muste proceed from the Spirit of God himselfe They call this Spirite the Spirite of adoption which as PAVLâ— speaketh Rom. 5. 5. powring out into our harts that fatherlie loue of God testifieing therewithal that we ar the sons of God therfor it openeth our mouth that we cry Abba father that in our affliction we complaine vnto God For this is it which the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. 26. The Spirite it selfe maketh requeste for vs with sighes that cannot bee expressed From this Spirit therefore this so familiar a complaynt of afflicted DAVID commeth For except this spirit and some sense of the fatherly loue of God be present as in the meane time I grant vnto you that it may be that some man will shout and howle in afflictiones and roare according to the custome of Lyons wildbeastes as DAVID speaketh of himselfe Psal 32. at which time in troubles he is not so tuitched with this feeling of the fatherly loue of God Neverthelesse that a man may familiarly turne himselfe vnto God and complaine vnto him as vnto a father of the grievousnesse of the affliction no maner of way can it come to passe except this Spirit be present and that there be some sense of the fatherly loue of God Servile 〈◊〉 soâ—â—y 〈◊〉 A servant that onely feareth his maister because of wrath and therewith loveth him not also neither yet on the other side feeleth that he is beloved of his maister while he is beaten by his angrie maister hee turneth not vnto him hee quarrelleth not with him familiarlie but as his maister handleth him inhumanelie so he complayneth not so much according to the maner of men as hee roareth and howleth like vnto wilde beastes without all sense of the loue of his maister But the sonne who is touched with a sense of his fathers loue in the midst of the chastening he turneth him vnto his father and quarrelleth with him familiarly So the afflicted childe of God quarrelleth with God his father of whome he feeleth himselfe much more loued yea euen then while he is afflicted be Gods hand then any naturall sonne whosoeuer can be beloved of his father Hee feeleth also God the father to suffer together with him to be commoved by the self same afflictions of his which otherwise hee him selfe sendeth vpon him euen as a father is touched with a compassion in the very meane time while he is chastising his sonne notwithstanding that of necessitie he is compelled to chastise his sonne specially to the ende he should not grow worse by libertie and impunitie And so to this place wee haue spoken of DAVIDS complaynt which we ought to follow in our afflictiones in which certainlie we should endeuour that ther be ever present with vs a sense of the loue of God in Christ Iesus But so far as concernes the person of DAVIDS enemies you haue in them not onely an example of blasphemie against God but of extreame malice against men who spare not so much indeede the soule or the other life in so far as they indevour altogether to cut away the hope of Gods helpe In which thing also yet see their wonderfull blindnesse who thinke that the godly are altogether left by God in the meane time when they are afflicted of him yea and also that they themselues are stirred vp by God to destroy and vtterlie to overthrowe them like as that blasphemous lowne Rabschake gloried against the people of God 1. King 18. 25. Am I nowe come vp without Iehova vnto this place to destroy it Iehova hes saide vnto me Go vp against this land and destroy it And thus much haue wee spoken of the first part of this Psalme 4 But thou Iehoua art a buckler about me my glorie he who lifteth vp mine head 5 I crying vnto Iehova with my voice he answered me out of the mountaine of his holines Selah 6 I Layd me downe and slept I awakened because Iehoua susteined me 7 I will not be affrayd for ten thousands of the people which standing round about mee haue pitched their tentes against mee The other part of the Psalme BVt thou Iehova The second parte of the Psalme in which through the sense of the presence and help of God albeit hee was not yet in effect delivered notwithstanding he glorieth as if hee were euen now delivered For he had scarse complayned vnto God when hee felt some presence and protection of his before hand For surely no man wil haue his recourse vnto God in Iesus Christ before he first in some measure feele his helpe Come vnto mee saithe hee Matth. 11 28. all yee who are wearie and burdened and I will make you to rest But what are these helpes to the ende we may come to the particular which DAVID felt to come from God in the time he had his refuge to him DAVID being disarmed fledde from his sonne Abschalom now he felt God as a buckler to cover and protect him whollie over David miserie 〈◊〉 glorie Hee was in shame hee felt God to be vnto him Glorie He lay prostrate he felt God lifting vp his head And to speake it in a word hee felt God to supplie all that wanted in him The matter is so then surely thou shalt want nothing which that onely one God shall not furnish if thou haue thy refuge to him yea thou shalt also feele him only to be all vnto thee Desirest thou wisedome he shall be wisedome vn-thee desirest thou glorie He shal be glorie vnto thee Desirest thou riches hee shall be riches vnto thee Finally he shal be vnto thee al things that thou desirest Moreover DAVID whiles he felt the sethings he holdeth them not within himselfe but the things he feeleth he speaketh out professeth them first before GOD. This sense of the mercie of God The seeling of the mercy of God it cannot be altogether suppressed and restrayned but it will burst foorth in an open confession For so both God himselfe is glorified and he who hes that sense receiueth the greater consolation especially the sense of the mercy of God being inlarged by the confession For how much the more we vtter foorth that sense of Gods mercy in our harts so much more it groweth and is enlarged But hee who never at any time speaketh a word either with God or men of the mercy of God in Christ Iesus this man by his silence declareth plainely ynough that he is not touched as yet with that sense of the mercy of God with which it became him to be touched The acknowledging of the mercy gotion I crying out Hee goeth forward in his glorying and as first hee had professed before God himselfe that feeling of his mercy so turning himselfe vnto men hee commendeth the same vnto them beginning first from the manner and fashion whereby hee had apprehended the mercy of God Then in following out every particular parte of the mercy For so it commeth to passe that both
sufficiently the thing that is spoken except wee also feele the same yea with our bodelie senses in the seales and sacraments even from the beginning he hath reached forth as it were his grace in Iesus Christ to bee seene with the eies to be handled with the handes Wash me Againe hee craveth remission of sinnes wash mee sayeth hee to witte with that selfe-same blood That I may waxe whiter then the snow But hee speaketh this out by waye of comparison yea and that indeede making the comparison with the thing which in the owne nature is most white Also the comparison is made from thinges that are lesse to the end hee might declare that there is nothing in nature so white pure and cleane as is man to whome sinnes are once forgiven and who is once washen by that blood of Christ Consider here first Dauid while hee craveth forgiuenesse of sins and peace of conscience hee seeketh it vnder the symbolls and figures of these washings of the lawe whereby sometimes was shaddowed-out that washing through the blood of Christ We see therefore that Dauid soght the forgiuenesse of his sinnes in the onely bloud of Iesus Christ There hes never ben nor never shal be in time to come remission of sinnes and consequently quietnes of the conscience except by the bloud alone of Iesus Christ which is certain that the ancient Church fathers haue apprehended in the sacrifices and shaddowes It may be indeed that the Papistes so long as they feele not the weightines of their sin of the wrath of God for sinne for the conscience of those men so far indeed as my judgement can reach is cast vp in a deep sleep by that doctrine which daylie is taught among them I saye indeed it may be that for a time being thus afflicted they vaunt in their merites indulgences Purgatory and I cannot tell what satisfactiones By all which it is certaine somewhat is pulled awaie from the grace of Christ But if it come to passe that they bee oppressed in earneste with the burthen of sinne and with the sense of the wrath of GOD they shall feele surely and publickly professe that all those things are vaine and none other things but dreames and trisles which now they so much commend for then they shal feele in experience that there is no remission of sinnes or peace of conscience without that bloud and alone sacrifice of Iesus Christ Which would to God at length those miserable men sawe and learned that both Gods wrath is pacified and the consciences of miserable men quieted by that blood alone which in themselues are not disquieted troubled by any other thinge then by that sense of the wrath of God O blessed is that peace quietnesse which is by that bloud of Christ only Mark again in this place he promiseth cleannes whitenes whiter then the very snow If hee but once get that to be washen with the bloude of christ And indeed he doth this thing not to the end that he thinketh it shall not come to passe that sinnes once being forgiven in time to come there shall be no remnant left of sinne and vncleannesse in his nature But to that end because hee thinketh and perswadeth himselfe that all the guiltinesse of sinne shal be taken away by the blood of Christ and by his perfite satisfaction once imputed and that he shall be in that estate as if he had never sinned in his life For wee haue a two-folde purging and washing in Christe the one which is by blood the other which is by the Spirite of Christ That washing which is by the blood of Christ is most perfite and quieteth our consciences But this washing which is by the Spirite it is begunne onely in this life and quieteth not the conscience properly and of the owne selfe To speake it in a worde the forgiuenes of sinnes which is by Christs blood is perfite and absolute in all the partes thereof But the regeneration which is by the Spirite of Iesus Christ is but begun onely in this life Make mee to heare He doth yet continue in the self same petition The meaning is as if he should say witnesse vnto me through thy holye Spirite inwardelie that my sinnes are forgiuen me And so it shall come to passe that thou shalt furnish vnto me ane exceeding great matter of joy and gladnesse This is it which in other wordes hee speaketh els-where Lift vp the light of thy face vpon vs Psal 4. ◠Iehoua and put greater gladnesse in my minde then at that time when their cornes and their wines are increased For the sixtenth Psalme speaketh There is sacietie of joyes before the face of GOD. Then he addeth in the text let the bones which thou hast brused reioyse As if he shoulde say forgiue mee my sinnes and then I whome thou hadest humbled before shal reioice with an vnspeakable gladnesse For the ioye of the man caste downe and humbled is invtterable after that now hee is lift vp with that sense of mercy and confidence of remission of sinnes But wee are to considder the wordes more diligently Make me sayeth hee to heare ioy But by what Preacher and Messenger was it not alreadie before preached by the Prophet Nathan that Davids sinnes were forgiven him It is true But the outwarde testimonie of all men is nothing except that inwarde also of the holy Spirite be conjoyned Wherefore Dauid in this place requireth that inwarde testimony of the Spirite For the remission of sinnes is an action intirely hid in the minde of God And as no man knoweth the thinges of man but the Spirite of man So these thinges of God no man knoweth but the Spirite of God which as Paule sayth searcheth the deapthes of God himselfe ◠Cor. 2. 10 Wherefore except the holy Spirite of God testifie in our heartes that our sinnes are forgiven vs surely no testimonie either of the creature or of man is able to assure vs of that thinge But after what manner at length doth the holy Spirite testifie that our sinnes are forgiven vs The holy Spirite of God worketh in our heartes a wounderfull sense of the loue of God as the Apostle speaketh powreth out loue into our harts whereby God loveth vs in christ But what a loue is this surely not any common loue but a special natural to speak so that affectiō which they cal the natural affection such as is the natural affection of the Father toward his onely begotten Son For the Spirit of God testifieth that fatherlie most tender affection towards vs Of the which also it followeth that the same Spirite beareth witnesse that we are the Sonnes of God For if it witnesse a certaine fatherlie loue It followeth by the force of thinges equal that wee are the sonnes of God From whence also hee is every where called the Spirite of Adoption to witte in respect he witnesseth Rom. ◠1◠19. that we are the sons of
adjoyneth and amplifieth the cause of this loue vnto the 7. verse Secondly by saith he gloryeth with his owne soule Thirdly he gloryeth with God vnto the 10. verse Fourthly hee confesseth his owne weaknesse which was sometime in him and that by a comparison of the faith which the◠he had vnto the 12. verse Fiftly he taketh purpose to render thanks vnto God The CXVI Psalme 1 I loue Iehova for he heareth my voice my deprecationes 2 For he hath bowed the eare vnto me when I called vpon him in my dayes 3 And when the dolours of death compassed mee about and the griefes of the graue met me finding anguish and sorrow 4 I called vppon the name of Iehova saying I besseech thee O Iehova deliver my soule 5 Gracious Iehova and righteous Our God I say mercifull 6 Iehova preserving the simple when I am brought to nothing he besieweth salvation vpon me I Loue Iehova The first parte of the Psalme as we haue spoken in which he professeth that loue whereby hee loved God Also loue is ane certaine affection in the hearte whereby any man carnestlie desireth the communion conjunction of that thing which he loveth whatsoever thing surely it be But if the loue of any man towarde another be very fervente then verely he who loveth desireth himselfe to be made one as it were one man with him whom he loveth Paule expresseth the force of this loue when he saide O Corinthians 2. Cor. 6. 11. 12. my mouth is opened towarde you mine heart is made large Ye are not kept straight in vs but ye are kept straight in your owne bowels By which words indeede hee sheweth by the affection of his loue toward the Corinthians that his heart was so enlarged that he received them as it were within himselfe and into the bosome of his heart and that hee became as it were one man with them The loue of God is whereby we desire the communion conjunction with God ◠Cor. 5 6 8. Paule sayeth Wee are hold though we know that whiles we are at home in the bodie we are absent from the Lorde Neuerthelesse wee are bold and loue rather to remooue out of the bodie and to dwell with the Lord. From whence proceedeth this Pauls approbation surely from that loue of his Lord who as hee sayeth in the same Chapter verse 14. The loue of Christ constrayned him and continually carryed him forward vnto the Lord. And this is the cause wherefore we sighing wait for the comming of Christ For the loue whereby wee embrace Christ earnestly thirsteth for that conjunction with Christ There is also another thing that is required in this loue that is that for the loue of Christ wee would be willing to loose the most deare things whatsoever we haue in this life So Christ speaketh in Luke Luk. 14. 20. If any man come vnto me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Desciple By which wordes Christ signifieth that his loue is to be bought yea with the hatred of those thinges which are most deare if it can no otherwise be obteined And this indeede was Davids loue which hee professeth in this place Such should al our loue be who professe the same God with him And in this respect wee are chiefely most happie because wee haue that God of Abraham Isaac Iahakob and David whom we may loue whome wee may worship For he heareth This is an argument of loue frō the benefite of his deliverance from whence arose a certain earnest feling of the mercie of God toward him Marke then that the knowledge of the goodnes of God and the sense of his mercy and loue towarde vs continually goeth before our loue toward him He loueth vs sayeth IOHN not because we haue loued him first 1. Iohn 4. 19. For it is impossible that any man can loue God vnlesse that now firste that loue of God in Christ Iesus be powred out in his heart by the holy Spirit Dauid in every place professeth his loue toward God Rom. 5 5. hee giveth an account thereof continually from the mercy of God toward him I wil loue thee saith he frō my very most inward bowels And what is the reason Psal 18. 2. Iehova is my strength Iehova is my rocke and my strong tower c. By which words indeed he declareth the cause wherefore hee so much loved GOD that it was the mercy of God toward him But if verely we wil loue God for except we loue him we are miserable and if we will set our affection vpon God we haue neede of nothing so much then of diligent marking of all his benefites which he continually heapeth vpō vs. For these ar so many testimonies of gods loue toward vs. Now wee haue said that the loue of God towarde vs is the cause of our loue toward him Wherefore to the end that wee may loue God from our soule every particular benefite of God so farre as it is possible is to be marked by vs. For surely the cause wherefore our harts burne not in that loue where in they ought to burne towards God proceedeth from this that we considder so slightlie his benefites toward vs especially that greatest benefite of all the benefite of our Redemption in Iesus Christ for while his benefites are nor weighed there is no sense of his loue toward vs. And when there is not a feeling of his loue towarde vs howe can it come to passe that wee can loue him He heareth my deprecation Therefore the prayers went before the benefites of God and the sense of his mercy For by those degrees we come as it were vnto the loue of God First wee seek at Gods hands any benefite whether it be Temporal or Spiritual Then after we haue gotten the benefite wee feel his mercy loue toward vs as the fountain frō which that benefite flowed Finally from that sense of the loue of God toward vs that our loue again towrad him aryseth Wherefore to the ende that any man may earnestly loue the Lord his prayers ought to be continuall for of continuall prayers and supplications continuall benefites of God come vnto vs which are so many testimonies of that his loue toward vs in Christ For he hath bowed Hee openeth vp at greater length the reason immediatly preceeding of his loue he abydeth in amplifying thereof vnto the 7. verse In my dayes Hee vnderstandeth the dayes of affliction and anguish as the verse following maketh manifest In this meaning the word of daye is taken Psal 137 Remember against the Edomites of the day of Ierusalem that is of the affliction whereby the Edomites afflicted the Church So Ieremy in the Lamentation 1. 21. For times metonymically in every language vse to be taken for misery in times and dayes We see therefore in this place that affliction thrusted David forward to praiers For
sight Last marke At what time doth David finally glory in that that he is the sonne of the handemaid of GOD that is borne of that mother which was in the covenante with GOD surely even then when therewith he acknowledgeth that hee is the servant of God It is profitable in deede to be borne of the Saints and of those Parents who are in Gods covenant so long as thou coÌ„tinuest in that covenant with God and art Gods servant for so that promise of GOD of long durable mercy which is made in the seconde command belongeth vnto thee I will haue mercy sayeth hee vpon the thousand generation of those that loue me and keepe my commandements But if thou make thy selfe vnworthie both of thy parents likewise of that covenant of God that shall nothing profite thee that thou art borne of the Saintes of parents that are confederat with God It profiteth thee nothing that thou art able to set downe thy pedigree in a certaine continuall race even vnto Abraham himself with whom the first covenante of God was made I will sacrifice to thee He repeateth that promise of thanksgiving which was set down before in the 13. verse Of the which because we haue spoken sufficiently ynough there we shall be the shorter therefore in opening of the same Only we shall adde this much to the things that wee haue spoken that fra once that stupiditie of our mind is shaken off and fra once we beginne to prayse God and to giue him thankes we are so carryed away by that Spirit of GOD that wee can scarce make an end of the praysing of God We are in deede but very slowlie stirred vppe to prayse God but being once stirred vp wee take such delight in prayer for a time and through that joye our heart doth boyle so that in a manner it is altogether powred out into the prayses of our God Wherfore to the end that we may praise God this deadly sopour of our mind is perpetually to be shakeÌ„ off and wee must endeavour that at no time so far as it is possible this our hart be altogether voyde of feeling either of our misery or of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ for of this two-folde feeling there aryseth a two-fold affection of the hart that is both of sorrow and of joye From sorrow speciallie arise petitions from joy arise giving of thanks which ar done in Christ Iesus To whom with the Father holy Spirite be all glory Amen The Argument of the CXXX Psalme It is a song of Doctrine written by some one of the Prophets It is composed of three partes First there is set downe a memoriall of prayers which hee had at sometime conceiued when he vvas in an extreame great danger vnto the 5. verse Then making a tranâ—ision he professeth that he hath yet his hope in the word of Iehova and that he dependeth vpon him vnto the 7. vers Thirdly hee recommendeth the same hope to Israell that is to the whole Church vnto the ende of the Psalme The CXXX Psalme 1 A most excellent song Out of the deapthes I cryed vnto thee ô Iehova saying 2 O lord harken to my voyce let thine eares be attent to the voice of my deprecations 3 If then shalt straightly marke iniquities ô Iah Lord Who could be able to stand 4 But with thee is forgiuenes that thou maist be reverently worshipped OVt of the deapthes The first parte of the Psalme The depths in this place are most deepe and terrible dangers for so are they called The metaphore or borrowed speech is taken from waters in which men are almost drowned Looke the Psal 69. 2. 3. c. This is out of all doubt that while any man sticketh in most deepe perrilles then hee powreth out from a moste hollowe and deepe hearte fervente prayers yea hee cryeth vppon the Lorde mightelie For so the Prophet speaketh of himselfe here Out of the deapthes I cryed vnto thee ô Iehova Thou seest then at what time the godly are exceeding grievouslie afflicted oppressed with the hande of God at that same time they vse earnestly to deale with their God and to haue their refuge chiefely vnto him with prayers and supplications For that the trueth of this proposition may be manifeste afflictiones worke in our hearts firste some feeling of our sinne and misery For vnlesse God exercised his owne after such waies as he knoweth moste meete surely they would never come to a sense of this common miserie of their nature then next when once the heart is prepared with some feeling of the owne misery Then the spirite of God which they call the Spirite of adoption toucheth the same with some sense of the mercy of God And to speake with the Apostle Rom 5 The loue of God is powred out into our hearts by the holy Spirite which is given vnto vs yea and that by Iesus Christ and by his death For surely the holy Spirite toucheth not our hart with any sense of the mercy of God in Christ Iesus vnlesse first they be prepared with some feeling of misery And then after that the holy Spirite hath powred out that loue of God into our hearts then wee conceiue in our minds that coÌ„fidence whereby wee draw neere and incalles vpon him For this is the Spirit which the Apostle calleth The Spirite of adoption by whom we cry Abba Father We crye sayeth hee because the Spirite of adoption through the feeling of the loue worketh that confidence in the heart that the heart being first enlarged then nexte the mouth wee may call God Father with a free and shrill voyce Therefore fra once the Spirite hath indewed our soules with a feiling of the loue of God we goe freely vnto God and praye vnto him For except there bee first some feeling of the loue of God certainely there can be no calling vppon his name Then thou seest that that is true which we spake at the beginning to wit the more grievouslie the godly ar afflicted in that respect the more fervent are their prayers We becaus we ar not drowned yet in those deapths therfore are not much touched with that sense with which wee ought long ago to haue bene touched either of our misery or of the mercy of God praye not so earnestly as it becommeth vs It were much better indeed to be afflicted with praiers theÌ„ to be in prosperity without praiers Saying ô Lord Hitherto he hath declared that in daunger hee calleth vppon GOD now hee setteth downe that forme of prayer which hee then vsed in calling vpon God Heare sayeth hee O Lorde my voyce Then hee doubleth the same petition Let thine eares bee attent to the c. This doubling and iterating of the same petition proceedeth from a vehement and two-folde affection as it were of the minde and grace of the holye Spirite For excepte by the grace of the Spirite the affection bee inlarged surely the mouth cannot bee inlarged
of GOD. And this is none other thing then to glorifie God which what other thing is it then to vtter out that inward confidence in God yea and that in the face of the enemies mockers themselues who moste earnestly travell to this ende that they may separate vs from that loue in Christe that they may together at one time extinguish all that feeling of his grace Of which PAVLE speaketh Rom. 8. 38. Who shal separate vs from the loue of God in Christ It is true indeede that the vngodly also vses to vaunte of the favour grace of God So the Papists this day vaunt of Christ when in the mean time they persecute christ in his meÌ„bers even as Paul spak of the Iews Rom. 2. 17. that they gloryed in the law of God yea even when they â—aÌ„sgressed the Law So we read that blasphemous Rabschake vaunted also against Hierusalem that he came none otherwaies to destroy it then leaning to the commandement of God himselfe 2. King 18. 25. The vngodlie dreame that the grace and favour of God belongeth vnto them when notwithstaÌ„ding in the meane time the wrath of God continually persueth theÌ„ but at length it shal appear that this glorying of these men was vaine howsoever for a time al things appear to prosper according to their hartâ— desire At length also it shal appeare that the glorying of the children of God was not in vayne how-so ever it appeare vnto the wicked in this worlde to bee vayne For our hope as PAVLE sayeth shall never make vs ashamed but at length it shall be crowned with glorie and immortalitie in that glorious comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ To whome with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and glorie Amen THE ARGVMENT Of the XVI PSALME A Psalme it is of a mixt kinde partly a Prayer partly a Thanks giving And it appeareth by the inscription that it is Davids Now it is made first of a Petition vnto the fourth verse Then of a certaine glorying in God vnto the seventh verse Thirdly of a blessing of GOD from thence to the ende of the Psalme THE XVI PSALME 1 An excellent song of DAVID Preserue me ô strong God because I haue my refuge vnto thee 2 O my soule thou sayest vnto Iehoua Thou art my Lorde good commeth not from me vnto thee 3 To the holy ones which are vpon the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight The first part of the Psalme a petition of preseruing PReserue me The first parte of the Psalme is a petition also hee seeketh his own preservation whereby indeede he would signifie that hee was come into some daunger that he was layd open to some perill either through Idolatrie or through some other cause For for this cause he hes his recourse vnto God being a suppliant From his confideÌ„ce leaning vnto Christ and hee craved that hee would saue him Preserue me The reason of the petition is from his confidence in God whereby surelie hee embraced God in this present danger in his heart in Christ Iesus DAVID therefore being about to present himselfe before that judgement seate of God and being about to seek his salvation and preserving he dare not be so bold as to come forth in Gods sight vnlesse first hee be cledde over with Christ and with his righteousnesse For this is to beleeue in God or that he had his recourse vnto God For there was none other way at any time to compeare before God no not to the best Kings themselues except by faith in Iesus Christ without the which no entrie was every yet made open vnto GOD. By whome sayeth the Apostle We haue entrance by faith in God Rom. 5. 2. O my soule thou sayest By a converted speech he turneth him to his owne soule and bringeth her in testifying with him of that faith which hee himselfe before professed and seeking therewith his owne preservation Thou sayest to Iehova saith he As if he should say Thou O my soule and conscience testifies with me that I truly and sincerely professe that in that I say I beleeue in God For if the soule beare not witnesse with vs within and say as it were Thou art my GOD our mouth in vayne professeth outwardly faith in God it sayeth in vayne I haue my recourse vnto God Except wee beleeue with the heart to righteousnesse the confession of the mouth profiteth nothing to salvation Therefore DAVID bringeth in his soule beleeving testifying with him before God that thing which hee before himselfe had confessed in mouth but what saith DAVIDS soule Thou art my God He acknowledgeth the Lord Iehova But he seeth him not as it were then a far off but drawing neere vnto him hee sweetly embraceth him which thing is proper vnto faith and to that particular applying which we say to bee in faith He embraceth him I say when hee sayeth Thou art my Lord And from thence followes that that DAVID himselfe nowe before had sought Preserue me For the soule of DAVID sought the same thing which hee himselfe had sought before it But this petition of DAVIDS soule is not expressed in this place Good commeth Ane preventing of an objection of that vnderstoode and suppressed petition of DAVIDS soule for God might haue objected The preuenting of an obiectioÌ„ the graÌ„ting of the godly soul humblie looking vpon the maiestie of God To what ende should I preserue thee What good thing can come vnto mee from thee DAVIDS soule answereth first by a graunting Good commeth not from me vnto thee As if hee should say I grant that that my life can no wayes be profitable vnto thee For it is necessary that our faith to the end it may quiete the selfe in the alone mercy of God through Christ very humbly and soberlie esteeme of the selfe and it behooveth every faithful man so to leane to the alone grace of God merit of Christ that in the meane time he be vtterly estranged from all opinion of his deserving that he acknowledge after that hee hes done all things that he is able to do to the glory of God that he is no other thing but an vnprofitable servant But the truth of this sentence is to be weighed of vs least there be any who would think that DAVID hes not spoken earnestly and from his heart A more dâ—ligent consideration of Davids coÌ„fession but for the fashion and dissembledly God therefore according to the perfection and exceeding greate felicitie which he is in himself is not helped nether on th' one side or other by our wel-doing neither yet is hee hurt any way by our evil doing man himself is either helped by his owne well-doing or his hurte by his evill doing For in that consisteth our felicitie that wee glorifie God Againe in that we ar miserable wheÌ„ we giue not vnto God his owne glorie yea or then when wee dishonour him so far as lyeth in vs which
he wil make me to know that path-way which leadeth to eternall life And having knowen it I shall walke therein By these wordes therefore he vnderstandeth that the waye to life and to the heavens is to be clearely shewed vnto him after that he sal be raysed out of the graue Now in the words following he signifieth the life it selfe which after he hath walked through in that waye to an end which leadeth to life to the heauens he shall attayne vnto The sacietie of ioyes He expresseth that life first by joy and by the saciety of joy then by pleasantnesse He maketh the beginning and fountaine of the joy the countenance of God Gods right hand he maketh the cause of the pleasantnesse and he boundeth both the joy and the pleasantnesse with eternitie of time Our Lord Iesus Christ bring vs to this life To whom with the Father and with the holy Spirit be all honour and glorie Amen THE ARGVMENT Of the XXIII PSALME A Psalme it is of doctrine in which David glorying openeth vp his confidence and securitie Also this securitie which is to continue for all time to come proceedeth from the confidence and present fruition of the mercy of God toward him and of his Pastoral care over him Two things therfore ar proposed in this Psalme This first a confidence and apprehension of the present favour of God The other is a security in time to come arysing of the confidence that God will with the same gracious favour in all posterities to come follow him Both these things are shortly see downe in the first verse Then they are opened vp in the verses following Confidence specially vnto the sixt verse and Security in the sixt verse THE XXIII PSALME 1 A Psalme of DAVID Iehova iâ— my sheepheard I cannot lacke 2 He maketh mee to rest in foldes replenished with grasse he leadeth me by the soft running waters 3 He maketh my soule to be quiet hee leadeth me in the waies of righteousnesse for his owne names sake 4 Although I walked through the valley of the deadly shaddow I would not feare evill because thou art with mee thy rodde and shepheardes crooke they comfort mee 5 Thou furnishest a table before me ouer against mine enemies thou plentifullie anoyntes mine head with oyntment my cup is very full 6 Surely goodnesse and mercie shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I shal be at rest in the house of Iehova so long as times shall indure IEhova is my sheapheard This is the proposition of a glorying The proposition of the first part first of confidence and as it were the Pastorall care of God toward him Then of securitie in time to come In the first parte of the proposition hee expresseth Gods care borrowing the words from a sheapheard a flock comparing God with a Sheapheard and himselfe vnto a sheepe Iehova saith he is my Sheepheard That is The other part of the prepositioÌ„ as the shepheard feedeth his sheepe so Iehova feedeth mee I cannot lacke The other part of the proposition in which is set downe the securitie in time to come Also this securitie in time to come is gathered brought in from the present confidence apprehension of the care of GOD toward him as if he should say GOD feedeth me for the time present and by all meanes taketh care of mee Therefore I shal never want his help in time to come neither shall it ever come to passe that I in any time coÌ„ming shall lacke any thing The like glorâ—ing we haue of Paule Rom. 8. 10. God is on our side who is against vs So much hitherto then wee haue spoken of the proposition set downe by waye of glorying wherby we see confidence in God present for confidence is the apprehension of a thing presente to bring out securitie wherby any godly man promiseth vnto himselfe that God will be present with him for all time to come There is no other thing vnlesse we will except God which by the owne presence thereof can make vs so secure I speak of that true spirituall securitie For I grant that the traÌ„sitory things of this world ingender in mens mindes a certaine securitie which we call carnall such as was that of that rich man which after that his barnes were enlarged and replenished saide to his soule Luk. 12. 19. Soule thou hast much goodes layd vp for many yeares liue at ease drink and take thy pastime But what heard hee from God O foole sayeth he they will take thy soule from thee this same very night And Paule sheweth what followeth vpon this fleshlie securitie 1 Thes 5. 3. When they shall say peace and all thinges quiet then shall come vpon them suddaint destruction as the sorrow of a woman like to travell and they shall not escape Therefore this carnall securitie is deceavable but that spirituall quietnes shall never deceive vs neither yet can wee glorie sufficientlie of spiritual securitie neither yet can we at any time to come promise things great ynough to our selues of God and of his mercy to all posterities of that spirituall quietnesse He maketh me He openeth vp the first part of the proposition first by allegorical speeches vnto the fifth verse then in proper speeches in the fifth verse Then to the end hee might declare that Iehova is his shepheard he maketh an induction first of the partes of a good Pastour Now there are fiue parts of the office of a sheepheard reackoned out Fiue parts of a pasâ—â—â—rll duty whereof the first two pertaine to the bodie of the sheepe the third to the soule the fourth fifth to the waies in which it walketh Then the first part of the duty of a good sheepheard is conteined in these words In foldes replenished with grasse In which two things are comprehended The first is 1 NurishmeÌ„t the office that he maketh the sheep to bee satisfied in foldes abunding with grasse The other is that the sheepe now being filled hee maketh them to lie downe and rest that is he maketh to enjoye an exceeding soft quietnesse For in this latter that former is to be vnderstood for the sheep vseth not to lye downe rest while it be filled first DAVID applyeth this part of the dutie of the Pastor to him selfe as if he should say None otherwaies then the shepheard maketh the sheepe to fill the selfe in the foldes abounding with grasse and then to lie down rest so none other waies say I doth GOD refresh my bodie with meate and most sweete rest 2 Refreshment He leadeth by the soft running waters The second part of the duty of a shepheard bêlonging also to the bodie of the sheepe Now it is seene in that that the Pastor careth to quench the thirst of the sheepe by giving vnto it the commoditie of drinke and refreshment Even so sayeth DAVID Iehova quencheth my thirst and refresheth my bodie Then this much hitherto DAVID hath
commended the care of God as of a sheephearde toward his bodie Learne therefore what the care of GOD is towarde our body None there is of all the godly whom he satisfieth not with meate drink also this satisfaction is not somuch to be defined by a full bellie as by a full heart or contented with thinges in modestie 1. Tim. 〈…〉 Godlinesse is great gaine with a heart content of the own lot By which saying the Apostle would signifie that those two things are conjoyned together Godlines and a contented heart within the selfe or a mind content of the owne portion Whosoever then is godly is content of mean thinges hee is oft content with one hungrie bellie I haue learned sayeth the Apostle In what soeuer estate I am therewith to be content And I can be abased and I can abound every where in all things Phil. 4. 〈…〉 I am instructed both to be full to be hungrie to abound to haue wante I am able to do all things through the helpe of Christ which strengtheneth me Then he in whome Christ dwelleth by faith hath all sufficiencie within himselfe and a soule which is content not onely of small thinges but of such as are al-to-gether no things But he who hath not Christ he hath not sufficiencie within himselfe yea or a minde content with the greatest thinges For the more that the vngodly man possesseth so much the more hee doth seeke after We must not in this place pas by in silence with what mind DAVID recommendeth this liberalitie of God in nurishing of his body For there is no godly man able to hold his peace concerning the bountifulnes of God for he esteemeth more of any meane and common faire received at Gods handes then the vngodly man doth of the most daintie dishes For it coÌ„meth to passe I cannot tel how that while the godly man eateth or drinketh he doth it al to the glory of his God while he hungreth thirsteth for those earthly things in the meane time that hee is eating and drinking he tasteth therewith those heauenly and spirituall things It commeth to passe I saye that whilest his minde is eating and drinking in that grace which vseth to season with a wounderfull sweetnesse yea the very bodelie and common meate so that any common meat savoreth better in the mouth of the godly man then the most daintie meate The third part of a pastorâ—â— duty otherwaies savoreth in the mouth of the wicked man He maketh my soule This is the thirde parte of the office of a shephearde which concerneth the life or soule of the sheepe For that beast is of nature fearefull and vseth to bee troubled and disturbed in spirit with the most light thing that can bee Therefore it is the dutie of a good Pastour not onely to haue a consideration of the bodie but also of the soule or life of his sheepe that hee make it to be at rest and quietnesse Even so sayeth DAVID God doth that I may be of a quiet and setled minde For to what purpose shal man haue his body to be wel taken care of whilest in the mean time the soule is neglected which is the preciouser part of man which is not in a good case What the true life peace of the soule 〈◊〉 surely it cannot be well then with the body For what delight can the body take of meate drinke the rest of that sorte when the soule is in some exceeding grieuous feare especially when it is tormented with those horroures of hell Therefore DAVID sayeth that GOD taketh thought of his soule and that it is quieted of him Everie godly man also feeleth the same care of God and feeleth that quietnesse and peace of the minde which surpasseth all vnderstanding I speak of the peace of God not of the peace of the world For this peace and fleshly securitie of the world which creepeth vppon men is not to be accounted among the benefites of God but directlie contrarie it is to bee reckoned among Gods curses I speak then of that peace of God which aryseth from a good conscience that is a conscience perswaded of the forgiuenesse of sinnes For looke how soone God doth justifie vs our soules then begin to be at rest and to be strengthned with the peace of GOD as by a certaine fortresse For so speaketh the Apostle of this peace Phil. 4â— And the peace of God saith he which surepasseth al vnderstanding shall be a preservation vnto your hearts But consider how much DAVID maketh of this peace how he commendeth the same For it is not possible that any godly man can conteine this peace of minde within his soule but he will prease the same to the glory of God in Christ Also the wicked man commendeth his owne peace 〈◊〉 5. 3. Peace sayeth he and all things at quiet But in the meane time neuer one word speaketh he of God But every godly man while hee is glorying hee ascribeth that whole peace and tranquillitie vnto GOD which thing when the wicked man heareth he conceiveth it not to be of that peace which rejoyceth in the Lord. For that it is a peace which over-commeth the whole vnderstanding of the natural and carnal mind He leadeth me in the waies The fourth part of the duty of a good shepheard which belongeth vnto the wayes in which the sheepe walketh The fourth pastorall duty For the sheepe is a beast by nature wandring such is the simplicitie of it subjecte to many by-waies therefore it is the duty of a good Pastour to take heed least it wander away from the place and straight way even so sayeth DAVID Iehova leadeth me by the pathâ— of righteousnesse that is by righte waies The fifth qastorall duty Although I walked This is the fifth part of the duty of a good sheipheard But if it fall out that the sheep wander froÌ„ the waye lay the selfe open to danger let him haue a rod in readinesse whereby he may cal back and a sheepe-crooke whereby hee may draw it backe againe So DAVID confesseth that hee was called and drawen backe with the rod sheep-crook of Gods holy Spirit by his God as by a faithfull Pastor after the same maner doth God take heed to every way whatsoever of every godly man that loveth him not only by a generall providence whereby all men without difference liue by him are and mooue But much more by that particular providence of his wherby he ruleth them by his holy Spirite whereby as by a hand they are guided in all their waies and if it fall out so that they goeastray from the way they are brought again into the way by that selfe same Spirite You see how much DAVID commendeth the provideÌ„ce preseÌ„ce of God the same thing doe all the godly while they feele they do nothing without God and while they feele also after what manner they attaine vnto the
estate of death without Christ of necessitie they must dye in desperation For I will yet He maketh some place to hope in his soule from thence that he shall not be disappoynted of the thing hoped for but even as he hath hoped so shall it fall out vnto him I wil prayse him sayeth hee and the saluation of his face that is of all sortes That is his face in which is the sâ—cietie of joyes or that manifold salvation which is in his face and presence so to prayse is to publish David therefore promiseth that he will praise both God himselfe and also that so great a benefite of his life received from him or finally to praise the salvation of his face is to prayse publish the salvation which shall bee before him from whence in the laste verse he sayth that hee will prayse the salvation of his face that is the salvation which shall bee seene before him My God As he had first turned himselfe vnto his soule now hee turneth himselfe vnto his God and hee lifteth vp his eies sigheth as it were vnto him opening vp vnto him the sorrow of his soule and hee powreth out his carefulnesse and solicitude vppon his bosome Whosoever is indued with Gods holie Spirite This man sigheth vnto God in his affliction and sorrow But he who is indued with mans spirit onely that man wil never sigh vnto God for he supposeth God to be angrie with him especially then when there lyeth any affliction vppon him For he thinketh that that his whole miserie proceedeth from the wrath of God But hee who hath the Spirite of God that spirit I say of adoption by whome wee crie Abba Father This man commeth without feare vnto God because indeed that Spirite is alwaie with some feeling of Gods mercie and fatherlie loue Wherefore as a sonne who hath his Father well-willing vnto him in his sorrow he taketh his way straight to his father Even so the childe of GOD hee passeth in his sorrow and miserie to God his father and maketh his complaint vnto him 7 Therefore I remember of thee out of the Land of Iorden and of the Chermonites out of the little hill 8 Howsoeuer a deepe calleth vppon a deepe at the sound of those that are sent out by thee let al the breaking-in surges and thy vallies passe by me 9 In the day time Iehova will sende away his louing kindnes and in the night his song vnto me I wil continue in my praier vnto the strong God of my life 10 Saying vnto the strong God of my rocke why forgettest thou mee Wherefore go I in mourning apparrell because of the oppression of the enemies 11 They assaile my bones with a shorte sword my enemies reproching mee while they say vnto me daylie where is thy God THerefore He glorieth thereafter verie suddenly first against the places of his banishment whatsoever then against everie one of his most grievous afflictions This particle Therefore appeareth not to giue a reason of anie sentence going before in the texte Then hee begouth this sentence as it seemeth to me from some cutted off and sudden feeling of joye and of the presence of God as if he had said because of that joy and that rejoycing of the soule which I coÌ„ceiue of my God I remember of thee c. Of which thou learnest this how soone a man vseth to be changed that turneth himselfe vnto God for the presence of GOD is forcible to giue life vnto the creature that his face shineth no sooner but the creature beginneth to reviue againe although it bee never so dead When the Psalme speaketh of these grosse bruitish creatures Psalme 104. 29. 30. When thou hidest thy face they are troubled if thou take away their breath they returne to their dust Againe if thou sende foorth thy Spirite they are refreshed finally thou renewest the face of the earth How much more the reasonable creatures as wee call them and not onely the reasonable but the spirituall that is the creatures that are renewed by the Spirite of GOD which haue once felt howe mercifull the Lord is those creatures I saye depend vppon their God for it is necessary yea much more that their life and death depende from his face present absent Psal 4 7. 8 Lift vp sayth David Iehouah the light of thy couÌ„tenance vpoÌ„ vs and put more ioy in mine heart then at the time in which their cornes and wines were increased Of these therefore chiefely do I speake which are already accustomed with the countenance of God that vse to take some pleasure of his face For to speake of others they are not able earnestly to seeke that countenance of GOD in Christ Iesus For there is no desire of that thinge wee know not Also these haue not yet tasted how sweet that sight of God is in Iesus Christ I remember of thee as if he shuld say In every place where it happeneth me to be banished from all the bordours and coastes of Israell From the East where is the riuer of Iorden from the North where it is bounded by the mountaine of Chermon and Libanus froÌ„ the South where the hilly couÌ„try bouÌ„deth Iudaea He calleth these hillie countries by the name of a little Hill because they being compared with the Mountaine of Libanus and with Chermon which are situate vppon the North they are reckoned out onely among little Hilles Of this place thou perceivest that there is no place either of banishment or of imprisonment so vnpleasant and ougly of the selfe which is able to separat the children of God from the countenance of their God yea they glory in that presence of GOD which they possesse against any place whatsoever For this in which we driue over our life what ever it be it is nothing indeede But Gods presence is all things The word Of remembrance which he vseth is to bee marked For surely that remembrance was rather of Gods presence then the presence of God it self which was then without the Citie oâ— Ierusalem in which at that time was that visible presence of God The matter is so then when wee are banished from this outward ministerie of God in his Church yea in which wee chiefelie haue our God present Then surely we that ar the faithful are not said indeed so much to haue our GOD presente as to remember vppon his presence which was some-time with vs. Also this remembrance I graunt is joyfull sweete and acceptable notwithstanding it lacketh not some certaine displeasure heavines of the own yea in it there is a certaine matter of sorrow as we saw before in the fift verse Remembring these thinges sayth hee I power out my soule vppon my selfe I will saye some-what more This presence of GOD also which is in the ministerie of his worde it hath the owne dolour conioyned therewith because it is vnder hope Hope I grant is with joy and glorying from whence the Apostle remembreth
that we walke in the liberty of the Spirit For by nature there is no free-will But where the Spirite of God is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3. 17. sayeth PAVLE And this is that blessed Christian libertie wherby we are so delivered that we may serue God and not that wee should liue according to our owne will such as libertie as these Libertines Fpicures doe faine neither yet must wee thinke that we are forced to doe our duty by this Spirite but that willingly we are led For God loveth those that are willing as Dauid speaketh in an other place Neverthelesse in this life this libertie is but begunne onely which at last shal be perfited in that life to come But we must yet a little more diligently marke the word of freedome for it signifieth not any common liberty but a speciall noble freedome such as is the liberty of a Noble man or kings son Neither yet without cause this worde is applyed to the presente purpose For wee are the sonnes of a king that is indeed Noble the King of kings and the most hie God For whosoever is regenerated by his Spirit he is his sonne in Christ although otherwise if wee considder these prerogatiues among men hee be base borne notwithstanding hei noble and more noble then any King who hath onely the first nature and is not regenerated by the holy Spirit For the regenerate man to speake this with Peter is made participant of the most noble divine nature 2. Pet. 1. Iohn esteemed much of this noblenes when he said whosoever receiued the Worde that they haue gotten this dignitie Iohn 1 12 to be made the sons of GOD. Beholde hee calleth dignitie that estate to the which the Sonnes of GOD were lifted vppe which if men would some-what more diligentlie take heede to they would not trouble themselues with those thinges which the Apostle calleth Carnall as are kindred 2 Cor 5. â—iches honoures but would seeke rather the new Creature in Christ for olde thinges are paste awaie and all thinges are made newâ— And hitherto the petition hath bene two folde The first of remission of siâ—â—es The other of Regeneration Nowe followeth the common argumente of the craving of both from the edifying of our neighbours I shall teach back slyders thy waies sayeth hee As if hee should saye if I shall obtayne at thy handes the thing that I craue O God I shall be a Preacher of thy infinite and incomprehensible mercy to others Thy waies he sayeth not my waies such as were man slaughter adulterie c. For those then were DAVIDS waies which waies indeede men are skilfull ynough commonly to pretend to their evill deedes who seeke none other thing then liberty to sinne yea and that vnder some certain cloake when notwithstanding this example of life is not set before them by David that they should follow it yea but much rather the waies of God aâ— set before them that is his vnspeakable mercies toward sinners which also appeareth of that that where sinne abounded grace superabounded The waies of God by nature ar vnknowen to man and specially that way of infinite mercy in his owne Christ of the which natur indeed was not able ever at any time to suspect But after beside nature and against nature it was reveiled notwithstanding the conscience trembling through the feeling of sin and of the wrath of God so that a mid cloud as it were is cast in betuixt the sight thereof and the grace of God that it cannot but see very hardly For then such an huge heape of sinne aryseth that it taketh away by force the whole sight of the grace of GOD almost from it In the mean time infidelitie which proceedeth of nature perswadeth vs to despayre of the mercy of God Finally a thousand impediments ingire themselues which al maketh it to come to passe that we are blind at the light of that grace of God so that wee finde in experience howe hard a thing it is especially to a man who is touched with an earnest feeling of his sinne to haue before his eies that mercy of God in Christ For I speake of him who is touched with a sense of his sinne For others who while they sinne yea and sinne grievously indeede notwithstanding they feele not that their sinne in speech surely they promise to themselues the mercy of God in Christ nevertheles in very deed they feele it not For it is easie to any secure man and that sleepeth in his sinne in a dreame to promise all things to himselfe God therefore willing the weill of sinners in this so great a difficultie of feeling of grace hee would haue left vnto vs an example of that this mercy whereby moste grievous sinnes are pardoned such as was this example of Gods mercy in DAVID the more notable in this respect the more grievous that his sinnes were as manslaughter adultery c. Also they were the heavier in that selfe-same respect that hee was a King PAVLE the Apostle 1. Timoth. 1. Professeth indeede himselfe to bee the chiefest of all sinners to witte a Blasphemer a persecutor a man that did wrong Notwithstanding sayeth hee God for this cause had mercie vppon mee that hee might shewe first on mee all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him to everlasting life This way of bringing men vnto grace which is by experience by his own exaÌ„ple God wil haue without al dout every one whosoever haue felt at any time in experieÌ„ce his mercy to follow to coÌ„municate to others willingly that tast of grace which they theÌ„selues before haue felt which thing David promiseth to do in this place I wil teach back-sliders saieth he thy waies In this place thou shalt marke that the godly when God as it were taking holde of their hande lift vp themselues they stretch out their other hand as it were to lift vp others whereby they also may be participant of the same grace WheÌ„ Christ calleth vpon them they also at the same time cal others that they may come together vnto him according to that commandement of Christ vnto Peter When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren For true faith not only is careful for the self but chiefly this is the ende of the purpose thereof through a certain zeale of the glory of God to promoove the salvation of others to wit that other sinners may be turned vnto God repent For David respecteth this ende in teaching others that is the mercie of GOD towarde sinners that they also might repent being mooved to wit with that sense of the mercy of God toward theÌ„ Of the which that thinge appeareth that some taste of the mercy of GOD preceedeth turning vnto God that faith is the cause of Repentance For it cannot bee that men can be turned vnto God vnles they be allured with some â—eeling of his fatherlie loue Deliver me from blood
things yea even to the reprobat But he giveth Christe and his benefites to none but to the faithfull for in these onely hee attayneth to the ende of his benefites and those alone who receiue them in faith glorifie that God the giver What sayest thou that ther commeth any thing to the increase of the glory of God by the praises that cum from vs I answer God indeed in himself is most perfit and all sufficiente and that his glorie consisteth perfite within himselfe without the helpe of any of the creatures without the which The Father glorifyeth the Sonne The Sonne the Father The Father and the Sonne the holy Spirite The holy Spirite the Father and the Sonne But for this cause God craveth his glory from the creature in respect hee is righteous Nowe his righteousnesse requireth that the creature acknowledge the owne Creator and glorifie him the fountaine of al good things in his benefits Also that good thing which is in the praysing of GOD belongeth to the creature whose happinesse consisteth in this that by all duties it serue God the owne Creator redemer Yea this same thing every one of the godlie finde in experience in themselues For if at any time they feele not their hart to be loused into the praises of GOD then surely there is no comfort there is no gladnesse But contrariwise if at any time they feele their heart to bee touched to prayse their own Creator to seeke all whatsoever they haue need of at him to giue him prayse for benefites received then surely they appeare to them to be blessed For thou delightest not David said that he wold publish the prayses of God that hee would sing with his tongue the righteousnesse of God which service indeed is onely spirituall and inwarde Wherefore it might bee asked concerning the sacrifices and externall ceremonies whether if hee should not by them prayse God also He preventeth this demaund and aunswereth to it in these words Thou delightest not in sacrifices as if he should say God taketh not so much pleasure in the outwarde worshippe as hee doth in the inwarde which is seene in spirit and trueth Hee delighteth not so much in the sacrifice and killing of beastes as he doth in the internall obedience of the heart and inward holines whereby it commeth to passe that men present themselues a sacrifice vnto God holy liuing and acceptable vnto God Rom. 12. Notwithstanding it may be obiected yet seeing that sacrifices are of his owne ordinance and commandement seeing that David lived none otherwaies but vnder the iudiments of the law Christ not being yet manifested in the flesh howe is it that either David himselfe refuseth those externall exercises of Religion or pronounceth that GOD taketh no pleasure in them I aunswere the wordes are not simplie to be vnderstood neither yet absolutely are they spoken but by way of comparison of that outwarde worship with the inwarde in respect of which indeede the outward worship is not greatly to be accounted of So GOD himselfe professeth that he regardeth not so much in the respect of the sacrifices if in the meane time prayses be offered and sacrificed vnto him Psal â—0 4 Samuel sharply rebuketh Saule because hee had thought that God taketh more pleasure in burnt offrings then in obedience taketh Iehoua pleasure sayth hee so much in burnt offerings as when he is obeyed 1 Sam 15 22. Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to take heede is better then the fat of Rammes There is also another answer of others which indeed I refuse not to witte that Dauid here speaketh of the abuse of the sacrifices The law taught that sinnes were purged by sacrifices that siners distrusting their own deservings and works they might put their confidence in Christes sacrifice alone where of all those Leviticall sacrifices were types And that their faith in time comming might bee strengthened by that sacrifice of Christ This surely was the proper vse of those auncient sacrifices But men neglecting the sacrifice of Christ neglecting faith and repentance neglecting finally the inward worshippe they put their confidence in their sacrifices offered and outward ceremonies â—s in merites He sayeth therefore that God taketh no pleasure in this abuse of sacrifices which also God saith he abhorred Esay 1. Those external exercises of Religion in hearing of the word in administrating and participating of the sacraments was indeed prescribed by God but if there be not therewith the internal worship of the soule faith repentance good workes all these externall things are nothing God taketh no pleasure in them yea contrariwise he abhorreth them Concerning sacrifices I mark this onely in this place that those which specially were called propitiatorie were so many types and figures of that onely one sacrifice of Christ vppon whom were to be transferred the sinnes of the world and the curse of God Of the which it appeareth how great the excellencie of this sacrifice is vnto which so many sacrifices offered since the beginning of the worlde did serue as so many shaddowes thereof There was never at any time a thing concerning which there are so many prophecies so many significations among the Iewes Yea not one day hes past by in which morning and evening it was not the selfe viuely represented to wit in this continuall daylie sacrifice And surely this plainly prooveth that this sacrifice was passing excellent most necessary which wee should not at any time suffer to depart out of our eies which also it was of necessitie requisite to be represented to our fathers in certaine shaddowes from the fall of Adam to that time in which Christ was exhibited for they considered another thing in their sacrifices then the blood of beastes to wit the blood of the sonne of God which also they placed in the middest betuixt them and the angry GOD But wee to whom it hath happened to be borne after Christ his comming who haue fallen in those times in that respect wee are happier then that auncient people because we behold not now in a shaddow as they sometime did that sacrifice but wee haue Christ crucified before our eyes in his Gospell which thing those auncient fathers Abraham Isaac Iaakob and all the Prophets most earnestly desired and yet notwithstanding they obtayned it not The Fathers and the Prophets sayeth Christ desired to see the things that yee see but they haue not attayned to that And this blindnesse of ours is miserable and cannot bee yâ—uough â—amented who see not surely as it becommeth vs this sonne of righteousnesse which is rysen Therefore we are to pray vnto God that as hee hath set this sacrifice before our eies to be seene so he would open our eies that we may at length clearely see the same Let vs consider the worship now which pleaseth God and let vs weigh the wordes of this text The sacrifices of God sayeth hee are ane broken Spirite Hee calleth them sacrifices
people he giveth to them good Princes and counsellours When God would haue the Iewes to bee exercised and afflicted with the Philistims hee gaue wicked Princes to the people Saul Ioram Achaz When againe he would haue the Iewes to be in a prosperous estate and flourish hee gaue them good Princes David Ezechias Iosias The common sorte of men while they looke vpon these thinges and marke this interchaunge they impute all either to the cowardice and foolishnesse or to the courage and wisedome of the Princes themselues Or finally to Fortune chance But they cry miserably for all those things proceed from GOD by reason of the thankfulnesse or ingratitude of the people Wherefore while we see these things to be done by princes let vs lift vp our eies not so much to the Princes as to God our selues Again see David in this place wheÌ„ by his owne sinne he had hurt the whole people being touched with the conscience of the mater he earnestly prayed to god for the repairing of his skaith wherby he daÌ„nified the people of god Moreover obserue Dauid himselfe being reconciled to God presently he interceedeth for the people he who him self is first reconciled to God nowe is quiet in his owne conscience hee is bolde also to interceed for others at Gods hands But he who is not yet reconciled to God and is therefore yet guiltlie in conscience he dare not indeed be so bolde as to plead his owne cause before God How much therfore is it profitable for a people to haue sum certain good man familiar with god that hath his conscience well pacified and that by faith in Iesus Christ Surely one such like man by his prayers is able to be profitable to many others before God God grant that the Lorde may giue to everie one of vs this faith in Christ Iesus which is the ground of all these things with the which we can neither do or be bold to do any thing Last of al in the last verse he mooveth God to do well to his people from his owne thankfulnesse which hee together with the people wil be bounde to performe to God to wit in offring the lawfull sacrifices acceptable to God according as it was the custome of those times when men were vnder the rudiments of the worlde discipline of the Law The words are Then shalt thou take pleasure in the sacrifices of righteousnesse That is lawfull sacrifices shal be offered vnto thee according to the prescript of thy law therefore they shal be sacrifices of righteousnesse For it is not permitted vnto vs to worship God according to our pleasure but it is necessary that wee serue him according to his own ordinance The meaning therefore is as if he should saye The sacrifices appoynted by thy selfe shal be offred vnto thee and thou shalt take pleasure in them Thou shalt also delight in burnte offerings yea which shal be altogether consumed to ashes They shall also offer according to the custome Bullockes vppon thine altar God seeketh his owne glorie yea and David also acknowledgeth the same in deed neverthelesse except he himself furnish matter to his glory that is vnlesse hee provoke men to glorifie himslfe by his benefites they will not glorifie him For none there is in hell that can worship God Againe al men indeed are not thankfull to the Lorde for the benefites bestowed vpon theÌ„ but these onely who haue tasted howe gracious the Lord is that is who haue some feeling of his favour in Christ Iesus Of the mercy of God there are many evidents indeed for looke how many his benefites are so many documents are there But sundry of them are of a common and vulgare mercie only such as is to wit of the Creator toward his creature But Christ alone is a sure evident to vs of singular mercy and loue such as is the favour of the father towarde the Son For God will not haue that mercy and that loue of his whereby hee hath loved the VVorlde to bee made manifest by any other thing then by his Sonne given for the world VVherefore only those who are in Christ and embrace him by faith those alone I saye feele how sweete the Lorde is because into their hearts onely that loue of God is powred out Wherefore also they alone are these who can be thankful vnto God for his benefites received We conclude therefore that which hath now oft bene beaten in our eares that we must chiefely endevour to beleeue in Iesus Christ without whome no good thing can we get without whoÌ„ we doe no parte of our duety either to God or men without whom finally there is no salvation Therefore God is to be prayed vnto continually that as of his infinite mercy he hath given vnto vs his only begotten sonne so he would open the eies of our minde to the end that we might see himself Also that he would open our hearts that we might entirely feele him without whom there is no feeling of gladnes in the hearts of sinners And this is to be prayed for by vs for and by the same Iesus Christ the sonne of God our Lord To whom with the father and the holy Spirite be al honour and glory for ever and ever Amen The Argument of the LXII Psalme The author of this Psalme is Dauid And it was written at that time in which Saul persecuted Dauid by his spies â—ent out The whole Psalmeâ— concerning his confidence in God For partly he shewed his confidence vnto the 9. verse partly hee recommendeth to all the godly this confidence from thence vnto the end of the Psalme The LXII Psalme 1 A Psalme of DAVID committed to be sung to the maister of Musick in Ieduthun 2 My soule onely is at rest in God from him is my saluation 3 He is only my rock and my saluation my strong hold I shall not be mooved out of my place with a great motion 4 How long will ye be devising troubles against a man ye shall bee all slayne howe long will ye be like a bulgeing wall a wall of drye stones thrust downe 5 They onely devise counselles to thruste him downe from his dignity they take pleasure in a lye they blesse with their mouth but within themselues they curse Selah 6 O my soule be at rest in God onely for of him is mine expectation 7 He is only my rock and my salvation my strong hold I shall not be mooved out of my place 8 In God is my salvation and my glorie my strong rock my refuge is in God The first part of the psalm MY soule onely As concerning his confidence first he gloryeth of his assurance in God Then he gloryeth against his enemies Thirdly hee returneth to that former glorying As concerning the glorying in his assurance David after hee had bene afflicted and troubled in minde at length he quieteth himselfe in God Having then felt so great a joy of that rest hee gloryeth thereof