in his suite at God that he might be deliuered from that blood And all his suites he directeth onely to God Foolish Papists God helpe you When he calleth him the God of his saluation he cleerly sheweth to vs that he hath no saluation either of his body or soule but onely of God who will not giue his glory either to man or Angell When he saith My saluation he applieth saluation to himself and doth not imply and infold his saluation in generalitie thinking it presumption to certifie himselfe of his saluation We can haue no comfort vnles we be perswaded of Gods mercie Dauids petition as the Papists say For what comfort can we haue in life or death if we be not perswaded of Gods mercie and fauour not that we presume of our merit but perswading vs of his maiesties constancie and truth Deliuer me from blood His petition is to be deliuered from blood both from the guiltinesse which he had contracted by his murder as from the terrors of his conscience as also from the punishment threatned by Nathan that blood should neuer depart from his house and finally from future blood that he neuer fell into it again 2. Sa. 12.10 as God deliuered him from the blood of Nabal by Abigail And this is a great deliuery 1. Sa. 25.33 that we do not euil as we ate commanded to pray Deliuer vs from euil Mat. 6.11 that we commit no sin and when we haue done euill it is a great deliuerance when God freeth vs of the guilt of it the condigne punishment But ouâ— greatest comfort is when we are kept from doing of it as Ioseph and Susanna and it is Gods greatest honour when we are deliuered from the punishment which we haue deserued for committing such euils From blood He both committed adultery and murder but he is more touched foâ— the one then for the other Adultery is euiâ— because it defileth and defaceth Gods imagâ— in man Murder woâ—â—e then adultery but murder destroyeth his image And there is no sinne more odious in thâ— sight of God then blood for which causâ— he banished Cain from his presence Gen. 4.14 Gen. 6.5 he destroyed the first world which was full oâ— crueltie he remoued Saul from his kingdome 2. Sa. 21.1 who slue the Priests and the Gibeonites he remoued the Crowne from thâ— house of Ahab and dogs licked his blood Kings should pray with Dauid 1. Ki. 21.38 to keepâ— them froÌ„ the blood of innocents for blooâ— shall be in their house Nota. And often those whâ— liue in blood die in blood and make 〈◊〉 bloodie testament according to thaâ— of the Poet Ad generum Cereris sine caedet sanguine Discedunt reges sicea morte tyranni The word in the originall is bloods in the plurall number Why called bloods in the plurall number For such is the atrocitie of that sin that one is weightier then a thousand weights of Lead So soon as it is shed so soone doth it defile the shedder as the purple dieth the cloth It seemeth well coâ—oured when it is shed but within a litle time it becometh so thicke and black that a man would abhorre to behold it therefore it is called bloods Leu. 7.27 The Lord in the Leuiticall law forbad his people to eate any flesh with the blood Nota. that the detestation of beasts blood might make them so much the more to abhorre the blood of man wherein his life standeth Blood hath a crie Gen. 4.10 Gen. 4 10. The voice of thy brothers blood crieth Who so shedeth mans blood his blood shall be shed which is either by the iustice or by reuenge and repaiment The auengers of blood are admitted by the law Now mens hands are full and foule with blood The earth is drunken with blood In her wings there is found blood Polluted with blood Lam. 4.14 Full of blood Ezek. 9.9 22.2 23.27 Blood hath touched blood Hos 4.2 Ioel 3.19 Mica 7.2 Nah. 3.1 Hab. 2.12 Mat. 23.35 Ioel complaineth of them that they shed innocent blood Micah Nahum and Habakuk pronounce a woe to them that shed innocent blood And Christ bringeth together all the blood shed from Abel to Zechariah Mat. 27.8 The Iewes bought Aceldema a field of blood Reu. 8.8 Their feete are swift to shed blood The third part of the sea shal be blood God will reuenge the blood of the Saints So I see from the beginning of the world to the end thereof Innocent blood is hath bin shal be shed innocent blood hath euer bin is and shall be shed but namely the blood of Gods dearest children Sanguine fundata est Ecclesia sanguine creuit sanguine finis crit Let vs then thinke it no vncouth thing when we see innocent blood shed so abundantly that the streets of Ierusalem are filled and like to be more filled with the blood of Gods Saints And my tongue shall sing ioyfully of thy righteousnesse He promiseth to be thankful vnto God for it becometh righteous men to be thankfull Psal 33.1 Sinne tooke away the vse of his tongue now grace restoreth it The tongue is a noble instrument and as it were a bell hanging in a high place It is a shame it should not be occupied in sounding and much more shame that it should be ill occupied in sounding euill things It is best vsed when it soundeth Gods praises Nota. who formed it The tong is best vsed when it praiseth God As the golden bell of Aarons garment sounded so should our tongues sound Gods praises if we be his Priests This condemneth two sorts of persons Simil. one Those are to be condemned who do not speake for God who neuer speake any thing to Gods honor thinking they are well discharged when they do not openly blaspheme or speak vilde speeches out of the filthy groues of a polluted heart although they heare others and cannot open their mouthes to rebuke them being ashamed to speake for the Lord and glorifie him by maintenance of his truth Those are to be condemned who speake against God The other sort is more to be condemned who open their mouth daily to lies blasphemies slanders But be assured that if for euery idle word we are to be countable much more for euery wicked speech we shall be answerable to God at the last day Mat. 12.36 Shall sing ioyfully He is not content to say shall speake For the more vehement intention of the minde kindled vp with ioy maketh the tongue to burst out in Psalmes hymnes and spiritual songs to stirre vp thy selfe and prouoke others with greater delight and pleasure to praise God This sweete singer of Israel answereth to his name when he singeth sweete songs and ballads to the praise of our sweet God So much in this are those to be condemned Against those that sing profane balads who sing profane baudie songs to the
viam the Fathers learned of the Scriptures A desire to be taught presuâ—poseth an ignorance Simil. let vs learn of them the way Teach me thy pathes this presupposeth that men are ignorant by nature for euen as strangers put in a Wildernesse where there is no straight way could very hardly discerne vvhat vvay to take but vvould bee a prey to Beasts and Brigands so are men by nature ignorant of God Act 8.31 The Eunuch said to Philip How can I vnderstand without an Interpreter Nature may teach thee vvayes to maintaine this life but the vvay to heauen there is no reason that can perswade or teach it commeth by diuine inspiration Mat. 16.17 Blessed art thou Simon sonne of Iona flesh and bloud hath not reuealed it vnto thee but my Father that is in heauen The Philosophers and Astrologians vvho vvere quicke in iudging things naturall were but blind in grace I thanke thee Father thou hast hid it from wise men Mat 11.25 and reuealed it to babes The Scripture is as the Starre that leadeth vs to Bethleem Mat. 2 9. This is a great humility in Dauid that being a King and a Prophet yet he would learn this Lesson to serue God let Preachers euer bee learning Socrates said at his death Hoc vnum scio me nihil scire I know this one thing that I know nothing Note a conceit of knowledge is a marke of ignorance Hee repeats this vvord teach mee often vvhereby hee acknowledges that the chiefe lesson hee vvishâ—â—h to learne to make him wise is to know how to serue God by his word and of this wisedome in the 119 Psalm he affirmeth that it will make him wiser then his enemies then his masters then his ancients By the word teach Doctr. Preaching of the word of God is the â—â—dinarie â—eant of Saâ—â—ation Luk 4. hee would teach vs that the ordinary meanes of Saluation and knowledge is the word preached How can they beleeue without preaching not by reading mumbling Masses c. but by liuely preaching Christ preached so in the Temple when he tooke the Booke from the Reader Brethren haue yee any word of exhortation for the people Preach in season and out of season Act. 13 1â— The repetition of the words shew mee teach mee lead mee teach me declares the instancie that hee vsed to heare the word more sweet then honey Ps 119 10â— Ps 88.10 yea better then his appointed foode so that hee desired that hee might bee but a doore-keeper in the house of the Lord. This his affection to the word hee declareth by repeating it in the 119 Psalme 175. times The great ignorance which is among vs springeth from a want of desire to heare Ignorancâ— springeth from wanâ— of desire to be tought Luk. 24.31 The two Disciples said Did not our heart burne within vs all the time lâ—â— spake to vs VERSE 5. Lead mee forth in thy truth and teach mee for thou art the God of my Saluation in thee doe I trust all the day HEe craues not onely to be taught the truth and the way Act Doct. but to bee led and directed in the way It is not sufficient to be taught the way vnlesse we be led into it Ma that God may not onely point it out to him but conuoy him thereunto and keepe him from going out of it for albeit we be entred in the way of grace if God would not perfect that worke wee would fall euery moment therefore hee worketh in vs to will and perfiâ—e and hee who began Ma can crowne also the worke hee is the staffe to which wee must leane Mâ— and of which wee must take hold knowledge is not sufficient without practice God must make vs to walke in the way wee know Our knowledge will bee a dittay against vs if wee walke not in the way wee know Luk 12 47 for hee that knowes the will of his master and doeth not the same shall haue double stripes For thou art the God of my saluation The Argument by which hee would moue God to teach him his wayes is taken from the person of God whom hee calleth the God of his saluation and his owne person who is saued in that hee beleeues in him and the adiunct of faith which is constancie and perseuerance all the day The Argument is taken from the Office of a Sauiour to guide them whom hee hath deliuered and saued but thou hast saued mee therefore guide me Doct. All in condemnation without Christ First in that hee calleth him the God of his saluation hee would let vs see that we are all in condemnation without Christ all are inclosed vnder sinne that God might be mercifull to them Rom 11.32 Doct. No man or Angel can saue vs but God Psal 3.8 Psâ—l 71.19 Psal 136.11.13 c. And vvhere hee calleth him the God of his saluation hee importeth that it was not in the power of Man or Angell to saue him but in Gods who behoued to take it vpon himselfe to deliuer him from temporall and spirituall dangers Saluation onely belongeth to the Lord What God is like our God who deliuereth vs from our enemies as hee brought the Israelites out of Egypt led them through the red Sea fought all their battels rebuked Kings for their sakes What euer deliuery comes to vs comes by God whateuer instrument hee vseth in the same he saues vs and not wee our selues neither chariots nor horses Note The consideration of this should moue vs to be thankfull to him Moses Ioshua Sampson c. were typicall Sauiours but God was the great Sauiour who saued his people Next if God be the onely and sole Sauiour of our bodies in sauing them from diseases and of our liues in sauing them from our enemies should any seeke saluation to his soule but from him for if a temporary deliuery cannot come but by him what deuillish doctrine is it to teach that saluation can come by any other Seeing then saluation onely belongs to the Lord let vs runne to him and seeke it at his hands who is onely able to performe and bring it to vs. Seeke it not at Saints but at the King of Saints In thee doe I trust There is described the powerfull instrument apprehending Gods mercies euen faith adorned with his chiefe quality Constancy crowneth all our vâ—rtues constancy for all the day signifieth as much as continually for there is no vertue in man which can be responsable to God if it be not ioyned with constancie Ye must wait patiently beleeue confidently seeke knocke aske hold vp your hands without fainting strengthen your weake hands and feeble knees Gen. 32.24 He abode with Iacob the heat of the day and the cold of the morning God and shrinked not till the Lord came at last and we must abide to the end of the day of our life Many begin in the morning of their
obedient that as a childe commeth vnder the hand of his Parent Psal 123.2 or as a handmaid is directed by the eye of her mistresse so doe wee attend vpon God Will he guide Doctr. God who teacheth the meeke he also guides and directs them Whom God directeth he also protecteth and leades them through the way For as children are ignorant so are they impotent they are taught by their parents led by them whom God directs he also protects and guides to heauen or else we should soon perish He must order the actions of out whole life rightly which is the second grace that God will bestow on his children when they submit themselues obediently to beare his yoake This docility will neuer be till our proud heart be subdued what Gods iudgement and his way is His iudgement and his way is nothing else but his gouernment whereby he declares himselfe as a louing Father carefull to prouide for the saluation of his owne children that he may relieue them that are oppressed raise vp those who are cast downe comfort those who are sorrowfull and grieued and succour such as be in misery And because in the former verse hee spake of sinners he will teach sinners his wayes he expounds of what sinners he meant God teacheth sinners but not all hee will not teach euery sinner but those whom he hath receiued into his fauour First hee beats downe our pride and contumacy and humbles vs First God will haue our pâ—ide beaten downe then hee will teach vs. but being cast downe he will not forsake vs and being humbled by the crosse he directs all the actions of our life in his holy obedience of which Apollinarius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Viros iustitiae diriget mansuetos He will direct righteous men that are meek Humility the first second and lâ—st gift of a ChristiaÌ„ August Epist 56. Wherefore ye may clearly see that the gift of modesty and humility is so necessary as without which wee can neuer be capable of the mysteries of Gods kingdome Which made Augustine to say borrowing the allusion from Demosthenes the Grecian August Epist 75. ad Auxilium Episcopum who being demanded what was the chiefe thing required in an Orator answered thrice pronunciation thrice that the chiefe vertue required in a Christian was humility and in another Epistle Ea adsum senex à iuuene coepiscopo Episcopus tot annorum à collega nondum anniculo paratus sum discere I am here an old man ready to learne from a young man my coadiutor in the ministery and so old a Bishop from a young man who scarce hath beene one yeare in the seruice VERSE 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth vnto such as keepe his couenant and his testimonies ALl the paths c. An 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exclamation whereby hee explaineth what he would shew euen the wayes of the Lord a most comfortable saying such as Paul hath another Rom. 8.28 To those that loue the Lord all things worke together for the best Sicknesse pouerty infamie yea death which is the greatest mercy when we are separate perfectly from sinne and the world and conioyned to Christ So that God is euer accumulating mercies and heaping them on our head Lam. 3.22 that whateuer befalleth vs certainly commeth from his mercie and it is of his mercy that we are not consumed and daily brought to confusion He comprehendeth the paths of the Lord in two words Doct. mercy and truth All Gods wayes are mercy and truth or as others expound iustice These are the two pillars which vpholdeth a King and his kingdome Mâ—rcy and truth preserue the King Pro. 20.28 for his throne shall be established with mercy Whateuer we heare or reade of the wayes of God is either mercy or truth mercy in pardoning sin truth in performing his promises Doct. Other qualities that are in God may tend to the reprobate Mercy and truth belong not to the wicked but with none of these two haue they any thing to doe for they haue no repentance therefore no remission of sinnes they haue no faâ—th and therefore they depend not on his truth But the godly are not to bee afraid of his iustice because mercy interuenes his power maintaines them his wisedome foresees their reliefe Rom. 8.33 Who shall intend any thing against the elect of God Christ iustifieth who can condemne But with the wicked he will deale very hardly Psal 18.25.26 with the godly he will shew himselfe godly vvith the vpright man he will shew himselfe vpright with the pure hee vvill shew himselfe pure and 〈…〉 the froward he vvill shew himselfe froward To such as keepe his couenant But to whom vvill he shew this mercy To those who keepe his couenant Of this couenant which God made with his Church reade Gen. 17.2 Exod 24.7 Iosh 24 16. Ier. 3.31 and in many other places This is the third name which he giueth to those who shall bee partakers of his mercy Three names giuen to the chosen First they are sinners next humble and penitent sinners and thirdly their repentance is declared by their life in that they keepe Gods couenants What a couenant 〈◊〉 A couenant must be mutuall A couenant is a mutuall band betweene two persons hauing mutuall conditions God humbleth himselfe so farre that he couenants with man to be his God and promiseth to be their Father we againe oblige our selues to be his children and people if we forget to honour our Father then hee will not accompt vs his children Hee craues that wee should keepe his Commandements and couenants Doct. not the traditions of men Mans traditions cannot binde the â—onsciâ—â—ce which can neuer bind the conscience yea oftentimes it falleth out that those who are too curious in obseruing these idle and vaine rites are carelesse in keeping these things which are absolutely commanded by God Note VERSE 11. For thy names sake O Lord bee mercifull vnto mine iniquity for it is great FOr thy names sake O Lord bee mercifull vnto mine iniquity What before hee spake generally of Gods mercy promised to all humble penitent sinners Doct. that in this verse he particularly applyeth vnto himselfe Particular application of mercy needful 1 Cor. 9.27 shewing vs hereby how necessary the application of mercy is to a Preacher lest preaching to others hee become a Reprobate himselfe He runnes euer to mercy pretending no merits and craues pardon to his iniquity which before hee called sinne for hee sinned against God and did iniquity to Vrias Doct. where obserue that sinne and the forgerfulnesse of God Who sinneth against God hurteth his neighbour 1 â—oh 4.20 causes vs to doe iniquity and wrong to our neighbours how can wee loue God whom wee see not and hate man made to his Image whom wee see For it is great Doct. A
parents both being Christians and receiued in the couenant Obiect can beget sinfull children I answer by a familiar similitude Solut. Simil. the seed ye see when it is sowne is made as cleane as the art and industrie of man can do and yet ariseth with a roote stalke blade and beard the cause is not in man the force lieth in the seed so in that the parents are purified they haue it of God what the childe hath he hath by nature which either must be repaired by grace or he must perish Adam Noah Samuel Eli Dauid c. although they were godly religious men yet had naughtie and wicked children which sheweth vnto vs that religion and godlinesse cometh not by nature but by the free grace of God Godlinesse cometh not by nature but by grace I omit those vain idle questions de originali peccato which the Papists too curiously propound and may be very easily answered lest it should breed errors in your mind which ye neuer dreamed of And in sin hath my mother conceiued me The word iechematin signifieih properly Calefacit warmed me in her wombe fed or nourished me referring it to the action of heating and feeding the childe in the wombe nine moneth Wherein the greatnes of Gods worke is to be seene who so miraculously can preserue the infant in such an obscure place so compassed with the interiour parts Alwayes euen there in that poore creature there is sin albeit he be ignorant of it So he hath a burden when he feeleth it not and lieth wrapped with all miseries and thinketh himselfe then to be in a best case for when he cometh out of the womb with great paine to his mother and difficultie to himself he weepeth poore soule because he is come to sorrow Ezekiel maketh mention of a child new borne whose nauill was not yet cut Ezech. 16.3.4.5.6 neither salt put in it nor washed lying miserably in the pollution of nature which representeth to vs our naturall filth in sin that neither are we cutted away by the knife of the Spirit from our originall corruption neither washed by the blood of Christ from our naturall vncleannesse neither salted by the salt of the word and if it were not by Gods grace and care of our spirituall parents that we were helped we would neuer liue but die and perish in the filth wherein we haue bin conceiued and borne There is no beast which nature hath not taught some meanes to help it self Man were vtterly vndone if he were not supported by the greace of God as some haue naturally skins or haire and wooll to defend them from iniuries we haue none In a word man were vndone if he were not supported by the grace of God We may weepe we haue no more and would God we could spiritually crie and mourne that the Lord hearing our weeping might pitie and helpe vs. But because so many worthy writers both ancient and moderne Papists and Protestants haue written largely of this place and I must say Sum minimus omnium I cease to write any more hereof lest I should repeate that which they haue already obserued Verse 6. Behold thou louest truth in the inward affections therefore hast thou taught me wisedome in the secret of mine heart THis is the fift argument which he vseth perswading God to forgiue him taken from the sinceritie of his repentance that it was not counterfeit or dissembled which is very acceptable to God Yea in all the actions of religion and parts thereof there is nothing more pleasing to God then sinceritie and vprightnesse He cannot abide hypocrisie and dissimulation and to put ouer with faire words and an outward shew It is a mocking of God to looke vp with our eyes to the heauens Hypocrisie in religion is a mocking of God to bow with our knees to folde our hands to knocke on our breasts if we want vprightnesse and soundnes of heart We must serue God in faith loue repentance humilitie vnfainedly from our heart as true Nathaniels Ioh. 1.47 in whom there is no guile The parts of this verse are these 1. who loueth Thou 2. where and what he loueth truth in the inward affections 3. the consequent following vpon this loue therefore hast thou taught me wisedome in the secret of mine heart Behold Before he enter to any of these he vseth the particle of admiration Behold which he neuer vseth but in some remarkable matter thereby the more to raise vs vp to the contemplation of such great matters to be told as Behold how good and how comely a thing it is Psal 133.1 brethren to dwell euen together And Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1.29 And this he doth that he might moue God that as he beheld his miserie being conceiued and borne in sin so he might behold his sincere and vnfained repentance And this is the happinesse of man when God beholds him mourning as he beheld him sinning This second sight is as delightsome to the Lord as the first was tedious So God seeth all our sins Noâ—â— as he seeth our repentance Sin not because he seeth thee but repent vnfainedly that he may take pleasure in beholding thee Thou louest The person who loueth is God The Creator becometh a louer of the creature euen God becometh a louer of his image in him Doth he then loue Aboue all things let vs seeke to depend vpon this his lone In our religion we should trauell to know what he loueth most God aboue all things loueth sinceritie what he respecteth most what best pleaseth him for otherwise we losâ— our time in his seruice he loueth sinceritie best and that we should present to him We enquire what euery man loues best and we frame our selues to seeke after it then I beseech you among the rest search out what God loueth best seeke after it and present it to him and if there were no other argument to moue vs to sinceritie this may be sufficient because God loueth it Loue that which God loueth hate that which he hateth loue sinceritie that he loueth hate hypocrisie that he cannot abide Truth By truth is meant sinceritie and vprightnesse in his Maiesties seruice that we do not glose him by faire words and shewes he loueth not shadowes but substances no colours or couerts but the bodie it selfe For he pierceth with his eye to the lowest part of mans heart and stayeth not vpon the outward picture of man-actions howsoeuer plausible to man God looketh not as man looketh In euery action of religion let vs remember to keepe sinceritie Who would desire to be called rich if he want riches esteemed valiaâ—t if he haue not strength and shall we thinke it sufficient to be called religious and not to be so Better to be religious then to be thought religious Better to be rich then to be called rich better to be religious then to
be thought or called religious God loueth truth as he hateth all falsehood for he is truth Ego sum veritas via vita Ioh. 14.6 He loueth truth in our profession truth in our ciuill life truth in our profession is that which he hath commanded in his word truth in our ciuill life is that which agreeth with dutie of ciuill conuersation without fraud deceit or guile which is different from Gods nature and resembleth the diuell who is a deceiuer In the inward affections It is not a superficiall or scroofe-worship which God regardeth For Cains sacrifice outwardly was as pleasant as Abels Gen. 4.4 â— but God looked to their hearts accepted the one and reiected the other God aboue all things craueth the heart My sonne giue me thine heart God wil be worshipped in spirit and veritie Pro. 23.26 Therefore hast thou taught me wisedome in the secret of mine heart He amplifieth his sin by this circumstance that he did it not as an ignorant but as one who was enlightned with knowledge and besides he had priuate informations and intelligence from God in his heart and tasted of the heauenly doctrine yea it was rooted and fixed in his heart yet like a bruite beast he was caried to that filthy lust and so was inexcusable and suffocated the light of the Spirit which he had receiued He had informations giuen by God but he had not grace to follow them which so much the more made him inexcusable that he was taught Christians perish not for want of informatioÌ„ but for contemning the warnings they get God must teach vs. and would not obey So Christians shal not perish for lack of information but because they do not obey the warnings which they get This age hath heard many lessons and God hath manifested his whole will vnto them but because they obey them not their knowledge shal augment their paines God he must be our great Doctor and Teacher we must be Theodidactoi taught of God Neither nature learning experience practise or age can teach vs wisedome onely Gods word must teach vs. Nature preuailed among the Philosophers but that neuer led them to God For all the principles of our faith are contrary to nature sense and reason What is more against naturall reason then these points of our religion God was made man a virgin hath borne a childe a crucified man saued the world a dead man arose c. in these and such we must be taught from aboue by God God teacheth by the ministerie of his word God he teacheth by the ministery of his word which whosoeuer contemneth refuseth the meanes of his saluation but that ministery will not be sufficient without diuine inspiration 1. Cor. 3.6 Paul may plant Apollo may water but God giueth the increase Bellarmine translateth the Hebrew word which he granteth signifieth abscondita incerta and so doth Lorinus those doubting Doctors would haue the mysteries of the Scriptures vncertaine and doubtfull Notâ— There is great diuersitie of iudgements among men what is true wisedome These are of the Lord is true wisdome Eccles 1.2 but if ye would enquire at the wisest man that euer liued he will tell you that hauing examined all things vnder heauen he found all things to be but vanitie and vexation of spirit and that true wisedom consisted only in the feare of God and keeping his commandements The feare of the Lord is the instruction of wisedome Pro. 15.33 all other wisedome is foolishnesse Verse 7. Purge me with hyssope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow HE is not contented simply to craue pardon once or twice but many times yea he multiplieth his suites by metaphors allegories and such borrowed speeches signifying how deeply he was wounded with his sin that he would haue himselfe assured and confirmed in the remission thereof and now he borroweth a similitude from the washings and purgations vsed in the Leuiticall law desiring that God would looke on his miseries who was a leprous man by sin and a filthy polluted sinner that hee might be washed in the blood of Christ prefigured by the Mosaicall washings Purge me with hyssope Three times made mention of hysop Exo. 12.22 There is made mention of hyssope where it was vsed in three places first in the 12. of Exodus at the institution of the Passeouer where the blood of the Lambe was appointed to be sprinkled vpon the doore checkes with a bunch of hyssope bound with a scarlet lace The blood signified Christs blood the bunch of hyssope the sauing and the scarlet lace his blood died which bound the bunch all hauing their spirituall significations For the blood no doubt signified the blood of that vndefiled Lambe shed from the beginning of the world The hyssope the instrument applying his blood by faith The scarlet lace the communion of the Saints who are bound by loue the bond of perfection and sprinkled with that same blood to the remission of sins And so the blood which washeth faith which applieth and the lace that coupleth are all one Christ by faith and loue receiued to the purgation of all Christians The second place Leuit. 17. is the purgation of the Leper wherein the blood of the sparrow the bunch of hyssope and the scarlet lace are likewise mentioned and differeth nothing but in this in the first was the Lambe here the Sparrow which is all one for euen as the Lamb is among beasts so is the Sparrow base and simple amongst fowles to which Dauid compareth himself I am as a sparrow on the house top sitting aloue Psal 102.7 so we must be sprinkled with his blood which being contemptible to men was acceptable to God The third was Numb 19. about the red Cow which must haue hyssope dipped in the blood thereof And Christ is compared â—o the Cow or fat calfe which being in so great a price with the Father was giuen â—o death for the saluation of our foules The hyssope hath many things wherein â—t representeth Christ very nigh Wherein hysop representeth Christ 1. Kin. 43â— for first it â—s obscure humble and abiect so that Salomon is said to haue written of all trees from â—he Cedar the highest tree opposed to the hyssope springing out of the wall that is to be basest and most common growing amongst stones not standing of mans induâ—trie to plant them as other trees doe So Christ in whom we beleeue was contempâ—ible a worme not a man despised Psal 2â— in him was no beautie riches or earthly honours which maketh men to come in credit and account Next the hyssope is bitter and fowre â—ot pleasant to the drinkers so the crosse of Christ by which our affections are morâ—ified is very odious to the flesh and agreeth not with its taste His crosse is therefore 〈◊〉 â—tumbling blocke to the Iewes and folly to the Gentiles Thirdly albeit it be sowre yet it is most wholesome so