men knew this or could apprehend it they would not redeeme the pleasures of sinne so deerely as for them to defraude their ownesoules of saluation despising against themselues the counsell of God And this Oracle of God should confirme vs against all these tentations which arise vnto vs by looking to the prosperity peace and worldly pompe of the wicked What is the glory of their outward state to be regarded so long as this fearfull sentence lies vpon them that the saluation of God is farre from them This sustained the Apostle S. Paul when he saw the great pompe of Agrippa he would not for all that exchange estates with him he wished not to be like vnto Agrippa but rather that hee had beene such as he was Because they seeke not thy Statutes Heere is noted the cause of all their misery namely the contempt of Gods word they did not so much as seeke the Lords Statutes An argument they esteemed nothing of it for who will seeke that whereof they account not or who will despise that which they esteeme pretious and necessary to them This is much more then if he had only said They transgresse thy Statutes The children of God may be guilty of the one transgression for in many things we sinne all And if any man say he sinnes not he is a lâ—…ar and the truth is not in him but they are farre from the other to dis-esteeme of Gods word and cast off all care to seeke it VER 156. Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgements NOw Dauid turns his consideration from wicked men vnto himselfe acknowledging that he was no better by nature then they but that Gods his mercy had made a difference between him and them where there was none by nature And therefore prayes he that the work of Gods mercy may be continued with him to quicken him and giue him life that he defile not his conscience by dead workes as they doe nor yet haue fellowship with them in their vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse but that being quickned by God he may liue the life of God from which he saw them to be strangers Thus we see that how-euer the godly exercise somtime their consideration about other things yet in the end they returne still to themselues What-euer they heare or see or speake of others they enter into their owne hearts and edifie themselues by it if they looke to such as are godly they are confirmed to follow themâ—… if they looke to the manners of wicked men they are affraid of their owne weakenesse runne to Gods mercy praysing him who hath preserued them from the like impiety and praying also for grace to keep them that their harts incline not to walk with them Thus of euery thing they reape some profit to themselues but naturall men look so to things which are without them that they enter not into their owne hearts to edifie themselues by that which they heare or see in others Againe the manner of the children of God in their prayers is to flie alway to Gods mercy it is of mercy that they begin well of mercy that they continue well of mercy that they looke for any good at the hands of God let them leane to merits who will we wil depend vpon mercy Are we able to giue vnto God himselfe Are we able to requite his benefites which we haue gotten Quis potest debitum referre naturae debitum salutis gratiae Can any man requite him for benefits of nature which we haue receiued farre lesse for benefites of grace saluation these are debts which wee are neuer able to pay Where then are thy merits Quis nostrûm sine diuina potest miseratione subsistere Who among vs all can subsist without diuine miseration Quid possumus dignuÌ„ facere praemijs coelestibus Or what can we do worthy of a heauenly reward Let vs therfore learnat Dauid to send vp our requests Non secundum merita nostra sed misericordiam Dei not according to our merits but his mercies Two Epithets he ascribes to Gods mercies first he cals them great and then he cals them tender mercies They are great in many respects for coÌ„tinuance they endure sor euer for largenes they reach vnto the heauens are higher then they yea they are aboue all the workes of God And this is for the comfort of poore sinners whose sinnes are many and great let them not despaire his mercies are greater and moe for sith they are greater then all his works how much more greater then thou and all thy sinsull workes All the Nations of the earth are but like the droppe of a bucket or as a graine of sand compared with his Maiestie what art thou then that thou shouldst magnifie thy deedes aboue his rich mercie as if thy sinnes were so great that his mercie could not compasse them Onely doe not abuse his mercy neyther turne thou his grace into wantonnesse but if thou vnfeinedly repent then doe thou also stedfastly beleeue that thy sinnes were they neuer so great shall easily be swallowed vp by his infinite mercies As the Ocean when it flowes couers sands and rockes and all that they are not seene so where the floud of Gods compassions breaks out how easily doth it ouerflow and couer all thy transgressions This is the meditation of the Apostle that where before he had beene many manner of wayes sinfull and ignorant a blasphemer an oppressor a persecuter yet the grace of our Lord had beene exceeding abundant toward him where sinne had abounded grace had superabounded to ouer flow and couer it And in this he stands for an example to all that will beleeue that they should neuer distrust Gods great mercies for the greatnesse of their sinnes The other Epithet he giues them is That they are tender mercies because the Lord is easie to be intreated for he is slowe vnto wrath but ready to shew mercy S. Iames saith that the wisdom which is from aboue is gentle peaceable easie to be intreated If his grace in his children make them gentle and easie to be intreated what shall we thinke of him selfe Sith he will haue such pitie in vs poore creatures that seauenty times seauen times in the day hee will haue vs to forgiue the offences of our brethren O what pitie compassion abounds in himselfe Thus we see our comfort is increased that as his mercies are great so are they tender easily obtained where they are earnestly craued Quicken me Dauid found the life of grace in himselfe continually hindred impugned yea oft-times sore weakened by the power of his corrupt nature and therefore the more frequent is he in this petition that God would quicken him VER 157. My persecuters and my oppressors are many yet doe I not swerue from thy testimonies A New protestation of his constancy vnder affliction that albeit
A HOLY ALPHABET FOR SION'S SCHOLARS FVLL OF SPIRITVAL INSTRVCTIONS AND HEAVENly Consolations to direct and encourage them in their Progresse towards the New IERVSALEM Deliuered by way of Commentary vpon the whole 119. Psalme By WILLIAM COVVPER Minister of Gods Word and B. of Galloway PROV 1. 5. A wise man shall heare and increase in knowledge and a man of vnderstanding shall attaine vnto wise counsels Amb in Psal. 119. NVN. Intelligimus ideo per literas Heb â—…rum Psalnium â—…unc esse digestum vt home noster tanquam paâ—…vulus ab insantia per literarum element a forâ—…atus 〈◊〉 at as puerâ—…'is assueuâ—… vâ—…q ad maturitatem virtutis exâ—…scat LONDON Printed by H. Lownes for Iohn Budge and are to be solde at his Shop at the great South-â—…oore of Paules and Britannes Bursse 1613. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE DAVID LORD OF SCONE ONE OF HIS MAIEsties most Honorable Priuy Councell in this Kingdome MY Lord when I dedicated to the Earle of Dunbar of good memory my Treatise of the Anatomy of a Christian I was then of purpose to haue presented to your L. this Holy Alphabet for Sions Scholars but could not perfit it till now Ye liued together in his Maiesties most honourable seruice like a paire of faithfull friends louing and pleasant in your liues and shall not be diuided in your deaths for me As my other Treatise went forth for a witnesse of my fauour without flattery toward him for the Dedicatorie Epistle was printed after his death so will I that this stand as a testimonie of my loue toward your L. partly for that which yee are and partly for that which I hope yee shall be Ille enim veraciter amat amicum qui Deum amat in amico aut quia est in illo aut vt sit in illo For he doth truely loue his friend who loueth God in his friend that is eyther for the good which is in him or else that the good which he wants may be in him There are many in this age with whom Satan hath couenanted as Nahash the Ammonit would haue done with the Israelites of Iabesh Golead vpon this condition That he put out their right eies These men haue an eye to see and a tong to speake of that which is euill in another but none to se that which is good compared properly by Nazianzen to venemous flyes who passing by the part that is whole light vpon that which is sore and make it worse then they sound it For mine owne part I neuer mind to be one of these If I should praise you for the good which ye want I knowe I should neyther please you nor prosite you your vnder standing being more solid then that shadowes in stead of substance can content you neyther yet also on the other hand will I so looke vnto that which ye want that I passe by the good which ye haue vnder hope also that this shall make you better There are none who knowe your L. but haue marked an affection toward Religion so indiuertâ—…ble that no man contrary minded durst euer attempt to alter it which in this declining age deserues no small commendation A heart in like maner toward execution of iustice sâ—… inslexible that ye haue preferred the lawe to the loue of men who otherway haue bin most deere vnto you for the which howsoeuer yee haue beene misliked of many yet haue you proued a profitable seruant to your Master in most difficill times for By iustice the Throne is established Your naturall iudgement in discerning betweene right and wrong may iustly be admired specially sith your education hath not been by precepts of artes in the Academie but by practise of them in the Palace where unto yee could also hardly haue attained if yee had not learned vnden such a King as is not onely a patterns of vertue himselfe but a solid Thealog and Philosopher euer discussing to his Domestiques of that which is good and euill both in Religion manners and policie But my Lord howsoeuer these be good things and worthy commendation yet haue they need to be strengthenea with better for all gifts were they neuer so excellent if they be not crowned with godlinesse may well increase conuiction but can render no consolation in the day of trouble This is it therefore which now I haue to recommend vnto your L. that yee growe in knowledge and in the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ whereunto beside these common reasons that should stirre vp cuerie Christian there are three which more particularly prouoke you vnto it The first is that GOD by your first generation hath brought you forth a man of honour in this earth for in regard of naturall descent your honourable Father the Lorde of Baluaird was a brother of the Earle of Tullibardin whose house is as a noble stocke from which hath sprung out like branches exceeding many honourable Families all of the name of Murray and hath continued in this Lande these fifteene hundreth yeares Your Mother a Grahame daughter of the right Noble Earle of Montrose whose house hath continued with honour since the beginning of this Kingdome Your Mothers mother a Keith daughter to the right noble Earle Mershell whose House and Family being long before honourable in this Kingdome was sixe hundreth years agoe decorated with the Office of the Marshalship of Scotland for their vertue and valour in batteil whereâ—… they continue vnto this day among the chiefest Peeres of the Realme Your Fathers Mother a Lyndsay daughter to the right noble Lord the Lord Lyndsay whose Houâ—…e not inferiour to many in honour may aboue many most iustly he commended for their earnest zâ—…ale and sincerr affection toward the aduancement of true Religion All these should greatly increase your care that ye be no found lesse honourable in Christ then ye are in this world For this world properly is compared to a Stage-play wherin oftentimes Nobles are clad in beggars garments and the beggar takes on the habite of a King but when the guise is ended and the maskes remoued then euery one appeares to be that which he is and the man of base estate was not so much comforted with his temporall representation of an honourable man as he is now grieued to see hee was but honourable in sport and shew not in effect Yet many such are there in the world who goe in the state of honorable men but shall be found in the end vessels of dishonour To be honourable in both is rare yet such as may be obteyned by godlinesse for godlinesse hath the promise both of this life and of the life to come The second reason Ye haue serued his Maiestie these eight and thirtie yeares not as a Domestique onely but as a Counceller and Officer of estate also and that with so constant an affection that ye haue not spared to incurre the displeasure and malecontentment of any whatsoeuer so be it ye might procure pleasure and contentment to
message sake esteeme them alwayesarorthy to be welcomed And sith they pray vnto God for your L. be loth to refuse them in their reasonable requests to you remembring that reason which Ambrose vsed to Theodose the Emperour Si dignus non sum qui à te audiar nec etiam dignus qui pro te à deo exaudiar If I be not worthy that I should be heard of thee when I speake vnto thee farre lesse am I worthy that I should be heard of God when I speake to him for thee The third is that ye haue a continuall care of your selfe Nature can teach you to care for those things which are yours but it is grace must learne you to care for your selfe Satan is a restlesse tempter but yet so subtill that he can frame his temptations according to the ages and states of men he tempts not children as he doth young men neyther tempts hee young men as hee doth the aged neyther tempts he the aged as he doth any of the other two Hee tempts children with folly and playes with them as the Prouerb is at the belly blinde seeking no more of that age but that it be passed ouer with foolish and friuolous things Young men againe he tempts to wickednesse many wayes by the fury of their inordinate concupiscence these are called by the Apostle The noysome lusts of youth Aged men most commonly he tempts them with couetousnesse and excessiue cares of the vvorld Omnia in homine cùmsenescunt vitia sola iuuenescit auaritia When all other sinnes waxe olde and feeble in a man onely couetousnesse waxeth young and increaseth her strength And who can tell how miserable that man is vvho in his childehood liued like a foole in his youth vvaâ—… filthy in his olde age a vvorldling vnlesse God by grace bring him out of that fearfull bondage I speake not this as if I for baâ—… the vse of this vvorld or â—…id condemne all care thereof or those lawfull pleasures your L. takes in building planting or other such 〈◊〉 vertues wherein ye stand vnto all that are about you a patterne of policy but to warne you that ye walke cere â—…spectly vsing this world as if ye vsed it not What-euer your actions be about it set your affections vpon better things knowing as saith the Apostle that the shape and figure of this world goes away It is vvisedome to forsake this vvorld vvith our vvill before we be forced to forsake it against our vvill to leaue it euen when we do possesse it Abraham liued not so long as did many of his fathers yet when he died it is said of him that he died full of dayes because he desired no mo Sith ye know ye must remoue be prepared like Israel in Egypt with their loines girded and their staues in their handes ready to march forward from Egypt to Canaan Be content with the dayes ye haue gotten line so as not needing any moe but vse euery day as if it were your last day after which if God giue you another take it as a super-plus and be thankefull to him for it For all these causes which I haue premitted and that the seed of godlinesse which these many yeares I haue knowen in you breeding spirituall remorse with teares and godly holy desires may at length be cherished and brought forward both to the flourishing and further fructifying I hauâ—… here presented to your L. these Meditations which I ordinarily deliuered to my people in time of their euening Prayers and haue 〈◊〉 it A holy Alphabet or A. B. C. of godsinesse so plaine in it selfe that children may vnderstand it and yet 〈◊〉 plentifull in heauenly instruction that the mest 〈◊〉 godly and auncient may euery day learne something by it Accept it reade it practise it right Honourable steppe forward in the godd course which now ye haue happâ—…y begun and these good conclusions which I know ye haue 〈◊〉 with your selfe may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…orth â—…to 〈◊〉 that so the world may see by the fruit that the tree growes euerth longer the better Such of your waies and workes as your L. â—…nowes haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others 〈◊〉 now â—…o amend them that all reaâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 satisfaction and such as before mistiked you for your euill may now thanke God for your good and you by wel-doing bringing forth fruits worthy of amendment of life may make sure to your selfe your calling and election Which mercie the Lord more and more confirme towards you for Christâ—… sake Amen Your L. in Christ Iesus William Cowper B. of Galloway A HOLY ALPHAbet for Sions Scholars My helpe is in the Name of the Lord. THere is no way by which a man may learne but by the same God doth teach him by precepts he instructs by requests he exhorts by promises hee allures by threatnings he terrifies and â—…herfore hath he sent his seruants of sundry quaâ—…ities according to their seuerall gifts vnto vs â—…ome like Moses to teach vs some like Esay to â—…omfort vs some like Ieremie mourning to vs â—…om like Dauid singing to vs. If when they teach we learne not if when they mourne we lament not if when they pipe we dance not yea if the sweetest songs of the sweet Singer of Iâ—…rael Qut noster Orpheus est delight vs not to raâ—…e vp our affections to the Lord are we not inexcusable By the deceit of vaine pleasure Sathan steales the heart of man from God and the Lord most artificially by the sweetnesse of true pleasure alâ—…lures him home againe What could the Lord haue done any more vnto vs that he hath not done He propones most profitable things for vs in his word and to make them the more welcome he seasons them with pleasures Nam quod gratum est iucundius recipitur constantius retâ—…netur Vnto this vse serues the whole booke of the Psalmes which is Commune quoddam medicinae promptuarium but in speciall this Psalme which in the iudgement of Ambrose exceeds the rest as farre as the light of the Sunne excels the light of the Moone It was written by one of the Saints of God but in so maruellous a manner that the wordes therof convene and agree vnto all Quod huius operis proprium est So that it is Veluti penu doctrinae publicum vnicuique apta conuenientia distribuens and therefore should be in no lesse account with those who loue the spirituall lise then is the vse of the Sunne the ayre and the fire for the entertainment of this naturall life The Author of this Psalme was most properly called by Euthymius Primi regis cor lingua calamus for he receiued this testimony from the heauenly Oracle That hee was a man after Gods heart Now because no greater ioy can come to the children of God then to know that God esteemes of them as he esteemed of Dauid that they are also men after the heart of God let
enim quis persecutiones pati non iniustè and it is euer Causa non poena facit Martyrem But let none of you suffer as a murtherer or a thiefe or an euill doer or a busie body if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but glorifie God in this behalfe Helpe mee Profane mockers thinke that a man is weake when he is driuen to Gods helpe but indeed then he is strongest when he is weakest in him selfe and seeks help in his God So long as we depend on the arme of flesh whether it be our own or others the Lord will do the lesse for vs but when distrusting our selues we relie vppon him then is he strongest to worke for vs. VER 87. They had almost consumed me vpon earth but I for sooke not thy precepts IN this verse are two things a complaint of the malice of his enemies a protestation of his constant affection toward the word of God In the first he complains they had not only troubled him but almost consumed him the malicious cruelty of the wicked is insatiable it cannot be quenched nay not by death for euen after death they rent both the name and the bodies of godly men Dauid was not thus farre deliuered into his enemies hands but he complaines that their malice almost had vndone him We mark it for this end that we may know it is Gods great prouidence that at any time we liue among the wicked and are not consumed by them Secondly we marke here the great weakenesse and infirmity of Gods children who oftentimes are more discouraged w th those tentations which come immediatly from men then with those others which com immediatly from God in the one they stand strong in the other they faint and are ouercome Surely because wee are in a great parte carnall therefore is it that the want of mans comfort and countenance commoues vs. If we were as we should be or as Nazianzen compares vs like Rockes in the Sea what would we regard the wind of mens mouthes or raging waues of their turbulent affections As an arrow shot at a stone returnes to him who sent it or otherwise fals downe to the ground so an iniurie done to a spirituall man who is built like a liuely stone vpon the Rocke Christ Iesus returns to the doer but troubles not the receiuer If it be otherwise that we consume and faint for the iniuries of men all this weakenesse proceeds from our vnregenerate nature Thirdly we marke here the Lords dispensation in his manner of working with his children who not onely suffers them to be troubled but brought so lowe by trouble that in their owne sense they are almost consumed Both in outward inward troubles doth the Lord humble them so farre that they are brought euen to the doore of death that so their faith and his truth may be the more manifested Thus the Apostle protests that he receiued in himselfe the sentence of death all for this end that hee might learne not to trust in himselfe but in God who raiseth the dead For so long as in danger there is any hope of remedy our infidelity casts her eye a wrong way but when we are brought to such extremity that with Peter we begin to sinke in affliction then we looke to the Lord we câ—…aue the helpe of his hand and hee releeueth vs and wee cannot but acknowledge that our dâ—…iuerance is come from him onely and so by the greatnesse of our trouble our faith is â—…roborate and the praise of Gods truth more 〈◊〉 manifested VER 88. Quicken mee according to thy louing kindnesse so shall I keepe the testimonies of thy mouth MAny a time in this Psalme doth Dauid make this petition it seems strange that so often hee should acknowledge himselfe a dead man and desire God to quicken him But so it is vnto the child of God euerie desertion and decay of strength is a death so desirous are they to liue vnto GOD that vvhen they faile in it and find any inabilitie in their soules to serue GOD as they would they account themselues but dead and pray the Lord to quicken them According to thy louing kindnesse Hee oppones Gods kindnesse to his enemies malice and it is very comfortable I am troubled with their malice for thy sake and therefore I craue to be refreshed with thy kindnesse acknowledging that in Gods kindnesse there is comfort enough against all the malice of wicked men whatsoeuer according to that opposition vvhich hee makes in another place Why boastest thou thy selfe in thy malice the louing kindnesse of the Lord indureth daily Dauid knew a two-fold kindnesse or benignitie in God One generall extended to all his creatures whereof he speakes Psalm 145. All liuing creatures depend vpon thee and thou giuest them meate in due season Another speciall toward his owne beloued in Christ and for this hee prayeth Psalme 106. Visit mee with the saluation of thy people And againe Looke vpon mee and be mercifull vnto mee as thou vsest to those that feare thy name And for this now he prayeth that God would be good vnto him not onely by that generall kindnesse by the which as a Creator hee is good vnto all his creatures but according to his speciall fauour whereby as a louing father he abounds in kindnesse towards all his children in Christ Iesus So shall I keepe the testimonies of thy mouth Hee protests heere that 〈◊〉 the Lord quicken him there is no strength in him to obey nor to doe any other acâ—…â—…ing to Gods spirituall worshâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… dead man can doe actions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 natural life But the presumptuâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his age find no difficultie in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they can pray well enough 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…m-selues but they are saire deâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord renew his mercy towarâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 daily by his spirit of grace wee â—…hall be buâ—… 〈◊〉 senselesse stocks in praysing praying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord our God Non enim communâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 custodit coeleste mandatum sed illa quae 〈◊〉 fulcitur aeterno per operationeÌ„ gratiae spiritualis for it is not this common life which keepes the heauenly commaundement but that life which is sustained by the eternall and spirituall operation of the grace of God which the Lord may encrease and conserue in vs for euer LAMED VER 89. O Lord thy vvord endureth for euer in heauen IN the last Section Dauid complained to God of the malicious doings of his enemies he comes now to shew what sustained him in his troubles to weet the certaintie and eternitie of the word of God by the which he considers that both heauen and earth were sustained and thereof concludes that so long as he trusted to Gods word he could not faile So that he giues this glory to the Lord that his word onely