AN EXPOSITION VPON SOME SElect Psalmes of David conteining great store of most excellent and comfortable doctrine and instruction for all those that vnder the burthen of sinne thirst for Comfort in Christ Iesus Written by that faithfull servant of God M. ROBERT ROLLOK sometime Pastour in the Church of Edinburgh And translated out of Latine into English by C. L. Minister of the Gospell of Christ at Dudingstoun The number of the Psalmes are set downe in the Page following EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT Walde graue Printer to the Kings Majestie 1600. Cum Privilegio Regio A Table of the Psalmes expounded in this Booke Psalme Third Fol. 1. Sixt Fol. 35. Sixteenth Fol. 80. Twentie three Fol. 113. Thirtie two Fol. 135. Thirtie nine Fol. 202. Fourtie two Fol. 229. Fourtie nine Fol. 261. Fiftie one Fol 283. Sixtie two Fol. 351. Sixtie fiue Fol. 375. Eightie foure Fol. 387. Hundreth Sixeetnth Fol. 410. Hundreth Thirtie Fol. 447 Hundreth thirty seventh 489. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE GRAVE and Godlie Matrone LILIAS GILBERT Spouse to M. IOHN PRESTOVN of Fentoun-Barnes One of the Senatours of the Colledge of justice and Collectour generall of Scotland C. L. wisheth grace mercy and everlasting peace passing all knowledge from God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ for ever Amen HAVing long considdered and advised with my selfe because I was never yet accustomed to such matters to whom I should dedicate this translation of the Exposition of that worthie seruante of GOD of blessed memorie M. ROBERT ROLLOK who now resteth from his labour vpponsome select Psalmes Yee right honorable and dearely beloved in Christ came first into my minde The chiefe thing that mooved me thus to doe was the discharge of my promise wherein I was bound vnto you ever since the booke came home which was in Sommer last At which time I happening to reade vnto you a little of the Exposition vppon the 42. Psalme Ye desired me very earnestly to translate the whole booke which thing I granted-to and promised to performe Behold therefore my promise is now in the mercy and assistance of God fulfilled to you And next I being ever desirous to testifie my duetifull and thankfull minde vnto you as one to whome I was and is much beholden to in many respectes I thought that there could be no better meane then the dedication of this present worke vvhich conteineth great store of most comfortable doctrines as I truste ye shall confesse when ye haue well perused the same so that the onely reading thereof may iustly commend it many waies even to such as are of great learning godlinesse and vertue For if we respect the Author it is God himselfe who vsed DAVID and others the penners of the said Psalmes to be his instruments that his owne in the day of their owne particular trouble and affliction should not lack store of Spirituall and heavenly comfort And so it is the word of Consolation the lampe of light to leade the heauie harted and casten-downe Christian by reason of the troubled conscience by the burthen of sinne through the darke night and thick clowde of afflictions to the throne of Gods mercy and grace More-over there are verie fewe heades of our Christian faith and religion as Faith Repentance Iustification Sanctification the Resurrection of his flesh Eternall life the nature causes and effects of Sinne Originall and Actuall comfort for the heavie and sorrowfull soule and sundrie such other poyntes But they are most pithily solidelie and with great evidencie of the Spirite set downe here Againe if wee haue an eie to the partie by whose ministerie and labours this Exposition was written He was a man as I may be hold to testifie being conversant with him both in Sanct-Andrewes and in this ciitie neere hand this twentie yeares by gane to whom the Church of GOD within this countrey is as much beholden as to any one instrument that ever GOD thrust out into his haruest in this Church of Scotland being a man indewed with excellent and manifolde giftes of GOD most diligent earnest and painefull in imploying of the same for bringing vp of the youth in godlinesse information and instruction in the Lord beating downe of the adversaries winning of people vnto God edifying of the flocke of Christ and shewing good example to other in his vpright conversation And wee haue all iuste cause to feare that the taking away of such a worthie light is a fore-runner of Gods severe iudgement to come vppon this sinfull Lande which I am afrayde is nearer then we suppose Hee vvas in in his life time a notable learned Doctour and a moste pithie Preacher of Christe crucifyed Indued vvith as great humilitie as ever I knewe man of our Nation which is a rare gift in the more learned sorte For knowledge puffeth vppe sayeth the Apostle and one vvhome I maye blesse the Lorde for his mercie in Christ Iesus towarde mee that ever I knewe as being the especiall instrument of GOD that planted the knowledge of my Saviour in my hearte vvhome I may call vvorthelie my Father and instructer in the Lord Iesus Christ And vvoulde to GOD that vve that are lefte behinde him in this miserable valley of teares could learne to haue our delight as little set vppon this life and thinges belonging thereto vvhere our cittie and place of residence is not as he had vvhose onely care vvas hovv to enlarge the Kingdome of Christe ever vvayting for the Cittie vvhich is not buylded vvith the handes But is everlasting in the Heavens as many a time I haue heard him speake I say no more of him for his workes alreadie set out and the seminarie which he hath planted I meane the Colledge of Edinburgh will continue his happie remembrance to the posteritie to come As concerning the translation of the worke itself I haue dealt as simplie and faithfully in turning it into English as was possible being content to expresse the authors meaning in most easie and simple tearmes keeping his owne phrase of speach so far as I could attayne to And so I humblie submit the iudgement thereof to your favorable acceptation the obteining thereof shall greatly increase my gladnesse in that I haue done any thing whereby the Church of God or any particular member thereof is or may be any whit edified Receiue it therfore with as charitable a minde as I doe willingly offer it as a token of my Christian duetie toward you Whom I recommende to the Lord and his grace in Iesus Christ beseeching his holy and sacred maiestie to continue his favour with you your Husband my Lor dand your posteritie to your everlasting comfort in Christ Amen From Edinburgh the third day of December 1599. By yours to be commanded in Iesus Christ C. L. Minister of the Gospel of Christ at Dudingstoun ANE EXPOSITION vpon the third Psalme THE ARGVMENT A Psalme of Prayer Now the maker thereof and the occasion of the writing of it is evident out of the Inscription A
afflicting whom in the meane while he felt to be his judge Thine hand saith he was heavie vpon me Wherefore chiefely he respecteth the person of the afflicter â—or the afflictions themselues mooue men not somuch as the conscience of God the judge For if there bee some feeling of the loue of God in the middest of afflictiones they appeare now to be lighter because then we feele that those afflictions are not inflicted by God as a just judge now but as by a most gratious father But if in afflictions there be no feeling of the mercy of GOD otherwise the most light now appear to be the most grievous vnto vs not so much because of the afflictions themselues as in respecte of the conscience of the Iudge For it is a terrible thing to fall in to the hands of the living God And of â—l enemies the terriblest is the wrathfull God chiefely Many there are I confesse who being manie waies miserably afflicted notwithstanding in the meane time are either nothing or at least very little commoved For no other cause then that they see not that their afflictions are of God and from thence it is that no regarde being had of GOD they turne themselues vnto the seconde causes and they powre out their wrath vppon them thinking with themselues that then at length they shall be blessed if they can be rigorous against them But if they vnderstoode that GOD were the author of all those thinges which shall vppon them and in the mean time wil not be touched with any sense of his loue mercy in christ surely they would bee more viuilie touched with those calamities and they would meditat with themselues one time or other concerning the asswaging of the wrath and justice of God and they would not be altogither violentlie with their whole force carried awaye against the second causes as they call them Surely such blindnes be nummednes of men is miserable The heâ—uinesse of gods 〈◊〉 whom when God exerciseth with his own hand never theles they neither see nor feele the same Then we haue to marke that which he saith that that hand of â—od was grievous vppon him continually First there is the heavines of the hand and wrath of God Thereafter ther is a heavines without iâ—termissioÌ„ when the sinner remayneth obstinat against faith and repentance then as it were God is hardned in his wrath Also afflictions and calamities make manifest verie oft vnto the worlde that perpetuall anger which God so continueth that as one waue followeth vppon an other so one affliction commeth vpon the neck of another and the greater continually followeth vpon the smaller So the Apostle speaking of the obstinate Iewes The wrath of God saieth he is come vppon them to the full The Iewes an â—xample If at any time wee see the wicked to swimme out of afflictiones 1. Thes 2. 16. wee should not thinke for this cause that this deliverance shall bee perpetuall All the wicked but that they are thus prepared for some more grieuous trouble I grant God giveth vnto them a breathing time and some well long distance of time between afflictions which hee layeth on such is his long suffering but these as the Apostle sayeth According to their hardnes and heart that cannot repent make that those distances of time Rom. 2. 5. which are otherwise granted vnto them for repentance to bee no other thing but so manie preparations to the more grievous wrath But to speake of the godlie this they by experience feele in themselues that while their faith in Christ languisheth and they some times turne themselues awaie from God incontinent surelie they feele in experience some signes of the wrathfull God And if they also persever in their back-sliding they feele that God continueth in his anger to the ende to wit that it may appear to be most manifest vnto them that there is nothing without Christ but wrath And if there were no other evident of this matter extante then those horrours which otherwaies the faithful feele in themselues while they either neglecte Christe or his blood or apprehend it not firmelie ynough in their soule surely by that and it were no more it is sufficiently declared that men are not in safetie without Christ that there is no true peace and quietnesse of mind without Christ seeing that in him alone the wrath of God himself doth quiet the selfe I will make my sinne Hitherto hath bene declared DAVIDS first experience to wit of his misery now followeth the seconde that is of his deliverance The summe is When I confessed my sin thou forgavest me both the sinne and the punishment of the sin But wee must take heed to the wordes I said that is I purposed and deliberat in my mind to confesse my sinne Now he vttereth this three manner of waies First sayeth he I will make my sinne knowen vnto thee Then I will not cover mine iniquitie Last I will confesse my defections vnto Iehova These three speeches fall all into one And this threefold repetition of one thing either sheweth how earnestlie he had confessed his sinne or surelie manifesteth that in the advisement taking there was some wrastling or combat with the flesh drawing the man back from afree and good confession He wrastleth out therefore hee multiplieth the confession of his sinne And thou tooke away That is thou forgavest me my sinne For then is the forgiuenesse of sin when the guiltinesse I saie and whole paine and not some part onelie of the paine whether the same be more or lesse Is taken away For Christs satisfaction for sin is perfite from the which verelie so much is taken awaie 1. 〈◊〉 as wee giue vnto our satisfactiones But concerning this matter looke before Obserue here first that DAVID confesseth not firste his sin before the same be forgiven neither tooke he sooner a purpose to confesse his sinne but the punishmeÌ„t of sinne was as soone taken awaie which certainelie is ane evidente token that sin is not so much the cause of the guyltines and punishment as hardnesse and as the Apostle speaketh the heart that cannot repente I grant indeed that sin procureth the wrath of God but obstinacie in sin continueth and hoordeth vppe that wrath For if any man would confes his sinne he should haue GOD no more angrie against him But by reason of his hardnes he confesseth not sinne therefore the wrath remaineth and not only it remayneth but it increaseth Therefore PAVLE speaketh But thou ô man Rom. 2. 5. after thine hardnes and hearte that cannot repente heapest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iuste iudgement of God For what shall we thinke to be the cause why that anger that is to come in that daye shall be so grievous The cause of so greate a wrath surely shall not bee so much sinne it selfe as an obdured heart in sinne and the contempt of
that we feele nothing at all But if wee were lightly touched with those terroures of everlasting death then indeed we should be earnestly grieved it would appeare no marvell vnto vs that such a bold man vtherwaies of courage was of so dejected a mind at this time Wherfore we must continually tak pains to cast off the deadly so pour which crepeth vpon vs day and night perswading our selues finally ever of that if wee judge not our selues we shal be punished of the Lord some one judgement or other being sent out vpoÌ„ vs we shall be wakened out of so deadly a sleepe Mine eie through indignation Hee persisteth yet in the amplifying of his grief The amplifying of the griefe Mine eie saith he through indignation is consumed That is according to my judgemente through the wrath whereby he is coÌ„moved against his enemies as the wordes following appeare to make manifeste Mine eie saith he waxeth old because of all mine enemies To wit for al those that in the minde of an enemie obserue me they insult vpon me being cast downe to the earth and triumph as it were over mee for the wicked vse to rejoice at the calamities of the godlie and to insult vpon them being throwen downe for that end inspeciall that if it bee possible they may driue them to desperation while they perceiue that their hope is mocked at For this is a most grievous sort of persecution when this is cast vp in their teeth that they haue in vaine hoped in God and that they haue beene as it were beguyled of God to whome notwithstanding they haue so much trusted Out of all question DAVID suffered this kinde of tentation at this time DAVIDS siknes of his body was grieuous the feeling of the wrath of God was heavier but this mocking of his enemies in his miseries increased exceeding greatly that griefe which proceeded from both The wicked haue no matter of reioycing specially in the afflictiones of the godly The wicked therefore rejoyce at the afflictiones of the godly when in the meane time they haue no cause to glorie But the godly indeed haue matter to rejoice in when they see the wicked humbled for with the casting downe of the wicked the deliverie of the godly is conjoyned But contrariwise there is no solide and true deliverance of the vngodly when the children of God are afflicted The wicked indeede appeare in their own sight to be happy and to liue more at liberty when the godly are dejected But to speake so there shall not be a final deliverance Wherfore if we wil speak truly there is no cause of rejoycing to the wicked out of the aflictions of the godly neither shal so many victories gotten over the professours of the Gospell profit the Papists one haire which aâ— daily brought to our eares by mens speeches out of those nations whom the Lorde for the cause of religion exerciseth this day For there shall remaine a Church to God vppon the earth even vntil the second coÌ„ming of Christ albeit al the Kinges of the earth conspire against the same For it is by the mighty power of God that that small flock is wonderfully preserved in the midst of so manie Wolues cirkling them round about But suppose that the Church of God were altogether at one time taken out of the earth which the vngodly would wish with all their heartes would the wicked be for that cause the more happy The â—â—â—â—â—eame greate mâ—sery of the vngodly Doeth this worlde stand because of the wicked is this interchanging of daies and nightes by reason of the vngodly Doeth the earth bring foorth her fruits for the wickeds sake No verely for al those thinges come to passe because of the godly An example Church of God But if there were an final accomplishment of the Electe there should not bee a place found for any of the wicked vppon the whole earth What cause therefore haue they of rejoycing glorying at the afflictiones of Gods children The Lande of Palestina which was ever an enemie to the people of the Iewes rejoyced sometime at the afflictions of the Iewes but what saieth God vnto them Reioyce not O thou whole Palestina because his roddâ— that stroke thee is broken Esai 14. 21. that is because the power of the kingdome of the Iewes is diminished and broken As if the Lorde should saye Thou hast no cause to rejoyce O Palestina concerning that matter Which thinges seeing they are so surely so oft as wee daily see those men that are glad at the afflictions of the Churches of France and rejoyce at the comming of the Spaniardes into this I le to overthrow this purity of the Gospell which we professe who laugh as it were in their sleeue at those things While we see I saye those fine-ones wee haue no great cause so much neither to envie their prosperitie nor theirs whom they favour as we haue cause to pittie their miserie and to be glad for the happinesse that shall one daye come vnto the Church Christ â—ayth Ioh. 16. 20. Verely verely I say vnto you yee shall lament and mourne but the world shall reioyce ye shall bee heavie but your sorrow shall be turned into ioye Againe Matt. 5. 4 Blessed are they that mourne for they shall receiue comfort And againe Luk. 6. 25 Woe be vnto you sayeth he that laugh because ye shall mourne and weepe Out of which words wee obserue that this is a necessare interchanging that those that now mourne with the Church of God shal laugh with her for ever after this life But those who nowe laugh in the miseries of the Church shal mourne and weepe for ever after this life 9 Departe from mee all ye workers of iniquitie for Iehova heareth the voyce of my weeping 10 Iehoua heareth my deprecation Iehova receiveth my prayer 11 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore troubled let them turne backe let them be suddenly ashamed The other part of the Psalme the heavinesse of the godly is turned into joy they casting down into confidence DEpart from me Hitherto the first part of the Psalme hes bin consumed in petitiones now followeth the other in which DAVID in an instant having feâ—t that grace and favorable good will of God which hee craved by a turned speech he gloryeth against his enemies That thing is worthie of consideration to see how hastely the alteratioÌ„ is made from the sense of the feling of Gods anger into the feeling of his vnspeakable mercy even when he was wrastling with the wrath of God But now hee is lifted vppe through the confidence of his mercy Any godly man being oppressed with Gods anger and casten down as it were to the low hells sooner nor one can speak the worde is lifted vp vnto the heavens This is to bee attributed to God and to his mightie power who with one blenk of his eie is able wounderfully to deliver his owne DAVID
followeth the confirmation thereof from his owne experience Also that experience is two fold The first is of the miserie at what time to wit he held his tongue and confessed not his sinne The second is of deliverance and forgiuenes of sin that is to wit at that time when he confessed his sin Then hee sayeth first When I held my tongue my bones waxed old That is when I conteined my sinne within mee when I dissembled the same and confessed not My bones waxed olde That is mine whole bodie was consumed there was nothing so firme in me no not indeede so much as my bones which was not worne away with the hand of God Marke the Prophetes words for he speaketh not so becaus I haue sinned my bones consumed awaye But he sayeth thus When I helde my peace Or when I confessed not my sin Why the godly are afflicted of God My bones wore away Of the which we learne that the godly are not for that cause afflicted of God that they are punished because of their sinnes which are all forgiven in that alone satisfaction of Christe but to the ende they may be raysed vppe out of that sluggishnesse and extreame deadlie securitie and may be broght to repentance I obserue this because of the enemies who defende that afflictions yea even of the godlie are so manie temporall punishmentes and satisfactiones for sinne when there is but one satisfaction of Christ yea and that all sufficiente and punishmente which he suffered for all our sinnes so that whosoever would conjoyne any other satisfaction whatsoever with this satisfaction of Christ of force he must take away some thing from that most perfect satisfying Much rather therefore we must hold and learne out of this experience of DAVID that whatsoever afflictiones of the godly are not ay by reasō of their sinnes to wit that any punishment should bee taken of them albeit otherwise the originall and efficient cause of them be sinne For the wages of sinne is death the same judgmēt is to be taken of al temporal afflictiones whatsoever But GOD who out of light bringeth foorth darknesse hee so changeth these afflictiones which are of the owne nature the fruites and effectes of sinne that nowe they become certaine exercises of the godly for their weill Then as I haue said afflictions come not for sinne as the ende that it may be punished but that repentance mortification and conversion may be wrought Secondly marke in this place how deepe the deadly sopour yea of the godly is at some time that those who now and then sleep so in sinne that they cannot be wakened vnlesse it bee with most grieuous afflictiones as DAVID speaketh yea except their bones be consumed that also which is a wounderfull thinge falleth out after that they haue now oft had experience of the mercy of GOD in Christ are touched with that sense of the passing sweete loue of GOD which surely ought to haue easilie without anie trouble alured their mind vnto God For he who once hath felt how gracious the Lord is he must of necessitie continually seeke the presence of God Notwithstanding they are so obdured whiles and cast vp into a deepe sleepe that they would never turne themselues vnto God vnlesse it were they were drawen with the violence of afflictiones This security is wounderful this sleepe is marveylous which now and then even creepeth-on vpon the godly and shaketh off so from them the taist of that loue of God in Christ for a time in which otherwaies it became them to be allured continually to seeke God that except they were judged of GOD they shuld perish miserably with the rest of the world Moreover we haue here to mark out of the word Of keeping silence whereby indeede somewhat obscurely is meant some conscience of sinne and that oppressed with silence and vnrighteously with holden as the Apostle speaketh For there is no man so voyde of conscience which is not some time as it were rounded with into the eare admonished of his sinne And from thence it proceedeth that men being warned by their conscience of sinne whereof in the meane time they delight very greatly and they indevour to nourish the same in their bosome as it were they travel by all meanes to dissemble and cover their sinne so that if it were possible it should not be marked with Gods eies to that end especially that they might enjoy sin without the brode of conscience and disquietting of the minde which thing indeed they cannot attayne vnto if they knowe that their sinne is before the sight and eies of God Of which it commeth to passe that some pretend one excuse some another yea some pretending religion and externall worship for their sins But al those things are done in vayne For it is not possible that sinnes can be covered as it was said before vnlesse they be hid with the onely obedience of Christ In my roaring As if he should say I in the meane time not acknowledging my sinne was touched indeed with a present sense of my afflictions all the daye I roared like a Lyon I vttered very beastly noyses Of the which we learne yea that the very Hecte and godly at what time being delivered over into their owne hande they begunne to waxe beastlie and to sleepe in sinne while by afflictions they be awakened out of that sleep they vse to vtter voyces as of beastes rather then of men yea many times they murmure and fret against God For if you will considder common nature there is no difference betuixte the Elect and the Reprobat the godly and the vngodly Which surely if there bee any it is from God alone who only puts the difference betuixt vs who at last allureth the godly vnto himselfe by some sense of his loue yea and by his holy Spirite boweth their harts But he leaveth the vngodly for ever being left it is so far a way that they are softned by afflictions and calamities that contrariwise they are judged and become worse and worse For day and Hitherto hath the most grievous affliction bin set downe here followeth the cause thereof as if he should saye no man hath cause to woūder that my bones are worne awaye and that I in the meane time haue roared like a Lion For the hand of God day and night oppressed me Thy hand was heavy vpon me saith he day night That is continually without intermission and from thence it commeth to pas that My most excellent iuyce was turned into the sommers droughts That is that juyce whereby the body was fresh did dry-vp yea and the whole body was dryed vp became withered For it is the amplifying of so grievous an oppression from the owne effect because the hand of God oppressing him it wrong out all the sap of the bodie Marke here the principall cause of DAVIDS afflictions not onely did the afflictiones so much mooue him as God
grace For that which is saide by the Apostle is not to be thought light to neglect such a great salvation Heb. 2. 3. is vtterlie to refuse the Son of God in whom whosoever beleeueth not as is spoken in IOHN 3. 18. Is already condemned because he beleeveth not in the only begotten son of God Marke next 2. lesson that bold liberty which the sinner being nowe turned vnto God vseth in this confession of DAVID I will confesse my sinne vnto thee saieth DAVID And this liberty manifesteth the feeling of Gods loue toward him and the confidence of grace and of remission of sinnes in Christ For it is not possible that a sinner turne him selfe vnto GOD confesse his sin and earnestly craue for the forgiuenes of his sinne vnles there be already first after some sort some sense of grace and pardon purchased The conscience threw out a confession out of IVDAS but he durst not be so bolde as to confesse his sin before GOD neither yet to deale with God after this manner that DAVID doeth in this place I will make my sinne knowen sayeth he vnto thee But going aside turning his back as it were vnto God sayeth he I haue sinned hauing betrayed the Innocente bloud Wherefore to speake it summarly the confession of sinne before God the craving of pardon that is this libertie wherby any man dareth be bolde to appeare before him and to present himselfe before his judgement seate sufficiently doth manifest some feeling of grace and that selfe same remission of sinnes which wee seeke being purchased already in some sort For this cause shall everie one He commendeth this his experience 〈…〉 which was of Gods mercie immediatly preceeding from the own effect in every one of the faithful that were to come thereafter For this cause sayeth he That is for this experience of thy mercy toward me Shal he pray vnto thee That is he shall confesse his sinnes or he shall craue pardon He to whom thou art fauorable That is not by putting any kinde of difference but hee onely whome God loveth Of this loue and favour there must of necessity be some sense as we haue already even now spoken before any man be so bolde either to confesse his sinne to God or earnestly to craue pardon for sinne But at what time shall he whom God favoreth pray at times sayeth When it shall happen To wit In the over flowing of many waters That is in the stormes and waues of extreame vehement afflictions as before Psal 18. 17. and every where in the Psal 69. They shall not so much as touch him that is they shall not so much as touch him lightly so firme shal be the loue of God in Iesus Christ Rom. 8. ◠And if they happen to touch him they shall bee so farre away from being of abilitie to hurt the man as contrariwise they shall be for his profite Rom. 8. 〈◊〉 For all thinges worke together for the best to them that loue God Wherefore the Apostle when he felt himselfe so grounded in that loue he securely gloryed against the adversarie creatures of whatsoever sort as oppression nakednes hunger the sworde death life powers dominions And this surely hee did not indeede for that ende that hee thought that it was not possible that this life presente might be taken out of the world by those things for hee himselfe thereafter felt the contrary in experience but for this cause that he looked for certainly hoped for that other life of God ◠Lesson which should never die with this life This is not to be pretermitted that DAVID confirmeth this man that is to praye whosoever finallie he bee with a promise of that thing which he shall craue so encourageth him to pray For by this example wee learne whosoever wil pray with confidence of necessitie he must haue while he is praying continvally before his eies the promises of God in Christ yea and hee must remember of them so far as it is possible For if there be no meditation vpon the promises of GOD what confidence what zeale I praye you can there be in praying seeing that without Gods own word there cannot be faith and in vayne shall any man promise to himself any good thing or grace from GOD whereof he hath not some assurance out of Gods owne word promise Faith is by hearing Rom. 10. 〈◊〉 and hearing by the worde of God Indeed that is true that there is no man to be found which is not at some time touched with some feling of this want and so is provoked and it were no more very necessity it self compelling him to conceiue praiers But if there be no promise of God before the eyes no worde of GOD concerning that thing which they seek with what face or of what mind dare they be so bolde to come vnto God I marke this the more carefullie for that cause that all may knowe how necessary it were to search and learne out of the word of GOD himselfe and Scriptures all the promises of GOD whither they be of things temporall or of things everlasting In which verely whosoever at passing-well versed those men doe pray very well When wee speake of promises Christ is not to bee passed by in silence in whom all the promises of God are yea Amen that is they both haue their owne ground also their accomplishment without whom in vayne surely thou lookest vppon the promises either temporal or eternal Wherefore whosoever beholdeth the promises of God if hee will look vpon them with profite it is requisite that first of al he look vpon their beginning and end Iesus Christ and never suffer him to depart out of his eies Thou art a lurking place vnto me Hitherto by the waye the promise was inserted Nowe followeth the forme of prayer which that man which is beloved of GOD shal vse whosoever he bee yea and that leaning to DAVIDS example experience In this little prayer not so much at the words to be numbred as they are to bee weighed Before the promise he maketh his preface that God is his lurking place and he professeth his assurance in God alone which in deede is principally the solid ground of the petition and a vehementargumēt to purchase to himself the grace of GOD For seeing thou makest a semblance professest that thy confidence in prayer is placed not in men nor in our merites in which the Papistes trust neither yet in anie other thing but in God alone through Iesus Christ surely nowe thou bringest with thee somewhat then which no thing is more pleasant and acceptable to God Also the petition is in those words Keepe me from trouble Then nexte according to the same meaning compas me about with songs of deliverance as if he shuld say deliver me that I may haue mater to sing thy prayses Hee seeketh then a deliverance for the glorie of God wherof out of all question he
Psalme of David saith he when bee fledde through feare of his sonne Abschalom Looke the occasion in the 2. booke of Sam. 15. Chapter to the twenty Chap. at length opened vp Then to returne to the matter the Psalme is composed of three partes The first is ane heauie complaint from the 2. verse to the 4. Then is a glorying of Faith through a feeling of the mercie and deliverance of God which he appeareth to haue felt and tasted while he made his complaint vnto the 8. verse Thirdly there is a two-sold petition The first for him selfe The other for the whole people vnto the end of the Psalme THE III. PSALME 1 A Psalme of DAVID when he fledde through feare of his sonne Abschalom 2 O Iehova how many are mine adversaries many they are that rise vp against me 3 Many there are that say of my soule there is no salvation for this man in God! Selah The first part of the Psalme O Iehova how many The first part of the Psalme is the complaint which aryseth as it appeareth clearely from a heart partely oppressed by the grieuousnesse of afflictions partly astonished through the multitude of enemies For hee cannot sufficiently wonder at such a multitude so suddenly seduced by his sonne Abschalom And therefore wondring and astonished at once he repeateth this thrise How many are they The grievousnes of the affliction Now the heauines of the affliction appeareth fullie of the degrees of the complaint for he complaineth not only of many enemies but of many enemies rising vp against him And not that onely but of many enemies both blasphemous against God and spiteful against himselfe The commō church of whome they spake as of one forsaken of God Of this third and highest degree this thing is to be perceived in Davids example that God even after such a maner vses to exercise his owne and those that are beloved of him that they appeare to the world to be among the number of the reprobat and of those that are forsaken of God And this is not done without a cause for the defections yea Cau◠of every one that is most good are many and sinne appeareth many times to be sweete vnto the Electe Therefore God suffers them againe to taste how bitter the fruit of sinne is Yet notwithstanding in the mean time hee so mitigateth this sense of the fruit of sinne that he suffereth them not to feele at one time and together the whole sharpnes thereof And he changeth so that part of that sense and bitternes which he giveth to them to be tasted that out of bitternes he maketh sweetnes to come out of that which is by the owne nature the fruit and punishment of sin he maketh a way as it were of amendment of life yea vnto the very heauens themselues This way to some man may appeare backward that any by the Helles should passe vnto the heauens Notwithstanding God bringeth it to passe which brought light out of darknes Then mark next in this complaint and in this example of DAVID that every one of the godly vses in their afflictiones to turne them selues at length vnto God And that is a plaine proofe if there were no more onely that this punishment which is otherwise inflicted vpon sinne changeth the own nature For at no time the turning vnto GOD followeth the punishment in so far as it is the punishment of sin whatsoever the Papists prattle of temporall punishments and satisfactions as they speake But after what maner now at last doth DAVID convert himselfe vnto God For the godly man afflicted many waies vseth to turne himselfe vnto God for either by confession of his sinnes or by seeking deliverance from the present affliction or finally by complayning and quarrelling with God he turneth himselfe vnto him Now DAVID in this Psalme turneth himselfe vnto God by complayning and lamenting not indeede that he acknowledgeth not his sinne together with his deserving to wit that he is justlie through his owne procurement afflicted after that maner For we reade not that DAVID thus complaineth in any other place that hee vndeservedly suffered any thing of his God In some other place I grant he complaineth that he suffered many things of men and of his enemies but in no place he maketh moane that hee suffered any thing vndeservedly at Gods hands Moreover it is manifest ynough by his own wordes in this place of what thing he complayneth For he complayneth not only of the multitude of his enemies but also of the over grieuousnesse of the affliction David◠complayne what on it is As if any childe chastened of the father complaining that he is over rigourously handled Albeit in the meane time that is true that GOD never tempteth his owne aboue that they are able to susteine For hee will not suffer you to bee tempted aboue that you bee able but will even giue the issue with the temptation that yee may bee able to bear it 1. Cor. 10. 13. I grant he burdeneth the reprobat aboue that they are able to beare and therefore CAINE Genes 4. 13. complayneth That his punishment is greater hen that he is of strength to beare But God tempteth not his owne so albeit sometimes it appeareth so vnto them because of the infirmitie of our nature I praye you what meneth that The tentation of the godly that a man euen in the middest of his tentations I speak of the godlie while hee hes his recourse vnto God feeleth that in some part he is eased of his burthen that he feeleth with sighes that cannot be expressed a joy invtterable What other thing I pray you is meant by that matter but that while the godly hes their refuge vnto God their tentation is asswaged and that after a sort they slide and escape out of the midst of tentation to speake so with the Apostle The tentation of the wicked The vngodly whiles they are punished of God they feele not indeede that neither is there a way made open to them vnto God Therefore the burthen of the wrath is heavier then they are able to beare Of which thing also CAIN Genes 4. 14. complayneth who beside that he was condemned to banishment casten out of the Church hee was also casten out from the face of God But this complaynt of DAVID is yet a little more diligently to be examined of vs and finally it must be taken heede to from what mind it proceeded The beginning of this complaint clearely manifesteth the selfe of this familiar maner of doing with God which is easilie perceived in DAVIDS complaint For such a familiar fashion of dealing with God sheweth that this complaynte came not from the Spirit of man For the Spirite of man durst never yet compeir before God and his judgement seate For howsoever otherwaies it appeare to be fearce notwithstanding it trembleth and shaketh at the sight of God Wherefore of necessitie this so familiar a complaint
God promised to be a God to Abraham Why David sure of eternal life appeareth to be carefull of the present and to his seede Genes 17. 1. But if thou aske in this place seeing now before he had gloryed in God and in his presence which also hee felt in his minde in the middeste of afflictions He gloryed I say against all his enemies against life against death how commeth it to passe that nowe he is so carefull of this life and craveth so earnestly at God that hee would deliver him out of the present danger I answer that this great securitie of the godlie and the contempt of this present life fighteth not among themselues And the petitiones of this sorte whereby they craue also the preservation of this life alwaies with that condition if it please God so that he would grant the same to his owne glorie for neither the godlie while they haue a fore-taist of that other life and leaning thereto they glory againste all thinges caste not in the meane time vtterly awaye the care of this life and rashly powre out the same For this present life among the reste of Gods giftes is not the basest Thou hast striken Hee mooveth GOD to his preservation in time to come from the by gane experience in destroying of the enemies and wicked and therewith also filling them with shame For it is thought to bee a shamefull thinge to bee striken vpon the cheeke bone and to suffer the breaking of the teethe that is strokes vppon the face and in the mouth Obserue in this place tw◠linkes as it were of that fine Golden Chaine which PAVLE linketh together to witte Experience and Hope Experience sayeth hee Rom. cap. 5. 3. bringeth out Hope This petition of DAVID from bygane experience leaneth to the Hope of the present and temporall deliverance to be purchased Albeit indeed I confesse that this is not a sure hope even that to wit which maketh not ashamed vnlesse it be that hope of that everlasting promised deliverance For that is properly that hope which followes the experience of Gods deliverance especially if there be a feeling with that experience of deliverance of the loue of God in Christ Iesus Therefore the Apostle subjoyned in that place For the loue of God is powred out in our hearts by the holy Spirit As if he should say of necessitie this hope maketh not ashamed and it is sure seeing that experience from which hope proceedeth is especially of the loue of God in Christ Iesus Salvation it selfe Thereafter he prayeth for the people yea for that parte of the people which followed after Abschalom and was seduced of him One would marvell that DAVID in such a great daunger of his life is so mindfull in his prayer of the people salvation of others For this would appeare to bee of a man that is set a part from all perill and daunger not onely to respect himselfe or his own life but also others and the salvation of others But it is to be knowne that this is the disposition of every member of that vniversall body of Christ that it is not onely touched with a sense of the owne miserie but also it is commoved with a compassion of the reste of the members of the same body And looke how much the more it is touched with a sense of the owne miserie so much the more it suffereth with the rest whom it seeeth to be miserable For he who never yet felt any miserie surely that man is vnmeet to pitie others whom he seeth to be oppressed with misery Also the reason of this petition is taken from the nature of God him self To Iehova saith he is salvation to bee ascribed as if he should say The reas◠of the last petition The nature of Iehova is to saue and to bee mercifull So he declareth vnto God what his nature is For there is none other reason more effectuall to moue God then if you bring foorth vnto him his owne nature especially that whereby he is mercifull For God delighteth chiefely in mercy and aboue all thinges in his owne nature he is most mercifull God is loue Ioh. 4 ◠Now it is not possible that this can be done of vs to wit that we be able to bring out this his nature before him especiallie that hee is mercifull vnlesse wee travel diligently first to see by the eyes of our soule yea and feele also surelie in our heart in some measure that infinite Essence Wisedome Iustice Power and mercie of God c Except wee holde vs content to prattle of an vnknowen thing which wee haue never yet neither seene nor felt Wherefore the knowledge of the nature of God is chieflie most necessarie to conceiue earnest prayer and not onely the knowledge but the sense and feeling of the same And wee must indevour all our life long so much as is possible we may conceive in this finite that narrow minde that infinite majestie To him therefore be all honour and glory Amen THE ARGVMENT Of the VI. PSALME This is a Psalme of Prayer and it is manifest out of the inscription that it was written by David The partes thereof are two The first is a petition by which David being sick prayeth to God that he would remoove his anger and scourge hee craveth earnestly his mercie seeketh after salvation from the seconde verse to the ninth Then through a sure faith feeling the things that he sought he gloryeth against his enemies of Gods taking heede vnto him and of his bountifulnesse vnlooked for from the ninth verse to the end of the Psalme THE VI. PSALMI 1 A Psalme of DAVID committed to the Maister of musick vpon the Violes to be song to a graue tune 2 O Iehova rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise mee in thy burning wrath 3 Iehova be gratious vnto mee because I am become feeble heal me Iehova because my bones ar altogether troubled 4 And my soule is greatly troubled thou therefore Iehova how long 5 Returne ô Iehova deliver my soule saue me for thy mercies sake 6 For in death the selfe there is no remembrance of thee who shall prayse thee in the graue 7 I faynt in my mourning I cause my bedde to swimme all the night I make my bedde side to melt with my teares 8 My eie through indignation is consumed it groweth olde because of all my foes The first part conteineth the petition the cause whereof hee adjoyneth O Iehova The firste parte of the Psalme as we haue spoken The petition first he prayeth that affliction may be remooved Then he prayeth for prosperitie as for deliverance and salvation Also with the petitiones hee intermingleth the causes First therefore hee prayeth that the wrath of God may be remooved O Iehova saith he rebuke me not in thine anger c. DAVID as it appeareth by his own words being holden down with a grieuous sicknes hee conceived in his minde that God was angrie against
the generall doctrine commeth first in hand Then a confirmation of the propositioÌ„ from experience last the effecte of that experience of the mercy of God toward DAVID in others of the faithful Then to the end we may speake of the proposition DAVID first is tormented with the conscience of sinne and because of sin with the feeling of Gods wrath Then his minde is quieted by a confidence of the forgiuenes of his sins Therefore he appeareth to himselfe to be blessed after that torment and horrours of death through the conscience of the remission of his sinnes his minde being now setled in ease hee sheweth plâ—inely once and over again what great good is in the forgiuenesse of sinnes in this Psalme of doctrine and there through hee becommeth an excellent learned Teacher of the blessednesse of man For every man is bounde after that firste he hath felt his own miserie then his free deliverance in Christ according to his calling to deliver over vnto others as it were the doctrine of the miserie and blessednesse of man DAVLD nowe then becommeth such a one and hee teacheth that true and solide felicitie consisteth not in the riches of this worlde not in honor glorie not in pleasures not in the workes and merites of men but in the grace of God alone in the free remission of sinnes Also those whom he taketh in hand to teach are miserable men miserable I say it were no more but by reason of the conscience and of death yea or rather because of that fleshly security whereby many are casten vp so in a deepe sleepe that neither are they touched with a sense of sinne nor of miserie which estate surely is of all estates far most perilous Then those ar they whom he teacheth this true happinesse to whom by viue voyce he poynteth out as it were with the finger that onely cause which pacifieth and blesseth the consciences of miserable men to wit the free remission of sinne in Christ Moreover there are three sorts of speeches concerning remission of sinnes in the two first verses which notwithstanding all fall into one The first is The first Blessed is he which is eased sayth he DAVID feeling himselfe as it were firste oppressed with the burden of sinne Then that he was eased of that but then through the mercy of God and his conscience now being pacified to him drawing his breath as it were he cryeth out and declareth that that man is blessed whosoever he bee that is disburthened of the heavie burthen of his defectioÌ„ Now the cause wherefore wee feele not in our selues such a blessednesse neither are able to prayse the same with DAVID is this securitie whereby it commeth to passe that either sin is not felt at all or if it be felt it is esteemed as a thing of little weight But if the deadly sopour were shaken off from vs and if there were any feeling of sinne together with a sense of the wrath of God drawing out sin to the light and making the burthen of sin to appeare intollerable as that way it appeareth vnto DAVID when he saieth and complayneth that the burthen of his iniquities are heavie Psal 〈◊〉 â— that they are heavier then he is able of strength to beare For he felt conjoyned with his iniquities the wrath of God from which proceedeth that so great a weight of sin If therefore we feele that burthen of sinne with the anger of God lying on vs then surely we would in good earnest acknowledge that that man were blessed who were disburdened of his defection Whose sinne is covered The seconde forme of speech followeth whereby he publisheth the remission of sinnes Blessed is he sayeth he whose sinne is hid DAVID when hee had felt this sinne and all this deformitie of nature to be layd open before the eies of that wrathfull God Then also he had felt that his sinne was covered with the obedience righteousnesse of Christ his minde being nowe quieted and setled hee pronounceth that man to be blessed whose sinne was covered Now the cause wherefore wee feele not this blessednesse in our selues by experience is that he is blessed whose sinne is covered is the selfe-same stupiditie of our nature and fleshlie securitie wherewith wee are so blinded that we neither see our sinne neither the angrie face of God looking vpon vs from the heauen For the which blindnes sake againe we do oft come to that shamelesnesse that not being coÌ„tent in secreet to offend those eies of God we also do openly come out and in Gods sight before the Sun the Moone yea and as it were the whole world looking on sometimes wee commit man-slaughter otherwhiles adulteries nowe thieftes and riefes and then other sortes of moste filthie sinnes and provoke as Esay saieth 3. â— the eies of the glorie of God Like as we read of that Zimri Num 9â— 25. a most impudent man who came foorth brought out his filthinesse with that his exceeding filthie whoore the Midianitish woman in the sight of God in the sight of Moses in the presence of all the people yea in the publicke sorrow of al the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ Wherefore Phinees being vehemently stirred vp with the zeale of God taking a speare in his hande striketh them both through But if surely there were any Magistrates among vs indewed with such a zeale those most wicked men should not escape vnpunished for so many man-slaughters so many adulteries Finally for so many sortes of most haynous sins Nevertheles this thing in the meane time should comfort vs that the selfe same God yet remaineth and that ever like to himselfe who because of his righteousnes is not able to suffer for ever that these most wickedman shall escape vn-punished for those sinnes This is then the blindnesse which proceedeth from our securitie and againe a wounderful shamelesnesse proceeding from that blindnesse But surely if once at length we were wakened vp out of this deadly sopour and saw our sinnes viuely together with the angrie countenance of God beholding vs from the heaven and burning vp our soules as it were with his hoat wrath for the angrie countenance of God doth none otherwaies burne the vncleane souls of men then the fyre any mater meet for burning as tymber stuble or hey according to that saying of the Prophet Thou shalt appoynt them For to be burnt as a furnace of fyre in the time of thine angrie countenance then declaring that more clearely he subjoyneth Iehova shall sup them vp in his wrath as if the fyre had coÌ„sumed them But if I say there were any feeling of those things then surely wee would with DAVID commend much that man to be blessed whose sinne were so covered that it should not be seene of an angrie God Blessed is the man to whome Iehova imputeth none iniquitie The thirde forme of speech The third forme of speache whereby hee expresseth vnto vs the remission of sinnes Hee felt out
of all question first a judgement seate set vp as it were in his owne soule and an accusing conscience that his sin was imputed vnto him by God the judge Then this whole judgement being remooved out of his soule by Christ that his sinne was not layde to his charge Of this it commeth to passe that being refreshed he cryed out commendeth him to be greatly blessed to whom God imputeth not sinne But if we after the same maner raysing vp a judgement seate in our hearts would first see feele our conscience accusing vs God sitting in judgement and sin to be laide to our charge by GOD the judge surely wee would call that man blessed with DAVID to whom God imputeth not sin But such is our greate sluggishnesse that albeit we be other wile sinners notwithstanding except it be very hardly ar we touched with any sense of sin yea even then when the wrath of GOD exerciseth vs wee are not drawen on to the acknowledging of our sinne but verie hardly Out of this laste forme of speech whereby DAVID published the forgiuenesse of sinnes we learne also from DAVIDS example himself we learne I say first what is the estate of the soule of a sinner which is touched deepely with a conscience of his owne sinne and thereby is prepared vnto grace He feeleth that there is a judgment seat set vp in his soule and that God himselfe the judge sitteth therein Then the conscience of sinne accuseth and God the judge layeth sinne to the charge and looketh vppon the filthinesse thereof as with a terrible eie From thence followeth a deepe sense of sinne and a burden that is not able to be borne of sinne I say which appeared a little before to be of no weight and moment Of this also aryses horrours terrours of hell which if they continued any longer they would driue a man vnto desperation Wee haue againe also in the example of DAVID the constitution of the soule of the sinner after that sinnes are forgiven Hee feeleth within himselfe that all that judgement ceaseth that his conscience as a witnesse accuseth him no more of sinne and that sin is not layde vnto his charge by God the judge he feeleth also that what-so-ever remanent of sinne is in the corrupte nature that it is whollie covered so with the righteousnesse perfite obedience of Iesus Christ that the angrie face of GOD is no more directed against the same finallie he feeleth now that his sin is not imputed vnto him and so as I said it being covered he feeleth it to bee a burden vnto him no more And in deede when any is disburdened of the burden of sinne sinne appeareth vnto him to bee a light thing not by reason of that fleshlie securitie but for the mercy of God in Christ his sake it is made light of little weight Vppon these follow an inâ—credible peace and quietnesse of conscience which is none other thing then that blessednes which DAVID commendeth For when he had once intirely felt it in his soule he reteineth it not within his owne minde But hee is compelled to common thereof with others that if it be possible other miserable men also such as we are all by nature may be touched with some sense and sweetnesse thereof in some measure that so they may become blessed More-ouer wee haue also to learne out of DAVIDS words that which PAVLE also gathered out of the recommendation of this blessednesse of DAVID Rom. 4. 6. to wit that that man is blessed to whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes that is that a man is made righteous not by any inherent righteousnesse which proceedeth from his workes but by righteousnes imputed onely For if justification and blessednes be by forgiuenesse of sinnes of necessity it must follow that justification is by righteousnesse not surely inherent but imputed For forgiuenesse is also of sinne inherent Nowe sinne being inherence that righteousnesse is not inhereÌ„t but imputed This necessary consecution of imputed righteousnesse from the forgiuenes of sinnes caused PAVLE to interpret that place that DAVID spak expressely of the remission of sinnes even as if he had spoken of imputed righteousnes But this matter shall become more evident by some example taken from judgement seats and from the common customes among men For the matter is none otherwise to be considered of in this head of justification then if any King of free grace would forgiue the sinne to any guylty man As for example to a man-slayer even now condemned for his sinne Now this man his sinne being forgiven is said to be justified But by what righteousnesse I praye you not by that which is inherent For in him selfe in very deede hee is a man-slayer By what righteousnesse then surely by none other then by that which was freelie imputed by the King to wit by that whereby hee thinketh him righteous who is not righteous in himselfe The same in all respectes is the manner of our justification before the judgement seate of God the judge Wee are not indeede juste through our owne works but vnjust Neither yet doth God pronounce vs to be righteous for our works But the justification of GOD that is the publishing of the just is that wherby he vttereth that man is vnjust to bee just of his only mercy in Christ Now to the end that the whole matter may the more clearely appeare The thrâ—fold maner of iustit fiing wee must know that a man may be saide to be justified before GOD three waies summaâ—lie â— By the worker of the lawe First by the works of the law secondly by the punishment of the law broken Thirdly by remission of sinnes or by not imputing of sinnes for those things ar one Moreover as concerning the first manner of justifying which is by the workes of the Law after the fall of ADAM of vs al in ADAM never was there any yet that was justifyed by the workes of the Law except one man Christ For seeing the lawe requireth two things the one either that we fulfil or that wee die all fulfilling of that which the lawe commandeth is vtterlie lost in ADAM 〈◊〉 By punishmentes for transgression Now as concerning that second maner of justifying Christ is justifyed onely that waye yea and that for our cause for that cure denunced in the law perteined vnto vs we behoved to satisfie the righteousnesse of God by our everlasting death but Christ came as a mid man betuixt through his own and his fathers mercy and transferred our sinne together with the punishment due to our sinne vpon himselfe The third manner of justifying which is by the free remission of sins 〈◊〉 By the remission of 〈◊〉 resteth alone for vs whosoever wee be that will be justified saved before God to wit whereby we freelie receiue remission of all our sins beleeving that Christ hath satisfied the law for vs for our cause hath suffered that curse
the remissiof sinnes David in another place publisheth him to be blessed whose sinnes are forgiuen According to thy louing kindnesse This is the cause why Dauid although a sinner notwithstanding dare be so bold to come vnto GOD that is to his judge to wit the loving fauour and mercy of GOD in Iesus Christ Eph. 3. 12. leaning to which hee hath libertie and entrie With confidence vnto God as the Apostle speaketh and craveth grace at him What time the conscience intendeth against vs any crime at the same time God as a juste judge passeth vp vpon his judgement seate and with majestie sitteth therevpon and with such an awfulnes that everie sinner is easily affrayd to come before his face for the vngodly are not able to sustaine that angrie countenance of GOD who haue not as yet felt that mercie of GOD in Christe Neither yet are they able from the hearte to call him Father yea they woulde rather goe out of the worlde that they might flye awaye from that his so fearefull presence Wherefore a sinner except hee feele together with the sense of sin God also to be mercifull he dare not be so bold as to compeire before him But now hauing felt his mercie and that loue by the holy Spirit powred forth into our harts he is no waies skarred away neither by the weightines of sinne nor yet by the maiestie of the iudge but that with confidence he wil draw neere vnto him For the feeling of the mercie of GOD in Christ hath so great a force of alluring If thou wouldest slay me sayeth IOB should I not trust in thee Blot out my defectiones The same petition is repeated from the exceeding greate desire of deliverance Blot out sayth he my defectiones That is forgiue me my sinnes whereby it is come to passe that filthily I haue made defection from thee It can scarsely be spoken how grievously Dauid had sinned First having committed adultery then man-slaughter Thirdly having contracted mariage with the woman defiled in adultery Fourthly the people of God being layde out to an open daunger and with all these finally was conjoyned obstinacie in sinne For hee had sleeped securely many monethes as it were in the sinne DAVID therefore being guiltie of so many sinnes surely he durst not haue bene so bold vnlesse hee had leaned to the infinite mercie of GOD to haue commed into his sight And from hence proceedeth that thing which hee cryed out Blot out my defectiones That is so many and so greate and that O God according to thy superabundant mercy Every sin whatsoever is the offending of that infinite Majestie Of this it commeth to passe that the burthen of sin-after some sorte is infinite if the sinner himselfe be not disburdened thereof in Iesus Christ Wherefore there is neede yea of an infinit mercy that any sinne whatsoever may be forgiven how much more is it necessary that infinite mercy superabundant be had to the end that many grieuous sins may be forgiven For seeing sinne aboundeth of necessitie grace must superabound Which thing experience it selfe teacheth For any man oppressed with some more haynous sinne he findeth not first reste to his soule before he conceiue in his mind the mercie of God which as soone as hee hath felt taken holde of there is no sin of never so great momente Ephe. 3. 8◠of the pardon wherof he may not now perswad him self therfore we shuld trauel al our life according to the saying of the Apostl We may be able to comprehend what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know that loue of Christ Ephes 3. 18. 19. which passeth all knowledge For out of all question the mercy of GOD in Iesus Christ is infinite But wee such is our stupidity are not able to comprehend scarse the thousand part thereof Of which it commeth to passe that in our owne default we are spoyled of a sufficient cōfort For there is no place for comfort in the soule without faith which what other thing is it then a feeling of the mercy of God in Christ Wash me much Thirdly hee repeateth the same thing as if hee should saye Cease not to wash before thou haue fully purged me from my sinne For it is an allusion to the clensings of the Lawe But it is to be marked that not being content with a light and common washing he sayth Wash me much He felt to wit that sinne had sette the rootes thereof deepely in him and that more toughlie it had cleaved to him and therefore he craveth of God that he would multiplie the washings which vnlesse it be done he thinketh that it cannot come to passe that hee can be clensed from the filthinesse of sinne Note then that sinne is not a superficiall thinge but that it occupyes wholie all the deapths of the heart But who knoweth this Surely not these secure men and Libertines who either feele not sinne at all or if they feele it they feele it lightlie and no otherwaies then in the vtter part of the skin Who then feeles it Verely they who repente earnestly and from the hart Those men very wel know within themselues how filthie a thing sin is how deepe partes of the soule it occupyeth and from hence it is that in this life they think they cannot bee sufficiently purged from their sinnes and that those panse vpon this that there is nothing wherby they may be clēged except that alone blood of Christ to whō only the holy Spirit leadeth thē when there is an earnest feeling of sin and a desire of washing For that is not the Spirite of Christ which carryeth a waye else where the soule of a sinner from Christ and to other washings satisfactions whatsoever which the Papistes dreame to themselues Of al these things which haue bene spoken marke this David vttereth the exceeding greate dolour of his heart in these his petitions and the cause of the dolours may be sufficiently knowen out of the petitions themselues Also the sin is whereby hee himselfe had grieuonsly offended his God For he sayeth Blot out my defections c. From whence is manifestly sene the difference betuixt the sorrow of the godly of the wicked These last indeed are sorrowfull not so much for the sinne Gen. 4. 1◠and the offending of God The examples of Iudas and Cain as for the punishment of sinne and the torment So Cain sorrowed Mine iniquitie is more sayeth he then that I am able to beare So also Iudas the betraier of Christ sorrowed But the godly although indeede they abhor the paine notwithstanding for this cause they are chiefly displeased that they haue offended their gratious God they detest sinne not so much because of the punishment as for the evil it self which is in sin and such was Davids sorrow at this time For I acknowledge my defections Hitherto hee hath sought one thing thrise now hee adjoyneth the cause of
the petition froÌ„ a simple plaine confession of sin as if he should say O God I confesse that I haue made defectioÌ„ from thee al those waies which thou hast manifested to me by Nathan thy Prophet I confesse I say before thy Prophet Finally before thy whole Church not only that which is present but which shall bee in times comming to the ende of the Worlde That is by writing of this Psalme and declared to the whole posteritie and ages to come Vppon this followeth the Petition Therefore bee mercifull vnto mee O GOD Of this appeareth that ther is no place for grace and mercy except a simple and plaine confession goe before proceeding from the earnest repentance of the mind Which is the same thing which David testifieth Psal 32. 3. and thereafter that which hee also learned by his owne experience When I helde my tongue sayeth he and confessed not my sinne my bones consumed c. And then he addeth Psal 〈◊〉 I will make my sin knowen vnto thee I will not hide my back-slydings I will confesse mine iniquitie to Iehova This indeede is the confession But what followeth vpon it Thou hast taken away sayeth hee the punishment of my sinne that is sin and the punishment The summe of those thinges tende to this where there is not a confession there no grace is where confession is there is grace And my sinne This is the efficient cause of the repentance confession an evill conscience without the conscience of sinne as if hee should saye The conscience of my sin vrgeth me day and night and continually layeth murther adultery other hainous sinnes conjoyned with these before mine eies Wee are prepared therefore to faith and repentance by a conscience accusing vs and striking a terrour into our hearts From thence it is that wee haue our recourse vnto the grace of Christ and embraceth the same by faith from faith againe and the feling of grace the dolour aryseth which is according to God that is because God is offended of that dolour againe proceedeth that chaunge of the minde which wee call the turning of the mind or repentance For as the Apostle witnesseth 2. Co. â— The sorrow which is after God causeth repentance vnto saluation Finally from repentance changing of the mind a ryseth the confessiof the mouth This thing is clearelie seene of the preparation to grace that no man attayneth to that grace which is in christ Iesus by sluggishnes and sleeping But by horrours of the conscience they passe to that heavenly joy For although life in Christ be frely given vnto vs notwithstanding we must suffer some notable alteration wee must be cast downe yer we be lifted vp befor life be gotten Moreover we learne that thing of this example of David how graciously they are handled who haue a conscience somewhat more watchfull for first they are bridled that they commit not many haynous sins which otherwaies they wold coÌ„mit Then the self same conscience if there be any evil thing done by theÌ„ they are admonished thereof thereafter they ar thrust forward to repentance But contrariwise their estate is most miserable whose consciencelyeth in a dead sleepe For of necessitie they must rush forwarde nothing hindring them into all kinde of sinne And then after any grieuous sin is coÌ„mitted of necessitie they must securely sleep therein nothing calling them back to repentaÌ„ce wherfore the estate of that man is happie which is touched with a conscience of his deeds although it seeme very oft vnpleasant vnto vs that the conscience either holdeth vs back from the coÌ„mitting of sin or that we ar called back to a confession of sin committed Against thee against He aggregeth his sin from that first that it is against God then that it is against God only As coÌ„cerning the first Against thee only saith he I haue sinned Then for the greater surety of the mater Against thee against thee I haue sinned the same word being doubled Dauid seeketh not any starting-hole neither denieth he that he hath offended against God which thing we here the reprobat shal do at the latter day who being acused of sin yea even coÌ„mitted against God himself Math. 2â— 44. shal answer when saw we thee a stranger naked or an hungred thirstie caste in prison c. But Christ shall then aunswere them presentlie in their owne wordes and shall take this excuse awaie from them saying Verely verely I say vnto you in so far as ye haue not done it to one of those little ones ye haue not done it to me David I say goeth not about this way to excuse the matter by lessening of his sinne as if it were not committed against God For hee cannot more expressely speake that that sinne was committed against God himself Against thee against thee sayeth hee I haue sinned Then hee aggregeth his sinne when he sayeth That he hath sinned against God alone If wee will speake properly whatsoever sorte of sinne which is committed against God and respecteth him either immediatly as when men sinne against the first Table of the laweâ— or immediatly as when they sinne against the seconde Table For sin is the transgression of the lawe of GOD and the person offended is God properly For except Gods commandement interveened not first either forbidding or commanding any thing surely there shuld be no offence against any creature except God had said thou shalt not commit adulttrie there should be none offence neither of VRIAH neither of any other in committing Adulterie Except God had saide Thou shalt not slay There should bee no offense in slaying neither against VRIAH nor against any other Wherefore if wee will speake properly all sinne is committed against God alone Of this two things do follow the priviledge of forgiving of sinne or remission of sin perteineth to GOD alone for God alone if wee will speake properlie forgiveth our sins The other the revenging of sin belongeth to God alone Vengeance is mine sayth the Lord and I will repay Rom. 12 19. Wherfore when any wrong is done to any man the injury is not so much to be thoght to be done against man as it is done against GOD and to him it should be left freelie God if we will speak properlie is the person hurt and offended for so much as his commandement is broken which verely if it were not broken the creature should haue no cause to complaine of the injurie wherefore vengeance first is to be committed vnto GOD then next to that person to whom he hath committed his place vppon the earth Notwithstanding men so handle their own cause so they revenge the wrongs done vnto them as if sin were committed against them selues alone and that the wrong nothing perteined vnto God Of which it coÌ„meth to passe divers times that while they wil revenge the wrong done against themselues God revengeth himself vpon them maketh theÌ„ to incur the second sâ—aith to speak so
indeede is done for this cause that they themselues may come vnto the knowledge of Gods nature And maie knowe firste howe good hee is who will not haue his owne to lye sluggishing in their sinnes Then nexte because hee is holye and just in respect he beginneth his judgement at his owne house yea and will not winke indeed at the sinnes of his owne For that I may affirme boldlie that the godlie for the most parte are chastised of GOD in this life And that GOD is exceeding long suffering towarde the vngodlie But the Godlie on the otherside are touched with a sense of Gods loue in this life From thence arise that interchaunge of sorrowe and joye in this life But the vngodly abusing the long suffring of God in this life they shal feel at last the vnappeaseable wrath of God Hitherto hath bin repeated the petition of remission of sinnes Now he seeketh that other benefite of Regeneration which is conjoyned of necessity with the forgiuenes of sins Creat in me a clear mind Then by way of clearing of the mater be preseÌ„tly subjoyneth Renew a firme spirit within me as if he shuld say This work of New-birth begun in me by thy Spirit but vpon my parte interrupted O God renew repaire in me that thy Spirite in time to come may be firme and constant and I through the benefite thereof may persevere in thine obedience There are two benefits necessary in reconciling vs to â—od which selfe same thinges God promiseth to vs in the free covenant to wit forgiuenesse of sinnes and regeneration Ier. 31. 33. and both are obtained in Christ For by the blood of Christ our sinnes are forgiven and by the powerful holy Spirite of Christ wee are borne of new againe For the alone and selfe-same Christ as the Priest died for our sinnes and as King he is powerfull to regenerate vs by his holy Spirite and worde Dauid therefore after hee hath sought forgiuenesse of sins in Christ hee earnestly craveth the New-birth and renewing of that interrupted worke of Gods holye Spirite in himselfe Considder here first that the holye Spirite is made so joyfull by Gods workes and a good conscience that he courageovsly maketh progres in the work of our Regeneration But contrariwise Ephes â— 30. the Spirite of God is so touched with griefe by evil works as the Apostle testifieth that hee ceaseth as it were from that work and leaveth off in the middest that begun worke of New-birth The Spirite now leaving his owne worke in the middest presently there aryseth darknesse in the minde which maketh that bright light of the countenance of GOD to passe out of sight and to vanish away from our eies and incontinent our heart waxeth harde as a certaine skarre of a wound and becommeth benummed and without sense so that the holy Spirite of God is very hardly raysed vp againe being oppressed with the darknesse of mind and hardnesse of heart And from thence aryse those mournings and sighes of the godlie fighting with the darknesse of their heart And from thence arose that speeche of PAVLE O miserable man that I am who shall deliver mee from the bodie of this death Rom. 7. 24 Considder here againe DAVID craveth not Regeneration by the Spirite of Christ before hee first haue sought the forgiuenesse of sinnes through the blood of Christ This order of the petitiones evidentlie declareth that of necessitie we must bee first justified by Christ before we bee sanctified in our selues which thing also the righteousnesse of GOD requireth which suffereth not the Image of GOD to bee repaired in vs which is according to righteousnesse and holinesse before first God bee satisfied for all our â—innes For it is not possible that GOD canne renounce his owne justice Nowe after that thou art justified then there is place to Regeneration and the Petition thereof not indeede that having attayned to it thou quiet thy selfe chiefelie in the same But thou muste speciallie and alwaie thereafter quiet thy selfe in that moste perfite righteousnesse of Christe without the which not all this holinesse which is in vs dare bee so bolde to come foorth once into the sight of GOD. For our Regeneration and holinesse is but begunne onelie in this life and neither by the selfe pacifyeth the wrath of GOD neither 〈◊〉 our consciences And 〈…〉 the Papistes are more 〈…〉 leaving this moste perfiâ—e righteousnesse of Christ will quiet themselues in their owne and in that which they call inherente And againe for this cause they are more miserable that vnderstande not what this inherente righteousnesse is which is none other thing in verie deede but that the Regeneration of our nature is onely but begun in this life wherfore we ought to praye to GOD that he would not suffer vs to be involved in this darknes and that he would not suffer vs to bee seduced by men which this daye are blinded in so cleare a light Cast me not away Hee continueth in this seconde petition of the holy Spirite and of Regeneration Cast me not away sayeth he from thy face then expressing the same thing clearely Take not thine holy Spirit from me sayeth hee Nothing can befall a man more grievous in this life then if he be left of GOD. For seeing that God is the fountaine of all good thinges GOD leaving man all good thinges also therewith leaue him All good things leauing him hee is therewith layde open to all evill thinges If God be on our side Rom. â— 31. who shall be against vs No not these thinges indeede which seeme to bee most displeasant contrary For all things worke together for the best to them that loue God Contrariwise all worke together for the worse to them that loue not GOD yea even those things which otherwise appeare to make for vs. Nowe although there be so great an evill in the desertion of God Notwithstanding the elect also are at some time destitute of the Spirit of GOD which is the thing that DAVID teached vs in this place by his owne example Verely I say not this for this cause that I thinke the Spirite once giuen to the elect thereafter is allutterly taken from them For the giftes and calling of God are without repentance But that for a certaine space the efficacie of the holye Spirite is not seene in governing of the elect yea that especially for this ende that they maye bee humbled that they may learne that it is not possible for them to stand yea but for one momente vnles they bee susteined by Gods grace and his holy Spirit Whereby it commeth to passe that the elect after they haue found in experience howe infirme and fragill they are by nature without the Spirite of God nowe being destitute thereof for a time they more carefully and with more feruent desires earnestlie craue his presence and helpe This is the second thing which hee offereth here to vs to bee learned by his owne
Now the third time he repeateth that petition of the forgiuenesse of sinnes for the conscience of his haynous facte continually pricketh the man and this infidelitie of nature laboureth to extinguish faith and the Spirite whereby the sinner perswadeth him selfe of the remission of his sinnes therefore by crying and by crying again he wrastleth with his infidelitie of nature There is none of all which is to seeke forgiuenesse of our sins at God without some wrastling I speake of that man which is to seeke by faith and by a serious feeling For it is easie to the secure man and that thinketh nothing of sinne and misery to craue for the fashion the remission of his sinnes yea and that not over againe but onely once O God sayeth he very rawly and coldly be mercifull vnto me David therefore now the third time craveth pardon and forgiuenes of his sinne and he poynteth out his sinne in particular For when the conscience of sinne vrgeth men they are not ashamed to professe and name it in particular yea that publicklie Also the cause wherefore men are ashamed by name to poynt out their sinnes and to confesse them it aryseth of this that there is not an earnest feeling and conscience of sinne But let vs see which was Davids sin in particular Deliver me ô God sayth he from bloud For it appeareth that the conscience of man-slaughter mooved the man chiefely For this tormented him that hee had shamefully slayne that man whose wife hee had defyled in adultery and that he had heaped sin vpon sinne Therefore he craveth that he might bee delivered from bloud no otherwise then if he had bin wholie defiled with the bloud of any innocent man which so fastly had cleaved vnto him that vnlesse it were wiped away with Gods owne hand it could not be at all possible to be wiped away and clensed For man-slaughter being once committed and the slaughter or the murther of an innocent man executed the whole blood is powred out and runneth backe as it were vpon the man-slayer and dyeth him no otherwaies then the purple dye doth the Wooll If your sinnes sayeth the Lord were as skarlet Esay 1. 1â— yet I wil make them as white as the snow As if hee should saye Although ye were dyed as with skarlet dye that aboundant blood being shed out vpon you for he had said before that their hands were bloudy not withstanding I will make you as white as snow Also being this way dyed and spotted with the bloud of the innocent man The man-slayer continually appeareth in the sight of God And God out of his judgmeÌ„t sent looketh vpon him with an horrible countenance by reason hee spoyled his owne Image and likewise the common natur of al men The man-slayer in whatsoever part of the worlde he be in is notable to flie from this face of God But this is the stupiditie of our murtherers that no way they feele this David also for a time sleeped in his sinne neither yet saw he that he was defiled wholy with the blood of the innocent man neither yet did he see that angry face of God but being at length awakened vp at the threatning of the Prophet bee was no longer able to suffer himselfe so to bee defiled with that blood neither yet was hee able to abide being thus defiled with blood to be cast before layd open to the sight of that angry eie but very oft he cryed earnestly sought that God would pardon him his sin that he wold wash him that hee would deliver him from bloud which wold to â—od those murtherers who are not touched either with a conscience of their sinne or of the wrath of God neither yet make any end of murthers and oppressions they would see at last their owne bloodie hands they would see also that God saw them which surely he seeth shal at length see som day when he shal tak a vengeance vpoÌ„ them except in time they repente David appeareth to crye out through some feling of the wrath of GOD that he might bee delivered from bloud For the sense of innocent blood and the feeling of wrath are continually ioyned together Notwithstanding he crieth vnto God the God of his salvation Of the which so familiar an incalling in this appeareth sufficiently that Dauid felt therewith the mercy of his God For the faithful together and at one time vse to bee touched both with some sense of the wrath and with a sense of the mercie of God by which thing indeede the faithfull differ from the Infidels For the faithful feele both that is both the wrath and the mercy of their God in some certain measure and at the same time in which they are afrayd of wrath of the angry God at the same time they cleaue faste vnto him neither yet doe they suffer themselues to be pulled away from his worde and promises Vpon the which they depende as it were vppon a certaine rocke in the exceeding great tossing too and fro of the waues But the infidels and such as the Lord hath casten off at what time they feele his wrath in the meane time there is no sense of grace while they see the helles opened Wherwith they are even nowe presently to bee swallowed vp they haue nothing in the meane time to which they may cleaue or which as it were stretching out the hande they may take hold on neither God nor yet the promises of God in Christ from which aryses vnspeakable horrours with which no comfort is conjoyned Then indeede they are compelled to esteeme those to bee blessed who haue learned in this life to draw neere vnto God by faith and to take a grip of Christ and of the promises made in him Let my tongue sing Here followeth the last argument of the petition from the glory of God himselfe as if he should say O Lord this the whole worke of thy glory is to redound to thine own glory again Wherefore deliver me The wordes of the text are My tongue shall sing thy righteousnesse That is thy mercy which for this cause here hee calleth righteousnesse because it is done according to Gods promise for that which God doth according to his promise that thing hee doth righteousâ—ie Open my lippes ô Lord That is furnish vnto mee matter of thy prayse from the remission of sinnes and deliverance then My mouth shall shew foorth thy prayse Marke what hee doeth being nowe delivered from sinne and damnation DAVID being condemned could not prayse God Who sayeth hee shall prayse thee in hell Also Dauid knewe very wel that God was of that nature and disposition that he would haue al his workes to redounde to his glory againe and the fruites of his benefites to returne vnto himselfe and from thence it is that hee communicateth not his benefites indifferently and without discretion to every sorte of men whatsoever I speak chiefely of spiritual blessings For he giveth those temporal and bodely
in God hee esteemeth nothing of all his enemies For that ioy which ariseth in the mean time that any resteth himselfe in God it deuoured vp all feare and sorrowe altogether yea it maketh confidence to arise whereby wee glory against all contrarie afflictions But contrariwise when the soule quieteth not the selfe in God it is moved yea with the most trifling thinges it is affrayde with the name of persecution For the cause wherefore this first seemeth to be terrible to many is this because they see not that life and glorie which is with Christ hidd vp in God Obserue nixt let the wicked alone to themselues a litle space you shal see them fal down with their owne weight none other waies then a wall full of riftes or a wal bowing for-ward which falleth of the owne weight Neuertheles few there are that see this thing and from this it ariseth that the outwarde happines of the wicked moueth manye so much These onely see that thing whose soul quieteth the selfe in God and these who look a farre off vpon those men as it were out of a watch tower Also the regenerate themselues at sometime they see not this thing as David or whosoeuer hee was that wrote that 73 Psalme he saw it not while he had entred into the sanctuarie and then in deede he perceiued their ende he saw that they stoode in verie slipperie places hee sawe that in an momente they went to destruction Obserue thirdlie The enemies laboured to cast downe Dauid who was exalted from his dignitie He whome God lifteth vppe the wicked indevoure to caste that man down out of his place yea even at that time when they see God himselfe to trauell to the direct contrary side Ionathan did otherwaies who when he saw David appoynted for the kingdome he made a covenant with him so it becommeth all the godlie to doe looke the fourth Psalme Sonnes of men sayth he how long shall my glorie bee an ignominie vnto you rather know that God when I shall pray vnto him wil heare me Let men therefore be affrayde of the prayers of those men with whome God is at â—ne aggrement O my soule He returneth to that first glorying concerning his coÌ„fideÌ„ce in God hauing altered a little the manner of speach hee speaketh to his own soule Also he bringeth out the same reason which he did before The second drawing neerer to God as before he is not coÌ„tent of Gods benefite except hee possesse God himselfe and sit vpon him as vpon a rocke The third is the same which was before In the eight verse he repeateth the second reason the manner of speach being somewhat changed Of al which argumentes indeede marke this that David satisfieth not himselfe in multiplying of wordes whereby he amplifieth God and his benefites Also he altereth the forme of speach hee calleth him his salvation his rocke strong holde his glorie He sayeth that his salvation was receaued of him he publisheth that he himself is saluation and a rock finally he pronunceth that his salvation is in him Of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh that feeling of rest in God cannot bee sufficientlie expressed by wordes For the things which the holy Spirit worketh in the heartes these thinges cannot be sufficiently declared by the tongues of men from whence arise these sighes which are furnished by the holy spirit that the Apostle PAVLE sayeth are vnspeakeable Rom. â— 2â— And PETER calleth that joy of faith vnspeakable glorious 1 Pet. 1. â—8 Of these thinges you see first that that soule which quieteth the self in God returneth nowe and then to glorying in God Then consider and learne out of this repetition that the soule is not so quieted and setled in this life but truely in the meane time it is troubled in some measure The sea while it is not tossed too fro with stormes not-with-stan-ding it is commoued with some soft aire The affection if it bee not presentlie inflamed notwithstanding it is puffed vppe in some certaine measure Wherefore our soules hath neede now and then of a newe exhortation to this rest in God Considder thirdlie The first argument of glorying is from waiting on or from hope to this aggreth that which the Apostle PAVLE speaketh VVee glory vnder the hope of the glorie of GOD. Rom. 5. 2 But if this hope expectation of salvation cause so great a glorying and reioycing of minde I pray you how great a reioycing shall the matter it self make when we shal be placed into the present possession of all those thinges which wee now see but a farre of 9 Trust in him all time ô people powre out your mind before him God is a refuge vnto vs Selah 10 These that are borne of the baseman ar onelie vanitie these that are borne of the noble man are a lie those being laide together vpon the ballance they should goe vp aboue vanitie 11 Trust not to oppression and vanish not away by robberie if wealth increase set not your mind thereâ—n 12 God hath once spoken I hearde the same thing twise that strength is Gods 13 And that mercy ô Lord is thine that thou recompensest euerie man according to his worke The other part of the Psalme TRust in him The second part of the psalme â—ne admonition and that twofolde for partlie hee admonisheth the godly partlie the wicked The admonition belonging to the godly is againe twofold For partlie he warneth them to trust in God partlie that they should not trust in men Trust in God sayeth he Then powre out sayeth hee your mind before him c. this latter is the effect of the former For they who trust in God they powre out all the cares and anguishes of their troubled mind before him The argumeÌ„t is subjoyned for he is sayeth he a refuge vnto vs. Then he warneth them that they shoulde not put their confidence in men for although this be not expresly set downe notwithstanding it is to bee vnderstood The argument of this admonition is from the vanitie of men of whatsoeuer estate and condition to conclude they bee of They that are base borne how many soever they be they are vaine How many soeuer they be that are noble they are liers and deceitfull And to the ende he may shew their greater vanitie hee calleth them lies and vanitie it selfe Also he amplifieth the vanitie of men making a comparison of them with vanitie it selfe Vnderstand not this place to bee excessiue or hyperbolick for it is so indeede it selfe as he speaketh I grant indeed that man before the fel was some what but after the fal he is redacted to nothing For there remained not in him yea not so much as one remanent crome of vprightnesse and holines And if there bee any thing in him it is wholy euill and if man be any thinge he is whollie evill howe much so euer it be or very wickednesse it selfe And to bee this waye
for Iehova that all together may feele in experience the selfe same mercy For he willeth that all men if it be possible to be done feele that loving kindnesse of the Lord which he hath felt Also this chiefely is meete for Israell to bee done that is for the Church of God But that which the Prophet respecteth as the last end is the glory of God himself For every faithful man willeth that many obteine mercy to this end that many may glorifie GOD and is carefull of mans salvation that the glory of Gods mercy may redounde to himselfe For God the moo putteth their trust in him in that respect hee is the more glorified For with Iehova Hee putteth Israell in minde to waite vppon Iehova from his gratious nature Hee demonstrateth not to Israell a God either mightie righteous or wise but a mercifull and a gracious GOD. VVherefore doth hee so doe not the remanent properties in GOD as almightinesse righteousnes wisedome trueth c. Doe not these I saye purchase vnto him the mindes and faith of men I graunt all these thinges that in their owne place indeede they purchase the faith of men but seeing miserable men and sinners haue chiefelie neede of the mercie Surely it is the mercie of God which men chiefely require and it is the first object of faith Also when once faith hes apprehended the mercy of God in Christ then the other things which ar in God allure the same faith to themselues But without the feeling of the mercy of God all other things are rather a terrour vnto vs then a consolation First therefore and properly faith is carried toward God as the object in so farre as he is mercifull and the more wee seeke out in GOD that his infinite mercie so much the more doe we beleeue him For what other thing I praye you is the growth of faith but an increase of the knowledge of the mercy of God wherefore to the end that faith may grow it is continually requisite that wee search out the mercy of God in Christ which surely we shal do without any danger of curiositie seeing the other properties which are in God they are not able to beare a curious searching out Paule amongst other things wisheth this to the Ephesians that being rooted in loue they may be able to comprehend with al Saintes Ephes 3. â—7 18. 19. what is the breadeth and length and depth and height and to know the loue of Christ which passeth all knowledge But in no place we reade that he wished that any man by knowledge should attaine to that infinite power wisdom c. of God to wit because it permitteth not so much to vs to knowe those thinges then to know how greatly god loveth vs in Christ his sonne Therfore hee is said in the 5. chap. to the Romanes to powre out loue in our harts But we reade not of the Spirite that he powreth out power wisdome c. which are together in God into our hearts that is that he toucheth not our mindes with so aboundant a feling of them Wherefore to the ende wee may beleeue in God and may haue our hope in him his loving kindnesse and mercie in Christ is chiefely to be knowen of vs wherof the Prophet was not ignorant of in this place seeing he maketh mention specially of his loving kindnesse to the end hee might mooue Israell to hope in God And exceeding In words hee amplifyeth the selfe same loving kindnesse of God For no man together and at one time could be able at any time by any words whatsoever to coÌ„prehend the whole mercy of God For there is ever something resting beside that which hath bene spoken that may be vttered thereof such is the incomprehensible greatnesse of the same and those who haue once felt in their mind any meane portion thereof they indeede are not at any time able sufficiently to expresse in wordes that portion howe little soever it bee For this spiritual feeling in the hearts whether it be of ioye or of sorrowe is vnspeakable from thence they are called sighes that cannot be expressed and ane inutterableâ— ioye Rom. â— How much more therefore 1. Pet. 1â— shall that whole mercy of God not together and at one time be expressed by words seeing that words are not able sufficiently to expresse yea and it were no more but that little apprehension thereof which is in our hearts For these words are not excessiue and hyperbolicque whereby godly men haue endevoured to expresse that mercy of GOD even as thought the words were greater then the matters themselves which thing whosoever think surely they appeare to me indeed never to haue comprehended in their minde the mercy of God in Christ And he himselfe This is the other argument whereby promising assuredly redemption to the Church from her sinnes he applyeth that loving kindnesse of God and manifolde redemption which hee hath published more neere vnto them For it is not sufficient ynough for faith that any man in generall shall preach recommend onely the mercy of God vnles it promise that is apply assuredly the same to miserable men for the promises are so many applyings of the mercy of God And from thence it proceedeth that the Scriptures are ful of promises without the which that full perswasion of faith spiritual coÌ„fidence cannot be For this generall doctrine coÌ„cerning the mercy of God doth this to vs that not so much indeede we in effect beleeue as that our heartes may be prepared vnto faith This is to be observed that he saith that God wil redeeme Israel not froÌ„ persecutions not froÌ„ outward troubles whatsoever but from al her sins For the redeÌ„ption of the Church is not sene in that that she is delivered from the troubles of this world as in that that she shal be delivered from her sins For sin is the most deadly enemy of al is the cause of all the reste of the enemies of the church because al afflictions are both froÌ„ sin likewise tende to the mortifying of sin For it is certaine if there were not any sin in the Church there shuld be no persecutioÌ„ of the church and every one of the godly sighs more vnder the burthen of sin then vnder any other weight of afflictions whatsoever Christ himselfe also dyed to redeeme vs not so much from al afflictions as from sinne and that everlasting death Finally when at that daye wee shall be set free into the liberty of the sonnes of God being fully redeemed we shall glory not so much that we ar redeemed from all other afflictions then that wee are fully delivered from sin as it appeareth out of that saying of Paule O death where is thy victory O graue where is thy brode And the brode of death is sinne 1 Cor. 15. 33. but the lawe is the power of sinne Behold we shall glory in that daye that wee are delivered from the brode of death and that by
Christ Iesus our Lord To whom be all glory Amen The Argument of the CXXXVII Psalme A Psalme it is of a mixt kinde Of doctrine and of prayer It is not manifest by whome it was written Yet it is likely that it was written by some Prophet that in name of the whole Church of the Iewes being nowe in captivitie It appeareth also to be written at that time when the people were carryed away into Babylonia yea even then when they were in the very journey as it may be gathered out of the first verse Nowe it is composed of two parts The first is an heavy complaint of the Church vnto the 7. verse The other is an heavie imprecation and a propheticall denunciation against the enemies of the Church vnto the end of the Psalme The CXXXVII Psalme 1 By the rivers of Babylonia we sitting there we wept very much when we remembred of Tzijon 2 In it we hanged vp our harpes vppon the willowes 3 Although in that place these vvho had led vs away captiues and had buried vs together required of vs ioyfull songes saying sing to vs of the songes of Tzijon 4 How could we haue soong the songe of Iehoua in the land of strangers 5 If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget the selfe 6 Let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth if I remember thee not if I call not backe vnto Ieruschalaim the heade of my ioy BY the rivers The first parte of the Psalme The complainte in which there is first the proposition of the complaint when he sayeth wee weept very much That is we were extreame sorrowfull For the Spirit maketh intercession for the church with sighes that cannot be expressed Ro. 8. so to speak with the Apostle And it cannot be sufficientlie spoken with how great heavinesse the Church is accustomed to be moved when she is humbled vnder the hande of God This murning and sorrow of the Church is circumscrived by the own subject when he sayeth By the ryvers of Babylonia That is of the Babylonical monarchie For the Iewes wer not only caryed away into Babylonia so properly called but they were dispersed throughout the Babylonicall jurisdictions as it may be most clearly gathered out of Ezekiel Daniell Ezra Then the place is the Babylonicall monarchie in general but in particular the brinkes of the rivers For he sayth By the rivers of Babylonia Wee sitting there that is sitting vpon the brinks of the rivers vnto such time as all were ferried over This place of the Babylonical monarchie conteineth in the selfe a certaine cause of this weeping which hee setteth downe For the place manifestlie sheweth the banishment and carrying away into captivity from their natiue soile to an strange lande Then the people being in their journey farre from home and banished bewayleth their sinnes which ought to haue bin bewayled at home Not-with-standing those who will not murne at home they are compelled to murne far frō their home For sinnes of necessitie are once to be bewayled and wee must bee sorrowfull either sooner or later because we haue offended GOD. And if wee be not sorrowfull at home surely wee shall murne far from home And if we murne not in this life surely wee shall be sorrowfull in that other life or rather death where there shall nothing be heard but wayling and gnashing of teeth Blessed are they also who later yea and that in exile yea at any time whatsoever ar earnestly sorrowful for their sinnes if so be they deferre not their mourning to an other Worlde blessed are they For even those who do later yea or at whatsoever time murne and repent in this life in that other life all teares shall bee wiped awaye from their eies But those who laugh in this life and refuse to murne in that other life there shall be none ende or measure of their sorrow When wee remembred This is the other cause of the mourning but some-what more cleare to witte the remembrance of Tzijon that is of Ierusalem where the visible and outwarde presence of God to be looked vpon was For these who are banished from God they do surely feele what great profite yea and it were no more but this which is in the presence of GOD and which is in this his visible ministery what great discommoditie is in that his absence we while we haue God present in his ministery and beholde him after some sort in that mirrour of his Gospell we acknowledge not how happie we bee and it were no more but for that selfe same cause But if it shall come to passe at any time through the righteous judgment of GOD that this mirrour of the Gospell and this outwarde ministerie be taken away from our eies then indeed wee shall feele in effecte what great misery it is to bee destitute thereof I speake specially concerning those who are accustomed at any time to feele some pleasure of this sincere preaching of the worde administration of the Sacraments David being in exile Remembring those things sayth he I poure out my soule vpon my self when I remember that I was woont to passe by in the congregation to walke with them vnto the house of God c. Behold David being banished from the visible Church of God he was exceeding greatly sorrowfull But what is the cause Even because hee vvas woont to vvalke together vvith the Church vnto the house of GOD vvith the voyce of singing and prayse That is because he was to feele no little pleasure of that external and visible ministerie And therefore being nowe a banished man the remembrance of that Spiritual pleasure joy mooved him to no smal displeasure Here we ar to be admonished that this dolor proceeding frō the remembrance of that heavenly ioy is not the sorrow of this worlde But it is that dolour which is called the godly sorrow which surely hath greater ioy mixed therwith then is the whole joy of this worlde yea albeit it be voyde of all sense of sorrow For every one of the godly while they mourne they feele in the meane time ane vnspeakable ioy conioyned with sighes that cannot bee expressed In it we hanged vppe our Harpes vppon the Willowes A certaine amplification of the murning sorrow set down The Church murned cast away al instruments matter of consolation For these who are sorrowfull earnestly from their hearte they thinke that all ioye and matter of ioye is a displeasure vnto them and contrariwise they thinke all heauinesse to bee vnto them as a pleasure My teares are vnto me sayeth DAVID in steede of meate But what manner of songs were these Psal 42. 4◠They were holie songes and the songes of the Lorde those who earnestlie sanctifiedly do weepe vse not so much indeed as to sing holy songs For at such time as the Lord casteth vs downe and humbleth vs at that time it becommeth vs to mourne rather then to singe Iam
that we walke in the liberty of the Spirit For by nature there is no free-will But where the Spirite of God is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3. 17. sayeth PAVLE And this is that blessed Christian libertie wherby we are so delivered that we may serue God and not that wee should liue according to our owne will such as libertie as these Libertines Fpicures doe faine neither yet must wee thinke that we are forced to doe our duty by this Spirite but that willingly we are led For God loveth those that are willing as Dauid speaketh in an other place Neverthelesse in this life this libertie is but begunne onely which at last shal be perfited in that life to come But we must yet a little more diligently marke the word of freedome for it signifieth not any common liberty but a speciall noble freedome such as is the liberty of a Noble man or kings son Neither yet without cause this worde is applyed to the presente purpose For wee are the sonnes of a king that is indeed Noble the King of kings and the most hie God For whosoever is regenerated by his Spirit he is his sonne in Christ although otherwise if wee considder these prerogatiues among men hee be base borne notwithstanding hei noble and more noble then any King who hath onely the first nature and is not regenerated by the holy Spirit For the regenerate man to speake this with Peter is made participant of the most noble divine nature 2. Pet. 1. Iohn esteemed much of this noblenes when he said whosoever receiued the Worde that they haue gotten this dignitie Iohn 1 12 to be made the sons of GOD. Beholde hee calleth dignitie that estate to the which the Sonnes of GOD were lifted vppe which if men would some-what more diligentlie take heede to they would not trouble themselues with those thinges which the Apostle calleth Carnall as are kindred 2 Cor 5. â—iches honoures but would seeke rather the new Creature in Christ for olde thinges are paste awaie and all thinges are made newâ— And hitherto the petition hath bene two folde The first of remission of siâ—â—es The other of Regeneration Nowe followeth the common argumente of the craving of both from the edifying of our neighbours I shall teach back slyders thy waies sayeth hee As if hee should saye if I shall obtayne at thy handes the thing that I craue O God I shall be a Preacher of thy infinite and incomprehensible mercy to others Thy waies he sayeth not my waies such as were man slaughter adulterie c. For those then were DAVIDS waies which waies indeede men are skilfull ynough commonly to pretend to their evill deedes who seeke none other thing then liberty to sinne yea and that vnder some certain cloake when notwithstanding this example of life is not set before them by David that they should follow it yea but much rather the waies of God aâ— set before them that is his vnspeakable mercies toward sinners which also appeareth of that that where sinne abounded grace superabounded The waies of God by nature ar vnknowen to man and specially that way of infinite mercy in his owne Christ of the which natur indeed was not able ever at any time to suspect But after beside nature and against nature it was reveiled notwithstanding the conscience trembling through the feeling of sin and of the wrath of God so that a mid cloud as it were is cast in betuixt the sight thereof and the grace of God that it cannot but see very hardly For then such an huge heape of sinne aryseth that it taketh away by force the whole sight of the grace of GOD almost from it In the mean time infidelitie which proceedeth of nature perswadeth vs to despayre of the mercy of God Finally a thousand impediments ingire themselues which al maketh it to come to passe that we are blind at the light of that grace of God so that wee finde in experience howe hard a thing it is especially to a man who is touched with an earnest feeling of his sinne to haue before his eies that mercy of God in Christ For I speake of him who is touched with a sense of his sinne For others who while they sinne yea and sinne grievously indeede notwithstanding they feele not that their sinne in speech surely they promise to themselues the mercy of God in Christ nevertheles in very deed they feele it not For it is easie to any secure man and that sleepeth in his sinne in a dreame to promise all things to himselfe God therefore willing the weill of sinners in this so great a difficultie of feeling of grace hee would haue left vnto vs an example of that this mercy whereby moste grievous sinnes are pardoned such as was this example of Gods mercy in DAVID the more notable in this respect the more grievous that his sinnes were as manslaughter adultery c. Also they were the heavier in that selfe-same respect that hee was a King PAVLE the Apostle 1. Timoth. 1. Professeth indeede himselfe to bee the chiefest of all sinners to witte a Blasphemer a persecutor a man that did wrong Notwithstanding sayeth hee God for this cause had mercie vppon mee that hee might shewe first on mee all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him to everlasting life This way of bringing men vnto grace which is by experience by his own exaÌ„ple God wil haue without al dout every one whosoever haue felt at any time in experieÌ„ce his mercy to follow to coÌ„municate to others willingly that tast of grace which they theÌ„selues before haue felt which thing David promiseth to do in this place I wil teach back-sliders saieth he thy waies In this place thou shalt marke that the godly when God as it were taking holde of their hande lift vp themselues they stretch out their other hand as it were to lift vp others whereby they also may be participant of the same grace WheÌ„ Christ calleth vpon them they also at the same time cal others that they may come together vnto him according to that commandement of Christ vnto Peter When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren For true faith not only is careful for the self but chiefly this is the ende of the purpose thereof through a certain zeale of the glory of God to promoove the salvation of others to wit that other sinners may be turned vnto God repent For David respecteth this ende in teaching others that is the mercie of GOD towarde sinners that they also might repent being mooved to wit with that sense of the mercy of God toward theÌ„ Of the which that thinge appeareth that some taste of the mercy of GOD preceedeth turning vnto God that faith is the cause of Repentance For it cannot bee that men can be turned vnto God vnles they be allured with some â—eeling of his fatherlie loue Deliver me from blood