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A01235 The priuiledges of the vpright in heart Expressed in brief meditations upon the 84 Psalme: and more particularly vpon the 11 verse thereof. Studied for the vse of the right worshipfull Company of Drapers London By W.F. Freake, William. 1639 (1639) STC 11347.5; ESTC S120859 14,597 40

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terram universam illuminat saith Musculus upon this place The Sun at his arising pulleth of that sad mantle of darknesse wherwith his absence had clad the Heavens dispelleth the sable clouds of night restoring light and comfort to the whole earth A passage which is excellently described by the Psalmist Psal 19.4 where hee speaks of the tabernacle of the Sunne set in Heaven out of which hee commeth as a Bridegroom out of his chamber A most cleare demonstration of the glorious worke of God in the heart of a Christian so farre as our weake capacities can conceive Qui gratia suae aspectu idem est piorum mentibus quod Sol virtute suâ universo terrarum orbi saith the same Expositor who communicateth not only as much comfort to the souls of the godly by the illumination of his grace but much more then the Sunne doth to the World by the influence of his beames Hence is it that our blessed Lord who by Saint Paul is termed the expresse image of the Father 2 Cor. 4 4. is by Saint Iohn stiled the true light that lighteth every man that commeth into the world Iohn 1.9 And it is a thing wherof you cannot be ignorant that the Sun alone with the brightenesse of his beames though he be but one quite expelleth the darknesse of the night which the Moon and all the Stars are not able to doe without him even so our blessed Lord that perfect Sonne of righteousnesse as the Prophet stiles him Mal. 4.2 by the rayes of his divine light not onely dispels those mists of ignorance wherin all men naturally are inveloped but giveth the true knowledge of that way to salvation which all Philosophy and humane learning could never lead a man unto because indeed as Saint Paul most truly delivers it Colos 2.3 in him alone are bidden all the treasures of true wisdome and heavenly knowledge Again as in our Horizon when the Sunne in our night-time is subterraneous all that light which the Moone or Stars have is borrowed by reflexion from the Sun So in all opinions and doctrines that tend towards Religion if there be any light at all it is by reflex from this Sun of the World our blessed Lord Christ Iesus Most significantly therefore is our God stiled our Sunne and our blessed Lord the Sonne of God that life which is the light of men John 1.4 And most punctually true is that word of our Saviour Iohn 3.20 21. that every one that doth evill hateth this light neither commeth to it lest his deeds should be discovered But he that doth truth commeth to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Vse That we may be perswaded as our blessed Lord hath admonished while wee have this light to believe in this light that we may be the children of light Iohn 12.36 and while we have this light to walk in this light lest darknesse come upon us ibid. v. 35. As never forgetting who it was that said of himselfe what could never be truly said of any but himself Iohn 8.12 Ego sum lux mundi I am that light of the World he that followeth mee shall not walke in darknesse but shall have the light of life So that now you have heard how our God is a Sun now mark how he is a shield also For our God is a Sun and a shield 10. The shield is a piece of defensive Armes appropriated to fighting men And because Christians in the Church Militant have need of protection against the manifold assaults of spirituall enemies the Lord GOD who is a defender of all those that fight his battails is elegantly by the Holy Ghost stiled the shield of his people that put their trust in him David in his greatest extremity at Ziklag when his people upon the spoile therof by the Amalekites spoke of stoning him and the text saith he was greatly distressed yet comforted himselfe in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 306. And trusting to his protection as to his shield and buckler consulted him by Abiathar the Priest and receiving a gracious answer following the directions of the Oracle hee recovered all again as you may reade in the sequell of that Chapter The Lord hereby giving just cause unto David thus to sing in that his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or triumphant song when God had delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hands of Saul 2 Sam. 22.1 at verse 35. Dedisti mihi clypeum salutis tuae Thou hast given mee the shield of thy salvation as Saint Ierome reads it Thus was hee Davids shield A patterne for religious Princes Moses and Aaron in the like distresse when the whole Congregation cryed out to stone them were safe under the protection of this shield and when all humane help failed were rescued by the appearing of the glory of the Lord at the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation before all the children of Israel Numb 14.10 Thus was the Lord God a shield to Moses and Aaron A patterne for pious Governours in Church or State Abraham in all his peregrinations from Vr of the Caldees unto and in the land of Canaan was safe under this shield even as God had promised saying Gen. 15.1 Fear not Abraham I am thy shield A president for all the faithfull the children of Abrahams saith whether Iews or Gentiles in what distresse soever that can affront them in this vale of tears To shew them that if they trust in the Lords protection in their wayes of obedience they may sing with the Church even when the world saith of them there is no helpe for them But thou ô Lord art my shield thou art my glory and the lifter up of my head Psal 3.2 3. For thou Lord will blesse the righteous and with favour wilt thou compasse him as with a shield Psal 5.12 For why Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy Psal 33.18 To deliver their souls from death and to keepe them alive in famine ibid. verse 19. upon which assurance Gods children may sing joyfully as ibid. verse 20. Our soule wayteth for the Lord he is our helpe and our shield Thus have you heard how the Lord is a shield also And yet this is not all the instruction that these words afford us II. For even in this conjunction of the Sunne and Shield is a marvellous comfort laid up for true believers if it be rightly considered Deus Sol illuminationis Deus Clypeus protectionis saith Musculus upon this Text God is the Sun of his Church to enlighten the same with saving knowledge that his people may understand the way wherin hee would have them to walke and to direct all their goings to make good that of the Psalmist Psal 37.23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and hee delighteth in his wayes This Sun alone doth light us into the way wherin
himself would have us to walk and out of which way wee may expect no blessing And because even in this warrantable way the afflictions of the righteous are many Psal 34.19 God contenteth not himself to be our Sun only to direct but he is our shield to protect us also liberabit eos omnibus afflictionibus the Lord wil deliver them out of all as it followeth in that part of the Psalme 12. Again because as S. Paul fpeaks Act. 14 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Wee must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdome of God therfore is our God our shield as to defend us from affronts under his protection so to enable us to bear those wee meet with not suffering us to be tempted above our strength 1 Cor. 10.13 nor yet our faith to faile Luke 22.32 〈◊〉 the very houre of temptation be wil keep us from the evill of it Revel 3.10 and in the deepest distresse therby will make his Grace sufficient for us that his strength may be made perfect in our weaknesse 2 Cor. 12.9 In a word the Lord our God is a Sunne to his Church according to the promise of our blessed Redeemer shining in our hearts by that spirit of truth who guideth into all truth Iohn 16.13 And the Lord is the shield of his Church being with the same alwayes even unto the end of the World Matth. 28 last verse That the gates of hell may never prevaile against it as our blessed Lord hath promised Matth. 16.18 13. And doubtlesse wee have very great reason to depend upon this truth by building our faith upon the illumination of this Sun and protection of this shield seeing as it followeth in the next words of this verse it is this Sun alone that giveth grace this shield that giveth glory Deus enim Sol clypeus dabit gratiam gloriam The Lord will give grace saith the text Most truely whether it be the first touch and beginning of Grace in the heart of a Christian or it be the progresse and increase of it or it be the perfecting thereof in the soule it is freely Gods gift Dominus dat Saint Iames affirmeth it positively Iames 1.17 Every good gift and every perfect giving is from above and commeth down from the Father of lights where it is not altogether unworthy your noting that he stileth God patrem luminum in relation to the Metaphor in our Text where hee is called our Sunne That we may know that whersoever our God is not by the influence of his light there is all darknesse without any exception according to the sence of the holy Ghost in our Text. If wee looke upon man in his naturall estate hee is not onely lame but dead in sins and trespasses Ephes 2 1 By the influence therfore of Gods Spirit there must be created in us a new lise that was not and not onely the former life excited which was according to that of the Psalmist Psal 51.10 Create in mee a new heart ô Lord not onely stirre up that clean one which hath been somwhat defiled saith a reverend Bishop of our own Church in his Roma irreconciliabilis cap. de libero arbitrio Nay I goe further and by the warrant of Scripture too The old heart which is naturally dead in sinne must be taken away and a new heart by Grace put in the room therof Ezek. 11.19 20. I will put a new spirit within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an heart of flesh that yee may walke in mine Ordinances and keep my statutes to do them So absolute is that truth which we deduce from the words of our Text that the first touch and beginning of Grace in the heart of a Christian is the free gift of God and that without the influence of this Sun there can be no light of Grace in the heart Yea but when the Grace of God is kindled in the heart of a Christian who shall blow it up to a flame Is man able of himselfe to doe it Oh no Without me yee can do nothing saith our blessed Lord Ioh. 15.5 Without the grace of God both preventing and assisting wee are no more able to prosper and grow in grace then the branch which abideth not in the Vine is able to bring forth fruit Iohn 15.4 And as for growing towards perfection S. Paul delivereth it positively that God the Father hath by his Sonne our Redeemer appointed the work of the Ministery for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ till wee all come in the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4 12 13. So that it is God alone who by his blessing upon his holy Ordinances the preaching of the Word and administration of his Sacraments conscionably waited upon bringeth this worke to effect To speake yet more particularly Every man by nature is both ignorant and an unbeliever who shall now give him spirituall understanding who shall perswade him to believe The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them saith Saint Paul meaning while hee resteth in his natural estate because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 It must be therfore a beame from this Sun mentioned in our Text that must lighten mans eyes that he sleep not in death Psal 13.3 For it is God alone that giveth grace to understand the things that belong to our eternall peace As rouching believing the Gospell unto salvation which is only by a true and lively faith this is not in the heart of man by nature it is the gift of God onely who purifieth the heart by faith as hee did the hearts of the Gentiles at their first conversion to Christianity Acts 15.9 As touching Repentance who can deny it to be the immediate gift of God that shall reade what Saint Peter so positively delivereth Acts 15.31 How God by his owne right hand hath exalted his Son lesus to be a Prince a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel for remission of sins Take the word then as you will it falleth out most true that God giveth Grace the beginnings the increasings the perfection of grace the grace to know God aright to believe unto salvation to repent and to turn from sin it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe saith Saint Paul Phillip 2.13 Inabling you to worke out your own salvation with feare and trembling Phillip 2.12 Dominus dat gratiam as it is in my Text. 14. And as he giveth grace so glory also Hence is it that the Lord hath promised by the Prophet Isaiah That he will be a crown of glory and a Diademe of beauty unto his people Jsa 28.5 as also that the Sun shall be no more their light by day nor