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
our aduersary that seeks to snare vs by the transgression of them is diligent in tempting For he goes about night and day seeking to deuoure vs next because we our selues are weake and infirme by the greater diligence haue we need to take heed to our selues thirdly because of the great losse we sustaine by euery vantage Sathan gets ouer vs. For we finde by experience that as a wound is sooner made then ◅ is healed so guiltines of conscience is easily contracted but not so easily done away VER 5. O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy Statutes IN the former verse Dauid hath meditated vpon the commandement of God Now the fruit of his meditation is ye see a prayer vnto God wherein he wishes that all his actions were answerable to the commandements of God this is customable vnto the godly to answere all the precepts of God by prayers what he commaunds them to doe they seeke from himselfe grace to doe it My wayes In this Psalme sometime ye see mention is made of Gods wayes as Vers. 3. and sometime of man his wayes as Vers. 5. It is well with man when his wayes and Gods wayes are all one for if man haue another way then the way of God of necessity his end must be miserable God is the fountaine of life he that walks not with God abides in death God is the father of light he that will goe from him shall goe to blacknes of darknes yea to vtter darknes where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth Loe all they that withdraw themselues from thee shall perish therefore will we resolue with Dauid It is good for me to draw neere vnto the Lord. Dauid knowing that naturally man is diuided from God and hath a way of his own which will not faile to lead him vnto a miserable end he wisheth from his heart to be vnited with the Lord that Gods will were his will and Gods way were his way This is a worke aboue the power of nature and therfore he humbly prayes that God would worke it Dignoscens quod ex seipso nihil possit efficere nisi Dei ope gratia adiutus fuerit humbly acknowledging that in the framing of his waies to Gods will of himselfe he was able to do nothing without the help of grace We are not of our selues able to thinke a good thought our sufficiency is of God neither is it in him that wils nor in him that runnes but in God that shewes mercie VER 6. Then should I not be confounded when I haue respect vnto all thy commandements SInne hath many euill fruites it offends God and grieues his Spirit it hurts thy neighbour for by it thou temptst some and infectst others but the sosest wound it giues to thy selfe for it brings vpon thee shame confusion and in the end eternall death For sinne when it is finished brings out death Thy owne wickednes shall reproue thee and thou shalt knowe that it is an euill thing a bitter that thou hast for saken the Lord thy God How were Ad◅m and Euah consounded after their fall how ran they away from the Lord in whom they delighted before How lurked they among the b◅shes thinking shame of thēselues they sought to couer their nakednes Praeuaricationis enim fructus est cōfusio If we think to pluck better fruit from the tree of sinne we doe but deceiue our selues It standeth true in all which the Apostle spake of the Romans When ye were the seruants of sin yee were freed frō righteousnes what fruite had yee then of those things wherof yee are now ashamed The end of these things is death If therefore vvee thinke euill to be confounded with shame let vs bevvare we be not perverted by sinne Respect to all thy Commandements Wee must not make a diuision at our owne hand of the commaundements of GOD making a shew to keepe some and taking libertie to transgresse others as Naaman did who resolued that hee vvould offer no sacrifice vnto any other God saue onely to the Lord onely this he reserued that he would bow with his Master the King of Assur to the Idole Rimmon Like him are many now vvho professe they will serue the Lord but still reserue an Idole of their owne to the which their heart enclines so answer the Lord with halfe obedience like the Eccho which makes not a perfit respondence of the voice of men but of some part thereof But the commaundements of GOD are so vnited among themselues that hee who failes in one point of the law is guiltie of all and therfore to euery one of them should we giue obedience wherin if wee cannot doe what wee should yet at least should we haue a respect a purpose and a care so to do hauing a begun obedience to them all not exempting our selues frō any And this for them who thinke all is well if they be not adulterers when in the meane time they are idolaters and so forth of the rest VER 7. I will praise thee with an vpright heart vvhen I shall learne the iudgements of thy righteousnes IN this verse wee haue a prayer for further knowledge together with a protestation of Dauid his thankfull affection for it Thankfulnes is a dutie wherein we are all obliged to the Lord. It is a good thing for vpright men to praise thee Lord. It is good first in regard of the equitie of it Sith the Lord giues vs good things shal not we giue him praises againe especially seeing the Lord is content so to part all his works between his Maiestie and vs that the good of them be ours the glorie of them be his owne When we haue taken good things from him why shall we defraude him of his part that is glory by thanksgiuing Surely the earth vvhich renders increase to them that labour it the oxe that knowes his owner and euery beast in their kind that bowes to the hand of him who giues it meat shal condemne vnthankfull man who receiues dailie from the Lord but neuer returnes praises vnvnto him Secondly it is good to praise the Lord in regard of himselfe who is the obiect of our prayses Sith he is the treasure of all good the author of all blessings it cannot be but a good and blessed thing to blesse him Thirdly it is good in respect of our associates companions in this exercise the Angels Cherubins and Seraphins delight continually in his praises Our elder brethren that glorious congregation of the first borne are described vnto vs falling downe on their faces casting their crownes at the feet of the Lord to giue him the glory of their redemption Now seeing wee pray that the will of God may be done in earth as it is in heauen why doe we not delight in these exercises of praising God by which we haue fellowship with them who are glorified in heauen Lastly
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
presumption vsurped to be equal with GOD Similis ero altissimo like vnto the most high Cum sit ne quissimus peiores tamen discipulos erudiuit He himselfe is a Prince of spirituall wickednesse yet hath he trained vp disciples more vvicked then himselfe such as That man of sinne who as if it were little to be equall with GOD extolls himselfe aboue GOD. And like him are many blinded captiues of Satan vvho in the pride of their heart doe all they can to subiect the Lord his throne his will to their wicked and corrupt will These are fooles and of all fooles the greatest they set themselues as parties against the Lord for he resists the proud not considering that he is stronger then they they cannot stand before him The Lord is the most high GOD but it is not height makes a man stand before him None so sure to stand in his sight as they who are humble and little in their own eyes to them he giues grace Humilis non habet vnde cadat where it is the iust recompence of the proud that because they vsurpe to be before all others the Lord puts them behind all casts them down to the lowest roome for mounting to the highest A notable example heereof we haue in that Pharisee who was not so farre before the Publican in his ovvne estimation as he was behind him in the account of Christ who iudgeth of things according as they are O quantum crimen superbiae vt ei etiam adulteria praeferantur Cursed are they which doe erre from thy commaundements Heere first we haue to see hovv these words must be vnderstood Saith not Dauid of himselfe that he wandred like a lost sheepe Saith he not also of others Who knowes the errors of his life How then doth he pronounce them cursed which erre from the commandements of God The answer is easily made if we conioyne his words together The proud which erre are cursed Heere then we must put a difference between sinnes of pride and of infirmitie he that of rebellion and pride departs from Gods comman dements not so he that sinnes of weaknesse in whom euery sin committed increaseth a griefe for sinne a hatred of sinne and a care to vvithstand it for these there is no condemnation These are not vnder the law but vnder grace Mercie alwaies waits on them as a refreshing medicine to restore them when of infirmitie they fall But as for the wicked who sinne are proud and impenitent in their sinnes the curse of God is vpon them though it be not seene at the first Like a Moth or secret cōsumption it eates them vp it shall deuoure their substance shal quickly turne their glory and prosperitie into shame and confusion VER 22. Remoue from mee shame contempt for I haue kept thy testimonies DAuid beeing a young man liued godlie in the Court of Saul and for godlinesse was mocked and disdained of others For so the blind world counts religion a matter of mockerie which in the estimation of Gods Spirit is man his greatest gaine and glory But from time they saw that Saul the King was displeased with Dauid then did all his flatterers speake against Dauid doing what they could to sley his honest name with calumnies and slaunders And hee borne downe with the iniquitie of time commits his cause to the Lord beseeching him who knew his conscience to cleere his innocencie Which he also did for the shame and contempt which they thought to bring vpon Dauid God poured it vpon themselues For I haue kept thy testimonies Sometime Dauid iustifies himselfe in regard of men And if at any time he reioyce in his vprightnesse before God it is not a boasting of his owne perfection but rather a comforting of himselfe from the honestie of his affection VER 23. Princes also did sit and speake against mee but thy seruaunt did meditate in thy statutes THese two last verses of this section containe two protestations of Dauid his honest affection to the word The first is that albeit he was persecuted and euil spoken of and that by great honorable men of the world such as Saul and Abner and Achitophel yet did hee still meditate in the statutes of God It is a hard tentation when the godly are troubled by any wicked men but much harder when they are troubled by men of honor authoritie And that first by reason of their place the greater power they haue the greater perill to encounter with their displeasure therefore said Salomon The wrath of a King is the messenger of death Next because Authorities and Powers are ordained by God not for the terror of the good but of the euill And therefore it is no smal griefe to the godly when they find them abused to a contrary end that where a Ruler should bee to good men like raine to the fields new mowen on the contrary hee becomes a fauourer of euill men and a persecuter of the good Then iustice is turned into wormwood that vvhich should bring comfort to such as feare God is abused to oppresse them And therefore it should be accounted a great benefit of God when he giues a people good and religious rulers The Christians in the Primitiue Church being sore troubled by the bloody persecutions of Nero and Domitian thought it a great benefit vnto them when vnder Nerua the persecution was relented Albeit he did not professe Christ with them yet he did not persecute them What then should we account of such a King as is not onely a protector of the Church but a professor himselfe so farre from persecuting Christian religion that for professing of it many times hath his Maiestie been persecuted to the death but blessed be the Lord who hath giuē many glorious deliuerances to his annointed Alway we learn here to arme our selues against the like tentation if at any time it shall please the Lord to try vs with it It was an argument the Pharisees vsed against our Lord Doth any of the Rulers belieue in him The Apostle confirmes vs against it Brethren yee see your calling Not many wise men not many noble hath God chosen c. We must not haue our faith in respect of persons nor measure religion by the authoritie of men that are with it or against it but resolue with Iosua Albeit all the vvorld should forsake the Lord yet vvee vvill worship him No Number no Greatnes of men can take out of the harts of such as are truly godly the loue of God and of his truth And speak In externall actions the first weapon wherby the wicked fight against the godly is their tongue Where Satan looseth their tongues to speak euill against vs we may be sure if hee be not restrained he will also loose their hands to do euill And where otherwise it falls out that wee are
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
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
are loued of the Godly 356. Prosperity of the Wicked not to be regarded 346. The Wicked commonly stiled Proude men 59. 175. 195. Proude Satan hath made Disciples prouder then himselfe 60. A Proude mans punishment shame which he shuns most 195. Prouidence against the time of trouble commended 264 Purposes and protestations to be seconded with prayers 24. Purpose in vs perisheth if God prosper it not 146 Purpose of prayer must remaine though performance often fayleth 157. 252 R THE Reason of our Petitions must sometimes be drawne from God sometimes from our selues Page 170. Rebukes of God to be feared of man not 104 That is a Refreshing Recreation to the Godly which is a tedious wearinesse to the Wicked 130. Regard good wherin man looketh into his owne necessities and looketh vp to Gods mercies 78 Regeneration wrought by degrees 51. A tryall of true Religion 63. Truth of Religion not to bee measured by the number or greatnesse of those that oppose it 64. One tryall of Men truely Religious 109. Religion is the more loued by the good the more it is hated by the badde 288. How God is said to Remember 120. We that desire God to Remember his promises made to vs must Remember our promises made to him ibid. Remission and Renouation two inseparable graces 75. Repentance delayed dangerous and damnable 152. A godly Resolution is the beginning of a godly life 24. Reuerence in prayer 146. Worldly Riches full of vanity and vexation 42. 183. Ignorance of Gods Righteousnesse maketh men murmure 190. S A Man worketh his Saluation after grace receiued Pa. 252. Saluation and Gods worde are ioyned together 346. 392. 398. Satans two armes violence and lies 177. Satan an vnreasonable insatitiable vsurping Tyrant 305. Seeking of God sheweth he was lost 12. Intention required in Seeking ibid. Sixe conditions in Seeking 13. The spirituall man apprehendeth good with all his Senses 238. To bee Gods Seruant is more honour then to bee a King 48. 167. 276. Gods Seruant proued by two badges 281. The Seruice of God must bee cheerefull 89. The great Shepheards fauour towarde his vvandring sheepe 397 Godly Singing and teares 58. Simple men vnderstand Gods word 298. Sinceritie in Prayer 147. Sinnes whence they proceede 17. Sins euill fruits and effects 20. Sinne aggrauated in that it is a forsaking of GODs Lawe 129. Sinne punished heere sheweth there is a Iudge and Sinne spared sheweth there is a Iudgement to come 160. To resist Sin is our greatest perfection 235 Sinne vnresisted and receiued weakneth our spirituall strength 236. In Sinne three things to be es◅hewed the occasion the beginning the perfection 255 In Sinne men growe more Skilfull euerie daie then other ibid. Sinne is a departing from God 267. 339 By any one Sinne a man may be damnably captiued 291. Sinne maketh a man a silly Creature 307 Sleepe the dewe of Nature 158. The Soule not satisfied in this life 35. The Soules three-folde action about the word 43. The Soule liueth by mercy as the Body by meate 198. To Speake of God common to all To Speake to God is proper to Gods 137 Speech why sometimes taken away from the faithfull 39. Manie Speeches vsed by custome but not with Conscience 228. Gods Statutes and Testimonies must bee learned together 283. Christians confesse themselues to bee Strangers heere 54 The Strangers guide must bee God 56. Two Suters whereof the one seeketh vs for our Weale the other for our Wreck 97. T THE subiect of our Talking should bee GODs Word Pag. 117. No Teaching vnless God Teach 36. 281. Prayer vnto God to be ioyned to the Teaching of men 37. Dauid a Teacher desireth Teaching ibid. 91. Teachers to learne first 39. GOD continuing a Teacher wee shall continue his Seruants 92. God Teacheth by precepts and presidents 135. Teares with GOD beter then Talke 295. Temporizers in Religion are Samaritan Professors 321. Tentations of the Godly sometimes cannot and sometimes are not to be tolde 69. Tentations ouercome by remembring time to come 128. True Godlines endureth great Tentations 155. Thankefulnes commended for foure causes 22. It must be from the Heart 25. Declared in Obedience 113. In tongue in affection in action 116. Time to be taken while it is present 154. It is a pretious Iewell 157. Dauids st◅ife with the Time 331. The Royall Tower of Christ is a soule ascending to heauen 70 Trouble mitigated by Prayer 334. Trouble a Tryall of true Religion 351. V VErtues of Gods seruants to be marked Page 3 The Vertuous loue those Uertues in others which either they haue or would haue 188. Vnderstanding is the Soules Taster 169. W OVr seruice is farre inferiour to the Wages which God giueth Page 280. All men Wanderers from God 394. Wants waken the Godly and make them wiser 71 Wayes of Learning 1 Mans life a Way 7 A Godly mans life called Gods Way 16. 19. 45. The Waies of God want a Teacher The Wayes of Sinne neede none 76. The Law of God is the Way of Truth in three respects 82. The straight Way hath but one path the broad Way many 96. Our Wayes neede alwayes redresse 151. They are darknes without the word 249. Sinnes of Weaknes and of Wickednes differ much 250. The first Weapon of the Wicked against the Godly is their tong 65 The Wicked are insatiable in Crueltie 207. Wickedmen why so called 250. The fall of the Wicked is Gods worke 268. The Wicked Gods Rods. 306. The Wicked authors of their owne Wrack 345 Their miserable estate 376. No Wisedom without the Word 383. Gods Word why called a Testimony 10. 97. 269. 316. Why his Iudgement 86. 244. Kept in mind affectiō actiō 11 Keepers of Gods Word are kept by it 15. 35. Gods Word a glass wherein may be seen Gods image ours 27. As no Word without letters so no good without this Word 28. It is needfull to all especially to young and why ibid. It is to be vsed to our Consolation and our Edification 112. God will a way make good his Word 113. 160. 320. Gods Word vnwelcom to Kings vvhy 117. It is comfortable 125. It is the life of our soule 126. It is the light 297 Conuenient for euery estate of life 130. The truth thereof shal be found of the wicked in iudgement of the righteous and beleeuers in mercy 168. The authority thereof from God the Ministery frō man 183. The eternitie and equity thereof 212. 324. It is not only controuerted but contradicted in earth not so in heauen Therefore looke vp 214. Thereout the Godly and the Wicked gather Contraries 217. Contemned onely by such as get no benefit by it 220. It is the tryall of Wisedom 231. Two great benefits thereof Vnderstanding in the mind Sanctification of the Affections 239. It is the sure Charter of our heauenly inheritance 251. Gods Word called iust for two respects 290. It is Gods Oracle to be enquired at 316. It is a staffe to sustaine vs in trouble 339.
yet enuy and rage when he sees the children of Adam restored to the possession of any spirituall graces and therefore Dauid like a wise man Abscondit illas in animo suo ne eas per inanem gloriam aut incuriam animarum depraedatores furentur This one example may condemne the folly of worldlings the smallest jewell they haue yea the Charter of their smallest possessions they can hide well enough and lay it vp sure from them who would defraude them of it but as for the promises of God which are the Charters of our heauenly inheritance they neglect them altogether For alas how many be there who affirm in word that heauenly inheritance to be theirs who if they be examined vpon their warrants cannot bring out of the treasure of their heart so much as one promise of God whereby it is made sure vnto them That I might not sinne Among many excellent vertues of the word of GOD this is one that if we keepe it in our heart it keepes vs from sinne which is against God and against ourselues We may marke it by experience that the word is first stollen eyther out of the minde of man and the remembrance of it is away or at least out of the affection of man so that the reuerence of it is gone before that a man can be drawne to the committing of a sinne So long as Euah kept by faith the word of the Lord she resisted Sathan but from the time she doubted of that which God made most certaine by his word incontinent she was snared VER 12. Blessed art thou O Lorde teach me thy Statutes THE soule of a man truely godly when he commeth to seeke God findes in himselfe so manifolde wants and in the Lord so plentifull mercies that he can neuer be satiate with seeking till he be filled and therefore is it that hauing sought much yea and gotten much yet he seekes more as through all this Psalme we may see Dauid can make no end of prayer and this may make vs ashamed of our cold faint and feeble prayers This Verse containes a prayer with a reason of the prayer The prayer is Teach me thy Statutes the reason mouing him to seeke this ariseth of a consideration of that infinite good which is in GOD. He is a blessed GOD the Fountaine of all felicitie without whom no welfare nor happinesse can bee to the creature And for this cause Dauid earnestly desiring to be in fellowship and communion with GOD which hee knowes none can attaine vnto vnlesse he be taught of GOD to know Gods way and walke in it therefore I say prayeth he the more earnestly that the Lord would teach him his Statutes Oh that we also could wisely consider this that our felicity stands in a fellowshippe with GOD. This meditation would weaken or diminish in vs those vnquiet and fruitlesse cares wee haue to enioy the creature for alas man seekes the creatures as if his life and happinesse stood in them but is negligent in the seeking of the Lord and all because he knowes not that his blessednesse stands in a communion with the blessed God Teach mee Dauid wanted not Prophets such as Nathan and Gad and Leuits his ordinary Doctors to teach him but he knew all these were nothing vnless he were taught of God Man his teaching if there be no more cannot remedy the ignorance of the minde farre lesse the corruption of the heart Pauls planting Apollo his watering is nothing if God worke not the increase and therefore Dauid so vses the one as knowing it could not profit without the other Hac à Domino quaerit discere quae homines docere non poterant If this were practised now to ioyne prayer with hearing that when wee offer our selues to be taught of men we would there with send vp prayer to God before preaching in time of preaching and after preaching we would soone proue more learned and religious then we are Againe Dauid was a Prophet himselfe and a man of great knowledge and yet often craues he that God would teach him more Farre was he from the presumption of this age which procures the perdition of many with whom if ye speake concerning their knowledge ye shal heare nothing but that they know their God their dutie their conscience and all they will seeme ignorant of nothing though indeed they doe nothing aright When they heare so excellent a Prophet so desirous of further knowledge and so desirous to be taught let them be ashamed to boast of their knowledge Vaemiserae huic generationi cui sufficere videtur sua insufficientia VER 13. With my lips haue I declared all the iudgements of thy mouth HEere is a protestation of the thankefull vse he had made of the benefits of God already receiued he had tolde vnto others what God had done to his soule he had not kept close God his louing kindnes And truly this is a strong reason to backe our prayers vnto God when we dare say out of a good conscience that the benefits which we haue receiued already we haue vsed them to the glory of him who gaue them But here it may be demaunded seeing the Psalmist sayes that the iudgements of God are as a great deep and the Apostle sayes that they are vnsearchable How saith he now that he hath declared all the iudgements of God To this we answer Non impugnat se velut contrarijs Scriptura venerabilis and therfore we must here make a distinction Sunt iudicia occulta quae Deus â—…obis non patesecit iudicia oris quae annuntiauit per os Prophetarum loquutus est there are secret iudgements and these Dauid leaues to the Lord there are againe the iudgements of his mouth which God hath declared and reuealed himselfe by the mouth of his seruants the Prophets And of these Dauid speakes here I haue declared all the iudgements of thy mouth So then here Dauid protests that what the Lord taught him he also taught others Some will teach who themselues are not taught of God these are in the Church non Conchae sed Canales Others what they haue learned of God declare not vnto others these are guilty of hiding of the Talent they haue receiued from the Lord. With my lips The tongue is a most excellent member of the body being well vsed to the glory of God and edification of others and yet it cannot pronounce without helpe of the lippes The Lord hath made the bodie of man with such maruellous wisedome that no member in it can say to another I haue no neede of thee but such is man his dulnesse that he obserues not how stedable vnto him the smallest member in the body is till it be taken from him If our lips were clasped for a time and our tongue enclosed we would esteeme it a great mercy to haue it
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