him his enemies The reason hee vseth lurks in the Interrogation How manie are my daies My time is not long my dayes are but few then let them not passe comfortlesse but let me see that thou art a God of iudgement who wilt do according to thy word and men There is fruit for the righteous Verely there is a God that iudgeth righteously on the earth To shew the breuitie of mans life he reckneth it not by yeers but by daies And this consideration of the shortnes of our life Dauid vseth it as an argument somtime to moue the Lord to compassion and sometime to stirre vp himselfe to further piety godliness as we may see Psa. 39. And truly it were good for vs oftner then we doe to thinke vpon this question of Dauids How many are my daies For we are deceiued vvith the shadow of this life cōceiting it to be longer then we shall find it to be whereof it comes to passe that men are prodigall of their daies as if they would neuer be done Their rents their money their garments or any other thing they haue they spend sparingly with moderation onely they are wasters of their daies as if they had Methusalems yeeres in a treasure Let vs pray vvith Moses for grace to number our dayes that wee may apply our harts vnto wisedome When wee look to the by-gone time and see how wee haue misspent it when we looke to the time to come and see how vncertaine we are of it let vs redeem the time we haue to vse it well When wilt thou execute Dauid was far from hatred crueltie or priuate affection for in all these his petitions he was the pen-man of the holy Ghost and spake nothing of any priuate motion Where that wee may know how farre forth wee are to follow him in these let vs remember that God executes two sorts of iudgements vpon men some are preparatiues to mercy such as were inflicted vpon Saul when hee went to persecute the Saints at Damascus he was cast from his horse and strooken with blindnesse and for these we may pray that God will execute them vpon them who are sleeping in their sinnes that rather they may be wakened by Gods iudgmēts and moued to repent then perish in their impietie Others again of his iudgments are but forerunners of that great and last iudgement which he wil execute on all the wicked such as were the punishments of Caine and Iudas The first works conuersion the second confusion and for these wee can not pray against our enemies because howsoeuer their works be euill for the present yet wee know not what the Lord may doe with them heereafter Who persecute mee Dauid was a godly man approued of God and a profitable instrument to his King and Country When Saul was vexed he did mitigate his trouble with the Harpe hee slew Goliah and ouerthrew the Philistims yet ye see how he is recompenced Such commonlie is the reward which godly men gette in this world at the hands of them to whom they haue been instruments of greatest good And this persecution many waies are the wicked guiltie of The railing of Shimei against Dauid the mocking of Isaac by Ismael these the world esteemes no sinnes or very small but the Lord ranks them in among bloudie sinnes and calls them persecution learning all men not to speake euill or scorne the godly least they fal into greater sinnes then they are aware of VER 85. The proud haue digged pits for mee which is not after thy law HE insists stil in his complaint against his enemies describes them first frō the quality of their persons They were proud Next from their labor subtilty They digged pits for him Thirdly from their manifest iniquitie Their courses against him were not according to Godslaw The proud See ver 69. 21. 51. 78. 85. Haue digged pits Their labour and subtiltie whereby they oppugned Dauid is heere noted Whereby this seemes strange that a proud man should be a digger of pits but so it is that pride for a time can submit it selfe for a greater vantage ouer him whom it would tread vnder foot The wicked is so proud that he seeks not God yet hee croucheth and boweth to cause heapes of the poore fall by his might So proud Absalom abased himselfe to do all men reuerence subiecting himselfe to meanest subiects that so hee might prepare a way to vsurpation ouer his king and father But mark he saith not that he had fallen in the pits which his enemies had digged No no in Gods righteous iudgmēts the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands while the godly escape free He hath made a pit and digged it and is fallen in the pit that he made his mischiefe shall return vpon his own head his cruelty vpon his owne pate Thus Haman hanselled the gallowes which he raised for Mordecai and Saul when he thought by subtilty to slay Dauid with the Philistims sword when he sent him out to seeke two hundreth of their fore-skinnes in a dowrie was disappointed of his purpose but he himselfe at length was slaine by their sword Which is not after thy law As Dauid by this aggrauates the grosse impiety of his aduersaries so doth he also greatly comfort himselfe For why shall we be discouraged to haue these men our enemies of whom we clearely see that neyther their persons nor actions are according to Gods lawe VER 86. All thy commandements are true they persecute me falsly helpe me HEere he reasons from the equity of his cause the iniquity of his enemies vpon these sends he vp his prayer Lord helpe me As for my enemies they persecute me falsly and without a cause as for me I know thy commandements are all true and that they cannot be deceiued who depend vpon them nor yet prosper that are against them He shal neuer want comfort in trouble who cleaues vnto the word of God who euer be against vs keepe it on our side and it shall be well with vs. Againe it is to be marked that he declines no persecution but seeks Gods help in it He knew that all they who will line godly in Christ must suffer persecution Deuotionem fidei praelia persequuntur Cito fides inexercitata languescit Faith not exercised with tentation easily languishes yea sith the Lord chastises euery one whom he loues hee may iustly suspect himselfe who liues without a crosse Si desint certamina vereor ne deesse videatur quicertare desideret If there be a man who hath no battell it is to be feared least he be such a one as desires not to fight and so what can he be but a captiue of Satan But in al our persecutions let vs euer take heed that our cause be righteous and we may say They persecute me falsly potest
it that they haue done it For as the godly shall haue imputed to theÌ„ that good which faine they would haue done albeit they did not performe it so shall the wicked be charged as verely with that euill which they would haue done albeit they neuer did it O what a heape of finnes shall be gathered against them wheÌ„ with the sinnes of their actions and words the sinnes of their affections shall be conioyned also And here we see how-euer God for a time tolerate them yet he hath his owne appointed time to punish them and will not passe it Omnia in statera gubernat Deus God ruleth all things in a balance Diu quidem fert 〈◊〉 peccata vbi verò patientiae eius intuitâ—… aâ—…geri malitiam videt tum pâ—…nas sumit Long doth the Lord suffer the sinnes of mortall men but when they abuse his patience to increase their wickednes then hee doth punish them he doth nothing out of time Totum oportunum est quod fecerit but whatsoeuer hee doth hee doth it most seasonably and therefore whether it bee deliuerance to vs or iudgement vpon our enemies that God delaies let vs knowe it is because his houre is not yet come VER 127. Therefore loue I thy Commandements aboue gold yea aboue most fine gold WE may see here that Dauid was not a temporizer in religion whose affection towards Gods word depends vpon the state of times and persons of men but euen when his enemies did disdaine it yea because they sought to destroy it therefore he loued it This is a tryall of true religion euen then to cleaue to the word of God and professe it constantly when honourable and great men of the world are against it This was Iosua his resolution Albeit all the world should for sake God yet I and my fathers house will worship him And Peters in like manner when many of Christs disciples did forsake him and it was asked at them Will yee go also from me he answered where away shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life To professe religion when it is warranted by law when both rulers and people professe it is no great matter but when the powers of the world forsake it then to stand to it is an argument of true religion Loue I thy commandements Hee professeth not that hee fulfilled them but that hee loued them and truely it is a great progresse in godlines if we be come thus far as from our heart to loue them The natural man hates the commandements of God they are so contrary to his corruption but the regenerate man as he hates his owne corruption so he loues the word because according to it he desires to bee reformed And here is our comfort That albeit we cannot doe what is commanded yet if we loue to doe it it is an argument of grace receiued Aboue gold It is not vnlawful to loue those creatures which God hath appointed for our vse with these two conditions the one is that the first seat in our affection of loue be reserued to God and any other thing wee loue that we loue it in him and for him and giue it onely the second roome Thus Dauid being a naturall man loued his naturall foode but he protesteth hee loued the law of the Lord more then his appointed foode and here he loues the commandements of God aboue all gold VER 128. Therefore I esteeme all thy precepts most iust and I hate all false wayes IN this verse are two protestatioÌ„s In the first he declares how he esteemed of Gods word in his minde in the second how in his affection he was disposed toward it As the minde of a man esteemes of any thing so are his affections moued to flie or follow it It is shame for many professors now to say they esteeme of Gods word when they shew their affections more set vpon any thing in the world then vpon it Most iust In two respects is the word of God iust first because it commands nothing but that which is most reasonable and next because it shal not faile one iot but the euent of things shall bee according to the predictions of this word What cause haue we then to reioice That how euer our tribulations be many yet wee heare out of this most iust word It cannot bee but well with them that feare the Lord And again what cause of feare is there to the wicked when this same word saith There is no peace to the wicked saith my God And a sinner of an hundred yeeres old shall dy accursed If wee behold the wicked in their most flourishing estate and looke to them in the glasse of the word we shall see their miseraend long before it come And I hate all false wayes The best tryall of our loue to God and his word is the contrary hatred of sin and impietie Yee that loue the Lord hate that which is euill He that loues a tree hates the worme that consumes it he that loues a garment hates the moth that eates it he that loueth life abhorreth death and he that loues the Lord hates euery thing that offends him Let men take heede to this who are in loue of their sinnes how can the loue of God be in them All false wayes Religion binds vs not onely to hate one way of falsehood but all the wayes of it As there is nothing good but in some measure a godly man loues it so is there nothing euil but in som measure he hates it And this is the perfection of the children of God a perfection not of degrees for we neither loue good nor hate euill as wee should but a perfection of parts because euery good we loue and wee hate euery euill in some measure The worst man in the world loues some good and hates some euill Plerumque enim peccata huiusmodi sunt vt si alterum declines incurras alteruÌ„ ofttimes he that declines one sin fals into another It may be thou haâ—…est couetousness yet art snared with lechery there is one very temperate of his mouth but of a proud hauty heart there is another not ambitious of honour but a seruant to gluttony Diuerso vsu in eundem indeuotionis errorem vterque concurrit And this is very dangerous when as men because some good thing is in them take the greater liberty to coÌ„mit some euill for if Sathan get a gripe of thee by any one sin is it not enough to carry thee to damnation As the butcher carries the beast to the slaughter sometime bound by all the foure feete and sometime by one onely so is it with Satan Though thou be not a slaue to all sin if thou be a slaue to one the gripe he hath of thee by that one sinfull affection is sufficient to captiue thee P E. VER 129. Thy testimonies are wonderfull therfore doth my soule keepe them THE familiarity of
the Prophet craues that the Lord would neuer vtterly take it from him If at any time in thy wise dispensation thou relent it yet I beseech thee neuer vtterly to remoue it This iudgement which Dauid heere craues to be averted from him lyes vpon many who doe not marke nor perceiue it that they are so much the more miserable that they knowe not their misery in this that hauing and hearing the word of GOD so plentifully they can neither vse it to their owne consolation nor to the edification of others And this proceeds from the euill conscience which is in them that neither can they heare it with comfort no more then Achab could heare Michaiah because hee neuer prophecied good vnto him nor yet can they speake it to the comfort of others Vnto the vvicked God saith What hast thou to doe to take mine ordinances in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed Obmutescit facundia si aegra sit conscientia cloquence becomes dumbe when the conscience waxes diseased For I wait Gods iudgements are some-times taken for his plagues executed according to his vvord vpon the wicked with the which is euer conioyned a performance of his promised deliuerance to the godlie vvhereby hee makes knowne That there is fruite for the righteous how euer for a time hee suffer them to bee euill intreated and that there is a difference between them vvho feare him and them that feare him not And this Dauid heere praies for that the Lord would so deale with his enemies that the truth of his word being declared vpon them the godly might haue no cause to be ashamed for taking that word of truth in their mouthes VER 44. So shall I alway keepe thy law for euer and euer HEre is a protestation of thankfulnes to his God which he promiseth to declare in obedience Whereof first wee obserue hovv our standing and perseuering in the obedience of Gods law proceedes from Gods louing kindnesse toward vs keeping his word of truth in our harts and mouthes Hee is the stocke vvee are the branches vvee beare not him he beares vs let vs abide in him and giue him the praise of all our well dooing and perseuerance in it Now the doubling of the word notes his promptitude to Gods obedience and willing resolution to pers◅uere in it not for a day or a yeere but alway yea for euer and euer not in this life onely but in that also which is to come as Ambrose expounds it Pollicetur se hic ibi legem Dei custoditurum hic in exemplari in speculo in aenigmate illic in ipsa facie veritatis And the same also hath Euthymius Custodiam legem tuam non tantum in hoc saeculo sed in futuro quod saeculum saculi appellatur tanquam praesenti saeculo honoratius VER 45. And I will walke at libertie for I seeke thy precepts THere is a libertie of the flesh taken by men not giuen by God falsely so called for it is not libertie indeede but thraldome where men casting off the yoke of GOD giue ouer themselues to follow their owne affections vvhich can neuer but breed them doubts feares and horrible terrors wherwith they are straited so that they know no outgate Improbus in seipso coarctatur malitiae suae laqueis strangulatus Take to you for an example a couetous wretch euery day extending the borders of his possession excluding his neighbours doth the enlarging of his bounds enlarge his heart doth hee therfore walke at libertie because hee hath more ample roomes No no Quantumcunque domus suae spatium porrexerit clauditur angustis opinionis suaefinibus eui quod habet non est satis But how-soeuer large his possessions be hee is still inclosed in the straits of his owne narrow heart vvhich thinks hee hath nothing at all And so is it in all other sinnes the giuing of libertie to the will of man drawes on a thraldome whereby he is not onely captiued of his owne affections but straited with the sense of wrath in his conscience which alway followes euill dooing This is that strait bedde wherein God threatens to cast the wicked in a punishment of their carnall libertie Herod tooke this liberty to defile his brothers wife he beheaded Iohn for reproouing of it and so thought the more freelie hee might enioy his sinfull pleasure but did hee by this meanes walke at libertie No on the contrarie hee cast himselfe into the straits of a terrifying and accusing conscience hee could neuer bee quit of Iohn vvhom hee had beheaded for hee conceited that Iesus was Iohn risen againe from the dead What euer mirth he pretended in his countenaunce hee found himselfe sore straited vvith anguish in his conscience True libertie is that which GOD giues and whereof our Sauiour speaketh saying Then are you free if the Sonne make you free hee looseth vs from all other bondage that hee may bind vs to himselfe onelie And this libertie consisteth first in our deliuerance from the tyranny of our owne lusts by which all those are thralled who shake off the yoke of God and next in the freedome of a peaceable conscience which is a Christians Paradise on earth VER 46. I vvill speake also of thy testimonies before Kings and will not be ashamed IN these three last verses Dauid promiseth a three-fold dutie of thankfulnes First the seruice of his tongue Next the seruice of his affections Thirdly the seruice of his actions Bona conscientia maximum semper praestat solatium a good conscience renders alwaies great consolation vitalegitima fiduciam procreat and an honest life makes great boldnes to speak without feare or shame as yee see in Dauid toward Saul in Elias to Achab in Paule to Agrippa to Festus and to Felix The first dutie that heere hee promiseth is to speake of the testimonies of God before Kings This is not a small thing if vvee doe consider that albeit no sort of men bee more obliged to God then Kings are yet vnto none is Gods word more vnwelcom then to thē for the most part they are so accustomed to commaund and to giue out words for lawes vnto others that they thinke strange to heare of a word which should stand in steed of any law to them It is a rare thing to find a Iosiah whose heart melted at the hearing of the law like vnto him was no King before him who turned vnto the Lord with all his hart Where such are giuen to a people they are the exceeding great blessings of God If Dauid was not ashamed to speake of Gods word before Kings farre lesse may wee thinke was he ashamed to speake of it before his familiars and companions as hee protests hee vvould doe in another place Come vnto mee all ye that feare God and I will tell you vvhat God hath done to
rest of his creatures Psal. 104. But this is intollerable That vnder pretence of a little time allowed vnto vs the halfe of our time should bee exacted from vs. Ethniques in this point may make vs ashamed It is written of Alexander and Caesar among many moe that they parted the night in three the first they tooke vnto rest the second to the workes of Nature the third to their studies for encrease of knowledge and learning and that because they were forced to spend the day time in gouernment of their Kingdomes and administration of their warlike affaires Yet we haue now such a number whom wee may call Monsters of Nature who are not content to spend all the night ouer in works of darknesse such as Drunkennesse and Gluttonie and Chambring and slumbring but they turne also the noon-tyde of the day into midnight Per diem illis fit media nox yea not sparing the holy Sabboths of the Lord they sleepe by themselues like Howlets in their holes when the Saints of God are assembled together to praise him but miserable are they for as they tooke no part of Gods seruice so shall they bee strangers from the recompence The third circumstance pointing out the cause or matter of his thankesgiuing is here because of Thy righteous iudgements Where by iudgements he vnderstands Gods iust working according to his word both in executing threatned plagues vpon the wicked and performing promised mercies to the godly And for this cause Dauid praiseth God because he found him alwayes as good as his word and what he promised with his mouth hee performed with his hand And this cause which moued Dauid to praise God should moue vs all for wee haue felt his promises kept to our selues and his iudgements executed on the wicked in so manifest a manner that men might say as in the Psalme Verely there is a God that iudgeth righteously on earth and there is fruit for the righteous There is no transgression of Gods law which in som wicked men we haue not seene punished If the Lord did only speake and neuer punish men would say There is not a God and if on the other hand all transgressions were punished here men might say we need not look for a iudgement to come Of such sinnes as we haue seene punished let vs learn that there is a Iudge and of such sinfull men as we see spared let vs also learne that there is a iudgement to come VER 63. I am companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts HE said in the first verse of this Section that God was his portioÌ„ now he saith All the Saints of God are his companions These two goe together the loue of God and the loue of his Saints He that loueth not his brother made to Gods image whom hee seeth how shall he say he loueth God whom hee hath not seen Seeing our goodnes extends not to the Lord if it be shewed to his Saints and excellenâ—… ones vpon earth for his sake it shall be no small argument of our louing affection toward him selfe Godly Dauid when Ionathan was dead made diligent inquisition Is there none of Ionathans posteritie to whom I may shew kindnes for Ionathans sake and at length he found a silly lame Mephiboseth So if we enquire diligently Is there none vpon earth to whom I may shew kindnesse for Christs sake who is in heauen wee shall euer find some to whom whatsoeuer wee doe shall be allowed as done to himselfe Euery mans company wherein hee delights tells what manner of man he is himselfe Qualiscunque quis fuerit cum tali se coniungit The fowles of heauen flocke together according to their kinds ye shal not see Doues assembling with Rauens Inter dispares mores quae potest esse amicitia What fellowship or friendship can be among men of inequall manners Non potest homini amicus esse qui Deo fuerit infidus he can neuer be friendly to man who is false vnto God But there is yet a greater argument the Lord IESVS hath honoured vs to be his companions so wee are called Psal. 44. God hath anointed thee aboue thy fellowes To worke this fellowship he assumed our nature he abased himselfe he was baptized as we are he died as vvee doe hee rose againe as we shall doe hee walked in all our waies that hee might traine vs vp to walke in his waies and might euery way make vs like himselfe and shal we thinke it a derogation to our honor to humble our selues for Christs sake to men of a rank inferior to vs and euen for the feare and loue of God that is in them to account them our companions Yet further his great modestie is to bee marked Non dixit imitantium te sed timentium he saith not I am companion to all that follow thee but to all that feare thee The feare of God is the beginning of wisedom Inter rudes se constituit humilitate cum veteranos superaret deuotione hee placeth himselfe among nouices in humilitie when he excelled antients in pietie That feare thee The godly are commonly described by this grace That they fear God but so that they also loue and obey him therefore Dauid ioynes these two together That fear thee and keepe thy precepts Apostat Angels saith S. Iames feare GOD but there-withall they hate him and rebell against him In the Godly feare prepares a way to loue when loue is perfected then feare shall cease but in the wicked fear prepares a way to despaire restlesse perturbation Abraham looked for no good in Gerar because he thought the fear of God was not there on the contrary Ioseph confirmed the timorous harts of his brethren that they should looke for none euil at his hands because said he I feare God Therby letting vs know that this is a sufficient reason to assure vs of all good duties from a man if truly it may be said of him He feareth God VER 64. The earth O Lord is full of thy mercies teach mee thy statutes HEere is a prayer with a reason Seeing ô Lord thou art good to all thy creatures shew thy goodnes also to mee in this that thou teach me thy statutes Gods generall benignitie is extended to all his creatures his speciall benignity is for his children and this is it that Dauid here craueth And indeed Gods generall goodness vnto all his creatures should serue to confirme his children in the assurance of his more speciall fauour toward them as heere Dauid vseth it If hee care for sparrowes if he feed the young Rauens when they cry if hee clothe the Lilies of the fielde are not his own children much more worth will he not much more care for them Seeing of his goodnesse he sends raine to the wicked makes his sunne to shine on the vniust will he not of his mercie lift vp the
nothing on earth more pretious then hee Sed in eo quod non videtur multo pulchrior est but in that which is not seene namely his soule hee is much more beautifull So ye see Dauids reasoning is very effectuall all one as if he should say as he doth elswhere Opus manuum tuarum ne deseras Te authorem conuenio te teneo conditorem aliena praesidia non quaro Forsake not ô Lord the worke of thine hands thou art my author and maker thine help I seek and the helpe of none other No man can rightly seeke good things from God if he consider not what good the Lord hath already done to him But many are in this poynt so ignorant that they knowe not how wonderfully God did make them and therefore can neither blesse him nor seeke from him as from their Creator and conseruer But this argument drawne from our first creation no man can righly vse it but he who is through grace partaker of the second creation for all the priuiledges of our first creation we lost them by our fall So that now by nature it is no comfort to vs nor matter of our hope that GOD did make vs but rather matter of our feare and distrust that wee haue mismade ourselues haue lost his image and are not now like vnto that which God created vs in the beginning Giue mee vnderstanding Dauid knew that a man without vnderstanding were hee of neuer so noble bloud or comely of personage he is but a companion of beasts and therefore the Spirit of GOD commonly giues the stile of a man vnto man eyther made or restored to the image of God But a man destitute of that image Aut serpentem aut equum aut vulpeculam aut iumentum vocare consueuit he cals either a serpent or a horse or a foxe or a beast That I may learne Hee sheweth heer what is the vnderstanding which he craued namelie that hee might learne to obey the commaundements of God It is not wisedome in Gods account for a man to knowe all other things and be ignorant of himselfe neither is this learning to haue knowledge of all Sciences and secrets of Nature and to be without godlinesse This is the beginning of all wisedome To feare GOD and the Art of Arts to practise pietie To this purpose said Ambrose Quid tam obscurum quam de Astronomia tractare profundi aeris spatia metiri relinquere causam salutis error is quaerere Where if saith hee it be obiected Was not Moses learned in all the learning of the Egyptians let it be answered So hee was but hee thought all this wisedom losse and foolishnesse in comparison and turned to seeke GOD with inward affection Ideoque vidit interrogavit audiuit loquentem Deum hee saw therefore hee asked and heard God speaking vnto him VER 74. So they that feare thee seeing me shal reioyce because I trusted in thee THe godly in ordering their life haue a respect first vnto God that he may haue glory Next to themselues that in conformitie with God they may haue peace and comfort And thirdly vnto his neighbour to giue vnto him that is godly matter of ioy and edification by his godly life according to that precept of our Sauiour Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your godly conuersation may glorifie your Father who is in heauen Beside this appeareth the great power vertue of godlines that euen the very sight of a godlie man ministers ioy to the godly terror to the wicked Plerisque iusti aspectus admonitio correctionis est perfectioribus verò laetitia to many men the sight of a righteous man is a warning of correction For they are admonished what neede they haue to amend their life that they may be like vnto him but to such as haue profited more in godlinesse it is alway a matter of ioy Quam pulchrum ergo si videaris prosis How excellent a thing then is this that as oft as thou art seene so oft thou doost good And againe there is such a fellowshippe and communion among all the liuely members of Christ his mystical bodie that they mourne together they reioyce together the grace of God cōmunicated to one is a cause of ioy to al the rest Bonis enim insitū est vt virtutes su as in alijs amēt It is the propertie of the godly to loue those vertues in others which either they haue or would in themselues to enuy the good of another and be grieued thereat is a diuellish thing Infirme Iosua may murmure when Medad and Eldad prophecie in the assembly of the people but meeke Moses shall reioyce and wish that all the Lords people did prophecie in like manner Because I trusted in thee Gods working with any one of his seruants is a confirmation of all the rest for what hee is to one that feares him he is vnto all that feare him So that mercy shewed to any penitent and promises performed to any beleeuing man should confirme vs in the assurance of the like fauour of God to bee found by our selues if we also repent and beleeue in him VER 75. I knowe O Lord that thy iudgements are right and that thou hast afflicted mee iustlie THis Verse consists of a thankesgiuing wherin he ascribes to the Lord the praise of truth and righteousnesse in afflicting him Many vse to praise God in prosperity who in time of trouble impatient of his heauie hand murmure against him but such as are truly godly do then blesse the Lord most heartily when he seems to deale with them most hardly giuing him the praise of equity and acknowledging that his greatest rodds are not so great as their sins as also the praise of fidelity that according to his word he afflicts his children for no other cause but to purge them and make them more capable of grace and consolation I know How is this seeing the Apostle saith Rom. II. that the iudgements of God are vnsearchable and his waies past finding out The answer is Dauid doth not so speake as if he were priuy to al the secret waies of God but that thus much hee knew in generall that all his iudgements whereby he strikes eyther the godly or the wicked were all right suppose the causes and particular ends of them were secret And this knowledge is learned out of the word The Lord is righteous in all his workes and holy in all his wayes And againe All the wayes of God are mercie and truth to them that feare him And againe All things worke for the best to them that loue him And it is the want of this knowledge that makes vs oftentimes to murmure or faint and be discouraged at the works of God apprehending in our ignorance that to be euill which in Gods working is good and directed to a good end For if
who out of most wholsome hearbs gather nothing but poyson For all are thy seruants From the Angel to the worme all serue him he is the Lord of Hosts let vs also serue him and then shall they serue vs. But it is both sinne and shame that where the raging water and furious fire serue God at his commaund onely man made to his own image disobeyes him And therefore againe feareful is the recompence that where it is said The Lord reioyceth in all his works of man onely the Lord said It repents mee that I made man The Lord grant it may repent vs that euer we offended so good a God and so the Lord may be pacified toward vs in Christ Iesus VER 92. Except thy law had been my delight I should now haue perished in mine affliction HE now declares vnto vs what profit hee made of his former meditatiō to weet that the certaintie of Gods word kept him that he perished not in his affliction Sith he saw it was a sure and powerful word whereby other creatures were sustained he collects it could neuer faile him so leaning vpon it he foūd him selfe vpholden by it in his greatest afflictions Let vs learne of Dauid to seeke our comfort in time of trouble out of the word of GOD for all other comfort which is sought with neglect of this comfort brings two great euils First it encreaseth griefe how-euer for a time it seeme to mitigate it And next it leaues a man destitute when he hath most need of comfort Onelie the comfort of Gods word bides with vs when all other comfort for sakes vs. My delight The word signifieth delights in the plurall number Many were the sorowes of Dauids life but against them all he found as many comforts delectations in Gods word With such varietie of holy wisedom hath God penned his word that it hath conuenient comfort for euery state of life therfore the children of God account nothing so deere as it they preferre it to their appointed foode Yea as the body cannot liue out of the owne element of aire so cannot the soule of a godly man without comfort of the word Where if it be obiected to vs by worldlings Where are those manifold delights which ye say are in the word we hear nothing but one the selfe same thing repeated vnto vs The best answer to them is Come and see Taste and consider how gracious the Lord is and yee shal find that euery repetitiō of it brings new delight And this they may learne by their naturall affection toward bodily foode which is so great that the same kind of foode where-vpon they feede this day they long for it againe to morrow and with a new appetite long to haue renewed euery day And if they were as well acquainted with the spirituall life their affection would be in the same manner renewed euery day toward the word of God For the truth is that no Monarch in the world can furnish his table with such varietie of delicates as are offred to vs in the treasures of Gods word Perished in mine affliction Dauid was a godly man and deerely beloued of the Lord his GOD yet is hee sore humbled by affliction for euen those branches which are fruitfull God will purge to make them more fruitfull Our nature is so rebellious that without sore afflictions it cannot be tamed subdued Stones cannot be squared for palace-worke without strokes of the hammer gold can not be purged and prepared for work without fire neither is corne separated from the chaffe without wind We are Gods corne let vs abide the wind of tentation to clense vs from the chaffe of our corruption Wee must suffer the fire of affliction that we may be fined and made vessels of honour for the house of God And we must be content that the hammer of God strike vpon vs to beat away our proud lumps that so we may be squared and made ready like liuely stones to be laid in heauenly Ierusalem More of this see ver 50. 52. VER 93. I will neuer forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickned me THis verse hath a protestatiō of his thankfulnes he had found life in Gods word and he resolues neuer to forget it Experientia edoct us iustificationes tu as producere vitā inextinguibilem illarū memoriā seruabo It is no maruel that they who neuer got life by the word of God haue no delight in it the excuses of men here auaile not Certain it is the cause of all contempt of Gods word is from this that men neuer found life nor comfort by it Whereof see Sect. 1. But it is worthy to be marked that he saith not the Word quickned him but God by the Word quickned him The Word was preached at one time by one Preacher S. Paul to many people assembled together at Philippi but many heard it who got not life by it onely Lydia by that Sermon had her heart opened Paul may plant Apollo may water but God must giue the increase Let vs thanke God for the word he hath giuen vs and let vs pray to God that grace may be ioyned with it so with the Gospell hauing the blessing of the Gospell it shall become the power of God to our saluation VER 94. I am thine saue me for I haue sought thy precepts MAny reasons hath Dauid vsed hitherto to mooue the Lord to bee mercifull to him but none more forcible then this I am thine A strong reason indeed where man in a good conscience can vse it for if we who are euill and weake haue a care of euery thing which is ours that we will not if we may suffer it to perish euen our garments and our houses and our cattell we haue a care to conserue them because they are our owne how great may we thinke is the Lords care toward his owne whom he tenders with greater compassion thē any earthly father can doe to his children But howsoeuer this seeme facilis vox communis Tuus sum as easie a voyce as it is common to say I am thine yet few are they who in a good conscience may say it Mentitur enim peccator si se seruum Dei nominet A man in his sinnes lies if hee say that hee is the seruant of God for to what-euer thing a man giues obedience vnto that same is hee a seruant O how many people and nations and wealthy men are there in the world Qui paupertatem putant Domino seruire who thinke it a pouertie to serue GOD Hee who is aboue all seemes nothing to them and they seeke other things with such insatiable affection as if the Lorde Iesus in whom are all things were not sufficient for them Can these men say to the Lord I am thine But these men are not the worst for yee shall finde now a bastard
watered by the earth For the teares of the godly fall not to the ground the Lord gathers them like most pretious pearles vnto him and puts them in his bottell and they bring still increase of comfort to such as shed them They are sowen like good seede on earth the first fruite whereof is reaped on earth but the fulness thereof in heauen according to that of the Psalmist They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy ZADE. VER 137. Righteous art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements HEere Dauid sore troubled with griefe for the wickednesse of his enemies yea tempted greatly to impatience and distrust by looking to their prosperous estate notwithstanding their so grosse impiety doth now shew vnto vs a three-fold ground of comfort which in this dangerous tentation vpheld him The first is a consideration of that which God is in himselfe namely iust and righteous the second a consideration of the equity of his word thirdly of his constant truth declared in his working and doing according to his word When we find our selues tempted to distrust by looking to the prosperity of the wicked let vs looke vp to God consider his nature his word his workes and we shall finde comfort Righteous art thou There is the first a meditation of the righteousnes of Gods nature he alters not with times he changes not with persons he is alway and vnto all one and the same righteous and holy God Righteousnesse is essentiall to him it is himselfe and he can no more defraude the godly of their promised comforts nor let the wicked go vnpunished in their sinnes then hee can denie himselfe to be God which is impossible Iust are thy iudgements The second ground of Dauids comfort is heere and in the next verse VER 138. Thou hast commanded iustice by thy Testimonies and truth especially AS the tree is so is the fruit From so righteous a God nothing can proceede but righteousnesse God forbid that the Iudge of all the world should doe vnrighteously This meditation of the equity of Gods command flowing from his most righteous nature confirmes Dauid in this sure conclusion It cannot be but well with them who walke after his word and by the contrary such as goe a whooring from it cannot but make a miserable end how-euer they prosper for a time And out of this we may further learn how the law of God expresseth to vs the liuely linâ—…ments of his image for from his righteous nature flowe his commandements commanding righteousnesse This lets vs sâ—…e 〈◊〉 fearfull an euill sinne is sith it is a transgression of that holy law which flowes from Gods righteous nature it is a direct impugning violating of the diuine nature so farre as the creature may The lawes of Kings may be broken and their persons not touched farre lesse their nature violated yea oft-times their nature likes of that euill which their lawe forbids It is not so with the lawe of God it flowes from his righteous nature and God and his lawe are so straitly vnited that the breaking of his lawe is an impugning of his very nature so farre as the creature may as I haue said already By thy Testimonies The word of God is called his Testimony both because it testifies his will which he will haue vs to doe as also because it testifies vnto men truely what shall become of them whether good or euill Men by nature are curious to know their end rather then care full to mend their life and for this cause seeke answers where they neuer get good but if they would know let them goe to the word and testimony they need not to seeke any other Oracle If the word of God testifie good things vnto them they haue cause to reioyce if otherwise it witnesse euill vnto them let them hast to preuent it or else it shall assuredly ouertake them VER 139. My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy word THroughout this Psalme we see that Dauid cannot satisfie himselfe in declaring the loue he had to Gods word for that comfort which hee had felt in it as likewise his insatiable affection crauing more comfort by it What he speakes of himself he speakes it not like that Pharise who boasted of his good not mourning for his euill nor yet longing for better Such presumption is farre from the godly If at any time they make mention of any good disposition in them they doe it to the glory of God from whom all good comes and to comfort themselues for the beginnings of Gods grace in them but still they know their wants and mourne for them Neuer contented in this life with the grace receiued with earnest affection they crie for more Three things haue we to consider in this his his protestation first the nature secondly the sorts thirdly the effects of zeale As for the nature of zeale It is a mixed affection of griefe and anger flowing from loue for what a man loues earnestly he is carefull to see it honoured and by the contrary grieued when it is dishonoured The sorts of it are many for according as our loue and griefe are so is our zeale If our loue be vpon the right obiects moderate in due measure it causes a zeale which is holy and spirituall otherwise if our loue be inordinate it begets a carnall or inordinate zeale Sometime the zeale is not vpon the right obiect and then it may be great but it cannot be good such is the zeale of Heretiques who compasse Sea and Land to make one of their owne profession Sometime againe the zeale is on the right obiect not in the due measure eyther too colde which is remission or too hote which is superstition Of these saith the Apostle It is a zeale but not according to knowledge Zelus ad mortem non ad vitam a zeale which tends to death not vnto life The effects of Dauids zeale he toucheth when he saith it had consumed him Affections of the soule are very forcible to moue the body A sorrowfull heart saith Salomon dryes vp the bones But men should carefully marke what spirit inflames their zeale and what zeale moueth their bodies There are som who vnder shew of zeale or at least because they thinke it zeale neglect the duetie which they owe to their bodies not remembring the seruice which God craues of the body is a reasonable seruice not vnreasonable Others with their zeale fight against the Gospell so did Paul before his conuersion Let vs try the Spirits and see that our zeale be according to knowledge For these two Knowledge Zeale are compared by Bernard to the two wings of a fowle the Bird that hath but one wing falleth the more that it mindeth to flie These are two excellent giftes Knowledge and Zeale but if the one be without the other it were better to want it And now sith zeale
si sanctus si iustus sit debet orare vt exaudiat eum Dominus secundum misericordiam suam non secundum merita virtutis alicuius quia rara virtus multa peccata A man were he neuer so iust or holy should euermore pray that God would heare him according to Gods mercy not according to the merit of his vertue whatsoeuer because in the best men their vertues are rare their sinnes are many It is true they vse also secondary arguments taken from God his graces in themselues as that they loue him or feare him or call vpon him but these in effect are but the alledging of the conditions whereupon God out of his kindnesse hath made the promises and so being his owne graces freely giuen may lawfully be vsed to moue the Lord to the performance of his promises Quicken me See ver 37. 40. 50. 88. 93. According to thy iudgement Iudgement is sometime taken for the execution of Gods threatnings against transgressors and this Dauid declines Psal. 143. Enter not into iudgement with me Sometime it is taken for the performance of his promises according to his word and this Dauid desires as in this Verse See ver 7. 13. 20. 30. 39. 43. 52. 62. 66. 75. 84. 102. 106. 108. 120. 137. 149. 156. 160. 164. 175. VER 150. They drawe neere that follow after malice and are farre from thy Lawe HEe reiterates againe his complaint against his enemies whom he describes after this manner That toward God they were impious men farre from his Lawe toward Dauid they were malicious yea such as followed malice and hunted after all occasions to doe him euill This is the condition of the children of God as their head and Lord Christ Iesus was set for a signe of contradiction so is it with his seruants they are set as a marke butte whereat Satan and his instruments shoot all the arrowes of their indignation but in vaine for God is their buckler And truely it should greatly comfort all the godly to remember that such as are their enemies are Gods enemies also sith they are farre from the obedience of Gods Law what maruell they be also farre from that duety of loue which they owe vnto vs It may content vs to want that comfort in men which otherwise we might and would haue when wee consider that God wants his glory in them Let this sustaine vs when we see that Godlesse men are enemies vnto vs. VER 151. Thou art neere O Lord for all thy commandements are true FRom the meditation of his enemies malice hee returnes againe to the meditation of Gods mercie and so it is expedient for vs to doe least the number and greatnesse and malitiousnesse of our enemies make vs to faint when we looke vnto them It is good that we should cast our eyes vpward to the Lord then shall we see they are not so neere to hurt vs as the Lord our God is neere to helpe vs and that there is no euill in them which we haue cause to feare but we shall finde in our God a contrary good sufficient to preserue vs. Otherwise we could not indure if when Satan and his instruments come neere to pursue vs the Lord were not neere to protect vs. Comfortable is it that when Laban with great fury followed Iacob the Lorde stepped in betweene them and commanded Laban not to hurt him and when Satan many a time intended to destroy Iob hee found that hee could not because the Lord was a hedge and defence vnto him This is of GODs marueilous working that wee being in the middest of the wicked who like so many rauening Wolues thirst for our bloud and before the mouth of that roaring Lion that seekes to destroy vs we should still be preserued for the which we may giue thankes with Dauid It is so O Lorde because thou art neere vnto vs. But let vs remember if wee would haue this presence of the Lorde rendring vs comfort wee must also bee moued by it to render him reuerence Prope est omnibus qui vbique adest nec refugere eum possumus si offendimus nec fallere si delinquimus nec amittere si colamus He is neere vnto all who is euery where present if we offend him wee cannot flie from him if we ◅ne we cannot siele nor couer his eyes if wee worshippe him we cannot want him neere to vs in all our necessities De sole non dubitas quod vbique resplendeat de Deo dubitas quod non vbique fulgeat Thou doubtest not of the Sunne that it shines into euery place why doubtest thou that the Lord is present in euery place Be where thou wilt hee is neere vnto thee be thou also in thy affection neere vnto him to feare and loue him in all thy wayes walke with him as Henoch did set him alway in thy sight as Dauid did Vnlesse thou be with him to waite vpon him and serue him how can he be neere vnto thee to preserue and comfort thee in all thy necessities Hee is neere vnto all illum tamen fouet qui appropinquat sibi but he comforts and nourisheth such as come neere vnto him He that hides himselfe from the light of the Sunne and closeth the dore and window of his house that it shine not vnto him what maruell hee haue no comfort by the light thereof In tenebris ambulat in omnium luce ipse sibi est causa caecitatis He walkes in darknesse and in the middest of light shining vnto all hee becommeth a cause of blindenesse vnto himselfe If by iniquity wee depart from the Lord wee may finde him neere as a Iudge to punish vs not as a Father to protect vs. For all thy Commaundements are true His meaning is Albeit O Lorde the euill will of wicked men follow me because I follow thee yet I knowe thy commaundements are true and that it is not possible thou canst desert or faile thy seruants who stand to the maintenance of thy word Then ye see Dauids comfort in trouble was not in any presumptuous conceit of his owne wisedome or strength but in the truth of Gods promises which he was perswaded could not faile him And heere also hee makes a secret opposition between the word of the Lord and the word of his enemies Somtime men command but without reason sometime they promise but without performance sometime they threaten but without effect Herods cōmanding Rabsac◅e his ray ling Iezabel her proude boasting against Elijah may proue this But as to the Lord our God he is alway better then his word and his seruants shall finde more in his performance hereafter then now they can perceiue in his promise like as his enemies shall finde more weight in his iudgements then now they can apprehend in his threatnings VER 152. I haue knowne long since by thy Testimonies that thou hast established them for euer THat which he hath
spoken concerning the certaine truth of Gods word he now amplifies it that he had found it by experience Sure it is the Word of God doth euer comfort them who beleeue it but when by experience in their particular troubles and tentations they finde the truth of it then doth it so much the more confirme them Let vs looke to our selues and marke narrowly the working of GOD with vs that as we beleeue Gods word to be a most true word in itselfe so in our owne experience we may finde it toward vs. This stabilitie vnchangeable truth of Gods word if wee once bee perswaded of it shall be an Anchor to our soules to holde vs fast that wee bee not carried away with the winde and waues of greatest temptations Long before Dauids trouble came this was settled as a truth in the heart of Dauid and therefore in all trouble it sustained him There fall out oftentimes such confusions and perturbations in the world as makes the children of God to doubt whether the hand of God by the stable order of his prouidence rule them or not and where they are moued to doubt what maruell if Insidels Epicures and other Naturalists doe altogether distrust it After the opinion of that Ethnique Rex mundi magna curat parua fortunae relinquit But it is farre otherwise his prouident and ruling hand extends to smallest things Videte quia minima non contemnit Deus nam si contemneret non crearet For if he neglect them he would not haue created them Neyther doth any thing fall out by fortune but as saith the Apostle He worketh all things after the counsell and good pleasure of his will Alway to confirme vs against this tentation let vs resolue with Dauid here That God hath established his testimonies for euer More of this see ver 142. 160. RESH VER 153. Behold mine affliction and deliuer me for I haue not forgotten thy Lawe THese prayers of Dauid are penned with such heauenly wisedome that they are conuenient for the state of the whole Church and euery member thereof The Church is the bush that burneth with fire but cannot be consumed euery member thereof beareth a part of the crosse of Christ neuer without some affliction for which they haue need here to pray with Dauid Behold mine affliction We know that in afflictions it is some comfort to vs to haue our crosses knowne to such as of whom we are assured that they loue vs it mitigates our dolour when they mourne with vs albeit they be not able to helpe vs. But the Christian hath a more solid comfort to wit that in all his troubles the Lord beholds him like a King reioycing to see his own seruant wrestle with the enemie he lookes with a mercifull eye pitying the infirmitie of his owne when he sees it and with a powerfull hand ready to helpe them But because many a time the cloude of our corruption cometh betweene the Lorde and vs and lets vs not see his helping hand nor his louing face looking vpon vs we haue neede to pray at such times with Dauid Behold mine affliction For I haue not forgotten This reason is not quòd iactare se cuperet sed vt Dei in se gratiam prouocaret as if Dauid here did boast of himselfe for he saith not that he had fulfilled Gods lawe but that he had not forgot it But this is subioyned to moue the Lord to pitie and compassion toward him from this reason That his conscience was good toward God if not in that which he had don yet at least in that which he would haue done for he euer protests that it was his ioy to doe the will of the Lord his God And it is onely this good conscience that dare make request vnto God where the euill conscience dare not look to him more then a wounded eye can looke to the light yea it flies and runnes away from God as we see in Adam fearing euill from him because it had done euill against him and farre lesse dare it seeke good things from him VER 154. Pleade my cause and deliuer me quicken me according to thy word HEere is an appellation made by Dauid from men vnto God The meaning of it is O Lorde I finde that among men equity is not regarded euen they who vpon earth are thy Deputies who should maintaine the right and punish the wrong by them the cause of innocent men many a time is borne downe wherefore Lord I beseech thee who art the righteous ludge of the world pleade my cause against them Wherein first wee haue a comfort for them who are oppressed by the vnrighteousnesse of men they are taught here by Dauids example to appeale to God and call him to be Iudge betweene them and their oppressors Many a time good men faint fall down euen in a good cause for a while because they trust in their cause neglecting to seeke the Lords protection And againe here is a warning for all men in the world specially for Iudges to whō belongs the cognition of other mens causes that they take heede what they doe seeing as Iehosaphat said to his Deputies The iudgement is the Lords for when they haue iudged the Lord will iudge them ouer againe their iudgement also either to ratifie or disannull the sentence they haue giuen And therefore it were good for them not so much to look vnto such as are vnder them with whom they may do as they think in the matter of right and wrong at their pleasure without controlement as to look vnto him who is aboue them whose iudgement they themselues must vndergo both in their persons and actions Quicken me See ver 25. 37. 40. 50. 88. 93. 107. 154. 156. VER 155. Saluation is farre from the wicked because they seeke not thy Statutes THis Verse contains a protestation of the miserable condition of the wicked expressed in this weighty sentence Saluation is farre from the wicked Ipsi sunt authores sui periculi quia Domino non appropinquant they themselues are the authors of their own wracke because they drawe not neere vnto the Lord. Salute quae abste est se ipsi qui inique viuunt priuarunt they who liue wickedly depriue themselues of that saluation which is in thee Non refugit eos salus sed ipsi salutem fugiunt saluation flies not from them it is offered vnto them but they flie from it A fearful estate not only to want saluation but to want it in thy owne default because thou wilt not embrace it In the verse 150. he said that the wicked were farre from Gods lawe now he saith that Gods saluation is as farre from them The Lord hath conioyned these two his Word and Saluation for by his Word hee saueth such as are to be saued they who despise the one shall neuer finde the other If wicked
men hate the precepts and commandements of Gods law they are so contrary to the disposition of his corrupt nature that as the Apostle affirmes sinne takes occasion by the commandement to worke in man all manner of concupiscence for without the law sinne is dead and man his corrupt nature is the more bent vnto euill the more it bee for biddē but grace comming in to renue nature it works a loue euen of the commandements of God as being most holy in themselues most profitable for vs and that our felicity stands in a conformity with them Quicken mee Of this petition See verse 25. 37. 40. And out of Dauid his earnest frequent repetition of this petition let vs learne how spirituall things are to bee sought with a feruent affection It is pitty to see that the things of this world are sought so incessantly as if they were hardly obtained or being obtained were able to fulfil all our necessities or yet could continue and abide stil with vs wheras things pertaining to the life to come are sought in so cold a manner as if it were nothing to get them or being gotten they could doe vs little good or at least were not to continue with vs. Oh that we could rectifie our desires in this point and learne to seeke most excellent things with our best and most excellent affections and that we could alway remember these three things first it is vncertaine if we shall obtaine worldly things when wee seeke them next granting we do it is most certain that they will not fulfill our necessities and thirdly albeit they were able so to doe yet can they not continue with vs. Let vs therefore make choise as Mary did of the best part and couet as the Apostle counsels vs those gifts which are most excellent VER 160. The beginning of thy word is truth and all the iudgements of thy righteousnes indure for euer HEere is a commendation of Gods word from the truth and righteousnes thereof Some reade the words so as if Dauid should say the word of God hath beene true à principio from the very beginning of the world Some reade this way Ab ipso limine veritas tua conspicua est in verbo tuo in the very entry of thy word thy truth is manifest and some Caput verbi tui veritas this is the excellencie and great prerogatiue of thy word the very head and garland of it is verity This perswasion is the mother of all obedience to the word of God and it begets also such a comfort in our souls as no trouble nor temptation is able to ouercome Saint Peter calles the word of God a most sure word And the Lord himselfe calles the promises therof The sure mercies of Dauids house Wee may say with the Apostle We know whom we haue beleeued The Lord will not faile his people according to his word so shall it be vnto vs. And all the iudgements Here Dauid shewes what sustained him against the delay of iudgement vpon wicked men to weet a meditation of the eternall righteousnes of Gods iudgements He considered with himselfe that the righteousnes of God was not for one age but for all neither yet for one sinne only but for all then looking to by-gone iudgements executed vpon the wicked he collects that albeit for the present they were spared yet at length they would be punished seeing Gods iudgements are euerlasting And this should serue for a warning to wicked men of this age that the Lord who hath punished the wickednes of other ages before wil not let the impiety of this age escape vnpunished When the iudgements of God are executed then all men acknowledge Verely There is a God that iudgeth righteously in the earth Yea faithlesse men are amazed when hee strikes and forced to confesse that it is his hand but before the iudgement come to belieue that it will come is an argument of true faith So Noah mooued with reuerence prepared the Arke And Salomon saith A prudent man sees the plague before it come and hides himselfe in time God giue vs this wisedome SHIN VER 161. Princes haue persecuted me without cause but mine heart stood in awe of thy words IT hath pleased the Lord to teach vs not only by his word but by the exāples of others his seruants who liued before vs. For this cause hath hee registred the obedience of Noah the faith of Abraham the patience of Iob the meekenes of Moses the zeale of Dauid that we also should be zealous of those graces for which they receiued so honourable a commendation of God It is a great patience to sustaine iniurie from any wicked man but the greater the person be that persecutes vs the greater is the temptation whereof see verse 23. Onely now it comes to be enquired How can Dauid say that he was persecuted without cause seeing in all troubles which can befall vs if wee rightly examine our consciences we shall still finde within our selues causes which haue deserued sharper corrections 1. The answere is that Dauid here is not comparing himselfe with God for hee knew that in Gods sight no man could be iustified and none can say vnto him thou hast striken me without a fault but here he compares himselfe with men to whom hee had giuen no iust cause of offence It is true Saul pretended great causes against Dauid that hee was an enemie both to his life and crowne but Dauid not only by his words doth purge himselfe but by his deeds declare the contrary For when hee might haue slaine him hee spared him both in the caue and in the campe Thus we must also distinguish betweene causes pretended by euill men and those which are indeede But mine heart stood in awe of thy word Dauid renders not euill for euill but ouercomes euill with good Though Princes who should bee fathers and protectors of people should degenerate into oppressors and persecuters Is it lawfull for that to shake off obedience to refuse their tribute or to murther their persons Shall we become godless Atheists because they are becom faithless tyrants No no we see men truely religious doe practise no such vnrighteousnes This may tell vs from what spirit proceeds the Romish doctrine which not only permits but commands the deposition of Kings the loosing of subiects from their obedience yea the murthering of their persons It cannot be from that good spirit wherewith Dauid vvas inspired Princes persecuted him and he might haue slaine them as his seruants counselled him to murther Saul God saide they haue closed thine enemy into thine hand but he would not for his heart stood in awe of Gods word which told him as there he answered his men that it was not lawfull for him to touch the Lords anointed Againe we see heere an example of the constancy of Gods children no winde of temptation can remoue
your Master My Lord at yee haue learned to serue most faithfully a King on earth and for good seruice haue receiued the recompence of his Princely liberality so thinke with your selfe how greatly ye shall be conuinced if ye doe not learne to serue the King of heauen whose wage to his seruants doth as farre exceed any thing yee haue as the heauens are aboue the earth The third is Ye are now striken in yeares your Almond tree is flourished these fiftie and eight yeares hath God spared you and not taken you away in your ignorances and sinnes as he hath done many others both at your right hand and at the left My Lord the patience of God is called long but his mercy euerlasting the vse of his mercy toward his owne is to beare with them till they be deliuered into the hands of his mercie then are they out of all danger for his mercy endures for euer and whom once he receiues he neuer casts away again But wo is to the wicked for they abuse Gods patience to fulfill the measure of their iniquity heaping vp wrath to themselues by the multiplication of sinnes as it were in a treasure against the day of wrath Thus as the Fish of Iorden goe sprinkling and playing in the streame thereof till at length they fall into the Loch or salt Sea of Sodome where they die so are all the wicked abusing Gods patience carried on by their deceitfull pleasures of sin to a miserable end For where in their young yeares they will not repent in their olde age custome of sinne so confirmes them in euill that they cannot repent no more then a Leopard can change his spots or a Blacke Moore his colour Of this your ◅may perceiue that God his long pattence whereby he spares a man is not a blessing if mercy to pardon sins past and grace to renne for the time to come doe not follow it yea rather quo diutius expectat districtius iudicabit the longer he tarie and spare the sharper will he strike when he comes Let this waken in your L. a care to redeeme the time and a resolution to sacrifice the residue of your few yeares vnto the Lord your God For which cause it shall not be vnprofitable your L. remember these counsels first that ye examine diligently your by-gon life No man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of a man this will tell you more of your selfe then all the world can tell you In this examination spare not your selfe if you would haue God to spare you iudge your selfe accuse your selfe correct your selfe and GOD shall not iudge you Remember when yee come to iudgement there will be none to stand against you if it be not your owne sinnes so long therfore as you haue time fall vpon them fight with them and doe all that ye can to vndoe them Where if your L. would know how is it that a man may vndoe the euill which he hath done The answer is that two manner of waies ye may doe it first if with good Ezechia ye recount your by-gon sinnes in the bitternesse of your heart mourning for them euer when ye thinke vpon them and with the eyes of faith looke to him who being righteous died for our sinnes sending vp strong supplications to God that by the merit of Christs death your sinnes may be buried in the graue and haue neuer place to stand against you in iudgement If they be such as may be m◅nded by restitution faile not to do it after the manner of good Zaccheus if they be not of that nature mend them by doing the contrarie good This is that holie reuenge which the Apostle commends as a not able effect of repentance That we should be reuenged of our by-gon euils by doing the good which we know is most contrarie vnto them This being done for annulling of your by-gon sinnes let your next care be to rectifie your life for the time to come Salomon saies The end of a thing is better thē the beginning thereof His meaning is of good things for euill men waxe worse and worse but an elect man by grace makes his latter end better then his beginning and they who are planted in the Courts of the Lords house flourish and bring forth fruit euen in their olde daies And here againe I recommend to your L. a three fold duetie First remember how manie are the obligation vvherein ye stand bound to the Lord your God thinke vppon that question of godlie Dauid What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me Take an answer for it out of these vvords of Salomon My sonne giue me thine heart Euerie morning offer vnto the Lord Primitias cordis oris tui the first fruits of your heart and mouth thinke vpon nothing before yee thinke on him speake of nothing till first yee speake vnto him be feruent and continuall in prayer Si non semper precamur semper debemus habere paratum precantis affectu◅ ◅f we be not alway praying we should alway haue readie a heart disposed to pray The vessels of mercy should smell of mercie and the Temples of God should neuer want the sacrifices of God giue to the Lord both the thankes and the seruice of all the good ye haue receiued from him Many giue him verball thankes for his benefites acknowledging themselues debitors to him for the good which they haue who will not serue him with his owne benefites Let these men know that their thanks are not acceptable to him The second point of your care I would haue entended to the poore and needy as ye haue receiued mercy from God or looke to get it shew mercy for Gods sake to such as are vnder you Salomon saith The mercies of the wicked are crueltie but the mercies of a righteous man extend euen toward his beast how much more then will he be mercifull to his Christian brother Remember what comfort Iob found in the day of his trouble arising from this That he restrained not the poore of their desire and caused not the eyes of the widdow to faile that he did not eate his morsels alone but the fatherlesse eat thereof that he saw none perish for want of clothing nor suffered the poore to be without a couering that the loynes of the poore blessed him because hee was warmed with the fleece of his sheepe It is a great grace where a man not onely sets his owne heart to praise God but hyreth the heart and tongue of others to praise God with him and for him therfore To do good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is pleased And with these thinke it a peece of your honour to honor the seruants of the Lord. Beautifull saith Esay are the feet of those who bring the glad tidings of peace If their feet be beautifull what should their face be Looke not to their weakenesse but for their Master and their
And truely if it be the Lord whom we seeke it will appeare by this no other thing shall content vs but still we will goe on seeking himselfe till we finde himselfe But we must remember sixe conditions required in them who would seeke the Lord rightly First we must seeke him in Christ the Mediatour No man can come to the Father but by the Son and He is able also perfectly to saue all that come vnto God by him And this excludes Papists who content them not with the Mediatour from the right seeking of God Secondly we must seeke him in truth for God is a God of truth he will be worshipped in spirit and truth for God is a Spirit and loueth truth in the inward affections And this is the condition which here is required Blessed are they who seeke him with their whole heart And this excludes hypocrits Thirdly we must seek him in holiness Let euery one that calles on the name of the Lord depart from iniquity and again saith the Apostle Follow peace and sanctification without which no man can see the Lord. And Whosoeuer hath this hope in himselfe namely that he shall see God as he is purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure And this condition excludes from seeking of God all Atheists vncleane vnpeniâ—…ent persons Fourthly we must seeke him aboue all things and for himselfe not as the carnall Iewes did with whom the Lord was angry They howle vpon me for wine and oyle It is a great dishonouring of God when any thing is sought from him more then himself or not for himself Quisquis à deo praeter deum quaerit non castè deum quaerit as if his creatures serued not to this end principally to lead vs vnto himselfe or among them all there were any thing more precious then himselfe and this excludes mercenaries and worldlings Fiftly we must seek him by the light of his own word the Gentiles sought to finde him by the light of nature but they became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart being full of darknes could neuer find him As the Sun without the light of it selfe cannot be knowne so God without his owne light which shines in his word cannot be known No man hath seene God at any time the Sonne who hath come from the bosome of the Father he hath declared him and the direction of the Sonne is Search the Scriptures And this excludes all those children of darkenesse who disdayning the light of the word depend vpon phantasies or presumptions of their owne Last of all we must seeke him diligently and with perseuerance neuer resting till we finde him with the Spouse in the Canticles We must not seeke him by startings casting off all caâ—…e when we finde him not at the first but without wearying wee must wait vpon him They that looke vnto him that is constantly attend vpon him their faces shall not bee ashamed And this excludes carelesse Christians and temporizers who seeke him by starts but continue not VER 3. Surely they worke none iniquity that walke in his wayes THis Verse containes a commendation of the word of God from this notable fruit and effect thereof that they who keepe it are kept by it from iniquity and so made partakers by it of the third degree of man his felicity which is sanctification If it be demaunded here How is it that they who walke in Gods wayes worke none iniquitie Is there any man who liues and sinnes not And if they be not without sinne How then are they to be blessed The answere is as the Apostle sayes of our knowledge Wee knowe but in a part so is it true of our felicity on earth wee are blessed but in a part It is the happinesse of Angels that they neuer sinned it is the happinesse of triumphant Saints that albeit they haue beene sinners yet now they sinne no more but the happinesse of Saints militant is that our sinnes are forgiuen vs and that albeit sinne remaine in vs yet it raignes not ouer vs it is done in vs but not by our allowance I doe the euill which I would not not I but sinne that dwels in me Secondly to the working of iniquity these three things must concurre first a purpose to do it next a delight in doing it thirdly a continuance in it which three in Gods children neuer concurre for in sinnes done in them by the old man the new man makes his exceptions and protestations against them It is not I sayes hee and so farre is hee from delighting in them that rather his soule is grieued with them euen as Lot dwelling among the Sodomites was vexed by hearing and seeing their vnrighteous deeds In a word the children of GOD are rather sufferers of sinne against their willes then actors of it with their willes like men spiritually oppressed by the power of their enemie for which they sigh and crie vnto God Miserable man that I am who will deliuer mee from this bodie of Death And in this sense it is that the Apostle saith Hee who is borne of GOD sinneth not In his wayes The course of mans life ordered according to the worde of the Lorde is called the way of GOD first because it pleaseth him and next because it leades vs vnto him There are many desirous to be where the Lord is that shall neuer com there all because they delight not in the way that leads vnto him blessed are they who walke in this vvay Confirme mine heart ô GOD that I may keep it vnto the end VER 4. Thou hast commanded to keepe thy precepts diligently AL the sinnes vvhich in this age men commit against the Lord proceed eyther from rebellion or at least from obliuion of his commaundements for now in this great light all excuse of ignorance is taken away None of the former two are good but of the two rebellion is the vvorst Gods children abhorre it as a diuelish euill to rebell against God how-euer by obliuion many times they fall both in sinnes of omission and commission so long as they remember what God hath commanded to be done and what reasons they haue to obey him they are not easily snared but beeing once preuented by obliuion they are easily caried vnto transgression It is good therefore to keep in our hearts with Dauid this short remedy against obliuion Thou hast commaunded to keepe thy precepts diligently As the eyes of seruants looke vnto the hand of their Masters so should our eyes vvait vpon the Lord our GOD euer looking to that way vvhere-vnto his countenaunce â—…oth direct vs. Diligently In worldly affaires no weighty thing can be done without diligence farre lesse in spirituall Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently For three causes should we keepe the commandements of the Lord with diligence first because
loosed againe as that Cripple when he found the vse of his feet leapt for ioy and glorified God It is one of the workes wherein God declares his soueraine power That hee takes away the speech from the faithfull or from them that speak truth This he doth for two respects somtime for a punishment of their hearers so he threatned to make Ezechiel his tongue cleaue to the roofe of his mouth sometime for a correction to themselues so was Zacharie striken with dumbnesse for his mis-beliefe This should learne vs to be thankfull for the benefite of speech and to vse it in feare and reuerence to the glorie of God VER 14. I haue had as great delight in the way of thy Testimonies as in all riches HEere is a protestation of his great delight which he found in the way of the Testimonies of GOD greater then worldlings can finde in the possession of riches yea of all riches Sunt enim multa diuitiarum genera sed haec omnia complexus Propheta cum diuinis Testimonijs contulit for there are many sorts of riches but the Prophet here comprising them all in one sets them farre inferiour to the Testimonies of God For we are not to thinke here that he makes any equality betweene these two Non quasi pro gratiae qualitate cum spiritualibus comparatur corporalis voluptas sed quasi ad testimonium suauitatis accersitur but to shew the greatnesse of the ioy arising from the Testimonies of God he shewes that it alone surmounts all the pleasures which of any externall thing can arise to worldlings It is a great argument of progresse in Religion when godlinesse becomes a delight Malachie complaines of the carnall Iewes that the seruice of God was a wearinesse to them and alas so is it to many carnall professors who thinke no time long but that which is spent in the exercise of the word and prayer all because they haue not yet learned with Dauid to delight in it All the baites of Sathan whereby he allures men to sinne are pleasure or profit if we be moued with these it is wisedome to be most allured with the greatest pleasure and profit The Apostle sayes Godlinesse is great gaine a godly man is in omnibus diues tanquam omne possidens patrimonium And againe Dauid affirmes that he found vnspeakeable ioy in godlinesse Sith it is so then that the profit or pleasure of other things moues vs to goe after them are we not inexcusable if the profit pleasure of godlinesse moue vs not to embrace it In the way of thy Testimonies The Testimony of God is his word for it testifies his will the way of this Testimony is the practise of his word and doing of that which he hath declared to be his will and wherein he hath promised to shew vs his loue Dauid found not this sweetness in hearing reading and professing the word onely but in practising of it and in very deed the only cause why we finde not the comfort that is in the word of God is that we practise it not by walking in the way thereof It is true at the first it is bitter to nature which loues carnall libertie to render it selfe as captiue to the word Laboriosa virtutis via and much paines must be taken before the heart be subdued but when it is once begunne it renders such ioy as abundantly recompences all the former labour and griefe As in all riches A Commentary to this we haue in the fourth Psalme where he glories that the ioy arising of God his fauourable countenance doth farre surmount al the ioy that worldlings can haue of their best things Worldly riches vexe men to get them and vexe them more how to keepe them but most of all do they vexe when they depart from men vnlookt for as it is sure they are no permanent goods but of a flowing nature like water and in their owne time take wings and flie away and that with so speedy a course that quickly they go out of his sight whom foolishly they delighted before Alienae à nobis sunt diuitiae quia praeter Naturam sunt neque nobiscum nascuntur neque nobiscum transeunt But the word renders ioy in the first seeking of it more ioy in keeping of it most of all in this that it endures and abides for euer The comforts of the world are false comforts they forsake a man when he hath most need of comfort to wit in the houre of death but the word like a faithfull friend lies neerest our heart to comfort it most when all other comforts are farthest from it VER 15. I will meditate in thy precepts and consider thy wayes THese two last verses of this Section present to vs a threefold internall action of Dauid his soule toward the word of God first Meditation secondly Consideration thirdly Delectation euery one of these proceeds from other and mutually strengthen one another Meditation brings the word to the mind Consideration views it looks at length into it wherof is bred Delectation That which comes into the mind word it neuer so good if it be not considered gods as it came leauing neyther instruction nor ioy but being once presented by meditation if it be pondred by consideration then it breeds delectation which is the perfection of godlines in regard of the internal action Thus we see that a godly man is euer fruitfull in good like that tree planted by the riuers of waters For at that same time when his externall good actions cannot be seene he is not without internall good motions breeding good in the root of his affection which shortly brings out good fruit in his action to the glory of God and good of others As meaâ—… reâ—…iued in the stomach profits not if concâ—…ction follow not to turne it into wholsom nourishment so the word receiued by hearing or reading cannot auaile vs if it be not digested by meditation In the lawe beasts that did not chew their Cud were accounted vncleane figuring these to be of all others most vncleane who hauing heard the word are not made cleane by it and all because they digest it not by prayer and meditation to make it a conuenient foode for their famished soules In thy Precepts The minde of man is restless and cannot lie idle As a Mill-stone moued by the wheeles grindes and consumes it owne selfe if ye cast in no conuenient matter whereupon it may worke so the minde of man if good be not furnished vnto it shall worke vpon euill vexing and annoying the owne selfe A meet subiect for meditation to the minde of man is the precepts of the word of God because as they are from God vnto vs so are they for vs and we must be answerable to God for them Earthly Lords in their commandments to their seruants seek their own
are not so they are as I said pilgrims on earth not indwellers Suppose they walke on earth their conuersation is in heauen they are risen with Christ and set their affections on those things which are at the right hand oâ—… God They vse this world as if they vsed it not knowing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shape or figure thereof passeth away they soiourne in it but vvill not dwell in it But like vnto the Eagles as they are figuratiuely called in the parable they see and sent things which are aboue and mount vp toward their prey Christ Iesus counting the most excellent things on earth to be but doung in respect of him On earth He makes no exception heere the whole earth hee acknowledged a place of his pilgrimage Not only wheÌ„ he was banished among the Moabits Philistims was he a stranger but euen when he liued peaceably at home in Canaan stil he thinks himselfe a stranger This consideration mooued godly Basile to despise the threatning of Modestus the deputy of Valens the Emperor when he braued him with banishment Ab exilij metu liber sum vnam hominum cognoscens esse patriam paradisum omnem autem terram commune Naturae exilium And it shall moue vs to keepe spirituall sobrietie in the midst of pleasures if we remember that in our houses at our owne fire end and in our owne beds wee are but strangers from which we must shortly remoue and giue place to others Hide not The maner of Dauid his reasoning we touched before to be this I am heere a stranger and knowe not the way therefore Lord direct me The similitude is taken from passengers who comming to an vncouth countrey vvhere they are ignorant of the way seeke the benefit of a guide but the dissimilitude is heere In any Countrey the country people can guide a stranger to the place where he would be but the indwellers of the earth cannot shew the way to heauen and therefore Dauid seekes no guide among them but prayes the Lord to direct him Thy commandements We are not to thinke that Dauid was ignorant of the ten commaundements no doubt hee knew them and could distinctly repeat them but hee craues that GOD would further teach him the vse the necessity the vtility the obedience of them And this for our carnall professors who if they can repeat the beliefe and the commandements think they are religious enough albeit they neither belieue nor obey but remaine ignorant of the vse practice of theÌ„ both without which ignorance is better then knowledge for the seruant that knowes his Masters will and doth it not is worthy of double stripes VER 20. Mine hart breaks for the desire of thy iudgements alway HEre is a protestation of that earnest desire he had to the obedience of the word of God he amplifies it 2. waies first it was no light motion but such as beeing deeply rooted made his hart to breake when hee saw that he could not do in the obedience therof as he would Next it was no vanishing motion like the morning dew but it was permanent Omni tempore he had it alway Thy iudgements Gods iudgements are of two sorts first his Commands so called because by them right is iudged discerned from vvrong Next his plagues executed vpon transgressors according to his word Dauid here meanes of the first Let men who haue not the like of Dauids desire remember that they whose hart cannot break for transgressing Gods word because they loue it shall find the plagues of GOD to bruse their body and breake their hart also Let vs delight in the first sort of these iudgements and the second shall neuer come vpon vs. Now that Dauid this way presents his desire is an effectuall manner of supplication for desire of grace is a great grace Non est potestatis nostrae desiderium sanctum sed gratiae and the Lord hath bound himselfe by his promise to fulfill it Blessed are they vvho hunger and thirst for righteousnes they shall be satisfied And againe The Lord will fulfill the desires of them that feare him Cum oblectarinos viderit Deus cupiditate iudiciorum suorum sobrium auget affectum And therefore Dauid here presents his hart full of desires to the Lord that he may fill it And here because the profane world makes a scorne of the contrite disposition of the godlie laughing at their teares taunting them in their sighes and sobs let vs looke heere to Dauid If it cannot alway be an argument to mooue men to godlinesse yet is it forcible to moue God to mercie The broken hart for the griefe of sin and loue of righteousnes how euer the world despise it the Lord wil not despise it yea it is the sacrifice of God acceptable to him in Christ Iesus VER 21. Thou hast destroyed the proud Cursed are they that do erre from thy commandements HEre Dauid confirmes himselfe in godlines by meditation of the miserable estate of the wicked who lead a life coÌ„trary to Gods word wherof the sum is The begun iudgements of God executed on the wicked may let vs see the curse of God on them who follow their footsteps Walking in the trade of their sinnes how-euer they seem to prosper flourish for the present there is a curse of God vpoÌ„ them which will consume and destroy them Begun or present iudgements of God vpoÌ„ the wicked should moue vs to abhor their sins But in this great securitie we haue many Lamechs few Dauids Lamech saw the impunity of Caine because he was not punished for his cruell murthering of his brother therefore his hart was prouoked to the like impietie and he reioyced in it I would slay a man in my wound and a young man in mine hart if Caine shall be avenged seauen fold truly Lamech seauentie times seauen fold Thus in the pride and profaneness of his hart did he mock and abuse the patience of God And so fareth it with many of whom Salomon speakes Because iudgement is not speedily executed on the wicked therefore the hart of the children of men is set in them to do euil But few are like Dauid who when he saw Vzzah striken to death for vnreuerent touching of the Arke was mooued in his hart to a greater reuerence of God The proud This is a stile commonly giuen to the wicked because as it is our oldest euill so is it the strongest and first that striues in our corrupt nature to cary men to a transgression of the borders appointed by the Lord. From the time that pride entred into Adams hart that he would be higher then God had made him he spared not to eate of the forbidden tree And what else is the cause of all transgression but that man in his ignorant pride vvil haue his wil preferred to the will of God Satan in his
walk in is the path of GODS commaundements not anie nevv vvay but the old and pathed vvay vvherein all the seruaunts of GOD haue vvalked before him and for vvhich the Graecians as Euthymius noteth called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi viam tritam But how-so-euer this vvay bee pathed by the vvalking and treading of many in it yet he acknowledgeth it is but one yea and a narrow and difficil path to keepe and therefore seekes he to be guided into it As to the broad way there are many rodes and pathed wayes into it although they meet all in one end all men goe not to hell by one way for we see many men abhorring a sinne in others who yet intertaine a farre more odious sin in themselues but the narrow way that leades to heauen hath but one path or road into it from which if we decline we fall incontinent into some roade of the broad way that leads to hell Let vs therfore vvalke circumspectly considering our naturall disposition to decline and the dangers and difficulties of the vvay let vs wait vpon our guide and follow his foot-steps Praecedit Christus vt sequamur nos hee hath gone before that we should follow he fasted and prayed to traine vs vp in the like exercises he suffred to learne vs patience Ascendit Crucem vt doceret mortem non esse metuendam he went vp to the Crosse that he might teach vs death is not to be feared By this way of innocence holinesse humility patience contempt of death let vs follow our guide nothing doubting but this path shall lead vs to his Paradise For therein is my delight Of this see Verse 47. VER 36. Incline mine heart vnto thy Testimonies and not to couetousnes THis prayer among the rest no doubt flowed out of Dauid his sense hee found his hart euill inclined at least tempted to bow a wrong way For we stand betweene two parties that seek vs the one for our weale the other for our wrack The Lord on the one hand allures vs My sonne giue mee thine hart and offers vs more for it then wee yea or tenne thousand worlds can be woorth and I shall be thy portion On the other hand Satan the deceiuer by faire but false allurements seeks to haue our hart drawne after him Happy is the man can consider this that hee may offer his hart to the Lord and seeke it as a grace as heere Dauid doth Vnto thy testimonies Gods word is called his testimonie because in it hee testifieth his vvill concerning his worship and our saluation and witnesseth also how he is affected to euery man For out of it to some men he speakes as a louing Father to others as a feareful Iudge Men neede not runne vp to Gods secret counsell to enquire how hee is affected toward them if they list they may learne it out of his word But as Achab desired not to hear Michaiah because hee prophecied not good thinges vnto him so many novv because they doe euill can not abide the light of the word they find no ioy in the hearing of it but are striken vvith feare and trembling as Felix was at the hearing of Paul But in truth the blame is in thy self Are not my wordes good to him that walks vprightlie saith the Lord. No doubt if thou wert good thy selfe the word of the Lord should testifie good things vnto thee And not to couetousnes Hee prayes in particular that his hart may be diâ—…crted from couetousnes which is not only an euil but as saith the Apostle The roote of all euill Dauid heere oppones it as an aduersarie to all the righteousnesse of Gods testimonies it inverts the order of Nature and makes the heauenly soule earthlie It is a hand-maid of all sinnes for there is no sinne which a couetous man wil not serue for his gaine We should beware of all sinnes but speciallie of mother sinnes VER 37. Turne away mine eyes from regarding vanitie and quicken me in thy way HAuing prayed for his hart now he praieth for his eyes also Omnia à Deo petit docens illum omnia efficere By the eyes oftentimes as by windowes death enters into the hart therefore to keepe the hart in a good estate three things are requisite First a careful custody of the senses specially of the eyes for it is a righteous working of the Lord Vt qui exteriorâ—… oculo negligenter vtitur interiori non iniustè caecetur that he who negligently vseth the externall eye of his body shold be punished with blindnes in the internal eye of his mind And for this cause Nazianzen deploring the calamities of his soule wished that a dore might be set before his eyes eares to close them when they opened to anie thing that is not good Malis autem sua sponte vtrumque clauderetur The second thing is a subduing of the body by discipline And the third is continuance in prayer Euery creature of God is good and the beholding thereof should waken in vs an affection to praise God Oculi idcireo dati sunt corpori vt per eos intueamur creaturam aâ—… per huiusmodi mirabilem harmoniam agnoscamus opificem for this cause were eyes giuen to the body that by them we might looke to the creature and by the maruailous harmony which is among theÌ„ we might learne to know the Creator But since the fal the creature also is become subiect to vanitie in euery one of them hath the Serpent laid his deceiuable snare to entrap man and steale his affection from GOD so that now Inter tot passiones huius corporis inter tantas illecebras huius saeculi difficile est tutum intemeratum seruare ve stigium in the midst of so many passions of so many allurements of this world it is a dissicile thing to walke and not to be snared Hee that lookes on a woman saith our Sauiour and lusts after her hath committed adultery Behold in how short a time great guiltinesse is committed Malè sic vidit oculus videat ergo fungatur suo munere non lubricae mentis imperio dirigatur ad lapsum vt vitiuÌ„ referat pro officio Dauid knew this hee found the euill of it by experience let vs learn of him to watch ouer our eyes that we may keepe the hart the better Quicken mee in thy way Man by nature is quick enough to walke in his owne waies and the works of nature he can doe them without a teacher but vnlesse the Lord put life in him keepe life in his soule quickning him at all occasions hee hath neither knowledge nor strength nor pleasure to walke in the waies of God Of this petition see ver 88. 145. VER 38. Stablish thy promise to thy seruaunt because hee feares thee HEere is a prayer with a reason The prayer is that God would make sure his
The Lord when hee exhorts to repentance cryes My sonne delay not to turne to the Lord. This day vvhile it is called vpon you harden not your harts but Satans voice is Tarry till the morne Let me first goe and kisse my father that is delight yet a space in the pleasures of this life It was offred by Moses to Pharao When shall I pray for thee and he answered To morrow It is offred by the Lord to man When wilt thou that I haue mercie on thee and in effect it is answered by many Not till mine old daies Miserable was Pharao who delayed Moses but one day and more miserable are they vvho delay the Lord for many yeeres vvhen hee offers them mercy I knowe no difference betweene the vvise Virgins and the foolish but that the one did that in time which the other would faine haue done out of time and could not The most profane men of the world are forced in death to make their refuge to the Lord then the eye and the hand are lifted vp vnto him then they cry for mercie and desire all others to pray for them If wee be wise let vs doe that in time which al men are faine to doe at the length VER 61. The bands of the wicked haue robbed me but I haue not forsaken thy law TRue godliness will indure great tentations euen as trees wel rooted abides the blast of strong winds and gold that is fine abides the triall of fire Many waies was Dauid tempted and among the rest the wicked by troupes and multitudes combined against him yet did he not forsake the law of the Lord. The godly liue in this world like sheep among vvolues euery wicked man in whom Satan ruleth is like a Cananite to an Israelite a thorne in our eye a prick in our side yea and as a dart of Satan shot at vs to driue vs away from the fear of God if so wee can take them it should greatly strengthen vs to indure all troubles that come from them There will neuer be peace among those two parties between whom the Lord himselfe in Paradise proclaimed inimity And howsoeuer to strengthen themselues in an euill cause the wicked goe together by bands and companies yet shall it not availe them nor hurt vs. Babels builders Moab Ammon Edom conspyring in one may tell vs Though hand ioyne in hand the wicked shall not escape vnpunished the wickd are like thornes before the fire their multitude may well embolden it but cannot resist it VER 62. At midnight will Irise to giue thanks vnto thee because of thy righteous iudgements IN this verse we haue a protestation of Dauid his thankfull affection toward the Lord wherein we haue three things 1. The dutie promsed namely to giue thanks 2. The time at midnight 3. The cause because of thy righteous iudgements As for the dutie of thanksgiuing wee spake of it verse 7. As for the time hee saith hee will rise at midnight and giue thanks to God We pray that we may doe Gods will on earth as it is done in heauen now in heauen we know they praise God continually without ceasing we should doe so vpon earth but our necessities of sleeping eating and such like interrupt vs that wee cannot doe it as we should yet happy shall we be if wee season all our dyets and doings with prayer and thanksgiuing That as God in nature hath made the knee to bow at euery step so the hart in euery action might bow and blesse the Lord acknowledging our Maker and Redeemer and directing all our dooings to his glory When Salomon made harps and other musicall instruments for the praise of God he made them of Almuggim trees that is of such trees as rotte not Teaching vs by like signification how induring should bee those instruments of our heart and affections wherewith wee praise God that we should not suffer them to decay But alas how soone do we faile Oftentimes we begin the day with some feruencie in praysing and prayer but wee faintere euen yet shall we haue great comfort if when our performance faileth our purpose remaine for this will reuiue our former zeale and make vs to returne vnto an earnest calling vpon God and that with the greater feruencie That we finde our great infirmity hath carried vs away from our former purpose Let vs againe consider here how Dauid spends the time of his life that we may learne at him to be wise Time is a most pretious thing not such a jewell among all things perteyning to this life By this it may be esteemed that in a small point of time an infinite weight of glory may be acquired and men who haue beene prodigall of it spending yeares and moneths without consideration would haue giuen great riches yea all the jewels of the world if they had beene in their possession for prorogation of their life one year yea one moneth Let vs therefore learne at Dauid how he vsed his time when he lay downe at night he watered his couch with teares after the examination of his heart At midnight againe he rose vp to giue thankes there-after he preuented the morning watch that he might meditate on the word of the Lorde then in the day time morning noone and even hee made a noise to the Lord yea seauen times in the day he called vpon God Our Sauiour hath commended the like care vnto vs both by his precept and practise in the Temple at the table in the garden in the mountaine did he pray all night Vt te proprio ad de precandum inuitaret exemplo Happy were we if so we could spend our dayes for certaine it is when our last day coms we shal haue comfort of no by-gone time but that which we haue spent in the seruice of God Sleepe is most necessary for the intertainment of bodily health it is Ros naturae the dewe of nature more necessary then meate or drinke yet as Dauid protests ver that hee loued the word of God more then his appointed food so heere hee preferres the prayses of God to his sleepe and rest in the night This may make vs ashamed when we see how wicked men cannot rest except they haue done euill and how they defraud themselues of sleep that they may commit iniquity and how againe the superstitious Priests of Baal can wake in the night to attend vpon their Idols that Christians professing Gods true worship should so pamper themselues that they will not rise out oâ—… the bedde to bowe their knee to the Lord yea scarsely lying still with their bodies will raise vp their spirits to praise him Sleepe is compared by one to a sory customer that eyther takes vp more then wee should giue or then his Master allowes him The Lord allowes a certaine time for our sleepe and rest as he doth to all the
kept him that he perished not in his affliction Thy word Dauid here makes a secret opposition between the words of his enemies and Gods word Sore was he troubled with the long toūgs of the wicked Hoc enim est opus diaboli vt seruos Dei mendacio laceret falsis opinionibus gloriosum nomen infamet vt qui conscientiae suaeluce clarescunt alienis rumoribus sor didentur It is true which Philo saith Veritas opinione melior est non tamen est negligenda fama truth is better then opinion and it makes not much what wrong opi nion be conceiued of vs yet the same or good name of a man is not to be neglected specially if he be in a publick office that by his name he may do good vnto others But because this cannot be obtained and Innocencie itselfe cannot hold off the scourge of the tongue wee must oppone the word of God to the words of wicked men resting with Io◅ in this That our witnesse is in heauen and with S. Paul in the testimonie of a good conscience Then shall we not be discouraged for the words of man hauing both Gods word and our owne conscience to warrant vs. And for our farther comfort let vs remember how the words of men when they are greatest are most vaine and effectlesse and on the contrarie that GOD is as good as his word yea and better doing more then can be expressed by word It was a proud word of Iezabel God doe so to me and more also if I haue not the head of Elijah ere tomorrow at this time but the dogs got her head and shee got not the head of Elijah Such also were the words of Sennacherib boasting by Rabsache that he would make the inhabitants of Ierusalem to drink their own piss but these were vaine words and vanished with the wind Onely the counsell of the Lord stands what hee determines shal be done and as he speakes it shall assuredly come to passe In heauen By this Basile vnderstands Angelorum coetus coelum inhabitantes qui diuin◅m legem custodiunt the company of innumerable Angels who obserue the law of God But the words following declare hee meanes the frame of the same visible works wherein the constancie of Gods truth doth appeare most manifestly For two causes then doth Dauid so speak First to draw vs from looking to the instabilitie of things heere vpon earth wherein are restlesse changes and vicissitudes to a consideration of the stabilitie of Gods decree in heauen Vtcunque versentur res humanae omnia sint varijs inclinationibus obnoxia tamen verbum Dei non est subiectum ordini naturali In earth the word of God is not onely controuerted but contradicted and resisted and the state of things so mutable that oftentimes the wicked prosper and are exalted the godly cast downe and sore oppressed To vphold vs against this tentation let vs looke vp cast the anchor of our soules within the vaile there we shal see an vnchangeable decree of God which shall change all these things againe and bring to the end spoken of in his word The other cause why he so speaks is that this visible frame of the heauen stands as an eternall witnes of the veritie of Gods word that hee will not retreat nor call back that which hee speaks for he once commanded the heauens to be and incontinent they were and euer since continue Thus wee see how the godly profit by looking into the works of God euer drawing some spirituall consideration out of them but of this hereafter VER 90. Thy truth is from generation to generation thou hast laid the foundation of the earth and it abideth AS hee collected the certaintie of Gods word by the indurance of heauē so now he confirmes it by considering the foundation of the earth Sith the foundation of the earth made by the word of God abides sure shal we not think that the foundation of our saluation laid in Christ Iesus is much more sure Though the creatures cannot teach vs the way of saluation for that we must learn by the word yet doe they confirme that which the word saith Thus saith the Lord vvho giues the Sunne for a light to the day and the courses of the Moone and Starres for a light to the night If these ordinances depart out of my sight then shall the seede of Israel cease from beeing a Nation before mee for euer As there Ieremie gathers the stabilitie of the Church from the stabilitie of the creatures so here Dauid cōfirmes the certainty of our saluation by the most certaine vnchangeable course of the creatures and both of them are amplified by Christ Iesus Heauen earth may passe but one iot of Gods word shal not fall to the ground Let vs therefore be strengthened in the faith and giue glory to God Tho◅ hast laid This worke of God is often mentioned in holy Scripture to commend the glory of Gods wisdom and power Yea the Lord himselfe glories in it as ye see in his speech to Iob Where was◅ thou when I laid the foundation of the earth declare if thou can who laid the measures thereof who first stretched the line ouer it whervpon are the foundations of it set or who layd the corner stone therof He hath founded it without a foundation for the pillars of the earth mentioned by Anna are no other but his word and decree But alas how great is our stupiditie vvee walk vpon earth it beareth vs vp but we neuer consider how God sustaineth it by his mightie power that we may giue glory to him And it abides As the Lord by his vvord made the vvorlds so beares hee vp all things by his mightie word Creation is as the mother and Prouidence the nurse conseruer of al the works of God God is not like man for hee when hee hath made a worke cannot maintaine it hee buildeth a shippe and cannot saue it from shipwrack hee edifies a house but cannot keepe it from decay it is otherwise with God we daily see his conseruing power vpholding his creatures vvhich should confirme vs that hee will not cast vs off nor suffer vs to perish sith we are the works of his hands if wee doe depend vpon him and giue him the glory of our Creator Conseruer and Redeemer VER 91. They continue to this day by thine ordinance for all are thy seruaunts THe same argument by which Dauid here proues the truth of Gods word is vsed by profane mockers to improue it Where is say they the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation There is so great difference between a godly and a godlesse hart that where the one of euery thing learnes to be more godly the other learnes to be more profane like poysonable Waspes
vnto them are their crowne and ioy that they may glory in as in a prey which they bring to him that sent them For as the Doue which Noah sent forth returned to him again with the branch of an Oliue in her mouth so all godly Preachers which are come from God and remember they must return to him againe are most ioyful when they see they haue some prey-conquest by their ministrie and that they haue neither run nor laboured in vaine VER 100. I vnderstood more then the Ancients because I kept thy precepts THe third poynt of his comparison is heere Wherein we see how it is neither learning nor experience gottē by length of time which makes a man wise but onely the word of God vsed with meditation prayer and practice for wisedome is not alway with the ancient He is not young in Gods estimation whose wisedome is ripe and it is not by number of yeeres but by solid and settled manners that the Spirit of God esteemes men to be ancient Alwaies heere Dauid speakes of men growne in yeeres but not in knowledge whom Philo properly called Grandaeuos pueros And indeed it is pitie to see any man foolish through the ignorance of God but greatest pitie to see aged men bring their daies to an end and draw neere to the graue before they haue learned to consider eyther the end for which they came into the world or to knowe the state into which they shall bee translated when they goe out of it VER 101. I haue refrained my feete from euerie euill way that I might keepe thy word DAuids wisedome which hee learned by the word consisted not in naked speculation but in practice this is wisedom to refraine from euill Our greatest perfection on earth stands in resisting sinne Wee are neuer without a tempter to sin nor yet without some occasion of sinne and which is worst of all neuer without the seed of sinne in our selues which is fruitfull in sending forth Cupiditates motus qui irruūt sicut bestiaein nos vt teneros fructus noua ruris nostriculta depaseant such lusts motions that like vnto wild beasts make incursion vpon vs to destroy the tender fruit of this new husbandry of God within vs for which we haue need continually and carefully to resist them From euery euil way Hee knowes not what it is to resist sin who resists not euery sin It is true that all sins are not alike subdued in vs for some affections are stronger then other but if against them all we fight not seeking to refraine our feet from euery euill way wee cannot walke in the way of GOD. Nequit enim fieri vt duas quisquam vias simulingrediatur iustitiae videlicet et iniustitiae This is to bee marked of some professors of this age who will bee counted good Christians notwithstanding it bee manifest there are some grosse euills from the which they will not refraine Though wee subdue no sinne as we should yet must we remember that euery sinne in some measure must bee resisted otherwise if we be captiued of any one it is sufficient to destroy vs. That I might keepe thy word The resistance of euill makes vs the stronger and more able to keepe Gods word on the contrary euery transgression diminisheth our spirituall light and strength So that by sinning we not only contract a new guiltiness vpon our soules but weaken our own strength for so soon as any one sin be it neuer so small gettes vantage ouer vs it prepares a way to another and a greater VER 102. I haue not declyned from thy iudgements because thou didst teach me LEast it shold seem that Dauid ascribed the praise of godliness to himselfe or that it came from any goodnes in him that hee did refraine his feet from euery euil way he giues here all the glory to God protesting that bicause God did teach him therefore hee declined not Wherof we learn that if at any time we stand or if when we haue fallen we rise repent it is euer to be imputed to God that teacheth vs for there is no euil so abhominable but it would soone become plausible to vs if God should leaue vs to ourselfe For thou taught'st me Dauid was taught by his ordinary Teachers and hee did reuerence them but that he profited by them he ascribes vnto God Paul may plant and Apollo water God must giue the increase VER 103. How sweet are thy promises to my mouth yea more then hony to my mouth GOds teaching workes euer in the heart a feeling of that which is taught for hee writes his lawe in the hearts of his children And this is it which Dauid here protests that he found a sweetnes in Gods word which exceeded the sweetest things in the world And the cause why many in this age feele it not is eyther because their conscience is euil so intellectualibus animae sensibus non pollēt they want the intellectuall senses of the soule for as to a sicke man that which is sweet seems sowre and vngratious so to an ill conscience the most comfortable word of God becomes terrible or else albeit the conscience be not so euill yet no paines are taken by meditation and prayer to search out the comfort of the word For as Minerals are not gotten on the superfice of the earth but men must digge deepe into the bosome thereof before they finde them and as the sweetnesse of a kirnell cannot be felt where the shell is not broken so cannot the comforts of Gods word be felt of them who looke but lightly and superficially into it But what is the reason of this kinde of speech that Gods word was sweet to his mouth seeing words are not discerned by the mouth but by the eare The answer is that a spirituall man apprehends the good which God offers with all his senses he not onely heares it but smels it toucheth it tastes it and so eates and digests it that he feedes vpon it And againe the reason is for that Dauid being taught of God delighted to speake of Gods word to others and the more he spake of it the sweeter he found it And heere is our comfort that if the promises of God be so sweet what sweetnesse shall we finde in the performance of them When a man of honour promiseth vs any excellent thing it makes glad our heart but when he giues it it doth much more reioyce vs. The promises of God are excellent but the promised things are such as by no word can be expressed For the eye of man hath not seene his eare hath not heard neyther can his heart vnderstand now those things which God hath prepared for them that loue him VER 104. By thy precepts I haue gotten vnderstanding therfore I hate all wayes of falshood IN this last Verse he commends the word from a two-fold excellent benefit
changeth the stiles hee gaue them and now hee calls them wicked men which importeth three things First they worke wickednes Secondly they loue it Thirdly they perseuere in it The godly want not their owne sinnes but this wickednes is far from them for when they sin they are rather like men oppressed forced against their will to doe what they will not then otherwise workers with their will And if at any time they doe euill they continue not in it but rise againe by repentance so that their sins are rather sinnes of weakenes then of wickednes Yet haue I not swarued The constancie of the godlie is tryed by trouble when neither the euill example of the wicked can infect nor their cruell persecutions can enforce them to follow them in euill but rather the more they are troubled the faster they cleaue to the Lord and the more they see the impietie of euill men the more they are confirmed to be good VER 111. Thy testimonies haue I taken as an heritage for euer for they are the ioy of mine hart THere is nothing in the earth so excellent but if it be compared with Christ Iesus it is as the Apostle saith but dung Such is the estimation of all the godly when they cōpare the word of God with other most precious things they account them of no price in comparison of it The hony and hony-combe hath no sweetnes when it is compared with the comfortable word of God all treasures of gold and siluer are nothing to it yea the kingdome of Canaan made him not so ioyfull as did the vvord of GOD which hee esteemed his greatest inheritance For beside the present comfort it renders vnto vs it is the Charter sealed and confirmed by GOD by Sacraments sealed by the oath of God ratified with the bloud of Christ subscribed whereby we are made sure of our heauenlie inheritance But alas by most part of men it is not regarded they preferre their trifles before it Take from them a foote breadth of their earthly inheritance they shew such a carnall zeale as stirres them vp to hazard their liues in defence of it take from them the comfort of Gods vvord they regard not neither are they any more touched there-with then if it did not concerne them And all the cause heereof proceeds from this that they neuer found the ioy of this word in their harts as Dauid heere saith for according to euery man his feeling of the comfort which is in it so doth hee esteeme of it VER 112. I haue applyed mine hart to fulfill thy statutes alway vnto the end HE concludes this Section with a protestation of his constant sincere affection toward the word of God Where first it comes to be considered seeing the hart of man is in the hand of GOD and that man is not able to change a haire of his head farre lesse the affections of his hart how saith he that hee had applied his hart to Gods statutes The answere ariseth from distinguishing these two-fold estates A man before his conuersion is dead in sinne and trespasses and can doe no good till GOD strengthen him but after conuersion hee becomes by grace a worker vvith GOD to stirre and incline the heart toward God Animae consilium lanci est simile the counsel of the soule is like to a balance et mens imperium nacta lancem adea quae meliora sunt inclinat and the mind which hath gotten the commaunding power ouer the affections inclines the balance to that which is best To fulfill Hee affirmes not any time that in practice hee did fulfill Gods law but in purpose In resolution hee euer willed and desired and albeit hee failed many times in performance yet neuer did he change his purpose To the end Dauids godly motions vvere not taken by starts hee was no Temporizer whose goodnesse is like the morning dewe The seede of Gods vvord was deeper rooted in his heart as hee had a care to beginne well so also to continue well Frustra velociter currit qui priusquam ad metam veniat defecit Our life on earth is a race in vaine beginnes hee to runne swiftly that fainteth and giues ouer before hee come to the end And this was signified saith Gregory when in the Lawe the tayle of the beast was sacrificed with the rest Perseuerance crowneth all It is good we haue begun to do well let vs also striue to perseuere to the end SAMECH VER 113. I hate vaine inuentions but thy lawe doe I loue THE comfort of all men in time of trouble consists in one of these two eyther in the by-gon testimony of a good conuersation which vpheld Iob in the time of his affliction or else in the certainty of a present vnfained repentance The last is good enough if it come in time but the first is more sure and it is a great folly for a man to liue vncertaine of that wherein stands his comfort When neyther thy conscience witnesseth that thou hast liued as thou shouldest nor yet that thou hast repented for doing that which thou shouldest not where can thy comfort be Learn both of Iob and Dauid that in one of these two thy comfort must stand in the time of trouble and our comfort shall be the greater if we ioyne them together euer sorrowing for sinne euer studying to glorifie God by the amendment of our wayes Vaine inuentions A godly man hates not only the execution of euill but the inuention In a sin there be three things would be carefully looked vnto the occasion the beginning of it and the perfection or accomplishment thereof The occasion would carefully be preuented for hee hates not sinne who feares not and hates not euery occasion of sinne And from time once we feele any strength of it that the monster of corrupt nature begins to shoot out any of her heads into vs we should resist it in the beginning for he is worthy to be stung to death by a Serpent who may and will not slay it when it is young So should we neuer suffer it to come to perfection otherwise it will slay vs For sinne perfited brings out death Since Adams first transgression his children haue grown more and more learned in the inuentions of euil so that now men be not cōtent with euill practiced before them but new sorts of sin and new wayes of wickednesse are found out Thus shall the world grow in euill till the haruest of sinne be ripe and then shall the Lord put in the hook of his vengeance and cast all the wicked into the wine-p◅esse of his wrath It is a dangerous thing to sinne any manner of way but it is diuellish to invent sinne for this is to sinne after the similitude of Satan he saw no sinne before him himselfe was the first father and forget of it
Let men beware of this lest they also be punished after the similitude of his condemnation VER 114. Thou art my refuge and shield and I trust in thy word HEe makes heere a secret opposition betweene the armour of the wicked by which they impugned him and his armor wherby he defended himselfe As for them by their worldly wisedome they are subtill in inventing wayes to hurt and craftily lay many snares wherein to trap me but my defence is in thee onely Dauid was in many most desperate dangers and still he found the Lord prouiding vnlooked-for deliuerances the strong Cittie of Keilah could not defend him the Lord warned him to come out of it and he was a shield vnto him the solitarie Wildernesse of Maon could not secure him for euen there Saul and his souldiers had compassed him but God had a care of him and turned his pursuers another way These by-gone experiences of Gods louing care and fauour towards him doe now confirme him to rest in God how many wayes soeuer his enemies pursue him he will still make the Lord his refuge and shield and trust in his word VER 115. Away from me yee wicked for I will keepe the commandements of my God AS before he protested that he would cleaue vnto God so now that he will sunder from the wicked True fellowship with God bindes vs to diuide our hearts from all them who will not walk Gods way and therefore this is brought in as a sufficient reason of improbation against the wicked to proue they were not the Lords because saith the Lord If thou see a thiese thou runnest with him and art companion with the adulterers what then hast thou to doe to take my ordinances in thy mouth Euery mans company wherin he delights may tell what maner of man he is himselfe As Rauens flock together by companies and Doues flie together and beasts of the earth gather themselues to other of their own kinds so wicked men loue the company of wicked and godly men through grace delight in the fellowship of such as are like them Which is not so to be vnderstood as if in regard of personall conuersation we behoued to separate from the wicked for so as saith the Apostle we should goe out of the world but euen in the midst of their company we must separate from them both in fashions and affections as we see Lot did in Sodome And this Dauid did for two causes First for offences don against God he withdrew himselfe from the company of the wicked for their sport and pleasure is in those things which grieue the spirit of the Lord. Sure it is he neuer loued God who mislikes not men for offending God Doe I not hate them that hate thee Doe I not contend with them who contend with thee I hate them as if they were mine vtter enemies The other cause is the feare of his owne infirmities lest by the exāple of the wicked either he should be allured to euill or relented to good For euery company warnes vs to walke in feare and trembling Quoniam vndique scandala nos obsident innumeris vitijs refertusest mundus quae extinguunt vel saltem corrumpunt in nobis legem Dei legis studium On euery hand we are compassed with stumbling blocks the world is replenished with innumerable euils which eyther extinguish or corrupt in vs the studie of Gods lawe and for which we haue neede to walke circumspectly if we be in the company of godly men we should watch ouer our wordes and wayes lest we offend them and if we also be in the company of the wicked we should likewise feare lest we be offended or infected by them For I will keep the commandements of my God There is the reason of his protestation Your course and mine are contrary I haue resolued to walke another way then the way wherein I see ye are walking and therefore your company is not for me Of my God As a man can esteeme of any thing which he knowes is his owne so if once he know that God is his he cannot but loue him and carefully obey him neyther is it possible that any man can giue to God hearty and permanent seruice who is not perswaded to say with Dauid He is my God All the pleasures all the terrours of the world cannot sunder that soule from God who can truely say The Lord is my God Againe a true Christian hath nothing in the world wherein he can reioyce as in his owne but onely in the Lord his God A worldling will speake with Nabal My flesh and my bread and with Nebuchadnezer Is not this my Palace and with Alcibiades boast of their Rent A Christian hath none of these of his owne but vseth them like moueables a mans own flesh yea his owne heart his friends and all that he hath will faile him To these a Christian will neuer say They are mine but God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for euer VER 116. Stablish me according to thy promise that I may liue disappoint me not of my hope DAuid after his former resolution turnes him to prayer for our intentions and conclusions are nothing except the Lord blesse them and therefore now Dauid craueth that God would stablish him The godly are subiect to a two fold instability the first is a wauering from a constant beleeuing of Gods promises And this is an instability of faith not that I think the faith of a man regenerate can faile but because oft-times it is sore combred shaken with the winde of manifold tentations Who can tell how many wayes Gods children are tempted with vnbeliefe It may truly be said that he nere knew what it is to beleeue who knowes not what it is to wrestle with vnbeliefe great neede therefore haue we to pray with Dauid Lord stablish me and with that Father interceding for his sonne in the Gospell O Lord I beleeue helpe thou my vnbeliefe The other is an instability of loue obedience for the godly finde their hearts many times carried away by externall allurements to a forgetfulnesse of the Lord their God and there-thorough also to an offending him Alas how instable a thing is the heart of man by nature euery obiect intangles it and it is ready to goe a whooring after euery creature vnlesse that golden nayle of the holy loue and feare of God bee driuen into it And in this respect also we haue great neede to pray with Dauid Lord stablish me Adam created by God was indued with many excellent graces but wanted this perseuerance and stability in grace which now wee haue in Christ for by him we haue not onely the grace of conversion but the grace also of confirmation the one makes vs godly the other continues vs godly But now many so leane to the shewe of their conversion
voluptatum cruci affixa non habeat nayle therefore thy carnall desires to the Crosse of Christ that they may haue no libertie as they were wont to goe loose and wander where they please Otherwise if thou wilt be vaine caried like an instable man after the wandering lusts of corrupt nature fearful is that sentence My Spirit shal not alway striue with man for he is but flesh For feare of thee Familiaritie with men breeds contempt familiaritie with God not so none reuerence the Lord more then they vvho knowe him best and are most familiar with him The Seraphins who couer their faces in presence of his Maiestie teach vs this by their example Such as doe not remember God and far lesse reuerence him when they thinke or speak of his Maiestie declare sufficiently that they were neuer familiar with him I am afraid of thy iudgements It is not to bee thought strange that this feare of Gods iudgements is in men regenerate for the guiltinesse which by sinnes of commission and omission daily they contract cannot be without fear But as I said it cannot continue for in them feare prepares away to loue and loue as it increaseth diminisheth feare Alway we learne here that if the iudgements of God executed vpon others make the godlie afraid how fearefull and importable they will be to the wicked If Moses trembled at the giuing of the law how terrible shall the execution thereof be vnto the wicked Let vs fear in time and we shall not feare in that day wherein horrible feare shall confound the wicked AIN VER 121. I haue executed iudgement and iustice leaue me not to mine oppressors IN this Section Dauid continueth his prayer for protection against his enemies as also for grace to knowe his way vpon earth and follow it He begins with a Petition Leaue me not to mine oppressors and he giues the reason I haue executed iudgement and iustice Where we are not to thinke that he is iustifying himselfe before God but onely declaring how iniustly he was oppressed by men Desensio est non arrogantia Our lesson is If we would haue our prayers forcible let vs intertaine the testimony of a good conscience Iudgement and iustice These two are distinguished by Ambrose in such sort that he makes the one the effect of the other Iudicij finis iustitia est in altero veritatis custodia est in altero fructus aequitatis iudgement is the keeper of verity iustice the fruit of equity the one of these perteyning to the minde makes it giue light for discerning betweene right and wrong the other rectifying the affections and actions Happy is the man in whom these two concurre together Quis autem hodie tanta animi praeditus est puritate vt cum fiducia verbis ist is vti possit But who this day is indued with such purity of minde that with boldnesse he may vse these words My reioycing is the testimony of a good conscience Leaue me not We haue often said that Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart who had also the testimony of a good conscience to sustaine him yet could he not liue free from the oppression of wicked men So long as this battell lasts and Satan wants not instruments let vs euer look to be troubled by them and not to be discouraged thereat but rather comforted considering the inimity proclaimed in Paradise is without reconciliation and sith the Prince of our saluation sustained such contradiction of sinners why shall it grieue vs to beare his crosse And sith Dauid so earnestly prayed not to be left into the hands of his bodily oppressors what shall we doe against our soules oppressors Satan seekes continually to spoile vs of that sparke of spirituall life which God hath put into vs. It is a searfull iudgement where God leaues men to his tyrannie let vs pray for mercy against it VER 122. Answer for thy seruant in that thing which is good and let not the proud oppresse me AMong many crosses wherewith Dauid was exercised the strise of tongues is not one of the least they did persecute him with lies and calumnies scoffers and belly-gods made a by-word of him in their meetings and flattering Courtiers belied him vnto Saul This was not a small crosse Molesta enimres calumnia etiamsi magnum afferat praemium against it Dauid makes his refuge to God Answer for thy seruant His meaning is Lord thou kno west how iniustly I am calumniate and euill spoken of in many parts where I am not nor may not answere for my selfe Lorde answere thou for me And his petition imports not onely a crauing of helpe from God but that God would take his part and ioyne himselfe with his righteous cause And so it is indeede the Lord is partaker with his children in their innocent sufferings and their cause is his cause Blessed are ye when ye are railed vpon for righteousnesse sake c. For the spirit of grace and glorie rests in you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part is glorified This might serue for a warning to wicked men if any wisedom were in them they should be loath to meddle with the children of God for if so they will they meddle with a stronger partie then they are aware of Againe it is to be considered that hee craues protection onely in his good and honest cause It is not for vs to call for the Lords assistance to all our willes and workes Hee is the righteous Iudge of the world and neyther will nor can do vnrighteously To commenda wrong cause to his protection is to prouoke him to hasten our punishment And on the other hand albeit our cause were neuer so righteous yet we must not think to bear it out with our owne strength and wisedome It falles out oft-times that men fall downe and faint through feeblenesse euen in a good cause because they giue not to God his glory In their lawfull affairs they prosper not because they take counsel but not from me saith the Lord They commit not their way to God as Dauid exhorts neyther cast they their burden vpon the Lord as Peter commaunds them but sacrifice to their own net think to cōpasse their affaires by their own wi◅ Sure it is the Lord is then most carefull of vs when we cast our greatest care vpon him For thy seruant Customably King Dauid delights in this stile to call himselfe Gods seruant learning vs also to count this our greatest honor to be the seruants of the great and euer-liuing God for we are not our owne as saith the Apostle We are bought with a price But here is our sin such as are vndervs whether they be bought or hired seruants wee thinke they should serue vs and are offended if they doe not but are not so carefull to doe seruice to
so cleerely that in regard of time they might haue been teachers of others yet are they but children in knowledge and vnderstanding But to whom doth the word giue vnderstanding Dauid saith to the simple not to such as are high minded or double in heart or wise in their owne eyes who will examine the mysteries of godlines by the quicknes of naturall reason No to such as deny themselues as captiue their naturall vnderstanding and like humble disciples submit themselues not to aske but to heare not to reason but to belieue And if for this cause Naturalists who want this humility cannot profit by the word what maruaile that Papists far lesse become wise by it who haue their hearts so full of preiudices concerning it that they spare not to vtter blasphemies against it calling it not onely vnprofitable but pernitious to the simple and to the idiots And againe where they charge it with difficultie that simple men and idiots should not bee suffered to read it because it is obscure all these friuolous allegations of men are annulled by this one testimony of God that it giues light to the simple Eos qui ignorantia tenentur infantibus similes sunt intellectu replet lex tua that is Euen to such ignorants who are like infants saith Basill non solum viris sed mente intellectu paruulis it giues not onely light to men but to such as in vnderstanding are children To this purpose notable is that saying of Irenaeus Vniuersae scripturae et propheticae euangelicae in aperto et sine ambiguitate et ab omnibus audiri possunt The whole scriptures both prophetical and euangelicall are open plaine not doubtfull but such as may be heard of all men And to this purpose saith Lactantius Num igitur deus mentis linguae vocis artifex disertè loqui non potest Imò verò summa prouidentia carere fuco voluit ea quae diuina sunt vt omnes intelligerent quae ipse omnibus loquebatur Shall wee thinke that God who is the creator of the minde the tongue and voice cannot speake distinctly himselfe No truly by great prouidence he hath propounded his word in so plaine a manner that all sorts of men may vnderstand that which he speakes vnto all Many other witnesses might be brought to this same purpose but I cease VER 123. I opened my mouth and panted because I loued thy Commandements BY this manner of speech Dauid expresses as Basile thinks Animi propensionem that the inclination of his soule was after Gods word For this opened mouth Ambrose thinks is Os interioris hominis the mouth of the inward man which in effect is his heart and the speech notes Vehementem animi intensionem a vehement intension of his spirit saith Euthymius yet shall it not be amisse to consider heere how the minde of the godly earnestly affected moues the body also The speech may be drawne from trauellers who being very desirous to attaine to their proposed ends enforce their strength thervnto and finding a weakenes in their body to answere their will they pant open their mouth seeking refreshment from the aire to renew their strength or as Vatablus thinks from men exceeding hungry and thirstie who open their mouth as if they would draw in the whole aire and then pant and sigh within themselues when they finde no full refreshment by it So he expresseth it Tanto desiderio legum tuarum flagrat cor meuÌ„ vt subinde cogar haurire aerem propter assâ—…dua suspiria How-euer it be it lets vs see how the hearing reading or meditating of Gods word wakened in Dauid a most earnest affection to haue the light ioy grace and comfort thereof communicated to his owne heart For in the godly knowledge of good increaseth desires and it cannot be expressed how vehemently their soules long to feele that power and comfort which they know is in the word and how sore they are grieued and troubled when they finde it not And happy were wee if we could meete the Lord with this like affection that when hee opens his mouth wee could also open our heart to heare as Dauid heere doth Christus aperit os vt daret alijs spiritum Dauid aperuit vt acciperet Opening his heart to receiue the spirit of grace when God openeth his mouth in his word to giue it For it is his promise to vs all Open thy mouth wide and I shall fill it let vs turne it into a prayer that the Lord who opened the heart of â—…dia would open our heart to receiue grace when he offers by his word to giue it VER 132. Look vpon me and be merciful to me as thou vsest to do vnto those that loue thy name FRom praises Dauid now turns him to praier In our best estate we are farre from that which we should be our perfection in this life stands in the acknowledging of our imperfection Euen when the godly speake any thing to God out of a good conscience concerning their vpright affection toward him at that same time priuie to the conscience of their wants they take them to prayer and seek mercy Looke vpon me This prayer is vsed by the godlie in two respects first when they are vnrighteously iudged of men and charged with that whereof they are not guilty in this case they desire that God would look vpon them For sure it is vnlesse the conscience be sleeping no man dare present an euill cause to the eye of God but rather as Adam hid himselfe after his transgression so men whose consciences are euill flie the sight of God and dare not desire him to look vpon them And againe when they are vnder spirituall desertion and in their sense the countenance of God is turned from them whose fauour is better then life which after the manner of men turning their face from such as they are angry withall they take vp to be an argument of displeasure in this case also they pray that the Lord would looke vpon them that is as he expounds himselfe be fauourable and mercifull to them And be mercifull This is very well subioyned for God looks to some in his displeasure so hee looked to the Egyptians and vnloosed the pinnes of their chariots that they could not driue so he looked to Sodome and rained downe fire and brimstone vpon them The eyes of the Lord said Amos are vpon the sinfull kingdome to destroy it Dauid knew this and therefore desires the Lord so to looke on him as to be mercivnto him As thou vsest These words containe in effect a reason from Gods constant kindnes toward all his children Lord doe to me as thou hast vsed to doe to others that loue thee Orâ—… vt aequali cum illis sententia potiar The examples of Gods mercie are not only registred for our comfort but for our confirmation Wherein we
not for siluer it is but rust nor for gold it is but metall nor for possessions it is but earth Ista oratio ad deum non peruenit such prayer ascends not to God Non audit deus nisi quod dignum est eius beneficijs Hee is a great God and esteemes himselfe dishonoured when great things with a great affection are not sought from him Heare me and I will keep Of this petition and promise see verse 8. 33. 44. 88. 134. 146. VER 146. I called vpon thee saue me and I will keepe thy testimonies HE insists in his former petition expounding euery part of it He protested before hee cryed with his whole heart now he declares to whom hee cryed Prayer is a point of seruice due vnto God Only he craued before that God would hear him now he shewes wherein Saue mee and thirdly hee renewes his promise and the repetition thereof tells vs that the promises of thankfulnes in Gods children are no sodaine nor vanishing motions but settled conclusions And againe it teacheth vs that as Gods children are carefull to seeke from God that which they neede so are they carefull to giue vnto him that which he requires to witte praise and obedience Otherway where men seek benefits froÌ„ God the fruit whereof they minde not to return vnto him either they get not that which they seeke or if they doe they get in his displeasure as Israell got quailes If we would so seeke that we may obtaine let vs not seek that we may bestow vpon our owne lustes which S. Iames reproues but that we may aduance his glory VER 147. I preuented the morning light and cryed for I waiteden thy word HE amplifies yet further the first reason for which he desires the Lord to heare him taken from his earnest feruency in prayer and it is written for our instruction to learne vs continuance in praier It is required by precept Luke 21. Watch and pray continually and againe 1. Thes. 5. Pray continually For example also at midnight morning and at noone tide did Dauid pray yea seuen times in the day all the night long did our Sauiour pray Non precationis indigens auxilio sed statuens tibi imitationis exemplum not standing himselfe in neede of the help of prayer but setting down to thee an example of prayer for imitation Ille pro te rogans pernoctabat vt tu disceres quomodo pro te rogares when he praied for thee he prayed all the night long that thou also mightst learn how to pray for thy selfe Qui rogat itaque semper roget sinon semper precatur paratum semper habeat precantis affectum He therfore that praies let him pray alway or if he do not alway pray let him alwaies haue ready the affection of prayer But the manner of speech is to be marked hee saith he preuented the morning watch Thereby declaring that he liued as it were in a strife with time carefull that it should not ouerunne him He knew that time postes away and in running-by weareth man to dust and ashes But Dauid preassed to get before it by doing some good in it before that it should spurre away from him And this care which Dauid had of euerie day alas how may it make them ashamed who haue no care of their whole life He was afraide to lose a day they take no thought to lose moneths and yeares without doing good in them yea hauing spent the three ages of their life in vanity and licentiousnes scarse will they consecrate their old and decrepit age to the Lord. I waited on thy word See verse 43. 81. VER 148. Mine eyes preuent the night watch to meditate in thy word HIS former purpose is yet continued declaring his indefatigable perseueraÌ„ce in prayer Oh that we could learne at him to vse our time wel At euening he lay down with praiers and teares at midnight hee rose to giue thanks he got vp before the morning light to call on the Lord. This is to imitate the life of Angels who euer are delighted to beholde the face of God singing alwaie a new song without wearying This is to beginne our heauen vpon earth oh that we could alway remember it An nescis ô homo quòd primitias tui cordis ac vocis quotidie Deo deboas Knowst thou not O man that thou owest euery day the first fruits of thy heart and tongue to the Lord our God Shouldst thou thinke of any thing before that first thou remember him in the morning or should thy tongue speake of any thing before the first fruits of thy speech be offered vnto him by prayer and praysing of his holy name But alas the coldnesse of this age in worshipping the Lord in praising him who is most worthy to be praysed is here greatly conuinced no time of the night will they spend in prayer yea in the day time they had rather doe any thing then be exercised in prayer and praysing snorâ—…ing and sleeping in the very time of diuine seruice when others beside them are intertayning fellowship with God by the exercise of the word and prayer If oftentimes they whose lippes are praysing him haue their hearts farre from him how farre is thy heart from him who canst not do so much as with thy lips to praise him when thou shouldst O man wilt thou remember that no time shall render thee comfort in the houre of death but that which thou hast spent in the seruice of thy God And if thou canst not consecrate all thy dayes and euery houre of the day vnto the Lord yet why wilt thou not diuide thy time rightly that where thou giuest one houre to the world and the affaires thereof why wilt thou not giue another to the Lord the works of his worship In this point the Lord make vs more wise giue vs grace to redeeme the time To mediate in thy word See ver 15. 23. 27. 48. 78. 99. 148. VER 149. Heare my voice according to thy louing kindnesse O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgement THis is a petition frequently vsed by all the children of God That he would hear them and not without great cause for the heauy heart is eased and disburdened by praier and it brings a present mitigation of their troubles when they feele in effect that God hears them Beside that it renders vnto them vnspeakable comfort for the time to come it confirmes them against the feare of death and makes them with boldnesse to goe out of the body that they may be with the Lord because by manifold experience they did finde in the body that God heard them and gaue them comfortable accesse to his Throne of grace According to thy louing kindnesse This is the great and maine argument whereby all Gods children moue the Lord to compassion namely his own fauour and louing kindnesse Semper homo etiam
men knew this or could apprehend it they would not redeeme the pleasures of sinne so deerely as for them to defraude their ownesoules of saluation despising against themselues the counsell of God And this Oracle of God should confirme vs against all these tentations which arise vnto vs by looking to the prosperity peace and worldly pompe of the wicked What is the glory of their outward state to be regarded so long as this fearfull sentence lies vpon them that the saluation of God is farre from them This sustained the Apostle S. Paul when he saw the great pompe of Agrippa he would not for all that exchange estates with him he wished not to be like vnto Agrippa but rather that hee had beene such as he was Because they seeke not thy Statutes Heere is noted the cause of all their misery namely the contempt of Gods word they did not so much as seeke the Lords Statutes An argument they esteemed nothing of it for who will seeke that whereof they account not or who will despise that which they esteeme pretious and necessary to them This is much more then if he had only said They transgresse thy Statutes The children of God may be guilty of the one transgression for in many things we sinne all And if any man say he sinnes not he is a lâ—…ar and the truth is not in him but they are farre from the other to dis-esteeme of Gods word and cast off all care to seeke it VER 156. Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgements NOw Dauid turns his consideration from wicked men vnto himselfe acknowledging that he was no better by nature then they but that Gods his mercy had made a difference between him and them where there was none by nature And therefore prayes he that the work of Gods mercy may be continued with him to quicken him and giue him life that he defile not his conscience by dead workes as they doe nor yet haue fellowship with them in their vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse but that being quickned by God he may liue the life of God from which he saw them to be strangers Thus we see that how-euer the godly exercise somtime their consideration about other things yet in the end they returne still to themselues What-euer they heare or see or speake of others they enter into their owne hearts and edifie themselues by it if they looke to such as are godly they are confirmed to follow themâ—… if they looke to the manners of wicked men they are affraid of their owne weakenesse runne to Gods mercy praysing him who hath preserued them from the like impiety and praying also for grace to keep them that their harts incline not to walk with them Thus of euery thing they reape some profit to themselues but naturall men look so to things which are without them that they enter not into their owne hearts to edifie themselues by that which they heare or see in others Againe the manner of the children of God in their prayers is to flie alway to Gods mercy it is of mercy that they begin well of mercy that they continue well of mercy that they looke for any good at the hands of God let them leane to merits who will we wil depend vpon mercy Are we able to giue vnto God himselfe Are we able to requite his benefites which we haue gotten Quis potest debitum referre naturae debitum salutis gratiae Can any man requite him for benefits of nature which we haue receiued farre lesse for benefites of grace saluation these are debts which wee are neuer able to pay Where then are thy merits Quis nostrûm sine diuina potest miseratione subsistere Who among vs all can subsist without diuine miseration Quid possumus dignuÌ„ facere praemijs coelestibus Or what can we do worthy of a heauenly reward Let vs therfore learnat Dauid to send vp our requests Non secundum merita nostra sed misericordiam Dei not according to our merits but his mercies Two Epithets he ascribes to Gods mercies first he cals them great and then he cals them tender mercies They are great in many respects for coÌ„tinuance they endure sor euer for largenes they reach vnto the heauens are higher then they yea they are aboue all the workes of God And this is for the comfort of poore sinners whose sinnes are many and great let them not despaire his mercies are greater and moe for sith they are greater then all his works how much more greater then thou and all thy sinsull workes All the Nations of the earth are but like the droppe of a bucket or as a graine of sand compared with his Maiestie what art thou then that thou shouldst magnifie thy deedes aboue his rich mercie as if thy sinnes were so great that his mercie could not compasse them Onely doe not abuse his mercy neyther turne thou his grace into wantonnesse but if thou vnfeinedly repent then doe thou also stedfastly beleeue that thy sinnes were they neuer so great shall easily be swallowed vp by his infinite mercies As the Ocean when it flowes couers sands and rockes and all that they are not seene so where the floud of Gods compassions breaks out how easily doth it ouerflow and couer all thy transgressions This is the meditation of the Apostle that where before he had beene many manner of wayes sinfull and ignorant a blasphemer an oppressor a persecuter yet the grace of our Lord had beene exceeding abundant toward him where sinne had abounded grace had superabounded to ouer flow and couer it And in this he stands for an example to all that will beleeue that they should neuer distrust Gods great mercies for the greatnesse of their sinnes The other Epithet he giues them is That they are tender mercies because the Lord is easie to be intreated for he is slowe vnto wrath but ready to shew mercy S. Iames saith that the wisdom which is from aboue is gentle peaceable easie to be intreated If his grace in his children make them gentle and easie to be intreated what shall we thinke of him selfe Sith he will haue such pitie in vs poore creatures that seauenty times seauen times in the day hee will haue vs to forgiue the offences of our brethren O what pitie compassion abounds in himselfe Thus we see our comfort is increased that as his mercies are great so are they tender easily obtained where they are earnestly craued Quicken me Dauid found the life of grace in himselfe continually hindred impugned yea oft-times sore weakened by the power of his corrupt nature and therefore the more frequent is he in this petition that God would quicken him VER 157. My persecuters and my oppressors are many yet doe I not swerue from thy testimonies A New protestation of his constancy vnder affliction that albeit
right and iustice at their hands Against these they runne to the Lord appeale to his Tribunall and hee receiues their clamours griefes and wrongs into his bosome And sometime they complaine vpon themselues eyther for want of grace which faine they would haue or else for abundance of euiil which faine they would want as we see in the Apostle Miserable man who will deliuer me from this body of sinne Dauid here tels not what his complaint was but vnto one of these three it may be referred Giue me vnderstanding according to thy Word Hee seekes vnderstanding not simply for the wisedome of the flesh is death and the children of this world are wiser in their owne generation then the children of light But he seekes vnderstanding according to Gods word without this the wit of man is foolishnes and the more subtill he seemes to be in his wayes the more deepely involues he himselfe in the snare of the Diuell They haue reiected thy word and what wisedome can be in them But sith he was an excellent Prophet and protested before hee had more vnderstanding then the auncient yea then his Teachers how is it that still he prayes for vnderstanding There is a great difference betweene the gifts of nature and grace Nature oft-times giues to men very excellent gifts as rare memory knowledge quicke wit strength externall beauty but therewithall it teacheth not man to consider his wants wherof it cometh to passe that he waxeth proude of that which he hath This is a common thing to men in the state of nature that of small gifts they conceiue a great pride but grace as it giues vnto man more excellent gifts then nature can affoord so it teacheth him to looke vnto that which he wants that he be not puft vp by considering that which he hath but forgetting it is carried in all humility of his heart to pray for that which he wants VER 170. Let my supplication come before thee and deliuer me according to thy promise WEe should marke the graces wherwith Dauid seasons all his prayers that our prayer beeing like vnto his wee may finde fauour with God as he did First his prayer flowed from faith and was grounded vpon Gods promises If any man pray saith Saint Iames Let him aske in faith otherwise his motions and words are but like the rauing and instable waues of the sea Next hee prayed with feruencie as his frequent repetition declares The praier of a righteous man auailes much if it be feruent Thirdly he praied with humble acknowledgement of his owne vnrighteousnes and vnworthines esteeming it a great fauour if the Lord let his supplication come before him and last hee concludes them with some solemne promise of thankfulnes these make our prayers sauorie and sweet-smelling to the Lord our God That wee may the more earnestlie bee stirred vp vnto this dutie let vs consider how by this grace of prayer a man vpon earth is made a great courtier with God in heauen They are much esteemed vpon earth who haue accesse to the eares of Kings when they like but this is a farre greater benefit That if we will wee may by prayer haue accesse to the king of Kings to request both for our selues and for others also The contrary euill is a fearefull curse when God turnes the prayer of a man into sinne Hee prayeth with Moab and preuailes not How comfortlesse and confused was the estate of miserable Saul who in his neede prayed to God and got no answere We shewed before what are the euils which debarre a man from this comfort onelie now let those that seeke mercy from God beware they deny not mercy to others when they seeke it and they may shew it See wee not how that rich glutton who shewed no mercy to Lazarus got no mercy himselfe what then shall becom of those who are robbers and oppressors of others If he was reiected qui non dedit sua Who gaue not his owne what shall become of them qui rapiunt aliena who robbe from other men that which is theirs With what measure yee mete vnto others with that same shall it bee measured to you againe VER 171. My lippes shall speake praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes AFter his petitions he subioynes promises of thankfulnesse There are some who seeke from God but offer no promise or if they promise they performe not these are louers of themselues not of God So their necesities bee fulfilled they care not what become of his glory and therefore either they seeke and get not or if they get it is not for their good for what good can be to them who seek that they may haue to satisfie their own lusts and not how to doe seruice to their God Let vs second our praier with promises promises with performance if we would haue them effectuall Dauid was a man of honour preferred to the Kingdome of Israel yet he was not onely an example to others but a ringleader also for so he protests that he ledde the people in great multitudes to the house of God with such ioyfull affection as if he had beene going to a feast They who haue receiued most from God are most bound to honour him but now it is farre otherwise For great men for the most part thinke it not seemely for them to open their mouth and praise God they giue that seruice ouer to cōmon people and therefore many a time God turnes their honor into shame for he hath said I wil honour them that honour me and by the contrary There are some giue their lippes to the Lord and not their heart C◅rsed be the man that hath a male in his flock and vowes and sacrifices a corrupt thing to the Lord. Others notwithstanding they can reade and sing will not doe so much as with the mouth praise the Lord but good Dauid sometime stirres vp his soule to praise God sometime encourages his tongue yea cals vpon all that is within him to praise the Lorde And is it not good reason that all which we haue receiued from the Lord should be imployed to serue him Nam et oculos et os et auditum propterea posuit in nobis deus vt omnia ipsi membra seruirent et quae ipsius sunt audiremus quae ipsius loqueremur For this cause hath the Lord our GOD giuen vs both a mouth and eyes and eares That all of them should serue him ◅hat vvith our eares wee should heare his word and with our mouth wee should speake his praises and with our eies we should beholde his glorious works VER 172. My tongue shall intreate of thy word for all thy commandements are righteous THe other duty of thankfulnes promised by Dauid is To intreat of Gods words for the edification of others Euerie Christian man as he is a priest to offer sacrifice vnto God so is
hee a prophet to teach his brethren for vnto vs all stands that commandement Edifie one another in the most holy faith But alas yee shall see many Christians now who at their Tables and in their Companies can speak liberally of any subiect onely for spirituall matters which concerne the soule there they are dumbe and cannot say with Dauid My tongue shall intreate of thy word For al thy commandements are righteous The reason why among men hee will intreate of the word of God Because they are all righteous and so most forcible to reform the vnrighteousnes of men Non possunt homines reduci ad vitae reformationem nisi per verbum tuum there can be nothing among men but confusion in manners corruption in religion where the word of God is not reuerenced as a rule to the which the actions of men should be squared VER 173. Let thine hand helpe mee for I haue chosen thy precepts DAuid hauing made promises of thankfulnes seeks now help from God that hee may performe them Our sufficiency is not of our selues but of his furniture to will and to doe are of him In temporall things men oftentimes take great paines with small profit first because they seeke not to make their conscience good next because they craue not the helpe of Gods hand therefore they speede no better then Peter who fished all night and got nothing till he cast in his net in the name of the Lord. But in spirituall things wee may farre lesse looke to prosper if wee call not for the Lord his helping hand the meanes will not profit vs vnlesse Gods blessing accompany them and his hand-worke with them Paul may plant Apollo may water but God must giue the increase The Law was giuen by Moses grace comes by Iesus Christ. This is the cause why in this age few grow in grace notwithstanding they haue the meanes of grace in most plentifull manner because the hand of God is not sought to worke with the meanes There is preaching but for the most part without profit there is prayer but it preuailes not there is hearing of the word but without edifying Balme enough in Gilead and there is the Physitian also euen the great Physitian of our soules among vs yet is not the health of people recouered And all because in spirituall exercises instant prayer is not made vnto God that his hand may be with vs to helpe vs. VER 174. I haue longed for thy saluation O Lord and thy law is my delight IN this verse is a twofolde protestation first of the great desire he had of Gods saluation next of his delight in the law of God But how is this he longed for saluation was hee not euen now partaker of it doth he not glorie Psal. 27. that God was his light and saluation Both are true that hee had it and yet he longed for it We must distinguish betweene the beginnings and the perfection of our saluation the beginning we haue now by belieuing Gods promises whereupon wee haue receiued the Earnest of his spirit the perfection wee shall haue when all his promises shall be fully accomplished vnto vs. Therefore S. Peter cals it a saluation prepared to be shewed in the last time Wee see then the disposition of Gods children toward this saluation to be such that howsoeuer they haue comfort in the beginnings thereof yet no contentment This is expressed in holy scripture by the words of seeking waiting sighing panting braying hungring thirsting longing by all which a vehement desire of promised saluation is noted to them This condemnes both worldlings who haue set the desire of their soul vpon the perishing trash of the earth counting that their treasure which the spirituall man accounts to be but doung as also cold professors who pretend an hope of eternall life but long not for it Non desiderat patriam peregrinatio sine lacryma He that liues in his pilgrimage without teares declares that he hath no desire of his country Non satis futura gaudia nosti nisi renuat consolari anima tua donec veniant Thou knowest not well the ioyes to come if thy soule loath not these that are present and long for those that are promised To such terrible is that warning of our Lord Woe bee to you that are full for ye shall hunger And thy law is my delight In this other protestation Dauid shewes what it was that vpheld him in this time of delay of Gods promised saluation to weet the comfort of Gods word this is like Manna to Israell in the wildernes which ceased so soone as they entred into Canaan but sustained them in the iourney So shall the exercises of the word cease when we shall come to our heauenly Canaan in the meane time so long as wee are in the way let vs comfort our selues with it Againe wee see how Dauid alway conioynes these two saluation and the word of God This is to be marked for contemners of Gods word who liue as if God were to saue them by miracles and not by his owne ordinary meanes appointed in his Church They looke to bee saued and yet will not reuerence the word but they shall be deceiued VER 175. Lette my soule liue and it shall praise thee and thy iudgements shall helpe mee SOme expound this to bee a petition for the prolongation of his naturall life that he may liue and praise God This I knowe is lawfull to seeke and for it he prayeth Psal. 90. Oh spare a little that I may recouer my strength before I goe and be not But here I thinke Dauid stretches his affection toward that spirituall life which now in Gods children is the beginning of life euerlasting when the soule quickened by spirit of God is able to walke with God For as the bodily life is discerned by actions competent vnto it so the spirituall life is knowne by actions competēt to it Also where there is grace to pray and thanksgiuing with ioy delighting in Gods word and obedience giuen thereunto these are vndoubted arguments of a spirituall life But it is a pitie to see how many are liuing concerning their bodies lusty and strong who are but dead carrying a dead soule in a liuing body strangers from the life of GOD painted sepulchers pleasant without full of rottenness within hauing a soule which can no more pray nor praise the Lord then a dead body which can neither heare nor speake vnto men And it shall praise thee Much throughout this Psalme and in all the rest doth Dauid esteem of this exercise of praising GOD sometime hee prayeth for it as a grace sometime he promiseth it as a dutie sometime hee practiseth it in himselfe and sometime hee prouokes others vnto it The Lord so parts the fruite of all his benefits that he giues vs the profit reseruing no more but the praise vnto himselfe and the more praise
can say to another I need thee not Speech taken from good men for two causes Iob 12. 1 For punishment of their people 2 For correction of themselues The ioy gotten by Gods word surmounts all worldly ioy whatsoeuer Basil. Ambrose In a miserable estate are they to whom Gods word is a wearinesse Sathans baits â—…e pleasure or profit but we should not be moued with any of them and why Amb. 1. Cor. 1. It is not the hearing or reading of Gods word that will worke vs ioy if we practise it not ☞ Basil. Of the vexation and vanity of worldly riches Ambros. in Luc. cap. 16. They flie farthest from vs when we haue most need of comforts A threefold internall action of the soule about the word ☜ How a godly man is euer fruitfull in good The necessity and vtility of meditation The minde of man is restlesse and vexes it selfe with euill if it be not exercised with good Gods word should be the matter of our meditation August Marcellinâ—… Iob 22. The word is Gods way because by it God commeth to vs and we go to him The more good a godly man doth the more he desires to do The graces of the Spirit are linked together lose one lose all keepe one keep all ☞ Our best estate vpon earth is that we haue not that which we should and yet want not altogether The strength of a Christian is in his prayer The greatest benefit men receiue from God is grace to obey him Constantine the great his notable saying It is more to be a Christian then a Monarch of the world So Dauid reioyceth more in this that he was Gods seruant then king of Israel Sith Angels serue him shal we think shame to serue him Naturall life makes a reprobate man in a worse case then if he had neuer been But to an elect man euen naturall life is a great benefit This life without grace is but a death Num. 19. Math. 8. Eph. 5. Miserable are they who desire to liue for loue of the pleasures of sin A worthy meditation of Nazianzen Satan by experience is found a false deceiuer How blind maÌ„ is by nature ☜ Our regeneratioÌ„ is wrought by degrees Ambrose If we be ignorant of the word the blame is in our darke mind not in it Vatab. 2. Cor. 3. 14. Why many learned men attaine not to the knowledge of the truth ☞ Basil. Illumination of the mind is Gods worke Psal. 104. Luk 24. 2. Cor. 3. 16. Euery Article of our faith â—…s a wonderful mysterie Man on earth is a stranger knowes not the way hee should walk till God shewes it vnto him Ambrose Worldlingâ—… shal not continue on earth yet cannot say they are strangers in it And that because in affection they be content with this desire not a better Phil. Reuel 8. Psal. 17. Worldlings â—…e inhabitants of the earth Christians are â—…ut strangers in it Basil. Luke The whole earth is but a place of banishment Nazian in vita Basil. A man euen in his owne house should esteeme himselfe a straÌ„ger This world can neither wil nor teach men a way to go out of her selfe we must seeke a guide froÌ„ heauen ☞ The right knowledge of the ten Commandements Two things required in true obedience Both the word and the plagues of God are called his iudgments how Such as are not moued by the first shall be confounded by the second A hart full of spirituall desires is an argument of great grace Ambr. Ambrose Comfort against coÌ„tempt of men wherby they scorne the godly for sighing and teares The begunne wrath of God on them shold confirme vs against their contempt But many wax worse with Lamech when they see euill men spared Gene. 4. 24. Few become better with Dauid when they see them punished Eccles. Wicked men coÌ„monly styled proud men and why Proud Satan hath made disciples prouder then himselfe Esay 14. Ambr. The miserable condition of a proud man Iam. ☞ Ambrose Euery error is dangerous but proud error accursed Sinnes of pride and of infirmitie should be distinguished Curse of God on the wicked is like a secret consumption Dauid his appellation to God from the wrongful iudgments of men How Dauid iustifies himselfe before God and man A triall of true religion A hard tentation to be troubled by men of great authority for two causes 1. For their power Prou. Rom. 13. 2. 〈◊〉 place Psalm Princes godly and râ—…us are a great blessing of God Great cause haue we to be thankfull for the King hee hath set ouer vs. Psalm christians measure not the veritie of religion by the number or greatnes of them that are with it or against it Such as persecure the godlie with their tongues will not faile to loose their hands against them if they may Where we find that God binds their hands we should beare their tongues the more patiently ☜ Ierem. 12. Armour of godly men is the word and prayer Ambrose ☞ The word renders vs both counsell for gouernment pleasure for delectation Comfort gotten by other recreations continues not ☜ No wisedome without the word The word of God is conuenient for euery state of life Dauid sore troubled with a spirituall oppression Tentations of the godly somtimes cannot be told sometimes it is not expedient they should be told In a worldling the very heauenly part is becom earthly Ambrose The contrary disposition of Christians Ambr. Cant. 4. 4. The royall towre of christ is a soule moâ—â—ting vp to heauen Change of estates wherevnto the godly are subiect ☞ Godly men by 〈◊〉 waÌ„ts falls infirmities become more godly The life of a ChristiaÌ„ wherin stands it It is great faith to belieuâ—… when there is no feeling of mercie Dauids argument to moue the Lord vnto mercie Where God begins to shew mercy he ceaâ—… not tâ—…ll hee crowne with â—…cie Mans liberality is but like a Strand Gods like the great Ocean Happy is the soule wherein mercy truth meet together An euill conscience hides it self from God Esa. What a great benefit it is to manifest our wayes to God in time Ambrose Sathan confounded when we confesse our sinnes ☞ A profitable rule to make vs liue godly Basil. After confession he ioynes prayer for amendment Ambros. See ver 12. Remission and renouation are two inseparable benefits ☜ We haue great need to pray for further light We can walke the wayes of sinne without a teacher not so the wayes of God Miserable is man so long as his way and Gods way are different Good things should be sought from God for good ends Iam 4. The works of God are all maruellous The godly sore humbled by affliction A Christian is eyther looking to his owne necessities or to God his mercies Naturall comforts cannot sustaine a man iâ—… spirituall troubles 1. Pet. 1. Luk. 6. Christians should not thinke that their tentations are singular 1. Cor. 10. Christs crosse is such a burden is easeth them on whoÌ„
God shineth in the worke of creation Iob. 38. Earth founded without a fouÌ„dation Creation as a mother Prouidence a nurse conseruing things created ☞ Out of the wholsom word profane men like wasps gather poyson 2. Pet. 3. 4. All creatures froÌ„ the Angel to the worme serue the Lord of Hosts Psalm Gene. 6. Sith other creatures are vpholdeÌ„ by his word much more the Christian. Comfort which is not from Gods word brings two great euills The word hath comfort for euery estate of life An answer to worldlings who say they find no delight in Gods word ☜ Men fruitful in godlinesse by affliction made more fruitfull Iohn 15. ☞ None coÌ„temne Gods word but such as haue gotten no benefit by it Basile in Psal. 119. It is not the Word that quickens but God by his Word Sith man is carefull to keep that which is his owne shall we thinke that God loues not those who are his owne Euery man câ—…n not say to the Lord I am â—…hine Basil. in Ps. 119 Rom. 6. 16. Ambrose Yea rather men now are so profane that euery kinde of siâ—…ne may say vnto them Thou art mine ☞ Cent. How the Lord acknowledges not profane men to be his How Satan challenged Iudas as his owâ—… ☜ How Dauid proues that he was Gods man A great miracle that the sheepe of Christ are preserued in the midst of rauening Wolues Psal. 124. The vanitie instabilitie of all earthly pleasures ☜ Iudg. 16. Esay 14. 1â—… Psalm 1. A cleere declaration of the vanitie of this life Chrys. in Math. hom 24. ☞ The word of God is called large because the comfort therof indures Euthy in Psalm 119. WheÌ„ all world ly comforts fai'e Many speake that by custome which in conscience they dare not present vnto God A great grace to speak to God froÌ„ an vpright hart ☞ God craues nothing of man but loue 1. Tim. 1. Ambr. in Psal. 119. We are inexcusable if wee giue it not How loue to God may be tryed The nature of loue it cannot lurk but will tell where it is Means to grow in grace are meditation prayer thanksgiuing conference ☞ Dauid coÌ„pares himselfe with three sorts of men his enemies his teachers and the ancient Not to commend himselfe but the word of God Worldlings in what respect they are called wise Time will try whether they or the godly be more wise Godly men tel what they are but not of presumption Nazian He is not meet to be a teacher of Christians who is not a disciple of Christ. Ambr. lib. 1. off cap. 1. Macar hâ—… 16. ☞ That God giues more grace by an instrument then the instrument hath proues that hee is the dispenser of graoe ☜ Sith the wicked glory to make others more wicked shal we grudge that others by vs are made more learned godly then our selues How youth old age are to be considered A warning to aged men To resist sinne not to want sin is our greatest perfection on earth Amb. in Psalm 119. He can resist no sinne who resists not all sinne ☜ Euery sin receiued within vs opens the dore to another Our naturall inabilitie to good They onely learne who are taught of God God when he teaches speaks to the heart Euthym. The causes why many now profit not by hearing of the word ☜ A Christian apprehends good offered in the word not with one but all his leâ—…ses Sith Gods promises are sweet how sweet will their performance be 1. Cor. 2. 9. Two great benefits Dauid got by the word Lukewarme professors of this age convinced The word of God compared to a Lanterne Euthym. in Psal. 119. 1 Because it sheweth light in darkenesse 2 We shall set it by when we come home Reuel 22. 5. The light of the Gospell is clearer then the light of the Lawe 2. Pet. 1. 19. As the Sun is necessary for the day so the light of the word to direct our way Ambr. in Psal. 119. Ambrose Our waies are in darknesse without the word As Israels course in the wildernes was directed by the Lord so should ours be As a maÌ„ lights one light at another so should we light our minds at the word ☞ Dauids resolution confirmed by an oath A godly oath a necessary helpe of our great weaknes Ambr. in Psal. 119. The obiection of a weak conscience concerning an oath Why we should not cease to coÌ„firme our good purposes by an oath albeit we be weake in performing ☞ Gods word why called his iudgement How familiar the godly are in declaring their griefes to the Lord. Afflictions no arguments of hatred Amb. in Psalm 119. Heb. 12. By the contrary impunitie libertie to sin is an argumeÌ„t of Gods anger Hosea 2. The state of the godly in trouble after trouble to be distinguished Hebr. 12. Two great motiues to patience in trouble Vatab. It is a great sauour that the Lord accepts any thing from vs and that in three respects 1. If we consider who the Lord is Psalme 16. 2. If we consider who our selues are 3. If wee consider what our oblation 〈◊〉 1. Chron. 29. No gift so smal if it come from a good hart but God accepts it A reproofe of them vvho praise not God with their lips And of theÌ„ also who offer seruice of their words not of their harts vnto him Mich. 6. 7. The godly maÌ„ hath his life alway ready in his hand to offer to the Lord. ☜ It is far otherwise with the wicked Three things concurre in wickednes Which are not in the godly Constancie of Christians Excellencie of Gods word aboue all other things Phil. 3. 8. It is the sure Charter of our heauenly inheritance The contempt of Gods word reproued ☜ Seeing mans hart is not in his owne hand how saith Dauid he had applied his hart How a man after grace receiued works his own saluation Basil. in Psalm 119. The godly fail in performaÌ„ce not in purpose ☞ Beginnings of good are nothing without perseuerance Greg. moral In trouble mans comfort consists in one of these two 1. A by-gon good life 2. Or else a present vnfained repentance Three things in sinne to be escliued 1. The occasioÌ„ 2. The beginning of it ☜ 3. The perfection Iam. 1. 15. Men grow more skilfull in sinning then they were before In most desperate dangers God comes with vnlooked for deliuerences Why our hearts should be diuded from wicked men Psal. 50. Euery mans company tels what he is Wicked company for borne for two causes 1. Because they offend God Psal. 1 39. 2. For feare they hurt vs. How euery company warnes vs to walke circumspectly Vatab. Wicked company not meet for godly men and why He that knows God to be his God by no meanes can be 〈◊〉 from him ☜ A Christian hath nothing wherein he reioyceth as in his owne but the Lord. Psal. 73. 26. Prayer strengthens all our good intentions A two-fold instability incident to godly men 1. One of faith ☞ 2.