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A12974
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An exposition vpon the CXII. Psalme The high way to euerlasting blessednesse. Written for the benefit of Gods church, by T.S.
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Stint, Thomas.
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1621
(1621)
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STC 23269; ESTC S107442
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67,502
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220
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to become a doer so shall you auert this curse and reproch from you so shall God and man call you blessed and blessed shall you feele your selfe in so doing now if you shall lay this to heart in the strength of your yeares it shall be your chiefest wisedome for it is religion and godlinesse that shall embalme your name and make it shine before men and glorifie your soule amongst Angels Luk. 7.37 Maries boxe of oyntment shall neuer be forgotten for godlines hath the promise of this life and that which is to come and that without it there is no internall comfort to bee found in conscience in this world nor eternall happinesse to bee hoped for in the next hoping it shall finde entertainment at your hands and that you will finde time at your leasure to peruse it desiring your fauourable acceptance of my good meaning in this behalfe I humbly take my leaue recommending you to the Lord and to the word of his grace the God of heauen so vouchsafe to water you and yours with the dew of heauen that with the godly man in this Psalme your generation may bee blessed and that at the end of this life your reward may be true blessednesse which mercie the Lord grant you for his Sunne Iesus Christs sake Amen Your most bounden and in all Christian duties to command T. S. Faults escaped in Printing Page 21. line 8. reade chearefull p. 27. l. 7. r. q.d. p. 29. l. 1 r. dans p. 30. l. 18. r. in order p. 36. l. 16. r. late p. 81. l. 10. r. a to p. 81. l. 14. r. vnto p. 103. l. 23. r. heare p. 104. l. 22. r. the Sechemites p. 125. l. 22. r. to do p. 151. l. 7. r. of the Hebrewes p 157. l. 4. r. that p. 165. l. 8. r. in these p. 187. l. 14. r. this the. Christian Reader I feare there are other faults besides these I desire thee therefore to correct these and beare with the rest and so I bid the◠heartily farewell AN EXPOSITION ON THE CXII Psalme verse 1.2 VERSE 1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in his commandements his seed shall bee mighty vpon earth the generation of the righteous shall be blessed THere is no greater encouragement or stronger motion to stirre a man to an eager and earnest pursuite of the meanes then to propose vnto him an end wherein at length his heart may repose as in a concurrance of al comforts and contentments to which there is no possibility of attainment but by purenesse of heart holinesse of life constancie in the course of sanctification which onely leade vnto the face and presence of God where and with whom alone is the highest perfection of blisse a riuer of infinite pleasures the well of life and endlesse rest of all created desires For the capacitie of mans soule cannot possibly be filled with the sufficiency of any creatures no not with a world of creatures for they are all nothing to the worth of a mans soule Christ himselfe hauing preferred it in valuation What shall it profit a man though he should winne the whole world if he loose his owne soule And therefore can neuer be free from motion and vexation vntill it reach vnto either in certaine hope or actuall fruition an obiect infinite as well in excellency of nature as duration of time Blessed then was the wisedome of the disposer of these heauenly songs of Dauid First this Psalme doth teach vs these two worthy points namely how the blessed man liues and that is in the feare of the Lord. Secondly what manner of life he leades and greatly delighteth in his Commandements These Psalms of Dauid the sweet singer of Israel are penned with such heauenly wisedome that they are convenient for the state of the whole Church and euery member thereof It is a banquet of heauenly wisedome saith Ambrose and as Basil speakes of another part of the Scripture likening it to an Apothecaries shop so may this booke of the Psalmes fitly be compared in which are so many sundry sorts of medicines that euery man may haue that which is conuenient for his disease for there is no sickenesse of man whereunto the booke of the Psalmes furnisheth not a present remedy First this blessed mā is described shewing what hee doth carefully embrace and follow Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that is that endeauors to the vtmost of his power to liue in the feare of the Lord. Secondly what is his practise namely to be much often in serious Christian meditation and delights greatly in his cōmandements Thirdly he sheweth the happy succes of this blessed man his seed shall be mighty vpon earth Now seeing this is the maine proposition of the psalm to proue that the godly man and hee that feares the Lord is onely blessed therefore the Prophet doth first shew who bee truely blessed and then wherein their blessednesse doth consist Dauid often vseth this phrase as in the first Psalm Blessed is the man that walketh not in the councell of the vngodly c. And in the 32. Psalme Blessed is hee whose wickednesse is forgiuen whose sinnes is couered c. And as here we haue it Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. It seems to be the words of a man in admiration or admiring with himselfe as if he should say O the blessednesse of that man that feareth the Lord. In this duty I obserue three points first what is the true feare of God Secondly what wee are to feare in God Thirdly by what meanes wee may attaine to this feare There is a two-fold feare the one is holy and good called filial or childish the other is bad and naught termed seruile or slauish the filiall or childish feare is such an one as is in children towards their parents who doe reuerence and feare them as being vnwilling to offend them any way whether by words or deeds through the tender loue and affection which they doe beare towards them the seruile feare is such an one as is in bondslaues towards their maisters who doe reuerence and feare them through the dread and feare of punishment which otherwise they are sure to haue if they offend and doe contrary to their duties so that some do feare him through loue and care to offend him and others do feare him through dread of punishment and power to torment them and it may be defined thus What the feare of God is It is a reuerence of Gods maiestie in our hearts whereby wee are made vnwilling to offend him in any thing and most willing to please him in all things through the loue which wee beare towards him This is a vertue most necessary and requisite for all Christians whatsoeuer as might at large be shewed but let the example of Abraham suffice Gen. 20.11 who thinking that the feare of God was not in Gerar vtterly despayred of any other vertue and therefore mooued
of any thing in this life that he feareth Sweete is the fountaine to the weary traueller and rest to the tyred seruant comfortable is the coole euening after a hot Sunny day yet much more sweet will it be to the Saints of this heauēly citie to haue peace after warre pleasure after paine ioy after trouble and constant securitie after their so long endured sorrowes then shall we blessed indeed as here the Prophet sayth If one Sunne can lighten and fill the whole world with his brightnesse Dan. 3.12 Mat. 13 43 what shall so many glorified bodies of the blessed appeare that shall bee as so many Sunnes so many Lampes and so many shining Lights in heauen then shall we blessed indeed when we shall be like vnto God 1. Ioh. 3.2 1. Cor. 13. which by nature is blessed and we shall bee like vnto God when we shall see him as he is for this only sight of God is our whole happinesse O what a ioy shall it bee when at one view wee shall behold the most high and hidden mystery of the inseparable Trinity and of the loue of God therein then shall mans minde haue perpetuall rest and peace neither shall it desire any further vnderstanding when he hath all before his eyes that may be vnderstood then shall mans will bee quiet when hee enioyeth that felicitie wherein all other good things as in the fountaine of all happinesse are contained then shall faith haue her perfect worke and hope shall enioy that which shee long desired but charity shall endure for euer then shall bee sung continuall prayses vnto the Lambe Reu. 14.3 and the song although it be alwayes song yet it shall be euer new the ioy mirrh melody pleasure power wealth riches honour beauty fellowship dainties odors glory wisedome knowledge treasure securities peace quietnesse and eternall felicitie is beyond al vnderstanding and comprehension of man which the faithfull shall haue and enioy world without end with God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost with Angels and Arch-Angels Patriarkes and Prophets with the Apostles Euangelists with the Martyrs and Confessors and with the Saints of God in the pallace of the Lord in heauen there shall bee an euerlasting Sabaoth which no euening shal end then shall the geneartion of the righteous bee fully blessed There we shall rest and we shal see No content but in the kingdome of heauen we shall see and we shall loue we shall loue and we shall praise Behold saith Augustine That which is the end is without end For what other end is there ordained for the godly but to attaine to that Kingdome wich hath no end Wee call Paradise our Country and the Patriarkes our Fathers and the Saints our brethren and friends Why runne we not then with all speede to enioy our country and salute our Parents a great number of our friends and kinsfolkes brethren and children doe there attend wishing and expecting our comming what ioy will it bee both to them and vs there to meete one another what pleasures are there amongst the inhabitants of heauen which now feare death no more and are sure to liue for euer Those whose vnderstandings are darkened cannot see their happinesse Wo to the blindnesse of our eyes that see not this woe to the deafnesse of our eares that heare not this in such wise as a we should doe where through we might be so farre from fearing death that rather we should wish it with old Simeon Luke 2.29 Now let thy seruant depart in peace Psal 42.2 and with Dauid when shall I come and appeare before thee that we may be blessed for euermore Thirdly If true faith were placed in our hearts feare would vanish away if true knowledge and faith possest our hearts as they should feare and doubtfulnesse would vanquish quite away for assurance of heauenly things maketh vs willing to part with earthly he cannot contemne this life that knoweth not the other if wee would despise this world we must thinke of the glorious life that followeth it and if wee can endure paine for health much more should wee abide a few pangs for glory how foolish are we to feare a vanquished enemy Christ hath triumphed ouer death it bleedeth as it were and gaspeth vnder vs Death being conquered wee should desire to bee dissolued to be with Christ yet do we tremble it is enough that Christ dyed neither would he haue dyed but that we might dye with safety and pleasure how truely may we say of this our Dauid thou art worth ten thousand of vs yea worth a world of Angels yet he dyed for vs who would therefore liue that knowes his Sauiour dyed Who can be a Christian and would not bee like him that would not dye after him let vs thinke of this and iudge whether all the world can hire vs to die But alas great is our vnbeliefe full faint and weake is our faith or else night and day teares and cries should bee our meate and drinke whilst the wicked say vnto vs Where is now your God Psal 42.3 We should wish rather to be doore-keepers in the house of God Psal 84.10 then to dwell in these vngodly tents For one day in his Courts is better then a thousand it is a token of little loue to God to be so loath to goe vnto him when hee calleth herein wee ought to lament the weakenesse of our faith and seeing our wants to prepare for remedy against the time of neede and to beg of God his aide strength and comfort against the pinch which things vndoubtly if we aske in faith we shall obtaine and find his promise true God reacheth out his hand to conduct vs but wee draw backe our owne and runne away when hee calleth vs if hee bring vs into the way of saluation wee mourne for the World and we looke behinde vs with Lots Wife and hinder our desire of well doing wee must therefore rouze vp ourselues and not remaine still in the mire we must be fortified in this vertue who supporteth and comforteth vs in all distresse Lastly to conclude let vs attempt to despise corruptible things and to desire heauenly and eternall when God calleth at euery occasion let vs hearken vnto him if he be our Guide we must follow him for to arriue in his house let vs receiue his benefit and himselfe too for hee giues himselfe vnto vs in the person of his sonne hee causeth vs to see the meanes how to come vnto him wee must therefore request him to bestow vpon vs will and desire to come thither by Faith Repentance Hope c. And that hee would mainetaine his gifts and graces in vs to the end that heere wee may mourne in this mortall life and attend in the assurance of his mercy for the end of this world and our last day which shal bee the beginning of our true life when wee are to receiue an inheritance not mortall but immortall not earthly but heauenly not like the Goord of Ionas Ionas 4.7 but the Caeders of Libans Deut. 8.4 not like the garments in Egypt Gen. 3.7 but in the Wildernes not like the morning dew but the waters of Paradise Ephes 6.16 not Aprons of Fig-leaues but the Helmet of saluation Gen. 5.14 not like Iacobs Pottage which hee sold but the birth-right which hee bought 2. King 2.11 not a Tabernacle but a Temple not time but eternity not like an abortiue child but like Henoch and Elias which neuer tasted of death beseeching God our heauenly Father for his sonne Christ his sake to keepe vs soules and bodies to his kingdome and glory and to leade vs order vs and dispose of vs as he will in all things in all places and for euer that at the length we may come whether wee would that is into his owne blessed presence and fruition of immortality with Christ and his Saints world without end Amen FINIS