of the whole Sciptures it shall make this Doctrine so much the more apparant vnto vs that is That wheresoeuer there is a comfort laid downe in the Word the same comfort is still restrained to the godly As that of the holy Apostle Saint Paul in the eight chapter and first verse of his Epistle to the Romans There is no condemnation A maruellous comfort to heare that wee are freed from that heauy and grieuous curse which wee had incurred by reason of sin yet lest the wicked should presume hereby and take it vnto themselues vnto whom in no wise it doth belong The Apostle restraineth the comfort in the same Verse to them that are in Christ Iesus and lest men should deceiue themselues to take this comfort to themselues vnto whom it doth not belong hee marketh them out as it were in their fore-heads saying They are such as walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit The like of Dauid Lord who shall enter into thy holy Tabernacle Psalm 15. c. Hee that hath cleane hands and pure heart c. Besides none are blessed but such as bee in the fauour of God as the Prophet Dauid saith In thy fauour is life such as bee reconciled to God in Iesus Christ As for such as be out of his fauour they be cursed and miserable bee they what they will bee Now onely the godly man that is humbled that is sanctified that is borne anew is hee alone that is in the fauour of God therefore onely the godly man is blessed Obiect Wherein stands the blessednesse of Gods children of a godly and a righteous man Answ I answere in this that a godly man that is humbled for his sins is now reconciled to God so as God the Father becomes his Father Wherein the godly man is blest adopts him to be his Childe loues him and delights in him as his Childe Behold what loue the Father hath giuen vs that wee should bee called the Sonnes of God And hereupon come the amiable and loue-Titles that Christ giueth vnto his Church Cant. 5.2 Psal 105.12.13 Deut 7.6 Psa 91.1.2.3 Open vnto mee my Sister my Loue my Doue my vndefiled Great are the affections of feruent loue that parents beare towardes their Children which none can expresse but they that feele and yet all their loue is nothing in comparison of the loue of God towardes his children this the Prophet teacheth Can a woman forget her childe Esa 49.15 and not haue compassion on the Sonne of her wombe yet will not I forget thee Another part of the happinesse of a godly man doth consist in this that hee hath assurance of the pardon of his sinnes that they are all done away and shall neuer be layd to his charge but are washed away in the bloud of IESVS CHRIST according to that of the Prophet Dauid Psal 32.1 Actes 3.26 Blessed is hee whose wickednesse is forgiuen Hee hath all his sinnes originall and actuall Rom 8.1 1. Pet. 2.24 Rom. 4 5. 2. Cor. 19. with the guilt and punishment belonging vnto them freely and fully forgiuen vnto him And all the righteousnesse of CHRIST freely and fully imputed vnto him and so GOD is reconciled vnto him and approueth him as righteous in his sight And thus the Apostle reasoneth Rom. 8.33 Heerein was that loue of GOD made manifest amongst vs because GOD sent his onely begotten Son into the world that wee might liue through him Heerein is that loue not that wee loued GOD but that hee loued vs and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes An other part of the happinesse of a godly man doth consist in this that hee hath peace of Conscience whereas the wicked and vngodlie man hath a dead and sleepie conscience or else an accusing conscience There is no peace to the wicked saith my God Esay 57. But the godly man that is reconciled to God in Christ Iesus hath the free pardon of al his sinnes hee hath sweete peace of conscience Rom. 4.17 which doth not accuse but excuse him to God yea hee hath exceeding ioy in the HOLIE GHOST that hee knoweth his sinnes are pardoned Pax est hereditas Christianorum Aug. Serm. de temp according to that of the Apostle The kingdome of God standeth not in meate and drinke but in righteousnesse peace and ioy in the HOLIE GHOST And indeed whom should hee feare Perfecta absolata uiusque exusatio testimonium conscientiae suae Bern. or whereof should hee be afraide God is become his Father the Angels are become his attendants they pitch their Tents round about them and haue a charge of them the Saints of Heauen and Earth are their fellow Brethren the Creatures of Almightie God are their friends yea their seruants to do them good al their daies The diuells nor all the powers of darkenesse shall not hurt them Psal 37.25 Psal 34.7 Psal 91.11 Hosea 2.18 Col. 2.15 For Christ hath spoiled Principalities and Powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them vpon the Crosse yea that which is more the Lord Iesus Christ to whom all Iudgement is committed is become their Lord and Sauiour So that they shall neuer come into condemnation but shall passe from death vnto life Ioh. 5.24 Lastly the godly man is assured that the kingdome of Heauen and eternall life belongs vnto him And that hee shall be partaker of Eternall glorie life and saluation and shall liue in the presence of God the Father the Sonne and Holy Ghost for euermore Non arrogantia est sed fides c. Aug. Serm. 8. and this assurance in the godlie is no presumption but Faith for euery godly man hath in him the Spirit of Grace and Adoption and he that hath the Spirit of Adoption knowes that hee hath it and is able through the same Spirit to say Gala. 2.20 2. Cor. 13 5 I liue and Christ liueth in me This was in Iob when he said I know that my Redeemer liueth c. This was in Saint Paul Rom 8. I am perswaded that neyther heighth nor depth c. In these and the like Priuiledges stands the happie and blessed estate of Gods children Vse 1 The vse of this Doctrine is most excellent for seeing the priuiledges of Gods ehildren are so great and so excellent that therefore they must needes bee most happie and hlessed For howsoeuer the world accompt them miserable grinning at them with their teeth 1. Pet. 1.18 nodding at them with their heades hissing at them with their tongues and euery way most contumeliously reproaching them with their wordes yet wee see heere how deere and precious they are with God and in the reputation of Iesus Christ who bought them at a price and redeemed them euen with his owne bloud 1. Cor. 3.21 Beholde what loue the Father hath giuen to vs that wee should be called the Sonnes of God And
ingrafted into Iesus Christ Psal 92.12 Math. 7. doth by vertue of his Resurrection bring forth the fruit of faith and obedience both to God and man In due season that is in time conuenient when it may best seeme for the glory of God and the good of our Neighbour Thirdly by a contrary property that her leaues doe not fall that is in time of Winter and stormes her leaues fall not And this is a signe of our perseuerance that the godly man is not offended nor daunted with crosses persecutions or afflictions or any other calamity whatsoeuer but doth by patience possesse his Soule and by faith wades as it were throughout all these dangers Secondly the happinesse of a godly man is described by that blessed successe that God giues to all his affaires hee takes in hand It shall prosper because hee takes them in hand according to Gods commandement and in his feare with prayer and calling on the name of the Lord Ioshuah 1.8 to the glory of God and the good of his Neighbour Wicked described In the second part of the Psalme the Prophet descibeth the most miserable and cursed estate of the wicked and vngodly verse 4 5. That it is cleane contrary that as their waies and liues bee contrary so their reward and end is contrary The Prophet describing the cursed and miserable estate of the wicked saith first It is not so with them that is the wicked and vngodly men are in a far contrary estate and condition they cannot in any case bee compared to a tree that is planted by the riuers of waters that brings forth her fruit in due season and whose leafe doth not fall neither do they prosper in their actions neither doth GOD giue successe vnto them But hee setteth out the cursed and wretched estate of all wicked and vngodly men by a contrary similitude comparing them to Chaffe which the winde driues away That is euen as chaffe hath no roote in the earth and wanting all iuyce and norishment must needes bee fruitlesse and dry so as the winde doth most easily scatter it away Euen so the wicked are not rooted nor grounded in Christ whereby it comes to passe they being vtterly void of all grace of Gods Spirit that they can bring forth no fruite of good workes neither can they perseuere in time of temptation whereby againe it comes to passe that they be carried away with euery blast of vaine doctrine and with the least storme of temptation and blast of aduersity they are tossed to and fro And when the wind of Gods iudgements shall blow vpon them they are cleane scattered away This is their estate and condition heere in this life And for their estate and condition in the life to come the Prophet layeth it downe likewise verse 5. in these words They shall not bee able to stand in Iudgement That is they shall not bee able to stand with comfort before the face of the Iudge Reu. 6.13 but shall tremble and quake as not being able to endure the angry countenance of the Iudge Neither is this all but they shall likewise bee seuered and secluded from the blessed company of the godly That as heere in this life they could not abide a godly man but did hate him persecute him and shunne his company So at the last day so iust shall their reward bee that they shall bee separated from them And as Goats cast on the left hand Mat 25.34 there to remaine for euermore in torments which are easelesse and remedilesse Neither the sinners in the company of the iust that is in the company of those that bee iustified and reconciled to GOD in IESVS CHRIST which shall then inherit the Kingdome prepared for them Hitherto wee haue opened the first part of the Psalme containing the estate and condition of a godly and a wicked man here in this life and in the life to come The secōd generall part of the Psalme NOw followeth the second part of the Psalme in the last verse containing the confirmation of that doctrine And that our Prophet doth by shewing the efficient cause both of the happinesse of the one and the misery and wretchednesse of the other The first efficient cause of the happinesse of the godly man is in these words Because the Lord knowes the way of the righteous That is he likes loues and approues of it so as hee doth direct and blesse it And therefore it shall prosper And the cause why the estate of the wicked is vnhappy and their way shall perish is because the Lord doth not know their way that is hee taketh no delight in the way or the life of a wicked man hee loues it not so as hee should direct and prosper it And therefore it shall perish And thus much for the meaning of the words now let vs come vnto the Doctrines VERSE 1. Blessed is the Man that hath not c. BLessed is the man or Oh the Blessednesse of that man or as it is in the Originall Oh the blessednesses of that man They seeme to bee the words of a man musing and meditating with himselfe wherein mans blessednesse should consist As if hee shold say some pronounce him blessed that is in honour some count them blessed that haue aboundance of riches some that liue in pleasure some place it in one thing some in anothe But Oh the blessednesse of that man that feares the Lord that is truly religious of the godly and righteous man Hence wee learne rhis Doctrine Doctr. 1. The godly man alone is blessed That of all men vnder Heauen the godly man alone is blessed and the vngodly and wicked man is cursed The righteous man a happy man in the sight of God when the wicked is wretched and miserable This doctrine is very apparant in the word of GOD It is the scope and drift of the whole Scriptures to proue this one point That the godly man is blessed and the wicked man is cursed Psal 112. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth in his Commandement Psal 119.1 Blessed be they that bee vpright in their way and walke in the Law of the Lord. Psalm 32. Blessed are they that keepe his testimonies and seeke him with their whole heart Againe Psalm 37. Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is hee to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne and in whose spirit there is no guile Reade the seuen and thirty Psalme which seemeth to bee penned of purpose to confirme the euerlasting truth of this Doctrine That the godly are blessed and the wicked are cursed and this blessednesse of theirs doth not reach onely to this life but also to the life to come according to that of the Apostle Godlines hath not onely the promise of this life but also the life to come 1. Tim 4.8 Yea if wee obserue the course which the Spirit of God taketh in the course
in his Law hee doth meditate both day and night HITHERTO we haue heard a godlie man described First The description of a godly man affirmatiuely negatiuely shewing what euilles hee doth most carefully shunne and auoyde Now he commeth to his description affirmatiuely shewing what good things he doth most carefully embrace and follow In this description first note the Christian duety and holy practise of a godly and righteous man namely to be much and often in serious and Christian meditation Secondly the obiect of his Studie not his pleasures preferments or profits as most carnall men doe which minde nothing but earthly things but he is conuersant in the holy Scriptures doth furiously study the word of God his meditation is concerning the Law that is the heauenly doctrine which shews the will of God and his worship what man must and ought to beleeue and do to eternall life Thirdly the circumstance of times is carefully to be considered for the godly man doth not now and then by starts and fits like a man in an ague Reade study and meditate the word and doctrine of God but it is his dayly study and continuall exercise not that wee should imagine hee doth nothing else but the meaning is hee setteth some time apart daily to serue God some time to reade some time to heare and some time to meditate yea oftentimes he bestoweth some part of the night when some be at rest and sleepe and bestoweth it on Gods seruice setting his minde on heauen and heauenly things First in that the Spirit of almighty God describeth a godly man not onely by leauing and auoyding lewd company and the counsell of the wicked but also by liuing well and framing himselfe to study the Scriptures and to leade his life thereafafter Hence I gather this doctrine that Doctr. 1. Not to do euill is not svfficients it is damnable not to do good it is not sufficient for the leading of a godly life which may both please God and bring comfort to a mans owne soule to abstaine from euill but he must also doe well not onelie not to doe euill but to doe good it is not enough to prooue a man to be a godly man and a sound Christian that hee carefully shunne and auoyde the lewd counsell and company of wicked men but hee must also be as carefull to meditate in the Law of God day and night And therefore as in this place so vsually in the holy Scriptures they are both ioyned together cease from euill learne to doe well Esay 1.16 Psalme 34 Matt. 3.10 eschew euill and doe good and thou shalt liue for euer The Axe is put to the roote of the Trees euery Tree that bringeth not foorth good fruit Marke Christ sayth not onely euery Tree that is barren and bringeth foorth no fruit good or bad nor euerie one that bringeth foorth euill fruit But that bringeth not foorth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Mat. 25.41 And at the last day the Lord will say to the wicked Depart yee cursed not for robbing the poore of meat drink or apparrell or casting them out of doores but for want of shewing mercy vnto them A Christian life doeth consist of two partes so set downe by the Apostle Paul Abhorre that is euill there is one halfe And cleaue to that is good Rom. 12.9 there is the other halfe If any want the former or the latter he is but halfe a Christian and so shall at last come short of a rewarde And therefore this is a priuiledge to all the Commandements of God that where any vice is forbidden the contrarie vertue is commanded and where any vertue is commaunded the contrary vice is forbidden The owner of an orchard is not contented that his trees beare no naughty fruit but if they beare not good fruit hee will hew them downe as fewell for the fire It is not enough for Zacheus that hee be no more an extortioner But if hee will become a true conuert indeede hee must make restitution of that hee hath wrongfully gotten Luke 19.8 Iames 2.25 These and the like examples make this Doctrine apparent vnto vs That for the leading of a godly life it is not sufficient that a man doe no euill Not to walke in the counsell of the wicked not stand in the way sinners nor sit in the seate of the scornefull but hee must doe good His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Lawe hee doth meditate both day and night Vse 1 This serues to reprooue most men in the world as no godly men indeed nor sound Christians for most men doe thinke if they can say I thanke GOD I doe no bodie anie harme nor say them harme I am neither whoore nor thiefe I am neyther blasphemer drunkard c. All is then well they be as good Christians as the best and shall as well be saued as the best Preacher of them all Yea but you see here a godly man must not onely abstaine from euill But meditate in the Lawe of God not onely cease from euill but do good Looke on the places of Scriptures before named Matt. 3.10 Mat. 25.41 Iudg. 5.23 Deborah pronounces a heauy curse against Nerosh not for hurting or hindering the people of GOD but because they did not helpe them against the enemies of GOD and so the axe and curse of GOD shall bee vpon all those that be not as carefull to doe good as to eschew euill S. Paul professeth that hee was a man of an vpright life and one that was vnrebukeable to the world and yet professeth that all this was but as Dung without the righteousnesse of CHRIST Philippians 3.4 It were good if our ciuill honest men as wee call them would consider this they stand vpon this they defie al the world who can say black is their eie they say no body harme nor doe none well grant that they say which is impossible though they could abstaine from all outward euill as swearing lying drunkennesse whooring pride enuy c. So as no man could lay any of these to their charge yet heere is but halfe a Christian but one part of his life for hee must not onely not doe euill but doe good Not onely to bring foorth euill fruit is damnable but not to bring foorth good fruit And in the day of iudgement CHRIST will proceede against men not onely for doing euill but especially for nor doing good Vse 2 Secondly if such as abstaine from grosse euills bee in danger of damnation for want of doing good that is to say because they haue not ledde a godly life bestowed much time in hearing and reading the Scriptures praying and calling on Gods name doing workes of mercie and equitie to men how much more those that abstaine from no euill but breake out into all kindes of wickednesse and prophanenesse Such as make a mocke of Religion and seldome or neuer come to heare the Word
then decaies and declines so fareth it with man let him seeme to bee as tall and as straight as a Cedar Tree hee must become a shrub againe and stoup to age For mans life is well compared to a day whose euening will most certainely follow his morning vntill the night of death cause him to sleepe in the graue For as there is a time to bee borne Eccle. 3.1 so there is a time to die Be it that now thou seemest to bee as strong as the Oake and as tall as the Cedar as flourishing as the Bay Tree yet at last rottennesse will creepe into the strongest Oke and strength and tallnesse will bee abated in thee when the keepers of the house shall tremble Eccl. 12.3 c. 3 In State Thirdly man may bee compared to a Tree in respect of the State of a Tree and that diuers waies First as the talest Cedar is in greatest danger of winde and weather Euen so the man that is tall either in place of authority riches honour or the like Loca quae alijs celsa ipsis prerumpa videntur Seneca is most subiect to the assault of Sathan and the rage of wicked men And men of such excellent places in Church or Common-wealth are more subiect to changes disfauours to enuy insurrections poysonings murtherings as to so many raging winds whereas those that with little Dauid Tend the Ewes great with yong are free from these assaults Secondly it is commonly seene the more tall the Tree is the lesse fruitfull So fareth it with man naturally vnlesse men bee seasoned by grace riches honout dignity or the like are great occasions of an high minde and a high minde is like vnto a Mountaine which the higher it is the more barren it is Whereas if hee bee meane and humble of Spirit hee may fitly bee compared to the valleyes which are euer fruitfull and as the Psalmist saith Stand thicke of Corne For humility is the ground worke of Christian vertues and pride the roote of all euill and the queene of all vice Thirdly and lastly the end of euery tree is to become either timber for building or fewell for burning So fareth it with man this Mysticall tree when death commeth which is Gods Axe by the which hee doth cut vs downe hee becommeth either timber for the Lords house when this earthly tabernacle shall bee destroyed 1. Pet. 2.5 to bee a building not made with hands but eternall in the heauens or else alas but fewell for the fire of Gods wrath Esa 30.33 euen in Tophet where there is fire and much wood and where the Lords wrath as the bellowes shall neuer cease blowing and kindling the same Doctr. 1. Ministers duety to instrct the simplest It is heere first of all to be noted that the Spirit of God sets out the happinesse of a godly man by comparing him to a goodly greene Tree Hence we learne first of all that it is not onely lawfull but a commendable profitable kind of teaching for Gods Ministers to illustrate points of doctrine by similitudes and comparisons so that they bee familiar and fit to make the people conceiue what they teach and to raise comparisons from the Plow and Plow-share to that end that euen the simplest in a Congregation may vnderstand what is said and what is taught This was the course of the Prophets from time to time in their Sermons to the people This was the course of our Sauiour himselfe Iohn 15. Math. 13. Iohn 10.1 who in all his Sermons vseth both Parables and Similitudes comparing good men to good Trees bad men to bad Trees Mat. 3.10 Luke 8.4 comparing Himselfe to a Vine the Father to a Husbandman vs to Branches Himselfe to a Sheepheard wee to Sheepe and the word to twenty things as Seed Mustard-seed c. to teach all those that are Gods Ministers that when they preach vnto their people that they lap not vp their speech in a mist of words but so to deliuer it as that the meanest and shallowest amongest the hearers may vnderstand it Thence came the profession of Paul we preach not our selues but Christ Iesus our Lord 2. Corinthians 4.5 And hence came that worthy resolution of his I had rather in the Church to speake fiue words c. that I might instruct others then ten thousand wordes in a strange tongue 1. Corinth 14.19 In which words by strange tongue we are not simply to vnderstand Hebrew Greeke Latine c. but by speaking of the mother-tong in a strange maner Preachers are fitly compared to a Nurse a Nurse doth halfe chew the meate to the little one and doth babble vnto them in their owne stammering tongue so must Preachers proportion their Doctrine to their hearers capacity and fitte his tongue to their vnderstanding This may serue to reprooue such kinde of Preachers who seeke not to preach CHRIST crucified but preach themselues euen such as in handling the word of God preaching the Gospel seek to shew their owne learning wit art and memory and so indeed preach not Christ but themselues like the old Pharisees Louing the praise of men more then the praise of God But what shall Dauid the Prophet of the Lord or rather the Spirit of God in him stoupe so low as to speake to the vnderstanding of all men by similitudes comparisons and the like And shall sinfull man a worme of the earth exalt himselfe aboue God to seeke only to tickle itching eares with the words of mans wisedome Seeing Gods Ministers must bee Vse 2 faithfull Teachers of the trueth of God and must deliuer the same in the plaine euidence of the Spirit not with the enticing wordes of mans wisedome This serues to direct the hearers in the Art of Hearing They must submit themselues to Gods ordinance and be ready to know the will of God we must not haue itching eares that are not able to suffer wholesome Doctrine like the Gentiles who despised the Preaching of the Apostles because it was not stiled with mans painted eloquence esteeming it foolishnes What is this but to stint the Spirit 1. Cor. 1.21 and to teach the Lord to speake prescribing the Minister what hee shall say and restraining our hearing what we will heare What then will follow but that we shal heare without fruit and the word to bee vnto vs onely a sauour of death vnto death Doctr. 2. Double vse of all the creatures of God Hence wre obserue heere a second point of Doctrine that seeing the Prophet compareth a godly man to a Tree That of all the creatures of God there is a double vse one Naturall the other Spirituall As a Tree in nature signifies such plants of the earth as bring forth fruit according to their kind Now besides this naturall signification it serues to put vs in minde what wee ought to bee Math. 3.10 namely friutfull trees in the Lords orchard lest if we be barren or