of God therefore God fortifieth his citie with al necessary defences which may hold out the enemie The Church hath walls inuisible visible The walles are too fold inuisible the protection of God which the world seeth not for the Lord is a wall of brasse about his Church to repell her enemies and a wall of fire to burne them also he hath his Angels who pitch their tents about his holy and chosen ones 2. Kin. 6.7 there was horses of fire compassing Elizeus The outward and visible walles are made of a number of liuely stones compacted together by the morter of loue strongly resisting all the enemies of the Church for that vnitie of the Saints strengthen them by the power of their God Boni enim ciues mania cinitatis good citizens are the walles of the citie And vpon these walles compassing them on all sides be bulwarks whereupon are set the canons of the word of God mighty in operation destroying the enemies the censures of the Church namely excomunication which being lawfully led is of greater power to subdue the enemie and resist him then all the power of ciuil authoritie The sinnes of princes and people make great gaps in the walles at which the deuil and enemies of the Church and wolfes enter and destroy the Lords vines They with Tobias and Sanballat stay the building of these walles Neh. 4.2 and are striuing to build the walles of Iericho which were forbidden by Iosuah to be redefied vnder a great curse 1. Ki. 16.34 which lighted on Hiel the Bethelite in the daies of Achab pitie is it to see the princes of this world so much enfeebling Ierusalem to strengthen Iericho Dauid crieth to God that he would build them whose power is greater then all the worlds who as he hath 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. â— raze raze vp the foundation Few with Nehemiah 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 take 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 Men might haue builded with stone and bricke the exterior walles It belongeth to God to build the Church 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 If our sinnes be forgiuen vs God will heare our pâ—â—erâ— Gen. 4.5 Then Marke the time 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 in 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 1. Ki 18.34 Yee shall know that albeit an elementarie or materiall fire falleth not downe Nota. yet the fire of the Spirit falleth on our hearts 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 righteousnesseâ— 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 dealingâ— that our hand be not defiled with thirst couetousnesse 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 wher God said Obiect he would haue none of their sacrifices and now they promise sacrifices Indeed if the sacrifices be onely externall Solut. 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 Christâ— by whom we must offer our prayers
many who thinke they haue not a soule There were Sadduces who denied that there were spirits Two sorts of Sadduces Psal 14.2 these were Sadduces by prosession but this Age hath the like by action The wicked haue said in their heart there is not a God and therefore seeing the soule sinneth Vnlawfull pleasures bring lawful paines of necessitie the vnlawfull pleasures thereof must be punished with lawfull paines for it is better to suffer a short and momentanie tribulation in this world to subdue sinne in vs than to vnder-lie eternall punishment of the soule in hels fire How to know whē the soule is at true peace with Ged But before wee can speake of the trouble of the soule let vs finde out when the soule is in a good constitution and at peace The peace of the soule is the tranquilitie of the minde vpon the assurance of Gods fauour in Christ Being therefore iustifyed by faith Rom. 5.1 we haue peace with God in Christ Iesus Grace begins and brings peace and therefore these two are alwaies conioyned Rom. 1.7 Grace and peace from God the Father Let no man thinke to get that peace that passeth vnderstanding Phil. 4.7 but by Gods free mercie and forgiuenesse of sinnes But there be many that cry peace peace 2 King 9.18 19. and say vnto the Lord as Ioram said to Iehu Is there peace To whom he shall answer What hast thou to doe with peace and as there is a great and apparant similitude betweene sleeping and swouning Similitude of true and false peace the senses being then both closed yet is there great contrarietie the one being the messenger of life the other of death So is there bewixt the peace of the godly like a refreshing sleepe and the counterfeit securitie of the wicked leading them to eternall paine with the rich Glutton Luk. 16.23 so their peace is worse than any warre that euer was Ionah was sleeping when the tempest was raging Ionah 1. ◠and the waues were ouerwhelming the ship so men are in securitie when God is pursuing them in his iudgements It were good we were wakened in time Simil. Party gold hath a similitude with true gold Tokens to know peace from securitie 1. Token so securitie a great appearance of true peace But by these tokens yee may discerne the one from the other First consider who made thy peace with God 1. Token was it thy Peace-maker Iesus Christ or is thy agreement made by any creature or trusts thou by thy merits to be at one with God all things in heauen or in earth are reconciled by his bloud Ro. 5.9 10. Luk. 3.22 He is Gods well beloued Sonne in whom he is well pleased He is the authour and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 He hath broken the partition wall He hath brought peace to them that are farre and neere Eph. 2.17 2 Thes 3.16 Hee is the God and Lord of peace Heb. 7.2 the King of Salem by whom the Saints sought peace The Virgin called him God and Sauiour Luke 1.47 Rom 1.8 And Paul saith I thanke God through Iesus Christ. And Peter To whom should we goe thou hast the words of eternall life Iohn 6.68 And Iohn If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate I Iohn 2.1 Why then should we seeke reconciliation by them who could not purchase it to themselues but by him and sendeth vs to him in all their writs Hypocrites Pharisees would yee extoll the seruant with disgrace of his Master seeking not his honour but your owne gaine God helpe the poore Papist who seeketh lying vanities forsaking Gods mercies Next thou must obserue the forme how thy peace was wrought for if thou hast gotten peace to thy conscience first no doubt thou hast found a warfare and a battell the flesh rebelling against the spirit nature against grace Esau and Iacob must striue together in the belly of Rebecca Gen. 25.22 23 and after a mighty combat the elder serued the younger The Israelites found peace but after many and sharpe battels with much shedding of their bloud First you must see Hell then Heauen Repent saith Iohn Baptist and then he addeth Math. 3.2 for the kingdome of Heauen is at hand we must first come to the Mount Sinai Exod. 19.14 c. where the sound of the thunder earth-quake lightnings smoake and other such like things are and then to Mount Sion the New Ierusalem Deut. 4.48 Reuel 3.12 the Vision of Peace for if yee see not God first in the throne of his Iustice yee will neuer see him on the throne of his mercy The deuils rocking The deuill Reprobates in a cradle and lets them neuer see hell till they be in it 2 King 6.20 c. as the Prophet led the Aramites into the midst of Samaria before their eyes were opened and they knew where they were Thirdly 3. Token remember what was the instrument by which peace was wrought in thy conscience There is no instrument vnder heauen that can bring peace but the word of God conueyed by the mouth of his seruants of which is said Esay 52.7 Nahum 1.15 Rom. 10.15 O how beautifull are the feet of those who bring the glad tidings of peace it is the Gospell of peace the instrument of reconciliation he giueth by their hand the wand of Peace by which the King receiues thee in his fauour Yee who contemne the word and the Ministers thereof thinke yee to get peace but by them Christ commanded his Apostles to what-euer house they come leaue their peace there Matth. 10.13 c. and if the Sonne of peace be in that house their peace shall abide if not depart Gods seruant euer bringeth peace with him and reconciles men with God with men with heauen with earth therefore welcome him to thy house as thou wouldst welcome his Master Matt. 10.40 He that receiues you receiues me O gracelesse generation of men who dislike Gods seruants and gladly would welcome this deuill comming by Iesuits Finally 4. Token try how thou hast entertained that peace if it be truly purchased thou wilt vse all the meanes thou canst to nourish it and what-euer may breake it Sin breaketh peace with God that thou wilt eschew which is namely sinne which for this cause thou wilt flie and auoid both in thought word and deed wherein thou maist offend Gods diuine Maiestie imitating therein the example of those who once haue felt a dint of the wrath of their Prince and being reconciled to him will be loth to offend him againe Simil. So thou once being at peace with God labour to eschew all occasions whereby thou mayest displease him And thus much concerning the peace of the soule Now let vs see how it may be disquieted Disquioted soule not worst in the meane time considering with our selues that sometime the soule when it is disquieted
these three things to obserue Doctr. An appointed time set by God for the end of our crosses First that there is an appointed time which God hath measured for the crosses of all his children before which time they shall not be deliuered and for which they must patiently attend not thinking to prescribe times to God for their deliuerie or limit the holy One of Israel Exo. 12.40 The Israelites remained in Aegypt till the complete number of 400 yeares were accomplished Ps 115.18 Ioseph was three yeares and more in the prison till the appointed time of his deliuerie came The Iewes remained 70. yeares in Babylon Dan. 9.2 Simil. So that euen as a Physitian appointeth certaine times to the Patient both wherein he must fast and be dieted and wherein he must take recreation So God knoweth the conuenient times both of our humiliation and exaltation The impatience â—f our nature vnder the crosse Next ye see the impatience of our nature in our miseries our flesh still rebelling against the Spirit which oftentimes forgetteth iâ— selfe so farre that it will enter in reasoning with God and quarrelling with him as we may reade of Iob Ionas c. and here also of David Thirdly albeit the Lord delay his comming to releene his Saints yet hath he great cause if wee could ponder it for when wee were in the heat of our sinnes many times he cryed by the mouth of his Prophets and Seruants Our iust recompeÌ„ce from God O fooles how long will you continue in your folly and we would not heare and therefore when we are in the heat of our pains thinking long yea euery day a year till we be deliuered let vs consider with our selues the just dealing of God with vs that as he cried and we would not heare so now we cry he will not heare VERSE 4. Returne ô Lord deliuer my soule saue me for thy mercies sake DAVID before hath vsed some arguments to moue the Lord to deliuer him from his present troubles the first whereof was taken from his infirmitie the next from Gods mercies hauing an obiect before them his miseries Now he goes forward in a repetition of his request desiring God to returne to him Returne ô Lord. These words presuppose that in his tentation God was alienated from him Simil. and went his way as when a Physitian goeth from his patient And againe that he had felt Gods presence sensibly before this his absence not that God indeed at any time vseth to absent himselfe from his elect but to their conception and iudgement he seemeth to do so when they feele not the tokens of his presence at some time for their humiliation as the Sunne goeth not out of the firmament Simil. suppose he be obscured by the clouds ouercasting or some other impediments naturall So albeit the clouds of our sinnes and miseries hide the faire shining face of God from vs yet he wil pierce thorow dissipate these clouds and shine clearly vpon vs in his owne appointed time How God is said to returne God is said to returne to vs not by change of place for he is in all places but by the dispensation of his gratious prouidence and a declaration of his new mercies and benefits toward vs. Such a returning God promised to Abraham Gen. 18.10 I will certainly come againe vnto thee according to the time of life and lo Sarah thy wife shall haue a sonne So he promised to returne to the Israelites to doe them good Ier. 32.40 and he will turne againe and haue compassion vpon vs and Ier. 12.15 returne vnto me Zach. 1.3 and I will returne vnto you And Iames the brother of our Lord Acts 15.16 bringeth further a sentence out of the 9 of Amos After these things I shall returne restore the Taberuacle of Dauid Therefore as Dauid hath lamented the absence of God in the former verse in this he desireth a signe of his presence to be giuen to him Herein stands our happinesse if God looke fauorably vpon vs for then all things prosper well in our hand But because I haue spoken largely of the presence and absence of God from the soule in my Booke on the seauen words which our Lord spake on the Crosse and namely vpon the fift word My God my God why hast thou forsaken me whither I referre the Reader who is desirous to vnderstand any more of this subiect Desperate dangers get comfortable remedies Deliuer my soule This clearly declareth that Dauid hath beene in some extreame dangers both of his spirituall and corporall enemies from which he could not be deliuered but by the mighty hand of God who behoued to doe violence to his enemies euen as Dauid himselfe deliuered his fathers sheepe from the clawes of the Lion 1 Sam. 17.34 and pawes of the Beare and smote them both So it is miraculous to consider in how desperate perils and dangers good men will be cast wherein no doubt they would perish if they were not supported by the mighty hand of God Doctr. Saluation onely belongeth to God Obserue farther that it lyeth not in the power of any man to deliuer himselfe for saluation onely belongeth to the Lord yea whether hee worke our deliuery mediately or immediatly alwaies he is to be praised The reason why Iehouah so often named I finde that the name of Iehouah is fiue times mentioned in this prayer which is emphatically done being a great testimony of the certainty of his knowledge that hee knew assuredly vpon whom he called not vpon an vnknowne God but vpon him who manifested himselfe to Moses vnder the name of Iehouah Exod. 6. whereby his faith was greatly strengthened hauing assurance of deliuery by him who onely is and giues being to others makes his promises to be extant and the sweet name of Iehouah is so comfortable to a Christian that in the middest of dangers yea at deaths doore Pauls defire Dauids conceâ—ing lice death reconciled it will not onely temper the bitternesse of afflâ—ctions but also quite take them away Saue me This ingemination of his praier to be deliuered from death would presuppose that Dauid was ouer-much afraid of death when as the faithfull should not loue this life ouermuch neither feare death aboue measure but ought to say with the Apostle Paul Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolued and be with Christ And again My life is not deare to me that I may finish my race with gladnesse as also when Agabus prophecied of his bonds the faithfull of Caesarea requesting him not to goe to Ierusalem answered Acts 21.13 What doe ye weeping and breaking my heart for I am not onely ready to be bound but also to dye at Ierusalem I answer Dauid desired the continuation of his life to settle the kingdome in Solomons person that the promises of God might be confirmed and that himselfe might haue longer space
he said Iudg. 15.19 I die for thirst and opened a spring out of the law-bone of an Asse will he forsake vs in time of our distresse if we thirst aright Verse 7. Heare me speedily O Lord for my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me else I shall be like vnto them that goe downe into the pit HE is now brought as it were to the latter sweat he crieth for speedy helpe or else he seeth nothing but death before his eies Our impatiencie maketh vs so bold and familiar with God that we would prescribe time to him as though he knew not which were the most conuenient time for his comming My spirit faileth He is now as it were in a swouning he craueth quicklie to be helped Doctr. Gods children are often brought low that the loue power of God may be manifested in their deliâ—eâ—â— or he is gone See to what extremitie God will bring his Saints euen neere the graue and yet bring them back againe that his loue and power may be known so much the more seeing to him belongs the issues of death God bringeth vpon his owne children such fainting as it were deliquium animi a lossing of our life that then feeling the weaknes of our naturall powers and after being restored by his grace we may learne how greatly we are beholden to him as by whom and in whom we haue our life and being and can be restored by none but by him alone and may bestow al the rest of our life vpon himselfe and his owne seruice and depend not on naturall strength but on him Hide not thy face from me He declareth plainly that he hath no sparke of life but from the fauorable face and countenance of God that he is then dead when he seeth not God reconciled to him in Christ Simil. The face of the Sunne bringeth life to the earth and all the world and the face of God bringeth life to men soules Simil. The countenance of the husband gladdeth the wife but the countenance of God reioyceth the soule He who hath once seene the countenaÌ„ce of God cannot liue without it He who once hath seene a blanke of his countenance can no more breathe or liue without it then a fish or bird out of their owne elements Else I shal be like vnto them that goe downe into the pit As though he would say I shall be like a deade man without sense and life The soule is the life of the body and God is the life of the soule should we not then be busie to seeke him and when he hath hid himselfe to find him againe There is no life in the soule without the sensible presence of God Psal 22.1 Mat. 27.46 for I will assure you there is neither life comfort peace or ioy in a mans soule vnlesse he haue the sensible presence of God Dauid not feeling it cryeth My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And Christ himselfe vttered the same voice on the crosse My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Of which I haue spoken in another place on the same wordes Verse 8. Let me heare thy louing kindnesse in the morning for in thee is my trust shew me the way that I should walke in for I lift vp my soule vnto thee AS he was cast downe in the former verses so he now ariseth by prayer which was the chiefest bulwarke whereto he did runne in time of his troubles In this verse he craueth two things First that he might heare Gods kindnesse and the reason because he trusteth in him Secondly that he would shew him the way wherein he should walke the reason because he lifted vp his soule to him Let me heare thy louing kindnesse Here he craueth Gods fauour and kindnesse as he doth in many other Psalmes Because in his fauour is life grace wealth all good things and pleasure for euermore How we may be assured of the fauour of God so that if he look kindly to vs we need be affraid of nothing But how shall he be assured of his fauour euen by hearing it as he saith in the 51. Psalme Let me heare the voice of ioy and gladnesse The voice which is heard is the word of God which being apprehended by faith is onely able to comfort our soules in whatsoeuer tentation And no meruell that such athiests and papists who altogether refuse the word of God Why papists and Athists liue die comfortles liue comfortles and die without comfort because they refuse that instrument which should carry ioy to them Good reason they die athirst since they reiect that vessell the word oâ— God by which they might be refreshed Therefore since faith coÌ„meth by hearing of Gods word and all our comfort commeth by it let vs pray God to bore our eares and our hearts that we may receiue the glad tidings of reconcilation from God In the morning Psal 90.14 The time when he seekes to heare Gods kindnesse is in the morning as in another Psalme Fill vs with thy sweet mercies in the morning Psal 55.17 Dauid vsed to pray morning noone and eueningtide In the morning in the beginning of the day he addressed himselfe to God offering his morning sacrifice he desireth that God may betime meete him that he may begin the day with some comfort for then we know that God hath accepted our prayer when he hath sent down the comfort of his spirit in our hearts when he with the fire of his loue and ioy of his countenance burneth vp our sacrifice This gladdeth our heart and encourageth vs to seeke him the rest of the day Seeke God early Then let vs seeke God early euen in the morning of our youth and euery morning not perfunctoriously or for a fashion but from our hearts that he may let vs heare that comfortable voice saying Thy prayers are come vp before me Act. 10.4 and I haue heard them For thy sinnes are forgiuen thee For in thee is my trust Confidence and faith in God is a great argument to moue God to speake good things vnto vs for otherwaies our prayers are in vaine Praiers not in faith are a scorning of God and shall not preuaile with him if they proceede not from faith if you come vnto him without confidence in him you scorne him and so doe double iniurie to your selues adding to your former sinnes a scorning of God These also who put their trust in any thing beside him neede not to looke for any good thing from him If yee would vse a thousand Angells as intercessours to moue God to heare you it is nothing only faith will preuaile with God The Pharises almes deedes Luk. 18.11.12.13.14 his tithes-giuing his prayers of which he much bragged wrought nothing with God but the Publicanes faith and contrition were forcible arguments preualing with him Shew me the way that I should walke in The second petition ariseth very well from the first
is not in worse case with God but he maketh it to be like the poole of Bethesda Iohn 5.1 which being troubled by the Angell was a present remedie vnto such as were cast thereinto euen so the poole of the conscience being troubled God oftentimes cureth the man who is cast into that trouble and therefore no man ought to thinke the worse of any Christian who is thus handled The true trouble of Conscience is made by Gods goodnesse to his children Trouble of conscience a medicine to purge the soule from sin a singular medicine to purge their soule which is disquieted for euen as in the naturall constitution of mans body when the corrupt humours striue to extinguish the naturall power of his life and doe trouble his stomacke maruellously the Physitian to help nature for expelling of those humours giueth the Patient medicine which with great a doe molestation of the person in the end bringeth health So when sin and grace are combating in the conscience Simil. God out of that trouble maruellously bringeth and vnexpected health This trouble of conscience is not a mark of a reprobate Neither must men thinke trouble of Conscience to be a marke of a reprobate but rather of one whose conscience is so tender and thin-skinned and strait that it can abide nothing which separateth God from it like as a most louing wife who is so far addicted to please her husband that she can abide nothing no not in her very looke to offend him and that the change of his countenance is very death vnto her his absence hell so it is the greatest trouble that euer a man can feele in this world to be put vpon the racke of Gods anger yea and most represents the paine of hell which made Solomon say Pro. 18.14 But a troubled spirit who can beare There be many things which trouble the soule which is not the trouble of conscience Trouble of soule is not alwayes trouble of conscience for then properly the soule must be troubled with some spirituall cause for oftentimes because of its coniunction with the bodie it is affected with the miseries thereof and namely with these foure First the soule is pined pitifully with the care of these worldly things 4. Things which trouble the soule with their remedies which turmoyle her night and day that shee can get no rest for which cause our Sauiour calleth them thornie cares because they pricke men through the heart and so oft forewarneth men 1. Worldly cares Luk. 21.34 that they be not vexed therewith if these men who had this excessiue care were troubled in conscience I thinke the world would be full of them Indeed I thinke ouer-great care which is Auarice as it is the root of all euill so when thy conscience shall be once stirred it will become thy greatest torment so that thou shalt loath those riches which before thou louedst Remedie Marke of repentance Luk. 10.42 Therefore let all your care be drawne to seeke that onething how ye may serue and seeke God and eschew sinne which is one of the marks of true repentance The second thing which troubleth the Soule is Anger 2. Trouble Anger which is like a fire burning it vp which if it continue will consume it This is a most dangerous euill of which Iob saith Anger killeth the foole and Enuie the idiot Iob 5.2 For remedie against it it is best to embrace Dauids and Pauls exhortation Remedie Psal 4.5 Ephes 4.25 Be angry and sinne not and this yee may doe if all your anger be conuerted against sinne The third is Sorrow 3. Trouble Sorrow which is a passion wearying the Soule and pressing it downe contracted of some worldy losses of goods and children and yet this is not the trouble of which I speake Remedie But to remedie this it is good that all our sorrowes may be for sin and the offence done to God And lastly 4. Trouble Feare feare shakes the soule as an earth quake when it is afraid for any corporall danger Psal 53.5 Prou. 28.1 of whom it is said The wicked are smitten with feare and flee when none are pursuing them The remedie But to amend this it is requisite that our feares be reduced to this principall feare that we feare to offend God and this feare will free vs from all our feares The trouble of conscience then commeth only for sin How the trouble of conscience commeth and for the absence of God from the soule for when he is present it can see no sin his presence is as the Sun-beames chasing away the clouds of our sins but when he obscures himselfe then the soule sees her sinnes and perceiues and feeles him absent out of which two ariseth that which wee call the trouble of conscience which is a felt desertion of God What the trouble of conscience is wherein the creature by a spirituall eclipse seeth not the Creator in the mirror of the Gospell neither thinks that his promises appertaine to them neither findes God hearing their prayers neither feeles comfort in the Word and Sacraments neither findes God blessing him in his actions but as a man left to himselfe and a prey to the Deuill except God support him He sees the heauen as a fire aboue him and hell as an open gulfe beneath him men and Angels his enemies and the deuds his burials Behold in what a case this man is in Simil. euen as a childe left in the wildernesse by his parents to be a prey to wilde beasts so is a soule deserted of God But because I haue spoken at great length of the trouble of Conscience it selfe of her causes and ends of her diseases and remedies in my booke of Meditations on the seuen dayes I referre the Reader thereto not willing to vse any repetition But Lord how long Now yee haue heard both the corporall diseases of Dauid and spirituall that as his body and soule mutually sinned so both were mutually pained and both againe cured albeit not so soone as Dauid desired and therefore longing for the Lords presence he subioynes But Lord how long wilt thou delay A troubled heart hath abrupt speeches to God Which is an abrupt interrogation when through the vehemencie of his perturbation he curreth his speech which the Orators by a figure call Aposiopesis when men cannot vtter clearely and fully their minde through the greatnesse of their griefe The like whereof we haue in the 13 Psalme How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for euer and Psal 79.5 89.46 Lord how long wilt thou be angry for euer and Lord how long wilt thou hide thy selfe for euer Habak 1.2 O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not heare And the soules that were vnder the Altar slaine for the testimonie of the truth cry Reuel 6.10 How long Lord holy and true c. Out of this we haue
thou hast had power with God thou shalt also preuaile with men VERSE 8. Away from me all ye workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping Dauids â—iumph THe three last verses containe Dauids triumph against sin and sinfull men and now after his dangerous battell he gets a glorious victory and giueth out a plaine defiance and denounceth warre to the deuill and all his children whereby it is clearly seene that the spirituall battels of Christians howsoeuer they bee sharpe and soure in the beginning Doct. yet they haue a ioyfull and comfortable end They sow in teares A Christians comfort is at the end of the oÌ„flict Psal 126.5 Gen 32.26 Doct. Anhatred of sinne a marke of our victory against sinne 1 Cor. 6.14 but reape in toy The prayers of the Elect haue good and comfortable answers Iacob wrestled with the Angell and night but was blessed of him in the morning Next obserue that this is an vndoubted token that wee haue gotten victory ouer our owne sinnes when wee haue a detestation of sin in others and we separate our selues from the workers of iniquity For what society hath light with darknesse Wee must say euery one of vs Away from me I will haue no society with thee thou hast no society with God as all the members of the body that are bound by hid sinewes are conioyned by an vnspeakable loue amongst themselues but they haue no coniunction with any one that is cut away from them so doe all the children of God Away a word to deuils or dogees Doct. A Christian should flie the society of wicked meÌ„ euen as much as the company of de deuiâ—â— who are bound by the band and vnity of one Spirit loue and cleaue one to another but for the wicked their soule hath no delight in them Away from me This word Away is a word either to a deuill or to a dogge depart from me so that we should so flie the society of euill men as we would doe the deuill himselfe or wilde beasts And let Princes and great men learne of Dauid whom to choose to be their seruants Vse Teacheth Kings whose coÌ„panies to eschew Ps 101.6 7. and whom to banish out of their company Let their eyes be vpon the faithfull of the Land that they may dwell with them and let those that walke in a perfect way serue them let not deceitfull person dwell within their house nor hee that telleth lies remaine in their sight But alas it falleth out quite contrary Num. 12.14 Miriam hauing the leprosie was shut out of the Campe pestilentious men remoue to another place but senselesse and bruitish men seeing their house infected with sinne will so much the more entertaine benefit conuerse and esteeme the doers thereof All ye workers of iniquity What sort of sinners we should shunne Hee doth not simply reiect all sinners for then hee would haue had none with whom hee might conuerse yea hee would haue chased away his owne selfe but onely obstinate sinners such in whom sin reigneth such as make a sport of sin These the King cannot abide but puts them away from his company Simil. Leu. 13. and 12. So we must make a difference of sinners for as there was in the Law of Moses a curable Leprosie and a fretting the one discerned from the other Fretting Leprosie if it had fallen vpon a stone of the house it should be pulled out and cast away so obstinate and impenitent sinners and such as reioyce in their sinne should bee expelled from the society of all men specially Princes and Nobles and cut off as a noysome gangrene and the member possessed with Saint Anthonies fire lest they infect others All Doct. We ought not to partake with the sins of the greatest persons whatsoeuer Heb. 13.17 Dan. 3.16 Act. 4.19 20 this vniuersall particle excludes all persons without exception so that neither must we comport with the sinnes and iniquities of Princes and great men whom otherwise we are commanded to obey but in the Lord and in none of their wicked decrees as the three Children would not obey Nebuchadnezzar neither of Prophets Priests or Church gouernours as Peter and Iohn who refused the decrees of the Pharisies the Arch-priest and the rest of that rabulous order yea although they pretend visions as the Romane Church and their followers who hauing no warrant out of the holy Scriptures thinke their name to bee a sufficient warrant for all their edicts although they be altogether contrary to the word of God yea we must forsake our father mother brother and nearest friends and be not compartners of their iniquitie by obeying them For whether it be better to obey God or man iudge yee Acts 4.19 Mat 10.37 And hee that loueth father or mother better than him is not worthy of him Psal 45.10 Forget thine owne people saith the Spirit and thy fathers house so shall the King haue pleasure in thy beautie And so of necessity we must disclaime all sort of sinners and sins to the end we may embrace Christ Vse This directly conuinces such sort of people who will bee content yea glad to part with some sort of vices keeping in the meane time their predominant sin the idoll of their heart yea to detest the company of innumerable wicked persons yet wil not depart from some with whom they are combined by some particular league yea though they were excommunicate of whom it is imoyned to vs Either quit all â—ns or quit none not bid them good speed But yee must either quit all or keepe all and bid good night to the whole garisons of the deuils army or berake you to be a souldier with them Moreouer this vniuersall particle All sheweth vs that there is a great multitude that worke iniquity Mat. 7.13 Doct. The multitude of consenters to euill wil not warrant our coÌ„sciences 1. King 22.13 for euen as the way is broad which leadeth to perdition so there are many who walke therein therefore yee must not follow the multitude in euill Neither is that a sufficient argument for warranting of your conscience which the Gentleman said to Michaias All the Prophets haue said to the King Goe to Ramoth gilead let your words be as theirs But be answered What euer the Lord putteth in my mouth that will I speake And Iosua resolued well Although ye would all forsake the Lord yet I and my fathers house will serue him Ios 24.15 So the multitude of transgressors either in Churches or commonwealths will not warrant the conscience as I haue said but rather as I may say with Saint Ierome Multitudo peecantium est fortifiâ—atio erroriâ— A multitude of sinners is a strengthning of error Ye workers Sinners are workers indeed Doct. Sinnes be the workmen of the deuill Ioh 8.34 and sinne is a worke of the flesh but they are workmen to the deuill working in bricke and clâ—y
to Pharaoh Hâ— that câ—mmitteth sinne saith Christ is a seruant to sinne as by the contrary He that is borne of God sinnes not because the seed of God is in him The worke of sinne seemes pleasant and againfull but in the end yee shall find it both vnplesant and painfull Vse when you get your wages payed you from your master the Deuill ye shall know the truth of that saying of the Apostle The reward of sinne is death Rom 6.23 Ibid. 21. And in another place What haue ye gaine whereof now ye are ashamed whose end is death The deuill may giue you the bait of present pleasures but he lets you not see the mischieuous hooke lying vnder the bait Vse 2 Let vs refuse therefore to worke any longer task vnto Satan and betake vs to a better Master and better seruice and work in the Lords vineyard Iohn 6.27 Labour after that meat which perisheth not whose fruits shall be eternall life Of iniquity Some thinke these to be hypocrites as in the 41. Psalme verse 7. All they that hate me whisper together against me euen against me doe they imagine mine hurt But here it imports more when he cals them workers of iniquity A manifest practice of their wicked deuices in their actions against Dauid What iniquity is for iniquity is that which is contrary to equity and iustice and equity is defined by Cicero Suum cuique tribuere whereas iniquity is to defraud any man of his due Whereby yee see that God abhorreth all iniuries wee can doe to our neighbours Doct. God abhorreth all iniuries done to our neighbours 1 Ioh. 4.20 Mat. 9.13 and esteemes then his seruice to be true when it beginneth at our neighbours For how can we loue God whom we see not saith the Apostle when wee loue not man made to the Image of God whom we see And our Sauiour saith I will haue mercy and not sacrifice So that he refuseth the principall part of his seruice which consisteth in sacrifices if they bee not conjoyned with mercy to our neighbours and in Isaiah Isai 66.3 he that kelleth a Bullocke or a Lambe offers a gift as though he had killed a dogge or a sowe and onely because of their iniuries Woe to this sinfull generation Vse who make no conscience but doe all manner of iniuries to whom they may and doe not spare either fatherlesse or widow or strangers or the gray haires or pupils or Orphans and yet vaunt of their religion Note I wish rather they would professe Papistry or Paganisme that their confession and profession might be answerable and that they would either professe as they liue or liue as they professe for it is shame that a good faith should be backed with had works For the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping Doctr. The neerer we draw to God the further we must flee from all his enemies The argument whereby he repelleth the wicked from his is taken from his familiarity with God and sure it is the nearer we draw to God the further will we flee from all his enemies what makes vs such associates with the children of the Diuell but that wee are strangers to God and when once we haue drawne in friendship and seruice with him then we hate the other partie Next Prayer ioyneth vs to God yee shall know that the principall mean by which we can frequent with God is Prayer for if God giue vs the Spirit of Prayer then he giues vs an accesse to the throne of his grace Many yea the most part of the world know not what prayer meaneth others pray perfunctoriously and hypocritically and their prayer turneth into sinne The benefit of true prayer But happy are those whom Gods most holy Spirit teacheth to pray and those onely can pray aright The voyce There is ascribed to prayer a voyce Doctr. The voice of prayer more mentall then vocall which is not so much vocall as mental alwayes it hath a piercing voyce which pierceth the heauens and preuaileth mightily with God and is so importunate that it will not come from heauens gates till and answer be giuen as Ezechias Moses c. Of my weeping As Dauids prayers were not dumbe His prayer was not dry but had a voyce so they are not dry but full of teares those sappy prayers be acceptable to God which proceed not from a barren and dry heart but from an heart well watered with the clouds of heauen hears planted at the Riuers of waters which wee should all pray after Hee hath this comfort that God heard his prayers Doct. Our prayers in faith will surely be heard not that he heard them wit eares as he who planted the eares doth heare but hee heard his praier when he granted yeelded to his petition And this is a great prouocation to vs to make vs pray in faith and then wee may perswade our selues God wil heare them Thinke ye not that a mother will discerne the voyce Simil. but much more the weeping of her owne childe nad the Ewe discerne the bleating of her owne lambe amongst a thousand and will not God regard the praier of his own childe being in affliction Vse And this certaintie that we haue to be heard should hearten vs all to pray Whomsoeuer Christ cured he asked if they beleeued then said Mat. 9.29 Marke 7.9 Be it to thee according to thy faith And again I saw not greater faith in Israel It is then superfluous to pray except thou beleeue Infidelitie is the cause why we lacke many good things Vse Distrust is the cause we receiue nothing from God for wee doe God great iniury in vttering forth words to him when eyther we doubt of his power that he cannot or of his loue that he will not bestow good things necessary to vs. Verse 9. The Lord hath heard my petition the Lord will receiue my prayer Why he repeateth three times that he was heard HE repeats the hearing of his prayer three times for two causes First to let vs see how frequently he vsed the exercise of praier for he diuide the day in three Morning noon and at euening tide did I call vpon thee and the night in three for he beganne the night with prayer I arose at midnight and called vpon thee and he preuented the breake of day and the morning watch Secondly that by his threefold repetition he might perswade himselfe of the acceptation of his prayers that they were heard of God which is a great matter for God heareth not sinners Ioh. 9.31 but If any be a worshipper of God and doth his will him heareth he then if the Lord heare our suifs grant them Vse we may perswade our selues that we are in his fauour Ester 7. When Hester obtained her suite at Ahashuerosh it was an argument she was acceptable to him So is it with vs in our petitions to God VERSE 10. All mine
with Iosias 2 King 22.1 who in the morning of his life euen early began to seeke the Lord. We should in our life keepe such dyets as did Dauid in his prayers Psal 55.17 Morning noone-tide and at euen he sought the Lord. Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Eccles 12.1 before the yeeres come wherein ye shall say I haue no pleasure Eccles 11.9 Be assured O young man yee shall come to iudgement Iob 20.11 yea thy old bones shall inherit the sinnes of thy youth To what sins youth is most inclined The sinnes of youth whereto they are most inclined are first pride and a contempt of their elders the vile doe contemne the honourable and youth despise age Such was the pride of Absolom 2 Sam. 18.9 whose punishment should terrifie all youths Next lust is naturall to them as the Prodigall 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 pretending their vowes in Hebron 2 Sam. 15.7 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 died 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 in courageth youngmen 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. When God forgiues sinne he forgets it that hee would forget them 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 2â— 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 1 Sam. 15.23 Simil. 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 and as a Serpent by eating a Serpent becommeth a Dragon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 thâ—â—â—â—th it â—â—â—â—e 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 beasts 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 their 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 rebelled against me A profitable Lesson 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 iuft 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 Plutarch 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. Sinnes of ignorance wil not excuse vs. let vs assure our selue that the sinnes of Ignorance will
mine afflictions and my trauell and forgiue all my sinnes THere he acknowledgeth the root of al his troubles to be sin for which he craueth mercy at God Ye may see here that sin toucheth him so neere the heart that he cannot find ease but in the remission thereof Sin is sweet in the mouth as honey but it is in the womb as grauell There is no venome in the affliction but sinne so being quit of sin he esteemes nothing of the affliction Sin is the noysome humour purge the humour and saue the patient The goodnes wisdome of God which maketh affliction a bitter water to eat vp the rust of sinne The affliction is not profitable which hath not made some diminution of sin When Gods anger was quenched Gen. 8.1 then the flouds were abated so as thy sin decreases thy affliction diminisheth daily VERSE 19. Behold mine enemies for they are many and they hate me with cruell hatred THis endeth as the sixt Psalme Doct. The subduing of sinne is the triumph ouer out enemies Acts 9.3 1 Sam. 31.4 for triumphing aboue sin his spirituall enemies he triumpheth aboue all his bodily foes he preuailes with God he preuaileth also with men He vseth no imprecations against them but that God would looke on them either mercifully to conuert them with Saul who was called Paul or to confound them as the first Saul who killed himselfe His enemies are described from their multitude number next frō their malice cruelty Alwayes Gods honor is so much the more greater that he is one for all his loue preuents their cruelty He complained of their craft before they had spred nets for him and the deuill who before was a Serpent and could not preuaile now becommeth a fiery flying Dragon Gen. 3.1 Apoc. 12.3 to deuoure the seed of the woman so craft disappointed becomes cruell he was first a Serpent yet he is more dangerous when he is a serpent cheaping Doct. Craft disappointed becomes cruelty Eph. 6.14 then when he is roaring as a Lyon when he roares he is heard far off and is eschewed but who can shun a Fox and a Serpent therefore craft is alwaies cruell Since then we haue to doe with malitious enemies and crafty deceitfull men let vs inarme vs against them by the brest plate of righteousnesse to strike by their darts and by patience to suffer their wrongs VERSE 20. Keepe my soule and deliuer me let me not be confounded for I trust in thee HE ends as Christ ended his life Doct. The soule is wel kept when God keepeth it Luk. 23.46 Mat. 6.19 In thy hand I commit my spirit By the soule he meaneth also the life for it is well kept when the Lord keepes it no earthly place so sure but the thiefe may come in or rust consume but if thy soule be bound vp in the bundle of life and treasured with God no violence or cōsumption can attain therunto And he vseth that same argument in the end which he did in the beginning For I trust in thee VERSE 21. Let mine vprightnesse and equity preserue me for mine hope is in thee LEt no man claime the patrocinie of God Doct. God will not patronize an vnrighteous cause 1 Sā 26.17 vnlesse he maintaine a righteous cause quarrell for what fellowship hath the Lord with the throne of iniquity This he speakes because of his enemies to whom he neuer did iniury and the more ingratefull were they yea these he benefited as Saul with whom in the field he pleaded his innocency when Saul said Psal 143.2 My son Dauid thou art more righteous then I. But when he came before God he cried Enter not in iudgement with thy seruant but recountering with men he braggeth of his innocency Our eyes are sharp sighted and bright enough to behold the earth but when we looke to the Sunne they will be dim For I trust in thee Ye see albeit he claimes to his innocency yet he retireth him to faith and hope in God Our righteousnesse is not such as that we can altogether stand by it there are some slips and faults in the best of our actions Note therfore we are forced to retire to God who can supply them all in his al-sufficiency VERSE 22. Deliuer Israel O God out of all his troubles THis last verse containeth a prayer for the Church Doct. Atrue note of a Christian to be affected with the state of the Church Psal 51.8 Doct. The Church subiect to infinit troubles so that hee is not contented to enioy any priuate benefit from God himselfe vnlesse the Church of God be partaker thereof whose welfare he promiseth to procure and desires others to pray for the peace of Ierusalem and this is a marke of a feeling member of Christ who remembreth not his owne sorrowes without regard of the tribulations of Gods Church Next ye see that the Church is subiect to infinite tribulations she is a Lillie among thorns Exod. 3.2 Mat. 14.24 Gen. 8.1 there must be a fire alway in that bush is no maruell to see the ship of the Disciples tossed in the seas and the Arke of Noah in the deluge but indeed it were a maruel to see the Church not persecuted Doct. God will in the end deliuer his Church Finally he prayes for deliuery to her letting vs see two things First that the Lord will compasse his Church with ioyfull deliuerances and not let the rod of the wicked lie alwayes on the backe of the righteous but as they haue many crosses Doct. The Churches deliuerance is Gods prerogatiue so they get many comforts from God Next God commonly takes that honour to himselfe to deliuer his Church when Princes persecute the same to their owne ruine and shame Let vs pray vnto our God to deliuer his Church in Europe this day which is fearfully assaulted by wicked men and to giue his Saints patience and perseuerance in the truth to the end Amen FINIS A GODLY AND FRVITFVLL EXPOSITION ON THE THIRTIE TWO PSALME THE THIRD OF THE PENETENTIALS THis is the third Psalme of Repentance the Title thereof is Davids Instruction 12. Psalmes are Psalmes of instruction shewing both the substance and matter of the same that is Instruction as also the writer thereof David There are many other Psalmes which beare this title especially the 42.44.45.52.53.54.55.74.78.89.142 For if yee would deuide the 150. Psalmes vnto classes yee shall find some instruction as these twelue others for consolation others of deprecations The Scriptures are profitable for all vses 2 Tim. 3.16 Simil. others of imprecations for the Scriptures of God are profitable for all vses to rebuke to comfort to instruct c. Amongst all this booke of the Psalmes especially is as an Apothecaries shop wherein yee shall finde all sorts of Drugs Cordiall to comfort our heart or Corrasiue to eate vp the cancer of our nature yea in what estate was
2.17 moreouer that none can truly reioyce but these who haue gotten remissioÌ„ of their sins The righteous doth sing reioyce The stranger shal not medle with his ioy Let them that seeke reioyce and be glad in thee My seruants shall reioyce sayth the Lord. For they get the white stone giuen them And a name written therein which no man knoweth sauing hee that receiueth it And this is Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Indeede the wicked haue their owne earthly and fleshly ioyes but if yee would examine them strictly they are rather torments then ioyes which Chrysostome obserueth wel Chrys hâ—m 18. ad pop Atiochenum affirming that ioy is only proper to the godly neuer to be attributed to the wicked For the couetous man whose pleasure is in riches the more they grow the more his thirst increaseth which desire tormenteth them as also the feare of the losse of them excrutiats his minde night and day when riches grow feare groweth And the Prophet Isaias sayth Isa 57.20 The wicked are like the raging Sea Es 57.21 that cannot rest whose waters cast vp myre and dirt there is no peace sayth my God to the wicked The godly and wickeds ioy differ But there is a great difference beweene the ioy of the godly and the ioy of the wicked if yee will compare them for the one reioyceth onely in God the other in earthly things The scule of the godly is indued with true and solid ioy the flesh of the wicked only enioyes perishing pleasures the godly they reioyce in the midst of their troubles the wicked are grieued in the midst of their ioyes The ioyes of the godly are eternall the ioyes of the godly are euermore augmented till at last they attaine to eternal felicitie but the hope of the wicked turneth in dispaire their life in death eternal Finally the ioyes of the godlie spring out of teares They sow a precious seed in teares and reape in ioy for the spirituall haruest is farre different from the temporall haruest The Spirituall and earthly haruest differ for the husbandmen holdes by their experience that the haruest will be answerable to the seede time but in the Christian haruest wee fow with watrie teares and reapes on dry weather by the contrarie the wicked haue a dry and seasonable seede-time but they reape with waterie teares with confusion Reasons of the peoples ioy The reasons wherefore First because none else haue warrand to reioyce For the wicked man nothing troubles him not sinne 1 The godlie haue a warrand to reioyce for it is his pleasure not tentations these he swalloweth vp not his conscience it is a sleepe not the Deuill he is alreadie made his vassall and Seruant not the world it is his treasure no outward afflictions hee will not indure them Iam. 5 1. Luk 6.25 Yea S. Iames bids them not reioyce but houle Houle yee rich men And S. Luke saith to them woe be to you that reioyce now for yee shall mourne 2. They are commanded to reioyce Secondly as the godly onely are commanded to reioyce so they haue onely cruse to reioyce because they onely enioy the presence of God by reason of the couenant they haue entresse to all things in heauen and in earth as a woman hath to the goods of her husband which is a great cause of ioy Next they know that their names are written in the booke of life as our Sauiour saith Luk. 10.20 Reioyce not in this that yee may cast out deuils but that your names are written in the booke of life 3. They haue the spirit of God the author of ioy Thirdly onely they haue the spirit of God the author of true ioy which is therefore called the ioy of the holy Ghost Onely they are annoynted with the oyle of gladnesse Fourthly onely they haue escaped from condemnation 1 Thes 1.6 Psal 45.7 as the Israelites escaped the hand of Pharoah and reioyced 4. They escape condemnation Exod 15.1 Fiftly onely these sucke and draw their ioy out of the Wells of sound consolation that is out of the Scriptures which are written that their ioy may be full 5. They draw ioy out of the Scriptures Isa 12.3 1 Ioh. 1.4 Sixtly onely these enioy a good conscience which is a continuall feast and the cause of the Apostles ioy in the midst of their persecutions Finally onely they haue the hope of eternall glory We reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God 6. They haue a good conscience Pro. 15.15 sayth the Apostle Ye righteous and vpright in heart They are called righteous in two respects 1. Because they haue received the bloud of Iesus Christ which hath made them righteous before God 7. Hope of eternall glory Why called righteous by his pâ—ssiue obedience in that hee hath suffered for their sinnes as likewise by his actiue obedience whereby he hath fulfilled the law which are both imputed to them as though they had suffered and done both themselues As also they are righteous having received the Spirit of sanctification which teacheth them to render to every one that which is his owne To Caesar Mat. 22.21 that which is Caesars To the Superiours that which is his To his equall that which appertaines to him to his Inferiour that which he ought to doe The rule of righteousnesse The rule of righteousnesse is set downe in the 15. Psalme that neither in name bodie nor goods we should iniure any man The righteous man must be sincere and vpright The righteous man must also be vpright in heart that is sincere for faith and hypocrisie can never stand together for of all vertues God liketh best of sinceritie and singlenesse of heart that in our Religion we meane sincerelie and we may say to the Lord Thou tryest my reines in the night season and foundest nothing in my mouth which was not in my heart And with our neighbours we should deale so vprightly that we may not haue Butter and Oyle in our mouth and a sword in our heart but as we professe kindnesse to them who speake kindly so our heart may meane the same Psal 12. Righteousnes cannot be without sinceritie and haue not an heart and an heart To conclude this point righteousnesse and sinceritie are so ioyned together that the one can never be without the other and they are reciprocall that a righteous man must be sincere and a sincere man must be righteous The godly reioyce in the Lord. The limitation of this ioy is set downe in the last part In Iehovah which distinguisheth the Christian ioy from all ioyes earthly Some reioyce in one thing some in another but the Christian reioyceth in the Lord. Let not the rich man reioyce in his riches nor the strong man in his strength nor the wise man in his wisedome but reioyce in the Lord. Onely one question remaineth to be dissolved Ob
hath no care to cure God woundeth seeketh to cure 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 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 trouble 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 now 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 seethno iniquitie in Iacob Nsâ— 23.21 Simil. saith Balaam For as a red or blue glasse being set before out 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 peritions 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 God as hee is a great God bestoweth great gifts 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 recoueiled to God Next he seeketh great things for he is a great God who according to his greatnes can bestow ample 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. 13.53 2. Kin. 7.17 because of their infidelity The Gentleman on whom the King leaned 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 vâ—terly subdued the Aramites Let vs then pray instantly and importunately vnto the Lord and we may be assured he will heare vs. He prayed before for remission of sius Sanctification followeth remission 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 to liue holily in time to come Shall you be washen euen now and after puâ—â—le 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 preparation 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 made to the similitude of the first Adam Man must be twice borne and his second creation is more excellent then the first so must he be made to the similitude of the second Adam and the re-creation or regeneration is more excellent then the former For in the first man was wrought out of clay but in the other God worketh grace out of sin What harder to worke vpon then the dust Next he breathed in the dead bodie a soule but here he breatheth in the holy 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 soule must be renewed and if thou
be deficient in the one thou disgracest all the workmanship Now. If thou hast in thy new birth the eyes of knowledge and lackest the bowels of mercie and art maimed of the hands of bountifulnesse or if thou be dumble and cannot praife 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 is 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 root wherefrom all sinne groweth He speaketh not of the substance but of the affections and qualities of the heart No honest man will lodge in a filthy house Simil. or drinke or eate except the vessell be made cleane Pro. 4.23 and God cannot abide in a foule swinish heart Keepe thine heart diligently saith the Spirit Gen. 15.7 Since God then wil be thine hearts guest thou must guard it diligently that others enter not in neither leud cogitations but as Abraham chased away the foules from the sacrifice so we must chase away corrupt and euill cogitations from our soule as vagabonds should be expelled from the Kings pallace The heart in Latin is called cor Nota. noted 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 frō 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 1. Sa. 16.15 and tooke his holy Spirit from him 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 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 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 caetera prosperè Buch. Psal But do you think that God can cast away his elect child No verily God cānot absent him self foreuer 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. whē it is cóuered 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 Mat. 24.24 False Christs would deceiue the very elect if it were possible 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 reprobates 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 holy 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 Trinitie and aduance Angels and men in plaine contempt of that glorious Godhead 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 feeling 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 Obiect Psa 69 â—0 Blot them out of the booke of life 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—om 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 out consciences from which finally ariseth a ioy vnspeakable For all the ioyes of the earth could not make vs ioyfull vnlesse 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 delighting 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 Christians haue ioy and sorrow intermingled 2. Cor. 12.7 Next 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 Though all the world would forsake thee Mat. 26.33 yet I will not yet being left to himselfe he fell according as Christ had prophecied Before the cocke crow twise thou shall denie me thrise Let vs now take heed vnto our selues 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 For where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie 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 is a Christian who braggeth of the Spirit Mat. 17 2â— Obiect Solut. free to do what he pleaseth God forbid he is onely free to do Gods commandements and to
lips which are not employed in the seruice of God that made them to proclaime his praises and double woe to them who employ them to his dishonour for they shall say would God they had bin rather dumbe Nota. and could haue spoken nothing then to haue spoken to the dishonour of that Maiestie which made them Verse 16. For thou defirest no sacrifice though I would giue it thou delightst not in burnt offering NOw toward the end of the Psalme he is bursting forth in thankfulnesse setting downe the sacrifice which the Lord would not haue to wit externall sacrifices and declaring that which he would haue a contrite heart Sacrifices of olde comprehended all Gods worship For the burnt offerings and sinne offerings represented Christs blood The thanksgiuing offerings The vse of the legall sacrifices peace offerings the incense the thankfulnes of the Saints for his benefits and what of all these he was wearied with them when they were not mixed with faith and repentence Nazianzen saith Vna Dei est purùm gratissima victima pectus Then if God delight not in sacrifices which were commanded by himselfe Nota. what careth he for trifles inuented by men of which he can haue no pleasure His delight is not in outward sacrifices at any time if they be alone I will haue mercie saith he not sacrifice Hos 6.6 much lesse doth he respect the sacrifice of the Masse hauing no warrant in his word neither yet of our prayers and praises when we do but pretend religion not serue God vnfainedly Away with all our offerings if we offer not to him that which he craueth chiefly to wit a penitent heart Lorinus obserueth well Sacrificia non operari per se peccatorum remissionem posse sed tantum represent are praefiugare sacrificium illud vnicum redemptoris that is that the sacrifices of old could not worke by themselues remission of sinnes but onely did represent and prefigure the onely sacrifice of our Redeemer Then as he saith truly their sacrifices ex opere operato by the external working of them cannot giue remission of sins What reason then hath he to affirme that the Sacrament of the new Testament conferreth grace by the very externall giuing thereof Lorinus against him selfe seeing that same thing was prefigurated by their sacrifices which is represented by our Sacraments that is Christs blood both in Baptisme and in the Lords Supper Verse 17. The sacrifices of the Lord are a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt not despise WHen he hath remoued that which God misliked and refused now he placeth that which God liketh and receiueth that is the sacrifice of a contrite spirit In the plurall number called sacrifices that is this one for all A broken heart is such a heart which is humbled through a sight and sense of sin What a broken heart is For it is needfull that as we haue worne our heart by sinne so our heart should be worne againe by repentance and sorrow for sinne and that we should take paines to subdue our hearts and all the thoughts thereof and bring them captiue to Gods obedience That is that poore spirit of which Matthew speaketh Mat. 5.3 Esa 66.2 Isaias speaketh of the spirit that trembleth at Gods word Why sacrifices in the plurall number This caused Dauid to put the word sacrifices in the plurall number that he might expresse the better that one contrite heart which is the sacrifice of repentance alone suffiseth for all legall sacrifices If he had said that a contrite heart is a sweet smelling sacrifice they might haue excepted the so are many others as the papists do mixe their works with the grace of God But Dauid excludeth purpossie all sacrifices and sheweth that what euer sacrifices God respecteth are comprehended vnder a penitent heart beleeuing in Christs bloud and seeking mercie for the same This sort of people are called mourners in Sion who mourne to God for their owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people who powre out their heart with their teares to God who doe lament for the affliction of Ioseph Oh what cause haue we to lament this day for our sinnes and to breake our hearts for the persecution of the Church in euery place Let our feasting be turned into fasting our laughter in teares Mourne with Ieremiah for the desolation of Sion Nota. A contrite and broken heart thou wilt not despise Here he encourageth the penitent sinner who may be affraied to appeare before the Tribunall of God in regard of the conscience of his sinne and be feared that God will not accept him howsoeuer he be humbled Him here he encourageth God will not despise a troubled heart yea rather he will like it and manifest his skill in healing and comforting it God liketh a troubled heart To which agree all those places in Isaias which comfort the Church those sweet inuitations of Christ to the laden and wearie to come vnto him and to those that were athirst and he that calleth vpon vs will not reiect and cast vs away The Lord is nigh to them that be of a contrite spirit Psal 144.8 Who speake to him in the bitternesse of their soule Iob. 10.1 Crying like the Dragon or Ostrich Mich. 1.8 Who cry wonderfull being ouercomed by the Elephants As Saint Ierome saieth who slay their affections and offer them as a sacrifice to God as the Magdalen Peter other Saints who forsake their former lusts and say with a certaine young man who being temped by an harlot and seeming to be ignorant who she was she said ego sum it is I he answered ego non sum it is not I for he was conuerted by repentance If thou would preuaile with God Pro. 23.26 giue him thine whole heart if thou doe any thing for God doe it with thine heart 2. Chro. 31 21 seeke him with thine whole heart loue him feare him pray to him turne to him Deut. 4.29 obey him with thine whole heart Deut. 10.12 Rom. 6.17 Ier. 32.40 Ioel. 2.12 Psal 119.145 Their heart is deuided saith the Lord of hoste now shall they perish Hos 10.2 God is one and vndeuided and craueth an heart one and whole in affection and rent onely by deiection nothing can breake God but a bâ—oken heart The string can bow the bowe the fire can temper and molifie the steele the goates bloud the adamant and the heart contrite can moue God saith Mantuan in these verses Virga recens Zephyris neruo curuabitur arcuâ— Igne chalybs adamas sangnine corde Deus Finallie obserue that albeit repentance doth make a contrite heart and as I said before we should take such paine on our contrition that we should not let any thought of our heart escape vnrepented mourned for yet the onely hammer which must burst our soules is the word of God The word of God bruseth the heart Simil. which bruseth
redemption It is called great in regarde of the great maiestie that redeemed vs God eternall Secondly Wherein the redemption of man is great the greatnesse of the price his blood Thirdly the number of those who are redeemed all the beleeuers Fourthly the strong man out of whose prison we are freed Fiftly the graces which he powreth on his Church Verse 8. And he shall redeeme Israel from all his iniquities A comfortable promise with which he concludeth this Psalme assuring the Church that God will redeeme her Since the greatest danger from which the Church is deliuereâ— And wherefrom euen from her sinnes all her sinnes which is the greatest danger euer the Church fell into and the mother of all other euills For what could the deuill hell or wicked men doe to vs without sinne nothing Israel Euery one is not deliuered but onely the Israel of God Onely Gods Israel shall be deliuered Ioh. 1.47 Rom. 2.29 those who are true Israelits as was said of Nathanael in whom is no guile and the Apostles Israelits not in the letter but Spirit From all his iniquities Whatsoeuer they be whether against God our neighbour or our selues they shal be forgiuen and pardoned The ioyfull iubilie is now come which to the Israelites was the 50. yeare and now to the true Israelites it is proclamed euery houre In that Iubilie the lands which were ingaged became free Nota. and returned to the owners but we our selues who were captiues to the diuill are made free and returne to God by redemption of Christs blood yea all our debts and iniquities are pardoned though our sinnes were as crimson Isa 1.18 they shall be made white as snow though they were red as scarlet they shall be as woole though they were as many as the sand of the sea and as heauy as leade we are freed of all by that blood and if of all what neede we seeke any other remedie but that allouerlie We neede not with the Turkes to runne to Mahomet or with the Papists to Saints and images God through Iesus Christ hath taken them all away He who made all cureth all It is his honour he will not giue his glorie to another Our Sunne illumilinateth all the world our Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse shineth to all the world but none are partakers of his light but true Israelites which dwell in the land of Goshen The Lord graunt that we may be such that being illuminated by the light of Christ here we may be conueied thereby through the dangerous wildernesse of this world to the kingdome of heauen where we shall be with him world without end Amen A GODLY AND FRVITFVL EXPOSITION ON THE CXLIII PSALME the seuenth of the Penitentials AT the making of this Psalme as plainly appeareth Dauid hath bin cast into some desperate danger 1. Sa. 24.4 whether by Saul when he was forced to flee into the caue as in the former Psalme or by Absolon his sonne or by any other it is vncertaine Alwaies in this he complaineth grieuoushe to God of the malice of his enemies The substance of this Psalm and desireth God to heare his prayers he acknowledgeth that he suffereth those things by Gods iust iudgement most humbly crauing mercy for his sinnes desiring not onely to be restored but also to be gouerned by Gods spirit that he may dedicate and consecrate the rest of his life to Gods seruice This worthie Psalme then conteineth these three things The parts of the Psalme First a confession of sinnes Secondly a lamentation for his iniurie Thirdly a supplication for temporall deliuerie and spirituall graces to the end of the Psalme Verse 1. Heare my prayer O Lord and hearken vnto my supplication answere me in thy truth and in thy righteousnesse Those pray in vaine who are not assured that God will beare them Heb. 6.11 HEare my prayer O Lord He craueth attention in the first place and prepareth Gods eare for it is in vaine to pray vnlesse we be sure God will heare vs and answere vs for he that commeth to God must first beleeue that God is and that he will reward those who serue him for otherwsie we pray without faith and our prayer is sinne Thus he doth in diuerse Psalmes as in the 102. Psalme 2. and in 5. Psalme and 54. Psalmes By this we learne that the Saints should begin their prayers with a request to be heard so long doth the Lord seeme to men not to heare them and to hold backe his eares and eyes that he heareth not their sutes and seeth not their tribulations as he delayeth to graunt their desires and therefore they craue audience and attention He doth here three times repeate his earnest desire to be heard as in the fift Psalme foure times he doubleth and ingeminateth this same suite to be heard There he desireth God to heare his wordes vnderstand his meditation hearken vnto the voice of his cry and heare his voice in the morning the like he doth here thereby declaring the vehemencie of his affection if any be desirous to haue their suites graunted they goe not slowly about their businesse they doe not vse cold rife wordes Simil. as though they were speaking for a thing they did not care for but they cry as beggers at a noblemans gate who are so importunate in crying that men are ashamed to refuse them Luk. 18. Ged denieth our request because we doe not confidently and earnestly desirs them As the importunitie of the widow moued the false iudge How much more will our heauenly Father by loath to refuse vs yea there is no cause why he disdaineth our suites but by reason we neither confidently nor earnestlie desire them nothing would be refased to thee if thou wouldest beg as thou shouldest do The Spirit would request for thee with sights that cannot be expressed and he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit Rom. 8.26.27 Is it possible that a mother can heare the mourning suites of her childe without mouing and yeelding yea though the mother could forget the childe Esa 49.15 yet God cannot forget vs. Then speake and he will heare be thou not dumbe and he will not be deafe try knocke aske seeke be instant in thy petitions for the Lord is ready to heare all those who seeke him truely instantly and constantly God reiecteth none who desire to be heard neuer man sought to be heard whom God hath reiected and refused In this verse he desireth Ichouah his God to heare hearken and answere Secondly the subiect of his speech and the thing which he desireth to be heard is his prayer and oration Thirdly the maner how he desireth his prayer to be heard in thy truth and righteousnesse When he doubleth his request of hearing he would haue God hearing him with both his eares that is most attentiuely and readilie so instant is a troubled minde he desireth the prayer he putteth
little world and yet he calleth himselfe Gods seruant not as the Pope who stileth himselfe seruus seruorum Dei seruant of the seruants of God when he is a Lord ouer Lordes both Ecclesiasticall and ciuill But he indeede in the humilitie of his heart confesseth God to be his onely liege Lord Princes as much bound to serue God as their subiects to obey them vpon whom he depended of whom he holdeth his crowne So princes may thinke that their subiects are no more bound to them then they are to God and that they are as inferiour and more to God then their subiects are to them Vse which should moue princes to humble them vnder the mightie hand of God Inferiour subiects may at certaine termes put their seruants from them and take others in their place for seruice is no heritage and if they much more princes who may put their seruants away whether ob culpam or placitum none ought to inquire So God the supreame Maiestie hath an absolute and vnlimited libertie ouer all as well rich as poore he can displace kings and giue their kingdomes and crownes to others if they displease him He can rent the kingdome from Suul and giue it to Dauid 1. Sa. 15.28 1. Ki. 12.24 from Rehoboam and giue it to Iereboam if they breake his commandemenents Psal 2.10 Be wise therefore O kings serue the Lord in feare For no liuing shal be iustified in thy sight The like he hath in the 130 Psalme Who can stand before thee so that not onely he refuseth any clame of mercy by himselfe but includeth all liuing vnder sinne so that none is exempted for all are sinners All are sinners that all may at God beg the remission of sin and are destitute of grace that God may shew mercy to all and all his creatures may beg from himselfe alone that which is not in any of them Away away with merits away with our worthinesse seeke it where it is to be found euen in Christ Where he saith they cannot be iustified there he cleerelie auoucheth the Doctrine of Saint Paul that iustification commeth by faith and not by workes Rom 3.24 directlie against the Papisticall heresie Against iustificatiō by workes which teacheth men to seeke a part of it at least in others and themselues whereas here all men are excluded from righteousnesse but that which they must finde in God Verse 3. For the enemie hath persecuted my soule he hath smitten my life downe to the earth he hath laid me in the darkenesse as they that haue bin dead long agoe THis is the complaint of his enemies extreme malice against him by a threefold exaggeration thereof their persecuting of his soule their throwing downe of his life to the earth and their laying him into darknesse as a dead man Their malice was so vehement against him that nothing could content them till they vtterly ruine him both in body and soule and name This representeth cleerely vnto vs the malice of the enemies of the Church Note the malice of the Church her enemies especially of the Iudasits orders Pro. 17.10 which is so extreame that nothing can satisfie them vnlesse they bath themselues in the blood of the poore members A Lyon is more mercifull to his prey then a tyrant is to a Christian there is not the smallest fauour to be looked for at his handes The mercies of the wicked are cruell a cleere example hereof we haue in the Papists but specially in those blood thirstie wolues the Iesuites who will bragge of a singularitie in puritie and yet will stirre vp princes and all other fauourers of their sect to roote out Christians who professe the name of Iesus according to his word those they go about dayly to massacre without respect of any as witnesseth the bloodie massacrie of Paris Anno 1572. August 24. at which time they murthered a great many thousands in France for professing Christ As also that diuelish and hellish pouderplot what a bloudie execution was intended against our gratious Soueraigne and hopefull children These bloudie Iesuites and mastiue dogs are not fierce against the Turkes Panims but against the Israel of God Yea as Lyons Wolues and Foxes take most pleasure in the bloud of the lambes then in any other beast which they will spare and passe by except they be in great hunger so these must desire Christian bloud and thinke they doe God good seruice in killing v◠And this should be a matter of great comfort to the Church of God seeing persecution is a marke of the true Church and Christ accounteth men blessed when they are persecuted and euill spoken of for his sake Mat. 5.10.12 For so saith he did their Fathers to the Prophets that were before you Let vs therefore be patient and suffer calamities through hope of eternall glorie which we shall inherit when these short tribulations shall expire The more the Church be troden vnder foot the greater is Gods honour in her deliuerie Moreouer yee may see how farre the Lord permitteth the wicked to preuaile aboue his children that he will suffer them to tread vpon their bellies as though they were dead and no hope of life left to them that his honour may be the more magnified who out of their dead ashes could make a resurrection as he did to Dauid who was as a dead man and forgotten yet God raised him vp and erected his throne aboue his enemies O Lord deliuer thy Church from her troubles and persecution Verse 4. And my spirit is in perplexitie in me and mine heart within me was amased HE spake before of his externall calamities now he confesseth the infirmetie of his minde that he was wonderfully cast downe in heart and troubled in his soule so that his strength was almost gone not like the strength of a whale fish or of a rocke but being ready to drowne with sorrow he was sustained by faith and Gods Spirit he swimmed vnder these euils Our Sauiour himselfe confessed of himselfe my soule is troubled to the death Mat 26.38 God knoweth our moulde we are not stockes without passions or perturbations Gods children haue their owne passions we are not like lepers whose flesh is senslesse but we are sensible of euills that we may run to God for helpe and comfort Iob. 42.7 Had not Iob his owne perturbations and griefes which made him vtter hard speeches for which God rebuked him and he afterward repented Simil. yea God affirmed that he spake better of him then all his friends did Can a shippe saile a long with such a constant and direct course in stormie weather as it were calme and before the winde it is enough that it directeth the course euer toward the port albeit it be forced to cast boord twentie times So God careth not albeit we be troubled in our course to heauen Let vs euer aime at the port of eternall glory howsoeuer we be disquieted with contrarie
Being assured of Gods fauour we should seeke to conforme our wills to obey his commaundiments For when we haue obtained an assurance of Gods fauour reconciled to vs in Iesus Christ it followeth next that we should desire to conforme our liues to the obedience of his commandements For no man will frame himselfe to walke in Gods waies till he be assured of Gods fauour Therefore faith in Gods promises is the most effectuall cause to bring forth good workes and an assurance of iustification to produce sanctification But because by nature we are ignorant which way we should go let vs pray God that he may direct vs what way we should goe to heauen through this miserable world For men hauing no better warrand of their wayes then their owne determinations may as blind men runne headlong to destruction Christ is the way in which we should walke I am the way saith he Ioh. 14.6 none other way in heauen or earth We go in this way when we follow his commandements and walke in them leauing the traditions of men Pray God that not onely he would shew vs the true way but also giue vs grace to walke therein For I lift vp my soule vnto thee He vsed all wise and lawfull meanes yet euer he hangeth and dependeth on Gods prouidence Because vnlesse our care industrie be gouerned by Gods spirit it serueth for nothing Which teacheth vs in what euer case we be In euery case depend on God neuer to leane to our owne wisedome but with heart to depend vpon the Lord that he may guid vs by his holy spirit Behold what a wonderfull effect God worketh by afflictions they depresse and cast downe our outward man The good of afflictions and our inner man by them is eleuated raised aloft yea the more we are afflicted the more we are stirred vp The oftner the messenger of Satan is sent to buffet vs 2. Cor. 12.8 the more earnestly with Paul we cry vnto the Lord to be deliuered So if we be cast downe to hell what the worse are we if by that we be raised vp to heauen As by the contrarie the wicked for their prosperous successes seeme as it were lifted vp to heauen but their exaltation becommeth a precipitation to them to the deepest lowest hells in respect they fall through pride in the condemnation of the diuel Let vs therefore be patient in our troubles and lift vp our eies to our God who wil help vs. Verse 9. Deliuer me O Lord from mine enemies for I hide me with thee IN the former verse he desireth Gods mercie and louing kindnesse and that he might be shewed the way wherein he shold walke now he desireth to be free of temporall danger This is a good method in prayer first to seeke the kingdome of God Seeke first spirituall graces then temporall deliueries Lu. 12.31 and spirituall graces and all other things shal be casten to vs. We seeke in vaine at God temporall deliueries if we neglect to seeke spirituall graces which are most necessarie for vs. The church hath many enemies but God is one against them all As for enemies the Church and her members neuer hath or shall want innumerable against whom what can we oppose but Gods protection In number in power in policie and subtiltie they are euer aboue vs. There is no helpe in vs against them all but our gratious God Ge. 32.36 Esau came with foure hundred against Iacob a naked man with his wife children and droues of cattell But Mahanaim was with him he was guarded by Gods Angells And therefore since the Church of God in France Germanie and elsewhere is in danger of the Liuiathan and these sonnes of Anak Let vs runne to the Lord and cry vnto him O God Iehouah who is one against all deliuer vs from our enemies who likewise are thy enemies For I hide my selfe with thee As though he would say I haue no receipt or lurking place but thee Hide me therefore vnder the shaddow of thy wings Psalme 91. The Lord hid the Prophets that Achab could not finde them out 1. Kin. 18.13 If we will creepe vnder his wings he will surely keepe vs. Verse 10. Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God let thy good Spirit lead me into the land of righteousnesse HEre he craueth to be directed in the whole course of his life by God and therefore he prayeth that God would teach him to do his blessed will and to direct him by his holy Spirit towards heauen The same he craueth in another Psalme Guide me O Lord by thy counsell and after bring me to thy glory Teach me to doe thy will This is a necessarie lesson to be learned Doctr. It is God who must teach vs to do his will which we of ourselues would neuer doe which our nature will neuer teach vs. God he must teach vs not only to submit ourselues to his will but also doe his will and attempt no vnlawfull meanes of our deliuerie against his deliuery This is not the voice of the flesh in tribulation teach me O Lord to do thy will but I pray thee doe my will There is nothing more dificult then to learne to submit our selues to Gods will But following the example of our Sauiour in his greatest agonie let vs say Not my will be done but thine He saith not teach me to know thy will but to doe thy will Luk. 22.42 God teacheth vs three waies We must not onely be hearers but doers Luk. 12.47 God teacheth vs three waies First by his word Secondly he illumineth our minds by his Spirit Thirdly he imprinteth that in our hearts maketh vs obedient to the same for the seruant who knoweth the will of his Master and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes The hearing of Gods will reuealed in his word would be vnprofitable to vs of it selfe and be a witnesse against vs vnlesse a willing obedience of the heart followed the hearing We pray daylie that Gods will may be done not onely knowne Mat. 6.10 But while we knowe what is Gods will we are no wayes obedient thereto but doe follow our owne rebellious willes and waies For thou art my God An argument to moue God to teach him because he is his God and doth trust in none but in him As if Dauid would say thou promised est me helpe of thy free fauour helpe me then in this my danger Whereby he would teach vs two principall lessons First by this that he desireth God to teach him to do his wil Doctr. because he was his God we learne That it is not in our owne arbitriment or choise to do Gods will Is it not in mans power of himselfe to do the will of God Doctr. If God be our God let his will be ours Mal. 1.6 but his speciall grace who preuenteth vs by his fauour and becommeth our God and after frameth
vs to doe his will and obey him Secondly that if he be our God and we call vpon him in our troubles it were requisite we should frame our selues to obey him If he be our God where is his loue and obedience If he be our Father where is his honour So he must of necessitie be an athiest who saith in his heart there is no God who professeth God in his mouth and in his workes denieth him following his owne pleasure in place of Gods will Let thy good Spirit leade me into the Land of righteousnesse The second petition is his future gouernement and direction by that good Spirit whom he desireth to lead him into the land of righteousnesse Let thy good Spirit He craueth the Spirit to be his Captaine and conuoyer yea to lead him by the hand to that eternall life In the 51. Psalme he craueth the holy Spirit not to be taken from him Albeit the holy Ghost be God equall with the Father the Sonne Ioh. 16.7 the third person of that blessed Trinitie yet in order he is the third sent by the Father and the Sonne as Christ saith I will send to you the comforter the Spirit of truth who may lead you in all truth and promised he should abide with the Church to the end of the world The benefites which we get by the holy spirit He it is that sanctifieth vs that regenerateth vs that comforteth vs in our troubles enlightneth vs by his blessed word God euerlasting for whom the Father hath elected and foreknowne the Spirit hath sealed and the Sonne hath redeemed and sprinkled by his bloud who is the earnest of our inheritance who caused vs to cry Abba father who knoweth the will and secret minde of the father Rom. 8.15 and carieth our prayers vnto God with sighes that cannot be expressed whose temples we are Rom. 8.26 which temples without sacriledge we should not pollute whom we should not greeue lest he forsake vs for he can indure no pollution or vncleannesse for him with Dauid let vs pray to the Father for he is the disposer of all his misteries and comforter in all our troubles and miseries Good The Spirit of God hath many epithets in the Scriptures holy constant right and here good There is a good and an euill spirit which seemeth to be opposite to an euill spirit of the Lordes which he sent vpon Saul and was sent to deceiue Achab A lying spirit saith Sathan will I be in the mouth of his false Prophets and God said 1. Sa. 16.14 1. Ki. 22.22 goe for thou shalt preuaile Sure it is men are either possessed with Gods Spirit or with the spirit of the diuell who is called an impure spirit Mat. 5.8.9 who hath possessed many corporally as the Legion or spiritually by since leauing them capâ—iue as slaues to his will which is the worst sort of possession and till he be d spossessed by the word of God Luk. 11.22 and throwne forth of man Gods Spirit cannot enter the strong man must be bound by one stronger and then Gods Spirit entereth As a mans stomach being full of humors cannot giue place to good nutrie till those be auoided so our soules cannot receiue the good Spirit of God neither will he enter into them vnlesse we be free of the spirit of Sathan Leade me Man by nature is as a criple and blind he can not goe vpright vnlesse he be led by a superiour spirit yea he must be caried as a Eagle carieth her little ones Simil. Miserable are these who are not conueied by Gods holy spirit or as a mother her tender childe Thinke not that we can step one right step to heauen but by the conduct and conuoy of Gods holy Spirit Miserable are those who goe without his conduction To the land of righteousnesse Or the right land I leaue the interpretations of many writing on this place What is meant by the land of righteousnesse follow that which is most plaine and agreeable to the text that is the kingdome of heauen where true righteousnesse is to be found and none can enter rherein but righteous men This world is a land of vnrighteousnes few or none liuing either righteous to God or men no righteousnesse exercised but oppression deceit and falshood Nota. This should be our comfort when we are heauily oppressed that we shall come to a land and there be for euer where no vnrighteousnesse shal be vsed but the righteous Lord shall recompence them who haue done vs wrong and render double on their head Verse 11. Quicken me O Lord for thy names sake and for thy righteousnesse bring my soule out of troubâ—e Verse 12. And for thy mercie stay mine enemies and destroy all them that oppresse my soule for I am thy seruant IN these two last verses he craueth that God would quicken him and bring his foule out of trouble and in his mercie scatter his enemies vsing a reason because saith he I am thy seruant First he prefixeth his name Iehouah affirming and confirming that he seeketh no saluation at any other but out of the fountaine of Gods free mercie and that he dependeth onely on his liberalitie for if he offered any thing which was not of himselfe then the whole cause would not rest in God and therefore he desireth that for his owne names sake he would doe it and helpe him He would shew that when he found nothing in himselfe he dependeth onely vpon Gods fauour and grace We may here obserue that the iniuries done to Gods children Doctr. When the godly are iniured most wrong is done to God Psal 42.10 doe not so much euill to them as they bring dishonour to God for in their sufferings God hath most interest Then the wicked say where is their God Which should moue vs to vrge God more vpon his owne credit then for any worngs which we sustaine For what do we suffer which we haue not deserued and to men belongeth confusion What are we but wormes what but sinfull creatures though we should die so many wormes die But when Gods name is disgrased and we are made a laughter to the vncircumcised that should breake our hearts Simil. The iniurie done to the seruant worketh not disgrace to the master or the childe to his father Therefore he vrgeth God to remember his owne honour in the ouerthrow of the Church God is very zealous of his owne name which was neuer stained and this were a great blot if he would forsake his Church which he hath redeemed So we may be assured that albeit God putteth not to his hand instantly A great comfort for the godly Vse yet he will in his owne time let his foes feele that they haue done him wrong Should not this moue vs to haue great regard of Gods name in all our actions and sufferings as we pray that his name may be hallowed Mat. 6.10 so let vs