displeasure and wrath and in the former part of this verse he asketh of God that he would haue mercy vpon him and forgiue him those sinnes that had prouoked his wrath and indignation against him and now in the latter part he desires that the Lord would heale him Euery one of these things were so necessarie to Dauid that lacking any one of them hee thought himselfe vnfortunate hee felt the wrath of God and therefore desired the same to be remoued he had offended and therefore desires mercy he was fallen into a most dangerous sicknesse and therefore desires corporall health Yee see here that the best of Gods children are subiect to diseases as well as others Doctr. The best of Gods children subiect to diseases GrauissimuÌ„ omnium tentationum non tentari The fruit of sinne Psal 41.1 Vse for seeing the root of sinne is in them and the fountaine of that sinning sin what other bud can it produce or what spring can flow therefrom but miserable destruction of our nature Therefore when we see good men heauily afflicted with diseases let vs remember that saying Blessed are those that iudge wisely of the poore and also bee carefull lest through our sins wee prouoke the Lord to powre the like vpon vs which if he doe as we iustly deserue then by prayer to runne vnto the Lord with Dauid and crie Lord heale me For my bones are sore vexed He sheweth how hee is made weake in both his parts his body in these words his soule in the next verse Doctr. Sin vndoes the whole man So sinne vndoes the whole man and euery part of him so that as the soule lusts and the body executes and practises the foule desires of the soule so both are punished hee who sinneth in both is punished in both Greatest paine in â—he bones Setting downe his bodily diseases he comprehendeth them vnder the trouble of his bones for as the greatest strength of man is in his bones so his greatest paine is the paine of the bones which exceedeth the paine of the flesh as experience in the tooth-ache or breaking any other bone teacheth for albeit the bones of themselues are senselesse yet not so the membrans and tunicles that compasse them Alwaies the Scriptures of God doe expresse both the greatest strength and ioy in Gods worship and the greatest paines and afflictions to the bones Psal 35.10 Psal 51.8 as all my bones shall say O Lord who is like thee and the bones which thou hast broken shall reioyce that is the whole strength of my body shall bee bent vpon thy seruice And againe Esay 38.13 Lam. 3.4 Psal 38.3 Psal 34.20 Psal 42.10 Lam. 1 13. Iob 20.21 Doct. Great mischief commeth of the euils of misgouerned health Iob 20.11 Esay 51.8 Simil. He hath bruised all my bones as a Lyon and all my bones are out of ioynt and there is no peace in my bones And God keepeth all their bones and while my bones are broken and send a fire in my bones and thy bones shall be filled with the sins of thy youth Obserue first out of this place what a misgouerned health bringeth to man it destroyeth our nature our pleasure becommeth our displeasure Our old bones inherit the sinnes of our youth which haue wasted and consumed vs as the moth doth the garment The poyson and venome of the Aspe is receiued with great sweetnesse but it ouercommeth the body by destroying man So is sinne Can there bee a rush growe without water or sicknesse where there is no sinne Iob. 8.11 Search downe to the bottome of thine heart and thou shalt finde the fountaine of the euill to be within thee that thou maist purge it by vnfained repentance Next consider Doctr. The bestremedie againd diseases is to goe vnto the Lord. 2 Kin. 20.2 Vse How God cures sin Simil. that as this his ficknesse comes from God so he turnes to him for remedie Diseases are Gods arrowes shot by his owne hand why should we not then with Ezekiah turne to the wall and mourne to him that he may helpe vs For so skilfully deales the Lord with vs that hee cures our sinnes by our diseases and visitations albeit they spring out of sinne as Physitians doe curing the sting of the Serpent by the ashes of the dead Serpent so by the bud and fruit of sinne he cures sinne and God is so infinitely wise that he applies that kinde of disease to his patient which is fittest for such a sinne And indeed as there be monstrous sins fallen forth in this ourage Monstrous sinnes produce vnwonted sicknesses which the former ages knew not so likewise hath the Lord punished them with vnwonted sicknesses vpon mens bodies whose nature Galen Hippocrates or the best Physitians haue neuer yet discouered And therfore the Lord remoue from vs these sinnes Cause of diseases 1. The contempt of the Gospel 2 Apostasie from Gods truth that he may take from vs these iudgements but namely the contempt of the Gospell Word and Sacraments for which many are tyed to the bed of sicknesse and this abominable Apostasie from Gods truth to Idolatrie which God is like to punish fearefully by desertion The word meaneth not onely a troubling but also a trembling Marke finally that the word according to the Originall signifieth not only a troubling or obstupifying but also a shaking or trembling of which the Poet saith Gelidusque per ima cuâ—urrit Ossatremor That is The cold trembling ran thorow the deepest bones This teacheth vs Vse The force of sin will shake our strongest parts that sinne can shake the strongest part we haue for if our bones were stones and mountaines yet if sinne sease on them it would shake them asunder VERSE 3. Vers 3 My soule also is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thon delay Doctr. 1 NOw he expounds the other part of his sorrow which is a Spirituall disease the troubles of Conscience Spirituall trouble greater than temporall Reason farre greater yea and more importable than the other for as the soule is a more subtill and Spirituall substance beginner of all life and motion in man it must feele the selfe more when it is troubled and wounded I will therefore by the help of God intreat here about the trouble of Conscience and deduce it in all particulars that if it please God at any time to waken your conscience ye may haue remedie in time to pacifie it Doctr. Yokefellowes in sin yoke-fellowes in punishmeÌ„t My soule Yokefellowes in sinne are yokefellowes in paine the soule is punished for informing the body for performing and as both the informer and performer the cause and the instrument so shall the stirrer vp of sinne and executer be punished That man hath a soule But here appeares first that as a man hath a body so likewise hath he a soule and as the one is pained so likewise is the other And yet alas there are
in this life many in the life to come many within him many without him So vnhappie is the state of the wicked whose sorrows shall be multiplied Isa 65.13.14 Behold my servants shall eat and yee shal be hungrie c. and in the Revel Revel 9.12 Revel 8.13 One woe is past and two are to come and the Angel flying through heauen cryed Woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth The godly and wickeds sorrow differ The Godly haue sorrow also but nothing comparable to theirs For God remembreth mercie in the mids of iudgement which he doth neuer to the wicked the Lord deliuereth the godly as the Israelites through the Sea and drownes the wicked The examples of Gods iudgements are seene in Lucifer Isa 14.12 Gen. 3.10 Gen. 4.11 Gen 7. Gen. 18.19 Our first parents Caine. the first world The fiue Cities Pharoah Nebuchadnezar Antiochus Herod c. Read ouer the 28. of Dout. There is a Catalogue of the sorrows of the wicked which should affraie any Christian heart And also in the 20. of Iob. where is sayd Iob. 20.22 all sorrow shall fall on him But mercie shall compasse him who trusteth in the Lord. He hath threatned in his doctrine the wicked with a consideration of Gods iudgements Now hee is alluring them with an offer of Gods mercies the godlie are ever well and all turne to the best to them Saluation welfare attendeth them in all places at all times in all causes in all their businesse in things certaine and vncertaine in prosperitie and aduersitie in body and soule in things present and to come Mercie What euer come to him is mercie and flowing from the fountaine of the remission of his sinnes The Lord crowneth them with mercies yea his sinnes turne to mercies to him But of this before Shall compasse him Doctr. The godly as they are compassed with trouble so are they with mercies 2 King 6.15.17 Psal 125.2 Zach. 2.5 Doctr. Mercie belongeth to the faithful As hee was compassed with innumerable troubles So God shall compasse him with as many comforts Dothan was compassed with Aramits so was it also with Angels as the mountaine compasseth Ierusalem so is the Lord about his people and hath promised to be a wall of fire about her That trusteth in the Lord. These are the people to whom mercie appertaines euen the beleeuers for faith onely maks vs acceptable to God But of this likewise before I beseech God make vs all penitent for our sinnes and sensible of his â—uercies but aboue all things roote vs in the Faith of Christ that we may depend vpon his promises that are both faithfull and true VERS 11. Be glad yee righteous and reioyce in the Lord and be ioyfull all yee that are vpright in heart The substance of this verse THis verse containeth the conclusion of the Psalme wherein is set downe an exhortation â—o such as are happie and blessed by remission of their sinnes to a spirituall ioy and praysing of God And this exhortation dependeth very well on the antecedents for hauing spoken of the remission of sinnes and the fruites of repentance and the fatherlie mercy of God towards the faythfull to whom properly this exhortation belongeth For after the remission of sinnes After remission of sinne ariseth ioy Gal. 5. Rom. 5.1 there ariseth an vnspeakeable ioy in the beleeuers heart for ioy is that fruit of faith And after the Apostle Rom. 4. had spoken of iustification hee inferreth Rom. 5. Then being iustifieed by faith we haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ Which doubtlesly coÌ„prehendeth all sorts of ioy and the Angels when they Preached to the shepheards of Christ Luk. 2.10 they professed they tolde ioyfull tydings This exhortation containeth three parts First what hee doth exhort to reioyce Secondly whom the righteous and vpright men Thirdly the limitation thereof in the Lord. Be glad He exhorteth them three times be glad reioyce and be ioyfull and as â—ee made mentioÌ„ of a threefold blessing so doth hee of a threefold ioy Wherein we haue two things necessary to be obserued First the duinesse of our nature who as slow horses neede many spurres Mans senslesnesse in spirituall things and prouâ—câ—tions to spirituall things for we are naturally ouermuch â—ent to carnall things that wee neede no incitations to the same But by the contrary in spirituall things wee are cast in a deepe sleepe who cannot be wakened at the first cry as those men after drinke haue neede to be roused often that they may behold the light so men drunken with the pleasures of sinne as Nazianzen sayth Must be wakened by diuerse exhortations as this same Prophet in the subsequet Psalme redoubleth his exhortatioÌ„s for the same effect And the Apostle to the Philippians sayth Phil. 4.4 reioyce in the Lord continually and I say againe Tho proper signification of the words be glad reioyce Next I perceiue that this exhortation growes for the word Be glad properly in the owne language signifieth an inward and hearty ioy Psal 35.26 Reioyce by the presence or hope at least of a thing desirable or good The second word Reioyce in the owne language signifieth to expresse our ioy by some outward gesture sometimes vsed for dancing as the Hills skip for gladnesse Psal 65.12 Be ioyfull Isa 35.6 The third word Be ioyfull signifieth to cry forth for gladnesse as the dumbe mans tongue shall sing This Gradation teacheth vs Doctr. Spirituall ioy alwayes increaseth that this is the nature of Spirituall ioy That it is alwayes augmented to vs by certaine degrees vntill the time is come to the perfection of all ioy which is signified by the last word importing as it were a triumph and showting after victorie So that they are truly penitent when they haue ouercome sinne and Satan in their spirituall combate triumphes ouer them as vanquished enemies Obi But it may be obiected that the best christians commonly haue the least cause of reioycing in regard they are more subiect to Troubles Crosses Imprisonments Pouerty Sicknesse c. then others Our Sauiour answereth to that In the world yee shall haue trouble Ans Ioh. 16.33 but in me yee shall haue ioy reioyce I haue ouercome the world The Martyrs who suffer the losse of their liues and riches with great ioy answeres in the midst of the fierie flames where they sing and prayse God as though they felt no paine their inward ioy swallowing vp their outward trouble Christians in their very death answeres to that when they cry O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victory So 1 Cor. 15. Inward ioy swalloweth vp outward crosses how so euer they be subiect to the greatest miseries outwardly yet the ioy arising from the assurance of Gods fauour doth swallow them vp Obserue Doctr. Only those truly reioice whose sinne is pardoned Pro. 29.6 Pro. 14.10 Psal 40.16 Isa 65.13 Rev.
is not in worse case with God but he maketh it to be like the poole of Bethesda Iohn 5.1 which being troubled by the Angell was a present remedie vnto such as were cast thereinto euen so the poole of the conscience being troubled God oftentimes cureth the man who is cast into that trouble and therefore no man ought to thinke the worse of any Christian who is thus handled The true trouble of Conscience is made by Gods goodnesse to his children Trouble of conscience a medicine to purge the soule from sin a singular medicine to purge their soule which is disquieted for euen as in the naturall constitution of mans body when the corrupt humours striue to extinguish the naturall power of his life and doe trouble his stomacke maruellously the Physitian to help nature for expelling of those humours giueth the Patient medicine which with great a doe molestation of the person in the end bringeth health So when sin and grace are combating in the conscience Simil. God out of that trouble maruellously bringeth and vnexpected health This trouble of conscience is not a mark of a reprobate Neither must men thinke trouble of Conscience to be a marke of a reprobate but rather of one whose conscience is so tender and thin-skinned and strait that it can abide nothing which separateth God from it like as a most louing wife who is so far addicted to please her husband that she can abide nothing no not in her very looke to offend him and that the change of his countenance is very death vnto her his absence hell so it is the greatest trouble that euer a man can feele in this world to be put vpon the racke of Gods anger yea and most represents the paine of hell which made Solomon say Pro. 18.14 But a troubled spirit who can beare There be many things which trouble the soule which is not the trouble of conscience Trouble of soule is not alwayes trouble of conscience for then properly the soule must be troubled with some spirituall cause for oftentimes because of its coniunction with the bodie it is affected with the miseries thereof and namely with these foure First the soule is pined pitifully with the care of these worldly things 4. Things which trouble the soule with their remedies which turmoyle her night and day that shee can get no rest for which cause our Sauiour calleth them thornie cares because they pricke men through the heart and so oft forewarneth men 1. Worldly cares Luk. 21.34 that they be not vexed therewith if these men who had this excessiue care were troubled in conscience I thinke the world would be full of them Indeed I thinke ouer-great care which is Auarice as it is the root of all euill so when thy conscience shall be once stirred it will become thy greatest torment so that thou shalt loath those riches which before thou louedst Remedie Marke of repentance Luk. 10.42 Therefore let all your care be drawne to seeke that onething how ye may serue and seeke God and eschew sinne which is one of the marks of true repentance The second thing which troubleth the Soule is Anger 2. Trouble Anger which is like a fire burning it vp which if it continue will consume it This is a most dangerous euill of which Iob saith Anger killeth the foole and Enuie the idiot Iob 5.2 For remedie against it it is best to embrace Dauids and Pauls exhortation Remedie Psal 4.5 Ephes 4.25 Be angry and sinne not and this yee may doe if all your anger be conuerted against sinne The third is Sorrow 3. Trouble Sorrow which is a passion wearying the Soule and pressing it downe contracted of some worldy losses of goods and children and yet this is not the trouble of which I speake Remedie But to remedie this it is good that all our sorrowes may be for sin and the offence done to God And lastly 4. Trouble Feare feare shakes the soule as an earth quake when it is afraid for any corporall danger Psal 53.5 Prou. 28.1 of whom it is said The wicked are smitten with feare and flee when none are pursuing them The remedie But to amend this it is requisite that our feares be reduced to this principall feare that we feare to offend God and this feare will free vs from all our feares The trouble of conscience then commeth only for sin How the trouble of conscience commeth and for the absence of God from the soule for when he is present it can see no sin his presence is as the Sun-beames chasing away the clouds of our sins but when he obscures himselfe then the soule sees her sinnes and perceiues and feeles him absent out of which two ariseth that which wee call the trouble of conscience which is a felt desertion of God What the trouble of conscience is wherein the creature by a spirituall eclipse seeth not the Creator in the mirror of the Gospell neither thinks that his promises appertaine to them neither findes God hearing their prayers neither feeles comfort in the Word and Sacraments neither findes God blessing him in his actions but as a man left to himselfe and a prey to the Deuill except God support him He sees the heauen as a fire aboue him and hell as an open gulfe beneath him men and Angels his enemies and the deuds his burials Behold in what a case this man is in Simil. euen as a childe left in the wildernesse by his parents to be a prey to wilde beasts so is a soule deserted of God But because I haue spoken at great length of the trouble of Conscience it selfe of her causes and ends of her diseases and remedies in my booke of Meditations on the seuen dayes I referre the Reader thereto not willing to vse any repetition But Lord how long Now yee haue heard both the corporall diseases of Dauid and spirituall that as his body and soule mutually sinned so both were mutually pained and both againe cured albeit not so soone as Dauid desired and therefore longing for the Lords presence he subioynes But Lord how long wilt thou delay A troubled heart hath abrupt speeches to God Which is an abrupt interrogation when through the vehemencie of his perturbation he curreth his speech which the Orators by a figure call Aposiopesis when men cannot vtter clearely and fully their minde through the greatnesse of their griefe The like whereof we haue in the 13 Psalme How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for euer and Psal 79.5 89.46 Lord how long wilt thou be angry for euer and Lord how long wilt thou hide thy selfe for euer Habak 1.2 O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not heare And the soules that were vnder the Altar slaine for the testimonie of the truth cry Reuel 6.10 How long Lord holy and true c. Out of this we haue
publiquely offended Chrysost in Psal 50. I say not confesse to thy fellow servant who may reproach thee but to God who may heale thee This auricular Confession was not knowne in Davids time But did he not confesse himselfe to Nathan Ob It is to be vnderstood Ans that God revealed it first to Nathan extraordinarily and be told Dauid thereof first Thou art the man So that David finding his sinne was revealed why should he haue striven against God by concealing it But when God obscureth our sinnes from the world why should we round them in the care of any false Priest who not onely hath no warrant of God for his calling being the servant of the Deuill but maketh his advantage of our Confession and by it doth provoke vs to more sinnes and to commit filthinesse with himselfe as experience hath taught vs Against auricular confession as also doth reveale them to his Generall and he to the Pope against their owne oath of secrecie See if we be wise when we haue our God to confesse vs we iustly make our selues a prey to Sathan and detects our nakednesse to such who cannot onely cover vs but discover our follies and secrets to such who may make vs more shamefull and that is the iust iudgement of God to such as doe it and by so doing they intangle themselues and advance the kingdome of Antichrist Rohere he sayth he will confesse his sinne vnto God he hath great reason so to doe as also we haue to doe the like because God is the partie offended and none can forgiue vs our sinnes but he onely Who is like our God that passeth by the sinnes of his people What reason haue we to confesse a debt to him to whom we are addebted in nothing The Iewes who were blind in many things yet they said 1 Ioh. 1.9 God onely could forgiue sinnes If we coufesse our sins he is faithfull who will forgiue vs. And seeing confession is a part of divine worship Confession a part of Gods worship Esa 41.8 which the Lord will not communicate to any creature we were traytors to God to confesse our selues to any but to him because in so doing we derogate so much from his glory and substract from his honour so much as we giue to any other Confesse your sinnes therfore to the Lord your God and vse daily Confession as yee sinne daily Let no sinne passe the secretest cogitation of your hearts without a secret confession of your heart and as I haue said if ye become offensiue to the Gospell publiquely and God hath revealed that sinne repent it publiquely and honour God as much by your publique repentance as yee haue dishonoured him by your publique sinne Vpon such a publique repentance was the incestuous man received in againe 1 Cor. 5. it is sufficient that the same man was rebuked of many And in the Acts it is recorded of the beleevers of Ephesus Act. 19.18 They came and confessed their workes before the multitisde Privat confessioÌ„ when it should be made As for private Confession I thinke it also may be but not as the Popish auricular for in iniuries man doth to man as ofteÌ„ they fall out we ought to confesse our fault to the partie offended yea craue of him pardon so to be reconciled to him As we are commanded If thy brother trespasse against thee seaven times in a day Luk. 17.4 and seaven times in a day turne againe vnto thee saying it repenteth me thou shalt forgiue him And God sends Abimelech to Abraham Gen. 20.7 to be reconciled for detaining of his wife that he might obtaine his prayers And Iobs friends to Iob Iob. 41.8 to confesse their fault As also privately we may goe to the Minister Ioh. 5.16 and declare our griefe Confesse one to another We vrge no confession neither yet of all things neither at set times as at Easter but at all occasions let them powre forth their heart in any Christians bosome for their owne ease Doctr. Care not for shame if it be Gods honour Against my selfe This declareth vnto vs that whosoeuer will truely confesse his sinne must be his owne greatell enemy So Dauid shamed himselfe to all posteritie that Gods grace might be knowne for it is the nature of true confession to aggravate our sinnes and cast downe our selues The Prophet calleth himselfe a Beast before God 1 Tim. 1.13 S. Paul accused himselfe of blasphemie I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Iob. 42.6 Dan. 9.8 sayth Iob. Vnto vs appertaineth open shame c. S. Paul taking a view of his sinnes 1 Tim. 1.14 calleth himselfe the greatest of all sinners I am not worthy to looke vp to the heavens sayth the Publican Luk. 18. This trying of our selues is called a iudging for 1 Cor. 7.31 if we would iudge our selues we should not be condemned with the world In the course of iudgement there is araignment 1. Araignement when we summon our selues before the batre of Gods iudgement Examination by the Atturney 2. Examination sifting narrowly the poynts of our dittie So our conscience accuseth vs of all our sinnes Psal 50.3 3. Conviction and layeth them in order before vs. Conviction when we are forced to say with the penitent theefe we are iustly here Lastly 4. Execution Luk. 23.41 2 Cor. 7.11 execution and holy revenge whereby a Christian chastiseth his body and abandoneth his affections mortifying and subduing the corruptions of his owne nature Plutarch sayth Plutarch p. 422. when he writeth of Antalcides and Lysander when they were initiate they were commanded to confesse their faults and if any had beene found culpable they were to goe about the Altar and sing their owne disprayse Man himselfe is the cauâ—â— of all the evil that come to him If euery man would accuse himselfe of any danger that commeth to him we should not blame God albeit he be the author and director of all or the Devill who onely is the instrument or the starres who haue no power nor chance not fortune which are not all being guided by a Providence nor the infirmitie of our flesh and constitution of our body or counsell or example of other men These shifts we haue learned from Adam and Eue onely let vs blame our selues the cause of all My wickednesse He made mention in the beginning of this Psalme of his sinnes wickednesse and iniquitie as also he doth in many other Psalmes teaching vs hereby to aggravate not extenuate our sinne for grace worketh alike against all sinne Note He who hath grace to confesse one sinne aright by the same grace confesseth all Repent for all sinne So that it cannot be true repentance when wee can repent of one and leaue the rest vnrepented as did the Israelites in their conversion 1 Sam. 12.19 Pray for thy servants sayd they to Samuel that we die not for
hath a particular iudgement vpon men in this world both elect and reprobate iudicie non sâ—â—â—er manifesto semper tamen iusto not alwayes by a manifest yet always by a iust iudgment He erecteth a tribunall in mens conscience he summoneth the party accuseth coÌ„uicteth him This iudgment is by his word Spirit For euery mans work shal be manifest as by the fire For the fire both letteth them see their faults and burneth vp their drosse As also he punisheth them in the sight of the world and in their posteritie as he did as well to Dauid as to Saul 2. Sa. 12.10 for he said that blood should not depart from his house and so it was Therefore let not men although the best Christians thinke to escape the censure of his iustice yea what euer he doth Psal 143.17 we must say God is iust in all his works Next he is pure when he iudgeth or trieth We may be assured God will put men to triall God will put vs to triall by afflâ—ction persecution sicknesse and pouertie Then men will be made manifest the hypocrisie of many will be detected For as the wind is appointed to trie the corne Simil. the fire to trie the gold the floods to trie houses builded vpon the rocke and send so shall the day of the Lords triall discerne those who haue but a shadow of religion and shall appeare ere it be long as it is bâ—â—â—n already Alwayes God is pure in his tâ—â—all he knoweth the one from the other already but he will haue men trying and knowing them Gen. 22.12 Abraham was tried in the slaughter or offering of his son and his faith was approued Ionah 2. so was Ionas tried and Iobs patience and Peters weaknesse In all these trials God was pure and free of any iniury done to any of them for they were knowne to be but men although Prophets and Apostles And it is no maruell though at this time in the triall of the Church Nota. many be found to be but men God is not to be blamed he is pure when he trieth And seeing triall is prophecied to be not onely the Church of Philadelphia Reu. 3.10 1. Pet. 1.7 but also in all the earth which is called the houre of tentation or a time of fiery triall either by heresies schismes or defection from the truâ—h of God or by bloodie persecutions of Gods Saints and his Church as all Europe hath experience this day what shall we do but keepe Gods word Nota. possesse our soules in patience suffering the reproches calumnies cruell dealings yea all that the diuell and his children can do to vs. If we be tried by fire let vs be found gold if by water let vs abide in the Arke and in the Apostles boate let vs be found sure builders vpon the foundation which the Apostles laid euen Christ 1. Pet. 2. if by the aire and winds let vs be as wheate and not chaffe If finally by the earth and earthly allurements let vs be fouÌ„d to haue our conuersatioÌ„ aboue the time of trial is come already We learne also out of this that in all our trials whether inward in our conscience or externall in our bodies yea though our bodies were giuen to the beasts and foules of heauen In all our trials externall or internall God is pure yet God is pure and without fault In the best of vs all there is cause why we should be tried Verse 5. Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sin hath my mother conceiued me THis is the fourth reason by which he would moue God to forgiue him That our nature from the very originall is corrupted from the seminarie and fountain of our conception For from our mothers wombe we bring nothing but sinne And surely we cannot throughly acknowledge our sins vnlesse we condemne our whole naturall powers and faculties of vncleannesse So the knowledge of this one sinne bringeth him to the examination of his whole life ActuaÌ„ll sins are as streames which proceed from original sin which is the fountaine till he find nothing in himselfe but sin For if the fountaine be poisoned what will the streames be that flow from it If we would looke backe to our originall sin we might haue cause the more to lament our actual sins as poisonable streames flowing from such a fountaine So soone therefore as our conscience accuseth vs of any one sin we should call to remembrance the whole course of our life Let the remembraÌ„ce of one sin put vs in mind of all the sins we haue committed Simil. that it hath bin nothing else but a continuall sinning against God that thus the last putting vs in mind of the first we may not be content to repent and aske pardon for one but for all A sick man hauing obtained health doth remember how long he was sicke whereby for the present he both considereth his own frailtie and Gods mercie in deliuering him as also encourageth and inanimateth him in time to come by remembrance of former mercies obtained Happie were we if we would begin to remember our miseries and Gods mercies Lorinus the Iesuite to ecce addeth enim which he confesseth is not in the Hebrew veritie and that Saint Ierome hath forgot it yet maintaineth that it is rightly put in to giue force to the words of his sin See the Sophist who granteth the Scriptures and yet would empaire their credit as though Gods Spirit were not wise enough and the sense could not hold without enim The like do they in these words Hoc est corpus meum they adde enim and say Hoc est enim which is not in the Scriptures and were altogether vngrammaticall In a word they alter and change the Scriptures as they please bringing in their enim as a particle of reason which carieth with it no reason Ye see then what the miserable corruption of our nature is so soone as we take life Man no sooner beginneth to liue but he beginneth to sinne Gen. 6.5 we begin to sin An infant of one day is not cleane before God The masse whereof we be formed is filthy and sinfull and so much the more filthy seeing it is possessed with a soule vncleane and polluted The cogitation of wans heart is only euill continually God knoweth our mold Psa 103.14 We erre froÌ„ the womb And albeit mariage be a bed vndefiled Heb. 13.4 by reason of the institution yet the concupiscence and lust polluteth the ordinance which is most holy Children haue originall sin Then children are not free of original sin for then why should they be baptized and why should they die as many do daily But it may seeme wonderfull strange that children who can neither doe Obiect thinke or speake euill should be culpable I answer by another question Solut. Simil. what is the reason that a yong fox new whelped doth not slay a lamb is it not
quod non haebet veritas hebraica And therefore willing to reconcile them he saith that both night and day they should awaite vpon God But seeing he granteth there is no word of the night in the Hebrew verity why would he goe by that light of the Scriptures to his corrupt translation citing Saint Ierome who maketh twice mention of the morning not once of the night But he peruerteth Scriptures as his manner is and in confessing that our translation is according to the Hebrew veritie he graunteth that his translation is after a Latine lie which indeede is both mutilat and redundant leauing out that which should be in the morning twise and putting in night which should not be there But no maruell so is all their doctrine bringing in darkenesse of ignorance and putting away the light of the morning the Lord Iesus Christ Read Chrysos translation The night diuided in to foure warches More then the morning watch watching for the morning The night was diuided in foure watches euery watch had three houres the last watch because neerest the day and light of the Sunne is most comfortable and therefore most desired Out of this verse I obserue these foure things First that this world is a night Secondly that Christians are watchmen Thirdly that their comfort and light must come from aboue from Christ that Sonne of righteousnesse Fourthly that the light commeth not till the fourth watch 1. This world is a night The world is a night and its darknes represents Hell as the light represents Heauen The morning presupposeth the night and this world most properly is compared to a long winters night which is verie comfortable The light is comfortable both to those that are in health and sicknesse when men lie in darkenesse they are discouraged and their griefe is augmented and â—ncreased but when they see the day breaking they take heart The darkenesse representeth hell wherein there is vtter darkenesse and no light neither materiall not spirituall there shal be a fire burning but neither giuing heate or light and the light representeth heauen where there shal be no darkenesse Reu. 21.23 For the Lambe shal be the light of the house As the night is cold so is this world comfortles The night also is cold wanting the Sunne which warmeth the earth man and beast so is the world a shaddow of death a darke dungeon a portrature of hell no comfort to be had in it but displeasure and matter of mourning Ignorance a most obseure night Ro. 13.12 The greatest night in this world is the ignorance of God of which the Apostle speaketh The night is passed and the day is come This darkenesse ouerspread the whole face of the earth Gen. 1.3 till it pleased God who brought light out of darkenesse the first day to illuminate our darkned minds by the knowledge of his truth of which also the Apostle speaketh yea are no more darkenesse but light in the Lord. Spirituall darkenesse which carieth to eternall darknesse Eph. 5.8 Spirituall darknes as most euill is most to be feared is more fearefull then corporall darknesse Forasmuch as prisoners lying in darkenesse would most gladlie see the light But these who are lying in ignorance of God desire neuer to see the light of heauen they thinke ignorance the mother of deuotion they take pleasure in it they hate knowledge they will not be informed I pray God open all your eies that wee may see the light of God in Iesus Christ that we doe no more take delight in ignorance despising the light offered vnto vs for the saluation of our soules Let vs not suffer our selues to be deceiued by sesuiticall sophistications For when our soules shall present that terrible tribuniall at the houre of our death then we would wish we had beene of the number of the wise virgines Mat. 25.4 and had prepared oile for our lampes and might haue had the light of the knowledge of God shining in our soules which alacke some of vs both contemne and seeke to haue it quenched in others 2. Christians are watchmen The duty of a watchman Dauid compareth himselfe to a watchman the office of a watchman is to take heed least the enemie come at vnawares and to giue warning to the cirizens Euery particular Christian ought to be a watchman Euery Christian should watch for he hath euemies both spirituall and corporall continually assaulting him to destroy both his soule and his body for which cause our Sauiour often exhorted his hearers to watch and pray Mat. 26.41 and by nature we fall asleepe Ibid. 40. as the Apostles did in the garden and Ionas in the ship Ionah 1.5 Therefore it is good we should be carefull to watch ouer our waies The watch lookes to the enemie without but we haue more neede to watch vpon our domestique and inward enemies Nota. least they supprise vs euen our Iustes and concupiscences our pride our auarice our malice all which are like to ouerthrow our soule Let vs therefore watch least we be supprised Preachers are Gods wâ—tchmen Ezech 3.17 〈◊〉 And as euery Christian should watch so much more should pastors who are called watchmen whom God hath made watchmen of Israel that when they see traitours and wolues entering into the fold of God they may giue warning and blow the trumper and adoertise the citizens of their danger So those who take vpon them the title of watchmen vpon the walles of Ierusalem and watch diligently for their owne benefite Faise watchmen shall be destroyed onely looking to themselues and not to the Church they are false watchmen and shall be destroyed with the first Woe and woe againe to such as call themselues watchmen who smite the Bride and pull her vaile from her going and following after the bridegroome when they should watch for the welfare of Sion if the watchman be false he may betray the camp As false and negligent watch men are most dangerous to a common wealth so are false and secure Preachers to the Church or the house wherein he is and if he be negligent and sleepe all is in perill so if the watchmen and preachers be salfe and secure when the enemie is comming the Church is in great danger Lord make thy ministrie true to the Church that they seeing the enemies entred into the Lords Ierusalem they may in time giue warning least both they and the citie perish 3. Comfort and light must come from aboue The watchman waiteth for the day and he is very glad when he seeth it breake for then he knoweth the Sunne is a rising vpon the earth which will inlighten all the world No comfort is to be found on earth for a Christian soule in this darke night we must look to the day dawning when Christ in that day of his glorious appearing shall come to deliuer his Church from all miseries Our light commeth from