mercie of God he shall find it terrible to fall into his hands It is terrible to fall into the hands of a consuming fire sport with flesh as they please but iest not with God he shall find in experience if he runne out this course that he shall curse the day of his birth disclaime the houre that euer he saw this light except that same God whom he blasphemed preserue him in mercie In the end of the verse he letteth vs see the manner how he was deliuered and he sheweth in the end of that verse that it pleased the Lord to turne his bitter bitternesse into a farre better contentment of spirit The way whereby he did it was this he remooued his sinnes from him he forgaue him his iniquitie for except the Lord had forgiuen him his sinnes it had not bene possible that the bitternesse of his soule and conscience could be remooued Then so soone as he turned him to his God acknowledged his life by-gone and sought mercie by all manner of waies as sometimes by word by groning by teares by sighs by dolorous moane and lamentation and by all kind of humble gesture he obtained mercie so that the Lord did cast his whole sinnes behind his backe The cause that moued the Lord to shew mercy he noteth in the middest of that verse There was no occasion in the King for he deserued the contrary it was onely the loue of the Lord onely the kindnesse of the Lord in Christ Iesus his Messias who was to come of this King himselfe In the manner of his deliuerance this King acknowledged three things which are worthy of marking First the King acknowledgeth that sinne is the onely cause of our misery whether it be in our conscience body or soule surely this King speaketh very true For there is nothing that God can hate in vs but sinne there is nothing that he can correct in vs but sinne there is nothing that his furious iealousie can burne vp but sinne there is nothing that he can purge in vs but sinne Take away sinne and the punishmeÌ„t of the wicked shall ceasse yea there shal be no such thing as a wicked one and the purgation of the godly shall not neede So both punishment and purgation shall ceasse sinne being taken way for sinne is the onely thing that is punished in them and purged in vs. Now this King acknowledging this ranne vnto God confessed his sinnes found mercy So note the lesson Whether the Lord visite vs with trouble of body or conscience seeing that sinne is the cause of our trouble let vs runne the high way to God examine our by-past life acknowledge our offences and run vnto the throne of grace for mercy And whosoeuer runneth to that throne shall find mercie in the day of his greatest necessity this is the first thing that he acknowledged The second thing that he acknowledgeth is this he acknowledgeth the remission of his sins the best and surest cure that can be applied to any disease For there cannot be a better cure nor a surer cure then to remoue the cause of the disease Therefore the remouing of sinne cureth the disease The vnhappy world when they are visited with any disease they runne onely to the body and seeke the cause of the disease onely in the body as though the body had the onely wit they runne neuer to the soule when in the meane time the body is but an instrument to the soule For if the soule were well it is impossible that we could be diseased Therefore seeing the cause of the disease lurketh in the soule when the Lord visiteth you with any disease runne to the soule acknowledge that sinne is the cause lay the fault where it is and craue mercy of God for this is the ready way to cure our diseases Would God this lesson were learned for if it were well obserued we should not see so many kinde of pestilent diseases raging in this countrey as at this day we do The third thing the King acknowledged is that it is not his owne integrity that procured his deliuerance he acknowledgeth that it was not his innocency in life nor his good deedes as may appeare in the beginning of the chapter For in his prayer he appeareth to haue made an ostentation of his good deedes and innocency of life but here in the end of this verse he resolueth this doubt he letteth vs see it was the mercie of God in Christ Iesus that was the onely cause of his deliuerance Thus farre for the meaning of the words Now let vs marke the forme of speech The forme is this because saith he he hath cast all my sinnes behinde his backe This forme of speach is borrowed from our custome For those things that men may not behold that are filthy and abhominable we cast them behind our backe that we may not see them Now sinne being the onely thing which is abhominable in the presence of God when he forgiueth vs our sinnes he is said to cast them behind his backe The only thing that hideth the countenance of God from vs is sin for there is nothing that can separate man from his creator but sinne onely And what lose we when we are separate from the countenance of God We lose true pleasure and perfect pleasure There can neither be true nor perfect pleasure but in the sight and countenance of God And whilest we are by sinne debarred from his countenance we are depriued both of true and perfect pleasure Then the diligent care of a Christian should stand in this that sinne debarre him not from the countenance of God But we should be diligent in begging mercy for Christ his cause that enioying his countenance we may haue satiety of pleasure to last for euer The second thing that I marke in these words is this Where he saith He hath cast all his sinnes c. he saith not he hath cast a part and lâ—ft another part he saith not that he hath forgiuen veniall sinnes and left mortall sinnes but he sayth all sinnes of what sort ranke or degree soeuer they be he hath cast them all behinde his backe Al these sorts of sinnes that seuer vs from God and deteine vs from his countenance may be all brought vnder these three sorts Vnder the first I vnderstand this originall corruption this foule puddle this rotten root of the which all these rotten fruits do flow and proceede This corruption in the which we are both conceiued and borne which maketh vs the children of wrath dead in sinne and in â—he vncircumcision of our flesh Vnder the second sort I comprehend all motions cogitations and actions of our whole life whereby we decline neuer so little and go aside from that perfect duty which we owe to God and to our neighbour So in a word I comprehend vnder this second sort all our actuall sinnes This naturall corruption which we call originall sinne by the which it
it is that Dauid in his 51 Psalme cryeth out and sayth Against thee against thee onely I haue sinned Now seeing it is he onely that forgiueth sinnes let vs seeke remission at God and no other The last thing that I marke is the cause that moued God to forgiue him his sinnes he saith because he loueth his person and for this loue that he did beare vnto him he neither suffered the bitternesse to remaine in his soule nor his body to see the graue It is confessed by the King that there was nothing in himselfe worthy of this loue Therefore he is not loued for his owne cause of necessity then he must be loued for that mans cause that took away his sinne Now reade ouer the Scriptures what man is that who hath taken away our sinnes taken on him our debt discharged him honestly and honourably of it euen he that is God and man also Christ Iesus and therefore in these same words quietly he acknowledgeth his sins to be remoued for the loue which God did beare to him in Christ Iesus who was in his loynes as yet according to the flesh I say there was no man able to beare and discharge this burden saue this man which is God also able because he was God and as he was able so he discharged this burden in his owne time And Christ is iustly the onely Mediator betwixt God and Man And therefore whom the Lord loueth he loueth in him and to whom the Lord sheweth mercie it is for his cause onelie For why he perfectly satisfied for the whole businesse which may be easily seene in these three points For fiâ—st he deliuered vs from these sinnes which we call actuall sinnes And how by his perfect satisfaction whereby he satisfied fully in suffering hell in his soule and death in his body and that on the crosse And so freed vs from these actuall sinnes and the punishment thereof So that in this point he is a perfect Mediatour Secondly he deliuered vs from the puddle and rotten roote from the which they proccede For ye see Christ Iesus was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin and that by the mighty power of his holy Spirit So that our nature in him was fully sanctified by that same power And this perfect purity of our nature in his person couereth our impurity for he was not conceiued in sin and corruption as we are but by the power of the holy Spirit who perfectlie sanctified our nature in him euen in the moment of his conception So he being throughly purged his purity couereth our impurity Now in the third point also he is a perfect Mediatour for he not onely satisfied for our sinnes but he accomplished the whole law for vs yea and more then the law required for the second Table requireth onely that we should loue our neighbour as our selfe But Christ did more then this for none loueth his neighbour so that willingly he will die for him So Christ in dying for vs sheweth that he loueth vs more then the law required And so he not onely accomplished the law for vs but did more then the law required Now this perfect righteousnesse of his cometh in betweene vs and his Father and couereth our rebellion and disobedience or else we could not be free from condemnation in this point also All these to wit perfect puritie perfect satisfaction and perfect righteousnesse are to be found in Christ perfectly And therefore onely mercie and remission of sinne is to be sought for in him and he that hath not Christ to be his intercessor that man shall neuer taste of mercie Now let vs go to the application what manner of intercession can Christ make for that man that blasphemeth his Father It is not possible that the Son can interceede where the Father is blasphemed wilfully and willingly Yea of all iudgements this is a most terrible iudgment where the spirit of blasphemie hath such power that he maketh a man to vtter such voyces against his maker Thus farre concerning these words Now in the next two verses he giueth two reasons wherfore the Lord forgaue him his sins and deliuered him from the death of his bodie and he sheweth in that 18 and 19 verses that the Lord in this worke had his owne entrie and speciall respect to his owne glorie which glorie he saw would be aduanced more by the lengthening of his dayes then otherise by the shortning thereof Secondly that the benefit of his deliuerie would be a matter of praise to al generations to the end of the world For it is said The fathers shal instruct their children and so fathers and children in their extremities they shall runne to God for the like mercie Now for these two ends that God might be praysed of the King in his owne person and of his posteritie and of all the posterities thereafter the Lord bestoweth this benefit vpon the King and giueth him health I take vp the reasons in these two verses the 18. and 19. And the first reason is taken vp in the 18 and beginning of the 19. for there he saith The graue cannot confesse thee death cannot praise thee As if he would say dead men and buried cannot praise thee as we do in these bodies of ours in the land of the liuing liuing in thy Church here Dead men that rest in their graues cannot looke for the accomplishment of thy promises And if I were dead and my bodie in the graue I could not looke for the accomplishment of thy promise in giuing me a sonne It is onely the liuing the liuing that is able to praise thee There he doubleth the word to let you see that they must be endued with a double life that praise the Lord aright They must not onely be endued with the life of the bodie but also they must liue in their soule Now the King saith I being restored to this double life both in body and soule I shall praise thee For none can praise thee worthily as I do this day but they that are aliue as I am This is the first reason Now to examine the words he meaneth not that they who are dead and buried leaue off this exercise onely he meaneth that they who are dead and buried will not praise God in their bodies will not praise him as we do here on earth And therefore we must not thinke that they leaue off this exercise Yea by the contrarie we must beleeue that the soules of the Saints departed are more busie in this exercise then when they were aliue and how prooue I this The nearer the soule is vnto God the greater plâ—asure and delight it taketh in him but after it is departed out of this life it is so much the nearer coupled with God Therefore it taketh the greater pleasure and delight in him Now the greater pleasure it taketh in God the greater praise it must giue to him for pleasure cannot come into the heart but it
exercise of patience For if the heart vnderstand that the Lord hath reiected our prayer altogether it is not possible to continue in prayer so when we know that the Lord heareth vs suppose he delay let vs desire patience to abide his good will The third thing that I marke is this his crying and weeping obteineth a prosperous issue for by his long crying he is drawn out of a terrible pit by his long crying he is drawn out of the myre and deepe clay There is no pit so deepe take it as thou wilt that can stay the eare of the euerliuing God There is no distance of place nor thicknesse of impediments that can stay the voyce of any suppliant Be the pit neuer so deepe wilt thou cry truly thou shalt be heard And it is as true on the other side whosoeuer cryeth and showteth if his pit were neuer so deepe he is not drowned hast thou this liberty to cry in crying thou risest the more thou continuest the nearer is deliuery Theâ—efore onely he is in a miserable estate who being throwne downe in a deepe and horrible pit knoweth not notwithstanding that he is there nor feeleth not his misery For as long as we haue the knowledge and some feeling of our misery be the pit as vgly as it will we are in danger but not lost but where knowledge feeling is away there we are drowned there is not one of vs all but so long as we are here we are in one pit or other The pit of iniquity circleth vs so long as we are here there is no meanes to be deliuered but by feeling our misery for feeling maketh vs to cry and by crying we are heard Thus much for the Prophets first experience Vpon this in the third verse he taketh occasion to praise God by reason of this his singular experience which gaue him the matter argument of a new song This song is called a new song by reason of the new occasion of the new deliuery which occasioneth to him the matter of new praise In the end of the verse he setteth downe two speciall vses of this praise whereunto it tendeth The first vse is it tendeth to stirre vp the Church to follow his example in praysing God The second vse of it tendeth to the edification of euery member of the Church in the feare and worshipping of God Of this verse I gather shortly two lessons and so I shall go forward The first who is it that putteth this song of praise in our mouth who maketh vs to sing this new song in our heart onely God putteth the song of praise in our mouth and maketh vs to sing this new song in our heart for by nature none hath knowledge to praise him nor will praise him The way and manner how to praise him is by a taste and feeling of his sweetnesse It is not possible that the heart can praise him except it haue a taste thereof All the benefites of the Lord whether they be spirituall or temporall should be as many occasions of praise but this silence is an argument of the hardnesse of our heart for surely if we were touched with a feeling of this sweetnesse we would burst forth in praise but our slothfulnesse sheweth the hardnesse of our heart And where this foule death continueth there is no reconciliation with God The second thing that I marke is vpon the end of this verse It is not enough to praise God thy selfe it is not enough to thanke him in thine owne heart But if thou be a true member of the Church thou must propose this benefit to the Church for benefites are not giuen as particular priuiledges to particular persons but as publicke testimonies of the fauour of God towards his Church Therefore euery benefit should be proposed to the Church that the Church may haue occasion to praise God in it Now vpon this third verse he bursteth forth into that notable sentence which we haue in the fourth verse Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and regardeth not the proude Surely that man is exceedingly blessed who is not caried with the example of the proud and vaine in the earth for why by nature there is neuer a one of vs but we are all proud vaine Secondly how forcible euill example is all men by experience know Thirdly we know the multitude accounteth common custome and example for law Therefore of necessitie that man must be exceedinglie blessed that in such a sight of euill examples putteth his trust in God Surely these few in number that depend vpon God if they be compared with the rest of the world of all men of the earth they will be counted most miserable and vnhappy and as the Apostle sayth they were the ofscourings and sweepings of the world For as long as they are here beneath in the kingdome of patience their life is hid with Christ and will not appeare vntill the Lord appeare to be maruellous in his Saints 2. Thes. 1. At the which time their bodies shall shine as the Sunne and their soules shall shine as the Angels In hope of this estate the poore members of the Church repose in the present peregrination There are here two waies set downe There is a broad and an open way wherein rhe proud and vaine men of the earth walke There is a narrow and a strait way wherein the simple and they that depend on God walke Indeed the broad way is large easie and pleasant there is no throng nor trouble in it as would appeare for a while but the end of it is straitnesse euerlasting and terrible straitnesse On the other side the other way is strait in the entry and many impediments are in that way yet the end is large and pleasant and bringeth a ioyfull eternity I thinke that the soiourner that is certaine of a good lodging may well endure the difficulties of the way And therefore seeing we are certaine of our lodging that the way is short let euery one striue to enter into it how strait so euer it be the end is large The Lord of his mercy worke in euery one of vs that we may both know the way and walke in it till our liues end The last thing that I marke vpon this experience ye see two ends why the Lord delayeth to helpe his seruants The first and speciall end is that he may be the more glorified the more that he differeth The second end is that these hasty men that will not abide the leasure of the Lord may see themselues disappointed when they see the seruants of the the Lord so mightily deliuered For there is not one amongst a thousand that in patience will wait vpon the deliuerance of the Lord but runne to this or those meanes vnto vnlawfull meanes and euer seeke helpe for the present although it be with the hurt of conscience And these vnlawfull sorts of deliueries bring euer shame
in the end And therefore it is that the Lord delayeth his deliuerance that partly these hastie men may be ashamed and that his glory might be the greater in the deliuerance of his owne In the fift verse the Lord is praised from the publike experience of the Church for the number of his blessings which he bestoweth is to bestow vpon his Church caÌ„not be expressed There is no heart able to conceiue nor mouth able to expresse the infinite number of his blessings The eare hath not heard saith the Apostle the eye hath not seene nor hath it entred into the heart to coÌ„ceiue the ten thousandth part of the ioy prepared for the children of God for if this heart of ours were able to coÌ„ceiue any part of that ioy we should possesse more of it here then we do The little sparkes of that ioy and the feeling thereof haue such force in the children of God that they carrie their hearts out of their bodies as it were and lift them vp to the very heauens then how great shall the full ioy be I pray you when the whole soule shall be possessed fully As for the greatnesse and excellencie of the blessings of God the heart of man is no way able to conceiue or the tongue to expresse Albeit how euer we are not able to conceiue them let euery one trauell to make a further and a greater progresse in this knowledge for the more we profite in this exercise the more thankfull may we be to God Thus much concerning the first part of the Psalme In the second part I shall be short by Gods grace for this his experience which he hath found he offereth his seruice freely to God he offereth himselfe most voluntarily as one who delighted in the law of the Lord as one who hath proclaimed his mercie and iustice and the rest of his vertues in time past And he confesseth in the 6. verse that this obedience flowed not out of himselfe but of the piercing of the eare of his heart It pleaseth the Lord to prepare and open the eares of his heart that he might obey him for as to outward sacrifice and externall worshipping when it is disioyned from the inward seruice of the heart the Lord hath no liking of it Therefore it pleased the Lord to pierce the eare of his heart And of this it cometh to passe that he cometh and offereth his seruice willingly saying I heare thee crying on me Lord in thy booke In the first word of thy booke hearken and take heede ô Dauid and here he saith I am coming If we follow the literall meaning of the words this is the effect and meaning but if we follow the mysticall sence there is here a cleare prophecie of the Messiah For the Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 10.5 bringeth in Christ Iesus speaking these same words of himselfe which Dauid here speaketh in the 7.8 and 9. verses And for the better vnderstanding of this prophecie the Apostle in that place setteth downe the circumstance of time when he spake these words to wit when he came into the world when he tooke on our nature and was clothed with our flesh he spake these words contained in the 7.8 and 9. verses As to the words the Apostle applyeth them otherwise to Christ then Dauid here doth to himselfe for in the words which the Apostle citeth there is a clause changed for where Dauid saith thou hast pierced mine eare the Apostle saith thou hast giuen me a bodie There appeareth to be a great difference here yet I say the sentence remaineth one howsoeuer the words differ And to let you see that the sentence is one this is my reason As the boring of the eare was a signe of obedience of the seruant to the master Exod. 21. so the taking on of our body and of our flesh in Christ is a perfect signe of his obedience to his Father And looke how sure a signe of seruice the boring of the eare was to the master as sure a token is the assuming of our flesh of the obedience of Christ to his Father So obedience is signified by the one and obedience is signified by the other as for Christ he tooke not on this seruile forme for his owne cause but for our cause and for vs was his eare bored soule and bodie sustaining that full wrath which we should haue endured eternally And yet notwithstanding so vnthankfull are we that except he bore our eare afâ—er another sort that is bore our hearts and soules as Lydias was Act. 16. we can neuer thanke him nor know him for this benefit Then the effect and summe of the Prophecie may be this Christ would testifie to vs that he is now by the benefit of the Father become our high Priest not to offer legall sacrifices the bloud of lambs and goats as before but to offer his owne bodie which was the veritie of all other sacrifices that by this sacrifice our conscience might be purged We haue the abolishing of the old Testament set down in the 6. verse the establishing of the new Testament in the 7. verse the office of Christ in the 8. verse Now as to the lessons I marke two or three shortly and so I shall end The first lesson riseth out of the 6. verse he saith in the 6. verse it is not the worthinesse of externall worshipping it is not the worthinesse of legall sacrifices that made the prayers of the ancients to be heard It was not the worthinesse of their ceremonies that made their deliuerie to be purchased It is not the worthinesse of our merits and satisfactions that maketh our prayers to be heard it is onely the bloud of the Lambe that made Dauid to be heard at that time and vs to be heard now that purchased his deliuerance then and our deliuerance now Accursed therefore is that religion that mixeth any other merits with the merits of Christ and double accursed is the religion that derogateth any thing from the honour of this merite This for the first lesson The second thing that I marke is the end why Dauids prayer is heard and our prayer is heard The end is not to abuse the goodnesse of God to the wantonnes of the flesh not to take occasion of the grace of God to prouoke him the next time to anger but the end is to consecrate soule and bodie to his seruice and to make a publike protestation euery one in his owne calling to be thankfull to him in all time to come This is the end wherfore the Lord deliuereth vs and heareth our prayers I grant there is none of vs but in one measure or other we abuse the grace of God but there is an abusing with a fighting or reluctation and there is another with a loose reine And whosoeuer abuseth the grace of God with a loose reine he casteth himselfe into the hands of God and who so casteth himselfe oft into the hands
kings life shewed in two similitudes 1. Similitude Doctrine to be gathered of the first similitude Why the Patriarkes dwelled in tents The second similitude Application His words beside the diseaâ—e of the bodie vtter the disease of his soule Why the Lord suffereth his children to fall into the disease of the soule Application By what waieâ— Hezechiah sought God Why the K. sought the prorogation of his dayes In what respect it is lawfull to seeke the prorogation of dayes First lesson Whether faith and doubting may be in a soule or not What the Apostle comprehendeth vnder doubting Doctrine The contrary voices that Christ vsed in his trouble The King teacheth vs how to pray in extremity Note Repetition Diuision Three things that the King granteth in his thanksgiuing Sacrifice of thanksgiuing haue succeeded to corporall sacrâ—fices of the law In thanksgiuing three things are to be marked A good conscience thanketh God euer for his benefits The King sheweth the greatnesse of the benefit receiued Deut. 32. Exed 32. Isa. 48. Isa. 43. An effect which issued out of the benefit The sweetnes of the benefite maketh him to burst forth into the praise of the word first in generall next in particular Math 4. How a man shall know if the Spirit of life be begun in him How the Spirit is said to be nourished in vs how he is said to be banished 1. Cor. 15. Recapitulation Application Diuision Application The manner how the King was deliuered Sin is the only thing that is punished in the wicked purged in the godly Lesson Remission of sinnes cureth all diseases When God forgiueth he also forgetteth God onely forgiueth sinner The cause that moued God to forgiue him his sinnes The reasonâ— wherfore the Lord forgaue him his sinneâ— They that are dead in their body leaue not off the execise of praise in â—heir soule 1. Obseruation 2. Obseruation Why the Lord worketh by means and second causes First end Second end Third end The purpose of the Prophet in this psalme Exhortation to be thankfull The diuision of the Psalme A mercy that God is neare vnto his people What is meant by the name of God in this place The true knowledge of God and the true praise of God accompany others mutually Application The profite thâ—t redoundeth to vs of giuing thanks A Prayer Verse 2. A mercie for God to lodge with his people Application A Prayer Diuision Application What is it that dislodges God What is meant by the moâ—ntâ—ines of prey Lesson Verse 5.6 How this victory was obtained How the Lord is said to rebuke Gods formall dealing with his Church What are the ends wherefore the Lord appointed enemies to his Church First end 2. end 3. end Verse 7. The end of his mercy is admiration Conclusion Recapitulation Diuision Verse 8. God onely did this great worke The effects of this great worke Vse Verse 9. The time of this great iudgement The time of Gods sitting He answered to an obiection of the Church Answer Exhortation to thankfulnesse Hope How hope differeth from faith The life of Hope Doctrine Hope and mourning may stand together How to know when God heareth our prayer though he granteth not instantly our suite Notâ— Constant mourning in trouble assures certaine deliuerance Note Lesson Lesson Why the Lord delayeth to helpe his Seruants He that belieueth shall not make hast A mysticall meaning The Prophet and Apostle reconciled Lesson The end why our prayers are heard Lesson Two sorts of abusing the grace of God Note Euil thoughtâ— make vs not guiltie if resisted Lesson The heads to be intreated of in this Sermon What is the chiefe thing that young men should flee What is meant by the lusts of youth Whereof cometh the restraint of sinne Why the Lord restraineth impiety Note Note An exhortation to the Lord Bothwell Whaâ— things yong men should chielfly seeke after Heads to be intreated of repentance Definition of repentance Two sorts of repentance In what respects the worldly sorrow is called blind terror What is the godly and right sorow A caution to be obserued in this part of repentance What is the greatest sinne a man may commit The effects of this godly dolor Why this part of repentance is called mortification Note A feeling and hope of mercie goâ—th before conuersion Why this part of repentance is called viuification There nothing that the diuel staieth more nor our confessioÌ„ A caution to be obserued in this part of repentance Two sorts of repentance Conclusion M. Patrik Adamson late Bishop of S. Andrewes The heads to be intreated of What it is to rule in the Lord.
they make no account of the death of Christ and thinke that he died for himselfe For it appeareth they haue no touch nor remorse of sinne which is the thing that will destroy them except it be preuented Their manifest contempt testifieth this ouer well for they go forward without remorse in all kind of sinnes the more they are forbidden I remember the Apostle is more sharpe in his threatning against these men then anie man can be For he saith Heb. 10. at the end If he that contemned Moses or any part of his lawes died without mercie how much more shall he be worthie of punishment that contemneth the person of the Sonne of God that treadeth the Sonne of God vnder foote and counteth his bloud an vnholy thing who will not apply the mercie of Christ to themselues and reiect the Spirit of Christ whereby they should be sanctified These threatnings suppose they take not effect suddainly as also the promises suppose they be not beleeued of you yet they must be vttered by vs that these walles may testifie and beare witnesse to your conscience that there was a Prophet here These things were told vs and we had time to haue done them if we had listed Ere I leaue this it is necessarie for you all that ye marke the examples of these heauie diseases There are few that are touched with them although they are very worthy of marking I say it is necessarie that the examples of these diseases be marked whether it be men or women that haue them we should marke them if it were but to learne this lesson We may see how easie it is for God to represse the pride of the flesh we may see how easie it is to the Lord to daunt the foolishnesse and wantonnesse of youth in an instant of time in the space of twelue houres a glorious King is brought to the gates of death Then ye should say with your selues It is time for vs to change our course we see how easie it is to the Lord to bring high conceits low The Lord doth this to this King and he seeketh no fire nor sword he vseth no externall armor nor he seeketh no forreine instrument to do it but he taketh of the stuffe that is within him he taketh the matter of sinne wherein he was conceiued borne vnhappie sinne which is the matter of all iudgments and plagues it is the matter of death both in bodie and soule This matter within our selues is as readie at the Lords hand as if it were in his owne store-house to plague thee best that intendedst to gainstand him Thē ye that haue your health and the benefit of it learne to vse it well for if ye abuse it and vse it to defile your bodies which he hath appointed to be the temples of his holy Spirit looke how easie it was to him to bring the King low as easie and farre easier shall it be to him to bring the best of you downe Then I say ye that haue the benefit of health employ it to the honour of him and comfort of his Church that gaue you it Thus farre concerning the second part of our diuision In the third part contained in the 14. verse he letteth vs see what he did in this great extremitie the raging furie of his sicknesse being so great he letteth vs see what was his exercise and he saith as ye may see in that verse that notwithstanding God handled him so yet he maketh his recourse to the same God who plagued him and he seeketh and presseth friendship at the same God who threatned him He seeketh him as ye may see in that verse two manner of waies so long as his tongue serued him that the extremitie of his disease tooke not away the vse of it from him And whereas the extremitie of the disease tooke his speech from him that he could not vtter his mind by words yet he leaueth not off but where he might not vtter his mind by distinct voyces and words he seeketh him by a dolorous mourning like to the Doue and by a heauie lamentation like to the chattering of the Swallow or Crane And last of all he in his gesture lifteth vp his eyes to heauen By this meanes he retireth himselfe to God when the benefit of the tongue was taken from him The words that he speaketh so long as libertie is granted to him are few but very sententious Where he saith it hath oppressed me refresh me or weaue me out persisting in the similitude As if he would say I see well the rage and furie of my sicknesse is so great that neither force of nature nor any naturall meanes is able to comfort me the force of the disease hath ouercome all force of nature and naturall meanes Therefore seeing there is no helpe in nature I make my recourse to the God of nature to whom it is very easie to giue helpe where nature hath refused it And therefore I desire of the omnipotent God that he would weaue out the rest of the web of my life to restore me to my health to his glory and to the comfort of his Church This I thinke be the summe and meaning of his prayer whether he mourned whether he moned whether he spake or chattered As to the words the petition would onely be considered It might appeare strange that the King should seeke the prorogation of his dayes as if there were not a life better then this or a day after this but if ye weigh the matter well and consider the race of the historie ye shall find that he had many particulars that mooued him to seeke the prorogation of his dayes and chiefly we know that Manasses his sonne was not yet begotten he lacketh as yet children in whom he might see the pledges of Gods fauour and accomplishment of the promises made to him and his fathers house and specially of that promise concerning the Messias Now lacking children in whom he should see the accomplishment of this promise had he not good reason to seeke the lengthening of his daies vntill he see the promise accomplished As to the generall I insisted in it before and therefore I shall be the shorter I say it is lawfull in some respect to craue prorogation of dayes for seeing it is the benefite of God seeing the seruants of God haue sought it before and seeing the Apostle counteth it a speciall mercy of God as we may see in the person of Epaphroditus Phil. 2. verse 29. we must also esteeme the same a speciall mercy Whosoeuer knoweth surely in their minde that the lengthening of their dayes will serue better to the glory of God and comfort of his Church then present death I say it is lawfull and they may in faith craue it Although there is a generall condition to be looked to in this as in all other petitions that ye submit your will and affections to be ruled by the good wil of God in such sort
praise and thanksgiuing for the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing sanctifieth not only thy person but all the benefits which the Lord bestoweth on thy person For that which is true in meate and drinke is true in all the rest of the benefits which are pledges of his mercy in Christ Iesus Now the Apostle testifieth in the 4 to Timothie first Epist. 4. verse that thanksgiuing sanctifieth our meate and drinke and maketh it both holy and wholsome As this is true in these creatures so it is true in all the rest of the benefits and blessings of God So when I looke on this thanksgiuing I am mooued yea I am compelled to marke three things in it first I am mooued to marke the wonderfull goodnesse of God Secondly our horrible ingratitude Thirdly the great arrogancie of the enemies of God the Papists First then I say ye may easily see the goodnesse of God in this forme of praise who when he may require our life our soule and bodie and the whole actions of our life for his benefits yet he is content with a simple kind of praise and thanksgiuing in such sort that if the heart be good suppose we babble with words yet it is acceptable to him As this sheweth his kindnesse and wonderfull mercie on his part so on our part it sheweth our horrible ingratitude that albeit little will content our God yet we will not bestow that little on him it cometh neuer in our mind to thinke it much lesse to do it in deed So this is an intollerable ingratitude vpon our part This ingratitude maketh it come to passe that we possesse his benefits with an euill conscience This maketh it come to passe that the curse of God hangeth ouer all your riches which curse ye either see in your daies or else it is seene after you in your prodigall posteritie And this is onely by reason ye are vnthankfull to God for his benefits I am assured and this ground cannot deceiue me there is none of you that hath purchased any benefit in a good conscience but ye will thanke God for it for a good conscience will neuer shake off the memory of God altogether So when ye forget to thanke God it is an euident argument that the benefit is purchased in an euill conscience For the which cause the curse of God is hanging ouer your riches Which appeareth either in your time or suppose the Lord be long-suffering in your posteritie Then to testifie that the benefits are well come by be thankfull to God for them and purchase nothing but that whereof ye haue a sure warrant in your conscience Now the third thing that I am mooued to marke I say this letteth vs see the horrible arrogancy of the Papists who thinke that they can not onely be thankfull for his benefits in word but also they are able to do him one good turne for another in deede and when after their maÌ„ner they haue satisfied him they make a superplus which they call works of supererogaâ—ion Those their works of supererogation are a superlatiue follie and madnesse which cannot be expressed that whereas the best seruants of God found in experience that by word they were not able to satisfie him they thinke by their deeds to satisfie his infinite goodnesse But I leaue them and go forward He sheweth in the next words the greatnesse of the benefit and he taketh it vp briefly vnder two words after this manner He hath said it and himselfe hath done it he said it in his promise he did it in keeping of his promise he both said and did it himselfe that the whole glorie of the worke might appertaine to him he said it freely for I procured the contrary he kept it as freely for the Lord is true suppose all the world be false Ye see how properly he taketh vp vnder these two words the mercie and truth of God the mercie of God in promising the truth of God in keeping and peâ—forming of his promises The mercy of God in promising freely for he is debter to no man and therefore whatsoeuer he promiseth he promiseth freely for there is none of vs can make claime to any better condition then the naturall branches might haue made claime to and if ye list to reade of their naturall inclination ye haue many places of Scripture and in speciall I send you to Deuter. 32. Exod. 32. Isaiah 48. For there speaking of the Iewes the Lord saith I foreknew thy stubbornnesse I saw the sinewes of thy necke were of brasse and thy face of yron I foresaw that thou wouldst remaine false and vnfaithfull yet notwithstanding I made my promise freely vnto thee and as freely as I made it I kept it as feely It is I it is I saith he in the 43. of Isaiah that putteth away thine iniquities it is I that for mine owne name sake calleth not thy sinnes to memorie If this be true in the naturall branches how much more is it true in vs Then we haue nothing to lay betwixt vs the iudgements of God but his mercie freely offered vs in the bloud of Christ Iesus It is God saith he that hath done this As if he would say all the rest are lyars onely God is true and ere he faile in one iot of that he saith he is able to make the world turne vpside downe and to inuert the order of nature as ye may see in the former part of the Chapter in bringing backe of the Sunne by ten degrees And therefore this teacheth vs that there lacketh not in God neither a power nor a will onely on our part there lacketh an hand an instrument to receiue and belieue the promises And therefore suppose there be carts full of promises and as sure promises that there can be nothing surer it is not possible that these promises can auaile any thing except the Spirit prepare a way for himselfe except the Lord create in the soule faith Therefore all your care and diligence should stand in this to craue that with the hearing of the word the Lord would conioyne the working of his Spirit that faith being wrought and the heart being opened fully we may leane and repose stedfastly on the faithfull promises of God In the end of the verse he sheweth a blessed and happie effect which issued out of this notable benefit he saith I shall henceforth all the rest of my yeares walke ouerpassing the bitternesse of my soule As if he would say by this benefit the griefe of my conscience and the terrors and troubles of my soule are remoued He maketh no mention of the rest of the benefits of the health of his bodie of his sure and prosperous estate which was both promised and giuen vnto him But he touched that which troubled him most the griefe of his conscience was the thing that troubled him most and therefore he maketh mention onely of it This bitternesse made such a deepe impression