Ministers must needes die in sinne without repentance who cannot indure themselues to bee admonished and reproued euen as a man hauing a long festered soare that is euen rotten putrified Note he can not abide the Chirurgeon should touch it or lance it alas it will be his bane in the end So if thy soule be sicke full of rottennes and corruption and yet thou continuest in sinne and liest in sinne and wilt not suffer the Lords Chirurgeons thou canst not indure Nathan to be so busie with thy sinnes what will follow but the vtter ruine of thy soule and the bane of it And therefore let all men be content to haue their hearts searched with the tents of the Law to be ript vp and launced til the bloud follow for that is the next way to be cured Doctr. 3 A feareful thing to liue in sin without repentaÌ„ce Note In Dauid obserue what a fearefull thing it is to lie in sinne without repentance it is that which maketh a grieuous wound in the conscience draweth downe many and grieuous iudgements of God as in Dauid hee felt the smart of this sinne a long time yea hee carried the skarre of it to his graue it was a heart-smart vnto sinne in denying his Lord and Maister yet he lying not in sinne repented presently went out and wept bitterly so had pardon but lying in sinne is that which wounds the conscience and drawes downe Gods Iudgements both in soule and body weakens our faith makes vs colde in prayer and in holy dueties Yea the wrath of GOD doth follow such as make no conscience of sinne giuing them ouer into a reprobate sence to a slumbering spirit and to hardnes of heart that they proue in the end to be past feeling Romans 1.28 and surely it is iust with GOD that hee should forsake them by his grace who haue forsaken him by their sins This is that which the Prophet declareth concerning the secret Iudgement of God vpon sinners that doe make shipwarcke of faith and a good conscience Psal 81.11 12. My people would not heare my voyce and Israel would none of me So I gaue them vp vnto the hardnesse of their heart and they haue walked in their owne Councels Whence he shewes that seeing they would not be reclaimed and reformed he suffered them to runne their whole swinge into all wickednesse Vse 1 Hence wee learne what a dangerous thing it is to giue entertainement vnto sin it is like to a shamelesse guest which if he be once inuited will be so hardy that hee will come againe vnbidden it is like the breaking in of water that can hardly be stopped we may see this in the example of Cain he was reprooued of God checked for his hatred against his brother and admonished to repent Gen. 4 8. But he hearkened not to the voyce of the Lord but hardned his heart and shead innocent bloud euen the bloud of his brother This appeareth in Iudas he entertained couetousnesse in his heart from couetousnes he fell to plot with the Pharises Mat. 26.15 from plotting he proceeded to practising in the end he brake out to treson against his Lord Master The like we may say of Saul That as he fell away from God step by step So did the Spirit of God forsake him For as amongst all the blessings that God doth bestow vpon the sonnes of men in this world a soft and tender heart is one of the greatest which is soone made to bleede and brought to repentance and amendment of life Ezech. 11.19 So there can bee no greater curse laid vpon man then to haue a stony heart which eueyr day doth heape vp wrath against the day of wrath Exod. 9. Vse 2 Well aboue all things let vs beware how wee lie Continuance in sin most dangerous and rest in sinne Indeede I confesse the Lord might iustly condemne vs for the least sin we doe commit but yet he doth not so much dislike vs for sinning as for lying in sinne without repentance whenas we sinne and lie in sin then we wound our conscience then all grace will decay let a man trie himselfe When Dauid had done this euill committed adultery and murther and lay without repentance how was his zeale quenched how was his prayers weakened how was his heart cooled Note how was his conscience wounded Euen so do but try thy hart if thou hast committed some euil either by adultery whoredome lying stealing c. When thou hast done this how vntoward and dull shalt thou be in holy duties in prayer and praising of GOD and thou shalt finde euen a hell in thy conscience for the present Vse 3 Seeing it is so dangerous to lie in sin without repentance it is the very cut-throate of the soule and of all good things Oh then if we do fall as the best fall daily yet let vs presently recouer our selues presently repent and cry out with the Prodigal child Luke 15. Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee And with Peter let vs hastily goe out and weepe bitterly and then we shall not so deeply wound our conscience nor draw downe Gods iudgements as when we lie and snort in sin securely without repentance The fourth Circumstance in the Title of the Psalme is the occasion wherefore this worthie Psalme was penned The occasioÌ„ wherefore this Psalm was penned which was this Nathans reprouing of Dauid for going into Bershaba of which story reade the second of Samuel the eleuenth and twefth chapters and you shall see both Dauids sinne and his repentance being reproued whence I pray you marke two things Dauids patience and Nathans holdnes Dauid was a mighty King a famous warriour yet when the Lords Prophet comes vnto him to reproue him he takes it patiently and most meekly endures it One would haue thought that Dauid should haue checked him and bid him holde his peace and bid him meddle with his equals But you see here though he were reprooued by Nathan a poore Prophet of God and that of a fowle sinne he most patiently endureth it Doctr. 1 Hence wee learne in Nathan and Dauid Ministers must reproue the greatest personagâ—s that the Prophets of GOD must not be afraide to reprooue the greatest Personages but they must lay open their sinnes Gods iudgements against them 1 Reg. 21. Elias reprooues Ahab Moses Pharaoh Paul Foelix Iohn Baptist Herod c. And so Marke 6. whatsoeuer thou art if thou wert as great a King as Dauid if the Lord send his Prophet to tell thee of thy sinnes thou art to take it as the Message of the Lord and not to storme against it And it is the thing which the children of God desire to haue their sinnes laied open and reproued Psal 141.5 Let the righteous smite me friendly and reprooue me for such smiting shall be good for me and nothing is more dangerous for Kings and great personages then to haue
what a singular comfort is this to Gods children when they shall remember that the falls and slippes of such worthy men are recorded in Gods Booke And if this were not our faith would faile and we should euen vtterly despaire And as it was with Dauid so it is with all the godly if euer they felt the terror of an accusing conscience for sinne if euer they were displeased at themselues for offending a good and gracious GOD they will not then sticke to manifest their own shame and proclaime their owne follie with griefe of heart with the Leper in the Lawe Leuiticus chapter 13. and 45. verse I am vncleane I am vncleane that so they may procure their former peace from GOD and giue him glorie by their repentance as they dishonoured him by their sinnes So that where the Lord doth awaken the conscience all excuses are set aside and man is glad to disburden himselfe by confessing his sinne vnto the Lord. Vse 1 We learne by Dauids example not to bee vnwilling to doe that which may be for GODS glorie and the good of his church though it should be our vtter disgrace in the world Yea euen to shame our selues for euer so as God may haue his honour by vs alas We are so charie of our owne credite and so loath to shame our selues that we will not acknowledge our sins and infirmities thogh it might turne much to Gods glory but this let vs know that it is our duty to seek Gods glory and the good of his Church though we should euen for euer shame our selues to the world it is a shame to sin no shame to repent yea shame is the best fruit of sinne Rom. 6. neither is our shame increased by confessing our sinnes but rather diminished and taken away and yet so nice are we that wee are loath to acknowledge our sinnes without which there is no pardon of sinne Doctr. 3 From the persons that fell into this great sinne of Adultery The strongest may fall namely Dauid and Bershaba Dauid an excellent King and Prophet of God yea a man after Gods owne heart And Bershaba no common sinner but a woman of great name yea a religious woman as it appeareth wise Prou. 31. and discreete By this wee may see into how great sins the children of God may fall if the Lord leaue them but a little to themselues as wee may see in Noah Lot Dauid Peter and the like Vse 1 Seeing it is so Oh how should wee watch ouer our wayes Though thou beest the childe of God yet see how thou mayest fall if the Lord leaue thee but a while Pro. 4.23 O then countergard thy heart c. keepe it with watch and ward and looke vnto the casements of thy soule thy eares and thy eâ—es by them was Dauid ouercome what folly is it then in them who dare come into any company Note that dare looke pry into the beauty of women as though they were so strong that they were out of all danger to sin But art thou stronger then Dauid If not thou mayest fall Vse 2 Let all Ladies and godly women take heede let them looke on Bershaba a worthy woman and let them feare to giue any entertainement to lust and vncleanenesse for they may be sooner ouer-taken then they be aware looke vnto thy eyes and to thy company lest thou be poisoned by the company of vnchaste persons Yea it may admonish all men and women though neuer so sanctified chaste and religious to feare themselues and to cut off all occasions to vncleannesse as pride in apparrell dalliance euill company idlenesse and the like which be fore-runners of this sinne Vse 3 Lastly let no vncleane person man or woman make Dauid nor Bershabaes sinnes Note a meanes to embolden them or bolster them in vncleanenesse for if thou sinne because such sinned thou mayest perish in them this is not the end why their sinnes be noted in the Booke of GOD for to bolster vs in sinne But rather to admonish vs of our weakenesse to make vs watch lest we fall seeing such excellent ones haue fallen Oh then let vs imitate their repentance not their falls Psalme 51. VERSE 1. Haue mercy on me O God according to thy louing kindnes according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities Now follows the psalme it selfe and it is a most excellent psalme to be learned of euery christian man and woman and oft times to be vsed for our comfort for it containes a most earnest prayer of Dauid that worthy seruant of God and renowned king 〈…〉 a Prophet of GOD and a man after his owne heart Wherein hee humblie doth acknowledge his sins vnto the Lord earnestly intreating for grace and fauor at Gods hands for the true pardon of them all and to be comforted againe by the gracious promises of God This Psalme may be diuided into 2. parts in the first part Dauid prayeth for himselfe vnto the eighteenth verse in the second part he prayeth for the church of God that the Lord would be fauourable vnto Syon his Church and build vp Ierusalem The maine thing which Dauid so earnest and so often prayeth for is mercy and fauour at Gods hands for the pardon of his sinnes and this Petition is repeated againe and againe ioyned with great affection and earnest desire of mercie confessing his sinnes vnfainedly and abhorring them Secondly Dauid prayeth vnto God for the worke of sanctification that the Lord would purge him and sanctifie him by his holy Spirit and renue his heart Thirdly bee promiseth to preach forth this mercy of God vnto others that his example shal be a meanes by GODS blessing to conuert them to make them afraid of sin and to comfort them that be fallen Fourthly hee sheweth the great abuse of outward Sacrifices and the outward worship seruice of GOD that if it be done by impure and impenitent sinners alas Esay 1.11 the Lord takes no pleasure in it but hates and abhorres it In the first verse we are to coÌ„sider First what is the thing Dauid begs namely Mercy Secondly the person of whom he begges it and that is of God Haue mercy on me O God Thirdly the maner greatnes of this mercy much mercy and great mercy because of his great misery the doubling of the petition shewes he praied with feeling and great affection Haue mercy on me O God As if he should haue said O my God I am a most vile and miserable sinner I haue committed very great and grieuous sinnes I stand in great need of thy mercy and therefore haue mercy on me in the pardon of my sinne Doctr. 1 Before a man can either craue for mercy Sight of sinnes the first stâ—p to repentance and begge the pardon of his sins he must haue the sight of them he must see the danger of them and finde himselfe to stand in extreame neede of Gods mercy Dauid he had
owne soule but also laid open the Church and people of God to great misery and done what lay in him to draw the curse and iudgement of GOD vpon them therefore he doth humbly intreate the Lord to be mercifull to his Church and not to plague and punish them as he might haue done for his sinnes and disobedience These two verses containe in them two especiall points to bee considered of vs. First the request which Dauid makes in the behalf of the Church and people of God Ver. 18. Secondly the reason taken from the vow and protestation which Dauid and the people make vnto GOD namely to offer vnto GOD the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing In the prayer be two requests first he prayes for fauour and mercy to be shewed vpon the Church of GOD secondly that the Lord would repaire that breach which he had made by his sinnes Bee fauourable THat is doe well blesse preserue and shew mercy To Zyon Zyon signifies that beautifull Temple of Ierusalem but here it is taken for the Church and people of God as if he should say O Lord I do not onely intreate thee that thou wouldst haue mercy vpon me but I beseech thee shew mercy to thy whole Church and people be mercifull vnto them prouide wel for them that thy word may be Preached and thy name called vpon for I acknowledge ô Lord that I haue done as much as lay in my power to bring heauy iudgements vpon thy Church and people if my sinnes be laid vpon them but Lord let not thy Church be punished for my sin O bee fauourable to Syon Doct. 1 Prayer the chiefestrefuge in time of danger Seeing Dauid in time of misery when the Church was in danger of Gods iudgements betakes himselfe to prayer to intreate the Lord for grace and fauour wee learne hence that this is our chiefest refuge and shelter in time of misery and affliction when the Church of GOD is in danger of any iudgement or calamity euen to betake our selues to humble and earnest prayer Pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee Psal 122.6 Psa 50.15 Psal 107 Hester 4.8 Esay 64 2. Chron. 32.20 And of the Israelites it is reported that they cryed fiue times vnto the Lord in their distresse so in Aegypt they cryed and groaned vnto the Lord so they fasted and prayed when Haman had got the Kings letter to put the Iewes to dead The like we may see in Nehemiah Neh. 1.3.4 when he heard that the people returned from captiuity were still in misery Ierusalem troden downe hee sate downe and wept hee mourned fasted and prayed before the GOD of heauen for the redresse of those euils This appeareth likewise Psalme one hundred thirty seuen the first second and third verses where the Prophet layeth downe the miserable estate of the Church vnder the Babylonians and the affliction of Church conceiued vpon that distresse We sate downe and wept when wee remembred Syon If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning yea if I preferre not Ierusalem before my chiefe ioy And in the first of Samuel the fourth chapter and the nineteenth verse it is noted to the euerlasting praise of the wife of Phineas that when the Pâ—iâ—istims preuailed ouer the people of God and one trouble came vpon her on the necke of another as the takiâ—g of the Arke the fall of her Father the death of her Husband the ouer-throw of the Hoast c. yet aboue all the report of taking the Arke of the Lord it was a wound vnto her soule hastned her trauaile and called her child Icabod that is no glory or the glory is departed from Israel because the Arke of God was taken Vse 1 Well if the Lord should afflict vs and should threaten to destroy vs to remoue the Gospell to take away his zealous and faithfull Ministers to make the golden Belles of Aaron yeeld no sound what are we to doe Namely this must be our refuge we must fly vnto God by true and hearty prayer bewaile our sins acknowledge them to God ply the Lord with prayers and teares Iam. 5.17 For the prayer of a righteous Man is of endlesse force Now if the prayer of one righteous man bee of that force and strength how much more are the prayers of hundreds or thousands that are gathered together in one one cord may easily bee broken but a three-fold cord cannot be broken Elias is called the Chariot and Horse-men of Israel because by faithfull prayers which hee made vnto GOD hee could doe more for the defence of GODS Church then an Armie of Souldiers Vse 2 Seing the troubles of others must moue pitty in our selues then woe to them that are secure that laugh when the Church weepeth that liue in brauery when the Church is in Sackcloth and Ashes that feast when the Church doth fast This was the practise of those that liued in the time of Esay Esay 22. vers 12.13.14 In that day did the Lord of Hosts call vnto weeping and mourning to baldnesse and grinding with Sackcloth And behold ioy and gladnesse slaying Oxen and killing Sheepe eating flesh and drinking for to morrow wee shall dye Hereunto accordeth that of the Prophet Amos Amos 6. Woe to them that are at ease in Syon c. where we see hee pronounceth the wofull estate and condition of those who liued without any regard of the Iudgements of GOD laid vpon the Church And surely the times wherin wee liue doe call vpon vs to the practise of this Christian duetie But much more are they condemned that are so farre from pittying the Churches troubles that rather without all naturall affection as if they were borne of Wolues or nourished of Tygers seeke to cut the throate of the Church adde to their afflictions make their burthen heauier euen of them that are ready to fall This doth the Prophet speake of such Psa 69. vers 26. They persecute him whom thou hast smitten and adde vnto the sorrow of them whom thou hast wounded Doctr. 2 In that DAVID doth not pray for himselfe alone Prayer for the Church a Christian duty but is mindefull of the whole Church and people of GOD and therefore prayes for them that GOD would blesse them and defend them Hence wee learne that it is the duety of euery Christian Man and Woman that be true members of the Church of GOD not onely to pray for themselues but also to pray instantly for the Church of God that God would bee fauourable to his people blesse his Church and Children seeke the wel-fare of GODS Church This wee may see by the example of Abraham Genes 18. who prayed for the Sodomites that they might be spared This we may see in Nehemiah Nehem. 1.3.4 who mourned fasted and prayed vnto the God of Heauen when hee saw that the Church was in misery And this affection was in Dauid when hee saith Psalm 137. We sate downe and
himselfe telleth vs Esay 43 25. I euen I am hee saith the Lord that putteth way thine iniquities Now that they may be blotted out and this Booke may be cancelled we must How to haue the Bookes cancelled First truely repent of them all bewaile them be grieued for them that by them we haue grieued God Secondly we must beg hard euen as for life and death for pardon of them as Dauid did here againe and againe aske mercy If a man should runne into debt a thousand pounds and know not how to pay his creditor his best way were to seeke and make friends vnto him to forgiue it We are debters vnto God thousand Thousands sinnes pay wee can not then let vs confesse the debt intreate him to blot his booke and take that hand-writing and band of obligation on against vs and naile it to Christs Crosse And this is an excellent propertie of the childe of God that hee desireth after a sort to come out of Gods debt A true childe of GOD cannot abide to haue any thing standing on Gods score for he knowes Hebr. 10.31 That it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing GOD so long to deferre till God warne to his Barre Oh he seekes betimes and giues the Lord no rest till the debt be pardoned Thirdly that our sinnes may bee cleane blotted out wee must haue faith in Christ Iesus for nothing can blot out sinne but his bloud alone nothing in heauen and earth can satisfie Gods anger wash away sinne blot out our offences but onely the bloud of Iesus Christ and therefore let vs labour continually to be assured of it by faith to sprinckle our sinfull hearts with the bloud of Iesus Christ 1. Iohn 1.7 Reuel 1.6 Vse 3 Seeing the Prophet Dauid doth acknowledge that this Debt was more then he was able to pay and therefore disclayming his owne sufficiencie appeales onely to GODS mercy in Christ for the pardon of the same We learne that that Doctrine of Merites yea and Supererogation now taught in the Church of Rome is most false and erronious teaching poore people to leane vnto mans satisfactions which they must make vnto God either heere or in Purgatory whereas the Iustice of God is infinite And when we haue done all that we can heere in this life wee are vnprofitable seruants nay there is not that man in the whole world that if God should lay aside his mercie and deale in iustice were able to satisfie the Iustice of GOD for the least Debt that hee doth owe vnto GOD. And vnlesse the Lord take pittie on vs and forgiue the Debt there remaineth nothing for vs but to lie in prison and that for euer Matth. 28.27 But of this before VERSE 2. 2. Wash mee throughly from my wickednesse and cleanse me from my sinnes IN this Verse the Prophet Dauid proceedes with his former petition vnto GOD for grace and fauour for pardon of his sinnes yet so as hee doth it more effectual and more earnestly because his foule was now exceeding grieued seeing his woefull misery that he was in how foule and filthily he was stained with sin most hainously And though some put a difference betweene these two speeches and vnderstand the former of the washing of Iustification and pardon of his sinnes not imputing them vnto his charge And the second of the washing of Sanctification and the couering of our sins yea by little and little washing and purging them away and more and more renewing newing of vs in soule and bodie by the worke of Sanctification yet me thinks the words do both imply one thing namely to be throughly purged from the filth and staine of sinne and to be receiued againe into the fauor of God by the means of Christ It may seeme strange what should moue Dauid to confesse his sin and to intreate for pardon in this maner There was no Court of Inquisition concerning his fact There was no Magistrate to examine him nor Iudge to condemne him he being King Nay no doubt the diuel might set some on work which might back him and seeme to lessenhis fault what then should cause Dauid without any regard of his credit to come forth in this manner and thus publiquely to confesse his pollution and to be so earnest vnto GOD with his Haue mercie Blot out Wash me c. Surely it was his owne conscience and that extorted and wroong from him this Confession and made him so earnest vnto God in prayer Doctr. 1 From this prayer of Dauid A woūded consciēce can finde no rest but onely in Christ repeating his request to GOD so often Haue mercie Blot out Wash me c. we learn that a wounded conscience that is truely touched for sinne can finde no rest or comfort but only in the feeling of Gods mercy in Christ for the pardon of sinne and therfore Dauid to shew how hee was truely humbled and wounded for sinne hee neuer can content himselfe to pray and beg for mercy and pardon for after a man sees his sins and the filthinesse of them and beholdes the wrath of God against sinne his conscience still accuses him neither can hee finde any rest till hee do feele the mercy of God in Christ for the pardon of them Being iustified by faith we haue peace with God Rom. 5.1 Againe the Kingdome of GOD stands not in meate and drinke Rom. 14.17 but in righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost that is in pardon of sinnes and feeling of Gods loue for sinne once knowne will neuer cease to accuse vntil it be pardoned And this is confirmed vnto vs by the example of Caine Genes 4. who hauing slaine his owne brother and shead innocent bloud which cried in the eares of the Lord for vengeance how did the Lord strike him with an accusing conscience that he feared the sight of euery creature when he had once attained the sight of his sinne and whereas he thought to build him a Cittie to yeelde him comfort and safetie euen there did the Iustice of God ouertake him and he was driuen from that enterprise The like wee may see in Belieshazzer Dan. 5.56 when there appeared fingers of a mans hand vpon the wall his thoughts were troubled and his knees smote one against the other According tothat punishment the Lord foretolde Leuit. 26. I will send euen a faintnesse into their hearts And the sound of a leafe shaken shall chasten them And they shall flie as from a sword though none pursue them So that if it were possible to escape all apprehension and accusation in the world yet a mans owne conscience would arrest him and hale him vnto Iudgement Vse 1 Seeing this is the nature of sinne that being knowne it wil neuer cease to accuse and vex the conscience of a poore sinner till it be pardoned it should prouoke vs all that feele the smart of sinne neuer to giue the Lord any rest vntill we haue pardon