IS it not a grievous fall, that Verse 1 where I might have said; The Lord is my Creatour, and hath made me after his own Image: I am now glad to say; The Lord is my shepheard; as though I were but a sheepe? and yet perhaps no Fall in this at all: For, what was I, when I was at best, but the Lords sheepe? Depending whol­ly upon him for all I had: No cloathes to co­ver my nakednesse, but of his making: no food to satisfie my hunger, but of his providing: and oh that I had continued his sheepe still, for then though weake, I should have beene inno­cent, though feeble, I should have been harme­lesse; Where by taking (O miserable mista­king) the Serpent for a shepheard, I became [Page 2] of an innocent Sheepe, a ravening Wolfe, and should have so continued, at least a perpetuall strayer: if my true shepheard (O the wonder­full bowells of compassion) had not left the Ninetie nine in the Wildernesse to seeke after mee, and had not found mee out, and brought me back againe into his Fold; that if there be joy in Heaven, that the lost sheepe is found, there ought to bee much more joy in Earth, that the lost sheepe can say; The Lord is my shep­heard; I shall not want?

But how can I truly say; The Lord is my shepheard; seeing hee hath turned me over, sheepe and lambes and all, to Saint Peter to be our shepheard? Can he turne me over to ano­ther, and yet himselfe reteine a propertie in me still? But is it not that there is a Hierarchie of shepheards? Saint Peter and his successours, but Ministeriall shepheards; God himselfe the shepheard Paramount; Psal. 77.20 Hee ledd his people like sheepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron: Hee but used the service of Moses and Aaron; himselfe was the shepheard still; it was hee that led them. And is it not said of Kings too, that they are [...], Shepheards of the peo­ple? and perhaps David speakes here, as hee was a King: for though a King be a shepheard in relation to his Subjects; yet he is but a sheep in relation to God: for relation in all created things, makes quidlibet ex quolibet; a sheepe of a shepheard, and a shepheard of a sheepe, till [Page 3] we come at God, and there Relation ceaseth; for God being summum bonum, unum & idem, can take no disparagement by any relation, we are all sheepe to him; David and Kings; Saint Peter and all; All faine to say; The Lord is my shepheard; or else, can neuer truly say; I shall not want.

It is a great happinesse for sheepe to have a good shepheard, but a greater happinesse to have him both good and able; many shep­heards are the one, and not the other; few are both; indeed none are both; None able to se­cure from want, but onely the shepheard, who is Elohim Saddai; God All-sufficient. Kings no doubt are able shepheards, but yet not able to secure from want; for we see them often-times to be in want themselves: Saint Peter an able shepheard, yet not so able, as to secure from want; for who knowes not what want he was in himselfe, when time was? Wee shall never be sheepe secure from want, till wee come to say; The Lord is my shepheard; and then wee may justly inferre: We shall not want.

Indeed God is a shepheard, as able as hee is good, and as good as he is able. For hee leadeth mee into greene pastures. Not onely hee hath greene pastures to lead me into, which shewes his Abilitie; but hee leads mee into them, which shewes his Goodnesse. Hee leades me not into pastures that are withered and drye, that would distaste me before I taste them: but [Page 4] he leades me into Greene pastures, as well to please my eye with the verdure, as my sto­macke with the herbage; and inviting me as it were to eate, by setting out the meat in the best colour. A meat though never so good, yet if it looke not handsomely, it dulls the appetite: but when besides the goodnesse, it hath also a good looke; This gives the appetite another edge, and makes a joy before enjoying. But yet the goodnesse is not altogether in the greennesse. Alas, Greene is but a colour, and colours are but deceitfull things, they might be greene leaves; or they might bee greene flags, or rushes: and what good were to mee in such a greennesse? No my soule, the good­nesse is in being greene Pastures, for now they performe as much as they promise; and as in being greene, they were a comfort to mee as soone as I saw them; so in being greene pa­stures, they are a refreshing to me now, as soone as I tast them. As they are pleasant to looke on, so they are wholsome to feed on: As they are sweet to be tasted, so they are easie to bee digested; that I am now me thinkes in a kind of Paradise, and seeme not to want any thing, unlesse perhaps a little water, with which now and then to wash my mouth, at most to take sometimes a sippe: for though sheepe bee no great drinkers; and though their pastures be­ing greene, and full of sappe, make drinke the lesse needfull, yet some drinke they must have [Page 5] besides; and now see the great goodnesse of this Shepheard, and what just cause there is to depend upon his Providence: for hee lets not his sheepe want this neither; but hee leades them besides still waters; Not waters that roare and make a noyse, enough to fright a fearefull sheepe: but waters still and quiet, that though they drinke but little, yet they may drinke that little without feare. And may I not justly say now; The Lord is my shepheard, I shall not want?

And yet perhaps there will be want for all this; for is it enough, that he leade them in­to greene pastures, and besides still waters? May he not leade them in, and presently take them out againe, before their bellyes be halfe full; and so in stead of making them happy, make them more miserable? set them in a longing with the sight, and then frustrate them of their expectation? No my soule; The mea­sure of this Shepheards goodnesse, is more then so; Hee not onely leadeth them into greene pastures, but hee makes them to lye downe in them; Hee leades them not in, to post over their meat, as if they were to eate a Passeover, and to take it in Transitu, as dogges drinke Nylus; but, hee makes them to lye downe in greene pastures, that they may eat their fill, and feed at leisure; and when they have done, lye downe and take their ease, that their After-reckoning may be as pleasing as their Repast; [Page 6] and that they may be free from being solliciti de crastino, for taking care to provide for tomorrow, seeing they have a Market of provi­sion round about them, or rather their meat ready drest to their hands for many dayes to come. O my soule, thus are the godly provi­ded for, by the Lord their Shepheard; and though their pastures may seeme withered, and dry in the eyes of the world; yet to them, they are greene, and pleasing, and give more glad­nesse to their hearts; then theirs whose Corne and Wine, most abundantly increaseth. And now, O my soule, is it not time now to say Grace, and to acknowledge a thankfulnesse for this plenty of my meat, and drinke? and can I say a shortet Grace then this; The Lord is my shepheard; I shall not want?

And yet perhaps there will be want for all this; for if God be a Shepheard, will hee not sheare his sheepe? and if hee sheare me; will he not leave me bare and naked? and how then can I say; I shall not want? God indeed is a Shepheard, that will sheare his sheepe; but hee will Tondere, not Deglubere; Hee will take off our old cloathes, but it is to make way for new; and he takes them off, in a time, when we may well spare them; indeed in a time, when it is better for us to be without them: and there­fore, neither is his shearing any cause, but I may say still; The Lord is my shepheard, I shall not want.

And yet I say still, there will perhaps bee want for all this: For is it enough to have food, and rayment? Is it enough to have ease and plenty? Alas! all these doe but serve for the body; there is no provision here for the soule: and if the soule be not provided for; all the rest, is but the care of Martha, troubled a­bout many things, and none of them needfull. But he that told Martha of her errour, is it like he will commit the like errour himselfe? No my soule, his principall care is of the soule; for hee restoreth my soule: but as he made mee Verse 3 not a living soule at first, till hee had made the earth, and the fruits of the earth to serve for my living; so he Restores not my soule now, till he hath first ledde me into Greene pastures, to serve for my sustenance: for to what pur­pose were it to give a life, and not a living? to give a Being; and not give meanes to main­taine that Being? and was it not perhaps from hence, that Christ tooke his patterne; when he taught us, to Pray for daily bread, before wee Pray for forgivenesse of sinnes? But though he provide first for the body, which was made first; yet he provides most for the soule, which was given last: Hee but feedes my body, but he restores my soule: Hee ministers to my bo­dy but accidentall and outward things; but in­ward and substantiall to my soule. And why is it, that God provides more for the soule, then for the body; but because the soule is of [Page 8] farre more worth then the body? for God is not as man, to take care of things out of fan­cie, or upon mistaking: but hee takes care of things according as hee values them, and va­lues them according as they are worth; Num­quid cura Deo de Bobis, Doth God take care of Oxen? Indeed the Soule, in comparison of the Body; is of farre more value, then the worth of an Oxe, in comparison of a man. O that wee could be so wise, as to know the true va­lue, and worth of the soule! and to take care of things according to their values! we should then certainly be more carefull of the soule, lesse carefull of the body then we are: and be more sensible of that saying of Christ; What availes it a man, to gaine the whole world, and to lose his soule? It may bee allowed perhaps to men, to provide first for the body, so they would provide most for the soule, as God doth here: but to provide first and most, for the bo­dy; and last, and least for the soule, as most men doe; that I say not, all for the body, and nothing for the soule, as some men doe; This must needs be extremely against all good order: seeing it is so directly against Gods order.

But to what is it that God restores my soule? It must be to something that my soule had before, and hath not now: and so it is: Hee restores it, to its originall puritie, that was now growne foule, and black with sinne: for alas, [Page 9] what good were it, to have greene pastures, and a black soule! Hee restores it, to its natu­rall temper in affections, that was growne distempered with violence of Passions: for alas what good were it, to have still waters, and turbulent spirits! Hee restores it indeed to life, that was growne before, in a manner quite dead, and who could restore my soule to life, but he onely that is the good Shepheard, and gave his life for his sheepe, which no shepheard ever did but Hee? Saint Peter layd downe his life, but he gave not his life; for he would per­haps have kept it, if he might: and he layd it not downe neither, as a shepheard for his sheepe, but as a sheepe rather for his shepheard: but this Shepheard gave his life for his sheepe: Gave it, quia oportuit indeed, because it was ne­cessary he should give it; but yet, quia voluit too, because hee would giue it; for if it had not beene voluntarie, it could not have beene acceptable; and if not acceptable, never cer­tainly have served for a Ransome; and if not Ransomming, no Restoring.

But is it not said, The Shepheard was smit­ten, and the sheepe were scattered? and what was his smyting, but the Giving his life? and had he not done better to have kept his life, then leaving it, to leave his sheepe to scatte­ring? O my soule, though they were scatte­red for a time, yet it was but to be gathered to­gether againe with the greater joy: for though [Page 10] he left his life, yet he left not his sheepe: but had a care of them, even in death; for hee had power to lay downe his life, and power to take it up againe: and as he layd it downe for his sheepes Ransome, so hee tooke it up for their justification.

Every shepheard knowes that sheepe are subject to many infirmities, and knowes many infirmities to which they are subject; and therefore is never without his Boxe of Tarre, as the best remedie in cases of danger; but if the danger passe his Tarre-boxe, and touch upon the life; he then gives them over, and lets nature worke: but the Lord is a Shepheard of another nature, above the power of Nature; He restoreth the soule, when the life is in dan­ger; hee hath wayes of curing, which no shep­heard knows of but himselfe; and if other helps fayle, he need but to say, Velo, sis sanus; I will, Be thou whole: and without any Tarre-boxe, it is a present remedie. And may I not now just­ly say; The Lord is my shepheard; I shall not want?

And yet perhaps there will be want for all this: for is it enough, that he restore my soule, and then leave me? What is it to restore my soule, but to put it in statu quo prius, in the state it was made at first; which, was after the Image of God in holinesse, and righteousnesse? and if I could not continue in this state, when made in it, how shall I continue in it, when re­stored [Page 11] to it? Hee will therefore supply this want too: for having restored my soule in righteousnesse; Hee will leade mee in the paths of righteousnesse: that though left to my selfe, I tooke a wrong guide, and went astray; yet when he leades me, that is the way it selfe; I may be sure, I cannot possibly goe out of the way.

But alas, O Lord, these paths of righteous­nesse, have a long time so little beene frequen­ted, that all prints of a path, are almost cleane worne out; that it is a hard matter now but to find where the paths lye, and if wee can find them, yet they are so narrow, and so full of rubbes; that without speciall assistance, it is an impossible thing, not to Fall, or goe astray. Even some Angels, and those no meane ones, were not able to goe right in these pathes of righteousnesse; but for want of leading, went awry, and perished. O therefore, Thou the great Shepheard of my soule, as thou art plea­sed of thy grace to leade me into them; so vouchsafe with thy Grace to leade me in them: for though in themselves they bee pathes of righteousnesse; yet to me, they will bee but paths of errour, if thou vouchsafe not, as well to leade me in them, as into them. O the comfortable pathes of righteousnesse; the ve­ry paths in which Enoch walked with God, and which walked in as they should be, will bring us to a better Paradise, then that of our [Page 12] first Parents. For if God leade us in these paths; these paths will leade us to the place, where the Goats shall be put on the left hand, and the sheepe be taken on the right, that now I am certainly come to the highest cause of my glo­rying to say; The Lord is my shepheard, I shall not want: for at his right hand is the fulnesse of Joy forevermore.

But why is it, that this great Shepheard will doe these great things for me? Is it because he findes me to be a sounder sheepe, and to have fewer blemishes upon me then some o­ther? Alas no; for I am nothing but blemi­shes, and unsoundnesse all over; but, Hee will doe it for his Names sake; For seeing hee hath taken upon him the Name of a good shep­heard, he will discharge his part, what ever his sheepe be: It is not their being bad sheepe, that can make him leave being a good shepheard, but he will be good, and maintaine the credit of his Name, in spight of all their badnesse: and though no benefit come to them of it, yet there shall glory accrew to him by it, and his Name shall neverthelesse be magnified, and extolled.

But now, O my soule, though I can say, I shall not want: yet can I say, I shall not feare? For is not Feare an inseparable companion of Mortalitie? and can I then choose but feare, that know my selfe to be mortall, and know also what the condition is of being mortall? [Page 13] Not onely that I may dye, but that I must dye: and not onely must one day, but may this day; Alas, this very minute! I feare indeed when I consider my owne frailtie: but when I consider that the Lord is my Shepheard, I then am armed against all feare, against this feare of death it selfe: Hee that makes me to walke in Greene pastures, and in paths of righteousnesse, and keepes me from want: hee also leades me by the hand, as I walke, and keepes me from feare: Yea, thou I walke in the Verse 4 valley, of the shadow of death, I will feare no evill: Though I be brought to never so great extre­mitie: though brought as low as the Valley of death, though brought as neere to Death, as the shadow to the body; though brought to walke as a ghost amongst the dead, yet I will feare no evill. The shadow of death may perhaps be farre enough from it, for all our life, is but the shadow of death: but the Valley of the shadow must needs be close to death, as being the very entrance to it; yet if I were brought to this doore of death, if brought within the doore, and compassed about with Death; yet for all this, for all that can be said, or done, I will feare no evill. Will you not? will you not feare evill, when the evill is so eminent, and the danger so great? Is the face of Death no more terrible, but that you dare looke upon it, without feare? Though it be the reproach of the wicked, to feare where [Page 14] there is no cause of feare, yet not to feare where there is cause, can be no commendation in the godly. And why then will David speake thus, more like a desperate man, then one that were well advised? No doubt, David will give good reason for that hee speakes; As it were desperatnesse, not to feare, where there is Im­minent danger: So it were cowardise to feare, where there is eminent comfort: Lay then the comfort to the danger, and you will easily ex­cuse David, for fearing no evill. You have seene the Danger, now heare the Comfort: The Lord my shepheard is with mee; For he is never absent from his flock: his rodde, and his staffe, they comfort mee: and may they not justly comfort me, when with them he is able to re­cover a sheepe, though falling downe the stee­pest Praecipyce, or though already in the Wolfes mouth, or in the pawes of the Lyon. Indeed, if I had not my Shepheard with mee; Or if my Shepheard had not his instruments with him, I might justly then be in feare of e­vill; but what evill can I feare now, when I have my Shepheard, and my Shepheard his In­struments; his rod, and his staffe; Both Instru­ments of comfort; and not onely of comfort, but of incouragement; both Instruments of preserving.

But is it well understood, what his Rod, and his Staffe meane? For, they may as well bee instruments of correcting, as defending: and if [Page 15] of defending, there is then just cause they should be comforts: but if of correcting, what comforts can they be? for what comfort can it be, to be corrected? O my soule, great com­fort to me, that know the nature of this Shep­heard, as I doe: for doe not I know, that whom he loves, he corrects; and therefore whom he corrects, it is a certaine Argument that hee loves? Indeed, if the Rodde and the Staffe, were in the hands of an enemie; I should then feare them, as instruments for my evill; but being in his hands that is my Shepheard; now they are but as my owne weapons put into an abler hand, that can better manage them for my good, then I could doe my selfe. Could Moses with his rod fetch water out of a Rock, and shall not God with his rod, bring comfort out of trouble? Could Jacob with his staffe passe over Jordan, and returne enriched with heards of cattell, and shall not Gods staffe make me passe over the Jordan of this world, and bring mee home with troopes of joy? Shall not his rod, though it wound me, com­fort me; when I know he wounds, but to the end hee may apply a Plaister? Shall not his staffe, though it beat me, comfort me; when it is but to beat the dust out of mee, that am no­thing but dust? But most of all, must not his rod needs comfort me, when it is his rod, that makes me lye downe in greene pastures? Must not his staffe needs comfort me, when it is his [Page 16] staffe, that keepes me right in the paths of righ­teousnesse? Oh sweet Rod, how can I choose but kisse thee! Deare staffe, but embrace thee! seeing it is long of you, that his greene pa­stures, and his paths of righteousnesse doe me any good; for they would certainly doe mee hurt; his greene pastures would pamper up my flesh too much; his pathes of righteousnesse would puffe up my spirits too much; If his Rod, and his Staffe were not used as Modera­tours. And if you thinke this strange, that the paths of righteousnesse should puffe up the spi­rits: Remember Saint Paul, to whom there was given a thorne in the flesh, lest his walking in the paths of righteousnesse, should puffe him up. But if the rod, and the staffe, in these sen­ses, may not be sufficient comfort to take away all cause of feare; at least, there shall come forth a Rod, out of the stemme of Jesse: (indeed to Da­vid in particular, a speciall comfort) that will certainly be sufficient against all feare, though I walke in the Valley of the shadow of death; for this Rod, as a Mountaine shall fill up all Valleys; and as the substance, shall fulfill all shadowe; and as the true life, shall swallow up Death in victory. And is there not a staffe that will doe as much? the staffe upon which Jacob leaned, when he was a dying? when he was indeed in the Valley of the shadow of Death? O my soule, having this Staffe of Ja­cob to leane upon; this Rodde of the stemme [Page 17] of Jesse to be my comfort; I shall make my selfe unworthy of protection, if I should feare any evill, though I walke in the valley of the shadow of death. For why should I feare Death, which is but the parting of the soule from the body, seeing I cannot come to God with them both at once, but they must first bee parted one from another? My soule cannot come to the light of life, if my body bee not first in the shadow of death: indeed but in the shadow, for the substance of death can never take hold upon it, if my soule be gone before to take possession of the Light. O then vouch­safe, O God, to bring my soule first, and after it, my body out of the shadow of Death, into the light of Life; and then I shall have cause, just cause to say, and to glory in saying; The Lord is my shepheard, I shall not want.

But if it be doubted still, how it can be, that Gods rodde, and his staffe, should be comforts to the godly, then marke the issue, and see what followes upon his Rod, and his Staffe; Thou preparest a Table before mee, in the presence Verse 5 of my enemies: Thou anoyntest my head with Oyle; my cuppe runneth over. For this is a sure rule with God, that his chastening alwayes ends in cherishing; if he strike with his Rod, and per­haps breakes the head with his Staffe; he gives Oyle presently to anoynt it, and to make it whole againe. If he make mee to keepe Fa­sting-day to day, he allowes mee a feast for it [Page 18] to morrow, and then my cuppe shall runne over.

Hitherto God hath vouchsafed to bee a Shepheard, and David hath beene his sheepe; Now God will be a Conquerour, and David shall be a King. Now God as a Conquerour will bestow favours on his friends, and disgra­ces upon his enemies, and therefore now the Scene alters: where it was before in the field, it is now within doores; and where David be­fore spake in the third Person, he speakes now in the second; Thou preparest a Table before mee; and this is to feast his friends: In the presence of mine enemies; and this is to confound his ene­mies. To prepare a Table before him, is it selfe a favour: but the greatnesse of the favour is in this, that a Table is prepared before him, in the presence of his Enemies. For as there is no such joy of prosperitie to the godly, as when their enemies see the prosperitie they are in; it being a kind of revenge, that God takes upon their enemies, in their behalfe: so there is no such Tragedie to the wicked, as to be made spectatours of the prosperitie of the godly; it being the greatest affront, that can be to their expectation, to see them advanced, whom they both hated, and despised. Could Haman have had a greater affliction, then to see Mordecai advanced, and himselfe forced to bee an instrument in his advancing? Videbunt quem transfixerunt, They shall see him, whom they pier­ced, [Page 19] shall be one of the miseries, and perhaps one of the greatest in Hell it selfe.

And now is David a King, and as a King, hath Honour and Plentie; Thou anoyntest my head with oyle, This is his Honour; My cuppe runneth over, This is his Plentie: that where he said before; The Lord is my shepheard; I shall not want: hee may as justly say now; The Lord is my rewarder; I shall abound.

But is it not that in the Person of David here, there is a Reference to Christ himselfe; seeing it is all verefied in him, that is spoken here? Hee that hungred so long, till Sathan thought he could have eaten stones, hath now a Table prepared before him; a Table where the godly shall sit, and eat with him in his Kingdome. Hee that had enemies insulting over him; hath now all his enemies made his foot-stoole; Sinne and Death, Sathan and his members, lye prostrate under him: Hee that had his Head pricked with thornes, hath now his Head anoynted with Oyle: with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes. Hee that thirsted, and could get but Vinegar to drinke, hath now such plenty, that his cup runneth o­ver: All power is given him, both in Heaven and Earth. At least in the person of David, there will be relation to all the godly: Now Lazarus that could not get so much as crummes from Dives his Table, shall have a Table him­selfe prepared before him: Now Dives that [Page 20] fared deliciously every day, shall bee glad to stand waiting at Lazarus Table, for a drop of water: that the godly may well be content to be in penurie a-while, seeing they shall have a Table ere long prepared before them: They may well be content to let their Enemies bee masters awhile, seeing they shall have them ere long to be wayters upon them: They may well be content to hang downe their heads for awhile, seeing their heads ere long shall bee a­noynted with Oyle: They may well be con­tent to have hard measure for a time, seeing the time will be shortly, that their Cup shall runne over. And now, O my soule, will not all this serve to comfort thee, in this vale of miserie? Art thou so besotted on things pre­sent, as to have no consideration, to make no valuation of things to come, and to come so shortly? so shortly all, that they are put in the Present tense, as if they were come already?

But if David cannot over-rule thee as a King, let him at least perswade thee as a Pro­phet; for now you shall have him a Prophet, and a Votarie, and this is his Prophecie; Sure­ly, Mercy, and goodnesse, shall follow mee, all the dayes of my life: and this is his Vow; I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

But is Davids Prophecie like to bee true? will Mercie, and Goodnesse, follow him all the dayes of his life? O my soule, it was true in David, it shall be true in all the godly: for [Page 21] whom God loveth, he loveth to the end; and Mercie, and Goodnesse, shall follow them all the dayes of their life: Mercy, to commiserate; and Goodnesse to relieve: Mercie to beare with infirmities, and Goodnesse to supply wants: Mercie to be an assistant in Adversitie, and Goodnesse to be a Governesse in Prospe­ritie. Alas! O Lord, if thy Mercie should not follow me, thy Justice would: if thy Good­nesse should not follow mee, thy Vengeance would; and then one that were no Prophet, might easily foretell the miserable estate I should be in: as now that Mercie and Good­nesse follow me; one that is no Prophet may easily tell the happy condition I shall be in. Although this perhaps be not so much a Pro­phecie, as a Faith in David, at least a Prophe­cie which all the godly may make to them­selves by Faith, to be assured of the mercy and goodnesse of God; and not to follow them for a time, and then give over, but to follow them all the dayes of their life. But what? no lon­ger then all the dayes of their life, and then leave them? No my soule, but all the dayes of that life, that shall never leave them. O the comfortable doctrine of Faith! farre more comfortable then Heathen Philosophie ever knew; for that went no further, then Ante obi­tum nemo; as though no man could be happy till his death; where by this it appeares that men may bee happy while they live: for if a [Page 22] man be then happy, when the mercy and good­nesse of God follow him, as certainly a greater happinesse there cannot be: then seeing they surely follow the godly, all the dayes of their life; surely a godly man is happy while hee lives. But then the surenesse is long of the mer­cy, and not of the man: for it seemes he would goe farre enough from it, if Mercy did not follow him: but now that hee is followed by Mercy and Goodnesse, hee cannot goe so fast from them, but they will overtake him, and make him happy. O mercifull God, so frame my heart, that I may not flye from thy Mercy, and put it to follow mee; at least let it so fol­low me, that it may overtake me: for then I shall have the happinesse to bee able to keepe my vow, that I will dwell in thy house for ever: but rather I shall have the favour, as an effect of thy Mercy, that I shall dwell in thy house for ever. For if this be a Vow, it is a strange one, where all the benefit is to him that makes the Vow, and none at all to whom it is made, for what is it to God, whither I dwell in his house or no? such Vowers God may have enow. O my soule, to vow to dwell in Gods house, is to vow to be his servant; and to bee his ser­vant, is to serve him in holinesse, and righte­ousnesse, all the dayes of our life; and though this service be no benefit to God, as indeed no more is any thing I can doe, for my goodnesse extendeth not to him: yet the Vow to bee his [Page 23] servant being well performed, will bee more acceptable to him, then if I should vow as Jepthe did, to sacrifice his onely Daughter.

But wee need not stand to justifie Davids Vow: for it seemes not so much a Vow of Da­vid to God; as a favour of God to David, that when his mercy hath followed him all the dayes of his life, he will take him afterwards to live with himselfe; and though his body for a time be cast out of doores, yet his soule shall presently be received into his house, there to dwell with him and his Angels; not as a ser­vant, but as sonne; seeing none but sonnes a­bide in the house for ever. Which in the per­son of David, is no lesse the Portion, and may be as well the comfort of all the godly, and is but the expressing of that in a higher straine; which was said at first in a lower style; The Lord is my shepheard: I shall not want.

LIght which makes all things visi­ble, Verse 1 was the first made, of all vi­sible things: and whether God did it, for our example or no, I know not: but ever since, in im­mitation of this manner of Gods proceeding; the first thing we doe, when wee intend to doe any thing, is to get us Light. Indeed Light, is not onely a directour, but a comforter: and nothing naturally strikes so much ter­rour, as Darknesse: for when wee are in the darke, not onely wee are apt to take into our fancies, all frightfull objects, but we know not how to take our steps, for feare of walls, and thresholds. It is every ones case, to have the Sunne for his light; but it is not every ones happinesse, to have God for his Light; and [Page 30] alas, if I should trust to the Sunne for light, I should be left in darknesse, every day, at least at night: but God is a Sunne that never sets: hee is Light himselfe, hee is Light it selfe: and therefore it is good trusting to God for Light: for so I shall be sure, neither day nor night, to be left in darknesse. O thou great Creatour of Light; Thou Light of all creatures, vouch­safe to shine upon me, and to lighten my dark­nesse, that neither any Objects of terrour may make mee to tremble; nor any Thresholds of errour may make mee to stumble, but that I may walke securely in the confidence of this; The Lord is my Light: for of what then, of whom now, should I be afraid?

But, is it enough that God bee my Light? what if I my selfe be blind? what good then will his Light doe mee? It is true; and there­fore David stayes not here; but, Deus illumi­natio mea; God is my Enlightening too. Hee is both my Light, and my sight: my Light, by which to see; and my sight, with which to see my Light, to make walls, and thresholds visi­ble; and my sight, to make me able to avoide them. If it were not for Light, I should be al­wayes in the darke; if it were not for sight, I should bee darke my selfe: No illumination without both: and never both, but onely from God. There is one indeed, who hath gotten him a Name, to be called Lucifer; as though it were hee, that brought us Light: when God [Page 31] knowes but for him, we should have had no darknesse: yet he pretends to both; both to Light, and to enlightning: but alas, his light is but imposture; his enlightning, but illusion: for as he can transforme himselfe into an An­gell of light; so he can transforme the light it selfe, and make it seeme light, when it is indeed darke: and therefore his light can never make Walls and Thresholds to be truly visible: and as little can his enlightening, make us able to avoide them. For this was tryed in our first Parents, who upon his Enlightening, had their eyes opened indeed, but opened to see Good and Evill; not to distinguish good from evill, and therefore could not enable them, cannot us, to avoid the evill. But as they, that follow his light, doe stumble and fall at the Threshold of errour; so they that are led by his enligh­tening, doe run their heads against the Walls of impietie; No avoiding of Walls and Thre­sholds; No shunning the snares of Sathan, the illusions of this Lucifer, but onely by saying, if truly saying; Deus illuminatio mea, God is my enlightening; and then we may safely inferre, of what; of whom should I be afraid?

Indeed David might well say; Deus illumi­natio mea; God is my Enlightening: Seeing God had enlightened him, not onely to see, but to be a Seer, which is a Prophet: but what is this to us, who are farre from any such enlighte­ning, to see as Prophets? O my soule, it is e­nough [Page 32] for us; that Christ is the great Seer, in whose Light, wee shall see light: and though David were of the Jewes, and wee bee of the Gentiles; yet as Christ was the glory of his people Israel: so he is a Light, to lighten the Gentiles: and therefore Deus illuminatio mea, God is my enlightening; as fit for us to say, as it was for David.

But doth Gods enlightening serve onely for a safeguard against Walls and Thresholds? Alas! the light of the Sunne, and the enligh­tening of Nature would serve to doe this: and what need we then to seeke any other? O my soule, there are spirituall Walls, and Thre­sholds, which no Sunne can make us see, which Nature her selfe is not able to see; onely Gods enlightening, hath the influence to doe it. There is a Wall of sinne, the Partition Wall betweene God and us: the Wall that barres us from having accesse to God: and this Wall, the naturall man sees not, neither can see: Illu­mination onely makes it visible. There is a Threshold of pride in the heart of man; a swelling of selfe-love, that lyes in the way wee are to passe, and is a cause of stumbling if not avoyded: and this Threshold the naturall man sees not, neither can see; onely Gods illu­mination makes able to see it. And many other Walls and Thresholds there are, which with­out Illumination can never be seene; and not seene, can never be avoided; and not avoided, [Page 33] are cause of falling into endlesse perdition. And as Illumination makes us to see these lights of Terrour, so it makes us to see also sights of Comfort; It makes us see Death lye dead before us, and swallowed up in Victory; It makes us see the powers of Hell astonished, as not able to endure the lustre of this Light: It makes us see the doores of Heaven open, in­to which by vertue of this Light wee have meanes to enter: It makes us see him that is in­visible, God himselfe that is our enlightening, in whose Presence, is the fulnesse of Joy for evermore; and of whom then, of what now should I be afraid?

These indeed bee comfortable sights, but what comfort for me to see them, if I bee not sure I shall enjoy them? and how can I be any more sure to enjoy them, then the Angells that fell? For they had Illumination, in a greater measure then I can hope to have it; and yet for all their Illumination, they stumbled at the Threshold of Pride: and ranne their heads a­gainst the Wall of sinne, and utterly lost; Alas have lost for ever, all benefit, of all these com­fortable sights. All this is true, and therefore David stayes not here neither; but Deus illu­minatio mea, & salus mea; God is my enlightening, and my salvation too, and this hee was not to the Angels that fell: hee left them at Illumi­nation, never conducted them to salvation; for if hee had done this, their Illumination had [Page 34] never beene turned into darknesse; either they had not stumbled at all. or at least not so stum­bled, as to fall. If God were onely my illu­mination, I should by that light goe to Video meliora probo (que), but should presently follow it with Deteriora sequor: but when he is my salva­tion too; this makes me breake off at Deteriora sequor: and where God was heard to say; Per­ditio tua ex te O Israel, Thy destruction is from thy selfe, O Israel: Now to heare him say, Ego autem salus tua, but I am thy salvation. If my illumination reflected upon my selfe, to make me seeme bright in my owne eyes, as though I had something which I had not re­ceived, then indeed I should bee in the case of the Angels that fell; for so did they: but now that my illumination reflects upon God: and makes me see all goodnesse to be originally in him, none in my selfe, but what he is pleased to impart, or impute unto me; Now Illumi­nation becomes a step to salvation, and as they are free indeed whom the Spirit frees; so they are safe indeed, whom God saves; and of what then, of whom now, should I be afraid?

But though God be my salvation: yet this perhaps may be onely in the life to come, and if it be no more but so, I may doe ill enough in this present life, for all his salvation in the next; and have I not cause then to bee afraid? To free thee therefore of this scruple; David stayes not here neither; but, God is my salvation, [Page 35] and the strength of my life too; Not onely of my life to come, which will be strong of it selfe, but of my present life, which hath no strength but in him. Or rather seeing godlinesse hath the promise of both lifes, both of this life, and the life to come, the first shall be first served; and then if God be the strength of my present life, there shall be in it no present weaknesse: and if no weaknesse, there need bee no feare; and of what then; of whom now, should I be afraid?

But though Gods strength be sufficient to defend me, if I had no enemies: Or if I were to fight but a single combat, yet can it be suffi­cient to preserve me, when an Army of ene­mies assaults me at once? and can I choose but feare, when I know my selfe unable to resist? O my soule, take heed thou be not in the num­ber of those, to whom it was said; What feare yee, O yee of little faith? For what can an Army doe, against the arme of God? What can all Might do, against him that is Almightie? Have my enemies any strength, but what they have from God? And can they have any strength from him, against me, when hee employes his strength against them for me? No my soule; though an host encampe against mee; though warre bee made upon mee; yet as long as God is the strength of my life, it is neither their multitude, nor their malice that can hurt mee; but rather their very malice is the meanes, their multitude [Page 36] cannot hurt me, for Malice hinders Illumina­tion, and makes them, they cannot see their way; that when they came upon mee, and thought they had me sure enough; even then I was sure enough from their having: For hee that is the strength of my life, had layd a block in their way, which for want of Illumi­nation, they saw not, at which they stumbled, and fell.

But yet, it is a grievous thing to have Cani­balls for ones enemies, and such my enemies seeme to be: They seeke not more to destroy mee, then devoure mee: They came upon mee to eat up my flesh, as if I had beene their sham­bles; It is not enough they could kill mee, but they could find in their hearts to eat me: They are not satisfied with procuring my death, if they bee not themselves actours in it: It is not enough for them to have my bloud, unlesse their owne hands be imbrued in it: Indeed there is no such daintie dish to a malicious sto­mack, as the flesh of an enemy; it goes downe without chewing, and they swallow it up whole like Cormorants. But though Malice have a ravenous stomack, yet she hath but slow disgestion; though her teeth be sharpe, yet her feet are lame, at least apt to stumble, and this made well for David, for when his enemies came upon him, to eate up his flesh, because they came upon the feet of malice, they stum­bled and fell. A man may stumble, and yet [Page 37] not fall, but to stumble, and fall withall, is the proper stumbling of the wicked, and especial­ly of the maliciously wicked: and such, it seemes was the stumbling of Davids enemies, because his enemies were such; and such I doubt not shall bee the stumbling of my ene­mies, because mine are such: and of what then, of whom now, should I be afraid?

But to the end I may have some exercise for my illumination, that it stand not idle; and may have some testimonie for my salvati­on, that it grow not doubtfull; There is one Verse 4 thing I have desired of the Lord, and that I will seeke after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the dayes of my life, to behold the beautie of the Lord: and to enquire in his holy Temple. This beholding of Gods beauty, will be a con­tinuall exercise for my Illumination; and this enquiring in Gods holy Temple, will give me assurance of my salvation.

It were very hard, if David making but one request to God, that God should deny him? for hath he not bidden us to aske, and wee should have? and could David aske lesse, then to aske but one thing? No my soule: God de­nied it not to David, nor will deny it to thee, nor to any other that shall aske it in Faith: and specially if hee aske it to so good an end as David doth here; to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his holy Temple.

But seeing David would make but one re­quest [Page 38] to God, why would he not make a grea­ter? for alas, what a poore request is this, to desire to dwell in Gods house? and what to doe? but onely to see? and to see what? but onely a Beautie, a fading thing, at most but to enquire; and what is enquiring? but onely to heare newes; a vaine fancie; and what cause in any of these why David should make it his request to God? But marke, O my soule, what goes with it; Take altogether; to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his holy Temple: And now tell mee, if there be, tell me if there can be any greater request to be made? any greater cause to be earnest about it? For though worldly beauty be a fading thing, yet the Beauty of the Lord shall continue, when the world it selfe shall fade away; and though enquiring after newes be a vaine fancie, yet to enquire in Gods Temple, is the way to learne, there is no new thing under the Sunne; and there it was that Solomon learned, that all is vanitie. Indeed this one thing that David de­sires, is in effect, that Unum necessarium that Christ speakes of in the Gospell; which Mary made choyce of there, as David doth here; and I may say, it is that pretious Jewell, which the rich Merchant sold all he had to buy, and had his bargaine commended by Christ him­selfe. O how happy were wee, if we could bound our desires within the compasse of things necesserie: for all our miserie growes [Page 39] from this, that our desires have no certaine dwelling, but wander and range about from one object to another, like vagabonds from place to place; and no helpe there will be for it, till our desire arrive at that which is the best: for as long as there is any better to be had, the Desire will never leave desiring; and where is that best to be had, but in him onely, that is onely good: in him indeed that is the onely good: and seeing there can be no happi­nesse till the Desire be settled; and the Desire will never be settled, till wee come at God; therefore no meanes so likely to make us hap­py, as to dwell in Gods house; for there wee are sure we shall be with him; and once with him, never have desire to any thing besides him.

There are other houses, which in worldly considerations, and to worldly mindes, may seeme as convenient, and perhaps be more pro­fitable to dwell in, then this house of God: but that which makes me so desirous to dwell here, rather then any where else, is partly for the prospect, that I may behold the beauty of the Lord; and partly for instruction, that I may enquire in his holy Temple. For there is not such a Prospect againe in the world as this; Not on the Mount, where Christ was shewed all the Kingdomes of the earth, and the glo­ry of them: Nor such another place for in­struction as here; Not all the Schooles of [Page 40] Philosophers; Not all the Oracles of the Hea­then, in any degree to be compared with it.

And what then is this beauty of God, which David is so desirous to behold? what this house of God, in which he desires to dwell? There is a beauty of God in his creatures, most glori­ous indeed, and most worthy of beholding: but yet this needs no dwelling in Gods house to see it; wee may see it as well, dwelling any where else; but there is a beauty of God in himselfe, a beauty which if once we see, wee shall never be willing to take our eyes off; a beauty which the more wee see, the more we shall see cause to desire to see it; a Beauty, which without speciall illumination, neither the eyes of men are able to behold; nor the tongues of Angels to expresse; and this Beau­ty is no where to be seene, but in Gods house; and not there neither, but by dwelling in it: It is not for every one that comes in as a stranger, to see this Beauty, they must be dwellers in it; continuall, and constant frequenters of it, or they are never like to be admitted to behold it. There is indeed, in all the creatures of God, in some more eminently, a certaine tincture of this Beauty, and is perhaps that which deceives us in the estimating of our happinesse; because wee take tincture for substance, and fixe our selves upon that which is made but onely for a passage. For tinctures though they please for a time, yet they soone weare out and decay: [Page 41] no solidnesse, nor durablenesse, but in the sub­stance it selfe, and no substance of beauty, but onely in God: and therefore the truest happi­nesse, indeed all true happinesse, in onely the beholding of this Beauty. And if any man doubt of this, because seeing, is but the satis­faction of one sense; and happinesse gives satis­faction at least to all the senses: Let him then heare, what David in another place sayes; Vi­dete & gustate, quam suavis est Dominus: See, and taste, how sweet the Lord is: For in this See­ing, not onely the Tasting, but all the senses are united, at least the pleasures of all the senses are comprised: and the rather, if wee consider that Beholding hath a preheminence above Seeing: for where seeing may bee in Transitu onely; Beholding implyes a permanencie, and a fixing our eyes upon it; and such is the See­ing, that is the Essentiall sense of happinesse.

And what then is this house of God, in which David desires to dwell? hath God any other house then Heaven? and would David dwell in Heaven, whilst hee is dwelling upon Earth? will nothing serve his turne, but to aske God for impossibilities? Indeed Heaven is Gods Throne, but Heaven and Earth both, are full of the Majestie of his glory: and therefore God hath a House on earth too; a House dedi­cate to the honour of his Name; and David justly makes his Prayer for this House, because indeed it is the house of Prayer, and no Rent [Page 42] payd for dwelling in it, but onely Prayer: O then make me able, O God, to pay thee this Rent, and I shall never doubt of continuing thy tenant in this House, to behold thy Beau­tie, and to inquire in thy holy Temple.

But why should David make it a suite to God, to dwell in his House, seeing God leaves the doores open, that every one may come and dwell in it that will? O my soule, it is not simply to dwell in it, but so to dwell in it, that he may see Gods beauty; and this cannot bee seene without illumination; and no illumina­tion, but of Gods donation. For indeed this dwelling, is a spirituall living, a donative one­ly in Gods gift: and justly therefore David makes it his suite, to have his Induction, but an Induction onely while wee live here; no perfect possession till another life: but hee that seekes not his induction here; must never looke for possession hereafter.

As to behold the beauty of God, is one great benefit of dwelling in Gods house; so it is another no lesse to inquire in his holy Tem­ple: as that beholding, gives a satisfaction to our eyes; so this inquirie to our mindes. When David saw the prosperitie of the wicked; hee was so amazed, that hee knew not what to make of it, till he entred into Gods holy Tem­ple, and inquired: and there he presently lear­ned, what Gods meaning is in it, and why hee suffers it to be so. What knowledge so neces­sary, [Page 43] as the knowledge of sinne? yet Saint Paul confesseth hee had not knowne what sinne is, but for the Law: and where is the Law to bee learned, but enquiring in Gods holy Temple? and indeed if there bee any scruple of consci­ence, if any doubtfulnesse of mind, if any dif­ficulty of question concerning either God or our selves; either the life present, or the life to come, by enquiring in Gods holy Temple, it is presently cleered, and resolved: for there are the Oracles kept, which serve to instruct, to teach, to reprove, that the man of God may be perfect in every good worke.

And amongst all the great mysteries which are learned by enquiring in Gods holy Tem­ple; this is one of speciall comfort to me, that Verse 5 when I am in trouble, if his house that I dwell in, be not sufficient to defend me; he will hide me in his owne Pavillion: in the secret of his Tabernacle will hee hide mee; hee will set mee upon a rock: that one way or other, he will bee sure; and I may be sure, he will set mee in safetie,

But how can God hide me in his Pavillion, which lyes open to all men; and where every man may enter, and find me? He will then ra­ther then faile, hide me in the secret of his Ta­bernacle; which is shut against all men, and where none enters but himselfe. But yet his Tabernacle may be burnt with fire; may bee blowne up with powder; blowne downe with winde: and what safetie then, in the secret [Page 44] of his Tabernacle? Hee will then, if that faile, set me upon a Rocke, and a Rocke is subject to none of these, that so at least, neither fire, nor sword, nor tempest of wind, may prevaile a­gainst me. Or is it, that being once admitted to dwell in Gods house; I shall have, not onely the protection of a servant; for his Tegere, is Protegere; but the advancement also of a Fa­vorite to be set upon a Rocke: for this, as it is a safetie, is no lesse an honour. Or is it, that lest mine enemies should thinke it were done for feare of them, that he hydes me; he will set me upon a Rocke, as it were in defyance: and though some may be so bold to enter the se­cret of his Tabernacle; yet none will bee so desperate, to venture upon a Rock, against which, all they can doe, is but to dash them­selves in peeces, and to hasten their owne ruine.

And now, O my soule, how canst thou doubt of thy being in safetie, having the three great fortresses of God for thy defence: his generall providence, which is his Pavillion: then, his speciall Mercie, which is the secret of his Tabernacle: then, the Mediation of Christ, who is the Rocke; upon which, when thou art set, neither the raging of the Sea, nor the blu­stering of the wind, need to affright thee; for though they roare against thee, yet they can­not hurt thee; and of whom then, of what now should I be afraid?

For being set upon this Rock; My head shall Verse 6 bee lifted up above mine enemies round about mee: Though my feet may be in the water, yet my head shall be above water; I shall be in no dan­ger, though perhaps in some trouble; and in no trouble neither, but such as while my head is lifted up, I may freely laugh at, and despise; and the rather, for that though my enemies be so many, as to be round about me; yet they are so meane, as to be all below mee; not meane in themselves, but meane through him, that hath lifted up my head above them. If mine ene­mies were but low, it were no great matter to be higher then they: but to have my head lif­ted up above them, who carry their heads so high, as to thinke none their equalls; this must needs be, as well to me a cause of joy; as in thee, O God, an effect of power. In thy lif­ting up my head, I regard not so much the ho­nour, as the relation to my enemies; for whe­ther it be lifted up little, or much, it is all one to mee, so long as it bee above my enemies, their pitch is my proportion: for the marke of my ayme, is not superiority, but securitie; not to shine in other mens eyes, but not to have mine owne put out.

There may be many causes of joy to a man in trouble, but none so great as this, to have his head lifted up above his enemies: for though to take revenge of an enemy, bee the delight onely of a cruell nature; yet to be able to take [Page 46] revenge, is a joy to the mildest nature, but yet a joy that must bee made a sacrifice, not to grow insolent, and proud upon it; but as to receive the power with humilitie, so to use it with mildnesse, and most of all, to ascribe the glory, to whom it belongs.

There was a time, O God, when thou didst lift up mine enemies heads above me; and even then I offered thee a sacrifice too; but it was a sorrowfull sacrifice, a sacrifice of sorrow; but when thou shalt lift up my head above mine enemies, I will then offer thee a joyfull sacri­fice, a sacrifice of joy: and it shall not bee a si­lent joy, as though I sought to smother it, by which no glory would come unto thee; but it shall be a singing joy, and the song shall bee of thy praises, as shewing me to joy more, in thy lifting me up; then in my being lift up; more for thy glory, then for my owne advancement, but sing I shall for both; I shall sing, to expresse my joy, and I shall sing to extoll thy Praises.

But why is David so suddenly turned from singing to crying, that hee should fall so pre­sently to say; Heare mee, O Lord, when I cry with my voyce? Is it, that hee findes God, not well pleased with his singing; and therefore meanes to try, what hee can doe with crying? Or is it, that he thinkes himselfe better at expressing sorrow then joy, and therefore hopes his cry­ing may be heard, though his singing bee not? Or is it indeed, that singing, and crying both, [Page 47] are little enough to make a sacrifice to God? Alas! they are both of them too little, to make an acceptable sacrifice, without Gods mercy: and therefore David trusts not to them alone, but is glad to joyne Gods mercy with them; Have mercy also upon mee, O God, and answer mee. It is a great mercy in God to heare us, but a greater mercy to answer us; and therefore to require his answer, requires a more speciall invocation of his mercy; and the rather, in hope to have a mercifull answer: for alas, if he should answer, and not in mercy, such an answer would be worse then silence.

But how can I doubt of Gods answering me, when I speake to him; who have my selfe answered him, when hee spake to mee? For when thou saydst; Seeke yee my face; my heart Verse 8 said unto thee; Thy face Lord, I will seeke: and for my heart to say it, is more then for my voyce to cry it: for no crying of the voyce, makes so loude a sound in the eares of God; as the saying of the heart; that to use the termes properly, I might rather say; I cry it with my heart, and but say it with my voyce.

But is this all the answer I shall have from God, that I should seeke his face? Alas! O Lord, thy great Favourite Moses, could never obtaine more then to see thy Back-parts, and how then can I hope to see thy face? and if I cannot hope to see it, why wouldst thou have me spend time to seeke it? But is it not all [Page 48] one, in the phrase of the Law, to seeke Gods face; as in the phrase of the Gospell, to seeke Gods kingdome? and therefore as God saith here; seeke yee my face: so Christ saith there; seeke Gods kingdome: at least if they be not both one; they are both sought one way; both sought by following Gods Commandements, for his Commandements, if wee follow them well, will both bring us to his kingdome, and to see his face.

Or is it not perhaps in a plaine literall sence, that to seeke Gods face, is in our Prayers, and Meditations, to settle, and fixe the eyes of our mindes wholly upon God; and as it were, to looke him in the face: wherein, oh what infi­nite oddes there is betweene the Angels and us, for magnifying of God: for they behold his Face, and can see it visibly, where all that we can doe towards it, is onely by the strength of imagination, which God knowes is but weake; very weake in us, weake in it selfe, and weaker for want of intention; but if we could see his Face as the Angels doe; O my soule, we should see in it, not onely infinite causes for magnifying his Name; but infinite sweetnesse for pleasing our owne senses. For if the beau­ty of a carnall face, be so admirable, so plea­sing, as that no earthly thing may bee compa­red to it; what extasie of admiration! what transcendencie of pleasure must needes be in the beautie of a spirituall Face! and specially [Page 49] that face, in which the fulnesse of all Beauty resideth bodily! And have I not cause then to seeke this Face? O mercifull God, grant me so to seeke it, that I may find it: for though this be not the place for finding it, yet this is the place for seeking it: and hee that seekes it not here; he that seekes it not now, is never like to find it in another place, never like to find it hereafter.

But why am I so hastie, to promise God to seeke his Face, as though it were in my owne power to seeke it at my pleasure? Alas! how can I choose but promise it, when God re­quires it; and how can I thinke, when hee re­quires it, but that hee will enable me; at least, not hinder me to performe it? and yet I pro­mise not performance, but Will: and Will I suppose I may safely promise, seeing Will is present with me, and can never be absent from mee.

But when I seeke thy face, vouchsafe, O Verse 9 God, not to hide thy face from mee: for to what purpose should I seek it, if I cannot find it? and what hope of finding it, if thou be bent to hide it? Alas! O Lord, to bid me seeke it, and then goe presently and hide it from me; what were this but to mock me, as the Jewes mocked Christ; blindfold him, and strike him; and then bid him tell, who strooke him? and in­deed how should I seeke it, if I have not light to seeke it by? and what light to seeke it by? [Page 50] and what light to seeke it by, but the light of thy Countenance? and what light of thy Countenance, if thou hide away thy face? To bid me to seeke thy Face, and then to hide thy Face from me, were a kind of derision; and I hope, O God, thou wilt not use me so unkind­ly; set me about a worke scarce possible to bee done, and then take from mee all possible meanes of doing it? Alas! O Lord, all the encouragement I have to seeke it, is the hope I have thou wilt not hide it: O therefore, Hide not thy face from mee, O God: for if thou hide thy Face from me, what can I thinke, but that thou art angry? and if indeed thou be angry, yet use me at least as a servant; Put mee not away in thine anger: for though I have committed many heynous faults against thee, yet may I not repent, and amend them all, if thou but please, not to bee so hastie with mee? what though my sinnes have made thee angry, wilt thou therefore presently turne me away? will no lesse punishment, serve to appease thy dis­pleasure, but to turne me presently out of ser­vice? mayst thou not in so doing, doe that in anger, which thou wilt have cause perhaps to be sorry for afterwards? wilt thou not leave thy selfe unprovided of servants to waite up­on thee? For where are any such servants to be found, that some time or other, will not give thee cause to bee angry? If thou enter­taine Starres to serve thee; is there not impu­ritie [Page 51] in the Starres? If entertaine Angels to serve thee; Didst thou not find folly in the Angels? Hast thou not promised to consider man, that he is but dust; and shall anger make thee to forget that Promise? Hath not Mercie the highest seat in thine Arke; and shall anger be able to put her from her seate? Thou hast beene my helper heretofore, and why didst thou helpe me, but because I needed thy assi­stance? and may I not with thy assistance now returne from my evill way; if thou be pleased not to be so hastie to turne me away? By thy helping me then, thou didst expresse thy lo­ving me then; and why then should I feare, thou wilt now forsake mee? for whom thou lovest, thou lovest to the end; Not to the end, and then ends; but to the end, that shall never end. Shall the Heathen have cause, have co­lour of cause, to upbraid thee with inconstan­cie; that whom thou helpest at one time, thou forsakest at another? Or canst thou turne mee away in anger; and then helpe mee in mercy, when thou hast done? Canst thou so soone change from Mercy to Anger; and from Anger againe to Mercie; that we should never know in what temper to find thee? No my soule, farre be it from thee to have such thoughts: but the truth is, Gods wayes are not discerned, not discernable by us, they are past our finding out: We know nothing at any time, what it is he doth; lesse, why; and least of all, how hee [Page 52] doth it: Both the substance, and the circumstance of all his actions, is to us an Abyssus; we know nothing of all his wayes but this, that all his wayes are Mercy, and Truth; nothing of his condition, but this, that in him, there is no change, nor shadow of change.

Verse 10 It is indeed the nature of all living crea­tures, though never so tender of their young ones; yet when they are growne to a ripenesse of age and strength, to turne them off, to shift for themselves; and even a Father and a Mo­ther, as tender as they are, have yet somewhat of this common nature in them, for while their children are young, they leade them by the hand; but when they are growne up, they leave them to their owne legges; and if they chance to fall, let them rise as they can: but God, even then takes his children up, for hee knowes of what they are made; hee knowes their strength must as well be supported, as their weaknesse be assisted; hee knowes they must as well be taken up, when they fall, as be held up when they stand; and therefore though the tendernesse of a Father be great, of a Mo­ther perhaps greater; yet no comparison to be made with the tendernesse of God. And see­ing God is never without tendernesse, why should I be ever without hope? and not hope as well to be delivered from trouble; as others to be preserved in safety? O my soule, much rather: for seeing all things in this world are [Page 53] subject to change, is not that hope more like to succeed, which hopes for a change, then that which hopes for a continuance?

But seeing the way of thy tendernesse, is Verse 11 past our finding out; O therefore, Doe thou, O God, teach mee thy way, and leade mee in a plaine path, because of mine enemies. Teach mee thy way, how it can stand with tendernesse to thy children, to suffer them to be afflicted, when thou sufferest the wicked to live in prosperi­tie? To make Martyrs of thy servants, when the wicked flourish, and live at ease? How it can stand with thy tendernesse, to take away thy servants, in the midst of their dayes; of­ten-times in the beginning, when thou suffe­rest the wicked of the world, to runne out the full races of long lives? Why thou leadest the godly in paths of temptations, when thou leadest the wicked in paths of securitie? But if these wayes of thine, be too hard for me to learne; or if thy pleasure bee not to reveale them as yet; at least, O God, Leade me in a plaine path, because of mine enemies: If it were not for mine enemies, I would never make this suite unto thee; but would leave it to thee, to leade me in what paths thou pleasest: but having the eyes of so many enemies upon me; if thou shouldst leade me now, in a rugged path, where I might chance to stumble, or fall; would not my enemies triumph at it, as at a victory? for they marke ever step I take, to watch what ad­vantage [Page 54] they can find against me; and if they should find me tripping never so little, I were sure to be made the Anvile of their malice, to be beaten upon, without either pitty or com­passion. But how great soever their malice be; I know they can doe nothing without leave; Thou onely, O God, hast an absolute power over me; My enemies, none, but by thy per­mission: and I hope, thou wilt retaine thy po­wer in thine owne hands; at least, not make my enemies, thy deligates. To thy will I willing­ly Verse 12 submit my selfe: but Deliver mee not over, to the will of my enemies: for thy will, when most severe, is yet with compassion; but their will, when most gentle, is alwayes with cruelty: And I speake not this upon a bare suspition; but I have evident proofes for what I say; For, falfe witnesses are risen up against mee; and such as breath out crueltie. I desired indeed to bee led in a plaine path; to the end I might walke up­right, both before God and men; that so I might give my enemies no cause of offence; doe nothing whereof I might bee justly accu­sed: but alas, what good hath my integritie done me? for so great is my enemies malice a­gainst me; that when they cannot charge mee truly, they accuse me falsely: and because they would not be seene in it themselves, they su­borne witnesses: and because one witnesse would not be sufficient, Many; and lest their witnesses should be apt to relent; they have [Page 55] gotten such, as breath out crueltie; such as make crueltie their living, and trade I may say, in no wares but cruell. Though I have a thousand witnesses of my innocencie; my owne conscience; yet these witnesses will not bee heard in the Courts of the world: Alas no, I know one, an innocent indeed, who had greater witnesses then these, the witnesses of his pious and wonderfull, and wonderfull pious workes; yet neither would these be ta­ken for witnesses of his innocencie; but in the Courts of the world, hee was condemned as guiltie.

O my soule, I had utterly fainted under this burden, if it had not beene for one thing; If I Verse 13 had not beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord, in the land of the living. The onely hope of this, hath kept me from fainting: and how could it choose? being a Cordiall made up of three soveraigne Ingredients; a hope to see; and to see the goodness of God; and the goodness of God in the land of the living: three such Ingredients, that he must be one of a very faint heart, whom such a Cordiall will not keepe from fainting.

But what ingredient of comfort, is a hope to see? for doe I not see now, as well as I am like to doe hereafter? were not our first Pa­rents eyes opened in Paradise; and can wee hope to see better, then they saw there? and doe not our eyes stand as open as theirs still? O my soule, the opening of their eyes then, [Page 56] hath made us see the worse ever since: wee see now, but as in a Glasse, rather appearances of things, then things themselves; we see nothing now but colours, and colours are deceitfull, and no trusting to them: the light I hope for, is to see, as I am seene; a sight not subject to either dimnesse, or dazeling: a sight that discerneth not onely colours, but substances; and is not the hope of such a sight, a comfortable Ingredient to keepe from fainting?

But yet what good is it, to see goodnesse? for we see many good things, which yet wee are never the better for seeing: But is it not true here, Videte & gustate? for such our seeing shall be: Vidchimus & gustavimus; our seeing shall be a tasting; our tasting, an enjoying; and en­joying is not properly of any thing, but in which there is joy; and where there is joy, must there not needs be comfort?

But yet what more goodnesse of God can wee hope to see hereafter, then now? for can there bee a greater goodnesse of God to bee seene then this, that hee makes the Sunne to shine, the raine to fall, upon both just and unjust? Wee see indeed now a great good­nesse of God: but wee see it mingled with much badnesse of men; and may I not say with some badnesse of his too? for is there any evill in the Citie, and God hath not done it? but the goodnesse of God which I hope to see, is a goodnesse like to garbled spice, [Page 57] without any mixture at all of refuse stuffe a­mongst it: a goodnesse not mingled with ei­ther evill of men, or evill to men; but pure and Impermixt as God himselfe is. The good­nesse of God which we see now, is a good­nesse in effects; but there is a goodnesse in God, which is as the cause: Not as having goodnesse, but as being goodnesse: Not one­ly as imparting it selfe to us, but as communi­cating it selfe with us; and this goodnesse wee shall then see, though now we cannot. Have Philosophers conceived, that if vertue could be seene with the eyes, Mirabiles excitaret amores sui; It would stirre up in us a wonderfull love; and will not the goodnesse of God, when seene with our eyes, stirre up in our hearts, a won­derfull joy? and is not the hope of such a joy a strong Cordiall to keepe from fainting?

But why in the land of the living? for is not the world in which wee now live, the land of the living? Are there not, in the wa­ter, living fishes? in the Ayre, living Birds? On the Earth, living Trees, living Beasts, li­ving Men? and what can be thought of, more then these, to make a Land of the living? A­las! what Land of the living is this, in which there are more dead then living; more under ground, then are above it: where the earth is fuller of graves then houses; where life lyes trembling under the hand of Death, and where Death hath power to tyrannize over [Page 58] life? No my soule, there onely is the Land of the living, where there are none but the living; where there is a Church not Militant, but Tri­umphant, a Church indeed, but no Church­yard, because none dead, nor none that can dye: where life is not passive; nor Death active: where Life sits crowned; and where Death is swallowed up in victorie. And now make up a Compound of these Ingredients: Take first, a Hope of seeing, which is enjoy­ing: then the goodnesse of God, not a qualitie, but a substance: then the Land of the living, where there is no dying: and now say, if such a Cordial must not needs be strong, of necessitie be effectuall, to keepe from fainting? O there­fore my soule, bee sure to provide thee good store of this Cordiall, that if at any time thou be oppressed, with either multitude, or malice; if at any time false witnesses bee risen up a­gainst thee; if enemies at any time come upon thee, to eat up thy flesh; thou maist have this Cordiall in a readinesse, and be able to say; Doe the worst you can, I feare you not; for I beleeve to see the goodnesse of God in the Land of the living. This not onely will keepe thee from fainting, but wil fill thy spirits, with extasie of joy: for it is grounded upon a prin­ciple of comfort, delivered by Saint Paul; The afflictions of this life, are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed: And what is this glory, but to see the goodnesse of God? and where [Page 59] to be revealed, but in the Land of the living?

But all this yet, is but the hope of a Cordi­all; at most, but a Cordiall of hope: but when will the Cordiall it selfe, that is hoped for, bee had? May I not stay so long waiting for it, that I may be weary with waiting, and faint with wearinesse? and then the Cordiall will come too late? No my soule, Waite on the Verse 14 Lord; be of good courage, and he shall give thee strength: for as none is so worthy to be waited on, as God; so nothing is so worthy to be wai­ted for, as this Cordiall: and never feare wea­rinesse by long waiting for it, so long as thou waitest upon God for it: for, God that gives power to the Cordiall, to keepe thee from fainting, will give power to thy waiting, to keepe it from wearinesse. Onely bee sure to have a good heart, and God will not faile to supply it with spirits: Doe thou but onely bring wood to the Sacrifice, and God will send fire from Heaven to kindle it.

But how happens it, that David should give so good counsell to others, and yet follow it so ill himselfe? for hee confesseth of himselfe in another place; that hee is dejected, and bowed downe; and can it stand with courage, to be de­jected? But is it not, that to be dejected, is a Passive infirmitie, to be couragious, an Active vertue; and there is no contradiction, to bee Passively weake, and Actively strong, both at once. Or is it not indeed rather, that when he [Page 60] confesseth himsele to be dejected, hee lookes upon his sinne; and sinne will deject any, that hath but eyes, and is able to see it; but when he counsells to be couragious, hee lookes upon God; and God is ready to give strength to a­ny, that hath but a heart, and is able to take it. As therefore I said before, so I say againe; Waite on the Lord: which can never be too much taught, because never enough be learned; never be too much said, because never be enough done.

IT seemes to be a course in Nature, Verse 1 for Hosanna's alwayes to pre­cede Allelujahs; and therefore the Exordiums of Davids Psalmes are commonly thus; Have mercy upon mee, O God: heare my prayer, O Lord, rebuke mee not in thine anger: or some such forme of Hosanna: but in this Psalme, contrary to his custome, he makes his Exordium of an Alle­lujah: I will extoll thee, O God: And why is this done? is it out of Devotion, that he might get before hand, and begin with God in Praises, before God should begin with him in Bene­fits? O my soule, the showres of Gods bles­sings are so continually poured downe upon us, that it is impossible we should ever get be­fore hand with God in Allelujahs. Although [Page 64] therefore he begin with an Allelujah, yet it is because God hath prevented him in his Hosan­na: Hee will extoll God, but it is because God hath lifted him up: Gods praise indeed is put in the Present Tense, but it is because his benefit is in the Preterperfect Tense: I will extoll thee, O God; for thou hast lifted mee up, and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me.

But if David will extoll God; how will he doe it? for to doe it unworthily, it were better to be left undone, and who is able to extoll God worthily? Hee will therefore perhaps call all the creatures of God to assist him, and say; Praise the Lord, all yee his Angels; Praise him all his Hosts; praise yee him Sun and Moone; praise him all yee starres of light: Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. But if it be expected he must extoll him himselfe; and not looke for helpe from others; Hee will then extoll him in his exaltation, and say; Bee thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: Or, he will extoll him in his owne humilitie, by kneeling, and falling downe before him: hee will extoll him in his singularitie, and say; There is no other God in heaven, or in earth, but onely, thou O God: or he will extoll him in his pluralitie, and say; Thou, O God, art wonderfull in thy Being; Three Persons, and one God, blessed for ever. And if to extoll him with sayings will not serve, he will then extoll him with workes, that men seeing his good workes, may glorifie [Page 65] our Father which is in heaven. And if neither words nor workes will be sufficient; hoe will then extoll him with his silence, and his won­der: leaving that for Thought which cannot be exprest: and leaving that for astonishment which cannot be conceived.

But why is it that David will thus extoll God? Is it, that hee may returne a thank­fulnesse answerable to the benefit: returne it in the same kind, and answer it, as it were in its owne language? He will therefore extoll God, which is a kind of lifting God up: because God hath lifted him up, which is a kind of extolling of him. For as our extolling of God, is the highest worke of our thankfulnesse; so Gods lifting us up, is the greatest benefit of his good­nesse. We are thankfull to God, and ought to be, for his other benefits, even for casting us downe: but we use not to extoll him, but for lifting us up: For naturally indeed, wee are all of us desirous to bee lifted up; to be set aloft, and to be high in the world: for this pleaseth the eyes, that they may see the more, and plea­seth the whole body, that it may the more bee seene: but this is not the lifting up that David meanes; but to be lifted up out of danger; and out of the reach of the arme of his enemies. O my soule, let this bee thy comfort, that al­though thy enemies be many, and great, yet they are not more thy enemies, then they are Gods slaves; and can goe no further, then the [Page 66] length of their chaine, which is seldome so long to reach to triumphing. Sathan was a bit­ter enemie to Job, and had certainly defeated him utterly, if God had not held him short in his chaine; and though linke after linke, hee eetched out his chaine to a great length, yet he could never make it reach so farre, as to a Triumph. For it is not properly a Triumph, but when Dux Duci arma detrahit; When one Generall disarmes another: and this could ne­ver be done to Job; for he kept on his Armour still; his Helmet of Faith; and his Brest-plate of Righteousnesse, hee never let it goe off from him: that there could be no cause for Sa­than to triumph. Men commonly are not satis­fied, unlesse themselves can triumph over their enemies: but it is enough for me, O Lord, that thou suffer not my enemies to triumph over me: for I aime not at glory, but at safetie; I might then ayme at glory, if I were the assai­lant: but now that I am onely the assailed; what can I more desire then safetie, and to bee out of the reach of all my enemies? and such safetie, without any glory, may well give con­tentment, seeing of all the miseries that can befall a man in this wretched world; there is none greater, none so great, as to fall into the hands of enemies, whose Malice, like the fire of Hell, is commonly unquenchable. Let a friend strike me, and it shall be a Balme to my head; but to be strucken by an enemie, who can en­dure [Page 67] it? The striking of a friend is out of love, and intends amendment; but the blowes of an enemie are out of malice, and tend to ruine. It troubles mee not, that my enemies rejoyce, so their rejoycing have no relation to mee: It troubled not Samson so much, to have his eyes put out, as to bee brought out before his ene­mies, to be the laughing-stock for them to re­joyce at.

But why will David speake thus; Thou hast not made my enemies to rejoyce over me: as though it were God, that made our enemies to rejoyce over us, and not their owne spitefulnesse and malice? Is it, that permission is in God a kind of action; and therefore he may justly be said to doe that, which he suffers to be done? Or is it, that in his anger, he makes our enemies the Executioners of his justice: and punisheth our neglect of rejoycing in him, with giving them power to rejoyce over us? and so their rejoy­cing, is not more in us, his judgement; then it is in them his act and operation.

But what enemies do we talk of, all this while? worldly minds have no feare, but of worldly e­nemies; and from such, perhaps worldly friends may free them: but the spirituall man feares rather spiritual enemies; and who can free them from such, but onely thou, O God, that art the God of spirits? O mercifull God, let not spirituall enemies have the victory over mee; and I make no great reckoning of other ene­mies [Page 68] triumphing: Alas! I know that worldly enemies can never triumph over me, if spiritu­all enemies get not first the victory.

And now, O my soule, if God have done this for me, have lifted me up above these ene­mies, above these enemies of both kindes, have I not a double cause to extoll him for it, and to praise his Name? And yet I may say, I extoll him not more for doing it, then for his readi­nesse of doing it; For I cryed unto him, and hee healed mee: I no sooner cryed, but hee heard me; he no sooner heard me, but he healed me; My suite was no sooner made, then granted; My disease as soone cured, as discovered; hee kept me not languishing, by drawing out his cure in length; but he applyed a present reme­dy, and prevented Hope with hast. As there­fore I extolled him before for his love, in lift­ing me up above my enemies; so I must extoll him now for his compassion, in being moved to doe it, for my onely crying to him; I used no intercessour, but my owne voyce, and hee healed me; and for God to be moved with the cry of a wretched sinner; and so to be moved, as presently to heale him; Is it not a just cause to extoll him, and say; O the wonderfull bowels of compassion that are in God?

Verse 3 To be lifted up from any place, is an act of Power; but the lower the place is, it is the greater act of Mercie; and can there be a lower place then the Grave? at least, then the grave [Page 69] of the Soule? and from this low place, was Da­vid lifted up, as yee may heare himselfe say; Thou, O Lord hast brought up my soule from the grave; Thou hast kept mee alive, that I should not goe downe into the pit. But is not this a strange speech in David, as though there were a grave of the Soule, as there is of the Body? for if there be not, how then is it true, that God hath brought up his soule from the Grave? Is it perhaps, that he calls it the Soule, which is but the cementing of the Body, and life together? or that he calls it the Grave of the Soule, when it is in the lowest estate of vivifying the Body? What ever it be, it shewes a great mercy in God, and a great power of that mercy, to raise him up, that was brought so low, and to keepe him from falling into the Pit, that was fallen already to the pits brinke. The truth is, that as sinne is the death of the Soule, so continuance in sinne, is the grave of the Soule; and in this Grave of continuance, did Davids soule lye a long time: (Alas! the shortest time, in this case is long) till God by his quickning Spirit, restored him againe to the life of Grace; that hee had just cause to say; Thou, O Lord, hast brought up my soule from the grave, and hast kept mee alive, that I should not goe downe into the Pit. Oh how many there are that have bodyes wal­king above ground, when their soules are lying in the Grave? that are lustie and strong in the naturall life; when in the spirituall life, they [Page 70] are dead and buryed? yet so long as they lye not buried above foure dayes, so long as they continue not in sin so long, till it have brought the Soule into an absolute corruption; there is example in Lazarus, and where there is Exam­ple, there is hope, they may be raised againe to life, and be kept from falling into the Pit of perdition. And now, O my soule, though God have not lifted thee up to as high a place; yet seeing he hath lifted thee up from as low a place, as he did David: hast thou not as just cause as he to say; I will extoll thee, O God; for thou hast lifted mee up, and hast not suffered my enemies, sinne, and death, to triumph over mee. And here I find my selfe so oppressed with joy, that I am not able to expresse it without assistance; and what assistance can I looke for, but from the Saints of God? O therefore sing unto the Lord, all yee saints of his; give thankes unto him at the remembrance of his Holinesse. It is not enough to praise him, if yee doe not sing his praises; for it must be done with cheareful­nesse, and exultation; and it is not enough to sing, if yee doe not praise him; for your joy must be in him, and for him: in his goodnesse, and for his glory.

If it were to sing of another thing, I should require the whole Quire of Gods creatures, to joyne in the singing; but now, that it is to sing of Gods holinesse; what should prophane voy­ces doe in the Consort? None but Saints are [Page 71] fit to sing of holinesse, and specially of Gods holinesse; but most specially with songs of holinesse. O therefore sing to the Lord, all yee saints of his; and let your songs, be more of his praises, then of your owne thankfulnesse: and let your thankfulnesse, not be so much for the benefits which you have received; as for the holinesse with which they are bestowed: for God gives not his benefits, as the world useth to doe, out of any corrupt affection, or with a­ny corrupt intention; but there is a holinesse in his giving, as well as in his gifts; and seeing the Cherubins, and Seraphins doe continually cry to God; Holy, Holy, Holy: You that are his Saints may well afford to sing to God, at the remembrance of his holinesse.

But what holinesse can there be in Anger? Verse 5 and is there not anger in God sometimes? and will not this then bee a cause, rather of wee­ping to thinke of his anger; then of singing, at the remembrance of his holinesse? O my soule, this need be no cause to breake off the singing; for his anger endureth but a moment; and even anger it selfe, is in God a holinesse; It is none of the things that are naturall, and per­manent in God; It is but forced upon him by the violence of sinne; and as forced as it is, it stayes not with him; it is but as a wind that pas­seth; Dum oritur moritur; It dyes in the birth; Nothing lives, and is permanent in God, but onely his favour, and his love, and therefore, [Page 72] Though weeping may endure for a night, yet joy commeth in the morning. And seeing our life is of this condition, that heavinesse sometimes must as well be had as joy; it is happy for us, they are so disposed, that heavinesse comes but in the Evening, when wee may sleepe it out; and when our senses are apt to be tyed up from feeling it: but joy commeth in the Morning; when all our senses are waking to entertaine it. What is the Evening, but the end of the day? and what is the Evening of our life, but the end of our dayes? and in this Evening in­deed there is commonly heavinesse; weeping for parting of friends that have lived together: but this heavinesse is removed assoone as mor­ning comes; for what is the Morning, but when the Sunne riseth againe? and what is our Morning, but when we shall rise againe? and as when this morning comes, there will bee a day that shall have no more Evening; so when this joy comes, all teares shall be wiped from our eyes, and there shall be no more weeping. Indeed all our great joyes have ever come in the morning: It was a Joy that came in the morning, at the Birth of Christ; It was a Joy that came in the morning, at the Resurrection of Christ; It was a Joy that came in the mor­ning, at the Descending of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles; and these Joyes were then so great, that they have made us Feasts ever since: (Our Christmasse, our Easter, and our Whit­sontide:) [Page 73] yet these Joyes had their heavinesse preceding: the Joy of Christs birth, had the heavinesse of his Mothers slight; the Joy of Christs Resurrection, had the heavinesse for his Passion: the Joy of the Descending of the Holy Ghost, the heavinesse for Christs depar­ting: but these heavinesses were so presently followed with joyes, that it hath made this Aphorisme be found true still; Heavinesse may endure for a night, but joy commeth in the morning. And now, O my soule, what need it trouble thee, to have heavinesse in the Evening, so long as thou art sure to have joy in the morning? What need it trouble thee to be weeping for a time, when thou art sure of rejoycing, when time shall be no more?

Hitherto I have beene busie about singing Gods praises, for lifting mee up, which hath beene his worke; Now I must leave singing, and come to saying, to speake of my owne worke; And I said in my prosperitie, I shall ne­ver Verse 6 be moved: but alas, if my singing were no Verse 7 better then my saying, it had beene better for me, to have held my peace in both: for what a saying is this, to say; I shall never be moved? Is there any Mountaine so strong, that it can­not be moved? and if no Mountaine, how any man? but this is the insolent language of pro­speritie, to give over crying to God, and fall a boasting of it selfe. Alas! Prosperitie hath neither good tongue, nor good eyes; as it [Page 74] made David say, hee should never be moved; so it made him thinke it enough, that God by his favour had made his Mountaine strong; but as for the maintaining it strong, to arro­gate that to himselfe: when God knowes, if once we leave depending upon God, and arro­gate any thing to our selves, our Mountaine will soone bee turned into a Valley, and our strength will goe from us, as it did from Sam­son, when his haire was cut off; and this makes David say now; Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled: for as it is the favour of God, that makes our Mountaine strong; and our Moun­taine being strong, wee are kept from trouble: so it is the hiding of Gods face, that makes our moutaine weake; and our mountaine being weake, wee are presently troubled; but rather indeed, if God doe not as well maintaine our mountaine strong, as make it strong, we shall quickly bring our Mountaine to a Mole-hill; wee shall quickly either fall our selves from our Mountaine; or have our mountaine to fall upon us.

Wee see the Earth hath no comfort but in the Sunne; and therefore if the Sunne bee re­moved, the Earth presently puts on Blacks; is pincht with cold, and covered with dark­nesse: That which the Sunne is to the Earth; thy Face, O God, is to me, and what marvell then, when thou hidest thy face; if I bee left, as a disconsolate Earth, in trouble and mour­ning? [Page 75] God useth not to hide his face from any that depend upon him; and therefore as long as I put my trust and confidence in him, he was to me as a strong Mountain; I enjoyed his favour, and the light of his Countenance; but assoone as I left depending upon him, and trusted to my owne strength, my Mountaine was suddenly turned into a Valley; and I was left alas in a vale of miserie. O therefore, my soule, not­withstanding any prosperitie whatsoever; Doe thou depend upon God for thy Moun­taine, both for making it strong, and for main­taing it strong, and never bee moved to say, thou shalt never be moved; for to bee immo­vable, is a priviledge of God himselfe, and of God alone, and is not communicable to any creature. It is a false saying in any estate to say; I shall never be moved; but in prosperitie, falsest of all: for hee that is in prosperitie, stands in a slipperie place, and such a place is not capable of stabilitie. What is prosperitie but an earthy thing? and can any thing that is earthy be secure from moving, when the bo­dy of the Earth it selfe is moved? O my soule, the consideration of this; Alas! the feeling of this hath made mee leave, both singing, and saying, and fall to my crying againe: I cryed to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made suppli­cation: Verse 8 Indeed crying is the voyce of a suppli­ant, and the fittest voyce for a supplication: but yet why should David tell God of his [Page 76] crying to him, and say; I cryed to thee, O Lord; as though God knew it not, without his tel­ling it? No doubt, God knew of his crying, for how else did he heare it? and of his suppli­cation; for how else could hee grant it? and therefore it seemes, hee tells it not so much to God, as to us; that wee may take notice, with what sacrifices God is pleased. For as there are divers sacrifices that are acceptable to God: so each of them, in the due time, is the fittest, and most acceptable: singing, fittest af­ter a benefit obtained; and crying, fittest for obtaining a benefit: Allelujahs fittest, when wee are in triumph: Hosanna's, fittest when we are in distresse. And therefore being at the present, in perill of his life; and delivered as it were into the hands of Death; the sacrifice he offers now, is a supplication; which yet seemes not so much a supplication, as an Ex­postulation; Verse 9 What profit is there in my bloud, when I goe downe into the pit? shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? If I goe downe into the Pit, shall I not bee turned into dust? and is dust good for any thing, but to be food for the Serpent? May I not doe thee better service above ground, then under it? Alas! I shall be there but in the company of Wormes, poore silly things, that are not capable of knowing thee: I am here, in the societie of rea­sonable creatures, with whom I may joyne in extolling thy Praises. Hast thou not breathed [Page 77] into mee the breath of life, and wilt thou draw in thy breath so quickly againe, and leave mee but dust, as thou foundest me at first? Though the service I can doe thee be not great, yet it is more then dust can doe: Hath dust a tongue, or a voyce, or any instruments of life, for the de­claring of thy truth? and why then wilt thou make a divorce of parts, which thou hast joy­ned together of purpose, for that purpose? If I desired life for any end of my owne, thou hadst just cause then, to make an end of my life; but now that I desire it, to doe thee ser­vice, why wilt thou diminish the number of thy servants, and not leave enow for the service thou hast to doe? Can any number be suffici­ent to praise thee? Can there ever be mouthes enow to declare thy Truth? and may not I make one, a sinfull one I know; but yet one in the number, if thou but please to spare mee for descending into the Pit? But what Pit? I meane not the Pit, where the Apostate An­gels are; I know they descended not, but fell; and I know the Pit they fell into, is a Pit of blasphemie: the Pit I feare descending into, is but a Pit of silence, and yet in one thing, is worse then theirs; for they in their Pit, re­taine their substance still; but I in this, shall lose my very Being; at least, the quantitas con­tinua of my body, shall bee turned into the quantitas Discreta of dust: and the frame com­pacted of all the Elements dissolved; I shall [Page 78] remaine nothing, but as it were a few crummes of Earth; and what can Earth doe, when it is not assisted with fire and water? O therefore, Verse 10 Heare, O Lord; and have mercy upon me, Lord, bee thou my helper: for if thou lend mee not thine eare, how can I hope thou wilt shew mee mer­cy? and if thou have not mercy upon me, how can I hope thou wilt bee my helper? Heare me, O God, while I am in a place, where I may be heard; for if once I be descended into the Pit, I shall quite then be out of all hearing. Have mercy upon me, while I am capable of mercy; for if once I be turned into dust, what mercy can I looke for? Be thou my helper, O God, now that I am in a state to bee helped; for if my bloud in which my life consists bee once shed; what good then will thy helpe doe me? I place Gods mercy in the midst here, because it must serve to both the other; both to make God to heare me, and to make him to helpe me: and Gods mercy can doe both; it can make him to heare me, though I were si­lent; and can make him to helpe me, though I were dust. But though Gods mercy can doe it, am I sure it will doe it? O my soule, his mer­cy hath done it already: for it is the worke of his mercy, that Hee hath turned my mourning in­to dauncing, that hee hath put off my sackcloth, and girded mee with gladnesse. O wonderfull conversion; the very same myracle, I may say, that Christ wrought at the Mariage in [Page 79] Cana, for to turne Mourning into Dauncing; what is it, but to turne water into Wine? To have turned my mourning, but into comfort, had beene a great worke, and a great favour: but to turne my mourning into dauncing; the extremitie of sorrow, into extremitie of joy; who could doe this, but thou onely, O God; with whom, as no Myracles are won­ders; so no extremities are limits. Mourning is not properly, but for one that is dead: and indeed so neere being dead was I, that I might well be said to mourne for my owne death: not unlike the Swan; if it be true, that shee sings her owne Elegie: and now to have my mour­ning turned into dauncing; the drooping act for Death, be turned into the most lively act of Life: what is it, but the Myracle, as it were, of Resurrection, and Ascention both at once? at least, from the lowest stayre of miserie, to be raised to the highest of happinesse: and not Gradatim, by degrees and steps, but per saltum, by a motion more swift, than the Fiery Cha­riot, that carried up Elias into Heaven: and so the change not more wonderfull, then the sud­dennesse; Mourning turned into Dauncing, a wonderfull change; and done, as it were, in the turning of a hand, as wonderfull a suddennesse.

And now to make me fit for Dauncing; Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with glad­nesse: for indeed, if I had kept on my sack­cloth still; I should have made but a heavie [Page 80] Dauncer; but now, that my sackcloth is off, and I am girded with gladnesse; I shall leape as light, as Abraham did, to see thy day.

I put on sackcloth when I was a Mourner; but now that I am to be a Dauncer, I am girded with gladness: and if I mourned before, to think of Gods anger; may I not justly daunce now, to thinke of his favour? If I put on sackcloth before, as sorrowing for my sinne; may I not justly now be girded with gladnesse, as rejoy­cing in my Saviour? For though it be Gods mercy, that hath done this for me, yet it is his mercy in Christ my Saviour: without whom, his mercy alone would never have done it: He would never have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladnesse, but for his sake, and through his meanes, that was anoynted with the Oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes. My sackcloth was but a loose garment about mee, which might easily be put off at pleasure, but my gladnesse is girt about me, to bee fast and sure, and cannot leave me, though it would; at least, none shall be able to take it from me.

And now, though this be spoken here in the case of David, yet it may bee conceived as in Type for all the godly: if they mourne, and lye in sackcloth now; yet they shall ere long be girded with Gladnesse, and daunce for joy; but what Dauncing? Not like that of Herodias Daughter; for which Herod allowed her to aske halfe his Kingdome; but like that of Da­vid [Page 81] before the Arke; for which God without asking, will give us a whole Kingdome. And when shall the time bee? Alas! it cannot be long: For they shall not goe out of Egypt into Canaan, as the old Israelites did, by the tedious passages of a troublesome Wildernesse; but their Mourning shall be turned into Dauncing: a conversion as sudden, as when Moses his Le­prous hand was turned to be sound againe, by putting it onely in his bosome.

But to what end is it, that God hath done Verse 12 this for me? It may be thought, because hee hath turned my Mourning into Dauncing, and hath girded me with Gladnesse; that hee hath done it to this end, that I might live in jollity, and spend my time with Belshazzar, in revel­ling and feasting: but there is no such matter: hee hath done it to this end, that my glory may sing praise unto him, and not bee silent: to this end, that not onely I may praise him, but may sing his praises; and not onely that I, but that my glory may sing them; and alas what glory have I? doth not all glory belong to God? Indeed so it is, my glory then sings his Pray­ses, when I ascribe to him all praise and glory; my glory then sings his prayses, when I praise him with all I have to glory in, with all the faculties and powers of my soule and body; those especially in which I was made after his Image, for this is my Glory.

If this then bee the end that God intends, [Page 82] shall I be so ungratefull, to crosse his intenti­ons? if hee have given mee a Tongue, and a Voyce to serve him; shall I hold my peace, and be silent in his service? if he have turned my Mourning into Dauncing; shall I bee sullen, and slow to sing his Prayses? Alas! my Daun­cing can never be kindly without Musick; and what musick so fit for it, as singing? and what singing so fit, as to the Ditty of his Prayses? O my soule, seeing God hath procured thee libertie to Daunce, thou mayst well afford to find the musick: and yet neither my Dauncing shall hearken to the musicke, nor my sing­ing shall looke toward the Dauncing; but my Singing and my Dauncing both, shall bee addressed, and directed to God alone. Shall my heart be so set upon my joy, as to make me forget the Authour of my joy? No, O God, my joy hath so sure a foundation, that I can ne­ver be unmindfull of the Founder: I will give thankes to thee, O Lord, my God, for ever. Not for a time which will cease; Not as long as the Sunne and Moone endure, which shall not al­wayes endure; not as long as I have breath in my body; No my soule, but as long as thou thy selfe hast Being; which being breathed in­to mee by God, shall never cease; shall alwayes endure; shall be forever.

When I extolled God, I had relation to his Omnipotencie: when I sung his Prayses, to his Mercie; and now that I give him thankes [Page 83] for ever, to his Eternitie: that now I may con­clude, and say; O Almightie, most Mercifull, and ever-living God; to thee be ascribed all Honour, Prayse, and Glory, world without end.

ALas! what a Vow is this that Verse 1 David makes here? a Vow which hee is sure before hand, he cannot keepe: for is it possi­ble for any man to blesse God at all times? Is there not a time of paine and miserie, in which Jobs Wife per­swaded him to curse God and dye? and can cursing of God, stand with blessing of God? O my soule, I take not my measure of blessing God from the last of that wicked Woman; it is not paine; it is not miserie; it is not extremi­tie of paine, or miserie, that shall make mee to breake my Vow in blessing of God: but if it be thought so great a matter to blesse God in­misery; I will stretch my Vow yet further, for I will blesse him for miserie: and I may [Page 90] truly say, if it were not for paine, and misery; I should want one speciall Motive for blessing of God.

But yet there is a time of sleepe, which is a tribute due to Nature; and is it possible to pay the tribute of sleepe to Nature, and the tribute of blessing to God, both at once? If then sleepe be of necessitie so oftentimes, how can blessing of God be performed at all times? O my soule, when our waking is terminated with blessing of God; that blessing is in force till we wake againe: for as in what place the tree falleth, there it lyeth: so in what state the Soule goes to rest, in that state it resteth: If my soule say to God; I will lay mee downe to sleepe, for it is Thou, Lord, onely that sustainest me; my soule shall have it returned from God; Thus the Lord giveth his beloved sleepe.

But if thus perhaps be made good the conti­nuance of Blessing God: yet in what consists the worke of blessing him? Is it onely in Thought, or onely in a good intention? No my soule; his praise shall continually bee in my mouth: for though the heart indeed bee the Fountaine of blessing him: yet out of the a­bundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh; and therefore it shall not be cloystered up in the Cells of silence, but it shall have vent, and bee brought into the light; that if it bee not said, that men seeing my good workes, it may at least be said, that men hearing my good words, [Page 91] may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven. But doe I not by this, fall againe upon my old difficultie? for if it seemed impossible before to blesse God at all times, may it not justly seeme as impossible now, that his Praise should continually be in my mouth? It may perhaps be true of the Angels, in whose mouthes wee know of nothing there is continually, but Ho­ly, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabbath: but to be verefied of the mouthes of men, seemes a thing impossible; for is there not a necessitie of speaking many things, besides Gods praises? yet nothing must bee spoken, but either his Praise, or to his praise, or else wee breake our Vow. And how then is this Riddle to bee ex­pounded? Is it not as Saint Paul expounds it: Whither yee eat, or drinke, or whatsoever yee doe else; let all be done to the praise, and glory of God. And if all wee doe, may bee done to the praise of God, then certainly all we speake, may bee spoken to the praise of God: and indeed, see­ing he never ceaseth to send forth continually his blessings; with what reason can we cease to set forth continually his Praises?

But when I make this Vow to blesse God at all times; I make it not presuming upon any abilitie in my selfe: Alas! I know my owne weaknesse, and how unready I am to any good­nesse; but my soule maketh her boast in the Lord: Verse 2 My confidence is, that he who hath given mee the resolution to will it, will give mee also the [Page 92] power to performe it; that Hee who hath be­gun the worke, will also finish it; and being so good an Architect, as he is, will not lay a foun­dation, but will as well also set on the Roofe. If I should boast in my selfe, I should doe wrong to God: but if I boast not in God, I doe wrong to my selfe: seeing God is a strength to none, but to them that make him their strength; and none make him their strength, but they that make their boast of him. It is a hard mat­ter to bring Boasting, and Humilitie, to meet together in one subject, betweene which there is so naturall an Antipathie: yet here it is done: for this I may say is the humble boasting; where a vaine man may glory without vaine-glory, where a weake Agent may presume without presumption: Not like the boasting of the Pharisee, so hatefull in the eyes of God, so offensive in the eares of the humble: For the Humble can heare this boasting, and bee glad, which they would never doe; if it were not conformable to the rules of Humility. Can a­ny boasting be greater then to say; I can doe all things? yet in this boasting, there is humilitie, when I adde; In him that comforteth mee. For though God like not of boasting; yet he likes of this boasting, which arrogates nothing to our selves, but ascribes all to him: and seeing my soule boasteth her felfe of God, I doubt not, but as the humble heare it, and bee glad; so God sees it, and is pleased, and accepts [Page 93] my Boasting as a sacrifice of Humilitie.

But to what end is it that my Boasting tends? Is it to set forth my owne worthinesse, and to vaunt of my abilities? Is it to tread in the steps of Lucifer, or to walke in the way of the Pha­risee? God forbid, the humble then would not be glad to heare my boasting: No my soule, it is to magnifie the Lord; O therefore Verse 3 magnifie the Lord with mee; and let us exalt his Name together: for alas what am I to magnifie his Name my selfe alone, if I have not compa­ny to helpe me? All I can doe, and all the humble can doe, is but to say; Not unto us, Not unto us, O Lord, but to thy Name give the glo­ry; which is rather a vilifying of our selves, then a magnifying of him: they must be crea­tures of a better mettall that can serve, and yet cannot serve to magnifie him as they should: and it is not the worke of a few: all the Milli­ons of millions, in Heaven, and Earth, have enough to doe, and more then enough, to ex­alt his Name: O therefore, yee Blessed Spirits of heaven; doe you magnifie the Lord, but take mee with you in your company, that though I adde nothing to the weight of the worke; yet I may adde one to the number of the worke-men in magnifying his Name. We that are dwellers on the Earth, can exalt his Name no higher then the Heavens, and there you that be Inhabitants of Heaven must take it, and exalt it higher; and so betweene us all, [Page 94] wee shall make a shift to exalt him to his true Elevation, for his Glory is above the Heavens. But if perhaps you thinke scorne of our com­pany, as being men of polluted lips, and there­fore not worthy to bee of your Consort; yet the humble will make a consort by themselves, and will not, indeed cannot be kept from ex­alting his Name: for our Humilitie, is his Ex­altation; and then wee raise him up to the height of his Throne, when we cast our selves downe, as low as his Footstoole: that it is but a diverse expressing of the same thing in sub­stance, whither we say; Let us exalt the Name of the Lord; Or let us fall downe, and kneele, before the Lord our Maker.

David is not wont to use Exclamations, but upon speciall occasion: if he use one here, and say; O magnifie the Lord; we may know that to magnifie his Name, is a thing of great importance: indeed so great, that all things be­sides it, at least all things without it, are no­thing but vanitie. O then all you that be exal­ted in Heaven, and all you that bee humble in the earth; and lest any be left out where all are too few; O all ye workes of the Lord; blesse yee the Lord; Praise him, and magnifie him Verse 4 forever. For I sought the Lord, and he heard me; and delivered mee from all my feares: To seeke, and upon seeking to be heard, is a great favour: but to bee heard, and upon hearing to bee deli­vered from all feares, is a favour that deserves [Page 95] Magnifying in the highest degree.

But why is it that I sought him? is it not be­cause I had lost him before? and why should I seeke to get him againe, and would not keepe him, when I had him? O my soule, Carendo magis quam fruendo; Wee know the goodnesse of things, more by wanting them, then by en­joying them, though I could not see what hap­pinesse it was to have him; yet I see what mi­serie it is to want him: and yet in this I account my selfe happy, that I have sought him while he was within hearing: for alas, if I had stayed from seeking him, till hee had beene out of hearing; What hope could I have had; of ever recovering him?

But O the tender mercies of God, that hath not suffered me to put off, my seeking him so long: for, O my soule, it is no lesse his mercie that I seeke him, then that hee heares me; my desire is not more to have him, then his to bee had; for how else could he have heard mee as soone as I sought him, but that hee stood li­stening, as it were, when I would seeke him? and he heard me not as one that were indiffe­rent whither he head me or no; but he gave me audience with no lesse Intention to grant my suit, then attention to know it; for heare the successe of my seeking him; see the fruit of his hearing me; He delivered mee from all my feares; To have delivered mee from all my troubles, had beene a great favour; but a farre greater, to [Page 96] deliver me from all my feares; for where that, would have but freed me from present evill; This secures me from evill to come; that now I enjoy not onely Tranquilitie, but securitie: a priviledge onely of the godly: The wicked may be free from trouble, but can they be free from feare? No, God knowes, though they be not in trouble like other men, yet they live in more feare then other men; Guiltinesse of mind, or mind of the world never suffers them to be secure; though they bee free sometimes from the fit of an Ague, yet they are never without a grudging: and (if I may use the ex­pression of Poets) though they feele not al­wayes the Whippe of Tysiphone, yet they feele alwayes her terrours; and seeing the Lord hath done this for me, hath delivered me from all my feares; have I not cause, just cause to magnifie him, and exalt his Name?

But is Gods mercy confined onely to mee, and not extended as well to others? Yes, my soule, Deus omnibus idem; God is good to all: Verse 5 his mercy is over all his workes; Not onely o­ver them, as being above them all; but over them as extended to them all: for other as well as I, Looked unto him, and were lightened. But should it not bee rather said; God looked to them, and they were lightened, then to say; They looked to God, and were lightened? For God is Light, and when the Light lookes to us, we are sure to be lightened: but wee that [Page 97] are darknesse may looke to the Light, and yet continue in darknesse still? but is it not, that the influence of Gods favour descends upon the godly in a kind of correspondence to their ser­vice: if they cry, they shall be heard: if they mourne, they shall be comforted; if they hum­ble themselves, they shall be exalted; so here, because they looked to God, they were ligh­tened. Indeed Light is the proper inheritance of the godly, as being the children of light; which though they cannot deserve, yet they may expect; and have they not reason then to looke to him, in whom it is, and from whom it must come? They little deserve to be lighte­ned, that will not looke to him that is their light: If it may be had for a looke, and they will not doe that; they worthily deserve to be kept in darknesse. It is true, all would be lighte­ned, but all take not the right course; they looke not the right way: There are some that looke to the starres to bee lightened, because the starres indeed are glorious bodyes, and give light to the world; and these are such as attribute all to Chance, and Fortune: and there are some, and these the worst some, that looke to Lucifer to be lightened, because they thinke he beares not his name for nought; and these are such as light them Candles of impietie, and by impietie: but these are delusions, and im­postures: the way to bee truly lightened in­deed, is to looke to God: for hee is the Father [Page 98] of Lights: and as there is nothing with him; so there comes nothing from him, but onely Light. O then, my soule, looke to God, and he will lighten thee; looke to him with the eye of Faith, and the light of his Countenance shall shine upon thee.

But though the children of the world bee wiser in their Generation, then the children of Light; yet in this, the godly are the wiser: for they looked to God, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed: But may wee not say then, the more shame for them? for is it not true which is said, that nothing belongs to us, but confusion, and shame of face? may we not be ashamed to shew our faces to God, being so foule, and filthy as they are, seeing hee en­dures nothing that is uncleane? O my soule, as they that looked to the Brazen Serpent were presently healed; so they that looke to God, are presently lightened: for though looking to the materiall Sunne, bee a cause to stayne, and tanne the face: yet looking to the Sunne of Righteousnesse is a meanes to cleanse it, and make it amiable: and why then should they be ashamed? Is it any shame to shew our sores to our Physitian? or any shame to shew our faults to our Confessour? No more is it any shame to shew our faces to God, though never so foule, and so full of staynes, seeing hee is the true Physitian that onely can cure us; Hee the true Confessour that onely can absolve us.

But who are they that were lightened? Per­haps Pauci quos aequus amavit: some few that were in his favour; perhaps rich men that could offer him Hecatombes, and plentifull sa­crifices: No my soule; The poore man cryed, and hee heard him: and saved him out of all his trou­bles: Verse 6 for God is no accepter of persons; Hee neither regards the legges of the strong, nor the faces of the beautifull, nor the wealth of the rich; but whosoever they be that looke to him, and feare him, they are sure to taste of his mercy and goodnesse.

But though the poore man cryed, are wee sure he cryed to God? hee might cry out of sense of his misery; and what were this to move God to heare? O my soule, any crying of the godly, is a Musick with which God is pleased, or at least is moved: if it bee a crying out of sense of miserie, God is moved with it in his mercy, if a crying out of Devotion; God is pleased with it in his Justice. O then my soule, rather never cry, then not cry to God: for by crying to him, thou gettest, I may say, two strings to thy bow: both his Mercie, and his Justice: and were it not folly to leave out one, where thou mayst have both? But though wee know not what the poore mans crying was, yet wee see what Gods hearing was: for hearing him, hee saved him from all his troubles: and who would not cry, to be so heard? The world may thinke it a strange [Page 100] course in the poore man, to cry to God to deli­ver him from his troubles, being so farre off from him: but how farre was hee from him, when he heard him? If hee were so neere to him, that he might heare him, hee could not be so farre from him, but he might helpe him. O my soule, let the world thinke their pleasure; let them studie, and plot, and cast about how to bring their purposes to passe; Doe thou cry to God to deliver thee from thy troubles; for if thou cry, thou mayst be sure hee will heare thee; and if he heare, thou needst not doubt but he will helpe thee. But yet mistake not the meaning, when it is sayd, that God saved him from all his troubles; as though, because hee was a poore man, that therefore hee was pre­sently made rich: Or if he were in paine, that he had presently ease: for God goes not al­wayes the ordinary way of Physicians, to cure cold Diseases with hot Medicines; his wayes of deliverance are often-times spirituall; and so Job might be said to bee delivered from all his troubles, when God gave him patience to endure his troubles; but specially Lazarus might be said to bee delivered from his trou­bles, when he was carryed by Angels into A­brahams bosome.

Verse 7 And here it falls out fitly to mention An­gels; for the Angell of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him, and delivereth them. Wee little thinke we have a continuall guard [Page 101] about us, and lesse we thinke that wee have a whole Campe for our guard; but least of all, that it is a Campe of Angels: oh how safe should we thinke our selves, if this were so! O my soule, this is so, and yet wee thinke our selves not safe enough: and may it not then be justly said; What doubt yee of, O yee of jittle faith? But how can wee thinke there be Angells to guard us; when we scarce thinke there be any Angels? for if there bee, they must bee crea­tures of God: and then certainly creatures of a most excellent nature: and would Moses then have left them out, in his Catalogue of Crea­tures, where he reckons them all up? Indeed for this very reason, because they are Crea­tures of a most excellent Nature, hath Moses left them out: for hee speakes but of materiall Creatures, in this materiall world; of which number, the Angels are none. But wee may thinke perhaps there are none, because wee can see none: as though we could see a thing that is invisible? shall we therefore thinke we have no soules, because we cannot see our soules? Wee live now by Faith, and not by sight, and there­fore can neither see soules nor Angels; we shall then see both, when we shall live by sight, and not by Faith. Alas! if we beleeve no more then we see, we seeme not to live by Faith neither, for Faith beleeves that which it cannot see: Oh therefore my soule, to make it appeare thou li­vest, and that thou livest by Faith; let this be an [Page 102] Article of thy Creed, that the Angels en­campe and pitch their Tents about thee: that if at any time thou bee assaulted, if assaulted by enemies, if by an Army of enemies, thou maist have recourse to the confidence of this Guard, and never tremble for any Alarum: seeing there are more with us, then are against us.

But how can the godly thinke they have a Guard about them, when it is for Princes one­ly to have a Guard; and the godly for the most part are but private men? O my soule, this is a Guard that attends no lesse the poorest man, then the greatest Prince, and attends him with as much carefulnesse, as if he were a Prince.

But if there be Angels to defend the godly, why doe they not defend them? why doe they suffer them to be so molested, so afflicted as they are? for who are in such troubles, who groane under such afflictions as the godly? and would this be so, if that were so? would they be so oppressed, if they had Angels to relieve them? O my soule, thou little consi­derest the infinite benefits that the godly re­receive by the ministerie of Angels. If perhaps they suffer troubles of the body, doe they not escape farre greater of the soule? If they en­dure perhaps some momentarie afflictions, doe they not avoid afflictions that would be ever­lasting? Is there not an Army of malignant spirits to assault them, and could they be safe from tearing in peeces; if there were not a [Page 103] campe of Angels to assist them? But though the Angels be a guard to the whole man, both body and soule; yet being creatures spirituall and invisible; they are chiefly a guard to the invisible and spirituall part, which is the soule. The body they know must goe to the earth, and therefore though a part, is the least part of their care: It is the Soule they chiefly waite upon, because it is the soule they chiefly waite for: for they stand waiting for the soule, when it shall leave the body, that they may take it, and carry it into Abrahams bosome: for till then they breake not up their Campe.

And now, O my soule, seeing the Angels are so beneficiall, and so good unto us; Oh tast, Verse 8 and see how good the Lord is: for by the good­nesse we find in the Angels, we may take a taste of the goodnesse that is in God: if it be a great goodnesse in the Angels to encampe about us: how great is his goodnesse that gives it them in charge? for the Angels would not doe it, if God did not command them: Alas! they could not doe it, if God did not enable them. Oh then, taste and see, how good the Lord is; Not how good the Angels are, though they bee good, and exceeding good in their kind, as Mi­nisters: yet what is this to the goodnesse of God, who is the Fountaine of goodnesse to the Angels themselves?

O then, Taste, and see how good the Lord is: for taste him we may, but we can but tast him [Page 104] while we live here, wee shall not have a full comprehension of him, till wee come to see, as we are seene, when wee shall need no more en­camping of Angels round about us.

O then, Tast and see how good the Lord is; but how can wee tast him that is not bodily? how see him that is not visible? Not him in­deed, but his goodnesse: and not his good­nesse, neither in its selfe, but in its effects; and not in its effects neither, as they shall be, but as they are, which God knowes, is but a small part of that they shall be.

O then, Taste, and see how good the Lord is: if you would but taste him, you would never take pleasure in other meat: if you would but see him, you would never delight in other ob­ject: O my soule, if thou couldst but taste the sweetnesse; if but see the goodnesse that is in God, it would make thee fall into a greater ex­tasie, than that of Saint Peter at the sight of Christs glory in the Mount: at least it would weane thee from all the pleasures, that the taste, or the sight, can minister to thee in this vaine world; for alas, what are the pleasures of the taste, to the sweetnesse that is in God, but as bitter Aloes, to the sweetest honey? What are the delights that passe by the senses, to the delight in God, that passeth all under­standing? May I not justly say now: Blessed is the man that trusteth in him: for hee that trusteth in God, and he onely, is like to bee admitted to [Page 105] taste the sweetnesse, and to see the goodnasse that is in God: which onely are the things that can make us blessed. What is it to trust in God, but to depend wholly upon him, and to put all our confidence in him? To trust in the world, is to leane upon a broken reede; to trust in our selves, is to leane upon a shadow; onely to trust in God, is the true Terra firma, where the An­gels pitch their Tents; and where if wee fixe our selves, the gates of Hell can never prevaile against us. What preserved Jonas in the Whales belly? What, Daniel in the Lyons denne; but only their trust in God? O then my soule, doe thou also trust in God, and hee will be the same God to thee, the same safe­gard in thy dangers, as he was to Jonas and to Daniel. But yet let thy trusting in him be such as that thou presume not: for there are certaine bounds that must not be passed: It is as dange­rous to goe too farre in trusting in him, as to be too short: and as it is Faith, that puts us on for comming too short, so it is Feare that keepes us off from going too farre: O therefore Feare the Verse 10 Lord yee his saints; for there is no want to them that feare him. Verely a strong Motive to make us feare God; seeing hee that feares him shall want nothing. And yet the Motive not so strong, but the reason as apparant, for the Feare of the Lord is the beginning of wise­dome; and Wisedome I may say is the godly mans Purviour: and what marvell then if hee [Page 106] want nothing that hath so cunning a Purveiour as Wisedome, to keepe him from want: but then it must be from want of things that are good: for to want other things, is no dispa­ragement to Wisedomes pourveyance. O that men would understand how to distinguish be­tweene things that are truly good indeed, and things that but onely seeme good! we should then have a better world then wee have, and men would never complaine of want, when they have but too much: never bee so earnest for supply of things, that truly considered, are but meerely superfluous. If therefore one that feares God be in any want, we may know that the thing he wants is not good: for if it were good, he should not want it: it may perhaps be good in it selfe, but not good for him, and if not good for him, hee cannot be truly said to want it, because indeed he were better be with­out it.

But is Feare a thing of such force to supply our wants? One would rather thinke that boldnesse and courage should supply them? No my soule, for what creature so couragious Verse 11 as the Lyon? Yet the young lyons doe lacke, and suffer hunger: whether they be young Lyons as depending upon the provision of their Pa­rents; or young in the strength of their youth, that can provide for themselves; yet they some­times lacke and suffer hunger: for indeed strength of body, is not the best Purveiour: No [Page 107] my soule, nothing but wisedome makes the true purveyance, and no wisedome without the feare of the Lord; and therefore none but they that feare the Lord can bee free from want.

But is not this a fearefull doctrine, that ei­ther wee must feare, or else wee must want? were it not as good to want, as to have our wants supplyed by feare? Is not the Remedie worse then the Disease? Alas! this is but the objection of Children; either Children in yeares, or Children in understanding, who know not what Feare it is I meane: and there­fore Come yee children, and hearken to mee: I will Verse 11 teach you the feare of the Lord: It is not a Feare, that you need be afraid of; it is a feare, that will free you from all other feares; it is a feare that is Active; where all other feares are Pas­sive: It is a Feare that workes in love, and who would not love such a Feare? It is a Feare that is joyned with Joy: a Feare, not to offend: but a Joy, for not offending: It is a Feare, not so much of Gods justice, as of his Mercy: for there is mercy with him that hee may bee feared: It is not a Feare that will shorten your life, but be a meanes to prolong it: but then it must not be a bare speculative feare, but you must put it in practise: and these may bee the rules: Keepe thy tongue from evill, and thy lippes Verse 12 from speaking guile: Depart from evill, and do good: seeke peace, and pursue it. Long life was once [Page 108] promised before, to them that honour their Parents; and here it is promised againe to them that love their Neighbours; for these Rules are as the whole body of morall Philosophie, and are therefore delivered in sixe parts, like the six Commandements of the second Table; which onely concerne our dutie to Neighbours: and in all of them the qualitie of chiefe Predomi­nance, and which keepes then all in tune, is Feare; Keepe thy tongue from evill, for feare of the evill that may ensue: and thy lips from spea­king guile, for feare lest thy guile bee discove­red to thy shame. Depart from evill; for feare of infecting: and doe good, for feare of repen­ting: Seeke peace, for feare of wanting it; and pursue it, for feare of losing it. The two first Precepts are the dutie of words, for words must first be regulated, before workes can bee actuated; and they are both Negative; Keepe thy tongue from evill: and thy lips from speaking guile: for it is not required of the tongue to be Eloquent; or of the lips to deliver Oracles: It is enough in the tongue, if it be not irreve­rent to superiours, nor detracting from equalls: It is enough in the lips, if they be not charmes to deceive, nor Equivocations to delude.

The other Precepts are the dutie of workes, and they are foure; where the Precepts of words were but two; because we must be more in workes, then in words: and they are all Af­firmative: for it is against the nature of a worke, [Page 109] to be in the Negative: for so working should be no better then idlenesse: the two former are generall, as generall as Good and Evill; that if we meet with any thing that is Evill, our part is to Depart: for there is no demurring upon E­vill; No dallying with baytes: lest staying, we be stayed, as Eve was: Therefore depart from e­vill. If we meet with any thing that is good; our worke is, to fall a working; for vertue consists in action, and is not so proper to bee talked of, as to be done: we never reade of any reward for good words onely; but all reward is onely for good workes: Because thou hast done this; saith God to Abraham: Therefore doe good. The two last Precepts are speciall; whither we call them speciall, as being particular, or as being excellent, for so is Peace: It is the legacie that was left us by Christ: and who would lose Christs Legacie, for want of seeking it? Therefore seeke Peace, and pursue it: but not pursue Peace, for this were to make warre up­on peace, but pursue the seeking of Peace: for though it be said; seeke, and yee shall find; yet it is not said how long we must seeke before wee shall find: if therefore seeking Peace, you find it not at first, pursue the seeking it, and you shall find it at last. Agree with thine Adversarie while thou art in the way; This is to seeke peace: Leave thine offering at the Altar, and goe first, and be reconciled: This is to pursue it, Or perhaps the counsell that Saint Paul gives [Page 110] to Timothy, may expresse it plainer: Be instant in season, and out of season: to bee instant in season, is to seeke peace: to be instant out of season, is to pursue it. Indeed if a man desire long life, and to see good dayes; he must have a speciall care of peace: whither it be peace in the humours, or peace in the Passions; whither Peace with God, or peace with men: they are all prolongers of life; and life is never shortened or disquieted, but for want of peace in one of these, and therefore that you may not bee to seeke of long life; seeke peace, and pursue it.

And now, O my soule, is there not great cause, that the feare of the Lord should ani­mate all our words and workes, when so great a Majestie, as the eye of God is looking upon them? when so sacred an Auditorie, as the Verse 15 eares of God are hearkening to them? For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous; and his eares are open to their cry; and can any man be so without shame, as to bee without feare, when he is the spectacle which God is pleased to looke upon? the speaker which he vouchsafes to hearken to? But, O my soule, as it cannot but make thee feare, so it cannot but make thee joy; for what greater honour, then to bee the object of Gods eyes and eares? What though the world regard thee not, as long as God re­gards thee? What are the eyes and eares of the world, but eyes and eares of scorne, or else of envie: of scorne, when in adversitie, and of [Page 111] envie in prosperitie? but the eyes of the Lord, are righteous eyes, and are therefore upon the righteous: his eares, are eares of compassion, and therefore are open to their cry. But are not the Eyes of the Lord, as well upon the wicked? and what priviledge then is this to the Righteous? No my soule, his Eyes are up­on the Righteous, but they are against the wic­ked; and not onely his eyes, but his whole Face is against them, to cut off their remembrance Verse 16 from the earth: O my soule, as thou considerest with joy, the great force that is in righteous­nesse, which drawes the eyes, and opens the eares of God: so consider with trembling, the great force that is in sinne, which not onely turnes away his Eyes, and stops his Eares, but makes him to bend his whole Face in furie; that if his favours of looking upon us, and hearkening to us, cannot winne us to feare him out of love: at least the bending his Face a­gainst us in anger, may force us to feare him out of terrour: for he bends not his Face to make a shew onely, as though he did but set a face upon it; but it is to cut off the very re­membrance of them that doe evill from the Earth.

But may not the wicked erect Tombes and Monuments, that will preserve their remem­brance for many Ages: perhaps as long as the Earth shall endure? and how then is their re­membrance cut off from the Earth? but from [Page 112] what Earth? is it not meant from the Land of the living? that in this may be seene the diffe­rent condition, betweene the godly and the wicked; for as it is said here, that the remem­brance of the wicked shall be cut off from the Earth; so it is said in another place of the god­ly, that they shall be had in everlasting remem­brance: and where is any everlasting remem­brance to be had, but in the Land of the living? Indeed to have their remembrance cut off in this Earth, is not worthy of Gods threatning: It is the cutting off from the Land of the living, which is the blotting them out of the Booke of life; that is a worke worthy of Gods setting his Face against them, and this may well bee called a cutting off; not onely because it shall come suddenly upon them, but because they are never like to be heard; Alas! never like to be heard of any more, which can never be the condition of the godly, for they can never be so out of remembrance, but that they shall bee alwayes heard of God: For the righteous cry; Verse 17 and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

But how is it like to be true, that the godly shall never be forgotten, when they seeme to be forgotten already while they live? for how else should it happen, that they are more in trouble, in more trouble than other men, but that God hath cast them out of his remem­brance? O my soule, their very being in trou­ble, [Page 113] is a certaine argument that God remem­bers them: if he had not remembred Job, and his righteousnesse, he would never have given Sathan so much leave as he did to trouble him. For indeed, though troubles be judgements to the wicked; and are as the first blowes to cut off their remembrance from the earth, yet they are but tryals to the godly, and doe but serve to make their remembrance be the fresher. Doe we not see how Trees are nipt with frost and cold, and not so much as a leafe left hanging upon them, scarce so much as life remaining in them? but is it not to renue in them the fresher springing, and to make way for fruits in a grea­ter plentie? and such are the troubles of the godly, they end in deliverance; and though they be bitter for the present, yet they make the joyes afterward to taste the sweeter. And what marvell, if God heare the cry of the righteous, being so nigh unto them as hee is? For the Lord is nigh unto them, that are of a broken Verse 18 heart: Not broken with envie, as many are: Not broken with despaire, as some are; but broken with sense of their sinne, as the righ­teous are; for this onely is the broken heart, to which God is nigh: and hee is not nigh it, in vaine: No my soule, it is good having God to be our neighbour; for hee saves all them to whom he is nigh; Hee saves all them that bee of a contrite, and humble heart: the lower they are in their owne eyes, the higher they are in his: [Page 114] and when their heart is broken with sense of their sinne, he makes it whole againe with sup­ply Verse 19 of his grace. It is true; Many are the affli­ctions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers them out of all. For the righteous have many ene­mies, and therefore must needes have many troubles; but their troubles are not trouble­some, because they have the Lord for their de­liverer; if it be sicknesse, he makes their bed, in their sicknesse: If it be hunger, hee fills the hungrie with good things, when hee sends the rich emptie away: if it be Death it selfe; Domi­ni, Domini sunt exitus mortis; the issues of Death are all in Gods hands: and all this while, though their heart be broken, yet their bones are whole still: They may have thornes in the flesh, but not a bone of theirs is broken: for one of Verse 20 their bones is Faith, which though it may bee shaken, yet it cannot bee broken: Another of their bones is Hope, which though it may bee battered, yet it cannot be broken: and Patience is a bone, which may be vexed, but can never be broken: for in all of them, the Lord hath a hand; Hee upholds the righteous, that they cannot fall: Hee strengthens them that they cannot faint, and as long as their bones bee whole, they are able to stand upright, and shrinke not for any burthen, that either the Flesh, or the World can lay upon them. And though David in this, have an eye perhaps up­on Christ, of whom indeed there was not a [Page 115] Bone broken; yet what is spoken of the Head, may not incongruously bee applyed to the Members: and in the soundnesse of Christs bones, the bones of the godly are kept from breaking. But the troubles of the wicked are of another nature; for, Evill shall slay the wic­ked; Verse 21 and they that hate the righteous shall be deso­late. Their hearts perhaps are broken too, but because they are not broken with sense of their sinne, but with spight and malice to the Righ­teous, there shall be none to make them whole, but their owne evill, shall be their owne destru­ction; and having none to deliver them, they shall be left desolate, and without all hope of helpe. But shall not the wicked then have this good by being desolate, that as they have none to helpe them, so they have none to hurt them? Alas! it needes not, they doe it fast e­nough themselves; for Sinne is a recoyling Poyson; it turnes violently backe upon them that commit it: and it may be truly said of eve­ry wicked man, that he is Felo de se, a Murthe­rer of himselfe. Though Righteousnesse of it selfe, doth not save the Righteous, but they need a Saviour besides; yet wickednesse of it selfe destroyes the wicked, they need no other Destroyer: Perditio tua ex te, O Israel; Thy de­strustion is from thy selfe, O Israel.

And, O my soule, what great Examples there are to verefie this saying; They that hate the righteous, shall be desolate. When Cain hated [Page 116] the righteous Abel, was he not thereupon made desolate, and became a Vagabond, forsaken both of God and man? but in a higher degree; when the wicked Jewes hated Christ the righ­teous, was there not a Voyce heard as of An­gels, saying; Migremus hinc: Let us depart from this place? and thereupon left them de­solate, without Prince, or Prophet; without Temple, or Altar, to this day? You may say perhaps, that Cain might easily be made deso­late, having killed his brother in a time, when there was no more in the whole world, but that one Familie: but how can the wicked bee made desolate now, when Totus mundus in ma­ligno est positus; When all the world is full of them; and no Beasts so herd together as they doe? But is it not, that Desolatenesse consists not so much in want of company, as in want of comfort: was Job the lesse desolate for having company, of whom to say; Miserable com­forters are ye all? much lesse shal the wicked be the lesse desolate for having company of whom to say; Miserable Tormentours are yee all: for alas, all their companie, shall bee either Companions in their torments, or Compa­nions their tormentours: which can never bee the case of the godly: for though they be not so perfect, not to have their faults, yet they are so happy, not to have them imputed: for being Gods servants, Hee will redeeme them: though they be taken captive, yet hee will not [Page 117] suffer them to continue Captives: but rather then not redeeme them, he will give his onely Sonne to be their ransome.

But yet how can the godly choose but bee Desolate, when the whole world scarce affords enow to make a company? and where then can company be had to keepe them from being desolate? O my soule, they have Angels to pitch their Tents about them, while they live here, and hereafter they shall come to bee Ci­tizens in the New Hierusalem, where they shall have company enough: Priests, and Patriarks; Prophets, and Apostles; Martyrs, and Con­fessours; blessed Virgins, and chiefly the Bles­sed Virgin; but above all, where they shall see the Blessed face of God; whose onely sight is able; whose sight is onely able to keepe from being desolate: and then at least I shall bee as able to performe my Vow, as now I am ready to make it: I will blesse the Lord at all times; his Praise shall continually be in my mouth.

WHen wee cannot expresse the Verse 1 greatnesse of a thing in direct tearmes; wee are faine to flye to wonder, and so doth David here; because he cannot expresse suffi­ciently how amiable the Taber­nacles of the Lord are; hee therefore falls to wondering, and helpes himselfe with a questi­on: How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts? But is not Davids wondering it selfe wonderfull, that the Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts should be so wonderfully amiable? Is it not a wonder they should bee amiable at all? For are not his Tabernacles, Tents of Warre? and is there any thing in Warre that can be amiable? If he had said; How terrible are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts; his wonder had beene with some congruitie: for [Page 122] the Lord of Hosts is terrible in all his workes: but to say, How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts; seeme to imply a contradi­ction: for though they may be amiable, as they are Tabernacles; yet they must needs bee ter­rible, as they are Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts: and when this Terriblenesse hath made an abatement in their Amiablenesse: What place will be left for wonder, to give cause to say; How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts? But if hee had sayd; How terrible are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts; though it might have beene wonderfull in the degree, yet it could not bee wonderfull in the kind: for what wonder is it, if the Taberna­cles of the Lord of Hosts bee terrible? but when he saith; How amiable are thy Taberna­cles, O Lord of Hosts; this is not onely won­derfull in the degree; but in the kind, much more. For what can be more wonderfull, then that being Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts, they should be amiable, and so amiable, as to be wondred at? But is it not, that God is in himselfe so amiable, that all things of His, even his Terrours themselves are amiable: his Tabernacles and his Tents; his Sword, and his Speare; his Darts, and his Arrowes; all amiable: Terrible no doubt to his Enemies; but amiable, wonderfull amiable to all that love and feare him: and great reason they should be so; seeing they are all in their de­fence, [Page 123] and for their safeguard: though they be Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts to the wic­ked, yet they are Courts of the Prince of peace to the godly: and this makes my soule to Verse 2 long for the courts of the Lord. For I desire in­deed to be a Courtier, yet not as I am now; God knowes I am very unfit for it: but be­cause Gods Courts are such, they make any one fit, that but comes into them: they receive not men fit, but make them fit; and he that was before, but a shrub in Baca; assoone as hee comes into the Courts of the Lord, is present­ly made a Cedar in Lebanon.

Indeed, if his Tabernacles bee so wonder­full amiable; they must needs be as wonderfull attractive, for there is no such Adamant as A­miablenesse: Nothing that so powerfully at­tracts, and drawes all hearts unto it. And to know the measure of their Amiablenesse, by the power of their Attracting, you need but looke upon my soule: For, my soule longeth, and even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord: which it would never doe, if it were not for their wonderfull amiablenesse, that attracts, and drawes it by a kind of violence, indeed by a kind violence unto them.

Every Amiablenesse is not so great to make a longing: Nor every longing so great, to make a fainting: Nor every fainting so great, to make the soule to faint: Oh then consider, how great this Amiablenesse is, which makes [Page 124] my soule not onely to long, but to faint with longing? And blame me not for fainting, as though it were my owne fault, that would not restraine my longing: for seeing his Taberna­cles are of infinite amiablenesse, they must needs worke in me an infinite delighting; and that delighting, an infinite longing: and what restraint can there be of that which is infinite? No alas, my fainting is but answerable to my longing, and my longing but answerable to the Amiablenesse: If I had the offer made me, which was made to Christ, to enjoy all the Kingdomes of the Earth, but with condition to want the Courts of the Lord; this want would bring to my soule a greater griefe, then that enjoying, would give it contentment: for seeing his Tabernacles are so amiable, where he is Lord of Hosts; how amiable must they needs be, where hee is Prince of Peace? and Prince of Peace he is in his Courts, though in his Campe he be Lord of Hosts.

And that you may know it is not the weak­nesse of my soule, that it faints with longing: (for indeed weake spirits are apt to faint upon every light occasion) but that it is the very operation of the wonderfull attractive power, that is in the amiablenesse of his Courts: see my Heart, and my Flesh also, how they are drawne to long after the Lord, which they would never doe, if it were not for some won­derfull amiablenesse that is in him: for you [Page 125] may well thinke, it must bee an Adamant of a wonderfull attractive power, that can draw these heavy I rons of my heart, and my flesh unto it: for indeed, though my Soule have a longing for the Courts of the Lord, yet my Body perhaps could be content to want them; there are Courts in the world, that might please my Body as well; perhaps better then these, but God forbid: God forbid I should be one, to have my soule and body divided while they are united, to have my soule runne one way, and my body another: No, I am none of those; but assoone as my soule longed for the Courts of the Lord; My heart, and my flesh fell a longing for the living God: As my Soule lon­ged for the Place, so my heart, and my flesh, for the Person: for my heart, and my flesh, are of a duller apprehension; they must have a present Enjoying of that they long for, or they cannot be satisfied: but my soule is of a cleerer sight, and knows if it can but come to the place where he is, it shall be sure withall, to enjoy his presence, and with his presence, his Person. The Soule indeed is a spirituall substance, and there­fore it is natural to the soule, to long after spiri­tual things; but the flesh is an earthly substance, and therefore it is naturall to the flesh, to long after earthly things: and as long as these two are linked in the Body together, they will al­wayes be working upon one another, alwayes seeking to draw each other to their partie: and [Page 126] if the Soule can draw the flesh, to goe her spi­rituall way, then all is well: it is as it should be: but if the Flesh draw the Soule to goe her earthly way, then all is out of order; there will be no longing for the Courts of the Lord, for they are spirituall, and are never longed for, but where the Soule is predominant, and hath the leading. And this is the order in Da­vids longing: first his Soule begins to long for the Courts of the Lord; and this is yet but a single cord: but then comes in, the Heart, and the Flesh too; and make it a Cord of three, that is impossible to bee broken. Indeed the Courts of the Lord are so exceeding amiable, that it is impossible, but every soule must needs long after them: but yet every soule considers not what belongs to this longing: but as Ba­laam longed to dye the death of the Righte­ous, yet was loath to live the life of the Righ­teous; so there are many that long for the Courts of the Lord, but are loath to live the life of such Courtiers. They that be in Kings houses, weare silke, and soft rayment, because so it is fit for the honour of the place; and they that will be in the Courts of the Lord, must likewise weare rayment, that is fit for the ho­linesse of the place: they must be cloathed with the soft rayment of meeknesse, and humilitie; they must put on the robe of Righteousnesse, and the garment of Sinceritie; or because they are Courts of the Lord of Hosts: their cloa­thing [Page 127] must rather be in Armour, as Saint Paul expresseth it; they must take the shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit; and if they come thus Cloathed, and thus Armed, they may justly then be said, to long for the Courts of the Lord: but if they weare not these garmens, their longing will prove but a false conception, and they shall heare it said: Friend, what makest thou here, without a Wedding garment?

If my God were, as the Gods of the Hea­then, that have bodyes, but live not; that have eares, but heare not; my heart, and my flesh, would then never cry after him, that could not heare them: but now that he is a living God, and hath eares to heare; how can they now forbeare to cry after him, that cannot be with­out him? for alas, if hee should leave them, what would become of them? what would my heart be, but as a dead corps; and what would my flesh be, but as the Coffin?

Thou affordest, O Lord, thy meanest crea­tures, Verse 3 their places of rest and pleasure; The Sparrow hath found an house; and the Swallow a nest for her selfe, where shee may lay her young: and wilt thou not afford me to enjoy thine Al­tars, the onely places of rest and pleasure to my soule? Alas! O Lord, if thou wilt not afford me thine Altars, for places of pleasure; at least afford them to me for places of Devo­tion; that if I cannot make them a Nest for [Page 128] my young ones; my humble Meditations, and my penitent submissions; at least I may offer upon them, the sacrifices of Prayer, of praise, and Thanks-giving.

I knew before by thy Courts, thou wert a King; and now I know by thine Altars, thou art a God; that confidently now I can say; O Lord of Hosts, my King, and my God: that if I feared thee before, as Lord of Hosts; I ho­nour thee more now as my King: and adore thee more yet as my God; which as they are to thee, the tender of my dutifulnesse; so they are no lesse to me, the meanes of my blessed­nesse: Verse 4 For blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will still be praising thee.

But alas, how happens this? There were Tabernacles before, as belonging to a Lord; and Courts, as belonging to a King; and Al­tars, as belonging to a God: and now to be but a House, as belonging to a private man? and so all this great Rising to end in a Fall? No, my soule, it is no Fall: it is an aggregation rather of all the other; for where his Tabernacles did but serve to shew his Power: his Courts but to shew his Majestie, his Altars, but to shew his Deitie; his House serves to shew them all: for in his House there will bee still praysing him: and his Praise and Glory is the summe of all. Or is it, that to dwell in Gods house, is a kind of appropriating him to our selves, seeing his Tabernacles, and his Courts, lye open to stran­gers; [Page 129] his House, open to none but his servants: and seeing in the neerenesse to God, and con­versing with him, consists all true blessednesse; therefore, Blessed are they that dwell in his House. But how dwell in it? Not to looke in sometimes, as we passe by; or to stay in it a time, as we doe at an Inne; but to be constant abiders in it day and night, as to which we have devoted our selves, and vowed our service.

But it may be doubted, when David saith; Blessed are they that dwell in Gods house: What Dwelling it is he meanes; whither dwelling in it, as Tenants, or as servants? for if as Tenants, it is like there is some Rent to be paid, and there is small Blessednesse in paying of Rent: It would be a more blessed thing, if they could dwell in his House, and pay him no Rent. If as servants, it is like there is some worke to bee done, and there is small blessednesse in wor­king: It would be a more blessed thing, if they could be his servants, and doe no worke, and how then comes any Blessednesse in, by dwel­ling in his House? Indeed take it either way, let them dwell in his House as tenants, or as servants, and they shall bee Blessed: let them have Rent to pay, as Tenants; let them have worke to doe, as servants, and yet they shall be blessed: and that which may seeme most strange, the Rent, and the Worke which seeme to hinder their blessednesse, is the very thing that makes them be blessed: for they are both [Page 130] but one thing, both but praising of God; and praising of God is the onely thing, that whe­ther they be Tenants, or Servants; whether Bond, or Free, will make them be Blessed.

And yet there is a Dwelling that hath not yet beene thought of; a Dwelling indeed that makes the true Blessednesse: and it is, to dwell in Gods house, neither as Tenants, nor yet as servants, but as sonnes: for neither Tenants nor Servants, abide in the house for ever, one­ly the Sonne abideth for ever: and therefore though the House of God seeme a meaner Ti­tle, then his Tabernacles, and his Courts; yet to us, it is the more comfortable title, seeing it makes us to be sonnes, which neither his Ta­bernacles, nor his Courts can doe.

But how appeares it to bee true, that they who dwell in Gods house, wil alwayes be prai­sing him? seeing it is but seldome seene, that servants be so forward to praise their Masters? O my soule, it is not so much the good disposi­tions of the servants; as the infinite worthinesse of the Master, that makes them to praise him: for when they see the admirable O economie of his Government, when they see how sweetly he disposeth all things in weight and measure, when they find him to use them more like chil­dren, then servants; what heart can bee so un­gratefull as not to praise him? and seeing by dwelling in Gods House, they see these things continually; therefore they that dwell in his [Page 131] House, will alwayes bee praising him.

But is it not a strange reason of Blessednesse, to say they are blessed, because they are still praising him? to be praised themselves, might perhaps be some blessednesse: but what bles­sednesse can it be to praise another? Indeed if that other, were but such another as our selves, it could be none: but when that other is such, as that there is not such another, or rather not another at all, to praise such a one, certainly must needs bee blessednesse, or there can bee none; and such a one is God: for alas what are we, but that in him wee live, and move, and have our Being: Hee onely is All in All. O my soule, if it were not for praising of God, there had never beene Created such a thing as Prayse: at least we may justly say, that God, and Prayse, are as truly Relatives, as any that are found in either Art, or Nature.

You may say then, It is like to bee an easie matter to be Blessed, if there goe no more to Blessednesse, but praysing of God. Marke therefore how David speakes; They will be still praysing him. It is not enough to praise him; it must bee a praising him still, before it will make a Blessednesse, and though to praise God be an easie matter; yet to praise him still, will be found a busie worke; indeed to flesh and bloud a miserable worke; for if I be still prai­sing him, what time shall I have for any plea­sure? O my soule, if thou make it not thy [Page 132] pleasure, thy chiefe, thy onely pleasure to bee praysing him; thou art not like in hast to come to Blessednesse. And marvell not that David speakes thus under the Law; When Saint Paul under the Gospell saith as much: Whether ye eat, or drinke, or whatsoever yee doe else; let all be done to the glory, and praise of God. And indeed, how can I doubt of attaining to Blessednesse by praising of God; when it is praising of God; that makes the Angels in heaven Blessed? for the seeing of God, would never make them blessed, if seeing him, they did not praise him: and praising him would never make them bles­sed, if they did not praise him continually; crying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sab­bath: for as we praise God here on Earth, with saying, O Lord God of Hosts; because here, he fighteth for us against our enemies; so wee shall praise him in heaven with saying, O Lord God of Sabbath, because there he will give us rest from our enemies.

Verse 5 But if it bee thought that praising of God will not be enough to make Blessednesse, or not to make Blessednesse enough; at least, take this with it, and it will surely be enough: Bles­sed is the man whose strength is in God: and in whose heart his wayes are. For though our prai­sing of God, being our owne worke must needs be too weake to make a blessednesse; yet when our strength is in God, this makes it his worke, and then our blessednesse hath a sure founda­tion. [Page 133] When we trust to our owne strength for Blessednesse, we are often deceived, indeed as often as alwayes; but when our strength is in God, we may rest secure; our blessednesse is upon a Rocke, and cannot be shaken. But then Gods wayes must be in our hearts: for what way hath his strength to the heart, if his wayes be not in the heart: That's their place, if wee looke for strength from him. Are we not in a continuall fight against Sin; and have we any strength to fight, but onely in him? and will he take it well to be placed in a Wing? No my soule, he will strengthen us no longer then hee is placed in the heart of the Battell: That's his place, if wee looke to bee strengthened in him.

It is not enough that Gods wayes bee knowne, if they be not walked in; nor walked in, if not embraced: and it is not enough to embrace them with the armes, which is often­times feigned, and but onely complimentall; they must be embraced, with the two armes of the heart; Integritie, and Sinceritie: Integritie will embrace them all; Sinceritie will embrace no other. Though Gods wayes be many, yet they must all goe into one Heart; if any be left out, the rest will not tarry; though they must be in singlenesse of heart, yet they must not be single in the heart; They are fruites that grow in clusters, not one by one.

There are many that have Gods wayes in [Page 134] their mouthes, can talke holily, and make Ser­mons of godlinesse, though they bee no Prea­chers; but because they draw neere to God with their lips, and their hearts, are farre from him; they are like to have but the Pharisees entertainment, not so well justified as the Pub­lican. There are many that have Gods wayes in their hands, they give almes plentifully, they distribute their bread to the Poore liberally; but because their left hand knowes what their right hand doth; they have their reward al­ready. They that have Gods wayes in their hearts, they onely are in the right way to bles­sednesse, and no rubbes of the world can turne them out of the way. For when Gods wayes are in the heart together, they lend assistance to Verse 6 one another; For passing thorow the Valley of Ba­ca, they make it a Well; the raine also filleth the pooles, That which seemed an impediment turnes to a furtherance; at least, no misery can be so great no estate so barren, but a godly heart can make it a Well; out of which to draw forth water of comfort; either water to clense, and make it a way to Repentance, or water to coole, and make it a way to Patience; or water to moy­sten, and make it a way of growing in grace; and if the Well happen to bee dry, and afford no water from below; yet the raine shall fill their pooles, and supply them with water from a­bove; If naturall forces bee not sufficient; there shall bee supernaturall graces added to [Page 135] assist them: that though troubles of the world seeme rubs in the way to blessednesse: yet in truth they are none, they hinder not arriving at the marke we ayme at; they hinder us not from being made Members of Syon; they hinder us not from approaching the presence of God: No my soule, they are rather helpes; for by this meanes, wee goe from strength to strength; from strength of Patience, to strength of Hope; from strength of Hope, to strength of Faith; from strength of Faith, to strength of Vision; and then will be accomplished that which David speakes here; Blessed is the man, whose strength is in God; and in whose heart his wayes are.

If my strength were not in God, I should not dare to call upon him, being Lord of Hosts: but now that my strength is in him, and that I know hee is Lord of Hosts for me, and not against me: a Shield to me, a Sword onely to my enemies: now I have confidence to say: O Lord God of Hosts, heare my prayer: give eare, Verse 7 O God of Jacob: for as I doubt not but hee will heare me, though he bee Lord of Hosts: so I have much more confidenne, he will give eare unto me, being the God of Jacob: for he hath made a Covenant with Jacob, and with his po­steritie for ever: that he will be their God, and they shall be his people: of which number, it is my happinesse that I am one; not after the flesh, which profiteth nothing, but accor­ding [Page 136] to Faith, the onely thing that makes the true Israelite.

But yet what good will it doe me, that God heare my prayer, and give eare unto it, if he be still averse, and turne away his Face? O there­fore, Behold, O Lord, our shield, and looke upon the face of thine anoynted: For I shall never come to looke upon thy Face, if thou vouchsafe not first, to looke upon mine: if thou afford me not as well the benefit of thine Eyes, to looke up­on me, as the favour of thine Eares to heare me; I shall be left onely, to a bare expectati­on, but never come to the happinesse of Frui­tion; but when thou vouchsafest to looke upon my face; that looke of thine, hath an influence of all true blessednesse, and makes me find what a happinesse it is, to have the God of Jacob for my shield.

But it should seeme that this Prayer belongs onely to David, or at least to Kings, who like David are the Lords anoynted, and what is it then to us that are private persons? It is true indeed, that Kings are the Lords anoynted in a speciall manner: but yet every child of God is his anoynted too; for why else is it said of Christ, that he was anoynted with the oyle of gladnesse, above his fellowes; if it bee not that his fellowes, meaning the children of God, be anoynted too? Anoynted no doubt with the oyle of Grace; but to bee anoynted with the oyle of gladnesse, is the very thing I pray for [Page 137] here: the very thing, that makes mee long so much for the Courts of the Lord: For one day Verse 10 in his courts, is better then a thousand: It is not so much the length of time, as the measure of joy that makes the blessednesse: Or is it, that one day which shall never end; as the day is in Gods Courts, is better than a thousand which have an end, as all the dayes of this world are. If he had said, one day in his Courts, is as good as a thousand; though this had beene a mighty odds, yet it had bin but a thousand to one, there had at least beene some proportion: but when he saith; One day in his Courts, is beter than a thousand; this seemes to exceed all possibili­tie of comparison, and leaves no place for any proportion. Indeed one day in his Courts, gives seisin of Eternitie, where a Thousand that are spent any where else, are but steps of Mor­talitie. If I be but one day in his Courts, I shall see that which will bee a joy unto mee, all the dayes of my life: where if I be a thousand in any other Courts; I shall see nothing but va­nitie, and vexation of spirit, that which will grieve me to thinke of, as often as I remember it. And as it is true in respect of Time; so it is no lesse true in respect of Place: For, I had ra­ther be a doore-keeper in the house of my God, then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse. But is it such a disparagement to be a Doore-keeper? What was the Angell with the flaming Sword, but the Doore-keeper of Paradise? and is there [Page 138] not a conceit, that Saint Peter is the Doore-keeper of Heaven? Which though it be a vaine conceit, yet it may leade us to this congruous interpretation of Davids speech, to conceive as if he said, that hee had rather be Saint Peter in the house of God, then be Annas, or Caiphas, in the Court of Herod. Indeed in the sence that Christ is a Doore; David may well bee content to be a Doore-keeper: and though in Gods House, there bee many Mansions; yet seeing all of them are glorious, even the Doore-keepers place is not without its glory. But if you thinke the Office to be meane: con­sider then whose Officer hee is: for even a Doore-keeper is an officer in Gods house; and God never displaceth his Officers, unlesse it be to advance them to a higher: Where in the Courts of Princes, the greatest Officers are of­ten-times displaced; turn'd off often with dis­grace. However it be, it shewes not onely the great glory of Gods House, but the great hu­militie of Davids heart; and that he is not of the ambitious humour of the Mother of Zebe­dees sonnes, whom no place would serve for her sonnes, but to have one of them sit at his Right hand, the other at his left. O gracious God, grant me but a Doore-keepers place in thy house, and I will never aspire after any higher roome: Not that I desire, to let in, and keepe out whom I please, but that I may there­by have liberty to walke in thy house, and to [Page 139] enjoy thy Presence, in whose presence is the fulnesse of Joy for evermore. What are the Tents of wickednesse, but like Caves that have no light, and like Vineyards that have no Fences? and is there any comparison to bee made betweene such Tents; and the meanest place in the House of God, where God not onely affordeth Light, but is Himselfe the Light; Not onely is a Defendour, but the De­fence it selfe? For the Lord is a Sunne and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. I had heard Verse 11 before, that In sole posuit Tabernaculum suum: God hath placed his Tabernacle in the Sunne; But I never knew he was himselfe a Sunne till now: but what Sunne? Not the Sunne that is but the child of light, but the Sunne who is the Father of Lights: Not the Sunne that was not, till three dayes after it was light; but the Sunne that was before ever any light was made; Not the Sunne which the Heathen commit Idolatrie in worshipping; but the Sunne whom it is Idolatrie not to worship. Oh that the Heathen would all worship this Sunne: it should not then be said; Plures adorant Solem orientem, quam occidentem: That more worship the Sunne rising, then setting: for this Sunne once Risen, never sets againe; once shi­ning, is never any more Ecclipsed. Oh then vouchsafe, O God, if thou be a Sunne, to ligh­ten my darknesse; if a shield, to protect my weaknesse: if thou bee a Sunne, warme my [Page 140] soule with the beames of Devotion; if a shield, defend my soule from the blowes of Temptation: if thou be a Sunne, O shine upon me, with the light of thy Countenance; if a Shield, O stand betweene me, and the assaults of Sathan; for alas, O Lord, I am darknesse, and weaknesse, the Anvile of temptations, the very Butt of Sathan, if thou bee not a Sunne, and a Shield unto mee. O my soule, God will doe more then this; Hee will give grace and glo­ry: Grace to be a Shield unto us, and Glory to be a Sunne unto us; Hee will give Grace to prevent us, and Glory to follow us: Grace, to walke uprightly; and Glory, if walking up­rightly: Grace for a foundation to Glory, and Glory for a Crowne to Grace: and if these things bee not enough, hee will doe more yet: Doe thou but walke uprightly, and what good things soever there are in Gods gift, they shall all be given thee: for No good thing will God with-hold from them that live uprightly.

But how is this true, when God often-times with-holds Riches, and Honours, and health of body from men, though they walke never so uprightly? We may therefore know, that honours, and riches, and bodily strength, are none of Gods good things: they are of the number of things indifferent, which God be­stowes promiscuously upon the just, and un­just, as the raine to fall, and the Sunne to shine: The good things of God, are chiefly Peace of [Page 141] conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, in this life; Fruition of Gods Presence, and Vision of his blessed Face, in the next: and these good things God never bestowes upon the wicked, never with-holds from the godly; and are all cast up in one summe, where it is said, Beati mundo corde, quoniam ipsi videbunt Deum: Bles­sed are the pure of Heart, (and such are onely they that walke uprightly) for they shall see God. But is walking uprightly such a matter with God, that it should be so rewarded? Is it not more pleasing to God to see us goe stoo­ping, then walking upright; seeing stooping is the gate of Humilitie; then which, there is no­thing to God more pleasing? It is no doubt a hard matter, to stoope, and goe upright, both at once; yet both must be done, and both in­deed are done, are done at once by every one that is godly; but when I say, they are done both at once, I meane not of the body: I know two such postures in the Body both at once, are impossible: but the Soule can doe it, the Soule can stoope, and goe upright, both at once; for then doth the Soule walke upright before God, when it stoopes in humilitie be­fore God and men.

And what remaines now for David to doe, but to bring in the conclusion upon the Pre­misses, seeing the Lord of Hosts, though his Name be dreadfull, yet his Nature is lovely, seeing he is a Sunne to cherish, and a Shield to [Page 142] Defend; seeing he gives Grace and Glory, and with-holds no good thing from them that walke uprightly; Therefore blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

And what remaines now for us to doe, but to receive this Conclusion of David, as an ab­solute Demonstration: and thereupon to walke uprightly, and to put our whole trust and con­fidence in God, through the merits of his Son Christ Jesus; for then we are sure, wee are in a sure way, of attaining to Blessednesse, to Eter­nall blessednesse: that after this, we may leave our wondring, yet continue our Admi­ring; How amiable are thy Taber­nacles, O Lord God of Hosts!

BLesse the Lord, O my Verse 1 Soule: O how well they are fitted! for what worke so fit for my Soule as this? Who so fit for this worke as my soule? My body, God knowes is grosse, and heavie, and very unfit for so sublime a worke; No my soule, it is Thou must doe it; and indeed what hast thou else to doe; it is the very worke for which thou wert made, and O that thou wert as fit to doe the worke, as the worke is fit for thee to to doe. But alas, I feare that by comming into this Body of earth, thou art become in a man­ner earthy, at least hast lost a great part of thy [Page 184] abilities, and wilt never be able to goe thorow with this great worke thy selfe alone. If to Blesse the Lord, were no more but to say, Lord, Lord, like to them that cryed, The Tem­ple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord: then my tongue alone would bee sufficient for it, and I should not need to trouble any other about it: but to Blesse the Lord is an emi­nent worke, and requires not onely Many, but very able Agents to performe it; and therefore my Soule, when thou goest about it, goe not alone; but, Take with thee, all that is within mee; all the forces in my whole Maga­zine, whether it be my Heart, or my Spirits; whether my Will, or my Affections; whether my Understanding, or my Memory; take them all with thee, and Blesse the Lord.

And of them all, make use first of my Memo­rie: Verse 2 Forget not all his Benefits: for to remember his Benefits, is indeed a principall part of Blessing him. And the sooner thou goest about it, the better thou art likely to performe it: for for­getfulnesse is a thing, that growes soone upon us, and nothing sooner then forgetting of be­nefits: our Memories, are very apt to retaine Injuries, but very unapt for retaining of Bene­fits: For as long as we remember a Benefit, we seeme to stand upon the rack of an Obligation to requite it: and who is not willing to come off a Rack, by any meanes he can; and then ra­ther by forgetting a Benefit, then by requiting [Page 185] it? and perhaps wee thinke it a kind of pay­ment, if we can but forget wee owe it. But O my Soule consider, that God expects no Reta­liation of us; he lookes for no requiting at our hands; Alas! He knowes we are not able: He takes it in good part, if but onely we remember his Benefits; and should we not bee most un­gratefull, they being so great, and so many as they are, if we should not afford him so much as the remembring them? But as to forget all his benefits, were a wonderfull forgetfulnesse; so to forget none at all, were as wonderfull a Memorie: for what memorie can be so vast, not to forget some, when they be so many? Indeed so many, that they cannot be numbred. And what then, O my Soule, wilt thou doe in this case? if thou canst not choose but forget some of his Benefits, yet forget not all his Be­nefits; if thou canst not remember all, at least remember some: Forget not, It is hee that for­giveth Verse 3 all thy sinnes; it is hee that healeth all thy infirmities: Remember but these, and they will alwayes minister matter enough to keepe thee in worke for blessing his Name. For, to for­give all my sinnes, O my grievous, my mani­fold sinnes, that I know not whether they bee more, or more grievous: whether their Num­ber, or their Greatnesse be the greater; is it not a benefit that may justly claime a prime place in my memorie? If it were but onely to be fa­vourable in punishing my sinnes, it were a be­nefit [Page 150] worth remembring; but to blot my sins cleane out, and absolutely to forgive them, and that freely, without any desert of mine; Alas, without any possibilitie of deserving; This is a Benefit that no Lethargie can forget, indeed a benefit that deserves remembring in the highest degree. And yet perhaps, to forgive all my sinnes, not a greater benefit, then to heale all my infirmities; (This being the chiefe worke of his Grace, as that of his Mercy) for seeing my sinnes, many of them, and upon the matter, all of them, bee sinnes of infirmitie: (for even wilfulnesse, and presumption, are of infirmitie) by healing my infirmities, hee pre­vents me of sinning: and is it not, as great a benefit, to keepe me from committing sinnes, as to forgiue my sinnes, when I have commit­ted them? But, O my soule, meddle not with this high point of Heraldrie, to discusse, which is the greater of Gods Mercy, or his Grace: They are both an Abyssus: it is worke enough for thee, and for all that is within me, to Blesse him for both: and for both indeed thou hast just cause to Blesse him, seeing it is by the ver­tue of both, that thou art able to Blesse him. If it were not for his Mercy, thou wouldst want the materiall cause of blessing him, if it were not for his Grace, the efficient: but now that there is a concurrence of both together; Now that both he forgiveth all thy sinnes in his Mercy, and healeth all thy infirmities by [Page 151] his Grace; Now, O my soule, what would it argue but extream ungratefulnesse, farre ex­ceeding a forgetfulnesse, both in thee, and all that is within me, if thou shouldst not Blesse his Name? For, O my soule, consider the multitude of infirmities, to which thou art subject; thou hast many suggestions of the flesh: and thou art apt to consent, and yeeld unto them, and strivest not against them by earnest Prayer, and holy Meditations; This is an infirmitie. In thy prayers to God; thy thoughts are often wandring, and thou think­est of other matters, farre unworthy of that great Majestie to whom thou prayest: or if not so, yet thou art quickly weary, thy spirits are drowsie in it, and thou hadst rather be doing of something else: This is an infirmitie. And in­deed thou hast infirmities in all thy senses. In thy seeing, thou canst see a moate in thy bro­thers eye, and canst not see a beame in thine owne eye. In thy smelling, thou thinkest Sua­vis odor lucri ex re qualibet; that the savour of gaine is sweet from whence so ere it rise. In thy Hearing; Thou art gladder to heare prophane, and idle discourses, then such as be serious, and holy: These are infirmities: and, O my soule, if I should cut thee up into as many parts, as an Anatomist, and examine the infirmities of e­very part; should I not have cause, just cause to cry out with Saint Paul, O wretch that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sinne? [Page 152] Who shall heale me of all these infirmities? for whether we call them sinnes, and then God forgives them; or call them Infirmities, and then he heales them: they are to us, all one be­nefit; in God, all one kindnesse; that as either of them is well worth remembring; so for both of them, we have just cause to blesse him, and to praise his Name.

But, O my soule, as thou remembrest these things; that both he forgiveth all thy sins, and healeth all thy infirmities: so remember also their consequences too; for upon these, there are great matters depending, as worthy to bee remembred, as the things themselves. For alas my soule, thou wert by sinne come to be Mor­tall; and the sentence of Morte morieris, was past upon thee: but now, by forgiving thy sinnes, this sentence is reversed: by healing thy infir­mities, thy life is Redeemed; it is taken out of the hands of the Destroyer, and put into the hands of a Redeemer; and a Redeemer not onely from Captivitie, but from destruction: for Captivitie takes away but onely thy liber­tie, but destruction would take away thy ve­ry Being: and can it be thou shouldst not keepe that in memorie, which is it selfe the cause, that thou hast a Memorie? for what memorie couldst thou have, if thou hadst not a Being? and what Being couldst thou have, if thou wert destroyed? and destroyed thou shouldst be, if thou wert not Redeemed; and Redee­med [Page 153] thou canst not be, unlesse thy sinnes bee forgiven. This no doubt, is a consequence ne­ver to be forgotten; and yet perhaps there is a consequence behind, of greater consequence then this: For this (my soule) gives thy life but onely a duration; but there is a conse­quence a comming, that will give it an exalta­tion: For, he crownes thee with loving kindnesse, and with tender mercies. To be madk a King, is an eminent favour: but to be made a King from being a Captive, where not onely the Quo is so considerable, but the Unde more; this is in­deed a supereminent favour, and hardly capa­ble of expressing. And this is thy case, for where before thou hadst fetters upon thy feet, thou hast now a Crowne upon thy head: and not a Crowne gotten by violence, and worne with feare: but He crownes thee with loving kind­nesse, and tender mercies. His kindnesse would have made a Crowne good enough for thy wearing; but his loving kindnesse, makes it a Crowne worthy of his giving. And if there be doubt, that his mercies alone may not bee ready enough, to bestow this Crowne upon thee; yet of the readinesse of his tender mer­cies, there can be no doubt: there can indeed be no doubt, seeing his loving kindnesse, and his tender mercies, are the Crowne it selfe, which he bestowes. For, O my soule, when I speake of a Crowne, thou must not fancie to thy selfe, such a Crowne as Kings of the earth weare: [Page 154] For Christ professed plainly, that his King­dome is not of this world, and therefore nei­ther must thine be: but consider the extent of Gods loving kindnesse, and of his tender mer­cies, and thou wilt find a better Crowne laid up for thee; then all the Kingdomes of the Earth put together, can afford. O gracious God, grant me the Crowne of thy loving kind­nesse, and tender mercies; and all other Crownes I willingly lay downe at the foot of thy Throne, with the foure and twentie Elders: This onely is the Crowne to which my soule aspires, for onely this Crowne makes sinne, and Death to be my subjects; Rebellious sinne, that can never be brought into subjection, but onely by this Crowne, O God, of thy loving kindnesse, and tender mercies. These indeed are Consequences most worthy to be remem­bred, but yet perhaps not apt to be remembred, for are they not of too high a straine? and what the understanding doth not well appre­hend, the memorie doth not easily retaine: He will therefore descend to Benefits of a lower Verse 5 ranke: He satisfieth thy mouth with good things; and renues thy youth like the Eagles. This no doubt is apt to be remembred, because it falls within the compasse of sense, for who is not sensible of good things, and specially when they bee good things for the mouth? for, all the labour of man, is for the mouth: All that the hands worke for, and all that the feet toyle about, is [Page 155] all but for the mouth: so long as we may have greene Pastures, and still Waters; so long as we may have meat and drinkes, not onely to satisfie hunger, but to please the palate, wee care not greatly for any thing else. But, O my soule, these are not the good things that are here meant; and yet even this perhaps were worth the caring for, if it might continue: but alas, the dayes will come, when I shall say, I have no pleasure in them: the time will come, when my mouth will lose its taste; and what good then will these good things of the mouth doe me? No, my soule, no feare here of old age; no feare of defect by reason of yeares: For, thy youth shall bee renewed like the Eagles; There shall be no loosening here of the silver Cord, no breaking of the golden Bowle; but as the Eagle by mewing her feathers, renues her youth: So thou (my soule) by mewing thy feathers, which is by casting off this fraile Ta­bernacle of thy flesh, shalt perpetually be kept by the powerfull hand of God, in a state of vi­gour. Indeed the life we live now, is the grea­test part no life; for Child-hood is scarce come to it, and Old age is almost past it; no time pro­perly remaining to life, but onely the short time of youth: but the life that God hath in store for them that feare him; not onely shall be alwayes, but shall be alwayes Youth, and no defect of Age shall be able to take hold up­on it.

But may we not now begin anew, and con­ceive rather, that when David calls upon his soule to blesse the Lord; and not to forget all his benefits: Hee meanes, he would have it to re­member all his benefits; and therefore he pre­sently falls to reckon them all up himselfe; not singula generum, but genera singulorum; Not all in particular, but the generall Heads, under which, all the Particulars are compre­hended. And he begins with forgiving of sinnes, because this is the Foundation, this is that which reconciles us to God, and which makes us capable of all his other benefits. But alas, what good will his forgiving my sinnes doe me, if he stay there, and goe no further? for shall I not be committing of new sinnes con­tinually; and so God shall bee alwayes forgi­ving, and never the neere? Never the neere, unlesse hee be alwayes forgiving. To helpe this therefore, his next benefit, is the healing all my infirmities: for this takes away that aptnesse to sinne, to which wee are all of us by nature so prone and subject. But alas, what good will both these benefits doe me, if hee yet stay here, and goe no further? seeing I am now a captive, and already condemned to dye the death? for should not my case bee like to theirs, who upon the scaffold aske the King forgivenesse, and when he forgives them, yet they are put to death neverthelesse. His next Verse 4 benefit therefore is a remedie for this: For hee [Page 157] Redeemeth thy life from destruction: Hee not one­ly frees thee from captivitie, but preserves thee from perishing. But alas, what good yet will all these doe me, if he should yet stay here, and goe no further? for when my sinnes be forgi­ven; when my infirmities healed; when my life redeemed; yet what am I more by all this, then as it were an Abrasa tabula at most, what have I more to take joy in, then every other ordinary creature? Hee will now therefore Coronidem imponere; give a benefit that shall perfect all: For, Hee crownes thee with loving kindnesse, and tender mercies; Whatsoever is within the compasse of his loving kindnesse; whatsoever within the extent of his tender Mercies; he will not onely make thee capable of it, but will freely bestow it all upon thee. And who can deny, but this now is a perfect Inventorie of all the benefits, for which the soule hath cause to blesse the Lord: to blesse him in respect of it selfe; though there are o­ther benefits indeed to the body, for which the soule must blesse him too; for alas, the body is not able, not able of it selfe without the soule, and they are soone reckoned; for they may be reduced to these two; Sustentation, and Reno­vation: For hee satisfieth thy mouth with good things; and thy youth is renewed like the Eagles; as much as to say, Thou shalt have the happi­nesse of the Epicure, and of the Stoick both at once; at least, there shall bee no feare of [Page 158] hunger and thirst: No drooping with Age, nor ruines of Time.

And now, O my soule, let not my being in trouble, and oppressed with sorrowes; make thee doubt of the truth of these things; for be­sides Verse 6 these benefits: The Lord executeth Righte­ousnesse, and Judgement, for all that are oppressed: Righteousnesse to them, and Judgement for them: For as it is righteous with God, that his servants who are here oppressed, should hereafter be comforted, and be made partakers of all these benefits: so it is his Judgement to the wicked, who are their oppressours, that they should feele hereafter, the full measure of Gods wratth, as it were in their revenge. And this Righteousnesse, and this Judgement, he not onely deliberateth, and determineth; hee not onely promiseth to the godly, and threatens to the wicked, and then leaves them undone: but he is perfect in all his wayes; hee is truly Reall, and puts them most assuredly in execu­tion: at least, he executes them Per se, or Per ali­um: either by himselfe, or by his Angels: For indeed this part of his Judgement, which is in­flicting of punishment, is not properly in God Opus suum: and therefore no marvell if hee leave it, to be done by Angels, as he did at So­dome: but though the Ministrie be theirs, yet the Execution is His: all the power is onely from him.

And although the executing his Righteous­nesse, [Page 159] and his Judgement, be inter Arcana sua; things hidden from us; at which we may stand amazed, but can never understand them: yet he hath often-times revealed them to his ser­vants the Prophets, and specially to his ser­vant Moses; For he made knowne his wayes unto Verse 7 Moses, his Acts to the children of Israel: For when Moses went up to the Mount Sinai, and tarried there with God, the space of fourtie dayes; we may well thinke that God in that time, revea­led many secrets to him: and particularly made knowne his wayes, not onely his wayes in which he would have us to walke; but his wayes in which hee walkes himselfe: and the course he holds in the Oeconomie, and go­vernment of worldly affaires; why hee suffers the wicked to prosper, and why the godly to be oppressed. These wayes of his, hee made knowne to Moses; to the children of Israel, onely his Acts: Hee shewed them his Won­ders upon Pharaoh, and that was his Judgement: and he shewed them his wonderfull favours to themselves in the Wildernesse, and that was his righteousnesse; but hee shewed them not his way, and the course he held in them: They saw onely the Events of things, they saw not the reasons of them, as Moses did; no more doe we: nor is it fit we should: It is enough for us, enough for our comfort, that we know this of God in generall; That hee is mercifull and gra­cious; Verse 8 slow to anger, and full of compassion: Not that [Page 160] any slownesse is in God, but his slownesse is his Patience, and his Patience is out of compassion: for alas, if God were as ready to anger, as we are ready to provoke him to anger we had long ere this, been turned to dust, and utterly consumed.

O my soule, here are foure properties spo­ken of to be in God; and are all so necessary, that we could not misse one of them. If hee were not mercifull, we could hope for no par­don; and if he were no more but mercifull, we could hope for no more but pardon; but when besides his being mercifull, he is also gracious; this gives us a further hope, a hope of a Dona­tive: and then it will not be, what we are wor­thy to receive, but what it is fit for him to give. If he were not slow to anger, we could expect no patience; and if he were but onely slow to anger, we could expect no more but patience; but when besides his slownesse to anger, hee is also full of compassion; This makes us expect, he will be the good Samaritane, and not onely bind up our wounds, but take care also for our further curing. What though he chide, and be angry for a time: It is but our being patient a­while with him, as he a long time hath beene Verse 9 patient with us: For he will not bee alwayes chi­ding; neither will hee keepe his anger for ever: No my soule, consider the rule of Nature; that Nullum violentum est diuturnum: and you will find it true in the God of Nature: Mercy, and Compassion, are kindly, and naturall in [Page 161] God, and therefore these will continue, and never leave him: but chiding, and anger, are things, I may say, violent, and not naturall in him; and therefore it cannot bee that these should last, or continue long with him. Cer­tainly it is as unpleasing to God to chide, as it is to us to be chidden; and so little hee likes of Anger, that he riddes his hands of it as fast as he can: he is not so slow in comming to it, but he is as quick in getting from it: for chiding is a barre to Mercy, and Anger an impediment to Compassion: and nothing is so distastfull to God, as that any block should lye in the way of his Mercy, or that the libertie of his Com­passion should have any cause of restraint: and then we may be sure, hee will not himselfe lay a block in the way with chiding, nor be a cause to restraine his Compassion, by keeping his Anger. And we may the better be perswaded of this, in that which is to come, by taking no­tice of that which is past: For, Hee hath not dealt Verse 10 with us, after our sinnes; neither rewarded us, ac­cording to our iniquities. Though he have chid­den, yet hee hath not strucken: or if hee have strucken, yet his blowes have not beene great, not so great to doe us any hurt, for there is mercy in his very Anger; and though we keep our selves within no bounds of sinning, yet he keepes his Anger within the bounds of Mercy. Alas! O Lord, if thou shouldst deale with me after my sinnes; as I have used no measure in [Page 162] my sinning; so thou shouldst use no measure in my punishing, and what then could I expect to befall me, but utterly to perish?

But why is it that God hath not dealt with us after our sinnes? Is it not because hee hath dealt with another after our sinnes? Another who tooke our sinnes upon him: of whom it is said, that God chastened him in his fierce wrath: and why did he chasten him, but for our sinnes? O gracious God, Thou art too just to take re­venge twice for the same faults: and therefore having turned thy fierce wrath upon him, Thou wilt not turne it upon us too: but having rewarded him according to our iniquities, thou wilt now reward us according to his Me­rits. O Deere Jesus, let not thy painfull suffe­rings bee made frustrate by my sinfull doings: but so mediate betweene God and my sinnes, that hee may turne away his angry Counte­nance from me, and looke upon me onely with the eye of his Mercy. And, O my soule, how canst thou doubt of this, when As high as the Verse 11 Heaven is above the Earth; so great is his mercy to­wards them that feare him: and who would wish for a greater mercy to bee in God, then this? But yet the distance betweene Earth and Hea­ven, though great, and indeed very admirable great, is but a limited distance: and is there then a limitation, and a boundary of Gods mercy? May I not as truly say, as low as Hell, is beneath the Earth; so great is my sinne in [Page 163] the sight of God? and how then am I sure, that Gods mercy is any greater then my sins? and if not greater, how can it pardon them? O my soule, though the heighth of Heaven be limited, yet Gods mercy hath no limitation, for his Mercy is above all his Workes, and therefore above Heaven the worke of his hands. Or if hee seeme to set a limitation to Gods mercy, is it not perhaps, because there is some sinne that is not capable of his Mercy? for sinne against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven, either in this world, or in the world to come. But, O my soule, though Gods mercy bee without limitation, yet let it not make thee the bolder to sinne: for though it be so great, yet it is so great to none, but to them that feare him: for to them that feare him not, it is not so great; Alas! it is not great at all: Alas! it will be none at all; but if thou feare him, and to feare him, is to feare to sinne: then thy sinne can never be so great, but that Gods mercy, which is as high as Heaven, will bring thee to bee admitted into the kingdome of Heaven.

But if you thinke this distance of height, from Earth to Heaven, not sufficiently to ex­presse the greatnesse of Gods mercy; then take the distance of length, from East to West: For as farre as the East is from the West; so farre Verse 12 hath he removed our sinnes from us: that if the East, and the West, can never come to meet [Page 164] together; no more shall our sinnes bee ever a­ble to come against us in the sight of God. But alas, this gives not so good satisfaction as the other: for though the distance from East to West, bee vast indeed to us; as to which our sight cannot reach, though wee should use all the Perspective glasses of the world: yet what is this to God, who can as easily see from East to West, as if they were hard by, and close to­gether? But is it not that all Gods mercy to us, is onely in Christ: and may wee not then conceive, that these Distances are represented by the manner of Christs hanging upon the Crosse; where his Feet, and his Head, seeme to point from Earth to Heaven; and the stretch­ing out his hands, seemes to point from East to West? But though Relation to Christ be not the ground of these expressions; yet it cannot be doubted, but that they sufficiently expresse the greatnesse of Gods mercy; seeing they are the greatest distances, that humane apprehensi­on is capable to conceive.

But if you bee not satisfied with these ex­pressings from Distances of place; then take an expressing from the affection of Nature: Verse 13 For as a Father pittieth his children; so the Lord pittieth them that feare him. And now let any that is a Father, examine his owne Bowells, how much he pitties his children, and then say; If Gods pitty to them that feare him, be not in a very high degree. Certainly if any Name, [Page 165] could expresse a greater pitty, then the name of a Father, Christ would never have taught us to use this Name in making our prayers. And who could be so fit to make this compa­rison as David, who gave a testimonie of it in himselfe, by making his moane; O my sonne Ab­solom, my sonne, my sonne Absolom; would God I had dyed for thee; O Absolom, my sonne, my sonne: that now it seemes, Gods pitty is matcht; and this example reacheth home, to expresse the greatnesse of Gods pitty to the full: No my soule, it is too short yet: for though the pitty of a Father may reach to be willing to dye for his Child, yet Gods pitty reacheth further; not onely to be willing to dye, but to dye in­deed: and not onely for a Child, but for his Enemies; for when wee were enemies, even then did Christ very God dye for us: that Gods pitty holds the supremacie still, and cannot indeed be matcht; alas, it cannot be ex­prest by any thing that is in man.

But though there may be comparison in the tendernesse of their pitties, yet in the abilitie there can bee none; for a Father pitties often-times a child, when he cannot helpe him: but Gods pitty, is alwayes active and powerfull, and never without releeving: that though it be commonly said; It is better to be envied, then pittied: yet here it is not so: but it is a farre happier thing, to be pittied of God, then to be envied of men.

But whom is it that God pitties? onely them that feare him; and indeed Feare is a thing that deserves to be pittied: for it makes the joynts to tremble, and puts the spirits in amazement. But O my soule, it is not such a Feare that is here meant; but this Feare is all one, I may say with love, and differs but in the Object: for looking upon Gods Justice wee feare him: and looking upon his Mercy wee love him: although wee love him for his Justice too, and wee feare him for his Mercie too: for as there is Mercie with him, that hee may be feared; so there is Justice with him that he may be loved.

But why is it, that God pitties them that feare him? Indeed hee hath cause enough to Verse 14 pittie them: For hee considers of what wee are fra­med; Hee remembers that we are but dust: and a­las, what is there in dust to helpe it selfe, if God in mercy take not pitty upon it? When God lookes downe upon us, and sees how foule we are growne, whom hee Created cleane: hath he not cause to fall a chiding, and to be angrie, yet when he considers of what we are framed, and that wee are but dust; this is some cause againe, to make him leave his chiding, and not to keepe his anger for ever; that we may truly say, Our miseries are our happinesse: for if it be our miserie, that we are framed of so meane a matter as Dust; It is our happinesse, that wee have the meannesse of our matter, for God to [Page 167] take into his consideration, and perhaps this was it; at least one circumstance that made so ill for the Angels that fell, that God could find no excuse of their sinne in their matter; the more hee considered of what they were framed, the more he found he had cause to bee angrie; and therefore no marvell, if his anger to them continue for ever.

But this is every ones case to bee framed of Dust; and why then should God pitty some, more then others, seeing they bee equally of Dust, All? Is it not, that hee is the lesse an­grie indeed, for that they are but Dust; but yet he pitties them not, for being Dust; but for being Dust, and fearing him: for if they feare him not, he never pitties them, but lets them goe on in their Pride, at least in their securitie, and make what they can of their Dust: for they reckon upon great matters from their Dust, and thinke they can improve it to a great heigth: but alas, what can they make of it, but to come to be grasse, at most to get up to be a flowre, a poore fading thing, that whe­ther Verse 15 you gather it, or let it grow; whether the Sunne shine upon it, or the Wind blow upon it, it quickly withers; and once withered, be­comes a pittifull sight to be seene, a loath some thing to be smelt; that where all the grace of it, consisted in the two Senses, of sight, and smelling, it is now offensive to both: and is no longer carried in the hand, or worne in the [Page 168] bosome: Alas, it is scarce thought worthy to have a place upon the dunghill. And in­deed what could more be lookt for of Dust? being so light a thing as it is; that if the wind but passe over it; if you but blow upon it, it is presently scattered and gone; and the place where it was, will know it no more. And such is Man: his flourishing is but as a Flowre, as quickly withered as a Flowre, and as soone cropt off from his stalke as a Flowre: and alas, what good is in a flourishing, that ends in a withering? What happinesse in pleasures that have no continuance? O my soule, if thou wert thy selfe a transitorie thing, and wert not to continue; thou mightst justly then looke after transitorie pleasures, and such as have no continuance: but seeing thou art a substance perpetuall, and immortall: O therefore looke after pleasures like thy selfe; pleasures that may last, and never come to the last, that may last and be durable: and not leave thee to the miserie of Fuit Ilium, & ingens gloria teucrorum: for Fuisse foelicem miserrimum est: To have beene happy, and not to bee; to have flouri­shed, and now to bee withered, is the greatest miserie in the world. And the greater, for that once pluckt off from his stalke; Once taken from the Earth, the Earth will never know him any more; Alas, it will scarce take notice, that ever such a one there was; and the Verse 16 notice it takes, but in specie neither; not in [Page 169] Individuo; some perhaps as of a man; None, as of this man: or rather, some, as of a Name; None, as of a man. Or is it rather, that Man turned once to Dust, his place will know him no more; for how should it know one from another, when they are all so like? How know Dives from Lazarus, when they have both the same face? seeing Death hath but one copie to draw all her pictures by. Or is it rather that Man once turn'd to Dust, is blowne about with every wind, from place to place; and what knowes the place, when Dust falls upon it; whether it be the Dust of a Prince, or of a Peasant; whether of a Man, or of a Beast? And must not Man then bee needes very miserable; when Time, and place, the two best helpes of life doe both forsake him? for what helpe can hee have of Time, when his dayes are but as Grasse? What help of Place, when his place denyes him, and will not know him? But O how vaine a thing is Man, to forget not onely the very matter of which he is made, but the very con­dition under which hee is made: and so to for­get it, that God must bee faine to remember him of it: but much the vainer, that being re­membred of it never so often, yet hee regards it never the more, but contenting himselfe to be fading grasse, at most a fading flowre; ne­ver seekes to improve his Dust, to that true so­lidnesse, which nothing but the feare of God [Page 170] is able to procure, nothing but the pitty in God is able to effect.

But now at last, if neither the Distances of Place, nor the Affection of Nature can make you sufficiently conceive the greatnesse of Gods mercy: then take an expressing in plaine tearmes; and this will certainly make you conceive it: For his mercy is from everlasting, Verse 17 to everlasting, upon them that feare him: It is from everlasting, for it began to be before the Foundations of the world were laid: and it is to everlasting; for it will continue to be, when the Frame of the World shall bee dissolved: that now, O my soule, there can bee no feare of the greatnesse of Gods mercy: all the feare now, is of thine owne feare: for although Verse 18 Gods mercy bee so Everlasting; yet it is so, but to them that feare him; for if thou feare him not, and keepe not his Commandements, then his mercy to thee, is neither from Ever­lasting, nor to Everlasting: but if thou feare him, and keepe his Commandements, then his mercy to thee is both: and not onely to Thee, as though Gods mercy were onely a Personall benefit, and should end with thy selfe: but it shall be continued to thy childrens children; Et natis natorum, & qui nascentur ab illis: to thy whole Posteritie: O my soule, what an Inheritance is this, to purchase to our children? at least if it bee not an absolute In­heritance; yet it is so sure an Entayle, that [Page 171] nothing but the want of fearing God, can cut it off.

And indeed, why else hath God prepared Verse 19 his Throne in Heaven, but to the end the godly may bee assured, that though they bee now oppressed on earth; yet thither they shall come at last, to bee with him in Joy: to bee there in Joy, for having obeyed him: when the wicked shall bee left behind to bewayle their miseries for not obeying him. For though his Throne be prepared onely in Hea­ven; Yet his kingdome ruleth over all: Over All, both Man, and Beast; both the Godly, and the Wicked; both blessed Angells, and dam­ned Spirits; and because his Kingdome ruleth over all, therefore All shall serve him, and shall serve him indeed with feare, yet there shall be a difference, for the godly shall serve him with feare and joy, where the wicked shall serve him with feare and trembling.

And now, seeing God hath prepared his Throne in heaven; Therefore, O yee his An­gells, inhabitants of Heaven, that obey his Commandements by the freedome of your will; Doe you begin first, and prayse his Name: for you excell in strength, and are best able to doe it. And seeing his Kingdome ruleth overall: Therefore all ye his Hosts, his other Creatures that obey his Commandement too, though not by will, yet by instinct: Doe you second the Angels in praising his Name. And [Page 172] then thou my soule, that partakest of both the Natures; Doe thou also, and with thee also, the Soules of all the godly joyne with them in his Prayses: that so at least there may bee a Consort of Three, to Blesse and Praise him, who is a Trinitie in Unitie; Three Persons and one God, to be Blessed, and praised, for ever, and ever; But to be blessed and praised, as by all the persons of his Kingdome, so in all the places of his Dominion: which are Heaven, and Earth, and Hell: a Triplicitie too: for even Hell is a place within his Dominion: And for praising him in Heaven, the Angells will be sure enough to looke to that: and for prai­sing him in Hell, let the wicked and the dam­ned spirits looke to that at their perill: but for praising him on Earth; Thou my soule, and the soules of all the godly will undertake to doe that, at least will pray continually to him that sitteth upon the Throne, to be enabled to doe it: and when all these shall faile, or lest they should faile, when Heaven and Earth shall passe away, when Time and Place shall bee no more: yet his Prayse shall bee continued still, by his owne Workes, which are his Glory, and his Power; his Infinitenesse, and his Eternitie; but above all, which is above all his Workes, the Workes of his infi­nite, and Everlasting Mercie.

BUt how can David say Verse 1 so peremptorily; I will love the Lord: as though it were in his owne power to love whom he list? Indeed nothing is so voluntary as love, that it seemes to be the ex­tremitie of the will: for then wee are said to love a thing, when the will is inclined, and vio­lently bent upon it: and yet I know not how, there seemes nothing more constrained then love; for we often-times love a thing, which we would faine wee could forbeare to love; but that we are drawne to love it, by a kind of violence in the object: and therefore David [Page 178] may well say; I will love the Lord: seeing both the causes of love are here met, a propension in the Will, and an excellencie in the Object.

Man indeed is naturally a loving Creature, but doth not alwayes place his love aright: his love is then best placed, when it is placed upon the best Object; and what is that best Object, but God? If he place it upon Beauty, that fadeth: If upon Riches, they perish: If upon Honour, that vanisheth: If upon life, that wa­steth: but all these are in God, not onely in Eminencie, but in Continuance: In him is Beautie that never fadeth: in him Riches that never perish; in him Honour that never vani­sheth; in him life, that never wasteth; and therfore as the truest object of love, as the dea­rest object of my love; I will love the Lord.

But though all these Eminencies be in God, yet they would bee no cause for man to love him, if they had not a relation to man: for what cause of love? where there can be expe­cted no effects of love: but seeing there is in them, not onely a Relation, but a Propension; not onely they are ready to bee imparted, but are imparted with readinesse; what man is hee that will forbeare to say, that can forbeare to say; I love the Lord? And if all men will forbeare to say it, yet I will say it: For hee hath heard my voyce, and my supplicati­on. No doubt a just cause, or rather (indeed to a naturall man) the onely cause for loving of [Page 179] God. For of fearing him, of praising him, of worshipping him, of magnifying him, there are other causes; but of loving him, no cause so proper as his loving of us: and the Benefits which he bestowes upon us. For, love is so reciprocall a thing, that we should hardly love God himselfe, but for his Love to us; at least for our opinion of his love to us; and wee should hardly have an opinion of his love, if we had not a feeling of his Benefits: For what love can wee thinke is borne us by them, that are able to doe us good, and doe it not? but when we have a feeling of their benefits, and find they doe us good; then wee are easily per­swaded of their love; and being so perswa­ded, who can choose but say, as David doth here; I love the Lord for he hath heard my voyce, and my supplication?

But doe we love God, but for his Benefits onely? and if it were not for his Benefits, should we not love him? Indeed to love God as we ought, is not to love him for ought, but for himselfe onely, without any considera­tion had at all of his Benefits: but such lovers wee are of our owne good, that wee should scarce love our selves, but for the good, we are ready to doe our selves: and if we love God in the like degree, we thinke it perhaps to be love enough for him. But, O my soule, this is just the Divells love; I meane such love, as the Divell thought to be in Job; Doth Job love God [Page 180] for nought? He hoped he did not, though hee knew he should; and therefore was never in quiet, till it might bee tryed; and if hee had found it so, he would quickly have made Job leave loving of God, and fall to loving of him. But the hedge which God had set about Job, was not a hedge of prosperitie as Sathan supposed, but a hedge of Grace, and therefore with all his fierie tryalls, hee could never get other words from Job but such as these; Shall we receive good at Gods hands, and shall we not re­ceive evill? Yes, O Lord, though thou kill mee, yet will I love thee: Thus Job did, and thus should we doe: but God knowes, there is not such a man againe as Job was upon the face of the earth. For alas, wee are commonly but of the Classis or forme, of which Saint John speakes; Wee love God, because God loved us first: and it were well if we would doe but so: how much soever Sathan slights it, and seekes to dis­grace it. Or is it perhaps, that David speakes in the curiositie of this distinction, that we doe not Amare Deum, but for his Benefits: but wee may Diligere Deum, without any consideration of his Benefits had at all; and in this sense, a naturall man may Amare Deum: but none but the spirituall man, Diligere Deum. But, O my soule, doe thou endevour to be of Jobs forme; to love God without distinction; and whether he heare thy voyce, or heare it not; whether he grant thy supplication, or grant it not, yet [Page 181] to love him, and to love with Amando, and with Diligendo; and with any another Devotion of love, that can be expressed, or conceived. For it is indeed no true love of God, if wee love him for any thing, but for himselfe; if we love our selves, but onely for him: as it seemes both Moses, and Saint Paul did, who for the love of God, left all care of themselves, and were contented to have beene (if they might have beene) even Anathema's.

But is this such a Benefit to us, that GOD heares us? Is his hearing our voyce, such an argument of his love? Alas! hee may heare us, and we never the better: hee may heare our voyce, and yet his love to us perhaps but little, for who will not give a man the hearing, though he love him not at all? With men per­haps it may be so, but not with God; for his hearing is not onely voluntarie, but reserved; Non omnibus dormit: his Eares are not open to every ones cry; indeed to heare us, is in God so great a favour, that he may well be counted his Favourite, whom he vouchsafes to heare: and the rather, for that his hearing is alwayes operative, and with a purpose of helping; that if he heare my voyce, I may be sure, he meanes to grant my supplication; or rather perhaps in Davids manner of expressing, in Gods manner of proceeding, to heare my voyce, is no lesse in effect, then to grant my supplication.

And now because hee hath inclined his eare to Verse 2 [Page 182] heare me; I will therefore call upon him, as long as I live: that if it be expected I should call upon any other; it must bee when I am dead; for as long as I live, I have vowed to call upon God. But will this be well done? May I not in so doing, doe more then I shall have thankes for perhaps for my labour? Is this the requitall that God shall have for his kindnesse in hearing me, that now he shall have a customer of me, and never be in quiet, for my continuall run­ning to him, and calling upon him? Doth God get any thing by my calling upon him, that I should make it a Vow, as though in calling up­on him, I did him a pleasure? O my Soule, that God might indeed have a customer of me in praying: although I confesse I should not be so bold to call upon him so continually, if his owne commanding me, did not make it a Du­tie: for hath not God bid me to call upon him when I am in trouble? and is there any time that I am not in trouble, as long as I live in this vale of miserie? and then can there be any time as long as I live, that I must not call upon him? For shall God bid me, and shall I not doe it? shall God incline his Eare, and stand li­stening to heare, and shall I hold my peace for the nonce, that he may have nothing to heare? Or shall I wave calling upon God, who I know both can, and will heare mee; and call upon some other, who I know not whether they can or no? Is Prayer worth any thing if [Page 183] it bee not in Faith? and can there bee Faith, where there is uncertaintie? O my Soule, this is a great secret, which we should perhaps have never knowne, if God himselfe had not revea­led it to us: that to call upon him, is not a trouble to him, but a pleasure; not in us a pre­sumption, but a dutie: though it be our suite, yet it is his service: it is indeed both our suite and service: and though his glory be not the more by it, yet his glory is the more manife­sted by it; and as he is a jealous God, so of no­thing so much as of his glory, his glory hee will not communicate with any other, any thing else perhaps, but not his glory: and this is all the glory hee can have from us, that wee acknowledge our owne weaknesse, and his Power; that we call upon him, not onely as one that is able to helpe us, but as the onely One that is able to helpe us, for else we satisfie not his jealousie: and if it be a true rule in Phi­losophie; Frustra fit per plura, quod fieri potest per pauciora: It is no lesse true in Divinitie: It is in vaine to call upon any other for reliefe but God alone; if God alone be able, and willing to relieve us. Either therefore wee must say, that God is not able, or not willing to helpe us; or else confesse it at least a great vanitie to call for helpe to any other.

But if Gods benefits be the Motive to love him: why are not his afflictions as well a Mo­tive, not to love him? For is there any evill in [Page 184] the Citie, and God hath not done it? No my soule, the reason is not like: his benefits are all gratuitous, and come gratis from him: his Af­flictions are as it were violent, and come forci­bly from him: his Afflictions are punishments, or chastisements duly deserved: but his Bene­fits are not Wages, or Rewards that are justly merited: and therefore we cannot so justly say, that crosses and afflictions are cast upon us by God, as that they are drawne upon us by our owne sinne: for sorrowes and paines, are as the Ecchoes I may say of sinne: and according as this calls, so they answer: if sinnes be but light, there is like to be heard, but a light reflexe of sorrowes; but if they be crying sinnes, hey­nous, and loude: what marvell if the Ecchoes be answerable, and that the sorrowes of Death compasse us about, and the paines of Hell take hold upon us?

But if it be doubted, by what meanes affli­ctions and crosses doe happen to us, yet it can­not be doubted by what meanes they must be removed from us: seeing there is none able to rowle away the Grave-stone of our sinnes, but onely God: and therefore no meanes to re­move afflictions, but onely his Mercy: and no meanes of this meanes, but to call upon him. Doe Physitians use to come to a Patient, un­lesse they be called? and why then should wee looke that God the great Physitian of our soules, should come to helpe us, if we call not [Page 185] upon him? Upon him, O my soule, and upon no other: for of his Power and Will to helpe me, I cannot doubt, of others I may: For, the Verse 3 sorrowes of death compassed me; and the paines of hell tooke hold upon me; and can I doubt of his power, that hath delivered me from these? Or can I thinke of any other, that could deliver me from these, but onely hee? Could any de­liver me from the sorrowes of Death, but hee onely who triumphed over Death? Could a­ny free me from the paines of Hell, but hee onely who put Hell it selfe to paine, and cast Death and Hell into the Lake of fire? and shall I call upon any other to deliver me, but upon him onely, who I am well assured is able to deliver me? No my soule, but to leave no time, for calling upon any other; I will call up­on God, as long as I live: Not for a day, or a moneth, but all the dayes of my life; even as long as I live. And how long will that bee? Alas! how long can it be; seeing the sorrowes of Death have already compassed me about; and the paines of hell have taken hold upon mee? For what are the sorrowes of Death, but sorrowes like those of Rachel, that would not be comforted, because they were not? What are the paines of Hell, but paines caused by guiltinesse of sin that deserves Hell? Paines not more in sense of torment, then despaire of remedie? What is it for the sorrowes of death to compasse me about, but as it were to besiege me? and was [Page 186] it ever knowne, where they once besieged, that ever they did raise their siege? Was it e­ver knowne, where the paines of Hell did once take hold, that ever they did let goe their hold? and alas, in this extremitie of distresse, in this gulph of despaire, what hope could David possibly have, that ever hee should be delivered? O my soule, the hope of Abraham: In spe contra spem credidit: Hee beleeved against all credibilitie; Hee hoped against all possibi­litie; against all possibilitie indeed in the course of nature; against all credibilitie in the eye of Reason; and therefore he makes his moane to one above the reach, both of Nature and Rea­son; Verse 4 O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soule: a short Prayer for so great a suite; and yet as short as it was, it prevailed, that if wee won­dred before at the power of God, wee may wonder now at the power of Prayer, that can prevaile with God, for obtaining of that, which in Nature is impossible, and to Reason seemes incredible.

There are many short Prayers recorded in the Scriptures, of which we may note especi­ally three: This of David here; O Lord deliver my soule: and that of the Publican in the Gos­pell; Lord be mercifull to me a sinner: and that of the Thiefe upon the Crosse; Lord remember me, when thou commest into thy kingdome: All three short, yet all three Prevalent; that wee may know, it is not the multiplicitie of words, [Page 187] or the length of Prayers that prevailes with God; but the fervencie of spirit, and the de­votion of the heart. Yet lest it should be taken as a restraint of longer prayers; and specially, lest it should be a scandall to the Prayer which Christ taught us, and is much longer: we may observe withall, that each of these prayers, is but of one Petition in Christs Prayer: For to say, O Lord, deliver my soule, is no more, nor fully so much, as to say, Deliver us from evill: and to say, Lord be mercifull to me a sinner, is no more, nor fully so much, as to say; Forgive us our trespasses: and to say, Lord remember mee, when thou commest into thy Kingdome; is no more, nor so much, as to say, Thy kindome come.

But seeing David with his short Prayer, prevailed with God, to deliver his soule: why should I despaire of the like successe of my prayers, to be delivered from my troubles? O my soule, I should not despaire of the like suc­cesse, as David had, if I could but pray with the like spirit as David did: O therefore, thou great God, that didst inspire Davids heart with a spirit of zeale: which made his prayers not onely acceptable, but effectuall: vouchsafe al­so to kindle in my heart, a fire of Devotion, that my prayers may ascend unto thee, like the sacrifice of Abell: so acceptable, that they may be accepted; so accepted, that they may be ef­fectuall: and may make mee able to sing this Allelujah of David: I will love the Lord; for he [Page 188] hath heard my voyce, and my supplication.

And now, O my soule, me thinkes I see the Lord, as it were inclining his eare unto me; and I seeme to feele an accesse of force in my con­fidence Verse 5 of his goodnesse, for indeed, the Lord is gracious, and righteous; yea, our God is mercifull: Hee is gracious in hearing; Hee is righteous in judging; hee is mercifull in Pardoning; and how then can I doubt of his will to helpe me? Hee is righteous to reward according to de­serts; He is gracious to Reward above deserts; Yea, he is mercifull to reward without deserts; and how then can I doubt of his Will to helpe mee? Hee is gracious, and this shews his boun­tie; he is righteous, and this shews his Justice; Yea, hee is mercifull, and this shews his love, and how then can I doubt of his Will to helpe mee? If hee were not gracious, I could not hope he would heare me: If he were not righ­teous, I could not depend upon his Promise; If hee were not Mercifull, I could not expect his Pardon; but now that he is gracious, and righteous, yea, and mercifull too, how can I doubt of his Will to helpe me?

But are there no others that are gracious, and righteous, and mercifull, as well as Hee? Are not the Saints, and Angels in Heaven? They are so no doubt, but not as well as hee; God forbid, wee should once have such a thought; They are Gracious, and Righteous, and Mercifull by participation onely; and [Page 189] onely by having, as it were, some beames im­parted to them: but to bee gracious, as the Fountaine of Grace; to be Righteous, as the Sunne of Righteousnesse: to be Mercifull, as the Authour of Mercie; there is none, there is none at all, neither Saint nor Angell that is so, but onely God; and therefore of Gods Power and Will to helpe me; of his, and of his onely, I can onely be assured. And if I erre in simpli­citie, yet the Lord preserveth the simple: he takes Verse 6 not advantage of errours, where there is a good intention; yet not a good intention one­ly, where the truth is manifest, and revealed: for then should Uzzah have beene preserved: but in matters obscure, and not plainly revea­led, there to serve God in simplicitie of heart; this falls within the compasse of Gods mercy: and such he takes into his Protection. He gives them perhaps some resentment of their errours by worldly crosses, but yet hee denyes them not his assistance; and this I can speake of my owne experience; For, I was brought low, and yet hee helped me: I was brought low, and in trouble, by the just provocation of my sinnes; but because I sinned not in presumption, but in simplicitie, at least by infirmitie; the Lord hath had mercy on me, and preserved me. Or, I was brought low, and hee helped mee: for then is the time of helpe, when we are brought low: and therefore God who doth all things in due time; when I was brought low, then he helped me. [Page 190] Wherefore, O my soule, let it never trouble thee, how low soever thou bee brought; for when thy state is at the lowest, then is Gods assistance at the neerest; that we may truly say, Gods wayes, are not as the wayes of the world: for in the world, when a man is once brought low, he is commonly trampled upon; and nothing is heard then, but downe with him, downe to the ground: but with God, it is otherwise; for his propertie is to raise up them that fall, and when they are brought low, then to helpe them. That it is no such hard case for a man to bee brought low; may I not rather say, his case is happy? for is it not better to be brought low, and have God to helpe him, then to be set aloft, and left to helpe himselfe? At least, O my Body; this may bee a comfort to thee: for thou art sure to bee brought low, as low as the Grave, which is low indeed: yet there thou maiest rest in hope; for even there, the Lord will not leave to helpe thee.

Or is it that he was brought low, was hum­bled in spirit, to seeme vile in his owne eyes; and then God helped him? For God resisteth the proud; but giveth grace to the humble.

Verse 7 Now therefore, O my soule, returne to thy rest; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee: Now my soule, let it be no longer said; Why art thou so heavie, and why art thou disquieted within me? For the Lord hath exceeded the bounds of mercifulnesse, with his bountiful­nesse: [Page 191] Not onely in mercy hee hath forgiven my sinnes, but as if my sinnes had been Merits, he hath made me also to taste of his bountie. Hee hath dealt indeed most bountifully with thee, for where thou didst make suite but for one thing, hee hath granted thee three: Thou didst aske but to have my soule delivered; and he hath delivered mine eyes, and my feet be­sides: and with a deliverance in each of them, the greatest that could be: for what greater de­liverance to my soule, then to bee delivered from Death? What greater deliverance to mine eyes, then to be delivered from teares? What, to my feet then to bee delivered from falling? that if now, O my soule, thou returne not to thy rest, thou wilt shew thy selfe to bee most insatiable: seeing thou hast not onely more then thou didst aske, but as much indeed as was possible to be ask'd.

But can my soule dye? and if not, what bountie is it then to deliver my soule from that to which it is not subject? The soule indeed, though immortall, hath yet her wayes of dy­ing: It is one kind of death to the soule, to bee parted from the body, but the truest kind is to bee parted from God: and from both these kindes of death, hee hath delivered my soule: From the first, by delivering me from a dange­rous sicknesse, that threatned a dissolution of my soule and body: from the other, by deli­vering me from the guilt of sinne, that threat­ned [Page 192] a separation from the favour of God; and are not these, bounties to give my soule just cause of returning to her rest? It is true, it is the imperfection of life, that it is subject to sick­nesse, and sicknesse drawes mortalitie after it: but this imperfection is not here; for hee hath delivered my soule from death; and what is this, but to have perfect health? yet it is the imperfection of health, that it is subject to crosses, and crosses are a cause of teares: but neither hath this imperfection any place here, for he hath delivered mine eyes from teares; and what is this, but to have perfect Joy? yet it is the imperfection of joy, that it useth not to continue; as it is said of the prosperitie of the wicked: They are set in slipperie places, and are apt to fall: but neither is this imperfection found here; for hee hath delivered my feet from falling: and what is this but to be assured of continuance? If then thou hast such health, such joy, such stabilitie; Health, not subject to sicknesse; Joy, not capable of sorrow; Stabi­litie, not obnoxious to falling: How canst thou, O my soule; how canst thou choose but pacifie thy unquietnesse, and returne to thy rest? But alas, the rest thou canst returne to now, is but a type of that true Rest, when thou shalt rest from thy labours; and when thy workes that now goe with thee, shall then fol­low thee. Thou hast now but one day of Rest for sixe dayes of labour; but then thou shalt [Page 193] have an eternall Sabbath, without any dayes of labour to disquiet it.

But though this rest cannot now bee had, whilst thou dwellest in a restlesse body, and thy body in a restlesse world: yet there is a Rest that is worth the having; and may onely, my soule, be called Thy Rest: the rest which consists in the peace of conscience: and to this rest thou maist well returne, seeing not onely thou art at peace with God, as being justified by his Grace; but thou art in his favour also, as having dealt so bountifully with thee. And when thou returnest to this rest; to the end thou maist have some exercise to thy rest, that thy resting make thee not restiffe, I will walke Verse 9 before the Lord, in the land of the living. For now that my feet are delivered from falling, how can I better imploy them, then in wal­king? were they delivered from falling, to the end they should stand still and bee idle? No my soule, but to encourage me to walke: and where is so good walking, as in the land of the living? Alas! what walking is it in the Winter, when all things seeme dead, when the very grasse lyes buried under ground, and scarce any thing that hath life in it, to be seene? but then is the pleasant walking, when Nature spreads her greene Carpet to walke upon, and then it is a Land of the living, when the Trees shew they live, by bringing forth, if not fruits, at least leaves: when the Valleys shew they live, [Page 194] by bringing forth, if not sweet flowers to de­light the smell, at least fresh grasse to please the eyes. But is this the walking in the Land of the living, that David meanes? O my soule, to walke in the Land of the living, is to walke in the pathes of Righteousnesse: for there is no such death to the soule as sinne; no such cause of teares to the eyes, as guiltinesse of Consci­ence; No such falling of the feet, as to fall from God: and therefore to say the truth, the Soule can never returne to its rest, if we walke not withall in the paths of righteousnesse: and we cannot well say, whether this Rest bee a cause of the walke; or the walking, be a cause of the resting: but this wee may say, they are certainly companions one to the other, which is in effect but this; that Justification can ne­ver be without Sanctification; Peace of con­science, and godlinesse of life, can never be one without the other. Or is it perhaps, that Da­vid meanes that Land of the living; where E­noch and Elias are living, with the living God? but if he meane so, how can he speake so con­fidently, Verse 10 and say; I will walke in the Land of the living; as though hee could come to walke there by his owne strength, or at his owne pleasure? Hee therefore gives his reason: I be­leeved, and therefore I spake: for the voyce of Faith is strong, and speakes with confidence; and because in Faith he beleeved, that hee shall come, to walke in the Land of the living; [Page 195] therefore with confidence he speakes it; I will walke in the land of the living: and perhaps to signifie, that hee shall not walke there against his will: but that he endeavours, and useth the best meanes he can, that hee may walke there. For indeed if we endeavour not to walke here, with Enoch and Elias in the paths of righteous­nesse, we shall never come to walke with God in the Land of the living.

But though I had spoken thus, and thus con­fidently; yet I found my selfe in trouble, and affliction still, which made me say in my hast; All men are lyars. In my hast indeed, for I Verse 11 thought not of one man who was farre from being a lyar; and in whose mouth was found no guile.

It seemes, that to give the lye, was not so heynous an offence in Davids time, as it is in these dayes, for else how durst he have spoken such words, that all men are lyars: which is no lesse, then to give the lye to the whole world? And yet, no man I thinke, will challenge him for saying so; no more then challenge S. John for saying, that All men are sinners. And in­deed, how should any man avoid being a lyar, seeing the very being Man, is it selfe a lye? Not onely a Vanity, and put in the ballance is lesse then vanity: but a very lye, promising great matters, and is able to doe just nothing, as Christ saith; Without me, yee can doe nothing: and so Christ seemes to come in, as it were, to [Page 196] be Davids second; and to make his word good, that all men be lyars. And now let the world doe its worst, and take the lye how it will; for Da­vid having Christ of his side, will alwayes be able to make his part good against all the world, for Christ hath overcome the world.

But though all men may be said to be lyars, yet not all men in all things: for then David himselfe should be a lyar in this: but all men perhaps in something or other, at sometime or other, in some kind or other; Absolute truth not found in any man, but in that man onely, who was not man onely; for if hee had beene but so, it had not perhaps beene found in him neither, seeing absolute Truth and Deitie, are as Relatives never found to be asunder.

But in what thing is it, that all men should be lyars? Indeed in this for one; to thinke that God regards not, nor loves not them, whom he suffers to be afflicted: for we may rather thinke hee loves them most, whom hee suffers to be most afflicted: and we may truly say, he would never have suffered his servant Job, to be affli­cted so exceeding cruelly, if he had not loved him exceeding tenderly; For there is nothing lost by suffering afflictions; No my soule, they doe but serve to make up the greater weight of glory, when it shall be revealed.

But let his afflictions be what they can be, yet I will alwayes acknowledge, they can ne­ver be in any degree so great as his benefits: [Page 197] and oh, that I could thinke of something, that I Verse 12 might render to him for all his benefits: for shall I receive so great, so infinite benefits from him; and shall I render nothing to him, by way of gratefulnesse? But alas, what have I to ren­der? all my rendring to him, will bee but ta­king more from him: for all I can doe, is but to take the cup of salvation, and call upon his Name; Verse 13 and what rendring is there in this taking? If I could take the cup of Tribulation, and drinke it off, for his sake; this perhaps might be a ren­dring of some value: but this, God knowes is no worke for me to doe: It was his worke who said; Can yee drinke of the cup, of which I shall drinke? Indeed he dranke of the Cup of Tri­bulation, to the end that wee might take the Cup of Salvation; but then in taking it, wee must call upon his Name; upon his Name, and upon no others; for else wee shall make it a cuppe of Condemnation, seeing there is no Name under Heaven, in which we may bee sa­ved, but onely the Name of Jesus.

Yet it may be some rendring to the Lord, if I pay my Vowes; and doe, as it were, my Pe­nance openly; I will therefore pay my vowes to Verse 14 the Lord, in the presence of all his people. But might hee not pay his Vowes as well in his Closet, betweene God and himselfe, as to doe it publickly? No my soule, it serves not his turne; indeed not Gods turne, but he must pay them in the presence of all his people; yet not [Page 198] to the end hee should be applauded for a just Payer; for though he pay them, yet he can ne­ver pay them to the full; but to the end that men seeing his good workes, may glorifie God by his example; and the rather perhaps, for that David was a King; and the Kings exam­ple prevailes much with the people, to make them pay their vowes to God: but most of all, that by this meanes, Davids Pietie may not be barren; but may make a Breed of Pietie in the people also: which may be one mysticall rea­son, why it was counted a Curse in Israel, to be barren; for he that payes not his Vowes to God, in the presence of his people, may well be said to be barren in Israel; seeing hee begets no children to God, by his Example. And per­haps also, the Vowes which David meanes here, was the doing of some meane things, un­fit in shew for the dignitie of a King; as when it was thought a base thing in him to Daunce before the Arke; he then vowed he would be baser yet: and in this case, to pay his Vowes before the people, becomes a matter of ne­cessitie: for as there is no honour to a man, whilst he is by himselfe alone; so there is no shame to a man, but before people: and there­fore to shew that he is not ashamed to doe any thing how meane soever, so it may tend to the glorifying of God; Hee will pay his vowes in the presence of all his people: And hee will doe it, though it cost him his life, for if he dye for it, [Page 199] he knowes, that Pretious in the sight of the Lord, Verse 15 is the death of his Saints.

But that which is pretious, is commonly desired: and doth God then desire the death of his Saints? He desires, no doubt, that death of his Saints, which is to dye to sinne: but for any other death of his Saints, it is therefore said to be pretious in his sight, because hee layes it up with the greater carefulnesse. And for this it is, there are such severall Mansions in Gods House, that to them whose death is pretious in his sight, hee may assigne the most glorious Mansions. This indeed is the reward of Mar­tyrdome, and the encouragement of Martyrs, though their sufferings bee most insufferable, their tortures most intolerable; yet this makes amends for all; that Pretious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his Saints: for if it be so great a happinesse, to be acceptable in his sight; how great a happinesse must it be, to bee pretious in his sight? When God at the Creation, loo­ked upon all his workes; it is said, he saw them to be all exceeding good: but it is not said, that any of them were Pretious in his sight, and how then comes Death, to bee pretious in his sight, that was none of his workes, but is a de­stroyer of his workes? Is it possible that a thing which destroyes his creatures, should have a Title of more value in his sight, then his crea­tures themselves? O my soule, this is one of the Myracles of his Saints, and perhaps one of [Page 200] those which Christ meant, when he said to his Apostles, that greater Myracles then he did, they should doe themselves: for what greater Myracle than this, that Death which of it selfe is a thing most vile in the sight of God, yet once embraced by his Saints, as it were by their touch onely, becomes pretious in his sight? and to alter a thing from being vile to be precious; is it not a greater Myracle, then to turne Water into Wine? Indeed so it is, Death doth not damnifie his Saints, but his Saints doe dignifie Death: Death takes nothing away from his Saints happinesse, but his Saints adde lustre to Deaths vilenesse: and it is happy for Death, that ever it met with any of Gods Saints; for there was no way for it else in the world, to be ever had in any account. But why say I, in the world? for it is of no account in the world for all this: It is but onely in the sight of God; but indeed this onely, is All in All; for to be pretious in Gods sight, is more to be prized then the world it selfe. For when the World shall passe away, and all the glory of it be laid in the dust; then shall Trophyes be erected for the death of his Saints: and when all Monuments of the world shall bee utterly defaced, and all Records quite rased out; yet the death of his Saints shall stand Registred still, in faire Red letters in the Kalendar of Hea­ven: for if there be glory laid up for them that dye in the Lord; much more shall they bee [Page 201] glorified, that dye for the Lord.

I have wondered often-times, why God will suffer his Saints to dye; I meane not the death naturall; for I know, Statutum est omnibus semel mori: but the Death that is by violence, and with torture: for who could endure to see them he loves, so cruelly handled? but now I see the reason of it; For, Pretious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his Saints: and what mar­vell then, if he suffer his Saints to dye: when by dying they are wrought, and made fit Je­wels to be set in his Cavinet: for as God hath a Bottle which he fills up with the teares of his Saints; so I may say, he hath a Cabinet which he decks up with the deaths of his Saints: and O my soule, if thou couldst but comprehend, what a glory it is to serve for a Jewell in the decking up of Gods Cabinet; thou wouldst never wonder why he suffers his Saints to bee put to death, though with never so great tor­ments: for it is but the same which Saint Paul saith: The afflictions of this life, are not worthy of the glory that shall bee revealed.

But if you will have a Glasse to view the Extent of this pretiousnesse; and plainly to see, how pretious in the sight of God, the death of his Saints is; then look upon the revenge that is taken for it: for there is nothing that God takes so much to heart; and of which hee takes so sharpe revenge, as the death of his Saints: to touch them, is to touch the Apple of his eye: [Page 202] and if the punishment of Cain bee not thought sufficient, to make it appeare; at least the com­plaint of Christ against Hierusalem, will be suf­ficient: O Hierusalem, Hierusalem; Thou that kil­lest the Prophets: and it is thought by some, that the destruction of Hierusalem was the rather hastened, to revenge the death of James, who was called the Just: but how soever, this wee know, it was therefore executed, to revenge the death of Jesus, who was truly the Just: and may we not well take notice, that the death was exceeding pretious; when the revenge that was taken, was so exceeding furious? But why speake I of Death, when I may yet doe God good service in life: and if the death of his Saints be pretious in his sight, certainly the life of his servants is not unregarded; For whether we dye, wee dye to the Lord; or whether wee live, wee live to the Lord: and though in this life, we cannot expect the reward of Saints; yet in this life wee may claime the respect of ser­vants: and in this I claime an interest my selfe; Verse 16 for truly, O Lord, I am thy servant: and oh that I could serve thee so truly, that I might heare thee say; Euge bone serve: For we are all very ready to professe our selves thy servants; but very unready to doe the service of our profes­sion: and specially in these times, when Ser­vant is growne to be a word of complyment, rather than of truth; that to say, I am thy ser­vant, is all one as to say, I am an Hypocrite: [Page 203] But, O Lord, let it not be found so in me; not be thought so of me, for I am thy servant by a double right: (and oh that I could doe thee double service) as thou art the Lord of life, and as I am the sonne of thy Handmaid: Not of Ha­gar, but of Sarah: not of the Bond-woman, but of the Free; and therefore I serve thee not in Feare, but in Love: or therefore in feare, be­cause in love: and then is service best done, when it is done in love: and in love indeed I am bound to serve thee; For, thou hast loosed my bonds: the Bonds of death which compassed me about, by delivering me from a dangerous sicknesse, and restoring me to health: or in a higher kind; Thou hast loosed my Bonds, by freeing me from being a Captive, to bee a Ser­vant; and which is more, from being a servant to be a sonne: and more then this yet, from be­ing a sonne of thy Hand-maid, to be a sonne of thy selfe: and therefore indeed a sonne of thy selfe, because a sonne of thy Handmaid: for what is thy Handmaid, but thy Church? and he that is not borne of this Handmaid, though he may have the generall benefit of a servant, sustenance and protection, yet hee can never have the speciall benefits of a sonne, freedome, and inheritance.

Or thou hast loosed my bonds; Thou hast freed me from the heavy yoak of the Ceremonies of the Law; and hast Enfranchised mee with the glorious liberty of the Gospell: that where [Page 204] before, thou didst require the sacrifice of Ser­vants, which was the bloud of Beasts; now thou acceptest the sacrifice of sonnes, which is Verse 17 Prayer, and Thanks-giving: I will therefore of­fer to thee the sacrifice of thanks-giving, and call upon thy Name: For Prayer and Thanks-giving make both but one Sacrifice: and seeing all sa­crifice is due onely to thee; therefore to thee onely I will offer both my Thanks-giving, and my Prayer. I could not make Thankes-giving a Sacrifice, if Prayer did not begin it: I could not make Prayer a Sacrifice, if Thanks-giving did not finish it. If there should bee Thankes-giving, and no Prayer, the Sacrifice would want a foot: if Prayer, and no Thanks-giving, it would want a Head: for as the Basis is Pray­er; so the Coronis is thanks-giving. Although perhaps Thanks-giving bee but the Act, and Thankfulnesse the Habit: and it is the Habit that makes the Sacrifice, because it must bee, Juge sacrificium, A continuall Sacrifice: which the Act cannot be. And if there had beene a word to expresse the Habit of praying, as Thankfulnesse doth of Thanks-giving: perhaps Saint Paul would have used it, where he saith, Pray continually, for who can doubt but hee meanes the Habit of praying, and not the Act? and where he saith; In all things give thankes; [...]: It intends perhaps but this; In all things be thankfull.

And what then shall the Thankfulnesse, or [Page 205] the Thanks-giving be, that I will offer to God for a sacrifice? O my soule, it shall bee an ac­knowledging of his benefits, and of his onely benefits; it shall be a proclaiming him to bee my Patron, and my onely Patron; It shall bee an extolling him for his Mercy in forgiving my sinnes; for his graciousnesse in healing all my infirmities; for his compassion, in Redee­ming my soule from destruction, and for his bountie in crowning me with loving kindnesse and tender mercies: it shall bee indeed a Vow­ing to him the whole service of all the facul­ties of my soule and body. And not to be done in a corner, as though I were not willing it should be knowne; nor before some few peo­ple onely, as though I were loath too many should see it; but I will pay my vowes to him in Verse 18 the presence of all his people: that young and old, rich, and poore, high, and low, may all bee witnesses of my thankfulnesse; This, for the persons before whom it shall be done: and then for the place in which it shall be done; it shall be done in the courts of the Lords house: if any Verse 19 place be more conspicuous, more publick then other it shall be done there: it shall be done in the midst of thee, O Hierusalem: that the Fame of it may be spread, that the sound of it may e­qually goe forth into all parts of the world; that as all thy people shall be beholders of my thankfulnesse, so all the world shall bee admi­rers of thy goodnesse; and as there is in Hea­ven [Page 206] an Allelujah of thy Saints; so there shall be in Earth an Allelujah of thy Servants; of which Number; of both which numbers, my hope is to be one; and that I may be sure to be one, O my soule, praise thou the Lord: and because my owne praising, will be but a very small service; therefore mend it my soule, by calling upon others, and saying; Praise yee the Lord.