water to wash these wounds and they are tender and this must be done often Beloved let me tell you that Sathan befooleth us with many false pleasures of vanitie which make these wounds in our souls We pay deare for them when we come to this washing And he that considers it well will know the terrour of the Lord and be afraid to give way to temptations that may put him to the pain of repentance It is true that nothing in this world is so painfull as true repentance It is called mortification killing the old man not every kinde of death crucifie the flesh Mors lâ—ntâ— violenta dedecorosa a death slow violent disgracefull It is called the breaking of the heart the renting and tâ—aring of it in peeces It is sackcloth for clothing baldnesse for beauty it is Amaritudo animae the bitter nessâ— of soul Yet for all this Multiplica lavare multiply to wash Iâ— drosse be mingled with our gold it will ask an hot fire to purge it out and that is repentance Behold Niniveh doing penance for her sinnes The King arose from his throne he layed his roabe from him and covered him with sackcloth and sat in ashes proclaimed Let neither man nor beast taste any thing let them not feed nor drink water But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth Here is a Citie washt throughly in a bath of repentant and true tears Ecce Rex tâ—ns venit tibi mansuetus Behold thy King comes to thee meek the true and living picture of mortification He that sate on a throne of majestie and honour a glorious King arose from his throne as if his throne trembled under him in a we of the supreme throne which is set for justice upon all the world He layeth down his glory and casteth his Crown at the footstool of the most high All the ensignes of honour and principalitie above men he putteth off and puts himself into the number and rank of common men He puts off his royall garments the habite of glory He puts on sackcloth the dresse and trimme of repentance and humility He casteth himself on the ground there he sitteth in an heap of ashes He depriveth himself of his food and then Regis ad exemplum according to the Kings example all do so What can be added to this unworthying of himself He thought himself neither worthy of honour nor rayment nor ease nor food Not made onely a common man but as one of the beasts of the earth they were also clad in sackcloth Job in cinere in ashes dust to dust Thus the sinne of pride doth penance in coming down and abusing themselves The sinne of vanitie in apparrell doth penance in sackcloth The sinne of delicacie and nicenesse in a seat of ashes The sinne of drunkennesse and gluttony in fasting not bread not water The sinne of contempt and scorne of one another doth penance in an equality of like condition behold and see which is the King which is the Subject nay which is the man which is the beast all in one Liverie of sorrow and shame all in sackcloth Yet let me use the words of our Saviour of this sight Solomon in all his glorious royalty was not apparreled like one of these Never did Niniveh shew fairer in the eyes of heaven then this day never was Nineveh so throughly washt never so cleane Me thinks I heare the voyce of God saying as of Ahab so much rather so of Niniveh Seest thou how Niniveh humbleth it self before me It was a day of Ninivehs purification and God was appeased the doome of her destruction gratiously reversed David himself in this storie feeling the hand of God upon him in the visitation of his childe refused his bed laid him down on the earth would not wash or anoint or change garments refused to eat his bread We visit the Courts of Princes in our bravest trimme We finde the face and favour of God soonest in our worst clothes and meanest accoutrements All this is thought nothing the Penitent saith I will yet be more vile When Benhadad the proud provoker of King Ahab was down the winde his Servants had this hope onely left to propound to him Behold now we have heard that the Kings of Israel are mercifull Kings let us therefore I pray thee put sackcloth upon our loyns and rops upon our heads and go out to the King of Israel c. They did so Thus must they do that will have a guilt of sinne washed away thorowly and so our God being a mercifull God our life may be spared 3 David desireth God to wash him for the truth is he may say to us all as once to Peter Nisi ego te lavero non habebis partem mecum Except I wash thee thou shalt have no part in me David saith I will wash my hands in innocencie and Isaiah biddeth Wash you make you clean The work of our purification is not performed throughly but in the concurrence of both these we wash our selves in our true repentance God washeth us in his gratious pardon Yet even in our repentance God doth wash us too for he giveth both the grace and power of repentance he worketh all his works in us our spirits and faculties work together with him we are not meerly passives in our own washing but we give our affections and desires of heart to it we offer the service of our sighs and groans and tears and bring our bodies in subjection The Spirit of God doth not all it self but it helpeth our infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is of strong signification for here is a burthen too heavy for us to beare the Spirit of God comes to our help and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alone were a carriage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is over against us as when a burthen is born betweene two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decompoundeth the word and joyneth him in the burthen with us So he leaves not all the burthen upon us whose weaknesse cannot undergo it He takes not all the burthen upon him and from us but he beareth with us and as it ever falleth out between two that beare the same burthen the weaker doth ease himself upon the stronger so it is here the most of our burthen in this act of repentance lyeth upon God therefore Lava tu Domine wash thou Lord. Many would faine cast all the care upon God of their washing David doth his best and craveth here but Gods assistance For we must not sit out in our burthens and duties we cannot exonerate our selves so The manner how God worketh this lotion in us is 1 By his word so Christ Uos mundi est is propter sermonem quem ego locutus sum vobis You are clean by the word which I have spoken unto you Saint Augustine sheweth how the word doth cleanse us for it is Verbum fidei docens gignens alens fidem the word of faith teaching begetting nourishing faith And
our hearts are purged by that faith Verbum lavat non quia dicitur sed quia creditur The word washeth not because it is spoken but because it is beleeved 2 God washeth us by the water of baptisme which is therefore called the Laver of our new birth Which though it be received but once in our life as the Nicene Creed saith I beleeve one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes Yet it is available for our whole life and the vertue of it extendeth to our last gaspe thereof The Sacrament of Baptisme is for our new birth and as S. Augustine noteth As we are born once for our life so new born but once For the Lords Supper is renewed being for nutrition But the gift of God is without repentance David needed not a new circumcision after his fall his repentance renewed the vertue and power thereof 3 We are of Gods washing by the faith of Christ in his bloud which cleanseth us throughly from all sinnes That is the true and perfect lavatorie the fountain which God set open to the house of David and the inhabitants of Ierusalem that is to the whole Church of God for sinne and for uncleannesse For He gave himself for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquitie and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 3 Cleanse me See how fervent David is in his prayer he reneweth the same petition for his purification he hath but changed the phrase the suit is the same it was to be washt throughly but he expresseth it to the effect that he may be clean Sinne of all pollutions is the foulest it maketh uncleane eyes uncleane hands foule feet foule consciences A little washing of foule hands doth but foule them more we must wash till we be clean No unclean thing shall ever enter into the new Ierusalem So soone as the Angels had sinned they were cast out of Paradise aloft And so soone as Adam had sinned he was cast out of Paradise below So soone as Cain had sinned he was cast out of the presence of God and became a vagabond on the face of the earth The pure in heart shall see God who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place He that hath clean hands and a pure heart Therefore make me clean wonder not that David is so importunate with God for his full purgation from his sinne being so sensible of the danger of his impuritie For the reason why our uncleannesse remaineth upon us unpurged and we continue untroubled at it is we are not enough sensible of the foulnesse that defileth us or the danger that it brings along with it Some of us pretending holinesse can be well content and can pray to be washt but we affect not a perfect cleannesse We have some sinnes that bring in profit as usurie symonie bribery fraud lying perjurie and such like Some that put us forward in the world as ambition pride flatterie c. Some that give us pleasure and delight as adultery fornication immoderate eating and drinking chambering and wantonnesse c. Some that please our malitious disposition as revenge secret inâ—idiations cunning under minings satanicall libellings and wit-blasts c. David is for cleannesse he would have no remaine left upon his conscience of any unrepented sinne Wash me throughly and make me clean It is true penitence to forsake and abhorre sinne all kinde of sinne and to let no iniquitie have dominion over us We cannot so long as we live here put away sinne so that no remaines shall annoy us If we can quite the dominion of sinne that we suffer it not to reigne in our mort ll bodies this is our utter most And so long as sinne dwelleth in us not a received inmate but a violent intruder we shall finde that the Spirit of God will aid us so against it that as the Spirit in us doth daily grow with the increasing of God so the flesh will loose ground and the old Adam will grow weaker and weaker Our wounds which now stink and are corrupt through sinne will be so clean washt that there will be way made for healing of them up Medicus est offer ei mercedem Deus est offer ei sacrificium Is it a Physitian offer him a reward is it God offer him sacrifice The Prophet hath found out one alter in this Psalme Cor contritum a contrite heart VERSE 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is ever before me 2 HIs confession wherein 1. He at large and in a generalitie confesseth his sinnes For I acknowledge my transgressions 2 He sheweth the motive to this confession a perpetuall sight of his sinnes 3 He considereth both the generalitie of his sinnes and this last speciall sinne in the offence by it given 4 He recounteth his originall sinne the fountain of his corruption 5 To aggravate his digression he compareth himself in a state of sinne with that condition which God exacteth of him and which he will hereafter work in him 1 His confession at large After a â—ight and sense of sinne in the work of repentance confession followeth 1 David confessed to Nathan sent of God to him to charge him with his sinne and that authoritie Christ left in his Church in the new Testament with the Priests therof Whosoever sinnes you remit they are remitted unto them absolution is not rightly administred but upon a faire evidence of a true and serious repentance Which must begin at confession and therefore the power of absolution doth suppose a duty of confession The abuse of confession in the Church of Rome hath gotten it an ill name some of them having many times corrupted it to their own ends to ransack the consciences of men and to romage the hearts of men to finde how they may serve their turns Yet was it an holy institution in the intendment thereof that a man should often survey all his thoughts and words and actions Censure them with griefe tremble at them with fear confesse them with shame cure them with good counsell expiate them with some revenge extinguish them with full purpose of amendment of life and establish their hearts with some healing comforts from the holy Word of God administred as cordials from our souls Physitians But as Auricular Confession hath been sometimes practised it is a kinde of encouragement to sinne for beleeving as some do that their confession and penance and absolution doth wash them throughly from all their iniquities and cleanse them from all sinne They spare not to commit all kindes of sinne in trust of this remedie making the remedie of sinne a provocation to sinne Like those mountebanks that in sight will wound themselves to shew the vertue of their salve and drink poyson in confidence of their antidote Penances also have been sometimes so easie and perfunctorious as they may make a sport at sinne study it with deliberation practise it with
warie how we walk in the way of that roaring Lyon which goeth about continually seeking whom he may devoure But here remaineth a great scruple Was not David circumcised and hath not that Sacrament according to the intention of Gods holy ordinance this proper effect to remove and purge originall sinne And now in the time of the Gospell is not Baptisme the laver of our new birth doth it not wash away originall sinne Why then doth David yet complaine of it or why do we who are baptised stand daily yet in jeopardie of it To cleare this point we resolve that since the fall of man his infirmitie hath ever beene such as all the meanes of grace ordained by God have fallen short of working their full and perfect effect upon us in this life The word teacheth us and yet so long as we live here we know but in part The word begetteth faith yet so weak and so imperfect is our faith that Christ biddeth us to pray to God to encrease our faith The word of the Gospell is the power of God to salvation yet he doth magnifie his power in our weaknesse Our hope is imperfect for it is mingled with feare Our joy is not complete for we rejoyce in trembling The Sacraments of Circumcision and Baptisme were ordained against originall sinne yet for want not of efficacie in the gift but of capacity in the receivers thereof they fall short of the full effect here It is therefore farre from us to limit God by his ordinances to binde him to passe his graces no way but by them As farre is it from us to extend the force of his ordinance to that latitude that which way so ever his outward ordinance goeth his grace must necessarily follow the same We go in a middle way betweene these two extremes affirming that according to the good pleasure of his will so the Sacraments of our regeneration do work their effect more or lesse in his Church For my own judgement I have beleeved and taught that Baptisme doth so purge away original sinne as it doth regenerate us It worketh the same work at once the killing of sinne and the life of Christ in us As we perceive our regeneration imperfect so we must confesse our mortification imperfect Therefore after Baptisme there remaineth yet a â—ome of our originall sinne because Christ hath not the intire possession of us And yet there is a seed of grace because Christ dwelleth in us Both these seeds grow in us till the harvest Yet as Jacob and Esau they strive in the same wombe for the flesh lusteth the spirit sigheth and groaneth the flesh striveth against the spirit the spirit is contrary to the flesh From the seed of the flesh which we call originall sinne all our evill thoughts words and works do proceed From the seed of the spirit arise all good motions whereby we resist the flesh And if any of Gods people be overtaken with offence he is not straitway as a limbe cut off from the body but as a bone out of joynt for the time It is not a laxation from the bodie but a laxation in the body It is the Apostles word you that are spirituall restore such a one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put him in joynt againe So we denie not the grace of Circumcision or Baptisme we do not weaken the power of Gods ordinance but we allow it the efficacie of congruitie with the subject For it filleth secundum capacitatem vasis according to the capability of the vessell when God enlargeth our heart we shall receive his gifts more fully You now see how much cause David had to complain of his originall sinne as the seed remaining in him from whence these great offences grow I conceive the proper use of this point to be this To stirre us up by Davids example upon all occasions by our fallings into any sinne to look back upon this root of sinne in us that we may put the strength of our measure of grace to it to grubbe it It is such as that if there remain but a threed of it in our ground by the sent of water it will take in sap and gather strength and put forth and grow up as a plant as Job saith Therefore we know our spirituall growth in grace by the withering of this old man and the vegetation of the new man in us The Prophet here in the from of this confession setteth an Ecce Behold which may be directed two wayes 1 For he may divert his speech from God to whom his addresse is to the Church and to his fellow-members of that body as partners with him of the same nature of the same infirmitie See whence these â—oule evils came even from the sinne that came with me Peccatum oriens from the sinne that abideth in me Peccatum habitans from the sinne that encircleth me Peccatum circumstans from the sinne that defileth me Peccatum commâ—culans That every one of us may look to that breeder and keep it from teeming in us or if lust do conceive and bring forth sinne then to take the little ones and dash them against the stones We do not enough study this point we do not behold and see into it as we should to look for no good out of this Nazareth to confesse our weake and wicked beginnings of nature to amend by culture and industry our barren soyle impregnant of any good fruits To plough up the fallow grounds of our hearts with discipline and mortification to sowe them with the precious seed of the Word Leaving them to the clouds of grace to raine upon them and to the Sonne of righteousnes to shine on them Eliâ—hs faith will open heaven for that raine Joshuahs prayer will make that Sonne stand still 2 Behold to God he may desire him to consider in his mercie that this mother-sinne came with him it was a corruption of his nature before he had either appetite or sense or will to embrace it yea that corrupted all these and reason it selfe and the conscience that defiled all I deny not but that it was sinne at first in the conception but David doth not say Formatus sum iniquus or Conceptus iniquus but In iniquitate I am not formed or conceived wicked but in wickednesse The matter that I was made of was unsound and unholy for David was not David till his reasonable soul was infused then was he sinfull So that I conceive this behold urged to God to move compassion in him that seeing he could not help it that he was so framed and surely God is mercifull to that sinne in us therefore David saith of him Like as a father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust Therefore this Ecce behold to God doth move him to compassion of his most miserable condition in regard of the corruption and frailty of his frame and composition But
our fault is that we do not husband our talent of Gods grace and of Christs merits to our amendment of nature and to the expurgation of our sinne Yet for Infants that have no sinne but that to answer for in the ordinary way of Gods favour I make no question of their salvation by Baptisme for so the Apostle Baptisme saveth us Yet the want of the outward Sacrament which cannot be charged upon little Infants doth not deprive them of the favour of God because the covenant is not limited by the signe of it The promise which is the soul and life of the Sacrament is past to you and to your children The Church of Rome denyeth unbaptised infants a place in heaven and they have built them a Limbus an upper-roome above hell where they place them but they cannot agree upon their estate there Some of their learned depriving them of the fruition of heaven but allowing them life everlasting without paine and with some measure of happinesse Others allow them an earthly paradise of naturall felicity for ever Thomas and others that they are deprived of the sight of God and have no poenam sensus paine of sense inward or outward Driedo and others affirme both poenam damni sensus paine of losse and sense But Saint Augustine saith he could never reade in Scripture of more then two places heaven for the saved and hell from that distanced very farre off for the damned Locum tertium non reperio I finde no third place We confesse that originall sinne without Christ is mortall but Christ became man and was born of a Virgin and became an Infant for Infants to preserve them from hell and we beleeve charitably and comfortably of them that he receiveth such to himself The conclusion of this point is that seeing we are thus born filii ira the children of wrath we should make it the exercise of our whole life to strive against this naturall corruption and to weaken the force of the flesh all we can by mortifying the deeds thereof and to grow daily in wisedome and knowledge and faith and obedience perfect throughly perfect to all good works making our election and calling sure in our owne consciences to the establishing of our hearts till we grow up to be perfect men in Christ Iesus for if we mortifie the deedes of the flesh by the spirit we shall live VERSE 6. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make mee to know wisedome 5. TO aggravate his owne digression hee compareth himselfe in this state of transgression with that condition which God exacteth of us and which he will hereafter worke in him In which words we have 1 Davids feare 2 Davids faith 1 Davids feare He confesseth his transgressions and iniquities and sinnes and would very faine be quit of them because he findeth them so contrary to the holinesse and pure perfection of the divine nature for David had lived in the open profession and practise of religion he had established both religion and Courts of Iustice in Ierusalem yet secretly his corrupt heart had embraced a temptation to sinne and he had effected it whereby he had displeased God for God is not pleased with an out-side and semblance of religion which may passe currant with men who see no deeper than the shew he is a searcher of hearts and desireth not a seeming and shew but truth and that not in a face of holinesse in an outward profession but in the inward parts 2 Davids faith that notwithstanding this his grievous declination from the wayes of God yet God in his mercy will repaire him againe and make him to know wisedome in his hidden part that is in his understanding and in his heart Thus we must understand this text following our new translation but former translations doe alter the sense and change the matter of this verse The vulgar Latine the Spanish the Italian the French the old English the Geneva reading Junius Pagnine Calvine and generally all the translations that I have read and Comments Saint Augustine Lâ—dolphus Saint Ambrose Saint Gregory Cardinall Bellarmine c. doe all reade one way Thou hast made me to understand wisedome secretly Which doth also adde weight to the burthen of his sinne for seeing God requireth truth in the inward parts and had secretly informed him with wisedome to know so much and to direct him in the way of obedience This maketh Davids sinne greater who not onely transgressed Gods Commandement but sinned against the knowledge and wisedome which God gave him against it onely Montanus his interlineare readeth it in the future whom our translators of the Kings Bible have followed the originall doth beare it well and I choose rather to see David in faith then in feare and therefore I embrace our reading wherein David beleeves that God will make him wiser hereafter 1 Concerning his feare he had cause to mistrust himselfe when his conscience accused him of hypocrisie for having maintained an outward expressure of religion his heart proved false to God and his eye walked in wrong waies and misguided his heart God who looketh not onely upon our outward man but upon the heart soone found him out and saw the abhominations there for he is searcher of hearts and reines There is not a better rule to manage either our conversation or our faith or our repentance by then this to consider what God requireth of us and wherein he delighteth Micah the Lords Prophet saith He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord doth require of thee Hee is our Lord and it is fit that we take notice of his will and what he requireth he will shew us nothing but good the old way the good way that walking in it we may finde rest for our soules He desireth our eares to his word Let him that hath eares to heare heare what the spirit speaketh c. He desireth the eyes of our body that we keepe them from beholding vanity that we liâ—t them up to the hils unde auxilium whence commeth our helpe He requireth the lifting up of our hands in prayer the stretching out of our hands in almes in good workes in labour in our callings in subvention and supportation of the weake in taking up such as are fallen He requireth our tongues in voce laudiâ— in the voyce of thankesgiving wee must make his praise to be heard In prayers and supplications with strong cries He requireth our feete to tread in his Courts to stand in the gates of Ierusalem and cave pedi take heed to thy foot He requireth our knee for he hath sworne in holinesse â—gressum est verbum c. the word is gone forth Every knee shall bow to me O come let us worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord but all these are formes which an hypocrite may put on and personate and act and who can say but he is religious and feareth
that the purse hath saved the life yet that is but the price of intercession But the Kings pardon onely saveth life It is so in the state of our soules sinne is a capitall fault and the wages of it death and no way of escape from this just judgement but by Gods gratious and free pardon We cannot purchase a mediation at any rate to availe us without true and unfained repentance and then we have but one Mediatour to the Father and he must purchase our pardon with his bloud he must be wounded for our transgressions and we must be healed by his stripes and hee must dye for us that we may live in and by him Let Papists seeke heaven by their righteousnesse at their owne perill For my selfe I am so farre from trusting to any merits of our owne workes that I dare resolve that if the salvation of all mankinde had beene put to the plunge that Sodome was at with the other Cities to finde tenne righteous from Adam to the last man that shall stand upon the earth all mankinde must have perished for want of tenne such I dare adventure further in resolution that if the bringing one good worke before God done in all the generations of men performed without any tast or taint of sinne might save all mankinde I except none but Iesus Christ I doe beleeve that he that searched Jerusalem with candle and lanterne even his seven eyes which tunne to and fro through the whole earth cannot finde out one such good and perfect worke the caske distasteth the liquour who is he that doth good and sinneth not who doth good and sinneth not in the very good he hath done To make a worke perfectly holy is one thing to make it meritorious is another If no good work we doe can come from us holy it is not possible it should aske wages Our corruption of nature sprinckles every word worke and thought of ours with some graines more or lesse of our old Adam for as we consist of flesh and spirit ever conflicting there is of both in all we are or have it cannot bee otherwise for the imaginations of the thoughts of our heart are onely evill continually and from that neast these birds doe flye Adultery Fornication Strife c. But if wee could doe any worke holy and pure â—â—oâ—n blame yet there goeth more to it then holinesse to make it meritorious 1 It is required that we be able to doe it of our selves for no thankes to us for any good we doe if he land us the faculties and abilities of doing it 2 It is required that hee which deserveth should doe something for the benefit of him of whom he deserveth but our well-doing extendeth not to God 3 It is required that hee which meriteth doe his good worke out of his owne free will ex mero motu non ex debito meerely by his owne mooving not as of due debt For what we doe of duty we pay we doe not give 4 It is required that the reward bee proportionable to the worke for else whatsoever is more is gift not wages They that wrought all day deserved their penny they that came late had more gift then wages eternall life is too much reward for any service wee doe This putteth workes of supererogation quite out of countenance to name them is to shame them Micah 6. 6. Where withall shall I come before the Lord burnt offerings Calves of a yeare old Will the Lord bee pleased with thousands of rammes or with tenne thousand rivers of oyle shall I give my first borne for my transgressions the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule Hee hath shewed thee c. To doe justly to love mercy to walke humbly before thy God The way of repentance and crying God mercy is the way of humility we cannot pay our debt we cannot buy out our fault we have nothing to give our plea is miserere have mercy we can finde no way out of our sinnes but by Gods gratious and free pardon This is not so easie a favour obtained as many thinke for suppose the pardon were obtained and sealed for God have mercy yet there is no moment of our life in which we doe not forfeit it and therefore we must renew it continually When you pray say Pater noster dimitte nobis Our Father forgive us and semper orate pray alwayes Be sure to renew your pardon by repentance and prayer continually especially at such times when we come to the house of God to the Table of God now wash us throughly O Lord now O Lord have mercy upon us now purge us with hysope now hide thy face from our sinnes and blot on t all our iniquities Now make us heare joy and gladnesse which thou impartest to us in the Sacrament of thy sons passion Our Church service is holily accommodated to this for we beginne at the words wherein God maketh us heare of joy and we humble our selves to God in a contrite deploration of our sins O Lord heare us from heaven and when thou hearest shew mercy VERSE 10. Create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me 4. HE prayeth for newnesse of life Here also he doubleth his petition and changeth the phrase 1 For his heart the seat of his affections 2 For the holy Ghost to sanctifie him throughout in his body soule and minde In the first observe 1 His suit is for the heart 2 He desireth that cleane 3 He wisheth it so by creation In the second 1 His suit is for the spirit 2 He would have that right 3 He would have it by renovation 1 For the heart there breed adulteries murthers and all other sinnes as Christ hath taught us and that was the neast of all his sinnes The message of God by Nathan descended into the secrets of his heart there he hid the word he saith before Thou requirest truth in the inward parts he found his heart no fit habitation for truth as it was It is our chiefest care to looke to the heart because Christ asketh that of us for himselfe My sonne give me thy heart The Church of the Iewes in tender care for the Church of the Gentiles complaineth We have a little sister and she hath no breasts what shall we doe for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for that is how shall wee doe for her when Christ shall be speake her for a Spouse for himselfe That should be our care every one for his heart wee have a foule and uncleane heart what shall we doe for it or how shall we answer when Christ saith My sonne give me thy heart Our care therefore must be for it to prepare it so that we may neither be ashamed nor afraid when Christ calleth for it to present him with it Here Salomon adviseth well Keep thy heart above all keeping for out of it are the issues of life This heart of ours hath many
fall againe for they that are led by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God therefore David petitioneth God here for a constant spirit such as may give him wisedome to resent a temptation and holinesse to hate it faith to resist and fortitude to overcome it 3 He desireth it by way of renovation the Apostles counsell is but be you transformed by the renewing of your minde Little or no externall difference doth appeare for the time betweene one elect and a reprobate David being guilty to himselfe of this desertion desireth the stirring up of the gift of the holy Ghost and renewing of the power thereof within him Vide ordinem primò cor munduns secundò spiritum rectum requirit prius enim omnis à corde vitiorum foeditas eliminanda est ut omne quod agitur aut dicitur expurae intentionis origine emanet consider the order first he desireth a cleane heart secondly a right spirit For first the foulenesse of sinne is to be taken from the heart that whatsoever is done or spoken may flow from the fountaine of a pure intention for the holy Ghost will not dwell in an uncleane heart but when wee have purged our consciences from dead workes he saith Here will I dwell for ever for I have a delight herein There be two faculties in the soule of man first understanding secondly will The understanding in a regenerate man may be darkened for a time and he falling into sinne may be beside himselfe for sinne is a kinde of madnesse the worst kinde It is said of the prodigall in his great famine reversus ad se returning to himselfe he said Ibo ad patremmeum I will goe to my Father The will may be corrupted by a strong temptation and so way made for the perpetration of sinne Sometimes the understanding breakes forth like lightening and discerneth the fault to convince the will of sinne This wee call the conscience which is awaked of purpose to detect and chide our sinfull aberrations But when God hath sufficiently expressed to us our weakenesse and pâ—one disposition to evill and his owne long suffering and patience he stirreth up his gift in us or in Saint Pauls phrase he revealeth Iesus Christ in us and this we call renewing of the spirit this cleareth our understanding and reformeth our will and mends all The petitions of David for holinesse of life thus opened 1 We observe the manner how David desireth to be repaired being by sinne so ruined 1 In his understanding in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisedome for repentance must beginne in intellectu recto in the understanding rightly informed this is our light and if we walke without this wee know not whither we goe The haughty policy of Rome to keep her children darke doth hinder both the finding of the good way and the going on in it so our ingression and progression both hindered we seek heaven darkelings God hath sent wisedome abroad to utter her voyce to call an audience to instruct men in the waies of life to escape the pathes of death Christ is made to us of God wisedome 2 He desireth of God the pardon of his sinnes which is no other but justification before him This is the washing and purging and blotting out of iniquities by him desired for wisedome to know our sinnes without justification by faith which apprehendeth the pardon of them were the broad way to despaire but being justified by faith we have peace with God and peace also in our owne consciences Christ is made unto us justification David leaves not here but 3 He desireth in this text the spirit of sanctification by which he may be renewed to holinesse to all pleasing of God And this is Christ also made to us for whom God justifieth them he sanctifieth Some have confounded these two graces of justification and sanctification and so commedled them as if they were all one and the same grace For the clearing whereof and to declare the difference betweene them understand 1 We are sinners and by faith in Christ we are justified and so the debt of our sinne discharged this is by the inherent righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us and it is the proper worke of the second person 2 By the holy Ghost applying this righteousnesse to us we are sanctified to rewnesse of life The first saveth us from hell the second seasoneth us for heaven David therefore addeth this suit for sanctification that being cleansed throughly from sinne he may become a new creature I may abridge all our learning in the schoole of Christ to this one lesson and comprehend totum hominis the whole of man in this short compend of dutie as the Apostle doth Circumcision profiteth nothing uncircumcision hindereth nothing all that God requireth of us is that wee be new creatures leaving off and laying aside the old man and renewed in spiritu mentis in the spirit of our mindes wee are never complete penitents till we have this spirit of sanctification in some measure It is the hardest worke that is accomplished in us because our naturall corruption and the manifold temptations amongst which we live and the sensuall delight which we take in sinne doe sow our hearts all over with tares and leave no roome for better seed To root out these is one labour to proseminate grace is another yet we neglect the labour of our sanctification as if it were a worke which we could doe at a very short warning and too many doe leave it to their death beds And another impediment is that many upon some good motions of the spirit some flashes of piety and scintillations of zeale doe overweene their possession of this spirit Me thinkes if they did examine their hearts by this text here is enough in it to reveale any man to himselfe and to tell him si habeat hunc spiritum if he hath this spirit 1 Let him examine his heart and spirit within him to see if there be truth there wisedom for many faire seemings and outsides of godlinesse are put on whereby we deceive others and flatter our selves quite out of the way of salvation therefore try if all be sound and sincere within 2 Let him enquire of this heart si cor novum if it bee a new heart we may soone know that si canticum novum si novitas vitae if there be a new song if newnesse of life It is not a new dresting and trimming up of the old heart in a new fashion that will serve it must be all new and that may be discerned in our thoughts in our words in ouâ— workes and wayes for if we abhorre and forsake our former sinnes and embrace better courses this makes faith of a good change 3 If it be a constant spirit that holdeth out to the end cheerefully and unweariedly we may conclude comfortably that our old heart is gone and we have a new in place thereof VERSE 11. Cast me not
I beene holden vp from the wombe and resolveth to trust to that supportation I will goe in the strength of the Lord God Wee have many great examples in the best of Gods servants of falling into great sinnes Adam and Eve Noah Abraham Lot Isaack Iacob David Salomon Sampson Peter c. This feare shaketh David so that he craveth ayde of the good spirit for corroboration This is a singular marke of a just man so David describeth him he guideth his waies by discretion Surely he shall not be moved for ever his hart is fixed trusting in the Lord his heart is established We see here that the grace of repentance whereby weforsake sinne and turne to God and put our selves into the way of a new life will not serve unlesse the grace of confirmation doe establish us and keepe us from evill We are the Lords husbandry there is no end of that kinde of worke in the culture of ground there must bee breaking up of our fallow grounds stirring and plonghing till it be fit for seed There must be semination hrrowing to cover the seed There must be weeding of it and watering from heaven then an harvest then begin againe else Grandia saepe quibus mandavimus bordea sulcis Infelix lolium steriles dominantur avenae Often the furrowes where we sow good seeds Are overgrowne with cockle darnell weeds In the story of the widow that was so much in debt and her exactious creditours demanded her two sonnes for bondmen in satisfaction of the debt we reade that shee made her moane to Elisha he finding nothing in her house valuable but a small pot of oyle bade her borrow empty vessels and poure out and sell the oyle and pay the debt and said Live thou and thy children of the rest The Prophets care extended beyond the paiment of the debt to her maintenance In this miracle of Gods mercie here is a lively representation of his love to his elect For our sinnes doe make us debtors the justice of God is the creditour the graces of Gods spirit are the oyle he giveth of this plentifully to cleare the debt That is not all for this spirit which David here prayeth for he giveth for our after-maintenance that we grow not necessitous againe and renew our debt These two cares must not be parted the care of repentance and of a constant good life Christ joyned them together Ecce sanus factus es Behold thou art made whole and then noli amplius peccare sinne no more The corruption of nature is such even in the regenerate by the remaines of sinne that as tinder we are apt to take fire by the touch of the least sparke How then shall we bee fenced against the fiery darts of Sathan The grace of the spirit to beare off these and that which preserveth us from this fire is the shield of our faith for that establisheth our heart and moysteneth it so with the bloud of Iesus Christ that it cannot be apt to kindle suddenly And that faith doth David here request of God which is our best munition against these fiery assaults To shew what need every one of us hath to make this petition to our God for his confirming spirit 1 Let us see the miserable and unhappy condition of such as doe want this spirit 2 The singular benefit of such as have obtained it 1 Of the want we may all complaine of it for that want unheavened the Angels that kept not their first estate and turned the best of Gods creatures into divels and uncleane spirits the rebell and profest opposites of God and corrupters of man This want unparadised our first Parents and made them wofull spectacles of scorne Ecce homo factus est ut unus c. Behold the man is become like one of us What wanted in these two creatures to consummate the glory of their creation and to make their very making and happinesse but this free spirit of God to confirme and establish them It may be a wonder in reason and in religion why Almighty God did not accomplish his worke of creation by this addition of this spirit to the prevention of that misery that for want of it befell the creature and to the preservation of his owne worke from that malignity which followed sinne For hereby the creature became in it selfe corrupt and abhominable to the fellow creatures noxious and to God himselfe peccant and offensive all which had beene stayed by this one free spirit here desired I remember in the plea of God for his own full care of his people he urgeth that 1 He chose a fruitfull hill 2 He fenced it 3 He gathered out the stones 4 He planted it with the choisest Vine 5 He built a Tower in medio in the midst of it 6 He set up a Wine-presse in it and then he saith And now O inhabitants of Israell and men of Iudah judge I pray you betweene me and my Vineyard what could have beene done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it may we not heare his like complaint of Angels and man I created them in mine owne image I gave the one the fruition of heaven the other of Paradise the Angels saw my face Man was but a little lower than these Angels crowned with glory and honour invested in the dominion of his sublunarie creatures in the service of the very Angels and celestiall bodies What could have beene done more to these Angels and to man that I have not done in them may we not all answer Yes Lord thou mightest have given with these great favours thy free spirit to confirme and establish us in that happinesse and so we had beene alwaies as thou haddest made us In answer to this quere I could say who knoweth the minde of the Lord or who hath beene of his Councell we may step too farre having our shooes on our feet if we adventure to set our feet on holy ground the secrets of Gods will must be adored not searched God is not accountable to his creatures for his purposes or his actions With men the rule holds qui justè faciunt bis justi sunt they that doe justly are twise just but with God it is so that fecit omnia â—enè he hath done all things well and if he doe or say or decree or will any thing it is therefore just and good in high perfection because he doth it But you may take this for a put off and yet goe away unsatisfied Therefore seeing God calleth to the men of Iudah and inhabitants of Ierusalem to judge betweene him and his Vineyard I thinke we may boldly sit upon this cause and heare it indifferently God pleaded what could have beene done more clearing himselfe from all defectivenesse or failing on his part toward his creature Man replyeth one thing wanted even this spirit that David here desired I answer for God against all the world that that spirit was also given
to Angels and to man And to make them complete creatures images of himselfe he gave them free will to continue their own happy condition for their own good or to forsake it to their ruine They both by their owne fault forfeited their present estate and by affecting more of the glory of God than hee had communicated them lost that which they had and so this good spirit did forsake them But it is replyed if they had this good spirit why did it not confirme them in their estate that they might not fall I answer man had not beene led by this spirit but forced and necessitated if this spirit had limited him it had beene a spirit of compulsion not of confirmation Man was not content with the state of his creation the Angels were not content they resisted they grieved this spirit The Angels therefore having sinned never found a Mediatour to relieve them because it is plaine that their trespasse was against the holy Ghost For man he had this spirit also but he hearkened to the voyce of his wife against this spirit Let me adde also that after the fall of man Christ was promised Where God giveth or offereth his Sonne he offereth his spirit also these are tendred to all universally Grace is offered Christ promised the Holy Ghost to teach to leade to comfort to confirme we have all the meanes of grace that may be to put this talent to use and we may charge our perdition upon our selves if we miscarry For in the creation when we were yet but in matter rudis indigestaque moles unfashioned formelesse if God had made us crooked lame deformed disproportioned or any way ill featured we had suffered no shame of it for he made us and not we our selves Thy hands have made mee and fashioned me But God doth not now worke upon us as hee then did upon earth a dead and â—ensâ—lâ—sse element We haue vitall animall intellectuall parts and faculties we doâ— know the want â—â— tâ—is spirit we know where it may be had it is spiritus Dei the spirit of God we know how potentâ—â—â— to them that aske shall be given wee know how he must be used not grieved and if we have it not or be not confirmed it is our fault We see in the story of the Bible and in continuall experience in others and feele it in ourselves how many defections in us and desâ—rtions of God doe â—ollow the want of this confirming spirit to establish us For what is it that maketh the often relapsâ—â— into the sâ—â—e sinnes for which wee have so often cryed God mercy â—â— wanton against defiling his body after repentance thâ— drunkard like a dogge returning againe to his vomit the covetous like a swine to his mire for so basely and contemptibly are such relapses resembled by the spirit of God Many whose consciences within them convince them touched with the sword of Gods spirit the word of God and with the reproofe of their friends and the shame of the world are heartily sorry for these sinnes and bewaile them with teares and aske God forgivenesse for them and purpose and promise never to returne to them yet for want of this spirit to confirm them relapse and make their latter end worse than their beginning 2 On the contrary those who have this spirit are proofe against temptations all the sinnes in example all the evill counsels of the old world cannot infect or corrupt Noah all Sodome cannot taint Lot Josephs Mistresse cannot allure Joseph Daniel cannot be tempted to â—ate of the Kings delicates yet at some other time this spirit may leave even some of these to themselves and then they shew by what strength they were kept from falling and knowing their owne weakenesse they doe more earnestly desire as David here â—c tollas spiritum take not away thy spirit and confirma me strengthen me We see Davids good example praying to him that is able to keepe us that wee fall not and desiring him who hath begun a good worke in us to perfect it to the end This spirit is oyle in our lampes to keepe them light against the bridegroome commeth It is a wedding garment to admit us guests to his bridall feast They that truely and unfainedly repent will more desire this spirit for it is but halfe a repentance plangere commissa to bewaile sinnes committed this accomplisheth it in keeping us â—â— committamus plangenda that we commit not sinnes to be bewailed VERSE 13. 3 PRomittit he promiseth Then will I teach transgressors thy wayes and sinners shall be converted unto thee This was Peters charge tâ— cum conversus fueris confirma fratres when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren In this verse first promittit he promises secondly prophetat he prophecies or I promittit Deo quid pro eo facturus est he promiseth to God what hee will doe for him secondly promittit vicino quod â—i he promises to his neighbour what he will doe for him thirdly promittit sibi successum he promises successe to himselfe 1 Promittit Deo hee promises to God David had done God wrong to scandalize religion and by his evill example to corrupt many for great and eminent persons sinne infectiously their iniquities are catching He now promiseth that he will make amends to God in becomming a teacher to convert others to righteousnesse exemplo consilio authoritate regia prophetica by example counsell authority royall propheticall For as we are accountable to God for such sinnes as are done in others by our occasion so we doe owe God a dutie of endeavour to keepe others as neare him and draw as many to him as we may 2 Promittit vicino he promiseth to his neighbour He is sensible how farre his corrupt life hath extended to corrupt others he oweth them an amends also and promiseth himselfe a teacher of them This is one of the fullest expressions of pious charity that we can make one to another to communicate to each other the knowledge of salvation and the way to it and to put one another in that way and to put them on with cheerefulnesse to runne in it 3 Promittit sibi he promiseth to himselfe He is confident that he shall have good successe in this way and holy course and that sinners shall turne for the example of repentance in so potent a King cannot but worke strongly upon such as he shall undertake to teach Our lesson from this example is in sight for when God hath wrought a good worke upon us in turning us from sinne to true repentance it is our duty to labour the conversion of other sinners to God A perfect convert is the best teacher of the wayes of God that can be for he knowes these three things which will most move to conversion 1 He knowes the foulenesse the foolishnesse the burthen and vexation of sinne he hath seene the danger of it and hath by wofull experience found how uncomfortable a
kind of Sacrifices God would rather have then burnt Offerings This is such a sacrifice as will never be out of fashion When hee comes of whom it is written in the volume of the booke and when all the sacrificeâ— of the Ceremoniâ—â— law cease as shadows of things to come giving place to the true substance and body of them then this kinde of sacrifice will last in season and fashion to the Worlds end This is the sacrifice which God accepteâ—â— in and for it selfe Such as the Apostle calleth of I beseeth you brethren by the 〈◊〉 of God 〈…〉 your 〈◊〉 a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service Consider here 1 The matter and substance of this Sacrifice a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart 2 The necessity of this sacrifice enforced from hence it is the sacrifice of God 3 The acceptation here of with God O God thou wilt not despise 1 Of the matter 1 Here is a double subject 1 The spirit 2 The heart 2 Here heare the work which must be wrought upon this subject 1 Breaking a broken spirit 2 Conâ—â—ition a broken and contrite heart 1 The Spirit 1 By the spirit it sometimes is meant in Scripture the holy Ghost in the regenerate man wherby he is sanctified in some measure This Spirit was in Christ in plenitudine in fulnesse and herewith he sanctified himselfe for our skes Of this Saint Iohn speaketh when he saith God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him 2 Sometimes the name of spirit is given to the breath of man So God breathed into Adam the breath of life 3 Sometime it is taken for the reasonable soul of man which actuateth and animaâ—eth the body and man thereby is anima vivens a living foule spiritus revertitur ad Deum qui dedit The spirit returns to God that gave it 4 Somtime â—â— is taken for the intellectuall part of man which we call the minde So the Apostle For what â—â—n knoweth the things of man save the spirit of â—â—in that is â—n him So I take it here This is the understanding and discuâ—sâ—ve power in man wherby hee comprehendeth the knowledge of things This spirit of it self is not capable of divine knowledge that is supernaturall Animal is hoâ—â— non percipiâ— quâ— sunt Dei nâ—que potest the naturall man understandeth noâ— the things of God neither can â—e For they are spiritually discerned that â—â— by the help of a nobleâ— and more excellent spirit then his is even the Spirit of God These divine mysteries are foolishnesse to the spirit of man For this spirit judgeth by sense and naturall reason and is blinde to behold things invisble which are the object of a regenerate mans spirit The eye of the naturall spirit seeth things present onely the eye of the spirit regenerate videt futura sees things to come 2 The heart The heart is the proper seat of our affections there dwell our hope and joy and love and desire our griefe and feare c. It is the saurus cordis the treasure of the hart if it do hold good things it is bonus the saurus a good treasure if it be the nest wherin Concupiscence hatcheth heâ— yong Then out of the heart come adulteries murthers c. The name of heart is often in Scripture extended to both these both understanding and affections here they be distinguished to make sure worke that both of them may be wrought upon in the oblation of this sacrifice So the name of spirit doth include the whole inward man yet it is here named single in his more peculiar sense Examples we have of both 1 Of the heart God saith The imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth Where hee understandeth not onely projections casting about but desires wishing and purposes resolving this or thaâ—â— wherin the whole inward man is contained 2 For the spirit so Malachie Therefore take heed to your spirit where the whole inward man is meant The subject then of this passion is the whole man for the passions of the spirit and heart do afflict the body and make a sacrifice of that also to God So here is nothing of man left out Sicut delictum it â— pâ—â—itenâ—iâ— As there is a fault so there must be repentance where the fault stained repentance â—â—â—st wash God loveth not unrighteousnesse neither shall any evil dwell with him from iniquitâ—â— cordis the iniquity of the heart to iniquitâ—â— calcanâ—i the iniquitie of the heele 2 How this subject must â—e wrought upon Here are two words used 1 To the spirit breaking 2 To the heart breaking and contrition 1 Of breaking The word signifieth such a breaking as commeth of smiting which lameth and maketh the body unable to performe the offices thereof Or such as threshing which quasheth and breaketh the straw 2 Contrition That is a word of more force and betokeneth grinding These words are used to expresse the mortification of the inward man David spake before of Gods breaking his bones which is used to declare 1 The inward vexation of the soule for sin and feare of the indignation of God due for it 2 The outward afflictions which God doth put upon sinners to bring them to repentance Gods breaking of us thus is not enough to make us a sacrifice to God We must also thresh and smite and grinde our owne spirits and hearts by a serious and unfeined and full repentance and then our spirit and our heart is a sacrifice acceptable to God 1 For the breaking of the spirit that is performed when wee take away by strong hand our intellectuall powers and faculties from all impertinent and vain speculations and studies when wee bestow them all in the search of that excellent knowledge of Christ crucified who is our way to heaven So the Apostle esteemed to know nothing else 1 Knowledge puffeth up it is windy and swelling in many This bladder must be prickt and such as over-ween their knowledge must be taught to know that they yet know nothing sicut opâ—rtet as they ought Augustine amongst the hereticks in his time notorious nameth the Gâ—ostiâ—i who took upon them singular knowledge The wise sonne of Iâ—kâ—h did not finde this in himselfe for he said Surely I am more bruâ—ish then any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither 〈◊〉 wisdome nor have the knowledge of the holy If wee cannot be sensible of our defect this way but will needs over-esteeme our knowledge the Prophet thresheth and breaketh such spirits with this universall elogie Every man is brutish by his knowledge when God looked down from heaven he found non est intelligent there is none that understandeth Wisdome had much adoe shee called for audience in the street on house-tops much and lowd shee cried for audience Yet they that think they know som what more then their neighbours exalt themselves This spirit must be broken â—in us The Devils
in this kinde of light doe farre out-â—â—â—â—e us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing creatures and live wee never so long wee shall never know so much as they doe here Socrates so famous in heathen story as Saint Augustine saith he was by the oracle declared the wisest of then living got his honorable estimation of wisdome from the sense and profession of this Hoc scio quia nihil scio I know this that I know nothing This superba scientia proud knowledge is a disease in our spirituall and intellectuall part which must be purged and our spirits must be broken of it For it is a great hinderance to our endevour to purchase more when we think we have enough already 2 Another disease of the spirit is when wee are over-curious in seeking to know above that which is written which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For I say through the grace given unto me to every one that is among you not to think of himselfe more highly then hee ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of saith Quasi nos arceat Apostolus a perscrutatione rerum magis subtilium quà m utilium As if the Apostle restrained us from the search of things more subtile then profitable So Lyraâ—us quia qui perscrutator est majestatis opprimetur à gloria because the searcher out of majesty shall be oppressed with glory This ambition of unrevealed knowledge hath added so many fancies of men to the written Word of God and pieced out the story of the Bible with many unwritten and legendary supplements and traditions and it hath moved many unnecessary cuestions in religion This was the sin of Adam and the fall of man in him the losse of Paradise then and wil be the losse of heaven for ever if we desire to be like God in omnisciency Some have intemperatly busied their brains to enquire what God did in that immense eternity before the Creation of the World before time was and finding no work for him have determined that Mundus is aeternus the World is eternall and so they evacuate the story of the Creation and give Moses the lie Others dream of more Worlds as those Lunaticks who think the Moon another World such as this in which we live and our World to be a Moon to them as that is to us Many beyond sobriety are over-busie in searching after things to come prying into the secret closet of the Almighty and desiring to be of his counsel for future events The Devill took a great advantage of this and set up Oracles for the nonce which abused many and brought him much custome From hence came the auspicia q. avâ—spisia Divinations by the flight of birds Auguria ab avium garritu praedictions from the chirping and chattring of birds Aruspices such as divined by the inwards of beasts offered by their Priests upon their altars by the colour of the entrails the soundnesse of them the motion the flame the smoke of the burning Of this â— The King of Babel consulted with Idols he looked upon the liver There were so many illusions in this kinde to abuse the credulitie and to satisfie the curiosity of men ambitious of knowledge beyond their bounds as that it grew into a kinde of profest study and practice The Augures in Rome having priviledge above all other Priests for being convicted of never so heinous a crime they never lost their office for it Necromancy Geomancy Chiromancy Hydromancy Onomancy grew hence And all Magicall conjurations effected by compact and stipulation with the Devill These were studies and books were written of them Many that used curious arts brought their books Iâ—nius out of the Syriack readeth Multi magicam artem exercentes Many that were exercised in the Magick art For the Ephesians were very notorious this way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grew into a Proverb concerning the magicall inscriptions of amulets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 charmes worn about the neck Our times are not free of this dotage consulting wise-men and wise-women for things lost for things to come going to Ekroâ— as if there were no God in Israel The wise sonne of Syrach adviseth us well Seek not things that are too hard for thee neither serch thou things that are above thy strength But what is commanded thee think theron with reverence for it is not needful for thee to see the things that are in secret Be not curious in unnecessary matters for more things are shewed to the◠〈◊〉 men understand The spirit must be broken of these studies they are diabolicall and do but fasten us so much more to the familiaritie of that roaring lion who playeth the cunning Serpent with us to deceive 3 Another disease of the spirit is vain knowledge when we spend our time in a frothy learning of hamane wit neglecting the solid study of the way of our salvation The reading of the books of time the Chronicles and Annals of former ages the judicious survey of the Histories of our own or other Nations The industrious and ingenuous search into the excellent wisdome of the ancient Poets and Mythologists is no losse of time where a sober discretion hath the menage of them and these studies as hand-maids do look upon the hand of their mistris the doctrine of Godsfeare and of the way of life But when these take up the whole man and recreations do turn to our set work this overdoing in them joyned with neglect of that unum necessarium one thing necessary proves a disease in the spirit and benighteth us so that we shall hardly finde the way to Heaven Our times have exceeded the former ages in the innumerous spawn of idle Pamphlets and much of our little time is vainly cast away upon them Wee must redeeme the time a talent for which wee shall be answerable to our God and break our spirits from these vanities also The way to reforme this is to propound to our selves the knowledge of God and him whom God hath sent Iesus Christ in chiefe and to use all other studies and arts our own and others wits to the advancing of this maine science And for that Iushious and sensuall delight which looser and lighter studies do bring to fall out with it and as the wiseman adviseth to say to laughter thou art mad and to pleasure what meanest thou There is a sweetnesse in the Law of God and in the holy study of his testimonies which if our tast were rectified as Davids was would surpasse the relish of hony and the hony combe But diseased tastes cannot relish this sweetnesse When Saint Paul the chiefe learned man of the thirteen Apostles did come to himself hee esteemed to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified Againe I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Jesus my Lord and dojudge them but dung that I might win Christ It is no easie matter to
shutting up of Davids penitentiall supplication in a broken and contrite heart I conclude 1 That in an arraignement for sinne there is no plea of good workes David had the conscience within him and the testimony without him of God and the Church that he had served the Lord and had walked in all the wayes of the Lord with all his heart save onely in this matter Yet this one matter cannot be answered without the exact fulnesse of repentance Here is no setting off of any sinne for some singular good worke before done The sinne that he hath committed doth extinguish the light of all his former righteousnesse as if it had never beene But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquitie all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned The Pharisâ—e might have past with us for a devout and an holy man if Christ had not detested him 1 He went up to the Temple to pray which was an exercise of devotion 2 I here he prayed with himselfe though in a publike place he had a private prayer here was no vaine ostentation in sight 3 He rejoyced in two things which have reference to the two duties of Repentance 1 Cease to do evill for he saith I am not as other men extortioners unjust adulterers nor as this Publicane not like them in their sinnes But I thanke thee for it 2 Learne to do well I fast twice I give tythes c but we referre this also to I thanke thee The Publicane had another bearing which became humble repentance well But the Pharisee for any thing I can discerne might have past for an holy man if Christ himselfe had not detected him I tell you this man went downe to his house Yet observe the Text He went justified more then the other the other not altogether unjustified 2 This directeth me in the deduction of a second conclusion that a broken and a contrite heart for sinne is as safe rest for the soule as the conscience of a good life This appeareth in the direction betweene the state of our innocent creation and our costly redemption For our creation set us in a way of happinesse rather in possession and fruition of happinesse but such as might be lost but our redemption bought us a never-withering crowne of glory Our holinesse of life may be corrupted as Davids was but our contrite and broken spirit none can heale but God onely and because it is his sacrifice he will not despise it In all the examples of repentance above-mentioned we see how firmly the Penitents stood upon that ground for that put away all their former sinnes and established them in the good favour of God Therefore David having this sacrifice ready and now tendring the same to his God doth cease further solliciting of God for himselfe and beginneth as one fully reconciled to God to sollicite him in the behalfe of his Church as followeth From whence we draw this exhortation Let us all labour our repentance as the most needfull worke of all We must charge all our afflictions upon our sinnes and we have but this one way left to repaire us to redeeme the favour of our God to us even our repentance One joynt sacrifice of broken hearts and whole hecatombes of contrite spirits would mend all that 's amisse Let us therefore commence a just warre against our owne corruptions and sinnes it is not enough to conquer the weake Island to destroy the vines the fewell of our drunkennesse to possesse the towns and villages the habitations of sinne in the outward members of the body There is in every one of us a strong Fort an hard and stonie heart fortified against all piety and holinesse where Sathan as a strong armed man holdeth possession this Fort and strong hold this propugnacle of sinne this heart must be broken Let us bend all our batterie against that and see to it that the world the flesh the devill may not supply it and then the day is ours and to him that overcometh shall be given a crowne of life Nothing overcometh this Fort of sinne in our hearts nothing breaketh them so soone as 1 A good watch kept that they may take no rest 2 Fasting to sterve the body of sinne 3 Weeping to open the sluces and drowne it with our teares 4 Praying for our Amaleth within us cannot stand if our soules like Moses hold up their hands in prayer to the God of our lives 5 An holy implacable furie against it never to give over the assault till we have brought it to subjection This fort thus conquered the Island is ours VERSE 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Ierusalem HEre beginneth the second part of this Psalme containing the prayer of David for the Church From the sequence of this prayer observe When we have by true repentance made our peace with God for our selves we have accesse with boldnesse to the throne of grace to put up petitions to God The Reason is Our sinnes do separate our God and us So Isaiah But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he will not heare David confesseth If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me God treating with a sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquitie sheweth them the way into his favour 1 Wash you make you cleane 2 Come now let us reason together saith the Lord. David confesseth because of his iniquities which are an heavy burthen to him I am troubled I am bowed down greatly When we should lift up our heads our eyes our hands to God our sins confound us with shame wee â—ile from the presence of God they shake us with feare wee are afraid of his judgements But true Repentance doth wash us so clean and reconcileth us so perfectly to our God that wee dare come in fight we dare present God with our requests We sâ—cke the face of God when we ayle any thing every griefe of our persons or of the state in which wee live sendeth us presently to God for remedy In affliction wee seeks God early We secke him but we finde him not alwayes we aske of him but hee granteth not our requests wee cry lowd to him but he heareth us not and we take it ill to be denied to be delayed Saint James gives us the reason Ye aske and receive not because you aske amisse There is mors in olla death in the pot there is sinne in the heart our fountain is impoysoned the waters of it are corrupt Hose directeth a speeding way ô Israel returne to the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thy iniquitie Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all inquity and give good so will we render the calves of our lips In this course of removing our sin first we