First Gods Worke Deus fecit God made the time a Day Secondly Mans Acknowledgement Haec est dies the Church doth Kalender it for a high day As we must learne thus discreetly to distinguish times so we must also learne to solemnize them Religiously In performance whereof the text will teach vs What we must doe and How That which wee must doe is reduced to two Heads wee must take full comfort in such a Day we must reioyce and be glad in it Reioyce with our bodies Bee glad in our soules both bodie and soule must expresse a comfortable sense Neither must wee only take comfort in it but pray also for the happie continuance of it for the continuance Saue Lord we may be depriued of it for the happie continuance of it Prosper Lord it may be in vaine bestowed on vs. These be the things that must bee done But How that is When and by whom When Now at the verie same time that Wee haue ioyed in the Day must Wee also bee praying for the continuance thereof And whom doth the Psalmist meane by We Looke vnto the beginning of the Psalme and you shall find the parties thus specified Israel the House of Aaron all that feare the Lord the Common-weale the Church the Cleargie the Laitie all whom the Day concernes must take notice thereof and expresse this dutie thereon You see the summe of this Scripture which I will now God willing enlarge farther and apply vnto our present occasion But before I enter vpon the particulars I may not forget to let you vnderstand that this Psalme hath a double sense an Historicall and a Mysticall the Historicall concernes King Dauid and the Kingdome of Israel the Mysticall toucheth Christ and his Church The Mysticall hath warrant from the Gospell wherein Christ doth apply some branches of this Psalme vnto himselfe the the Historicall is cleare in the Bookes of Samuel which intreat of the aduancement of King Dauid If we follow the Mysticall then the Day here remembred is Easter day or the Day of Christs Resurrection and that was a Day indeed the Sunne of Righteousnesse then shone forth in great strength and brought life and immortalitie to life But if we follow the Historicall sense then was the Day here remembred the Day of K. Dauids succession vnto Saul a verie Festiuall Day to Israel though not so high a Feast as is our Easter day The Fathers Commentaries runne most vpon the first sense our occasion is better fitted with the latter wherefore without preiudice to the former we will insist thereon leauing the Mysticall we will insist only vpon the Historicall sense of these words The first point therein is the discreet distinguishing of Times All times are not alike there are nights and there are dayes the time here specified is a Day Saint Basils Rule must guide vs in vnderstanding this word he tels vs that when the Holy Ghost speaketh of a Day in this and many other places wee must not plod vpon the course of the Sunne but looke vnto the occurrents of the time the occurents are of two sorts prosperous or aduerse the former is vsually called Day and the later Night We haue not then to doe with a Naturall but a Metaphoricall Day But Metaphors haue their reasonable grounds and because they are Implicitae Similitudines close couched resemblances we must vnwrap them that wee may see the resonablenesse that is in the vse of them If we doe this in our present Metaphor the reason will be apparent why a prosperous state is tearmed a Day For a Day is caused by the Sunne rising who by his beames sendeth to the earth Light and Heate Light by which all things are discerned and may bee distinguished and Heate by which they are quickened and cherished Euen so in a prosperous State there is something that answereth to the Sunne and that is a good King and well may the King bee tearmed a Sunne in the Common-Weâ—le as the Sunne is tearmed a King in the midst of the Planets A good King then like the Sunne ouer-spreads the Common-Weale with Light and Heate Light all things doe appeare in their right hue flatterâ—e or tyrannie doth not blanch or beare out falshood as truth and good as euill euery one beareth his proper name and is reputed no better then he is which is no small Blessing of a State if we take notice of that which is occurrent in euerie Historie That the best men haue beene branded as the vilest and the vilest haue beene commended for Worthies so farre hath darknesse ouercast the iudgement of the World seeke no farther then the storie of Christ and his Apostles the Scribes and the Pharisees As a good King doth remedie this perueâ—snesse of iudgement by a truer light so doth hee by a vegetable heate put heart into those that deserue well and further their well fare it is no small blessing you may gather it out of the 72. Psalme where the cheareful face as it were of the State doth speake the comfortable influence of a good King you may amplifie this point by that difference which in the 104. Psalme you finde betweene a day and a night The night is a time wherein the sauage beasts doe range abroad men retire and appeare not but in the day men goe freely abroad to their labour and the sauage beasts retire euen so in the time of an ill gouerned Common-Weale all sorts of beastly men as filthy as Swine as greedie as Wolues as cruell as Tigres as deceitfull as the Crocodile these and such like riot and controule and without shame satisfie their lust and then it is dangerous to be iust to be mercifull But the countenance of a good King chaseth such vermine away and none vnlike vnto him find Grace with him or appeare before him the 101. Psalme hath no other argument but this very point and Solomon hath exprest it in seuerall Prouerbs This blessing of Light and Heat of distinguishing and cherishing the good from and aboue the bad springs from a good King if hee bee only a Head of the Common-Weale many Heathen Kingdomes enioyed such Dayes vnder their Augustus Traians Adrians and the like But if the King be also a member of the Church a King of Israel as King Dauid was then doth he yeild vnto his State another Day vnto the Ciuill hee addes a Spirituall Day for as Constantine said well A good King is Episcopus ad extra Ecclesiam as the Pastors are ad intra though he may not administer sacred things yet must hee command them to be administred to bee administred sincerely that no Errours or Heresies dimme the heauenly Light and to be entertained reuerently that the people may feele the sweet inflaence of Grace Epistola ad Bonifacium hee maketh Lawes for the promulgation of the sauing truth of God as Saint Austine teacheth and by wholsome Discipline brings the people to be aswell religious as loyall no lesse dutifull children of God
a booke of record Now then in ore duorum aut trium testium stabit omne verbum if so be doubt should be made of the first booke the booke that is in Heauen it must needs bee put out of all doubt by the threefold booke or record of our sin which God hath prouided here on earth Now wee throughly know the bookes let vs come to King Dauids dele the blotting out of that which is in the book or rather the Record or bill of indictment for as such must we apprehend these bookes There is no doubt but Dauid is primarily sollicitous of the first booke and indeed that is the ground of all the rest and the rest are but imperfect exemplifications of that and if the booke bee cancelled that is in Heauen these on earth will be of no validitie God will not leaue them longer vncancelled if God raze our sinnes out of the booke of his Memorie hee will giue an acquittance also to our Conscience hee will plucke out the tongue of the staines that are in our Bodies and Soules and put to silence the clamours of those Creatures which wee haue abused all those records shall be cancelled and it is for the cancelling of them all that King Dauid doth pray But marke that Hide thy face is not enough except blot out be added God may dissemble the sinnes of men for a time and punish them at length 〈◊〉 32. Moses is taught as much when hauing prayed that God would forgiue the Israelites Idolatrie committed with the golden calfe God was intreated so farre as to hide his face to forbeare them but not to blot out Vos 34. that is to forgiue them for he addeth Neuerthelsse in the day when I visit I will visit their sinnes vpon them the like is to bee obserued in the case of Solomon Ahab Manasses and others Dauid prouideth better for himselfe then so he ioyneth both in his desire and prayeth not onely hide thy face but blot out also and so must we when we seeke forgiuenesse of sinnes It is a cold comfort to a debtor to obtaine of his creditor that he will not looke vpon his obligations hee is not secure except he haue them cancelled neither is a prisoner without feare that is onely repriued and why he may be hanged when he little looketh for it a sinners case is no better then this prisoners or that debtors except God be pleased as well to blot the record as to hide his face But in the petition I obserued that King Dauid doth not only expresse what workes he expects from God but he sheweth withall Whereto and How farre he would haue these works extend 1. Whereto not to his person but to his sinnes hide thy face not from me but from my sinnes for if God should withdraw his countenance from vs destruction and annihilation must needes fall vpon vs our being and our liuing depend vpon the influence of his countenance and indeed our being and our liuing they are his workmanship and to pray God to hide his face from his owne workmanship must needes imply that we would haue God hate what himselfe hath made but God delights to behold that which is of him because it is like him neither doth it feare or blush to come before him It is that which we haue patcht vnto his workmanship which he abhorres to see and which abhorreth to bee seene of him Therefore King Dauid discreetly limiteth the obiect of Gods workes and will haue them worke not vpon his person but vpon his sinne and we may not in our petitions confound these things that are so different wherof the one may endure the other may not these acts of the Prouidence of God what so euer we haue which is of God may without dis-comfort endure his all-seeing Eye and all recording hand therefore wee may not craue in regard of them either hide thy face or blot out both these desires must be restrained to our sinnes And to them all As Dauid doth wisely restraine the acts to his sinne so doth he as wisely extend them to all his sinnes Hee was not ignorant of that Maxime of law Maledictus qui non permanserit in omnibus Deut. 27.26 Cursed is he that abideth not in all that is written in the Law for to doe it ill doth the Shipwright prouide who stopping all other leakes leaues but one for the water may enter thereat and drowne the whole ship euen so seeing euery sinne is mortall wee may not looke for lesse wages for any one sinne then eternall death yea Saint Iames his rule is Reus vnius omnium guiltie of one and guiltie of all And why Cap. 2.10 though in conuersion to the world sinners doe differ yet in auersion from God they all agree he that setteth light by God in breaking one coÌ„mandement doth not out of the feare of God keepe any one happily it is because he is not so prone to or gaineth not so much by other sinnes or some other carnal reason there is but certainly out of the feare of God he doth not forbeare them Therefore King Dauid would haue his sinne pluckt vp by the roots not one sprigge left in him as before hee confest them all ingenuously so doth he here desire that they may all gratiously be pardoned as in the 1. verse he begged great mercy so doth he here expresse how great he would haue it The last thing that I obserued vnto you was the possibilitie that King Dauid should speed in this petition for it may seeme strange that such indulgence should stand with the diuine prouidence that God should See all and yet not See something and Gods Memorie to be a record of all and yet to haue something blotted out Notwithstanding that this is a truth we learne of God himselfe in Esay Ego sum qui deleo iniquitates I am he that blotteth out sinnes and remember them no more the like doth God affirme in Ieremie Cap. 43.25 yea that which the heathen Orator spake flatteringly of Iulius Caesar Cap. 31.34 is most true of God Nihil obliuisci solet nisi iniurias he forgets nothing but the sinnes of penitent suppliants Wherefore to cleare this doubt we must call to mind what I told you before touching Gods face that it signifies not onely his knowledge but also the consequent thereupon his answerable affection now his knowledge is necessarie his affection voluntarie so that though it be impossible that God should be ignorant of any thing yet he may be affected as pleaseth himselfe haue mercie on whom hee will haue mercie and harden whom he will as Saint Paul affirmeth out of Moses When as then hee is moued in pittie towards any whom he is not ignorant to be sinners â—om 9.18 hee is said to turne his face from their sinnes Non aduertit saith Saint Austine in quod non animaduertit his indisposition to punish it is ment by his hiding his face
God it is a phrase of Equipollencie Exod. 23. it is all one with God which is fairely insinuated vnto Moses wheÌ„ he desireth to see Gods face you shal find in the pursuit of that story that Gods glory Gods goodnes are aequipollent tearmes and it must be our endeauour as far as humaine frailtie will permit herein to resemble God to be nothing to doe nothing but that which may deserue praise And let this suffice concerning the first point the praise of God Let vs now see what King Dauid intends to doe about this praise his intent is to shew it forth I told you the word doth signifie Narrare and Enarrare to deliuer Gods praises by way of Historie and then vpon that he studieth to make a feeling Commentarie In King Dauids Psalmes you may find all kind of Histories you may well call them an abridgement of the Historicall Bookes yea and of the Propheticall too which are a kind of Historie there are few Narrations that tend to the praise of God whereat he hath not touched But his speciall commendations stands in the Enarration in the Commentarie that hee maketh vpon Diuine History he maketh vs see herein that which otherwise we would not heede he maketh vs sensible of that which otherwise wee would not regard Take a touch of it in some particulars Hee hath made many Psalmes of the Creation reade the 8. reade the 19. reade the 104. see how powerfully hee doth worke the obseruation thereof into the hearts of men in the 8. Psalme marke those words O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the Earth and againe What is man that thou art mindfull of him Or the sonne of man that thou visitest him And how powerfull are those words Psalme the 19. The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke Day vnto day vttereth speech c. but beyond all goeth 104. Psalme Blesse the Lord O my soule O Lord my God thou art verie great thou art clothed with honour and maiestie c. the 107. Psalme is about Gods Prouidence but marke the Burden that is added to euerie branch Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare his wondrous workes that he doth for the children of men The same method doth he vse in opening the Redemption Psalme 103. the Law Psalme 19. and 119. the Deliuerance out of Aegypt in many Psalmes it were endlesse to goe ouer all particulars take it for a generall rule you shall find in him neuer a Historie whereupon he doth not make such a Commentarie wherein hee doth not point out some thing that is obseruable and endeauour to make vs sensible thereof and to entertaine it as matter of Gods Praise and this is that which he meaneth by shewing forth Wherby with all hee teacheth vs that the occurrents of Gods Prouidence which befall our persons fall out in our times or any way offer themselues vnto vs must be looked into with such a reflecting such an adoring eye that we must take notice of and giue honour vnto God for his power his wisedome his goodnesse his iustice his mercie that shineth herein and sheweth it selfe vnto the world Thus wee must learne to shew forth the praise of God Dauid addes moreouer wherwith he will shew it forth with his mouth with the Mouth that others might heare the Praises And indeede ore fit Confessio as fraudis so Laudis Luke 12.9 men therewith as they must confesse their sinnes so must they set forth Gods praises shew them forth vnto the world for he that will not confesse God before men God will not confesse him before his blessed Angels The Church is a Body and what befals any member may befall euerie one be it matter of hope or feare sorrow or ioy therefore ought euerie man to communicate to the other his case and his knowledge to worke in them by the same meanes the like affection which hee feeleth in himselfe yea though we doe not feele it yet should we haue a fellow-feeling each of the others affections wherof wee cannot ordinarily take notice except each be informed by the others Mouth The Mouth being the ordinarie meanes of communication the trumpe whereby wee doe mutually stirre vp our selues vnto the Prayses of God But when mention is made of the Mouth wee must not exclude the Heart for though the instrument be the Mouth yet the Musitian is the Heart he causeth the tune of the voice to sound and addeth the Dittie to the Tune and certainely the Musicke will neuer be wel-come to God should any part of man be wanting thereunto Psal 103. therefore Dauid thus cals vpon himselfe Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his Holy name Gregorie the Great worketh this obseruation out of the word Meum my mouth there be many saith he that praise God but not with their owne mouth such as are the couetous the wantons c. They personate some other they seeme to take vnto themselues another mans tongue when they vtter that which they conceiue not in their own hearts But let such men know that their Praiers shall neuer haue accesse vnto Gods eares whose hearts are estrainged from Righteousnesse Wherefore let vs imitate Dauid in another place 〈…〉 who said that his Soule should be filled as it were with marrow and fatnesse when hee praiseth God with ioyfull Lippes Where withall we learne a good propertie of him that praiseth and that is hee performeth it with pleasure and indeede no man can sincerely praise 〈…〉 but he must delight in that which hee doth praise for praysing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nyssen speaketh a louing disposition And Saint Austin â—auâ—at Deum veraciter qui eum amat he praiseth God sincerely that loueth he loueth him vnfainedly and if our delight be not in him we must not thinke that we doe as we ought praise him In a word you heard before that Deus was totus Laudabilis wholy to be praised and we must be toti Laudantes haue no part of body or soule that must not be an instrument to sound forth Gods praise our whole life should be a Psalme thereof And let this suffice touching King Dauids Intent The Intent is good but men may intend more then they can doe good men haue beene ouer consident in their good meanings Saint Peter thought he would neuer forsake Christ and hee would die in his desence yet when he was put to it hee not onely cowardly shrunke from him but also fearefully denied him wherefore Dauid is well aduised hee presumeth not of his owne strength but hath recourse vnto Gods helpe O Lord open thou my lippes The Lippes are the doore of the mouth a doore that is shut vp therefore neede to be opened and it is worth the marking that the word which we translate open is not onely of the same originall with a doore in the Hebrew tongue
that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and there was a booke of remembrance written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought vpon his name And that the bad pathes of men are also recorded Vers 4. wee read Deut 3. where God hauing reckoned vp diuers enormous sinnes speaketh passionately thus Is not this laid vp in store with mee and sealed vp amongst my treasures he alludeth to the manner of Kings whose Records were kept in their Treasure-houses as you may gather out of Ezra Cap. 5.17 where the Roles are said to bee kept where the treasures were laid vp in Babylon The vse of this note is made by the Wise man Cap. 1. Beware of murmuring which is vnprofitable refraine from backbiting we may adde from all manner of sin for there is no word so secret that shall goe for nought yea inquisition shall be made into the very thoughts of the vngodly God keepeth an exact Record of all These two acts of Gods Prouidence refute two Athiesticall Positions The first is their Tush Iob. 22.13.14 God seeth not is there vnderstanding in the Highest Eliphaz in Iob expresseth it most elegantly How doth God know can hee iudge through the darke clouds thicke clouds are a couering to him that hee seeth not hee walketh in the circuit of Heauen so would they put out but cannot that al-seeing Eye which they blaspheme The second Position refuted is Tush God careth not suppose that he seeth yet he careth not for the things below he leaueth euery man to shift for himselfe and they think that the memory of their liues doth not out-liue their breath they feare no reckoning so they blaspheme Gods all-recording Hand we shall doe well by acknowledgement of these two branches of Gods Prouidence to auoid these two rockes whereat many old I feare me new Atheists also doe dayly suffer shipwracke Hauing thus farre opened vnto you what is implyed in my Text I come now to open that which is exprest therein I told you it is Indulgence and touching it I obserued first the suit that is made for it wherin you may see that Dauid doth make the branches of his petition answerable to the branches of Gods Prouidence The first branch thereof is God seeth all and answerably to that doth King Dauid pray that God would hide his face and no maruell for God is a God of pure eyes Cap. 1.13 as Habakuk speaketh and can abide no iniquity therefore in whomsoeuer there is the conscience of sinne there must needs arise feare and shame when such a party is presented before God feare for his eyes are as flames of fire and sinners are but as dry stubble Moses in a penitentiall representation of the calamity of the Israelites in the Wildernesse Psal 90.8 Cap. 16.17.18 layeth this for the ground of it Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance and in Ieremy thus speaketh the God of Israel Mine eyes are vpon all their wayes they are not hid from my face neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes what followeth I will recompence their iniquity and their sinne double because they haue defiled my land c. reade the like Amos Cap. 8. Vers 7. The Lord hath sworne by the excellencie of Iacob c. And the Imprecation against Iudas is fearefull Psal 109.14 Let the iniquitie of his fathers bee remembred of the Lord c. As feare so also shame ariseth wee learne it of the same Prophet Ieremy by whom the Lord saith thus vnto Israel Cap. 2.22 Vers 26. Thy sinne is marked before mee c. hee addeth As the thiefe is ashamed when hee is found so is the house of Israel ashamed And indeed shame is an inseparable companion of the conscience of sin when it is arraigned before a Iudge wee see how Malefactors hang downe their heads and Children blush when they are taken in a fault seeing then there is such feare such shame that ariseth from our guiltinesse appearing before Gods eyes we cannot wonder that K. Dauid in his first desire doth deprecate the first act of Gods Prouidence and would haue him hide is face that so hee might stand boldly and cheerefully before God His second desire respects the second act of Gods Prouidence Deus notat omnia God keepeth a Record of all Dauid therefore desireth that God would raze his booke To open this desire wee must obserue that in the Scripture there is mention made of foure bookes which keepe the Records of finne The first is Gods Memory that is the most exact booke all things with all their circumstances are precisely set downe therein it is the expresse Image of his Omnisciencie of that booke I haue said enough before Lest the truth of that booke should be questioned God hath prouided three other bookes that are without exception which will iustifie his Record against the most wrangling sinner The first is our owne Conscience which shall accuse or excuse in the day when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ It is of this booke that Ieremy speaketh Rom. 2.16 The sinne of Iuda is written with a pen of iron Cap. 17.1 and with the point of a diamond it is grauen vpon the table of their heart by the Heart meaning the Conscience 1 〈◊〉 3.20 21. as Saint Iohn doth where withall he aduertiseth vs that this record in our bosome beareth witnesse to the record that is in Heauen If saith he our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things but God is not contented with one witnesse he hath a second and him without exception also that is our Bodies and Soules they euerie one retaine the staine of sinne when the act is past and gone and from this staine euery part and power receiues a new name our throates are called open sepulchres 〈◊〉 2.13 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 ◠〈◊〉 30.3 〈◊〉 18. our lips poysonous Aspes our eyes are said to bee full of adulterie our hands bloudie our feete mischieuous our vnderstanding darknesse our Will peruersnesse finally our affections nothing else but impuritie A sinfull man is a spirituall Lazar and the leprosie wherwith he shall appeare will vndeniably proue what a life he hath led To these two God adds yet a third witnesse and that is a third Record The creatures which we abuse in sinning shall beare witnesse when wee are challenged for our sinne Cap. 17.1 The hornes of the altar saith Ieremit shall beare ingrauen the sinne of Israel The stones shall erie out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answere it Cap. 2.11 Cap. 5.3 saith Habakkuk your Gold and siluer is cankered saith Saint Iames and the rust of them shall witnesse against you nothing that we abuse be it meate drinke apparell goods or lands but retaines a stampe of our abuse it is
shewed whensoeuer wee approach God or haue to doe with sacred things That we may learne and practice it Let vs in the feare of God listen to that which I shall further say of these points briefly and in their order The first is Moses charge He must make a fence betweene the people and the Hill set bounds round about the People or as it is in the 23. verse He must sanctifie the Mountaine and make of it a Sanctuarie And indeed well might it so be reputed when it was couered with all the visible tokens of Gods maiesticall presence and if it be sanctified hereunto then it followeth it must be reuerend in our eyes and inuiolable by vs wee must not esteeme it as common ground nor make bold with it as if it were such Euerie man should know his distance and obserue it but ignorance in some and negligence in others are the causes why men left to themselues either know not what they should doe or doe not what they know God therefore in pitie of our ignorance and to hold in our vnrulinesse hath appointed those that shall set vs our bounds especially in things indifferent wherein presuming of lawfulnesse few will haue an eye to expediences The vulgar eye is not sharpe enough to discerne it neither is the vulgar heart plyable to the obseruance of it It is the worke of the Gouernour to remedie both these defects Neither onely in things indifferent but also in moralities for they are to make Lawes euen vpon the Law of nature and keepe vs to the doing of that which we would not doe though our Conscience suffer vs not to bee ignorant thereof because the morall Law is written in our hearts What man that hath not put off a man knoweth not that murder adulterie theft are sinnes And yet what more common in mens liues The commonnesse hath made it necessarie for all States to set bounds vnto their people in regard of these things And if in regard of Ciuill how much more of Ecclesiasticall things Men are neuer more lawlesse then in those things wherein you would exspect that euery man should especially bee a Law vnto himselfe that is in keeping his distance from God But herein also we need a Boundarie and God hath appointed those that must set it And who are they but such as Moses those that are set ouer vs For Moses must be considered here not onely as a messenger from God but also as a Ruler of the Israelites neither were they to heare him onely as a Counselour but as a commander his words did more then informe they did order their liues And in a word this is a principall branch of Magistracie to take away the common excuse of offenders which is Non putaram I wist not that this was my dutie and to direct them by Lawes before they call them to an account for their liues I will not here fall vpon the question which is much debated at this day whether Magistrates may set bounds vnto the people in causes Ecclesiasticall as well as Ciuill Onely take notice that here by an example we are taught that they may And let this suffice for Moses charge The Israelites charge is They must not presume to goe vp vnto the Mount And indeed a Boundarie were no Boundarie if it might bee passed You know by your ground that an Inclosure is no Inclosure if it may bee common how much more must this be conceiued of the Inclosure of God that Ground which he hath fenced vnto himselfe for a Sanctuarie If it be a trespasse to breake through your neighbours fence how much more through the fence of God This is Transgression indeed it is indeed Peccatum for that is quasi pecuatum playing the vnruly sheepe that will not be kept within his penne or to speake plainely with S. Iohn 1 Iohn 3 4. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Transgression of Gods Law But God will not haue his people Sonnes of Belial such as cannot indure his yoake Psal 2. hee will not haue them like those insolent ones that say Let vs breake his bonds and cast his cords from vs. God hath giuen a Law to the sea saying Iob. 38. Hitherto shalt thou come and here thou shalt stay thy proud waues and the Sea passeth not the bounds which God hath set it How much lesse should we presume notwithstanding the swelling of our nature and the impetuous affections thereof God exspecteth we should checke the presumption of our nature But about all presumption we should take heed of that which is the highest going vp into the Mount prophaning of the Sanctuarie of God and ventring in sacred things farther then he giueth vs leaue Curiositie in this kind hath beene the mother of Heresies when men haue beene busily wittie in searching into rather then belieuing of that profound Article of the Trinitie Man that is not able to vnderstand his owne nature Dauid confesseth such knowledge is too wonderfull for him dreameth that hee can comprehend the nature of God 〈◊〉 39. Others haue lost themselues while they haue diued into the mysteries of the Incarnation who are not able to vnderstand their owne regeneration Some ouer-studie themselues in the Booke of Gods prouidence and would know more then is possible for man to conceiue of Gods counsell in Predestination of the cooperation of grace in free-will c. Others climbe not so high but yet they goe to farre in determining the manner of the mysticall Vnion in the Sacrament and discouering of mysticall senses in many passages of the Scriptures To say nothing of the Iewish Cabalists of Astrologian diuinations of hereticall Reuelations and heathenish mysteries It is too cleare that what with the curious Cur Why of some and quomodo How of others there hath beene manifold passing the Bounds climbing the Mount and intrusions vpon God and the things of God It is naturall to a man to desire knowledge but since wee did eate of the forbidden fruit we haue beene very peruerse in that desire we that haue no mind to know God as we ought are very eager to know him as we ought not In this world Non Deum scrutari sedam are debemus we should rather desire to loue God then to know him whereas wee desire rather to know him then to loue him and as our first parents desire rather to eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill then of the tree of life And we need as a spurre vnto good and sauing knowledge so a bridle to restraine vs from that knowledge which is curious and presumptuous 〈◊〉 12. wherefore blessed is that discretion which maketh vs wise vnto sobrietie I will conclude this point with a good admonition of the Sonne of Syrach 〈◊〉 3. Seeke not out the things that are too hard for thee neither search the things that are aboue thy strength but what is commanded thee thinke therevpon with reuerence The ground of that good