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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00700	A godly and fruitful exposition on the twenty five psalme, the second of the penteniials [sic]. Seruing especially for the direction and comfort of all persons, who are either troubled in minde, diseased in bodie, or persecuted by the wicked. / by A. Symson, pastor of the church at Dalkeith in Scotland.	Simson, Archibald, 1564-1628.	1622 (1622)	STC 22565.5; ESTC S107781	90,612	198

ioy greatest from hell and death is he freed to life in heauen is he brought What can make men more glad then this if he will beleeue No offers can satisfie the minde of a prisoner appointed to death vnlesse his remission be proclaimed and giuen him Simil. so all the ioyes in the world will not satisfie a conscience till he heare that his sins are forgiuen him Psal 4.8 This ioy Dauid compareth with the ioy of worldlings who reioyced in their corne and wine and saith that he had more ioy then they had and more peace of conscience This ioy eateth vp all false ioyes that men haue in sinne True ioy eateth vp false ioyes Exod. 7.12 as the rod of Aaron did the rods of the Egyptians For it is not possible that men can haue both ioy in God godlinesse and in sin for the one will euer quench the other as water doth fire Nothing can alter this true ioy All other ioyes wil alter whatsoeuer they be but nothing can take this ioy from vs. Not tribulation we reioyce in the midst of tribulation Not death no paine no hatred of men no persecution all these rather increase it Acts 5.41 We reioyce with the Apostles that we are thought worthy to suffer for the word of God Why do worldlings call vs melancholious persons and too precise that we cannot do away with an idle word Ioh. 4.32 let be an idle action let them say what they please we say as Christ said to his disciples he had meare they knew not so we haue ioy that they know not of That which is thy ioy O hypocrite that is my sorrow I laugh with Democritus at that Democritus alwayes laughed Heraclitus alwayes weeped Iam. 5.1 for which thou weepest I weepe with Heraclitus at that whereat thou laughest Wo to them that laugh for they shall weepe Howle ye rich men saith the Apostle Make me to heare The person frō whom he seeketh this ioy is God make me to heare saith he whereby he would teach vs Doctrine Spirituall ioy proceedeth from God that this ioy cometh onely from God it is he who is the fountain of ioy and all pleasure for all good things come from aboue Naturall ioyes proceed from a naturall and fleshly fountain spirituall ioyes spring only from God so he who seeketh these ioyes beneath seeketh hot water vnder cold ice Can any good thing come out of Nazareth can any grace come from a gracelesse ground Ioh. 1.46 ● The instrument by which he seeketh ioy to be conueyed to him is the hearing of that word Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee There is none other ordinary meanes by which God will worke or euer hath wrought ioy to the troubled heart then by his word preached by the mouth of his seruants and beleeued by Christians The word of God is the cause of this ioy Act. 16.14 Faith commeth by hearing God opened the heart of Lydia He that hath eares to heare let him heare I haue giuen eyes and they do not perceiue eares to heare do not vnderstand their eares are heauie c. Preaching of the word is a necessary instrumēt by which spiritual gracesis cōveied into our harts God craueth this oftē in the old new Testament that we should heare his voice And Dauid confesseth that God had prepared his eare Psal 40. God from heauen said This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 heare him If then ye giue an obedient eare to Gods word ye may be assured of this ioy wrought in your hearts after yee haue beleeued the comfortable promises of saluation in Christs blood What thinke ye then of Atheists who will not heare the word but for fashions sake Against Atheists and Papists lothing the word calling those too holy who will heare two Sermons on one Sabbath or of Papists who will no wayes heare the word which may be the meanes of their conuersion Wo to the one and to the other And because they haue refused to heare him of whom they may receiue comfort and instruction therefore the Lord shall refuse to speake to them any longer vnlesse betimes they repent That the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce The effect which he hopeth to receiue of those glad tidings is a restitution of his first estate wherein he found himself wonderfully broken by his sin and affliction and hopeth to be restored by remission and pardon thereof Where he speaketh of the bones he would let vs to vnderstand that there is no strength of nature able to resist the stroke of Gods iustice No strēgth in man able to resist the stroake of Gods iustice For if he beg●n to fight with vs we are vnable to resist The bones are very hard and the strength of man stands in them but if God bring the ●ammer of his wrath it shall be as iron and steele to crush them in peeces being but as potters vessels God cureth none but those whom he hath wounded Which thou hast broken The forme of Gods curing he first woundeth and then healeth He cureth none but those whom his hand hath pierced and he who woundeth can best cure the wound And in this God differeth from man Man woundeth but hath no care to cure God woundeth seeketh to cure for man woundeth but hath no care to cure but when God inflicteth a wound on his children he hath a present remedy appointed to cure the same Let vs therefore be content to be vnder his hand who for sufficient causes crossing vs is euer ready to comfort vs in Iesus Christ May reioyce By this he letteth vs see what would be the effect of his deliuerie euen to burst forth in the praises of his God by his words by his actions Let thy desire to be deliuered frō trouble be to glorifie God by his writings Which should teach vs that in troubler either spirituall or temporall we euer haue this the principall end for which we desire to be deliuered that we may praise and glorifie God Verse 9. Hide thy face from my sins and put away all mine iniquities NOw he reneweth his former suite of the remission of his sins shewing how earnestly he desired the same He is not content once and againe to crie for pardon but many times For he thought otherwise of his sin then we do of ours it touched him at the very heart In this verse he vseth two similitudes one that God would turne away his face from his sinnes next that he would blot out all his iniquities Hide The first similitude is taken from men God cannot see sin in his children who will hide their face from that which they desire not to see And it is certaine God is in euery place and seeth euery thing but he cannot see the sins of his elect children for that intervenient righteousnes of Christ will not suffer him to see any filthinesse

A GODLY AND FRVITFVLL EXPOSITION ON THE TWENTY FIVE PSALME THE SECOND OF THE PENTENTIALS Seruing especially for the Direction and comfort of all persons who are either troubled in minde diseased in bodie or persecuted by the wicked By Mr. A. SYMSON Pastor of the Church at DALKEITH in Scotland LONDON Printed by W. I. for Iohn Bellamie and are to be sold at his Shop at the two Greyhounds in Cornehill neare the Royall-Exchange 1622. TO THE TRVLY RELIGIOVS NOBLE AND VERTVOVS LADY MARY COVNTESSE OF Marre prosperitie in this life and eternall happines in the life to come MAdame seeing your sinceritie in religion is such that it makes euery one to admire you and your loue to such as are truely religious is so great that it makes them to honour and respect you and seeing my brother M. Patrik Simson of good memorie was that happie instrument of God as a spirituall father to beget your Ladyship in Christ Iesus and hath dedicated all his labours to your Ladyship as the chiefest seale of his ministrie I could find none so fit as your Ladiship to whom I might dedicate this ensueing treatease on the fiue and twentith Psalme and therefore as a testimonie of my seruice and duty which I owe vnto your Ladyship I am bold to present the same to your Ladyships view beseeching God that it may redowne to the aduancement of his glorie and the good of the Church in generall and of your Ladyship in particular Thus praying for the increase of your faith and continuance of your daies together with outward and inward blessings to your Ladiship your noble husband and hopefull posteritie I rest Your Ladiships seruant A. SIMSON A GODLY AND FRVITFVLL EXPOSItion on the twenty fifth Psalme the second of the PENITENTIALS The substance of this Psalm DAVID being oppressed by his enemies in this Psalme desires that God would deliuer him from shame and sinne the cause of all his euils that he would direct him to walke in his wayes as also confirmes himselfe by many arguments in the assurance of Gods goodnesse and finally praies for deliuery to himselfe and to the Church This Ode of Dauids is set downe in 22. Sections or Verses after the number and order of the Hebrew Alphabet at least very neer● as are the 34.111.112.119 as also the Lamentations of Ieremiah and the 31. of the Prouerbes Those who seeke a reason of this let them reade S. Ierome Epist 155. in Lament Ieremiae and Euseb de praepar Euang. For he alludeth to the signification of euery Letter of the Hebrew Alphabet which hath a spirituall meaning But in my iudgment these Psalmes are so framed for our memory that keeping in minde the Letters wee may the more easily remember the matter Man hath need of many helps For wee haue need of many helps to confirme our memory in goodnesse These Verses are called Acrosticki as were Sibyllaes verses of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Fish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sedullius in like manner made an Hymne A Solis ortus cardine Beatus auctor seculi Castae parentis viscera c. As also Nazianzen I would not wish men to be too curious in the searching of the causes hereof but rather be diligent in the confirmation of their memories by these 22. Alphabeticall Letters The Diuision of the Psalme THis Psalme containeth a Prayer to the eight Verse a Confirmation to the eighteenth and a Conclusion petitory to the end In the first seuen Verses hee craueth three things at God First that hee may not be ashamed Secondly that hee may learne Gods wayes and be taught by him Thirdly that he may be deliuered from sinne Then there is contained a deprecation against sinne and shame and the meane by which he may escape them both that is by the word of God which may direct him in such a way wherein hee may not fall vnder shame and sinne Shame proceedeth of sinne There are two things which we may lawfully craue of God to eschew sinne shame sinne as the mother and cause shame as the daughter and effect And as we desire to flye them so especially wee should craue of God that onely meane by which wee may shunne them euen that we submit our selues to be gouerned by his word The word of God freeth man both of sinne and shame and frame all our actions therto by which we may perswade our selues that we shall escape both All pray Lord keepe vs from shame and sinne when as many contemne the meane by which they should bee preserued euen that blessed word of God VERSE 1. Vnto thee O Lord lift I vp my soule To whom God is Iehouah hee is also Elohim THe names which he giues God are Iehouah and Eloim the first taken from his nature the other from his power and he applyeth them to himselfe My strong Gods including the persons of the Trinitie He leadeth vs to God in our praiers Psal 73.23 Whom haue I in heauen but thee Heb. 11.6 Hee that commeth to God must beleeue that God is and that he is able to saue such as come to him God appeared in sundry names to others Exod. 6.3 but to Moses in his essentiall name Iehouah Claime first to his nature and next to his power First he must be thy God Iehouah Note and then thy strong God First he must loue thee and then hee will defend thee Ps 144.15 Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. Those are foolish who seeke his protection not first hauing assurance of his loue If hee be to thee Iehouah then shall he also be to thee Eloim Three arguments to moue God to heare him The arguments by which he would moue God to heare him are taken from three persons First from his owne person Secondly from the person of his aduersaries Thirdly from the person of the godly 1. From his owne person because hee beleeues in him In his owne person first his prayer is signified by this circumscription I lift vp my soule to thee and his faith I trust in thee What is prayer but a lifting vp of the heart to God for the heart must first be affected and then it will frame all the members of the body and draw them vp with it Simil. As the Magnes drawes the Iron after it so will the soule draw the cold and lumpish flesh where it is where the ●oule is there is the body also and where the soule is there is the man Whereby it appeareth that there is no praier or spirituall seruice acceptable to God Doct. No spirituall seruice but that which proceeds from the heart Pro. 23. ●6 Isay 29.13 but that which comes and is deriued from the heart My sonne giue me thy heart This people seeke mee with their lips but their heart is farre from me Yee are praying but your heart is as the eye of the foole euery where Sometime

haue many enemies some are secret some are open but who are they none but the Deuill and his children the Dragon pursues the seed of the woman Reu. 12.17 Next obserue their malitious nature they reioyce at the euill of Gods children Simil. and doe leape for gladnesse The Flies and Eagles liue on the sores of beasts so doe the wicked reioyce at the euill of Gods people Doct. The wicked alwaies reioyce in euill Reioyce not ouer mee my enemy I haue fallen I will rise againe Thirdly hee would not feed their eyes with his losset The ioy of the wicked is euer in euill either in their owne or other mens sinnes they sleepe not till they sinne they eate not but in sinne with gluttony they sleepe in vvhoredome they go to murther oppression or stealing VERSE 3. So all that hope in thee shall not bee ashamed but let them bee confounded that transgresse without cause Doct. The benefits of Christians are common SO all that hope in thee He so drawes his deliuery that the benefit thereof may redound to the rest of the members of Christ for their euils and their goods are common neither should vvee seeke any thing to our selues but so farre as it may redound to the good of the Church and her comfort For as a ring on the finger adornes the vvhole body Simil. and as the hurt of the finger anoyeth it all Doct. Shame sent to the wicked as to the right owner so doth the good of one member reioyce all and the hurt of one offend all But let them bee confounded that transgresse with out cause Now shame is sent to the right owner the vvicked 1. They transgress vvho are described by two marks first they are perfidious and forsworne no bond can bind them they are a false generation trust them not vvhen they are vvith Iudas kissing thee then are they betraying thee ●uk 22.47 Ioab said to Abner in peaceable manner Sam. 3.27 how doe you my Brother in the meane time had a dagger priuately wherewith to kill him Without cause The next marke is vvithout cause they are not able to qualifie any iniury that euer they haue done What hath the righteous done Psal 11.3 saith Dauid They liue vpon suspicions apprehensions and iudge others after their owne false nature Note a great comfort to establish thy conscience in thy sufferings Doctr. thine innocencie Innocencie a great comfort in time of trouble vvhich maketh thy afflictions light and thy burthens easie VERSE 4. Shew mee thy wayes O Lord and teach me thy pathes SHew mee This letteth vs see how that naturally vve are ignorant of the vvaies of God Doct. Wee are natur●lly ignorant and therefore Dauid vvould bee taught of God Hee craued in the first three verses to bee freed of shame and now hee craues the meanes by vvhich he may bee d●liuered euen Gods vvord which ●s the onely preseruatiue from shame And ●herefore it often commeth to passe that vvhen men are brought to be open spectacles of shame Doct. they doe confesse it was not the present accident wherein they are taken The contempt of Gods word the cause of shame but the contempt of Gods word And this should teach vs to loue that word and follow it to the end vve may be kept from shame which maketh greatly against the Atheists and Papists of our Land Vse Against contemners of the wor● of God Simil. Ioh. 3.20 The Par●● who contemne the blessed word of God they are as Owles flying the light of the day Qui male facit odit lucem hee that doth euill hateth the l●ght In this verse are contained 1. the person whom he implores Iehouah whom he describeth leading him teaching him receiuing him in fauour and nourishing him 1 in the 4.5.6 7. verses 2. What hee seekes God● wayes 2 3. By what meanes Teach me and lead mee 3 4. the reason 4 Because thou art my God and I trust in thee Dauid a K●ng and a Prophet craues to bee directed by God to the effect and end hee may direct the course of his life well and of all his Subiects which was Solomons choyce 1 Kin. 3.9 Lord giue me wisedome to go in and out wisely before thy people So should Pastors doe Who would bee a good Master Doct. let him be a good Apprentice this same should all priuate Christians desire All should desire to be taught by by God in his wayes Two contrary waies that God would teach them that way which will please him best euen his owne wayes Thy wayes This presupposeth that there is another way which is the way of sinne as there are two places and ends heauen and hell so are there two persons sheepe and Goates two wayes the broad and narrow two words Ios 24.15 come and depart I with Iosua set before you life or death the right or wrong way chuse or refuse All men are going but there is onely one Gods way the Kings hie streete many by-wayes All thinke they are going to Heauen Iewes Turkes Papists Atheists but try if thou be going thereto by that vvay which God hath set downe to thee trye which is the ancient way the true and liuing way Brigands and false guids may deceiue you and leade you to Samaria but the way of God is set downe by Christ 2. Kin. 6 19. The wrong way as the Prophet led the Aramites Ioh. 14.6 P● 119.35 I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the Father but by me euen through the vale of his flesh thus he steps through Christ Dauid prayes vnto the Lord that hee would direct him in the path of his commandements for therein was his delight and Isaias saith God will teach vs his wayes Isai 2.3 and we will walke in his pathes Faith and Loue two feet whervpon wee must walk There bee two feete whereupon wee must walke euen Faith and Loue which two will carry vs to heauen without Faith thou art lame of thy right foot without Loue thou art lame of thy left foot let Faith worke through Loue. Beleeue in Iesus Christ and liue a Godly life and assure thy selfe thou art in the way to heauen Note If thou beleeue and liue euill thy one foot is in the way to heauen thy other to hell so if thou pretend a good life and casts away the word thy left foote is to heauen and thy right to hell Concerning Loue yee need not that I write vnto you 1 Thes 4.9 for ye are taught of God to loue one another Moreouer this way in the Scripture is surely set downe and the word is so called many times in the hundred and nineteenth Psalme Such great commendation hath Christ giuen to the word Ioh. 5.39 that hee desires vs diligently to search it Patres ex Scripturis didicerunt nos ex iis discamus

that is that the sacrifices of old could not worke by themselues remission of sinnes but onely did represent and prefigure the onely sacrific● of our Redeemer Then as he saith truly their sacrifices ex opere operato by the external working of them cannot giue remissio● of sins What reason then hath he to affirm that the Sacrament of the new Testamen conferreth grace by the very externall giuing thereof Lorinus against himselfe seeing that same thing wa● prefigureted by their sacrifices which is represented by our Sacraments that is Christ● blood both in Baptisme and in the Lords Supper Verse 17. The sacrifices of the Lord are 〈◊〉 contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt no● despise WHen he hath remoued that which God misliked and refused now he placeth that which God liketh and receiueth that is the sacrifice of a contrite spirit In the plurall number called sacrifices that is this one for 〈◊〉 A broken heart is such a heart which is humbled through a sight and sense of sin What a broken h●ar● is For it is needfull that as we haue worne our heart by finne so our heart should be worne againe by repentance and sorrow for sinne and that we should take paines to subdue our hearts and all the thoughts thereof and bring them captiue to Gods obedience That is that poore spirit of which Matthew speaketh Mat. 5.3 Esa 66.2 Isaias speaketh of the spirit that trembleth at Gods word Why sacrifices in the plurall number This caus d Dauid to put the word sacrifices in the plurall number that he might expresse the better that one contrite heart which is the sacrifice of repentance alone suffiseth for all legall sacrifices If he had said that a contrite heart is a sweet smelling sacrifice they might haue excepted that so are many others as the papists do mixe their works with the grace of God But Dauid excludeth purposlie all sacrifices and sheweth that what euer sacrifices God respecteth are comprehended vnder a penitent heart beleeuing in Christs bloud and seeking mercie for the same This sort of people are called mourners in Sion who mourne to God for their owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people who powre out their heart with their teares to God who doe lament for the affliction of Ioseph Oh what cause haue we to lament this day for our sinnes and to breake our hearts for the persecution of the Church in euery place Let our feasting be turned into fasting our laughter in teares Mourne with Ieremiah for the desolation of Sion Nota. A contrite and broken heart thou wilt not despise Here he encourageth the penitent sinner who may be affraied to appeare before the Tribunall of God in regard of the conscience of his sinne and be feared that God will not accept him howsoeuer he be humbled Him here he encourageth God will not despise a troubled heart yea rather he will like it and manifest his skill in healing and comforting it God liketh a troubled heart To which agree all those places in Isaias which comfort the Church those sweet inuitations of Christ to the laden and wearie to come vnto him and to those that were athirst and he that calleth vpon vs will not reiect and cast vs away The Lord is nigh to them that be of a contrite spirit Psal 144.8 Who speake to him in the bitternesse of their soule Iob. 10.1 Crying like the Dragon or Ostrich Mich. 1.8 Who cry wonderfull being ouercomed by the Elephants As Saint Ierome saieth who slay their affections and offer them as a sacrifice to God as the Magdalen Peter other Saints who forsake their former lusts and say with a certaine young man who being temped by an harlot and seeming to be ignorant who she was she said ego sum it is I he answered ego non sum it is not I for he was conuerted by repentance If thou would prevaile with God Pro. 23.26 giue him thine whole heart if thou doe any thing for God doe it with thine heart 2. Chro. 31 21 seeke him with thine whole heart loue him feare him pray to him turne to him obey him with thine whole heart Deut. 10 12. Rom. 6.17 Ier. 32.40 Ioel. 2 12. Psal 119.145 Their heart is deuided saith the Lord of hoste now shall they perish Hos 10. ● God is one and vndeuided and craueth an heart one and whole in affection and rent onely by de●ection nothing can breake God but a broken heart The string can bow the bowe the fire can temper and molifie the steele the goates bloud the adamant and the heart contrite can moue God saith Mantuan in these verses Virga recens Zephyris neruo curuabitur arcus Igne chalybs adamas sangnine corde Deus Finallie obserue that albeit repentance doth make a contrite heart and as I said before we should take such paine on our contrition that we should not let any thought of our heart escape vnrepented mourned for yet the onely hammer which must burst our soules is the word of God The word of God bruseth the heart which bruseth the rockes of a stonie heart Simil. and maketh an heart of flesh And as out of rags being brused is brought forth fine paper so is a troubled heart brused with sorrow for sin turned into a gratious subiect whereinto God may worke and write his law And as the poole of Bethsaida being troubled Ioh. 5.4 brought health to mens bodies so doth the conscience afflicted by God bring certaine health and saluation to soule and body Saint Ambrose sayeth that repentance is so difficult and hard a matter that he hath oftner found mo who liued innocently then who did truely repent It is written of Augustine that he caused the psalmes of repentance to be put on the wall ouer against him before he died and reaped aboundantly reading them ten daies at which time none came to him but either the phisitians or his refreshment Seeing therefore God liketh this sacrifice of a contrite heart without which none other thing will please him let vs take the bests of our affections seperate them from their olde pleasures to God bind them by the coards of the word lay them downe at his feete and slay them and that sacrifice shall please him offer thy selfe a liuing sacrifice and be assured God will accept of thee and neuer reiect thee not thine offering other sacrifices die being offered Nota. but we by offering our selues to God yet liue Verse 18. Be fauourable vnto Zion for thy good pleasure build the walles of Ierusalem HE hath prayed for mercie to himselfe now he praieth for the Church which he hath offended by his sinne and vpon which he had brought such euills that it would please God to be mercifull to her ●uild vp her walles and repaire her ruines No man can truely pray for himselfe vnles he pray for the church No man can truely pray for