and men flutter like birdes in the net when God hath caught â—hem but all those senselesse prayers aâ—aile them nothing more then if an Ox â—hould break out of the slaughter-house with the roape tied about his hornes his toung hanging out with much bellowing and madnesse when hee had caught a knock with the axe And therfore we may see the excellency of faithfull prayers Yea the Angell of GOD doth ascende vp in the smoke of this sacrifice whereas men that wil not yeeld but will reteyne their sins cannot pray but rage and roare desperatlie like Lyons and Beares Neuerthelesse it behoueth vs wiselie to vnderstand this doctrine that it concerneth hypocrites and them that holde their falshood in the right hande I say it belongeth to them because they haue not faith nor consolation in their prayers For otherwise it is certaine that the most excellent children of GOD are many times so lowe brought with the anguish of an afflicted conscience that they cannot vtter anie perfite prayers with their lippes but do speake abruptlie halfe sentences yea halfe wordes being broken off with the extreamitie of their pangues that come betuixt As Ezechiah writeth of himselfe That he chattered like a Crane or 〈◊〉 Swallow and mourned like a Doue And there is no doubt but all Gods Children doe feele a strife and a combate in their spirite in many of their prayers eâ—en as we see green-wood lieth sobbing and smoking long before it will burne We are therefore to put a differance betweene this and roaring because the Scriptures are full of examples of imperfite speaches in the prayers of Gods children yea in the praiers of CHRIST himselfe which commeth to passe because manie of those sacrifices are so seasoned and peppered with salt and with fire yea afflictions come so thick on Gods children that they haue no time to swallow their spittle But yet in them there is a sweete sense of Gods grace and the Lorde inlargeth the footing vnder them yea he puts his owne arme betuixt them and the graue that they should not bruise themselues with any fall for although hee leaue some trouble of minde yet hee looketh vpon them through the chinkes of the doore he hath compassion of their dolorous lamentations and putteth all their teares into a bottel For why they haue yeelded vnto GOD they haue kept nothing backe and therefore can praye with a feeling spirite whereas the hypocrite doth not pray but roare because hee will not trust God For an euill conscience doth stoppe his mouth the sins of his youth are still in his bones 5 Then I acknowledged my sinne to thee neyther hid I mine iniquitie for I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord and thou tookest away the punishment of my sinne Selath Then I acknowledged my sinne c. Thus farre DAVID hath set forth by his owne example the disquietnes of them which hold their peace and refuse in simplicitie of heart to make confession of their sinnes Now on the contrarie part hee sheweth by his owne experience what is the effect of Gods grace when it hath brought men to godlie humilitie to resolue to confesse their sinnes to God in that which followeth next Then I acknowledge my sinnes vnto thee c. This diligence in describing his confession in so manie wordes that hee would make knowne his sin woulde not hide iniquitie but confesse his apostasie vnto the Lorde doth declare that he hath gotten the victorie ouer all hypocrisie and at the last after long siege â—ad gotten the hold of simplicitie and sinceritie So as now there remained no â—urning nor winding nor extenuating of his sinne when hee had to doe with GOD as there was before As for the Lorde he is not hindered with anie imâ—ediment of ignorance or dulnesse that â—e should not know by a word what the â—hole meaneth yea though he confesse â—o sinne at all yet for his part he taketh â—erfite notice of all our offences withâ—ut vs. It is not then for his sake that we â—ake anie confession as if we could aâ—â—se him by our hypocrisie for he seeâ—th through the darke cloudes but it is for our owne sakes to the end that comparing our liues with the commandements of God confessing how much wee swarue from that holie rule wee might be stirred vp to great contrition and might be more deepelie set in the meditation of our owne vnworthines that being so humbled Gods spirite might take occasion to fasten vpon vs and to lay sure holde vpon our hearts Thus we see that it is the nature of true confession to aggrauate our sinnes acknowledging that confusion of face belongeth to vs and charging vppon our heades the sinnes of our selues of our fathers and children wiues friends and all others so farre as our guiltinesse may anie way stretch not in any set or labored phrase of speech but from a conscience nurtured with feare and trembling vnder the just hand of GOD iâ— this sort the Prophet calleth himselfe 〈◊〉 beast before God And Saint PAVLL accuseth himselfe of blasphemie beforâ— his conuersion affirming not with fayned humilitie but euen as he thought â—n his heart that he was the chiefest sinâ—er amongst them whome CHRIST â—ame to saue And in the Primitiue Church Saint PAVLL sheweth what â—umilitie was joyned to the confession â—f them which were conuerted by heaâ—ing the Prophecies or exercises then â—sed that they fell vpon their faces As â—ndeede if we be indued with the Spiâ—ite of true repentance we can finde in â—ur heartes to humble our selues euen â—elow to the ground the verie cause why sinners make it so strange is because the spirit of pride hath stil the posâ—ession of their hearts which euil spirit â—ust be cast out of vs befor we can mak â—nie such confession as God will accept â—f at our hands There is another thing â—hich the holie Ghost setteth downe â—o be marked in this place namely that â—he children of God haue a joyfull issue â—f all their temptations that the Lorde â—ill bring some excellent thing to passe 〈◊〉 the last by afflicting his which is their mortification and sanctification Foâ— this is the end of all his hewing to makâ— them liuing stones fit to his Church anâ— sorting to the chiefe corner stone which 〈◊〉 our Lorde IESVS CHRIST to whose â—mage by this meanes we are confoâ—med If the Lorde had brought all thâ— worlde vnto captiuitie vnder DAVID yet if hypocrisie had rested in his hearâ— it had bene all accursed to him but noâ— that the Lorde hath renewed a right spâ—rite in him both heauen and earth aâ—â— sanctified to his vse But aboue all he hath gotten the libertie of consciencâ— and singeth with a joyfull note Thâ—â— hast taken away the punishment of my sinnâ— This is al in al that his soule is refresheâ— with the feeling of remission and sâ— soone as the Lorde saw him willinâ— to judge himselfe he steppeth from thâ— tribunal seat to the
coÌ„sider these things how truly may we say that the children of God spiritually considered are so many Kinges and Emperours Queenes Empresses enriched with such vnspeakâ—ble blessings that if all the harts of the world were one hart it could not conâ—eine them And as for them which coÌ„â—inue in sin harden their harts by cloâ—ing of wickednes doe twist a roape for their own necks how miserable is their estate when they behold this happines â—n others whereto they cannot atteyne â—o pine away perish in the beholding of other menes saluation And thus much of the effect which the feeling of remissione of sinnes worketh That which followeth of lifting vp from sinnes and not imputing them and couering them commendeth vnto vs the grace of God in bestowing this pardon and sealing the assurance of the same in our hearts as the cause of the foresaid effect described figuratiuelie by the metaphors of lifting imputation and couering Al which haue their speciall weight and importance in this sentence Lifting vp from defection argueth plainely a contrarietie in the estatâ— of man before considering him lyeinâ— a long in the contagious filth of his owâ— sinne so weakned soaked cleane ouâ— of heart with the execrable leprosie oâ— vngodlinesse that he is neyther able tâ— stirre hand or foote till God lift him vâ— from his apostasie The word imputatâ—on is borrowed from accomptes inâ—â—nuating that we are run so farre in aâ—rerages with God that we can haue 〈◊〉 securitie of consciences till wee haue gotten such a release as may deliuer vs â—rom all feare of imputation of our â—ebtes least payment should be requiâ—ed of vs to the vtter-most farthing as it â—s in the Gospel Finally the translation â—f couering or hiding of sinne is taken â—rom a generall custome of dispatching â—hose thinges out of the way whereof a man cannot susteine the sight without greevance oâ— molestation thereby declaring that sinne is such an eye-sore to God that he cannot behold it and spare â—t but at once but that the deuil wil preâ—ent it to God and prouoke him to puâ—ish it except it be hid buried in the â—ottome of the Sea and except the ofâ—ender be couered with the righteousnesse of Christ So that in sum these words doe set downe the feeblenesse â—he pouertie and nakednes of sin which doth so discomfort him if his conscience be awake that till he haue founde remedie for each of them hee thinketh himselfe not out of the compas where fire and brimstone shall fall nor can be deliuered from a fearefull expectation of Gods curse And on the contrarie part when hee feeleth himselfe comforted by Godâ— right hande and lifted vppe out of the quag-mire of contagious pollutions hiâ— soule beginneth to taste how sweete thâ— Lord is and when he feeleth the specialitie of his debtes which was grauen in his conscience cancelled and so riueteâ— to CHRISTS crosse that they shal neuer be imputed he drinketh a more hartie draught of the waters of life but most oâ— all when hee is assured that his wickednesse is so hidde that it cannot presse to Gods throne for vengeance nor rise vppe in judgement against him in the daye of his visitation hee is then indeede and perfectlie blessed and wanteth nothing that can bee added in this life to the absoluing of most perfitâ— felicitie This forcible propounding thereforâ— of this cause of blessednesse hath in iâ— an exclusiue nature secretly affirming that there is no other cause of justifying and so of true blessednesse But this grace onely to the end that men might be stirred vp to take this course whereof the Holie Ghost is the guide All men agree in this that they woulde faine bee blessed But there is no consent amongst men neyther in the causes nor in the thing it selfe The Philosophers for want of judgement euerie one shotte his Bolt diuerslie and euerie one wyde of the marke as appeareth in the collection which CICERO hath made of their opinions in his Tusculane questions The carnall christan hath a true contemplation judgment what is that Summum bonum that is chiefe happinesse but by the halting of an euill conscience hee is turned out of the waye so although he saye it is in Heauen yet hee seeketh it in Hell though hee ascribe it to the Spirite yet hee laboureth for it in the fleshe it is fearefull that I will speak though he acknowledge that it is the gift of God yet he runneth after the deuill to obteyne it which is then committed when men thinke themselues happie and blessed if they can get riches beautie authoritie strength life such others which are common to the Reprobates What can be so ridiculous as to heare the continual declamations of worldly men against these vanities And on the contrarie part to behold the homage and frailtie yea the slauerie in which they abandoned to serue such vile thinges If Dauid be well considered it will not be easie to finde out many Peeres to him in worldly respectes His strength is commended by the conquest of a Lyon his courage in quailing of Goliath his beautie is set forth with the praise of a sanguine complexion and amiable countenance the passing ripenesse of his witte is manifest in all his storie touching his aduancement God tooke his shep-hooke from him and deliuered a Scepter and after his banishment set him in the throne of his maister which he possessed not by â—surpation but as it were by a general election that the heauens wrought with the applause of the people His subjects were the onely men of the world for the rare parts wherewith they were for â—he most quallified his Lande flowing with milk and honie the temperature of the aire incomparable withall other benefites belonging eyther to health profite or delectation with so large a hand as if God had deuised to pleasure him and nature had mean't to emptie â—ll her riches into his bosome and to continue the same by the plentiful hope of his posteritie Right truelie might I â—aye that this was a perfect picture of worldlie felicitie and yet we see that DAVID leaueth all this and seeketh anâ—â—her cause of blessednesse for the finding whereof these thinges before did not help at all teaching vs that the same â—are ought to possesse our hearts least they be fore-stalled with a fond assiance of finding honie in a hiue where therâ— is nothing but waspes of imagining our selues to haue attayned to blessednes when indeed we are as vnhappie aâ— infelicity because we lye along not lifâ—ted vp from our sins which one day shaâ—â— be imputed to vs nor hauing our wickednes couered that it should not infecâ— the ayre nor offende Gods senses as â— dead carcase aboue the ground Hytherto hath bin spoken of the causâ— of blessednes which is the free grace oâ— God in remitting our sins the circumstances wherof haue also bene touched The last member of this verse which remaineth In whose spirit ther is no guyle
AN EXPOSITIon vppon the thirtie two Psalme describing the true maner of humbling and raising vppe of Gods Children Set foorth by Maister DAVID BLAK EDINBVRGH Printed by Robert Walde-graue Printer to the Kings Maiestie 1600. Cum Privilegio Regio AN EXPOSITION VPpon the thirtie two Psalme describing the true maner of humbling and raysing vp of Gods children A Psalme of Dauid to giue instruction THE Psalme hath this title common vnto it with diuerse others setting downe first the author and then the end The author was Dauid which is called in the Scriptures The sweete singer of Israell who although he was a King yet abused not his prosperitie to spend his time in dalliance and in the workes of pride as many do when God hath advanced them but bestowed those houres which might be spared from his politick â—onsultations in writing Psalms for the exercise of his faith the edifying of the Church wherin it is to be feared that his example shal giue sentence against manie wanton nobles of this worlde who abuse and disgrace the worthie facultie of Poetrie with vncleane Sonnettes to satisfie their louse mindes with a kinde of contemplatiue fornication abandoning their good wittes which God hath giuen them by writing of Pamphlettes in the honour of Venus and Cupid which one day will be coumpted no better then so many sacrifices to the Deuil We are taught therfor if we haue any vein of versificating or any other good vse of our veine how to vse it that by this example our writings may sauour of godlinesse to stirre vp the mindes of others aswell as our selues therunto not to leaue vnchast ditties behinde vs as it were bawdes in the world as many haue done The end of the Psalme is to giue instruction that is to say to teach others by his owne example in a particular thing whereof he maketh meâ—â—tion Now this instruction as appeareth in the discourse of the Psalme proceeded not from judgement gotten by much reading and obseruation of others but by inwarde experience and obseruations of GOD his dealing with himselfe which in the end of his laboures and agonies hee recompteth and committeth to writing which appeareth by many other Psalmes to haue bene his vsual manner So this instruction hath that singuler commendation that it was deliuered out of the feeling of Dauids heart that our spirites might be instructed by his as one face aunswereth to another in water which kinde of teaching if not onely yet for the most part and principally is availeable either to humble when a man speaketh not of spirituall things as of the inhabitable ones if any such be but as of thinges which he himselfe felt tasted before And this is that holy experience which taught the high Priestes of the Iewes compassion and made his offrings for his brethren more zealous because he felt himselfe also pertaker of their infirmities as the Epistle to the Hebrewes witnesseth but now a daies it may be counted amongst the causes why the ministrie of many succeedeth not better because they faile in this poynt in vsing so little conscience in teaching the people and being without all affections But those that are Rhetorical and prompted by the mother-witte not by any expert soule whereby it commeth to passe that a godlie man of no mouth or lippes as Moyses calleth himselfe that is nothing furnished with eloquence vtterance shall build more sound worke in Gods Church in one sermone then those prophane Orators in twentie though they haue neuer so great a facilitie in vtterance and sweete louse of their words as many senseles men haue Wee are therefore to make some profite of this if we will be wise admonishers of others that we labour first our selues to be spirituall men that we may discerne al things that we may obserue how God hath wrought for vs in the like cases before that both we may leaue behinde vs a sting in the consciences of others and be safe guydes in such a labyrinth as a troubled minde is oft to bee led through The maister of a shippe which is ignorant of the Seas what skill soeuer he haue in Astronomie which thing yet is necessary for Nauigation whilest he gazeth vpon the starres or any other artificiall direction wracketh his ship vppon some rock lurking vnder the waues which would not bee if experience had made him heedfull by sayling that way before And indeed this intollerable defect neuer sheweth it selfe more shamefullie or with greater hurt then when men haue neede of spiritual comforte at the houre of death or in time of great affliction for at such times those foolish sheep-heardes when they want skill to help their poore sheep out of the ditch are driuen to play the miserable comforters and to take some other indirect course as many vse to doe in such case to cut the sheeps throate in time to make him mans meate least it should be said he died in a ditch And these are the miserable and desperate calamities of the people prouided for when they neede most of all spirituall instruction And here we may espye the cause why manie admonishers and instructers of others become so ridiculous as to be made the jesting-stocks of sinners because they admonish not nor instruct not of feeling weakning the power of their instructiones if not by hypocrisie yet by flatnes and dulnes of Spirite that it cannot be receiued with that reuerence that admonitions rebukes wrought in the Primitiue coÌ„gregations of the Church when men being touched home fell vpon their faces worshipped God affirming that God of a trueth was in those ministers I might be ashamed in a diuine exercise to make mention of a Paganes counsel especiallie in so spiritual a poynt as this saue that we are not ashamed to let the Heathen get grounde in that wherein our Idiottes ought to excell their Philosophers if thou wilt reproue say they considder first if the same fault be not in thy selfe or at least some other as ill or worse that the reformation thereof may be a foundation whereon to build thy brothers amendement And indeed although it is vntrue to affirme that a man may not reprehend the fault which he hath in himselfe yet where men are carried head-long into an outrage against other mens sinne without detestation or feeling any remorse for their owne It is very sure that in such a man dwelleth that spirit of hypocrisie which is the fowlest furie of hell Let vs haue therefore in our reprehensions whether publik or priuat to our friends or to enemies the spirite of compassion and invocation that our wordes may haue grace with the hearers For if before euery reprehension if it were possible and before euery instruction we did lift vp our minds in some briefe meditation commending the infirmities of our selues and that present offendour both at once to God and then proceede to a louing censure as occasion requireth our sinceritie our grauitie our charitie would so adorne