct. whose presence to a creature is as the turning of the Sun vnto the earth Aduersity makes mē feare Gods absence He craueth mercy oftentimes in this Psalm acknowledging that to be the fountaine from which all blessings flow to him Doct. this argument is taken from God himselfe Gods mercy the fountaine of all blessings The next argument from his misery For I am desolate and poore This is the obiect of Gods mercy Doct. vpon vvhich it must worke as the vvounded Iew was an obiect of the Samaritans mercy Misery the obiect of Gods mercie How would Gods mercy be knowne if man had no misery How would the Physitians skill be tried if not by the patients diseases Luk. 10.33 How would the liberality of Princes their Iustice be notified Simil. but by the pouerty of their subiects and their distresses VERSE 17. The sorrowes of mine heart are enlarged draw me out of my troubles THe sorrowes of mine heart are enlarged Doct. God hath many meanes to humble the sonnes of men God multiplieses sorrowes because wee multiply sinnes and namely he turnes their ioy of sinne into sorrow the right sorrow whereof the Lord send vs. God multiplies sorrowes because we multiply sins Dauid found a cause of sorrew in euery thing he gat from God for his brethren enuied him 1 Sam. 17.28 and 18.9 2 Sam. 6.20 and 15.31 his father in law Saul persecuted him his vvife mocked him his familiars and companions deceined him his children pursued him the Ziphims and the Lords of Keilah betrayed him 1 Sam. 23.12 and 26. 1. and 29.4 the Philistims reiected him The ioies which God propineth vs with are as so many roses but in the bottome of them are enclosed as many thorner to pricke vs Simil. As Paul was pricked with the messenger of Satan 2 Cor. 12.7 lest he should haue beene exalted through the great reuelations So if we found not some discomfort in euery creature we should be bewitched with the delight thereof that we could not settle our affection on God And therefore God peppers euery pleasure and giues vs some soure sauce thereto Exod. 12.8 as he gaue soure hearbs to be eaten with the Paschal Lambe Draw me out of my troubles Doct. Many are the tribulations of the righteous If the pleasures of this world were not painfull we would too much delight in them but the Lord will deliuer him out of them all God vseth to draw them by which hee would testifie that it is a work of Gods power to deliuer the innocent as Dauid deliuered his fathers sheepe from the Lyon and the Beare and the vessels out of the hands of a strong man VERSE 18. Looke vpon mine afflictions Psal 34.11 1 Sam. 17.34 and my trauell and forgiue all my sinnes THere he acknowledgeth the root of al his troubles to be sin Doct. for which he craueth mercy at God The root of all our trouble is our owne sinne Ye may see here that sin toucheth him so neere the heart that he cannot find ease but in the remission thereof Sin is sweet in the mouth as honey Simil. but it is in the womb as grauell Pro. 20.17 There is no venome in the affliction but sinne so being quit of sin he esteemes nothing of the affliction Sin is
yee are thinking of the earth somtime of your pleasure sometime sleeping sometime yee know not what yee are thinking At preaching yee heare the voyce of a man speaking but say not Amen And sometime your voyce is repeating some idle and deafe sounds your heart no whit being moued Simil. but as a Parrat or Pye vttering incertaine sounds or a Bell sounding it knowes not what so are ye with your mouth praising God your heart being absented from him Faith only fixed on God Lifting vp of the heart presupposeth a former deiection Next his faith is not carried about hither and thither but only fixeth it selfe vpon God Thirdly the lifting vp of the heart presupposeth a former deiection of his soule The soule of man is pressed downe with sinne a 〈◊〉 with the cares of this world which as lead doth the net draweth it so downe that it cannot mount aboue till God send spirituall prayers as corke to the neâ— to exalt it Simil. which arise out of faith as the flame doth out of the fire Heb. 12.1 and which must bee free of secular cares and all things pressing downe which sheweth vnto vs that worldlings can no more pray Simil. than a Moule is able to flie But Christians are as Eagles which mount vpward Simil. Seeing then the heart of man by nature is fixed to the earth and of it selfe is no more able to rise there-from Simil. then a stone which is fixed in the ground till God raise it by his power word and workmen it should be our principall petition to the Lord that it would please him to draw vs that we might runne after him that he would exalt and lift vp our hearts that we might raise them vp to heauen and not lie still in the puddle of this earth Here the future tense vsed for the present In the Hebrew it is I will lift vp by a common phrase vsing the future time for the present but he sayes not I lift vp my voice or my hands to thee which both he did for these are in vaine without the heart So Anna the mother of Samuel saies 1 Sam. 1.15 I poured forth my heart in the sight of the Lord as a body without the soule VERSE 2. My God I trust in thee let me not be confounded let not wine enemies reioyce ouer me THe second argument that hee vseth is taken from the person of his aduersaries 2. Argument taken from the person of his aduersaries opposing his faith to their fury Mat 10.13 Psal 20.7 who albeit they were furiously bent against him yet hee onely runneth to God without whose permission they were not able to cause one haire of his head fall to the ground Some seeke for the helpe of men some trust in horses and chariots some goe to Beelzebub and deuils by witches 2 King 1.2 1 Sam. 28.8 but let a true Christian with Dauid here haue his refuge to God I trust in thee Doct. Faith is the ground of prayer Here is faith the root and ground of prayer When Christ bestowed any benefit vpon his patients he asked them Doe ye beleeue Mark 9.23 Mat. 8.13 Simil. and then answered Be it 〈◊〉 thee according to thy faith It is a naturall dependance that all creatures vse this argument to their superiors and masters As my trust is in you helpe me And should not we vse this same to our Lord and say My trust is in thee O Lord therefore helpâ— me He stands vpon the points of his honor will he then cast off his dependants No truly Faith in God a stroÌ„g argumeÌ„t wherby God is moued to defend vs. Mark 9.23 24. there is no stronger argument to mouâ— God to defend thee then if thou alledge thy faith in him there is nothing impossible to him that beleeueth Let vs therefore crauâ— the augmentation of our faith and say Lord increase our faith and then wee need not to doubt but God will giue vs all things His prayer is grounded vpon faith 1 Cor 4.13 Prayer grounded on faith Paul saith I beleeued therefore haue I spoken therefore such prayers as proceed of an incertaine faith are abhomination in the sight of the Lord and scorning of his Maiesty Doe yee not thinke Words without faith and feeling vnprofitable that if wee conceiue words in our owne language if we want a feeling of them that they will bee acceptable to God no indeed but much lesse will they please him Doct. if in an vncouth language wee repeat vaine words Shame the daughter of sinne we know not what Let me not be confounded Shame is the laughter of sinne and a condigne punishment for sinne Rom. 6 2â— What fruit had ye then in those â—hings wherewith now ye are ashamed For the â—nd of those things is death But no shame can befall to a Christian Qui credit non erubesceâ— He that beleeueth shall not be ashamed Doct. RepentaÌ„ce blotteth out the memory of sinne Heb. 11.31 2 Pet. 2.7 for â—f hee fall in sinne it will by Gods blessing turne to the best to him and his repentance will blot out the memory of his sinne Rachabs faith hath blotted away the remembrance of her whoredome Dauids repentance and Manasses hath blotted out their sinnes Lots righteousnesse is remembred their sinne is not shamefull for God honoured them with such vertues as tooke away the filthinesse of their sinne Simil. If a gold ring should fall in the mire the price of the gold remaines and the dirt may soone be wiped away Albeit Iacobs thigh made him to halt Gen. 32.3 yet the strength of his armes who wrastled with the Angell his reuelations that he got and his holinesse made not that to bee thought a deformity in him Simil. Doct. The afflictions of Gods children are honorable what the worse is a Captaine for a scarre in his face whose valorous armes haue beene so well tried Next his afflictions and persecutions cannot bee shamefull but honourable for the Apostles themselues thought it great honour to be beaten 〈◊〉 3.41 to be beaten yea to bee scourged for Christs sake They now are crowned with martyrdome who to the worlds opinion haue suffered as euill doers Let not mine enemies reioyce ouer me The deuils reioyce at euill Luke 15.10 The wicked doe imitate the nature of the deuill for he is neuer glad but at the destruction of sinners as the Angels reioyce at their conuersion whereby ye may trie if yee be a true Christian The triall of a Christian by coÌ„passion 2 Cor. 11.29 if ye lament with those that lament and haue compassion on them and say with the Apostle Saint Paul Quis affligitur ego non vrâ—r Who is afflicted and I doe not burne Gods children haue many enemies hee is not one of Gods lambes if he haue not a Lyon or a dogge to pursue him Doct. Gods children
child spent his time in riot and luxury Luke 15.14 Thirdly hypocrisie they can very well dissemble their doings and when with the Whore in the Prouerbes they are intending sinne then they pretend they were offering their peace offerings and with Absolom 2 Sam. 15.7 pretending their vowes in Hebron but intending to stirre vp rebellion And finally all youths are subiect to inconstancy they are compared to dreggy wine not setled Simil. so that experience hath taught vs to say It is lost which is done to them If thou hast escaped from iudgement in thy youth and hast passed the dangers thereof thou maist greatly praise God I read of a man Simil. who being drunke in the night passed a very narrow bridge which considering in the morning dâ—ed incontinently so wee should admire when we remember what dangers we haue escaped If sins of his youth and ignorance be grieuous how much more those of knowledge Then if the sinnes of youth now trouble him in his age what doe ye thinke of the sins which ye doe against knowledge and conscience in your old age Should ye not confesse them and bee ashamed of them If a child blush it is thought good verecundia but if an old man blush it is thought euill because hee is bound to doe nothing whereof hee should be ashamed But many are like to the false Elders that lusted after Susanna and to them appertaineth shame and confusion for their example incourageth young men to doe wickedly Yea they are very rare who haue escaped the perils of youth either by one notable sinne or other Now Dauid of these his own sins doth make a speciall confession doth not infold himselfe vnder the mantle of generality A simple confession needfull albeit many are taught naturaly to dissemble their sins to excuse them to extenuate them or else to inuolue them vnder a common necessity of sinning but this will not please God vnlesse wee freely say with Dauid I haue sinned Simil. for as a Patient must needs discouer his sore and wound to the Physitian so must a sinner vncouer his sinne to God vvhich is an euident token of a penitent Moreouer hee desires not onely that God would forgiue his sinnes but more Doctr. that hee would forget them When God forgiues sinne he forgetâ— it wherein God differeth from men men may forgiue but they will remember for malice and anger takes such impression in our hearts that it is hard to rase out the memory of our receiued iniuries although wee pardon them with our heart But God as hee remits so hee forgets Num. 23.21 hee sees no iniquity in Iacob and because the children of God are imperfect and in this can neuer bee like to God so long as they carry about with them this sinning sinne as may be seene in Dauid 1 Kin. 2.8 who in his Testament remembred the iniury done to him by Simei to bee punished by Solomon although in his time hee did dissimulate it yet let this bee some comfort to vs that if the wicked motions of iniuries done to vs come in our minds let vs resist and controule them which shall bee sufficient before God Nor my rebellions Sinne and rebellion are conioyned Sinnes and rebellions are ioyned together the mother and her daughter sinne if it grow and increase it turneth into rebellion and disobedience which is like to the sinne of witchcraft and Idolatry 1 Sam. 15.23 and as a Serpent by eating a Serpent becommeth a Dragon Simil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so sinne feeding vpon sinne becommeth at last rebellion There are degrees of sinne Nemo repente factus est turpissimus Dauid prayeth to God to forgiue him his secret sinnes and hee desires that God would keepe him from presumptuous sinnes slay sinne in the cradle if yee let it come to maturity it may turne into rebellion The word also imports ignorances which agreeth very well with this youth to declare that the sinnes of youth commonly springs forth from ignorance Youth is ignorant albeit it think thâ— it selfe wise for they are blind through lack of knowledge for they haue no naturall iudgement they lacke instruction they want experience and such like by nature wee are all borne fooles nature hath taught the beaâ—â—s to know things profitable hurtfull to them The Swallow knoweth her time the Oxe his crib Isa 1.3 but man knoweth not his owner neither the time when hee shall turne to the Lord. And this ignorance makes youth to be rebellious to theâ—â— parents whereof the Lord complaines by his Prophet Isa 1.2 I haue brought vp children saith the Lord and nourished them and they haue rebelle a against me A profitable â—esson for Parents to train vp their children in vertue This shold teach Parents to remedy the ignorance of their youth by instruction that their minds being inlightned by the knowledge of God and learning they may feare God in the morning of their youth and haue the eyes of their vnderstanding opened to know the true God and feare him that it may bee fulfilled that is spoken by the Prophet Ioel 2.28 And in the last dayes I will poure out of my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie and your young men shall see visions We may complaine most iustly with that holy Father S. Augustine of the neglect of education of our youth where hee saith Gods iust recompence to Parents O flores vere non frondium sed veprarum O truely they are flourishes not of branches but of briers and so the Lord doth recompence the Parents in their age that as they were negligent in training them vp in the knowledge of God so they become crosses to their Parents in their age â—lutarch Among the Lacedemonians there was a Law that children were not obliged to maintaine their Parents in their age who were carelesse of their education in vertue when they were young Moreouer Doct. let vs assure our selues that the sinnes of Ignorance will not excuse vs Sinnes of ignorance wil not excuse vs. albeit they may extenuate our paines and make vs to bee punished with fewer stripes I will not insist in this poynt because I haue spoken sufficiently thereof in that Sermon on Christs first word spoken on the Crosse Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe But according to thy kindnesse remember thou mee euen for the goodnesse sake O Lord. The fountaine hee runnes vnto is the mercy of God where hee plainly disclaimes his owne merits Lorinus the Iesuite against merits Lorinus a Iesuite here bringeth in sundry passages of Scripture to qualifie the mercy of God against merits Psal 6.8.51.3.69.14.86.5.15.106.45.119.156.130.7 Dan. 9.18 Isa 55.7 VERSE 8. Gratious and righteous is the Lord therefore will hee teach sinners in the way IN this second part of the Psalme after his Petition Doct. he setteth
to the eternal monument of Gods booke but he committeth it to the euerlasting momuments of Gods booke where of one iote cannot perish but shall endure for euer in despight both of the Diuell and Antichrist the Pope his first borne A Psalme of Dauid He putteth to his name prefixing and subscribing it himselfe neither will suffer any to publish it but himself as he was not ashamed to sin he is not ashamed to repent as he was not ashamed to sin openly Let not those be ashamed to repent for sinne who haue not bin ashamed to sin Theodosius his repentance he is not ashamed publikly to declare his repentance Theodosius the Emperour is renowned in all the world for his humble repentance before Saint Ambrose after the slaughter at Thessalonica where in the place of the penitents he fell downe on his face and said Agglutinata est terra anima mea My soule is glued to the earth None are ashamed to sinne but all are ashamed to repent and so God powreth shame vpon many because they will not honour him whom they haue dishonored To the chiefe Musitian or to him that excelleth on Neginoth This same is the title of the 4. Psal LaÌ„menatzeah oftentimes in the Scriptures is taken for the Presidents who are chiefe in any thing as 2. Chron. 18. 34.18 The sweete singer of Israel giues it to a sweete singer I thinke it to be best translated To him that excelleth Neginoth was an instrument of musick vpon which they played So they did not only reade the Psalmes but also sing them yea so distinctly that the people easily might vnderstand them not so much addicted to tâ—â— note or tune as to the matter as our Sauiour did sing after the Communion Mat. 26 3â— and Paul commandeth it Col. 3.16 Musicke is an Art very pleasant delectable and profitable to stirre vp the affections of man to Gods seruice The commodities of musick 2. Kin. 3.15 or to restraine the anger and perturbations of our nature as was in Elizeus who sought for a minstrell to appease him But first we haue to see that this excellent Psalme is committed to an excellent person who hath great cunning to put it forth to the vse of the Church teaching vs hereby that spirituall exercises are not to be put into the hands of ignorant dolts who haue no wisedome or skill to set forth the glorie of their God For the subiect being most glorious why should it be concredited to such as haue neither learning nor wisdome And if that singing should haue so worthy instruments what do ye thinke of the preaching of the Gospell of which the Apostle saith Who can be sufficient for those things Happie then is that Church when learned men are promoted to good places whereby the word may be further aduanced And in a miserable case are those who are committed to the charge of ignorants Against ignorant and idle preachers idle bellies and such like who are vnfit to take the care of Gods people for whom they shall be countable to God at the great day and Gods vengeance shall be vpon them in this world Dauid he aduanceth musick very much as Solomon also after him 1. Chron. 15.16 and the Musicians were distributed into certaine classes and orders Col. 3.16 1 Cor. 14.15 The antiquitie and ancientie hereof maketh much for its commendation for God did inuent it This is a principall science and yet it hath few aduancers Mens deafned eares betoken their beastly ignorance who will not suffer themselues to be wakened and roused vp from their security and sleepe There are some good Christians chalenged Obiect who being of a melancholious nature are thought to abhorre all musicke and musicall instruments Solut. But men are deceiued herein if musicke be free of profanitie and superstition there is no good man of religion who cannot but like it well and delight greatly therein But the auarice of our age as it hath bin the decay of many sciences so likewise of this Nota. The Church being spoiled of her rents is not able to entertaine this science as it should be which God supply wheÌ„ he thinketh time And this I say not that I do like either the profanitie of beastly men that in stead of heauenly songs sing bawdie ballads or of such superstitious Papists who sing and tune Latine words in their Masses thereby mocking God and making religion a sport But the abuse of that science I disallow the vse I allow and approue as most necessarie to Gods glorie And seeing it will be perpetuall in the heauens why should it not begin on earth There shall be a naturall not artificial song of which we shall sing for euer the song of Moses the seruant of God Apoc. 15.3 Let vs therefore begin on earth learne of our Gamma and enter into our Alphabet here Nota. that we may be perfect Musitians when we become perfect our selues in glorie Here let vs sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord Col. 3 16. reiecting vaine idolatrous and profane ballads and sing spiritually vnto the Lord. When Nathan the Prophet came to him Dauid as is thought lay a yeare almost in this sinne asleep till God wakened him by Nathan Ionah 1.6 as he did Ionas by the Pilot. It is certaine we would sleep vnto death before we awake from sinne if God did not put vpon vs Man is lying asleepe till God waken him and stirre vs vp We are so benummed by the spirit of slumber and possessed by a lethargie that all our senses are stupified till Nathan come and awake vs. Next God sends him that which he praied for euen a faithful admonisher Psal 119. One Prophet cometh to another yea a greater then himselfe 1. King 13.18 not as the old Prophet came to the yong at Bethel to deceiue him but as a father to admonish his child Pastors should freely rebuke the vices one of another There should be an holy freedome and libertie among Preachers each one should freely rebuke another when they see them doing wrong One should not winke at an other as most part do and others being reproued rage mightily saying with Zidkiah When went the Spirit of the Lord out of me to thee They rebuke the rebuker 1. King 22 24. Esa 30 1â— They say to the Prophet Prophecie not Obserue moreouer that Nathan cometh first to Dauid not Dauid to Nathan the Physitian to the patient not the patient to the Physitian Christ himselfe came to the sinners and Publicans and called them to repentance This is against the pride of some Mat. 9.13 Against the pride and lazinesse of Preachers and lazinesse of others who will not come or take the paines to visit weake Christians yea will scarce admit them to their presence when they come as though they were Princes Woe to their pride who come not to the sicke and heale not the
guiltinesse for which we are commanded to pray daily Mat. 6.12 Forgiue vs our sinnes This is signified by the holy Sacrament of Baptisme wherewith God hath commanded vs to be washed assuring vs thereby of his fauour if we beleeue the remission of sins which the Apostle calleth lauacrum regenerationis Tit. 3.5 the lauer of regeneration Those who seeke to be washed by any other meane then this do as those qui luto lutum purgant as Erasmus hath in his Adagies wash one filth by another Against the Papists merits Simil. Those foolish Papists who thinke by their foule merits to cleanse their filthy sins do as those who hauing their clothes berayed by dirt take dirtie clothes to wipe the former dirt away whereby they make them filthier then before Yea their hypocrisie and superstition whereby they thinke to appease Gods wrath shall double their guiltinesse before God and man The word in the originall includeth a multiplication of washing whereby he acknowledgeth a multiplication in sinning and his earnestnesse that euery sin may haue some particular assurance of grace For this is the hungring and thirsting after spirituall graces that the heart cannot be satisfied till it be filled with them neither will be content of a bare crust and outward shew of pardon vnlesse the assurance thereof be doubled And cleanse me from my sinne The second similitude is taken from cleansing which is respectiue to the Leprosie vnder the Law Leâ—it 13. for which God appointed purgations and cleansings Why sin iâ— compared to leprosie Sinne is compared to a leprosie Frst because it is hereditarie being in the blood so we are conceiued in sin and the more dangerous because by no naturall meanes it can be helped but by God alone Sin is from the descent of our parents we are conceiued therein Who can bring that which is cleane out of a thing vncleane Secondly as leprosie is ignominious and disgraceth man aboue all other diseases that men who are infected by the plague are not so much shunned as those that are leprous so sin disgraceth man The leprosie of Miriam made her to be separated from the campe Num. 12.14 and the leprosie of Vzza made him to be shut out of the Temple so sin depriueth vs of the societie of man Angels Thirdly Leprosie maketh mens flesh senslesse so sin maketh men insensible of the iudgements of God Fourthly Leprosie is incurable with men 〈◊〉 are the frensie heresie iealousie God keepeth those cures to himselfe so sin can be purged by none but by Gods owne cunning As Abanah and Pharpar riuers of Damascus 2. King 5.12 were not of force to cure the leprosie of Naaman and leprous might haue died if according to the Prophets direction he had not washed himselfe in Iordan so are the merits of men or holinesse of Angels Apostles yea of the blessed virgin Marie so much set by by men vprofitable to purge vs from our sinnes onely that blessed blood of Iesus will do the turne wherein if we be washed our flesh shall be as the flesh of a childe euen as though we had neuer sinned But to the end thou maâ—st be assured whether thou art clensed from this leprosie or no I will giue you some infallible tokens and markes whereof some are secret and onely knowne to thy sâ—lfe others are seene by others The secret marks be these First if thou art ashamed of those things which thou hast done Priuate tokens wherby thou maist know if thou be washed Rom. 6.21 Iob 42.6 What profit haue ye of those things saith the Apostle whereof now ye are ashamed and cannot remember them without blushing if thou abhorrest thy selfe when thou callest them to minde and repentest with Iob in dust and ashes Secondly if thou hast faith in Christs blood doest desire to be purged by these cleane and cleare waters not running to others or digging vnto thy selfe cisternes of rotten waters Externall notes wherby others may know if thou be washed The externall marke is sanctification of thy person being washed thou goest not to defile thee in the puddle And thy thankfulnesse to God â— Kin. 5.15 as Naaman returned to Elisha and not onely offered a great reward vnto him but promised to be a worshipper of God all his dayes Be not like vnto the nine lepers who outwardly cured abode in the leprosie of sin of the two the worst and most dangerous Luk. 17.17 but with the tenth returne to Christ with thankfulnesse For if thou be vnthankfull to God and art not diligent and earnest to celebrate praises vnto him for his mercies it is an euident token thou art not yet cured Finally thou must go to the Priest and offer according to the law receiue the absolution froÌ„ Gods mouth out of the mouth of his seruants and shew thy thankfulnesse in obedience to God all thy life Verse 3. For I know mine iniquitie and my sinne is euer before me THe first argument which he vsed to moue God to pardon his sins was taken from God himselfe and that great mercie whereto he is inclined The next from his great filthinesse vncleannesse whose misery was an obiect of Gods mercie desiring God to purge and cleanse him from the same Now followeth the third argument taken from his acknowledgement of his sin and true confession thereof As though he would say Lord I know I haue sinned I confesse my sin to thee therefore pardon me What force thinke ye this argument would haue in a guiltie mans mouth if he came before an earthly Iudge and would say I haue committed murder and adulterie I confesse it Surely the Iudge would answer Ex ore tuo te iudico I iudge thee according to thine owne confession as Dauid commanded him to be killed 2. Sa. 1.16 An humble acknowledgement of sinne a good argument to obtain pardon from God who reported that he had killed Saul But before the heauenly Tribunall such an argument hath onely force There is no meane to acquit vs from Gods iustice vnlesse we come to him humbly confessing our sin and accusing our selues for then he will pardon and excuse vs. Our condemning of our selues maketh him to absolue vs our remembrance of our sins maketh him to forget them and our repentance bringeth his pardon But how cometh it to passe that thus he lamenteth Obiect seeing before Nathan had assured him that his sins were forgotten and pardoned I answer Solut. the godly albeit they be perswaded of mercie yet for the loue they beare to God they cannot but be displeased with themselues so often as they remember how vnhappily they haue offended so gracious a maiestie The wicked forget the euils which they do remember the good which they haue done if they haue done any whereas the godly remember alwayes their sins 1. Cor. 15.9 2. Tim 1.13 but the wicked forget their sins most easily and if they haue done any shew of
good they remember it continually The godly by the contrary forget their good and remember their sins and the euill which they haue done as the Apostle Paul saith I am the least of all the Apostles and not meete to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church And againe When before I was a blasphemer a persecuter and oppressor but I was receiued to mercie And againe Christ died for sinners among whom I am the chiefe They account themselues the least among the godly the greatest among sinners So it is good to vs to nourish a continuall remembrance of our owne sins that it may humble vs before God make God so much the more pitie vs that he seeth vs vnfainedly displeased with our selues that we haue offended him by our many many sins For I know my sinne The knowledge of his sin doubtlesse came by Gods word out of the mouth of Nathan For albeit by a generall notice hee knew hee had done wrong and the particular punctions of his conscience forced him to thinke so yet the true knowledge came neuer vnto him vntil God said by his Prophet Thou art the man So the word of God serueth vs to this vse that it openeth our blinde eyes to see what is euill in vs. And therefore wo to that people who haue not the word and faithfull Preachers who may let them see their sins For when they know not sin to be sin they die in their sins By the law saith the Apostle is the knowledge of sin Rom 7.7 for if the law had not said Thou shalt not lust I would not think concupiscence to be sin Ye may see how great an euill is ignorance when mens eyes are blinded whom the god of this world hath blinded in so great a light The most part of the world couers their sin by translating the cause ouer vnto others as Adam vpon Euah Euah vpon the Serpent But the Scripture saith Gen. 3. Pro. 28.13 He that hideth his sin shall not prosper Non mediocre est saith Ambrose vt agnoscat peccatum suum vnusquisque It is not a small thing to euery one to know and acknowledge his sin So saith Dauid Delicta quis intelligit Who vnderstandeth his sin He who knoweth them may the sooner auoide them If any knew a danger he could easily flie from it and go by it Our Sauiour wept because they knew not the day of their visitation That a man may know his sin it is necessary he be admonished and rebuked and he who desireth to attaine this knowledge must be content to receiue rebukes kindly How to attaine to an acknowledgement of sinne He must resolue before God to shun the occasions of sin and such euill companie as allureth him to folly that he do call to mind what a gracious God he hath offended what good things he hath lost how many he hath offended by his example and to addresse himselfe henceforth to leade a holy and religious life according to Gods word The Philosophers thought it most necessary for euery man to know himselfe and in their precepts had this euer He who knoweth not himselfe can neuer know God Nosce teipsum Know thy selfe Then much more it becometh a Christian to know himselfe for otherwise he can neuer know God in any of his properties For if we know not our sin how shall we either know Gods iustice pursuing vs or his mercie pardoning vs. Oh that we knew our selues But Satan doth with vs as the Rauen doth with the Lambe Simil. it first pulleth forth the eyes then deuoureth it first he blinâ—eth vs then we follow him Therefore we should labour vpon our soules that the darkned eye thereof may be cleare the dimnesse remoued Acts 9. the scales which lie vpon them as vpon Saint Paul may fall to the ground that seeing our selues and our nakednesse we may craue to be couered seeing our wounds we may desire to be cured As also it is the principall part and duty of Pastors to deale in their Sermons with people that they may see their sins Sonne of man saith the Lord to Ezekiel make knowne to Ierusalem their abhominations Pastors ought to exhort the people to a sight of their sin We flatter the people in their sin and vse conniuence to their wickednesse We are afraid and belike dare not light the candle of the word and bring it to them being lying in darknesse lest they put forth the candle or smite vs who by the light thereof let them see their misbehauiour And my sinne is euer before me When Satan doth present his baited hooke of sin to vs Satans policy in presenting the greatnes of our sins after we haue sinned to vs he neuer letteth vs see the hooke of Gods iudgements but euer the bait of pleasure but when we haue swallowed the baite he neuer letteth vs see any comfort of Godâ— mercies but proposeth to vs a troubled conscience the flames of Godâ— wrath and the terrors of his iudgements as the Prophet saith Our iniquities are multiplied before vs. And yet we must take heed of the diuels craft who obscureth from many their sin so that they can neuer repent for that which they neuer see or feele And yet on the other hand he letteth some see the mountains of their sins and hugenesse of them that they see nothing else in God but his iustice thereby to leade them to despaire as he did with Iudas But we must not looke with such fixed eyes vpon our sins that we lift not vp our eyes to Gods mercie which is ready to pardon and to apply to our heart all the sweete promises which we reade in the Scriptures so that as feare beareth vs downe faith may vphold vs that we fall not They must euer be before vs in this world and be purged by vnfained repentance not that our repentance can expiate them or pacifie Gods wrath or as the foolish Papists thinke that we can do penance for them For what satisfaction can thy humiliation do which is imperfect to satisfie the wrath of an infinite God Vnlesse his Son had intervened by hiâ— satisfactioâ—â— Gods wrath could not haue bin appeased The more we repent for sin the more we are eased The more we remember our sin and lament for the same the more ease get we to our afflicted minds and consciences and the more sensibly shall we feele the mercie of God pardoning our offences Therefore we cannot be better exercised then in an humble confession of our sin and by bitter teares with Peter weepe for our offences which I pray God the Lord may worke in our hearts that we may find that blessing vpon vs which Christ pronounced Math. 5. Blessed are they who now mourne for they shall be comforted Verse 4. Against thee against thee only haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight that thou maist be iust when thou speakest and pure when thou iudgest THe ancients
haue so far differed in expounding this verse some running forth on Allegories others on far sought interpretations that Lorinus the Iesuite numbreth twelue diuers interpretations hereof of which The diuers interpretations of this versâ— two are most agreeable to the words and meaning of the text The first expounds it this way Howsoeuer say they Dauid did wrong to Vriah yet it was hid from all men and onely knowne to God and these sins are onely done against God whereof none is witnesse but he only And surely albeit we would couer our sins from the sight of the world there is one witnesse whose sight we cannot flee Plato affirmeth that we should do nothing in secret whereof we would be ashamed in publik And Cicero Ne siquidem deos omnes celare possumus albeit we could keepe it secret from all the gods The other whereto I rather incline is thus Albeit say they Dauid had offended man yet it touched him more nigh at the heart the sin he did against God in breaking of his law For so Nathan said vnto him Why didst thou contemn the word of the Lord 2. Sa. 12.14 that thou shouldst do euill in his sight As though Dauid would say Though all the world would absolue me this is more then enough to me that I feele thee my iudge my conscience citeth me before thy tribunall Let vs haue our eyes and our senses fixed on God and not be deceiued with the vaine allurements of men who either extenuate or conniue and winke at our sins For God Nota. as he 〈◊〉 witnesse to our sins so is he sole and onely Iudge Admire the loue of God who can punish both soule and bodie in hell fire of whose wrath we should be more afraid then of all â—he kings or tyrants of the world As also we should be sorie that we haue offended so gracious a God who when he might haue damned vs yet hath pleased to pardon vs and taketh no other satisfaction at our hand but repentance for our sin and faith in his Son Iesus Christ Who will not giue vs to our enemies hand to be destroyed but will set vs free from prison out of his free loue Therefore O sinner in time be reconciled with thy Iudge and take no rest till thou haue suretie of his fauour Say with Dauid Peccaui I haue sinned 2. Sa. 12.13 and God shall say with Nathan Peccata tua remissa sunt thy sins are forgiuen Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight The ingemination of the word against thee signifieth the deepnesse of his feeling and griefe who is the more wounded the more he findeth the greatnesse of that maiestie and goodnes whom he hath offended So it were happie for vs that we could be deeply moued with a conscience of our sin that out of the deep places of a contrite heart we might redouble our sighs which would pierce that fatherly heart if we could shoot vp such arrowes to heauen but we laugh ouer the matter not remembring that our laughter shall be turned to mourning This also serueth to conuince such miscreant Atheists who can generally say God forgiue vs we are all sinners as it were excusing their sins whenas they are neuer touched at the heart with a sorrow for them They feed their foolish humours with a cloake of the multitude that sinneth quasi patrocinium error is sit multitudo peccantium as though the multitude of sinners should be a patrocinie and defence of errors saith Augustine Hell is spacious large enough hauing all the dimensions which will containe all the diuels and their children if they were more in number then they are That thou maist be iust when thou speakest and pure when thou iudgest By this it is cleare that the iustice of God shineth most in mens soules and his truth in their lies As though he would say Because I haue sinned so grieuously and haue committed such wickednesse that thou canst not be blamed of vnrighteousnesse though thou shouldst punish me most rigorously for I haue deserued worse then I haue suffered But because the Apostle Paul Rom. 3.4 would seeme to turne this text to another sense A reconciliation betwixt this place and that of Rom. 3.4 we shall reconcile them easily For the Apostle seeing the Iewes to bring the testament and couenant of God in slander as though he had bin the cause of their ruine by casting that vpon themselues he freeth God of their fall But Dauid here vindicateth Gods iustice laying all the cause on himselfe Whereof we gather that if any euill come to man the cause of it is to be found in himselfe we need not cast it on God But out of this that Dauid confesseth God to be iust when he iudgeth we learne first Gen. 18.29 that God as Abraham said is the iust Iudge of the world and albeit he hath reserued a generall iudgement after this life God hath a particular iudgement in this world as Augustine saith yet he hath a particular iudgement vpon men in this world both elect and reprobate iudicio non semper manifesto semper tamen iusto not alwayes by a manifest yet always by a iust iudgment He erecteth a tribunall in mens conscience he summoneth the party accuseth coÌ„uicteth him This iudgment is by his word Spirit For euery mans work shal be manifest as by the fire For the fire both letteth them see their faults and burneth vp their drosse As also he punisheth them in the sight of the world and in their posteritie as he did as well to Dauid as to Saul 2. Sa. 12.10 for he said that blood should not depart from his house and so it was Therefore let not men although the best Christians thinke to escape the censure of his iustice yea what euer he doth Psal 143.17 we must say God is iust in all his works Next he is pure when he iudgeth or trieth We may be assured God will put men to triall God will put vs to triall by affliction persecution sicknesse and pouertie Then men will be made manifest the hypocrisie of many will be detected For as the wind is appointed to trie the corne Simil. the fire to trie the gold the floods to trie houses builded vpon the rocke and sand so shall the day of the Lords triall discerne those who haue but a shadow of religion and shall appeare ere it be long as it is begun already Alwayes God is pure in his triall he knoweth the one from the other already but he will haue men trying and knowing them Gen. 22.12 Abraham was tried in the slaughter or offering of his son and his faith was approued Ionah 2. so was Ionas tried and Iobs patience and Peters weaknesse In all these trials God was pure and free of any iniury done to any of them for they were knowne to be but men although Prophets
â—nd Apostles And it is no maruell though â—t this time in the triall of the Church Nota. maâ—y be found to be but men God is not to be blamed he is pure when he trieth And seeing triall is prophecied to be not onely the Church of Philadelphia Reu. 3.10 1. Pet. 1.7 but also in all the earth which is called the houre of tentation or a time of fiery triall either by heresies schismes or defection from the â—ruth of God or by bloodie persecutions of Gods Saints and his Church as all Europe hath experience this day what shall we do but keepe Gods word Nota. possesse our soules in patience suffering the reproches calumnies cruell dealings yea all that the diuell and his children can do to vs. If we be tried by fire let vs be found gold if by water let vs abide in the Arke and in the Apostles boate let vs be found sure builders vpon the foundation which the Apostles laid euen Christ 1. Pet. 2. if by the aire and winds let vs be as wheate and not chaffe If finally by the earth and earthly allurements let vs be fouÌ„d to haue our conuersatioÌ„ aboue the time of trial is come already We learne also out of this that in all our trials whether inward in our conscience or externall in our bodies yea though our bodies were giuen to the beasts and foules of heauen In all our trials externall or internall God is pure yet God is pure and without fault In the best of vs all there is cause why we should be tried Verse 5. Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sin hath my mother conceiued me THis is the fourth reason by which he would moue God to forgiue him That our nature from the very originall is corrupted from the seminarie and fountain of our conception For from our mothers wombe we bring nothing but sinne And surely we cannot throughly acknowledge our sins vnlesse we condemne our whole naturall powers and faculties of vncleannesse So the knowledge of this one sinne bringeth him to the examination of his whole life Actuall sins are as streames which proceed from original sin which is the fountaine till he find nothing in himselfe but sin For if the fountaine be poisoned what will the streames be that flow from it If we would looke backe to our originall sin we might haue cause the more to lament our actual sins as poisonable streames flowing from such a fountaine So soone therefore as our conscience accuseth vs of any one sin we should call to remembrance the whole course of our life Let the remembraÌ„ce of one sin put vs in mind of all the sins we haue committed Simil. that it hath bin nothing else but a continuall sinning against God that thus the last putting vs in mind of the first we may not be content to repent and aske pardon for one but for all A sick man hauing obtained health doth remember how long be was sicke whereby for the present he both considereth his own frailtie and Gods mercie in deliuering him as also encourageth and inanimateth him in time to come by remembrance of former mercies obtained Happie were we if we would begin to remember our miseries and Gods mercies Lorinus the Iesuite to ecce addeth enim which he confesseth is not in the Hebrew veritie and that Saint Ierome hath forgot it yet maintaineth that it is rightly put in to giue force to the words of his sin See the Sophist who granteth the Scriptures and yet would empaire their credit as though Gods Spirit were not wise enough and the sense could not hold without enim The like do they in these words Hoe est corpus meum they adde enim and say Hoc est enim which is not in the Scriptures and were altogether vngrammaticall In a word they alter and change the Scriptures as they please bringing in their enim as a particle of reason which carieth with it no reason Ye see then what the miserable corruption of our nature is so soone as we take life Man no soouer beginneth to liue but he beginneth to sinne Gen. 6.5 we begin to sin An infant of one day is not cleane before God The masse whereof we be formed is filthy and sinfull and so much the more filthy seeing it is possessed with a soule vncleane and polluted The cogitation of mans heart is only euill continually God knoweth our mold Psa 103.14 We erre froÌ„ the womb And albeit mariage be a bed vndefiled Heb. 13.4 by reason of the institution yet the concupiscence and lust polluteth the ordinance which is most holy Children haue of iginall sin Then children are not free of original sin for then why should they be baptized and why should they die as many do daily But it may seeme wonderfull strange Obiect that châ—ldren who can neither doe thinke or speake euill should be culpable I answer by another question what is the reason that a yong fox new whelped Solut. Simil. doth not slay a lamb is it not because it lacketh strength and is not come to that maturitie to execute their inclination which is naturally cruell So are infants naturally inclined to sin and therefore so soone as they can think any thing speake or do any thing it is euill as daily experience teacheth vs. Parents should take care to amend by good education that which is deficient in their children by nature Simil. Originall sin is sin And therefore it becometh Christian parents to take paines to amend that which is deficient and imperfect by nature in their children by art instruction and correction That as wilde beasts are tamed by the industrie of men and barren grounds haue become fruitfull by labouring and manuring so euil natures may be corrected by good education Ye see also out of this that originall sin is sin and offensiue to the law of God and the roote of all others that the most secret thought of our heart is sufficient to condemne vs if God would deale extreamely Which impugneth that diuellish and erronious doctrine of some who think that the first intentions and thoughts are veniall if consent come not with them Our Lord saieth that whosoeuer seeth a woman and lusteth after her committeth adulterie Mat. 5 28. and is as culpable before God as if he had sinned with her But that concludeth not that the motion is not sinfull to which such a wicked consent is added the greater sin cannot excuse the lesser Therefore we must go with Elizeus to the countaine and cast in salt in those rotten and stinking waters 2 Kin. 2.20 that they being purified all the streames flowing therefrom may be also cured This parentall sin hereditarie radicall the leuen of the primitiue corruption the law of the members naturall and generall to all mankind Nota. cannot be taken away but by the conception and natiuitie of Christ But here ariseth a question how
be thought or called religious God loueth truth as he hateth all falsehood for he is truth Ego sum veritas via vita Ioh. 14.6 He loueth truth in our profession truth in our ciuill life truth in our profession is that which he hath commanded in his word truth in our ciuill life is that which agreeth with dutie of ciuill conuersation without fraud deceit or guile which is different from Gods nature and resembleth the diuell who is a deceiuer In the inward affections It is not a superficiall or scroofe-worship which God regardeth For Cains sacrifice outwardly was as pleasant as Abels Gen. 4.4 â— but God looked to their hearts accepted the one and reiected the other God aboue all things craueth the heart My sonne giue me thine heart God wil be worshipped in spirit and veritie Pro. 23.26 Therefore hast thou taught me wisedome in the secret of mine heart He amplifieth his sin by this circumstance that he did it not as an ignorant but as one who was enlightned with knowledge and besides he had priuate informations and intelligence from God in his heart and tasted of the heauenly doctrine yea it was rooted and fixed in his heart yet like a bruite beast he was caried to that filthy lust and so was inexcusable and suffocated the light of the Spirit which he had receiued He had informations giuen by God but he had not grace to follow them which so much the more made him inexcusable that he was taught Christians perish not for want of informatioÌ„ but for contemning the warnings they get God must teach vs. and would not obey So Christians shal not perish for lack of information but because they do not obey the warnings which they get This age hath heard many lessons and God hath manifested his whole will vnto them but because they obey them not their knowledge shal augment their paines God he must be our great Doctor and Teacher we must be Theodidactoi taught of God Neither nature learning experience practise or age can teach vs wisedome onely Gods word must teach vs. Nature preuailed among the Philosophers but that neuer led them to God For all the principles of our faith are contrary to nature sense and reason What is more against naturall reason then these points of our religion God was made man a virgin hath borne a childe a crucified man saued the world a dead man arose c. in these and such we must be taught from aboue by God God teacheth by the ministerie of his word God he teacheth by the ministery of his word which whosoeuer contemneth refuseth the meanes of his saluation but that ministery will not be sufficient without diuine inspiration 1. Cor. 3.6 Paul may plant Apollo may water but God giueth the increase Bellarmine translateth the Hebrew word which he granteth signifieth abscondita incerta and so doth Lorinus those doubting Doctors would haue the mysteries of the Scriptures vncertaine and doubtfull Notâ— There is great diuersitie of iudgements among men what is true wisedome These are of the Lord is true wisdome Eccles 1.2 but if ye would enquire at the wisest man that euer liued he will tell you that hauing examined all things vnder heauen he found all things to be but vanitie and vexation of spirit and that true wisedom consisted only in the feare of God and keeping his commandements The feare of the Lord is the instruction of wisedome Pro. 15.33 all other wisedome is foolishnesse Verse 7. Purge me with hyssope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow HE is not contented simply to craue pardon once or twice but many times yea he multiplieth his suites by metaphors allegories and such borrowed speeches signifying how deeply he was wounded with his sin that he would haue himselfe assured and confirmed in the remission thereof and now he borroweth a similitude from the washings and purgations vsed in the Leuiticall law desiring that God would looke on his miseries who was a leprous man by sin and a filthy polluted sinner that hee might be washed in the blood of Christ prefigured by the Mosaicall washings Purge me with hyssope Three times made mention of hysop Exo. 12.22 There is made mention of hyssope where it was vsed in three places first in the 12. of Exodus at the institution of the Passeouer where the blood of the Lambe was appointed to be sprinkled vpon the doore checkes with a bunch of hyssope bound with a scarlet lace The blood signified Christs blood the bunch of hyssope the sauing and the scarlet lace his blood died which bound the bunch all hauing their spirituall significations For the blood no doubt signified the blood of that vndefiled Lambe shed from the beginning of the world The hyssope the instrument applying his blood by faith The scarlet lace the communion of the Saints who are bound by loue the bond of perfection and sprinkled with that same blood to the remission of sins And so the blood which washeth faith which applieth and the lace that coupleth are all one Christ by faith and loue receiued to the purgation of all Christians The second place Leuit. 17. is the purgation of the Leper wherein the blood of the sparrow the bunch of hyssope and the scarlet lace are likewise mentioned and differeth nothing but in this in the first was the Lambe here the Sparrow which is all one for euen as the Lamb is among beasts so is the Sparrow base and simple amongst fowles to which Dauid compareth himself I am as a sparrow on the house top sitting aloue Psal 102.7 so we must be sprinkled with his blood which being contemptible to men was acceptable to God The third was Numb 19. about the red Cow which must haue hyssope dipped in the blood thereof And Christ is compared â—o the Cow or fat calfe which being in so great a price with the Father was giuen â—o death for the saluation of our foules The hyssope hath many things wherein â—t representeth Christ very nigh Wherein hysop representeth Christ 1. Kin. 43â— for first it â—s obscure humble and abiect so that Salomon is said to haue written of all trees from â—he Cedar the highest tree opposed to the hyssope springing out of the wall that is to be basest and most common growing amongst stones not standing of mans induâ—trie to plant them as other trees doe So Christ in whom we beleeue was contempâ—ible a worme not a man despised Psal 2â— in him was no beautie riches or earthly honours which maketh men to come in credit and account Next the hyssope is bitter and fowre â—ot pleasant to the drinkers so the crosse of Christ by which our affections are morâ—ified is very odious to the flesh and agreeth not with its taste His crosse is therefore 〈◊〉 â—tumbling blocke to the Iewes and folly to the Gentiles Thirdly albeit it be sowre yet it is most wholesome so
albeit the doctrine of repentance be irksome and vnsauory to the flesh yet it is wholesome to the soule Naturall men esteeme this doctrine to be an enemie to them Simil. which would slay their corruptions and lusts Medicine which at first seemeth bitter afterward becommeth more comfortable so the doctrine which is salted with salt and hyssope is fitter for vs then that which is sweetned with hony for hony was neuer appointed to be vsed in the Lords sacrifices but salt omnis victima sale saliatur An obseruation of Cyrillus concerning hysop Cyrillus obserueth in the hyssope an hot operation whereby it sharpneth the grosse humors and purgeth the concretion of the priuitie so grace maketh vs feruent in the spirit Moreouer hysop purgeth the lungs phtiriasis rests The propertie of hysop Plin. lib. 20. cap. 4. nourisheth the natiue colour of the bodie killeth filth and vermine growing on man cureth the bites of serpents prouoketh appetite sharpneth the sight is enemie to feuers of which it is written Parua calens pectus purgans petrosa streatrix Ius sapidat pleurae congrua spargit aquam So grace is hot by charitie purging by contrition spitting forth by confession seasoning the body by temperance sauing the soule and inward parts by application of Christs blood which being drunken purgeth our plurisie and bloodie eyes The hysop of Christs blood a medicine for all our corruptioÌ„s Then seeing all these diseases are in the soule of man are we not much beholden to God who hath made one salue to cure all our sores the blindnesse of our mind is remoued by the water of his blood the foule corâ—uptions of our heart are euacuate and dissolued that we spit them forth our coldnes is warmed our fiery feuers and in flammations quenched our spirituall vigour colour is restored which we lost by sin Wash me and I shall be whiter then the snow What meant by washing He acknowledgeth that none in heauen or earth is able to purge him but God onely He hath that fountaine in his owne garden he will communicate the glorie of our redemption to none but to himselfe For by this washing is meant the washing of iustification and remission of sins that as creation belongeth onely to God so doth redemption by Christs blood Wo to them who leauing the waters of life go to any other to seek water out of these rotteÌ„ cisterns Then seeing it is the proper work of God to wash vs let vs go to the lauer of baptisme that there we may be once washed and after daily pray that he may wash our feete by sanctification And I shall be whiter then the snow He perswadeth himselfe of a full purgation by Christs blood Though I were as blacke as the Moore yet shall I be white as snow Nothing can blot out our sinnes but this blood If we would wash our selues with snow waters our righteousnesse shall be as a menstruous garment Esa 64.6 What is all the righteousnesse of man but an abhomination before God Yea Christ himselfe if he had bin onely man could not haue bin able to satisfie the iustice of an insinite God he must be God himselfe and therefore it is called the blood of God But how shall we be whiter then snow I answer Act. 20. Obiect Soâ—â—â— our estate is more perfect and surer by Christ then it was by nature in Adam forasmuch as we haue our perfection by Christ which cannot faile or alter and it is the perfection of God which belongeth to vs so that we stand not before God as men but as gods before God being couered with his perfect obedience who is our Redeemer blessed for euer So there is no cause why we should feare or despaire seeing we are cleansed perfectly if we beleeue be sanctified Let vs put on Christ whose garment is white as snow Mat. 17.2 And his Church is made white in him Who is this that commeth vp white 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cant. 8.5 Apoc. 7.14 And the Bride hath white garments made white in the Lambes blood The proper office of the holy Spirit is to wash vs and purifie our conscience by Christs blood lest our filthinesse keepe vs back from accesse to God And this ye were saith the Apostle but ye are washed 1. Cor. 6.11 ye are sanctified ye are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God And againe speaking of the Church that he may sanctifie her purging her by the washing of water by the word that he may make the Church glorious to himself not hauing spot or wrinkle Eph. 5.27 or any such thing but that she may be holy blamelesse So it is the onely worke of God to sanctifie his children make them clean Finally obserue that iustification and sanctification are vndeuided companions Doctr. Iustificatiâ— and sanctification go together whomsoeuer the Lord washeth by the hysop of his Sonnes blood he also sanctifieth by his Spirit Studie therefore to get holinesse without which none shall see God Let holinesse to the Lord be written on your brests Exo. 28.36 Leuit. 20.7 Holinesse becometh the house of God Be holy Manystudy to attain to knowledg but not to sanctification as I am holy For what fellowship can the most holy God haue with vncleane and profane people This miserable age studieth to aâ—taine to knowledge but not to sanctification Let Atheists call you what they please studie you to puritie of life A true Christian will make more conscience of an idle word or filthy thought which wil arise in their hearts Nota. and will correct it more sharply then those lend miscreants will do for adultery and the worst actions they commit Verse 8. Make me to heare ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce HAuing craued before remission of sins now he beggeth the fruite which followes vpon the same that is ioy and gladnes which is one of the fruits of the kingdome of God and marks of Gods children Ioy proceedeth of sorrow This ioy which he suiteth must of necessitie presuppose a sorrow which he had for his sinne For as repentance can neuer want sorrow no more can remission want ioy So that ioy springeth out of the bitter roote of sorrow And the greater sorrow we haue the greater shall our ioy be The deeper thy griefe be the higher shall thy comfort be He doubleth ioy and gladnesse both of soule and bodie he will not be contented with some one or two consolations but wil haue them to be multiplied that as his tribulations did increase so his comforts in Christ Iesus might be enlargad Of all men a Christian hath most cause to reioyce As a Christian is the most sorowfull man in the world so there is none more glad then he For the cause of his ioy is greatest in respect his misery was greatest his deliuery greatest therefore his
ioy greatest from hell and death is he freed to life in heauen is he brought What can make men more glad then this if he will beleeue No offers can satisfie the minde of a prisoner appointed to death vnlesse his remission be proclaimed and giuen him Simil. so all the ioyes in the world will not satisfie a conscience till he heare that his sins are forgiuen him Psal 4.8 This ioy Dauid compareth with the ioy of worldlings who reioyced in their corne and wine and saith that he had more ioy then they had and more peace of conscience This ioy eateth vp all false ioyes that men haue in sinne True ioy eateth vp false ioyes Exod. 7.12 as the rod of Aaron did the rods of the Egyptians For it is not possible that men can haue both ioy in God godlinesse and in sin for the one will euer quench the other as water doth fire Nothing can alter this true ioy All other ioyes wil alter whatsoeuer they be but nothing can take this ioy from vs. Not tribulation we reioyce in the midst of tribulation Not death no paine no hatred of men no persecution all these rather increase it Acts 5.41 We reioyce with the Apostles that we are thought worthy to suffer for the word of God Why do worldlings call vs melancholious persons and too precise that we cannot do away with an idle word Ioh. 4.32 let be an idle action let them say what they please we say as Christ said to his disciples he had meare they knew not so we haue ioy that they know not of That which is thy ioy O hypocrite that is my sorrow I laugh with Democritus at that Democritus alwayes laughed Heraclitus alwayes weeped Iam. 5.1 for which thou weepest I weepe with Heraclitus at that whereat thou laughest Wo to them that laugh for they shall weepe Howle ye rich men saith the Apostle Make me to heare The person froÌ„ whom he seeketh this ioy is God make me to heare saith he whereby he would teach vs Doctrine Spirituall ioy proceedeth from God that this ioy cometh onely from God it is he who is the fountain of ioy and all pleasure for all good things come from aboue Naturall ioyes proceed from a naturall and fleshly fountain spirituall ioyes spring only from God so he who seeketh these ioyes beneath seeketh hot water vnder cold ice Can any good thing come out of Nazareth can any grace come from a gracelesse ground Ioh. 1.46 â— The instrument by which he seeketh ioy to be conueyed to him is the hearing of that word Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee There is none other ordinary meanes by which God will worke or euer hath wrought ioy to the troubled heart then by his word preached by the mouth of his seruants and beleeued by Christians The word of God is the cause of this ioy Act. 16.14 Faith commeth by hearing God opened the heart of Lydia He that hath eares to heare let him heare I haue giuen eyes and they do not perceiue eares to heare do not vnderstand their eares are heauie c. Preaching of the word is a necessary instrumeÌ„t by which spiritual gracesis coÌ„veied into our harts God craueth this ofteÌ„ in the old new Testament that we should heare his voice And Dauid confesseth that God had prepared his eare Psal 40. God from heauen said This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 heare him If then ye giue an obedient eare to Gods word ye may be assured of this ioy wrought in your hearts after yee haue beleeued the comfortable promises of saluation in Christs blood What thinke ye then of Atheists who will not heare the word but for fashions sake Against Atheists and Papists lothing the word calling those too holy who will heare two Sermons on one Sabbath or of Papists who will no wayes heare the word which may be the meanes of their conuersion Wo to the one and to the other And because they haue refused to heare him of whom they may receiue comfort and instruction therefore the Lord shall refuse to speake to them any longer vnlesse betimes they repent That the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce The effect which he hopeth to receiue of those glad tidings is a restitution of his first estate wherein he found himself wonderfully broken by his sin and affliction and hopeth to be restored by remission and pardon thereof Where he speaketh of the bones he would let vs to vnderstand that there is no strength of nature able to resist the stroke of Gods iustice No streÌ„gth in man able to resist the stroake of Gods iustice For if he begâ—n to fight with vs we are vnable to resist The bones are very hard and the strength of man stands in them but if God bring the â—ammer of his wrath it shall be as iron and steele to crush them in peeces being but as potters vessels God cureth none but those whom he hath wounded Which thou hast broken The forme of Gods curing he first woundeth and then healeth He cureth none but those whom his hand hath pierced and he who woundeth can best cure the wound And in this God differeth from man Man woundeth but hath no care to cure God woundeth seeketh to cure for man woundeth but hath no care to cure but when God inflicteth a wound on his children he hath a present remedy appointed to cure the same Let vs therefore be content to be vnder his hand who for sufficient causes crossing vs is euer ready to comfort vs in Iesus Christ May reioyce By this he letteth vs see what would be the effect of his deliuerie euen to burst forth in the praises of his God by his words by his actions Let thy desire to be deliuered froÌ„ trouble be to glorifie God by his writings Which should teach vs that in troubler either spirituall or temporall we euer haue this the principall end for which we desire to be deliuered that we may praise and glorifie God Verse 9. Hide thy face from my sins and put away all mine iniquities NOw he reneweth his former suite of the remission of his sins shewing how earnestly he desired the same He is not content once and againe to crie for pardon but many times For he thought otherwise of his sin then we do of ours it touched him at the very heart In this verse he vseth two similitudes one that God would turne away his face from his sinnes next that he would blot out all his iniquities Hide The first similitude is taken from men God cannot see sin in his children who will hide their face from that which they desire not to see And it is certaine God is in euery place and seeth euery thing but he cannot see the sins of his elect children for that intervenient righteousnes of Christ will not suffer him to see any filthinesse
in his children He seeth no iniquitie in Iacob NuÌ„ 23.21 Simil. saith Balaam For as a red or blue glasse being set before our eyes what euer we see thorough it seemeth to be of the colour of the glasse so God looking thorough Christ to vs all his righteousnesse seemeth to be ours and we are of his colour In the meane time Vse let vs not sin because he hideth his face from our sin for if we abuse the riches of his bountie we shall appeare in our owne colours And put away all mine iniquities The blotting away presupposeth an hand-writ of the law against him wherein his name was put in the count-booke which must be scraped out and taken away which cannot be done away but by the blood of Iesus Christ All. Ye see that one sin calleth to mind many thousands and he is not contented to be acquitted from one vnlesse he be acquitted from all Call to mind all the sinnes of thy life be not at quiet till thou gettest a generall pardon for them all which is to be purchased by Iesus Christ Be afraid to adde new sinnes to thy old Pro. 28.19 Ezech. 8.8 Blessed is he that feareth continually Do as Ezekiel did to the wall of the Temple dig once twice thrice and trie thine heart the more thou diggest the more abominations shalt thou see in that place which should haue bin a Temple to God Verse 10. Create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me DAuid hath prayed already for the remission of his sinnes and hath doubled ouer that petition eight times now he craueth new benefits of sanctification of the holy Spirit of ioy c. In all his petitions he prayeth for spirituall things he seeketh first the kingdome of God He prayeth not for the health of his bodie Those are senslesse of troble who seeke to be freed of the pain thogh not reconciled to God but for the health of his soule he craueth not to be rich temporally but spiritually in God Those are sensuall who being fallen in trouble craue no other thing then to be deliuered from their present paine neuer seeking to be reconciled to God Next he seeketh great things for he is a great God who according to his greatnes can bestow ample gifts God as hee is a great God bestoweth great gifts as the Ocean plentie of water It stood not with Alexanders honour to propine Diogenes with a small gift We bring small vessels to God a weake faith although we haue great need we thinke that hee is not able to giue great things Our Sauiour Christ could worke no miracles amongh them Mat. 13.58 2. Kin. 7.17 because of their infidelity The Gentleman on whom the King â—eaned died and was troden vnder foot because he beleeued not the Prophet Thirdly he suiteth importunately and beggers euer speed best at Gods hand The Prophet Elizeus reproued King Ioas that he shot onely three arrowes forth of the window for if he had shot six or 7 times 2. Kin. 13.19 he might haue vtterly subdued the Aramites Let vs then pray instantly and importunately vnto the Lord and we may be assuâ—ed he will heare vs. Sanctification followeth remission He prayed before for remission of sius and now he prayeth for the Spirit of sanctification an inseparable companion with the other For you can neuer be assured that you haue receiued pardon for your sinne past vnlesse Gods Spirit hath giuen you a care â—o liue holily in time to come Shall you be washen euen now and after puddle your selfe in the mire Not possible that euer Christ will bestow his blood to wash any whom he denieth to sanctifie by his holy Spirit Create in me a cleane heart O God The worker God the workmanship in me the worke it selfe create the subiect a heart the qualitie a cleane heart O God As in the first creation a man is a meere patient and hath no part of it but God by the parents worketh it God must worke our second creation so God worketh the second creation by his Ministers There is no freewill or prepation to grace or foreknowing godlinesse as these hereticall Iesuits do affirme Work the work thy selfe and take the praise to thy selfe O Lord. Create A man must be twice borne before he can enter into heauen As he is madâ— to the similitude of the first Adam Man must be twice borne and his second creation is more excellent then the first so musâ— he be made to the similitude of the seconâ— Adam and the re-creation or regeneration is more excellent then the former Foâ— in the first man was wrought out of clayâ— but in the other God worketh grace out oâ— sin What harder to worke vpon then thâ— dust Next he breathed in the dead bodiâ— a soule but here he breatheth in the holâ— Spirit in mans heart Thirdly in the creation he made man perfect in all his members so in the regeneration all the members of the body and powers of the soulâ— must be renewed and if thou be deficienâ— in the one thou disgracest all the workmanship Nota. If thou haft in thy new birth thâ— eyes of knowledge and lackest the bowels of mercie and art maimed of the hands of bountifulnesse or if thou be dumbe and cannot praise God or deafe and cannot heare his word thou art not a perfect man A greater worke in the second birth then in the first Nota. A greater worke to raise vp a dead man in sin then to raise Lazarus out of his graue Blessed are they who are partakers of the first resurrection for the second death shall haue no power of them Reformation should begin at the heart Satan is an vncleane spirit As a flie is bred in filthinesse and leaueth euer filth behind it so doth the diuell defile euery place whereinto he commeth Our hearts are as open Tauernes ready to receiue all passengers Now hauing tried sinne and Satan to be so noisome to vs we should remoue them shut the doore of our hearts harbour them no longer yea if any vncleane thought arise let vs not entertaine it nor consent thereto lest it bring worse with it The subiect vpon which he must work â—s the heart the most noble part the most secret part which none can know but God the seate of all the affections by which man is ruled and led Reformation must begin at the heart A reformation which beginneth at the members and externall actions is neither true nor constant As if a man intending to dresse his garden and purge it from thistles and such like weeds would cut off the vpper part and leaue the roote which would spring vp again so if thou wouldst chastise thy bodie and let thine heart remaine luxurious it is nothing The heart is the fountaine wherefrom springeth all euill the rooâ— wherefrom all sinne groweth He speaketh not of the substance but oâ— the affections
and qualities of the heart Nâ— honest man will lodge in a filthy house oâ— drinke or eate except the vessell be madâ— cleane Simil. and God cannot abide in a foulâ— swinish heart Pro. 4.23 Keepe thine heart diligently saith the Spirit Since God then wil be thinâ— hearts guest Gen. 15.7 thou must guard it diligently that others enter not in neither leud cogitations but as Abraham chased away thâ— foules from the sacrifice so we must chasâ— away corrupt and euill cogitations froâ— our soule as vagabonds should be expelleâ— from the Kings pallace The heart in Latin is called cor â—â—ta note by three letters to signifie as some thinke that it is the seate of the Trinitie and therefore the pourtraiture of the naturall heart is of three corners answerable to the same As a vessell of gold or siluer being through long vse wasted and broken Simil. is sent to the Goldsmiths to be renewed so our hearts worne by sinne must be sent to God that he may put them in the fire and cast them in a new mould and make them vp againe Alas that wee are carefull to renew euery thing clothes vessels and all onely carelesse to renew our hearts Many are carelesse of the best things Renew a right spirit within me He doubleth his suite concerning his soule as his principall desire There are many who desire earnestly at God for earthly things but few are serious in seeking that best thing a new soule Many are careful of the outward man and carelesse of the hid man of the heart that inner man The spirit is right when it is set vpon the right obiect which is God but when it declineth to the world or to sinne then it is wrong and goeth astray Dauid crauing first that he might be purged froÌ„ his filthinesse craueth now strength of God to his spirit that he may not wander againe but abide constant in the right way of Gods commandements For we must not onely pray for a renewing grace As we pray for renewing grace so pray for accompanying and following graces but for an accompanying grace and a following grace to keep vs in the way of Gods obedience The crooked and broken backed were not admitted to the Priesthood no more are crooked or peruerse soules meete for Gods kingdome Trie of what spirit ye are whether of a right or a crooked trie whether it be of God or not Euery mans wayes are right in his owne eyes but the Lord pondereth the hearts God must cast downe the old building and build vp in thee a new building for himselfe that thou maist be one of the stones of that new Ierusalem which shall be inhabited by God Verse 11. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me IN this verse he craueth two euils to be auerted from him one that he be not cast out from Gods presence the other that the holy Spirit be not taken from him God cast off Saul his predecessor and tooke his holy Spirit from him 1. Sa. 16.15 and gaue him ouer to be led by an euill spirit Dauid here craueth at God to be free of those two iudgements The chiefe thing which he seeketh after is Gods fauour from which nothing debarreth vs more then sinne If any Courtier for his ouersight were put out of his place as Pharaohs butler and out of the Kings sight Exod. 40.3 would they not thinke hard thereof till they recouer his fauour Wee haue sinned against God should we take any rest till we be restored to his fauour Seek Gods fauour Should we not be afraid to be exiled and cast forth from his fauorable countenance in whose presence is fulnesse of ioy Psal 16.12 The face and presence of God is as the Sunne Simil. which in Summer looking fauourably on the earth quickneth all creatures man beasts the earth whatsoeuer groweth the fishes of the sea and the birds of the â—aire and by his absence all are discouraged comfortlesse and lose their vigour so while we haue Gods fauour we are in good case we haue light heate comfort pleasure and all things if he hide his face all things goes wrong and therefore our Poet saith well Tu si me placido lumine videris Cedent continuo caeterae prosperè Buch. Psal But do you think that God can cast away his elect child No verily God caÌ„not absent him self foreues totally and finally he will not do it he cannot do it though we our selues and others beholding our crosses may esteeme so The Sun may seeme not to shine Simil. wheÌ„ it is couered with clouds although it be shining so God may seeme to leaue vs when he crosseth vs but it is not so With an euerlasting loue haue I loued thee He loued his owne who were in the world to the end he loued them Ioh. 16.27 The gifts of God are without repentance Rom. 11.29 False Christ would deceiue the very elect if it were possible Mat. 24.24 Againe Christ saith No man shall take them out of my hands Rom. 8.30 And Paul Whom God predestinateth he calleth iustifieth and glorifieth therefore they cannot fall away finally Which is against that damnable doctrine of the Papists Against the Papists who thinke the elect may be reprobares which is repugnant to the whole Trinitie Against God Against Christ who thinke the elect may be reprobates This doctrine is iniurious to the whole Trinitie for the Father is greatly wronged in that he is thought to be impotent or inconstant who hath ordaned vs before the world to glorie that his work could be hindred or altered by any intervenient fault or sinne in vs as though he would or could not remoue and pardon it And our Sauiour getteth no lesse iniury by them that one of his members can perish and so he should haue a defectiue body For if any who once hath bin a member of his mysticall bodie fall away or be cut off of necessitie his bodie by want of that one member would be disgraced And the hoâ—y Spirit who is the pledge of our adoption Against the holy Spirit sealing vp Gods grace in our hearts and giuing vs that full perswasion of Gods promises causing vs to crie Abba Father Rom. 8.15 is greatly wronged when his work is accounted nothing of as friuolous light and vncertaine So to speake the truth the Papists do what in them lieth to disgrace the holy Trinite and aduance Angels and men in plaine contempt of that glorious God head which we ought so much to aduance in our doctrine and writings This is a great comfort to vs The graces of the Spirit can not be taken away that the graces of the Spirit which we haue once gotten cannot be taken away againe For howsoeuer we do not feele them alike at all times yet we haue them sin may take away the seeling of grace
but not the possession thereof Albeit God be angrie by correcting his best children yet whom he chastiseth he loueth Heb. 12.6 But Dauid saith Blot them out of the booke of life Obiect Psa 69.29 Solut. It is not to be thought that Dauid supposed they were written in the booke of life but because they seemed to feare God and were in the visible Church but not of her he prayeth that God would make it knowne they were neuer written in it And in praying that the holy Spirit may not be taken from him he doubteth yea he standeth in feare of the losse thereof Blessed is he that feareth continually He doubteth but doth not despaire The Spirit may be grieued by vs and so cease to worke in vs good things or to let vs feele good motions but he cannot go away for when he hath brought vs to our selues and letten vs feele our sins then he purgeth his dwelling place and maketh it more meete to worke in such diuine operations as it pleaseth him to inspire in vs. Verse 12. Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free Spirit IN this 12 verse Dauid craueth another necessary gift and effect flowing from the remission of his sinnes to wit the ioy of his conscience For the kingdome of God standeth not in externall things â—â—m 14.17 as meate and drinke but in righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy Ghost saith the Apostle For being made righteous by Christ and peace made with God there ariseth a wonderfull tranquillitie in our consciences from which finally â—riseth a ioy vnspeakable For all the ioyes of the earth could not make vs ioyfull vnâ—esse God were at one with him neither can all the troubles that can fall vpon our outward man discourage vs if we find the ioy of God in our hearts Nothing spoileth vs of this ioy and pleasure that we haue in God but onely sin Pleasure in sin taketh away our ioy in God For once delâ—ghting in sin we can haue no pleasure in Gods seruice for these two can neuer stand together Therefore we must loath sinne that we may reioyce in God Next Christians haue ioy and sorrow intermingled 2. Cor. 12.7 ye see the estate of a Christian is not alwayes one ioy and sorrow is intermingled he hath a Summer of ioyes and a Winter of griefes Saint Paul had the messenger of Satan to buffet him that he should not be exalted aboue measure with his great reuelations After a Christian hath mourned he will reioyce He who neuer sorrowed for sinne will neuer reioyce for grace He that neuer mourned for the affliction neuer reioyceth for the consolation of Ioseph Mourne with them that mourne and reioyce with them that reioyce saith the Spirit The substance and ground of this ioy is the saluation of God so God is the matter of it and this saluation is purchased by God onely Psal 3.8 Saluation is the Lords Whereby he letteth vs see that the first grace will not do the turne to vs of initiation but we haue need of the second grace of confirmation which is the accompanying and perseuering grace Stablish me This stablishing is to make vs sure whereby he would aduertise vs of our instabilitie and vnsurenesse if we were not yet supported Samson was strong in grace but being left to himselfe he fell Peter bragged presumptuously in his owne strength Mat. 26.33 Though all the world would forsake thee yet I will not yet being left to himselfe he fell according as Christ had prophecied Before the cocke crow twise thou shalt denie me thrise Let vs now take heed vnto our seluâ—s the time is come to trie all Christians what is in them and I feare our weaknesse will appeare to the world to our shame and the dishonour of our profession And I neuer saw any who presumed aboue others of their owne strength Nota. but they haue proued the weakest souldiers who by Thrasonicall confidence in their wisedome holinesse constancie and other of their vertues bragged aboue their neighbours yea contemned them but in the end they proue cowards presuming in pride and falling with shame This is one of the most certaine markes of Gods Spirit that as he is free in himselfe so he giueth libertie and freedome to all his children whom he possesseth Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie For where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie They are not bound with the chaines of sin they are not bound with mens traditions but they freely serue God as the children of the house are free The Romans were free men as citizens brag of their freemen and there is great difference between them and other free men that they may vse their trades of merchandize without controlement so is a Christian of all men the most free Our Sauiour said to Peter Who should pay tribute children or strangers But I pray you Mat. 17.25 Obiect Solut. is a Christian who braggeth of the Spirit free to do what he pleaseth God forbid he is onely free to do Gods commandements and to stand in the libertie which God hath giuen him He is bound to keep the coÌ„mandements of God to be free from the traditions and vanities of men So a man needeth not to brag of the Spirit that he may say and do what he pleaseth and alwaies pretend the Spirit and the libertie purchased by Christs blood to euery one of his follies no but that libertie hath her owne bounds and circumscriptions for the Spirit giueth vs no more libertie but that which is bound by his word No true ioy but in the saluatioÌ„ of Christ The word jasha importeth either Sauiour or saluation as Ier. 3.18 To declare that there is no true ioy but in the saluation by Christ This ioy Marie had in God her Sauiour Luk. 1.47 and Iohn in his mothers wombe leaped for ioy Luk. 1.44 Zach. 5.9 Isa 60.5 Reioyce daughter Sion This ioy maketh vs reioyce in tribulation by the comforter who eateth vp all our sorrowes and perplexities as fire eateth vp the rust of iron Other ioyes be but toyes Quicquid non est in Domino non tam intus recreat quam foras What ioy is not in the Lord refresheth not so much within as without This is the wine which Salomon commandeth to be giuen to the grieued in heart Pro. 11.6 And surely this ioy is a foretaste of that future ioy which we shall haue in heauen where there shall be no interchange of ioy with sorow but a perpetuall ioy wherein the creature shall reioyce in the Creator and daily find new causes of pleasure Psal 16.12 At thy right hand is pleasure for euermore But where he desireth a restauration of this ioy it is certaine that he once felt and tasted of the sweetnesse of Gods fauour and the life to come Those who abuse the fauour of God shall feele the want therof
dishonour of God and offence of his Church Of thy righteousnesse that is not of his iustice in punishing him but of his righteousnes in couering his iniquitie For which Christ is called God our righteousnesse So he would be vnrighteous and denie himselfe if he should denie vs mercie so sure is our saluation which is our great comfort We must praise God for all his benefits whereof we are lesse then the least and if for the smallest much more for the greatest euen that worke of our redemption by Christ that he is made our righteousnesse to saue vs when we had nothing of our selues and knew not our danger he prepared a salue for vs before we were wounded and the remedie before our danger If we were sicke and had receiued health poore and were relieued would we not thanke God and thinke our selues obliged to him as we are Nota. The greatest benefits deserue the greatest praises but seeing he hath deliuered vs from our sins and from hell haue we not the greater cause to be thankfull for the greatest benefits deserue the greatest praises Verse 15. Open thou my lips O Lord and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise HE promised in the former verse to sing ioyfully of Gods righteousnesse now he bethinketh himselfe that this is not in his owne power but it must come from God That as his faith and repentance was of him so his thankfulnesse must also proceed from him There is no temporall or spirituall gift which doth not come from God Phil. 2.13 So there is no temporall or spirituall gift which doth not come from God He worketh in vs velle perficere to will and to do The tongue was consecrated before to God now he presenteth his lips another instrument and at last the mouth it selfe which containeth both Seeing God hath giuen to euery member the owne facultie and power Euery meÌ„ber should sound Godâ— praises it is good reason it should be vsed to his glorie God hath giuen thee a tongue mouth and lips for no other end but to proclaime his praises And cursed is that man if he repent not who soundeth any thing with his tongue but Gods honour We see further that we are all close anâ— bound vp by nature except the God of nature enlarge our hearts with his loue and fiâ— our mouthes with his praises God hath the key of his lips he can make infants and sucklings proclaime his praises Psal 8.2 NuÌ„ 22.28 In Soliloq yea he caâ—â— open the mouth of Balaams asse to vtter his praise Augustine thinketh non posse laudare Deum sine ipso qui non ipsum habeat qui se adiuâ—et that God cannot be praised without himselfe he who hath not him to helpâ— them Moreouer obserue Doctr. Sorow for finne will break open the dumbe mouth to speake for Gods mercie how sorrow for sin will breake forth the dumbe mouth to speake for Gods mercie I â—eade of Croesus his sonne who seeing a traitor going about to murder his father though before he was alwayes dumbe began to speake and crie pitifully why should not we when we see that God is wounded with our sinnes once at last begin to crie But there ariseth here a question whether by our praises Gods name may be more amplified Obiect I answer with that worthy seruant of God Solut. M. Robert Rollock a holy man writing on this Psalme Deum in se â—sse perfectissimum that God is most perfect â—n himselfe without the worke of any creaâ—ure The Father glorifying the Sonne and â—he Sonne the Father the Father and Son â—he holy Spirit the holy Spirit the Father â—he Sonne But yet will be glorified by the creature Because he is iust his righteousnes craueth that the creature should acknowledge the Creator whose felicitie standeth in this that he should reuerence his Maker with all dutifull seruice he craueth it more for our weale then for himselfe Thinke ye that God can be either worse or better for our praises but we our selues are then best when we haue grace to praise him Philip finding Nicanor detracting him Plut. relieued him from his necessitie and then he began to praise him wherefore he said Videtis esse in nostra potestate bene male audire Ye see it is in our power both to be well and euill thought of But God is not so he careth not for our praises and our obloquies do not touch him he is so fâ—rre from the one and the other We can neither augment nor impaire his dignitie speake what we will or please wee may doe our selues euill him we cannot offend Sinne taketh away the benefit of our tongue Sin maketh a man dâ—â— that he can not praise God that we become dumb and cannot praise God till he forgiue vs our sinnes and then we shall speak and although we would speake God thinketh nothing of our speeches vntill we be reconciled to him What hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances Psal 50.16 and to take my name in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed But wâ— to the tongue mouth and lips which are not employed in the seruice of God that made them to proclaime his praises and double woe to them who employ them to his dishonour for they shall say would God they had bin rather dumbe Nota. and could haue spoken nothing then to haue spoken to the dishonour of that Maiestie which made them Verse 16. For thou desirest no sacrifice though I would giue it thou delightst not in burnt offering NOw toward the end of the Psalme he is bursting forth in thankfulnesse setting downe the sacrifice which the Lord would not haue to wit externall sacrifices and declaring that which he would haue a contrite heart Sacrifices of olde comprehended all Gods worship For the burnt offerings and sinne offerings represented Christs blood The thanksgiuing offerings The vse of the legall sacrifices peace offerings the incense the thankfulnes of the Saints for his benefits and what of all these he was wearied with them when they were not mixed with faith and repentence Nazianzen saith Vna Dei est purum gratissima victima pectus Then if God delight not in sacrifices which were commanded by himselfe Nota. what careth he for trifles inuented by men of which he can haue no pleasure His delight is not in outward sacrifices at any time if they be alone Hos 6.6 I will haue mercie saith he not sacrifice much lesse doth he respect the sacrifice of the Masse hauing no warrant in his word neither yet of our prayers and praises when we do but pretend religion not serue God vnfainedly Away with all our offerings if we offer not to him that which he craueth chiefly to wit a penitent heart Lorinus obseruethâ— well Sacrificia non operari per se peccatorum remissionem posseâ—sed â—antum representare praefiugare sacrificium â—llud vnicum redemptoris
inuisible walles of his protection so he hath outward defences to maintaine his Church he is master of it yea master builder and sendeth forth seruants whom he strengtheneth for the building of his worke I see many pulling downe the walles yea with Edom in the destroying of Ierusalem crying sacke sacke Psal 137.7 raze raze vp the foundation Few with â—â—chemiah mourning for the ruines of Gods house in all parts and helping to restore them Let vs therefore goe to the God of Dauid who albeit he was king of the towne and began to build the citie and walles and laid materials to the Temple yet he knew that the labourers wrought in vaine vnlesse the Lord of heauen builded the citie Lord repaire the decaies of thy Church for thy Christs sake For thy good pleasure He findeth the ground of all that perfection to be in God himselfe and his good fauour and not in men or their merits for as the whole building of the Church is the onely worke of God so is the reparation of her ruines onely belonging to himselfe It belongeth to God to build the Church Men might haue builded with stone and bricke the exterioâ— walles but it is proper to God to build his spirituall Church And this is a token that God hath pleasure in his Church when he is building it sending good builders materialls of spirituall graces fortifiers as Cyrus and Darius good Princes Nehemiah good gouernours Esdra and good Priests And our obedient and carefull people who do take the sword in one hand and the instrument of building in the other that the Lords Ierusalem may be edified But when his fauour is departed then in his wrath he giueth Princes Gouernours Nobles Preachers and people who striue either to hinder the building or to pull downe the building to build vp Iericho and cast downe Ierusalem Dauid he craueth that God may be fauorable according to his good pleasure for the building of the Church dependeth vpon Gods good will and pleasure who when he liketh his Church can aduance her and when he is displeased with her cast her downe It appeareth euidently now that God is angrie with his Church in all parts of Christendome when he is pulling downe and not raising vp his Church we haue prouoked his wrath against vs and his soule abhorreth our hipocriticall profession and our wicked conuersation Verse 19. Then shalt thou accept the sacrifices of righteousnesse euen the burnt offering and oblation then shall they offer calues vpon thine altar THis is the promise of thankefulnesse to God wherein is set downe a correspondence or restipulation betwixt the people who shall offer sacrifices and God who will accept them And Gods seruice then goeth well when we offer willingly and God accepteth gladly Then Marke the time If our sinnes be forgiuen vs God will heare our praiers Gen. 4.5 when God hath beene fauorable to his Church in forgiuing her sinnes then he will accept the offerings For pray what ye please and distribute to the poore if God doe not like of it all is in vaine Caine offered sacrifices but the Lord accepted them not because he hated his cruell heart Abel offered iâ— faith and was accepted But how shall ye know if your offerings be acceptable to God seeing there is no fire to fall downe from heauen as that which burnt vp Elias sacrifice â— Ki 18.34 Yee shall know that albeit an elementarie or materiall fire falleth not downe yet the fire of the Spirit falleth on our hearts Nota. the fire burning vp the drosse of our corruptions by vnfained repentance warmeing our hearts with the loue of God kindling our hearts with a zeale of Gods glorie This is the fire which will fall downe from heauen vpon our soules which sensiblie we feele if the Lord heare our prayers The sacrifices of righteousnesse Some expound these offerings to be such as agree to his will I reuerence their iudgement but I see not how that exposition can agree with the text But it may be expounded of that righteousnesse which we ought to doe to our neighbours as we offer a sacrifice of a contrite heart the calues of our lippes by praises and these are the sacrifices of righteousnesse by our hands so that heart tongue hand should be all offered to God for God liketh well of righteous dealing◠〈◊〉 our hand be not defiled with thirst coâ—â—ousnesse oppression which if we sacrifice to Sathan by sinne let vs not lift to God by prayer but lift vp pure hands wash our hands in innocencie and then compasse Gods altar It would seem to be some differenc Obiect wher God said he would haue none of their sacrifices and now they promise sacrifices Indeed if the sacrifices be onely externall Solu what accounteth God of them if they want mercie and righteousnesse for he will haue mercie and not sacrifice Therefore let externall and internall worship be conioyned and then God will like best of it but being seperated from spirituall offerings it is abominable and a burden to the Lord. Which be the sacrifices of righteousnes The alter Iesus Christ by whom we must offer our prayers to the Father The sacrifices of righteousnesse are those which be lawfull and are commanded by God They shall offer calues vpon thine altar The calues are the calues of the lippes the alter Iesus Christ who was both represented by the brasen altar and by the golden â—â—lter For no sacrifice or prayer could euer â—â—e acceptable to God vnlesse it were offered vpon Iesus Christ for he is sacrificium sacerdes et altare Augustine saith he is the Priest the Altar and the Sacrifice the offerer the thing offered and the altar vpon which it is offered 〈◊〉 All the mosaicall altars are abrogated because the sacrifice is made The heathnish altars haue no place The popish altars are abominable after the apish imitation of the Iewish altars they would offer that incrementum sacrificium missa without any warrand of Gods word It is enough for vs to offer not Christ to the Father but our prayers by Christ to the Father who will smell a sweet sauour of rest of all our peticions and thankes which are presented vpon Christ and for thirst of him Lord keep vs from the altar of Damascus and let vs offer all our offences vpon Iesus Christ with whom we shall be very heartily welcome to God Amen