otherwise than Herod thought to worship Christ Mat. 2.7 when he enquired diligently after him He hoped to have killed the Lord of life and they purpose to doe no lesse comming out with swords Mat. 26.55 as against a theefe though they aime at the members yet they smite the head it selfe in their persecution Act. 9.4 5. What is done to one of those little ones is done unto Christ and what is done to Christ is done to one of them A servant of God cannot heare His holy name which wee ought not to use without great reverence to bee dishonoured but his righteous soule must be vexed thereat It was this which did strike so deepe into David and vexe him so sore See the coherence which hee makes in the same verse Psal 69.9 For the zeale of thine house hath eaten me up and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are falne upon me How free hee was from anger and revenge in his owne particular case may appeare by his carriage when Saul had a quarrell against him For though Saul had so highly offended God by his folly in offering a burnt offering for the which hee was told that his kingdome should not continue God having sought a man after his owne heart And againe hee rebelled by disobedience in sparing Agag the best of the spoile at which time the Prophet threatned him that his kingdome should bee rent away from him And though David was anoynted by Samuel and might have set upon Saul when hee cut the skirt of his robe privily and another time might have suffered Abishai to smite him and make him sleepe his last yet hee would not upon these pretences put forth his hand against him but lamented at his death and calls to the daughters of Israel to weepe over Saul But here when God was contemned he was pricked to the heart and his marrow was turned into the drought of Summer He was upon the racke and all his bones were broken when he heard their evill speeches whereby they infected the ayre and poysoned their owne soules Now between David and most men living in these daies there is as great a difference as betweene the King upon the throne and the meanest subject grinding at the mill Hee had a soveraigne command over him selfe and was slow to anger not sinning by wrath yet most sensible oâ—e malicious words tending to the dishonour of God Whereas many that in Gods cause are like dumbe idols which have eares and heare not as if it did not concerne them being never touched with inward compunction when his name shall bee blasphemed but will rather give some consent thereunto as if they were well pleased with such lewdnesse And yet when their owne reputation shall be brought in question they will whet their tongue like a sword in sharpe invectives and will whet their swords also that they may wash off the least disgrace with the bloud of other men But if God doth whet his glittering sword and his hand take hold on judgement Deut. 32.41 he will render vengeance to all those which are of that mercilesse disposition that Cain was who thought the life of his brother to bee the most acceptable sacrifice VERSE XI Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within mee Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God VVHereas David so often repeateth these words we may observe the manifold troubles which befall us in this life Having mentioned his teates and his banishment in the beginning at the fift verse he rebukes his soule for sadnesse Having rehearsed his other afflictions he now againe chides himselfe for this distrustfull heavinesse As Peter Mat. 14.30 though he began to sinke the first time hee went to Christ upon the water Yet he was not thereby discouraged from casting himselfe into the sea againe Iohn 21.7 and then he passed safely to the shoare where Christ was So though the waves billowes went over David when hee hoped to approch unto God by faith yet here againe hee calls upon his soule and casting himselfe upon Gods mercy he arrives at the port of blessednesse Hee did not overcome these temptations and trialls at the first assault nor yet was he wearied with the continuance of them But whensoever he was molested with any evill he labours to strengthen his confidence in Gods love that he may be restored to comfort As Paul prayed thrice that the messenger of Satan might depart from him 2. Cor. 12. â— So our Author shutting up the next Psalme with the same conclusion doth the third time seek to be freed from this thorne in the flesh this heavinesse that was so offensive unto him By this we may learne that lesson which we shall have cause to remember and occasion to practice That through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdome of heaven Act. 14.22 2. Cor. 7.5 Without are fightings within are feares A wounded spirit who can beare What sorrow so neere what trouble so heavy as this when the soule shall be disquieted with doubt of Gods love or sense of his displeasure And yet wee must not faint and forsake our assurance but continue faithfull unto the death that wee may receive the crown of life In afflictions wee must not thinke some new thing doth come upon us which hath not beene before Wee will not compare our sufferings and trials with those which David endured Wee may take this one Prophet for an example of suffering affliction yet did hee not cast away his confidence but hoped in God therfore let us also hold fast the profession of our faith Iam 5.7 Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it untill hee receiue the earely and later raine let us also stablish our hearts that wee may bee refreshed with Gods favour As in water face answereth to face Pro. 27.19 so if wee looke unto the Lord Psal 42.5 we shall praise him for the helpe of his countenance who is the health of our countenance and our God The consideration hereof may be of speciall use and importance in all the casualties of this life but chiefly at the time of death Iob 18.14 when wee are brought to the king of terrors when this earthly house is dissolved we shall be conducted to the kings palace when these old garments be laid aside we shall be arraied in long robes I shall yet praise God yea I shall for ever praise God when I shall alwayes appeare in his presence Who is the health of my countenance who raised me from sicknesse to a sound estate who gave me strength after infirmity who filled me with plenty after adversity who revived me with comfort after sorrow and who will bring me to life after death Being then especially the health of my countenance when hee makes my face to shine as the sunne by beholding his glory And doth change this vile mortall corruptible body into a glorious body The lame man Act. 3.4 who was laid at the gate of the temple looking upon Peter received strength and entring into the temple praised God Though now our soules be cast downe yet if we trust in the Lord all our infirmities shall be cured entring into the holiest place we shall blesse the name of the Lord for evermore Then be not discouraged with present afflictions let thy hope be stedfast and sure Though in tempests sometimes they cut the anchors leave them in the sea Act. 27.40 that the men may be saved yet if we let our hope depart from us we perish The time of our life is but as sixe dayes of labour and sorrow and in this space we have so many nights of quiet and comfort yea we have an evening before the morning a time of strength before a time of triall But in the end there is the eternall Sabbath of blessednesse when we shall for ever magnifie the name of the Lord Amos 8.5 Though the carnall man doth with the Sabbath gone that he may set forth wheate and falsifie the ballances by deceit yet let not beleevers make hast by impatience but waite upon the Lord knowing that by this difficult ascent we come to sit upon the throne FINIS
praised like Absalom for beauty and Absalom to bee praised for nothing but his beauty As their first King was higher by the head than the people so the chiefe praise height of this King had been his head the haire whereof he was more fit to weigh than to guide the ballance of justice Such as was the case of David 2 Sam. 16.11 such is the case of every one of us Hee complaines My son which came out of my bowels seeketh my life Mat. 15.19 That which commeth out of us seeketh our life and would defeate us of the kingdome we have and of that we hope for And as to Absalom there joyned Achitophel whose counsell was as the Oracle of God so with our corruptions there doth joyn Satan whose counsels for a long time were Oracles Both of them cruell murtherers in their advice and suggestions In these extremities David finds favour in the eyes of the Lord and is compassionate towards his sonne Not like Manlius Summum Iuâ— who being over-just caused his sonne to be executed for fighting against the enemy Hictor deliga ad palum Livi lib. 8. though not without victory yet without authority Nor like that Senatour that gave command to have his sonne Fulvius put to death for joyning with a traytor Quem retractum ex itinere parens necari iussit Salust Nor yet like Saul who would have put Ionathan to death as being too good a sonne to live under so bad a father But he shewing himselfe to be as naturally a father of pity as of this unnaturall son commanded the Captaines for his sake to deale gently with the young man 2. Sam. 18.5 If wee take this Psalme to bee propheticall it may bee referred unto the Iewes and that in a twofold estate Either as they were captives at Babylon where being reproched and oppressed by their enemies they desire to bee restored to Ierusalem that they may worship the Lord Or else being in a more cruell bondage while they serve the lusts of their owne hearts Rom 11.10.25 their darknesse and blindnesse being worse than that of Zedekiah it pleaseth the Lord the fulnesse of the Gentiles being come in to open their eyes mollifie their hearts and to cause them to seeke and sue for the meanes of salvation If thou art not satisfied in those former explications but dost apprehend the aime and intention of the Psalme to be more generall I will speake that to thy consolation which Nathan doth to the terrour of David Thou art the man who being wearied with daily reproaches of the wicked and heavy laden with the manifold afflictions of this life dost desire to depart and be with Christ where is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Here we see the carriage of the godly in time of trouble how far it doth differ from that of other men The Lord doth not require that wee should be as the dead sea Non est tranquillitas Malacia est Senec never to be moved by any tempest Apathia etiam ipsis Stoicis improbata Gelli But in all our distresses to be supported with inward comfort expecting a joyfull deliverance as our Author doth in this place in assurance that he shall yet praise the Lord his God Whereas other men are ready to sinke and be swallowed up in any tryall Plutarchus Cicero how did hee droup and wither in the time of his suffering as if his soulâ— also had beene banished out of his body not being able to speake one word to perswade himselfe And Cato so often magnified by Seneca whose works are fraught with the doctrine of desparation as if wisedome had dyed or rather had killed it selfe with him Iob 12.2 with what poverty of spirit did he surrender himselfe Hirtius in bell Aâ—ex Senec. epist 13.24.70 c. in lib. de Bon. vir That his violent fury and outrageous madnesse how is it applauded as a worke of liberty and glory Diverso itinere malos à bonis loca taetra habere Salust And yet formerly upon another occasion hee himselfe was able to speake that there was a place of horror reserved after death for such as were evil 〈◊〉 cum Deus istis te corporis custodiis liberaverit c. Macrob. And it was their owne opinion that only they could passe into the place of blisse whom God did call thereunto But the estate of Christians is otherwise who are so farre from being overwhelmed by crosses and afflictions that like trees exercised by the stormy wind they grow to bee better rooted and established in all graces Psal 92.12 And doe flourish like the Palme-tree who not being surcharged with those burthens imposed upon them Non deorsum palma cedit c. Gellius at last obtaine a victorious triumph In our approach to the entrance of the Psalm wherein David speakes to the Lord wee may see the excellency and dignity of prayer which is a soveraigne remedy for every trouble So long as we seeke to hide and conceale our sorrow wee carry a fire in our bosome which will burne us The winde being pent and restrained within the bowels of the earth what overthrowes and desolations are wrought thereby 1. Sam. 1.15 But if with Hannah out of the abundance of our griefe we can powre out our soules before the Lord spreading our misery and necessity before him as Hezekiah did the letter of Senacherib the Lord will fill us with comfort and make a way for us to escape out of all our tryalls Si operam meduantis expectas oportet ut vulnus detegas tuum Boct. Then doe not thou keepe silence lest thy bones be consumed but discover thy disease that so thou maist bee healed VERSE I. As the Hart panteth after the water-brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God THe Hart panteth after the water-brookes Quibusdam anni temporibus incredibili ardore a quas expetit Calvin as being unable to endure heat which to prevent it will wade into the depth Aquas orâ— tenus subit Iul. Scal. Or else there being deadly fude betweene the Hart and the Serpents Plini when shee hath devoured any of them shee desireth the waters to coole her Pierius Festinat notos subito se â—ergere in amnes Bargaeus Aelian l. 13. cap. 35. Occuliturque undis praeter caput Bar. Cerva in palude delituit Gell. Pluvio cum forte secundo deflueret Virgil. Novas vires colligit Calv. Fragrantem toto de corpore ponit odorem Bargaeus Or being flung by them shee hasteneth to the Rivers where shee obtaineth her medecine Or Lastly being chased by the Huntsmen shee taketh soyle using the water for a refuge being very expert in swimming And that her thirst being abated her strength may bee renewed And shee being cleansed by her washing may bee free from the sent and so avoyd the danger For these and the like
1. and Augustus the second Emperor who after the death of Lentulus did take unto himselfe that dignity of being chiefe Pontifex Pontificatum maxâ—mum mortuo demum Lentulo suscepit Suet that thereby his authority might bee made complete Gratianus pâ—â—mus Imperatorum Christianorum deseâ—vit ab hoc mâ—â—oruâ— in sâ—â—tâ—â—o Causabon Which order continued untill that Gratian did neglect that rite and custome observed by all those Christian Emperors before him This hath beene the use in this Land since that intolerable yoke of servile subjection unto Rome hath bin cast off that our annointed Soveraigne should bee the chiefe head of the Church and in all causes Ecclesiasticall supreme governor Now where much hath beene given there much will bee required Therefore that should be imprinted in their hearts which was written upon Aarons crowne of fine gold Exod. 19.30 Holinesse to the Lord And as the head doth guide and conduct the body so ought they that are most eminent to leade and direct such as are under them that they may walke in this way which bringeth to life and salvation We use to say that the meanest officer would be knowne in his place being unwilling to bee abridged of the extent of his power Then how should they that are raised to highest honour exercise their authority to reduce men to the service of God as thinking to be their most royall prerogative so to doe Blessed are the people that bee in such a case yea blessed be the people whose God is the Lord And great is the comfort that would be found by the serious performance hereof when the chiefe ruler like a good shepheard Iohn 10 4. doth goe before his sheepe and they doe follow him then may he have this good testimony in the latter end 17.4 12. That in some measure hee hath finished the worke which was given him to do and hath not willingly lost any of those that were given unto him At which time he may pray as Nehemiah did Nehem. 13.14 Remember mee O my God concerning this and wipe not out my good deedes that I have done for the house of my God Surely there is a fulnesse of joy in the fulnesse of the assembly when the voyce of the congregation praising the Lord like that noyse of Charets which the Syrians heard 2. King 7.6 shall bee able to put that enemy to flight which doth continually besiege us Also therein is a most blessed resemblance betweene the Church militant and triumphant for as God commeth with tenne thousands of Saints Deut. 33.2 and hath tenne thousand times tenne thousand Angels to stand before him Dan. 7.10 So likewise many and great multitudes of his servants here upon earth doe desire to appeare in his presence Luke 15.10 And as the Angels rejoyce over one sinner that repenteth so the Saints doe rejoyce in this powerfull meanes whereby many sinners are converted Also it will not bee impertinent to consider how David was willing to joine with the meanest of his subjects in the service of God And would bee base in his owne sight though in so doing hee seemed vile unto others Thus in the Kingdome of grace Isai 40.4 every valley shall bee exalted and every mountain and hill shall bee made low Where truth and sincerity are there is also a ready disposition to receive benefit by those of least accompt yea and to doe good unto them without respect of persons Paul that was indued with such excellent gifts yet as hee desired to bee brought on his way towards Iudea by 2. Cor. 1.16 the Corinthians so in like manner hee desired to bee conducted towards that heavenly countrey whereof Iudea was but a figure by the Romanes where hee writeth Rom. 1.12 For I long to see you that I may bee comforted together with you by the mutuall faith both of you and me Whereas David makes mention of that singular consolation which hee found in this communion with the people they that are most mighty and noble may from hence learne how to esteeme of their poore brethren for whom Christ died Amongst barbarous nations there is most tyrannicall usurpation of power who thinke the vulgar unworthy to inhabite the same walls Quod spiratis quod vocem mittitis quod formam hominum habetis indignantur T. Livi lib. 4. to enjoy the same light to breathe to speake to have the shapes of men But as the brethren of Dives and all others who seeme to be gods upon earth shall dye like men So they which now seeme to bee as wormes and no men after death shall become glorious Likewise we may take notice how worthy of blame they are who doe oppose themselves against the godly example of David thwarting and contradicting his heavenly carriage by their unadvised practice of the contrary Here hee speaketh that hee went with the multitude and they peremptorily affirme that they will not go because of the multitude Hee who was a true Israelite Iohn 1.45 in whom was no guile knew right well that they were not all Israel which were of Israell Rom. 9.6 But yet the duty it selfe being holy and ordained as the royall meanes to make chose which were the seed of Abraham to become children he was ready to joyne with them therein Who have more need of the Physitian than the sicke and to be called to repentance than sinners Wherefore they offend that forbeare assembling themselves together And they also may justly be reproved who thinke if they should goe with the multitude their name would lye hid in obscurity and therefore out of vainglorious singularity Ambitio magnis addita est virtutibus Et eminendi fervor vinci dolens Cupido famae Dom. Baudius Act. 5.36 they seeke out many inventions with Theudas boasting themselves to bee some body Thus doe hereticks and sectaries by jarring warre against the peaceable estate of the Church But there was a curse pronounced against him that should attempt the building of Iericho Iosh 6.26 which was overthrowne by Ioshuah And there is no blessing due unto them that againe doe lay the foundation of these confused Babels which have beene razed and laid levell by the Churches champions That may bee said of our times which was once spoken of the Israelites The wood devoured more people than the sword 2. Sam. 18.8 We may praise God that wee are delivered from the sword of persecution and of our enemies But in the meane while how many doe lose themselves by intricate by-paths thinking there bee more wayes than one to walke in and thereby fall headlong into dangerous errors It sheweth the desolation of a countrey when the Kings way shall be forsaken Isai 33.8 Iudg. 5.6 so that none doe travaile therein And we may feare that it doth not prognosticate any happinesse unto our Land when this way of King David shall lye waste For now men will goe by themselves