AN EXPOSITION VPON THE CXII Psalme The high way to euerlasting blessednesse Written for the benefit of Gods Church by T. S. Psal 111.10 The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome a good vnderstanding haue al they that do his Commandements Eccles 12.13 Therefore let vs feare the end of all feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man LONDON Printed by Bernard Alsop dwelling in Distaffe Lane at the Signe of the Dolphin 1621. TO THE RIGHT worshipfull right vertuous truly religious and most worthy Mistres M. Murry wife to the honourable Mr. Thomas Murry Secretary to the Prince his highnesse the encrease of grace and all true happines externall internall eternall RIght Worshipfull the principall thing of which I reade in holy Scriptures which makes vs both acceptable to God approued of the godly is the grace of regeneration to become new creatures this alone when all other things faile commends vs to God this distinguisheth the good from the bad the precious from the vile the godly from the wicked this grace Right worshipfull as being of all others most requisite I most willingly commend to your wise and Christian Consideration hauing experience of your Christian loue The authour of this Psalme was blessed Dauid the sweet singer of Israel wherein the Prophet teaches vs the way to true blessednes that is to feare God and delight in his Commandements for circumcision is nothing 1. Cor. 7.29 and vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandements of God I may truly say of this new creature Prou. 31.29 as Salomon speaketh of the vertuous woman many are the graces of Gods spirit but this excels them all This is it indeede which will make you thrise blessed both of God and all good men for the kingdome of God is not meate drinke but righteousnesse peace Rom. 14.17 18. and ioy in the holy ghost and hee that in these things serueth God is acceptable to him 1. Sam. 2.30 and approoued of men they that thus honor God hee will honour whereas those that despise him neglecting the meanes of regeneration shall be lightly esteemed for there is no respect of persons with God but be hee what he will be noble or ignoble in euery nation he that feareth God Act 10.35 and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him First therefore seeke the kingdom of God and his righteousnesse and all other things as honour Mat. 6.33 wealth and riches shall bee cast vpon you namely in the sober vse of lawfull meanes this is the good and right way only to feare the Lord and to serue him in truth with all our hearts 1. Sam. 12.23.24 by this ye shall be sure to haue the honor that comes from God as Christ sayth Ioh. 12.26 If any man serue me him will my father honour whereas on the contrary without this we can neuer haue Gods approbation though wee may haue the worlds commendation yea thogh the world and all men in the world speake wel of vs we may be accursed Luke 26. Cursed are you when all men praise you that is if God dispraise you and ye want his approbation and commendation Woe be vnto you though all men speak well of you and know it for your vnspeakeable comfort Psal 4.3 that you being godly God setteth you a part for his owne selfe all Gods delight is vppon the Saints on earth Psal 16.4 and vpon such as excell in vertue the Lord taketh pleasure in those that feare him the Lord taketh pleasure in his people Psal 147. 149.4 will beautifie the meeke with saluation and remember with ioy the words of God by Moses if wee heare Gods voyce indeed with care conscience to practise it by liuing in faith repentance and new obedience Exod. 19.5 you are Gods chiefe treasure aboue all people though all the earth be his Thus hoping for pardon of my boldnesse I intreat your fauourable acceptance and patronage hereof humbly take my leaue beseeching Almighty God to blesse you yours with the encrease of all blessings spirituall and temporall according to the many graces bestowed vpon you The Lord Iesus Christ himselfe and God euen our Father which hath loued vs and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation good hope through grace establish you in euery good word worke the Lord fill you with all spirituall grace that so you may be presented most glorious without spot wrinkle in the Church triumphant and that by our most blessed and alone Sauiour Iesus Christ the righteous to whom be glory and maiestie dominion and power now and for euer Amen Your worships seruant in all duty to be commanded T S. TO THE WORshipfull vertuous and worthy Gentlewoman and my approued louing cousin Mistris Euelyen wife to the worshipfull Maister Richard Euelyen Esquire one of his Maiesties Iustices of peace in the county of Surry the encrease of all outward blessings and spiritual comforts be multiplyed through Iesus Christ IT is a thing better knowne then well considered of that in the mysticall body of Christ Iesus euery member hath his seuerall office whereon it must attend the weakest as well as the strongest and in the family of the great ruler of heauen and earth each seruant hath his seuerall talent which hee must employ the meanest as well as the worthiest for want of greater abilitie I haue done my best endeauour to shew the way to euerlasting blessednesse for the doing whereof I had rather vndergoe the censures of such as are curious then depriue those of a benefite that are religious and spiritually minded perhaps I shall be tossed by some with the stormy winds of euill censures but for them I passe not so I can benefit any this part of the Psalme I am sure is excellent for the purpose and Ierome doth call this booke of the Psalmes the treasures of learning Seeing therefore it was promised that vnder the kingdome of Christ the meanest or least should bee like vnto Dauid therefore trie your selfe if by grace you are partakers of Dauids disposition recorded in this Psalme you may be out of doubt that you shall be also partaker of his approbation for the Lord is no accepter of persons what he approues in one he will also approue another therfore follow Dauid in the practise of Pietie and then you shal be partaker of his praise which he receiued from God the generall complaint of the world is that there is no end of making many books because there is little or no fruit in those that reade them but as the grasse on the house top which withers afore it commeth foorth whereof the mower filleth not his hand Psal 129.6 nor the gleaner his lap neither they which goe by say the blessing of the Lord be on you we blesse you in the name of the Lord therefore read to some purpose that is intend of a reader
the true feare of God Psal 36.1 The wicked haue no feare of God before their eyes Let vs therefore keepe Gods Commandemēts and not only talke of them but practise them and doe them First this teaches vs to walke in the path of Gods Commandements not to talke of them only or to commend them but to practise them and doe them the Prophet Dauid therefore sheweth plainely who they are that feares God saying The mercy of the Lord is from euerlasting to euerlasting Psa 10◠17 18. Psa 128.1 Psa 119 63. Deut. 8.6 vpon them that feares him to such as keepe his Couenant and remember his Commandements to doe them and blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his wayes and Dauid saith I am a companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy Commandements This must therefore teach euery one carefully to obserue and keep Gods Commandements according to the saying of God by Moses Thou shalt keepe the Commandement of the Lord thy God to walke in his wayes and to feare him In vaine therefore doe they boast of their feare seruice worship of God who instead of keeping Gods Comandements break them all delight thēselues in nothing more then in committing of sin transgressing the Law of God let vs therfore take Salomons counsell Eccle. 12.13 In all Gods children in whom the true feare of God is there must be vprightnesse and sincerity of heart Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man Secondly wee must get vprightnesse of heart in the whole course of Gods worship and seruice Hee that walketh in his vprightnes feareth the Lord. Iob was an vpright man and one that feared God Cornelius was a iust man and one that feared God with all his house Pro. 14.2 Iob. 1. Act. 10.22 Verse 2. and certainely in all Gods people in whom the true feare of God is there cannot but be vprightnesse of heart voyde of all hypocrisie and a true endeauour to approoue their hearts vnto God to bee true and sound in all things as knowing that God knoweth and beholdeth all and he who will iudge them all at the latter day To goe on constantly in grace vnto the end is a true signe of the holy feare of God Ier. 32.40 Pro. 24.24 Therefore let vs all get vprightnesse of heart and goe on constantly in the grace and fauour of God cleaning so fast vnto God as neuer to fall away from him for those that haue made some good beginnings and yet afterwards fall away from him do euidently declare that they neuer had this true feare of God for God doth so put his feare in the hearts of his Children that they shall neuer depart from him they may sometimes fall through infirmities but as Salomon saith They rise vp againe therefore they cannot finally fall away from God none can plucke him out of his hands Satan cannot Ioh. 10.29 because he that is in vs Iohn 4.4 is stronger then hee that is in the world Sinne cannot because grace will preuaile against it The world cannot 1. Iohn 5.4 because this is our victory whereby we ouercome the world euen our Faith And the Apostle concludeth generally for all other matters that Neither death nor life nor Angels Rom. 8.38 39. nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The excellency of this grace shuld be a speciall motiue to vs to feare the Lord. And to stirre vs vp to the performance of this duety whereby we may get the true feare of the Lord let vs remember the excellency of this grace and how it maketh all those in whom it is to be most excellent Mal. 3.16 For a booke of remembrance is written before God for them that feare the Lord and they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts Pro. 31.30 in that day when I make vp my Iewels Here we see God hath them in euerlasting remembrance neuer to forget them as being his Iewels and chiefest treasure The woman that excelleth all is shee that feareth the Lord Pro. 15.16 Psal 37.16 this Salomon describes the excellency of this feare aboue all other things Better is a little with the feare of the Lord then great Treasure and trouble therewith A little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked men and of all people Psa 147.11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that feare him Thirdly we learne from hence that this blessed man that feareth the Lord No good thing will the Lord withhold from them that feare him hath the promise of temporall blessings as riches honour preferment length of dayes blessing vpon our labours and all that wee haue Doest thou then desire riches Wouldest thou come to honour Wouldest thou liue long and see good dayes Then bee carefull to feare the Lord and bee thou sure thou shalt haue these blessings or at least as good in stead of them Pro. 22.4 Pro. 10.27 Pr. 9.10.11 Psal 128. By the feare of the Lord are riches honour and life the feare of the Lord prolongeth dayes and by it thy dayes shall bee multiplyed and the yeeres of thy life shall bee increased Blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord for thou shalt eate the the labour of thine hands happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee Loe thus shall the man bee blessed that feareth the Lord. Againe wouldest thou haue God to deliuer thee and saue thee from trouble then feare the Lord. For the Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him Psal 34.7 and deliuereth them Wouldest thou haue plenty or at least a competent liuing to enioy Gods good blessings then feare God for their is no want to them that feare him The Lyons doe lurke and suffer hunger Psal 9.9.10 but they that feare God shall want to manner of thing that is good Wouldest thou haue thy hearts desire granted thee of God so far forth as shal be agreeable to his will Psal 37.4 Then delight thy selfe in the Lord and hee shall giue thee thine hearts desire yea he will fulfill the desires of them that feare him hee will heare their cry and will helpe them Wouldest thou haue all things to be well with thee then feare the Lord for he taketh pleasure in them that feare him Psal 147 11. Eccle. 8.12 And though a sinner doth euill an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall bee well with them that feare God which feare before him And though many troubles and manifold mischiefes are in the world though the righteous fall into manifold afflictions Yet as Salomon saith Eccle. 7.18 He that feareth God shall come forth of them
his fauour shall haue all good blessings flowing to them and following of them Dauid doth notably confirme this in many of his Psalmes as in the three and twentieth Psalme where professing God to bee his shepheard maketh this inference therupon Therefore I shall not want Psal 23.1.6 but doubtlesse kindenesse and mercie shall follow mee all the dayes of my life Psa 34 9.10 and againe the Lyons doe lacke and suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good Psal 84.11 also Dauid sayth the Lord God is a sunne and a shield vnto vs the Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will hee withhold from them that walke vprightly And is not this the blessing that is promised to such as feare the Lord that all good things should flow vnto them from heauen and earth that they shall be hlessed in the house in the field in their basket in their store in the fruite of their bodyes in the encrease of their cattle and in the aboundance of all things Let no man doubt of this truth for God is the Gouernor of heauen earth and the diâ—â—oser of all things thus wee see that where Gods fauour is there is want of nothing that is needfull And there is cause why we shuld rest fully resolued of this point that none of Gods household shall euer want necessary releefe because all will yeeld that God is the Gouernour of heauen and earth and the disposer of all things in them both and then they must grant further that those that are best and doe best shall speede best because God loueth them most and how then can we make question whether or no the Lord will bestow vpon them a competent measure and a comfortable vse of these earthly blessings seeing all is in his hand and he wisheth so well vnto his owne people especially seeing hee hath straightly charged vs not to care what wee shall eate or drinke Mat. 6.25 or what wee shall put on but first to seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse promising vs faithfully that if wee doe so all other things shall be cast vpon vs. And as he hath promised this so hath hee from time to time performed it If we will prosper in our outward estate wee must thriue in pietie as wee may obserue throughout the booke of Iudges of Samuel and of the Chronicles for there it is to be seene that when godlinesse prospered in the soules of Gods people they prospered their outward estate wheÌ„ sinne on the other side had made hauocke in their soules then the Madianites and the Philistims and other enemies made hauocke in their countrey when they and their kings thriued in pietie and did grow in the knowledge of God and zeale of his glory then it went well with them for outward plenty and aboundance but when Idolatry and impietie beganne once to thriue in their hearts and in their land they neuer had long nor settled prosperitie but their enemies hands and swords preuayled against them for taking away of their liues and the ruinating of their estates Sinful courses can neuer prosper First here is matter of terrour for all wicked worldlings that thinke to aduantage and aduance themselues by sinnefull and and naughty courses that is an ill way to rise for the riches of iniquitie shall not prosper Pro. 10.2 Iere. 22.23.24 though they build their houses neuer so high and aduance their nests vnto the starres yet the Lords hand shall pull them thence and cast them downe into the very dust they thinke their houses their names and their substance shall remayne for euer and that they shall make themselues and theirs by ioyning house to house and land to land by oppressing the poore and needy and by defrauding the fatherlesse and widow and such as cannot right themselues but alas they little consider in the meane while that God is the Iudge of the world and that hee will reward euery man according to his workes they imagine their estate shall be according to their wealth and so it might bee indeede if God were not the gouernour of the world but sith he is so it shall goe with euery one according to that he is and not according to that hee hath and therefore as God would haue it proclaimed to the godly Isa 3.10 say yee surely it shall goe well with the iust for they shall eate the fruite of their workes so he would haue this denounced against the vngodly Wo be to the wicked it shall bee euill with him for the reward of his hands shall bee giuen him Esa 3.11 they shall reape that which they haue sowed It were and absurd thing for one that hath sowne nothing but cockle and fitches to exspect a good crop of wheat and as contrary to all reason is it for theÌ„ that sowe iniquity to think they shall reape any thing but affliction they may delude themselues with vaine hopes but they shall neuer obtaine any happinesse and prosperity from the Lord nay surely he hates both theÌ„ and their practises and therefore they their wicked seed shall be rooted out as wee may see it verified in many of the kings of Israel as in Ieroboam Ahab Baasha c. And most notably in that place of Ieremie concerning Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah woe vnto him sayth the Lord that buildeth his house by vnrighteousnesse Ier. 22.13.89 and his Chambers without equity hee vseth his neighbour without wages and giueth him not for his works c. Shalt thou raigne because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar did not thy Father eate and drinke and prosper when he executed Iudgement and Iustice c. Where is declared in the example of Iosiah Ios 11.23 No certaine way to prosper in but in the practise of godlines for that bringeth all true honor and prosperity the godly Father on the one side that the true knowledge of God and the practise of godlines and righteousnesse bringeth all true honour and prosperity and on the other side in the example of Iehoiakim the wicked sonne is shewed that impiety ioyned with oppression and cruelty with fraud and deceit and iniurious dealing man liues a base and dishonourable life and dyes a shamefull and Ignominious death as wee see it many times comes to passe that while he is in the World he shall liue vndesired and when he goeth out of the World he shall die vnlamented The best way to thriue in all the world is to get Religion into our hearts Therefore let this encourage men if they would haue good things either in right or in possession to labour to get Religion into their hearts and to be as much afraid of sinne as of misery and as desirous of grace as they are of prosperity which if we could do we should find Gods eyes open to consider of vs and his hand to relieue vs continually in all