falles most fearfully this should waken vs to take heede vnto that warning of the Apostle He that 1. Cor. 10. stands let him take heede that hee fall not In him let vs consider our selues shall we presume of our strength when wee see a stronger then wee ouercome Nay rather let vs feare our weaknesse and worke out our owne saluation in feare and trembling Sit lapsus maiorum tremor minorum Let the fall of Aug. the greater ones make the weaker afraid Ille hodie ego cras Bern. Hee hath sinned this day and we may sinne to morrow let others as they list drawe on sinne by examples But let vs learne it is a great point of wisdome to become wise by example of others rather then by experience in our selues Gregor moral lib. 2. thus Si maiorum casus ad humilitatem nos accingat wee shall not readily fall in the like snare of the diuell As for the sins hee commits 2. Dauids sins are adulterie murther carelesse securitie they are very heinous first Adulterie next Murther by the one thinking to couer the other And thirdly with them both he fals into no small contempt of GOD that for the space of nine monethes hee keepes close his sinne frequenting the externall sacrifices of Gods worship but not touched in his conscience with a sense or remorse for his sinne for hee was so farre from being troubled for it that when hee wrote to Ioab to expose Vriah to the sword of the enemie he willed him not to be troubled for the matter Thus wee see from one sinne he goes to another Erranti enim nullus terminus and so for any thing wee can perceiue in him had still walked on in his sinnes till hee had fallen in the bottome of hell if the Lord by grace had not recalled and recouered him There is such a fellowship Of the fellowship and combination that is among sinnes among sinfull affections they are so combined together that if we giue place to any one of them many moe perforce shal enter vpon vs they are like the seruants of a Tyrant who finding one that hath beene fugitiue from their Lord do ioyne themselues together to bring him backe againe And euery one of them helpes an other to keepe him vnder bondage hauing once subdued him Sic ope vicaria fugitiuum suum vitia Gregor moral lib. 7. retinent vbi semel amissum sub dominij sui iure recipiunt sibi vicissim ad vindictam tradunt Thus is it a great worke of Gods mercie and power when any of his Saints are deliuered from their seruitude As to the third the time 3. The time when Dauid sinned warnes vs how perillous is prosperitie when Dauid falles into these sinnes it is noted 2. Sam. 11. being at peace and quietnesse at home himselfe new arisen from his after-noones sleepe walking vpon the rooffe of his Palace he sees Bathsheba washing her selfe in the Garden and by vnsanctified looking vnto her is snared His people are fighting against Ammon himself is sleeping at home pampering his body and Bathsheha forgetting her husband in the battell falles too her pleasure and bathes her selfe and that not secretly at home but euen in prospect of the Kings palace In all the persecutions which Dauid suffered by Saul in all his troubles by Absalom he receiued not such a wound As a man the stronger the Winde bloweth holds his garmēts the faster about him whereas the beating heate of the Sunne makes him to lay them aside so Dauid vnder temptation was the more feruent in prayer the more he was troubled by men the faster did hee cleaue to the Lord his God but now being freed from trouble and liuing in prosperitie what a great aduantage doth Sathan get ouer him Sure it is a man hath neuer A man hath most cause of feare when he is least crossed more cause to feare then when he findes his estate most quiet It is a most dangerous thing to liue without some crosse or temptation that may chase a man to God As an idle man readily fals asleepe and being asleepe any Iewell he hath in his hand doth easily fall from him so carnall prosperitie casts men in carelesse securitie whereby spirituall graces are greatly weakened into them Facilior cautio vbi manifesta formido Cyprian de simplicitate praelat ad certamen animus ante praestruitur quando se aduersarius confitetur When our aduersarie shewes himselfe most plainely then is it most easie for vs to beware of him Plus metuendus est inimicus cum latenter obrepit cum per pacis imaginem fallens occultis accessibus serpit vnde etiam illi nomen serpentis But then haue wee most cause to feare him when beguiling vs by the shew and Image of peace he creeps in by secret wayes insinuating himselfe craftily to get vantage ouer vs for the which cause also the name of a Serpent is attributed vnto him The second thing to be considered Nathan visits Dauid like a whole Phisitian comming to cure a sicke Phisitian in the inscription is how Nathan comes to Dauid and raiseth him vp Astat post peccatum propheta prophetae veluti medicus medico agrotanti Here one Prophet comes vnto an other like one Phisitian visiting an other Phisitian in his disease This is the duetie of Christians since they are of one communion to edifie one another in the most holy faith to exhort one another Hee that is stronger in the faith ought to confirme the weaker and hee that stands should raise vp with the spirit of meeknesse him that hath fallen considering Euery Christian should edifie another also himselfe It was the voice of Cain am I my brothers keeper and it should bee farre from Christians That Lawe pertaines to vs all Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine Leui. 19. 17 heart but thou shalt plainely rebuke him and suffer him not to sinne for it is no loue but hatred to know thy brother in a sinne and not to rebuke him And truely it is no small blessing of GOD when among Christians such instrumentes of grace as Nathan was doe a bound who being endewed with grace from aboue are able by grace to comfort the feeble minded to strengthen the weake and to raise them vp that haue fallen Againe that Dauid hauing Man sinnes by nature but cannot rise without grace sinned riseth not till the Lord sent Nathan to raise him learns vs a lesson which should humble vs all and binde vs to acknowledge the great mercie of God toward vs he fals by him selfe he riseth not by himselfe Nine monethes lies hee as it were dead in that graue of sin till the Lord who called vpon Lazarus called vpon him also and made him come out of it It is easie for any man to fall into a pit but not so easie for him to come out of it Si stare Bern. non
a mocking of God to pray him to looke vpon that which is not in thee to pray him consider that which thou neuer consideredst thy selfe learne therefore when yee sing this Psalme of Dauid to take on so neare as yee may Dauid his disposition though yee haue not sinned as he did yet looke vnto your other sinnes and be ye humbled for them otherwaies your confession of sinnes shall be but a profession of sinne to say with Dauid against thee only haue I sinned and then either to haue no remorse for sin or no confidence in Gods mercie shall profit thee no more then the confession of Saul or Iudas I haue sinned said the one I haue sinned in betraying innocent bloud said the other their confession was somewhat like Dauids their heart no way like Dauids And it is certaine that the Lord Radicem attendit non florem Haue mercie on me What Wher Sinne persues no refuge but to mercie was Dauid his estate when hee brake out in these words yee may see out of the 32. Psalme his conscience being wakned by the ministrie of Nathan hee is so terrified with the liuely sense of his sinne and sight of that wrath which by it he had deserued that his bones were consumed and the moisture of his body turned in the drogth of Sommer In this perplexed estate the first comfort that he findes is by looking vp to the mercie of God Naturall men may maruell No external comfort can sustaine a man troubled for sinne what is this that should haue troubled Dauid so sore was he not King of Canaan his sinnes were murther and adulterie but was there any in the Land to put him to an Assize was there any to punish him what needed hee to feare But hee himselfe tells thee what ailed him the hand of God was heauie vpon him night and day the Lord had erected a Tribunall in his owne conscience and did there sit and iudge him wher no man might iudge him there the Lord conuicted him of sinne and threatned him with terrours for sure it is all the comforts of the world if thou hadst them in one cannot sustaine thee when God in thy own cōscience persecutes thee for sinne examples are Balthasar and Dauid The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit who can beare it And therefore Dauid sore Dauids appellation from God to God straitned with the iudgement of God turnes him to the mercie of God hee findes no other thing whereupon to relie his faith he can get no other gripe whereby to hold him that hee fall not in the pit of desperation but this mercie O Lord in regard of thy power thou art inuincible who can resist thee who can indure the stroke of thine hand In regard of thy wisedome thou art all-seeing nothing can be hid from thee In regard of thy iustice thou art most holy canst not bee corrupted in none of these can I finde comfort the only hope of mine heart is in thy goodnesse and mercie so that now hee flees ad cōmunem peccantium Chrysost portum to the common harbor of all poore penitent sinners who are tost too and fro with the tumbling thoughts of an accusing conscience threatning more fearefull death then the raging waues of the Sea to Ionas neuer can settle nor rest til they come within the Port of God his mercie euen so here doth Dauid terrified with Gods iudgement before which hee could not stand he appeales to Gods mercie tanquam ab inferiori sede ad superiorem as the higher bench wherein the glorie of God shineth most eminently for mercie reioyses against iudgement Iam. 2. 13. When we heare that Dauid Nothing in the world to be esteemed miserie but only iniquitie and others of Gods Saints crie for mercie we must remember that this includes a humble cōfession of their miserie and what was Dauids miserie which he craues to bee cured by God his mercie hee tells you in the end of the Verse no other but the miserie of sinne Nathan 2. Sam. 12. 10. had threatned him with the sword that he should make his Sonne who came out of his bowels a scourge vnto him but Dauid counts none of these his miserie for which hee craues mercie his miserie is his iniquitie and the mercie he craues is the putting away of his iniquitie This blinde age counts bodily infirmities want of temporall things miserie but sinne they count no miserie blinder then the Egyptians of old who esteemed sheepe-heards abhominable but Idolaters not abhominable but indeede it is farre otherwaies wert thou so poore as Lazarus filled with biles in thy bodie from head to foot as Iob was yet if thou bee freed from sin thou art freed from miserie and bee the contrarie wert thou so rich as that glutton clad in purple and faring delicately euery day 〈◊〉 thou health and honor and all the comforts of the world after the desire of thine owne heart if yet thou bee in thy sinnes the end shall declare thou art a miserable creature This will be manifest at the Euen the wicked at the last shal feare finde more then death length in all the wicked that their miserie is not in sicknesse nay not in death it selfe but in an euill conscience guiltie of sinne though now they abhor nothing but death esteeme sinne but a pastime the day is cōming wherin they shal seeke death not find it saying hills and mountaines fall vpon vs and couer vs they shall be glad to be smothered to the death and to suffer the greatest miserie that can come to their bodies vpon condition they were freed from the miserie of an euill conscience which sinne hath brought vpon them But howsoeuer this miserie A comfortable meditation of Gods mercie of Dauid was exceeding great he espies in God by the eye of faith a greater mercie to cure it and therefore cries hee for mercie according to the multitude of his commiserations O Lord I know that whatsoeuer is in thee is thy selfe thy mercie is no lesse then thy selfe Cum sis misericors quid es nisi ipsa misericordia Hieron Sauanarola seeing thou art mercifull what art thou but mercie it selfe and what can mercie doe but thine owne worke canst thou denie thy selfe canst thou depart from thine owne nature what is the worke of mercie but to take away miserie here am I Lord before thee a miserable man and my greatest miserie is my sinne doe thy owne worke O Lord cure my miserie with thy mercie shew the vertue of thy mercies vpon mee abyssus abyssum inuocat abyssus miseriae inuocat abyssum misericor diae one deepe calls vpon an other the deepe of miserie calls vpon the deepe of mercie greater is the deepe of mercie then the deepe of miserie let therefore the deepe of thy mercie swallow vp the deepe of my miserie and put thou away mine iniquitie On me Dauid
for a warning to vs all If I wash thee not thou shalt haue no part with me Oh that it moued vs as it mooued him that wee might also pray with him O Lord rather then my vncleannes banish me from thy fellowship wash I beseech thee not my feete onely but my hands and my head also Wash my feete that is my vncleane affections Wash my head that is my vncleane imaginations and senses And wash also my hands that is the vncleannesse of mine actions But the word that Dauid vseth A cōfort able meditation of Gods manifold mercies imports much washing hee knew his sinne was a deepe spot not easily rubbed away and therefore craues he much washing so then his meaning is Many sinnes hast thou Lord forgiuen me now I pray thee yet further wash me from this sinne also Are thy mercies numbred or are they so narrow that they cannot couer this transgression among the rest how great so euer it bee So that heere Dauid doth still depend vpon the greatnesse of Gods compassion and by it is he sustained that the greatnes of his transgression driueth him not to despare when the Apostle Saint Peter enquired at the Lord Iesus how oft shall I forgiue my brother in Since hee will haue vs to forgiue an other seuen times in the day what will he doe himselfe the day if he offend me shall I forgiue him seuen times Our Sauiour answered not seuen times only but seuenty times seuen times also O word full of consolation how doth it animate vs to repose on the the Lords mercy Nonne maior Deus homine nonne melior homine Is not the Lord greater then man is he not better then man If he will haue so great compassion in a man to forgiue his brother so often in a day what compassion is in himselfe to forgiue his owne poore penitent creature that prostrates himselfe for mercy before him VERSE 3 For I know mine iniquity and my sinne is euer before me HEere is subjoined a reason of his Confession from a penitent hart obtaines mercy former petition O Lord I doe not hide conceale the iniquitie of my bosome I seeke not now to couer it as I did before but now I acknowledge it and I confesse it to thee against my selfe therefore Lord haue mercy vpon me and forgiue it this is a good reason for it is grounded on the Lords promise He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper Prou. 28. but hee that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy And againe If wee confesse our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1. 9. God is faithfull and iust to forgiue them Or otherwaies we may take vp these words as Vatablus doth Lord thou knowest that I seeke not mercy from thee dissemblingly or for fashion as the manner of hypocrites is who make supplication for mercy of custome rather then of contrition nay Lord I feele my sinne a burden which troubles me the very sight of it terrifies and afraies me therefore Lord take it away from thee So long as sinne is in a mans So long as sinne is in the affection that a man loues it there is no remission of it affection that hee likes it and hath pleasure in it it is but a mocking of God to desire him to forgiue it shall hee forgiue that which thou wilt not forgoe shall he pardon thine offences so long as thou hast pleasure to offend No no vnlesse thou put thine iniquity from thee out of thine affection vnlesse thou find it a burden vnto thee whereof thou art weary goe not to him to seeke mercy for so his promise is Come vnto mee all yee that are weary and laden and I will refresh you But alas it is farre otherwise with many who vse in babbling manner these words of Dauid O Lord consider my distresse when as they had neuer such a thing as a distressed soule for sinne and cannot say with Dauid I know mine iniquity and my sinne is euer before me But when is this that Dauid An example of that deepe security wherein Gods children may fall comes to know his sinne after that Nathan had reproued him without and God had wakned his owne conscience within to accuse him and this was nine moneths after the committing of the sin al this time he slept in a carelesse security albeit he haunted the exercises of religion and had some general knowledge of his sinnes yet it moued him not till now God lets him see an other sight of his sinnes then hee had before In him wee see an image of To sinne is of our selfe to repent is of grace our corrupt disposition wee fall easily into sinne and when we haue fallen we can doe nothing but lye still in sinne except the Lord put vnder his mercifull hand and raise vs vp As Adam when he had sinned ran away from the Lord so is it the manner of Adams children after sinne insteede of running to the Lord to runne away alwaies the longer and the further from him if the Lord doe not follow and recouer them For this is a peece of Satans pollicy that as hee is subtill in Satans policie first drawes a man to sin then keepes him vnto it alluring man to commit sinne so when he hath done it he labours to blind the minde that man should neuer come to the knowledge of his sinne till hee be past remedy a fearefull example whereof wee haue in Iudas And therefore it is a great mercy of God towards his owne that he opens their eies in time to see their sinne so long as he sits vpon his mercy-seat to pardon and forgiue them Satan knows he hath no vantage by sinne when true repentance followeth it For wher sinne hath abounded there grace hath much more super abounded It is not sinne so much which condemnes men as impenitency that despises mercy and therefore Satan contents not to draw his miserable captiues into sinne but when hee hath done it hides the sight of it from them alwaies till the time of grace bee expired and they bee past recouery then lets he them see the vglinesse of their sin and with restlesse torments disquiets their soules for it Further wee see heere that ther are two sorts of the knowledge A twofold knowledge of sinne of sin one which is but general idle works no reformation and an other which is effectuall to worke conuersion Dauid as I said before that Nathan came to him he knew that One that is idle and workes no remorse another that breeds repentance murther adultery were sins but that troubled him not But now God works another know ledge of sin in him hee sees his sins in another maner he feeles now the iust weight of them he tastes now the bitter fruits of them his spirit is filled with anguish for them and his soule abhors them It is to be lamented that the knoweledge of sin which now is in most part of
a mans owne heart peace and quietnesse to a mans owne heart As a sicke stomack is eased by vomiting so a guilty conscience by confession They who will not sow how can they reape we must sow in teares the humble confession of sinne if we looke to reap the sweet consolation of the spirit let vs not do the one sparingly if wee hope to enioy the other abundantly Modica Sementis Ber. de tractio non modicum messis est detrimentum So long as wee keepe in the heart the pleasures of sinne we can not taste of the ioyes of God Vis vt intret mel Aug. vnde acetum nondum fudisti funde quod habes vt capias quod non habes no more then it is possible to powre sweet hony into that vessel which is filled with sowre Vineger already but as after great showres of raine the aire becomes more calme and cleare so after that sinne is powred out with confession and teares the heart is pacified and freed from her former perturbations Furthermore wee perceiue Publike sins would haue publike repentance here how Dauid contents not himselfe with a secret confession of his sinne to the Lord and to Nathan the Prophet but wil haue his repentance declared in publike and a memoriall of it extant for benefite of the Church of God No doubt many impediments had Dauid to hinder him from so cleare a confession but such is the force of true repentance that it ouercomes all impediments and maketh the penitent man hartily well content to giue glory to God although it were with neuer so great shame to himselfe Such as had fallen in publike offenses were not receiued The forme and order of publike repentance in the primitiue church Ambros de paenitent li. 1. c. 16. but vpon their publike repentance yea and their supplication made to all the assembly of Gods people Petat veniam reus cum lachrym is petat gemitibus petat populi totius fletibus vt ignoscatur obsecret cum secundo aut tertio fuerit dilata eius communio credat seremissius supplicasse fletus augeat Let him that is guilty seeke pardon with teares seeke it with grones let him seeke that all the people may mourne for him and if twice or thrice his receiuing to the communion be delaied let him thinke he hath praied but slackly and hath neede to augment his teares and because many then thought shame to doe this he giues them a notable admonition Si homini satisfacien dum Lib. 2. c. 10. esset multos obsecrares vt dignentur interuenire hoc in ecclesia facere fastidis vt deo supplices vt patrocinium tibi ad deum obsecrandum sanctae plebis requiras if thou hadest to doe with men thou wouldest request many to sue for thee thinkest thou euill to doe that in the Church to make there supplication to God and to seeke the helpe of the Saints of God Vbi nihil est quod pudari esse debeat nisi non fateri cum omnes simus peccatores vbi ille laudabilior qui humilior iustior qui abiectior fleat itaque pro te Mater ecclesia where there is nothing wherof we should thinke shame except not to confesse our sins seeing wee are all sinners and he is most worthy of praise who is most abiect Let therefore thy mother the Church mourne vnto God for thee It is a common policie of Sathan takes away shamewhere it should be and brings it in where it should not be Sathan to take away shame where it should bee namely in the committing of it and to bring it in where it should not be to wit in the confessing of sinne But if men bee mooued with shame I would wish they were mooued with the greatest shame for it is a greater shame to confesse sin before the Angels and the whole world God sitting in his iudgement seate to condemne it then to confesse it before his Church God sitting in his mercie seate readie to forgiue it Concealed can it not be for the word of God hath confirmed it with a solemne oath As I liue sayeth the Lord euery tongue shall confesse vnto me Two wayes in this verse By two arguments Dauid amplifieth his sin doth Dauid amplifie his sinne first that it was done against God Next in the sight of God To sin against a King his commandement lawfull is a great sinne but to sinne against him in his owne face is a double rebellion Sin is counted a light thing among men because they commonly weigh it in Statera suarum consuetudinum Aug. cont Parmen lib 3. Cap. 2. dolosa The deceitfull balance of custome but if we come and weigh it in the balance of Gods word wee shall finde it heauie which otherwayes wee thinke light This first circumstance that That it was done against God it was against God doth greatly aggrauate his sinne Whether ye looke to the goodnesse or to the greatnesse of God The Lord was good many waies to Dauid of a Sheepheard he made him a King and did in euery state of life so blesse him that as hee himsefe confesseth hee was loaded with the benefits of God Now it cannot bee but a great ingratitude to offend so louing and gracious a God who daily delights to doe good vnto vs. Or otherwise if we consider his greatnesse wee must say it What a fearfull thing it is to fight against God is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the Lord. Are we stronger then hee why then doe wee prouoke him to anger This is a great argument of his power that hee turnes against vs those things which wee doe against him and punisheth vs with our owne deedes Thine own wickednesse shall correct thee Ierem. 2. 19 and thy turnings backe shall reprooue thee and thou shall know that it is an euill thing and a bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and procured this Vers 17. vnto thy selfe The Sidonians sought peace from Herode when hee entended warre against them and all because they were nourished by Herods lands and might not want his fauour and foolish man thinkes it nothing to fight against God who is offring him peace which is so great a good that he is able to driue backe mans weapons vpon his owne face and confound him with his owne thoughts But heere it is to be demanded How saies Dauid hee sinned against God onlie seeing hee slew Vriah and defiled Bathshebath how saies he that hee sinned against God onely seeing he sinned against Bathsheba entising her to the snare of Satan he sinned against Vriah whom he slew with the sword of the Ammonite and he sinned against the whole Army casting them into danger for Vriah his sake and lastly against the whole Church in his kingdome by his euill example The answer 1 In all sinne God properly is the party offended is that to speake properly In all sinne
properly God is the party offended whether it be done imediatly as in sinnes against the first Table or mediatly as in sinnes against the second table and so the wrong done to the creature is not for the hurt of such a creture but for the interceding command of God which is broken for sinne is the transgression of the Law and were it not for that no wrong were 2. Dauid speaks this acording to his sense for at this time he had no party but God done to the creature Next Dauid speakes this according to his owne sense and feeling at this time he had no partie that troubled him but the Lord for as to him that got the wrong Non timebam Chrysost eum miles meus erat non poterat me iudicare He was my seruant he could not iudge mee As for others Rex sum caeterorum omnium Dominus te solum commissorum â—uthym a me scelerum iudicem habeo I am their King and Lord and finde nothing in them to trouble me but thou O Lord art hee to whom all creatures must render an account thou art higher then the highest and iudgest the King and the subiect alike What peace then can bee to mee so long as thou art against mee pursuing mee for my sinnes Heereof first arises a lesson to men of power in the world let them not thinke the lesse of Let not men thinke the lesse of their sinnes because they are done against weak men their sinnes because they haue to doe with a weake partie that hath neither power nor meanes to redresse their wrongs let them remember that God is their party who will iudge the cause of the poore the widowe and the fatherlesse this should restrain them from doing wrong to any albeit they might doe it vncontrouled of men this was a meanes of awe to Ioseph he might haue reuenged the wrong in Egypt which his brethren had done him in Canaan but hee would not because hee feared God and considered that hee himselfe was also vnder God Secondly wee learne of this that seeing in all sinne God is No discharge of sinne is sufficient but the Lords the party offended the remission and discharge of the sinne should bee sought from him This is for these carnall Atheists who if they can obtaine pardon from the earthly Iudge or a discharge of the partie care nothing for the Lords part but hee will stand to his own part and make thee finde by experience that albeit all the world would forgiue thy sinne yet if the Lord forgiue thee not it shal nothing auaile thee Men of meane estate should haue patieÌ„ce when they are wronged because the offence is done vnto God Last of all let this learne them of meane estate patience for no wrong can be done vnto them which first of all is not done to the Lord he is the principal party offended If men could as I haue said before ponder this it might learne them with patience to commit their cause to the Lord and not rashly to step in into his roome either by imprecations or raylings or any other such carnall meane but to reserue vnto the Lord his owne honour Vengeance is mine and I will repay it saith the Lord. And done euell in thy sight 2 The other argument whereby he amplifies his sinne is that it was done in Gods sight The other circumstance wherby hee amplifies his sinne is that it was done in the sight of God when hee did the sinne God saw him but hee forgot then that God was looking vpon him but now when his conscience is wakened and hee lookes backe againe to his former iniquity he sees now that he did it in the sight of God This is also one of Satan his Satans deceit is to make man conceiue that God seeth him not customable policies whereby he drawes men vnto sinne to couer their minds with a vaile to darken their vnderstanding to steale out of their hearts the remembrance at least the reuerence of the diuine Maiesty so that he is brought to thinke for a time that either God sees it not or then doth not regard it But this is a pittifull blindenesse like the folly of children who when their owne eies are closed that they cannot see do therefore conceit that none other seeth them so is it I say with them whose affections are captiued by a sin they are blinded and haue not an eye to looke vp to God and therefore thinke that hee is not looking down vpon them The best remedy for this is to sanctifie the Lord alwaies in The remeÌ„brance of God is a new band to sinne our hearts let vs set the Lord alwaies in our sight esteeming of euery place as Iacob did of Bethel The Lord is in this place and I was not aware that so his countenance may bee an newe band to keepe vs from sinne otherwise it cannot bee but a deepe contempt of God when in our estimation wee set him inferiour to his creature not ashamed to doe that vnder the eye of GOD which wee would be ashamed to doe vnder the eie of man That thou maiest be iust His The Lord strikes not without a cause meaning is not that he sinned for this ende that God might be iustified quod dicit vt iustificeris non habet causae significationem non eam ob causam peccauit Dauid vt Deus iustificaretur No but that for this end hee confessed his sinne that the iustice of God iudging reprouing and threatning him by Nathan might bee manifested to others It is not Lord without cause that thou hast denounced so sharpe punishments against mee by thy seruant Nathan Ego haec mihi mala conciliaui I haue deserued them all and giuen thee iust cause to speake and iudge against mee as thou hast done and now I humbly confesse it before the world that thou maiest haue the praise of righteousnes in all thy speaking iudging The children of God humbled Men visited with his rods should giue him the prayse of righteousnes with a sense of their sins spare not to shame themselues that they may glorifie God So Daniel ascribeth shame and confusion to himselfe and his people but giues tho praise of righteousnesse to the Lord. Where the Lord strikes with his rods which men may see and hee that is striken will not acknowledge his sinnes in effect hee blames the Lord as if hee did strike without a cause therefore Iosua when Achan was taken by Lot for his sinne and the wrath of God on Israel was manifest but the cause procuring the wrath was hidden from them exhorted him to giue glory to God thou seest doth he say that God is angrie with Israel he hath suffered his people to fall before their enemies this cannot be without a cause seeing the lot is fallen vpon thee and the finger of God points at thee that thou hast procured this euill I pray thee giue
could make him cleane The Spirituall hyssop then The purging vertue of Christs bloud full of bloud is Christ Iesus Qui humiliauit se ad mortem qui calore suae immensae charitatis nos dilexit qui odore manfuctudinis suauitatis totum mundum repleuit His blood sprinkles not the bodies so much as the soules and consciences of men for so the purging vertue which is in the naturall hyssop is internall and by it is signified Coram Deo opus esse non externa sed interna purgatione Seeing so it is that the godlie How carnall Papists are who place so great sanctification in externall things Israelites in vsing these externall types which were not ordained for themselues but for other things had a spirituall disposition looking euer to the thing signified by them Is it not a shame for Papists to be so grosse and carnall as to place any sanctificatiō in the like externall sprinkling of their body with their holy water as they call it with as great reason might they bring in againe all that ceremoniall Law which was but for a time and now is abrogated But now seeing the truth is come which is Christ Iesus it is good reason the type and figure should cease The fountaine is opened to Dauids house for sinne and for vncleannesse Hee hath made a perfect purgation of our sins by his owne blood Now to retaine the ceremonies of Iudaisme or to bring in from Paganisme their superstitious washings of sinne as Papists borrow from Pompilius these heathenish purgations by sprinkling of water which they vse is to offer wrong to Christ Iesus for the first in effect imports that Christ the veritic is not yet come and therefore they will stil retaine the figure the second imports that albeit hee bee come hee hath not made a perfect purgation of our sinnes by himselfe but his wants must bee supplied by a purging with water on earth and a purging by fire in the second house of hell But heere it is to be demanded Sinne not imputed is as if it had not beene committed how it is that Dauid saies if the Lord wash him hee shall bee cleaner and whiter then the snow doth he meane that after sinne is forgiuen there abideth no more any remainder of sinne vnto him No this is not his meaning but that if the Lord forgiue him his sin hee shall hee in as good estate with the Lord as if he had neuer done it Peccatum enim non imputatum est quasi non commissum a sinne not imputed is as if it had neuer beene committed That wee may vnderstand A twofold purging of sinne this the better wee are to consider how there is a two-fold 1 One by Christs bloud this is our iustification washing or taking away of sinne one that is made by the blood of Christ another by the spirit of Christ The taking away of sin by the bloud of Christ is perfect euen now For they to whom the merit of the blood of Christ is imputed haue presently all the giltinesse of their sinne remoued fully and perfectly this in effect is the benefit of our-iustification The other taking away of sinne by the spirit of 2 The other by his spirit this is our sanctification Christ is imperfect his vertue hath begun in vs a mortification of our earthly members his spirit daily weakeneth and subdueth in vs the life and power of sinne that it reigneth not to command vs as it was wont to doe and this in effect is the benefit of sanctification but this taking away of sinne in this life is not perfect for some remainders of sin euen in them to whom sinne is forgiuen will the Lord haue remaining for the exercise of our faith and daily humiliation as more at large wee haue shewed in our Treatise vpon the 8. to the Romans VERSE 8. Make mee to heare ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioice HItherto DAVID with his confession The second ranke of Dauids petitions is for peace of Conscience of sin hath ioined petitions for mercy Now he proceeds and craues that these euils which his sinne had brought vpon him may be remoued Sinne hath many euill effects at the first it offends God and grieues his spirit but at the last it shall grieue the soule of him that did it Let vs learne to beware of it This petition of Dauid is to Sin spoiles man of inward peace and ioy bee opposed to his present disposition so shall wee vnderstand it O Lord I heare within mean accusing voice of conscience which terrifies and disquiets me I beseech thee Lord let me heare the contrary voice of ioy and gladnesse Heere then he confesseth that which all the children of God may finde in their own experience that sinne impaires the peace of conscience If wee could remember how sweet is the ioy and peace which wee lose for the vaine and perishing pleasure of sinne wee would bee loath any more to make any such exchange Secondly wee see here that there is not any testimony saue onely the testimony of Mans testimonie of the remission of sinnes is nothing without the testimony of Gods spirit Gods spirit that can bring peace to the troubled conscience Nathan had before this witnessed to Dauid that his sinnes were forgiuen him but Nathans word pacified not his conscience the ministration of the word of God hath credit with men the ministration of the Spirit that bringeth consolation hee hath reserued to himselfe When Martha and Marie mourned for dead Lazarous many godly Iewes came out of Ierusalem to comfort them but they got neuer comfort till Christ Iesus came and so the godly may mourne for their sinnes and for the deadnesse of their heart but there shall bee no comfort till the comforter come and re fresh their soules But here it will be obiected The ministerial comfort of Gods seruants greatly to be regarded and why what then auailes the ministery of the word and the consolations of the seruants of God giuen out of it Yea very much indeed for where the testimony of the word pronounced by Gods seruants goes before to witnesse mercie there the testimony of Gods spirit conforming it followes after for the blessing of peace pronounced Luke by the seruants of God vpon the children of peace abides vpon them this we see cleerely here in Dauid Nathan pronounced to him vpon the knowledge of his repentance the remission of his sinnes hee could not feele it for the present but the Lord followes and iustifies Nathans Ministrie witnessing that to Dauids heart which Nathan had witnessed vnto his eare And this we haue to marke Remission of of sins may be thine suppose thou feele it not for a comfort against these spirituall desertions whereunto the Children of God are subiect Remission of sinnes may bee thine the seruants of God with a warrand may witnesse vnto thee that thy
sinnes are forgiuen thee as heere Nathan doth vnto Dauid and yet thou not feele that it is so wee must not therefore bee so discouraged as to thinke wee want that grace alwaie which we cannot Therefore Dauid craues not onely mercy but sense of mercy feele It is now cleare what is the benefit which DAVID here craues To wit not mercie only that he hath sought before but the sense of mercie also make me to heare ioy so that I may feele it For all the inward senses of the soule are in feeling to heare the Lord to see him to tast how good he is is no other but to enioy him and to feele his consolations It is thy praise ô Lord that thou speak'st peace to thy Saints among the rest speake peace vnto mine heart also O what a ioy was it to that man sicke of the palsie when he heard that voice thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And such like to that sinfull woman when shee heard goe in peace thy faith hath saued thee And how was the soule of that conuerted sinner comforted in the middes of the dolors of death when he hard that voice This night thou shalt be with me in paradise This is the exceeding great Great comfort that God not only forgiues our sinnes but telles vs they are forgiuen loue of the Lord toward his children that he hath not only prouided a sure saluation for them through the remission of their sinnes in Christ Iesus but also seales vp in their heart the testimony thereof by his Holy Spirit of adoption and that for their present consolation least they should bee swallowed vp of heauinesse through continuall temptations Though he speake not to all his children as hee did to Daniel by an Angell O man greatly beloued of God nor as he did to the blessed Virgin Marie haile Marie freely beloued yet doth hee witnesse the same to the hearts of his children by an inward testimonie when they heare it they are aliue when they want it they are but dead their soule refuses all other comfort whatsoeuer That the hones which thou hath A troubled mind sore weakneth the bodie broken may reioyce By these Basil vnderstands Ossa animae spiritualia that is as saith Sauanarola and others Vires animae rationalis but as this agrees not with this sense so there is no reason why it should be enforced Dauid his words Psalme 32. serues for a commentarie to this there hee complaines that through extremitie of the anguish of his Spirit the moisture of his body was turned into the drought of Sommer now the marrow we know is the strength of the bones these being so extenuate no maruell his flesh consumed his skinne was parched his face withered his sight dimmed his knees enfeebled and the whole externall man greatly weakned the Spirit of a man sayes Salomon will sustaine his infirmitie but a wounded spirit who can beare it Of this let vs learne that if The miserable state of the wicked who must beare the burden of their owne sinnes the sight of sinne presented to the godly from a iust accusing conscience doe so terrifie them and breede them such excessiue trouble as for a time doth sorely torment them In what state shall the wicked be when the Lord shall present their sins to them wake their conscience vpon them not in mercie as he doth to his owne but in wrath not for a time but for euer O what anguish and remedilesse tribulation shall be vnto them the dayes of wicked mens sinning are compared to the time of a womans conceiuing but the daies of their punishment are compared to the time of her trauelling they conceiue their sinnes with wantonnesse and pleasure but shall beare them with dolor vnspeakeable their dolors shall exceede the dolor of a woman for shee knowes once to bee deliuered of her paine either by life or death but the wicked shall neuer bee lighter of their sinnes nor bee deliuered from the anguish of their accusing conscience from which most miserable condition the Lord deliuer vs for Christ Iesus sake VERSE 9. Hide thy face from my sinnes and put away all mine iniquities DAVID yet from Guiltinesse of sin soone contracted not so soone put away God the fourth time seekes the remission of his sinnes the gilt of sinne is soone contracted but not so soone gotten away wee are happie if the examples of other men may learne vs to be wise he was a man deerely beloued of God and yet how manie requests makes hee before he can get his heart assured of mercy but the presumption Foolish are they who thinke they may get mercy for a word of this age is so great that men feare not to offend the Lord because they thinke mercie may be gotten for a word But let men remember that fearful sentence which the L. pronounc't vpon the people of the Iewes for the abuse of his mercy When they fast I will not heare their crie And againe Thougb Moses and Samuel stood before me yet mine affection could not be toward this people that so our hearts may be humbled with holy feare which may restraine He that seekes not to hide his sinnes prouokes the Lord to inquire it vs from offending our God vpon presumption of mercy Hide thy face All Dauid his care when hee had committed his sin was to hide it from the Lord for this cause he committed murther and slew Vriah thinking if he were not aliue to perceiue it his iniquity should neuer come to light Now he sees it with a vaine labor Vriah is dead but the angry countenance of God looking vpon his sinne troubles him As the fish called Sepia casting forth a black liquor out of hir mouth of purpose to lurke vnder it doth therby giue notice to the fisher of the place wherin they shall finde hir so foolish man while he thinks to hide one sin by another doth but cast himself the more opē to the eye of God who then looks most narrowly to a sin when man most craftily labours to conceale it Euery sinner in sinning takes frō God the praise of righteousnes as if the Lord were like him were not a God that loues righteousnesse and hates iniquity But he that thinkes to hide Hee that seekes to hide his sin from the Lord makes an idole of him his sinne from the Lord when he hath done it takes also from him the praise of wisedome and makes the Lord so far as he may like an Idoll of the Nations that hath eyes and sees not And therefore the Lord as he will be auenged of euery one that offends so principally vpon them who scorne him by hiding their sinnes from him Woe be to them that seeke in deepe We to such to hide their Councell from the Lord their workes are in secret and they say who sees it At this time Dauids sin was vnknowen to the world no lyuing No man knew Dauids
sinne yet is be sore troubled because he knew that God knew it creature but himselfe Bathshabe and Nathan were priuie to it yet this terrifies him that he saw the Lord looking vpon it It is no comfort to a man to haue his sinne hidden from all the world vnlesse hee knew that the Lord also hath couered and forgiuen it alioqui Ambros de paeniten li. 2. cap. 11. ita grauis est culpa conscientiae vt sine iudice ipsa se puniat So heauie is the sinne of any euill conscience that albeit no creature were to iudge it it iudges and punishes it selfe He said in the third verse that God will looke to our sinnes if we looke not to them his sin was alway in his sight and now hee praies that God would put it out of his sight this is a very good ordor if we hold our sinnes in our eies to persue them God will cast them behinde his backe to pardon them if we remember them and repent hee will forget them and forgiue otherwise peccatum vnde se homo non auertit aduertit deus si aduertit animaduertit the sinne from which man turnes not God lookes to it and if he looke to it sure he will punish it Thy face The face of God is The face of God put sometime for his mercy sometime for iustice sometime put for his fauor and with this he lookes on the persons of them who are the children of his good will this Dauid praies may be lifted vp vpon him Psa 4. that God would not hide it from him Psal 27. the hyding of his face did trouble him sore Psal 30. therefore it is his customable prayer Lord cause thy face to shine vpon vs Psa 4. sometime againe it is put for his anger or angry face whereby he lookes on the persons of the wicked when he wil vex them in his displeasure or vpon the sinnes of his owne children when he wil humble them How fearefull a sight this How fearefull a sight Gods angry face is angry face of God is see it in Dauid for his good the Lord who loued Dauids selfe looked with an angry countenance at Dauids sinnes but hee protests hee may not indure it and praies God to hide it from him See it againe in Christ Iesus who endured the looks of that angrie face not for himselfe but for vs how did it make his soule heauy and his flesh so weary that he did sweat blood How miserable then are the reprobates who must endure for euer the sight of Gods angry face looking vpon them for they and their sins are one no maruell they shall cry hils and mountaines fall vpon vs and hide vs from the face of him that sits vpon the throne Let vs feare and looke with anger vpon our sins in time that God in mercy may looke vpon our selues and wee may finde ioy in his face wherein the wicked shall see nothing but terror VERSE 10. Greate in mee a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within mee NOw followes Dauids third petition The third ranke of Dauids petitions wherein he craueth the grace of sanctification hee sought before the forgiuenesse of his sin now hee seekes to be deliuered from it in time to come for it is for this end that hee praies for a cleand heart and a renewed spirit that hee should not any more fall to the like vncleannesse This is a good order in our prayer when first we seeke the Remission of sinne and renouation go together grace of remission and then the grace of renouation for these two goe inseparably together to whom the Lord giues remission them hee makes new creatures so that renouation of the heart is alway an vndoubted token of the remission of thy sinnes and by the contrary he whose heart is not renewed but abides stil in his former vncleannesse hee deceiues himselfe if so be he thinkes that his sinnes are forgiuen This is to be marked for the common sort of prophane men They who seeke forgiuenesse and not sanctification seeke but liberty to sinne in this age who seeke from God mercy to forgiue for feare of his plagues but not grace to renew them to his image for loue of himselfe this in effect is no other but to seeke a liberty to sinne while as men seeke sin to be forgiuen but not to be restrained it is an argument they haue not a right hatred of sin but wee see in Dauid what the disposition of the godly is as they desire mercy for be-gone sinnes so also grace to renew them and preserue them from the power and deceit of sinne in all time to come otherwise to craue that the Lord would pardon these sins which thou art of purpose to commit it is but to mocke the Lord by turning his grace into wantonnesse The vncleanesse of sinne originall encreased by actuall Iob. Dauid his heart was two waies vncleane first by reason of originall sinne wherein hee was conceiued and borne Who can bring a clean thing out of that which is vnclean this vncleannesse of heart is common to al mankind but beside this he had defiled it with many actual sins specially this foule adultery murther for euery sin pollutes the heart leaues a new giltines vpon the conscience wherwith now Dauid finding his heart ouergrowne that it is not like the heart he had before he praieth the Lord to giue him a new heart He had now not only sinned but fallen as Basile expounds it in Senium peccati into Basil the very old age of sin and therefore hee desires that the Lord would begin with him againe and make him to renew his youth like the Eagle Many circumstances are to bee marked heere whereby Sinne seeks the very life of the soule Dauid aggrauateth the greatnesse of his misery as first that his disease was in his heart which is the fountaine of life As the naturall heart is the life of the body which when it is not well vitall humor health beauty ability and all decaies in the body so is the Lord the life of the soule So Dauids meaning is O Lord by my sinne I haue grieued thy holy spirit and forced thee to forsake me Tu proprie cordis The heart of any Christian his heart mei proprium es cor vita thou properly art the proper heart and life of mine heart Come againe Lord and restore life vnto mee without thee I am dead and senslesse and an abominable creature like a body which wanting an heart is an vncleane carion thou art the light of my minde the peace of my soule the life of my heart I haue lost life by my sinne I am like a man wanting his quickning spirit when thou wentest away my life went away Lord come againe and create a new heart within me Againe in that hee craues a Repentance is a new creation cleane heart may bee
potuit humana natura adhuc integra quanto minus poterit per seipsam resurgere iam corrupta as it was with him so is it with vs all perditio tua ex te ô Israel thy destruction is of thy selfe O Israel but our saluation is of the Lord and from the Lambe that sits with him vpon the throne Thirdly wee see this difference Reprobate men sinne and repent not not so the godly betweene the godly and the wicked the one falles and riseth not Iudas betrayed Christ Peter forsware him the one goes on in his sinnes and perisheth the other is renewed by repentance The difference then is not in sinne wherein wee are also as deepe as they but in this that the Lord hath had mercie vpon vs. O how are wee obliged to blesse him who hath put a difference by grace betweene vs and them where there was no difference by nature And this is to bee marked for them who haue an eye to see how Dauid sinned euen as they haue sinned and therefore account the lesse of their sinnes but haue not an eye to see that they haue repented as Dauid repented and that therefore being farre vnlike him in Repentance they can haue no comfort that hee was like them in sinne The third point of the inscription The order of singing Leuites vnder the law Leuiticall is in these words To him that excelleth A Psalme of Dauid Wherein wee see how he dedicateth this Psalme as the first fruite and testimonie of his Repentance to bee sung publikely in the Church for vnderstanding whereof wee must know how Dauid ordained some of the Leuites skilled in Musicke to praise the Lord by singing and playing vpon Instruments these were in number foure thousand who 1. Chron. 23. 5. by course serued the Lord in his Sanctuarie They were diuided in seuerall classes and ouer euery one of them some that were Masters of Musicke Precentors who in singing and playing excelled the rest such as Asaph Heman Idithun c. and to these it is that Dauid dedicateth this Psalme to bee sung publikely for the word Natseah in Piel signifieth one that is an ouerseer or president ouer others for his excellencie in strength or skill or otherwayes and so here and in other Psalmes Dauid vseth it to signifie a master of Musicke The instruments they vsed in praysing the Lord are most Two sortes of musicall Instruments vsed in the Leuiticall Law of them reckoned vp in the last Psalme all of them may be reduced to two sorts whereof the one are called Neginoth such as made a sound by touching from the word Nagan pulsauit the other called Nechiloth such as being hollow made a sound by breathing from the word Halal Sometime the musicall Instrument was premitted and the singing voice followed and then the Song was called Canticum Psalmi for Psalterium properly is a kind of musicall Instrument called of the Hebrewes Naula but is translated to signifie the Psalmes Sometime againe the Song was first sung with the voice and the musicall Instrument followed and then it is called Psalmus cantici What vpon this is to be obserued see our notes vpon the one hundred and nineteene Psalme Onely now we marke how The godly are content to shame themselues by Confession of sinne that they may giue glorie vnto God Dauid careth not to take shame to himselfe by confessing his Murther and Adultrie publikely in the Church that hee may giue glorie vnto God So is it with all Gods childrē who hath felt the terror of an accusing conscience for sinne who are grieued in themselues for displeasing the Lord and are earnestly seeking to be reconciled with God they refuse not to manifest their owne shame yea and as it were with that filthy Leper vnder the Law with his clothes rent with his head bare with a couering vpon his lips to crie out before all the world I am vncleane I am vncleane Leuit. 13. 45. that so they may get peace from God and may giue him glory by their repentance as they dishonoured him by their sinne I speake not this This is not to be vnder stood of priuate sinnes of priuate sinnes the example wherof hath not offended thy neighbour Such sinnes I rather wish to be buried as Israel with their paddles buried their filth without the Campe vnder the earth nor laied open to the eyes of others but of publike sinnes it is not our shame to confesse these for remouing of the slander but double sinne and shame to conceale them how so euer it bee currant now as an vndoubted axiome among carnall men that no man is bound to sweare to his owne shame sure wee are it is not warranted by any Diuine authoritie for so Achan might haue excused himself when Ioshua willed him by confessing of theft to giue glorie to God and so Dauid here might haue shifted himselfe from this publicke confession where the conscience is sleeping any warrant A sleeping Conscience excuseth sinne is thought sufficient to excuse a sinne and man feares not to defraude the Lord of that glorie hee should haue by confession of it but where the Lord wakens the conscience all excuses are set aside and man is glad to disburden himselfe by confessing his sinne vnto the Lord. This the Lord will haue of all flesh at the length for so hath hee sworne As I liue saith the Lord euerie tongue shall confesse to me he shall then force them to giue him glorie by confessing who now wickedly defraude him of it by concealing But happie and wise is he who doth it in time when Mercie is to be found with the LORD PSALME 51. VERSE 1. Haue mercie vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquitie HItherto the inscription The summe and order of this Psalme or preface of the PSALME Nowe followes the PSALME wherein Dauid first praieth for himselfe to the 18. Verse Next for the Church of GOD Verse 18. In the praier for himselfe he hath first a generall petition haue mercie on me O God Verse 1. then three particular petitions first the remission of his sinne which he expresseth by putting away washing purging to the Verse 8. Next the restitution of peace and ioy to his conscience which by his sinne he had sore empaired Verse 89. Thirdly the renouation of his Heart and Spirit within him which most fearefully hee had altered from the loue of God to the loue of iniquitie Verse 10. 11. c. This Psalme is frequently They cānot rightly vse the words of this Psalme who want Dauids disposition sung in the mouthes of many men but sure it is these words which were true when Dauid spake them are but lies when they are pronounced by many men for so they pray O Lord consider my distresse when as in very deede they had neuer such a thing as a distressed soule for sinne Is not this
doeth not now The humilitie of a penitent thinks not his name worth to be named as at other times expresse his name as when hee said Lord remember Dauid c. neither takes hee here to himselfe the name of Gods seruant as customably he doth in other places but concealeth his name ashamed of himselfe not vnlike that forlorne child I haue sinned against heauen and against Luke 15. thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne According to thy louing kindnesse Dauid depends on Gods mercy not on his owne merit We haue heard Dauid his petition in generall Now the reason whereby he will moue the Lord to grant it is not from any merit in himselfe hee vtterly disclaimes that but only from God his louing kindnesse and commiseration vpon these two doth hee now fasten his gripes and by the meditation of them hee conceiues some hope of fauour in the Lord euen when in himselfe hee had receiued a condemnatorie sentence of death by reason of his sinne Two things are requisite in The two eyes of a penitent sinner and what losse it is to want either of them a sinner that would haue mercie first an eye to know his sinnes that being ashamed of himselfe he may resolue there can be no life for him if he rest in himselfe And next an eye to see Gods mercie many haue not the first therefore thinke that either without a Sacrifice or with a small sacrifice God will bee pleased they cannot mourne for sinne esteeming their sinnes so small that they neede no great mourning Others againe haue not the other eye whereby to see Gods mercie in Christ they see their own sinne but see not God his mercie and therefore are carried either to a temporall desperation which may befal the godly that for a time they seeme to themselues vtterly vndone or then to a finall us all the reprobates doe examples wherof wee haue in Cain Saul and Iudas from whose miserable condition the Lord preserue vs. Now Dauid finding nothing Two things in God Dauid grounds vpon in himselfe to comfort him when he lookes vp to God hee sees two things as I said that sustaine him first the kindnesse 1 His benignitie or kindnesse this is either generall of God next the manifold compassions of God the word expressing his kindnesse is Chesed the benignitie of God and this is either general wher by hee loues his creatures conseruing them as he made them and delights to doe good vnto them in so farre as they are the works of his hands Thou Lord Math. 5. 45 sauest man and beast he makes his Sunne to arise on the euill and the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust And this howsoeuer it rendred some comfort yet could it not giue full comfort to DAVID considering that sinne the poison of the Serpent in him made him iustly Or speciall abhominable to God And therefore hee casts his eye further vnto that speciall benignitie of God which in effect is his mercie whereby hee loues his owne in Christ redeemes them from their sinnes and saues them by his grace when they haue lost themselues by their iniquitie And this is euident by the other word immediatly he adioynes The speciall is in effect Gods mercy and tender compassion of God his compassion which is the other ground whereupon the faith of Dauid reposed for the word Racham signifies to loue from the verie bowells and inward affection being deduced from the name Rêchêm which signifies the What great comfort wee haue into it wombe or matrice that with most kindly and tender affection compasse and nourish the Infant within it suppose it cannot bee thankefull for the present nor doe the duetie wherein it is bound but rather be offensiue to the mother that carries it Dauid knew that the like tender affection was in God toward his owne poore children yea and much more greater then the heauēs are higher 〈…〉 from the earth so farre are the thoughts of God his loue and compassion aboue all that can bee in vs it is possible the mother may forget the birth of her wombe but the LORD cannot forget them who are his Therefore doth he not only Compassiōs in the plurall number are ascribed to God ascribe vnto God compassions but great cōpassions or a multitude of them so he speakes for two causes first because where God shewes mercies he 1 Because where he shewes mercie he shews many mercies together shewes many mercies together a heape and a verie masse of mercies The royall heart of Alexander thought it not honorable for him to giue a small thing what then shall we think of our God The ods is so great that there can bee no comparison But sure where hee giues any of his chief blessings there hee giues such a treasure forth of his infinite riches of mercie as we are not able to speake of Yet for our comfort in our Sixe ranks of mercie meditation his mercies shewed vnto vs since wee could 1 Preuenting mercie know what mercie was wee may reduce them to six rankes the first I call preuenting mercies whereby the Lord did vs good when wee knew him not and kept vs from many sinnes which otherwaies wee would haue committed O quanta dignatio Bern. de Euang 7. Panum Ser. 1. pietatis quod ingratum sic gratia conseruabat Many sinnes haue we done against him but farre moe should we haue done if his mercie had not preuented vs Agnosce ergo gratiam eius cui debes etiam quod non admisisti Augu. Mihi debet iste quod factum est dimissum vidisti mihi debes tu quod non fecisti Acknowledge therefore Gods mercie toward thee euen in these sinnes which thou hast not done If thou seest one who is debitor to mee for a sin which hee did and I forgaue him vnderstand also that thou art debitor to me for keeping thee that thou didst not the like for there is no sinne which any man hath done but an other man would doe the like if God by grace did not preserue him from it The second ranke hath in it his sparing mercies or the mercies Sparing mercies of his patience though we haue beene kept from the doing of many sinnes yet haue we done enough to condemne vs. There is an other sort of mercie Peccabam tu dissimulabas non continebam a sceleribus tu a verberibus abstinebas I sinned and thou heldst thy tongue I transgressed thou sparedst and killedst mee not when wee looke to Zimri and Cosbi slaine in the act of harlotrie to Ananias and Saphira striken to death in their sinne what shall wee say but it is a great mercie of God that hitherto wee haue not beene taken away in the middest of our sinnes In the third ranke wee place his pardoning mercies for a 3 Pardoning mercies man may thinke what
benefit is it to mee to bee long spared seeing at the last iudgment will come quo diutius expectat eo districtius iudicabit but this fear is taken away from the godly by God his pardoning mercies he forgiues their sins in Christ he will neuer impute their iniquitie vnto them but taketh them vtterly away Peccatum non imputatum est quasi nunquam fuerit commissum But with these is also giuen 4 Renewing mercies vs the fourth sort that is his renewing mercies There are many quorum infructuosa est poenitentia who repent of their sinnes but are not renewed by amendment of life in whom nouissimus error peior est priori their returning like Dogges to their vomit is worse then their first transgression but the Lord when hee giues to his owne children the grace of remissiō doth also giue with it the grace of renouation whereby hee makes them new creatures abounding in the fruits of righteousnesse to Gods glorie the edification of their brethren and the comfort of their owne consciences in Christ And yet all these were nothing if it were not that the fift 5. Corroborating and continuing mercie ranke of mercies were also heaped vpon vs which I call continuing mercies whereby wee perseuer in that estate of grace whereunto we are once called Adam in his best estate of innocencie continued not would wee stand in grace if perseuerance which hee wanted were not communicated vnto vs. As mercie brought vs to this state of grace so it is by mercie also that we are kept in it And the last ranke is of Gods crowning mercies whereby he 6. Crowning mercies shall perfect his owne worke finish that which hee hath begunne in vs hee shall performe to vs his promised Kingdome feare of euill shall be farre from vs in that Paradise no tempter shall bee to snare vs mercie shall compasse vs no good shall be lacking to vs the Lord shall bee all in all vnto vs and from that blessed fellowship and cōmunion with him shall wee neuer be diuided againe And as this way Gods mercies Compassions in the plurall number are ascribed to God because the proofe and practise of them is manifold are manifold so likewise are the prayses of them in respect of innumerable persons on whom they haue beene declared for miserationes Dei sunt opera processus misericordiae eius and so his meditation is O Lord thou hast shewed compassion to many a penitent sinner since the beginning of the world thou neuer reiectedst any that sought thee with a penitent heart for number they cannot bee told to whom thou hast beene mercifull quot enim iusti tot miserationes let them al be gathered that are in heauen and earth if it be demanded of them how is it they haue been saued they will all answere Not vnto vs O Lord but vnto thy name be the praise And therefore seeing thou O Lord art the same And no shadow of change is with thee I beseech thee close not that dore of mercie on me which hath opened to receiue so many sinners before me and these Riuers of cōpassion which haue flowed so abundantly toward others let them not bee dryed vp to mee This earnestnesse of Dauids Feeling of our wants make earnest Prayer praier flowes from the feeling of his great sinnes he knew his sinnes were great and therfore craues he great mercies magna siquidem vulnera paribus indigēt Basil Pharmacis yea that in this one transgression manifold sinnes were included and that therefore hee needed not one but a multitude of diuine commiserations Vniuer sam in se Dei gratiam effundi totum miserationum fontem in peccati sui vlcera euacuari orat But how soeuer the mercies The mercies of God are plentifull yet not extended to all and why of God bee plentifull yet are they not extended vnto all they are free indeede I haue mercie saith the Lord on whom I will haue mercie but so that if there be any man to whō they flow not he may alwaies finde the cause in himself in his hard heart that cannot repent it holds true in all the reprobate which the Apostle speakes of the rebellious Iewes Yee put it from you meaning the word of the Gospell wherein mercie and grace is offered and iudge your selues vnworthie of euerlasting life therefore that mercie which is here craued by Dauid Act. 13. 46. by a most fearefull decree was denied vnto them God gaue that people a name Lo-Ruchamah I will no more haue pitie Hos 1. 6. on them whereupon followed another name expressing their Such as will not be Gods people shall not find Gods mercy miserie after that once God for their sins had cast them away Lo-Ammi that is to say they are not my people and I will not bee theirs No tongue can expresse the miserie of that man who for his proud continuance in sinne and contempt of grace offered vnto him receiues most iustly from the Lord that decree of Lo-Ruchamah I will haue no mercie on him where the Fountayne is stopped the Springs of necessitie must drie vp where mercie is denied all good things flowing from it must decay This will be the cursed condition of the damned All fat and excellent Reuel 18. 14. things shall depart from them from which the Lord deliuer vs. Put away mine iniquities Hitherto Dauid enters to his particular petitions we haue heard Dauid his generall petition for mercie now followes his three particular petitiōs expressing what mercie it is hee craued as wee shewed in the beginning of the Verse His first particular petition Whereof the first is a petition for the remission of his sinnes is for forgiuenesse of his sinne the fact was past but the gilt remained the pleasure of it was soone done but the terror of it still vexed him all the comfort of his Kingdome could not make him merry the torment of an accusing conscience for sin was more strong to deiect him then all the pleasures of Canaan were to sustaine him yea it is most sure that externall comforts are so far from comforting a troubled conscience that by the contrarie they encrease the trouble thereof and the more worldly comforts be presented the greater is the heauinesse of that soule which is afflicted for sinne and therefore now when hee comes to The griefe of sinne can not be asswaged by any worldly comfort the point hee tels where his sore was what grieued him most iniquitie iniquitie hee cryes out for this in the 32. Psalme Blessed is the man whose wickednesse is forgiuen whose sinne is couered and to whom the Lord imputes not iniquitie As if he would say hee that hath not this hath no blessing all comforts without this are comfortlesse Where wee haue to take vp What a fear full euill sinne is what a cursed and miserable thing sinne is a sparkle of fire come from hell that burnes vp all
the pleasures of the Paradise of a good Conscience a seede of Sathan a peece of leauen that sowreth and infecteth all it comes among turning sweetest things into bitter It is but a small thing to looke to soone done in the twinckling of an eye but hath an enduring sting and produceth manifold and great euill effects it perturbeth all being but one and spoyle man of the comfort of all God his creatures miserable men bewitched with the deceipt of sinne drunken with the present false pleasures therof cannot beleeue this it is but a pastime to them to doe wickedly but let them know it shall turne to bitternesse in the end But of this more in the third verse where hee complaines that his sinne was euer before him The word that in this petition God hath his accompt Booke wherein the debts of men that is their sinnes are Registred Dauid vseth is Machah signifiing a scraping a blotting out hee alludes as it seemes to the maner of them who haue their accompt Bookes wherein they write vp their debts whereof they purpose to haue paiment although they spare for a time wherupō Dauid sayeth I know Lord thou hast thine owne accompt Booke wherein thou writest the transgressions of them with whom thou mindest to enter in iudgement according to that The sinne of Iuda is written with a Penne of yron and Iere. 17. the point of a Diamond Let not O Lord my debt stand Registred there but of thy mercie put it and blot it out I haue done enough for my part to put my owne name out of the Booke of life and insert it in the Roll of them that must come to iudgement I know there is a standing decree in thy Booke That death is the wages of sinne If my sinne stand in thy Register I am but a dead man Lord quicken me forgiue me my trespasse and put away the Colos 2. 13. hand-writing of thy ordinance which is contrarie to me But here let vs marke how The bookes are two the booke of his Science and the booke of our Conscience it is that the Lord putteth sinne out of his two-fold Register First out of the booke of his owne science hee putteth the sinnes of his children vtterly both the gilt and the memorie of them hee putteth away so that out of his accompt booke hee scrapes our debt cleane away that it appeares not againe according to his promise I will remember their sinnes no more But out of the Register of our conscience hee putteth the gilt the accusing and tormenting power of it but abolisheth not vtterly the remembrance of it He reserues some monument of our sinnes in our memorie after that they are forgiuen partly to humble vs when wee looke backe vnto them and partly to preserue vs from committing the like in time to come And further we see how Dauid Blind are they who thinke they can make satisfaction to God for their debts acknowledgeth his debt was more then hee was able to pay and therefore disclaiming his owne sufficiencie hee appeales to Gods mercy beseeching the L. to blot it out for he had not to pay it It is a pitiful blindnesse in the aduersaries of the truth that teacheth poore people to leane vnto mans satisfactions which they must make to God for their sinnes either here or in Purgatorie how wilt thou satisfie that infifinite maiestie of God for thy manifold sinnes Ille figulus tu Ber. Scr. de quadrup debito figmentum When thou hast giuen vnto him all that thou art able either by doing or suffering Nonneistud est sicut stella ad solem gutta ad fluuium What is it but as if one should compare a Starre with the Sunne or a drop with a riuer Nemo est qui millesimae imo nec minimae parte debitorum suorum valeat respondere I see it was blindnes and so it is whatsoeuer shew of learning bee in them who maintaine it if they knew how great is the debt that man oweth vnto God they would say with Bernard There is none in the world able to answere the thousand part nay not the smallest part of that Debt which man oweth vnto God Away therefore with that blasphemous word of humaine satisfaction for except the Lord haue compassion on vs and for Mattb. 18. 27. giue the debt there remaines nothing for vs but to be pined in prison for euer And this also is to bee obserued By three words Dauid expresseth his sin to shew the greatnesse thereof how Dauid making mention of his sinne contents him not with one word but changes there sundrie words to expresse it whereof the one Pashang signifieth defection and rebellion the other Gnauah signifieth peruersuesse or crooked doing the third Chatta signifieth to erre or wander from the marke Men who do weigh sinne in the balance of consuetude can neuer knowe the weight of it they esteeme it but a light thing but godly men who weigh it in the balance of the Sanctuarie and examine it according to the rule of the word find it such a horrible euill as wherein manifold euils doe concurre VERSE 2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquitie and cleanse me from my sinne DAuid insists and Three things which make feruent Prayer in other termes hee repeates his former petition There are three things which make earnestnes and feruencie in prayer First Conscience of sinne Secondly feare or sense of wrath Thirdly ardent desire of mercie these three were at this time strong in Dauid and therfore sends hee vp feruent and strong petitions to God More particularly we learne Sinne a vile vncleannesse here that Sinne is a filthynesse which defiles a man there is no vncleannesse can make vs so vile and abhominable in the eyes of man as sinne maketh vs in the eyes of God what more vile thing in the world then a Menstruous cloth If euen our righteousnesse bee like vnto it as Esay witnesseth I pray you whereunto shall our vnrighteousnesse be compared or what similitude can be gotten sufficiently to expresse it Now as it is an vncleannes indeed would to God we could so esteeme of it we can suffer no vncleannes in our bodies but incontinent we wash it away Neither can abide it in our garments but without delay wee remedie it yea the smallest vncleannesse in the vessels that serue vs for meate and drinke makes our very foode lothsome vnto vs But alas wee haue not halfe of that care to keepe our Soules and Consciences cleane from the filthy pollution of sinne nor yet to wash them in that Fountaine opened to DAVIDS house for sinne and for vncleannesse when we haue defiled them And yet a great necessitie to doe so lies vpon vs for we are No part can we haue with Christ if he wash vs not warned that no vncleane thing can enter into heauenly Ierusalem That answere giuen by the Lord Iesus vnto Peter Ioh. 13. 8. stands
the world is but like that knowledge of sinne which Dauid had in time of his security they confesse they are sinners they know that blasphemy drunkennesse fornication and such like are sinnes but their conscience being sleeping they walke still on in their sinnes and thinkes it is Christianity good enough if euery morning they say God be merciful to mee for I am a poore sinner but alas poore art thou indeed and pittifully deceiued this knowledge will but make thee inexcusable because in thy words confessing and condemning sinne in thy workes thou practisest it but there is an other knowledge of sin which the Lord shall once discouer vnto thee either in mercy for thy amendment as hee doth heere to Dauid or in wrath as he did to Iudas Pray vnto the Lord that this knowledge of sinne may be giuen you in his mercy for your conuersion and not in his wrath for your consusion And my sinne is euer before me What meanes Dauid by How sinne lookes not alway with one face this was not sinne before him ere now It was indeede ere he committed it it stood before alluring him and hee liked it and sought occasion to commit it when he had committed it was before him also But it looked with so ill fauoured a face that hee sought to hide it and now when his conscience is wakened it stood before him directly to accuse him and it troubles him so that hee would faine be quit of the sight therof Oh that men could consider this in time how sinne will change her countenance before the action sinne comes like a laughing enemy purposing to slay but in flattering manner pretending friendship In the action like sweet poyson deadly and yet delights the sense but after the action a stinging Scorpion leauing no other fruit behinde it but guiltinesse in the conscience terror in the minde anguish in the spirit Si cupis peccati cognoscere Chrys in Ioan. 8. hom 51. turpitudinem commissum considera cum liber non amplius eius perturbaris affectibus If men could thinke of this in time they would not bee much moued with the beautifull face of sinne at the first comming to them because it is certaine that sinne which at the first is before a man to tempt him and will not let him to rest till he doe it that same sinne at the next time shal stand before him to torment him and not let him rest because hee hath doe it And this he further amplifies The action of sinne is momentarie the effects of it remaines when he saies it is euer before him both night and day sleeping and waking go where I will it goes with mee no change of place changes my trouble Sine intermissione video Basil malorum meorum imagines and it is so before me that it is against mee Semper coram me Saua opponens se mihi ne ad te transeat oratio mea Sinne is soone committed in a moment passeth the pleasure of it but the gilt and terror is not so soone done Paruum est ad horam peccatum Cyrill Catechis 12. longaeua autem est ex eo aeterna verecundia That for which a man sinnes shall not abide with him try when yee will yee shall finde it so wilt thou slay Naboth for his Vineycard thou must go from it wilt thou incurre the curse with Achan for a wedge of gold thou shalt not keepe it the curse bides with thee the gilt of sinne remaines but that for which thou didst sin shall bee taken from thee and thou from it The remembrance of this were a singular preseruatiue against sinne It is an opinion of carnall men blinded with the deceit of sinne that when sinne is committed Sin is not alwaies done when it is ended as the foolish thinke they thinke it done and away and so casts it behinde their backe as a thing neuer any more to be remembred but truth shall teach them by experience when they are iudged that it is before them It is now nine moneths since Dauid sinned yet he finds his sinne before him the cruelty of Iacobs sonnes against their brother Ioseph which they committed in Canaan mette them twenty yeeres after that in Aegypt though for a long time they beleeued it had been done and forgotten No No length of time takes away sinne without repentance length of time can we are sinne away if it be not taken away by repentance the sinnes wee haue done many yeeres since if we mourne not for them till we get mercy shall stand vp as fresh and young against vs when we come to bee iudged as they were the first houre that we committed them The Lord make vs wise to thinke vpon it our selues waxe old our bodies are declyning to the graue our yeeres are neere an end and will wee take no paines to weare away our sins to make them as if they had neuer beene or shall wee let them stand in their strength and vigour against vs this were a pittifull folly which will not faile to trouble vs at the last happy are they who are iudged in this world that they be not condemned in the world to come Further we note heere the The folly of sinners they redeeme a perishing pleasure with an enduring paine folly of sinners and iust manner of the Lords dealing with them their folly is heere that that they redeeme a perishing pleasure with an enduring paine Gods iustice is here that he punisheth the wicked with their owne sinfull deedes and lets them eat the fruit of their owne labours This he threatneth by Ezechiel I shall turne your waies vpon your owne heads and truely it were a punishment greater then men are able to beare if the Lord should set their iniquities before them and let them see them as they are Let wicked Psalm 50. men consider this that while they are multiplying sinnes they are but pletting coardes wherewith they shall be whipped the next day with their owne hands they are heaping vp wrath to themselues No place of complaining against the Lords iustice shall bee left Rom. 2. vnto them when they shall clearely see it is their owne iniquitie that vexeth and torments them But now seeing Nathan the Remembrance of sinne remaines after remission in the godly and why Prophet had proclaimed to Dauid the remission of his sin how is it that yet it is before him I answere in his deerest children after remission of sin he will haue the remembrance of sinne to remaine First to keepe them in minde of God his great mercie who slewe them not in their sinnes as hee hath done many that so hee may make them the more thankfull Vt gratior sit misericordia dei vt sentias quid tibi Chrysost concesserit Si enim semper memor fuer is cumuli peccatorum tuorum eris etiam memor magnitudinis beneficentiae dei Next the memorie of sinne past serues
pleased him to shew it then he cried out woe is me I am a man of polluted lippes he knew before that he was a sinfull man but a new sight of God his holinesse discouers to him a deeper sight of his owne corruption the spots of the face not perceiued in darknesse are manifested in the day and then doe men thinke shame of them when they are discouered by the light So long as the eye lookes to the earth and creatures which are in it it seemes to be quicke enough but turne it vpward toward the sunne the weaknesse of it is soone perceiued when wee looke to our selues and compare our selues with our selues and with men like our selues we seeme to be some thing but if our eyes were open to see the Lord and that most excellent purity and holinesse which is in him then would we cry out with Iob. Now mine eies hath seene the Lord therefore I abhor my selfe The holy Angels couer their faces at the brightnesse of his glory what shall man doe who is dust and dwelles in lodgings of clay Againe seeing God loues Sin is but a lying vanity truth in the inward affections let vs also study to loue it for in a conformity with God standeth mans felicity By truth heere wee vnderstand two things holinesse and sinceritie opposite to sinne and hypocrisie sinne is in very deede but a lie a falshood and a vanitie and therefore so named by the spirit of God It seemes to be an other thing then it is indeed al that to this day haue beene inamoured with it haue found it in the end to be but a lying vanitie and yet vaine man cannot learne to despise the deceit thereof And this euill becomes so Then is it worst when it is couered with hypocrisie much the worse when it lurketh vnder a shew of holinesse hypocrisie is a generall lie of the whole man In a common lie the tongue lies against the heart onely but in hypocrisie not the tongue onely but the eye the hand the feet lie also when the hand is lifted vp to heauen and eye lookes vp but the heart followes them not when the knee is bowed but the heart is not bowed before the Lord. Nothing distinguishes a true The proper difference of a true Christian from a counterfeit christiā from a counterfeit but this truth and sincerity in the inward affections the bastard Christian can counterfeit the true Christians behauiour in al things but he cannot follow him in this one the sincerity of his heart As a Painter can paint the cullour of the fire and the forme of the flame thereof but cannot paint the heate of it so a hypocrite can resemble a Christian in any thing but not in his heart Esau can mourne and weep bitterly like Ezechia Ahab can put on sack cloth like Mordecai Saul can confesse in word I haue sinned like Dauid but none of their hearts were vpright in the sight of God Thirdly when wee heare If the Lord require truth in vs how much more is he true himselfe that God loues truth we may consider that hee is true or rather truth it selfe what hee loues in his creature is but a sparkle of that goodnes which is in himself we haue here then strong consolation against our naturall doubtings and distrusts if we consider how God is verity Of his nature he can not breake his promise if he require such constant truth in his Psal 15. creature that when he sweares he wil not haue him to change but to performe the good which he promises how much more may wee looke to finde this truth in himselfe Therefore thou hast taught me wisedome This is the last argument An other amplification of Dauids sinne it was against knowledge wherby Dauid amplifies his sinne that hee had done against that knowledge wherewith God had indewed him for the Lord had delt fauourablie with him and had taught him the knowledge of his will but he like a beast suffered that light to be suffocated by the fury of his owne affections Of this we see that the light A fearefull thing to sin against knowledge which God giues men if they do against it is a great augmentation of their sin The seruant that knoweth his masters will and doth it not is worthy of double stripes If I had not come and spoken to you ye should haue had no sinne the Gentiles who had no more but the light of nature are cōuinced because that when they knew God they Rom. 1. glorified him not as God what then shall become of vs who beside the light of nature haue also the light of the gospell if still we walke in darknesse it shall certainly aggrauate our sinne and make our condemnation more fearefull then that of Sodome and Gomorrha From which the Lord of his great mercy preserue vs. VERSE 7. Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be cleane wash mee and I shall be whiter then snow AFter that DAVID After confession the godly ioine petition for mercy not so the wicked had made a confession of his sin and that not coldlie or for fashion as they doe whose consciences are not wakened with the sight of their sinnes but had by all circumstances aggrauated his sinne now hee returnes to his petition of mercy This hyssop wherewith The hyssop by which Dauid craues to be purged Dauid craueth to be purged it is as Basil cals it Alterius reioenigma Naturall hyssop is an hearb humilis calida odorifera of excellent vertue in medicine Est enim in hyssopo vis purgatoria Aug. de doct christ lib. 2. maxime pulmonum The typicall vse of it in the ceremoniall Law was threefold first the Israelites sprinkled the posts of their dores with a bunch of hyssop dipped in the bloud of the Paschall Lambe Exod. 12. secondly a bunch of hyssoppe dipped in bloud was vsed in the besprinkling and cleansing of the Leper and thirdly in the Sacrifice for sinne Numbers Leuit. 14. 19. All these were typicall and did signifie no other but that All typicall purgations figure the blood of Christ all his people should looke for purgation from all their leprosie and vncleannesse in the blood of the Lambe Christ Iesus who takes away the sinnes of the world and his blood clenseth from all sinne Dauid knew that these were types and figures instituted for signification of better things and therefore did hee not neglect them yet on the other part he would not leane vnto them as if remission of sinnes were to be gotten by these Legall purgations but by them he ascended to the spirituall thing signified by them hee had enough of the typicall hyssop at his commandement and the Priest ready to spinkle him with it when it pleased him but he knew this would not serue his turne he lookes to the Spirituall hyssop and hee praies that God would purge him without which no Leuiticall washing
his sinne a giltinesse which empaired the sense of Gods mercy an vncleannesse which peruerted and corrupted all the powers of his soule vpon which two followed horrour of a iust accusing conscience Against these three he frames his supplications Against the His remedie against them all three first he seekes mercie to pardon and forgiue his sinne Against the second hee seekes grace to renew him and that God would create a cleane heart within him Against the third he seekes to be restored to the ioy of Gods saluation But as this is the last and The way of a penitent sinner is greatest petition that a sinner can seke to be comforted with the ioyes of God so are wee to remember that in this petition wee cannot preuaile except some other goe before it there then is the order to be obserued by a penitent sinner let vs first fall downe at his feet and mourne ploremus coram domino qui fecit nos ea quae fecimus Bez. in Cant. ser 3. nos let vs therefore continew a long time lamenting our manifold sinnes and taking a view if possibly we may of euery one of them that as by committing them wee contracted giltinesse so by mourning particularly for them wee may enfeeble their testimony against vs. Then let vs looke vp out From mourning at Gods feete to goe vp to the kisses of his mouth of the assurance of faith and require the helping hand of the Lord to raise vs vp these two being rightly done we shal finde him like that merciful father embracing the forlorne sonne in his armes and kissing him from his feete we goe to his hands from his hands to the kisses of his mouth such as fall not downe to mourne at his feete how can his helping hand raise them vp or the kisses of his mouth comfort them See here what a deceiuer and Sathan in tempting makes faire offers but indeed is a robber supplanter Satan is in temptation he seemes to be a giuer for he makes great offers to men if they will obey him but in very deed he is but a robber and so shall euery man finde him when they are deliured from the deceite of sinne and get their eares opened they shall see that Satan by alluring them to sinne hath taken excellent things from them for which they haue need to pray earnestly vnto God as Dauid here doth that hee would restore them Let vs not therefore harken to him when he flattereth vs the fairest Where God gets loue and obedience from man there man gets comfort in his God but Satan like a subtill diuider doth what hee can to depriue God of that obedience which his creature should giue him that so he may depriue the creature of that ioy and comfort which otherwise he might haue in his God And again we see how there No ioy can comfort mans soule but the ioy of Gods saluation is no ioy can content Dauid but the ioy of Gods saluatiō he was a King wanted none of these earthly comforts wherein worldly men reioyce but none of them can comfort the heart of Dauid it is the ioy which arises to the conscience from the feeling of God his saluation that he craues indeed what other ioy can there be albeit the Lord would giue vs all things that he hath made vnlesse we feele himselfe our father and Sauiour in Christ what can they helpe vs it is true of them all which Iob in his trouble spake of his friends Miserable comforters are ye and yet many such miserable men are there in the world who know no ioy but that which arises of meat and drinke siluer and gold and such like things this is but a brutish ioy for euen the beasts haue their owne delight when such obiects are presented to them as are agreable to their nature and thou if thou knowest no other in respect thou wast made for greater things art more beastly then they Three great graces seeks Dauid in this petition And stablish me with thy free spirit In this short petition many notable benefits Dauid seeketh from the Lord for by this free spirit Vatablus vnderstands Spiritum libertatis qua proni faciles reddimur ad faciendum quae Deus praecipit that spirit of liberty which enclines our hearts willingly to doe what the Lord commands according to that of our Sauiour Iohn 8. Then shall ye be free if the sonne make you free So then the benefit Dauid here craued is 1 That reason may command affection that he may finde reason commanding affection as Basil expounds it and that his carnall affections haue no power to draw his heart toward external and vnlawful obiects away from his God as they had done for affections once let loose are not easily bridled and restrained againe but after a furious and inordinat manner caries away the heart of man suffocates light captiues reason whereby they themselues should be ruled and this Dauid feeling in himselfe praies against it that the Lord would establish him with his free spirit Secondly he is called Ruah 2 That the sense of Gods loue may ouercome the terror of his accusing conscience Nedibah the spirit of liberty for an other effect which hee workes in our hearts whereof the Apostle speakes Rom. 8. Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare again but the spirit of adoption whereby ye cry abba father This effect is to comfort our heart with the sense of Gods fatherly loue Dauid was trouble with terrors of minde which his gilty conscience had wakened and now he craues the confirming spirit of God or as Tremell translates it Spiritum ingenuitatis thy kindly spirit which in regeneration thou giuest to thy owne children wherby I may know that I am one of them Euery sinne empaires in our heart the testimony of the spirit of adoption witnessing Gods loue and therefore Dauid craues it might againe be renewed vnto him Thirdly the word Nadab signifies to be willingly moued 3 That a Princely minde may be giuen him according to bis calling to giue therefore among the Hebrewes their Princes were called Nedibim for their free munificence and liberality and out of this sense he seekes a new benefite Dauid was not a priuate man but a publike and therefore craue so to be gouerned by the spirit of God that he might be made answerable to his calling For the pride of Nebuchadnezer the heart of a A admonition for men in authority man was takē from him the heart of a beast giuen Dauid hauing misruled himself found his gift decaied by which hee should haue ruled his people And therefore now praies that as the Lord had called him to be a Prince of his people hee would not cast him away for his sinnes but restore to him that measure of Gods spirit whereby hee might doe that worke according to the excellencie of his calling Oh that al Kings and
Rulers of people could euer remember this what shall purchase them reuerence of their subiects is it not the image of God what shall make them able to gouerne others is it not the spirit of God gouerning themselues This was Pharao his reason why he made choise of Ioseph Where can we finde so meet a man as this to rule in whom the Spirit of God is And therefore aboue al other men should they bee most instant to pray that God would establish their hearts by his spirit making their affections seruants to their reason that so themselues being ruled by God they may the better rule his people Alway wee see it is not a small thing which Dauid heere seeketh from God but hee seeketh It is an honouring of God when we seeke great things from him Sauan the greatest gifts that God giueth on earth to his children Rem magnam a te peto domine quia tu es Deus magnus Dominus iniuriam tibi facit qui a te parua petit O Lord I seeke great things from thee because thou art a great God they dishonor the Lord who seeke small things from him and they are most welcome to him who seeke greatest things from him as is euident by Salomons petition hee offers himselfe to be our Father his Sonne to bee our Sauiour his Spirit to be our comforter to confirme and establish our hearts These are his most excellent giftes let vs couet these VERSE 13. Then shall I teach thy way vnto the wicked and Sinners shall be conuerted to thee HItherto we haue With petitions Dauid ioynes promises heard DAVIDS petitions now followes promises which are of two sorts in the first hee promises to bee a good instrument to conuert others vnto the Lord in the next that hee shall publish the praises of his God There is a dutie that goeth Before remission of sinne goes repentance before remission of sinne and that is a godly sorrow for sin which causes repentance to saluation for how shall the Lord remit the sinne whereof man wil not repent And there is an other dutie that followes it and that is thankefulnesse to God and a louing care of the saluation of others Our Sauiour collected well that many sinnes were forgiuen to that And after followes thankefulnesse penitent woman that did wash his feete with her teares because shee loued him much But alas if it bee considered how small is our loue towards God how little is our regard of the saluation of our brethren It may be said of many in this age they haue but small or no warrant that there sinnes are forgiuen them who haue so little or no loue toward God and their brethren for the argument holds sure they cannot but loue the Lord greatly to whom great and many sinnes are pardoned and forgiuen Then Marke his words He is not meete to speake of peace and pardon to to others who is vnder the power of his owne sinne when will Dauid teach others when God hath deliuered him from his sinnes A man vnder the power and gultinesse of his owne sinne is not meet to speake of peace and pardon vnto others Obmutescit facundia si aegra sit conscientia Eloquence is silent where the conscience is sicke and diseased A pittifull Nicephor lib. 5. cap. 32. proofe whereof wee haue in Origen who being compelled either to suffer the abusing of his body by an Ethiopian or to sacrifice vnto Idols made choise of the last and offered incense vnto Idols wherewith his conscience was so troubled that afterward comming to Ierusalem and there being first requested and then vpon his refusall forced to teach hee went to the Pulpit and read there these words of the 50. Psalme What hast thou to doe to take my ordinances in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed when thou seest a thiefe thou runnest with him and art pertaker with the adulterers When hee had so done hee closed the booke and because hee found his mouth closed by the guilt of his conscience he fel to weeping and mourning whereby he prouokt all the congregation to mourne with him but was not able to teach any whereof all preachers haue A warning to Preachers their warning that with great care they should keepe their conscience cleane if they would speake to the conscience of others and if at any time they haue hurt their conscience without delay should they heale it by repentance Cum eradicantur ex corde peccata Bern. in ascens dom Ser. 1. exinde qui in Christum credunt linguis loquuntur nouis Then do they who beleeue in Christ speak with new tongues when old sinnes are rooted out of The talent of mercie we haue receiued because it is greatest should bee most vsed to the edificatiō of others their hearts Againe wee see our duty craues that when wee haue receiued mercy from God for our selues wee should make vantage of it for the edification of others Euery talent receiued from God should bee put to profit but specially the talent of mercy as it is greatest so the Lord requires greater fruit of it both for his owne glory and for the edification of our brethren Seeing wee are the vessels of mercy should not the sent and sweet odour of mercy go from vs to others This duty Christ craued from Peter and thou when thou art conuerted confirme thy brethen And this duty as Dauid heere promises so we may reade how he did performe it Come vnto mee all yee that feare God and I will tell you what God hath done to my soule The propetie of a Christian Basil is fides per dilectionem efficax faith working by loue How we are bound to haue a care of the saluation of our brethren What auiles it to pretend faith toward God where there is no loue toward thy neighbour and wherein can thy loue bee declared more then in this to draw thy neighbour to the participation of that same merit whereunto God hath called thee By the Law a man was bound to bring home his neighbours wandring beast if he had mette with it before how much more then to turne againe his neighbour himselfe when hee wanders from the Lord his God If two men walking on the way should both fall into one pit and the one beeing releeued out of it should goe his way and forget his neighbour might it not iustly be called a barbarous inhumane cruelty Wee haue all fallen into one and the same myre of iniquity sith the Lord hath put out his mercifull hand to draw vs out of this prison of sinne shall we refuse to put out our hand to see if possibly we may draw vp our brethren with vs Thy wayes He saith not that Prophane men not only commit sinne but teach the way of sin to others he wil teach sinners his wayes the wayes of sinne can bee learned without a teacher but he will teach them Gods
wayes There are many profane men in the world who think it not enough to commit sinne with greedinesse but will boast of their sinnes when they haue done them teaching and alluring others to commit the like iniquitie these are but like vnto These are like beasts dogges and other such brutish beasts who when they haue auoyded their dongue turne about their face vnto it delighting in the scent therof and yet blinded man will glorie in such a beastlie quality But what are these wayes Some wayes of God are vnsearcheable these a man should not learne Leuit. of God which Dauid sayth hee wil teach Som of Gods waies are vnsearchable of these wee should beware neyther to teach nor learne that which God first hath not taught vs. But there are other of his wayes which hee hath manifested as the way of iudgement whereby he walkes stubbornly against them that walke stubbornly against him going farre from them that depart from him and the way of mercie wherin he shewes himselfe vpright Psal 18. But the way of iudgement and mercy we should both teach it to others and learn it our selues with the vpright man comes neere vnto them who with a humble contrite spirit draw neer vnto him These are thy wayes O Lord which I shall teach saith Dauid when I shall learne them I haue learned the way of thy iudgment I haue felt thou art terrible to sinners and that it is a fearefull thing to fall into thine hands let me also feel thy sweet mercie forgiuing my sin then shall I teach the way of thy mercy to sinners also shall let them know how gratious thou art how ready to forgiue what they must doe if they would be receiued into thy fauour All the wayes of GOD are vnknowne to men by nature The way of Gods mercy naturally is vnknown but especially the way of his mercie Nature could neuer haue dreamed of that way of mercy which God hath discouered it surpasseth all light that is in nature if God had not reuealed it man should neuer haue knowne it Experience may confirme this for we see it is an easie thing to instruct a man in the knowledge of Gods power prouidence iustice and all but to bring a sinner to the knowledge and assurance of Gods mercy is a difficult thing It is easie to preach iudgement by the Lawe not so to perswade mercy by the Gospell this is the highest and most difficult point of a Pastors calling And sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee Marke the wordes Conuersion of a sinner is Gods worke of Dauid I saith he shal teach and they shall bee conuerted When the conuersion of a sinner is ascribed to man we must vnderstand hee is not the worker but the instrument of it He shall not want his owne recompence For they who conuert many to righteousnesse shall shine like the starres in the Firmament But the glory of the conuersion is proper to the Lord men may plant and water but God giues the increase Paul preached at Philippi but God opened the heart of Lydia Peter preached to Cornelius and his kinsmen but the Holy Ghost brought downe the vnction which made them Christians Repentance is a worke full of miracles it makes the dead to rise the blinde to see the dumb to speake and who can worke these but the Lord Vera Sanitas Macar hom 44. Repentance a worke full of miracles à Domino solo proficiscitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As one sheep cannot heale another but their health commeth from their shepheard so the true health of our soules cometh from the great Pastor and Shepheard of Israel Qui Leones mansuefecit igni vim adurendi ademit c. Hee that tamed the Lions restrained the fire from burning hee it is that must tame our wilde affections and moderate the fire of our desires Let Preachers when they goe to any such worke require the helping hand of the Lord to work with them and let people answer and pray with Ieremie Conuert vs Lord and we shal be conuerted As sinne averts man from God so it peruerts him repentance An vnpenitent sinner is a peruers and monstrous creature and how by the contrary turnes a man to God againe and rectifieth all that is in him An vnpenitent sinner is a peruerted or monstrous creature for in him that part is vndermost which should be aboue The soule that came from heauen cleaueth to the dust by his body which was made of the earth he can looke vp to heauen but in regard of his soule he is but earthly minded Againe hee hath his face where his back should be and by the contrary the world which should be behinde him is euer before him the price of the high calling of God euen the riches of that glorious inheritance which should bee before him he casteth it behinde his backe and hath no thought of it And where a wise man hath alway his heart at his right hand Eccles 10. That is set vpon best and most necessary things this foole by the contrary hath his heart at his left hand busie about vaine vnprofitable things neglecting that one thing which onely is needfull And lastly hee hath that without which should be within for he should be more beautifull within then without But the best sight ye will see in him is that which is outmost there hee lookes like a painted sepulchre but within is full of rottennesse So confused a creature is miserable man in his sinnes all is disordered in him he is Tartarus a little hell on earth a terror to himselfe a trouble vnto others euer vexed with restlesse and fruitlesse perturbations But from this time by the But by grace he is rectified and renewed grace of repentance hee conuerteth turneth to the Lord his God then a comfortable change and comely order is wrought in him then the body becomes subiect vnto the soule then the affections begin to follow reason and order restored makes him a quiet and peaceable heart by the which he begins his heauen vpon earth VERSE 14. Deliuer mee from blood O God of my saluation and my tongue shall sing ioyfully of thy righteousnesse IN the middest of Dauid can not satisfie himselfe in seeking mercie for his sinnes his promises wee see how he interlaces a new petition for mercie for still he found his conscience pressed with the greatnesse of his sinne and therefore so oft as hee feeles it so oft cals hee for mercy sin is soone committed as I said but the gilt the terror and the secret accusing voice therof not so easily discharged And that now hee discends A generall confession of sinne is not sufficient in particular it is to teach vs that a generall confession of sin is not sufficient we must come to a particular for it may truly be said that he hates no sinne who hates not one aboue the rest the
see that if we be They who can not speakc to the prise of God are stricken with a sore plague gouerned by the spirit of God we will account that wee are stricken with dumnesse when we cannot speake to the praise of God Many are such in this age who haue a tongue for euery purpose but none for the praises of God they are stricken with a sore plague and yet they feele it not their heart is bound by Satan with the cords of their sinnes and so their tongues cannot be loosed to glorifie God from this most miserable estate the Lord deliuer vs. VERSE 16. For thou desirest no sacrifice though I would giue it thou delightest not in burnt offerings IN this verse Dauid Ioy for Gods mercy and sorrow for our own sinnes agree well in the godly giues a reason why hee promised no other duety of thankefullnesse to the Lord but to praise him as hee protested hee would doe in the former verse the reason is because the sacrifice in man or from man which God likes best is the sacrifice of a contrite spirit Then ye see that Dauid when he sacrificed praise sacrificed also a contrite spirit what is it to giue thankes for Gods mercies if all the same time we be not sorrowfull that we should haue offended so mercifull a God The thankes giuen by many is tastles to God because when they are touched with some sense of that God hath done to them they feele no remorse of that euill they haue done against him happy is the soule wherein these two meete together a ioy for Gods mercies toward vs and a sorrow for our sinnes against God And againe ye see that if a What praise is acceptable to God man praise God truely he offers with praises himselfe and all that he may doe My soule praise thou the Lord and all that Psal 103. is within mee praise thou his holy name As he shewes in the subsequent verse The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit Wherein he declares that in thankesgiuing to God hee offered a thankefull heart for bee-gone mercies a sorrowfull heart for bee-gone sins a resolute heart in time to come to amend And this is the praise wherein God delightes But heere arises a threefold A threefold doubt moued doubt first seeing the legall sacrifices commanded by God how can it be said the Lord desires not that which he commanded secondly is not the Apostles praecept To doe good Heb. 13. and distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is pleased And thirdly are not wee commanded to offer vp our bodies a liuing Rom. 12. sacrifice holy and acceptable to God how is it then that heere Dauid speakes that God desireth no sacrifice To these it is answered that The first is answered Dauid doth not simply reiect legal sacrifices Dauid speakes not simply but by way of compariso these external sacrifices if they be alone wanting the internall sacrifices of a contrite spirit are not acceptable to God and of this for the first doubt we learne that if vnder the law externall worship without the inward pleased not the Lord far lesse will it now please him vnder the gospell Cursed said Malachie is the man who hath a male in his flocke and vowes an sacrifices a corrupt thing to the Lord And this curse is now double vpon them who giue not the best they haue to the Lord drawing neere him with their lips but far from him in their hearts As to the second externall The second answered almes and such sacrifices are accepted of God if they flow from faith sacrifices of almes and such like now commanded please the Lord out of all doubt if they proceed from faith in Christ offered out of a contrite spirit not puft vp with conceit of merit the humble heart makes a small gift to be great an example whereof we haue in the widowes mite it was a smal thing but because it proceeded from a great affection Christ accounted it the greatest gift was offered that day And the want of a good heart on the contraty makes a great gift to be small an example whereof we haue in Cain his sacrifice in it selfe rich enough but because it proceeded from a poore affection it was not acceptable to God Ten thousand riuers of oile and all the beasts on thousand mountaines yea in all the Forest of Lebanon are nothing to the Lord if the heart be not rightly set that offers them And as to the third we are The third answered wee are bound to offer our bodies but euery offering of the body is not acceptable to God bound to offer vp our bodies vnto him but remember euery offering of the bodie pleases him not some of a blinde zeale becomes the buriers of their owne bodies like Baal his Priests Turkish Derbies and Popish Penitentiaries cutting lancing and renting their flesh or else defrauding their bodies of that due which they owe vnto him prodigall of them in their blind zeale not moderatly subdueing them by disciplin If euery such sacrifice had pleased God the Apostle would not haue said though I feede the 1. Cor. 13. poore with all my goods and though I giue my body to be burned if I haue no loue it is nothing we must first see that the heart be sacrificed to the Lord and then the body in the resonable seruice thereof for no vnreasonable suduing of the body pleases God But what shall be said of many Atheists conuinced who do not so much as offer externall sacrifice to the Lord. profane Atheists who now doe not offer so much as externall sactifices they will not resort to the assemblies of Gods saints to giue God in his house external praier and praises neither offer they to the poore externall almes nor to God the externall seruice of their bodies they bow not the knee they lift not their hand they vse not the members of their body as weapons of righteousnesse and how then shal we thinke they make conscience of Gods internal worship But now to the words in particular VERSE 17. The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and a broken heart o God thou wilt not despise WE first learne that Some offer to the Lord that which is theirs but not themselues Sauan if any man would offer a sacrifice conuenient for the Lord let him prepare the spirit and the minde God himselfe is a spirit and will be worshipped in spirit hee loueth truth in the inward affection Corpora fecit propter spiritus ideoque etiam spiritualia non corporea quaerit hee made also the bodies for the spirits and therefore seekes he not bodily without spirituall seruice Some there are qui sua dant non seipsos who offer to him not themselues but that which is theirs but it is a blinde folly to thinke thou canst please him with gifts when thou wilt not giue the seruice of thine
striken that his people may be spared and they againe repayed him with the like louing affection for when he would haue gone out to battel against Absalom they would not let him hazard himselfe Thou art said they more worth then ten thousand of vs. A happy harmonie where a King with tender affection embraceth his people as his owne children and they again esteeme and reuerence him as their father For thy good pleasure He neyther The Church is preserued by Gods mercy not their merit pretends his merits nor his peoples innocency but appeales to Gods mercie the good pleasure of his owne will mou'd him to chuse a Church and it is the same that moues him to conserue it Euen when the sins of his people procure that he shold destroy it if there were no more to preserue the Church but hir owne deseruings or the fauour fidelity and constancie of Kings protectors thereof it could not continue long but God is the builder of Ierusalem his fauour is the wall thereof and therefore is it that neither the sinnes of them who are within nor malice of them who are without it can ouercome it Build vp the wales He praies Ierusalems materiall walles were foure both for the materiall and spirituall wals of Ierusalem In regard of materiall wals Ierusalem was a strong City of foure quarters euery one of them by walles deuided from another The first highest was mount Sion in it was the City of Dauid called by Iosephus the superiour city exceeding strong in regard of the naturall situation thereof the second was called the daughter of Sion because it seemed to come out as it were of the bosome of the other in this was the mount Moriah whereupon the Temple stood this City was compassed with a strong wal wherin stood threescore of strong Towres The third was beautified with many ample streets pleasant ports and compassed with a wall whereupon were fourteene Towers The fourth was inhabited by all sorts of Artificers compassed with the third wall which was twenty and fiue cubits high and had in it fourescore and ten Towers strong high and foure cornered And albeit in Dauids daies Externall state of a citie depends on Gods blessing Psal 127. the city was not as yet brought to this perfection but was rather in the building yet Dauid knew except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it and except the Lord keepe the Citie the keeper watches in vaine and that many flourishing Cities and strong Castles haue beene made desolat for the sinnes of them that dwell in them and therefore fearing least his sinne had procured a curse in Ierusalem like the curse of Iericho hee praies euen for the externall state thereof But much more may wee think he had regard to the spiritual Ierusalems spirituall walles wals therof which his sin had demolished and he praies God to repaire againe The first innermost and strongest 1 Gods protection wall of Ierusalem is the Lords fauourable protection this is called by Zacharie a wall of fire compassing Hierusalem which wil burne and consume the enemies that inuade it the 2 Holines and vnitie secondarie walles are holines and vnitie for an vnholy people are naked like the idolatrous Israelites after their worshipping of the golden Calfe and this breach of holinesse euer procures breach in vnitie among people makes a rupture in the wall whereby the aduersarie may easily get vantage Now Dauid knew that by his sinne hee had procured to be depriued of Gods fauour and that his sons and seruants should rebell against him as he had rebelled against the Lord his God and therefore he craues that these euils may bee remoued his filthie sinne pardoned the fauourable protection of God continued and vnity betweene him and his people preserued And this for Ierusalems wailes Wherof let vs learne what No enemies can destroy the walles of Ierusalem only the sins of inhabitants it is that makes the Church a prey to her enemies what destroyes the wals of Ierusalem No force no multitude no policie nor engine of the enemy only the sinnes of them who dwell within it God make vs wise to take this to heart lest our sinnes make a breach in Ierusalems walles VERSE 19. Then shalt thou accept the sacrifices of righteousnesse euen the burnt offering and oblation then shall they offer Calues vpon thine Altar HIs petitions are An heart to offer praise and prayer to the Lord is an argument of mercie concluded with a promise of thankes-giuing Whē thou shalt be fauourable to vs then shall we offer and thou shalt accept Multiplicatiō then of sacrifices is an effect of Gods fauour to haue a heart rightly set to pray to the Lord or praise him is an argument of mercie When God was angrie with Israel he sent vpō thē the Caldeans who tooke away the daily sacrifice but it is an effect of a farre more fearefull wrath when God deliuers vp men to the hardnes of their own hart suffering them so to be captiued by Satan that they can neither repēt of their sins nor pray for graces which they want nor yet giue thanks for benefits that they haue receiued where the heauens become brasse and send downe no dew what maruell the earth be like iron and can render no fruit but if the Lord looke on vs in mercie as he did on Peter then shall we mourne for our sinnes and if hee be fauourable vnto vs as heere Dauid prayes then shall we be willing sacrificers of praise and thankes vnto him The order of his wordes If our persons be not first in fauour with God our actions cannot please him makes this cleare vnto vs. When thou shalt bee fauourable to vs then shalt thou accept our offerings Except first our persons be in fauour with God our actions were they neuer so good in shew will not bee acceptable to him Examples hereof wee haue in Abel and Cain God looked first to Abel and then had respect to his sacrifice Let vs therefore aboue all things haue a care that we may be in fauour with our God reconciled with him in Christ otherwise all our prayers and oblations whatsoeuer are but an abomination to the Lord. And last of all we see heere Thankesgiuing an eternall duetie we must discharge to the Lord. how the greatest and most enduring duetie wee owe vnto God for all his benefites is thankesgiuing hee is content the profit of them all be ours hee craues no more but praise Wee want not matter for which wee should praise him onely we want affection and therefore haue we to pray that the Lord among all the rest of his great goodnesse wherein he is daily abundant toward vs would also blesse vs with a thankfull heart that in this dutie also wee may abound toward the Lord our God To whom be praise glorie and honour for euer Now vnto the King Immortall Euerlasting Inuisible Vnto God onely wise be honour and glorie for euer Amen FINIS
be a Courtier in heauen holy in life feruent in praier by these hath a man fellowship with God and accesse to the Throne of the heauenly King to speake to his Maiestie when hee pleaseth In this holy disposition if this my little Treatise may serue any way to confirme you I shall be abundantly contented I haue dedicated it vnto you as a token of my loue for the good which is in you toward all that feare God and your courteous fauour shewed to my selfe in particular And so hoping that with as good an hart ye will accept it as I do offer it I rest Your owne in Christ Iesus William Cowper B. of Galloway ESA. 1. 18. 19. Come and let vs reason together saith the Lord Though your sinnes were as crimson they shall bee made white as snow though they were redde like scarlet they shall be as wooll If ye consent and obey ye shall eate the good things of the land GOOD NEWES From CANAAN My helpe is in the Name of the LORD To him that excelleth A Psalme of DAVID when the Prophet NATHAN came vnto him after that hee had gone in vnto Bath-sheba THE inscription This Psalme is a Psalme of Repentance and the vse of it is threefold of this Psalme being considerede will let vs see that it is a Psalme of Repentance made by Dauid after hee had defiled the wife of Vriah and murthered Vriah him selfe It serues vnto vs for this threefold vse First as a preseruatiue to keepe 1. A preseruatiue to keep vs that wee sinne not vs that we fall not into the like sinnes for why shall wee commit that which we see by example of others will either commit vs to eternall damnation or at least breed vs much griefe paine and dolor before wee can bee quit of it This sinne of Dauid thorough Gods mercie preuailed not against him to damnation yet yee see what anguish of Spirit what terrour of minde what sighing what teares what roaring night and day he sustained before hee could bee deliuered from it and find himselfe restored to his former ioy thus shall all flesh finde it that the falles momentarie and perishing pleasures of sinne shall haue sorrow in the ende For the motions thereof are like these Locusts of the bottomelesse pit hauing faces of men and their haire like the haire of Reuel 9. women but a taile like a Scorpion which stingeth vnto the death Next it serues as a corroboratiue 2. A coroboratiue to keep such as haue fallen in sin from despaire to keepe such as haue fallen into the like sinnes that they fall not further into the deepe of desperation so the Apostle Saint Paul saith that the mercie of God shewed vnto 1. Tim. 1. 16 him after that he had beene a blasphemer persecutor and oppressor was for an ensample vnto all them who shal in time to come beleeue in Christ vnto eternall life Thus the children of God when they looke to the sinnes of other Gods Saints recorded in holy Scripture doe not hereby confirme themselues in sinne but comfort themselues against despaire It is true of them all Basil de paeniten which Basil spake of Peters threefold deniall they are Registred Vt tu quoque consolationem haberes Let vs meditate vpon the sinnes of others as Bernard Bernard did Omnino propter mansuetudinem quae in te est domine Iesu currimus post te audientes quod non spernas pauperem peccatorem non horruisti confitentem latronem non lachrymantem peccatricem non Cananaeam supplicantem non deprehensam in adulterio non supplicantem publicanum non negantem discipulum non persequutorem discipulorum In odore horum currimus Surely LORD IESVS for the meeknes which is in thee we runne after thee hearing that thou despisedst not the poore sinner thou abhorredst not the penitent theefe the mourning sinfull woman nor the woman of Canaan when shee requested thee nor the woman apprehended in adulterie nor the Publican praying vnto thee nor the Disciple that denied thee nor yet the Disciple who persecuted thy Disciples in the smell of these thine oyntments wee runne after thee Thirdly it serueth as a restoratiue to raise vp such as A restoratiue to raise vp such as haue fallen Augu. haue fallen in the same maner for here Non cadendi exemplum sed si cecideris resurgendi propositum est There are many who delight to heare or reade the sinnes of God his Saints as if they were vnto them patrocinia peccati defences of their sinnes But alas what folly is this to loue that in Dauid which hee hated in himselfe Hoc non est defensionem parare animae tuae sed comites inquirere ad gehennam This is not to prepare a defence for thy owne Soule but to seeke companions to goe with thee into hell flattering thy selfe that thou art in state good enough because thou art not matelesse but rememberest not that albeit thou hadst neuer so many inuolued with thee in the giltinesse of thy sinnes what comfort can that be vnto thee Non enim propterea minus ardebis quia cum multis ardebis Shall thy fire in hell be the lesse because many will there burn with thee Nay by the contrarie the more matter the bolder fire It were great wisedome to Great wisedome to make other mens sinnes a medicine for vs. Chrysost in Matth. Hom. 27. embrace that counsell of Chrysostome that wee should not so much looke to Dauid his fall as to his rising Consider what he did after his fall how hee put on sackcloth how he watered his bed with teares how he roared night and day sighing and crying continually till hee found the forgiuenesse of his sinnes Sic medicamenta nobis Augu. de alienis vulneribus faciemus So shall we make medicaments to our selues of the wounds of others and not bee like vnto phranticke persons who slay themselues with the yrons of the Chirurgian by which they haue seene him cut the flesh of others he did it of skill for curing and they of their madnes for killing In this inscription of the Three things considered in the inscription of this Psalme Psalme wee consider three things First how Dauid goes into Bethsheba and commits Adulterie with her Next how Nathan comes to Dauid sleeping in his sinne wakens him and raiseth him vp by Repentance And thirdly how hee makes this Psalme and giues it to bee sung publickely in the Church as the first fruites of his Repentance In the first of these again there 1. The consideration of Dauid his person who sinned shold make vs feare our owne weaknesse are three circumstances to bee considered The person the sins which hee committes and the time The person that fals is Dauid a man endued with most notable graces of the spirit a man highly commended of God A man who before had endured strong temptations and preuailed victor in them all Now is ouercome and
as a preseruatiue to keepe Gods children from the like sinnes in time to come And thirdly it teacheth vs to haue compassion on others when they fall in the like sinnes and to restore them with the spirit of meekenes considering also our selues VERSE 4. Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight that thou maiest be iust when thou speakest and pure when thou iudgest NOw Dauid breks forth and giues Confession of sinne most needfull glorie to God by an open and plain Cōfession of his sins he knew it was needfull for him to doe so Because remission of sinnes is promised vpon a condition of the confession of them He that hideth his Prouerb sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsake them shall haue mercie And againe If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull 1. Iohn 1. 9. to forgiue them But here we haue first to consider Before men confession defileth before God it cleanseth why is it that God requires confession is it to get knowledge of that which wee haue done Or to get out of our owne mouth a point of Dittie against our selues Nouit omnia Deus sed expectat vocem Amb. de paenitent li. 2. cap. 7. tuam non vt puniat sed vt ignoscat He knowes all things when thou committedst thy sinne in secret hee saw thee what then craueth he nothing but that thou in thy heart mayest know thy sinne In thy mouth maiest confesse it to the end that he may forgiue it Optat soluere confitentes ne contumaces punire cogatur The best Augu. medicine for a sinne is not to hide or excuse or extenuate it but humbly to confesse it Quēadmodum nobis peccatorum vulnera nunquam desunt sic confessionis medicamenta deesse non debent For it is not with the Lord as it is with men before earthly Tribunales confession of sinne defileth the confessor makes him guiltie and culpable but before the heauenly it absolues him And this is the cause why the Lord requires confession of a sin from man Now we haue to see what Priuate sins in what case should they be publikely confessed sort of confession pleaseth God seeing it is certaine confession of sinne hath beene made by many which the Lord hath not accepted here first wee must distinguish the sinnes to be confessed publicke sinnes whereby God is openly dishonoured and his Church slandered out of all doubt required a publike confession to God and before men In priuate sins the confession is required to God only Plerumque non expedit Ber. m. Cant. ser 42. innotescere omnibus omnia quae nos scimus de nobis atque ipsa charitatis veritate veritatis charitate vetamur palam fieri velle quod noceat agnoscenti yet with this exception that when the priuate sin is done in such a maner as that the euill thereof redounds to the hurt of many and that for this cause also God persewes it to bring it to light in this case priuate sinnes committed by thee knowen to none but to thy selfe should be publikly confessed that thou mayest giue glory to God and doe good to his Church as is euident in the example of Achan and Dauid Next wee must take heed to Three things required in the trew confession of sinne Ber. the manner of the confession if it be trew it must haue these three properties First it must proceed from contrition of the spirit for sinne Primum opus fidei 1. Contrition per dilectionem operantis compunctio cordis est è quo sine dubio eij ciuntur daemonia cum eradicantur è corde peccata confession of sin in the mouth which proceedes not from contrition for sinne in the heart will neuer draw downe mercy to thee more then it did to Saule whose mouth said I haue sinned but his heart was not grieued for sin Secondly true confession 2. Faith proceedes from faith in Christ Iesus for there is a confession which is the daughter of desperation and can not profit thee An example wherof we haue in Iudas I haue sinned in betraying of innocent blood but wanting faith he got no remission of his sinne And thirdly true confession hath alway 3. Correction with it an amendment of life otherwise Confessio sine emendatione vitae est professio peccati confession of sinne without amendment is a profession of sinne thou that euery day confessest sin and yet walkest on in the same sinnes art no other but a plaine professor of sinne A threefold happy fruit of true confession Now confession of sin with these properties brings downe to the penitent sinner a threefold fruit first vnion and reconciliation with God ensewes for sin the cause of diuision betweene God and man is now remoued quasi duaeres sunt homo Augu. in Ioan. Tract 12. peccator quod audis homo deus fecit quod audis peccator homo ipse fecit dele quid fecisti vt saluet deus quod fecit Man and sinne are two sundry things destroy sinne which is man his 1. It reconciles thee with God worke and God can not but loue and embrace man as his owne worke So long as man keepes his sinne he workes directlie against the Lord hyding that which God will discouer and harbouring within him the rebel whom God is persewing but when man turnes against sin confessing it bringing it to light that it may be destroyed then works he with Ibid. God qui Confitetur peccata sua et accusat iam cum deo facit accusat deus peccata tua si tu accusas iam coniungeris deo Yea he that in humble manner confesseth giueth to the Lord the praise of iustice that knowes if hee did continew in these sinnes the Lord ought to punish him he giues him also the praise of wisdome that no secret thing can be hid from the Lord and the praise of power hee knowes there is no way to flee from the Lord and therefore in time he flies to him and at last he giues him the praise of mercy that hee is gracious and readie to forgiue Bis deum laudamus vbi pie nos accusamus The second fruit of it is confusion 2. It brings Confusion to Satan to Sathan it is a chiefe point of his labour to accuse vs night and day for in one of these three he is alway exercised either to tempt or to accuse or to torment when hee tempts let vs resist him that we sinne not if we haue sinned let vs preuent the accuser and bee the first accusers of our selues so shall we stop the mouth of our aduersarie that hee shall haue nothing to say Non circumueniet te ante iudicem cum enim tui ipse fueris accusator dominus liberator quid erit ille nisi calumniator The third is that true confession which brings comfort It brings peace and quietnesse to
glorie to God by confessing the sinne thou hast done that all the people may knowe that the Lord is not angrie without cause It is a dangerous thing to hide our sinnes where the hiding of them may hide and obscure the glorie of God as the maner of hypocrites is who grudge and murmure when God strikes them with his rods as if either they were punished without a cause or then worse handled then they had deserued Againe let vs marke here Happie are they whom God iudges now in such sort that he corrects them the manner of God his dealing with his own he iudgeth them in this life that they should not be condemned hereafter This he doth partly by his word reproouing them of sinne partly by his rods correcting them Happie are they who now are so iudged for they who profit not neither by his rebukes nor his rods what else doe they but reserue them selues to a sharper iudgment VERSE 5. Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me HE still proceedes Dauid serches out the first originall of his sinne in the amplification of his sin and now he rippeth it vp from the verie foutaine and first original thereof entring in a deep consideration of the vniuersall corruption of his Nature It is not in this fact onely will hee say that I am culpable I confesse my whole Nature to bee so corrupt from the verie wombe through sinne as most iustly making me odious abhominable in the eyes of God yea now when by occasion of this one sinne which hath broken out in externall action I looke to my inward disposition and consider the originall corruption of my nature con-containing all sorts of sin within it proceeding from the want and priuation of originall righteousnesse I am ashamed of my selfe in the sight of God To expresse this he vses two wordes the first Cholel signifying How originall sinne is expressed by Dauid to creat or forme whereby he will declare that euen in his forming in the wombe he was infected with sinne the other is Iacham signifying to warme thereby declaring that while hee was warmed fostered and nourishedde in his mothers wombe hee was defiled with sin originall At the beginning hee was but an vncleane Creature Where we are not to thinke Mariage is not blamed when it is said that man was conceiued and borne in sinne that hee accuses the formation or fostering of a birth in the mothers wombe these are the great and maruailous workes of God Neither yet that hee reiects the blame on his parents or condemnes mariage or vse of the mariage-bed these are the ordinances of God Non Aug. cont Pelag. lib. 3. cap. 21. De nupt et concupiscen est malum quod natus es sed cum quo natuses And againe Natura humana quae de coniugio nascitur opus est Dei And to this same purpose said Basil non accusat Basil hic nuptias sicut quidam stulte sunt suspicati Sed praeuaricationem quae ab initio mundi a progenitoribus nostris est commissa in medium producit hanc fontem esse factam ipsorum fluentorum dicit Hee doth not here accuse mariage as some haue foolishly suspected but the transgression commited by our first Progenitors he brings out as the foūtain of al these flouds of iniquitie that since sinne haue broken out in our nature Here first we may perceiue The rhetoricke by which godly men moue the Lord to mercie what is the Rhetoricke which godly men vse whereby they would mooue the Lord to bee mercifull vnto them namely to present to the eies of his cōpassion their heauy diseases and the deep wide and inueterate wounds which they haue receiued from their deadly enemie let vs learne by their example not to couer nor hide our sinnes if wee would haue mercie A wise man desires his wound to be ripped vp and not to bee ouerplaistred albeit the Physitian would forget it hee wil remember and request him to doe it How much more should we lay open our woūds to Christ that hee may cure them he is that sweet Samaritan who at the first sight of the wounds of that poore Traueller betwene Iericho and Ierusalem was moued to compassion and powred wine and oyle into his wounds when Priest nor Leuit had pitie vpon him what mercie here he preached in that parable he hath it ready to practise vpon all that frō a penitent and beleeuing heart present their miseries vnto him Secondly wee see heere how Particular sinnes moue the godly to a detestation of the whole corruption of Nature these particular sinnes of Dauid leades him to a narrower inquisition and greater detestation of the whole corruption of his nature thus the children of God are moued by some particular sinnes wherein they are fallen to grow in the hatred of all sinnes whatsoeuer Whereas by the contrary carnall men excuse their particular sinnes by the common corruption of mans nature as if their sinnes were the lesse because all men by nature are sinners but they deceiue themselues for the lesse they thinke of their sinnes the more shall God thinke of them when he shall visit them let vs not sparingly iudge our selues if wee would haue the Lord merciful vnto vs. And lastly since this is true in What great neede man hath to be changed out of Natures estate vs all that we were conceiued and borne in sinne what great need haue we of regeneration for vnlesse a man be borne again hee can not see the kingdome of God Let natural parents who haue been instruments to their children of a naturall generation whereby they are borne heires of the wrath of God do what lies in them by prayer and good education to make them pertakers of regeneration otherwaies they will curse the loines that got them and the wombe that bare them and children againe who glorie in the external priuiledges of blood and heritage which they haue gotten from their parents let them remember vnlesse they be borne againe it had beene better for them neuer to haue beene borne VERSE 6. Behold thou louest truth in the inward affections and haste taught me wisedome in the secret of mine heart HE proceedes still The vilenesse of sin appeares in this that it is contrary to Gods holy disposition to amplifie his sinne by consideration of that contrary holie disposition which is in God the Lord is holy his eye is so pure that it cannot behold iniquity he loueth truth and delights in the holinesse and cleannesse of the heart but alas I am vncleane and therefore so much the more miserable that my disposition is contrarie to his Of this wee learne that the The true knowledge of God workes true humility best way to humble vs in regard of that sinfull corruption which is in vs is the knowledge of God when Esay in a vision saw the maiesty of God as it
created in him he acknowledgeth that his sinne had not onely wounded him but slaine him and that he stood in neede not of any reparation but of an new creation wherein hee vtterlie And so aboue the power of nature distrusteth the power of his nature yea the ability of his owne free will notwithstanding grace once resumed hee findes it so oppressed by the power of his corruption that he is forced to craue from God the benefit of a new creation Vt cor eius tale fieret per gratiam Sauan quale non potuit esse per naturam Of our selues wee fall but of our selues wee rise not againe Not onely is our first conuersion a worke of Gods grace altogether and alone but the workes of our restitution by repentance after we haue fallen as it is in the Lords praise Hee quickened vs when we were dead So is it his praise that hee keepes Psal 100. As we created not our selues So we cannot renew our selues our soules in life The Lord made vs we made not our selues Wee are content to giue him the glory of our first creation let vs also giue him the glory of our second creation Yea so oft as we fall into sinne let vs consider that our rising againe is no lesse a worke of the great power and mercy of God then was the raysing of Lazarus out of the graue for otherwise wee should haue lien still with others rotting and perishing in our sinnes And so haue wee to praise the Lord not onely for our first and second creation but for the renewing of that benefit vnto vs as oft as we by our transgression haue lost that life which the Lord did once communicate vnto vs. And this that our sanctification A proper comparison of our first creation with the second or restitution by repentance after that wee haue sinned is called new creation renders yet vnto vs a profitable instruction if we compare our new creation with Adam his first creation When shall wee say that Adam was made a naturall man neuer till the Lord breathed the breath of life into him the Lord first formed his body of clay after the same shape and similitude that now yee see the body of man in all the porportion of the members thereof No image can be made by mans wit so liuely representing a man as did that portraiture of clay which the Lord at the first formed with his owne hand but al this time it lay vpon the ground hauing eyes that saw not eares that heard not a mouth that could not speake and feet that could not walke hee was then very like vnto that which now man Many professed Christians are but carkases of Christians is but as I said was not a naturall man til God breathed the breath of life vnto him Let vs consider the like in the new creation how many shall ye find verie like vnto christians baptized in the name of Iesus who haue a mouth to speake and an eye to looke vp vnto heauen and an care as a man would thinke to heare very reuerently the word of the Lord who when all is done what euer they seem in the eies of men are no other in Gods sight but as the carcases of christians So to speake destitute of that quickning spirit of grace which onely giues life to the actions of men Let vs take heede to our selues that we bee not of that number for then onely haue wee this comfort that we are Christians indeed when we finde that quickning spirit of grace which is in Christ Iesus communicating life vnto our spirits that what we doe in the workes of Christianity stand not in externall shew but may proceede from inward sense and feeling VERSE 11. Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thine holy Spirit from me STill Dauid continues Dauids feruency in Supplication his supplications seeking a remedy of these manifold miseries which he found by experience his sinne had brought vpon him For wee must remember that all these petitions proceeded from a sense of a contrary euill which by his sinne hee had incurred and craues that God of his mercy would diuert it He lamemted before that sinne had slaine him and made him like a dead man wanting a heart or quickning spirit and now hee feares lest as the dead are abhorred by the liuing so the Lord should cast him out as a dead and abominable thing out of his presence Whereof wee learne this is The pleasures of sin are deare bought one of the iust punishments of sinne it procures the casting out of a man from the face of God and it may let vs see how deare bought are the pleasures of sinne when a man to enioy the face of the creature depriues himselfe of the comfortable face of the Creator as Dauid here for the carnall loue of the face of Bathsheba puts himselfe in danger to bee cast out for euer from the presence of the Lord his God If man could remember this in all Satans tentations what it is For Satan seekes frous man better then he can giue him that the deceiuer offers and what it is againe that hee seekes hee would be loth to buy the perishing pleasures of sinne vpon such a price as Satan selleth them but would answer him as the Apostle did Simon Magus Thy money with thy selfe goe into perdition thy gaine thy glory thy pleasure and what euer thou wouldest giue me to offend the Lord my God goe with thy selfe into perdition for what canst thou offer vnto mee comparable to that which thou wouldest steale from me But how is it that he praies A twofold presence of God Cast me not out from thy presence May a man bee cast any way from it saies hee not himselfe What way can I flee from thy presence This is soone answered by distinguishing his twofold presence one in mercy wherewith hee refresheth and comforteth his owne and this without intermission they enioy who are in heauen another in wrath whereby hee terrifies and torments without intermission the dāned in hell As to thē who are vpon earth certaine it is hee is displeased with many who because No casting out from the one they see not his angry face regard it not borne out with temporall recreations of the cteature which wil faile them and there are many againe to whom hee lookes as a louing father in Christ and yet they see not his mercifull face by reason of many interiected vailes but to them who once haue felt the sweetnesse of his fauourable face it is death to want it Absolom protested hee could not want the sight 2. Sam. 14. 32. of Dauid his Father hee spake it out of his hypocrisie but to such as are truely godly there can be no punishment so heauy as to debarre them and it were but for a short time from the comfortable face of their heauenly father Thirdly let vs learne how What
an alsufficient good the Lord is the all-sufficiencie of the Lord our God and his great power appeares in this It is punishment enough to a man suppose he were Monarch of the world and had all comforts earthly to vphold him to want the countenance of God O It is life to see his fauorable face and death to want it what an infinite good what an all-sufficient Maiestie is hee in himselfe a looke of whose countenance refreshes his creature no comfort can comfort him that wants it as yee may see in Beltasar how did he tremble in the midst of all his pleasures at the sight of Gods anger and here in Dauid who once debarred from the sight of Gods ioyful face for his sins could neuer rest till he got it againe All the sports and delights of his Kingdome could not refresh him Doubtlesse he is an all-sufficient God who liues by himselfe whose onely countenance comforts his creatures and without whose fauour life yea the most honourable life that can be deuised on earth is worse then death But what moued him to The godly feare when they remember Gods iudgements on others fear casting out from Gods presence who had so many both externall and internall testimonies of Gods fauour toward him Out of question the examples of Caine cast out for murthering his brother the example of his predecessor Saul iustly reiected of God did terrifie him left hee for mercilesse murthering his owne seruant and fearfull back-slyding from the Lord should also be reiected He remembred well the example of Gods iudgements on others for their sinnes and his conscience told him within hee was guilty of the like or greater this made him afraid Yet was not his feare without hope susteyned by consideration Yet their feare is neuer without hope if they feare God as a Iudge they hope in him as a Sauiour of God his vnchangeable loue but by the inward consciēce of his own vnfeyned repentance and by the manifold examples of Gods mercie shewed to penitent sinners If Caine was cast out from thy face it was because he sought not thy fauour and Saul was reiected because hee repented not But Lord I haue opened my heart to thee thou seest what griefe is in my soule for grieuing thee by my sinnes thou neuer reiectedst any that from a penitent heart sought thy mercie Quis vnquam venit Sauan ad te confusus abijt Who euer came to thee and went away ashamed Shall I be the first that sought thy face and was reiected Nay Lord Cast me not I beseech thee out of thy presence Thus we see how Dauid at one time Et timet à iudice Bernard sperat à saluatore is both affraid of God as his Iudge and hath hope in God as his Sauiour somtime feare oppresseth his hope but at the length hope ouercometh feare Felix conscientia in qua eiusmodi luctamen And take not thy holy Spirit The vncleanenesse of sinne grieues Gods Spirit from me The Spirit of GOD will not dwell in a polluted soule Euery vncleanenesse diminisheth his presence The Apostle warneth vs heereof when hee saith Grieue not the Spirit And againe Quench not the Spirit Dauid felt it by his own experience and therefore makes he this prayer to God that the grace of his Spirit which was weakened by his sinne should not vtterly be taken from him This is a petition necessary alway to bee vsed vnto God Without the Spirit no fellowship with God Rom. 8. for without this Spirit we can haue no fellowship with God If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his this Spirit hee is knowne by his fruits which are Loue Peace Ioy long Suffering Gentlenesse Gal. 5. 22. Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance Where wee finde the presence of this Spirit by his fruits wee are to cherish him where we find a want or decay of them wee are to pray for them but many prophane men in this age are like these who know not whether there bee such a thing as the Holy Yet prophane men cannot discerne his presence from his absence Ghost or not they neuer felt his presence neyther had they euer experience of his renuing and comforting grace therfore feele no losse by his absence Let them enioy such things as they loue they care not for him because they know him not most like vnto brute beasts to whom pearles and most excellent jewels are What an excellent guest and worthy intertainement the Spirit of God is of no price onely such things as affect their sensuall appetite are pleasant vnto them But how excellent a guest this Spirit is and how worthy to be harboured in our hearts may be gather'd from this proper Epithet which alway is attributed to him A holy Spirit both because in himselfe he is so and dooth also make them holy in whom he dwels What notable effects hee workes in his own children is summarily comprised by Bernard in three Bern. in fest Pentecost Ser. 5. wordes he is Pignus Salutis the pledge of saluation all speaking of saluation without him is but babling hee is Robur vitae the strength of our life without him we haue no ability to any spirituall action and he is Scientiae lumē the light of knowledge for without his sanctifying grace all knowledge whatsoeuer is but darknesse But heere it is demaunded May the spirit of God once giuen Whether Gods Spirit once giuen may be taken from his children or not to Gods children be taken from them I answer there are some of his gifts which may be giuen and taken away againe these are secondary and common such as God giues indifferently to good men and euil So Achitophels wisedome and Saul his gift of Kingly gouernmēt were at length taken from them but there are other gifts which once giuen are neuer taken away againe These are principall and proper communicated only to Gods elect as the grace of regeneration adoption sanctification these graces are crowned with that great grace of Perseuerance The reason whereof is not in vs nor in our stabilitie but in the vnchangable counsell and will of him who loued vs for whom he loues he loues to the end his gifts and calling are without repentance Wee may fall after grace receiued but the Lord puts vnder his hand and raises vs vp againe Because I am not changed therefore ye are not consumed saith the Lord And truely euen at this same time when Dauid makes this praier it is euident hee wanted not this spirit of grace restoring him by repentance after hee had fallen and making him thirst for mercy Nullum enim certius praesentiae spiritus testimonium quam desiderium amplioris gratiae VERSE 12. Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish mee with thy free spirit THree great euils Three great euils Dauids sinne brought vpon him did Dauid bring vpon himself by
sin which hath wounded our conscience deepest wil grieue vs sorest this is manifest in Dauid who hauing committed two abhominable sins Adultery and Murther in his particular confession makes mention of the bloud not of the adultery for as in griefes of the body the greater paine makes the lesse not to be felt so is it in the griefe of conscience though there be a griefe for all sinne in the penitent yet the griefe for the greatest sinne exceedes all the rest How heauy a sinne the shedding Shedding of innocent blood a fearefull sinne of innocent blood is may appeare if wee consider these particulars First it is a destroying of the image of God which cannot be without a great contempt of the diuine maiesty When Theodosius had resolued to slay many Citizens of Antiochia for casting downe the image of his wife the Empresse 1 Because it is a demolishing of Gods image Placilla It was a notable warning which a certaine Macedonian sent to him If thou be so mooued for demolishing of the brasen image of Placilla how shall God be offended at the destruction of man who is the liuely image of God the losse of the one may soone be repared but the losse of the other can neuer be recouered a Brasen-image cast downe may be set vp againe in the same or a better estate let a man once be slaine and who can reuiue him Secondly if a man be considered 2 It puts out the life of man for whom Christ died and so is iniurious to Christs death as he is a Christian he is a part of the price of Christs blood I am commanded not to offend my brother for whom Christ died in a matter of meate and drinke which otherwise is lawful how then dare I slay him Oh what a horrible crime is this to put out the life of that man for whom Christ died that he might purchase life vnto him 3 It makes a man more vnnaturall then beasts Thirdly the similitude of nature makes it a greeuous sin for a man to destroy his owne kind Euery hearb that growes out of the earth hath a seede or some other equiualent vertue wherby it seekes the conseruation of his owne kinde and brute beastes forbeare on another only vnnaturall man destroies his kinde yea wee read that Lyons and Beares haue Cent. 4. l. 1. c. 5. spared christians presented naked before them but whom the beasts did spare them man more beastly then vnreasonable beasts did cruelly deuour And lastly the fearefull punishment of it declares how 4 It is punished with fearefull plagues feareful a sin it is As in the first plague of Egypt all the waters therof were turned into blood so is it with a murtherer all is turned in blood to him at his table his meate is seasoned with the thought of it in his resting bed he is troubled with the dreames of euery one whom he sees he deemes to be a reuenger of blood and euery noise which he heares he feares as a messenger or fore-runner of blood This sinne then being so In what security are they who thinke innocent blood no burden grieuous as it is we may easily consider how it comes to passe that prophane men thinke nothing of it the reason is here that their conscience is sleeping and custome of sin hath taken away sense so long as Dauids conscience was a sleepe he thought nothing of it as appeares by his letter of Vriah let not this trouble thee hereof it is that men sleeping in sinne count shedding of innocent blood some of them but a pastime and others to be a pietie and religion Of the first Ethnikes esteeme it a pastime sort were Ethniques who vsed combats betweene men vpon publike theaters that by the slaughter of some men they might make sport vnto others Of these said Cyprian Scelus Cyprian epist 2. Papists thinke it good religion non tantum geritur sed docetur Of the other sorts are bloody Papists who thinke it good seruice to God to murther and slay such as are contrary minded to them in religion to whō at this time I am content to speake with Erasmus Non conuenit vt hoc argumento nos Christianos Eras epist ad volsium declaremus si quam plurimos occiderimus sed si multos seruauerimus alioqui citius futurum est vt nos in Turcas degeneremus quam Turcis in partes nostras pertrahamus Et vt faeliciter cadat Martis semper ancipitis alea fiet vt latius fortasse regnet pontifex aut huius cardanales non vt latius regnet Christus It is not a good argument to proue our selues good Christians because we haue slaine many but rather that we haue saued many otherwise it shall sooner come to passe that we shall degenerate into Turkes then turne Turkes into Christians And albeit the euent of battel which is alway doubtfull should succeed as we would wish it may well be that by blood shedding the kingdom of the Pope and his Cardinals be encreased but the kingdome of Christ shall not by such meanes be inlarged But howsoeuer to such A great mercie to be kept from sheding innocent blood blind infidels the shedding of blood bee either pleasure or piety yet to the godly whose conscience is wakened it is an abominable sinne how ioyfull was Dauid when Abigail kept him from shedding of the bloud of Nabal How heartily did he thanke God for keeping him from it And when he had shed the bloud of Vriah how earnestly praies hee that God would deliuer him from it When it was told Constantine Proof hereof in Dauid and Constantine there was no way to cure his leprosie but by bathing him in the blood of an infant vpon what respect I know not not it was a notable answere he gaue Malo semper aegrotare quam tali remedio conualescere Let vs flee the burden of innocent bloud and this praier for pardoning mercy that Dauid makes let vs turne it in a prayer for preuenting mercy Deliuer vs from blood wee are the sheepe of Christ Iesus let vs leaue the shedding of blood to rauening wolues Deliuer me No doubt Dauid Sinne hath first a commanding power after an accusing or controuling power powred out these words from his sense and feeling his speech imports a captiuity hee was not a free man but bound with the cords of his sinnes the commaunding power of it at this time he was freed from though before it bound him but he seekes to be deliuered from the controuling and accusing power thereof this vexed him so that hee thinkes no shame publikely to aske God mercy for these sins by which hee had offended God and giuen euill example to the Church and men who haue fallen with him in publik sinnes and yet cannot be induced to giue glory to God and remoue offence from his people by as publike repentance doe plainely declare that they were neuer touched with
the conscience of their sinne In the primitiue Church The maner of publike repentance in the primitiue Church such as had giuen publike offences were not receiued without publike repentance and humiliation yea they made supplication to all the assembly Volo veniam reus speret petat Ambr. de paeniten li. 1. ca. 16. cum lachymis petat populi totius fletibus vt ignoscatur obsercret cum secundo vel tertio fuerit dilata eius communo credat remissius se supplicasse I will that he that is guilty hope for mercy that he seeketh it with teares and mourning of the whole people and if twice or thrice his receiuing to the communoin be refused to him let him thinke that hee hath praied more slackly then he should and so humble himselfe more intirely then hee hath done And againe to the same purpose he saies If thou hadst a doe to satisfie a man whom How foolish are they who hauing committed publicke sinnes refuse to make publike repentance thou hadst offended how many wouldest thou request to sue for thee at his hands Now seeing thou hast to seeke reconciliation with God why imploiest thou not the praiers of all his his people Vbi nihil est quod pudori esse debeat nisi non fateri cum omnes simus peccatores For among vs nothing should be a matter of shame seeing wee are all sinners but not to confesse our sinnes Vbi ille laudabilior qui humilior iustior qui abiectior Heere hee is most worthy praise who is most humble and hee is most iust who is most contrite and deiected for sinne Fleat itaque pro te mater Ecclesia let therefore thy mother the Church mourne for thee But if men who haue offended This is because they are not touched with the sense of sinne were touched with the sense of sinne as Dauid was they would not be ashamed as publikly to confesse it and seeke mercy as he did For as I said hee found himselfe straited with his own sinnes Infernus quidam animae rea est Conscientia a guilty conscience is a hell to the soule and a sore prison not like other prisons for wheresoeuer the guilty man goes he carries his prison with him and this is the equity of Gods iudgements who inwraps sinners in their sinnes and bindes them with the coardes of their own trangressions whereof they cannot complaine And this appeareth out of How sinne binds and captiues a man his owne words when he saies Deliuer me His speech tels he found himselfe captiued Two manner of waies doth sinne strait and bind any man first by the commanding power of it for then it oppresseth a man in such a sort that hee can neither eate nor sleepe till he obey it An example of which tyranny we haue in Ammon many mo Next by the controlling or accusing power thereof whereby in such sort sinne committed so straites a man that it suffers him not to heare nor thinke of any other thing but of her accusations onely whereby the soule of man is filled with restlesse feares and horrible perturbations Now at this time Dauid was not troubled with the commanding power of sin but onely with the tormenting accusing power thereof and from it heere hee praies the Lord to deliuer him From blouds The word is plural from blouds Noting vnto vs how Dauid found euery Innocent blood when it is shed fals not to the ground but biaes on the head of him that shed it drop of Vriah his bloud a burden vnto him By the phrase of holy Scripture the bloud of him that is shedde is said to lie vpon his head that shed it It seemeth vnto men that the bloud of the man slaine is spilt on the ground but the spirit of God saith that it lieth on the man slayer A fearefull thing the bloud which before was in the body of thy neighbour to conserue his life thou hast now taken it vpon thy head to procure thy death and to crie vnto God for a vengance against thee If this were considered it might serue for an awe-band to keepe murtherers from hasting as they do to shedde innocent bloud And albeit Dauid was farre Many waies may men be guilty of sinne albeit by their own hands they doe it not from Vriah when he was slain for the one was in Ierusalem the other in Rabbah of the Ammonites yet the burden of that bloud lieth heauy on him because hee was the man who counselled Ioab how to slay him with the sworne of the Ammonites Many waies haue men whereby to excuse themselues in their sinne specially if they did not euill with their owne hands if they were farre off when the turne was done but you see how little all these auaile where the conscience cannot excuse a man O God of my saluation So the godly stile the Lord not onely Praise of our saluation properly belongs to God because he is the author of the beginning but of the progresse also and perfiting of our saluation he not onely gaue life to our soules when we were dead in sin but he keepes our soules in life we fall and he raiseth vs vp we wander and he recalls vs we sinne daily and he forgiueth vs. And it is for these renewing mercies wherby the Lord euery day saues vs from a thousand deaths in which otherwise we should perish that we praise the Lord as the God of our saluation giuing him this glorie with the Apostle The Lord hath deliuered vs from so great a death he doth deliuer 2. Cor. 1. vs in whom also we trust that yet hereafter he will deliuer vs. For the time past he hath deliuer'd for the time present hee doth deliuer and for the time to come he will deliuer vs In all these respects wee reioyce in him as in the God of our saluation Againe hee acknowledges Many great deliuerances receiue the godly but the greatest is deliuerance from sinne that the deliuerance of a man from his sinnes is not a worke of mans Power No it requires the powerful hand and sauing health of the mighty God of our saluation Many great deliuerances hath the Lord giuen to his annointed hee saued Noah from the deluge of waters Lot from burning in Sodome he saued Israel in the Red sea and Ionas in the Whales belly he saued Daniel from the Lyons and Peter that he did not sinke when he walked in the water but the deliuerance of a man from the hands of Satan and sinne is a greater work then any of these let vs be thankefull to our God for it So shall I sing a soule oppressed God hath fitted the exercises of his worship for our state and borne downe with the terrors of sinne cannot sing to the praise of God a Christian in that estate answers al that find fault with him as the Israelites of old did the Caldees How can Psal 97. wee sing a song
of the Lord in a strange land and how can I saies the Christian sing ioyfullie so long as the Comforter that should refresh my soule is away But blessed be the Lord who in euery state hath prouided a remedy for vs that when we are not disposed for one exercise of Gods worship the Lord should licence vs to go vnto an other Are we so afflicted Iam. that we cannot sing at least let vs pray that wee may be comforted And in that he saies hee will In singing psalmes our affection should be conformable to the word wee sing sing ioyfully it learnes vs how we should alway conforme our affections to the words which God puts either in our eares or in our mouthes If the word of the L. when we heare it or sing it haue a promise of mercy or a song of thanksgiuing should wee not receiue it and vtter it with ioy and if on the other hand it containe a threatning or a confession of sinne should we not heare it with griefe and contrition this is it which is taught vs in that parable if the Lord Pipe we should dance if he mourne we should sorrow And as his word is so should we conform our affections But this discouers the Atheisme of this age whether they heare the word or reade it no change of the Scripture changes their heart one Chapter or Psalme makes them not to reioice and another to bee sorrowfull because they heare all they sing all after one manner that is for fashion sake without any sense or feeling Of thy righteousnesse But A two-fold righteousnes in God worthy prayses how is this that Gods righteousnesse is the matter of our thankse-giuing Are not his righteous iudgements fearefull and terrible to sinners But we must knowe the sortes of Gods righteousnesse there is one wherby he punisheth the wicked and impenitent another whereby he pardoneth the beleeuing penitent And of this spake Abraham God forbid that the Iudge of all the world shold do vnrighteously He meant in condemning godly Lot with the vngodly Sodomites And this is greatly for our comfort that the Lord when hee pardoneth our sinnes he is a righteous God both because hee hath so promised as also that our sinnes are already punished in Christ Iesus so that the mercie which we get doth no way violate his righteousnesse And we whom he hath receyued into mercie are in such sort to praise him for his mercy that we may also sing ioyfully of his righteousnesse VERSE 15. Open thou my lippes O Lord and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise THis Verse containeth a new petition The tongue to speake a great benefit of God wherein he craues that God would open his tongue which his sinnes had closed that hee might praise God as hee was wont to doe The naturall vse of the tongue is Gods great benefit yea and a miraculous worke that a member of flesh should bee an interpreter of a heauēly mind and as it were a Trenchman whereby the spirit of one man knowes what is the meaning of another But as Consuetude drawes Gods most excellent workes in Dis-esteemd now because it is common contempt so among the rest this is thought nothing to speake with a tongue only because it is common yet Gods children acknowledge it to be Gods benefite and the Lord glories in it as in his own work When Moses complayned that hee was not meete to bee the Lords Embassadour because he was not cloquent but slow of speech he receiued this answere Who hath giuen the mouth to man or who hath made the Exod. dumbe or the deafe or him that seeth or the blinde Is it not I the Lord When he will he makes the dumbe to speake and the cloquent to be silent Out of the mouths of babes hath hee ordained Psal strength hee openeth the mouths of children to confesse his name closes the mouthes of ancient men as we see in Zachary and all to teach that the benefit of the tongue is from the Lord. This benefit sin tooke away from man that now naturally Sin takes away the vse of the tongue that man cannot speake as be he should when he opens his mouth and moues his tongue he speaks to the offence and dishonour of God who made him the benefit to speake he hath it giuen of God but abuseth it so through the corruption of his nature that he speak's not as he should like vnto a man sicke of the palsie who by natural strength moues his hand but through his corrupt humours moues it inordinatly and as this way the It had been good for many men that they could neuer haue spokē mouing of the hand is a pain to the one so is the mouing of the tongue without order both a sinne and punishment to the other Of these it may be said that Satan opens their mouths and not God and good had it beene for them to haue beene stricken with naturall dumbnesse all their daies for so should their sinnes haue beene the fewer and their punishment the lesse And this is the losse of the The manifold euill effects of sinne tongue whereof now Dauid complaines and which he craueth to be redressed Where we haue to marke how manie fearful euils his sin had brought vpon him it had stolne away his heart peruerted his spirit stopped his eares and closed his mouth that hee could not thinke nor will nor heare nor speake as he was wont to doe therefore prayes he against all these in seuerall petitions that God would create a clean hart in him renue a right spirit in him that God would make him heare ioy gladnesse and open his mouth to speak again the prayses of God Such are the miserable effects Sinne takes away sense of misery duety and all Eph. 4. of sin it takes from man all senses both inward and outward and leaues him without feeling so that he is no more moued when hee doth euill then if it were good yea not touched with fear of the iudgment due to sinne but as Lots kinsmen made a mock of Gods iudgements when they heard it so doe they make a mocke of sinne of all that may follow it but one day they shall feele the bitter fruits thereof Men in their sins are like vnto fooles or young children when their parents or friends perish they mourne not for they know not the losse and they care not to exchange the charters of their inheritance with trifles but when they come to the yeares of discretion and feele the losse then they mourne and lament for that which in their ignorance they little regarded It is euen so with men who as long as their sinne blinds them cannot mourne but when God shall waken them and they see the euil of it then they take vp a bitter lamentation for it and can get no rest night nor day til God of his mercy pardon and forgiue it Againe ye