precious in their eyes but rather it is irkesome and tedious vnto them it is bitter and vnsauourie It fareth with people in these dayes as it did with those olde people of the Iewes vnto whom should I speake and admonish that they might heare Behold their eares are vncircumcised and they cannot hearken vnto it the word of the Lord is a reproach vnto them and they haue no delight therein Ieremie 6.10 Now that men haue no delight to the word of God which is the very power of God to saluation it may appeare First because men and women take no delight in Hearing Reading and Meditating on the word of GOD you shall finde a great number that will buy other profane bookes that will hardly buie the Booke of all Bookes the holie and sacred Bible And if they buie it yet they spend no time in perusing of it in reading and meditating of it Other Bookes are delightfull and pleasant to flesh and bloud and this is the reason they doe so much desire them but withall this sheweth that they be carnall not borne anew for if they were then would they bestow lesse time in reading and perusing those prophane and vnprofitable Bookes and would bestow more time in reading and meditating on this blessed Booke of God yea and the small account men make of Gods Ministers whom the Lord calles his Messengers and Embassadours yea the Angells of the Church Vse 2 Secondly seeing all the dueties that wee owe to God either of hearing praying c. must be performed of vs not vpon compulsion but willingly and cheerefully we learne that euery action is accounted of by God not according to the worke it selfe but according to the affection of the doer This the Lord himselfe doth teach when he saith This people come neare mee with their mouth and honour mee with their lippes but their hearts are farre from mee Esay 29.13 And therefore were their Sacrifices abhomination to the Lord as hee againe saith in another place I can not away with your new Moones And this was it made the poore Widdowes mite commended aboue the rest that offered of their superfluity Luke 31.3.4 He that shall giue a cuppe of colde water to a Disciple Mat. 10.41 in the name of a Disciple he shall not loose his reward Alas what is the bestowing of a mite a brasen token or what is a cuppe of cold water are they in thēselues anie thing worth to merite any thing at Gods hand No no but God accepteth the manner more then the matter how they are doone more then what is done Which may teach vs to labour to haue our affections tryed that whatsoeuer we doe in the seruice of Almightie God may bee done in truth and sincerity of heart This was Iobs comfort when hee sayd O Lord I haue esteemed thy word more then my ordinarie foode This was the Prophet Dauids comfort when hee could say Oh how doe I loue thy Law it is my meditation continually Psalme 119. verse 97. And this shall be our comfort when wee shall goe the way of all flesh that wee can say with good King Ezechias Remember O Lord that I haue walked before thee in truth and with an vpright heart That we haue not beene painted sepulchres desiring to be accounted righteous before men but within full of all rottennesse and corruption but haue laboured rather to be approoued of God Oh how ought our hearts and soules to be inflamed in a holy and godly zeale towardes the word of God the lawe of the Lord here spoken of yea wee ought more earnestly to long for the waters of this well of life then euer Dauid did for the waters of the well of Bethlem and when we haue tasted how sweet the Lord is neuer oh neuer to deale with the Lord as the people of Israel did Io. 4.15 which loathed the Manna that was sent them from heauen But much better shall it bee for vs to cry out with the woman of Samaria Lord giue me to drinke of these waters for these waters being once tasted of will kepe a man that hee thirst not againe but shall euer bee refreshed by the same to eternal life Lastly let vs heerein labour to Vse 3 manifest our vnfained loue and liking of the Word and Law of God euen by our obedience thereunto that wee desire to frame our liues thereafter to obey the doctrine and word of God in heart and life to be reformed by it and to bee conformed to it CHRIST maketh this to bee the eare-marke of those that are his Sheepe namely this That they heare his voyce and follow him And againe Iohn 10. Heereby shall all men know that yee are my Disciples and loue mee if yee keepe my Commandements So heereby shall men know that wee loue the Lawe of God if wee studie to keepe it to obey it in heart and life But if wee haue in vs no care to liue thereafter but breake the Lawe of God continually and rebell against his Commandements how can wee be sayd to loue the Lawe of God If a man should say hee loueth the Kings Lawes and likes them well and yet should euery day breake them wittingly and willingly and bee euer playing the Traytor would not all men condemne him as an hypocrite and a lyar So though most men doe say they loue the Word of God and delight in his Lawe yet seeing they doe daily breake it and rebell against it wittingly and willingly by swearing lying prophaning of his Sabaoth drunkennesse swilling pride vncleanenesse c. It is manifest they haue no loue vnto it Thus much of the first part shewing that the godly man is well affected to the heauenly Doctrine of the word of God it is the delight and ioy of his heart Now in the second part of the Verse the Prophet Dauid sheweth the exercise of a godly man that as in his heart he loueth and liketh the Word and heauenly Doctrine of the Lawe of God so in his life hee is conuersant in the same his Meditations are much spent therein hee is said to meditate therein day and night That is the godly man doth much muse and meditate often exercising his minde with calling to minde and remembrance the heauenlie Doctrines comforts and instructions of the word of God and this hee doth not slightly and carelesly but seriously and with good aduice and to this end doth euermore set some time apart euery day morning and euening two times a day at least for the performance of this godlie duetie Doth meditate day and night Doctr. 3. The Lawe of god is a godly mās chiefe delight HEere wee see still that a godly man and one that shall bee truely blessed the Lord requireth that he be no stranger and such a one as seldome or neuer searcheth the Scriptures but that hee be much and often exercised in the holy and serious meditation of Gods Law in the diligent searching perusing and particularly
reproue the cursed practise of vngodly men Vse it is wonderfull to see how bold they bee to abuse Gods Seruants to mocke them and to disgrace them to slander and reuile them they thinke them the worst men that liue in the world they traduce them and bring them on the Stage they loade them with vile and odious names Now what doe they else then set themselues against God himselfe seeing they hate them whom God loues And as this may serue for the terrour of the wicked so it serues to comfort euery poore child of God What though the world hate thee so God loue thee Oh remember that the Lord loues and allowes of thee Now then if God approue of thee what though all men in the world did refuse or condemne thee If the King should grace a man and honour him what would this man care for the contempt of a Scullion boy Well let this be a comfort and encouragement vnto vs that God knowes and allowes of vs For what were the fauour and approbation of men if this were wanting Obiect How a mā may know whether Christ approue of him But how shall a man know whether God knoweth him thus with his speciall knowledge or not I answere First if God know any man for his by his speciall and effectuall knowledge Answere then hee begets in him the knowledge of himselfe As the light of the Sunne falling on our eye by whose light wee behold the Sunne againe Ioh. 10. I know my Sheep saith Christ and they know mee Secondly if God thus know any man with his especiall and effectuall knowledge of his so as hee loues and likes of him it begets the loue of God in a mans heart So as God loues him hee is inflamed to loue God againe 1. Ioh. 4.9 and in loue vnto him is loath to offend him and most carefull to please him And therefore if wee would know whether wee be thus knowne of God let vs labour to finde our hearts thus enflamed with the loue of him Thirdly whom GOD knoweth thus he chuseth to bee his Childe in CHRIST IESVS delights to blesse him Now then this workes in the heart of a godly man another work namely to choose God to bee his God to set his heart on him to delight in him to adore him as his God to loue him feare him obey and cal vpon him and to trust in him as his God Thus you see how a man may know whether God know him with this special and effectual knowledge which is proper to the Elect alone namely by these fruites and effects in our hearts For as we see though euery man cannot come to see the Kings Broad Seale yet can discerne the picture of it in wax and say This is the Kings Broad Seale So though men cannot ascend to Heauen to know the secret counsell of God yet by these fruites and effectes of his knowledge men may know his will whether they be his or not Well to conclude seeing the Lord thus knowes and acknowledgeth yea loues and likes of the life of a godly and righteous man let vs bee encouraged to goe through-stitch and to resolue of this neuer to be daunted or discouraged with the hard measure of vngodly men All our care should bee to please God and to bee approued of him and therefore so long as hee doth approue of vs let vs not care what man can doe against vs. But the way of the wicked shall perish Doct. 2 The Lord hates a wicked man and al he doth Esay 1.11 HEere we learne that the whole life of a wicked man and whatsoeuer he doth is abhominable the Lord hates him and all he doth What haue I to doe with the multitude of your Sacrifices saith the Lord. And againe Esay 66.3 The Sacrifices of the wicked are abhominable vnto the Lord. Now if the best actions of a wicked man his Hearing Reading praying Ier. 7.8 Prou. 15.8 and Receiuing be abhominable to the Lord how much more their swearing cursing banning prophaning the Sabboth drunkennesse vncleannesse lying stealing c. Againe without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Now no wicked man can haue true faith because Faith purifies the heart Acts 15.9 and is neuer seuered from true repentance and amendment of life And therfore the way of the wicked seeme it neuer so goodly and glorious in the world all their studies and endeuours shall perish and come to destruction in the end Pro. 20.17 Iob. 20.29 This is the portion of the wicked man and the heritage that he shall haue from God for his workes This shewes the state of most men to bee miserable and vnhappy Vse For onely those bee blessed whose liues do please God Now alas what delight can God haue in the filthy liues of most men whose whole delight and study is in sin and wickednesse in all kinde of lewdnesse and prophannesse haue no care to please God but euen obstinately rebell against him surely the Lord hates them and all they do O wofull condition of such sinful men that betake themselues thus vnto the way of sinne Not as though they walk therein but for a time but as such as purpose to tread therein for euer From this wofull estate the Lord deliuer vs for his Christs sake Amen A Prayer for the Morning O LORD and our good GOD wee thy poore vnworthy seruants according to our bounden duetie are heere assembled together in thy Name O LORD it is thy owne Commandement that wee should call vpon thee in all our necessities and it is likewise thy promise that thou wilt heare vs in assurance whereof wee are bold now to come vnto thee acknowledging first of all that wee are altogether vnworthy of our selues as of our selues to request for any fauour or mercie at thy hands for from our cradles vnto this present there hath beene in vs nothing else but Apostasie and rebellion yea Lord we haue so added sinne vnto sinne as if there were no other end why wee were sent into the world but to prouoke thee to wrath and to heap vp a great measure of iniquitie against our own soules against the day of wrath Our sinnes of omission our sinnes of commission ô Lord they are many and great and if thou shouldest call vs to a reckoning euen for the least of them we are not able to answere thy Maiesty for one of a thousand yea Lord wee confesse that it is thy mercie that endureth for euer and that hath beene the cause that wee haue not long agoe tasted of thy iudgements O Lord be thou mercifull vnto vs still for thy Names sake separate our sinnes as farre from thy presence as the East is from the West Bury them in the graue of thy Sonne Christ that they may neuer rise vp againe in this world to accuse vs or in the world to come to condemne vs. Teach vs to consider good much lesse to
DAVIDS BLESSED MAN OR A SHORT EXPOSITION VPON THE FIRST Psalme directing a Man to true Happinesse Wherein the Estate and Condition of all Mankinde is laid downe both for this life and that which is to come The second Edition profitably amplified by the Author SAMVEL SMITH Preacher of the Word of God at Pritwell in Essex 1. TIM 4.8 Godlinesse hath the promise of the life present and the life that is to come LONDON Printed by NICHOLAS OKES and are to bee sold by SIMON WATERSON at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Crowne 1616. ⧠TO THE HONORABLE SIR ROBERT RICH KNIGHT OF THE BATH AND SON and Heire to the Right Honorable ROBERT Lord RICH and to the Honorable and vertuous Lady the Lady FRANCIS RICH his wife S.S. wisheth all true comfort in this life and Eternall happinesse in the Life to come HONORABLE IT is reported that when one presented vnto Antipater King of Macedon a treatise of Happinesse that hee reiected it with this answer I am not at leasure your Honor shal finde this a treatise tending to Happinesse and shewing the way to euerlasting blessednesse yet I assure my selfe it shall finde better intertainement at your hands and that you will finde leasure at your leasure to peruse it J must ingeniously confesse that many haue many times handled many points of doctrine deliuered in this treatise yet I haue done it after another method Jf the water I haue drawne from this Well shall delight you J hope it will not tast the worse being brought vnto you in this vessell I offer here vnto your view the Anatomy of Dauids blessed Man or a short Exposition of the first Psalme directing a man how he may be truly blessed Jt is not without desert that Ierome doth call this book of the Psalmes The Treasury of learning for out of it most frequent testimonies are brought by our blessed Sauiour himselfe And this first Psalme is a Compend or an abstract of the whole booke of Psalmes directing the way to true happinesse The text J am sure is excellent for the purpose but for my manner of handling it I leaue it to the censure of Gods Church In Preaching I haue euer counted plainnesse the best eloquence and the carriage of matters so that those of the lowest forme may learne somewhat the soundest and the surest learning For surely we are so fallen into the dregges of time which being the last must needs be worst that Security hath so possessed all Men that they will not be awaked but if at any time the word of God or any good motion of Gods Spirit hath met with them presently Security whispers them in the one eare that though it be fit to thinke of such things yet it is not yet time Youth pleades a priuiledge though many millions of yong men are in hell for want of timely repentance And Presumption warrants thē in the other eare that they may haue time hereafter And thus men spend their daies vntill at last their houre-glasse be run and time then is past Now if your Honor shal lay this to heart in the strength of your yeares it shall bee your chiefest wisedome And if to bee religious in all ages hath been held to be true honor how much more honorable is it in so impious an age It is religion godlinesse that shal embalme your name and make it shine before men and glorifie your soule amongst Angels Mary her box of Oyntment shall neuer be forgotten for Godlinesse hath the promise of this life that which is to come and without it there is no internall comfort to bee found in conscience nor externall peace to bee looked for in this world nor eternall happinesse to bee hoped for in the next Now how can Religion but promise to herself a zealous patrō of your honor being the son heire of so gratious and religious a father who hath shewed himselfe a faithfull Dore-keeper in the house of his God Let his godly example teach you not to drinke of those stolen waters or rather indeed the bloud of soules wherwith too many in these gold-thirsty daies doe purchase Acheldama vnto them theirs The Lord keepe this euer frō the purpose of heart in his seruants who haue so honourable and weighty a trust committed vnto them Let that exhortation of Dauid to his son Salomon be euer in your honorable minde And thou Salomon my sonne know thou the God of thy Father and serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts If thou seeke him hee will bee found of thee but if thou forsake him hee wil cast thee off for euer The God of heauen so vouchsafe to water you and yours with the dew of heauen that with the godly man in this psalm you may prosper as trees of his planting and so bring forth fruit in due season in this A Table of the Principall Doctrines contained in this Booke VERSE 1. DOctrine 1. The godly man alone is blessed pag. 21. Doct. 2. The occasions of sinne are to be auoided pag. 46 Doct. 3. We must shun the company of wicked men pag. 53 Doct. 4. Wicked men are euer deuising of mischiefe pag. 61 Doct. 5. To giue euill counsell is a horrible sinne pag. 67 Doct. 6. The falles of godly manie pag. 74 Doct. 7. A godly man doth euer walke with God pag. 79 Doct. 8. Wicked men described pag. 84 Doct. 9. A godly man sinnes not with deliberation pag. 88 Doct. 10. Wicked men proceed by degrees to be exceeding sinful 99 Doct. 11. The marke of a lewd and wicked man pag. 107 VERSE 2. Doct. 1. Not to do euill is not sufficient it is damnable not to do good pag. 115 Doct. 2. A godly man performes godly duties cheerfully pag. 122 Doct. 3. The law of God is a godly mans chiefe delight pag. 134 Doct. 4. A godly man sets some time a part euery day for Gods seruice pag. 140 VERSE 3. Doct. 1. Ministers duty to instruct the simplest p. 158. Doct. 2. A double vse of all the creatures of God pag. 162 Doct. 3. All men that are not ingrafted into Iesus Christ are miserable pag. 170 Doct. 4. Onely the regenerate man is happy and blessed p. 176 Doct. 5. Members of Iesus Christ are euer fruitfull p. 189 Doct. 6. A true note of a godly man to waite all opportunities to do good p. 207 Doct. 7. Perseuerance required in each child of God p. 213 Doct. 8. By our vnion with Christ we are made sure of perseuerance p. 222 Doct. 9. God doth euer blesse the godly endeuours of his children p. 228 VERSE 4. Doct. 1. The estate of the wicked most miserable pag. 243 Doct. 2. The estate of the wicked exceeding changeable pag. 258 Doct. 3. The destruction of the wicked is vnreuokable pag. 269 VERSE 5. Doct. 1. The certainty of the day of iudgement
come wouldest be assured that thou art the childe of God in his fauour reconciled vnto him in Iesus Christ wouldest thou bee assured of the saluation of thy soule Oh labour then to become a godlie and a religious man repent of thy sinnes past amend thy life walke before God in new obedience labour to keepe faith and a good conscience hate euery euill way cleaue vnto the Lord delight in his word let it be the ioy of thine heart then certainely thou shalt bee Blessed and happpy for euermore Vse 5 To conclude if the godly man be blessed then the wicked man must of necessity be cursed if the estate of the righteous and religious man be so comfortable and blessed then the estate of the wicked and vngodly must needes be miserable and cursed according to that of Moses vnto the Israelites Deu. 28.15 If thou wilt not obey the voyce of the Lord thy God as indeede Obedience is farre from a wicked man howsoeuer he may come with Saules painted Sacrifice Ps 119.21 what followes Thou shalt bee cursed in bodie and cursed in soule c. Againe Thou hast destroyed the proud and cursed are they that erre from thy Commaundements And this miserie of a wicked man doth consist in these things especially First Wherein the wicked are cursed that hee can haue no assurance that hee is the childe of God that he is reconciled to God in Iesus Christ or in his fauour nay he may assure himselfe that hee is out of his fauour and that God hates him as his enemy and that he will manifest his wrath and displeasure vpon him by plaguing him here in this life and by damning him for euer in the life to come Yea the Lord beginnes that condemnatory sentence in the heart of a wicked man in this life For euerie sinne which a wicked man doth commit there ariseth many times within their Consciences accusing thoughts and there is also a Sentence within him giuen out against him presently after he hath committed sinne there is a sentence within him gone out against him by themselues iudgement is gone out against themselues which sentence albeit the wicked man doe not marke yet the voyce of his owne disordered affections crying out so loud that hee cannot heare ths voyce of his owne conscience accusing and condemning him yet many times in this life affection is silent as to Balthazar and Iudas Dan. 5. Mat. 27. then conscience doth pronounce sentence against him with a shrill voyce 1. Ioh. 3.20 Now if a mans conscience doe condemne him God is greater then his conscience and will much more condemne him But assuredly in the day of iudgement it will crye aloud in the eares of the Lord against the sinner for iudgement and vengeance And this is not the least misery vnder which the wicked man remaines being out of Christ Secondly hee can haue no assurance that his sinnes bee pardoned but rather may be assured that his sinnes stand vp in account against him Reu. 20 13 and that hee shall bee condemned for them For it is that prerogatiue which belongs onely to the godly man to haue his sinnes couered Euen the Blessed Man Ps 32.1.2 but as for the wicked and vngodly the Lord is farre from iustifying them but their sinnes remaine yet in Gods booke of account and shall assuredly one day bee layd to their charge when the booke shall be opened and their horrible sinnes made manifest to the whole world euen to Men and Angels euen these their most secret sinnes which now they haue committed neuer so closely in the darke shall then come to light and they shall not haue so much as one figge-leafe to couer their nakednesse or one friend to speake so much as one word to the LORD Chiefe Iustice of Heauen and Earth but their own consciences beeing as a thousand witnesses against them they shall then bee held euen speechlesse and the Lord will manifest vpon them the fiercenesse of his wrath in that day Thirdly hee can haue no peace of conscience Esay 57. For there is no peace to the wicked but alwayes carries about him an euill conscience that will neuer giue him rest but is as the flashings of hell-fire vnto him or else hee hath in him a dead and sleepy conscience scared as it were with an hot Iron that hee feeles not the weight and burthen of his sins Which iudgement is no way inferiour to the former Mal. 3.5 Ioh. 5.45 Iosu 24.27 Iam. 5.3 Oh miserable then is the state and condition of the wicked that haue no true peace in life nor death nor after death for the LORD himselfe at the last shall bee a iudge and a witnesse against them Moses the righteous seruants of God shall be a witnes against them yea the dust of their feet that brought the glad tidings of peace shall witnesse against them the stones of the field the posts of their houses their mote-eaten garment all shall come in against them to hinder their peace with God and their owne consciences will they nill they shall cry aloud and say Righteous art thou oh Lord and true are thy iudgements Fourthly hee can haue no hope nor any assurance that he shall bee saued but is either carried away with a carnall perswasion or presumption which will deceiue him in the end their consciences being seared or else most iustly feare that they shall bee damned their consciences being awake Now then if this bee the fearefull and most woefull estate of all wicked men that liue in sinne without repentance Who then would liue in such an estate of life to gaine a Kingdome in so great danger of eternall death and damnation euery day they arise why doe not such repent and turne vnto GOD that so they may be saued Fifthly and lastly if a man bee out of Christ vnregenerate let him abound neuer so much in wealth liue in honour bath himselfe in pleasures yet remaining still in his sinnes he can take no sound comfort in any of these Tit. 1.13 For to them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled Their sweete sauours and pleasant smels are stinch their meats and drinkes are gall and wormewood their delicate fare is poyson their costly apparell as menstruous cloth and their life a death and they shall one day answere for euery bit of bread they haue eaten as theeues and vsurpers of those things that are none of theirs for of proper right they belong vnto the godly man thus haue we briefly seene wherein the wicked man is cursed and miserable That doth not walke in the counsell of the c. THe godly mans vertues bee heere first set downe by a Negatiue contestation in these words Hee walketh not in the counsell of the wicked Out of which wee may obserue that there is a counsell of the wicked And this is either priuate amongst themselues
or else publike with others The counsell of the wicked which is priuate in themselues is a rumination Doctr. There is a counsel of the wicked as of the godly or some other preparation in euery wilfull and intended sinne And hence it is that the Schoole-men affirme that consilium actus exitus must concurre in euery wilfull intended sinne And this is very apparant by the example of Iesabel 1. Reg. 21.8 that when she perceiued the King to bee so heauy for that he could not get the vineyard of righteous Naboth shee counselled with her selfe what she might doe to the end she might obtaine it and at last determined to write to the Gouernours of the Citie in Ahabs name to proclame a fast 2. Sam. 12. and to cause Naboth to bee brought forth before the Assembly and stoned to death This is cleere againe by the example of Dauid when hee walking vpon the roofe of his Palace had cast his eyes vpon the beauty of Bathsheba hee did first take this counsell within himself concerning an enquiry what she was secondly sent messengers vnto her to moue her to lie with him and lastly committed the act it selfe This might bee further cleared by the example of Cain Iudas and all to confirme the truth of this point vnto vs. Besides this priuate there is a councell of the wicked publique with other Mich. 6.16 as in the daies of Omri when cruell and wicked Statutes were made against the Lord and his people 1 Reg. 12.28 So in the daies of Ieroboam how did he take counsell and at last concluded to make two Calues for Diuine worship the one wherof he set at Bethel the other at Dan And in the daies of Nabuchadnezar what a Decree was gone forth by the King the Lords and Nobles Dan. 3.1 touching the worship of the golden image that was set vp in the plaine of Dura in the Prouince of Babylon So in the time of our Sauiour CHRIST Iohn 9.22 vnder the new Testament the Iewes had agreed together that all that confesse CHRIST should bee excommunicate Acts 4.18 and forbad the Disciples from Preaching any more in his Name And also in their Councell was our Sauiour CHRIST condemned to death Mat. 26.66 And the reason is cleere for the further manifestation of the truth of this point Reason for as no man doth gather Grapes of Thornes or Figs of Thistles so what other fruite can bee expected from such an vnsauory roote whose very Mindes and consciences are defiled Tit. 1.13 but that all their whole consultations and actions should be impure vnholy and vncleane Vse Hence then we may obserue that the doctrine of the Church of Rome touching this point is most false That Generall Counsells can not erre But wee haue cleared this before that they may erre and doe erre for what should I speake of the second Nicene Councell which set vp Idolatry and gaue bodies to Angells and the soules of men Councells therefore haue beene mis-led and may erre Now the Prophet proceedes further to shew who is a godlie man and what be his properties and teacheth vs in these words that the first step and entrance to the leading of a godly life is to renounce the counsel and company of lewd wicked and vngodly men whence wee obserue this doctrine Doctr. 2. The occasions ef sin are to bee auoyded That hee that would preserue himselfe from sinne must carefully auoide all the occasions thereof The Wise-man teacheth this Doctrihe That he that walketh with the wise shall be wiser But a companion of fooles shall be worser This doth appeare by the example of Ionathan who by the friendship and familiarity which he had with Dauid changed his life to better Pro. 1.13 whereas Salomon by societie and coniunction with the idolatrous wiues fell into idolatry 1. Reg. 11. and Rehoboam by walking with his yong Councellours and following their aduice became worse and worse If then we would auoyde euill we must beware of all occasions and no occasion more daungerous then euill company euery man therefore must take heede to himselfe and beware how hee ioyneth himselfe with acquaintance with al men indifferently lest by their meanes hee bee corrupted For euery man by nature is like dry wood which is apt to kindle so soone as fire is put to it so giue a man the least occasion and presently hee yeeldeth to sinne Mecum est quicquid mihi nocere potest Bernar med 11 There needes not indeede anie Diuell to tempt vs but let the least occasion that is bee offered vnto vs and straitway man becommeth a tempter vnto himselfe And this is that which the Apostle saith Iam. 1.14 Euerie man is tempted when hee is drawne away and enticed by his owne concupiscence The enemy by which wee are ouercome is in our owne bosome that is mans naturall corruption Genes 36. which is fewell for the kindling of the fire of Sathans temptations This appeares in Euah the Mother of vs all in the first transgression first shee sawe the fruit secondly shee conceiued a liking of it thirdly shee desired it fourthly shee eate of it Dinah the daughter of Iacob wandring abroad laid her selfe open vnto sinne and so fell which might haue been preuented had she auoyded the occasions thereof And Dauid a man after Gods own heart hauing set open the casements of his soule his eyes by the which the Diuell did easily winde himselfe into his heart and beheld Bathsheba washing her selfe 2. Sam. 11. but by by he lusted after her sent for her and lay with her So violent is mans corrupt nature in apprehending euery occasion that may draw him to sinne It is therefore a point of great wisedome to discerne betweene the deceipt of sinne and the fruite of sinne before it bee committed O flattering enemy In the action of committing it is as sweete as poyson after it is committed a biting serpent It comes to a man with a smiling countenance as Ioab to Amasa Art thou in health my friend but with all it strikes to the heart and woundes vnto death This doctrine serueth for the reproofe Vse 1 of those who are so farre from the auoiding of the occasions of sinne as that they do freely and of their owne accord seeke and follow after them they will not tarry with Ioseph till they bee tempted by others but they seeke all occasions and watch all opportunities to tempt others Neuer rauenous beast did more eagerly pursue the prey then some doe hunt after the occasions of sinne which is madnesse with a witnesse as if the flesh were not proue enough of it selfe vnto that which is euill but that paines must bee taken to helpe it forward to sinne Oh then how carefull ought wee to bee to watch ouer our waies and to auoide all the occasions of sinne Countergard thy heart saith Salomon and keepe it with watch and ward Prou.
vs ouer-weene our selues and to make vs boast and presume of our selues For the Diuell doth know full well that this lifting of a man vp is the very next way to tumble and throw him downe as Salomon saith Pride goeth before destruction and an high minde before the fall Prouerbs 16. ver 18. And therefore acknowledging our owne want of strength and our owne inability to stand without the assistance of Gods Spirit Let vs not be high minded but feare Roman 11.20 And thus we haue seene that the falls and slips of Gods children are many and great which notwithstanding cannot hinder their happinesse because they walke not in them that is they make it not their continuall practise ro liue and delight in sinne Now wee are to come to the second Doctr. 6. A godly man doth euer walke with God which doth note vnto vs that the godly man who shall bee truely happy and blessed indeed is so farre from making his life a life of sinne as that hee doth rather in the whole course of the same walke with GOD in obedience For therefore indeed is our course of new life compared to a way to shew that the godly must alwaies bee walking in it from the beginning of their course vnto the end of the same It was the commendations of Enoch and Noah Gen. 5.22.6.9 that notwithstanding the daies and times wherein they liued were dangerous Yet They walked with God That is they considered more the Commandements of GOD what he had appointed then what was practised and desired rather to bee approued of GOD through their obedience then through their disobedience to purchase the fauour of men Gen. 17.1 It was the charge giuen by GOD to Abraham Walke before mee That is let it euer bee thy care that seeing I am present euery where and priuy to all thy courses that thou walke as in my sight And this was the best testimony that Salomon could giue of his father Dauid 1. King 3.6 That hee walked before GOD in truth and in righteousnesse Yea this did minister comfort to godly Ezechias Esay 38.3 when he thought he should die Remember O Lord that I haue walked before thee in truth And to this agreeth that of the Apostle Paul Who forgat that which was behind Phil. 3.13 and endeuoured himselfe to that which was before and followed hard towards the marke to the prize of the high calling of GOD in IESVS CHRIST Hee was not like vnto a vaine and foolish man who running in a race will bee euer and anon looking backe to see how much ground hee hath ridde but his eye was alwayes vpon the marke or goale to consider how much hee had to runne Math. 24. how farre off hee was from perfection and what hee had more to doe in his Christian course that hee might finish the same with ioy It is the end that makes all Hee that shall endure to the end shall bee saued 1 Cor. 9 24 Reu. 2.7 Rom. 13.11 1. Pet. 1.9 Our Sauiour saith not there that hee that endureth for a season but hee that continueth to the end not euery one that fighteth but hee that ouercommeth shall receiue a Crowne of life These examples doe shew vs how the godly haue walked And these and the like precepts teach vs we should walke so as in the end wee may bee blessed Hence we are taught this lesson Vse 1 that wee must neuer bee weary of wel-doing seeing that perseuerance onely hath the promise of reward wee must not depart out of the Egypt of sinne and then with the Israelites 2. Thes 3.13 Ps 92.13 and with Lots wife looke backe to the Sodome of their sinnes but remember that thou owest vnto GOD all thy dayes The Trees planted in the Lords house Mat. 3.10 bring forth fruit in their age And they which doe not so shall bee hewen downe and cast into the fire It was the commendation of the Church of Thiatira That her workes were more at last then at first Reu. 2.19 A reproofe of their folly who hauing kept the path of righteousnesse for a time doe after walke in no good way but thinke with one iumpe to leape into heauen with a Lord haue mercy on me at the last But know O thou vaine man that thou must walk in the way that is thou must vse all good meanes for the attaining of life and saluation thou must heare the word diligently and carefully pray read c. I doubt not but the serious thinking vpon this that God challengeth euery day at our hands yea all the daies of our life to bee spent in his seruice will reforme many corruptions in vs For alas the care of the most is how they may keep credit with men though they purchase Gods displeasure which will then stand such in little stead when all things shall come to receiue their due triall Euen euery worke done in the body whether it bee good or euill 2. Cor. 5.10 And thus much for the first part of the description of a godly man Negatiuely Hee doth not walke in the counsell of the wicked Nor stand in the way of sinners THat is The secōd part of the description of a godly man negatiuly a godly man doth not settle himselfe to liue as wicked men do nor frames his life after their lewd example where we are to obserue two poynts First that there is a way of sinners in which the vngodly stand Secondly that the godly stand not in it First then that there is a way of sinners in the which they stand and liue it is very apparant called in the Scriptures by diuers names as by the name of the way of the vngodly The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked shall perish Doctr. 1. Wicked men described It is tearmed an euill way The way of lying A wicked way c. And by these wayes wee are still to vnderstand the course of life and conuersation of the wicked wherein wee are taught this Doctrine that notwithstanding all the meanes that God and Man doth vse to the contrary the wicked man will still persist and goe on in sinne which is heere vnderstood out of the word Stand. This appeareth in the example of Cain Gen. 4.6 albeit hee were admonished and reproued of God for his wrath and malice conceiued against his brother yet for all that Caine will please himselfe in his owne way and neuer rest till hee haue shedde the innocent bloud of his owne brother This is seene likewise in the example of the old World when the Lord saw that the wickednesse of man was great and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onely euill continually and how they pleased themselues in this way the Lord stirred vp Noah Gen. 6.5 the preacher of righteousnesse who warned them from God yet they would continue still in their owne waies giuing
in his Law hee doth meditate both day and night HITHERTO we haue heard a godlie man described First The description of a godly man affirmatiuely negatiuely shewing what euilles hee doth most carefully shunne and auoyde Now he commeth to his description affirmatiuely shewing what good things he doth most carefully embrace and follow In this description first note the Christian duety and holy practise of a godly and righteous man namely to be much and often in serious and Christian meditation Secondly the obiect of his Studie not his pleasures preferments or profits as most carnall men doe which minde nothing but earthly things but he is conuersant in the holy Scriptures doth furiously study the word of God his meditation is concerning the Law that is the heauenly doctrine which shews the will of God and his worship what man must and ought to beleeue and do to eternall life Thirdly the circumstance of times is carefully to be considered for the godly man doth not now and then by starts and fits like a man in an ague Reade study and meditate the word and doctrine of God but it is his dayly study and continuall exercise not that wee should imagine hee doth nothing else but the meaning is hee setteth some time apart daily to serue God some time to reade some time to heare and some time to meditate yea oftentimes he bestoweth some part of the night when some be at rest and sleepe and bestoweth it on Gods seruice setting his minde on heauen and heauenly things First in that the Spirit of almighty God describeth a godly man not onely by leauing and auoyding lewd company and the counsell of the wicked but also by liuing well and framing himselfe to study the Scriptures and to leade his life thereafafter Hence I gather this doctrine that Doctr. 1. Not to do euill is not svfficients it is damnable not to do good it is not sufficient for the leading of a godly life which may both please God and bring comfort to a mans owne soule to abstaine from euill but he must also doe well not onelie not to doe euill but to doe good it is not enough to prooue a man to be a godly man and a sound Christian that hee carefully shunne and auoyde the lewd counsell and company of wicked men but hee must also be as carefull to meditate in the Law of God day and night And therefore as in this place so vsually in the holy Scriptures they are both ioyned together cease from euill learne to doe well Esay 1.16 Psalme 34 Matt. 3.10 eschew euill and doe good and thou shalt liue for euer The Axe is put to the roote of the Trees euery Tree that bringeth not foorth good fruit Marke Christ sayth not onely euery Tree that is barren and bringeth foorth no fruit good or bad nor euerie one that bringeth foorth euill fruit But that bringeth not foorth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Mat. 25.41 And at the last day the Lord will say to the wicked Depart yee cursed not for robbing the poore of meat drink or apparrell or casting them out of doores but for want of shewing mercy vnto them A Christian life doeth consist of two partes so set downe by the Apostle Paul Abhorre that is euill there is one halfe And cleaue to that is good Rom. 12.9 there is the other halfe If any want the former or the latter he is but halfe a Christian and so shall at last come short of a rewarde And therefore this is a priuiledge to all the Commandements of God that where any vice is forbidden the contrarie vertue is commanded and where any vertue is commaunded the contrary vice is forbidden The owner of an orchard is not contented that his trees beare no naughty fruit but if they beare not good fruit hee will hew them downe as fewell for the fire It is not enough for Zacheus that hee be no more an extortioner But if hee will become a true conuert indeede hee must make restitution of that hee hath wrongfully gotten Luke 19.8 Iames 2.25 These and the like examples make this Doctrine apparent vnto vs That for the leading of a godly life it is not sufficient that a man doe no euill Not to walke in the counsell of the wicked not stand in the way sinners nor sit in the seate of the scornefull but hee must doe good His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Lawe hee doth meditate both day and night Vse 1 This serues to reprooue most men in the world as no godly men indeed nor sound Christians for most men doe thinke if they can say I thanke GOD I doe no bodie anie harme nor say them harme I am neither whoore nor thiefe I am neyther blasphemer drunkard c. All is then well they be as good Christians as the best and shall as well be saued as the best Preacher of them all Yea but you see here a godly man must not onely abstaine from euill But meditate in the Lawe of God not onely cease from euill but do good Looke on the places of Scriptures before named Matt. 3.10 Mat. 25.41 Iudg. 5.23 Deborah pronounces a heauy curse against Nerosh not for hurting or hindering the people of GOD but because they did not helpe them against the enemies of GOD and so the axe and curse of GOD shall bee vpon all those that be not as carefull to doe good as to eschew euill S. Paul professeth that hee was a man of an vpright life and one that was vnrebukeable to the world and yet professeth that all this was but as Dung without the righteousnesse of CHRIST Philippians 3.4 It were good if our ciuill honest men as wee call them would consider this they stand vpon this they defie al the world who can say black is their eie they say no body harme nor doe none well grant that they say which is impossible though they could abstaine from all outward euill as swearing lying drunkennesse whooring pride enuy c. So as no man could lay any of these to their charge yet heere is but halfe a Christian but one part of his life for hee must not onely not doe euill but doe good Not onely to bring foorth euill fruit is damnable but not to bring foorth good fruit And in the day of iudgement CHRIST will proceede against men not onely for doing euill but especially for nor doing good Vse 2 Secondly if such as abstaine from grosse euills bee in danger of damnation for want of doing good that is to say because they haue not ledde a godly life bestowed much time in hearing and reading the Scriptures praying and calling on Gods name doing workes of mercie and equitie to men how much more those that abstaine from no euill but breake out into all kindes of wickednesse and prophanenesse Such as make a mocke of Religion and seldome or neuer come to heare the Word
the worship and seruice of God to reade pray and meditate and at the least twice a day to call vpon his Name to reade the word of God and to study therein This is that the Lord commandeth his people to offer vnto him euery day the morning and the euening sacrifice at the least twice euery day they were commanded to worship God and so the holy Patriarchs were wont to worshippe God morning and euening So wee reade in Gen. 24.63 That godly Isaac went out into the fields in the euening to pray or meditate to make himselfe fit to pray And Iob 1.5 Acts 10.2 Iob rose vp earely to offer sacrifice and called his family together and this did Iob euery day and Dauid in many Psalmes sheweth that he did set some time apart euery day to worship God in praying reading meditating c. Cornelius worshipped God continually 1 The. 5.23 that is euery day according to the rule of the Apostle Pray continually And that we should not be weary of well-doing Christ spake the parable of the vniust Iudge and poore widdow to this end that we ought alwayes to meditate pray c. and not waxe faint and wearie Luke 18.1 The meaning is not that men should leaue their callings and other businesse altogether to attend vpon hearing reading meditating c. but that wee should bee much and often in meditating in prayer in reading c. and in performing these blessed dueties vnto almightie God And at the least three times a day to pray and call vpon the name of God In the morning when wee doe arise to giue vnto God hearty thankes for keeping vs the night past and to craue for a blessing at his hands ouer the day following At noone againe when when we receiue his good Creatures And at night when we go to rest And this godly practise the word of God prescribes vs and the examples of the godly doe teach vs Dan. 6.10 Daniel prayed three times a day vpon his knees vnto God and praised him as his manner was though the King had made a strict Law against it Euening morning and at noone will I pray vnto thee Psal 55.17 And againe Seuen times a day will I praise thee Psal 119.164 That is many times For the morning Earely in the morning will I direct my prayer vnto thee Gen. 22.2 Iob 1.5 And thus did Abraham Isaac Iob. Secondly at noone or mid-day so did Peter Peter went out to prayer about the sixt houre Actes 10.9 That is about twelue of the clocke or noone-tide Thirdly at night in the euening when wee goe to bedde to take our rest Genes 24. Psa 139 11 Psal 19.5 Mat. 13.23 Esa 28.3.4 wee must then remember likewise to render the Lord thankes for the comfort of the day and to craue his blessing for that night Neyther is this all but in the night time when sleepe is departed from a man and Nature is sufficed with rest he doth euen then call to minde the heauenly Doctrine of the word of God and doth muse and meditate therein as the Text saith heere euen day and night For God which hath bounded the day with the night hath set no bound to a godly mans meditation It is nothing to be first one that heareth the word secondly one that receiueth it thirdly with ioy if fourthly it shal be but for a time onely if he shall not also continue and constantly perseuer to meditate therein day and night So as we see this is our duety to set some time apart euerie day to worship God as to heare reade pray meditate c. We see men doe set apart depute and ordaine some certaine time euery day for the food of the body at the least twice a day to eate and drinke how much more then should wee bee carefull for our Soules euery day to reade meditate and to pray Of all the time we spend in this world none will be more comfortable vnto vs in death when wee shall goe the way of all flesh then that which wee haue bestowed in the seruice and worship of Almightie God There is not now one houre spent in the seruice of God but will then minister cause of ioy and reioycing neither is there now one houre spent in the seruice of sin and of Satan but the remembrance thereof will then be a terrour vnto the soule Oh that men would be wise then would they vnderstand this they would consider their latter end Deut. 32.29 This seemes to reproue the common carelesnesse of the world most Vse 1 men and women spend al their daies in delights and vanities in sports and pastimes in scraping and raking together the things of this life and in the meane time finde no time at al to serue God that in twenty foure houres hardly can spare one to serue God one to reade heare pray meditate yea how many be there that neuer open their books to reade one chapter in the Bible all the Weeke long How many be there that neuer spend one quarter of an houre in Meditation which neuer call vpon GOD from Sonday to Sonday doth not this proue men to be carnall and vngodly Do not these men do nothing of conscience or with delight and loue to GOD and his worship but all for fashion sake or feare of the Law What difference is there betwixt those men who seldome or neuer call on the name of GOD and the beast they ride on The beast arises in the morning out of his den and streakes himselfe goes to his meate and so to worke Euen so do they neuer call on the name of God In this thing wherein do such men differ from a very beast How can such look for any blessing from God vpon their labours Yea how can they chuse but feare some fearefull iudgement and curse of God to ouertake them And no doubt the cause why many ride and run earely and late and do not call on God for a blessing vpon their endeuours cannot prosper and thriue in the world No God sends sometimes iudgements plagues and punishments vpon them and all for the neglect of this godly and Christian duety it is iust with God both to crosse and to curse both them and their labours Psal 14. Againe by the rule of this doctrine they are no lesse to be reproued Note who can bee content now and then to Heare Reade Pray and Meditate c. But this must bee at their leasure when they haue nothing else to do bur to keep certaine times Mornings Noones euenings to leaue all sports pastimes delights and businesse to go to GOD and serue him and call vpon his name they cannot abide that they will not bee so tyed and restrained but as the man in the Gospell when CHRIST called him first he must go bury his father and him that would go Bid his friends fare-well So many could be content to serue God and to pray vnto him but they
must keepe their friends company or as those that were bidden to the feast One hath his oxen and gaine to hinder him an other his wife his pleasures and delights which hee is married vnto and so can finde no time to serue God euen the least thing in the world is matter sufficient to hinder them from seruing of God these men shew that they find no comfort at all in the seruice of Almighty God no good no fruit no benefite for if they did they would not be such strangers vnto it Let euery one bee exhorted and Vse 2 stirred on to this duety if we haue not begunne now to beginne and in the feare of the Lord to imitate Gods children as Dauid and the rest Let vs set some time apart euery day for the word and prayer else wee shall neuer prooue our selues good Christians else wee should neuer finde true comfort else we can neuer looke for Gods blessing vpon vs let vs then set apart some of our idle time that wee bestow in talking in walking in playing in vaine delights or else idlely and bestow it on Gods seruice and worshippe in hearing reading praying meditating c. Dauid earely in the morning preuented the day light yea at mid-night would hee be so busied The Eunuch in his iourney was reading the Scriptures Let vs then neuer arise in the morning or goe to bedde but as duely let vs euer be mindefull of this duety Let vs not mis-spend our precious time Let vs I pray you consider why wee liue heere in the world not to spend and consume our time in toyes and vanities but to serue God and to seeke for comfort and saluation vnto our owne soules Let vs therefore so spend it as wee may haue comfort in the end Last of all we are heere exhorted Vse 3 to be very carefull after wee haue begunne a good course in godlines to perseuer and to continue in the same Day and Night euen vnto the end not onely in the day-time of prosperity but in the night-time of aduersity for vnto GOD The day and night are both alike Ps 139.12 Many make a faire beginning but the end is very fearefull and dangerous Many lay their hands to the Lords Plow Luke 9.62 but in the end they looke back Lots wife seemes as forward as her husband shee goes out of Sodome as well as hee shee takes her iourney with her husband but shee did not continue and hold out to the end but lookes backe contrary to the commandement of God and so was turned into a pillar of Salt And shee being made a spectacle to all back-sliders our Sauiour puts vs in minde of her when hee saith Remember Lots wife Luk. 17.32 And Paul when hee had Preached the Resurrection of CHRIST Agrippa said vnto him Thou perswadest mee almost to become a Christian Act. 26.28 But there he stayed and rested and would proceed no further These are fearefull examples It had beene better for such They had neuer knowne the way of righousnesse 1. Pet. 2.21 for indeed in a Christian race there is no standing at one stay for not to go forward in Religion is to go backward And thus much for the description of a godly man affirmatiuely shewing what hee doth carefully embrace and follow But his delight is in the Law of the Lord c. The first Psalme VERSE 3. Hee shall be like a Tree planted by the Riuers of waters that will bring forth her fruit in due season whose leafe shall not fade so whatsoeuer he shall doe shall prosper HItherto the Prophet Dauid hath described vnto vs a godly and righteous man such a man as is truly blessed both negatiuely shewing what be the euills hee must carefully shunne and auoyde as also affirmatiuely by those vertues and holy dueties which he doth carefully embrace and follow Now in this Verse the Prophet proceeds to set out the happinesse of a godly man Wherein the godly man is blessed Parts of the verse or wherein his happinesse doth consist And this doth he first by a similitude comparing him vnto a pleasant fruitfull and flourishing tree secondly by that blessed successe God giues vnto a godly man in the end of this verse The precedent part of the verse the similitude it selfe it hath in it these parts First whereunto the godly man is compared to a Tree Secondly the nature of this Tree is described not euery common or triuiall Tree but such a Tree which for the originall of it planted secondly for the situation of it By the riuers of waters thirdly for the propertie of it that will bring forth her fruit in due season fourthly by a contrary propertie whose leafe shall not fade First then obserue by this Similitude that man is compared to a Tree and in three things especially the Shape the Growth and the State of a Tree Man like to a Tree 1 In Shape Man may well be compared to a tree in respect of his Shape For as a Tree consists of the root the stock and the boughes or branches euen so doth man this misticall tree Hee hath his head which is the root and haire as small rootes his body as the stock and his armes and legges as so many boughes and fingers and toes as lesser twigges Onely the difference betweene the naturall tree and man this Mysticall Tree is this The naturall tree is rooted in the earth Gen. 27.28 receiuing as Esaus blessing the Fatnesse of the same but man this Heauenly Plant deriues not his iuice and nourishment from the fatnesse of the earth but from heauen aboue according to Gods wise disposing of his roote which is aboue not below and therefore are we exhorted by the Apostle to set our affections on heauenly things and not on things heere below for wee through Christ 2. Pet. 1.4 are made partakers of the Diuine Natute in heauen therefore must our conuersation be Secondly 2 In growth man may bee said to be like a Tree in respect of his growth for a tree at first is flexible by nature and so by degrees a little and little growes to be stronger and stronger till it come to perfection and then againe begins to wither to dry vp so fareth it with man this Mysticall Tree while hee is in the state of infancy he is as a tender twig and his mind is as flexible as a twig easily inclined to vertue if hee bee accordingly educated or else to vice if the same be neglected an excellent caueat to all parents and gouernours of youth that they take a due time of correcting educating of these tender plants namely to bend the tree while it is a twig for if it be suffered it will grow to bee curelesse And as man is like to a tree in respect of his infancy and tender age so in respect of his decrepit old age for when the Tree is once come to his perfection in growth it
no body harme a very kinde and euill honest man c. Well is this all This will not serue to proue him a good Christian Iohn 15.6 Esay 5. For now is the Axe put to the roote of the tree euery Tree that brings not forth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire Wee know what became of the fig-tree that had goodly leaues and faire shewes was it not accursed And the tree that the Husbandman digged and pruned and watered was it not in the end hewen downe and reserued for no other vse but fewell for the fire and this will be the end of many of our ciuill honest men so called whatsoeuer they thinke of themselues or others conceiue of them Oh then how fearefull a thing is it to bee trees bringing forth leaues and no fruite as is the condition of all hypocrites For they shall finde at last what it is to bee as a barren Tree in the Lords Vineyard For that shall bee taken away from them which they seeme to haue as proud Iesabell and her painted face shall both of them perish together On the other side the elect of God that bring forth fruite as well as leaues they shall both bee preserued together and grow in grace and knowledge heere in this life and at the last when these daies of sinne shall haue an end they themselues shall bee gathered into the place of rest the Syon of the Lord and their works shall follow them Reu. 14.13 And howsoeuer workes iustifie not a man being the best of them weak and imperfect heere yet by our workes as the euidence of our vertues wee shall bee iudged at the last This shewes that their estate is Vse 2 ten times worse and more fearefull that brings forth nothing but cursed and bittter fruite of sinne and disobedience A Husbandman will not suffer a Tree to grow in his Orchard if it either bring no fruit or else bitter sowre or vnsauory fruite so bad as none can eate them nor there is no vse of them but will hew it downe and cast it into the fire Oh! then Consider this yee that forget God yee that liue in continuall practise of sinne you that bring forth no other fruite but horrible Oathes Blasphemy Drunkenesse Whooredome c. That by the Axe of Gods vengeance yee shall bee hewen downe and to the fire yee must go If Trees as bee barren and bring forth no fruit shall be destroyed and cast into the fire how much more such miserable wretches Math 3.10 25.41 Heb. 6.7 whose whole life is nothing else but a heaping of sinne vnto sinne and all prophanesse against God and man If the rich man were damned that did not giue of his bread to poore Lazarus good Lord what shall become of those that take away and as it were grind the faces of the poore In a word if the not being fruitefull in good workes shall bee punished so sharpely and seuerely what shall then become of those that euen abound in all manner of most abhominable sinne and iniquity Oh! consider this yee that forget God least I teare you in peeces and there be none to deliuer you Vse 3 Let this admonish euery man to try himselfe to looke vnto his owne soule Thou art a Tree in Gods Orchard the Lord hee husbands thee dost bestow cost on thee to water and dresse thee by his Word and Sacraments Mercies and Iudgements Well Hee comes to seeke fruit of thee it may bee hee hath come three foure seuen or ten yeares together and still thou hast no fruite but remainest still a barren Tree Well the Lord will not alwaies stay and waite for fruite at thy hands Luke the thirteenth chapter and ninth verse But wil say to the Vine-dresser Cut mee this fruitlesse and barren Tree downe why doth it couer the ground and keep it barren as it is in the fifth chapter of Esay The ground that receiueth the raine that comes often vpon it and brings forth fruite meete for him that dresses it receiues a blessing But that that brings forth Thornes and Bryars is sentenced with a curse whose end is to be burned Hebrewes the sixt chapter and the seuenth and eigth verses If yee haue not yet begun beginne now to bring forth fruite I meane the fruites of Faith the fruites of Repentance and the fruites of Obedience of a godly life and conuersation If yee haue begun already oh labour then to do it more bring forth more and more better fruit to abound in good works such trees as these are shall be spared and not destroyed Deuteronomy the twentieth chapter and the ninteenth verse But such trees as bring forth no fruite Hew them downe why cumber they the ground In due season The time described when a godly man doth bring forth fruit THat is in time conuenient when it may most serue for GODS glory and the good of our Neighbour So that here wee haue a further condition of this Tree set out by the circumstance of the time That it bringeth forth fruite in due season And wee know it is a commendable thing in our grounds and so in our trees that they bring vs out their fruite in their season If our Corne should not bee ripe till the Summer were ouer or our Trees beginne to bud in the Spring before Summer come men would looke to reape but small fruite Well as this is commended in our ground and in our Trees so is it no lesse commendable in our selues and a true note of a godly man and a blessing proceeding from his ingrafting into Iesus Christ that hee likewise bring forth fruit in due season In this obserue the godly care Doctr. 6. True note of a godly man to waite all opportunities to do good and the heauenly wisedome of a godly man and one that is the child of God that hee waites and watches his time and then readily takes the occasion to doe good Euery thing hath his time and season Seek the Lord while hee may bee found and call vpon him while hee is neere Esay 55.6.7 Out of which words wee gather that as there is a time when the Lord will bee found of them that seeke him which time is a godly mans Season for now doth hee seeke the LORD so there is a time when the Lord will not bee found and that a blessing cannot be obtained at his hands though a man seek it with teares as Esau did for so saith the Lord Because I haue cryed and called vnto you and yee would not heare Therefore the time shall come that yee shall cry and call vnto mee and I will not answere Prou. 1.24.28 Againe Exhort you one another daily while it is called to day Heb. 3.13 For our Hearing for our Reading Praying Singing and meditating c. There are times for each of these which the godly man doth in no wise omit And of this there is great reason for shall we not be as
their names to Christ who afterwards when they were to take vp the Crosse of Christ haue gone out and turned their backes vpon Christ Saul beganne well but afterwards he waxed worse and in the end became an open persecutor Ioash behaued himselfe vprightly all the dayes of Iehoiadah and repaired the house of the Lord but after his death hee fell to idolatry What did it profit Lots wife to goe out of Sodome insomuch as afterward she looked back and was turned into a Pillar of Salt So then we see here that it is not enough to purpose well it is not enough to begin well neither is it enough to proceede well it is required of vs to perseuere well and to continue in a constant and setled course euen vnto the end Doctr. 8. By our vnion with Christ we are made sure of perseuerance Last of all in that it is said heere that the Leaues that is to say the faith of a Christian shall neuer fall Hence I gather that no elect Childe of God that is truly regenerate and borne anew and a liuely member of Christs mysticall body can perish and finally fall away For whom God predestinateth him hee calleth whom hee calleth he iustifieth whom he iustifieth he glorifieth Rom. 8.30 The gift and calling of God is without repentance My sheep heare my voyce and follow me And I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man take them out of my hands Ioh. 10.27 28.29 And the reason is Wee beare not the roote but the roote beareth vs. Our saluation doth not depend vpon our selues for then indeed wee were in danger to fall away euery moment of an houre but it dependeth vpon him because we are in him and through him we grow and increase yea the older wee bee in Christ the more doe we fasten our roote and flourish They which are planted in the Courts of the Lord shall flourish in their old age and bring forth much fruit And whereas other Branches are many times pulled from their stocke either by the violence of the wind by the hands of men or at the least consumed by length of time It shal not bee so with them that are in Christ for they are kept by him as the root bearing branches Because I am not altered nor changed therefore are you not consumed Oh yee sonnes of Iacob And therefore right happy is the state of that man who is in Christ Iesus For neither life nor death things present nor things to come shall separate him from the loue of God Rom. 8.38 And this comfort is confirmed to vs by most sure Arguments Argumēts to proue a Christians perseuerance Phil. 1.5.6 The first is taken from the Nature of Almightie God Hee is faithfull which hath promised And I am perswaded saith the Apostle that hee who hath begun this good worke will performe it vntill the day of Christ The second is taken from the nature of that life which Christ communicateth to his members Rom. 6.5 We know that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more this life of Christ is communicated to vs so that it is not we that liue now but Christ that liueth in vs. The third is taken from the nature of that seed whereof we are begotten 1. Pet. 1.23 Wee are borne anew not of mortall seede but of Immortall Now as the seed is so is the life that comes by that seed our life therefore must needs bee immortall This confuteth a damnable Doctrine Vse 1 of the Papists who hold and teach That a man elected called iustified and sanctified may for euer fall away and bee damned That hee which to day is the deere childe of God to morrow may become the childe of the deuill To day a member of Christ to morrow a limb of the deuill to day an heire of saluation to morrow an heire of damnation Now what doctrine can bee more deuilish and vncomfortable this is nothing else but to set vp a gibbet to torment the poore soules of Gods children to ouerthrow the nature of Faith to make God feeble and weake or foolish and vnwise which is manifest Blasphemy 2. Pet. 1.10 Psa 15. vlt. Rom. 8.1 8.36 but we see heere the Word of God tels vs this cannot bee For what shall separate vs from the loue of God in Christ Nothing Vse 2 This may serue to reproue another sort of men who are ready to abuse this doctrine Tush saith the carnall and loose Christian it skils not then how a man liues whether well or ill hee that is Elected and is a Member of CHRIST shall bee saued and hee that is reiected shall bee damned though hee liue neuer so well therefore they take liberty to sinne and make conscience of no sinne whatsoeuer But they must know that God decrees a man as well to the meanes as to the end And it is impossible a man should be Elected and Called but hee must liue well so he that is not Elected and Called cannot liue well And it is all one as if a man should neuer eate or drinke and yet hope to liue and like well or lying in the fire or water and vsing no meanes to come out should not perish But we must know that the end and the meanes must go together And for a man to neglect or reiect the meanes it is in vaine for him to hope to bee saued For if thou belong to God thou shalt in time bee Called and Sanctified And where this work is not as yet already wrought that man is as yet in the state of damnation Heere is matter of endlesse comfort Vse 3 to euery true child of God that truely repents and beleeues in Iesus Christ that howsoeuer through the malice of Sathan and the temptation of the deuill the allurements of the world and the corruption of our flesh we may grieuously sinne and fall yet There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 The gates that is all the power of hell shall not preuaile against vs Math. 16. If euer thou foundest the sound worke of grace in thee foundest Iesus Christ to dwell in thy heart by faith so that thou hatest all sinne and desirest in all things to please God though sathan rage and storme and all the gates of hell rise vp against thee yet thou maist comfort thy selfe in the Lord and say with Paul There is no condemnation to mee that am in Christ which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Thou maist triumph with Paul and say Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen And if God bee with vs who can bee against vs And a gaine I am perswaded nothing can seuer mee from the loue of God in Christ Iesus No not sinne nor death it selfe Oh happy then and blessed is the estate of that man who is in Christ Neither life nor death things present nor things to come shall separate
Salomon saith The hope of the wicked shall perish Wherein the wicked are accursed But it wil be asked Wherein stands their misery and cursed estate I answere First in this that they be out of Gods fauour God hates them and all they doe And is not this a misery of all miseries to be cursed and miserable indeed to haue God our enemy to haue Iesus Christ the Iudge our enemy to haue all the creatures in heauen and earth against vs For as those be truly blessed that God loues and be in his fauour So they be most cursed and miserable that be out of his fauour whom his soule abhorreth and such are the wicked according to that of the Prophet Psal 5.5 The foolish shal not stand in thy sight for thou hatest all them that worke iniquitie Secondly they haue no pardon of their sinnes Luke 13.5 and so lie vnder the curse of God in danger of eternall death euery day they rise without repentance there is no pardon But the wicked cannot repent being hardened in sinne and delight in sin yea all their sinnes stand in account against them the Lord keepes them in remembrance and one day hee will bring out his Booke of reckonning I will reproue thee Psal 50.17 18. and set before thee the things thou hast done Oh full little doe wicked men thinke of this that their secret sins in hugger-mugger in darke corners committed shall one day come to reckoning and they called to a reckoning for the same and then their owne consciences will they nill they shall cry out and say Righteous is the Lord and true are his iudgements Thirdly they haue no peace of conscience Esay 57. There is no peace to the wicked saith my God but a Hell in their conscience hauing in them either an Accusing Conscience like Cain Achitophel Saul Iudas and the like or else a dead and sleepy conscience like Nabal which iudgement is no way inferiour to the former This fearfull iudgment of God vpon the wicked is nothing else but a fore-runner of those paines which are prepared for the wicked and are as it were the smoake of that fire which hereafter shall torment them Fourthly a wicked man is the heire of vengeance and the firebrand of hell and shall as sure bee damned as if hee were in hell alreadie and therefore CHRIST saith that The wicked are damned already Ioh. 3.18 and that fiue wayes First in Gods counsell before all worlds Secondly in the Word wherein their sentence of condemnation is read already Thirdly in their owne consciences which is a fore-runner of the finall iudgement Fourthly by the iudgements begun already vpon them as hardnesse of heart blindnesse of minde hatred of the light and the like means of saluation Fiftly by the horrible torment of the soule which it doth assuredly expect when the full viall of Gods wrath shall be powred vpon it O miserable and vnhappy condition woe worth the time may such say that euer they were borne Who is a wicked man Answer A wicked man described in generall Hee that liues and lies in sinne without repentance But such a man is a wicked man as Doth walke in the counsell of the wicked that doth stand in the way of sinners that doth sit in the seate of the scorners For as hee is a godly man that is carefull to shunne and auoide the bad counsell and lewd company of wicked vngodly men so he is a wicked man that loues and likes their bad counsel lewd company And as a noble mans seruant is knowne by his liuery so we may certainly iudge of men by their companie A good man loues good companie a godly man makes much of them that feare the Lord. Psal 16.3 Psal 101.6 7. Gen. 37.2.4 My eyes saith Dauid shall bee vpon the faithfull in the Land This we may see in Iacob who loued Ioseph aboue all his brethren because he had grace in him All my delight is vpon thy Saints But wicked men are like Birds of a Feather which flie together and like will to like So that if you wold aske a certaine rule how to iudge of men whether they bee good or bad godly or wicked I know not any rule more sure for a mans outward life to iudge of him then by his company And therefore as S. Iohn makes it a marke of Gods childe and a certaine signe of the loue of God to vs If we loue the brethren 1. Ioh. 3.14 so on the other side it is a fearfull note of a wicked man when hee hath no delight in the companie of Gods children and faithful seruants Psal 50.17 18. but delight onely in the company of the wicked and vngodly Vse 1 Let all wicked men lay this Doctrine to heart and be affected with it and let me say to them as Dauid said to the vngodly Psa 50.16 vnto the vngodly said God what hast thou to do to take my couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my word behind thee When thou sawest a thiefe thou consentedst vnto him and hast beene partaker with the adulterer c. These things hast thou done and I held my peace and thou thoughtest that I was like thee But I will reproue thee and set before thee the things thou hast done Oh consider this yee that forget God lest I teare you in peeces and there be none to deliuer you Oh that the wicked vngodly of the world would consider in what a cursed state they stand in what extreame danger to loose their owne soules cleane out of Gods fauour so as hee hates and abhorres them and all they do Now as Salomon saith if the wrath of the King bee as the roaring of a Lyon how much more the wrath of the eternall God who is able not onely to kill the body but to cast both soule and body for euer into hel fire Oh then be admonished say you had a farre warning repent in time liue no longer in sin turne to God with all speed while it is called to day Say with Dauid Away from me yee wicked I will keepe the commandements of my God And this remember that as bad company and the society of wicked men is a fearefull signe of a wicked man so it is most dangerous for sin is as a spirituall plague or leprosie it is of a spreading and contagious nature Prou. 6. Can a man touch pitch and not bee defiled Then may a man keepe company with the wicked and not bee corrupted Gen. 41.15.16 Ioseph liuing in the Court of Pharaoh how soone had he learnd to sweare by the life of Pharaoh Besides we shal be compelled to winke at the sins of those whom wee loue and so consenting to them are guilty of them 2. Pet. 2.8 Psal 12.5 Againe wee cannot but bee vexed with them and greeued at the heart as Lot was yea and in danger to bee
We must not sleepe in sinne neither giue your selues to securitie but be carefull and circumspect that we be not suddenly ouertaken This is that charge which our Sauiour giueth Math. 24. watch therefore for you know neither the day nor houre in the which the Sonne of Man will come The iudgements of God are threatned to come vpon thee suddenly as the Winde thou knowst not whether thou shalt haue an houre or a moment of time giuen thee to repent thou mayst bee smitten with sudden death When thou risest out of thy bedde thou knowest not whether thou shalt lye downe againe When thou lyest downe vpon thy bed thou knowest not what may happen vnto thee ere it be day Prou. 27.1 Boast not of to morow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth And therfore while it is to day let vs repent and labour to bee reconciled to God in Christ that when his iudgments shall come as the winde suddenly the destroyer may passe ouer vs and wee remaine safe vnder the shadow of the Almighty Hitherto hath the Prophet described the wofull estate and condition of the wicked heere in this life Now in the next verse by way of prophesie or threatning he sets our their estate and condition in the Life to come The first Psalme VERSE 5. Therefore the wicked shall not bee able to stand in the Iudgement nor Sinners in the Assembly of the Righteous The description of a wicked man in the life to come HEere the Prophet describes the wicked vngodly man by his fearefull end and that which shall befall him hereafter And that he draweth into two phrases of speech First They shall not stand in Iudgement Secondly They shall not bee assotiates with the iust So that we see that howsoeuer now the wicked beare it out and seeme to be the onely men in the world yet in that great day of the Lord when we must all appeare before his Barre that will iudge iustly without respect of persons then these wretched men shall not bee able to stand that is to indure the sentence of the Iudge and his angry countenance but shall receiue the fearfull doome of eternall death Depart from me yee cursed Well then by this we learne that Doctr. 1. The certaintie of the day of iudgment proued Malac. 4.1 there shall be a iudgement wherein men must stand to appeare before God to giue account of their work and this we acknowledge in that article of our Faith when we say Wee beleeue that hee shall come to iudge both the quick and the dead Behold saith the Lord The day commeth that shall burne as an Ouen And all the proud and all the wicked shall bee Stubble Mat. 25 41 Acts 17.31 2. Cor. 5.10 2. Thes 1.7 8.9 Reu. 20.12 1. Pet. 3.3 and the day that commeth shall burne them vp And our Sauior aluding to that day saith Then will I say to them on my left hand c. Againe He hath appoynted a day in the which hee will iudge the world in righteousnesse Now if there were no places in the Scriptures but this Text it might suffice to proue that there shall bee a day of Iudgement But besides these Testimonies there be certaine reasons that proue the same taken from the Nature of God and his principall Attributes his Mercie and Iustice which wee must needs confesse hee is most true in both he is most merciful and most iust And therefore hauing promised it shall goe well with his Children that they shall be happy and blessed And that the wicked shall be miserable and cursed In these two respects it must needs bee that there must be a day of Iudgement For in this world who indure more misery griefe and wrong then Gods Children who are contemned mocked misused Luke 16. and by all meanes abused by wicked men They are in want sicknesse persecution in pouertie and a thousand miseries besides But the wicked flourish liue in wealth and ease and all things that heart can wish Now then seeing this is the estate of Gods children in this world full of troubles and miseries and the wicked liue at ease according to their lusts It must needs follow that there must bee a day of Iudgement when God shall shew his mercy in blessing and crowning the vertues of his children and likewise in executing Iustice vpon the wicked and vngodly O that men and women could often thinke of the time of the last iudgement Vse Oh that we could bestow that time which we bestow vpon our pleasures and foolish sports to meditate on this day O that men would bestow that time which they bestow on vnprofitable if not sinfull exercises As carding dicing decking and painting these carkasses of theirs Oh I say happy were we if wee could bestow this time in thinking of this iudgement what shall then become of vs for euermore There is no man so wrethed and desperate but he can wish with Balaam Oh that I might die the death of the righteous and that my last end might be like one of theirs Labour now then in time to become a new creature walke with God in obedience labour for sanctification and this will cause thee to stand out in this iudgement Now that the wicked shall not stand in this iudgement some may heere obiect and say This is that which we desire that we may not appeare before the face of that angry iudge whose presence is so intollerable But alas this is not all for then the wicked might seeme to be blessed if they might here delight in sin and drinke downe iniquitie like water and neuer bee called to account for the same Therefore the wicked shall appeare in Iudgement In foure respects the wicked must appeare in iudgment and yet not any whit contrarie to this Text which saith The wicked shall not stand in iudgement and that in these foure respects First in regard of their appearance there Iere. 35.21 The Lord will enter into iudgement with all flesh if with all flesh then chiefly with such kind of flesh as are species of that genus So flesh as that they are nothing but flesh that haue not the seed of the spirit remaining in them Secondly they must arise and appeare in this iudgement in respect of the sinners araignment at Gods iudgment barre For we must not onely appeare in iudgement 2. Cor. 5.10 but before the iudgement seate of Christ Thirdly they must arise and appeare in this iudgment to be indited for God will bring euery work of theirs into iudgement Eccl. 12.14 whether they bee good or euill Fourthly and lastly they must arise and stand in this iudgement to heare the sentence of the Iudge of heauen and earth passe against them Mat. 25.41 Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels A thundring Sentence indeede able if it were possible to wound to death the hatrs
of the wicked but they shall after death never die Yea euery word of the sentence seemes to be most fearfull terrible First what they shall do Depart Secondly how they shall depart Cursed Thirdly from whom From me Fourthly whither Into fire Fifthly into what fire Euerlasting fire Sixtly by what right Prepared Seuenthly with what company The Diuell and his Angels Hitherto and thus farre the wicked must arise and stand in Iudgement but after this sentence is once giuen they shall neuer rise vp to appeare in Iudgement any more But where it is said They shall not stand in Iudgement This is meant onely in respect of Gods fauour For this is proper onely to the godly thus to stand in iudgement who are bold in respect of Iesus Christ their elder Brother in whose righteousnesse they appeare Oh that all men would consider Vse 1 this high low rich poore noble and simple That no wicked man shall stand in iudgement but shall heare the fearefull sentence of eternall vengeance Depart from mee yee cursed O how ready are men to put from them this day of reckoning They seeme to haue made a league with Death Esay 28.15 and to bee at an agreement with the Graue But the Lord will disanull this their agreement and the time will come when these wicked wretches will bee glad to put their heads in an awger hole when they shall cry vnto the rockes and hils to fall vpon them to hide them and to couer them from the wrath of God the angry Iudge whom they are not able to endure Who would buy gold at such a rate or pleasures so deere to loose his soule in hell fire for euer for the pleasures of sinne for a season heere Secondly we are taught here that Vse 2 as all wicked and vngodly men bee wretched and miserable in their life So at the day of Iudgement their estate is much more fearefull for it is said here They shall not stand in iudgement but shall quake and tremble as not being able to endure the angry countenance of the Iudge Reu. 20.14 For now they shal see the books brought forth and their sinnes laid open O good Lord what shall vngodly men do then which way shall they turne them when they shall see the Iudge stand aboue them with a naked sword to cut them off and the deuils ready to execute Gods eternall iudgements on them poore soules what shall become of them How can they stand how can they endure it And yet they must vndergo it and endure it But more then this they must receiue that fearefull sentence of eternall vengeance Depart yee cursed c. So as now they must remaine in perpetuall prison in the darke dungeon of hell for euer where the paines are endlesse easlesse and remedilesse They shall haue no ease no not one drop of water to coole their tongue And this word euerlasting Torment doth euen kill the heart of the damned for if a man in hell torments might lie in torments so many thousand yeares as bee Starres in the firmament or sand on the Sea shoare Esa 30.30 it were some comfort to a damned soule that once there might bee an end thereof But alas when he hath suffered torments so many yeares the number to suffer still will euer remaine infinite God giue vs grace that we may become righteous that so wee may stand in iudgement The second part of the misery of a wicked man in the life to come is Hee shall not stand in the assembly of the Iust IN these words is noted out vnto vs a second branch of the iudgement of the wicked in the life to come That they shall be seuered and secluded from the company of the Iust Heauen is called the New Ierusalem wherein enters no vncleane thing onely this is the place where the iust do abide Heere are all the holy Patriarkes Abraham Isaac and Iacob heere are the Apostles heere are the holy Martyrs and constant witnesses of CHRISTS truth here are all the Saints that sleepe in Christ heere they rest and sing continually Praise honour and glory vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne heere they enioy the presence of God and see his face continually Now to bee depriued of this place and to be seuered from this company it is a misery with a witnesse And this is that misery heere pointed out in this second place They shall not stand in the Assembly of the Iust The Church is to bee vnderstood two wayes Militant and Triumphant and from both of these the wicked are excluded for howsoeuer the wicked liue amongst the godly as Tares amongst the good Wheate as Cain and Esau and Iudas did amongst the godly yet they were not of the godly They went out from vs because they were not of vs But this is not directly intended in this place But of the Church Triumphant in the kingdome of heauen where the godly enioy Iesus Christ Psal 16.12 In whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand is pleasure for euermore heere the wicked shall not stand in this Assembly Exod. 3. For if Moses might not stand vpon the holy ground before he had put off his shooes Oh how much lesse shall sinfull wretches stand in the presence of the euerliuing God hauing on the shooes of their sinfull affection Yea it is now most iust with God that such should be shut from Heauen the Church Triumphant seeing they neuer warred in the Church Militant Neither the sinners in the assembly of the iust Doctr. 2. All Mankinde diuided into two ranks HEere then we learne that there are two sorts of men in the world Good and Bad Sheep Goates Elect and Reprobate and heere in this world they liue together but after death in the last iudgement there shall bee two places appointed for them Mat. 25.34 one on the right hand another on the left one in honour the other in shame one in ioy and comfort the other in feare and horror And as wicked men in this life could neuer abide the company and society of the godly but did mock and scoffe at them and shun their company as much as they could so in the great day of account in that great and generall separation The sinners shall not appeare in the assembly of the righteous but shall bee seuered and sundred by the great Shepheard of the sheepe the Iudge of the whole world Now that wicked men shun and auoid the company of the godly and do desire and seeke the company of the wicked it is plaine by experience and therefore it is iust with God that at the last day they should bee seuered and secluded their company and as they loued and delighted in the company of wicked men and such as haue no feare of God before their eyes so now they shall haue their belly full of their company How did Cain hate Abel Pharaoh Moses and Aaron Saul Dauid the
performe it open therefore the eyes of our minds that we may see what is good put thy good Spirit within vs giue vs fleshly hearts and pliable affections draw our minds from the loue of this present world teach vs to vse it as if we vsed it not that we haue heere no continuing Citie but to seeke one to come that so wee may seeke for that kingdome that cannot bee shaken but eternall in the heauens Lord teach vs to do thy wil knit our hearts vnto thee that we may feare thy name ô Lord heare ô Lord forgiue ô Lord consider the complaint that we make vnto thee and giue a gracious answere vnto our prayers for the Lords sake And now ô Lord we thanke thee euen from the bottome of our hearts for thy inestimable blessings wherwith in Christ Iesus thou hast blessed vs for our Election before the foundation of the world for our Vocation Iustification Sanctification and Preseruation and for that thou hast put in vs a hope of Glorification in the life to come We thank thee more especially for that thou hast defended vs this night past from all perils dangers and hast safely brought vs to the beginning of this day Now Lord wee humbly pray thee keepe vs and all that belong vnto vs this day from al euill that may hurt vs set thy feare before our eyes and let thy spirit so rule our hearts that we may not sin against thee As for outward things we submit our selues to thy wise and fatherly prouidence only we beseech thee to giue vs this day whatsoeuer thou knowest needfull behouefull vnto vs let vs not want those things without which we cannot serue thee blesse vs in our going out and our comming in and grant that whatsoeuer we shall thinke speake or doe may tend to thy glory the good of our brethren and the comfort of our owne consciences when wee shall come to make before thee our last accounts Blesse thy whole Church O Lord and build it vp more and more in perfect beautie disappoynt the hope of the Papists let them perish as many as haue euil wil at Syon comfort them that mourne especially such as mourn for sin fulfil the desires of all that truly long sigh after thee Blesse this good land in which we liue make thy glorious Gospell to shine more more vntil it be perfect day Lord send it where it is not and blesse it where it is that Babylon may fall and neuer rise vp again and to this end strenthen the hand of thine annoynted seruant and our dread Soueraigne Iames Lord make him to see and know euery day more and more what belongs vnto thy glory what belongs vnto his owne peace and safety and Lord giue him a heart that he may duly practise the same Blesse likewise our gracious Queene Anne Prince Charles and rhe Count Palatine of Rhine with the Lady Elizabeth his wife Assist with thy spirit and grace all that are in authority sanctifie all those whom thou employest in the Ministery Be mercifull vnto all that wee are bound in duty to pray for as if we had named them in particular vnto thee Hasten the comming of Iesus Christ make vs euer mindfull of our last end and of the reckoning that one day we are to make vnto thee And in the meane time Lord make vs carefull to follow Christ in the Regeneration during this life as that with Christ one day we may haue our portion in the resurrection of the Iust when this mortall life is ended These graces and all other blessings which thou knowest to bee needfull for vs O Lord we humbly begge and craue at thy hand in the name and for the sake alone of Iesus Christ thy deere Sonne and in that forme of prayer which hee himselfe hath taught vs saying Our Father which art in Heauen c. A Prayer for the Euening O Lord God by whose gracious prouidence the night succeedeth the day and the day the night wee acknowledge thy wonderfull power therin forasmuch as day vnto day vttereth thy goodnes and night vnto night teacheth knowledge O Lord amongst other thy mercies with which thou doest euen follow vs most rebellious wretches wee must needs acknowledge that this is not the least that we haue this libertie to come into thy presence O Lord wee come not now to excuse our selues but to accuse our selues yea and to acknowledge that we are worthy of all those iudgements which thy iustice might most iustly inflict vpon vs our sinnes they make vs seeme vile in our eyes how much more loathsome in thy sight O Lord we must needs confesse that we are so farre vnworthy to bee called thy sonnes as that we are not worthy to bee reckoned amongst thy seruants yea were it not that thou wert a God of mercy and that thy mercy were ouer all thy workes and doth extend it selfe euen to poore sinners we should vtterly be discouraged in comming vnto thee considering that our whole life hath been but a life of sinne and that we haue drunke downe iniquity as it were water euer powring in but neuer powring out our filthinesse O Lord teach vs to value this mercy of thine aright that thou hast spared vs so long and giuen vs so large a time of repentance that thou hast not preuented vs with death in the time of our ignorance hardnesse of heart as many haue beene before vs O Lord it is thy mercy not our worthinesse Thus hast thou shewed thy selfe to be a God of mercy one that delighteth in the prosperity of thy seruants Now Lord we humbly entreat thee that thou wouldst pardon and forgiue vs all our sins and offences bathe them in the bloud of thy Sonne naile them to his Crosse bind them in a bundle and throw them downe into the bottome of the sea that they may neuer rise vp against vs either in this world to accuse vs or in the world to come to condemne vs. O Lord wee are heartily sorry that wee haue abused thy blessings prophaned thy Saboths despised thy word and quenched thy Spirit For these and the like blessed father we condemne our selues do not thou therefore marke them nor deale not with vs as we haue deserued but teach vs to rise vp against our sinnes that our warre with them may assure vs that wee haue peace with thee O Lord we abhorre our selues for to vs belongs nothing but shame and confusion of face for euer and we do humbly entreat thee to looke vpon vs in thy Son Christ Iesus O let the chastisement of our peace bee vpon him and heale vs through his stripes Lord let vs euer remember our latter end and the straight reckoning that we must render vnto thee one day and in health and prosperity to thinke of a time of sicknesse and aduersity and especially good Lord deliuer vs in the houre of temptation that when Sathan his assaults shall be greatest as his policy is when wee are weakest and least able to resist him that thy power may then appeare in our weaknesse that these things may not ouertake vs as a snare but that with the wise virgins wee may in some sort bee prepared for the comming of Christ Iesus the sweete Bridegroome of our soules And to that end we may haue comfort both now and at that time goe forward wee humbly pray thee with the worke of our new birth that thou hast begun in vs and neuer take away thy hand vntill such time as thou hast made an end of it And now O Lord hauing in the first place sought thy kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof giue vs leaue in the next place to seek thy fauour in outward things First according to our duty we giue thee hearty thankes praise for that thou hast this day preserued vs from all euill and danger wee humbly pray thee take care ouer vs this night and defend vs from that roaring Lyon who night and day goeth about seeking whom hee may deuoure Take thou vs this night into thy blessed tuition we know that thou dost neither slumber nor sleepe keepe vs euen in our sleepe from being vnmindfull of thee that whensoeuer thou shalt call for vs by the generall Alarum of thy iudgement whether at mid-night at Cocke-crowing or at the dawning of the day we may bee found ready to accompany the Bridegroome into the Marriage-chamber And to this end Lord sanctifie our sleep vnto vs that by it wee may bee the better enabled to performe the duties of the next day and night and day being guided by thee they may fit vs and prepare vs for that day of thine that shall neuer giue place to night And we beseech thee O Lord to be mercifull likewise to thy whole Church heare the cries of thine elect heare the mourning of all such as mourne in Syon let the cries of thy children cry downe the cries of the sinnes of this land and bee reconciled vnto vs O Lord our God in the multitude of thy mercies that so thou maist continue still a mercifull God vnto this Land the Vineyard which thy own right hand hath planted Preserue our gracious King blesse and prosper the Queene the hopefull Prince Charles Princely Palsgraue of Rhene with the Princesse Elizabeth his wife And as thou hast crowned them with worldly honour vpon earth so direct them vnto that more glorious Crowne in heauen Blesse the Nobility and Magistracy of this Land Prosper the worke of thy Gospell in the hands of thy Ministers And good Lord giue vs all grace to bee one of those wise virgines that our hearts may bee prepared like a lamp furnished with Faith and good workes like Oyle to meete the Lord Iesus Christ the Bridegroome of our soules there to see the felicity of thy chosen and to reioyce with the ioy of thy people To whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit bee all Honour Glory Might Maiesty and Dominion henceforth for euer Amen FINIS
proued pag. 275. Doct. 2. All mankind diuided into two rankes pag. 286. VERSE 6. Doct. 1. A great comfort to the godly that God doth approue of them pag. 294 Doct. 2. The Lord hateth a wicked man and all hee doth pag. 298 A Prayer for the Morning p. 301 A Prayer for the Euening p. 309 A Plaine and Familiar Exposition vpon the first Psalme first Preached and now published for the benefite of Gods Church The first Psalme VERSE 1. Blessed is the man that doth not walke in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seate of the scornefull CONCERNING the Book of the Psalmes Quid est quod non in Psalmis August Psal it is an Epitome of the whole Bible teaching vs what wee are to beleeue and doe both to GOD and man in which we may as in a glasse cleerely behold the natute of GOD his Wisedome Goodnesse and Mercy towards his Church and Children as also most notable spectacles of his fearefull wrath and vengeance against the wicked and vngodly If men would learne to pray vnto God and craue for any mercy and blessing at his hands Loe heere bee excellent plat-formes of true Idem Nonne omne quod potest dici bonū quod ad vtilitate animae pertinet procedat ex ipsis hearty and earnest prayers If men would giue thankes for blessings receiued or for iudgements escaped or for deliuerance from wicked and vngodly men heere bee most worthy examples and directions Againe if men would finde comfort in temptation trouble and affliction and learne with patience to beare them there is no part of the Bible more sweete and comfortable then this Book of the Psalmes And therefore it should bee our delight and study and wee ought to spend the more time in the reading and in the meditating of so excellent and worthy a Booke This Psalme is set downe before the rest This Psalm is a preface to the whole Booke of Psalmes Iohn 5.39 as a Preface to stirre vp euery faithfull Christian to the dilligent and carefull study of the holy Scriptures and the blessed Booke of GOD as our Sauiour saith Search the Scriptures c. Because that will bring a man to true happinesse in the end namely to know GOD to bee his GOD to know IESVS CHRIST to know himselfe and to direct him in the narrow way that leadeth vnto life This first Psalme is set downe without any inscription As Athanasius and Hilar. affirme and therefore it is vncertaine by whom it was penned whether by Dauid as most like it was or by Esdras who is rather thought to haue gathered them together and ioyned them thus in one Volume or Booke as now wee haue them This Psalme doth teach vs these two worthy points namely how the godly man liues and walkes in this world Summe of the Psalme what manner of life hee leads on earth and also what happinesse and blessednesse is reserued for him in the life to come in heauen v. 1.2.3 The second part shewes the contrary life of the wicked and vngodly as also what fearefull vengeance and eternall iudgements are prepared for them ver 4.5 And the parts of this Psalme are two In the former part is a description of the contrary estate of the godly man and the wicked man namely that the godly man is certainely blessed and the wicked man cursed in the fiue first verses The other part shewes the chiefe cause of the happinesse of the one and the misery of the other verse the sixth Because GOD knoweth that is likes loues and allowes yea doth blesse and prosper the way of the one but he hates abhorres and dislikes the way of the other and GOD doth curse it and make it most vnhappy and miserable vnto them So that we see the summe of this Psalme is this that those are blessed whose way that is whose life and conuersation the LORD loues likes and allowes of so as he doth direct and blesse it But the LORD allowes and takes care of the way of the righteous and godly man therefore the godly man is blessed Now seeing this is the maine Proposition of this Psalme to proue that the godly are blessed Therefore the Prophet doth first shew who bee truely godly as verse 1.2 and then wherein their blessednesse doth consist v. 3. The godly man is described two waies First Negatiuely shewing what hee doth carefully shunne and auoide v. 1. Secondly Affirmatiuely shewing what he doth carefully embrace and follow v. 2. Concerning the things which the godly man doth euer carefully shun and auoide they are heere laid down to bee three in number by a most excellent kind of speech laid downe by way of graduation wherein the Prophet shewes how men proceed by degrees to bee wicked for there is an increase and proceeding in sin Three sorts of wicked men as we may see in euery step of this graduation first in the persons secondly in the manner and thirdly in the sin it selfe And indeed there is a variety and multiplicity of sinnes and as they are diuers and of diuers kinds so the variety of number causeth a diuersity of names The counsell of the wicked the way of sinners the seate of the scornefull For as one saith well there is a fruitfull crop of sinne Peccata frugifera seges c. Cypri ser de morta and there is none of the sonnes of Adam but may say with Manasses in his prayer I haue sinned aboue the number of the sand of the sea First Hee doth not walke in the councell of the wicked where we see the persons are said to be wicked the originall word signifieth a man that is neuer quiet but euer thinking or doing something that is euill like the raging sea whose minde is euer troubled and tempted with euill thoughts and perturbations By Counsell hee vnderstandeth heere the craftes and subtelties of the wicked by which they push themselues forward and labour to draw others to the like according to that of Salomon My sonne if sinners intise thee consent thou not Pr. 1.10.11 Prou. 4 14. if they say come let vs lay waite for bloud c. So that the Prophet meaneth heere that hee is blessed that ioyneth not himselfe to commit sinne with the vngodly nor by himselfe doth commit the same as sinners do The second sort of euill men whose company hee doth auoide are called Sinners the word signifies such as not onely are of a naughty heart and being seduced by bad counsell liue in sinne but such as delight in sin and haue in them a constant and setled purpose to liue in sinne The third sort of euill men whose company he doth auoide are called Scorners And they are such kind of wicked men as being hardened in heart do still confirme themselues in their wicked life and get such a habite and custome in sinne that they shame not to make a mock of GOD and
applying of the heauenly doctrine of the word of God And indeede this is heere set downe as a true fruit of our loue to the word as the loue of the word is made a true fruit of a godly man for as it is impossible a man should be truely religious and feare God yet haue no sound loue nor delight in the word of God so is it likewise impossible a man or woman should truly loue the word of God in their heart that seldome or neuer bestow any paines in the serious and earnest meditation of the same Dauid calls God to witnes that the loue he bare to the law of God was exceeding great when he said O how do I loue thy Law Psa 119.97 And in the same verse he seemes to proue the same to God it is my meditation continually which indeed is a note of true loue to be euer thinking of the thing beloued And in very deed the carefull and diligent study the often and earnest meditation of the word of God is the very life and strength of all our worship and seruice of God for if men should reade much and neuer meditate it would doe them no good if men should heare much often neuer meditate they should be little the better If men should pray much and often and neuer meditate they should finde small comfort If men come often to the Sacraments and doe not before and after meditate of the Couenant of grace they should not receiue much good thereby so that you see that Meditation is all in all it puts life to our reading hearing praying receiuing and without it al our reading hearing praying and receiuing will stand vs in small stead For without this Meditation this Lawe that is the word of God will eyther in time be forgotten whereby wee shall become vnmindefull of it or else it will prooue as a Talent hid in the ground vtterly vnfruitfull vnto vs for this Meditation indeed is the third steppe of a true conuert The first is to heare the word of God readily the second to remember it diligently and the third to Meditate on it seriously and this is compared to the Chewing of the Cud Deut. 14.6.7 which is neuer found in the vncleane but in the cleane beasts True it is that hearing and reading the Word will beget knowledge but Meditation is the speciall meanes to worke vpon the affection for else all our knowledge shall onely be in generall idle and swimming in the brayne which may well bee called braine-knowledge but no heart-knowledge but by serious Meditation wee doe applie that wee heare to our owne selues in particular laying the Doctrine to our owne hearts applying it to our selues to comfort our sad soules to humble them for our sinnes and to square our liues thereby that wee may in all things keepe a cleare conscience before God and man The Lord giues Ioshuah a straight charge to doe thus Let not the Booke of the Lawe depart out of thy mouth But meditate therein day and night That thou mayest obserue and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and thou shalt then haue good successe Ioshua 1.8 and Deuteron 6. vers 6.7.8 And thus the seruants of God haue been much exercised in meditation and thereby haue growne woonderfull not only in knowledge but in practise as we may see in Dauid Psa 119. who tooke great delight in Gods Lawe and made it his meditation continually And of Isaac it is reported that hee went out into the fieldes in the euening to meditate Genesis cha 24. This reprooues the common fault Vse 1 in the world that most men vtterly neglect this duety seldome or neuer settle themselues to meditate in the Lawe of God and his heauenly Doctrine It is hard to finde a man or woman that makes any conscience of this duetie to set themselues apart and set themselues in Gods presence to call to minde that they haue heard and learned to applie it to themselues in particular to humble them or to comfort them And this is the cause why most men hearing and reading so much as they haue yet profit so little in knowledge faith repentance and obedience They can be content to heare the word preached and taught and it may be now and then to reade a chapter but to thinke vpon it to ruminate vpon the word of God and as it were to chew the Cudde to call the same to minde againe to applie it to themselues to labour to profit by it this they cannot indure this they care not for For if men did carefully meditate of the things they heard and read how could they be so ignorant in Gods word as most be So voyde of knowledge faith repentance humilitie zeale patience and the like gifts and graces which accompany godlie and holie meditation For bookes of Statutes men wil not only haue them in their houses but at their fingers ends but Bible they haue none And if they haue it lieth vpon the deske or table and they reade it not And if sometimes they reade yet they neuer meditate thereon This may admonish all men as Vse 2 they loue their owne soules to make more care and conscience of the performance of this duetie to call to minde that wee doe heare or reade to thinke and muse vpon it to chew the Cudde to lay it to heart yea and to applie it to our owne soules and consciences in particular This is like the rumination or chewing of the Cudde to lay it to bee found onely in the cleane beasts whereas they which chewed not the Cudde Deuter. 14 6.7 were vncleane This is the marke and propertie of a godlie and Blessed man whereas the not doing it is the marke of a wicked vngodly man Let vs then remember that we make the word of God our Meditation continually Many men meditate much some in one thing and some in another as they are led by fond affection some thinke of honours some of pleasures some of riches some of one thing and some of another And of these they doate and dreame talke and speake continually But heere wee are taught another lesson namely that our mindes must especially be set vpon the word of God that must be our delight and the ioy of our heart 3. Point The last point in this Verse is the circumstance of Time namely not by fittes But the godly man keepes a continuall course in the study and meditation of the word of God so as hee setteth apart some time for the worship and seruice of God at least twice a day to meditate and study in Gods Booke Hence wee learne that euery one Doctr. 4. A godly man sets some time apart euery day for Gods seruice that will liue a godly life and so please God that he may find comfort to his owne soule and be blessed in the end must set some time apart euery day for