The Broken Heart OR DAVIDS PENANCE Fully exprest in holy Meditations upon the 51 PSALME BY That late Reverend Pastor SAM PAGE Doctour in Divinity and Vicar of Deptford Strond in the Countie of Kent Published since his death BY NATHANAEL SNAPE of Grayes Inne Esquire LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper 1637. TO THE HONORABLE Sir ROBERT AYTON Principall Secretary to the Queenes most excellent Majestie and Master of Saint Katherines neere the Tower of LONDON Sir MY intentions had fastened the patronage of this Booke upon that pious and Right Honorable Gentleman Sir Iulius Caesar your predecessour in the Mastership of St Katherines whose dedication of himselfe to that great Master and maker of the world renders you the Successour of his place and my service Therefore and because all that know you rightly speak you to be a friend to Learning and Philagathus in abstracto a true Religion Lover I thought fit to present these devouâ— Meditations to your judicious acceptation These royall Penitentials deduced and exemplified unto us from the sacred person of a King conclude all persons and degrees from an exemption in the practise And the command of that excellent duty is more especially incumbent on us in these particular times of humiliation when that formidable pestilentiall sword hath so smitten us and hangs still so perpendicularly over our heads The profit of Repentance it removes our sinne in reatu poena it blunts that weapons point whose thirst is sooner quencht with â—ear then bloud and it preferreth the miserable delinquent from the shamefull Barre to the most glorious Bench. Let the Reverend Authors pen declare his worth and let the worke commend it selfe to the world Onely Sir be you pleased to give it countenance and protection which I am confident will improve it to a more generall and publique approbation and make it the more redundant in the Churches benefit Health honour and Heaven at last I wish you from the heart of Your humble Servant N. S. MEDITATIONS upon the 51. PSALME VERSE I. Have mercie upon me O God according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions IN this Psalme David is 1. For himself ad fin v. 17. 2. Then for the Church 18. 19. In the first part 1. He is all crying God mercie and supplication v 1 2. 2. Confession of sinnes 3 4 5 6. 3. Supplication against 7. ad fin 17. 1. In the first consider 1. What ailes him where is his griefe his transgressions his iniquitie his sinne 2. What remedie loving kindnesse multitude of tender mercies 3. What effect of these to blot out to wash throughly and cleanse away all this uncleannesse 3. What he ailes He varieth the phrase and calleth his disease transgressions Arias Mont. rendreth it praevaricationes to our sence For the Law setteth us bounds thus farre we may go and no further every sinne is a transgression an over-reaching of our bounds Peshang signifieth the same to forsake the commandment and it answereth Gods challenge of him by Nathan Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord Vers 2. He calleth his griefe his iniquities these also are against the Law which S. Paâ—l calleth holy and just He calleth it sinne which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is privatio legis This shewethus the danger of all our sinnes They put us out of the way for our way is the way of Gods commandments all other are called false wayes It is Uia legis the way of the Law which guideth our thoughts words and actions It is Via veritatis the way of truth which guideth our understandings and judgements It is via pacis the way of peace which guideth our heart and the affections thereof Sinne putteth us out of all these wayes Into those false wayes which David doth utterly abhorre Yet he is fallen into them by a strong temptation It is our wisedome to know and consider the nature of sinne that every sinne is transgression of Gods Law So Joseph answered his wanton Mistresse How shall I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God And now David hath bethought him he saith to Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. We must not think that any of our sinnes do hurt God or take from him any thing to empaire him For when we live in his obedience we give him occasion to exercise his holinesse in our sanctification his goodnesse in our conservation his bounty in donation of all good to us But if we transgresse he exerciseth his wisedome in his detection of us his holinesse in abhorring of us his justice in punishing of us So that the going out of our way which he hath set us in his Law is the hinderance of our owne journey and the danger of our own souls and bodies It is our great blindnesse of judgement and hardnesse of heart that we should delight in sinne against the Law of God The Law of God is an undefiled law The Law is holy and the commandment holy just and good This was ordained of God to be a bridle to restraine sinne yet our corruption hath made it a spurre to provoke and put on sinne So the Apostle found it For sinne that it might appeare sinne working death in us by that which is good that sinne by the commandment might be exceeding sinfull For corrupt nature is impatient of restraint and no fruit seemes so faire to the eye or taste so sweet to the palate as the forbidden fruit doth Every man above all things in the world affecteth his own will and desireth libertie to do what seemeth good in his own eyes The Law doth restrain us of this and it is 1. Holy in directing us a way wherein we may wâ—lk in all pleasing to God 2. Iust in declaring the danger of going astray from it 3. Good in rewarding our obedience for godlinesse hath the promises of this life c. David hath professed great love to this Law great delight in it all his Psalmes over He hath confessed great benefits received from it yet here he confesseth transgression and iniquitie and sinne he hath not kept this Law and hath sinned against God Now we see in this example how heavy sinne is when the conscience groweth sensible of it Nothing so pleasant as our sinne for the time but Citò praeterit quod delectat It soone passes away which delighteth now David gronesunder the burthen of it he hath the whole weight of the law upon him for it and he hath found that he hath walked contrary to God We have great use of this recollection of ourselues 1. We have need of God every moment for his help and comfort and counsell So long as our sinnes are upon our conscience unrepented unpardoned we cannot pray to God for any favour 2. We cannot give thanks as our prayers are turned into sinne if we regard wickednesse in our hearts for God heareth not sinners 1.
that sinned are not capable of it The Angels that stand in their first estate never came to miserie and they stand by the providence and love of God But sinfull man maketh God called mercifull and he putteth him to his multitude of tender compassions This is the rock of our refuge our strong Citie of refuge against the pursuer it is our hiding place In nothing doth God comfort us more Therefore be ye merciful with this sicut Sicut pater vester coelestis as your heavenly Father There is nothing that flattereth sinne more and that giveth it growth and vegetation amongst us then the overweening of this mercie Every wicked man can say God hath multitude of tender compassions and his mercies are more then my sinnes it is true But what interest such a one may have in those mercies he little considereth For with the Lord is mercie that he may be feared and that a sinner may apply himself not to continue in his finne presuming upon it but for sake it beleeving it for he that confesseth and for saketh his sinne shall have this mercie Let us therefore begin with David at Confitebor contra me I will confesse against my self and say Peccavi contra Dominum I have sinned against the Lord with a conscience of our sinnes and a sense both of the pollution of them within our selues and of the provocation of Gods due displeasure against us for them Then it will be in season to call for mercie But if we over-weene our own integritie as some justiciaries do Sani non egent medico the whole need no Physitian or if we sinne on in confidence of mercy at last We shall finde that God sitteth in his throne and judgeth uprightly and that the ungodly shall not stand in judgement nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous For the Lord knoweth the way of the just but the way of the ungodly shall perish 3. What effect he desireth of these mercies This is varied in phrase for he is passionate and exceeding earnest with God and plieth him with strong cries and supplications 1. To blot out his transgressions 2. To wash him throughly 3. To cleanse him 1. The blotting out of his transgressions hath reference to the books of God wherein all our transgressions are recorded 1. The book of Gods remembrance 2. The book of our conscience 1. The book of Gods remembrance God is a Seer and there is nothing hid from his eye and he doth consider the sonnes of men his eyes are upon all his wayes There is not a thought in our hearts but he knoweth it long before we our selues know it As he seeth so he remembreth and that we call his book of accounts wherein he recordeth all that is said done or thought that he may judge us according to all that is registred in that book whether it be good or evill He is said to blot us out of that book when our true repentance and his free pardon hath removed our iniquity from us Two Doctrines arise from hence 1. One of terrour all our sinnes are booked and kept upon record 2. Another of comfort they may be blotted out thence 1. Doctr. Knowing the terrour of the Lord we must be wariehow we sinne against him for though we love sinne he hateth it He is a God that loveth not wickednesse neither shall any evill dwell with him Though we sleight sinne and passe it over gainsomely and pleasantly yet he taketh it to heart and recordeth it that he may be able to set all our sinnes in order before us when time comes This is a black book and it will be a fearfull and shamefull thing to behold all our sinnes inventoried together All our idle words vain lascivious malitious false slanderous speeches all our loose thoughts all our vast and unlawfull desires all our ungodly works done all the good duties omitted all the evils we would have done all the imaginations of the thoughts of our hearts are not all these things written in his book We may conceive it by this David hath the honourable memory of walking in all the wayes of God alwayes save onely in the matter of Uriah the Hittite That matter is recorded in this living book of holy Scripture so are many of the infirmities of his holy ones chiefly for terrour of his children that they might feare to sinne against him who keepeth so exact a score of all our transgressions These are called debts and God our creditour keeps his debt-book very perfect The Steward in the parable called his Masters debtors they could tell every man what he owed but who knoweth how often he hath offended We have no hope to pay these debts and therefore we desire mercy to blot them out of the book And if we look back upon the transgressions of our whole life we shall see need not onely of the loving kindnesse of the Lord but of the multitude of his tenderest compassions 2. Another book is the book of our Conscience this also keepeth a record against us It was called of old our inwit for though our appetite and witbe so corrupt that the deceivable lusts of the flesh do often transport us to Gods offence yet our understanding and reason and memorie informe our conscience of our sinnes and that booketh them This book is not so exactly kept as the other because 1. Many sinnes passe us which we are not aware of 2. Many thoughts words and works escape us which we think to be no sinnes our consciences not being rightly informed 3. Many sinnes our memory doth not retein which should give in evidence to our conscience against us 4. The conscience it self may be corrupted benummed seared and so many foule deeds may escape unrecorded Yet for all this if we had no other book opened against us to convince us of sinne but this This alone would call us guilty and expose us to wrath David sueth to have his transgressions blotted out of both these books For if the tender mercies of God should blot his book and the book of our conscience remaine against us we should live upon the rack in a perpetuall torture our spirit wounded within us It is well observed of Cardinall Bellarmine Sciebat David ex actione peccati relinqui in animâ— reatum mortis aeternae David knew that by the acting of sinne in his soul was left the guilt deserving eternall death You may discerne the convulsions and strong cramps of the soul for sinne in David There is no rest in my bones because of my sinne So long as we live in sinne we feele not the pain of it David for ten moneths found no great need of these mercies of God For a sinner during his impenitencie is as a man besides himself but reversus ad se returning to himself then he bethinketh in what case he stands before God Demersus in profundo drowned in the deep the Sea above him seems not heavy Elementa in loco non
delight and expiate it at short warning But such pardons were not afoot in Davids time he confesseth to Nathan and undergoeth a sore penance after Nathan had absolved him Good use might be made of this in the Church If a true Penitent revealing his wounded conscience to some learned and godly Physitian of his soul and declaring his true griefe did establish his repentant heart with the comfort of the Word and receive the benefit of Gods gracious pardon in the way of Gods holy ordinance In businesses of our estate we may heare wise men speak out of experience and reading and observation but it is safest to trust such whose profession and practise in the laws may give us more full satisfaction in all our doubts In diseases of the body reading experience and observation may accommodate men unprofessed to speak rationally and to advise wisely but health is a deare commoditie they do most safely that consult the learned studied and practised Physitian he is the likeliest to direct for our good In the occasions of the soul although many great Scholars have profited to ability to informe the judgement in the truth to convince errour to instruct and comfort yet seeing God hath ordained some in his Church to do this ex officio and hath sent them to teach to baptise to commend the prayers of the Church to him to absolve penitents our using of their ministery in these things is strengthened with warrant and in this case Nathans absolution is as good as on Angels 2 We finde David confessing here to God his wickednesse Nathan hath used all the good and discreet wayes that may be to bring David to a sight and sense of his sinne 1 He shewed him his sinne in a parable borrowing another person to represent to him his sinne 2 He shewed it in the commemoration of Gods manifold favours to him which cannot but shew that God had better deserved of him then to be answered with transgression of his commandments For he might plead Do you thus unkindly requite my love 2 He came to the point and opened his wounds and shewed him the rottennesse and stench of them in an hoc fecisti Thus hast thou done and I held my peace all this while 3 He revealeth to him the purpose of God for his correction by a severe punishment of his faults divers wayes as you have heard This made him cry God mercie and crave aid of Gods tender compassions to wash him For I acknowledge my wickednesse Which teacheth That true repentance ariseth from a knowing and beginneth at confessing our sinne They pray but faintly and weakly for mercy to wash them that do not well discerne and confesse their wickednesse The woman of Canaan that came to Christ for her daughter cries loud for his help the disciples cannot still her Blinde Bartimeus runnes hard and cryes lowd for his sight The woman with the issue of bloud pressed through the crowd as neare as she could to Christ to touch the hemme of his vesture David sometimes cryed till his throat was hoarse Moses prayed till his hands fell All that feele need of help from God and know it no where else to be had will ply him heartily and give him no rest So forceable is the knowledge of our sinnes to put us upon God in importunate eâ—â—lagitations of mercy Such know that there is no state here on earth so unhappy as the state of a sinner Let us never hope for peace in our conscience or favour with God till we come to see and confesse our wickednesse Oh that there were such an heart of piety and holy zeale as to search and try our own wayes and to detect our own sinnes as we have hearts of malice and curiousitie to dive into the transgressions of others I would we could discerne our own beams as clearly as we see the motes in our brothers eye I acknowledge my wickednesse I search no further Let me now turn your eyes upon your own hearts and put you to the search of them to the bottome that you may confesse your wickednesse to God betweene you and him alone For wounds must be searched before they can be cured And then shall you be prepared to heare the story of Christs bitter passions that he susteined for you which shall shortly be recounted to you out of the Gospell by appointment of the Church There you shall see the loving kindnes of God and the multitude of his tender compassions you shal see what need your wounds had of his stripes what need your voluptuous lives had of his dolorous throws and pangs what need your crown of pride had of his crown of thornes what need your crying sinnes had of his strong prayers and supplications what need your deserved curse had of his undeserved crosse If all tears were wiped from our eyes for our selves and that our mouthes were filled with laughter and our tongues with joy yet if we did consider in what liquour we were washt the precious bloud of a Lambe without spot Pilates Ecce homo Behold the man shewing us our Redeemer newly come from his cruell whipping his pretious body the glory of humanity ploughed up with scourges into deep furrows to save our skinnes whole Uox sanguinis the voyce of bloud speaking better things then the bloud of Abel crying for our purification and his dying plea even for his enemies Father forgive them for they know not what they do These and a thousand more considerable passages in his dolorous passion were enough to turn all our harps into mourning and all our organs into the voice of them that weep to make our heads fountains of tears to melt us into passion to distill us into spirit of compassion for him that payed so deare for our souls Sic Deus dilexit mundum misit filium suum dedit unigenitum as August dedit unicum ut non esset unicus So God loved the world He sent his Sonne He gave his onely begotten Sonne He gave his onely Sonne that he might not be his onely Sonne And in the manner of giving Non pepercit filio suo he spared not his sonne he layd upon him the iniquitie of us all Will you finde the cause of all this the roote of bitternesse the gall and wormwood that made his potion so corroding Search your heart for sinne and wash the bloudy wounds of your Redeemer in a bath of compassionate tears your own putrified soars in a bath of penitentiall tears And as Israel brought forth Achan and put him in sight who had trespassed in the accursed thing so let our confession put our transgressions in sight saying with David I acknowledge my wickednesse And with Achan I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel and thus and thus have I done That which undoes Religion and destroyes the fear and service of God and hindereth our repentance and evacuateth all our acts of piety that which maketh the word to us a dead
what danger to both We can never repent heartily till we come to this and we are very loath to come to it Now David seeth his sinne clearly the whole sinne the motives the means the acts the colours and conveyances there all coram me before me Coram populo before the people shame to him Coram Ecclesia before the Church griefe to them Coram inimâ—cis before the enemies joy to them Coram Deo before God anger against him Coram Nathane before Nathan a chiding But if any hope of repentance and amendment it is in Peccatum meum coram me my sinne before me Here is the distresse of a sinner he never discerneth how unhaphie he is till his sinne is before him Excused be the masks of sinne pleasure is the sweetning of sinne secrecie is the night of sinne Remove all these and let thy sinne appeare naked and stript of this shelter Mulier formosa supernè turpiter atrum desinet The fairest womans face Foule nether parts disgrace How quickly could David see his own sinne in another person in the parable of Nathan It was ten moneths before his own sinne was before himself We are very blinde to behold our own faults yet we are most beholding to them that help our weak sight and cleare our eyes that way It was the wish of a well-minded heathen man that he might ever dwell either by a true friend or some very malitious and spightfull enemy because either love or malice would ever tel him his own and he should be sure to know his faults Christ What say men that I am we must use all the meanes we can to search our wounds that they may be healed To know our disease ut curetur it is S. Gregor note upon this Text Ascendat tribunal mentis suae constituat se ante se Videat foeditatem suam at corrigat ne nolens videat erubescat Let him ascend the tribunall of his minde and place himself before himself let him see his foulnesse to correct it lest against his will he see it and be ashamed at it Some put all their vertues before themselves as the Pharisee he gave not himself an ill word in his confession I am not like other men I fast I pay tithes I give almes I pray c. The poore Publicane could not see any good Corn within his field it was so over-grown with tares Lord be mercifull to me the sinner Great persons have so much the more danger from sinne because they have so many flatterers to keep their vertues ever in their sight or to lay vertues to their charge that they have no right too And so few Nathans to shew them their sinnes and to say Tueshomo thou art the man How can they repent when their sinne is yet behinde their backs and no body dares put it in sight Or if it come in sight there may be foâ—nd law to make it good Sinnes when they are grown to have countenance of authority and strength of custome to establish them are no longer sinnes Leges fiant they are made laws And time cals that a sinne now which anon is a singular vertue But let us call sinnes and vertues by their proper names and let them be in our sight and we shall begge the grace of repentance very heartily 5 Sempe alwayes Sinne is sweet in the mouth Job speaks of hiding it under the tongue but in the stomacke it is unwholsome and upbraiding David found it so when once it came before him it was ever in his sight as before he said There is no rest in my bones propter pâ—ccatum by reason of my sinne Sometimes he thought how he had sinned against Vriah a faithfull servant in defiling his bed in betraying his life sometimes how he sinned against his own â—oul and body in defiling it with the flesh Sometimes how he had sinned against Joab to make him an instrument of injury against Vriah to defile him also with innocent bloud Sometimes how he abused the good creatures of God to make Uriah drunk how he twice wronged the honorable state of matrimony once desiring to make Vriahs repaire to his house a cover for his sinne and when that failed and Vriah was slain he veiled his sinne with his own marriage of the defiled widow alwayes he thought how he had sinned against God This case of David is a lively peece describing to the life the unrest of an unquiet conscience overcharged with sinne That which Poets feigned of Furies ever disquieting some persons was nothing else as Tully found and applied it but a troubled conscience which hath no peace And we can never attain to peace before we have felt the sting of sinne the rigour of the law the terrour of the Lord the rods and scorpions of an afflicted and unrestful conscience And this will hold till our repentance Gods pardon sealeth our quietus est no company no pleasure no comfort will help this no such sorrow as Animus dolet the minde is sorrowfull VERSE 4. Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight 3. HIs confession expresseth where he hath given offence which hath two parts For 1 He accuseth himself 2 He cleareth almighty God 1 In his self-accusation 1 Here is the height of sinne against God Tibisoli c. Against thee onely 2 Here is the boldnesse of his sinne In thy sight In the first here is 1 Ego I the person 2 Peccavi have sinned the trespasse 3 Against thee Pars laesa the party offended 1 Ego I the person This comes in still for it maketh weight alwayes in the confession Some charge the malevolent aspects of their starres some charge Sathan with all their sinne Others have other put-offes to save themselves harmlesse David takes all upon himself his own corruption his own rebell flesh his unregenerate part his old Adam did it Me me adsum qui feci Here here I am that did it I whom thou tookest from following the ewes great with lambe whose sheep-hooke thou hast changed for a Scepter whose sheep for thine own people Israel upon whose head thou hast set a crown of pure gold I whom thou diddest lately invest in the full Monarchie of thy people to whom thou gavest the possession of Ierusalem from the Iebusites I who setled peace Religion and Courts of justice in Ierusalem that thou mightest be served and honoured and I would faine have built thee an house there Ego I to whom God committed the trust of government to rule others the trust of judgement to punish others as King over his inheritance I to whom God committed the care of others souls to guide them by his word to direct them by good counsell to allure them by his gratious promises to terrifie them by his threatnings as the Lords holy Prophet I who both wayes as King and Prophet should have beene an example of holinesse and righteousnesse to all Israel Nathan said Tues homo thou art the
hostility wherin he proclaims open war against the Church of God hath his secret insinuations by which he windeth himselfe into the hearts of men So he entred into the heart of Iudas and Saint Peter saith to Simon Magus Thy heart is not right in the sight of God Sathan had beene secretly working upon his heart into which he had infused some gall of bitternesse Against this Davids receipt was Absconds in corde sermonem tuum ut non peccarem contra te I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sinne against thee When he let that word goe Sathan came in and sowed the seeds of lust Intravit mors per feâ—esâ—ras Death came in at the windowes he let it in by his eyes for no sooner did his eye looke but his heart did lust and then all his parts proved instruments of sinne and traitours to the spirit of God that was in him This setteth us a worke to furnish our secret part with wisedome for so it will be a fortification against open warre and a privy coat against a sudden stabbe of temptation This wisedome though thus secretly stored cannot be concealed but it will speake in the tongue the language of Canaan For ext of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh It will be seene in the face for the wise doe set their faces toward Ierusalem and you may see by their lookes which way they are bound all their workes and whole conversation will taste of it The greatest hinderance to good conversation to good workes and to repentance of our evill waies is the unsoundnesse and rottennesse of our secret part that is 1 Vanity in our understanding when wee busie our thoughts and exercise our wits either onely in the things which concerne this life what we shall eat what we shall drinke where with we shall be cloathed for which the heathens take care who know no God to take that care for them or when we spend our braines in impertinent disquisitions studying genealogies and intricating our thoughts in vaine questions which are not worthy our study 2 Our inward part is mortally diseassed by corruption of our will when wee live in a perpetuall pursuit of our owne desires and goe in the way that seemeth good in our owne eyes for so the strength of sinne is the law and the more we are restrained the more we strive both against the Commandement that biddeth and forbiddeth and against the word of exhortation that putteth the Commandement upon the conscience And against those good motions of the spirit of God and of his good Angels which continually labour to compose us to obedience The way to heale all this is by wisedome in this secret part for that will teach 1 For the world there is no cause to care for the Lord careth for us and for impertinent studies the word will shew us unum necessarium the one thing needfull against the vanity of minde 2 For our will this wisedome will correct it and teach it subjection to the will of God whose will is our best friend for by that we were chosen created redeemed saved fiat voluntas tua thy will be done 3 Davids faith Thou wilt make me to know The naturall man doth not perceive the things of the spirit of God neither can he They that are born sinners are born fooles darkened in their understandings and hardened in their hearts the light that is in them is darkenesse and therefore quâ—ntâ— tenebrâ— how great darknesse Therefore they must be made to know wisedome and none but God can doe it he teacheth man knowledge and David beleeveth that he will doe it Christ saith All shall be taught of God for he offereth himselfe a teacher to all Wisedome cryeth in the streets and uttereth her voyce in the high wayes and calleth the simple and ignorant to her schoole to be taught Wisedome hath many auditors few proficients many truants that come not to schoole many dull and indocile that learne little but David beleeveth two things 1 That God will teach him 2 That he will make him know our apprehensions are often more quicke to conceive wisedome then either our memories to retaine it or our affections to embrace it We are never said truely to know wisedome till wee know the want of it the giver of it the value of it and the right use of it Seneca could teach his schollars that the inquisition and posing of students in Philosophy is Non quantum in philosophia sed quantum in vita profecerint Not what profit they have received in philosophy but how much in their lives The way of furnishing us with this wisedome is 1 By the Word working upon our understandings for that giveth light to the simple 2 By the spirit stirring up our spirits and setting them aworke If any man love God he is taught of God David now repenting and returning to himselfe hath faith in the goodnesse of God that he will give him this wisedome to repaire him which sheweth that our wisedome may for a time be lost for David had it before and guided all his former waies with discretion but being overtaken with this temptation he committed folly wisedome for a time departed from him his understanding was darkened his heart was hardened sinne had possessed his inward and secret part the hid man of the heart So that he is now to learne wisedome againe and so is cast much behind hand And make him to know it in his hidden part Great comfort here is given to the true penitent for his sincere repentance removeth both sinne and punishment and quickeneth the graces of God in him so that though he stumble he cannot fall quia Dominus supponis manum because the Lord putteth under his hand his faith layeth hold upon that hand and keeps him upright VERSE 7. Purge me with hysope and I shall be cleane wash mee and I shall be whiter than snow 3. HE returneth againe to supplications and he hath many suits to God 1 For his purgation from the pollution of his sinne Verse 7. 2 For comfort against his sinnes and the punishment of them Verse 8. 3 For pardon of them Verse 9. 4 For newnesse of life Verse 10. 5 For a constant course of the grace and favour of God Verse 11. 12. 13. 6 For particular pardon of his last great sinne Verse 14. 7 For ability to performe the service of Gods holy worship Verse 15. 16. 17. 1 For purgation from sinne hee doubleth his request here as in an important businesse dearely concerning him for 1 He findeth himselfe so foule with his sinnes as he needeth washing and purging and he needeth Gods washing 2 To shew yet his pollution more he presseth to bee washt with hysope 3 To shew what innocency and purity he affecteth he first desireth to be made cleane he resumeth the suit and expresseth his desires in full measure he would be whiter than snow 1 His importunity to be washt
with great anguish and remorse that our soules grone under the heavy burthen of them These would not be foulded up in a generall confession but offered in particular and single presentation to the throne of mercy For the better satisfaction of the divine Majestie who is pleased with a broken and contrite heart as it after followeth for the better quieting of the conscience at home within us which hath no other way to exonerate itselfe but by a penitentiall and remorsefull selfe accusation and this I before taught from Davids former confession I have done this evill in thy sight as before in his confession he did particularly acknowledge this â—inne so here in his supplication for pardon he mentioneth it by name and cryes God mercy for it Some sinnes doe but hang on and these are easily shaken off but some cleave so close and sticke so fast that they aske more care and labour and paine to remove them And generally the sinnes that most please flesh and bloud doe most offend God It seemeth that David fell into the recovering of it And for some sinnes he desired onely that they might be blotted out which alludeth to the dash of a penne and soone dâ—ne But some fouled him so that they needed washing throughly Some must be washed with bysope a lather of bloud to fetch out the steines which they left in the conscience sinnes of a deepe scarlet tincture of a crimson dye There is a great difference to be put betweene our common infirmities of nature from our ordinarie temptations and some speciall sinne into which we fall by a sudden surprize of Sathan The Apostle seemeth to referre to some such sinne saying Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be prevented before he could advise wisely with the word or the spirit of God And many of us are so caught ere we were aware in sinnes which our christian and religious hearts doe abhorre Thus many that abhorre drunkennesse are sometimes in over-merry company overtaken to their great after-griefe Observe it the first example in all the Booke of God of drunkennesse was Noah whom God onely found righteous in the old world It was the first sinne that we doe reade of after the floud the world hath beene sicke of it ever since The first sinne that Lot fell into after his deliverie from Sodome in both sharpely punished for Vinegar is the daughter of Wine the end of it is sharpe In such a case when a profest sober man is so overtaken with wine when an opportunity hath corrupted any mans conscience and defiled his soule for gaine or pleasure or revenge to commit evill Let him in his suit for his pardon crave a speciall quictus est against that sinne Let him not esteeme it the lesse because he never but once committed it rather let him take dimension of the magnitude of it and the danger attending it and in especiall make his peace with God for that Here I save my selfe a labour which you reflecting your eyes upon your own hearts for disquisition and scrutiny to search if there have beene in any of you any such overtakings of sinne to seeke your peace with God for them in especiall Despise not neglect not this necessary exhortation to make use of it in time to make your peace with God for the more offensive sinnes for if you neglect them and have not the pardon of them under seale you will finde them like some ill dyet to thanke you hereafter and upbraid you Sathan knowes his seasons for it and husbands them to our greatest vexation two seasons specially I When any extraordinary trouble commeth upon us otherwise per adventure undeserved of us for some sinnes escape a present vengeance and are reserved for a future judgement as Joseyhs brethren sold him abused their father with a cunning collusion and their hearts did not once smite them for it that we reade Twenty three yeares after when the famine forced them to seeke bread in Egypt and their brother Ioseph then to them unknowne being the Vicâ—roy of Egypt received them very harsâ—ly heare the story And they said one to another we are verilâ— guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he besought us and we would not heare therefore is this distresse come upon us Observe the brethren of Ioseph now in trouble innocent and cleare from the crime charged upon them of comming as spies yet knowing that God never punisheth but where he findeth sin their consciences accuse them of an old sinne yet owing for to God At one time God touched all their hearts with remorse of that sinne They were all in distresse pares in poena alike in punishment and therefore they remember the transgression wherein they were pares in culpa alike in fault Observe also how they frâ—me the enditement against themselves for if all the Prophets whom God did ever send to tell the house of Jacob their sinnes had laid the inditement against them if Sathan the great accuser of the Brethren â—ad put in the information against them none of them all giving their best diligence or the worst of malice could have prest or exprest their fault to a more full accusation than the voyce of their own guilty consciences enforced it against themselves for without extenuation or excuse they plead all guilty with a strong asseveration We are verily guilty not one or more but we all we not as accessaries but all principals all we guiltie The person wronged aggravateth the fault it was not concerning a stranger in bloud or nation whom yet the communion of charity did binde to entreat justly and friendly nor concerning a countryman of ours whom the law of compatriots doth bid us â—ender nor concerning an enemy whom religion commandeth to use favourably and it is the exaltation of charity to requite his evill with goodnesse But concerning a brother one that called every one of them brother the sonne of the same Jacob the father of them all Would not this have served no they declare they aggravate and engrieve the trespasse 1 He was a brother in anguish enemies recover tendernesse and softnesse to enemies in anguish cruelty resumes humanity in distresse 2 Here was anguish of the soule amaritudo animae that is the soule of anguish for Ioseph had many vexations for them that wronged him who unthankefully requited his painefull and loving search for them to see how they did and what they wanted For their unnaturall unkindenesse to himselfe and their loving father who sent him to them for the danger he was in of his life death is fearefull 3 We saw it to heare of anguish any where moves compassion to heare of a brothers anguish akes an heart of flesh but to see it present and in the strength of the fit this were enough to soften an hard heart to thaw a froâ—en heart to melt an heart of brasse or iron A
such way to blot our misdeeds out of Gods booke of remembrance as this to publish our owne faults and our repentance of them as David here doth From the whole petition we gather one substance of request which is that God would forgive him all his sinnes which petition is grounded upon an Article of faith the tenth in our Apostles Creed Forgivenesse of sinnes It is also the fifth Petition in the Lords Prayer dimitte nobis debita nostra Forgive us our trespasses David saith Credidi proptereà locâ—tâ—â— sum I beleeved and therefore I spake If we beleeve the Article we may move God in the Petition It is as great an honour to God to be a forgiver as to be a giver Amongst our selves we know that it is one of the hardest taskes of our religion to forgive an injurie Our hearts rise against them that doe it our bloud boyles our countenance falleth it is much more easie to winne us to give gifts to our brethren then to forgive injuries yet we are never out of that Petition to God and in our daily prayer as we aske bread for the day so we aske forgivenesse because our soule needeth pardon as much as our body needeth food I may say much more for wee may goe in the strength of one meale some houres but there is no moment of our life which doth not need to cry God mercy and to aske his pardon for our sinne The necessitie whereof is such that our Saviour taketh advantage of it to establish our charity to our brethren that way That wee might begge no pardon for our selves but with a Sicut â—os dimittimus As we forgive The phrases used in Scripture in petition of Gods pardon are much varied Christ biddeth us say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put them away which Isay doth render thus Thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe Micah is more full in this expressure He will turne again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all our sinnes into the depths of the sea This David doth call washing cleansing purging hiding Gods face from them and blotting out All meete in one full point of gratious pardon for all these phrases desire an absolute totall and finall remove of our sinnes both from the displeasure of God and from both the annoyance and the punishment of our selves And we can have no peace in our conscience till we be comfortably perswaded hereof Sinnes are called debts Agree with thine adversarie for feare of the Prison thou shalt not come out thence till thou hast paid the utmost farthing blessed is the man whose unrighteousnesse is forgiven I his text teacheth that we must strive and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contend with God by our prayers for the forgivenes of our sinnes Observe the contents of the Lords Prayer in which would all our lawfull petitions are cast and by which modell the whole building of our supplications is erected The three first Petitions respect the glory of God The latter regardeth our good in two things 1 In our esse our being Give us bread that is let us live we pray for supportation of our being 2 Our bene esse our well being and that consisteth in these three things mainly 1 In the pardon of our sinnes past Et dimitte and forgive 2 In the prevention of temptations to come et ne nos inducas and leade us not 3 In deliverance from punishment and from the power of Sathan Which three Petitions have respect to our sinne so important is our suit for pardon that Christ beginnes our bene esse well being at dimitte forgive Doe but observe your selves how importunate you are with God for ease and health when you are sicke your mouth is full of miserere mei Deus have mercy on mee O God You call upon all that visite you to comfort you with their prayers you send to Church to crave ayde of the congregation you give God no rest How is it that in your sinnes the mortall diseases of your soules you are not thus earnest with God for his pardon which is the onely physicke for a diseased soule David saith God healeth all our infirmities and he sheweth how hee pardoneth all our sinnes therefore the way of cure in all griefes of the body is to heale the soule first so David Sana animam meam c. Heale my soule c. How came it sicke quia peccavi contrate because I have sinned against thee Christ usually in his cures began his healing there fili dimittuntur tibi peccata tua sonne thy sinnes are forgiven thee But the reason why we are so importunate for our body so slight and negligent for our soule is this wee feele the aking and smart the convulsions and crampes the cold shakings the fiery inflammations the trembling palsies the griping and grating collickes and other afflicting diseases which cruciate the body we are not so sensible of the spirituall disease of sinne till we come to remove it by repentance then all other griefes fall short of the griefe of sinne that is a breaking of the bones as before it is exprest Surely if I were limited to one petition and no more for my selfe I would choose this before any Dele omnes iniquitates meas blot out all mine iniquities for there is nothing can be ill with him that hath no iniquity to answer for his soule shall dwell at ease I therefore presse the doctrinall example of David Let us never leave begging of God the pardon of our sinne I will not streine my selfe to multiply reasons of this doctrine that were to follow the new fashion of preaching for we also are at our fashions One maine reason hereof may serve There is nothing so much displeaseth God nothing so much endangereth this life and that which is to come as sinne This I thinke no man will refuse to put for granted Then I say there is no way to be found out of this danger of our sinne but by Gods pardon Come to the Court of justice the law condemneth us Cursed is every one that confirmeth not all the words of the law to doe them Come to the judgement of most voyces all the people shall say Amen for who will blesse where God curseth Come to the Court of Conscience our owne heart condemneth and smiteth us for our sinne is ever before us What have poore sinners then to say for themselves why death should not be the wages of sinne The fault is capitall here is no escape from the justice of the Law but by the Kings gratious pardon In our Ecclesiasticall Courts we have power in the discretion of the Iudge in causes criminall commutare poenam to change the punishment to let offendors buy out a shame of publique disgrace with some pecuniary mulct to be employed in pios usus in religious uses If in causes capitall there have beene Commutatio paenae change of punishment and
a way that seemeth good in a mans owne eyes but the end thereof are the wayes of death This is viaâ—on bona the way not good we must turne out of it here repentance beginneth Leave to doe evill Natures way the way of corrupt will the way of our lusts the way of the world are beaten waies many travaile them but these are new waies which are called our owne crooked waies turne out of them 3 The object to the Lord. This may seeme to import very small comfort for transgressors to turne to the Lord for he hath declared himselfe a jealous God and a consuming fire he hath digged a pit for sinners his wisedome cannot but see his lawes broken his holinesse can doe no lesse than abhorre it his justice cannot but punish it To turne sinners to God is to bring stubble to the fire but marke the sequence of my text First he will teach sinners Gods waies and then there can be no danger of their turning to God For Adam when he had turned from God by disobedience it was no wonder that he turned not to God by repentance but fled from his presence and hid himselfe because the way to God was shutup till God himselfe opened it in the promised seed yet there is no record of his turning kept This point affordeth the most comfortable doctrine that we can preach or you heare That a sinner may turne to God and be welcome to him it is the oyle of gladnesse it is the bread that strengtheneth mans heart Manna reconditum the hidden Manna It is a flagon of wine from the Lords Cellar It is the fulnesse and fatnesse and marrow of Gods house It is the living water drawne from the rivers of Gods pleasure which refresh the City magni regis of the great King It is the very extraction and distilment of the two Testaments of the Law and of the Gospell Let a sinner upon survey of his conscience and the detection of his sinne whilest his iniquities are in number and are set in order before him even then in the cold fit of feare resort to the Lord and cast himselfe at his feet and seeke his face There be great reasons for it 1 There is a necessitie in it there is no helpe elsewhere none can forgive sinnes but God onely The Apostles and Ministers of the Word forgive sinnes upon repentance but ministerially they doe pronounce Gods pardon ex officio by their office Therefore the Iewes accused Christ of blasphemy for forgiving sinnes for they knew him not to be God He healeth all our infirmities and pardoneth all our sinnes 2 God though he abhorre sinne yet he loveth the person of the sinner he cannot despise the worke of his own hand he hath sworne by his life that he will not the death of a sinner but rather that he turne to him All the while that he hath his hand in his bosome while he is plucking of his sword out of the sheath while he is whetting of it while he is lifting it up all this while he is expecting our repentance and if we turne not he smiteth home if we doe convert he saith Put up thy selfe into thy scabberd rest and be still He dealeth not withus as with enemies at armes end but forbeareth us and openeth his bosome and revealeth to us the bowels of his compassion The two greatest and dearest loves that are he taketh upon himself to declare his tendernesse over us 1 the love of an husband secondly of a father for under these titles he hath desired to appeare to his Church yet he taketh an holy pride to transcend husbands and fathers in their naturall love for thy Maker is thy husband the Lord of hoasts is his name What husband will receive againe a disloyall divorced wife that hath given her body to be defiled and hath scornefully abused him and borne children to strangers yet God receiveth us after all this wrong yea whilest we are in the height of this sinne he wooeth and courteth us and seeketh our conversion I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse and speake friendly to her heart Though fathers provoked by disobedient children forget naturall affection and mothers cast off all compassion yet God cannot yea though he doe for a time forbeare yet upon repentance if thou turne to him In the place where it was said ye are not my people there it shall bee said unto them ye are the sonnes of the living God Hee was that father who saw met received and cloathed and welcommed his vnthrifty sonne he sent not after him but when he returned he embraced him Our God is kinder than that father for he sendeth into the farre Country after to seeke us out he sendeth his Prophets Apostles Ministers Ite in universum mundum goe into all the world he riseth early to send them God himselfe offereth his owne wings how often would I have gathered you some parables expresse chiefly what God doth somewhat we should doe The parable of the Prodigall chiefly sheweth quid nos what we The parable of the lost sheepe quid Deus what God 3 We have comfort from Gods often inviting sinners to him nothing shall dismay us for he requireth and commandeth our resort to him with a non obstante nothing hindering and Samuel saith to the people yee have done all this wickednesse yet turne not aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart and Christ saith Come all weary and heavy laden 4 God taketh more pleasure in the returne of a sinner to him then he conceived anger for his departing from him When God had lost Adam by his sinnes the griefe was not so great as his joy was when he recovered him by the seed of the woman The second Adam had twise from heaven proclaimed over him Hic est filius meus dilectus this is my beloved Sonne There is a parable for that more joy for the lost sheepe than the 99. Sinne is an act of depraved nature it is opus nostrum our worke Grace is opus Dei Gods worke he loves his owne workes more than hee hates ours Iacob Satis est vivit filius meus It is enough my sonne is yet alive The father in the parable pleaded and justified the cause of his joy My sonne was lost and is found This shewes the sure mercies of God which declare him God But because of us sinners thou shalt be called mercifull for ubi non est miseria non est misericordia where there is no misery there is no mercy The first sinners were Angels they fell not all and those that fell did corrupt onely themselves there was no propagation of that creature When Adam and Evah fell they corrupted the whole nature of mankinde and this magnified the Creators mercie when he raised up an horn of salvation to preserve a creature whose generations had else beene subject to ruine
God is above his law his lawes binde him not neither is his truth or justice prejudiced or any way blemished by his dispensation and indulgences and maintenance of his prerogative His revealed will holdeth in the generall but limiteth him not he will shew mercy on whom he will Neither is he bound to his owne ordained meanes of grace but he can save without them and no doubt he doth also therefore though sinne deserve hell fire yet he may forgive this punishment where he will without violence to his law which much encourageth our turning to God for though it come to a decree yet before the decree come forth it may by repentance be delayed in the very egression the childe may come to birth and no strength to bring it forth And howsoever we finde no way of salvation without the Church nor meanes of grace without Iesus Christ yet let me tell you I dare not say that all those morall heathen who lived in the light of nature onely yet by the law written in their hearts did conscionably performe that which that law did command were certainely damned I will shew you what hope may be There was a law given to Adam poena â—ors punishment death When Adam sinned hee saw nothing but death before him he had no hope of favour God had reserved an unrevealed meanes of mercy in his owne secret wisedome and will It was not a contradiction to the will revealed but a gratious dispensation to declare him all in all Now seeing it is so excellent and so beneficiall a duty to turne to the Lord consider that God hath concluded us all under sinne and that must be the lesson of us all to turne to him What then is required to a perfect conversion to God 1 A search of our hearts for sinne comparing our waies with the rule which is the law of God This is that the just man doth when he meditateth on the law of God day and night for that meditation serveth 1 For information of the judgement quomodo ambulandum how we are to walke 2 For search of our conscience quid feci what have I done 3 For full resolution quid merâ—i what have I deserved 2 Vpon this followeth percussio cordis the smiting of the heart a true sorrow and penitentiall deploration and confession of sinne for he that confesseth shall finde mercy 3 A present holy and constant reformation of life to the uttermost of our power and desire with care and feare for the future all this David here promiseth in peccatores convertentur ad te sinners shall be converted unto thee But how shall this be unto me 4 The Authour of this Here David is modest he beginneth with docebo vias I will teach thy wayes but he saith not et convertam and I will turne he will not take that upon him nor convertent se they will turne themselves he will not promise so much for them Convertentur they shall be turned it must be Gods owne worke turne us and we shall be turned Christ hath delivered us from the extreme rigour and exaction of the law and by the good favour of God it will now suffice that we labour our conversion to God using the meanes by him ordained to that purpose and cherishing in ourselves the good motions of Gods Spirit abstaining from sinne all that we can and declining the occasions thereof and when we finde our selves falling away from him to take our selves in the manner and speedily to cry God mercy for it and to be more warie hereafter by taking heed to our words and thoughts and waies that we may doe no more so If you desire to know whether you doe abide in him or not 1 Examine your selves by the fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse in your selves for Christ saith He that abideth in me and I in him he bringeth forth much fruit 2 You shall know it by your zeale in prayer and the successe thereof for if you abide in me and my words abide in you you shall aske what you will and it shall be done unto you 3 By your following the example of Christ in walking as he walked for as the merit of his obedience serveth for our justification so the example of his holinesse advanceth our sanctification for he hath said discite à me learne of me he is a Doctor as Bernard saith Cujus in â—re verbum vitae cujus in more vita verbi in whose presence is the word of life in whose conversation is the life of the word His love his patience his meekenesse and humility his obedience to his father are all exemplarie and Blessed is the servant whom his Master when he commeth shall finde so doing Where we affect and endeavour this way he is assistant to us and will not faile either in the worke to ayd it or in the reward to crowne it VERSE 14. Deliver me from bloud-guiltinesse O God thou God of my salvation and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousnesse 6 HE supplicateth in particular for pardon of his late great sinne of bloud in the murther of Uriah 1 Orat he prayes 2 promittit promises In the petition observe 1 Quid petit libera me â— sanguine what he prayes for Deliver me from bloud 2 A quo Deus Deus salut is meae from whom he askes O God thou God of my salvation 1 Quid petit what he asketh here we are directed in our pursuit of pardon to search our consciences for sinne and to crave speciall pardon for such sinnes in particular as doe most disquiet our conscience and offend God and scandall our profession of religion abroad and grieve the Church of God at home Such was this notorious sinne of David the crying sinne of murther the murther of a loyall faithfull servant Though all sinnes are mortall yet they are not all of equall magnitude the circumstances of persons time occasion place motives and such like doe either aggravate or extenuate them This murther of Davids hath full weight a King appointed by God to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shepheard of the people to be the butcher of a subject a preserver of men to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a destroyer He on whose head God had poured his holy oyle to rent gall and wormewood to any subject to turne tyrant A Prophet of the Lord appointed to guide others in the way of life to become a plotter of death This bloudy execution done on a subject so ready to expose his life in defence of his Soveraigne so deserving honourable reward so receiving dishonourable injustice And this to revenge an honest good affection to his Master and to make way for a marriage to conceale a shamefull adulterie a former injurie done also to him in defiling his Subjects bed Some sinnes affected with strong desire and committed with sensuall delight doe charge the conscience after the glosse of their faire seeming is worne off
have power in his name to pronounce his absolution and free pardon of that and all the rest sincerely repented saying Whosoever sinnes yee remit they are remitted And the true penitent hath comfort to his heart in that absolution Some of our owne brethren at home have quarrelled this as popish not well advised of the ordinance and institution of Iesus Christ our Master by whose commission we performe this as the cleare Text doth warrant Tertullian calleth the Clergie a distinct order separate from all other callings to a speciall worke of Gods holy service for the enlightening of ignorants and converting transgressors and comforting the disconsolate and confirming such as are weake And what greater comfort can we administer then the assurance of forgivenesse to distressed soules languishing under the oppression of their conscience for their sinnes Therefore Christ in our Commission useth the same word for our pardoning of sinnes that he teacheth us to use in our owne prayers to God for our pardon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoever sinnes yee remit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Forgive us A departing soule being to leave the world and hearing that he that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper having the sting of conscience and the Angell of Sathan buffetting him can no longer hide this fire in his bosome which burneth him but hee bringeth it forth in confession And wee finde in the capitall punishment of malefactors that the feare of judgement and terrour of conscience a little before their end hath detected many murthers adulteries felonies and foule transgressions which till then lay hidden in the secret of their hearts concealed from the worlds intelligence and suspicion In such cases having disburdened their soules and declared their repentance our absolution is of force and then the penitent cryeth Nâ—nc dimittis servum tuum Domine in pace Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace and as one that hath his yoke taken off and his burthen eased he removeth hence with joy 2 This petition teacheth that the sinne of shedding innocent bloud oppresseth the conscience and is of a crimosin dye hardly washt out After the fall of our Parents the first sinne we reade recorded was murther the first death by it He that maketh inquisition for bloud beginneth his search and vengeance at the bloud of Abel That sinne of bloud in Caine is set for terror in the beginning of the holy story of the Bible to advise us of that roaring Lyon who goeth about continually seeking whom hee may devoure He was a lyar and a murtherer from the beginning hee practised upon the soules and bodies of our first Parents and by a cunning lye brought in death upon them in Paradise Then he incensed a brother against a brother in the first infancie of time Observe that murther 1 In the conception of it 2 In the act and execution 3 In the sequell and event of it 1 In the conception the provocation was onely Gods accepting of his brother in his service and his refusing him which made his death a persecution in Caine a Martyrdom in Abel This put murther into the heart God saw it there yet he taketh notice of it by the countenaÌ„ce of Cain Anger cannot well conceale it selfe and God is so tender as not to endure a frowning countenance in us to one another He expostulated the cause with Caine he layed the fault upon himselfe If thou doe well c. he gave him place of his brother and promised him his subjection Hee would have cured Caine of this disease but he would not 2 In the act It was the foulest that could be Cain talked with Abel his brother no question but it was a faire â—poken parley which tempted him â—alone with him into the field and there he arose against him and slew him A strange act worthy to be recorded The first borne in the world a murtherer the first recorded sinne in the generation of man murther the first brother a murtherer the first death murther Death followed sinne God would rather have it performed by the hand of man than by his owne hand the better to shew the effect of his justice and mans sinne according to the sentence Thou shalt dye the death 3 The sequell to that I hasten for 1 Cain sought not out God said nothing to him the text saith The Lord said unto Cain he spake first and enquired after the murther he maketh inquisition for bloud 2 His question where is Abel thy brother he calleth for him by name Abel God nameth him by the name that his Mother gave him He challengeth a right in his person hee challengeth their right in him who named him And the interest that the murthered had in the murtherer frater tuus thy brother 3 When this would not bring forth a confession and repentance of the fault but was frowardly answered first with a nescio I know not a lye then with a surly question Am I my brothers keeper Then God replieth with 1 Detection of the murtherer What hast thou done for hee so troubleth the conscience of such persons as shed bloud 2 Production of evidence vox sanguinis fratris tui de terra inclamat me the voyce of thy brothers bloud cryes unto me from the earth 3 Vpon so cleare evidence he proceedeth to judgement 1 The earth is cursed for his sake to him so before in his fathers sinne we thinke much if the earth serve us not with the fruits thereof we may thanke our sinne 2 His person is cursed a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be on the earth 4 When hee stood convicted in his conscience by the voyce of the Iudge and evidentiâ facti the plainenesse of the deed done 1 He turnes desperate and speakes a speech which beares a double construction My punishment is greater than I can beare or My iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven 2 He takes upon himselfe a necessity of grievous punishment which he distributeth into foure great griefes 1 Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth 2 And from thy face shall I be hid 3 And I shall be a fugitive and vagabond upon the earth 4 And it shall come to passe that every one that findeth me shall slay me Observe the first punishment of murther in this full example for it is notable 1 In the Iudge secondly in the judgement 1 The Iudge is God himselfe he taketh it into his owne judicature conventeth convinceth judgeth the offender himselfe The fault is exprest in the words of my Text vox sanguinum the voyce of blouds for hee not onely spilled the bloud of his brother but he destroyed the posterity that might have bin derived from him and he is called Abel the just so he might have had semen sanctum an holy seed All this hope of after-generations all their bloud spilt in him The judgement an heavy curse 1 Without him in the earth 2 Excommunication from the face
of God 3 A wandring unsetled life 4 Terrour of conscience Observe the effect upon himselfe for 1 He repineth at the justice of God for inflicting too much punishment 2 He despaireth of the mercy of God he neither hopeth nor asketh Gods pardon 3 He lookes for retaliation whosoever meeteth me will kill me he holdeth himselfe now no better than a man of death The reason why God declared himselfe so soon so quick so sharp an avenger of murther is because hee is author of life and conserver of it Iob giveth him that title the preserver of men and he cannot beare it that hee taking care of all to preserve their lives men should unsive one the other In the plantation of Paradise he set in the middest of the Garden a tree of life not onely a Sacrament but an instrument of life It was one of his quarrels with the old world For the earth is full of violence because of men Therefore when he renewed the world after the floud hee exprest his care of mans life Surely the bloud of your lives will I require at the hand of every beast will I require it and at the hand of every man and at the hand of every mans brother will I require the life of man Whosoever sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed for in the image of God made he man Cains conscience thought this just when he said whosoever meeteth me wil kill me This was after established for a law whosoever killeth any person the murtherer shall be put to death Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murtherer which is guilty of death but he shall surely be put to death he giveth two reasons of this severe law 1 For bloud defileth the land and the land cannot bee cleansed of the bloud that was shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it The Iewish Doctors interpret this law thus The avenger of bloud cannot pardon wilfull murther because the bloud shed is not the possession of the avenger of bloud i. e. of the Magistrate but it belongeth to God 2 For I the Lord dwell among the children of Israell This agreeth well with their exposition of the Law God taketh this into his owne judicature his peremptory law must stand Salomons doome is A man that doth violence to any mans person to bloud shall flye to the pit let no man stay him God unpriviledgeth him Thou shalt take him from mine Altar that he may dye In overt acts of murther this law is cleare and just There be covert acts as when our hand is not the actor but our instigation and proxie as in Naboths case whom Ahab murthered by a coloured processe and in Davids case here Consent and approbation in the Court of conscience extendeth so farre as drawing in a party as principall So Paul confest that he slew Stephen who saâ—e by and kept the garments of them that stoned him Yet God favoured the lives of such as by misadventure without malice which our law calleth Chance-medly had shed bloud he priviledged Cities of refuge for them to flye unto where they continued till the death of the high Priest then they had liberty Which shewed that involuntary murther needed the expiation of the death of Christ our high Priest For shedding of bloud in our owne defence for preservation of our lives in an assault nature reason religion and the lawes under which we live doe all excuse it Yet there ought to be a tendernesse in us to favour life as much as may be because the law of God is so expresse proximum ut teipsum love thy neighbour as thy selfe but wilfull murther is my Text. Davids fault was no lesse and against the vengeance of that sin he here prayeth For engagements to duels which in point of honour do often inflame great spirits to bloudy executions Let us wisely weigh the matter and we shall finde manifest injurie maintained on one side professed revenge on the other both naught The heinousnesse of this sinne of bloud thus detected in culpa poena in the fault and punishment Our use of this point is 1 A caution ne fiat let it not be 2 A remedy post factum when it is The first I confesse is not in my Text yet seeing how heavy this sinne lay upon the conscience of David we may deduce this use of it knowing the terrour of the Lord to admonish all men to looke to the law non occides thou shalt not kill For these things are written for our learning as the Apostle applyeth the commemoration of the old sinnes of Gods people to them to whom he wrote Not to lust after evill things not to be idolaters not to commit fornication not to tempt Christ not to murmure as they did so we may admonish not to shed bloud as many have done Take heed of murther I may use the words of Gamaliel Lest haply ye be found even to fight against God for it is against God 1 In his law not occides thou shalt not kill 2 In his image for man is so 3 In his Magistrate who beareth not the sword in vaine he weareth it as a defender of thy life and as an avenger of thy bloud 2 For remedy post factum after the sinne committed David was a King and in no danger of temporall lawes to avenge the bloud by him shed and it was carried so cunningly as he appeared not to it But had Zimri peace who slew his Master or had David any peace who slew his servant he repaireth to God by holy devotion and prayer to be delivered from blouds for this bloud had defiled him If bloud doe make the land uncleane in which it is committed it doth much more defile the person guilty of it till it be avenged And surely now we come to the reason why David doth not before pray Lord forgive remit or pardon but wash wash throughly make mee cleane wash me with hysope blot out all my sinnes For bloud defileth it is no ordinary pollution it is a foule steine it will not easily out it is a crimosin a scarlet dye No man can ever wash out that tincture no man can pardon that sinne We may say as our Saviour doth with men this is impossible but with God all things are possible hee must be sought by prayer libera me deliver me The words of Davids petitioâ— libera me Deus deliveâ—â—e O Lord doe shew that David is in durance for this is â—â—x Captivi the voyce of a captive He is in laqueo diaboli in the snare of the divell so the Apostle calleth the guilt of sin and before hee calleth it the condemnation of the divell The divell hath his snares like a cunning fowler as well as his pawes being a roaring Lyon he maketh snares of our owne sinnes to hold us fast and David himselfe saith of God Vpon the wicked
omnia sanguinem filii ejus His food apparell the use of his time above all the bloud of his Sonne Would these severall seeds of grace yeild him no harvest 2 Our sins our folly trespassing his wisdome our vanity offending his holinesse our falshood his truth our unrighteousnesse his justice our presumption his mercy and our rebellion his power Saint Bernard in meditation of the account for this is all broken heart and all Paveo gehennam paveo judicis vultum ipsis angelicis potestatibus tremendum horreo vermâ—m rodentem ignem torrentem fumum sulphur tenebras exteriores Quis dabit capiti meo aquam oculis meis fontem laâ—hrymarum ut praeveniam fletibus meis fletum stridorem dentium c. Heu me mater mea ut quid genuisti me filium doloris amaritudinis indignationis plorationis aeternae natum in combustionem cibum ignis I feare hell I feare the countenance of the judge to be feared by angelicall powers I feare the worme gnawing the fire broyling the smoke the brimstone the outer darknesse Who will give water to my head and a fountaine of teares to my eyes that I may prevent by my weeping the weeping and gnashing of teeth O my mother why hast thou begotten me a sonne of sorrow of bitternesse of wrath of eternall wayling born to be burnt and to be meat for the fire We are here convicted in two tryals and receive sentence of condemnation in both 1 In the judgement of the Law which wee have broken 2 Of our conscience which pronounceth us children of darknesse and heires of condemnation When the sad consideration of these things hath broken our hearts and ground them to dust then the nest of sinne will be destroyed and concupiscence shall not have where to lay her yong Observe the difference of true Religion from false The gods of the Heathen doe never exact such breaking of hearts of their worshippers Let them have your eye your tongue your knee your gifts and keep your hearts to your selves For they know not whether you give them hearts or no. But our God will have our hearts and hee will have them thus broken and there is no delaying or dallying with him hee searcheth us to the bottome and tryeth hearts and reins We cannot deceive him with unreall semblances The way to heaven is not so easie as most men deem it We must suffer with Christ if we will reigne with him his soule was heavy and he was broken for our sins when the 〈…〉 of our peace lay upon him And we must rent our hearâ—◠〈…〉 not our garments when wee turne to the Lord if we will have mercy and forgivenesse There is nothing that flattereth sin more in us then an opinion of the easinesse of repentance But if we observe David in this Psalme we shall discern that there is no such tribulation as true repentance it is a washing throughly a rubbing and scowring with hysop it will cost hote and scalding water to purge the stains and blemishes of our life It will cost the breaking of our bones strong cryes and supplications that wee may heare of joy and gladnesse It will cost us a breaking first then a new making of our hearts to fill them a present for him who saith My sonne give me thy heart And now what shall I say and what shall I doe unto thee thou preserver of men My heart is not worth the giving to thee If we should search Ierusalem with candles should we finde such a heart O that there were such a heart saith our God in them that they would feare me and keep my Commandements alwayes that it might go well with them and with their children for ever Our broken heart is such an heart when our stubborne will is corrected and made pliant and obedient to the wil of God when our love is taken away from the world and the things therof and fixed on the Lord. When our vast desires are limited to the seeking of the Kingdom of God and the righteousnesse therof When our flattering hopes are taken off from things temporall which profit not and reach out to the promises of God which concern better things When our â—uscious delights are no longer grazed on the green pastures of vain pleasure which saginate them to slaughter but our delight is in the law of God and in that law we do exercise our selves day and night When our strong endevours and labours are not for bread that perisheth but for that which feedeth to everlasting life When our high flowne ambition ceaseth to affect the false and unconstant honors of the world and reacheth forth an hand to the never-withering crown of glory When our feare is not of them that can kill the body and there an end but of him who can deliver soule and body to death eternall When our griefe is not for the punishments we suffer but for the sins that deserve them These be broken and contrite hearts You see to what all that I have said driveth even to stirre up my selfe and you to a true repentance which the Prophet calleth the breaking up of the fallow ground of our hearts Why should our hearts lye fallow and receive no seed and bring forth nothing but weeds It asketh culture digging and ploughing to make it capable of good seed No man casteth away seed upon fallow ground If we would bring forth fruit to God we must suffer the plow the renting and tearing of the share this is repentance John began his preaching at repentance So did Christ And he sent forth his Disciples admonishing men every where to repent If destruction were within forty dayes of us repentance would stand in the gap and keep it out If the Decree were ready for birth repentance would make an aborcement If wee be nailed to the crosse of shame and pain wheron we suffer justly repentance will open Paradise to us If our sins were grained in crimson or scarlet repentance would wash us whiter then snow If our iniquities had hid the face of God from us repentance would uneclipse it and our eies should see our salvation Our sins breake the hearts of others David weepeth for transgressors here is sanguis vulnerati cordis the bloud of a wounded heart O weepe for your selves and your children 2 Sacrifices of God This title given to these Sacrifices called Sacrificia Dei the Sacrifices of God doth shew 1 The necessity 2 The excellency of them 1 The necessity No Nation was ever so irreligious but it acknowledged and worshipped some God Nemo simpliciter atheos No man is simply an Atheist And they thought him that they worshipped worthy of some oblations and gifts It is one of the honors that inferiors do to their superiours to present them with gifts It is recorded of Israel that when God had set Saul over them for their King that the children of Belial said How shall this man save us And they despised him