voluptatum cruci affixa non habeat nayle therefore thy carnall desires to the Crosse of Christ that they may haue no libertie as they were wont to goe loose and wander where they please Otherwise if thou wilt be vaine caried like an instable man after the wandering lusts of corrupt nature fearful is that sentence My Spirit shal not alway striue with man for he is but flesh For feare of thee Familiaritie with men breeds contempt familiaritie with God not so none reuerence the Lord more then they vvho knowe him best and are most familiar with him The Seraphins who couer their faces in presence of his Maiestie teach vs this by their example Such as doe not remember God and far lesse reuerence him when they thinke or speak of his Maiestie declare sufficiently that they were neuer familiar with him I am afraid of thy iudgements It is not to bee thought strange that this feare of Gods iudgements is in men regenerate for the guiltinesse which by sinnes of commission and omission daily they contract cannot be without fear But as I said it cannot continue for in them feare prepares away to loue and loue as it increaseth diminisheth feare Alway we learne here that if the iudgements of God executed vpon others make the godlie afraid how fearefull and importable they will be to the wicked If Moses trembled at the giuing of the law how terrible shall the execution thereof be vnto the wicked Let vs fear in time and we shall not feare in that day wherein horrible feare shall confound the wicked AIN VER 121. I haue executed iudgement and iustice leaue me not to mine oppressors IN this Section Dauid continueth his prayer for protection against his enemies as also for grace to knowe his way vpon earth and follow it He begins with a Petition Leaue me not to mine oppressors and he giues the reason I haue executed iudgement and iustice Where we are not to thinke that he is iustifying himselfe before God but onely declaring how iniustly he was oppressed by men Desensio est non arrogantia Our lesson is If we would haue our prayers forcible let vs intertaine the testimony of a good conscience Iudgement and iustice These two are distinguished by Ambrose in such sort that he makes the one the effect of the other Iudicij finis iustitia est in altero veritatis custodia est in altero fructus aequitatis iudgement is the keeper of verity iustice the fruit of equity the one of these perteyning to the minde makes it giue light for discerning betweene right and wrong the other rectifying the affections and actions Happy is the man in whom these two concurre together Quis autem hodie tanta animi praeditus est puritate vt cum fiducia verbis ist is vti possit But who this day is indued with such purity of minde that with boldnesse he may vse these words My reioycing is the testimony of a good conscience Leaue me not We haue often said that Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart who had also the testimony of a good conscience to sustaine him yet could he not liue free from the oppression of wicked men So long as this battell lasts and Satan wants not instruments let vs euer look to be troubled by them and not to be discouraged thereat but rather comforted considering the inimity proclaimed in Paradise is without reconciliation and sith the Prince of our saluation sustained such contradiction of sinners why shall it grieue vs to beare his crosse And sith Dauid so earnestly prayed not to be left into the hands of his bodily oppressors what shall we doe against our soules oppressors Satan seekes continually to spoile vs of that sparke of spirituall life which God hath put into vs. It is a searfull iudgement where God leaues men to his tyrannie let vs pray for mercy against it VER 122. Answer for thy seruant in that thing which is good and let not the proud oppresse me AMong many crosses wherewith Dauid was exercised the strise of tongues is not one of the least they did persecute him with lies and calumnies scoffers and belly-gods made a by-word of him in their meetings and flattering Courtiers belied him vnto Saul This was not a small crosse Molesta enimres calumnia etiamsi magnum afferat praemium against it Dauid makes his refuge to God Answer for thy seruant His meaning is Lord thou kno west how iniustly I am calumniate and euill spoken of in many parts where I am not nor may not answere for my selfe Lorde answere thou for me And his petition imports not onely a crauing of helpe from God but that God would take his part and ioyne himselfe with his righteous cause And so it is indeede the Lord is partaker with his children in their innocent sufferings and their cause is his cause Blessed are ye when ye are railed vpon for righteousnesse sake c. For the spirit of grace and glorie rests in you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part is glorified This might serue for a warning to wicked men if any wisedom were in them they should be loath to meddle with the children of God for if so they will they meddle with a stronger partie then they are aware of Againe it is to be considered that hee craues protection onely in his good and honest cause It is not for vs to call for the Lords assistance to all our willes and workes Hee is the righteous Iudge of the world and neyther will nor can do vnrighteously To commenda wrong cause to his protection is to prouoke him to hasten our punishment And on the other hand albeit our cause were neuer so righteous yet we must not think to bear it out with our owne strength and wisedome It falles out oft-times that men fall downe and faint through feeblenesse euen in a good cause because they giue not to God his glory In their lawfull affairs they prosper not because they take counsel but not from me saith the Lord They commit not their way to God as Dauid exhorts neyther cast they their burden vpon the Lord as Peter commaunds them but sacrifice to their own net think to cōpasse their affaires by their own wi◅ Sure it is the Lord is then most carefull of vs when we cast our greatest care vpon him For thy seruant Customably King Dauid delights in this stile to call himselfe Gods seruant learning vs also to count this our greatest honor to be the seruants of the great and euer-liuing God for we are not our owne as saith the Apostle We are bought with a price But here is our sin such as are vndervs whether they be bought or hired seruants wee thinke they should serue vs and are offended if they doe not but are not so carefull to doe seruice to
not for siluer it is but rust nor for gold it is but metall nor for possessions it is but earth Ista oratio ad deum non peruenit such prayer ascends not to God Non audit deus nisi quod dignum est eius beneficijs Hee is a great God and esteemes himselfe dishonoured when great things with a great affection are not sought from him Heare me and I will keep Of this petition and promise see verse 8. 33. 44. 88. 134. 146. VER 146. I called vpon thee saue me and I will keepe thy testimonies HE insists in his former petition expounding euery part of it He protested before hee cryed with his whole heart now he declares to whom hee cryed Prayer is a point of seruice due vnto God Only he craued before that God would hear him now he shewes wherein Saue mee and thirdly hee renewes his promise and the repetition thereof tells vs that the promises of thankfulnes in Gods children are no sodaine nor vanishing motions but settled conclusions And againe it teacheth vs that as Gods children are carefull to seeke from God that which they neede so are they carefull to giue vnto him that which he requires to witte praise and obedience Otherway where men seek benefits froÌ„ God the fruit whereof they minde not to return vnto him either they get not that which they seeke or if they doe they get in his displeasure as Israell got quailes If we would so seeke that we may obtaine let vs not seek that we may bestow vpon our owne lustes which S. Iames reproues but that we may aduance his glory VER 147. I preuented the morning light and cryed for I waiteden thy word HE amplifies yet further the first reason for which he desires the Lord to heare him taken from his earnest feruency in prayer and it is written for our instruction to learne vs continuance in praier It is required by precept Luke 21. Watch and pray continually and againe 1. Thes. 5. Pray continually For example also at midnight morning and at noone tide did Dauid pray yea seuen times in the day all the night long did our Sauiour pray Non precationis indigens auxilio sed statuens tibi imitationis exemplum not standing himselfe in neede of the help of prayer but setting down to thee an example of prayer for imitation Ille pro te rogans pernoctabat vt tu disceres quomodo pro te rogares when he praied for thee he prayed all the night long that thou also mightst learn how to pray for thy selfe Qui rogat itaque semper roget sinon semper precatur paratum semper habeat precantis affectum He therfore that praies let him pray alway or if he do not alway pray let him alwaies haue ready the affection of prayer But the manner of speech is to be marked hee saith he preuented the morning watch Thereby declaring that he liued as it were in a strife with time carefull that it should not ouerunne him He knew that time postes away and in running-by weareth man to dust and ashes But Dauid preassed to get before it by doing some good in it before that it should spurre away from him And this care which Dauid had of euerie day alas how may it make them ashamed who haue no care of their whole life He was afraide to lose a day they take no thought to lose moneths and yeares without doing good in them yea hauing spent the three ages of their life in vanity and licentiousnes scarse will they consecrate their old and decrepit age to the Lord. I waited on thy word See verse 43. 81. VER 148. Mine eyes preuent the night watch to meditate in thy word HIS former purpose is yet continued declaring his indefatigable perseueraÌ„ce in prayer Oh that we could learne at him to vse our time wel At euening he lay down with praiers and teares at midnight hee rose to giue thanks he got vp before the morning light to call on the Lord. This is to imitate the life of Angels who euer are delighted to beholde the face of God singing alwaie a new song without wearying This is to beginne our heauen vpon earth oh that we could alway remember it An nescis ô homo quòd primitias tui cordis ac vocis quotidie Deo deboas Knowst thou not O man that thou owest euery day the first fruits of thy heart and tongue to the Lord our God Shouldst thou thinke of any thing before that first thou remember him in the morning or should thy tongue speake of any thing before the first fruits of thy speech be offered vnto him by prayer and praysing of his holy name But alas the coldnesse of this age in worshipping the Lord in praising him who is most worthy to be praysed is here greatly conuinced no time of the night will they spend in prayer yea in the day time they had rather doe any thing then be exercised in prayer and praysing snorâ—…ing and sleeping in the very time of diuine seruice when others beside them are intertayning fellowship with God by the exercise of the word and prayer If oftentimes they whose lippes are praysing him haue their hearts farre from him how farre is thy heart from him who canst not do so much as with thy lips to praise him when thou shouldst O man wilt thou remember that no time shall render thee comfort in the houre of death but that which thou hast spent in the seruice of thy God And if thou canst not consecrate all thy dayes and euery houre of the day vnto the Lord yet why wilt thou not diuide thy time rightly that where thou giuest one houre to the world and the affaires thereof why wilt thou not giue another to the Lord the works of his worship In this point the Lord make vs more wise giue vs grace to redeeme the time To mediate in thy word See ver 15. 23. 27. 48. 78. 99. 148. VER 149. Heare my voice according to thy louing kindnesse O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgement THis is a petition frequently vsed by all the children of God That he would hear them and not without great cause for the heauy heart is eased and disburdened by praier and it brings a present mitigation of their troubles when they feele in effect that God hears them Beside that it renders vnto them vnspeakable comfort for the time to come it confirmes them against the feare of death and makes them with boldnesse to goe out of the body that they may be with the Lord because by manifold experience they did finde in the body that God heard them and gaue them comfortable accesse to his Throne of grace According to thy louing kindnesse This is the great and maine argument whereby all Gods children moue the Lord to compassion namely his own fauour and louing kindnesse Semper homo etiam
And truely if it be the Lord whom we seeke it will appeare by this no other thing shall content vs but still we will goe on seeking himselfe till we finde himselfe But we must remember sixe conditions required in them who would seeke the Lord rightly First we must seeke him in Christ the Mediatour No man can come to the Father but by the Son and He is able also perfectly to saue all that come vnto God by him And this excludes Papists who content them not with the Mediatour from the right seeking of God Secondly we must seeke him in truth for God is a God of truth he will be worshipped in spirit and truth for God is a Spirit and loueth truth in the inward affections And this is the condition which here is required Blessed are they who seeke him with their whole heart And this excludes hypocrits Thirdly we must seek him in holiness Let euery one that calles on the name of the Lord depart from iniquity and again saith the Apostle Follow peace and sanctification without which no man can see the Lord. And Whosoeuer hath this hope in himselfe namely that he shall see God as he is purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure And this condition excludes from seeking of God all Atheists vncleane vnpeniâ—…ent persons Fourthly we must seeke him aboue all things and for himselfe not as the carnall Iewes did with whom the Lord was angry They howle vpon me for wine and oyle It is a great dishonouring of God when any thing is sought from him more then himself or not for himself Quisquis à deo praeter deum quaerit non castè deum quaerit as if his creatures serued not to this end principally to lead vs vnto himselfe or among them all there were any thing more precious then himselfe and this excludes mercenaries and worldlings Fiftly we must seek him by the light of his own word the Gentiles sought to finde him by the light of nature but they became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart being full of darknes could neuer find him As the Sun without the light of it selfe cannot be knowne so God without his owne light which shines in his word cannot be known No man hath seene God at any time the Sonne who hath come from the bosome of the Father he hath declared him and the direction of the Sonne is Search the Scriptures And this excludes all those children of darkenesse who disdayning the light of the word depend vpon phantasies or presumptions of their owne Last of all we must seeke him diligently and with perseuerance neuer resting till we finde him with the Spouse in the Canticles We must not seeke him by startings casting off all caâ—…e when we finde him not at the first but without wearying wee must wait vpon him They that looke vnto him that is constantly attend vpon him their faces shall not bee ashamed And this excludes carelesse Christians and temporizers who seeke him by starts but continue not VER 3. Surely they worke none iniquity that walke in his wayes THis Verse containes a commendation of the word of God from this notable fruit and effect thereof that they who keepe it are kept by it from iniquity and so made partakers by it of the third degree of man his felicity which is sanctification If it be demaunded here How is it that they who walke in Gods wayes worke none iniquitie Is there any man who liues and sinnes not And if they be not without sinne How then are they to be blessed The answere is as the Apostle sayes of our knowledge Wee knowe but in a part so is it true of our felicity on earth wee are blessed but in a part It is the happinesse of Angels that they neuer sinned it is the happinesse of triumphant Saints that albeit they haue beene sinners yet now they sinne no more but the happinesse of Saints militant is that our sinnes are forgiuen vs and that albeit sinne remaine in vs yet it raignes not ouer vs it is done in vs but not by our allowance I doe the euill which I would not not I but sinne that dwels in me Secondly to the working of iniquity these three things must concurre first a purpose to do it next a delight in doing it thirdly a continuance in it which three in Gods children neuer concurre for in sinnes done in them by the old man the new man makes his exceptions and protestations against them It is not I sayes hee and so farre is hee from delighting in them that rather his soule is grieued with them euen as Lot dwelling among the Sodomites was vexed by hearing and seeing their vnrighteous deeds In a word the children of GOD are rather sufferers of sinne against their willes then actors of it with their willes like men spiritually oppressed by the power of their enemie for which they sigh and crie vnto God Miserable man that I am who will deliuer mee from this bodie of Death And in this sense it is that the Apostle saith Hee who is borne of GOD sinneth not In his wayes The course of mans life ordered according to the worde of the Lorde is called the way of GOD first because it pleaseth him and next because it leades vs vnto him There are many desirous to be where the Lord is that shall neuer com there all because they delight not in the way that leads vnto him blessed are they who walke in this vvay Confirme mine heart ô GOD that I may keep it vnto the end VER 4. Thou hast commanded to keepe thy precepts diligently AL the sinnes vvhich in this age men commit against the Lord proceed eyther from rebellion or at least from obliuion of his commaundements for now in this great light all excuse of ignorance is taken away None of the former two are good but of the two rebellion is the vvorst Gods children abhorre it as a diuelish euill to rebell against God how-euer by obliuion many times they fall both in sinnes of omission and commission so long as they remember what God hath commanded to be done and what reasons they haue to obey him they are not easily snared but beeing once preuented by obliuion they are easily caried vnto transgression It is good therefore to keep in our hearts with Dauid this short remedy against obliuion Thou hast commaunded to keepe thy precepts diligently As the eyes of seruants looke vnto the hand of their Masters so should our eyes vvait vpon the Lord our GOD euer looking to that way vvhere-vnto his countenaunce â—…oth direct vs. Diligently In worldly affaires no weighty thing can be done without diligence farre lesse in spirituall Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently For three causes should we keepe the commandements of the Lord with diligence first because
the power of Grace preuailing but this comfort wee haue that at length Grace shall preuaile the power of corrupt Nature shal be captiued vnder the obedience of Christ. Quicken me Dauid being sore oppressed as I said and dead in himselfe doth now beseech the Lord to quicken him raise him vp againe for he knew that not onely the beginnings but the continuance of our life must come from the Lord. Thus we see how the children of God are wakened by their wants stirred vp by their falls and decaies to a greater feruencie in prayer And truely these changes of our life which this manner of waie wakens vs and prouokes vs to prayer we are to account them as the mercifull hand of God stretched out toward vs to drawe vs home to himselfe â—…et no man thinke euill of that trouble that chaseth him to the Lord. Yea I may say his falls which make him more humble and feruent in prayer are of Gods dispensation who when he will in most maruailous manner can bring light out of darknes But seeing hee was aliue how prayes hee that God would quicken him I answere The godly esteeme of life not according to that they haue in the body but in their soule If the soule want the sense of mercie and a heauenly disposition to spirituall thinges they lament ouer it as a dead soule for sure it is temporall desertions are more heauie to the godlie then temporall death According thy word This is a great faith that vvhere in respect of his present feeling he found himself dâ—…ad yet he hopes for life froÌ„ God according to his promise Such was the faith of Abraham who vnder hope belieued aboue hope And truly many times are Gods children brought to this estate that they haue nothing to vphold them but the word of God no sense of mercie no spirituall disposition but on the contrarie great darknes horrible feares and terrors Onely they are sustained by looking to the promise of God and kept in some hope that he will restore them to life againe because it is his praise to finish the worke which he beginnes VER 26. I haue declared my waies and thou heardest me teach me thy statutes THis verse containes a prayer vvith a reason after this forme O Lord I haue oft before declared vnto thee the whole state and course of my life my wandrings my wants my doubts my griefes I hid nothing sroÌ„ thee thou according to my necessity didst alway hear me therfore now Lord I pray thee to teach me by thy light illuminate me that I may know thy stâ—…tutes receiue grace to walk in theÌ„ This is a good argument in dealing vvith the Lord I haue gotten many mercies and fauourable answers from thee therefore Lord I pray thee to giue memo sor whom he loues he loues to the end where he begins to shew mercy he ceaseth not til he crown his children with mercy And â—…o gratious is the Lord that he esteemes heâ—… is honoured as oft as we giue him the praise that we haue found comfort in him and therefore come to seeke more It is farre otherwise with men if they doe vnto vs any small good they thinke it vncourteous importunity to require them to do any more But as the Strand is easily emptied where the Ocean can neuer be exhauâ—…ted so mans liberality is soon dried vp but the goodnes of the Lord remains for euer who hath not the less because he hath giuen but stil delights â—…o giue more to such as are thankefull vnto him Next is to be marked how he saith I haue declared my wayes and thou heardst me these two go well together Mercy Truth Truth in the nearâ—… of man confessing Mercy in God hearing forgiuing happy is the soule wherin these two meete together Many there are who want this comfort they cannot say God hath heard me â—…nd all because they deale not plainely and truely with the Lord in declaring their waies vnto him For the wicked neyther will nor dare manifest heir wayes vnto the Lord. As the eye which is â—…urt dare not look to the light so the conscience of him that doth euill dare not look to the Lord â—…ea they doe what they can to hide their wayes â—…rom him and to conceale the iniquity of their bosome against such the Prophet denounces a wo â—…o to them that seeke in the deepe to hide their counsell from the Lord their workes are in secret and they who sees it Their turning of deuises and flying to refuges of vanity in the infidelity of their hearts will no more auaile them then the figge leaues did Adam to hide his nakednes For the Lord will bring euery worke to iudgement Better were it for vs to iudge our selues in time and with Dauid to examin our harts in our secret chamber to declare truely our wayes vnto the Lord that if they be good he would by his grace confirm vs in them if they be euill he would diuert vs from them then that otherwise we should sleep securely in our sins tarry till our aduersary accuse vs and the Lord enter into iudgement with vs nay rather let vs tell our sins our selues that the Lord who is gratious may forgiue and Sathan who is a most shameless and malitious accuser may be confounded Qui se accusauerit vocem parati accusatoris excludit qui solet acerâ—…are peccata vniuscuiusque exaggerare â—…agitia obstruit â—…s eius qui de seipso fuerit ante confessus This is the great vantage we haue by declaring our own sins to the Lord Qui sua delicta non taâ—…uit videtur in se doluisse quod fecit in diabolo prodidisse quod suasit that in so doing wee shewe our selues sorrowfull and penitent for the euill we haue done and therwithall also becom accusers of Sathan by whose subtile instigation we did the euill Last of all we learne here that then our life is well gouerned when we declare the course of it to the Lord lay open our harts nakedly before him This Dauid protests of himselfe Acta mea tibi Domine manifestani omnia and in another place that he set the Lord alway before him And this is it which is praised in Henoch that he walked with God Happy is the man whose wayes are so ordered that before his actions he consults with the Lord in his actions he remembers the Lord when he hath done presents them to the Lord if they be good seeking his approbation if they be euil seeking pardon forgiuene â—…of theÌ„ Teach me thy Statutes Now follows his prayer wherein he seekes light from God to direct him in his waies Non satis est vt confiteamur errorem verumetiam si corrigi volumus à Domino postulemus vt doceat nos iustificationes suas ne postea errare possimus It is
walk in is the path of GODS commaundements not anie nevv vvay but the old and pathed vvay vvherein all the seruaunts of GOD haue vvalked before him and for vvhich the Graecians as Euthymius noteth called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi viam tritam But how-so-euer this vvay bee pathed by the vvalking and treading of many in it yet he acknowledgeth it is but one yea and a narrow and difficil path to keepe and therefore seekes he to be guided into it As to the broad way there are many rodes and pathed wayes into it although they meet all in one end all men goe not to hell by one way for we see many men abhorring a sinne in others who yet intertaine a farre more odious sin in themselues but the narrow way that leades to heauen hath but one path or road into it from which if we decline we fall incontinent into some roade of the broad way that leads to hell Let vs therfore vvalke circumspectly considering our naturall disposition to decline and the dangers and difficulties of the vvay let vs wait vpon our guide and follow his foot-steps Praecedit Christus vt sequamur nos hee hath gone before that we should follow he fasted and prayed to traine vs vp in the like exercises he suffred to learne vs patience Ascendit Crucem vt doceret mortem non esse metuendam he went vp to the Crosse that he might teach vs death is not to be feared By this way of innocence holinesse humility patience contempt of death let vs follow our guide nothing doubting but this path shall lead vs to his Paradise For therein is my delight Of this see Verse 47. VER 36. Incline mine heart vnto thy Testimonies and not to couetousnes THis prayer among the rest no doubt flowed out of Dauid his sense hee found his hart euill inclined at least tempted to bow a wrong way For we stand betweene two parties that seek vs the one for our weale the other for our wrack The Lord on the one hand allures vs My sonne giue mee thine hart and offers vs more for it then wee yea or tenne thousand worlds can be woorth and I shall be thy portion On the other hand Satan the deceiuer by faire but false allurements seeks to haue our hart drawne after him Happy is the man can consider this that hee may offer his hart to the Lord and seeke it as a grace as heere Dauid doth Vnto thy testimonies Gods word is called his testimonie because in it hee testifieth his vvill concerning his worship and our saluation and witnesseth also how he is affected to euery man For out of it to some men he speakes as a louing Father to others as a feareful Iudge Men neede not runne vp to Gods secret counsell to enquire how hee is affected toward them if they list they may learne it out of his word But as Achab desired not to hear Michaiah because hee prophecied not good thinges vnto him so many novv because they doe euill can not abide the light of the word they find no ioy in the hearing of it but are striken vvith feare and trembling as Felix was at the hearing of Paul But in truth the blame is in thy self Are not my wordes good to him that walks vprightlie saith the Lord. No doubt if thou wert good thy selfe the word of the Lord should testifie good things vnto thee And not to couetousnes Hee prayes in particular that his hart may be diâ—…crted from couetousnes which is not only an euil but as saith the Apostle The roote of all euill Dauid heere oppones it as an aduersarie to all the righteousnesse of Gods testimonies it inverts the order of Nature and makes the heauenly soule earthlie It is a hand-maid of all sinnes for there is no sinne which a couetous man wil not serue for his gaine We should beware of all sinnes but speciallie of mother sinnes VER 37. Turne away mine eyes from regarding vanitie and quicken me in thy way HAuing prayed for his hart now he praieth for his eyes also Omnia à Deo petit docens illum omnia efficere By the eyes oftentimes as by windowes death enters into the hart therefore to keepe the hart in a good estate three things are requisite First a careful custody of the senses specially of the eyes for it is a righteous working of the Lord Vt qui exteriorâ—… oculo negligenter vtitur interiori non iniustè caecetur that he who negligently vseth the externall eye of his body shold be punished with blindnes in the internal eye of his mind And for this cause Nazianzen deploring the calamities of his soule wished that a dore might be set before his eyes eares to close them when they opened to anie thing that is not good Malis autem sua sponte vtrumque clauderetur The second thing is a subduing of the body by discipline And the third is continuance in prayer Euery creature of God is good and the beholding thereof should waken in vs an affection to praise God Oculi idcireo dati sunt corpori vt per eos intueamur creaturam aâ—… per huiusmodi mirabilem harmoniam agnoscamus opificem for this cause were eyes giuen to the body that by them we might looke to the creature and by the maruailous harmony which is among theÌ„ we might learne to know the Creator But since the fal the creature also is become subiect to vanitie in euery one of them hath the Serpent laid his deceiuable snare to entrap man and steale his affection from GOD so that now Inter tot passiones huius corporis inter tantas illecebras huius saeculi difficile est tutum intemeratum seruare ve stigium in the midst of so many passions of so many allurements of this world it is a dissicile thing to walke and not to be snared Hee that lookes on a woman saith our Sauiour and lusts after her hath committed adultery Behold in how short a time great guiltinesse is committed Malè sic vidit oculus videat ergo fungatur suo munere non lubricae mentis imperio dirigatur ad lapsum vt vitiuÌ„ referat pro officio Dauid knew this hee found the euill of it by experience let vs learn of him to watch ouer our eyes that we may keepe the hart the better Quicken mee in thy way Man by nature is quick enough to walke in his owne waies and the works of nature he can doe them without a teacher but vnlesse the Lord put life in him keepe life in his soule quickning him at all occasions hee hath neither knowledge nor strength nor pleasure to walke in the waies of God Of this petition see ver 88. 145. VER 38. Stablish thy promise to thy seruaunt because hee feares thee HEere is a prayer with a reason The prayer is that God would make sure his
my soule This may convince the vnthankfulnesse of this age who hath tongues for euery purpose but none to speake of the testimonies of God yea they are ashamed to speake of that subiect who vvithout shame or measure speake of all other things VER 47. And my delight shall bee in thy commaundements which I haue loued THe next thing hee promiseth is the seruice of his affections It is not a small progresse in godlinesse to delight in the commaundements of God Our corrupt nature counts them burdenable but the grace of Christ makes vs find his yoke easie his burden light And indeede so doe his children esteeme of it who haue found by experience there is more solid ioy in the obedience of Gods commaundements then in all the perishing pleasures of sin And would to GOD they who of a long time haue proued the pleasures of transgression wold turne them and proue by experience on the other hand what comfort there is in mourning for sin what is the ioy of a good conscience and the sweet inward pleasures of a godly conuersation they should then easily perceiue that the delights of the one doe by infinite degrees surmount the pleasures of the other Naturall men do some externall workes of Gods worship but not with an inward delight this is no acceptable seruice to GOD. They assemble themselues on the Sabboth with the godly to heare the word but what the one doth of delight the other doth of custome or compulsion The Lord lookes to the affection morethâ—…n to the action and we should not onely consider what we doe but how we doe it â—…o to come to the Temple that we come with Simean by motion of the Spirit so to heare the word that it be with spirituall ioy and delight as Dauid did And this also condemnes those of our age to whom the word of the Lord is a reproach weariness VER 48. Mine hands also will I lift vp to thy commandements which â—…haue loued and I wil meditate in thy Statute THe thiâ—…d 〈◊〉 pronâ—…h is the seruice of hiâ—… actions that hee will lift vp his hands to 〈◊〉 practise of Gods commandements Dabo opeâ—… in vt sactis exprimaâ—… mandatatua The kingdome of God is not in word but in power we are the dâ—…ciples of that Master who first beganne to doe then to teach Qui fecit docuit hiâ—… magnus vâ—…cabitur but now the woâ—…ld is full of mutilate Christians eyther else they want an eare and cannot heare Gods word or if they hear they want a tongue and cannot speak of it or if they haue both they want hands and cannot practise it Concerning his protestation of the loue of Gods commandements and his meditations of them see ver 15. 103. 111. ZAIN VER 49. Remember the promise made to thy seruant wherein thou hast caused mee to trust THe first verse of this section containes a prayer that God would perform the promises hee had made vnto him When hee prayes God to remember vvee must not thinke that he chargeth the Lord with any obliuion Nulla in Deum cadit aut obliuio aut reminiscentia The godly sanctifie the Lord in their hart and think more reuerently of his Maiestie then so but his Memor esto is all one with this Perfice et ad finem deducito Remember that is perfit and accomplish the promise made vnto me Made to thy seruant As Dauid beseecheth the Lord to remember his promise so hee protests verse 52. that hee remembred the iudgements of GOD and vvas comforted and verse 55. that hee remembred the name of the Lord in the night It is but a moekerie of GOD to desire him remember his promise made where vvee make no conscience of the promises wee haue made to him But alas how often faile we in this duety and so in our owne default diminish that comfort we might haue of Gods promises in the day of our trouble But what promise is this that God made to Dauid There is a promise made him concerning the Kingdome of Israel and for this he prayed 2. Sam. 7. Who am I O Lord God and what is mine house that thou hast brought me hitherto c. And now Lord confirme for euer the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy seruant c. For thou art God and thy wordes are true and thou hast spoken this goodnesse concerning thy seruant But his comfort in trouble stood not in this promise nor performance of it The promise whereof he meanes here is the promise of mercy and grace which God in his couenant hath made to his children and this as euery one of Gods children accounts their own by a particular application of it vnto themselues so Dauid not excluding others and yet including himselfe speakes of this promise as properly and particularly belonging to him And so also did that woman of Canaan rest in the generall promise of Gods mercie as if it did containe a particular promise to her selfe And therefore by no temptation yea not by Christs contrary affirmation made for her tryal could she be remoued from this ground That the generall promise of mercy made in the Couenant contained a particular promise vnto her howsoeuer not vnder the name of a childe yet vnder the name of one albeit vnworthy belonging to the family of God And this proceedes from the nature of faith by which the godly apprehend God as their Father Christ as their Sauiour and in him all Gods promises made generally to his people as if they were made particularly and by name vnto themselues collecting hereof the certainty of their owne saluation The proposition being furnished by the word the assumption is made by faith and makes the conclusion most ceâ—…taine the ground of all being Gods vnchangeable truth and the stability of his counsell which he will not change for the changes which are in his weake seruants but constantly performes for his owne names sake Sanctis quodeunque spoponderit implere consueuit nostraruÌ„ immemor iniquitatum suarum non immemor sponsionum the Lord perfits that which hee promiseth to his Saints vnmindfull of their iniquities not vnmindful of his owne promises Wherein thou hast caused me to trust This is a most forcible argument to moue the Lord to the performance of his promise When his children declare vnto him that it stands with the honour of his truth to doe â—…o The like of this argument is vsed by Ieremie O Lord iâ—…â—…e deceiued thou hast deceiued me which is as he would say a thing impossible that so should be And so Dauid confirmes himselfe here that he could not be disappointed of his hope vnless that the Lord did faile in his truth which cannot be Thus ye see when the godly rest assured of their saluation they are neyther presumptuous nor arrogant but giue glory to God and the praise of
be indeede religious euen in priuate hee presents his heart to GOD seeking it to bee approoued by him For his prayse is not of men but of God Againe this argueth his feruencie in religion for as else-where he protests that he loued the vvord more then his appoynted food so heere hee protests hee vvanted his nights rest that hee might meditate in the vvord But now so farre is zeale decayed in professours they will not vvant their superfluities farre lesse their needfull refreshment for loue of the vvord of GOD. And haue kept thy vvord Dauid vvas not a naked professor of the vvord but a practiser of it also his life declared that hee remembred the Lord Fides probitas innocentiae memorem probant VER 56. This I had because I kept thy precepts AS sinne is a punishment of sinne and the wicked waxeth euer worse worse so godlinesse is the recompence of godlinesse The right vse of one talent encreaseth moe and the beginnings of godliness are blessed with a growth of godlinesse Dauids good exercises held him in memory of his God and the memory of God made him euer the more godly and religious CHETH VER 57. O Lord that art my portion I haue determined to keepe thy word IT hath pleased the Lord to teach vs not by precepts onely but examples also in the one hee teacheth vs what we should doe if we would be saued in the other he lets vs see what the godly before vs haue done that they might be saued If wee were the first who haue entred into that narrow way that leads to eternall life our faintings fallings backslydings were somewhat excusable but that way is now Via trita in euery part of it we see the footsteps of our brethren who haue trode it before vs. All of them entred into Canaan standing on the other side of Iorden and calling vpon vs by their example who yet are iâ—… the wildernesse and on this side of Iorden Come forward feare not faint not the way indeede is hard and difficile but the end is sweet and ioyfull Wee haue felt with you the paines of the one come yee forward and enioy with vs the pleasures of the other Thus being compassed with so great a clowde of witnesses who haue trode the way before vs and by faith haue inherited the promise wee are altogether inexcusable if wee doe not follow Among many wee haue heere the Prophet Dauid who hath gone before vs and by his counsell and instruction teacheth vs how to follow him There is no doubt but as wee spake in the first Section if wee follow him in disposition wee shall also be partakers of his approbation Some part of his disposition wee haue seene alreadie let vs yet goe after him foot by foot neither turning to the right hand nor to the left not as Asahel followed Abner that was for euill and therefore in this course hee perished as many shall doe vvho seeke from Dauid a patrocinie for their sinnes but make him not a paterne to them of repentance But let vs follow him as the Prophet Elisha follovved his Maister Eliah vvhom hauing once found hee would neuer againe goe from him Let vs walke with Dauid in one way that wee may bee partakers with him of one happy and blessed end O Lord. This verse containes a two-fold protestation In the first hee protests that God was his portion In the second that hee had determined to keepe the word of GOD. And this hee conceiues in such manner that hee directs his speech to God Laying open his heart to God he dare make bold out of a good conscience that God was his portion It is a thing common to all sorts of men to speake of God but to speake to him is a grace proper to his children euen to them onely Either the vvicked dare not come vnto him their conscience beeing so euill that it is afraide to looke vnto the Lord no otherwise then a wounded eye which can not behold the light or if at any time forced by necessity they would yet they cannot come to him beeing voyde of faith without which there can be no prayer Accesse to the throne of grace that vvee may speake with God while wee are in the bodie is the first degree of eternall life hee shall neuer be afraid to goe out of the body and ascend to the Lord who when he was in the body went vp by prayer and got accesse to the Lord. This is the comfort of the children of God that sometime they get such ioyfull accesse to God by prayer that they wish and desire that their soule at that same instant might goe out of their bodie vvith their supplication 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vt simul egrediatur anima cum precatione But who is this that glories the Lord was his portion Euen Dauid a King of a most mightie people of a florishing kingdome and a fertile land flowing with milke and hony but in this hee reioyceth not all his comfort is heere that God was his portion This I marke to make those worldlings ashamed who haue lesse portions of the earth then Dauid had and yet reioyce so in them that they neglect altogether the Lord their God They brag with Nabuchadnezzer of their buildings Is not this great Babel that I haue built for honour of my Maiestie They talke foolishlie with Nabal Shall I take my flesh and my bread and giue away As if all that they haue were their owne And they glorie with that Glutton when their Garners and Barnes are full Novv my soule thou hast enough for many daies but a short time shall declare that they haue nothing at all who haue not the Lord to be their portion Now that wee may be mooued to make this same election which heere Dauid makes let vs first consider the louing kindnesse of the Lord our God toward vs who passing by all his creatures hath set his hart vpon man all things hee hath made for man and man for himselfe and for no other thing beside himselfe This is euident in the creation when hee had made his glorious works the first second third fourth and fift daies hee considered them all in their kinds and saw they were very good but still he proceeded to create more and could not rest till he had made man When man was created then is it said that the Lord rested No sight of the creature could content the Lord till hee had seen man all the thoughts of the diuine mind aymed at him When the Lord had created man as the perfection of his workes the compend of his creatures and the end wherevnto he looked in creating all other creatures then it is said that hee rested O man where-with shalt thou require the kindnesse of the Lord thy GOD but by resoluing with Dauid that thou wilt choose none for
thy portion but the Lord. Whom haue I in heauen but thee And I haue desired none in the earth with thee Let vs looke to the creatures consider how they are very good let vs vse them also but so that we remember alway how with them a greater good then they are is offred vnto vs namely that good GOD that made them What is the creature if it be compared with him that made it Can the vvorke of a mans hand bee so excellent as man that made it And vvhy then shouldst thou thinke that there is either beautie or vertue in a creature for which it should bee more desired and loued then the Lord vvho made it Pulchrum coelum pulchra terra sed pul chrior qui fâ—…cit illa Ethnicks saw by the light of Nature specially the Platoniques that whatsoeuer good is in the creature it is but Splendor quidam summi illius boni a certaine beame of that great and infinite good which is in God and that then onely was the good which is in the creature rightlie vsed when by it men learned to goe vp and returne to the Creator But alas such is our wretched corruption that the same things which should cary vs vpward toward God drawe vs downe and we are oftentimes so snared with the loue of the creature that wee forget the Creator not that any blame is in the creature but as I saide in our owne corrupt nature for euery creature in the own kind sends vs to him that made it speaking with such a voice as it hath Seeke not rest nor contentment from vs Goe vp and seeke it in him that made vs no contentment no satisfaction haue wee to giue you The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare filled with hearing This then is the first motiue that as the Lord would not rest till hee had made man so man is bound of his dutie neuer to rest till he find the Lord. The other motiue is It is impossible that man can get rest or contentment to his soule in any thing but in the Lord his God Man vvas made for God and to the image of God and therefore can no other thing fill and content the desires of his soule but GOD himselfe Caeteris rebus occupari potest repleri non potest Other things may busie and vex the spirit of man but cannot fill or replenish it Fecisti nos Domine propter te semper in quietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te thou madest vs ô Lord for thy selfe and our hart is alway vnquiet till it rest in thee As the point of the Mariners compasse touched with the Adamant trembles euer till it be directed toward the North so doth the hart of man till it bee directed to the Lord. And as the Doue which Noah sent forth of the Aâ—…ke went flying abroad and could find no rest for the sole of her foot the earth being couered with waters till she returned againe to Noah so the soule of man may goe through the world caried in the body as a chariot or otherwise flee abroad and view al the creatures vpon the wings of contemplation but it shall find no place of rest no creature to content it till it returne to the Lord. Otherwise anguish of spirit and sore tribulation shall be the portion thereof But heere it is demaunded whether or no is this preiudiciall to the rest of Gods children that Dauid saith The Lord is his portion I answer no manner of way for the Lord shall not be the lesse the portion of one that feares him because he is the portion of another hee is sufficient for all Earthly heritages are the lesse when they are communicated to many and therefore oftentimes is there stâ—…ife among them about the diuision heere it is not so there needs no contention about the diuision of this inheritance one shal not haue the lesse because another hath much the Lord shall bee all in all euery one of his Saints shall be filled with his glory Wee see the Sunne in the firmament shineth vnto all the vvorld neither is there any man who thinks that the light is the lesse because it is common to many If GOD haue created the Sunne with such maruailous wisedome that the light thereof is not the lesse to euery one because it is common to many what may wee looke to find in himselfe The generall vse of this towards vs all is to assure vs of our election If from our heart wee haue made this choise that we can say in sinceritie with Dauid O Lord thou art my portion we may be assured that first of all hee did choose vs to bee his inheritance Yee haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you saith Christ. Heerein is loue saith Saint Iohn not that wee loued him first but that hee loued vs. If the Lord had not chosen vs to be his peculiar people we should neuer haue chosen him to be our portion The particular vse of it is first to those vvho are poore in worldly things let this comfort them that GOD is become their portion The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want vvhat matter is it who haue the greatest measure of Gods mooueables sith the permanent goods of the inheritance are ours His mooueables I call the things of this world which goe from hand to hand the permanent good is himselfe his fauour his loue toward vs in Christ Iesus It was the infirmitie of our father Abraham when the Lord said vnto him Feare not I shall be thy buckler and exceeding great reward that hee answered What canst thou giue mee Lord seeing I goe childlesse As if this were no more then all children or gifts temporall whatsoeuer that the Lord promised to giue himselfe to him for a reward It is marked in him that by his weakenesse wee may learne to gather wisedom and strength neuer to thinke vvee can vvant any thing seeing we haue the Lord himselfe for our portion The other particular vse of it is toward those who haue receiued a greater measure of worldly things from the Lord if with it they haue also grace to loue and feare him Let them knowe they haue gotten a double portion which obligeth them in a double seruice beyond their brethren I wish of God men of honour in the world professors of the Gospel could shew as much holy zeale for the maintenance of the gospel which is the testimony of God witnessing that he is become their father and portion in Christ as they can declare carnall zeale against those that would preiudice them in the smallest portion of their earthly inheritances yea for a foote bredth of their land But this is the time wherin men are fallen from their former zeale not onelie is the fruite decaied but the leaues also are fallen away and there is no courage
for the truth I haue determined to keepe thy word This he brings in by way of probation of that which hee said in the former words Many wil say with Dauid that God is their portion but heere is the poynt how doe they proue it If God be their portion then they would loue him if they loued him they would loue his word if they loued his word they would liue by it and make it a rule of their life If it were demaunded of these bastard Christians as Chrysostome enquired of the like Wherby shall I know you to be Christians their onely defence behoued to stand in their tongue for if yee looke to the works of their hands yee shall not discerne them from Infidels Looke to their eating and drinking they are like Epicures look to their garments they are vaine-glorious looke to their feet they delight in any place more then in the courts of the Lords house Is not this then a small defence all the parts of their conuersation testifie against them onely their words speak for them let them beware for this will bee no sufficient proofe of true Christianitie when God shall iudge them Hee saith not onely that hee will keepe Gods word but he had determined to keepe it Many enter into religion but not vpon determination these doe no otherwise saith our Sauiour then if a man should goe to battell and not consider if he may fight it out or as if a man should build a house and not lay his count whether or no he is able to finish it for this man leaues it at the last with more shame then if he had not begun it so fareth it with many who embrace religion lightly and as lightly fall away from it they not beeing rooted nor grounded nor built vpon Christ Iesus Three helps of a godly life are heere vsed by Dauid the first is Determination this makes a man to begin well The second is Supplication this makes a man to continue well The third is Consideration and this makes a man when hee goes wrong to come home againe to his determination He that begins to liue well not laying his grounds by Determination is easily altered and hee that vpon Determination beginneth to do well if by instant prayer he obtaine not grace from God shall ouer readily faint and fall away for what are best purposes if grace from aboue strengthen vs not to performe them but vanishing motions And in the third roome because in many things we sin all wee haue need of Consideration whereby we doe examine our waies and returne againe to our first course when wee haue wandred from it VER 58. I haue made my supplication in thy presence with my whole hart be mercifull to mee according to thy promise THese words stand of a protestation and prayer They teach vs to second our determinations vvith prayers both because our purposes shall perish if God blesse them not as Psal. 127 as also for that Satan then doth most busily impugne vs when hee sees wee haue most resolutely concluded to serue the Lord. Three things are to be obserued in Dauids praier 1. His reuerence 2. His sinceritie 3. His faith His reuerence is heere that he made his supplication in Gods presence if we did so thinke when we go to pray we goe to shew our selues in Gods presence how would it humble vs in our selues make vs reuerent toward God Wee know what we do when we come before Kings of the earth wee prepare our selues wee come with the reuerence of Hester to Ahasuerus of Bathsheba to Dauid and good reason so we should doe But how much are we bound to do as Abraham did when wee come before the Lord to remember wee are but dust ashes and that it is a great benefit that wee should get license to speake to the Righteous Iudge of all the world And this reuerence our Sauiour commends vnto vs when in the preface of the prayer which he hath taught vs he remembers vs that our father to whom we speak is in heauen we should not be rash with our mouth nor hasty in our hart to vtter a thing before God For God saith Salomon is in heauen and we are in the earth Let faith mooue our harts to goe to him when we haue neede let feare bridle vs that we be not suddaine but first temper our harts ere wee speake with our tongue to so reuerent a Maiestie It is abhomination to offer vnto the Lord the Sacrifice of fooles that is words without affection and yet alas how often doth our infirmitie miscarie vs to doe so Magni certè ingenij est seuocare mentem à sensibus cogitationem à consuetudine abducere It is a worke of great difficultie in prayer to sunder our soule frō our senses and to withdrawe our cogitations from their custome The second thing to be obserued in his praier is his sinceritie in these words With my vvhole hart Hypocrisie is a vile sinne in dealing with men but much more abhominable when by it men presume to mocke the Lord making a shew in his presence of that which they are not Rebecca decked vp Iacob in so subtile a maner that Isaac his father mistooke him but Satan now pranks vp his coūterfet Christians in more subtil maner for there Isaac tooke some notice of him by his voice but now men haue learned to speak so cunningly and Christian-like that hardly can a man think how a false hart should lodge vnder so faire a tongue But let not men deceiue themselues God wil not be deceiued his eyes are not dimme as Isaacs but liuely quick and pearcing like vnto flames of fire he can see they are but a potshard ouer laid with siluer drosse and a little time shall discouer them Certum est nihil simulatum aut fictum verae esse virtutis sed nec diuturnum for it is sure that a counterfeit thing can neuer haue solid vertue nor continuance in it Let vs studie with Dauid to make our hart good vpright before God The third thing to be marked in his prayer is his faith grounded vpon the promises of God in these words Be mercifull vnto me according to thy promise He protested before that he sought the Lord from his whole hart and now he prayeth he may find mercie So it is indeede boldlie may that man looke for mercy at Gods hand vvho seekes him truely there Mercie and Truth meet together and embrace one another where truth is in the soule to seeke there cannot be but mercie in GOD to embrace If truth be in vs to confesse our sinnes forsake them wee shal find mercy in God to pardon and forgiue them Again we see that as our prayers should be sent vp in Christes name so shold they be groūded on Gods promises It is a shame that the prayers of many Christians
rest of his creatures Psal. 104. But this is intollerable That vnder pretence of a little time allowed vnto vs the halfe of our time should bee exacted from vs. Ethniques in this point may make vs ashamed It is written of Alexander and Caesar among many moe that they parted the night in three the first they tooke vnto rest the second to the workes of Nature the third to their studies for encrease of knowledge and learning and that because they were forced to spend the day time in gouernment of their Kingdomes and administration of their warlike affaires Yet we haue now such a number whom wee may call Monsters of Nature who are not content to spend all the night ouer in works of darknesse such as Drunkennesse and Gluttonie and Chambring and slumbring but they turne also the noon-tyde of the day into midnight Per diem illis fit media nox yea not sparing the holy Sabboths of the Lord they sleepe by themselues like Howlets in their holes when the Saints of God are assembled together to praise him but miserable are they for as they tooke no part of Gods seruice so shall they bee strangers from the recompence The third circumstance pointing out the cause or matter of his thankesgiuing is here because of Thy righteous iudgements Where by iudgements he vnderstands Gods iust working according to his word both in executing threatned plagues vpon the wicked and performing promised mercies to the godly And for this cause Dauid praiseth God because he found him alwayes as good as his word and what he promised with his mouth hee performed with his hand And this cause which moued Dauid to praise God should moue vs all for wee haue felt his promises kept to our selues and his iudgements executed on the wicked in so manifest a manner that men might say as in the Psalme Verely there is a God that iudgeth righteously on earth and there is fruit for the righteous There is no transgression of Gods law which in som wicked men we haue not seene punished If the Lord did only speake and neuer punish men would say There is not a God and if on the other hand all transgressions were punished here men might say we need not look for a iudgement to come Of such sinnes as we haue seene punished let vs learn that there is a Iudge and of such sinfull men as we see spared let vs also learne that there is a iudgement to come VER 63. I am companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts HE said in the first verse of this Section that God was his portioÌ„ now he saith All the Saints of God are his companions These two goe together the loue of God and the loue of his Saints He that loueth not his brother made to Gods image whom hee seeth how shall he say he loueth God whom hee hath not seen Seeing our goodnes extends not to the Lord if it be shewed to his Saints and excellenâ—… ones vpon earth for his sake it shall be no small argument of our louing affection toward him selfe Godly Dauid when Ionathan was dead made diligent inquisition Is there none of Ionathans posteritie to whom I may shew kindnes for Ionathans sake and at length he found a silly lame Mephiboseth So if we enquire diligently Is there none vpon earth to whom I may shew kindnesse for Christs sake who is in heauen wee shall euer find some to whom whatsoeuer wee doe shall be allowed as done to himselfe Euery mans company wherein hee delights tells what manner of man he is himselfe Qualiscunque quis fuerit cum tali se coniungit The fowles of heauen flocke together according to their kinds ye shal not see Doues assembling with Rauens Inter dispares mores quae potest esse amicitia What fellowship or friendship can be among men of inequall manners Non potest homini amicus esse qui Deo fuerit infidus he can neuer be friendly to man who is false vnto God But there is yet a greater argument the Lord IESVS hath honoured vs to be his companions so wee are called Psal. 44. God hath anointed thee aboue thy fellowes To worke this fellowship he assumed our nature he abased himselfe he was baptized as we are he died as vvee doe hee rose againe as we shall doe hee walked in all our waies that hee might traine vs vp to walke in his waies and might euery way make vs like himselfe and shal we thinke it a derogation to our honor to humble our selues for Christs sake to men of a rank inferior to vs and euen for the feare and loue of God that is in them to account them our companions Yet further his great modestie is to bee marked Non dixit imitantium te sed timentium he saith not I am companion to all that follow thee but to all that feare thee The feare of God is the beginning of wisedom Inter rudes se constituit humilitate cum veteranos superaret deuotione hee placeth himselfe among nouices in humilitie when he excelled antients in pietie That feare thee The godly are commonly described by this grace That they fear God but so that they also loue and obey him therefore Dauid ioynes these two together That fear thee and keepe thy precepts Apostat Angels saith S. Iames feare GOD but there-withall they hate him and rebell against him In the Godly feare prepares a way to loue when loue is perfected then feare shall cease but in the wicked fear prepares a way to despaire restlesse perturbation Abraham looked for no good in Gerar because he thought the fear of God was not there on the contrary Ioseph confirmed the timorous harts of his brethren that they should looke for none euil at his hands because said he I feare God Therby letting vs know that this is a sufficient reason to assure vs of all good duties from a man if truly it may be said of him He feareth God VER 64. The earth O Lord is full of thy mercies teach mee thy statutes HEere is a prayer with a reason Seeing ô Lord thou art good to all thy creatures shew thy goodnes also to mee in this that thou teach me thy statutes Gods generall benignitie is extended to all his creatures his speciall benignity is for his children and this is it that Dauid here craueth And indeed Gods generall goodness vnto all his creatures should serue to confirme his children in the assurance of his more speciall fauour toward them as heere Dauid vseth it If hee care for sparrowes if he feed the young Rauens when they cry if hee clothe the Lilies of the fielde are not his own children much more worth will he not much more care for them Seeing of his goodnesse he sends raine to the wicked makes his sunne to shine on the vniust will he not of his mercie lift vp the
great signe a sure fore-runner of a further and more fearefull iudgement to come if it be not remedied It is an enemy to grace it is the mother of presumptuous sins it makes smallest sins irremissible it makes a man Gods aduersary for the Lord resisteth the proud As two hard things when they encounter together the weakest of thē is broken in peeces so is it with man when with his hard hart he contends with the invincible God Let vs pray wee may be deliuered from this plague of a hard hart But my delight see ver 14. 16. 35. 76. 77. 174. VER 71. It is good for mee that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes HEe renewes his former protestation which he madever 67. declaring how his afflictions made him more godlie then he was before Heereby may we discerne a sanctified crosse from a cursed the crosse which makes thee better then thou wast how sharpe so euer it be if it worke a correction of thee thou maist be sure it is a blessing It is commonly in the mouthes of many when they are in trouble We must thanke God for his correction But alas how can that be called a correction which corrects thee not If thou be not corrected with Dauid thou hast matter of griefe in thy trouble but none of ioy and so canst not say with Dauid It is good for me that I haue been afflicted Affliction as we said ver 67. in it owne nature is euill being a punishment of sinne but the Lord who changed the bitter waters of Marah and made them sweet vnto Israel hath also changed to his children the nature of the crosse that not onely they find comfort in it but most happy effects are wrought in them by it In trouble wee see three things better then in prosperitie First how prouident mercifull and true the Lord is Secondly how weake and miserable our selues are Thirdly how false changable the world is Beside all these it is an effectuall meane whereby the Lord beates downe the pride of Nature and humbles vs for our sinnes Hagar was proud and blind in Abrahams house but in the wildernesse she is humbled and begins to looke to the Lord. Israel learned not to mourn vntill they were sent into Babel Ionas sleepes in the shippe but wakes and prayes in the Whales belly Blessed is the man whom the Lord corrects therefore refuse not the chastisement of the Almighty For tribulation bringeth forth patience patience experience experience hope hope maketh vs not ashamed That I may learne Hee now condiscends in particular and shewes what good hee got by afflictions he learned Gods statutes by them He speakes not of that learning which is gotten by hearing or reading of Gods word but of the learning which he had gotten by experience that he had felt the truth comfort of Gods word more effectual and liuely in trouble then he could doe without trouble which also made him more godly wise and religious when the trouble was gone Wicked men are somwhat good whē they are in affliction but so soon as they are deliuered they return to their old sinnes as ye see in Pharao These are like Iron which is soft and will bow at the workmans wil when it is in the fire but soon after it is drawn out it returns to the old hardnes These men vse repentance as worldlings doe an old garment which they put about thē in time of a showre but cast it away so soon as the weather becomes faire It is otherwise with the godly the fire of affliction purgeth their drosse and makes them finer all the daies of their life so that with good Ezechia being once rightly humbled they recount their by-gone sinnes in the bitterness of their hart all their dayes VER 72. The law of thy mouth is better vnto me then thousands of gold and siluer DAuid at this time beeing spoyled of his kingdome by Absalom as Basile thinks reioyceth that hee found more comfort in Gods word then all the gold or siluer or treasures of Canaan could afford And indeede the lesse worldly comfort wee haue the greater find we the comfort of the word of God But heere his speech is to be marked for hee calls the word the law of Gods mouth Which leades vs to consider two things concerning it the authoritie of the word and so it is from Gods mouth the ministery of the word so it comes from mans mouth Sometime men looke to the ministery of the word and not to the authoritie of it and then it is no maruell they disesteeme of it euen as Samuel ranne to Eli when he should haue runne to God because hee thought the voice that called him had been but the voice of Eli. So many regard not the word because they take it to be the voice of man and not of God Then thousands Worldly riches are gotten with labour kept with care lost with griefe They are false friends farthest from vs when we haue most need of comfort as all worldlings shall trie to be true in the hour of death For then as Ionas gourd was taken from him in a morning when he had most need of it against the Sun so is it with the comfort of worldlings It is farre otherwise with the word of God for if we wil lay it vp in our harts as Mary did the comfort thereof shall sustaine vs when all other comfort shal faile vs. This is it that makes vs rich vnto God when our soules are Storehouses filled with the treasures of his word Shall we thinke it pouertie to bee scant of gold and siluer An ideo Angelus pauper est quia non habet iumenta c. Shall we esteeme the Angels poore because they haue not flocks of Cattell or that S. Peter was poore because he had not gold nor siluer to giue vnto the Criple No he had store of grace by infinite degress more excellent then it Let the riches of gold be left vnto worldlings wee haue to remember these are not currant in Canaan not accounted of in our heauenly countrey If we would be in any estimation there let vs inrich our soules with spirituall graces which we haue aboundant in the Mines and treasures of the word of God IOD VER 73. Thine hands haue made mee and fashioned mee giue mee vnderstanding that I may learne thy commandements THis verse hath a petition for vnderstanding and a reason with it I am tho workmanship of thine hands therefore giue me vnderstanding Nemo est qui operibus beneficus suis non faueat There is no man but he fauours the works of his hands And shall not the Lord much more loue his creature especially man his most excellent creature whom if yee consider according to the fashion of his bodie Nihil poteris in terra pretiosius iudicare ye shal find
nothing on earth more pretious then hee Sed in eo quod non videtur multo pulchrior est but in that which is not seene namely his soule hee is much more beautifull So ye see Dauids reasoning is very effectuall all one as if he should say as he doth elswhere Opus manuum tuarum ne deseras Te authorem conuenio te teneo conditorem aliena praesidia non quaro Forsake not ô Lord the worke of thine hands thou art my author and maker thine help I seek and the helpe of none other No man can rightly seeke good things from God if he consider not what good the Lord hath already done to him But many are in this poynt so ignorant that they knowe not how wonderfully God did make them and therefore can neither blesse him nor seeke from him as from their Creator and conseruer But this argument drawne from our first creation no man can righly vse it but he who is through grace partaker of the second creation for all the priuiledges of our first creation we lost them by our fall So that now by nature it is no comfort to vs nor matter of our hope that GOD did make vs but rather matter of our feare and distrust that wee haue mismade ourselues haue lost his image and are not now like vnto that which God created vs in the beginning Giue mee vnderstanding Dauid knew that a man without vnderstanding were hee of neuer so noble bloud or comely of personage he is but a companion of beasts and therefore the Spirit of GOD commonly giues the stile of a man vnto man eyther made or restored to the image of God But a man destitute of that image Aut serpentem aut equum aut vulpeculam aut iumentum vocare consueuit he cals either a serpent or a horse or a foxe or a beast That I may learne Hee sheweth heer what is the vnderstanding which he craued namelie that hee might learne to obey the commaundements of God It is not wisedome in Gods account for a man to knowe all other things and be ignorant of himselfe neither is this learning to haue knowledge of all Sciences and secrets of Nature and to be without godlinesse This is the beginning of all wisedome To feare GOD and the Art of Arts to practise pietie To this purpose said Ambrose Quid tam obscurum quam de Astronomia tractare profundi aeris spatia metiri relinquere causam salutis error is quaerere Where if saith hee it be obiected Was not Moses learned in all the learning of the Egyptians let it be answered So hee was but hee thought all this wisedom losse and foolishnesse in comparison and turned to seeke GOD with inward affection Ideoque vidit interrogavit audiuit loquentem Deum hee saw therefore hee asked and heard God speaking vnto him VER 74. So they that feare thee seeing me shal reioyce because I trusted in thee THe godly in ordering their life haue a respect first vnto God that he may haue glory Next to themselues that in conformitie with God they may haue peace and comfort And thirdly vnto his neighbour to giue vnto him that is godly matter of ioy and edification by his godly life according to that precept of our Sauiour Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your godly conuersation may glorifie your Father who is in heauen Beside this appeareth the great power vertue of godlines that euen the very sight of a godlie man ministers ioy to the godly terror to the wicked Plerisque iusti aspectus admonitio correctionis est perfectioribus verò laetitia to many men the sight of a righteous man is a warning of correction For they are admonished what neede they haue to amend their life that they may be like vnto him but to such as haue profited more in godlinesse it is alway a matter of ioy Quam pulchrum ergo si videaris prosis How excellent a thing then is this that as oft as thou art seene so oft thou doost good And againe there is such a fellowshippe and communion among all the liuely members of Christ his mystical bodie that they mourne together they reioyce together the grace of God cōmunicated to one is a cause of ioy to al the rest Bonis enim insitū est vt virtutes su as in alijs amēt It is the propertie of the godly to loue those vertues in others which either they haue or would in themselues to enuy the good of another and be grieued thereat is a diuellish thing Infirme Iosua may murmure when Medad and Eldad prophecie in the assembly of the people but meeke Moses shall reioyce and wish that all the Lords people did prophecie in like manner Because I trusted in thee Gods working with any one of his seruants is a confirmation of all the rest for what hee is to one that feares him he is vnto all that feare him So that mercy shewed to any penitent and promises performed to any beleeuing man should confirme vs in the assurance of the like fauour of God to bee found by our selues if we also repent and beleeue in him VER 75. I knowe O Lord that thy iudgements are right and that thou hast afflicted mee iustlie THis Verse consists of a thankesgiuing wherin he ascribes to the Lord the praise of truth and righteousnesse in afflicting him Many vse to praise God in prosperity who in time of trouble impatient of his heauie hand murmure against him but such as are truly godly do then blesse the Lord most heartily when he seems to deale with them most hardly giuing him the praise of equity and acknowledging that his greatest rodds are not so great as their sins as also the praise of fidelity that according to his word he afflicts his children for no other cause but to purge them and make them more capable of grace and consolation I know How is this seeing the Apostle saith Rom. II. that the iudgements of God are vnsearchable and his waies past finding out The answer is Dauid doth not so speake as if he were priuy to al the secret waies of God but that thus much hee knew in generall that all his iudgements whereby he strikes eyther the godly or the wicked were all right suppose the causes and particular ends of them were secret And this knowledge is learned out of the word The Lord is righteous in all his workes and holy in all his wayes And againe All the wayes of God are mercie and truth to them that feare him And againe All things worke for the best to them that loue him And it is the want of this knowledge that makes vs oftentimes to murmure or faint and be discouraged at the works of God apprehending in our ignorance that to be euill which in Gods working is good and directed to a good end For if
wee saw the end of Gods worke which is euer his glorie the good of his Church and euery member therof we would not offend at his workes whereby he works that end a way that is vnpleasant to vs because it is vnknowne to vs. That thy iudgement The iudgement of God is taken in two significations first for the plagues whereby hee punisheth wicked men in his anger proportionall to their sinnes And this iudgement Dauid declines Psal. 143. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant Secondly for the roddes and corrections wherewith hee chastiseth his owne children And these are called iudgements because iudiciously he measures and moderates them according as the state of his children requires not powring out the ful viol of his wrath as he doth on the wicked but proffering a temperate cup to be drunken by his owne as their weakenesse may beare it And in this sense Ambrose speaking of Gods chastisements sayes Omnia Dei iudicio fiunt That hee sends sickenesse rather then health pouertie and not wealth it is because in his most iudicious consideration hee findes it expedient that it should be so Thus then wee see how among many other differences betweene the afflictions of the godly and the wicked they differ also these two wayes first in measure Hath hee smitten Iacob as hee smote those that smote him No no hee powers a violl on the one but proâ—…ereth a moderate cuppe to the other secondly in the end for the one hee strikes for punishment the other for purgation And that thou hast 〈◊〉 mee iustlie More of this see ver 7. 20. 30. 39. 43. 52. 62. 75. 67. 107. VER 76. I pray thee that thy mercie may comfort me according to thy promise made to thy seruant IN the former Verse hee acknowledged the Lord had afflicted him now in this he prayeth the Lord to comfort him This is strange that a man should seeke comfort at the same hand that strikes him it is the worke of faith Nature will neuer teach vs to doe it Come and let vs returne to the Lord for he hath spoyled and he will heale vs he hath wounded and he will binde vs vp Againe wee see that the crosses which God layes on his children are not to confound nor to consume them only to prepare them for greater consolations With this Dauid sustained himselfe against Shimei his cursing The Lord will looke on my affliction and doe me good for this euill with this our Sauiour comforts his Disciples Your mourning shall be turned into ioy As the last estate of Iob was better then his first so shall the Lord render more to his children at the last then now at the first he takes from them let vs therefore beare his crosse as a preparatiue to comfort According to thy promise Dauid had a particular promise of a particular benefit to weet the kingdome of Israel And this promise God performed vnto him but his comfort stood not in it For Saul before him had the kingdom but the promises of mercy belonged not to him and therfore when God forsooke him his kingdom could not sustaine him But Dauid heere depends vpon the general promises of Gods mercie made to his children wherein hee acknowledgeth a particular promise of mercie made to him For the generall promises of mercy and grace made in the Gospel faith makes them particular to euery beleeuer Of this see verse 41. 58. 76. 170. VER 77. Let thy tender mercy come vnto mee that I may liue for thy law is my delight HE prayed before for mercy now againe he prayeth for mercy The children of God haue such an earnest and feruent desire of mercy that what-euer sense therof they get they still cry for more and sure it is in this life they can neuer be satisfied Neuertheless happy are they who now hunger thirst for hereafter they shal be satisfied And when I awake I shal be satisfied with thine image But if we marke more narrowly we shall find that Dauid heere seekes another sort of mercie then he sought before For first he sought mercie to forgiue his sinnes then he sought mercy to comfort him in his troubles now hee seekes mercy to liue and sinne no more Alas many seek the first mercy of remission and the second mercy of consolation in trouble who are altogether carelesse of the third mercy to liue well It is a great mercy of GOD to amend thy life where this is not let no man think he hath receiued either of the former Magna est miseratio Dei quae non solem remissionem tribuit peccatoruÌ„ sed etiam certantibus addit calcaria vt in suscepto certamine pergant It is a great mercie of God which not onely pardons euill that is done but strengthens vs also to further good that we haue not done and this is the mercy which here Dauid seekes For thy law is my delight Of this reason see verse 70. VER 78. Let the proud be ashamed for they haue dealt wickedly and falsely with mee DAuid here praieth not against the person of his enemies but against their course their false wicked dealing against him Or rather as we may think with Basile Orat pro inimicis The reason hereof is giuen by Ambrose Pudor enim plerumque corrector est nostri dum incipit nos pudere commissi ne diutius pudeat deserere quaeerubescenda sunt admonemur For shame oftentimes corrects our waies when wee thinke shame of that which we haue done we are admonished not to doe that againe which may make vs more asham'd in time to com For where a gentle shame cannot moue men to amend it is a iust recompense of God to poure vpon them shame with contempt and confusion Still wee see how the Spirit of God stiles the wicked by the name of proud men for a wicked man shakes off the yoke of God and will not be subiect to his Maker and so spares not to exalt himselfe ouer men in such sort that there is nothing in man so sacred so worthy reuerence which he tramples not vnder his feet But heere is the iust recompence of his pride Let the proud be ashamed Hee would faine haue honour or preheminence which God will not giue vnto him hee flies shame contempt but God shall poure them vpon him For they haue dealt Hee complaines of the wicked and false dealing of his enemies against him and it is written to vphold vs in the like tentation For Satan is alway like himselfe hating them whom the Lord loueth hee may well be worse he can neuer be better and therfore with restlesse malice stirres he vp all his cursed instruments in whom hee raignes to persecute them who are loued and protected of the Lord. But I meditate Dauids enemies fought against him with the armour of flesh wickednesse and falshood he withstands
him his enemies The reason hee vseth lurks in the Interrogation How manie are my daies My time is not long my dayes are but few then let them not passe comfortlesse but let me see that thou art a God of iudgement who wilt do according to thy word and men There is fruit for the righteous Verely there is a God that iudgeth righteously on the earth To shew the breuitie of mans life he reckneth it not by yeers but by daies And this consideration of the shortnes of our life Dauid vseth it as an argument somtime to moue the Lord to compassion and sometime to stirre vp himselfe to further piety godliness as we may see Psa. 39. And truly it were good for vs oftner then we doe to thinke vpon this question of Dauids How many are my daies For we are deceiued vvith the shadow of this life cōceiting it to be longer then we shall find it to be whereof it comes to passe that men are prodigall of their daies as if they would neuer be done Their rents their money their garments or any other thing they haue they spend sparingly with moderation onely they are wasters of their daies as if they had Methusalems yeeres in a treasure Let vs pray vvith Moses for grace to number our dayes that wee may apply our harts vnto wisedome When wee look to the by-gone time and see how wee haue misspent it when we looke to the time to come and see how vncertaine we are of it let vs redeem the time we haue to vse it well When wilt thou execute Dauid was far from hatred crueltie or priuate affection for in all these his petitions he was the pen-man of the holy Ghost and spake nothing of any priuate motion Where that wee may know how farre forth wee are to follow him in these let vs remember that God executes two sorts of iudgements vpon men some are preparatiues to mercy such as were inflicted vpon Saul when hee went to persecute the Saints at Damascus he was cast from his horse and strooken with blindnesse and for these we may pray that God will execute them vpon them who are sleeping in their sinnes that rather they may be wakened by Gods iudgmēts and moued to repent then perish in their impietie Others again of his iudgments are but forerunners of that great and last iudgement which he wil execute on all the wicked such as were the punishments of Caine and Iudas The first works conuersion the second confusion and for these wee can not pray against our enemies because howsoeuer their works be euill for the present yet wee know not what the Lord may doe with them heereafter Who persecute mee Dauid was a godly man approued of God and a profitable instrument to his King and Country When Saul was vexed he did mitigate his trouble with the Harpe hee slew Goliah and ouerthrew the Philistims yet ye see how he is recompenced Such commonlie is the reward which godly men gette in this world at the hands of them to whom they haue been instruments of greatest good And this persecution many waies are the wicked guiltie of The railing of Shimei against Dauid the mocking of Isaac by Ismael these the world esteemes no sinnes or very small but the Lord ranks them in among bloudie sinnes and calls them persecution learning all men not to speake euill or scorne the godly least they fal into greater sinnes then they are aware of VER 85. The proud haue digged pits for mee which is not after thy law HE insists stil in his complaint against his enemies describes them first frō the quality of their persons They were proud Next from their labor subtilty They digged pits for him Thirdly from their manifest iniquitie Their courses against him were not according to Godslaw The proud See ver 69. 21. 51. 78. 85. Haue digged pits Their labour and subtiltie whereby they oppugned Dauid is heere noted Whereby this seemes strange that a proud man should be a digger of pits but so it is that pride for a time can submit it selfe for a greater vantage ouer him whom it would tread vnder foot The wicked is so proud that he seeks not God yet hee croucheth and boweth to cause heapes of the poore fall by his might So proud Absalom abased himselfe to do all men reuerence subiecting himselfe to meanest subiects that so hee might prepare a way to vsurpation ouer his king and father But mark he saith not that he had fallen in the pits which his enemies had digged No no in Gods righteous iudgmēts the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands while the godly escape free He hath made a pit and digged it and is fallen in the pit that he made his mischiefe shall return vpon his own head his cruelty vpon his owne pate Thus Haman hanselled the gallowes which he raised for Mordecai and Saul when he thought by subtilty to slay Dauid with the Philistims sword when he sent him out to seeke two hundreth of their fore-skinnes in a dowrie was disappointed of his purpose but he himselfe at length was slaine by their sword Which is not after thy law As Dauid by this aggrauates the grosse impiety of his aduersaries so doth he also greatly comfort himselfe For why shall we be discouraged to haue these men our enemies of whom we clearely see that neyther their persons nor actions are according to Gods lawe VER 86. All thy commandements are true they persecute me falsly helpe me HEere he reasons from the equity of his cause the iniquity of his enemies vpon these sends he vp his prayer Lord helpe me As for my enemies they persecute me falsly and without a cause as for me I know thy commandements are all true and that they cannot be deceiued who depend vpon them nor yet prosper that are against them He shal neuer want comfort in trouble who cleaues vnto the word of God who euer be against vs keepe it on our side and it shall be well with vs. Againe it is to be marked that he declines no persecution but seeks Gods help in it He knew that all they who will line godly in Christ must suffer persecution Deuotionem fidei praelia persequuntur Cito fides inexercitata languescit Faith not exercised with tentation easily languishes yea sith the Lord chastises euery one whom he loues hee may iustly suspect himselfe who liues without a crosse Si desint certamina vereor ne deesse videatur quicertare desideret If there be a man who hath no battell it is to be feared least he be such a one as desires not to fight and so what can he be but a captiue of Satan But in al our persecutions let vs euer take heed that our cause be righteous and we may say They persecute me falsly potest
kept him that he perished not in his affliction Thy word Dauid here makes a secret opposition between the words of his enemies and Gods word Sore was he troubled with the long toūgs of the wicked Hoc enim est opus diaboli vt seruos Dei mendacio laceret falsis opinionibus gloriosum nomen infamet vt qui conscientiae suaeluce clarescunt alienis rumoribus sor didentur It is true which Philo saith Veritas opinione melior est non tamen est negligenda fama truth is better then opinion and it makes not much what wrong opi nion be conceiued of vs yet the same or good name of a man is not to be neglected specially if he be in a publick office that by his name he may do good vnto others But because this cannot be obtained and Innocencie itselfe cannot hold off the scourge of the tongue wee must oppone the word of God to the words of wicked men resting with Io◅ in this That our witnesse is in heauen and with S. Paul in the testimonie of a good conscience Then shall we not be discouraged for the words of man hauing both Gods word and our owne conscience to warrant vs. And for our farther comfort let vs remember how the words of men when they are greatest are most vaine and effectlesse and on the contrarie that GOD is as good as his word yea and better doing more then can be expressed by word It was a proud word of Iezabel God doe so to me and more also if I haue not the head of Elijah ere tomorrow at this time but the dogs got her head and shee got not the head of Elijah Such also were the words of Sennacherib boasting by Rabsache that he would make the inhabitants of Ierusalem to drink their own piss but these were vaine words and vanished with the wind Onely the counsell of the Lord stands what hee determines shal be done and as he speakes it shall assuredly come to passe In heauen By this Basile vnderstands Angelorum coetus coelum inhabitantes qui diuin◅m legem custodiunt the company of innumerable Angels who obserue the law of God But the words following declare hee meanes the frame of the same visible works wherein the constancie of Gods truth doth appeare most manifestly For two causes then doth Dauid so speak First to draw vs from looking to the instabilitie of things heere vpon earth wherein are restlesse changes and vicissitudes to a consideration of the stabilitie of Gods decree in heauen Vtcunque versentur res humanae omnia sint varijs inclinationibus obnoxia tamen verbum Dei non est subiectum ordini naturali In earth the word of God is not onely controuerted but contradicted and resisted and the state of things so mutable that oftentimes the wicked prosper and are exalted the godly cast downe and sore oppressed To vphold vs against this tentation let vs looke vp cast the anchor of our soules within the vaile there we shal see an vnchangeable decree of God which shall change all these things againe and bring to the end spoken of in his word The other cause why he so speaks is that this visible frame of the heauen stands as an eternall witnes of the veritie of Gods word that hee will not retreat nor call back that which hee speaks for he once commanded the heauens to be and incontinent they were and euer since continue Thus wee see how the godly profit by looking into the works of God euer drawing some spirituall consideration out of them but of this hereafter VER 90. Thy truth is from generation to generation thou hast laid the foundation of the earth and it abideth AS hee collected the certaintie of Gods word by the indurance of heauē so now he confirmes it by considering the foundation of the earth Sith the foundation of the earth made by the word of God abides sure shal we not think that the foundation of our saluation laid in Christ Iesus is much more sure Though the creatures cannot teach vs the way of saluation for that we must learn by the word yet doe they confirme that which the word saith Thus saith the Lord vvho giues the Sunne for a light to the day and the courses of the Moone and Starres for a light to the night If these ordinances depart out of my sight then shall the seede of Israel cease from beeing a Nation before mee for euer As there Ieremie gathers the stabilitie of the Church from the stabilitie of the creatures so here Dauid cōfirmes the certainty of our saluation by the most certaine vnchangeable course of the creatures and both of them are amplified by Christ Iesus Heauen earth may passe but one iot of Gods word shal not fall to the ground Let vs therefore be strengthened in the faith and giue glory to God Tho◅ hast laid This worke of God is often mentioned in holy Scripture to commend the glory of Gods wisdom and power Yea the Lord himselfe glories in it as ye see in his speech to Iob Where was◅ thou when I laid the foundation of the earth declare if thou can who laid the measures thereof who first stretched the line ouer it whervpon are the foundations of it set or who layd the corner stone therof He hath founded it without a foundation for the pillars of the earth mentioned by Anna are no other but his word and decree But alas how great is our stupiditie vvee walk vpon earth it beareth vs vp but we neuer consider how God sustaineth it by his mightie power that we may giue glory to him And it abides As the Lord by his vvord made the vvorlds so beares hee vp all things by his mightie word Creation is as the mother and Prouidence the nurse conseruer of al the works of God God is not like man for hee when hee hath made a worke cannot maintaine it hee buildeth a shippe and cannot saue it from shipwrack hee edifies a house but cannot keepe it from decay it is otherwise with God we daily see his conseruing power vpholding his creatures vvhich should confirme vs that hee will not cast vs off nor suffer vs to perish sith we are the works of his hands if wee doe depend vpon him and giue him the glory of our Creator Conseruer and Redeemer VER 91. They continue to this day by thine ordinance for all are thy seruaunts THe same argument by which Dauid here proues the truth of Gods word is vsed by profane mockers to improue it Where is say they the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation There is so great difference between a godly and a godlesse hart that where the one of euery thing learnes to be more godly the other learnes to be more profane like poysonable Waspes
who out of most wholsome hearbs gather nothing but poyson For all are thy seruants From the Angel to the worme all serue him he is the Lord of Hosts let vs also serue him and then shall they serue vs. But it is both sinne and shame that where the raging water and furious fire serue God at his commaund onely man made to his own image disobeyes him And therefore againe feareful is the recompence that where it is said The Lord reioyceth in all his works of man onely the Lord said It repents mee that I made man The Lord grant it may repent vs that euer we offended so good a God and so the Lord may be pacified toward vs in Christ Iesus VER 92. Except thy law had been my delight I should now haue perished in mine affliction HE now declares vnto vs what profit hee made of his former meditatiō to weet that the certaintie of Gods word kept him that he perished not in his affliction Sith he saw it was a sure and powerful word whereby other creatures were sustained he collects it could neuer faile him so leaning vpon it he foūd him selfe vpholden by it in his greatest afflictions Let vs learne of Dauid to seeke our comfort in time of trouble out of the word of GOD for all other comfort which is sought with neglect of this comfort brings two great euils First it encreaseth griefe how-euer for a time it seeme to mitigate it And next it leaues a man destitute when he hath most need of comfort Onelie the comfort of Gods word bides with vs when all other comfort for sakes vs. My delight The word signifieth delights in the plurall number Many were the sorowes of Dauids life but against them all he found as many comforts delectations in Gods word With such varietie of holy wisedom hath God penned his word that it hath conuenient comfort for euery state of life therfore the children of God account nothing so deere as it they preferre it to their appointed foode Yea as the body cannot liue out of the owne element of aire so cannot the soule of a godly man without comfort of the word Where if it be obiected to vs by worldlings Where are those manifold delights which ye say are in the word we hear nothing but one the selfe same thing repeated vnto vs The best answer to them is Come and see Taste and consider how gracious the Lord is and yee shal find that euery repetitiō of it brings new delight And this they may learne by their naturall affection toward bodily foode which is so great that the same kind of foode where-vpon they feede this day they long for it againe to morrow and with a new appetite long to haue renewed euery day And if they were as well acquainted with the spirituall life their affection would be in the same manner renewed euery day toward the word of God For the truth is that no Monarch in the world can furnish his table with such varietie of delicates as are offred to vs in the treasures of Gods word Perished in mine affliction Dauid was a godly man and deerely beloued of the Lord his GOD yet is hee sore humbled by affliction for euen those branches which are fruitfull God will purge to make them more fruitfull Our nature is so rebellious that without sore afflictions it cannot be tamed subdued Stones cannot be squared for palace-worke without strokes of the hammer gold can not be purged and prepared for work without fire neither is corne separated from the chaffe without wind We are Gods corne let vs abide the wind of tentation to clense vs from the chaffe of our corruption Wee must suffer the fire of affliction that we may be fined and made vessels of honour for the house of God And we must be content that the hammer of God strike vpon vs to beat away our proud lumps that so we may be squared and made ready like liuely stones to be laid in heauenly Ierusalem More of this see ver 50. 52. VER 93. I will neuer forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickned me THis verse hath a protestatiō of his thankfulnes he had found life in Gods word and he resolues neuer to forget it Experientia edoct us iustificationes tu as producere vitā inextinguibilem illarū memoriā seruabo It is no maruel that they who neuer got life by the word of God haue no delight in it the excuses of men here auaile not Certain it is the cause of all contempt of Gods word is from this that men neuer found life nor comfort by it Whereof see Sect. 1. But it is worthy to be marked that he saith not the Word quickned him but God by the Word quickned him The Word was preached at one time by one Preacher S. Paul to many people assembled together at Philippi but many heard it who got not life by it onely Lydia by that Sermon had her heart opened Paul may plant Apollo may water but God must giue the increase Let vs thanke God for the word he hath giuen vs and let vs pray to God that grace may be ioyned with it so with the Gospell hauing the blessing of the Gospell it shall become the power of God to our saluation VER 94. I am thine saue me for I haue sought thy precepts MAny reasons hath Dauid vsed hitherto to mooue the Lord to bee mercifull to him but none more forcible then this I am thine A strong reason indeed where man in a good conscience can vse it for if we who are euill and weake haue a care of euery thing which is ours that we will not if we may suffer it to perish euen our garments and our houses and our cattell we haue a care to conserue them because they are our owne how great may we thinke is the Lords care toward his owne whom he tenders with greater compassion thē any earthly father can doe to his children But howsoeuer this seeme facilis vox communis Tuus sum as easie a voyce as it is common to say I am thine yet few are they who in a good conscience may say it Mentitur enim peccator si se seruum Dei nominet A man in his sinnes lies if hee say that hee is the seruant of God for to what-euer thing a man giues obedience vnto that same is hee a seruant O how many people and nations and wealthy men are there in the world Qui paupertatem putant Domino seruire who thinke it a pouertie to serue GOD Hee who is aboue all seemes nothing to them and they seeke other things with such insatiable affection as if the Lorde Iesus in whom are all things were not sufficient for them Can these men say to the Lord I am thine But these men are not the worst for yee shall finde now a bastard
Christian so profane that when all vices are gathered euery one may say to him Thou art mine Quomodo ergo qui huiâ—…smodi est potest dicere Christo Tuus sum How then may such a man as he say vnto Christ I am thine Concupiscence Auarice Ambition and the rest vpon iust reasons of seruice done by him to them challenge him to be theirs Of such a man it may be spoken that was said of Constantinus Copronymus Eum nee Christianum esse nee Iudaeum nee Paganum sed colluuiem quandam impietatis That he was neyther a Christian nor a Iew nor a Pagan but a confused masse of all impietie And how then can such a one say to the Lord I am thine But if so they will say let them receiue their answere Away ye workers of iniquitie hee is not alway mine that saith Lorde Lorde Wicked men may so say Sed voâ—…e non corde but it is with their tongue not with their heart As Iudas euen then pretended that he was one of Christs when Satan had entred into him but the aduersary iustly might challenge him by the like of these speeches which by Ambrose properly are ascribed to him Non est Tuus Iesu sed mens est quae mea sunt cogitat qua mea sunt in pectore volutat tecum epulatur meâ—…um pascitur à te panem à me pecuniam accepit tecum bibit mihi sanguinem tuum vendit He is not thine said Satan to the Lord Iesus he is mine his thoughts and cogitations are mine he eats with thee but is fedde by me he takes bread from thee but mony from me he drinkes with thee and selâ—…es thy bloud to me A fearfull conuiction of men who giue their word to Christ professing his name but their workes to Satan doing what hee commaunds them These men cannot say with Dauid I am thine O Lord. For I haue sought See here how Dauid qualifies his protestation from his earnest affection to the word of God hee proues that hee was Gods man and his owne seruant It is not wordes but affections and actions which must proue vs to be the Lords Tuus sum quia id solum quod tuum est quasiui I am thine because I sought nothing but that which is thine and how I might please thee Mihi in tuis iustificationibus est omne patrimonium in the obseruance of thy precepts is all my patrimony VER 95. The wicked haue waited for me to destroy me but I will consider thy Testimonies TWo things againe he notes in his enemies diligence in waiting all occasions whereby to doe him euill and cruelty vvithout mercy for their purpose was to destroy him wherin still we see how restlesse and insatiable is the malice of the wicked against the godly Daniel his preseruation in the Lions den was a great miracle but it is no lesse a maruellous vvorke of God that the godly who are the flock of Christ are daily preserued in the midst of the vvicked who are but rauening Wolues thirst for the bloud of the Saints of God hauing a cruell purpose in their heart if they might performe it vtterly to destroy them When we see them disappointed let vs giue thankes with the Iewes If the Lord had not beene on our side may Israel now say If the Lord had not beene on our side when men rose vp against vs then had they swallowed vs quick when their wrath was kindled against vs but praised be the Lord who hath not giuen vs a pray to their teeth But I will consider The coÌ„sideration of Gods word is a strong stay against all temptations See verse 9. 15. 59. 95. 159. VER 96. I haue seene an end of all perfection but thy commaundements are exceeding large IN the conclusion of this Section hee compares Gods word with all other most perfect and excellent things that are in the vvorld and hee sheweth how they shall faile and vanish but the word of the Lord endureth Nihil tam perfectum vel absolutum est omniex parte quod finem suum non habeat Experience lets vs see this to be a truth for there is no day so pleasant but a night puts end to it no Sommer so fruitful but a barren Winter ouertakes it no body so pleasant and liuely but death destroyes it frequent eating and drinking in the dayes of Nâ—…h but the flood came and tooke them all away great mirth among the Philistims vpon their Patrons holy-day but their banquetting house became their buriall The Monarch of Babel that golden head had feet of clay and in the end wormes spred vnder him and wormes couered him All the pomp of the world is like the gourd of Ionas flourishing one day and fading another The wind shall cary away the vngodly like chaffe all their most perfect pleasures are like a light thing bound vp in the wings of the wind which is easily caried away When we come to be men we laugh at those things wee did when we were children for they as wee see take great delight to build houses to themselues in the streets of shells and stones and delight to behold them which albeit they were able to stand yet could they not profit them We are not yet come to the perfect age of Christian men but when we shall be then shall wee vnderstand how foolish now men are whose care is to increase their rents and inlarge their sumptuous buildings Quae ciuem coeli capere non possunt which cannot lodge a Citizen of heauen Let vs therefore so vse this world as if wee vsed it not possessing it so this day as ready to part with it to morrow But thy commandements There 's the other member of the opposition Hee calls the commaundements or word of God exceeding large Quia cos omnes recreat corda corum dilatat qui in angusâ—…ijs afflictionibus versantur because it refresheth them all and inlargeth their harts who are in distresse and affliction And againe it is so large that it hath none end Propter amplitudinem suam fideles nunquam deseret and the amplitude thereof is so great that it neuer failes the faithfull Worldly riches serue worldly men so long as they liue and make some seruice also in conueying their bodies with a pompous funerall to the graue but there it leaues them and goes no further with them Onely the word of God sustaines the godly against all tentations so long as they liue it conuoies them vnto death and the comfort therof abides with them for euer when they are dissolued MEM. VER 97. Oh how loue I thy law It is my mediditation continually HE insists here still in the declaration of his earnest affectioÌ„ toward the word and the notable fruites which he reaped thereby His affection is declared ver 1. Oh how loue I thy law Wherin ye see hee calls God himselfe
must be tryed by knowledge first let vs consider that to be the zeale of God which fights with the armor of God the Worde Prayer and patient Suffering That againe is a zeale but without knowledge which fights with carnall armour hatred euill speaking and bloudy persecution such a zeale breedes superstition spares not to deale cruelly with all such as are contrary minded By this rule Papists may trie of what spirit they are Because mine enemies Dauid had many enemies but none except such as had cast the Lawe of God behinde their backe It is a great comfort to the godly to see that they haue no enemies but such as are enemies to God VER 140. Thy word is proued most pure and thy seruant loueth it HEere is the third ground of comfort which sustained Dauid to wit that Gods word was tryed to be true by his constant and continuall working according to it To expresse this he compares the word of God here Psal. 12. vnto golde tryed in the fire which not onely indures but becomes fineâ—… when all réfuse or counterfeit matter faileth and vanisheth So will Dauid say when the fire of affliction was kindled I haue seene all comforts perish onely thy word proued a word of consolation for the more the flames of affliction increase the more powerfully doth the word expresse that hidden vertue of consolation which is in it And because he had so felt it so now he speakes of it Where it is to be marked for our greater comfort that albeit the time be not yet come of the full accomplishment of Gods word in the which the least iot thereof must be fulfilled yet the Lord giues vs as many present proofes of it by experience as may confirme vs in assurance of the verity thereof If we be wise to marke the working of the Lord we shall finde witnesses in euery age in euery yeare yea in euery moneth and day to confirme vs that as God hath a mouth to speake so hath he an hand by which he workes according to his word giuing ioyfull deliuerance to his own out of all their troubles and rendring iudgement to his enemies according to their pride And thy seruant loueth it Loue in God is the fountaine of all his benefits extended to vs and loue in man is the fountaine of all our seruice and obedience to our God He loued vs first to doe vs good and hereof it comes that we haue grace to loue him next anâ—…â—…e him seruice Loue is such a duetie as the want whereof cannot be excused in any for the poorest both may and should loue him yet without it all the rest thou canst doe in his seruice is nothing nay not if thou shouldst giue al thy goods to the poore and offer thy bodie to be burned Small sacrifices flowing from faith and loue are welcome to him where greater without these are but abomination vnto him Proofes of both we haue in the Widowes myte and Caines rich oblation wherof the one was reiected the other receiued Happy are we though we cannot say We haue don as God commands yet if out of a good hart we can say We loue to do what he commands VER 141. I am small and despised yet doe I not forget thy precepts HEe renues againe the protestation of his vnfained affection toward Gods word with an amplification therof that albeit his estate was meane and himselfe despised and contemned also of his enemies yet he did not forget the word of God There are many who can professe Religion as long as they see peace and honour following it who rather then they would indure trouble and contempt will vtterly forsake it The Samaritans could very wel reioyce in their new Temple built on Mount Garizin boasting that they were the posterity of Ephraim companions to the Iews no lesse worshippers of God then they were hauing also a Temple of their owne but when they saw that Antioehus Epiphanes King of Syria did cruelly persecute the Iewes for the worshipping of God then did they alter their profession they called themselues not Israelites but Sidonians and that their Temple was dedicate not to Iehoua but to Iupiter Cretensis and so eschued they the fury of the persecutor Many such Samaritan professors are in this age who to eschue the present wrath of men spare not to renounce Religion and so cast themselues in danger of the fearefull wrath of God whom they will finde a consuming fire From such temporizing and counterfeit dissembling the Lord preserue vs and blesse vs with this grace of a constant affection toward Gods word in euery state of life Againe it is no new thing to see them small and despised in mens estimation who with the Lord are highly esteemed being men as here Dauid was according to Gods owne heart Honourable in the eyes of the world was that rich glutton clothed in purple despised was Lazarus but ye see the one was an heire of glory the other but an inheritor of hell A godly man is an excellent treasure in an earthen vessell compared by Macarius to a precious pearle in a contemptible purse despised by many because they know not the jewell that is within it The worla knowes them not because it knowes not the Lord whose sonnes they are neyther doth it yet appeare what they shall be Nazianzen for this compares men in this world to those who in a Stage-play represent another thing then they are there the beggar is busked like a King and by the contrary But when the Play is done and their garments layed by then shall euery one of them appeare such as they are For this Saint Iames giues vs a profitable instruction That wee should not haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons to honour a man onely for his riches or despise an other for his pouertie but where wee see the grace of Christ be they rich or poore we ought for Christs sake to haue them in honourable estimation Yet doe I not forget thy precepts We see by experience that our affection leaues any thing from the time it goes out of our remembrance but earnest loue euer renues remembrance of that which is beloued The first step of defection is to forget what God hath commanded what we are obliged in duety to doe to him for vpon this easily followes the offending of God by our transgression Such beasts as did not chew their cudde vnder the lawe were accounted vncleane and not meet to be sacrificed to God that was but a figure signifying vnto vs That a man who hath receiued good things from God and doth not think vpon them cannot feel the sweetnesse of them so cannot be thankfull to God VER 142. Thy righteousnesse is an euerlasting righteousnesse and thy Lawe is truth DAuid considers here two things in the worde of God first the equity of it next
si sanctus si iustus sit debet orare vt exaudiat eum Dominus secundum misericordiam suam non secundum merita virtutis alicuius quia rara virtus multa peccata A man were he neuer so iust or holy should euermore pray that God would heare him according to Gods mercy not according to the merit of his vertue whatsoeuer because in the best men their vertues are rare their sinnes are many It is true they vse also secondary arguments taken from God his graces in themselues as that they loue him or feare him or call vpon him but these in effect are but the alledging of the conditions whereupon God out of his kindnesse hath made the promises and so being his owne graces freely giuen may lawfully be vsed to moue the Lord to the performance of his promises Quicken me See ver 37. 40. 50. 88. 93. According to thy iudgement Iudgement is sometime taken for the execution of Gods threatnings against transgressors and this Dauid declines Psal. 143. Enter not into iudgement with me Sometime it is taken for the performance of his promises according to his word and this Dauid desires as in this Verse See ver 7. 13. 20. 30. 39. 43. 52. 62. 66. 75. 84. 102. 106. 108. 120. 137. 149. 156. 160. 164. 175. VER 150. They drawe neere that follow after malice and are farre from thy Lawe HEe reiterates againe his complaint against his enemies whom he describes after this manner That toward God they were impious men farre from his Lawe toward Dauid they were malicious yea such as followed malice and hunted after all occasions to doe him euill This is the condition of the children of God as their head and Lord Christ Iesus was set for a signe of contradiction so is it with his seruants they are set as a marke butte whereat Satan and his instruments shoot all the arrowes of their indignation but in vaine for God is their buckler And truely it should greatly comfort all the godly to remember that such as are their enemies are Gods enemies also sith they are farre from the obedience of Gods Law what maruell they be also farre from that duety of loue which they owe vnto vs It may content vs to want that comfort in men which otherwise we might and would haue when wee consider that God wants his glory in them Let this sustaine vs when we see that Godlesse men are enemies vnto vs. VER 151. Thou art neere O Lord for all thy commandements are true FRom the meditation of his enemies malice hee returnes againe to the meditation of Gods mercie and so it is expedient for vs to doe least the number and greatnesse and malitiousnesse of our enemies make vs to faint when we looke vnto them It is good that we should cast our eyes vpward to the Lord then shall we see they are not so neere to hurt vs as the Lord our God is neere to helpe vs and that there is no euill in them which we haue cause to feare but we shall finde in our God a contrary good sufficient to preserue vs. Otherwise we could not indure if when Satan and his instruments come neere to pursue vs the Lord were not neere to protect vs. Comfortable is it that when Laban with great fury followed Iacob the Lorde stepped in betweene them and commanded Laban not to hurt him and when Satan many a time intended to destroy Iob hee found that hee could not because the Lord was a hedge and defence vnto him This is of GODs marueilous working that wee being in the middest of the wicked who like so many rauening Wolues thirst for our bloud and before the mouth of that roaring Lion that seekes to destroy vs we should still be preserued for the which we may giue thankes with Dauid It is so O Lorde because thou art neere vnto vs. But let vs remember if wee would haue this presence of the Lorde rendring vs comfort wee must also bee moued by it to render him reuerence Prope est omnibus qui vbique adest nec refugere eum possumus si offendimus nec fallere si delinquimus nec amittere si colamus He is neere vnto all who is euery where present if we offend him wee cannot flie from him if we ◅ne we cannot siele nor couer his eyes if wee worshippe him we cannot want him neere to vs in all our necessities De sole non dubitas quod vbique resplendeat de Deo dubitas quod non vbique fulgeat Thou doubtest not of the Sunne that it shines into euery place why doubtest thou that the Lord is present in euery place Be where thou wilt hee is neere vnto thee be thou also in thy affection neere vnto him to feare and loue him in all thy wayes walke with him as Henoch did set him alway in thy sight as Dauid did Vnlesse thou be with him to waite vpon him and serue him how can he be neere vnto thee to preserue and comfort thee in all thy necessities Hee is neere vnto all illum tamen fouet qui appropinquat sibi but he comforts and nourisheth such as come neere vnto him He that hides himselfe from the light of the Sunne and closeth the dore and window of his house that it shine not vnto him what maruell hee haue no comfort by the light thereof In tenebris ambulat in omnium luce ipse sibi est causa caecitatis He walkes in darknesse and in the middest of light shining vnto all hee becommeth a cause of blindenesse vnto himselfe If by iniquity wee depart from the Lord wee may finde him neere as a Iudge to punish vs not as a Father to protect vs. For all thy Commaundements are true His meaning is Albeit O Lorde the euill will of wicked men follow me because I follow thee yet I knowe thy commaundements are true and that it is not possible thou canst desert or faile thy seruants who stand to the maintenance of thy word Then ye see Dauids comfort in trouble was not in any presumptuous conceit of his owne wisedome or strength but in the truth of Gods promises which he was perswaded could not faile him And heere also hee makes a secret opposition between the word of the Lord and the word of his enemies Somtime men command but without reason sometime they promise but without performance sometime they threaten but without effect Herods cōmanding Rabsac◅e his ray ling Iezabel her proude boasting against Elijah may proue this But as to the Lord our God he is alway better then his word and his seruants shall finde more in his performance hereafter then now they can perceiue in his promise like as his enemies shall finde more weight in his iudgements then now they can apprehend in his threatnings VER 152. I haue knowne long since by thy Testimonies that thou hast established them for euer THat which he hath
with our affection Of this it commeth to passe as wee see in daily experience that where men once fall away from their first loue and becom luke warme professing a truth but not louing it zealously misliking vntruth but not abhorring it they easily degenerate into Apostates And therefore our affections would euer bee kept in a right temperature by continuall exercises of the word and prayer In the law God commanded his people to hate all vncleannesse euen in their bodies hee that touched a dead body or any vncleane thing was vncleane himselfe This had in it not only a truth for honestie and comelines become the saints of God but a signification also Immunditia iustis iniquitas est To holy men all iniquity is vncleannesse Quid autem immundius quam mentem qua nihil homini datum est pretiosius turpibus commaculare criminibus And what greater vncleannesse then to defile the mind the most pretious thing which God hath giuen man with filthy sinnes These are not onely polluted in themselues but defile others that come neere them Fuge ergo iniustitiam quae viuentes adhuc mortuos facit Flie therefore with Dauid all vnrighteousnes which makes liuing men to bee dead and to become more hurtfull and horrible to others by their life then they can be by their death But thy law No man can serue two masters of contrary wils and dispositions if he loue the one he must hate the other Ye that loue the Lord hate that which is euill Men now boast much of their loue to God but the best rule to try it is the contrarie hatred of all euill See verse 113. 128. VER 164. Seuen times a day doe I praise thee because of thy righteous iudgements AFfections of the soule cannot long bee kept secret if they bee strong they will breake forth in actions The loue of God is like a fire in the heart of man which breakes forth and manifests it selfe in the obedience of his commandements and praising him for his benefits and this is it which Dauid now protests that the loue of God was not idle in his heart but made him feruent and earnest in praising God so that seauen times a day he did praise God Numero studium sanctae deuotionis exprimitur For by this number the carefulnes of holy deuotion is expressed and the feruency of his loue that in praysing God he could not be satisfied sayth Basil. Concerning this duety of the praysing of God and time which is the greatest worldly benefit God giues man see ver 62. Onely let Dauids example prouoke vs to the imitation of the like deuotion and pietie and let vs be ashamed of our negligence in this duetie who scarse can doe that on the Sabboth day which Dauid did euery day Vnder the Lawe the Lord commaunded that the daily sacrifice which euery day morning and euening was offered should be doubled on the Sabboth But alas the prophanenesse of this age is such that not onely now is the daily sacrifice neglected but the Sabboth contemned of many who neyther prayse him for his workes of creation remembring they are his creatures nor yet for the workes of redemption as if they were no Christians redeemed by Christs bloud and so least praise giue they to the Lorde vpon that day wherein they are bound to giue him most A fearfull in gratitude God grant Dauids example may learne vs in this point to be more dutifull VER 165. They that loue thy lawe shall haue great prosperity and they shall haue no hurt HItherto Dauid hath declared his great affection toward the Word of God and that vnspeakable comfort he found in it And now lest it might bee thought that this was by any speciall priuiledge or dispensation of God toward him from which others are excluded he now declares that all who loue the law of God may looke for the like comfort in it which he had found And this he sets downe in this proposition speaking now not in his owne person as before but in the person of others Wherein we haue first to consider a description of Gods children and next the priuiledge or benefites belonging to them The description of the godly is heere They that loue thy lawe Many manner of wayes are the children of God described in holy Scripture as from their faith in God from their loue from their feare from their obedience from their patience to declare it is not one but manifolde graces of the spirit which concurre to make vp a Christian and how they all goe together like the linkes of a chaine that one drawes on all the rest His faith is not without loue his loue is not without obedience his obedience is not without feare his feare is not without hope his hope is not without patience his patience is not without prayer which keepes and conserues all the rest And hereof it comes that the godly in holy Scripture are so many waies described But among all the graces of the Spirit the godly are most frequently described from their loue and therefore of all other we should most take heed that the grace of loue be in vs for two causes first because it leades vs to the surest knowledge of Gods affection toward our selues and next it giues vs the surest notice of that estate and disposition wherein wee stand our selues As to the first the grace of feruent and vnâ—…eyned loue iâ—… it be in vs makes vs certainly to know that we are beloued of God So saith the Apostle Herein is loue not that wee loued God first but that he loued vs. If we know him it is because we haue beene knowne of him If a man vtter not his voyce the Eccho makes him no answere if he looke not into a glasse it makes no representation of his face if the Lord had not called vs we should neuer haue answered him if he had not sought vs wee should neuer haue sought him neyther loued him if first hee had not loued vs. Here then is the first benefire wee reape by this grace of loue that by it we knowe the minde of God toward vs to be full of loue So that now we neede not goe vp to Gods secret counsell to enquire what is his minde concerning vs let vs enter into the secret of our owne hearts and try there what is our affection toward him if wee dare say that we loue him then may we be out of all doubt that we are beloued of him The other benefit is that by loue we know we are in the state of grace translated as saith the Apostle from death to life then we begin to liue when we begin to loue our God There may be in man a shadow of grace a profession of faith obedience but though a man had all knowledge and eloquence wanting loue he is but a sounding Cymbal So that by this
God shineth in the worke of creation Iob. 38. Earth founded without a fouÌ„dation Creation as a mother Prouidence a nurse conseruing things created ☞ Out of the wholsom word profane men like wasps gather poyson 2. Pet. 3. 4. All creatures froÌ„ the Angel to the worme serue the Lord of Hosts Psalm Gene. 6. Sith other creatures are vpholdeÌ„ by his word much more the Christian. Comfort which is not from Gods word brings two great euills The word hath comfort for euery estate of life An answer to worldlings who say they find no delight in Gods word ☜ Men fruitful in godlinesse by affliction made more fruitfull Iohn 15. ☞ None coÌ„temne Gods word but such as haue gotten no benefit by it Basile in Psal. 119. It is not the Word that quickens but God by his Word Sith man is carefull to keep that which is his owne shall we thinke that God loues not those who are his owne Euery man câ—…n not say to the Lord I am â—…hine Basil. in Ps. 119 Rom. 6. 16. Ambrose Yea rather men now are so profane that euery kinde of siâ—…ne may say vnto them Thou art mine ☞ Cent. How the Lord acknowledges not profane men to be his How Satan challenged Iudas as his owâ—… ☜ How Dauid proues that he was Gods man A great miracle that the sheepe of Christ are preserued in the midst of rauening Wolues Psal. 124. The vanitie instabilitie of all earthly pleasures ☜ Iudg. 16. Esay 14. 1â—… Psalm 1. A cleere declaration of the vanitie of this life Chrys. in Math. hom 24. ☞ The word of God is called large because the comfort therof indures Euthy in Psalm 119. WheÌ„ all world ly comforts fai'e Many speake that by custome which in conscience they dare not present vnto God A great grace to speak to God froÌ„ an vpright hart ☞ God craues nothing of man but loue 1. Tim. 1. Ambr. in Psal. 119. We are inexcusable if wee giue it not How loue to God may be tryed The nature of loue it cannot lurk but will tell where it is Means to grow in grace are meditation prayer thanksgiuing conference ☞ Dauid coÌ„pares himselfe with three sorts of men his enemies his teachers and the ancient Not to commend himselfe but the word of God Worldlings in what respect they are called wise Time will try whether they or the godly be more wise Godly men tel what they are but not of presumption Nazian He is not meet to be a teacher of Christians who is not a disciple of Christ. Ambr. lib. 1. off cap. 1. Macar hâ—… 16. ☞ That God giues more grace by an instrument then the instrument hath proues that hee is the dispenser of graoe ☜ Sith the wicked glory to make others more wicked shal we grudge that others by vs are made more learned godly then our selues How youth old age are to be considered A warning to aged men To resist sinne not to want sin is our greatest perfection on earth Amb. in Psalm 119. He can resist no sinne who resists not all sinne ☜ Euery sin receiued within vs opens the dore to another Our naturall inabilitie to good They onely learne who are taught of God God when he teaches speaks to the heart Euthym. The causes why many now profit not by hearing of the word ☜ A Christian apprehends good offered in the word not with one but all his leâ—…ses Sith Gods promises are sweet how sweet will their performance be 1. Cor. 2. 9. Two great benefits Dauid got by the word Lukewarme professors of this age convinced The word of God compared to a Lanterne Euthym. in Psal. 119. 1 Because it sheweth light in darkenesse 2 We shall set it by when we come home Reuel 22. 5. The light of the Gospell is clearer then the light of the Lawe 2. Pet. 1. 19. As the Sun is necessary for the day so the light of the word to direct our way Ambr. in Psal. 119. Ambrose Our waies are in darknesse without the word As Israels course in the wildernes was directed by the Lord so should ours be As a maÌ„ lights one light at another so should we light our minds at the word ☞ Dauids resolution confirmed by an oath A godly oath a necessary helpe of our great weaknes Ambr. in Psal. 119. The obiection of a weak conscience concerning an oath Why we should not cease to coÌ„firme our good purposes by an oath albeit we be weake in performing ☞ Gods word why called his iudgement How familiar the godly are in declaring their griefes to the Lord. Afflictions no arguments of hatred Amb. in Psalm 119. Heb. 12. By the contrary impunitie libertie to sin is an argumeÌ„t of Gods anger Hosea 2. The state of the godly in trouble after trouble to be distinguished Hebr. 12. Two great motiues to patience in trouble Vatab. It is a great sauour that the Lord accepts any thing from vs and that in three respects 1. If we consider who the Lord is Psalme 16. 2. If we consider who our selues are 3. If wee consider what our oblation 〈◊〉 1. Chron. 29. No gift so smal if it come from a good hart but God accepts it A reproofe of them vvho praise not God with their lips And of theÌ„ also who offer seruice of their words not of their harts vnto him Mich. 6. 7. The godly maÌ„ hath his life alway ready in his hand to offer to the Lord. ☜ It is far otherwise with the wicked Three things concurre in wickednes Which are not in the godly Constancie of Christians Excellencie of Gods word aboue all other things Phil. 3. 8. It is the sure Charter of our heauenly inheritance The contempt of Gods word reproued ☜ Seeing mans hart is not in his owne hand how saith Dauid he had applied his hart How a man after grace receiued works his own saluation Basil. in Psalm 119. The godly fail in performaÌ„ce not in purpose ☞ Beginnings of good are nothing without perseuerance Greg. moral In trouble mans comfort consists in one of these two 1. A by-gon good life 2. Or else a present vnfained repentance Three things in sinne to be escliued 1. The occasioÌ„ 2. The beginning of it ☜ 3. The perfection Iam. 1. 15. Men grow more skilfull in sinning then they were before In most desperate dangers God comes with vnlooked for deliuerences Why our hearts should be diuded from wicked men Psal. 50. Euery mans company tels what he is Wicked company for borne for two causes 1. Because they offend God Psal. 1 39. 2. For feare they hurt vs. How euery company warnes vs to walke circumspectly Vatab. Wicked company not meet for godly men and why He that knows God to be his God by no meanes can be 〈◊〉 from him ☜ A Christian hath nothing wherein he reioyceth as in his owne but the Lord. Psal. 73. 26. Prayer strengthens all our good intentions A two-fold instability incident to godly men 1. One of faith ☞ 2.