Lord I dismay not for thou art my defence and in thine appointed time wilt lift vp my head againe for saluation belongeth vnto thee O God and thou wilt destroy the bloudy and deceitful men But blessed and preserued shall they bee that truly feare and trust in thee thy power is seene in weaknesse and thy helpe in affliction therefore O Lord let not mine enemies haue their lust of me I know thou wilt performe thy promise of my defence in thy good time therefore will I rest in hope I will patiently wait for yet a little while and these wicked men shall not appeare In the meane time I will commit my cause vnto thee my Lord my God my strength and my Redeemer VERSE 13. I should haue fainted except I had beleeued to see the goodnesse of thee in the land of the liuing ENemies troubles and afflictions are heauy to bee borne of such as are weake in faith and haue not perfect patience to beare them as may appeare by godly Dauid himselfe who acknowledgeth that himselfe though he were a man chosen after Gods owne heart should haue fainted vnder the malice and fury of his enemies and other afflictions but y t he beléeued to sée the goodnes of God namely his timely deliuery in the land of the liuing euen here before the sonnes of men where if hée had not found the goodnesse of God towards him all men would haue thought as his enemies did that God had vtterly forsaken him for euer and therfore prayed God in a liuely faith that his defence might here appeare before he were taken hence no more to be séene although he knew that after this life hée should bee in a farre more happy and blessed estate than his enemies but that hee might finde Gods fauour here to the end that other godly afflicted men séeing the mercies of God towards him in deliuering him out of his troubles might by his faith and patience take like godly resolution to depend vpon the power and prouidence of God for their like deliuery Why art thou cast downe O my soule saith Dauid in his troubles and so vnquiet within mee which argueth that troubles and afflictions euen to a faithfull man doe at the first much disquiet his heart like as they that first are committed to prison they are much disquieted their hearts faint and are much cast downe vntill they haue béene for a time enured to their restraint and then come by little and little to themselues againe so doe they that vpon a sudden fall into any affliction as Dauid did but hauing a little considered that it is the Lords doing hee could then say vnto his sad soule Wait on God for I will yet giue him thanks for the helpe of his presence This sheweth the strong faith and confidence of Dauid who although his troubles were so many and heauy euen at the present that he was ready to faint vnder them yet hee waited with a firme assurance that the time would come wherein hee should reioyce againe and praise God againe for his helpe and certaine deliuery which hee knew was not farre off This teacheth euery faithfull man in his afflictions and troubles to repaire vnto God in prayer not to bée daunted or dismaid nor to disquiet himselfe but in patience to possesse his soule waiting the time wherein God hath appointed to deliuer him for it is a vaine thing and vnprofitable for a man in affliction to goe before the Lords prouidence strugling and striuing by sinister and vncommanded meanes to frée himselfe he doth by that meanes the more intangle himselfe as the Bird in the Net warranted meanes hee may vse and those with faithfull prayer vnto GOD to blesse the meanes for lawfull meanes profit not vnlesse they be also lawfully done and that is when and where God is made not onely a party but the principall in the meanes It was a very weake weapon that Dauid vsed against Goliah who was compleatly armed from the foot to the head there was but one small part of his whole body vnarmed and that was the fore part of his head but God so directed the stone that came out of his sling that it found that open way to cast that monster of men to the earth If God had not added strength to Dauids armes and by his prouidence carried the stone aright Dauids aime might haue failed the marke so whatsoeuer means we vse either in preuenting or easing our selues in any kinde of affliction if our hearts be not seasoned with faith in God ioined with praier we may misse of our hope and so faint in the expectation of our deliuery and therefore saith Dauid I should haue fainted except I had beleeued to see the goodnesse of the Lord. Except I had depended on his prouidence for my deliuery from mine enemies and had taken hold and beene assured of the true performance of his promises to ease me of mine afflictions I should haue sunke vnder the burthen of my troubles God who is our Father is goodnesse it selfe of whom and from whom wee obtaine all things through faith in his Sonne by him we liue moue and haue our being and therefore there is none in whom or by whom wée should séeke helpe in troubles but in God alone He is our hope and strength and helpe in troubles ready to bee found Therefore saith Dauid I will neither faint nor feare and againe my defence is in God who preserueth the vpright in heart He is God and none besides he is mighty and none else Why then should we faint in any troubles Why should wee bee daunted though enemies rise vp against vs Séeing this God is our God whose goodnesse helpe and deliuery if we beléeue we shall sée and our very enemies shall sée it euen here here in this vale of misery amongst the sons of men he shall be our guide and defence vnto death Unbeléefe is a most dangerous disease in the heart of man nothing succeedeth comfortably vnto them that beléeue not in God good things vnto vnbeléeuers turne to euill As vnto a raw crude a stomack ouercome with superfluous humors the best meat turnes to increase their disease so to an vnfaithfull man all things worke together to the increase of Gods iudgements against him As to the sonnes in law of Lot in Sodome who would not beléeue the Word of God declared by Lot for the confusion of the City perished So the children of Israel to whom God had promised to giue the Land of Canaan in their iourney towards it did not onely not beléeue the Lord but murmured against him saying Who shall giue vs flesh to eat would God we had died in the land of Aegyt or in this Wildernesse would God wee were dead were it not better for vs to turne into Aegypt With many such reproachful murmurous faithlesse obiurgations as well against God himselfe as against Moses and Aaron but for their infidelity faintings murmurings God answered their impious
verse is a fit and comfortable conclusion of this Psalme shewing herein that Dauid in all his troubles depended onely on God and by his owne experience encourageth himselfe and all other men in all kindes of troubles and afflictions to doe the like and then as he found they shall finde that God will neuer faile nor forsake them that truly trust in him Though Dauid say héere Hope in the Lord he speaks not to the encouragement of other men excluding himselfe but rather stirreth 〈◊〉 his owne soule his faith and affections as if hee should haue said O my soule hope in the Lord Thou hast proued the goodnesse of the Lord sufficiently in all thy troubles Thine enemies haue not preuailed against thée Thy foes haue not had their lust of thee therefore as thou hast heretofore hoped so still hope in the Lord faint not but be strong be not afraid whatsoeuer befalleth thée or whosoeuer assaileth thée be not dismaied for he that hath hitherunto béene thy helper and refuge will neuer leaue thée nor forsake thée if thou hope in him and be strong in â—â—ith And though thou be in danger in trouble and in whatsoeuer affliction and séest no deliuery present trust in the Lord and hée will deliuer thée and comfort thine heart For if in trouble and danger there were instant deliuery there were no place for Hope for Hope is of things not séene not of things presently enioyed Wherefore Dauid exhorts himselfe as it were and others to wait on God for their deliuery out of their miseries troubles through faith Hope in the Lord wait on God with faithfull patience Grudge not though troubles arise though crosses come and afflictions befall thée be strong be constant take courage murmur not fret not disquiet not thy selfe but be strong and trust in the Lord. There are some no doubt that can beare troubles nay fortures with a séeming inuincible patience in an ill cause carying themselues with such a valorous force of spirit as if they had the very Quintessence of faith and an vndaunted hope as wée may reade of Reualiack Balthasar and other murtherers of Kings It is but a patience without true patience for without obedience to Gods precepts there is no true religion without true religion there can bee no true faith without true faith no true patience and therefore that patience that is shewed in such and like capitall murtherers howsoeuer constantly they may séeme to endure their torments it is but the delusion Satan that while they are yet breathing doth stand to animate them to that séeming patience and resolution outward which the parties being dead their consciences shall neuer approue but their last gaspe shall carrie that horror with it that if it might after outwardly appeare would manifestly testifie that as the cause for which they suffered was in it selfe wicked their punishments legally and iustly deserued and inflicted their patience would shew it selfe a kinde of desperate running head-long into their owne perdition Leauing then these men to their owne Diabolicall strength let vs hope in the Lord let vs pray to become strong in him faithfull in him and truly patient in him in all our sufferings for there is no commendable suffering for euill doing and therefore saith S. Paul speaking to the faithfull Let none of you suffer as a murderer or a theefe c. But if any man suffer as a Christian namely for Christs Gospels sake and for well doing let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe namely that he is accounted worthy to suffer for the truth of Christ. Hope in the Lord Here is our confidence Bee strong here is our constancy And he shall comfort thine heart Here is the end of Hope and strength comfort of the heart Whosoeuer then hopeth of helpe from any inferior creature nay from an Angell in heauen and excludes God or standeth vpon his owne strength wealth wisdome friends or worldly policy and thinketh by these or any of these to be freed from danger eased in troubles or reléeued in want exempting God nay if hée take not the counsell of God by the direction of his word and prayer his hope will proue but a shadow and his strength as the strength of a Bull-rush Dauid bendeth his eies from all these to the loue power and prouidence of God in whom and whose aid he onely taketh for his strength assuring himselfe that he will not onely send him outward reléefe according to his hope but with inward ioy and consolation comfort his heart Therefore doth he encourage himselfe and others to hope in the Lord and not in carnall meanes To bee strong in faith in God not in y e strength of humane aid God must be totally our hope strength or else he will be no part for a hope that is partly in God and partly in other meanes is not the hope that tieth the promise of the true comfort but that hope that is confirmed and made strong by faith To this hope is a promise annexed that when dangers enemies and troubles beset a man round about though he want things necessary though sicknesse afflict him though crosses without and griefes within doe oppresse him though friends saile him and euery thing séeme to goe against him and he be depriued of all visible meanes to escape there remaineth yet hope in the Lord to be patient and not to faint This hope is the gift of God But there is a hope that is common to carnall men They hope vpon some probabilities séene or conceiued As the hope of a son for the inheritance of a father or a friend for something vpon death to be giuen them and the like This is not that hope that Dauid meanes when he saies hope but a certaine kinde of vncertaine expectation of things desired But Dauids hope is a sauing hope necessarily ioyned with saith and a patient waiting For that which we stedfastly beléeue shall come to passe and in nothing is the force of faith and hope more séene or felt than in affliction and trials For these bring forth patience and patience experience and experience hope which maketh the godly to reioyce in tribulation wherein is glory and no shame whereas in carnall hope there is often shame and seldome glory Saint Paul was so farre from being ashamed of his afflictions as he gloried in them for the hopes sake that is set before vs all of a most excellent issue and end of our hope and as through the holy Ghost the God of hope plentifully filled Paul with ioy and strength euen in his afflictions and with peace in beleeuing the promises whereby he abounded in hope that all his troubles trialls and afflictions should end with comfort So let vs pray vnto the same God of hope to be filled with like hope that our afflictions may likewise end in comfort which though we presently possesse not yet let vs with that blessed Apostle with patience wait for it But
slightly regard for so we may indéed turne his fatherly displeasure into iust reuenge let vs obserue in wisdome the Lords waies how indéed he neuer winketh long at our least sinne for many little sinnes make a great cry and when God heareth their clamour hée turneth away his face as a thing loathsome vnto him as he did from Dauid for a time who féeling it ranne crying againe vnto God O hide not thy face from me O Lord nor cast thy seruant away in displeasure Thou hast beene my succour saith Dauid leaue mee not neither forsake mee O God of my saluation though Dauid found that God had hid his face from him and séemed displeased with him yet he tooke a godly courage through saith to put God in minde of his former fauours towards him saying Thou hast beene my succour and thou changest not thou art still the same and whom thou hast once chosen thou neuer forsakest He may be angry with his dearest children for a time but he endureth not long in his displeasure but when he with rebukes doth chastise a man for his sinne his beauty consumeth and all carnall delights are as it were irkesome vnto him in respect of the losse of Gods fauour Though Dauid séemed much to bee troubled that God did hide his face from him and to withhold his helping hand against his enemies yet he had hope to redéeme his fauour againe because he was before his succour which no doubt hee in his heart acknowledged not to procéed of his owne deseruing but of the meere and frée mercy of God And therfore as hee first fréely chose him without his desert he would not cast him off in regard of his humane frailties incident to all men euen to y e best men but would rather renew maintaine and confirme those diuine graces which it had pleased God before to plant in him and so would returne againe vnto him in loue and turne his face towards him againe and not vtterly to leaue him nor forsake him and why because he was assured that as God had promised to be so he was and would be the God of his saluation for euer for he neuer faileth the performance of his promises to a thousand generations And his gifts and callings are without repentance Therefore if we be chosen of God we cleaue vnto God if we cleaue vnto God God is faithfull to succour vs will neuer leaue vs nor forsake vs. Though he seeme to hide his face from vs a little as he did from Dauid and to be displeased with vs as he seemed to be with him we may with like boldnesse build our assurance of his future helpe as Dauid did by his former succouring of vs And as Dauid held it as an argument of Gods neuer failing help in that hee was ence his succour how much more may such as haue often found him their defence and succour assure themselues that though he hide his face for a while he will neuer faile them nor forsake them But that he will establish his according to his promise y t they may yet liue not be disappointed of his louing fauour again howsoeuer they seeme to be forsaken Hee that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compasse him about on euery side A Prayer that God will be alwaies neere vnto vs in our afflictions and not to hide his face and fauour from vs. O Lord hide not thy face from me and cast mee not away in thy displeasure Thou diddest not in the beginning choose mee for my worthinesse O cast me not off for my weaknesse thou knewest before whereof I was made and that in me neither was nor is any goodnesse at all and therefore if thou shouldest hide thy face from me I could not iustly accuse thee of leuity or lightnesse soone to loue and as soone to reiect but condemne my selfe in that I haue cast away thy feare and haue forgotten and neglected thy due praises for thy former succour and goodnesse towards me I haue runne too farre in the way of sinne and vanity by a lewd law that is in my members rebelling against the law of thy Spirit incensing thee to displeasure against mee wherein thou seemest to hide thy face from me as if thou hadst neuer knowne me to be one of thine yet Lord I know thee and doe acknowledge that thou hast beene my succour thou hast beene a gracious God vnto mee when I haue called vpon thee thou hast heard mee when I haue sought thee thou hast turned thy louing countenance towards me thou hast not left me nor forsaken me therefore Lord forsake me not for euer giue mee not ouer leaue mee not vnto my selfe but keepe mee vnder the shadow of thine owne wings shew me the light of thy countenance againe and as thou hast beene formerly my succour leaue me not now nor forsake me O God of my saluation If thou turn from me altogether I shall altogether perish Remember that I am thine and the worke of thine owne hands destroy me not therefore ô my God that which thy selfe hast made for there is none that can plead or maintaine my cause against thee but as sinne hath cast mee downe thy grace can raise mee vp I haue falne through frailty I may rise againe by faith in thee I haue lost the view of thine amiable countenance by turning my face vnto vanity I may finde it againe if it please thee to turne me to thee and thy face to me I haue beene too negligent when thou saidst Seeke my face I gaue not such eare vnto thy words nor such eye vnto the beauty of thy face as I ought But be thou pleased now to be found when I seek thee I pray thee heare mee now I intreat thee And cast mee not away in displeasure though I haue displeased thee As long as I see thy face I am safe but as soone as thou turnest thy face from me I am troubled When thou leauest me I am left without spirituall hope or helpe and busie my selfe in things that profit not And therefore I cannot but confesse indeed that thou maiest turne away thy face from me a sinner but remember then I became a sinner when thou didst hide thy face from mee Yet haue not I forsaken thee O God neither can I goe from thee wheresoeuer I should couet to hide my selfe No I will not onely not couer to hide my selfe but I come euen as Dauid to Saul to discouer my selfe vnto thee Alas to discouer my selfe when I cannot hide my selfe from thee Though thou mayst hide thy face from me I cannot hide my waies from thee No Lord I seeke thee let mee finde thee Leaue me not nor forsake mee O God of my saluation nor cast me thy poorest and meanest seruant away in thy displeasure But as thou hast euer beene my succour sustaining me releeuing me defending me and comforting me So gracious Lord God in Iesus Christ continue my louing and helping father still And then
though his errors no way concerne the matter in controuersie betwéene them but méerely his frailty falling as a naturall man whereof Dauid being afraid he prayeth vnto God that he would teach him his way which is vncorrupt and to leade him in an vpright path not onely in his ordinary calling but in the sincerity of his religion and profession lest his enemies that are alwaies watchfull should haue cause to accuse him of some grosse sinne and so draw him into the censure and condemnation of the world Dauid was a man chosen of God but by nature apt and inclined to sinne like other men who all haue their peculiar faults No man liueth so sincerely but if his life in all points at all times be narrowly obserued and examined by his owne conscience he may be taxed or tax himselfe either for committing things which God hath forbidden or omitting things which God hath commanded And therefore as Dauid here prayeth God to teach him his way and to lead him in a right path and as Moses before him prayed vnto God saying If I haue found fauour in thy sight shew me now thy way that I may know thee and that I may finde grace in thy sight So ought euery Christian to pray that God would not onely teach him but lead him also not onely because of his enemies whose slanders hée feareth which yet is necessary but because God should not be dishonoured by his corrupt conuersation and sinne There is no man especially Gods children but haue enemies not onely corporall but spirituall among whom the subtillest and strongest is Satan who looketh not so much into what a man doth as into the inclination of his heart by the things hee doth for by his workes he findeth what is in man for thoughts are hid and by his outward actions he can collect whereunto hée is inclined and vpon that he workes and laies his plots accordingly and most commonly he obserueth in euery man some sinne that raigneth and ruleth aboue all other sinnes which he hugs as it were in his bosome there doth Satan apply his greatest battery knowing that if he vanquish him in it and sée him to continue in it it is as much as if he had inticed him to a thousand sins and therefore hee laieth baits according to a cunning Fowler or Fisherman that hath one especiall bait for each kinde of Fowle or Fish according to the desire of that peculiar sin wherein a man most delighteth entertaining euery occasion or fit opportunity to féed his desire which Satan finding vseth his instruments to féed him with varieties Euery raigning or rather raging sinne in man may be compared to the disease in mans body called the Wolfe which if it be not continually fed with some kinde of satisfactory matter will soone deuoure the very flesh of y t part of the body wherupon it hath seized so that sinne that a man holdeth so deare to which hee cannot but yeeld vpon euery opportunity afforded must be fed with the satisfying of those corrupt desires which best agree with the nature of that woluish disease otherwise it will euen eat vp their senses and they will become as mad men when they are restrained from what that sinne desireth As for example take game from the couetous man hee will become euen cut of his wits barre the drunkard of his liquor and he will rage like a shéebeare robbed of her whelps preuent the lasciuious man of his Harlots he will swagger sweare and aduenture his life to haue them and so of the rest If therefore a man fall into any of these dominant sinnes and liue in it what an aduantage is it vnto his enemies It is a double aduantage first it makes him scandalous in the world whose good opinion with the vertuous and religious hée loseth It offends GOD whose hand is alwaies ouer the righteous to defend them against the wicked to confound them How sottish then are these men that will giue entertainment at the first to such seruants as at last shall become their masters Sinne in the beginning is weake and with ease may be subdued but when it hath beene cherished and nursed vp awhile in our brests as beloued and fed as it will require it beconuneth predominant facing as it were a man and as if it should say I haue thus long ouerruled thée I will yet make thée my slaue O fearefull estate yet not a few liue in this miserable seruility and doth not that enemy Satan triumph to obserue his vassals thus subiected and doth he not stirre vp enemies to vpbraid them some to mocke and scorne them some to reproach and reuile them and finally doth hee not laugh at their destruction Had not holy Dauid thē good cause to be afraid to be thus carried away with the violence of his owne corrupt nature which no doubt hée felt something inclinable rather to goe astray than to goe on y e way the Lord taught him had he not good cause as eueryman hath instantly to pray vnto God Teach me thy way O Lord and leade me in thy right path because of mine enemies Where it appeareth that it is not enough to know the way of God vnlesse wee walke in it and what power haue we of our selues to walke aright vnlesse the spirit of God leade vs we may thinke wee are right when wee are cleane out of the way as many deceiued silly soules doe that thinke themselues right and others out of the way when indéed they walke in darknesse and haue no light at all Enemies are alwaies enuious against the prosperity good that the godly receiue and reioyce when any disgrace misery or misfortune befalls them When my foot slipt saith Dauid mine enemies reioyced So doth Satan and his instruments who neuer rest day nor night seeking to draw if it were possible Gods owne children into the waies of the wicked and then againe to moue and instigate the wicked to reproach vs for our sinnes so that wée must not looke to liue here securely euen in our séeming most quiet estate for when wée thinke of none and deserue least disgrace Satan will raise vp one railing and reuiling Shemei some one traiterous Iudas or one trecherous Achithophel or another to trouble vs. And if wee haue committed any knowne sin be it neuer so small whether in our place conuersation or profession wee shall be sure to heare it Let vs liue neuer so warily neuer so ciuily neuer so sincerely we haue enemies enow to espy out our secretest actions to heare our most priuate speech for in the most godly little sinnes seeme great and are soone discouered and great sinnes in the wicked séeme no sinnes therefore haue the wicked few enemies whom they feare to sée their waies but the godly many It is no disgrace to a wicked man to bée wicked it is his profession as it is no blemish to the beauty of an Aethiopian to be blacke it is his naturall