MEDITATIONS AND DISQUISITIONS, UPON SEVEN consolatory PSALMS OF DAVID: NAMELY, 

The 23.  
The 27.  
The 30.  
The 34.  
The 84.  
The 103.  
The 116.    
By Sir RICHARD BAKER Knight.  
LONDON, Printed by J. D. for F. Eglesfield, and are to be sold by Henry Twiford at the sign of the Bear over against the middle Temple gate, in Fleetstreet, 1640.   

A CATALOGVE OF THE SEVERAL Treatises written by this Author.  
NAMELY, 

MEditations and Disquisitions upon the Lord's Prayer.  
Meditations and Disquisitions upon the 1 Psalm.  
Meditations and Disquisitions upon the seven Penitential Psalms.  
Meditations and Disquisitions upon seven consolatory Psalms.  
Also a Poem of his entitled Cato Variegatus, or Cato's moral Distiches varied.     

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, WILLIAM Lord CRAVEN, Baron of Hamstead, etc.  
MOST HONOURED LORD,  
I Shall perhaps move Envy to say, Quae te tam laeta tulerunt s●ecula? but for myself, I am bound to say it, who have received from your Lordship, indeed a great Favour, the remission of a great Debt; for which notwithstanding I account myself to stand obliged still, though in a less profitable, yet in a more binding Obligation, to be your perpetual servant. I am called upon by Gratefulness, to erect some Monument in honour of your Bounty; and a more lasting Monument, I could not think of, within the compass of my poor abilities, then to Dedicate these Psalms of David, to the memory of your Name: for though your own Heroic virtue have made you a Monument of the same mettle that Fame's Trumpet is made, which is likely, and worthy to last long; yet this perhaps, may prove Monumentum Fama perennius; a Monument that will continue your memory, when Fame itself shall be buried in oblivion. But how long soever it shall continue, yet not so long as my Devotion to be, as my Desire to be accounted to be.  
Your Lordship's humble, and obliged servant, Richard Baker.   

Imprimatur,  
Tho: Wykes, R. P. Episc. Lond. Sacell. Domest. Septemb. 11. 1639.   

THE TWENTY THIRD PSALM OF DAVID.  
Verse 1 THe Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.  
Verse 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.  
Verse 3 He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, for his Names sake.  
Verse 4 Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death; I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.  
Verse 5 Thou preparest a Table before me, in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anoyntest my head with Oil; my cup runneth over.  
Verse 6 Surely, goodness, and mercy, shall follow me, all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.   

MEDITATIONS UPON THE XXIII. PSALM OF DAVID.  
IS it not a grievous fall, that Verse 1 where I might have said; The Lord is my Creator, and hath made me after his own Image: I am now glad to say; The Lord is my shepherd; as though I were but a sheep? and yet perhaps no Fall in this at all: For, what was I, when I was at best, but the Lords sheep? Depending wholly upon him for all I had: No  to cover my nakedness, but of his making: no food to satisfy my hunger, but of his providing: and oh that I had continued his sheep still, for than though weak, I should have been innocent, though feeble, I should have been harmless; Where by taking (O miserable mistaking) the Serpent for a shepherd, I became of an innocent Sheep, a ravening Wolf, and should have so continued, at least a perpetual strayer: if my true shepherd (O the wonderful bowels of compassion) had not left the Ninety nine in the Wilderness to seek after me, and had not found me out, and brought me back again into his Fold; that if there be joy in Heaven, that the lost sheep is found, there ought to be much more joy in Earth, that the lost sheep can say; The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want?  
But how can I truly say; The Lord is my shepherd; seeing he hath turned me over, sheep and lambs and all, to Saint Peter to be our shepherd? Can he turn me over to another, and yet himself retain a property in me still? But is it not that there is a Hierarchy of shepherds? Saint Peter and his successors, but Ministerial shepherds; God himself the shepherd Paramount; 
Psal. 77.20  He led his people like sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron: He but used the service of Moses and Aaron; himself was the shepherd still; it was he that led them. And is it not said of Kings too, that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Shepherds of the people? and perhaps David speaks here, as he was a King: for though a King be a shepherd in relation to his Subjects; yet he is but a sheep in relation to God: for relation in all created things, makes quidlibet ex quolibet; a sheep of a shepherd, and a shepherd of a sheep, till we come at God, and there Relation ceaseth; for God being summum bonum, unum & idem, can take no disparagement by any relation, we are all sheep to him; David and Kings; Saint Peter and all; All feign to say; The Lord is my shepherd; or else, can never truly say; I shall not want.  
It is a great happiness for sheep to have a good shepherd, but a greater happiness to have him both good and able; many shepherds are the one, and not the other; few are both; indeed none are both; None able to secure from want, but only the shepherd, who is Elohim Saddai; God All-sufficient. Kings no doubt are able shepherds, but yet not able to secure from want; for we see them oftentimes to be in want themselves: Saint Peter an able shepherd, yet not so able, as to secure from want; for who knows not what want he was in himself, when time was? We shall never be sheep secure from want, till we come to say; The Lord is my shepherd; and then we may justly infer: We shall not want.  
Indeed God is a shepherd, as able as he is good, and as good as he is able. For he leadeth me into green pastures. Not only he hath green pastures to lead me into, which shows his Ability; but he leads me into them, which shows his Goodness. He leads me not into pastures that are withered and dry, that would distaste me before I taste them: but he leads me into Green pastures, as well to please my eye with the verdure, as my stomach with the herbage; and inviting me as it were to eat, by setting out the meat in the best colour. A meat though never so good, yet if it look not handsomely, it dulls the appetite: but when besides the goodness, it hath also a good look; This gives the appetite another edge, and makes a joy before enjoying. But yet the goodness is not altogether in the greenness. Alas, Greene is but a colour, and colours are but deceitful things, they might be green leaves; or they might be green flags, or rushes: and what good were to me in such a greenness? No my soul, the goodness is in being green Pastures, for now they perform as much as they promise; and as in being green, they were a comfort to me as soon as I saw them; so in being green pastures, they are a refreshing to me now, as soon as I taste them. As they are pleasant to look on, so they are wholesome to feed on: As they are sweet to be tasted, so they are easy to be digested; that I am now me thinks in a kind of Paradise, and seem not to want any thing, unless perhaps a little water, with which now and then to wash my mouth, at most to take sometimes a sip: for though sheep be no great drinkers; and though their pastures being green, and full of sap, make drink the less needful, yet some drink they must have besides; and now see the great goodness of this Shepherd, and what just cause there is to depend upon his Providence: for he lets not his sheep want this neither; but he leads them besides still waters; Not waters that roar and make a noise, enough to fright a fearful sheep: but waters still and quiet, that though they drink but little, yet they may drink that little without fear. And may I not justly say now; The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want?  
And yet perhaps there will be want for all this; for is it enough, that he lead them into green pastures, and besides still waters? May he not lead them in, and presently take them out again, before their bellies be half full; and so in stead of making them happy, make them more miserable? set them in a longing with the sight, and then frustrate them of their expectation? No my soul; The measure of this Shepherd's goodness, is more than so; He not only leadeth them into green pastures, but he makes them to lie down in them; He leads them not in, to post over their meat, as if they were to eat a Passeover, and to take it in Transitu, as dogs drink Nilus; but, he makes them to lie down in green pastures, that they may eat their fill, and feed at leisure; and when they have done, lie down and take their ease, that their After-reckoning may be as pleasing as their Repast; and that they may be free from being solliciti de crastino, for taking care to provide for tomorrow, seeing they have a Market of provision round about them, or rather their meat ready dressed to their hands for many days to come. O my soul, thus are the godly provided for, by the Lord their Shepherd; and though their pastures may seem withered, and dry in the eyes of the world; yet to them, they are green, and pleasing, and give more gladness to their hearts; then theirs whose Corn and Wine, most abundantly increaseth. And now, O my soul, is it not time now to say Grace, and to acknowledge a thankfulness for this plenty of my meat, and drink? and can I say a shortet Grace then this; The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want?  
And yet perhaps there will be want for all this; for if God be a Shepherd, will he not shear his sheep? and if he shear me; will he not leave me bare and naked? and how then can I say; I shall not want? God indeed is a Shepherd, that will shear his sheep; but he will Tondere, not Deglubere; He will take off our old , but it is to make way for new; and he takes them off, in a time, when we may well spare them; indeed in a time, when it is better for us to be without them: and therefore, neither is his shearing any cause, but I may say still; The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  
And yet I say still, there will perhaps be want for all this: For is it enough to have food, and raiment? Is it enough to have ease and plenty? Alas! all these do but serve for the body; there is no provision here for the soul: and if the soul be not provided for; all the rest, is but the care of Martha, troubled about many things, and none of them needful. But he that told Martha of her error, is it like he will commit the like error himself? No my soul, his principal care is of the soul; for he restoreth my soul: but as he made me Verse 3 not a living soul at first, till he had made the earth, and the fruits of the earth to serve for my living; so he Restores not my soul now, till he hath first led me into Green pastures, to serve for my sustenance: for to what purpose were it to give a life, and not a living? to give a Being; and not give means to maintain that Being? and was it not perhaps from hence, that Christ took his pattern; when he taught us, to Pray for daily bread, before we Pray for forgiveness of sins? But though he provide first for the body, which was made first; yet he provides most for the soul, which was given last: He but feeds my body, but he restores my soul: He ministers to my body but accidental and outward things; but inward and substantial to my soul. And why is it, that God provides more for the soul, then for the body; but because the soul is of fare more worth than the body? for God is not as man, to take care of things out of fancy, or upon mistaking: but he takes care of things according as he values them, and values them according as they are worth; Numquid cura Deo de Bobis, Doth God take care of Oxen? Indeed the Soul, in comparison of the Body; is of fare more value, than the worth of an Ox, in comparison of a man. O that we could be so wise, as to know the true value, and worth of the soul! and to take care of things according to their values! we should then certainly be more careful of the soul, less careful of the body than we are: and be more sensible of that saying of Christ; What avails it a man, to gain the whole world, and to lose his soul? It may be allowed perhaps to men, to provide first for the body, so they would provide most for the soul, as God doth here: but to provide first and most, for the body; and last, and least for the soul, as most men do; that I say not, all for the body, and nothing for the soul, as some men do; This must needs be extremely against all good order: seeing it is so directly against God's order.  
But to what is it that God restores my soul? It must be to something that my soul had before, and hath not now: and so it is: He restores it, to its original purity, that was now grown foul, and black with sin: for alas, what good were it, to have green pastures, and a black soul! He restores it, to its natural temper in affections, that was grown distempered with violence of Passions: for alas what good were it, to have still waters, and turbulent spirits! He restores it indeed to life, that was grown before, in a manner quite dead, and who could restore my soul to life, but he only that is the good Shepherd, and gave his life for his sheep, which no shepherd ever did but He? Saint Peter laid down his life, but he gave not his life; for he would perhaps have kept it, if he might: and he laid it not down neither, as a shepherd for his sheep, but as a sheep rather for his shepherd: but this Shepherd gave his life for his sheep: Gave it, quia oportuit indeed, because it was necessary he should give it; but yet, quia voluit too, because he would give it; for if it had not been voluntary, it could not have been acceptable; and if not acceptable, never certainly have served for a Ransom; and if not Ransomming, no Restoring.  
But is it not said, The Shepherd was smitten, and the sheep were scattered? and what was his smyting, but the Giving his life? and had he not done better to have kept his life, then leaving it, to leave his sheep to scattering? O my soul, though they were scattered for a time, yet it was but to be gathered together again with the greater joy: for though he left his life, yet he left not his sheep: but had a care of them, even in death; for he had power to lay down his life, and power to take it up again: and as he laid it down for his sheep's Ransom, so he took it up for their justification.  
Every shepherd knows that sheep are subject to many infirmities, and knows many infirmities to which they are subject; and therefore is never without his Box of Tar, as the best remedy in cases of danger; but if the danger pass his Tarre-boxe, and touch upon the life; he than gives them over, and lets nature work: but the Lord is a Shepherd of another nature, above the power of Nature; He restoreth the soul, when the life is in danger; he hath ways of curing, which no shepherd knows of but himself; and if other helps fail, he need but to say, Velo, sis sanus; I will, Be thou whole: and without any Tarre-boxe, it is a present remedy. And may I not now justly say; The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want?  
And yet perhaps there will be want for all this: for is it enough, that he restore my soul, and then leave me? What is it to restore my soul, but to put it in statu quo prius, in the state it was made at first; which, was after the Image of God in holiness, and righteousness? and if I could not continue in this state, when made in it, how shall I continue in it, when restored to it? He will therefore supply this want too: for having restored my soul in righteousness; He will lead me in the paths of righteousness: that though left to myself, I took a wrong guide, and went astray; yet when he leads me, that is the way itself; I may be sure, I cannot possibly go out of the way.  
But alas, O Lord, these paths of righteousness, have a long time so little been frequented, that all prints of a path, are almost clean worn out; that it is a hard matter now but to find where the paths lie, and if we can find them, yet they are so narrow, and so full of rubs; that without special assistance, it is an impossible thing, not to Fall, or go astray. Even some Angels, and those no mean ones, were not able to go right in these paths of righteousness; but for want of leading, went awry, and perished. O therefore, Thou the great Shepherd of my soul, as thou art pleased of thy grace to lead me into them; so vouchsafe with thy Grace to lead me in them: for though in themselves they be paths of righteousness; yet to me, they will be but paths of error, if thou vouchsafe not, as well to lead me in them, as into them. O the comfortable paths of righteousness; the very paths in which Enoch walked with God, and which walked in as they should be, will bring us to a better Paradise, then that of our first Parents. For if God lead us in these paths; these paths will lead us to the place, where the Goats shall be put on the left hand, and the sheep be taken on the right, that now I am certainly come to the highest cause of my glorying to say; The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want: for at his right hand is the fullness of Joy forevermore.  
But why is it, that this great Shepherd will do these great things for me? Is it because he finds me to be a sounder sheep, and to have fewer blemishes upon me then some other? Alas no; for I am nothing but blemishes, and unsoundness all over; but, He will do it for his Names sake; For seeing he hath taken upon him the Name of a good shepherd, he will discharge his part, what ever his sheep be: It is not their being bad sheep, that can make him leave being a good shepherd, but he will be good, and maintain the credit of his Name, in spite of all their badness: and though no benefit come to them of it, yet there shall glory accrue to him by it, and his Name shall nevertheless be magnified, and extolled.  
But now, O my soul, though I can say, I shall not want: yet can I say, I shall not fear? For is not Fear an inseparable companion of Mortality? and can I then choose but fear, that know myself to be mortal, and know also what the condition is of being mortal? Not only that I may die, but that I must die: and not only must one day, but may this day; Alas, this very minute! I fear indeed when I consider my own frailty: but when I consider that the Lord is my Shepherd, I then am armed against all fear, against this fear of death itself: He that makes me to walk in Green pastures, and in paths of righteousness, and keeps me from want: he also leads me by the hand, as I walk, and keeps me from fear: Yea, thou I walk in the Verse 4 valley, of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: Though I be brought to never so great extremity: though brought as low as the Valley of death, though brought as near to Death, as the shadow to the body; though brought to walk as a ghost amongst the dead, yet I will fear no evil. The shadow of death may perhaps be fare enough from it, for all our life, is but the shadow of death: but the Valley of the shadow must needs be close to death, as being the very entrance to it; yet if I were brought to this door of death, if brought within the door, and compassed about with Death; yet for all this, for all that can be said, or done, I will fear no evil. Will you not? will you not fear evil, when the evil is so eminent, and the danger so great? Is the face of Death no more terrible, but that you dare look upon it, without fear? Though it be the reproach of the wicked, to fear where there is no cause of fear, yet not to fear where there is cause, can be no commendation in the godly. And why then will David speak thus, more like a desperate man, than one that were well advised? No doubt, David will give good reason for that he speaks; As it were desperateness, not to fear, where there is Imminent danger: So it were cowardice to fear, where there is eminent comfort: Lay then the comfort to the danger, and you will easily excuse David, for fearing no evil. You have seen the Danger, now hear the Comfort: The Lord my shepherd is with me; For he is never absent from his flock: his rod, and his staff, they comfort me: and may they not justly comfort me, when with them he is able to recover a sheep, though falling down the steepest Praecipyce, or though already in the Wolves mouth, or in the paws of the Lyon. Indeed, if I had not my Shepherd with me; Or if my Shepherd had not his instruments with him, I might justly then be in fear of evil; but what evil can I fear now, when I have my Shepherd, and my Shepherd his Instruments; his rod, and his staff; Both Instruments of comfort; and not only of comfort, but of encouragement; both Instruments of preserving.  
But is it well understood, what his Rod, and his Staff mean? For, they may as well be instruments of correcting, as defending: and if of defending, there is then just cause they should be comforts: but if of correcting, what comforts can they be? for what comfort can it be, to be corrected? O my soul, great comfort to me, that know the nature of this Shepherd, as I do: for do not I know, that whom he loves, he corrects; and therefore whom he corrects, it is a certain Argument that he loves? Indeed, if the Rod and the Staff, were in the hands of an enemy; I should then fear them, as instruments for my evil; but being in his hands that is my Shepherd; now they are but as my own weapons put into an abler hand, that can better manage them for my good, than I could do myself. Can Moses with his rod fetch water out of a Rock, and shall not God with his rod, bring comfort out of trouble? Can Jacob with his staff pass over Jordan, and return enriched with herds of cattles, and shall not God's staff make me pass over the Jordan of this world, and bring me home with troops of joy? Shall not his rod, though it wound me, comfort me; when I know he wounds, but to the end he may apply a Plaster? Shall not his staff, though it beat me, comfort me; when it is but to beat the dust out of me, that am nothing but dust? But most of all, must not his rod needs comfort me, when it is his rod, that makes me lie down in green pastures? Must not his staff needs comfort me, when it is his staff, that keeps me right in the paths of righteousness? Oh sweet Rod, how can I choose but kiss thee! Dear staff, but embrace thee! seeing it is long of you, that his green pastures, and his paths of righteousness do me any good; for they would certainly do me hurt; his green pastures would pamper up my flesh too much; his paths of righteousness would puff up my spirits too much; If his Rod, and his Staff were not used as Moderatours. And if you think this strange, that the paths of righteousness should puff up the spirits: Remember Saint Paul, to whom there was given a thorn in the flesh, lest his walking in the paths of righteousness, should puff him up. But if the rod, and the staff, in these senses, may not be sufficient comfort to take away all cause of fear; at least, there shall come forth a Rod, out of the stem of Jesse: (indeed to David in particular, a special comfort) that will certainly be sufficient against all fear, though I walk in the Valley of the shadow of death; for this Rod, as a Mountain shall fill up all Valleys; and as the substance, shall fulfil all shadow; and as the true life, shall swallow up Death in victory. And is there not a staff that will do as much? the staff upon which Jacob leaned, when he was a dying? when he was indeed in the Valley of the shadow of Death? O my soul, having this Staff of Jacob to lean upon; this Rod of the stem of Jesse to be my comfort; I shall make myself unworthy of protection, if I should fear any evil, though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death. For why should I fear Death, which is but the parting of the soul from the body, seeing I cannot come to God with them both at once, but they must first be parted one from another? My soul cannot come to the light of life, if my body be not first in the shadow of death: indeed but in the shadow, for the substance of death can never take hold upon it, if my soul be gone before to take possession of the Light. O then vouchsafe, O God, to bring my soul first, and after it, my body out of the shadow of Death, into the light of Life; and then I shall have cause, just cause to say, and to glory in saying; The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  
But if it be doubted still, how it can be, that God's rod, and his staff, should be comforts to the godly, then mark the issue, and see what follows upon his Rod, and his Staff; Thou preparest a Table before me, in the presence Verse 5 of my enemies: Thou anoyntest my head with Oil; my cup runneth over. For this is a sure rule with God, that his chastening always ends in cherishing; if he strike with his Rod, and perhaps breaks the head with his Staff; he gives Oil presently to anoint it, and to make it whole again. If he make me to keep Fastingday to day, he allows me a feast for it to morrow, and then my cup shall run over.  
Hitherto God hath vouchsafed to be a Shepherd, and David hath been his sheep; Now God will be a Conqueror, and David shall be a King. Now God as a Conqueror will bestow favours on his friends, and disgraces upon his enemies, and therefore now the Scene altars: where it was before in the field, it is now within doors; and where David before spoke in the third Person, he speaks now in the second; Thou preparest a Table before me; and this is to feast his friends: In the presence of mine enemies; and this is to confound his enemies. To prepare a Table before him, is itself a favour: but the greatness of the favour is in this, that a Table is prepared before him, in the presence of his Enemies. For as there is no such joy of prosperity to the godly, as when their enemies see the prosperity they are in; it being a kind of revenge, that God takes upon their enemies, in their behalf: so there is no such Tragedy to the wicked, as to be made spectators of the prosperity of the godly; it being the greatest affront, that can be to their expectation, to see them advanced, whom they both hated, and despised. Can Haman have had a greater affliction, then to see Mordecai advanced, and himself forced to be an instrument in his advancing? Videbunt quem transfixerunt, They shall see him, whom they pierced, shall be one of the miseries, and perhaps one of the greatest in Hell itself.  
And now is David a King, and as a King, hath Honour and Plenty; Thou anoyntest my head with oil, This is his Honour; My cup runneth over, This is his Plenty: that where he said before; The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want: he may as justly say now; The Lord is my rewarder; I shall abound.  
But is it not that in the Person of David here, there is a Reference to Christ himself; seeing it is all verified in him, that is spoken here? He that hungered so long, till Satan thought he could have eaten stones, hath now a Table prepared before him; a Table where the godly shall sit, and eat with him in his Kingdom. He that had enemies insulting over him; hath now all his enemies made his footstool; Sin and Death, Satan and his members, lie prostrate under him: He that had his Head pricked with thorns, hath now his Head anointed with Oil: with the oil of gladness above his fellows. He that thirsted, and could get but Vinegar to drink, hath now such plenty, that his cup runneth over: All power is given him, both in Heaven and Earth. At least in the person of David, there will be relation to all the godly: Now Lazarus that could not get so much as crumbs from Dives his Table, shall have a Table himself prepared before him: Now Dives that fared deliciously every day, shall be glad to stand waiting at Lazarus Table, for a drop of water: that the godly may well be content to be in penury awhile, seeing they shall have a Table ere long prepared before them: They may well be content to let their Enemies be masters awhile, seeing they shall have them ere long to be waiters upon them: They may well be content to hang down their heads for awhile, seeing their heads ere long shall be anointed with Oil: They may well be content to have hard measure for a time, seeing the time will be shortly, that their Cup shall run over. And now, O my soul, will not all this serve to comfort thee, in this vale of misery? Art thou so besotted on things present, as to have no consideration, to make no valuation of things to come, and to come so shortly? so shortly all, that they are put in the Present tense, as if they were come already?  
But if David cannot overrule thee as a King, let him at least persuade thee as a Prophet; for now you shall have him a Prophet, and a Votary, and this is his Prophecy; Surely, Mercy, and goodness, shall follow me, all the days of my life: and this is his Vow; I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.  
But is David's Prophecy like to be true? will Mercy, and Goodness, follow him all the days of his life? O my soul, it was true in David, it shall be true in all the godly: for whom God loveth, he loveth to the end; and Mercy, and Goodness, shall follow them all the days of their life: Mercy, to commiserate; and Goodness to relieve: Mercy to bear with infirmities, and Goodness to supply wants: Mercy to be an assistant in Adversity, and Goodness to be a Governess in Prosperity. Alas! O Lord, if thy Mercy should not follow me, thy Justice would: if thy Goodness should not follow me, thy Vengeance would; and than one that were no Prophet, might easily foretell the miserable estate I should be in: as now that Mercy and Goodness follow me; one that is no Prophet may easily tell the happy condition I shall be in. Although this perhaps be not so much a Prophecy, as a Faith in David, at least a Prophecy which all the godly may make to themselves by Faith, to be assured of the mercy and goodness of God; and not to follow them for a time, and then give over, but to follow them all the days of their life. But what? no longer than all the days of their life, and then leave them? No my soul, but all the days of that life, that shall never leave them. O the comfortable doctrine of Faith! fare more comfortable than Heathen Philosophy ever knew; for that went no further, then Ante obitum nemo; as though no man could be happy till his death; where by this it appears that men may be happy while they live: for if a man be then happy, when the mercy and goodness of God follow him, as certainly a greater happiness there cannot be: then seeing they surely follow the godly, all the days of their life; surely a godly man is happy while he lives. But then the sureness is long of the mercy, and not of the man: for it seems he would go fare enough from it, if Mercy did not follow him: but now that he is followed by Mercy and Goodness, he cannot go so fast from them, but they will overtake him, and make him happy. O merciful God, so frame my heart, that I may not fly from thy Mercy, and put it to follow me; at least let it so follow me, that it may overtake me: for than I shall have the happiness to be able to keep my vow, that I will dwell in thy house for ever: but rather I shall have the favour, as an effect of thy Mercy, that I shall dwell in thy house for ever. For if this be a Vow, it is a strange one, where all the benefit is to him that makes the Vow, and none at all to whom it is made, for what is it to God, whither I dwell in his house or no? such Vowers God may have enough. O my soul, to vow to dwell in God's house, is to vow to be his servant; and to be his servant, is to serve him in holiness, and righteousness, all the days of our life; and though this service be no benefit to God, as indeed no more is any thing I can do, for my goodness extendeth not to him: yet the Vow to be his servant being well performed, will be more acceptable to him, then if I should vow as Jepthe did, to sacrifice his only Daughter.  
But we need not stand to justify David's Vow: for it seems not so much a Vow of David to God; as a favour of God to David, that when his mercy hath followed him all the days of his life, he will take him afterwards to live with himself; and though his body for a time be cast out of doors, yet his soul shall presently be received into his house, there to dwell with him and his Angels; not as a servant, but as son; seeing none but sons abide in the house for ever. Which in the person of David, is no less the Portion, and may be as well the comfort of all the godly, and is but the expressing of that in a higher strain; which was said at first in a lower style; The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.   

THE TWENTY SEVENTH PSALM OF DAVID.  
1THe Lord is my light, and my salvation, whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  
2 When the wicked; even mine enemies, and my foes, came upon me, to eat up my flesh; they stumbled, and fell.  
3 Though an host should encamp against me; my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.  
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord; that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord; and to inquire in his holy Temple.  
5 For in the time of trouble, he shall hid me in his Pavilion; in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hid me; he shall set me upon a Rock.  
6 And now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me; therefore will I offer in his Tabernacle sacrifices of joy: I will sing; yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.  
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.  
8 When thou saidst; seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee; thy face Lord, will I seek.  
9 Hyde not thy face fare from me; put not thy servant away in anger: Thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.  
10 When my father, and my mother forsake me; then the Lord will take me up.  
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.  
12 Deliver me not over to the will of mine enemies; for false witnesses are risen up against me; and such as breathe out cruelty.  
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living.  
14 Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait I say, on the Lord.   

MEDITATIONS UPON THE XXVII. PSALM OF DAVID.  
LIght which makes all things visible, Verse 1 was the first made, of all visible things: and whether God did it, for our example or no, I know not: but ever since, in imitation of this manner of Gods proceeding; the first thing we do, when we intent to do any thing, is to get us Light. Indeed Light, is not only a director, but a comforter: and nothing naturally strikes so much terror, as Darkness: for when we are in the dark, not only we are apt to take into our fancies, all frightful objects, but we know not how to take our steps, for fear of walls, and thresholds. It is every one's case, to have the Sun for his light; but it is not every one's happiness, to have God for his Light; and alas, if I should trust to the Sun for light, I should be left in darkness, every day, at least at night: but God is a Sun that never sets: he is Light himself, he is Light itself: and therefore it is good trusting to God for Light: for so I shall be sure, neither day nor night, to be left in darkness. O thou great Creator of Light; Thou Light of all creatures, vouchsafe to shine upon me, and to lighten my darkness, that neither any Objects of terror may make me to tremble; nor any Thresholds of error may make me to stumble, but that I may walk securely in the confidence of this; The Lord is my Light: for of what then, of whom now, should I be afraid?  
But, is it enough that God be my Light? what if I myself be blind? what good then will his Light do me? It is true; and therefore David stays not here; but, Deus illuminatio mea; God is my Enlightening too. He is both my Light, and my sight: my Light, by which to see; and my sight, with which to see my Light, to make walls, and thresholds visible; and my sight, to make me able to avoid them. If it were not for Light, I should be always in the dark; if it were not for sight, I should be dark myself: No illumination without both: and never both, but only from God. There is one indeed, who hath gotten him a Name, to be called Lucifer; as though it were he, that brought us Light: when God knows but for him, we should have had no darkness: yet he pretends to both; both to Light, and to enlightening: but alas, his light is but imposture; his enlightening, but illusion: for as he can transform himself into an Angel of light; so he can transform the light itself, and make it seem light, when it is indeed dark: and therefore his light can never make Walls and Thresholds to be truly visible: and as little can his enlightening, make us able to avoid them. For this was tried in our first Parents, who upon his Enlightening, had their eyes opened indeed, but opened to see Good and Evil; not to distinguish good from evil, and therefore could not enable them, cannot us, to avoid the evil. But as they, that follow his light, do stumble and fall at the Threshold of error; so they that are led by his enlightening, do run their heads against the Walls of impiety; No avoiding of Walls and Thresholds; No shunning the snares of Satan, the illusions of this Lucifer, but only by saying, if truly saying; Deus illuminatio mea, God is my enlightening; and then we may safely infer, of what; of whom should I be afraid?  
Indeed David might well say; Deus illuminatio mea; God is my Enlightening: Seeing God had enlightened him, not only to see, but to be a Seer, which is a Prophet: but what is this to us, who are fare from any such enlightening, to see as Prophets? O my soul, it is enough for us; that Christ is the great Seer, in whose Light, we shall see light: and though David were of the Jews, and we be of the Gentiles; yet as Christ was the glory of his people Israel: so he is a Light, to lighten the Gentiles: and therefore Deus illuminatio mea, God is my enlightening; as fit for us to say, as it was for David.  
But doth Gods enlightening serve only for a safeguard against Walls and Thresholds? Alas! the light of the Sun, and the enlightening of Nature would serve to do this: and what need we then to seek any other? O my soul, there are spiritual Walls, and Thresholds, which no Sun can make us see, which Nature herself is not able to see; only Gods enlightening, hath the influence to do it. There is a Wall of sin, the Partition Wall between God and us: the Wall that bars us from having access to God: and this Wall, the natural man sees not, neither can see: Illumination only makes it visible. There is a Threshold of pride in the heart of man; a swelling of self-love, that lies in the way we are to pass, and is a cause of stumbling if not avoided: and this Threshold the natural man sees not, neither can see; only God's illumination makes able to see it. And many other Walls and Thresholds there are, which without Illumination can never be seen; and not seen, can never be avoided; and not avoided, are cause of falling into endless perdition. And as Illumination makes us to see these lights of Terror, so it makes us to see also sights of Comfort; It makes us see Death lie dead before us, and swallowed up in Victory; It makes us see the powers of Hell astonished, as not able to endure the lustre of this Light: It makes us see the doors of Heaven open, into which by virtue of this Light we have means to enter: It makes us see him that is invisible, God himself that is our enlightening, in whose Presence, is the fullness of Joy for evermore; and of whom then, of what now should I be afraid?  
These indeed be comfortable sights, but what comfort for me to see them, if I be not sure I shall enjoy them? and how can I be any more sure to enjoy them, than the Angels that fell? For they had Illumination, in a greater measure than I can hope to have it; and yet for all their Illumination, they stumbled at the Threshold of Pride: and ran their heads against the Wall of sin, and utterly lost; Alas have lost for ever, all benefit, of all these comfortable sights. All this is true, and therefore David stays not here neither; but Deus illuminatio mea, & salus mea; God is my enlightening, and my salvation too, and this he was not to the Angels that fell: he left them at Illumination, never conducted them to salvation; for if he had done this, their Illumination had never been turned into darkness; either they had not stumbled at all. or at least not so stumbled, as to fall. If God were only my illumination, I should by that light go to Video meliora proboque, but should presently follow it with Deteriora sequor: but when he is my salvation too; this makes me break off at Deteriora sequor: and where God was heard to say; Perditio tua ex te O Israel, Thy destruction is from thyself, O Israel: Now to hear him say, Ego autem salus tua, but I am thy salvation. If my illumination reflected upon myself, to make me seem bright in my own eyes, as though I had something which I had not received, then indeed I should be in the case of the Angels that fell; for so did they: but now that my illumination reflects upon God: and makes me see all goodness to be originally in him, none in myself, but what he is pleased to impart, or impute unto me; Now Illumination becomes a step to salvation, and as they are free indeed whom the Spirit frees; so they are safe indeed, whom God saves; and of what then, of whom now, should I be afraid?  
But though God be my salvation: yet this perhaps may be only in the life to come, and if it be no more but so, I may do ill enough in this present life, for all his salvation in the next; and have I not cause then to be afraid? To free thee therefore of this scruple; David stays not here neither; but, God is my salvation, and the strength of my life too; Not only of my life to come, which will be strong of itself, but of my present life, which hath no strength but in him. Or rather seeing godliness hath the promise of both lives, both of this life, and the life to come, the first shall be first served; and than if God be the strength of my present life, there shall be in it no present weakness: and if no weakness, there need be no fear; and of what then; of whom now, should I be afraid?  
But though God's strength be sufficient to defend me, if I had no enemies: Or if I were to fight but a single combat, yet can it be sufficient to preserve me, when an Army of enemies assaults me at once? and can I choose but fear, when I know myself unable to resist? O my soul, take heed thou be not in the number of those, to whom it was said; What fear ye, O ye of little faith? For what can an Army do, against the arm of God? What can all Might do, against him that is Almighty? Have my enemies any strength, but what they have from God? And can they have any strength from him, against me, when he employs his strength against them for me? No my soul; though an host encamp against me; though war be made upon me; yet as long as God is the strength of my life, it is neither their multitude, nor their malice that can hurt me; but rather their very malice is the means, their multitude cannot hurt me, for Malice hinders Illumination, and makes them, they cannot see their way; that when they came upon me, and thought they had me sure enough; even than I was sure enough from their having: For he that is the strength of my life, had laid a block in their way, which for want of Illumination, they saw not, at which they stumbled, and fell.  
But yet, it is a grievous thing to have Cannibals for one's enemies, and such my enemies seem to be: They seek not more to destroy me, then devour me: They came upon me to eat up my flesh, as if I had been their shambles; It is not enough they could kill me, but they could find in their hearts to eat me: They are not satisfied with procuring my death, if they be not themselves actors in it: It is not enough for them to have my blood, unless their own hands be imbrued in it: Indeed there is no such dainty dish to a malicious stomach, as the flesh of an enemy; it goes down without chewing, and they swallow it up whole like Cormorants. But though Malice have a ravenous stomach, yet she hath but slow digestion; though her teeth be sharp, yet her feet are lame, at least apt to stumble, and this made well for David, for when his enemies came upon him, to eat up his flesh, because they came upon the feet of malice, they stumbled and fell. A man may stumble, and yet not fall, but to stumble, and fall withal, is the proper stumbling of the wicked, and especially of the maliciously wicked: and such, it seems was the stumbling of David's enemies, because his enemies were such; and such I doubt not shall be the stumbling of my enemies, because mine are such: and of what then, of whom now, should I be afraid?  
But to the end I may have some exercise for my illumination, that it stand not idle; and may have some testimony for my salvation, that it grow not doubtful; There is one Verse 4 thing I have desired of the Lord, and that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord: and to inquire in his holy Temple. This beholding of God's beauty, will be a continual exercise for my Illumination; and this enquiring in Gods holy Temple, will give me assurance of my salvation.  
It were very hard, if David making but one request to God, that God should deny him? for hath he not bidden us to ask, and we should have? and could David ask less, then to ask but one thing? No my soul: God denied it not to David, nor will deny it to thee, nor to any other that shall ask it in Faith: and specially if he ask it to so good an end as David doth here; to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his holy Temple.  
But seeing David would make but one request to God, why would he not make a greater? for alas, what a poor request is this, to desire to dwell in God's house? and what to do? but only to see? and to see what? but only a Beauty, a fading thing, at most but to inquire; and what is enquiring? but only to hear news; a vain fancy; and what cause in any of these why David should make it his request to God? But mark, O my soul, what goes with it; Take altogether; to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his holy Temple: And now tell me, if there be, tell me if there can be any greater request to be made? any greater cause to be earnest about it? For though worldly beauty be a fading thing, yet the Beauty of the Lord shall continue, when the world itself shall fade away; and though enquiring after news be a vain fancy, yet to inquire in God's Temple, is the way to learn, there is no new thing under the Sun; and there it was that Solomon learned, that all is vanity. Indeed this one thing that David desires, is in effect, that Unum necessarium that Christ speaks of in the Gospel; which Mary made choice of there, as David doth here; and I may say, it is that precious Jewel, which the rich Merchant sold all he had to buy, and had his bargain commended by Christ himself. O how happy were we, if we could bond our desires within the compass of things necesserie: for all our misery grows from this, that our desires have no certain dwelling, but wander and range about from one object to another, like vagabonds from place to place; and no help there will be for it, till our desire arrive at that which is the best: for as long as there is any better to be had, the Desire will never leave desiring; and where is that best to be had, but in him only, that is only good: in him indeed that is the only good: and seeing there can be no happiness till the Desire be settled; and the Desire will never be settled, till we come at God; therefore no means so likely to make us happy, as to dwell in God's house; for there we are sure we shall be with him; and once with him, never have desire to any thing besides him.  
There are other houses, which in worldly considerations, and to worldly minds, may seem as convenient, and perhaps be more profitable to dwell in, than this house of God: but that which makes me so desirous to dwell here, rather than any where else, is partly for the prospect, that I may behold the beauty of the Lord; and partly for instruction, that I may inquire in his holy Temple. For there is not such a Prospect again in the world as this; Not on the Mount, where Christ was showed all the Kingdoms of the earth, and the glory of them: Nor such another place for instruction as here; Not all the Schools of Philosophers; Not all the Oracles of the Heathen, in any degree to be compared with it.  
And what then is this beauty of God, which David is so desirous to behold? what this house of God, in which he desires to dwell? There is a beauty of God in his creatures, most glorious indeed, and most worthy of beholding: but yet this needs no dwelling in God's house to see it; we may see it as well, dwelling any where else; but there is a beauty of God in himself, a beauty which if once we see, we shall never be willing to take our eyes off; a beauty which the more we see, the more we shall see cause to desire to see it; a Beauty, which without special illumination, neither the eyes of men are able to behold; nor the tongues of Angels to express; and this Beauty is not where to be seen, but in God's house; and not there neither, but by dwelling in it: It is not for every one that comes in as a stranger, to see this Beauty, they must be dwellers in it; continual, and constant frequenters of it, or they are never like to be admitted to behold it. There is indeed, in all the creatures of God, in some more eminently, a certain tincture of this Beauty, and is perhaps that which deceives us in the estimating of our happiness; because we take tincture for substance, and fix ourselves upon that which is made but only for a passage. For tinctures though they please for a time, yet they soon wear out and decay: no solidness, nor durableness, but in the substance itself, and no substance of beauty, but only in God: and therefore the truest happiness, indeed all true happiness, in only the beholding of this Beauty. And if any man doubt of this, because seeing, is but the satisfaction of one sense; and happiness gives satisfaction at least to all the senses: Let him then hear, what David in another place says; Videte & gustate, quam suavis est Dominus: See, and taste, how sweet the Lord is: For in this Seeing, not only the Tasting, but all the senses are united, at least the pleasures of all the senses are comprised: and the rather, if we consider that Beholding hath a pre-eminence above Seeing: for where seeing may be in Transitu only; Beholding implies a permanency, and a fixing our eyes upon it; and such is the Seeing, that is the Essential sense of happiness.  
And what then is this house of God, in which David desires to dwell? hath God any other house then Heaven? and would David dwell in Heaven, whilst he is dwelling upon Earth? will nothing serve his turn, but to ask God for impossibilities? Indeed Heaven is God's Throne, but Heaven and Earth both, are full of the Majesty of his glory: and therefore God hath a House on earth too; a House dedicate to the honour of his Name; and David justly makes his Prayer for this House, because indeed it is the house of Prayer, and no Rent paid for dwelling in it, but only Prayer: O then make me able, O God, to pay thee this Rent, and I shall never doubt of continuing thy tenant in this House, to behold thy Beauty, and to inquire in thy holy Temple.  
But why should David make it a suit to God, to dwell in his House, seeing God leaves the doors open, that every one may come and dwell in it that will? O my soul, it is not simply to dwell in it, but so to dwell in it, that he may see God's beauty; and this cannot be seen without illumination; and no illumination, but of God's donation. For indeed this dwelling, is a spiritual living, a donative only in God's gift: and justly therefore David makes it his suit, to have his Induction, but an Induction only while we live here; no perfect possession till another life: but he that seeks not his induction here; must never look for possession hereafter.  
As to behold the beauty of God, is one great benefit of dwelling in God's house; so it is another no less to inquire in his holy Temple: as that beholding, gives a satisfaction to our eyes; so this inquiry to our minds. When David saw the prosperity of the wicked; he was so amazed, that he knew not what to make of it, till he entered into God's holy Temple, and inquired: and there he presently learned, what Gods meaning is in it, and why he suffers it to be so. What knowledge so necessary, as the knowledge of sin? yet Saint Paul confesseth he had not known what sin is, but for the Law: and where is the Law to be learned, but enquiring in Gods holy Temple? and indeed if there be any scruple of conscience, if any doubtfulness of mind, if any difficulty of question concerning either God or ourselves; either the life present, or the life to come, by enquiring in Gods holy Temple, it is presently cleared, and resolved: for there are the Oracles kept, which serve to instruct, to teach, to reprove, that the man of God may be perfect in every good work.  
And amongst all the great mysteries which are learned by enquiring in Gods holy Temple; this is one of special comfort to me, that Verse 5 when I am in trouble, if his house that I dwell in, be not sufficient to defend me; he will hid me in his own Pavilion: in the secret of his Tabernacle will he hid me; he will set me upon a rock: that one way or other, he will be sure; and I may be sure, he will set me in safety,  
But how can God hid me in his Pavilion, which lies open to all men; and where every man may enter, and find me? He will then rather than fail, hid me in the secret of his Tabernacle; which is shut against all men, and where none enters but himself. But yet his Tabernacle may be burnt with fire; may be blown up with powder; blown down with wind: and what safety then, in the secret of his Tabernacle? He will then, if that fail, set me upon a Rock, and a Rock is subject to none of these, that so at least, neither fire, nor sword, nor tempest of wind, may prevail against me. Or is it, that being once admitted to dwell in God's house; I shall have, not only the protection of a servant; for his Tegere, is Protegere; but the advancement also of a Favourite to be set upon a Rock: for this, as it is a safety, is no less an honour. Or is it, that lest mine enemies should think it were done for fear of them, that he hides me; he will set me upon a Rock, as it were in defiance: and though some may be so bold to enter the secret of his Tabernacle; yet none will be so desperate, to venture upon a Rock, against which, all they can do, is but to dash themselves in pieces, and to hasten their own ruin.  
And now, O my soul, how canst thou doubt of thy being in safety, having the three great fortresses of God for thy defence: his general providence, which is his Pavilion: then, his special Mercy, which is the secret of his Tabernacle: then, the Mediation of Christ, who is the Rock; upon which, when thou art set, neither the raging of the Sea, nor the blustering of the wind, need to affright thee; for though they roar against thee, yet they cannot hurt thee; and of whom then, of what now should I be afraid?  
For being set upon this Rock; My head shall Verse 6 be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: Though my feet may be in the water, yet my head shall be above water; I shall be in no danger, though perhaps in some trouble; and in no trouble neither, but such as while my head is lifted up, I may freely laugh at, and despise; and the rather, for that though my enemies be so many, as to be round about me; yet they are so mean, as to be all below me; not mean in themselves, but mean through him, that hath lifted up my head above them. If mine enemies were but low, it were no great matter to be higher than they: but to have my head lifted up above them, who carry their heads so high, as to think none their equals; this must needs be, as well to me a cause of joy; as in thee, O God, an effect of power. In thy lifting up my head, I regard not so much the honour, as the relation to my enemies; for whether it be lifted up little, or much, it is all one to me, so long as it be above my enemies, their pitch is my proportion: for the mark of my aim, is not superiority, but security; not to shine in other men's eyes, but not to have mine own put out.  
There may be many causes of joy to a man in trouble, but none so great as this, to have his head lifted up above his enemies: for though to take revenge of an enemy, be the delight only of a cruel nature; yet to be able to take revenge, is a joy to the mildest nature, but yet a joy that must be made a sacrifice, not to grow insolent, and proud upon it; but as to receive the power with humility, so to use it with mildness, and most of all, to ascribe the glory, to whom it belongs.  
There was a time, O God, when thou didst lift up mine enemy's heads above me; and even then I offered thee a sacrifice too; but it was a sorrowful sacrifice, a sacrifice of sorrow; but when thou shalt lift up my head above mine enemies, I will then offer thee a joyful sacrifice, a sacrifice of joy: and it shall not be a silent joy, as though I sought to smother it, by which no glory would come unto thee; but it shall be a singing joy, and the song shall be of thy praises, as showing me to joy more, in thy lifting me up; then in my being lift up; more for thy glory, then for my own advancement, but sing I shall for both; I shall sing, to express my joy, and I shall sing to extol thy Praises.  
But why is David so suddenly turned from singing to crying, that he should fall so presently to say; Hear me, O Lord, when I cry with my voice? Is it, that he finds God, not well pleased with his singing; and therefore means to try, what he can do with crying? Or is it, that he thinks himself better at expressing sorrow then joy, and therefore hopes his crying may be heard, though his singing be not? Or is it indeed, that singing, and crying both, are little enough to make a sacrifice to God? Alas! they are both of them too little, to make an acceptable sacrifice, without God's mercy: and therefore David trusts not to them alone, but is glad to join God's mercy with them; Have mercy also upon me, O God, and answer me. It is a great mercy in God to hear us, but a greater mercy to answer us; and therefore to require his answer, requires a more special invocation of his mercy; and the rather, in hope to have a merciful answer: for alas, if he should answer, and not in mercy, such an answer would be worse than silence.  
But how can I doubt of Gods answering me, when I speak to him; who have myself answered him, when he spoke to me? For when thou saidst; Seek ye my face; my heart Verse 8 said unto thee; Thy face Lord, I will seek: and for my heart to say it, is more than for my voice to cry it: for no crying of the voice, makes so loud a sound in the ears of God; as the saying of the heart; that to use the terms properly, I might rather say; I cry it with my heart, and but say it with my voice.  
But is this all the answer I shall have from God, that I should seek his face? Alas! O Lord, thy great Favourite Moses, could never obtain more then to see thy Backparts, and how then can I hope to see thy face? and if I cannot hope to see it, why wouldst thou have me spend time to seek it? But is it not all one, in the phrase of the Law, to seek God's face; as in the phrase of the Gospel, to seek God's kingdom? and therefore as God saith here; seek ye my face: so Christ saith there; seek God's kingdom: at least if they be not both one; they are both sought one way; both sought by following Gods Commandments, for his Commandments, if we follow them well, will both bring us to his kingdom, and to see his face.  
Or is it not perhaps in a plain literal sense, that to seek God's face, is in our Prayers, and Meditations, to settle, and fix the eyes of our minds wholly upon God; and as it were, to look him in the face: wherein, oh what infinite odds there is between the Angels and us, for magnifying of God: for they behold his Face, and can see it visibly, where all that we can do towards it, is only by the strength of imagination, which God knows is but weak; very weak in us, weak in itself, and weaker for want of intention; but if we could see his Face as the Angels do; O my soul, we should see in it, not only infinite causes for magnifying his Name; but infinite sweetness for pleasing our own senses. For if the beauty of a carnal face, be so admirable, so pleasing, as that no earthly thing may be compared to it; what ecstasy of admiration! what transcendency of pleasure must needs be in the beauty of a spiritual Face! and specially that face, in which the fullness of all Beauty resideth bodily! And have I not cause then to seek this Face? O merciful God, grant me so to seek it, that I may find it: for though this be not the place for finding it, yet this is the place for seeking it: and he that seeks it not here; he that seeks it not now, is never like to find it in another place, never like to find it hereafter.  
But why am I so hasty, to promise God to seek his Face, as though it were in my own power to seek it at my pleasure? Alas! how can I choose but promise it, when God requires it; and how can I think, when he requires it, but that he will enable me; at least, not hinder me to perform it? and yet I promise not performance, but Will: and Will I suppose I may safely promise, seeing Will is present with me, and can never be absent from me.  
But when I seek thy face, vouchsafe, O Verse 9 God, not to hid thy face from me: for to what purpose should I seek it, if I cannot find it? and what hope of finding it, if thou be bend to hid it? Alas! O Lord, to bid me seek it, and then go presently and hid it from me; what were this but to mock me, as the Jews mocked Christ; blindfold him, and strike him; and then bid him tell, who strooke him? and indeed how should I seek it, if I have not light to seek it by? and what light to seek it by? and what light to seek it by, but the light of thy Countenance? and what light of thy Countenance, if thou hid away thy face? To bid me to seek thy Face, and then to hid thy Face from me, were a kind of derision; and I hope, O God, thou wilt not use me so unkindly; set me about a work scarce possible to be done, and then take from me all possible means of doing it? Alas! O Lord, all the encouragement I have to seek it, is the hope I have thou wilt not hid it: O therefore, Hid not thy face from me, O God: for if thou hid thy Face from me, what can I think, but that thou art angry? and if indeed thou be angry, yet use me at least as a servant; Put me not away in thine anger: for though I have committed many heinous faults against thee, yet may I not repent, and amend them all, if thou but please, not to be so hasty with me? what though my sins have made thee angry, wilt thou therefore presently turn me away? will no less punishment, serve to appease thy displeasure, but to turn me presently out of service? mayst thou not in so doing, do that in anger, which thou wilt have cause perhaps to be sorry for afterwards? wilt thou not leave thyself unprovided of servants to wait upon thee? For where are any such servants to be found, that some time or other, will not give thee cause to be angry? If thou entertain Stars to serve thee; is there not impurity in the Stars? If entertain Angels to serve thee; Didst thou not find folly in the Angels? Hast thou not promised to consider man, that he is but dust; and shall anger make thee to forget that Promise? Hath not Mercy the highest seat in thine Ark; and shall anger be able to put her from her seat? Thou hast been my helper heretofore, and why didst thou help me, but because I needed thy assistance? and may I not with thy assistance now return from my evil way; if thou be pleased not to be so hasty to turn me away? By thy helping me then, thou didst express thy loving me then; and why then should I fear, thou wilt now forsake me? for whom thou lovest, thou lovest to the end; Not to the end, and then ends; but to the end, that shall never end. Shall the Heathen have cause, have colour of cause, to upbraid thee with inconstancy; that whom thou helpest at one time, thou forsakest at another? Or canst thou turn me away in anger; and then help me in mercy, when thou hast done? Canst thou so soon change from Mercy to Anger; and from Anger again to Mercy; that we should never know in what temper to find thee? No my soul, fare be it from thee to have such thoughts: but the truth is, God's ways are not discerned, not discernible by us, they are passed our finding out: We know nothing at any time, what it is he doth; lesse, why; and least of all, how he doth it: Both the substance, and the circumstance of all his actions, is to us an Abyssus; we know nothing of all his ways but this, that all his ways are Mercy, and Truth; nothing of his condition, but this, that in him, there is no change, nor shadow of change.  
Verse 10 It is indeed the nature of all living creatures, though never so tender of their young ones; yet when they are grown to a ripeness of age and strength, to turn them off, to shift for themselves; and even a Father and a Mother, as tender as they are, have yet somewhat of this common nature in them, for while their children are young, they lead them by the hand; but when they are grown up, they leave them to their own legs; and if they chance to fall, let them rise as they can: but God, even than takes his children up, for he knows of what they are made; he knows their strength must as well be supported, as their weakness be assisted; he knows they must as well be taken up, when they fall, as be held up when they stand; and therefore though the tenderness of a Father be great, of a Mother perhaps greater; yet no comparison to be made with the tenderness of God. And seeing God is never without tenderness, why should I be ever without hope? and not hope as well to be delivered from trouble; as others to be preserved in safety? O my soul, much rather: for seeing all things in this world are subject to change, is not that hope more like to succeed, which hopes for a change, then that which hopes for a continuance?  
But seeing the way of thy tenderness, is Verse 11 past our finding out; O therefore, Do thou, O God, teach me thy way, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Teach me thy way, how it can stand with tenderness to thy children, to suffer them to be afflicted, when thou sufferest the wicked to live in prosperity? To make Martyrs of thy servants, when the wicked flourish, and live at ease? How it can stand with thy tenderness, to take away thy servants, in the midst of their days; oftentimes in the beginning, when thou sufferest the wicked of the world, to run out the full races of long lives? Why thou leadest the godly in paths of temptations, when thou leadest the wicked in paths of security? But if these ways of thine, be too hard for me to learn; or if thy pleasure be not to reveal them as yet; at least, O God, Lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies: If it were not for mine enemies, I would never make this suit unto thee; but would leave it to thee, to lead me in what paths thou pleasest: but having the eyes of so many enemies upon me; if thou shouldst lead me now, in a rugged path, where I might chance to stumble, or fall; would not my enemy's triumph at it, as at a victory? for they mark ever step I take, to watch what advantage they can find against me; and if they should find me tripping never so little, I were sure to be made the Anvil of their malice, to be beaten upon, without either pity or compassion. But how great soever their malice be; I know they can do nothing without leave; Thou only, O God, hast an absolute power over me; My enemies, none, but by thy permission: and I hope, thou wilt retain thy power in thine own hands; at least, not make my enemies, thy deligates. To thy will I willingly Verse 12 submit myself: but Deliver me not over, to the will of my enemies: for thy will, when most severe, is yet with compassion; but their will, when most gentle, is always with cruelty: And I speak not this upon a bare suspicion; but I have evident proofs for what I say; For, false witnesses are risen up against me; and such as breathe out cruelty. I desired indeed to be led in a plain path; to the end I might walk upright, both before God and men; that so I might give my enemies no cause of offence; do nothing whereof I might be justly accused: but alas, what good hath my integrity done me? for so great is my enemy's malice against me; that when they cannot charge me truly, they accuse me falsely: and because they would not be seen in it themselves, they suborn witnesses: and because one witness would not be sufficient, Many; and lest their witnesses should be apt to relent; they have gotten such, as breathe out cruelty; such as make cruelty their living, and trade I may say, in no wares but cruel. Though I have a thousand witnesses of my innocence; my own conscience; yet these witnesses will not be heard in the Courts of the world: Alas no, I know one, an innocent indeed, who had greater witnesses than these, the witnesses of his pious and wonderful, and wonderful pious works; yet neither would these be taken for witnesses of his innocence; but in the Courts of the world, he was condemned as guilty.  
O my soul, I had utterly fainted under this burden, if it had not been for one thing; If I Verse 13 had not believed to see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living. The only hope of this, hath kept me from fainting: and how could it choose? being a Cordial made up of three sovereign Ingredients; a hope to see; and to see the goodness of God; and the goodness of God in the land of the living: three such Ingredients, that he must be one of a very faint heart, whom such a Cordial will not keep from fainting.  
But what ingredient of comfort, is a hope to see? for do I not see now, as well as I am like to do hereafter? were not our first Parents eyes opened in Paradise; and can we hope to see better, than they saw there? and do not our eyes stand as open as theirs still? O my soul, the opening of their eyes then, hath made us see the worse ever since: we see now, but as in a Glass, rather appearances of things, than things themselves; we see nothing now but colours, and colours are deceitful, and no trusting to them: the light I hope for, is to see, as I am seen; a sight not subject to either dimness, or dazzling: a sight that discerneth not only colours, but substances; and is not the hope of such a sight, a comfortable Ingredient to keep from fainting?  
But yet what good is it, to see goodness? for we see many good things, which yet we are never the better for seeing: But is it not true here, Videte & gustate? for such our seeing shall be: Vidchimus & gustavimus; our seeing shall be a tasting; our tasting, an enjoying; and enjoying is not properly of any thing, but in which there is joy; and where there is joy, must there not needs be comfort?  
But yet what more goodness of God can we hope to see hereafter, then now? for can there be a greater goodness of God to be seen then this, that he makes the Sun to shine, the rain to fall, upon both just and unjust? We see indeed now a great goodness of God: but we see it mingled with much badness of men; and may I not say with some badness of his too? for is there any evil in the City, and God hath not done it? but the goodness of God which I hope to see, is a goodness like to garbled spice, without any mixture at all of refuse stuff amongst it: a goodness not mingled with either evil of men, or evil to men; but pure and Impermixt as God himself is. The goodness of God which we see now, is a goodness in effects; but there is a goodness in God, which is as the cause: Not as having goodness, but as being goodness: Not only as imparting itself to us, but as communicating itself with us; and this goodness we shall then see, though now we cannot. Have Philosophers conceived, that if virtue could be seen with the eyes, Mirabiles excitaret amores sui; It would stir up in us a wonderful love; and will not the goodness of God, when seen with our eyes, stir up in our hearts, a wonderful joy? and is not the hope of such a joy a strong Cordial to keep from fainting?  
But why in the land of the living? for is not the world in which we now live, the land of the living? Are there not, in the water, living fishes? in the Air, living Birds? On the Earth, living Trees, living Beasts, living Men? and what can be thought of, more than these, to make a Land of the living? Alas! what Land of the living is this, in which there are more dead than living; more under ground, then are above it: where the earth is fuller of graves than houses; where life lies trembling under the hand of Death, and where Death hath power to tyrannize over life? No my soul, there only is the Land of the living, where there are none but the living; where there is a Church not Militant, but Triumphant, a Church indeed, but no Churchyard, because none dead, nor none that can die: where life is not passive; nor Death active: where Life sits crowned; and where Death is swallowed up in victory. And now make up a Compound of these Ingredients: Take first, a Hope of seeing, which is enjoying: then the goodness of God, not a quality, but a substance: then the Land of the living, where there is no dying: and now say, if such a Cordial must not needs be strong, of necessity be effectual, to keep from fainting? O therefore my soul, be sure to provide thee good store of this Cordial, that if at any time thou be oppressed, with either multitude, or malice; if at any time false witnesses be risen up against thee; if enemies at any time come upon thee, to eat up thy flesh; thou mayst have this Cordial in a readiness, and be able to say; Do the worst you can, I fear you not; for I believe to see the goodness of God in the Land of the living. This not only will keep thee from fainting, but will fill thy spirits, with ecstasy of joy: for it is grounded upon a principle of comfort, delivered by Saint Paul; The afflictions of this life, are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed: And what is this glory, but to see the goodness of God? and where to be revealed, but in the Land of the living?  
But all this yet, is but the hope of a Cordial; at most, but a Cordial of hope: but when will the Cordial itself, that is hoped for, be had? May I not stay so long waiting for it, that I may be weary with waiting, and faint with weariness? and then the Cordial will come too late? No my soul, Wait on the Verse 14 Lord; be of good courage, and he shall give thee strength: for as none is so worthy to be waited on, as God; so nothing is so worthy to be waited for, as this Cordial: and never fear weariness by long waiting for it, so long as thou waitest upon God for it: for, God that gives power to the Cordial, to keep thee from fainting, will give power to thy waiting, to keep it from weariness. Only be sure to have a good heart, and God will not fail to supply it with spirits: Do thou but only bring wood to the Sacrifice, and God will send fire from Heaven to kindle it.  
But how happens it, that David should give so good counsel to others, and yet follow it so ill himself? for he confesseth of himself in another place; that he is dejected, and bowed down; and can it stand with courage, to be dejected? But is it not, that to be dejected, is a Passive infirmity, to be courageous, an Active virtue; and there is no contradiction, to be Passively weak, and Actively strong, both at once. Or is it not indeed rather, that when he confesseth himself to be dejected, he looks upon his sin; and sin will deject any, that hath but eyes, and is able to see it; but when he counsels to be courageous, he looks upon God; and God is ready to give strength to any, that hath but a heart, and is able to take it. As therefore I said before, so I say again; Wait on the Lord: which can never be too much taught, because never enough be learned; never be too much said, because never be enough done.   

THE THIRTIETH PSALM OF DAVID.  
1I Will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.  
2 O Lord, my God, I cried unto thee; and thou hast healed me.  
3 O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave; thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.  
4 Sing unto the Lord, all ye Saints of his; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.  
5 For his anger endureth but a moment; weeping may endure for a night; but joy cometh in the morning.  
6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.  
7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong; Thou didst hid thy face, and I was troubled.  
8 I cried unto thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord, I made supplication.  
9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down into the pit? shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?  
10 Hear, O Lord; have mercy upon me; Lord be thou my helper.  
11 Thou hast turned for me, my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.  
12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent; O Lord, my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.   

MEDITATIONS UPON THE XXX. PSALM OF DAVID.  
IT seems to be a course in Nature, Verse 1 for Hosannas always to precede Allelujahs; and therefore the Exordiums of David's Psalms are commonly thus; Have mercy upon me, O God: hear my prayer, O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger: or some such form of Hosanna: but in this Psalm, contrary to his custom, he makes his Exordium of an Allelujah: I will extol thee, O God: And why is this done? is it out of Devotion, that he might get before hand, and begin with God in Praises, before God should begin with him in Benefits? O my soul, the showers of God's blessings are so continually poured down upon us, that it is impossible we should ever get before hand with God in Allelujahs. Although therefore he begin with an Allelujah, yet it is because God hath prevented him in his Hosanna: He will extol God, but it is because God hath lifted him up: Gods praise indeed is put in the Present Tense, but it is because his benefit is in the Preterperfect Tense: I will extol thee, O God; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.  
But if David will extol God; how will he do it? for to do it unworthily, it were better to be left undone, and who is able to extol God worthily? He will therefore perhaps call all the creatures of God to assist him, and say; Praise the Lord, all ye his Angels; Praise him all his Hosts; praise ye him Sun and Moon; praise him all ye stars of light: Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. But if it be expected he must extol him himself; and not look for help from others; He will then extol him in his exaltation, and say; Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: Or, he will extol him in his own humility, by kneeling, and falling down before him: he will extol him in his singularity, and say; There is no other God in heaven, or in earth, but only, thou O God: or he will extol him in his plurality, and say; Thou, O God, art wonderful in thy Being; Three Persons, and one God, blessed for ever. And if to extol him with say will not serve, he will then extol him with works, that men seeing his good works, may glorify our Father which is in heaven. And if neither words nor works will be sufficient; ho will then extol him with his silence, and his wonder: leaving that for Thought which cannot be expressed: and leaving that for astonishment which cannot be conceived.  
But why is it that David will thus extol God? Is it, that he may return a thankfulness answerable to the benefit: return it in the same kind, and answer it, as it were in its own language? He will therefore extol God, which is a kind of lifting God up: because God hath lifted him up, which is a kind of extolling of him. For as our extolling of God, is the highest work of our thankfulness; so Gods lifting us up, is the greatest benefit of his goodness. We are thankful to God, and aught to be, for his other benefits, even for casting us down: but we use not to extol him, but for lifting us up: For naturally indeed, we are all of us desirous to be lifted up; to be set aloft, and to be high in the world: for this pleaseth the eyes, that they may see the more, and pleaseth the whole body, that it may the more be seen: but this is not the lifting up that David means; but to be lifted up out of danger; and out of the reach of the arm of his enemies. O my soul, let this be thy comfort, that although thy enemies be many, and great, yet they are not more thy enemies, than they are Gods slaves; and can go no further, than the length of their chain, which is seldom so long to reach to triumphing. Satan was a bitter enemy to Job, and had certainly defeated him utterly, if God had not held him short in his chain; and though link after link, he eetched out his chain to a great length, yet he could never make it reach so fare, as to a Triumph. For it is not properly a Triumph, but when Dux Duci arma detrahit; When one General disarms another: and this could never be done to Job; for he kept on his Armour still; his Helmet of Faith; and his Breastplate of Righteousness, he never let it go off from him: that there could be no cause for Satan to triumph. Men commonly are not satisfied, unless themselves can triumph over their enemies: but it is enough for me, O Lord, that thou suffer not my enemies to triumph over me: for I aim not at glory, but at safety; I might then aim at glory, if I were the assailant: but now that I am only the assailed; what can I more desire than safety, and to be out of the reach of all my enemies? and such safety, without any glory, may well give contentment, seeing of all the miseries that can befall a man in this wretched world; there is none greater, none so great, as to fall into the hands of enemies, whose Malice, like the fire of Hell, is commonly unquenchable. Let a friend strike me, and it shall be a Balm to my head; but to be strucken by an enemy, who can endure it? The striking of a friend is out of love, and intends amendment; but the blows of an enemy are out of malice, and tend to ruin. It troubles me not, that my enemies rejoice, so their rejoicing have no relation to me: It troubled not Samson so much, to have his eyes put out, as to be brought out before his enemies, to be the laughingstock for them to rejoice at.  
But why will David speak thus; Thou hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me: as though it were God, that made our enemies to rejoice over us, and not their own spitefulness and malice? Is it, that permission is in God a kind of action; and therefore he may justly be said to do that, which he suffers to be done? Or is it, that in his anger, he makes our enemies the Executioners of his justice: and punisheth our neglect of rejoicing in him, with giving them power to rejoice over us? and so their rejoicing, is not more in us, his judgement; than it is in them his act and operation.  
But what enemies do we talk of, all this while? worldly minds have no fear, but of worldly enemies; and from such, perhaps worldly friends may free them: but the spiritual man fears rather spiritual enemies; and who can free them from such, but only thou, O God, that art the God of spirits? O merciful God, let not spiritual enemies have the victory over me; and I make no great reckoning of other enemies triumphing: Alas! I know that worldly enemies can never triumph over me, if spiritual enemies get not first the victory.  
And now, O my soul, if God have done this for me, have lifted me up above these enemies, above these enemies of both kinds, have I not a double cause to extol him for it, and to praise his Name? And yet I may say, I extol him not more for doing it, then for his readiness of doing it; For I cried unto him, and he healed me: I no sooner cried, but he heard me; he no sooner heard me, but he healed me; My suit was no sooner made, then granted; My disease as soon cured, as discovered; he kept me not languishing, by drawing out his cure in length; but he applied a present remedy, and prevented Hope with haste. As therefore I extolled him before for his love, in lifting me up above my enemies; so I must extol him now for his compassion, in being moved to do it, for my only crying to him; I used no intercessor, but my own voice, and he healed me; and for God to be moved with the cry of a wretched sinner; and so to be moved, as presently to heal him; Is it not a just cause to extol him, and say; O the wonderful bowels of compassion that are in God?  
Verse 3 To be lifted up from any place, is an act of Power; but the lower the place is, it is the greater act of Mercy; and can there be a lower place than the Grave? at least, than the grave of the Soul? and from this low place, was David lifted up, as ye may hear himself say; Thou, O Lord hast brought up my soul from the grave; Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down into the pit. But is not this a strange speech in David, as though there were a grave of the Soul, as there is of the Body? for if there be not, how then is it true, that God hath brought up his soul from the Grave? Is it perhaps, that he calls it the Soul, which is but the cementing of the Body, and life together? or that he calls it the Grave of the Soul, when it is in the lowest estate of vivifying the Body? What ever it be, it shows a great mercy in God, and a great power of that mercy, to raise him up, that was brought so low, and to keep him from falling into the Pit, that was fallen already to the pits brink. The truth is, that as sin is the death of the Soul, so continuance in sin, is the grave of the Soul; and in this Grave of continuance, did David's soul lie a long time: (Alas! the shortest time, in this case is long) till God by his quickening Spirit, restored him again to the life of Grace; that he had just cause to say; Thou, O Lord, hast brought up my soul from the grave, and hast kept me alive, that I should not go down into the Pit. Oh how many there are that have bodies walking above ground, when their souls are lying in the Grave? that are lusty and strong in the natural life; when in the spiritual life, they are dead and buried? yet so long as they lie not buried above four days, so long as they continue not in sin so long, till it have brought the Soul into an absolute corruption; there is example in Lazarus, and where there is Example, there is hope, they may be raised again to life, and be kept from falling into the Pit of perdition. And now, O my soul, though God have not lifted thee up to as high a place; yet seeing he hath lifted thee up from as low a place, as he did David: hast thou not as just cause as he to say; I will extol thee, O God; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not suffered my enemies, sin, and death, to triumph over me. And here I find myself so oppressed with joy, that I am not able to express it without assistance; and what assistance can I look for, but from the Saints of God? O therefore sing unto the Lord, all ye saints of his; give thanks unto him at the remembrance of his Holiness. It is not enough to praise him, if ye do not sing his praises; for it must be done with cheerfulness, and exultation; and it is not enough to sing, if ye do not praise him; for your joy must be in him, and for him: in his goodness, and for his glory.  
If it were to sing of another thing, I should require the whole Choir of God's creatures, to join in the singing; but now, that it is to sing of God's holiness; what should profane voices do in the Consort? None but Saints are fit to sing of holiness, and specially of God's holiness; but most specially with songs of holiness. O therefore sing to the Lord, all ye saints of his; and let your songs, be more of his praises, then of your own thankfulness: and let your thankfulness, not be so much for the benefits which you have received; as for the holiness with which they are bestowed: for God gives not his benefits, as the world useth to do, out of any corrupt affection, or with any corrupt intention; but there is a holiness in his giving, as well as in his gifts; and seeing the Cherubins, and Seraphins do continually cry to God; Holy, Holy, Holy: You that are his Saints may well afford to sing to God, at the remembrance of his holiness.  
But what holiness can there be in Anger? Verse 5 and is there not anger in God sometimes? and will not this then be a cause, rather of weeping to think of his anger; then of singing, at the remembrance of his holiness? O my soul, this need be no cause to break off the singing; for his anger endureth but a moment; and even anger itself, is in God a holiness; It is none of the things that are natural, and permanent in God; It is but forced upon him by the violence of sin; and as forced as it is, it stays not with him; it is but as a wind that passeth; Dum oritur moritur; It dies in the birth; Nothing lives, and is permanent in God, but only his favour, and his love, and therefore, Though weeping may endure for a night, yet joy cometh in the morning. And seeing our life is of this condition, that heaviness sometimes must as well be had as joy; it is happy for us, they are so disposed, that heaviness comes but in the Evening, when we may sleep it out; and when our senses are apt to be tied up from feeling it: but joy cometh in the Morning; when all our senses are waking to entertain it. What is the Evening, but the end of the day? and what is the Evening of our life, but the end of our days? and in this Evening indeed there is commonly heaviness; weeping for parting of friends that have lived together: but this heaviness is removed assoon as morning comes; for what is the Morning, but when the Sun riseth again? and what is our Morning, but when we shall rise again? and as when this morning comes, there will be a day that shall have no more Evening; so when this joy comes, all tears shall be wiped from our eyes, and there shall be no more weeping. Indeed all our great joys have ever come in the morning: It was a Joy that came in the morning, at the Birth of Christ; It was a Joy that came in the morning, at the Resurrection of Christ; It was a Joy that came in the morning, at the Descending of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles; and these Joys were then so great, that they have made us Feasts ever since: (Our Christmas, our Easter, and our Whitsuntide:) yet these Joys had their heaviness preceding: the Joy of Christ's birth, had the heaviness of his Mother's slight; the Joy of Christ's Resurrection, had the heaviness for his Passion: the Joy of the Descending of the Holy Ghost, the heaviness for Christ's departing: but these heavinesses were so presently followed with joys, that it hath made this Aphorism be found true still; Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. And now, O my soul, what need it trouble thee, to have heaviness in the Evening, so long as thou art sure to have joy in the morning? What need it trouble thee to be weeping for a time, when thou art sure of rejoicing, when time shall be no more?  
Hitherto I have been busy about singing God's praises, for lifting me up, which hath been his work; Now I must leave singing, and come to saying, to speak of my own work; And I said in my prosperity, I shall never Verse 6 be moved: but alas, if my singing were no Verse 7 better than my saying, it had been better for me, to have held my peace in both: for what a saying is this, to say; I shall never be moved? Is there any Mountain so strong, that it cannot be moved? and if no Mountain, how any man? but this is the insolent language of prosperity, to give over crying to God, and fall a boasting of itself. Alas! Prosperity hath neither good tongue, nor good eyes; as it made David say, he should never be moved; so it made him think it enough, that God by his favour had made his Mountain strong; but as for the maintaining it strong, to arrogate that to himself: when God knows, if once we leave depending upon God, and arrogate any thing to ourselves, our Mountain will soon be turned into a Valley, and our strength will go from us, as it did from Samson, when his hair was cut off; and this makes David say now; Thou didst hid thy face, and I was troubled: for as it is the favour of God, that makes our Mountain strong; and our Mountain being strong, we are kept from trouble: so it is the hiding of God's face, that makes our moutaine weak; and our mountain being weak, we are presently troubled; but rather indeed, if God do not as well maintain our mountain strong, as make it strong, we shall quickly bring our Mountain to a Molehill; we shall quickly either fall ourselves from our Mountain; or have our mountain to fall upon us.  
We see the Earth hath no comfort but in the Sun; and therefore if the Sun be removed, the Earth presently puts on Blacks; is pinched with cold, and covered with darkness: That which the Sun is to the Earth; thy Face, O God, is to me, and what marvel then, when thou hidest thy face; if I be left, as a disconsolate Earth, in trouble and mourning? God useth not to hid his face from any that depend upon him; and therefore as long as I put my trust and confidence in him, he was to me as a strong Mountain; I enjoyed his favour, and the light of his Countenance; but assoon as I left depending upon him, and trusted to my own strength, my Mountain was suddenly turned into a Valley; and I was left alas in a vale of misery. O therefore, my soul, notwithstanding any prosperity whatsoever; Do thou depend upon God for thy Mountain, both for making it strong, and for maintaing it strong, and never be moved to say, thou shalt never be moved; for to be immovable, is a privilege of God himself, and of God alone, and is not communicable to any creature. It is a false saying in any estate to say; I shall never be moved; but in prosperity, falsest of all: for he that is in prosperity, stands in a slippery place, and such a place is not capable of stability. What is prosperity but an earthy thing? and can any thing that is earthy be secure from moving, when the body of the Earth itself is moved? O my soul, the consideration of this; Alas! the feeling of this hath made me leave, both singing, and saying, and fall to my crying again: I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication: Verse 8 Indeed crying is the voice of a suppliant, and the fittest voice for a supplication: but yet why should David tell God of his crying to him, and say; I cried to thee, O Lord; as though God knew it not, without his telling it? No doubt, God knew of his crying, for how else did he hear it? and of his supplication; for how else could he grant it? and therefore it seems, he tells it not so much to God, as to us; that we may take notice, with what sacrifices God is pleased. For as there are divers sacrifices that are acceptable to God: so each of them, in the due time, is the fittest, and most acceptable: singing, fittest after a benefit obtained; and crying, fittest for obtaining a benefit: Allelujahs fittest, when we are in triumph: Hosannas, fittest when we are in distress. And therefore being at the present, in peril of his life; and delivered as it were into the hands of Death; the sacrifice he offers now, is a supplication; which yet seems not so much a supplication, as an Expostulation; Verse 9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down into the pit? shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? If I go down into the Pit, shall I not be turned into dust? and is dust good for any thing, but to be food for the Serpent? May I not do thee better service above ground, then under it? Alas! I shall be there but in the company of Worms, poor silly things, that are not capable of knowing thee: I am here, in the society of reasonable creatures, with whom I may join in extolling thy Praises. Hast thou not breathed into me the breath of life, and wilt thou draw in thy breath so quickly again, and leave me but dust, as thou foundest me at first? Though the service I can do thee be not great, yet it is more than dust can do: Hath dust a tongue, or a voice, or any instruments of life, for the declaring of thy truth? and why then wilt thou make a divorce of parts, which thou hast joined together of purpose, for that purpose? If I desired life for any end of my own, thou hadst just cause then, to make an end of my life; but now that I desire it, to do thee service, why wilt thou diminish the number of thy servants, and not leave enough for the service thou hast to do? Can any number be sufficient to praise thee? Can there ever be mouths enough to declare thy Truth? and may not I make one, a sinful one I know; but yet one in the number, if thou but please to spare me for descending into the Pit? But what Pit? I mean not the Pit, where the Apostate Angels are; I know they descended not, but fell; and I know the Pit they fell into, is a Pit of blasphemy: the Pit I fear descending into, is but a Pit of silence, and yet in one thing, is worse than theirs; for they in their Pit, retain their substance still; but I in this, shall lose my very Being; at least, the quantitas continua of my body, shall be turned into the quantitas Discreta of dust: and the frame compacted of all the Elements dissolved; I shall remain nothing, but as it were a few crumbs of Earth; and what can Earth do, when it is not assisted with fire and water? O therefore, Verse 10 Hear, O Lord; and have mercy upon me, Lord, be thou my helper: for if thou lend me not thine ear, how can I hope thou wilt show me mercy? and if thou have not mercy upon me, how can I hope thou wilt be my helper? Hear me, O God, while I am in a place, where I may be heard; for if once I be descended into the Pit, I shall quite then be out of all hearing. Have mercy upon me, while I am capable of mercy; for if once I be turned into dust, what mercy can I look for? Be thou my helper, O God, now that I am in a state to be helped; for if my blood in which my life consists be once shed; what good then will thy help do me? I place God's mercy in the midst here, because it must serve to both the other; both to make God to hear me, and to make him to help me: and God's mercy can do both; it can make him to hear me, though I were silent; and can make him to help me, though I were dust. But though God's mercy can do it, am I sure it will do it? O my soul, his mercy hath done it already: for it is the work of his mercy, that He hath turned my mourning into dancing, that he hath put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness. O wonderful conversion; the very same miracle, I may say, that Christ wrought at the Marriage in Cana, for to turn Mourning into Dancing; what is it, but to turn water into Wine? To have turned my mourning, but into comfort, had been a great work, and a great favour: but to turn my mourning into dancing; the extremity of sorrow, into extremity of joy; who could do this, but thou only, O God; with whom, as no Miracles are wonders; so no extremities are limits. Mourning is not properly, but for one that is dead: and indeed so near being dead was I, that I might well be said to mourn for my own death: not unlike the Swan; if it be true, that she sings her own Elegy: and now to have my mourning turned into dancing; the drooping act for Death, be turned into the most lively act of Life: what is it, but the Miracle, as it were, of Resurrection, and Ascension both at once? at least, from the lowest stair of misery, to be raised to the highest of happiness: and not Gradatim, by degrees and steps, but per saltum, by a motion more swift, than the Fiery Chariot, that carried up Elias into Heaven: and so the change not more wonderful, than the suddenness; Mourning turned into Dancing, a wonderful change; and done, as it were, in the turning of a hand, as wonderful a suddenness.  
And now to make me fit for Dancing; Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness: for indeed, if I had kept on my sackcloth still; I should have made but a heavy Dancer; but now, that my sackcloth is off, and I am girded with gladness; I shall leap as light, as Abraham did, to see thy day.  
I put on sackcloth when I was a Mourner; but now that I am to be a Dancer, I am girded with gladness: and if I mourned before, to think of God's anger; may I not justly dance now, to think of his favour? If I put on sackcloth before, as sorrowing for my sin; may I not justly now be girded with gladness, as rejoicing in my Saviour? For though it be God's mercy, that hath done this for me, yet it is his mercy in Christ my Saviour: without whom, his mercy alone would never have done it: He would never have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness, but for his sake, and through his means, that was anointed with the Oil of gladness above his fellows. My sackcloth was but a lose garment about me, which might easily be put off at pleasure, but my gladness is girt about me, to be fast and sure, and cannot leave me, though it would; at least, none shall be able to take it from me.  
And now, though this be spoken here in the case of David, yet it may be conceived as in Type for all the godly: if they mourn, and lie in sackcloth now; yet they shall ere long be girded with Gladness, and dance for joy; but what Dancing? Not like that of Herodias Daughter; for which Herod allowed her to ask half his Kingdom; but like that of David before the Ark; for which God without ask, will give us a whole Kingdom. And when shall the time be? Alas! it cannot be long: For they shall not go out of Egypt into Canaan, as the old Israelites did, by the tedious passages of a troublesome Wilderness; but their Mourning shall be turned into Dancing: a conversion as sudden, as when Moses his Leprous hand was turned to be sound again, by putting it only in his bosom.  
But to what end is it, that God hath done Verse 12 this for me? It may be thought, because he hath turned my Mourning into Dancing, and hath girded me with Gladness; that he hath done it to this end, that I might live in jollity, and spend my time with Belshazzar, in revelling and feasting: but there is no such matter: he hath done it to this end, that my glory may sing praise unto him, and not be silent: to this end, that not only I may praise him, but may sing his praises; and not only that I, but that my glory may sing them; and alas what glory have I? doth not all glory belong to God? Indeed so it is, my glory then sings his Praises, when I ascribe to him all praise and glory; my glory then sings his praises, when I praise him with all I have to glory in, with all the faculties and powers of my soul and body; those especially in which I was made after his Image, for this is my Glory.  
If this than be the end that God intends, shall I be so ungrateful, to cross his intentions? if he have given me a Tongue, and a Voice to serve him; shall I hold my peace, and be silent in his service? if he have turned my Mourning into Dancing; shall I be sullen, and slow to sing his Praises? Alas! my Dancing can never be kindly without Music; and what music so fit for it, as singing? and what singing so fit, as to the Ditty of his Praises? O my soul, seeing God hath procured thee liberty to Dance, thou mayst well afford to find the music: and yet neither my Dancing shall hearken to the music, nor my singing shall look toward the Dancing; but my Singing and my Dancing both, shall be addressed, and directed to God alone. Shall my heart be so set upon my joy, as to make me forget the Author of my joy? No, O God, my joy hath so sure a foundation, that I can never be unmindful of the Founder: I will give thanks to thee, O Lord, my God, for ever. Not for a time which will cease; Not as long as the Sun and Moon endure, which shall not always endure; not as long as I have breath in my body; No my soul, but as long as thou thyself hast Being; which being breathed into me by God, shall never cease; shall always endure; shall be forever.  
When I extolled God, I had relation to his Omnipotency: when I sung his Praises, to his Mercy; and now that I give him thanks for ever, to his Eternity: that now I may conclude, and say; O Almighty, most Merciful, and everliving God; to thee be ascribed all Honour, Praise, and Glory, world without end.   

THE THIRTY FOURTH PSALM OF DAVID.  
1I Will bless the Lord at all times; his Praise shall continually be in my mouth.  
2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.  
3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his Name together.  
4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and delivered me from all my fears.  
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed.  
6 The poor man cried, and the Lord heard him; and saved him from all his troubles.  
7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him; and delivereth them.  
8 O taste, and see how good the Lord is; Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.  
9 O fear the Lord, ye his Saints; for there is no want to them that fear him.  
10 The young Lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord, shall not want any good thing.  
11 Come ye children; harken unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord.  
12 What man is he that desireth life; and loveth many days, that he may see good?  
13 Keep thy tongue from evil; and thy lips from speaking guile.  
14 Depart from evil and do good: seek peace, and pursue it.  
15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous; and his ears are open to their cry.  
16 The face of the Lord, is against them that do evil; to cut off their remembrance from the earth.  
17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth: and delivereth them out of all their troubles.  
18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.  
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.  
20 He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken.  
21 Evil shall slay the wicked; and they that hate the righteous, shall be desolate.  
22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants; and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.   

MEDITATIONS UPON THE XXXIV. PSALM OF DAVID.  
ALas! what a Vow is this that Verse 1 David makes here? a Vow which he is sure before hand, he cannot keep: for is it possible for any man to bless God at all times? Is there not a time of pain and misery, in which Jobs Wife persuaded him to curse God and die? and can cursing of God, stand with blessing of God? O my soul, I take not my measure of blessing God from the last of that wicked Woman; it is not pain; it is not misery; it is not extremity of pain, or misery, that shall make me to break my Vow in blessing of God: but if it be thought so great a matter to bless God inmisery; I will stretch my Vow yet further, for I will bless him for misery: and I may truly say, if it were not for pain, and misery; I should want one special Motive for blessing of God.  
But yet there is a time of sleep, which is a tribute due to Nature; and is it possible to pay the tribute of sleep to Nature, and the tribute of blessing to God, both at once? If then sleep be of necessity so oftentimes, how can blessing of God be performed at all times? O my soul, when our waking is terminated with blessing of God; that blessing is in force till we wake again: for as in what place the tree falleth, there it lieth: so in what state the Soul goes to rest, in that state it resteth: If my soul say to God; I will lay me down to sleep, for it is Thou, Lord, only that sustainest me; my soul shall have it returned from God; Thus the Lord giveth his beloved sleep.  
But if thus perhaps be made good the continuance of Blessing God: yet in what consists the work of blessing him? Is it only in Thought, or only in a good intention? No my soul; his praise shall continually be in my mouth: for though the heart indeed be the Fountain of blessing him: yet out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh; and therefore it shall not be cloistered up in the Cells of silence, but it shall have vent, and be brought into the light; that if it be not said, that men seeing my good works, it may at least be said, that men hearing my good words, may glorify our Father which is in Heaven. But do I not by this, fall again upon my old difficulty? for if it seemed impossible before to bless God at all times, may it not justly seem as impossible now, that his Praise should continually be in my mouth? It may perhaps be true of the Angels, in whose mouths we know of nothing there is continually, but Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabbath: but to be verified of the mouths of men, seems a thing impossible; for is there not a necessity of speaking many things, besides God's praises? yet nothing must be spoken, but either his Praise, or to his praise, or else we break our Vow. And how then is this Riddle to be expounded? Is it not as Saint Paul expounds it: Wither ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do else; let all be done to the praise, and glory of God. And if all we do, may be done to the praise of God, then certainly all we speak, may be spoken to the praise of God: and indeed, seeing he never ceaseth to send forth continually his blessings; with what reason can we cease to set forth continually his Praises?  
But when I make this Vow to bless God at all times; I make it not presuming upon any ability in myself: Alas! I know my own weakness, and how unready I am to any goodness; but my soul maketh her boast in the Lord: Verse 2 My confidence is, that he who hath given me the resolution to will it, will give me also the power to perform it; that He who hath begun the work, will also finish it; and being so good an Architect, as he is, will not lay a foundation, but will as well also set on the Roof. If I should boast in myself, I should do wrong to God: but if I boast not in God, I do wrong to myself: seeing God is a strength to none, but to them that make him their strength; and none make him their strength, but they that make their boast of him. It is a hard matter to bring Boasting, and Humility, to meet together in one subject, between which there is so natural an Antipathy: yet here it is done: for this I may say is the humble boasting; where a vain man may glory without vainglory, where a weak Agent may presume without presumption: Not like the boasting of the Pharisee, so hateful in the eyes of God, so offensive in the ears of the humble: For the Humble can hear this boasting, and be glad, which they would never do; if it were not conformable to the rules of Humility. Can any boasting be greater than to say; I can do all things? yet in this boasting, there is humility, when I add; In him that comforteth me. For though God like not of boasting; yet he likes of this boasting, which arrogates nothing to ourselves, but ascribes all to him: and seeing my soul boasteth her self of God, I doubt not, but as the humble hear it, and be glad; so God sees it, and is pleased, and accepts my Boasting as a sacrifice of Humility.  
But to what end is it that my Boasting tends? Is it to set forth my own worthiness, and to vaunt of my abilities? Is it to tread in the steps of Lucifer, or to walk in the way of the Pharisee? God forbidden, the humble then would not be glad to hear my boasting: No my soul, it is to magnify the Lord; O therefore Verse 3 magnify the Lord with me; and let us exalt his Name together: for alas what am I to magnify his Name myself alone, if I have not company to help me? All I can do, and all the humble can do, is but to say; Not unto us, Not unto us, O Lord, but to thy Name give the glory; which is rather a vilifying of ourselves, than a magnifying of him: they must be creatures of a better mettle that can serve, and yet cannot serve to magnify him as they should: and it is not the work of a few: all the Millions of millions, in Heaven, and Earth, have enough to do, and more then enough, to exalt his Name: O therefore, ye Blessed Spirits of heaven; do you magnify the Lord, but take me with you in your company, that though I add nothing to the weight of the work; yet I may add one to the number of the workmen in magnifying his Name. We that are dwellers on the Earth, can exalt his Name no higher than the Heavens, and there you that be Inhabitants of Heaven must take it, and exalt it higher; and so between us all, we shall make a shift to exalt him to his true Elevation, for his Glory is above the Heavens. But if perhaps you think scorn of our company, as being men of polluted lips, and therefore not worthy to be of your Consort; yet the humble will make a consort by themselves, and will not, indeed cannot be kept from exalting his Name: for our Humility, is his Exaltation; and then we raise him up to the height of his Throne, when we cast ourselves down, as low as his Footstool: that it is but a divers expressing of the same thing in substance, whither we say; Let us exalt the Name of the Lord; Or let us fall down, and kneel, before the Lord our Maker.  
David is not wont to use Exclamations, but upon special occasion: if he use one here, and say; O magnify the Lord; we may know that to magnify his Name, is a thing of great importance: indeed so great, that all things besides it, at least all things without it, are nothing but vanity. O then all you that be exalted in Heaven, and all you that be humble in the earth; and lest any be left out where all are too few; O all ye works of the Lord; bless ye the Lord; Praise him, and magnify him Verse 4 forever. For I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and delivered me from all my fears: To seek, and upon seeking to be heard, is a great favour: but to be heard, and upon hearing to be delivered from all fears, is a favour that deserves Magnifying in the highest degree.  
But why is it that I sought him? is it not because I had lost him before? and why should I seek to get him again, and would not keep him, when I had him? O my soul, Carendo magis quam fruendo; We know the goodness of things, more by wanting them, then by enjoying them, though I could not see what happiness it was to have him; yet I see what misery it is to want him: and yet in this I account myself happy, that I have sought him while he was within hearing: for alas, if I had stayed from seeking him, till he had been out of hearing; What hope could I have had; of ever recovering him?  
But O the tender mercies of God, that hath not suffered me to put off, my seeking him so long: for, O my soul, it is no less his mercy that I seek him, then that he hears me; my desire is not more to have him, then his to be had; for how else could he have heard me as soon as I sought him, but that he stood listening, as it were, when I would seek him? and he heard me not as one that were indifferent whither he head me or no; but he gave me audience with no less Intention to grant my suit, than attention to know it; for hear the success of my seeking him; see the fruit of his hearing me; He delivered me from all my fears; To have delivered me from all my troubles, had been a great favour; but a fare greater, to deliver me from all my fears; for where that, would have but freed me from present evil; This secures me from evil to come; that now I enjoy not only Tranquillity, but security: a privilege only of the godly: The wicked may be free from trouble, but can they be free from fear? No, God knows, though they be not in trouble like other men, yet they live in more fear than other men; Guiltiness of mind, or mind of the world never suffers them to be secure; though they be free sometimes from the fit of an Ague, yet they are never without a grudging: and (if I may use the expression of Poets) though they feel not always the Whip of Tisiphone, yet they feel always her terrors; and seeing the Lord hath done this for me, hath delivered me from all my fears; have I not cause, just cause to magnify him, and exalt his Name?  
But is God's mercy confined only to me, and not extended as well to others? Yes, my soul, Deus omnibus idem; God is good to all: Verse 5 his mercy is over all his works; Not only over them, as being above them all; but over them as extended to them all: for other as well as I, Looked unto him, and were lightened. But should it not be rather said; God looked to them, and they were lightened, then to say; They looked to God, and were lightened? For God is Light, and when the Light looks to us, we are sure to be lightened: but we that are darkness may look to the Light, and yet continue in darkness still? but is it not, that the influence of God's favour descends upon the godly in a kind of correspondence to their service: if they cry, they shall be heard: if they mourn, they shall be comforted; if they humble themselves, they shall be exalted; so here, because they looked to God, they were lightened. Indeed Light is the proper inheritance of the godly, as being the children of light; which though they cannot deserve, yet they may expect; and have they not reason then to look to him, in whom it is, and from whom it must come? They little deserve to be lightened, that will not look to him that is their light: If it may be had for a look, and they will not do that; they worthily deserve to be kept in darkness. It is true, all would be lightened, but all take not the right course; they look not the right way: There are some that look to the stars to be lightened, because the stars indeed are glorious bodies, and give light to the world; and these are such as attribute all to Chance, and Fortune: and there are some, and these the worst some, that look to Lucifer to be lightened, because they think he bears not his name for nought; and these are such as light them Candles of impiety, and by impiety: but these are delusions, and impostures: the way to be truly lightened indeed, is to look to God: for he is the Father of Lights: and as there is nothing with him; so there comes nothing from him, but only Light. O then, my soul, look to God, and he will lighten thee; look to him with the eye of Faith, and the light of his Countenance shall shine upon thee.  
But though the children of the world be wiser in their Generation, than the children of Light; yet in this, the godly are the wiser: for they looked to God, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed: But may we not say then, the more shame for them? for is it not true which is said, that nothing belongs to us, but confusion, and shame of face? may we not be ashamed to show our faces to God, being so foul, and filthy as they are, seeing he endures nothing that is unclean? O my soul, as they that looked to the Brazen Serpent were presently healed; so they that look to God, are presently lightened: for though looking to the material Sun, be a cause to stain, and tanne the face: yet looking to the Sun of Righteousness is a means to cleanse it, and make it amiable: and why then should they be ashamed? Is it any shame to show our sores to our Physician? or any shame to show our faults to our Confessor? No more is it any shame to show our faces to God, though never so foul, and so full of stains, seeing he is the true Physician that only can cure us; He the true Confessor that only can absolve us.  
But who are they that were lightened? Perhaps Pauci quos aequus amavit: some few that were in his favour; perhaps rich men that could offer him Hecatombs, and plentiful sacrifices: No my soul; The poor man cried, and he heard him: and saved him out of all his troubles: Verse 6 for God is no accepter of persons; He neither regards the legs of the strong, nor the faces of the beautiful, nor the wealth of the rich; but whosoever they be that look to him, and fear him, they are sure to taste of his mercy and goodness.  
But though the poor man cried, are we sure he cried to God? he might cry out of sense of his misery; and what were this to move God to hear? O my soul, any crying of the godly, is a Music with which God is pleased, or at least is moved: if it be a crying out of sense of misery, God is moved with it in his mercy, if a crying out of Devotion; God is pleased with it in his Justice. O than my soul, rather never cry, than not cry to God: for by crying to him, thou gettest, I may say, two strings to thy bow: both his Mercy, and his Justice: and were it not folly to leave out one, where thou mayst have both? But though we know not what the poor man's crying was, yet we see what Gods hearing was: for hearing him, he saved him from all his troubles: and who would not cry, to be so heard? The world may think it a strange course in the poor man, to cry to God to deliver him from his troubles, being so fare off from him: but how fare was he from him, when he heard him? If he were so near to him, that he might hear him, he could not be so fare from him, but he might help him. O my soul, let the world think their pleasure; let them study, and plot, and cast about how to bring their purposes to pass; Do thou cry to God to deliver thee from thy troubles; for if thou cry, thou mayst be sure he will hear thee; and if he hear, thou needst not doubt but he will help thee. But yet mistake not the meaning, when it is said, that God saved him from all his troubles; as though, because he was a poor man, that therefore he was presently made rich: Or if he were in pain, that he had presently ease: for God goes not always the ordinary way of Physicians, to cure cold Diseases with hot Medicines; his ways of deliverance are oftentimes spiritual; and so Job might be said to be delivered from all his troubles, when God gave him patience to endure his troubles; but specially Lazarus might be said to be delivered from his troubles, when he was carried by Angels into Abraham's bosom.  
Verse 7 And here it falls out fitly to mention Angels; for the Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. We little think we have a continual guard about us, and less we think that we have a whole Camp for our guard; but least of all, that it is a Camp of Angels: oh how safe should we think ourselves, if this were so! O my soul, this is so, and yet we think ourselves not safe enough: and may it not then be justly said; What doubt ye of, O ye of jittle faith? But how can we think there be Angels to guard us; when we scarce think there be any Angels? for if there be, they must be creatures of God: and then certainly creatures of a most excellent nature: and would Moses then have left them out, in his Catalogue of Creatures, where he reckons them all up? Indeed for this very reason, because they are Creatures of a most excellent Nature, hath Moses left them out: for he speaks but of material Creatures, in this material world; of which number, the Angels are none. But we may think perhaps there are none, because we can see none: as though we could see a thing that is invisible? shall we therefore think we have no souls, because we cannot see our souls? We live now by Faith, and not by sight, and therefore can neither see souls nor Angels; we shall then see both, when we shall live by sight, and not by Faith. Alas! if we believe no more than we see, we seem not to live by Faith neither, for Faith believes that which it cannot see: Oh therefore my soul, to make it appear thou livest, and that thou livest by Faith; let this be an Article of thy Creed, that the Angels encamp and pitch their Tents about thee: that if at any time thou be assaulted, if assaulted by enemies, if by an Army of enemies, thou mayst have recourse to the confidence of this Guard, and never tremble for any Alarm: seeing there are more with us, then are against us.  
But how can the godly think they have a Guard about them, when it is for Princes only to have a Guard; and the godly for the most part are but private men? O my soul, this is a Guard that attends no less the poorest man, than the greatest Prince, and attends him with as much carefulness, as if he were a Prince.  
But if there be Angels to defend the godly, why do they not defend them? why do they suffer them to be so molested, so afflicted as they are? for who are in such troubles, who groan under such afflictions as the godly? and would this be so, if that were so? would they be so oppressed, if they had Angels to relieve them? O my soul, thou little considerest the infinite benefits that the godly re-receive by the ministry of Angels. If perhaps they suffer troubles of the body, do they not escape fare greater of the soul? If they endure perhaps some momentary afflictions, do they not avoid afflictions that would be everlasting? Is there not an Army of malignant spirits to assault them, and could they be safe from tearing in pieces; if there were not a camp of Angels to assist them? But though the Angels be a guard to the whole man, both body and soul; yet being creatures spiritual and invisible; they are chief a guard to the invisible and spiritual part, which is the soul. The body they know must go to the earth, and therefore though a part, is the least part of their care: It is the Soul they chief wait upon, because it is the soul they chief wait for: for they stand waiting for the soul, when it shall leave the body, that they may take it, and carry it into Abraham's bosom: for till then they break not up their Campe.  
And now, O my soul, seeing the Angels are so beneficial, and so good unto us; Oh taste, Verse 8 and see how good the Lord is: for by the goodness we find in the Angels, we may take a taste of the goodness that is in God: if it be a great goodness in the Angels to encamp about us: how great is his goodness that gives it them in charge? for the Angels would not do it, if God did not command them: Alas! they could not do it, if God did not enable them. Oh then, taste and see, how good the Lord is; Not how good the Angels are, though they be good, and exceeding good in their kind, as Ministers: yet what is this to the goodness of God, who is the Fountain of goodness to the Angels themselves?  
O then, Taste, and see how good the Lord is: for taste him we may, but we can but taste him while we live here, we shall not have a full comprehension of him, till we come to see, as we are seen, when we shall need no more encamping of Angels round about us.  
O then, Taste and see how good the Lord is; but how can we taste him that is not bodily? how see him that is not visible? Not him indeed, but his goodness: and not his goodness, neither in its self, but in its effects; and not in its effects neither, as they shall be, but as they are, which God knows, is but a small part of that they shall be.  
O then, Taste, and see how good the Lord is: if you would but taste him, you would never take pleasure in other meat: if you would but see him, you would never delight in other object: O my soul, if thou couldst but taste the sweetness; if but see the goodness that is in God, it would make thee fall into a greater ecstasy, than that of Saint Peter at the sight of Christ's glory in the Mount: at least it would wean thee from all the pleasures, that the taste, or the sight, can minister to thee in this vain world; for alas, what are the pleasures of the taste, to the sweetness that is in God, but as bitter Aloes, to the sweetest honey? What are the delights that pass by the senses, to the delight in God, that passeth all understanding? May I not justly say now: Blessed is the man that trusteth in him: for he that trusteth in God, and he only, is like to be admitted to taste the sweetness, and to see the goodnasse that is in God: which only are the things that can make us blessed. What is it to trust in God, but to depend wholly upon him, and to put all our confidence in him? To trust in the world, is to lean upon a broken reed; to trust in ourselves, is to lean upon a shadow; only to trust in God, is the true Terra firma, where the Angels pitch their Tents; and where if we fix ourselves, the gates of Hell can never prevail against us. What preserved Ionas in the Whale's belly? What, Daniel in the Lion's den; but only their trust in God? O than my soul, do thou also trust in God, and he will be the same God to thee, the same safeguard in thy dangers, as he was to Ionas and to Daniel. But yet let thy trusting in him be such as that thou presume not: for there are certain bounds that must not be passed: It is as dangerous to go too fare in trusting in him, as to be too short: and as it is Faith, that puts us on for coming too short, so it is Fear that keeps us off from going too fare: O therefore Fear the Verse 10 Lord ye his saints; for there is no want to them that fear him. Verily a strong Motive to make us fear God; seeing he that fears him shall want nothing. And yet the Motive not so strong, but the reason as apparent, for the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and Wisdom I may say is the godly man's Purviour: and what marvel then if he want nothing that hath so cunning a Purveiour as Wisdom, to keep him from want: but than it must be from want of things that are good: for to want other things, is no disparagement to Wisdom's pourveyance. O that men would understand how to distinguish between things that are truly good indeed, and things that but only seem good! we should then have a better world than we have, and men would never complain of want, when they have but too much: never be so earnest for supply of things, that truly considered, are but merely superfluous. If therefore one that fears God be in any want, we may know that the thing he wants is not good: for if it were good, he should not want it: it may perhaps be good in itself, but not good for him, and if not good for him, he cannot be truly said to want it, because indeed he were better be without it.  
But is Fear a thing of such force to supply our wants? One would rather think that boldness and courage should supply them? No my soul, for what creature so courageous Verse 11 as the Lion? Yet the young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: whether they be young Lions as depending upon the provision of their Parents; or young in the strength of their youth, that can provide for themselves; yet they sometimes lack and suffer hunger: for indeed strength of body, is not the best Purveiour: No my soul, nothing but wisdom makes the true purveyance, and no wisdom without the fear of the Lord; and therefore none but they that fear the Lord can be free from want.  
But is not this a fearful doctrine, that either we must fear, or else we must want? were it not as good to want, as to have our wants supplied by fear? Is not the Remedy worse than the Disease? Alas! this is but the objection of Children; either Children in years, or Children in understanding, who know not what Fear it is I mean: and therefore Come ye children, and hearken to me: I will Verse 11 teach you the fear of the Lord: It is not a Fear, that you need be afraid of; it is a fear, that will free you from all other fears; it is a fear that is Active; where all other fears are Passive: It is a Fear that works in love, and who would not love such a Fear? It is a Fear that is joined with Joy: a Fear, not to offend: but a Joy, for not offending: It is a Fear, not so much of God's justice, as of his Mercy: for there is mercy with him that he may be feared: It is not a Fear that will shorten your life, but be a means to prolong it: but than it must not be a bare speculative fear, but you must put it in practice: and these may be the rules: Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips Verse 12 from speaking guile: Depart from evil, and do good: seek peace, and pursue it. Long life was once promised before, to them that honour their Parents; and here it is promised again to them that love their Neighbours; for these Rules are as the whole body of moral Philosophy, and are therefore delivered in six parts, like the six Commandments of the second Table; which only concern our duty to Neighbours: and in all of them the quality of chief Predominance, and which keeps then all in tune, is Fear; Keep thy tongue from evil, for fear of the evil that may ensue: and thy lips from speaking guile, for fear lest thy guile be discovered to thy shame. Depart from evil; for fear of infecting: and do good, for fear of repenting: Seek peace, for fear of wanting it; and pursue it, for fear of losing it. The two first Precepts are the duty of words, for words must first be regulated, before works can be actuated; and they are both Negative; Keep thy tongue from evil: and thy lips from speaking guile: for it is not required of the tongue to be Eloquent; or of the lips to deliver Oracles: It is enough in the tongue, if it be not irreverent to superiors, nor detracting from equals: It is enough in the lips, if they be not charms to deceive, nor Equivocations to delude.  
The other Precepts are the duty of works, and they are four; where the Precepts of words were but two; because we must be more in works, then in words: and they are all Affirmative: for it is against the nature of a work, to be in the Negative: for so working should be no better than idleness: the two former are general, as general as Good and Evil; that if we meet with any thing that is Evil, our part is to Departed: for there is no demurring upon Evil; No dallying with baits: lest staying, we be stayed, as Eve was: Therefore depart from evil. If we meet with any thing that is good; our work is, to fall a working; for virtue consists in action, and is not so proper to be talked of, as to be done: we never read of any reward for good words only; but all reward is only for good works: Because thou hast done this; saith God to Abraham: Therefore do good. The two last Precepts are special; whither we call them special, as being particular, or as being excellent, for so is Peace: It is the legacy that was left us by Christ: and who would lose Christ's Legacy, for want of seeking it? Therefore seek Peace, and pursue it: but not pursue Peace, for this were to make war upon peace, but pursue the seeking of Peace: for though it be said; seek, and ye shall find; yet it is not said how long we must seek before we shall find: if therefore seeking Peace, you find it not at first, pursue the seeking it, and you shall find it at last. Agree with thine Adversary while thou art in the way; This is to seek peace: Leave thine offering at the Altar, and go first, and be reconciled: This is to pursue it, Or perhaps the counsel that Saint Paul gives to Timothy, may express it plainer: Be instant in season, and out of season: to be instant in season, is to seek peace: to be instant out of season, is to pursue it. Indeed if a man desire long life, and to see good days; he must have a special care of peace: whither it be peace in the humours, or peace in the Passions; whither Peace with God, or peace with men: they are all prolongers of life; and life is never shortened or disquieted, but for want of peace in one of these, and therefore that you may not be to seek of long life; seek peace, and pursue it.  
And now, O my soul, is there not great cause, that the fear of the Lord should animate all our words and works, when so great a Majesty, as the eye of God is looking upon them? when so sacred an Auditory, as the Verse 15 ears of God are harkening to them? For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous; and his ears are open to their cry; and can any man be so without shame, as to be without fear, when he is the spectacle which God is pleased to look upon? the speaker which he vouchsafes to hearken to? But, O my soul, as it cannot but make thee fear, so it cannot but make thee joy; for what greater honour, then to be the object of God's eyes and ears? What though the world regard thee not, as long as God regards thee? What are the eyes and ears of the world, but eyes and ears of scorn, or else of envy: of scorn, when in adversity, and of envy in prosperity? but the eyes of the Lord, are righteous eyes, and are therefore upon the righteous: his ears, are ears of compassion, and therefore are open to their cry. But are not the Eyes of the Lord, as well upon the wicked? and what privilege then is this to the Righteous? No my soul, his Eyes are upon the Righteous, but they are against the wicked; and not only his eyes, but his whole Face is against them, to cut off their remembrance Verse 16 from the earth: O my soul, as thou considerest with joy, the great force that is in righteousness, which draws the eyes, and opens the ears of God: so consider with trembling, the great force that is in sin, which not only turns away his Eyes, and stops his Ears, but makes him to bend his whole Face in fury; that if his favours of looking upon us, and harkening to us, cannot win us to fear him out of love: at least the bending his Face against us in anger, may force us to fear him out of terror: for he bends not his Face to make a show only, as though he did but set a face upon it; but it is to cut off the very remembrance of them that do evil from the Earth.  
But may not the wicked erect Tombs and Monuments, that will preserve their remembrance for many Ages: perhaps as long as the Earth shall endure? and how then is their remembrance cut off from the Earth? but from what Earth? is it not meant from the Land of the living? that in this may be seen the different condition, between the godly and the wicked; for as it is said here, that the remembrance of the wicked shall be cut off from the Earth; so it is said in another place of the godly, that they shall be had in everlasting remembrance: and where is any everlasting remembrance to be had, but in the Land of the living? Indeed to have their remembrance cut off in this Earth, is not worthy of Gods threatening: It is the cutting off from the Land of the living, which is the blotting them out of the Book of life; that is a work worthy of Gods setting his Face against them, and this may well be called a cutting off; not only because it shall come suddenly upon them, but because they are never like to be heard; Alas! never like to be heard of any more, which can never be the condition of the godly, for they can never be so out of remembrance, but that they shall be always heard of God: For the righteous cry; Verse 17 and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.  
But how is it like to be true, that the godly shall never be forgotten, when they seem to be forgotten already while they live? for how else should it happen, that they are more in trouble, in more trouble than other men, but that God hath cast them out of his remembrance? O my soul, their very being in trouble, is a certain argument that God remembers them: if he had not remembered Job, and his righteousness, he would never have given Satan so much leave as he did to trouble him. For indeed, though troubles be judgements to the wicked; and are as the first blows to cut off their remembrance from the earth, yet they are but trials to the godly, and do but serve to make their remembrance be the fresher. Do we not see how Trees are nipped with frost and cold, and not so much as a leaf left hanging upon them, scarce so much as life remaining in them? but is it not to renew in them the fresher springing, and to make way for fruits in a greater plenty? and such are the troubles of the godly, they end in deliverance; and though they be bitter for the present, yet they make the joys afterward to taste the sweeter. And what marvel, if God hear the cry of the righteous, being so nigh unto them as he is? For the Lord is nigh unto them, that are of a broken Verse 18 heart: Not broken with envy, as many are: Not broken with despair, as some are; but broken with sense of their sin, as the righteous are; for this only is the broken heart, to which God is nigh: and he is not nigh it, in vain: No my soul, it is good having God to be our neighbour; for he saves all them to whom he is nigh; He saves all them that be of a contrite, and humble heart: the lower they are in their own eyes, the higher they are in his: and when their heart is broken with sense of their sin, he makes it whole again with supply Verse 19 of his grace. It is true; Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers them out of all. For the righteous have many enemies, and therefore must needs have many troubles; but their troubles are not troublesome, because they have the Lord for their deliverer; if it be sickness, he makes their bed, in their sickness: If it be hunger, he fills the hungry with good things, when he sends the rich empty away: if it be Death itself; Domini, Domini sunt exitus mortis; the issues of Death are all in God's hands: and all this while, though their heart be broken, yet their bones are whole still: They may have thorns in the flesh, but not a bone of theirs is broken: for one of Verse 20 their bones is Faith, which though it may be shaken, yet it cannot be broken: Another of their bones is Hope, which though it may be battered, yet it cannot be broken: and Patience is a bone, which may be vexed, but can never be broken: for in all of them, the Lord hath a hand; He upholds the righteous, that they cannot fall: He strengthens them that they cannot faint, and as long as their bones be whole, they are able to stand upright, and shrink not for any burden, that either the Flesh, or the World can lay upon them. And though David in this, have an eye perhaps upon Christ, of whom indeed there was not a Bone broken; yet what is spoken of the Head, may not incongruously be applied to the Members: and in the soundness of Christ's bones, the bones of the godly are kept from breaking. But the troubles of the wicked are of another nature; for, Evil shall slay the wicked; Verse 21 and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. Their hearts perhaps are broken too, but because they are not broken with sense of their sin, but with spite and malice to the Righteous, there shall be none to make them whole, but their own evil, shall be their own destruction; and having none to deliver them, they shall be left desolate, and without all hope of help. But shall not the wicked than have this good by being desolate, that as they have none to help them, so they have none to hurt them? Alas! it needs not, they do it fast enough themselves; for Sin is a recoiling Poison; it turns violently bacl upon them that commit it: and it may be truly said of every wicked man, that he is Felo de se, a Murderer of himself. Though Righteousness of itself, doth not save the Righteous, but they need a Saviour besides; yet wickedness of itself destroys the wicked, they need no other Destroyer: Perditio tua ex te, O Israel; Thy destruction is from thyself, O Israel.  
And, O my soul, what great Examples there are to verify this saying; They that hate the righteous, shall be desolate. When Cain hated the righteous Abel, was he not thereupon made desolate, and became a Vagabond, forsaken both of God and man? but in a higher degree; when the wicked Jews hated Christ the righteous, was there not a Voice heard as of Angels, saying; Migremus hinc: Let us departed from this place? and thereupon left them desolate, without Prince, or Prophet; without Temple, or Altar, to this day? You may say perhaps, that Cain might easily be made desolate, having killed his brother in a time, when there was no more in the whole world, but that one Family: but how can the wicked be made desolate now, when Totus mundus in maligno est positus; When all the world is full of them; and no Beasts so herd together as they do? But is it not, that Desolateness consists not so much in want of company, as in want of comfort: was Job the less desolate for having company, of whom to say; Miserable comforters are ye all? much less shall the wicked be the less desolate for having company of whom to say; Miserable Tormentors are ye all: for alas, all their company, shall be either Companions in their torments, or Companions their tormentors: which can never be the case of the godly: for though they be not so perfect, not to have their faults, yet they are so happy, not to have them imputed: for being God's servants, He will redeem them: though they be taken captive, yet he will not suffer them to continue Captives: but rather than not redeem them, he will give his only Son to be their ransom.  
But yet how can the godly choose but be Desolate, when the whole world scarce affords enough to make a company? and where then can company be had to keep them from being desolate? O my soul, they have Angels to pitch their Tents about them, while they live here, and hereafter they shall come to be Citizens in the New Jerusalem, where they shall have company enough: Priests, and Patriarches; Prophets, and Apostles; Martyrs, and Confessors; blessed Virgins, and chief the Blessed Virgin; but above all, where they shall see the Blessed face of God; whose only sight is able; whose sight is only able to keep from being desolate: and then at least I shall be as able to perform my Vow, as now I am ready to make it: I will bless the Lord at all times; his Praise shall continually be in my mouth.   

THE EIGHTY FOURTH PSALM OF DAVID.  
1HOw amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!  
2 My soul longeth; yea, even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord: My heart, and my flesh, cryeth out for the living God.  
3 Yea, the Sparrow hath found an house; and the Swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young: even thine Altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King, and my God.  
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; they will be still praising thee.  
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; and in whose heart are thy ways.  
6 Who passing thorough the valley of Baca, make it a Well: the rain also filleth the pools.  
7 They go from strength, to strength; every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.  
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of jacob.  
9 Behold, O God, our shield; and look upon the face of thine Anointed.  
10 For a day in thy Courts, is better than a thousand: I had rather be a door keeper in the house of my God, then to dwell in the tents of wickedness.  
11 For the Lord God is a Sun and a shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.  
12 O Lord of Hosts; Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.   

MEDITATIONS UPON THE LXXXIV. PSALM OF DAVID.  
WHen we cannot express the Verse 1 greatness of a thing in direct terms; we are feign to fly to wonder, and so doth David here; because he cannot express sufficiently how amiable the Tabernacles of the Lord are; he therefore falls to wondering, and helps himself with a question: How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts? But is not David's wondering itself wonderful, that the Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts should be so wonderfully amiable? Is it not a wonder they should be amiable at all? For are not his Tabernacles, Tents of War? and is there any thing in War that can be amiable? If he had said; How terrible are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts; his wonder had been with some congruity: for the Lord of Hosts is terrible in all his works: but to say, How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts; seem to imply a contradiction: for though they may be amiable, as they are Tabernacles; yet they must needs be terrible, as they are Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts: and when this terribleness hath made an abatement in their Amiableness: What place will be left for wonder, to give cause to say; How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts? But if he had said; How terrible are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts; though it might have been wonderful in the degree, yet it could not be wonderful in the kind: for what wonder is it, if the Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts be terrible? but when he saith; How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts; this is not only wonderful in the degree; but in the kind, much more. For what can be more wonderful, then that being Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts, they should be amiable, and so amiable, as to be wondered at? But is it not, that God is in himself so amiable, that all things of His, even his Terrors themselves are amiable: his Tabernacles and his Tents; his Sword, and his Spear; his Darts, and his Arrows; all amiable: Terrible no doubt to his Enemies; but amiable, wonderful amiable to all that love and fear him: and great reason they should be so; seeing they are all in their defence, and for their safeguard: though they be Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts to the wicked, yet they are Courts of the Prince of peace to the godly: and this makes my soul to Verse 2 long for the courts of the Lord. For I desire indeed to be a Courtier, yet not as I am now; God knows I am very unfit for it: but because God's Courts are such, they make any one fit, that but comes into them: they receive not men fit, but make them fit; and he that was before, but a shrub in Baca; assoon as he comes into the Courts of the Lord, is presently made a Cedar in Lebanon.  
Indeed, if his Tabernacles be so wonderful amiable; they must needs be as wonderful attractive, for there is no such Adamant as Amiableness: Nothing that so powerfully attracts, and draws all hearts unto it. And to know the measure of their Amiableness, by the power of their Attracting, you need but look upon my soul: For, my soul longeth, and even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord: which it would never do, if it were not for their wonderful amiableness, that attracts, and draws it by a kind of violence, indeed by a kind violence unto them.  
Every Amiableness is not so great to make a longing: Nor every longing so great, to make a fainting: Nor every fainting so great, to make the soul to faint: Oh then consider, how great this Amiableness is, which makes my soul not only to long, but to faint with longing? And blame me not for fainting, as though it were my own fault, that would not restrain my longing: for seeing his Tabernacles are of infinite amiableness, they must needs work in me an infinite delighting; and that delighting, an infinite longing: and what restraint can there be of that which is infinite? No alas, my fainting is but answerable to my longing, and my longing but answerable to the Amiableness: If I had the offer made me, which was made to Christ, to enjoy all the Kingdoms of the Earth, but with condition to want the Courts of the Lord; this want would bring to my soul a greater grief, than that enjoying, would give it contentment: for seeing his Tabernacles are so amiable, where he is Lord of Hosts; how amiable must they needs be, where he is Prince of Peace? and Prince of Peace he is in his Courts, though in his Camp he be Lord of Hosts.  
And that you may know it is not the weakness of my soul, that it faints with longing: (for indeed weak spirits are apt to faint upon every light occasion) but that it is the very operation of the wonderful attractive power, that is in the amiableness of his Courts: see my Heart, and my Flesh also, how they are drawn to long after the Lord, which they would never do, if it were not for some wonderful amiableness that is in him: for you may well think, it must be an Adamant of a wonderful attractive power, that can draw these heavy I rons of my heart, and my flesh unto it: for indeed, though my Soul have a longing for the Courts of the Lord, yet my Body perhaps could be content to want them; there are Courts in the world, that might please my Body as well; perhaps better than these, but God forbidden: God forbidden I should be one, to have my soul and body divided while they are united, to have my soul run one way, and my body another: No, I am none of those; but assoon as my soul longed for the Courts of the Lord; My heart, and my flesh fell a longing for the living God: As my Soul longed for the Place, so my heart, and my flesh, for the Person: for my heart, and my flesh, are of a duller apprehension; they must have a present Enjoying of that they long for, or they cannot be satisfied: but my soul is of a clearer sight, and knows if it can but come to the place where he is, it shall be sure withal, to enjoy his presence, and with his presence, his Person. The Soul indeed is a spiritual substance, and therefore it is natural to the soul, to long after spiritual things; but the flesh is an earthly substance, and therefore it is natural to the flesh, to long after earthly things: and as long as these two are linked in the Body together, they will always be working upon one another, always seeking to draw each other to their party: and if the Soul can draw the flesh, to go her spiritual way, than all is well: it is as it should be: but if the Flesh draw the Soul to go her earthly way, than all is out of order; there will be no longing for the Courts of the Lord, for they are spiritual, and are never longed for, but where the Soul is predominant, and hath the leading. And this is the order in David's longing: first his Soul gins to long for the Courts of the Lord; and this is yet but a single cord: but then comes in, the Heart, and the Flesh too; and make it a Cord of three, that is impossible to be broken. Indeed the Courts of the Lord are so exceeding amiable, that it is impossible, but every soul must needs long after them: but yet every soul considers not what belongs to this longing: but as Balaam longed to die the death of the Righteous, yet was loath to live the life of the Righteous; so there are many that long for the Courts of the Lord, but are loath to live the life of such Courtiers. They that be in King's houses, wear silk, and soft raiment, because so it is fit for the honour of the place; and they that will be in the Courts of the Lord, must likewise wear raiment, that is fit for the holiness of the place: they must be clothed with the soft raiment of meekness, and humility; they must put on the robe of Righteousness, and the garment of Sincerity; or because they are Courts of the Lord of Hosts: their clothing must rather be in Armour, as Saint Paul expresseth it; they must take the shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit; and if they come thus Clothed, and thus Armed, they may justly then be said, to long for the Courts of the Lord: but if they wear not these garmen, their longing will prove but a false conception, and they shall hear it said: Friend, what makest thou here, without a Wedding garment?  
If my God were, as the Gods of the Heathen, that have bodies, but live not; that have ears, but hear not; my heart, and my flesh, would then never cry after him, that could not hear them: but now that he is a living God, and hath ears to hear; how can they now forbear to cry after him, that cannot be without him? for alas, if he should leave them, what would become of them? what would my heart be, but as a dead corpse; and what would my flesh be, but as the Coffin?  
Thou afford, O Lord, thy meanest creatures, Verse 3 their places of rest and pleasure; The Sparrow hath found an house; and the Swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young: and wilt thou not afford me to enjoy thine Altars, the only places of rest and pleasure to my soul? Alas! O Lord, if thou wilt not afford me thine Altars, for places of pleasure; at least afford them to me for places of Devotion; that if I cannot make them a Nest for my young ones; my humble Meditations, and my penitent submissions; at least I may offer upon them, the sacrifices of Prayer, of praise, and .  
I knew before by thy Courts, thou wert a King; and now I know by thine Altars, thou art a God; that confidently now I can say; O Lord of Hosts, my King, and my God: that if I feared thee before, as Lord of Hosts; I honour thee more now as my King: and adore thee more yet as my God; which as they are to thee, the tender of my dutifulness; so they are no less to me, the means of my blessedness: Verse 4 For blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will still be praising thee.  
But alas, how happens this? There were Tabernacles before, as belonging to a Lord; and Courts, as belonging to a King; and Altars, as belonging to a God: and now to be but a House, as belonging to a private man? and so all this great Rising to end in a Fall? No, my soul, it is no Fall: it is an aggregation rather of all the other; for where his Tabernacles did but serve to show his Power: his Courts but to show his Majesty, his Altars, but to show his Deity; his House serves to show them all: for in his House there will be still praising him: and his Praise and Glory is the sum of all. Or is it, that to dwell in God's house, is a kind of appropriating him to ourselves, seeing his Tabernacles, and his Courts, lie open to strangers; his House, open to none but his servants: and seeing in the nearness to God, and conversing with him, consists all true blessedness; therefore, Blessed are they that dwell in his House. But how dwell in it? Not to look in sometimes, as we pass by; or to stay in it a time, as we do at an Inn; but to be constant abiders in it day and night, as to which we have devoted ourselves, and vowed our service.  
But it may be doubted, when David saith; Blessed are they that dwell in God's house: What Dwelling it is he means; whither dwelling in it, as Tenants, or as servants? for if as Tenants, it is like there is some Rent to be paid, and there is small Blessedness in paying of Rent: It would be a more blessed thing, if they could dwell in his House, and pay him no Rent. If as servants, it is like there is some work to be done, and there is small blessedness in working: It would be a more blessed thing, if they could be his servants, and do no work, and how then comes any Blessedness in, by dwelling in his House? Indeed take it either way, let them dwell in his House as tenants, or as servants, and they shall be Blessed: let them have Rend to pay, as Tenants; let them have work to do, as servants, and yet they shall be blessed: and that which may seem most strange, the Rent, and the Work which seem to hinder their blessedness, is the very thing that makes them be blessed: for they are both but one thing, both but praising of God; and praising of God is the only thing, that whether they be Tenants, or Servants; whether Bond, or Free, will make them be Blessed.  
And yet there is a Dwelling that hath not yet been thought of; a Dwelling indeed that makes the true Blessedness: and it is, to dwell in God's house, neither as Tenants, nor yet as servants, but as sons: for neither Tenants nor Servants, abide in the house for ever, only the Son abideth for ever: and therefore though the House of God seem a meaner Title, than his Tabernacles, and his Courts; yet to us, it is the more comfortable title, seeing it makes us to be sons, which neither his Tabernacles, nor his Courts can do.  
But how appears it to be true, that they who dwell in God's house, will always be praising him? seeing it is but seldom seen, that servants be so forward to praise their Masters? O my soul, it is not so much the good dispositions of the servants; as the infinite worthiness of the Master, that makes them to praise him: for when they see the admirable O economy of his Government, when they see how sweetly he disposeth all things in weight and measure, when they find him to use them more like children, than servants; what heart can be so ungrateful as not to praise him? and seeing by dwelling in God's House, they see these things continually; therefore they that dwell in his House, will always be praising him.  
But is it not a strange reason of Blessedness, to say they are blessed, because they are still praising him? to be praised themselves, might perhaps be some blessedness: but what blessedness can it be to praise another? Indeed if that other, were but such another as ourselves, it could be none: but when that other is such, as that there is not such another, or rather not another at all, to praise such a one, certainly must needs be blessedness, or there can be none; and such a one is God: for alas what are we, but that in him we live, and move, and have our Being: He only is All in All. O my soul, if it were not for praising of God, there had never been Created such a thing as Praise: at least we may justly say, that God, and Praise, are as truly Relatives, as any that are found in either Art, or Nature.  
You may say then, It is like to be an easy matter to be Blessed, if there go no more to Blessedness, but praising of God. Mark therefore how David speaks; They will be still praising him. It is not enough to praise him; it must be a praising him still, before it will make a Blessedness, and though to praise God be an easy matter; yet to praise him still, will be found a busy work; indeed to flesh and blood a miserable work; for if I be still praising him, what time shall I have for any pleasure? O my soul, if thou make it not thy pleasure, thy chief, thy only pleasure to be praising him; thou art not like in haste to come to Blessedness. And marvel not that David speaks thus under the Law; When Saint Paul under the Gospel saith as much: Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do else; let all be done to the glory, and praise of God. And indeed, how can I doubt of attaining to Blessedness by praising of God; when it is praising of God; that makes the Angels in heaven Blessed? for the seeing of God, would never make them blessed, if seeing him, they did not praise him: and praising him would never make them blessed, if they did not praise him continually; crying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabbath: for as we praise God here on Earth, with saying, O Lord God of Hosts; because here, he fighteth for us against our enemies; so we shall praise him in heaven with saying, O Lord God of Sabbath, because there he will give us rest from our enemies.  
Verse 5 But if it be thought that praising of God will not be enough to make Blessedness, or not to make Blessedness enough; at least, take this with it, and it will surely be enough: Blessed is the man whose strength is in God: and in whose heart his ways are. For though our praising of God, being our own work must needs be too weak to make a blessedness; yet when our strength is in God, this makes it his work, and then our blessedness hath a sure foundation. When we trust to our own strength for Blessedness, we are often deceived, indeed as often as always; but when our strength is in God, we may rest secure; our blessedness is upon a Rock, and cannot be shaken. But then God's ways must be in our hearts: for what way hath his strength to the heart, if his ways be not in the heart: That's their place, if we look for strength from him. Are we not in a continual fight against Sin; and have we any strength to fight, but only in him? and will he take it well to be placed in a Wing? No my soul, he will strengthen us no longer than he is placed in the heart of the Battle: That's his place, if we look to be strengthened in him.  
It is not enough that God's ways be known, if they be not walked in; nor walked in, if not embraced: and it is not enough to embrace them with the arms, which is oftentimes feigned, and but only complimentall; they must be embraced, with the two arms of the heart; Integrity, and Sincerity: Integrity will embrace them all; Sincerity will embrace no other. Though God's ways be many, yet they must all go into one Heart; if any be left out, the rest will not tarry; though they must be in singleness of heart, yet they must not be single in the heart; They are fruits that grow in clusters, not one by one.  
There are many that have Gods ways in their mouths, can talk holily, and make Sermons of godliness, though they be no Preachers; but because they draw near to God with their lips, and their hearts, are fare from him; they are like to have but the Pharisees entertainment, not so well justified as the Publican. There are many that have Gods ways in their hands, they give alms plentifully, they distribute their bread to the Poor liberally; but because their left hand knows what their right hand doth; they have their reward already. They that have Gods ways in their hearts, they only are in the right way to blessedness, and no rubs of the world can turn them out of the way. For when God's ways are in the heart together, they lend assistance to Verse 6 one another; For passing thorough the Valley of Baca, they make it a Well; the rain also filleth the pools, That which seemed an impediment turns to a furtherance; at least, no misery can be so great no estate so barren, but a godly heart can make it a Well; out of which to draw forth water of comfort; either water to cleanse, and make it a way to Repentance, or water to cool, and make it a way to Patience; or water to moisten, and make it a way of growing in grace; and if the Well happen to be dry, and afford no water from below; yet the rain shall fill their pools, and supply them with water from above; If natural forces be not sufficient; there shall be supernatural graces added to assist them: that though troubles of the world seem rubs in the way to blessedness: yet in truth they are none, they hinder not arriving at the mark we aim at; they hinder us not from being made Members of Zion; they hinder us not from approaching the presence of God: No my soul, they are rather helps; for by this means, we go from strength to strength; from strength of Patience, to strength of Hope; from strength of Hope, to strength of Faith; from strength of Faith, to strength of Vision; and then will be accomplished that which David speaks here; Blessed is the man, whose strength is in God; and in whose heart his ways are.  
If my strength were not in God, I should not dare to call upon him, being Lord of Hosts: but now that my strength is in him, and that I know he is Lord of Hosts for me, and not against me: a Shield to me, a Sword only to my enemies: now I have confidence to say: O Lord God of Hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, Verse 7 O God of Jacob: for as I doubt not but he will hear me, though he be Lord of Hosts: so I have much more confidenne, he will give ear unto me, being the God of Jacob: for he hath made a Covenant with Jacob, and with his posterity for ever: that he will be their God, and they shall be his people: of which number, it is my happiness that I am one; not after the flesh, which profiteth nothing, but according to Faith, the only thing that makes the true Israelite.  
But yet what good will it do me, that God hear my prayer, and give ear unto it, if he be still averse, and turn away his Face? O therefore, Behold, O Lord, our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed: For I shall never come to look upon thy Face, if thou vouchsafe not first, to look upon mine: if thou afford me not as well the benefit of thine Eyes, to look upon me, as the favour of thine Ears to hear me; I shall be left only, to a bare expectation, but never come to the happiness of Fruition; but when thou vouchsafest to look upon my face; that look of thine, hath an influence of all true blessedness, and makes me find what a happiness it is, to have the God of Jacob for my shield.  
But it should seem that this Prayer belongs only to David, or at least to Kings, who like David are the Lords anointed, and what is it then to us that are private persons? It is true indeed, that Kings are the Lords anointed in a special manner: but yet every child of God is his anointed too; for why else is it said of Christ, that he was anointed with the oil of gladness, above his fellows; if it be not that his fellows, meaning the children of God, be anointed too? Anointed no doubt with the oil of Grace; but to be anointed with the oil of gladness, is the very thing I pray for here: the very thing, that makes me long so much for the Courts of the Lord: For one day Verse 10 in his courts, is better than a thousand: It is not so much the length of time, as the measure of joy that makes the blessedness: Or is it, that one day which shall never end; as the day is in God's Courts, is better than a thousand which have an end, as all the days of this world are. If he had said, one day in his Courts, is as good as a thousand; though this had been a mighty odds, yet it had been but a thousand to one, there had at least been some proportion: but when he saith; One day in his Courts, is  than a thousand; this seems to exceed all possibility of comparison, and leaves no place for any proportion. Indeed one day in his Courts, gives seisin of Eternity, where a Thousand that are spent any where else, are but steps of Mortality. If I be but one day in his Courts, I shall see that which will be a joy unto me, all the days of my life: where if I be a thousand in any other Courts; I shall see nothing but vanity, and vexation of spirit, that which will grieve me to think of, as often as I remember it. And as it is true in respect of Time; so it is no less true in respect of Place: For, I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, then to dwell in the tents of wickedness. But is it such a disparagement to be a Doorkeeper? What was the Angel with the flaming Sword, but the Doorkeeper of Paradise? and is there not a conceit, that Saint Peter is the Doorkeeper of Heaven? Which though it be a vain conceit, yet it may lead us to this congruous interpretation of David's speech, to conceive as if he said, that he had rather be Saint Peter in the house of God, then be Annas, or Caiphas, in the Court of Herod. Indeed in the sense that Christ is a Door; David may well be content to be a Doorkeeper: and though in God's House, there be many Mansions; yet seeing all of them are glorious, even the Doorkeepers place is not without its glory. But if you think the Office to be mean: consider then whose Officer he is: for even a Doorkeeper is an officer in God's house; and God never displaceth his Officers, unless it be to advance them to a higher: Where in the Courts of Princes, the greatest Officers are oftentimes displaced; turned off often with disgrace. However it be, it shows not only the great glory of God's House, but the great humility of David's heart; and that he is not of the ambitious humour of the Mother of Zebedees' sons, whom no place would serve for her sons, but to have one of them sit at his Right hand, the other at his left. O gracious God, grant me but a Doorkeepers place in thy house, and I will never aspire after any higher room: Not that I desire, to let in, and keep out whom I please, but that I may thereby have liberty to walk in thy house, and to enjoy thy Presence, in whose presence is the fullness of Joy for evermore. What are the Tents of wickedness, but like Caves that have no light, and like Vineyards that have no Fences? and is there any comparison to be made between such Tents; and the meanest place in the House of God, where God not only affordeth Light, but is Himself the Light; Not only is a Defendor, but the Defence itself? For the Lord is a Sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. I had heard Verse 11 before, that In sole posuit Tabernaculum suum: God hath placed his Tabernacle in the Sun; But I never knew he was himself a Sun till now: but what Sun? Not the Sun that is but the child of light, but the Sun who is the Father of Lights: Not the Sun that was not, till three days after it was light; but the Sun that was before ever any light was made; Not the Sun which the Heathen commit Idolatry in worshipping; but the Sun whom it is Idolatry not to worship. Oh that the Heathen would all worship this Sun: it should not then be said; Plures adorant Solem orientem, quam occidentem: That more worship the Sun rising, then setting: for this Sun once Risen, never sets again; once shining, is never any more Eclipsed. Oh then vouchsafe, O God, if thou be a Sun, to lighten my darkness; if a shield, to protect my weakness: if thou be a Sun, warm my soul with the beams of Devotion; if a shield, defend my soul from the blows of Temptation: if thou be a Sun, O shine upon me, with the light of thy Countenance; if a Shield, O stand between me, and the assaults of Satan; for alas, O Lord, I am darkness, and weakness, the Anvil of temptations, the very Butt of Satan, if thou be not a Sun, and a Shield unto me. O my soul, God will do more than this; He will give grace and glory: Grace to be a Shield unto us, and Glory to be a Sun unto us; He will give Grace to prevent us, and Glory to follow us: Grace, to walk uprightly; and Glory, if walking uprightly: Grace for a foundation to Glory, and Glory for a Crown to Grace: and if these things be not enough, he will do more yet: Do thou but walk uprightly, and what good things soever there are in God's gift, they shall all be given thee: for No good thing will God withhold from them that live uprightly.  
But how is this true, when God oftentimes withholds Riches, and Honours, and health of body from men, though they walk never so uprightly? We may therefore know, that honours, and riches, and bodily strength, are none of God's good things: they are of the number of things indifferent, which God bestows promiscuously upon the just, and unjust, as the rain to fall, and the Sun to shine: The good things of God, are chief Peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, in this life; Fruition of God's Presence, and Vision of his blessed Face, in the next: and these good things God never bestows upon the wicked, never withholds from the godly; and are all cast up in one sum, where it is said, Beati mundo cord, quoniam ipsi videbunt Deum: Blessed are the pure of Heart, (and such are only they that walk uprightly) for they shall see God. But is walking uprightly such a matter with God, that it should be so rewarded? Is it not more pleasing to God to see us go stooping, then walking upright; seeing stooping is the gate of Humility; than which, there is nothing to God more pleasing? It is no doubt a hard matter, to stoop, and go upright, both at once; yet both must be done, and both indeed are done, are done at once by every one that is godly; but when I say, they are done both at once, I mean not of the body: I know two such postures in the Body both at once, are impossible: but the Soul can do it, the Soul can stoop, and go upright, both at once; for than doth the Soul walk upright before God, when it stoops in humility before God and men.  
And what remains now for David to do, but to bring in the conclusion upon the Premises, seeing the Lord of Hosts, though his Name be dreadful, yet his Nature is lovely, seeing he is a Sun to cherish, and a Shield to Defend; seeing he gives Grace and Glory, and withholds no good thing from them that walk uprightly; Therefore blessed are all they that put their trust in him.  
And what remains now for us to do, but to receive this Conclusion of David, as an absolute Demonstration: and thereupon to walk uprightly, and to put our whole trust and confidence in God, through the merits of his Son Christ Jesus; for than we are sure, we are in a sure way, of attaining to Blessedness, to Eternal blessedness: that after this, we may leave our wondering, yet continue our Admiring; How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord God of Hosts!   

THE HVNDRED AND THIRD PSALM OF DAVID.  
1BLesse the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.  
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul; and forget not all his benefits.  
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy infirmities.  
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness, and tender mercies.  
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; and reneweth thy youth like the Eagles.  
6 The Lord executeth Righteousness, and judgement, for all that are oppressed.  
7 He made known his ways unto Moses; his Acts to the children of Israel.  
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious; slow to anger, and full of compassion.  
9 He will not always chide; neither will he keep his anger for ever.  
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.  
11 For as high as the heaven is above the earth; so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.  
12 As fare as the East, is from the West; so fare hath he removed our transgressions from us.  
13 Like as a father pitieth his children; so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.  
14 For he considereth whereof we are framed; he remembers that we are but dust.  
15 As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.  
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more.  
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting, to everlasting, toward them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children.  
18 To such as keep his Covenant; and remember his Commandments to do them.  
19 The Lord hath prepared his Throne in heaven; and his kingdom ruleth over all.  
20 Bless the Lord ye his Angels, that excel in strength: that do his Commandments; harkening unto the voice of his Word.  
21 Bless the Lord, all ye his Hosts; Ye Ministers of his, that do his pleasure.  
22 Bless the Lord all his works, in all places of his Dominion: Bless the Lord, O my soul.   

MEDITATIONS UPON THE CIII. PSALM OF DAVID.  
Bless the Lord, O my Verse 1 Soul: O how well they are fitted! for what work so fit for my Soul as this? Who so fit for this work as my soul? My body, God knows is gross, and heavy, and very unfit for so sublime a work; No my soul, it is Thou must do it; and indeed what hast thou else to do; it is the very work for which thou wert made, and O that thou wert as fit to do the work, as the work is fit for thee to to do. But alas, I fear that by coming into this Body of earth, thou art become in a manner earthy, at least hast lost a great part of thy abilities, and wilt never be able to go thorough with this great work thyself alone. If to Bless the Lord, were no more but to say, Lord, Lord, like to them that cried, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord: then my tongue alone would be sufficient for it, and I should not need to trouble any other about it: but to Bless the Lord is an eminent work, and requires not only Many, but very able Agents to perform it; and therefore my Soul, when thou goest about it, go not alone; but, Take with thee, all that is within me; all the forces in my whole Magazine, whether it be my Heart, or my Spirits; whether my Will, or my Affections; whether my Understanding, or my Memory; take them all with thee, and Bless the Lord.  
And of them all, make use first of my Memory: Verse 2 Forget not all his Benefits: for to remember his Benefits, is indeed a principal part of Blessing him. And the sooner thou goest about it, the better thou art likely to perform it: for forgetfulness is a thing, that grows soon upon us, and nothing sooner than forgetting of benefits: our Memories, are very apt to retain Injuries, but very unapt for retaining of Benefits: For as long as we remember a Benefit, we seem to stand upon the rack of an Obligation to requite it: and who is not willing to come off a Rack, by any means he can; and then rather by forgetting a Benefit, then by requiting it? and perhaps we think it a kind of payment, if we can but forget we own it. But O my Soul consider, that God expects no Retaliation of us; he looks for no requiting at our hands; Alas! He knows we are not able: He takes it in good part, if but only we remember his Benefits; and should we not be most ungrateful, they being so great, and so many as they are, if we should not afford him so much as the remembering them? But as to forget all his benefits, were a wonderful forgetfulness; so to forget none at all, were as wonderful a Memory: for what memory can be so vast, not to forget some, when they be so many? Indeed so many, that they cannot be numbered. And what then, O my Soul, wilt thou do in this case? if thou canst not choose but forget some of his Benefits, yet forget not all his Benefits; if thou canst not remember all, at least remember some: Forget not, It is he that forgiveth Verse 3 all thy sins; it is he that healeth all thy infirmities: Remember but these, and they will always minister matter enough to keep thee in work for blessing his Name. For, to forgive all my sins, O my grievous, my manifold sins, that I know not whether they be more, or more grievous: whether their Number, or their Greatness be the greater; is it not a benefit that may justly claim a prime place in my memory? If it were but only to be favourable in punishing my sins, it were a benefit worth remembering; but to blot my sins clean out, and absolutely to forgive them, and that freely, without any desert of mine; Alas, without any possibility of deserving; This is a Benefit that no Lethargy can forget, indeed a benefit that deserves remembering in the highest degree. And yet perhaps, to forgive all my sins, not a greater benefit, then to heal all my infirmities; (This being the chief work of his Grace, as that of his Mercy) for seeing my sins, many of them, and upon the matter, all of them, be sins of infirmity: (for even wilfulness, and presumption, are of infirmity) by healing my infirmities, he prevents me of sinning: and is it not, as great a benefit, to keep me from committing sins, as to forgive my sins, when I have committed them? But, O my soul, meddle not with this high point of Heraldry, to discuss, which is the greater of God's Mercy, or his Grace: They are both an Abyssus: it is work enough for thee, and for all that is within me, to Bless him for both: and for both indeed thou hast just cause to Bless him, seeing it is by the virtue of both, that thou art able to Bless him. If it were not for his Mercy, thou wouldst want the material cause of blessing him, if it were not for his Grace, the efficient: but now that there is a concurrence of both together; Now that both he forgiveth all thy sins in his Mercy, and healeth all thy infirmities by his Grace; Now, O my soul, what would it argue but extreme ungratefulness, fare exceeding a forgetfulness, both in thee, and all that is within me, if thou shouldst not Bless his Name? For, O my soul, consider the multitude of infirmities, to which thou art subject; thou hast many suggestions of the flesh: and thou art apt to consent, and yield unto them, and strivest not against them by earnest Prayer, and holy Meditations; This is an infirmity. In thy prayers to God; thy thoughts are often wand'ring, and thou thinkest of other matters, fare unworthy of that great Majesty to whom thou prayest: or if not so, yet thou art quickly weary, thy spirits are drowsy in it, and thou hadst rather be doing of something else: This is an infirmity. And indeed thou hast infirmities in all thy senses. In thy seeing, thou canst see a moat in thy brother's eye, and canst not see a beam in thine own eye. In thy smelling, thou thinkest Suavis odor lucri ex re qualibet; that the savour of gain is sweet from whence so ere it rise. In thy Hearing; Thou art gladder to hear profane, and idle discourses, than such as be serious, and holy: These are infirmities: and, O my soul, if I should cut thee up into as many parts, as an Anatomist, and examine the infirmities of every part; should I not have cause, just cause to cry out with Saint Paul, O wretch that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sin? Who shall heal me of all these infirmities? for whether we call them sins, and then God forgives them; or call them Infirmities, and then he heals them: they are to us, all one benefit; in God, all one kindness; that as either of them is well worth remembering; so for both of them, we have just cause to bless him, and to praise his Name.  
But, O my soul, as thou remember'st these things; that both he forgiveth all thy sins, and healeth all thy infirmities: so remember also their consequences too; for upon these, there are great matters depending, as worthy to be remembered, as the things themselves. For alas my soul, thou wert by sin come to be Mortal; and the sentence of Morte morieris, was passed upon thee: but now, by forgiving thy sins, this sentence is reversed: by healing thy infirmities, thy life is Redeemed; it is taken out of the hands of the Destroyer, and put into the hands of a Redeemer; and a Redeemer not only from Captivity, but from destruction: for Captivity takes away but only thy liberty, but destruction would take away thy very Being: and can it be thou shouldst not keep that in memory, which is itself the cause, that thou hast a Memory? for what memory couldst thou have, if thou hadst not a Being? and what Being couldst thou have, if thou wert destroyed? and destroyed thou shouldst be, if thou wert not Redeemed; and Redeemed thou canst not be, unless thy sins be forgiven. This no doubt, is a consequence never to be forgotten; and yet perhaps there is a consequence behind, of greater consequence than this: For this (my soul) gives thy life but only a duration; but there is a consequence a coming, that will give it an exaltation: For, he crownes thee with loving kindness, and with tender mercies. To be madk a King, is an eminent favour: but to be made a King from being a Captive, where not only the Quo is so considerable, but the Unde more; this is indeed a supereminent favour, and hardly capable of expressing. And this is thy case, for where before thou hadst fetters upon thy feet, thou hast now a Crown upon thy head: and not a Crown gotten by violence, and worn with fear: but He crownes thee with loving kindness, and tender mercies. His kindness would have made a Crown good enough for thy wearing; but his loving kindness, makes it a Crown worthy of his giving. And if there be doubt, that his mercies alone may not be ready enough, to bestow this Crown upon thee; yet of the readiness of his tender mercies, there can be no doubt: there can indeed be no doubt, seeing his loving kindness, and his tender mercies, are the Crown itself, which he bestows. For, O my soul, when I speak of a Crown, thou must not fancy to thyself, such a Crown as Kings of the earth wear: For Christ professed plainly, that his Kingdom is not of this world, and therefore neither must thine be: but consider the extent of God's loving kindness, and of his tender mercies, and thou wilt find a better Crown laid up for thee; then all the Kingdoms of the Earth put together, can afford. O gracious God, grant me the Crown of thy loving kindness, and tender mercies; and all other Crowns I willingly lay down at the foot of thy Throne, with the four and twenty Elders: This only is the Crown to which my soul aspires, for only this Crown makes sin, and Death to be my subjects; Rebellious sin, that can never be brought into subjection, but only by this Crown, O God, of thy loving kindness, and tender mercies. These indeed are Consequences most worthy to be remembered, but yet perhaps not apt to be remembered, for are they not of too high a strain? and what the understanding doth not well apprehend, the memory doth not easily retain: He will therefore descend to Benefits of a lower Verse 5 rank: He satisfieth thy mouth with good things; and renews thy youth like the Eagles. This no doubt is apt to be remembered, because it falls within the compass of sense, for who is not sensible of good things, and specially when they be good things for the mouth? for, all the labour of man, is for the mouth: All that the hands work for, and all that the feet toil about, is all but for the mouth: so long as we may have green Pastures, and still Waters; so long as we may have meat and drinks, not only to satisfy hunger, but to please the palate, we care not greatly for any thing else. But, O my soul, these are not the good things that are here meant; and yet even this perhaps were worth the caring for, if it might continue: but alas, the days will come, when I shall say, I have no pleasure in them: the time will come, when my mouth will lose its taste; and what good then will these good things of the mouth do me? No, my soul, no fear here of old age; no fear of defect by reason of years: For, thy youth shall be renewed like the Eagles; There shall be no loosening here of the silver Cord, no breaking of the golden Bowl; but as the Eagle by mewing her feathers, renews her youth: So thou (my soul) by mewing thy feathers, which is by casting off this frail Tabernacle of thy flesh, shalt perpetually be kept by the powerful hand of God, in a state of vigour. Indeed the life we live now, is the greatest part no life; for Childhood is scarce come to it, and Old age is almost past it; no time properly remaining to life, but only the short time of youth: but the life that God hath in store for them that fear him; not only shall be always, but shall be always Youth, and no defect of Age shall be able to take hold upon it.  
But may we not now begin anew, and conceive rather, that when David calls upon his soul to bless the Lord; and not to forget all his benefits: He means, he would have it to remember all his benefits; and therefore he presently falls to reckon them all up himself; not singula generum, but genera singulorum; Not all in particular, but the general Heads, under which, all the Particulars are comprehended. And he gins with forgiving of sins, because this is the Foundation, this is that which reconciles us to God, and which makes us capable of all his other benefits. But alas, what good will his forgiving my sins do me, if he stay there, and go no further? for shall I not be committing of new sins continually; and so God shall be always forgiving, and never the near? Never the near, unless he be always forgiving. To help this therefore, his next benefit, is the healing all my infirmities: for this takes away that aptness to sin, to which we are all of us by nature so prone and subject. But alas, what good will both these benefits do me, if he yet stay here, and go no further? seeing I am now a captive, and already condemned to die the death? for should not my case be like to theirs, who upon the scaffold ask the King forgiveness, and when he forgives them, yet they are put to death nevertheless. His next Verse 4 benefit therefore is a remedy for this: For he Redeemeth thy life from destruction: He not only frees thee from captivity, but preserves thee from perishing. But alas, what good yet will all these do me, if he should yet stay here, and go no further? for when my sins be forgiven; when my infirmities healed; when my life redeemed; yet what am I more by all this, then as it were an Abrasa tabula at most, what have I more to take joy in, than every other ordinary creature? He will now therefore Coronidem imponere; give a benefit that shall perfect all: For, He crownes thee with loving kindness, and tender mercies; Whatsoever is within the compass of his loving kindness; whatsoever within the extent of his tender Mercies; he will not only make thee capable of it, but will freely bestow it all upon thee. And who can deny, but this now is a perfect Inventory of all the benefits, for which the soul hath cause to bless the Lord: to bless him in respect of itself; though there are other benefits indeed to the body, for which the soul must bless him too; for alas, the body is not able, not able of itself without the soul, and they are soon reckoned; for they may be reduced to these two; Sustentation, and Renovation: For he satisfieth thy mouth with good things; and thy youth is renewed like the Eagles; as much as to say, Thou shalt have the happiness of the Epicure, and of the Stoic both at once; at least, there shall be no fear of hunger and thirst: No drooping with Age, nor ruins of Time.  
And now, O my soul, let not my being in trouble, and oppressed with sorrows; make thee doubt of the truth of these things; for besides Verse 6 these benefits: The Lord executeth Righteousness, and Judgement, for all that are oppressed: Righteousness to them, and Judgement for them: For as it is righteous with God, that his servants who are here oppressed, should hereafter be comforted, and be made partakers of all these benefits: so it is his Judgement to the wicked, who are their oppressors, that they should feel hereafter, the full measure of Gods wratth, as it were in their revenge. And this Righteousness, and this Judgement, he not only deliberateth, and determineth; he not only promiseth to the godly, and threatens to the wicked, and then leaves them undone: but he is perfect in all his ways; he is truly Real, and puts them most assuredly in execution: at least, he executes them Per se, or Per alium: either by himself, or by his Angels: For indeed this part of his Judgement, which is inflicting of punishment, is not properly in God Opus suum: and therefore no marvel if he leave it, to be done by Angels, as he did at Sodom: but though the Ministry be theirs, yet the Execution is His: all the power is only from him.  
And although the executing his Righteousness, and his Judgement, be inter Arcana sua; things hidden from us; at which we may stand amazed, but can never understand them: yet he hath oftentimes revealed them to his servants the Prophets, and specially to his servant Moses; For he made known his ways unto Verse 7 Moses, his Acts to the children of Israel: For when Moses went up to the Mount Sinai, and tarried there with God, the space of forty days; we may well think that God in that time, revealed many secrets to him: and particularly made known his ways, not only his ways in which he would have us to walk; but his ways in which he walks himself: and the course he holds in the Oeconomie, and government of worldly affairs; why he suffers the wicked to prosper, and why the godly to be oppressed. These ways of his, he made known to Moses; to the children of Israel, only his Acts: He shown them his Wonders upon Pharaoh, and that was his Judgement: and he shown them his wonderful favours to themselves in the Wilderness, and that was his righteousness; but he shown them not his way, and the course he held in them: They saw only the Events of things, they saw not the reasons of them, as Moses did; no more do we: nor is it fit we should: It is enough for us, enough for our comfort, that we know this of God in general; That he is merciful and gracious; Verse 8 slow to anger, and full of compassion: Not that any slowness is in God, but his slowness is his Patience, and his Patience is out of compassion: for alas, if God were as ready to anger, as we are ready to provoke him to anger we had long ere this, been turned to dust, and utterly consumed.  
O my soul, here are four properties spoken of to be in God; and are all so necessary, that we could not miss one of them. If he were not merciful, we could hope for no pardon; and if he were no more but merciful, we could hope for no more but pardon; but when besides his being merciful, he is also gracious; this gives us a further hope, a hope of a Donative: and then it will not be, what we are worthy to receive, but what it is fit for him to give. If he were not slow to anger, we could expect no patience; and if he were but only slow to anger, we could expect no more but patience; but when besides his slowness to anger, he is also full of compassion; This makes us expect, he will be the good Samaritane, and not only bind up our wounds, but take care also for our further curing. What though he chide, and be angry for a time: It is but our being patiented awhile with him, as he a long time hath been Verse 9 patient with us: For he will not be always chiding; neither will he keep his anger for ever: No my soul, consider the rule of Nature; that Nullum violentum est diuturnum: and you will find it true in the God of Nature: Mercy, and Compassion, are kindly, and natural in God, and therefore these will continue, and never leave him: but chiding, and anger, are things, I may say, violent, and not natural in him; and therefore it cannot be that these should last, or continue long with him. Certainly it is as unpleasing to God to chide, as it is to us to be chidden; and so little he likes of Anger, that he rids his hands of it as fast as he can: he is not so slow in coming to it, but he is as quick in getting from it: for chiding is a bar to Mercy, and Anger an impediment to Compassion: and nothing is so distasteful to God, as that any block should lie in the way of his Mercy, or that the liberty of his Compassion should have any cause of restraint: and then we may be sure, he will not himself lay a block in the way with chiding, nor be a cause to restrain his Compassion, by keeping his Anger. And we may the better be persuaded of this, in that which is to come, by taking notice of that which is past: For, He hath not dealt Verse 10 with us, after our sins; neither rewarded us, according to our iniquities. Though he have chidden, yet he hath not strucken: or if he have strucken, yet his blows have not been great, not so great to do us any hurt, for there is mercy in his very Anger; and though we keep ourselves within no bounds of sinning, yet he keeps his Anger within the bounds of Mercy. Alas! O Lord, if thou shouldst deal with me after my sins; as I have used no measure in my sinning; so thou shouldst use no measure in my punishing, and what then could I expect to befall me, but utterly to perish?  
But why is it that God hath not dealt with us after our sins? Is it not because he hath dealt with another after our sins? Another who took our sins upon him: of whom it is said, that God chastened him in his fierce wrath: and why did he chasten him, but for our sins? O gracious God, Thou art too just to take revenge twice for the same faults: and therefore having turned thy fierce wrath upon him, Thou wilt not turn it upon us too: but having rewarded him according to our iniquities, thou wilt now reward us according to his Merits. O Dear Jesus, let not thy painful sufferings be made frustrate by my sinful do: but so mediate between God and my sins, that he may turn away his angry Countenance from me, and look upon me only with the eye of his Mercy. And, O my soul, how canst thou doubt of this, when As high as the Verse 11 Heaven is above the Earth; so great is his mercy towards them that fear him: and who would wish for a greater mercy to be in God, than this? But yet the distance between Earth and Heaven, though great, and indeed very admirable great, is but a limited distance: and is there then a limitation, and a boundary of God's mercy? May I not as truly say, as low as Hell, is beneath the Earth; so great is my sin in the sight of God? and how then am I sure, that God's mercy is any greater than my sins? and if not greater, how can it pardon them? O my soul, though the height of Heaven be limited, yet God's mercy hath no limitation, for his Mercy is above all his Works, and therefore above Heaven the work of his hands. Or if he seem to set a limitation to God's mercy, is it not perhaps, because there is some sin that is not capable of his Mercy? for sin against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven, either in this world, or in the world to come. But, O my soul, though God's mercy be without limitation, yet let it not make thee the bolder to sin: for though it be so great, yet it is so great to none, but to them that fear him: for to them that fear him not, it is not so great; Alas! it is not great at all: Alas! it will be none at all; but if thou fear him, and to fear him, is to fear to sin: then thy sin can never be so great, but that God's mercy, which is as high as Heaven, will bring thee to be admitted into the kingdom of Heaven.  
But if you think this distance of height, from Earth to Heaven, not sufficiently to express the greatness of God's mercy; then take the distance of length, from East to West: For as fare as the East is from the West; so fare Verse 12 hath he removed our sins from us: that if the East, and the West, can never come to meet together; no more shall our sins be ever able to come against us in the sight of God. But alas, this gives not so good satisfaction as the other: for though the distance from East to West, be vast indeed to us; as to which our sight cannot reach, though we should use all the Perspective glasses of the world: yet what is this to God, who can as easily see from East to West, as if they were hard by, and close together? But is it not that all God's mercy to us, is only in Christ: and may we not then conceive, that these Distances are represented by the manner of Christ's hanging upon the Cross; where his Feet, and his Head, seem to point from Earth to Heaven; and the stretching out his hands, seems to point from East to West? But though Relation to Christ be not the ground of these expressions; yet it cannot be doubted, but that they sufficiently express the greatness of God's mercy; seeing they are the greatest distances, that humane apprehension is capable to conceive.  
But if you be not satisfied with these expressings from Distances of place; then take an expressing from the affection of Nature: Verse 13 For as a Father pitieth his children; so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. And now let any that is a Father, examine his own Bowels, how much he pities his children, and then say; If Gods pity to them that fear him, be not in a very high degree. Certainly if any Name, could express a greater pity, than the name of a Father, Christ would never have taught us to use this Name in making our prayers. And who could be so fit to make this comparison as David, who gave a testimony of it in himself, by making his moan; O my son Absolom, my son, my son Absolom; would God I had died for thee; O Absolom, my son, my son: that now it seems, God's pity is matched; and this example reacheth home, to express the greatness of God's pity to the full: No my soul, it is too short yet: for though the pity of a Father may reach to be willing to die for his Child, yet God's pity reacheth further; not only to be willing to die, but to die indeed: and not only for a Child, but for his Enemies; for when we were enemies, even than did Christ very God die for us: that God's pity holds the supremacy still, and cannot indeed be matched; alas, it cannot be expressed by any thing that is in man.  
But though there may be comparison in the tenderness of their pities, yet in the ability there can be none; for a Father pities oftentimes a child, when he cannot help him: but God's pity, is always active and powerful, and never without relieving: that though it be commonly said; It is better to be envied, then pitied: yet here it is not so: but it is a fare happier thing, to be pitied of God, then to be envied of men.  
But whom is it that God pities? only them that fear him; and indeed Fear is a thing that deserves to be pitied: for it makes the joints to tremble, and puts the spirits in amazement. But O my soul, it is not such a Fear that is here meant; but this Fear is all one, I may say with love, and differs but in the Object: for looking upon God's Justice we fear him: and looking upon his Mercy we love him: although we love him for his Justice too, and we fear him for his Mercy too: for as there is Mercy with him, that he may be feared; so there is Justice with him that he may be loved.  
But why is it, that God pities them that fear him? Indeed he hath cause enough to Verse 14 pity them: For he considers of what we are framed; He remembers that we are but dust: and alas, what is there in dust to help itself, if God in mercy take not pity upon it? When God looks down upon us, and sees how foul we are grown, whom he Created clean: hath he not cause to fall a chiding, and to be angry, yet when he considers of what we are framed, and that we are but dust; this is some cause again, to make him leave his chiding, and not to keep his anger for ever; that we may truly say, Our miseries are our happiness: for if it be our misery, that we are framed of so mean a matter as Dust; It is our happiness, that we have the meanness of our matter, for God to take into his consideration, and perhaps this was it; at least one circumstance that made so ill for the Angels that fell, that God could find no excuse of their sin in their matter; the more he considered of what they were framed, the more he found he had cause to be angry; and therefore no marvel, if his anger to them continue for ever.  
But this is every one's case to be framed of Dust; and why then should God pity some, more than others, seeing they be equally of Dust, All? Is it not, that he is the less angry indeed, for that they are but Dust; but yet he pities them not, for being Dust; but for being Dust, and fearing him: for if they fear him not, he never pities them, but lets them go on in their Pride, at least in their security, and make what they can of their Dust: for they reckon upon great matters from their Dust, and think they can improve it to a great height: but alas, what can they make of it, but to come to be grass, at most to get up to be a flower, a poor fading thing, that whether Verse 15 you gather it, or let it grow; whether the Sun shine upon it, or the Wind blow upon it, it quickly withers; and once withered, becomes a pitiful sight to be seen, a loath some thing to be smelled; that where all the grace of it, consisted in the two Senses, of sight, and smelling, it is now offensive to both: and is no longer carried in the hand, or worn in the bosom: Alas, it is scarce thought worthy to have a place upon the dunghill. And indeed what could more be looked for of Dust? being so light a thing as it is; that if the wind but pass over it; if you but blow upon it, it is presently scattered and gone; and the place where it was, will know it no more. And such is Man: his flourishing is but as a Flower, as quickly withered as a Flower, and as soon cropped off from his stalk as a Flower: and alas, what good is in a flourishing, that ends in a withering? What happiness in pleasures that have no continuance? O my soul, if thou wert thyself a transitory thing, and wert not to continue; thou mightst justly then look after transitory pleasures, and such as have no continuance: but seeing thou art a substance perpetual, and immortal: O therefore look after pleasures like thyself; pleasures that may last, and never come to the last, that may last and be durable: and not leave thee to the misery of Fuit Ilium, & ingens gloria teucrorum: for Fuisse foelicem miserrimum est: To have been happy, and not to be; to have flourished, and now to be withered, is the greatest misery in the world. And the greater, for that once plucked off from his stalk; Once taken from the Earth, the Earth will never know him any more; Alas, it will scarce take notice, that ever such a one there was; and the Verse 16 notice it takes, but in specie neither; not in Individuo; some perhaps as of a man; None, as of this man: or rather, some, as of a Name; None, as of a man. Or is it rather, that Man turned once to Dust, his place will know him no more; for how should it know one from another, when they are all so like? How know Dives from Lazarus, when they have both the same face? seeing Death hath but one copy to draw all her pictures by. Or is it rather that Man once turned to Dust, is blown about with every wind, from place to place; and what knows the place, when Dust falls upon it; whether it be the Dust of a Prince, or of a Peasant; whether of a Man, or of a Beast? And must not Man then be needs very miserable; when Time, and place, the two best helps of life do both forsake him? for what help can he have of Time, when his days are but as Grass? What help of Place, when his place denies him, and will not know him? But O how vain a thing is Man, to forget not only the very matter of which he is made, but the very condition under which he is made: and so to forget it, that God must be feign to remember him of it: but much the vainer, that being remembered of it never so often, yet he regards it never the more, but contenting himself to be fading grass, at most a fading flower; never seeks to improve his Dust, to that true solidness, which nothing but the fear of God is able to procure, nothing but the pity in God is able to effect.  
But now at last, if neither the Distances of Place, nor the Affection of Nature can make you sufficiently conceive the greatness of God's mercy: then take an expressing in plain terms; and this will certainly make you conceive it: For his mercy is from everlasting, Verse 17 to everlasting, upon them that fear him: It is from everlasting, for it began to be before the Foundations of the world were laid: and it is to everlasting; for it will continue to be, when the Frame of the World shall be dissolved: that now, O my soul, there can be no fear of the greatness of God's mercy: all the fear now, is of thine own fear: for although Verse 18 Gods mercy be so Everlasting; yet it is so, but to them that fear him; for if thou fear him not, and keep not his Commandments, than his mercy to thee, is neither from Everlasting, nor to Everlasting: but if thou fear him, and keep his Commandments, than his mercy to thee is both: and not only to Thee, as though God's mercy were only a Personal benefit, and should end with thyself: but it shall be continued to thy children's children; Et natis natorum, & qui nascentur ab illis: to thy whole Posterity: O my soul, what an Inheritance is this, to purchase to our children? at least if it be not an absolute Inheritance; yet it is so sure an Entail, that nothing but the want of fearing God, can cut it off.  
And indeed, why else hath God prepared Verse 19 his Throne in Heaven, but to the end the godly may be assured, that though they be now oppressed on earth; yet thither they shall come at last, to be with him in Joy: to be there in Joy, for having obeyed him: when the wicked shall be left behind to bewail their miseries for not obeying him. For though his Throne be prepared only in Heaven; Yet his kingdom ruleth over all: Over All, both Man, and Beast; both the Godly, and the Wicked; both blessed Angels, and damned Spirits; and because his Kingdom ruleth over all, therefore All shall serve him, and shall serve him indeed with fear, yet there shall be a difference, for the godly shall serve him with fear and joy, where the wicked shall serve him with fear and trembling.  
And now, seeing God hath prepared his Throne in heaven; Therefore, O ye his Angels, inhabitants of Heaven, that obey his Commandments by the freedom of your will; Do you begin first, and praise his Name: for you excel in strength, and are best able to do it. And seeing his Kingdom ruleth overall: Therefore all ye his Hosts, his other Creatures that obey his Commandment too, though not by will, yet by instinct: Do you second the Angels in praising his Name. And then thou my soul, that partakest of both the Natures; Do thou also, and with thee also, the Souls of all the godly join with them in his Praises: that so at least there may be a Consort of Three, to Bless and Praise him, who is a Trinity in Unity; Three Persons and one God, to be Blessed, and praised, for ever, and ever; But to be blessed and praised, as by all the persons of his Kingdom, so in all the places of his Dominion: which are Heaven, and Earth, and Hell: a Triplicity too: for even Hell is a place within his Dominion: And for praising him in Heaven, the Angels will be sure enough to look to that: and for praising him in Hell, let the wicked and the damned spirits look to that at their peril: but for praising him on Earth; Thou my soul, and the souls of all the godly will undertake to do that, at least will pray continually to him that sitteth upon the Throne, to be enabled to do it: and when all these shall fail, or lest they should fail, when Heaven and Earth shall pass away, when Time and Place shall be no more: yet his Praise shall be continued still, by his own Works, which are his Glory, and his Power; his Infiniteness, and his Eternity; but above all, which is above all his Works, the Works of his infinite, and Everlasting Mercy.   

THE HVNDRED AND SIXTEENTH PSALM OF DAVID.  
1I Love the Lord: because he hath heard my voice, and my supplication.  
2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me; therefore will I call upon him, as long as I live.  
3 The sorrows of death compassed me; and the pains of hell got hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.  
4 Then called I upon the Name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.  
5 The Lord is gracious, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.  
6 The Lord preserveth the simple; I was brought low, and he helped me.  
7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.  
8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.  
9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.  
10 I believed, therefore have I spoken; I was greatly afflicted.  
11 I said in my haste; All men are liars.  
12 What shall I render to the Lord, for all his benefits towards me?  
13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord.  
14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord; in the presence of all his people.  
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his Saints.  
16 O Lord, truly I am thy servant, I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid; thou hast loosed my bonds.  
17 I will offer to thee, the sacrifice of ; and will call upon the Name of the Lord.  
18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord, in the presence of all his people.  
19 In the Courts of the Lords House: in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem; praise ye the Lord.   

MEDITATIONS UPON THE CXVI. PSALM OF DAVID.  
BUt how can David say Verse 1 so peremptorily; I will love the Lord: as though it were in his own power to love whom he list? Indeed nothing is so voluntary as love, that it seems to be the extremity of the will: for than we are said to love a thing, when the will is inclined, and violently bend upon it: and yet I know not how, there seems nothing more constrained than love; for we oftentimes love a thing, which we would feign we could forbear to love; but that we are drawn to love it, by a kind of violence in the object: and therefore David may well say; I will love the Lord: seeing both the causes of love are here met, a propension in the Will, and an excellency in the Object.  
Man indeed is naturally a loving Creature, but doth not always place his love aright: his love is then best placed, when it is placed upon the best Object; and what is that best Object, but God? If he place it upon Beauty, that fadeth: If upon Riches, they perish: If upon Honour, that vanisheth: If upon life, that wasteth: but all these are in God, not only in Eminency, but in Continuance: In him is Beauty that never fadeth: in him Riches that never perish; in him Honour that never vanisheth; in him life, that never wasteth; and therefore as the truest object of love, as the dearest object of my love; I will love the Lord.  
But though all these Eminencies be in God, yet they would be no cause for man to love him, if they had not a relation to man: for what cause of love? where there can be expected no effects of love: but seeing there is in them, not only a Relation, but a Propension; not only they are ready to be imparted, but are imparted with readiness; what man is he that will forbear to say, that can forbear to say; I love the Lord? And if all men will forbear to say it, yet I will say it: For he hath heard my voice, and my supplication. No doubt a just cause, or rather (indeed to a natural man) the only cause for loving of God. For of fearing him, of praising him, of worshipping him, of magnifying him, there are other causes; but of loving him, no cause so proper as his loving of us: and the Benefits which he bestows upon us. For, love is so reciprocal a thing, that we should hardly love God himself, but for his Love to us; at least for our opinion of his love to us; and we should hardly have an opinion of his love, if we had not a feeling of his Benefits: For what love can we think is borne us by them, that are able to do us good, and do it not? but when we have a feeling of their benefits, and find they do us good; then we are easily persuaded of their love; and being so persuaded, who can choose but say, as David doth here; I love the Lord for he hath heard my voice, and my supplication?  
But do we love God, but for his Benefits only? and if it were not for his Benefits, should we not love him? Indeed to love God as we ought, is not to love him for aught, but for himself only, without any consideration had at all of his Benefits: but such lovers we are of our own good, that we should scarce love ourselves, but for the good, we are ready to do ourselves: and if we love God in the like degree, we think it perhaps to be love enough for him. But, O my soul, this is just the Devil's love; I mean such love, as the Devil thought to be in Job; Doth Job love God for nought? He hoped he did not, though he knew he should; and therefore was never in quiet, till it might be tried; and if he had found it so, he would quickly have made Job leave loving of God, and fall to loving of him. But the hedge which God had set about Job, was not a hedge of prosperity as Satan supposed, but a hedge of Grace, and therefore with all his fiery trials, he could never get other words from Job but such as these; Shall we receive good at God's hands, and shall we not receive evil? Yes, O Lord, though thou kill me, yet will I love thee: Thus Job did, and thus should we do: but God knows, there is not such a man again as Job was upon the face of the earth. For alas, we are commonly but of the Classis or form, of which Saint John speaks; We love God, because God loved us first: and it were well if we would do but so: how much soever Satan slights it, and seeks to disgrace it. Or is it perhaps, that David speaks in the curiosity of this distinction, that we do not Amare Deum, but for his Benefits: but we may Diligere Deum, without any consideration of his Benefits had at all; and in this sense, a natural man may Amare Deum: but none but the spiritual man, Diligere Deum. But, O my soul, do thou endeavour to be of Jobs form; to love God without distinction; and whether he hear thy voice, or hear it not; whether he grant thy supplication, or grant it not, yet to love him, and to love with Amando, and with Diligendo; and with any another Devotion of love, that can be expressed, or conceived. For it is indeed no true love of God, if we love him for any thing, but for himself; if we love ourselves, but only for him: as it seems both Moses, and Saint Paul did, who for the love of God, left all care of themselves, and were contented to have been (if they might have been) even anathemas.  
But is this such a Benefit to us, that GOD hears us? Is his hearing our voice, such an argument of his love? Alas! he may hear us, and we never the better: he may hear our voice, and yet his love to us perhaps but little, for who will not give a man the hearing, though he love him not at all? With men perhaps it may be so, but not with God; for his hearing is not only voluntary, but reserved; Non omnibus dormit: his Ears are not open to every one's cry; indeed to hear us, is in God so great a favour, that he may well be counted his Favourite, whom he vouchsafes to hear: and the rather, for that his hearing is always operative, and with a purpose of helping; that if he hear my voice, I may be sure, he means to grant my supplication; or rather perhaps in David's manner of expressing, in God's manner of proceeding, to hear my voice, is no less in effect, then to grant my supplication.  
And now because he hath inclined his ear to Verse 2 hear me; I will therefore call upon him, as long as I live: that if it be expected I should call upon any other; it must be when I am dead; for as long as I live, I have vowed to call upon God. But will this be well done? May I not in so doing, do more than I shall have thanks for perhaps for my labour? Is this the requital that God shall have for his kindness in hearing me, that now he shall have a customer of me, and never be in quiet, for my continual running to him, and calling upon him? Doth God get any thing by my calling upon him, that I should make it a Vow, as though in calling upon him, I did him a pleasure? O my Soul, that God might indeed have a customer of me in praying: although I confess I should not be so bold to call upon him so continually, if his own commanding me, did not make it a Duty: for hath not God bid me to call upon him when I am in trouble? and is there any time that I am not in trouble, as long as I live in this vale of misery? and than can there be any time as long as I live, that I must not call upon him? For shall God bid me, and shall I not do it? shall God incline his Ear, and stand listening to hear, and shall I hold my peace for the nonce, that he may have nothing to hear? Or shall I wave calling upon God, who I know both can, and will hear me; and call upon some other, who I know not whether they can or no? Is Prayer worth any thing if it be not in Faith? and can there be Faith, where there is uncertainty? O my Soul, this is a great secret, which we should perhaps have never known, if God himself had not revealed it to us: that to call upon him, is not a trouble to him, but a pleasure; not in us a presumption, but a duty: though it be our suit, yet it is his service: it is indeed both our suit and service: and though his glory be not the more by it, yet his glory is the more manifested by it; and as he is a jealous God, so of nothing so much as of his glory, his glory he will not communicate with any other, any thing else perhaps, but not his glory: and this is all the glory he can have from us, that we acknowledge our own weakness, and his Power; that we call upon him, not only as one that is able to help us, but as the only One that is able to help us, for else we satisfy not his jealousy: and if it be a true rule in Philosophy; Frustra fit per plura, quod fieri potest per pauciora: It is no less true in Divinity: It is in vain to call upon any other for relief but God alone; if God alone be able, and willing to relieve us. Either therefore we must say, that God is not able, or not willing to help us; or else confess it at least a great vanity to call for help to any other.  
But if God's benefits be the Motive to love him: why are not his afflictions as well a Motive, not to love him? For is there any evil in the City, and God hath not done it? No my soul, the reason is not like: his benefits are all gratuitous, and come gratis from him: his Afflictions are as it were violent, and come forcibly from him: his Afflictions are punishments, or chastisements duly deserved: but his Benefits are not Wages, or Rewards that are justly merited: and therefore we cannot so justly say, that crosses and afflictions are cast upon us by God, as that they are drawn upon us by our own sin: for sorrows and pains, are as the Echoes I may say of sin: and according as this calls, so they answer: if sins be but light, there is like to be heard, but a light reflex of sorrows; but if they be crying sins, heinous, and loud: what marvel if the Echoes be answerable, and that the sorrows of Death compass us about, and the pains of Hell take hold upon us?  
But if it be doubted, by what means afflictions and crosses do happen to us, yet it cannot be doubted by what means they must be removed from us: seeing there is none able to roll away the Grave-stone of our sins, but only God: and therefore no means to remove afflictions, but only his Mercy: and no means of this means, but to call upon him. Do Physicians use to come to a Patient, unless they be called? and why then should we look that God the great Physician of our souls, should come to help us, if we call not upon him? Upon him, O my soul, and upon no other: for of his Power and Will to help me, I cannot doubt, of others I may: For, the Verse 3 sorrows of death compassed me; and the pains of hell took hold upon me; and can I doubt of his power, that hath delivered me from these? Or can I think of any other, that could deliver me from these, but only he? Can any deliver me from the sorrows of Death, but he only who triumphed over Death? Can any free me from the pains of Hell, but he only who put Hell itself to pain, and cast Death and Hell into the Lake of fire? and shall I call upon any other to deliver me, but upon him only, who I am well assured is able to deliver me? No my soul, but to leave no time, for calling upon any other; I will call upon God, as long as I live: Not for a day, or a month, but all the days of my life; even as long as I live. And how long will that be? Alas! how long can it be; seeing the sorrows of Death have already compassed me about; and the pains of hell have taken hold upon me? For what are the sorrows of Death, but sorrows like those of Rachel, that would not be comforted, because they were not? What are the pains of Hell, but pains caused by guiltiness of sin that deserves Hell? Pains not more in sense of torment, then despair of remedy? What is it for the sorrows of death to compass me about, but as it were to besiege me? and was it ever known, where they once besieged, that ever they did raise their siege? Was it ever known, where the pains of Hell did once take hold, that ever they did let go their hold? and alas, in this extremity of distress, in this gulf of despair, what hope could David possibly have, that ever he should be delivered? O my soul, the hope of Abraham: In spe contra spem credidit: He believed against all credibility; He hoped against all possibility; against all possibility indeed in the course of nature; against all credibility in the eye of Reason; and therefore he makes his moan to one above the reach, both of Nature and Reason; Verse 4 O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul: a short Prayer for so great a suit; and yet as short as it was, it prevailed, that if we wondered before at the power of God, we may wonder now at the power of Prayer, that can prevail with God, for obtaining of that, which in Nature is impossible, and to Reason seems incredible.  
There are many short Prayers recorded in the Scriptures, of which we may note especially three: This of David here; O Lord deliver my soul: and that of the Publican in the Gospel; Lord be merciful to me a sinner: and that of the Thief upon the Cross; Lord remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdom: All three short, yet all three Prevalent; that we may know, it is not the multiplicity of words, or the length of Prayers that prevails with God; but the fervency of spirit, and the devotion of the heart. Yet lest it should be taken as a restraint of longer prayers; and specially, lest it should be a scandal to the Prayer which Christ taught us, and is much longer: we may observe withal, that each of these prayers, is but of one Petition in Christ's Prayer: For to say, O Lord, deliver my soul, is no more, nor fully so much, as to say, Deliver us from evil: and to say, Lord be merciful to me a sinner, is no more, nor fully so much, as to say; Forgive us our trespasses: and to say, Lord remember me, when thou comest into thy Kingdom; is no more, nor so much, as to say, Thy kingdom come.  
But seeing David with his short Prayer, prevailed with God, to deliver his soul: why should I despair of the like success of my prayers, to be delivered from my troubles? O my soul, I should not despair of the like success, as David had, if I could but pray with the like spirit as David did: O therefore, thou great God, that didst inspire David's heart with a spirit of zeal: which made his prayers not only acceptable, but effectual: vouchsafe also to kindle in my heart, a fire of Devotion, that my prayers may ascend unto thee, like the sacrifice of Abel: so acceptable, that they may be accepted; so accepted, that they may be effectual: and may make me able to sing this Allelujah of David: I will love the Lord; for he hath heard my voice, and my supplication.  
And now, O my soul, me thinks I see the Lord, as it were inclining his ear unto me; and I seem to feel an access of force in my confidence Verse 5 of his goodness, for indeed, the Lord is gracious, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful: He is gracious in hearing; He is righteous in judging; he is merciful in Pardoning; and how then can I doubt of his will to help me? He is righteous to reward according to deserts; He is gracious to Reward above deserts; Yea, he is merciful to reward without deserts; and how then can I doubt of his Will to help me? He is gracious, and this shows his bounty; he is righteous, and this shows his Justice; Yea, he is merciful, and this shows his love, and how then can I doubt of his Will to help me? If he were not gracious, I could not hope he would hear me: If he were not righteous, I could not depend upon his Promise; If he were not Merciful, I could not expect his Pardon; but now that he is gracious, and righteous, yea, and merciful too, how can I doubt of his Will to help me?  
But are there no others that are gracious, and righteous, and merciful, as well as He? Are not the Saints, and Angels in Heaven? They are so no doubt, but not as well as he; God forbidden, we should once have such a thought; They are Gracious, and Righteous, and Merciful by participation only; and only by having, as it were, some beams imparted to them: but to be gracious, as the Fountain of Grace; to be Righteous, as the Sun of Righteousness: to be Merciful, as the Author of Mercy; there is none, there is none at all, neither Saint nor Angel that is so, but only God; and therefore of God's Power and Will to help me; of his, and of his only, I can only be assured. And if I err in simplicity, yet the Lord preserveth the simple: he takes Verse 6 not advantage of errors, where there is a good intention; yet not a good intention only, where the truth is manifest, and revealed: for than should Uzzah have been preserved: but in matters obscure, and not plainly revealed, there to serve God in simplicity of heart; this falls within the compass of God's mercy: and such he takes into his Protection. He gives them perhaps some resentment of their errors by worldly crosses, but yet he denies them not his assistance; and this I can speak of my own experience; For, I was brought low, and yet he helped me: I was brought low, and in trouble, by the just provocation of my sins; but because I sinned not in presumption, but in simplicity, at least by infirmity; the Lord hath had mercy on me, and preserved me. Or, I was brought low, and he helped me: for than is the time of help, when we are brought low: and therefore God who doth all things in due time; when I was brought low, than he helped me. Wherefore, O my soul, let it never trouble thee, how low soever thou be brought; for when thy state is at the lowest, then is God's assistance at the nearest; that we may truly say, God's ways, are not as the ways of the world: for in the world, when a man is once brought low, he is commonly trampled upon; and nothing is heard then, but down with him, down to the ground: but with God, it is otherwise; for his property is to raise up them that fall, and when they are brought low, then to help them. That it is no such hard case for a man to be brought low; may I not rather say, his case is happy? for is it not better to be brought low, and have God to help him, then to be set aloft, and left to help himself? At least, O my Body; this may be a comfort to thee: for thou art sure to be brought low, as low as the Grave, which is low indeed: yet there thou mayest rest in hope; for even there, the Lord will not leave to help thee.  
Or is it that he was brought low, was humbled in spirit, to seem vile in his own eyes; and than God helped him? For God resisteth the proud; but giveth grace to the humble.  
Verse 7 Now therefore, O my soul, return to thy rest; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee: Now my soul, let it be no longer said; Why art thou so heavy, and why art thou disquieted within me? For the Lord hath exceeded the bounds of mercifulness, with his bountifulness: Not only in mercy he hath forgiven my sins, but as if my sins had been Merits, he hath made me also to taste of his bounty. He hath dealt indeed most bountifully with thee, for where thou didst make suit but for one thing, he hath granted thee three: Thou didst ask but to have my soul delivered; and he hath delivered mine eyes, and my feet besides: and with a deliverance in each of them, the greatest that could be: for what greater deliverance to my soul, then to be delivered from Death? What greater deliverance to mine eyes, then to be delivered from tears? What, to my feet then to be delivered from falling? that if now, O my soul, thou return not to thy rest, thou wilt show thyself to be most insatiable: seeing thou hast not only more than thou didst ask, but as much indeed as was possible to be asked.  
But can my soul die? and if not, what bounty is it then to deliver my soul from that to which it is not subject? The soul indeed, though immortal, hath yet her ways of dying: It is one kind of death to the soul, to be parted from the body, but the truest kind is to be parted from God: and from both these kinds of death, he hath delivered my soul: From the first, by delivering me from a dangerous sickness, that threatened a dissolution of my soul and body: from the other, by delivering me from the guilt of sin, that threatened a separation from the favour of God; and are not these, bounties to give my soul just cause of returning to her rest? It is true, it is the imperfection of life, that it is subject to sickness, and sickness draws mortality after it: but this imperfection is not here; for he hath delivered my soul from death; and what is this, but to have perfect health? yet it is the imperfection of health, that it is subject to crosses, and crosses are a cause of tears: but neither hath this imperfection any place here, for he hath delivered mine eyes from tears; and what is this, but to have perfect Joy? yet it is the imperfection of joy, that it useth not to continue; as it is said of the prosperity of the wicked: They are set in slippery places, and are apt to fall: but neither is this imperfection found here; for he hath delivered my feet from falling: and what is this but to be assured of continuance? If then thou hast such health, such joy, such stability; Health, not subject to sickness; Joy, not capable of sorrow; Stability, not obnoxious to falling: How canst thou, O my soul; how canst thou choose but pacify thy unquietness, and return to thy rest? But alas, the rest thou canst return to now, is but a type of that true Rest, when thou shalt rest from thy labours; and when thy works that now go with thee, shall then follow thee. Thou hast now but one day of Rest for six days of labour; but then thou shalt have an eternal Sabbath, without any days of labour to disquiet it.  
But though this rest cannot now be had, whilst thou dwellest in a restless body, and thy body in a restless world: yet there is a Rest that is worth the having; and may only, my soul, be called Thy Rest: the rest which consists in the peace of conscience: and to this rest thou mayst well return, seeing not only thou art at peace with God, as being justified by his Grace; but thou art in his favour also, as having dealt so bountifully with thee. And when thou returnest to this rest; to the end thou mayst have some exercise to thy rest, that thy resting make thee not restive, I will walk Verse 9 before the Lord, in the land of the living. For now that my feet are delivered from falling, how can I better employ them, then in walking? were they delivered from falling, to the end they should stand still and be idle? No my soul, but to encourage me to walk: and where is so good walking, as in the land of the living? Alas! what walking is it in the Winter, when all things seem dead, when the very grass lies buried under ground, and scarce any thing that hath life in it, to be seen? but then is the pleasant walking, when Nature spreads her green Carpet to walk upon, and then it is a Land of the living, when the Trees show they live, by bringing forth, if not fruits, at least leaves: when the Valleys show they live, by bringing forth, if not sweet flowers to delight the smell, at least fresh grass to please the eyes. But is this the walking in the Land of the living, that David means? O my soul, to walk in the Land of the living, is to walk in the paths of Righteousness: for there is no such death to the soul as sin; no such cause of tears to the eyes, as guiltiness of Conscience; No such falling of the feet, as to fall from God: and therefore to say the truth, the Soul can never return to its rest, if we walk not withal in the paths of righteousness: and we cannot well say, whether this Rest be a cause of the walk; or the walking, be a cause of the resting: but this we may say, they are certainly companions one to the other, which is in effect but this; that Justification can never be without Sanctification; Peace of conscience, and godliness of life, can never be one without the other. Or is it perhaps, that David means that Land of the living; where Enoch and Elias are living, with the living God? but if he mean so, how can he speak so confidently, Verse 10 and say; I will walk in the Land of the living; as though he could come to walk there by his own strength, or at his own pleasure? He therefore gives his reason: I believed, and therefore I spoke: for the voice of Faith is strong, and speaks with confidence; and because in Faith he believed, that he shall come, to walk in the Land of the living; therefore with confidence he speaks it; I will walk in the land of the living: and perhaps to signify, that he shall not walk there against his will: but that he endeavours, and useth the best means he can, that he may walk there. For indeed if we endeavour not to walk here, with Enoch and Elias in the paths of righteousness, we shall never come to walk with God in the Land of the living.  
But though I had spoken thus, and thus confidently; yet I found myself in trouble, and affliction still, which made me say in my haste; All men are liars. In my haste indeed, for I Verse 11 thought not of one man who was fare from being a liar; and in whose mouth was found no guile.  
It seems, that to give the lie, was not so heinous an offence in David's time, as it is in these days, for else how dared he have spoken such words, that all men are liars: which is no less, then to give the lie to the whole world? And yet, no man I think, will challenge him for saying so; no more than challenge S. John for saying, that All men are sinners. And indeed, how should any man avoid being a liar, seeing the very being Man, is itself a lie? Not only a Vanity, and put in the balance is less than vanity: but a very lie, promising great matters, and is able to do just nothing, as Christ saith; Without me, ye can do nothing: and so Christ seems to come in, as it were, to be David's second; and to make his word good, that all men be liars. And now let the world do its worst, and take the lie how it will; for David having Christ of his side, will always be able to make his part good against all the world, for Christ hath overcome the world.  
But though all men may be said to be liars, yet not all men in all things: for then David himself should be a liar in this: but all men perhaps in something or other, at sometime or other, in some kind or other; Absolute truth not found in any man, but in that man only, who was not man only; for if he had been but so, it had not perhaps been found in him neither, seeing absolute Truth and Deity, are as Relatives never found to be asunder.  
But in what thing is it, that all men should be liars? Indeed in this for one; to think that God regards not, nor loves not them, whom he suffers to be afflicted: for we may rather think he loves them most, whom he suffers to be most afflicted: and we may truly say, he would never have suffered his servant Job, to be afflicted so exceeding cruelly, if he had not loved him exceeding tenderly; For there is nothing lost by suffering afflictions; No my soul, they do but serve to make up the greater weight of glory, when it shall be revealed.  
But let his afflictions be what they can be, yet I will always acknowledge, they can never be in any degree so great as his benefits: and oh, that I could think of something, that I Verse 12 might render to him for all his benefits: for shall I receive so great, so infinite benefits from him; and shall I render nothing to him, by way of gratefulness? But alas, what have I to render? all my rendering to him, will be but taking more from him: for all I can do, is but to take the cup of salvation, and call upon his Name; Verse 13 and what rendering is there in this taking? If I could take the cup of Tribulation, and drink it off, for his sake; this perhaps might be a rendering of some value: but this, God knows is no work for me to do: It was his work who said; Can ye drink of the cup, of which I shall drink? Indeed he drank of the Cup of Tribulation, to the end that we might take the Cup of Salvation; but then in taking it, we must call upon his Name; upon his Name, and upon no others; for else we shall make it a cup of Condemnation, seeing there is no Name under Heaven, in which we may be saved, but only the Name of Jesus.  
Yet it may be some rendering to the Lord, if I pay my Vows; and do, as it were, my Penance openly; I will therefore pay my vows to Verse 14 the Lord, in the presence of all his people. But might he not pay his Vows as well in his Closet, between God and himself, as to do it publicly? No my soul, it serves not his turn; indeed not Gods turn, but he must pay them in the presence of all his people; yet not to the end he should be applauded for a just Payer; for though he pay them, yet he can never pay them to the full; but to the end that men seeing his good works, may glorify God by his example; and the rather perhaps, for that David was a King; and the King's example prevails much with the people, to make them pay their vows to God: but most of all, that by this means, David's Piety may not be barren; but may make a Breed of Piety in the people also: which may be one mystical reason, why it was counted a Curse in Israel, to be barren; for he that pays not his Vows to God, in the presence of his people, may well be said to be barren in Israel; seeing he begets no children to God, by his Example. And perhaps also, the Vows which David means here, was the doing of some mean things, unfit in show for the dignity of a King; as when it was thought a base thing in him to Dance before the Ark; he than vowed he would be base yet: and in this case, to pay his Vows before the people, becomes a matter of necessity: for as there is no honour to a man, whilst he is by himself alone; so there is no shame to a man, but before people: and therefore to show that he is not ashamed to do any thing how mean soever, so it may tend to the glorifying of God; He will pay his vows in the presence of all his people: And he will do it, though it cost him his life, for if he die for it, he knows, that Precious in the sight of the Lord, Verse 15 is the death of his Saints.  
But that which is precious, is commonly desired: and doth God then desire the death of his Saints? He desires, no doubt, that death of his Saints, which is to die to sin: but for any other death of his Saints, it is therefore said to be precious in his sight, because he lays it up with the greater carefulness. And for this it is, there are such several Mansions in God's House, that to them whose death is precious in his sight, he may assign the most glorious Mansions. This indeed is the reward of Martyrdom, and the encouragement of Martyrs, though their sufferings be most insufferable, their tortures most intolerable; yet this makes amends for all; that Precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his Saints: for if it be so great a happiness, to be acceptable in his sight; how great a happiness must it be, to be precious in his sight? When God at the Creation, looked upon all his works; it is said, he saw them to be all exceeding good: but it is not said, that any of them were Precious in his sight, and how then comes Death, to be precious in his sight, that was none of his works, but is a destroyer of his works? Is it possible that a thing which destroys his creatures, should have a Title of more value in his sight, than his creatures themselves? O my soul, this is one of the Miracles of his Saints, and perhaps one of those which Christ meant, when he said to his Apostles, that greater Miracles than he did, they should do themselves: for what greater Miracle than this, that Death which of itself is a thing most vile in the sight of God, yet once embraced by his Saints, as it were by their touch only, becomes precious in his sight? and to alter a thing from being vile to be precious; is it not a greater Miracle, then to turn Water into Wine? Indeed so it is, Death doth not damnify his Saints, but his Saints do dignify Death: Death takes nothing away from his Saint's happiness, but his Saints add lustre to Death's vileness: and it is happy for Death, that ever it met with any of God's Saints; for there was no way for it else in the world, to be ever had in any account. But why say I, in the world? for it is of no account in the world for all this: It is but only in the sight of God; but indeed this only, is All in All; for to be precious in God's sight, is more to be prized then the world itself. For when the World shall pass away, and all the glory of it be laid in the dust; then shall Trophies be erected for the death of his Saints: and when all Monuments of the world shall be utterly defaced, and all Records quite razed out; yet the death of his Saints shall stand Registered still, in fair Red letters in the Calendar of Heaven: for if there be glory laid up for them that die in the Lord; much more shall they be glorified, that die for the Lord.  
I have wondered oftentimes, why God will suffer his Saints to die; I mean not the death natural; for I know, Statutum est omnibus semel mori: but the Death that is by violence, and with torture: for who could endure to see them he loves, so cruelly handled? but now I see the reason of it; For, Precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his Saints: and what marvel then, if he suffer his Saints to die: when by dying they are wrought, and made fit Jewels to be set in his Cavinet: for as God hath a Bottle which he fills up with the tears of his Saints; so I may say, he hath a Cabinet which he decks up with the deaths of his Saints: and O my soul, if thou couldst but comprehend, what a glory it is to serve for a Jewel in the decking up of God's Cabinet; thou wouldst never wonder why he suffers his Saints to be put to death, though with never so great torments: for it is but the same which Saint Paul saith: The afflictions of this life, are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed.  
But if you will have a Glass to view the Extent of this preciousness; and plainly to see, how precious in the sight of God, the death of his Saints is; then look upon the revenge that is taken for it: for there is nothing that God takes so much to heart; and of which he takes so sharp revenge, as the death of his Saints: to touch them, is to touch the Apple of his eye: and if the punishment of Cain be not thought sufficient, to make it appear; at least the complaint of Christ against Jerusalem, will be sufficient: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem; Thou that killest the Prophets: and it is thought by some, that the destruction of Jerusalem was the rather hastened, to revenge the death of James, who was called the Just: but how soever, this we know, it was therefore executed, to revenge the death of Jesus, who was truly the Just: and may we not well take notice, that the death was exceeding precious; when the revenge that was taken, was so exceeding furious? But why speak I of Death, when I may yet do God good service in life: and if the death of his Saints be precious in his sight, certainly the life of his servants is not unregarded; For whether we die, we die to the Lord; or whether we live, we live to the Lord: and though in this life, we cannot expect the reward of Saints; yet in this life we may claim the respect of servants: and in this I claim an interest myself; Verse 16 for truly, O Lord, I am thy servant: and oh that I could serve thee so truly, that I might hear thee say; Euge bone serve: For we are all very ready to profess ourselves thy servants; but very unready to do the service of our profession: and specially in these times, when Servant is grown to be a word of complyment, rather than of truth; that to say, I am thy servant, is all one as to say, I am an Hypocrite: But, O Lord, let it not be found so in me; not be thought so of me, for I am thy servant by a double right: (and oh that I could do thee double service) as thou art the Lord of life, and as I am the son of thy Handmaid: Not of Hagar, but of Sarah: not of the Bondwoman, but of the Free; and therefore I serve thee not in Fear, but in Love: or therefore in fear, because in love: and then is service best done, when it is done in love: and in love indeed I am bound to serve thee; For, thou hast loosed my bonds: the Bonds of death which compassed me about, by delivering me from a dangerous sickness, and restoring me to health: or in a higher kind; Thou hast loosed my Bonds, by freeing me from being a Captive, to be a Servant; and which is more, from being a servant to be a son: and more than this yet, from being a son of thy Handmaid, to be a son of thyself: and therefore indeed a son of thyself, because a son of thy Handmaid: for what is thy Handmaid, but thy Church? and he that is not borne of this Handmaid, though he may have the general benefit of a servant, sustenance and protection, yet he can never have the special benefits of a son, freedom, and inheritance.  
Or thou hast loosed my bonds; Thou hast freed me from the heavy yoke of the Ceremonies of the Law; and hast Enfranchised me with the glorious liberty of the Gospel: that where before, thou didst require the sacrifice of Servants, which was the blood of Beasts; now thou acceptest the sacrifice of sons, which is Verse 17 Prayer, and : I will therefore offer to thee the sacrifice of , and call upon thy Name: For Prayer and  make both but one Sacrifice: and seeing all sacrifice is due only to thee; therefore to thee only I will offer both my , and my Prayer. I could not make Thanksgiving a Sacrifice, if Prayer did not begin it: I could not make Prayer a Sacrifice, if  did not finish it. If there should be Thanksgiving, and no Prayer, the Sacrifice would want a foot: if Prayer, and no , it would want a Head: for as the Basis is Prayer; so the Coronis is . Although perhaps  be but the Act, and Thankfulness the Habit: and it is the Habit that makes the Sacrifice, because it must be, Juge sacrificium, A continual Sacrifice: which the Act cannot be. And if there had been a word to express the Habit of praying, as Thankfulness doth of : perhaps Saint Paul would have used it, where he saith, Pray continually, for who can doubt but he means the Habit of praying, and not the Act? and where he saith; In all things give thanks; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: It intends perhaps but this; In all things be thankful.  
And what then shall the Thankfulness, or the  be, that I will offer to God for a sacrifice? O my soul, it shall be an acknowledging of his benefits, and of his only benefits; it shall be a proclaiming him to be my Patron, and my only Patron; It shall be an extolling him for his Mercy in forgiving my sins; for his graciousness in healing all my infirmities; for his compassion, in Redeeming my soul from destruction, and for his bounty in crowning me with loving kindness and tender mercies: it shall be indeed a Vowing to him the whole service of all the faculties of my soul and body. And not to be done in a corner, as though I were not willing it should be known; nor before some few people only, as though I were loath too many should see it; but I will pay my vows to him in Verse 18 the presence of all his people: that young and old, rich, and poor, high, and low, may all be witnesses of my thankfulness; This, for the persons before whom it shall be done: and then for the place in which it shall be done; it shall be done in the courts of the Lords house: if any Verse 19 place be more conspicuous, more public than other it shall be done there: it shall be done in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem: that the Fame of it may be spread, that the sound of it may equally go forth into all parts of the world; that as all thy people shall be beholders of my thankfulness, so all the world shall be admirers of thy goodness; and as there is in Heaven an Allelujah of thy Saints; so there shall be in Earth an Allelujah of thy Servants; of which Number; of both which numbers, my hope is to be one; and that I may be sure to be one, O my soul, praise thou the Lord: and because my own praising, will be but a very small service; therefore mend it my soul, by calling upon others, and saying; Praise ye the Lord.  
FINIS.