O Cast away sin first If thou come to the Table of the Lord that is the Eucharist there thou commest to offer the Sacrifice of thanksgiving If thou come to the House of God to offer Prayer If thou come to offer obedience attention in hearing the word cast away sin it will poyson all it will make the word unprofitable it will make our Prayers that they shall not ascend nor our praises in a spirituall acceptable vapour into Gods eares That is the first thing There was a necessity that he should put in this phrase so will we praise thee for unlesse sin be taken away it is imposible to please God Secondly as it hath respect to the work of the People so to the work of God there are two things in that To the work of punishment and To the work of Gods grace To the work of punishment for all these three are in the former Take away iniquity remove thy judgement and give us grace take away iniquity and then we shall boldly come to the Throne of Grace Now Secondly remove thy punishment and then we will praise thee It hath respect to Gods work of punishment Not as if we should not praise God when his hand is upon us A good Servant of God will praise God not onely when he smiles but when he corrects him not onely when all is prosperous but in the middest of his callamities and sufferings If he shut him up in his House he will praise him if he makes all his stormes to rise against him he will still blesse him as Job he blessed God when he had taken away all The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. But yet there is reason of it take away thy punishment and then we will blesse thee that is then we shall have opportunity to blesse thee While thy hand is on us our hearts are dejected Praise is grafted on a chearfull spirit and while our hearts are cast downe we cannot praise thee thou must enlarge our hearts by removing thy punishment and then we shall have opportunity to blesse thee that as Hezekiah sayth The living the living shall praise thee And as David sayth Shall thy faithfullnesse be seene in the Grave Or thy loving kindnesse in destruction Wilt thou cut us off by judgements and can we praise thee then The dead remember thee not if thou cut us of by thy plagues and stormes how shall we praise thee then Then our lips will be sealed up and our hands will be benummed O take away thy judgements and then we shall have opportunity to praise thee The Point is this The true Child of God though he will blesse God in all estates yet then he is most disposed to Praise God when God removes his Hand when he makes his Rod not to fall upon him Because a dull dejected Spirit is not fit for praise Praise must be grafted upon joy It is a word of Exhortation to those of dejected spirits that they chide themselves out of their Melancholly passion since they have assurance of Gods favour that they rob not God of thankfullnesse A man of a dejected spirit he thinks God doth all as an Enemy for the worse he robs God he cannot praise him Labour for a chearfull spirit that thou mayest praise God for it is the elevated Spirit that praiseth God Remove thy judgements and then we shall have opportunity to praise thee Thirdly and lastly it hath respect not onely to the works of God without but to the work of God inward and spirituall to the work of grace It hath respect to the work of sin and punishment and now to the work of grace So the meaning is this Receive us graciously and then we shall have enablement to blesse thee See how they hang first Take away iniquity and then we shall have boldnesse to blesse thee remove thy judgements and then we shall have opportunity to praise thee powre thy grace on us and then we shall be enabled to praise thee Thou must put words of praise into our mouths or else we cannot praise thee we can doe nothing of our selves Can we give the Calves of our lips unlesse thou give them to us The Calves of our heards we have them from thee but the Calves of our selves are harder to give We would faine blesse thee but our lips are uncircumcised lips they are tyed Lord doe thou hallow them sanctifie them doe thou give us words Take to you words Where shall we get them Doe thou open our lips and thou shalt have the glory of our lips put the words of praise into us and then we will praise the we shall then have enablement to praise thee The Point is this The Child of God as he depends on God for acceptance of his Sacrifice of Prayer and performances so he depends upon God for Enablement that God may have praise There is no duty of piety growes upon mans owne heart there must the Spirit of God move in the heart If it be the work of praise or Prayer or Charity they are all fruits of the Spirit that is those fruits that flow from the inhabitation and powerfull operation of the Spirit of God They are the fruits of Gods Spirit that we may all cry Not unto us but unto thy name give the glory the glory of forgiving of sins the glory of any degree of grace belongs to thee The consideration of this will excite us to thankfullnesse when we consider where the Fountaine is whence we draw that it is above that it is not our owne arme that supports us that it is not our owne Spirit that Santifies us or our owne Spirit that suggests the words of Prayer of praise and thankfullnesse The consideration of this will excite us to Prayer as well as to thankfullnesse When we consider that every God gift is from above As the Apostle sayth of wisdome If any man want wisdome let him ask it of God It is true of other graces If any man want repentance let him ask it of God if any man want thankfullnesse and charity and meeknesse let him ask it of God Here we see the way paved out to us to goe to God for the beginning enlargement of all grace whatsoever If any want an understanding heart it is God that enlightens the heart If any want a contrite heart it is God that melts it If any want a sincere heart it is God that strengthens it If it be the want of a zealous heart it is God that enflames it if a humble heart it is God that bows it if of a thank full heart it is God that enlargeth it all is of God all our sufficiency Therefore the Prophet teacheth them that the grace of Thankfullnesse was not powred out by the strength of their owne piety but they must have recourse to God The summ of all is this Take away our iniquities and then we will praise thee That is
the Tables of the Law that containe the Commandements they have this word on them they are called the Tables of testimony Then the Ark that contained these Tables that hath this word it is called the Ark of the testimony Then the Tabernacle that held the Ark had this word stamped on it it is called The Tabernacle of Testimony Here they hang the Tabernacle held the ARK the Ark held the Tables the Tables held the Law it transmitted by the power of it this name to all that had reference to it And it is fitly called testimonies Respectu Sui Respectu Dei Respectu Nostri In regard of it selfe First because it was a Law given at first by many solemn testifications as one observes Lex evangelium c. The Law and the Gospell were given under testimonie Besides therefore the testimony because it is the testification of all Divine sacred truths of all things that concerne Salvation The Scriptures onely give witnesse to themselves there is no truth doth so besides Divine truths and the Commands of God And Salvian gives the reason very well it must needs be Incorruptum testimonium an uncorrupt testimony that is given by the pure incorrupt Spirit of God that was the Inspirer of it Then againe it is a testimony in respect of us Actively Passively Actively because it is the testimony to be beleived by us Hence it is that we confirme all truths Non est processio c. we can have no proofe of any thing in Christianity but out of the holy Scriptures As St. Chrysostome well Sine his testibus c. without these sacred witnesses our inventions have no validity they are of no force Therefore because it is a witnesse to the truth it is called Gods testimony hence we are to draw the testimony of confirmation Then passively too therefore the testimony in regard of our selves because it testifies against us if we doe not observe and keep it It is true of the Old Testament It is true of the New Testament Of the Old God himselfe speaks he Commands Moses to put the Tables in the Ark that they might be a Witnesse and Testimony against them And our blessed Saviour speaks of the new in the Gospell The words that I speake shall judge you shall witnesse against you at the last day They are testimonies of comfort as St. Austin sayth well if we keep them and testimonies of conviction if we transgresse them That no man may think he can sin without a witnesse there are many Books of witnesse will be produced The Book of the creatures the Book of Conscience and the Book of Gods prescience and the Book of the Scriptures too Every Chapter that we read every Text that we heare at any time Expounded will eyther be Pro or Contra a testimony a witnesse eyther for us for our comfort and assurance or else against us for our conviction therefore in respect of us it is called a testimony Last of all in respect of God himselfe both because it doth give a testimony to him it makes God knowne to us it gives a testimony of all those attributes that are himselfe of his Wisdome of his power of his justice of his goodnesse of his truth The Declaration of these we have them all in the Book of the Scriptures there is never a Book but there is a testification of these In the Book of Genesis we have there a testimony of his power in making the World A testimony of his justice in drowning the World Of his goodnesse in saving Noah In the Book of Exodus we have a testimony of his providence in leading the People of Israell through the Red Sea in bringing them out of Aegypt We have a testimony of his wisdome in giving them his Law What should I name more In the New Testament in the Gospell all is testimony As the Old gave testimony to God so the New to Christ To him give all the Prophets witnesse not onely the Old but the New These are they that testifie of me Every where there is testimony of Christ of his humility in taking our Nature of his power in working of Miracles of his wisdome in the Parables that he spake of his patience and love in the torments that he suffered for us Both Law and Gospell the whole Book of Scripture and every part of it in these regards is fitly called The testimonies of the Lord. And the holy Psalmist makes choyce of this name when he was to speake to the honour and glory of it because it was that name from which he sucked a great deale of comfort in that it was the testimony of Gods truth and goodnesse and wisdome and power to him thereupon he makes so precious esteeme of it as to account it his heritage This is the first thing what the Psalmist speakes of the word of God under this name The testimonies of the Lord. Now from that we may goe on to the next to see what it is that he thus predicates and testifies of them and it is an honourable Elogium I have taken or as some read it I have chosen or as others I have claimed them as my heritage and a heritage for ever In all these variations we may see abundance of Heavenly affection in the Psalmist at this time Considering that the word of God it was that great blessing that God bestowes upon the Church and hath intitled and interessed all his Servants in it therefore David makes advantage of the premises he challengeth his title and interest as being one 〈…〉 one of the Servants of God I have claimed 〈◊〉 an Heritage for ever Considering againe that the word of God is that great gift that God reacheth out himselfe the greatest gift that ever he bestowed upon the World but the gift of his Son and the gift of the holy Ghost next them the word of God that is the great gift and God reaching out this great gift now David as it were spies Gods hand extended towards him therefore he meets him in this work and God having a hand to give he hath a hand to take I have taken them as my heritage for ever Yet againe remembring that they were of more worth and esteem then all Earthly things whatsoever more precious then gold then fine gold and all spoiles and riches he is here put to his choyse which way he will take and what he would make choyse of the glory of the World of which he had plenty the royalty of it or that that was more deare to his Soul the testimonies of the Lord. What doth he With Mary he makes choyse of the better part here he pitcheth and fixeth his election I have chosen thy testimonies as a Heritage for ever Any of these wayes it is full of affection And what is it now that David takes and chooseth and claimes The testimonies of God For an Heritage An Heritage it is a word that is precious and a word
in such a caset and the path of Piety in comforts Spirituall Yea happy is that people which have the LORD for their God In the handling of the first without any further subdivision I will onely shew what it is the Psalmist treats of and that shall be by way of Gradation in these three particulars It is De FELICITATE De Felicitate POPULI De HAC felicitate populi Of happinesse Of the peoples happinesse Of the peoples happinesse as in such a case Happinesse is the generall and the first a noble argument and worthy of an inspired pen especially the Psalmists Of all other there can be none better to speak of popular happinesse then such a King nor of celestiall then such a Prophet Yet I mean not to discourse of it in the full latitude but only as it hath a peculiar positure in this Psalme very various and different from the order of other psalmes In this Psalme it is reserved to the end as the close of the foregoing meditations In other Psalmes it is set in the front or first place of all as in the 32 in the 112 in the 119 and in the 128. Again in this the Psalmist ends with our blessednesse and begins with God's BLESSED BE THE LORD MY STRENGTH In the 41 Psalme contrary he makes his exordium from mans BLESSED IS HE THAT CONSIDERETH THE POOR his conclusion with God's BLESSED BE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL I therefore observe these variations because they are helpfull to the understanding both of the essence and splendour of true happinesse To the knowledge of the essence they help because they demonstrate how our own happinesse is enfolded in the glory of God and subordinate unto it As we cannot begin with Beatus unlesse we end with Benedictus so we must begin with Benedictus that we may end with Beatus The reason is this Because the glory of God it is as well the consummation as the introduction to a Christians happinesse Therefore as in the other Psalm he begins below and ends upwards so in this having begun from above with that which is principall Blessed be the Lord he fixeth his second thoughts upon the subordinate Blessed or happy are the people He could not proceed in a better order he first looks up to Gods kingdome then reflects upon his own as not meaning to take blessednesse before he had given it There is no man can think but this is the best method It is the method of Saints as we see 1. Sam. 25.32 33. and 2. Chron. 31.8 First Blessed be the God of Israel then Blessed be the people of Israel Nay it is the method of Angels Luke 2.14 they first sing Glorie to God then Good will towards men It must also be the method of every Christian whensoever we are about the wishing of blessednesse either to our selves or others to begin from heaven and ascribe it first to the LORD That we may receive we must give give what we have and give what we mean to have To give is the way to get both to get the thing and to get the greater degree It is an undeniable consequence If beatitude be the ultimate end of man and the glorie of God the ultimate end of our very beatification then it followes necessarily That by giving more glorie to God we gain more of beatitude to our selves because more of the supreme and beatificall end So that he who will attain to the Psalmist's comfort must observe also the Psalmist's order that he may end assuredly with BEATUS he must learn to begin with BENEDICTUS That 's the first considerable thing in the order as touching the essence of true happinesse The other is concerning the splendour which flowes from the other part of the variation in that the Psalmist doth end this psalme as he begins divers of the rest with Happy or Blessed to represent as it were unto us utramquesplendoris paginam the two great excellencies of blessednesse by the double situation of it Happinesse is both the bonum Primum and the bonum Vltimum of a Christian the spring of all good things and the crown the spire and the basis the first and the last of things to be desired the first for eminence the last for fruition In the descents of Christianitie the first because we move from it to inferiour ends happinesse giveth law to all our actions we move from it that we may in time come to the possession of it In the order of ascent it is the last for having climbed once thither we go no further but set up our rest It hath this resemblance with God himself who is the Donour of it That it is both the beginning and the end before which nothing should be loved and after which nothing can be desired Answerable to these two respects are the positures of happinesse in the Psalmes As in military affairs it is the custome of Emperours to promise the Donative to their souldiers when they go forth to warre that they may encourage them but not to give it till the warre be ended that they may reward them for their service In like manner saith S. Ambrose doth the Psalmist velut praeco magni Imperatoris he disposeth of beatitude both wayes he prefixeth it to the beginning of some Psalmes that thereby we might be invited to pietie he annexeth it to the end of others to teach us not to look for it before our work be done So even by this we may learn how to order and dispose of our selves to happinesse Since it hath the double reference it must have also the double honour and the double esteem yea and our double endeavours for the attaining of it Then we give it the double when we set it in both places make it both our first and our last the prime of our life and the perseverance We must look through all things upon happinesse and through happinesse upon all through all upon it as not resting in any thing else and through it upon all as seasoning every act of our life with the thought of happinesse Otherwise if we think to give it our last respects without our first pretend what we will there is no hope to overtake it Thus farre even worldly men will go they are willing enough to heare that they must make it their last work and they fulfill it in a sort to the letter but not to the meaning The love the hope the care of their own happinesse they put them off all to the last A very preposterous course for a man to begin where and when he should have ended and to defer his first of motion to his last of rest It is too late for the foolish Virgins to cry Matth. 25.10 11. Lord open when the doore is shut and a vain thing to expect happinesse as our end unlesse we make it our beginning and give it the same place in our hearts and actions which holy David affords it in his meditations the first
such confessions it is such a confession as never prevailes Hypocrisie sets a man further from pardon because it is a double sin yet at that time when they would not be brought to a formall confession God forbeares to punish to encourage them after hee forbeares the punishing of them for a time As Ahab for his counterfeit humiliation God diverts the judgement to encourage us to true humiliation So Jehoahaz a wicked King he continued in the sins of Jeroboam yet when he was affticted and humbled himselfe before God although it were a counterfeit humiliation he diverted the judgement If he shew mercy to the confessions of Hypocrites that are full of hypocrisie and dissimulation what will he doe to those that doe it sincerely I say God loves not hypocrisie and hypocrisie is farthest from pardon though it be yet because they were so farr from true repentance that they would not be brought to an outward forme when they brought that forme God encouraged them to goe on further that he remitted the judgement temporall upon their fained forced humiliation Is it not then a great encouragement for us to repent and confesse our sins Confession is a grace that shines in all Christian vertues There is no vertue that can be practised without confession of sin whether a man doth well or ill confession comes in as Austin saith sweetly If I be ill this is to confesse to the glory of God that my sin is of my selfe if I doe good this is to confesse to the glory of God that all grace is from him In evill there we bring confession that is the confession of our miquities In good we bring confession the confession to Gods praise and of Gods grace so every way confession is necessary In bono fact a tuo c. If wee doe any thing well God must have the glory because he workes it if wee doe any thing ill then wee must confesse to take shame because all our confusion and shame is from the iniquity of our owne heart That is the first thing the Prophet would have them bring the language of repentance the language of repentance is the confession of sin by acknowledging them to God That is the first thing Take with you words of repentance confesse your sins to God he shewes the necessity of confession The second thing he shewes not onely the necessity of the duty but hee gives them direction they are sweetly couched here Take with you words and goe and confesse that is Take such words as become Converts and Penitents What are those words the Prophet bids them take concerning the duty of confession We will reduce them to foure heads First Humble words pride will not stand with repentance I gat me to God right humbly Looke upon all the confessions of prayer or sin in Scripture they were all seasoned with the grace of humility I am lesse then the least of thy mercies saith Jacob I am unworthy that thou shouldest come under my roofe was the confession of the Centurion I am lesse then the least of Saints because I persecuted the Church saith Paul Look upon the confessions of the Old Testament how they are seasoned with humility Ezra Ezra 9. he confesseth in the name of the people and he begins it so O Lord I am ashamed and blush to come before thee c. It is the very same words that Nehemiah takes in confessing the peoples sin when he was the mouth of the people Nehem. 9. We lye under shame upon the ground confusion covers our faces wee and our Princes and Preists and our Fathers have all been rebellious against thee It is the forme of words that Daniel useth too in the confession of sin that he makes for the people O Lord to thee belongeth righteousnesse but to us confusion Here is then the humble straine of repentance and confession of sin to give glory to God and to take shame to our selves Here is the proper dialect the true Idiome of the language of repentance Those are the first words he bids them take take humble words the confession of pride a Pharisaicall confession will not doe it Secondly They must be mournfull words Teares are the lavâ—r in which confession of sin bathes it selfe When a man is to frame the words of confession of sin to God the eye gives Inke and the heart gives accents teares are the oyle in which the words of confession are steeped and sighs and groanes are the compasse and point whereby the line of confession is drawne to God they must be mournfull words the cry of the eye and the voice must goe together If the heart melt the eye will weep if the voice houle the eye will have sympathy that was the forme of Davids confession I roare through disquiet I goe mourning all the day long So we see the confession of Aaron that he made before Moses Alas my Lord there is not onely a word of humiliation but a word of lamentation Alas my Lord for I have sinned and done foolishly And the Children of Israel 1 Sam. 7. that they might expresse their humble confession of sin in such language it is sayd that they were ashamed at Mizpeh and what did they they wept and drew water and poured it on the ground and then they confessed to God that they had sinned A man would wonder at such a ceremony the pouring of water on the ground What is of lesse moment then water spilt upon the ground The Scripture useth that phrase to expresse a thing of no esteeme and they were ashamed for that purpose to shew that they could not weep enough themselves they would by this expresse the desire of their soules that if they could they would poure out Pailes and Rivers of teares they wished that their heads were Rivers of waters because they could not shed teares enow they bring Buckets and poure them out to the Lord. Take to you humble and mournefull words that is the second Thirdly Take with you simple naked words the words of integrity and simplicity a man must bring when he comes before God in the naming of his sin It is not enough to confesse them in generall because God knowes them in particuler but God lookes that wee should search into our hearts and dive into our soules and fetch up all and leave no dreggs of sin under but evacuate all if there be but the least behinde it will turne to poyson We must not come before God with a heart and a heart and a tongue and a tongue as we must bring simplicity of heart so simplicity of speech So we finde the forms of all confessions in Scripture run thus They contented not themselves to say they had sinned Pharoah and Saul and Judas could goe so farr I have sinnod they could not speake lesse if they sayd any thing yet they that sayd lesse found it made good from the heart David sayd no more but they had not true repentance because they
word that he hath given Therfore it is a speciall meanes to keep men in the Pale of obedience when they hedge themselves in with holy resolutions I know Cardinall Bellarmine and he more remarkably then any other of the Romish Writers is very large and peremptory in declaring that that which is within the compasse of precept cannot fall within the compasse of a vow that no necessary duty can fall within the compasse of a vow But if there were not Testimony of the Saints in Scripture the Testimony of their owne Writers are sufficient evidence against it besides the truth it self Alphonsus Picus Cajetane Valencia these foure they are bold all of them to expresse themselves to be of another opinion that properly and directly that that we are tied to by the necessity of precept most properly falls within the compasse of a vow and it is most safe for one may safely vow that that he is tied to doe and the vowing and resolving of it adds a second obligation it is an awaking Therefore David took this course he bound himselfe by vow and promise and oath I have sworne that I will performe thy righteous judgements He excites himselfe by these Obligations to every duty of piety he set himselfe those Lessons of piety he tasked himselfe to such duties sometimes to repentance To thee will I confesse Sometimes to obedience I will walke in thy Commandements Sometimes to prayer At morning noone and evening I will call on thee Sometimes to thankfullnesse Seaven times in a day I will prayse thee He tasked himselfe to these duties thereby to keep and hidge in his obedience So will every Christian that he may keep himselfe in the path of Piety he will oft consider how he walks and consider his purposes and resolutions and strengthen himselfe in holy purposes it is a great meanes to arme our selves A heart will not easily be overcome with temptations that is armed with good purposes good purposes incite to Prayer and practise you take away perseverance you take away practise and performance you take away endeavour if you take away resolution Therefore if you will learne to keepe your selves in the wayes of Gods Commandements learne oft to resolve to purpose We shall tread awry when we have done the best but if there be a good purpose God takes that for performance if we arme our selves with good resolutions Let us not take this help from our selves since we come short of performance let us have endeavours and purposes This the Prophet teacheth them when they come to performe their thanks they must have purposes We will give thee Those are the two first things he minds them of in generall There are other things he minds them of in perticuler and they are these foure The first is this That Thankfullnesse is due to God for all his mercies It is due by right of Lordship because God is Lord and owner of all we have he is Lord of our life and being there is the Fountaine of all goodnesse Whither should the streames run but back to the Fountaine to the Sea sayth Bernard let the streames of thankfullnesse run back to the Head they are drawne from grace they come from God the grace of pardon and grace must returne to God the grace of thankfullnesse And it is by right of Debt his we owe it him it is a Debt to any man that doth us a courtesie no lesse requitall can be made for the least good turne then thankfullnesse yet those that they doe are small and they are tied by the bond of Charity and by the Law of God and they sin if they doe it not and those that they doe God doth by their hands he inclines them to it Then if we account it a misery if we be unthankfull to men we owe much more of this duty of thankfullnesse to God by another bond because from him we have all mercy and the choisest mercies What hand soever reacheth us a Blessing God is the Author God gives it And can we give him any thing lesse then thanks We can give him nothing else He gives it us when we give him thanks and prayse we pay him with his owne we give not his mercy back in the kind but vertually in the strength He that gives glory to God he gives the mercy back in strength But we can give nothing to God that he hath not before in a more eminent manner whether it be praise or glory or blessing or reverence or worship His name is glorious though we give it not his name is admirable he will make his glory appeare though we dishonour him But he so interprets it in mercy we are sayd to give it when we acknowledge it He is not capable of our gift but when we testifie that he hath it we are said to give it The Knee when it bowes before him worships him and the heart when it is ravished with admiration gives him reverence and the tongue when it speakes of his prayse gives him thankfullnesse if God take these as gifts at our hands that we owe and can add no addition by it we can doe no lesse then acknowledge that thankfullnesse is due to God for all his mercies That is the first thing A second thing he would teach them to acknowledge that thankfullnesse is especially due for the pardon of sin when sin is pardoned the first bud of new righteousnesse in the heart O it is thankfullnesse to God Bless the Lord O my soule and all that is within me and then followes That forgiveth all thine iniquities We owe God praise and glory for all his mercy and goodnesse but for none more then the pardon of sin for here is the Stock upon which other graces are grafted when once sin is pardoned all temporall things prove comfortable Therefore when they beg for the Pardon of sin say they We will give thee the Calves of our lips There is thankfullnesse due to God especially for spirituall mercies and of them for the grace of reconciliation the forgivenesse of sins A Christian will be methodicall in his thankfullnesse as well as in his Prayer I shewed before that devotion keeps good order it prayes for spiritualls before temporalls and against spiritualls before temporalls And thankfullnesse keeps a good order it gives thanks for the best mercies first and most Though all the mercies of God be good yet there is a difference there is a difference betweene spirituall mercies and temporall For temporall mercies Liberty is better then Wealth and life then liberty and grace then all As God hath set an order in mercies so thankfullnesse observes an order he doth not thanke God so much for temporall mercies as for pardon of sin that swallowes up the heart and takes up the whole latitude of the affections There is thankfullnesse due for establishing us in our civill Callings but more for calling us to the acknowledgement of the truth There is blessing due for keeping us
in this World but more for the hope of life in another world Many thanks are due for Creation but more for redemption for in Creating us he made us once but in redeeming us he made us againe and in giving us the hope of life everlasting he makes us for ever There is great thanks due for removing temporall Plagues but more for the removing of his wrath and our sins Therefore the Prophet would have them understand that as they prayed first Take away iniquity so they should give thanks in that order when their iniquities were taken away then they should thanke God for the pardon of their sins first for spirituall then for temporalls Reason shews this order for in our Prayers we Pray for temporall things with conditions but for spiritualls without conditions as we pray for them more fervently so we should be thankfull for them with more enlarged hearts So in taking away temporall things we give thanks as Job did but in spirituall things we give thanks when God gives them but none gives thanks for the taking them away It is true when God with-holds grace he can make grace grow out of that separation from himselfe but that is by accident that the want of grace should be a meanes of the propagating of grace but properly and directly none can rejoyce in the taking away of grace We give thanks for temporalls when we want them but for spiritualls onely when we have them That is the second thing Thirdly another thing he would instruct them in by adding this clause is this that thankfullnesse must be joyned with Prayer first he teacheth them to pray Take away iniquity but he closeth the Prayer with thankfullnesse These must goe together they are Sister-duties and in a large sence speaking thankfullnesse is a part of Prayer therefore as Prayer inlargeth it selfe in expressing of wants so thankfullnesse in expressing it selfe in Gods goodnesse It is a defect we find in the Missalls of the Romish Church where we find many Prayers made to Saints but not one forme of thankfullnesse If it be lawfull to pray to them it is lawfull to thanke them for favours received by them What a grosse error is it in them to make Prayers and not to thanke them Those are more rare they set them at the end of their Books Glory and praise be to the Virgin Mary but for the particular since they make so many Prayers to the Saints why doe they not thanke them As in the one they are injurious to God in praying to Saints so in the other they are injurious to the Saints in not thanking them for so many mercies they receive for the rule is firme whom we pray to we must give thanks to for the mercies we may pray we may give thanks As Elisha spread himselfe upon the Child hand upon hand and face upon face so in these two duties the hands must be spread to God and hands and eyes must be fixed and fastened on God in giving thanks when we receive mercies as they are fixed in begging and the hands must be spread as wide in blessing God as ever they were in praying to him and the Knees must bow as low and the voyce of the lips must be lifted as loud in giving thanks for mercies as ever they were extended in praying for mercies It is a signe of an ungratefull heart to be fervent in begging mercies and to be unmindfull of thankfullnesse Therefore the Prophet bids them joyne thankfullnesse to Prayer That is the third thing he minds them of that thankfullnesse is due for all mercies and for spirituall mercies and that thankfullnesse must goe along with prayer The Fourth is this that thankfullnesse is to be the close of Prayer here the Prayer ends So will we give thee the Calves of our lips Prayer is one of those duties that I said had a Language there are two Letters that make up the Language Confession of sin that is the Alpha and thankfullnesse to God that is the Omega of it All Prayer opens with confession of sin all Prayer shuts with thanksgiving that is the end of Prayer Prayer it selfe is the Key that opens to all duty and thankfullnesse is the Key that locks up prayer O! How sweet will the order be observed when Prayer makes the Way and Thankfullnesse closeth it Where these two are joyned when a man is conversant in that worke be it Morning or Evening Sacrifice both Sacrifices meet in this in Confession of sin there is the Dawning of the DAY and in giving Thanks there is the Evening Sacrifice the Latter end and Close of Prayer Christ taught us this in the Lords prayer after he had set downe six Petitions For thine is the Kingdome the Poweâ— and the glory to shew that Prayer must be shut up with thanksgiving The Apostle Paul shewes it in 1. Tim. 2. Texhort that Prayers and Supplications be made for all with thanksgiving In Phillipians 4. Therefore let your Suites and Requests in all things be made knowne to God by Prayer and Supplication and giving of thanks In both places giving of thanks comes in the last place With Prayer and Supplication and giving of Thanks Why doth he set it in the last place To shew that thanksgiving must close up Prayer So will we give the Calves of our lips That is the fourth thing And how well doe all these if they be put together concurr in the preparation we are to make this day for the Sacrament Looke back to the first point delivered and see if there be not a concurrence of all these Remember the three enlargements of the order of them remember these six things in joyning these to them So will we render the Calves of our lips When we come here we pray to God for his grace and for the continuance and enlargement of his grace therefore it is that he instituted the Sacrament that it might be an instrument for the confirming and conveying of grace it is the instrument that God useth Thereupon it is that diverse of the Fathers are bold to call it the preservative against everlasting death the conservative to everlasting life the salve of imortallity We come here to beg grace and the continuance of it we come to beg grace and the evidence of grace too by the confirming and assuring of it For that purpose the Sacrament was instituted to confirme our faith that we might not want a memoriall of all those great things that Christ wrought for us In this respect the Fathers call the Lords Supper the pledge of eternity the defence of faith the hope of the Resurrection because here grace is enlarged it pleaseth God to enlarge and confirme it this way For those that want certainty here they may get assurance those that have it may get an addition Thirdly here we beg pardon of sin and we give thanks for it and we come to have that sure to us and make acknowledgement of it by thankfullnesse Lastly
and that his rejoycing is to be picked out of the word of God and that will appeare to us by three Propositions that are here contained The first is this that a Christian in this world hath his rejoycing he hath his rejoycing here his life even while it is a life of sorrow is a life of rejoycing Though they be creatures of mortification though they be Creatures daily excercised in repentance though they be daily tried by afflictions and tribulations yet Christianity is such an excellent estate that in the middest of tribulation they find comfort in the middest of mortification it administers rejoycing St. Paul found it not onely in tribulation but in other failings therefore he sayth of all godly sorrow causeth rejoycing It must needs be that there must be rejoycing in godly sorrow for godly sorrow produceth and raiseth joy therefore he sets it downe in another place As sorrowing but yet alway rejoycing He sets it downe with advantage he gives sorrow but a Siâ—ut as sorrowing As if the sorrow of a Christian in the world were not worthy the name of sorrow It is Sicut but Vera gaudenti alway rejoycing True rejoycing It is a slander and an evill report that men bring on Piety to think it makes men sullen and discontented alway in an afflicted estate There is nothing makes the heart more chearfull then a good Conscience there is nothing brings a good conscience so much as the favour of God a constant walking in the wayes of Gods Commandements a keeping to the rules and wayes of piety Christianity is not so stoicall as to grudge us of our joy A Christian is so far from being deprived of joy that he is the onely Creature indeed that hath the true title to it It doth not take away this affection it takes away none it improves none more then this Non lollit c. It doth not take it away but rightly tempers it it teacheth us to place it on the right object to keep the due bounds the right compasse That we may see that it doth not sequester or exclude the comfort or joy of the heart the Scripture calls upon them most of all and gives them Commands and in junctions of rejoycing and it doth it by reduplication Rejoyce in the Lord O yee righteous and least they should not be ready to take the first admonition Againe I say rejoyce there is an injunction from that St. Austin observes well the Saints in the World are tied to rejoyce to rejoyce in the Lord Si non c. If we doe not make use of this affection to Gods glory and our owne comfort we should repugne the Command of God and more then a single Command too there is a reduplication And St. Basile observes from that that the word is doubled Rejoyce and againe rejoyce it notes the encrease and augmentation of their joy they should not onely rejoyce a little but much not once but oft they should make it a continuall work There is good reason to stir us up to joy all the blisse of Heaven is set downe by joy Enter into thy Masters joy And not onely glory but the first fruits in this World are called by that name the joy in the holy Ghost To this purpose God encourageth us to it by the best examples the example of the Prophets and Apostles and if that be too little by the example of Angells and if that be too little by the example of God himselfe There is joy in Heaven joy among the Angells of God when it is said that there is joy in Heaven for one sinner that is converted there is joy with God Joy it is the affection that God honoureth because he will be sure to Invite us to take our fill of joy if it be right and spirituall joy There are none of all the Saints if we look to them but they had their time of rejoycing even those that were most depressed and afflicted Holy David Abraham Job Paul all these had their times of rejoycing Christianity it is a state of rejoycing and the Saints of God have their times to rejoyce in this world That is the first Proposition Secondly there is another that ariseth from this as they have a true title to joy so they have the onely title to true joy it is not superficiall joy that they are affected with it is substantiall joy substantiall joy is that that is upon true grounds and when joy is rightly seated The right Seat where is it The Spirit the heart of a man It is joy of heart they are the rejoycing of my heart Otherwise joy is not substantiall if it be out of its place from the Teeth outward in the outward man it is not true joy unlesse it be inward If it be outward onely it may be mirth as Tully saith yet not true joy joy is that that is in the heart and springs from the heart Even carnall men will be full of mirth they will have all the expressions of joy that are possible in the outward thing but it is onely superficiall dissembled joy it is not that joy that is truly within For in the middest of that mirth the heart is sorry The joy of the Hypocrite is short for a moment as holy Job sayth It is as the crackling of Thornes In the middest of that mirth there is the Worme of Conscience that damps all that is as the Hand-writing upon the Wall to Bellshazzar when it came to be read it filled him full of horrour and anguish and discomfort and vexation there are none of these outward things that can breed cordiall substantiall joy On the other side a godly man in the middest of sorrow can preserve joy of heart It is true a godly man is not alway as the wicked Jocund and joviall they are not loud in their mirth it may be they laugh not much but a godly man is still joyfull when he laughs not for there is the true mirth and joy that is within As the Poet sayd of the running of Nilus the running of Nilus is very still yet it is very swift though it make not any appearance of motion the excellency sayth he of the River is in this that it seems little to move and yet it moves apace So it is with the joy of a godly man the joy of a Christian moves not outwardly there is no revelling he doth not make boast of his joy but then within he hath it he hath the Feast of a good Conscience and there is the voyce of the Bridegroome and of the Bride The voyce of the Bridegroome must needs be there when the voyce of Christ is there when the voyce of the Spirit is there There is the pipeing and dancing in a spirituall sence and all those concommitants of mirth that attend the Feast of a good conscience A godly man onely hath true joy he onely hath cause to be so therefore David expresseth it in Psal 4. Thou hast put
There is our refuge To this holy resolution if I can bring you by handling these words I shall think my labour very well bestowed and think it a happy turne that you have had these doubtfull thoughts to set you upon the Rack of torture all this while And that I may doe it the better look upon the words in perticular and I will consider in them now these foure things onely There is The Covenant The Coppy The Paralell The Date or Duration There is the Covenant in the which all Christians doe enter here in the person of David and that is to give God the delight of their eyes the strength of every part the glory of that most excellent sence to be excercised in that act of Râ—ligion of lifting up their eyes to God Then there is the Coppy out of which we draw this Covenant or this duty that is in these words As the eyes of Servants looke to the hands of their Masters and the eyes of a Maiden upon the hands of her Mistresse Then there is the paralell wherewith we match this Coppy in those words So doe our eyes wait upon the Lord our God Then the Date or duration of the whole it is Till he have mercy upon us These are the four parts The Duty the Direction The proficiency The perpetuation And all these are presented unto your view by an awaking particle set in the front Behold An ordinary word but here it hath an extraordinary positure Ordinarily it is a terme of attention used for the awakening of men to stir up their admiration and audience but here it is a word not onely prefixed for the exciting of men but of God himselfe David is speaking to God in his Meditations Behold sayth he As we take it with respect to God so it is a precatory particle he beseecheth God to look downe upon him while he looks up unto God look on us as we looke to thee Behold Lord as the eyes of Servants c. If we take it as it hath respect to man so it is an exemplary particle to stir them up to doe the like Behold what we doe and doe likewise let your eyes be like ours Behold as the eyes of Servants are to the hand of their Masters so are our eyes to the Lord our God Let yours have the same fixing So it is a word that draws all eyes after it to imitation I hope it will be a word that will draw your eares after it to attention in the severall perticulars as I speake of them in order I begin with the first of these that is the duty here set downe the duty insisted in the basis of the whole the lifting up the eyes to God We may take it eyther by way of declaration as a thing that was done or by way of Covenant as a thing that they promised to doe It is eyther a protestation of what they would doe or an attestation of what they did Well couch it under both notions it hath a double force Our eyes are upon the Lord our God and our eyes shall be upon the Lord our God We have it exprest in all variety in other places of the Psalmes In all variety of Tenses In all variety of Objects In all variety of Instruments For the Tenses in one Psalme it is set downe in the Present Vnto thee doe I lift up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens In another Psalme in the Future I will lift up mâ—ne eyes to the Hills from whence commeth my help These two make up the perfect frame of a mans life he that doth for the present and promiseth for the future he gives God both services in sincerity in the one and in constancy in the other without either of these Christianity is lame It is not enough to say I doe unlesse we add I will and it is not enough to say I will unlesse we for the present doe I doe without I will is inconstancy and I will without I doe is Hypocrisy therefore it is seâ— downe in both formes we doe and we will lift up our eyâ—â— There are both Tenses There is the variety of all kind of objects exprest that concernes God it is exprest in great variety of objects In one Psalme I will lift up mine eyes to thy holy Oracles In another I will lift up mine eyes to the Hills In a third I will lift up mine eyes to Heaven In many I will lift up mâ—ne eyes to the Lord. These all have mutuall dependence one upon another for God gives the glory to all these He that lifts up his eyes to God lifts them to Heaven because it is Gods Throne he that lifts up his eyes to Heaven lifts them to the Hills The Heavens are those Mountaines of Spices those hills of excellency Hills transparent for substance beyond all apprehension for altitude And he that lifts up his eyes to the hills lifts them to Gods Oracles it is from those hills that are both more holy and more high then Sinai that the Oracles of wisdome are derived from God himselfe there are all variety of objects And it is set downe also with all variety of instruments for expression To thee will I lift up mine eyes in one Psalme To thee will I lift up my hands in another Psalme To thee will I lift up my voice in another Psalme To thee will I lift up my soule in a fourth Psalme Here is a mutuall dependence againe Now the whole soule offers her selfe to God as a Hand-maid but shee goes attended with the Virgins that are her Companions as the Psalmist speaks For the Tongue and Eyes and Hands depend upon the soul and are serviceable to it If the soul have an intendment to lift up the heart to God then the hands will be ready to expresse her affections and the Tongue will be ready to expresse her notions and the Eye will be ready to share in the beatificall excellent Vision here is variety in regard of Instruments So that now we may take it either way or both wayes when David speaks of lifting up his eyes we may understand it both of the eyes of the body and the eyes of the mind for the eyes of the mind they quicken and direct the eyes of the body and the eyes of the body they testifie the devotion and ejaculations of the mind the one serves the other For the eyes of the body it is their proper dutie to look up to God God hath made them for that purpose he set them and gave them that positure he hath set them in the head aloft that they might be conversant still in beholding as Gregory Nycene speaks their Originall and creation that is derived from above that with them man might behold him that gave him being that he might look up to Heaven There are no creatures besides that have their eyes set so lofty as man and man for this purpose For the eyes of the mind too God hath indued
Verb to his owne comfort and a better he cannot then this And that this word must be added appeares by the next words Till he have mercy upon us To looke till he have mercy on us is to wait so there is good reason why this word is added If we look to the thing begged mercy it is so precious that we may wait for it It was Servants that he mentioned and it is their duty to wait upon their Masters they wait upon their Trenchers at meat they wait when they goe to bed and when they rise they wait in every place therefore because he had mentioned the first word he takes the proper duty there is nothing more proper to Servants then waiting and if we are the Servants of God we must wait There is good reason in that respect because it is a word so significant therefore the Spirit of God varies it he keeps not exactly to the line so doe our eyes looke but so doe our eyes wait Thirdly why he makes another variation so doe our eyes wait upon the Lord He writes not after his Coppie for there it is As the eyes of Servants looke to the hands of their Masters It should have run So doe our eyes wait on the hand of the Lord he sayth not so but varies it So doe our eyes wait on the Lord. What is the reason It would have been too strait Though we must wait on Gods gracious hand both of power that orders all things and of bounty that distributes all things yet it would have been too strait some would have imagined that there were nothing in God to be waited on but for his bounty and power No he shews that we must at large wait upon the Lord in all that belongs to him if we have respect to his glory and honour we must wait upon his Throne if to our vilenesse we must waite on his Footestoole If to his bounty we must wait on his hand if to his wisdome we must wait upon his providence if to his truth we must wait on his promises There is nothing in God but it is to be waited on in all his attributes and relations not onely as our Master but as our King as our Father and as our Shepheard Therefore that the Psalmist might better leave it for an enlarged supply as that a Heavenly heart might intercept it he saith not as in the former so doe our eyes wait upon the hand of the Lord but so doe our eyes wait upon the Lord. That is the reason of the third variation There are but two observable besides I shall stand a little longer on them they are materiall The fourth is why he doubles this word of excellency upon the Lord our God For one word would have served but that no word can serve to set out that excellency but having named Master before one would think it should run so doe our eyes waite upon our Heavenly Master as our Heavenly Lord but he adds the Lord our God To shew the difference between the Masters of the World and of him that is above The Masters here below are Masters indeed but they are men like our selves our Master above is the Lord our God The Masters here that have dominion are Domini but sub domino under that great Master but he is Dominans dominantium the Lord of Lords They are Masters that have their breath in their Nostrills but he is the Master that gives life and breath and motion and all things Therefore to shew that we stand in a double Obligation to God in our service and attendance he adds two words we wait upon him as our glorious Lord and as our gracious God both wayes we give him our eyes and attendance To shew this double obligation observe in the first line the prescription the Coppie there are both relations mentioned and a double notion to both relations there is Masters and Mistresse Servants and Hand-maid To note thus much by the doubling of the one that if there be any better service in the one sex then in the other we are to draw the patterne from that that we may give the purest service and attendance to God And noting in the other if there be any respect due to either of those Masters or Mistresse they should be both drowned and swallowed up in our respect to God he useth both words to shew that we should yeild all service to God St. Austin in his Commentary on the Psalmes propounds the Question and so doth Jerome if that be his he finds a double scruple he makes two Questions One Question is why we are called Ansilla in the Singular number a Hand-maid Another Question is why Christ is called not onely Dominus but Domina As the eyes of Servants wait on their Masters so doe our eyes upon Christ St. Austin gives this reason and Jerome and it is full of wit both these predications will hold for us that are Christians It is Servi sumus ancilla sumus we are both Servants and we are the Church we are Servants of his Handmaid As we are the people of God so we are called Servants as we are the Church of God so we are ancilla So for the other predication our Lord and Saviour is both Dominus and Domina He is The Lord Our Lord because he is our God and Domina he must have the duty of a Mistresse because he is the virtue and wisdome and excellency of God That is Austins and Jeromes It is full of wit but it is a little to adventerous I durst hardly to mention it if it were not theirs their wit is sweet and in their intentions full of piety but I dare not give it as a truth Yet there is reason to be given why both are exprest to shew the service that we owe to God The reason is this both words are used because no one word can set out any part of Gods excellency look in what part you will There is no one word can set out the glory of God in Heaven therefore there are two words used the glory of both lights the glory of the light of the Sun and of the Moone There is no one word can set out to us the perfection of the robe of Christs righteousnesse that he cloaths Beleivers with therefore two words are used he cloaths them with double Ornaments of the Bride-groome and of the Bride Isa 61. There is no one word can set out the propinquity of our alliance to Christ therefore Christ sets it out by two words He that doth the will of my Father is my Brother and Sister There is no one word can set out the tendernesse of the love of God therefore it is set out by the love of both Parents by the love of a Father and a Mother Can a Mother forget her Child And as a Father pirties his Child so the Lord hath mercy on them that feare him In Gods love there is the love of both
used their imployment in the accomplishing of these Mysteries they were imployed by God about Christ they were present with Christ in the Garden at the death of Christ at his resurrection and ascension and could they be ignorant of them that they must come to learne of the Apostles The Angells were used to carry glad tidings propheticall to the Patriarchs and the glad tidings of Christ after when he came in the flesh the first tidings of his conception they carryed that They were as St. Cyprian speaks the first Pen men at least the first spokes-men of the Gospell the very word Evangelium came from them first it was taken out of their name it is but a sillable more then that that is in their owne they were the first Evangelists and dictatours of the Gospell and were they ignorant of the Mysteries of it It is well observed by Basile and Chrysostome the one is Basiles word the other is Chrysostomes that the Angells are to men as Teachers and Instructers as Guardians and Keepers to men shall they be our Schollers and pupills It is a dishonour to the excellent knowledge and nature of Angells to come to learne at our Sermons I the rather prosecute this because many Interpret it so I take it to be a great abuse The Angells have that measure of knowledge that they neede not our help nor the help of the Scripture though there be Mysteries in the Scripture that they cannot sound yet for beatifical knowledge they have it to the full joy and holynesse and all to the full there cannot be a drop added more to that they have already they are present sometimes in the Congregation therefore the Apostle bids us carry our selves decently because of the Angells Vnreverent carriage whatsoever we thinke of it is a griefe to the Angells but they are present as Spectators not as Disciples and pupills that ground is fallen they could not desire it out of ignorance I have done with the false grounds not out of feare not out of curiosity not out of envy not out of ignorance Now I shall goe on smoothly when the hand is empty it may be filled againe Now I come to the true cause the true Originall whence this desire of this speculation comes This must be supposed therefore as a thing to be taken for granted that as it is a beatificall object and a beatificall speculation so they are carried to this object with a beatificall Apetite and desire and a beatificall species that excites this Apetite in these Angells It cannot be an ill ground there can be no sinister respect it must be a holy and pure and simply a pious ground As the other were fowre so I will reduce this to fowre heads that will afford foure parts that is the sum of that I shall speake at this time The first ground of their desire is from admiration for beholding the Mysteries of our redemption they admire Gods goodnesse and they desire to admire againe and alway therefore though they looke into them daily and see what is fit to be knowne yet they desire a greater rapture that they may admire God more in them therefore they still desire more that they may blesse God So Calvin interprets the words very well Mirari dicuntur c. that they looke into these Mysteries it springs from wonderment from a holy astonishment and Extasy the happinesse of Heaven is all Extasy howsoever the Extasies of the Apostles and Saints below carried them out of themselves yet those Extasies perfect the understanding they carry not a man beyond himselfe there is alway an Extasy of Admiration and alway where there is admiration they will looke admiration and wonderment breed inspection see it in many instances The Apostles when they saw our blessed Saviour ascend into Heaven they were stricken with astonishment and that caused them to gaze They looked stedfastly to Heaven sayth the Text so the Angells apply it to them Why stand ye gazing they were amazed therfore they lookt after Christ they followed him with their eyes Amazement breeds looking So in Luke 4. when Christ was at Nazareth and came into the Synagogue he tooke the Booke of Isaiah into his hands and it is said Vers 20. The eyes of all that were present were fixed on him And what was the reason At Vers 22. They wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth therefore their eyes were fixed upon him Admiration breeds fixing of the eyes Whatsoever a man wonders at he looks at admiration it draws the eye alway to the object so here the Angells because they are taken with a holy admiration of the excellency of these Mysteries though they doe alway look into them yet they desire still that they may be stricken with more admiration See it plainly by particulars if we speak of the Mysterie of the passion of Christ the Angells were stricken with admiration at that they were greatly astonished therefore Jerome applies that place in Isa 63. Who is he that comes from Edom with died Garments from Bozra He applies it to the admiration of the Angells this very Scripture was uttered when they saw Christ shed his pretious blood upon the Crosse they spake it with admiration Who is he that comes from Edom with red Garments from Bozra They admired at the greatnesse of Gods mercy in the suffering of Christ So they were stricken with admiration at the ascention of Christ though they said to the Disciples Why gaze yee They admired as well as the Apostles but they were better able to carry it but they admired for St. Ambrose and other of the Fathers say that the 24. Psalme was made on purpose to expresse the admiration of the Angells at the ascention of Christ Be ye set open ye everlasting gates that the King of glory may come in When Christ ascended the Angells sung this Song and St. Ambrose is of Opinion that they answered one another as in a Quire one Quire sings and asks the Question out of admiration Who is the King of glory The other answered them The Lord of Hosts is the King of glory they were stricken with admiration of Christs ascention therefore they looked So Cyril on that place and so here being stricken with the Amazement of Gods goodnesse therefore they desire to looke The Use that we are to make of it for our Instruction is First it tells us that the Mysteries of Salvation must needs be great Mysteries that put the Angells into a rapture that breeds the admiration of Angells It exceedingly magnifies the excellency of the Gospell of Christ that it must needs be an excellent Gospell that conteins in it such Mysteries the Angells themselves stand astonished at it conteins such Mysteries as are most desirable of the Angells as draw the eyes of Angells after them as put the Angells to an Extasie And the Use of it in the second place is this to imitate them in this particular above all things