heauen or earth but onelie by the bloud of Iesus Christ alone if all Men and Angells should haue died and beene cast for euer into hell fire they could not satisfie the infinite wrath of God for one sinne but the heart bloud of Iesus Christ must bee shed else we can haue no pardon Vse 3 This condemnes that wicked and erronious Doctrine of the Papists who teach indeed CHRIST by his death hath satisfied Gods iustice for the fault and eternal punishment due to our sinnes but men must eyther in this lifâ— by workes or else in Purgatorie satisfie Gods iustice for temporall punishments now then what is this but to make the sacrifice and death of Christ imperfect when as it must bee patched and peeced with mens meriâ—es but wee beleeue and hold that Christs death is a sufficient sacrifice for all our sinnes Vse 4 Would you then haue the pardon of your sinnes Rom. 6. Gal. 3. euery sinne deserues death and the curse of GOD Now there is no way but this to beleeue in Iesus Christ to imbrace him by faith that so God the Father may for his sake pardon our sinnes accept of his death and passion for the punishment of them all And that we may be purged from our sins both the fault and punishment by the bloud and sacrifice of Christ we must first repent of them with Dauid be grieued for them bewaile them amend our liues and become new creatures in Christ Iesus wee must beg for pardon of them at the hands of God Secondly besides wee must bee sprinckled with hyssope that is as in the time of the Law they dipped the hyssope into the bloud of the beast and so besprinckled the person to be cleansed euen so must we by faith as it were with a bunch of hyssop apply the bloud of Christ and by saith besprinckle our defiled consciences it will purge vs from sinne and appease the anger of GOD for the punishment But if men either doe not repent of them and leaue their sinnes or doe not come with Faith to applie the blood of CHRIST they can not haue pardon As if there were a soueraine plaister to cure any sore if a man doe not apply it to his wound but let it lie in a box it will doe him no good so vnlesse wee apply the blood of Christ to our wounds and sores by faith alas it cannot help vs And as the woman with the bloodie issue touched Christs garment and was healed so if wee can by faith touch the blood of Christ and apply it to our selues it will heale all the bleeding wounds of sinne The second request is that GOD would wash him make him pure not imputing his sinnes vnto him but couering them in the death and obedience of his Sonne Iesus Christ And therefore in the second part of this verse he prayeth for the imputation of Christs righteousnes namely that God would not onely remit the punishment due to his sinne but looke vpon him as he is in CHRIST couered with his rightousnesse and that God would accompt him iust for Christs obedience holinesse satisfaction and righteousnesse for when God beholds a poore sinner couered with the righteousnesse holinesse and obedience of his Son Christ Ps 32.1.2 then he accompts him as no sinner but iust and righteous Euen as a man beholding any thing through a red glasse it appeares red or of the same colour so if the Lord looke on vs in Christ we appeare holy and righteous before him Doctr. 1 Whereas the Prophet Dauid intreates the Lord to wash him hee shewes that hee was defiled with sin and stained with vncleanesse and so stood in great neede of Gods mercy to cleanse his filthy soule and defiled conscience now polluted with most vile Adultery and filthy vncleanenesse Sinne defiles a maÌ„ that his soule was now besprinkled with the innocent bloud of that faithfull seruant and loyall Subiect Vrias the Hittite And as it was with Dauid sinne infected him made him vile and loathsome filthy and abhominable in the sight of God Euen so it doth begrime the faces of the best of Gods children it staines and pollutes them both in soule and body yea no carrion is more loathsome and odious then a sinner defiled and polluted with sinne is in the sight of God The leprosie was a loathsome disease it infected the body the very garments yea the stones and timber But this spirituall leprosy sinne infects the whole man body and soule yea it infects heauen and earth and all other creatures in the world and there is nothing that can take away the spots and blemishes of sinne but onely the precious bloud of Iesus Christ laid hold on by true faith Vse 1 Well seeing all of vs are thus defiled with sinne as Dauid was in soule and body let vs desire to bee washed let vs bewaile them loath and hate them intreate the Lord that he would not impute our sinnes vnto vs but couer them vnder the robe of Christs righteousnesse And that we should abhor euery sinne fâ—â— this cause because it defiles vs it pollutes vs and makes vnworthy to appeare in Gods presence Vse 2 Seing Dauid though an holy Prophet of God a man after Gods own heart yet desires the Lord to wâ—sh him from his sinnes and to couer them in the obedience of CHRIST IESVS appplied by faith wee see that no man is able to stand before the face of God in his owne righteousnesse in his owne workes or wothinesse for if any might who might better haue done it then Dauid a man truly sanctified a holy Prophet a man after Gods owne heart yea the Prophet Esay saith that all our righteousnesse is no better then a stayned clout full of bloud and all pollution Esay 64 6. And Paul desires that hee may not bee found in his owne righteousnesse and worthinesse Phil. 3.9 1. Cor. 1 30 at the day of Iudgement but in the righteousnesse of Christ laid hold on by faith And therefore let vs renounce all our owne goodnesse or worthinesse and accompt all but dung in respect of CHRIST and his righteousnesse And as for the Church of Rome wee may see their intollerable pride that they do so much rest and relye vpon their owne goodnesse and worthinesse merites and righteousnesse to stand vpon it appeare in it for remission of sins and life eternall But alas if Paul Dauid and all the Saints of God abhorre themselues in dust and ashes desire to be purged and washed and couered in the obedience and righteousnesse of Iesus Christ yea count all their owne righteousnesse but as dung and dare not appeare in it before the seate of Gods Iudgement but in the righteousnesse of Christ shall any Papist of them dare to stand before Gods Iudgement in his owne righteousnesse and worthinesse no no hee shall tremble and quake and not abide so great and glorious a presence I shall bee cleane I shall bee whiter then
that faile in the maner of doing of it to offer sacrifice was the Commandement of God but when the Iews thought by their sacrifices to appease Gods anger without the sacrifice of Christ they sinned and God abhorred them and cared not for them Againe to preach the word of God is his commandement but when Iudas shall preach the word to cloake his couetousnesse and treacherous heart it is a sinne in Iudas to giue almes it is a thing commanded and a sacrifice wherewith God is well pleased but if men shall giue to merite and to be seene of men the Lord careth not for it so as wee see a man may doe things which God commands men to do and yet be so farre from pleasing God that they shall sinne and prouoke him to anger because they doe them not in an holy manner Pro. 15.11 in faith repentance obedience and zeale of Gods glory Vse 1 This condemns almost the whole seruice of God amongst the Papists who do all to this end to merit and deserue at Gods hands pardon of sin and freedom from punishment but this is to a wrong end wee must doe good works not to merit but to honor God to giue good example to make our calling sure to our selues Vse 2 This must admonish vs all not only to doe that God commands as to preach the word heare pray receiue the sacrament c. but to do it as God commands or else he abhorres all we do vnlesse we do them in faith repentance and obedience all is in vaine Doctr. 3 If the Lord abhorre those sacrifices which hee commands for mans sinne Popish Sacrifices abhominable how much more those sinnefull sacrifices which haue beene inuented by man without any warrant from his word as the Idoll of the Masse Popish pilgrimages perpetuall chastity voluntary pouertie liuing in a cloister c. Vse 1 Wel then let vs take heed not only that we doe not abuse those sacrifices which the Lord commands by our euill doing and performing of them but much more that we be not so bold at any time to offer vnto the Lord such sacrifices as are condemned in the word of God to offer with strange fire as Nadab and Abihu and such as Paul calles Wil-worship and Christ calles The inuentions of men for these the Lord abhorres Vse 2 It condemns that bloody beastly sacrifice of the Papists who offer in Masse Christ daily for the quicke and dead an horrible abuse of Christ Iesus for Christ hath by his owne sufficient sacrifice of his bodie and bloud on the Crosse appeased his fathers anger for the sins of the world and put an end to all these sacrifices and if they offer vp CHRIST in the Masse for quicke and dead then Christs sacrifice was imperfect that must be patched vp with that abhominable Idoll Concerning these sacrifices which were Lambs Sheep Goats or Bullockes and were all slaine offered to God in fire let vs marke that they were all so many figures types and shapes of that euerlasting sacrifice of Iesus Christ which hee offered vpon the Crosse in his owne person Doctrine Christ an end of all other Sacrifices Then this doth commend vnto vs that blessed and most meritorious sacrifice of Christ the lambe of God seeing there was so many prophesies of it euen from the beginning of the world and so many shadowes and types of it as can not be numbered because there neuer passed one day amongst the Iewes from the time of the Law till Christs comming but they offered at least morning and euening sacrifice as shadowes of Christ Iesus to come and the people of God the beleeuing Iews and holy Fathers and Prophets did in them beholde Iesus Christ as slaine and crucified before their eyes And as Christ saith The holy Patriarkes and Prophets and famous Kings desired to see my dayes and would be glad to see and yet saw it not Vse Well seeing the sacrifice of Iesus Christ is so excellent meritorious of endlesse worth to procure Gods fauour to vs how should we often thinke vpon it neuer let it depart out of our mindes And to this end wee should be more willing to approch and come to the Supper of the Lord that so there as it were in a plaine Table and Picture and not painted on a woodden crosse as the Papists do we might behold Christ crucified and his bloud shed for our sins so often as we see the bread broken and the wine powred out So often as yee doe it 1. Cor. 11. doe it in remembrance of mee to shew foorth my death till I come For the remembrance of Christs sacrifices it is a sweete comfort to all wounded and distressed soules it is sacke and sugar to them all that truly beleeue in him it is an excellent means to kill sin and to humble our hard hearts that we should remember our sinnes were as the bloudie nailes and the speare which put him to death and a powerfull bridle to restraine vs from sinne because so often as wee sinne wee doe as it were pierce his heart afresh and as for those that care not for comming to the Sacrament nor yet for the word wherein Christ is liuely crucified they shew they haue no benefit by this sacrifice of Christ VERSE 17. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt not despise Dauid hauing shewed what be those Sacrifices wherein the Lord God hath no pleasure namely such as men shall offer with hope to merite or without faith and repentance Now he shewes what is that Sacrifice wherein the Lord takes great delight and is well pleased and that is in one word A broken spirit a heart truely wounded for sinne In this verse let vs first finde out what is the broken and contrite Spirit Secondly the commendations of it namely it is called the Sacrifice of God Thirdly that hee doth not despise By a broken and contrite spirit is meant such an heart as is truly humbled with sight of sinne wounded and pierced with feare of Gods anger grieued for offending so mercifull a God and louing Father and doth begge for mercie at his hands as for life and death besides the endlesse mercy of God in Christ which breaketh the heart of a poore sinner So then there be two things that wound and bruise the heart of sinners First the sight of sinne and knowledge of our misery by reason thereof Secondly the endlesse mercie of God in Christ so as it cuts vs at the heart to remember that wee haue offended so good and mercifull a Father Doctrine Broken hart most rare thing to be foūd Seeing this is that broken heart which is thus bruised with the sight of sinne and is humbled for them yea hath a most lowe conceit of it selfe as most vile and vnworthy wee shal see that it is a most rare thing to be found for generally men are so blinded
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
great certainely he was neuer yet truly taught of God VERSE 7. 7. Purge mee with hissope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Dauid renewes his former request v. 2. DAuid hauing made his request vnto GOD for mercy for the pardon of his sins and vsed a reason from the free confession and acknowledgement of them to moue the Lord to pitty him doth heere againe renue his suit and humble request vnto God and hee praieth here vnto God for two great benefites First Iustification in the free pardon of his sinnes and imputation of CHRISTS righteousnesse verse 7. And secondly for Sanctification and Reformation of the whole man verse 10. And first verse 7. he intreates the Lord for the free pardon of his sins that GOD would cleanse and wash him from them in the bloud of Christ the Lambe of GOD and secondly hee prayeth for the blessed fruite of Iustification namely peace of conscience and ioy in the spirite verse 8. for till the conscience haue a Certificate from GOD and a blessed pardon sealed and applied by faith it cannot be at quiet First seeing Dauid had prayed before vnro God for mercy and pardon of his sinnes and heere doth againe renue the same Petition and in other words puts vp his request vnto God for the same Hence we learne that the pardon of our sinnes is a singular fauour and mercy of GOD bestowed vpon vs for CHRISTS sake which appeares in that Dauid so often in a Psalme prayes for it Pardon of sinne the greatest mercy therefore it is a great and inestimable mercie and hardly come by not so easily as most men thinke Dauid sheweth how great a blessing it is in that hee preferred it before a Kingdome and though hee was a King yet he pronounceth him blessed not that is a King as in the 32. Psalme 1 2. verses But whose sinne is pardoned God hath sent his Sonne Iesus Christ to blesse you in turning euery one of you from your euill wayes a blessing of all blessings Vse 1 Seeing remission of sinnes is so great a blessing and hardly come by First we learne that wee esteeme of this aboue all other things in the world if the question were asked what wee desire in the whole world we should answere with feeling the pardon of our sinnes Mat. 16.26 and therefore we should desire and seeke this blessing aboue all other if thou bee as poore as Iob and hast this thou art a rich and a happy man Vse 2 Seeing Dauid vseth so many praiers vnto GOD and vseth such reasons to moue the Lord to pitty him and to pardon his sinnes Hence we see that those are much deceiued who thinke it is the easiest matter in the world to get the pardon of their sinnes and if they can but say Lord haue mercy on mee all is well no no Lord haue mercie on mee will not serue the turne good things are hardly come by without great trauell labour and study how much more is it hard to get the pardon of our sins the saluation of our soules and life eternall And therefore let vs know that to get the pardon of our sins we must take great paines labour and diligence wee must shed many a teare in bewailing them they will cost vs many a sobbe and many a sigh many a prayer and request vnto God vpon our knees and then if wee get it oh it is a wonderfull fauour and mercie of GOD it will make vs happy and blessed for euermore Partes of the verse Dauid makes two requests vnto God and withall shewes a twofold fruit and effect of his requests First hee intreates the Lord to Purge him with hissope and then it will come to passe He shal be cleane Secondly he desireth the Lord to wash him and then it will follow That hee shall be whiter then snow For the first Petition Purge mee with hissope In these wordes he alludeth to the Legall Ceremonies and maner of purging vsed in the time of the Law in the purifying of the Leaper and of any person polluted they were to dippe the bunch of hissope in blood or in water and so sprinckle it on the person to be purified Leu. 14.6 7 Num 19.18 which ceremony was a Type and figure of the blood of IESVS CHRIST who is that alone sacrifice and Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Now then seeing that by this sprinkling with hyssope in the bloud of beastes is meant the sprinckling with the blood of Iesus Christ when he saith O Lord purge me with hyssope c. it is all one as if he should haue said O Lord I am exceedingly polluted and stained with sinne and vncleanenesse and no Leaper was euer more vile and loathsome then I am now in thy sight neyther is there any water to wash and purge me but I beseech thee of thy mercy to wash me and to besprinkle my soule with the blood of IESVS CHRIST that can alone take away my sins and so I shall be made cleane and pure againe Doctr. 1 Hence marke the miserable and cursed fruit of sinne Sinne is a leprousie no leprosie did euer so defile the body of a man in the time of the Iews as sinne doth staine and defile both soule and body no dunghill nor stincking carrion is so loathsome in the eies of man as an vncleane sinner is in the sight of God till hee be washed and purged in the bloud of Christ This is the reason which the Lord vsed Ioshua 7.12 why Israel fell before their enemies and he went not foorth with their Armies when they fell before the men of Ai Therfore the children of Israel can not stand before their enemies but haue turned their backes before their enemies because they are execrable we see then the nature of sinne how it maketh a man abhominable and detestable in the sight of God Vse 1 Seeing this is the cursed nature and fruit of sinne that it defileth and staineth both bodie and soule and maketh them more loathsome and vile then any toad or serpent how should wee abhorre sinne and euery wicked way wee will bee loath to touch poyson or rattes-bane or any thing else wherein is danger oh sin is such rattes-bane as infecteth and poysoneth both soule and body and therefore let vs shun sinne and touch it not Vse 2 When as wee bee defiled with sin and so made filthy and vncleane in the sight of God and more vile then any Leaper or dunghill carrion toade or serpent Oh let vs pray with Dauid to be washed and purged from our filthinesse let vs repent of all our sinnes bewaile our vncleannesse let vs by faith as a bunch of hyssope besprinckle our soules with the blood of Iesus Christ Doctr. 2 The ceremonies vnder the Law were but to lead vs vnto Christ Seeing Dauid desireth to be purged with hyssope We learne hence that the Lord
would not that men should despise such ceremonies and types of Christ as he himselfe commanded in the time of the Law and though it might seeme a vaine and needlesse thing to besprinckle them with a bunch of hyssope dipped in the blood of a beast yet seeing it was theâ— commandement of God they did not despise this ceremony being a type of the blood of Christ when they could not see with bodily eyes the blood of Christ it pleased god by such ceremonies and types to helpe their faith by sprinckling the blood of a beast to shew to them that they must be so sprinckled in their soules with the bloud of Iesus Christ Vse ObedieÌ„ce required to GODS ordinaÌ„ces Hence wee learne by the example of Dauid and all the holy Fathers Seruants of God in the time of the Lawe to vse all such sacraments and ceremonies as God commands in his word for the helping of our faith we cannot see the bloud of Christ nor touch it with our outward senses yet the Lord hath appoynted the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord that in them wee might see feele touch and taste as it were the body and bloud of IEVS CHRIST And therefore all those which despise these Sacraments making little or no accompt of them shew that they despise the ordinance of God and so make light of that which is ordained for the good of their soules Doctr. 3 Marke further Christs bloud alone doth purge our sinnes Hebr. 9.9 1. Ioh. 1.7 Rev. 1.5 Iohn 1.29 1. Pet. 1.2 when that Dauid prayeth the Lord to purge him with hyssope the word signifies to purge by sacrifice euen the sacrifice of the Sonne of GOD and by his death and bloud-sheding to purge his sins away so as he confesseth there is nothing in heauen or earth that is of force to purge him from his sinnes and vncleanenesse but the blood of Christ alone It is not the bloud of bullockes lambs and goats that can wash away the least spot of sinne but onely the bloud of the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus and to him all the Sacrifices had relation and shadowed out Iesus Christ the true Pascall Lamb vnto vs. The vse of the ceremonies vnder the Law And this was the reason why Dauid maketh mention of hyssope that God would purge him with hissope because God in the time of the Law ordained this ceremony for a confirmation of their faith and to help the people of the Iewes to the better sight and knowledge of the promised Messiah for seeing CHRIST was not yet come into the world and they could not see the worke of redemption as yet performed the Lord would leade them by these ceremonies vnto Iesus Christ the promised Messiah that they might see him as it were before their eyes for when they saw a beast slaine and the blood spilt Note then they tooke a bunch of hyssope dipt it in the blood of the beast and besprinckled them that offered the same with the bloud they were thereby taught that euen so must Iesus Christ the Sonne of GOD and promised Messiah be slaine and put to death his bloud shed for their sinnes and they must by faith as a bunch of hyssope besprinckle their soules with the blood of Christ for the pardon of their sinnes It is true indeede that the Lord hath eased vs in the time of the Gospel of all those old and ancient ceremonies neyther is it the â—ill of God that we should be clogged with the dead and needlesse Galat. 4. and beggarly rudiments and ceremonies of men which become not the simplicitie of the Gospel But yet hee hath in mercie appoynted certaine helpes and meanes to leade vs vnto Christ Iesus as the two Sacraments to help our faith for wee being as yet carnall alas wee can not beholde no more then wee see And therefore the Lord hath appoynted them as helpes to leade vs to Christ to set him before our eyes in the Water in Baptisme and Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper that so our faith should bee confirmed thereby and wee might euen see Christ Iesus before our eyes And therefore as Dauid did carefully vse such helpes and ceremonies as GOD commanded for the strengthening of their Faith so let vs bee as carefull to vse the helps that God hath left vs vnder the Gospel for the strengthening of our weake faith Purge me with hyssope The meaning of the wordâ— THe meaning is this accept of that most perfect and euerlasting sacrifice of Iesus Christ for the punishment due to my sins As if he should haue said O Lord I confesse I haue sinned exceedingly I haue bin borne in sin and haue by murder and adultery deserued to be condemned eternally and to haue the curse and punishment due to my sin to be cast vpon me but I beseech thee in mercy to accept of the death and bloudshedding of thy Sonne my Sauiour Iesus Christ for the satisfaction due to my sinnes And whereas the Iustification of a sinner in the sight of God stands on two parts first remission and pardon of sin secondly the imputation of Christs righteousnes me thinks the Prophet requires begs both these at the hands of God first to be purged or as the word signifies to purge not by washing but by sacrificing to appease the wrath and anger of God by the bloud of Christ secondly when he prayeth to be washed he desireth to be made pure and righteous not in his owne righteousnesse but only in the righteousnesse and obedience of IESVS CHRIST imputed to him and laide hold vpon by faith Doctr. 4 Seeing Dauid intreates the Lord that hee would Purge him Saluation is to bee sought for onely in Christ that is accept of the most perfect Sacrifice of Iesus Christ for the punishment due to his sins we learne that there is no Name giuen vnder Heauen whereby a man shall be saued but onely in the name of Iesus Christ 1. Iohn 1.7 1. Pet. 1.18 Reu. 1.5 it is not the bloud of Bullocks Lambs and Goates that can wash away the least spot of sin but onely the blood of the immaculate Lambe Christ IeIesus but of this before Vse 1 Hence we see the endlesse and vnspeakeable mercy of God to miserable men who when no other means could bee found no water or hearb could heale the soule of a sinner and wash him from sinne and the punishment of it but onely the precious bloud of the Sonne of GOD was content to giue his owne Sonne to death for vs Iohn 3.16 Rom. 8.32 which made Saint Iohn to admire it And if God hath not failed vs in this but could rather be content to see his only Sonne put to death and hang on the Crosse then we should perish how should be deny any smaller and lighter matterâ— vnto vs Vse 2 Beholde heere the greatnesse and heynousnesse of mans sinne which could bee purged by no creature in
snow IN these words the Prophet shewes the euent and issue of this when a man doth truely repent is reconciled to God in Iesus Christ and is washed from his sinnes by faith in Christs bloud then hee is made of a most vile and loathsome sinner a most blessed and holy child of God of a filthy vncleane lim of the deuill a blessed member of Iesus Christ beautifull and glorious in the eyes of God being couered in Christs righteousnesse Doctr. 1 Seeing Dauid saith The woful estate of al naturall men when God shal pardon him his sinnes on his true repentance and bee reconciled vnto him couering his sinnes in the merites and obedience of Christ Then hee shall bee cleane Then before a man repent be reconciled to God by Iesus Christ and bee purged from his sinnes hee is most vncleane and filthy vile loathsome and abhominable in the sight of God and indeede so he is no carrion worse no Toad so vgly nor Serpent so full of poyson as a filthy sinner polluted with sinne till hee repent get pardon of them and be reconciled to God by Christ I pray you take knowledge of this Doctrine whatsoeuer thou art high low rich poore yong old Prince or Noble till thou repent till thou turne to God till thou get the pardon of thy sinnes and bee washed by faith in the bloud of IESVS CHRIST thou art most vile and miserable thou art most vncleane filthy thou art more vgly then the venomous Toad more loathsome then the Serpent more filthy and stinking â—hen the Carrion yea no creature is so loathsome before God as a filthy sinner that liues in sin without repentance that is not washed and purged from them in the bloud of Christ Vse 1 Well seeing this is the wofull and miserable estate of all impenitent sinners how should this moue euery one with speed to tepent to turne to God to seeke to bee reconciled to God by Iesus Christ to desire pardon of his sinnes to bee washed and cleansed from them all in and by the bloud and merites of Christ for this know I say till thou art reconciled to God dost repent art washed and cleansed thy case is fearefull thou wert better bee a Toad then a man without this thou mayst go in Silke and Veluet in gay and golden apparell thou maist haue a faire body perfume thee with sweete smels c. but till thou repent thou art filthy and loathsome in GODS sight Oh! how should this serue to plucke down the pride of many impenitent sinners Men and women thinke highly of themselues ruffle it out in silke and veluet starching and washing but all this while they know not that their poore soules are loathsome in Gods sight that God hates them and cannot abide them Oh then be washed bee cleansed in the bloud of Christ which alone can wash away sinne O that men would remember that saying of Christ Thou art poore blinde miserable and naked Then they would say with Iob Esay 1.16 Reu. 3.14 Iob. 42.6 I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Then they would neuer giue any rest to their soules till they haue repented got pardon bee reconciled and washed from their filthy sinnes Doctr. 2 Seeing Dauid acknowledgeth that when he shall repent get pardon of his sinnes be reconciled to God bee washed from the filthinesse of sinne then he shall be cleane and white yea most white euen as snow Hence we learne that as a filthy sinner that liues and goes on still in sinne without repentance there is no creature more vile blacke and vncleane So the child of God that doth repent that is washed in the bloud of Christ reconciled to God hee is a blessed and glorious creature most beautifull and faire in the sight of God not by any goodnesse or worthines of his owne but by the mercy of GOD so accounting vs Cant. 1.7 4.1 Ezek. 16.9 10.11.12 c. Reu. 3.18 1. Cor. 6.10.11 and by the merites and worthines of Iesus Christ in whose righteousnes wee be righteous and by whose merites and worthines we are couered The Saints of GOD goe in long white roabes which are made white in the bloud of the Lambe Vse 1 Seeing this is the blessed and glorious estate of those that do truly repent be reconciled to God imbrace and beleeue in Iesus Christ are washed and cleansed from their sinnes in his bloud and couered in his righteousnes O how should it moue euery man and woman to turne to God! to forsake their euill wayes and their filthy sinnes to put on the Lord Iesus Christ to beleeue to become the sonnes and daughters of God It is a goodly thing to be son to an earthly King to be cloathed in cloth of gold c. But if wee compare this with the blessed and glorious estate of Gods children it is but dung and beggery it is but like rotten ragges and beggars clouts taken off the dunghill Hee that is wise shall shine as the firmament Dan. 12. and hee that conuerts many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Sun in the firmament oh then againe and againe let vs repent let vs bee reconciled to God get this wedding garment which will make vs beautifull before God Vse 2 Another vse is this seeing that the state of Gods children euen in this world is so blessed and glorious so beautifull and excellent being reconciled to God washed in the bloud of CHRIST and cloathed with the most pure robe of Christs righteousnesse Here is matter of comfort to all the poore children of GOD whom the would is not worthy of alas they are esteemed as beggars they bee esteemed as vile and base miserable and cast-awaies by vngodly men they are made as the dung in the streets and the off-scouring of the worlds men euen tread and trample them vnder their feete now what is that which may comfort the hearts of Gods children surely this that though they seeme vile base and miserable in the blind eyes of sinnefull men yet they bee most white beautifull and glorious in the eyes of GOD our heauenly Father though the world hate vs contemne vs be a weary of vs loath and abhorre vs let vs remember the Lord loues vs takes delight in vs we are most faire and beautifull in his sight They do not see what wee be 1. Ioh. 3.2 they cannot know that wee are little Princes sonnes and great heires of the kingdome of heauen the sonnes and daughters of the great God and therefore this may teach vs patience seeing we know that God loues vs and that we are deere vnto him though the world hate vs so it was with many Prophets of God and true beleeuers Heb. 11. whom the world 〈◊〉 not worthy of Vse 3 Lastly heere is matter of great comfort to great and grieuous sinners that haue committed many and grieuous sinnes that if they will vnfainedly repent and turne to GOD imbrace and lay hold
sport and passe-time no sorrow nor heauinesse but spend their dayes in pleasure Iob 21.13 Psal 73. But sodainely they goe downe to hell Now who wil call this a true ioy nay it is a swinish and brutish ioy carnall and fleshly for if they knew all and saw their misery that they be in danger of Gods eternall vengeance of hell and damnation oh then they would mourne and turne all their mirth into teares If a traytor be apprehended arraigned conuicted and condemned to bee hanged drawne and quartered and looks for nothing but present death and execution and yet should giue himselfe to eating and drinking to carding and dicing to ryot reuelling Would not all men say he was a madde man and out of his wits surely this is the case of all wicked and vnregenerate men they bee arraigned and already condemned they want nothing but execution and they bee euery moment in danger of hel-fire alas what cause haue they to bee merry yea how haue they cause to howle and cry and mourne for griefe and therefore their mirth is but madnesse Iam. 4.9 Vse 2 Seeing wee can haue no peace of conscience nor any sound comfort till wee haue the feeling of Gods loue and assurance of the pardon of our sinnes let vs neuer giue any rest to our soules till we haue repented and got some blessed perswasion of Gods loue in Christ and some warrant from the Spirit that our sinnes are done away Rom. 14.17 For the kingdome of God stands not in any outward thing but in righteousnesse peace and ioy in the Holy Ghost Alas if any of vs were condemned to death lay in prison looking for nothing but present execution What could do vs good There were then no ioy in wife nor children lands nor liuings meate nor musicke no no vnlesse were haue the Kings pardon we cannot bee merry but would contemne all these things Euen so when a poore sinner is arraigned and condemned in his owne conscience for sinne hath no feeling of Gods loue and mercy for pardon of it how is it possible that hee should haue one dramme of ioy till the Lord in mercy seale vnto his poore soule a generall pardon by his spirit dipped in the bloud of Christ Iesus Well then let vs neuer be at peace nor giue any rest vnto our soules till we haue got some comfortable perswasion of Gods mercy for the pardon of our sinnes That the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce THese words containe in them the second part of this verse 2 Part of the verse and it is as much as if the Prophet should haue said O Lord I intreate thee for Christ Iesus sake to for giue me my sinnes and giue mee the blessed assurance of the same in my soule and conscience that so feeling and finding that thou art reconciled and hast pardoned my sinnes my soule so wounded and ouerwhelmed with griefe and sorrow as my very bones and most strong parts are wasted and consumed and my strength decaied may be restored cheered vp and gladded By this speech he would shew his â—xtreame griefe and sorrow for his sinnes Pro. 8.14 Psa 32.3.4 which was so extreame that it wasted consumed his strength dryed vp his bones spent his marrow Doctr. 1 Hence we see that there is no sorrow in the heart of Gods children like that sorrow which is for sin No sorrow in the godly like the sorrow for sinne and offends our most gracious God and mercifull Father Great is the griefe of an husband that looseth a kinde and vertuous wife and who can expresse the sorrow of a father or mother for the death of their deere and onely childe But yet all the sorrow in the world is not like that sorrow and griefe of heart for sinne this will wound the conscience cause weeping and wailing and great heauinesse it will euen weaken the body and strength of nature and if it bee of any continuance it will waste the bones and consume the flesh When I held my tongue my bones consumed Lam. 1.2.5.2.11 Psal 32. Psal And the reason is this because a poore sinner being wounded in conscience for sinne and not feeling the loue and mercy of God for pardon he sees nothing but hell nothing but damnation and the wrath of God which is a fearefull thing for this causeth torments and feares and terrours and makes iudgements what is more terrible and fearfull then to feele the heauy weight and burthen of Gods anger which is insupportable For as Salomon saith Pro. 18.14 A man may beare his sicknesse and infirmitis but a wounded Conscience who can beare Againe Heb. 10.31 It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing GOD. Vse 1 Seeing this is the wofull fruite of sinne that is thus wounds the conscience and wasteth the flesh and the bones we see how God hateth sinne euen in his deerest children so as if they will needes sinne and rebell against God they must feele the wofull smart of it And therefore let vs aboue all things shun it auoid it nor dare to commit it Oh! it will cost thee deere it will make thy heart to ake it will breed thee much woe and misery in soule and body Vse 2 We see the miserable blockishnesse of all carnall men and women who are not ashamed to say that they had rather deale with God then with men for sinne but alas they neuer knew nor felt the weight of sinne but if God should once open their eyes and let them see their sinnes and feele the weight of his anger for them Oh! then they will confesse it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of God If he be angry saith Dauid blessed is the man that trusteth in him Psalm 2. Vse 3 Let vs learne that it is not some light sorrow or small sigh or Lord haue mercy on mee will serue for our sinnes against God No no let vs labour to bee humbled more deeply for our sinnes seeing by them wee offend a most mercifull God yea if it were possible to shed euen teares of bloud for our sinnes for all were little enough to expresse that griefe for sinne wee ought to haue Which thou hast broken THat is which thou O Lord my God in iustice hast inflicted vpon me for these my great and heynous sinnes Doctrine There is no respect of persons with God Hence behold that God is most righteous and iust in punishing and correcting the sinnes of men he cannot winke at sinnes of men he cannot winke at sinne in any man no not in them that bee deere and neere vnto him in his most holy seruant Dauid 2. Sam. 24. Esay 39. Math. 23. a man after his owne heart a holy Prophet of the Lord yet if he rebell and play the wanton he is sure to be whipt for it as heere in this place so when hee numbred the people so Hezehiah Ierusalem the holy Citty
all men do by nature that when sin is committed done and past they shall neuer be called to account for the same But alas no length of time can we are sin away if it bee not taken away by true and vnfained Repentance Yea the sinnes of our youth which many yeares agoe wee haue committed if now in time we do not repent and stop the mouth of the same shall stand vp as new and fresh against vs as the first houre we committed them Oh that we could be wise to thinke vpon these things Our selues waxe old our bodies are declining to the graue and will we take no paines to weare away our sinnes but to let them stand in their strength against vs This weare a great folly Let men therfore thinke of this betimes there is no going to Heauen with dry eyes or beds of downe Now if this poore worke of mine may finde entertainment with thee I shall so much the more be encouraged to take paines in this kinde vpon other places of Scripture as vpon the first Psalme which thou maist shortly expect And withall may helpe thee forward to this necessary duty of Repentance I haue thē my desire giue the praise to him from whom all good commeth who worketh in vs both the will the deed to whom be praise and honour for euer and euer AMEN Thine in the Lord Iesus SAMVEL SMITH The Table of the principall Doctrines briefly handled in this Booke Out of the Title of the Psalme Page 1. 2. 3. Doct. 1. Singing of Psalmes an ancient practise in the Church of God page 6. Doct. 2. A Childe of God may fall after hee is effectually called Page 16. Doct. 3. The word preached the ordinary meanes to beget Faith and Repentance page 21. Doct. 4. A fearful thing to liue in sin without repentance pag. 25. Doct. 5. Ministers must reproue the greatest personages pag. 30. Doct. 6. Men must bee charged with their speciall sins pag. 38. Doct. 7. Chaste speech taught of God page 42. Doct. 8. The godly respect more the glory of God then their owne credit page 44. Doct. 9. The strongest may fall page 46. VERSE I. Doct. 1. Sight of sin the first step to repentance page 52. Doct. 2. Sorrow for sinne note of a godly man page 58. Doct. 3. Mercie is chiefly to bee sought for page 61. Doct. 4. God alone is to be prayed vnto page 66. Doct. 5. Experience of former fauour assureth of future page 71 Doct. 6. The mercy of God emboldens sinners to come vnto him Page 74. Doct. 7. Gods mercy mans merit page 79. Doct. 8. The nature of sin p. 83 Doct. 9. God a God of mercie Page 85. Doct. 10. The Lord keepes a book of all our sinnes page 89. VERSE 2. Doct. 1. A wounded conscience can finde no rest but onely in Christ page 98 Doct. 2. Difference betwixt the sorrow of the godly and the wicked page 102 Doct. 3. Sinne defiles a Man page 106 Doct. 4. Hard matter to be clensed from the pollution of sin p. 110 Doct. 5. Bloud of Christ alone doth wash away sinne page 114. VEERS 3. Doct. 1. Confession euer goes before remission pag. 120 Doct. 2. An accusing conscience the meanes to bring men to repentance pag. 141 Doct. 3. Necessary duty to call our sins to account pag. 139. Doct. 4. Sinne once knowne doth euer accuse till it be pardoned pag. 145 Doct. 5. Sinne neuer goes alone pag. 149 VERSE 4. Doct. 1. A mans sins are open before God pag. 155 Doct. 2. What sorrow it is that accompanies repentance pag. 160 Doct. 3. Note of a penitent person not to excuse his sin pag. 166 Doct. 4. God alone can forgiue sinnes pag. 171 Doct. 5. Acknowledgement of partitular sinnes required in true repentance pag. 180 Doct. 6. Men sin before God p. 187 Doct. 7. The Lord maketh good vse of our consciences pag. 191 Doct. 8. God is euer iust in his iudgements pag. 195. 202 VERSE 5. Doct. 1. A man doth neuer truely repent till hee come to know his owne nature pag. 210 Doct. 2. No man is borne by nature the child of God pag. 211 Doct. 3. Godly parents beget sinfull children pag. 217 VERSE 6. Doct. 1. True knowledge of God workes true humility pag. 224 Doct. 2. A sanctified heart the greatest blessing of God p. 231 Doct. 3. Sinne is but a lying vanity pag. 233 Doct. 4. A fearefull thing to sin against knowledge pag. 237 Doct. 5. Heauenly wisedome the gift of Gods spirit pag. 244 VERSE 7. Doct. 1. Pardon of sin the greatest mercy pag. 249 Doct. 2. Sin is infectious pag. 253 Doct. 3. The ceremonies vnder the law were but to lead vs to Christ pag. 255 Doct 4. Christs bloud alone doth purge our sinnes pag. 256 Doct. 5. Situation to be sought for onely in Christ pag. 260 Doct. 6. Sin defiles a man p. 265 Doct. 7. Naturall men their estate Described pag. 269 VERSE 8. Doct. 1. Assurance of the pardon of sins may be attained pag. 282 Doct. 2. Mans testimony of the remission of sins is nothing without the testimony of Gods spirit pag. 285 Doct. 3. Ministery of the word meanes whereby God conueyes comfort to his children pag. 290 Doct. 4. Where sin is not pardoned there can be no true ioy pag. 295 Doct. 5. No sorrow in the godly like the sorrow for sin pag. 300 Doct. 6. There is no respect of persons with God pag. 303 Doct. 7. Pardon of sinne brings true ioy pag. 304 VERSE 9. Doct. 1. Gods anger most fearefull to the godly pag. 310 Doct. 2. Manner of Gods pardoning sinne pag. 317 Doct. 3. All our sins are knowne to God pag. 321 VERSE 10. Doct. 1. Iustification and Sanctification go together pag. 326 Doct. Repentance a new creation pag. 329 Doct. 3. True sanctification is neuer in part pag. 333 Doct. 4. God is the Author of sanctification pag. 338 Doct. 5. Sinne hinders the worke of sanctification pag. 341 Doct. 6. Child of God not alwayes at one stay pag. 348 Doct. 7. A purpose not to sin mark of a sanctified heart pag. 351 Doct. 8. Sinne quenches grace as water fire pag. 355 VERSE 11. Doct. 1. The pleasures of sinne are deere bought pag. 262 Doct. The Iudgements of God vpon other cause the godly to feare pag. 378 Doct. 3. Sin takes away the fecling of Gods fauor for a time pag. 379 VERSE 12. Doct. 1. Fruit of sinne described pag. 390 Doct. 2. Fauour of God is a Christians chiefest ioy pag. 393 Doct. 3. State of Gods children not alwayes alike pag. 398 Doct. 4. Pardon of sinne the soundest ioy pag. 401 Doct. 5. Man weake being left to himselfe pag. 406. VERSE 13. Doct. 1. The goodnesse of God towards our selues must bee made knowne pag. 411 Doct. 2. Thankfulnesse a necessary duty pag 414 Doct. 3. Fruit of faith to seeke the good of others pag. 417 Doct. 4. What Doctrine Ministers must teach pag. 420 Doct. 5. Ignorant are to
be taught the wayes of God pag. 423 Doct. 6. Conuersion of a sinner is Gods worke pag. 426 VERSE 14. Doct. 1. Murder a haynous sinne pag. 431 Doct. 2. God hath mercy for such as seeke mercy pag. 436 Doct. 3. Punishment of sin should keepe vs from sinning pag. 438 Doct. 4. Note of a true penitent to aggrauate sinne pag. 443 Doct. 5. Faith required in prayer pag. 444 Doct. 6. Praise of our saluation properly belongs to God p. 446 Doct. 7. Gods mercies must vn-tye our tongues to praise him p. 459 Doct. 8. God should not be righteous if he should not pardon sinne pag. 461 VERSE 15. Doct. 1. Sin takes away the vse of the tongue that Man cannot speake as he should pag. 464 Doct. 2. No ability in man to performe any good pag. 468 Doct. 3. Thanksgiuing a necessarie dutie pag. 470 VERSE 16 Doct. 1. A mans person must first bee approued before his sacrifice accepted pag. 480 Doct. 2. A man may performe a good duty and yet sinne in the manner of doing it pag. 482 Doct. 3. Popish Sacrifices abhominable pag. 484 Doct. 4. Christ an end of all other Sacrifices pag. 486 VERSE 17. Doct. 1. Broken heart most rare thing to be found pag. 490 Doct. 2 God doth highly esteeme of a broken heart pag. 495 VERSE 18. Doct. 1. Prayer the chiefest refuge in time of danger pag. 499 Doct. 2. Prayer for the Church a necessary duty pag. 504 Doct. 3. Liberty of preaching one of Gods fauours pag. 508 Doct. 4. Faith must not rest vpon the merites of another pag. 512 Doct. 5. Sinnes of the Magistrate prouoke Gods anger highly pag. 515 Doct. 6. Penitent will seeke to build vp that which before hee had pulled downe pag. 517 Doct. 7. A man cannot pray vntill he repent pag. 518 VERSE 19. Doct. 1. What be those Sacrifices that God doth accept of p. 523 Doct. 2. Solemne vowes a Christian duty pag. 527 Doct. 3. Publick thanksgiuing after deliuerance required p. 531 The Contents PSALME 51. To him that excelleth A Psalme of Dauid when the Prophet Nathan came vnto him after he had gone in to Bershaba 1 HAVE mercy vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away my iniquities 2 Wash me throughly from my wickednesse and cleanse mee from my sinne 3 For I know my iniquities and my sinne is euer before me 4 Against thee Against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight that thou maist be iust when thou speakest and pure when thou iudgest 5. Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me 6 Behold thou louest truth in the inward affection therefore hast thou taught me wisedome secretly 7 Purge me with hyssop and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow 8 Make mee to heare of ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce 9 Hide thy face from my sinnes and put away all my iniquities 10 Create in me a cleane heart O God and renue a right Spirit within me 11 Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me 12 Restore me to the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free Spirit 13 Then shall I teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee 14 Deliuer me from bloud O God which art the God of my saluation and my tongue shall sing ioyfully of thy righteousnesse 15 Open thou my lips O Lord and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise 16 For thou desirest no sacrifice though I would giue it thou delightest not in burnt-offerings 17 The Sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise 18 Bee fauourable vnto Zyon for thy good pleasure build vp the wals of Ierusalem 19 Then shalt thou accept the sacrifices of righteousnesse euen the burnt-offering and oblation Then shall they offer Calues vpon thine Altar A plaine and familiar Exposition vpon the 51. Psalme First preached and now published for the benefit of Gods Church Psalme 51. THE TEXT To him that excelleth a Psalme of Dauid when the Prophet Nathan came vnto him after hee had gone in to Bershaba COncerning the Book of the Psalmes it is an Epitome of the whole Scriptures teaching vs what we are to beleeue and doe both to God and man In which as in a glasse we may clearely behold the nature of GOD his wisedome goodnesse and mercy towardes his Church and Children As also most notable spectacles of his fearefull wrath vengeance against the wicked and vngodly If men would pray vnto God and craue for any mercy and blessing at his hands heere bee excellent platformes of true hearty and earnest prayers If men would giue thankes for blessings receiued for iudgemēts escaped or for Deliuerance from wicked and vngodly men here be worthy examples and directions If men would finde comfort in temptations troubles and afflictions and learne with patience to beare them There is no part of the Bible more sweete and comfortable And therefore it should be our delight and study and wee ought to spend the more time in reading and in the meditation of so excellent and worthy a Booke according to that of our Sauiour Ioh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures Because that will bring a man to true happinesse in the end namely to know God to be his God to know Iesus Christ to know himselfe and to direct him in that narrow Path that shall leade vnto life I thought good to speake of this Psalme because it containeth in it a most worthy example of true and vnfained repentance without which there is not nor can be any pardon of sinne Except yee repent Luke 13.5 The argument of the Psalm ye shall all perish Now it containeth a famous and most worthy example of repentance if you either regard the Person who was a renowned and glorious King of Israel a holy Prophet of God yea a man after Gods owne heart Againe in the matter of the psalme and of his repentance you shall see a spectacle of many most great and grieuous sins committed by Dauid wherein we may see the great frailetie and weakenes of Gods children which may teach vs to pray vnto the Lord for the spirit of corroboration on for if Dauid fell whither shall we fall if God do but a litle leaue vs to our selues And howsoeuer by the speciall mercy of God towardes Dauid this sin of his preuailed not to his eternall condemnation yet wee see what terrour of conscience and griefe of heart he sustained before hee could bee assured of his former comfort And this shal all flesh find that the pleasures of sinne for a season heere will bring with them sorrow in the end As for the repentance of Dauid we shall see it is most excellent and admirable for hee doth freely and frankly confesse his sinnes and is
to moue vs to the great liking and regard of this excellent Psalme for we will listen to the speeches of learned men their Counfells and Exhortations being wife graue godly and learned do much affect vs Loe then heere is a psalme penned by a most skilful Musition by a renowned King and worthy Prophet of God yea a man after Gods owne heart Now the person that wrote this Psalme should moue vs very much to the liking of the matter contained in this Psalme Ahab said of Micha he neuer prophecied good So Dauid the sweet-singer of Israel alwaies good The mercy of the Lord endureth for euer hee was loued of God the Annoyntment spirituall and te nporall doth verefie it Applauded of al both men and women Dauid hath killed his tenne thousands A man iustified of his enemies Thou art more righteous then I. Esteemed of his subiects Thou art worth ien thousands of vs. A man more learned then his teachers he was a Compound of vertues a man after Gods own hart yet no way caring for the vaine applause of man confesseth heere his sin casteth his Crowne at the Lambs feet with the 24. elders contented to giue glory to God so that he might find peace vpon earth Oh! what an excellent thing were this if Kings Nobles great men would imitate Dauid in this to call thēselues to account and to set downe their liues that so they might haue matter to praise God for his blessings to acknowledge their sins with Dauid Dauid then was the author writer of this Psalme yet Dauid reports the fault in himselfe as if some stranger had committed it He forgets as it were his owne people and his Fathers house setting all affection aside maketh a plaine declaration of his owne transgression A wise man saith Salomon will accuse himselfe Pro. 18. So doth Dauid not shrowding his head nor rūning into a bush as Adam did but writing his fault in his brow pointing with his finger at the transgressor vnder his owne name faith A Psalme of Dauid being reprooued by Nathan c. Penners of the scriptures set forth first their own imperfection And indeed this doth make greatly for the authoritie of the word of God in that the Penners of it do not sticke to set forth their owne fraileties imperfectiōs that God might haue the honour and man beare the deserued blame contratie to the manner of the Writers of this world that howsoeuer against enemies they speake all and more then all or extol their friends to the highest yet in them we finde few examples of laying open the errours of themselues especially when in any sort it may be concealed This course we may behold in the whole Scriptures 2. Sam. 11. Dauid hee recordeth his adultery and murder as here in this Psalme his repentance of thē Ionas his disobedience Ionas 1.3 Iob 3.1 1. Reg. 11. Num. 11. Note Iob his impatience the idolatry of Salomon the discontentednesse of Moses the fretting of Ieremy and the like Here we may see the wisedome of the Word of life here we may admire their spirites who to giue God the glory do reioyce in their infirmities and proclaime their owne follies and if wee would compare these Writers inspired of the Holie Ghost with the Workes and Writings of other men we must either shut our eyes or else acknowledge a great difference The third circumstance is the time when this excellent Psalme was penned and that is expressed The time when this Psalm was penned When Nathan the Prophet came vnto him Concerning the sense of these Wordes some men differ some thinke that Dauid being fallen lay in his sinnes a whole yeare without any touch of conscience and sound repentance for them But it is not like as others thinke that so worthy a man as Dauid was after Gods owne hart could lie so long in sin without all remorce and touch of Conscience For my part I take it that though Dauid could not be so stony and so steely-hearted or so benummed but must needs haue some griping and sting of conscience and no doubt his heart must needes smite him vnlesse hee had beene more vile then the vilest sinner So for all that he was not so humbled for his great and grieuous sinnes as he ought to haue beene till such time as Nathan the Lords Prophet came to rowze him vp by the alarum of Gods Iudgement denounced against him Wherin we may see 2. Sa. 12.1 First that a childe of God may both fall fowly and lie in sin a long time without repentance And secondly that the Ministery of Nathan is needfull to reclaime vs else we shall not onely sinne but lie and rot in them And indeede not so much the falling into sinne as the lying in sin wounds the conscience and procures Gods iudgements Doctr. 1 Hence we may gather first of all for our great comfort That it is the Lords mercie sometimes to let a man fall into sinne for as we build a wall the higher by casting the foundation deeper So the Lord by humbling his children oftentimes raiseth them vp As in a tempestuous winde trees shaken by the root in calme doe spread themselues the more So the childe of God hauing his roote shaken doth more strongly fasten himselfe in Christ Iesus The child of GOD may fall after he is called Doctr. 2 Note in Dauid a man after Gods owne heart that the true childe of God after he is truely and effectually called sanctified may very dangerously fall and sinne against God euen as Dauid did Gen. 37. So Iosephs brethren how did they conspire against him to sell him yea to kill him and lay a long time yea almost twentie yeares in that sinne before they were truely humbled for it How fowly did Peter fall though hee did not lie long in sin Mat. 26.70 Yea as Iob saith Iob 15. What is man that hee should be cleane and hee that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Behold he found no stedfastnes in his Saints c. And Pro. 20.9 Who can say I haue made my hart cleane All which testimonies of scriptures serue to confirme the trueth of this Doctrine that the best of Gods Saints in this life are oftentimes ouertaken by the policy of Satan and the frailetie of their owne flesh to commit great and grieuous sinnes Yea the dearest of Gods children sometimes are asleepe Matth. 25. The wise and foolish Virgins both slept but yet here is the difference the wise awakened arise out of their securitie the foolish prolong the time Oh then if Christ Iesus haue looked vpon vs as he did vpon Peter let vs looke on our selues If his Nathan be come let vs sleepe no more Vse 1 Seeing that Gods children may thus fall into sinne and lie in sinne so long a time although no man may hereby be imboldned to sinne with Dauid much lesse to lie in sin without
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
sins whereof they be guiltie not in generall to reproue sinne but to rippe vp mens consciences to come to particulars to tell men of their particular sinnes and impieties as Nathan did to Dauid in the Parable of the Sheep 2. Sam. 12. Thou art the man that hast done this thing Euen so the woman of Samaria did but dally with Christ vntill he came to tell her of her especiall sinnes Iohn 4.9 namely that shee was a vile lewd and wicked woman no better then a whoore or a harlot and then shee was tamed and beganne to listen to CHRISTS doctrine So here Dauid was asleepe in sinne all Nathan â—ame to him and tolde him Thou art the man that hast commiâ—ted adultery and murther and then beganne Dauid to repent and to beg pardon So Iudah could passe sentence against Thamar Genes 38. to be burned for adultery but neuer thought that his sinne had beene knowne but when hee saw the Seale the Cloake and the Staffe then he can say She is more righteous then I when hee was thus brought to light and his sinne laid to his charge Vse 1 This may admonish all Ministers of the Word that if they desire to conuert men and to humble them for their sinnes then to rip vp mens consciences to smite home to presse them with their sinnes Thou art the man 2. Sam. 12. Note For vnlesse men be thus dealt withall we see that selfe-loue will make men to put off to an other That is a good lesson for such a man I would he had heard it and so cleare themselues For as it was with Dauid and Iudah Genes 38. and the woman of Samaria till men see their particular sins they will not be humbled confesse them and therefore it is the duty of the minister to presse mens consciences with their sinnes in particular swearing lying whore dome drunkennes ignorance profanenesse c. Vse 2 If this be the surest and safest way to humble men to bring them vnto true repentance for their sins then you must be content to haue your selues thus dealt withal to haue Nathan tell thee Thou art the man that Iohn should tel thee of thy incest and vncleannes not to storme against it not to kicke against the Word For this know that if the word of God be not an edged sword to kil sin and cut the throate of it it will cut tâ—â— throate of thy soule It will not the turne in vaine Oh then would you be saued by the word Then let the Word pierce your hearts and wound your soules a man that is dangerous sicke will open his arme vncouer it let the Chirurgeon let him bloud vpon a veine thanke him and pay him for his paines Well our soules bee dangerously sick with sinne though we know it not and wee haue many a deadly wound though we feele iâ— not let vs then lay them naked and suffer the Lords Chirurgeons with the sacrificing knife of the word of GOD to cut and launch them if euer wee looke to bee cured Take heede you be not like vnto Ahab 1 Reg 22.8 Marke 6. Psal 141.5 or Herod but rather acknowledge iâ— the endlesse mercie of GOD which sends some Nathan to reprooue you and to smite you alas men will not endure this to be saide Thou art the man to be tolde of their sinnes but it is the onely waie to saue mens soules And therefore let vs all yong and old rich and poore noble and simple be content to heare of our sinnes and Gods iudgements against them for til that message be listned vnto there is no Message from God of any pardon to be giuen or mercy to be shewed Though it were to a King yet wee see Nathan beeing sent from the Lord doth first his message of reproofe and heard that listned to before he vtter any word of pardon When Dauid had gone into Bershaba That is after Dauid had committed that foule and filthy sinne of adultery with Bershaba Doctr. 1 Where marke the great wisedome of the Spirit of God Chaste speech taught of God who speaking of a fowle and filthy fact vses a reuerent chaste speech very honest decent and therefore we learne that as the Spirit of God speakes so must wee inure and acquaint our selues to speake yea when we are to speake of things that are not comely to bee spoken to moderate our speech and to speake in an honest and a chaste manner So the holy Ghost exhorts vs that our words should be gracious and powdred with salt Colos 4.6 and such as may minister grace vnto the hearers But as for filthy communication or foolishiesting Ephe. 4.29 which is not comely let it not be once named amongst you And this teacheth vs that wee must all diligently study and practise the gouernement of the Tongue to order it aright in due manner which is a worthy studie according to that of the Prophet Psalme 34.12 13. What man is he that desireth life and loueth to see good dayes keepe thy tongue from euill and thy lippes that they speake no guile And to this purpose doth the Prophet Dauid speake in another psalme Psal thirtie nine and the first verse I thought I will take heede to my wayes that I sinne not with my tongue I will keepe my mouth brideled while the wicked is in my sight The holy vse of the tongue is the language of Canaan Esay chapter 19 verse 18. which we must account to speake that it may be ordered according to the wil and word of God Vse This condemneth the common abuse of mens tongues who do not only grieuously blaspheme the name of God in swearing but in most vile and filthie rotten speech such as would make any chast eares to blush for shame such vncleane and rotten words from yong and olde euen from little children and Infants are so common as must needes make a chaste minde to blush at them And how could they do this but that they heare it of their elders parents and others I beseech you remember Pauls words Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceede out of your mouthes It is lamentable to heare that I haue heard of your children most miserable and cursed othes and filthy speeches euen of those which is strange that can hardly speake I pray you for Gods sake looke vnto it for if you suffer them and giue them liberty they will be the cause of your woe in the end Doctr. 2 Heere marke that Dauid a glorious and renowned King of Israel is content to shame himselfe for euer The godly do respect more the glâ—ry of God then their own crâ—dite to record his sinnes to his owne shame so that he may procure Gods glory and the good of his Church For this he knew that this example of his of his grieuous fall being recorded in Gods Booke would turne by GODS blessing to the endlesse comfort and good of his Church For
laine a long time in his filthy sinnes and neuer sought vnto God for mercy but being awaked by the reprehension of Nathan now he cries for mercy The Prodigall sonne a true paterne for all sinners he neuer seeks to his Father till he was in extreame misery and then he saith I will goe to my Father Luke 15. so the prowd Pharise neuer begges for mercy for he felt no want of it And the Church of Laodicea Knew not that shee was miserable poore Reu. 3.10 blind and naked For how can a man repent of that hee is ignorant of Sinnes committed can not be repented of till men see them and know them nay not barely to know them but to know the hainousnesse of them and the curse of God due vnto them so as a man may take it to heart and be troubled for his sins Dauid thogh a Prophet of the Lord yea a man after GODS owne heart yet lay a long time in sinne without repeÌ„tance because he did not weigh and consider with himselfe what hee had done And therfore in the word of God the Lord oftentimes calles vpon men to consider their waies to know their sinnes and the curse of God due vnto them Ier. 3.13 Know thy sins O Ierusalem Zeph. 2.1 2. Fanne your selues Lam. 3.40 O let vs search and trie our waies and turne vnto the Lord. Vse 1 Here we may see the maine cause why there is so little faith true repentance in the world why men are no more humbled for their sinnes do not repent for them poore souls they know not that they doe euill They either cannot or doe not search themselues Lam. 3.40 they neuer call their hearts to account Now then going on in security seeing and fearing no danger Alas how should they repent how should they turne to God For if thou couldest see the misery of thy soule and thy wofull estate by reason of sin if thou couldest see the number and greatnes of thy sinnes Oh thou wouldest euen tremble for feare and wonder at thy woful estate But alas most men are like a man that trauels in the night ouer a narrow bridge which is verie dangerous and vnder it runneth a bottomlesse gulfe so as if he fall he cannot escape but must needs perish And therfore in the darke night seeing not the danger hee feareth it not But let him goe that way in the morning he will wonder that euer he was so madde and desperate to go that way and will neuer venture that way againe So many poore blinde ignorant soules when they haue runne headlong in sinne al their daies and passed their vncertaine life in ignorance profanenesse and manifolde sinnes posting to Hell and damnation not seeing the curse of GOD that doth hang ouer their heads they feare nothing but runne on headlong into all sinnes But if it please the Lord to open their eyes to see their sinnes and the Iudgements of God due vnto them Oh they do wonder at their owne extreame folly and Gods infinite goodnesse and patience and would not bee in that case againe for all the world Well then marke this Doctrine doe not lightly passe it ouer but esteeme it as a blessed trueth of GOD. Christ saith Lake 13.5 Except ye repent ye shall allperish And for a man to see his sinnes the greatnesse and grieuousnesse of them it is the first steppe vnto repentance So that we see heere who they are that doe repent and shall be saued euen such as see their sinnes their wofull miserie and the wretched estate wherein they are and which doe most earnestly hunger and thirst after mercie in Christ Iesus Well then let mee aske thee this Question or rather demaund it of thine owne soule Didst thou euer see thy wofull miserie the wretched estate wherein thou arte by reason of sinne what a miserable sinner thou art by nature out of the fauour of God in the state of damnation in extreme danger for euer to be damned and to loose thy owne Soule Didst thou euer find thy selfe to stand in need of Gods mercie for the pardon of thy sinnes and extreme want of Christs bloud to saue thy Soule Hast thou felt thy hart wounded and bruised for thy sinnes that thy soule is euen sicke with sinne Didst thou euer thirst after GODS mercie in Christ aboue all the world so as thou hast with sighes and groanes yea with teares begged Gods mercie on thy knees as for life and death Io. 7.37 Esay 55.1 2. Esay 66.2 If thou hast not found and felt these things in thee in some measure thy case is dangerous and fearefull thou neuer yet didst truely repent the mercie of God belongs not vnto thee Vse 2 O then it is a singular fauour of God when he doth open a mans eies to see his misery to finde himselfe to stand in need of GODS mercy and extreame want of Christs bloud to saue his soule This is the beginning of all grace to feele the want of grace Dauid if the Lord had noâ— rowzed him out of his dead sinne wherein he lay a long time he might haue died and perished in it And therefore this should teach vs all to pray to God that he would in mercy open our eyes that we might see our sins and feele our miseries and that wee may see wee stand in extreame neede of Gods mercy and the contrary is a fearefull plague and iudgement of God for men to lie and snort in sinne without remorce of conscience without the sence and feeling of sinne or want of mercy this Dauid now knew by wofull experience that if hee had died without repentance he had perished of all diseases they bee most dangerous which bee least felt as a lâ—thargy or dead palsie or the like so it is a most fearefull estate for any man to lie in sinne without the feeling of it for then the hart is hardned and he makes no account of Gods mercy A man that thinkes he is well enough wil scorne the Physition so those blinde sinners that thinke they are wel enough and feele no want of mercy of all men they are to be pittied they be in a most dangerous state and condition And therefore we see it a great blessing of God to be told of our sinnes to bee reprooued for them that so seeing them and the danger of them wee may seeke to GOD for mercy Doctr. 2 Hence we learne that the first step to heauen Sâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 man and the beginning of true repentance is this for a man to bee grieued for his sins to be wounded in conscience for them for till a man see his sinnes and feele the burthen of them and feare the curse of GOD due vnto them he will neuer repent and seeke the pardon of them 2. Cor. 7.10 Matth. 26. Luke 18.13 This is that godly sorrow that leadeth to tepentance neuer to be repented of Vse 1 If this compunction and pricke of the heart
Vse 1 Seeing the Lords mercy is as a bottomlesse sea that can not bee drawne drie Lament 3 His compassions faile not Hence is matter of great comfort to all true penitent sinners for thy sins cannot be so many nor so great but if thou haue grace to repent God is able and willing to pardon them all If thou say Oh! my sins are great grieuous monstrous vnspeakeable well the mercy of God is greater as may appeare in the pardon of Lots sinnes Genes 19.2 Sam. 12. Acts 9. Ioshua 2. Dauids Peters Paules Rahabs c. If thou canst repent and truely turne to God If thou say O! they are more then the starres in number remember that Gods mercy is as a botomlesse sea hee hath a multitude of Compassions and can pardon them though neuer so many and grieuous If thou say Oh! I haue liued a long time in them twentie thirtie fortie yeares looke on Gods mercie shewed to Rahab Paul others that had liued long in sinne so that if a man haue grace to repent neyther the greatnesse nor the multitude nor the continuance of his sinnes none of all these can hinder Gods mercy but here is all that men must repent otherwise if men doe not repent the least sinne is damnable and if men repent no sinne is so great but is pardonable The mercies of god beloÌ„g not to all Yet notwithstanding men must take heede that they take not occasision to liue in sinne because God is mercifull for these things are noted as a comfort for those that sigh and groane vnder the burthen of their sinnes to comfort them and to keep them from dispaire that if they bee truely humbled for their sinnes there is yet with the Lord mercy in store whereby they may be saued Vse 2 Seeing all Gods gifts come from him to vs of grace and mercie euen because he is full of mercie and hath euen a multitude of mercies for poore penitent sinners that sue to him for mercie We learne aboue all things in the world to desire mercie and the pardon of our sinnes This we see in the Prophet Dauid Psal 6.6 My soule is sore trouble But Lord how long wilt thou delay Psal 63.3 Returne O Lord deliuer my Soule Saue me for thy mercies sake this is likewise practised by the Church It is the Lords mercies that wee are not consumed Lament 3. because his compassions faile not Thus the godly when they desire any blessing they aske it of fauor If they craue to haue any iudgement remoued they craue it of mercie esteeming his mercie aboue all the world or aught else they can desire labour therfore aboue all things in the world for the mercie of GOD in Iesus Christ vse all good meanes to obtaine it employ thy selfe diligently to keepe it and to continue it towardes thee that in thy life it may be with thee in death it may not depart from thee Lastly where the Prophet Dauid saith According to the multitude of thy compassions blot out mine offences Marke that the word blot out it is a metaphore taken from Writing-tables when a man shall wipe out with a spunge all that is written or from crossing of bookes of Records and Bookes of Debts And it is all one as if Dauid should haue said O Lord I haue runne far in thy score I haue euen filled thy Booke nor with small but great summes of Debt pay I am not able no not one farthing Now Lord I beseech thee therfore deface crosse and blot out altogether the Debt of my sinnes Doctr. 1 Hence we learne The Lord keeps a Booke of our sinnes that all our sins are recorded in the Lords Booke he keepes a Bill of Account all our verie thoughts words and deedes are knowne vnto him he keepes them in minde and memory and hath them written downe And vnlesse we repent of them and they be blotted out with the bloud of Christ laied hold on by faith the Lord will call them all to account at the day of iudgement Reu. 20.12 The Bookes shall then be opened and euery sinne olde new secret open against God and men shall be brought to light for they bee rocorded in Gods Booke Now by these Bookes wee may not conceiue materiall bookes in which men write downe such things as they would haue remembred for God can not be said to stand in need of any such helpes But because all things are as certaine and manifest to him as if hee had his Registers in Heauen to keepe account thereof Psalme 139.16 Dan. 7.10 Philip. 4.3 So then we may see that the Lord doth keepe a note of all our sinnes and chalkes them as it were vpon a score vntill payment come It is not with God as it is with Princes who are ignorant of the Treasons plotted against them but all things both past present to come are knowne to him aswel our rebellious thoghts as sinne fâ—ll acts committed And although we doe forget and carelesly minde what we haue done yet God forgets nothing euery part and parcell of our debt being noted exactly in his Booke of Remembrance Vse 1 Seeing all our sinnes be knowne to God he notes them downe in his booke of Account and not one sinne can passe him but he writes it down how should this make vs all carefull vnto our liues that wee commit no sin for if we do the Lord knowes it 2. Cor. 5.10 and notes it in his Booke and vnlesse he blot them out they shall all come to account A wicked man and an vnchaste woman how many thousand vile filthy thoughts haue they in their mindes night and day their hearts burne in lust and vncleanenesse and these they passe ouer regarding theÌ„ not making little or no account of them But alas the Lord hath them all written in the Booke of his Remembrance and if thou repent not of them and leaue them O woe to thy soule when this Booke comes to be opened and read ouer and when thou shalt receiue According to thy workes Iob saith Thou hast sealed vp our sinnes in a bag To seale vp a thing doth note an exact kinde of keeping it So then the bagge and bundle of our sinnes being sealed vp and that by God himselfe let vs not imagine that any one can droppe out but all shall come to Iudgement Vse 2 Seeing all our sinnes are so many debts set downe in GODS Booke and we must come to reckoning one day how should wee labour all the dayes of our life to haue them blotted out to haue this Booke cancelled and crossed euen by the finger of God for indeed we may runne on still in Gods debt and set on apace vpon his score but we cannot so fast wipe them out againe nay we can neuer of our selues pay one farthing or satisfie the least of our debts wee owe vnto him It is God that hath written downe that must freely forgiue and cancell as
learne what a vile filthy and miserable thing sinne is in the sight of GOD it staineth a mans body it staines a mans soule it maketh him more vile then the vilest creature that liues no toad is so vile and loathsome in the sight of man as a sinner stained and defiled with sin is in the sight of GOD till hee be cleansed and washed from them in the bloud of Christ Leuit. 13. The Leprousie was a wonderfull disease it did infect the body yea the cloathes on a mans backe the walls of the house and the very stones but this leprosie of sin doth more defile a man it defiles the soule and conscience Yea the creature yea euen the very heauens and earth are stained with the contagion thereof and are made by reason of sinne subiect to vanitie and corruption Rom. 8.20 Oh then see how vile a thing sinne is in the fight of God that the infection thereof should seaze vpon the Creature and make them that they dare not abide the glorious presence of God their Creator Reu. 20.12 Vse 1 Seeing sinne is so vile a thing so filthy and vncleane so polluteth the soule and body and makes vs loathsome in the sight of God so as no carrion nor dung-hill sends forth a filthier sent of stench then sinne O! how should wee loathe and abhorre it quake tremble at the committing of it Oh! it is a wonder to see how warie men are to shunne the Plague they will not come neere the place and person infected but keep aloofe off Oh that wee could be as wise and carefull to shun this plague of all plagues sinne that is the plague of soule and body But alas alas poore plinde soules they who are most afraide of the bodily plague and infection feare not this wofull plague of sinne make no bones of horrible and grieuous sins of adultery drunkennesse lying stealing c. yea as Salomon saith Foolish men and poore blinde soules Wicked men adde sinne vnto sinne and pay one debt with another doe make a sport of sin and put on them the name of Vertue Swearing is a signe of a braue Gentleman-like minde drunkennesse good fellowship couetousnesse good husbandry fornication a tricke of youth pride cleanlinesse these men bee cleane contrary to Dauid he thought nothing more vile filthy and vncleane then sinne they iudge nothing more sweete and pleasant then sinne But if we could see the loathsome filthinesse of sinne how odious it is in the sight of God how it staines and defiles both soule and body then wee should hate it and lothe it more then a toad or a serpent and shun it aboue all things in the world but alas men sinne and yet see not that they do sin they see and feele no danger they are secure no man saith Ierem. 6. Alas what haue I done We be wary tauoyd temporall danger If a man should say to any of vs touch not that garmēt it is infected or taste not that drinke it is poisoned how ready would wee bee to shunne it and auoyde it we would not touch nor come neere it but yet though wee tell men of sinne bid them take heede of it it will infect soule and body and vnlesse men doe presently repent it will bring both to hell yet men euen mad men desperately rush into it wilfully casting away their owne soules Doctr. 4 Further Hard matter to bee cleansed from the pollution of sinne whereas Dauid prayes to bee washed yea to bee washed thorowly or much and often and more then that to be cleansed and rinsed from his sinnes we learne hence that it is not so easie a matter for a man to repent and to get the pardon of his sinnes to be washed and cleansed from them as most men thinke it is Dauid desireth the Lord to wash yea to wash him often againe and again and to bathe and rinse him from his sinnes shewing that it is a hard thing to haue the spottes of sinne to bee washed out a hard thing to obtaine the pardon of our sinnes to be cleansed from the staines and blemishes of them it will cost much sorrow many a teare many a sigh and groane euen a great measure of griefe for looke how grieuously we haue sinned so greatly should wee bewaile our sinnes And hence it is that the Lord calling the people to sorrow for their sinnes doth not require a light sorrow or some small measure of griefe but such a sorrow as should euen rent their very hearts Ioel 2.13 And the Prophet Dauid saith in the seuenteenth verse of this Psalme that a mans heart must be contrite and broken euen as it were rent asunder with godly sorrow or else his repentance will neuer be accepted of God Dauid saith Psalme 6.6 That hee watered his cowch with teares Againe he saith Psalme 42. His teares were his meate day and night And indeede it must not bee a small measure of sorrow that wee must shew for our sinnes For if wee had an hundred eyes and should weepe them all out And if wee had a thousand hearts and they should all break asunder with remorce and sorrow all were too little yea although wee shead euen teares of bloud for our sinnes Vse 1 This condemneth the common opinion of men and women Folly of naturall men described they doe think it the easiest thing in the world to repent to get the pardon of their sinnes they do thinke that Lord haue mercie on mee will serue Oh God is mercifull God is mercifull and so make Gods mercy a packe-horse of all their filthy sinnes but let no man deceiue himselfe it is an other manner of thing to repent then wee take it for it will cost thee many a teare and many a prayer before thou canst haue pardon it will cost thee many a sob and sigh and many a oh oh ere thou canst be assured of the pardon of them How then doe men deceiue their owne soules thinking euery little glimpse of their sinnes sufficient no no euery sorrow brings not with it repentance Ahab had sorrow 1. Reg. 21. He rent his cloathes and put on sackecloth and fasted but this sorrow was as the morning dew it did quietly vanish away The like may bee said of Felix Acts 24. of Herod of Pharaoh and the like all which haue had in them a kinde of sorrow but it was but carnall the end whereof is death It must then be a godly sorrow arising from the sight of our sinnes that we haue offended a good and gracious God and louing Father in Iesus Christ and this must euen wound our very soules as the people of the Iewes Acts 2.37 that wee know not which way to turne vs for comfort Vse 2 Let vs imitate Dauid let vs crie againe and againe vnto the Lord for mercy Psal 32.1 let vs beg hard for the pardon of our sinnes it is the greatest mercie in the world Pardon of
sinne the greatest mercie good things are not easily gotten heauen life eternall are hardly come by and therefore let vs not imagine that it is so easie a matter to get the pardon of our sins no no wee must fill Heauen and Earth with cryings and prayers euen as a poore thiefe condemned at the bar hee will crie with teares for mercie and as a poore beggar vnlappeth his legs sheweth his wounds and all to mooue them that passe by to pittie him Note so must wee crie as for life and death for the pardon of our sinnes lay open our soares and griefes vnto the Lord and giue him no rest vntill we haue mercy Lastly it may be demanded what washing Dauid speakes of heere he speakes not heere of the Legall washing which was ysed in the time of the Law but he speakes here of that washing which is perfourmed onely by the bloud of Iesus Christ being laid holde on by faith Iohn 1.29 1. Iohn 1.7 Reue. 1.6 Zach. 13.1 for no water whatsoeuer can wash away the least spot of sinne but onely the bloud of Iesus Christ Doctr. 5 So then we learn hence that there is nothing in heauen or earth Bloud of Christ alone doth wash awaâ— sinne 1 Iohn 1.7 Hebr. 9.9 that can purge vs from sinne and the vncleannesse of the soule but only the bloud of Iesus Christ the Lambe of God being applied vnto vs by the hand of faith hee alone is our Sauiour sauing perfectly all that are saued Hebr. 7.25 He is able to saue perfectly all that come vnto him Hebr. 1.3 And by him hee hath purged our sinne So that we are to acknowledge him to be our onely and alone Sauiour without partner according to that Acts 2. There is no other name vnder heauen giuen to saue vs but the nâ—me of Christ Actes 15.9.1 Corinth 6.11 This sheweth the follie of the Church of Rome who beare men in hand that their holy-water as they call it and coniured stuffe is able to wash away sinne no no it can not doe it onely the bloud of CHRIST can doe it and no other creature in heauen or earth And therefore howsoeuer in word they honour Christ yet in deede they deny him in ioyning to â—he all-sufficient Satisfaction of CHRIST other satisfactions as their Sacrifices in the Masse to helpe CHRISTS Sacrifice on the Crosse and the Intercession of the virgine Mary Saints and Angels c. to his meritorious intercession robbing God of his honour and CHRIST of his all-sufficient merite running from Christ the pure fountaine to the filthy puddle and mire of their owne merites and satisfaction and thus poore Catholike creatures they thinke themselues trimly washed whereas alas they are not purged from their filthinesse but are as beastly as swine Vse Seeing we be all defiled with sin originall actuall old new let vs seek to Iesus Christ and desire to be washed yea to be rinsed and bathed in his pretious bloud get one drop of it and besprinckle our poore soules with it Iohn 13.8 as Peter saith Head and hands and all both soule and body For that answere giuen by Christ vnto Peter may serue for a warning to vs all If I wash thee not thou shalt haue no part with me Which if wee did well consider as well our owne pollution as also the necessitie of Christs washing wee would answer againe with Peter O Lord not my feet only but my hands and my head Vse If this were Dauids estate and condition that he was so filthy and vncleane hauing laine but a short time in sinne that hee cryeth out amaine vnto the Lord to wash him to purge him and to cleanse him Oh then what shall wee thinke of those that not once but often not a yeare with Dauid but all the dayes of their life haue liued in the common custome and practise of sinne that haue drunke downe iniquitie as a man drinkes downe water their damnation doth not sleepe And yet poore soules they thinke that if they can besprinckle themselues with a few words in the end as to say Lord haue mercie on mee that they shall be cleane But if it did cost Dauid so many sighs and groanes and teares as in the sixt Psalme which lay but a short time in comparison of others They much deceiue themselues that doe thinke it is so easie a matter to bee washed and cleansed from the pollution of sinne that haue laine therein a long time Godly sorrow will send vs to Christ And before we can be washed and cleansed from our sins in the bloud of Christ we must haue a godly sorrow which will send vs to Christ Iesus wee must see our filthinesse and vncleanenesse how we stand in need to be washed and wee must desire it with Dauid and begge it O Lord wash me rinse mee bathe me in the bloud of Christ Secondly we must haue the hand of faith by which we must lay holde on Christs bloud and besprinckle our soules with it Euen as a man doth wash his face with his hand so faith is the hand of the soule to lay hold and apply Christs bloud and the merit of it to cleanse vs and wash vs from all our sinnes But alas poore soules you shall see many a man and woman that are very curious carefull to wash their bodies and to wash their cloathes They will not suffer the least spot in them but looke to haue them washed yet they can goe from yeare to yeare with most vile and filthie soules that euen stincke with sinne and neuer desire to be washed and rinsed yea many of those who seeme to be very gay faire outward carry filthy and vncleane hearts within And if a man could but see into their hearts and see the filthy spottes of sinne he would euen stop his nose and not indure the stench of them VERSE 3. 3. For I acknowledge mine iniquities and my sinne is euer before mine eyes Dauids reson from his former petition THe Prophet Dauid hauing intreated for sauour grace at Gods hands for the pardon of his great and grieuous sinnes he doth heeve labour to moue the Lord to pitty him and to take compassion vpon him because he doth now most frankely and freely confesse his sinnes is truely touched and grieued for them yea his poore conscience is now vpon the racke wounded and distressed and exceedingly afflicted and therefore he intreateth the Lord to pitty him For I acknowledge and confesse my sinnes against God in thy sight before thy Prophets and before all thy people yea the whole Church of God by leauing this Psalme as a testimony of my true repentance and sorrow for them Doctrine Confession euer goeth before remission Hence marke that there is no place for mercy nor any fauour to be looked for at Gods hands nor anie pardon of sinne before a sinner truly humbled doe freely and frankely confesse the same and humbly acknowledge with griefe of heart
may well be called madnesse yet afterward he bethought himselfe and considered what he had done and lamented his follie with teares And this is required of vs all Lament 3.40 O let vs search and trie our waies and turne vnto the Lord. And the Lord complaineth Ieremie 8.6 That hee did hearken to see if there were any man that would repent and turne vnto the Lord but there was no man said what haue I done And surely this Complaint may be taken vppe against the people of this Land That notwithstanding GOD hath cried and called vnto vâ— so often from Heauen by his powerfull voice in his word by his mercies and by his iudgements so sensible that if the Magicians in Aegipt were amongst vs they could doe no lesse then acknowledge it the finger of God yet where is the man almost to be found that looketh backe vnto his owne waies to aske this question of his owne heart to say Alas what haue I done Or with Dauid heere I know mine iniquities Now there is a two-folde knowledge of sinne First Generall Secondly Speciall General knowledge neuer worketh any reformation for this is found for the most part in all men which can say they are sinners But there is a speciall knowledge of sinne which God will once discouer vnto vs either in mercy to our good and saluation as heere to Dauid to Peter to Marie Magdalen c. or else in wrath as hee did vnto Iudas Caine Achitophel c. to their finall condemnation which may teach vs all to pray vnto the Lord so to giue vs the sight of our sinnes as that we neuer despaire of his mercy that our sinnes may neuer rise vp against vs to our confusion Secondly our confession of our sinnes must proceede from sorrow of hart for them with a hatred of them so as nothing doe more grieue vs then our sinnes And this our Sauiour Christ insinuateth Matth. 11.28 When he calleth onely such vnto him as are weary and laden euen ready to faint vnder the burthen of their sinnes And this doth Dauid himselfe confesse Psalme 38. My sins saith he are as a weightie burthen too heauie for me to beare For when men can runne away with their sinnes as though they were as light as a feather it is an euident token they were neuer throughly humbled for them Thirdly it must be frank and free not wrung out by compulsion as sometimes a wicked man sometimes vnder the rod may confesse his sins as Pharaoh Iudas and the like Exo. 10.17 Matt. 26. But this Confession was onelie by compulsion wrung out of them it came not from any sorrow or hatred of sinne but for feare of iudgement and punishment But wee must bee as forward and as ready to confesse them to the glorie of GOD as wee were to commit them to his dishonor Thus did Dauid confesse his sinne Psalme 32.5 I acknowledge my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquitie haue I not hid It must be without all excuse or lessening of our sinnes we may not mince them or excuse them but lay them open in their colours rather aggrauating them then lessening them Fourthly wee must confesse our sins with a purpose to forsake them According to that of the Prophet Esay 55. vers 7. Let the wicked for sake his waies And the vngodly man his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord. There must be in vs a desire to forsake all our sinnes and euery wicked way else there is no true repentance For one sinne is a sufficient holde for Sathan and a sufficient Barre to keep out Christ Iesus as wee may see by the example of Herod Marke 6. of Iudas c. Vse 1 This sheweth that most men and women doe not truely repent for though they can say God be mercifull vnto vs we are all sinners yet in particular they see it not no they think they keepe the Commandements of GOD a man can very hardly perswade them that they breake any of the Commandements in particular although in generall and in a confused manner they confesse themselues to be sinners yet in particular they doe not so Nay they are so farre from aggrauating their sinnes That they rather extenuate them by all meanes possible I am not alone nor I am not the first nor I hope I shall not be the last as for any griefe or sorrow for sinne it is farre from them and they are farre from it Vse 2 This sheweth that those who though they confesse themselues sinners yea in particular yet because they doe it not with feeling with hatred and detestation of sinne therefore they be faulty for wee should euen with right heauie hearts Psal 32.5 and wounded soules confesse our sinnes with the greatest hatred of them as possible wee can so as often as wee speake of them it should make our hearts to erne and teares to stand in our eies Vse 3 But most of all are here condemned those vile beasts and filthy sinners who are so farre from speaking of their filthy and beastly sinnes with hatred and dislike that they doe in brauery speake of them with a kinde of ioy and delight now who would euer think a man to be so vile to brag of his owne shame to boast of his owne filthinesse If a prisoner going in the way to the gallowes should then bragge of his robberies and villanies and bee prowd of his halter what a desperate thing were that And yet such filthie beastes there be in the world who are not ashamed to boast out their owne shame and filthinesse to talke yea to bragge of their owne vncleannes and of their filthy drunkennesse how they haue druncke so many dozens how they haue made so many drunk O wretched men it is a wonder the house falleth not on them or that God raineth not fire and brimstone from heauen to consume them And my sinne it euer before my eies DAuid hauing shewed how that he had freely confessed and acknowledged his sins vnto the Lord heere hee sheweth the cause which mooued him so humbly to acknowledge the same namely Cause that moued Dauid to confesse his sinne because they were euer in his sight and before his eies As if he should haue said howsoeuer I haue a long time laine snorting in sinnes and did not feele and see the danger of them yet now being tolde of them by the Prophet I see them and so beholde them that my conscience accuses me for them and I can haue no rest but my wounded Conscience doth vrge mee and compell mee to confesse my sinnes vnto thee Where first of all we may behold the cursed nature of sinne when the Diuell tempts a man vnto it he doth euer hide the misery of sinne The curse of GOD due to sinne the torments of hell and the damnation of both body and soule in hell for euermore These things the diuell doth labour to keep from mens eies buzzing onely in their cares the profite of sinne gaine
my sinnes not speaking of his great fin of Adulterie alone but of many sins wrapped vp together for hee did not onely commit adultery with Bethshaba the wife of Vrias but shead his guiltlesse and innocent bloud yea with him caused as it is like many of his good subiects and loyall souldiers to be slaine hee sought to couer his sin closely and cunningly by bidding Vrias to goe home to his wife that so the childe might be thought to be his And to all these he added this that hee layed the whole Church of GOD open to the enemy to the anger of God Sin neuer goes alone Hence then note for our instruction that Dauid confessing that one sin will neuer goe alone but sin goes by couples by heapes one in the necke of an other as hee that taketh a chaine by the end and pulleth but one lincke all the rest doe follow so if a man let liberty to one sin that sin will not goe alone but draw another adultery will often bring murther with it swearing lying with it so drunkennesse whooredome c. The Apostle biddeth vs Rom. 13.13 Not to walke as children of darkenesse in surfetting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse not in strife and enuying shewing vnto vs that sinnes goe by couples and one draws on an other and will hardly goe alone It is like the Gangrene or Canker it fretteth and eateth further and further the hand infecteth the arme and the foote the legge and so one member an other till it hath diffused it selfe ouer the whole body if the part that is infected be not cut off at the beginning This doth the Apostle teach 2. Tim. 2.16 Stay prophane and vaine bablings for they increase vnto more vngodlinesse And their word will frette as a Canker Saint Iames also sheweth the fruitfulnesse of sinne saying When lust hath conceiued it brings forth sinne and sinne when it is finished it brings forth death And as sin doth increase so doe GODS iudgements Leuiticus 26.22 23. If yee walke stubbornely against mee and will not obey me I will then bring seuen times moe plagues vpon you according to your siâ—â—es yet if by these yee will not be reformed by me but walke stubbornely against mee then will I also walke stubbornely against you And I will yet smite you seuen times for your sinnes And thus we see againe how God will keepe a proportion betwixt our sins and his punishments Vse 3 Seeing this is the cursed nature of sin that it will neuer go alone but one will draw on an other who oredome murther hypocrisie c. it stands vs all in hand to take heede wee giue liberty to no sinne liue in none delight in none for if we do we shall finde that one sin will neuer goe alone but let vs abhorre all hate euery sin and striue against all wee see this common in the world that if a man shall yeelde to one sin by and by it will draw him to an other Note and often as it was in Dauid whoredome will bring murther with it sometimes of the husband sometimes of the childe sometimes of two or three And therefore let vs be carefull to shunne and auoyde euery sinne liue in none for though one sinne be enough to carry a man to the gulfe of hell yet one will neuer goe alone Wee see this in the example of Caine Genes 4.8 he was reprooued of God for his malice conceiued against his brother But hee hear kened not to the voyce of the Lord but hardned his heart and shead innocent bloud euen the bloud of his brother This appeares in Iudas Math. 26. hauing once entertained Couetousnesse in his heart fell from Couetousnesse to Treason and at last became a verie diuell incarnate The like wee may beholde in Saul 1. Samuel 16.1 who fell away from GOD steppe by steppe vntill the Spirit of GOD had vtterly forsaken him and hee brake out in open rebellion against Almighty GOD For as amongest all the blessings which the Lord doth bestow vpon the sonnes of men in this world a soft and tender heart is one of the greatest which is checked and controuled and soone made bleede so there can bee no greater curse laide vpon man then to haue a rebellous heart which hoordeth vp euery day vengeance against it selfe VERSE 4. 4 Against thee against thee onlie haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight That thou mayest be iust when thou speakest and pure when thou iudgest In this verse Dauid knowledgeth his special sinnes IN this verse and the two that follow Dauid proceedeth in the humble acknowledgement and confession of his sinnes first his actuall sinnes secondly from them he commeth to the fountaine and beginning of all sinne namely his naturall corruption wherein hee was conceiued and borne and this originall sin hee speaketh of in the next verse following Two parts This fourth Verse containeth in it two parts first a free acknowledgement of his particular speciall and actuall sinnes in the second he doth cleare the Lord of all cruelty and iniustice that howsoeuer the Lord had not onely sharpely reproued him by the ministerie of Nathan but also punished him and grieuously afflicted him for his sinnes in taking away the childe that was borne in Adultery yet hee doth acknowledge the Lord to be iust and righteous in all his waies In the first part of the Verse Two parts consider first the partie to whom he confesseth Against thee Against thee onely where he sheweth the great dolour and extreame griefe of his minde for his sinne against GOD in that hee doubleth the words Against thee Against thee secondly wee are to obserue how he doth acknowledge his speciall and particular sinner namely adultery murther and sheding of innocent bloud I haue sinned and done this euill in thy sight Against thee These words are expounded diuersly First that it is as much as if Dauid should haue said O Lord howsoeuer I haue grieuously murther yet I haue so hidde my sinne from man that there is none that knew it but thou alone so that he acknowledgeth all the sinne was against GOD because no mortall man was priuie to his sins Others expound it thus That although Dauid had offended against man yet he was especially wounded and grieued for that hee had broken the Lawe of God So that though it be true that he had done great wroÌ„g to his faithfull seruant and most loy-all subiect Vrias yet here was that that killed his heart and wounded him to the quicke namely because he had offended his most mercifull and louing God as if he should haue said O Lord my God although the whole world should cleare me and no man liuing should accuse me yet it grieueth me at the heart because I haue offended thee my most mercifull God Doctr. 1 Hence first I note that howsoeuer a man may hide his sinne from men and Angells A mans sinnes are open
from his house but one sonne should kill an other Secondly that the child conceiued in adultery should die thirdly hat his owne sons should rebel against him and lastly that his wiues should be abused as hee had abused an other mans Doctr. 1 Hence marke what vse the Lord will make euen of an accusing and guiltie conscience namely The Lord maks good vse of our conscieÌ„ce it shal be the Accuser Witnesse and Iudge to accuse and condemne it selfe But shall cleare the Lord of all iniustice or hard dealing making way vnto the Lords righteous iudgement This we may clearely beholde in Iudas Matth. 27. who readeth his owne Sentence of condemnation against himselfe saying I haue sinned in betraying innocent bloud And for this purpose the Lord hath put into the Soule of euery man not onelie a knowledge whereby we can discern betwixt that which is lawfull and good from that which is euill so farre as shall leaue all men without excuse But also that conscience can make application of that knowledge in all the actions of a mans life approouing that which is good and therein concerning matter of ioy and comfort or else condemning him for that which is euill which will cause a fearefull horrour in Soule as we see in Caine Genes 4. Trembling in body as in Felix Actes 24.26 or else fearefull Dreames and Visions as in Baltezar Dan. 5. And this wee may heere clearely behold in Dauid The force of whose conscience was such as that it sought no starting holes to hide it selfe but saith Against thee Against thee haue I sinned c. And withall doth cleare the Lord of iniustice and hard dealing towards him If he should bring vpon him and his house all those feareful Iudgements which by Nathan the Lords Prophet hee had threatned against him 2. Sam. 12. Vse 1 From this we learne what an intollerable torment a wicked conscience is euen a Gibbet and a Racke to wound a man withall and as a fearefull huy and cry euery where ouertaking them giuing a man no rest neither night nor day but euery where and in all places is euer dragging him before the Iudge No sooner did Paul dispute of Iustice temperance and iudgement to come but Felix trembled Actes 24. No sooner had Cain slaine his righteous brother Abel but his guiltie conscience made his countenance to fall Genes 4. What maruell is it then if the wicked would stifle and choke the noise of their consciences being so fearefull and terrible but this they cannot doe Which being so Oh! in the feare of God let euery one take heed of sinne for the motions thereof may well be compared to those locusts of the bottomlesse pâ—t Reuel 9. hauing faces like men and their haire like the haire of women but a taile like a Scorpion which stingeth to death Oh! full little doth many a poore soule thinke that that sin which now seemeth to bee as light as a feather should lie so heauy vpon their soules in the end Vse 2 This teacheth vs moreouer to be very carefull that wee neglect not the checkes of conscience nor our owne hearts reproouing vs of our wayes for the time commeth apase and thou knowest not how soone when that conscience of thine which now doth checke thee shall iudge thee and that heart of thine which now doth reprooue thee shall torment thee and thou by it shall be accused and conuicted that thou hast beene a wilful chooser of thine owne destruction Againe in that the Prophet doth acknowlege that if the Lord should bring vpon him all those iudgements which hee before had threatned by the Prophet Nathan namely 2. Sam. 12. That the Sword should neuer de part from his house that the child conceiued in adultery should die That his sonnes should defloure his wiues c. yet for all that that God were most iust in his iudgements wee learne a second point of Doctrine that howsoeuer the Lord reprooueth vs for sin Doctr. 2 God is euer iust in his iudgèments and seemes to threaten and thunder out his iudgements as hee did against Dauid yet we are to confesse that God is iust and righteous in his threatnings that hee doth not deale more seuerely with vs then our sins deserue Thus Dauid did though he was a King yet hauing sinned and committed euill in Gods sight when Nathan came tooke him vp roundly for his sinnes hee acknowledged God dealt iustly with him though he rebuked him sharply and seuerely so must wee know it is our duety that when we are reprooued for our sins wee iudge and thinke it is no more then wee haue deserued Old Ely when Samuel telleth him that GOD would destroy his sonnes and take the high Priests office from him because hee did not rule and gouerne his children and correct them hee answered It is the Lord let him doe as it seemes good in his own eies 1 Sam. 3.18 In like sort Matth. 15. the Cananitish woman though she were called a Dogge by our Sauiour yet she iustifieth him in his saying Trueth Lord I am as thou hast said but yet admit I be a dogge then giue mee that which dogges oftentimes haue euen a crumme of thy mercie Thus did Hezechiah 2. Reg. 20. when the Prophet had threatned him because of his pride in shewing his treasures he confesseth that God was iust and might haue dealt yet more rigorously with him saying The word of the Lord is good These examples doe shew what is the nature of true penitents namely to acknowledge that which from GODS word is most sharpely spoken to be most iust and true Whereas on the contrary we shall see hypocrites ready to censure God to deale too seuerely with them as wee may see Luke 13. how that the wicked at the last will seeme to plead their case with GOD saying Lord hast thou not preached in our streetes and haue we not eate and druncke in thy company seeming thereby to haue such an interest into Christ as that hee should deale vniustly with them to condemne them The like wee may see in Catne Genes 4. My sinne saith he that is my punishment is greater then I can beare So that wee see that as the godlie man acknowledgeth GOD to be iust in all things so the wicked man dare charge GOD to his face that he is iniust if he punish sinne seuerely Vse 1 This she weth of what spirite those men be of who when they be sharply reprooued for their sins swearing drunkennes whoredome couetousnesse c. they beginne to murmure and grudge to finde fault with the Ministers of God that they be too hot and too earnest too sharpe and seuere they would be more mildely dealt withal they cannot abide these hot fellowes that be all of the spirit they would bee handled nicely and gently But we see Dauid a king acknowledgeth God to be iust and to deale iustly with him But these men are like vnto Ahab he hated Michaiah and why
Lord loueth well and taketh delight in and without this all that wee doe is loathsome and abhominable This honest and good heart our Sauiour CHRIST commendeth in Nathanael Iohn 1.47 Behold a true Israelite in whom is no guile This true Israelite this vpright heart the Lord loueth it Luke 8.15 and the Lord delighteth in it And the good ground are those which with an honest and good hart heare the word and bring foorth fruit with patience Vse 1 This serueth to cut the combe of all hypocrites and dissemblers who thinke God wil be pleased with outward shewes and colours although they be rotten at the kore like Apples of Sodome the Lord sheweth his dislike of these naughty and dissembling heartes Esay 19 13 This people come neare mee with their lippeâ— and honour me with their mouthes but their hearts are farre from me So the Lord telleth the Iewes Iere. 42.20 They did but dissemble with him in their hearts when you sent mee vnto the Lord to pray for you and that you would doe his will and hit word but now you will doe nothing but the cleane contrary euen after your owne lusts And amongst vs in these dayes there are many hypocrites and dissemblers painted toombs gay without making faire shewes and goodly colours but their hearts are rotten at the kore they are but counterfeit Christians and GOD abhorreth them and hath no liking of them for as hee loueth trueth and soundnesse of the heart so hee hateth and abhorreth all hypocrisie Let all such looke vpon the fearefull hand of God on Ananias and Saphyra Actes 5. who because they would seeme to be religious and somewhat forward to sell their land and giue to the poore because their heart was not sound and vpright but they dissembled therefore the Lord smote them both dead And to shew how the Lord hateth al hypocrites and dissemblers CHRIST in the foure and twentiâ—h chapter of the Gospel of Saint Mathew and the one and fifty verse saith All vile sinners shall haue their portions with hypocrites because of all men hypocrites shall haue the greatest measure of torment and condemnation Vse 2 Seeing that the Lord loueth and delighteth in trueth and sinceritie of the minde and affection let vs be carefull all our dayes to get a sound and vpright heart voyde of all hypocrisie and dissimulation so as iâ— all things wee finde our heart sound and sincere in all the dueties of thâ— worship of God in speaking hearing praying yea in all things Now this vprightnes and soundnes of thâ— heart will appeare as by many other things so by this when a man iâ— carefull to please God and to shunne sinne in priuate as in publique in secret as abroad and making conscience of sinne although no man nor Angell could accuse him of it then is it a signe his heart is sound and vpright But if thou finde that in secret thou daiest commit those sins which thou wouldest bee loath to commit abroad in the sight view of others it is a signe thy heart is not vpright with God Oh then let vs labour to get this honest and good heart this soundnes and sinceritie of our affections this truth in the inward affections Actes 15.9 which will bring peace vnto our soules and make all we doe acceptable when our heart is purified by faith When the Lord describes a blessed man he shewes who it is Euen in whose spirit there is no guile Psal 32.2 And whatsoeuer a man doth though neuer so excellent and glorious in the eyes of man though a man could â—peake with the tongue of Men and Angells could pray neuer so excellent for wordes or matter yet if the heart be not sound but hollow and full of hypocrisie all is not worth a button whereas if the heart be sincere and sound purified by faith in CHRIST though men haue many wants and weakenesses the Lord GOD regardeth the truth of the heart Doctr. 3 Last of all A sanctified sanctified heart the greatest blessing of god obserue hence what a singular fauour and grace of GOD it is when we haue sound and sanctified hearts sincere and vpright with God voyde of hypocrisie and dissimulation It is that the Lord so highly esteemes of that hee wisheth most earnestly for it Deuteronomy 5.29 O that there were this heart in them And the Prophet Dauid saith heere that the Lord doth loue Truth in the inward affection And againe Prouer. 11.20 They that be of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord but they that bee vpright in heart are his delight This vpright heart is in none but those that be truely regenerate which haue truely repented of their sinnes and beleeue in Christ Iesus Acts 15.9 Because faith alone doth purifie the heart and therefore those that doe not beleeue and repent can not haue this pure heart And it is such an heart as hath no purpose to liue in any knowne sin whatsoeuer but a desire and carefull indeuour to performe obedience to euery one of the Commandements Vse Well seeing that the Lord GOD so highly commendeth an honest heart and so earnestly desireth and wisheth it Oh how should wee labour for it to haue a sound heart purified by faith in Christ Iesus to carry no purpose to sin in any thing but in all things to please him and to do his will and therefore againe and againe I say let vs locke to our harts that they be sound and that as wee professe our selues to bee Christians in shew so we may proue our selues Christians in the sight of God That he may approue of vs in that we haue sound hearts to walke with our God and purpose in all things to doe his will Iohn 1.48 It is no small commendations that Christ giues of Nathanael that hee was a true Israelite in whom was no guile And nothing indeed doth more distinguish a true Christian from a counterfeit But this trueth and sinceritie of heart Esau Genes 27. can mourne like Ezechias And Ahab can put on sackecloth 1. Reg. 21. And Saul as well as Dauid can say I haue sinned but their hearts were full of Hypocrisie farre from sinceritie before God Doctr. 4 Seeing GOD loueth trueth in the inward affections Sinne is but a lying vanitie we learne where trueth doth not raigne sinne doth raigne which is but a lying vanitie And all those that haue beene in loue with it in the end haue found the same too true Achan through hiâ— couetous desire thought to enrich himselfe by the wedge of golde Iosua 7.25 and the Babylonish garment which hee had purloyned contrary to the Commandemenr of God but it fell our to his owne destruction Ahab rose vp and tooke possession of Nabaoth Vineyard but withall 1. Reg. 21. he purchased the wrath of GOD the destruction of himselfe the ruine of his whole house The like may be said of Iudas who through his couetous desite was led
of them though thou maiest remember them and thy conscience accuse thee for them as Iob and Dauid Psalme 25 who were troubled for the sinnes of their youth yet I say though thou shouldest remember them God will neuer remember them any more to Iudgement or condemnation to plague or to punish thee for them hee casts them cleane out of his minde and turnes his face from them and therfore if hee once pardon sinne hee pardons it for euer For the decree and councell of God is vnchangeable Ro. 11.29 hee alters not and therefore if once hee giue pardon for sinne he neuer reuokes it but loues to the end The gifts of God are without repentance Seeing the Lord in pardoning of sinne doth turne his face from them Vse 2 forgets them and forgiues them and will neuer speake of them nor call them to minde any more we learne hence in pardoning of wrongs and iniuries done to vs to imitate the example of God our heauenly Father to pardon them so as wee neuer call them to minde againe that wee forgiue and forget all wrongs and iniuries trample them vnder our feete But it is a common speech of many vngodly men and women if men doe them any harme they will forgiue them but they will neuer forget them and accordingly so they deale though for a time they can shew a smooth countenance and giue faire wordes yet if euer they get them in their danger they will fetch them ouer they will shew their spleene and malice and powre our all their poison But let all such take heed for how can they say Forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs and yet doe not forgiue and forget wrongs if the Lord should deale thus with vs hee should confound vs for God is prouoked of vs euery moment and we are indebted vnto him tenne thousand talents yet he is intreated of vs and he is reconciled vnto vs ought not we therefore to forgiue one another after his examle this is the reason vsed by the Apostle Paul Coloss 3.12 13. Now therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloued put on the bowels of mercy kindenesse humblenesse of mande meckenesse long suffering forbearing one an other and for giuing one another if any man haue a quarrell to another euen as Christ forgaue euen so doe yee It were wofull with vs if God were not ready to forgiue for we finde our selues ready to offend and our sinne vnpardoned is sufficient to make vs condemned The second branch of the Petition is in the end of the verse in these words And blot out all mine iniquities 2 Part of the verse THat is blot them out of thy Booke of Accompts and that Bill and Debt-booke wherein they seeme to bee written for so much the speech imports the Prophet alluding to men that keepe Bookes of Accompt wherein they write all their debts euen so the Lord hath as it were his Booke of Accompt wherein are registred all the sinnes of men women when and where and howsoeuer committed Then hence we learne that all our sinnes are knowne to God Doctr. 1 All our sinnes knowne to God he hath them all as it were written downe in a Booke of Accompt and vnlesse they be blotted out in this life they shall all one day be called ouer euen at the day of Iudgement Reuel 20. The bookes shall be opened and euery mans conscience shall bee as a Bill of Indictment to accuse and condemne him This is that which is tolde by the Prophet Ieremy chapt 17. The sinne of Iuda is written with a penne of yron and the point of a Diamond And Iob hath it Thou hast sealed vp our sinnes in a bagge By all which places it appeareth that all our sins are knowne to God as perfectly as if they were noted in a Booke and vnlesse wee repent they shall all one day bee called ouer and laide to our charge when our Bookes shall be opened Seeing all our sinnes are well knowne to GOD Vse 1 and the Lord hath them all as it were written downe in a Booke and this Booke shall one day be opened and if our sins be not blotted our before Death come and this debt be not cancelled then they shall be brought to light and wee shall be cast into prison till we haue paid the vttermost farthing Then we see it stands vs all in hand while we liue to labour to haue this Booke cancelled that our sins may be put out and all our debts crossed for if they be found vncancelled at death and the day of Iudgement if they be found then vpon Records surely then it is too late to looke for mercie and therefore it is a matter of endlesse moment which wee are all most carefully to thinke vpon that this Booke may be crosse and our sinnes cancelled that so wee be not in the great day of the Generall Iudgement called to an account for them But how might wee doe that we might haue our sinnes blotted out wee are not able to pay the debt Wee owe the Lord â—enne thousand tallents and cannot pay one penny what shall wee doe to haue the debt paied To this I answere The Lord is like a mercifull Creditour if his Debtour be not able to pay let him confesse the debt and hee will as ke him no more but will willingly pardon all So the Lord GOD seeing wee are by no meanes able of our selues to pay the debt yet if wee confesse it and desire pardon he will forgiue it And yet because he is iust as hee is mercifull therefore his Iustice should be satisfied and that is done by the meanes of Iesus CHRIST hee is become our surety he is content to take our debt on him to become pay-master and so when nothing else could doe it hee was content to suffer death euen the cursed death of the Crosse and to blot out our sinnes by his owne heart bloud So then wee see the meanes how our sinnes are blotted out namely when wee doe repent of them bewaile them be humbled for them leaue and forsake them lay hold on Iesus Christ and apply vnto vs his death and passion then by the bloud of Christ all our sinnes are done away VERSE 10 10. Create in me a cleane heart O GOD and renew a right spirit within me Dauids new Petition DAVID hauing hitherto creaued at the hands of God pardon of his sinnes doth here put vp a new petition to God namely for regeneration or the new birth that God would cast him in a new mould and make him a new man And that God would in mercie goe forward with that blessed worke of Sanctification begunne by his spirit and now interrupted by his sinnes Our reconciliation with GOD stands in two partes Namely pardon of sinne and regeneration And Dauid hauing in the former Verse prayed for grace and mercie that God would haue mercie vpon him pardon all his sinnes
and wash them all away in the blood of his Sonne Now hee doth begge for regeneration and encrease of the blessed worke of sanctification which is begunne and continued by the holie Spirit of God for though the Lord shall pardon sinnes past yet if hee giue not power against sinne in time to come we shal marre all quickely and commit either the same againe or else some greater sinne there fore hee craues power against sin in time to come that he may not fall into the like againe Parts of this verse two In this tenth verse there be two things to bee confidered first hee craueth a sanctified heart because till the heart be pure no good motion can proceede from thence no more then sweete Water from a bitter Fountaine secondly he praies for the renewing of the worke of grace or new birth and sanctification which he had by his sinnes hindered yea greatly interrupted that so his soule and filthy heart being renued and sanctified thence might proceed good affections and holy actions with continuall and constant obedience Doctr. 1 Whereas the Prophet ioynes this petition of Sanctification vnto the former of Iustification we learne Iustification and Sanctification go together that these two graces of Gods spirit Iustification pardon of sinne and sanctification a godly life and conuersation are so knit and vnited together that they can not be seperated so as no man is truly iustified by faith in the bloud of Christ but he is also sanctified by the Holy-Ghost no man can haue the pardon of his sins but he must becom a new creature in Iesus Christ And this appereth plainely by the Apostle S. Paul Rom. 5. treating of Iustification and Chap. 6. vers 4 5. intreating of Sanctification he shewes that these two go euer together so as he that is not sanctified is not iustified and he that is not regenerate and borne anew by faith in Iesus Christ and the worke of the Spirit cannot haue the pardon of his sinnes Seeing Iustification Vse 1 and pardon of sins and Sanctification and new-nesse of life cannot be seuered in the children of God no more then fire and heate then men had neede to take heede lest they deceiue themselues while they say God is mercifull and they hope all their sinnes are pardoned in the bloud of Christ But vnlesse thou be truly sanctified vnlesse thou be a new creature in Christ Iesus thou canst haue no assurance of thy Iustification and pardon of thy sins therfore if thou liue in sin delight in sin no change no new birth no reformation of thy hart life certainly thou hast no pardon of thy sinnes as yet and thy hope is but a foolish and vaine fancy of thine own braine Hence to trie the assurance of our saluation Vse 2 by the fruit of our Sanctification for heereby wee may assure our selues that we are iustified if wee leade a sanctified life If wee haue our conuersation in holinesse wee shall haue in the end euerlasting life 2. Timoth. chap. 2.19 the Apostle sheweth there that the foundation of the Lord standes sure so that the Lord knoweth who are his He sheweth also how wee shall know that wee are the Lords euen this Euery one for his own assurance must depart from iniquity and this is confirmed by that of S. Iohn Ioh. 1.6 7. If wee say wee haue fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we lie and do not the truth O then as we glorie in the name of Christians and would be accounted Christs let vs be carefull to bring forth the fruits of Christians and to leade a sanctified life for God hath ioined these two together so that not all the wit and pollicie of men whatsoeuer is able to seperate them Create in mee a new heart TO create is to make a thing of nothing as God created the world Doctr. 2 Gen. 1.1 that is he made all things of nothing Hence then learne that it is as great a worke to create a new heart Repentance is a new creation and so to saue a sinner as to create the whole world of nothing yea in some respects it seemes harder for in the creation of the world the Lord but spake the word and all was made there was no hinderance no resistance or opposition but in the creation of the heart a new there are many lets and hinderances First within a man euery man is an enemy to his owne saluation and the flesh resists this worke againe the deuill doth labour to hinder by all meanes possible so blessed a worke Yea and besides that it is a great work to create in a man a new heart It is also a worke of great difficulty not accomplished without great labour and paine and therefore is it called a Birth a Death a Circumcision so then euen as no birth no death no cutting off of the flesh can bee without paine and sorrow So the conuersion of a sinner is not wrought without paine and sorrow The Infant is not deliuered out of it mothers womb without paine and dost thou thinke ô man to part with sinne which is in thee was conceiued with thee and which since thy birth day vnto this present thou hast nourished with such delight and not to tast of paine in thy new birth no â—ssuredly it will not bee but it will cost thee much sorrow many a sigh yea and teares themselues before thou hast the same effectually wrought in thee Seeing it is so hard a thing to haue a new and sanctified heart V se 1 euen as to create the whole world then we had need to take the greater paines about it to vse all meanes that God hath appointed namely Ioh. 17.17 Acts 15 9. the word preached the Sacraments prayer meditation in the law of God and to cry vnto GOD for the same continually Wee see that there is nothing in man of himselfe that is pleasing vnto God Vse 2 for Dauid praies to haue a new heart created in him and therefore there is no will no motion in any man of himselfe to please God all must be new yea till the heart be created a new and sanctified it is a sinke of sin and all vncleannesse full of poisoned lusts and concupisence and therefore no freedome of will to any thing that is good til God create this new heart Seeing Dauid prayes to God to create a cleane heart within him Vse 3 it must admonish vs all to looke vnto our hearts that they be cleane for it is the fountaine of all life and motion Now such as the fountaine is such will the water bee such as the roote is such will the fruite bee and if thy heart be euill it will send forth filthy lusts and desires And as our Sauiour saith Mat. 15.19 Out of the heart commeth euill thoughts murthers adulteries thefts false testimonies slanderâ— these are the things which defile the man Oh! then let vs look vnto our hearts and labour
worke of grace a renued heart faith repentance obedience and a sanctified life was euer wanting they were but hypocrites They went out from vs but they were not of vs Mat. 7.21 22. for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. And therefore it behoueth vs all to take heed that we content not our selues with the common giftes and graces of the holy Ghost which a reprobate may haue for it is certaine most excellent gifts will not auaile a man to saluation vnlesse there be the true worke of grace sauing faith sound repentance and heartie obedience VERSE 12.13 12. Restore me to the ioy of thy saluation and stablish mee with thy free Spirit 13. Then shall I teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and the sinners shal be conuerted vnto thee Partes of the verses THese words contain in themselues and earnest prayer of Dauid vnto GOD for the renuing Of GODS mercy and feeling of his loue againe in the 12. verse In the 13. verse he vses a reason to moue the Lord thereunto namely that if the Lord shall receiue him into fauor againe and testifie his loue vnto him in the pardon of his sins then he wil not be vnmindful of Gods dealing with him but become a Preacher and proclaimer of Gods mercy vnto others to draw them to GOD in shewing what GOD hath done for his soule and so that by the example of Gods mercy to him others should be wonne In the 12. verse he makes a twofold petition vnto God First for the former feeling and assurance of Gods loue and mercy for the pardon of his sinnes Secondly that God would vphold him with his free spirit so as now being deliuered out of the cursed thraldome and slauery of sinne hee might frankely and freely serue the Lord and runne the way of his Commandements Restore me to the ioy of thy saluation No ioy can comfort mans soule but the ioy of Gods saluation AS if he should haue said O Lord my GOD I acknowledge and confesse that all the while I serued thee and liued in thy feare ledde a holy and godly life and kept an vpright heart that I found wonderfull and exceeding ioy in the assurance of thy loue and mercy in Christ for my saluation but since I rebelled against thee and wilfully brake thy holy Commandements I haue depriued my soule of that heauenlie comfort and consolation and felt errours and griefe feares and cares and exceeding vexation Now mercifull GOD I humbly intreate thee to restore me againe to that ioy and comfort to assure me of thy loue and fauour that thou art graciously reconciled vnto me that I may receiue my former comfort And not onelie that but because I see how weake I am haue no power to stand without thy help and grace I humbly intreat thee to stay and strengthen me to stablish thy grace in me and so to vphold me in thy obedience that I may freely and heartily obey thee all my dayes Doctr. 1 The childe of God truely called iustified Fruit of sinne described Note and sanctified by GOD spirit if he once fall against GOD and prouoke him to anger by wilfull disobedience doth feele exceeding griefe and sorrow of heart great griefe and trouble of minde feares and cares lest the Lord should reiect him so that there is an hell in his poore soule and wounded conscience till hee be againe reconciled to GOD by faith and true repentance So long as Dauid walked with God in vprightnesse of his heart hee had exceeding ioy and comfort in the Lord his GOD was assured of his loue for pardon of his sinnes and eternall saluation but when he fell to adultery and murder and so rebelled against God it is wonderfull to see into what a gulfe of misery he plunged himselfe what feares and cares what doubts and troubles did vex his soule and wounded conscience Euen so it is with all the godly while they liue in the feare of God serue and please him and keep an vpright heart before the Lord leade a godly and christian life they feele find in themselues exceeding ioy and wonderfull comfort with assurance of Gods loue in Christ for their saluation but if as any time they breake out to sinne and rebell against God by wilfull disobedience then they shall finde an hell in their consciences troubles feares and cares for the time Who can tell what feares and cares Peter felt Luke 23. in what griefe and sorrow of heart hee was in when cowardly he denied his Lord and Master It cost him many a bitter teare The reason of this doctrine is because all peace and comfort to a poore soule springs from the sence and comfortable feeling of Gods loue in CHRIST IESVS for the pardon of sinne and eternall saluation and therefore when that is lost alas what peace or comfort can they haue Secondly they do by such wilfull sin and disobedience grieue the spirit and make the holy-Ghost sad within them and so doe what they can to expell the Spirit of God in them Now where the Spirit of God is made sad and grieued how can there be any true ioy Vse Seeing there is such sweete comfort in a godlie and Christian life while we walke with GOD and serue and please him in spirit and truth and when men sinne and rebell against God they pull downe vpon their heads such wofull misery troubles and cares how should this make euery man exceeding carefull of sinne which brings such woefull miseries and iudgements vnto our own soules such torments feares and cares To the ioy of thy saluation AS if hee should haue said ô Lord my God when thou diddest assure mee of thy loue and fauour for the pardon of my sinnes and eternall saluation I had exceeding ioy therein Now I doe humbly intreate thee to restore it to mee againe Doctr. 2 Fauour of God is a Christians chiefest ioy Hence marke what is the thing the childe of God doth most desire and craue at Gods hands and wherein they do most reioyce namely in the fauour of GOD and assurance of Gods loue in Christ Iesus that they know that God is graciously reconciled vnto them that they be in his fauour and shall neuer perish but shall euerlastingly bee saued Dauid was a King and wanted no temporall commodity comfort or delight whatsoeuer wherein worldly men reioyce but Dauid now conceiued no kinde of ioy at all in these things to bee out of Gods fauour And therefore prayes vnto God for the feeling of the true ioy and that is of His Saluation and that will minister vnto him matter of true reioycing indeed But alas most men being carnall desire riches honour pleasure Psal 4.6.7 But Lord let me see thy louing countenance thy fauour and grace and that shall do me more good and comfort then all the things in the world The poore Publican begges for this Lord be mercifull to me a sinner So
Paul professeth of himselfe Luke 8. Phil. 3.7.8 that he esteemed all things but dung in comparison of CHRIST IESVS and the fauour of God in him And the reason is plaine because if a man had all the world and wanted the loue and fauour of GOD was in his displeasure Mat. 16.26 and vnder the curse of God what good could it do him Euen as if a Subiect should haue ten thousand pounds and yet the King cannot abide him but seeke his death And therefore the childe of God if hee were asked what is the thing hee desires most in all the world would answer Mercy and the loue of GOD in IESVS CHRIST hee would despise honours lands Psal 32.1.2 liuings gold siluer pleasures and delights and preferre one dramme of mercy and the least drop of Christs blood for saluation before all the world Vse 1 This may serue to reproue thousands in the world carnall men and women so they haue the world at will and may lieu at ease eate drink and bee merry they feele no want of Gods mercy no need of Christs bloud they esteeme not Gods fauour and loue desire not reconcliation but say Who will shew vs any good Well diddest thou neuer feele the want of GODS mercy no hungring and thirsting after IESVS CHRIST and his righteousnesse it is manifest thou dost not belong to GOD thou waste neuer yet truely humbled Vse 2 Let this Doctrine admonish vs to labour with our heartes to bee affected with this namely to esteeme more of GODS loue and fauour and assurance of his mercy then all the world let vs desire it more let vs reioyce more in it so as if the question should bee asked what is the thing that thou doest most desire and affect and what thou dost most delight and reioyce in of all the things in the world wee may be able in truth to answere and say with feeling and comfort I desire nothing more vnder Heauen then the mercy of GOD in IESVS CHRIST to be in his fauour to be reconciled vnto his Maiesty and with Paul to esteeme all things but dung in comparison of that And till this be in vs in some measure we can neuer finde true comfort to our soules and bee assured that we haue true sauing-faith in Christ For this is a certaine fruite and note of an humble and beleeuing heart to hunger and thirst after Gods mercy in Christ and to esteeme more highly of the least drop of Christ his precious Bloud for our saluation then of all the world if it were offered vnto vs. Vse 3 Wee must labour to manifest this our earnest desire and great account of Gods mercy by vsing all blessed meanes to attaine vnto it wee must repent and bewaile our sinnes leaue and forsake them wee must embrace Iesus Christ by faith and cry with teares vnto GOD for mercy Knocke Seeke Aske Math. 7.7 Acts 13.20 And let vs doe as the men of Tyrus and Sydon when Herod tooke a pitch against them and intended to warre against them they came all with one accord and besought Blastus the Kings Chamberlaine to haue peace So let vs go vnto IESVS CHRIST the Peace-maker desire him to speake to GOD the Father for vs that there may bee an euerlasting peace Doctr. 3 When Dauid prayeth that God would restore vnto him State of Gods children not alwaies alike The ioy of his Saluation those sweet comforts he was wont to feele and finde in Gods mercy and feeling of his loue in Christ wee learne that the state of Gods children is not alwaies alike full of ioy comfort and gladnesse but sometimes full of griefe misery cares and trouble For the dearest children of God who are replenished with the greatest measure of ioy and comfort in the feeling and assurance of Gods loue in Christ when as the Lord leaues them to fall into some sin against knowledge conscience they shall finde not onely a great decay but an vtter losse of ioy and comfort for the time Thus it was with Dauid who though he was a man after Gods own heart enriched with great blessings and spirituall mercies most deerely beloued of God sanctified in great measure yet now hauing fallen into these two filthy sinnes of Adultery and Murder see how he if perplexed in great distresse and trouble of minde and now the feeling of Gods mercy and ioy in Gods Spirit seemed to bee cleane lost So it was in Peter Luke 23. and so it is in euery childe of God Didst thou euer sinne against knowledge and conscience since thou wast conuerted thou shalt finde then a wonderfull deadnesse of heart trouble of minde and feeling of Gods anger with the losse of comfort for a time Vse 1 Seeing sinnes against knowledge and conscience wound the soule exceedingly and depriue vs of the peace and comfort and ioy of GODS Spirit and bring terrours feares and gripings with them Let vs as to auoid all sinne so especially auoid sinne against knowledge and conscience and labour in all things in all places and at all times to liue and walke so vpright with GOD that thou neuer wound thy conscience though thou mightest get the greatest gaine honour or pleasure yet if it bee sinne and that against knowledge and conscience abhorre it and commit it not if thou louest thy owne soule for if sinnes of ignorance shall not escape punishment vnlesse men repent much more sinnes against knowledge and conscience for these prouoke the Lord exceedingly to turne away his fauour from vs draw downe his iudgements vpon vs wound the conscience depriue vs of the feeling of Gods loue and fauour bring trouble of minde and a wounded conscience oh then would you inioy this great blessing of peace of conscience which is a continuall feast would you be loath to loose the feeling of GODS loue and comfort of Gods spirit auoid all sinne but especially presumptuous sinnes against knowledge and conscience they wound especially and depriue vs of peace of conscience Vse 2 If the Lord doe at any time leaue vs to sinne euen presumptuous sinnes against knowledge and conscience which is a fearefull thing yet let vs not despaire vtterly of Gods mercy but seeke to renew the feeling of Gods loue againe intreate the Lord to restore vnto vs the ioy of his saluation and that wee may obtaine the fauour of God againe and renew the feeling of his loue let vs renew our repentance bewaile our grieuous and heynous sinnes seeke earnestly for grace and pardon and giue the Lord no rest at all till wee finde and feele him to bee reconciled vnto vs in IESVS CHRIST Doctr. 4 Marke what was the speciall thing wherein Dauid this holy seruant of GOD did reioyce Pardon of sinne the soundest ioy not in gold or siluer not pleasures and carnall delights not in lands and liuings not in a Kingdome but in the saluation of GOD in his loue in pardon of his sinnes and saluation of his
soule So as hence wee learne that there is no true ioy in any other thing in the world but onely in the mercy of God and the saluation of our soules Phil. 3.8 Luk. 10.20 And indeed what other ioy can there bee for though the Lord should giue vs all things which hee hath made aboundance of the things of this life yea though with Dauid wee might command a kingdome yet vnlesse with all wee haue this comfort that wee are at peace with God and haue our sinnes pardoned alas they would all proue vnto vs as Iobs friends Miserable Comforters But poore soules many know no other ioy but such as arises from temporall things gold siluer c. wherein they differ not from beasts which haue their delight as well as they in those things which are agreeable to their nature Vse 1 Seeing Dauid places all his ioy and spirituall reioycing in the saluation of God that is in the pardon of his sinnes in feeling of GODS loue and in the saluation of his soule therefore it shewes that there is no other cause of sound ioy but in this alone so that if we haue this wee haue cause to reioyce and bee glad but if this be wanting either wee had neuer the feeling of GODS loue nor assurance of saluation or else haue lost it and therefore should vse all blessed meanes to attaine vnto it againe for we cannot haue one dramme of sauing comfort and true ioy but onely in the fauour of God and the assurance of his loue for our saluation Vse 2 This shewes that all the ioy of wicked men in their sports and pastimes is no true and solid ioy but a carnall ioy a swinish ioy for how can the heart of that man or woman reioyce which knowes not whether God loues them or hates them whether they shall be saued or damned what ioy can they haue it is madnesse rather then ioy and mirth Dauid saith that wicked men ioy in their Corne Wine and Oile Psal 4.7 outward and worldly things but hee desires the louing countenance of the Lord his fauour and grace which shall make him to ioy more then all they in their vanities and then hee will lye downe in rest and peace and safety whereas the ioy of wicked men it is gone in a moment vtterly lost and past recouery for euer And stablish mee with thy free Spirit THis second part of the verse containes a praiervnto the Lord for a new mercy Part of the varse namely the blessed grace of corroboration to bee strengthened in grace and obedience and kept from sin by the grace and spirit of God in time to come As if he should haue said O Lord my God I doe not onely the pardon of my sinnes past which are many and great but I doe humbly intreate thy Maiesty to giue mee power and to strengthen mee against the like euils in time to come for I know my weakenesse and the wickednesse of my heart to bee prone to all sinne by nature Note and if thou shouldest pardon my sinnes past and not keepe mee from sinne in time to come I should easily marre all and runne head-long into all sinne and therefore I beseech thy Maiesty stablish and strengthen mee with grace from thy spirit that I may serue and please thee all my daies with a willing and ready heart Stablish mee THe word signifies properly to vnderprop and shore vp something that is weake declining and ready to fall Doctrine Hence learne that euen the best of Gods children that haue the greatest graces Man weak being left to himselfe and be strengthened in faith yet if they bee left vnto themselues alas they be as weake as water they be not able to stand against the least assault and temptation of the deuill This Dauid felt and found in himselfe Ex. 15 24. Ier. 13.23 Psal 78.40 Exod. 9.27 Iudg. 3.12 Mat. 12.45 Heb. 6. and confesseth his weakenesse and desires the Lord to establish and vphold him to shore him vp by the grace of his holy Spirit Peter who seemed to bee a valiant champion and defied his enemies and vowed he would rather die then deny his Lord and Maister CHRIST IESVS yet being left to himselfe how fouly did he fall and cowardly deny him three times in one houre at the voice of a little girle so all the fals and infirmities of Gods children though neuer so wise as Salomon strong as Sampson righteous as Lot holy as Dauid doth proue this to bee true And Paul though hee was a blessed vessell of mercy greatly enlightned and sanctified cryes out O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 and feares the great corruptions of his heart The childe of GOD may bee compared to a staffe in a mans hand so long as thou dost stay it and hold it it will stand vpright but pull away your hand and downe it will of it selfe Euen so do wee stand while the Lord do stay vs and vphold vs but if hee take away his hand and leaue vs downe we go wee bee like a little infant that is in the nurses hand so long as she holds it it will go and moue and stand but if shee pull away her hand it fals and takes a knocke As GOD alone is the Author of all grace and first Fountaine of all mercy he alone can turne the heart worke faith repentance and obedience for it is GOD alone that must giue the second grace namely corroboration continuance in grace or grace to continue in faith and obedience Vse 1 This confutes the doctrine of the Papists which hold that a man hauing grace from God to beleeue and repent can merite at GODS hands grace to continue that God should ex condigno giue him grace to continue and that a man being once iust can make himselfe more iust but Dauid doth heare confesse that all is of GOD. Vse 2 This serues to reproue them who trust too much to their owne power and goodnesse relye vpon their owne wisedome knowledge vertue and strength when once they get a little knowledge and taste in the word oh they think themselues sure and well they feare no danger they defie the deuill so long as they say their prayers and serue God well they hope God will keepe them and so are secure and carelesse Psal 30.6 but of all men these be in greatest danger that least feare danger 1. Cor. 10.12 looke on Peter he was neuer more weake then when he thought himselfe most strong I said I shall neuer bee moued But thou turnedâ—t away thy fâ—ce and I was sore troubled Pride goes before the fall Vse 3 How should this make euery man to feare himselfe to suspect his owne weakenes Blessed is the man that feares alwayes but he that burdeneth his heart shall fall into destruction or euill where Salomon sheweth that that man that doth feare himselfe and his owne weakenesse is happy but hee that is secure and
great sinners and will to vs if wee can repent and seeke vnto him For the Lord must draw vs by his mercie else we can not come at him To the wicked and sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee Doctr. 5 THat is impenitent sinners ignorant are to bee taught the waies of God that liue in sinne without repentance Hence marke who had need to be taught in the wayes of GOD namely poore sinners that liue and lie in sin euen the lost sheep of the house of Israel Math. 1◠such as sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death such as neuer heard of GOD of faith repentance c. such poore Soules had neede to be taught the wayes of God Vse 1 This may admonish all those that be set ouer Gods people magistrates such as haue power in their hands to prouide that such poore ignorant people as want the meanes may bee taught the wayes of God For as S. Paul saith Ro. 10.14 Pro. 29.18 Marke 14. How shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued How shall they beleeue on him of whom they haue not heard How shall they heare without a Preacher And where prophecying failes the people perish And it is said of our Sauior CHRIST that when hee saw the people as poore sheepe hauing no sheepeheard hee had compassion on them and his bowells erned towards them Oh that the bowels of all such as haue charge to looke vnto it might erne for the poore soules of the land to prouide for them the bread of life Vse 2 The cause why men liue in sinne bee so vile wicked and vncleane is because they bee not taught the word and wayes of GOD it could not bee if they were taught and instructed that they should be so vile and wicked so ignorant prophane irreligious and superstitious but where visions failes the people must needs perish And therefore those that seeke to take away Teaching and Preaching of the Word of GOD of what Spirits are they Dauid hee thinkes it the onely way to bring men to God to conuer poore sinners and therefore to take it away to roote out the Ministery of the Word and meanes of saluation what is it else but to cast away the soules of the people to famish them to pine them and to starue them And therefore let vs pray to GOD with CHRIST that the Lord of the haruest would send forth Labourers into his Haruest Math. 9. The second part of the verse shews the fruite of this duty Part of the verse that Dauid will performe namely that heereby by his doctrine and by his example many a poore sinner shal be conuerted vnto God Doctr. 1 In that Dauid here promiseth to himselfe this vse and fruite that hee shall bee by his Preaching and example Conuersion of a sinner is Gods worke a meanes to bring others to God Hence wee may learne a gracious comfort for all godly Ministers of the word who labour both by life and doctrine to win others that if they shall bee painefull in teaching and carefull to liue a godly life they shall certainely finde the blessing of God vpon their labours to the conuerting of sinners and sauing of soules If I had sent these Prophets and if they had stood in my counsell and declared my waies vnto my people Ier. 23.22 then they should haue turned them from their euill waies and from the wickednesse of their inuentions Where the Lord shewes that all such as be the true Prophets of God stand in his steed teach his waies they shall see the blessing of GOD vpon their labours And the cause why men conuert not soules is because they were neuer sent of GOD and doe not teach Gods waies and stand not in his steed or else because though they teach the truth yet their liues be vile and wicked they plucke downe with one hand that they build with the other and destroy that in life which they teach in doctrine Vse 1 Hence marke the reason why so many great and learned men of excellent gifts wit and learning doe not conuert many soules vnto God Because they either teach not Gods waies but their owne waies their wit eloquence and deuices or else though they teach well yet they liue ill and so cause their doctrine to bee lesse regarded and weaken the power of it by their sinnefull life And it pleases God in his great mercy to vse the labours of his poore seruants who dare not speake their owne word nor seeke themselues but Gods word in plaine euidence and simplicity and liue according to their teaching the Lord doth bless their labours for the conuersion of sinners and sauing of poore soules Vse 2 It might admonish all those who either teach their owne waies by painted cloquence toyes or tales or else though they teach the truth that they ioine with it a godly life else they may teach long enough ere they do any good and if they would conuert sinners let them first bee conuerted When thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren Luke 22. And let no such carelesse Ministers wonder that GOD giues no blessing to their labours seeing they faile either in teaching GODS waies truely and plainely or else in life they liue wickedly and offensiue VERSE 14. 14 Deliuer me from bloud ô God the God of my saluation and my tongue shall sing ioyfully of thy righteousnesse Dauid cannot satisfie himselfe in seeking mercy for his sinnes IN this verse yet once againe Dauid returnes to intreate for mercy and fauour at the hands of God that hee would pardon his great and grieuous sins yea his bloudy sinne and that God would in mercy deliuer him from that punishment which was due vnto him for the same for hee intreats the Lord to deliuer him from bloud that is his heynous and capitall sinne of murder and shedding that innocent bloud of Vrias his faithfull seruant 2. Sam. 11. and many others with him so also the punishment due vnto it Parts of the verse This verse containes two parts first a request with great earnestnesse to God for deliuerance from his grieuous sinne Deliuer mee from bloud secondly a reason to moue the Lord thereunto namely taken from the glory of GOD which hee will shew forth And my tongue shall sing ioyfully of thy rightenesse In the petition first marke what is the request namely that GOD would deliuer him from bloud that is a most cruell and bloudy sinne of shedding the inocent bloud of many of his Subiects Secondly the manner of his request O God thou that art the God of my saluation That hee praies to God now with faith assuting himselfe that vpon his repentance God was now reconciled vnto him and though he had sinned grieuously yet not cleane fallen from grace but so as still hee could call GOD his GOD and the GOD of his saluation Deliuer mee from bloud THat is from the punishment which is due vnto
me for shedding the innocent bloud of Vrias and the rest which were slaine with him Doctr. 1 We must obserue that which hath beene taught before namely that Dauid prayed often and earnestly vnto God for the pardon of his sins The heynousnesse of the sin of murder he could not at one or two petitions obtaine it but is faine to pray againe againe for pardon Hence we learne that murder and shedding of innocent bloud is a most horrible sinne and he that is guilty of bloud it will wound his conscience it will make him to quake and tremble at GODS vengeance which pursues him vnlesse hee repent as in Cain Gen. 4. after hee had slaine his brother and the Lord had brought him to a sight of his cruell murder he cries out that his sinne is greater then could be forgiuen and that euery one that meetes him would kill â—im such is the conscience guilty of murder it can finde no rest no ease in company or alone in any thing but torment of conscience till GOD giue grace to repent Neither may wee thinke that this guilt and terrour of conscience commeth through the guiltinesse of the Law shame of the world or feare of punishment for let a sinner haue security giuen him from all Law and freedome from all punishment yet a Murderer should neuer be quiet his conscience would euer trouble and torment him yea and follow him vp and downe in all places and open his owne mouth to bewray himselfe Thus is GODS iudgement vpon them that should feare all things who will not feare him that made all things If a man had all the pleasures that heart could desire yet can they giue no true comfort and contentment when the conscience is guilty of horrible sinnes And albeit for a time the conscience of carnall men that neuer truly repented of their sinnes seemeth to be at rest yet it is as a wilde and sauage beast which lying a sleep seemeth tame and gentle but being raysed and roused vp flyeth in a mans face Gen. 42.21 Vse 1 Seeing murder and shedding of innocent bloud is so horrible a sinne so odious and execrable so fearefull and damnable how should it make all men shun it and bee affraid of it neuer to embrue their hands in the bloud of any man for bloud will haue bloud Gen. 9.6 Who so sheddeth mans bloud by man his bloud shall bee shed for in the Image of God may hee him And this was one speciall thing which moued Dauid to intreate the Lord not onely to pardon his bloudy sinne of killing Vrias but also that hee would not punish him and bring his vengeance vpon him and his children after him for shedding of his bloud Well then abhorre this fearefull sinne of murther for bloud will haue bloud and will cry for vengeance to heauen And heere wee are to bewaile our sinnefull times that shedding of bloud is not punished more seuerely wilfull murther is winked at and made but a money matter Yea saith the Lord because of oaths the land shall Mourne Ier. 23.10 Hos 4. so for murder it shal mourne well let vs beware of this foule sinne of murder and shunne all occasions that tend to it as hatred desire of reuenge quarrelling fighting c. Vse 2 If it bee so heynous and horible a sinne to shed the bloud of the body and to kill the body if murdering of the body bee so heynous what shall become of soule-murderers that shed the bloud of poore soules it is ten thousand times more grieuous as the soule is far more worth then the body and if he shall perish and is worthy to die that murders the body how much more is he worthy to die Ezech. 3. that sheddes the bloud not of one but of many a poore soule And such be all those which either teach not the word of GOD at all or teach it negligently they be soule-murderers and shall giue a feareful account for it one day Vse 3 Wee see that no man though neuer so great can go free from Gods iudgment for murder Dauid was a great King a man that was aboue all mens lawes yet the conscience of his sin accused him and hee could haue no rest till he had got the pardon of it so as we see the great force of mans conscience Esay 6.6.24 Mark 9.44 Psal 29.3.4.5.7 though he could escape all the iudgements of men yet conscience wil accuse till God do cleare him and this wee may see in many men who being guilty of this sinne though they haue by money or friends got pardon and freedome by the law of man yet if God touch them for it they can neuer haue peace till they haue bewailed this sinne and got the pardon from God but some of them euen pine and languish away and neuer looke vp all their daies such is the conscience of murder and shedding innocent bloud that hee may flye a thousand miles he may be a great man a king that no man dare call him to accompt yet he carries that in his bosome which will dog him and pursue him neither shall hee finde rest till hee haue repented and bee reconciled to GOD by the bloud of Christ Iesus Doctr. 2 Heere is matter of comfort for such as haue bene great and grieuous sinners God hath mercy for such as seeke mercy notorious wicked liuers that if they can repent be humbled bewaile their sinnes beg pardon the Lord will shew them mercy Dauid heere found fauour for the pardon of his bloudy sinnes Adultery and Murder vpon his true repentance So Peter for his grieuous and heynous sinne Luk. 8.2 and Mary Magdalene out of whom went seuen deuils was saued Lot though he committed incest with his owne daughters yet sound fauour at Gods hands so as wee see great sinners if they can repent shall finde great mercy This is warranted from the Lords owne mouth Esay 1.18 Though your sinnes were as crimson they shall bee made as white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall bee as wooll And againe Esay the forty foure chapter and two and twentyeth verse I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloud and thy sinnes as a mist Esay 33.24 and Esay 43.25 Ier. 31.31 Vse 1 Let euery one of vs listen to this doctrine hast thou beene a notorious wicked liuer a miserable sinner a common drunkard a filthy liuer a most notorious blasphemer a theefe or robber Hast thou hated and persecuted GODS Ministers and his deere children and contemned the blessed Gospell of IESVS CHRIST Well loe if thou canst truely repent confesse thy grieuous sinne bewaile it Esay 1.16.18 cry to God for mercy and pardon of it the Lord will shew thee mercy so as no sinne though neuer so great can seuer thee and cut thee off from mercy if thou hast grace to repent and begge the pardon of it And therefore though thy sins haue bene many and great
mercies for as thankefulnesse for an old is the beginning of a new so vnthankefulnesse for an old fauour is the next way to depriue vs of a new VERSE 16. 16 For thou desirest no sacrifice else would I give it thee c. DAVID hauing professed that it was his earnest desire to honour GOD to praise him and seeke his glory confesseth that hee hath no other meanes but to speake of his mercy and to be willing to set forth the same to become a Preacher of his righteousnesse and goodnes and he confesseth to his comfort that the Lord is more delighted with this then with all those externall ceremonies and sacrifices which the people of the Iewes did offer thought by them to please God and to appease his anger and to procure pardon of their sinnes thereby So that the maine scope of these two verses is this to shew that Dauid though hee had nothing in the world to requite the Lords mercy vnto him yet he perswaded himselfe vpon his true repentance the Lord will accept of his earnest desire to honour him and to set forth his praise In this 16. verse hee shewes what are those sacrifices which the Lord cares not for and desireth not outward sacrifices alone which men offer without faith and repentance and whereby they thinke to appease his anger and merit pardon of their sinnes by the same In the 17. verse hee shewes what are the best sacrifices that wee can offer vnto God which hee will accept of for CHRISTS sake and wherewith hee is well pleased A broken and contrite heart truely wounded and humbled for sinne and which doth by faith embrace IESVS CHRIST Who alone is the propitiatory sacrifice to appease his fathers anger and to worke our attonement and reconciliation with GOD. Thou desirest no sacrifice Sacrifices of the Iewes of two sorts THe Sacrifices of the Iewes were of two sorts some propitiatory to procure fauour at GODS hands for the pardon of sinne some gratulatory which were onely for thankes-giuing for blessings receiued now of these Dauid speakes especially heere and of Sacrifices for thankes-giuing there were twosorts some were called sacrifices as the first word signifies where some beast was slaine and offered in sacrifice to God Againe some were called burnt-offerings which were all consumed and turned into ashes and they were called so because the smoke of them ascended vp to heauen and both of them were figures of Christ IESVS who should be slaine and burned as it were in the fire of GODS anger for our sinnes Quest But how can the Lord be said not to desire burnt offerings and sacrifices seeing hee commanded them in his Law Res. We may not thinke the Prophet speakes heere simply that the Lord cares not for Sacrifices for as yet the Ceremonies of the Law were in force and the greatest part of GODS worship stood in Sacrifices and Dauid himselfe and Salomon were diligent and not sparing in performing this duty But wee must know Dauid speaks heere first that the Lord careth not for sacrifices as they were done of the common people of the Iewes because that whereas the LORD did ordaine them as helps to leade them to CHRIST that they might deny themselues and see they were worthy to die when the beast was slaine so they might seeke to bee saued by the euerlasting sacrifice of CHRIST alone But they began to imagine that by their very offering of beastes in sacrifice God was pleased neuer looking to CHRIST IESVS whereof they were but types and figures Secondly because the people of the Iewes did offer them without faith and repentance with impenitent hearts Ier. 7. and thought so long as they offered sacrifices though they liued in sinne it skilled not Thirdly the Lord delights not nor is not so well pleased with this outward sacrifice as with a broken and contrite heart when that is humbled and mournes for sinne beleeues in Christ Iesus and is careful to honour God by an holy life Doctr. 1 Seeing Dauid affirmeth that GOD cares not for the outward sacrifice when the inward is wanting A mans person must first be approued before his sacrifice be accepted Ier. 24.20 Esa 29.13 Wee learne that though a man should performe all the outward seruice and worship of God and that in neuer so glorious a manner yet if the heart bee not affected and purified all is in vaine the Lord cares not for it as to Preach the word to heare it to receiue the Sacrament c. if there be not a broken heart for sinne Mat. 15. a repentant heart a sanctified heart all is but vaine The Scribes and Pharisesseemed maruelous precise in outward shew very zealous and forward yet their hearts were puffed vp with pride selfe-loue malice couetousnesse c. And therfore Christ saith Math. 15. Vnlesse your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises yee cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen Iudas in outward shew Preached and Prayed as well as others yet a very deuill a most trayterous wretch full of hypocrisie couetousnesse and bloudy cruelty well wee see that though men make neuer so good and faire a shew yet if the heart be not sound all is in vaine and from the teeth outward and GOD cares not for it he esteemes as much of their Sacrifice as if they should kill a man or sacrifice a dog Esay 65.3 that is abomination to the Lord. Vse 1 This may serue to cut the combes of al those which be proud hipocrits and all they do is in outward appearance alas Their Prayers Preaching Hearing Prou. 29.9 Ps 50.16 it is but swines bloud dogs bloud a beautifull abomination and therefore let vs neuer content our selues with the outward worship and seruice of God but let vs labour to do all in truth with faith obedience repentance humiliation and good conscience Vse 2 This condemnes all the blind deuotious of ignorant and profane sinners who thinke that so long as they ofter their outward sacrifices come to Church heare the word receiue the Sacrament c. they may liue in sinne and yet please God and this was the very cause why the Lord abhor'd all the lewes sacrifices Esay 1.11.12.13 Ier. 7 8. And may not the Lord euen now abhor our sacrifices our comming to Church Heating Praying c. seeing men do content themselues with outward action and come with sinfull hearts and affections Doctr. 2 We learne hence that a man may performe duties which God hath cōmanded A man may performe a good duty and yet fin in the manner of doing it and yet not please God but sin most grieuously in doing of them to offer sacrifice it is GODS owne Commandement but when people shall do it in an euill manner either without faith and repentance or else to an euill end to merite at Gods hand then it makes that which God commands to be a sin to them not in it selfe but in them