The Broken Heart: OR, DAVID'S PENANCE, Fully expressed in holy Meditations upon the 51 PSALM, BY That late Reverend Pastor SAM. PAGE, Doctor in Divinity, and Vicar of Deptford Strand, in the County of Kent. Published since his death, BY NATHANAEL SNAPE of Gray's Inn, Esquire. LONDON, Printed by Thomas Harper, 1637. TO THE HONOURABLE, Sir ROBERT AYTON, Principal Secretary to the Queen's most excellent Majesty, and Master of Saint Katherine's, near the Tower of LONDON. Sir, MY intentions had fastened the patronage of this Book upon that pious and Right Honourable Gentleman, Sir julius Caesar (your predecessor in the Mastership of St Katherine's) whose dedication of himself to that great Master and maker of the world, renders you the Successor of his place and my service. Therefore, and because all that know you rightly, speak you to be a friend to Learning, and Philagathus in abstracto, a true Religion Lover, I thought fit to present these devou● Meditations to your judicious acceptation. These royal Penitentials deduced and exemplified unto us from the sacred person of a King, conclude all persons and degrees from an exemption in the practice: And the command of that excellent duty is more especially incumbent on us in these particular times of humiliation, when that formidable pestilential sword hath so smitten us, and hangs still so perpendicularly over our heads. The profit of Repentance, it removes our sin in reatu & poena, it blunts that weapon's point, whose thirst is sooner quenched with ●ear & then blood, and it preferreth the miserable delinquent from the shameful Bar to the most glorious Bench. Let the Reverend Author's pen declare his worth, and let the work commend itself to the world. Only Sir, be you pleased to give it countenance and protection, which I am confident will improve it to a more general and public approbation, and make it the more redundant in the Church's benefit. Health, honour, and Heaven at last I wish you from the heart of Your humble Servant, N. S. MEDITATIONS upon the 51. PSALM. VERSE I. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. IN this Psalm David is, 1. For himself, ad fin. v. 17. 2. Then for the Church, 18. 19 In the first part. 1. He is all crying God mercy and supplication, v 1, 2. 2. Confession of sins, 3, 4, 5, 6. 3. Supplication against, 7. ad fin. 17. 1. In the first consider, 1. What ails him? where is his grief? his transgressions, his iniquity, his sin. 2. What remedy, loving kindness: multitude of tender mercies. 3. What effect of these: to blot out, to wash throughly, and cleanse away all this uncleanness. 3. What he ails. He varieth the phrase, and calleth his disease, transgressions. 1. Aria's Mont. rendereth it, praevaricationes, to our sense. For the Law setteth us bounds; thus far we may go, and no further: every sin is a transgression, an overreaching of our bounds. Peshang signifieth the same, to forsake the commandment, and it answereth God's challenge of him by Nathan: Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the 2. Sam. 12 9 Lord? Vers. 2. He calleth his grief his iniquities: these also are 2. against the Law, which S. Pa●l calleth holy, and just. He calleth it sin, which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which is, privatio 3. legis. This shewethus' the danger of all our sins. They put us out of the way: for our way is the way of God's commandments: all other are called false ways. It is Uia legis, the way of the Law, which guideth our thoughts, words, and actions. It is Via veritatis, the way of truth, which guideth our understandings, and judgements. It is via pacis, the way of peace, which guideth our heart, and the affections thereof. Sin putteth us out of all these ways. Into those false ways which David doth utterly abhor. Yet he is fallen into them by a strong temptation. It is our wisdom to know and consider the nature of sin, that every sin is transgression of Gods Law. So Joseph answered his wanton Mistress: How shall I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And now David hath bethought him, he saith to Nathan: I have sinned against the Lord. We must not think, that any of our sins do hurt God, or take from him any thing to impair him. For when we live in his obedience, we give him occasion to exercise his holiness in our sanctification: his goodness in our conservation: his bounty in donation of all good to us. But if we transgress, he exerciseth his wisdom in his detection of us: his holiness in abhorring of us: his justice in punishing of us. So that the going out of our way which he hath set us in, his Law, is the hindrance of our own journey, and the danger of our own souls and bodies. It is our great blindness of judgement, and hardness of heart, that we should delight in sin against the Law of God. The Law of God is an undefiled law. The Law is holy, Rom. 7. 1●. and the commandment holy, just, and good. This was ordained of God to be a bridle to restrain sin: yet our corruption hath made it a spur to provoke and put on sin. So the Apostle found it. For sin, that Ver. 13. it might appear sin, working death in us by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might be exceeding sinful. For corrupt nature is impatient of restraint: and no fruit seems so fair to the eye, or taste so sweet to the palate, as the forbidden fruit doth. Every man above all things in the world affecteth his own will, and desireth liberty to do what seemeth good in his own eyes. The Law doth restrain us of this: and it is, 1. Holy, in directing us a way wherein we may w●lk in all pleasing to God. 2. Just, in declaring the danger of going astray from it. 3. Good, in rewarding our obedience: for godliness hath the promises of this life, etc. David hath professed great love to this Law; great delight in it, all his Psalms over. He hath confessed great benefits received from it: yet here he confesseth transgression, and iniquity, and sin: he hath not kept this Law and hath sinned against God. Now we see in this example, how heavy sin is, when the conscience groweth sensible of it. Nothing so pleasant as our sin, for the time: but Citò praeterit, quod delectat: It soon passes away, which delighteth: now David gronesunder the burden of it: he hath the whole weight of the law upon him for it; and he hath found that he hath walked contrary to God▪ We have great use of this recollection of ourselves. 1. We have need of God every moment for his help, and comfort, and counsel. So long as our sins are upon our conscience unrepented, unpardoned, we cannot pray to God for any favour. 2. We cannot give thanks: as our prayers are turned into sin, if we regard wickedness in our hearts: for God heareth not sinners. 1. Impenitents. 2. So our thanks-givings are but the sacrifices of fools. 3. We cannot hear with profit: for good seed must be sown in good ground. 4. We cannot receive the holy Sacrament: for pearls must not be given to swine. So we are unfit for all acts and exercises of Religion. And especially upon our deathbeds, when we should part with this life. Our iniquities show us quite out of heaven's way, and we have no warrant to commend our spirits into the hands of God: for he receiveth no such souls as turn aside to crooked ways; he leadeth them forth with workers of iniquity. There is none so unhappy, as the impenitent sinner. For the world cannot be friend him, and God will not. Who shall then have pity upon thee, O jesus? David feels the burden of sin importable. There is no rest in my bones, because of my sin. For Psal. 38. 3. etc. mine iniquities are gone over my head: as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink, and are corrupt, because of my foolishness. I am troubled: I am bowed down greatly: I go mourning all the day long. S. Augustine very judiciously looketh beyond David in this Psalm, and maketh the whole Psalm the complaint of Christ. Who though he were free from the infection of sin, yet was he over-laden with the burden thereof, for God laid on him the iniquities of us all. So the point is more pressed to the conscience of a sinner: for if my sins could make the soul of Christ heavy to death: if my sins could make him sweat water and blood, and pray with strong cries and supplications: how blind must my reason be if I see them not? How insensible and dull must I be, if I feel not the stench and annoyance, the weight and burden of them? For these iniquities do move God to anger: and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God in his displeasure: for even our God is a consuming fire. Now we see in David's example, how cumbersome a few sins are, and what fear, what agony of heart, what grief, what shame they bring. We have cause to lay this to our hearts: for when we shall see our many crying, bold, presumptuous sins together in order before us: when our conscience shall tell us, not only that we have received the grace of God in vain; but that we have turned the grace of God into wantonness, and have abused his best ●avours, and despised his threatenings: At once carrying in our faces cain's frowns, and in our heart cain's malice against our brother, having Esa●s profaneness, achan's theft, ahab's oppression: out-sinning those who are in the holy story the spots and blemishes of their times. How doth Satan benight us, if we discern not our fault, and our danger? How doth he harden our hearts if we feel not the burden? How doth he benumb and dead the conscience, if the lash of our iniquities do not smart upon us? We have cause to think upon it now, if our Land after so great blessings of God, swarm at this day with impious sins, if Religion hath suffered simony and oppression, pride and drunkenness. Sodom and Gomorrah were modest sinners in comparison of us. It will be easier for them one day: for we live in the light, we have more knowledge of our Masters will then our fathers had. Pulpit and Press have filled the ear and eye with the ways of life. And we are filii tenebrarum sons of darkness still, and walk in the paths of death. We are hearers only, deceiving our own selves, and the more we know of our Masters will, the more stripes it will cost us that we have done so little of it; we have gathered such dross to our gold, that it will ask an hot fire to refine us. God in favour yet forbeareth us, expecting our repentance: and there is no hope of his love but in that way. To fast and mourn for a day, to ask God forgiveness, to promise amendment, is no more than Ahab may do, and it may spin out the time, and put off judgement for a while. But plangere commissa, to bewail sins committed, is but a part of repentance, and it hath lost the labour, and our tears shall never be put into the bottle: if after we do committere plangenda, commit sins to be bewailed. Transgressions, iniquities, sins; these are our disease, and that which threateneth it mortal, is our dangerous impenitency. 2. What remedy? Mercy: this is the sovereign remedy: this heals all diseases: but some few drops of this balm will not do it here. David knows that God hath sundry vessels of this wine, some stronger than other: he desireth to draw of the strongest, and for quantity he desireth the multitude, a great measure, and that running over: for quality, his tenderest and dearest compassions. Those that are extracted and distilled to the height of strength, sins of ignorance, sins of infirmity and weakness: sins committed with reluctation and resistance, the Fathers have called venial, because a small measure of God's mercy will remove them and their punishment: but studied sins acted after deliberation, and practised upon advice, and used to hide and shelter other sins, have a more provoking quality in them to kindle the wrath of God, a worse deserving condition to draw that wrath upon us. David needs the most, the best and strongest of these mercies for his transgressions. Saint Augustine, Attendis contemptores ut corrigas, nescientes ut doce●●, confitentes ut ignoscas: Thou observest the despisers, to correct them; the ignorant, to teach them; the confessors of sin, to pardon them. Zacharie calleth these mercies that he beggeth, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the bowels of the mercy of our God. Sicut pater miseretur, as a father takes pity: Christ hath given us a full example of such a Father in the parable of the prodigal. Look how high the heaven is above the earth, so high is the mercy of God to them that fear him: that is nothing in comparison: for mercy cannot be numbered. This is that which boundeth the waters of the Sea, that they do not return to drown the earth. This keepeth his fire and brimstone bound up, that it falleth not upon our Cities and Towns, our persons, and cattle, to consume them. This locketh up the earth underneath us, that it doth not open the mouth to swallow us up quick. This keepeth the key of his treasures of judgements, that they cannot come abroad to destroy and consume the world, as Jeremy saith: Lam 3. 22. It is of the Lords mercies, that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. 23. 32. Though he cause grief, yet he will have compassion, according to the multitude of his mercies: for he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. They that love lying vanities, forsake their own mercy. The mercy of God is called our mercy, for God hath no occasion to use his mercy any where else but among the sons of men. The Angels that sinned are not capable of it. The Angels that stand in their first estate never came to misery, and they stand by the providence and love of God. But sinful man maketh God called merciful, and he putteth him to his multitude of tender compassions. This is the rock of our refuge, our strong City of refuge against the pursuer, it is our hiding place. In nothing doth God comfort us more. Therefore be ye merciful with this sicut: Sicut pater vester coelestis: as your heavenly Father. There is nothing that flattereth sin more, and that giveth it growth and vegetation amongst us, than the overweening of this mercy. Every wicked man can say, God hath multitude of tender compassions: and his mercies are more than my sins: it is true. But what interest such a one may have in those mercies, he little considereth. For with the Lord is mercy, that he may be feared: and that a sinner may apply himself not to continue in his fin presuming upon it, but for sake it believing it: for he that confesseth and for saketh his sin shall have this mercy. Let us therefore begin with David at Confitebor contra me, I will confess against myself, and say: Peccavi contra Dominum, I have sinned against the Lord: with a conscience of our sins, and a sense both of the pollution of them within ourselves, and of the provocation of God's due displeasure against us for them. Then it will be in season to call for mercy. But if we overween our own integrity, as some justiciaries do: Sani non egent medico: the whole need no Physician: or if we sin on in confidence of mercy at last: We shall find that God sitteth in his throne, and judgeth uprightly; and that the ungodly shall not stand in judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. 3. What effect he desireth of these mercies? This is varied in phrase, for he is passionate, and exceeding earnest with God, and plieth him with strong cries and supplications. 1. To blot out his transgressions. 2. To wash him throughly. 3. To cleanse him. 1. The blotting out of his transgressions, hath reference to the books of God, wherein all our transgressions are recorded. 1. The book of God's remembrance. 2. The book of our conscience. 1. The book of God's remembrance. God is a Seer, and there is nothing hid from his eye: and he doth consider the sons of men: his eyes are upon all his ways. There is not a thought in our hearts, but he knoweth it long before we ourselves know it. As he seeth, so he remembreth, and that we call his book of accounts, wherein he recordeth all that is said, done or thought: that he may judge us according to all that is registered in that book whether it be good or evil. He is said to blot us out of that book, when our true repentance, and his free pardon hath removed our iniquity from us. Two Doctrines arise from hence. 1. One of terror: all our sins are booked and kept upon record. 2. Another of comfort: they may be blotted out thence. 1. Doctr. Knowing the terror of the Lord, we must be wariehow we sin against him; for though we love sin, he hateth it. He is a God that loveth not wickedness, neither shall any evil dwell with him. Though we slight sin, and pass it over gainsomely and pleasantly; yet he taketh it to heart, and recordeth it, that he may be able to set all our sins in order before us, when time comes. This is a black book, and it will be a fearful and shameful thing to behold all our sins inventoried together. All our idle words, vain, lascivious, malicious, false, slanderous speeches: all our loose thoughts; all our vast and unlawful desires, all our ungodly works done; all the good duties omitted; all the evils we would have done; all the imaginations of the thoughts of our hearts: are not all these things written in his book? We may conceive it by this. David hath the honourable memory of walking in all the ways of God always, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. That matter is recorded in this living book of holy Scripture: so are many of the infirmities of his holy ones: chiefly for terror of his children, that they might fear to sin against him, who keepeth so exact a score of all our transgressions. These are called debts, and God our creditor keeps his debt-book very perfect. The Steward in the parable called his Master's debtors: they could tell every man what he owed: but who knoweth how often he hath offended? We have no hope to pay these debts: and therefore we desire mercy to blot them out of the book. And if we look back upon the transgressions of our whole life, we shall see need not only of the loving kindness of the Lord; but of the multitude of his tenderest compassions. 2. Another book is the book of our Conscience: this also keepeth a record against us. It was called of old, our inwit; for though our appetite and witbe so corrupt that the deceivable lusts of the flesh do often transport us to God's offence: yet our understanding, and reason, and memory, inform our conscience of our sins, and that booketh them. This book is not so exactly kept as the other, because 1. Many sins pass us, which we are not aware of. 2. Many thoughts, words, and works escape us, which we think to be no sins, our consciences not being rightly informed. 3. Many sins our memory doth not retain, which should give in evidence to our conscience against us. 4. The conscience itself may be corrupted, benumbed, seared, and so many foul deeds may escape unrecorded. Yet for all this, if we had no other book opened against us to convince us of sin but this: This alone would call us guilty, and expose us to wrath. David sueth to have his transgressions blotted out of both these books. For if the tender mercies of God should blot his book, and the book of our conscience remain against us, we should live upon the rack in a perpetual torture, our spirit wounded within us. It is well observed of Cardinal Bellarmine, Sciebat David ex actione peccati relinqui in anim● reatum mortis aeternae: David knew that by the acting of sin, in his soul was left the guilt deserving eternal death. You may discern the convulsions and strong cramps of the soul for sin in David. There is no rest in my bones because of my sin. So long as we live in sin we feel not the pain of Psal. 38. 3. it▪ David for ten months found no great need of these mercies of God. For a sinner during his impenitency is as a man besides himself: but reversus ad se, returning to himself, than he bethinketh in what case he stands before God. Demersus in profundo, drowned in the deep, the Sea above him seems not heavy. Elementa in loco non ponderant: Elements in their places are not heavy. But take him from his sin a little, and set them within an optic distance, that he may see them: he will both see the in numberablenesse, and feel the heaviness of them. We believe a day of judgement designed and ordained of God for a severe audit of all our sins. We are in that day judged by both these books of God's remembrance, and of our own conscience. For so we shall be our own judges: and there can be no hope for such as have these books opened against them. God cannot forget. Our conscience cannot but accuse, so that we are all children of wrath, and in a state of condemnation. The judge may say, Quid opus est testibus? What need of witnesses? for the least, one of these legions of sins that we are guilty of hath weight enough to weigh us down to the bottom of hell. All these will make the pit shut her mouth upon us. 2. But against this David doth show comfort, when he prayeth to have his transgressions blotted out of God's book. For this showeth that there is a way out of the danger of the vengeance to come. The book wherein all our debts are recorded may be crossed, and the offences may be blotted out. The way is, 1. The justice of God must be satisfied, our debt paid: for God can neither falsify his truth, who hath threatened sin with vengeance: nor satisfy and silence his justice without it. So that we must find jesus Christ in this prayer, without whom there is no acceptance to God for a sinner: for our life is hid with God in Christ; we appear in ourselves no other but dead in trespasses and sins. But Christ is our life: and the loving kindness that David prayeth for here, is that wherewith God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that we might not perish, but have everlasting life. And the tender mercies which he craveth, are those of which Zachary doth speak: Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day spring from on high hath visited us. To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Here is Via lactea, the milky way, the very way of salvation: for the tender mercies of God give not only light of comfort to cheer our hearts; but light of direction also, to guide our ways, and that is the blotting away our repent sins. 2. Another phrase followeth, which showeth how this foul record may be blotted out of God's Tables. VERSE 2. Wash me throughly from mine Iniquity▪ THis shows that Iniquity is a foul and defiling 1 blemish, and needeth washing. So foul as no washing will do it, but 2 Lava tu, wash thou. So foul, as it will need his washing 3 throughly. 1. Lava, Wash. His calling for so much mercy showeth his fear of iniquity: his calling for all this washing showeth his shame of it. He doth not desire to have it hidden from sight, but quite removed. Not removed only from the book of God's remembrance; but washed out of the book of his own conscience also. Sin is of that foul nature, that it defileth the conscience of a man, and maketh him unclean. I think no man will deny but David notwithstanding this sin, was a regenerate man. For even this Psalm which confesseth this uncleanness in him is part of holy Scripture: and the penne-men of Scripture were all holy, and wrote as they were guided by the Spirit of God. He seeth and confesseth a pollution, and would fain be quit of it. Yet some of late have so cleared a regenerate man from all sin, that they say, God can find no sin at all in them. It is true, that God seeth no iniquity in his elect, to condemn them for it: for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ jesus. But then they walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. But if any of the elect turn out of the way for a time to walk after the flesh, as David here did: he seeth that sin, he hateth it, he punisheth them for it, and till he hath washed them from it, they remain defiled with it. Therefore they pray to be washed. Naaman for a leprosy in the body, must wash in jordane. Sin is the leprosy of the soul: and as the bodily leprosy did defile the person that had it, the clothes that he wore, the bed that he lay upon, the very walls of the house where he remained, that all must be purged, and it cast him that had it out of the camp: So the leprosy of sin maketh all things unclean within and without us that we do but touch. Whatsoever the unclean person toucheth, Num. 19 22. shall be unclean. This is the cause of the groaning of the creature: for though it hath gone the way of the creation from the beginning, yet it is become subject to vanity by the pollution of our sins: and our iniquity reacheth to the heavens, it defileth the celestial bodies above us, and the earth beneath us, because these have been aiding and assisting to us in our sins; not of any evil disposition in themselves, but by our abuse of them to God's dishonour. All this presseth a necessity of our continual washing: both for the defiling which is within us, and for the pollution that cometh from us. We must hate the garment that is spotted with the flesh. This made David desire to be washed throughly. Multiplica lavare, multiply to wash, some do render it: others, Amplius lava, wash me more, as Peter, Not my feet only, but my hands and my head. Naaman must wash seven times in jordane, to put off his bodily leprosy. Sin which is the leprosy of the soul cleaveth so close to us, that we had need of an often and a scouring lather to rinse our defiled souls. For as to the pure all things are pure: So to them that are defiled is nothing T●●●. 15. pure, but even their mind and conscience is defiled. There is nothing that nourisheth sin more in us then an opinion of an easiness to repent, when we will to put it off. Beloved, diseases are never so painful to us, as when we are put to it, to take much physic for them. For for the time, the physic is more painful than the disease: violent purge, strong vomits, languishing sweats, bleeding, bitter pills, and potions, unpleasing diet: yet great diseases ask a suffering of all these for health. But in a dangerous disease, we call upon our Physician not to spare us, so he recover us. This is it in the state of our diseased souls, we must take strong physic to remove violent and dangerous diseases. David describing his sin, saith; My wounds stink, and are corrupt: Do you know the pain of washing such ●s●● 38▪ 5. wounds? Do you not perceive the necessity of it? There is no dallying in such cases, lest our negligence make the malady gangrene, and prove immedicable. It will ask sharp water to wash these wounds, and they are tender, and this must be done often. Beloved, let me tell you that Satan befooleth us with many false pleasures of vanity, which make these wounds in our souls: We pay dear for them, when we come to this washing. And he that considers it well, will know the terror of the Lord, and be afraid to give way to temptations that may put him to the pain of repentance. It is true that nothing in this world is so painful as true repentance. It is called mortification, killing the old man: not every kind of death, crucify the flesh, Mors l●nt●, violenta, dedecorosa: a death slow, violent, disgraceful. It is called the breaking of the heart: the renting and tearing of it in pieces. It is sackcloth for clothing▪ baldness for beauty: it is Amaritudo animae, the bitter nesse of soul. Yet for all this, Multiplica lavare, multiply to wash. I● dross be mingled with our gold, it will ask an hot fire to purge it out, and that is repentance. Behold Niniveh doing penance for her sins. The King ●o●●h 36● arose from his throne, he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes: proclaimed; Let neither man nor beast taste any thing, let them not feed, nor drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Here is a City washed throughly in a bath of repentant and true tears. Ecce Rex t●ns venit tibi mansuetus; Behold thy King comes to thee meek: the true and living picture of mortification. He that sat on a throne of majesty and honour, a glorious King, arose from his throne, as if his throne trembled under him in a we of the supreme throne which is set for justice upon all the world. He layeth down his glory, and casteth his Crown at the footstool of the most high. All the ensigns of honour and principality above men he putteth off, and puts himself into the number and rank of common men. He puts off his royal garments, the habit of glory. He puts on sackcloth, the dress and trim of repentance and humility. He casteth himself on the ground: there he sitteth in an heap of ashes. He depriveth himself of his food: and then, Regis ad exemplum, according to the King's example, all do so. What can be added to this unworthying of himself? He thought himself neither worthy of honour, nor raiment, nor ease, nor food. Not made only a common man, but as one of the beasts of the earth: they were also clad in sackcloth. Job in cinere, in ashes: dust to dust. Thus the sin of pride doth penance, in coming down and abusing themselves. The sin of vanity in apparel doth penance in sackcloth. The sin of delicacy and niceness: in a seat of ashes. The sin of drunkenness and gluttony, in fasting: not bread, not water. The sin of contempt and scorn of one another, doth penance in an equality of like condition: behold and see which is the King, which is the Subject; nay, which is the man, which is the beast, all in one Livery of sorrow and shame, all in sackcloth. Yet let me use the words of our Saviour of this sight: Solomon in all his glorious royalty was not apparelled like one of these. Never did Niniveh show fairer in the eyes of heaven then this day: never was Nineveh so throughly washed, never so clean. Me thinks I hear the voice of God, saying, as of Ahab, so much rather so, of Niniveh. Seest thou how Niniveh humbleth itself before me? It was a day of Ninivehs' 1▪ Reg▪ 2●. 29. purification: and God was appeased, the doom of her destruction graciously reversed. David himself in this story feeling the hand of God upon him in the visitation of his child refused his bed, laid him down on the earth, would not wash, or anoint, or change garments, refused to eat his bread. We visit the Courts of Princes in our bravest trim. We find the face and favour of God soon in our worst clothes, and meanest accoutrements. All this is thought nothing: the Penitent saith, I will yet be more vile. When Benhadad the proud provoker of King Ahab was down 1 Reg. ●0. 31. the wind, his Servants had this hope only left to propound to him. Behold now we have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings: let us therefore, I pray thee, put sackcloth upon our loins, and rops upon our heads, and go out to the King of Israel, etc. They did so. Thus must they do that will have a guilt of sin washed away thoroughly: and so our God being a merciful God, our life may be spared. 3 David desireth God to wash him: for the truth is, he may say to us all, as once to Peter: Nisi ego te lavero, non habebis partem mecum: Except I wash thee, thou shalt have no part in me. David saith, I will wash my hands in innocence: and Isaiah biddeth, Wash you, make you clean. The work of our purification is not performed throughly: but in the concurrence of both these we wash ourselves in our true repentance: God washeth us in his gracious pardon. Yet even in our repentance God doth wash us too: for he giveth both the grace and power of repentance: he worketh all his works in us: our spirits and faculties work together with him; we are not merely passives in our own washing, but we give our affections and desires of heart to it, we offer the service of our sighs, and groans, and tears, and bring our bodies in subjection. The Spirit of God doth not all itself, but it helpeth our Rom. ●●●. infirmities, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: the word is of strong signification, for here is a burden too heavy for us to bear: the Spirit of God comes to our help, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alone were a carriage: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is over against us, as when a burden is born between two; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decompoundeth the word, and joineth him in the burden with us. So he leaves not all the burden upon us, whose weakness cannot undergo it. He takes not all the burden upon him, and from us, but he beareth with us: and as it ever falleth out between two that bear the same burden, the weaker doth ease himself upon the stronger: so it is here: the most of our burden in this act of repentance, lieth upon God, therefore Lava tu Domine, wash thou, Lord. Many would fain cast all the care upon God of their washing: David doth his best, and craveth here but God's assistance. For we must not sit out in our burdens and duties, we cannot exonerate ourselves so. The manner how God worketh this lotion in us is, 1 By his word: so Christ, Uos mundi est is propter sermonem joh. 15. ●. quem ego locutus sum vobis. You are clean, by the word which I have spoken unto you. Saint Augustine showeth how the word doth cleanse us: for it is Verbum fidei, docens, gignens, alens fidem: the word of faith, teaching, begetting, nourishing faith. And our hearts are purged by that faith. Verbum lavat non quia dicitur, sed quia creditur: The word washeth, not because it is spoken, but because it is believed. 2 God washeth us by the water of baptism, which is therefore called, the Laver of our new birth. Which though it be received but once in our life, as the Nicene Creed saith: I believe one Baptism for the remission of sins: Yet it is available for our whole life, and the virtue of it extendeth to our last gasp thereof. The Sacrament of Baptism is for our new birth: and as S. Augustine noteth: As we are born once for our life; so new born but once; For the Lord's Supper is renewed being for nutrition: But the gift of God is without repentance. David needed not a new circumcision after his fall: his repentance renewed the virtue and power thereof. 3 We are of Gods washing by the faith of Christ in his blood, which cleanseth us throughly from all sins. That is the true and perfect lavatory, the fountain which God set open to the house of David, and the inhabitants of jerusalem, that is, to the whole Church of God, for sin, and for uncleanness. For, He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from ●●Sapn●●●. 14. all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 3 Cleanse me. See how fervent David is in his prayer, he reneweth the same petition for his purification: he hath but changed the phrase, the suit is the same it was, to be washed throughly; but he expresseth it to the effect: that he may be clean. Sin of all pollutions is the foulest, it maketh unclean eyes, unclean hands, foul feet, foul consciences. A little washing of foul hands doth but foul them more: we must wash till we be clean. No unclean thing shall ever enter into the new jerusalem. So soon as the Angels had sinned, they were cast out of Paradise aloft: And so soon as Adam had sinned, he was cast out of Paradise below. So soon as Cain had sinned, he was cast out of the presence of God: and became a vagabond on the face of the earth. The pure in heart shall see God: who Psal. ●4. ●, 4▪ shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? and who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart. Therefore make me clean: wonder not that David is so importunate with God for his full purgation from his sin, being so sensible of the danger of his impurity. For the reason why our uncleanness remaineth upon us unpurged, and we continue untroubled at it, is, we are not enough sensible of the foulness that defileth us, or the danger that it brings along with it. Some of us pretending holiness can be well content, and can pray to be washed: but we affect not a perfect cleanness. We have some sins that bring in profit: as usury, simony, bribery, fraud, lying, perjury, and such like. Some that put us forward in the world: as ambition, pride, flattery, etc. Some that give us pleasure and delight, as adultery, fornication, immoderate eating and drinking, chambering, and wantonness, etc. Some that please our malicious disposition; as revenge, secret in●idiations, cunning under minings, satanical libel, and wit-blasts, etc. David is for cleanness: he would have no remain left upon his conscience of any unrepented sin: Wash me throughly, and make me clean. It is true penitence to forsake and abhor sin, all kind of sin, and to let no iniquity have dominion over us We cannot so long as we live here, put away sin, so that no remains shall annoy us. If we can quite the dominion of sin, that we suffer it not to reign in our mortall body; this is our utter most. And so long as sin dwelleth in us not a received inmate, but a violent intruder, we shall find that the Spirit of God will aid us so against it, that as the Spirit in us doth daily grow with the increasing of God: so the flesh will lose ground, and the old Adam will grow weaker and weaker. Our wounds which now stink and are corrupt through sin, will be so clean washed, that there will be way made for healing of them up. Medicus est, offer ei mercedem: Aug. Deus est, offer ei sacrificium. Is it a Physician? offer him a reward: is it God? offer him sacrifice. The Prophet hath found out one alter in this Psalm. Cor contritum, a contrite heart. VERSE 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 2 HIs confession: wherein, 1. He at large, and in a generality confesseth his sins. For I acknowledge my transgressions. 2 He showeth the motive to this confession: a perpetual sight of his sins. 3 He considereth both the generality of his sins, and this last special sin in the offence by it given. 4 He recounteth his original sin, the fountain of his corruption. 5 To aggravate his digression, he compareth himself in a state of sin with that condition which God exacteth of him, and which he will hereafter work in him. 1 His confession at large. After a ●ight and sense of sin in the work of repentance, confession followeth. 1 David confessed to Nathan, sent of God to him to charge him with his sin: and that authority Christ left in his Church in the new Testament with the Priests thereof. Whosoever sins you remit, they are remitted unto them: absolution is not rightly administered, but upon a fair evidence of a true and serious repentance; Which must begin at confession: and therefore the power of absolution doth suppose a duty of confession. The abuse of confession in the Church of Rome hath gotten it an ill name, some of them having many times corrupted it to their own ends to ransack the consciences of men, and to rummage the hearts of men to find how they may serve their turns. Yet was it an holy institution in the intendment thereof, that a man should often survey all his thoughts, and words, and actions. Censure them with grief; tremble at them with fear; confess them with shame; cure them with good counsel; expiate them with some revenge; extinguish them with full purpose of amendment of life: and establish their hearts with some healing comforts from the holy Word of God, administered as cordials from our souls Physicians. But as Auricular Confession hath been sometimes practised, it is a kind of encouragement to sin: for believing, as some do, that their confession, and penance, and absolution doth wash them throughly from all their iniquities, and cleanse them from all sin: They spare not to commit all kinds of sin in trust of this remedy, making the remedy of sin a provocation to sin. Like those mountebanks, that in sight will wound themselves, to show the virtue of their salve, and drink poison in confidence of their antidote. Penances also have been sometimes so easy and perfunctorious, as they may make a sport at sin, study it with deliberation, practise it with delight, and expiate it at short warning. But such pardons were not afoot in David's time, he confesseth to Nathan, and undergoeth a sore penance after Nathan had absolved him. Good use might be made of this in the Church. If a true Penitent revealing his wounded conscience to some learned and godly Physician of his soul, and declaring his true grief did establish his repentant heart with the comfort of the Word, and receive the benefit of God's gracious pardon in the way of God's holy ordinance. In businesses of our estate we may hear wise men speak out of experience, and reading, and observation: but it is safest to trust such whose profession and practice in the laws may give us more full satisfaction in all our doubts. In diseases of the body, reading, experience, and observation may accommodate men unprofessed to speak rationally, and to advise wisely: but health is a dear commodity; they do most safely that consult the learned, studied, and practised Physician: he is the likeliest to direct for our good. In the occasions of the soul, although many great Scholars have profited to ability to inform the judgement in the truth, to convince error, to instruct and comfort: yet seeing God hath ordained some in his Church to do this ex officio: and hath sent them to teach, to baptise, to commend the prayers of the Church to him, to absolve penitents: our using of their ministry in these things is strengthened with warrant: and in this case, nathan's absolution is as good as on Angels. 2 We find David confessing here to God his wickedness. Nathan hath used all the good and discreet ways that may be to bring David to a sight and sense of his sin. 1 He showed him his sin in a parable, borrowing another person to represent to him his sin. 2 He showed it in the commemoration of God's manifold favours to him, which cannot but show, that God had better deserved of him then to be answered with transgression of his commandments. For he might plead, Do you thus unkindly requite my love! 2 He came to the point, and opened his wounds, and showed him the rottenness and stench of them in an hoc fecisti; Thus hast thou done, and I held my peace all this while. 3 He revealeth to him the purpose of God for his correction, by a severe punishment of his faults diverse ways, as you have heard. This made him cry God mercy, and crave aid of God's tender compassions to wash him. For I acknowledge my wickedness. Which teacheth; That true repentance ariseth from a knowing, and beginneth at confessing our sin. They pray but faintly and weakly for mercy to wash them, that do not well discern and confess their wickedness. The woman of Canaan that came to Christ for her daughter, cries loud for his help, the disciples cannot still her. Blind Bartimeus runs hard, and cries loud for his sight. The woman with the issue of blood pressed through the crowd as near as she could to Christ, to touch the hem of his vesture. David sometimes cried, till his throat was hoarse. Moses prayed till his hands fell. All that feel need of help from God, and know it no where else to be had, will ply him heartily, and give him no rest. So forceable is the knowledge of our sins to put us upon God in importunate e●●lagitations of mercy. Such know that there is no state here on earth so unhappy, as the state of a sinner. Let us never hope for peace in our conscience or favour with God, till we come to see and confess our wickedness. Oh that there were such an heart of piety and holy zeal as to search and try our own ways, and to detect our own sins, as we have hearts of malice and curiousitie to dive into the transgressions of others. I would we could discern our own beams as clearly, as we see the motes in our brother's eye. I acknowledge my wickedness, I search no further. Let me now turn your eyes upon your own hearts, and put you to the search of them to the bottom, that you may confess your wickedness to God between you and him alone. For wounds must be searched before they can be cured. And then shall you be prepared to hear the story of Christ's bitter passions, that he sustained for you, which shall shortly be recounted to you out of the Gospel by appointment of the Church. There you shall see the loving kindness of God, and the multitude of his tender compassions: you shall see what need your wounds had of his stripes; what need your voluptuous lives had of his dolorous throws and pangs: what need your crown of pride had of his crown of thorns: what need your crying sins had of his strong prayers and supplications: what need your deserved curse had of his undeserved cross. If all tears were wiped from our eyes for ourselves, and that our mouths were filled with laughter, and our tongues with joy; yet if we did consider in what liquor we were washed, the precious blood of a Lamb without spot: pilate's Ecce homo, Behold the man, showing us our Redeemer newly come from his cruel whipping, his precious body, the glory of humanity ploughed up with scourges into deep furrows to save our skins whole: Uox sanguinis, the voice of blood, speaking better things than the blood of Abel, crying for our purification: and his dying plea even for his enemies; Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. These and a thousand more considerable passages in his dolorous passion were enough, to turn all our harps into mourning, and all our organs into the voice of them that weep; to make our heads fountains of tears, to melt us into passion, to distil us into spirit of compassion, for him that paid so dear for our souls. Sic Deus dilexit mundum, misit filium suum, dedit unigenitum, as August, dedit unicum, ut non esset unicus: So God loved the world. He sent his Son. He gave his only begotten Son. He gave his only Son, that he might not be his only Son. And in the manner of giving, Non pepercit filio suo: he spared not his son: he laid upon him the iniquity of us all. Will you find the cause of all this? the root of bitterness, the gall and wormwood that made his potion so corroding? Search your heart for sin, and wash the bloody wounds of your Redeemer in a bath of compassionate tears, your own putrified soars in a bath of penitential tears. And as Israel brought forth Achan, and put him in sight Iosh. 7. who had trespassed in the accursed thing: so let our confession put our transgressions in sight, saying with David, I acknowledge my wickedness; And with Achan: I have Vers. 20. sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done. That which undoes Religion, and destroys the fear and service of God, and hindereth our repentance, and evacuateth all our acts of piety: that which maketh the word to us a dead letter, that which weakeneth the power of our Baptism, and maketh the Lord's Supper an eating and drinking of judgement; that which maketh all our praises of God a sacrifice of fools; that which turneth all our prayers into sin, and transformeth the grace of God into wantonness, is; We either hide our sin out of sight cautè closely, 1 wherein we may deceive the world: but we cannot shut up the eye of God, or benight the light of our own conscience. Or we plead, Non est factum, not our deed, against two 2 witnesses at least; one in heaven, another in our own bosoms. Or we put on some honest names upon our dishonest 3 carriages, calling wantonness recreation; and prosecution of revenge, a standing upon our credit, and a maintenance of honour. Or we face out our sins with society, as drunkards plead they do no other than is done in Court, in City, in Country, and amongst all sorts and degrees of men these times; add women too, for many will not sit out in a fashion. And if we reprove such, they regest that some of ourselves are good fellows too. Here the proverb fails, The more the merrier: when they go in the ways of death. Or we devolue our fault upon others, as Adam, Mulier quam dedisti: the woman which thou gavest me. It falleth upon God. Vinum quod dedisti inebriat: vestes quas dedisti superbum me, cibus gulosum, etc. The wine which thou hast given me makes me drunken; the clothes thou hast given me make me proud; thy meat, gluttonous, etc. Some proceed further, the full growth of impudence and 5 impenitency justifying their sins, and calling evil good, and good evil, treading under foot the blood of the covenant jude 13. as an unholy thing; raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame, wand'ring stars, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever: whose condemnation sleepeth not. Beloved, your reason, and judgement, and common understanding doth call swearing blasphemy. It calleth doing that which you would not suffer, injury. It calleth immoderate eating, gluttony: intemperate drinking, drunkenness. It calleth unlawful copulations, adultery and fornication. By the light of nature, and of Religion we abhor the denomination of these sins: who is willing to be called a blasphemer, an oppressor, a glutton, a drunkard? If the names of these sins be shameful, make conscience of the sins themselves. For it was ever in fashion in the world, and will be; that they which do wickedly and foolishly, shall be called wicked and foolish persons. I conclude with Joshuahs' speech to Achan: My son, give I pray thee glory to the Lord Iosh. 7. 19 God of Israel, and make confession unto him: tell now what thou hast done, and hide it not. He that hideth his sin shall not prosper: shame and fear are the two great hindrances of confession, they are also the rods of sin. These should rather move us to confession and repentance: for repentance removeth them both: ut ante. And my sin is ever before me. 2 Here is a great motive to confession: for David found his sin troublesome to him. Sin is taken commonly for the fault, and so our fault always in sight bringeth shame. Sin is also taken sometimes for the punishment, and that in our sight always bringeth fear. It must needs be cumbersome to have these two rods always lashing of us: shame and fear. Sin is also said to be before us. 1 Either in the eye of understanding, and judgement, and reason, knowing and disliking it. 2 Or in the eye of our conscience pleading guilty to it. And this is ever so, till our repentance and God's pardon hath removed it. Our first parents in paradise did see the forbidden fruit: 1 That it was good for food. 2 It was a desire to the eyes. 3 To be desired to make one wise. They considered not that the eating of it was against the commandment, that it was certain death to eat of it. I he sin was not before them. In every temptation to evil, and commission of evil, there is a pleasure that offereth itself to the eye; upon that our yielding weakness fasteneth. That is ever before us, to put us into sin: and when we have done it, that is before us to keep us from repentance. That was it that corrupted David's holiness, at first to sin, and that held him so long impenitent. But when God had awaked him by his Prophet, than the pleasure of fin ceased, and the shame, and fear, and sorrow of it succeeded: then was his sin ever before him. The words of David's complaint weigh heavy; if we take the full weight of every one of them, they amount to a talon of lead, and we may call them, The Burden of David. 1 Here is sin. 2 My sin. 3 Coram, in sight. 4 Coram me, before me. 5 Semper, ever. 1 His complaint is of sin. All sins are not alike deadly, nor all of equal provocation. There be different magnitudes of sin: one sin differeth from another in quality: Some more offensive than 1 other to God, to man, to ourselves. Some in quantity of number hath more sins retaining 2 to it, than others have: for no sin doth ever go alone. Some in quantity of dimension greater than other, more 3 provoking. Some in quantity of weight heavier, and more incurving and slooping towards, and immerging deeper into the 4 gulf of perdition. Some in quantity of measure, more filling, and more 5 heaped up, more pressing down, more running over. Some in the seed of concupiscence; some in the root of delight; some in the blade of consent; some in the ear of perpetration; some in the full growth and ripeness of custom; some shedding & self-sowing by defence and justification of it, and by public profession and maintenance. When Satan would strike us with a fiery dart, he will show us our sin at the worst. In confession of sins to God we must consider, that we are in his eye to whom all things are manifest; from whom no thing can be concealed: and therefore there is no slubbering or mincing our confession. We must confess all, as we desire to be made clean from all: let us be as particular as we can in the enumeration of our sins. And because our memory may fail us in particularities, let us help it with opening before God: our Corpus peccati, body of sin. So I understand here, my sin, that is, Corpus peccati, the body of sin, in the gross sum is ever before me. David doth come to particular sins after in his confession. This peccatum, sin, is that corruption of nature, which is ever striving against the Law: that flesh which is ever rebelling against the Spirit, that old man which is corrupt according to the deceivable lusts of the flesh. The bed of sin in us, the stool of wickedness, the throne of Satan, the remnants of sin, which abide even in the regenerate; upon which S. Paul complaineth so much. I know that in me, that is in my flesh, is no good thing. And this he chargeth with all his aberrations from the way of God: law. Not I: that is my regenerate part: but sin in me, that is, my natural corruption not yet mortified: my flesh not yet brought in subjection to the law and will of my God. 2 Meum, my. David owneth his sin, and confesseth it his own. Here is our natural wealth, what can we call our own but sin? Our food and raiment, the necessaries of life, are borrow. We came hungry and naked into the world, we brought none of these with us, and we deserved none of them here. Our sin came with us, as David after confesseth. We have right of inheritance in sin, taking it by traduction and transmission from our parents: we have right of possession. So Job: Thou makest me to possess the job 13. 16. sins of my youth. We plead ancient custom and prescription for sin: for we were never without it, since we first came into the world. Peccatum meum, my sin, is David's grief▪ David in piety to God, and in charity to his neighbour, did mourn and weep rivers of waters for them that kept not the law. But other men's sins are not put upon his account, and require not his repentance, except they were committed by his counsel, example, or approbation. He is now to declare his repentance that extendeth no further than to peccatum meum, my sin. This may aggravate a sin much: for as is the person, so is the sin: here, Meum, my, toucheth the person of the offender: Nehemiah urgeth, Should such a man as I fly? David was a person; take him not beyond his private estate, as the younger son of I shall: favoured by God, defended from the Lion, the Bear; from Goliath, from the Philistines, from Saul, and from all his enemies. Adam's sin which many sleight as no great matter to draw such a judgement upon all flesh, was the greatest sin that ever was committed by man in respect of the person. For being in a state of innocence, and having freewill to do good, and in the fresh glory of his creation, and in the fullness of his maker's image; and in the fatness of the earth: the fitness of an help meet for him: amounting to, what could I have done more that I have not done? his trespass was prodigious, nefarious, abominable. To defile his holiness; to benight his wisdom, to corrupt his goodness, to evacuate his righteousness, to forget his happiness: and to see God for a fruit: having paradise before him, and all the fruit at his service: his sin was infectious, it did not only vitiate and deflower his person, it also empoisoned the fountain of blood, which was to propagate, a posterity to fill the earth. We know that peccatum meum, my sin, the sin of the Angels that fell was so aggravated by the consideration of their persons who fell, that God cast them off for ever, and reserveth them in chains of darkness for a great day. David a public person, a king, God's king; Posui Rege● meum super montem sacrum meum: I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Regis ad exemplum, etc. David an holy Prophet: vices that are slighted in common persons, in men professed holy are twice themselves, and Satan glorieth more in the corruption of a Prophet or Minister of the Word, then in many common men▪ God is more offended, and the Church more scandaled. Let every man judge his sin by consideration of himself. In his person, in his place and office, in his received favours from God. Meum, my, will so make great weight. Meum, hath special reference here to David's sin, 3 which doth put him to this penance. 1 His lust upon the sight of beauty. 2 His adultery. 3 His making Vriah drunk. 4 His corrupting of Joab. 5 His murder of Vriah. 6 His ten months impenitency. This is peccatum meum, my sin. Every one of these very heinous: for lust, adultery, and making men drunk, and a constant or rather obstinate impenitency. These be sins in fashion, and many think the better of themselves for them. It is the pride of many to boast of their unchaste and lascivious lewdness of life, of their making their companions drunk, and no sense of the abuse of God's good creatures; the wrong to God, to their neighbour, to their own bodies, thereby exposed to diseases. Beloved, if all these, if any of these sins belong to any of you; I charge you not: let your consciences save me the labour, and do you own it, and call it peccatum meum, my sin, as David here doth. Put it before you in sight, and confess it to God, that you may find mercy. If none of these call you guilty, search your hearts for that darling sin, Peccatum meum, my sin. The pleasant, the profitable sin, that reigneth in you. You see confession spares not any sin: whatsoever you call meum, mine, must be all brought forth. 3 Coram, Before. This sin was now come before, as August▪ observeth. Sin is behind our backs, when we are first tempted to it, when we first commit it. Satan showeth the pleasure and profit of sin, but he concealeth the trespass and the danger thereof. 1 It was in sight of God from the first motion and yielding to it. 2 It was in sight of the Devil and his Angels that suggested it. 3 It was in sight of those agents of the King who did negotiate it. 4 It was in sight of the common man, who could not but take notice of it. 5 It was in sight of the Church, God's faithful ones, who were much scandalised by it. 6 It was in sight of the enemies of God, who thereby took great occasion to blaspheme the name of God, and his Religion. 7 It was in sight of Nathan, God's holy Prophet, who was sent of purpose by God to reprove it. Nathan charged him, Thou didst it secretly: see the deceivableness of Satan; no sin dare look the light in the face: Qui male agit, odit lucem: He that doth evil, hateth the light. One of the greatest encouragements to fin is an hope of secrecy, and therein for the most part the sinner miscarrieth: for not only God, which hateth the sin, but Satan also that tempted to it, do both find means to bring it to shame. Yet the heart of David was so hardened, and his conscience so blinded with the pleasure of sin, that he felt no remorse of it. Some sins are much more hardly repent than others, especially those sins which please the natural man best, repented hardest. 4 Coram me, Before me. Now at last his sin is come to the light of his own understanding, to the sting of his own conscience. Now he sees what need he hath of mercy, Miserere mei Deus, etc. Have mercy upon me O God. Now he sees what commandments he hath despised, as Nathan chargeth him. Now he sees what offence he hath given to God, to his Church. What defiling to his own soul and body; what danger to both. We can never repent heartily till we come to this: and we are very loath to come to it. Now David seeth his sin clearly, the whole sin, the motives, the means, the acts, the colours, and conveyances there, all coram me, before me. Coram populo, before the people, shame to him: Coram Ecclesia, before the Church, grief to them: Coram inim●cis, before the enemies, joy to them: Coram Deo, before God, anger against him: Coram Nathane, before Nathan, a chiding. But if any hope of repentance and amendment, it is in Peccatum meum coram me, my sin before me. Here is the distress of a sinner, he never discerneth how unhaphie he is, till his sin is before him. Excused be the masks of sin: pleasure is the sweetening of sin: secrecy is the night of sin. Remove all these, and let thy sin appear naked, and stripped of this shelter: Mulier formosa supernè turpiter atrum desinet: The fairest woman's face, Fowl neither parts disgrace. How quickly could David see his own sin in another person in the parable of Nathan? It was ten months before his own sin was before himself. We are very blind to behold our own faults: yet we are most beholding to them that help our weak sight, and clear our eyes that way. It was the wish of a wellminded heathen man, that he might ever dwell either by a true friend, or some very malicious and spiteful enemy, because either love or malice would ever tell him his own, and he should be sure to know his faults. Christ: What say men that I am? we must use all the means we can to search our wounds, that they may be healed. To know our disease, ut curetur, it is S. Gregor. note upon this Text: Ascendat tribunal mentis suae, constituat se ante se: Videat foeditatem suam at corrigat, ne nolens videat & erubescat: Let him ascend the tribunal of his mind, and place himself before himself: let him see his foulness to correct it, lest against his will he see it, and be ashamed at it. Some put all their virtues before themselves: as the Pharisee; he gave not himself an ill word in his confession. I am not like other men, I fast, I pay tithes: I give alms, I pray, etc. The poor Publican could not see any good Corn within his field it was so overgrown with tares. Lord be merciful to me the sinner. Great persons have so much the more danger from sin, because they have so many flatterers to keep their virtues ever in their sight, or to lay virtues to their charge that they have no right too. And so few nathan's to show them their sins, and to say, Tueshomo, thou art the man. How can they repent, when their sin is yet behind their backs, and no body dares put it in sight? Or if it come in sight, there may be found law to make it good. Sinnes when they are grown to have countenance of authority, and strength of custom to establish them, are no longer sins, Leges fiant, they are made laws. And time calls that a sin now, which anon is a singular virtue. But let us call sins and virtues by their proper names, and let them be in our sight, and we shall beg the grace of repentance very heartily. 5 Sempe▪ always. Sin is sweet in the mouth: Job speaks of hiding it under the tongue; but in the stomach it is unwholesome and upbraiding. David found it so; when once it came before him, it was ever in his sight: as before he said; There is no rest in my bones, propter p●ccatum, by reason of my sin. Sometimes he thought how he had sinned against Vriah a faithful servant in defiling his bed, in betraying his life; sometimes how he sinned against his own ●oul and body, in defiling it with the flesh: Sometimes how he had sinned against Joab, to make him an instrument of injury against Vriah, to defile him also with innocent blood: Sometimes how he abused the good creatures of God, to make Uriah drunk: how he twice wronged the honourable state of matrimony: once desiring to make Vriahs' repair to his house a cover for his sin: and when that failed, and Vriah was slain; he veiled his sin with his own marriage of the defiled widow: always he thought how he had sinned against God This case of David is a lively piece describing to the life the unrest of an unquiet conscience overcharged with sin. That which Poets feigned of Furies ever disquieting some persons; was nothing else, as Tully found and applied it, but a troubled conscience which hath no peace. And we can never attain to peace, before we have felt the sting of sin, the rigour of the law, the terror of the Lord, the rods and scorpions of an afflicted and unrestful conscience. And this will hold till our repentance & God's pardon sealeth our quietus est: no company, no pleasure, no comfort will help this, no such sorrow, as Animus dolet, the mind is sorrowful. VERSE 4. Against thee, thee only have I sinned: and done this evil in thy sight. 3. HIs confession expresseth where he hath given offence: which hath two parts. For, 1 He accuseth himself. 2 He cleareth almighty God. 1 In his self-accusation. 1 Here is the height of sin against God, Tibisoli, etc. Against thee only. 2 Here is the boldness of his sin▪ In thy sight. In the first here is, 1 Ego, I: the person. 2 Peccavi, have sinned: the trespass. 3 Against thee, Pars laesa, the party offended. 1 Ego, I: the person. This comes in still: for it maketh weight always in the confession. Some charge the malevolent aspects of their stars, some charge Satan with all their sin: Others have other put-offs to save themselves harmless. David takes all upon himself, his own corruption; his own rebel flesh: his unregenerate part, his old Adam did it. Me, me, adsum qui feci: Here, here I am that did it. I whom thou tookest from following the ewes great with lamb: whose sheephook thou hast changed for a Sceptre, whose sheep for thine own people Israel, upon whose head thou hast set a crown of pure gold. I whom thou didst lately invest in the full Monarchy of thy people, to whom thou gavest the possession of jerusalem from the jebusites. I who settled peace, Religion and Courts of justice in jerusalem, that thou mightest be served and honoured: and I would fain have built thee an house there. Ego, ay, to whom God committed the trust of government to rule others, the trust of judgement to punish others, as King, over his inheritance. ay, to whom God committed the care of others souls to guide them by his word, to direct them by good counsel, to allure them by his gracious promises to terrify them by his threatenings: as the Lords holy Prophet. I who both ways as King and Prophet should have been an example of holiness and righteousness to all Israel. Nathan said, Tues homo, thou art the man, in just accusation, and now David saith, Ego sum homo, I am the man: in humble confession. Great Princes and persons in eminent rank can take it upon them highly in terms of honour: then ego, I am the man. They must do so here also. 2 The trespass, Peccavi, I have sinned: David ever had a tender conscience for sin: he never slept in any of his trespasses so long before or after, as in this. For when he 1 Sam. 24. 5. 2. 24. 10. had opportunity to come so near to Saul, as to cut off his skirt of his garment, his heart smote him. So did it after he had numbered the people: now he feeleth the weight of sin upon his conscience, and cries, Peccavi, I have sinned. Every true penitent doth so: but every one is not a true Gen. 4. 13. penitent that doth so: for Cain said more, Mine iniquity Marg. K. Bible. is greater than it can be forgiven. Pharaoh said as much: I have sinned this time, The Lord is righteous, I and my people Exod. 9 27. are wicked: for the thunder and hail mingled with fire. After he said more upon the judgement of the locusts, I Exo. 10. 16, 17 have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin this once, and entreat the Lord for me. Judas went further: I have sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. He repented, Mat. 27. 3, 4, 5. saith the Text, he said with the price of his sin in his hand in the act of restitution. But Cain and Judas confessed in final desperation. Pharaoh shrunk only at the punishment, the sin grieved him not. David's peccavi, I have sinned, had more in it: he knew his sin fully, it was ever before him. And he was more troubled with his fault then with his punishment; he made the worst of it: yet he had faith in the loving kindness, and in the multitude of the tender compassions of God, he had the spirit of supplications, and prayed fervently. His first suit is for his washing, and his strong cries are like them of the Leper to Christ: Lord, that I may be clean: and the further we go in this Psalm, the more pregnant remonstrances he maketh of his true repentance, the more clear example doth he give for ours. As fear shaken him, and as shame covered his face: so faith supported him, and prayer to God sanctified his mortification. Such a peccavi, I have sinned, so open in confession without, so stinging with compunction within, so quickened by a lively faith, so winged with zealous prayer, will soon find the ready way to the throne of grace, and find mercy there in a time of need. 3 Parslaesa, the party offended. Here the spirit of David is troubled, he is full of passion. 1 He confesseth the wrong done to God: Contra te, against thee. 2 He resumeth it with a duplication, Against thee. 3 He putteth it home with a soli, Tibi, tibi soli peccavi: Against thee, thee only have I sinned. 1 Contra te, Against thee. That is the sting and torment, the rod and scorpion of the conscience: when we consider that our trespass hath been bend and aimed against God. Si non Jehova pro nobis, If the Lord had not been on our side, is Israel's word, we had perished. Auxilium nostrum à Domino: O●r help is from the Lord; In his favour is our life. This makes every wilful sin we commit mortal, because it trespasseth the majesty of God: therefore no sin in this nature is venial: and this makes every sin of infinite merit, because it is a sin against an infinite majesty. And for that our persons are finite, and not capable of infinite punishment; there is no way to satisfy this infinite majesty offended, but by eternity of punishment. This appears in this sentence, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire: The smoke of their torment shall arise for evermore. The worm never dyeth, the fire never goeth out. We have many great motives, to make conscience of trespassing against this majesty of God. 1 For the good that he is. 2 For the good that he doth. 1 For the good that he is. He is one that hateth iniquity: no evil shall dwell with him; He is all holiness, and righteousness. 2 For the good that he doth. 1 He is our faithful Creator: He made us, not we ourselves: he fashioned us in the womb, he kept us there, he took us thence. 2 We came naked into the world, he clothed us: we came hungry, he gives us daily bread: we came ignorant, he taught us: weak, and he strengthened us: unclean, and he washed us in the laver of regeneration. 3 We were born children of wrath: he adopted us heirs of grace and glory, and redeemed us with the dear cost and expense of his Son's blood. 4 He is the preserver of men, he giveth us spiritual and temporal favours, His loving kindness and mercy followeth us all the days of our life. 3 We may add, for the evils that he doth. For is there any evil or punishment which he sendeth not? He is velox ultor, a swift revenger; and his right hand doth find out all his enemies. We would not willingly anger a person that hath power to do us hurt, though we have no hope that he will ever do us good. But our God is a father as well as a judge, and with him is mercy that he may be feared, that we may not run ourselves upon the edge of his sword. Let us consider how all things else serve him but we only, and the Angels that sinned. They unhappied their estates by sinning against God, and of glorious Angels became unclean devils: there is no part of the work of God's hands so eternally cast away, reserved in chains of darkness for the judgement of the last day. We had a way opened to us, a new and living way. 2 He therefore resumeth this, against thee, either doubling the consideration of his sin; or doubling the consideration of the party offended by it: both which shows, that he had laid it to heart, and that lay heavy upon his conscience, he had throughly considered against whom he offended. We cannot think too much of it, we cannot confess it too often, we cannot deplore it too bitterly, that we have sinned against God. For many are the pressures of this life; but they are all comforted with a sure refuge to God. He is our help in trouble: Vana salus hominis, the help of man is vain. But when we sin against God, we lop the tree that should shelter us from a storm. We undermine the tabernacle of our dwelling. Whither shall we go for our healing when we are wounded? Whose counsel shall we ask when we are sick? Who shall feed our hunger? etc. Who shall then have pity upon thee, O jerusalem? or who jer. 15. 5. shall be moan thee, or who shall go aside to ask how thou dost? Thou hast forsaken me, saith the Lord, thou art gone backwards, therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee, I am weary with repenting. Whatsoever we do against God, we do it against ourselves. Whatsoever we do evil is against God: it opposeth his will, it resisteth his word and commandment: it valueth the pleasure of sin more than his favour, and exchangeth God for a vain delight. Is not this an high offence? 3 He putteth it home, Tibi soli peccavi: against thee alone have I sinned. Some question is made, how David can say, Soli, Thee alone. Did not he offend Vriah in defiling his bed? in sending for him to colour his adultery? in taking him home, under a pretence of entertainment, to make him drunk. After all to procure his death, did he not sin against Bathsheba to defile her? Did he not sin against Joab, to make him a murderer? Did he not sin against his own body, to destroy the temple of the Lord, and to defile a vessel of holiness with uncleanness? Did he not trespass the Church which was ashamed, and grieved at his aberration? Did he not trespass his double unction of King and Prophet? how then doth he say; Tibi soli, against thee alone? Mr. Calvin doth two ways answer this question. 1 That he had done this sinful act secretly, and so had Sol. 1. none to make his peace withal, but God: who only knew the offence. This doth not help: for Joab knew that he was an instrument of David's injustice: he knew he had defiled his own body: she knew. And no question but it was resented of many. But this Psalm was made for the use of the Church, after all was out against him. 2 That he denyeth not the full extent of his fault; but 2 making his confession to God, he declareth what did most cruciate and disquiet his conscience; only this, that he had sinned against God, and provoked his anger against him. This may pass for a good solution of the question, for the sin against God extendeth to both Tables of the Law: and when we trespass our own selves, or our neighbours, we sin mainly against God in both. The full extent of our sin is only against God. Every sin hath a branching and dispersion, like so many brooks running into one main stream, all empty themselves into the Sea, all finally wrong, God. Mr. Calvin addeth his own judgement, Tibi soli, against 3 thee alone. Howsoever, the secrecy of my sinful acts may keep it out of sight from some: and the flattery of others may cast excuses or defences upon it: and the charity of others may like Sem and Japhet, cast a garment upon it to hide it: may connive at it, or pardon it: To thee I have sinned: thou dost know it, and it appears only to thee in the full and true proportion, I cannot hide it from thee. This also may be well received. 4 He addeth; that he nameth God only, because God only hath the vengeance in his hand, and he is in no danger but of him. For who on earth hath power to chasten Kings for sin, but God only? There was no Pope above Kings in David's time. The high Priest, a type of Christ, was nothing so great a man as the Pope, the Vicar of Christ. But the truth is, when Christ came to reveal himself, than began Satan first to lay claim to all the kingdoms of the earth, and the power to dispose of them: and he made Christ a great offer, to give them all to him. But what Elisha would not, Gehezi his man would: what Christ refused, his Vicar sticks not to accept of after. Saint Augustine cleareth the doubt another way: Tibi 5 soli peccavi; quiatu sol●ss sine peccato: ille justus punitur, qui non habet quod puniatur: Against thee only have I sinned; because thou alone art without sin. That just one was punished, who had nothing in him to be punished. Some read, to thee only, Peccavi, I have sinned, because 6 Isa. 43. 25. none but he can pardon sin, as God saith: I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake. I best may satisfy my own judgement with reference of 7 this complaint of David, to the reproof of Nathan. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to 2. Sam. 12. 9 do evil in his sight? David striketh here at the root of his sin, from whence all his other iniquities, and transgressions, and sins, of which he complained, derived themselves. It was my sinning against thee in the contempt of thy word, that hath undone me, and made me a prey to Satan. He that in the Serpent found that way to undo the first Adam in Paradise, by drawing him away from the word▪ he ever since hath tried that conclusion with all his posterity, and hath much advanced his kingdom by it: he tried the same way with Christ in the wilderness, but he kept him to the word; Scriptum est, it is written. And therefore he tried him; by the word, and urged Scriptum est, it is written, to him, hoping by the word to have recovered him from the word. And ever since his great agents, especially Heretics, and Schismatics, are great Textmen. This clearing of the words of David pointeth us to the beginning of all sin in us, which is at swarving from the word of God. David found it so dangerous, that the whole 119. Psalm is aimed at that sin. Vers. 1. and 2. he pronounceth them blessed that walk in this way, and keep his testimonies. Vers. 3. They do no iniquity, etc. Vers. 4. he urgeth God's commandment for this to keep his precepts diligently. Vers. 5. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! 8. I will keep thy statutes, O forsake me not utterly. His desire to the word, his comfort from the word, his joy in the word, his estimation of the word, his love to the word: all the Psalm is full of these holy meditations. We may all confess in this respect with David, that we have sinned against God only, for having the word in that plenty, and so many helps by hearing and reading to take benefit of it. Our ungodly lives testify, that we depart from it. Which of our sins doth the word of God favour, which doth it not threaten with loss of the kingdom of heaven, as the Angels that sinned lost their habitation, and Adam his paradise for departing from that word? Israel God's darling people lost their Canaan, and first ten Tribes were lopped from the Church, then cut off from the state, and carried away and never heard of. The remain lost all, and live now in dispersion: it is our sin, and we begin to stink in the nostrils of God: hear and fear. And done this evil in thy sight. 2 Here is the boldness of his sin, wherein let us consider, 1 The person, I. 2 The commission: done. 3 The trespass, evil. 4 The particularity, this. 5 The daring of it: in thy sight. 1 Of the person. It is again pressed and may not be omitted in our consideration. For let every one consider his own person in all his delinquences, and he shall find so much more quarrel against himself for it. Personal considerations do much aggravate or extenuate sins. Sins of ignorant persons are nothing, so defiling them and provoking God, as sins of knowledge. Sins of younger persons, in whom the passions of youth are more unruly, and understanding and reason as yet but in the blade, offend not so much as sins of aged persons, whom time and experience should both inform and confirm in better ways: they have felt more comfort of the favour of God, and seen more examples of the justice of God; and have been longer taught in the word of God, and where God soweth liberally, he expecteth to reap plentifully. Sins in poor persons who have received little at the hands of God, displease him not so much as theirs whose cup doth overflow: whose paths are anointed with butter, and their bellies filled with the treasures of his plenty. Sins in inferior persons not so offensive as in Magistrates and Princes, and eminent persons: whose examples may prove infectious to corrupt many. Generally the same sins in the people are less than in the Minister: Cujus in ore verbum vitae, cujus in more should be vitaverbi: In whose mouth is the Word of life, in whose conversation the life of the word. Therefore when David remembered his own person a King, and an holy Prophet, so much beholding to God for his high favours, his heart did the more smite him for his trespass. And thus should the example work with us upon any temptation to sin; to consider with Joseph, How should I do this great wickedness: and there take occasion to recount the favours of God to us: the fruits of the earth, the fruits of the womb: of our cattle, our peace, our health, our daily bread, our friends, and all the comforts of life: concluding thus. God hath deserved better at my hands, than so, that I should give way to this temptation, and so sin against him, whose loving kindness hath followed me all the days of my life. Should I blaspheme his Name by swearing, in whose name is my help? Should I profane his Sabbath, who hath allowed me six days for my work, and this one for my rest, and relaxation of all cares of life to attend his service? Should I offend my neighbour, whom God made in his own image, for whom Christ shed his precious blood, and for whom he taketh care as he doth for me, that he may live in peace by me? And as this in early consideration may prevent sin: so in a later consideration it may serve to hasten our repentance, and to make it more serious, when not withstanding so many reasons against it, I have yielded to a temptation, and committed a sin. The more cause I had not to do it, the more must my repentance be. 2 The Commission, Have done evil. Sins of omission wherein God is neglected, or our neighbour in duties of piety or charity give great offence. You may see it in the sentence: I was hungry, Et non pavistis me. Ite maledicti: and ye fed me not. Go you cursed. Sins of desire, though not effected and perpetrated, do more offend: for as our good desires do stand for acts, and receive rewards; so our evil and unlawful desires express the malignity of our corrupt dispositions, and merit just vengeance. Satan doth corrupt the heart first, and then out of the foul treasure of the heart proceed all kinds of evils. Peccatum animae, the sin of the soul, is the pollution of the soul, and God seeth it. David was an adulterer, when his desire was first inflamed with lust: but now it is done; Vriahs' wife is defiled: Uriah is slain: here is a sin of commission. Sins of this kind which corrupt us, and do hurt abroad cannot be recalled: so long as sin is but in desire, it defileth at home only; but when it comes abroad into action, it is a complete and full unrighteousness. Therefore in repentance we must especially have care of such evils as are done by us, which we cannot recall▪ to repent them heartily, and to wash them clean from our consciences: for they cleavefast to us, they scatter their poison abroad. And if sins of omission do smart so upon offenders, and sins of desire; how deep is the scarlet die of sins of commission? 3 The trespass: I have done evil. Evil, is a creation of our own: for all that God made was exceeding good. This we can do of ourselves, yet Satan puts us on by his temptations. Yet not under the name or show of evil: the delight and pleasure of the flesh seemed in the temptation like the forbidden fruit, fair to the eye, and pleasant in taste. The evil we commit, if we think of, it will soon appear like itself to our understanding and reason, but especially to the Spirit of God in us. But our appetite hath not the leisure to advise with these: in general delight is good, & pleasure is the gift of God. But if this be not regulated by the Canon of manners, which is the holy law of God: there may be a latent evil which we are loath to see for fear of depriving ourselves of our desired delight. But when lust hath conceived, we see the birth of sin quickly succeeding. Then the pleasure is gone and nothing remaineth, but the evil, the guilt of sin, and the burden of the conscience. That is done, and there remaineth behind the sting of it anguishing the conscience: or the custom of it searing the conscience. Every evil we do is an injury to God, and a contempt of his Law. If God should for his pleasure scourge, and torment us, and make it his sport to hear our groan, and to see our tears: who could challenge him for using his own creatures, according to his own will: but as a father he loveth us: our pain his smart. How is it then that we take pleasure in evil, which God hateth, and which so offendeth him, that his soul abhorreth all them that work wickedness? It is a better way to be before hand with quid faciemus, What shall we do? good Master, what good thing may I do to obtain everlasting life? then to cry, Quid feci? what have I done? Oh what evil have I done to deserve death? Or as Job, Peccavi, quid faciam tibi? I have sinned: what shall I do unto thee? The name of evil should loathe us, it is so foul; and it should fear us, it is so dangerous. Therefore in all temptations to it, it will be our wisdom and holiness to abstract the pleasure of evil from the evil: To part them, and weigh them by themselves. We shall find the pleasures of sin in weight lighter than vanity: and in such firm conjunction with vexation of the spirit: and for their lasting, so short lived, and so soon gone, and leaving such a bitterness in the soul behind them, that the very thought thereof in sad consideration will call such mirth madness, and say to such pleasure, What meanest thou? Again, evil weighed by itself will prove the burden of the conscience, the fear of a deadly blow, the trembling of our hearts, the shame of our faces, the disquieting of the whole man. This showeth us what a body of sin we bear about us: for as the proverb is, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: this calleth the heart unclean, and the conscience defiled. Cease therefore to do evil, and learn to do well. This is the way of life, to escape the paths of death. Evils are a shamed of themselves, and Satan dare not be so open in his temptations, as to tender them to us bare-faced; but he putteth either some matter of virtue upon them, to hide them out of sight; or some pretence of great pleasure or profit to sweeten them, that they may go down with us without distaste. Let us but take so much leisure as to take off this disguise, and behold evil in it own proper colours, and we shall see such a loathed deformity, we shall feel such an abhorred complexion of stench and commistion of filthiness, as will discourage us from it. We shall discern danger in the touch of it, and death in the committing of it. Libera nos à malo: Deliver us from evil. 4 The particularity: This sin. Here David's repentance doth come home to his present disease: this great exemplary teeming and pregnant; this parturient sin which brought forth so many, so horrible sins. Lust when it conceiveth bringeth forth sin. Lust was David's sin: see the present issue and increase of it: it broughtforth adultery. Two bodies defiled: Matrimony, God's ordinance polluted: Gods good creatures abused to drunkenness. Joab corrupted, Uriah murdered: This sin cherished, veiled with a marriage: and for ten months unrepented. I have done this evil, all this, beside all the other sins of my life, I have added this also. No doubt but he did consider this sin also in the punishment of it. 1 With vexation in his conscience. 2 With shame in the world. 3 With the grief of the Church. 4 With the joy of God's enemies. 5 With the anger of God. 6 With the chiding of Nathan. 7 With the death of the child. 8 With a continual incumbent punishment in his own house; Non discedet gladius, etc. The sword shall not depart, etc. Before he craved mercy against his transgressions, and iniquity, and sins. Now he comes to this eminent and notorious sin. I have done evil, this evil. Which teacheth us, when we come to repair the decays of our spiritual man by repentance, to have special care of those particular sins which have especially corrupted us, and provoked God against us. A general peccavi & iniquè egi: I have sinned, and done wickedly; will not serve without we come to this evil. As the people of Israel did, when the Lord affrighted them with thunder and rain in their wheat-harvest: they confessed and said to Samuel: Pray for thy servants unto the 1 Sam. 12. 1●▪ Lord thy God, that we die not, for we have added unto all our sins this evil, in ask us a King. We say of some man, he is a very true hearted honest man: but he will sometimes over-drink; or he will sometimes swear in his passion: or he will over-shoot himself in his anger: or he is somewhat covetous, or prodigal, or wanton, etc. Let every man so account with God for his sins, as to confess with grief, shame, and fear, this evil, to which either some corruption of nature, or some continuance of custom, or some temptation of pleasure & profit, or some present occasion for want of grace by some sudden surprise hath prevailed with him to give him a fall. Opportunity doth often tempt and prevail against a great measure of knowledge and grace: and God sometimes leaveth us to ourselves, to try our strength how we can resist Satan. If we prove too weak for him, and that he do overbeare us, we have no remedy but this particular repentance. All sins foul us: therefore David prayeth to be washed; some sins stain us, and an ordinary washing will not clear us: therefore he prayeth, Wash me throughly and make me clean. It is our wisdom to discern this difference of our sins, and consider which be died in crimson, which in scarlet, and to bring them to the washing especially. So shall we be purged from our great offence. Here is Noah's drunkenness: and Lot's drunkenness and incest: Paul's persecution of the Church: Peter's denial of his Master: In multis offendimus omnes: in many things we sin all. But if we survey our consciences carefully and inquisitively, we shall find this evil some especial sin that we have either much accustomed ourselves to, or that we have once committed, overtaken with some sudden strong temptation which we may call this evil. How evil this evil tasted in the end we see: his appetite desired it before as a chief pleasure; and now it is become his grief and greatest pain. He was very wary after of falling into this sin. Yet another temptation put him into new sin of numbering his people; when he had done this evil also he fell to this remedy of particular repentance: And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have 1. Chron. 21. 8. done this thing: but now I beseech thee do away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly. He that hath many of these gross and high-growne sins; blasphemies, profanations of the Lordsday, adultery, drunkenness, etc. to account for, is in heavy case. If one at once smart so sharply, and weigh so heavily, what will many do? Aperiantur ut operiantur: sanemus ut sanemus. Let them be shown, that they may becovered▪ let us reveal them, that we may heal them. 5 The daring of this sin: In thy sight. He had conveied this sin as closely and warily as he could: God took notice of that also. Thou didst it secretly: Bathsheba was secretly sent for, and enticed, and defiled: Vriah died in a just war. But now David seeth that all this was done in the sight of God, he seeth what the hand doth, and what heart setteth it a-work. David could not be ignorant of this: but we willingly embrace temptations to evil, which we can keep out of the world's eye. The searching eye of God cannot be benighted: it is over all the world, and discerneth both good and evil. Will any man steal, whilst the owner looketh on? Dare any man trespass a King, when his eye is upon him? A king sitting on the throne of judgement driveth away all evil with his eye. He was a fool that said in his heart, Non est Deus, there is no God: he saith so that denyeth him a sight of all things. There is no power like the power of God: there is no strength to execute power, like the strength of God. There is no fire so hot as the fire of his fury. There is no threatening so surely accomplished, as his menaces. Yet when we are afraid of every eye of man in our secret sins, we dare adventure them upon the eye of God. Yet he is privy to the first suggestion, to the first consent, elelight, procuration, action, etc. all the circumstances of our sin. Never was sin conveyed so closely, as to be concealed from him: this David did know, and teach, and discovereth their vanity that thought they could hide their error from him. Yet they say, the Lord shall not see, neither shall the Psal. 94. 7. ●. God of Jacob regard it. Understand ye brutish among the people, and ye fools, when will you be wise? He that form the eye, shall not he see, etc. achan's close theft: Rahels' stolen gods, Laban found them not, God revealed to Moses where she hid them. Gehezies' secret lie and covetousness, Judah's secret incest: all in sight. Flatter not thy sin with hope of secrecy; and remember, nothing is so bold and facing as sin. Thou dost it in the sight of God, his eye is open upon it to discern and hate it, to detect and punish it: darkness hideth not from him. VERSE 4. That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, and clear when thou judgest. 2. HE cleareth almighty God, for having freely and fully confessed his sins in general, and in particular this late eminent, notorious, scandalous, and provoking sin: he addeth this; Ut justificeris in sormonibus, etc. That thou mayest be justified in thy sayings. Which place is cited by the Apostle, and by him we are directed to a right understanding of it. What if some did not believe? Shall their Rom. 3. 3. unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: 4. yea let God be true, but every man a lie ar: as it is written. That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. The Apostle urgeth these words to this purpose, to show that the sins of those who return by repentance, can no way hinder, but do rather advance the justice of God. God declareth this justice in two things. 1 In accomplishing his threatenings of punishment to correct them with the rods of men; and so these words of David have reference to that threatening of Nathan: Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house. He confesseth, that God is by his open and offensive sin, just in those his words of commination, and all the world may see, that God is no favourer of sin in any of his chosen, but he hath ready rods to chasten it, to which justice he submitteth. God hath occasion given him by his confession fession of his sin, to declare his justice in the well deserved punishment of it, so far that when he shall execute that judgement upon him and his house, he shall be found clear from any cruelty. 2 But this is not all: for David had received many gracious promises of mercy from God to his own person and government, and to his posterity. And there might be a fear that this crying sin of David might reverse these promises, and call in those favours of God from him. Here David openly confesseth his sin, and declareth his strong faith in those sure promises of God, believing that though he have sinned against him, and done this great evil in his sight, yet he will graciously accept of his true repentance, and pardon him his sin, and make good his former promises to him: So shall he be declared just in his sayings, and promises of mercy, and shall be clear when he judgeth him of violating his truth. Whereby it appears, that the elect of God, when they fall into any grievous sin, do put God to it to declare his justice both ways: for it is justice in God, 1 To perform what he hath threatened and promised. 2 To carry an even hand in the trespasses of his children; that neither his justice suffer in bearing with sin: nor his mercy in over-chastening the sinner. The Text now thus cleared, 1 We have in God two things in his carriage toward his elect in their falls and transgressions. 1 His justice in chastening them. 2 His mercy in pardoning. 2 We have in David two things. 1 His humble patience, submitting himself to the punishment. 2 His strong faith apprehending Gods gracious pardon. 1 Of the justice of God. It will do well in our reading the stories of the falls and trespasses of God's Saints, if we do withal observe the proce●● of God's judgements following them. He soon taught us what we should trust to, in the fall of our first parents. For when they had sinned in the forbidden fruit, he left them awhile to the mercy of their own accusing consciences, and to the scourge of shame, and the scorpions of their own fears to cruciate and anguish them. Then in the cool of the day he came himself and convented the offenders, and in a judicial session he examined the parties by the evidence of fact. And finding them guilty, he pronounced against them a sentence of mortality, he accursed the earth under them, he adjudged the man to labour and sweeting for his bread: The woman to subjection to her husband, and to great anguish in her childbirth. That all posterity might by their example fear the justice of God, and refrain from sin which brought so much evil upon the committer thereof. Yet we doubt not of their salvation. Noah was drunk once, and lay uncovered in his tent: his own son discovered his shame: Noah deserved punishment, but his son should not have punished him: but God used the unnatural evil affection of his son, as his rod to punish the sin of the father. I could be full in examples for this proof, that God doth not leave sin in his Saints unpunished. I only produce these two great examples. 1 In the beginners of the first world. 2 Another in the repairer of it. The first man made in the image of God in holiness and righteousness. The second, the only righteous man whom God found in that age. I produce them as clear examples of the justice of God in punishing sin, even in persons most in favour. And the rather for the condemnation of their sins which now are afoot in the world, and are scarcely confessed to be sin. 1 The forbidden fruit is desired before any fruit of the garden: stolen bread is sweet. The name of God which by a special law must not be taken in vain, what name so blasphemed? Is it not a shame to Religion, that after the word had been freely preached about 60. years in the free liberty of the Gospel, and the Law of God in Pulpits and in print so learnedly expounded, that there should be need of a special statute law for conservation of this name from profanation, and to set a corporal punishment or a pecuniary mulct upon swearers. But neither God's Law, nor Acts of Parliament can save that name of God harmless. I will press no further instances▪ tell me by this taste, whether the forbidden fruit be not most desired? 2 For Noah's sin, it was but once drunkenness: and God left it not unpunished with foul shame. In the Apostles time, it was a modest sin, he saith, They that are drunk, are drunk in the night. Now day 1. Thes. 5. 7. and night are both guilty of it: it is a sin in fashion: meetings of purpose called and intended for it. The farewells of friends parting, the welcomes of friends returning, the celebration of great Festivals, as if Bacchus had washed us in the blood of the grape from our sins. But God will be justified in his sayings: he will declare his justice in his severe punishment of this sin here: and if it be not sincerely repent, he hath told us home what he will do: No drunkard shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. I should lay your sin to my own charge, if I should not let you know the terror of the Lord in this case. The defence of it by the society of sinners aggravateth the sin: God hateth it so much the more. Malum quo communius: Sin the more common, the worse. 2 He declareth his justice in the performance of his mercy to his elect. For even in these examples in my text alleged; 1 To Adam he showed mercy, who sinned having only a Law for his obedience, with a penalty threatened in case of disobedience; but there was no promise a foot, if he should trespass that Commandment. And that made Adam when he had sinned, hide himself from the presence of God, ashamed and afraid to come in sight. But God in free favour did seek him out, and before he called him to his answer for his sin, he reveiled mercy in the promised seed. When he laid his curse upon the Serpent that tempted him, and therefore ever since his time sinners have a way of grace opened in that promise, and no sins if sorrowed for, can evacuate the force of that promise, it standeth good to all that truly and sincerely repent. So as David saith: In judgement he remembreth mercy. There he did so in the very sentence of judgement upon the Serpent, was the first revelation of mercy to man. He had no Obligation of a former promise to bind him to it, but it was a free and voluntary tender of favour growing out of his own perfect and absolute goodness. In the tender whereof he hath given us strong assurance that if in free favour he would do so much, much rather when he had put us in security thereof by promise. 2 The example of favour to Noah doth justify God in his sayings: for he showed him much favour after his fatherly correction of his fault. 1 In verifying his blessing upon his two sons. Sem of whom Abraham came, and the twelve patriarchs, and David; and Christ jesus. And to whose tents in the fullness of time he invited Japhet and brought in the fullness of the Gentiles. 2 In accomplishing his curse upon his youngest son many years after, by giving away their Land from them, and rooting them out with a violent destruction. This performed upon the repentance of Noah; which thought it be not in express and full terms set forth in the story; yet we may take it so signified, when Moses saith; And Noah Gen. 9 24. awoke from his wine, that is, not only recovered after sleep to sober judgement, but to a penitent recognition of his sin. And by the spirit of prophecy he was enlightened to look into times to come, and to foresee the future estate of his posterity: and by the spirit of supplication to desire God for his eldest son: and by the spirit of faith to believe in the resolved goodness of God to his second son. And in all the story of holy Scripture we find, that the sins of repentant men though chastened with some temporal rods of affliction, yet never failing of mercy. David's children that transgressed were threatened with the rods of men, but with reservation of favour: not to take his mercy utterly from them, as from Saul. 2 We shall now see how David did bear himself in the wise consideration of these two things. 1 When he confessed his sin, whereby God was justified in his threatenings of judgement. He declareth his own humble patience, submitting himself to the holy hand of God: q. d. I confess all my sins, this my horrible and crying sin; that the world may see thy justice in punishing me, and my patience in bearing it. Stripes were ordained of purpose, for the backs of fools; I am one of them, and I put myself under thy punishing hand. He is content, that as he hath made himself an example of a grievous sinner: so God should declare in and upon him an example of his severe justice, and so be justified in his sayings. If God did forbear all other punishments of our sin in our own persons, in our house and family, in our goods, in the necessaries of life, in which kinds he ordinarily avengeth himself upon offenders; yet if the sinner shall but truly repent him of his sin, repentance itself is a greater punishment than all these. There is more in it: when it is said of Peter, that he went forth and wept bitterly, then in the disciples, Reliquimus omnia, We have left all. And Saint Paul felt more smart in the thorn in his flesh, and the Angel of the Lord bufferring of him, then in all his dangers by Sea and Land; his stripes, shipwreck, imprisonment. When our own consciences are upon torture, our souls upon the rack, when we judge and take vengeance upon ourselves, it is judgement without mercy: We ever fear we underdo. Therefore the conscience of his sin doth bear witness to the justice of God, and he findeth no fault with his punishment. Surely murmurers that repine at the punishing hand of God, and think much of his judgements, inflame the anger of God more by their resisting his right hand which hath found them out. If they went in David's way to take a just dimension of their sin, and did confess it contritely to God, they would be content that he should declare his justice in their punishment, and they would see that he would overcome if he came to be judged. Speak thy conscience: when thou abusest thy drink to drunkenness, if God punish thee with thirst, hast not thou well deserved it? If thy meat to surfeit; if thy strength to wantonness, etc. 2 He sheweth faith. For notwithstanding these many, and this foul great sin, he believeth that God will be justified in his sayings, that is, declared just in his gracious promises of mercy. The sins of the elect cannot outgrow the mercies of God; nor our offences make his truth fail. David is so full of this faith, that as he spendeth part of this Psalm in a deploration of his sins: so he bestoweth also part of it in supplications, whereby he declareth his faith. VERSE 5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity: and in sin did my mother conceive me. 4. HE recounteth his original sin, the corrupt fountain of all his impurities: he makes way to it with an Ecce, for now he is at the head of sin. That we were all in Adam in the day of his creation, needeth no proof, for out of him was the woman created, and of them made one flesh by marriage, was all mankind propagated. So that these first parents of our flesh did stand or fall to the benefit or loss of all their posterity. But man stood but a while in honour, and by his fall he not only corrupted his own person, but his nature; whereby there remained an infection of sin to the pollution of the whole nature of mankind. This the Apostle hath affirmed disertly. In Adam all die, that is, all are subject to the law of mortality: and all are under the curse of the law for the second death. God concluded all under sin, that is, both the infection of sin, and the punishment thereof. David speaketh here of his original sin in the pollution thereof, and confesseth that from that root of bitterness, this and all his other sins derived. Therefore he confesseth the beginning of it not only at his shaping, and formation in the womb, when God gave his body a composition in the womb, and set every member and part of his body in the proper place, but he goeth higher to his first conception. In peccato fovit me: in sin she nourished me: his first warmth which put the first natural heat to the radical moisture of which we are created. This appears in the difference between the first man created and the first generated; for ●f Adam it is said: In the image of God made he him. Gen. 1. 27. But de primo generato, of the first begotten: for in the account of the Genealogy he reckoneth not Cain, who was gone from the presence of God: nor Abel who was by Cain murdered. But the Genealogy begins at Seth; of whom we read. And Adam begat a son in his own Gen. 5. 3. likeness, after his image, and called his name Seth. For Cain he needed not to say so, for the corruption of his foul heart showed him borne of corrupt seed. But Seth was one of the holy Fathers of the Church, yet begotten in the image of Adam, now corrupt, and not in the image of God: as Adam was created. How could it be otherwise? for our first parents being defiled, who can bring a clean job 14 4. thing out of an unclean? Not one. The Fathers with full consent refer that speech of job to our original sin, as Pineda upon that place recounteth and quoteth them. I should not need to prove this point of original sin, having so clear evidence for it, as my Text in hand: But that the Pelagians long ago denied any such sin, or natural corruption, affirming, Verba Pelagii: Ut sine virtut●, ita sine vitio procreamur, atque ante actionem propriae voluntatis id solum in homine est quod Deus condidit: The words of Pelagius. That as we are begotten without virtue, so without vice, and before the acting of our own wills, that only is in man, which God made. Saint Augustine long ago took this heresy to ●ask, and learnedly confuted it. But of late, Ann. 1620. there was a Pamphlet stolen out in print, and vented from pocket to pocket by some Anabaptists at home, who yet refuse to be so called. In this the heresy of Pelagius is revived, and original sin denied, and peremptorily it is affirmed, that no sin is derived from our parents. We take, say they, from Adam vanity, corruption, and death. This vanity is only a weakness and impotency in nature, to know and do the duties of the Law of God. But they deny it to be sin. Their reason is. Adam was made of the earth: we were made of Adam: Adam was made of the earth only, in respect of ●i● body: for God first made the body, and then infused the soul in it. The body was free from sin, the soul a spiritual substance infused by God was also free from sin: so Adam was created without sin. But we were no otherwise made of Adam, than Adam was made of the earth: and we were no more in Adam when he sinned, than Adam was in the earth before his creation. First, according to the body, Adam had no commandment given him, till he had understanding to embrace it, and will to receive or refuse it. Adam sinned not till he departed from the commandment. They conclude hence, that we receiving nothing but our flesh from Adam, cannot sin, till we have understanding to know what is commanded us: ergo, no original sin. To all which we answer. That the flesh which Adam took from the earth, was pure; for so was the earth. But the flesh that we take from Adam is tainted with sin. And true it is that no actual sin can be committed without the Law. But we may be guilty of original impurity without prevarication of the Law. Adam had only the matter of his body from the earth, we derive more from Adam. For whereas as God breathed into the body of Adam all at once the breath of lives: We live three lives. The life of plants in our vegetative: The life of bruits in our sensitive: The life of Angels in our rational soul. Philosophers and Physicians, and the learned Scholars of nature do resolve, that we traduce two of these lives from our parents: the third is immediately both created and infused by God. The proper seat of original sin is in the sensitive part of man, and that corrupteth our reason; and as it groweth faster than our rational doth, so it overgroweth it, and keepeth it down; until our new birth doth cut it and keep it short, and the good Spirit of God give us strength to resist it, and to subdue it. This God himself hath in both Testaments fully detected in two holy Sacraments: first Circumcision. This was to be administered so soon as an infant was capable of it, even after the first critical day, and that part of the body was chosen for this Sacrament, which might best show our generation unclean: it was a Sacrament of purgation the impurity of our natural generation. In the new testament the Sacrament of Baptism was instituted to the same purpose. And where our Anabaptists do charge us, that by our doctrine of original sin we bring upon infants a danger of eternal death, and thereby we revive that wicked Proverb, The fathers have eaten four grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge. We regest this calumny upon them in just imputation. For when they confess that we traduce from our parent's vanity, corruption, and death: these are the punishments of sin, and if we have no sin of our own, it is our parent's sin, and so our teeth are on edge for their sour grapes. The doctrine of original sin was ever taught in the Church; and when Saint Augustine did meet with the Pelagian heresy denying it, he opposed it strongly: and because the adversary urged the faith and doctrine of certain Heretics denying original sin; S. Augustine produceth the constant contrary asseverations of the most orthodox Fathers of the Church in their own words. For he citeth, Ireneus, Cyprian, Reticius, Olympus Hispa●. Hilar. Ambrose, Innocentius, Gregor. Basil. Magnus, Chrysost. and Jerome: which is a full cloud of sacred witnesses of antiquity, believing and teaching the same doctrine. This upon the Text in hand Saint Augustine doth clearly avouch. Nunquid David de adulterio natus erat? quid est quod sie dicit, nisi quia trahitur iniquitas ab Adam? Nemo nas●itur nisi trahens poenam, trabens meritum poenae. Was David born in adultery? Why speaks he so, but because iniquity is drawn from Adam. There is none born which draws not punishment drawing that which deserves punishment. He urgeth the words of the Apostle, Corpus mortuum est propter peccatum, propago sumus corporis mortui. The body is dead by reason of sin. We are the offspring of a dead body. Julian the Pelagian did urge against original sin the honourable state of Matrimony. So Saint Augustine chargeth him: Tu autem dicis nuptias sine dubio dam●ari, ab omni sit liberum obligatione peccati. But thou sayest, The condemning of marriage is no sin. But marriage was ordained, and the blessing of propagation was given before the sin of Adam. And marriage is honourable among all men, and the bed undefiled. The sin of Adam did not discommand marriage, nor reverse the blessing of increase. And Saint Augustine upon this Psalm doth answer. Opus hoc castum in conjuge non habet culpam: sed origo peccati trahit secum debitam poenam. Non enim maritus quia maritus mortalis non est: a●t aliunde nisi peccato mortalis est. Matrimonial function is without fault, but original sin draws with it the punishment due to it. For the husband, as a husband brings not death, nor any way but by sin. God provided a remedy, the seed of the woman against sin, and suffered humane infirmity to pass on, that he might show mercy where he pleased. But you may demand what any spirit of contradiction can allege against David's disert confession of his formation and conception in sin? Our Anabaptists answer, That it is a question, whether his confession here intend himself, or his mother. It was a poor shift to busy our thoughts about such a question: for why should David confess any thing here concerning his mother? If any, why not both parents? This confession must have coherence, and correspondence with the former. I acknowledge my wickedness: my sin is ever before me. But what if it concern him? Then thus: he confesseth and desireth God to consider whereof he was made, of dust: weak flesh, unable to resist the tempter when the Law came unto him, through which weakness he was overcome. This is that which we call original sin, this Carentis justitiae, wanting of righteousness; this impotency to all good acts: this seed of corruption, which is the teeming and pregnant spawn of all sins. But they would have it; that as Christ because he had our flesh, and was made sin, yet was no sinner: So David, though confessing himself conceived in sin, was not by conception and birth a transgressor. To which we answer. 1 That the comparison is blasphemous between Christ and David: for Christ was conceived by the holy Ghost: David in the ordinary way of flesh. 2 That we call not original sin transgression of the Law in origine: for that is the definition of actual sin. For original sin is defined: 1 Est corruptio naturae à prima perfectione: It is the corruption of nature from the first perfection. 2 Est corruptio naturae hominis quae efficit ne vere obediamus legi Dei, nec simus sine peccato: It is the corruption of humane nature, which makes us unable to obey God's Law, that we cannot be without sin. 3 Est ignorantia inment, & concupiscentia in carne: It is ignorance in the mind, and concupiscence in the flesh. 4 But the fullest is this. It is an hereditary corruption of nature which bringeth forth in us the works of the flesh, and proneth us to all evils, and thereby doth fasten upon us a guiltiness, whereby we are in desert and danger of the wrath of God. And this is the sin which David here confesseth, which began with him in his very conception. But they allege, that the words of David may have reference not to himself, but to his mother. Then we must understand him thus: that David doth not confess sin as a fault, but as a punishment, and so it hath regard to curse: I will multiply the sorrows of thy conceptions. So he only meaneth his mother's punishment for the fall, and his weakness through the fall. That weakness we call original sin. But why David in his repentance, should repent his mother's punishment we cannot so well discern: for true repentance hath respect not to the punishment deserved, but to the sin deserving it. Therefore these poor flashes, of humane wisdom which is carnal, sensual, and diabolical, cannot elude the evidence of truth, that David bewailing his sin doth repair to the root of it in his conception, confessing the first seminary of this weakness to begin there. But our Anabaptists urge further, that if the matter of which David was made was tainted with sin: Then was also the matter of which Christ was made tainted with sin: for he was conceived in the womb of a mother. We reply, That he was conceived by the holy Ghost, and it was an holy thing, that was born in his mother: so the Angel saith to her. They reply, that then Christ was not true man, for he was not born of the substance of his mother. We answer, That Christ was born of the very substance of Mary, and that in his miraculous generation by the holy Ghost, the substance was not changed, but the quality of it. For when David prayeth after for a new heart, he doth not desire to have the substance of his heart changed, but the quality thereof: that of a sinful and unclean heart it may be made a pure and holy heart: a fit Temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in. Thus, I hope, I have to any sober judgement cleared both our received doctrine of original sin, and the interpretation of my Text against these old and new Pelagians, and so the confession of David standeth good; that beside his actual transgressions of the Law, he standeth guilty before God of original uncleanness; from which corrupt fountain all his streams of actual iniquities do derive. I will now fortify this doctrine with plain demonstrations of the truth from the Scripture. 1 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the Rom. 5. 12▪ world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in whom all have sinned. Nevertheless Vers. 14. death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them, that had not sinned after Adam's transgression. Saint Augustine understandeth this sin to be, that original sin that David here complaineth of: for adam's was actual, and death reigneth not but where sin reigneth. The same Apostle finding in his understanding enlightened, and in his zeal inflamed, and in his will rectified by the Spirit of God, good motions to serve God uprightly: yet those discouraged and ineffectualled in him often: he chargeth all this upon his corrupt nature, which he calleth Peccatum inhabitans: Sin dwelling in him: Vers. 20. Rom. 7. Lexmembrorum, the law of his members: Vers. 23. Corpus mortis: the body of death, Vers. 24. The flesh. Vers. 25. With my mind I serve the Law of God: with my flesh the law of sin. This the Author to the Hebrews doth call Heb. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The sin that doth so easily beset and environ us. For this, little Infants unborn and new borne are subject unto death, and to charge death without a charge of sin would call the judge of all the world unjust. That there is original sin, and that David here complaineth of it, we have made it clear. Now observe that David in his repentance to make it full, doth apply all his sins to the multitude of God's tender compassions. For a full confession maketh way to a full absolution. When Jeremiah advise thus to search and try our ways Lam. 3 40. first, and then to turn to the Lord: he intendeth that we must examine our hearts in this search to the bottom, and go so far back in this inquisition as to the mother sin, the primitive and original mass of corruption which empoysoneth our nature: which cancreth our manners, and in time gangreneth our whole conversation mortally, to the very dominion of sin. David doth so, for here he looketh back so far, as to his first conception, and diggeth so deep as the root of his sin. For he chargeth all his transgressions upon this beginning of sin, which indeed in all the children of Adam is not only a natural pollution defiling us, but it is a corrupt seed shooting out in time into a blade, and bearing a full ear of actual prevarications. Therefore no man knoweth his own heart, and let no man be so bold of his own strength, to promise resistance to such temptations as have corrupted others. It is the Apostles good counsel. Brethren, if any man be overtaken in a Gal 6. 1. fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. In which words, The considering of thyself, is no other than the wise remembrance of thy original corruption: for there is tinder in thee apt to take fire from a little spark. There is in Satan both cunning and malice enough with his temptations to strike this fire. The Apostle useth a fit word, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, si anticipetur, for sometimes we are by sensual motives persuaded, and by semblance of good deceived, or by enticements of pleasure or profit alured to evil. When the Serpent, as with Eve, disputeth with us, and corrupteth our judgement, darkeneth our reason, blindeth, benumbeth, or deadeth our conscience, and so we not only take, but gather and give the forbidden fruit. Sometimes Satan catcheth us by surprise, and with a sudden temptation, having all opportunities for sin to friend, he overtaketh us, and embarketh us in some trespass, before we have leisure to advise ourselves. So was Troy taken at last by a cunning stratagem: Vict●mque quamvis videat, Vix or edit sibi potuisse vinci. She saw herself o'ercome by foes, Yet scarce believes she what she knows. Thus was David here caught, he was at leisure, in peace, in glory, and power, at ease, his mind now quiet: his breasts full of milk, his bones of marrow, and walking on the leads of his house, his eye no sooner was fastened on the beauty, but his heart was fired with lust after Vriahs' wife: he enquired of her, sent for her, defiled her, prevented, and surprised with a sudden temptation. This he imputeth to his natural corruption by his original and birth sin. So some that have ever made conscience of an oath: yet upon a sudden passion sometimes rap out a fearful oath to God's great dishonour, and their foul offence. So some that make conscience of giving, Suum cuique, to every one his own, yet upon an opportunity offering them another's goods upon fair terms of likely secrecy, have robbed a neighbour. I have upon like occasion given examples of this work of corrupt nature in the sons of a. Reg. 8. 11, 12, etc. men: in Hazael, who brought a present from Benhadad to Elisha, to demand whether his master should dye of that disease. The man of God looked Hazael so steadfastly in the face that Hazael was out of countenance: but the man of God wept. And when Hazael demanded why weepeth my Lord? He answered, Because I see the evil, that thou wilt do to the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou destroy with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and wilt rip up their women with child. And Hazael said: But wh●t, 1▪ is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? Yet presently he returned to his master, brought him comfort of his recovery, and on the morrow, he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, that he died. He reigned in his stead, and did like a dog all that evil, etc. When Christ said one of his twelve should betray him: Judas was one of them that demanded with the rest: Nunquid ego Domine? Is it I, Lord? But a sudden temptation surprised him. Then entered Satan into Judas Iscariot: And Luk. 22. 3. he went his way, and communed with the chief Priests and Captains, how he might betray him unto them. Most memorable is the example of Peter, whom Christ forewarned Ver. 31. etc. of his denial of him. A thing so far from Peter's heart, that he took it ill to be so charged, he protested against it, and vowed to dye with him or for him, rather than he would deny him. Yet being in the high Priests Hall, when Christ was ill used there, for fear of his own skin he denied, and forswore him thrice. This body of sin we do all always bear about us, and therefore we pass the time of our so journing here with fear: for which of us may not be thus surprised? For there is no kind of sin which our heart abhorreth most, but we are in danger of it by reason of our natural corruption: wherefore Christ taught us to pray: Et ne nos inducas in tentationem▪ And lead us not into temptation. Therefore, a wise man feareth and departeth from evil: but a fool rageth and is Prov. 14. 16. confident. Folly is rash, and goeth on inconsiderately, and trusteth to his own strength. We live in perpetual danger, by reason of this natural corruption▪ for the Spirit hath his eclipse, and often upon our grieving him, leaveth us in our own ways, that we may see our natural impotency to that which the Law requireth of us, and be so much the more wary how we walk in the way of that roaring Lion, which goeth about continually seeking whom he may devour. But here remaineth a great scruple: Was not David circumcised? and hath not that Sacrament according to the intention of God's holy ordinance this proper effect to remove and purge original sin? And now in the time of the Gospel, is not Baptism the laver of our new birth? doth it not wash away original sin? Why then doth David yet complain of it? or why do we who are baptised stand daily yet in jeopardy of it? To clear this point, we resolve, that since the fall of man, his infirmity hath ever been such, as all the means of grace ordained by God have fallen short of working their full and perfect effect upon us in this life: The word teacheth us; and yet so long as we live here, we know but in part: The word begetteth faith; yet so weak, and so imperfect is our faith, that Christ biddeth us to pray to God to increase our faith. The word of the Gospel is the power of God to salvation: yet he doth magnify his power in our weakness. Our hope is imperfect, for it is mingled with fear. Our joy is not complete: for we rejoice in trembling. The Sacraments of Circumcision and Baptism were ordained against original sin, yet for want not of efficacy in the gift, but of capacity in the receivers thereof▪ they fall short of the full effect here. It is therefore far from us to limit God by his ordinances, to bind him to pass his graces no way but by them. As far is it from us to extend the force of his ordinance to that latitude, that which way so ever his outward ordinance goeth, his grace must necessarily follow the same. We go in a middle way between these two extremes, affirming that according to the good pleasure of his will, so the Sacraments of our regeneration do work their effect more or less in his Church. For my own judgement, I have believed and taught, that Baptism doth so purge away original sin, as it doth regenerate us. It worketh the same work at once, the kill of sin, and the life of Christ in us. As we perceive our regeneration imperfect, so we must confess our mortification imperfect. Therefore after Baptism there remaineth yet a ●ome of our original sin, because Christ hath not the entire possession of us. And yet there is a seed of grace, because Christ dwelleth in us. Both these seeds grow in us till the harvest. Yet as Jacob and Esau they strive in the same womb: for the flesh lusteth; the spirit sigheth, and groaneth: the flesh striveth against the spirit, the spirit is contrary to the flesh. From the seed of the flesh which we call original sin, all our evil thoughts, words, and works do proceed. From the seed of the spirit arise all good motions whereby we resist the flesh. And if any of God's people be overtaken with offence, he is not straightway as a limb cut off from the body, but as a bone out of joint for the time. It is not a laxation from the body, but a laxation in the body. It is the Apostles word: you that are spiritual, restore such a one, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, put him in joint again. So we deny not the grace of Circumcision or Baptism, we do not weaken the power of God's ordinance, but we allow it the efficacy of congruity with the subject. For it filleth secundum capacitatem vasis, according to the capability of the vessel; when God enlargeth our heart, we shall receive his gifts more fully. You now see how much cause David had to complain of his original sin, as the seed remaining in him, from whence these great offences grow. I conceive the proper use of this point to be this: To Use. stir us up by David's example upon all occasions by our fall into any sin, to look back upon this root of sin in us, that we may put the strength of our measure of grace to it, to grub it. It is such, as that if there remain but a thread of it in our ground, by the sent of water it will take in sap, and gather strength, and put forth, and grow up as a plant, as Job saith. Therefore we know our spiritual growth in grace by the withering of this old man, and the vegetation of the new man in us. The Prophet here in the from of this confession setteth an Ecce, Behold, which may be directed two ways. 1 For he may divert his speech from God to whom his address is, to the Church, and to his fellow-members of that body, as partners with him of the same nature, of the same infirmity. See whence these ●oule evils came, even from the sin that came with me: Peccatum oriens: from the sin that abideth in me, Peccatum habitans: from the sin that encircleth me, Peccatum circumstans: from the sin that defileth me, Peccatum comm●culans. That every one of us may look to that breeder, and keep it from teeming in us, or if lust do conceive, and bring forth sin, then to take the little ones and dash them against the stones. We do not enough study this point, we do not behold and see into it as we should, to look for no good out of this Nazareth, to confess our weak and wicked beginnings of nature: to amend by culture and industry our barren soil impregnant of any good fruits. To plough up the fallow grounds of our hearts with discipline and mortification: to sow them with the precious seed of the Word. Leaving them to the clouds of grace to rain upon them: and to the Son of righteousness to shine on them. Eli●hs faith will open heaven for that rain. Joshuahs' prayer will make that Son stand still. 2 Behold, to God, he may desire him to consider in his Use. mercy, that this mother-sinne came with him: it was a corruption of his nature, before he had either appetite, or sense, or will to embrace it: yea that corrupted all these, and reason itself, and the conscience that defiled all. I deny not, but that it was sin at first in the conception; but David doth not say, Formatus sum iniquus: or Conceptus iniquus: but, In iniquitate, I am not form or conceived wicked, but in wickedness. The matter that I was made of was unsound, and unholy: for David was not David, till his reasonable soul was infused; then was he sinful. So that I conceive this behold urged to God, to move compassion in him, that seeing he could not help it that he was so framed (and surely God is merciful to that sin in us) therefore David saith of him; Like as a father pitieth Psa. 103. 13. 14. his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame, he remembreth that we are dust. Therefore this Ecce, behold, to God, doth move him to compassion of his most miserable condition in regard of the corruption and frailty of his frame and composition. But our fault is, that we do not husband our talon of God's grace, and of Christ's merits, to our amendment of nature, and to the expurgation of our sin. Yet for Infants that have no sin, but that to answer for, in the ordinary way of God's favour; I make no question of their salvation by Baptism: for so the Apostle, Baptism saveth us. Yet the want of the outward Sacrament which cannot be charged upon little Infants, doth not deprive them of the favour of God, because the covenant is not limited by the sign of it. The promise which is the soul and life of the Sacrament, is passed to you and to your children. The Church of Rome denyeth unbaptised infants a place in heaven, and they have built them a Limbus, an upper-roome above hell, where they place them: but they cannot agree upon their estate there: Some of their learned depriving them of the fruition of heaven, but allowing them life everlasting without pain, and with some measure of happiness. Others allow them an earthly paradise of natural felicity for ever. Thomas, and others, that they are deprived of the sight of God, and have no poenam sensus, pain of sense, inward or outward. Driedo and others affirm, both poenam damni & sensus, pain of loss and sense. But Saint Augustine saith, he could never read in Scripture of more than two places; heaven for the saved, and hell from that distanced very far off, for the damned, Locum tertium non reperio, I find no third place. We confess, that original sin without Christ is mortal; but Christ became man, and was born of a Virgin, and became an Infant, for Infants, to preserve them from hell, and we believe charitably and comfortably of them, that he receiveth such to himself. The conclusion of this point is, that seeing we are thus born filii ira, the children of wrath, we should make it the exercise of our whole life to strive against this natural corruption, and to weaken the force of the flesh all we can, by mortifying the deeds thereof, and to grow daily in wisdom, and knowledge, and faith, and obedience, perfect, throughly perfect to all good works, making our election and calling sure in our own consciences, to the establishing of our hearts, till we grow up to be perfect men in Christ jesus, for if we mortify the deeds of the flesh by the spirit, we shall live. VERSE 6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 5. TO aggravate his own digression, he compareth himself in this state of transgression, with that condition which God exacteth of us, and which he will hereafter work in him. In which words we have, 1 Davids fear. 2 David's faith. 1 David's fear, He confesseth his transgressions and iniquities and sins, and would very fain be quit of them, because he findeth them so contrary to the holiness and pure perfection of the divine nature: for David had lived in the open profession and practice of religion, he had established both religion and Courts of justice in jerusalem, yet secretly his corrupt heart had embraced a temptation to sin, and he had effected it, whereby he had displeased God: for God is not pleased with an outside and semblance of religion, which may pass currant with men, who see no deeper than the show; he is a searcher of hearts, and desireth not a seeming and show, but truth, and that not in a face of holiness, in an outward profession, but in the inward parts. 2 David's faith, that notwithstanding this his grievous declination from the ways of God, yet God in his mercy will repair him again, and make him to know wisdom in his hidden part: that is, in his understanding and in his heart. Thus we must understand this text, following our new translation, but former translations do alter the sense, and change the matter of this verse. The vulgar Latin, the Spanish, the Italian, the French, the old English, the Geneva reading: Junius, Pagnine, Calvine, and generally all the translations that I have read, and Comments: Saint Augustine, L●dolphus, Saint Ambrose, Saint Gregory, Cardinal Bellarmine, etc. do all read one way. Thou hast made me to understand wisdom secretly. Which doth also add weight to the burden of his sin; for seeing God requireth truth in the inward parts, and had secretly informed him with wisdom, to know so much, and to direct him in the way of obedience; This maketh David's sin greater, who not only transgressed Gods Commandment, but sinned against the knowledge and wisdom which God gave him, against it: only Montanus his interlineare readeth it in the future, whom our translators of the King's Bible have followed: the original doth bear it well, and I choose rather to see David in faith, then in fear, and therefore I embrace our reading: wherein David believes, that God will make him wiser hereafter, 1 Concerning his fear, he had cause to mistrust himself, when his conscience accused him of hypocrisy, for having maintained an outward expressure of religion, his heart proved false to God, and his eye walked in wrong ways, and misguided his heart. God who looketh not only upon our outward man, but upon the heart, soon found him out, and saw the abominations there, for he is searcher of hearts and reins. There is not a better rule to manage either our conversation, or our faith, or our repentance by, than this: to consider what God requireth of us, and wherein he delighteth. Micah the Lord's Prophet saith, He hath showed thee O man 〈◊〉 ●. what is good, and what the Lord doth require of thee: He is our Lord, and it is fit that we take notice of his will, and what he requireth; he will show us nothing but good; the old way, the good way, that walking in it, we may find rest for our souls He desireth our ears to his word: Let him that hath ears to hear, hear what the spirit speaketh, etc. He desireth the eyes of our body, that we keep them from beholding vanity: that we li●t them up to the hills, unde auxilium, whence cometh our help. He requireth the lifting up of our hands in prayer, the stretching out of our hands in alms, in good works, in labour in our callings, in subvention and supportation of the weak, in taking up such as are fallen. He requireth our tongues in voce laudi●, in the voice of thanksgiving; we must make his praise to be heard. In prayers and supplications with strong cries. He requireth our feet to tread in his Courts, to stand in the gates of jerusalem: and cave pedi, take heed to thy foot. He requireth our knee, for he hath sworn in holiness, ●gressum est verbum, etc. the word is gone forth, Every knee shall bow to me. O come let us worship, and fall down, and kneel before the Lord: but all these are forms, which an hypocrite may put on, and personate and act, and who can say but he is religious and feareth God? This varnish and guilding may deceive men, and all is not gold that glisters: therefore to regulate our faith and manners, our best rule is to compose ourselves not to the eye of man, but to the eye of God: for what need we fear the judgement of man? With me it is a very small thing, that I should be judged of 1 Cor. 4. 5. you, or of man's judgement. It was the praise of Noah, Thee only have I found righteous before me. Righteousness before God, is that which in my Text is called truth in the inward parts, sineeritas cordis, purity of heart. My son, give me thy heart: This is the difference between Prov. 23. 26. true and false religion. In false religions it is enough to present the service of the outward man, the heart is not required. But true religion layeth the ground of devotion in the inward man, according to the first commandment of the Law, with all the heart, and soul, and then with all the strength. This Christ calleth, fac●re veritatem, to perform our service to God sincerely. Those gods that cannot discern the inward parts, neither can distinguish between sincerity and hypocrisy, may be easily put off with any formal service. But the eye that seeth profunda cordis, the depth of the heart, & searcheth in abscondito, the hidden part, must not be dallied with. David could say, If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Two things here arise doctrinal: 1 That God searcheth so deep as our inward parts. 2 That he requireth sincere service from them. 1 O God's search. It were no matter for more than show, if God's search went no further than our outward man. I here were those Psal. 78. 36. 37 that spoke him fair, and flattered him with their mouths, but their heart was not upright toward him, neither were they faithful in his covenant; he detected them: for so he put difference between the sacrifices of Cain and Abel, between the prayers of the Pharisee and the Publican. This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart, etc. By David's rule it must be so, he that form the eye, should not he see? he that made the ear, should not he hear? he that framed the heart, should not he search the heart? Such as our hearts are, such is our service, and so accepted. 2 He requireth in this heart, truth: for only such hearts are like a field which the Lord hath blessed, they are only the good ground for the seed of the word, who receive it into an honest and good heart. There is not a more foolish sin in the world, than that of hypocrisy, for it serves our turns only with a show of goodness. Which convinceth the conscience, as Chrysostome saith, Si bonum est bonum ad parere, melius est bonum esse: If i● be good to seem, much more to be good. It serveth our turn only with men, such as daily are taken 2 away from us, and we dye from amongst them, but God remaineth ever with us to behold all our ways. And when we go hence, we remove to the judgement seat of God. So the benefit of hypocrisy is soon lost, the joy of hypocrites perisheth, but the guilt and punishment thereof abideth for ever. The last reward of hypocrisy is deadly, for all the wicked 3 are threatened to have their portion with hypocrites. The phrase is varied thus, with the devil and his Angels. There was a divination in use amongst the Romans, by opening of beasts▪ and looking upon their inwards. Aruspices, Soothsayers. God hath ever used that kind of inspection, to distinguish seeming from being his servants. And therefore we knowing how patent our hearts and ways are to the allseeing eyes of God, aught to purge our consciences from dead works, to serve the living God. Our inwards are that Temple of the holy Ghost, there Christ standeth at the door, and knocketh, and would fain come in to abide with us. Let not God's house of prayer be made spelunca latronum, a den of thiefs. We confess that we have not in ourselves either wisdom or goodness sufficient to plant truth within us, and to purge this temple. Christ must make the whip, and scourge out the defilers thereof. But seeing God delighteth in truth and sincerity, this I dare say, there is not a sin to which our freewill may extend, and against which our own natural strength may serve us better than against hypocrisy. For though it be not in the power of my freewill to embrace truth, yet I may choose whether I will be an hypocrite, I may appear as I am. This maketh the sin of hypocrisy so damnable, because I may eschew it if I wil And knowing how contrary it is to the pure and holy divine nature, how unworthy of GOD'S creature, how provoking to GOD; our sin is the greater. It is our wisdom to observe what God desireth, and to apply ourselves wholly to the fulfilling thereof. We would have him deal so with us, and when we do only affect his favours in desire, before we come to be petitioners to him, He heareth the desires of the poor. Alas, what benefit is the truth of our inward parts to him? he desireth it for us, that we may be holy, and so we shall come to see the face of God: for without holiness, no man shall see God. I have set God always before me, saith David, that is the way of true holiness. For comparing ourselves with him, we shall see our own impurity the better. job did so: I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now job 41. 5. 6. etc. mine eye seeth thee; therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. David now in the way of repentance taketh God into his sight, and considereth what he requireth, and findeth his sin so much the greater, by how much he hath failed of that which God desireth. If we come not to this of ourselves, God sendeth his Prophets to us to tell us of it, and to put it home to us, as he did to his own people. For ye dissembled in your hearts when you sent me to Almighty Jer. 42. 20. God, saying, Pray for us unto the Lord our God, and according to all that the Lord our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it. And now I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, nor any thing for the which the Lord hath sent me unto you. Now therefore know certainly that ye shall dye, etc. They be great losers by it at last, for they live in fear of being detected and laid open, whereas he that liveth uprightly, walketh boldly: The righteous is bold as a Lyon. And they die damnably, for when they are stripped out of their borrow, and appear naked in the sight of God's pure eyes, they have the reward of hypocrites. Yet they abuse this Text, who because God desireth truth in the inward parts, care not how they outwardly carry themselves. Some such there have been, who because Nicodemus came to Christ by night, and yet went in the common way of the Priests and Scribes in open conversation, have therefore resolved, that if they be true to God, and his religion, in their inward parts, it is no matter though they join with all people where they come in outward duties of the religion of the place where they live. Amongst the tenants of Gods holy Tabernacle, they are Psal. 15. 2. reckoned who speak truth in their hearts▪: here is truth, and as the heart is the feat of it, so the tongue voyceth it; here is but one truth in both, for there is a double conformity required in speaking of truth. 1 Of the speech with the mind, to speak as we think. 2 Of the mind with the thing itself: that we embrace truth in our mind, as the thing is. Saint Augustine saith, it is not David's meaning that in cord loquamur veritatem, ore mendacium, in heart we speak truth, and lie with our mouths. Therefore David calleth such as have this truth in their inward parts, such as walk uprightly; and the virtue here required of us is, integrity and sincerity. And it is an unfeigned desire in the servants of God, to approve themselves such as they seem. As this hath reference to God, it is free from hypocrisy; as to men, it is void of guile. This virtue is rewarded with grace and glory. Regula signorum, the rule of signs. 1 The upright is sound in his conscience before God. The hypocrites care is, ut videatur, that he seem. 2 The upright are most careful of the Commandments of God: the hypocrite is more observant of the commandments of men. 3 The sincere man loves religion for itself: the hypocrite for other ends. 4 The upright hateth sin in himself, the hypocrite in others. 5 One makes conscience of all, the other but of some sins. 6 The upright love the best and most righteous, but despise the wicked: the hypocrite despiseth, and hateth all that are better than he, 7 The care of the upright is for the greater duties of the law, but the hypocrite is for Mint and Cummin: Nullus in magnis, magnus in minimis, nothing in great things, great in nothing. 8 The upright is humble, the hypocrite proud: He that lifteth up himself, his soul is not upright in him. Hab. 24. 9 The upright is bold as a Lion: the hypocrite flieth, nemine persequente, when no man follows. 10 The upright is never removed, he persevereth to the end, but the hypocrite is as the morning cloud, and as the morning dew, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, his profession, for a time. Hos. 6. ●. 11 The upright join duties of piety and charity, the hypocrite parteth them: show of religion, none of charity, no truth in the inward parts. 2 David's faith, And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 1 Here is the way found to amend all, by knowing ● wisdom. 2 Here is the seat of this knowledge and wisdom, in the hidden part. 3 Here is David's confidence, that God will make him know, 1 Know wisdom, sin makes us fools, for all sin is folly, all sinners fools. Take heed you walk circumspectly, Ephes. 5. 16. not as fools, but as wise. Can there be a greater folly then to leave the fountain of living water, and to make ourselves cisterns that hold no water? sin is departing from God: it is an evil heart of unbelief that doth so. We have warning of it. Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of Hebr. 3. 12. you an evil heart of unbelief, to depart from the living God: for God saith, If any man draw back, my soul shall H●b, 10. 38. have no pleasure in him. Where are we then? yet are we in the presence, and within the verge of the power of God, within the sight of his eye, within the reach of his right hand, and his right hand will soon find out all his enemies. It is David's saying, when he fled from the face and fury of his rebel son Absalon: if God thus say, I 2 Sam. 15. ●6. have no delight in thee, here am I, let him do to me, as it seemeth good unto him: he must tarry by it, there is no slying from his hand. It is our folly then, by sin to depart from him, who hath us always in his sight and power. 2 It is our folly to sin and offend him, to whom we must resort for all good things: For in him we live, move, and have our being, every good and perfect gift comes from him: of him we have our daily bread, he form us in the womb, he took us thence, on him we depend from our mother's breast: and if by sin we go away from him, by repentance we must return to him with shame enough, as she did, who said, I will go and return to Hos. 2. 7. my first husband, for than it was better with me than now. God knows that our necessities will force us to him again, and he mendeth our pace with his rod. I will go Hos. 5. 15. and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. 3 It is folly to sin, and thereby to hazard the loss of those things which we affect most here, such as concern our temporal welfare, for we hold the things of this world by no other ten●re, but of his good pleasure. To hazard the loss of grace here, and glory hereafter: for only godliness hath the promises of this life, and of that which is to come; the knowledge of wisdom doth help all: but that is not sapientia carnis, the wisdom of the flesh, or saeculi hujus, of this world, which is carnal, sensual, and devilish: this is foolishness with God, and befooleth us. It is wisdom to salvation, the wisdom of God, it grows not in us, it is infu●ed into us, and the Apostle calleth it wisdom from above: He describeth it by the effects which it worketh in them that have it. 1 It is pure, for it maketh us so: the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and James 3. 17. 2 Cor. 11. ●. signifieth chaste, to which Saint Paul alludeth: I have prepared you for an husband, to present you a chaste Virgin to Christ: Christ is our high Priest, and in the law it was ordained, that the high Priest should marry a Virgin, not a widow or a divorced woman, or profane, or ●evit. 21. 13. 14. an harlot: not a widow, because he could not have her first love, not a divorced woman, because she had forsaken her first love: not a profane person, because she could not yield him holy love: not an harlot, from whom he could neither expect first, honest or only love; so that if we desire to be espoused to Christ, we must be pure, able to yield him our first, our holy, our only love: and the wisdom which is from above, worketh this effect▪ 1 Puritatem scientiae the purity of science. 2 Conscientiae, the purity of conscience. 1 Scientiae, of science, or knowledge, against 1 Vanity, which affecteth idle and unprofitable studies. 2 Self opinion, which advanceth heresy and schism. 3 Curiosity, which doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and would know supra id quod scriptum est, above that which is written. 2 Conscientiae, of conscience. And herein I endeavour always to have a clear conscience before God, and toward 〈◊〉. ●4 ●5. men. This wisdom will repair such a delinquent as David is, and making him as he after desireth, whiter than snow. Saint james addeth other effects of wisdom: it is peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy, and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy. I content me with the first and last, for David having defiled his inward parts with sin, hopes for remedy from this wisdom, to purge his conscience from dead works: and having trespassed in hypocrisy, seeming outwardly religious, yet having so much inward uncleanness, he hopeth for remedy from this wisdom, to remove his hypocrisy, and in stead thereof, to plant integrity and sincerity in him. To relieve man after his fall, Christ was sent, who was made to us of God, wisdom, and he is that wisdom which in Salomon's Proverbs lifteth up her voice, and offereth to instruct all the fools of the earth in knowledge to righteousness. I doubt not, but the faith of David did here look so far as to this wisdom, the holy son of God: for he saith, Thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 1 Thou shalt make me to know my Redeemer, whose wisdom shall both open me a way out of the danger I am now in, & shall direct me in a course of repentance of what is past, and amendment of life for the time to come. For this is life eternal, to know thee, and him thou hast sent. So we must understand David here, for non est aliud nomen, there is no other name, there is no other wisdom in the world that can recover us from the folly and frenzy of sin, but Christ jesus only. It is our way, when we have fallen by any transgression, to advise with this wisdom, and to rest therein: for he that is our wisdom to show us the right way, and to guide us in it, is also our righteousness whereby we appear just in the sight of God, so that nothing can be laid to our charge: and he is also our sanctification, by which we are holy in ourselves, and do so appear before men: he is also our redemption, whereby we are cleared both from the guilt of sin, and the deserved punishment thereof. So that in repentance we must look unto this jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Know him, for he must bear all our iniquities, and in his name only must the horn of our salvation be exalted. 2 The seat of this wisdom, in the hidden part. Saint Augustine readeth this otherwise, occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi, thou hast shown me the secrets of thy wisdom: and he hath a comfortable observation upon it. The secret of God's wisdom is his secret purpose to show mercy to such as truly repent. Great sins threaten great wrath, & many heavy judgements are menaced to notorious offenders, yet God revealeth to them the secrets of his wisdom: when he letteth them know that he can make their crimson and scarlet sins as white as wool and snow. Upon what hope else did Niniveh repent, hearing Gods peremptory judgement. Niniveh destruetur, Niniveh shall be destroyed: the time also limited, but GOD made manifest the secret of his wisdom to her. But I follow our own reading, and find the seat of this wisdom prepared in the hidden part. David meaneth here the same place where he had hid his sin, and that is in prosundo cordis, in the depth of his heart. Saint Peter calleth this seat, 〈◊〉. 3. 4. The hid man of the heart. Here David hid the word of God, that he might not sin against God. And when he resigned this secret place to lust and unclean desires, and banished this wisdom thence, he fell down right. This is the place before mentioned, where God desireth truth in the inward parts. These are secret parts. 1. To the eye, and search of the world without us, for that cannot ransack and rummage the conscience. Some overtures may be made thereof: we say, ex vultu virum, we know a man by his face, and vultus index animi, the face shows the mind: trees be known by their fruits: our words, our works, our gestures, our pens, do give some testimony of the heart, our company also. But God hath reserved the inquisition and judicature of the heart, by special appropriation to his own prerogative royal. Deep is the heart of man, and no man can sound it. 2 This is called a secret part, in respect of ourselves, for no man knoweth the depth of his own heart, wherein there is closely couched, as you have heard, a seed of unrighteousness, our remain of original sin, which spawneth and issueth many transgressions: yet there may be hidden there also a seed of grace, which may put forth in time and bring forth fruit to life. 2 Great examples of the secrecy of these parts to ourselves. 1 In judas one of the holy College of the twelve, for neither was he suspected by others, neither did he in himself discern that seed of evil, which lay long concealed in his hidden and secret part, which after brought forth treason. 2 Another in Saint Paul, who living long a cruel enemy of the Church, when Christ was once revealed in him, he became both a vessel to carry precious treasure into the Church, and a patient sufferer for that truth which before he had persecuted. Here is the hope of David, that he shall now obtain wisdom of God in this secret of his heart. And this accomplisheth repentance, when we set our inward parts to rights: for the corruption of these is the generation of all kinds of sins. Wisdom asketh this seat of us, My son give me thy heart, and if we keep it for wisdom, it is fortified against all temptations. The heart of man is the little City, and Satan is the great king that besiegeth it, and buildeth bulwarks against it. wisdom is that poor man that saveth this City, and removeth, yea destroyeth the enemy of it. Wisdom when it doth no more but swim in the fancy, and float in the brain, rather swelleth than fatteneth us: but when it possesseth the heart, which is the seat of affections, it than commandeth all; for then the eye, the ear, the tongue, the hand, be all set a-work, and all those parts which were before the weapons of unrighteousness to commit unrighteousness, turn their service another way, to the work of truth to please God. It is the happiness of God's Saints to store this wisdom in this hold of the heart. This is that bonus thesaurus cordis, good treasure of the heart that Christ speaks of. And when Solomon saith, omni custodia custodicor tuum, keep thy heart diligently, he meaneth that we should fraught it with this wisdom. For our adversary, besides his professed hostility wherein he proclaims open war against the Church of God, hath his secret insinuations by which he windeth himself into the hearts of men. So he entered into the heart of judas, and Saint Peter saith to Simon Magus, Thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Satan had been secretly Ac●s 8. 21. working upon his heart, into which he had infused some gall of bitterness. Against this, David's receipt was Absconds in cord sermonem tuum, ut non peccarem contra te, I have hid thy word in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. When he let that word go, Satan came in and sowed the seeds of lust. Intravit mors per fe●es●ras, Death came in at the windows, he let it in by his eyes, for no sooner did his eye look, but his heart did lust, and then all his parts proved instruments of sin, and traitors to the spirit of God that was in him. This setteth us a work to furnish our secret part with wisdom, for so it will be a fortification against open war, and a privy coat against a sudden stab of temptation. This wisdom, though thus secretly stored, cannot be concealed, but it will speak in the tongue, the language of Canaan, For exit of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. It will be seen in the face, for the wise do set their faces toward jerusalem, and you may see by their looks, which way they are bound: all their works and whole conversation will taste of it. The greatest hindrance to good conversation, to good works, and to repentance of our evil ways, is the unsoundness and rottenness of our secret part: that is, 1 Vanity in our understanding, when we busy our thoughts, and exercise our wits, either only in the things which concern this life, what we shall eat, what we shall drink, where with we shall be clothed, for which the heathens take care, who know no God to take that care for them: or when we spend our brains in impertinent disquisitions, studying genealogies, and intricating our thoughts in vain questions, which are not worthy our study. 2 Our inward part is mortally diseassed by corruption of our will, when we live in a perpetual pursuit of our own desires, and go in the way that seemeth good in our own eyes: for so the strength of sin is the law, and the more we are restrained, the more we strive both against the Commandment that biddeth, and forbiddeth, and against the word of exhortation, that putteth the Commandment upon the conscience. And against those good motions of the spirit of God, and of his good Angels which continually labour to compose us to obedience. The way to heal all this is by wisdom in this secret part, for that will teach, 1 For the world, there is no cause to care, for the Lord careth for us; and for impertinent studies, the word will show us, unum necessarium, the one thing needful, against the vanity of mind. 2 For our will, this wisdom will correct it, and teach it subjection to the will of God, whose will is our best friend, for by that we were chosen, created, redeemed, saved: fiat voluntas tua, thy will be done. 3 David's faith, Thou wilt make me to know. The natural man doth not perceive the things of the spirit of God, neither can he. They that are born sinners, are born fools, darkened in their understandings, and hardened in their hearts, the light that is in them is darkness, and therefore qu●nt● tenebr●, how great darkness/ Therefore they must be made to know wisdom, and none but God can do it, he teacheth man knowledge, and David believeth that he will do it. Christ saith, All shall be taught of God, Job. 6. 45. for he offereth himself a teacher to all. Wisdom cryeth in the streets, and uttereth her voice in the high ways, and calleth the simple and ignorant to her school to be taught. Wisdom hath many auditors, few proficients, many truants that come not to school, many dull and indocile, that learn little: but David believeth two things: 1 That God will teach him. 2 That he will make him know; our apprehensions are often more quick to conceive wisdom, then either our memories to retain it, or our affections to embrace it. We are never said truly to know wisdom, till we know the want of it, the giver of it, the value of it, and the right use of it. Seneca could teach his scholars, that the inquisition and posing of students in Philosophy, is Non quantum in philosophia, sed quantum in vita profecerint. Not what profit they have received in philosophy, but how much in their lives. The way of furnishing us with this wisdom, is, 1 By the Word working upon our understandings, for that giveth light to the simple. 2 By the spirit stirring up our spirits, and setting them a-work. If any man love God, he is taught of God. David 1 Cor 8. 3. now repenting and returning to himself, hath faith in the goodness of God, that he will give him this wisdom to repair him: which showeth, that our wisdom may for a time be lost, for David had it before, and guided all his former ways with discretion, but being overtaken with this temptation, he committed folly; wisdom for a time departed from him; his understanding was darkened, his heart was hardened: sin had possessed his inward and secret part, the hid man of the heart. So that he is now to learn wisdom again, and so is cast much behind hand. And make him to know it in his hidden part. Great comfort here is given to the true penitent: for his sincere repentance removeth both sin and punishment, and quickeneth the graces of God in him, so that though he stumble, he cannot fall; quia Dominus supponis manum, because the Lord putteth under his hand, his faith layeth hold upon that hand, and keeps him upright. VERSE 7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 3. HE returneth again to supplications, and he hath many suits to God. 1 For his purgation from the pollution of his sin, Verse 7. 2 For comfort against his sins, and the punishment of them, Verse 8. 3 For pardon of them, Verse 9 4 For newness of life, Verse 10. 5 For a constant course of the grace and favour of God, Verse 11. 12. 13. 6 For particular pardon of his last great sin, Verse 14. 7 For ability to perform the service of God's holy worship, Verse 15. 16. 17. 1 For purgation from sin: he doubleth his request here as in an important business, dear concerning him: for, 1 He findeth himself so foul with his sins, as he needeth washing and purging, and he needeth God's washing. 2 To show yet his pollution more, he presseth to be washed with hyssop. 3 To show what innocency and purity he affecteth: he first desireth to be made clean, he resumeth the suit, and expresseth his desires in full measure, he would be whiter than snow. 1 His importunity to be washed and purged, doth seem to declare in him, 1 A Conscience sensible of his pollution, and weary of it. 2 A●ervency of spirit, breathing importunity with God in strong cries and supplications to remove the annoyance of it. 1 A conscience throughly touched with sense and remorse of his sin, for he hath been earnest with God already in this Psalm before for this, and hath begged of God to blot out his iniquities that they might not remain upon record against him: to wash him throughly, and cleanse him from his sin: and now he reneweth and re-enforceth his petition to the same purpose. The reason I conceive to be, because he hath now been deep in the confession of his sin, and in contemplation of the holiness and purity of God, and of that integrity which he exacteth of us. For if our thoughts could be at lei●are to think effectually of these things, we should apply our desires more to the serucie of God, and to the declining of evil: we should find our sins sit blushing in our faces, and bleeding in our wounded consciences. The tenderness of the heart would yearn at any offence done to him, from whom we receive so much good, and the terror of his power, who is able to do us so much hurt: and the shame of requiting him unthankfully, who hath declared so much patience in our aberrations, would work upon us to love and fear, and seek him with all our hearts. Now we may see in David an holy weariness of his evil ways, we may feel sin a burden oppressing him, we may see it a pollution annoying him, no rest in his bones, because of his sin. We may also discern some present effect of that wisdom which God had taught him, which beginneth at the fear of God, to eschew evil and do good. 2 Note the fervency of his spirit in this importunity of his strong supplications. He that feeleth want of any thing good for him, will not be said nay. The unjust judge that feareth neither God nor man, shall have no rest till he do his poor petitioner justice. The Disciples cannot still nor drive away the poor woman that petitioneth Christ for her distressed daughter. The diseased of all sorts did pursue Christ for remedy. The paralitique is let down through the roof of the house to be presented to Christ. This teacheth us fervency in prayer, for the fervent prayer of the just prevaileth with God. It is the Apostles precept, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: therefore he must be washed and Rom. 12. purged till he may be clean, and he must be of Gods washing: for who else can find out all the secret conveyances of sin? who but he can sound the heart and search it to the bottom? none but he can purge this temple of our bodies, and whip out the defilers of it, and make a den of thiefs an house of prayer again. 2 Yet more, to show his pollution, he desireth to be washed with hyssop, wherein he hath respect to the ceremonial Levit. 14. 4. purgation used in the Law for the cleansing of a Leper. Sin is a leprosy, and as the leprosy was purged with hyssop dipped in blood, so must sin be purged with the sprinkling of blood. But the first mention that I read of the use of hyssop, doth interpret this suit of David best: for in the institution of the Passeover in the land of Egypt, they were commanded to kill a Lamb, and it is said, And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in a basin Exod. 1●. 22. in the blood, and ye shall strike on the upper door post, and on the two side posts, with the blood that is in the basin. This sprinkling of blood with a bunch of hyssop, was a type of the blood of the Lamb without spot, Christ jesus, used for, 1 Purgation, to remove the pollution of sin. 2 For propitiation, to remove the punishment of sin, to keep the destroying Angel from our houses, and to establish 1 Pet. 1. 2. safety there against all evil. Saint Peter directeth his Epistle to the Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the spirit, and sprinkling of the blood of jesus Christ: for, if the blood of Hebr. 9: 13. 14. Bulls and Goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself to God without spot, Purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God: so that we may say of David in this Petition, that he is now come, To Jesus the mediator of the new Covenant, and Hebr. 12. 2●. to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things then that of Abel. Saint Augustine and Saint Gregory do refer this Petition to the humility of Christ in his passion, whereby we are purged. Surely David had respect only to the blood of Christ for his purification from sin: for all the lotions and purge of the old law did look that way, and were representations and types of that full purgation which was to be accomplished by the blood of jesus Christ: for though temporava iatasunt, the times are changed, yet fides una, faith is one and the same. But give me leave to search somewhat deeper into this mystery, for David's last confession was of his original sin. And this Petition following it so close, calleth to my remembrance a Law of purgation of uncleanness mentioned, with hyssop dipped in water to sprinkle the tent, the vessels and the persons of such as ●●m 19 18▪ were unclean: which I conceive to be a type of our Christian Baptism, which Christ instituted as a remedy against original sin, and which the Apostle calleth the Laver of our new birth. Cardinal Bellarmine was before me in this meditation: Aperit unum ex occultis mysteriis divine sapienti●, quòd videlicet, tempore novi testamenti aspergendi essent homines aqua munda in Baptism. He opens one of the hidden mysteries of divine wisdom, that in the time of the new Testament men were to be sprinkled with pure water in Baptism. Both ways the blood of Christ is the liquor of our purification: and David so many years before the fullness of time, in which he came actually to perform the work of our redemption by the saerifice of his blood, did by faith apprehend both this remedy and the full effect of it: for it was ever the way of our cleanness since the fall of Adam, and therefore Christ is called agnus occisus ab origine mundi, the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world. The grace of the holy Ghost inwardly purging the conscience from sin, by the application of the blood of Christ was not perceptible by the sense and reason of man. Therefore it pleased God in the law to relieve their weakness with external types, figures, and representations, & Sacraments of strong signification, to make these things more demonstrable. The body of these is Christ, and it is his only blood by which we are washed from all sin both original and actual. A Sacrament of that purgation we have in Baptism, which we receive once for all our life, though it be not barely the external act that cleanseth us, but the answer of a good conscience to God. To this is added another Sacrament of nutrition, by which we are invited to a spiritual feast of the body and blood of Christ. To which our preparation must be a putting on of holiness. But as jehoshus the high Priest was first stripped out of his filthy raiment, and then had clean clothes put on: So must we lay aside the old man, corrupt with the deceivable lusts of the flesh, before we can be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and put on the new man in righteousness and holiness. I herefore for our better preparation to this Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, let me commend to you the holy example of David. Let us begin at a search and survey of our hearts for sin, even so deep as our birth-sin, and original uncleanness. Let us compare what we are in our inward parts, with that which God desireth, and the folly that possesseth us with the wisdom which God will give us, if we ask it of him: then shall we see what favour God hath done us in his holy Sacrament, to offer us the benefit of his passion, and the sprinkling of his blood, to keep the destroying Angel from our houses. This full example tendereth us all the ingredients in an holy preparation for God's Table. 1 Knowledge both of our disease and the remedy of it. 2 Repentance of our sins, as being sensible of the burden, and weary of the annoyance of them. 3 Faith depending upon God both for his tender mercies to pardon them, and for his holy wisdom to prevent our relapsing after repentance into them. 4 Charity to our brethren, for David after promiseth to teach sinners, and to direct them in good ways. God can wash without hyssop, he can teach without the word, he can cleanse without Baptisine, he can nourish without the Lords Supper. But having ordained outward types and signs, and Sacraments, and means for our purgation, and nutrition: David teacheth us hereto, 5 To add prayer to God, not only for the spiritual grace, but for the outward means also. Teach me by thy word, wash me with thine hyssop, feed me with thy Supper. So ought we to pray with David, for the power of grace in the outward ordinance of God. And that is the way to sanctify ourselves both to the Word and to the Sacrament. There is nothing that doth more ineffectuate this blessed Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ to the receivers thereof, than their uncleanness, for Pearls are not to be cast unto Swine. And we must wash our hands in innocency, before we compass his altar. Those corruptions which are within us in our heart, are they that do defile us; for out of the heart proceed murders, adulteries, drunkenness, strife, and envying, and these things pollute us. These ask a great deal of hyssop to sprinkle us with blood, to drench and steep us in, to fetch out the deep steines which they have made in our consciences. These removed, or our endeavour done to remove them, we may eat of this bread and drink of this wine that he hath prepared. 3 In resumption of this Petition, we still see how weary David is of his filthiness, how ambitious of a purification. For being yet in the stench and deformity, and foulness of his sins, he believeth that if he might be of Gods washing, he should be whiter than snow. Saint Paul biddethus' desire the best gifts. In things concerning this life, we have no warrant to desire above a competency. Agur the wise son of jakeh, hath left us his prayer, and it is part of our Canonical Scripture, Give me not riches, give me not poverty, feed me with food convenient for me. Christ hath limited our prayer for daily bread, that is, the necessaries of this life. The Apostle biddeth, if we have food and raiment, to be therewith content: but in the spiritual and eternal favours of God, a greediness, an ambition, a covetousness for the most and best, & highest of them, doth best of all. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. There be degrees and measures of spiritual graces, there be diverse quantities of them. As in the die of sin, some are crimson, some scarlet, so in the wash of repentance, some attain to the whiteness of wool, some of snow. As David in the judging of himself, findeth none so unclean as he is; so in his desire of purging, he affecteth the whitest innocency. They that have truly tasted the heavenly gift of holiness here, and the joys of the life to come, desire the uttermost of both, and we cannot overdo in covetousness of the one, or ambition of the other. But how doth David promise himself this whiteness Quest. above snow? Saint Augustine answereth, that this innocency is but Sol. 1. begun here, it cometh not to any perfection in this life, but his faith apprehendeth the compliment of it hereafter. 2 We may conceive in these sicuts, these comparisons, Sol. 2. the fullest measure of innocency, that we are capable of here and hereafter. 3 Or we may comfort ourselves in dignatione divina, Sol. 3. in God's approvement, in whose gracious acceptation we appear so white, because he accepteth us, who calleth things that are not, as if they were. Or we may extend it to the full effect of the blood of Sol. 4. Christ, which maketh a perfect work of our purification. VERSE 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 2. HE prayeth for comfort against the terror of his conscience, for his sin: wherein, 1 We have his grief, his bones broken. 2 His suit, fac me andire, etc. Make me to hear. 1 In his grief consider, 1 The affliction itself, bones broken. 2 The author hereof, Thou. 2 In his Petition, observe, 1 Where he seeketh remedy, of God. 2 In what way, by prayer. 3 What is his suit, to hear joy, etc. 4 What effect, ut ossa gaudeant, that the bones may rejoice. 1 His grief therein. 2 Of his affliction, ossa confracta, the bones broken. This is a figurative speech, whereby extreme affliction is often in Scripture expressed. Satan to God, of Job, Touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy Job ●. 5. face. It was jobs complaint, My bones were pierced in me in the night season. David useth often to complain of his Job 30. 17. bones, as, there is no rest in my bones, because of my sin: his meaning is, that the vexation of his conscience for his Psal. 38. 3. sin, is as painful to him as the breaking of his bones. How are we deceived in the temptation to sin, in the pleasute of sin, when we drink it down like water, and hide it under our tongue? if ever we come to repentance of it, it will be bitterness in the latter end: it will not be a luxation of our bones, putting them out of joint, but a breaking: literally this must not be understood of the breaking of bones, neither the contrary spoken also by David. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Psal. 34. ●●. ●●. Lord delivereth him our of them all. He keepeth all his bones, so that not one of them is broken; for we know that not only alive, but dead, the bones of the Lords servants have been violated: their dead bones lie scattered like chips of wood at the mouth of the grave. By bones, the strength of the body, the inward strength and vigour of the soul is meant. And the conscience of sin, and the terror of judgement doth break the heart of a true penitent, so long as he beholdeth his sin deserving his death, his judge ready to pronounce the sentence of it, hell open to receive him for it, and the evil Angels Gods executioners at hand to hurry him to it. Here is extremity of anguish, even anima doloris dolor animae, the soul of sorrow, the sorrow of the soul, enough to make a man go weeping all the day long. I beseech you lay this example to heart: David that walked with an upright heart, and the holy Ghost hath testified him unblameable, save only in this matter of Vriah the Hittite. Yet see how he afflicteth himself for all his other transgressions which were not laid to his charge, his conscience forgiveth him nothing. No question but David had many infirmities, and many other aberrations, some upon record, yet they were all by his repentance and the favour of God passed over, yet they upbraid him now all of them, come upon him like a breach of waters with so fierce irruption, and so deluging inundation, that they steep him in deep waters, and cover him all over with affliction. The reason is, as in sin, the fault, he that breaketh the least Commandment, and repaireth not himself by repentance, is guilty of the whole law; so in transgressions, he that repenteth of all the sins he hath done, and hath his pardon under seal, by the next offence is liable to all the evidence again of his former sins, he cancelleth and forfeiteth his pardon, for pardon ever bindeth to good behaviour. This breaks the bones of David, to have all this weight upon him, 2 The author of this, Thou hast broken. God in favour to his children, doth afflict them for sin, and the very phrase of breaking his bones, though it express extremity of misery and pain, yet it hath hope in it: for broken bones by acunning hand may be set again, and return to their former use and strength, so that a conscience distressed for sins, is not out of hope: yet upon that hope no wise man will adventure upon sin, saying: though I am wounded, yet I may be healed again, though I am broken, I may be repaired: for let him consider; 1 Who breaks his bones, Thou, he that made us our bones, and put them in their several places, and tied them together with ligaments, and covered them with flesh, he that keepeth all our bones from breaking: it must be a great matter that must move him to break the bones of any of us. The God of all consolation that comforteth us in all our distresses, when he cometh to distress us, this makes affliction weigh heavy. It was jobs vexation, The arrows of the Almighty are 〈◊〉 6. 4. within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me 〈◊〉. ●●. with bitterness. What greater sorrow can be, then to have God in opposition? 2 The pain of the affliction expressed so feelingly in the breaking of bones, which as is said, is the anguish of the soul for sin, and fear of the consuming fire of God's wrath, and the tempest as job calls it, of anger. 3. The pain of setting these bones again: for though bones dislocate, may be put in joint, and though bones broken may be set again, yet this is not done without pain and great extremity to the Patient. Repentance setteth all our broken pained bones, it recovereth the soul from the anguish thereof; but he that once feeleth the smart of a true repentance, will say, the pleasures of sin which are but for a season, are as hard a bargain as ever he made, and as dear bought: they cost tears, which are, sanguis vulner aticordis, the blood of a wounded heart: they cost sighs and groans which cannot be expressed: they cost watching, fasting, taming of the body to bring it in subjection, even to the crucifying of the flesh, with the lusts thereof. Therefore let no man adventure his bones in hope of setting them again. But how did God break the bones of David here? 1 Outwardly by his word sent in the ministry of Nathan Quest. Sol. 1. the Prophet, for the word and voice of God is a two edged sword. This was all the strength by which Jeremy was sent forth by God on that great business: over nations, and over kingdoms, to root out, to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down. Behold I jer: 1. 10. have put my words in thy mouth. This is the sword of the spirit, and though our doctrine drop as the rain, gently and easily, if we drink it in, and become fruitful by it: yet when our sins do overgrow, we shall find it a sharp Conlter to rend the fallow grounds of our hearts: we shall find it a rod of iron to break our souls in pieces, and this word runneth very swiftly: it is gladius versatilis, a sword that turneth every way. 2 But it is a dead letter, and draweth no blood, till it come to the conscience: for so long as it beateth the ear and air only, and worketh no further than the understanding, there is no great cumber with it: as we see in those who daily hear their swearing and drunkenness reproved in the house of God, and threatened with loss and deprivation of the kingdom of God, it worketh not upon them, but when Nathan comes home to their consciences, tu es homo, thou art the man, God hath sent me to thee to charge thee with this sin, and to tell thee he is angry, and is whetting his sword to cut thee off for it; this breaketh and shattereth the bones, and though our public ministry do not descend to such particulars as tu es homo, thou art the man, and our private reproofs are subject to ill constructiou, yet a plain dealing death bed will roar it in our ears of our inward man. Tu es homo, thou art the man, thou hast lived a blasphemer of the name of God, a glutton, a drunkard, etc. This fills the souls of many dying persons with so much bitterness, that when the sorrows of death are upon them, and the judgement of their whole life in sight, the conscience of their sins doth make their souls much sicker than their bodies. One of these in this distress can tell you, whether this be not a breaking of their bones. Let the Word therefore work upon us, and let every hearer, when he heareth his sin reproved, take the reproof to him, and prevent an accusation, tu es homo, thou art the man; with a confession, Me, me, ad sum qui feci, ay, I have done it. So breaking our bones with remorse and contrition, we shall save them from his breaking, we shall reserve them to his healing and binding up. I conclude this point in the words of our Saviour: 〈…〉 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 2 David's suit, wherein, 1 Where he seeketh remedy, it is from God: the hand that ●●oke his bones, can set them again, no other hand can do it. Come, let us return to the Lord, for he hath torn, 〈…〉 and he will heal us, he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. David knoweth that God hath a multitude of tender compassions, he laid that foundation of his faith, repentance and prayer, Verse 2. Whom have I in heaven but 〈◊〉 73. ●5. 26 thee? there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. David had good friends in heaven, Abraham the father of the faithful, Isaac the seed promised. jacob that wrestled with God, and prevailed: yet he seeketh to none of these, and I never read in either Testament of any one that had any suit to Abraham, but the rich man in hell. To countenance the use of invocation of Saints, yet that hath no life in it to encourage any such mediation. All the book of God through the address of prayers, hath been only to God, and he hath revealed so open a way of access to him, that we need not go so far about: for David saith, He also will hear their prayers, and will help them. David was put to it to try all the ways of comfort, and he used no other invocation. The sorrows of death compassed me, the pains of hell gate Psal 116. 3. 4. hold upon me, I found trouble and sorrow: then called I upon the name of the Lord: O Lord I beseech thee, deliver my soul. God maketh this good use of our sins to bring us to him, and sin never undoeth us, till it driveth us away from God to seek help elsewhere. You see what good success the richman had with Abraham, he could not get a drop of cold water: he was sent to Moses and the Prophets for his brethren. They sought no help any where, but immediately in God: he hath healing under his wings: wings are the emblems of speed, he is swift to hear our complaints, to heal our sores: He healeth all our infirmities, and forgiveth us all our sins. 2 How he seeketh remedy, by prayer; he doth not come pharisaically to God, to justify himself by his former conscionable living: he doth not ●lledge how he hath walked, 1 R●g. 15. 5. and done that which is right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him, all the days of his life, save only in this thing. All our former 〈◊〉 18. 1● holiness will not bear us out in any one sin, but when we fall, we cause all his righteousness that he hath done, shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in the sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he dye, rather our sin is aggravated thereby; therefore the way of prayer is the way of remedy. Let us seek the face and favour of God so, by confession, deprecation, and supplication. The fountain is deep, but we have wherewith to draw up the waters thereof: our prayer is a bucket that will not come up empty. The Apostle biddeth, semper orate, pray always: Christ biddeth, ask, seek, knock. This the Prophet calleth, buying without money, when we have all good things for ask. The Church of Rome hath not a worse bar to keep her children from God, and other men from their communion, then by teaching them to say prayers in a strange tongue, for all such petitioners have their answer, nescitis quid petatis, ye know not what ye ask: our understanding, our affections, our faith, our hope, all must be exercised in our prayers. 3 What is his suit? Make me to hear joy and gladness. Quest. We may demand why David doth desire this now, seeing he had no sooner confessed his sin, but Nathan pronounced his absolution, he heard joy in his pardon, he heard gladness in the remedy of his punishment: non morieris, thou shalt not dye. 1 David had heard this comfort from Nathan, yet he Sol. 1. desireth further assurance of it from the spirit of God: for in so sudden joys we are not our own men, so are we transported with the gladness thereof. When thou broughtest again the captivity of Zion, we were like to them that dream. Our foul sins do make us fear that it is too good to be true. 2 He desireth more of this comfort, more joy, and more gladness. The joy of sin, and delight of sense, doth much hinder repentance: the joy of the holy Ghost, doth crown repentance. 3 David openeth himself in his phrase of Petition, he doth not say, give me joy and gladness, but, make me hear, for the vessel of his heart was not yet capable of the joy that was now tendered to him, grief and anguish had filled it, he prayeth therefore for capacity to receive this gladness. Five notes grow upon this point. 1 When he had heard already, he desireth to hear more▪ they that have once tasted of this joy, are never satisfied, but cry always, give, give, till they come to the fullness and fatness of God's house. 2 See what a distressed man a sinner is: Enosh▪ he is ●● afraid he shall never have joy enough, ●●● 〈◊〉 prayeth here for double joy, joy and gladness; joy in his pardon of sin, gladness in his favour. 3 See how long the conscience of a sinner is tossed like to the sea after the wind is laid. 4 Observe how he would have his joy come to him: ex auditu fac me audire, by hearing, make me to hear: for, ex auditu fides, faith comes by hearing: he lost his joy by harkening to the voice of the Serpent. 5 It will not come so except God make him hear, fac me a●dire, make me to hear: he must say ephata, to our ear, that we may not only receive the sound of comfort in our ear, but sound comfort in our heart. If the four winds should breathe nothing but joy and gladness, and all the Prophets and Angel● of God should like Ababs' Prophets prophesy good to us: unless God by his spirit did suggest to our spirits this joy, we were still in evil taking, for till our spirit witness with God's spirit, we have no joy. He desireth assurance in his faith. 4 The effect, ut ossa exultent, that the bones may rejoice: David had sensual joy, he had the full desire of his heart, yet that proved the breaking of his bones, and the wounding of his conscience: his faith is, that God will heal all with his saving grace. There is no such joy here below, as the forgiveness of our sins: and the Ministers of the Gospel in no part of their Ministry, do bring fuller tidings of peace then in absolution of penitents. O quam speciosi pedes, etc. O how beautiful are the feet, etc. The wicked man hath none of this peace. Blessed is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven, etc. Let the children of peace comfort themselves, all their tears are botteled, all their sighs and groans numbered, all their bones set and healed, the storm of God's threatenings, the tempest of the conscience calmed. But none but God can do this. VERSE 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 3. HE sueth for pardon, he doubleth his request, and varieth the phrase: still importunate with God. 1 He desireth that God in mercy would not see his sins, but hide his face; as Sem and Japhet looked another way when they came to cover their father's nakedness: which phrase of hiding the face of God, cannot be literally understood: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he speaketh after the manner of men, for men hide their faces from that which they would not see. But the face of God cannot be hid, and it is impossible to conceal our sins from him; impossible for him to put our sins out of his sight: his eye seeth all things, yet David in this phrase doth show, that desiring to be washed and purged, he would have his sins now forgotten, and no more laid to his charge: for as Saint Augustine saith, Vnde se Deus non avertit, advertit: si advertit, animadvertit, From whom God turns not away, he turns unto; if he turn unto, he observes: he would have God look upon him still, but not upon his sins, for that is his suit; ne averte faciem t●am ●● me, turn not thy face away from me. God is said then to hide his face from sins, when he pardoneth them, and that is David's suit. 1 I observe here that the face of God, and our sins are 1 Note. incompatible: his face is all holiness, and it cannot endure to behold sin, for his soul loatheth it. Our sins are all works of darkness, and cannot endure the light of his face. We are very careful to keep our gross sins out of the sight of men, whose power extendeth no further than our goods, our reputation, or our life here. Christ saith, Fear not them that kill the body, and can do no more, fear his face who hath power of soul and body to cast them both into hell. The face of God is fearful to a sinner: for God threateneth the disobedient to his Commandments, I will set my 〈◊〉. ●●. face against you: then followeth, ye shall be slain before your enemies, Qui ode●unt vos regnabunt super vos, fugietis nemine persequente, they that hate you, shall reign over you; ye shall fly, no man pursuing you. How dare we tempt that face, and provoke it against us! nothing is hid from the light of it, and there is no suggestion more foolish, or that declareth us more shallow and simple then Dominus non videbit, the Lord shall not see. We are sure that all our sins are seen, numbered, recorded before his face. 2 This phrase to my understanding importeth, that as 2 Note. David before prayed to be washed, purged and cleansed from his sins, that they might no more annoy him: so he desireth God to turn his face from them, that they may no more offend him. For a true penitent is more grieved at his offence given to God, than at the shame, or fear, or pain, that sin putteth him to: therefore Averte faciem tuam, turn thy face away, amounteth to a request, that God would no more take offence at his sins. 3 The phrase importeth an absolute and full pardon desired: 3 Note. for so long as there is any sin, the face of God must be against it: but when he desireth, averte faciem, turn away thy face: he desireth a remove of his sin, which cannot be clear from his countenance any way, but by his gracious pardon: for God's pardon doth extinguish all iniquities, so it is equivalent to our petition, Dimitte debita nostra, Forgiveus our trespasses. 2 He resumeth the same Petition, and re-enforceth his suit for Gods pardon in a phrase before used, verse 1. Blot out mine iniquities: which hath reference to the two books, one of our conscience, the other of God's remembrance, in which all our sins are recorded, ut antè, as before. Only here he addeth a request for pardon of all his iniquities, that he may have a clear conscience within himself, and an even reckoning with God. If any shall wonder why David urgeth God's pardon so earnestly, and with such importunity of strong supplications: let him know that such offences as provoke God, are not easily pardoned; we must pray heartily, and ply him continually with our requests to have our sins remitted: for though God be very ready to forgive in respect of his mercy, yet he is wise to see some cause for it. And a sinner is not capable of mercy presently till his soul hath been in bitterness for his trespass, and is humbled before God. It is our fault, and it corrupteth us much, our overweening of the mercy of God to us, for though he be full of tendernesse● yet is he full of holiness, and nothing provoketh him more, than our bearing ourselves too bold upon his mercies. Master Calvine, Ubi quis defunctoriè pro remissione vota concipit, nondum didicit quam horribilis sit Dei offens●o, He that slightly prays for pardon of sins, hath not yet learned how horrible the offending of God is, Saint Augustine commendeth this Petition of David, he saith, Bene rogas, thou well askest: for, 1 He opened his own face, and then he desireth God to hide his face, his face was opened to behold his sin: For I acknowledge my wickedness, and my sin is ever before me. Si tu peccatum ●u●●●● derso ponis, den's ib● facsem ponit. Tu peccatum e●●m ante facion pone; sivis ut deus avertat faciem suam ab e●. Sie securur rogas & exandi●: If thou settest thy sins behind thy back, God sets them before his face: set thy sin before thy face, if thou wilt have God turn away his face from it. So thou safely askest, and he heareth thee. 2 He desireth God to blot out all his iniquities out of the book of his remembrance. But he putteth them into this Psalm, and commendeth this Psalm to the Master of Music, and so depositeth the record of it in the perpetual use of the Church: so the greatness of the fault is kept in fresh memory of all ages. We have no such way to blot our misdeeds out of God's book of remembrance, as this, to publish our own faults, and our repentance of them, as David here doth. From the whole petition we gather one substance of request, which is, that God would forgive him all his sins: which petition is grounded upon an Article of faith, the tenth in our Apostles Creed: Forgiveness of sins. It is also the fifth Petition in the Lord's Prayer, dimitte nobis debita nostra, Forgive us our trespasses. David saith, Credidi, proptereà loc●t●● sum, I believed, and therefore I spoke. If we believe the Article, we may move God in the Petition. It is as great an honour to God to be a forgiver, as to be a giver. Amongst ourselves we know that it is one of the hardest tasks of our religion, to forgive an injury. Our hearts rise against them that do it, our blood boyles, our countenance falleth: it is much more easy to win us to give gifts to our brethren, then to forgive injuries: yet we are never out of that Petition to God, and in our daily prayer, as we ask bread for the day, so we ask forgiveness, because our soul needeth pardon, as much as our body needeth food. I may say much more, for we may go in the strength of one meal some hours, but there is no moment of our life, which doth not need to cry God mercy, and to ask his pardon for our sin. The necessity whereof is such, that our Saviour taketh advantage of it to establish our charity to our brethren that way. That we might beg no pardon for ourselves, but with a Sicut ●os dimittimus, As we forgive. The phrases used in Scripture in petition of God's pardon, are much varied: Christ biddeth us say, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉▪ put them away, which Isay doth render thus, Thou hast ●●●● 8. 1● cast all my sins behind thy back. Micah is more full in this expressure, He will turn again, he will have compassion Micah 7. 19 upon us, he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. This David doth call, washing, cleansing, purging, hiding God's face from them, and blotting out. All meet in one full point of gracious pardon: for all these phrases desire an absolute, total, and final remove of our sins, both from the displeasure of God, and from both the annoyance, and the punishment of ourselves. And we can have no peace in our conscience, till we be comfortably persuaded hereof. Sins are called debts. Agree with thine adversary, for fear of the Prison, thou shalt not come out thence, till thou hast paid the utmost farthing: blessed is the man whose unrighteousness is forgiven. I his text teacheth, that we must strive and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Doctrine. contend with God by our prayers for the forgiveness of our sins. Observe the contents of the Lords Prayer, in which would all our lawful petitions are cast, and by which model, the whole building of our supplications is erected. The three first Petitions respect the glory of God. The latter regardeth our good in two things. 1 In our esse, our being, Give us bread, that is, let us live; we pray for supportation of our being. 2 Our bene esse, our well being, and that consisteth in these three things mainly. 1 In the pardon of our sins past, Et dimitte, and forgive, 2 In the prevention of temptations to come: et ne nos inducas, and lead us not. 3 In deliverance from punishment, and from the power of Satan. Which three Petitions have respect to our sin: so important is our suit for pardon, that Christ begins our bene esse, well being, at dimitte, forgive. Do but observe yourselves how importunate you are with God for ease and health when you are sick; your mouth is full of miserere mei Deus, have mercy on me O God. You call upon all that visit you, to comfort you with their prayers, you send to Church to crave aid of the congregation, you give God no rest. How is it that in your sins, the mortal diseases of your souls, you are not thus earnest with God for his pardon, which is the only physic for a diseased soul? David saith, God healeth all our infirmities, and he showeth how, he pardoneth all our sins: therefore the way of cure in all griefs of the body, is to heal the soul first: so David, Sana animam meam, etc. Heale my soul, etc. How came it sick? quia peccavi contrate, because I have sinned against thee. Christ usually in his cures began his healing there, fili dimittuntur tibi peccata tua, son thy sins are forgiven thee. But the reason why we are so importunate for our body, so slight and negligent for our soul is this: we feel the aching and smart, the convulsions and cramps, the cold shake, the fiery inflammations, the trembling palsies, the griping and grating colics, and other afflicting diseases which cruciate the body: we are not so sensible of the spiritual disease of sin, till we come to remove it by repentance, than all other griefs fall short of the grief of sin; that is a breaking of the bones, as before it is expressed. Surely if I were limited to one petition, and no more, for myself I would choose this before any, Deal omnes iniquitates meas, blot out all mine iniquities, for there is nothing can be ill with him that hath no iniquity to answer for: his soul shall dwell at ease, I therefore press the doctrinal example of David. Let us never leave begging of God the pardon of our sin. I will not strain myself to multiply reasons of this doctrine, Reason's. that were to follow the new fashion of preaching; for we also are at our fashions. One main reason hereof may serve. There is nothing so much displeaseth God nothing so much endangereth this life, and that which is to come, as sin. This I think no man will refuse to put for granted. Then I say, there is no way to be found out of this danger of our sin, but by God's pardon. Come to the Court of justice, the law condemneth us. Deut. 27. 26. Cursed is every one that confirmeth not all the words of the law to do them. Come to the judgement of most voices, all the people shall say Amen; for who will bless where God curseth? Come to the Court of Conscience, our own heart condemneth and smiteth us, for our sin is ever before us. What have poor sinners then to say for themselves, why death should not be the wages of sin? The fault is capital, here is no escape from the justice of the Law, but by the King's gracious pardon. In our Ecclesiastical Courts we have power in the discretion of the judge in causes criminal, commutare poenam, to change the punishment, to let offenders buy out a shame of public disgrace with some pecuniary mulct to be employed in pios usus, in religious uses. If in causes capital there have been Commutatio paenae, change of punishment, and that the purse hath saved the life, yet that is but the price of intercession. But the Kings pardon only saveth life. It is so in the state of our souls: sin is a capital fault, and the wages of it death, and no way of escape from this just judgement, but by God's gracious and free pardon. We cannot purchase a mediation at any rate to avail us without true and unfeigned repentance, and then we have but one Mediator to the Father, and he must purchase our pardon with his blood: he must be wounded for our transgressions, and we must be healed by his stripes, and he must dye for us, that we may live in and by him. Let Papists seek heaven by their righteousness at their own peril. For myself, I am so far from trusting to any merits of our own works, that I dare resolve, that if the salvation of all mankind had been put to the plunge that Sodom was at, with the other Cities, to find ten righteous, from Adam to the last man that shall stand upon the earth; all mankind must have perished for want of ten such. I dare adventure further in resolution, that if the bringing one good work before God, done in all the generations of men, performed without any taste or taint of sin, might save all mankind: I except none but jesus Christ. I do believe that he that searched Jerusalem, with candle and lantern, even his seven eyes which ton to and fro through the whole earth, cannot find out one such good and perfect work: the cask distasteth the liquor: who is he that doth good and sinneth not? who doth good and sinneth not in the very good he hath done? To make a work perfectly holy is one thing, to make it meritorious is another. If no good work we do can come from us holy, it is not possible it should ask wages. Our corruption of nature sprinkles every word, work, and thought of ours, with some grains more or less of our old Adam: for as we consist of flesh and spirit, ever conflicting, there is of both in all we are or have: it cannot be otherwise, for the imaginations of the thoughts of our heart are only evil continually, and from that nest these birds do fly, Adultery, Fornication, Strife, etc. But if we could do any work holy and pure ●●o●n blame, yet there goeth more to it then holiness▪ to make it meritorious. 1 It is required that we be able to do it of ourselves, for no thanks to us for any good we do, if he land us the faculties and abilities of doing it. 2 It is required, that he which deserveth, should do something for the benefit of him of whom he deserveth: but our well-doing extendeth not to God. 3 It is required, that he which meriteth, do his good work out of his own free will, ex mero motu, non ex debito, merely by his own moving, not as of due debt. For what we do of duty, we pay, we do not give. 4 It is required that the reward be proportionable to the work, for else whatsoever is more, is gift, not wages. They that wrought all day, deserved their penny, they that came late had more gift than wages; eternal life is too much reward for any service we do. This putteth works of supererogation quite out of countenance: to name them is to shame them. Micah 6. 6. Where withal shall I come before the Lord? burnt offerings, Calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousand rivers of oil? shall I give my first borne for my transgressions, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee etc. To do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly before thy God. The way of repentance and crying God mercy, is the way of humility: we cannot pay our debt, we cannot buy out our fault, we have nothing to give: our plea is, miserere, have mercy: we can find no way out of our sins, but by God's gracious and free pardon. This is not so easy a favour obtained, as many think, for suppose the pardon were obtained and sealed for, God have mercy, yet there is no moment of our life in which we do not forfeit it, and therefore we must renew it continually. When you pray, say, Pater noster dimitte nobis, Our Father, forgive us, and semper orate, pray always, Be sure to renew your pardon by repentance and prayer continually, especially at such times when we come to the house of God, to the Table of God: now wash us throughly O Lord, now O Lord have mercy upon us: now purge us with hyssop, now hide thy face from our sins, and blot on't all our iniquities: Now make us hear joy and gladness, which thou impartest to us in the Sacrament of thy son's passion. Our Church service is holily accommodated to this: for we begin at the words wherein God maketh us hear of joy: and we humble ourselves to God in a contrite deploration of our sins: O Lord hear us from heaven, and when thou hearest, show mercy. VERSE 10. Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 4. HE prayeth for newness of life. Here also he doubleth his petition, and changeth the phrase. 1 For his heart, the seat of his affections. 2 For the holy Ghost, to sanctify him throughout in his body, soul, and mind. In the first observe, 1 His suit is for the heart. 2 He desireth that clean. 3 He wisheth it so by creation. In the second, 1 His suit is for the spirit. 2 He would have that right. 3 He would have it by renovation. 1 For the heart, there breed adulteries, murders, and all other sins, as Christ hath taught us, and that was the nest of all his sins. The message of God by Nathan descended into the secrets of his heart, there he hid the word: he saith before, Thou requirest truth in the inward parts: he found his heart no fit habitation for truth, as it was. It is our chiefest care to look to the heart, because Christ asketh that of us for himself, My son give me thy heart. The Church of the jews in tender care for the Church of the Gentiles complaineth: We have a little sister, and she ●●●●. ●. ●. hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? that is, how shall we do for her, when Christ shall be speak her for a Spouse for himself? That should be our care, every one for his heart; we have a foul and unclean heart: what shall we do for it, or how shall we answer when Christ saith, My son give me thy heart? Our care therefore must be for it, to prepare it so, that we may neither be ashamed, nor afraid, when Christ calleth for it to present him with it. Here Solomon adviseth well: Keep thy heart above all keeping, for out of Pro. 4. 2●. it are the issues of life. This heart of ours hath many enemies, etiam domestici ejus inimiciejus, the enemies be homebred. job amongst many other aberrations of men, whereof he acquitteth job 3●. 7. himself, saith, if mine heart walked after mine eyes; for when our eyes behold beauty as David did to lust, we lose our heart by it: Dinah is deflowered, if she gad. If our heart walk after our ear, we may entertain wanton & lascivious words, which corrupt good manners, calumnious and slandercus reports, which deprave our neighbours: dicterious and satanical invectives which hurt their good name: profane and blasphemous words which dishonour the name of God. If our heart walk after ou● taste, we may defile our bodies and souls with surfeiting and drunkenness, to the distemper of our bodies, the corruption of our souls, the displeasing of God, the defiling of our consciences, the abuse of God's good creatures unthankfully, and the corrupting of others by our evil example. So when Christ shall say to thee, My son give me thy heart, thou hast no heart to give him: for whoredom, wine, and new wine, take away the heart. It is good for us to take into our consideration, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of us. We see the fruit of it in David, for having before considered that God requireth truth in the inward part, he now becomes careful of his inward parts, and is an humble suitor to God for his heart: they that meditate not on these things, lose their hearts. 2 He desireth a clean heart: so he interpreteth his former petitions: wash me, cleanse me, purge me with hyssop; me, that is, my heart; there is a deep stain in it of original sin, there is a foul issue from thence of all other sins: these make the conscience sick of an infectious leprosy, even to the second death: these make our words and works, and our whole conversation noxious to our brethren, obnoxious to the wrath of God. The purging of the heart is the cleansing of the whole man, for out of the abundance of the heart the tongue speaketh, the ear heareth, the eye seeth, the foot walketh. The heart ruleth and guideth all the rest of the man: if the fountain be clear, the streams that flow thence will be pure, and the waters sweet: else they will be like the waters of Marab, bitter waters. Saint Augustine wonders at the folly of man, be desireth every thing for himself good, and of the best: he loves clean clothing upon him, he loves clean feeding, clean lodging, he is next to a bruit beast that is a sloven, and yet few desire to have clean hearts. Clean garners for your grain, clean warehouses for your commodities are desired. Your heart is the granary for the pure seed of the word, the warehouse for the rich commodity of God's spiritual favours and graces: if that be nasty and noisome, stenched with our abominable sins, tenanted by unclean spirits, Non est lo●us in diversorio, there is no room in the Inn. Though the Saviour of the world was borne in a Stable for want of a fitter room, his good spirit will not house itself in hearts that like Stables are fitter for bruit beasts, than for the Son of God to be entertained there. Beati mundi cord, blessed are the pure in heart, saith Christ: & S. Gr. upon that saith, Si illum qui ab omni peccato mundus est, in cordis nostri hospitio habere volumus, oportet primò ut cor ab omni vitiorum sorde purgemus; If we will have him in the Inn of our hearts, which is pure from all sin, we must first purge our hearts from the foulness of vices. Our bodies be the temples of the holy Ghost, our hearts the Chancel of the Church: the Sanctum Sanctorum, where the Ark of God is to be placed, and where God should sit between the Cherubins. He that defileth the house of God, him will God destroy. David asketh the question, who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord, and who shall stand in his Psal. 15. 3, 4. holy place? he answereth, He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; for no unclean thing shall be admitted to enter that holy place. They that think well of this, as much as they desire salvation with God in heaven, so much will they strive with God by prayers to obtain of him a clean heart, and an unstumbling conscience. 3 He desireth this of God by way of creation: crea in me, create in me. 1 He desireth this of God, for he only is the purger of hearts, who is the creator of them: he takes it upon himself, Ezech. 36 ●9. I will save you from all your uncleannesses: we must go out of ourselves for this, for so jeremy confesseth, O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is jor. 10. 23. not in man that walketh to direct his steps: therefore help O God, as before, do thou wash and cleanse, and purge me with thy hyssop, and I shall be clean: if we be of his washing, we shall be whiter than snow. 2 He requesteth this by way of creation: to create is to make something of nothing. Our hearts are so foul and corrupt, that there is no repairing of them▪ we must have n●w ones made of purpose to serve God with; which God in wisdom knowing, and in mercy pitying, saith: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of 〈◊〉 ●6. 26. your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 2 Petition. 1 He desireth of God his spirit: this is the spirit of sanctification. ●●●s. 5. 23. This Saint Paul prayed for the Thessalonians, And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly or throughout. The spirit of natural life doth animate the body, and maketh it fit for actions of life. The spirit of God doth quicken us to actions, thoughts, and words, which belong to holy life. We are by nature dead in trespasses & sins: it is the good spirit of God by which we are new borne, and without this we are the children of death; for except ye be borne again of water and the holy Ghost, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven: he that is so borne of this spirit, hath a seed remaining in him. 2 He desireth a right spirit, the margin of the K. B. doth more naturally express the original, calling it, a constant spirit. For David had received the good spirit of God, which so enlightened his understanding, and so sanctified his affections, and governed his whole conversation, that he was a man after the heart of God. But when he embraced that mischievous temptation, which carried him away from the Word and Commandment of God, and opened his ear to the persuasions of flesh and blood: then that good spirit forsook him for a time, and he lay like a dead man, insensible of his fault, of his danger. Therefore now returning to God by repentance, he petitioneth God for a constant spirit that may abide ever with him to guide him, that he may never fall again; for they that are led by the spirit of God, are the sons of God, therefore David petitioneth God here for a constant spirit, such as may give him wisdom to resent a temptation, and holiness to hate it, faith to resist, and fortitude to overcome it. 3 He desireth it by way of renovation: the Apostles counsel is, but be you transformed by the renewing of 〈…〉 your mind. Little or no external difference doth appear for the time between one elect and a reprobate. David being guilty to himself of this desertion, desireth the stirring up of the gift of the holy Ghost, and renewing of the G●g. power thereof within him: Vide ordinem: primò cor munduns, secundò spiritum rectum requirit; prius enim omnis à corde vitiorum foeditas eliminanda est, ut omne quod agitur, aut dicitur, expurae intentionis origine emanet: consider the order: first, he desireth a clean heart: secondly, a right spirit. For first the foulness of sin is to be taken from the heart, that whatsoever is done or spoken, may flow from the fountain of a pure intention: for the holy Ghost will not dwell in an unclean heart, but when we have purged our consciences from dead works, he saith, Here will I dwell for ever, for I have a delight herein. There be two faculties in the soul of man, first understanding; secondly, will. The understanding in a regenerate man may be darkened for a time, and he falling into sin, may be beside himself, for sin is a kind of madness, the worst kind. It is said of the prodigal in his great famine, reversus ad se, returning to himself, he said, Ibo ad patremmeum, I will go to my Father. The will may be corrupted by a strong temptation, and so way made for the perpetration of sin. Sometimes the understanding breaks forth like lightning, and discerneth the fault to convince the will of sin. This we call the conscience, which is awaked of purpose to detect and chide our sinful aberrations. But when God hath sufficiently expressed to us our weakness, and p●one disposition to evil, and his own long suffering and patience, he stirreth up his gift in us, or in Saint Paul's phrase, he revealeth jesus Christ in us, and this we call renewing of the spirit; this cleareth our understanding, and reformeth our will, and mends all. The petitions of David for holiness of life, thus opened: 1 We observe the manner how David desireth to be repaired, being by sin so ruined. 1 In his understanding, in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom, for repentance must begin in intellectu recto, in the understanding rightly informed: this is our light, and if we walk without this, we know not whither we go. The haughty policy of Rome to keep her children dark, doth hinder both the finding of the good way, and the going on in it: so our ingression and progression both hindered, we seek heaven darkelings. God hath sent wisdom abroad to utter her voice, to call an audience, to instruct men in the ways of life, to escape the paths of death. Christ is made to us of God wisdom. 2 He desireth of God the pardon of his sins, which is no other but justification before him. This is the washing and purging, and blotting out of iniquities by him desired▪ for wisdom to know our sins without justification by faith, which apprehendeth the pardon of them, were the broad way to despair; but being justified by faith, we have peace with God, and peace also in our own consciences. Christ is made unto us justification. David leaves not here, but, 3 He desireth in this text the spirit of sanctification, by which he may be renewed to holiness, to all pleasing of God. And this is Christ also made to us, for whom God justifieth, them he sanctifieth. Some have confounded these two graces of justification and sanctification, and so commedled them, as if they were all one and the same grace. For the clearing whereof, and to declare the difference between them, understand, 1 We are sinners, and by faith in Christ we are justified, and so the debt of our sin discharged: this is by the inherent righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and it is the proper work of the second person. 2 By the holy Ghost applying this righteousness to us, we are sanctified to rewnesse of life. The first saveth us from hell, the second seasoneth us for heaven. David therefore addeth this suit for sanctification, that being cleansed throughly from sin, he may become a new creature. I may abridge all our learning in the school of Christ to this one lesson, and comprehend totum hominis, the whole of man, in this short compend of duty, as the Apostle doth. Circumcision profiteth nothing, uncircumcision hindereth nothing, all that God requireth of us, is, that we be new creatures, leaving off and laying aside the old man, and renewed in spiritu mentis, in the spirit of our minds: we are never complete penitents till we have this spirit of sanctification in some measure. It is the hardest work that is accomplished in us, because our natural corruption and the manifold temptations amongst which we live, and the sensual delight which we take in sin, do sow our hearts all over with tares, and leave no room for better seed. To root out these is one labour, to proseminate grace is another: yet we neglect the labour of our sanctification, as if it were a work which we could do at a very short warning, and too many do leave it to their death beds. And another impediment is, that many upon some good motions of the spirit, some flashes of piety and scintillations of zeal do overween their possession of this spirit. Me thinks if they did examine their hearts by this text, here is enough in it to reveal any man to himself, and to tell him si habeat hunc spiritum, if he hath this spirit. 1 Let him examine his heart and spirit within him, to see if there be truth there & wisdom: for many fair seem and outsides of godliness are put on, whereby we deceive others, and flatter ourselves, quite out of the way of salvation, therefore try if all be sound and sincere within. 2 Let him inquire of this heart, si cor novum, if it be a new heart; we may soon know that, si canticum novum, si novitas vitae, if there be a new song, if newness of life. It is not a new dresting and trimming up of the old heart in a new fashion that will serve, it must be all new, and that may be discerned in our thoughts, in our words, in ou● works, and ways: for if we abhor and forsake our former sins, and embrace better courses, this makes faith of a good change. 3 If it be a constant spirit that holdeth out to the end cheerfully and unweariedly, we may conclude comfortably, that our old heart is gone, and we have a new in place thereof. VERSE 11. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. HEre he petitioneth for a constant course of God's favour for hereafter: wherein 1. Deprecatur, he prays against, v. 1● 2. Supplicat, prays for, Verse 12. 3. Promittit, promiseth, Verse 13. 1 Deprecatur, prays against, 2. 1 Gods casting him away from his presence. 2 Gods taking his holy spirit, etc. 1 Cast me not away from thy presence. Our sins deserve that God should deny us to come before him: for why should the children of darkness press to the light, or the children of death to him in whose presence is life? Our first Parents soon found how unfit they were for the presence of God, and therefore so soon as they had sinned, of their own accord they fled from the presence of God, and hid themselves. When Cain had G●●. ●. ●●. ●● done that murder upon Abel his brother, it was Gods just punishment, a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be. And he was sensible of it: Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from thy face shall I be hid. And Cain went out from the presence of the Verse ●● Psal. 5. 5. Lord. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight. This is excommunicatio major, the greater excommunication. When Exod. 10. 28. Pharaoh was exasperate against Moses, he said, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more. When David heard how Absalon had slain Amnon, he was moved like a father for the death of a son, more, that he suffered that grief from a son: yet when the strong fit was off, he could not but return to his fatherly affection to Absalon: yet neither his own natural inclination, or the persuasions of joab by the woman of Tekoah, did yet readmit him to the King's presence. The King said, let him 〈◊〉. 14. 24. return to his house, and let him not see my face. Much more sorrowful is the punishment of exile from the face of God: for David preferreth the presence of God before all other good whatsoever. Many say, who will show us any good? Lord lift thou Psal. 4. 6. up the light of thy countenance upon us. Christ is the light of God's countenance: a light to lighten the Gentiles. God Luke 2. 3●. Exod. 33. 14. ●s●. 63. 9 to Moses, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. Christ is called the Angel of his face. So David prayeth, that Christ may not fail him, and that he would not in respect of his sins deprive him of the comfort of his Redeemer. Saint Gregory saith, he prayeth here against cain's sin of despair, for, A fancy dei projicitur cui spes veni● post peccatumnegatur, He is cast from the sight of God, to whom hope of pardon after sin committed is denied. Augustine hath a good note here, prius dixit, averte faciem à peccatis meis, first he said, turn thy face from my sins: but here, ne projicias me à facie tuâ: Cujus faciem timet, ejus faciem invocat. Cast me not from thy face: whose face he fears, his face he desires to see. It was Abraham's prayer, O that Ishmael might live in thy face, or before G●●. 17. 18. thee ●he would ask no more of him. They that walk uprightly and conscionably before God, are not, cannot be ashamed to behold his face. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, Psal. 17. 15. when I awake, with thy likeness. 1 Here, in the righteousness of Christ, I shall see thee; but hereafter I shall fully enjoy thee, when after I have borne the image of the earthy, I shall bear the image of the heavenly. 2 Take not thy holy spirit from me. Christ calleth this spirit a Comforter: David had need of him now in distress, because of his sins. This spirit he promised, a guide to lead us in the way of all truth. David had need of him, for seeing God loveth truth in the inward parts, and he had gone in false ways, he needeth this guide to guide his feet in the ways of peace. When David harkened to the voice of temptation, and his eye did walk after his heart, than did God withdraw his spirit from him, and left him to go alone. He findeth the want of that faithful guide of his ways, and prayeth, O take not thy holy spirit from me. David had a double portion of God's holy spirit: for he had, 1 The spirit of holiness to direct and guide his life and conversation as a private man, and by that he became a man after Gods own heart. 2 He had the spirit in plentiful measure, in regard of his office and place, and that also was double; for, 1 Juveni Davidem servum meum● oleo sancto meo u●xi eum, I have found David my servant, with my holy oil have I anointed him: he had not only samuel's external unction, but God gave him a spirit fit for a King, to go in and out before his people. Else how could the youngest son of Ishai, bred abroad in the field, and taken from following the ewes great with lamb, have been fit to have come from managing a sheephook amongst his father's cattle, to have managed a Sceptre in Israel, the Lords inheritance? And we have example hereof in Saul his predecessor, of whom we read, that when he parted from Samuel, who anointed him King, God gave 1 Sam. 10. 9 him another heart: for so Samuel had told him, that the ante v. 6. spirit of the Lord should come upon him, and he should be turned into another man. He that called him to be a King, accommodated him for government. Thus did God also deal with David, Then Samuel took an horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren, ● Sam. ●6. ●3. and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So that he not only was sanctified in further measure as a private man, but was endued with heroical graces fit for a Prince. And it is said, after this, that, 1 He walked wisely. 2 He governed prudently. 2 David was a Prophet also of the Lord, herein not inferior to Saul, for it is said of him that he prophesied, and it was a wonder: Etiam Saulinter Prophetas? Is Saul also amongst the Prophets? David is called the sweet singer of Israel, and we have many of his holy Psalms, whereof the Church of God maketh singular use. No question but the sin of David had much weakened the power of the holy spirit in him all these ways, and he seemed now to himself as a man divested of these graces in such sort, as was grievous to him: beside, he had the fearful example of Saul his predecestor, of whom it is said: But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the ● Sam▪ 16. ●●. Lord troubled him. Now charged with the conscience of his sin, and peradventure comparing his sin with Saul's, he feared the like punishment. Saul departed from the word of the Lord in sparing the life of an enemy: David in taking away the life of a friend. Had he not cause to fear at least an equality in his punishment, whom he had exceeded in his sin? no question but God giveth his graces with his holy callings, and we hazard the withdrawing of them from us, when we embrace sin. We find examples too frequent in all sorts of men, that they do lose by their falling into sin, the graces of God, which commonly do follow their lawful callings. When Kings leave good counsel, and embrace enemies of their state, to the grievance and vexation of the Commonwealth, on when they turn sensual and attend only their loose delights, God taketh from them the spirit of government. When Ministers study nothing but riches or honour, or follow pleasures, God taketh from them the spirit of prophecy. In ordinary mechanical and manual professions, many excellently able in their way, perish and drown their abilities in idleness, in gaming, in drinking, etc. Yet when any of these come again to themselves, and refrain these evil courses, the spirit of God returneth again to them, and they do well. Saul had many graces of the spirit, but the main he wanted, and the other he lost: and that example putteth David into this suit, Spiritum sanctum tuum ne ausera●, take not thy holy spirit from me. VERSE 12. 2. SUpplicat, he prayeth for: herein also he is double, and desireth two things: first, restitution: secondly, confirmation. 1 His restauration. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation: he meaneth that inward spiritual joy which before he had in the faith of his salvation. For having fallen so foully, and thereby deserved so ill at the hands of God, he was jealous of himself that he had lost the favour of God, and the salvation of his soul. The word in the original hath Jesus in it, The joy of thy jesus: for he believed that jesus the Saviour should come of his seed. That was joy to him, and his sin did shake his faith therein: ne Deus ei offensus Greg. subtraheret quod pacatus promiserat, formidavit, he feared lest God offended should withdraw that which being pleased, he had promised, So before him, Saint Augustine understood David: Red exultationem. salutaris tui, i. Christi: quis enim sine illo sanari potuit? nam in principio erat verbum: tempora variata sunt, non fides: restore the joy of thy salvation, that is, of Christ. For who can be saved without him? the times are changed, not faith. Our observations from hence are, 1 That David's joy was in making sure of his salvation: 1 Note. he had now made experience of a carnal and sensual joy, he findeth it loathsome and defiling, and the end bitterness, therefore he returns to the pursuit of that joy. So in a better mind the Church said, I will go and return to my first love, for than it was better with me than now. The truth is, there is no such joy here as in the favour of our God, and the faith of our salvation with him. David once said, Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in Psal. 4. 7. the time that their corn and wine, and oil increased. This is our summum bonum, our chief good, and upon our deathbeds we harken to them that speak comforts to us of our salvation, when we must part with all here. But the Apostle would have it the main care and business of our whole life, to work out our salvation with fear, and to make our election sure. As the Seaman regardeth so the business within board, as always observing the way of his ship, and also looking to his Chart and Compass for the accomplishing of his voyage. In the comforts and joys of life in things temporal, we ever hope that to morrow will be better than to day, and when that comes, we fall short still. Deterior semper posterior dies, seldom comes a better. But for the joy of our salvation, the more we taste of it, the more we thirst after it, and as we grow in grace, we increase in spiritual joy; and as our taste, so our desire of eternal life doth increase, that we think long till we appear before our God in Zion. 2 Sin depriveth us of this joy: for when our conscience 2 Note. accuseth us of having done that which displeaseth our God, how can we hope that he who is not the God of our obedience, should be the God of our salvation? Sin is a thing so hateful to God, that his soul abhorreth it. Adam the first sinner hid himself: Cain believed himself banished from the presence of the Lord. The spirit of God departed from Saul: sin turneth our prayers into itself: If I regard wickedness in my heart, Dominus non exaudiet me, the Lord will not hear me: sin turns our praises of God into the sacrifice of fools. There can be no peace to the sinner: so long as we continue in a state of sin without search of God's gracious pardon, we are in the deep pit: if we then despair, the pit shutteth its mouth upon us: if yet we hope, there is no health in our bones because of our sin, till God hath sealed our pardon, and that his spirit do witness with ours, that we are in his favour. Do not our own corruptions, and the evil counsels of the ungodly, and the temptations of Satan, work strongly upon us, when they prevail against the joy of our salvation? We under value that joy very basely, when we change it for any other that holds out in number, weight, and measure: that filleth the measure full, and presseth it down, and maketh it run over. Dic animae meae, salus tua sum, say to my soul, I am thy salvation: let me have thy word for that, and then as Saint Augustine saith, hic ure, hic seca, here burn, here cut me: we shall not fear them that kill the body: for if we had all the joys of the world, we could hold them but during this life, this joy survives our death. Satiety of other joys breeds surfeit: of this, thirst: beati qui esuriunt, etc. blessed are they that hunger, etc. Whereas David desireth to be restored to this joy, we 3 Note. see our evil condition, we cannot tell when we be well: when we have joy, the best and truest joy that can be, we part with it for vanity of vanities, and when we feel the want of it we complain. It is the weakness of our judgement, we cannot value good things so priceably in the possession of them, as in the subduction. Carendo magis quam fruendo, by wanting, more than enjoying, is an old rule of our imperfect reason. Godliness should ever be joined with contentedness, and our desires should be limited to our enjoy, when we affect any thing beyond God's allowance, we are often abated in the allowance: and our vast and unlawful desires are corrected by withdrawing from us the good that we possess. When provender pricketh us, the way to check our wantonness is, to set us a while at a lean manger, and to take from us the good which we cannot tell well how to value at the true price. It was the sin first of the Angels, then of man, they kept not their first estate, neither were content with the joy of their creation. The Angels affected to be like God in omnipotency, and became devils. Man affected to be like God in his omniscience, and turned sinner: they lost heaven by it, he Paradise. When they bethought themselves, it is no question but they would have been both glad to have been where they were, and would then have been content with it. I remember job in his extreme affliction, remembering times past, and complaining in the bitterness of his engrieved soul. O that I were as in months past, in the job 29. days when God preserved me. When his candle shined 2 3 6 upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness: When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of water. It were great wisdom in us to know when we are well, and keep us so. 4 This petition putteth us in comfort, that though by 4 Note. our folly we have provoked God to take away our joy from us in his just judgement, yet it is not so lost, but there is hope left of restoring it again to us, for else David's suit were cold. And truly God is so full of compassion, so free from passion, so open handed to give, so loath to take away, so ready to forgive, and so easily persuaded to restore what we have forfeited into his hands by our sin, that we may comfort our souls with hope even when our joy is gone, that he will not continue long in his anger, but will return to us and visit us with his favour. That is it which maketh the devils so spiteful and malicious to man, so rebellious to God, they have no hope nor means left to restore them to the joy that they have lost, because they being in fullness of grace and intellectual light, did corrupt themselves, and were their own tempters. But man being overtaken with the surprise of a sudden temptation, when being good he suspected no evil, fell from the obedience, but not from the pity of God: he fell from the possession, but not from the restitution of his joy. The time of our life is called spatium poenitendi, a season for us to work our repair. A lamentable change it is that sin hath wrought in us, that man created in the image of God in holiness and righteousness, should now spend all the days of his appointed time here, in recovering some measure of that joy of his creation, and when he hath attained to it insome degree, may lose it by sin, and be to beginue again. The way to recover it is here opened in this example, repentance, faith and prayer: Repentance to remove sin, faith to apprehend mercy and grace, prayer to obtain these of God, and to sanctify them to us. In this way David sought the recovery of the joy of his salvation. 2 His suit is for confirmation, Uphold me with thy free spirit: some read spiritu principal, with thy chief spirit; as desiring a full measure of the holy Ghost: so the Apostle biddeth us to desire the best gifts of all, for we shall have need of them all against our own corruptions, and the manifold temptations of Satan. But the Prophet's phrase of a free spirit doth well express the holy Ghost, which he desireth: for Christ calleth him the spirit of truth, and promiseth job. 14. 17. that he shall lead us into all truth. And he saith, job. ●. 3●. The truth shall make you free. David had lived in the chains and bonds of iniquity a long time, and his repentance had recovered him again to liberty: and now he desireth to be confirmed and established in that liberty. Christ directeth our prayers so: for after dimitte nobis, forgive us, we pray, ne inducas, lead us not: which is for confirmation, that we do no more so. Such is the corruption of our nature, that we have cause to fear ourselves for all sins. For what sin hath any man committed, but we may fall into the like? seeing our original corruption yet remaining in us, is the seed of all sin, and our natural impotency to all good, disableth us to resist, and the perpetual watch that our enemy doth keep upon us to take advantage of us, doth facilitate his temptations to our hurt. And we see great examples of men falling into sins, which their hearts have abhorred to think of, being by surprise overtaken: as adultery, murder, theft, and such like, opportunity the pander of sin inviting thereto. And what sin have we ever committed and be wailed, and repent, but we may relapse into the same, and double the transgression and the anger of God thereby? This petition of David doth declare that we have no strength of ourselves either to abstain from new sins, or to keep us from relapse into our former sins, without the holy Ghost: whose office is, 1 To show us the right way, and to put us into it. 2 To underprop and support us in the same that we fall not. For from our natural propension to evil, proceedeth an easy sequence of our own corrupt inclinations, and a ready harkening to Satan's subtle temptations, against which we need corroboration from the spirit of God. Amongst all the sins that defile our conscience, and corrupt our manners, and displease God, and hazard our souls, those are most dangerous, which bring with them the most sensual delight, for these have a sweetness and lushiousnesse which maketh them for the time very tasteful and delectable, and when the bitterness of repentance is over, Satan will renew to us the remembrance of the pleasure that we had in them, and there by re-engage us often in the fresh pursuit of them. We are as little children that cannot go alone, we need a stronger arm to carry us, a loving bosom to hug us, a 〈◊〉 ●and to supportus. In all these things our God relieveth us. 1 For the arm of God, that shoreth us up: so he promised Psal 89. 22. David, with whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. 2 God said to Moses of his Israel, Carry them in thy Numb. 11. 12. bosom as a nursing father carrieth a sucking child, unto the land that God swore to give their fathers. Moses was but a figure and type of a greater and more tender shepherd, of whom I say prophesied, saying: He shall feed his Isa. 40. 11. flock like a shepherd: be shall gather the Lambs with his arm, he shall carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. 3 I taught Ephraim also to go, leading them by the arms. Host 11. 3. Thus the grace of corroboration is described, by which we are not left to ourselves, but supported in our ways: Psal. 71 ●. Verse 1●. therefore David saith, By thee have I been holden up from the womb, and resolveth to trust to that supportation. I will go in the strength of the Lord God. We have many great examples in the best of God's servants, of falling into great sins, Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Isaac. jacob, David, Solomon, Samson, Peter, etc. This fear shaketh David so that he craveth aid of the good spirit for corroboration. This is a singular mark of a just man; so David describeth him: he guideth his ways by discretion: Surely Ps. 112. 5, 6, 7. 8 he shall not be moved for ever; his hart is fixed, trusting in the Lord, his heart is established. We see here, that the grace of repentance, whereby weforsake sin, and turn to God, and put ourselves into the way of a new life, will not serve, unless the grace of confirmation do establish us, and keep us from evil. We are the Lords husbandry, there is no end of that kind of work in the culture of ground: there must be breaking up of our fallow grounds, stirring and plonghing till it be fit for seed. There must be semination & hrrowing, to cover the seed. There must be weeding of it, and watering from heaven, than an harvest: then begin again, else, Grandia saepe quibus mandavimus bordea sulcis: Infelix lolium, & steriles dominantur avenae. Often the furrows where we sow good seeds, Are overgrown with cockle, darnel, weeds. In the story of the widow that was so much in debt, and 2. Reg. 4. her exactious creditors demanded her two sons for bondmen in satisfaction of the debt; we read that she made her moan to Elisha, he finding nothing in her house valuable, but a small pot of oil, bade her borrow empty vessels, and pour out, and sell the oil, and pay the debt, and said, Live thou and thy children of the rest. The Prophets care extended beyond the payment of the debt to her maintenance. In this miracle of God's mercy, here is a lively representation of his love to his elect. For our sins do make us debtors, the justice of God is the creditor, the graces of God's spirit are the oil, he giveth of this plentifully to clear the debt. That is not all, for this spirit which David here prayeth for, he giveth for our after-maintenance, that we grow not necessitous again, and renew our debt. These two cares must not be parted, the care of repentance and of a constant good life. Christ joined them together. Ecce sanus factus es, Behold, thou art made whole: and then, noli amplius peccare, sin no more. The corruption of nature is such, even in the regenerate by the remains of sin, that as tinder, we are apt to take fire by the touch of the least spark. How then shall we be fenced against the fiery darts of Satan? The grace of the spirit to bear off these, and that which preserveth us from this fire is the shield of our faith, for that establisheth our heart, and moisteneth it so with the blood of jesus Christ, that it cannot be apt to kindle suddenly. And that faith doth David here request of God, which is our best munition against these fiery assaults. To show what need every one of us hath to make this petition to our God for his confirming spirit, 1 Let us see the miserable and unhappy condition of such as do want this spirit. 2 The singular benefit of such as have obtained it, 1 Of the want, we may all complain of it, for that want unheavened the Angels that kept not their first estate, and turned the best of God's creatures into devils and unclean spirits, the rebel and professed opposites of God, and corrupters of man. This want unparadised our first Parents, and made them woeful spectacles of scorn, Ecce homo factus est ut unus, etc. Behold, the man is become like one of us. What wanted in these two creatures to consummate the glory of their creation, and to make their very making and happiness, but this free spirit of God to confirm and establish them? It may be a wonder in reason and in religion, why Almighty Qu●r. God did not accomplish his work of creation by this addition of this spirit, to the prevention of that misery, that for want of it befell the creature, and to the preservation of his own work from that malignity which followed sin. For hereby the creature became in itself corrupt and abominable, to the fellow creatures noxious, and to God himself peccant and offensive; all which had been stayed by this one free spirit here desired. I remember in the plea of God for his own full care of his people, he urgeth that, Isa. ●. 1 He chose a fruitful hill. 2 He fenced it. 3 He gathered out the stones, 4 He planted it with the choicest Vine. 5 He built a Tower in medio, in the midst of it. 6 He set up a Winepress in it, and then he saith: And now O inhabitants of Israel, and men of judah, judge I pray you between me and my Vineyard, what could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it? may we not hear his like complaint of Angels and man? I created them in mine own image, I gave the one the fruition of heaven, the other of Paradise: the Angels saw my face. Man was but a little lower than these Angels▪ crowned with glory and honour, invested in the dominion of his sublunary creatures, in the service of the very Angels and celestial bodies. What could have been done more to these Angels and to man that I have not done in them? may we not all answer, Yes Lord, thou mightest have given with these great favours, thy free spirit to confirm and establish us in that happiness, and so we had been always as thou hadst made us. In answer to this quere, I could say, who knoweth the Sol. 1. mind of the Lord! or who hath been of his Council? we may step too far having our shoes on our feet, if we adventure to set our feet on holy ground: the secrets of Gods will must be adored, not searched: God is not accountable to his creatures for his purposes or his actions. With men the rule holds, qui justè faciunt, bis justi sunt, they that do justly, are twice just: but with God it is so, that fecit omnia ●enè, he hath done all things well; and if he do, or say, or decree, or will any thing, it is therefore just and good in high perfection, because he doth it. But you may take this for a put off, and yet go away unsatisfied. Therefore seeing God calleth to the men of judah, and inhabitants of jerusalem, to judge between him and his Vineyard: I think we may boldly sit upon this cause, and hear it indifferently. God pleaded, what could have been done more? clearing himself from all defectiveness or failing on his part toward his creature. Man replieth, one thing wanted, even this spirit that David here desired. I answer for God against all the world, that that spirit Sol. 2. was also given to Angels and to man. And to make them complete creatures, images of himself, he gave them free will to continue their own happy condition for their own good, or to forsake it to their ruin. They both by their own fault forfeited their present estate, and by affecting more of the glory of God than he had communicated them, lost that which they had, and so this good spirit did forsake them. But it is replied, if they had this good spirit, why did it Quer. not confirm them in their estate that they might not fall? I answer, man had not been led by this spirit, but forced Sol. and necessitated, if this spirit had limited him, it had been a spirit of compulsion, not of confirmation. Man was not content with the state of his creation, the Angels were not content, they resisted, they grieved this spirit. The Angels therefore having sinned, never found a Mediator to relieve them, because it is plain that their trespass was against the holy Ghost. For man, he had this spirit also, but he harkened to the voice of his wife against this spirit. Let me add also, that after the fall of man, Christ was promised. Where God giveth or offereth his Son, he offereth his spirit also, these are tendered to all universally. Grace is offered, Christ promised the Holy Ghost to teach, to lead, to comfort, to confirm: we have all the means of grace that may be, to put this talon to use, and we may charge our perdition upon ourselves if we miscarry. For in the creation, when we were yet but in matter, rudis indigestaque moles, unfashioned, formelesse: if God had made us crooked, lame, deformed, disproportioned, or any way ill featured, we had suffered no shame of it, for he made us, and not we ourselves: Thy hands have made me and fashioned me. But God doth not now work upon us, as he then did upon earth, a dead and ●ens●l●sse element. We have vital, animal▪ intellectual parts and faculties, we do● know the want ●● t●is spirit, we know where it may be had: it is spiritus Dei, the spirit of God: we know how, potent●●●, to them that ask shall be given: we know how he must be used not grieved; and if we have it not, or be not confirmed, it is our fault. We see in the story of the Bible, and in continual experience in others, and feel it in ourselves, how many defections in us, and des●rtions of God do ●ollow the want of this confirming spirit to establish us. For what is it that maketh the often relaps●● into the s●●e sins, for which we have so often cried God mercy? ●● wanton against defiling his body after repentance, th● drunkard like a dog returning again to his vomit, the covetous like a swine to his mire, for so basely and contemptibly are such relapses resembled by the spirit of God. Many whose consciences within them convince them, touched with the sword of God's spirit, the word of God, and with the reproof of their friends, and the shame of the world, are heartily sorry for these sins, and bewail them with tears, and ask God forgiveness for them, and purpose and promise never to return to them; yet for want of this spirit to confirm them, relapse and make their latter end worse than their beginning. 2 On the contrary, those who have this spirit, are proof against temptations: all the sins in example, all the evil counsels of the old world, cannot infect or corrupt Noah: all Sodom cannot taint Lot: joseph's Mistress cannot allure Joseph. Daniel cannot be tempted to ●ate of the King's delicates: yet at some other time this spirit may leave even some of these to themselves, and then they show by what strength they were kept from falling, and knowing their own weakness, they do more earnestly desire, as David here, ●c tollas spiritum, take not away thy spirit; and confirma me, strengthen me. We see David's good example, praying to him that is able to keep us, that we fall not: and desiring him who hath begun a good work in us, to perfect it to the end. This spirit is oil in our lamps, to keep them light against the bridegroom cometh. It is a wedding garment to admit us guests to his bridal feast. They that truly and unfeignedly repent, will more desire this spirit, for it is but half a repentance, plangere commissa, to bewail sins committed, this accomplisheth it in keeping us, ●● committamus plangenda, that we commit not sins to be bewailed. VERSE 13. 3 PRomittit, he promiseth. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. This was Peter's charge, t● cum conversus fueris, confirma fratres, when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. In this verse, first, promittit, he promises: secondly, prophetat, he prophecies: or I promittit Deo quid pro eo facturus est, he promiseth to God what he will do for him: secondly, promittit vicino quod ●i; he promises to his neighbour what he will do for him: thirdly, promittit sibi successum; he promises success to himself. 1 Promittit Deo, he promises to God: David had done God wrong, to scandalise religion, and by his evil example to corrupt many: for great and eminent persons sin infectiously, their iniquities are catching. He now promiseth that he will make amends to God in becoming a teacher to convert others to righteousness: exemplo, consilio, authoritate regia, prophetica, by example, counsel, authority royal, prophetical. For as we are accountable to God for such sins as are done in others by our occasion, so we do owe God a duty of endeavour to keep others as near him, and draw as many to him as we may. 2 Promittit vicino, he promiseth to his neighbour. He is sensible how far his corrupt life hath extended to corrupt others, he oweth them an amends also, and promiseth himself a teacher of them. This is one of the fullest expressions of pious charity, that we can make one to another, to communicate to each other the knowledge of salvation, and the way to it, and to put one another in that way, and to put them on with cheerfulness to run in it. 3 Promittit sibi, he promiseth to himself. He is confident that he shall have good success in this way and holy course, and that sinners shall turn: for the example of repentance in so potent a King, cannot but work strongly upon such as he shall undertake to teach. Our lesson from this example is in sight: for when God Doctrine. hath wrought a good work upon us in turning us from sin to true repentance, it is our duty to labour the conversion of other sinners to God. A perfect convert is the best teacher of the ways of God that can be, for he knows these three things which will most move to conversion. 1 He knows the foulness, the foolishness, the burden and vexation of sin; he hath seen the danger of it, and hath by woeful experience found how uncomfortable a thing it is to live in the displeasure of God, and to be deprived of the comfort of the holy Ghost. He feels how the conscience is oppressed with sin, and how we are made to remember all our evil ways from the first sin. We see all this in David, for the filthiness of his sin, he doth earnestly desire to be washed, and washed clean, washed with hyssop, that he may be whiter than snow. For the burden of sin, it lay so heavy upon him, that he desireth to be made to hear of joy and gladness, for his sin and the fear of God's judgements had broken his bones. For the departure of God from him, he was so sensible of it, that he prayeth the spirit of God not to depart from him. For his former sins, they all lay upon his oppressed conscience, that he remembered them from his conception and birth: and he saw the danger of temptations, and therefore desireth the confirming spirit of God to keep him from falling into new, or relapsing into old sins. 2 A true Convert knoweth the bitterness of true repentance: he that hath kept an ill diet, and thereby lost his health, and is put to it to sweat, to purge, to bleed, to abstain from all toothsome and pleasing eats, and is kept to a diet, and enforced to live medicé, miseré, in physic, in misery, for the time till his health be repaired: such a one will give warning to others, to abstain from such things as hazard our health. He can tell how dear it doth cost the purse, how much it restraineth a man's liberty, what pains he suffereth in his body, how much his mind is disquieted in his bodily distemperatures, and all to repair what some ill diet hath corrupted in his body. So is it with the true Convert, he can relate the bitterness of repentance, which is the soul's physic for sin: there is nothing in the world so smarting and a king as true repentance is. In the generality of men, the most presume upon this remedy: they sin on, and flatter themselves that a miserere, have mercy, at last, will set all to rights. It is true, that repentance doth amend all, it purgeth us, and restoreth us to the favour of God, but they consider not the bitterness thereof: for the souls of the penitent are heavy within them, even to death, their eyes run rivers of waters, their throats are hoarse with roaring and crying for mercy, their tears are their drink day and night, they have sighs and groans which cannot be expressed. The sorrows of hell, so David doth call them, do compass them round about: they call upon God, and he will not hear them: they do seek him, and he will not presently be found: like Mariners in a storm, their cunning is gone, they are at their wit's end. Sometimes they cry, quid feci? what have I done? and remember all their sins; Satan then comes in to help their memory, upbraiding them with those very sins to which he enticed them, with a non est salus ti●i in Deo tu●, there is no safety for thee in thy God. God saith, but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thee. The word of God scourgeth us, that when we hear it preached, and find our own sins detected and threatened, we think the Sermon intended against us. The contrary good life of others, walking in good ways, reprovesth us, and cryeth shame on us that we have not done as they do, that we might have had peace, but especially our conscience within us is a thousand witnesses against us, and is a record written within and without, like Ezekiels' scroll, with lamentations, mourning, and woe: sometimes we cry like Saint Peter's auditors, quid faciemus? what shall we do? or as job, quid faciam tibi? what shall I do unto thee? hide ourselves from God we cannot, we cannot go out of the reach of that right hand which findeth out all his enemies: excuse ourselves we cannot, for who can answer God one for a thousand? his spirit searcheth hearts and reins, nothing is hid from the eye of his jealousy. He is wise to discern, holy to hate, just to punish. A soul thus anguished and embittered with remorse of sin, is emblemed in Prometheus his Vulture, ever feeding upon the heart: wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me? David hath many very excellent expressures of penitential fits, which do lively set forth the pain that true repentance doth put a man to: but one amongst the rest to my opinion doth render it in the height of bitterness, and makes it a non ficut no such, I remembered God, and was troubled: Psal. 77. 3. for what refuge hath a sinner, but God, and what comfort can a sorrowful soul have but in him? yet sin is so contrary to him, that a guilty soul cannot think upon him but as an enemy. You see it in the first sinners, the first thing they did after they had sinned, was to fly away from the presence of God. Let a true Convert tell sinners all this, and see what joy they can take in sin, when it is like to cost them all this, breaking of the heart, confusion of face, confession of mouth, confession of soul. A true penitent must keep a session within himself, he must give in evidence against himself, his conscience must accuse him, his memory must bear witness against him, he must judge himself, that he be not judged of the Lord: he must after sentence be avenged on himself by a voluntary penance, afflicting his soul, chastening his body, restraining it from pleasures, humbling it with fasting, wearying it with labour, weakening it with watching, and by all means bringing it into subjection. Beloved, sit down, and cast up the cost and pain of this spiritual physic for a sinne-sicke soul, and if there be any of you that hath past this course of physic, and kept you to it without shrinking or shifting from it: I dare say such a one can say, Nocet empta dolore voluptas, Pleasure hurts that's bought with pain, and docet teaches too: he will scarce eat of the forbidden fruit, it is fair to the eye, it is delicious in taste. But it is the dearest bargain that ever we bought, a momentany short delight, with many weary days & nights of penitential remorse & anguish of soul. 3 None so fit as true Converts, to teach transgressors the sweet benefit of reconciliation to God, the comfort of the holy Ghost, and the peace of conscience. Such perceive the difference between the bondage of sin, and the freedom of the spirit. They know what it is to lose the cheerful light of God's gracious countenance: they can say that in his favour is life, light, and delight. As their longing desire was great to come and appear before God, and as they thirsted after the full river of his pleasures, so the recovery of that joy, over-joyeth them. When thou turnedst again the captivity of Zion, we were like those that dream. Our mouths were filled with laughter, and our tongues with joy. Then they said, the Lord hath done great things for us, the Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we rejoice. As God is described in the shepherd who recovered his lost sheep, and in the woman who found her lost groat, and in the father who recovered and received his prodigal son, with more joy than the shepherd had in his 99 then the woman had in the rest of her money, than the father had in his eldest son that had always been with him: So a converted sinner, delighteth more in God after his conversion, than he did before. Ibo & revertar ad patrens moum, I will go and return to my father. I will go and return to my first husband, for than it was better with me than it is now. A Convert can tell transgressors how his father espied him a far off, how he met him upon the way, how he fell on his neck and kissed him, and bade him welcome, how he brought first stolam primam, the chief garment to cover him: how he killed vitulum illum, that calf, and had music and dancing for joy for his return. One of the greatest fears of a sinner who hath sold God for some vain pleasure, is, that God will never be recovered to favour him again, and that is one of the Scorpions wherewith the very Saints of God are scourged. Satan abetteth that fear in them, with terrible overtures of the impartial justice of God, and it is the voice of the wicked of the earth; Tush, God hath forsaken him, and there is none to help him. David was heartsick of this disease. Many there be that say to my soul, there is no help for thee in thy God. A true penitent reconciled to God, can tell such that they belie the holy one of Israel; with the Lord there is mercy that he may be feared. He giveth pardon for sins, and forgiveth all thine iniquities. He continueth but a while in anger: if a sinner will not come to him, he will whet his sword, he will make ready his bow, and prepare his arrows for execution: But if a sinner will forsake his evil ways, and return to him, he will behold him a far off, and meet him upon the way, and embrace him with his savour. This is the chief errand that we have from God to his Church, to carry to them the word of reconciliation, to preach peace to them that are near, and to them that are far off, liberty to the imprisoned, and to such as are oppressed, the taking off of the yoke. He that hath been scorched with the flames of hell, who hath felt the sting of a cruciating conscience, who hath been shaken and shattered with the terror of the Lord, and hath found joy and comfort upon his repentance, he can testify for God, that he is gracious and merciful, that he may be entreated: so David, Come hearken to me all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. There is a Psalm of purpose for Psal. 116. it, wherein the Prophet magnifieth both his own misery, and Gods singular mercy, with a probatum est, so it is: experto crede, believe him that hath found it by experience: he tells what he hath comfortably found, and the Church hath joy of it. Seeing a convert is so fit for this service, let all sinners Use 1. labour to hasten and accomplish their conversion, of purpose to do God this good service in teaching others. This would multiply teachers in the Church, and turn us all into ministers of reconciliation. Every one should teach his neighbour the fear of the Lord. We cannot put ourselves in a fairer way to glory: for, They that turn many Da●. 12. 3. to righteousness, shall shine as the stars in the firmament. Be they Ecclesiastical or Lay, be they such as do it ex officio, out of duty, by virtue of a special calling, or ex charitate, from the love they bear to God and their brethren: Their reward is with God, and they shall eat the fruit of their labours from the tree of life in the midst of the garden. It is the nature of goodness, for, Bonum est communicativum sui, Good is of a spreading nature: bonus malum bonum esse vult, ut sit sui similis, the good would have the evil to be good, that he may be like himself. We cannot more holily, more charitably express our conversion to God, than by teaching transgressors his ways. We cannot want scholars: for totus mundus est in maligno positus, the whole world is set upon evil: what if some say, Nolumus scientiam viarum tuarum, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways, and hate to be reform: yet others will hearken, and even they may by the favour of God be softened to an impression. In our evil conversation we were forward enough to draw in others to the society of our evils to corrupt and pervert good manners. So thiefs that say, we will all have one purse: and immoderate drinkers sit together, till strong drink inflame them. Me thinks the Apostle is very reasonable, Sicut dedistis membra vestra, as you have given your members, so give your members. I may say to a Convert, do but the same diligence in converting thy brother, that thou hast done and used in corrupting him, and it will pass currant: let thy counsel and example look that way, and think thy conversion effected for this. The father of mercies, and God 2 Cor. 1. 4. of all comfort, comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which be in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. The rule holdeth throughout, as in consolation, so in instruction, and in reprehension, and in conviction of the conscience. As every one hath received any measure of grace from God, so let him communicate his knowledge and his grace to others in love, remembering that we are members one of another. This is the way to advance the building up of the Church of God, and to demolish the power of Satan's kingdom. None can plead exemption from this duty, for when David the King offereth his service this way, who can sit out! The more eminent the person is, the more effectual is his teaching, and the sooner will transgressors give ear to him. See here the wisdom and goodness of God, how he Use 2. hath wrought good out of evil: for he hath stooped the Majesty of a King, to the service of a teacher, and hath sanctified the person of a transgressor, to the conversion of transgressors. The corrupter of his own ways becometh a guide to others. This also doth encourage our labour for our conversion, because it is a new making to us. The proof of it we have in Saint Paul, who no sooner was himself converted, but he laboured the illumination of such as were in darkness, the confirmation of the weak, and the conversion of all that were in their own crooked ways to the ways of God. I deny not but Scribes and pharisees in Moses chair may teach well who live ungodly, and being unconverted themselves, may be instruments of the conversion of others. But this is done by no virtue or grace in them, but by the power of God's ordinance in their calling: for grace followeth the calling sometimes, where it forsaketh the person. Lastly, we see the way to recover transgressors, which Use 3. is by teaching them the ways of God. Transgressor's are such as go out of the way, ambulant in via non bona, they walk in the way which is not good, and nature is no good guide: for corrupt nature is like to the earth under the curse, it bringeth forth nothing but brambles and thorns: teaching is the culture of it. The reproof of sin from the law, breaketh up the ground, doctrine soweth the good seed, exhortation and continual inculcation in season, and out of season, doth water it: the son of righteousness shineth on it, and giveth it vegetation. Therefore so many as have any desire to know the ways of God, let them hearken to teaching. The word is given to profit withal, and it is a singular blessing of God to that place where teaching of the ways of God is plenteous, and where the way of obedience and salvation is declared: else, all we like sheep shall go astray, and walk in crooked paths. God in wisdom knowing how useful this would be in his Church, to have some to instruct and teach others his ways, began himself to furnish the first beginners of the world with abilities for this purpose: for the state of innocency needed no other than its own light to show it the right way. After the fall, yet the remains of intellectual light, holpen with special grace in the fathers, served for books, and laws, and rules of good life, all the first age of the world. Then the Preacher of Righteousness survived to see and begin a new world, his son Sem, of likelihood that Melchizedeck King of Salem, so famous for a King and Priest to Abraham. Abraham (God knew) would teach his children: Moses first received the Law from God, he was assisted by the holy Prophets till Christ: hunc audite, hear him: Then he sent, Goeye into all the world, teach; and he established the Evangelicall Priesthood in the Church: yet if all converts did join with them, the great harvest could not want labourers. 2 Prophetat: & impiieonv ertentur adte: He prophecies; and the wicked shall be converted unto thee. This is finis praedicationis, the end of Preaching: the word is given to profit, Haec utilitas, this is profit: omnes sicut oves aberravimus, reduces add ovile, we have gone astray like sheep, thou shalt bring us back to the sheepfold. Opus, 1 arduum: 2 gratum, a work, 1 hard, 2 acceptable. 1 arduum, hard. Much more than creation, there his dixit, said, was fecit, did: to make man of earth was opus verbi, the work of his word, rather verbum opus, the word his work. To recover man from Satan, it was fortitudo brachii, the strength of his arm: verbum factum, factumcaro, the word made, made flesh; for it is more easy to make a convert a Saint, than to make a sinner a convert. In the creation of man, no repugnancy of the matter; in the conversion of a sinner, a new creation, nay reluctation. In the creation, God infused, the body received the spirit of life, and we became templum spiritus, the temple of the holy Ghost: Sed cum domus creationis facta esset spelunca latronum, but when the house of creation became a den of thiefs? When man had lost his holiness and righteousness: beside the privation of grace, there came in also a corrupt habit of perverse opposition to God: so that when God offereth grace, man refuseth it, and is loath to admit the holy Ghost a guest. When we do receive him, we often grieve, sometimes quench him, naturalis homo non potest percipere, non vul● recipere, non potest retinere, the natural man cannot perceive, will not receive, cannot retain. We are ill husbands of this talon: the Son came to call sinners: Satan hath got the hand of us, for we would not be converted: his temptation not only corrupted our manners, it also empoysoneth our affections. Christ on earth declared his power by sea and land, yet his brethren the jews, nor by miracles, nor by example, nor by doctrine would be converted. Facilius est rempublicam novam constituere quam depravatam corrigere, It is easier to make a new Commonwealth, than to amend that which is corrupted. All the imaginations only evil: querela patris, filii non vultis venire ad me, the complaint of a father, children you will not come unto me: quoties ego vos ad me, noluistis, as often as I would have gathered you unto me, you would not. Venite omnes ad me, come ye all unto me; venientem non cjiciam foras, him that comes unto me, I will not cast forth. 2 Gratum, acceptable, first, in subjecto, in the subject: for, licet maligna nature a patiatur jugum, though depraved nature bear the yoke, yet man once converted, would not for all the world be as he was. There is great difference between the pleasure of sin, and gaudium spiritus, the joy of the spirit. The one a luscious and surfeiting sweetness, which killeth appetite, and is but for a season: the other hath a pleasant mixture of delight and desire, rejoiceth with joy unspeakable and glorious, it is ever in growth and vegetation: crescit incremento Dei, increaseth with the increase of God: Ovis redux nollet esse iterum in deserto, nec pr●digus extra patris domum, the sheep brought back would not be again in the desert, neither the Prodigal out of his father's house. Latro in cruse conversus regnum cogitat, the thief on the Cross converted, thinks upon the kingdom of God. Psal. 119. 176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep, seek thy servant. 2 Gratum in Ecclesia, ay▪ militanti, acceptable in the Church militant. 1 This mends their companies, I am a companion of Ps. 119. 63. Vers. 115. all them, etc. Away from me ye wicked, etc. 2 It comforts their grief, it addeth voices to the convert, Sin is the sorrow of the Church, Mine eyes gush, V. 130. 158. etc. I saw the transgressors, and was grieved. 2 In triumphanti, in the triumphant. 1 Inter Angelos: high nos diligunt, amongst the Angels, they love us: these are ministering spirits, our guard. 2 Inter sanctos: coelestes animas, quer. an sciant? amongst the Saints. Qu. Do the Saints know one another in heaven? Romanists say, in Deo tanquam in speculo vident omnia, in God as in a glass they see all things. For the contents of the beatifical vision, I dare not number or esteem them: Saint Augustine. They may have intelligence from earth by the souls that go hence: this do I believe and teach. 1 That their joy is not yet full. 2 That the knowledge of such conversation here would add to their joy. 3 That God is free to fill up their measure, how far and in what kind, Ignoramus, we know not. 3 Gratum in instituto, acceptable in the thing itself. No comfort to piety, or charity like to communication. The liberal man is in his trim quando distribuit, when he gives: in such chests reponit thesauros, Christ lays up his treasures. It is my joy to say, my bread, my wool, my friends, my purse, my hand, my letter made such a one. In charity, aurum m●um in altari Domini, my gold upon God's Altar. Of all the friends we have, we esteem them best that have converted us from sin to righteousness, by reforming the errors of our judgement, or the vices of our conversation. He that of a poor man makes me rich, he fitteth me for this world. He that of a wicked, lewd, lascivious man, makes me godly, fitteth me for this life, and that which is to come, for godliness hath the promises of both. We hold our calling and means by this service, we do it ex officio, out of duty. We lift up our voices like trumpets to tell the house of jacob their sins: not to shame, but ad dignam emendationem, to am●nd them. No calling requireth more integrity, more fidelity, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; who is sufficient? none hath a greater reward: our reward is with God, yea God is our exceeding great reward. We have the office and name of jesus, servabis teipsum & quite audiunt, thou shalt save thyself, and them that hear thee. They that turn many to righteousness, shall shine like stars: he telleth the number of these stars, and calleth them all by their names. 4 Gratum Deo, acceptable to God, he is emblemed in the father of the Prodigal▪ Bring my sons from far, and my Isa. 43. 6. daughters from the ends of the earth. Good Ministers undergo a great hazard in this service, for if any perish in his sin for want of our warning, his blood is upon us. Ob. But doth not David presume to promise this? Sol No, our labour is not in vain in the Lord, for, 1 If some sinners like the high way, non recipiunt bonum, receive not the good, as they that hate to be reform, sin reigning in them, crying, Nolumus scientiam viarum tuarum, non possunt audiri: strepitus in domo: We desire not the knowledge of thy ways: they cannot be heard: there is a noise in the house. Christ would gather them: noluerunt, they would not. 2 If some like stony ground receive seed, and it wither for want of moisture. 3 If some receive it with joy, and the cares or pleasures of life choke it. 4 Yet there is some good ground, which cultured and well ploughed and stirred by the sharp coulter of the law, watered with the tears of their teachers, and the dew of heavenly grace, will take the seed, and bring forth fruit. Saint Ambrose to Monica Saint Augustine's mother, impossibile est ut filius harum lachrymarum pereat: it is impossible that the son of these tears should perish. True it is, many conne●s little thank for labouring their conversion, yea the● are angry with us for it. Thou thankest him that putteth thy stray beast into the way: why art thou offended with him, qui teipsum vellet reducere aberrantem? which would bring thee thyself back going astray? Bonam Aug. vis domum, uxorem bonam, & cur non teipsum bonum? thou wouldst have a good house, a good wife: why not thyself good? Let us cut a passage through all impediments, with zeal, and faith, and love, believing that this good work cannot miscarry. True it is, that good works exact our uttermost of performance, propter se, for themselves: successus est extra nos, the success is out of our power, yet our hope and faith may cheerfully look to the success. David's faith hath ground, 1 From the fitness of him to teach. 2 From the acceptableness of the work. 3 From the dignity of the subject, vias tuas, thy ways. 4 From the auxiliary cooperation of God: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, fellow-workers with God. From this passage observe, God hath sundry ways to teach. 1 By Catechism: so Lois and Eunice did teach Paul's Timothy. The Creed, oratio dominica, lex, Lords prayer, the Law; Three Sermons, teaching, credenda, petenda, agenda, things to be believed, to be asked, to be done. 2 By reading the Word, these are sure oracles, able to make thee wise to salvation. Moses of old time hath in every City, them that preach him, seeing he is read in the 〈…〉 15. 21. Synagogue every Sabbath day. 3 By Sermons, giving the sense of the word, dividing and applying it aright. Where able men are wanting, the Church provideth Homilies profitable. In Conc. Vasensi, Anno 444. Si presbyter infirmitate prohibente non potuerit pr●dicare, Sanctorum patrum Homiliae à Diaconis recitentur. If the Priest by reason of infirmity, cannot Preach, let the Homilies of the holy Fathers be repeated by the Deacons. Some hold good preferments in the Church, that are very sick of an impotency to that service: these have this help. Preaching learnedly and conscionably by laboured Sermons, hath ever had great honour, and hath great efficacy: but Cavete quomodo audiatis, take heed how ye hear. There may be danger in the failing of the Preacher, in judgement or discretion. For some vent their fancies for truth, their own self. flatteries for the spirit of consolation, their own furies for zeal, their own spleen for reprehension, and turn the bread of life to gravel. Try the spirits si ex Deo, if they be of God: as they of Berea: Scrutamini Scripturas, search the Scriptures. 4 Here is another kind of teaching, when converted sinners turn teachers. This is the rich man's suit, si unus ● mortuis, if one from the dead. Benhadads' servants showed comfort to their drooping Master, saying, We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful men. If one of them could have said it by any experience, or a King in his case had found it so, how had he comforted him? David could say, Dicam quid fecit animae meae, I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. I was in misery and he helped me, I sinned foully, provokingly, scandalously, I continued in sin impenitently. At last I was chidden: I was sorry, I was ashamed, I cried God mercy, he heard me, forgave me, and received me to favour. They that speak from hearing, reading, or contemplation, speak not so to the heart, as they that have had experience. Give me a grieved man comforted, let him tell his own tale. There is no oratory, no varnish or guilded speech, wrought and laboured by the sweat of art, that may compare with his plain tale. He hath cor in lingu●, his heart in his tongue: no music like his voluntary. David will lose no time. Then will I teach: then when I hear of joy and gladness, when my broken bones rejoice, etc. These words do further afford a very clear description of repentance: which is the conversion of a sinner to God: Et peccatores ad te convertentur, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 1 The subject wrought upon, sinners. 2 The work, to turn them. 3 The object to which they are inclined; God. 4 The author of this conversion. 1 The subject, Sinners: a very cross unto ward piece to work on. Creation made us Saints, our fall transformed us to devils, and originally we are no better than the children of darkness, blind to all that may please God: children of weakness, unable to perform any good service to God: filii ir● ad p●●am, sons of wrath fitted for punishment: so the name of sinner doth contain, 1 A total corruption of nature deserving. 2 A necessary obligation, ad poenam, to punishment. In the one there is pudor maleficii the shame of evil doing: in the other is terror judicii, the terror of judgement. Take a sinner as he is in himself, without grace sanctifying him, and mercy pardoning him, he is the vilest and unworthiest of all the creatures that God made, in whom the image of God is blemished, and almost utterly defaced. The Angels that stand in integrity, are as they were made, and they do his will who made them. The celestial bodies keep their places, and do the service for which they are made. The Sun knows his rising, and the Moon her going down. The Sun goeth forth as a Bridegroom, and as a Giant to his race; as if these heavenly bodies had reason to do their makers will; so are they guided evermore by the law of their creation. The earth and the bruit creatures in their kind, follow the rule of that first law, only devils and men resist it, and go their own ways, to God's dishonour, and their own hurt. The devils in malice to God, and in envy to man, ever labouring to pervert the ways of God. Sinners go in their own crooked ways, yea, they run violently in them, as an hot and fierce horse into the battle. Such are we all naturally, conceived in sin, and borne in iniquity, and after drawing sin to us with the cords of vanity. For our natural corruption first defiling us, and the example of evil infecting us, and the temptations of Satan instigating us, and the sweetness of the pleasure of sin enticing us, and the custom of sin hardening us, we become abominable, and to every good work reprobate. Miserable men that we are, who shall deliver us from this body of death! And that which maketh our misery most miserable is, Israel doth not know, My people do not Isa. 1. 3. consider: have ye no regard all ye that work iniquity! No, they have no regard. Let a man ail any thing in his health by sickness or soreness, he feels it, he complains of it, he seeketh for remedy: so jeremy, My bowels, my bowels, I am pained at jer. 4. 10. the very heart: Ezec bias boil, Asaes' gout, make them very full of grief. Let a man ail any thing in his estate, he is very sensible: the poor widow makes great moan to Elisha, being in debt. Helpe O Lord, the King, cries the woman of Samaria, in the famine thereof. Only the sinner, whose soul is divested of grace, habited in sin, in hazard of hell, neither feeleth the want, nor feareth the danger: neither complaineth of what it is, nor seeketh remedy. David himself who had tasted and drunk deep of the spiritual favours of God, lieth ten months together wallowing in the mire of uncleanness, sleeping in the deep and dead sleep of sin, and not thinking upon a recovery. A sinner during the time of his impenitency, stands suspended from the holy temple of God, which is excommunicatio minor, the lesser excommunication. The faithful cry, Away from me ye transgressors, and God himself hideth his face from him. There is not amongst vegetables, a bramble, a thistle, things unvalued & noxious. There are not amongst the animate creatures of the earth, not the least of the winged flies in the air, or the creeping worms on earth, which the unheedy foot of man or beast compoundeth with the earth it goes on; but it hath more of God in it than a sinner hath, during his impenitency. These are as he made them: but a sinner not returning to God, hath lost himself, and God's image in him is defaced. All other creatures stand to health in their own natures: man is diseased: morbus est, he is all disease. It is worth the noting, that God corrupted not the nature of any creature to punish the sin of man; he would not lose the glory of omnia bene fecit, he did make all well. In wrath he remembered mercy, for those creatures that are the curse of the earth, brambles, thistles, and thorns, are also of singular virtue and use for the good of man: only he used these for rods to scourge man. This it is to be a sinner, and such as these was David, and upon such he promiseth to work. 2 Opus; convertentur: the work; shall be converted. This is repentance begun, for the impenitent goeth on still in his wickedness: he goeth of himself, for we may go down the hill easily, nostro pondere ferimur, we are carried with our own weight. The faster and the further we go in a wrong way, the more we err; it is not profectus, a going on, but aberratio, wand'ring. All we like sheep have gone astray, errabund● vestigia, our footsteps are wand'ring. A traveller that regardeth his way, and heedeth his journey, is still ask the way. Therefore the Prophet alluding hereunto, biddeth us from the Lord, thus saith the Lord: Stand upon the ways, and behold and ask for the old Jer. 6. 16. way, which is the good way, and walk therein, and you shall find rest for your souls. It is no loss of time, no● hindrance to our speed, to stand upon the ways, to ask for the good way, for they that go out of that way, find no rest. God hath left us certain guides of our way, his word and his spirit: let us ask of them the way, they will direct us aright. Ask the patriarchs, the Prophets, the Converts of all times, the Son of God, and his holy Apostles, they have gone this way themselves, and knew it perfectly; these will say, haec est via, ambulate in ●●, this is the way, walk ye in it: turn not to the right hand, nor to the left, keep on forth right, for that is the way of true wisdom. They that keep the right way, must take heed of turning. Remember Lot's wife, do not so much as look back, but let them that either do know they go wrong, or doubt whether they go right, stand upon the ways and behold: let them look about them and see, if by their own judgement they can direct themselves: but let them not trust that too far, let them also ask for the good way, for there is a way that Prov. 16. 25. seemeth good in a man's own eyes, but the end thereof are the ways of death: This is via●on bona, the way not good: we must turn out of it: here repentance beginneth. Leave to do evil. Nature's way, the way of corrupt will, Isa. 1. 16. the way of our lusts, the way of the world, are beaten ways, many travail them, but these are new ways which are called our own crooked ways: turn out of them. 3 The object; to the Lord. This may seem to import very small comfort for transgressors to turn to the Lord: for he hath declared himself a jealous God, and a consuming fire, he hath digged a pit for sinners, his wisdom cannot but see his laws broken; his holiness can do no less than abhor it, his justice cannot but punish it. To turn sinners to God, is to bring stubble to the fire: but mark the sequence of my text: First he will teach sinners God's ways, and then there can be no danger of their turning to God. For Adam, when he had turned from God by disobedience, it was no wonder that he turned not to God by repentance, but fled from his presence and hid himself, because the way to God was shutup, till God himself opened it in the promised seed▪ yet there is no record of his turning kept. This point affordeth the most comfortable doctrine that we can preach, or you hear, That a sinner may turn to God, and be welcome to him: it is the oil of gladness, it is the bread that strengtheneth man's heart, Manna reconditum, the hidden Manna. It is a flagon of wine from the Lords Cellar. It is the fullness and fatness, and marrow of God's house. It is the living water drawn from the rivers of God's pleasure, which refresh the City magni regis, of the great King. It is the very extraction and distilment of the two Testaments of the Law and of the Gospel. Let a sinner upon survey of his conscience, and the detection of his sin, whilst his iniquities are in number, and are set in order before him, even then in the cold fit of fear, resort to the Lord, and cast himself at his feet, and seek his face. There be great reasons for it. 1 There is a necessity in it, there is no help elsewhere, Reason 1. none can forgive sins but God only. The Apostles and Ministers of the Word, forgive sins upon repentance, but ministerially they do pronounce God's pardon, ex officio, by their office. Therefore the jews accused Christ of blasphemy, for forgiving sins, for they knew him not to be God. He healeth all our infirmities, and pardoneth all our sins. 2 God, though he abhor sin, yet he loveth the person Reason 2. of the sinner: he cannot despise the work of his own hand: he hath sworn by his life, that he will not the death of a sinner, but rather that he turn to him. All the while that he hath his hand in his bosom, while he is plucking of his sword out of the sheath, while he is whetting of it, while he is lifting it up, all this while he is expecting our repentance, and if we turn not, he smiteth home; if we do convert, he saith: Put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest I●●. 47. 6. and be still. He dealeth not withus as with enemies, at arms end, but forbeareth us, and openeth his bosom, and revealeth to us the bowels of his compassion. The two greatest and dearest loves that are, he taketh upon himself, to declare his tenderness over us: 1 the love of an husband; secondly, of a father, for under these titles he hath desired to appear to his Church; yet he taketh an holy pride to transcend husbands and fathers in their natural love: for thy Maker is thy husband, the Lord of Isa. ●4 50. hosts is his name. What husband will receive again a disloyal divorced wife, that hath given her body to be defiled, and hath scornfully abused him, and borne children to strangers? yet God receiveth us after all this wrong: yea▪ whilst we are in the height of this sin, he wooeth and courteth us, and seeketh our conversion. I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak friendly to ●●e ●. 14. her heart. Though fathers provoked by disobedient children, forget natural affection, and mothers cast off all compassion, yet God cannot: yea, though he do for a time forbear, yet upon repentance, if thou turn to him▪ In the place where it was said, ye are not my people, there it shall be O●e ●. 11. said unto them, ye are the sons of the living God. He was that father who saw, met, received▪ and clothed, and welcomed his unthrifty son: he sent not after him, but when he returned, he embraced him▪ Our God is kinder than that father, for he sendeth into the far Country after to seek us out: he sendeth his Prophets, Apostles, Ministers, Ite in universum mundum, go into all the world: he riseth early to send them. God himself offereth his own wings: how often would I have gathered you? some parables express chiefly what God doth: somewhat we should do. The parable of the Prodigal chiefly showeth, quid nos, what we. The parable of the lost sheep, quid Deus, what God. 3 We have comfort from Gods often inviting sinners Reason 3. to him: nothing shall dismay us, for he requireth and commandeth our resort to him, with a non obstante, nothing ● Sam. 12. hindering: and Samuel saith to the people, ye have done all this wickedness, yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart: and Christ saith, Come all weary and heavy laden. 4 God taketh more pleasure in the return of a sinner to Reason 4. him, than he conceived anger for his departing from him. When God had lost Adam by his sins, the grief was not so great as his joy was, when he recovered him by the seed of the woman. The second Adam had twice from heaven proclaimed over him, Hic est filius meus dilectus, this is my beloved Son. There is a parable for that more joy for the lost sheep, than the 99 Sin is an act of depraved nature, it is opus nostrum, our work: Grace is opus Dei, God's work: he loves his own works more than he hates ours. jacob: Satis est, vivit filius meus, It is enough, my son Gen. 45. ● is yet alive. The father in the parable, pleaded and justified the cause of his joy, My son was lost, and is found. This shows the sure mercies of God, which declare him God. But because of us sinners, thou shalt be called merciful: Es●●●s ● for, ubi non est miseria, non est misericordia, where there is no misery, there is no mercy. The first sinners were Angels, they fell not all, and those that fell did corrupt only themselves, there was no propagation of that creature. When Adam and Evah fell, they corrupted the whole nature of mankind; and this magnified the Creator's mercy, when he raised up an horn of salvation to preserve a creature, whose generations had else been subject to ruin. God is above his law: his laws bind him not, neither Reason 5. is his truth or justice prejudiced, or any way blemished by his dispensation and indulgences and maintenance of his prerogative. His revealed will holdeth in the general, but limiteth him not: he will show mercy on whom he will. Neither is he bound to his own ordained means of grace, but he can save without them: and no doubt he doth also; therefore though sin deserve hell fire, yet he may forgive this punishment where he will, without violence to his law, which much encourageth our turning to God: for, though it come to a decree, yet before the decree come forth, it may by repentance be delayed in the very egression: the child may come to birth, and no strength to bring it forth. And howsoever we find no way of salvation without the Church, nor means of grace without jesus Christ, yet let me tell you, I dare not say, that all those moral heathen who lived in the light of nature only, yet by the law written in their hearts, did conscionably perform that which that law did command, were certainly damned. I will show you what hope may be. There was a law given to Adam, poena, ●ors, punishment, death. When Adam sinned, he saw nothing but death before him, he had no hope of favour, God had reserved an unrevealed means of mercy in his own secret wisdom and will. It was not a contradiction to the will revealed, but a gracious dispensation to declare him all in all. Now seeing it is so excellent and so beneficial a duty to Use. turn to the Lord, consider that God hath concluded us all under sin, and that must be the lesson of us all, to turn to him. What then is required to a perfect conversion to God? Qu. Sol. 1 A search of our hearts for sin, comparing our ways with the rule, which is the law of God. This is that the just man doth, when he meditateth on the law of God day and night: for that meditation serveth, 1 For information of the judgement, quomodo ambulandum, how we are to walk. 2 For search of our conscience, quid feci, what have I done? 3 For full resolution, quid mer●i, what have I deserved? 2 Upon this followeth, percussio cordis, the smiting of the heart: a true sorrow and penitential deploration, and confession of sin: for he that confesseth shall find mercy. 3 A present, holy and constant reformation of life to the uttermost of our power and desire, with care and fear for the future: all this David here promiseth in, peccatores convertentur ad te, sinners shall be converted unto thee. But how shall this be unto me? 4 The Author of this. Here David is modest: he beginneth with docebo vias, I will teach thy ways▪ but he saith not, et convertam, and I will turn: he will not take that upon him, nor convertent se, they will turn themselves: he will not promise so much for them. Convertentur, they shall be turned: it must be Gods own work: turn us, and we shall be turned. Christ hath delivered us from the extreme rigour and exaction of the law, and by the good favour of God it will now suffice, that we labour our conversion to God, using the means by him ordained to that purpose, and cherishing in ourselves the good motions of God's Spirit, abstaining from sin all that we can, and declining the occasions thereof: and when we find ourselves falling away from him, to take ourselves in the manner, and speedily to cry God mercy for it, and to be more wary hereafter, by taking heed to our words and thoughts, and ways, that we may do no more so. If you desire to know whether you do abide in him or not: 1 Examine yourselves by the fruits of holiness and righteousness in yourselves, for Christ saith, He that abideth ●●b. 15. 5: in me, and I in him, he bringeth forth much fruit. 2 You shall know it by your zeal in prayer, and the success thereof: for, if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be verse 7. done unto you. 3 By your following the example of Christ, in walking as he walked; for as the merit of his obedience serveth for our justification, so the example of his holiness advanceth our sanctification: for he hath said, discite à me, learn of me▪ he is a Doctor as Bernard saith, Cujus in ●re verbum vitae, cujus in more vita verbi, in whose presence is the word of life, in whose conversation is the life of the word. His love, his patience, his meekness and humility, his obedience to his father, are all exemplary; and, Blessed is the servant whom his Master, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Where we affect and endeavour this way, he is assistant to us, and will not fail either in the work to aid it, or in the reward to crown it. VERSE 14. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 6 HE supplicateth in particular for pardon of his late great sin of blood, in the murder of Uriah. 1 Orat, he prays, 2 promittit, promises. In the petition observe, 1 Quid petit: libera me ● sanguine, what he prays for, Deliver me from blood. 2 A quo: Deus, Deus salut is meae, from whom he asks, O God, thou God of my salvation. 1 Quid petit, what he asketh: here we are directed in Doctrine. our pursuit of pardon, to search our consciences for sin, and to crave special pardon for such sins in particular, as do most disquiet our conscience, and offend God, and scandal our profession of religion abroad, and grieve the Church of God at home. Such was this notorious sin of David, the crying sin of murder, the murder of a loyal faithful servant. Though all sins are mortal, yet they are not all of equal magnitude; the circumstances of persons, time, occasion, place, motives, and such like do either aggravate or extenuate them. This murder of david's hath full weight, a King appointed by God to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a shepherd of the people, to be the butcher of a subject: a preserver of men to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a destroyer. He on whose head God had poured his holy oil, to rend gall and wormwood to any subject, to turn tyrant. A Prophet of the Lord appointed to guide others in the way of life to become a plotter of death. This bloody execution done on a subject, so ready to expose his life in defence of his Sovereign, so deserving honourable reward, so receiving dishonourable injustice. And this to revenge an honest good affection to his Master, and to make way for a marriage to conceal a shameful adultery, a former injury done also to him in defiling his Subject's bed. Some sins affected with strong desire, and committed with sensual delight, do charge the conscience, after the gloss of their fair seeming is worn off, with great anguish and remorse, that our souls groan under the heavy burden of them. These would not be folded up in a general confession, but offered in particular and single presentation to the throne of mercy. For the better satisfaction of the divine Majesty who is pleased with a broken and contrite heart, as it after followeth: for the better quieting of the conscience at home within us, which hath no other way to exonerate itself, but by a penitential and remorseful self accusation: and this I before taught from David's former confession▪ I have done this evil in thy sight; as before Verse●▪ in his confession he did particularly acknowledge this ●inne, so here in his supplication for pardon, he mentioneth it by name, and cries God mercy for it. Some sins do but hang on, and these are easily shaken off, but some cleave so close, and stick so fast, that they ask more care, and labour, and pain to remove them. And generally the sins that most please flesh and blood, do most offend God. It seemeth, that David fell into the recovering of it. And for some sins, he desired only that they might be blotted out, which alludeth to the dash of a pen, and soon d●ne. But some fouled him, so that they needed washing throughly. Some must be washed with bysope, a lather of blood to fetch out the steines▪ which they left in the conscience: sins of a deep scarlet tincture, of a crimson die. There is a great difference to be put between our common infirmities of nature from our ordinary temptations, and some special sin into which we fall by a sudden surprise of Satan. The Apostle seemeth to refer to some such sin, saying, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Gal. 6. 1. be prevented before he could advise wisely with the word, or the spirit of God. And many of us are so caught, ere we were aware, in sins, which our christian and religious hearts do abhor. Thus, many that abhor drunkenness, are sometimes in overmerry company, overtaken, to their great after-griefe. Observe it, the first example in all the Book of God of drunkenness, was Noah, whom God only found righteous in the old world. It was the first sin that we do read of after the flood; the world hath been sick of it ever since. The first sin that Lot fell into after his delivery from Sodom, in both sharply punished: for Vinegar is the daughter of Wine, the end of it is sharp. In such a case, when a professed sober man is so overtaken with wine, when an opportunity hath corrupted any man's conscience, and defiled his soul for gain or pleasure, or revenge to commit evil. Let him in his suit for his pardon, crave a special quictus est against that sin. Let him not esteem it the less, because he never but once committed it: rather let him take dimension of the magnitude of it, and the danger attending it, and in especial, make his peace with God for that. Here I save myself a labour, which you reflecting your eyes upon your own hearts for disquisition and scrutiny, to search if there have been in any of you any such overtaking of sin, to seek your peace with God for them in especial. Despise not, neglect not this necessary exhortation to make use of it in time, to make your peace with God for the more offensive sins: for if you neglect them, and have not the pardon of them under seal, you will find them like some ill diet to thank you hereafter, and upbraid you. Satan knows his seasons for it, and husbands them to our greatest vexation: two seasons specially. I When any extraordinary trouble cometh upon us otherwise per adventure undeserved of us; for some sins escape a present vengeance, and are reserved for a future judgement: as Joseyhs' brethren sold him, abused their father with a cunning collusion and their hearts did not once smite them for it that we read. Twenty three years after, when the famine forced them to seek bread in Egypt, and their brother joseph, then to them unknown, being the Vic●roy of Egypt, received them very harshly, hear the Gen. 42 ●1 story: And they said one to another, we are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us▪ and we would not hear, therefore is this distress come upon us. Observe the brethren of joseph now in trouble, innocent and clear from the crime charged upon them of coming as spies: yet knowing that God never punisheth but where he findeth sin, their consciences accuse them of an old sin yet owing for to God. At one time God touched all their hearts with remorse of that sin. They were all in distress, pares in poena, alike in punishment, and therefore they remember the transgression wherein they were pares in culpa alike in fault. Observe also how they fr●me the indictment against themselves, for if all the Prophets whom God did ever send to tell the house of Jacob their sins, had laid the indictment against them▪ if Satan the great accuser of the Brethren ●ad put in the information against them, none of them all giving their best diligence, or the worst of malice, could have pressed or expressed their fault to a more full accusation, than the voice of their own guilty consciences enforced it against themselves: for, without extenuation or excuse, they plead all guilty with a strong asseveration. We are verily guilty, not one or more, but we, all we, not as accessaries, but all principals, all we guilty. The person wronged aggravateth the fault, it was not 2 concerning a stranger in blood or nation, whom yet the communion of charity did bind to entreat justly and friendly: nor concerning a countryman of ours, whom the law of compatriots doth bid us ●ender: nor concerning an enemy, whom religion commandeth to use favourably, and it is the exaltation of charity, to requite his evil with goodness. But concerning a brother, one that called every one of them brother, the son of the same Jacob the father of them all. Would not this have served? no, they declare, they aggravate, and engrieve the trespass. 1 He was a brother in anguish: enemies recover tenderness and softness to enemies in anguish: cruelty resumes humanity in distress. 2 Here was anguish of the soul, amaritudo animae, that is the soul of anguish, for joseph had many vexations: for them that wronged him, who unthankefully requited his painful and loving search for them to see how they did, and what they wanted. For their unnatural unkindness to himself and their loving father, who sent him to them: for the danger he was in of his life: death is fearful. 3 We saw it: to hear of anguish any where, moves compassion; to hear of a brother's anguish, aches an heart of flesh: but to see it present, and in the strength of the fit, this were enough to soften an hard heart, to thaw a frozen heart, to melt an heart of brass or iron. A grief so inward, as in anima, in the soul, yet so sensible, as nos vidimus, we saw it. How were the rivers of their blood which run in the channels of their veins, to water the earth, of which they are made, frozen and congealed, that they had neither mercy to pity their father's son, nor so much tenderness as to look another way? nos vidimus, we saw. Seeing malice and envy had taken away their hearts, why had it left the eyes open to let in so unpleasing a sight? Thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother▪ O●●●. ●●. ●●. Thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity: oculi aug●●● dolor●m, commonly, that the eye sees not, the heart grieves not: here the mercies of the brethren were all turned cruel. 4 I but perchance joseph might thank his own stout heart for their cruel usage of him: for many times our own untemperate carriage in afflictions, brings fuel to the fire that scorcheth us, and blows more breath into the tempest of wind that bestormeth us. But Joseph's brethren have not this excuse, they confess their brother resisted them not, but with humble entreaties they confess he besought us. The petition of a soul in anguish fair-spoken and humble, hath pierced hard hearts, and relented cruel intentions of evil: but it wrought not here: for, 5 They confess, we would not hear. They did hear the request of their brethren, but they would not hear, for they will not hear, that do not hear to do what they are requested. I have pressed this example the more, to declare how troubles awake the conscience from a dead sleep, and turn our eyes into our own bosoms, that if there lie a notorious unrepented sin in the heart, stoned, as low as Jonah, who lay asleep in the bottom of the ships Hold, affliction will rummage the ship, and will cry as the Mariners to jonah, Awake thou sleeper, and bring it above hatches. Therefore it is wisdom, by confession, by repentance and prayer, to quit our consciences so soon as we can of such sins. Here is a sin of blood, almost a full year old, and though Nathan hath pronounced God's pardon of it, the conscience of David is not yet at rest, his thoughts are upon it, and his prayers be concerning it. 2 Another of Satan's seasons to call such special sins to remembrance is, when we are near our end; that is a season wherein many of the faithful servants of God have dangerous and fearful conflicts with Satan. After his 40. day's temptation of Christ in the wilderness, it is said, that he departed from him for a season. Once he borrowed the heart and tongue of an Apostle, even of Peter, to tempt him, but Christ resented him, and said, Get thee behind me Satan: but he confesseth a little before his passion, The Prince of this world cometh, but he hath nothing in me. There is his advantage against us, when any special sins lie upon the conscience unrepented, than he hath something of his in us. This makes many an aching heart upon deathbeds, for then judgement is at hand, and the old flattery of sin, Dominus tardabit, the Lord will delay, is removed by the sensible decay of the body, and the evident symptoms of approaching death. The widow of Sarepta, when her only son was dead, was in a storm at Eliah, and said unto him: What have I to 1 Reg. 17. 18. do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? Did the death of her son call her sin to remembrance? bethink you then, how our own death in sight and sense will call all our sins to remembrance that we have done. And in this Inventory, if there be any capital sin texted and recorded by the conscience, in great and capital letters, not yet blotted out by our repentance and Gods gracious pardon, how will that sin present itself to present remembrance? how will it cruciate and torment the inward man, even the hid man of the heart? Judas his last words gushed out the bowels of his despair, as his last passion did the bowels of his body. I have sinned in betraying innocent blood: he had not the heart to breathe one miserere, have mercy, to comfort the agony of his despairing end. The penitent convert thief on the Cross, was in a better mind, he glorified God and his Son Christ, by a free confession: for, he rebuked his blasphemous fellow thief; saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing we are in the Luke 23. ●0. same condemnation? and we indeed justly, for we receive the reward of our deeds, but this man hath done nothing amiss. This had been the Cross of his soul, as that he hung on was of his body, if his faith had not nailed his sins as fast to Christ, as Christ was nailed for them to his Cross, which he declared in the next words. And he said unto jesus: Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom: which was answered with body mecum cris, to day thou shalt be with me. It is worthy our observing, that jesus Christ did institute the holy Sacrament of his Passion, the evening before his suffering, as it were acting his death in visible demonstration, before he underwent it. To teach how effectual the death of Christ is against our sins, and for preparation of the soul for her remove hence. And from hence it is, that the holy Church hath not only offered this Sacrament as the bread of our spiritual life to nourish it, but hath commended it also to sick persons upon their death beds, as viaticum animae, the provision of the soul, so the Council of Nice calleth it. That the conscience being then purged from all sin, may receive jesus Christ in●o it. And in this holy action, our search of our hearts will soon find out any eminent and notorious sin to confess and repent it, that the conscience may be disburdened, and that the soul of man may be domus pacis, the house of peace: for otherwise we receive that Sacrament unworthily to our condemnation. Our Saviour is precise in this: If thou bring thy gift to the Altar, and there remember'st that thy brother hath aught against thee, More, if God have aught against thee, leave there thy gift: Go and be reconciled: et offer, and then bring it. This is a Sacrament from God to us, it is a sacrifice from us to God. If any great extraordinary sin lie upon the conscience, we had best exonerate us thereof: for we and our gift will else be unacceptable to him. If God receive our gift, he will not refuse us, for he looketh first upon Abel, then on his sacrifice: we make our offering acceptable, not that us. Now because our sins lie so heavy, especially our notorious sin, this or that particular transgression upon our conscience in the agony of death. Christ hath ordained a gracious remedy, that upon our repentance, the faithful Minister of the Word should have power in his name to pronounce his absolution and free pardon of that, and all the rest sincerely repent: saying, Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted. And the true penitent hath comfort to his heart in that absolution. Some of our own brethren at home have quarrelled this as popish, not well advised of the ordinance and institution of jesus Christ our Master, by whose commission we perform this, as the clear Text doth warrant. Tertullian calleth the Clergy a distinct order separate from all other callings to a special work of God's holy service, for the enlightening of ignorants, and converting transgressors, and comforting the disconsolate, and confirming such as are weak. And what greater comfort can we administer, than the assurance of forgiveness to distressed souls, languishing under the oppression of their conscience for their sins? Therefore Christ in our Commission useth the same word for our pardoning of sins, that he teacheth us to use in our own prayers to God for our pardon, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Whosoever sins ye remit. job. 20. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Forgive us. A departing soul being to leave the world, and hearing that he that hideth his sins shall not prosper, having the sting of conscience, and the Angel of Satan buffetting him, can no longer hide this fire in his bosom which burneth him, but he bringeth it forth in confession. And we find in the capital punishment of malefactors, that the fear of judgement, and terror of conscience, a little before their end hath detected many murders, adulteries, felonies, and foul transgressions, which till then lay hidden in the secret of their hearts, concealed from the world's intelligence and suspicion. In such cases having disburdened their souls, and declared their repentance, our absolution is of force, and then the penitent cryeth, N●nc dimittis servum tuum Domine in pace, Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: and as one that hath his yoke taken off, and his burden eased, he removeth hence with joy. 2 This petition teacheth, that the sin of shedding innocent 2 Doct. blood, oppresseth the conscience, and is of a crimson die, hardly washed out. After the fall of our Parents, the first sin we read recorded, was murder, the first death by it. He that maketh inquisition for blood, beginneth his search and vengeance at the blood of Abel. That sin of blood in Cain is set for terror in the beginning of the holy story of the Bible, to advise us of that roaring Lion, who goeth about continually seeking whom he may devour. He was a liar and a murderer from the beginning: he practised upon the souls and bodies of our first Parents, and by a cunning lie brought in death upon them in Paradise. Then he incensed a brother against a brother in the first infancy of time. Observe that murder, 1 In the conception of it. 2 In the act and execution. 3 In the sequel and event of it. 1 In the conception: the provocation was only Gods accepting of his brother in his service, and his refusing him, which made his death a persecution in Cain, a Martyrdom in Abel. This put murder into the heart, God saw it there, yet he taketh notice of it by the countenance of Cain: Anger cannot well conceal itself: and God is so tender, as not to endure a frowning countenance in us to one another. He expostulated the cause with Cain: he laid the fault upon himself: If thou do well, etc. he gave him place of his brother, and promised him his subjection. He would have cured Cain of this disease, but he would not. 2 In the act. It was the foulest that could be: Cain talked with Abel his brother: no question but it was a fair spoken parley which tempted him ●alone with him into the field, and there he arose against him and slew him. A strange act, worthy to be recorded! The first borne in the world a murderer: the first recorded sin in the generation of man, murder: the first brother a murderer: the first death, murder. Death followed sin, God would rather have it performed by the hand of man, than by his own hand: the better to show the effect of his justice, and man's sin according to the sentence: Thou shalt dye the death. 3 The sequel: to that I hasten: for, 1 Cain sought not out God, said nothing to him: the text saith, The Lord said unto Cain: he spoke first, and enquired after the murder, he maketh inquisition for blood. 2 His question: where is Abel thy brother? he calleth for him by name, Abel, God nameth him by the name that his Mother gave him. He challengeth a right in his person, he challengeth their right in him who named him. And the interest that the murdered had in the murderer, frater tuus, thy brother. 3 When this would not bring forth a confession and repentance of the fault, but was frowardly answered: first, with a nescio, I know not, a lie, then with a surly question, Am I my brother's keeper? Then God replieth with, 1 Detection of the murderer, What hast thou done? for he so troubleth the conscience of such persons as shed blood. 2 Production of evidence, vox sanguinis fratris tui de terra inclamat me, the voice of thy brother's blood cries unto me from the earth. 3 Upon so clear evidence he proceedeth to judgement. 1 The earth is cursed for his sake to him: so before in his father's sin: we think much if the earth serve us not with the fruits thereof: we may thank our sin. 2 His person is cursed: a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be on the earth. 4 When he stood convicted in his conscience, by the voice of the judge, and evidentiâ facti, the plainness of the deed done. 1 He turns desperate, and speaks a speech which bears a double construction: My punishment is greater than I can bear: or, My iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven. 2 He takes upon himself a necessity of grievous punishment, which he distributeth into four great griefs. 1 Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth. 2 And from thy face shall I be hid. 3 And I shall be a fugitive and vagabond upon the earth. 4 And it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me, shall slay me. Observe the first punishment of murder in this full example: for it is notable. 1 In the judge: secondly, in the judgement. 1 The judge is God himself: he taketh it into his own judicature, conventeth, convinceth, judgeth the offender himself. The fault is expressed in the words of my Text, vox sanguinum, the voice of bloods: for he not only spilt the blood of his brother, but he destroyed the posterity that might have been derived from him, and he is called Abel the just: so he might have had semen sanctum, an holy seed. All this hope of after-generations, all their blood spilt in him. The judgement an heavy curse. 1 Without him in the earth. 2 2 Excommunication from the face of God▪ 3 A wand'ring unsettled life. 4 Terror of conscience. Observe the effect upon himself: for, 1 He repineth at the justice of God for inflicting too much punishment. 2 He despaireth of the mercy of God: he neither hopeth nor asketh God's pardon. 3 He looks for retaliation: whosoever meeteth me will kill me: he holdeth himself now no better than a man of death. The reason why God declared himself so soon, so quick, Reason. so sharp an avenger of murder is, because he is author of life, and conserver of it. job giveth him that title, the preserver of men, and he cannot bear it, that he taking care of all to preserve their lives, men should unsive one the other. In the plantation of Paradise, he set in the midst of the Garden, a tree of life, not only a Sacrament, but an instrument of life. It was one of his quarrels with the old world: For the earth is full of violence, because of men. Gen. 6. 13. Therefore when he renewed the world after the flood, he expressed his care of man's life: Surely the blood of your lives Gen 9 5. will I require, at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of every man, and at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man. Whosoever 6 sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God made he man. cain's conscience thought this just, when he said: whosoever meeteth me will kill me. This was after established for a law: whosoever killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death. Numb. 35. 31. Moreover, ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer which is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death: he giveth two reasons of this severe law. 1 For blood defileth the land, and the land cannot be Vers●●● cleansed of the blood that was shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. The jewish Doctors interpret this law thus. The avenger of blood cannot pardon wilful murder, because the blood shed is not the possession of the avenger of blood: i. e. of the Magistrate, but it belongeth to God. 2 For I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel. This agreeth well with their exposition of the Law. God taketh this into his own judicature: his peremptory law must stand: Salomon's doom is, A man that doth violence Proverb. 28. 17. to any man's person to blood, shall fly to the pit, let no man stay him: God unpriviledgeth him: Thou shalt take Exod. ●1. 1●. him from mine Altar, that he may dye. In overt acts of murder, this law is clear and just. There be covert acts, as when our hand is not the actor, but our instigation and proxy: as in Naboths' case, whom Ahab murdered by a coloured process: and in David's case here. Consent and approbation in the Court of conscience, extendeth so far as drawing in a party as principal. So Paul confessed that he slew Stephen, who sa●e by and kept the garments of them that stoned him. Yet God favoured the lives of such as by Numb. 35. 26. misadventure without malice, which our law calleth Chance-medley, had shed blood: he privileged Cities of refuge for them to fly unto, where they continued till the death of the high Priest, than they had liberty. Which showed that involuntary murder needed the expiation of the death of Christ, our high Priest. For shedding of blood in our own defence for preservation of our lives in an assault, nature, reason, religion, and the laws under which we live, do all excuse it. Yet there ought to be a tenderness in us to favour life as much as may be, because the law of God is so express: proximum ut teipsum, love thy neighbour as thyself; but wilful murder is my Text. David's fault was no less and against the vengeance of that sin he here prayeth. For engagements to duels, which in point of honour do often inflame great spirits to bloody executions. Let us wisely weigh the matter, and we shall find manifest injury maintained on one side, professed revenge on the other, both naught. The heinousness of this sin of blood thus detected, in culpa & poena, in the fault and punishment. Our use of this point is, 1 A caution, ne fiat, let it not be. 2 A remedy, post factum, when it is. The first I confess, is not in my Text: yet seeing how heavy this sin lay upon the conscience of David, we may 1 deduce this use of it, knowing the terror of the Lord, to admonish all men to look to the law, non occides, thou shalt not kill. For these things are written for our learning: as the Apostle applieth the commemoration of the old sins of God's people to them to whom he wrote. Not to lust after evil things: not to be idolaters: not to commit fornication: not to tempt Christ: not to murmur as they did: so we may admonish, not to shed blood as many have done. Take heed of murder: I may use the words of Gamaliel, Lest haply ye be found even to fight against God: for it is against God. Act. 5. 39 1 In his law, not occides, thou shalt not kill. 2 In his image: for man is so. 3 In his Magistrate, who beareth not the sword in vain: he weareth it as a defender of thy life, and as an avenger of thy blood. 2 For remedy, post factum, after the sin committed. David was a King, and in no danger of temporal laws to avenge the blood by him shed, and it was carried so cunningly, as he appeared not to it. But had Zimri peace who slew his Master? or had David any peace who slew his servant? he repaireth to God by holy devotion and prayer, to be delivered from bloods: for this blood had defiled him. If blood do make the land unclean in which it is committed, it doth much more defile the person guilty of it, till it be avenged. And surely now we come to the reason why David doth not before pray; Lord forgive, remit or pardon; but wash, wash throughly, make me clean, wash me with hyssop; blot out all my sins. For blood defileth, it is no ordinary pollution: it is a foul stain, it will not easily out, it is a crimson, a scarlet die. No man can ever wash out that tincture, no man can pardon that sin. We may say as our Saviour doth: with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible: he must be sought by prayer, libera me, deliver me. The words of David's petition, libera me Deus, delivery O Lord; do show that David is in durance: for this is ●●x Captivi, the voice of a captive. He is in laqueo diaboli, in the snare of the 1 Tim. 3. 7. devil▪ so the Apostle calleth the guilt of sin, and before, Verse ●. he calleth it the condemnation of the devil. The devil hath his snares like a cunning fowler, as well as his paws, being a roaring Lion: he maketh snares of our own sins to hold us fast: and David himself saith of God, Upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. wicked he shall reign snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest. 1 Snares to hold them, then if they be not delivered, follow fire and brimstone, and they cannot escape. This is the case of a sinner if he repent not; if God pardon not, he is in the snare of Satan's temptation, he is in the snare of divine vengeance: let him therefore cry aloud for his deliverance, that he may have his feet in a large room. The wicked lay snares for the righteous, but God either preventeth them that their souls ever escape them, or else he subventeth them; The snares are broken, and we are delivered. No snares hold us so fast as those of our own sins: they keep down our heads, and stoop us, that we cannot look up: a very little ease they are to him that hath not a seared conscience. 2 A quo petit, from whom he asks: Christ directeth us to say, Pater noster qui es in coelis, Our Father which art in heaven, libera nos à malo, deliver us from evil. David directeth his prayer to God, the God of his salvation. This prayer is like to speed. 1 Oratio plana, an open prayer. It is confession and prayer, for in that he prayeth to be delivered from blood-guiltiness, he pleadeth guilty to the evidence of blood. Confession hath a great efficacy to induce mercy, prayer of great force to obtain it. Here they are in composition, and they show that the two punishments of sin, shame and fear are upon him. Confession showeth his shame, prayer showeth his fear of God's anger and just vengeance: so it is oratio plana, an open prayer. 2 Legitima, lawful. It is an honest lawful request: his soul is Gods: for he saith, all souls are mine: he desireth deliverance of their soul. 3 Plena, full. He desireth two things herein: to be delivered from the sin of blood, ne relabatur, lest he relapse into it: from the vengeance due to that sin, ne corruat, lest he perish by it: so it is oratio plena. 4 Recta, right. He knows that this is a sin which none but God can pardon: he hath not left the dispensation of pardon of this sin, to any subordinate Magistrate on earth: he hath deputed under him an avenger of blood, no pardoner: therefore he directeth this prayer only to God: so it is oratio recta, it goes the right way: as he saith, I will direct my prayer to God, and will look up. 5 Fidelis, faithful. It is full of confidence: for he calleth God to whom he addresseth himself, the God of his salvation: My Saviour, my King, my God, challenging a propriety and interest in him, so it is oratio fidelis. 6 Fervens, earnest. It is full of zeal and holy earnestness and importunity, as appeareth in the ingemination here used: O God, he resumeth it and taketh better hold of him, Thou God of my salvation. 1 O God, is a good invocation: for he heareth prayers. 2 Yet to distinguish him from all false Gods, he is so particular as to single him from all other: thou God. 3 And to magnify him, and to reinforce his Petition, he calleth him Deum salutis, the God of Salvation, which expresseth him able to deliver him: for it is his nature and his love, and his glory to be a preserver of men. 4 And to bring home this joy and comfort into his own heart, he addeth salutis meae, of my salvation. So it is oratio fervens, and the Apostle telleth us, that such a prayer prevaileth much with God. For God may be a Saviour and a deliverer, and yet we may escape his saving hand, his right hand may skip us. We can have no comfort in the favours of God except we can apply them at home; rather we may think on God and be troubled. I find that in David himself, My God, my God, Psal. 2●. ●. why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2 O God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not, and in the night season, and am not silent. This would never have troubled him, if he had seen that all had fared alike, if he had heard none complain: but it followeth. Our Fathers trusted in thee, they trusted in thee, and Verse 4. thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered. But I am a worm, and no man, despised, etc. His enemies upbraided him: he trusted in the Lord, that he would deliver: Let him deliver him, etc. But a steadfast faith laying hold on God as my salvation, the decreer, the worker, the giver of my salvation: that armeth me against all the malice of the world, against all the sins of my soul, against all the devils of hell. Why art thou so sad, etc. Confidam in Domino, ipse mihi salus, I will trust in the Lord: he is my salvation. But here is a Quaere: why David doth in particular desire Quaere. to be delivered from the sin of blood, and mentioneth not his great sin of adultery, for which he did commit that murder? That that sin was the fullness and height of his transgression, Sol. 1. as the Apostle saith; when sin is finished, it bringeth forth death: so that is the comprehension of the whole transgression. If he be freed from that, he is c●●ere of all. When Judas made confession of his sin, he saith no more, but I have finned in betraying innocent blood, that passeth for a full confession: yet he sinned in covetousness also, for so one of our Ancients saith, Auaritia Christum vendidit, Covetousness sold Christ: yet because his treason was the finishing and full growth and stature of his sin, that comprehendeth all the rest. The word [blood's] here used is by Saint Augustine, Sol. 2. Saint Gregory, and others interpreted according to the frequent use of Scripture, to contain our whole natural corruption. In multis sanguinibus tanquam in origine 〈◊〉. peccati, multa peccata intelligi voluit. In many bloods as in the original of sin, he would have understood many sins. Ad peccata respiciens, looking to his sins, & plus dicit, he saith more; Caro & sanguis non possidebunt regnum Dei Flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Refert ad Vriae caedem: & referri dicit ad omnia 〈◊〉. ejus peccata mortuary. He hath reference to the murder of Uriah, and saith, that all his mortal sins are to be referred to it. So Saint Gregory, and after them Master Calvine. Both David's sins were sins of hot blood: First, blood inflamed with lust. Secondly, blood inflamed with anger, and revenge. Here was the right blood of lawful marriage extinct by murder, a propagation of illegitimate blood added by adultery. Uxor, a wife, became mulier ahenea, a brazen-faced woman, a shameful and hateful title; So both sins here contained. 3 The greater sin is here named: for murder is a more Sol. ●. heinous sin then adultery: Adultery defileth the body, that may be thoroughly washed and made clean; but murder destroyeth the body, and spilleth the blood on the earth like water, which cannot be gathered up again. Adultery increaseth the world, though with an illegitimate issue: murder depriveth the world of a legitimate. Here adultery defiled a woman: but murder lost the state of a faithful servant. Adultery is an act of peccant nature: murder is against nature, contrary to humanity: S●vire in propriam speciem, to be cruel against our own kind, is heinous, and therefore lay more heavy upon the conscience of the offendor, was more offensive to God and man, and needed more special deprecation. 4 Sins are much weighed according to the measure of Sol. 4. comfort given to them, and therefore such sins as are done upon a sudden temptation, be commonly no other than sins of infirmity; Satan's surprises, and our overtaking. Such was David's adultery, for he was idle, he walked on the roof of his house: Vidit, concupivit, accersivit, convenit, etc. He saw, desired, sent for her, confers, etc. caetera quis nescit? the rest who knows not? But his other sin, a deliberate act of study, a premeditated mischief, seen and allowed. Here was fullness of malice, depth of cunning, fairest pretexts of high favour, all to palliate a close designed practice against the life of a faithful servant. Sins on the by are often more heinous than the main sin. As here the making Uriah drunk, and killing him, worse than the adultery. So when we have deceived a neighbour in bargaining: the maintenance and supportation of our deceit by lying and swearing, defileth the conscience more than the first sin, Sins that come on for the shelter and occultation or for the defence and justification of any sin, weigh twice their own weight: because they seem to make sins out of measure sinful. Adultery should have been declined; but being committed it should have been presently repent: but when in stead hereof sin is added to sin, that over-measure of iniquity is more than the first transgression. Therefore here wanted not cause from the monstrous & provoking condition of this sin, to put in a special caution by prayer against it, that it destroy not utterly. 5. When David purposed to build an house to God: Sol. 5. which was before this fall of his: God refused his offer. Thou hast shed blood abundantly, thou hast made great ●▪ Chron. 22. 8. wars; thou shalt not build an house to my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. If the blood of lawful war shed in the quarrel of God and his Church did foul David's hands, and made them unfit for that work: No question, but now David doth consider how he hath shed the blood of war in peace: How he hath defiled his hands with innocent blood, wilfully shed, which taketh from man the privilege of God's Altar. And the conscience of this might well stir him up to this particular request. To be delivered from bloods: all serveth to admonish us, 1 To be very careful how we do charge our consciences with deliberate sins, for they cleave fast, and they weigh heavy. Repentance hath somewhat to do to put them off. So long as we go no further than the evil we would not do, and commit sin with reluctation and grief, we are within the verge of mercy. But when once we commit 〈◊〉 with greediness and delight, and bear out one sin with another, we forget and forsake, quae ad pacem, what concerns our peace. 2 To do our best to preserve the life of our brother: It is our blood that runs in his veins: he is caro de carne nostra, flesh of our flesh, and calls Adam and Eve, father and mother, as well as we. The vexation that David sustained for this sin may discourage any man to have bloody hands. There is no conveyance to hide and conceal it; and grace is hardly obtained to pardon it. 2 Promittit, he promises. And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 1 Quod promittit, that he promises. 2 Quid▪ what. 1 Quod▪ that. This may bear a double construction: 1 As a vow, Lingua mea, my tongue, etc. 2 As a declaration of the effect of that deliverance desired. 1 Votum, a Vow. These be noble and holy, great and good thoughts. As Araunah spoke like a King to David, when he offered him his Floor, Oxen, etc. So David speaks like a King to God, when he promiseth to do somewhat for him. All receive daily benefits of donation, of condonation: every one desireth his own turn served, but few think of returning to give thanks: as the tenth of the Lepers. Many seek the face of God for such things as they want, spiritual or temporal: few bethink, Ego autem quid Domino! What shall I render to the Lord! David joineth Petition and Promise with a conjunction copulative. Liberame: & lingua mea: Deliver me: and my tongue, etc. They should not part: Beneficium, Benefit, Officium, Duty. With us one good turn asketh another; and they speak to purpose, who when they request do also promise. And it is happy for us, that we have to do with one that may be entreated to do us favours, and to expect our retribution after. Thankfulness is a great loser by our times. 1 It hath got an ill name: for bribes and all gifts either to buy or to corrupt justice, are called thankfulness. 2 It hath not the liberty, it had; it had wont to be free, now forced. 3 Only it hath got place: for it had wont to follow a benefit, now it commonly goes before it. Nothing loseth us the favour of God more than our barrenness: If like the earth we would bring forth an harvest for the seed sowed in us: if like the Sea we did evaporate: If like rivers we did return to our Sea, whence we came, we might have spem augustiorem, a fuller hope, but commonly we are sepulchra beneficiorum, graves of benefits. 2 These words may be understood only to declare the effect of God's pardon, for the joy of it will set him a singing: and the favour of it will set him a work to magnify the righteousness of God. It is David's own rule. O give thanks to the Lord, Let Psal. 107. 1, 2. the redeemed of the Lord say so. But indeed the Prophet here desireth God to set his instrument in tune: that he may sound his praise. For till God deliver him from the foulness of sin, he is unclean, and cannot be admitted Psal. 50. 17. in chorum, into the number of singers. God will refuse him as before: What hast thou to do, to declare it? But if God be pleased to remove all his sins: then he shall be a fit instrument to sound the praise of God. Therefore Augustine, August. Admonet, non ut deponat praedicationem, sed ut assumat poenitentiam & obedientiam. It is not as if he ceased to praise God, but that he takes to himself repentance and obedience. Ex bono thesauro bona. Good things from a good treasury. God looked on Abel and his offering. So soon as sin is removed, we are presently fit for praise. It is the general part of our service of God, and it makes our prayers and praises miscarry, when we come to God charged with sins, without repentance; wash you, make Esay 1. you clean, etc. Then come and let us reason together. 2 Quid promittit. What he promises. Here observe: 1 What instrument he will use for God's service, lingua, the tongue. 2 Lingua mea, my tongue. 3 Cantabit, shall sing. The manner of his service. 4 Aloud: the intention. 5 The argument of his song: justitiam, righteousness. 6 Tuam. Thine. 1 Lingua, the tongue. This is tuba animae, the soul's trumpet. The best member that we have for this service. So our old English Church Psalms do read, I will sing & give praise with the best Psal. 〈◊〉 1. member that I have. The K. B. readeth, I will sing & give praise, even with my glory. So Awake up my glory, awake Psal 〈◊〉. ●. Psaltery. Calvin readeth: Exurge lingua: arise o tongue. For that is the glorious instrument of God's praise. The tongue hath an ill name in Scripture, because it is the instrument of God's dishonour and our neighbours great hurt oftentimes. The tongue of David had lasciviously courted Uriah's wife, and had spoken him fair to his hurt. The tongue often blasphemeth God, the common crying sin of the time, lying, swearing, flattering, slandering, false witness: multiloquium, much-speaking, turpiloquium, filthy-speaking: cursing, boasting, etc. There are so many sins of the tongue, that Saint james saith; If any man offend not in 〈◊〉▪ 2. word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the wholebody. But if any man seem to be religious, and bridleth 〈◊〉▪ 〈◊〉. not his tongue, this man's religion is vain. It is David's first note of the tenants of God's house aloft, He that speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. the truth in his heart, and backbiteth not with his tongue. And it is the first rule for him that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good. Keep thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉▪ tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. No lesson so hard to be learned of us here, as the wise and discreet government of the tongue. David promised a singular care of this. I said, I will take heed to my ways, Psal ●9 1. that I sin not in my tongue. Socrates' reports of one Pamb● L●●●● 1●. an honest well-meaning man, who came to his friend, desiring him to teach him one of David's Psalms, he read to him this Verse. He answered: This one Verse is enough: if I learn it well. Nineteen years after he said: In all that time he had hardly learned that one Verse. David is now in a good way to employ his tongue in the service of God. For they are out, which say, with our Psal 1●. 4. tongue will we prevail, our lips are our own, who is Lord over us? he that distinguished man by this excellent gift from all other his creatures, meant it not to him for a rod to scourge himself, for a Scorpion to sting his neighbour: nor for man's own self punishment. There is better use to be made of it, as here. 2 Lingua mea, my tongue. God cannot want praise and glory from his creatures: for Coeli e●arrant gloriam Dei, the Heavens declare the glory of God, and one generation praiseth him to another. But that is no thank to thee; Lingua mea, tua, sua, thy tongue, mine, his. As David, Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. So let every thing that hath a tongue sing aloud, etc. Thou God of my salvation, let it be lingua mea, my tongue that sings. To say the truth, why is it lingua mea, my tongue, but to serve mine own turn in offices of piety & charity? it hath not a better employment than the praise of the Lord. When any thing of ours doth omit or slight duty to our maker, our interest in it ceaseth. For our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost, and our tongue is the Organ of the Church; he that made it tuned it to his praise. Christ cured the dumb as well as the blind, deaf, and lame, etc. 3 Shall sing. This is the voice of joy and gladness in the tabernacles of the righteous. These carry forth their seed with tears: they sow in tears, their dwelling is in convalle lae●rymarum, in the vale of tears. Though they sit by the rivers of Babel: they never hang up their Harps: they can and do sing the song of the Lord in a strange Land. For whatsoever their outward calamities are, which often wash their faces with their tears, they have upright hearts to God, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour. There is in every one of the Elect an outward man, which negotiateth in outward things, and he hath his hand full. There is also an inward man, and he is willing, but weak. The calamities of life, the dishonours done to God's name and glory by others, the failings on our own part in duty, our fall from it, doall work our grief, and turn our organs into the voice of them that weep. Yet in the midst of these sorrows, we may rejoice in the Lord, like Music in the cabin, when the ship is in a storm. My song shall be always of the loving kindness of the Lord. Amongst all the favours of God none tasteth stronger of his divine nature, none happieth us more in the peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, than his pardon of our sin, and deliverance from it. Fills dimittuntur tibi peccata tua, Son, thy sins are forgiven thee, answereth David's suit, Sana animam meam, heal my soul: for donation, the Lord doth not magnify himself so much in it, seeing he hath power over all. But to pardon sins, which do so violate his Majesty, and are so contrary to his holiness, and do so abuse his bounty and free favour: this may make us sing. I never read that any thing which God gave away grieved him; but the sins of men grieve him at the heart, and make him repent his making of them. Therefore no such provocation to sing, as deliverance from sin by pardon. Songs were in fashion of old: the Church was full of Music, the old Testament full of songs. Some of our curious Zelotes cry it down in Churches: it did well when time was ● but every particular person receiving Gods gracious pardon of his sin in the spiritual comfort of his conscience shall do well to declare his thankful recognition of it, and his singular delight in it, the cheerfullest way he can. Is any merry? let him sing. 4 Aloud. This ● for God, for himself, for the Church. 1 For God. That his honour may be proclaimed, therefore they borrowed the voice of still and loud instruments. David: make the voice of his praise to be heard: Dicit● in gentibus, tell it among the nations. Sicut in C●lo, as in Heaven, there the choir of the new jerusalem cease not day and night to voice the praises of God with cheerful intention. 2 For himself. Having received such a benefit, he cannot contain himself, this new wine of spiritual joy which filleth his vessel must have a vent. All passions are loud. Anger chides loud: sorrow cries loud, fear shrieks loud, and joy sings loud. So he expresseth the vehemency of his affection: for to whom much is forgiven, they love much. 3 For others. Iron whetteth iron, examples of 〈◊〉 and devotion affect much, and therefore solemn and public Assemblies do generally tender the best service to G●●●●c●●●e 〈◊〉 provokes another. ●n● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●ong the Prophets. A con●●ie●c●●●ce discharged from the burden and annoyance of sin, cannot contain itself. O 〈◊〉▪ and I will will you, 〈◊〉. 5 Justitiam, Righteousness. Here is a Quere: why 〈…〉 of the Quere. righteousness of God: for righteousness is e'er, and punisheth according to the rigour of the La●●. 1 We answer, that God hath promised 〈◊〉 pardon, Sol. 1. and it is just with him to perform his promise. True repentance h● 〈◊〉 had ve●●●e enough against ●●●e to remove it. Forty days repentance in Niniveh did 〈◊〉 from the sins of so●ty and many more years of sin. These be the ●●gons of wine out of Christ's own Cellar, the comfort that we have of God's promise, and the effect that we feel of our true and unfeigned repentance. 2 We may discern by his former petition, Purgome Sol. 2. with Bysop, that he had respect to the sacrifice of Christ, and the expiation by his blood, and there he might challenge the righteousness of God: for it is just, s●mel punire peccatum, once to punish sin: it smarted in Christ, etc. 3 The full solution is: by righteousness here is understood Sol. 3. the whole comprehension of all the attributes of God, for so the word is used often, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. So it is used often, even to this purpose, and for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble. Christ lo calleth him: O righteous Father. The pardon of our sins setteth us in a state of innocence, which maketh the righteousness of God our song. 6 Tuam, thine. We sing God's righteousness, not our own. David had no righteousness of his own worth a song: none of us have. Our righteousness never came into fashion all the old testament through, the best of God's Saints have felt the want of it, and complained heavily of their poverty that way. We are well paid, that Christ is made to us of God, wisdom to believe and know the truth, and righteousness to justify us in the sight of our God: and sanctification to purge us in some measure from our unrighteousness: and redemption to save us from the dominion of sin, and the curse of the Law. So David, I will go forth in the strength of the Lord, and will make mention of thy righteousness only. Rejoice in the Lord ye righteous, let them rejoice whom he hath delivered, whom he hath called, whom he hath justified. This righteousness of God in Christ shall stop the mouth of accusation. Who shall lay any thing to the charge? etc. It is God that justifieth. Mercy is that which provideth the remedy for our sins, but righteousness doth exact the debt to the utmost farthing: Christ is our ransom, and then righteousness giveth us the reward of our faith, even the salvation of our souls. VERSE 15. O Lord, open thou my lips: and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. DAvid having made a large promise in the former Verse, Lingua mea cantabit, my tongue shall sing, bethinketh himself of his natural impotency to this service: & he addeth this petition for Gods help, & then reneweth his former promise. In the former he professeth that his spirit is willing: here he confesseth that his flesh is weak. To make good his former promise, he craves aid of God here, and then reneweth his promise: Et os meum annunciabit, etc. And my mouth shall show forth, etc. This Versicle the Church hath chosen to begin divine Service, and hath placed it in the next place after the Confession, and Absolution, as David did in this Psalm: for when our sins are removed by our repentance & God's pardon, then, not till then we are fit for prayer and praise. The words contain, 1 A Prayer. 2 A promise. 1 The prayer. Domine labia mea, etc. Lord, open thou my lips. There is a season for all things under the Sun, a time to open, and a time to shut our lips. David saith, I will Psal. 9 keep my mouth with a bridle: I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good. Yet here he desireth to have his lips opened, but he would have them of Gods opening, Greg in Psal. not his own. Hactenus os meum ego aperui, & ide● in vaniloquio peccatum contraxi: nunc ui tu aperias defidero, quia nihil nisiquod tu sugges●erisloqui concupisco. I have hither to opened my mouth, and therefore in vain-speaking I have sinned: now I desire thee to open it, for I desire to speak nothing but what thou shalt put in my mouth. There is a door of utterance which none but God doth open, he keepeth the key: he openeth, and no man shutteth; he shutteth, and no man openeth. Saint Paul desireth the prayers of the Colossians for Coloss. 4. 3. us, that God would open to us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ. That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. For we cannot open this door ourselves to speak as we ought to speak. Saint Ambrose saith, seeing God saith to the wicked, Quare tu enarras, & c? Claudit Deus os peccatoris. Why dost thou preach, etc. he shuts the mouth of the sinner. Cujus os Deus aperit, hunc peccati absolvit reatu. Whose mouth God opens, he frees from the guilt of sin. Justos decet laudatio. Praise becometh the upright. Non est speciosa 〈◊〉. ●●▪ ●●. laus in ore peccatoris. Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner. Weigh thy words in a balance, and make a door and bar for thy mouth. The Lord God hath Isay 50. 4● given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season. If unseasonable speaking to men may make anger, we have more cause to beware we speak not to God out of time. And if God open our lips, we are out of that fear: Acts ●. 4. for as he openeth our mouths to speak, so his spirit giveth utterance. Saint Gregory is very full in this point, and saith, illius os Deus aperit qui attendit: his mouth he opens, who observes, 1 Quid. what. 2 Quando, when. 3 Ubi, where. 4 C●● loquatur, to whom he speaks. 1 Quid, What, We must speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in cord, Psal. 15. ●. the truth in our hearts▪ Our speech seasoned with s●lt. It must tend to edifying. The heart of the wise guideth his mouth wisely. 2 Quand●▪, When. How good is a word in due season! A word spoken in season is like apples of gold, and Prov. 25. 11. pictures of silver. 3 Ubi, Where. As there is a time, so there is a place to open our lips. Christ was like a Lamb, non aperies es, thou shalt not open thy mouth, before Pilate. 4 Cus, to whom. David refrained even from good words, whilst the ●icked ●●● before him: Counsel and reproof are cast away upon fools and mad men, and scorners. Saint Gregory addeth, there must be, 1 Gravit●● in sensu, Weight in the sense. 2 Mo●●● in verbis, Measure in the words. 3 Po●d●● i● sermone, Weight in the words. Otherwise we open our own mouths, God openeth them not▪ It is David's prayer to God, Set a Psal. 141. 3▪ watch, O Lord, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips. Saint Augustine noteth, that it is os●i●m ●ri●, ergo & aperiatur & claudatur. Aperiatur a● confessionem, ● laudatur ad excusatione in peccati. The door of the mouth; therefore let it be opened and shut: opened to confession, shut to excusing of sin. And Lu●olphus faith, Aperiri debet Deo, clauci; diabolo aperiri Deo in oratione, claudi in vanal●cutione. It must be opened to God, & shut to the Devil; opened to God in prayer, shut to the Devil in vain-speaking. David for ten months together was mute, sin had shut up his mouth, for as long as we live in impenitency, a spirit of dumbnes possesseth us, we cannot neither pray or praise God. In this time his acultery did cry aloud: so did Uriah● drunkenness, so did his letters to Joab, to did the murder of Uriah. Now he prayeth that the mouth of accusation may be stopped, and that God would open his mouth, that he may speak for himself against these accusing sins, that he may magnify the loving kindness of the Lord. 1 I conceive, that this petition for the opening of his lips, intendeth a ●itting & preparing of him for the praise of God. We advise well before we put up a petition in the causes of our estate, or good name to any superior authority. More ought we to God: he best knoweth himself how to accommodate us to his service, and therefore, Domine aperias, Lord, open thou. The necessity of an holy preparation for any part of God's Service, doth admonish and exact an holy advice with God before we go about it. Reading of his word, meditation, invocation of his Name by prayer, that he would put our hearts in tune, and set our song of his praises for us, that we may sing Canticum Domini, the song of the Lord: and then it will be Canticum Domino, a song to the Lord. 2 We may also conclude from hence, that though an inward worship of the heart be much commended to us in Scripture, so Marry, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoiceth ●n God my Saviour, and David stirreth up his soul to this service; My soul praise thou the Lord, etc. Yet that men●all and animal service is not all that God requireth: he would have the service also of our lips, & of our tongue, which is our glory. And to make the voice of God's praise to be heard, be saith: I will praise God with my glory. Awake Lute and Harp, awake my tongue of my glory. And he calleth upon the Church, to praise him in the sound of the trumpet, with timbrel and pipe, with stringed instruments and organs. Upon the loud Cymbals, upon the high sounding Cymbals. For as we have our private Chapels for our private duties; the secret of our heart, and the closerts of our conscience: So we have our part in Cho●● in the Congregation of God's Saints: and there we must sing cheerfully and loud, that God may be praised according to his excellent greatness: this is heaven upon earth. 3. The bold sinners say: Our lips are our own, who is Psal 12 41 Lord over us! These assume to themselves both power and skill to menage their tongue, and acknowledge no Lord above them, to restrain or check them. David in his Domine aperias, Lord, open thou, confesseth a Lord above him. And there is no such way to impudent freedom of speech, as a bold contempt of authority. It is one of the provoking sins of our time, the overbold liberty of speech and procacity of the pen, censuring and depraving Superiors, scandalising all that our dislike hath set light. The ground of this gall and wormwood in the tongues and pens of the time, is a vain opinion that there is no Lord over us to stop our mouth, and to tonguetie us. Yet we know the lash of the Law smarteth upon some that shoot for arrows bitter words, and some are made examples of terror to awe others. But if men fear not those Lords and Laws which take this petulancy of the tongue to talk, David confesseth a Lord in my Text, to whom he committeth the opening of his mouth. Domine aperias, Lord, open thou. Let us take heed how we rule our Lips, and how we open them before him: for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. And of every idle word that we speak, we shall give account to him in the day of judgement. Evil words corrupt good manners: and such as do evil are but hardened and exasperate by Libels, and scandalous obloquys. When Michael the Archangel disputed against the jude v. 9 Devil, about the body of Moses, he durst not bring against him a railing accusation. True and just quarrels by intemperancy of the tongue may turn into railing accusation: and it is not reproof, but railing: so Aug. Quicquid lacerato anim● dixeris, malè dixeris. Whatsoever thou speakest with a destructed mind, thou speakest evil. Beloved, there is a Lord over us, who hath dominion of all our parts: if he open our eyes, we shall see clearly; if he open our ear●s, we shall hear quickly: if he open our lips, we shall speak wisely and soberly. This is our Masterpiece, to govern our tongue well; to open and shut the door of our lips wisely and seasonably. He that keepeth his mouth, keepeth his life: but he 〈…〉. 1●. ●. that openeth wide his lips, shall have destruction▪ The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: ●●ov ●2. 13, 14 but a man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth. Who so keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth Pro●. ●●. 23. his soul from troubles. We have no better way to decline the danger of the tongue, to reap the good fruit of it, then 1 To pray, as here, Domine, labia, Lord, open thou my lips: or as David. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable, etc. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth. 2 To resolve as David, to take heed, ne peccemus lingua, lest we offend in our tongue. To keep our mouth bridled, not to speak thine own words. Esay 58. 1●. 3 The promise subjoined, setteth the tongue a work, and giveth it matter of long and speech. And my mouth shall show forth, etc. Saint Gregory observeth the sequence of the text: first, 1. Note. he desireth pardon, than he promiseth praise. Junuens, quòd illi soli possunt percipere dulcedinem laudis, qui peccatorum impetraverint remissionem. Implying, that they alone can taste the sweetness of praise, who have obtained remission of sins. Another note he hath, that the wicked do not praise 2. Note. God ore suo, with their own mouth, for such as have enslaved themselves to the Devil by sin, and as the Apostle saith, have made their members servants of sin, they have no mouths, nor tongues, nor eyes, nor hands of their own. We cannot call it os nostrum our mouth, except we recover it from the service of Satan. God is not praised, but dishonoured in such mouths. Saint Augustine observeth a good argument for discourse 3. Note. well chosen by David, to set his tongue a work; the praise of God: here a man may begin, and never want matter to magnify the name of the Lord: for his name only his excellent, and his praise is above heaven and earth. Saint Augustine applieth this text to the present occasion, and nameth three favours showed to David, all well deserving this praise. 1 Quia ut confiterer monitus sum. Because I am admonished to confess my sin. 2 Quia pecca●s non derelictus sum. Because sinning, I am not forsaken. 3 Quia ut securus essem mundatus sum. Because I am cleansed, that I may be secure. These are all worthy of our praise of God all our lifes through. 4 Saint Augustine saith of God. Nec melior est si laudaveris, 4. Note. nec deterior si vituperaveris. He is neither better, if thou praise him, nor worse if thou dispraise him. He is so sel●sufficient, as nothing can be added to him to make him greater, nothing can be abated to make him less than he is. Justos decet laudatio. Praise becomes the upright. it becometh us well, and it exerciseth our love, and duty, and zeal, and inciteth others by our example, to give the Lord the honour due to his name. Origen and Ambrose both observe, that the only way to magnify and praise the name of the Lord i●, to renew his image in us by repentance and good life in holiness and righteousness before him: for so he may appear greater in us, though he cannot be made greater by us, for he is Optimus Maximus, the Best and the Greatest. So Augustine, Quimaledicit domino, ipse minuitur, qui benedicit, ipse augetur. He that speaks evil of the Lord, he himself is diminished; he that blesseth him, is himself increased. The more we praise him, the more we grow from grace to grace. How can we employ our tongues better, then in speaking his praise by whom we speak? The Cripple that was repaired by the ministry of Acts 3. 8. Peter and John, leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the Temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. Then are the favours of God sown in good ground, when they come up again in praise and thanksgiving. This is an heavenly negotiation, the importation of God's mercies and blessings: the exportation of God's due praises, and our hearty thanks-givings. Annunciabit, shall show forth, is another note: for so 5. Note. ●●●l. 40. 10. David professeth, I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart: I have declared thy faithfulness, and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving kindness, and thy truth from the great Congregation. David was a public person, both sicut Rex, as a King, sicut Propheta, as a Prophet, and he had given public offence to the Church by his sin: to the State by defiling his Land with blood, and killing a faithful servant of State: he had cause to declare the praise of God openly for his pardon and reconciliation. The heart is the secret temple of God's praise: but zeal and devotion if it be sincere, cannot contain itself, So David, My heart was hot within Psal. 39 3. me; while I was musing the fire burned, then spoke I with my tongue. A good man hath bonum thesaurum cordis, a good treasure of his heart, and from thence profert bona, he bringeth forth good things: he doth not always hide them there, that I may speak wisely, that I may speak heartily, that I may speak seasonably, that I may speak openly of thy praise, Domine, labia mea aperias, Lord, open thou my lips. Laudemtuam, thy praise, not meam, mine. Cease from 6. Note. man whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be praised? Great persons are unhappy in that they have too many flatterers to praise them beyond measure, which breeds that disease of greatness, which is called, tumour cordis, the swelling of the heart. Let them be never so faulty, they shall be praised whilst they live, for fear or flattery. David teacheth all the Church here, and very often in his Psalms where to bestow praise, even upon God, where there can be no fear of overdoing. Yet we justly praise David, the holy Ghost doth so, saying, that he served the Lord, and walked before him recto cord, with an upright heart: Save only herein, We praise his open confession, his humiliation, his deprecation, his supplication, his full repentance. For ourselves, if we look about us well, we shall see Applic. great cause to praise the name of the Lord. But if we look well into ourselves, we shall discern a great unfitness and weakness in us to do it. If thy soul would praise the Lord, forget not all his benefits. Recount with thyself what he hath done for the Church, for the State in which thou livest, for thyself in thy own person, in thy parents, in thy children, in thy soul, in thy body, in temporal, in eternal favours, corporal and spiritual. When thou hast cast up the account of thy debts, and seest how much praise is due to God, how unable thou art to pay this debt, here is thy remedy. Domine, labia nostra aperies, Lord, open thou my lips, etc. This & in my text affordeth one note more, for this 7. Note. fitting of us to God's service, exacteth of us performance of duty. If God open our lips, our mouths must show forth his praise. Else we shall prove ill husbands of Gods spiritual talon. There is no such spiritual thriving in the graces of God, as by a present employing & using of them. Aperies, thou shalt open, & annunciabit, & it shall show forth. Lose no time: here is no full point at Domine, lab●a mea aperies, Lord, open thou my lips: the promise treadeth on the heel of the prayer, and the mouth must no sooner be opened, but the praise of God must be presently declared. We are in haste with God when we want any thing, O Lord, make no long tarrying. Do as thou wouldst be done to: when the clock is wound up, the wheels are presently in motion to make the clock strike. We have every day fresh matter of praise to open our mouths. Let the hearts therefore of them rejoice that fear the Lord: Rumpantur & ilia Codr●. With envy thrice accursed, Let Codrus bowels burst. VERSE 16. For thou desirest no sacrifice; else would I give it: thou deal ghtest not in burnt Offering. HEre is reason given why David craveth help of God, to enable him to his praise: and he declareth, 1 In the negative, what kind of Sacrifices, if they be not otherwise accompanied, do not please God, Verse 16. 2 In the affirmative, with what kind of Sacrifices God is pleased. In the first he showeth, 1 His own for wardness in that kind of service, I would give it thee. 2 Gods distaste, 1 Non desideras, thou requirest not▪ 2 Non delectaris, thou art not delighted with. 1 Of David's forwardness for outward worship and service, by the ceremoni●●● and legal oblations. Else I would give it thee: for the Law imposed a necessity of such Sacrifices. 1 David was a King, and therefore able to perform these: he was not so penurious to spare his purse, to deny God his due. His poorer subjects did not think much of it, to perform the impositions of the Law. 2 David was a Prophet, and he stirred up others to this duty, and was willing to perform this. 3 God to whom these oblations by the law were tendered, had required this kind of service. I would give it thee, there is nothing that we have too good for him: he openeth his hand, and he filleth ours. And we give him but of his own, whatsoever we give to him: he layeth claim to all our offerings as his own. For every beast in Psal 50. 10, ●1. the for rest is mine: and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are mine. So here moveth no thrift of parsimony in David, he hath a full hand, he hath a willing heart to do God this service: and he holdeth God worthy of his offerings. This meeteth with the hypocrisy of some Professors, who are free in the calves of their lips; which one calleth well labia vitulorum, the lips of calves, but they love a cheap religion that saveth their purses. They grudge to honour God with their riches, and think much to be at any charge in his service. They tender God, themselves and their hearts, but not their treasure where their hearts are. Such were they whom Malachi reproveth, whom God there calleth to account. Ye have snuffed at it, saith Mal. 1. 13, 14. the Lord of hosts, and ye have brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick. That ye brought an offering, should I accept this of your hand, saith the Lord? But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of Hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen. They that think either nothing at all, or the worst of all good enough for God, are branded with the curse of God. This Prophet reproveth the people's wretched sparing in two things, whereby the honour of God was blemished, and God was robbed. 1 In sacrifices which were offered immediately to himself, which the Law required. 2 In tithes which were ordained for the maintenance of God's holy worship, in the sustentation of the Priests who attended his altar and service. In both these God was robbed and his service hindered by the covetous sparing, and wretched miserableness of the people: which brought the curse of God upon their persons and their goods: he biddeth them tender such Verse ●. presents to their Governor, as they do offer unto him, and see whether he will be pleased with them, or accept their persons. God would not have his Priests serve, and starve at his altar: You have robbed me (saith he) in tithes and offerings. Mal. 3. 8, 9 Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me. He showeth them a way of his blessing, and their thrift. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, and prove me now 〈◊〉 10. herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts: If I will not open you now the windows of Heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes: and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in your field. You see there is nothing lost by that which is bestowed toward the supportation of God's worship: yea a blessing of plenty and increase is promised, and the curse of the Lord is declined and put off by such service. Therefore David pro●esse●h that he would willingly give sacrifice to God, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that which the law requireth of him toward his worship. Else would I give it thee. And good reason it is, that we who ●●e daily at the beautiful gate of his Temple begging alms of him, and receiving from his open hand, who openeth his hand, and filleth with his plenty every living thing, should not think much to return to him again such offerings of our goods as his law requireth. For as exchange of gifts doth much maintain friendship here between man and man, which importeth a communion of goods between friends: So no question but it confirmeth the mutual love between God and his children, and faithful people, when God openeth the Heavens, and poureth down blessings upon them, and when they again in first-fruits, tithes, and sacrifices, and oblations in charitable alms, benevolences, gifts, and holy legacies, living and dying, remember to honour God with their substance. Let me commend this holy example of forward zeal in David to our imitation, that we would be willing to give God any thing that we have, and think nothing too much, too good for his service. For we were the children of death, and he bought us with a price, the hardest bargain and dearest pennyworth that was ever bought, the hottest perquisite. For we were not redeemed with things corruptible, as gold, and silver, but with the blood of his Son, as of a Lamb without spot, the Son of his bosom in whom he was well pleased, he spared not that Son, but gave him: gave him to death, the death of the cross: gave him for us who were his enemies, who sought no salvation, and asked none of him, but rather fled away in our first parents from his presence, and hid ourselves from him▪ he sought us out in the cool of the day, and offered us his Son, the seed of the woman to bruise the head of the Serpent, that we may say, His glory is great in our salvation. This Son hath made so easy and open a way to the throne of grace, and hath opened the hand of the Father so wide to us, that if we open our moutnes wide, he will fill them. And whatsoever we ask the Father in his name, he will give it. I never read that gifts given to God did make the giver poor: and the rich young man in the Gospel might have taken Christ's word for it, that giving all he had to the poor, and following him had made him no loser upon the account. 2 From this, utique dedissem, I would have given, if we observe what he had given, which was sacrifice. This expresseth the time in which David lived under the law, wherein sacrifices were in season: and if we read the law concerning them, and the practice of the Church in those times, We shall see how costly Religion was under the law. That law was made and established by God in Moses his time, and the precise manner of ordering that service punctually set down: yet the law of sacrifices was as old as the World, the press injunction, and express elucidation of the law was reserved to Moses his time. The moral Law is an everlasting law, and the ten Commandments were a● justly exacted from the beginning as at any time since; yet the solemn public proclaiming of the Law was on Mount Sinai, when God gave it to Moses in two tables of his own writing. For then God began to establish a full and entire body of a Church in Ecclesiastical, and Moral, and Civil government: that it might enter so into Canaan. For the antiquity of Sacrifices, we read first of them in the story of Cain and Abel. For so soon as we read of their birth in the two first Verses of the fourth Chapter, the third and fourth Verses report their Sacrifice, which doth not conclude, as some would have it, that this was a will-worship of their own devising, approved by God, & by him after made into a law. This were to make man after his fall the author of this law. Rather we conceive that this was a service commanded by God to Adam, and by him practised and taught in his Family, and so derived to aftertimes. For we read of Noah when he came out of the Ark, that he builded an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean Gen. 8. 20, 21. beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar: and the Lord smelled a sweet savour, and he said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake. And long before Moses, Abraham being Gen. 2●. 13. commanded by God to offer his son▪ built an alter, and God sparing his son, he offered a Ram for a burnt offering in stead of his son. Saint Augustine concludes from hence, that God commanded De Consensu Evang●●.▪ 8. this kind of service: for by the light of nature Socrates who was by the Oracle pronounced the most wise o● all men then living did affirm, Unumquemque Deum sic coli oportere▪ quomodo se ipse colendum esse praeceperit. Every God is so to be worshipped, as he himself hath commanded. For Every man is br●tish by his knowledge: Ier 51. 17. Rom. 8. 8. and the Apostle saith, They that are in the flesh cannot please God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom 1. Cor. 1. 19 of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Flesh and blood cannot reveal to us the mystery of God's worship. Ye shall not do every man whatsoever Deut. 12. 8. is right in his own eyes; concerning the worship of God: but he directeth it, and so it must be. The use and intention of Sacrifices declareth this: for they were 1 Either for pacification of God provoked against us for sin. 2 Or for testification of our faith in the Mossiah promised, of whom these Sacrifices were a figure. 3 Or for expression of our thankful duty to God for his favours. All which declare the Commandment of God, and not the wit, or will of man to have devised and established this manner of service. But that which doth conclude the point against all contradiction is Gods declaring of himself by his law after established to approve this service, and to command it to posterity by so particular and precise injunction: for this cleareth it to us, that he was not the approver only, out the author of this service. And indeed seeing that there was no use of the bodies of beasts or fowls before the flood for food, no flesh being then eaten, and the fruits of the earth sustaining the life of man. The use of them for sacrifice was convenient for those times, and God was gracious in his accepting of them to that use, though he needed them not. It is no improbable opinion of them who think that after God had given his judgement upon our first parents, and reveiled Christ to them, that they offered to him a sacrifice of clean beasts in token of their thankfulness, and in purpose, and with vow and promise of future obedience, and that God clothed their nakedness with the skins of their sacrifices. In the whole time before the flood, the Commandment was easy for sacrifices, because there was little other use of the bodies of these creatures. But when the law of Ceremonies was established in Moses his time; the cattle of the people were a great part of their wealth, and then it grew very costly to serve the Lord so. There were sacrifices of course, as the Juge sacrificium, which spent two Lambs a day constantly: one in the morning, the other in the evening. There were burnt offerings which were all consumed by fire upon the Altar: adreverentiam majestatis, in reverence of God's majesty. There were sin-offerings for propitiation. There were peace-offerings for reconciliation and thanksgiving. David in respect of his duty to God and offence committed against God, should have offered all these sacrifices, and he protesteth a willingness to give them. Else would I have given thee: Especially now at last having obtained peace with God, he ought to have expressed his thankful duty to God in a peace-offering: which he was willing to have done. Let me only observe in this passage, how costly the Religion of those times was under the Law. The common charge of the Sanctuary: the maintenance of the house of God, with all things necessary for God's service. The maintenance of the persons employed in the special ministry in holy things. The cost of sacrifices of all sorts: the labour and cost of journey to the solemn Feasts. Every private persons necessary sacrifices and oblations upon particular occasions, amount to a very great charge, which yet was imposed by God, and born by the people. We live in times of much more outward ease of body, much less charge of the purse. We have houses of our God ready built to our hands, the supportation of them is esteemed a burden. Our fathers set out competent maintenance for the Ministry, our brethren have weighed it and found it too heavy for us. It is the vicissitude of times, one age gathered stones together, another scattered them. The Church was complained of to devour the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth hath made itself amends. We have no cause to complain of the cost of our Religion. But such as are faithful in it are of David's mind: that if God desired their goods, their labours, their blood, their lives in sacrifice, they would give all, to him who is all in all. You see the aim of my observation from David's words. If thou desiredst it, I would give it thee: to persuade you to hold nothing you have too precious or dear for God. Superstition might overdo in the menaging this principle; but true judgement, and truth itself have established it. When the willing hearts of the people brought Exod. 36. 6. more than was needful to the Sanctuary of God, curious superstition could have found vent for it all in costly adornments. Moses in wisdom set a non plus to their offerings. There is a satis an enough in them also. And though our willing minds would tender the whole heap to the service of God: our well guided wisdom will remember what is holy, and what is comely. 2 Gods distaste of this kind of service: non desideras, non delectaris, thou desirest not, thou art not delighted with. You may demand how this may be. Seeing there is so Qu●●● express Commandment in the Ceremonial Law for sacrifices? Scriptures require wise Readers, else they may be perverted to the Readers destruction as the Apostle saith. 1 Then we answer, that all the negative propositions Sol. 1. in Scripture, are not to be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in their full and peremptory sense. Some do include a comparative relation, and do intimate the manner and measure of the thing denied. Let no man think that David doth contradict the express law of sacrifices, that were to walk contrary to God: yea David were contrary to himself, if he should absolutely and in peremptory sense deny Gods requiring or his performing sacrifices to God. For we all know that David lived in a time wherein sacrifices were in season: and himself concludeth this Psalm after this manner, thus saying, Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering, and whole burnt offering, then shall they offer bullocks upon thin● altar. Therefore the words of my text are not true in a peremptory, but a qualified sense. We must take heed that we do not set Scripture against Scripture: there is no strife of tongues in God's tabernacle. When God saith, I will have mercy, Math ●●. and not sacrifice; he doth not peremptorily deny sacrifice, but he showeth which of these two do best please him. Both: but rather mercy than sacrifice. For sacrifices be oblations, alien● carnis, of another's flesh, but mercy is an oblation nostri cordis, of our own heart. Therefore Christ saith, Go and learn what that means. For we must notpress the letter, but the meaning of the H. Ghost in that saying. So in the words following, I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance: he came to call the righteous, such as were already settled his, and to confirm them, and to make their calling more effectual▪ but his chief business was to call sinners to conversion. So when wisdom saith, Receive my instruction, and not silver: he doth 〈◊〉 8. 10. not interdict the use and receipt of silver, but desireth that we should rather give our hearts & desires to affect wisdom then riches. The following words clear it, and knowledge rather than choice gold: and so Christ saith When Luke 1● 12. thou makest a dinner or supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; but the poor, the maime●, the lame, the blind. Christ directly forbiddeth not the invitation of our friends: we have many examples in Scripture to the contrary: but he directeth hospitality to the exercise of mercy. So Saint Paul, He sent me not to baptise, but to preach 1. Cor. 1. 17. the Gospel. He doth not directly deny his mission to that: for it is his commission. Ite, & praedicate baptizantes, Go and preach baptising; And he did not transgress his instructions when he baptised Crispus and Gaius, and the household of Stephanas. But the chief use of his ministry was preaching the Gospel. These examples clear my text, that sacrifice and offerings by fire were not peremptorily refused by God from David, but that these outward services which might be performed by Hypocrites were no amends for David's great and provoking sin; there was somewhat else rather to be done, which God would accept better, which is set down in the next Verse. And we must apply ourselves to such srevice as will best please our God. 2 Let us consider David as a Prophet of the Lord, Sol. 2. and this Psalm published for the perpetual use of the Church: and so it hath regard rather to that kind of service which should ever continue in the Church, then to the Ceremonies of the present Law which in Christ should end. And so we may say in peremptory sense, that God desired not, delighted not in sacrifice. And referring these words to the time of the Gospel, they hold in fullness of sense. For this we have good warrant, sacrifice and offering Psal. ●0. 6. thou didst not desire: burnt offering, and sin-offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come, etc. This hath prophetical reference to the time of the Gospel, to the coming of Christ. 4 These sacrifices offered according to the Law were Heb. 10. the ordinance of God, yet the author saith: It is not possible that the blood of Bulls & Goats should take away sins. 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith: Sacrifice, and offering thou wouldst not, but Corpus aptâsti mihi: A body hast thou fitted for me. 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifice for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come. Verse 9 He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. This cleareth the place well: for the words having reference to Christ, the only true and sufficient sacrifice for sin, we may say with David: non desideras, non delectaris: thou requirest not, thou art not delighted with. So distingue tempora, distinguish the times, and all is well. 3 The service of God required both an outward and Sol. 3. inward man, outward and inward acts of Religion, both imposed by the Law. The outward service without the inward God desired not: The outward served only to express the inward. When the outward goeth alone, God goeth beyond non desidero, non delector: I desire not, I am not delighted, to an hatred and abomination thereof: as to the Jews. To Esay 1. 11. what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me: I am full, etc. When you come, Quis requisivit, Who hath required 12. them? Bring no more vain oblations, incense is abomination 13. unto me. New Moons, Sabbaths, solemn assemblies I cannot away with it, it is iniquity. My soul hateth 14. them, they are a trouble to me, I am weary to bear them. When you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes: 15. when you pray I will not hear. They that come to reconcile themselves to God for sin, must not think that God is taken with these outward things. In the first sacrifices that we read of in the Bible, Cain was refused, Abel was accepted. For God looked not, quid in manu: what in the hand, but qu● cord, with what heart. So David must be understood here: that God desired not sacrifices or burnt offerings, he delighted not in them: true it is he commanded them, but not for themselves, but as outward expressures of inward affection and zeal, and devotion, faith and repentance. Therefore it is said, by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, Heb●1 ●1. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉▪ by which he obtained witness of God, that he was righteous. By which faith, or by which sacrifice filled by faith he had that witness. David having so heinously offended God as you have heard, declareth, that outward service by sacrifices, is not the way of reconciliation. The Jews put too much confidence in this kind of worship, and we had need to rectify Religion in this point. Outward duties are severely exacted by the ordinance of God. But the desire of God is not to them, nor his delight in them: his Commandment and his desire, his precept and his delight, are a full sacrifice, outward and inward. When these are parted, it is not religion, but formal and ceremonial profession only. The outward service of God is but the body and carcase of the service: the inward is the soul; and as a body without a soul is dead, so is the outward without the inward. The Jews were very peccant in this kind, and placed their Religion much in these outward Ceremonies. The pharisees who were the Puritans of those times did affect outward appearances, praying and giving alms, and fasting, and disfiguring their faces to be seen of men: and all their austerity of life was in sight, to breed opinion of holiness, which Christ detecteth, and detesteth. This was the leaven of the pharisees that soured all the mass of their Religion. And David would teach us here, that God never desired these outward things alone, or for themselves, but for the better advancement of his service, 〈…〉 for the further and clearer remonstrance of our loving duty to him. For what careth God for any thing of ours, who have all that we possess of his free gift? And why may not an Hypocrite have as full an hand, though not as free an heart to offer sacrifice to God, as the most holy and devout servant of God hath? You see the lesson here read to you, that you must not think to please God with outward things alone, For except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of Scribes and Pharisees, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven. Scribes and Pharisees were for external worship, the most precise observers of the Law, that ever made profession of Religion. They did strive to overdo the law in many things therefore S. Paul calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most exquisite Sect of all. Acts 26. 5. The Law saith, six days shalt thou labour, the seventh rest. They divided their working days into three parts: One for Prayer. A second, for reading the Law. The third for Work. Two thirds they gave to God. In oblations to God, and in tithes they exceeded the Law, and gave more than was exacted. Two days in the week they fasted wholly from from all food: for alms, they gave beyond their ability: generally, in outward things they spared neither cost, no● pains to seem religious. Yet Christ putteth us to it, to exceed not their outward show and performances, but their righteousness. Here was hasty running, but it was out of the way: all this that they did might be done without any true righteousness. It is but so much more pain taken to go to hell. There is somewhat else in it, that we must look to, and that is delivered by David in the next Verse. Here is D●●iss●m, I had given, put off with non desidera●, 2. Doctr. non delectaris: thou desirest not, thou art not delighted with: which teacheth us to apply our service to the desire of God, to his delight. 1 To the desire to that which he requireth of us. 2 We must not stay there, but affect to delight God; which makes this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a fuller sacrifice. If God should say, he hath no delight in us, where were we then? As we must delight in the Lord, so we must compose ourselves in such sort as he may delight in us. The just are the jewels of the Lord, precious stones, and they must be well set: that in the day when he maketh up his jewels, we may be called his. Then shall we be as the apple of his eye: as the signe● on his right hand. If but two or three of these meet in the Name of God: God is in medio, in the midst. If they offer him a sacrifice, he smelleth a sweet favour of rest. These are Vines of his plantation: the wine which they yield doth please God and man. Let his desire and delight be the rule of our service of him, that his delight may be to be with the sons of men. Observe how holily proud God was of job, to Satan, Hast thou not considered my servant job▪ and of David, 〈◊〉 Davidem servum meum. I have ●ound David my servant. And to Cornelius the Angel of the Lord said, Thy prayers, and thine al●●s are come up for a 〈◊〉 before acts 10 ●▪ God. Come up before God: he taketh notice of them, delights in them. Come up for a memorial, God will not forget them to receive, to reward them. Coming to Church for fashion without devotion: hearing without desire to profit by it: entreating earnestly, and saying, good Master what shall I do, etc. And when we know, and God hath showed what is good, and what he requireth at our hands, and with what he is delighted; to go away sorrowing, as the young rich man in the Gospel did, is the mark of an Hypocrite. It is the Apostles argument of persuasion, To do good, and to distribute, forget not; for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased. Saint Paul speaking of their Fathers, saith: They were all under the cloud, they passed through the Sea, They were baptised unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea. They did all eat the same spiritual meat, and drank, etc. But with many of them God was not well pleased. 1. Cor. 10. 1 etc. What are all the benefits which we receive from God? or all the services that we perform to God, if God be not pleased with them and us? his favours turn to rods, and our services turn to injuries to him. O let us labour to please and delight our God: for in his favour is life: If the light of his countenance shine on us, we are well. Happy are we, that God will vouchsafe to receive us, or to take delight in any thing that we say or think, or purpose, or desire, or endeavour, or perform. Such dead dogs as we are, so laden with iniquities, so weak by our infirmities, so dark in our understandings, so cold in our zeal, and in all goodthings so imperfect: only for our desire to give him delight acceptable to him. VERSE 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, o God, thou wilt not despise. IN the affirmation, here David showeth what kind of Sacrifices God would rather have then burnt Offerings. This is such a sacrifice, as will never be out of fashion: When he comes, of whom it is written in the volume of the book, and when all the sacrifice● of the Ceremoni●● law cease▪ as shadows of things to come, giving place to the true substance and body of them: then this kind of sacrifice will last in season and fashion to the World's end. This is the sacrifice which God accepte●●, in and for itself. Such as the Apostle calleth of▪ I beseeth you brethren by the 〈◊〉 of God, 〈…〉 your 〈◊〉 a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Consider here, 1 The matter and substance of this Sacrifice, a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. 2 The necessity of this sacrifice, enforced from hence: it is the sacrifice of God. 3 The acceptation here of with God: O God, thou wilt not despise. 1 Of the matter. 1 Here is a double subject. 1 The spirit. 2 The heart. 2 Here hear the work which must be wrought upon this subject. 1 Breaking: a broken spirit. 2 Contrition: a broken and contrite heart. 1 The Spirit. 1 By the spirit it sometimes is meant in Scripture, the holy Ghost in the regenerate man, whereby he is sanctified in some measure. This Spirit was in Christ, in plenitudine, in fullness: and herewith he sanctified himself for our skies. Of this Saint john speaketh, when he saith, God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him. 2 Sometimes the name of spirit, is given to the breath of man. So God breathed into Adam the breath of life. 3 Sometime it is taken for the reasonable soul of man, which actuateth and anima●eth the body: and man thereby is anima vivens, a living foul: spiritus revertitur ad Deum qui dedit: The spirit returns to God that gave it. 4 Sometime ●● is taken for the intellectual part of man, which we call the mind. So the Apostle, For what ●●n 1. ●or. 2 11. knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of ●●in that is ●n him? So I take it here. This is the understanding and discu●s●ve power in man, whereby he comprehendeth the knowledge of things. This spirit of itself is not capable of divine knowledge: that is supernatural: Animal is ho●● non percipi● qu● sunt 1. Cor. 2. 1 Dei, n●que potest: the natural man understandeth no● the things of God, neither can ●e. For they are spiritually discerned, that ●●, by the help of a noble● and more excellent spirit then his is▪ even the Spirit of God. These divine mysteries are foolishness to the spirit of man. For this spirit judgeth by sense and natural reason, and is blind to behold things invisble, which are the object of a regenerate man's spirit. The eye of the natural spirit seeth things present only: the eye of the spirit regenerate, videt futura, sees things to come. 2▪ The heart▪ The heart is the proper seat of our affections: there dwell our hope, and joy, and love, and desire, our grief and fear, etc. It is the saurus cordis: the treasure of the hart: if it do hold good things, it is bonus the saurus, a good treasure: if it be the nest wherein Concupiscence hatcheth he● young, Then out of the heart come adulteries, murders, etc. The name of heart is often in Scripture extended to both these: both understanding and affections: here they be distinguished to make sure work that both of them may be wrought upon in the oblation of this sacrifice. So the name of spirit doth include the whole inward man: yet it is here named single in his more peculiar sense. Examples we have of both. 1 Of the heart, God saith: The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. Gen. 8. ●1. Where he understandeth not only projections casting about: but desires wishing, and purposes resolving this or tha●● wherein the whole inward man is contained. 2 For the spirit: so Malachi, Therefore take heed Chap. 2. ●. 15. to your spirit: where the whole inward man is meant. The subject then of this passion is the whole man: for the passions of the spirit and heart do afflict the body, and make a sacrifice of that also to God. So here is nothing of man left out: Sicut delictum, it ● penitency. As there is a fault, so there must be repentance: where the fault stained, repentance ●●●st wash. God loveth not unrighteousness, neither shall any evil dwell with him, from iniquit●● cordis, the iniquity of the heart, to iniquit●● calcan●i, the iniquity of the heel. 2 How this subject must ●e wrought upon. Here are two words used. 1 To the spirit, breaking. 2 To the heart, breaking and contrition. 1 Of breaking. The word signifieth such a breaking as cometh of smiting, which lameth▪ and maketh the body unable to perform the offices thereof. Or such as threshing, which quasheth and breaketh the straw. 2 Contrition. That is a word of more force, and betokeneth grinding. These words are used to express the mortification of the inward man. David spoke before of Gods breaking his bones, which is used to declare, 1 The inward vexation of the soul for sin, and fear of the indignation of God due for it. 2 The outward afflictions which God doth put upon sinners, to bring them to repentance. God's breaking of us thus is not enough to make us a sacrifice to God. We must also thresh, and smite, and grind our own spirits and hearts by a serious, and unfeigned, and full repentance, and then our spirit and our heart is a sacrifice acceptable to God. 1 For the breaking of the spirit, that is performed when we take away by strong hand our intellectual powers, and faculties, from all impertinent and vain speculations, and studies: when we bestow them all in the search of that excellent knowledge of Christ crucified, who is our way to heaven. So the Apostle esteemed to know nothing else. 1 Knowledge puffeth up, it is windy and swelling in many. This bladder must be pricked, and such as over-ween their knowledge, must be taught to know that they yet know nothing, sicut op●rtet, as they ought. Augustine amongst the heretics in his time notorious, Her. 6. nameth the G●osti●i, who took upon them singular knowledge. The wise son of I●k●h did not find this in himself, Prov. 30. ●● for he said, Surely, I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. I neither 〈◊〉 Verse ●. wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. If we cannot be sensible of our defect this way, but will needs over-esteeme our knowledge: the Prophet thresheth and breaketh such spirits with this universal elegy. Every I●r. 51. 17. man is brutish by his knowledge: when God looked down from heaven; he found: non est intelligent, there is none that understandeth. Wisdom had much ado, she called for audience in the street, on housetops, much and loud, she cried for audience. Yet they that think they know some what more than their neighbours, exalt themselves. This spirit must be broken ●in us. The Devils in this kind of light, do far out-●●●●e us: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, knowing creatures: and live we never so long, we shall never know so much as they do here. Socrates so famous in heathen story, as Saint Augustine saith, he was by the oracle declared the wisest of then living: got his honourable estimation of wisdom from the sense and profession of this, Hoc scio, quia nihil scio. I know this, that I know nothing. This superba scientia, proud knowledge, is a disease in our spiritual, and intellectual part which must be purged, and our spirits must be broken of it. For it is a great hindrance to our endeavour, to purchase more, when we think we have enough already. 2 Another disease of the spirit is, when we are overcurious in seeking to know above that which is written, which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. For I say through Rom. 12 3. the grace given unto me, to every one that is among you, not to think of himself more highly, than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of saith. Quasi nos arceat. Apostolus a perscrutatione rerum magis subtilium quam utilium. As if the Apostle restrained us from the search of things more subtle than profitable. So Lyra●us: quia qui perscrutator est majestatis, opprimetur à gloria, because the searcher out of majesty, shall be oppressed with glory. This ambition of unrevealed knowledge hath added so many fancies of men to the written Word of God, and pieced out the story of the Bible with many unwritten and legendary supplements, and traditions: and it hath moved many unnecessary cuestions in religion. This was the sin of Adam, and the fall of man in him, the loss of Paradise then, and willbe the loss of heaven for ever, if we desire to be like God in omnisciency. Some have intemperately busied their brains to inquire what God did in that immense eternity before the Creation of the World, before time was, and finding no work for him have determined, that Mundus is aeternus, the World is eternal: and so they evacuate the story of the Creation, and give Moses the lie. Others dream of more Worlds, as those Lunatics who think the Moon another World, such as this in which we live, and our World to be a Moon to them, as that is to us. Many beyond sobriety are overbusy in searching after things to come, prying into the secret closet of the Almighty, and desiring to be of his counsel for future events. The Devil took a great advantage of this, and set up Oracles for the nonce which abused many, and brought him much custom. From hence came the auspicia q. av●spisia, Divinations by the flight of birds. Auguria ab avium garritu, predictions, from the chirping and chattering of birds. Aruspices: such as divined by the inwards of beasts offered by their Priests upon their altars, by the colour of the entrails: the soundness of them, the motion, the flame, the smoke of the burning. Of this ● The King Ezech. 2●. ●●. of Babel consulted with Idols, he looked upon the liver. There were so many illusions in this kind to abuse the credulity, and to satisfy the curiosity of men ambitious of knowledge beyond their bounds, as that it grew into a kind of professed study and practice. The Augurs in Rome having privilege above all other Priests, for being convicted of never so heinous a crime, they never lost their office for it. Necromancy, Geomancy, Chiromancy, Hydromancy, Onomancy, grew hence. And all Magical conjurations effected by compact and stipulation with the Devil. These were studies, and books were written of them. Many that used curious arts brought Acts ●●. ●●. their books. I●nius out of the Syriack readeth, Multi magicam artem exercentes: Many that were exercised in the Magic art. For the Ephesians were very notorious this way▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, grew into a Proverb, concerning the magical inscriptions of amulets, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, charms worn about the neck. Our times are not free of this dotage, consulting wisemen and wisewomen, for things lost, for things to come: going to Ekro●, as if there were no God in Israel. The wise son of Syrach adviseth us well. Seek not things that are too hard for thee, neither search thou 〈◊〉. 3. 21, 2●. things that are above thy strength. But what is commanded thee, think thereon with reverence, for it is not needful for thee to see the things that are in secret. Be not curious in unnecessary matters, for more things are showed to the●, 〈◊〉 men understand. The spirit must be broken of these studies, they are diabolical, and do but fasten us so much more to the familiarity of that roaring lion, who playeth the cunning Serpent with us to deceive. 3 Another disease of the spirit is vain knowledge, when we spend our time in a frothy learning of hamane wit, neglecting the solid study of the way of our salvation. The reading of the books of time, the Chronicles and Annals of former ages: the judicious survey of the Histories of our own or other Nations. The industrious and ingenuous search into the excellent wisdom of the ancient Poets and Mythologists is no loss of time, where a sober discretion hath the menage of them; and these studies as handmaids do look upon the hand of their mistress: the doctrine of Godsfeare, and of the way of life. But when these take up the whole man, and recreations do turn to our set work: this overdoing in them; joined with neglect of that unum necessarium, one thing necessary, proves a disease in the spirit, and benighteth us so that we shall hardly find the way to Heaven. Our times have exceeded the former ages in the innumerous spawn of idle Pamphlets, and much of our little time is vainly cast away upon them. We must redeem the time, a talon for which we shall be answerable to our God; and break our spirits from these vanities also. The way to reform this is to propound to ourselves the knowledge of God, and him whom God hath sent jesus Christ in chief, and to use all other studies and arts, our own, and others wits to the advancing of this main science. And for that jushious and sensual delight which loser and lighter studies do bring, to fall out with it, and as the wiseman adviseth, to say to laughter, thou art mad, and to pleasure, what meanest thou? There is a sweetness in the Law of God, and in the holy study of his testimonies, which if our taste were rectified as david's was, would surpass the relish of honey, and the honey comb. But diseased tastes cannot relish this sweetness. When Saint Paul the chief learned man of the thirteen Apostles did come to himself, he esteemed to know nothing but Jesus 1. Cor. ●. 2. Philip. 3. 8. Christ and him crucified. Again, I think all things but loss for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Jesus my Lord, and dojudge them but dung, that I might win Christ. It is no easy matter to break our spirits from these plausible and delightful strains of wit: though we know, that it was the fall and ruin of man: he sought many inventions. The taste that hath been long used to the Onions and Garlic of Egypt, cannot like Manna the food of Angels a long time. But as Physicians for the body finding their intemperate patient's disease, do forbid them all kind of meats that fuel their disease, and limit them to a diet, with which they thrive well and recover health; so must our souls for cure of these diseases▪ be strongly kept from such studies and knowledge as do but increase vanity, and restrained to the Manna of God's holy Word, the most wholesome bread, and sincere milk, and strong meat of the inward man. Custom will wean us, and the sweet wholesomeness of this better diet, and the experienced vegetation and spiritual battening of the soul by it will in the end approve vain studies to be no better than the husks of the swine in a far Country. But the Word of God to be the bread of our own father's house, even the bread where with he feedeth his own family sufficiently: the bread that strengtheneth man's heart. And when we have once fed of this heartily, that we desire some drink to it▪ he will bring us to his house of C●●●. 2. 4. Prov. 9 5. wine: for whom he admitteth to eat of his bread, he inviteth also to drink of the wine that he hath mingled. Young stomaches affect raw and unripe fruits, & do charge their bodies with diseases thereby. It is a breaking and extreme pain to them to be restrained from them. So do young wits exercise themselves, and consume time in the raw fruits of green heads, and feed the appetite of their yet undiscerning spirit. All this must be unlearnt and forgotten to make room for saving knowledge, though we part with this, as Hannibal did from Italy, or Lot's wife from Sodom. 2 A broken heart. The heart is the firstborn in us, Nature's eldest son in the production of man. It is sovereign in the body, it rules and commands all the rest. In the Creation of it, in Adam, it was Cormundum, cor perfectum: A clean heart, a perfect heart: for all that he made was exceeding good. Since the fall of man, it hath gotten an ill name. The heart is deceitful above all things, Jer. 17. 9 and desperately wicked, who can know it? I the Lord search the heart. And you shall see how he found it generally in men. God saw that the wickedness of man was great in Gen. 6. 5. the earth; and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually: the margin of the King's Bible rendereth the word in full signification: Every desire and purpose of the heart. 1 God promiseth his people to take the stony heart out of E●●●b. 11. 19 their flesh. Here i● cor durum, an hard heart. Our hearts are hardened by the custom of sin. 2 There is cor pravum, an evil heart. Take heed that Heb. ●. 1●. there be not in any of you an evil heart of unbelief to depart away from the living God. This is an heart infected with the corrupt love, either of falsehood to forsake the truth of God, as Heretics; or of vanity to prefer the pleasures of this life before the good old way. This is the sin of filii sae●uli, the children of this world. 3 Cor perversum, a froward heart, he that hath a froward Prov. 1●. 20. heart, findeth no good. This is a peevish and contradictory evil nature, that cannot live under awe and rule, but resisteth the good motions of the Spirit. You have always Acts 7. ●1. resisted the Holy Ghost. 4 Cor laqu●us, the heart which is a snare, as the adulterous womans, Solomon saith, Her heart is snares and nets. Eccles 7. 2● Such hearts have all flatterers that gloze with us, and break our heads with their oil. Such have all impostors and deceitful fair-spoken pretenders of love, who secretly lie in wait to undermine us, and do us hurt. Such as face it for show to be religious, and have seven abominations in their hearts. 5 There is also a plaguy heart. So Solomon, What 1. Rig 8. 38. prayer or supplication shall be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart. In the diseases of the body, the venom and malignity of the disease hasteth all it can to the heart to destroy that, and there it endeth. But in spiritual diseases, the heart hatcheth and spawneth sin, the issue of concupiscence, and seminateth it in the affections and desires. For out of the heart come, adulteries, murders, etc. These be those painful swellings, and ulcerous sores which sin breedeth in the heart of man: a very plague in the heart. Yet for all this, our God saith to us, My son, give me thy heart: being so bad as it is, it is not worth the giving or receiving. Therefore to make it a sacrifice to God, we must break it. A broken and a contrite heart God will not despise. We must thresh and break, and melt and grind our hearts to make them a present for him. Two ways may the heart of man be thus broken. 1 By outward afflictions. 2 By inward compunction. 1 For outward afflictions. These are of great force to break an hard heart, to melt an iron heart, to humble a proud heart, to tame a rebellious heart, to recover a stray heart. God often worketh upon the hearts of sinners this way. And David found this physic very healthful to him. Before I was afflicted, I went astray: but now I keep thy Word. It was good for me, that I was afflicted. Saint Paul being to part with his friends, and seeing them all tears, for the grief thereof, saith, What mean you to weep Acts 21. 13. and to break my heart? The heart of man is easily broken with grief. Elijah grew weary of his life. So did Jonah, both desire of God that they may die. Job and Jeremy had their hearts so broken with sorrows that they abhorred life, and never did any more earnestly desire to live, than they did to be cut off from the land of the living. Many of these fits and sharp agonies come upon us: we find the Roman stories full of examples of those whom the outward crosses of life have so wearied, that they have preferred to die by their own hand, rather than to live out the furious assault of temporal disgrace or pain. We have losses in our goods, grief for our friends, heaviness for the loss of children, or their unthriving courses in the world, manifold sicknesses, molestation by suits, and such like grievances store. God is pleased to use these as means to break our hearts, and they do work with some: for in the day of their affliction they will seek God diligently. And when the judgements of God are upon the earth, the inhabiters of the world will learn righteousness. But an heart thus broken only with outward tribulations, is not always a sacrifice for sin. For murmurers, and malcontents, and envious persons, because they cannot have their will, do not only sicken and disease all the joys of life: but choke and strangle them, with immoderate vexation. If hearts so broken were a sacrifice to God: Cain, and Lamech, and Esau, and Ishmael, and Absalon, might plead for their acceptance with God: for in cain's countenance, in Lamechs' words, in Ishmaels' looks, in Esaeus tears, In Absalon's flight, we may discern what hearts they had: no question, much shaken, and broken with several vexations, because they could not have their will. 2 Inward compunction. St. Bernard putteth us into the way of it. 1 Looking up unto God. 2 Looking down upon ourselves. 1 Upon God if we look, we shall find▪ 1 What he hath been, and is. 2 What he is, and shall be. 1 What he hath been and is to us, 1 Factor a maker: for thy hands have made me and fashioned me. He made us, not we ourselves: we are wonderfully and fearfully made. Wonderfully, in respect of the privileges of man above all his other creatures, and fearfully, in respect of the danger he was in, in case of falling. 2 Benefactor: for notwithstanding our fall, to omit all other his favours, Misit, dedit filium: non pepercit: he hath sent he hath given his Son, he hath not spared him, and by him he offereth life and salvation. God is no debtor to us, that he should have so immense a sum of favours to pay us. Adam would have sought out him in the fresh of the morning, if it had been so. Let us but cast up the account of the favours of God to us, that is enough to break the heart, for full shame doth not only put us out of countenance, but out of heart also. Ad omnia reus es, pla●ge per singula, thy guilt is universal, let thy sorrow be universal. There is never a favour by us received from God, but it deserveth the thanks and obedience of our whole life. Many sins are punished only with shame here, the law presumeth that shame will break the heart, and remove the offence. Quânam front attolle oculos ad vultum patris t●● boni, tam malus filius? With what f●ce do I so wicked a son behold the countenance of so good a Father? Shame hath this power of breaking the heart, because in all ingenuous natures it is joined with grief, and grief grindeth the heart to powder. For how can we suffer it, to have our faces covered with confusion, and not to have our souls rend and torn with sorrow, when we consider how unthankfully we have requited God with evil for all the favours he hath done for us. When he pleadeth, What could I have done more for my Vineyard that I have not done! and shall say, If this had been too little, I would have done more: yet he looked for grapes, and lo, we have brought him forth wild grapes. Can this do less than engrieve our souls, and charge them with heaviness, even to the death? that for our corn and wine and oil, for the bread that strengtheneth our hearts, for the oil that maketh our countenance cheerful, for the wine that comforteth us, for rain and fruitful seasons, for peace and prosperity; we should grieve the heart of God and pain him with our sins, even to repentance that he hath made us! 2 Consider what he is and shall be to us. 1 He is: the Lord Jehovah is his name, he protecteth us in our being, he giveth us laws to regulate our conversation: and he saith to every one of us, Hoc fac & vives. Do this, and live. But we have set his laws light, and have cast his Commandments behind our backs. We have hated to be reform: God himself the Father of mercies, and God of all consolation cannot find out a way for mercy. How shall I be merciful to thee in this! God hath risen early to send his prophets to us: and they have stretched out their hands all the day long, in season, and out of season, calling upon us to hear his words, for they are sweet. The wise consideration and remembrance of this exceeding love and patience of God in forbearing us, of his wisdom in guiding us, leading us like sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron, compared with our sinful aberrations, and wilful oppositions to his Law may work upon us these two thoughts, which may break our hearts. 1 Quid fe●i? What have I done? It was Jeremy's complaint, that there was none in the people, that so bethought himself and cried, Quid feci? What have I done? Who audited his life, and called himself to account for his sins; but every man ran on in his sin, as an horse rusheth into the battle. But even-reckoning do make long friends. If we see upon the account that we have not to pay, at least with the servant in the Parable, let us ask mercy and crave a further day, and promise payment, that he may forgive us all the debt. 2 With the auditors of Peter, Viri fratres, quid faciemus? Men and brethren, what shall we do? When our hearts fail us, and we are at our wit's end, and all our cunning is gone, in this storm: Then Samuel the Lord's Prophet will say; God forbid, that I should ●inne against the 1. Sam. 12. 2●. Lord, and cease praying for you: but I will teach you the good, and the right way. Yea, God himself shall be thy teacher: He hath showed Mi●●●. 6. 8. thee, o man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee. May not our hearts melt within us, considering the time of light in which we have lived, that our ways should yet be taxed with darkness? That ignorance should now be charged upon us, after wisdom hath uttered her voice so long in our streets, and highways, and on our housetops? Insomuch as God cryeth unto us in complaint and grief. Why will you perish, o house of Israel? 2 Consider God as he shall be the judge of all our ways, of all our words, of all our thoughts. Shall I not avenge me of such a Nation as this? We shall all appear before the judgement seat of God: and every man shall give account to God of himself. What heart thinketh of this day, of this appearance, of this account, of this judgement, but it breaketh like a potter's vessel, it melteth like the fat of Lambs? For when God ariseth and awaketh as one out of sleep, as Noah awaked, and knoweth what his sons have done to him: Will not he rain snares to take us, that we may not escape his hail▪ stones, and coals of fire? The God whom we provoke is a jealous and a terrible God: it is a fearful thing to fall into his angry hands: when he ariseth to judge, the righteous shall hardly be saved. As Saint Bernard saith, Instaurat adversumme testes. He appointeth witnesses against me. These are of two sorts, it is a breaking of our hearts to hear either of them give in evidence. 1 His benefits. Victum, vestitum, usum temporis hujus & ante omnia sanguinem filii ejus. His food, apparel, the use of his time; above all, the blood of his Son. Would these several seeds of grace yield him no harvest? 2 Our sins, our folly trespassing his wisdom: our vanity offending his holiness, our falsehood his truth, our unrighteousness his justice, our presumption his mercy, and our rebellion his power. Saint Bernard in meditation of the account for this is all broken, heart and all. Paveo gehennam, paveo judicis vultum ipsis angelicis potestatibus tremendum, horreo verm●m rodentem, ignem torrentem, fumum, sulphur, tenebras exteriores. Quis dabit capiti meo aquam, & oculis meis fontem la●hrymarum, ut praeveniam fletibus meis, fletum & stridorem dentium, etc. Heu me, matter mea, ut quid genuisti me filium doloris, amaritudinis, indignationis & plorationis aeternae: natum in combustionem, & cibum ignis. I fear hell, I fear the countenance of the judge, to be feared by angelical powers, I fear the worm gnawing, the fire broiling, the smoke, the brimstone, the outer darkness. Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, that I may prevent by my weeping, the weeping and gnashing of teeth? O my mother, why hast thou begotten me, a son of sorrow, of bitterness, of wrath, of eternal wailing, born to be burnt, and to be meat for the fire? We are here convicted in two trials, and receive sentence of condemnation in both. 1 In the judgement of the Law which we have broken. 2 Of our conscience which pronounceth us children of darkness, and heirs of condemnation. When the sad consideration of these things hath broken our hearts and ground them to dust, than the nest of sin will be destroyed, and concupiscence shall not have where to lay her young. Observe the difference of true Religion from false. The gods of the Heathen do never exact such breaking of hearts of their worshippers. Let them have your eye, your tongue, your knee, your gifts, and keep your hearts to yourselves. For they know not whether you give them hearts or no. But our God will have our hearts, and he will have them thus broken! and there is no delaying or dallying with him▪ he searcheth us to the bottom, and trieth hearts and reins. We cannot deceive him with unreall semblances. The way to heaven is not so easy as most men deem it: We must suffer with Christ, if we will reign with him, his soul was heavy, and he was broken for our sins, when the 〈…〉 of our peace lay upon him. And we must rend our hear●● 〈…〉 not our garments, when we turn to the Lord▪ if we will have mercy and forgiveness. There is nothing that flattereth sin more in us then an opinion of the easiness of repentance. But if we observe David in this Psalm, we shall discern that there is no such tribulation as true repentance, it is a washing throughly, a rubbing and scouring with hyssop: it will cost hot and scalding water to purge the stains and blemishes of our life. It will cost the breaking of our bones: strong cries and supplications, that we may hear of joy and gladness. It will cost us a breaking first, than a new making of our hearts to fill them, a present for him who saith: My son, give me thy heart. And now what shall I say, and what shall I do unto thee, thou preserver of men? My heart is not worth the giving to thee: If we should search jerusalem with candles, should we find such a heart! O that Deut. ●. 29. there were such a heart (saith our God) in them, that they would fear me and keep my Commandments always! that it might go well with them, and with their children for ever. Our broken heart is such an heart: when our stubborn will is corrected and made pliant, and obedient to the will of God, when our love is taken away from the world and the things thereof, and fixed on the Lord. When our vast desires are limited to the seeking of the Kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof. When our flattering hopes are taken off from things temporal which profit not, and reach out to the promises of God which concern better things. When our luscious delights are no longer grazed on the green pastures of vain pleasure which saginate them to slaughter: but our delight is in the law of God, and in that law we do exercise ourselves day and night▪ When our strong endeavours and labours are not for bread that perisheth: but for that which feedeth to everlasting life. When our high flown ambition ceaseth to affect the false and unconstant honours of the world, and reacheth forth an hand to the never-withering crown of glory. When our fear is not of them that can kill the body, and there an end, but of him who can deliver soul and body to death eternal. When our grief is not for the punishments we suffer, but for the sins that deserve them. These be broken and contrite hearts. You see to what all that I have said driveth: even to stir up myself and you to a true repentance: which the Prophet calleth, the breaking up of the fallow ground of our hearts. Why should our hearts lie fallow and receive no seed, and bring forth nothing but weeds? It asketh culture, digging and ploughing to make it capable of good seed. No man casteth away seed upon fallow ground. If we would bring forth fruit to God, we must suffer the plough, the renting and tearing of the share: this is repentance. John began his preaching at repentance: So did Christ. And he sent forth his Disciples, admonishing men every where to repent. If destruction were within forty days of us: repentance would stand in the gap and keep it out. If the Decree were ready for birth, repentance would make an aborcement. If we be nailed to the cross of shame and pain, whereon we suffer justly: repentance will open Paradise to us. If our sins were grained in crimson or scarlet, repentance would wash us whiter than snow. If our iniquities had hid the face of God from us: repentance would uneclipse it, and our eyes should see our salvation. Our sins break the hearts of others. David weepeth for transgressors, here is sanguis vulnerati cordis, the blood of a wounded heart. O weep for yourselves and your children! 2 Sacrifices of God. This title given to these Sacrifices called Sacrificia Dei, the Sacrifices of God, doth show 1 The necessity 2 The excellency of them. 1 The necessity. No Nation was ever so irreligious, but it acknowledged and worshipped some God. Nemo simpliciter atheos. No man is simply an Atheist. And they thought him that they worshipped worthy of some oblations and gifts. It is one of the honours that inferiors do to their superiors, to present them with gifts. It is recorded of Israel, that when God had set Saul over them for their King, that the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and 1. Sam. 10. 27. brought him no presents. They are called men of Belial, i. sine jugo, without a yoke. But of Moab it is said, when David had subdued them 2 Sam. 8. 2▪ and they came under his yoke: The Moabites became david's servants, an● brought gifts. In the short story of the old World little is recorded of the acts of those persons who lived then. Yet this is of the two first brethren, before any Law expressed for it. In process of time it came to pass, that Gen 4. 3, 4. Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought of the first-lings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. No question instructed by Adam, and by him exampled to it, and seasoned with that axiom of nature, that God must have gifts from us. Aristotle that great Naturalist doth maintain, that gifts are of good use for conservation of friendship. Every good and perfect gift cometh to us from God. Thankful gifts returned from us to him, conserve his friendship. The Athenians, who worshipped an unknown God, Acts 17. 23. yet had an altar in the street, for oblations and sacrifices to be offered to him. Not David only saith, Quid retribuam Domino▪ What shall I render unto the Lord? But the people who had perverted their ways by many revolts from God, do bethink themselves: Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, Micah 6. 6▪ 7. and bow myself before the high God? Here is not care taken how to shift the charge, and to do it as cheap as may be. Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Here are gratulatory, and propitiatory, and expiatory sacrifices studied to remunerate and to reconcile God. It is true that God hath no need of us, or our gifts. If Psal. 50. 12. he were hungry, he would not make his moan to us. Yet these tenders of our thankful duty to him do acknowledge our love and humble subjection to his government, and confess him Lord of all that we possess, and stoop all that we have to his power and will. How glad are we when our Prince will receive graciously any such present as we are able to bring him? More should it concern us in duty to present our God with our gifts, and more cause have we of joy, if he do accept our persons in them. And seeing we cannot add any thing to him by any present that we can tender to him, for our welldoing extendeth not to him, yet we may at second hand do him honour in his house by adorning that: in his Saints, by feeding their hunger, clothing their nakedness, healing their sickness. And with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Now that we have seen in David's overture what is the most acceptable tender we can make to God, and that a broken spirit and a contrite heart are called the sacrifices of God: We behold the absolute necessity of these Sacrifices. For God must have his due. And they be no better than sons of Belial, that deny him his due herein. If we fall short herein, God will lay Felony to our charge, You have robbed me. Will a man rob God? Mal. 3. 8. but ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? in tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole Nation. God requireth of you broken spirits, and contrite hearts, and you withhold them from him. You will not endure the smart and pain of contrition. The loss of your vain fancies and imaginations. The crossing of your sensual and carnal delights and desires: the disquieting of the body of sin: your separation from the World. The mortification of your earthly menhers, the crucifying of your old man. The bringing of your body into subjection. Caro & sanguis, flesh and blood cry: Durus est hic sermo. It is an hard saying. And when God demandeth all we have of us, as Benhadad of Aram did of Ahab King of Israel, we put him off with this answer, This thing I may not do. ●. Reg. 20. 9 But remember the necessity of this Sacrifice of a broken spirit and a contrite heart: For these are Sacrifices to God, such as God exacteth of all, and without which there is no appearing in his presence. Let no man appear before me empty, is his Law: and we have no fullness but in this Sacrifice. How unkindly do we take it at the hands of God when we cry unto him, and he heareth us not, at least as one that did not vouchsafe us the hearing, he doth not grant our requests? Yet he may say of every one of us, of some twenty, of some forty, of others sixty years long and more have I been grieved with this generation. That is the shame, and it threateneth to be the sorrow of our unthankful Land. God hath not his due amongst us, though he give us rain and fruitful seasons, Corn and Wine and Oil, all the necessaries of life. We give him not the sacrifices of our broken spirits, and contrite hearts, which are the sacrifices of God. We come off liberally to men to purchase their favour and mediation in our suits, and bribe's given to men have robbed God of the Sacrifices due to him. Let us lay it to heart. I read of the Sybarites, a people effeminate and vain in their sensual delights, that they had a prophecy, that their City should subsist till their gods were in less estimation than men. It fell out that a slave obtaining no mercy at the hands of his Master for the gods take, fled to the monument of his Master's Ancestors, and for their sakes implored, and obtained pardon. When Amyris a Philosopher living there heard of this, that men were more regarded than their gods, he looked for a ruin to come upon the City, & fled away from it. Shortly after, the Crotonians their adversaries subdued them and fulfilled that Prophecy. We may take home this example to our times, and apply it to those with whom God is neglected, and men regarded more than God. Their voluptuous and Sybariticall life hath opened a way to the indignation of God. And they have no way to help it, but with a full Sacrifice of broken spirits and contrite hearts. We need not with the fearful Philosopher quit our Country, & forsake our habitations: let us remove our crying sins, by which God is dishonoured, and there will be peace within our walls, and prosperity within our Palaces. And the eyes of them that desire to see us in the dust shall fail, and the ruins of our hearts shall repair the ruins of our temporal Felicity. 2 This title expresseth the excellency of these Sacrifices, they be Sacrifices of God: For there be Sacrificia stultorum, the Sacrifices of Fools. Be more near to hear, then to offer the Sacrifice of fools: they know not that they do evil. cain's was not the Sacrifice of God, for his works were evil. The foolish Israelites did offer their sons and Psal. 1●6. ●● daughters unto Devils. Many of the Heathen were so transported with superstition and reverence of their false gods, that they spared not to offer up their children in burnt Sacrifices to them. They have burned their sons and daughters with fire Deut. 1●. 31. to their gods. Israel hath warning, not to do so. Yet they took no warning: For not onel● the King of Moab did this: For he offered his son the heir of his kingdom, for 2. Reg. 3. 27. 2. Reg. 16. 3. 2. Reg. 17. 17. a burnt-offering upon the wall: But Ahaz King of Judah made his son to pass through the fire. And we finds it one of the provocations, which incensed the Lord against Israel▪ to give them into deportation. Some think, that this evil custom grew out of the Commandment given to Abraham, to offer his Son. From whence was concluded that the greatest expressure of obedience put upon him, did teach it the exaltation and fullness of zeal in them that could find in their hearts to offer up their beloved children in sacrifice. Therefore in the consultation before urged in Micah, for the means of reconciliation to God this was one: Shall I give the fruit of my body, for the sin of my soul? But Abraham did not kill his son, he would have done it by virtue of God's special Commandment, and God approved his willing obedience, but held his hand from the act. For he will have mercy, and not sacrifice. I den● not but there is a strong demonstration of servant zeal in those that can afford to God such Sacrifices. But that which he requireth is more excellent, and toucheth us much more near the quick, as S. Austin, In to habes quod occidas, noli extrà thura qu●rere. Thou hast what thou mayst kill, in thyself: seek not Frankincense without thyself. This breaking of the heart and contrition of the spirit, is a sacrifice for God. Have we not heard of some whom the conscience of sin hath so afflicted, as they have not thought themselves worthy of any more life, but have died by their own hand? These courses are desperate and damnable, that is not it which God requireth of them: he doth not desire our bodies, a dead sacrifice. I beseech you brethren, that you give up your bodies a living Sacrifice. This is his will, Ut perceant crimina, non homines: that the faults perish, not the men. We shall find that a work of more sorrow and affliction then to kill the body. We have full examples in the books of time, of many that have made nothing of it to die by their own hand. But it is a Sacrifice only for God to destroy the body of sin in ourselves, and to preserve life for God's better service. For our sins be dearer to us then our children, than our life, than our good name, which should be valued more than life: then our precious souls. Doth not the drunkard prefer his drunkenness before his health, who knoweth that drunkenness destroyeth health? Doth not the covetous man love his wedge, and heap more than Heaven? Doth not the Wanton undo his body, his posterity, his very soul, for the fulfilling of his lust? Do not all sinners ●ell Heaven and eternal life for the feeding, and fewelling of their darling sins? Of all the lessons that we are taught in the house of God, none is so hard to learn, none so uneasy to practise as the doctrine of Repentance. Men are either transported with gluttony and drunkenness, and all they can get goeth that way, their belly is their God, and they make all these means Sacrifices to that devouring Idol. If they feed the hungry and quench the thirst of their brethren, their meats and drinks are sacrifices to God. Especially when we deny them to ourselves to relieve such, or we are transported with pride, and our back is our god, and Fashion is our Idol, and we consume all in vain adorn of our houses of clay, hanging them with the costly garish trappings of vanity. If we give one of our co●●● to cover the nakedness of our brethren, and spare our wool to keep them warm, that their souls may bless us for it; this garment so bestowed is a sacrifice to God. Or we are transported with ambition, and all our study is how to rise higher, our cares and desires, and our wealth are all sacrifices to that Idol of Ambition: but if we raise the poor out of the dust, & take him up from the ground, it is sacrificium Deo, a sacrifice to God. Was Saul's a sacrifice to God, when against God's Commandment 1. Sam. 15. 21. he spared the best of the spoil of Amalek, to offer it to God? Is not obedience better than sacrifice? Doth the Church of Rome offer God a sacrifice, when she presenteth the Shrines of the dead, and the Images of our Lady, and the Saints with rich gifts? They did so who ●er. 18. kneaded their dough, and made cakes to offer them to the Queen of Heaven, and poured out drink-offerings to other gods. Be there not many that sacrifice to their not, and burn Heb. 1. 16. incense to their drag, because by them their portion is fat, and their ●e●● plenteous? These make themselves their own Idols, and kiss their own hands, and thank their own wits for all the good that cometh to them, they never look up so high as God, to give him thanks for any thing. But when all is done, this only is a sacrifice to God; when we break our hearts and spirits, and grind them with sincere contrition for sin, destroying the nest wherein lust teemeth her brood of iniquity. This putteth away the leaven which soureth all our actions and devotions, and turneth our very prayers into sin. The excellency of this sacrifice will more clearly appear in the following portion of my text. These brokenhearted persons are such as God delighteth Isa 57 15. to dwell with, that he may revive the spirit of contrite ones. To such only is the Gospel sent: He hath sent me to bind Is●●●. 1. up the brokenhearted. These be mourners, they not only bewail their own sins, but their eyes do run rivers of waters for those that ●●ep not the Law. They are grieved for transgressors. One of these is health to a City, all fare the better for him, Lo●s righteous▪ soul was vexed with the ungodliness of Sodom. God warned him out: his Angel pulled him out, and he desiring a place to retire to, the Angel hastened him thither, saying, Haste thee, escape thither, for I Ge●. 19 ●2. E●●b. 9 4. cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. These mourners are privileged from the fury of Gods destroying Angel, his mark is upon them: they must be spared in the day of God's visitation. Come not near any man upon whom is the mark. They have eyes pickled in their tears: they have voices hoarse with crying upon God for mercy: they have souls cloven to the pavement: they have souls heavy unto death: their countenance is cast down. Their Harps are turned into mourning, and their organs into the voice of them that weep. Their whole bodies and minds and souls are living sacrifices, holy unto God, and therefore acceptable: for so it followeth, God will not despise them. Here ariseth a Quaere. Now we have seen the excellency and necessity of these sacrifices: What hindereth, that we do not offer them up to God continually? We do bear about us a body of sin, and in it these hindrances Sol. of this excellent and holy service. 1 An overbold presumption of the favour and remissness of God in putting us to this pain. 2 An over-delight in our works of darkness, and the forbidden pleasures of life. 3 A natural slothfulness in doing such things as carry with them painfulness in the doing of them. 4 A natural tenderness of ourselves whereby we do favour our own flesh, and cannot put it to grief. 5 The cares of life. I Presumption on the favour of God to us. We think the word more severe, and the kill letter of it more cutting than it need to be, and the minister of this word more harsh than is cause. We confess, that for terror these things are set down, and the Ministers must threaten us with heavy judgement, if our hearts be not broken. But it is God who is veiled in the parable of that Master, to whom his servant deep in his debt came and besought him for favour: and he forgave him all the debt. So we confess, that this sacrifice of broken hearts is a due debt: but our Master is so gracious and pitiful to forgive it all. There be many fair spoken texts that seem to nourish this presumption in us. As a father hath compassion of his children, so hath the Lord compassion: but it is on them that fear him, not on them that presume on him. And the parable of that father of the prodigal, who did not so much as chide his unthrifty son, but met him afar off, fell on his neck, welcomed him with a kiss, and feasted, and clothed him, doth express a great tenderness. But let no man presume upon that, for that son came home with a broken hart, Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee. Non sumdignus vocari, & fac me unum ex mercenariis tuis. I am not worthy to be called: and make me one of thy hired servants. His father was sensible of his contrition, he was lost by his sin, and found in his repentance: he was dead by the wound of his own conscience, and made alive by his father's favourable pardon, receiving him again to his grace. And the servant to whom his master forgave all his debt, was put to his miserere, have mercy: his master saw his heart broken with the grief of his debt, and heard his willing protestation to pay all, and received his humble supplication for mercy. God is a loving Father, but not indulgent; he loveth not so, but that he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth: for ●ods are for the backs of fools. judgement beginneth at the house of God, and the righteous are hardly saved. Saint Peter would put any man out of heart to presume too much upon the favour of God: for by three great examples he declareth the severe justice of God against sin. For if God spared not the Angels that sinned, but cast them down to Hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgement: And spared not the old world, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly, ●urning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly: The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, & to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished. 2. Peter 2. 4. Presumption doth make an Idol of God; for it advanceth the mercy of God against his holiness which hateth sin; against his truth which threateneth sin; against his justice which punisheth sin. Presumption crucifieth again the Lord jesus, and layeth on more stripes upon him. Presumption resisteth, grieveth, quencheth the holy Ghost, by whom we are sealed to the day of Redemption: and so boldly trespasseth the whole Trinity. I need not urge any other evidence against presumption on the favour of God, than his severity against his own Son, Misit, dedit, non pepercit, non fuit dolor sicut. He sent, he gave, he spared him not, there was no sorrow like unto his. And was this to quite us from all passion? No: if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him: he did not drink of a sponge of vinegar and gall. Transeat calix. Let this cup pass from me. He began the health of his Spouse the Church: all the faithful must do him right, they owe him a pledge. Some are put to it to suffer for him, none are exempt from suffering with him. This is the least and easiest plunge we can be put to, to break our hearts with contrition for our own sins ò mihi tum quam molliter ossa quiescent! o then! my bones shall take their sweet repose. When I can tender to my God a broken heart; no laceration, no dissipation of it can so unfashion it, but that he can put it together again; like the dry bones in Ezech. Vision, and say unto it, live. In our mortification it dieth a natural heart, in our first resurrection, it riseth again a spiritual heart. I conclude with David's suit, O keep thy servant from presumptuous sins, that they have no dominion over me: so shall I be innocent from the great offence. 2 A second impediment to the sacrifice of a broken heart is an over-delight that we take in the vain pleasures of life. God was pleased to make a singular trial of two men in two contrary ways, for example of others. 1 He made trial of his servant Job by afflictions, they came upon him suddenly, and they came thick. In all the things wherein he had blessed Job above most men, he afflicted him beyond example. In his honour & authority he tried him with disgrace and contempt. In a fair posterity he tried him with orbity. In his abundance of riches he tried him with poverty. In his friends with paucity; he had few left, and they proved grievous to him. In his health he afflicted his body with painful and loathsome diseases and sores. Yet you have heard of the patience of Job, saith the Apostle, he came off fair. In all this job sinned not, neither did he charge God foolishly. 2 His servant Solomon he tried with honour, riches, and power, with victory over his enemies, and the cup of temporal pleasures, of life, he made to overflow: never did any man on earth drink so deep of that cup. In this trial Solomon miscarried, pleasures stole away his heart: Solomon lost his▪ integrity, his wisdom wherein he excelled all that were before him was benighted in him, the salt in him was infatuate. Such power have worldly pleasures against wisdom. See his Ecclesiastes, his recantation, you shall see how he declareth himself against them, pronouncing them all vanity and vexation of spirit. It is an old Proverb, Fortis in bello, sapiens in ira, amicus in adversis. Strong in war, wise in anger, a friend in adversity. This is the Purgatory in which these are tried. If they comefairly off in these probations, we esteem them approved. I may add hereunto, that a true Christian is tried also in temptations of pleasure. joseph was not so put to it either in the pit wherinto his brethren let him down, or in the hands of the stranger Merchants into which he was sold: not in the prison where his feet were in the stocks, and the irons entered into his soul; as in the hand of his Mistress, when she laid hold of him, and said, lie with me. Pleasures corrupt our understanding, and cast our reason and judgement into a dead sleep. They steal away the heart. There is none that understandeth and seeketh after God. Non est Deus in viis corum, God is not in their ways. God sends Ezech. to jerusalem on this errand. Son Ezech. 16. 2. of man, cause jerusalem to know her abominations. For as Eliphas saith in job, Man believeth not that he erreth in job 15. 31. vanity, therefore vanity shall be his change, His branch 32. shall not be green, but shall be cut off before his day. Epaminondas is recorded a rare example of staidness, that was able to walk sadly and gravely, nothing moved with the vain delights of the people, whose hearts were all set upon a merry pin, on their wanton holiday. It is a great example of Israel, being in pursuit of the Philistines, when Saul had cursed him with a curse, that should eat any food till night, that he might be avenged on his enemies. The story saith, The men of Israel were pressed 1. S●●s. 14. ●5, 26. etc. with hunger. And all they of the Land came to a wood where honey lay upon the ground And the people came into the wood, and behold the honey dropped, and no man moved his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath. We are in pursuit of three dangerous enemies, the Flesh, the World, and the Devil. We have taken an oath in our Baptism to fight strongly and constantly against these. Fasting is one of our weapons, we shall not want the sweet temptation of honey, that is of pleasure dropping before us, enticements to break our fast. Let us remember our early oath sworn to God in our Baptism. Let us keep a devout fast from all sinful delights: what though it cost us a pinching and pressing bunger? This is the way to get victory of our enemies before night: for when night cometh, we can no longer work. Pleasant to the eye, and delectable to the taste was the forbidden fruit. But nakedness and the loss of Paradise; the sweat of the face, and the multiplied sorrows of Childbirth followed eating: our first parents were no longer happy than whilst they were fasting. It will be a very hard matter to persuade a man in the vanity of his pleasure to offer God a sacrifice of a broken heart. For in our full dishes and overflowing cups we cannot remember Ioseph's affliction, we shall hardly then arise from our banquet to visit him, and suffer with him. There is nothing in the world that so dimmeth the sight to behold the course of God's judgements in the World: nothing so deafeth the ear against the Word that runneth very swiftly: nothing that fatteth the heart to slaughter; so much as pleasure doth. If Iobs●onnes ●onnes feast, job feareth and sacrificeth: lest they should offend God in their mirth. It is a spiritual kind of martyrdom to abstain from pleasures when they are in our power, as Bernard, Inter epulas esurire: To be hungry amidst banquet●: as Israel did when the honey dropped, and lay on the ground, to tread upon it, and pass over it. Natural death doth not spare us for our business, for our delights: and jobs children were surprised with a violent death, when they were feasting. Mortification which i● the breaking of our hearts, the thrashing & grinding of our spirits should be so willing, so 〈◊〉, so peremptory, as to do execution even upon the body and soul at a short warning, not regarding the present delights of the world: l●st another gi●d us and carry us whither we would net, lest like Haman we be harried from the Queen's Banquet, to the tree of execution. A third impediment of this Sacrifice is a natural slothfulness in us to do those things that have any painfulness in them. S. Paul's precept is. Not slothful to do service. The slothful will not plough, because of Winter, therefore he shall Rom. 1●. 11. Prov. 20. ●. beg in ●ummer, but have nothing. Ever since our first parents tasted the forbidden fruit, that sweet meat had sowre-sawce: Man was made for travail; and he that would not labour, might not eat. So when we pray, panem nostrum, our bread, we mean not the bread of idleness: for there is no ●read ours, but what we labour for: so they go together in the sentence, Insu●ore vultus tui vescêris pane tuo. In the sweat of thy race, shalt thou eat thy bread. And we must labour for the bread that endureth for ever. We must work out our salvation. It is an idle pr●tense to cry out, Le● est in usae. There is a Lion in the way. We know, that our adversary the Devil, goeth about like a roaring Lion: there is no way out of his walk. He compasseth the earth to and fro: we must resist him. The Apostle hath fitted a Panoply to arm us against him. We must fight a good fight. Vincen●i dabitur. To him that overcommeth shall be given. If we be so idle that we will not stir, or so faint-hearted that we dare not see our own blood, or so pitiful that we cannot find in our hearts to destroy such an enemy, our own idleness is our ruin. It is one of the greatest tasks that ever thou undertookest by thy repentance to break thine own heart. Thou hast armies against thee within thyself to preserve it from contrition and breaking. 1 All thy imaginations of thy thoughts, for they are only evil: these are an innumerous army, the mi●●tia, warfare of the brain. 2 All thy affections and passions which proceed from the heart, these are all cardiacal. 3 All thy sins which Concupiscence hath brooded in thy heart, the nest of them all. These are the militia, warfare of the heart, Nate Deo, potes hoc sub casu ducere somnos o born of God, in troubles deep and midst of anguish canst thou sleep? The man of God that fighteth these battles must not be idle. The true cause of this spiritual idleness in us is the reluctation of our corrupt nature to the work of our own salvation: for our progression of our nature is easy, the way lieth all down-hil, our sailing is with wind and tide, and he that maketh his voyage for Hell, may ship his oars, and never needeth cut sail. But to stem the tide of nature asketh more, it comes to Hic labour, hoc opus est: This is painstaking with a witness; and requireth, Multa tulit fecitque, even to sudavit & alsit. He suffered much and sweat, endured cold and heat. Me thinks, I hear the Master of the Vineyard say to us, Quid statis hîc otiosi? Why stand you here idle? How easily did God make man, and a paradise for man? But for his Vineyard, we read of digging, and fencing, and building, and weeding: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, think on it. A fourth impediment, our tenderness of ourselves: Every man is his own Satan, and saith, parce tibi, spare thyself. No man ever hated his own flesh, All the work of mortification which belongeth to the breaking of the heart is very grievous to flesh and blood, For behold this 2. Cor 7. 11. thing, that ye have been godly sorry, 1 What carefulness it hath wrought in you. 2 Yea, what clearing of yourselves. 3 Yea, what indignation. 4 Yea, what fear. 5 What vehement desire. 6 What zeal. 7 What revenge? Here is a great burden to be born, and here is a cross, that flesh and blood hath no heart to take up. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, study: this word doth comprehend, 1 Great inward carefulness to please God, in abstaining from sin. 2 Earnest endeavour to do that which may be acceptable in God's sight. 3 Speed and cheerful expedition to accomplish this. We need go no further in this duty, than that care that we take for our temporali good: let our souls be as precious in our sight as our bodies are, and let us do as much for God, as for the World. So the Apostle: As you have given your members servants to unrighteousness, etc. 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this signifieth defence to plead our cause with God, not in the Court of justice, for our merits will not justify us: but in the Court of mercy, for our true Repentance will exonerate us. 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sorrow, of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, valdè, greatly, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, onus. We must groan under the burden of sin, for Repentance doth not satisfy of itself▪ and our excuse and defence of ourselves doth not take away our just vexation of ourselves for our sins, Considering, 1 Who we are, 2 Against whom we sin. 3 How much, and long. 4 For how small gain. 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, fear: this extendeth both to 1 The judgement following, our sins committed, 2 The conscience of our frail condition and propension to sin, which must make us fearful of Relapses, and temptations to new sins. 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, vehement desire: the indignation before mentioned, and the fear serve to pluck us back: this desire is a spur to put us on. Lord, all my desire is before Psal. 38. 9 thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee. Here sin beginneth at a vehement desire of evil: and this must be changed, the same earnestness retained, only the object thereof better chosen. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, zeal: this is that fire from heaven, which consumeth the light crash of our vanities, and inflameth the desire before named: this carries up our prayers, and alms, and all our good affections, and operations as high as heaven. This breedeth in us an holy emulation of our brethren, whereby we strive to exceed one another in the duties of Religion. The Apostle would have us servant in spirit. 7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, selfe-revenge: this is judging and punishing ourselves, that we may escape the hand of God. Cast●g● corpus ●ncum, I chasten my body. This is done by watching, fasting, and depriving ourselves of the pleasures of sin. God who cannot endure us to revenge our own quarrel against others, likes our revenge taken against ourselves. The true penitent doth afflict his soul, and is all bitterness of heart for sin: he taketh up his cross and followeth Christ. This amounteth to a great deal more then, Lord have mercy upon us. And it is so much that when we come to examine whether our hearts be truly broken, we shall very few of us find this work done: for fear of the grief and pain that are in true repentance. For it is truth that there is no such affliction in the world as a true breaking of the heart is. 5 Impediment, the cares of life. These break the heart the wrong way: for we have many fears which much disquie●us. 1 From ourselves, lest our own improvidence should undo us, if we should take so much time from our necessary businesses, as the duties of Religion do exact; this makes many keep home, when they should be at Church, and the world will not give them leave to serve God. 2. From our brethren, for every man commonly is so much for himself, as abateth the help we should have one from another. And so many lie in secret await to mend their own heaps, by lessening and impairing their neighbours, that a curious warmesse is necessary. And this it is that maketh our life a continual watch to save our own from the injury of men, of Christians. There is a contentious sort of men that are ever vexing their brethren with molestation of suits. There be base people that are prying what they may pilfer. And there are cunning cheaters that practise upon their brethren by frauds. The truth is: here is enough for us all: for the earth God hath given to the children of men. If they that have most of it would know that their full cups should overflow to the use of their brethren, and would so dispose the over-measure, there could be no want. God is much displeased, 1. Because we generally do want the faith of his providence, not caring for him only, and casting all our other cares upon him. 2. Because we walk inordinately: for we should first seek the kingdom of God: and then all these things. 3 Because we distract our hearts with immoderate care, as if God had set us here to feed ourselves: Christ dissuadeth and forbiddeth this. 4. Because often enough doth not content us: we do love to have to look upon. 5 Because in the use of these outward things, many take more than their share, wasting and consuming more than needs. There may be found for use enough, which waste will soon consume. Christ chose a poor condition of life, such as required other men's charity to relieve it. The bag that Judas bore, was not of rents, but of alms; he sent to a fish in the sea for money to pay tribute. He fed many by his miraculous power: he showed his power upon himself rather in fasting then in feasting himself. Yet having nothing, his followers could confess they wanted nothing. 1 I confess that too much love of the world, and the iches thereof, 2 And too many ways for expense; pride, gluttony, drunkenness, ambition, contention, luxury, spend apace. 3 But the poor do harden the hearts of the rich against them, 1 By their idleness. 2 By their dishonesty, and falsehood. 3 By their waste. 4 By their unthankfulness. To settle the heart against this distraction of cares, 1 Think how these cares came first in ● for God placed man in a Paradise, in full possession of all things necessary for him: sin shut him out thence, and lodged him where Luctus & ultrices posuere cubilia curae, Sorrow and care residents are. Let us labour by repentance to remove sin, and cares will give way presently. 2 Let us see how far by the sentence of the judge upon man our ●●re is extended. We shall find that the tartness and acrimony of the sentence is sweetened with a blessing: for in judgement God remembreth mercy. The sentence is, In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread, till thou return to the ground. Here is, Gen. 3. 19 1 In sudore, in sweat; this sweat that cometh of labour and exercise is wholesome, and preserveth health: labour is now enjoined. Qui non laborat, ne manducet. He that labours not, let him not eat. This is no such great affliction: for we can be well content to sweat at our pleasures. 2 In sudore Faciei, in the sweat of thy face: he saith not, In angore cordis, in sorrow of thy heart. Omni custodia custodi cortuum: With all keeping, keep thy heart: Mi fili praebe mih● cor: My son give me thy heart. Christ: ne turbetur cor vestrum, let not your heart be troubled. 3 Vescêris, thou shalt be fed, if we go not further. A small matter may serve: for food Nature is no great demander: here is no gluttonous waste allowed. 4 Pane, with bread: this is all we may ask of God. Panem nostrum, Our bread. And no further should our care strain then the necessaries of life, and no other way, then in the way of our calling. 5 Donec, until: for we shall not be always drudges to the flesh, we have our donec, until, and then all the cares of life determine. They that will study and labour for bread for posterity, may overdo. Father's are allowed to lav up for their children; but let them take heed they cast them more upon God's providence then their own provisions for them, lest God blow upon them. You may observe it, that commonly such as rise to wealth from low beginnings, are commonly most careful to heap up for their children. None trust God less than they, and no estates are sooner blasted than theirs. God never intended when he placed us in the world, to make us for the world, he set our face a better way. Many have found the cares of this world such hindrances to repentance of sins, such encreasers rather of sin, such remoras to godly life, that they have freely abandoned the world, and embraced a necessitous poverty rather than they would tear themselves with these thorns. 3 The acceptation of this sacrifice with God. O God thou wilt not despise. There are none more despised in the world amongst the braves and gallants of the earth, than those who go mourning all the day long for their sins. But O God thou wilt not despise such. How many great adulteries, murders, and soul sins have been committed by Kings and great persons? But what say the books of time or what can our observation of our time testify of broken and contrite hearts for them? Our comfort is, if grace do so far prevail against corrupt nature to sanctify it to true repentance, God will accept it: we shall do well to see some examples of broken hearts, and how they have been accepted with God. 1 Of Solomon, who after his surfeit of all temporal pleasures, made a whole book of recantation and repentance, wherein he calleth all those pleasures of life which had carried him away from God, Vanity and Vexation of spirit, vanity of vanities; and concluded, that the end of all things is to fear God, and keep his Commandments. How God accepted him we need no other proof, than that book of the Preacher received into the Canon of holy Scripture. 2 Of Manasseh king of Judah: for his sins were high grown, and like an harvest of corn, yellow for the sickle of divine vengeance. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, like to the abominations of the heathen. What his Father Hezechiah had done to remove idolatry he undid, & built up again the abominations which he had ruined. He made his children pass through the fire: he used witchcraft; erected an Idol in God's house; wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. A greater sinner I read not of them Manasseh was. And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, 2. Chron. 33. 12. and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers, and prayed unto him, and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem, where he brought forth fruits worthy of Repentance. For he fortified the City of God, he removed the Idols which he had set up, and he repaired the Altar of the Lord, and offered peace-offerings thereon. 3 Of Mary Magdaleno the sinner: whose broken and contrite heart had comfort in the pardon of her sins, and Christ's first appearance to her. 4 Of the poor Publican, who came his own accuser into the Temple, and went away justified more than the proud Pharisee. 5 Of Simon Peter, upon whom Christ looked, and that look sent him forth to weep bitterly. And his Master forgave him, and employed him in his Church. Such is the unlimited loving-kindness of God to broken Isa. 61. 1. hearts. For Christ was sent of purpose to bind up the brokenhearted. The Apostle saith, that there is breadth, Eph. 3. 18. and length, depth, and height in the love of God. 1 For breadth; The earth is full of the mercy of the Psal. 33. 5. Lord. 2 For length: His mercy is for them that fear him, Luk. 1. 50. from generation to generation. 3 For depth: Where sin aboundeth, grace superaboundeth. Rom. 5. 20. 4 For height: Thy mercies are exalted above the Psal. 108. 4. heavens. 1 In breadth, like the garment of Sem, and Japhet, which covered their Father's nakedness. 2 In length, like the ladder of Jacob, whose foot on earth, whose top reached heaven. 3 In depth, like the Red-sea which swallowed Pharaoh and his hosts. 4 In height, like the ascension of Christ into heaven, seen till a cloud involved him. For our God is gentle, mild, and gracious, and passeth by offences. Let Jacob repent, and he seeth no iniquity in him. God's pardon healeth broken hearts: for it removeth sin. In those Isa. 50. 20. days (saith the Lord) the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve. Sinners converted joy him: how welcome was the Prodigal to his Father? he had not so much as a chiding for all his looseness, and waste. There is joy in heaven over every convert. David hath done for himself, here he endeth his suit for himself. By this shutting up of David's penitential supplication in a broken and contrite heart, I conclude: 1 That in an arraignment for sin, there is no plea of good works: David had the conscience within him, and the testimony without him of God and the Church, that he had served the Lord, and had walked in all the ways of the Lord with all his heart, save only in this matter. Yet this one matter cannot be answered without the exact fullness of repentance. Here is no setting off of any sin, for some singular good work before done. The sin that he hath committed doth extinguish the light of all his former righteousness, as if it had never been. But when the righteous turneth away from Ezech. 18. 24. his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, all his righteousness, that he hath done, shall not be mentioned. The Luk. 18. 10. Pharisee might have passed with us for a devout and an holy man, if Christ had not detested him. 1 He went up to the Temple to pray, which was an exercise of devotion. 2 I here he prayed with himself: though in a public place, he had a private prayer: here was no vain ostentation in sight. 3 He rejoiced in two things, which have reference to the two duties of Repentance. 1 Cease to do evil: for he saith, I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, nor as this Publican: not like them in their sins: But I thank thee for it. 2 Learn to do well: I fast twice, I give tithes, &c but we refer this also to I thank thee. The Publican had another bearing, which became humble repentance well. But the Pharisee, for any thing I can discern, might have passed for an holy man, if Christ himself had not detected him. I tell you, this man went down to his house. Yet observe the Text: He went justified more than the other; the other not altogether unjustified. 2 This directeth me in the deduction of a second conclusion, that a broken and a contrite heart for sin is as safe rest for the soul, as the conscience of a good life. This appeareth in the direction between the state of our innocent creation, and our costly redemption. For our creation set us in a way of happiness, rather in possession and fruition of happiness, but such as might be lost; but our redemption bought us a never-withering crown of glory. Our holiness of life may be corrupted as david's was, but our contrite and broken spirit none can heal but God only; and because it is his sacrifice, he will not despise it. In all the examples of repentance abovementioned, we see how firmly the Penitents stood upon that ground, for that put away all their former sins, and established them in the good favour of God. Therefore David having this sacrifice ready, and now tendering the same to his God, doth cease further soliciting of God for himself, and beginneth as one fully reconciled to God, to solicit him in the behalf of his Church as followeth. From whence we draw this exhortation: Let us all labour our repentance as the most needful work of all. We must charge all our afflictions upon our sins, and we have but this one way left to repair us, to redeem the favour of our God to us, even our repentance. One joint sacrifice of broken hearts, and whole hecatombs of contrite spirits would mend all that's amiss. Let us therefore commence a just war against our own corruptions and sins: it is not enough to conquer the weak Island, to destroy the vines, the fuel of our drunkenness, to possess the towns and villages, the habitations of sin in the outward members of the body. There is in every one of us a strong Fort, an hard and stony heart, fortified against all piety and holiness, where Satan as a strong armed man holdeth possession, this Fort and strong hold, this propugnacle of sin, this heart must be broken. Let us bend all our battery against that, and see to it, that the world, the flesh, the devil may not supply it, and then the day is ours, and to him that overcometh shall be given a crown of life. Nothing overcometh this Fort of sin in our hearts, nothing breaketh them so soon as, 1 A good watch kept, that they may take no rest. 2 Fasting, to starve the body of sin. 3 Weeping to open the sluices and drown it with our tears. 4 Praying: for our Amaleth within us cannot stand, if our souls like Moses hold up their hands in prayer to the God of our lives. 5 An holy implacable fury against it, never to give over the assault, till we have brought it to subjection. This fort thus conquered, the Island is ours. VERSE 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of jerusalem. HEre beginneth the second part of this Psalm, containing the prayer of David for the Church. From the sequence of this prayer observe. When we have by true repentance 1. Doctr. made our peace with God for ourselves, we have access with boldness to the throne of grace, to put up petitions to God. The Reason is: Our sins do separate our God and Reason. us. So Isaiah▪ But your iniquities have separated between Isa. 59 2. you and your God: and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. David confesseth: If I regard Psal. ●6. 18. wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. God treating with a sinful Nation, a people laden with iniquity, Isa▪ ●. showeth them the way into his favour. 1 Wash you, make you clean. 2 Come now let us reason together, saith the Lord. David confesseth because of his iniquities which are an heavy burden to him, I am troubled, I am bowed down Psal. 38. ●. greatly. When we should lift up our heads, our eyes, our hands, to God: our sins confound us with shame, we ●ile from the presence of God, they shake us with fear, we are afraid of his judgements. But true Repentance doth wash us so clean, and reconcileth us so perfectly to our God, that we dare come in fight, we dare present God with our requests: We seek the face of God, when we ail any thing; every grief of our persons, or of the state in which we live, sendeth us presently to God for remedy. In affliction we seeks God ●●●●. 1●. early. We seek him, but we find him not always, we ask of him, but he granteth not our requests: we cry loud to him, but he heareth us not: and we take it ill to be denied, to be delayed. Saint James gives us the reason; Ye ask and receive 〈…〉 4 3. not, because you ask amiss. There is mors in olla, death in the pot, there is sin in the heart, our fountain is empoisoned, the waters of it are corrupt. Hose directeth a speeding way, o Israel, return to the Ch. 1●. 1, 2. Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thy iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord, say unto him. Take away all inquity, and give good; so will we render the calves of our lips. In this course of removing our sin first, we shall make way into the favour of God. God's people lost their costs and labour in their Sacrifices and solemn worship of God, and nauseated the soul of God with them, because of their iniquities. These return our prayers empty handed from God: yea, these do turn our prayers into sin. When the Prodigal son returneth penitent to his father, all is for given and forgotten, and his father now rejoiceth more in him then he did before. He was all rags, he needed not to ask raiment, his father called for it, stolam primam, the best robe: he came home hungry, he demanded not food, his ambition was but bread: the fat Calf was killed for him: he was received with music and dancing. The bent of the Parable, and the other two of the lost sheep, and the lost groat, is to show that repentance putteth us into a better state of favour, than we had before: For where sin aboundeth, grace doth superabound. I may give two reasons of it. I Here God taketh occasion to open the bowels of his tender compassion, and to declare his mercy, which is over all his works. 2 True Repentance is an act of so much anguish and bitterness, it is for the time a frying in the flames of hell: that no man would have the heart to undergo the torments of it, if he did not by the clear eye of faith, look beyond it to the joy and comfort of Gods recovered favour. The point teacheth its own use: for if we would have Use. any audience with God for ourselves or our brethren, we must first present God with a Sacrifice of contrite and broken hearts: and then God will meet us upon our way to him, and prevent us with his free favours, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life. Psal. 23. 6. There is no service to the service of the King. The Lord is our King of old, let it be our glory and our fence, that we are the servants of the living God. All God's enemies will be daunted at the sight of us, and the fear of us will be upon all the Nations of the World. And as all Nations feared the face of Israel, because God had led them through the Red Sea, and given them victory all the way, etc. So will they say; Let us fly from the face of this people. Is not this the Nation that under the Rule of a Virgin Queen expelled superstitious Religion out of their Land? That to a people that sat in darkness, and in the shadow of death a great light shined, even the clear light of the holy Gospel? Is not this the state against which so many damnable treasons were plotted under a Woman's government, and all were by the singular favour of God happily but wondrously defeated? Is not this the Nation for whom God himself fought against Sisera and jabin? the winds and the Seas fought against the supposed invincible Armado of Spain, nothing more verifying the prediction, Octog●simus octavus mirabilis annus, 1558, a year which wonder at we might. Is not this the Nation whom God preserved from the powder treason, the bloodiest, the closest stratagem, that ever was contrived, and ripened even to the season of dismal execution? All these favours we have had; our many crying sins have lost us this glory, this defence: our repentance may yet recover our God to us▪ and restore us to his favour, and replant us in our former strength. Nothing but repentance can call us again: the servants of the living God, and that were our safety. There is a certain Majesty and power in the faces of God's servants to daunt the courage of God's enemies, when God pleaseth to have it so. It was a bold resolution of jaddus, but suggested by Almighty Joseph. jud▪ Antiq. 11. 8. God in a dream. When Alexander set on toward jerusalem to conquer it, and all his people followed him with expectation of all that force and fury could work against their City: jaddus the high Priest, and all the Priests of the Lord came forth to meet him in their Sacerdotal Vestments, followed by the people in white garments. The chief Priest carrying the name of God on his Mitre. Alexander durst not lift up his hand against that name, he fell down and worshipped it. The reverence of the servants of the living God awed him, and softened him to such good respect, as caused all hostility to cease, and produced gracious favours from him. For God can make them that lea● his children captive to pity them. This state we may gain by Repentance, and being the known servants of the living God, the fear of us will be upon all the Nations of the earth. This shall be a greater safety to us then our Arms, and Fortifications, than our Walls of stone ashore, of wood at Sea. It is the voice of joy in the tabernacles of the righteous. The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of jacob is our refuge. We have a sure word for it: For the eyes of the Lord are ●. P●●. 3. 12. 13 over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers: but the face of God is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that that is good? 2 Observe his prayer here is for the Church, for we 2. Doct. must inquire, why he addresseth his prayer next after his Repentance, for the state of the Church? I conceive the reason this: David being an eminent person, a mighty▪ King, and an holy Prophet had by his great sin done wrong to the state of the Church of God, and therefore after his peace made with God by repentance he pleadeth the cause of the Church, with God by petition. Sin generally is of a contagious nature, the first sin brought a curse upon the whole earth. And Hag hath told us that the sin of the jews in their neglect of building God's House, did bring upon their land barrenness, unfruitfulness upon their trees, their wages did not prosper for the works of their hands, nothing thrived with them. But especially the wickedness of their Kings did ever bring great evil upon the Church and Commonwealth. Rehoboams' sin rend the Kingdom, and lost the Church ten Tribes at once, and divided the State into two Kingdoms. The Kings of Israel and of judah were the ruin of their Kingdoms. And David's sin crimsoned his house with blood. The pollution of Thamar, the death of Amnon, the Rebellion of Absalon, as these were the great sorrows of David, s they were the disquiet and vexation of the whole State, and these were the effects and fruits of David's sin. Therefore David doth well to repair the ruins of Zion by his prayers, & to solicit the peace of the Church: which his sin had so much endangered. In the later end of his Reign, he displeased God in the numbering of his people, and the whole Kingdom suffered for it, God sent ● pestilence amongst the people, which in three days consumed of that great number threescore and ten thousand, plectuntur Achivi, great ones desert makes the poor smart▪ The Apostle biddeth us pray for Kings, and for all that are 1. Tim. 2. ●. in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. We shall all go more safely in our ways, if God guide the hearts and ways of our Rulers aright. But if God give us Kings in his fury, our portion will be sorrow; for their sins will set jerusalem and Zion a mourning. Who then shall pity thee, o jerusalem, or who shallbe sorry for thee? I speak not of our Kings, God hath blessed us graciously. I know where I am, and address this point to the common use of the Church, as it may concern all Countries. For as we are all members of the Church: and of the Use. household of faith; so our iniquities which are offensive to God, and hurtful to ourselves may be also scandalous and hurtful to the Church. A wicked man in a Congregation the Apostle calleth leaven, Know ye not that a little leaven soureth the whole lump? Sins like the disease of Leprosy infect, per contactum, by the touch. The point is, when any of us come to make our peace with God for our sins, as we have care of ourselves, and our own reconciliation to God, so let us remember to commend to God the care of his Church, which by our sins is wronged. For can the toe stumble at a stone without the hazard of a fall to the whole body, seeing we are members one of another? Therefore the care of God's Angels descendeth follow as the foot, Ne offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. He that desireth by true Repentance to set all to rights, let him look every way, where his sin hath done hurt, and labour to repair it. Great is the example of Gods proceeding against his own people Israel in judgement for the sin of Achan: The Lord saith, Israel bath sinned, and they have transgressed 〈…〉 17. 11. ● my covenant which I commanded them. Therefore they fled before their enemies. And when this matter came to scrutiny, the fault was found to be in Achan only. He had stolen a Babylonish garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold, etc. All Israel fared the worse for his one sin, his one sin is charged upon the whole Kingdom. Lyran. quia factum unius de communitate in malis toti communitati attribuitur: because the deed of one that communicateth in evil, is ascribed to all them that communicate with him. We do not bear one another's iniquity, the soul that sinneth shall die: but such is the conjunction of the body of the Church, that we cannot commit gross and eminent sins without the hurt and infection one of another. Therefore to accomplish our Repentance and heal all, we have here a good example to close our penitential prayers as David here doth. This remain of the Psalm hath two parts. 1 David's petition, verse 18. 2 The success of his prevailing in his suit, verse 19 The petition hath two parts: 1 Do good in thy good pleasure to Zion. 2 Build thou the walls of jerusalem. 2 The success is double: 1 God shall be pleased. 2 His servants shall do their duty to him. 1 Of David's petition. 1 Of his first petition: Do good in thy good pleasure to Jerusalem: wherein we must consider: 1 The petitioner, David. 2 For whom he petitioneth, for Zion, for Jerusalem. 3 The petition itself: Do good. 4 The limitation of the petition: in thy good pleasure. 1 Of the petitioner, David: whom we again consider four ways: 1 As he was a private man, a member of the Church. 2 As he was an holy Prophet of the Lord, 3 As he was the head of the Church, the King of Israel. 4 As he was a penitent Convert now again, received into the favour of God. 1 As a private man. Doct. It is the duty of every private man to pray for the welfare of the Church of God. The Church is called a Communion of Saints, and we are knit together, vinculo amoris, with the bond of love: there is unus amor, one love, but as it hath a double reflection, 1 Upon God, whose honour we prefer above all things. 2 Upon our neighbours, whom we ought to love as ourselves. So we have two great arguments to induce our devotion to this holy duty of prayer for the Church. 1 In respect of God▪ The three petitions in the first Table of the Lords prayer do maintain this. For, 1 Herein we solicit our God for the honouring of his own name, & the sanctifying of it here amongst men: for his name is great in Israel. In his Church every thing speaketh of his glory. The Church is the Congregation of them that call upon the name of the Lord. It is the prayer of jesus Christ, Father, glorify thy name. We have great reason for it: because our help is in the name of the Lord. It was the old petition of the Church, To beseech God for his Names sake. 2 We pray for the coming of God's Kingdom. His Kingdom of power is over all the World. But his Kingdom of grace is the holiness of his Church only, and his Kingdom of glory is the Crown of the Church only. Here God reigneth, The Lord is King, and hath put on glorious apparel, he hath clothed himself with majesty and honour. His Kingdom is within us, his wisdom our guide, his word our law, his mercy our hope, his judgements our fear, his truth our faith, his will our obedience. 3 We pray that the will of God may be done on earth, sicut in coelo, as in heaven: So if the Church thrive and prosper, here will be an heaven upon earth, and we shall be like the Angels of God, who obey him by fulfilling his will. For the Church is the Congregation of such as labour to walk with God in all pleasing. 2 In respect of our neighbours. We consider ourselves as members one of another, & so the welfare of the members dependeth on the welfare of the body. Every ones good aught to be as precious to us, as much desired of us as our own. God is rich in mercy, and we need not fear, that what is bestowed on our brethren will abate any thing of his bounty to us, which in things temporal doth often disquiet us. And herein the weakest members of the Church may be helpful to the whole body of it; for prayer and wel-wishing which proceed from zeal and love may come from the poorest, the sickest member of the Church, no prison can shut it up. 2 Consider him as a Prophet of the Lord. The prayers of all men have good access to the throne of grace, but Prophets of the Lord beside the common obligation as members of the body of the Church, have a special duty ex officio, by their office, and are as it were Masters of Requests to put up the prayers of the Church to God. Samuel: God forbid that I should sin against the Lord, 1. Sam. 12. 23. in ceasing to pray for you. God to Abimelech. Now therefore restore the man his wife: for he is a Prophet, and Gen. 20. 7. he shall pray for thee. So when the Lord had reproved the unkind friends of job, who had not spoken of God the things that are right, he biddeth them to prepare a sacrifice for themselves, and saith: My servant job shall job 42. 8. pray for you, for him I will accept. We must not conceive, that God is an accepter of the persons of men, to regard one man more than another in regard of his person, neither is one place for itself more esteemed than another. But by special privilege there is difference put between persons and places, in regard of the ordinance of God. The Priestand the Prophet hath an office imposed on him to pray for others. The Church is Domus oratio●is, the House of Prayer, by special consecration: therefore both such men and such places are a readier way to God. 3 Consider him as King. Kings under God are heads of the Churches under their dominions, and God hath committed the care of his Churches to them, David was anointed by God to this supremacy, the chief Priest in those days did not Lord it over God's heritage, as the Bishop of Rome now doth in all those Nations over whom he claims the primacy. As by all other possible ways, so especially by holy and devout prayers good Kings ought to seek and procure the peace and welfare of the Church. The Commonwealth is the body, the Church is the soul of the State. Kings that wish their Realms well, do discern that there is a power above theirs: For the Lord is King, the earth may be glad thereof▪ That King of kings before whose throne all the kings of the earth must cast their crowns, he must be sued to, By him Princes reign. And God having committed his Church to their government for him, how can they better acquit themselves of that duty, and exonerate themselves of that great care, then by devolving the same again upon God's protection, by their holy and humble prayer? David did commend his Church to the prayer of all the faithful. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem. He propounded a form of blessing. 4 Consider David as a penitent newly converted to God after a great defection from him, and Gods spiritual desertion of him. Now having offered to God a sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart, now his prayer is again in season. For now God rejoiceth in him, he delighteth in God, and the prayers of such are welcome to the throne of grace. God heareth not sinners. 1 Such as continue in their sin without repentance. But if with all our hearts we turn to him, he will turn to us; repentance hath removed the sins that separated between God and us. And what should a true penitent rather desire of God than the welfare of his Church? for in the peace thereof he shall have peace. This is a good remonstrance of our sincere conversion to God, when we seek to do good to his Jerusalem. Here is piety to God for the house of God's sake, for Religion and the worship of God. Here is charity to our neighbours, for our brethren and companions sakes. And these be the fruits of repentance and newness of life: here is that love which is the fulfilling of the Law of God; even the love of God, and the love of our neighbour. 2 For whom he petitioneth. 1 For Zion. 2 For Jerusalem. 1 For Zion. This was an high mountain then within jerusalem, and here was that strong peace which the lebusites did fortify against David. He reigned seven years in Hebron before he could recover the Fort of Zion; and before he could expel the jebusites thence. They were so confident in the natural strength of this place, and in their military fortification of it, that they ie●red David, when he came against it, saying to him, Except thou take 2. Sam. 5. 6. away the blind and lame, Non intrabis, thou shalt not enter; Thinking, David cannot come in hither. The meaning is, they were so confident in the strength of Zion, that they thought their blind and lame able to de●●nd it against all the force of David. But David took it and possessed it, and seated his own royal house there, and it was after called the City of David. It was the highest of those hills that compassed jerusalem, of which David, As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so is the Psal. 125. 2. Lord round about his people. And this mountain semicircled jerusalem on the South part of the same. But not the natural or artificial strength of the place did so much honour it, as the holiness thereof, for it was famous in the Prophets that way. For out of Zion shall go Isa. 2. 3. forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord out of jerusalem. This prophecy was fulfilled in the Messiah: for the promulgation of the Gospel came thence. So Christ himself said, that Repentance and remission of sins Luk. 24. 4. should be preached in his name, beginning at jerusalem. Zion is first named, as being the chief ornament and strength of the City, and the seat of the King's royal palace. 2 jerusalem, called the City of the great King, of which many excellent things are spoken: and especially it is honoured with the right and just title to be the mother Church, and all other Churches in the world are the daughters of Zion. And it is named often in holy Scripture, and is to be here understood as the representatorie body of the whole Church. And it is also a figure of the full Church of the glorified Saints, which is called the new jerusalem, the mother of us all. So it is clear for whom David here prayeth, even for the whole ●ody of the militant Church. This example of David doth teach, that we ought not to pray only for ourselves: charity begins at home, but it endeth not, it ceaseth not there. Christ in his form of prayer directeth us to seek further then for ourselves: P●ter noster, ●a no●●●: di●●itte nobis: ●e nos in●●cas: libera nos. Our Father, give us, forgive us, lead not us, deliver us. Saint Ambrose: Simo pro●e ●ol●, prote solu●●ra●is: Si pro ●● nibus ●●g as, 〈…〉 pro is ●●g ●●unt. If thou pray for thyself only, thou alone shalt pray for thy sefe: if thou pray for all, all shall pray for thee. In things concerning this life we are loath to pray too earnestly for our brethren. 1 Out of a natural distrust that we have in God; we fear that he hath not enough for us all. 2 Out of a natural covetousness that we have to have all. 3 Out of a pride which putteth us into an ambition to exceed and outshine others. 4 Out of natural envy▪ that we have at the well-being of others. These ●e gross and sinful corruptions in us, and they do trespass both piety and charity. Our Saviour hath directed us better, for he teacheth us to pray for this life no ●arther than pan●m quotidianum, our daily bread. And there is enough to suffice nature in the world without any man's want. And our sentence in Adam was, Ves●●r is pa●e, thou shalt eat thy bread, etc. The son of Iake●: Give me not riches: feed me with food convenient for m●. This limitation may destroy in us all these corruptions of distrust, of covetousness, of pride, of envy. For that fear which undoeth charity, lest God should abate from us to supply the want of others, we have great examples o● his fullness. The poor widow paid her debt with oil, she was relieved, and no body the worse for it. Christ paid his tribute, and no body had the less; he sent to sea to a fish, and had it. He improved a short provision ●o the suffisance of many. We need not fear to pray one for another: God is rich to all that call upon him. 2 Secondly, we are here taught to pray God for the Doct. ●● state of his Church: she is our mother, let us seek her peace. Here we were new borne of water and the holy Ghost. At her breasts we suck the sincere milk of the Word of God: she feedeth us with strong meat, and feasteth us with the body and blood of our Redeemer. We have great cause to ply God with our devoutest supplications, and to give him no rest for his Church: for his Lily is ever among thorns. And his Church complaineth, Circ●ndederunt me tanquam apes▪ They have compassed me about like Bees. Strepitus, a noise, and stimulus, a sting. We see the bow of God bend against our brethren in other Lands, we see the enemy prevail and insult. What are we, or how have we settled the favour of God upon us, that we should be spared in the day of his wrath, or that a Passeover of mercy should skip our Cities, and towns, and houses? We may in the inventory of our sins read our danger better than we can discern an issue out of it in the course that we run. Let our prayers comfort the sorrows of the Church, and establish our comfort. And let our tears run down like a river day L●●. ●. 19 and night, and let not the apple of our eye cease. Let us pour forth our hearts like water before the face of the Lord, and lift up our hands towards him for his favour to his poor distressed Church. God seeth the corn yellow, and ready for the sickle, the day of the Lord is at hand: it was hor a novissima, the last hour, in Saint John's time: now the last minute of that hou●e approacheth, he is coming to judge the world in righteousness. And judgement beginneth at his own house. Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be L●●. 5. 21. turned, renew our days as of old. 3 The petition, Do good. Do good O Lord to the good, Psal. 125. ●. and to them that are upright in their hearts. Deal favourably, or bounteously. Benignefac, Do good▪ L●rgam benedictionem impende: Bestow a great blessing. Which may be done▪ 1 Peccata di●●ttend●, by forgiving of sins. 2 Graciam conferendo, by giving of grace. And this is the sum of David's whole supplication for himself▪ he knows that all the members of the Church have need of this favour. The petition in the letter hath respect to Zion and jerusalem, and desireth the bounty of God to them. For God hath promised to receive an house there builded to his name, and to establish his holy Ark there, the visible Sacrament of his real presence. This was also after performed, and not only the outward peace, and strength, and plenty, and honour of jerusalem is here desired, but the establishing also of the holy worship of God, and the seats of justice, as after: This is good for jerusalem, for any state, when Religion and justice are cherished. But this is not all, he looketh prophetically into the state of the universal Church to the world's end, and prayeth for the welfare of it. That God would do it good, that he would be favourable to it in his bounty. It is a short prayer, Subita ejaculatio, a sudden ejaculation: but it is full of content, for it may comprehend summam petendorum, the sum of thing to be prayed for. It is the Lord prayer in little, for wherein may we desire, or God show us favour, which may not be comprehended in this petition, Do good? Every good and perfect gift cometh from this Father of lights, to whom David saith, Thou art good, and thou Psal. 119. 68 dost good. This request of David, Benefac, do good, doth beg the favour of God to jerusalem. For it is not peace, nor strength, nor plenty, nor honour, nor victory over enemies, that can make a state happy, except God be pleased to turn all these in bonum, to good. Therefore they have fared better that have fed on green herbs, than they that have had their share of a stalled ox. Daniel thrived better of his pulse, than others ●ed from the King's trencher. Riches have been given to the owners of them for hurt. The prosperity of fools destroyeth them. Many careful parents gather wealth for their children, which proves their ruin: therefore our prayer in all things must be Benefac, etc. Do good. For neither prosperity shall corrupt our faith; nor adversity our patience. If God do us good, we shall find as David: Bonum est mihime aff●igi: It is good for me to be afflicted. 4 The limitation of the petition, In thy good pleasure. We must take ●eed in all ou● suits to God, that we submit ourselves to the holy will of God. And that we confine our desires to his good pleasure. Not like unto Israel, who turned back and tempted God, and limited the holy Psal. 7●. 41. One of Israel. God is many ways limited by us in our petitions. 1 If we ●●●● his power by our infidelity, doubting whether he can perform to us what we desire. As Israel, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? They remembered Vers. 19 ●●● his hand. Verse 42. 2 If we limit his goodness and mercy, doubting whether he will do us good: which is a great wrong to him from us, after our full experience of his loving kindness: to David was perplexed: Hath God forgotten to be gracious▪ ●● his mercy clean gone for evermore? But he recovered and calleth this his own infirmity, and remembered the years of Gods right hand. 3 For the kind of favour, we may limit God: if we hold him to this special favour, and leave him not to his own wisdom to do us good in what kind he pleaseth. The Lord hath copiosam redemptionem, plentiful redemption, and he will either give quod petimus, what we ask: or quod novit utilius, what he knows to be more profitable. Christ, Take this cup from me, but with reservation of the liberty of his Father, Si vis, If thou wilt. 4 For the quantity of favour, we limit God, when we appoint him in what measure he shall relieve u●, and how much good he shall do us. Therefore David here in the beginning of this Psalm, desireth to re●er himself to God's good pleasure, according to his mercy: so as God may magnify his mercy in the grant of his petition. For were member that our first request is the foundation of all prayer: Hallowed be thy name, For all our desires must respect the glory of God chiefly, our own good at second hand. 5 We may limit our God in respect of time: if we set him a time wherein he must show us favour, or not at all. So O●ias promised to yield Bethulia, ●f God relieved Judith 7. 30. ●. ●5. them not within five days. Which Judith after reproved. If he will not help us within these five days, he hath power to defend us, when he will every day. Do not bind the counsels of the Lord our God; for God is not as man, that he may be threatened: neither is he as the son of man that he should be wavering. Therefore let us wait for salvation of him, and call upon him to help us, and he will hear our voice, if it please him. We are commonly in haste, either when we ail any thing, and would be delivered out of our suffering. Or when we want and would be supplied: or when we hope for any good, and would come to the possession Isa● 2●. ●6. of it. This is for want of Faith: For Qui credit non festinat. He that believes, makes not haste. The best way then to prevent these evils which corrupt our prayers is to limit ourselves, and to refer all our requests to the good pleasure of God. We have great reason to do so, for we are safest in that. We may thank the good pleasure of God, for all we have, for all we hope for. Here the foundation of our welfare was laid in our election. Having predestinated us Ephes. 1. 4. to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. And when we are capable of heavenly light: He maketh Verse 9 known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he had purposed in himself So Christ, L●●● 10. 21. I thank thee Father: even so Father; Quiabene placuit tibi, because it was thy pleasure. And the days of our life are here limited to his good pleasure, we fulfil our time inconsilio Dei, according to God's counsel. And at last, Fear not little stock, for it is your Father's pleasure to give you a Kingdom. We have great reason to stoop all our desires to this good pleasure of God: For it is a safe harbour against all storms. Let God be pleased, and nothing can succeed improsperously to us. It was the rest of the Disciples, when they saw no remedy but that Paul would go up Acts●1 ●1. ●4▪ to Jerusalem, we ceased saying: ●iat voluntas Domini, the will of the Lord be done. 2 Petition▪ Build th●n the walls of jerusalem. In the letter jerusalem was but newly come into David's possession, he won it by war, and now he was to build and to fortify there. He commendeth this good work to the blessing of I. Note. God; For except the Lord build the house, they labour in Psal. 127. 1. vain that build it. The Heathen never built Cities, but they invocated some one god or goddess, to whose tutelary protection they commended it. David a King, full of power and riches and good will to employ these upon Jerusalem, doth prostrate all to Almighty God, and desires him to be the builder. The Prophet teacheth the use of this point, when he saith, Commit Psal. 37. 5. thy ways to the Lord, and trust in him, and he shall bring it to pass. Whatsoever by Faith we commit to him, is both safe in his protection, and wisely done by his direction: and without sin by his holiness: and fully by his power working with us, working for us: and it is accomplished perfectly against all opposition. If God prevent us with his gracious favour, and further us with his continual help, all our works begun, continued & ended in him prosper in our hands. Pray therefore, Prosper thou the werke of our hands upon us, prosper thou our handiwork. 2 David for all his trust in God, and assrance of his protection, yet neglecteth not the outward means of safety. For though Jerusalem was encompassed with Mountains, and naturally defended against an enemy, yechee would have the City walled: edify a ●●●●s, build walls. For our Faith doth not evacuate the use of good means: Treasure, Victual, Armour, Walls, Fortifications, and men to manage these are the sinew● of Cities and Commonwealths. Moses on the top of the Hill praying▪ Aaron and H●● supporting his hands, and Josh●a beneath with an Army fight against Amalek: we must work, and God prosper it. After David came to make Jerusalem the Chamber of the King, the seat of the King's Throne, he much enlarged and beautified and fortified it. Solomon did ●uch more, and succeeding Kings added both strength and beauty, and room to it. Yet all we devise and do in this kind for safety, is nothing without the hand of God. He must build us our walls, or else like the walls of Jericho, these will fall down of a sudden. Means must not be neglected, but means must not be trusted. Walls are no fenc●●●inst God, but with his blessing they are impregna●● What are our Armies, if God go not forth with them! what are the walls and guard of our strong Cities, if God keep not the City? Therefore let Jerusalem have walls, but let them be of his building, for outward means with his blessing fail not of effect. jerusalem was more safe in God's favour, then in their walls: For though it was compassed with three walls, one without another a great distance, and streets and houses between, and seemed an impregnable piece; yet when God withdrew his protecting hand from it, Nebuchadnez●● after it had flourished 477 years, came upon it, and laid it waste for 70 years. It was after the return of the people from Babylon rebuilt, yet was it unwalled for 63 years after: then Nehemiah within 50 days walled it, and was in flourish 562 years, till the Romans delivered it. There perished in it 110000 by Famine, Pestilence, and the Sword of the enemies, and intestine sedition. It was after in the possession of Christians: now in the hand of the great Turk. We ●●e in this example how sin destroyeth the most flourishing States, and poureth them from veslel to veslel. It is not Walls nor Mountains, Men, nor Treasure that can preserve without God, against God. Therefore when we have done all we can, pray for Jerusalem, Sat pax in praem● nitione tua. Peace be within thy walls. But the prayer of David hath a further extent than that City; he desireth the building of the walls of God's universal Church, the defence & propugnation of the spouse of Christ. She hath need of strong walls, and of Gods own building, for she hath many enemies▪ God said to his son: Be thou ruler in the midst of thine enemies. So soon as we have mention of a Church in Abel, we have Cain to murder him. Before Isaak, we have Ishmael to scorn and persecute him. jacob wrestleth with Esau before he is borne in the womb, and Esau ever hated Jacob in their posterity. When Israel was established a visible Church in Jacob's Family, a famine sent them into Egypt, where after a few years their City of refuge proved their house of bondage, God delivered them and sent them home to their own Land, they had many enemies in the way, and when they came home, their sword cuttl 'em out ●oo●e for habitation, and under their judges and King's, their Chronicles are full of names. When the Christian Church began in the revelation of Christ. ●he innocent infants were the first sacrifice offered by the sword of ●er●d. Christ himself pursued to death, to the Cross. His Disciples, Apostles, and Confessors suffered in the ten bloody Persecutions. Then began rents in the Church, and Heresy grew as cumbersome and busy and cruel as in fidelity: The Arian Persecution broke down the walls of Jerusalem. And then in the Wain of the Empire; The Turk arose in the East, to the great terror of Christ's little flock. This Church of ours which hath like the fleece of Gedeon been watered when all the floor about it was dry, standeth now like a Lily amongst thorns. We have great cause to pray for good and strong walls for our jerusalem, walls of Gods own building, left the arrows of our enemies stick fast in our flesh, and their swords drink our blood. Yet it is well for us that we know who can build the walls of the Church strongly, and fortify it against the gates of Hell. For the gods of the Heathen are but Idols, there is no help in them, their eyes see not, their ears hear not, their hands help not. Let us but recover our God by repentance, & redeem his favour with a sacrifice of broken and cont●ire spirits, and he will build up our walls, and repair our ruins, and fortify our desolate places. Our Fathers in the darkness of Popery had this strong belief, that the Church and State was more strengthened by zealous and devout prayers, then by all other provisions for offence, and that was the motive that advanced so many Religious Houses, and settled upon them so fair and plenteous revenues, that they might have many at continual leisure to be always praying for them. It was great pity that their holy zeal had not some equal proportion of knowledge, for in their way they were devout, and before the pestilent Incendiaries of the Church came up, who turned Religion into Policy, and Zeal into Fury, I doubt not but God had many faithful and true souls in the Church of Rome, full of his love & jealous of his honour, whose holy devotion kept up the walls of jerusalem, and prospered all the works of their hands. 2 Observe the petitions of David: Do good to Zion. 2. Nose. Build up the walls of jerusalem, he doth pray for defence of his Church against enemies: he doth not pray that God would turn all their Scythes into Swords, and strengthen them to an offensive war. Though David were a Swordman, and had la●ely recovered Zion by his sword, by the Jebusite, he prayeth not for war, and strength to pluck down the walls of other Cities: But that God would build up the walls of his own. God is called the God of peace; and though he be daily provoked by the bold sins of men to draw his sword, he is loath to strike, he would have us like himself, to be very jealous how we undertake an offensive war: let Religion and Policy join in advice before a Sword be drawn against any neighbour state, that we may have God to Friend: that we may say, The Lord of h●asts is with us▪ For then there are more with us then against us: still these two judges of the quarrel have determined the justice of war, let us hold our hands: For i● Princes engage their Subjects in unlawful wars, all the blood spilt on their sides is put upon their account, but this petition of David is ever safe. VERSE 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt-offering, and whole burnt-offering then shall they offer Bullocks upon thine Altar. HEre is the success of David, suit obtained: 2. For if God will be pleased to declare himself the Patron and Protector of his Church, to do it good and to sense it against the enemy: Then followeth a double event. 1 In David and the people; For they will apply themselves to the worship of God. 2 In God, he will accept of their service. 1 For David, and the people, They do not set God a 1. Note. price of their service, as if he must bay, it of them by doing them good, and building their▪ walls. But he showeth what good use the faithful servants of God will make of his favours, they will use them as motives to his free service. They shall enjoy peace and prosperity, and good leisure. Nature teacheth this retribution: the shepherd, Ille meos errare boves ut cernis. My wand'ring oxen, as you see, etc. And how may this be considered? Namque erit ille mihi semper Deus: illius aram, etc. He is my God, his Altar I'll frequent. In time of peace and prosperity, and in the clear light of heavenly knowledge, God declareth himself most clearly, and deserveth the worship of his servants most apparently, and Deus nobis haec otia fecit: these times of rest our God vouchsafes. There is the season for it. But we have God complaining often of the contrary. For the prosperity of Fools destroyeth them, and we are never more wanton and careless of God's service, then when he feedeth us fattest, and doth us most good. But jeshurun waxed fat and kicked; thou art waxed Deut. 32 15. fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness, than he forsook God that made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation. Too much compost doth make the ground rank and full of weeds. This did God foresee, and gave them great warning o●it. In the former Chapter. When I shall have brought them into the land which I Deut. 31. 20. swore unto their Fathers, which floweth with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten, and filled themselves, and waxen fat, then will they turn unto other Gods and serve them, and provoke me, and break my Covenant. And they did so, and it cost them dear, a deportation for 70 years into Babylon. After the return the Levites in their confession acknowledge so much to justify Gods severe proceeding against them, and to cast all the blame upon themselves. And they took strong Cities, and a fat Land, and possessed Neh. 9 25. housesfull of all goods, wells, Olives, Vineyards, fruit-trees. 26. So they did eat and were filled, and became fat. But they were disobedient and rebelled against thee, and cast thy Laew behind their backs. This cometh generally of fullness, it is the sin of prosperity. So, They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked. So, They are enclosed in Jer. 5 28. Psal. ●7. 1▪ their own fat, with their mouth they do speak proudly. Therefore this is a great promise, that David here maketh for himself and his people. Generally, God is most sought, and best served in affliction. Before I was afficted, I went astray, but now I keep thy word. In their affliction they will seek me early. It is a provoking O●e. 5. 15. unthankfulness to receive good, and to do evil in retribution. This spot is not the spot of his children, i. a Deut. 32. 5. sin of infirmity. Do you thus requite the Lord, o foolish Verse 6. people, and unwise? David saith, Ne sis tanquam equu● & mulus. Be not as the horse and mule. I would in some things we could be like them: For the exe knoweth his owner, etc. And bruit beasts are at the command of such as feed them, Bears and Lions forget their natural fierceness to such. When God doth us good, and giveth us peace and plenty, and pleasure, when our souls are free from care, from fear, from grief: What should hinder us, but that in this vacation we may attend the service of the Lord? We have had many years of this favour: remember job. O that I were as in job 29. 2, 3. months past, as in the days when God preserved me, when his candle shined upon my head! 2 Observe the matter of this speech, and you shall find 2 Note. it to be a vow, whereby David doth bind himself and his people to the worship and service of God. In Circumcision then, in our Baptism, now we and they are dedicated & separated to the service of God; but to fortify that solemn vow, and the more to oblige and necessitate us to that holy duty, we shall do well to reinforce that vow, what new promises and protestations of our service. So David. I have sworn, and I will perform Psal. 119. 106. it, to keep thy righteous judgements. Here he bindeth himself by an oath, and bindeth his oath by a promise: I will perform it. There is no such tie as the bond of a vow; we must Num. 30 2. make conscience of it, For it is vinculum animae, the bond of the soul. It is called a vow or binding oath to afflict the soul. Some understand that place of the vows of Vers. 1●. Fasting, Watching, or of Penance and Mortification which are called the humbling and afflicting of the soul But it may be understood of all vows of men: for all vows do afflict the soul being nuncupate to God's glory. 1 Because they are restraints to us, we cannot do what we will, which our unruly nature beareth impatiently. For our video, see, is for meliora, better, our sequor, follow, is for deteriora, worse. 2 Because the breaking of these vows is the affliction of the soul. 1 In the torment of the conscience, which cannot choose but be much charged with such a sin: For our vows lie heavy there. 2 In regard of God's just and severe punishment which followeth the breach of vows. For it is asnare to a man, after his vows to inquire. The vow of our Baptism doth oblige all our life, and we should ever call it to remembrance, to keep us in constant obedience to our God. But we have many great examples of the renewing that by new vows the more to restrain us: voluntary bindings of our soul to the obedience of God. The people returned from captivity, sinned in strange wives: Nehemiah was no: satisfied in their putting of them away, Neh. 10. 1. but caused a covenant to be drawn between God and them, that they should not take them again, nor commit the like sin: and the people sealed the covenant. Joshua a little before his death to settle the fear of God there, did bring the people into a covenant, and set up a stone for a witness of the Covenant, saying, Behold this josh 24. 27. stone shall be a witness unto us, for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spoke unto us: it shall be there for a witness unto you, lest you deny your God. Christ: Loquentur lapides, the stones shall speak, to give evidence against the breakers of a covenant and solemn vow. So in the reign of Joash, when Religion had been corrupted: And ●ehoi●da made a covenant between him, 2. Ch●●●. 23 16 and all the people, and the King, that they should be the Lords people. So in the reign of josiah, the King caused the book of the Law to be read to all the Elders of the people, the Priests, and Levites. And the King stood in ●. C●r. ●4. 31▪ his place, and made a covenant before the Lord to wa●ke after the Lord, and to keep his Commandments, and his testimonies, with all his heart, and his soul, to perform the words of the Covenant which were written in that book. These examples do legitimate to us a voluntary obligation of ourselves by vow, either for duties to be done, or sins to be avoided, for they stick close to the conscience. So job made a covenant with his eye to keep it from lustful sight: and if swearers, drunkards, oppressors, etc. should for their better restraint make such vows to God to relinquish these sins; there would be a double covenant upon them: both of the sin, and their vow made to God against it. The Lord hath a controversic with the Land for these sins. The oath against them would be the end of all strife. Quer. But ● am not able to perform this oath. Sol. Not that we are able of ourselves, to think any thing, as of ourselves: but our sufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. 3. 5. These vows are not made in confidence of our own strength, but in faith of God's promise. I will put a new ●ze. 11 19 verse 20. spirit within you. That they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. We go forth here in the strength of the Lord, not in our own strength. We declare our zeal best, when we not only take bonds, but do make bonds for ourselves to oblige to obedience. God faileth not those that depend upon him. Thou hast also Isa. 16. 12. wrought all thy works in us. Let no man discourage himself to decline this service●, as unfeisible. This is opus Dei, God's work: God's grace is sufficient for us: his strength is perfected in weakness. I am able to do all things through him that strengtheneth me. Omnia possibilia credenti: all things are possible to him that believeth. 3 He mentioneth here the legal sacrifices of burnt-offerings, 3. Note. etc. which were outward acts of holy worship: these God required as outward testimonies of the good affection of his people: yet any hypocrite, any profane person might serve God thus: God findeth much Isa. 1. abuse this way, and complaineth of it. Religion is in the heart, not in the hand: yet seeing we have an hand too as well as an heart, let not that appear before God empty. Honour God with thy riches. Before Christ was revealed in our flesh, the service of God was full of typical resemolances and representations, both of his meritorious sacrifice for us, and of our spiritual sacrifices to God. The shedding of the blood of the beasts, etc. did declare Christ's bleeding for us. The burning and consuming the sacrifice to ashes, did declare the complete mortification Gen. 18. 27. of the elect. I remember the speech of Abraham: I am but dust and ashes. Dust we are in respect of the matter of our creation: For out of it wer● thou taken, because thou art dust: But why ashes, which is a burnt dust? Because every faithful servant of God is a burnt-offering, his natural and unregenerate part consumed to dust. 1 By his own zeal, My zeal hath even consumed me. 2 By his voluntary mortification. 3 By the manifold fiery trials of his holy patience. Abraham had been an idolater, that Abraham was consumed to ashes: Ex cinere redivivus, to revive from the ashes: Our lesson is: that though these outward legal ceremonies be abolished which declared their observers willing to be at any cost in the worship and service of God; and punctual to do as they were bidden: Yet in our way, we must not retire all Religion to the heart, but such outward acts of Religion as remain in force and use, we may not omit: as coming to Church, reverend kneeling to make confession of our sins, attentive hearing of the Word, making the voice of God's praise to be heard; humbling of our souls to God; and lifting up our voices to pray; standing upright to make a public joint confession of our faith, to show that we are all of one common faith, paying our due tithes and offerings. These be holy farms and services: yet as the outward sacrifices of old were rejected without the inward spiritual service of the heart; so all external adoration without the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart before mentioned, is short o● the duty that we owe to God. Our great Zelotes the professors of God's service in a purer way, whose pride is, that they are not like other men; these do cry down all outward expressures of devotion, and say your wisdom's claim is, My son give me thy heart. True, and the good affection of the heart is soon seen in the command that it exerciseth over all the body. Cor paratu● est, My heart is ready: I will praise God with the best member that I have▪ Levabo oculos, I will lift up mine eyes; Lavabo & leuábo manus, etc. I will wash, and lift up my hands. 4 He calleth these, Sacrifices of righteousness. So before. 4. Note. Psal. 4. 5. Offer ye the sacrifices of righteousness. So called. 1 Because they are our debt to God: Justitia dat suum cuique, justice gives every one his own: his law requireth them: our obedience oweth them. Let no man think that he meriteth any thing at the hands of God by these duties of Religion: yet such is the favour and bounty of God, that he rewardeth the service done to him. There is no man that shutteth the door, Mal. 1. 10. or kindleth a fire in God's house for nought, he hath his reward. Let not his bounty over-value our duty to him. Our obedience is our righteousness before God. 1 We do God right in it: for he challengeth it not of courtesy: he is not beholding for it: it is his due. 2 Called Sacrifices of righteousness, because they left nothing due to God u●offerod: as here the burnt-offering, and the whole burnt-offering. Ananias and Sapphira suppressed a part of their offering. Totum Deo immolant▪ Greg. omne quod habent, omne quod vivunt, omne quod sapiunt, totum Deo offerunt: They ofter all to God which they have, all which they live, all wherein they are wise. 3 Sacrificia justitiae, the sacrifices of righteousness, in respect of Gods ●ie, which was not so much upon the oblation, as upon the righteousness of the offerer: for Respexit Abelem prim●: pòst, donum ●ius: First he had respect to Abel, then to his offering. He finds it, Honour it me labiis, honours me with their lips: Cor longè, their heart is far off. 4 Sacrificia justitiae, the sacrifices of righteousness, for their representation: for they are types of Christ our righteousness. 5 Sacrificia justitiae: the sacrifices of righteousness: because offered in faith, and we are just by faith. The King here promiseth for his people: so in former 5. No●●. examples, good and religious Kings have drawn their people into covenant with God. It is much, that a good King may do with his people. Regis ad exempl●●, after the king's example: Let him guide them so as well as by laws. No question but David's looseness had corrupted his Subjscts much: his holiness may amend it. Princes by good laws, good counsel, good example may prevail far, being gracious and gentle. They should in nothing more strain their strength, then in the supportation of God's worship. In that God will join with them. The force of opposition cannot resist that work: for light driveth away darkness. With what joy do we look on such examples of Princes: as that of Nehemiah, that of Joash, that of ●o●iah, we see good came of it then. 2 He promiseth for God, Accip●es, thou shalt accept: This is vox fi●●i, the voice of Faith: the faithful are assured, that God will receive their service in this kind, when they bind themselves to it. We must bring all our offerings to God, with this good persuasion, that God will accept them. This made Abel's offering so acceptable to God, and preferred before cain's: he offered by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a fuller sacrifice, and God testified of his gifts. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Heb. 4. 16. throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. For in Christ we have boldness Eph. 3. 12. and access with confidence, by the faith of him. FINIS. Decemb 24. 1635. PErlegi haec tria volumina Commentariorum in Psal. 51 ex concionibu● Samuelis Page, SS. Theol. Professoris, quae continent in toto pagi●as 895, aut circiter, in quibus non reperio aliquid s●●● doctrinae, aut bonis moribus repugnans, quo m●nùs cum publicâ utilitate imprimi queant, sub eâ tamen conditione, ut si non intra biennium proxim● sequens typis mandentur, haec ●icentia fit omnino irrita. Guilielmus Haywood. R. P. D. Archiep. Cant. Capell. domest.