could make him cleane The Spirituall hyssop then The purging vertue of Christs bloud full of bloud is Christ Iesus Qui humiliauit se ad mortem qui calore suae immensae charitatis nos dilexit qui odore manfuctudinis suauitatis totum mundum repleuit His blood sprinkles not the bodies so much as the soules and consciences of men for so the purging vertue which is in the naturall hyssop is internall and by it is signified Coram Deo opus esse non externa sed interna purgatione Seeing so it is that the godlie How carnall Papists are who place so great sanctification in externall things Israelites in vsing these externall types which were not ordained for themselues but for other things had a spirituall disposition looking euer to the thing signified by them Is it not a shame for Papists to be so grosse and carnall as to place any sanctificatiō in the like externall sprinkling of their body with their holy water as they call it with as great reason might they bring in againe all that ceremoniall Law which was but for a time and now is abrogated But now seeing the truth is come which is Christ Iesus it is good reason the type and figure should cease The fountaine is opened to Dauids house for sinne and for vncleannesse Hee hath made a perfect purgation of our sins by his owne blood Now to retaine the ceremonies of Iudaisme or to bring in from Paganisme their superstitious washings of sinne as Papists borrow from Pompilius these heathenish purgations by sprinkling of water which they vse is to offer wrong to Christ Iesus for the first in effect imports that Christ the veritic is not yet come and therefore they will stil retaine the figure the second imports that albeit hee bee come hee hath not made a perfect purgation of our sinnes by himselfe but his wants must bee supplied by a purging with water on earth and a purging by fire in the second house of hell But heere it is to be demanded Sinne not imputed is as if it had not beene committed how it is that Dauid saies if the Lord wash him hee shall bee cleaner and whiter then the snow doth he meane that after sinne is forgiuen there abideth no more any remainder of sinne vnto him No this is not his meaning but that if the Lord forgiue him his sin hee shall hee in as good estate with the Lord as if he had neuer done it Peccatum enim non imputatum est quasi non commissum a sinne not imputed is as if it had neuer beene committed That wee may vnderstand A twofold purging of sinne this the better wee are to consider how there is a two-fold 1 One by Christs bloud this is our iustification washing or taking away of sinne one that is made by the blood of Christ another by the spirit of Christ The taking away of sin by the bloud of Christ is perfect euen now For they to whom the merit of the blood of Christ is imputed haue presently all the giltinesse of their sinne remoued fully and perfectly this in effect is the benefit of our-iustification The other taking away of sinne by the spirit of 2 The other by his spirit this is our sanctification Christ is imperfect his vertue hath begun in vs a mortification of our earthly members his spirit daily weakeneth and subdueth in vs the life and power of sinne that it reigneth not to command vs as it was wont to doe and this in effect is the benefit of sanctification but this taking away of sinne in this life is not perfect for some remainders of sin euen in them to whom sinne is forgiuen will the Lord haue remaining for the exercise of our faith and daily humiliation as more at large wee haue shewed in our Treatise vpon the 8. to the Romans VERSE 8. Make mee to heare ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioice HItherto DAVID with his confession The second ranke of Dauids petitions is for peace of Conscience of sin hath ioined petitions for mercy Now he proceeds and craues that these euils which his sinne had brought vpon him may be remoued Sinne hath many euill effects at the first it offends God and grieues his spirit but at the last it shall grieue the soule of him that did it Let vs learne to beware of it This petition of Dauid is to Sin spoiles man of inward peace and ioy bee opposed to his present disposition so shall wee vnderstand it O Lord I heare within mean accusing voice of conscience which terrifies and disquiets me I beseech thee Lord let me heare the contrary voice of ioy and gladnesse Heere then he confesseth that which all the children of God may finde in their own experience that sinne impaires the peace of conscience If wee could remember how sweet is the ioy and peace which wee lose for the vaine and perishing pleasure of sinne wee would bee loath any more to make any such exchange Secondly wee see here that there is not any testimony saue onely the testimony of Mans testimonie of the remission of sinnes is nothing without the testimony of Gods spirit Gods spirit that can bring peace to the troubled conscience Nathan had before this witnessed to Dauid that his sinnes were forgiuen him but Nathans word pacified not his conscience the ministration of the word of God hath credit with men the ministration of the Spirit that bringeth consolation hee hath reserued to himselfe When Martha and Marie mourned for dead Lazarous many godly Iewes came out of Ierusalem to comfort them but they got neuer comfort till Christ Iesus came and so the godly may mourne for their sinnes and for the deadnesse of their heart but there shall bee no comfort till the comforter come and re fresh their soules But here it will be obiected The ministerial comfort of Gods seruants greatly to be regarded and why what then auailes the ministery of the word and the consolations of the seruants of God giuen out of it Yea very much indeed for where the testimony of the word pronounced by Gods seruants goes before to witnesse mercie there the testimony of Gods spirit conforming it followes after for the blessing of peace pronounced Luke by the seruants of God vpon the children of peace abides vpon them this we see cleerely here in Dauid Nathan pronounced to him vpon the knowledge of his repentance the remission of his sinnes hee could not feele it for the present but the Lord followes and iustifies Nathans Ministrie witnessing that to Dauids heart which Nathan had witnessed vnto his eare And this we haue to marke Remission of of sins may be thine suppose thou feele it not for a comfort against these spirituall desertions whereunto the Children of God are subiect Remission of sinnes may bee thine the seruants of God with a warrand may witnesse vnto thee that thy
his sinne a giltinesse which empaired the sense of Gods mercy an vncleannesse which peruerted and corrupted all the powers of his soule vpon which two followed horrour of a iust accusing conscience Against these three he frames his supplications Against the His remedie against them all three first he seekes mercie to pardon and forgiue his sinne Against the second hee seekes grace to renew him and that God would create a cleane heart within him Against the third he seekes to be restored to the ioy of Gods saluation But as this is the last and The way of a penitent sinner is greatest petition that a sinner can seke to be comforted with the ioyes of God so are wee to remember that in this petition wee cannot preuaile except some other goe before it there then is the order to be obserued by a penitent sinner let vs first fall downe at his feet and mourne ploremus coram domino qui fecit nos ea quae fecimus Bez. in Cant. ser 3. nos let vs therefore continew a long time lamenting our manifold sinnes and taking a view if possibly we may of euery one of them that as by committing them wee contracted giltinesse so by mourning particularly for them wee may enfeeble their testimony against vs. Then let vs looke vp out From mourning at Gods feete to goe vp to the kisses of his mouth of the assurance of faith and require the helping hand of the Lord to raise vs vp these two being rightly done we shal finde him like that merciful father embracing the forlorne sonne in his armes and kissing him from his feete we goe to his hands from his hands to the kisses of his mouth such as fall not downe to mourne at his feete how can his helping hand raise them vp or the kisses of his mouth comfort them See here what a deceiuer and Sathan in tempting makes faire offers but indeed is a robber supplanter Satan is in temptation he seemes to be a giuer for he makes great offers to men if they will obey him but in very deed he is but a robber and so shall euery man finde him when they are deliured from the deceite of sinne and get their eares opened they shall see that Satan by alluring them to sinne hath taken excellent things from them for which they haue need to pray earnestly vnto God as Dauid here doth that hee would restore them Let vs not therefore harken to him when he flattereth vs the fairest Where God gets loue and obedience from man there man gets comfort in his God but Satan like a subtill diuider doth what hee can to depriue God of that obedience which his creature should giue him that so he may depriue the creature of that ioy and comfort which otherwise he might haue in his God And again we see how there No ioy can comfort mans soule but the ioy of Gods saluation is no ioy can content Dauid but the ioy of Gods saluatiō he was a King wanted none of these earthly comforts wherein worldly men reioyce but none of them can comfort the heart of Dauid it is the ioy which arises to the conscience from the feeling of God his saluation that he craues indeed what other ioy can there be albeit the Lord would giue vs all things that he hath made vnlesse we feele himselfe our father and Sauiour in Christ what can they helpe vs it is true of them all which Iob in his trouble spake of his friends Miserable comforters are ye and yet many such miserable men are there in the world who know no ioy but that which arises of meat and drinke siluer and gold and such like things this is but a brutish ioy for euen the beasts haue their owne delight when such obiects are presented to them as are agreable to their nature and thou if thou knowest no other in respect thou wast made for greater things art more beastly then they Three great graces seeks Dauid in this petition And stablish me with thy free spirit In this short petition many notable benefits Dauid seeketh from the Lord for by this free spirit Vatablus vnderstands Spiritum libertatis qua proni faciles reddimur ad faciendum quae Deus praecipit that spirit of liberty which enclines our hearts willingly to doe what the Lord commands according to that of our Sauiour Iohn 8. Then shall ye be free if the sonne make you free So then the benefit Dauid here craued is 1 That reason may command affection that he may finde reason commanding affection as Basil expounds it and that his carnall affections haue no power to draw his heart toward external and vnlawful obiects away from his God as they had done for affections once let loose are not easily bridled and restrained againe but after a furious and inordinat manner caries away the heart of man suffocates light captiues reason whereby they themselues should be ruled and this Dauid feeling in himselfe praies against it that the Lord would establish him with his free spirit Secondly he is called Ruah 2 That the sense of Gods loue may ouercome the terror of his accusing conscience Nedibah the spirit of liberty for an other effect which hee workes in our hearts whereof the Apostle speakes Rom. 8. Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare again but the spirit of adoption whereby ye cry abba father This effect is to comfort our heart with the sense of Gods fatherly loue Dauid was trouble with terrors of minde which his gilty conscience had wakened and now he craues the confirming spirit of God or as Tremell translates it Spiritum ingenuitatis thy kindly spirit which in regeneration thou giuest to thy owne children wherby I may know that I am one of them Euery sinne empaires in our heart the testimony of the spirit of adoption witnessing Gods loue and therefore Dauid craues it might againe be renewed vnto him Thirdly the word Nadab signifies to be willingly moued 3 That a Princely minde may be giuen him according to bis calling to giue therefore among the Hebrewes their Princes were called Nedibim for their free munificence and liberality and out of this sense he seekes a new benefite Dauid was not a priuate man but a publike and therefore craue so to be gouerned by the spirit of God that he might be made answerable to his calling For the pride of Nebuchadnezer the heart of a A admonition for men in authority man was takē from him the heart of a beast giuen Dauid hauing misruled himself found his gift decaied by which hee should haue ruled his people And therefore now praies that as the Lord had called him to be a Prince of his people hee would not cast him away for his sinnes but restore to him that measure of Gods spirit whereby hee might doe that worke according to the excellencie of his calling Oh that al Kings and
sinnes are forgiuen thee as heere Nathan doth vnto Dauid and yet thou not feele that it is so wee must not therefore bee so discouraged as to thinke wee want that grace alwaie which we cannot Therefore Dauid craues not onely mercy but sense of mercy feele It is now cleare what is the benefit which DAVID here craues To wit not mercie only that he hath sought before but the sense of mercie also make me to heare ioy so that I may feele it For all the inward senses of the soule are in feeling to heare the Lord to see him to tast how good he is is no other but to enioy him and to feele his consolations It is thy praise ô Lord that thou speak'st peace to thy Saints among the rest speake peace vnto mine heart also O what a ioy was it to that man sicke of the palsie when he heard that voice thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And such like to that sinfull woman when shee heard goe in peace thy faith hath saued thee And how was the soule of that conuerted sinner comforted in the middes of the dolors of death when he hard that voice This night thou shalt be with me in paradise This is the exceeding great Great comfort that God not only forgiues our sinnes but telles vs they are forgiuen loue of the Lord toward his children that he hath not only prouided a sure saluation for them through the remission of their sinnes in Christ Iesus but also seales vp in their heart the testimony thereof by his Holy Spirit of adoption and that for their present consolation least they should bee swallowed vp of heauinesse through continuall temptations Though he speake not to all his children as hee did to Daniel by an Angell O man greatly beloued of God nor as he did to the blessed Virgin Marie haile Marie freely beloued yet doth hee witnesse the same to the hearts of his children by an inward testimonie when they heare it they are aliue when they want it they are but dead their soule refuses all other comfort whatsoeuer That the hones which thou hath A troubled mind sore weakneth the bodie broken may reioyce By these Basil vnderstands Ossa animae spiritualia that is as saith Sauanarola and others Vires animae rationalis but as this agrees not with this sense so there is no reason why it should be enforced Dauid his words Psalme 32. serues for a commentarie to this there hee complaines that through extremitie of the anguish of his Spirit the moisture of his body was turned into the drought of Sommer now the marrow we know is the strength of the bones these being so extenuate no maruell his flesh consumed his skinne was parched his face withered his sight dimmed his knees enfeebled and the whole externall man greatly weakned the Spirit of a man sayes Salomon will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit who can beare it Of this let vs learne that if The miserable state of the wicked who must beare the burden of their owne sinnes the sight of sinne presented to the godly from a iust accusing conscience doe so terrifie them and breede them such excessiue trouble as for a time doth sorely torment them In what state shall the wicked be when the Lord shall present their sins to them wake their conscience vpon them not in mercie as he doth to his owne but in wrath not for a time but for euer O what anguish and remedilesse tribulation shall be vnto them the dayes of wicked mens sinning are compared to the time of a womans conceiuing but the daies of their punishment are compared to the time of her trauelling they conceiue their sinnes with wantonnesse and pleasure but shall beare them with dolor vnspeakeable their dolors shall exceede the dolor of a woman for shee knowes once to bee deliuered of her paine either by life or death but the wicked shall neuer bee lighter of their sinnes nor bee deliuered from the anguish of their accusing conscience from which most miserable condition the Lord deliuer vs for Christ Iesus sake VERSE 9. Hide thy face from my sinnes and put away all mine iniquities DAVID yet from Guiltinesse of sin soone contracted not so soone put away God the fourth time seekes the remission of his sinnes the gilt of sinne is soone contracted but not so soone gotten away wee are happie if the examples of other men may learne vs to be wise he was a man deerely beloued of God and yet how manie requests makes hee before he can get his heart assured of mercy but the presumption Foolish are they who thinke they may get mercy for a word of this age is so great that men feare not to offend the Lord because they thinke mercie may be gotten for a word But let men remember that fearful sentence which the L. pronounc't vpon the people of the Iewes for the abuse of his mercy When they fast I will not heare their crie And againe Thougb Moses and Samuel stood before me yet mine affection could not be toward this people that so our hearts may be humbled with holy feare which may restraine He that seekes not to hide his sinnes prouokes the Lord to inquire it vs from offending our God vpon presumption of mercy Hide thy face All Dauid his care when hee had committed his sin was to hide it from the Lord for this cause he committed murther and slew Vriah thinking if he were not aliue to perceiue it his iniquity should neuer come to light Now he sees it with a vaine labor Vriah is dead but the angry countenance of God looking vpon his sinne troubles him As the fish called Sepia casting forth a black liquor out of hir mouth of purpose to lurke vnder it doth therby giue notice to the fisher of the place wherin they shall finde hir so foolish man while he thinks to hide one sin by another doth but cast himself the more opē to the eye of God who then looks most narrowly to a sin when man most craftily labours to conceale it Euery sinner in sinning takes frō God the praise of righteousnes as if the Lord were like him were not a God that loues righteousnesse and hates iniquity But he that thinkes to hide Hee that seekes to hide his sin from the Lord makes an idole of him his sinne from the Lord when he hath done it takes also from him the praise of wisedome and makes the Lord so far as he may like an Idoll of the Nations that hath eyes and sees not And therefore the Lord as he will be auenged of euery one that offends so principally vpon them who scorne him by hiding their sinnes from him Woe be to them that seeke in deepe We to such to hide their Councell from the Lord their workes are in secret and they say who sees it At this time Dauids sin was vnknowen to the world no lyuing No man knew Dauids
an alsufficient good the Lord is the all-sufficiencie of the Lord our God and his great power appeares in this It is punishment enough to a man suppose he were Monarch of the world and had all comforts earthly to vphold him to want the countenance of God O It is life to see his fauorable face and death to want it what an infinite good what an all-sufficient Maiestie is hee in himselfe a looke of whose countenance refreshes his creature no comfort can comfort him that wants it as yee may see in Beltasar how did he tremble in the midst of all his pleasures at the sight of Gods anger and here in Dauid who once debarred from the sight of Gods ioyful face for his sins could neuer rest till he got it againe All the sports and delights of his Kingdome could not refresh him Doubtlesse he is an all-sufficient God who liues by himselfe whose onely countenance comforts his creatures and without whose fauour life yea the most honourable life that can be deuised on earth is worse then death But what moued him to The godly feare when they remember Gods iudgements on others fear casting out from Gods presence who had so many both externall and internall testimonies of Gods fauour toward him Out of question the examples of Caine cast out for murthering his brother the example of his predecessor Saul iustly reiected of God did terrifie him left hee for mercilesse murthering his owne seruant and fearfull back-slyding from the Lord should also be reiected He remembred well the example of Gods iudgements on others for their sinnes and his conscience told him within hee was guilty of the like or greater this made him afraid Yet was not his feare without hope susteyned by consideration Yet their feare is neuer without hope if they feare God as a Iudge they hope in him as a Sauiour of God his vnchangeable loue but by the inward consciēce of his own vnfeyned repentance and by the manifold examples of Gods mercie shewed to penitent sinners If Caine was cast out from thy face it was because he sought not thy fauour and Saul was reiected because hee repented not But Lord I haue opened my heart to thee thou seest what griefe is in my soule for grieuing thee by my sinnes thou neuer reiectedst any that from a penitent heart sought thy mercie Quis vnquam venit Sauan ad te confusus abijt Who euer came to thee and went away ashamed Shall I be the first that sought thy face and was reiected Nay Lord Cast me not I beseech thee out of thy presence Thus we see how Dauid at one time Et timet à iudice Bernard sperat à saluatore is both affraid of God as his Iudge and hath hope in God as his Sauiour somtime feare oppresseth his hope but at the length hope ouercometh feare Felix conscientia in qua eiusmodi luctamen And take not thy holy Spirit The vncleanenesse of sinne grieues Gods Spirit from me The Spirit of GOD will not dwell in a polluted soule Euery vncleanenesse diminisheth his presence The Apostle warneth vs heereof when hee saith Grieue not the Spirit And againe Quench not the Spirit Dauid felt it by his own experience and therefore makes he this prayer to God that the grace of his Spirit which was weakened by his sinne should not vtterly be taken from him This is a petition necessary alway to bee vsed vnto God Without the Spirit no fellowship with God Rom. 8. for without this Spirit we can haue no fellowship with God If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his this Spirit hee is knowne by his fruits which are Loue Peace Ioy long Suffering Gentlenesse Gal. 5. 22. Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance Where wee finde the presence of this Spirit by his fruits wee are to cherish him where we find a want or decay of them wee are to pray for them but many prophane men in this age are like these who know not whether there bee such a thing as the Holy Yet prophane men cannot discerne his presence from his absence Ghost or not they neuer felt his presence neyther had they euer experience of his renuing and comforting grace therfore feele no losse by his absence Let them enioy such things as they loue they care not for him because they know him not most like vnto brute beasts to whom pearles and most excellent jewels are What an excellent guest and worthy intertainement the Spirit of God is of no price onely such things as affect their sensuall appetite are pleasant vnto them But how excellent a guest this Spirit is and how worthy to be harboured in our hearts may be gather'd from this proper Epithet which alway is attributed to him A holy Spirit both because in himselfe he is so and dooth also make them holy in whom he dwels What notable effects hee workes in his own children is summarily comprised by Bernard in three Bern. in fest Pentecost Ser. 5. wordes he is Pignus Salutis the pledge of saluation all speaking of saluation without him is but babling hee is Robur vitae the strength of our life without him we haue no ability to any spirituall action and he is Scientiae lumē the light of knowledge for without his sanctifying grace all knowledge whatsoeuer is but darknesse But heere it is demaunded May the spirit of God once giuen Whether Gods Spirit once giuen may be taken from his children or not to Gods children be taken from them I answer there are some of his gifts which may be giuen and taken away againe these are secondary and common such as God giues indifferently to good men and euil So Achitophels wisedome and Saul his gift of Kingly gouernmēt were at length taken from them but there are other gifts which once giuen are neuer taken away againe These are principall and proper communicated only to Gods elect as the grace of regeneration adoption sanctification these graces are crowned with that great grace of Perseuerance The reason whereof is not in vs nor in our stabilitie but in the vnchangable counsell and will of him who loued vs for whom he loues he loues to the end his gifts and calling are without repentance Wee may fall after grace receiued but the Lord puts vnder his hand and raises vs vp againe Because I am not changed therefore ye are not consumed saith the Lord And truely euen at this same time when Dauid makes this praier it is euident hee wanted not this spirit of grace restoring him by repentance after hee had fallen and making him thirst for mercy Nullum enim certius praesentiae spiritus testimonium quam desiderium amplioris gratiae VERSE 12. Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish mee with thy free spirit THree great euils Three great euils Dauids sinne brought vpon him did Dauid bring vpon himself by