for Iehova that all together may feele in experience the selfe same mercy For he willeth that all men if it be possible to be done feele that loving kindnesse of the Lord which he hath felt Also this chiefely is meete for Israell to bee done that is for the Church of God But that which the Prophet respecteth as the last end is the glory of God himself For every faithful man willeth that many obteine mercy to this end that many may glorifie GOD and is carefull of mans salvation that the glory of Gods mercy may redounde to himselfe For God the moo putteth their trust in him in that respect hee is the more glorified For with Iehova Hee putteth Israell in minde to waite vppon Iehova from his gratious nature Hee demonstrateth not to Israell a God either mightie righteous or wise but a mercifull and a gracious GOD. VVherefore doth hee so doe not the remanent properties in GOD as almightinesse righteousnes wisedome trueth c. Doe not these I saye purchase vnto him the mindes and faith of men I graunt all these thinges that in their owne place indeede they purchase the faith of men but seeing miserable men and sinners haue chiefelie neede of the mercie Surely it is the mercie of God which men chiefely require and it is the first object of faith Also when once faith hes apprehended the mercy of God in Christ then the other things which ar in God allure the same faith to themselues But without the feeling of the mercy of God all other things are rather a terrour vnto vs then a consolation First therefore and properly faith is carried toward God as the object in so farre as he is mercifull and the more wee seeke out in GOD that his infinite mercie so much the more doe we beleeue him For what other thing I praye you is the growth of faith but an increase of the knowledge of the mercy of God wherefore to the end that faith may grow it is continually requisite that wee search out the mercy of God in Christ which surely we shal do without any danger of curiositie seeing the other properties which are in God they are not able to beare a curious searching out Paule amongst other things wisheth this to the Ephesians that being rooted in loue they may be able to comprehend with al Saintes Ephes 3. â—7 18. 19. what is the breadeth and length and depth and height and to know the loue of Christ which passeth all knowledge But in no place we reade that he wished that any man by knowledge should attaine to that infinite power wisdom c. of God to wit because it permitteth not so much to vs to knowe those thinges then to know how greatly god loveth vs in Christ his sonne Therfore hee is said in the 5. chap. to the Romanes to powre out loue in our harts But we reade not of the Spirite that he powreth out power wisdome c. which are together in God into our hearts that is that he toucheth not our mindes with so aboundant a feling of them Wherefore to the ende wee may beleeue in God and may haue our hope in him his loving kindnesse and mercie in Christ is chiefely to be knowen of vs wherof the Prophet was not ignorant of in this place seeing he maketh mention specially of his loving kindnesse to the end hee might mooue Israell to hope in God And exceeding In words hee amplifyeth the selfe same loving kindnesse of God For no man together and at one time could be able at any time by any words whatsoever to coÌ„prehend the whole mercy of God For there is ever something resting beside that which hath bene spoken that may be vttered thereof such is the incomprehensible greatnesse of the same and those who haue once felt in their mind any meane portion thereof they indeede are not at any time able sufficiently to expresse in wordes that portion howe little soever it bee For this spiritual feeling in the hearts whether it be of ioye or of sorrowe is vnspeakable from thence they are called sighes that cannot be expressed and ane inutterableâ— ioye Rom. â— How much more therefore 1. Pet. 1â— shall that whole mercy of God not together and at one time be expressed by words seeing that words are not able sufficiently to expresse yea and it were no more but that little apprehension thereof which is in our hearts For these words are not excessiue and hyperbolicque whereby godly men haue endevoured to expresse that mercy of GOD even as thought the words were greater then the matters themselves which thing whosoever think surely they appeare to me indeed never to haue comprehended in their minde the mercy of God in Christ And he himselfe This is the other argument whereby promising assuredly redemption to the Church from her sinnes he applyeth that loving kindnesse of God and manifolde redemption which hee hath published more neere vnto them For it is not sufficient ynough for faith that any man in generall shall preach recommend onely the mercy of God vnles it promise that is apply assuredly the same to miserable men for the promises are so many applyings of the mercy of God And from thence it proceedeth that the Scriptures are ful of promises without the which that full perswasion of faith spiritual coÌ„fidence cannot be For this generall doctrine coÌ„cerning the mercy of God doth this to vs that not so much indeede we in effect beleeue as that our heartes may be prepared vnto faith This is to be observed that he saith that God wil redeeme Israel not froÌ„ persecutions not froÌ„ outward troubles whatsoever but from al her sins For the redeÌ„ption of the Church is not sene in that that she is delivered from the troubles of this world as in that that she shal be delivered from her sins For sin is the most deadly enemy of al is the cause of all the reste of the enemies of the church because al afflictions are both froÌ„ sin likewise tende to the mortifying of sin For it is certaine if there were not any sin in the Church there shuld be no persecutioÌ„ of the church and every one of the godly sighs more vnder the burthen of sin then vnder any other weight of afflictions whatsoever Christ himselfe also dyed to redeeme vs not so much from al afflictions as from sinne and that everlasting death Finally when at that daye wee shall be set free into the liberty of the sonnes of God being fully redeemed we shall glory not so much that we ar redeemed from all other afflictions then that wee are fully delivered from sin as it appeareth out of that saying of Paule O death where is thy victory O graue where is thy brode And the brode of death is sinne 1 Cor. 15. 33. but the lawe is the power of sinne Behold we shall glory in that daye that wee are delivered from the brode of death and that by
is the other reason of the petition The other reason of the petition from Gods glorie from the glorie of God himselfe For as that former reason was from our owne miserie in the third and fourth verses so this latter is from the glorie of God which through this present estate of DAVID appeareth to be called in question Lord saith hee in death there is no remembrance of thee Therefore keepe me aliue The cause wherefore the godly liue awhile vpon the earth before they â—lit hence to the lord For this cause God will haue vs to liue in the land of the living and as it were to liue as strangers absente from the Lorde that first through faith wee might worship him in his sonne Iesus Christ in this life before wee fullie enjoyed that his presence in that other Every one of the godly knowing this they desire to bee preserved for a time yea euen in this life for this end in speciall which the Lorde himselfe hath appoynted and as the Apostle speaketh of the creatures Rom. 8. 20. not so much after their will as after his owne will who will haue them for a time to be pilgrimes absent from their Lord. Therefore so oft as we see the Saintes so earnestlie to desire this life and the preservation thereof at Gods hands we must not thinke that this is done by them for this cause that they even delight so much in this life The cause why the godly desire to remaine in this life or that they abhor this bodely death but rather that they earnestly desire to glorifie their God among the living and to exalte his militant Church kingdom vpon the earth they desire not to â—itte from thence while they haue wonne some vnto Christ and as it were by stretching out their hande they carie them vp with themselues into the heavens For this present life is chiefely to be consecrat to God Gods affayres Yea and this is the cause why Ezechias tooke death in so evill a part denunced vnto him Esa â—â— And this also is the cause wherefore Paule when otherwise he choosed rather to sâ—it out of the body nevertheles hee choosed rather to remaine in the body to the ende that hee might propagat the Church of Christ might bring men vnto the â—aith Phil. 1. 23. 24. Finally this was the cause wherefore so earnestly DAVID sought in so many Psalmes the prolonging of his life Psa 30. 88. 118. Notwithstanding David in this Psalme appeareth not so much to be oppressed with the sicknes of his body as with the sicknes of his soule sense of the wrath of God And therfore he is not so affraid of this bodely death as of that spirituall casting off yea that through the sense of the flesh part not renewed Wherfore we may consider with our selues that he spak of that eternal death of the burial of the hell in which no man will prayse God Therefore you see that the godlie also abhorre and are affrayd for the bell and againe you see that they desire life and salvation not so much for their owne cause as for Gods glories sake For neither DAVID in this place somuch respecteth his owne life and salvation as the prayse of GOD yea and that specially troubled him that being once cast out from the face of God he should not at any time there after be a Preacher of Gods prayses And this is a most sure evident of the salvation of the godlie if they feele in themselues a desire and careful indevour of gloryfiing God For it is not possible that that soule can bee deteined in Hell which aspyreth to God and to his glorie I faynt in my mourning Hytherto haue bene declared The three reasons of the petition from a most grieâ—ous senâ—e of misery the two reasones of the earnest seeking of mercy The firste in the third and fourth verses The second in the sixt verse Now followeth the third in the sevent and eight verses from the dolour and feeling of a most grieuous miserie Hee expresseth this sorrow diverse manner of waies For first he sayeth I faynt in my mourning Then I make my bed saith hee all the night to swimme Thirdly saith he I make my bed side to melt with my teares I grant that these speaches are very excessiue For in truth neither made DAVID so much as his bedde to swimme neither yet melted hee his bedde-side with his teares notwithstanding the inward dolour of his mind was no les then are those externall thinges which are here spoken of For out of all question if it could haue bene possible that DAVIDS eies had bene capable of so many teares as had bene sufficient to haue made his bed to swimme or to melt his bed-side surely there was such a great sorrow in DAVIDS hart as had bene sufficient to lowse them and to powre them out and certainlie DAVIDS bodie in verie deede was almost consumed and as it were melted with that sorrow For to speake this once of this griefe of DAVID this is first manifest that it was not so much contracted by reason of the bodely sicknes with which notwithstanding hee was most heavily oppressed as it was indeede by reason of the feeling of the wrath of God those terrours of hel the which grief indeed is the greatest that can 〈◊〉 imagined none is to be compared vnto it Then DAVID was such a one who now before had oft tasted how gracious the Lorde was as PETER â—peaketh Yea and hee himselfe at this same verie time was not altogether voyde of all feeling of his mercy And therefore it came to passe that he tooke this wrath of the angrie GOD in so evill a parte For it is sure that howe much the more greater the experience of the mercie of God be so much the more doth any man take in evill parte the wrath of God and he is the more in that respect troubled through the offence of so mercifull a Father And for these causes From whence proceeded the greate fear of the Saintes who other waies wer indued with a singular courage of minde the aunciente holy men otherwise indewed with excellente courage and strength of minde when they came before God they vtter a most effeminat softnesse and dejection of minde There was no man of greater courage of mind then David notwithstanding at this time he was altogether powred out as it were in teares for that invincible strength of mind is not otherwise to be vttered when wee haue to doe with God and with his wrath for what other thing els would this bee then to harden our heart against the hand of God humbling vs And that we haue not experience of this grief in our selues which David as he hath vttered in this Psalme sayeth was in himself the cause is this stupiditie of our hart this fleshly security with the which wee are also cast vppe into dead sleepe
in Christ only for this life we were miserable If onely in this life sayeth the Apostle wee had hope in Christ 1. Cor. 〈◊〉 19. of al mortal creatures we were the most miserable But if the form of spech is not to bee pretermitted which he vseth in propounding vnto vs those two benefites of the life to come For he maketh his preface in the ninthe verse that he is glad feeleth an exceeding great joye to aryse from theÌ„ Hee expounded not vnto vs after that manner those former benefites of this life neither vsed hee such a preface being about to speak of them so that thereof it manifestlie appeareth that there was a greater joy of the soule Two benefites of the blissed life to come hope of the glory of God of our owne resurrection yea of the hope of the benefites which shall be bestowed vpon vs in that other life then of the present injoying of the benefites which be fall vs in this life present We glorie sayeth PAVLE writing the Epistle to the Romanes and fifth Chapter verse second vnder the hope of the glory of GOD. Behold the gloryiing vnder the hope of the benefites of that everlasting life to come The Apostle also warneth vs that there is ane exceeding greate comforte yea of the speeches which are vttered in conference concerning that glorious resurrection that is to come Thes 4. 18 But we must a little more diligently marke this example of DAVID He saw not but a far off after many yeares the resurrection of his bodie to be For how many yeares ar now passed bye since he spake those thinges and since hee departed this life And yet notwithstanding hee hath not risen agayne neither yet also shall hee arise before that seconde comming of Christe and yet nevertheles through the very hope of the resurrection which was to come to passe a long time thereafter hee rejoyceth exceeding greatly What is therefore to bee done of vs who are fallen in into the poynt of time of the comming of Christ to whom being once departed this preseÌ„t life there shall be so shorte a buriall of our bodies But we must considder more diligently the Prophets words hee attributeth to the hart joy and exceeding gladnes to glorie that is to the tongue which is the instrument of holy glorying in the Lorde Finally he attributeth a secure habitation vnto his fleshe that is to his owne grosser part which we call the bodie For of necessitie this parte of man after his owne manner taketh death chiefly most grieuously in respect it is to be layd vppon the graue when in the meane time the soule the other part of man flitteth away into the heauens Notwithstanding this self same flesh is secure Gen. 49. 6. vnder the hope of rising again Psal 30. 31 rejoyceth after the owne maner Behold here joy spread abroad through-out the whole man and all his parts and that indeed through the hope of the resurrection to come and of life eternall Which thing surely seeing it is so great vnder hope and faith how great shall it be vnder sight Of this rejoycing vnder hope which is as it were the earnest penny which also is saide to be enutterable wee may easely gesse that that joye shall be incomprehensible which shall be after this life through the present sight of God in Christ Iesus 1. Pet. 1. 7. â— Peter reasoneth this waye for after hee had spoken of joy glory honor which shal be when Christ shall be made manifest then he layeth downe the argument of that so great a glory from our faith and loue towarde Christ absent and from that joy vnspeakable and glorious which wee now feele yea and it were no more but through faith in him absent Because thou wilt not leaue Peter in the second Chap. of the Acts 25. verse The resurrection of the head of the Church is the cause of the resurrection of the members c. interpreteth this place from the 8. verse forth to the end of the Psalme to be spoken properly of christ which David in this place spak as a Prophet yea that not only as a Prophet but also as a figure of Christ Iesus who was to come For David in him selfe also felt all those things in experieÌ„ce in some measure which he fore-telleth were to come vnto Christ Then those things which are here spoken of are chiefely to be vnderstood concerning the resurrection of Christ and of his glorious life which thing Peter prooveth manifestly in the same place verse 29. And thereafter yea even out of these words in which it was said That the holy one of the Lorde should not see cor Corruption I meane the rotting of the buried flesh and resolution into dust For out of these words Peter assumeth that David saw corruption He dyed sayeth he and was buried his sepulchre is with vs vnto this daye Wherefore sayth Peter those thinges cannot be properly spoken of David but of Christ his seede whom David saw to come in the promiâ—e made to himselfe Notwithstanding David in the meane while saw in that rising againe of his seede Christ his owne resurrection also which was to bee accomplished through the power of Christs rising again who was made the first fruites of them that sleep â— Cor. 13. â—0 And so we al likewise wheÌ„ we look vpon Christ we may see the fulnesse of that grace which is in him to redound vnto vs as it were againe But namely if now drawing neere to death and to the graue if then we looke vppon him we shall feele in him and his glorious resurrection our own rising againe For the Lord shall bring those who sleepe in Iesus Christ together with him 1. Ths 4. 14. Finally that is to be marked which he sayeth That God wil not suffer him to whom he is gratious to see corruption By this defyning and description of himself he sheweth the ground both of the glorious resurrection of Christ and also of all the godly in him To wit that fatherlie loue of God whereby both he loveth Christ and likewise all the godly howbeit it bee after a great difference For he loveth vs in that his beloved Eph. 1. 6. The difference betuixt the rising againe of the godly and of the wicked which shal be is no waies obscure out of this ground of our resurrection The loue of God in Christ shall sweetely rayse vp the godly out of the graue But the warth and justice of God being judge shall rayse the wicked yea against their wil drawing them out of their graues at that last day to everlasting and just punishment Thou wilt cause me This is the other benefite which he is to attayne vnto after this life to witte that everlasting life vnto the which after the resurrection he shal straight go As if he should say after that I am awakened vp againe and raysed out of the graue
vncertain whether he should haue his son to be his successor or any other whosoever Mark first DAVID his tongue being now lowsed he inveighed not presently against Abschalom nor against Mephibosheth nor against any man whosoever But turning vnto God he murmureth against him For we are al of that disposition and that is the nature of our affectiones that assoone as they are lowsed then they begin first to be caried head long against God which thing these Tragedies written by the Gentiles sufficiently declare where yee perceiue so many blasphemies of miserable men so many passionat out cryings exclamations not so much against man as those gods whom they fayned to themselues There surely it is a certaine vive representation of the corrupt nature of all men in the meane time they suffer all sortes of extreamities For wee all by nature impute the afflictions which befall vs our miseries to God not to our selues or to our sinnes Notwithstanding this murmuring of DAVID neither that impatience of IOB is altogether desperate such as vseth to be of profane men and whom God leaveth altogether by his Spirite Marke next The argument of the petition from the shortnes of the life he gathereth that we must die It is profitable indeede continually to thinke of the shortnesse of this life and not to harden our heart againste afflictiones whereby we are exercised in this life according to the will of God So IACOB complayneth before PHARAOH through the sense of the nuserie of this life Gen. 47 9. That his daies were short and evill But we must not alway gather of this that wee must die neither yet through impatience is death to bee thirsted after which thing DAVID did at some times through the weaknes of the flesh But PAVLE sheweth a far diverse vse of oppression Affliction bringeth not out impatience Rom. 5. 4. â— but patience patience experience experience hope Thou seest therefore that impatience desperation follow not vppon the the sense of afflictiones but patience and hope Of the which againe you gather after what maner the corrupt nature of man abuseth good arguments for evill conclusiones petitiones Also there is some measure of impatience here to wit the holy Spirit of God drawing back the maÌ„ again For surely even a very Cato being set in that estate which DAVID then was in had gone further on not onely would hee haue earnestlie desired death at Gods hand but he himselfe had put hand in himselfe yet God leaveth not his own altogether Thirdlie note that the corrupt nature of man abuseth the best sentences what soever such as is this That al men is everie way vanitie For we cannot sufficiently weigh our own mind how vaine we are by nature whereof we haue an example yea in Dauid a renewed man We abuse this sentence to a verie bad conclusion to impatience to desperatioÌ„ to murmuring against God The same David or who soever he was that writ the 73. Psalme gathereth a farr better conclusion of such a like sentence of the vanitie of vngodly men Psal â—2 〈◊〉 This to wit I shal be alway with thee sayeth hee Fourthly Dauid being afflicted hee feeleth in experience his owne vanitie and miserie according to his owne miserie and confession As if hee shoulde againe hee measureth the common miserie of men Of which thinge learne what is the vse of afflictiones from afflictions proceedeth not onlye the knowledge of our owne selues but commonlie of the miserie of all men which is so necessarie alwaye that without it there is no feeling of deliverance and happinesse For except miserie be knowen there is no desire of happines and felicitie And if there shall be no desire at any time in the life of this deliverance surelie no deliverance shall ever bee For the gate is not opened but to those that knocke neither yet is anie thing given but to those that seeke â—his estate of men is most dangerous who are continually dronken with the prosperous successe of all things neither yet haue they experience at any time of those imperfectiones and miseries which follow our nature 8 But nowe ô Lord what waite I for mine hope is in thee 9 Deliver mee from all my back-slyding laye mee not out for a reproch to the foolish 10 I am dumme I open not my mouth because thou hast done it 11 Remooue thy plague from me I faile at the stroke of thine hand 12 If thou with rebukes for iniquitie wouldest chastise any man thou wouldest dissolue the thing that is to bee desired in him as a moth surely all men is vanitie Selah 13 Heare my prayer O Iehova my cry turne thine eare vnto my teares play not the part of a deafe man because I am a stranger before thee a soiourner as all mine auncesters 14 Cease off from mee that I may refersh my selfe when I goe not as yet awaie so that I be present no more BVt now The seconde part of the Psalme in which he draweth courage to himselfe and correcteth that wandring a straye which was in himself some time before as if he should saye Hither to I haue haue spoken these things of my going astray But now ô Lord what waite â— for that is what is mine hope Then he answereth himselfe Mine hope is in thee Having layde downe his hope hee conceiveth new prayers farre diverse from those which he made mention of that he vsed before He is very zealous in prayers for he repeateth one thing thrise Now ther ar three arguments of the petition thrise repeated over Then is subjoyned the conclusion The argumentes of the petitioÌ„ He craveth first in these words Deliver me from all my defectiones laye mee not out for a reproch to the foolish That is to those that abuse reason to foolishnes and infamie which thing al men do while they be called back by the holie Spirite of God I waxe dumme The argumente of the firste petition from his owne repentance say I acknowledge that thou art the righteous author of this my chastisement and I quiet my selfe in thy judgementes Remooue thy plague from mee Hee repeareth this petition The repetition expoâ—ng of the petitioÌ„ especiallie the latter parte thereof For that reproche whereof hee spake hee interpreteth and calleth it a plague At the stroke The other argument of the repeated petion from his own wickednes If thou with rebukes The amplifying of the argumente from the common estate of all men of whom none haue that strength whereby hee is able to beare oute if hee compare himselfe with the weightinesse of Gods judgemente But contrariwise hee is extreame weake Nowe concerning this argumente looke manie thinges in the booke of IOB For iniquitie wouldest chastise That is if thou wouldest chastice anie man according to his deserving thou wouldest dissolue him into Ashes as a moth which is destroyed with the touching onely Then considdering this common estate
example Also the third that we in this place learne by his example that that desertion is exceeding doleful whereby he who is once left of God yea that by his most just judgâ—ment God to witte leaving him because of his sinne and being now forsaken left he remayneth in the paines which by his owne sinne he hath deserved Yet notwithstanding in the meane time neither is his minde enlightened by Gods Spirit nor his hart reformed But the more he leaneth thereto the more is he blinded and hardned For to such a man extreame destruction is appoynted vnlesse at last he repente Of this sorte of men that threatning of Iohn Baptist is to be vnderstood The axe is layde to the roote of the trees Math. 3. 10 Also that saying of PAVLE When they shall say peace 1 Thes 5 5 and all things quiet then suddaine destruction shall come vpon them Moreover it appeareth out of this example of DAVID that GOD leaveth not his owne by so sorrowfull a desertion For Dauid repented very soone at the threatning of Nathan For God when he afflicteth his owne he therewith illuminateth and changeth them also by his holy Spirite that repenting they may obteine remission of sinnes and may be restored to life Restore to me the ioy Yet he persisteth in the petition of the holy Spirite or of the presence of God by his Spirite as if hee should saye surely I haue felt O my GOD an exceeding great joy of thy salvation that is since the time thou becammest my salvation protectour and defender But now through mine own default that whole joy is broken off in the middest Therefore O God restore to me that wonted joy proceeding from thy presence The onelie comforte and solide joye of man aswell in life as in death is that hee is not in his owne power and left to himselfe but that hee is the Lordes and that hee hath him to be as it were his protectour and defender David when hee felt in experience Psal 2â— â— that God was no otherwaies his keeper then the sheepheard was to his sheep it cannot be spoken how great a ioye he conceived thereof which also bursted forth in these wordes Thy rode and thy sheep-crooke they haue comforted me This spirituall reioycing which commeth of the presence of God whosoever hath once tasted it this man wil not be content with the whole ioy of this world vnlesse surely he be therewith participant in some measure of that heavenly ioye also David verely had refused the whole comfort of this world and would haue nothing esteemed that his kingdome royall dignitie if that old and wonted ioye had not bene restored vnto him which arose from the presence of God by his owne holie Spirite But if wee would not provoke to wrath God present with vs neither yet would grieue his holy Spirit surely wee should haue that joy of the Spirite more solide and constant For from whence commeth that interruption thereof because we make defection from God Dauid had God present with him hee had the Spirite the comforter But after he had forsaken God by committing adultery and murther together he spoyled himselfe both of that presence of God and likewise of that solide comforte of his presence Men commonly with all the strength they haue provoke that holy Majesty of God to anger But it commeth to passe I cannot tell howe that in the meane time they appeare to themselues to liue at reste and with sufficient pleasure and delight themselues with a vaine dreame For as the Lorde saith there is no peace for the wicked I speak of the true peace for I would not call this stupidity a peace whereby it commeth to passe that neither they feele their own sinne nor yet the wrath of GOD which thing they in wofull experience shal learn some day when suddainly being awakned out of this dead drowsie sleepe they shall be forced to beholde that angry face terrible countenance And vphold me The self-same is the meaning of these words of the words preceeding for so at last wee feele God present his salvatioÌ„ gladnes arising thereof if we be vp-holden by his Spirite David is afraid of the affections of his mind least he be over-whelmed with them as by a certaine deluge He craveth therfore that GOD would susteine him by his Spirit For as if a great bosse be cast into the water presently the water running in into it it is drowned but if first it be blowen vp with wind the aire being inclosed before it be cast into the water it swimmeth in the superfice of the water So our mind if it remaine voyde of the Spirit of God it is drowned incontinent in the middest of the waues of our affections But if it bee replenished with the Spirite of God it is not possible that it can bee overcommed of the affectiones Let everie man take heede what minde hee hath whither it bee voyde and tume or rather full and replenished with the Spirit He calleth the Spirit the Spirite of freedomâ— or of liberty To the ende we may vnderstande the reason of the word it is to bee learned out of the 8. chap. to the Romanes that there is a two fold spirit or rather that there is a twofold effect of that one selfe same spirit of GOD. The Apostle calleth the former the Spirite of bondage to feare that is which at the preaching of the law toucheth vs with a sense of our sin misery for vnles the Spirite of God were effectuall in our hearts with the preaching of the law surely by the preching of the law alone wee should never be touched with an earnest sense of sin of our own misery this spirit ther fore maketh vs to know our sin misery and holdeth vs vnder feare of the wrath of God death coÌ„demnation and therefore it redacteth vs as it were vtterly to a servile estate For this was of old proper vnto servantes continually to feare punishment and vengeance at their maisters hands The Apostle calleth that other spirit the Spirit of adoption It is he who while the Gospel is preached maketh vs to know our deliverance from sinne and misery For we should never be so touched with the preaching of the Gospel vnlesse in the meane time the Spirite of God were powerfull in vs which maketh vs to know our deliverance from sinne and misery and that we feele in our heart that fatherlie affection of God toward vs and consequently leaveth a testimonie within vs that wee are the sonnes of God And if wee be sonnes that we are also delivered from sinne wrath and damnaton From thence it is called the Spirite of freedome or libertie because it witnesseth that in Christ wee are delivered from sinne and death There is also another cause why it is called so to witte because renewing our minde according to the image of GOD it maketh vs in the meane time freelie to serue God and
adjoyneth and amplifieth the cause of this loue vnto the 7. verse Secondly by saith he gloryeth with his owne soule Thirdly he gloryeth with God vnto the 10. verse Fourthly hee confesseth his owne weaknesse which was sometime in him and that by a comparison of the faith which the◠he had vnto the 12. verse Fiftly he taketh purpose to render thanks vnto God The CXVI Psalme 1 I loue Iehova for he heareth my voice my deprecationes 2 For he hath bowed the eare vnto me when I called vpon him in my dayes 3 And when the dolours of death compassed mee about and the griefes of the graue met me finding anguish and sorrow 4 I called vppon the name of Iehova saying I besseech thee O Iehova deliver my soule 5 Gracious Iehova and righteous Our God I say mercifull 6 Iehova preserving the simple when I am brought to nothing he besieweth salvation vpon me I Loue Iehova The first parte of the Psalme as we haue spoken in which he professeth that loue whereby hee loved God Also loue is ane certaine affection in the hearte whereby any man carnestlie desireth the communion conjunction of that thing which he loveth whatsoever thing surely it be But if the loue of any man towarde another be very fervente then verely he who loveth desireth himselfe to be made one as it were one man with him whom he loveth Paule expresseth the force of this loue when he saide O Corinthians 2. Cor. 6. 11. 12. my mouth is opened towarde you mine heart is made large Ye are not kept straight in vs but ye are kept straight in your owne bowels By which words indeede hee sheweth by the affection of his loue toward the Corinthians that his heart was so enlarged that he received them as it were within himselfe and into the bosome of his heart and that hee became as it were one man with them The loue of God is whereby we desire the communion conjunction with God ◠Cor. 5 6 8. Paule sayeth Wee are hold though we know that whiles we are at home in the bodie we are absent from the Lorde Neuerthelesse wee are bold and loue rather to remooue out of the bodie and to dwell with the Lord. From whence proceedeth this Pauls approbation surely from that loue of his Lord who as hee sayeth in the same Chapter verse 14. The loue of Christ constrayned him and continually carryed him forward vnto the Lord. And this is the cause wherefore we sighing wait for the comming of Christ For the loue whereby wee embrace Christ earnestly thirsteth for that conjunction with Christ There is also another thing that is required in this loue that is that for the loue of Christ wee would be willing to loose the most deare things whatsoever we haue in this life So Christ speaketh in Luke Luk. 14. 20. If any man come vnto me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Desciple By which wordes Christ signifieth that his loue is to be bought yea with the hatred of those thinges which are most deare if it can no otherwise be obteined And this indeede was Davids loue which hee professeth in this place Such should al our loue be who professe the same God with him And in this respect wee are chiefely most happie because wee haue that God of Abraham Isaac Iahakob and David whom we may loue whome wee may worship For he heareth This is an argument of loue frō the benefite of his deliverance from whence arose a certain earnest feling of the mercie of God toward him Marke then that the knowledge of the goodnes of God and the sense of his mercy and loue towarde vs continually goeth before our loue toward him He loueth vs sayeth IOHN not because we haue loued him first 1. Iohn 4. 19. For it is impossible that any man can loue God vnlesse that now firste that loue of God in Christ Iesus be powred out in his heart by the holy Spirit Dauid in every place professeth his loue toward God Rom. 5 5. hee giveth an account thereof continually from the mercy of God toward him I wil loue thee saith he frō my very most inward bowels And what is the reason Psal 18. 2. Iehova is my strength Iehova is my rocke and my strong tower c. By which words indeed he declareth the cause wherefore hee so much loved GOD that it was the mercy of God toward him But if verely we wil loue God for except we loue him we are miserable and if we will set our affection vpon God we haue neede of nothing so much then of diligent marking of all his benefites which he continually heapeth vpō vs. For these ar so many testimonies of gods loue toward vs. Now wee haue said that the loue of God towarde vs is the cause of our loue toward him Wherefore to the end that wee may loue God from our soule every particular benefite of God so farre as it is possible is to be marked by vs. For surely the cause wherefore our harts burne not in that loue where in they ought to burne towards God proceedeth from this that we considder so slightlie his benefites toward vs especially that greatest benefite of all the benefite of our Redemption in Iesus Christ for while his benefites are nor weighed there is no sense of his loue toward vs. And when there is not a feeling of his loue towarde vs howe can it come to passe that wee can loue him He heareth my deprecation Therefore the prayers went before the benefites of God and the sense of his mercy For by those degrees we come as it were vnto the loue of God First wee seek at Gods hands any benefite whether it be Temporal or Spiritual Then after we haue gotten the benefite wee feel his mercy loue toward vs as the fountain frō which that benefite flowed Finally from that sense of the loue of God toward vs that our loue again towrad him aryseth Wherefore to the ende that any man may earnestly loue the Lord his prayers ought to be continuall for of continuall prayers and supplications continuall benefites of God come vnto vs which are so many testimonies of that his loue toward vs in Christ For he hath bowed Hee openeth vp at greater length the reason immediatly preceeding of his loue he abydeth in amplifying thereof vnto the 7. verse In my dayes Hee vnderstandeth the dayes of affliction and anguish as the verse following maketh manifest In this meaning the word of daye is taken Psal 137 Remember against the Edomites of the day of Ierusalem that is of the affliction whereby the Edomites afflicted the Church So Ieremy in the Lamentation 1. 21. For times metonymically in every language vse to be taken for misery in times and dayes We see therefore in this place that affliction thrusted David forward to praiers For
put their confidence in any of their owne deservings neither yet to vaunt of their own righteousnes before God as if they not onely by their righteousnes had recompensed the benefites of God toward them but also had deserved somewhat at Gods hand Wee are againe taught here that the acknowledging of our own weaknes poverty proceedeth froÌ„ diligent examining and weighing of the benefits of God Also from a consideration of our gifts whether they are able to answer to so many so great benefits of god wherfore so at last we shal feel how vnable yea that wear nothing if we wil weigh the benefits of God toward vs and our strength gifts together having compared them among themselues For it will so come to passe at length that having diligently considered that great inequality of the benefits of God of our strength we shal acknowledg how many how great in lacks there ar in vs how vnable wee are to repay the Lord again Wilt thou therefore from thine heart giue thanks vnto God and ascriue solidly altogether al the glory of his benefits to himself acknowledge how poore thou art in thy self how thou hast nothing to recompense the Lord withal now wilt thou know this thing examin diligently coÌ„pare the benefits of God thy giftes and strength among themselues And if we shuld proceed after this order in giving God thanks surely wee would give all the glory to God of his benefits more earnestly from the hart more effectually then we vse to do Again marke here in Dauid the token of a thankfull minde he voweth vnto God he repayeth his vow This thankfulnesse in promising the accomplishment of the promise is not to bee reckoned among the least of Gods benefits For it proceedeth from the speciall favour of God that wee are thankfull to GOD for the benefite receiued For wee are almost all more prone after some measure earnestly to craue Gods helpe to liue vnto him when we are pressed with any grievous perrill then wee are to giue thanks and to paye our vowes vnto God after that already the benefites of God are bestowed vppon vs. Notwithstanding the Prophete warneth that those two are to be joyned together with an inseparable knot Ps â—0 14. Sacrifice prayse vnto God and paye thy vowes to the most High and cal vppon me in the time of anguish I will deliver thee that thou mayest honour mee Surely I thinke that that man hath not sought any thing at God earnestly and with that heart with which it became him who after that he now hath obteined the same is vnmindfull of the benefite and of Thanksgiving For that selfe same spirite which teacheth vs to praye as is requisite and maketh intercession for vs with sighes that cannot bee expressed teacheth vs to giue thanks vnto God for the benefites received that with ane certaine vnspeakable joy gladnesse of heart Last it is marked here that this was the highest degree of thanksgiving that David promiseth here vnto his God For an exceeding great benefite requireth exceeding great thanksgiving Also passing great thanks are not these which are given to God secretly but those that are given publickly The whole Church of God looking on and hearing David if at any time he promiseth or offereth a chiefe duty vnto God hee professeth that hee is not able to offer or to promise a greater duty nor this then that he will prayse God in the publick congregation of his Church For the publick giving of Thanks is more then the private For while thou givest thankes publickly vnto God the whole people sayeth Amen And so they glorifie God together with thee From thence it is that God would haue his people togather together in one and to giue him thanks together in the Church to the end that the greater praise honour and glory may redounde vnto him Precious in the c. This is that forme of thanksgiving which hee setteth before him to bee followed First he recommendeth the Providence of God toward his owne aswell in their life as in their death Then hee confirmeth this providence of God from his own experience First therefore sayeth hee the death is precious Men do commonly thinke while they see the godly afflicted and exercised with sundrie calamities they thinke I say that God at that time taketh no thought of them whether they liue or die And from thence it is that the persecutors themselues thinking that God taketh a like litle care of their life death they wax the more fearce against theÌ„ as against as many vile and abject slaues David therefore opposeth to the perverse opinion of men in this place this excellent passage precious in the eiâ—s of Iehoua c. Whereby hee signifieth first that God many times permitteth not his owne to die but delivereth them very oft out of exceeding great dangers rescueth them as it were out of the very jawes of death Then next by this passage he signifyeth that if God at any time suffereth his owne to die that commeth not passe by Chaunce or Fortune but by the sure purpose of God Pilate after this manner spake vnto Christ even as if God had taken no resolute advise concerning his life or death Knowest thou not sayeth he that I haue power to crucifie thee yea also power to lowse thee Christ aunswereth him Thou shouldest haue no power at all over mee vnlesse it were given thee from aboue Thus much speaketh Christe Thirdly by this passage is signified that the croce death of the godly it self howsoeuer it be vile in the sight of men notwithstanding it is precious in the eies of GOD. Laste this sentence admonisheth that after the godlie are already dead and taken out of this life by the permission of God violence of the vngodly together GOD suffereth not their death to slip out of his remembrance at any time For seeing that is moste true that hee hath all the teares of his owne put vp in a bottle as it were and in register howe many they are howe much more will he haue the whole blood of the godly yea every particular drop also of their bloud kept close with him Yea surely before so much as any one drop of the blood of the godly should perish hee will command the earth it selfe which opening her owne mouth the time it was shed received it and drank it in he will command I say the very earth it self to keep it in her womb as it were vnto that day of the Lords visitation wherein he wil take a vengeance vpon all them whosoever haue persecuted the godly in this life After these foure divers fashions therefore to speake it it summarlie the death of the godlie is pretious in the sight of God first that he suffereth not his own oft to perish but delivereth them out of exceeding great dangers Then if he permitteth them to die that is not done rashly
without a most weighty cause Thirdly that the very death of the godly it selfe howsoever it seeme vile in the sight of the world notwithstanding in Gods sight it is precious Fourthly that continually the memory of the death of the godly is alwaies fresh recent Of these foure manners that first is chiefly to be vnderstood in this place To wit that for this cause the death of Gods owne is precious in the eies of God he suffereth in respect them not many times to die but delivereth theÌ„ out of extreame great daungers But whose death is precious in the eies of Iehova Even the death of those saith he whoÌ„ he beareth at good wil. Therefore the loue and favour of God is the cause wherefore the death of his own is precious those whom he loveth he keepeth them aliue neither doth he at any time suffer them to die rashlie Any would suddenly wounder at the first shew why God hath not only permitted but also hath commanded oft that so many Nations should bee destroyed no choise being had of men wemen and infants which thing wee reade in the booke of Ioshua come to passe vpon the people which were in the Land of Canaan When I was occupied in seeking out somewhat more profoundly the cause of this so greate a severitie this first came in my minde because God favored not those Nations but contrariwise hee hated them whereby it came to passe that their death was not precious in the eies of God If their precious death or not precious death dependeth vppon the loue or hatred of God how blessed are those whome the Lord loveth aswell in life as in death I beseech thee Iehoua Hee confirmeth Gods providence toward his own by his own experience as if he should saye hast thou not I beseech thee ô Iehova lowsed my bondes For he speaketh of himselfe as if hee were drawen bound hand and foote to execution For he meaneth that hee was brought to an extreame daunger of losing his life when by Iehova he was delivered He subjoyneth the cause of his deliverance to wit that he was the servant of Iehova for this cause a servant because he was the son of a hand maid for the sonnes of the handmaid are therewithall according to the law servants When he sayeth that he is the sonne of an hand maid hee signifieth that he is not a stranger a servant coÌ„ming from far but a houshold servant among the rest of Gods domestickes Hee meaneth then that he is not a man that is a stranger a sojorning servant in the house of god but that he himself hath some right title in the house of god either froÌ„ his parents which befor him wer coÌ„prised within the covenant of God for that is no coÌ„mon benefit of that we are borne as it were of the domesticques and confederates of God And surely the affection of Davids mind vttereth the selfe clearely in this gradation of words as it were For the wordes shew that the affection of the minde approched vnto God more more For first he sayeth I am thy servant This is the first degree or steppe of the words and the first approching of the soule vnto God Then he repeapeth the felfe same thing and he saith I am thy servant This is the seconde step of the wordes and the second approching of his soule vnto God Then he sayeth in the third place I am the sonne of thine hand-maid This is the third step of the words and chief signe of his exceeding great and third drawing neere vnto God For while he speaketh this last hee coupleth himselfe altogether with GOD and he cleaveth straitly vnto him and so for this cause he becommeth blessed For our happinesse consisteth in that communion and fellowship with God Thou feest therefore that thing in this place first from whence it proceedeth that hee publickly recoÌ„mendeth with so great a confidence of mind that providence of God toward his owne Surely it commeth from that his owne experience and of the particular providence of God toward him selfe For no man can prayse generally the providence and mercy of God toward his owne Church except he hath in particular felt the same in experience himselfe Certainly that saying would haue bin but coldly spoken by Paule To witte that Christ came into the World to saue sinners vnlesse that he himselfe had firste felt in experience both the miserie of sinne and the mercy of God and for this cause he subjoyneth these words Of whom to witte of sinners I am the chiefest to the end he might conclude in his own conscience that he himself was saved by Christ Therefore that generall faith of the Papists is vnmeet to recommend the providence grace of God toward his owne Church For never did I ever yet esteeme at anie time any Papist to be a meet Preacher or publisher of the benefits of God towarde his Church who is not able to bring out any thing from his own feeling or experience who is not able to say that of the which before we haue spoken in this Psalme I beleeued and therefore did I speake Marke secondly There ar men whom this or that kinde of death doth greatly vexe and torment as violent death as filthie suddaine exquisite and cruell deathes concerning which sortes of death indeede they do no sooner meditate vpon but presently they are striken with a horrible fear but this care thought which is coÌ„cerning the maner of death is preposterous Why should not that much rather be takeÌ„ thought of by vs that we may feel our selues beloved of God for if we be grounded rooted in that loue of God our death of whatsoever sort it be shal be precious in the eies of God we shal be more then conquerors in very death it self obserue thirdly Dauid out of all question Rom. 8. â—7 attayned to that hid loue of God which was in the hart of God he obtained some sense from the effect of some special notable deliverance he learned also that he was beloved of Iehova froÌ„ that becaus his death was precious in the eies of Iehova This is that our onely comforte in life and death that wee are not our own but our most faithfull Lordes Iesus Christs and that we are the Lords and that hee taketh a care of vs From thence also those godlie auncient men chiefly learned the same thing because they felt God present with them in very deede in whatsoever perrilles Amongst the rest David is to be nuÌ„bred who as he was laid open to many dangers so he felt exceeding many deliveraÌ„ces he perswaded himself that god had a speciall care of him in the selfe same place in which hee saide that the death intended against the godly was Precious in the eies of Iehova he without all doubt meaneth that this was a document of the favour care of God toward vs in respect that our death is precious in his
Christ sayeth My meat is to doe the will of him that sente me this is the thing which chiefly I delight in So the teares are saide to be meate in this place because hee who is in the estate of heauinesse delighteth in teares and drinketh them in greedelie as any most sweete liquor For there is some naturall pleasure in everie affection when the affection is left to the selfe Yea in the passion of sorrowe there is a delight although there be not in it a solide joye But if the Spirit of God stir vp those sighes those teares now there is another joy yea and that solide indeed conjoyned with the teares themselues together with inutterable sighes of which the Apostle PAVLI speaketh Rom. 8. It is that gladnes which PETER calleth in his first Epistle vnspeakable and glorious and together with those teares the water of grace and life is drunken-in Neither yet in this life to speake the thing which I thinke is there any solide joye of the Christian man vnlesse it bee then while he reioyceth he powreth out teares sighes is heavie But in that other life All teares shall bee â—iped â—waie from the eies 〈…〉 4. as IOHN speaketh While it is saide Hee adjoyneth the cause of his sorrow that bitter mocking of the enemies which daylie in steede of a reproche they cast vppe in his teeth Where is thy God There was indeede sufficient matter of displeasure in that that he was destitute of that visible presense of God in his Church but for this cause sorrowe was heaped vpon sorrow in respect it was objected by his enemies by way of mockage that he himself was left of GOD. This is no new thinge with the persecutors of the Church throwen downe and humbled yea this waie to vp-brayde any particular member thereof Looke Psal 137. In which it is saide of the Church When we sate weeping at the rivers of Rabell But what did the Babylonians then in that mourning They required of vs saye they in skorne ioyful songs such as wee had sunge in Ierusalem This same thinge also shall wee feele in experience if ever it come to passe through the righteous judgement of God that wee be spoyled of this presence of God in his Gospel the meditation of which evill now appeareth to be some-what light But after that it commeth to passe through the righteous judgement of God then in very deede wee shall finde in experience how grievous it is I speake of those especially who sometime delighteth in the presence of God in his word Remembring these things Again he setteth downe his griefe and hee conjoyneth therewith a new argument of sorrow I powre out my soule vpon my selfe As if he should saye Not onelie I powre out teares but I powre out the verie soule which with displeasure melteth within me The inward lousing of the soule and of the affection thereof is the cause that the bodie and the eies are resolved into teares And manie times yea our eies are not indeed sufficiently of power to furnish teares to our heavinesse after that till all the teares are powred out and the bodie as it were dryed vp Then the passion of sorrow vseth to be vehement when it is left to the owne libertie He adjoyneth the cause of so great a sorrow Remembring these things sayeth he to witte which follow That I was woont sayeth hee to passe by in the multitude As the remembrance of the former miserie after a deliverance is conjoyned with gladnesse for that man never rejoyced solidely at any time which was not first before displeased in earnest so the remembrance of the by-paste felicitie after that anye happie man is made miserable is conjoyned with a great dolor of mind Thus seeing it is customable in any other thing what soever it hath chiefelie place in matters Spiritual and heavenly For to him it seemeth to be intollerable who at some times had GOD present with him in Christ if he be at any time left destitute of his preseÌ„ce epecially if any externall affliction for the preseÌ„t lie over his head but if in the meane time with the remembrance of the former presence together with the dolor there be a desire of that preseÌ„ce surely there is some gladnesse conjoyned with that sorrow Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be filled and Gods ancient mercie shall come vpon them whereof they remember an argumente of the assurance of Gods presence to bee restored in time to come Moreover it is to be marked in this place that fra once the presence of GOD is withdrawen all sorrow and adverse things meete vs in the waye as are the skornings of the enemies and the remembrance of felicitie past 6 Why castest thou downe thy selfe ô my soule and makest a noyse within me Hope in God for I will yet prayse him and the salvation of his face that is of all sortes 7 My God my soule casteth downe the selfe in me The other part of the Psalme WHy castest thou down In this second parte of the Psalme he waltereth as it were suddainelie out of the middest of sorrow and draweth courage to himselfe And first by a turned speech he speaketh to his owne soule Then next to God the fountaine of al comforte Also hee calleth backe as it were again his soule out of the helles For it was very greatly cast downe as the words themselues shew For this is the custom of the godlie that after for a time they haue given liberty vnto displeasure and haue said to their soule as it were Receiue not comforte but drinke in sorrow as water for in dolour and heavinesse for a time is the rejoycing of the godlie After they haue sufficientlie and aboundantlie given place to sorrow and are now altogether caste downe and astonished presently they ryse vp and encourage themselues by the grace of God and some certaine motion of the holy Spirit which leaveth them not vtterly for ever Moreover they doe it after this ordour First they rebuke and correct their owne soule and affection which thing Dauid doth here no otherwaies then a mother doth her childe which hath not yet the vse of reason at which time it is whollie powred out into teares Then after rebuke they comfort their soule and exhorteth it to hope in God altogether after the same fashion whereby mothers after they haue sharpely rebuked their children comfort them It is to be marked that David lifteth vp his soule vnto hope For to hope in God it is the onely remedie against desperation For hope is contrary to desperation and whosoever they bee that are of a cast-downe minde if in the meane time they be not lifted vppe by hope they will fall into desperation and will perish at length From whence proceeded that desperat sorrow of the Gentiles which was without faith without hope without Christ And the same day also how many soever they be that are in the
estate of death without Christ of necessitie they must dye in desperation For I will yet He maketh some place to hope in his soule from thence that he shall not be disappoynted of the thing hoped for but even as he hath hoped so shall it fall out vnto him I wil prayse him sayeth hee and the saluation of his face that is of all sortes That is his face in which is the sâ—cietie of joyes or that manifold salvation which is in his face and presence so to prayse is to publish David therefore promiseth that he will praise both God himselfe and also that so great a benefite of his life received from him or finally to praise the salvation of his face is to prayse publish the salvation which shall bee before him from whence in the laste verse he sayth that hee will prayse the salvation of his face that is the salvation which shall bee seene before him My God As he had first turned himselfe vnto his soule now hee turneth himselfe vnto his God and hee lifteth vp his eies sigheth as it were vnto him opening vp vnto him the sorrow of his soule and hee powreth out his carefulnesse and solicitude vppon his bosome Whosoever is indued with Gods holie Spirite This man sigheth vnto God in his affliction and sorrow But he who is indued with mans spirit onely that man wil never sigh vnto God for he supposeth God to be angrie with him especially then when there lyeth any affliction vppon him For he thinketh that that his whole miserie proceedeth from the wrath of God But hee who hath the Spirite of God that spirit I say of adoption by whome wee crie Abba Father This man commeth without feare vnto God because indeed that Spirite is alwaie with some feeling of Gods mercie and fatherlie loue Wherefore as a sonne who hath his Father well-willing vnto him in his sorrow he taketh his way straight to his father Even so the childe of GOD hee passeth in his sorrow and miserie to God his father and maketh his complaint vnto him 7 Therefore I remember of thee out of the Land of Iorden and of the Chermonites out of the little hill 8 Howsoeuer a deepe calleth vppon a deepe at the sound of those that are sent out by thee let al the breaking-in surges and thy vallies passe by me 9 In the day time Iehova will sende away his louing kindnes and in the night his song vnto me I wil continue in my praier vnto the strong God of my life 10 Saying vnto the strong God of my rocke why forgettest thou mee Wherefore go I in mourning apparrell because of the oppression of the enemies 11 They assaile my bones with a shorte sword my enemies reproching mee while they say vnto me daylie where is thy God THerefore He glorieth thereafter verie suddenly first against the places of his banishment whatsoever then against everie one of his most grievous afflictions This particle Therefore appeareth not to giue a reason of anie sentence going before in the texte Then hee begouth this sentence as it seemeth to me from some cutted off and sudden feeling of joye and of the presence of God as if he had said because of that joy and that rejoycing of the soule which I coÌ„ceiue of my God I remember of thee c. Of which thou learnest this how soone a man vseth to be changed that turneth himselfe vnto God for the presence of GOD is forcible to giue life vnto the creature that his face shineth no sooner but the creature beginneth to reviue againe although it bee never so dead When the Psalme speaketh of these grosse bruitish creatures Psalme 104. 29. 30. When thou hidest thy face they are troubled if thou take away their breath they returne to their dust Againe if thou sende foorth thy Spirite they are refreshed finally thou renewest the face of the earth How much more the reasonable creatures as wee call them and not onely the reasonable but the spirituall that is the creatures that are renewed by the Spirite of GOD which haue once felt howe mercifull the Lord is those creatures I saye depend vppon their God for it is necessary yea much more that their life and death depende from his face present absent Psal 4 7. 8 Lift vp sayth David Iehouah the light of thy couÌ„tenance vpoÌ„ vs and put more ioy in mine heart then at the time in which their cornes and wines were increased Of these therefore chiefely do I speake which are already accustomed with the countenance of God that vse to take some pleasure of his face For to speake of others they are not able earnestly to seeke that countenance of GOD in Christ Iesus For there is no desire of that thinge wee know not Also these haue not yet tasted how sweet that sight of God is in Iesus Christ I remember of thee as if he shuld say In every place where it happeneth me to be banished from all the bordours and coastes of Israell From the East where is the riuer of Iorden from the North where it is bounded by the mountaine of Chermon and Libanus froÌ„ the South where the hilly couÌ„try bouÌ„deth Iudaea He calleth these hillie countries by the name of a little Hill because they being compared with the Mountaine of Libanus and with Chermon which are situate vppon the North they are reckoned out onely among little Hilles Of this place thou perceivest that there is no place either of banishment or of imprisonment so vnpleasant and ougly of the selfe which is able to separat the children of God from the countenance of their God yea they glory in that presence of GOD which they possesse against any place whatsoever For this in which we driue over our life what ever it be it is nothing indeede But Gods presence is all things The word Of remembrance which he vseth is to bee marked For surely that remembrance was rather of Gods presence then the presence of God it self which was then without the Citie oâ— Ierusalem in which at that time was that visible presence of God The matter is so then when wee are banished from this outward ministerie of God in his Church yea in which wee chiefelie haue our God present Then surely we that ar the faithful are not said indeed so much to haue our GOD presente as to remember vppon his presence which was some-time with vs. Also this remembrance I graunt is joyfull sweete and acceptable notwithstanding it lacketh not some certaine displeasure heavines of the own yea in it there is a certaine matter of sorrow as we saw before in the fift verse Remembring these thinges sayth hee I power out my soule vppon my selfe I will saye some-what more This presence of GOD also which is in the ministerie of his worde it hath the owne dolour conioyned therewith because it is vnder hope Hope I grant is with joy and glorying from whence the Apostle remembreth
Christ Iesus our Lord To whom be all glory Amen The Argument of the CXXXVII Psalme A Psalme it is of a mixt kinde Of doctrine and of prayer It is not manifest by whome it was written Yet it is likely that it was written by some Prophet that in name of the whole Church of the Iewes being nowe in captivitie It appeareth also to be written at that time when the people were carryed away into Babylonia yea even then when they were in the very journey as it may be gathered out of the first verse Nowe it is composed of two parts The first is an heavy complaint of the Church vnto the 7. verse The other is an heavie imprecation and a propheticall denunciation against the enemies of the Church vnto the end of the Psalme The CXXXVII Psalme 1 By the rivers of Babylonia we sitting there we wept very much when we remembred of Tzijon 2 In it we hanged vp our harpes vppon the willowes 3 Although in that place these vvho had led vs away captiues and had buried vs together required of vs ioyfull songes saying sing to vs of the songes of Tzijon 4 How could we haue soong the songe of Iehoua in the land of strangers 5 If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget the selfe 6 Let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth if I remember thee not if I call not backe vnto Ieruschalaim the heade of my ioy BY the rivers The first parte of the Psalme The complainte in which there is first the proposition of the complaint when he sayeth wee weept very much That is we were extreame sorrowfull For the Spirit maketh intercession for the church with sighes that cannot be expressed Ro. 8. so to speak with the Apostle And it cannot be sufficientlie spoken with how great heavinesse the Church is accustomed to be moved when she is humbled vnder the hande of God This murning and sorrow of the Church is circumscrived by the own subject when he sayeth By the ryvers of Babylonia That is of the Babylonical monarchie For the Iewes wer not only caryed away into Babylonia so properly called but they were dispersed throughout the Babylonicall jurisdictions as it may be most clearly gathered out of Ezekiel Daniell Ezra Then the place is the Babylonicall monarchie in general but in particular the brinkes of the rivers For he sayth By the rivers of Babylonia Wee sitting there that is sitting vpon the brinks of the rivers vnto such time as all were ferried over This place of the Babylonical monarchie conteineth in the selfe a certaine cause of this weeping which hee setteth downe For the place manifestlie sheweth the banishment and carrying away into captivity from their natiue soile to an strange lande Then the people being in their journey farre from home and banished bewayleth their sinnes which ought to haue bin bewayled at home Not-with-standing those who will not murne at home they are compelled to murne far frō their home For sinnes of necessitie are once to be bewayled and wee must bee sorrowfull either sooner or later because we haue offended GOD. And if wee be not sorrowfull at home surely wee shall murne far from home And if we murne not in this life surely wee shall be sorrowfull in that other life or rather death where there shall nothing be heard but wayling and gnashing of teeth Blessed are they also who later yea and that in exile yea at any time whatsoever ar earnestly sorrowful for their sinnes if so be they deferre not their mourning to an other Worlde blessed are they For even those who do later yea or at whatsoever time murne and repent in this life in that other life all teares shall bee wiped awaye from their eies But those who laugh in this life and refuse to murne in that other life there shall be none ende or measure of their sorrow When wee remembred This is the other cause of the mourning but some-what more cleare to witte the remembrance of Tzijon that is of Ierusalem where the visible and outwarde presence of God to be looked vpon was For these who are banished from God they do surely feele what great profite yea and it were no more but this which is in the presence of GOD and which is in this his visible ministery what great discommoditie is in that his absence we while we haue God present in his ministery and beholde him after some sort in that mirrour of his Gospell we acknowledge not how happie we bee and it were no more but for that selfe same cause But if it shall come to passe at any time through the righteous judgment of GOD that this mirrour of the Gospell and this outwarde ministerie be taken away from our eies then indeed wee shall feele in effecte what great misery it is to bee destitute thereof I speake specially concerning those who are accustomed at any time to feele some pleasure of this sincere preaching of the worde administration of the Sacraments David being in exile Remembring those things sayth he I poure out my soule vpon my self when I remember that I was woont to passe by in the congregation to walke with them vnto the house of God c. Behold David being banished from the visible Church of God he was exceeding greatly sorrowfull But what is the cause Even because hee vvas woont to vvalke together vvith the Church vnto the house of GOD vvith the voyce of singing and prayse That is because he was to feele no little pleasure of that external and visible ministerie And therefore being nowe a banished man the remembrance of that Spiritual pleasure joy mooved him to no smal displeasure Here we ar to be admonished that this dolor proceeding frō the remembrance of that heavenly ioy is not the sorrow of this worlde But it is that dolour which is called the godly sorrow which surely hath greater ioy mixed therwith then is the whole joy of this worlde yea albeit it be voyde of all sense of sorrow For every one of the godly while they mourne they feele in the meane time ane vnspeakable ioy conioyned with sighes that cannot bee expressed In it we hanged vppe our Harpes vppon the Willowes A certaine amplification of the murning sorrow set down The Church murned cast away al instruments matter of consolation For these who are sorrowfull earnestly from their hearte they thinke that all ioye and matter of ioye is a displeasure vnto them and contrariwise they thinke all heauinesse to bee vnto them as a pleasure My teares are vnto me sayeth DAVID in steede of meate But what manner of songs were these Psal 42. 4◠They were holie songes and the songes of the Lorde those who earnestlie sanctifiedly do weepe vse not so much indeed as to sing holy songs For at such time as the Lord casteth vs downe and humbleth vs at that time it becommeth vs to mourne rather then to singe Iam