sinne yet is be sore troubled because he knew that God knew it creature but himselfe Bathshabe and Nathan were priuie to it yet this terrifies him that he saw the Lord looking vpon it It is no comfort to a man to haue his sinne hidden from all the world vnlesse hee knew that the Lord also hath couered and forgiuen it alioqui Ambros de paeniten li. 2. cap. 11. ita grauis est culpa conscientiae vt sine iudice ipsa se puniat So heauie is the sinne of any euill conscience that albeit no creature were to iudge it it iudges and punishes it selfe He said in the third verse that God will looke to our sinnes if we looke not to them his sin was alway in his sight and now hee praies that God would put it out of his sight this is a very good ordor if we hold our sinnes in our eies to persue them God will cast them behinde his backe to pardon them if we remember them and repent hee will forget them and forgiue otherwise peccatum vnde se homo non auertit aduertit deus si aduertit animaduertit the sinne from which man turnes not God lookes to it and if he looke to it sure he will punish it Thy face The face of God is The face of God put sometime for his mercy sometime for iustice sometime put for his fauor and with this he lookes on the persons of them who are the children of his good will this Dauid praies may be lifted vp vpon him Psa 4. that God would not hide it from him Psal 27. the hyding of his face did trouble him sore Psal 30. therefore it is his customable prayer Lord cause thy face to shine vpon vs Psa 4. sometime againe it is put for his anger or angry face whereby he lookes on the persons of the wicked when he wil vex them in his displeasure or vpon the sinnes of his owne children when he wil humble them How fearefull a sight this How fearefull a sight Gods angry face is angry face of God is see it in Dauid for his good the Lord who loued Dauids selfe looked with an angry countenance at Dauids sinnes but hee protests hee may not indure it and praies God to hide it from him See it againe in Christ Iesus who endured the looks of that angrie face not for himselfe but for vs how did it make his soule heauy and his flesh so weary that he did sweat blood How miserable then are the reprobates who must endure for euer the sight of Gods angry face looking vpon them for they and their sins are one no maruell they shall cry hils and mountaines fall vpon vs and hide vs from the face of him that sits vpon the throne Let vs feare and looke with anger vpon our sins in time that God in mercy may looke vpon our selues and wee may finde ioy in his face wherein the wicked shall see nothing but terror VERSE 10. Greate in mee a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within mee NOw followes Dauids third petition The third ranke of Dauids petitions wherein he craueth the grace of sanctification hee sought before the forgiuenesse of his sin now hee seekes to be deliuered from it in time to come for it is for this end that hee praies for a cleand heart and a renewed spirit that hee should not any more fall to the like vncleannesse This is a good order in our prayer when first we seeke the Remission of sinne and renouation go together grace of remission and then the grace of renouation for these two goe inseparably together to whom the Lord giues remission them hee makes new creatures so that renouation of the heart is alway an vndoubted token of the remission of thy sinnes and by the contrary he whose heart is not renewed but abides stil in his former vncleannesse hee deceiues himselfe if so be he thinkes that his sinnes are forgiuen This is to be marked for the common sort of prophane men They who seeke forgiuenesse and not sanctification seeke but liberty to sinne in this age who seeke from God mercy to forgiue for feare of his plagues but not grace to renew them to his image for loue of himselfe this in effect is no other but to seeke a liberty to sinne while as men seeke sin to be forgiuen but not to be restrained it is an argument they haue not a right hatred of sin but wee see in Dauid what the disposition of the godly is as they desire mercy for be-gone sinnes so also grace to renew them and preserue them from the power and deceit of sinne in all time to come otherwise to craue that the Lord would pardon these sins which thou art of purpose to commit it is but to mocke the Lord by turning his grace into wantonnesse The vncleanesse of sinne originall encreased by actuall Iob. Dauid his heart was two waies vncleane first by reason of originall sinne wherein hee was conceiued and borne Who can bring a clean thing out of that which is vnclean this vncleannesse of heart is common to al mankind but beside this he had defiled it with many actual sins specially this foule adultery murther for euery sin pollutes the heart leaues a new giltines vpon the conscience wherwith now Dauid finding his heart ouergrowne that it is not like the heart he had before he praieth the Lord to giue him a new heart He had now not only sinned but fallen as Basile expounds it in Senium peccati into Basil the very old age of sin and therefore hee desires that the Lord would begin with him againe and make him to renew his youth like the Eagle Many circumstances are to bee marked heere whereby Sinne seeks the very life of the soule Dauid aggrauateth the greatnesse of his misery as first that his disease was in his heart which is the fountaine of life As the naturall heart is the life of the body which when it is not well vitall humor health beauty ability and all decaies in the body so is the Lord the life of the soule So Dauids meaning is O Lord by my sinne I haue grieued thy holy spirit and forced thee to forsake me Tu proprie cordis The heart of any Christian his heart mei proprium es cor vita thou properly art the proper heart and life of mine heart Come againe Lord and restore life vnto mee without thee I am dead and senslesse and an abominable creature like a body which wanting an heart is an vncleane carion thou art the light of my minde the peace of my soule the life of my heart I haue lost life by my sinne I am like a man wanting his quickning spirit when thou wentest away my life went away Lord come againe and create a new heart within me Againe in that hee craues a Repentance is a new creation cleane heart may bee
created in him he acknowledgeth that his sinne had not onely wounded him but slaine him and that he stood in neede not of any reparation but of an new creation wherein hee vtterlie And so aboue the power of nature distrusteth the power of his nature yea the ability of his owne free will notwithstanding grace once resumed hee findes it so oppressed by the power of his corruption that he is forced to craue from God the benefit of a new creation Vt cor eius tale fieret per gratiam Sauan quale non potuit esse per naturam Of our selues wee fall but of our selues wee rise not againe Not onely is our first conuersion a worke of Gods grace altogether and alone but the workes of our restitution by repentance after we haue fallen as it is in the Lords praise Hee quickened vs when we were dead So is it his praise that hee keepes Psal 100. As we created not our selues So we cannot renew our selues our soules in life The Lord made vs we made not our selues Wee are content to giue him the glory of our first creation let vs also giue him the glory of our second creation Yea so oft as we fall into sinne let vs consider that our rising againe is no lesse a worke of the great power and mercy of God then was the raysing of Lazarus out of the graue for otherwise wee should haue lien still with others rotting and perishing in our sinnes And so haue wee to praise the Lord not onely for our first and second creation but for the renewing of that benefit vnto vs as oft as we by our transgression haue lost that life which the Lord did once communicate vnto vs. And this that our sanctification A proper comparison of our first creation with the second or restitution by repentance after that wee haue sinned is called new creation renders yet vnto vs a profitable instruction if we compare our new creation with Adam his first creation When shall wee say that Adam was made a naturall man neuer till the Lord breathed the breath of life into him the Lord first formed his body of clay after the same shape and similitude that now yee see the body of man in all the porportion of the members thereof No image can be made by mans wit so liuely representing a man as did that portraiture of clay which the Lord at the first formed with his owne hand but al this time it lay vpon the ground hauing eyes that saw not eares that heard not a mouth that could not speake and feet that could not walke hee was then very like vnto that which now man Many professed Christians are but carkases of Christians is but as I said was not a naturall man til God breathed the breath of life vnto him Let vs consider the like in the new creation how many shall ye find verie like vnto christians baptized in the name of Iesus who haue a mouth to speake and an eye to looke vp vnto heauen and an care as a man would thinke to heare very reuerently the word of the Lord who when all is done what euer they seem in the eies of men are no other in Gods sight but as the carcases of christians So to speake destitute of that quickning spirit of grace which onely giues life to the actions of men Let vs take heede to our selues that we bee not of that number for then onely haue wee this comfort that we are Christians indeed when we finde that quickning spirit of grace which is in Christ Iesus communicating life vnto our spirits that what we doe in the workes of Christianity stand not in externall shew but may proceede from inward sense and feeling VERSE 11. Cast mee not away from thy presence and take not thine holy Spirit from me STill Dauid continues Dauids feruency in Supplication his supplications seeking a remedy of these manifold miseries which he found by experience his sinne had brought vpon him For wee must remember that all these petitions proceeded from a sense of a contrary euill which by his sinne hee had incurred and craues that God of his mercy would diuert it He lamemted before that sinne had slaine him and made him like a dead man wanting a heart or quickning spirit and now hee feares lest as the dead are abhorred by the liuing so the Lord should cast him out as a dead and abominable thing out of his presence Whereof wee learne this is The pleasures of sin are deare bought one of the iust punishments of sinne it procures the casting out of a man from the face of God and it may let vs see how deare bought are the pleasures of sinne when a man to enioy the face of the creature depriues himselfe of the comfortable face of the Creator as Dauid here for the carnall loue of the face of Bathsheba puts himselfe in danger to bee cast out for euer from the presence of the Lord his God If man could remember this in all Satans tentations what it is For Satan seekes frous man better then he can giue him that the deceiuer offers and what it is againe that hee seekes hee would be loth to buy the perishing pleasures of sinne vpon such a price as Satan selleth them but would answer him as the Apostle did Simon Magus Thy money with thy selfe goe into perdition thy gaine thy glory thy pleasure and what euer thou wouldest giue me to offend the Lord my God goe with thy selfe into perdition for what canst thou offer vnto mee comparable to that which thou wouldest steale from me But how is it that he praies A twofold presence of God Cast me not out from thy presence May a man bee cast any way from it saies hee not himselfe What way can I flee from thy presence This is soone answered by distinguishing his twofold presence one in mercy wherewith hee refresheth and comforteth his owne and this without intermission they enioy who are in heauen another in wrath whereby hee terrifies and torments without intermission the dāned in hell As to thē who are vpon earth certaine it is hee is displeased with many who because No casting out from the one they see not his angry face regard it not borne out with temporall recreations of the cteature which wil faile them and there are many againe to whom hee lookes as a louing father in Christ and yet they see not his mercifull face by reason of many interiected vailes but to them who once haue felt the sweetnesse of his fauourable face it is death to want it Absolom protested hee could not want the sight 2. Sam. 14. 32. of Dauid his Father hee spake it out of his hypocrisie but to such as are truely godly there can be no punishment so heauy as to debarre them and it were but for a short time from the comfortable face of their heauenly father Thirdly let vs learne how What
could make him cleane The Spirituall hyssop then The purging vertue of Christs bloud full of bloud is Christ Iesus Qui humiliauit se ad mortem qui calore suae immensae charitatis nos dilexit qui odore manfuctudinis suauitatis totum mundum repleuit His blood sprinkles not the bodies so much as the soules and consciences of men for so the purging vertue which is in the naturall hyssop is internall and by it is signified Coram Deo opus esse non externa sed interna purgatione Seeing so it is that the godlie How carnall Papists are who place so great sanctification in externall things Israelites in vsing these externall types which were not ordained for themselues but for other things had a spirituall disposition looking euer to the thing signified by them Is it not a shame for Papists to be so grosse and carnall as to place any sanctificatiō in the like externall sprinkling of their body with their holy water as they call it with as great reason might they bring in againe all that ceremoniall Law which was but for a time and now is abrogated But now seeing the truth is come which is Christ Iesus it is good reason the type and figure should cease The fountaine is opened to Dauids house for sinne and for vncleannesse Hee hath made a perfect purgation of our sins by his owne blood Now to retaine the ceremonies of Iudaisme or to bring in from Paganisme their superstitious washings of sinne as Papists borrow from Pompilius these heathenish purgations by sprinkling of water which they vse is to offer wrong to Christ Iesus for the first in effect imports that Christ the veritic is not yet come and therefore they will stil retaine the figure the second imports that albeit hee bee come hee hath not made a perfect purgation of our sinnes by himselfe but his wants must bee supplied by a purging with water on earth and a purging by fire in the second house of hell But heere it is to be demanded Sinne not imputed is as if it had not beene committed how it is that Dauid saies if the Lord wash him hee shall bee cleaner and whiter then the snow doth he meane that after sinne is forgiuen there abideth no more any remainder of sinne vnto him No this is not his meaning but that if the Lord forgiue him his sin hee shall hee in as good estate with the Lord as if he had neuer done it Peccatum enim non imputatum est quasi non commissum a sinne not imputed is as if it had neuer beene committed That wee may vnderstand A twofold purging of sinne this the better wee are to consider how there is a two-fold 1 One by Christs bloud this is our iustification washing or taking away of sinne one that is made by the blood of Christ another by the spirit of Christ The taking away of sin by the bloud of Christ is perfect euen now For they to whom the merit of the blood of Christ is imputed haue presently all the giltinesse of their sinne remoued fully and perfectly this in effect is the benefit of our-iustification The other taking away of sinne by the spirit of 2 The other by his spirit this is our sanctification Christ is imperfect his vertue hath begun in vs a mortification of our earthly members his spirit daily weakeneth and subdueth in vs the life and power of sinne that it reigneth not to command vs as it was wont to doe and this in effect is the benefit of sanctification but this taking away of sinne in this life is not perfect for some remainders of sin euen in them to whom sinne is forgiuen will the Lord haue remaining for the exercise of our faith and daily humiliation as more at large wee haue shewed in our Treatise vpon the 8. to the Romans VERSE 8. Make mee to heare ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioice HItherto DAVID with his confession The second ranke of Dauids petitions is for peace of Conscience of sin hath ioined petitions for mercy Now he proceeds and craues that these euils which his sinne had brought vpon him may be remoued Sinne hath many euill effects at the first it offends God and grieues his spirit but at the last it shall grieue the soule of him that did it Let vs learne to beware of it This petition of Dauid is to Sin spoiles man of inward peace and ioy bee opposed to his present disposition so shall wee vnderstand it O Lord I heare within mean accusing voice of conscience which terrifies and disquiets me I beseech thee Lord let me heare the contrary voice of ioy and gladnesse Heere then he confesseth that which all the children of God may finde in their own experience that sinne impaires the peace of conscience If wee could remember how sweet is the ioy and peace which wee lose for the vaine and perishing pleasure of sinne wee would bee loath any more to make any such exchange Secondly wee see here that there is not any testimony saue onely the testimony of Mans testimonie of the remission of sinnes is nothing without the testimony of Gods spirit Gods spirit that can bring peace to the troubled conscience Nathan had before this witnessed to Dauid that his sinnes were forgiuen him but Nathans word pacified not his conscience the ministration of the word of God hath credit with men the ministration of the Spirit that bringeth consolation hee hath reserued to himselfe When Martha and Marie mourned for dead Lazarous many godly Iewes came out of Ierusalem to comfort them but they got neuer comfort till Christ Iesus came and so the godly may mourne for their sinnes and for the deadnesse of their heart but there shall bee no comfort till the comforter come and re fresh their soules But here it will be obiected The ministerial comfort of Gods seruants greatly to be regarded and why what then auailes the ministery of the word and the consolations of the seruants of God giuen out of it Yea very much indeed for where the testimony of the word pronounced by Gods seruants goes before to witnesse mercie there the testimony of Gods spirit conforming it followes after for the blessing of peace pronounced Luke by the seruants of God vpon the children of peace abides vpon them this we see cleerely here in Dauid Nathan pronounced to him vpon the knowledge of his repentance the remission of his sinnes hee could not feele it for the present but the Lord followes and iustifies Nathans Ministrie witnessing that to Dauids heart which Nathan had witnessed vnto his eare And this we haue to marke Remission of of sins may be thine suppose thou feele it not for a comfort against these spirituall desertions whereunto the Children of God are subiect Remission of sinnes may bee thine the seruants of God with a warrand may witnesse vnto thee that thy
an alsufficient good the Lord is the all-sufficiencie of the Lord our God and his great power appeares in this It is punishment enough to a man suppose he were Monarch of the world and had all comforts earthly to vphold him to want the countenance of God O It is life to see his fauorable face and death to want it what an infinite good what an all-sufficient Maiestie is hee in himselfe a looke of whose countenance refreshes his creature no comfort can comfort him that wants it as yee may see in Beltasar how did he tremble in the midst of all his pleasures at the sight of Gods anger and here in Dauid who once debarred from the sight of Gods ioyful face for his sins could neuer rest till he got it againe All the sports and delights of his Kingdome could not refresh him Doubtlesse he is an all-sufficient God who liues by himselfe whose onely countenance comforts his creatures and without whose fauour life yea the most honourable life that can be deuised on earth is worse then death But what moued him to The godly feare when they remember Gods iudgements on others fear casting out from Gods presence who had so many both externall and internall testimonies of Gods fauour toward him Out of question the examples of Caine cast out for murthering his brother the example of his predecessor Saul iustly reiected of God did terrifie him left hee for mercilesse murthering his owne seruant and fearfull back-slyding from the Lord should also be reiected He remembred well the example of Gods iudgements on others for their sinnes and his conscience told him within hee was guilty of the like or greater this made him afraid Yet was not his feare without hope susteyned by consideration Yet their feare is neuer without hope if they feare God as a Iudge they hope in him as a Sauiour of God his vnchangeable loue but by the inward consciēce of his own vnfeyned repentance and by the manifold examples of Gods mercie shewed to penitent sinners If Caine was cast out from thy face it was because he sought not thy fauour and Saul was reiected because hee repented not But Lord I haue opened my heart to thee thou seest what griefe is in my soule for grieuing thee by my sinnes thou neuer reiectedst any that from a penitent heart sought thy mercie Quis vnquam venit Sauan ad te confusus abijt Who euer came to thee and went away ashamed Shall I be the first that sought thy face and was reiected Nay Lord Cast me not I beseech thee out of thy presence Thus we see how Dauid at one time Et timet à iudice Bernard sperat à saluatore is both affraid of God as his Iudge and hath hope in God as his Sauiour somtime feare oppresseth his hope but at the length hope ouercometh feare Felix conscientia in qua eiusmodi luctamen And take not thy holy Spirit The vncleanenesse of sinne grieues Gods Spirit from me The Spirit of GOD will not dwell in a polluted soule Euery vncleanenesse diminisheth his presence The Apostle warneth vs heereof when hee saith Grieue not the Spirit And againe Quench not the Spirit Dauid felt it by his own experience and therefore makes he this prayer to God that the grace of his Spirit which was weakened by his sinne should not vtterly be taken from him This is a petition necessary alway to bee vsed vnto God Without the Spirit no fellowship with God Rom. 8. for without this Spirit we can haue no fellowship with God If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his this Spirit hee is knowne by his fruits which are Loue Peace Ioy long Suffering Gentlenesse Gal. 5. 22. Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance Where wee finde the presence of this Spirit by his fruits wee are to cherish him where we find a want or decay of them wee are to pray for them but many prophane men in this age are like these who know not whether there bee such a thing as the Holy Yet prophane men cannot discerne his presence from his absence Ghost or not they neuer felt his presence neyther had they euer experience of his renuing and comforting grace therfore feele no losse by his absence Let them enioy such things as they loue they care not for him because they know him not most like vnto brute beasts to whom pearles and most excellent jewels are What an excellent guest and worthy intertainement the Spirit of God is of no price onely such things as affect their sensuall appetite are pleasant vnto them But how excellent a guest this Spirit is and how worthy to be harboured in our hearts may be gather'd from this proper Epithet which alway is attributed to him A holy Spirit both because in himselfe he is so and dooth also make them holy in whom he dwels What notable effects hee workes in his own children is summarily comprised by Bernard in three Bern. in fest Pentecost Ser. 5. wordes he is Pignus Salutis the pledge of saluation all speaking of saluation without him is but babling hee is Robur vitae the strength of our life without him we haue no ability to any spirituall action and he is Scientiae lumē the light of knowledge for without his sanctifying grace all knowledge whatsoeuer is but darknesse But heere it is demaunded May the spirit of God once giuen Whether Gods Spirit once giuen may be taken from his children or not to Gods children be taken from them I answer there are some of his gifts which may be giuen and taken away againe these are secondary and common such as God giues indifferently to good men and euil So Achitophels wisedome and Saul his gift of Kingly gouernmēt were at length taken from them but there are other gifts which once giuen are neuer taken away againe These are principall and proper communicated only to Gods elect as the grace of regeneration adoption sanctification these graces are crowned with that great grace of Perseuerance The reason whereof is not in vs nor in our stabilitie but in the vnchangable counsell and will of him who loued vs for whom he loues he loues to the end his gifts and calling are without repentance Wee may fall after grace receiued but the Lord puts vnder his hand and raises vs vp againe Because I am not changed therefore ye are not consumed saith the Lord And truely euen at this same time when Dauid makes this praier it is euident hee wanted not this spirit of grace restoring him by repentance after hee had fallen and making him thirst for mercy Nullum enim certius praesentiae spiritus testimonium quam desiderium amplioris gratiae VERSE 12. Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish mee with thy free spirit THree great euils Three great euils Dauids sinne brought vpon him did Dauid bring vpon himself by
heart and spirit vnto him But least wee should thinke Contrition of spirit many waies expressed in scripture that euery spirit is acceptable to God he addes this epithet That a Contrite spirit is Gods sacrifice or as after he cals it a broken heart it is called by Ioel a rent heart by Esay it is compared to a bruised reed and it is also called a pricking of the heart and a melting heart such as was in Iosiah All which imports none other but that inward vnfained sorrow which is in a penitent soule for offences done against God Then were beasts vnder the As beasts in the Law were 1. bound 2. slaine 3. sacrificed so must our spirits be law said to be sacrificed to the Lord when they were taken from commō prophan vses bound with cords to the horns of the Altar afterward slaine offered by fire vnto God And so is it to be done with our affections if wee minde to sacrifice them to the Lord we must first separate them from their wonted wanderings wee must binde them with the cords of Gods word and lay them downe at the feete of Christ as his captiues by godly sorrow we must slay that sinfull pleasure which was the former life of our affection and then become they sacrifices vnto God But heere the difference is But in these sacrifices beasts offered lost their liues here men sacrificed recouer their liues great for beasts sacrificed vnder the law lost their liues and became dead creatures that they might be sacrificed But we when wee are sacrificed of dead creatures are made liuing wee being dead in sinnes and trespasses then begin to liue when sinne is slaine and sinfull lusts mortified in vs. Oh that wee could remember this that the strife betweene vs and sin is here Who shall slay other if sinne liue we must die if we slay it we shall liue except we binde our affections and deliuer them captiues to Christ they shall binde vs and deliuer vs captiues to Satan And that yet better we may know the quality and valour Three things concurre to a contrite spirit of a contrite spirit let vs consider these things in it first an inward sorrow for sinne which causeth repentance to saluation 1 An inward sorrow not to be repented of Sinne is contracted with carnall pleasure but is dissolued with spirituall displeasure euen as the cause of sickenesse is remoued by medicine which is contrary to it And this godly dolor is not onely profitable to cure sinnes past but also to preuent them in time to come Cum dolemus admissa admittenda excludimus Amb. lib. 2. de paeniten cap. 10. fit quaedam de condemnatione culpae disciplina innocentiae for when wee mourne for sinnes done we close the doore vpon sinnes to be don and the damning of our former faults becomes a discipline whereby we are instructed to amend in time to come Secondly in a contrite spirit there is a great sincerity it is 2 Sincerity without dissimulation that blessed spirit wherein there is no guile no couering nor dissembling of sinne for as in a thing which is brayed stamped the very inward parts of it are made manifest and that which before was with a skin or shel is now presented to the eye of man so is it in a soule truely humbled these sinnes which were secret couered the contrite spirit casts them out and makes them open to God man fearing no shame in the eyes of man if so be it may finde mercie in the eyes of God And therefore said Augustine of contrition that it was Sanitas animarum holocaustum medullarum a health of the soule and an offering to God not of any outward matter but of the inward marrow And thirdly this true contrition is neuer without faith 3 True faith with an earnest desire of mercie which causeth such a vehemēt desire of mercie as maketh the soule of man to long to wait to faint to crie to hunger to thirst for Gods consolation the delay whereof makes the soule of the creature pine away with inward griefe and he becoms like that book wherin Ezechiel saw written lamentations Aug. Ezech. 11. and wo for still he cries Wo is me alwayes til the comforter com and assure him that his sinnes are forgiuen him Now this being spoken of A contrite spirit called sacrifices in the plurall and why the contrit spirit we are to see why hee cals it sacrifices in the plurall number the reasons heereof are two first because this is more worth in Gods eies then all the legall sacrifices though they were ioyned in one this one excelleth them al next because in the contrite spirit are many sacrifices for it strikes the life of euery sinfull affection and so sacrifices many beasts to the Lord Nam si Gregor Moral vis compunctionis in intimis afficit omnis strepitus prauae suggetionis obinutescit for if once the sting of godly compunction touch the heart incontinent the whispering of wicked suggestion is silenced Vnder the law such as wee Nobles and Princes offered As Princes vnder the law multiplied externall sacrifices so now powerfull Christians are discerned by manifold internall oblations 2. Chro. 7. great oblations which far exceeded the offerings of the poore Wee read at one time Salomon offered many thousand sacrifices the common people contenting themselues with the offering of Pigeons and such like more simple sacrifices But now Princes among Gods people in Gods estimation are they who sacrifice most of their sinfull affections vnto him If the Lord should send vs to the bosome of the earth to the deepe bottome of the sea to the vttermost ends of the world to seeke a sacrifice for him wee might most iustly be astonished and specially the poorer sorte whose meanes may not extend to the furniture of so great a sacrifice but now O man since They are inexcusable who sacrifice not to God seeing that which be craues is within them the Lord requires no thing but that which is within thee or at least may be and should be if thou haue not to offer him a contrite spirit a sorrowfull heart for sinne is not all excuse taken away from thee God hath proclaimed to men what is the sacrifice that pleaseth him and if any man offer it not vnto him it is not because he may not but because he will not for in this sacrifice the poore may excell the most rich and honourable men in the world A contrite spirit is called Gods sacrifice because he is the giuer of it And yet further that hee cals the contrite spirit the sacrifices of God imports that he is the giuer of this grace he powers vpon his people the spirit of grace and compassion which causes them to mourne hee takes away the stony heart and giues them a heart of flesh Euen as he prouided a sacrifice for Abraham when hee called him
his sinne a giltinesse which empaired the sense of Gods mercy an vncleannesse which peruerted and corrupted all the powers of his soule vpon which two followed horrour of a iust accusing conscience Against these three he frames his supplications Against the His remedie against them all three first he seekes mercie to pardon and forgiue his sinne Against the second hee seekes grace to renew him and that God would create a cleane heart within him Against the third he seekes to be restored to the ioy of Gods saluation But as this is the last and The way of a penitent sinner is greatest petition that a sinner can seke to be comforted with the ioyes of God so are wee to remember that in this petition wee cannot preuaile except some other goe before it there then is the order to be obserued by a penitent sinner let vs first fall downe at his feet and mourne ploremus coram domino qui fecit nos ea quae fecimus Bez. in Cant. ser 3. nos let vs therefore continew a long time lamenting our manifold sinnes and taking a view if possibly we may of euery one of them that as by committing them wee contracted giltinesse so by mourning particularly for them wee may enfeeble their testimony against vs. Then let vs looke vp out From mourning at Gods feete to goe vp to the kisses of his mouth of the assurance of faith and require the helping hand of the Lord to raise vs vp these two being rightly done we shal finde him like that merciful father embracing the forlorne sonne in his armes and kissing him from his feete we goe to his hands from his hands to the kisses of his mouth such as fall not downe to mourne at his feete how can his helping hand raise them vp or the kisses of his mouth comfort them See here what a deceiuer and Sathan in tempting makes faire offers but indeed is a robber supplanter Satan is in temptation he seemes to be a giuer for he makes great offers to men if they will obey him but in very deed he is but a robber and so shall euery man finde him when they are deliured from the deceite of sinne and get their eares opened they shall see that Satan by alluring them to sinne hath taken excellent things from them for which they haue need to pray earnestly vnto God as Dauid here doth that hee would restore them Let vs not therefore harken to him when he flattereth vs the fairest Where God gets loue and obedience from man there man gets comfort in his God but Satan like a subtill diuider doth what hee can to depriue God of that obedience which his creature should giue him that so he may depriue the creature of that ioy and comfort which otherwise he might haue in his God And again we see how there No ioy can comfort mans soule but the ioy of Gods saluation is no ioy can content Dauid but the ioy of Gods saluatiō he was a King wanted none of these earthly comforts wherein worldly men reioyce but none of them can comfort the heart of Dauid it is the ioy which arises to the conscience from the feeling of God his saluation that he craues indeed what other ioy can there be albeit the Lord would giue vs all things that he hath made vnlesse we feele himselfe our father and Sauiour in Christ what can they helpe vs it is true of them all which Iob in his trouble spake of his friends Miserable comforters are ye and yet many such miserable men are there in the world who know no ioy but that which arises of meat and drinke siluer and gold and such like things this is but a brutish ioy for euen the beasts haue their owne delight when such obiects are presented to them as are agreable to their nature and thou if thou knowest no other in respect thou wast made for greater things art more beastly then they Three great graces seeks Dauid in this petition And stablish me with thy free spirit In this short petition many notable benefits Dauid seeketh from the Lord for by this free spirit Vatablus vnderstands Spiritum libertatis qua proni faciles reddimur ad faciendum quae Deus praecipit that spirit of liberty which enclines our hearts willingly to doe what the Lord commands according to that of our Sauiour Iohn 8. Then shall ye be free if the sonne make you free So then the benefit Dauid here craued is 1 That reason may command affection that he may finde reason commanding affection as Basil expounds it and that his carnall affections haue no power to draw his heart toward external and vnlawful obiects away from his God as they had done for affections once let loose are not easily bridled and restrained againe but after a furious and inordinat manner caries away the heart of man suffocates light captiues reason whereby they themselues should be ruled and this Dauid feeling in himselfe praies against it that the Lord would establish him with his free spirit Secondly he is called Ruah 2 That the sense of Gods loue may ouercome the terror of his accusing conscience Nedibah the spirit of liberty for an other effect which hee workes in our hearts whereof the Apostle speakes Rom. 8. Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare again but the spirit of adoption whereby ye cry abba father This effect is to comfort our heart with the sense of Gods fatherly loue Dauid was trouble with terrors of minde which his gilty conscience had wakened and now he craues the confirming spirit of God or as Tremell translates it Spiritum ingenuitatis thy kindly spirit which in regeneration thou giuest to thy owne children wherby I may know that I am one of them Euery sinne empaires in our heart the testimony of the spirit of adoption witnessing Gods loue and therefore Dauid craues it might againe be renewed vnto him Thirdly the word Nadab signifies to be willingly moued 3 That a Princely minde may be giuen him according to bis calling to giue therefore among the Hebrewes their Princes were called Nedibim for their free munificence and liberality and out of this sense he seekes a new benefite Dauid was not a priuate man but a publike and therefore craue so to be gouerned by the spirit of God that he might be made answerable to his calling For the pride of Nebuchadnezer the heart of a A admonition for men in authority man was takē from him the heart of a beast giuen Dauid hauing misruled himself found his gift decaied by which hee should haue ruled his people And therefore now praies that as the Lord had called him to be a Prince of his people hee would not cast him away for his sinnes but restore to him that measure of Gods spirit whereby hee might doe that worke according to the excellencie of his calling Oh that al Kings and