COncerning the au­thor of this Psalme, it was the Prophet Dauid, who was both moued thereun­to, and guided there­in by the holy Ghost: and therfore we néed not doubt to receiue the doctrine thereof,Iohn. [...].13. be­cause he which is the spirite of truth neuer [Page 2] led any but to the truth.

The time when he made it, was (as it séemeth in y^e 9. verse) whē Absalom (aspiring to the kingdome) like a monster in nature, sought (by the wicked counsell of that faith­lesse counseller & fained friend Achitophel) to pull from his owne father the crowne vp­on his head,2. Sam. 16.21. to lay his honour in the dust, and his life in the graue. No small tēptation, ei­ther to blaspheme, or to dispaire, & yet he did neither of both: because God kept him from both: but then, euē in that hard time of win­ter (as we may call it) bethought with him selfe how he might make his affliction an oc­casion of further profit to himselfe and the whole Church of God, whereby it appeareth that no affliction is able to quaile the spirite of God in the godly, but as oyle maketh the fire to flame out, which before did but onely burne,2. Cor. 4.16. so with the godly, when the outward man doth perish the inward man is renued, and their afflictions doe make the spirite to flame out of thē to the good of others, which before did but burne within them to their owne comfort.

Now for the matter of the Psalme. In ge­nerall he sheweth. 1. How great his afflictiō [Page 3] was. 2. How greatly he profited by it. But more particularly, he recordeth. 1. The bles­sed estate of such as did wisely consider of his distressed estate, verses. 1.2.3. 2. He sheweth y^e cause of his affliction to be his sinne. ver. 4.3. He setteth downe the greatnesse of his affliction, and the daunger that he stoode i [...], for his enemies looked euery day for his death and destruction.

And of those his enemies he nameth thrée sortes. The. 1. sort were flatterers, of whom he complaineth and saith that they would come to sée him, but they would speake lyes, horde vp wickednesse in their hart, as in a vessell, and when they could get fit oportu­nitie they would emptie it vpon him. vers. 6. The 2. sorte were malitious whisperers, which did nothing but priuily contriue his ouerthrow, of whom he complaineth in the 7. & 8. verses thus. All that hate me whisper together against me, euen against me do they▪ imagine my hurt. A mischief is light vpon him, and he that is downe shall no more a­rise: The 3. sort were a more trecherous brood, who while they pretended kindnesse inten­ded his subuersion, like Iudas, who couered his treason with a kisse. Of these traitero [...]s [Page 4] companions he complaineth in the 9. verse after this manner. Yea my familiar frend whom I trusted, which did eate of my bread, hath lifted vp the heele against me.

And therefore being thus beset with open enemies on one side, with flattering claw­backes on the other side, with whisperers be­hinde, & traitors before his daunger must needes be great, and his case (in mans sight) very desperate.4. 4. He sheweth what meanes he vsed to preuent them all, and that was prayer to God, as appeareth in the 10. verse. Therefore O lord, raise me vp, so shall I re­ward them.

But least Sathan might perswade him to doubt of Gods fauour towardes him in his affliction, as he would haue done with Iob in his temptation, and so make him either cold in prayer, or distrufull in prayer, that so he might also haue lost the fruite of his prayer, therefore in the 5. place,5. he proueth by two arguments y^t all this notwithstanding, God doth still fauour him. The 1. is drawē frō his enemies person in the 11. verse. The 2. is ta­ken from the consideration of his owne per­son in the 12. verse.6. Last of all, because God had geuen him such tokens of his loue, ther­fore [Page 5] he concludeth his Psalme with thankes­geuing vnto God in this sort, Blessed be the Lord God of Israell, world without end. &c.

This Psalme was left vnto the Church of God, & doth teach vs. 1. To take héede how we do rashly cōdemne those that be in trou­ble, and affliction, and are beset with diuers sorts of enemies, but wisely to consider, and charitably to iudge of their cause, if we looke for the Lordes helpe when we are in trou­ble our selues, and not to measure Gods fa­uour by outward prosperitie, nor his anger by outward aduersitie, as blind worldlings commonly vse to do. 2. That the vse of affli­ction is to worke in vs repentaunce for our sinnes, & to make vs flye to Gods mercy for succour, as Dauid did. 3. That Gods childrē while they liue, shall liue in daūger of open enemies, of malitious whisperers, and false brethren, though they be as godly as Dauid was. 4. That if we thē go to God by prayer, we shall preuent all our enemies, if they were as many as Dauids were. 5. That in our prayers we must be assured of Gods loue in Christ to vs ward, least otherwise we loose the fruite of our prayer. 6. That when God hath heard vs we must with hartie con­sent [Page 6] prayse vnto him for it as Dauid did. So much of y^e Psal. in generall, now to the text.

By this I know. &c. In this text we sée two things. 1. How Dauid assureth himselfe of Gods loue towardes him. 2. How thanke­full he is to God for assuring him of his loue. The .1. he doth by two arguments. One takē frō his enemies, they were preuēted of their expectation, therefore thou louest me. The o­ther is taken from his owne estate, which was no whit hurt, or impaired, but bettered by them. In his thankesgiuing we may note two things. 1. To whom he giueth thankes, namely, to the Lord God of Israell. 2. In what manner he geueth thankes: with dou­bling of his speach, in tokē of his harty & vn­fained cōsent to that which he spake, & as one afrayed that it was not wel inough, when it was at the best, he saith. So be it, euen so be it▪ So much for y^e methode now to the matter.

THe Prophet Dauid careth not what enemies he hath nor how many he hath, so that God be not his enemy, he regardeth not what the Lord doth vnto him, neither how he doth handle him, so that he may be sure he doth it in his loue & fauour towardes him, and not in his wrath, and dis­pleasure: therefore he prayeth,Psal. 6.1. Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me in thy displeasure, as if he should say, I care not, O Lord, what y^u doest with me in this life, so that I may be sure of thy fauour and louing kindnesse.

This serueth to teach vs, that when any trouble, or affliction shall come vpon vs, we [Page 39] must not so much looke vpon that, and séeke to be eased thereof, as to looke whether we be in fauour with God or no. And being sure of his fauour in his sonne Iesus Christ, to arme our selues patiētly to beare the crosse whatsoeuer it be, because whatsoeuer it is, outward or inward, it is layed vpon vs in loue, not to hurt vs, but to helpe vs forward in the wayes of godlynesse. We will take any thing well at his handes, of whom we are perswaded that he loueth vs, for the assu­raūce of his loue swalloweth vp, and swéet­ly sendeth downe all the rest: if he teach vs, we take it, if he admonish vs, we are conten­ted, if he reproueth vs, we put it vp, if he iest with vs, we are not gréeued, yea, if he smite vs, we are not offended, all is taken in good part, because they come frō loue, who neuer did hurt his beloued. So God dealeth with vs, his children, he teacheth vs when we are ignoraunt, he correcteth vs when we goe a­stray, he admonisheth vs when we are vn­ruly, he reproueth vs when we transgresse, he threatneth vs when we are stubburne, and he smiteth vs when there is no remedy, but is his fauor and mercy he teacheth, cor­recteth, reproueth, threatneth, and smiteth [Page 40] his children, that they might not be damned with the wicked world. If he woundeth vs, his fauour is oyle to cure the wounde, if he sendeth floudes, and seas of troubles, the as­suraunce of his fauour is like Noahs Arke to beare vs vp from drowning. If his wrath shall burne like fire, his fauour is water to coole the heate: whereof Diues in hell could not get a drop: if he send sicknesse either of body or minde, the assuraunce of his fauour is a present remedy, like the brasen Serpēt: if he sendeth sorrow ouernight, his louing fauour shall bring ioy in the morning, and a ioyfull tidings like, Sonne be of good cheare thy sinnes are forgeuen thee. If he chide vs, his fauour that he beareth vnto vs, will not suffer him to chide for euer: if his wrath be kindled against his children▪ his fauour puts out all againe, if he sets vs vp as markes to be shot at, he sets his fauour before vs, with the assuraunce whereof, we are defended as with a shield.Psal. 5.12.

When he punisheth his childrē he pitieth them, for he doth not punish them as an ene­my, but as a father, therefore Dauid saith, As a father hath compassion on his childrē, Psal. 103.13. so hath the Lord compassion on all those that [Page 41] feare him. A fathers anger is rather loue then anger, and his correction is to be comp­ted rather a loue token, then a punishment: So is Gods anger towardes his children which feare him, and keepe his couenaunts: and therefore his correction is a loue token and no punishment.

Aske Salomon: and he will tell you so, nay the Lord himselfe will tell you so, if he sinne (saith the Lord) meaning by Salomon) I will chasten him with the rod of men, 2. Sam. 7.19.15. and with the plagues of the children of men, but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I tooke it from Saul, whom I put away be­fore thee. Aske Adam and Eue and they will tell you so, for in punishing their first sinne, he wrapped vp a blessing within the curse, saying to the Serpent,Gen. 3.15. that the seede of the womā should breake his head, meaning that Christ should weaken the power of sinne & of death, such was his loue that he could scarce punish for loue. Aske Dauid and he will tell you so. The Lord hath chastened me sore (saith he) (belike then he was very angry) but he hath not deliuered me vnto death. Psal. 118.18. Therefore he made his choise to fall into Gods hands, rather then into mens [Page 42] handes,2. Sam. 24.14. because (saith he) the Lord is merci­full in correcting. Who would not be contēt now to beare whatsoeuer in this life such a a God should lay vpon him? When Iesus wept ouer Lazarus, the Iewes said, behold, how he loued him, Ioh. 11.35 yea though he suffred death to cast him into his graue the common bed of all flesh, yet behold how he loued him. So may Gods children say, when the Lord correcteth, or reproueth, or afflicteth thē, yet marke how he séeketh vs, entreateth vs, and wooeth vs, that when we sée this, we must néedes say, behold how he loueth vs. Sechem deferred not to doe all that was required of him,Gen. 34.19. for the obtaining of Dinah, because he loued her. So when we stand in néede of the Lordes helpe, he deferreth not to helpe vs, because he loueth vs.Iudg. 66.15. Dallila said to Samp­son, how canst thou say, that thou louest me, seeing that thy hart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times. But who can say that the Lord doth not loue his children, séeing both his hart and his hand is with thē, and he neuer mockt them? When the Lord doth crosse his people, he dealeth with them as Ioseph dealt with his brethren, which be­cause it is so liuely a resemblaunce of the [Page 43] Lordes procéeding with vs, we will a litle compare the one with the other: both for our comfort and also for our instruction. When Iosephs brethrē came to Egipt to buy corne, Ioseph knew them, and spake roughly vnto them, Gen. 42.7. and bare them in hand that they came as spies: so the Lord dealeth with his children many times, whē they come to him for such things as they want, He knoweth them wel inough: but maketh himselfe straunge vnto them, and speaketh roughly vnto them, by séeming to deny their request, yea somtimes by encreasing their sorrow and affliction, as Iacob striuing with the Angell for a bles­sing,Gen. 32.24. to 30. receiued a blow on his thigh more then he looked for.

Well, Ioseph turned from his brethren and wept, for he loued them, but he kept it secret to him selfe a while: so the Lord lo­ueth his children, when he handleth them very roughly, but he kéepeth it sometime se­cret for a while. Further, it is sayd of Io­seph, that he tooke Simeon from them, and bound him before their eyes: now all this while Ioseph knew his brethren,Vers. 8. but they knew not him: for if they had knowen it had bene their brother Ioseph which loued them, [Page 44] no doubt they would haue borne any thing at his hands. So if we knew our troubles to come frō our Father which loueth vs, would we not willingly beare any thing at his hands to?36. Afterward Beniamin must go, thē Iacob thought he had bene robbed of all his children, but he found Ioseph, Simeon and Beniamin, & all againe at the last. So Gods children in the end find all, when they thinke they haue lost all. Well, Beniamin goeth, and when he is come, Ioseph reasoneth the matter with them thus,Chap. 43.29.30. Is this your brother or whom you told me? &c. He knew it well inough, but before he could go any further, his affection was so inflamed towards his brother, that he made hast, & sought where to weepe: all this while he loued them dear­ly, but kept it to him selfe.Chap. 44. After all this sée a secōd triall no whit inferior to the former: As they went home, hu and crie came after them for Iosephs cup, which was in pollicie conueyed into their brother Beniamins sack, search was made, they thought them selues cleare, so do we many times iustifie our sel­ues: they did afterward cōdemne thēselues, and whē it was found in Beniamins sacke, they were worse apayed then they were be­fore. [Page 45] Wel Beniamin must stay by the recke­ning, and answer the matter, this passed all the rest: so doth the Lord many times finde out sinne by vs, when we thinke all is wel: and then things go worse and worse with vs (as we thinke): & yet still the feare is grea­ter then the hurt. Well, hereupon Iudah draweth neare to Ioseph, Vers, 18. and said, Let me speake but a word in the eares of my Lord, and tels him a long storie of the whole mat­ter, from the beginning to the ending, as though Ioseph all this while had known no­thing of the matter. So we oftentimes in the griefe of our hearts powre foorth manie things, & complaints which the Lord know­eth well enough.Chap. 45.1.2. Now after many trialls, it is said that Ioseph could no longer refrain before all that stood by, but cried, Haue forth euerie man from me, which being done▪ he wept, and cryed, so that all heard him, both of the Egyptians & of Pharaohs house. And at the last his loue breakes foorth like the morning light, and ouerfloweth after long restraint, as a streame (whose course is stop­ped) ouerfloweth the banks. Now mark how he vttereth him selfe,3. I am Ioseph (sayth he) is my father aliue? but his brethren could not [Page 46] answer him, for they were astonished at his presence: full litle did they thinke that Io­seph had bene so neare them, they did not once dreame of any such matter, or of anie such man. Euen so the hand of God is many times in the tempring of afflictions to the godly for their good, when they thinke full litle vpon it.4. But againe (saith Ioseph) I am Ioseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt: (wel fare all good tokēs) come neare I pray you vnto me, 5. be not sad nor grieued with your selues that you sold me, for it was Gods doing for your preseruatiō. Afterward they and their father, and all his house came vp and had Egypt to inhabite: after the like maner deale [...]h God with his children as Io­seph dealt with his brethren, but after ma­ny trials he vttereth him selfe vnto them, he puts them in good remembrance of their in­iuries done to his Maiestie: he fréely forgi­ueth them, and giueth them the inheritance at [...]he last, which is more then they deserued, and more then [...]hey desired, and more then they looked for, by which they are assured of Gods fauor vnto them. Therefore who will not be content with patience to beare what triall soeuer this our louing God, and mer­cifull [Page 47] Father shall thinke good to lay vpon him?

Although Israell were hardly intreated of Egypt, yet God sayd,Exo. 3.21. I will get this peo­ple fauour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that when ye go ye shal not go emptie. Now if the Israelites went not away emptie, whē they were in fauour with the Egyptians, much lesse shall we go away emptie frō the Lord if we be in fauour with him: for séeing he hath of his frée mercie, without any de­sert of ours, giuen vs his onely Sonne, how shall he not with him (saith S. Paule) giue vs all things else? Rom. 8.32 Hereupon it came that the Martyrs were alwayes so [...]ocund and mer­rie, for they were neuer sent away empty from the barre, from the prison, from the stake, nor frō the fire, but still the Lord filled their hearts with ioy and gladnesse, and euer sustained their soules with the comfortable assurance of his fauour: and so fast as their persecutors condemned them, God iustified them, so fast as they stript them, their God clothed them: so fast as they tormented them their God did comfort them: whē [...]hey impo­ [...]erished, God enriched: when they frowned, God smiled: when they spoiled the outward [Page 48] man, God renewed the inward man: when they wounded, God healed: when they killed, God quickened: and finally when they reiected them, their God receiued them, wherby they were not onely assured that he loued them, but also were encouraged to beare whatsoeuer came for the assurance of Gods fauour, so deare and precious was it vnto them.Prou. 22.1 Therefore Salomon saith that lo­uing fauour is aboue gold and siluer: if the louing fauor of men be aboue gold & siluer, how shall we value the louing fauor of God? which being lost, the whole world and ten thousand worlds cannot redéeme, which be­ing obtained, is better thē the whole world. And ten thousand worlds, with all the deuils in hel can neuer take it from Gods children, when they haue once the assurance therof in their hearts, sealed vp vnto them by the spi­rit of adoption. I say once againe, whereat, or at what price shall we value this fauour of our God?

When Iob was assured of this louing fa­uour of God in the heate of his affliction, he was so far from shrinking, or sinking down vnder his burthen, that he said like a valiant souldier,Iob. 13.15. though he kill me, yet will I trust in [Page 49] him. As if he should say, I loue my life well, but I loue Gods fauour better, to teach vs y^t if we be assured of his louing fauour once, we care not what we suffer in this life for it, no more then Iob did, for he knew that Gods killing would proue a quickning. So that all our care and cunning (my beloued in the Lord) must be to sée the louing fauour of God in all our temptations, troubles, and afflictions.2. King. 9.20.22. And then: as Iehoram said to Ie­ [...]u, when he marched in his furie, comest thou peaceably? as if he should say, if thou comest peaceably, march as furiously as thou wilt. So let vs say to our God, O Lord comest thou fauorably? and in loue against vs? thē come as terribly as thou wilt. Shoot thy arrowes, and spend them all vpon me, beate me to powder, take all away, and in this life do with me what thou wilt, so thou doest assure me of thy fauour. So we pray in that prayer, which is called the Lordes prayer. Thy will be done, but Lord for­giue vs our sinnes, and then doe what thou wilt, deliuer vs from euil, & from the deuill, and then tempt vs, or bring vs into what battailes it pleaseth thée. So reasoneth the Prophet Dauid likewise, Happy are they [Page 50] whose oxen are strong to labour, happy are they which are frée from forraine inuasion, and ciuil dissention, which a bound with ma­ny outward, worldly, and generall benefits▪ &c. but how if we misse of these outward things?Psal. 144. last. why then, happy is the people whose God is the Lord. So again, in another place he makes the very same reckening, Many (saith he) wil say, Psal. 4.6.7. who wil shew vs any good, that is, wordly goods, but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenaunce vpon vs. &c. to teach vs, that we must not care what we want so that we may be sure of Gods louing countenaunce in the Gospell of his sonne Iesus Christ.Mat. 15.22 The woman of Chanaan was content to take many repulses at the hands of our Sauiour, so that she might be sure of one graunt: so let vs be content to take ma­ny repulses, so that we may be sure of Gods fauour in our repulses. The birth of y^e child into the world, swalloweth vp all y^e paines, and panges of the mother in forgetfulnesse, which went before the birth: so saith our Sa­uiour Christ. So we if after our manifold afflictiōs and sorrowes for Christes his sake, we bring forth the assuraunce of Gods fa­uour here, and of eternall life hereafter be­ing [Page 51] dead, let forgetfulnesse deuoure and cō ­sume all the rest. And séeing as the Lord in his louing fauour doth thus and thus crosse his children, let patience beare it, let forget­fulnesse weare it, and by this let vs learne to trust in our God another time without fainting, or shrinking when troubles come againe. The wicked blind world takes ano­ther course, they cast their eye altogether vpon the crosse, and studie how to be eased of that, with odd shiftings, and many vnlaw­full deuises and vngodly practises, but be­cause they sée not the louing fauour of God towards them in Christ Iesus, they are rea­dy to sinke downe in dispaire of mercy, and horrour of conscience, like a lumpe of lead in the sea. The Lord in one hand hath fire to burne, & in his other hand water to quench, but he holdeth it behind his backe many times, that at the first it is not perceiued, no not of his deare children, but at the last they both sée it, and féele the comfort of it, and ac­knowledge the same, saying with Dauid, By this I know that thou fauorest me. &c. Ther­fore as the child is glad when his father smi­leth vpon him, and speakes comfortably vn­to him, although he beates him, so let vs be [Page 52] glad, & reioyce whē our heauēly father doth smile vpon vs, in giuing vs the assuraunce of his loue, although he doth afflict vs.

THe Prophet Dauid by two sortes of arguments assureth himselfe, that Gods fauour be­longeth vnto him, the first is drawen from his outward e­state in respect of the world, which was very good: in as much as his enemies did not tri­umph ouer him. The second ariseth from a view of his owne inward estate, in respect of [Page 72] God, which was much better, for that the Lord vpheld him in his vprightnesse, and had a continuall care both of his soule and body. The first argumēt of Gods fauor is strong: but being ioyned to the second it is sure. The first is great, but because it is a generall thing and may be giuen to the vngodly to o­uercome his enemies (I meane the enemies of his body) therefore Dauid resteth not in that, but searcheth within himselfe, to sée if he can finde any inward tokens of Gods fa­uour: and searching, he findeth two within himselfe, the first was Gods hand vpholding him from falling away from his God, the second was Gods eye alwayes vpon him for his safetie. And hauing found these at home in himselfe, he triumpheth, and blessed God the giuer.

Vers. 12.So that now the king sheweth what in­ward token he had receiued of Gods fauour▪ for God doth more for his children then for the wicked, he speakes comfortable things to the soules of his people. Ioseph loued all his brethrē, but Beniamin he loued with a more speciall loue, and therefore he gaue messe [...] of meate to them all,Gen. 43. vlt. but Beniamins mess [...] was fiue times so much as the rest, so Go [...] [Page 73] giueth liberally to all his creatures as a good and a louing God,Psal. 104.24. in so much that the earth is full of his mercies, but his loue to his elect children by Christ, is a thousand times more then to the rest, for them he vp­holdeth in their integritie▪ and doth set them before his face for euer. Gods loue is more to men then to beasts: of men, his fauour is more to his Church, then to all the world besides,Psal. 87.2. for he loueth the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Iacob, he hath cho­sen that for his resting place, he hath a de­light in that, there brake he y^e bow he knap­ped the speare in péeces,Psal. 132.13. he burnt y^e chariots with fire,Psal. 76.1.2.3. yea he wounded euen kings in the day of his wrath for Zions sake, that is, for y^e loue that he bare towardes his chosen peo­ple. Againe, in this visible Church he fauo­reth his elect more then the rest, and his lo­uing fauour to themward is greater then to all the world besides. For Gods Church is like a noble mās house,2. Tim. 2.20. wherein are vessels of gold, and vessels of earth, and his vessels of gold are set vp safely, & kept more dainti­ly vnder locke & key thē the other.Psal. 147.7.8. Sing vnto the Lord (saith Dauid) sing vpon the harpe vnto our God, which couereth the heauen [Page 74] with cloudes, and prepareth raine for the earth, and maketh the grasse to grow vpon the moūtaines: 9. Which giueth to beasts their foode, and to the young rauēs that cry. Thus much he doth for all his creatures, but as for his seruaunts which feare him & attēd vpon his mercies he delighteth in them, and takes great pleasure in thē: such pleasure he takes not in the strength of a horse, nor in the legs or stature of a man. From all the creatures in generall he descendeth to the Church in particular and saith.12. Prayse the Lord O Ie­rusalem, prayse thy God O Zion. 13. For he hath made the barres of thy gates strong, and hath blessed thy children within thee. 14. He setteth peace in thy borders, and satisfieth thee with the flower of wheat. But hath he done no more for his Church then so? Yes that he hath.19. He sheweth his word vnto Iacob, his statutes and his Iudgements vnto Israell. 20. He hath not delt so with euery nation, neither haue they knowledge of his iudgements.

In the first of the Canticles: the Church desireth to be kissed with y^e kisses of Christes mouth, that is, to haue more testimonies and tokens of his loue then one, or of one kind, for by outward things (saith the wiseman) a [Page 75] man can not know loue and hatred, Eccl. 9.1.2 because all things come a like to all. Therefore saith the Church vnto her spouse, kisse me with the kisses of thy mouth, for thy loue is sweeter thē wine, that is, let me haue a continuance of thy fauour towardes me, and many sure tokens thereof, for no pleasure or profit is comparable to thy loue.Cant. 1.1. The kisses of Christ are his blessings bestowed vpon his Church, his blessings are either tēporall or eternall, corporall or spirituall. His spirituall bles­sings are of two sortes, either outward or inward. His outward yet spirituall bles­sings, whereby he witnesseth his loue to his Church, they are the preaching of the word, and the administration of the Sacraments, these be great benefites, and swéete kisses of the Lord our God: but because these are cō ­mon to the hypocrite which is close and craf­tie in hart, aswell as to the faithfull whose hart is vpright before the Lord, we are not to rest in these outward things, but to search and neuer leaue searching, vntill we finde out the inward kisses of Christ Iesus, which are most sure testimonies of his loue indéed. And those are faith in Christ Iesus, repen­taunce vnfained for sinne, patience in affli­ction, [Page 76] ioy in the holy Ghost, and all the other fruites of the sanctifying spirite, whereof we may read more in Gal. 5.Gal. 5.22. Euery one cannot shew these, but onely he, which hath the spi­rite of sanctification. Saul had the spirite, that is, some gifts of the spirite, and yet was re­iected, but Dauid had the sanctifying spirite, and therefore was not reiected of the Lord, neither did he reiect y^e Lord, but by this was sure of Gods fauour to his soule. If Dauid had bene a king, a conquerer, a man of wise­dome, of pollicie, of learning, and of riches, and in all these vncomparable, and had lost his integritie, he had lost his marke of Gods loue, and might haue followed Saul well inough. So if we were rich, wise, and lear­ned, if we were Preachers, Bishops, Pre­lates, Lordes, Earles, Dukes and Empe­rours, & haue lost our sinceritie, our zeale, our loue, our faith, our religiousnesse, our godlinesse, a good conscience, we haue lost our markes too, and may follow Saul too wel inough for all our outward pompe and glo­ry. On the other side, if one haue enemies, or be in pouertie, disgrace, imprisonment, out of credite with the world, out of liuing, &c. and kéepeth a sincere heart, and a good con­science [Page 77] in all these things, he may say, and sing too with Simeon, Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace, if his time be come.Gen. 25.30. They which haue the outward kisses, & not the inward assurances, are like Esaw with his pottage, but without his birthright. But they which haue lost all, but kéepe still their integritie, are like Iacob, who lost his pottage but found the inheritance, and the loue of God: for God loued Iacob, but hated Esaw. Rom. 9.13. Psal. 4.6. Many wil say (saith the Prophet) who will shew vs any good? that is any worldly good, but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs, and then I shall haue more ioy of heart, then they that haue their corne, and wine, and oyle increased. So now a dayes, many séeke for Gods loue in the cō ­mon trash of the world, and they run about the world by sea and by land crying, Who will shew vs any credit, any worship, any riches, any offices, any promotions, &c. And some of the Ministerie cry, Who will shew vs any moe liuings, any Deaneries, any Bishoprickes, any spirituall promotions, yea & this is the voyce of gaping Courtiers too by report: and if they spéed of these & such things, then they are sure (as they thinke) [Page 78] that God loueth thē, as Achab thought him selfe well if he might obtaine Naboths vine­yard: but many times it falleth out, that as Dinah while she wandred to sée fashions, & sought to féede her fancy vpon the daughters of a strange countrey, she lost her virginitie amongst the sonnes of the country. So some men while they séeke to féede & fill their grée­die worme of couetousnesse and ambition with diuerse pleasures & profits of y^e world, they loose their sinceritie amongst them, and make shipwracke of faith and a good consci­ence. And then they go away out of their houses,1. Tim. 1.19. as Thamar went out of her brother Amnons chamber, with her maidens gar­ment of diuerse colours rent, because she was enforced to leaue her maydenhead be­hind her.2. Sam. 13.18. So these worldlings which some­time with Demas followed Paule, but nowe with Demas embrace the present world, are enforced to go away with their garment of diuerse colours rent and torne: for whiles they will venter through the bushes, and thorns of worldly cares, to get worldly pro­motion, is it not a miracle if they come out with their zeale not quenched, their courage not abated, their faith not blasted, their loue [Page 79] not cooled, their knowledge not withered, their humilitie not defaced, their sinceritie not decreased, & the whole garment of pie­tie and Religion not scratched, torne, and rent in péeces? And then a man may say to them, as Absalō said to his sister, Hath thy brother met with thee? so, hath not y^e world met with them?Vers. 20. Iudg. 4.21 And no maruell, for if Sise­ra looke for any rest, or refreshing in Iaels tent, he shall surely be made naile fast. So if any wil séeke for infallible markes of Gods fauour in Sathans tents, and in the worlds tents, or in pleasures tents, or in profites tents, a thousand to one but their sinceritie and godlinesse will be nailefast before they come out againe. What wise man will séeke for grapes vpō thornes? or figs vpō thistles? or, for gold amongst old iron? or hony out of a spider? or heate in the ise? So no wise harted Christian wil looke for certain marks of the Lords fauour, in such things as may be markes of his wrath, as well as of his loue. But if these outward and general gra­ces be offred them, they take them, and if they go from them, they go not after them to loose their sinceritie for thē, but thus they resolue with them selues, O Lord my God [Page 80] I sée that by no outward thing a man can certainly tell whether he be in thy fauor or no: but if thou vpholdest me in mine integri­tie, and in the studie of pietie, and the true zeale of thy glory, &c. then I shalbe sure of thy fauour indéede: therfore O Lord if want come, then kéepe my faith in thy prouidence firme and strong, if thou sendest enemies to trie me, kéepe my loue sound, if thou sendest sickenesse or aduersitie, kéepe my patience entire, if riches and preferment come, kéepe my zeale vnquenchable, like Lot who when it was not granted him to abide stil in great Sodome,Gen. 19.20.22. requested that he might go to litle Zoar. And then, although they haue nothing else but the inward testimonie of Gods spi­rit, they haue inough: for by these inward kisses they are sure of Gods fauour, because a good conscience is a continuall feast to y^e af­flicted, & makes merrie at home in the house of the inward man,Pro. 15.15 when there is nothing but warre and trouble abroad.

IN these words we are to note further, that the king doth not say simply, I am vpholden, or I haue kept mine integritie, but he saith, thou O Lord hast vpholden me, and doest vphold me, where we may obserue, that though Da­uids heart was sincere, and sound, and vp­right before God, frée from his enemies vn­iust accusations, and frée from all de [...]re of reuenge: yet all this was giuen him of God, it came not to him by nature to teach vs that of our selues we are not able to kéepe our selues, but God must and doth vphold vs in our vprightnesse, or else we fall as others [...], and therefore we must craue this grace of God, that he will kéepe vs, and defend vs [Page 93] with his holy spirit.

There hath bene a great controuersie be­twéene the Papists and vs (euer since the a­bomination of desolation stoode in the holy place) about this point. They (intending to iustifie them selues with the Lawyer in the Gospell) say, This haue we done, and that can we do, affirming that it is in the power of man (which is but dust and ashes) of him­selfe, and by him selfe, to repent when he will, to beléeue when he will, to obey God when he will, and to vphold them selues in their integritie. And to make their matter good, they say, we haue the grace of God gi­uen vs, to obtaine the grace of God by our own power. Where you sée they speake flat contraries, if they had grace to sée it: for if y^e grace of God be giuen vs, then we haue it not of our selues: if we haue it of our selues, then is it not giuen vs of God. Againe if we be vpholden by the grace and fauor of God, then we vphold not our selues: if we haue this power of our selues, then not of God. Thus they speake contrary to them selues, and are deuided in their owne spéeches, like the kingdome of Sathan, which is deuided in it self that it cannot stand. And to speake the [Page 94] truth, they speake confusedly they know not what, because Babell, that is confusion, is fallen vpon them, as vpō those men which would presume by their owne endeuours without God to climbe vp into heauen.

Now on the other side, we hold, that we can get nothing but by the helpe of God: and we admit no first grace, but if the grace of God be in vs, it is giuen vs of Gods spirit, not gotten of our owne power, and this we proue by the word of God. God worketh both the wil and the deede, Phil. 2.13. saith the Apostle to the Philippians. Of our selues we are not able to thinke a good thought, saith y^e same Apostle to the Corinthians, and therefore he demaundeth of all flesh, What hast thou, that thou hast not receiued? as if he should say, nothing: If therefore thou hast receiued it, why doest thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued it? Aske S. Iames, and he wil tell vs, that euery good gift, and euery perfect gift, is from aboue, & commeth down from the Father of light. As if he should say, from whomsoeuer euill doth come, yet all goodnes commeth from God.Gen. 20. Aske Abimelech, and he will tell vs, that if God had not kept him he had kept Abrahams wife. Aske Peters fal, [Page 95] and that will tell vs, that if we stand by our selues, we shall fall, although we were as strong as Peter. Aske Ieremie, and he will tell vs that the heart is deceiptfull, & wicked aboue all things: yea and though it be borne and bred, and brought vp with vs, and we haue daily familiarity therwith, yet we can not know it. Therefore, if none can know it, much lesse can any reforme it. He that knoweth it can reforme it, and doth reforme it, where it is reformed: but that is y^e Lord which searcheth the heart, for so it followeth in the next verse,Ier. 179.10. I the Lord search the heart and trie the reines. Aske Moses and he will tell vs,Gen. 6.5. that the thoughts of mans heart are euill continually, as if he should say. If they be good at any time, that is not of man, but of God. Moses him selfe being in prayer, must haue his hands holdē vp by Aaron and Hur, if Moses were not able of him selfe to hold vp his hands in prayer, much lesse was he able to hold vp his heart in prayer. What doth this teach vs, but this, that if we were as zealous as Moses, yet God must hold vs vp, or else we faint.

There are but two things required of e­uery one. The first is, to become holy. The [Page 96] second is, to continue holy, to conuert and turne into the wayes of God, and to conti­nue in the waies of the Lord: now both these are of God, and not of our selues. Of the first the Prophet Ioell speaketh whē he saith,Ioel. 2. Turne thou vs ô Lord, and then we shall be turned. As if he should say, Except the Lord do turne our hearts, we shall neuer be tur­ned vnto him, for of our selues we cannot. How farre & how long had S. Paule walked in the way of persecuting the Christians, if the Lord had not stayed him by the way? When would Saul haue become a Paule, if the Lord had not changed his name and alte­red his nature? When would so naturall a persecutor, haue become so holy a professor, if the Lord had not called him? And when he was conuerted, who kept him from falling backe againe?2. Cor. 12.9. My grace (saith the Lord) is sufficient to vphold thee. The spirit of the Lord is therfore called by the Prophet Esay, Esay. 11.2. the spirit of wisedome, and vnderstanding, the spirit of counsell, the spirit of courage, the spirit of knowledge, and the spirit of the feare of the Lord: to teach vs, that if we haue holy wisedome, vnderstanding, or counsell, or courage, or knowledge, or the feare of [Page 97] God, we haue them of Gods spirit, and not of our selues. Whē God gaue Saul a Prince­ly spirit, he spake like a king, but when his spirit was departed from him, he spake like a clowne and not like a king.1. King. 3. Therefore Sa­lomon prayeth vnto God for a wise and vn­derstanding heart, to teach vs, y^t we haue no such thing of our selues but from aboue. The very phrase of the Scripture, & Dauids man­ner of speaking doth teach vs no lesse. Thou vpholdest me (saith Dauid) yea euē me thou vpholdest. Now Dauid we know had many singular, and excellēt graces of God, and yet God must vphold him, that is, hold him vp from falling: what doth this argue but thus much, that we are subiect to falling euen the best of vs?Iohn. 15. Therefore in the 15. of Iohn God is compared to a husbandman, and in the 5. of Esay. 1. verse,Esay. 5.5. & in diuers other places of [...]cripture his Church is compared to a vine, which though it be most fruitfull, yet is it most weake, and must be purged by y^e Lord, [...]hat it may be fruitfull,Iohn. 15. & must be vpholden [...]y the Lord, or els it will fall to the ground. This doctrine hath a double vse for our sel­ues. First it serueth for our comfort, if we [...]e the seuauntes of God, for alb [...]it we be [Page 98] compassed about with many weaknesses, & assaulted with infinite temptations on eue­ry side, yet the Lord whom we serue doth & will vphold vs, If at any time he doth let vs fall, [...] it is to teach vs that we cannot vphold our selues, but that we stād by him. But as­suredly though we fall daily, yet he will so vphold vs if we relye vpon him, that we shal not fall finally from him.

If he taketh all his graces from vs (as we thinke) at any time, let vs know that he doth it for no other purpose, but that we might know our selues of our selues to be but na­ked, and so might begge all of him againe. Therfore, whatsoeuer we want, let vs séeke it at the hands of God, that giueth to them which want: when we féele any weakeness [...] in vs, or any sinne strong, let vs beséech th [...] Lord, to vphold vs. Do not say, I cā, or I wil do this, and that, I will beléeue, and repent when I list, no, for if the Lord by his grace and fauour doth not vphold thée, thou shalt do nothing but fall from him.Phil. 1. Faith is y^e gift of God, therefore pray, Lord increase my faith, and Lord helpe my vnbeléefe. A refor­med hart, and holy affections be the gift of God,Psal. 51. therefore pray with Dauid, Create i [...] [Page 99] me O Lord a cleane hart, and renew a right spirite within me. The loue of wisedome is the gift of God,Psal. 119. therefore pray. Apply my hart vnto wisedome. To vnderstand the wil of God in his law, is the worke of God, ther­fore pray,Psal. 119. O Lord Open my eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy law. To set light by vanitie, that is by vaine things and vaine persons is the worke of Gods grace not of nature, therfore we must pray Turne away my eyes from beholding vanitie. What should I say more? Let vs beséech the Lord our strength to vphold vs in our integritie, & he wil vphold vs, so farre as shal make for his own glory, and our owne saluation, and what would we desire more? And this we must desire: for els we cannot stand but fall. Secōdly, this doctrine serueth to humble vs, and may be a preseruatiue against pride, the vse of it is at all times; but chiefly when we begin to waxe proude of any good thing, which the Lord doth worke in vs, or by vs, which indéede is our corrupt nature. And likewise when we insulte [...]uer our weake brethren, both which are our faultes.

When such thoughtes and temptations come to fasten vpon vs let vs thinke, that it [Page 100] is the Lord by whom we stand, and of him i [...] is that we are that which we are, and if w [...] be proude therof, he may and can take awa [...] our hold, and we shall fall, and our honou [...] shall lye in the dust.

Rome was sometime a famous Church, the beloued spouse of Christ Iesus, and [...] daughter of the most high, but for her pride, God let her fall, and hath now giuen her [...] bill of diuorcement.

Of England it may be said, as it was sai [...] of Ierusalem, our habitation & kinred is o [...] Canaan,Eze. 16.3.4.5. &c. our father an Amorite, and our mo­ther an Hittite. In our natiuitie our nauell was not cut, we were not softned with wa­ter, nor seasoned with salt, nor swadled with cloutes, no eye pitied our case, we were ca [...] out into the open field to the contempt of out person. But the Lord of mercy and compas­sion passed by vs, and séeing vs euen pollu­ted in our bloud, yea in our owne bloud, sa [...] in great pitie, and compassion vnspeakable, Thou shalt liue. He caused vs to multipli [...] as the bud of the field, he hath bestowed ex­cellent ornaments vpon vs, our breasts are fashioned, our haire is growen, whereas we were naked and bare, behold further, ou [...] [Page 101] time is as the time of loue, he hath spread his skirts ouer vs, and entred into a couenant with vs, and we are become his, & he is be­come ours. He hath washed vs with swéete water, & annointed vs w^t oyle of gladnesse. He hath clothed vs with broidered worke, he hath shod vs with badgers skinnes, and gir­ [...]ed vs with fine linnē, and couered vs with silke. He hath decked vs with ornamentes & put bracelets vpon our hands, and a chaine about our necke. He hath put a frontlet vp­on our face, eare rings in our eares, and a beautifull crowne vpon our head, he hath fed vs with fine flower, honie, and oyle, he hath made vs very beautifull, and hath caused vs to grow vp to a kingdome, in so much as our name is spread among the heathen for our beautie, which the Lord hath set vpon vs. What should be said more? In a word the Lord hath compted nothing to costly or to deare for vs, nay what could he do more for his vineyeard y^t he hath not done vnto it?Esay. 5. but what of all this? shal we bragge of our orna­ments, and be proud of our iewels?Eze. 16.15 16. no: but let vs serue the Lord our God with feare, & reioyce vnto him with reuerence, for if we shall trust in our beautie, and play the har­lot, [Page 102] because of our renowne, if we shall take our garmēts, and decke the high places with diuers colours, if we shall abuse the riches of Gods mercy, what then? Then heare the word of the Lord O harlot. Thus saith the Lord,Vers. 35. because thy shame is powred out, and thy filthinesse discouered through thy forni­cation with thy louers, I will therfore iudge thée after the manner of harlots, and mur­therers, & I will giue thée the bloud of wrath & ielousie. I will giue thée into thy enemies handes, and they shall strippe thée out of all thy clothes, and thy faire iewels, and leaue thée naked and bare. Therefore let him that thinke he standeth, take héede least he fall, but let vs make an end of our saluatiō with feare and trembling,1. Cor. 10. not fearing least we should fall from our election, & loose our sal­uation, but least we fall from our integritie and loose our manifold blessings, for want o [...] sober vsing of them.

But this is in generall, let vs goe more particularly to worke. Haue any of vs her [...] present, any knowledge more thē he had, o [...] more then others haue, or wisedome, zeale, or faith, or loue, or patience, or any grace▪ whatsoeuer, let vs not be proude of them, [Page 103] because God gaue them, and God can take them againe. If any of vs do stand vpright, and walke in honestie, when others doe fall, let vs not insult ouer them, as the maner of some is,Note that to vpbraide honester men then them selues by faultes done fourtie yeare since, and the law fully satisfied for them, and yet this is y^e maner of prophane Atheists, which know neither God nor them selues, to cast the old ragges and sores of the seruaunts of God in their face, to make thē and their pro­fession, I meane the Gospell odious in the eyes of the world, and such as them selues are. And for no other cause but because they will not runne with them to y^e same excesse of riot:Gen. 27. and euē as Esaw hated Iacob because of the blessing wherewith God had blessed him, so doe these men hate their brethren be­cause they are better then them selues, and séeke to haue them and their wayes refor­med according to y^e word of God. Is it thinke you a small matter thus to quench, or to gréeue the spirite of God in any of our bre­thren? doe we stand by our selues? shall we neuer fall? (i) we neuer fall our selues? what if the Lord shall pull the staffe of his grace from vs? then we shal fall with shame [Page 104] inough and then others shall insult ouer vs, and reioyce at our fals, as we haue reioy­ced at their faults. For further proofe wher­of, let vs heare what the holy Ghost saith to such kinde of persōs in the 52. Psalme.Psal. 52.1.2. &c. Why doest thou boast thy selfe in thy wickednesse, O man of power? the louing kindnesse of God indureth daily, as if he should say, thou thinkest thy selfe a iolly fellow, and takest pride in thy wickednes, as though thou were a great man of power and shouldest neuer come downe, and because God doth suffer thée from day to day waiting for thy repen­taunce, thou thinkest, either that he cannot, or dare not, or that he will not meddle with thée, but now sée thy selfe in thy colours, and then iudge what cause thou hast to bragge it out as thou doest against all the world, what art thou? what goodnes is in thée? Thy toung imagineth mischief, & is like a sharpe rasor, that cutteth deceitfully. Thou doest loue euill more then good, and lyes more thē truth. Thou louest all wordes that may de­stroy. O deceitfull toung. Now sée thy end. So God shall destroy thee for euer. He shall take thee and plucke thee out of thy Taber­nacle, and roote thee out of the land of the li­uing. [Page 105] The righteous also shall see it, and feare, and shall laugh at him, saying, Behold the mā that tooke not God for his strength, but tru­sted vnto the multitude of his riches, and put his strength in his substance. But I (saith Da­uid) shalbe like a greene oliue tree in the house of God: for I trusted in the mercies of God for euer and for euer. But some will say this is spoken against the wicked sort of the world, but I haue, more grace, & moe graces of God then they haue: all the world cannot detect me of such vices, therefore I may be more bold to speake my pleasure of others then they may. But deceiue not thy selfe: thou séest a child, while he will runne vp & down to shew his new clothes,Simile. and catcheth a fall, & séeing himselfe downe, and his clothes soiled in the dust he crieth lowder at his fall thē he crowed before at his new coate: so God hath put many excellent graces vpon thée, thou crowest at the sight of them, as Nebuchad­nezzar did at the sight of his pallace, & like a foole thou art in admiratiō of thy selfe, till thou stumblest euen vpon thy owne gifts, & when thou art downe, thou which before didst crow like a foole, doest then crye like a [Page 106] child, especially because thou séest thy excel­lent graces, euē thy coate of diuers colours, stained and soiled with thy fall, be not there­fore proude of thy giftes, nor insolent ouer thy weake brother, for God vpholdeth thée, & God can set him vp, and cast thée downe: for promotion (saith Dauid) commeth neither from the East nor from the West,Psal. 75.6.7. but God is Iudge, and he setteth vp one and pulleth downe another. Thinke we vpon this, and it will humble vs: who would haue thought that Dauids holinesse should haue bene so stayned in the puddle of vncleannesse? Who would haue thought that Salomon his wise­dome should euer haue bene wrapt vp in the follie of women? Who would haue thought that Sampsons strength had slept in the lap of weaknesse? Who would haue thought that such a valiant souldier as Peter was, would haue proued such a coward as he was afterward? what do all these but crye with one voyce, take héede how you walke, for it is God that vpholdeth. How many Iudges haue come downe from the bēch to the barre? how many prisoners haue gone vp from the the barre to the bench? how many Dukes, Earles, Lordes, Knightes, and Gentlemen, [Page 107] how many I say both honorable & worship­full, wise and learned, stoute and valiant, haue bene pluckt from their places of honor and dignitie, like vntimely fruite from the trée? and bene brought, some to the gibbet? some to the scaffold, and some to perpetuall imprisonment? & what haue they there con­fessed but thus much, while God vpheld vs we stood, and for want of grace we fell. Ther­fore let no mā reioyce at our fals, for if you stand, God doth vphold you, and if he do not vphold you, you shal surely fall. Haman was neuer so high in the kings fauour, but at last he was as high on his owne gallowes. Mor­decai was neuer so neare the point of death, but at last he was aduaūced to great honor. Iudas once thought much with another, for bestowing a box of ointment more then nee­ded (as he thought) vpon Christ, at last he knew that him selfe had taken more then he ought by thirtie pence, the price of innocent bloud. The swelling red sea was once deui­ded in sunder, which before threatned pre­sent death to any that durst go into it. The Sunne which runneth his course as a swift giant, did once stand still. The rauens did once féede Elias. The dogges bellyes were [Page 108] once a graue for Iezabell. The fire which by nature consumeth all, had once no power o­uer the haire of a mans head. The lice, and the flyes did once preuaile against a kinges power. The hungry Lions had once no pow­er against Daniell. Litle naked Dauid, did once giue great armed Goliath the ouer­throw. There was once a song of Sauls thou­sand, and Dauids ten thousand. And what was once, which may not be againe if God will? Therfore let no man be proude of that he is, but let him remēber what hath bene, and what may be, and that none vpholdeth from falling but God.

Thou vpholdest me (saith Dauid.) Think we vpon this text when we sée the hand of God in iustice vpon any malefactor? we run out by troupes to sée some executed, some whipped, and some to be some other way o­penly shamed: we sée them, we talke of thē, we wonder at them, and so we forget them. But if we would then take so much paines, as to lay our inside to their outside, that is, our owne faults concealed in Gods mercie, with their faults reuealed in Gods iustice, we would thē pitie their case, and feare our selues: we would pray for them, and for our [Page 109] selues, we wold humbly thanke God, which by his grace had kept vs from falling. For if the Lord in mercy should not vphold vs, we might be théeues, or murtherers, and com­mit any wickednesse as well as others. And this let vs know, that the Lord doth but pick them out to preach this vnto vs, that except he vphold vs we fall, and except we repent we shall fall. Thou vpholdest me (saith Da­uid, both a king and a Prophet) and there­fore both mightie and learned, to teach vs that there is none so great for liuing, so high for authoritie, nor so excellent for learning, but must depend on God, and trust in God for all these, or else he is no body. The blind world is in another vaine, and their vaine is vaine indéede: for they thinke that honesty and pietie do go by wealth and authoritie, and not by the grace of God. And therefore when they grow to be wealthy in the world, or when they haue gotten authoritie into their hands, they begin to lift vp the head, & to turne vp the snout in the wind, then they dispence with themselues to disgrace al that come before them, if they like them not: and to disdaine al their poore neighbours, be they neuer so godly, but themselues cannot chuse [Page 110] but be honest, and godly, because they are rich, and in authoritie.

But what if they chaunce to be taken in a trip, as the wiliest foxe is sometime taken in a snare? what if they be conuinced of falling, or slipping, or some notorious crime? what then? do they then flie to God? nothing lesse, but to their wealth, or friends, or authoritie, or some worldly deuise, & thus they say in their hearts, Thou my money, or thou my countenance, or thou my wealth, or thou my friend in the Court, shalt vphold me: and so, many times through corruption, for friendship, and fauour, for a gift, a pre­sent or a bribe, a bad man, and a bad cause are vpholden, which should be cast in y^e dust. But Achab shalbe slaine though he will not be known to be Achab, and Ieroboams wise shall be knowne though she disguiseth her selfe: for onely they shall stand vpright whō the Lord vpholdeth, and none else, for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked shall perish. Psal. 1. vlt. But sée the blindnesse of these wise worldlings: be­cause they are wealthie, or mightie, or craf­tie, they thinke themselues safe inough, and what néede they pray to God for his grace to [Page 111] vphold them? nay, they make a wonder at him that talketh of any such matter: wheras indéed the more wealth, or authoritie, or learning, or credit, or friends, or any world­ly commoditie a man hath, the more néede he hath of Gods grace to vphold him from ex­tremities on euery side, for else all these things will be but so many ropes whereby Sathan will pull him to hell.

Last of all, if this doctrine were wel lear­ned, and stedfastly beléeued, it would serue in stéede of a moderator to end many bitter contentions, for commonly in contending one with another, we say, Thou art this, and that, and I am this, and that, thy better, and honester then thou, and so foorth. But the A­postle giueth vs other counsell,Gal. 6.1. Brethren if any man (saith he) be fallen by occasion, you that be spirituall restore such a one with the spirit of meekenesse, considering thy self lest thou also be tēpted. And (saith he) in another place,Tit. 3.3.4. We our selues also were in times past vnwise, disobedient, deceiued, seruing lustes and diuerse pleasures, liuing in maliciousnes, and enuie, hatefull and hating one another, but whē the bountifulnesse and loue of God our Sauiour appeared we were otherwise, and [Page 112] so may others be hereafter, which are not yet, and we may be hereafter as others are now, if God doth not vphold vs: for it is he that vpholdeth them which stand, which rai­seth them that are downe, which strengthe­neth the weake, and casteth downe the prou [...] in the imagination of their hearts.

Now let vs pray.

WE haue heard already that God did vphold Dauid in his inno­cencie, whereby he was assured of Gods fauour towards him. Now we shall heare, how God preserued him in safetie, which is another pledge of his loue towardes him. In these words we haue two things to consider. First what God did for Dauid, he set him before his face ▪ Secondly, how long this loue lasted, for euer: when he saith, Thou doest set me before thy face. It is as much as if he should say, by manifest signes and tokens of deliue­rance, thou doest let me know that thou hast me in remembrance: for when God séemeth to forget his children, he is sayd to hide his [Page 112] face,Psal. 44.24 as appeareth in Psalm. 44.24. where the Church complaineth in this maner, Where­fore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our miserie and affliction? that is, why doest thou not shew vs thy helpe, that we may knowe thou doest remember vs? Therefore when he doth make it manifest that he doth remē ­ber vs, he is said to set vs before his face.

This sheweth what a care the Lord hath of them whom he loueth, and what affection he doth beare vnto them whom he vpholdeth in the integritie of their heart, as a thing which a man hath alwayes in his sight: [...] doth God loue his children, that he can no [...] abide for loue to let them go out of his sight. As the husband that loueth his wife, thinket [...] him selfe not well till she hath his compani [...] & he her presence: so God loueth the Church his spouse, that he can not abide to be with­out her companie, and thinkes her not safe, except she be in his presence to behold th [...] light of his countenaunce, therefore it plea­seth the Lord Iesus, not onely to call himsel [...] the head of his Church,Ephe. 1.23. and the Church hi [...] body, but also to terme his Church the ful­nesse of him selfe, although he filleth all in a [...] things, as though he were imperfect witho [...] [Page 113] his Church. As the father or the mother will haue that infant in their sight, which they loue most dearely, so God will haue his Church in his sight, which he loueth most tenderly. As the tutour will haue his pupill in his presence to shew his care and his loue towardes him, so the Lord, which hath takē vpon him our tuition doth set vs before his face, that we may know what care he hath ouer vs, therefore are such phrases vsed in the Scripture,Esay. 49.15.16. as Esay. 49.15.16. Can a wo­mā forget her child & not haue cōpassion on the sonne of her wombe? though they should forget, yet will not I forget thee, saith the Lord. Behold I haue grauen thee on the palme of my handes, thy walles are euer in my sight, to shew that no enemies can come against his Church, but he must know thē, and no breaches can be made in the walles of his Church, but he must sée them, and sée who made them. And so long it cannot chuse but go well with his Church. And therefore it followeth in the next verse,17. Thy builders make hast, and thy destroyers, and those that made thee wast, are departed from thee. In the 10. of S. Iohn 28.Iohn. 10.28. The sonne himself saith of his spouse the elect. I geue vnto them eter­nall [Page 114] life, neither shall any plucke them out of my hād, to shew how safe they are with him, and how mindfull he is of them. In figure whereof, Aaron the high Priest (who was also a figure of Christ) was commaunded by God in the 28. of Exodus to weare a breast plate with foure rowes of precious stones.Exod. 28.17.18.19.20. In the first row, a Rubie, a Topace, and a Carbuncle. In the second row, an Emeraude, a Saphire, and a Diamonde. In the third row, a Turkis, an Achate, and a Hemetite, In the fourth row, a Chrysolite, an Onix, and a Iasper. And the stones shalbe according to the names of the children of Israell, twelue according to their names, grauen at signets, euerie one after his name, and they shalbe for the twelue Tribes: all this is to shew what accōpt the Lord doth make of his cho­sen people. But where must these stones [...] worne? he sheweth where in the 29. verse. So Aaron shall beare the names of the children of Israell, in the breast plate of Iudgemēt vp­on his hart, whē he goeth into the holy place, for a remembraunce continually before the Lord. And Aaron shall beare the Iudgement of the children of Israell vpon his hart con­tinually. And what is this for, but to shew [Page 115] the continuall care that Christ hath of his Church. For Aaron is a figure and resem­blaunce of Christ, the precious stones are a figure of the Church of Christ. Aaron must weare them vpon his breast, that is in his sight, so Christ hath his people alwayes in his sight. As it was impossible for Aaron to forget the stones, which were in his sight, so is it impossible that Christ our true Aaron should forget his people, which beléeue in his name, but hath them in continuall remem­braunce, being now gone into the holy of ho­lies, that is the kingdome of his father, the most holy place of all. And the same care which the Lord Iesus had of the Iewes his choise people at the first, the same care hath he of the Gentils, that is of vs and other na­tions of the earth, which beléeue in him: be­cause the wall of separation is pulled down, and there is now no respect of persons with the Lord,Gal. but in all nations, he that feareth the Lord,Act. 10. and worketh righteousnesse is ac­cepted of him.

THe Prophet Dauid hauing re­ceiued assuraunces of Gods fa­uour towards him, he prayseth God the giuer. What tokēs he had of Gods loue both without him, and within him, we haue heard in the verses before, of his behauiour after the re­ceipt therof, we shall heare in this last verse. He now returneth to God, for his iewells, such as he had, prayse & thāksgiuing, loue for loue, praises for blessings, as was his duety. The Lord of loue wooeth Dauid his beloued, he hath wōne his affectiō, Dauid is y^e Lords, both in body and soule, & in all that he hath, Dauid is happy thereby, for he is samed ther­by, [Page 127] but y^e Lord is neuer y^e richer for his gift. In Dauids thankesgiuing, we may obserue two things, first to whō he offereth his sacri­fice of praise: secōdly in what maner he offe­reth it. For y^e first: it is y^• Lord to whō he doth offer it, & to none but the Lord. Papistes say, blessed be God, & our Layd, blessed be God, & such a sainct, & such a sainct, for this & y^e bles­sing: so doth not Gods child here, Ergo they are not Gods childrē in so doing. A mā after Gods owne hart doth not so, Ergo they are not men after Gods owne hart in doing so. Great reason had Dauid, & great reasō haue all y^e faithfull to prayse God onely: for first, who kept Dauids enemies frō triūphing a­gainst him but the Lord? who vpheld him in his integrity, but y^e Lord? who set him before his face for euer, but y^e Lord? therefore who must be praysed but the Lord? This was y^e Lords own doing, & this was y^e Lords onely doing, therfore he onely is to be praysed. A­gain, the Lord which saueth vs euen for his own name sake, wil not haue his glory par­ted betwéene him & his creatures, but giuen wholly to himselfe, as y^e Prophet Esay saith,Esay. 42.8. [...]herfore, cursed be they, whatsoeuer they be, y^• dare ioyne any whatsoeuer, as partners w^t [Page 128] God, either in his workes or in his worship. For his maner & forme of praising God, it is most excellēt, for he doth it in such wordes & maner as noteth a wōderfull earnest affectiō in him towardes y^e Lord, a great zeale of his glorie, great humilitie in him selfe, & a great feare least he should not doe it as he ought: for first, he doth not say simply, blessed be God, but blessed be the Lord God of Israell, to shew that nothing in him selfe deserued such loue at Gods hands, but onely the coue­naunt, which y^e Lord made, with his Church moued him thereunto, Dauid being a mem­ber of the Church. Secondly as Gods loue is infinite and euerlasting, so accordingly he praiseth his name for it, saying, world with­out end. Thirdly, to shew his hartie, and vn­fained cōsent to that, which he spake, he saith. So be it, and as one not repēting him of that he had said, but rather fearing that he came too short in the first, he doubleth his speech, and with a second blow, to rouse vp his hart and affection, which were scant awakened with the first, he saith, So be it, and againe I say So be it, So be it, euen so be it.

The doctrine that is to be gathered from this verse, ariseth two wayes, first from the [Page 129] matter subiect: secondly, from the forme of y^e words. The matter subiect of the verse is Dauids thankesgiuing to the Lord, for that he had so many wayes sealed vp, and made sure his loue vnto his soule. From which ex­ample we may gather this general doctrine, that after benefits receiued of God, it is our dutie, and our delight to returne thankes vnto the Lord, if Gods loue be swéete vnto vs. And this dutie can none performe aright but the elect children of God, which are led by Gods spirit, endued with Gods grace, en­riched with Gods benefites, and inflamed with his loue. All of vs do begge and craue like lepers, but scarce one of ten do returne praises and thankesgiuing for our healing, as though Gods gifts were not worth thāks. We are not so kinde to the Lord for all his benefites, as we are to a mortall man for one curtesie. Onely the faithfull being once throughly enlightened, and effectually cal­led, are afraid to omit or neglect this dutie, and when they do faile therein, they are not a litle grieued thereat: and that they do, for Gods spirit is in them. Therefore as they pray by the spirit, so by the same spirite they praise God: alwayes knitting vp their pray­ers [Page 130] with thankesgiuing, for they must not be separated. Daniell prayed,Dan. 6.10. & praised God thrée times a day on his knées: no doubt he did it oftener as occasion was offred, but this he bound him selfe vnto what businesse soe­uer he had, because of his dulnesse: to teach vs what we must do. But how many deuour the graces of God one after another like a hogge vnder the trée, neuer looking vp to the trée from whence they come: as though all that God sendeth were nothing. Some are afraid to be acknowen who did them good, or gaue them goods,Iohn. 9.21. like the blind mans father, who for feare of the Iewes durst not tel who gaue his sonne his sight. Some are ashamed like Sarah, Gen. 18.13. who laughed at the Angels mes­sage, when she should rather haue giuen thankes: & this is because the wicked mocke the godly for praising of God, as the sonne of the bond woman mocked the sonne of the frée woman, and it is now become a reproch to speake any one word amongst many to the praise of God: whereof it commeth that the most part both at bed and boord do so com­monly forget to prayse the Lord, but like beasts they sit and lye down, and like beasts they rise vp againe. But litle may we do be­loued, [Page 131] if we cannot by prayer aske leaue of God to take his blessings, when we haue no right to any thing but in Christ, and litle may we do, if we cannot giue him thanks, & acknowledge him to be the giuer. Thus like théeues we steale the Lords benefites and do nothing for them, as if we should boldly goe into our neighbours house, & take our diner, and his plate, and go away, and neuer say, with your leaue, nor I thanke you: the Lord open our eyes, and touch our hearts. Some that would séeme to be a litle more manerly, will vtter, nay I may more truely say, smo­ther out a few cold words of course, like gos­sips & protestants at large, when they meete one another, Here is a goodly weather God be praised, Oh you haue a swéete child neigh­bour, God blesse him, God be thāked of your vpsitting, or your comming abrode againe, and so foorth: but if any thing be added more then these common gratulations, whereby God may reape more glorie, that is a note of a Puritane, and he is too holy for our com­pany. Some would giue God thankes ofte­ner then they do, but they cannot remember him without a picture, or a crucifixe, or some Popish relicke, like the Ioclatrous Iewes, [Page 132] which could not remember God til they saw a calfe. As though the Lords dayly benefits were not sufficient remembrances & liuely pictures of the Lords goodnesse, or as though when any doth bestow a benefite vpon vs by his sonne, we should not thanke his father because we neuer saw him, and we want his picture.

Some will for fashion sake giue God a good word or two, and say perhaps, God is a good God, God be blessed, I thanke God for my deliuerance, &c. but then they must run a long discourse of them selues, but if I had not done this and that, if I had not played y^e man, & had a good forecast, &c. it had not gone so well with me as it did. Thus many deale with God, like him that when he hath tolde out his money to his creditor which he ought him, and taken vp his bond, snatcheth vp his money againe, and for an hundred pound gi­ueth him a penie and a boxe on the eare. But to leaue all these to the Lord, this is most certaine, if we be afrayd, or ashamed, or for­getfull, or indifferent to praise the Lord: or if we be vnreuerent, or idolatrous, or su­perstitious in praising God, how can we as­sure our selues to be the children of God?

[Page 133]But note further in this holy seruant of God, how he was qualified, and prepared, before he would, or before he could offer any sacrifice of praise acceptable to God. First he examineth his heart, and findeth his affectiōs holy, and vpright before the Lord, his heart frée from reuenge, his spirit humbled vnder the hand of God, his soule assured of Gods fauour, and his faith setled in his promises: this being done, he procéedeth and saith Bles­sed be the Lord God of Israell, &c. assuring him selfe, that when his person is accepted with God, his praises & thankesgiuing shall not be reiected. This is to teach vs, that they which come vnsanctified, and vnprepared by a liuely faith and true repētance, and haue nothing to cōmend them vnto God but their pride, their hatred, their infidelitie, their im­pietie, and such like, they cannot prayse the Lord, and if they do, it is returned vpō their heads as sinne: & so they are sent away not onely emptie, but in worse case then they came, like the vnworthy guest that came to the Kings feast without his wedding gar­ment. And this doctrine runneth currant thorough the whole body of the Scriptu­res, and no man doth aske from whence it [Page 134] commeth or whither it goeth, but euery one of the Lords Seers and seruants giueth te­stimonie vnto it. The Psalmist is of y^t mind, for he saith,Psal. 34.15 16 The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous, and his eares are open to their crie, but the face of the Lord is against them that do euill, to cut off the remembrance of them from off the earth, to shew how little the Lord regardeth their prayers, or any thing that they can offer vnto his maiestie. Salomon is likewise of the same mind, for he saith,Prou. 15.8. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomi­natiō to the Lord, but the prayer of the righ­teous is acceptable vnto him. He sheweth a good reason why. For (saith he) the way of the wicked is abomination to the Lord, but he loueth them that followe righteousnesse. In another place he saith,Prou. 17.7 High talke becō ­meth not a foole. If high talke becometh not a [...]oole, much lesse doth diuine talke become a wicked man: for what talke hi [...]her thē talke with the most high? and who so foolish as the wicked and profane? The Prophet Esay is also of the same mind, for he (speaking in the person of God) saith thus, When you shall stretch out your hands, Esay. 1.15. I will hide mine eyes from you, & though you make many praiers, [Page 135] I will not heare you, for your handes are full of bloud, that is: your déedes are full of op­pression, and therefore your prayers, and praises are stained with your bloudy hands.

S. Luke saith,Luke. 4.41 That deuils came out of ma­ny, crying and saying, thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God, but Christ rebuked them, and suffred them not to say that they knew him to be that Christ, because they were deuils. For our Sauiour Christ will not be praised out of a deuils mouth, for their commendation tendeth rather to his discre­dite thē otherwise: so deuilish men may per­haps come out of many houses, to Church, & cry we prayse thée O God, we know thée who y^u art, Iesus the sonne of the liuing God, glory be to the father and to the sonne and to the holy Ghost, and many good wordes and spéeches moe they vtter, but surely the Lord is so farre from accepting any such thing at their hands, that he is more prouoked to an­ger against them for it, because they are de­uilish, and come without repentance into the presence of the most holy. The like in all respectes shall we read of in the 16. of the A­ctes.Act. 16.17.18. A certaine maid had a spirite of diuina­tion, she was such a one as some ignorantly [Page 136] call a cunning womā, no better then a witch or a cōiurer, one that wrought by the deuil, & could by helpe of the deuil tell where things were y^t were lost, & such a one followed Paul and Silas, crying, These are the seruaunts of the most high God, and this she did many dayes. But Paul being greeued, turned about and said to the spirite, I commaunde thee in the name of Iesus Christ that thou come out of her. Now as Gods seruaunts could not abide the confession of the deuill, much lesse can God him selfe abide it, being onely for feare and not of loue. A straunge thing that deuils, which are at defiāce with God, should confesse him. And yet (all things duely consi­dered) it is not so straunge as it may séeme to be, for what if they do it of constrainte whe­ther they wil or no? or what if it be for feare onely and not for loue? or what if they do it to bring credit vpon their own matters, and to bring Gods matters into contempt? then the strangenesse of the matter is diminished: for indéede this is common not onely among the deuils, but amongest all the reprobate. Sathā shall alledge Scripture to credite his owne cause, and Balam will not (because [...]e cannot) passe the boundes of that, which God [Page 137] hath put in his mouth, whē his hart hunteth for y^e wages of iniquitie. Sometime to make them inexcusable God will wring a confes­sion from their own mouthes, as he did from Pharao. Sometime the wicked will doe that, which their hart goeth against, to bring Gods seruaunts in question amongest men, like the cunning maide before mentioned. Sometime to deceiue the more easily, and strongly, he will chaunge him selfe into the likenesse of an Angell of light, and put vpon a fowle matter a faire cloake of holinesse. The truth wherof may sufficiently appeare in the kingdome or Poperie, amongest the Monkes and Friers, which vnder pretence of holinesse, commit all kinde of wickednes. I haue knowen some Arian heretiques▪ whose life hath bene most strickt amongest men, whose toungs haue bene tired with Scripture vpon Scripture, their knées euen hardned in prayer, and their faces wedded to sadnesse, and their mouthes full of prayses to God, while in the meane time, they haue stoutly denied the diuinitie of the sonne of God, and haue not sticked to teare out of the Bible, all such places as made against them, such were Hamond, Lewes and Cole here­tiques [Page 138] of wretched memorie lately executed and cut of in Norwich, what shall I say of Fraunces Ket another Arian which succéeded them,F. Kett. in opinions more monstrous then his predecessours, for he held that whosoeuer wilbe saued, must before he dye, go to Ieru­salē: that Christ with his Apostles, are now personally in Iudea gathering of his church: that y^e faithfull should miraculously be pre­serued at Ierusalem, with a wall of fire, & be fed with Angels foode from heauen: but these were his dreames, & yet such dreames as (rather then he would for go them, hauing once embraced them) caused him to plunge him selfe ouer head and eares in most dam­nable & cursed heresies, for behold: to main­taine his former fancies, he held most impu­dently that Christ Iesus is not God, but a good man, as others be, and that which was neuer heard before, that Christ hath suffred once for his own sinnes, and shall (before y^e end of the world) suffer again, for the sinnes of the world, and that being done, he shalbe then made God after his secōd resurrection. And yet as monstrous as he was in opiniō, sée how holy he would séeme to be in his out­ward conuersatiō. The sacred Bible almost [Page 139] neuer out of his handes, him selfe alwayes in prayer, his toung neuer ceased praysing of God, when he went to the fire he was clo­thed in sackcloth, he went leaping and daun­cing: being in the fire, aboue twentie times together, clapping his handes, he cried no­thing, but blessed be God, blessed be God, blessed be God, and so continued vntill the fire had consumed all his neither parts, and vntill he was stifled with the smoke that he could speake no longer: all which I was a witnes of my self. But shall we thinke that the Lord tooke any delight in the prayers or prayses of such a deuill incarnate? farre be it from vs. A straunge and fearefull exam­ple of a desperate, of a hardened, and a cursed creature, and yet not to be wondered at, for the deuill hath his souldiers, and martyrs aswell as the Lord, and oftentimes they are more resolute in the deuils quarrell, then some are in Gods quarrel. As for his willing and ready going, with his cōstant enduring, it was no more then is perfourmed by such as hang them selues, or drowne themselues, but what pleasure hath the Lord in the sacri­fices of such? What shall we say of our Eng­lish Donatists, our schismaticall Brownists, & [Page 140] followers of Barrow and his crue? they hold our Church for no visible Church,Schisma­tiques. neither that we haue so much as a face of a Church amōgst vs: they cōdēne all our assemblies at their pleasure, terming vs & our Churches to be but dunghils, and Sinagogues of Sa­than, our Ministerie no Ministerie, our Sa­cramēts no Sacraments, our teachers they terme Baals Priests, the taile of the red dra­gon, the whole Church of England, they call Babilon, Sodom, Egipt, & all that naught is, thus they cast mire in y^e face of their mo­ther in whose bowels they were first begot­ten (if euer they were begotten) to the Lord, separating thē selues frō all the holy things of God, because euery thing is not iust as they would haue it. But in the meane time to get more credite vnto their pretended cause of separation, they séeme to be very de­uout in prayer, and as though the spirite of prayer were proper vnto them, they condēn [...] all other mens prayers, their mouthes al­wayes thundering out the iudgements of God, while they take a felicitie in condem­ning their brethrē, they come vnder a cloake of sinceritie and reformation, while they go about to plucke vp the Lordes vineyeard by [Page 141] the rootes, and none more zealous in their profession, none more deuout in praysing of God, none more ready in the Scriptures then they, yea as plentifull in their proofes, and textes of Scripture they séeme to be for vpholding of their errors & shcisme, as Kett was for the defending of his heresies, but what pleasure the Lord hath in such schisma­ticall prayers & prayses, which haue nothing to present them to the Lord, but a spirite of pride, and errour, I feare to speake, y^e Lord open their eyes, to see their sinne, that so ma­ny as belong to him may be conuerted and be saued.

Thus we sée it manifest both by testimo­nies and examples that the sacrifices of the wicked & vngodly are vile before the Lord, how holy soeuer they séeme to be amongest men, and they can not prayse him, but as the deuils did confesse him. But if any come be­fore the Lord, as his beloued spouse, decked with their garment of diuers colours, I meane their soules clothed with the riches of Gods fauour, as true repentaunce, a liue­ly faith, brotherly loue, lowlinesse of spirite, integritie of hart, patience in affliction, ioy in the holy Ghost, if any come to the Lord [Page 142] depending on Gods grace, naked in himself▪ yet clothed in Christ, doubting of himselfe yet assuring himselfe of Gods fauour both promised & purchased in y^e bloud of Christ Ie­sus they may bring their offering, w^t Dauid, & say, Blessed be the Lord God of Israell, and the king of glory shall then haue delight in their beautie, for he loueth the prayses of his people, and of none els.

This doctrine, if it were throughly ap­plied, and closely layd to the conscience of e­uery estate & calling, it would I hope make vs all more warie, and carefull in offering our selues with our presents of prayses and prayers vnto the Lord while we liue. And first of all, what will Idolaters, and perse­cuters of Gods Sainctes say vnto this. In a merry note they sing Te Deum laudamus, & Benedictus Deus Israel. &c. But whether such Popish, and bloudy seruices be accepted of God or no, I would wish them to consider.

In our Church if there be any in y^e plate of seers & watchmen ouer the Lords people, and yet haue neither will, skill, nor courage to lead the people of the Lord in the wayes of righteousnesse, and also do wearie them selues in the wayes of loosenesse and pro­phanesse, [Page 143] and yet wil come into Gods house, and without repentance offer vp cōfessions, prayers, & thākesgiuings for themselues & the people: how acceptable such sacrifices are vnto the Lord, I would wishe them also to consider.

Agayne, there are some called Parishe Clarkes, which without any manner of cal­ling thereunto from God, doe intrude them selues into the Ministers office, onely for a litle filthie lucre sake, and most confusedly and disorderly tumble ouer the holy things of God, as the Lordes prayer, with diuers things, which I blush to name, vnder pre­tence forsooth of helping the Minister to say seruice: a thing which I neuer saw, but in this place. How acceptable the prayers, and seruice of such men are, or rather how dete­stable it is vnto God, I would they had grace to consider.

What will hypocrites, and contēners of the word preached, say to this? because they cannot chuse, they come to common prayer, which indéede is too much negelcted, but as for other excercises, of preaching, and Cate­chising (of all, the most néedefull, & most pro­ [...]table) they dedicate those times to bowles, [Page 144] or cardes, or tables, or tipling, or wanton walking, & I know not what, and then the exercises being done they repaire to the or­dinary seruice, where they make a fained confession, and prayers, and prayses for cu­stome sake,Pro. 28.9. but, He that turneth his eare frō hearing the law (saith the holy Ghost) euen his prayer shalbe abhominable. If his prayer be abhominable, what is his presumptuous prating, and proude blaspheming? Againe, let pirates and rouers at sea, with vsurers, & oppressours by land, with swearers, drun­kardes, filthie liuers, Sabboth prophaners and such like, lay this to their hart, and God in mercy looke vpon them, for their seruice done to God, is as acceptable to his Maiestie as the harlots vowes, and offrings, of which we read in the 7. of the Prouerbes,Pro. 7.14. when she went about to entice vnto follie: or as if they cut of a dogges head for the Lord. A­gaine, if there be any husbands and wiues, or any neighbours, liuing in discord, and suf­fering their harts to boyle in hatred one a­gainst another, how can they thinke that the Lord wilbe delighted with their wrathfull prayers, and prayses, when they doe offer them, what should I say more? I would [Page 145] wish, and I do earnestly desire, that euery one would lay it to his hart, & to consider w^t him selfe: first, what a sinne it is not to pray, and praise God at all: next, how the sinne is encreased, if they be not prepared and sancti­fied before they do blesse God, as Dauid was: for the sacrifices of the wicked are like the salutations of the Iewes, when they bowed the knée vnto Christ, and spit in his face to­gether.

THe last Sabboth day, we heard, that Dauid hauing receiued as­suraunces of Gods fauour to­wardes him, returned prayse and thankes vnto the Lord for it: & how he was prepared thereunto we also heard then declared at large, we will now [Page 146] consider and sée in what manner and forme he praysed God.

First let vs consider why he saith, not sim­ply, Blessed be the Lord, but blessed be the Lord God of Israel. In these wordes be two points to be obserued. First, the cause why God loued him. Secondly, the largenesse, and the greatnesse of Gods loue. But first, of the cause why God loued him, and why he did so assure him of his loue & fauor. And that was not, I warrant you, any worthinesse that y^e Lord found in Dauid, nor for his friēds sake, nor for his coūtrey sake, nor for his vertues sake, but onely for his couenaūt sake, which the Lord made with his Church, wherof Da­uid was a member, & therefore must néedes haue his part amongest y^e rest, because God had so promised. Blessed be the Lord God of Israell. As if he should say, I giue the Lord prayse, & thankes, which hath chosē Israel, to be his people, which were not his peeple, and hath boūd him self, by promise to be y^e God of Israel, & to watch ouer his people, & to assure thē of his fauor, which deserued [...]thing but his wrath & displeasure, for by this meanes I am now assured of his loue, and fauor to­wards me, which I should neuer haue had if [Page 147] the Lord had not chosen me to be one of thē, vpō whō he meant to bestow his loue, accor­ding to his gracious promise, which he made to my fathers Abrahā, Isaac, & Iacob (which was afterwardes called Israell:) and accor­ding to his promise which he made, not one­ly to them, but also to all their séede, that is to all the faithful, so hath he delt with his ser­uaunts, blessed & praysed be his name for it.

Now we sée the fountaine from whence springeth all the good that we haue, blessed is Israell, because the Lord is their God, and blessed is England, because the Lord is our God. By this we may sée what an excellent thing it is to be of the Church of God, for thē the Lord Iehouah, the Lord almightie, is our God, and we are his people, and if he be on our side, who can be against vs? or if any be against vs, who cā preuaile against vs? then are we in safetie from our enemies, then are we vpholden in our integritie, and prouided for according to our wants. So that the Lord doth not saue vs, nor helpe vs because we deserue it, but because he hath so promised in Christ Iesus, neither doth he chuse vs, be­cause he saw some goodnesse in vs, but ther­fore is his goodnes, & grace bestowed vpō vs, [Page 148] because he hath first elected and chosen vs to be his people. But now sée what a thing it is to be of the Church of God, that is of the com­panie of Gods people, and within the cōpasse of Gods couenaunt.Psal. 87.2. The Lord loueth the the gates of Sion, that is, the gates of his Church, more then all the habitations of Ia­cob, to shew how he loueth his Church, for if he beareth such affection to the gates, what affection doth he beare to the Citie? If he lo­ueth the most inferiour, euen the porters of his Church, that are set to kéepe the gates, what doth he for the chief Citizens, the com­mon wealth of Israell? no maruell though Dauid desired to be a doore kéeper in y^e house of God, for to be such a one, yea, to be the meanest in Gods Church, is to be the belo­ued of the Lord at the least, & that whē it is at the least, is greater then all y^e pleasures, & treasures of the earth, yea it is better then wine,Cant. 1.1. saith the spouse of Christ, in the Canti­cles: that is, better then all pleasures & pro­fites in the whole world. But what doth he for his Church? sée what he doth, God is knowē in Iudah, Psal. 76.1. (saith y^e Psalmist) his name is great in Israel as if he should say, god hath made his will, and his counsels knowen to his Church, & the heathē haue not the know­ledge [Page 149] of his wayes. The godly are of his coūsell as Abraham was, and is this a small matter?Psal. 147. But see yet more. In Shalē is his ta­bernacle, & his dwelling is in Zion, as if he should say, the dwellings of y^e Lord they are in peace,Psal. 76.5. for Shalem is peace. There brake he the arrowes, and the bow, the shield, and the sword, & the battaile. The stoute harted are spoiled, they haue slept their sleepe, and all the men of strength haue not founde their handes. At thy rebuke ô God of Iacob, both the chariot, and the horse are cast a sleepe, & therefore, because thou art the God of Iacob, for he is so tender ouer his Church, that he will not abide any to annoy, or molest his Church, except it be for y^e greater good of his Church, & the further, & greater confusion of their enemies. Whō shall we now praise for our deliuerance? we recken our ships, & giue them high prayses, we vse to say in the for­getfulnes of Gods goodnes, we may thanke such a ship, such a thing, and such a meanes & so forth, but we should say, Blessed be the Lord God of Israell: for it is he that wilbe, and must be knowen in his Church.

Whom haue we to stād by vs, if euer our enemies come againe, but the Lord God of [Page 150] Israell? Let vs say thē as the Psalmist saith, God is our hope and strength, Psal. 46.1. and helpe in troubles ready to be found. 2. Therfore will we not feare though the earth be moued. Some will say, we haue ships at sea, the hope, the reuenge, the dread nought, and so forth, nay, God is our hope, God is our reuenge, & God is dread naught indéede.3. Though the waues of the sea be troubled, and rage, and the moū ­taines shake at the surges thereof. 4. Yet there is a riuer, whose streames shall make glad the Citie of God, euen the sanctuarie of the Ta­bernacles of the most high. 5. God is in the midst of it, therfore it cannot be moued. 6. The Lord of hostes is with vs, 7. the God of Iacob is our refuge. Now marke what followeth. Come, 8. and behold the workes of the Lord, what desolatiōs he hath made vpō the earth. He maketh warre to cease, 9. he breaketh the bow, and cuts the speare, and burneth the chariots in the fire. Now heare what y^e Lord himselfe saith.10. Be still (saith he) & know that I am God, I wilbe exalted among the hea­then, and I wilbe exalted in the earth. In the next verse they doe exalt him,11. saying. Th [...] Lord of hostes is with vs, the God of Iacob i [...] our refuge. Noting, nothing to be the caus [...] [Page 151] of all these workes, but onely his couenant which he made with his Church. In the first of S. Luke this is plaine.Luke. 1.54 55. He hath vpholdē Is­rael his seruant, being mindeful of his mercy. As he hath promised to our fathers Abrahā and his seede for euer. The virgine Marie is of the same minde.Luke. 1.71 He hath sent vs deliue­raunce (saith she) from our enemies, and from the handes of all that hate vs, but the cause thereof was his mercy, which he shewed to our fathers in remembring his holy coue­naunt, and the othe which he sware to our father Abraham, not mentioning any thing in her selfe. Therefore, whensoeuer we stād in néede of the Lordes helpe (as we do conti­nually) let vs be sure that we are the Isra­ell of God, and then claime his promise, and let vs not then doubt,2. Tim. 2.13. for he is faithfull, and cannot denie him selfe. And so much for the cause y^t moued God to be so good vnto Dauid.

The second thing that I obserue in these wordes is the large extēt of Gods loue. For, therfore doth the Prophet call him the Lord God of Israell, to shew y^t God is not a God of one onely, but of all y^e faithfull to the end of the world. He was not onely Dauids God, but he is our God also, or els perhaps, some [Page 152] might say, Oh Dauid was an excellent man, and a man after Gods owne hart, and God did assist him wonderfully. But God is the same God to vs, that he was to Dauid, and will assist vs as mightely as he did Dauid, if we call vpon him as Dauid did. Yea to eue­ry one of vs he is the same, for God is no ac­cepter of persons, not the Iewes more then the Gentils, the wall of separation being pulled downe,Gal. Act. 10.34 35. But in euery nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him. Whosoeuer is a right Is­raelite is such a one as feareth God, and whosoeuer feareth God is a right Israelite: therefore when Iesus saw Nathaniell, he said, Behold indeede an Israelite, in whom is no guile, therfore he that feareth God, and is without guile, is an Israelite indéed, that is one of Gods children indéede, what a com­fort is this to all the faithfull, though they be neuer so poore, and base in the sight of men, yet God is their God, they being his people, and they may chalēge his promise aswell as any other, and God will surely heare them, and they shall say, Blessed be the Lord God of Israell.

Now are we to cōsider of the next words, [Page 153] why he saith, world without end. He doth not praise God so long as the benefit of deli­uerance lasteth, and no longer, but so long as his mercy endureth, and that is for euer: for it hath pleased the Lord to chuse vnto him selfe a Church and a kingdome, out of Angels and men, which neuer shall haue end, and those shall praise him continually, as well for his iudgements as for his mer­cies. And this is it that S. Iohn set downe by the spirit of prophecie,Apoc. 19.1.2. when he saith, I heard a great voyce of a great multitude in heauen, saying, Halleluiah, saluation, and honor, and glorie, and power be to the Lord our God, for true & righteous are his iudgements. We vse to say, if a mortall man doth shew vs a­ny curtesie, or bestow any benefit vpon vs, Oh giue him great thankes, but how great thanks, and what presents shall we offer to God, who gaue it him first, and gaue him a heart to giue, & giueth for euer? If a Prince should send vs any thing (were it neuer so litle) for a remembrance, we will thanke him according to the worthinesse of his per­son, & not according to the value of the thing which was sent. But God is the Prince of al Princes, and he giueth more then trifles, for [Page 154] in him we liue, and moue, and haue our be­ing, and he hath giuen vs his Sonne, who hath purchased a kingdome for vs which shal neuer haue end. And if it were but our bare being here, he were to be praised for euer: how much more for such, and so many bene­fits, as can neither be numbred, nor valued? Yea for his infinite wisedome, which he hath caused to shine in all his works of creation: if we consider but the excellent wisedome of God in a poore litle flie, he is to receiue infi­nite praises for the same. How much more for his infinite goodnesse, power, mercie, iu­stice and prouidence ouer all his creatures, and his vnspeakeable loue towards his chil­dren in his couenant of grace?

If a sily man shall frame a cunning péece of worke, or do some notable exploite, or ac­complish some hard & great péece of seruice, which yet he could not do of him selfe, it is oftentimes presented to the Prince, & publi­shed to his lasting praise and renowne: but who is comparable with the Lord of hostes, whose curious and cunning workemanship appeareth in all his creatures, and whose right hand hath the preheminence, by doing of valiant things? shall not his name then [Page 155] be published to his euerlasting praise in his Church and congregation of his saincts? By this appeareth what difference there is be­twéene our God, and the false gods of y^e hea­then: for who doth or can do such things as our God doth, who hath his being, and all sufficiencie of him selfe, and all others haue nothing but as he giueth vnto them? who deserueth euerlasting praises but our God? By this it likewise appeareth, what dishonor and disgrace haue bene offred by grosse Ido­laters, which wold take vpon them to paint and picture out the inuisible, and incompre­hensible maiestie of the Almightie, like a mā whose breath is in his nostrels, whose being is not of him selfe, whose yeares are but a span long, & in his best estate is altogether vanitie.Col. 3. What so euer ye do (saith the Scrip­ture) do all to the glorie of God. That is, striue to do it so, as God may get most glory by it. Are such representations of God, to the aduancing of his glorie? what do they shew and teach vs that we might giue him euerla­sting praises for? he is painted as a man, as you sée in yonder storie of the creation,In S. Tho. Church of Bristol. in yonder window, in a dozen places together: what may we learne by them? A man hath [Page 156] his being from another, if God be as he is painted foorth, he hath so too, which to say, is blasphemie. A man hath father and mother, but who was the Lords father, & his mother? A man is first a babe, and afterward grow­eth in knowledge, shall we thinke the Lord to be such? A man hath neede of meate and drinke and apparel, and of tutors and coun­sellers, and many things mee, but who was the Lords draper or puruayour, or counsel­ler at any time? O cursed creatures that e­uer first inuented them, and cursed wretches that dare maintaine them, if God giue them not repentance: for they are such abhomina­tions as God hath flatly forbidden, and con­demned to the pit, yea to the very bottom­lesse pit of hell. Are these the pictures of him that is to be praised world without end? if they be not, why are they not defaced, which do so much deface the glorie of our Creator? if they be not, why are they tollerated? nay if they be not, why are they defended as lawfull, and not hurtfull to any? and that euen now (with shame inough) in the cléere light of the Gospell? And if they be not, why should any kéepe such a stirre, and be so out of patience and charitie with the minister of [Page 157] the Lord Iesus, for speaking against such filthie and damnable abominations? The Lord open these mens hearts, and giue them repentance if it be his will: and so much be spoken for that point.

So be it, euen so be it. These wordes do shew the agréement of his mind, and consent of his heart to that which he saide with his tongue, to teach vs, that in Gods seruice we must neither doubt of that which we do, nor wauer in the perfourming of our vowes, neither must we do it fainedly, but with ful consent of heart and mind. Resolution is the thing indéed that we are here taught. Reso­lution in Gods matters is very requisite, as it is for a souldier in the field: for Christian souldiers shall haue many assaults to make them retire. For want whereof many leaue their standing, and run after the world as Gehezi left his masters house, and ran after Naman for gifts, till the leprosie caught him. A Christian without it, is like a doore with­out a locke, soone open and soone shut, for all commers, open with Agrippa till Christia­nitie be almost come in, and that is iust no­thing, and shut with Festus, that Paule must stand without like a mad man. Hereof it [Page 158] cometh that many haue lost their first loue, some are neither hote nor cold, some betake them selues with Demas to y^e present world, some are for all companies, and are of all re­ligions, and so are of no religion: and most men are like réedes shaken with the winde, when as they which are resolute in Gods matters, go constantly through all assayes, and stand stedfastly like mount Sion which endureth for euer. Therefore Dauid hauing set downe his mind, sets his hand, and his heart vnto it. So be it (saith he) euen so be it, as if he should say, I am wel aduised of that I haue said, I doubt not of it but that it is truth, and I know it is my dutie, and there­fore as I haue sayd, so I say againe, So let it be. But wilt thou stand to it Dauid whatso­euer come of it? Yea that I will (saith he) & do not repent me of it, and therefore I am so farre from recanting of it, that I spake it, & I do speake it againe, Blessed be the Lord God of Israell world without end. So be it, euen so be it. There be thrée things in man must agrée together in the seruice of God, the tongue, the eare, and the heart: if all these agree vpon the matter, the bill passeth: if all these be in tune, the harmonie is swéete an [...] [Page 159] the musicke pleasant. In euery man that cō ­meth to heare the word of God preached, or to offer vp prayers to God, is a kinde of Par­liament holden, & much a doe there is many times to haue bills passe, because all these do not agrée vpō the matter. Gods Minister in Gods name propoūdeth many things to the people,A Parlia­ment. the equitie wherof he groundeth vpō y^e word of God, & of all these billes, some cō ­cerne God himselfe, & some concerne our sel­ues, & our neighbour. These billes come first to the lower house, y^t is to y^e outward sences, for first the eare heareth what the matter is: then the eye peruseth the bill, & searcheth the statutes of God in his word, to sée how they agrée together: frō thence they passe along to the higher house, that is to the vnderstāding, from vnderstanding to reason, if reason like of the matter, then it cōmeth to the will, & af­fections of the hart, when it cōmeth there, if the spirite of God be in the hart then is the hart framed & counselled by the same, if the hart likes of it, the will doth like of it too, thē is the toung sent backe with his answere frō the inward house, to signifie so much to God and the world: then aske y^e toung, what saith the hart? the toung as the common speaker [Page 160] saith, So be it. On the contrary side, if any thing go against reason, then vnderstanding can no skill of it, y^e hart forbiddes it, the toūg is silent, & So be it smothered. Many times a thing passeth through all to the hart, where the matter is debated betwéene natural rea­son & the hart, & there (for want of Gods spi­rite to countermaund naturall reason) it stayeth, & vnderstāding can no skil of it. But what saith the toung? In stead of So be it, he brings this answere, Sir, y^e hart hauing cō ­sulted with worldly pollicie & naturall rea­son, doth finde this to be against his profit, or against his pleasure, or against his gaine, or against his custome, or against his credite in the world, & therefore this bill cannot passe: my master the hart, with reason, and polli­cie do therefore desire you to be contented & speake no more of this matter, but of some­thing els that may stand better with their liking, as for the rest of the house, vnderstā ­ding, will, & affectiō, although they know the matter to be true, iust & equal which you de­maund, yet they can do no good in the mat­ter, because the other two haue nipped it in the head. Sometime the toung saith Amen to that which the hart condemneth, because [Page 161] reason confirmeth it, & this is cōmonly when the eye séeth some body whom he feareth, or the eare heareth something that he cānot an­swere, & therfore though y^e toung be a cōmon speaker, yet is he not alwayes a true spea­ker. Sometime againe the eare admitteth, & the hart affecteth, & desireth that which reasō subscribeth vnto, but for wāt of faith, reason reuoketh, y^e hart fainteth, & y^e toūg foltreth, and either for feare, or for shame dareth not vtter what is agréed vpō within. A miserable Parliamēt, y^t hath such a speaker, but this is y^e matter indéed. This house hath two doores, at one doore y^e billes are brought in, & that is by the eare and the eye, at another doore they passe out againe with their answeres & that is the lips within, at which the cōmō speaker stādeth. Now if y^e Lord do set a watch there, & kéepe the doore of our lippes, then they are opē, & the toung doth boldly confesse y^e truth, but if the fearefull deuill, or the bashfull de­uill kéepe the doore, the toūg durst not for his life speake the truth: God in mercy remoue such porters, y^t we may boldly confesse with our toūgs, that which we beléeue in our hart to saluatiō. So likewise in prayer, & thākes­giuing, if our toung doth speake any thing, [Page 162] which the vnderstanding is ignorant of, and therfore the hart cannot affect, our sacrifices are but a mockerie against God, because the Parliament house is deuided, & there is but a mutinie betwéene the hart, the toung, and the rest, but if all agrée vpon the point, thē the toung sheweth the consent of the hart, and boldly without feare of any whatsoeuer stā ­deth forth and saith. So be it.

But why doth he double his speech & say So be it, euen So be it? it should séeme that the speaker of the Parliamēt house, is but a sim­ple man, & wanted matter, he meant well it may be, but for want of matter he is faine to harpe vpō one string much. Surely beloued, y^e Prophet spake as he was moued by y^e holy Ghost, & this is Gods wisedome, therfore let vs not finde fault withall, this is y^e plaine, & simple dealing of a faithful soule indéede. It is vsuall in the Scripture to haue one thing oftentimes vrged in teaching, & no oftener then is néedefull: because, first it is long be­fore we can learne Gods will, secondly it is lōger before we can remēber Gods wil, but principally, because it is lōgest of all before we can make a cōscience to obey Gods wil: therfore let no man in hearing one thing of­ten, [Page 163] be wearie, because euery mā may learne the same thing better: do not say, the prea­cher wants matter, but say rather that we want grace, or vnderstanding, or memorie, or zeale, or loue, or something. Againe, let no man in teaching stand so much vpon his re­putation, as to compte it a disgrace vnto him if he doth often repeate one thing being ne­cessarie, for we sée it is Gods wisedome to teach so, & if any man wilbe wiser thē Gods spirite, he will proue him selfe a foole. In prayer also the same spirit hath taught Gods childrē to speake one thing oftētimes, partly because there is in euery one great dulnes & want of féeling, & partly to note how ear­nest they are & desirous to obtaine y^t, which they pray for. So doth Dauid here in this place say So be it, euen so be it, as though his hart had bene scarce awake at the first. A mā that would faine haue a thing, which he née­deth indeede, will say (being asked if he will haue it) oh yea, yea, yea, & if it be a thing that he cannot away withall he will say, oh no, no, no, often together, as if he could not deny it too often, as the first could not desire it too much. This may the Church do, if their harts be touched with their owne wants & weake­nesses. [Page 164] But this doth not serue to maintaine any idle, & vnnecessarie repetitions, such as were vsed in Popery, & condēned by our Sa­uiour Christ in the Scribes & Pharisies.Math. 6. In Popery they bable one thing oftētimes, Ie­sus, Iesus, Iesus, & you must say ouer the Lordes prayer so many, and so many times together, and then you shall be heard, (say they). And so they play in their chaunting, & curious singing, which is more like the hun­ting of y^e fore, thē any spiritual & holy seruice of God, they are sometime a quarter of an houre almost in singing some one word. A­las poore soules: they thinke y^t God is deligh­ted as man is, & they thinke that the Lord is a sléepe, as Baals Priests thought, & therfore they call often, but Gods children féele their owne harts a sléepe, & therfore it is that they cry often in the same wordes.

So be it, euen so be it, saith the holy Pro­phet, as if he should say, did I speake it? I will say it againe, I doe not repent me of it, I am not afrayde, I am not ashamed, if I said it not with such féeling the first time as I ought, I will say it againe. To shewe how carefull, how constant, how bold, and how holy we should be in praysing of God. [Page 165] For many times in our prayers our mindes are crossed with one thing or other, so that God hath not the hart, thē to it againe, Hart what sayest thou? then So be it, euen so be it. Some thinke a cold word, vnreuerently blustred out, to be good inough for God, and are ashamed to amend any thing if it be a­misse, and afrayde to stand to a thing if it be well. Some will vtter in table talke, what­soeuer commeth in their mindes of God, & a­gainst him too sometime, & when they should either defēd it, or deny it, or reforme it, they turne it away with a iest: Nay sir, it is not my profession, I will not reason of it, nor stand with you in it, you are to hard for me, this is but table talke, and if there should be no arguing & disputing, how should mē come by knowledge? &c. But sée their folly, or their weakenesse at the least, if it be true, & expe­dient, defend it for Gods glory, if it be false recant it to the shame of the deuill, if it be doubtfull, be instructed, for thy further com­fort. But Gods children are well aduised what they say, & being so, they are not asha­med nor afrayde, if they heare of it agayne, but as they said it, so they will say it again. So be it, euen so be it.

[Page 166]This earnest and reuerent kinde of gi­uing thankes doth also notably reproue the prophanesse of some, who while thanks be of­fred vp to the Lord at Table, for nourish­ment receiued, they are otherwise busied, loo­king here, and there, toying with one thing or other, according to the affection of their hart. And when grace is done, they will not stand with you, for Amen, but it shalbe so snatchingly, and so shackled in the teeth and lippes, that it would leath a man to heare it, which they would not do if they thought the Lord worthie of thankes for his benefites: but so they doe, as if he were not worthie of one cold word, and if he get any more, then they are at very great cost with him, and he must néedes be indebted to them for it: but Gods children come with great feare and reuerence, and to that which is said they giue their hartie consent in most reuerent man­ner. So be it, euen so be it.

Furthermore the person of Dauid may teach vs one thing more, for he being the King, giueth thankes to God him selfe: to teach vs that it is an excercise for Kings and Princes: but now most men set their litle children to doe it onely, and are ashamed to [Page 167] do it them selues, as though it were a childish thing to giue God prayse for his blessings. Say not now (as some haue said) y^t I would not haue children say grace, yes I would haue you traine them vp in it, els whē they come to yeares they wilbe as much ashamed of it, as their fathers are now. But I would haue your selues to be the principall actours in so holy an action, because you haue the best vnderstanding, & if thou sayest no more but God be praysed for all his giftes, doe it with reuerence, and from the féeling of thy hart in faith and true repentaunce. But if thou wilt be ashamed to giue thy child so good an example, & lay all vpon him, it may be said, thy child is come to grace, but thou art past grace. Last of all, as the king gi­ueth thankes in his owne person, so in his owne person he confirmeth it, and saith, A­men, or So be it: he hath not a Clarke to say Amen for him, as they haue in Poperie, where the Priest, must pray, and the Clarke must say Amen for all the rest of the people. God said to Moses, the Leuites shall pro­nounce the curses,Deut 27.15.26. and all the people shall say Amen, if at the curses, much more at the blessings must all the people say Amen, for [Page 168] the one is against them selues, and the o­ther is for them selues. In the primitiue Church, when the Minister had made any prayer in his Sermon, or before, or after. All the people (saith an auncient father) did say Amen, Amen, that the noyse went vp as a mightie thunder in the skies. Now if we speake of a thing that is waightie indéede, & say God graunt it, not ten amongest a thou­sand, will say Amen, but we will consider of the matter first, & fo we sit as blockes not one whit moued with the matter, and this is a great sinne▪ Againe, at publicke pray­er, the people ought to attend to the wordes of the Minister when he prayeth, and all at once, as one body to say Amen. The Clarke hath no more warrant to doe it for them, then Vzzah had to hold vp the Arke from falling, for him selfe with the rest he ought to say Amen, but not alone for the rest, for not be, but the Minister is y^e mouth of God, vnto the people, and the mouth of the peo­ple vnto God in prayer, but they must say, So be it.

Now to end, God doth now exhibite a Bill vnto vs his people, requiring that whatsoeuer he shall demaund at our hands, [Page 169] if we sée it standes with his glorie and our owne saluation, we will giue our consent and let it passe, or els the time will come that we shall put vp our Supplications to him, and they shall not passe. God graunt vs grace, to graunt our consent to all his will.