Histor Theat A Flaxwoman at Kinstat in France who dressed her Flaxe commonly on the Sabboth twise admonished on two Sabboths by fire and not amending the third day was burnt with her two children A warning for those who brew bake grind c. on the Sabboth A man working in his haruest on the Sabboth his barne was burnt and all that hee had according to that of the 17. of Ieremy verse 27. At Parise at the Beare-bating Ano. 1585 eight persons were slaine many hurt by the sudden breaking of the scaffold As also a fearefull iudgement of God fell forth at Dumbar about the yeere of God 1577. whereof I was an eye witnesse my father master Andrew Symson of good memorie being Minister thereof who going to Church law a thousand Boates setting their nets on the Sabboth he weeped and feared that God would not suffer such contempt it being a most calme day as euer was seene at that season at midnight when they went forth to draw their nets the winde arose so fearefullie that it drowned eightscore and ten Boates so that there were reckoned in the coast side foureteene score of widowes Thus God hath wayes to finde out profaine persones But Alas this is pitâ—ifull that not onely wee doe not seeke God Pro. 8.1 but when wisedome sendeth forth her maides in the streets to seeke vs and call vpon vs wee heare their cryes with deafned eares so that I feare that the reproch of Isaias iustly appertaine to vs Isa 63. All the day I stretched forth my hand to a rebellious people Finally as there is a time of all things which would be obserued Time fleeth away take it before it be gone Simil Pro. 6.6 for post occasio calua as fortune is bauld behind so is time a Spring time an Haruest time a Sommer time a Wintertime The Pismire knoweth her time the Sea and Moone haue their times and so hath Grace a time while it is offered and God a time wherein he may be found Therefore seeke the Lord while hee may be founde Isa 55. If wee slippe the tyde and influence of grace the tyde will faile vs which we shall neuer recouer But to the end God must seeke vs first A time when God will not be be found â—â—k 13.24 we may finde God wee are to be found of God for wee can neuer seeke him till hee first seeke vs as the lost sheepe cannot seeke it selfe Next there is a time when God cannot be found Many shall seeke to enter but shall not be able for the wicked seeke not till the time of finding be past so did the foolish Virgins Mat. 25.12 Gen. 27.35 it was too late when the gate was closed It was too late for Esau to seeke his Fathers blessing when he had contemned it Exod. 14.24 It was too late for Pharaoh to flie when he was in the midst of the Sea When God is found God is found when he offereth gracious occasions of his finding and wee imbrace them Which Hosea expresieth in his tenth Chapter vers 12. Till he come and raine downe righteousuesse on vs. But there are two things which breedeth doubts in vs Ob first the wicked are heard as Achab the Ninivites the Israelites in seeking a King 1 Sam. 8.22 1 King 21.29 Ion. 3.10 Luk. 8.32 Ans the Devils seeking to enter in swine c. I answere albeit God granteth their worldly desires yet it is to their double destruction The Israelites obtained a King in his wrath Achab prolonging temporall iudgement procuted eternall condemnation and in this world albeit suspended for a time to shew Gods lenitie sparing reprobates for a season in the end vtter exterminion Next the godly find not alway God Ob. Ans Answere They find him not at the present he delayeth time with them to exercise theâ—r faith and patience but in the end he commeth Mat. 14.25 he commeth at the fourth watch Abraham Zachary and Anna prayed for châ—ldren in their youth but gat their prayers granted in their age yea oft they are refused in some things and better giuen them Paul prayed to remoue the messenger of Sathan 2 Cor. 1â— 9 but God would not yeeld thereto albeit he heard him in a better supplying him with sufficient grace Christ prayed the cup might be taken from him but in that he was not heard Luk. 22.42 yet he was heard in a better that he brought him well through it The fruit of Prayers Surely in the flood of great waters they shall not come neere thee Here is the second part of this Verse wherein is expressed the fruits of our prayers and the excellent effect thereof that the faithfull are delivered from all troubles after their prayer God giueth a singular priviledge to prayer Doctr. God delighteth in Prayer Rev. 8.3 that he preferreth it to any other thing for he delighteth in that sacrifice more then in any burnt offering and therefore the Angels are said to offer vp the prayers of the Saints as though God had preferred them more in assigning them to that office then in any other And none can pray but the childe of God Let vs therefore striue night and day to performe that dutie which shall doe vs more good in our miseries then any other remedie The great danger of Gods Saints Flood of great waters He magnifieth the mercy of God by setting forth the great danger whereto a Christian is subiect by a similitude taken from great Floods which is very frequent in the Scriptures And to expresse our danger it is sayd We goe through fire and water they are both extreame and mercilesse elemenes albeit water be worse and more dangerous for fire may be extinguished by water but what is able to resist the rage of waters and specially an invndation which commeth so vehemently so suddenly so forcibly that no man is able to resist it but straight way it carrieth him away The floods are sometime sayd to come vpon vs from God Psal 42.7 All thy floods and waues are gone over me Sometime by Sathan The serpent cast out waters as a Flood Rev. 12.5 Sometime by wicked men Isa 59.19 The enemie shall come as a Flood God is the first raiser of the Floods but the Devill and wicked men doe concurre and advances that worke to destroy the Church Ye see then the enemies of the Church are compared to waters Psal 124. Isa 8. Isa 17. Ier. 47. There is nothing to eschew the rage of waters but onely to flâ—e from them Moreover as many waters yea stryps and rootes ariseth together A concurse of the wicked against God Psal 10. Psal 2. so doe wicked men in the persecution of the Church concurre together even to destroy Gods Church All pâ—t too their shoulder their force their malice their words and deeds and what they can to subvert her The fuâ—y of the enemies wasting the Church
of God therefore God fortifieth his citie with al necessary defences which may hold out the enemie The Church hath walls inuisible visible The walles are too fold inuisible the protection of God which the world seeth not for the Lord is a wall of brasse about his Church to repell her enemies and a wall of fire to burne them also he hath his Angels who pitch their tents about his holy and chosen ones 2. Kin. 6.7 there was horses of fire compassing Elizeus The outward and visible walles are made of a number of liuely stones compacted together by the morter of loue strongly resisting all the enemies of the Church for that vnitie of the Saints strengthen them by the power of their God Boni enim ciues mania cinitatis good citizens are the walles of the citie And vpon these walles compassing them on all sides be bulwarks whereupon are set the canons of the word of God mighty in operation destroying the enemies the censures of the Church namely excomunication which being lawfully led is of greater power to subdue the enemie and resist him then all the power of ciuil authoritie The sinnes of princes and people make great gaps in the walles at which the deuil and enemies of the Church and wolfes enter and destroy the Lords vines They with Tobias and Sanballat stay the building of these walles Neh. 4.2 and are striuing to build the walles of Iericho which were forbidden by Iosuah to be redefied vnder a great curse 1. Ki. 16.34 which lighted on Hiel the Bethelite in the daies of Achab pitie is it to see the princes of this world so much enfeebling Ierusalem to strengthen Iericho Dauid crieth to God that he would build them whose power is greater then all the worlds who as he hath inuisible walles of his protection so he hath outward defences to maintaine his Church he is master of it yea master builder and sendeth forth seruants whom he strengtheneth for the building of his worke I see many pulling downe the walles yea with Edom in the destroying of Ierusalem crying sacke sacke Psal 137. â— raze raze vp the foundation Few with Nehemiah mourning for the ruines of Gods house in all parts and helping to restore them Let vs therefore goe to the God of Dauid who albeit he was king of the towne and began to build the citie and walles and laid materials to the Temple yet he knew that the labourers wrought in vaine vnlesse the Lord of heauen builded the citie Lord repaire the decaies of thy Church for thy Christs take For thy good pleasure He findeth the ground of all that perfection to be in God himselfe and his good fauour and not in men or their merits for as the whole building of the Church is the onely worke of God so is the reparation of her ruines onely belonging to himselfe Men might haue builded with stone and bricke the exterior walles It belongeth to God to build the Church but it is proper to God to build his spirituall Church And this is a token that God hath pleasure in his Church when he is building it sending good builders materialls of spirituall graces fortifiers as Cyrus and Darius good Princes Nehemiah good gouernours Esdra and good Priests And our obedient and carefull people who do take the sword in one hand and the instrument of building in the other that the Lords Ierusalem may be edified But when his fauour is departed then in his wrath he giueth Princes Gouernours Nobles Preachers and people who striue either to hinder the building or to pull downe the building to build vp Iericho and cast downe Ierusalem Dauid he craueth that God may be fauorable according to his good pleasure for the building of the Church dependeth vpon Gods good will and pleasure who when he liketh his Church can aduance her and when he is displeased with her cast her downe It appeareth euidently now that God is angrie with his Church in all parts of Christendome when he is pulling downe and not raising vp his Church we haue prouoked his wrath against vs and his soule abhorreth our hipocriticall profession and our wicked conuersation Verse 19. Then shalt thou accept the sacrifices of righteousnesse euen the burnt offering and oblation then shall they offer calues vpon thine altar THis is the promise of thankefulnesse to God wherein is set downe a correspondence or restipulation betwixt the people who shall offer sacrifices and God who will accept them And Gods seruice then goeth well when we offer willingly and God accepteth gladly If our sinnes be forgiuen vs God will heare our pâ—â—erâ— Gen. 4.5 Then Marke the time when God hath beene fauorable to his Church in forgiuing her sinnes then he will accept the offerings For pray what ye please and distribute to the poore if God doe not like of it all is in vaine Caine offered sacrifices but the Lord accepted them not because he hated his cruell heart Abel offered in faith and was accepted But how shall ye know if your offerings be acceptable to God seeing there is no fire to fall downe from heauen as that which burnt vp Elias sacrifice 1. Ki 18.34 Yee shall know that albeit an elementarie or materiall fire falleth not downe Nota. yet the fire of the Spirit falleth on our hearts the fire burning vp the drosse of our corruptions by vnfained repentance warmeing our hearts with the loue of God kindling our hearts with a zeale of Gods glorie This is the fire which will fall downe from heauen vpon our soules which sensiblie we feele if the Lord heare our prayers The sacrifices of righteousnesseâ— Some expound these offerings to be such as agree to his will I reuerence their iudgement but I see not how that exposition can agree with the text But it may be expounded of that righteousnesse which we ought to doe to our neighbours as we offer a sacrifice of a contrite heart the calues of our lippes by praises and these are the sacrifices of righteousnesse by our hands so that heart tongue hand should be all offered to God for God liketh well of righteous dealingâ— that our hand be not defiled with thirst couetousnesse oppression which if we sacrifice to Sathan by sinne let vs not lift to God by prayer but lift vp pure hands wash our hands in innocencie and then compasse Gods altar It would seem to be some differenc wher God said Obiect he would haue none of their sacrifices and now they promise sacrifices Indeed if the sacrifices be onely externall Solut. what accounteth God of them if they want mercie and righteousnesse for he will haue mercie and not sacrifice Therefore let externall and internall worship be conioyned and then God will like best of it but being seperated from spirituall offerings it is abominable and a burden to the Lord. Which be the sacrifices of righteousnes The alter Iesus Christâ— by whom we must offer our prayers
to the Father The sacrifices of righteousnesse are those which be lawfull and are commanded by God They shall offer calues vpon thine altar The calues are the calues of the lippes the alter Iesus Christ who was both represented by the brasen altar and by the golden alter For no sacrifice or prayer could euer be acceptable to God vnlesse it were offered vpon Iesus Christ for he is sacrificium sacerdes et altare Augustine saith he is the Priest the Altar and the Sacrifice the offerâ—r the thing offered and the altar vpon which it is offered All the mosaicall altars are abrogated because the sacrifice is made The heathnish altars haue no place The popish altars are abominable after the apish imitation of the Iewish altars they would offer that incrementum sacrificium â—issa without any warrand of Gods word It is enough for vs to offer not Christ to the Father but our prayers by Christ to the Father who will smell asweet sauour of rest of all our peticions and thankes which are presented vpon Christ and for thirst of him Lord keep vs from the altar of Damasâ—us and let vs offer all our offences vpon Iesus Christ with whom we shall be very heartily welcome to God Amen A GODLY AND FRVITFVL EXPOSITION ON THE CXXX PSALME the sixt of the Penitentials The Title A Psalme of degrees OF the Psalmes there are fifteene called Psalmes of degrees or cantica maaloth of assension whereof foure are assigned to Dauid and one to Salomon Why they are thus intituled it is controuersed vpon some thinke them to be thus called Why called a psalm of degrees because there were so many steppes in the Temple of Solomon wherby men ascended as Angustine in his hundred fiftie Psalme whose opinion Bellarmine citeth But apparantly they haue not taken their name from this because in Dauids daies not so much as the Church was builded Others be of opinion that it was after the people came from Babilon which is as light when that captiuity was so many hundred yeares after their death I thinke the Hebrew word would rather be referred to the tune and notes which should asend in singâ—ng and be swift in high notes being so excellent and so easie to be sung 〈◊〉 allegorie The allegorie is not to be neglected that we should by singing them ascend from this earth to that heauenly Ierusalem in our affections Bellarmines eâ—rour coÌ„cerning the singing of this Pâ—alme for thoâ—e that 〈◊〉 purgatorie Bellarmine thinketh this Psalme should be sung for the soules of those that are in profundo in a deepe place who desire to arise and get Gods mercie But who doth not see except he be blind the heretiques errour What doth he know whither such haue repented whether they haue confessed their sinne or no For thousands dies without confessing them If their sinne be mortall they go to hell say they wherefrom there is no redemption The forme of prayer then seeing it hath no warrand in the word it should be reiected as seruing to no vse and no credite should be giuen thereto This Psalme was made many hundred yeares before purgatorie was inuented for purgatorie was after Christ before Christs daies there was none as they themselues confesse And in this Psalme there is not one word that can giue the smallest warrant to that diuelish and foolish inuention Let them sing their De profoundâ—s as they please they doe themselues no more good then they doe to others and that is none at all Nota. onely they spend some idle houres and gaine somewhat to themselues The substance of this Psalme In this Psalme is contained an earnost and ardent prayer of a troubled heart first for mercie to his sinnes and next for deliuerence therefrom and last an exhortation to all men to hope in God because he will be a continuall redeemer of his people and can find meanes to deliuer them from all their sinnes and iniquites The parts of the Psalme In the first foure verses is contained his tentation by commemoration of his praier which he conceiued when he was in greatest perrill Next by forme of transitation he affirmeth that yet he will depend vpon God and his word in the fift and sixe verses And last he recommendeth this same hope to the Church in the last two verses with a bold assurance of the fauour of God toward his chosen Verse 1. Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto thee O Lord. OVt of the deepe places In this verse he setteth downe First the place from which he spoke de profundis out of the deepe places Secondly the forme of his prayer I called Thirdly the person to whom he prayeth To thee O Lord. By the deep places is meant afflictions into which the godly are often plunged By the deepe places as all the ancients consent is meant the deepe places of afflictions and the deepe places of the heart troubled for sinne Afflictions are compared to deepe waters Psalme 18.17 He drew me out of many waters saue me O God for the waters haue entred to my soule Psalme 96. And surely Gods children are often cast into very desperate cases and plunged into deepe miseries To the end they may send out of a contrite feeling heart such prayers as may mount aloft and pierce the heauens When we are in prosperitie our prayers comes from our lippes Nota. and therefore the Lord is forced to cast vs downe to the end our prayers may come from our heart and that our senses may be wakened from the securitie in which they are lying Albeit the throne of God be most high Nota. yet he delighteth to heare the petition of hearts that are most low that are most casten downe by the sight of sinne And there is no affliction neither any place so low yea if as low as the belly of the whale wherein Ionas lay which can seperate vs from the loue of our Lord Ionah 2.6 or stay our prayers from comming before him Those that are furthest casten downe are not furthest from God but neerest vnto him God is neere to a contrite heart God nighest vnto them that are most low Simil. and it is the proper seate where his Spirit dwelleth Isa 62. And this way God dweleth with vs as men doe with such houses as they are minded to build sumptuously and on high for then they digge deepe grounds for the foundation Thus God purposing to make a faire shew of Daniel and the three children in Babel of Ioseph in Aegipt of Dauid in Israel he first threw them into the deepe waters of affliction Daniel is casten into the den of Lions Dan. 6.16 Dan. 3.23 Ge. 39.20 The three children are throwne into the firie ouen Ioseph is imprisoned Dauid exiled 1. Sa. 27.2 yet all these he exalted and made them glorious Temples to himselfe Marke hereby the dulnesse of our nature that is such The dulnes of our nature hath need
he said Iudg. 15.19 I die for thirst and opened a spring out of the law-bone of an Asse will he forsake vs in time of our distresse if we thirst aright Verse 7. Heare me speedily O Lord for my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me else I shall be like vnto them that goe downe into the pit HE is now brought as it were to the latter sweat he crieth for speedy helpe or else he seeth nothing but death before his eies Our impatiencie maketh vs so bold and familiar with God that we would prescribe time to him as though he knew not which were the most conuenient time for his comming My spirit faileth He is now as it were in a swouning he craueth quicklie to be helped Doctr. Gods children are often brought low that the loue power of God may be manifested in their deliâ—eâ—â— or he is gone See to what extremitie God will bring his Saints euen neere the graue and yet bring them back againe that his loue and power may be known so much the more seeing to him belongs the issues of death God bringeth vpon his owne children such fainting as it were deliquium animi a lossing of our life that then feeling the weaknes of our naturall powers and after being restored by his grace we may learne how greatly we are beholden to him as by whom and in whom we haue our life and being and can be restored by none but by him alone and may bestow al the rest of our life vpon himselfe and his owne seruice and depend not on naturall strength but on him Hide not thy face from me He declareth plainly that he hath no sparke of life but from the fauorable face and countenance of God that he is then dead when he seeth not God reconciled to him in Christ Simil. The face of the Sunne bringeth life to the earth and all the world and the face of God bringeth life to men soules Simil. The countenance of the husband gladdeth the wife but the countenance of God reioyceth the soule He who hath once seene the countenaÌ„ce of God cannot liue without it He who once hath seene a blanke of his countenance can no more breathe or liue without it then a fish or bird out of their owne elements Else I shal be like vnto them that goe downe into the pit As though he would say I shall be like a deade man without sense and life The soule is the life of the body and God is the life of the soule should we not then be busie to seeke him and when he hath hid himselfe to find him againe There is no life in the soule without the sensible presence of God Psal 22.1 Mat. 27.46 for I will assure you there is neither life comfort peace or ioy in a mans soule vnlesse he haue the sensible presence of God Dauid not feeling it cryeth My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And Christ himselfe vttered the same voice on the crosse My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Of which I haue spoken in another place on the same wordes Verse 8. Let me heare thy louing kindnesse in the morning for in thee is my trust shew me the way that I should walke in for I lift vp my soule vnto thee AS he was cast downe in the former verses so he now ariseth by prayer which was the chiefest bulwarke whereto he did runne in time of his troubles In this verse he craueth two things First that he might heare Gods kindnesse and the reason because he trusteth in him Secondly that he would shew him the way wherein he should walke the reason because he lifted vp his soule to him Let me heare thy louing kindnesse Here he craueth Gods fauour and kindnesse as he doth in many other Psalmes Because in his fauour is life grace wealth all good things and pleasure for euermore How we may be assured of the fauour of God so that if he look kindly to vs we need be affraid of nothing But how shall he be assured of his fauour euen by hearing it as he saith in the 51. Psalme Let me heare the voice of ioy and gladnesse The voice which is heard is the word of God which being apprehended by faith is onely able to comfort our soules in whatsoeuer tentation And no meruell that such athiests and papists who altogether refuse the word of God Why papists and Athists liue die comfortles liue comfortles and die without comfort because they refuse that instrument which should carry ioy to them Good reason they die athirst since they reiect that vessell the word oâ— God by which they might be refreshed Therefore since faith coÌ„meth by hearing of Gods word and all our comfort commeth by it let vs pray God to bore our eares and our hearts that we may receiue the glad tidings of reconcilation from God In the morning Psal 90.14 The time when he seekes to heare Gods kindnesse is in the morning as in another Psalme Fill vs with thy sweet mercies in the morning Psal 55.17 Dauid vsed to pray morning noone and eueningtide In the morning in the beginning of the day he addressed himselfe to God offering his morning sacrifice he desireth that God may betime meete him that he may begin the day with some comfort for then we know that God hath accepted our prayer when he hath sent down the comfort of his spirit in our hearts when he with the fire of his loue and ioy of his countenance burneth vp our sacrifice This gladdeth our heart and encourageth vs to seeke him the rest of the day Seeke God early Then let vs seeke God early euen in the morning of our youth and euery morning not perfunctoriously or for a fashion but from our hearts that he may let vs heare that comfortable voice saying Thy prayers are come vp before me Act. 10.4 and I haue heard them For thy sinnes are forgiuen thee For in thee is my trust Confidence and faith in God is a great argument to moue God to speake good things vnto vs for otherwaies our prayers are in vaine Praiers not in faith are a scorning of God and shall not preuaile with him if they proceede not from faith if you come vnto him without confidence in him you scorne him and so doe double iniurie to your selues adding to your former sinnes a scorning of God These also who put their trust in any thing beside him neede not to looke for any good thing from him If yee would vse a thousand Angells as intercessours to moue God to heare you it is nothing only faith will preuaile with God The Pharises almes deedes Luk. 18.11.12.13.14 his tithes-giuing his prayers of which he much bragged wrought nothing with God but the Publicanes faith and contrition were forcible arguments preualing with him Shew me the way that I should walke in The second petition ariseth very well from the first
in our hearts to the Lord Col. 3 16. reiecting vaine idolatrous and profane ballads and sing spiritually vnto the Lord. When Nathan the Prophet came to him Dauid as is thought lay a yeare almost in this sinne asleep till God wakened him by Nathan Ionah 1.6 as he did Ionas by the Pilot. It is certaine we would sleep vnto death before we awake from sinne if God did not put vpon vs Man is lying asleepe till God waken him and stirre vs vp We are so benummed by the spirit of slumber and possessed by a lethargie that all our senses are stupified till Nathan come and awake vs. Next God sends him that which he praied for euen a faithful admonisher Psal 119. One Prophet cometh to another yea a greater then himselfe 1. King 13.18 not as the old Prophet came to the yong at Bethel to deceiue him but as a father to admonish his child There should be an holy freedome and libertie among Preachers Pastors should freely rebuke the vices one of another each one should freely rebuke another when they see them doing wrong One should not winke at an other as most part do and others being reproued rage mightily saying with Zidkiah When went the Spirit of the Lord out of me to thee 1. King 22.24 Esa 30.10 They rebuke the rebuker They say to the Prophet Prophecie not Obserue moreouer that Nathan cometh first to Dauid not Dauid to Nathan the Physitian to the patient not the patient to the Physitian Christ himselfe came to the sinners and Publicans and called them to repentance This is against the pride of some Mat. 9.13 Against the pride and lazinesse of Preachers and lazinesse of others who will not come or take the paines to visit weake Christians yea will scarce admit them to their presence when they come as though they were Princes Woe to their pride who come not to the sicke and heale not the broken as saith the Prophet but feed themselues with the fat of the sheepe Let none of higher gifts despise those of lower Acts 9.17 God vseth Nathan a Prophet inferiour to Dauid both in Prophecie wisedome and other gifts to be an instrument to warne Dauid Let none then of greater gifts despise those of lesser Ananias taught Paul and here Nathan Dauid After he had gone in to Bathsheba Albeit Dauid thought he had hid himselfe well enough yet God found him out by Nathan Adam hid himselfe among the bushes but God called to him Gen. 3.8 Where art thou Let vs not then dreame that God doth not see vs and whatsoeuer starting holes we seeke to hide our selues in The woman lighteth the candle Luk. 15.4 and findeth the lost pennie and our Shepheard will seeke his lost sheepe and bring it home againe No wither can we go from the all-seeing eye of God Gone in to Bathsheba As Dauid was an example of the frailtie of mans nature and Nathan of a faithfull Preacher so Dauid setteth down what euils do come of the beautie of women which is conioyned with impudencie and leuitie For if she had not washed her selfe naked before the pallace and consented so readily to the King Against the impudency of women that he should come in to her a filthy action spoken in cleane termes as Christians should do the like there had not bin such abhominable crimes committed She representeth many women in our days shamelesly haunting such places where they may giue occasion to meÌ„ to suit after theÌ„ Gen. 38 1â— as Tamar sitting by the high way when Iudah came by This doth not disgrace honest women but rather giueth them matter to glorifie God who hath not suffered them to be deborde in their filthy affections As the wise mariner seeing others by throwing themselues in danger suffer shipwrack Simil thanketh God who kept him from the like so honest women may praise God that he hath preserued their honestie which was not in their owne hand Beautie is not to be euill thought of being a benefit and blessing of God Beautie a blessing of God if not abused but the abuse of beautie by the tentation of the diuell and deceitfulnesse of our owne nature when Satan allureth vs to dishonour God and destroy that goodly peece of workmanship which God hath made vp in vs by that which should haue bin an instrument to prouoke vs to Gods seruice Pro. 31.30 Beautie is deâ—â—â—tfull Absoloms beautie deceiued him c. Sa. 14.15 and many with him haue beautie but haue no grace to vse it well Finally I see both the persons are noted by their names and not obscured wherein the Spirit of God in his word as in a true mirror and glasse representeth euery ones naturall face either in their beautie or in their blemishes So Iohn Baptist spoke particularly to Herod Math. 14.4 and the Prophets to their Princes They closed not vp their reproofes vnder generalities that they might interprete them any way which pleased them best but called blacke blacke sowre sowre and sweete whosoeuer sin openly ought opeÌ„ly to be rebuked sweete For particular applications to eminent persons is most requisite and those that sin openly should be openly rebuked that others may stand in awe Verse 1. Haue mercie vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities HAue mercie vpon me O God The thing he craueth most of God is mercie for God hath many qualities which are essentiall to him but none of them could do vs any good without his mercie his power would destroy vs his wisedome confound vs his iustice condemne vs his maiestie affright vs but all these by it turne to our good To beg for mercie is the first word of a supplicant The first word of the forâ—orne sonne to his father was Father Luk. 15.21 I haue sinned against heauen and against thee This Christ in his prayer hath taught vs to pray Math. 6.12 Forgiue vs our sinnes So in euery prayer we should begin at haue mercie vpon me O God We sin daily and vnlesse we offer vp at the doore of the Sanctuarie a sin-offering we cannot offer an offering of thanksgiuing and the sweete incense of praises Thus prayed the woman of Canaan saying Mat. 19.22 Haue mercie vpon me comprehending vnder that the cure of her daughter and the two blind men cried O Sonne of Dauid haue mercie Mat. 9.27 as also did many others The greatest comfort that Christians haue in their trouble is that they haue to do with a mercifull God and not rigorous nor one who wil chide with vs continually Psal 103.9 but one who is flow to anger readie to forgiue whose name is mercie whose nature is mercifull who hath promised to be mercifull who is the Father of mercies 2. Cor. 1.3 The earth is full of his mercies they are aboue the heauens and the clouds