MEDITATIONS VPON THE XLII. PSALM.
TO compare Scripture, with Scripture, it is neither safe nor convenient, all Scripture being given by inspiration of God. Betwixt the holy Scripture and the works of other men, there can bee no comparison: All other writings have either withered, and beene consumed by the worme of time, like those bookes that Salomon wrote of trees; or have bin plucked up by the roots, [Page 2] through the malice of some tyrant; Desunt nonnulla. or if still extant, many branches are falne off, diverse parts are wanting; Desunt plu [...]ima. Or lastly, though entire and whole, yet are they (as the Authors themselves) subject to infirmity; being like the tree of Knowledge of good and evill; therein wee may know some good to be collected, and some evill of errour to be reformed, or ignorance to be pittied, or sin the worst of evils to be avoyded. Onely this booke (which alone deserves that title) though in part most ancient, doth still continue, & one word thereof shall not perish: being like that tree of Life, whereof if wee eate, we shall live for ever.
The booke of Psalms hath alwayes beene in great estimation; being as a spirituall library of most kinds of doctrine fit for meditation; a common treasury of all good learning; a rich magazin furnished with spirituall armour to withstand any assault of our Adversary: The which was so frequently cited by Christ & his Disciples, who derive not fewer than threescore and foure testimonies from two and forty severall Psalmes. Herein wee may see an abridgement of the history of the Church, even from the Creation, untill those times; and many prophecies of those things which should come to passe in succeeding ages. Here is [Page 4] the Law, and the judgements thereof, when hee relateth Gods dealing with the wicked, and the confusion of the ungodly: And here is the Gospel and the sweet comforts thereof, when he sheweth Gods mercy and love towards his children. So that it is most usefull, as for the Church in generall, which hath appointed a more frequent use of this than of any other portion of Scripture: So likewise for every one in particular, and that in every estate. Many of these Psalms doe resemble the life of a Christian; for though in the former verses there is mention of sorrow and trouble, and manifold afflictions; yet in the conclusion there is [Page 5] consolation, and thankesgiving. And the ayme and desire is so to doe the will of our heavenly Father upon earth, as it is done in heaven; wherein wee may heare a voyce, like that of the Angels, saying; Blessing and glory, and wisedome and thankesgiving, and honour and power and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. But when all is said that can bee, the heart of a good Christian will indite more than the pen of a ready Writer in the praise of these Psalmes; who in his passage through the valley of this world doth make them a wel of comfort. Deformitas corporit turpitudine certabat in [...] e [...]. Then may wee abhorre the censure of that evill Angel Politian (whose [Page 6] heart was worse than appeared in his outward deformity) foming out his owne shame by preferring Pindars Odes before Davids Psalms, Ferrea epithera P [...]ndari. drosse and iron before the purest gold.
The chiefe Author of these Psalms, was David the King; for that is the title which is given to him alone among many Kings, Mat. 3. as being an example unto them all. Nor did those women intend him lesse honour in saying that he had slaine his tenne thousands; 1. Sam. 18.7. which is the just sum whereby the name of Emperour hath since beene deserved; [...]sal. 78.7 [...]. Him God tooke from following the Ewes great with young, to feede Iacob his people, whom hee fed in [Page 7] the integrity of his heart, and brought them to greene pastures, plenty of outward blessings, and still waters, the pure worship of God and meanes of salvation; And like a good sheapherd he was willing to lay downe his life for his people, when he speaketh, Let thine hand, 1. Chro. 21.17 O Lord God, be on me, but as for these sheepe, what have they done? And yet this precious Diamond, though he were made the more eminent and illustrious by his predecessor Saul, who was as a foile unto him, yet was he not without his flaw and infirmity. You see him upon the roofe of his house, which prospect was another gallery for his sight to walke in, where he burned [Page 8] in lust after her that washed her selfe. But in his repentance hee bathed himselfe in his teares, Psal. 6.6. wherewith he watered his couch. You see him numbring his people, making flesh his arme; Psal. 40.12. But after hee doth number his sinnes, and confesse his iniquities to bee more than the haires of his head: None ever fearched deeper in his foundation of sorrow, nor reared an higher building of comfort unto his own soule: So powerfull was his repentance, which maketh those things that were, as if they had never beene, that by Bathsheba her selfe, hee obtained that son which did succeed him in the Throne: So great was the love that hee received [Page 9] from his people, 2. Sam 21.17. & 18.1. & 19.41. though unstable as water, that hee was esteemed as the light of Israel, worth many thousands of them; And the men of Iuda and Israel strove who should have the great'st right in him. Such grace and favour did he find before the Lord, that he was esteemed a man after his own heart, most eminent for his zeale, most excellent for his praising of God. I can hardly desist from commendation of him, but I heare him speaking as the Angel to Iohn, Doe it not, for I am thy fellow-servant: So that I ascribe all glory to God, who gave such great gifts to the sons of men. His sepulchre continued after Christs time, Act. 2.2 [...]. his fame and renowne [Page 10] shall endure unto the worlds end.
The occasion of this Psalme wee may safely beleeve to bee Absalom, who, like as Domitian sought to defraud his father the warlike Vespasian, Ce [...]ialis fidem tentavit, an sibi imperium traditurus foret, Tacit. of the governement, And his brother Titus the delicacie of mankind, that should succeed, So hee did endevour to obtaine the Kingdome from the valiant David his Father, and to prevent his brother Salomon the wisest of men: Using the worst meanes to fulfill his desire; His pretence was, that there was none appointed to do justice; A true complaint in him, that found so much mercie: And by his outward shew of humility & [Page 11] courtesie, like a serpent going upon the belly, he stole away the hearts of the people. O Viper, O generation of Vipers, thus to destroy the parent of your country; whose greatest revenge for this your treacherie, would have been to have suffered you to accomplish your unlawfull desires; Nil rex mai [...]s minari ma [...]è parentibus posset, quam ut abiret è regno. Senec. And (as the ancient manner of Kings was, when their subjects provoked them by their evill carriage) as the greatest punishment to have forsaken his dominion: Had their treason beene legitimated by the successe, what an happy alteration had they made? There was none to be praised like Absalom for beauty, and Absalom to bee praised for nothing but his [Page 12] beauty As their first King was higher by the head than the people; so the chiefe praise & height of this King had been his head; the haire whereof, he was more fit to weigh, than to guide the ballance of justice. Such as was the case of David, 2 Sam. 16.11. such is the case of every one of us: Hee complaines, My son, which came out of my bowels, seeketh my life: Mat. 15.19. That which commeth out of us seeketh our life, and would defeate us of the kingdome we have, and of that we hope for. And as to Absalom there joyned Achitophel, whose counsell was as the Oracle of God; so with our corruptions, there doth joyn, Satan, whose counsels for a long time were [Page 13] Oracles: Both of them cruell murtherers in their advice and suggestions. In these extremities David finds favour in the eyes of the Lord, and is compassionate towards his sonne; Not like Manlius, Summum Iu [...]. who being over-just, caused his sonne to be executed for fighting against the enemy, Hictor deliga ad palum. Livi. lib. 8. though not without victory, yet without authority: Nor like that Senatour that gave command to have his sonne Fulvius put to death for joyning with a traytor: Quem retractum ex itinere parens necari iussit. Salust. Nor yet like Saul, who would have put Ionathan to death as being too good a sonne to live under so bad a father: But he shewing himselfe to be as naturally a father of pity, as of this unnaturall son, commanded [Page 14] the Captaines for his sake to deale gently with the young man. 2. Sam. 18.5.
If wee take this Psalme to bee propheticall, it may bee referred unto the Iewes; and that in a twofold estate: Either as they were captives at Babylon, where being reproched and oppressed by their enemies, they desire to bee restored to Ierusalem, that they may worship the Lord; Or else being in a more cruell bondage while they serve the lusts of their owne hearts, Rom 11.10.25. (their darknesse and blindnesse being worse than that of Zedekiah) it pleaseth the Lord, the fulnesse of the Gentiles being come in, to open their eyes, & mollifie their hearts, [Page 15] and to cause them to seeke and sue for the meanes of salvation. If thou art not satisfied in those former explications, but dost apprehend the aime and intention of the Psalme to be more generall, I will speake that to thy consolation which Nathan doth to the terrour of David, Thou art the man; who being wearied with daily reproaches of the wicked, and heavy laden with the manifold afflictions of this life, dost desire to depart, and be with Christ, where is fulnesse of joy, and pleasures for evermore.
Here we see the carriage of the godly in time of trouble how far it doth differ from that of other men: The Lord [Page 16] doth not require that wee should be as the dead sea, Non est tranquillitas: Malacia est. Senec. never to be moved by any tempest, Apathia etiam ipsis Stoicis improbata. Gelli. But in all our distresses to be supported with inward comfort, expecting a joyfull deliverance; as our Author doth in this place, in assurance that he shall yet praise the Lord his God. Whereas other men are ready to sinke and be swallowed up in any tryall. Plutarchus. Cicero, how did hee droup and wither in the time of his suffering, as if his soul [...] also had beene banished out of his body; not being able to speake one word to perswade himselfe? And Cato so often magnified by Seneca, (whose works are fraught with the doctrine of desparation) as if wisedome had [Page 17] dyed (or rather had killed it selfe) with him; Iob 12.2. with what poverty of spirit did he surrender himselfe? Hirtius in bell. A [...]ex. Senec. epist. 13.24.70. &c. & in lib. de Bon. vir. That his violent fury, and outrageous madnesse, how is it applauded as a worke of liberty and glory? Diverso itinere malos à bonis loca taetra habere. Salust. And yet formerly upon another occasion, hee himselfe was able to speake that there was a place of horror reserved after death, for such as were evil: [...] cum Deus istis te corporis custodiis liberaverit. &c. Macrob. And it was their owne opinion, that only they could passe into the place of blisse whom God did call thereunto. But the estate of Christians is otherwise, who are so farre from being overwhelmed by crosses and afflictions, that like trees, exercised by the stormy wind, they grow to bee [Page 18] better rooted and established in all graces, Psal. 92.12. And doe flourish like the Palme-tree; who not being surcharged with those burthens imposed upon them, Non deorsum palma cedit. &c. Gellius. at last obtaine a victorious triumph.
In our approach to the entrance of the Psalm, wherein David speakes to the Lord, wee may see the excellency and dignity of prayer, which is a soveraigne remedy for every trouble. So long as we seeke to hide and conceale our sorrow, wee carry a fire in our bosome which will burne us. The winde being pent and restrained within the bowels of the earth, what overthrowes and desolations are wrought thereby? 1. Sam. 1.15. But if with Hannah out of [Page 19] the abundance of our griefe we can powre out our soules before the Lord, spreading our misery and necessity before him, as Hezekiah did the letter of Senacherib, the Lord will fill us with comfort, and make a way for us to escape out of all our tryalls; Si operam meduantis expectas, oportet ut vulnus detegas tuum. Boct. Then doe not thou keepe silence lest thy bones be consumed, but discover thy disease, that so thou maist bee healed.
VERSE I. As the Hart panteth after the water-brookes, so panteth my soule after thee O God.
THe Hart panteth after the water-brookes, Quibusdam anni temporibus incredibili ardore a quas expetit. Calvin. as being unable to endure heat, [Page 20] which to prevent it will wade into the depth: Aquas or [...] tenus subit. Iul. Scal. Or else there being deadly fude betweene the Hart and the Serpents, Plini. when shee hath devoured any of them shee desireth the waters to coole her; Pierius. Festinat notos subito se [...]ergere in amnes. Bargaeus. Aelian l. 13. cap. 35. Occuliturque undis praeter caput Bar. Cerva in palude delituit. Gell. Pluvio cum forte secundo, deflueret. Virgil. Novas vires colligit. Calv. Fragrantem & toto de corpore ponit odorem. Bargaeus. Or being flung by them shee hasteneth to the Rivers where shee obtaineth her medecine. Or Lastly, being chased by the Huntsmen, shee taketh soyle, using the water for a refuge, being very expert in swimming; And that her thirst being abated, her strength may bee renewed; And shee being cleansed by her washing may bee free from the sent, and so avoyd the danger. For these and the like causes doth the Hart desire the water: But our [Page 21] reason to pant after the Lord, the fountaine of life, is much greater; which doth not only cleanse us from the outward leprosie of the body as Iordane did Naaman, healing all our diseases, but from the inward leprosie of the soule, purifying us from all our sinnes, and corruptions: Neither can wee pretend that this precious water is hidden and sealed up from us; Veteres ad purification [...]m non quavis aqua contentos, sed vivam. &c. Tu [...] neb. For this Fountaine is open for Iudah and Ierusalem to wash in: And the water thereof is stirred not by one alone, but by many Angels; And that not at certaine seasons onely, Iohn 5.4. but as well out of season, as in season; That so, not onely he that steppeth in first, but how many so ever [Page 22] shall step in, may be healed of whatsoever diseases they have: Wee are often called upon by the preaching of the Word, to wash and be cleane; And the danger is great if wee neglect it; Iohn 13. [...]. For unlesse wee bee thus washed we have no part with Christ. Then let us cleanse not our feet and hands onely, (as in ancient times they did daily being made uncleane by labour;) nor, as Peter addeth, our feet, Brachia & crura quotidie abluebant. Senec. our hands and head; all which are ready instruments of unrighteousnesse, & therefore have great need to bee purged; Isay 1.6.16. But seeing from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there is no soundnesse in us, let us wash the whole man, and [Page 23] make us cleane; not with the Pharisee the outside onely, but as Christ came by water and by bloud, so both the outward & inward part must bee made cleane. Nunquam difficilius obsequantes aegrotos habuêre olim medici, quam, &c. Causab [...]n. It was a great complaint of Physitians, that they never found their Patients more opposite and impatient, than when they did forbid them the use of baths, so great was the delight and contentment that they received therby though pernicious unto them: But here being a fountaine able to save us, & make us sound, if we will come unto it; and yet how few there bee that will make use thereof. Are we not more strange and unwilling than ever that Leper was to obey the Prophet, [Page 24] that badde him wash seven times? Like those which wallowed in the burning sand, N [...] [...] non & tepi [...] [...]is con [...]ol [...]e [...] corpus areui [...] Sammo [...]. c. Ens [...] lat. 10. or walked naked in the sun to drye up the moysture of their bodies, we had rather bee scorched, and inflamed by the heare of our lusts, than thus to bee cleansed from all sinne and pollution. In the old Law a fountaine wherein there was plenty of water should cōtinue clean though any uncleane thing did fall thereinto; Levit. 1 [...] 36. Surely this Fountaine doth not onely continue holy and pure, but will als [...] make our sinfull soules to b [...] cleane, if they be washed therein. Then leade us O Lor [...] to this living fountaine, and wash us throughly from our iniquities, that wee [Page 13] may bee presented before thee without spot and blemish.
The resemblance which is here used is very fit, in regard of that warre and hatred betweene the Hart and the Serpent. Gen. 3. The first and greatest wound wee ever received, was by the Serpent, the poyson whereof doth still abide within us: Since which time there hath beene, and ever shall be enmity betweene us and the Serpent Satan himselfe, And the seed of the Serpent, both wicked men which are his spawne, and our sinnes and vices which come from him, and are as dangerous to the soule as the biting of Serpents was to the gainsaying Israelites, Numb. 21.6. bringing [Page 26] men to that fire which never can be quenched: In this estate of our warfare, we are to pant after the Lord; and if our heele bee bruised, as in the originall of the Gospel wee are forewarned to expect it: If that wicked one doth touch us, and wee bee hurt by the malice and subtilty of that old Serpent, we are to crie unto the Lord to deliver us from this body of death; Rom. 7. and if wee overcome, we must give thankes unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord.
The reasons are divers, why David or any faithfull man may be compared unto the Hart: Gen. 1.30. This creature doth continue in the use of that meate which was given unto [Page 27] it in the beginning, eating every greene herbe: And a Christian hath the same heavenly food and nourishment for his soule which Adam had in the estate of innocencie; it is his meate to doe the will of his heavenly Father, and to contemplate his glorious workes. Metusone congrega [...]. Stat. Agmina cervi, Pulverulenta fuga glomerant. Virgil. The Harts keepe together in herds, not alone like beasts that devoure the prey, and are helpefull to one another in swimming: Maria tranant capi [...]a imponentes precedentium clunibu [...]. Plini. So there is a communion betweene those that are godly, who seeke not their owne good, but the good of others, bearing one anothers burthen; and being spirituall, they restore such as are overtaken in any fault. The Hart hath alwayes [Page 28] beene the emblem of speed: So a Christian doth make haste unto the Lord, In volucri tonuis fictucia cursu Star. and desireth to runne the race, that hee may obtaine the price. The Hart, Cornibus armatur trepidandis; quis tamen illum &c. Natal. Comes. though hee be armed, yet doth not use the same, either for to harme other creatures, or to defend himselfe: So a Christian, though he hath strength and power, yet he had rather suffer than offer an injury; and being smitten, hee will not turne againe, unlesse it bee in obedience, as he is commanded, that by patient enduring, hee may heape coales upon his enemies head. Nunquid o [...]s lupum perequitur? The Hart is pursued and followed; so a Christian is persecuted; oppression is as the Genius of piety, which ever [Page 29] attends upon it. But our comfort is, wee know the world hated Christ before it hated us; and he was tempted that hee might succour us in all our temptations, whereof this is none of the least. There is no beast that hath more enemies than the Hart; Sic Cerva leonem. Ovid. & Star. Ceu tigride cerva H [...]rcana cum pressa tremit. Sil. Ital. Cerva cruentis circumventa lupis. Statius & Livi. l. 10. Omnium bestiarum inim [...] cis [...]imus homo Iul. Scal. in Arist. For beside the Serpents, the Lion, the Tigre, the Wolfe and Dogs, and the like seeke to destroy it, and a more cruell enemy than all these, Man: So a Christian hath many enemies that compasse him about, and rise up against him. And as the Hart is not killed like the sheepe that is led to the slaughter, but there is much sport and pleasure in the death thereof: So there is great delight [Page 30] and contentment to the wicked in the overthrow of those that are good. How did the heart of Herodias dance within her for joy, that Iohn was put to death? with whose head they sported as with a Tennis-bal. How did the fire wherein the Martyrs were burned, warme the very hearts of their persecutors? unto whom the light thereof seemed more glorious than the Sunne in the firmament. Confugi [...]nt ad homines. Plini. Cantu mulcatur animal stupidum. Iul. Scal. Aut p [...]niccae septum formidine pennae. Virgil. As the Hart seeketh reliefe from man when it is distressed, and is deluded by a pleasant sound, and readily driven into the nets and taken: so there is nothing more easie than to deceive a good man, who many times reposeth confidence in those [Page 31] that prove treacherous unto him, in charity believing all things, hoping all things, not having that worldly wisdome that others have. But as the best and surest refuge of the Hart, when his might is empaired, and hee beginneth to descend and bee spent, then to proffer and desire the river; so it is thy wisedome in affliction early to seeke unto the Lord, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, Psal. 103.4.5. and satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles. In the time of our necessity there is no helpe for us, but onely in the name of the Lord. All other succour & reliefe will prove as weake and impotent as [Page 32] the broken reed of Egypt was to the Israelites, or the hornes of the Altar to Ioab, where wee may be taken and utterly destroyed. If we trust to riches, we provide for our selves, Luke 12.19. as the rich man did, that bade his soule live at ease, because hee had plenteous increase of the fruits of the earth; whereas the soule of man liveth not by bread, & therefore being famished, may that night bee taken from him. If we trust to wisdome and policy, when the houre of darknesse commeth, wee may with Ahitophel, set our house in order, but what mansion have wee provided, whereinto our soules may bee received? In the time of our sicknesse if [Page 33] we seeke to the helpe of man alone, as Asa did, wee may well expect the same successe that he had. If we thinke our house to be our castle to defend us from storme and violence, know, Iob 1. that Iobs heire had as good an habitation. How soone may wee with Nebuchadnezzar be driven away & exposed to the dew of heaven? Dan. 4.33. Miserable comforters are they all; for who is God, save the Lord? Psal. 18.3 [...]. but let my soule long after thee O God. Observe the benefit wee have by affliction, when the winter of persecution and trouble doth kindl [...] our affection, and stirre up in us a desire and appetite towards heavenly things. I [...] poverty was to bee liked because [Page 34] it shewed the fidelity & constancy of our friends, then may we esteeme this to be a great commodity, that wee have by our affliction, discovering not other mens, but which more neerely concernes us, our owne hearts. It makes us see our poore & weake estate, and to seeke for strength and a rich supply of heavenly graces. Our want doth cure our wantonnesse, and calleth us, who are troubled about many things, to seeke that one thing needfull which is yet wanting. Before wee were afflicted wee went astray like the Prodigall, and walked in our owne inventions; But when wee come to suffer hardship, and are ready to dye for hunger, [Page 35] wee begin to thinke of returning to our Father. Et sua quemque advigilare sibi iussit fortuna premendo. Manil. Our calamities lying heavy upon us doe awaken us out of the sleepe of security, and are as beneficiall as the mighty tempest was unto Ionah, bringing us to true confession of our sins, to fervent prayer unto the Lord our God, who doth restore us unto the joy of his salvation. If our tryalls have this happy and comfortable effect, wee may safely conclude, It was good for us wee were afflicted, as David here, who being hunted as a Partridge in the mountain, is thereby excited with the more vehemency to seeke after the Lord.
To seeke after the Lord wee have great encouragement, [Page 36] who is a God nigh at hand, ready to heare and deliver us in the day of trouble, who is found of those that sought not after him, that asked not for him. Then doubtlesse will he in mercy reveale himself unto us if we cry unto him: And our extremity is Gods oportunity; when all other helpe is vaine, then we see it to bee the Lords right hand that our soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler. Then we are bound for ever to be thankefull unto the Lord who saveth us out of all our troubles: Then we are taught to put our whole confidence in him, having tasted and seene how good the Lord is, in assurance that wee shall not [Page 37] want any good thing if wee seeke him. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaffe which the winde driveth away, having no harbour of safety, being more destitute than any bruit beast; The foxes have holes, the conyes have rockes, the Hart desires the river; no creature but hath some place of shelter when it is distressed, whereby it is relieved: But these men though they have beene unjust with the Steward, Luke 16.4. yet wanting his providence, have not any house whereinto they may be received; living within the reach of Gods might, Eucherius ad Valerian. out of the protection of his love: Being outlawed from his favour and custody, they may feare with that fugitive, [Page 38] and vagabond Cain, Gen. 4. that every one that findeth them shall slay them. When the sound of Gods justice shall bee more terrible than the voyce of thunder, and their owne guilty conscience like lightening shall strike them with horrour and amazement, will they with that unworthy Emperour which hid himselfe under the bed, Ad maiora tonitrua & fulgura, sub lectum se condere solebat, Caligula. Sueton. seeke a covert to keepe them from the presence of the Almighty? No, their nakednesse and shame will then appeare to God & themselves. Therefore acquaint thy selfe with the wayes of the Lord, seeke him while he may be found, let thy heart be fixed and prepared, Mat. 25.6. that though at midnight [Page 39] there be a cry made, though thy danger and trouble bee both great and sodaine, thou maist with the wise virgins bee received into the favour & tuition of the most high.
Art thou oppressed and disquieted by an evill sonne, who in stead of fulfilling his name or thy hope in being the Fathers peace, proves contrary like Absalom the Fathers war, seeking to thrust thee forward unto thine end, Eucherius. and desires thy death though hee received his life from thee? Quis non patrisuo supremum diem, ut [...]nnocens sit, optat &c. Senec. Quid enim maius dare numina possunt. Iuven. Mat. 8.21. who would willingly joyne with that disciple which in vaine asked leave to goe bury his Father, as if the greatest part of his duty consisted in his diligence about that last office? Thereby [Page 40] thou art put in minde of thy former disobedience unto the Father of spirits. Surely this wounded David most when his sonne rebelled against him, the remembrance of his rebellion against the great King, with whom hee warred in the murther of Uriah. Also doth thy son greedily desire an earthly inheritance, and art thou carelesse and negligent in seeking for a crowne of life, whereof thou canst never bee deprived? No, rather upon experience that all things are vexation of spirit, and those of thine owne house thy greatest enemies, be thou provoked with the more zeale and vehemency of affection to pant after the Lord. This [Page 41] observation I should willingly have passed, as Solon did to make a Law against parricides, hoping there were none such; Mat. 10.21. but that a wiser than Solon or Salomon himselfe, hath foretold that children shall rise against their parents.
Art thou persecuted by some cruell Nimrod, Lam 1.6. & 4.18 & 3.52. some mighty hunter, who chaseth thee sore, and hunteth thy steps, so that thou art become like an Hart without strength before the pursuer? (as the Prophet speaketh) Then, as the Hart panteth after the river, so let thy soule pant after the Lord. The Israelites being distressed by Pharaoh, that followed them, cryed unto the Lord, and saw his [Page 42] salvation, the waters were a wall unto them on the right hand, and on the left, but covered their enemies, and like that river Kishon swept them all away: Iudg. 5.21. When thou art in a great straite, call upon the Lord, who knoweth how to deliver those that are his; and thou maist see thy desire upon thine enemies, even that which thou most desirest, their conversion. Being sore vexed by some bloudy minded man, Act. 9.1. Iosh. 8. who doth breath out threatnings and slaughter, compare thine estate with that of Gods people pursued by the men of Ai, who being full of malice followed Israel, and perceived not that ambush which was laid against them, whereby [Page 43] their city was set on fire, and themselves overcome. Doth thine enemy seeke after thy life or thy good name? Would he hurt thee with the sharpe sword of Esau, or the bitter words of Ishmael? call upon God as Ioshuah did, who will give thee a glorious deliverance: In the meane while hee that hateth thee doth not discern how powerfull that enemy is which lyeth in waite against him, by whom his tongue is set on fire (as Saint Iames speaketh) in cursing, and his heart enraged by anger and envy, so that he is utterly confounded and overthrowne.
Such an enemy is not to be feared, whose ayme and [Page 44] power doth extend no further than to kill the body; But there is another more dreadfull enemy that seeketh to destroy both body and soule in hell, against whom wee must implore the helpe of the Lord. He it is that goeth to & fro in the earth and walketh up and downe in it; having the whole world for his forest, wherein hee hunteth after us: who is not satisfied with out bloud, which he hunteh after, being a murtherer from the beginning. And as hunters in ancient times were clad in white garments; Antiqui Venatores albis vestibus inclut. Iul. Scal. so he can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light, 2. Cor. 11.14. using any shape and disguise that he may deceive us; dealing therein like this [Page 45] our Absalom, who tooke his brother Amnon in a snare that he had set for him, 2. Sam. 13.28. and killed him. And now by chase and pursuite he hopeth to take David his father. So doth Satan set snares and ginnes that hee may bring us to destruction: And how many doth he take by presumption? If by that meanes hee cannot prevaile, Ingentem clamore pr [...]n [...]s ad re [...]ta cervum. Virgil. 1. Pet. 5.8. then as a roaring Lyon which seeketh whom hee may devoure, by terrour hee would invelope us in the pit of desperation: He himselfe being master of the game, with the helpe of his assassinates in that bloudy worke did assault our blessed Saviour, Psal 25. inscript [...] whom the Psalmist compareth to the Hart of the morning, who was rowzed [Page 46] early in the morning (as hee was from his birth by Herod) and chased all his life long: And at last, early in the morning, Luke 22.66. Psal. 22.16. Matutino tempore à rabiosis hominibus dilaniatus. Flamin. assoone as it was day, many dogs compassed him, and he was stricken and pierced & wounded for our transgressions; being as the goate that was offered, Leuit 16.7. that we might escape damnation. So that now though wee bee as an army of Harts, weake and timerous, yet having the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah to be the Captaine of our salvation, Revel. 5.5. Heb 2.10. from him we receive strength, courage and safety: For as the Hart royall escapeth being chased by some Prince, so our soule shall be defended when we are pursued by the Prince of this Iohn 12.31. [Page 47] world, if wee pant after the Lord, and pray unto him to save us, Psal. 7.2. lest hee teare our soules like a lyon while there is none to deliver. There is mention of one Sertorius the great Impostor amongst the Romanes, Ab ea, se quaenam aut agenda aut vitanda esset praedican. Val. Max. A. Gel. who kept a tame Hart, and used it as Mahomet did his Dove, to delude his souldiers, pretending that he was thereby admonished and directed what to doe: But surely it will bee our wisedome to bee led and guided by this Hart which panteth after the water-brookes, to pant after the Lord. And doubtlesse this is the most blessed use of the creatures, when in the sight or remembrance of them, our minds are elevated, and raised up to [Page 48] heavenly cogitations: And in so doing wee shall be followers of Christ, who upon all occasions, as of the water, the vine, the corne, and in all his Parables did instruct and edifie those that heard him. And thus may wee bee affected. Is there such delight and contentment to be received from the creature? then what joy & happinesse from the Creator of all things? Is there such pleasure in the cheerefull use of these things here below? then how great are those pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore? Doth the distressed Hart desire the river that shee may be relieved? Then how blessed are they that have the God of Iacob for a refuge? [Page 49] from whose love, Rom. 8. [...]. neither persecution, nor any other thing shall bee able to separate them. And seeing that enmity which is betweene us and the creatures, and betweene the creatures themselves, wee are put in minde of that great sinne of our first parents: Since which time they have cast off the yoke of subjection unto man, who had first cast off that easie yoke of obedience unto God. And in the pursuite of any of them, wee may well consider that wee our selves are pursued by the enemy of our soules, Sed maiori cum fastu: Vbi aspexit venientem ad retia cervum, Venator tacito [...]audia corde premit. Bal. Cast [...]o. who doth more desire to take us than wee to take the Hart in our toyles: And wee may at the same time both take and be taken, [Page 50] as many are, who turne their liberty into licentiousnesse. If after this manner our thoughts be lifted up in the time of refreshing, Meditabar aliquid, ut si manus vac [...]as plenas tamen ceras reportarem. Plini. Iun. Vt quamvis nihil [...]perim, non n [...]hil [...]eferam. Idem. though wee get nothing wee may gaine something; and both the outward & inward man may be renewed
Wee deny not this exercise of hunting to bee very commendable, Romanis solemne viris, opus ut [...]etan ae, vitaeque & membris. Horat. venat [...]o Suevorum vtres alit. Cae [...]ar. the which was much used by many nations in ancient times, who beside that helpe of sustenance, found many other benefits thereby; Their health was preserved, their bodies were strengthened, Hoc se labore durant ado [...]escentes Gorm [...]. Idem. and themselves by the hardship endured, the better fitted & enabled for more serious employment; especially, for [Page 51] military discipline, Venatu extendere vitam abnuit. Silvis. Non me ulla vetabunt f [...] gora. Virgil. Manet sub Iove frigido Venator Horat. Iugurtha in Salust. Olim certabant cum [...] gacibus feris, cursu, cum a [...] dacibus r [...]bore, cum cailidis ast [...]. Pli. [...]. in Panegyr. P [...]al. 32.9. Illa i [...]sa [...] delectant, n [...] cesse est, [...]v [...] cent ab intentione operis dest [...]nati. Quinti [...]an. lib. [...]o cap. 1. Maleficium [...]o [...]us quam artific. um. Io. Sarisb. when by those beasts which they hunted, they may learne from such as were swift-footed speed and agility; from such as were daring, valour and courage; from such as were crafty, stratagems and policy: Moreover the minde being surcharged may thereby find some release, BUT, in the use of them wee must not bee as the horse which hath no understanding: Our affections must be restrained, that our delight therein bee not either inordinate or immoderate: God created us for his owne service, we must not bee so re-created by our sports, as if we had beene framed for nothing else: Heb 11.25. In so doing wee make them pleasures [Page 52] of sinne for a season, and that very short; and it is folly in any man to place his chiefe contentment in that which he cannot constantly enjoy: Also it doth discover the unsufficiency of these sports to satisfie the heart of man, when wee shall see many being satiated with their former delights, to be ever desirous of new; esteeming that to be tedious and irkesome which before seemed most pleasant. Great forrests and wide desarts for beasts of chase have proceeded from undigested riches and boundlesse luxury: Barbarae opulentiae, haud ulla sunt maiora indicia quam magnis nemo [...]bus [...]altibusque n [...]b [...]lium ferarum gr [...]ges cla [...]si Quin. Curt. Camden in Oxon. And it is a strong presumption of the vaine and riotous prodigality of this Kingdom, The having more Parkes than all [Page 53] Christendome beside. That prophecy of the Apostle may strike terrour and examination into every one of us; where he saith, That in the last dayes perillous times shall come, 2. Tim. 3. [...]. when men shall be lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. Such as are too violent therein doe renounce that which is of more consequence, and ought chiefly to bee sought after: And those that are ravished with the pleasures of this pilgrimage, Qui best [...]arum cubili [...] [...]ndagat potiora deserit. Segec. Heb. 11.14.16. Cui peregrinatio du [...] [...]non amat [...]atriam. Gen 25. [...]7. declare plainly, they doe not desire a better Countrey, that is an heavenly. Profane Esau is described to bee a cunning hunter, and was thereby occasioned to sell his birthright; And afterward while [Page 54] hee was hunting he lost the blessing also, finding no place of repentance though hee sought it carefully with teares. Quam nunc [...]nc [...]gnita vellent lustra sibi; nu [...]los (que) datos venatibus annos. Val. Flac. O pereant sylvae deficiantque canes. Tibul. Take heed lest while thou art wholly devoted to thy delights, our heavenly Father doth confer his blessings upon those his children which formerly sought unto him: and so thy vanities end in vexation of spirit. Then let your moderation herein bee knowne unto all men; Phil. 4.5. Veloces iaculo cervos, cursuquae satigat. Acer an hela [...]ti similis Virgil. Spend not your whole strength and best endeavours so wastfully, so unfruitfully; Let not thy soule pant after the Hart, but as the Hart panteth after the water-brookes, so let thy soule pant after the Lord.
There are two naturall [Page 55] causes of panting: Wearinesse through overmuch labour; Defatigatio ex laboris nimietate: vel propter pulmonis parvitatem. Causabon. and so we being wearied with the restlesse troubles of this life, should thereby bee excited to pant after the Lord. The other cause of panting, is when the lungs are strait and small, and not able to receive much breath: which is differing from this; for we pant after the Lord, not when we are straitned in our owne bowels, like the Corinthians, 2. Cor. 6 12. but when our mouthes are open to cry unto him, and our hearts are enlarged to seeke after him: Then be you also enlarged, and imitate this holy man David, whom you may heare speaking of himselfe, Psal. 63.8. & 84.2. My soule followeth hard after [Page 56] thee, My soule longeth, yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord, Psal. 119.20. My soule breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgements at all times. Thus should wee from the beginning of our lives unto the end thereof pant after the Lord, who is Alpha and Omega, [...]. who breathed into our nostrils the breath of life. Gen 2.7. That wise man among the Heathen, Dici suspirium potest. Hoc est, ani [...]am agere. Medici hanc med [...]tationem mortis vocant, facit a [...]quando spiritus ille q [...]d saepe conatus est. Senec. ep [...]st. [...]5. being tormented with the disease of short breathing (which he thought to be most painfull) doth call it the Meditation of death, wherein the breath doth often attempt to doe that which one day must bee done. Then well may wee so often as we draw our breath bee put in mind of our latter [Page 57] end, when the spirit doth returne to God that gave it: And yet the greatest part of men are never sufficiently instructed to pant after the Lord, untill extreme sickenesse and the pangs of death doe teach them: whereas, it the former part of our life had beene spent in numbring our dayes, and remembring our Creator, with what assurance and comfort might wee expect our dissolution? Worthy Calvin, D [...]sp [...]ae [...]. Assidu è e [...] p [...]o, dum me a [...]heli [...]us d [...]ic [...]at. who laboured of this bodily disease, looked daily when his panting should have an end; and would often say, Quousque Dominē. How long O Lord? And some space before his death (which was just in the same moment when the sunne did set) his [Page 58] prayers were nothing else, but an expression of his souls panting after the Lord. The death of Coma was thought to be very rare, Intra pect [...]s inc [...]usa a [...] mafi [...]m s [...] repe [...] &c. Val. Ma [...] lib 9. cap. 13. who dyed by his violent retaining & holding in of his breath: But now there is nothing more frequent than this kinde of death, though not of the body yet of the soule, in those men which doe never pant after the Lord. Wee thinke it bee the signe of a dying man when his breath growes cold; And our coldnesse in seeking after the Lord, doth discover that the soule doth languish, and is voyd of the life of grace: For if our soules were inflamed with zeale, the Kingdome of heaven should suffer violence, Mat. 11.12. and [Page 59] bee taken by force.
VERSE II. My soule thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I come and appeare before God?
IN that expression which David used of panting after the Lord, wee may well observe, that it was not a weake and faint desire; but most strong and forcible. Now that wee not thinke it to bee too violent to endure, and to passe away as a sodain flame in his outward speech, rather than to burn constantly in the holy disposition of his heart, it pleaseth God to perfect his owne good work, and to give him this heavenly [Page 60] thirst: And nothing is more frequent than for these two, Aeris alternos angustat pulmo meatus, Resc [...]soque nocent suspiria dura palato. L [...]an. Oraque retro sorbet anhela sitis. Statius. Panting and Thirst, to accompany each other. If we take them as perturbations of the body, that may be said of them, which is spoken of worldly sorrow, that they drye the bones and cause death: But, as in this place, being rich endowments of the soule, they bring life, and peace, and joy: By those the outward man doth perish, by these the inward man is renewed daily.
There is a thirst which beginneth when we hang upon our Mothers breasts, and continues in the strength and vigour of our lives, and doth not leave us in the time of old age, but even to the very [Page 61] end we hold a just proportion with this last age of the dying world, Nec sitis est extincta prius quam vita bibendo. Ovid. in desiring wine and strong drinke, that thereby our vitall heat and radicall moisture may be preserved. So that, through abuse this vice of intemperate drinking seemeth to have a speciall right in these dayes wherein wee live. The uncleane drunkard thinketh there is no other thirst but onely that with which hee is possessed; nor any better meanes whereby to obtaine health unto himselfe, or to confer it upon others, than by profound drinking; whereunto he addresseth himselfe as if hee were to encounter with his greatest enemy; Persae, potum tanquam adversarium aggred [...]entes. Aelian. and doth more than fill himselfe [Page 62] with strong drinke, inflaming wines, and hot waters; and, though improperly drinking more than these, only to kindle a desire of drinking more. Vt Anglorum corpora, in Barbarorum naturam degenerasse videntur. Camden in Elizab. I affect antiquity herein, and will not name that which I finde was never anciently named: Hereby doth hee deprive himselfe of his reasonable soule, and becomes voyd of sense, and worse than the bruite beasts, having no life left, but onely that of the plants, not being able to move and helpe himselfe: And, which I cannot mention without horrour, how many are pierced with the dart of death, as with the javelin of Phinehas in the act of wickednesse? Iudg. 4.21. whose end is like unto that of Sisera, after [Page 63] he had drunke, at the same time to bee smitten in the head and deprived of life. And whereas the death of a good man is called a sleepe, the death of the drunkard is contrary, whose senses being bound in the time of his life, that hee could not use them, by death hee is awakened; Then doth hee see his estate to be miserable by the paines of losse and sense: where againe hee thirsteth and cannot obtaine one drop of water to coole his tongue. But why doe I speake to him who is not capable to heare; whose case is most fearfull? For, whereas other sinners may bee convinced by reason, he by the wilfull losse of understanding hath made [Page 64] himselfe a foole, and is in danger of hell fire. The contentious man thirsteth after the waters of Meribah; and the cruell man (for they must bee joyned) thirsteth after bloud, M. Anten. vino gravis sitiebat tamen sanguinem. Senec. Cyri caput in Val. Max. wherein is the life: Nothing can satisfie him but the fall of his enemy. But the bloudy minded man shall not live out halfe his dayes: for though the divine vengeance should not overtake him, as for the most part it doth, with rancor and malice hee consumes himselfe and drinkes his owne bloud: whose estate is worse than a Serpents, for hee beareth about him such a poyson as doth destroy his owne life. The covetous man is thirsty as the horse-leach, Pro. 30 15. crying, [Page 65] Give, Give. The adulterer refusing to drinke waters out of his owne cisterne desireth to drink stolne waters, & 9.17. which hee thinketh to bee sweet. And the adulteresse thirsteth for that bitter water which causeth the thigh to rot (a common judgement of these times. Num 12.18.21.) The swearer is so thirsty, that he cannot speake without an oath in his mouth; whose cursing shall come like water into his bowels, Psal. 109.18. and like oyle into his bones. In a word, every sinner thirsteth for the water of Marah, which will be as gall in the belly, and bitternesse in the later end. Of all which I may speake as Samuel of the sons of Iesse, The Lord hath not chosen these to obtaine [Page 66] a crowne of life. But this holy thirst of the soule for God, for the living God: And whom should the soule thirst after, but God alone? For with thee is the Fountaine of life; Psal. 36.8.9. thou dost make me drinke of the river of thy pleasures: & 23.5. My cup runneth over, & 63.5. My soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse: & 65.9. Our gracious God doth visit the earth, & 104.11. and watereth the ridges thereof abundantly, and giveth drinke to every beast of the field. Doth God take care for oxen? 1. Cor. 9 9. then much more for man, 1. Tim. 5.23. to whom hee giveth liberty to use a little wine, which makes glad the heart; But most of all for the soule of man, and therefore he calleth, [Page 67] Ho, Isai. 55.1. every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters; and, Iohn 4.14. whosoever drinketh of this water that I shall give him (that is, & 6.35. hee that beleeveth) shall never thirst, but out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters. & 7. 38. & 4.14. The water that I shall give him, shall bee as a Well of water springing up unto life everlasting. Then spring up O well, sing yee unto it; Num. 21.17. and let thy soule thirst after him, Iohn 19.28. who in his passion said, I thirst; who thirsted after us & our salvation; who drank off the dregs of the cup of his Fathers wrath, that we might drinke the cup of blessing. By the cluster of grapes that the spyes brought they might judge of the fruitfulnesse of [Page 68] the land: And by the first fruits that the Lord giveth us in this life, wee may in part discerne what the whole vintage will be hereafter. Even by tasting wee see how good the Lord is; Psal. 34.8. who doth sustaine us in this our pilgrimage, & 107.5. when we are hungry and thirsty, and our soule faint within us, if wee cry unto him hee will relieve us. And as the Lacedaemonians doe never satisfie their children with food, Ita liberos alunt, ut nunquam satientur. Heraclides. that thereby they may learne to endure hardship: So those blessings which God giveth, if rightly used, doe make us the more to thirst after him. And to speake as the Church doth, stay me with flagons: Cant. 2.5. knowing that the best wine is reserved [Page 69] untill afterward, Iohn 2.10. and the greatest comforts untill that better life.
For this kingdome wherein wee live, wee may speake as the Lord doth of Canaan, Deut. 11.10. that it is not like the land of Egypt, which thou wateredst with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: But a good land, a land of brookes of water, of fountaines and depths, that spring out of valleyes and hils: wee have enjoyed the waters of life and the plenteous means of salvation. True it is, there was a time, when the three yeares of Elijah his drought were doubled upon us; and therein the burning heate of persecution: But as Isaac repaired those wells of Gen. 26.18. water that had been stopped [Page 70] by the Philistims, which Abraham his father had formerly digged; so our Deborah (of ever-blessed memory) hath opened those fountaines which her father had digged: Isai. 12.3. since which time with joy may wee draw water out of the wells of salvation. Then let us take of the water of life freely: Revel. 22.17. Milites religione pluviâ magis usi: [...]am rati sese d [...]ts immortalib curae esse. Salust. And as that army which would not drinke, but only of the raine, comming as they thought from the divine providence to relieve them: So let our soules be enlarged in seeking of spiritual blessings; & thirst after the Lord, [...]sal. 143.6. as a thirsty land which opens it selfe to receive the hevenly showers. Eucherius. We may reade how thankful great Kings have beene unto [Page 71] those that in their thirst did refresh them, Caesar. in Senec. de ben. Xerxes in AElian. Artaxerxes in cod. and give them water: Then how should we praise the Lord for giving us his Sonne Christ Iesus, the fountaine of all grace and comfort, who came downe like raine upon the mowne grasse. Psal. 7 [...].6. And though it be the commendation of David (that mercifull King) that he would not drinke the bloud of those three mighty men that went in jeopardy of their lives, 2. Sam. 23.16. and brought water unto him, when hee longed for it; yet will it be our condemnation, if wee doe not drinke the bloud of our Saviour, which not by the hazzard, but by the losse of his life hee hath given unto us: And surely wee have [Page 72] great encouragemēt to thirst after the Lord; For it is a blessed thing to thirst after righteousnesse; Mat. 5.6. and we have a promise that wee shall bee filled. And as by outward thirst some are recovered from diseases of the body, Miraberis quosdam fame ac siti curari. Senec. so by this heavenly thirst wee are cured of all maladies and troubles, both of soule and body. Wherefore, as new-borne babes let us desire the sincere milke of the word, that wee may grow thereby. It will bee as strong drinke unto us when wee are ready to perish; Prov. 31.6. and as wine when our hearts are heavy. But most of us are so farre from this happy thirst, that we are ready rather with those stifnecked Israelites to murmur [Page 73] against the Lord: Our stomacks are so full, that wee loath the honey comb, the word of life; which should be sweeter unto us than the honey and the honey comb. Like those that have the jaundies, Mel omnibus dulce, [...]etericis tamen, &c Alex. Aphrodys. that which is most pleasant seemeth bitter and offensive unto us: And as the sheepe, O [...]e aper [...]o, vento, rec [...]p [...] entes f [...]m suam se [...]. Val. M [...] whose thirst is quenched by the winde, we are better satisfied with vanities, and more contented with our inventions, than with the water of life. How justly, in regard of our contempt, may the Lord remove those blessings from us, & turn our water-springs into dry ground, Psal. 107. [...]4 and this fruitfull land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell [Page 74] therein. [...]ai. 65.13. When his servants shall drinke, but ye shall bee thirsty; and as the old Historian speakes of a people that perished for want of water; Psylli interciderunt: Auster eis omnia receptacula aquarum arfecerat. Herodot. so this nation may bee consumed for want of this living water which now wee so lightly esteeme; at which time, Nocturnum [...]c [...]pere ro [...]em coge [...]tutur. Caesar. bel. Civil. like those that have beene constrained to receive the dew of the night, we may earnestly desire the least drop of heavenly comfort and not obtaine it. Pandunt orasiti, nocturnum que a [...]a captant. Lucan.
If wee duely consider, wee will approve the wisedome of David, in this choise which hee made, to thirst after the living God: Whose mercyes never faile, but they are renewed every day: with whom is no variablenesse [Page 75] nor shadow of change: whereas all things else are subject to alteration. There is no life in them unlesse it proceed from the Lord: If wee repose confidence in any worldly benefit, wee may as soone be destitute as Hagar was, Gen. 21.15. when her bottle was empty; there had beene a worse casting out than the former, unlesse the Lord had opened her eyes to see the wall of water. Doe wee receive sustentation and comfort by any outward gift? As the brooke Cherith dryed up, 1. King. 17.7. because there had bin no raine in the land, so wee shall presently be at our wits end, if the Lord withdraw his mercies from us: Yea thoug [...] wee have abundance [Page 76] of these things here below, though our well bee deepe like Iacobs, & our river doth overflow the bankes like Iordane; how soone can the Lord stay the course thereof? Psal. 74 15. Hee dryeth up mighty rivers. So that in our greatest necessity wee may bee to seeke; when our goods, which we thought to be our chiefest good, shall deale by us as those brookes did by the troups of Tema, Iob. 6.17. what time they waxe warme, they vanish, when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place: But let us grant their request, which is the desire of the most, & the most they do desire, that they may possesse great plenty of all things during their life: yet [Page 77] even therein do they deceive their owne soules. Their greedy desires being more boundlesse than the sea, which hath it's limits, how farre it shall passe: whereas they are never satisfied untill death robs them of all. And that which is added unto them, Cum plen [...] aquâ sint sitiunt semper. Alex. Aphrod. is but as so much drink [...]o him that hath the dropsie, to increase his thirst. The more wood is heaped on, the fire is the greater; and their covetous appetite increaseth with their meanes: Also, though for the present their thirst doth seeme to be allayed, yet will it be like the use of snow-water, coole and pleasing at the instant, Tabemque & morbos, sensim v [...]cenbus [...]semina [...] A. Cell. but ingendring manifold diseases. Their wealth which seemed [Page 78] most delightfull, will prove a cause of sorrow and anguish unto them: When they are in perplexity their estate may be like his, Pomp [...]ius cum tot [...]umina possideret mendicavit stillicidia. Sence. who had the royalty of many rivers, and yet was driven to beg a few drops of water: So they notwithstanding all their treasures will bee compelled to sue for inward consolation, and yet finde the doore shut against them. Offer unto that man which is thirsty, the best provision of meate, and hee will reject it as unprofitable unto him: onely give him drinke, and his spirit will come againe as Sampsons did, Iudg. 15.19. and he shall be revived. And therefore well might Saul have a cruse of water together with the speare at 1. Sam. 26.21. [Page 79] his bolster, shewing that the one was as needfull to sustaine life as the other to defend it. In the greatest exigent, when our strength is dryed up like a pot-sheard, Psal. 22.15. & 32.4. and our moisture is turned into the drought of summer, who can relieve us but God alone? what can refresh us but onely this water of life? Then let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth rather than I should thirst after any thing, but the God of my salvation.
How intolerable a torment thirst is, there is none but have had sufficient experience: Our Saviour chose to expresse the paines of hell by the torture which the tongue hath in extremity of [Page 80] a burning ague. And here the sick man commeth to be cured, Flagrat incensum siti cor. Senec. in Thyest. whose disease is like a fire in his bones, whose bowels are burnt like an hearth, whose heart is melted like waxe: Then doth he implore the helpe of man; Vbi definit medicus incipit theologus. Psal. 146.3. Quae sitaeque nocent ar [...]es cessêre magistri. Virgil. Cadunt medentes morbus auxilium trabit. Senec. for to proceed otherwise is a methode unknowne to the world, and thought to be ominous. But there is no helpe in the sonne of man; his breath goeth forth, and he returneth to his earth. Unto whom it may in vaine be said, Physitian heale thy selfe: As not being able to obtaine deliverance from that anguish which himselfe endureth. At last some better helpe is required, at which time, that saying of the Apostle is true, If in this life onely [Page 81] I have hope, I am of all men most miserable. Unlesse thy soule can finde ease by thirsting for God, thy fever is come to torment thee before the time. There's no other remedy but only the sure mercies of David, even in death it selfe to thirst for the living God; who giveth unto all men the life wee now have, who giveth unto King David, and to us as Kings, 1. King. 1.31. that life which is for ever.
In this my proceeding, I finde the poore man desiring drinke to quench his thirst, I cannot passe by one in so great misery, but with the good Samaritan I must make provision for him. Luk. 10.34. Dost thou live in penury and sorrow? Know that Christ himselfe [Page 82] did drinke of the brooke in the way; Psal. 110.7. that is, suffered manifold afflictions in this life. Art thou denyed reliefe for thy body? There is no new thing happened unto thee: Did not a woman refuse to give water unto Christ, Iohn. 4. being wearied with his journey? And before that Nabal rejected David; Shall I take my water and give unto men whom I know not whence they be? 1. Sam. 25.11. And therefore well might Dives (that Nabal in the Gospel) be denied a drop of water, seeing hee denyed to succour those in want. But though the hearts of men be hardened, 2. Sam. 24.14. Isai. 41.17. & 55.1. the mercyes of the Lord are great; who calleth him to the waters that hath no money; who giveth [Page 83] liberally, Iam. 1 5. and upbraideth not (as man often doth:) who calleth not many mighty & noble, but hee sendeth the springs into the vallies, Psal. 104.10 hee causeth the precious dew of heavenly comforts to rest upon those that are lowest and meanest in this world. And if the deniall of ordinary water hath beene esteemed so great an indignity, Virgil. petiit a Nolanis aquam; nomen urbis ex carmine suo derasit. A Gell. then how should we esteeme of Gods bounty towards us, Ic circo nimirum hoc dicta es nomine Nola; Nolu [...] ris magnis quod placuisse viris. Sanuazar. in giving the waters of life without money, and without price? O that we were as sensible of the drought of the soule as we are of the body; then should our soules thirst for God, for the living God, who hath promised not to forsake the poore & needy: [Page 84] When they seeke water, and there is none, & their tongue faile for thirst, Isai. 41.17. I the Lord will heare them.
And if it be so great a benefit to shew the fountaine unto those that bee thirsty, Benefic [...]m [...]st, arentibus si [...], son [...]em [...]sten le [...]e. Senec. Then returne, returne, why will yee dye O yee house of Israel? All those that have forsaken God and his true Church, wherein is the fountaine of living waters, and have hewed out cisternes, Ier. 2.13. broken cisterns that can hold no water; Come againe, and yee shall be satisfied with the breasts of consolation: 1. Sam 30.11.12. and as that Egyptian by eating of bread and drinking of water found his spirit to come againe to him; so you by the use of the Word and Sacraments, [Page 85] shall finde the holy Spirit to come into you. Come now and let us reason together: Shall the soule of holy David thirst for the living God? and shall thy soule thirst for many gods? for dead gods? for idols that are no Gods, but the works of mens hands? Shall he thirst for God, who doth satisfie us with all good things? and wilt thou desire that thirst whereby thou canst never be satisfied? Abstemious men, without question! For when God hath commanded to keepe a feast, they will keepe a fast: When God hath given unto all the cup of blessing, yet they will refuse it (as counting themselves unworthy of so great salvation.) [Page 86] What can they merit by this their abstinence? even to drink of that cup in the hand of the Lord, Psal. 75.8. which he powreth out for them. If they shall plead that the use of the cup is freely given to some of them; yet then there must bee a miracle in the change (which among the Heathens themselves was thought to bee prodigious: Insusum paterae Xerxis vinum, in sanguinem conversum est. Val. Max.) But were not that woman drunken with bloud, Revel. 17 6. shee could not think that to be bloud which shee drinks. 2. King 3. [...]3. But now both shee and her followers by thinking that to bee bloud which is not, as the Moabites did, they run upon their own destruction.
Now if any shall object, that David might well thirst [Page 87] after God who had dealt so bountifully with him: who looked upon his poore estate and exalted him when hee was of low degree, unto the highest dignity: who gave him victory over all his enemies, and made a way for him to escape out of the greatest dangers: So that it had beene unthankefulnesse in him to have done otherwise. As for themselves, they desire first to compose their outward affairs, & settle their estates, that they may not appeare to be worse than Infidels: and then afterward to devote the remainder of their lives to the service of God. Whereunto let mee answer: That thy petition is the same with Balaams, Let me dye [Page 88] the death of the righteous. Thou art therefore unexcusable O man, who in thy Testament dost in the first place commit thy soule to God, and then dispose of thy estate: But in the former part of thy life, by a confusion without any good order, thy chiefe care hath beene about thy worldly possessions; and now in thine end, it is not the love of God, but the love of thy selfe that constraineth thee to take care of thy soule. Whereas, such as have alwayes used a cloke of covetousnesse (a garment well knowne to Iudas, but never worne by S. Paul) how can they ever expect to put on the Lord Iesus, 1. Thes. 2.5. or to be clad with the rich robes of his [Page 89] righteousnesse? No, that thine unsatiable greedinesse will in the end bee as deadly & uncomfortable unto thee, as the Babylonish garment was unto Achan. Iosh 7 11. And such as addict themselves to voluptuousnesse, rejoycing in their youth, Eccles. 11 9. walking in the wayes of their owne heart, and in the sight of their eies; but intending to rejoyce in the Lord, & that their soules shall thirst for the living God, in the time of age and trouble, when they can find no rellish in vaine delights: At last when God doth bring them to judgement, can they expect to heare that comfortable saying, Well done thou good and faithfull servant, enter into thy Masters joy? [Page 90] No, Luke 16.25. they may feare to bee told, that in their life time they received their good things, but now there remaines no comfort for them. Also such as are ambitious to make themselves a name, laying a sure ground-worke, as they thinke, of honours and titles here upon earth; intending with those foolish builders, which had begun that they could not finish, that the top of their tower should reach up to heaven, hoping at last to obtaine a crowne of glory: But that their Babel will prove their confusion; Gen. 11. for they invert the order of Christ, who hath commanded us in the first place to seeke the Kingdome of heaven: And as in [Page 91] the creation, Gen. 1.1. heaven is named before earth, so our best endeavours should be to obtaine that estate of happines, not casting our anchor of hope upon earth, Heb. 6.19. but into heaven; as David here did, whose soule thirsted for the living God; who did not then begin to serve God, when he had received many outward blessings from him. Such an objection came from Satan, Iob 1. Doth Iob feare God for nought? For, who ever feared God for nought? wee being lesse than the least of all his mercies: De antiqu [...]s illustrissimus quisque pastor erat. Varr [...] But in his first estate, in that most ancient kinde of life, made famous by so many worthyes, as Abel, Iacob, Moses, and the like; hee put his whole [Page 92] confidence in the Lord who delivered him out of the paw of the Lion, 1 Sam. 17.37. and out of the the paw of the Beare, which he remembred with thankesgiving. & 16.16. And having that leasure which shepheards have, Pastor otios [...]s. Otium voluptatis, ac lasciviae pater In Scal. he did not abuse it to wantonnesse and folly, as they were wont for the most part to doe, but being a cunning player on the Harp, and a divine Poet, Videtur autem modulat [...]o in pastro [...]b. inventa pr [...]mum. Id. (that art of poetry having its beginning from shepheards, as the song of Moses doth testifie) who formerly had led the flocke of Iethro, Exod. 3.1. who at that time led the people like a flocke; Hee composed most heavenly and melodious pastorals in praise of his Creator. After that being lifted up by [Page 93] the right of the Almighty (who loveth a cheerefull giver) and not by his owne pride, whereof hee was unjustly taxed by Eliab; who foresaw that the elder must serve the younger, he kept in tune still, and did more excell the best of his nobles in gratitude and zeale than in regall dignity: And here in his distresse (a time of sufficient triall) you see with what patience hee endured the cursing of Shimei, and what confidence hee placed in God. Hee doth not aske the life of his enemies, you know the charge hee gave to the contrary, and how hee was blamed for too much love of them. 2. Sam. 1 [...].6. Hee doth not aske long life, that hee might [Page 94] bee restored unto his Kingdome, and many yeares added unto his reigne; But having a wise and understanding heart, hee seeketh for God himselfe, his soule thirsted for the living God; hee knew if his prayer were acceptable, God would give him more than hee asked, as hee did afterward to Salomon: 1. King. 3. [...]3. And if God gave himself, he would give all things also. Wherefore let us bee followers of him, as hee was of God: Phillip. 3.8. And with S. Paul, suffer the losse of all, that wee may winne Christ. It will be our best advantage and greatest gaine, by any outward losse, or imminent danger to be excited to seeke for heavenly blessings and spirituall graces.
VERSE II. When shall I come and appeare before God?
IT was Davids resolution, One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seeke after, Psal. 27.4. that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life. Here you see the performance thereof: He doth not grieve for the losse of any outward benefit, nor so much as mention his former estate; but onely desireth to appeare before God, whereby he hoped to obtaine that for which his soule thirsted. It is true, that God seeth us in all places; Whither can I goe from thy face O Lord, or whither can [Page 96] I flee from thy presence? But his favour and loving countenance is chiefly revealed in the assembly of the Saints. Cant. 6.2. My beloved is gone downe into his garden, to the beds of spices: God is present in the congregation, where the prayers & praises of his children are offered up as sweet odours before him. In it selfe the presence of God may seeme a cause of horrour and feare to us sinners, who are as stubble be. him a consuming fire. Wee know that the Israelites were afraid to come nigh Moses, Exod. 34.30. unto whom the Lord had appeared. Naturally we are ready to hide our selves from the presence of the Lord God: [...]en. 3.8. But in Christ we have [Page 97] confidence and free accesse; and having found him a loving Father, we for ever pray Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us: Psal. 4: which wee desire above any good, above all the good in the world. The father in the parable said, Luk. 15.31. Sonne thou art ever with mee, and all that I have is thine: So we by presenting our selves before the Lord, come to be made partakers of all his blessings: Thereby wee are gathered under his wings of providence and mercy: Mat. 13.48. Thereby wee are within the compasse of the net; and shall be taken with the good: Thereby wee have communion with God, and his Angels, and one with another. Then let [Page 98] us come and appeare before God. The children of this world are wise in their generation: If they have hope of benefite, or advancement from any superior, how diligent will they be in their attendance? O [...]arem ut o [...]endas me [...] esse homin [...] non ing [...]atum. Po [...] an. N [...] indignus, qu [...]m tu al [...] q [...]ndo respic [...]. How desirous to bee ever in view? How politicke in that which they give, chusing some Present of use and remembrance? Happy were we, if wee were thus provident for our soules: Then would we set our selves before the Sunne of Righteousnesse, the light whereof would be sweet and pleasant unto our eyes. Our darke understandings should be illuminated, and we made glorious within: But if wee neglect such precious means [Page 99] of salvation, our danger is greater than that of Queene Esther; Esther. 4. shee feared to perish by a temporall death because shee went unto the King, not being called. We may feare to perish both body & soule, unlesse wee doe come unto the great King, who hath so often called us, who hath held out the golden scepter of his word unto us. Absalom having lived two yeares in Ierusalem, and not seene the King, shewed the dutifull affection of a good sonne in this particular, 2. Sam. 14.32. that hee had rather bee put to death (if there were any iniquity in him) than to bee any longer deprived of the sight of his father: By which example wee may learne to value this [Page 100] royall priviledge that wee have in appearing before God, And to count it more deare unto us than life it selfe: And yet most men do not value this singular prerogative that God hath given them; even the whole world abideth in this sinne. There was a day, Iob. 1. when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord; but the sonnes of men care not for the seaventh day, nor any other day wherein to present themselves before him: Some there are that be worse than the three guests invited to the marriage: Luk 14.18. for they pretended that they could not come; these absolutely deny, and say, they will not come: and before that they will [Page 101] come they will pay the earnest peny here, and reserve the greatest payment untill the last. For, with what comfort can they expect to appeare before God in that great day; who never cared to appear before him in their life? yea, rather than they would then appeare they wil call to the hils to cover them. There be others, that are so encumbred with the affaires of this life, that they little thinke of appearing before God; untill that hee doth punish them for that neglect. As the Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ by instruction; Gal. 3.24. so the judgements due by the Law for our sinnes, have beene as our Schoolemaster to bring [Page 102] us unto Christ by correction. When wee have beene as wanton children addicted unto play, and omitting that which wee ought most seriously to intend, the Lord hath dealt with us as hee did by Lot and his wife (being mercifull unto them; Gen. 19.16.) while they lingred, and were backward in departing from Sodom, God sent his Angels which layd hold on them and brought them forth: While wee have beene unwilling to forsake our sinnes, and ascend up into the holy mountaine, God hath sent his Angels with their swords drawne; some great plague which hath cut off many thousands in the way, that could not then come and appeare [Page 103] before God; and hath scourged others into the Tē ple which before were carelesse in that duty; & though formerly wee would not say with Samuel, Speake Lord for thy servant heareth; then wee have beene enforced to say, Heare Lord for thy servant speaketh; Being poore wee have spoken supplications, wee have humbled our soules in fasting and mourning, and the Lord in wrath hath remembred his wonted mercies.
Some there bee that come abruptly without due preparation, as if they were brought thither unawares, by some grea [...] & strong wind; 1. King. 19 [...] but the Lord was not in that winde: They looke for the [Page 104] same immediate and miraculous assistance of Gods spirit which the Apostles had, who tooke no thought what to speake, Mat. 10.19. for it was given them in the same houre. So they take no thought what they heare, nor how they heare, thinking it shall bee given them in the same houre. Their customary performance in the first entrance I cannot relate without indignation: how rude and insufficient it is, doth appeare unto all men. Will God regard that prayer, which thou thy selfe dost so little regard? Whereas thy Soliloquie then, though performed with the best reverence, should be but as the Amen to thy private devotions that went before: [Page 105] judge in your selves, is it comely so to doe? Holy David, who so earnestly desired to appeare before God, when hee had that liberty granted unto him, did hee rashly and unadvisedly thrust himselfe into Gods presence? Hee whose musicke was so coelestiall, did he not first bring his instruments into tune, and then praise the Lord upon them? Psal. 26 6. Hee first washed his hands in innocency, & then did compasse thine Altar O Lord.
There bee many that doe lend their bodily presence, but doe not give their soules unto God: Some that have not entred into Iobs covenant with their eies, and they gaze after vanity: others that [Page 106] minde earthly things, and they rob God of his honour, making the house of prayer a denne of theeves: Mat. 21.13. And [...]hough Christ when he came as Man, did correct those money-changers with the rods of men, onely making a scourge of small coards to drive them out of the Temple; Iohn 2.15. yet at his second comming hee will whip them with scorpions, even with that wo [...]me of conscience which never dyeth: How shall any sinner presume to appeare before the Lord, before whom all things are naked and manifest, unlesse he resolve to abandon all wickednesse? Hee seeth thee, as if thou wert then acting thine hainous sinnes: And if the [Page 107] Lord did threaten to punish a secret sin before all Israel & before the sun, 2. Sam. 12.12. then how terrible wil he be in taking vengeāce upon those daring presumptuous sinners, who make that most holy place a stage of wickednes, & a cage of all uncleannes? Therefore let us renounce all sinne, and with Cornelius present our selves before God, to heare all things commanded of God: Let me not seeme uncharitable, I would be sorry to offend the least of those little ones; There bee some that desire frequently to come and appeare before God, which is a good gift, and commeth downe from the Father of lights: But then you must take heed lest that [Page 108] tares grow up in lieu of the good seed: If any shall think the worke done, that is, being present in the Congregation to be a worke meritorious, it proceeds from that old leaven of popery, and must bee purged out. So often as God suffereth thee to appeare, hee giveth another talent, which being well used will further thine accompt, but otherwise increaseth thy condemnation: Thinke that which thou hearest to bee of the nature of a prophecy, which is never fulfilled but by thy practice. Be not like he blinded horse that goeth [...]lwayes in the same compasse. 2. Tim. 3 7. It is good to bee ever lea ning, but it is most dangerous to bee never able to [Page 109] come to the knowledge of the truth; and if not to the knowledge, then much lesse to the practice of it: Though custome in sinning takes away the sense of sinne, yet let not our ill doing of good have the same bad effect: Cursed will hee be that doth the worke of the Lord negligently; and a surfet by the abuse of Gods blessings must needs bee mortall. The continuall sound of the Word hath beene like the Catadupes of Nilus, to make us deafe, And the frequent us [...] of it hath rebated the edge of our affection; so that wee doe not hearken unto the Lord, though the Lord hath beene pleased to hearken unto us: As yet the Lord hath [Page 110] been slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy, Mal. 3.16. not rewarding us according to our iniquities; Psal. 103. For a long time we have enjoyed this freedome to come and appeare before God: The Word hath continued as long as man liveth; the years of the Gospel have beene threescore yeares and tenne, and if those yeares be made up fourescore, wee must wonder at the Lords mercy. Now is the acceptable time and the day of salvation: So long as wee have this blessing to approach into his presence, there is hope of pardon and reconciliation; Esther 7 8. & 6.13. but if once our faces bee covered (as Hamans was) that we may not appeare before the King of Kings, wee [Page 111] may feare that prediction of Zeresh will be fulfilled in us, Ne amplius faciem regis videret: ut sicbat apud Persas ris qui à gratiâ regis exciderant. Iun. Wee shall not prevaile, but shall surely fall into woe and misery. It is true that God sometimes denieth this liberty unto his beloved children (as here unto David) that they cannot joyne with the assembly; but then they are uncessant in their prayers to be restored and enlarged, and their hearts are the more inflamed with the love of God, and they learne more highly to prize those blessings which before were offered unto them; As the Church refused to open unto Christ when hee knocked, Cant 5.6. but after he had withdrawne himselfe shee sought him with all diligence. And thus [Page 112] God prepares a table for us in the wildernes, and relieves us in our greatest necessity: Wee may see what assurance David had in saying, When shall I come? hee doth not say, I shall never come, but beleeveth there will bee a time of comfort, Psal. 27.4. when hee shall inquire in the Temple. Nor is it without cause that hee so much desireth to appeare before God, having ever found his eare open unto his prayer: As for Saul, the Lord was angry with him, and would not answer him, neither by dreames, 1. Sam. 28.5. & 23, 2, 4, 11, 12, & 30.8. nor by Urim, nor by Prophets; but when soever David inquired of the Lord, he received a gracious answer; which made him say, How amiable [Page 113] are thy tabernacles? Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, Psal. 84. for a day in thy courts is better than a thousand; and hee was glad when they said unto him, & 122.1. Let us goe into the house of the Lord: yea in his greatest agony after hee had laine all night upon the earth, and his head both was and seemed to be as a fountaine of teares, even then, in the beginning of comfort he went into the house of the Lord and worshipped before hee would eate any bread: 2. Sam. 12.20. And now when he fled from his sonne, he thought it the best testimony of Gods love that he might come and appeare before him; 2. Sam. 15.25. If I finde favour in the eyes of the Lord, hee will bring me againe, [Page 114] and shew mee both the Arke and his habitation. And although he were prohibited from building of the materiall Temple, yet had hee dedicated his body, being the Temple of the holy Spirit, 1. Cor. 6.19. unto the service of God: And hee erected a Church in his house, wherein all the vessels were holy, Rom. 16.5. for none that wrought deceit might dwell therein; Psal. 101.7. and there also God was honoured. And lastly hee set up a Basilica (a building well beseeming such a King) when hee, and all the house of Israel did bring the Arke into Zion, which was an assurance of Gods presence among the people: Wherefore let the same minde bee in you Philip. 2.5. [Page 115] which was in David and in Christ himselfe, Psal. 16.8. who foresaw the Lord alwaies before his face. Act. 2.25. Let thy closet bee as an Oratory, and therein doe thou appeare before thy Father, who seeth in secret, and will reward thee openly. Mat. 6.6. Let thine house bee like a Church, wherein thou and thine daily and duely in the day may serve the Lord; and not like those Chappels in great buildings which are roomes of greatest necessity, but of least use.
VERSE III. My teares have beene my meat day and night, while they continually say unto mee, Where is thy God?
BEfore he thirsted for the living God; and now he saith, That his teares were his meat: So that untill such time as his soule shall bee filled with heavenly comfort, he doth continue mourning. My teares have beene my meate: Whereby wee may understand the greatnesse of his sorrow, which held him from taking his bodily sustenance: My heart is smitten, so that I forget to eate my bread. Psal 102.4. And wee know that in the time of griefe, the Elders [Page 117] of his house could not perswade him to eate meate with them; 2. Sam. 12.17. Haec itaque sibi recordata est, Postquam satigata [...]uerat lacrymaudo. Sc. Niobe. Homer: Il. 24. whereas the chiefe mourner in outward sorrow desired meate: Or else, his teares were his meat, that is, hee received the same strength and comfort by his teares, that others did by eating. He was fed with the bread of teares, Psal. 80.5. & had teares given him to drinke in great measure: And he had teares for his meate, they were his whole repast, so that no part of his food was wanting in them; and that not onely in the day, when others use to eate, Psal. 102.9. and when hee himselfe did mingle his drinke with weeping, but his teares were his meat both day and night. As Christ said to his Disciples, [Page 118] I have meate to eate that yee know not of; Iohn 4.32 so may every good Christian say, I have meate to eate that the world know not of: He findeth great comfort by the teares hee sheds, which are the best evidence of Gods favour and love unto him. For as it appeared that Elijah his sacrifice was accepted by the fire that fell, 1. King. 18.38. so it is evident that our sacrifice is accepted by this water that falleth downe.
Man is borne unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward: The crying of the child after birth, is but the beginning of sorrowes: Naturally wee are inclined to remorse in our selves, Mollissima corda, humano generi. &c. Iuvenal. and compassion towards others. And there bee [Page 119] many that have not power to retaine their teares; Excidunt etiam retinentibus lacrymae. Senec. Act. 22.28. but as the chiefe Captaine said, that hee was not free borne, but with a great summe hee obtained his freedome: So wee by our birth, are not able to shed such teares as David did, but with many prayers wee obtaine this freedome, that wee can mourne before the Lord. It is a signe of life in the childe if it cryes; and it is a blessed testimony, that wee are borne againe, and have the life of grace in us, when we cry unto the Lord, and doe humble our selves in weeping and lamentation. Teares doe accompany any vehement commotion, Lacrymae omnis fere gravioris commotionis com tes Causab [...]. and perturbation of minde: True it is, that any vaine and unworthy [Page 120] occasion doth produce teares sooner than godly sorrow, which alone deserves them: If wee knew rightly how to bestow them, Nulli parcendum est rei magis quam huic cuius tam frequens usus est. Sen. wee would not lavish them so fondly as wee doe. In our selves wee are as withered branches, having no sap nor moisture, but from the root Christ Iesus: The manifold troubles and miseries of this life doe make us to be obdurate; Quantum est Helena quod lacrymat malum. Sen. in Tro. and our hearts thereby come to bee harder than stones, which give against the weather. As Moses did smite the rocke twice, Num. 20.11. Lam. 2.18. Terque quaterque manu p [...]ctus percussit honestum. V [...]rgil. and the water came out abundantly; so wee must often strike our hearts, that teares may runne downe like a river day and night: And wee must pray [Page 121] unto God, who turneth the flint into a fountaine of waters, Psal. 114.8. to take out our hearts of stone, and to give us hearts of flesh. He it is that raiseth the springs from the depth of the earth, Psal. 104.10. and causeth them to run among the hils; that worketh in us a broken heart, and maketh the eye to runne downe with rivers of water: Lam. 3.48. Wherefore as Achsah having received a South-land of Caleb her father, Iosh. 15.19. did sue unto him to give her also springs of water, and hee gave her the upper springs, and the neather springs; so wee should pray unto our father, to give us the upper, and the neather springs; even an heart bleeding for our sins, Lam. 3.49. and an eye trickling downe [Page 122] with teares of repentance: yea wee should resolve not to give rest unto our eies, nor slumber unto our eye-lids, untill that we have mourned for our transgressions: And although those Iewes were accursed of God and themselves, being bound neither to eate nor drinke till they had killed Paul; Act. 23. v. 12. yet we shall bee blessed, yea thrice blessed shall wee bee, if wee bind our selves neither to eate nor drinke, untill wee have fervently sued for this meate, which was Davids diet, most comfortable to the soule: And as Adam in the sweat of his face was to eate his bread, so wee by our importunate and effectuall prayer, should seeke for this food of [Page 123] our soules, which may bee compared unto Manna, that came downe from heaven, Exod. 16.14. and it is God that giveth this unto us; that came with the dew of the night, and this we receive with those teares which wee shed; that ceased when they came to Canaan, Iosh. 5.12. and this shall cease when we come to the heavenly Canaan, Revel. 21.4. for then shall all teares bee wiped from our eyes. Lastly, as there was a golden pot of Manna kept in remembrance thereof; so there is a bottle of our teares, Psal. 56.8. which God keepeth in remembrance thereof: And that of it selfe may be the most powerfull argument to make us distill some teares, because they are not as water spilt on [Page 124] the ground which cannot be gathered up againe, but God hath provided a flagon to put them in. Also wee may consider the necessity of them, Nec non etiam precor lympham. Quoniam sine aqua omnis arida ac misera agricultura. Varro. that as the labour of the husbandman is vaine and fruitlesse, without a plentifull raine to water the ridges thereof abundantly; so other actions will be of small purport, without these heavenly showers to refresh us when wee are weary: Gen. 43.30. Wherefore, as Ioseph sought where to weepe, and he entred into his Chamber and wept there; so let us seeke some retired place, Ier. 13.17. Nemo sibi tristis est. Sen. that our soules may weepe in secret, as Ieremiah did: Worldly sorrow desireth to be manifest, and appeare unto men; but this [Page 125] godly sorrow is hidden from the eyes of men; Siquis adest iussae prosi [...] unt lacrymae Martial. none but our heavenly father seeth it. And these our teares must not bee like the morning cloud, or the early dew; Hos. 13.3. but as the former and the latter raine: they must begin in our first conversion, and they must continue so long as wee continue, ever running down plenteously like Aarons oyntment, Psal 133. which went down from his head to the skirts of his garments; so wee should wish our head to bee a fountaine of teares, Ier. 9.1. Cur non ocul [...]s plures [...] bis na [...] [...]. Sen. in T [...]b. Cum [...]us fier. didedert [...]n [...]um du [...] taxat diem. Senec. and that wee had many eies, that we might sufficiently bewaile our iniquities: And that not onely for a day (which was the time set apart for sorrow) but untill our eyes doe faile with [Page 126] teares, weeping untill wee have no more power to weepe. Lam. 2.11. 1. Sam. 30.4. It is said of David, that hee lift up his voyce and wept: So wee, when wee weepe must lift up our voice and our hearts also, unto the Lord in prayer; that so the teares which wee powre out, may be as a drink-offering, acceptable before him. And though by reason of our teares wee bee not able to speake unto the Lord, yet as Perseus wrought compassion in the people by his teares which stopped the passage of his speech; Sed aliquo [...]ies dic [...]re incipientem cum lacrvmae praepea [...]ent. Liv [...]. so will the Lord have pitty upon us, when through the greatnesse of our sorrow wee are not able to speake unto him: Vocisque repens singulens apertum inercepit iter. [...] at. yea, then wee cry unto him with best [Page 127] successe, when wee seeme to bee over-whelmed with our sighs and teares, that we cannot distinctly utter our complaints before him: Then also the spirit helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what wee should pray for, Rom 8.26. as wee ought, but the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be expressed. Omnia Iugentium officia solerter finxit, sed lacrvmae procedere nolucrunt Apul. Lacryma [...] non sponte cadentes eff [...] dit, gem [...]tas (que) express (que) pecto [...]e laeto. Lucan. Other gestures of sorrow may bee acted, but teares are not so easily forced; and though they sometime bee drawne out to make some appearance of outward griefe, yet in godly sorrow, wee know, they bee alwayes sincere and just; wherein they doe as much excell the other, as orien pearle doe common glasse: [Page 128] But let us thinke them to bee serious & without guile; yet how superfluous are they for the most part, as one spake of a sorry Comaedian, Rhodophili comaedia, adeo infulsa est, ut misericordiam potius quam risum excitet. I [...]l. Scal. Quanto risu pro [...]equenda sunt quae nobis lacrimas educunt. Sen. Quae causa ind [...]gna serenos faedavit vul [...]s. Virgil. that hee did stirre up compassion rather than mirth: So we may affirme the contrary, That the teares of many deserve thus to bee reproved rather than to be pittied: And unto others that are more passionate and dolorous, yet not squaring their sorrow according to the rule of the Word, wee may speake as Paul did, What meane you to weepe and to breake mine heart? Acts 22.13. as having a fellow-feeling of their weaknesse, who for want of comfort and courage, are weighed downe under the burthen of any calamity. [Page 129] Wee should not bee ignorant of the devices of that wicked one, who seeketh to deale by us, as Cyrus did by those whom he besieged; Herodot. li. 1. hee divided the great river into diverse currents, by the which hee passed over and subdued Babylon: So our Enemy hopeth for victory by turning that streame of our teares, which ought to bee for our sinnes, into new passages. If wee have any losse, wee lament with unfained teares: In the death of children wee refuse to bee comforted because they are not: In the departure of our friends, wee mourne as those that have no hope: yea though wee part but for a time wee strive who should [Page 130] exceed in weeping: whereas it would be our wisedome to keepe this river of teares within the proper bounds, that it may not exceed the limits (as Iordan doth in time of harvest) and thereby hinder us from reaping our b [...]st benefit. Canst thou mourne at some dolefull story? yea it may be at some slanderous and malicious fiction, Invida cur in me stimulasti musa Maronem? Auson. Q [...]od commentus est in odium Cartha ganiensium. Fo [...]. Scal. as that of Dido killing her selfe? And canst thou not mourne for thy sinnes both desperate and presumptuous, whereby thou hast laboured to destroy thine owne soule? Quod puduislet ipsum histrionis incommodis & affection bu [...] [...]isericordem videri, &c. AE [...]an. As that cruell King arose, and went from a Tragoedy confounded with shame and sorrow, that hee should seeme to be touched with remorse [Page 131] at the false semblance of an Actor, and yet be without any commiseration towards his owne subjects: So wee may abhorre our selves that wee can dissolve into teares upon some frivolous occasion, and yet bee without any contrition when it is most needfull. Christ saith, Mat 20.15. Is thine eye evill because I am good? What eye so evill and so full of malice, as that which is an enemy to the soule? Wilt not thou mourn because God is gracious in giving his blessings? in forgiving thy sinnes? Rather let the bounty and long sufferance of God lead thee to repentance. Strangulat inclusus d [...] lor atque [...]or, aestuat [...]ntus Ovid. Doe wee finde such inlargement and quiet by those common teares wee [Page 132] let fall, when we are surcharged and ready to breake for want of vent? Fletus aerumnas levat, Sen. then how great consolation may wee find by our godly sorrow, when wee are as good grapes troden in the wine-presse, and doe yeeld that precious liquor whereby the heart is cheered? Est quaedam delendi volup [...]s prae ertimsi in amici sinu defleas. Plin. Iun. Magis exurunt quos secretae lacerant curae. Sen in Agam. Doe we receive solace and release in the sympathy of a friend, unto whom wee powre out our complaint, who pittieth us, & mingleth his teares with ours? then how shall wee value these which wee shed in the presence of the Almighty, Psal. 39.12. who is not silent at our teares but speakes comfortably unto our soules? Who is not like our friend that bids us bee warmed and filled, not being [Page 133] able to give us those things we want; But he doth warme our hearts with his blessings, and fill our soules with comfort; He hath delivered my soule from death, Psal. 116.8. & 30.5. mine eyes from teares, and my feete from falling. Weeping may endure for a night, Vt levis quaedam & moderata hum [...]ctatio terrae affundatur. Kecker. and bee like unto the dew, whereby a gentle moisture is spread upon the earth, but joy commeth in the morning: In the beginning of that great day, when the Sun of righteousnesse doth arise, Mala. 4. Isai. 25.8. he will wipe away teares from off all faces. In the meane while during this disconsolate estate, wee receive light and comfort by that day-starre arising in our hearts, 2. Pet. 1.19. the glad tidings of the Gospel: So [Page 134] that as sorrowfull wee alwayes rejoyce. 2. Cor. 6.10. It is most just that teares should bee our meate, when as the eyes did at first offend in desiring to eate the forbidden fruite, Gen. 3.6. which seemed pleasant unto them, and to be desired for food: where we must observe the Lords gracious dealing with us, who hath taken out the sting out of our sorrow, & turned that into a blessing, which might justly have bin a curse and a punishment: For as meate came out of the eater, so we receive comfort by our sorrow, which might have beene as a lyon to devoure us; And as Paul provided for the excommunicate person, 2. Cor. 2.7. that hee should not be swallowed up with overmuch [Page 135] heavinesse; So the Lord in mercy receiveth us that deserve to be cast out of his presence, and giveth us this savoury meate, better than all the delicious fare in the world; for the which our soules doe blesse him both in life and death: As it was a testimony of Iosephs love unto Benjamin, Gen. 43.34. that his meale was five times as much as any of his brethren; so it is a most sure pledge of God his love when hee giveth us a large portion of this heavenly meate. It was a great honour unto Mephibosheth to eate continually at King Davids table, 2. Sam. 9.13. but it is much more honourable unto us, to eate the same spirituall meat, and to drinke the same spirituall [Page 136] drink which David did. Then let us covet this heavenly gift; and as the Disciples said, Lord evermore give us this bread; so let us say, Iohn. 6. Lord evermore give us this meate, that wee may live for ever. Non in sacris tantum, sed etiam in penore tangendo observavêre veteres. Turneb. Mar. 7.3, 4. It was the tradition of the Elders to wash diligently before they did eate, And Christ blamed the Pharisees for their superstition therein, who made cleane the outside, but within were full of wickednesse. But this meat doth cleanse that which is within, and the outside is cleane also. Hereby we our selves are cleansed, and all things are cleane unto us: We have right unto the creatures to sustaine our bodies; and this meate is a preparative [Page 137] unto that spirituall meat: By the teares which we shed in our examination, wee become in some measure worthy receivers of that food of our soules.
I may produce some examples of those that have mourned, that we being compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, may likewise breake into a shower of teares. And first, behold how our blessed Saviour loved Lazarus, Iohn 11.35. weeping for him being dead: And hast thon no love to thine own soule? Canst thou not weepe for thy selfe, being dead in sin? Did hee weepe, Luk. 19 41. foreseeing the destruction of Ierusalem? And canst not thou mourne to foresee, yea to behold [Page 138] before thine eyes, the miserable estate of Gods people? Doth not the bloud of the Saints, and servants of God that is shed move thee to shed some teares? Shall Mary Magdalen weepe enough to make a bath for Christs feet? And wilt not thou weepe that thine owne soule may bee washed and cleansed? Did Peter weepe bitterly? And dost thou delude thy selfe as Agag did, 1. Sam 15.32. thinking the bitternesse of death to bee past without the bitternesse of sorrow? And what shall I more say? For the time would faile me to tell of Iob, Iob 16.20. Act. 20.19. 2. Cor. 2.4. whose eye powred forth teares unto God; of Paul, who wept with many teares; of Ieremiah [Page 139] his Lamentation, and of the rest of the Prophets: Onely looke upon David, who, were it not for the disparagement, Sic parvis, &c. may be compared to Heraclitus, Et ipse inter deplorandos erat Senec. ever weeping: But the one was to be pittied for weakenesse, the other to bee imitated for holinesse. His eyes were consumed because of griefe; Psal. 6.7. & 32.10. His life was spent with griefe; Hee mourned because of the oppression of the enemy, & 43.2. & 88 [...]. & 55 [...]. and by reason of his affliction; & 119.136. & 38 6. & 6.6. Hee mourned in his complaint, and rivers of waters ranne down his eyes because they kept not thy Law; Hee went mourning all the day long, and all the night hee made his bed to swimme; His teares were his meate [Page 140] both day and night: Let this move us to weepe with him that wept so much; Rom. 12.15. knowing, Psal. 6.8. that God heareth the voice of our weeping. Thereby we cast aside every weight both of sinne and sorrow; And our eies being throughly washed by the teares of repentance, wee come to see those things which the eare hath not heard, nor is the tongue able to utter: Psal. 126.5. And at last after this wet seed time, we reape in joy. Now let us behold the doubtfull estate of those whose hearts are hard as the Adamant, being yet in the bond of iniquity; who thinke that this expression of sorrow doth arise out of an effeminate tendernesse. But wee may say [Page 141] of laughter, it is mad; Eccles. 2.2. The mirth and jollity of the wicked, being like the laughter of a mad man, for the which all his friends doe grieve. Such being in subjection to the Prince of the ayre, Neque solum linguam nutusque servitu [...]e constringeret, sed etiam oculis à naturâ tributam libertatem eriperet. Aelian. hee dealeth with them, as that tyrant did, who having interdicted private conference, and discontented gestures, and hearing of some that wept & mourned, he sought to forbid that also, lest thereby some conspiracy might begin against him. So Satan fearing lest that by the teares of contritiō they should cast off his heavy yoke, and not suffer sinne to reigne in their mortall bodies, his chiefe practice is to keepe them from godly sorrow: [Page 142] And therefore hee dealeth with them as the Fox doth by the Goose, which he taketh by the necke and so hindreth from crying out; Hee stoppeth our complaint, and prevents our crying unto the Lord; Like a thiefe he climbeth up and entreth in at the windowes of this our earthly house, and robbeth us of all grace and comfort. Hee keepeth the eies for his owne passage, making them instruments of wickednesse, and brethren in cruelty: Whereas if they were like the poole of Heshbon, full of this holy water, hee should not be admitted thereby. Heb. 12.17. If Esau found no place of repentance though hee sought it carefully with teares, what [Page 143] can wee thinke of those that come short of him, who (as wee may feare) came short of heaven? Where it is said, that in place of torment, Mat. 8.12. Sum Nilus, sumque Aetna simul. Sanaz. There shall be weeping; the punishment is most just for them that never mourned in the time of their life. The light of the body is the eye; Luke 1 [...].34. The light of the soule are the teares in the eye: And as One, Gallum Terrinium, captum repentè oc [...]is & ob ad media mori destinantem. Sueton. who had lost the sight of his eyes did resolve to famish his body; so they that want these teares doe seeke to overthrow the good estate of their soules, not having this heavenly nourishment which David had, Whose teares were his meat day and night.
VERSE III. While they continually say unto mee, Where is thy God?
AS the friends of Iob, that came to mourne with him, did sit downe by him, and none spake a word, for they saw that his griefe was very great; Iob 2.13. So likewise if we that passe by the way will enter into the house of mourning, and consider and behold the greatnesse of Davids sorrow, wee shall bee dumbe with silence, and our sorrow also will bee stirred: And yet these his enemies having no regard doe persecute him whom the Lord had smitten; as if the corection of the Almighty were too mercifull, they are [Page 145] inraged with bitter malice against him. It was not one, or some few, but many of them that spake thus unto him: Nor did the storme sodainly blow over, but they persevered in this their fury; And having singled him out, they give him no time to recover strength, but make him to be the only mark at whom they shoote their arrowes, Psal. 64.3. even bitter words. And this they did not in the time of prosperity, but in his greatest necessity, & 71.11. when (as they thought) God had forsaken him, and there was none to deliver him; 2. Sam. 16 9. then these dead dogs cursed the King: They doe not upbraid him with any outward losse, for they knew how lightly hee esteemed [Page 146] all earthly things; but having travailed with iniquity, Psal. 7.1 [...] and conceived mischiefe, they bring forth falshood, and say, Where is thy God? As all the city cryed out, when the Arke of God was taken, And the wife of Phinehas about the time of her death named the child Ichabod, [...]. S [...]m. 4. verse 1 [...].2 [...]. that is, Where is the glory? which was then departed from Israel: So these his enemies, thinking to make his sorrow to be deadly and desperate, doe say unto him, Where is thy God? in whom thou hast heretofore gloried, as if thou hadst some peculiar right and interest in him: Numb. 16.3. whereas all the congregation are holy, every one of them; and the Lord [Page 147] is among them: He hath bin and ever will bee a God of mercy unto us; And because the cry of that innocent bloud, which thou hast shed, is come up before him, Hee will arise and shew himselfe a God of vengeance in punishing thy sinnes: So that thou art taken to thy mischiefe, thou bloudy man, and thou man of Belial; Iob. 4.8. & 8.2 [...]. Having plowed iniquity, and sowne wickednesse, thou must reape the same; for God will not helpe the evill doers: Yea rather than thy sinnes shall goe unpunished, thine owne sonne shall lift up himselfe against thee. Thus did hee beare in his bosome the reproach of all the mighty people: Before this, Psal. 89.50. he was [Page 148] checked for the pride and naughtinesse of his heart, and that by a brother, which should rather have beene a comfort unto him: Hee was scornefully used, and counted as a servant that had broke away from his Master, where he formerly deserved kindnesse. Hee was cursed with a grievous curse by Shimei, who threw stones at him that in disgrace was called The Stone, as if all his credit came by hitting Goliah; and cast dust at him, thereby telling him, that God had raised him out of the dust, but now hee had provoked the Lord. Hee whose tongue was his glory, who made so many divine hymnes in praise of God, yet was hee a [Page 149] proverb to the wicked, and the song of the drunkards. Psal. 69.11, 12. And what could bee more grievous unto him, than to bee reproached for that faith and confidence which hee reposed in the Almighty? as if his former profession were nothing but hypocrisie: Also the measure of his griefe was the fuller, because hee saw that this their calumny, and words of hatred, did reflect upon God himselfe, as if hee should forsake those that put their trust in him: And therefore hee mourned because they violently ranne upon their owne destruction, Psal. 1 [...]9.13 [...] in sinning against the lawes of God. And such is our condition, that when God hath gathered us under his wings, [Page 150] whosoever doth seek to hurt us, they strike at God himselfe; and in our persecution hee also is persecuted. Neither did they wound him with their tongues onely, which they thought to bee their owne, Psal. 140.3. having adders poyson under their lips, whereby being stung, he lifted up his eies unto the Lord; But also by their disdainfull carriage they vexed his righteous soule from day to day; Psal. 109.26. Isai. 59 9. A tergo qu [...]m nulla ciconia [...]it. Persius. Vel co [...] mo [...] vel digiti in [...]a [...]iorie. C [...]bon. It being usuall to shake the head and to put forth the finger in disgrace. Looke how it was in the dayes of David, so it is now, and so it will be unto the comming of the Son of man: If a good man bee in affliction and sicknesse (God chastising every sonne [Page 151] whom hee receiveth) some there bee that will say, Psal. 3.2. There is no helpe for him in God; thinking that bodily diseases are alwayes a signe of Gods wrath: If hee fall into any offence, through infirmity, (for who is hee that sinneth not?) they, 1. Cor. 13. being uncharitable, will rejoyce in his iniquity. As when David wept and made sack-cloth his garment, it was to his reproach; Psal. [...]9.10. so the least spot upon the garment of those that mourn before the Lord, shall bee made to appeare for their disgrace: Yea, though they walke wisely and circumspectly, yet there bee some that perversly will make that which is straight, to be crooked. When David, in an holy [Page 152] zeale and heavenly joy, did dance before the Lord, yet even for that, Michal, the wife in his bosome did despise him in heart. Many that bee now in the same bosome of the Church, and hope hereafter to bee in the same bosome of Abraham, will speake contemptuously of those that desire to have a good cōscience in all things, Heb. 12. [...]8. and are willing to live honestly. With the tongue blesse wee God, even the Father, Iam. 3.9. and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God: So those men will speake to the praise of God, that they may bee reputed the children of the most High; and yet will vilifie such as they in scorne, [Page 153] and the Scripture in honour call Brethren, who labour to repaire that image which was defaced by the fall of Adam, and doe give unto the Lord that which is the Lords: But envy hath ever beene like unto fire, which ascendeth unto that which is highest. David, Invidiam tanquam ignem summa pet [...]re Livi. whom God exalted to bee head of the people, had many enemies; And the men of this world, doe hate those whom God hath chosen out of the world; unto whom hee will give a crowne of life: Yet their owne consciences doe tell them, that they are more righteous than themselves. Wherefore those servants that shall thus smite their fellow-servants (for many Mat. 24.49. [Page 154] stripes are more tolerable than evill words) their Lord shall come in a day when they looke not for him, Q [...]i mortem ac ver [...]era tole [...]biliora c [...] a [...] quam [...] [...]osa verba. Sence, and appoint them their portion with the hypocrites. As for our selves, [...] 2.20. if we suffer for doing well, and take it patiently, it is acceptable with God: And hereunto were wee called, because Christ also suffered for us; who when hee was reviled, reviled not againe: Let us consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners, Heb. 12 3. lest wee be wearied, and faint in our minds. Yee know how the whole band of Souldiers mocked him, saying, Haile King of the Iewes; And they that passed by reviled him, saying, If thou be the Sonne [Page 155] of God, come downe from the crosse: Yea the chiefe Priests like whited walls, contrary to the law, spake evill of the Ruler of the people, of the Lords Christ, of that high Priest that offered up himselfe for us: Hee trusted in the Lord, let him deliver him if hee will have him: And the theeves themselves, to make the cause of their suffering to bee more just, thought they could not spend their last breath better than by casting the same in his teeth. All which reproaches were but as so many variations of that which was here spoken to David, Where is thy God? True it is, that our blessed Saviour did seeme to bee forsaken of [Page 156] God for a time, that wee might for ever enjoy the presence of the Almighty. If we love him, both He, and the Father will come unto us, Mat. 28 20. Iohn 14. and make their abode with us, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: But yee know him, for hee dwelleth with you and shall bee in you. How then can wicked men object, Where is thy God? seeing he is graciously present with us at all times, and neerest unto us in any trouble; as hee hath promised to bee with us in fire and water, In gravescente rerum adversarum mole [...]ta frangitur piorum animus, ut etiam ipsi dicant sibi, &c. Flami [...]. and the greatest danger: Yet we our selves in the time of afflictiō, through weakenesse & want of faith, [Page 157] may thinke that wee are cast out of his sight, not clearely discerning his love towards us: But as Iacob, when he awaked out of his sleepe, said, Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not; Gen. 28.16. so when the Lord doth raise us from our deadnesse and heavinesse of spirit, we then find that hee was present with us in our disconsolate estate, disposing all things for our future good: And therefore wee may answer them as David doth, Psal. 115.3.4. Our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatsoever hee pleased; Their idols are silver and gold, the worke of mens hands. Such are the idols of all those that serve Mammon, who keepe their gold and silver safe, as [Page 158] being their onely gods that must defend them: Gen. 31.34. But as Laban sought for his gods and could not finde them, so they may hope for comfort, and not finde it: And then we may say unto them, Where are thy gods? Wee know that no man can see God and live; The people said unto Moses, Exod. 23.20. & 20.19. Let not God speake with us lest wee dye: Gideon and Manoah feared death, having seene an Angell: And the souldiers themselves, Mat. 28. became as dead men when the Angel of the Lord descended. And yet such is the perverse corruption of mans nature, that they neglect the worship of God the Creator of all things, and doe bow downe [Page 159] to such Gods as they see with their eyes: The Israelites having formerly seene the Egyptians worship Apis (which is the same with Osyris) in the likenesse of an oxe, Sandys. they forgat God their Saviour, and began with a calfe, saying, These bee thy gods, Num. 32.4. O Israel; which in a short time would have multiplied into many gods. The love and reverence which little children beare to their babies, are evident seeds of Idolatry: Moulin. in buckler. Imagines & statuae deorum n [...]hil aliud sunt quam grandes pup [...]e. and the Images of the gods are nothing else, but babies come to the full growth: Such as have blotted out that second commandement may justly feare that God will take away their part out of the book of life.
If in the time of affliction, when God punisheth us for our offences, it be a great addition to our misery, the harsh censures and malignant speeches of wicked men; Then it is our best wisedome so to walke with God, that hee may be unto us a sunne, and a shield, bringing all good, and defending from all evill; And as Enoch pleasing God, Heb. 11.5. was translated that hee should not see death; which is the wages of sinne; So if wee bee in all things obedient unto Gods Word, hee will take us into his favour, and wee shall bee delivered from unreasonable men, Rom. 3.13. whose throate is an open sepulchre: Wherefore as the lamp went not out, in the [Page 161] Temple, before the Lord called Samuel; 1. Sam. 3.3. so the light both of good workes and also of joy, should ever ascend, untill God call us unto himselfe: That others beholding the same may bee ashamed that they have falsly accused our good conversation; and may be stirred up to glorifie God. 1. Pet. 3.13. For who is he that will harme you, if yee bee followers of that which is good? Also our owne guilt doth set an edge upō the reproaches of wicked men, and make them to bee like a sword in our bones; Whereas if wee were innocent, wee should like the daughter of Eli, neither answer, nor yet regard what is spoken unto us: Bitter invectives being [Page 162] contemned doe vanish away, but by anger wee confesse them to be true: S [...]reta exoleseunt; si irascar agnita vid [...]ntu [...]. Tacit. Wherefore that wee may bee compassed about with that brazen wall of a good conscience, and secured from the censures of uncharitable men; as Mithridate is made of the viper, so let us make that to bee our Antidote, which is here spoken by those that had sharpened their tongue like a serpent; Psal. 140 3 judging our selves, that wee may not be condemned by them. In the time of prosperity let this bee ever sounding in thine eares, Where is thy God? And thou shalt bee kept from wrath and misery, when they do wound thine heart, while they continually say unto [Page 163] thee, Where is thy God? Had Eve thought upon these words, they would have bin an ornament of grace unto her head, and chaines about her necke: Shee would not have beleeved the father of lyes before the God of truth; but for want thereof shee miscarri [...]d, by eating that forbidden fruite, for which her soule longed. Had David thought upon these words, being on the roofe of his house, hee would have said, as hee did at another time, The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy-worke: Then would he not have defiled himselfe with her that was purified from her uncleannesse; Neither [Page 164] should these his enemies have said unto him, Where is thy God? And although this affliction be grievous for the present, yet wee receive many benefits thereby; which may bee sufficient to deterre an evill speaker from that outrage. Thereby wee are put in minde to examine our selves, and to humble our soules for our former sinnes. We know they could not speak thus without Gods permission; Wee hope that the Lord will requite good for their cursing; We mourn before him, wee duely consider his dealing with us, and fervently pray to be set at liberty: as David when they spake thus unto him, he had teares for his meate, hee remembred [Page 165] these things and hee powred out his soule in him.
VERSE IIII. When I remember these things, I powre out my soule in me.
FOrmerly hee powred out his teares, and now hee powreth out his soule: For as the body without the spirit is dead; so our teares without the soule are dead also. Wee know that young Ptolomy being in Cesars custody he wept before him; Regius animus disciplinis failacis [...]imi [...] cruditus. Hirt. But when hee was dismissed hee warred against him: So there be too many, that while they be under the rod of correction doe lament greatly, feeling [Page 166] present anguish, and fearing future torment: But being set at liberty, they return to their pollutions: which sheweth plainly, that though they shed many teares, they did not with holy David powre out their soules: Hee remembred the reproach of the wicked; for how could hee forget that which was so often objected against him? and this made his soule melt for heavinesse, Psal. 119.28. Iob 30.16. and be powred out upon him (as Iob speaketh:) Hee remembred his happy estate, which compared with the misery now suffered, did augment his sorrow, Lam. 2.19. and made him powre out his heart like water before the face of the Lord (as Ieremiah doth counsell:) [Page 167] And hee hoped to bee restored unto his former joy, and to finde comfort by prayer; and therefore hee powred out his soule before the Lord (as Hannah practised. 1. Sam. 1.15.) And hee was inlarged by trusting in Gods mercies: Hee received a twofold benefit by considering the dayes of old, the yeares of ancient times: The one was to sustaine him in his trouble, Psal. 77.5.10. by remembring the yeares of the right hand of the most High, who had dealt bountifully with him: Heb. 11.21: And as Iacob worshipped leaning upon the top of his staffe; So he in this weak estate did repose himselfe upon the grace and favour of the Almighty. The other was to mak [...] [...]e sinnes to be as [Page 168] detestable unto him as they were abominable before God, by calling to minde how gracious the Lord had beene towards him, how unworthily hee had requited the Lords goodnesse, and how great blessings hee had lost by the sinnes hee committed: For I had gone with the multitude, even with all the house of Israel, being of one heart, and of one minde: But now I am constrained to flee with my houshold, with strangers and exiles: I went with them to the house of God; But now I goe from the house of God: Nor dare I suffer Zadok, who should be a Seer, to carry the Arke, which ought to abide in the city, with mee in this my private [Page 169] condition, lest that anger of the Lord which smote Uzzah, bee kindled against mee also: I went with the voice of joy and praise, playing upon all maner of instruments, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet; blessing the people in the name of the Lord: But now we weepe and have our heads covered: I went with a multitude that kept holyday: unto whom I gave bread, flesh and wine; Yea I danced before the Lord, and offered burnt offerings & peace offerings: But now I may feare that I am appointed as a sheepe for the slaughter, and that the Lord will have no delight in me. In this disconsolate estate hee flyes [Page 170] unto God by prayer: And as he powred out his complaint before the Lord when hee was pursued by Saul, Psal. 142.2. and was delivered; so now hee powred out his soule, and thereby became more im [...]r [...]g [...]ble, than hee should [...]ave beene by abiding in the strong hold of Zion. Having found such safety therein, he commends the use thereof unto others: Trust in him at all times yee people; P [...]l. [...]1.8. Powre out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. In the time of trouble wee must renounce all strength and worthinesse of our owne, and then God will have mercy upon us: Wee must empty our selves, that so wee may be filled with heavenly comfort. [Page 171] How glorious things are spoken of Prayer in the holy Scripture? Moses would not let God alone untill hee had quenched that wrath which waxed hot against the Israelites: Exod. 3 [...].10. Iacob would not [...]et Him goe, Gen 32 28. untill hee had obtained a blessing, and was [...]refore called Isra [...]l. It is [...]ported of Archimedes, [...]hat hee vainely presumed by [...]is art, hee could move the whole earth if he might have beene lifted up from it: But wee know assuredly, that righteous Elijah being cast downe upon the earth, 1. King. 18.4 [...] did move the heavens themselves: Iam. 5 7. hee prayed earnestly that it might not raine: Hee prayed againe, and the heaven gave raine. So that prayer [Page 172] may bee compared to the ladder which Iacob saw in his dreame; Gen. 28.12. It was set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the Angels ascending and descending on it. By prayer, men (made a little lower than the Angels) doe ascend, and the Angels doe descend for our protection, to pitch their tents about us: As Ionathan climbed up the sharpe rocke and subdued his enemies; 1. Sam. 14.13. So by prayer wee overcome principalities, and powers, and spirituall wickednesse in high places. But then wee must take heed to observe the manner here prescribed, which is, to powre out the soule, to confesse all our sinnes, to purge out the [Page 173] old leaven: Wee cannot thinke to possesse our vessels in holinesse, 1. Thes. 4.4. if wee suffer any dregs of uncleannesse to remaine in them. And as the sent & tast of the first liquor will continue a long time in a vessell after it be emptied; Quo semel est imbuta [...] cens servab [...] odorem Testa diu. So though wee have sincerely repented of all our sinnes, yet that originall corruption remaining will make us cry unto the Lord to deliver us from this body of death: But such as are indulgent to themselves may feare that their presumptuous sinnes will get the victory over them: Wherefore as it is more commodious in the first making and digging of a garden, to have it once well weeded (when the bad roots [Page 174] may bee taken out) than many times afterward; So if thou wouldest bee like that paradise wherein God walked, like that garden into which Christ delighted to come, Cant. 5.1. & 6.2. then search every corner of thine heart, in the time of humiliation, that there may not be any roote bringing forth gall and wormewood: Deut. 29.18. Wee know that the least childe remaining in the house, doth hinder in giving state; And how can God take possession of thy body to be his Temple, when there is any sinne reigning therein? If wee sinne we have an Advocate with the Father: And as that client is like to speed ill in the triall, who giveth advantage to his adversary, [Page 175] in concealing the worst of his case from the Councell; So hee shall bee confounded in the day of judgement, that hath sought to hide his sinne. For Satan, thine accuser, will discover that which thou didst hope should have beene for ever buried: Then learne of Him that thus humbled himselfe, to acknowledge all thy transgressions. Hee is a foole in worldly affaires, that powreth out all at once: But it is heavenly wisedome, in confession of sinne, Pro. 29.11. to powre out all at once, and not to keepe it in untill afterward: David saith, I powre out my soule in mee. His prayer was sincere before God, and it was inward and hidden from the world: There was a time [Page 176] when hee cryed unto the Lord, Psal, 22.1.2. Why art thou so farre from the words of my roaring? But now the greatnesse of his sorrow for his grievous sinnes, and the calamities waiting upon them, made him stand amazed, as not being able to speak. And doubtlesse there is great benefit in the use both of secret and open prayer: As Paul became all things to all men that hee might winne some; so wee may use every kinde that wee may receive a gracious answer: Sometime to cry aloud, lifting up both heart and voyce, to shew our fervency and importunity; and it shall bee opened unto us that knocke. Sometime to shew our reverence by a still [Page 177] voyce, that God may therein reveale himselfe unto us. Sometime praying with the spirit and with understanding, speaking in the heart onely, not daring to use our tongues to call upon his name, seeing wee have dishonoured him thereby: H [...]miles preces in excelsa por [...]gite. Boet. And those our humble prayers will ascend into heaven. Though wee shut both the doore of our closet, and the doore of our lips, when wee pray, being wholly spirituall therein; our Father seeth in secret, and is well pleased with such a sacrifice. If wee desire to make our tongue to be our glory therein; yet the sound of our words may bee submissive, and rather a gentle noyse than a voyce: They [Page 178] that doe thus, they speake softly, Qui Deum precantes susurrant, tacitè loquuntur, atque intus clamant. but inwardly they cry aloud: Hannah when shee prayed did move her lips, but her voyce was not heard; yet shee found such comfort that her countenance was no more sad.
VERSE IIII. For I had gone with the multitude.
HIs present misery is increased by comparing the same with his former comfortable estate, wherein hee served the Lord: And the sorrow for the losse of his perfect freedome doth exceed the griefe of worldly men in their crosses, as much as the gladnesse in his heart Psal. 4. [Page 179] had formerly beene more than the joy which they received by the increase of corne and wine. Outward benefits are deceitfull and vaine: Riches, and the like, may betake themselves to their wings, and fly away: But heavenly blessings are unchangeable, did not wee by our disobedience stop the course of Gods mercies, and cause his judgements and curses to fall upon us. Wherefore, when our destruction doth come from our selves, when by our rebellion wee shall pull downe Gods anger; Infelicissimū genus est infortunii fuisse felicem. Boet. Then the remembrance of our former happinesse is the greatest aggravation of our present wretchednesse and woe.
Also we may observe, that hee was not satisfied with that good which he had formerly done, neither did hee rest contented therein. But his chiefe desire was ever to continue in those holy exercises. From whence wee receive this instruction, that wee ought to forget those things which are behind, Phil. 3.13. and reach forth unto those things which are before, pressing toward the marke: having set our hand to the plough, not to looke backe, nor to spare and favour our selves, during the time of our pilgrimage. Such as desire to worship the Lord unto the end of their lives, and are constant unto death, they shall receive a crowne of life, and [Page 181] an everlasting inheritance: But ungodly men that forsake their first love, like those foolish Galatians, bewitched by that evill spirit, and with Demas doe embrace this present world, 2. Tim. 4.10: they shall undergoe the fierce anger of the Almighty: And as Iordan divided the tribes of Reuben and Gad from the rest of Israel, who, Num. 32. allured with the fertility of the countrey, did set themselves downe, and take up their habitation before they came to the land of promise; So there shall be a great gulfe to separate the wicked (who like sluggards fold their armes together, as if they had wrought sufficiently) from those that abide in the place [Page 182] of blessednesse.
Whereas hee speaketh of himselfe, that hee had gone with the multitude, it will not bee impertinent to consider his twofold regiment, Over the Priests, 1. Cron. 15. verse 17. Rex Anius, [...]ex idem hom [...]num P [...]aeb que sacerdos. Vittis, &c. Virg. and the people; For at this time when hee blessed the people, hee had put on a linnen Ephod over his kingly robe; Also his sonne Salomon succeeded him therein, who was called the Preacher. This was observed by many nations that their Kings were Priests: Gen. 14.18. So Melchizedek was King of Salem, and Priest of the most high God. So was Numa the second King of the Romanes, Livi. lib. 1. and Augustus the second Emperor, who after the death of Lentulus, did [Page 183] take unto himselfe that dignity of being chiefe Pontifex, Pontificatum max [...]mum mortuo demum Lentulo suscepit. Suet that thereby his authority might bee made complete. Gratianus p [...] mus Imperatorum Christianorum, dese [...]vit ab hoc m [...]oru [...] in s [...]t [...]o, Causabon. Which order continued untill that Gratian did neglect that rite and custome observed by all those Christian Emperors before him: This hath beene the use in this Land, since that intolerable yoke of servile subjection unto Rome hath bin cast off, that our annointed Soveraigne should bee the chiefe head of the Church, and in all causes Ecclesiasticall supreme governor. Now where much hath beene given, there much will bee required: Therefore that should be imprinted in their hearts, which was written [Page 184] upon Aarons crowne of fine gold, Exod. 19.30. Holinesse to the Lord; And as the head doth guide and conduct the body, so ought they that are most eminent to leade and direct such as are under them: that they may walke in this way which bringeth to life and salvation. We use to say, that the meanest officer would be knowne in his place, being unwilling to bee abridged of the extent of his power: Then how should they that are raised to highest honour exercise their authority to reduce men to the service of God, as thinking to be their most royall prerogative so to doe? Blessed are the people that bee in such a case, yea blessed be the people whose [Page 185] God is the Lord: And great is the comfort that would be found by the serious performance hereof; when the chiefe ruler like a good shepheard, Iohn 10 4. doth goe before his sheepe, and they doe follow him; then may he have this good testimony in the latter end, & 17.4, 12. That in some measure hee hath finished the worke which was given him to do; and hath not willingly lost any of those that were given unto him: At which time he may pray as Nehemiah did, Nehem. 13.14. Remember mee O my God concerning this, and wipe not out my good deedes that I have done for the house of my God: Surely there is a fulnesse of joy, in the fulnesse of the assembly; when the [Page 186] voyce of the congregation praising the Lord, like that noyse of Charets which the Syrians heard, 2. King. 7.6. shall bee able to put that enemy to flight which doth continually besiege us. Also therein is a most blessed resemblance betweene the Church militant and triumphant; for as God commeth with tenne thousands of Saints, Deut. 33.2. and hath tenne thousand times tenne thousand Angels to stand before him; Dan. 7.10. So likewise many and great multitudes of his servants here upon earth doe desire to appeare in his presence: Luke 15.10. And as the Angels rejoyce over one sinner that repenteth, so the Saints doe rejoyce in this powerfull meanes, whereby many sinners [Page 187] are converted.
Also it will not bee impertinent to consider how David was willing to joine with the meanest of his subjects in the service of God; And would bee base in his owne sight, though in so doing hee seemed vile unto others. Thus in the Kingdome of grace, Isai. 40.4. every valley shall bee exalted, and every mountain and hill shall bee made low. Where truth and sincerity are, there is also a ready disposition to receive benefit by those of least accompt, yea and to doe good unto them without respect of persons: Paul that was indued with such excellent gifts, yet as hee desired to bee brought on his way towards Iudea by 2. Cor. 1.16. [Page 188] the Corinthians; so in like manner hee desired to bee conducted towards that heavenly countrey (whereof Iudea was but a figure) by the Romanes; where hee writeth, Rom. 1.12. For I long to see you, that I may bee comforted together with you, by the mutuall faith both of you and me.
Whereas David makes mention of that singular consolation, which hee found in this communion with the people, they that are most mighty and noble may from hence learne how to esteeme of their poore brethren, for whom Christ died. Amongst barbarous nations there is most tyrannicall usurpation of power; who thinke the [Page 189] vulgar unworthy to inhabite the same walls, Quod spiratis, quod vocem mittitis, quod formam hominum habetis indignantur. T. Livi. lib. 4. to enjoy the same light, to breathe, to speake, to have the shapes of men: But as the brethren of Dives, and all others who seeme to be gods upon earth, shall dye like men; So they which now seeme to bee as wormes and no men, after death shall become glorious.
Likewise we may take notice how worthy of blame they are, who doe oppose themselves against the godly example of David, thwarting and contradicting his heavenly carriage by their unadvised practice of the contrary. Here hee speaketh, that hee went with the multitude, and they peremptorily [Page 190] affirme that they will not go because of the multitude. Hee who was a true Israelite, Iohn 1.45. in whom was no guile, knew right well, that they were not all Israel which were of Israell: Rom. 9.6. But yet the duty it selfe being holy, and ordained as the royall meanes to make chose which were the seed of Abraham to become children; he was ready to joyne with them therein. Who have more need of the Physitian than the sicke? and to be called to repentance than sinners? Wherefore they offend that forbeare assembling themselves together: And they also may justly be reproved, who thinke if they should goe with the multitude, their name would lye [Page 191] hid in obscurity, and therefore out of vainglorious singularity, Ambitio magnis addita est virtutibus. Et eminendi fervor, & vinci dolens Cupido famae. Dom. Baudius. Act. 5.36. they seeke out many inventions, with Theudas boasting themselves to bee some body. Thus doe hereticks and sectaries by jarring, warre against the peaceable estate of the Church: But there was a curse pronounced against him that should attempt the building of Iericho, Iosh. 6.26. which was overthrowne by Ioshuah; And there is no blessing due unto them, that againe doe lay the foundation of these confused Babels, which have beene razed and laid levell by the Churches champions. That may bee said of our times, which was once spoken of the Israelites, The wood devoured [Page 192] more people than the sword. 2. Sam. 18.8. We may praise God that wee are delivered from the sword of persecution and of our enemies: But in the meane while, how many doe lose themselves by intricate by-paths, thinking there bee more wayes than one to walke in; and thereby fall headlong into dangerous errors? It sheweth the desolation of a countrey, when the Kings way shall be forsaken, Isai. 33.8. Iudg. 5.6. so that none doe travaile therein; And we may feare that it doth not prognosticate any happinesse unto our Land, when this way of King David shall lye waste: For now men will goe by themselves, but hee went with the multitude.
VERSE IIII. I went with them to the house of God.
BEcause the greatest number doe goe in the broad way that leadeth to destruction, Mat. 7.13. and wee are forbidden to follow a multitude to doe evill; Exod. 23.2. therefore upon the first mention he presently addeth the place whither hee went with them, which was, to the house of God. Hee was not occasioned thus to doe in imitation of others which did the like; though it were to bee wished that wee had attained thus farre, that wee would be followers together of him, Psal. 3.17. and marke those which walke after this ensample: [Page 194] But as it is more blessed to give than to receive, Act. 20 35. so it is a greater happinesse to give this good example unto others, than to take it from them. Thus David shined as a Light in the world, Phil. 2.15. that the people being illuminated by this pillar of fire, might come to the estate of blessednesse. And thus wee, Vt sidera contrarium mundo iter intendunt; ita sapiens Senec. Et qui exemplo aliis esse debetis, aliorum exemplo peccetis potius quam alii vestro recte sacitis. Livi. lib. 3. if wee desire to shine as the stars (whose motion is contrary to the world) wee should labour to rectifie others, rather than to bee depraved with their vices: Though wee faile of this holy ambition, or want meanes and ability to bee as Leaders in this noble army, yet wee may bee drawne by the example of the multitude (which for the most [Page 195] part use to bee very powerfull) to joyne with the assembly in all heavenly duties: And not to do like unto those which stand convicted, because they will not goe with the flocke to heare the voyce of the shepheard: Nor yet like those which discover their backwardnesse, by comming after the multitude to the house of God; Whereas it were more commendable to goe with them, or before them. Such may feare to receive a curse in the end for their negligent sloth, Occupet extremum scabies. Horat. rather than the blessing in the conclusion. In Carvans, which goe unto the Temple at Ierusalem, Sandys. the hindermost are exposed unto the greatest danger of the free-booters: [Page 196] And in this passage to the house of God, they that are last may soone bee surprised by the enemy, and hindered in their dull proceeding: Whereas if wee were indued with the Spirit (like those Worthies which brake through the hoste of the Philistims, 2. Sam. 23. to draw water) wee would overcome all impediments, that wee may obtaine the water of life: And as the chaines did fall from the hands of Peter, so we should cast off all incumbrances wherewith our feete are bound, that wee may runne the wayes of thy commandements: Yea then wee would thinke Gods house to be like Goshen, inlightened by his gracious countenance; And [Page 197] to be debarred from it, more grievous than all the plagues and judgements of Egypt. There the frogges came into the house and chamber of Pharaoh; Exod. 8.3. And thou hast noysome lusts and uncleane thoughts in thine heart, which should bee the throne of the great King. They had thick darkenes which might bee felt, & 1 [...].2 [...]. so that no man rose from his place: But thy grosse darkenesse which hath overspread the whole man, is the more fearefull, because thou hast no feeling thereof; whereby thou dost continue in the estate of wrath as at the first. There was the death of the first-borne (in whom p [...] rents seem to live even when they are dead: & [...]2 29.) And thou [Page 198] destroyest thine owne soule, which in the beginning did give life to thy body; and by which the righteous shall live for ever in blisse & happinesse. And yet though Gods judgements be so great and terrible upon those that want or neglect this meanes of perfect freedome, and the mercy and deliverance so rich and plenteous, that is offered thereby, how foolish and carelesse are most men, in their contemptuons vilifiing, and disdainfull reiecting of this blessed liberty? Mention is made of one that was slaine by the people which trode upon him in the gate, 2 King [...]. ver. 17. when with greedy violence they strove for their bodily sustenance: but there is no [Page 199] such violence offered in seeking for that heavenly food; and yet we live not by bread, but by the Word, which is exhibited unto us in the house of God: And in the time of famine, of warre, 1. King. 8. ver. 37, 38. of pestilence, and any other calamity, wee finde release by the prayers and supplications which are offered up unto the Lord. Come then, and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord, to the house of the God of Iacob: He will teach us of his waies, Isai. 2.3. and wee shall walke in his paths. One day in his courts is better than a thousand. How glad was David when they said unto him, Psal. 84.10 & 122.1 [...] Let us goe into the house of the Lord? As here he testifieth, [Page 200] that when hee went into the house of God, it was
VERSE IIII. With the voyce of joy and praise.
AND now wee would thinke that the whole world should follow him; Omnes cendunt ad gaudium. Senec. for what man is there that doth not labour for ioy? But as some have put out the element of fire, affirming that there is no other but this grosse terrestriall fire which wee use: So most men thinke there is no other ioy but this which they find in their sensuall delights. True it is, that there may bee a confused sound of ioy in earthly pleasures; but the voyce of ioy [Page 201] is onely in heavenly things: And as that excellent musick of the voyce is to bee preferred before the harmony of instruments without life, whether pipe or harpe, though they give a distinction in their sounds: So this ioy doth farre transcend all those vaine and empty delights which wee finde here upon earth. It is reported of some that they have beene able to containe their greatest ioy within themselves, Metellus summum gaudium intrase cont insit. Val. Max. that none could take notice thereof; Nec sunt grata tibi gaudia siqua atent. Martial. but Davids ioy was so great, that out of the abundance of his heart hee could not forbeare to speake with his mouth: And ever since in our best mirth and reioycing, wee seeke to imitate the [Page 202] voyce of David in singing of Psalmes: Iam. 5.13. whereby wee endeavour to bee composed and prepared for that life, when wee shall alwayes bee lauding the name of the Lord: Psal. 108.1, 2 [...] And as David saith, I my selfe will awake early, I will sing and give praise even with my glory. Soe we that are dead in Christ, shall then rise first out of those beds where wee have slept and rested, that wee may for ever sing praises unto the Lord. These two, Ioy and Praise, are so ioyned togeth [...]r of God, that no man can put them asunder: Where God hath filled the heart with ioy it will breake forth in praise and thankesgiving; And to offer the sacrifice of praise [Page 203] without reioycing were to offer a dead sacrifice without any life: By both these wee are supported when wee walke in the wayes of salvation: If David found such comfort in the passage, then how was hee transported with ioy when hee came into Gods house? If wee find such consolation in our pilgrimage, then how great blessings are prepared for us in our long home? If the first-fruits bee so precious, how plentifull is the harvest? When our lives are ended, then begins our perfect ioy: when our soules and bodies are againe united, then there is fulnesse of ioy; yea then both Ioy and Praise shall bee ioyned for evermore.
VERSE IIII. With a multitude that kept holy-day.
BEcause we should not be perplexed with the difficulty of these words, in regard that our celebration of those dayes which wee call holy, doth so far differ from that which is here intended; I thinke it most needfull to represent the manner how this day was solemnized: In which, the desire of David and the people was like that of the Angel & the multitude of the heavenly hoste praising God, Luke 2.13, 14. and saying; Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men: So this blessed [Page 205] company did first seeke the glory of God, in sacrificing, oxen and fatlings, in offering burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, in the sound of musicke, lifting up the voyce with ioy, And that there might bee peace upon earth when Gods Arke should bee placed in the midst of the tabernacle, and his worship duely observed. Lastly, good will towards men, when the King blessed the people in the name of the Lord, and did distribute bread, and flesh, and wine; Tanquam necessarium labo [...]ibus interponentes temperamentum. Sen. So that hee did not exclude the outward refreshing of the body, after the serious and devout performance of all heavenly duties. The makers of lawes in ancient time did institute festivall [Page 206] dayes, that the people might not bee overcharged with too much labour; Quia aliquando nihil cum populo agi utile futurum erat. T. Livi. Luce sacrâ requiescat humus, requiescut arator. Tibul. but re-gaining strength and vigour by the cessation, might proceed in their worke with alacrity and diligence. The best use and benefit that wee can make of any holy-day is to take off the minde from worldly cares, wherewith we are naturally surcharged; and to addict our selves to divine meditations and religious exercises: Even among the Heathen, Et adhuc Mincia proles Vrget opus spernitque Deum festumque profanat. Ovid. those Sisters mentioned in the Poet were thought to bee iustly punished, for being too intent to their domesticke labour, which made them omit the publike rites. 2. King. 7.9. Wee doe not well; this is a day of good [Page 207] tidings, and wee hold our peace: Wee may feare lest the leprosie of those foure men should cleave unto us, if wee neglect to praise and glorifie God for his manifold blessings. Livius Drusus dixit, uni sibi nec puero quidem unquam ferias cont gi [...]e. Senec. Wee cannot complaine as Drusus did, that from his child-hood hee never had a good day: For though we should endeavour to keepe every day in the yeare holy, yet we could not correspond in thankfulnesse, with the riches of his bounteous love, and plenteous mercy: yea wee may rightly acknowledge that every day in our life hath beene an holy-day: For as it was the custome of most nations not to punish malefactours upon dayes of festivity and reioycing, 2. Sam. 19.22. Mar. 14. [...]. [Page 208] so the Lord hath beene gracious in pardoning our offences, Observatum ne quoties introiret urbem Oct. Aug. supplicium de quoquam sumeretur. Suet. not dealing with us after our sinnes, nor rewarding us according to our iniquities. And therefore wee must blesse his holy name, who hath not only delivered us from evill, but also hath bestowed so many blessings upon us; who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with loving kindnesse & tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things: Hilaritatis instrumen [...] a d [...] mestic [...]s prae bebat. Causabon. And as the master of the family upon such dayes did bring out unto his children and servants, all things which might bee a meanes of delight and recreation; so God, like a good housholder, hath accomodated [Page 209] us his servants, with all things usefull and convenient for our cheerefull service of him, that wee might make a ioyfull noyse unto the God of Iacob. Psal. 81.1. Omnia iam fes [...]a fervet domus utra (que) pompâ. Stat. Tibia pro li. tuis, &c. Claud. Iste dies semper dapibus celebretur opimis. Idem. Pro 9.2. Upon those dayes they had instruments of musicke; and what a sweet harmony is there, when the will and the affections, and every power and faculty of the soule doth consent in praising the name of the Lord? They had plenty of provision and abundance of wine; And hath not Wisedome killed her beasts, and mingled her wine, and furnished her table? Doth not God give unto us that heavenly Manna, the bread of life, satisfying our soules as with marrow, and making our cup [Page 210] to runne over? They did then put on their costliest garments: Quaeque semei toto vestis n [...]ni sumitur anno. Ovid. Psal. 45 13. & 32.1. Revel. 7 9. Aperta multa recta collucent face. Senec. in Thyest. And wee have a wedding garment at this feast, which is as a clothing of wrought gold; and as a white robe whereby our nakednesse is covered: They did set up many lights; And wee have many golden candlesticks, and shining lights; yea the word is a light unto our feete. Therefore let us keepe the feast in sincerity and truth: Let it be our chiefe aime and endeavour, that the inward man, as well as the outward, may thereby bee renewed. Pas & iura sinunt — Insidias avibus moliri. Virgil. Among the Heathen, it was thought to bee lawfull upon the best dayes to spread nets to take birds: Sure I am, that Satan who is [Page 211] a cunning fowler, upon these dayes is most industrious in setting of snares. In festis diabolus occupatissimus. How circumspect ought wee to bee in avoyding this danger, mounting up with the Eagle, Iob 39.27. which makes her nest on high; raising our soules by the wings of fervent prayer and heavenly contemplation? Sine causâ educebat; praecipuè pluviis & festis diebus Suet. Sic Epaminondas. And as Cesar did leade out his souldiers upon festivall dayes, and have them in a readinesse, lest that the enemy should get an advantage against him; So ought we to exercise our selves, and to stir up those gifts that are in us, that our adversary may not bring us to destruction. How happy is that man, which doth thus reclaime himselfe, and laboureth to bee righteous [Page 212] as Lot was, Nisi forte his maximè d [...]ebus animo imperandum est: ut tunc voluptatibus solus abstincat, cum in illas omnis turba procubuit. Senec. 1. Chro. 15.13 in a sinfull generation; When the whole Herd of the vulgar people doe runne violently into the greatest dangers. David and the multitude did begin to keepe this holy-day when Uzzah was smitten; at which time the Lord made a breach upon them, for that they sought him not after the due order. Most men doe not seek after the Lord upon such dayes; or if they doe, it is rather with confusion than good order; and therefore may feare a curse for doing this worke so negligently. The Lord may now speake, as hee did by the Prophet; Isai. 1.14. Your appointed feasts my soule hateth; for you chuse your owne wayes, and delight [Page 213] in your abominations. It was the policy of the Benjamites to catch the daughters of Shiloh, Iudg. 21.22. when they came out to daunce in their daunces at the feast of the Lord: Iuventus Romana ad rapiendas virgines discurrit. Livi. The like policy was used by Romulus upon the same occasion. And thus very many both men and women are captivated and brought into bondage, at that time when we celebrate our greatest deliverance: who being carnally minded doe loosen the reines, Nam remittere animum est amittere. A. Gell. and walke after their owne lusts, sinning, that grace may abound, and using their liberty for an occasion to the flesh. The carriage of most men in our chiefe holy-daies, may be compared to that of [Page 214] the Romanes in their Saturnalia: But wherein they testifie their joy and thankesgiving for the nativity of Christ, I am not able to discerne; when as the pipe, and harpe, and wine are in their feasts: But they regard not the worke of the Lord, Isai. 5.12. neither consider the operation of his hands. If musicke bee so needfull at such a time, then that people may bee cōmended which did chant to the sound of the Viole, Amos 6. [...]. and invented to themselves instruments of musicke like David; But they profanely depraved his holy example: for hee used them as helps to devotion, not as provocations to luxury and wantonnesse. We know that the minstrels [Page 215] were put forth before the dead was raised; Mat. 9.23. And wee may bee assured, that by them wee receive no furtherance towards our new life of grace. If dauncing be so pertinent at this time, Mat. 6.22. the daughter of Herodias may seeme to bee well nurtured; but you remember what an evill effect was produced thereby: If costly garments and outward ornaments bee the best expression of our joy; then let us joyne her that tyred her head, 1. King. 9.30. Luke 16.1 [...]. unto him that was clothed in purple and fine linnen, as a fit couple for such an occasion: If variety of meate can suffice to cheare the soule, then that wicked nation might have beene spared which offended [Page 216] in fulnesse of bread: Ezech. 16.49. If gaming and pastimes must necessarily be annexed hereunto, then let us view that people which sate downe to eate and drinke, Exod. 32.6. and rose up to play: But wee have not thus learned Christ, 1. Thes. 4.6. being taught not to goe beyond, and defraud our brother; Nor to suffer filthinesse, foolish talking or jesting, Ephes. 5.4. nor drunkennesse and revellings, which are works of the flesh. Let no man mistake mee, as if in any of these above-named particulars (which may bee used without mixture of evill) I would derogate from the freedome and bounty of that man, Psal. 112.5. who doth guide his affaires with discretion: But if wee ought to bring againe [Page 217] our brothers oxe, Deut. 22.1. when it goes astray; then much more our brother himselfe: and to shew him a more excellent way; that so hee may not bee lord of mis-rule, by letting him that is unjust to bee unjust still, Rev. 22.11. and him that is filthy to bee filthy still: When his house which at all times, and especially at this time, ought to bee a Church, shall rather be like unto Golgotha, a place of rottennesse, where Christ shall bee crucified afresh, by all manner of loosenesse, and profanation. Wee are exhorted to hospitality, because thereby some have entertained Angels: Heb. 13.2. But in receiving such a dissolute company, there is little hope of harbouring either [Page 218] Angel, or Saint. Most that come are not worthy; and others would bee compelled to come in, who in a modest sobriety doe forbeare that bold intrusion: Wherefore when thy fountaines bee dispersed abroad, Pro. 5.16. and thou dost draw out thy soule to the hungry, Isa. 58.10. remember especially the houshold of faith, and them that bee industrious, that their bowels may be refreshed by thy liberality, which will bee as sleepe to the labouring man, Eccles 5.12. sweet and comfortable. Such was the practice of this man of God which hee now recordeth, who after the people had joined with him in the service of the Lord, hee gave unto them for the reliefe and sustentation [Page 219] of their bodies: Also at another time, when hee offered towards the building of the Temple, after that hee and all the congregation had worshipped the Lord, 1. Chron. 29. verse 22. and sacrificed sacrifices, they did eate and drinke with great gladnesse.
It was a iust complaint in ancient times, Olim mensis December fuit, nunc annus. Senec. that December was changed from being a month, to be a yeare: Wee cannot boast of any amendment in our dayes, which would bee more usefull than the Gregorian reformation. Some doe presume to prognosticate of the twelve months by their observation of the twelve dayes; but we may with more safety iudge what the conversation of [Page 220] some men will bee the following yeare, by marking their carriage during these festivals: David speaketh here but of one holy-day which hee and the multitude kept, whereas these men are willing to keepe a multitude of holy-dayes, being fit to live in a common-wealth like unto that of the Athenians, who had more daies of pleasure than of imploymēt. I lures voluptat. bus dicati quam negoti [...]si & i [...]d [...]ci. Causabon. V tam sicut peregr nantes transiê [...]c. Sa [...]ist. Such doe greatly offend in abundance of idlenesse, passing their time as strangers here, but without preparation for their long home: Never calling to minde how many good dayes they have lost, Amici diem perdidi. Suet. without the least benefit either to themselves or others: And yet, as the rich man in [Page 221] the Parable, who had many flockes, and herds, could not bee satisfied unlesse he might take that little ewe lambe of the poore man; 2. Sam. 12.3. So these men are not contented with the great number of profane holy-dayes, as they make them, unlesse they may incroach upon the Lords Sabbath: Whereof I will forbeare to discourse, lest I might seeme to prevent my selfe, by giving an answer to Davids demand, before I come to the question; which is,
VERSE V. Why art thou cast downe, O my soule, and why art thou d [...]squieted in me? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise [Page 222] him for the helpe of his countenance.
VVHerein hee makes further declaration of his sorrowfull and perplexed estate; that his soule in this time of trouble did pant and thirst, and was powred out, and cast downe, and disquieted, not finding release from misery, nor evasion out of these calamities. Now if the light that is in thee be darknesse, Mat. 6.23. how great is that darknesse? and if the soule that is in thee be sorrowfull, how great is that sorrow? Pro. 12.25. When heavinesse in the heart of man, maketh it stoupe, yea to be cast down as Davids was; And yet there is great cause that the soule [Page 223] bee lifted up with joy, and not dejected with griefe; if wee consider the originall of it, Igneus est illis vigor, & coelestis origo. Virgil. that it proceedeth from God himselfe, Gen. 1.27. & 2.7. Psal. 8.5. Mortalibus alti quantum coelicolae, tantundem animalibus isti praecellunt cunctis. Silius. Eccles. 3.21. & 12.7. who created us after his own image, breathing into us the breath of life, whereby wee became living soules: So that wee who were made but a little lower than the Angels, were made much higher than all other creatures: For when the spirit of the beast goeth downeward to the earth, our spirit shall returne to God that gave it. Also there is cause of ioy unto the soule in regard of the body: Deus dedit corpus animae ut illud in coelum eveneret. Non dedita animam corp [...] ri, ut, &c. God gave the body unto the soule, that it might raise the body unto heaven; Hee did not give the soule unto the body [Page 224] that it might presse the soule to the earth. Admonet figura, &c. Boet. Shall the body be erect towards heaven, and the soule decline towards the earth? Let us consider how helpfull the body is to the soule in the worship of God, when our eyes wait upon him, and our tongue is our glory to praise him, and wee lift up pure hands, and daily bow our knees before him; when our feet doe carry us to his house, and there wee prostrate our whole body in his presence: Thus in our estate of grace there is an happy union and consent betweene them both. But as Eve, [...]en. 2.18. who was made a meete helpe, proved a cause of the greatest woe and misery; So the body which should assist [Page 225] the soule doth rebell against it, and thereby becomes a great annoyance: Like that kinde of torment, when they did binde the dead and the living together; Corpora ca daveribus ad versa adversis alligata. Val. Max. So the soule that lives for ever, and is willing to doe good, is ioyned unto a body that is weake, yea even dead to any holy duty: And then the servant is upon an horse, Ephes. 2 5. Eccles. 10 7. and the Prince doth walke as a servant upon the earth; the hand-maide is advanced, Eucherius ad Vale [...]ian. and the mistresse brought downe to the foot-stoole: The body doth bring the soule into captivity, and make it of a king to become a servent, Modo rex es [...] modo tyra [...] nus. Sence. o [...] else a tyrant. Wherefore when wee finde a law in our members warring against the [Page 226] law of our minde, wee must pray to be delivered frō this body of death. Rom. 7. verse 23.24 It was observed that when the body sleepeth, Anima dum corpori vires adm [...]nistrat, nequaquam vacat sibi, &c. Hippocrat. the soule hath most liberty: And wee know assuredly, that when our bodies shall bee laid to sleepe in the grave, our soules shall bee inlarged, Terreno carcere resoluta caelum ibera pet [...]. Boet. and delivered from that earthly house, wherein they were long pent and imprisoned: Vt novus serpens pofitâ cum pelle senectâ, &c. Ovid. And as the serpent doth become young againe after it hath cast off the skinne, so the soule shall bee clothed with maiesty and glory, when this fraile body shall waxe old like a garment, and bee folded up as a vesture, untill the end of all things; and then this vile body shall be fashioned like unto [Page 227] the glorious body of Christ: and being reioyned unto the soule, shall enter into the ioy of our Master. If that father did so reioyce when he saw his sonne to be alive, Gen. 46.30. whom hee thought to bee dead, then how excellent shall our ioy bee, when the body which was dead shall bee alive, and they both being knit together shall live in blisse for evermore? & 29.20. Did those seven yeares seeme to bee but a few dayes, & 31.40. for the love that Iacob had to Rachel, though hee suffered the drought in the day, the frost by night, and watched both day and night? Then how wonderfull ought the love of the soule be to the body? cheerfully serving the Lord, [Page 228] patiently enduring all tryals and afflictions, not being cast downe, as if it were without hope, but looking for the Saviour, who shall unite both soule and body; And wee shall be as the Angels of God in heaven. Mat. 22.30.
Let us now take notice of Davids examination of himselfe, that wee thereby may learne to iudge ourselves, and wee shall not bee iudged. Formerly hee had with his whole heart sought unto the Lord, to shew him the light of his countenance; He had earnestly desired to appeare before God; Hee had humbled himselfe in sorrow for his owne transgressions, and the sins of other men. Now God accepteth the will for [Page 229] the deed; And they that mourne have a promise of comfort. Mat. 6. Why then art thou cast downe, O my soule, and why art thou disquieted in me? Psal. 4.4. Also hee did commune with his owne heart, and was no fugitive from it, as many are, who have greatest reason to bee sorrowfull, and to feare lest their soules should bee cast downe lower than Davids was, because they never looke home to examine and prove themselves, and to know that Christ is in them, 2. Cor. 13.5. except they bee reprobates: But David did make diligent search in his owne heart, Psal. 77.6. and in all things desired the good and comfortable estate of it. Then, why art thou cast downe, O my [Page 230] soule, and why art thou disquieted in me? Remember the workes of old, how graciously the Lord hath dealt with thee. Say not within thy selfe, that his mercy is clean gone for ever, for thou dost stil enioy many blessings, and his grace doth now keep thee from fainting. Consider that in this chastisement the Lord dealeth with thee as with a childe: and it is not his good pleasure that thou shouldest have sorrow upon sorrow; but that this light affliction working for thy good, may bring thee to an everlasting weight of glory: wherefore acknowledge this to bee thine infirmity; rebuke and smite thy selfe, saying, Why art thou cast [Page 231] downe, O my soule, and why art thou disquieted in mee? It must not bee denied, that the soule is sometime disquieted, when wee are not able to give any reason of it; But then it behoveth us to make strict inquisition into our selves, and to see if there bee any root of evill, Iosh. 7. like Achans wedge, which is the cause of our trouble: If there bee any Ionas lurking in the bottome, which may be sufficient not only to cast downe the soule, but also to cast away the soule by a tempest of Gods wrath. When we find our selves to bee innocent from great offences, and acquitted from regarding iniquity, wee must with patience wait upon the Lord: [Page 232] How unsearchable are his iudgements, Rom. 11. verse. 33.34. and his wayes past finding out? For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord? Iob. 11. Loe hee goeth by me, and I see him not; Hee passeth on also, but I perceive him not. Behold hee taketh away, Deut. 32.39. who can hinder him? Hee woundeth, and hee healeth; hee bringeth low, and hee lifteth up. Shall wee receive good at the hand of the Lord, Iob 2.10. and shall wee not receive evill? Have wee learned to abound and be full of spirituall comfort, Phil. 4.11. and have we not learned to suffer need, and be abased in the sense of our wants, and confession of our unworthinesse, who are lesse than the least of all his mercies? God will have us [Page 233] to see that wee are not able to merit any of his blessings, which are wholly in his own disposing: It is not in man that walketh, Ier. 10 23. to direct his steps: There may bee many devices in his heart, neverthelesse the counsell of the Lord that shall stand. Pro. 19.21. Also wee must know that wee are now in our passage through the vast wildernesse of this troublesome world, unto the heavenly Canaan: And we were of all men most miserable, if our greatest comforts were not reserved for a better life. God doth first cast us downe, and then raise us up to a glorious estate: Though wee walke in the midst of trouble, hee will revive us: Light is sowne for [Page 234] the righteous, Psal. 138.7. & 97.11. and gladnesse for the upright in heart. That which thou sowest is not quickned except it dye first: 1. Cor. 15. verse 36. So although wee seeme to be without the life of ioy, yet we hope to reape everlasting consolation: As sorrowfull wee alwayes reioyce. 2. Cor. 6.10. There is an outward apparence of griefe; There is an inward substance of true ioy: But I may well desist from speaking of this sadnesse, whereof wee can give no reason; when there are so many causes of heavinesse, whether we looke upon the sinnes of other men with charitable compassion, or upon our own offences with sorrowfull compunction: Psal 119.136. How did David lament for the transgressions [Page 235] of the people? And may not we take up the complaint of the Prophet; Isai. 1.6. From the sole of the foot, even unto the head, there is no soundnesse in it? How great is the number of them that have sold themselves to worke wickednesse? and never thinke of their redemption by Him, who paid the ransome for us; Quibus contra naturam corpus voluptati, anima oneri fuit. Salust. whose bodies serve them for pleasure, and their soules are as a burthen; such a burthen as will bee greater than they can beare, ready to sinke them to the pit of destruction: Yet who doth repent of his wickednesse, saying, What have I done? Every one turned to his course, Ier. 8.6. as the horse rusheth into the battell: Which [Page 236] of them doth search their heart by the light of the Word, as with a candle? and say, as justly they may, inverting these words of David, Why art thou not cast down, O my soule, and why art thou not disquieted within mee? Wherefore, leaving them unto this examination, let us reflect upon our selves, and as the Circle, Circulus fortitudin [...], at (que) capacitate caeteris figuris praecedit. Clavius. which doth returne upon it selfe, is the strongest and most capacious figure; and may bee resembled by the shape of a mans body; Vmbilicum esse centrum, &c. Iul. Scal. So if wee doe returne unto our selves, and search our owne hearts, wee shall become more strong and capable of grace. The opinion of Aristotle is to bee preferred before that of Plato; The [Page 237] one held, Visio fit recipiendo. Arist. Emittendo spiritum animalem, Plato. Keckerm. that our sight was by receiving the image of the object into the eye: The other, by sending out those opticke rayes unto the object. It will be our wisedome to keepe within our owne bounds, and to looke into our selves, rather than to exceed in curiosity to discover the blemishes of other men: Like her, whom they feigned to have used her sight onely when shee went abroad; Lamia in vimineum cophinum oculos exemptiles in [...]ici [...]bat. Erasmus. but not when shee returned to her owne house. Wee ought rather to look into our selves with David, who seemeth here to strike his hand upon his breast, saying; Why art thou full of heavinesse, O my soule? God onely knoweth the hearts of all the children [Page 238] of men; but by this private search, 2. Chron. 6.38. 1. King. 8.38. every man may know the sore, and the griefe, and the plague of his owne heart; and may find that his foule is cast downe, when it is surcharged with thorny cares, which choke the good seed, O curvae in terris animae & coelest [...]um inanes, Persius. and maketh him to become unfruitfull. Can that souldier fight the good fight of faith, who intangleth himselfe with the things of this life? Habak. 2.6. Woe to him that ladeth himselfe with thicke clay: Such a man may in vaine beate the ayre, but hee cannot runne with patience unto the race that is set before him; Heb 12.1. unlesse hee doth cast aside every weight that may hinder him therein. At the time of death wee see how [Page 239] dangerous and offensive it is, by clamour to interrupt the soule in its departure from the body: O that wee could as heedfully practise this during our whole life. 1. Cor. 15.31. Every good man, with Saint Paul, doth dye daily; being at all times ready to yeeld up his spirit: How prudent should wee bee to avoyd all meanes of disturbance, that our soule may not bee vexed and disquieted within us; as it is oftentimes through distrust and infidelity, when there is an inward combat betweene the flesh and the spirit, the one lusting against the other, Gal. 5.17. and being contrary the one to the other; Gen. 25.22. like Iacob and Esau strugling in the wombe. Whereas if Christ did dwell [Page 240] in our hearts by faith, Ephes. 3.17. wee should overcome the world, and bee delivered from this vexation. 1. Iohn. 5.4.5. Now we are come to touch upon the true cause of Davids heavinesse; where I should willingly goe backward with Iaphet, and by silent charity cover this one infirmity of him, whom, as Saint Matthew joyneth with Abraham, Mat. 1.1. so wee may honour as a Father of the faithfull: Yet because that hee testifieth as much against himselfe; And his being thus cast downe may warne those that stand by faith, to take heed lest they fall; and may shew unto those that are downe, the way how to rise againe, I may not without prejudice passe it over. David [Page 241] confesseth that his feete were almost gone, his footsteps were well nigh slipt, Psal. 73.2.21. and his heart was grieved through distrust of Gods providence, when hee saw the prosperity of the wicked. In the time of persecution, 1. Sam. 27.1. Labascentem & inclinantem ipsius fidem exprimit. Iun. he said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: And nere being surprized by the same wavering diffidence, hee speaketh, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Absalom: whereas by faith hee might have beene perswaded, that neither Principalities, nor Powers, Rom. 8.38. nor any other creature should bee able to separate him from the love of God, who will not suffer the rod of a wicked son to rest upon the [Page 242] lot of a righteous father. Wherefore let us not please our selves by any vaine conceits of our owne ability; Psal. 125. Rom. 15.2. but in lowlinesse of minde esteeme holy David much better than our selves. Phil. 2.3. If this naturall branch, so deepely rooted and established in all graces, was yet notwithstanding thus tossed and carried about by the winde of infidelity, in this dreadfull storme of Gods displeasure; then how should wee poore unstable soules (who were wild by nature, Rom. 11.24. and are now graffed into the good olive tree) feare and tremble, lest when the winds doe blow, and temptations arise, wee (who have not by faith laid sure hold, that wee might partake [Page 243] of the root) bee broken off from continuing in the goodnesse of God? And yet how doe wee live like the people of Laish, at quiet, and secure, Iudg. 18 27 not fortifying against the assault of the enemy? In this our day of liberty and visitation, Luk. 19.41. the things that belong to eternall peace are hid from our eyes, which are dazeled with the bright sun shine of prosperity; so that our sight is imperfect, Mark. 8.20. like unto the blind mans, who saw men as trees, walking: But when Christ made him looke up the second time, hee saw every man clearely. At first sight wee thinke our selves to bee as strong as the oake, but when God doth breake us with a tempest, or wee doe [Page 244] frequently looke up in prayer, Iob. 9.17. to have our darkenesse inlightened, wee then come to discerne plainely, that wee are fraile men, & our strength is not the strength of stones, Iob 6.3.22. nor our flesh of brasse: yea then wee complaine that our griefe is heavier than the sand of the sea, and our soules are cast downe within us. Now the same graces doe both prevent and cure this infirmity of the soule: By faith wee are kept from this discouragement. The prudent woman is not afraid of the snow, Pro. 31.21. for all her houshold are clothed with scarlet: So they that are of the houshold of faith, and have their garments dipt in the bloud of the Lamb, shall not need to [Page 245] feare the winter of persecution and trouble: Also such as have beene overtaken in a fault, and are ready to faint through weaknesse; yet if their hope bee firme, they shall recover: And God will restore them to the joy of his salvation. Act. 27.23. As the Angel stood by Paul in the night, after hee had beene exceedingly tossed with a tempest, when the sun in many dayes had not appeared, and assured him of a gracious deliverance: Assiditè nata mas inter sp [...] metusque fluctus. Lipsius. So our hope doth stand by us in our greatest perplexity, when the Lord doth seeme to hide himselfe, and withdraw the beames of his mercy, and sealeth unto our soule, that notwithstanding our present calamity, [Page 246] He will make his face, Revel. 10. [...]. which is as it were the Sunne, to shine upon his servants: And wee shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. psal. 31.16. The enemies of David, seeing him in misery, were ready to say, & 3.2. & 41.8. That there is no help for him in God; and now that hee lieth, hee shall rise up no more: So our corrupt nature being the greatest adversary, doth suggest unto us when the soule is cast downe, it is a signe that it is cast out of the sight and favour of God; When it is disquieted it is a fore-runner of despaire, by reason of our grievous sinnes: as for our hope, it is but the dreame of men waking; Plato dicebat, spec vigi [...]tium ho [...]num esse somnia. and as hee that thinketh hee eateth is hungry when [Page 247] hee awaketh: so thou thinkest to be sustained by hope, which in the end will vanish away. Call to mind thy former sinnes, which have cryed for vengeance: looke upon thy present afflictions, and acknowledge thou dost receive the due reward of thy deeds: Then what place is left for hope of deliverance? Why shouldest thou adde to thy sufferings by thine expectation of freedome? Can the Divine justice, so highly incensed, bee so soone appeased? Shall not the God of truth bee just and righteous in multiplying his judgements upon thee, who wouldest for ever have multiplie [...] thy sins against him? What hope of favour to be shewed [Page 248] unto thee, who hast deserved so great wrath, and hast not merited the least mercy? Doth not thine owne conscience accuse thee, and thy sins beare witnesse against thee? and shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right in thy condemnation? Hast thou not served sinne, and must therefore receive the wages of unrighteousnesse, death and destruction? Now in this combate, the beleever is armed with hope of salvation for an helmet: 1. Thes. 5.8. Ephes. 6.16. with faith for a shield and breast-plate, wherewith hee is able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked: Being stung by the old Serpent, and feeling both the guilt and smart of his sinnes, hee looketh with the [Page 249] eyes of Faith and Hope unto Christ Iesus, being lifted up; who powreth wine and oyle into our wounds, and makes us inwardly glad, outwardly cheerefull, and then doe we praise him for the help of his countenance. What a great encouragement is it to the servant, when his Master doth looke upon him in the conflict? And though in striving wee sometime take a foyle; yet then the Lord doth turne and looke upon us as he did upon Peter: Luke 21.61. and being sorrowfull for our infirmity, wee become strong. Also in our heavinesse, either for sinnes past or present misery, the Lord doth behold us as hee did his servant David, delivering us out of all [Page 250] afflictions: And in the performance of holy duties hee seeth us as he did Nathaneel, Ioh. 1 48. sending his grace to prevent, accompany, and follow us. Lastly, when that which is perfect is come, wee shall with Paul see him face to face: 1. Cor. 13.12. Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun: Eccles. 11.7. If this outward light bee so delightfull, then what an excellent blessing is it, Num. 6. verse 25, 26. when the Lord doth make his face to shine upon us, and is gracious unto us, and doth lift up his countenance upon us? That wee may obtaine this benediction, wee must bee obedient unto his Word: When hee saith, Psal. 27.8. Seeke yee my face. Our heart must answer, Thy [Page 251] face Lord will I seeke: Not for a short time, & 105.4. but continually. And though a man beholding his naturall face in a glasse goeth away, Iam. 1.24. & straightway forgetteth what manner of man hee was; yet wee, when the Lord hath in mercy revealed himselfe unto us, must not forget his benefits, but ever bee mindfull of his gifts that are without repentance; and alwayes praise him for the help of his countenance. Wee cannot expect deliverance out of trouble, unlesse God doth helpe us; and when wee have received many blessings, wee shall neither desire, nor yet bee able to praise him, without the helpe of his countenance: So that God doth provide [Page 252] both the altar and the sacrifice; Hee freely bestowes his benefits, and he doth enable us to offer our thankes-giving, and to praise him for the help of his countenance.
VERSE VI. O my God, my soule is cast down within mee.
VVHen the disciples could not cure him that was lunaticke, Mat. 17.15. they bring him to Christ himselfe: So when David could not by his owne endeavours cast out this spirit of heavinesse, hee seeketh unto the Lord of life, to speake the word, and this disease of his [...]oule shall bee healed. Ha [...] he recovered his life of comfort [Page 253] by a stedfast hope in Gods mercy, which hee laboured for in the forme [...] verse, yet then hee must have confessed, that it was the grace of God whereby i [...] was effected; But that which is obtained by prayer, doth come more immediately from Gods right hand; and for such blessings wee are most thankfull: Wee come with confidence unto the throne of grace, when wee have used, and doe use all good meanes to recover strength and assurance. Doth God bid us doe some great thing? we doe it willingly: Doth hee command some small thing? therein also we yeeld our cheerefull obedience. I cannot give sufficient [Page 254] testimony unto these two, so excellent duties, serious examination of the soule, and fervent praier unto the Lord: The former like Mount Sinai, full of terrour, when by looking into our selves, wee feare and tremble, because of our guiltinesse, having offended against the lawes of God: The latter, like Mount Sion, Heb. 12. bringing consolation through Iesus the Mediator of the New covenant, whose bloud speaketh better things than that of Abel. In the right performance whereof, our griefe is asswaged; if we prostrate our selves before the Lord in prayer, hee will raise up our soules with spirituall comfort. This is the best refuge of every beleever, [Page 255] whereby he hopeth for these sure mercies of David: And this is the Sanctuary of a Christian, from whence hee cannot bee taken, and wherein hee shall not perish. Our sorrow may often cause us to call upon the Lord, but the soule is never cast downe so low, as to bee wholly disabled from prayer: Being of a sorrowfull spirit, though wee cannot expresse our misery, yet wee can speake in our heart unto the Lord. David being dejected by griefe and heavinesse, doth yet lift up his soule in prayer, and beleeves that God is his God, though now hee seemed to forsake him. When the winde doth blow wee wrap our garments more [Page 256] close about us; in trouble wee draw neere unto God, and labour to apply his promises unto our soules: The childe walking in the darke doth adhere unto his father, and takes hold upon him, that hee may guide him, and preserve him from danger: So wee in the most disconsolate estate doe cleave unto the Lord, and repose our whole confidence in his love. Our Author in speaking of God and his soule, doth thus plead for himselfe; Thou art my God, and I am thy servant: Let the wicked bee clothed with shame and dishonour, let their heart dye within them, But redeeme my soule that I may not bee desolate, because I trust in [Page 257] thee. Deliver mee from all my feares, and thou Lord shalt bee magnified, which hast pleasure in the prosperity of thy servant. My soule is thy gift, it came from thee, and I have given it unto thee. How can it ascend towards thee, when it is thus pressed downe by manifold troubles? The waters are come in unto my soule: Psal. 69.1.2. I sinke in deepe mire, where there is no standing. My soule abiding in this darke house of earth, lyeth prostrate upon the ground, and is not able to rise: Lord heare the poore, and despise not thy prisoner. Let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high, let thy light and thy truth lead mee, and bring mee unto thy holy [Page 258] hill, and to thy tabernacles.
VERSE VI. Therefore will I remember thee from the land of Iordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Missar.
ANother help which David used to sustaine himselfe in this time of trouble, was by calling to minde the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of Iordan; Iosh. 3. where God provided a passage for the Israelits, & preserved him when he passed over to shun Saul: So now going over the river, 2. Sam. 17.22. hee hoped that God would make a way for him to escape the danger that might come by Absalom. Whereas hee nameth the land of Iordan, [Page 259] and of the Hermonites, he suggesteth to our remembrance the victory which God gave unto his people, when they tooke the land that was on this side Iordan, from the river of Arnon unto Mount Hermon: at which time Og, Deut. 3.8. who was of the remnant of the giants, was overthrowne: And thereby his hope might bee confirmed, that although high-minded Absalom was swoln with proud conceits, 1. King. 20.11. and girding on his harnesse di [...] boast himselfe as if hee had put it off; yet the right hand of God was not shortned, no [...] his power diminished: Bu [...] hee will save and deliver all them that put their trust in him. Now these three places [Page 260] here mentioned, being the bounds of that countrey inhabited by the Israelites, Iordan towards the East, Hermon the North, and the hill Missar the South; hee might from thence have this comfortable assurance, that God who was pleased to give unto his people so fruitfull a land after their tedious passage through the wildernesse, would likewise in mercy give him all good blessings needfull for him, after hee had waded through these troubles which hee now endured. In the meane while being deprived of his former liberty of worshipping the Lord in the assembly of the Saints, hee doth stirre up the gifts and graces that were in [Page 261] him, by remembring the goodnesse of God; and the blessings which he had received. In so doing, he becomes a good example unto all them, that are robbed of that blessed meanes of comfort which they formerly enjoyed; and unto all inhabitants of villages, which in the old law were counted as the fields of the countrey; Levit. 25.31 And (as too frequently) wanting a faithfull watch-man, are more exposed to the treacherous assaults of the enemy, than Cities environed with Gods favour, and enriched with the pledges of his love; that they would provide against the worst famine, and keepe those things which have beene committed unto [Page 262] them, 2. Tim. 1 14. & 1. Tim. 6.19. laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come; that they may lay hold on eternall life. As Paul gave direction for the collection of the Saints, that every one upon the first day of the weeke, should lay by him in store as God hath prospered him: So wee for the furtherance of the worke of our sanctification, in our first dayes, which wee ought to remember to keepe holy in remembrance of our Creator; while wee reside in places that are enlightened with Gods favour, should lay up against the time of want; Dan 6.10. that as Daniel prayed and gave thankes unto God, his windowes being open in his chamber towards [Page 263] Ierusalem; So wee looking unto the former part of our lives, may bee excited to prayer and thankesgiving. He is a wise sonne that gathereth in summer, Pro 10.5.14. & 6.8. laying up knowledge and keeping instruction. Salomon might justly produce the Ant gathering her food in harvest, thereby to convince the slothfulnesse of most men; when the least and meanest of the creatures shall exceed man in prudence: And surely most men if they should rightly consider of the former part of their lives, they could not with David here remember God in so doing, for God is not in all their thoughts, Psal. 10.4. nor his feare before their eyes. Their dayes [Page 264] have beene few, but the evils therein committed very many: Where the youth is vaine, the age is like to bee unprofitable, when nothing shall be left but the lees and dregs of our life. Eorum animi m [...]es, & aetate fluxi, dolis haud difficulter capi [...]bantur. Salust. As Catiline desired the acquaintance of young men, who being plyable were soone taken with his fraudulent baits; So Satan laboureth to bring such unto destruction: and when the strong man doth get possession in time of strength, he is not readily cast out. Difficulter reciduntu [...] vitia quae nobiscum crevciu [...]t. Senec. It is an hard thing to pare off those vices which have grown up together with our selves: Wherefore let us so order and dispose of this instant time, in doing good, that the use which wee make [Page 265] thereof may bee beneficiall unto us for the present, and cōfortable in remembrance hereafter.
Whereas David remembreth God from these places here named; we may collect, That if we be well affected, there is no place, wherein we may not be put in mind of the bounty, and goodnesse of God: Whose eyes runne to and fro, 2. Chro. 16.9. throughout the whole earth, to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them whose heart is perfect towards him. And as Ioseph in a place of pleasure provided against death, which at first sprung up in a garden: So those places which in themselves are most delightfull, may by our good improovement [Page 266] become most profitable: whereof I may have occasion to treat hereafter if it shall please God to give life and ability. In Christs Kingdome every valley shall be exalted, Isai. 40 4. and every mountaine shallbe brought low: 1. King. 20.28. The Lord is God of the hills, as of Hermon and Missar; as also of the plaine, as this land of Iordane: From the valley which adjoyneth to the river, Gen. 48.16. (where fishes grow into a multitude) and is thereby made the more fruitfull, we may learne to be humble, & God will give grace unto us: And by the hills we may be put in mind, & 22.8. of Abraham his offering up his sonne upon a mountaine; of Christ his [Page 267] transfiguration upon an high mountaine, Mat. 17. of his frequent praying upon Mount Olivet, Luk. 22.39. and at last his ascension upon the same Mount: Act. 1.12. Which may instruct us to offer up the sacrifice of our prayers unto God, that he would make us inwardly glorious, and in the end receive us into his heavenly kingdome. If we lift up cleane hands & a pure heart, we shall ascend into his holy hill: The Psalmist doth fi [...]st speake of the land of Iordan and then of Hermon and Missar, shewing the low estate whereinto he was now brought, when the waters were ready to overwhelme him, and the streame to goe over his soule. But then having confidence in [Page 268] remembring Gods mercy, he will feare no evill though he walke through the valley of the shadow of death: Psal. 23. Thy judgments are as a great deepe, [...] 36.6. thy righteousnesse like the great mountaines; God who by his strength setteth fast the mountaines; & 65.6. which bring peace to the people, will establish and support his children, and give them a good issue out of all their trialls.
As a man that thinkes hee hath escaped the perill of water being come unto the shoare, and yet is presently beaten back by the tenth wave, and brought into his former estate of daunger: So David who began to be refreshed in remembring Gods [Page 269] love, is now again overtaken with sorrow: When,
VERSE VII. Deepe calleth unto deepe at the noyse of thy water spouts; All thy waves and thy billowes are gone over mee.
DUring our whole life there is a continuall ebbing and flowing; And this time of Davids affliction is like a double tide, wherein new troubles did arise, before the other were past away: If hee found a short time of release, it was like a fayre day in winter, which we use to say doth breed fowle weather afterward. That strength which he then recovered did enable him to undergoe [Page 270] those calamities which should come upon him. But for the most part, in this time of chastisement, there was no other voyce heard, but that of the flying Angel, Revel. 8.13. which said; Woe, woe, woe; as if God, who afterward did smite the people for the sin of the King, should now smite the King for the transgressions of all the people. As in Iobs tryall, Iob 1.14, 15, 16. while one messenger was speaking, another came bringing sad tidings; so here, before one calamity was past, another cause of sorrow did afflict him: To bee cast out of the city where hee lived; To be expelled out of his kingdome wherein he governed, as unworthy to come within [Page 271] the borders of it: and yet God had promised that his throne should bee stablished for ever; and when his daies should bee fulfilled, his seed should bee set up after him, but not before him (as Absalom desired, building his house upon his fathers ruine;) Then to have his concubines defiled in the sight of all Israell: And all this not by an enemy, for then he could have borne it more patiently; but by his owne sonne: And one messenger brings word, that the hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom; Another tels him, that Ahitophel the Kings Counsellor was among the conspirators: Moreover Shimei doth vex his righteous [Page 272] soule with malicious reproaches. Now what could bee done more, that was not done to make the measure of his sorrow, to bee pressed down in heavinesse of soule, and running over in the outward expressiō of his griefe? How great and manifold are the dangers of them that goe downe to the sea in ships, [...]sal. 107.26. that see the workes of the Lord? For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof: They mount up to heaven, they goe downe againe to the depths: So here, Deepe calleth unto deepe; David is exposed to the greatest perils that may be. The windowes of heaven are opened, [...]en. 7.12. as in the floud: There is the noise [Page 273] of thy water-spouts; but no Arke of deliverance like Noahs; no not so much as that little Arke of Moses, Exod 2.3. whereby he may hope to be drawn out of these miseries. There is a mighty tempest, but no ship to defend him; nor yet any signe of a calme, as to the Mariners; neither any creature to waft him to the shore, Ionah 1.4. as Ionah had: There is a boystrous winde, that made the billowes to goe over him; but the helping hand of the Divine providence is not stretched out to uphold him, Mat. 14.30. Psal. 69.2. as unto Peter. The flouds over-flow him, the proud waters goe over his soule: & 124.5. Hee is cast into the deepe, and all thy waves are upon him: Ionah. 2.3. Not one wave alone, but many, [Page 274] but all of them. There was such a variety of his crosses, and such a succession of his trouble; that as the day was prolonged untill such time as Ioshuah had subdued his enemies; so here the night of his misery was doubled, untill such time as God had perfected the work of humiliation in him. God, who is most perfect, will finish every good worke that hee hath begun in any of his children: And being the author of time, hee disposeth of all things for our good, making us strong when wee are weake; so that wee may take pleasure in infirmities, 2. Cor. 12.10. in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christs sake. And by seeing [Page 275] our miserable and weake estate, wee learne not to trust in our selves, but in God who raiseth the dead. When the water of affliction doth flow over our head, we are thereby cleansed, that we may be presented unto Christ without spot and blemish: As Pharaoh and his host were covered by the depths, Exod. 15.5. and sanke into the bottome, as a stone; so they that want faith to stand in temptation, are ready to be swallowed up of despaire. But every one that is godly hath this comfortable protection; That in the flouds of great waters, Psal. 32.6. & 18.4. they shall not come nigh unto him; and though the flouds of ungodly men make him afraid, though he be compassed [Page 276] about with many tribulations, Psal. 130.1. yet out of the depth of his misery hee cryeth unto the depth of Gods mercy; and prayeth unto the Lord on high, who is mightier than the noyse of many waters; & 93.4. yea than the mighty waves of the sea, to deliver him from them that hate him, & 79.14, 15. that the water-floud may not over-flow him, nor the deepe swallow him up: And in conclusion hee finds this comfort, that neither height nor depth shall bee able to separate him from the love of God. Rom. 8.39. When Christ was asleepe in the ship that sailed over unto the other side of the lake, Mat. 8.26. there came downe a storme, insomuch, that the ship was covered [Page 277] with the waves: but when the disciples awoke him, hee said, Why are yee so fearefull, O yee of little faith; and rebuking the sea, there was a great calme: So in our voyage to heaven, when the winde doth blow, the raine doth fall, and the waves doe beate upon us; In strong temptations, when wee are opposed on every side, and looking up to heaven, see nothing but the terrour of Divine justice ready to fall upon us; looking downe, wee see the horror of the pit ready to shut her mouth upon us; and looking about, wee see all the creatures armed for our destruction, then through want of strength we are ready to sinke under the [Page 278] burthen of our calamities: But when the quickning spirit shall revive our faith, that slumbred within us, and restore us to the life of grace, wee begin to bee comforted, in assurance that God will put an end to our trials, and deliver us out of all affliction: Such was Davids anchor which he cast out now in this storme, and thereby hoped for safety. Though the waves and billowes doe goe over me,
VERSE VIII. Yet the Lord will command his loving kindnesse in the day time, and in the night his song shall bee with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
AS before his teares were his meate day and night; Verse 3. So now hee finds cause of rejoycing both day and night; for the loving kindnesse of the Lord who did put songs of praise into his mouth: His misery and trouble were now present before him; His comfort was only hope, but not to bee discerned by sense and reason: Yet such was the strength of his confidence, which he had fixed upon Gods love, that thereby he became as fully assured of deliverance, as if he were already restored to his former liberty. The wicked shall feare day and night; Deut. 28.66, 67. in the morning he shall say, Would God it were Even, and at Even he shall say, [Page 280] Would God it were morning: And his greatest woe, shall then begin, when time shall be no more: But the righteous that like Anna serve God night and day, Luke 2.37. shall at all times be refreshed by trusting in Gods mercy: who will command his loving kindnesse in the day time; as He hath promised to command the blessing upon them that observe his Lawes: Deut. 28.8. And we know that all things obey the voyce of God. Hath he spoken, and shall he not performe it? Do the souldiers come when the Centurian calleth, Mat. 8.9. and shall not all creatures be ready prest to doe the will of God? Though his loving kindnesse be as it were unwilling [Page 281] to come and reveale it selfe unto us, that have so highly offended; yet when God commandeth, it must yeeld obedience: Yea he so commandeth, as that we may therein discerne his favour vnto vs: He sends the Angel to comfort Hagar, in her distresse: And he commands his kindnesse, which is as his messenger bringing glad tidings of great joy unto his children.
His kindnes is not without love: Pro. 12.10. The tender mercies of the wicked are cruell, but the chasticements of God doe proceed from his love: An if our chasticements, then much more his kindnesse: He is a Father of mercies; they are as naturall and as [Page 282] deare unto him as a sonne to his father; And though a mother should forget her child, He will never forget his love to his children.
Mat. 5.45.Our heavenly Father causeth the sunne to rise on the evill, and on the good, and sendeth raine on the just and on the unjust: He is kind unto the unthankfull and evill. Luke 6.35. But as Hanun used the messengers of David disdainfully, 2. Sam. 10.2. when he thought to shew kindnesse unto him: So wicked men doe abuse the goodnesse of God, and pervert it unto their owne destruction: But they that are indued with wisedome from above, doe sing praise unto his holy name, and doe pray unto the God of their life, [Page 283] for the continuance and increase of all his blessings.
The Lord will command his loving kindnesse in th [...] day time, by restoring him to his former liberty of appearing before God: And after he had in an holy manner performed the duties of the day; he did in the night meditate upon the lawes of God, and rejoyce in the gracious benefits which he had received: Gen. 3.17. [...]abor exori [...]r durus & omnes agitat c [...]ras, &c. [...]enec. The day is made for man to labour. It was the punishment upon Adam and his posterity, to eate their bread in sorrow all the daies of their life: Yet through the goodnesse of God, we receive many blessings therein. It is a time of salvation vnto us, if we dothe works of righteousnesse [Page 284] while it is day, and labour to know those things which belong unto our peace: 1. Pet. 3.10. If we desire to see good dayes we must eschew euill and doe good: 1. King. 3.14. Then the Lord will lengthen our dayes, Deut. 30.20. yea he himselfe will be our life and the length of our daies: Wherefore let us ever remember the love of God, & 11.19. and speake to the praise of his name: not only when we rise up in the day, but when we lye downe in the night; Then to call to remembrance our song as David did, who remembred God upon his bed, Psal 77 6. & 63.6. and did rise at midnight to giue thanks, & 119 62. whose eyes prevented the night watches, [...]48 & 139.18. & when he awaked he was still [Page 285] with him: And howsoever the sons of perdition do turn night into day, whose evill conscience hateth the light, 1. Thes. 5.7. and being by darknesse robbed of all shame, Quippe omnem pudorem nox ademetat. Tacit. Gravis malae conscientiae lux est. Fastidio est lumen gratuitum. Senec. doe scorne the day so freely given unto them, And are drunken in the night, committing all kinde of wickednesse and uncleannesse therein: Forgetting that the darknesse hideth not from God, but the night shineth as the day; the darknesse and the light are both alike to him: Psal. 139.12. Nox faecundo operum pulchraeque accommoda fraudi. Stat. Yet they that are godly doe receive much strength and consolation in the night, to the refreshing both of soule and body. It did discover the tinorous weaknesse of Nicolemus, to come unto Christ [Page 286] by night; Nox hominum genus, & duros miseraca labores. Val. Flac. But it sheweth our holy confidence, then to sing praise unto the Lord; and with our soule to desire him in the night, yea with our spirit within us to seeke him early: Isai. 26.9. In former times God appeared vnto his servants in visions of the night; and therein revealed his good will vnto them: God came to Abimelech by night, Gen. 20.3. and with held him from sinning: And surely we may make a profitable use of our dreames in the night, Iob 33.15, 16. whereby many times God sheweth us the great corruption of our deceitfull hearts, wanting his grace to make resistance unto the assaults of Satan, who wil not give us any time to rest from his temptations: But [Page 287] as that great Commander did sodainly come upon the enemy, Ma ius [...]n Salust. be. l. Iugur. by marching diverse nights; so hee doth then beset us, and seekes to wound us, by casting his fiery darts, evil thoughts into our hearts: Sometime we offend by carnall affections, sometime by uncharitablenesse, carefull thoughts, and vaine imaginations. Psal. 16.7. Dicetur merita nox quo (que) Naenia. Horat. My reines also instruct me in the night seasons; and such a night requires a song of lamentation: But when the Lord hath proved our heart, Psal. 17.3. and visited us in the night, and hath tryed us, and shall find nothing; then may wee have a song in the night, and gladnesse of heart, as when an holy solemnity is kept. Isai. 30 29. There is great cause of [Page 288] joy, for that the Lord doth refresh and sustain us by quiet sleepe, after we have beene wearied with the evill of the day: And as hee giveth rest after labour, so hee giveth ease and deliverance after affliction and trouble. In the night, Act. 12.7. a light shined unto Peter in the prison, and the Angel of the Lord raised him, when hee was sleeping betweene two souldiers, bound with two chaines: So the Lord doth looke graciously upon us in our most disconsolate estate, when we are environed with many miseries, and lifts us up by his favour, making away for us to escape out of the greatest dangers. At mid-night, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises, [Page 289] and immediately, Act. 16.25. by the earth-quake, all the doores were opened, and every ones bands were loosed. In the midst of trouble, if our mouth bee opened in prayer, our hearts also shall bee inlarged in thankes-giving: Even in the time of affliction there is cause of rejoycing, in that it comes from Gods fatherly love, who maketh us to trust in him for reliefe after the time of triall. Shall a man that is miserable delight himselfe in musicke? Philoxenu i [...] Al [...]iano. and shall not wee bee comforted by singing praise unto the name of the Lord? Iosephs brethren thought evill against him; Gen. 50.10. but God meant it unto good; that he, being advanced, might preserve [Page 290] life: When wee thinke our selves to bee neerest unto destruction, God may then intend our greatest happinesse and comfort. As the heaven is high above the earth, so the height and depth of his wisedome and love doe exceed the capacity of our shallow understanding. Wee are not able to apprehend the manner of his gracious dealing with us: When the Lord turned againe the captivity of Sion, Psal. 116.1. they were like them that dreame: Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. The Apostle himselfe in his gaole-delivery, Act. 12.9. wist not that it was true which was done, but thought hee had seene a vision. At what time soever [Page 291] God is pleased to inspire his grace and comfort into us, we ought to rejoyce therein, and by night on the bed to seeke him whom our soule loveth; Cant. 3.1. Circumscribatur nox, & aliquid ex illa in diem transferatur. Senec. abridging that time of rest and ease, that it may become as beneficiall unto us, as the day it selfe. David was not satisfied by offering the sacrifice of thankesgiving in the courts of the Lords house, Psal. 116.17. and paying his vowes in the presence of all the people: But in the night also he would continue his song of Gods mercy; Siquis adest auditor lu [...]ciniae prius al imus quam cantus deficiet. Like that excellent bird, which is never weary or spent by continuing her delightfull notes: So this sweete singer of Israel was uncessant in praising the Lord; not giving sleepe to [Page 292] his eyes, untill hee had blest his holy name. In time of affliction hee made his bed to swimme, praying unto the Lord to returne, and deliver his soule: Now in prosperity hee gives thankes for the blessings hee doth receive. When our bones are vexed, and our sleep departeth from us, wee pray unto God to deale mercifully with us; But when our diseases are healed, wee doe not returne to give thankes, being soone overtaken with heavinesse and security: And yet David did endeavour to watch in the night, that hee might sing praise unto the Lord. He did not then onely meditate in the Law of God, when he could not take any rest, (as [Page 293] Ahasuerus had the booke of the records of the Chronicles read before him, Esther 6.1. when hee could not sleepe;) for now hee might lye downe in peace, and sleepe, when God made him to dwell in safety: Much lesse did hee intend to procure sleepe by a sinister performance of any good duty; which notwithstanding is a corrupt practice of many men, who by singing, or reading, or hearing, or meditating, will have an unworthy aime to bring themselves asleepe; and yet confessing that the enemy is most busied, when they are best exercised. And therefore David saith, Psal 149 5. Let the Saints sing aloud upon their beds: Thereby to testifie their [Page 294] cheerefull devotion, and also to prevent that spirit of slumber. Such as shall thinke to obtaine quiet rest by performing any such action (in it selfe commendable) they doe like unto that people which followed Christ, not because of the miracles, Iohn 6.26. but because they were filled with the loaves: So these seeke him, not that their faith may bee strengthened, but that their bodies, may bee refreshed; The words then used by them, being as a charme to gaine their purpose. Wee know how dangerous the fall of Eutichus was, Acts 20.9. and yet he was overcome by a deepe sleep against his will; whereas these men doe addresse themselves thereunto, stretching [Page 295] out the arme to welcome sleepe, rather than to declare any fervent zeale. And therefore as their offence is more hainous, so their fall will bee greater. And they also offend in an high nature, who in publike are not able to watch one houre; but doe settle themselves to their repose: With what horror may they feare to be awakened by the sound of the last trumpe, who have despised the voyce of God? And how can they sleepe without suffering many things, Mat. 27.19. because of that Iust Man, whom they so unjustly contemne in their neglect of his Word exhibited unto them? This example may be very forcible to convince [Page 296] the sluggard that folds his hands to sleepe: Shall David improve the night to so happy an use, and wilt thou consume both day and night in drowsinesse and sloth? Also this good act here mentioned doth confute them that neglect the frequent use of so heavenly a duty: Whereas the Apostle doth call upon us to sing with a grace in our heart, Ephes. 5 29. Col. 3.16. making melody unto the Lord. Quod essent soliti stato die antelucem convenire, c [...]menque Christo quasi Deo dicere secum invicem. Plin. Iun. And in former time, Christians were so fervent in spirit, that they would not forbeare their spirituall songs in the night, though their lives were brought in danger thereby. Vide Tertullian. in Apologet. Bu [...] now, excepting that generall exercise in the congregation (where there be too many [Page 297] abridgments of abridgements) the use thereof is not so common as it ought to be. In some families it is rare, in other it is never thought upon: In Societies and Colledges, where friends meeting privately in the end of the best day, Luke 24.32. perhaps their heart may burn within them while they talke about the Scripture, but yet this holy duty is much omitted; which if it were conscionably performed in a religious manner, would bring comfort unto the soule, by letting the servants of God to depart in peace. Mat. 26.30. That hymne which Christ sang with his Apostles, may bee a president unto all that are in authority, to doe likewise.
David saith, that the Lords song shall be with him in the night, Psal. 118.14. And, that the Lord is his strength and his song; which doth confound the foolish love-songs, and unreasonable poems, which are too much in request; Songs in praise of Venus, and the great Diana, to the dishonour of their Creatour, & the shame of the maker; striving to get a name, though it be by their owne confusion: This their way is their folly, yet their posterity approve their sayings. Of these we may say, as Ronsard spake of the famous Du-Bartas, He hath done more in a day then I have done in my whole life: So David hath done more by this song in [Page 299] the night, than they by the writings of their whole life: Wherefore let them forbeare any longer to exceed their bounds in loose dittyes, and wanton catches, whereby youth is soone taken; as appeares by the lewd songs, so common in their night-walks, more harsh to every good eare than the voyce of the raven or any prodigious bird.
VERSE VIII. And my prayer unto the God of my life.
BEfore he spake of the blessings received, God commanding his loving kindnesse in the day time, Of his thanks-giving for those [Page 300] blessings, singing praise unto God in the night, And now he betakes himselfe unto Prayer, for the continuance of those blessings, and supply of all graces needfull. Wee see our poore and weake estate in this life: If God withdraw his right hand, we fall and perish: If he stop the fountaine of his mercies, we dye for thirst: Wee cannot say that we are rich, Revel. 3.17. and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; For in our selves wee are wretched and miserable: Going out full in the morning, we may be brought home againe empty in the evening: Having in the day given thanks unto God, who filleth us with his blessings; before [Page 301] night we pray unto him for our dayly bread: In our thankfull acknowledgment of the benefits we doe enjoy, we humbly pray unto God, to renew his wōted mercies, and to multiply his favours upon us. How can we testifie our due valuation of the bounty and goodnesse of the Almighty, but by ascribing all glory unto him? when our soules doe blesse the Lord, and all that is within us doe praise his holy name: How can we better declare the sincerity and devotion of our thanks-giving, than by our fervent prayer for the increase of those graces, for which we desire to give thanks? He that is in want, may move compassion: He [Page 302] that is gratefull, will soone obtaine reliefe. Can we presume to beg any thing of God, not having rightly priced those blessings, which we have formerly received from his bountifull hands? David was so far from forgetting any benefit, that God had bestowed upon him, that in this prayer, he doth insinuate a dutifull remembrance of Gods gracious dealing with him, in that he calleth Him, The God of his life; who breathed into him the breath of life: who in sicknesse healed his diseases, and brought up his soule from the grave: Who delivered him from the Beare and the Lion, and that lion-like man, Goliah, and that Fox, who [Page 303] sought after the blood of this Lambe, and yet, confessing him to be innocent: And here from this ravening Woolfe, Absalom, who in the morning devour'd the prey, slew his brother Amnon; And now thought to divide the spoyle, by casting his father out of his throne into his sepulchre: & laboured to have the Sun turned into darknesse, that himselfe might have shined like a blazing meteor; But God was the God of his life: The living, the living he shal praise thee as I doe this day: Having received so great a blessing, he doth use it to the praise of his name: And from Him he hoped for that better life, when this should [Page 304] be finished; for which Bathsheba prayed, That the King might live for ever: Our life being a good gift, doth come from the Father of lights: In him we live and move and have our being: And whether we live or dye we are the Lords: Then let us live to his glory, and bee willing to forsake all things to follow Christ; and to lose our lives that we may save them at the last day: not like the unregenerate, who wil preserve their lives, though they destroy their soules; and will keepe their goods, though they spend their lives: as Ananias did, Act. 5.5. Mat. 21.19. being like the fig-tree, which brought forth the broad leaves of outward profession, whereby hee [Page 305] thought to cover his nakednesse, Gen. 3.7. But wanting sound fruit, he was blasted by the breath of divine justice, and withered away. By this example of David, we may be taught unto whom to direct our prayers: Even unto the God of our life, who hath given us so great a blessing, & is able to give us all things requisite for our good: How voyd of all sense, and understanding are they, that neglect praying unto the eternall and everliving God? and doe pray unto Saints, which are dead, which never were living; and doe represent their prayers unto images, in a language equally unknowne to the idoll and themselves; Psal. 115 8. They that make [Page 306] them, so is every one that trusteth in them.
VERSE IX. I will say unto God, My rocke, why hast thou forgotten me? why goe I mourning, because of the oppressions of the enemye?
DAvid doth here premeditate what he should say, when he comes to speake unto the Lord in prayer: And in so doing he becomes a good example unto us, duely to consider our necessity, that we may performe this holy duty with the more reverence, and thereby obtaine the more comfort. As wee use to examin our selves before we come to the Lords [Page 307] supper, where we are made the partakers of the body & blood of Christ, So likewise we ought to search our hearts before prayer, at which time we partake of the benefit of his sufferings: Mat. 6.7. And then we must omit vaine repetitions, for we are not heard for our much speaking: A few words with fervency & zeale are better than ten thousand without importunity & holinesse. The Pharisee made a great sound in his prayer, But the Publican like a vessel full of pretious liquor, strikes himselfe upon the breast, & drawes out these few words, God be mercifull to me a sinner. Our care must be to fitt our prayer unto the present occasion, And that estate, [Page 308] wherein we then are: Sometime the soule is lifted up with joy, and then there is cause of thanksgiving, and praysing the name of the Lord for his manifold blessings: Sometime it is weighed downe with sorrow; and then we must be humbled in confession of our owne vnworthinesse, and labour to strengthen our selves by trusting in Gods mercyes: All helps are good, that may either assist us therein, or enable us thereunto: But above al, the Holy Spirit, which teacheth all things, and sheweth unto every man the griefe of his owne heart, leading him in the way of life; By the which we must be guided & instructed all the dayes of [Page 309] our lives: In comparison whereof, all other are but blind guides, And not fitted to every particular exigent. Paul being unable to see, was led by the hand, Act. 9.8. But after the scales fell from his eyes, he needed no such helpe. And that other blind man cured by Christ, Iohn 9.21. being of age was able to speake for himselfe. They that are strong men in Christ, doe poure out their complaint before the Lord: Yea, the new-borne child doth cry, though not able to speake. In the beginning we cry unto the Lord in sighs and grones: And afterward growing from milke to strong meate (as the flax, which at first did but smoke, in the end doth burn bright) [Page 310] wee are able to make expression of our want. When Zacharias his mouth shall bee opened, Luk. 1.63. and his tongue loosed, that hee could speake to the praise of God, the writing table may bee laid aside. Naturally wee are all borne with this infirmity; and unlesse God put forth his hand, and touch our mouth, as hee did Ieremiahs, Ier. 1.9. wee are not able to speake unto him. Let us then covet this excellent endowment, and pray unto God to open our lips, and to touch our tongue with a coale from the altar, that we may obtaine this originall and fundamentall blessing, whereby so many graces are derived unto us; and wee come to bee built up in our [Page 311] most holy faith: In our voyage to heaven, take heed of these two dangerous rocks; Either to withdraw the shoulder, Nehem. 9.29. laying the burthen upon others, not seeking the bread of life by any sweat of our owne, but onely as wee wipe it off from the face of other men; Or else a customary and negligent performance of this duty, whereby wee rather quench the spirit, than stirre up the gift that is in us, 2. Tim. 1. [...]. that it may shine cleerly, for the benefit of others; and burne cheerfully for the comfort of our own soules.
Now let us observe this resolution of David; I will say unto God: Ought hee not rather to have confessed with Iob, Iob 9.3.15. That hee was not [Page 312] able to answer him one of a thousand? And though hee had beene righteous, yet would not answer, but make supplication unto his Iudge: As the Publican would not so much as lift up his eies unto heaven; So, might not he have said, that hee was unworthy to lift up his voyce unto the Lord, and to speake unto him? Who art thou, O man, Rom. 9.20. that repliest against God? Hath not the potter power over the clay? Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker. Isai. 45.9. 1. Pet. 2.20. Are servants commanded to take it patiently, when they suffer for doing well; and shall Gods servants bee impatient, when they are corrected for their faults? as if, like Balaam, He [Page 313] did smite us when wee did not offend against him. Num. 22.28. Also where hee complaineth, that he is now forgotten, he speaketh as if God should repent of his love towards him; as Adam, when he thought to justifie himselfe, Gen. 3.12. did impute the blame upon God: So David doth not accuse himselfe, who had provoked the Lord by his transgressions, but speaketh as if God had forgotten to bee gracious, and had rejected him in his displeasure. In the former part, I will say unto God, My rocke; There is a strong confidence in Gods mercy, which emboldened him thus to speake: In the latter, Why hast thou forgotten me? He speakes according to carnall [Page 314] reason, Iudg. 2.3. which is as a Canaanite in the land, a thorne in our side, not to bee wholly conquered, untill the last enemy be destroyed. 1. Cor. 15.26.
Before you saw him panting and thirsting for God; but now he is come to the rocke from whence floweth the water of life: Before the waves and billowes went over him; but now his feet are set upon the rocke: For who is a rocke save our God? Psal. 18.31. He is a rocke of refuge, & 62.7. & 94.22. of strength, of salvation. Thus Hannah calls him in her song: & 95.1. There is no rocke like our God: 1. Sam. 2.2. Thus Moses frequently in his song, Deut. 32 31. Their rocke is not as our Rocke: Thus David in his song, 2. Sam. 22.47. Blessed be my rocke, and exalted [Page 315] be the God of the rock of my salvation: God who is pleased to call himselfe, Exod. 3.14. I AM; may fitly be described by this title of the Rocke, as being ever the same: Yea more stable and permanent than any rocke; Mat. 27 51. For the rocks have beene rent, but God is immutable, with him is no shadow of change: wherefore let us put our whole trust in God. And as the conies, Pro. 30.26. though a feebl folke, yet are commended as exceeding wise, because they make their houses in the rockes: So it will be our wisedome to build upon this Rocke, Mat 7.24. that we may no [...] fall, when we are opposed & exalted by the prince of the ayre. Ephes. 2. The dove is sayd to be [Page 316] in the clefts of the rocke; Cant 2.14. So let our soules, being purified by faith, enter through the wounds of Christ, Isai. 2.10. and be united unto him by love. In this appellation here used, My Rocke; the Psalmist alludes to Gods favourable dealing with the Israelites, whom he relieved by causing water to come out of the rocke at Horeb, Exod. 17.6. Num. 20.11. & Meribah: The remembrance of Gods grace, and love shewed unto others, doth bring comfort unto our soules: And it is the best menes for us to obtaine the blessings we want, when we doe magnifie his holy name for his mercy and goodnesse unto his children, and for the great benefits formerly conferred upon our [Page 317] selves: Isai. 17.10. Not being unmindfull of the rocke of our strength. It was Davids infirmity, having begun in the spirit, in calling God his Rocke, thus to end in the flesh, saying, Why hast thou forgotten mee? Had wee faith as a graine of mustard seed, Mat. 17.20. wee might bee able to remove mountaines; but it doth discover our unbeliefe, when wee thinke that our Rocke doth forsake us, that our God forgets us: Wee doe, with Iesurun, Deut. 32.18. forget the Rocke that begat us, the God the fo [...]med us; but he never forsakes his servants that wait upon him. How often would hee, like the henne, gather us under the wings of his providence and mercy? [Page 318] But when did he, like the Ostrich, Iob 39 14. leave us wholly destitute of his favour? Shall the man that falleth through his owne weakenesse, or is overthrowne by the strength of the winds, and power of the waves, accuse the Rocke whereon hee stood, for instability? The Rocke is fixed and sure, but wee are feeble: yet such is our error, that as in passing by water, the eye is ready to apprehend that the rockes doe remove, and the vessell wherein wee are doth stand still: So wee many times doe deceive our selves, by thinking that God doth goe from us, when as wee doe runne from him by disobedience. 1. Iohn 4.10. We have not loved God, but hee us: God [Page 319] hath not forgotten us, but wee him: Doth David demand, Why hast thou forgotten me? Might hee not as well have asked, Why hast thou dealt so favourably with mee? There was great cause of indignation, but no merit of love. 2. Sam. 7.8. When God tooke him from the sheepe-coat, from following the sheepe, and anoynted him King over Israel, and delivered him out of the hand of Saul, & 12.7. and gave him his Masters house, and the house of Israel, and Iudah; and if that had beene too little, hee would have given him such and such things: Having received so great blessings, hee brought forth the grapes of Sodom in lust and uncleannesse; [Page 320] making his transgression to be like that crying sin of the men of Gibeah, Iudg 25. where adultery and murther were both joyned together: Wherfore it was a just judgement of God, to forget him, who had so highly offended. And yet in this wee may see, that the wayes of God are not like our wayes, nor his thoughts as our thoughts: Wee thinke hee is well pleased with us, when hee is most angry; and that hee forgets us, when hee begins to looke upon us in mercy. David during the whole yeare that hee slumbred in his sin, thought the time to bee like a jubilee of ioy, wherein all things succeeded prosperously; but now that God doth punish [Page 321] him for his iniquity, and like a good shepheard, with his rod doth bring home this straying sheepe, hee thinkes that he is forgotten and cast out of Gods fight. Of our selves wee are not able to discerne Gods fatherly chastisements, and the trials of our faith, from the punishment of our rebellion; yea wee thinke that wee doe him good service, when wee provoke him to wrath. Being punished for our sinnes, wee are ignorant of the cause of his anger; unlesse hee shall tell us the cause why many are sicke, and weake, and many sleepe: For the heart of man is deceitfull above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? Being [Page 322] thus ignorant, wee ought to inquire of the Lord, and to pray that hee would shew us the cause, why his anger is kindled against us, and his hand is heavie upon us: As David here, out of a desire to be informed, saith, Why hast thou forgotten me? It seemed strange unto him, that God should forget to be gracious, and that his mercy should be cleane gone for evermore, considering how graciously hee dealt with his people, the Israelites: When they dealt proudly, Nehem 9. Verse 16. and refused to obey, thou wert a God, ready to pardon, and forsookest them not; yea, when they made them a molten calfe, 17. 18. yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest [Page 323] them not: When they cast thy law behinde their backs, 19. and slew thy Prophets, and wrought great provocations, yet in their trouble, 26. when they cryed, thou heardest from heaven & gavest them Saviours. 27. When they had rest, they did evill againe, 28. yet many times didst thou deliver them, and wouldest not utterly consume them: Then why hast thou forgotten me, O my God? Through the intercession of Christ we shal for ever enjoy the favour and presence of the Almighty. If God sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when hee remembred Abraham, Gen. 19.29. who prayed for Sodom, then we may be assured that God will not forget [Page 324] us, having Christ Iesus to be our Mediator.
VERSE IX. Why goe I mourning, because of the oppression of the enemy?
HAd this man of God spoken no more than he did before, that he was forgotten of his Creator, we might have conceived his estate to bee very disconsolate; But now after the setting of the sunne, to have such horrid darknesse succeed: After he seemed to be forsaken of God, to be thus vexed by the adversary, must needs aggravate his sorrow; when hee went from one place to another, [Page 325] not finding ease or comfort, first to the wildernesse, then to the ascent of Mount Olivet, after that he passed over Iordan; not having his head adorned with a diademe, but covered with sack-cloth, making every place where he came to be like Bochim, Iudg. 2.5. a place of weepers: While he was unjustly oppressed by one, who was an enemy unto God, and to David, and to himselfe; who, as Iudas sought to shed the bloud of Christ, who had formerly washed his feet, So Absalom sought the destruction of his father, who before had washed the guilt of blood from him with teares of compassion, weeping sore for the evill done by him, & [Page 326] remitting his great offence, he received him into his bosome; Yet this untamed heifer lift up his heele against him: This is the enemy that hath persecuted his soule, Psal. 143.3. that hath smitten his life downe to the ground, that made him to dwell in darknesse, as those that have beene long dead. Had God dealt with him as he did with Saul, 1. Sam. 15.28. to have rent the kingdome from him, and to have given it to another better than himselfe, he might have endured it with the more patience; Let the righteous smite me, Psal. 141.5. it shall be a kindnesse: But now, that the son of pride should make this humble servant of God to mourne, that the enemy to [Page 327] holinesse should thus afflict the child of Abraham, 2. Chro. 20.7. Gods friend; it must cause him to walke heavily, and to be full of perplexity: like the Hart which he mentioned in the beginning, which is in daunger to be devoured unlesse it be refreshed by the water-brookes; So he is even consumed by these troubles, unlesse that God, who maketh the lame man to leape as an Hart, Isai. 35.6. be pleased to renew his strength, and to put an end to these calamities. If we offend against God, we shall be punished by them that are worse than our selves, who shall be as his rod and his hammer for our correction. We cannot thinke those to be vessells of mercy, who [Page 328] were the instruments of his wrath against the Israelites, that went mourning by reason of the oppression of the enemy, imposing such heavy burthens upon them in their captivity.
It is our infirmity in time of any crosse, to looke rather unto the hand of him that smote us, than to the divine permission, or our sinnes provoking: No man could have power against us unlesse it were given from above: Iohn 19 11. There is no evill of punishment which God hath not done; our destruction proceeds from our selves: And therefore David, who was unwilling to mourne because of the cruell oppression of an insulting enemy; [Page 329] might yet have prayed unto God to breake his heart, and to give him true sorrow, that he might lament for his owne sinnes; whereby he had incensed Gods displeasure, and by which, as by the most tyrannicall enemy, hee was oppressed and brought into bondage, when lust and corruption did set up their throne in the heart of him, who was advanced to the kingdome; And were more unsatiable in their exactions, than ever the task-masters of Egypt, were against the distressed Israelites. Deut. 4.20. And his worke was more servile, than theirs in the iron fornace, when his soule did burne in lust; and though hee were a King, 2. Sam. 23.39. yet he betrayed [Page 330] the life of his faithfull subject, 1 Sam. 18.14. yea of one of his Worthyes, altogether unworthy of such an untimely end: And that he might make him sure, As Ioab thrust three darts through the heart of Absalom; So he seekes to kill Uriah thrice; First, to rend him asunder as Samson did the Lion, Iudg. 14.6. when he tooke away his wife from him; He put him to a second death, when he made him drunke: 2 Sam. 11.13. And surely drunkennesse may well be called the second death, as being the next way thereunto; And thirdly he caused him to be slaine by the enemy. Now this was a fit time for him to have cried out, Why go I mourning because of the oppression of [Page 331] the enemy? when Satan, as afterward in the numbring of the people, stood up against David, 1. Chro. 21.1. and overthrew him. What greater sorrow, than for sinne? What more dreadfull enemy than Satan? What oppression comparable unto that which is undergone by the vassals of Satan? whose condition is worse than that of the Gibeonites, Iosh. 9.23. who were bondmen, hewers of wood, and drawers of water; or than that of the men of Rabbah, who were put under sawes, 2. Sam. 12.31. and harrowes of iron, and axes of iron, and were made to passe through the brick-kilne: There is no act so vile and fordid, that he doth not put them thereunto; no torment so cruell, that [Page 332] hee doth not inflict upon them. How circumspect ought wee to bee, that the wicked one may not touch us? and whensoever we are overtaken in a fault, how importunate should wee bee in our prayer unto God, night and day, to deliver us from that thraldome? I am thine, Lord save me, and let thine eare bee attentive unto the prayer of thy servant, Nehem. 1.11. who desires to feare thy name. Thou knowest, O Lord, that mine enemy is thine enemy: He first rebelled against thee, and justly suffered thy fierce wrath, by reason of his pride. Hee assaulted our blessed Saviour with diverse and sundry temptations, and would not leave him, untill being [Page 333] vanquished hee was commanded to depart: Mat. 4.10. But for ever hee continueth his malice against mee thine image; and often, too often hee prevailes against mee, so that I am brought into subiection, and the irons doe enter into my soule: Arise, O Lord, Psal. 105.18. for my deliverance; Thou hast bought mee, not with gold and silver, but with the bloud of thy Sonne; O then redeeme mee out of this captivity: Why should this traitor destroy thy subiect, that laboureth in all things to bee faithfull and obedient? Why should Satan vex thy servant, that endeavours to doe thy blessed will? Why goe I mourning, because of the oppression of the enemy?
VERSE X. As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach mee, while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
VVHat grievous vexation and anguish holy David did endure, by the reproaches of wicked men, may appeare by the description thereof in this Psalme: Before there was the outward expression in teares; and here is the inward torment, A sword in his bones. Not some little hurt in the skinne onely, nor some small wound in the flesh, but the breaking of the bones; which how deadly it is, may appeare by the practice of [Page 335] the Iewes towards them that were crucified. Iohn 19.32. This here mentioned, is not much unlike to that which is spoken of the Word of God, being sharper than any two edged sword, Heb. 4.12. piercing even to the dividing asunder of the joints and the marrow: But that sword doth cut downe sinne from the good, with one edge; and with the other it destroyes the soule of the ungodly: Whereas this doth wound the righteous, and like an Egyptian reed doth enter into the hand, yea into the soule of him that useth it. Had they spake thus unto him in sodaine anger, and unadvised passion, hee could the better have endured these disgraces: But their obstinate [Page 336] continuance in the daily use of it, did discover their inveterate malice, that they were given over to a reprobate sense; and living without God in the world, they did scorn and vilifie all those that put their confidence in him: wherefore hee had iust reason to say, that they were bloudy enemies unto him.
There was a time, when there was no sword found with the Israelites; 1. Sam. 13.22. It were an excellent blessing if now in our Israel, there were none that did strike at the good name of their brethren, by slanderous reports, and uncharitable censures: But as then, Gal 4.29. he that was borne after the flesh, persecuted him that was borne after the spirit, So [Page 337] it is now: Many thinke they cannot better declare their freedome from vice, than by reproching them that are vertuous. Ephes. 6. A good Christian shall have need of the whole spirituall armour, that hee may be enabled to withstand the fierce assaults, and to quench the fiery darts of the wicked: He must have his loynes girt about with truth, that he be not weakened, and shaken by the dissolute, and railing accusation that is brought against him: He must haue the breast-plate of righteousnesse, to oppose against their wickednesse, and his feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, that he may not runne with them in the crooked [Page 338] paths leading to destruction: And the Sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, that he may thereby disarme them of these instruments of cruelty. There was a flaming sword, Gen. 3.24. which turned every way, placed to keepe Adam, from reentring into Paradice: These flaming swords, these tongues set on fire from hell, keepe many men from walking in the wayes of godlynesse, and from approching unto the tree of life, Christ Iesus: who wanting a constant and firme resolution, will chuse to halt betweene two opinions, Psal. 107.27. yea to reele to and fro, and stagger like the ship mentioned in the Psalme, in unknowne wayes, rather [Page 339] than with Micaiah, 1. King. 22.24. to be smitten and reviled for their sincere profession of the truth. Could that blessed Martyr endure the picture of the devill which was put upon on his head, Iohn Hus in Fox. and esteeme it a crowne of glory unto him? And shall not we undergoe the termes of disgrace, cast upon us by wicked men? which being rightly considered, are no other than be used in holy scripture; So that their sinne is the greater by the profanation. And it may be our greatest sorrow, that we have not attained to be such as they accuse us to be; Or as we our selves desire to be. Now the successe which they shall find by this their violent carriage, will be [Page 340] no other than Asahel had, 2 Sam. 2.23. who ranne upon his owne destruction. Mat 26.52. All they that take the sword, shall perish by the sword: Psal. 64.3. They whet their tongue like a sword, but it shall enter into their owne hart. & 37.15. Ier 9.3. They bend their tongue like a bow for lyes; and shoot their arrowes, Psal. 11.2. even bitter words, at the upright in heart: & 64.3.7. But God shall shoote at them with an arrow, sodainly shall they bee wounded. & 52.2. Their tongue deviseth mischiefe like a sharpe rasor, working deceitfully: But in the end it will bring them to torment. & 79.12. They speake evill of those things they know not, and persecute the faithfull; Nehem 4.4. But God will render seven fold into their bosome, [Page 341] their reproach, and turne it upon their owne head: We may demand the cause of this their inquisition, Where is thy God? He might have asked them one question, Iohn 9.27. Will ye also be his disciples? Had they intended to have taken his yoke upon them, David would willingly have instructed them in the way, yea hee would have beene their guide; Come and see Him, who hath told me all things that I know, & 4.29. and knoweth all things that ever I did; is not this the only true God? But they meant to honour him no otherwise than Herod thought to worship Christ, Mat. 2.7. when he enquired diligently after him: He hoped to have [Page 342] killed the Lord of life, and they purpose to doe no lesse, comming out with swords, Mat. 26.55. as against a theefe; though they aime at the members, yet they smite the head it selfe in their persecution: Act. 9.4, 5. What is done to one of those little ones, is done unto Christ; and what is done to Christ, is done to one of them. A servant of God cannot heare His holy name, which wee ought not to use without great reverence, to bee dishonoured, but his righteous soule must be vexed thereat. It was this which did strike so deepe into David, and vexe him so sore: See the coherence which hee makes in the same verse; Psal. 69.9. For the zeale of thine house hath [Page 343] eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are falne upon me. How free hee was from anger and revenge in his owne particular case, may appeare by his carriage when Saul had a quarrell against him: For though Saul had so highly offended God by his folly, in offering a burnt offering, for the which hee was told that his kingdome should not continue; God having sought a man after his owne heart: And againe hee rebelled by disobedience, in sparing Agag, & the best of the spoile; at which time the Prophet threatned him, that his kingdome should bee rent away from him. And though David was anoynted by Samuel, [Page 344] and might have set upon Saul, when hee cut the skirt of his robe privily; and another time might have suffered Abishai to smite him, and make him sleepe his last; yet hee would not upon these pretences put forth his hand against him, but lamented at his death, and calls to the daughters of Israel to weepe over Saul. But here, when God was contemned, he was pricked to the heart, and his marrow was turned into the drought of Summer: He was upon the racke, and all his bones were broken, when he heard their evill speeches, whereby they infected the ayre, and poysoned their owne soules. Now between David and most men living [Page 345] in these daies, there is as great a difference, as betweene the King upon the throne, and the meanest subject grinding at the mill: Hee had a soveraigne command over him selfe, and was slow to anger, not sinning by wrath, yet most sensible o [...]e. malicious words, tending to the dishonour of God: Whereas many that in Gods cause are like dumbe idols, which have eares and heare not; as if it did not concerne them, being never touched with inward compunction, when his name shall bee blasphemed; but will rather give some consent thereunto, as if they were well pleased with such lewdnesse: And yet when their owne reputation [Page 346] shall be brought in question, they will whet their tongue, like a sword, in sharpe invectives; and will whet their swords also, that they may wash off the least disgrace with the bloud of other men: But if God doth whet his glittering sword, and his hand take hold on judgement, Deut. 32.41. he will render vengeance to all those which are of that mercilesse disposition that Cain was, who thought the life of his brother to bee the most acceptable sacrifice.
VERSE XI. Why art thou cast downe, O my soule, and why art thou disquieted within mee? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet [Page 347] praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.
VVHereas David so often repeateth these words, we may observe the manifold troubles which befall us in this life. Having mentioned his teates, and his banishment in the beginning, at the fift verse he rebukes his soule for sadnesse; Having rehearsed his other afflictions, he now againe chides himselfe for this distrustfull heavinesse: As Peter, Mat. 14.30. though he began to sinke the first time hee went to Christ upon the water, Yet he was not thereby discouraged from casting himselfe into the sea againe; Iohn 21.7. and then [Page 348] he passed safely to the shoare where Christ was: So though the waves & billowes went over David, when hee hoped to approch unto God by faith, yet here againe hee calls upon his soule, and casting himselfe upon Gods mercy, he arrives at the port of blessednesse: Hee did not overcome these temptations and trialls, at the first assault, nor yet was he wearied with the continuance of them; But whensoever he was molested with any evill, he labours to strengthen his confidence in Gods love, that he may be restored to comfort. As Paul prayed thrice that the messenger of Satan might depart from him: 2. Cor. 12. [...]. So our Author, shutting up the next [Page 349] Psalme with the same conclusion, doth the third time seek to be freed from this thorne in the flesh, this heavinesse that was so offensive unto him.
By this we may learne that lesson, which we shall have cause to remember, and occasion to practice, That through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdome of heaven: Act. 14.22. 2. Cor. 7.5. Without are fightings, within are feares. A wounded spirit, who can beare? What sorrow so neere, what trouble so heavy, as this, when the soule shall be disquieted with doubt of Gods love or sense of his displeasure? And yet wee must not faint and forsake our assurance, but continue [Page 350] faithfull unto the death, that wee may receive the crown of life: In afflictions wee must not thinke some new thing doth come upon us, which hath not beene before: Wee will not compare our sufferings and trials with those which David endured. Wee may take this one Prophet for an example of suffering affliction; yet did hee not cast away his confidence, but hoped in God: therfore let us also hold fast the profession of our faith. Iam 5.7. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, untill hee receiue the earely and later raine: let us also stablish our hearts, that wee may bee refreshed with [Page 351] Gods favour. As in water, face answereth to face, Pro. 27.19. so if wee looke unto the Lord, Psal. 42.5. we shall praise him for the helpe of his countenance, who is the health of our countenance, and our God. The consideration hereof may be of speciall use and importance in all the casualties of this life, but chiefly at the time of death, Iob 18.14. when wee are brought to the king of terrors: when this earthly house is dissolved, we shall be conducted to the kings palace; when these old garments be laid aside, we shall be arraied in long robes; I shall yet praise God, yea I shall for ever praise God, when I shall alwayes appeare in his presence, Who is the health of [Page 352] my countenance, who raised me from sicknesse to a sound estate, who gave me strength after infirmity, who filled me with plenty after adversity, who revived me with comfort after sorrow, and who will bring me to life after death; Being then especially the health of my countenance, when hee makes my face to shine as the sunne, by beholding his glory, And doth change this vile mortall corruptible body into a glorious body. The lame man, Act. 3.4. who was laid at the gate of the temple, looking upon Peter, received strength, and entring into the temple praised God: Though now our soules be cast downe, yet if we trust in the Lord, all our [Page 353] infirmities shall be cured, & entring into the holiest place we shall blesse the name of the Lord for evermore: Then be not discouraged with present afflictions, let thy hope be stedfast and sure: Though in tempests sometimes they cut the anchors & leave them in the sea, Act. 27.40. that the men may be saved, yet if we let our hope depart from us we perish. The time of our life is but as sixe dayes of labour and sorrow, and in this space we have so many nights of quiet and comfort, yea we have an evening before the morning, a time of strength before a time of triall; But in the end there is the eternall Sabbath of blessednesse, when we shall for ever [Page 354] magnifie the name of the Lord: Amos 8.5. Though the carnall man doth with the Sabbath gone, that he may set forth wheate, and falsifie the ballances by deceit; yet let not beleevers make hast by impatience, but waite upon the Lord, knowing that by this difficult ascent we come to sit upon the throne.