rest of his creatures Psal. 104. But this is intollerable That vnder pretence of a little time allowed vnto vs the halfe of our time should bee exacted from vs. Ethniques in this point may make vs ashamed It is written of Alexander and Caesar among many moe that they parted the night in three the first they tooke vnto rest the second to the workes of Nature the third to their studies for encrease of knowledge and learning and that because they were forced to spend the day time in gouernment of their Kingdomes and administration of their warlike affaires Yet we haue now such a number whom wee may call Monsters of Nature who are not content to spend all the night ouer in works of darknesse such as Drunkennesse and Gluttonie and Chambring and slumbring but they turne also the noon-tyde of the day into midnight Per diem illis fit media nox yea not sparing the holy Sabboths of the Lord they sleepe by themselues like Howlets in their holes when the Saints of God are assembled together to praise him but miserable are they for as they tooke no part of Gods seruice so shall they bee strangers from the recompence The third circumstance pointing out the cause or matter of his thankesgiuing is here because of Thy righteous iudgements Where by iudgements he vnderstands Gods iust working according to his word both in executing threatned plagues vpon the wicked and performing promised mercies to the godly And for this cause Dauid praiseth God because he found him alwayes as good as his word and what he promised with his mouth hee performed with his hand And this cause which moued Dauid to praise God should moue vs all for wee haue felt his promises kept to our selues and his iudgements executed on the wicked in so manifest a manner that men might say as in the Psalme Verely there is a God that iudgeth righteously on earth and there is fruit for the righteous There is no transgression of Gods law which in som wicked men we haue not seene punished If the Lord did only speake and neuer punish men would say There is not a God and if on the other hand all transgressions were punished here men might say we need not look for a iudgement to come Of such sinnes as we haue seene punished let vs learn that there is a Iudge and of such sinfull men as we see spared let vs also learne that there is a iudgement to come VER 63. I am companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts HE said in the first verse of this Section that God was his portioÌ„ now he saith All the Saints of God are his companions These two goe together the loue of God and the loue of his Saints He that loueth not his brother made to Gods image whom hee seeth how shall he say he loueth God whom hee hath not seen Seeing our goodnes extends not to the Lord if it be shewed to his Saints and excellenâ—… ones vpon earth for his sake it shall be no small argument of our louing affection toward him selfe Godly Dauid when Ionathan was dead made diligent inquisition Is there none of Ionathans posteritie to whom I may shew kindnes for Ionathans sake and at length he found a silly lame Mephiboseth So if we enquire diligently Is there none vpon earth to whom I may shew kindnesse for Christs sake who is in heauen wee shall euer find some to whom whatsoeuer wee doe shall be allowed as done to himselfe Euery mans company wherein hee delights tells what manner of man he is himselfe Qualiscunque quis fuerit cum tali se coniungit The fowles of heauen flocke together according to their kinds ye shal not see Doues assembling with Rauens Inter dispares mores quae potest esse amicitia What fellowship or friendship can be among men of inequall manners Non potest homini amicus esse qui Deo fuerit infidus he can neuer be friendly to man who is false vnto God But there is yet a greater argument the Lord IESVS hath honoured vs to be his companions so wee are called Psal. 44. God hath anointed thee aboue thy fellowes To worke this fellowship he assumed our nature he abased himselfe he was baptized as we are he died as vvee doe hee rose againe as we shall doe hee walked in all our waies that hee might traine vs vp to walke in his waies and might euery way make vs like himselfe and shal we thinke it a derogation to our honor to humble our selues for Christs sake to men of a rank inferior to vs and euen for the feare and loue of God that is in them to account them our companions Yet further his great modestie is to bee marked Non dixit imitantium te sed timentium he saith not I am companion to all that follow thee but to all that feare thee The feare of God is the beginning of wisedom Inter rudes se constituit humilitate cum veteranos superaret deuotione hee placeth himselfe among nouices in humilitie when he excelled antients in pietie That feare thee The godly are commonly described by this grace That they fear God but so that they also loue and obey him therefore Dauid ioynes these two together That fear thee and keepe thy precepts Apostat Angels saith S. Iames feare GOD but there-withall they hate him and rebell against him In the Godly feare prepares a way to loue when loue is perfected then feare shall cease but in the wicked fear prepares a way to despaire restlesse perturbation Abraham looked for no good in Gerar because he thought the fear of God was not there on the contrary Ioseph confirmed the timorous harts of his brethren that they should looke for none euil at his hands because said he I feare God Therby letting vs know that this is a sufficient reason to assure vs of all good duties from a man if truly it may be said of him He feareth God VER 64. The earth O Lord is full of thy mercies teach mee thy statutes HEere is a prayer with a reason Seeing ô Lord thou art good to all thy creatures shew thy goodnes also to mee in this that thou teach me thy statutes Gods generall benignitie is extended to all his creatures his speciall benignity is for his children and this is it that Dauid here craueth And indeed Gods generall goodness vnto all his creatures should serue to confirme his children in the assurance of his more speciall fauour toward them as heere Dauid vseth it If hee care for sparrowes if he feed the young Rauens when they cry if hee clothe the Lilies of the fielde are not his own children much more worth will he not much more care for them Seeing of his goodnesse he sends raine to the wicked makes his sunne to shine on the vniust will he not of his mercie lift vp the
ouercome with a small tentation so presumption and want of feare in vs will not faile to procure our fall Of the promise following see ver 16. 35. 47. 70. VER 118. Thou hast trod downe all them that depart from thy statutes for their deceit is vaine DAuid heere by a new meditation confirmes himselfe in the course of godlinesse for considering the iudgements of God executed according to his word in all ages vpon the wicked he resolues so much the more to feare God and keepe his testimonies Thus the iudgements of GOD executed on others should be awe-bands to keepe vs from sinning after their similitude But few are like Dauid who trembled when hee saw Vzzah striken and many like Lamâ—…h who because hee saw Cain the murtherer spared confirmed himselfe to commit murther also Because iudgement is not speedilie executed on the wicked therefore the hart of the children of men is set in them to doe euil IudgemeÌ„t in this life is not executed on all the wicked because this is the time of his patience the day of his iudgement is not yet come but by the plagues executed vpon some of the wicked all the rest may learne to feare For God is no accepter of persons what he punisheth in one hee will punish in all if repentance preuent not Trode downe The Lord in chastising his owne children takes them in his hand like a father to correct them but when his wrath is kindled against the wicked he tramples them vnder his feete as vile creatures which are in no account with him That depart When the wicked are said to depart from God it expresseth very properly both the nature of their sinne and fearefull punishment thereof Sin is a departing of man from God his statutes Non interuallo locoruÌ„ Deus relinquitur sed prauitate moruÌ„ it is not by distance of place but by peruerse manners that men depart from God and in so dooing their own deede become a punishment to themselues For all that goe a whoring from him shall perish For hee that runs from light where can he goe but to darknes and he that departs from the God of life what is hee but posting to eternall death For their deceit is vaine Mendacium hîc non refertur ad alios hee meanes not heere of that deceit whereby the wicked deceiue others but that whereby they deceiue themselues And this is two-fold first in that they looke for a good in sin which sinne deceitfully promiseth but they shal neuer find Next that they flatter themselues with a vaine coÌ„ceit to eschew iudgement which shall assuredly ouer-take them VER 119. Thou hast taken away all the wicked of the earth like drosse therefore I loue thy testimonies HE insists still in his former purpose shewing how Gods hand punishing the wicked made him more godlie Many waies are wicked men taken away sometime by the hand of other men sometime by their owne hand The Philistims slew not Saul but forced him to sley himselfe yet the eye of faith euer lookes to the finger of God and sees that the fall of the wicked is the work of God The word which he vseth imports Thou hast made them to ceasse The wicked stir their time and are restlesse they compasse sea land they cannot sleepe except they haue done wickedlie for they are inspired of that Dragon and roaring Lyon that Compasser that goeth about continually seeking all occasions to doe euill The facultie of mouing breathing which God hath lent them they vse against himselfe but let them remember he will shortly take his breath out of their nosethrills and then shall they cease and the fruit of their temporall sinnes shall be eternal paines for their worme dies not and the smoake of their torment shall ascend for euer The wicked of the earth It is customable to the Spirit of God to describe the wicked by calling them Men of the earth for their original is earth themselues are earthly minded and they end in earth They haue sometime in their pride high imaginations as if with the builders of Babel they would mount vp into heauen but the higher they mount the lower they fall they end in dust then their thoughts perish By his birth he comes into vanitie saith Salomon and by his death he goeth into darknes Like drosse The men of this world esteeme Gods children as the off-scourings of the earth so Paul a chosen vessell of God was disesteemed of men buâ—… yee see heere what the wicked are in Gods account but drosse indeede which is the refuse of gold or siluer Let this confirme the godly against the contempt of men Onlie the Lord hath in his owne hand the balance which weigheth men according as they are Thy testimonies So very frequently hee calleth Gods word wherein there are both commaunds and promises the commandements of God appertaine to all his testimonies belong to his children onely whereby more strictlie I vnderstand his promises contayning speciall declarations of his loue and fauour toward his own in Christ Iesus VER 120. My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraide of thy iudgements HOw Dauid by consideration of Gods iudgements on others profited in the loue of GOD hee shewed in the last verse now hee declareth how he also profited in the feare of GOD by looking to the iudgements of God which he had executed vpon others It is a grace of the godly that when they looke to many things without them they are alwaies drawne home to edifie themselues by that which they see in others whether it be good or euill Electorum corda semper ad se sollicitè redeunt Other men so looke vnto other things that they forget themselues onely feeding their senses there-with contracting guiltinesse which for the present they knowe not Happy is hee who of all that he sees learnes to be more wise and godly himselfe But how doe these two consist together Hee said before he loued the testimonies of God and now he saith hee feared the iudgements of God It is answered they agree very well in the godly militant in this body If our loue were perfect as theirs is who are glorified it would cast out all feare as saith the Apostle but in this bodie of sinne we cannot so loue him for his mercies but by reason of the great corruption of our nature we must also feare him for his iudgements Yea which is more the loue of God cannot be kept in our harts but by the feare of God and if the feare of God conserue vs not our harts should easily be caried away to the loue of other things not worthy to bee loued and no place for the loue of God should be left in our harts Confige ergo clauis spiritualibus destrue fomenta peccati affige carnes patibulo crucis dominicâ—… vt libertatem vagandi cupiditas
it that they haue done it For as the godly shall haue imputed to theÌ„ that good which faine they would haue done albeit they did not performe it so shall the wicked be charged as verely with that euill which they would haue done albeit they neuer did it O what a heape of finnes shall be gathered against them wheÌ„ with the sinnes of their actions and words the sinnes of their affections shall be conioyned also And here we see how-euer God for a time tolerate them yet he hath his owne appointed time to punish them and will not passe it Omnia in statera gubernat Deus God ruleth all things in a balance Diu quidem fert 〈◊〉 peccata vbi verò patientiae eius intuitâ—… aâ—…geri malitiam videt tum pâ—…nas sumit Long doth the Lord suffer the sinnes of mortall men but when they abuse his patience to increase their wickednes then hee doth punish them he doth nothing out of time Totum oportunum est quod fecerit but whatsoeuer hee doth hee doth it most seasonably and therefore whether it bee deliuerance to vs or iudgement vpon our enemies that God delaies let vs knowe it is because his houre is not yet come VER 127. Therefore loue I thy Commandements aboue gold yea aboue most fine gold WE may see here that Dauid was not a temporizer in religion whose affection towards Gods word depends vpon the state of times and persons of men but euen when his enemies did disdaine it yea because they sought to destroy it therefore he loued it This is a tryall of true religion euen then to cleaue to the word of God and professe it constantly when honourable and great men of the world are against it This was Iosua his resolution Albeit all the world should for sake God yet I and my fathers house will worship him And Peters in like manner when many of Christs disciples did forsake him and it was asked at them Will yee go also from me he answered where away shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life To professe religion when it is warranted by law when both rulers and people professe it is no great matter but when the powers of the world forsake it then to stand to it is an argument of true religion Loue I thy commandements Hee professeth not that hee fulfilled them but that hee loued them and truely it is a great progresse in godlines if we be come thus far as from our heart to loue them The natural man hates the commandements of God they are so contrary to his corruption but the regenerate man as he hates his owne corruption so he loues the word because according to it he desires to bee reformed And here is our comfort That albeit we cannot doe what is commanded yet if we loue to doe it it is an argument of grace receiued Aboue gold It is not vnlawful to loue those creatures which God hath appointed for our vse with these two conditions the one is that the first seat in our affection of loue be reserued to God and any other thing wee loue that we loue it in him and for him and giue it onely the second roome Thus Dauid being a naturall man loued his naturall foode but he protesteth hee loued the law of the Lord more then his appointed foode and here he loues the commandements of God aboue all gold VER 128. Therefore I esteeme all thy precepts most iust and I hate all false wayes IN this verse are two protestatioÌ„s In the first he declares how he esteemed of Gods word in his minde in the second how in his affection he was disposed toward it As the minde of a man esteemes of any thing so are his affections moued to flie or follow it It is shame for many professors now to say they esteeme of Gods word when they shew their affections more set vpon any thing in the world then vpon it Most iust In two respects is the word of God iust first because it commands nothing but that which is most reasonable and next because it shal not faile one iot but the euent of things shall bee according to the predictions of this word What cause haue we then to reioice That how euer our tribulations be many yet wee heare out of this most iust word It cannot bee but well with them that feare the Lord And again what cause of feare is there to the wicked when this same word saith There is no peace to the wicked saith my God And a sinner of an hundred yeeres old shall dy accursed If wee behold the wicked in their most flourishing estate and looke to them in the glasse of the word we shall see their miseraend long before it come And I hate all false wayes The best tryall of our loue to God and his word is the contrary hatred of sin and impietie Yee that loue the Lord hate that which is euill He that loues a tree hates the worme that consumes it he that loues a garment hates the moth that eates it he that loueth life abhorreth death and he that loues the Lord hates euery thing that offends him Let men take heede to this who are in loue of their sinnes how can the loue of God be in them All false wayes Religion binds vs not onely to hate one way of falsehood but all the wayes of it As there is nothing good but in some measure a godly man loues it so is there nothing euil but in som measure he hates it And this is the perfection of the children of God a perfection not of degrees for we neither loue good nor hate euill as wee should but a perfection of parts because euery good we loue and wee hate euery euill in some measure The worst man in the world loues some good and hates some euill Plerumque enim peccata huiusmodi sunt vt si alterum declines incurras alteruÌ„ ofttimes he that declines one sin fals into another It may be thou haâ—…est couetousness yet art snared with lechery there is one very temperate of his mouth but of a proud hauty heart there is another not ambitious of honour but a seruant to gluttony Diuerso vsu in eundem indeuotionis errorem vterque concurrit And this is very dangerous when as men because some good thing is in them take the greater liberty to coÌ„mit some euill for if Sathan get a gripe of thee by any one sin is it not enough to carry thee to damnation As the butcher carries the beast to the slaughter sometime bound by all the foure feete and sometime by one onely so is it with Satan Though thou be not a slaue to all sin if thou be a slaue to one the gripe he hath of thee by that one sinfull affection is sufficient to captiue thee P E. VER 129. Thy testimonies are wonderfull therfore doth my soule keepe them THE familiarity of
Lord I haue trusted in thy saluation and haue done thy commandements WHat in the former Verse Dauid hath spoken in generall of the happie estate of Gods children hee now applyes to himselfe making heere the assumption of that proposition But so it is Lord I loue thy law which in this Verse and the Verse following he amplifies whereupon the conclusion followes Therefore let me haue none hurt but great prosperitie Of this we learne that without application we can reape no comfort of the promises of Gods word for suppose they were neuer so sweete vnlesse they belong vnto vs what comfort can we get by them yea certaine it is that vnto an euill conscience which dare not make the application of them to it selfe the most comfortable promises are most terrible Let vs so liue that they may be ours let vs so heare them or reade them that we may apply them to our selues and then shall we finde comfort in them Into thy saluation Such is the nature of faith that it carries vs out of our selues in vnto the Lorde and makes vs to leane vpon him rest in him and liue in him and to him and so this phrase imports They who abide in themselues resting in any thing that is in them eyther wisedome strength or merit shall bee found to haue built their house on the Sand which will not continue Periculosa habitatio eorum qui habitant in meritis But such as goe out of themselues and trust in the Lorde haue built their house on the Rocke that shall neuer faile them VER 167. My soule hath kept thy testimonies for I loue them exceedingly HEe insists still in the assumption prouing his loue to God by his obedience and commending his obedience from this That it flowed from loue otherwise though a man should giue all that hee hath to the poore though hee should subdue his bodie in most seuere manner yea though he gaue his bodie to be burnt in the fire if these actions flowe not from such a loue as is the daughter of faith they are not acceptable vnto God And the manner of Dauids speech being more narrowly considered will let vs see that his reioycing was rather in the sincerity of his affections then in the perfection of his actions The Apostle saith that faith workes by loue What it workes our Sauiour tels vs He that loueth me keepeth my commaundements and Dauid againe shewes here how loue flowing from such faith is the mother of all dutifull obedience If we sinne against God it is for want of loue toward him and sith his lawe craues nothing but loue and we are bound by so many obligations to loue him wee are made most inexcusable if wee loue him not Oh that we could consider this we would account our sinne more weightie then it is Why sinne we Because we want the loue of God And why loue we him not haue wee any excuse for this Let vs yet stirre vp our hearts and endeuour to cherish this little sparkle of Gods loue that is in vs let vs increase it to a great flame till it kindle all the powers of our soule vpward toward our God Oh that it were so VER 168. I haue kept thy testimonies and thy precepts for all my waies are before thee HIs former purpose is yet further amplified that he dealt not with God as a dissembler or an hypocrite but truely and sincerely he laide open his heart to God and made his wayes manifest vnto him as hee protests elsewhere That he had not at any time spoken to God with his tongue that which was not in his heart there was not in him discolor mentis intentio materialibus negotijs occupatu quae à propositi spiritu alis executione deflectat when he spake vnto God a diuided minde busied with worldly matters that might stay his spirituall intention or turne it another way Beatus qui dicere possit Omnes viae meae ante te Blessed is he that may so say in sincerity All my wayes are before thee that will not suppose that he might hide his cogitations nor affections from the Lord. Adam hid his way from God he concealed the iniquity of his bosome Caine in like manner couered the slaughter of his brother and dissembled it this they did in affectu non in effectu in their affection not in effect for what can be hid from the Lords all-seeing eye Plena abscondent is perfidia et si apud deum nulla sit latebra their perfidie and falshood in seeking to hide from God is not the lesse that they are not able to hide it Et si Deus omnia videt cordis occulta bonum tamen est vt vnusquisque animam suam ei aperiat expandat tanquam lumini vel calori eius occurrat Albeit the Lord see the secrets of our hearts and nothing can be concealed from him yet it were good for vs that we should offer them willingly to be seene that we lay open our soules vnto him occurring to his light and heate not flying from him that where we are good he may confirme vs where wee are faulty hee may amend vs. The Lord worke it in vs. TAV VER 169. Let my complaint come before thee and giue mee vnderstanding according to thy Worde WEe are now come to the last Section of this Psalme wherein we see Dauid more seruent in prayer then he was in the first as ye shall easily obserue by comparing them both together The godly the longer they speake to God are the more seruent and earnest to speake to him so that vnlesse necessity compell them they desire neuer to intermit conference with him Many prayers hath hee made to God in this Psalme now in the end he prayes for his prayers that the Lord would let them come before him Some men send out praiers but God turns them into sinne and puts them away backe from him therefore Dauid seeks fauour to his prayers Let vs take heed vnto this sith we liue onely by Gods liberality and haue not till he giue and he cannot giue till wee seeke in what a miserable case are we if our prayers whereby wee seeke from him be not receiued of him Let vs abhorre euery thing that may procure this Peccato grauescit oratio longè fit à Deo by sinne prayer is made heauie that it cannot ascend vnto God Volare facit orationem bonae vita dat alas precibus but a good life giues winges vnto prayer and makes it flie vpward toward God Three sortes of complaints are made by the godly vnto the Lorde sometime they complaine vpon their inuisible enemies Satan with his Principalities Powers and spirituall wickednesse These most properly are tearmed Soules oppressors Sometime vpon their visible enemies wicked men of whom eyther they suffer great wrongs and iniuries or then they cannot get
Let men beware of this lest they also be punished after the similitude of his condemnation VER 114. Thou art my refuge and shield and I trust in thy word HEe makes heere a secret opposition betweene the armour of the wicked by which they impugned him and his armor wherby he defended himselfe As for them by their worldly wisedome they are subtill in inventing wayes to hurt and craftily lay many snares wherein to trap me but my defence is in thee onely Dauid was in many most desperate dangers and still he found the Lord prouiding vnlooked-for deliuerances the strong Cittie of Keilah could not defend him the Lord warned him to come out of it and he was a shield vnto him the solitarie Wildernesse of Maon could not secure him for euen there Saul and his souldiers had compassed him but God had a care of him and turned his pursuers another way These by-gone experiences of Gods louing care and fauour towards him doe now confirme him to rest in God how many wayes soeuer his enemies pursue him he will still make the Lord his refuge and shield and trust in his word VER 115. Away from me yee wicked for I will keepe the commandements of my God AS before he protested that he would cleaue vnto God so now that he will sunder from the wicked True fellowship with God bindes vs to diuide our hearts from all them who will not walk Gods way and therefore this is brought in as a sufficient reason of improbation against the wicked to proue they were not the Lords because saith the Lord If thou see a thiese thou runnest with him and art companion with the adulterers what then hast thou to doe to take my ordinances in thy mouth Euery mans company wherin he delights may tell what maner of man he is himselfe As Rauens flock together by companies and Doues flie together and beasts of the earth gather themselues to other of their own kinds so wicked men loue the company of wicked and godly men through grace delight in the fellowship of such as are like them Which is not so to be vnderstood as if in regard of personall conuersation we behoued to separate from the wicked for so as saith the Apostle we should goe out of the world but euen in the midst of their company we must separate from them both in fashions and affections as we see Lot did in Sodome And this Dauid did for two causes First for offences don against God he withdrew himselfe from the company of the wicked for their sport and pleasure is in those things which grieue the spirit of the Lord. Sure it is he neuer loued God who mislikes not men for offending God Doe I not hate them that hate thee Doe I not contend with them who contend with thee I hate them as if they were mine vtter enemies The other cause is the feare of his owne infirmities lest by the exāple of the wicked either he should be allured to euill or relented to good For euery company warnes vs to walke in feare and trembling Quoniam vndique scandala nos obsident innumeris vitijs refertusest mundus quae extinguunt vel saltem corrumpunt in nobis legem Dei legis studium On euery hand we are compassed with stumbling blocks the world is replenished with innumerable euils which eyther extinguish or corrupt in vs the studie of Gods lawe and for which we haue neede to walke circumspectly if we be in the company of godly men we should watch ouer our wordes and wayes lest we offend them and if we also be in the company of the wicked we should likewise feare lest we be offended or infected by them For I will keep the commandements of my God There is the reason of his protestation Your course and mine are contrary I haue resolued to walke another way then the way wherein I see ye are walking and therefore your company is not for me Of my God As a man can esteeme of any thing which he knowes is his owne so if once he know that God is his he cannot but loue him and carefully obey him neyther is it possible that any man can giue to God hearty and permanent seruice who is not perswaded to say with Dauid He is my God All the pleasures all the terrours of the world cannot sunder that soule from God who can truely say The Lord is my God Againe a true Christian hath nothing in the world wherein he can reioyce as in his owne but onely in the Lord his God A worldling will speake with Nabal My flesh and my bread and with Nebuchadnezer Is not this my Palace and with Alcibiades boast of their Rent A Christian hath none of these of his owne but vseth them like moueables a mans own flesh yea his owne heart his friends and all that he hath will faile him To these a Christian will neuer say They are mine but God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for euer VER 116. Stablish me according to thy promise that I may liue disappoint me not of my hope DAuid after his former resolution turnes him to prayer for our intentions and conclusions are nothing except the Lord blesse them and therefore now Dauid craueth that God would stablish him The godly are subiect to a two fold instability the first is a wauering from a constant beleeuing of Gods promises And this is an instability of faith not that I think the faith of a man regenerate can faile but because oft-times it is sore combred shaken with the winde of manifold tentations Who can tell how many wayes Gods children are tempted with vnbeliefe It may truly be said that he nere knew what it is to beleeue who knowes not what it is to wrestle with vnbeliefe great neede therefore haue we to pray with Dauid Lord stablish me and with that Father interceding for his sonne in the Gospell O Lord I beleeue helpe thou my vnbeliefe The other is an instability of loue obedience for the godly finde their hearts many times carried away by externall allurements to a forgetfulnesse of the Lord their God and there-thorough also to an offending him Alas how instable a thing is the heart of man by nature euery obiect intangles it and it is ready to goe a whooring after euery creature vnlesse that golden nayle of the holy loue and feare of God bee driuen into it And in this respect also we haue great neede to pray with Dauid Lord stablish me Adam created by God was indued with many excellent graces but wanted this perseuerance and stability in grace which now wee haue in Christ for by him we haue not onely the grace of conversion but the grace also of confirmation the one makes vs godly the other continues vs godly But now many so leane to the shewe of their conversion
he was persecuted and sore oppressed for his profession yet no trouble could make him swerue from the testimonies of God Trouble is the best tryall of true Religion Non est magnum si tune a Dei testimonijs non declines cum te nullus persequitur It is no great thing to cleaue vnto the testimonies of God when none pursues thee for it when authority allowes it when honour and prosperitie follows it it is no great praise then to professe it When the Lord gloried of his seruant Iob that he was an vpright man fearing God c. Satan replied And what maruell Doth Iob worship God for nothing He knew there were many hyrelings temporizers in the world that worshipped not God sincerely and therefore would not continue in it He thought Iob to be one of these Lay now thine hand vpon all that he hath and he shal blaspheme thee to thy face But he was deceiued for the more he was crost the neerer did he cleaue vnto the Lord. Let vs remember as S. Paul hath warned vs We haue not yet resisted vnto the bloud neither yet that which S. Peter cals The siery tryall haue we endured And yet what a shame is it to see how many moued by the naked example of the Apostles are becom colder in Religion An euident argument that they were neuer truely religious for if they cannot stand against offences how should they stand against oppressions and persecutions What persecuters they were and what was the kinde of persecution Dauid expresseth not Basil thinkes Quod quacunque sibi acciderant omnia hoc Psalmo congessit that what-euer befell him of any trouble eyther by Saul or Absalom or vncircumcised Nations among whom he soiourned all is gathered together in this Psalme which containes eyther prayers he made when he was in trouble or prayses he gaue when God deliuered him out of trouble or else spirituall gloriations of that strength constancy which God gaue him to indure it Properly there is but one persecuter of all the godly this is Satan the enemie of Gods glorie of our saluation Vnus persequutor est sed multos habet ministros but he hath many seruants instruments vnder him some inuisible some visible and according as they are so is the kinde of persecution eyther bodily or spirituall There is an euill spirit of fornication another of auarice another of pride Hi sunt persequutores graues these are fearefull persecutors Otherwise the Apostle would not say Flie fornication if the spirit of fornication were not a pursuer Many are stout in the outward persecution qui occulta hac persequutione ceciderunt who by this secret persecution haue beene ouercome Hi tibi hostes cauendi hi grauiores tyranni per quos Adam captus these are the enemies whō thou must eschew these are the most grieuous tyrannes by whom Adam was captiued and thou art to beware of them By visible enemies also Satan fights against vs but these are not so dangerous as the other yet for the present more displeasant let vs not bee discouraged with them Si multae persequutiones multae et probationes If our persecutions bee many so are our trialls and probations tryals I meane both of our sinceritie and of the truth of God If Daniel had not by wicked men beene cast into the denne of Lyons and the three children by Nebuchadnezzars fury into the fiery furnace then should not their constant affection towarde God and his truth power in preseruing them haue beene so clearely manifested Tibi ergo prodest quòd multi persequutores sunt vt inter multas persequutiones facilius inuenias quomodo coroneris The more waies thou be persecuted the more wayes hast thou to bee crowned for by many tribulations doe wee enter into the kingdome of heauen VER 158. I saw the transgressours and was grieued because they did not keep thy word ALbeit his trouble were great by the restlesse malice of his enemies and his dangers oftentimes desperate yet he protests none of these went so neere his heart as the dishonour of God and contempt of Gods word The glory of God shining in his word is dearer to the godly then their liues and they haue no pleasure to liue but melt away for griefe when they see wickednes and idolatry exalted pietie and true religion trode vnder foot This made good Eliah desire that the Lord would take him out of this life this made Dauid pine away for griefe And it may condemne many who if so be their owne estate be peaceable they will not disquiet themselues with griefe for any dishonor that by impiety of wicked men is done vnto God See ver 136. VER 159. Cōsider O Lord how I loue thy precepts quicken me according to thy louing kindnes THis verse containes a protestation of his great loue toward the word of God for probation whereof hee appeales to the testimony of God desiring the Lord to consider if it be so or not It is an argument of a good conscience when a man dare present his heart vnto God and desire him to looke into it Nemo dicit vide nisi qui iudicat se si videatur esse placiturum No man saith to God Looke vpon me but he who knowes that God will like him when hee lookes vpon him for hee that doth euill hates the light and an euill conscience dares not stand before God but hides the selfe so farre as it can from him as we see in Adam But sith so it is that the knowledge of our estate cannot be hid from the Lord but wee must be presented naked before him it is but vanity now to hide our wayes from him Woe be vnto them that seeke in deepe to hide their counsell from the Lord their waies are in secret and they say who seeth them But He that made the eie shall hee not see Wisedome rather craues that wee should lay open our hearts to the Lord in time walking so in a good conscience before him that we might be bold to say with Dauid Looke vpon mee Lord and consider me How I loue He saith not consider how I performe thy precepts but how I loue them The comfort of a Christian militant in this body of sin is rather in sinceritie and feruencie of his affections then in the absolute perfection of his actions He failes many times in his obedience to Gods precepts in regard of his action but loue in his affection still remaines so that both before the temptation to sin and after it there is a griefe in his soule that hee should finde in himselfe any corrupt will or desire contrary to the holy will of the Lord his God and this proues an inuincible loue in him to the precepts of God Thy precepts He saith not that he loued Gods promises onely for euery man hath a liking of these but his precepts also Naturally
with our affection Of this it commeth to passe as wee see in daily experience that where men once fall away from their first loue and becom luke warme professing a truth but not louing it zealously misliking vntruth but not abhorring it they easily degenerate into Apostates And therefore our affections would euer bee kept in a right temperature by continuall exercises of the word and prayer In the law God commanded his people to hate all vncleannesse euen in their bodies hee that touched a dead body or any vncleane thing was vncleane himselfe This had in it not only a truth for honestie and comelines become the saints of God but a signification also Immunditia iustis iniquitas est To holy men all iniquity is vncleannesse Quid autem immundius quam mentem qua nihil homini datum est pretiosius turpibus commaculare criminibus And what greater vncleannesse then to defile the mind the most pretious thing which God hath giuen man with filthy sinnes These are not onely polluted in themselues but defile others that come neere them Fuge ergo iniustitiam quae viuentes adhuc mortuos facit Flie therefore with Dauid all vnrighteousnes which makes liuing men to bee dead and to become more hurtfull and horrible to others by their life then they can be by their death But thy law No man can serue two masters of contrary wils and dispositions if he loue the one he must hate the other Ye that loue the Lord hate that which is euill Men now boast much of their loue to God but the best rule to try it is the contrarie hatred of all euill See verse 113. 128. VER 164. Seuen times a day doe I praise thee because of thy righteous iudgements AFfections of the soule cannot long bee kept secret if they bee strong they will breake forth in actions The loue of God is like a fire in the heart of man which breakes forth and manifests it selfe in the obedience of his commandements and praising him for his benefits and this is it which Dauid now protests that the loue of God was not idle in his heart but made him feruent and earnest in praising God so that seauen times a day he did praise God Numero studium sanctae deuotionis exprimitur For by this number the carefulnes of holy deuotion is expressed and the feruency of his loue that in praysing God he could not be satisfied sayth Basil. Concerning this duety of the praysing of God and time which is the greatest worldly benefit God giues man see ver 62. Onely let Dauids example prouoke vs to the imitation of the like deuotion and pietie and let vs be ashamed of our negligence in this duetie who scarse can doe that on the Sabboth day which Dauid did euery day Vnder the Lawe the Lord commaunded that the daily sacrifice which euery day morning and euening was offered should be doubled on the Sabboth But alas the prophanenesse of this age is such that not onely now is the daily sacrifice neglected but the Sabboth contemned of many who neyther prayse him for his workes of creation remembring they are his creatures nor yet for the workes of redemption as if they were no Christians redeemed by Christs bloud and so least praise giue they to the Lorde vpon that day wherein they are bound to giue him most A fearfull in gratitude God grant Dauids example may learne vs in this point to be more dutifull VER 165. They that loue thy lawe shall haue great prosperity and they shall haue no hurt HItherto Dauid hath declared his great affection toward the Word of God and that vnspeakable comfort he found in it And now lest it might bee thought that this was by any speciall priuiledge or dispensation of God toward him from which others are excluded he now declares that all who loue the law of God may looke for the like comfort in it which he had found And this he sets downe in this proposition speaking now not in his owne person as before but in the person of others Wherein we haue first to consider a description of Gods children and next the priuiledge or benefites belonging to them The description of the godly is heere They that loue thy lawe Many manner of wayes are the children of God described in holy Scripture as from their faith in God from their loue from their feare from their obedience from their patience to declare it is not one but manifolde graces of the spirit which concurre to make vp a Christian and how they all goe together like the linkes of a chaine that one drawes on all the rest His faith is not without loue his loue is not without obedience his obedience is not without feare his feare is not without hope his hope is not without patience his patience is not without prayer which keepes and conserues all the rest And hereof it comes that the godly in holy Scripture are so many waies described But among all the graces of the Spirit the godly are most frequently described from their loue and therefore of all other we should most take heed that the grace of loue be in vs for two causes first because it leades vs to the surest knowledge of Gods affection toward our selues and next it giues vs the surest notice of that estate and disposition wherein wee stand our selues As to the first the grace of feruent and vnâ—…eyned loue iâ—… it be in vs makes vs certainly to know that we are beloued of God So saith the Apostle Herein is loue not that wee loued God first but that he loued vs. If we know him it is because we haue beene knowne of him If a man vtter not his voyce the Eccho makes him no answere if he looke not into a glasse it makes no representation of his face if the Lord had not called vs we should neuer haue answered him if he had not sought vs wee should neuer haue sought him neyther loued him if first hee had not loued vs. Here then is the first benefire wee reape by this grace of loue that by it we knowe the minde of God toward vs to be full of loue So that now we neede not goe vp to Gods secret counsell to enquire what is his minde concerning vs let vs enter into the secret of our owne hearts and try there what is our affection toward him if wee dare say that we loue him then may we be out of all doubt that we are beloued of him The other benefit is that by loue we know we are in the state of grace translated as saith the Apostle from death to life then we begin to liue when we begin to loue our God There may be in man a shadow of grace a profession of faith obedience but though a man had all knowledge and eloquence wanting loue he is but a sounding Cymbal So that by this
binde vs not if mercies allure vs not if the cordes of his loue drawe vs not to be thankfull seruants to our God how inexcusable are wee VER 135. Shew the light of thy countenance vppon thy seruant and teach me thy Statutes THis verse contains a petitition which in this Booke of the Psalmes Dauid frequently makes to God as ye may see Ps. 4. 6. Psal. 67. 1. Psal. 80. 3. 7. 19. For vnderstanding whereof wee are to see what the light of Gods countenance is Ther is a common light externall whereby the Maiesty of Godshines after a sort vnto all his creatures There is a common light also internall whereby he illuminates euery one that commeth into the world This is the light of the minde and conscience communicated both to iust and vniust but here he seekes a greater benefite then any of these to wit a declaration of Gods speciall fauour and loue toward him This is called a shewing of his face or the light of his countenance Crassius de Deo sacra Scriptura inter dum loquitur sermones ad Naturam hominis attemperans The spirit of God in holy Scripture attempers his speech to mans nature and so here he puts the face of God for the fauor of God Salomon saith that the wrath of a King is the messenger of death but in the light of the Kings countenance is life and his fauour is as the cloude of later raine The downe-looke of Ahashuer us confounded Haman It was Absaloms speech to Ioab suppose in hypocrisie That it was better to him to be banished then abide in Ierusalem wanting the Kings countenance If such moment bee in the countenance of earthly Kings what is the face of the King of kings Surely such as knowe him reioyce to behold his face continually and it is death to them to want it Certain it is the Lord looks alway fauorably vpon his own elect but he doth not alway shew it no not vnto themselues Before their effectuall calling in themselues they differ nothing from the children of wrath albeit in Gods counsell there be a great diffrence and after their calling for the tryall of their faith he many times forsakes them not according to his truth which is vnchangeable but according to their sense which is changeable He loues them but will not let them knowe that hee loues them but sometime will frown vpon them as Ioseph did on his brethren euen then when his affection was most strong toward them And then the want of the light of the Sunne in the firmament is not so heauy to naturall men as this is to a Christian To want the sight of Gods fauourable face and therfore is it that Dauid heere prayeth so earnestly Shew the light of thy countenance vpon me And teach me As the sunne makes other things bright whereupon it shines so the countenance of GOD workes light in that soule vpon which he looketh fauourably Cum sapientem videris cognosce quia descendit super eum Dei gloria illuminauit eius mentem scientiae fulgore So that this is a speciall argument of Gods fauorable face looking vpon a man when his minde is illuminate and God hath taught him to knowe his way and giuen him grace to follow it according to that of the Apostle God who commanded light to shine out of darkenesse is he who hath shined in our hearts to giue vs the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. VER 136. Mine eyes gush out Riuers of water because they keepe not thy Lawe MAny a time hath Dauid protested his great ioy now here he makes mention of his exceeding great griefe We haue no ioy without griefe in this life neyther yet thankes to God haue we griefe without ioy As the wine failed in that banquet whereat Christ was present so oftentimes failes ioy euen in the heart where Christ dwels But as in the one he turned water into wine so in the other will hee turne all sorrow into ioy To haue ioy without griefe is the condition of them who are glorified in heauen To haue griefe without ioy is the condition of them who are damned in hell I meane to be both without sense and hope of ioy But the godly on earth haue their ioy mixed with griefe and griefe tempered with ioy and albeit sometime they want the sense of ioy yet do they neuer want all hope and expectation of ioy He prayed before ver 37. that the Lord would turne away his eyes from regarding of vanity now hee shewes how hee practised it He was so farre from delighting to behold vanity that he mourned when he saw the vanity wickednesse of other men God who hath made the eyes to be Organs of sight hath also made them to be Conduits of teares if we mourne as we should when we looke to the creatures we shall not easily be snared by them If we look to vnreasonable creatures we may see lying vpon them the fruits of that curse which our sinne procured if we look to reasonable creatures our selues or others what a great dis-conformity is betweene vs and the holy Lawe of the Lord our God If these moue vs to mourning the power of sinne shall be greatly restrained Malum innatum that seekes to breake out by looking and speaking and Malum seminatum that seeks to come in by hearing and looking both of these euils shall greatly be weakened if euery thing we looke to moue vs to mourning as iustly it may in the respects aforesaid And to moue vs yet more to this mourning disposition let vs consider two things the euill we incurre if we mourne not and the good shall ensue to vs if we mourn for the sinnes of others As for the first Among many wayes whereby the sinnes of other men become ours this is also one If we know their iniquities and be not grieued therewith and therefore are the Corinthians reproued that they sorrowed not for the incestuous man that was among them by so doing they were defiled by his sinne became one polluted lump with him And Ezech. 9. Not only is iudgement determined vpon the committers of sinne but of such also as mourned for sin they are involued in the same iudgement as partakers of the same sinnes by reason that they mourned not for them And as for the great good we get by mourning for the sinnes of the wicked whereby they dishonour the Lord our God it is also euident Blessed saith our Sauiour are they that mourne for they shall be comforted When the heauen waters the earth in due season there followes a fruitfull increase but when the earth waters the heauen then shall follow a more plentifull haruest of all spirituall comfort And this is done when a sinner powres the teares of his penitent heart into the bosome of God then the heauens are
watered by the earth For the teares of the godly fall not to the ground the Lord gathers them like most pretious pearles vnto him and puts them in his bottell and they bring still increase of comfort to such as shed them They are sowen like good seede on earth the first fruite whereof is reaped on earth but the fulness thereof in heauen according to that of the Psalmist They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy ZADE. VER 137. Righteous art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements HEere Dauid sore troubled with griefe for the wickednesse of his enemies yea tempted greatly to impatience and distrust by looking to their prosperous estate notwithstanding their so grosse impiety doth now shew vnto vs a three-fold ground of comfort which in this dangerous tentation vpheld him The first is a consideration of that which God is in himselfe namely iust and righteous the second a consideration of the equity of his word thirdly of his constant truth declared in his working and doing according to his word When we find our selues tempted to distrust by looking to the prosperity of the wicked let vs looke vp to God consider his nature his word his workes and we shall finde comfort Righteous art thou There is the first a meditation of the righteousnes of Gods nature he alters not with times he changes not with persons he is alway and vnto all one and the same righteous and holy God Righteousnesse is essentiall to him it is himselfe and he can no more defraude the godly of their promised comforts nor let the wicked go vnpunished in their sinnes then hee can denie himselfe to be God which is impossible Iust are thy iudgements The second ground of Dauids comfort is heere and in the next verse VER 138. Thou hast commanded iustice by thy Testimonies and truth especially AS the tree is so is the fruit From so righteous a God nothing can proceede but righteousnesse God forbid that the Iudge of all the world should doe vnrighteously This meditation of the equity of Gods command flowing from his most righteous nature confirmes Dauid in this sure conclusion It cannot be but well with them who walke after his word and by the contrary such as goe a whooring from it cannot but make a miserable end how-euer they prosper for a time And out of this we may further learn how the law of God expresseth to vs the liuely linâ—…ments of his image for from his righteous nature flowe his commandements commanding righteousnesse This lets vs sâ—…e 〈◊〉 fearfull an euill sinne is sith it is a transgression of that holy law which flowes from Gods righteous nature it is a direct impugning violating of the diuine nature so farre as the creature may The lawes of Kings may be broken and their persons not touched farre lesse their nature violated yea oft-times their nature likes of that euill which their lawe forbids It is not so with the lawe of God it flowes from his righteous nature and God and his lawe are so straitly vnited that the breaking of his lawe is an impugning of his very nature so farre as the creature may as I haue said already By thy Testimonies The word of God is called his Testimony both because it testifies his will which he will haue vs to doe as also because it testifies vnto men truely what shall become of them whether good or euill Men by nature are curious to know their end rather then care full to mend their life and for this cause seeke answers where they neuer get good but if they would know let them goe to the word and testimony they need not to seeke any other Oracle If the word of God testifie good things vnto them they haue cause to reioyce if otherwise it witnesse euill vnto them let them hast to preuent it or else it shall assuredly ouertake them VER 139. My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy word THroughout this Psalme we see that Dauid cannot satisfie himselfe in declaring the loue he had to Gods word for that comfort which hee had felt in it as likewise his insatiable affection crauing more comfort by it What he speakes of himself he speakes it not like that Pharise who boasted of his good not mourning for his euill nor yet longing for better Such presumption is farre from the godly If at any time they make mention of any good disposition in them they doe it to the glory of God from whom all good comes and to comfort themselues for the beginnings of Gods grace in them but still they know their wants and mourne for them Neuer contented in this life with the grace receiued with earnest affection they crie for more Three things haue we to consider in this his his protestation first the nature secondly the sorts thirdly the effects of zeale As for the nature of zeale It is a mixed affection of griefe and anger flowing from loue for what a man loues earnestly he is carefull to see it honoured and by the contrary grieued when it is dishonoured The sorts of it are many for according as our loue and griefe are so is our zeale If our loue be vpon the right obiects moderate in due measure it causes a zeale which is holy and spirituall otherwise if our loue be inordinate it begets a carnall or inordinate zeale Sometime the zeale is not vpon the right obiect and then it may be great but it cannot be good such is the zeale of Heretiques who compasse Sea and Land to make one of their owne profession Sometime againe the zeale is on the right obiect not in the due measure eyther too colde which is remission or too hote which is superstition Of these saith the Apostle It is a zeale but not according to knowledge Zelus ad mortem non ad vitam a zeale which tends to death not vnto life The effects of Dauids zeale he toucheth when he saith it had consumed him Affections of the soule are very forcible to moue the body A sorrowfull heart saith Salomon dryes vp the bones But men should carefully marke what spirit inflames their zeale and what zeale moueth their bodies There are som who vnder shew of zeale or at least because they thinke it zeale neglect the duetie which they owe to their bodies not remembring the seruice which God craues of the body is a reasonable seruice not vnreasonable Others with their zeale fight against the Gospell so did Paul before his conuersion Let vs try the Spirits and see that our zeale be according to knowledge For these two Knowledge Zeale are compared by Bernard to the two wings of a fowle the Bird that hath but one wing falleth the more that it mindeth to flie These are two excellent giftes Knowledge and Zeale but if the one be without the other it were better to want it And now sith zeale