THE inscripti­on This Psalme is a Psalme of Repen­tance, and the vse of it is threefold. of this Psalme being considerede, will let vs see that it is a Psalme of Repentance, made [Page 2] by Dauid, after hee had defiled the wife of Vriah, and murthe­red Vriah him selfe. It serues vnto vs for this threefold vse. First, as a preseruatiue to keepe 1. A preserua­tiue to keep vs that wee sinne not. vs, that we fall not into the like sinnes; for why shall wee commit that, which we see by example of others, will either commit vs to eternall damna­tion, or at least breed vs much griefe, paine and dolor, before wee can bee quit of it? This sinne of Dauid thorough Gods mercie, preuailed not against him to damnation, yet yee see what anguish of Spirit, what terrour of minde, what sighing, what teares, what roaring night and day he sustained, be­fore hee could bee deliuered from it, and find himselfe re­stored [Page 3] to his former ioy! thus shall all flesh finde it, that the falles momentarie, and peri­shing pleasures of sinne, shall haue sorrow in the ende. For the motions thereof are like these Locusts of the bottome­lesse pit, hauing faces of men, and their haire like the haire of Reuel. 9. women, but a taile like a Scor­pion, which stingeth vnto the death.

Next it serues as a corrobo­ratiue 2. A corobora­tiue, to keep such as haue fallen in sin, from de­spaire. to keepe such as haue fallen into the like sinnes, that they fall not further into the deepe of desperation, so the Apostle Saint Paul saith, that the mercie of God shewed vn­to 1. Tim. 1. 16 him after that he had beene a blasphemer, persecutor and oppressor, was for an ensample [Page 4] vnto all them, who shal in time to come beleeue in Christ vnto eternall life. Thus the chil­dren of God, when they looke to the sinnes of other Gods Saints recorded in holy Scrip­ture, doe not hereby confirme themselues in sinne, but com­fort themselues against de­spaire. It is true of them all, Basil de paeniten. which Basil spake of Peters threefold deniall, they are Re­gistred, Vt tu quo (que) consolationem haberes, Let vs meditate vpon the sinnes of others, as Bernard Bernard. did; Omnino propter mansuetu­dinem quae in te est, domine Iesu, currimus post te, audientes quod non spernas pauperem peccatorem, non horruisti confitentem latro­nem non lachrymantem peccatri­cem, non Cananaeam supplicantem, [Page 5] non deprehensam in adulterio, non supplicantem publicanum, non ne­gantem discipulum, non persequu­torem discipulorum: In odore ho­rum currimus. Surely LORD IESVS for the meeknes which is in thee, we runne after thee hearing, that thou despi­sedst not the poore sinner, thou abhorredst not the penitent theefe, the mourning sinfull woman, nor the woman of Ca­naan when shee requested thee, nor the woman apprehended in adulterie, nor the Publican praying vnto thee, nor the Dis­ciple that denied thee, nor yet the Disciple who persecuted thy Disciples, in the smell of these thine oyntments, wee runne after thee.

3 Thirdly, it serueth as a re­storatiue [Page 6] to raise vp such as A restora­tiue to raise vp such as haue fallen. Augu. haue fallen in the same maner, for here, Non cadendi exemplum, sed si cecideris, resurgendi propo­situm est. There are many who delight to heare or reade the sinnes of God his Saints, as if they were vnto them patrocinia peccati, defences of their sinnes. But alas, what folly is this, to loue that in Dauid, which hee hated in himselfe? Hoc non est defensionem parare animae tuae, sed comites inquirere ad gehennam: This is not to prepare a de­fence for thy owne Soule, but to seeke companions to goe with thee into hell, flattering thy selfe that thou art in state good enough, because thou art not matelesse: but remembe­rest not that albeit thou hadst [Page 7] neuer so many inuolued with thee in the giltinesse of thy sinnes, what comfort can that be vnto thee, Non enim propte­rea minus ardebis, quia cum mul­tis ardebis, Shall thy fire in hell be the lesse, because many will there burn with thee? Nay, by the contrarie the more matter, the bolder fire.

It were great wisedome to Great wise­dome, to make other mens sinnes a medicine for vs. Chrysost. in Matth. Hom. 27. embrace that counsell of Chry­sostome, that wee should not so much looke to Dauid his fall, as to his rising. Consider what he did after his fall, how hee put on sackcloth, how he wate­red his bed with teares; how he roared night and day, sigh­ing and crying continually till hee found the forgiuenesse of his sinnes, Sic medicamenta no­bis Augu. [Page 8] de alienis vulneribus faciemus, So shall we make medicaments to our selues of the wounds of others, and not bee like vnto phranticke persons, who slay themselues with the yrons of the Chirurgian, by which they haue seene him cut the flesh of others, he did it of skill for cu­ring, and they of their madnes for killing.

In this inscription of the Three things con­sidered in the inscrip­tion of this Psalme. Psalme, wee consider three things: First, how Dauid goes into Bethsheba and commits A­dulterie with her. Next how Nathan comes to Dauid slee­ping in his sinne, wakens him and raiseth him vp by Repen­tance: And thirdly, how hee makes this Psalme, and giues it to bee sung publickely in the [Page 9] Church as the first fruites of his Repentance.

In the first of these again, there 1. The consi­deration of Dauid his person, who sinned shold make vs feare our owne weak­nesse. are three circumstances to bee considered. The person, the sins which hee committes, and the time. The person that fals is Dauid, a man endued with most notable graces of the spirit, a man highly commended of God. A man who before had endured strong temptations, and preuailed victor in them all. Now is ouercome, and falles most fearfully, this should wa­ken vs, to take heede vnto that warning of the Apostle, He that 1. Cor. 10. stands, let him take heede that hee fall not. In him let vs consider our selues, shall we presume of our strength, when wee see a stronger then wee ouercome? [Page 10] Nay, rather let vs feare our weaknesse, and worke out our owne saluation in feare and trembling, Sit lapsus maiorum, tremor minorum, Let the fall of Aug. the greater ones make the wea­ker afraid, Ille hodie & ego cras: Bern. Hee hath sinned this day, and we may sinne to morrow, let others as they list drawe on sinne by examples; But let vs learne, it is a great point of wis­dome, to become wise by ex­ample of others, rather then by experience in our selues, Gregor. mo­ral. lib. 2. thus Si maiorum casus ad humili­tatem nos accingat, wee shall not readily fall in the like snare of the diuell.

As for the sins hee commits, 2. Dauids sins are adulte­rie, murther carelesse se­curitie. they are very heinous: first A­dulterie, next Murther, by the [Page 11] one thinking to couer the o­ther: And thirdly, with them both he fals into no small con­tempt of GOD, that for the space of nine monethes hee keepes close his sinne, frequen­ting the externall sacrifices of Gods worship, but not touch­ed in his conscience, with a sense or remorse for his sinne, for hee was so farre from being troubled for it, that when hee wrote to Ioab to expose Vriah to the sword of the enemie, he willed him not to be troubled for the matter. Thus wee see from one sinne he goes to ano­ther, Erranti enim nullus termi­nus, and so for any thing wee can perceiue in him, had still walked on in his sinnes, till hee had fallen in the bottome of [Page 12] hell, if the Lord by grace had not recalled, and recouered him.

There is such a fellowship Of the fel­lowship and combinati­on that is a­mong sinnes among sinfull affections, they are so combined together, that if we giue place to any one of them, many moe perforce shal enter vpon vs, they are like the seruants of a Tyrant, who fin­ding one that hath beene fugi­tiue from their Lord, do ioyne themselues together to bring him backe againe: And euery one of them helpes an other, to keepe him vnder bondage, hauing once subdued him, Sic ope vicaria fugitiuum suum vitia Gregor. mo­ral. lib. 7. retinent, & vbi semel amissum sub dominij sui iure recipiunt, sibi vicissim ad vindictam tradunt. Thus is it a great worke of [Page 13] Gods mercie and power, when any of his Saints are deliuered from their seruitude.

As to the third, the time 3. The time when Da­uid sinned warnes vs, how peril­lous is pro­speritie. when Dauid falles into these sinnes, it is noted 2. Sam. 11. being at peace, and quietnesse at home himselfe, new arisen from his after-noones sleepe, walking vpon the rooffe of his Palace, he sees Bathsheba wash­ing her selfe in the Garden, and by vnsanctified looking vnto her is snared. His people are fighting against Ammon, him­self is sleeping at home & pam­pering his body, and Bathsheha forgetting her husband in the battell, falles too her pleasure and bathes her selfe, and that not secretly at home, but euen in prospect of the Kings palace. [Page 14] In all the persecutions which Dauid suffered by Saul, in all his troubles by Absalom, he re­ceiued not such a wound; As a man, the stronger the Winde bloweth, holds his garmēts the faster about him, whereas the beating heate of the Sunne, makes him to lay them aside: so Dauid vnder temptation was the more feruent in prayer; the more he was troubled by men, the faster did hee cleaue to the Lord his God: but now being freed from trouble and liuing in prosperitie, what a great ad­uantage doth Sathan get ouer him?

Sure it is, a man hath neuer A man hath most cause of feare when he is least crossed. more cause to feare, then when he findes his estate most quiet. It is a most dangerous thing to [Page 15] liue without some crosse, or temptation, that may chase a man to God. As an idle man readily fals asleepe, and being asleepe, any Iewell he hath in his hand, doth easily fall from him: so carnall prosperitie casts men in carelesse securitie, whereby spirituall graces are greatly weakened into them, Facilior cautio, vbi manifesta for­mido, Cyprian. de simplicitate praelat. & ad certamen animus ante praestruitur, quando se aduersari­us confitetur, When our aduer­sarie shewes himselfe most plainely, then is it most easie for vs to beware of him, Plus metuendus est inimicus cum la­tenter obrepit, cum per pacis ima­ginem fallens occultis accessibus serpit, vnde etiam illi nomen ser­pentis. But then haue wee most [Page 16] cause to feare him, when be­guiling vs by the shew, and I­mage of peace, he creeps in by secret wayes, insinuating him­selfe craftily to get vantage o­uer vs, for the which cause also the name of a Serpent is attri­buted vnto him.

The second thing to be con­sidered Nathan visits Da­uid like a whole Phi­sitian com­ming to cure a sicke Phisitian. in the inscription, is how Nathan comes to Dauid, and raiseth him vp, Astat post peccatum propheta prophetae, ve­luti medicus medico agrotanti; Here one Prophet comes vnto an other, like one Phisitian vi­siting an other Phisitian in his disease. This is the duetie of Christians, since they are of one communion, to edifie one another in the most holy faith, to exhort one another. Hee [Page 17] that is stronger in the faith, ought to confirme the weaker, and hee that stands should raise vp with the spirit of meeknesse him that hath fallen, consider­ing Euery Chri­stian should edifie ano­ther. also himselfe. It was the voice of Cain, am I my bro­thers keeper, and it should bee farre from Christians. That Lawe pertaines to vs all, Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine Leui. 19. 17 heart, but thou shalt plainely re­buke him, and suffer him not to sinne; for it is no loue but ha­tred, to know thy brother in a sinne, and not to rebuke him. And truely it is no small bles­sing of GOD, when among Christians, such instrumentes of grace as Nathan was, doe a bound, who being endewed with grace from aboue, are [Page 18] able by grace to comfort the feeble minded, to strengthen the weake, and to raise them vp that haue fallen.

Againe, that Dauid hauing Man sinnes by nature, but cannot rise without grace. sinned, riseth not till the Lord sent Nathan to raise him, learns vs a lesson, which should hum­ble vs all, and binde vs to ac­knowledge the great mercie of God toward vs, he fals by him selfe, he riseth not by himselfe. Nine monethes lies hee as it were dead in that graue of sin, till the Lord who called vpon Lazarus, called vpon him also, and made him come out of it. It is easie for any man to fall in­to a pit, but not so easie for him to come out of it. Si stare Bern. non potuit humana natura adhuc integra, quanto minus poterit per [Page 19] seipsam resurgere iam corrupta, as it was with him, so is it with vs all, perditio tua ex te, ô Israel: thy destruction is of thy selfe, O Israel; but our saluation is of the Lord, and from the Lambe that sits with him vpon the throne.

Thirdly, wee see this diffe­rence Reprobate men sinne and repent not, not so the godly. betweene the godly and the wicked, the one falles and riseth not. Iudas betrayed Christ; Peter forsware him, the one goes on in his sinnes, and perisheth, the other is renewed by repentance. The difference then is not in sinne, wherein wee are also as deepe as they, but in this that the Lord hath had mercie vpon vs. O how are wee obliged to blesse him, who hath put a difference by [Page 20] grace betweene vs and them, where there was no difference by nature. And this is to bee marked for them who haue an eye to see, how Dauid sinned e­uen as they haue sinned, and therefore account the lesse of their sinnes, but haue not an eye to see that they haue re­pented, as Dauid repented, and that therefore being farre vn­like him in Repentance, they can haue no comfort, that hee was like them in sinne.

The third point of the in­scription The order of singing Leuites vn­der the law Leuiticall. is in these words, To him that excelleth: A Psalme of Dauid. Wherein wee see how he dedicateth this Psalme, as the first fruite and testimonie of his Repentance, to bee sung publikely in the Church, for [Page 22] vnderstanding whereof wee must know how Dauid ordai­ned some of the Leuites, skilled in Musicke to praise the Lord by singing, and playing vpon Instruments, these were in number foure thousand, who 1. Chron. 23. 5. by course serued the Lord in his Sanctuarie. They were di­uided in seuerall classes; and ouer euery one of them, some that were Masters of Musicke, Precentors, who in singing and playing excelled the rest, such as Asaph, Heman, Idithun, &c. and to these it is, that Dauid dedicateth this Psalme to bee sung publikely, for the word Natseah in Piel, signifieth one that is an ouerseer, or president ouer others, for his excellencie in strength, or skill, or other­wayes, [Page 22] and so here and in o­ther Psalmes Dauid vseth it, to signifie a master of Musicke.

The instruments they vsed in praysing the Lord, are most Two sortes of musicall Instruments vsed in the Leuiticall Law. of them reckoned vp in the last Psalme; all of them may be reduced to two sorts, whereof the one are called Neginoth, such as made a sound by tou­ching, from the word Nagan, pulsauit; the other called Ne­chiloth, such as being hollow, made a sound by breathing, from the word Halal. Some­time the musicall Instrument was premitted, and the singing voice followed, and then the Song was called Canticum Psal­mi, for Psalterium properly is a kind of musicall Instrument, called of the Hebrewes Naula, [Page 23] but is translated to signifie the Psalmes. Sometime againe the Song was first sung with the voice, and the musicall Instru­ment followed, and then it is called Psalmus cantici. What vpon this is to be obserued, see our notes vpon the one hun­dred and nineteene Psalme.

Onely now we marke, how The godly are content to shame themselues, by Confessi­on of sinne that they may giue glorie vnto God. Dauid careth not to take shame to himselfe, by confessing his Murther and Adultrie pub­likely in the Church, that hee may giue glorie vnto God; So is it with all Gods childrē, who hath felt the terror of an accu­sing conscience for sinne, who are grieued in themselues for displeasing the Lord, and are earnestly seeking to be reconci­led with God, they refuse not [Page 24] to manifest their owne shame, yea and as it were with that fil­thy Leper vnder the Law, with his clothes rent, with his head bare, with a couering vpon his lips, to crie out before all the world, I am vncleane, I am vn­cleane, Leuit. 13. 45. that so they may get peace from God, and may giue him glory by their repentance as they dishonoured him by their sinne. I speake not this This is not to be vnder stood of pri­uate sinnes. of priuate sinnes, the example wherof hath not offended thy neighbour; Such sinnes I ra­ther wish to be buried, as Israel with their paddles buried their filth without the Campe vnder the earth, nor laied open to the eyes of others: but of pub­like sinnes, it is not our shame to confesse these for remouing [Page 25] of the slander, but double sinne and shame to conceale them, how so euer it bee currant now, as an vndoubted axiome among carnall men, that no man is bound to sweare to his owne shame, sure wee are, it is not warranted by any Diuine authoritie, for so Achan might haue excused himself when Io­shua, willed him by confessing of theft, to giue glorie to God, and so Dauid here might haue shifted himselfe from this pub­licke confession; where the conscience is sleeping, any war­rant A sleeping Conscience excuseth sinne. is thought sufficient to ex­cuse a sinne, and man feares not to defraude the Lord of that glorie, hee should haue by con­fession of it, but where the Lord wakens the conscience, [Page 26] all excuses are set aside, and man is glad to disburden him­selfe, by confessing his sinne vnto the Lord. This the Lord will haue of all flesh at the length, for so hath hee sworne, As I liue saith the Lord, euerie tongue shall confesse to me, he shall then force them to giue him glorie by confessing, who now wickedly defraude him of it by concealing: But happie and wise is he, who doth it in time when Mercie is to be found with the LORD.

HItherto the inscri­ption The summe and order of this Psalme. or preface of the PSALME: Nowe followes the PSALME, wherein Dauid first praieth for himselfe to the 18. Verse; Next for the Church of GOD [Page 28] Verse 18. In the praier for him­selfe, he hath first a generall pe­tition, haue mercie on me, O God, Verse 1. then three particular petitions, first, the remission of his sinne, which he expresseth by putting away, washing, purging, to the Verse 8. Next the restitution of peace, and ioy to his conscience, which by his sinne he had sore empaired, Verse 89. Thirdly, the reno­uation of his Heart and Spirit within him, which most feare­fully hee had altered from the loue of God, to the loue of ini­quitie, Verse 10. 11. &c.

This Psalme is frequently They cānot rightly vse the words of this Psalme, who want Da­uids dispo­sition. sung in the mouthes of many men, but sure it is these words which were true, when Dauid spake them, are but lies when [Page 29] they are pronounced by many men, for so they pray, O Lord consider my distresse, when as in very deede they had neuer such a thing, as a distressed soule for sinne. Is not this a mocking of God to pray him to looke vpon that, which is not in thee, to pray him consi­der that, which thou neuer consideredst thy selfe, learne therefore when yee sing this Psalme of Dauid, to take on so neare as yee may Dauid his dis­position, though yee haue not sinned as he did, yet looke vn­to your other sinnes, and be ye humbled for them, otherwaies your confession of sinnes shall be but a profession of sinne, to say with Dauid, against thee on­ly haue I sinned, and then ei­ther [Page 30] to haue no remorse for sin, or no confidence in Gods mer­cie, shall profit thee no more then the confession of Saul or Iudas: I haue sinned, said the one; I haue sinned in betraying innocent bloud, said the other, their confession was somewhat like Dauids, their heart no way like Dauids: And it is certaine that the Lord, Radicem attendit, non florem.

Haue mercie on me. What Wher Sinne persues no refuge but to mercie. was Dauid his estate when hee brake out in these words, yee may see out of the 32. Psalme, his conscience being wakned by the ministrie of Nathan, hee is so terrified with the liuely sense of his sinne and sight of that wrath which by it he had deserued, that his bones were [Page 31] consumed, and the moisture of his body turned in the drogth of Sommer: In this perplexed estate the first comfort that he findes is by looking vp to the mercie of God.

Naturall men may maruell No exter­nal comfort can sustaine a man trou­bled for sinne. what is this that should haue troubled Dauid so sore, was he not King of Canaan, his sinnes were murther, and adulterie; but was there any in the Land to put him to an Assize? was there any to punish him? what needed hee to feare? But hee himselfe tells thee what ailed him, the hand of God was hea­uie vpon him night and day, the Lord had erected a Tribu­nall in his owne conscience, and did there sit and iudge him, wher no man might iudge him, [Page 32] there the Lord conuicted him of sinne, and threatned him with terrours, for sure it is all the comforts of the world, if thou hadst them in one, cannot sustaine thee when God in thy own cōscience persecutes thee for sinne, examples are Baltha­sar and Dauid: The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie, but a wounded spirit, who can beare it?

And therefore Dauid sore Dauids ap­pellation from God to God. straitned with the iudgement of God, turnes him to the mer­cie of God, hee findes no other thing whereupon to relie his faith, he can get no other gripe whereby to hold him, that hee fall not in the pit of desperati­on, but this mercie. O Lord, in regard of thy power thou art [Page 33] inuincible, who can resist thee? who can indure the stroke of thine hand? In regard of thy wisedome, thou art all-seeing, nothing can be hid from thee In regard of thy iustice thou art most holy, & canst not bee cor­rupted, in none of these can I finde comfort, the only hope of mine heart is in thy good­nesse and mercie, so that now hee flees ad cōmunem peccantium Chrysost. portum, to the common harbor of all poore penitent sinners, who are tost too and fro with the tumbling thoughts of an accusing conscience, threatning more fearefull death, then the raging waues of the Sea to Io­nas, neuer can settle nor rest til they come within the Port of God his mercie, euen so here [Page 34] doth Dauid, terrified with Gods iudgement, before which hee could not stand, he appeales to Gods mercie, tanquam ab infe­riori sede ad superiorem, as the higher bench wherein the glo­rie of God shineth most emi­nently, for mercie reioyses against iudgement. Iam. 2. 13.

When we heare that Dauid, Nothing in the world to be esteemed miserie, but only iniqui­tie. and others of Gods Saints, crie for mercie, we must remember that this includes a humble cō ­fession of their miserie, and what was Dauids miserie which he craues to bee cured by God his mercie, hee tells you in the end of the Verse, no other but the miserie of sinne: Nathan 2. Sam. 12. 10. had threatned him with the sword, & that he should make his Sonne, who came out of his [Page 35] bowels, a scourge vnto him, but Dauid counts none of these his miserie, for which hee craues mercie, his miserie is his iniqui­tie, and the mercie he craues is the putting away of his iniqui­tie. This blinde age counts bo­dily infirmities & want of tem­porall things miserie, but sinne they count no miserie, blinder then the Egyptians of old, who esteemed sheepe-heards abho­minable, but Idolaters not ab­hominable: but indeede it is farre otherwaies: wert thou so poore as Lazarus, filled with biles in thy bodie from head to foot as Iob was, yet if thou bee freed from sin, thou art freed from miserie, and bee the con­trarie, wert thou so rich as that glutton clad in purple, and fa­ring [Page 36] delicately euery day [...] thou health and honor, and all the comforts of the world af­ter the desire of thine owne heart, if yet thou bee in thy sinnes, the end shall declare thou art a miserable creature.

This will be manifest at the Euen the wicked at the last shal feare finde more then death. length in all the wicked, that their miserie is not in sicknesse, nay not in death it selfe, but in an euill conscience guiltie of sinne, though now they abhor nothing but death, & esteeme sinne but a pastime: the day is cōming, wherin they shal seeke death & not find it, saying, hills and mountaines fall vpon vs, and couer vs, they shall be glad to be smothered to the death, and to suffer the greatest mise­rie that can come to their bo­dies, [Page 37] vpon condition they were freed from the miserie of an e­uill conscience; which sinne hath brought vpon them.

But howsoeuer this miserie A comfor­table medi­tation of Gods mer­cie. of Dauid was exceeding great, he espies in God by the eye of faith a greater mercie to cure it, and therefore cries hee for mercie according to the multi­tude of his commiserations; O Lord, I know that whatsoeuer is in thee is thy selfe, thy mer­cie is no lesse then thy selfe. Cum sis misericors, quid es, nisi ip­sa misericordia, Hieron. Sa­uanarola. seeing thou art mercifull, what art thou but mercie it selfe? and what can mercie doe but thine owne worke? canst thou denie thy selfe? canst thou depart from thine owne nature? what is the [Page 38] worke of mercie, but to take a­way miserie, here am I Lord before thee a miserable man, and my greatest miserie is my sinne, doe thy owne worke, O Lord, cure my miserie with thy mercie, shew the vertue of thy mercies vpon mee, abyssus abyssum inuocat, abyssus miseriae inuocat abyssum misericor diae, one deepe calls vpon an other, the deepe of miserie calls vpon the deepe of mercie, greater is the deepe of mercie then the deepe of miserie; let therefore the deepe of thy mercie swallow vp the deepe of my miserie, and put thou away mine iniquitie.

On me. Dauid doeth not now The humi­litie of a penitent thinks not his name worth to be named. as at other times expresse his name, as when hee said, Lord remember Dauid, &c. neither [Page 39] takes hee here to himselfe the name of Gods seruant, as custo­mably he doth in other places, but concealeth his name, a­shamed of himselfe, not vnlike that forlorne child, I haue sin­ned against heauen and against Luke 15. thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne.

According to thy louing kind­nesse. Dauid de­pends on Gods mercy not on his owne merit. We haue heard Dauid his petition in generall: Now the reason whereby he will moue the Lord to grant it, is not from any merit in himselfe, hee vt­terly disclaimes that, but only from God his louing kindnesse and commiseration, vpon these two doth hee now fasten his gripes, and by the meditation of them hee conceiues some hope of fauour in the Lord, e­uen [Page 40] when in himselfe hee had receiued a condemnatorie sen­tence of death, by reason of his sinne.

Two things are requisite in The two eyes of a penitent sinner, and what losse it is to want either of them. a sinner, that would haue mer­cie; first, an eye to know his sinnes that being ashamed of himselfe, he may resolue, there can be no life for him, if he rest in himselfe. And next an eye to see Gods mercie, many haue not the first, & therefore thinke that either without a Sacrifice, or with a small sacrifice, God will bee pleased, they cannot mourne for sinne, esteeming their sinnes so small that they neede no great mourning: O­thers againe haue not the other eye whereby to see Gods mer­cie in Christ, they see their own [Page 41] sinne, but see not God his mer­cie, and therefore are carried either to a temporall despera­tion, which may befal the god­ly that for a time they seeme to themselues vtterly vndone, or then to a finall, us all the re­probates doe: examples wher­of wee haue in Cain, Saul, and Iudas, from whose miserable condition the Lord preserue vs.

Now Dauid finding nothing Two things in God Da­uid grounds vpon. in himselfe to comfort him, when he lookes vp to God hee sees two things, as I said, that sustaine him; first, the kind­nesse 1 His benig­nitie or kindnesse, this is either generall. of God; next the mani­fold compassions of God; the word expressing his kindnesse is Chesed, the benignitie of God, and this is either general, wher [Page 42] by hee loues his creatures con­seruing them, as he made them, and delights to doe good vnto them, in so farre as they are the works of his hands. Thou Lord Math. 5. 45 sauest man and beast, he makes his Sunne to arise on the euill and the good, and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust. And this howsoe­uer it rendred some comfort, yet could it not giue full com­fort to DAVID, considering that sinne, the poison of the Serpent in him, made him iust­ly Or speciall. abhominable to God. And therefore hee casts his eye fur­ther vnto that speciall benigni­tie of God, which in effect is his mercie, whereby hee loues his owne in Christ redeemes them from their sinnes, and saues them by his grace when [Page 43] they haue lost themselues by their iniquitie.

And this is euident by the other word immediatly he ad­ioynes The speciall is in effect Gods mercy and tender compassion. of God his compassion which is the other ground, whereupon the faith of Dauid reposed, for the word Racham signifies to loue from the verie bowells and inward affection, being deduced from the name Rêchêm, which signifies the What great comfort wee haue into it. wombe or matrice, that with most kindly and tender affec­tion, compasse and nourish the Infant within it, suppose it cannot bee thankefull for the present, nor doe the duetie wherein it is bound, but rather be offensiue to the mother that carries it, Dauid knew that the like tender affection was in God [Page 44] toward his owne poore chil­dren, yea and much more grea­ter, then the heauēs are higher [...] from the earth; so farre are the thoughts of God his loue and compassion, aboue all that can bee in vs, it is possible the mo­ther may forget the birth of her wombe, but the LORD cannot forget them who are his.

Therefore doth he not only Compassiōs in the plu­rall number are ascribed to God. ascribe vnto God compassions but great cōpassions, or a mul­titude of them, & so he speakes for two causes, first because where God shewes mercies, he 1 Because where he shewes mer­cie, he shews many mer­cies toge­ther. shewes many mercies together a heape and a verie masse of mercies. The royall heart of Alexander thought it not hono­rable for him to giue a small [Page 45] thing, what then shall we think of our God? The ods is so great that there can bee no compari­son. But sure where hee giues any of his chief blessings, there hee giues such a treasure forth of his infinite riches of mercie, as we are not able to speake of.

Yet for our comfort in our Sixe ranks of mercie. meditation, his mercies shew­ed vnto vs, since wee could 1 Preuenting mercie. know, what mercie was, wee may reduce them to six rankes, the first I call preuenting mer­cies, whereby the Lord did vs good when wee knew him not, and kept vs from many sinnes, which otherwaies wee would haue committed: O quanta dig­natio Bern. de E­uang. 7. Pa­num Ser. 1. pietatis, quod ingratum sic gratia conseruabat, Many sinnes haue we done against him, but [Page 46] farre moe should we haue done if his mercie had not preuen­ted vs, Agnosce ergo gratiam eius cui debes, etiam quod non ad­misisti. Augu. Mihi debet iste quod fa­ctum est & dimissum vidisti, mi­hi debes & tu quod non fecisti. Acknowledge therefore Gods mercie toward thee, euen in these sinnes, which thou hast not done. If thou seest one who is debitor to mee for a sin, which hee did and I forgaue him; vnderstand also that thou art debitor to me for keeping thee, that thou didst not the like, for there is no sinne which any man hath done, but an o­ther man would doe the like, if God by grace did not preserue him from it.

2 The second ranke hath in it [Page 47] his sparing mercies, or the mer­cies Sparing mercies. of his patience, though we haue beene kept from the do­ing of many sinnes, yet haue we done enough to condemne vs. There is an other sort of mercie, Peccabam & tu dissimu­labas, non continebam a sceleribus & tu a verberibus abstinebas, I sinned and thou heldst thy tongue, I transgressed, thou sparedst and killedst mee not, when wee looke to Zimri and Cosbi slaine in the act of harlo­trie; to Ananias and Saphira striken to death in their sinne, what shall wee say, but it is a great mercie of God, that hi­therto wee haue not beene ta­ken away in the middest of our sinnes?

3 In the third ranke, wee place [Page 48] his pardoning mercies, for a 3 Pardoning mercies. man may thinke what benefit is it to mee, to bee long spared, seeing at the last, iudgment will come, & quo diutius expectat, eo districtius iudicabit, but this fear is taken away from the godly by God his pardoning mercies, he forgiues their sins in Christ, he will neuer impute their ini­quitie vnto them, but taketh them vtterly away, Peccatum non imputatum, est quasi nunquam fuerit commissum.

But with these is also giuen 4 Renewing mercies. vs the fourth sort, that is his re­newing mercies. There are ma­ny quorum infructuosa est poeni­tentia, who repent of their sinnes, but are not renewed by amendment of life, in whom nouissimus error peior est priori, [Page 49] their returning like Dogges to their vomit, is worse then their first transgression: but the Lord when hee giues to his owne children the grace of remissiō, doth also giue with it the grace of renouation, whereby hee makes them new creatures, a­bounding in the fruits of righ­teousnesse, to Gods glorie, the edification of their brethren, and the comfort of their owne consciences in Christ.

And yet all these were no­thing, if it were not that the fift 5. Corrobora­ting and continuing mercie. ranke of mercies were also hea­ped vpon vs, which I call con­tinuing mercies, whereby wee perseuer in that estate of grace, whereunto we are once called. Adam in his best estate of inno­cencie continued not, & would [Page 50] wee stand in grace, if perseue­rance, which hee wanted, were not communicated vnto vs. As mercie brought vs to this state of grace, so it is by mercie also that we are kept in it.

And the last ranke is of Gods crowning mercies, whereby he 6. Crowning mercies. shall perfect his owne worke, finish that which hee hath be­gunne in vs, hee shall performe to vs his promised Kingdome, feare of euill shall be farre from vs, in that Paradise no tempter shall bee to snare vs, mercie shall compasse vs, no good shall be lacking to vs, the Lord shall bee all in all vnto vs, and from that blessed fellowship and cō ­munion with him, shall wee neuer be diuided againe.

And as this way Gods mer­cies Compassions in the plu­rall num­ber, are as­cribed to God, be­cause the proofe and practise of them is ma­nifold. are manifold, so likewise are the prayses of them in re­spect of innumerable persons, on whom they haue beene de­clared, for miserationes Dei sunt opera & processus misericordiae e­ius, and so his meditation is, O Lord thou hast shewed com­passion to many a penitent sin­ner, since the beginning of the world, thou neuer reiectedst a­ny that sought thee with a pe­nitent heart, for number they cannot bee told to whom thou hast beene mercifull, quot enim iusti, tot miserationes, let them al be gathered that are in heauen and earth, if it be demanded of them, how is it they haue been saued, they will all answere, Not vnto vs, O Lord, but vnto thy [Page 52] name be the praise; And there­fore seeing thou, O Lord, art the same; And no shadow of change is with thee, I beseech thee close not that dore of mercie on me, which hath ope­ned to receiue so many sinners before me, and these Riuers of cōpassion which haue flowed so abundantly toward others, let them not bee dryed vp to mee.

This earnestnesse of Dauids Feeling of our wants, make ear­nest Prayer. praier, flowes from the feeling of his great sinnes, he knew his sinnes were great, and therfore craues he great mercies, magna siquidem vulnera paribus indigēt Basil. Pharmacis, yea that in this one transgression, manifold sinnes were included, and that there­fore hee needed not one, but a [Page 53] multitude of diuine commise­rations: Vniuer sam in se Dei gra­tiam effundi, & totum miseratio­num fontem in peccati sui vlcera euacuari orat.

But how soeuer the mercies The mer­cies of God are plenti­full, yet not extended to all, and why of God bee plentifull, yet are they not extended vnto all, they are free indeede; I haue mercie (saith the Lord) on whom I will haue mercie, but so that if there be any man, to whō they flow not, he may alwaies finde the cause in himself, in his hard heart that cannot repent, it holds true in all the reprobate, which the Apostle speakes of the rebellious Iewes; Yee put it from you, meaning the word of the Gospell, wherein mercie and grace is offered, and iudge your selues vnworthie of euerla­sting [Page 54] life, therefore that mercie which is here craued by Dauid, Act. 13. 46. by a most fearefull decree was denied vnto them, God gaue that people a name Lo-Rucha­mah, I will no more haue pitie Hos. 1. 6. on them, whereupon followed another name, expressing their Such as will not be Gods people, shall not find Gods mercy miserie after that once God for their sins had cast them away, Lo-Ammi, that is to say, they are not my people, and I will not bee theirs. No tongue can expresse the miserie of that man, who for his proud conti­nuance in sinne, and contempt of grace offered vnto him, re­ceiues most iustly from the Lord, that decree of Lo-Rucha­mah, I will haue no mercie on him; where the Fountayne is stopped the Springs of necessi­tie [Page 55] must drie vp, where mercie is denied, all good things flow­ing from it must decay. This will be the cursed condition of the damned. All fat and ex­cellent Reuel. 18. 14. things shall depart from them, from which the Lord de­liuer vs.

Put away mine iniquities. Hi­therto Dauid en­ters to his particular petitions. we haue heard Dauid his generall petition for mercie, now followes his three parti­cular petitiōs, expressing what mercie it is hee craued, as wee shewed in the beginning of the Verse.

His first particular petition Whereof the first is a petition for the remissi­on of his sinnes. is for forgiuenesse of his sinne, the fact was past, but the gilt re­mained, the pleasure of it was soone done, but the terror of it still vexed him, all the comfort [Page 56] of his Kingdome could not make him merry, the torment of an accusing conscience for sin was more strong to deiect him, then all the pleasures of Ca­naan were to sustaine him, yea it is most sure that externall comforts are so far from com­forting a troubled conscience, that by the contrarie they en­crease the trouble thereof, and the more worldly comforts be presented, the greater is the heauinesse of that soule, which is afflicted for sinne; and there­fore now when hee comes to The griefe of sinne can not be as­swaged by any worldly comfort. the point, hee tels where his sore was, what grieued him most, iniquitie, iniquitie; hee cryes out for this in the 32. Psalme; Blessed is the man whose wickednesse is forgiuen, whose [Page 57] sinne is couered, and to whom the Lord imputes not iniquitie. As if he would say, hee that hath not this, hath no blessing, all comforts without this are comfortlesse.

Where wee haue to take vp What a fear full euill sinne is. what a cursed and miserable thing sinne is, a sparkle of fire come from hell, that burnes vp all the pleasures of the Para­dise of a good Conscience, a seede of Sathan, a peece of lea­uen that sowreth and infecteth all it comes among, turning sweetest things into bitter. It is but a small thing to looke to, soone done in the twinckling of an eye, but hath an enduring sting, and produceth manifold and great euill effects, it pertur­beth all being but one, and [Page 58] spoyle man of the comfort of all God his creatures, misera­ble men bewitched with the deceipt of sinne, drunken with the present false pleasures ther­of cannot beleeue this, it is but a pastime to them to doe wic­kedly; but let them know it shall turne to bitternesse in the end. But of this more in the third verse, where hee com­plaines that his sinne was euer before him.

The word that in this petition God hath his accompt Booke, wherein the debts of men, that is their sinnes are Regi­stred. Dauid vseth is Machah, signifi­ing a scraping & a blotting out; hee alludes as it seemes to the maner of them, who haue their accompt Bookes, wherein they write vp their debts, whereof they purpose to haue paiment, although they spare for a time, [Page 59] wherupō Dauid sayeth, I know Lord thou hast thine owne accompt Booke, wherein thou writest the transgressions of them, with whom thou mindest to enter in iudgement accor­ding to that, The sinne of Iuda is written with a Penne of yron, and Iere. 17. the point of a Diamond. Let not O Lord my debt stand Regi­stred there, but of thy mercie put it and blot it out, I haue done enough for my part to put my owne name out of the Booke of life, and insert it in the Roll of them that must come to iudgement. I know there is a standing decree in thy Booke, That death is the wa­ges of sinne; If my sinne stand in thy Register, I am but a dead man, Lord quicken me, forgiue [Page 60] me my trespasse, and put away the Colos. 2. 13. hand-writing of thy ordinance, which is contrarie to me.

But here let vs marke, how The bookes are two, the booke of his Science, and the booke of our Consci­ence. it is that the Lord putteth sinne out of his two-fold Register, First out of the booke of his owne science, hee putteth the sinnes of his children vtterly, both the gilt and the memorie of them hee putteth away, so that out of his accompt booke hee scrapes our debt cleane a­way, that it appeares not a­gaine, according to his promise, I will remember their sinnes no more. But out of the Register of our conscience, hee putteth the gilt, the accusing, and tor­menting power of it, but abo­lisheth not vtterly the remem­brance of it. He reserues some [Page 61] monument of our sinnes in our memorie, after that they are forgiuen, partly to humble vs, when wee looke backe vnto them, and partly to preserue vs from committing the like in time to come.

And further we see how Da­uid Blind are they who thinke they can make satisfaction to God for their debts. acknowledgeth, his debt was more then hee was able to pay, and therefore disclaiming his owne sufficiencie, hee ap­peales to Gods mercy, beseech­ing the L. to blot it out, for he had not to pay it. It is a pitiful blindnesse in the aduersaries of the truth, that teacheth poore people to leane vnto mans sa­tisfactions, which they must make to God for their sinnes, either here or in Purgatorie, how wilt thou satisfie that infi­finite [Page 62] maiestie of God for thy manifold sinnes, Ille figulus, tu Ber. Scr. de quadrup. debito. figmentum. When thou hast gi­uen vnto him all that thou art able, either by doing or suffer­ing, Nonneistud est, sicut stella ad solem, gutta ad fluuium, What is it, but as if one should com­pare a Starre with the Sunne, or a drop with a riuer, Nemo est qui millesimae imo nec minimae parte debitorum suorum valeat re­spondere. I see it was blindnes, and so it is, whatsoeuer shew of learning bee in them, who maintaine it, if they knew how great is the debt that man ow­eth vnto God, they would say with Bernard, There is none in the world able to answere the thousand part; nay, not the smallest part of that Debt, [Page 63] which man oweth vnto God. Away therefore with that blas­phemous word of humaine sa­tisfaction, for except the Lord haue compassion on vs, and for Mattb. 18. 27. giue the debt, there remaines nothing for vs, but to be pined in prison for euer.

And this also is to bee obser­ued, By three words, Da­uid expres­seth his sin, to shew the greatnesse thereof. how Dauid making menti­on of his sinne, contents him not with one word, but chan­ges there sundrie words to ex­presse it, whereof the one Pa­shang, signifieth defection and rebellion; the other Gnauah, signifieth peruersuesse or croo­ked doing; the third Chatta, sig­nifieth to erre or wander from the marke. Men who do weigh sinne in the balance of consue­tude, can neuer knowe the [Page 64] weight of it, they esteeme it but a light thing, but godly men who weigh it in the ba­lance of the Sanctuarie, and ex­amine it according to the rule of the word, find it such a hor­rible euill as wherein manifold euils doe concurre.

DAuid insists, and Three things which make feruent Prayer. in other termes hee repeates his former petition: There are three things which make earnestnes [Page 65] and feruencie in prayer. First, Conscience of sinne. Second­ly, feare or sense of wrath. Thirdly, ardent desire of mer­cie; these three were at this time strong in Dauid, and ther­fore sends hee vp feruent and strong petitions to God.

More particularly we learne Sinne, a vile vn­cleannesse. here, that Sinne is a filthynesse which defiles a man, there is no vncleannesse can make vs so vile, and abhominable in the eyes of man, as sinne maketh vs in the eyes of God; what more vile thing in the world then a Menstruous cloth? If euen our righteousnesse bee like vnto it, as Esay witnesseth, I pray you whereunto shall our vnrighte­ousnesse be compared, or what similitude can be gotten suffici­ently [Page 66] to expresse it. Now as it is an vncleannes indeed, would to God we could so esteeme of it; we can suffer no vncleannes in our bodies, but incontinent we wash it away; Neither can abide it in our garments, but without delay wee remedie it: yea, the smallest vncleannesse in the vessels that serue vs for meate and drinke, makes our very foode lothsome vnto vs; But alas, wee haue not halfe of that care to keepe our Soules and Consciences cleane, from the filthy pollution of sinne, nor yet to wash them in that Fountaine, opened to DAVIDS house for sinne and for vn­cleannesse, when we haue defi­led them.

And yet a great necessitie to [Page 67] doe so, lies vpon vs, for we are No part can we haue with Christ, if he wash vs not. warned that no vncleane thing can enter into heauenly Ierusa­lem. That answere giuen by the Lord Iesus vnto Peter, Ioh. 13. 8. stands for a warning to vs all; If I wash thee not, thou shalt haue no part with me; Oh that it moued vs, as it mooued him, that wee might also pray with him. O Lord rather then my vncleannes banish me from thy fellowship, wash I beseech thee not my feete onely, but my hands and my head also, Wash my feete, that is my vncleane affections: Wash my head, that is my vncleane imaginations and senses. And wash also my hands, that is the vncleannesse of mine actions.

But the word that Dauid vseth A cōfort a­ble medita­tion of Gods manifold mercies. imports much washing, hee knew his sinne was a deepe spot, not easily rubbed away, and therefore craues he much washing, so then, his meaning is, Many sinnes hast thou Lord forgiuen me, now I pray thee yet further wash me from this sinne also. Are thy mercies numbred, or are they so nar­row that they cannot couer this transgression among the rest, how great so euer it bee. So that heere Dauid doth still depend vpon the greatnesse of Gods compassion, and by it is he sustained, that the greatnes of his transgression driueth him not to despare, when the Apostle Saint Peter enquired at the Lord Iesus, how oft [Page 69] shall I forgiue my brother in Since hee will haue vs to for­giue an o­ther seuen times in the day, what will he doe himselfe? the day, if he offend me, shall I forgiue him seuen times? Our Sauiour answered, not seuen times only, but seuenty times seuen times also. O word full of consolation, how doth it animate vs to repose on the the Lords mercy. Nonne ma­ior Deus homine? nonne melior homine? Is not the Lord grea­ter then man? is he not better then man? If he will haue so great compassion in a man to forgiue his brother so often in a day: what compassion is in himselfe to forgiue his owne poore penitent creature, that prostrates himselfe for mercy before him.

HEere is subjoined a reason of his Confession from a pe­nitent hart obtaines mercy. former petition. O Lord, I doe not hide & con­ceale the iniquitie of my bo­some, I seeke not now to couer it as I did before, but now I ac­knowledge it, and I confesse it to thee against my selfe, there­fore, Lord haue mercy vpon me, and forgiue it: this is a good reason, for it is grounded on the Lords promise: He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper: Prou. 28. [Page 71] but hee that confesseth, and forsa­keth them shall haue mercy. And againe, If wee confesse our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1. 9. God is faithfull and iust to forgiue them. Or otherwaies we may take vp these words as Vatablus doth, Lord thou knowest that I seeke not mercy from thee dissemblingly, or for fashion, as the manner of hypocrites is, who make supplication for mercy, of custome rather then of contrition, nay Lord I feele my sinne a burden which trou­bles me, the very sight of it ter­rifies and afraies me, therefore Lord take it away from thee.

So long as sinne is in a mans So long as sinne is in the affecti­on that a man loues it there is no remission of it. affection that hee likes it and hath pleasure in it, it is but a mocking of God to desire him to forgiue it, shall hee forgiue [Page 72] that which thou wilt not for­goe? shall he pardon thine of­fences so long as thou hast plea­sure to offend? No, no, vnlesse thou put thine iniquity from thee out of thine affection, vn­lesse thou find it a burden vnto thee whereof thou art weary, goe not to him to seeke mer­cy: for so his promise is, Come vnto mee all yee that are weary, and laden, and I will refresh you: But alas, it is farre otherwise with many, who vse in bab­bling manner these words of Dauid. O Lord consider my distresse, when as they had ne­uer such a thing as a distressed soule for sinne; and cannot say with Dauid, I know mine ini­quity and my sinne is euer be­fore me.

But when is this, that Dauid An exam­ple of that deepe secu­rity where­in Gods children may fall. comes to know his sinne? after that Nathan had reproued him without, and God had wakned his owne conscience within to accuse him; and this was nine moneths after the committing of the sin: al this time he slept in a carelesse security, albe­it he haunted the exercises of religion, and had some general knowledge of his sinnes, yet it moued him not, till now God lets him see an other sight of his sinnes, then hee had be­fore.

In him wee see an image of To sinne is of our selfe, to repent is of grace. our corrupt disposition; wee fall easily into sinne, and when we haue fallen, we can doe no­thing but lye still in sinne, ex­cept the Lord put vnder his [Page 74] mercifull hand and raise vs vp. As Adam when he had sinned, ran away from the Lord, so is it the manner of Adams chil­dren; after sinne, insteede of running to the Lord, to runne away alwaies, the longer and the further from him, if the Lord doe not follow and reco­uer them.

For this is a peece of Satans pollicy that as hee is subtill in Satans poli­cie, first drawes a man to sin then keepes him vnto it. alluring man to commit sinne, so when he hath done it, he la­bours to blind the minde, that man should neuer come to the knowledge of his sinne till hee be past remedy: a fearefull ex­ample whereof wee haue in Iu­das. And therefore it is a great mercy of God towards his owne, that he opens their eies [Page 75] in time to see their sinne, so long as he sits vpon his mercy-seat to pardon and forgiue them. Satan knows he hath no vantage by sinne, when true re­pentance followeth it. For, wher sinne hath abounded, there grace hath much more super abounded. It is not sinne so much which condemnes men, as impeni­tency that despises mercy, and therefore Satan contents not to draw his miserable captiues into sinne: but when hee hath done it, hides the sight of it from them alwaies till the time of grace bee expired, and they bee past recouery, then lets he them see the vglinesse of their sin, and with restlesse torments disquiets their soules for it.

Further wee see heere that [Page 76] ther are two sorts of the know­ledge A twofold knowledge of sinne. of sin: one which is but general, idle, & works no refor­mation, and an other which is effectuall to worke conuersion. Dauid, as I said, before that Na­than came to him, he knew that One, that is idle and workes no remorse: another, that breeds repentance. murther & adultery were sins, but that troubled him not. But now God works another know ledge of sin in him, hee sees his sins in another maner, he feeles now the iust weight of them, he tastes now the bitter fruits of them, his spirit is filled with anguish for them and his soule abhors them. It is to be lamen­ted that the knoweledge of sin which now is in most part of the world, is but like that knowledge of sinne which Da­uid had in time of his security; [Page 77] they confesse they are sinners, they know that blasphemy, drunkennesse, fornication, and such like, are sinnes, but their conscience being sleeping, they walke still on in their sinnes, and thinkes it is Christianity good enough, if euery mor­ning they say, God be merciful to mee, for I am a poore sinner, but alas poore art thou indeed, and pittifully deceiued, this knowledge will but make thee inexcusable, because in thy words confessing, and condem­ning sinne, in thy workes thou practisest it: but there is an other knowledge of sin, which the Lord shall once discouer vnto thee, either in mercy for thy amendment, as hee doth heere to Dauid, or in wrath, as [Page 78] he did to Iudas. Pray vnto the Lord that this knowledge of sinne may be giuen you in his mercy for your conuersion, and not in his wrath for your consusion.

And my sinne is euer before me, What meanes Dauid by How sinne lookes not alway with one face. this? was not sinne before him ere now? It was indeede ere he committed it, it stood before alluring him and hee liked it, and sought occasion to com­mit it; when he had commit­ted, it was before him also. But it looked with so ill fauou­red a face, that hee sought to hide it, and now when his con­science is wakened, it stood be­fore him, directly to accuse him and it troubles him so, that hee would faine be quit of the sight [Page 79] therof. Oh that men could con­sider this in time, how sinne will change her countenance; before the action, sinne comes like a laughing enemy purpo­sing to slay, but in flattering manner pretending friendship. In the action, like sweet poy­son, deadly and yet delights the sense, but after the action a stinging Scorpion leauing no other fruit behinde it, but guil­tinesse in the conscience, terror in the minde, anguish in the spirit. Si cupis peccati cognoscere Chrys. in Ioan. 8. hom. 51. turpitudinem, commissum consi­dera, cum liber non amplius eius perturbaris affectibus, If men could thinke of this in time, they would not bee much mo­ued with the beautifull face of sinne, at the first comming to [Page 80] them, because it is certaine that sinne which at the first is before a man to tempt him, and will not let him to rest till he doe it: that same sinne at the next time shal stand before him to torment him, and not let him rest, because hee hath doe it.

And this he further ampli­fies, The action of sinne is momenta­rie, the ef­fects of it remaines. when he saies, it is euer be­fore him, both night and day, sleeping and waking, go where I will, it goes with mee; no change of place changes my trouble. Sine intermissione vi­deo Basil. malorum meorum imagines, and it is so before me that it is against mee, Semper coram me Saua. opponens se mihi, ne ad te tran­seat oratio mea. Sinne is soone committed, in a moment pas­seth [Page 81] the pleasure of it, but the gilt, and terror is not so soone done, Paruum est ad horam pec­catum, Cyrill, Cate­chis. 12. longaeua autem est ex eo, & aeterna verecundia. That for which a man sinnes, shall not abide with him: try when yee will, yee shall finde it so; wilt thou slay Naboth for his Vineycard, thou must go from it; wilt thou incurre the curse with Achan for a wedge of gold, thou shalt not keepe it, the curse bides with thee, the gilt of sinne remaines, but that for which thou didst sin, shall bee taken from thee, and thou from it. The remembrance of this were a singular preser­uatiue against sinne.

It is an opinion of carnall men blinded with the deceit of [Page 82] sinne, that when sinne is com­mitted, Sin is not alwaies done when it is ended, as the foo­lish thinke. they thinke it done, and away, and so casts it be­hinde their backe, as a thing neuer any more to be remem­bred; but truth shall teach them by experience, when they are iudged that it is before them. It is now nine moneths since Dauid sinned, yet he finds his sinne before him, the cruel­ty of Iacobs sonnes against their brother Ioseph, which they committed in Canaan, mette them twenty yeeres after that, in Aegypt, though for a long time they beleeued it had been done, and forgotten. No No length of time takes away sinne with­out repen­tance. length of time can we are sinne away, if it be not taken away by repentance, the sinnes wee haue done many yeeres since, [Page 83] if we mourne not for them till we get mercy, shall stand vp as fresh and young against vs, when we come to bee iudged as they were, the first houre that we committed them. The Lord make vs wise to thinke vpon it: our selues waxe old, our bodies are declyning to the graue, our yeeres are neere an end, and will wee take no paines to weare away our sins, to make them as if they had neuer beene, or shall wee let them stand in their strength and vigour against vs, this were a pittifull folly which will not faile to trouble vs at the last: happy are they who are iudg­ed in this world, that they be not condemned in the world to come.

Further, we note heere the The folly of sinners, they redeeme a perishing pleasure with an en­during paine. folly of sinners, and iust man­ner of the Lords dealing with them; their folly is heere, that that they redeeme a perishing pleasure with an enduring paine; Gods iustice is here, that he punisheth the wicked with their owne sinfull deedes, and lets them eat the fruit of their owne labours. This he threat­neth by Ezechiel, I shall turne your waies vpon your owne heads, and truely it were a pu­nishment greater then men are able to beare, if the Lord should set their iniquities be­fore them, and let them see them as they are. Let wicked Psalm. 50. men consider this, that while they are multiplying sinnes, they are but pletting coardes, [Page 85] wherewith they shall be whip­ped the next day with their owne hands, they are heaping vp wrath to themselues. No place of complaining against the Lords iustice, shall bee left Rom. 2. vnto them, when they shall clearely see, it is their owne iniquitie that vexeth and tor­ments them.

But now seeing Nathan the Remem­brance of sinne, re­maines af­ter remissi­on in the godly, and why. Prophet had proclaimed to Dauid the remission of his sin, how is it, that yet it is before him? I answere, in his deerest children after remission of sin, he will haue the remembrance of sinne to remaine; First, to keepe them in minde of God his great mercie, who slewe them not in their sinnes, as hee hath done many, that so hee [Page 86] may make them the more thankfull. Vt gratior sit miseri­cordia dei, vt sentias quid tibi Chrysost. concesserit. Si enim semper me­mor fuer is cumuli peccatorum tuo­rum, eris etiam memor magnitu­dinis beneficentiae dei. Next the memorie of sinne past, serues as a preseruatiue to keepe Gods children from the like sinnes in time to come. And thirdly, it teacheth vs to haue compassi­on on others, when they fall in the like sinnes, and to restore them with the spirit of meeke­nes, considering also our selues.

NOw Dauid breks forth, and giues Confession of sinne most need­full. glorie to God, by an open and plain Cōfession of his sins, he knew it was need­full for him to doe so; Because remission of sinnes, is promised vpon a condition of the confes­sion of them. He that hideth his Prouerb. sinnes shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and forsake them, shall [Page 88] haue mercie. And againe, If we confesse our sinnes, God is faithfull 1. Iohn 1. 9. to forgiue them.

But here we haue first to con­sider, Before men confession defileth, be­fore God it cleanseth. why is it that God re­quires confession, is it to get knowledge of that which wee haue done? Or to get out of our owne mouth, a point of Dittie against our selues? Nouit omnia Deus, sed expectat vocem Amb. de paenitent. li. 2. cap. 7. tuam, non vt puniat, sed vt ig­noscat. He knowes all things, when thou committedst thy sinne in secret, hee saw thee, what then craueth he? nothing but that thou in thy heart mayest know thy sinne; In thy mouth maiest confesse it to the end, that he may forgiue it. Op­tat soluere confitentes, ne contu­maces punire cogatur. The best Augu. [Page 89] medicine for a sinne, is not to hide, or excuse, or extenuate it, but humbly to confesse it. Quē ­admodum nobis peccatorum vul­nera nunquam desunt, sic & con­fessionis medicamenta deesse non debent. For it is not with the Lord as it is with men, before earthly Tribunales confession of sinne defileth the confessor, makes him guiltie and culpa­ble, but before the heauenly it absolues him. And this is the cause why the Lord requires confession of a sin from man.

Now we haue to see what Priuate sins in what case should they be publikely confessed. sort of confession pleaseth God, seeing it is certaine, confession of sinne hath beene made by many, which the Lord hath not accepted; here first wee must distinguish the sinnes to [Page 90] be confessed, publicke sinnes whereby God is openly disho­noured, and his Church slan­dered, out of all doubt required a publike confession to God, and before men; In priuate sins the confession is required to God only: Plerum (que) non expedit Ber. m. Cant. ser. 42. innotescere omnibus, omnia quae nos scimus de nobis, atque ipsa charitatis veritate & veritatis charitate, vetamur, palam fieri velle, quod noceat agnoscenti: yet with this exception, that when the priuate sin is done in such a maner, as that the euill thereof redounds to the hurt of many, and that for this cause also God persewes it to bring it to light, in this case priuate sinnes com­mitted by thee, knowen to none but to thy selfe should be [Page 91] publikly confessed, that thou mayest giue glory to God, and doe good to his Church as is euident in the example of Achan and Dauid.

Next wee must take heed to Three things re­quired in the trew confession of sinne. Ber. the manner of the confession, if it be trew, it must haue these three properties. First it must proceed from contrition of the spirit for sinne: Primum opus fi­dei 1. Contrition. per dilectionem operantis, com­punctio cordis est, è quo sine dubio eij ciuntur daemonia, cum eradican­tur è corde peccata, confession of sin in the mouth, which pro­ceedes not from contrition for sinne in the heart, will neuer draw downe mercy to thee, more then it did to Saule, whose mouth said, I haue sin­ned, but his heart was not grie­ued [Page 92] for sin. Secondly, true con­fession 2. Faith. proceedes from faith in Christ Iesus, for there is a con­fession which is the daugh­ter of desperation, and can not profit thee: An example wher­of we haue in Iudas, I haue sin­ned in betraying of innocent blood, but wanting faith he got no re­mission of his sinne. And third­ly, true confession hath alway 3. Correction. with it an amendment of life: o­therwise Confessio sine emenda­tione vitae est professio peccati, confession of sinne without a­mendment is a profession of sinne, thou that euery day confessest sin, and yet walkest on in the same sinnes, art no other, but a plaine professor of sinne. A threefold happy fruit of true con­fession.

Now confession of sin with [Page 93] these properties, brings downe to the penitent sinner, a three­fold fruit: first vnion and re­conciliation with God ensewes, for sin the cause of diuision be­tweene God and man is now remoued, quasi duaeres sunt homo Augu. in Ioan. Tract. 12. & peccator, quod audis (homo) deus fecit, quod audis (peccator) homo ipse fecit, dele quid fecisti, vt saluet deus quod fecit: Man and sinne are two sundry things, de­stroy sinne which is man his 1. It reconciles thee with God. worke, and God can not but loue, and embrace man, as his owne worke. So long as man keepes his sinne, he workes di­rectlie against the Lord, hyding that which God will discouer, and harbouring within him the rebel, whom God is per­sewing, but when man turnes [Page 94] against sin, confessing it, bring­ing it to light, that it may be destroyed, then works he with Ibid. God, qui Confitetur peccata sua et accusat, iam cum deo facit, accusat deus peccata tua & si tu accusas, iam coniungeris deo. Yea, he that in humble manner confesseth, giueth to the Lord the praise of iustice, that knowes if hee did continew in these sinnes the Lord ought to punish him, he giues him also the praise of wis­dome, that no secret thing can be hid from the Lord, and the praise of power, hee knowes there is no way to flee from the Lord, and therefore in time he flies to him, and at last he giues him the praise of mercy, that hee is gracious and readie to forgiue.

The second fruit of it is con­fusion 2. It brings Confusion to Satan. to Sathan, it is a chiefe point of his labour to accuse vs night and day, for in one of these three he is alway exerci­sed, either to tempt, or to ac­cuse or to torment, when hee tempts let vs resist him, that we sinne not, if we haue sinned, let vs preuent the accuser, and bee the first accusers of our selues, so shall we stop the mouth of our aduersarie, that hee shall haue nothing to say. Non cir­cumueniet te ante iudicem, cum e­nim tui ipse fueris accusator, & dominus liberator, quid erit ille nisi calumniator?

The third is that true con­fession which brings comfort, It brings peace and quietnesse to a mans owne heart. peace, and quietnesse to a mans owne heart. As a sicke stomack is eased by vomiting, so a guil­ty conscience by confession. They who will not sow, how can they reape? we must sow in teares, the humble confession of sinne, if we looke to reap the sweet consolation of the spirit, let vs not do the one sparingly, if wee hope to enioy the other abundantly, Modica Sementis Ber. de tractio, non modicum messis est detrimentum. So long as wee keepe in the heart the pleasures of sinne, we can not taste of the ioyes of God. Vis vt intret mel, Aug. vnde acetum nondum fudisti? funde quod habes, vt capias, quod non habes, no more then it is [Page 97] possible to powre sweet hony into that vessel, which is filled with sowre Vineger already, but as after great showres of raine, the aire becomes more calme and cleare, so after that sinne is powred out with con­fession and teares, the heart is pacified, and freed from her former perturbations.

Furthermore wee perceiue Publike sins would haue publike re­pentance. here, how Dauid contents not himselfe with a secret confessi­on of his sinne to the Lord, and to Nathan the Prophet, but wil haue his repentance declared in publike, and a memoriall of it extant for benefite of the Church of God. No doubt ma­ny impediments had Dauid to hinder him from so cleare a confession, but such is the force [Page 98] of true repentance, that it o­uercomes all impediments and maketh the penitent man har­tily well content to giue glory to God, although it were with neuer so great shame to him­selfe.

Such as had fallen in pub­like offenses were not receiued The forme and order of publike repentance in the pri­mitiue church. Ambros de paenitent. li. 1. c. 16. but vpon their publike repen­tance, yea and their supplica­tion made to all the assembly of Gods people, Petat veniam reus cum lachrym is, petat gemiti­bus, petat populi totius fletibus, vt ignoscatur obsecret & cum secun­do, aut tertio fuerit dilata eius communio, credat seremissius sup­plicasse, fletus augeat. Let him that is guilty seeke pardon with teares, seeke it with grones, let him seeke that all the people [Page 99] may mourne for him, and if twice or thrice his receiuing to the communion be delaied, let him thinke he hath praied but slackly, and hath neede to aug­ment his teares, and because many then thought shame to doe this, he giues them a no­table admonition, Si homini sa­tisfacien dum Lib. 2. c. 10. esset, multos obsecra­res vt dignentur interuenire, hoc in ecclesia facere fastidis, vt deo supplices, vt patrocinium tibi ad deum obsecrandum sanctae plebis requiras, if thou hadest to doe with men, thou wouldest re­quest many to sue for thee, thinkest thou euill to doe that in the Church, to make there supplication to God, and to seeke the helpe of the Saints of God. Vbi nihil est quod pudari [Page 100] esse debeat, nisi non fateri, cum om­nes simus peccatores, vbi ille lau­dabilior, qui humilior; & iustior qui abiectior, fleat ita (que) pro te Ma­ter ecclesia, where there is no­thing wherof we should thinke shame except not to confesse our sins, seeing wee are all sin­ners, and he is most worthy of praise who is most abiect. Let therefore thy mother the Church mourne vnto God for thee.

It is a common policie of Sathan takes away shamewhere it should be, and brings it in where it should not be. Sathan, to take away shame where it should bee, namely in the committing of it; and to bring it in where it should not be, to wit, in the confessing of sinne: But if men bee mooued with shame, I would wish they were mooued with the greatest [Page 101] shame, for it is a greater shame to confesse sin before the An­gels and the whole world, God sitting in his iudgement seate to condemne it, then to con­fesse it before his Church, God sitting in his mercie seate, readie to forgiue it. Concea­led can it not be, for the word of God hath confirmed it with a solemne oath. As I liue (say­eth the Lord) euery tongue shall confesse vnto me.

Two wayes in this verse, By two argu­ments Da­uid ampli­fieth his sin. doth Dauid amplifie his sinne: first that it was done against God, Next in the sight of God. To sin against a King his com­mandement lawfull, is a great sinne, but to sinne against him in his owne face, is a double re­bellion. Sin is counted a light [Page 102] thing among men, because they commonly weigh it in Statera suarum consuetudinum Aug. cont. Parmen. lib 3. Cap. 2. dolosa, The deceitfull balance of custome: but if we come and weigh it in the balance of Gods word, wee shall finde it heauie, which otherwayes wee thinke light.

This first circumstance that That it was done against God. it was against God, doth great­ly aggrauate his sinne. Whe­ther ye looke to the goodnesse, or to the greatnesse of God. The Lord was good many waies to Dauid, of a Sheepheard he made him a King; and did in euery state of life so blesse him, that as hee himsefe con­fesseth, hee was loaded with the benefits of God. Now it cannot bee but a great ingrati­tude [Page 103] to offend so louing and gracious a God, who daily de­lights to doe good vnto vs.

Or otherwise if we consider his greatnesse wee must say it What a fearfull thing it is to fight a­gainst God. is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the Lord. Are we stronger then hee? why then doe wee prouoke him to anger? This is a great argument of his power, that hee turnes against vs those things which wee doe against him, and punisheth vs with our owne deedes. Thine own wickednesse shall correct thee, Ierem. 2. 19 and thy turnings backe shall re­prooue thee, and thou shall know that it is an euill thing, and a bit­ter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and procured this Vers. 17. vnto thy selfe. The Sidonians sought peace from Herode [Page 104] when hee entended warre a­gainst them, and all because they were nourished by Herods lands, and might not want his fauour: and foolish man thinkes it nothing to fight a­gainst God, who is offring him peace, which is so great a good, that he is able to driue backe mans weapons vpon his owne face, and confound him with his owne thoughts.

But heere it is to be deman­ded, How saies Dauid hee sinned a­gainst God onlie, seeing hee slew V­riah, and defiled Bathshe­bath. how saies he that hee sin­ned against God onely, seeing he sinned against Bathsheba, en­tising her to the snare of Satan: he sinned against Vriah, whom he slew with the sword of the Ammonite; and he sinned a­gainst the whole Army, casting them into danger for Vriah his [Page 105] sake: and lastly, against the whole Church in his kingdome by his euill example. The an­swer 1 In all sinne God pro­perly is the party offen­ded. is, that to speake proper­ly, In all sinne, properly God is the party offended; whe­ther it be done imediatly, as in sinnes against the first Table, or mediatly, as in sinnes a­gainst the second table: and so the wrong done to the creature is not for the hurt of such a creture, but for the interceding command of God, which is broken, for sinne is the trans­gression of the Law; and were it not for that, no wrong were 2. Dauid speaks this acording to his sense, for at this time he had no party, but God. done to the creature.

Next Dauid speakes this, ac­cording to his owne sense and feeling, at this time he had no partie that troubled him, but [Page 106] the Lord, for as to him that got the wrong, Non timebam Chrysost. eum, miles meus erat, non poterat me iudicare. He was my seruant he could not iudge mee. As for others, Rex sum, caeterorum omnium Dominus, te solum com­missorum [...]uthym. a me scelerum iudicem habeo. I am their King and Lord, and finde nothing in them to trouble me, but thou O Lord, art hee to whom all creatures must render an ac­count, thou art higher then the highest, and iudgest the King and the subiect alike. What peace then can▪ bee to mee, so long as thou art a­gainst mee, pursuing mee for my sinnes.

Heereof first arises, a lesson to men of power in the world, [Page 107] let them not thinke the lesse of Let not men thinke the lesse of their sinnes, because they are done a­gainst weak men. their sinnes, because they haue to doe with a weake partie, that hath neither power nor meanes to redresse their wrongs; let them remember, that God is their party, who will iudge the cause of the poore, the widowe, and the fatherlesse: this should re­strain them from doing wrong to any, albeit they might doe it vncontrouled of men; this was a meanes of awe to Ioseph, he might haue reuenged the wrong in Egypt which his bre­thren had done him in Canaan, but hee would not because hee feared God, and considered that hee himselfe was also vn­der God.

Secondly, wee learne of this [Page 108] that seeing in all sinne, God is No dis­charge of sinne is suf­ficient but the Lords. the party offended; the re­mission and discharge of the sinne should bee sought from him. This is for these carnall Atheists, who if they can ob­taine pardon from the earthly Iudge; or a discharge of the partie, care nothing for the Lords part, but hee will stand to his own part and make thee finde by experience, that albe­it all the world would forgiue thy sinne, yet if the Lord for­giue thee not, it shal nothing a­uaile thee. Men of meane e­state should haue patiēce when they are wronged because the offence is done vnto God.

Last of all, let this learne them of meane estate patience, for no wrong can be done vnto them, which first of all is not done to the Lord, he is the principal party offended. If men could, [Page 109] as I haue said before, ponder this, it might learne them with patience to commit their cause to the Lord, and not rashly to step in into his roome, either by imprecations, or raylings, or a­ny other such carnall meane, but to reserue vnto the Lord his owne honour. Vengeance is mine and I will repay it, saith the Lord.

And done euell in thy sight. 2 The other argument whereby he amplifies his sinne, is that it was done in Gods sight. The other circumstance wher­by hee amplifies his sinne, is, that it was done in the sight of God: when hee did the sinne, God saw him, but hee forgot then that God was looking vp­on him: but now when his conscience is wakened, and hee lookes backe againe to his for­mer iniquity, he sees now that [Page 112] [...] [Page 113] [...] [Page 110] he did it in the sight of God.

This is also one of Satan his Satans de­ceit is to make man conceiue that God seeth him not. customable policies whereby he drawes men vnto sinne to couer their minds with a vaile to darken their vnderstanding, to steale out of their hearts the remembrance, at least the re­uerence of the diuine Maiesty, so that he is brought to thinke for a time, that either God sees it not, or then doth not regard it. But this is a pittifull blinde­nesse, like the folly of children, who when their owne eies are closed that they cannot see, do therefore conceit that none o­ther seeth them: so is it, I say with them whose affecti­ons are captiued by a sin, they are blinded and haue not an eye to looke vp to God, and [Page 111] therefore thinke that hee is not looking down vpon them.

The best remedy for this is to sanctifie the Lord alwaies in The remē ­brance of God is a new band to sinne. our hearts, let vs set the Lord alwaies in our sight, esteeming of euery place as Iacob did of Bethel, The Lord is in this place, and I was not aware, that so his countenance may bee an newe band to keepe vs from sinne, otherwise it can­not bee but a deepe contempt of God, when in our estimati­on wee set him inferiour to his creature, not ashamed to doe that vnder the eye of GOD, which wee would be ashamed to doe vnder the eie of man.

That thou maiest be iust. His The Lord strikes not without a cause. meaning is not, that he sinned for this ende: that God might [Page 112] be iustified, quod dicit vt iustifi­ceris, non habet causae significati­onem, non eam ob causam peccauit Dauid, vt Deus iustificaretur. No, but that for this end hee confessed his sinne, that the iustice of God, iudging, repro­uing, and threatning him by Nathan, might bee manifested to others. It is not Lord with­out cause that thou hast de­nounced so sharpe punish­ments against mee, by thy ser­uant Nathan, Ego haec mihi ma­la conciliaui, I haue deserued them all, and giuen thee iust cause to speake and iudge a­gainst mee as thou hast done, and now I humbly confesse it before the world, that thou maiest haue the praise of righ­teousnes in all thy speaking, & iudging.

The children of God hum­bled Men visited with his rods should giue him the prayse of righteousnes with a sense of their sins, spare not to shame themselues that they may glorifie God. So Daniel ascribeth shame and confusion to himselfe and his people, but giues tho praise of righteousnesse to the Lord. Where the Lord strikes with his rods which men may see, and hee that is striken will not acknowledge his sinnes, in ef­fect hee blames the Lord, as if hee did strike without a cause; therefore Iosua, when Achan was taken by Lot for his sinne, and the wrath of God on Israel was manifest, but the cause procuring the wrath, was hid­den from them, exhorted him to giue glory to God, thou seest doth he, say that God is angrie [Page 114] with Israel, he hath suffered his people to fall before their ene­mies, this cannot be without a cause: seeing the lot is fallen vp­on thee, and the finger of God points at thee, that thou hast procured this euill. I pray thee giue glorie to God, by confes­sing the sinne thou hast done, that all the people may knowe that the Lord is not angrie without cause. It is a danger­ous thing to hide our sinnes, where the hiding of them, may hide and obscure the glo­rie of God; as the maner of hy­pocrites is, who grudge and murmure when God strikes them with his rods, as if either they were punished without a cause, or then worse handled, then they had deserued.

Againe, let vs marke here Happie are they whom God iudges now in such sort that he corrects them. the manner of God his dealing with his own, he iudgeth them in this life, that they should not be condemned hereafter. This he doth partly by his word, re­proouing them of sinne; partly by his rods, correcting them. Happie are they who now are so iudged, for they who profit not, neither by his rebukes nor his rods; what else doe they, but reserue them selues to a sharper iudgment.

HE still proceedes Dauid ser­ches out the first origi­nall of his sinne. in the amplifi­cation of his sin, and now he rip­peth it vp from the verie foutaine and first ori­ginal thereof, entring in a deep consideration of the vniuersall corruption of his Nature. It is not in this fact onely will hee say that I am culpable, I con­fesse my whole Nature to bee so corrupt from the verie wombe through sinne, as most [Page 117] iustly making me odious & ab­hominable in the eyes of God, yea now when by occasion of this one sinne, which hath bro­ken out in externall action, I looke to my inward dispositi­on and consider the originall corruption of my nature con-containing all sorts of sin with­in it, proceeding from the want and priuation of originall righ­teousnesse, I am ashamed of my selfe in the sight of God.

To expresse this he vses two wordes; the first Cholel signify­ing How origi­nall sinne is expressed by Dauid. to creat or forme, whereby he will declare that euen in his forming in the wombe, he was infected with sinne, the other is Iacham signifying to warme: thereby declaring that while hee was warmed, fostered and [Page 118] nourishedde in his mothers wombe, hee was defiled with sin originall. At the beginning hee was but an vncleane Crea­ture.

Where we are not to thinke Mariage is not blamed, when it is said that man was conceiued and borne in sinne. that hee accuses the formation or fostering of a birth in the mothers wombe, these are the great and maruailous workes of God. Neither yet that hee reiects the blame on his pa­rents, or condemnes mariage, or vse of the mariage-bed, these are the ordinances of God. Non Aug. cont. Pelag. lib. 3. cap. 21. De nupt. et concupiscen. est malum quod natus es, sed cum quo natuses. And againe, Natu­ra humana quae de coniugio nasci­tur, opus est Dei. And to this same purpose said Basil, non ac­cusat Basil. hic nuptias, sicut quidam stulte sunt suspicati. Sed praeuari­cationem [Page 119] quae ab initio mundi a progenitoribus nostris est commis­sa, in medium producit, & hanc fontem esse factam ipsorum fluen­torum dicit. Hee doth not here accuse mariage, as some haue foolishly suspected, but the transgression commited by our first Progenitors, he brings out as the foūtain of al these flouds of iniquitie, that since sinne haue broken out in our na­ture.

Here first we may perceiue, The rheto­ricke by which godly men moue the Lord to mercie. what is the Rhetoricke, which godly men vse whereby they would mooue the Lord to bee mercifull vnto them, namely to present to the eies of his cō ­passion their heauy diseases and the deep, wide, and inueterate wounds which they haue re­ceiued [Page 118] from their deadly ene­mie, let vs learne by their ex­ample not to couer nor hide our sinnes, if wee would haue mercie. A wise man desires his wound to be ripped vp, and not to bee ouerplaistred, albeit the Physitian would forget it, hee wil remember and request him to doe it. How much more should we lay open our woūds to Christ, that hee may cure them, he is that sweet Samari­tan who at the first sight of the wounds of that poore Trauel­ler betwene Iericho and Ierusa­lem was moued to compassion and powred wine and oyle in­to his wounds, when Priest nor Leuit had pitie vpon him, what mercie here he preached in that parable, he hath it ready to pra­ctise [Page 121] vpon all that frō a penitent and beleeuing heart, present their miseries vnto him.

Secondly, wee see heere how Particular sinnes moue the godly to a detestati­on of the whole cor­ruption of Nature. these particular sinnes of Da­uid leades him to a narrower inquisition and greater detesta­tion of the whole corruption of his nature, thus the children of God are moued by some particular sinnes, wherein they are fallen to grow in the ha­tred of all sinnes whatsoeuer. Whereas by the contrary car­nall men excuse their particu­lar sinnes by the common cor­ruption of mans nature, as if their sinnes, were the lesse be­cause all men by nature are sin­ners, but they deceiue them­selues, for the lesse they thinke of their sinnes, the more shall [Page 122] God thinke of them when he shall visit them, let vs not spa­ringly iudge our selues, if wee would haue the Lord merciful vnto vs.

And lastly, since this is true in What great neede man hath to be changed out of Natures estate. vs all, that we were conceiued, and borne in sinne, what great need haue we of regeneration: for vnlesse a man be borne again, hee can not see the kingdome of God? Let natural parents who haue been instruments to their children of a naturall generati­on, whereby they are borne heires of the wrath of God, do what lies in them by prayer and good education to make them pertakers of regenerati­on, otherwaies they will curse the loines that got them, and the wombe that bare them, [Page 123] and children againe who glo­rie in the external priuiledges of blood and heritage, which they haue gotten from their parents, let them remember vnlesse they be borne againe, it had beene better for them ne­uer to haue beene borne.

HE proceedes still The vile­nesse of sin appeares in this, that it is contrary to Gods ho­ly disposi­tion. to amplifie his sinne by consi­deration of that contrary holie disposition, which is in God: [Page 214] the Lord is holy, his eye is so pure that it cannot behold ini­quity, he loueth truth and de­lights in the holinesse, and cleannesse of the heart, but a­las I am vncleane, and there­fore so much the more misera­ble, that my disposition is con­trarie to his.

Of this wee learne that the The true knowledge of God workes true humility. best way to humble vs in re­gard of that sinfull corruption which is in vs, is the know­ledge of God, when Esay in a vision saw the maiesty of God as it pleased him to shew it, then he cried out woe is me. I am a man of polluted lippes, he knew before that he was a sin­full man, but a new sight of God his holinesse, discouers to him a deeper sight of his owne [Page 125] corruption, the spots of the face not perceiued in darknesse, are manifested in the day, and then doe men thinke shame of them, when they are discoue­red by the light. So long as the eye lookes to the earth, and creatures which are in it, it seemes to be quicke enough but turne it vpward toward the sunne, the weaknesse of it is soone perceiued: when wee looke to our selues, and com­pare our selues with our selues, and with men like our selues, we seeme to be some thing, but if our eyes were open to see the Lord, and that most excellent purity and holinesse which is in him, then would we cry out with Iob. Now mine eies hath seene the Lord, therefore I abhor [Page 126] my selfe. The holy Angels co­uer their faces at the bright­nesse of his glory, what shall man doe who is dust and dwelles in lodgings of clay?

Againe, seeing God loues Sin is but a lying vanity. truth in the inward affections, let vs also study to loue it, for in a conformity with God standeth mans felicity. By truth heere wee vnderstand two things: holinesse, and sinceri­tie, opposite to sinne, and hy­pocrisie: sinne is in very deede but a lie, a falshood, and a va­nitie, and therefore so named by the spirit of God. It seemes to be an other thing then it is indeed, al that to this day haue beene inamoured with it, haue found it in the end to be but a lying vanitie, and yet vaine [Page 127] man cannot learne to despise the deceit thereof.

And this euill becomes so Then is it worst when it is couered with hypo­crisie. much the worse, when it lurk­eth vnder a shew of holinesse, hypocrisie is a generall lie of the whole man. In a common lie the tongue lies against the heart onely, but in hypocrisie not the tongue onely, but the eye, the hand, the feet lie also, when the hand is lifted vp to heauen, and eye lookes vp, but the heart followes them not, when the knee is bowed, but the heart is not bowed before the Lord.

Nothing distinguishes a true The proper difference of a true Chri­stian from a counter­feit. christiā from a counterfeit, but this truth, and sincerity in the inward affections, the bastard Christian can counterfeit the [Page 128] true Christians behauiour in al things, but he cannot follow him in this one, the sincerity of his heart. As a Painter can paint the cullour of the fire, and the forme of the flame thereof, but cannot paint the heate of it, so a hypocrite can resemble a Christian in any thing, but not in his heart. Esau can mourne and weep bitterly like Ezechia: Ahab can put on sack cloth, like Mordecai, Saul can confesse in word, I haue sinned, like Dauid, but none of their hearts were vpright in the sight of God.

Thirdly, when wee heare If the Lord require truth in vs, how much more is he true him­selfe- that God loues truth we may consider that hee is true or ra­ther truth it selfe, what hee loues in his creature is but a [Page 129] sparkle of that goodnes, which is in himself, we haue here then strong consolation against our naturall doubtings, and di­strusts, if we consider how God is verity. Of his nature he can not breake his promise, if he re­quire such constant truth in his Psal. 15. creature, that when he sweares, he wil not haue him to change, but to performe the good which he promises, how much more may wee looke to finde this truth in himselfe?

Therefore thou hast taught me wisedome. This is the last argu­ment An other amplifica­tion of Da­uids sinne, it was a­gainst know­ledge. wherby Dauid amplifies his sinne, that hee had done a­gainst that knowledge, where­with God had indewed him, for the Lord had delt fauoura­blie with him, and had taught [Page 130] him the knowledge of his will, but he like a beast suffered that light to be suffocated by the fury of his owne affections.

Of this we see that the light A fearefull thing to sin against knowledge. which God giues men, if they do against it, is a great augmen­tation of their sin, The seruant that knoweth his masters will and doth it not, is worthy of double stripes: If I had not come, and spoken to you, ye should haue had no sinne, the Gentiles who had no more but the light of na­ture are cōuinced, because that when they knew God, they Rom. 1. glorified him not as God: what then shall become of vs, who beside the light of nature haue also the light of the gospell, if still we walke in darknesse, it shall certainly aggrauate our [Page 131] sinne, and make our condem­nation more fearefull, then that of Sodome and Gomorrha. From which, the Lord of his great mercy preserue vs.

AFter that DAVID After con­fession the godly ioine petition for mercy, not so the wic­ked. had made a con­fession of his sin, and that not cold­lie, or for fashion, as they doe, whose consciences are not wakened with the sight of their sinnes, but had by all circumstances aggrauated his [Page 130] [...] [Page 131] [...] [Page 132] sinne, now hee returnes to his petition of mercy.

This hyssop, wherewith The hyssop by which Dauid craues to be purged. Dauid craueth to be purged, it is as Basil cals it, Alterius reioe­nigma. Naturall hyssop is an hearb humilis, calida, & odorife­ra, of excellent vertue in medi­cine, Est enim in hyssopo vis pur­gatoria Aug. de doct. christ. lib. 2. maxime pulmonum. The typicall vse of it in the ceremo­niall Law was threefold; first, the Israelites sprinkled the posts of their dores, with a bunch of hyssop dipped in the bloud of the Paschall Lambe: Exod. 12. secondly, a bunch of hyssoppe dipped in bloud, was vsed in the besprinkling and cleansing of the Leper: and thirdly, in the Sacrifice for sinne. Num­bers Leuit. 14. 19.

All these were typicall, and did signifie no other, but that All typicall purgations figure the blood of Christ. all his people should looke for purgation from all their lepro­sie and vncleannesse in the blood of the Lambe Christ Ie­sus: who takes away the sinnes of the world, and his blood clenseth from all sinne. Dauid knew that these were types and figures instituted for signi­fication of better things, and therefore did hee not neglect them, yet on the other part, he would not leane vnto them, as if remission of sinnes were to be gotten by these Legall pur­gations, but by them he ascen­ded to the spirituall thing sig­nified by them, hee had enough of the typicall hyssop at his commandement, and [Page 134] the Priest ready to spinkle him with it, when it pleased him, but he knew this would not serue his turne, he lookes to the Spirituall hyssop, and hee praies that God would purge him, without which no Leuiticall washing could make him cleane.

The Spirituall hyssop then The pur­ging vertue of Christs bloud. full of bloud, is Christ Iesus. Qui humiliauit se ad mortem, qui calore suae immensae charitatis nos dilexit, qui odore manfuctudinis, & suauitatis totum mundum re­pleuit. His blood sprinkles not the bodies so much as the soules and consciences of men, for so the purging vertue which is in the naturall hyssop is internall, and by it is signifi­ed, Coram Deo opus esse non ex­terna, [Page 135] sed interna purgatione.

Seeing so it is, that the god­lie How car­nall Papists are, who place so great san­ctification in externall things. Israelites in vsing these ex­ternall types, which were not ordained for themselues, but for other things, had a spiritu­all disposition looking euer to the thing signified by them. Is it not a shame for Papists to be so grosse and carnall, as to place any sanctificatiō in the like ex­ternall sprinkling of their body with their holy water, as they call it: with as great reason might they bring in againe all that ceremoniall Law, which was but for a time, and now is abrogated, But now seeing the truth is come, which is Christ Iesus, it is good reason the type and figure should cease. The fountaine is opened to [Page 136] Dauids house, for sinne and for vncleannesse. Hee hath made a perfect purgation of our sins by his owne blood. Now to retaine the ceremonies of Iu­daisme, or to bring in from Pa­ganisme their superstitious washings of sinne, as Papists borrow from Pompilius these heathenish purgations, by sprinkling of water which they vse, is to offer wrong to Christ Iesus: for the first, in effect, imports that Christ the veritic is not yet come, and therefore they will stil retaine the figure: the second imports, that albe­it hee bee come, hee hath not made a perfect purgation of our sinnes by himselfe, but his wants must bee supplied by a purging with water on earth, [Page 137] and a purging by fire in the se­cond house of hell.

But heere it is to be deman­ded, Sinne not imputed is as if it had not beene committed. how it is that Dauid saies, if the Lord wash him, hee shall bee cleaner and whiter then the snow, doth he meane, that after sinne is forgiuen, there a­bideth no more any remain­der of sinne vnto him. No, this is not his meaning, but that if the Lord forgiue him his sin, hee shall hee in as good estate with the Lord, as if he had ne­uer done it, Peccatum enim non imputatum est quasi non commis­sum, a sinne not imputed, is, as if it had neuer beene com­mitted.

That wee may vnderstand A twofold purging of sinne. this the better, wee are to [Page 138] consider, how there is a two-fold 1 One by Christs bloud, this is our iusti­fication. washing or taking away of sinne: one, that is made by the blood of Christ: another, by the spirit of Christ. The ta­king away of sin by the bloud of Christ is perfect euen now. For they to whom the me­rit of the blood of Christ is im­puted, haue presently all the giltinesse of their sinne remo­ued fully and perfectly; this in effect is the benefit of our-iustification. The other taking away of sinne by the spirit of 2 The other by his spirit this is our sanctifica­tion. Christ, is imperfect: his vertue hath begun in vs a mortifica­tion of our earthly members; his spirit daily weakeneth and subdueth in vs the life and power of sinne, that it reig­neth not to command vs as it [Page 139] was wont to doe, and this in effect is the benefit of sanctifi­cation; but this taking away of sinne in this life is not per­fect, for some remainders of sin euen in them to whom sinne is forgiuen, will the Lord haue remaining, for the exercise of our faith, and daily humiliati­on, as more at large wee haue shewed in our Treatise vpon the 8. to the Romans.

HItherto DAVID with his confes­sion The second ranke of Dauids petitions is for peace of Consci­ence. of sin hath ioined petitions for mercy. Now he proceeds and craues that these euils which his sinne had brought vpon him, may be re­moued. Sinne hath many e­uill effects, at the first it offends God, and grieues his spirit, but at the last, it shall grieue the soule of him that did it. Let vs learne to beware of it.

This petition of Dauid is to Sin spoiles man of in­ward peace and ioy. bee opposed to his present dis­position, so shall wee vnder­stand it. O Lord, I heare with­in mean accusing voice of con­science, which terrifies and dis­quiets me, I beseech thee, Lord let me heare the contrary voice of ioy and gladnesse. Heere then he confesseth that which all the children of God may finde in their own experience, that sinne impaires the peace of conscience. If wee could re­member how sweet is the ioy and peace which wee lose, for the vaine and perishing plea­sure of sinne, wee would bee loath any more to make any such exchange.

Secondly, wee see here that there is not any testimony [Page 142] saue onely the testimony of Mans testi­monie of the remissi­on of sinnes is nothing, without the testimony of Gods spirit. Gods spirit that can bring peace to the troubled consci­ence. Nathan had before this witnessed to Dauid, that his sinnes were forgiuen him, but Nathans word pacified not his conscience, the ministration of the word of God hath credit with men, the ministration of the Spirit, that bringeth conso­lation hee hath reserued to himselfe. When Martha and Marie mourned for dead La­zarous, many godly Iewes came out of Ierusalem to com­fort them, but they got neuer comfort till Christ Iesus came, and so the godly may mourne for their sinnes, and for the deadnesse of their heart, but there shall bee no comfort till [Page 143] the comforter come, and re fresh their soules,

But here it will be obiected, The mini­sterial com­fort of Gods ser­uants greatly to be regarded and why. what then auailes the ministe­ry of the word, and the conso­lations of the seruants of God giuen out of it. Yea very much indeed, for where the testimo­ny of the word pronounced by Gods seruants goes before to witnesse mercie, there the te­stimony of Gods spirit confor­ming it followes after, for the blessing of peace pronounced Luke. by the seruants of God vpon the children of peace abides vpon them, this we see cleere­ly here in Dauid: Nathan pro­nounced to him vpon the knowledge of his repentance the remission of his sinnes, hee could not feele it for the pre­sent, [Page 144] but the Lord followes and iustifies Nathans Ministrie, wit­nessing that to Dauids heart, which Nathan had witnessed vnto his eare.

And this we haue to marke Remission of of sins may be thine, suppose thou feele it not. for a comfort against these spi­rituall desertions, whereunto the Children of God are sub­iect. Remission of sinnes may bee thine, the seruants of God with a warrand may witnesse vnto thee, that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee, as heere Nathan doth vnto Dauid, and yet thou not feele that it is so, wee must not therefore bee so discoura­ged; as to thinke wee want that grace alwaie, which we cannot Therefore Dauid craues not onely mercy, but sense of mercy. feele.

It is now cleare what is the benefit which DAVID here [Page 145] craues. To wit not mercie only that he hath sought before, but the sense of mercie also, make me to heare ioy, so that I may feele it. For all the inward sen­ses of the soule are in feeling; to heare the Lord, to see him, to tast how good he is, is no other but to enioy him and to feele his consolations. It is thy praise ô Lord that thou speak'st peace to thy Saints; among the rest, speake peace vnto mine heart also. O what a ioy was it to that man sicke of the palsie when he heard that voice, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee. And such like to that sinfull woman when shee heard, goe in peace, thy faith hath saued thee. And how was the soule of that con­uerted sinner comforted in the [Page 146] middes of the dolors of death when he hard that voice, This night thou shalt be with me in paradise.

This is the exceeding great Great com­fort, that God not on­ly forgiues our sinnes, but telles vs they are for­giuen. loue of the Lord toward his children, that he hath not only prouided a sure saluation for them through the remission of their sinnes in Christ Iesus, but also seales vp in their heart the testimony thereof by his Holy Spirit of adoption, and that for their present consolation least they should bee swallowed vp of heauinesse through conti­nuall temptations. Though he speake not to all his children as hee did to Daniel by an An­gell; O man greatly beloued of God, nor as he did to the bles­sed Virgin Marie; haile Marie [Page 147] freely beloued, yet doth hee witnesse the same to the hearts of his children by an inward testimonie, when they heare it, they are aliue; when they want it, they are but dead, their soule refuses all other comfort whatsoeuer.

That the hones, which thou hath A troubled mind sore weakneth the bodie. broken may reioyce. By these Ba­sil vnderstands Ossa animae spiri­tualia, that is as saith Sauanarola and others, Vires animae rationa­lis but as this agrees not with this sense, so there is no reason why it should be enforced. Da­uid his words, Psalme 32. serues for a commentarie to this, there hee complaines, that through extremitie of the anguish of his Spirit; the moisture of his body was turned into the drought of [Page 148] Sommer, now the marrow we know is the strength of the bones, these being so extenuate no maruell, his flesh consumed, his skinne was parched, his face withered, his sight dimmed, his knees enfeebled, and the whole externall man greatly weakned, the Spirit of a man sayes Salomon will sustaine his infirmitie, but a wounded spirit who can beare it?

Of this let vs learne that if The misera­ble state of the wicked who must beare the burden of their owne sinnes. the sight of sinne presented to the godly from a iust accusing conscience, doe so terrifie them, and breede them such excessiue trouble as for a time, doth sore­ly torment them. In what state shall the wicked be, when the Lord shall present their sins to them & wake their conscience [Page 149] vpon them not in mercie, as he doth to his owne, but in wrath, not for a time, but for euer. O what anguish and remedilesse tribulation shall be vnto them, the dayes of wicked mens sin­ning are compared to the time of a womans conceiuing, but the daies of their punishment are compared to the time of her trauelling: they conceiue their sinnes with wantonnesse and pleasure, but shall beare them with dolor vnspeakeable, their dolors shall exceede the dolor of a woman, for shee knowes once to bee deliuered of her paine either by life or death, but the wicked shall ne­uer bee lighter of their sinnes, nor bee deliuered from the an­guish of their accusing con­science, [Page 150] from which most mise­rable condition the Lord deli­uer vs for Christ Iesus sake.

DAVID yet from Guiltinesse of sin soone contracted, not so soone put away. God the fourth time seekes the remission of his sinnes, the gilt of sinne is soone contracted, but not so soone gotten away, wee are happie if the examples of other men may learne vs to be wise, he was a man deerely be­loued of God, and yet how ma­nie [Page 171] requests makes hee, before he can get his heart assured of mercy: but the presumption Foolish are they, who thinke they may get mercy for a word. of this age is so great, that men feare not to offend the Lord, because they thinke, mercie may be gotten for a word. But let men remember that fearful sentence, w^ch the L. pronounc't vpon the people of the Iewes, for the abuse of his mercy; When they fast, I will not heare their crie: And againe; Thougb Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet mine affection could not be toward this people, that so our hearts may be humbled with holy feare, which may restraine He that seekes not to hide his sinnes, pro­uokes the Lord to in­quire it. vs from offending our God, vpon presumption of mercy.

Hide thy face. All Dauid his care, when hee had committed [Page 152] his sin, was to hide it from the Lord, for this cause he commit­ted murther and slew Vriah, thinking if he were not aliue to perceiue it, his iniquity should neuer come to light. Now he sees it with a vaine labor, Vriah is dead, but the angry counte­nance of God looking vpon his sinne troubles him, As the fish called Sepia casting forth a black liquor out of hir mouth, of purpose to lurke vnder it, doth therby giue notice to the fisher of the place wherin they shall finde hir: so foolish man, while he thinks to hide one sin by another, doth but cast him­self the more opē to the eye of God, who then looks most nar­rowly to a sin when man most craftily labours to conceale it: [Page 153] Euery sinner in sinning takes frō God the praise of righteousnes as if the Lord were like him, & were not a God that loues righ­teousnesse, and hates iniquity.

But he that thinkes to hide Hee that seekes to hide his sin from the Lord makes an idole of him. his sinne from the Lord, when he hath done it, takes also from him the praise of wisedome, and makes the Lord so far as he may, like an Idoll of the Nati­ons, that hath eyes and sees not. And therefore the Lord as he will be auenged of euery one that offends, so principally vpon them who scorne him, by hiding their sinnes from him. Woe be to them that seeke in deepe We to such. to hide their Councell from the Lord, their workes are in secret, and they say who sees it?

At this time Dauids sin was [Page 154] vnknowen to the world, no ly­uing No man knew Da­uids sinne, yet is be sore trou­bled, be­cause he knew that God knew it. creature but himselfe Bathshabe and Nathan were pri­uie to it, yet this terrifies him, that he saw the Lord looking vpon it: It is no comfort to a man to haue his sinne hidden from all the world, vnlesse hee knew that the Lord also hath couered and forgiuen it, alioqui Ambros. de paeniten. li. 2. cap. 11. ita grauis est culpa conscientiae, vt sine iudice ipsa se puniat. So hea­uie is the sinne of any euill con­science, that albeit no creature were to iudge it, it iudges and punishes it selfe.

He said in the third verse that God will looke to our sinnes, if we looke not to them. his sin was alway in his sight, and now hee praies that God would put it out of his sight, this is a very good ordor, if we hold our sinnes in our eies to [Page 155] persue them, God will cast them behinde his backe to pardon them, if we remember them and repent, hee will for­get them and forgiue, other­wise peccatum vnde se homo non auertit, aduertit deus, & si aduer­tit, animaduertit, the sinne from which man turnes not, God lookes to it, and if he looke to it, sure he will punish it.

Thy face. The face of God is The face of God put sometime for his mer­cy, some­time for iu­stice. sometime put for his fauor, and with this he lookes on the per­sons of them, who are the chil­dren of his good will, this Dauid praies may be lifted vp vp­on him Psa. 4. that God would not hide it from him Psal. 27. the hyding of his face did trou­ble him sore Psal. 30. therefore it is his customable prayer▪ [Page 156] Lord cause thy face to shine vpon vs, Psa. 4. sometime againe it is put for his anger or angry face, whereby he lookes on the per­sons of the wicked, when he wil vex them in his displeasure, or vpon the sinnes of his owne children, when he wil humble them.

How fearefull a sight this How feare­full a sight Gods angry face is. angry face of God is, see it in Dauid, for his good, the Lord who loued Dauids selfe, looked with an angry countenance at Dauids sinnes, but hee protests hee may not indure it, and praies God to hide it from him. See it againe in Christ Iesus, who endured the looks of that angrie face, not for himselfe but for vs, how did it make his soule heauy, and his flesh so [Page 157] weary that he did sweat blood. How miserable then are the reprobates, who must endure for euer the sight of Gods an­gry face looking vpon them? for they and their sins are one, no maruell they shall cry hils and mountaines fall vpon vs, and hide vs from the face of him that sits vpon the throne. Let vs feare and looke with an­ger vpon our sins in time, that God in mercy may looke vp­on our selues, and wee may finde ioy in his face, wherein the wicked shall see nothing but terror.

NOw followes Da­uids third petiti­on, The third ranke of Dauids pe­titions. wherein he craueth the grace of sanctification, hee sought before the forgiue­nesse of his sin, now hee seekes to be deliuered from it in time to come: for it is for this end that hee praies for a cleand heart, and a renewed spirit, that hee should not any more fall to the like vncleannesse: This is a good order in our [Page 159] prayer, when first we seeke the Remission of sinne and renouation go together. grace of remission, and then the grace of renouation, for these two goe inseparably together; to whom the Lord giues re­mission, them hee makes new creatures, so that renouation of the heart is alway an vndoub­ted token of the remission of thy sinnes; and by the contrary he whose heart is not renewed but abides stil in his former vn­cleannesse, hee deceiues him­selfe, if so be he thinkes that his sinnes are forgiuen.

This is to be marked for the common sort of prophane men They who seeke for­giuenesse and not sanctifica­tion seeke but liberty to sinne. in this age, who seeke from God mercy to forgiue for feare of his plagues, but not grace to renew them to his image for loue of himselfe, this in effect is [Page 160] no other but to seeke a liberty to sinne, while as men seeke sin to be forgiuen, but not to be re­strained, it is an argument they haue not a right hatred of sin, but wee see in Dauid what the disposition of the godly is, as they desire mercy for be-gone sinnes, so also grace to renew them and preserue them from the power and deceit of sinne in all time to come, otherwise to craue that the Lord would pardon these sins, which thou art of purpose to commit, it is but to mocke the Lord, by turning his grace into wanton­nesse. The vn­cleanesse of sinne origi­nall encrea­sed by actu­all. Iob.

Dauid his heart was two waies vncleane, first by reason of originall sinne wherein hee was conceiued and borne, Who [Page 161] can bring a clean thing out of that which is vnclean: & this vnclean­nesse of heart is common to al mankind, but beside this he had defiled it with many actual sins, specially this foule adultery & murther, for euery sin pollutes the heart, & leaues a new gilti­nes vpon the conscience, wher­with now Dauid finding his heart ouergrowne, that it is not like the heart he had before, he praieth the Lord to giue him a new heart. He had now not on­ly sinned, but fallen as Basile expounds it in Senium peccati in­to Basil. the very old age of sin, and therefore hee desires, that the Lord would begin with him againe, and make him to renew his youth like the Eagle.

Many circumstances are to [Page 162] bee marked heere, whereby Sinne seeks the very life of the soule. Dauid aggrauateth the great­nesse of his misery: as first, that his disease was in his heart, which is the fountaine of life. As the naturall heart is the life of the body, which when it is not well, vitall hu­mor, health, beauty, ability, and all decaies in the body: so is the Lord the life of the soule. So Dauids meaning is, O Lord, by my sinne I haue grieued thy holy spirit, and forced thee to forsake me. Tu proprie cor­dis The heart of any Chri­stian his heart. mei proprium es cor & vita: thou properly art the proper heart, and life of mine heart. Come againe Lord, and restore life vnto mee, without thee I am dead and senslesse, and an abominable creature, like a bo­dy, [Page 163] which wanting an heart is an vncleane carion, thou art the light of my minde, the peace of my soule, the life of my heart. I haue lost life by my sinne, I am like a man wan­ting his quickning spirit: when thou wentest away, my life went away: Lord come a­gaine, and create a new heart within me.

Againe, in that hee craues a Repentance is a new creation. cleane heart may bee created in him, he acknowledgeth that his sinne had not onely woun­ded him, but slaine him, and that he stood in neede not of a­ny reparation, but of an new creation, wherein hee vtter­lie And so a­boue the power of nature. distrusteth the power of his nature: yea the ability of his owne free will notwithstan­ding [Page 164] grace once resumed, hee findes it so oppressed by the power of his corruption, that he is forced to craue from God the benefit of a new creation, Vt cor eius tale fieret per gratiam, Sauan. quale non potuit esse per naturam. Of our selues wee fall, but of our selues wee rise not againe. Not onely is our first conuer­sion a worke of Gods grace al­together and alone; but the workes of our restitution by re­pentance, after we haue fallen: as it is in the Lords praise, Hee quickened vs, when we were dead. So is it his praise, that hee keepes Psal. 100. As we crea­ted not our selues. So we cannot renew our selues. our soules in life. The Lord made vs, we made not our selues. Wee are content to giue him the glory of our first creation, let vs also giue him the glory of [Page 165] our second creation. Yea, so oft as we fall into sinne, let vs consider that our rising againe, is no lesse a worke of the great power, and mercy of God: then was the raysing of Laza­rus out of the graue, for other­wise wee should haue lien still with others, rotting and pe­rishing in our sinnes. And so haue wee to praise the Lord, not onely for our first and se­cond creation, but for the re­newing of that benefit vnto vs, as oft as we by our transgressi­on haue lost that life, which the Lord did once communicate vnto vs.

And this that our sancti­fication, A proper comparison of our first creation with the second. or restitution by re­pentance after that wee haue sinned, is called new creation, [Page 166] renders yet vnto vs a profitable instruction, if we compare our new creation with Adam his first creation. When shall wee say that Adam was made a na­turall man? neuer till the Lord breathed the breath of life in­to him: the Lord first formed his body of clay, after the same shape and similitude, that now yee see the body of man in all the porportion of the mem­bers thereof. No image can be made by mans wit so liuely re­presenting a man, as did that portraiture of clay, which the Lord at the first formed with his owne hand, but al this time it lay vpon the ground, hauing eyes that saw not, eares that heard not, a mouth that could not speake, and feet that could [Page 167] not walke: hee was then very like vnto that which now man Many pro­fessed Chri­stians are but carka­ses of Chri­stians. is; but (as I said) was not a naturall man, til God breathed the breath of life vnto him. Let vs consider the like in the new creation, how many shall ye find verie like vnto christians baptized in the name of Iesus. who haue a mouth to speake, and an eye to looke vp vnto heauen, and an care, as a man would thinke, to heare very reuerently the word of the Lord: who when all is done, what euer they seem in the eies of men, are no other in Gods sight, but as the carcases of chri­stians: So to speake, destitute of that quickning spirit of grace, which onely giues life to the actions of men. Let vs take [Page 168] heede to our selues that we bee not of that number; for then onely haue wee this comfort that we are Christians indeed, when we finde that quickning spirit of grace, which is in Christ Iesus, communicating life vnto our spirits, that what we doe in the workes of Chri­stianity stand not in externall shew, but may proceede from inward sense and feeling.

STill Dauid conti­nues Dauids feruency in Supplica­tion. his suppli­cations, seeking a remedy of these manifold mise­ries, which he found by experi­ence, his sinne had brought vpon him. For wee must re­member, that all these petiti­ons proceeded from a sense of a contrary euill, which by his sinne hee had incurred, and craues that God of his mercy would diuert it. He lamemted [Page 170] before that sinne had slaine him, and made him like a dead man wanting a heart, or quick­ning spirit, and now hee feares lest as the dead are abhorred by the liuing, so the Lord should cast him out, as a dead and abominable thing out of his presence.

Whereof wee learne, this is The plea­sures of sin are deare bought. one of the iust punishments of sinne, it procures the casting out of a man from the face of God, and it may let vs see how deare bought are the pleasures of sinne, when a man to enioy the face of the creature, de­priues himselfe of the comfor­table face of the Creator, as Dauid here for the carnall loue of the face of Bathsheba, puts himselfe in danger to bee cast [Page 171] out for euer from the presence of the Lord his God. If man could remember this in all Sa­tans tentations, what it is For Satan seekes frous man better then he can giue him that the deceiuer offers, and what it is againe that hee seekes, hee would be loth to buy the perishing pleasures of sinne, vpon such a price as Satan selleth them, but would answer him, as the Apostle did Simon Magus, Thy money with thy selfe goe into perdition, thy gaine, thy glory, thy pleasure, and what euer thou wouldest giue me to offend the Lord my God, goe with thy selfe into perdition, for what canst thou offer vnto mee comparable to that, which thou wouldest steale from me.

But how is it that he praies, A twofold presence of God. Cast me not out from thy presence. [Page 172] May a man bee cast any way from it: saies hee not himselfe What way can I flee from thy pre­sence? This is soone answered by distinguishing his twofold presence: one in mercy where­with hee refresheth and com­forteth his owne; and this without intermission they en­ioy, who are in heauen: ano­ther, in wrath, whereby hee terrifies and torments without intermission the dāned in hell. As to thē who are vpon earth, certaine it is, hee is displeased with many, who because No casting out from the one. they see not his angry face, re­gard it not, borne out with temporall recreations of the cteature, which wil faile them, and there are many againe to whom hee lookes as a louing [Page 173] father in Christ, and yet they see not his mercifull face, by reason of many interiected vailes: but to them who once haue felt the sweetnesse of his fauourable face, it is death to want it. Absolom protested hee could not want the sight 2. Sam. 14. 32. of Dauid his Father, hee spake it out of his hypocrisie; but to such as are truely godly, there can be no punishment so heauy as to debarre them, and it were but for a short time, from the comfortable face of their heauenly father.

Thirdly, let vs learne how What an alsufficient good the Lord is. the all-sufficiencie of the Lord our God, and his great power appeares in this. It is punish­ment enough to a man, sup­pose he were Monarch of the [Page 174] world, and had all comforts earthly to vphold him; to want the countenance of God. O It is life to see his fauo­rable face, and death to want it. what an infinite good, what an all-sufficient Maiestie is hee in himselfe! a looke of whose countenance refreshes his cre­ature: & no comfort can com­fort him that wants it; as yee may see in Beltasar, how did he tremble in the midst of all his pleasures, at the sight of Gods anger? and here in Dauid, who once debarred from the sight of Gods ioyful face for his sins, could neuer rest till he got it a­gaine. All the sports and de­lights of his Kingdome could not refresh him. Doubtlesse he is an all-sufficient God, who liues by himselfe, whose onely countenance comforts his cre­atures, [Page 175] and without whose fa­uour, life, yea, the most honou­rable life that can be deuised on earth, is worse then death.

But what moued him to The godly feare when they re­member Gods iudge­ments on others. fear casting out from Gods pre­sence, who had so many both externall and internall testimo­nies of Gods fauour toward him? Out of question the ex­amples of Caine, cast out for murthering his brother, & the example of his predecessor Saul, iustly reiected of God, did terrifie him, left hee for mer­cilesse murthering his owne seruant, and fearfull back-sly­ding from the Lord, should al­so be reiected. He remembred well the example of Gods iudgements on others for their sinnes, and his conscience told [Page 176] him within, hee was guilty of the like or greater: & this made him afraid.

Yet was not his feare with­out hope susteyned by consi­deration Yet their feare is ne­uer without hope, if they feare God as a Iudge, they hope in him as a Sauiour. of God his vnchange­able loue, but by the inward consciēce of his own vnfeyned repentance, and by the mani­fold examples of Gods mercie shewed to penitent sinners. If Caine was cast out from thy face, it was because he sought not thy fauour: and Saul was reiected because hee repented not. But Lord, I haue opened my heart to thee; thou seest what griefe is in my soule, for grieuing thee by my sinnes; thou neuer reiectedst any, that from a penitent heart sought thy mercie: Quis vnquam venit Sauan. [Page 177] ad te & confusus abijt? Who e­uer came to thee, and went a­way ashamed? Shall I be the first that sought thy face, and was reiected? Nay Lord, Cast me not, I beseech thee, out of thy presence. Thus we see, how Da­uid at one time, Et timet à iudice, Bernard. & sperat à saluatore, is both af­fraid of God as his Iudge, and hath hope in God as his Saui­our; somtime feare oppresseth his hope, but at the length hope ouercometh feare: Felix conscientia in qua eiusmodi lucta­men.

And take not thy holy Spirit The vn­cleanenesse of sinne, grieues Gods Spi­rit. from me. The Spirit of GOD will not dwell in a polluted soule. Euery vncleanenesse di­minisheth his presence. The Apostle warneth vs heereof, [Page 178] when hee saith, Grieue not the Spirit. And againe, Quench not the Spirit. Dauid felt it by his own experience, and therefore makes he this prayer to God, that the grace of his Spirit, which was weakened by his sinne, should not vtterly be ta­ken from him.

This is a petition necessary alway to bee vsed vnto God: Without the Spirit, no fellow­ship with God. Rom. 8. for without this Spirit we can haue no fellowship with God. If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ, the same is not his: & this Spirit, hee is knowne by his fruits, which are, Loue, Peace, Ioy, long Suffering, Gentlenesse, Gal. 5. 22. Goodnesse, Faith, Meekenesse, Temperance. Where wee finde the presence of this Spirit by his fruits, wee are to cherish [Page 179] him; where we find a want, or decay of them, wee are to pray for them: but many prophane men in this age are like these, who know not whether there bee such a thing as the Holy Yet pro­phane men cannot di­scerne his presence from his absence. Ghost, or not: they neuer felt his presence, neyther had they euer experience of his renuing, and comforting grace; & ther­fore feele no losse by his ab­sence. Let them enioy such things as they loue, they care not for him, because they know him not: most like vnto brute beasts, to whom pearles and most excellent jewels are What an excellent guest and worthy in­tertaine­ment the Spirit of God is. of no price; onely such things as affect their sensuall appetite, are pleasant vnto them.

But how excellent a guest this Spirit is, and how worthy [Page 180] to be harboured in our hearts, may be gather'd from this pro­per Epithet, which alway is at­tributed to him, A holy Spirit; both because in himselfe he is so, and dooth also make them holy in whom he dwels. What notable effects hee workes in his own children, is summarily comprised by Bernard in three Bern. in fest. Pente­cost. Ser. 5. wordes: he is Pignus Salutis, the pledge of saluation: all speak­ing of saluation without him, is but babling: hee is Robur vitae, the strength of our life▪ with­out him we haue no ability to any spirituall action; and he is Scientiae lumē, the light of know­ledge: for without his sanctify­ing grace, all knowledge what­soeuer, is but darknesse.

But heere it is demaunded; [Page 181] May the spirit of God, once gi­uen Whether Gods Spirit once giuen, may be ta­ken from his children or not. to Gods children, be taken from them? I answer, there are some of his gifts which may be giuen and taken away againe: these are secondary and com­mon, such as God giues indif­ferently to good men and euil. So Achitophels wisedome, and Saul his gift of Kingly gouern­mēt, were at length taken from them: but there are other gifts, which once giuen, are ne­uer taken away againe. These are principall and proper, com­municated only to Gods elect; as the grace of regeneration, a­doption, sanctification: these graces are crowned with that great grace of Perseuerance. The reason whereof is not in vs, nor in our stabilitie; but in [Page 182] the vnchangable counsell and will of him who loued vs, for whom he loues he loues, to the end: his gifts and calling are without re­pentance: Wee may fall after grace receiued, but the Lord puts vnder his hand and raises vs vp againe: Because I am not changed, therefore ye are not con­sumed, saith the Lord: And truely euen at this same time when Dauid makes this praier, it is euident, hee wanted not this spirit of grace, restoring him by repentance after hee had fallen, and making him thirst for mercy: Nullum enim certius praesentiae spiritus testimo­nium, quam desiderium amplioris gratiae.

THree great euils Three great euils Da­uids sinne brought vp­on him. did Dauid bring vpon himself by his sinne; a gilti­nesse which em­paired the sense of Gods mer­cy, an vncleannesse which per­uerted and corrupted all the powers of his soule, vpon which two, followed horrour of a iust accusing conscience. Against these three he frames his supplications. Against the His reme­die against them all three. first he seekes mercie to pardon [Page 184] and forgiue his sinne: Against the second hee seekes grace to renew him, and that God would create a cleane heart within him. Against the third he seekes to be restored to the ioy of Gods saluation.

But as this is the last and The way of a penitent sinner is: greatest petition that a sinner can seke to be comforted with the ioyes of God, so are wee to remember, that in this petition wee cannot preuaile, except some other goe before it, there then is the order to be obser­ued by a penitent sinner, let vs first fall downe at his feet, and mourne: ploremus coram domi­no qui fecit nos, ea quae fecimus Bez. in Cant. ser. 3. nos, let vs therefore continew a long time lamenting our mani­fold sinnes, and taking a view [Page 185] if possibly we may, of euery one of them, that as by com­mitting them wee contracted giltinesse, so by mourning parti­cularly for them, wee may en­feeble their testimony against vs. Then let vs looke vp out From mour­ning at Gods feete to goe vp to the kisses of his mouth. of the assurance of faith, and require the helping hand of the Lord to raise vs vp, these two being rightly done we shal finde him like that merciful fa­ther, embracing the forlorne sonne in his armes and kissing him, from his feete we goe to his hands, from his hands to the kisses of his mouth, such as fall not downe to mourne at his feete, how can his helping hand raise them vp, or the kis­ses of his mouth comfort them?

See here what a deceiuer, and Sathan in tempting makes faire offers but indeed is a robber. supplanter Satan is, in tempta­tion he seemes to be a giuer, for he makes great offers to men, if they will obey him, but in ve­ry deed he is but a robber, and so shall euery man finde him, when they are deliured from the deceite of sinne, and get their eares opened, they shall see, that Satan by alluring them to sinne, hath taken ex­cellent things from them, for which they haue need to pray earnestly vnto God, as Dauid here doth, that hee would re­store them. Let vs not there­fore harken to him when he flattereth vs the fairest. Where God gets loue and obedience from man, there man gets com­fort in his God, but Satan like [Page 153] a subtill diuider doth what hee can to depriue God of that o­bedience which his creature should giue him, that so he may depriue the creature of that ioy and comfort, which o­therwise he might haue in his God.

And again we see how there No ioy can comfort mans soule but the ioy of Gods sal­uation. is no ioy can content Dauid, but the ioy of Gods saluatiō, he was a King, & wanted none of these earthly comforts wherein worldly men reioyce, but none of them can comfort the heart of Dauid, it is the ioy which a­rises to the conscience from the feeling of God his saluation that he craues, & indeed what o­ther ioy can there be, albeit the Lord would giue vs all things that he hath made, vnlesse we [Page 188] feele himselfe our father, and Sauiour in Christ, what can they helpe vs, it is true of them all, which Iob in his trouble spake of his friends, Miserable comforters are ye, and yet many such miserable men are there in the world, who know no ioy, but that which arises of meat, and drinke, siluer and gold, and such like things, this is but a brutish ioy, for euen the beasts haue their owne de­light, when such obiects are presented to them, as are agre­able to their nature, and thou if thou knowest no other, in re­spect thou wast made for grea­ter things, art more beastly then they. Three great graces seeks Dauid in this peti­tion.

And stablish me with thy free spirit: In this short petition [Page 189] many notable benefits, Dauid seeketh from the Lord, for by this free spirit Vatablus vnder­stands Spiritum libertatis, qua proni & faciles reddimur ad faci­endum quae Deus praecipit, that spirit of liberty, which enclines our hearts willingly to doe, what the Lord commands ac­cording to that of our Sauiour, Iohn 8. Then shall ye be free if the sonne make you free: So then the benefit Dauid here craued, is 1 That rea­son may command affection. that he may finde reason com­manding affection, as Basil ex­pounds it, and that his carnall affections haue no power to draw his heart toward exter­nal and vnlawful obiects, away from his God as they had done: for affections once let loose, are not easily bridled and [Page 190] restrained againe, but after a furious and inordinat manner caries away the heart of man, suffocates light, captiues rea­son, whereby they themselues should be ruled, and this Dauid feeling in himselfe, praies a­gainst it, that the Lord would establish him with his free spirit.

Secondly, he is called Ruah 2 That the sense of Gods loue may ouer­come the terror of his accusing conscience. Nedibah the spirit of liberty for an other effect which hee workes in our hearts, whereof the Apostle speakes Rom. 8. Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare again but the spi­rit of adoption, whereby ye cry ab­ba father: This effect is to com­fort our heart with the sense of Gods fatherly loue, Dauid was trouble with terrors of minde [Page 191] which his gilty conscience had wakened, and now he craues the confirming spirit of God or as Tremell. translates it, Spiritum ingenuitatis, thy kindly spirit, which in regeneration thou giuest to thy owne children, wherby I may know that I am one of them: Euery sinne em­paires in our heart the testimo­ny of the spirit of adoption witnessing Gods loue, and therefore Dauid craues it might againe be renewed vnto him.

Thirdly, the word Nadab signifies to be willingly moued 3 That a Princely minde may be giuen him accor­ding to bis calling. to giue, therefore among the Hebrewes their Princes were called Nedibim for their free munificence and liberality and out of this sense he seekes a new benefite Dauid was not a [Page 192] priuate man, but a publike and therefore craue so to be gouer­ned by the spirit of God, that he might be made answerable to his calling: For the pride of Nebuchadnezer the heart of a A admoni­tion for men in au­thority. man was takē from him, & the heart of a beast giuen, & Dauid hauing misruled himself, found his gift decaied, by which hee should haue ruled his people: And therefore now praies that as the Lord had called him to be a Prince of his people, hee would not cast him away for his sinnes, but restore to him that measure of Gods spirit, whereby hee might doe that worke according to the excel­lencie of his calling. Oh that al Kings and Rulers of people could euer remember this, [Page 193] what shall purchase them re­uerence of their subiects? is it not the image of God? what shall make them able to go­uerne others? is it not the spi­rit of God gouerning them­selues? This was Pharao his reason why he made choise of Ioseph, Where can we finde so meet a man as this to rule, in whom the Spirit of God is. And there­fore aboue al other men should they bee most instant to pray, that God would establish their hearts by his spirit: ma­king their affections seruants to their reason, that so them­selues being ruled by God, they may the better rule his people.

Alway wee see, it is not a small thing, which Dauid heere [Page 194] seeketh from God, but hee see­keth It is an ho­nouring of God, when we seeke great things from him. Sauan. the greatest gifts that God giueth on earth to his children, Rem magnam a te peto domine, quia tu es Deus magnus Dominus, iniuriam tibi facit qui a te parua petit. O Lord, I seeke great things from thee, because thou art a great God, they dishonor the Lord, who seeke small things from him, and they are most welcome to him who seeke greatest things from him; as is euident by Salomons petition: hee of­fers himselfe to be our Father, his Sonne to bee our Sauiour, his Spirit to be our comforter, to confirme and establish our hearts. These are his most excellent giftes let vs couet these.

HItherto we haue With petiti­ons Dauid ioynes pro­mises heard DAVIDS petitions; now followes pro­mises, which are of two sorts, in the first, hee promises to bee a good instru­ment to conuert others vnto the Lord: in the next that hee shall publish the praises of his God.

There is a dutie that goeth Before re­mission of sinne goes repentance. before remission of sinne, and that is a godly sorrow for sin, [Page 196] which causes repentance to saluation: for how shall the Lord remit the sinne whereof man wil not repent. And there is an other dutie that followes it, and that is thankefulnesse to God, and a louing care of the saluation of others. Our Saui­our collected well, that many sinnes were forgiuen to that And after followes thankeful­nesse. penitent woman that did wash his feete with her teares, be­cause shee loued him much. But alas, if it bee considered how small is our loue towards God, how little is our regard of the saluation of our brethren. It may be said of many in this age, they haue but small, or no warrant, that there sinnes are forgiuen them, who haue so little, or no loue toward God, [Page 197] and their brethren, for the ar­gument holds sure, they can­not but loue the Lord great­ly, to whom great and many sinnes are pardoned and for­giuen.

Then: Marke his words, He is not meete to speake of peace and pardon to to others, who is vn­der the power of his owne sinne. when will Dauid teach others, when God hath deliuered him from his sinnes? A man vnder the power and gultinesse of his owne sinne, is not meet to speake of peace and pardon vn­to others. Obmutescit facundia, si aegra sit conscientia. Eloquence is silent where, the conscience is sicke and diseased. A pitti­full Nicephor. lib. 5. cap. 32. proofe whereof wee haue in Origen, who being compel­led either to suffer the abusing of his body by an Ethiopian, or to sacrifice vnto Idols, made [Page 198] choise of the last, and offered incense vnto Idols, wherewith his conscience was so troubled, that afterward comming to Ie­rusalem, and there being first requested, and then vpon his refusall forced to teach, hee went to the Pulpit, and read there these words of the 50. Psalme, What hast thou to doe to take my ordinances in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest to be reformed, when thou seest a thiefe, thou run­nest with him, and art pertaker with the adulterers. When hee had so done, hee closed the booke, and because hee found his mouth closed by the guilt of his conscience, he fel to wee­ping and mourning, whereby he prouokt all the congregati­on to mourne with him, but [Page 199] was not able to teach any. whereof all preachers haue A warning to Prea­chers. their warning, that with great care they should keepe their conscience cleane, if they would speake to the conscience of others: and if at any time they haue hurt their consci­ence, without delay should they heale it by repentance Cum eradicantur ex corde peccata Bern. in as­cens. dom. Ser. 1. exinde qui in Christum credunt, linguis loquuntur nouis. Then do they, who beleeue in Christ, speak with new tongues, when old sinnes are rooted out of The talent of mercie we haue re­ceiued, be­cause it is greatest should bee most vsed to the edifica­tiō of others their hearts.

Againe wee see our duty craues, that when wee haue re­ceiued mercy from God for our selues, wee should make vantage of it for the edification [Page 200] of others. Euery talent recei­ued from God should bee put to profit, but specially the ta­lent of mercy, as it is greatest: so the Lord requires greater fruit of it, both for his owne glory, and for the edification of our brethren. Seeing wee are the vessels of mercy, should not the sent and sweet odour of mercy go from vs to others. This duty Christ craued from Peter, and thou when thou art conuerted, confirme thy brethen. And this duty, as Dauid heere promises, so we may reade how he did performe it, Come vnto mee all yee that feare God, and I will tell you what God hath done to my soule.

The propetie of a Christi­an Basil. is, fides per dilectionem effi­cax, [Page 201] faith working by loue. How we are bound to haue a care of the sal­uation of our bre­thren What auiles it to pretend faith toward God, where there is no loue toward thy neighbour, and wherein can thy loue bee declared more then in this, to draw thy neighbour to the participation of that same me­rit, whereunto God hath cal­led thee. By the Law a man was bound to bring home his neighbours wandring beast, if he had mette with it before, how much more then to turne againe his neighbour himselfe, when hee wanders from the Lord his God? If two men walking on the way, should both fall into one pit, and the one beeing releeued out of it, should goe his way and forget his neighbour, might it not [Page 202] iustly be called a barbarous & inhumane cruelty. Wee haue all fallen into one and the same myre of iniquity: sith the Lord hath put out his merci­full hand to draw vs out of this prison of sinne, shall we refuse to put out our hand, to see if possibly we may draw vp our brethren with vs?

Thy wayes. He saith not, that Prophane men not on­ly commit sinne, but teach the way of sin to others. he wil teach sinners his wayes; the wayes of sinne can bee lear­ned without a teacher: but he will teach them Gods wayes. There are many profane men in the world, who think it not enough to commit sinne with greedinesse, but will boast of their sinnes, when they haue done them, teaching and allu­ring others to commit the like [Page 203] iniquitie: these are but like vn­to These are like beasts. dogges, and other such bru­tish beasts, who when they haue auoyded their dongue, turne about their face vnto it, delighting in the scent therof; and yet blinded man will glo­rie in such a beastlie quality.

But what are these wayes Some wayes of God are vnsearchea­ble, these a man should not learne. Leuit. of God, which Dauid sayth hee wil teach? Som of Gods waies are vnsearchable: of these wee should beware; neyther to teach, nor learne that which God first hath not taught vs. But there are other of his wayes, which hee hath manife­sted, as, the way of iudgement, whereby he walkes stubbornly against them that walke stub­bornly against him going farre from them that depart from [Page 204] him: and the way of mercie, wherin he shewes himselfe vp­right Psal. 18. But the way of iudge­ment and mercy we should both teach it to others, and learn it our selues. with the vpright man, & comes neere vnto them, who with a humble & contrite spi­rit draw neer vnto him. These are thy wayes, O Lord, which I shall teach, saith Dauid, when I shall learne them: I haue lear­ned the way of thy iudgment: I haue felt thou art terrible to sinners, and that it is a fearefull thing to fall into thine hands; let me also feel thy sweet mer­cie, forgiuing my sin; then shall I teach the way of thy mercy to sinners also, & shall let them know how gratious thou art, how ready to forgiue, & what they must doe, if they would be receiued into thy fauour.

All the wayes of GOD are [Page 205] vnknowne to men by nature, The way of Gods mer­cy naturally is vnknown. but especially the way of his mercie. Nature could neuer haue dreamed of that way of mercy, which God hath disco­uered: it surpasseth all light that is in nature; if God had not reuealed it, man should neuer haue knowne it. Experience may confirme this: for we see it is an easie thing to instruct a man in the knowledge of Gods power, prouidence, iustice, and all, but to bring a sinner to the knowledge and assurance of Gods mercy, is a difficult thing. It is easie to preach iudgement by the Lawe, not so to per­swade mercy by the Gospell: this is the highest, and most dif­ficult point of a Pastors calling.

And sinners shall be conuerted [Page 206] vnto thee. Marke the wordes Conuersion of a sinner is Gods worke. of Dauid; I, saith he, shal teach, and they shall bee conuerted. When the conuersion of a sin­ner is ascribed to man, we must vnderstand, hee is not the wor­ker, but the instrument of it. He shall not want his owne re­compence: For they who conuert many to righteousnesse, shall shine like the starres in the Firmament. But the glory of the conuersi­on is proper to the Lord: men may plant and water, but God giues the increase. Paul preach­ed at Philippi, but God opened the heart of Lydia: Peter prea­ched to Cornelius and his kins­men, but the Holy Ghost brought downe the vnction, which made them Christians. Repentance is a worke full of [Page 207] miracles. it makes the dead to rise, the blinde to see, the dumb to speake; and who can worke these but the Lord? Vera Sani­tas Macar. hom, 44. Repentance a worke full of miracles. à Domino solo proficiscitur, [...]. As one sheep cannot heale another, but their health com­meth from their shepheard; so the true health of our soules cometh from the great Pastor and Shepheard of Israel, Qui Leones mansuefecit & igni vim adurendi ademit, &c. Hee that tamed the Lions, & restrained the fire from burning, hee it is that must tame our wilde affe­ctions, and moderate the fire of our desires. Let Preachers when they goe to any such worke, require the helping hand of the Lord to work with [Page 208] them: and let people answer, and pray with Ieremie, Conuert vs Lord, and we shal be conuerted.

As sinne averts man from God, so it peruerts him: repen­tance An vnpeni­tent sinner is a peruers and mon­strous crea­ture, and how. by the contrary turnes a man to God againe, and recti­fieth all that is in him. An vn­penitent sinner is a peruerted or monstrous creature: for in him, that part is vndermost which should be aboue. The soule that came from heauen, cleaueth to the dust by his bo­dy which was made of the earth: he can looke vp to hea­uen but in regard of his soule: he is but earthly minded. A­gaine, hee hath his face where his back should be, and by the contrary, the world which should be behinde him, is euer [Page 209] before him, & the price of the high calling of God: euen the riches of that glorious inheri­tance, which should bee before him, he casteth it behinde his backe, and hath no thought of it. And where a wise man hath alway his heart at his right hand, Eccles. 10. That is set vp­on best and most necessary things: this foole by the con­trary, hath his heart at his left hand, busie about vaine & vn­profitable things, neglecting that one thing, which onely is needfull. And lastly, hee hath that without which should be within: for he should be more beautifull within then with­out. But the best sight ye will see in him, is that which is out­most: there▪ hee lookes like a [Page] painted sepulchre, but within is full of rottennesse: So confu­sed a creature, is miserable man in his sinnes; all is disordered in him, he is Tartarus, a little hell on earth, a terror to him­selfe, a trouble vnto others, e­uer vexed with restlesse and fruitlesse perturbations.

But from this time, by the But by grace he is recti­fied and re­newed. grace of repentance hee con­uerteth & turneth to the Lord his God, then a comfortable change and comely order is wrought in him, then the body becomes subiect vnto the soule, then the affections begin to fol­low reason, and order restored makes him a quiet and peacea­ble heart, by the which he be­gins his heauen vpon earth.

IN the middest of Dauid can not satisfie himselfe in seeking mer­cie for his sinnes. his promises wee see how he inter­laces a new peti­tion for mercie, for still he found his conscience pressed with the greatnesse of his sinne, and therefore so oft as hee feeles it, so oft cals hee for mercy, sin is soone committed as I said, but the gilt, the terror and the secret accusing voice therof not so easily discharged.

And that now hee discends A generall confession of sinne is not suffici­ent. in particular, it is to teach vs, that a generall confession of sin is not sufficient, we must come to a particular, for it may truly be said, that he hates no sinne, who hates not one aboue the rest, the sin which hath woun­ded our conscience deepest wil grieue vs sorest, this is manifest in Dauid, who hauing com­mitted two abhominable sins, Adultery and Murther, in his particular confession makes mention of the bloud, not of the adultery, for as in griefes of the body the greater paine makes the lesse not to be felt, so is it in the griefe of consci­ence, though there be a griefe for all sinne in the penitent, yet the griefe for the greatest sinne [Page 213] exceedes all the rest.

How heauy a sinne the shed­ding Shedding of innocent blood a fearefull sinne. of innocent blood is, may appeare, if wee consider these particulars. First it is a destroy­ing of the image of God, which cannot be without a great con­tempt of the diuine maiesty. When Theodosius had resolued to slay many Citizens of Anti­ochia for casting downe the image of his wife, the Empresse 1 Because it is a demolish­ing of Gods image. Placilla: It was a notable war­ning which a certaine Macedo­nian sent to him: If thou be so mooued for demolishing of the brasen image of Placilla, how shall God be offended at the destruction of man who is the liuely image of God, the losse of the one may soone be repared, but the losse of the o­ther [Page 214] can neuer be recouered, a Brasen-image cast downe may be set vp againe in the same or a better estate; let a man once be slaine, and who can reuiue him?

Secondly, if a man be consi­dered 2 It puts out the life of man for whom Christ died, and so is iniu­rious to Christs death. as he is a Christian, he is a part of the price of Christs blood, I am commanded not to offend my brother for whom Christ died in a matter of meate and drinke, which o­therwise is lawful, how then dare I slay him? Oh what a horrible crime is this to put out the life of that man, for whom Christ died, that he might pur­chase life vnto him! 3 It makes a man more vnnaturall then beasts.

Thirdly, the similitude of nature makes it a greeuous sin for a man to destroy his owne [Page 215] kind Euery hearb that growes out of the earth hath a seede or some other equiualent vertue, wherby it seekes the conserua­tion of his owne kinde: and brute beastes forbeare on ano­ther: only vnnaturall man de­stroies his kinde, yea wee read that Lyons and Beares haue Cent. 4. l. 1. c. 5. spared christians presented na­ked before them, but whom the beasts did spare, them man more beastly then vnreasona­ble beasts did cruelly deuour.

And lastly, the fearefull pu­nishment of it declares, how 4 It is puni­shed with fearefull plagues. feareful a sin it is. As in the first plague of Egypt all the waters therof were turned into blood, so is it with a murtherer, all is turned in blood to him, at his table his meate is seasoned [Page 216] with the thought of it, in his resting bed he is troubled with the dreames of euery one; whom he sees he deemes to be a reuenger of blood, and euery noise which he heares, he feares as a messenger or fore-runner of blood.

This sinne then being so In what se­curity are they who thinke in­nocent blood no burden. grieuous as it is, we may easily consider how it comes to passe, that prophane men thinke no­thing of it, the reason is here that their conscience is sleep­ing, and custome of sin hath ta­ken away sense: so long as Da­uids conscience was a sleepe, he thought nothing of it, as ap­peares by his letter of Vriah, let not this trouble thee, hereof it is that men sleeping in sinne count shedding of innocent [Page 217] blood, some of them, but a pastime, and others to be a pie­tie and religion. Of the first Ethnikes esteeme it a pastime. sort were Ethniques, who vsed combats betweene men vpon publike theaters, that by the slaughter of some men, they might make sport vnto others: Of these said Cyprian, Scelus Cyprian. epist. 2. Papists thinke it good reli­gion. non tantum geritur, sed docetur. Of the other sorts are bloo­dy Papists, who thinke it good seruice to God to murther and slay such, as are contrary min­ded to them in religion, to whō at this time I am content to speake with Erasmus, Non con­uenit vt hoc argumento nos Chri­stianos Eras epist. ad volsium. declaremus, si quam pluri­mos occiderimus, sed si multos ser­uauerimus, alioqui citius futurum est, vt nos in Turcas degenere­mus, [Page 218] quam Turcis in partes no­stras pertrahamus, Et vt faeliciter cadat Martis semper ancipitis a­lea, fiet vt latius fortasse regnet pontifex aut huius cardanales, non vt latius regnet Christus. It is not a good argument to proue our selues good Christians, be­cause we haue slaine many, but rather that we haue saued ma­ny: otherwise it shall sooner come to passe, that we shall de­generate into Turkes, then turne Turkes into Christians: And albeit the euent of battel which is alway doubtfull should suc­ceed as we would wish, it may well be that by blood shed­ding the kingdom of the Pope and his Cardinals be encreased but the kingdome of Christ shall not by such meanes be in­larged.

But howsoeuer to such A great mercie to be kept from shed­ing inno­cent blood. blind infidels the shedding of blood, bee either pleasure or piety, yet to the godly whose conscience is wakened it is an abominable sinne: how ioy­full was Dauid when Abigail kept him from shedding of the bloud of Nabal. How hear­tily did he thanke God for kee­ping him from it. And when he had shed the bloud of Vriah, how earnestly praies hee that God would deliuer him from it. When it was told Constan­tine, Proof here­of in Da­uid and Constan­tine. there was no way to cure his leprosie, but by bathing him in the blood of an infant, (vpon what respect I know not not) it was a notable answere he gaue, Malo semper aegrotare quam tali remedio conualescere. [Page 220] Let vs flee the burden of in­nocent bloud, and this praier for pardoning mercy that Da­uid makes, let vs turne it in a prayer for preuenting mercy, Deliuer vs from blood, wee are the sheepe of Christ Iesus, let vs leaue the shedding of blood to rauening wolues.

Deliuer me: No doubt Dauid Sinne hath first a com­manding power after an accusing or controu­ling power. powred out these words from his sense and feeling: his speech imports a captiuity, hee was not a free man, but bound with the cords of his sinnes; the commaunding power of it at this time he was freed from, though before it bound him: but he seekes to be deliuered from the controu­ling, and accusing power there­of; this vexed him so that hee [Page 221] thinkes no shame publikely to aske God mercy for these sins, by which hee had offended God, and giuen euill example to the Church: and men who haue fallen with him in publik sinnes, and yet cannot be indu­ced to giue glory to God, and remoue offence from his peo­ple by as publike repentance, doe plainely declare that they were neuer touched with the conscience of their sinne.

In the primitiue Church The maner of publike repentance in the pri­mitiue Church. such as had giuen publike of­fences, were not receiued with­out publike repentance, and humiliation, yea they made supplication to all the assem­bly, Volo, veniam reus speret pe­tat Ambr. de paeniten. li. 1. ca. 16. cum lachymis, petat populi to­tius fletibus vt ignoscatur obser­cret, [Page 222] & cum secundo vel tertio fuerit dilata eius communo, cre­dat remissius se supplicasse. I will that he that is guilty hope for mercy, that he seeketh it with teares and mourning of the whole people: and if twice or thrice his receiuing to the com­munoin be refused to him, let him thinke that hee hath prai­ed more slackly then he should and so humble himselfe more intirely then hee hath done. And againe to the same pur­pose, he saies, If thou hadst a doe to satisfie a man whom How foolish are they who hauing committed publicke sinnes, re­fuse to make pub­like repen­tance. thou hadst offended, how ma­ny wouldest thou request to sue for thee at his hands? Now seeing thou hast to seeke recon­ciliation with God, why im­ploiest thou not the praiers of [Page 223] all his his people, Vbi nihil est quod pudori esse debeat, nisi non fateri cum omnes simus pecca­tores. For among vs nothing should be a matter of shame, seeing wee are all sinners, but not to confesse our sinnes, Vbi ille laudabilior qui humilior, & iustior qui abiectior. Heere hee is most worthy praise, who is most humble, and hee is most iust, who is most contrite, and deiected for sinne. Fleat itaque pro te mater Ecclesia, let there­fore thy mother the Church mourne for thee.

But if men who haue offended This is be­cause they are not tou­ched with the sense of sinne. were touched with the sense of sinne, as Dauid was, they would not be ashamed as publikly to confesse it and seeke mercy as he did. For as I said, hee found [Page 294] himselfe straited with his own sinnes. Infernus quidam animae rea est Conscientia, a guilty conscience is a hell to the soule and a sore prison, not like other prisons: for wheresoeuer the guilty man goes, he carries his prison with him, and this is the equity of Gods iudgements, who inwraps sinners in their sinnes, and bindes them with the coardes of their own tran­gressions, whereof they cannot complaine.

And this appeareth out of How sinne binds and captiues a man. his owne words, when he saies, Deliuer me, His speech tels, he found himselfe captiued. Two manner of waies doth sinne strait, and bind any man; first, by the commanding power, of it, for then it oppresseth a [Page 225] man in such a sort, that hee can neither eate, nor sleepe, till he obey it. An example of which tyranny we haue in Ammon, & many mo. Next by the control­ling or accusing power thereof, whereby in such sort sinne committed, so straites a man, that it suffers him not to heare nor thinke of any other thing, but of her accusations onely, whereby the soule of man is filled with restlesse feares, and horrible perturbations. Now at this time Dauid was not trou­bled with the commanding po­wer of sin, but onely with the tormenting, & accusing power thereof; and from it heere hee praies the Lord to deliuer him.

From blouds: The word is plural, from blouds. Noting vn­to [Page 226] vs, how Dauid found euery Innocent blood when it is shed fals not to the ground, but biaes on the head of him that shed it. drop of Vriah his bloud a bur­den vnto him. By the phrase of holy Scripture, the bloud of him that is shedde is said to lie vpon his head that shed it. It seemeth vnto men, that the bloud of the man slaine is spilt on the ground: but the spirit of God saith, that it lieth on the man slayer. A fearefull thing: the bloud which before was in the body of thy neighbour, to conserue his life, thou hast now taken it vpon thy head, to pro­cure thy death, and to crie vn­to God for a vengance against thee. If this were considered, it might serue for an awe-band to keepe murtherers from hast­ing as they do, to shedde inno­cent bloud.

And albeit Dauid was farre Many waies may men be guilty of sinne, albeit by their own hands they doe it not. from Vriah, when he was slain; for the one was in Ierusalem, the other in Rabbah of the Ammonites, yet the burden of that bloud lieth heauy on him, because hee was the man who counselled Ioab, how to slay him with the sworne of the Ammonites. Many waies haue men, whereby to excuse them­selues in their sinne; specially, if they did not euill with their owne hands, if they were farre off, when the turne was done: but you see how little all these auaile, where the conscience cannot excuse a man.

O God of my saluation. So the godly stile the Lord; not onely Praise of our saluati­on properly belongs to God. because he is the author of the beginning, but of the progresse [Page 228] also, and perfiting of our salua­tion: he not onely gaue life to our soules, when we were dead in sin, but he keepes our soules in life: we fall, and he raiseth vs vp: we wander, and he recalls vs: we sinne daily, and he for­giueth vs. And it is for these renewing mercies, wherby the Lord euery day saues vs from a thousand deaths, in which o­therwise we should perish; that we praise the Lord as the God of our saluation: giuing him this glorie with the Apostle, The Lord hath deliuered vs from so great a death, he doth deliuer 2. Cor. 1. vs: in whom also we trust, that yet hereafter he will deliuer vs. For the time past he hath deliuer'd, for the time present hee doth deliuer, and for the time to [Page 229] come he will deliuer vs: In all these respects wee reioyce in him as in the God of our salua­tion.

Againe, hee acknowledges Many great deliueran­ces receiue the godly but the greatest is deliuerance from sinne. that the deliuerance of a man from his sinnes, is not a worke of mans Power. No, it re­quires the powerful hand, and sauing health of the mighty God of our saluation. Many great deliuerances hath the Lord giuen to his annointed; hee saued Noah from the de­luge of waters, Lot from bur­ning in Sodome, he saued Isra­el in the Red sea, and Ionas in the Whales belly, he saued Da­niel from the Lyons, and Peter that he did not sinke, when he walked in the water: but the deliuerance of a man from the [Page 230] hands of Satan, and sinne is a greater work then any of these, let vs be thankefull to our God for it.

So shall I sing: a soule oppres­sed God hath fitted the exercises of his worship for our state. and borne downe with the terrors of sinne, cannot sing to the praise of God▪ a Christian in that estate, answers al that find fault with him, as the Israelites of old did the Caldees, How can Psal. 97. wee sing a song of the Lord in a strange land? (and how can I saies the Christian) sing ioyful­lie, so long as the Comforter that should refresh my soule is away? But blessed be the Lord who in euery state hath proui­ded a remedy for vs, that when we are not disposed for one ex­ercise of Gods worship, the Lord should licence vs to go vn­to [Page 231] an other. Are we so afflicted Iam. that we cannot sing, at least let vs pray that wee may be com­forted?

And in that he saies hee will In singing psalmes our affection should be conforma­ble to the word wee sing. sing ioyfully, it learnes vs how we should alway conforme our affections to the words which God puts either in our eares or in our mouthes. If the word of the L. when we heare it or sing it, haue a promise of mercy or a song of thanksgiuing, should wee not receiue it and vtter it with ioy? and if on the other hand it containe a threatning, or a confession of sinne, should we not heare it with griefe and contrition: this is it which is taught vs in that parable, if the Lord Pipe we should dance, if he mourne we should sorrow, [Page 232] And as his word is, so should we conform our affections. But this discouers the Atheisme of this age, whether they heare the word or reade it: no change of the Scripture changes their heart: one Chapter or Psalme makes them not to reioice, and another to bee sorrowfull, be­cause they heare all, they sing all after one manner, that is, for fashion sake, without any sense or feeling.

Of thy righteousnesse. But A two-fold righteous­nes in God worthy prayses. how is this that Gods righte­ousnesse is the matter of our thankse-giuing? Are not his righteous iudgements fearefull and terrible to sinners? But we must knowe the sortes of Gods righteousnesse: there is one wherby he punisheth the wic­ked [Page 233] and impenitent, another whereby he pardoneth the be­leeuing penitent. And of this spake Abraham: God forbid that the Iudge of all the world shold do vnrighteously; He meant in condemning godly Lot with the vngodly Sodomites. And this is greatly for our comfort, that the Lord when hee par­doneth our sinnes, he is a righ­teous God, both because hee hath so promised, as also that our sinnes are already punish­ed in Christ Iesus: so that the mercie which we get doth no way violate his righteousnesse. And we whom he hath recey­ued into mercie, are in such sort to praise him for his mercy, that we may also sing ioyfully of his righteousnesse.

THis Verse contai­neth a new peti­tion, The tongue to speake, a great bene­fit of God. wherein he craues that God would open his tongue, which his sinnes had closed, that hee might praise God, as hee was wont to doe. The naturall vse of the tongue is Gods great benefit, yea, and a miraculous worke, that a member of flesh should bee an interpreter of a heauēly mind, and as it were, a Trenchman, [Page 235] whereby the spirit of one man knowes what is the meaning of another.

But as Consuetude drawes Gods most excellent workes in Dis-esteemd now, be­cause it is common. contempt: so among the rest this is thought nothing, to speake with a tongue only, be­cause it is common; yet Gods children acknowledge it to be Gods benefite, and the Lord glories in it as in his own work. When Moses complayned that hee was not meete to bee the Lords Embassadour, because he was not cloquent, but slow of speech, he receiued this an­swere, Who hath giuen the mouth to man, or who hath made the Exod. dumbe or the deafe, or him that seeth, or the blinde? Is it not I, the Lord? When he will he makes [Page 236] the dumbe to speake, and the cloquent to be silent: Out of the mouths of babes hath hee ordained Psal. strength: hee openeth the mouths of children to confesse his name, & closes the mouthes of ancient men, as we see in Za­chary, and all to teach that the benefit of the tongue is from the Lord.

This benefit sin tooke away from man that now naturally, Sin takes away the vse of the tongue, that man cannot speake as be he should. when he opens his mouth and moues his tongue, he speaks to the offence and dishonour of God who made him: the bene­fit to speake he hath it giuen of God, but abuseth it so through the corruption of his nature, that he speak's not as he should like vnto a man sicke of the palsie, who by natural strength [Page 237] moues his hand; but through his corrupt humours moues it inordinatly, and as this way the It had been good for many men that they could neuer haue spokē. mouing of the hand is a pain to the one, so is the mouing of the tongue without order both a sinne and punishment to the o­ther. Of these it may be said that Satan opens their mouths, and not God, and good had it beene for them to haue beene stricken with naturall dumb­nesse all their daies, for so should their sinnes haue beene the fewer, and their punish­ment the lesse.

And this is the losse, of the The mani­fold euill effects of sinne. tongue, whereof now Dauid complaines, and which he cra­ueth to be redressed. Where we haue to marke, how manie fearful euils his sin had brought [Page 238] vpon him: it had stolne away his heart, peruerted his spirit, stopped his eares, and closed his mouth, that hee could not thinke, nor will, nor heare, nor speake as he was wont to doe; therefore prayes he against all these in seuerall petitions, that God would create a clean hart in him, renue a right spirit in him: that God would make him heare ioy & gladnesse, and open his mouth to speak again the prayses of God.

Such are the miserable ef­fects Sinne takes away sense of misery, duety and all. Eph. 4. of sin: it takes from man all senses both inward and out­ward, and leaues him without feeling; so that he is no more moued when hee doth euill, then if it were good, yea, not touched with fear of the iudg­ment [Page 239] due to sinne: but as Lots kinsmen made a mock of Gods iudgements, when they heard it, so doe they make a mocke of sinne, & of all that may follow it; but one day they shall feele the bitter fruits thereof. Men in their sins are like vnto fooles or young children: when their parents or friends perish they mourne not, for they know not the losse, and they care not to exchange the charters of their inheritance with trifles, but when they come to the yeares of discretion, and feele the losse, then they mourne, and lament for that which in their ignorance they little regarded. It is euen so with men, who as long as their sinne blinds them, cannot mourne, but when God [Page 240] shall waken them, and they see the euil of it, then they take vp a bitter lamentation for it, and can get no rest night nor day, til God of his mercy pardon and forgiue it.

Againe ye see, that if we be They who can not speakc to the prise of God are stricken with a sore plague. gouerned by the spirit of God, we will account that wee are stricken with dumnesse, when we cannot speake to the praise of God. Many are such in this age, who haue a tongue for e­uery purpose, but none for the praises of God, they are strick­en with a sore plague, and yet they feele it not, their heart is bound by Satan with the cords of their sinnes, and so their tongues cannot be loosed to glorifie God: from this most mi­serable estate the Lord deliuer vs.

IN this verse Da­uid Ioy for Gods mercy and sorrow for our own sinnes a­gree well in the godly. giues a rea­son, why hee promised no o­ther duety of thankefullnesse to the Lord, but to praise him, as hee prote­sted hee would doe in the for­mer verse: the reason is, because the sacrifice in man or from man which God likes best, is the sacrifice of a contrite spirit. Then ye see, that Dauid when he sacrificed praise, sacrificed [Page 242] also a contrite spirit, what is it to giue thankes for Gods mer­cies, if all the same time we be not sorrowfull, that we should haue offended so mercifull a God? The thankes giuen by many is tastles to God, because when they are touched with some sense of that God hath done to them, they feele no remorse of that euill, they haue done against him: happy is the soule wherein these two meete together; a ioy for Gods mercies toward vs, and a sor­row for our sinnes against God.

And againe, ye see that if a What praise is accepta­ble to God. man praise God truely, he of­fers with praises himselfe, and all that he may doe: My soule praise thou the Lord, and all that Psal. 103. is within mee praise thou his holy [Page 243] name: As he shewes in the sub­sequent verse; The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit. Where­in he declares, that in thankes­giuing to God, hee offered a thankefull heart for bee-gone mercies, a sorrowfull heart for bee-gone sins, a resolute heart in time to come to amend: And this is the praise wherein God delightes.

But heere arises a threefold A threefold doubt mo­ued. doubt: first seeing the legall sa­crifices commanded by God; how can it be said the Lord de­sires not that which he com­manded? secondly, is not the Apostles praecept To doe good Heb. 13. and distribute forget not, for with such sacrifices God is pleased? And thirdly, are not wee comman­ded to offer vp our bodies a liuing Rom. 12. [Page 244] sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, how is it then that heere Dauid speakes that God desi­reth no sacrifice.

To these it is answered, that The first is answered, Dauid doth not simply re­iect legal sacrifices. Dauid speakes not simply, but by way of compariso, these ex­ternal sacrifices, if they be alone wanting the internall sacrifices of a contrite spirit, are not ac­ceptable to God, and of this for the first doubt, we learne that if vnder the law externall wor­ship without the inward plea­sed not the Lord, far lesse will it now please him vnder the gos­pell: Cursed (said Malachie) is the man who hath a male in his flocke, and vowes an sacrifices a corrupt thing to the Lord: And this curse is now double vpon them, who giue not the best [Page 245] they haue to the Lord, drawing neere him with their lips, but far from him in their hearts.

As to the second, externall The second answered, almes and such sacrifi­ces are ac­cepted of God if they flow from faith. sacrifices of almes and such like now commanded, please the Lord out of all doubt, if they proceed from faith in Christ, offered out of a contrite spirit, not puft vp with conceit of me­rit, the humble heart makes a small gift to be great, an exam­ple whereof we haue in the wi­dowes mite, it was a smal thing but because it proceeded from a great affection, Christ accoun­ted it the greatest gift was offe­red that day: And the want of a good heart on the contraty makes a great gift to be small, an example whereof we haue in Cain his sacrifice, in it selfe [Page 246] rich enough, but because it proceeded from a poore affecti­on, it was not acceptable to God: Ten thousand riuers of oile, and all the beasts on thou­sand mountaines, yea in all the Forest of Lebanon are nothing to the Lord, if the heart be not rightly set that offers them.

And as to the third, we are The third answered wee are bound to offer our bodies but euery offe­ring of the body is not acceptable to God. bound to offer vp our bodies vnto him, but remember euery offering of the bodie pleases him not, some of a blinde zeale becomes the buriers of their owne bodies, like Baal his Priests, Turkish Derbies and Popish Penitentiaries, cutting, lancing and renting their flesh; or else defrauding their bodies of that due, which they owe vnto him, prodigall of them in [Page 247] their blind zeale, not moderat­ly subdueing them by disci­plin. If euery such sacrifice had pleased God, the Apostle would not haue said, though I feede the 1. Cor. 13. poore with all my goods, and though I giue my body to be bur­ned, if I haue no loue, it is no­thing: we must first see, that the heart be sacrificed to the Lord, and then the body in the resonable seruice thereof, for no vnreasonable suduing of the body pleases God.

But what shall be said of ma­ny Atheists conuinced who do not so much as offer exter­nall sacri­fice to the Lord. profane Atheists, who now doe not offer so much as ex­ternall sactifices? they will not resort to the assemblies of Gods saints, to giue God in his house external praier and prai­ses: neither offer they to the [Page 248] poore externall almes, nor to God the externall seruice of their bodies, they bow not the knee, they lift not their hand, they vse not the members of their body as weapons of righ­teousnesse, and how then shal we thinke they make conscience of Gods in­ternal worship. But now to the words in particular.

WE first learne that Some offer to the Lord that which is theirs, but not them­selues. Sauan. if any man would offer a sacrifice conuenient for the Lord, let him prepare the spirit and the minde, God himselfe is a spirit, and will be worshipped in spirit, hee lo­ueth truth in the inward affe­ction, Corpora fecit propter spiritus, ideoque etiam spiritualia non corporea quaerit: hee made also the bodies for the spirits, [Page 250] and therefore seekes he not bo­dily without spirituall seruice. Some there are qui sua dant, non seipsos, who offer to him not themselues, but that which is theirs, but it is a blinde folly to thinke thou canst please him with gifts, when thou wilt not giue the seruice of thine heart, and spirit vnto him.

But least wee should thinke Contrition of spirit many waies▪ expressed in scripture. that euery spirit is acceptable to God: he addes this epithet, That a Contrite spirit is Gods sacrifice, or as after he cals it a broken heart▪ it is called by Ioel a rent heart, by Esay it is com­pared to a bruised reed, and it is also called a pricking of the heart and a melting heart: such as was in Iosiah. All which im­ports none other but that in­ward [Page 251] vnfained sorrow which is in a penitent soule, for of­fences done against God.

Then were beasts vnder the As beasts in the Law were 1. bound, 2. slaine, 3. sacrificed, so must our spirits be. law said to be sacrificed to the Lord, when they were taken from commō & prophan vses, bound with cords to the horns of the Altar, afterward slaine & offered by fire vnto God. And so is it to be done with our af­fections, if wee minde to sacri­fice them to the Lord, we must first separate them from their wonted wanderings, wee must binde them with the cords of Gods word, and lay them downe at the feete of Christ as his captiues, by godly sorrow: we must slay that sinfull plea­sure which was the former life of our affection, and then be­come [Page 252] they sacrifices vnto God.

But heere the difference is But in these sacrifices beasts offe­red lost their liues, here men sacrificed recouer their liues. great: for beasts sacrificed vn­der the law lost their liues, and became dead creatures, that they might be sacrificed. But we, when wee are sacrificed, of dead creatures are made liuing: wee being dead in sinnes and trespasses, then begin to liue when sinne is slaine, and sinfull lusts mortified in vs. Oh that wee could remember this, that the strife betweene vs and sin, is here, Who shall slay other: if sinne liue, we must die: if we slay it, we shall liue: except we binde our affections, and deli­uer them captiues to Christ, they shall binde vs, and deliuer vs captiues to Satan.

And that yet better we may [Page 253] know the quality and valour Three things con­curre to a contrite spirit. of a contrite spirit, let vs consi­der these things in it: first, an inward sorrow for sinne, which causeth repentance to saluati­on, 1 An inward sorrow. not to be repented of. Sinne is contracted with carnall plea­sure, but is dissolued with spiri­tuall displeasure: euen as the cause of sickenesse is remoued by medicine, which is contra­ry to it. And this godly dolor is not onely profitable to cure sinnes past, but also to preuent them in time to come. Cum do­lemus admissa, admittenda exclu­dimus, Amb. lib. 2. de paeniten. cap. 10. & fit quaedam de condem­natione culpae, disciplina innocen­tiae: for when wee mourne for sinnes done, we close the doore vpon sinnes to be don, and the damning of our former faults, [Page 254] becomes a discipline, whereby we are instructed to amend in time to come.

Secondly, in a contrite spirit there is a great sincerity: it is 2 Sincerity without dis­simulation. that blessed spirit, wherein there is no guile; no couering nor dis­sembling of sinne: for as in a thing which is brayed & stam­ped, the very inward parts of it are made manifest, and that which before was with a skin or shel, is now presented to the eye of man: so is it in a soule truely humbled: these sinnes which were secret & couered, the contrite spirit casts them out, and makes them open to God & man, fearing no shame in the eyes of man, if so be it may finde mercie in the eyes of God. And therefore said [Page 255] Augustine of contrition, that it was Sanitas animarum, holo­caustum medullarum, a health of the soule, and an offering to God, not of any outward mat­ter, but of the inward marrow.

And thirdly, this true con­trition is neuer without faith, 3 True faith with an earnest de­sire of mercie. which causeth such a vehemēt desire of mercie, as maketh the soule of man to long, to wait, to faint, to crie, to hunger, to thirst for Gods consolation: the delay whereof makes the soule of the creature pine a­way with inward griefe, and he becoms like that book, wherin Ezechiel saw written, lamenta­tions Aug. Ezech. 11. and wo: for still he cries, Wo is me, alwayes til the com­forter com, and assure him that his sinnes are forgiuen him.

Now this being spoken of A contrite spirit called sacrifices in the plurall and why. the contrit spirit, we are to see, why hee cals it sacrifices in the plurall number, the reasons heereof are two, first because this is more worth in Gods eies then all the legall sacrifices, though they were ioyned in one, this one excelleth them al, & next because in the contrite spirit are many sacrifices, for it strikes the life of euery sinfull affection, and so sacrifices ma­ny beasts to the Lord: Nam si Gregor. Moral. vis compunctionis in intimis affi­cit, omnis strepitus prauae sugge­tionis obinutescit, for if once the sting of godly compunction touch the heart, incontinent the whispering of wicked sug­gestion is silenced.

Vnder the law such as wee [Page 257] Nobles and Princes offered As Princes vnder the law multi­plied exter­nall sacri­fices: so now pow­erfull Christians are discer­ned by ma­nifold in­ternall ob­lations. 2. Chro. 7. great oblations, which far ex­ceeded the offerings of the poore. Wee read at one time Salomon offered many thou­sand sacrifices, the common people contenting themselues with the offering of Pigeons and such like more simple sa­crifices: But now Princes a­mong Gods people in Gods e­stimation are they, who sacri­fice most of their sinfull affecti­ons vnto him. If the Lord should send vs to the bosome of the earth, to the deepe bot­tome of the sea, to the vtter­most ends of the world, to seeke a sacrifice for him, wee might most iustly be astonished, and specially the poorer sorte, whose meanes may not extend [Page 258] to the furniture of so great a sacrifice, but now O man, since They are inexcusable who sacri­fice not to God, see­ing that which be craues is within them. the Lord requires no thing, but that which is within thee, or at least may be and should be, if thou haue not to offer him a contrite spirit, a sorrow­full heart for sinne; is not all excuse taken away from thee? God hath proclaimed to men, what is the sacrifice that plea­seth him, and if any man offer it not vnto him, it is not be­cause he may not, but because he will not: for in this sacrifice the poore may excell the most rich and honourable men in the world. A contrite spirit is cal­led Gods sacrifice, because he is the giuer of it.

And yet further, that hee cals the contrite spirit the sacri­fices of God, imports that he is the giuer of this grace: he pow­ers [Page 259] vpon his people the spirit of grace and compassion, which causes them to mourne: hee takes away the stony heart and giues them a heart of flesh. E­uen as he prouided a sacrifice for Abraham, when hee called him to worship on Mount Moriah, so doth hee not onely honour his children to be wor­shippers of his maiesty, but also giues vs grace, whereby we doe it: that such wormes as we are haue place to stand before so great a maiesty as he is, it is of his fauour: that we haue hearts disposed to pray to him or praise him, is of his grace: and that hee answers vs, is of his own vnspeakable mercie. And in these respects is the sacrifice we offer called Gods sacrifice.

Hee is not like vnto other Earthly kings loue mirthbetter then mour­ning, the Lord doth not so. Kings, for commonly they loue mirth better then mour­ning, Ioseph mourning for Iacob his father, might not come be­fore Pharao: Nehemiah with his sad countenance was afraid to stand before Artarxerxes: Mor­decai with his mourning weed, entred not the courts of Aha­suerus, but we are most welcom to the Lord, when wee come with our mourning weedes: Achabs sackcloth profited him something, but Iezabel, hir atti­ring and painting of hir face a­uailed nothing, she was cast to the dunghill, as a portion for dogges: Our face is neuer so pleasant, as when it is watered with the teares of a penitent heart. My Doue that mourneth Cant. [Page 261] in the clefts of the rocke, let me see thy face.

Now in this that wee haue spoken concerning the sacrifi­ces The great sacrifice of Christians which maks al other ac­ceptable, is Christ. of God, let vs remember, that there is one great & prin­cipall sacrifice, which for the valour of it selfe is acceptable to God, that is the sacrifice of Christ once for all offered vp­on the crosse, all other only in this and for this are acceptable to him.

Thou wilt neuer dispise. What The end of godly mour­ning is ioy. Macar. hom. 15. fruite ariseth of a mourning heart for sin he now subioynes, the Lord neuer dispiseth it, at no time, in no person. It ren­ders comfort not onely for the time to come, but also for the time present, ipsaelachrymae sunt vice delitiarum, for euen teares [Page 262] are in steed of delights, and Gods children finde more so­lid ioy in their present mour­ning, then worldlings can in their mirth and greatest reioy­cings. And as for the time to come, we know that our mour­ning will be turned into ioy, and all teares shall be wiped a­way from our eies, sicut post ve­hementes Chrys. in Math. hom. 6. imbres aer purus effici­tur, ita lachrymarum pluuias sere­nitas mentis sequitur. For as af­ter the showers of raine the aire is clearer, so after the teares of repentance, the mind becomes calme, perturbations cease, and the soule is pacified. Contrition of spirit an excellent grace and we should delight in it.

Since a contrite spirit is so ex­cellent a grace, as brings com­fort presently, and much more for the time to come, for they [Page 263] that sow in teares shall reape in ioy: Blessed are they that mourne, for they shal be comforted. What a folly is it that we cānot mourn, how shall the Lord gather our teares, which we scatter not? or how shall he wipe those teares from our eies, which we neuer shed? or shal he comfort vs that mourne not? No sacrifice is more acceptable to him, none more pleasing to him, none more profitable for our selues: and why then are we not care­full to be more abundant in it? Nemo potest, & in hac vita & in Aug. futura gaudere: Necesse est vnam amittat, qui alteram vult posside­re: No man can haue pleasure here, & hereafter also. He that receiues his consolation heere, let him looke for desolation [Page 264] hereafter, that answer giuen to on, serues for all the wicked, In thy life time thou receiuedst plea­sures, Esa. 65. 13. and Lazarus paines: now therefore is hee comforted, and thou tormented: And again, My seruants shall eate and yee shall be hungry, my seruants shall drinke and ye shall be thirsty, my seruants shall reioyce, and ye shal be ashamed, my seruants shall sing for ioy of heart, and ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall houle for vexation of minde, God make vs wise, that wee may make choise of the best, to mourne now with Gods seruants, and hereafter also be comforted with them.

NOw followes the The second part of the Psalme, contayning a praier for the Church. second part of the Psal. where­in he praies for the Church of God, after that he hath praied for himselfe. His order is ve­ry good; to haue done the se­cond, and neglected the first had beene vnprofitable: for with what successe canst thou pray for others, who art not reconciled with God, thy selfe? And again if he had contented [Page 266] him with the first, and negle­cted the second, he had beene vndutifull.

For all they who are liuely The gody prefer the welfare of the Church to their own priuate [...]. members of the Church, pre­fer the good of the whole bo­dy, vnto their own particular welfare; as we see in good Ne­hemiah: all his honor and pre­ferment in the Court of Artah­shast, was not so pleasant vnto him, as the desolation of Ieru­salem was grieuous. The wic­ked by the contrary, like Tobi­ah and Sanhallat, with the rest of these Samaritans, are grie­ued, when they heare that Ie­rusalems wals are a building: and miserable Haman made a plain confession, that all his ho­nour, wherunto he was aduan­ced, did him not so much good [Page 267] as the welfare of Mordecai, and of the people of the Iewes, did him euill. Wo be vnto all them that are of such a disposition; not onely strangers, but ene­mies to Israels Cōmon-wealth, they shall neuer reioyce with the ioy of Gods children: but wee will pray for Ierusalem, That prosperity may be within her wals, & peace within her Palaces.

Dauid had hurt his people, Repentance teacheth vs to repaire wrongs we haue done. not onely by giuing them an euill example, & by wakening Gods wrath against them; but by deliuering a number of them to the sword of the Am­monites for Vriah his sake: and now he benefites them by his prayer. This true repentance will teach vs, first, to restore the Lord to his glory, and then to [Page 268] repaire the wrong wee haue done to any man, so far as we may.

Againe, we haue to marke An example of happie loue be­tweene a good King and his peo­ple. Dauid his father loue to his people: hee had hurt them twice, once now by his adulte­ry and murther, and after by numbring the people, for the which God diminished their number by pestilence. And both the times his heart was sore grieued for them, as he de­clares by his prayer, that both heere and there he makes for them: It is I (said he) that haue sinned, and committed the euill, but these poore sheepe, what haue they done? O Lord God, let thine hand be on me, and on my fathers house, and not on thy people for their destruction. What a loue [Page 269] is here! he wisheth himselfe to be striken, that his people may be spared: and they againe re­payed him with the like louing affection, for when he would haue gone out to battel against Absalom, they would not let him hazard himselfe: Thou art (said they) more worth then ten thousand of vs. A happy har­monie, where a King with ten­der affection embraceth his people as his owne children, and they again esteeme and re­uerence him as their father.

For thy good pleasure. He ney­ther The Church is preserued by Gods mercy, not their merit. pretends his merits, nor his peoples innocency, but ap­peales to Gods mercie: the good pleasure of his owne will mou'd him to chuse a Church, and it is the same that moues [Page 270] him to conserue it. Euen when the sins of his people procure that he shold destroy it, if there were no more to preserue the Church, but hir owne deser­uings, or the fauour, fidelity, and constancie of Kings, prote­ctors thereof, it could not con­tinue long; but God is the buil­der of Ierusalem, his fauour is the wall thereof, and therefore is it, that neither the sinnes of them who are within, nor ma­lice of them who are without it can ouercome it.

Build vp the wales. He praies Ierusalems materiall walles were foure. both for the materiall and spi­rituall wals of Ierusalem. In re­gard of materiall wals, Ierusa­lem was a strong City, of foure quarters, euery one of them by walles deuided from another. [Page 271] The first & highest was mount Sion, in it was the City of Da­uid, called by Iosephus the supe­riour city, exceeding strong in regard of the naturall situation thereof: the second was called the daughter of Sion, because it seemed to come out, as it were, of the bosome of the o­ther, in this was the mount Moriah, whereupon the Tem­ple stood: this City was com­passed with a strong wal wher­in stood threescore of strong Towres. The third was beau­tified with many ample streets pleasant ports, and compassed with a wall, whereupon were fourteene Towers. The fourth was inhabited by all sorts of Artificers, compassed with the third wall which was twenty [Page 272] and fiue cubits high, and had in it fourescore and ten Tow­ers strong, high and foure cornered.

And albeit in Dauids daies Externall state of a citie de­pends on Gods bles­sing▪ Psal. 127. the city was not as yet brought to this perfection, but was ra­ther in the building, yet Dauid knew, except the Lord build the house, they labour in vaine that build it, and except the Lord keepe the Citie, the keeper watches in vaine, and that many flourish­ing Cities and strong Castles haue beene made desolat for the sinnes of them that dwell in them: and therefore fearing least his sinne had procured a curse in Ierusalem, like the curse of Iericho, hee praies euen for the externall state thereof.

But much more may wee [Page 273] think he had regard to the spi­ritual Ierusalems spirituall walles. wals therof, which his sin had demolished, and he praies God to repaire againe. The first, innermost, and strongest 1 Gods prote­ction. wall of Ierusalem, is the Lords fauourable protection: this is called by Zacharie a wall of fire compassing Hierusalem, which wil burne and consume the enemies that inuade it: the 2 Holines and vnitie. secondarie walles are holines and vnitie, for an vnholy peo­ple are naked, like the idola­trous Israelites, after their worshipping of the golden Calfe, and this breach of ho­linesse euer procures breach in vnitie among people, & makes a rupture in the wall, whereby the aduersarie may easily get vantage. Now Dauid knew [Page 274] that by his sinne hee had pro­cured to be depriued of Gods fauour, and that his sons and seruants should rebell against him, as he had rebelled against the Lord his God: and there­fore he craues that these euils may bee remoued, his filthie sinne pardoned, the fauoura­ble protection of God conti­nued, and vnity betweene him and his people preserued▪ And this for Ierusalems wailes.

Wherof let vs learne what No enemies can destroy the walles of Ierusalem, only the sins of inhabi­tants. it is that makes the Church a prey to her enemies: what de­stroyes the wals of Ierusalem: No force, no multitude, no po­licie, nor engine of the enemy, only the sinnes of them who dwell within it. God make vs wise to take this to heart, lest [Page 275] our sinnes make a breach in Ie­rusalems walles.

HIs petitions are An heart to offer praise and prayer to the Lord, is an argu­ment of mercie. concluded with a promise of thankes-giuing. Whē thou shalt be fauourable to vs, then shall we offer, and thou shalt accept. Multiplicatiō then of sacrifices is an effect of Gods fauour, to haue a heart rightly set to pray [Page 276] to the Lord, or praise him, is an argument of mercie. When God was angrie with Israel, he sent vpō thē the Caldeans, who tooke away the daily sacrifice; but it is an effect of a farre more fearefull wrath, when God de­liuers vp men to the hardnes of their own hart, suffering them so to be captiued by Satan, that they can neither repēt of their sins, nor pray for graces which they want, nor yet giue thanks for benefits that they haue re­ceiued: where the heauens be­come brasse, and send downe no dew: what maruell the earth be like iron, and can ren­der no fruit; but if the Lord looke on vs in mercie, as he did on Peter, then shall we mourne for our sinnes, and if hee be fa­uourable [Page 277] vnto vs, as heere Da­uid prayes, then shall we be wil­ling sacrificers of praise, and thankes vnto him.

The order of his wordes If our per­sons be not first in fa­uour with God, our actions can­not please him. makes this cleare vnto vs. When thou shalt bee fauoura­ble to vs, then shalt thou accept our offerings. Except first our persons be in fauour with God, our actions were they neuer so good in shew, will not bee ac­ceptable to him. Examples hereof wee haue in Abel and Cain, God looked first to A­bel, and then had respect to his sacrifice. Let vs therefore a­boue all things haue a care that we may be in fauour with our God, reconciled with him in Christ, otherwise all our pray­ers and oblations whatsoeuer, [Page 278] are but an abomination to the Lord.

And last of all, we see heere Thankesgi­uing an e­ternall due­tie we must discharge to the Lord. how the greatest and most en­during duetie wee owe vnto God for all his benefites, is thankesgiuing, hee is content the profit of them all be ours, hee craues no more but praise. Wee want not matter for which wee should praise him; onely we want affection: and therefore haue we to pray, that the Lord among all the rest of his great goodnesse, wherein he is daily abundant toward vs, would also blesse vs with a thankfull heart, that in this du­tie also wee may abound to­ward the Lord our God. To whom be praise, glorie, and ho­nour for euer.

Now vnto the King Immor­tall, Euerlasting, Inuisible: Vnto God onely wise be honour and glorie for euer. A­men.