A GODLY AND FRVITFULL EXPOSITION ON THE TWENTY FIVE PSALM, THE SECOND OF THE PENTENTIALS. Serving especially for the Direction and comfort of all persons, who are either troubled in mind, diseased in body, or persecuted by the wicked. By Mr. A. SYMSON, Pastor of the Church at DALKEITH in Scotland.  
LONDON, Printed by W. I. for john Bellamy, and are to be sold at his Shop at the two Greyhounds in Cornhill, near the Royal-exchange. 1622.   

TO THE TRULY RELIGIOUS NOBLE AND VIRTUOUS LADY, MARY COUNTESS OF Marre, prosperity in this life, and eternal happiness in the life to come.  
Madam, seeing your sincerity in religion is such that it makes every one to admire you, and your love to such as are truly religious is so great, that it makes them to honour and respect you, and seeing my brother M. Patrick Simson of good memory, was that happy instrument of God, as a spiritual father to beget your Ladyship in Christ jesus, and hath dedicated all his labours to your Ladyship as the chiefest seal of his ministry, I could find none so fit as your Ladyship to whom I might dedicate this ensueing treatease, on the five and twentith Psalm, and therefore as a testimony of my service, and duty which I own unto your Ladyship, I am bold to present the same to your Ladyship's view, beseeching God, that it may redound to the advancement of his glory, and the good of the Church in general, and of your Ladyship in particular. Thus praying for the increase of your faith, and continuance of your days, together with outward and inward blessings to your Ladyship, your noble husband and hopeful posterity, I rest.  
Your Ladyship's servant A. SIMSON.   

A GODLY AND FRVITFULL EXPOSItion on the twenty fifth Psalm, the second of the PENITENTIALS.  

The substance of this Psalm.  DAVID being oppressed by his enemies, in this Psalm desires, that God would deliver him from shame, and sin the cause of all his evils; & that he would direct him to walk in his ways: as also confirms himself by many arguments in the assurance of God's goodness: and finally prays for delivery to himself and to the Church.  
This Ode of David's is set down in 22. Sections or Verses, after the number and order of the Hebrew Alphabet, at least very near, as are the 34.111.112.119. as also the Lamentations of jeremiah, and the 31. of the Proverbes. Those who seek a reason of this, let them read S. Jerome, Epist. 155. & in Lament. jeremiaes, and Euseb. de praepar. Euang.  
For he alludeth to the signification of every Letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, which hath a spiritual meaning. But in my judgement these Psalms are so framed for our memory, that keeping in mind the Letters, we may the more easily remember the matter. 
Man hath need of many helps.  For we have need of many helps to confirm our memory in goodness.  
These Verses are called Acrosticki, as were Sibyllaes' verses of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Fish: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sedullius in like manner made an Hymn, A Solis ortus cardine, Beatus auctor seculi, Castae parentis viscera, etc. As also Nazianzen. I would not wish men to be too curious in the searching of the causes hereof; but rather be diligent in the confirmation of their memories by these 22. Alphabetical Letters.  

The Division of the Psalm.  
THis Psalm containeth a Prayer to the eight Verse: a Confirmation to the eighteenth: and a Conclusion petitory to the end.  
In the first seven Verses he craveth three things at God. First, that he may not be ashamed. Secondly, that he may learn God's ways, and be taught by him. Thirdly, that he may be delivered from sin.  
Then there is contained a deprecation against sin and shame, and the mean by which he may escape them both, that is, by the word of God, which may direct him in such a way wherein he may not fall under shame and sin.  

Shame proceedeth of sin.  There are two things which we may lawfully crave of God, to eschew sin & shame: sin as the mother and cause, shame as the daughter and effect. And as we desire to fly them, so especially we should crave of God that only mean by which we may shun them, even that we submit ourselves to be governed by his word, 
The word of God freeth man both of sin and shame.  and frame all our actions thereto, by which we may persuade ourselves that we shall escape both.  
All pray, Lord keep us from shame and sin, when as many contemn the mean by which they should be preserved, even that blessed word of God.   

VERSE 1. Unto thee O Lord lift I up my soul.  

To whom God is jehovah he is also Elohim.  THe names which he gives God are jehovah and Eloim: the first taken from his nature, the other from his power; and he applieth them to himself, My strong Gods, including the persons of the Trinity.  
He leadeth us to God in our prayers, 
Psal. 73.23.  Whom have I in heaven but thee? 
Heb. 11.6.  He that cometh to God must believe that God is, and that he is able to save such as come to him. God appeared in sundry names to others, 
Exod. 6.3.  but to Moses in his essential name jehovah. Claim first to his nature, and next to his power. First, he must be thy God jehovah, 
Note.  and then thy strong God. First he must love thee, and then he will defend thee. 
Ps. 144.15  Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. Those are foolish who seek his protection, not first having assurance of his love. If he be to thee jehovah, then shall he also be to thee Eloim.  

Three arguments to move God to hear him.  The arguments by which he would move God to hear him, are taken from three persons. First, from his own person. Secondly, from the person of his adversaries. Thirdly, from the person of the godly.  

1. From his own person, because he believes in him.  In his own person first his prayer is signified by this circumscription, I lift up my soul to thee: and his faith, I trust in thee. What is prayer but a lifting up of the heart to God, for the heart must first be affected, and then it will frame all the members of the body, and draw them up with it. 
Simil.  As the Magnes draws the Iron after it, so will the soul draw the cold and lumpish flesh where it is, where the ●oule is, there is the body also, and where the soul is, there is the man.  
Whereby it appeareth that there is no prayer or spiritual service acceptable to God, 
Doct. No spiritual service but that which proceeds from the heart. Pro. 23. ●6. Isay 29.13.  but that which comes and is derived from the heart: My son give me thy heart. This people seek me with their lips, but their heart is fare from me. Ye are praying, but your heart is as the eye of the fool, every where. Sometime ye are thinking of the earth, sometime of your pleasure, sometime sleeping, sometime ye know not what ye are thinking. At preaching, ye hear the voice of a man speaking, but say not Amen. And sometime your voice is repeating some idle and deaf sounds, your heart no whit being moved: 
Simil.  but as a Parrot or Pie, uttering incertain sounds; or a Bell, sounding it knows not what: so are ye with your mouth praising God, your heart being absented from him.  

Faith only fixed on God. Lifting up of the heart presupposeth a former dejection.  Next, his faith is not carried about hither and thither, but only fixeth itself upon God.  
Thirdly, the lifting up of the heart presupposeth a former dejection of his soul: The soul of man is pressed down with sin, a 〈◊〉 with the cares of this world, which (as lead doth the net) draweth it so down that it cannot mount above, till God send spiritual prayers (as cork to the ne●) to exalt it, 
Simil.  which arise out of faith, as the flame doth out of the fire, 
Heb. 12.1.  and which must be free of secular cares and all things pressing down: which showeth unto us that worldlings can no more pray, 
Simil.  than a Moule is able to fly. But Christians are as Eagles which mount upward. 
Simil.  Seeing then the heart of man by nature is fixed to the earth, and of itself is no more able to rise therefrom, 
Simil.  than a stone which is fixed in the ground, till God raise it by his power, word, and workmen; it should be our principal petition to the Lord, that it would please him to draw us, that we might run after him; that he would exalt and lift up our hearts, that we might raise them up to heaven, and not lie still in the puddle of this earth.  

Here the future tense used for the present.  In the Hebrew it is, I will lift up, by a common phrase using the future time for the present; but he says not, I lift up my voice or my hands to thee, which both he did, for these are in vain without the heart, (So Anna the mother of Samuel says, 
1 Sam. 1.15  I poured forth my heart in the sight of the Lord,) as a body without the soul.   

VERSE 2. My God I trust in thee: let me not be confounded: let not wine enemies rejoice over me.  
THe second argument that he useth is taken from the person of his adversaries, 
2. Argument taken from the person of his adversaries opposing his faith to their fury. Mat 10.13 Psal 20.7.  who albeit they were furiously bend against him, yet he only runneth to God, without whose permission they were not able to cause one hair of his head fall to the ground. Some seek for the help of men, some trust in horses and chariots, some go to Beelzebub and devils by witches, 
2 King. 1.2 1 Sam. 28.8  but let a true Christian (with David here) have his refuge to God,  
I trust in thee: 
Doct. Faith is the ground of prayer. ] Here is faith the root and ground of prayer: When Christ bestowed any benefit upon his patients, he asked them, Do ye believe? 
Mark 9.23. Mat. 8.13. Simil.  and then answered, Be it 〈◊〉 thee according to thy faith.  
It is a natural dependence that all creatures use this argument to their superiors and masters, As my trust is in you, help me. And should not we use this same to our Lord, and say, My trust is in thee O Lord, therefore help● me. He stands upon the points of his honour will he then cast off his dependants? No truly, 
Faith in God a strong argument whereby God is moved to defend us. Mark. 9.23 24.  there is no stronger argument to mou● God to defend thee, then if thou allege thy faith in him; there is nothing impossible to him that believeth. Let us therefore crau● the augmentation of our faith, and say, Lord increase our faith; and then we need not to doubt but God will give us all things.  
His prayer is grounded upon faith: 
1 Cor 4.13 Prayer grounded on faith.  Paul saith, I believed, therefore have I spoken: therefore such prayers as proceed of an incertain faith, are abomination in the sight of the Lord, and scorning of his Majesty. Do ye not think, 
Words without faith and feeling unprofitable.  that if we conceive words in our own language (if we want a feeling of them) that they will be acceptable to God? no indeed: but much less will they please him, 
Doct.  if in an uncouth language we repeat vain words, 
Shame, the daughter of sin.  we know not what.  
Let me not be confounded:] Shame is the laughter of sin, and a condign punishment for sin, 
Rom. 6. 2●  What fruit had ye then in those ●hings wherewith now ye are ashamed? For the ●nd of those things is death. But no shame can befall to a Christian, Qui credit non erubesce●, He that believeth shall not be ashamed, 
Doct. Repentance blotteth out the memory of sin. Heb. 11.31. 2 Pet. 2.7.  for ●f he fall in sin, it will by God's blessing turn to the best to him, and his repentance will blot out the memory of his sin. Rachabs' faith hath blotted away the remembrance of her whoredom; David's repentance and Manasses, hath blotted out their sins; Lots righteousness is remembered; their sin is not shameful, for God honoured them with such virtues as took away the filthiness of their sin. 
Simil.  If a gold ring should fall in the mire, the price of the gold remains, and the dirt may soon be wiped away. Albeit jacobs' thigh made him to halt, 
Gen. 32.3.  yet the strength of his arms who wrestled with the Angel, his revelations that he got, and his holiness, made not that to be thought a deformity in him, 
Simil. Doct. The afflictions of God's children are honourable.  what the worse is a Captain for a scar in his face, whose valorous arms have been so well tried.  
Next, his afflictions and persecutions cannot be shameful, but honourable, for the Apostles themselves thought it great honour to be beaten, 
〈◊〉 3.41.  to be beaten, yea to be scourged for Christ's sake. They now are crowned with martyrdom, who to the world's opinion have suffered as evil doers.  
Let not mine enemies rejoice over me: 
The devils rejoice at evil. Luke 15.10 ] The wicked do imitate the nature of the devil, for he is never glad but at the destruction of sinners, as the Angels rejoice at their conversion: whereby ye may try if ye be a true Christian, 
The trial of a Christian by compassion. 2 Cor. 11.29.  if ye lament with those that lament, and have compassion on them, and say with the Apostle Saint Paul, Quis affligitur, & ego non vr●r? Who is afflicted, and I do not burn?  
God's children have many enemies, he is not one of God's lambs if he have not a Lion or a dog to pursue him: 
Doct. God's children have many enemies.  some are secret, some are open: but who are they? none but the Devil and his children; the Dragon pursues the seed of the woman. 
Reu. 12.17   
Next, observe their malicious nature, they rejoice at the evil of God's children, 
Simil.  and do leap for gladness. The Flies and Eagles live on the sores of beasts; so do the wicked rejoice at the evil of God's people, 
Doct. The wicked always rejoice in evil.  Rejoice not over me, my enemy, I have fallen, I will rise again.  
Thirdly, he would not feed their eyes with his losset: The joy of the wicked is ever in evil, either in their own or other men's sins, they sleep not till they sin, they eat not but in sin with gluttony, they sleep in whoredom, they go to murder, oppression, or stealing.   

VERSE. 3. So all that hope in thee shall not be ashamed, but let them be confounded that transgress without cause.  

Doct. The benefits of Christians are common.  SO all that hope in thee.] He so draws his delivery that the benefit thereof may redound to the rest of the members of Christ, for their evils and their goods are common; neither should we seek any thing to ourselves, but so fare as it may redound to the good of the Church, and her comfort.  
For as a ring on the finger adorns the whole body; 
Simil.  and as the hurt of the finger anoyeth it all: 
Doct. Shame sent to the wicked as to the right owner.  so doth the good of one member rejoice all, and the hurt of one offend all.  
But let them be confounded that transgress with out cause.] Now shame is sent to the right owner, the wicked, 
1. They transgress  who are described by two marks; first they are perfidious, and forsworn, no bond can bind them, they are a false generation, trust them not, when they are with judas kissing thee, then are they betraying thee: 
●uk. 22.47.  joab said to Abner in peaceable manner, 
Sam. 3.27  how do you my Brother, in the mean time had a dagger privately wherewith to kill him. 
Without cause.  The next mark is, without cause; they are not able to qualify any injury that ever they have done: What hath the righteous done? 
Psal. 11.3.  saith David. They live upon suspicions, apprehensions, and judge others after their own false nature.  
Note a great comfort to establish thy conscience in thy sufferings, 
Doctr.  thine innocence, 
Innocence a great comfort in time of trouble.  which maketh thy afflictions light, and thy burdens easy.   

VERSE 4. Show me thy ways O Lord, and teach me thy paths.  
Show me.] This letteth us see how that naturally we are ignorant of the ways of God, 
Doct. We are natur●lly ignorant.  and therefore David would be taught of God. He craved in the first three verses to be freed of shame, and now he craves the means by which he may be delivered, even God's word, which ●s the only preservative from shame. And ●herefore it often cometh to pass, that when men are brought to be open spectacles of shame, 
Doct.  they do confess it was not the present accident wherein they are taken, 
The contempt of God's word the cause of shame.  but the contempt of God's word. And this should teach us to love that word and follow it, to the end we may be kept from shame: which maketh greatly against the Atheists and Papists of our Land, 
Use. Against contemners of the wor● of God. Simil. joh. 3.20. The Par●●.  who contemn the blessed word of God, they are as Owls flying the light of the day, Qui male facit, odit lucem: he that doth evil hateth the l●ght.  
In this verse are contained, 1. the person whom he implores, jehovah whom he describeth, leading him, teaching him, receiving him in favour, and nourishing him, 
1  in the 4.5.6. & 7. verses. 2. What he seeks, God● ways. 
2  3. By what means, Teach me and lead me. 
3  4. the reason, 
4  Because thou art my God and I trust in thee.  
David, a K●ng and a Prophet craves to be directed by God, to the effect and end he may direct the course of his life well, and of all his Subjects, which was Solomon's choice: 
1 Kin. 3.9.  Lord give me wisdom to go in and out wisely before thy people.  
So should Pastors do. Who would be a good Master, 
Doct.  let him be a good Apprentice, & this same should all private Christians desire, 
All should desire to be taught by by God in his ways. Two contrary ways  that God would teach them that way which will please him best, even his own ways.  
Thy ways:] This presupposeth that there is another way, which is the way of sin, as there are two places and ends, heaven and hell; so are there two persons sheep and Goats, two ways, the broad and narrow, two words, 
Ios. 24.15.  come and departed. I, with josua, set before you life or death, the right or wrong way, choose or refuse. All men are going, but there is only one Gods way, the King's high street, many byways. All think they are going to Heaven, jews, Turks, Papists, Atheists, but try if thou be going thereto by that way which God hath set down to thee, try which is the ancient way, the true and living way. Brigands and false guides may deceive you, and lead you to Samaria, but the way of God is set down by Christ, 
2. Kin. 6 19 The wrong way as the Prophet led the Aramites. joh. 14.6. P●. 119.35.  I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father, but by me, even through the vale of his flesh: thus he steps through Christ. David prays unto the Lord, that he would direct him in the path of his commandments, for therein was his delight: and Isaias saith, God will teach us his ways, 
Isai. 2.3.  and we will walk in his paths.  

Faith and Love, two feet whereupon we must walk.  There be two feet whereupon we must walk, even Faith and Love, which two will carry us to heaven, without Faith thou art lame of thy right foot, without Love thou art lame of thy left foot: let Faith work through Love.. Believe in jesus Christ and live a Godly life, and assure thyself thou art in the way to heaven. 
Note.  If thou believe and live evil, thy one foot is in the way to heaven, thy other to hell: so if thou pretend a good life, and casts away the word, thy left foot is to heaven, and thy right to hell. Concerning Love, ye need not that I writ unto you; 
1 Thes. 4.9.  for ye are taught of God to love one another.  
Moreover, this (way) in the Scripture is surely set down, and the word is so called many times in the hundred and nineteenth Psalm. Such great commendation hath Christ given to the word, 
joh. 5.39.  that he desires us diligently to search it. Patres ex Scripturis didicerunt, nos ex iis discamus viam: the Father's learned of the Scriptures, 
A desire to be taught presu●poseth an ignorance. Simil.  let us learn of them the way.  
Teach me thy paths:] this presupposeth that men are ignorant by nature; for even as strangers put in a Wilderness, where there is no strait way, could very hardly discern what way to take, but would be a prey to Beasts and Brigands: so are men by nature ignorant of God. 
Act 8.31.  The Eunuch said to Philip, How can I understand without an Interpreter? Nature may teach thee ways to maintain this life; but the way to heaven, there is no reason that can persuade or teach, it cometh by divine inspiration. 
Mat. 16.17.  Blessed art thou Simon son of jona, flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father that is in heaven.  
The Philosophers and Astrologians who were quick in judging things natural, were but blind in grace. I thank thee (Father) thou hast hid it from wise men, 
Mat 11.25.  and revealed it to babes. The Scripture is as the Star that leadeth us to Bethleem. 
Mat. 2 9   
This is a great humility in David, that being a King and a Prophet, yet he would learn this Lesson, to serve God: let Preachers ever be learning. Socrates' said at his death, Hoc unum scio, me nihil scire, I know this one thing, that I know nothing: 
Note.  a conceit of knowledge is a mark of ignorance.  
He repeats this word teach me, often; whereby he acknowledges, that the chief lesson he wishes to learn to make him wise, is to know how to serve God by his word: and of this wisdom in the 119 Psalms he affirmeth, that it will make him wiser than his enemies, than his masters, than his ancients.  
By the word teach, 
Doctr. Preaching of the word of God is the ordinary ●eant of Sa●●ation. Luk 4.  he would teach us that the ordinary means of Salvation and knowledge is the word preached, How can they believe without preaching? not by reading, mumbling Masses, etc. but by lively preaching. Christ preached so in the Temple, when he took the Book from the Reader. Brethren have ye any word of exhortation for the people? Preach in season and out of season. 
Act. 13. 1●  The repetition of the words, show me, teach me, lead me, teach me, declares the instancy that he used to hear the word, more sweet than honey, 
Ps. 119. 10● Ps. 88.10  yea better than his appointed food, so that he desired that he might be but a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord. This his affection to the word he declareth by repeating it in the 119 Psalm 175. times. The great ignorance which is among us springeth from a want of desire to hear. 
Ignoranc● springeth from wan● of desire to be taught. Luk. 24.31.  The two Disciples said, Did not our heart burn within us, all the time l●● spoke to us?   

VERSE. 5. Led me forth in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my Salvation, in thee do I trust all the day.  
He craves not only to be taught the truth and the way, 
Act  
Doct.  but to be led and directed in the way, 
It is not sufficient to be taught the way unless we be led into it.  
Ma  that God may not only point it out to him, but convoy him thereunto, and keep him from going out of it: for albeit we be entered in the way of grace, if God would not perfect that work, we would fall every moment; therefore he worketh in us to will and perfide: and he who began, 
Ma  can crown also the work, he is the staff to which we must lean, 
M●  and of which we must take hold: knowledge is not sufficient without practice. God must make us to walk in the way we know. Our knowledge will be a dittay against us, if we walk not in the way we know; 
Luk 12 47  for he that knows the will of his master and doth not the same, shall have double stripes.  
For thou art the God of my salvation:] The Argument by which he would move God to teach him his ways, is taken from the person of God, whom he calleth the God of his salvation, and his own person who is saved in that he believes in him, and the adjunct of faith, which is constancy and perseverance, all the day.  
The Argument is taken from the Office of a Saviour, to guide them whom he hath delivered and saved: but thou hast saved me, therefore guide me.  

Doct. All in condemnation without Christ.  First, in that he calleth him the God of his salvation, he would let us see that we are all in condemnation without Christ, all are enclosed under sin, that God might be merciful to them.  

Rom 11.32 Doct. No man or Angel can save us but God. Psal. 3.8. Ps●l. 71.19 Psal 136.11.13, etc.  And where he calleth him the God of his salvation, he importeth, that it was not in the power of Man or Angel to save him, but in Gods, who behoved to take it upon himself, to deliver him from temporal and spiritual dangers. Salvation only belongeth to the Lord; What God is like our God, who delivereth us from our enemies, as he brought the Israelites out of Egypt, led them through the red Sea, fought all their battles, rebuked Kings for their sakes What ever delivery comes to us, comes by God, whatever instrument he useth in the same; he saves us, and not we ourselves, neither chariots nor horses. 
Note.  The consideration of this should move us to be thankful to him. Moses, joshua, Samson, etc. were typical Saviour's, but God was the great Saviour, who saved his people.  
Next, if God be the only and sole Saviour of our bodies, in saving them from diseases; and of our lives, in saving them from our enemies, should any seek salvation to his soul but from him? for if a temporary delivery cannot come but by him, what devilish doctrine is it to teach, that salvation can come by any other? Seeing then salvation only belongs to the Lord, let us run to him and seek it at his hands, who is only able to perform, and bring it to us. Seek it not at Saints, but at the King of Saints.  
In thee do I trust:] There is described the powerful instrument, apprehending Gods mercies, even faith adorned with his chief quality, 
Constancy crowneth all our virtues'.  constancy: for (all the day) signifieth as much as continually: for there is no virtue in man which can be responsable to God, if it be not joined with constancy. Ye must wait patiently, believe confidently, seek, knock, ask, hold up your hands without fainting, strengthen your weak hands and feeble knees. 
Gen. 32.24  He abode with jacob the heat of the day, and the cold of the morning, 
God  and shrinked not, till the Lord came at last; and we must abide to the end of the day of our life.  

Many begin in the morning of their youth to seek God who forsake him in the evening of their age.  The day hath a morning, a noon, and an evening-tide; so hath our age, a youth, a middle age, and a declining time; blessed is he that persevers to the end, and till his later breath constantly depends on God, and leaves him not: for certainly that man shall have the crown of eternal glory.   

VERSE 6. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies, and thy loving kindness: for they have been for ever.  
IN the preceding words, David first prayed that God would deliver him from shame and contempt: next, that he would teach him his ways: 
Doct.  and now he desires that God would have mercy upon him, and pardon him his sins. 
No assurance of the remission of sin, till God put his law in our hearts▪  Mark by this his order in prayer, how first he desires that God would teach him his law, and then that he would put away his sin; for we can never get assurance of the remission of our sins, till God put his law in our heart. After these days, 
Note  saith the Lord by jeremy, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know ye the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive them their iniquity and remember their sins no more. Which the Apostle to the Hebrews reciteth word by word. 
Doctr.  For God first by his word and Spirit works in the mind of a sinner a light and sight of his sins, 
Knowledge of sin comes before remission of sin.  and in his heart a sorrow for it, and then he putteth it away and forgives it. Therefore let us try what sight and sense of sin the word of God hath wrought in us, that we have a certificate to our conscience of the remission thereof. 
Ps. 107.20.  He sendeth his word and healeth them. He sent Nathan to David, and then pardoned him.  
In these two verses he thrice repeateth the word (remember,) not that there is any memory or forgetfulness in God, as in man, for time makes man to forget, but God changeth no time; absence makes us forget, but all things are present to him; memory hath a seat in man's brain, which being perturbed it fails, God is all memory. But he is said to remember or forget, 
How God is said to remember. Gen. 8.1. and 19.29. Gen. 30.22.  when by visible tokens of doing he showeth his favour or displeasure to man. As he remembered Noah when the flood diminished; Abraham, when he saved Lot and brought him out from Sodom; Rachel, when he made her conceive; and Anna, 
1 Sam. 1.19  when he granted unto her her petition.  
Thy tender mercies and loving kindness:] First he craves at God that he would remember his mercies, which is the first thing we should seek at God; for if we get it (as said jacob) we get all things. 
Gen. 33.11 Mercy against merit.  And hereby it is clearly seen, that he disclaims all merits; for albeit he fought the Lords battles, governed his people by the word and sword, in executing justice, prayed and praised God continually, fasted, and bestowed alms on the Saints; 
Psal. 16.2.  yet he confesseth they cannot extend to God: 
Use.  which refuteth and damneth the foolish Papists, who pretend merits, 
Of confutation of the Papists merits.  but commit murders and adulteries, and yet with open mouth they cry, merits, merits.  
He amplifieth Gods mercies by three names, mercies, benignities, goodness; benignity twice repeated; see how highly he doth esteem of God's goodness, when he cannot find terms sufficiently to express them.  

A lively representation of the Trinity.  But these three lively represent unto us the Trinity: the Father the fountain of goodness, yea goodness itself; the Son, mercy supplying our misery; the holy Spirit, benignity and bountifulness, graciously working and bestowing these things which the Father and Son give. The goodness of God is the fountain begetting mercy, and mercy bringeth forth benignity. Let us learn by this, that whatever cometh to us, must either come out of the fountain of God's mercy, or else it is a curse, not a benignity, but a malignity. Many say, Who will show us any good thing? 
Psal. 4.6.  but David says, Lord lift up the light of thy countenance on me.  

We should imitate the three properties of the Trinity.  These three properties of the Trinity all Christians should imitate; the goodness of the Father, the mercy of the Son, and the bountifulness of the Spirit; that in so doing they may have society with the Father, Son, and Spirit. I know thee to be a good man, because thou art not cruel but merciful; I know thee to be merciful, in that thy hand is bountiful, thou gives and distributes to the poor, 
Psal. 112.9  thy righteousness endureth for ever.  
The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rachamim signifieth bowels, which are the seats and places of the fatherly and motherly love, and therefore the children are called parentum viseera, the bowels of the parents; which phrase the Apostle writing to Philemon both in the 12. and 20. verse, expoundeth spiritually: Thou therefore receive him that is mine own bowels: and in the 20. verse, Comfort my bowels in the Lord. 
Esay 49.15  Can a mother forget her child, &c, yet the Lord cannot forget Israel. 
Ps. 103.13.  And as the Father pities his children, so the Lord hath pity on those that fear him. So we see hereby how dear and near we are to God's very heart, that we have a place in his innermost affections.  
But when he speaks of mercies and benignities, 
Infinite miseries have need of infinite mercies.  he speaks in the plural number, because as our sins and miseries are infinite, so we have need of infinite comforts and pardons, he is called the father of mercies  
For they have been for ever:] 
2 Cor. 1.3. God's mercies are eternal.  A fair commendation of God's mercies, from the eternity thereof. His mercies had no beginning, as himself had none, and shall have no end; F●om everlasting to everlasting thou art our God. For as the Ocean and main Sea, 
Psal. 100 Simil.  can never be exhausted, but it would furnish water to all the world, if every one should bring vessels to draw water there from: So if we had faith and prayer to seek grace from God, he is all-sufficient in himself to furnish us all: which makes David to cry in one Psalm twenty and six times, 
Psal. 126.  thy mercy endureth for ever: 
Mat. 16.18  Therefore we may build our faith on it as on a strong Rock, that the gates of hell cannot prevail against us, for every thing earthly on which we repose is subject to mutation and change: 
All things change, God only immutable.  But herein is our comfort, that he is an immutable God on who we depend, and in whom we trust: then as long as God stands, our salvation cannot fail. Woe to them who put their trust in any other, following lying vanities, and forsaking mercies. 
jonah 2.8. Psal. 119.  I have seen an end of all perfection, (says David) but thy word is very large.   

VERSE 7. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my rebellions: but according to thy kendnesse remember thou me, even for thy goodness sake, O Lord.  
HE conjoines these two, 
Doct.  memory of mercies, 
When God remembers mercies he forgets sin.  and forgetfulness of sins, the one destroys the other; when God remembers mercy, he forgets sin; when he remembers sin, he forgets mercy: when God will plague the Whore of Babel, it is said, He will remember her sins. and in Hosea, Now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins, 
Hos. 8.13.  they shall return to Egypt.  
He craved mercy before at God, 
Doctr. If sin had not been, God's mercies had not been known. Rom. 8.28.  now he lets us see the object of God's mercy, even sin; and here appears the great wisdom of God, who can turn all things to the best to those that love him; so that he doth make their sin which they did commit, to manifest his glory, and work their own salvation. All the properties of God (his justice and mercy excepred) might have been known to the world by the creation; his wisdom in framing the world so artificially, his power in maintaining it, his goodness in making man so excellent a creature; but if sin had not been, neither God's mercy would have been manifested in pardoning it, neither his justice in punishing it: For where sin abounded, 
Rom. 5.20.  there mercy superabounds.  
Remember not the sins of my youth:] He makes mention of his sins, for when he speaks to God who is most just and righteous, that he should remember his own unrighteousness; as the brethren of joseph, when they sought favour of him, they remembered the wrong they did to him: as if one seeking the help of his friend, he would confess the faults he did against him; 
Luk. 15.21  as the forlorn son did to his father. So, seeing sin is the principal wall which druids us from God, so that he doth not hear our prayers, David here taketh away this impediment. 
Doct.  Therefore if we would have our prayers acceptable to God, 
We must confess our sin if we would be heard.  let us begin at an humble begging of pardon and remission (at which allour prayers should begin) that having assurance of God's favour, we may boldly suit what we please. But if we begin not our prayers at craving pardon; 
Simil.  we become like foolish Physicians, who neglect the causes of the disease, and only study to mitigate the present dolour, and apply outward somentations for the curing thereof.  

Object.  But how is it that David specially nominates the transgressions of his youth? did he not commit other sins? and are the sins of his age of no moment?  

Answ.  I answer, He doth not extenuate his presen sin, by remembering the sins of his youth, but rather aggravates and aggredges the same, while he repeats from his childhood, how many ways he had kindled God's wrath against him. Confessing that he had heaped sin upon sin, and so by process of time was loadned and overcharged with it.  
Next, if God should deal with him by extreme rigour, he should not only call to mind the faults which he did yesterday, but whatsoever sins he did from his youth. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 includes all the faults either of commission or omission which he did. 
Note.  Therefore so oft as the Lord terrifies us with his judgements, let us not only remember our last oftence, but let our former transgressions make us be ashamed, and bring new sobs and sighs in our heart. Let old men call to mind their former offences which they did commit in their youth. Saint Augustine in his confessions reckoneth out all the follies which he committed in his childhood, infancy, youth, and age, calling them to mind even from the beginning: 
Psal. 51.5.  for we are conceived in sin, and a child of one day is not clean before God. As we grow in years ye grow in sin: as a Lion's whelp is borne with a savage nature, and as it grows in age so the cruelty thereof increaseth, so does man. Solomon in the Proverbs saith, It is hard to know the way of a young man with a maid. 
Pro 30.19.  So young men have need of sure custody, that their parents, masters and Preachers, should take heed diligently to them.  
Saint Ambrose in a Sermon at the Funeral of the Emperor Valentinian the younger, bringeth in that place of the Lamentations, Blessed is the man who bears his yoke in his youth. 
Lam. 3.27.  God is merciful to that youth whom he corrects.  
David he deplores the sins of his youth, which were secret from the world and perchance to himself, yet he craves pardon for them. Now the smallest sins trouble him, which before were but sports to him; and so it will befall to us: those offences now which we account no offences, after we will esteem them great sins; 
Prou. 5.3.  now they are honey in the mouth, but after in the belly they will be bitter as gall.  
There is no time of man's age which is free from sin, 
●world● time of ●●ns life ●●●t of sin. ●2. ●●d. 22.  but the youth is not only first, but most subject thereunto; for a youth is like an untamed Calf, like a wild Ass which will be taken in her month. 
●●il.  The first borne should be sacrificed to God, the first fruits should be offered to him, yea the beast if it had not been redeemed, 
〈◊〉. 3.10.  the neck of it behoved to have been broken. Think ye not that God hath more respect of the first fruits of our life, than he hath of the first fruits of Bullocks. Thou shalt consecrate thy beginnings to God with josias, 
2 King. 22.1  who in the morning of his life, even early, began to seek the Lord. We should in our life keep such diets as did David in his prayers: Morning, 
Psal. 55.17  noontide, and at even he sought the Lord. Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, 
Eccles. 12.1  before the years come wherein ye shall say, I have no pleasure. 
Eccles. 11.9 job 20.11.  Be assured O young man ye shall come to judgement: yea, thy old bones shall inherit the sins of thy youth.  

To what sins youth is most inclined.  The sins of youth whereto they are most inclined, are first, pride, and a contempt of their elders: the vile do contemn the honourable, and youth despise age. Such was the pride of Absolom, 
2 Sam. 18.9  whose punishment should terrify all youths.  
Next, lust is natural to them, as the Prodigal child spent his time in riot and luxury. 
Luke 15.14   
Thirdly, hypocrisy; they can very well dissemble their doings: and when, with the Whore in the Proverbes, they are intending sin, than they pretend they were offering their peace offerings: and with Absolom, 
2 Sam. 15.7  pretending their vows in Hebron, but intending to stir up rebellion.  
And finally, all youths are subject to inconstancy▪ they are compared to dreggy wine not settled, 
Simil.  so that experience hath taught us to say, It is lost which is done to them.  
If thou hast escaped from judgement in thy youth, and hast passed the dangers thereof, thou mayst greatly praise God. I read of a man, 
Simil.  who being drunk in the night, passed a very narrow bridge, which considering in the morning, d●ed incontinently: so we should admire when we remember what dangers we have escaped.  

If sins of his youth and ignorance be grievous, how much more those of knowledge.  Then if the sins of youth now trouble him in his age, what do ye think of the sins which ye do against knowledge and conscience in your old age? Should ye not confess them and be ashamed of them? If a child blush it is thought good, verecundia; but if an old man blush it is thought evil, because he is bound to do nothing whereof he should be ashamed. But many are like to the false Elders that lusted after Susanna, and to them appertaineth shame and confusion, for their example encourageth young men to do wickedly. Yea they are very rare who have escaped the perils of youth, either by one notable sin or other.  
Now David of these his own sins doth make a special confession, & doth not enfold himself under the mantle of generality: 
A simple confession needful.  albeit many are taught naturally to dissemble their sins, to excuse them, to extenuate them, or else to involve them under a common necessity of sinning: but this will not please God, unless we freely say with David. I have sinned: 
Simil.  for as a Patient must needs discover his sore and wound to the Physician; so must a sinner uncover his sin to God, which is an evident token of a penitent.  
Moreover, he desires not only that God would forgive his sins, but more, 
Doctr.  that he would forget them: 
When God forgives sin he forgets it.  wherein God differeth from men; men may forgive, but they will remember, for malice and anger takes such impression in our hearts, that it is hard to raze out the memory of our received injuries, although we pardon them with our heart: But God as he remits, so he forgets, 
Num. 23.21  he sees no iniquity in jacob; and because the children of God are imperfect, and in this can never be like to God, so long as they carry about with them this sinning sin, as may be seen in David, 
1 Kin. 2.8.  who in his Testament remembered the injury done to him by Simei, to be punished by Solomon, although in his time he did dissimulate it: yet let this be some comfort to us, that if the wicked motions of injuries done to us come in our minds, let us resist and control them, which shall be sufficient before God.  
Nor my rebellions. 
Sin and rebellion are conjoined. ] Sins and rebellions are joined together, the mother and her daughter, sin if it grow and increase it turneth into rebellion and disobedience; which is like to the sin of witchcraft and Idolatry: 
1 Sam. 15.23.  and as a Serpent by eating a Serpent becometh a Dragon, 
Simil.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, so sin feeding upon sin, becometh at last rebellion. There are degrees of sin, Nemo repent factus est turpissimus. David prayeth to God to forgive him his secret sins, and he desires that God would keep him from presumptuous sins; slay sin in the cradle, if ye let it come to maturity it may turn into rebellion.  
The word also imports ignorances, which agreeth very well with this youth, to declare that the sins of youth commonly springs forth from ignorance, 
Youth is ignorant, albeit it think th● itself wise  for they are blind through lack of knowledge, for they have no natural judgement, they lack instruction, they want experience, and such like: by nature we are all born fools, nature hath taught the bea●●s to know things profitable & hurtful to them. The Swallow knoweth her time, the Ox his crib, 
Isa. 1.3.  but man knoweth not his owner, neither the time when he shall turn to the Lord.  
And this ignorance makes youth to be rebellious to the●● parents; whereof the Lord complains by his Prophet, 
Isa. 1.2.  I have brought up children, saith the Lord, and nourished them, and they have rebelle a against me.  

A profitable ●esson for Parents to train up their children in virtue.  This should teach Parents to remedy the ignorance of their youth by instruction, that their minds being enlightened by the knowledge of God and learning, they may fear God in the morning of their youth, and have the eyes of their understanding opened to know the true God and fear him, that it may be fulfilled that is spoken by the Prophet: 
joel 2.28.  And in the last days I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions. We may complain most justly with that holy Father S. Augustine, of the neglect of education of our youth, where he saith, 
God's just recompense to Parents.  O flores vere non frondium, sed veprarum: O truly they are flourishes not of branches but of briers, and so the Lord doth recompense the Parents in their age, that as they were negligent in training them up in the knowledge of God, so they become crosses to their Parents in their age. 
plutarch.  Among the Lacedæmonians there was a Law that children were not obliged to maintain their Parents in their age, who were careless of their education in virtue when they were young.  
Moreover, 
Doct.  let us assure ourselves that the sins of Ignorance will not excuse us, 
Sins of ignorance will not excuse us.  albeit they may extenuate our pains, and make us to be punished with fewer stripes.  
I will not insist in this point, because I have spoken sufficiently thereof in that Sermon on Christ's first word spoken on the Cross, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.  
But according to thy kindness remember thou me, even for the goodness sake, O lord] The fountain he runs unto is the mercy of God, where he plainly disclaims his own merits. 
Lorinus the jesuite against merits.  Lorinus a jesuite here bringeth in sundry passages of Scripture to qualify the mercy of God against merits: Psal. 6.8.51.3.69.14.86.5.15.106.45.119.156.130.7. Dan. 9.18. Isa. 55.7.   

VERSE. 8. Gracious and righteous is the Lord, therefore will he teach sinners in the way.  
IN this second part of the Psalm after his Petition, 
Doct.  he setteth down the props to the which his faith doth lean, 
God's truth and mercy preps of a Christians faith.  to wit, the mercy, truth, and righteousness of God, He believed, therefore he spoke: so our Prayers except they be grounded on faith, and an assurance that God will grant them, they are offensive to God, and not profitable for us: He who prayeth without faith. saith S. james, is like a wave of the Sea, 
jam. 1.6.  tossed of the wind, and carried away. The proof of this is in the sixth Psalm, wherein after his prayers, with a constant assurance he concludeth, all mine enemies shall be confounded. 
Psal. 6.10.  After he had prayed for mercy, he falleth out in a meditation, consideration and proclamation of God's goodness, in the eighth, ninth, and tenth verses, 
Simil.  as it were to stir up himself up to Prayer again: as a man finding a fire almost consumed, doth put thereinto more coals to kindle it.  
Gracious and righteous is the Lord.] First in his own nature, he is good and righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rectus: next, he is good to us in teaching us his way. God is not only good but goodness itself: but how doth his goodness appear? not in showing mercy on Abraham, Isaac, jacob, Moses, and the righteous, but on the most miserable sinners, (as Manasses saith in his Prayer) the Prodigal child, harlots, & such other.  
Therefore will he teach sinners in the way.] In this common benefit of remission of sins, 
Mat. 6.11.12.  he involueth himself with the rest of the Saints, and so should all our suits be common, that we desire nothing alone, but that whereof our brethren may participate. This is the communion of Saints which we believe. Our daily prayers are for all, Give us this day our daily bread, for give us our sins, and lead us not into temptation. 
Note.  Who seeketh any thing for himself of God, and not for the rest of his brethren, shall be repelled, & receitie nothing.  
The persons to whom mercy appertains are called sinners, 
Doct.  as though he would make sin the only object of God's mercy, 
Sin the only object of God's mercy. Rom. 5. 20  as indeed it is: for God's mercy would not have been manifested, if sin had not been known, that so where sin abounded, there grace might superabound: the whole have not need of the Physician, 
Luk. 5.31.  but the sick. Think not that the multitude of thy sins will exclude thee from God's grace.  
Christ at the well was found of the Samaritan woman; 
joh. 4.  mercy and misery met together in the Pharisees house even Christ and the Magdalen: 
Luke 7.36.  
Mat. 20.31.  in the field he met with the blind, who cried, 
Luke 18.14  Son of David have mercy on us; in the Temple with the Publican; 
john ●2.  at the Pool with the Paralitique; for, 
Luke 5.32.  He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  
But what teacheth he? His ways: 
He tea●heth God's ways not man's traditions. jonah 2.8.  not the tradition of men, of Popes, of Counsels, who could and have erred, but Gods own ways, his statutes, so oft repeated in the 119. Psalm. Woe to the Papist, who followeth lying vanities, forsaking their own mercy.  
The great Doctor and teacher is God himself, who hau●ng the key of the heart, must open it himself. 
Doct.  Therefore the conversion of a sinner is not a work of nature, 
The conversion of a sinner is not a work of nature. 1 Cor. 3.6.  Therefore the conversion of a sinner is not a work of nature, but it is Gods principal favour, who must give increase ●o Pa●ls planting, and Apollo's watering. We should therefore fervently pray to God for the Preachers, that he would so bless them, that by their labours many may be converted to himself. The Israelites under the Law being terrified by God's voice, said, Let not God speak any more unto us, 
Exod. 20. 1●  but Moses. But we under the Gospel being comforted by his voice, say, 
Note.  Let Moses and Paul be silent, but let God speak to us.  
The work of conversion of sinners, David draweth to the fountain, even God's grace and free favour: whatever cometh to us, doth proceed out of his grace.  
But this is wonderful, 
Doctr.  how grace and righteousness, 
Mercy and justice meet in the salvation of man.  which seem so opposite in the salvation and conversion of a sinner meets together, and kisses one another. I answer, In the work of our redemption they accorded, when God's justice was fully satisfied by the death of Christ, and his mercy was clear by full pardoning us, 
Simil.  when we escaped with the scape-Goat to the wilderness, 
Leu. 16.8.  and he died; the surety paid the debt, and we were freed. In the conversion of a sinner he useth both, he wounds and humbles, cures and exalts again. Deducit ad inferos, & reducit; He cast down Paul, 
Acts 9.4.8.  made him blind, rebuked him, and then converted and comforted him, and sent him to teach the Gospel, and convert others.   

VERSE 9 Them that be meek will he guide in judgement, and teach the humble his way.  
HE setteth down in this verse to whom the former benefit doth appertain; and what sort of sinners shall participate of mercy; to wit, the meek and humble; whom God hath so prepared by afflictions and crosses, 
Doct.  that he hath made them to give an open way and place to the Gospel to work in them. 
Afflictions teach humility. Who are humble.  For as the wax first is by labour and by fire, made soft and pliable before it can take stamp and impression of the King's image and superscription; 
Simil.  yea clay must be made soft and pliable before 〈◊〉 be made a vessel: so must God humble us, before he put his image in us: so the gold, 
Simil.  silver, etc. must be battered, before it be stamped. It is good (saith David) that thou hast humbled me, 
Ps. 119.71.  for thereby I learned thy Commandments: If he had not been first humbled, he had never learned God's Commandments. He desired children to come to him, for of such is the Kingdom of heaven: yea except we become as these, 
Mat. 19.14.  we shall never enter thereinto. God resisteth the proud, 
jam 4.6.  and giveth grace to the humble. On whom will the Spirit of the Lord rest? on the contrite heart.  
The Palace of Heaven is very ample, 
Simil.  but the entry very narrow, let us then humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and learn of Christ that he is meek and lowly, 
Mat. 11.29:  and we shall find rest to our souls.  
The word meek, 
Who are meek. Mat. 5.3.  is in Latin mites, of which our Saviour speaketh, Blessed are the meek, or mansueti, quasi ad manum venire sueti, accustomed to come under the hand; so God so mitigateth the fury of our nature and tameth us, that we become so obedient, that as a child cometh under the hand of his Parent, 
Psal. 123.2  or as a handmaid is directed by the eye of her mistress, so do we attend upon God.  
Will he guide: 
Doctr. ] Good who teacheth the meek, he also guides and directs them, 
Whom God directeth he also protecteth.  and leads them through the way. For as children are ignorant, so are they impotent; they are taught by their parents & led by them; whom God directs he also protects, and guides to heaven, or else we should soon perish. He must order the actions of out whole life rightly, which is the second grace that God will bestow on his children, when they submit themselves obediently to bear his yoke. This docility will never be till our proud heart be subdued.  

what Gods judgement and his way is.  His judgement and his way, is nothing else but his government, whereby he declares himself as a loving Father, careful to provide for the salvation of his own children, that he may relieve them that are oppressed, raise up those who are cast down, comfort those who are sorrowful and grieved, and secure such as be in misery. And because in the former verse he spoke of sinners (he will teach sinners his ways) he expounds of what sinners he meant; 
God teacheth sinners, but not all.  he will not teach every sinner, but those whom he hath received into his favour. First, he beats down our pride and contumacy, and humbles us, 
First God will have our p●ide beaten down, than he will teach us.  but being cast down he will not forsake us; and being humbled by the cross, he directs all the actions of our life in his holy obedience; of which Apollinarius:  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉,  
Viros iustitiae diriget mansuetos,  
He will direct righteous men that are meek. 
Humility the first, second, and l●st gift of a Christian. August. Epist. 56.   
Wherefore ye may clearly see, that the gift of modesty and humility is so necessary, as without which we can never be capable of the mysteries of God's kingdom: Which made Augustine to say (borrowing the allusion from Demosthenes the Grecian, 
August. Epist. 75. ad Auxilium Episcopum.  who being demanded what was the chief thing required in an Orator, answered thrice, pronunciation) thrice, that the chief virtue required in a Christian was humility: and in another Epistle; Ea adsum senex à iuuene coepiscopo, Episcopus tot annorum, à collega nondum anniculo, paratus sum discere; I am here an old man ready to learn from a young man my coadjutor in the ministry, and so old a Bishop from a young man who scarce hath been one year in the service.   

VERSE 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.  
ALl the paths, etc.] An 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exclamation, whereby he explaineth what he would show, even the ways of the Lord; a most comfortable saying: such as Paul hath another, 
Rom. 8.28.  To those that love the Lord all things work together for the best: Sickness, poverty, infamy, yea death, which is the greatest mercy, when we are separate perfectly from sin and the world, and conjoined to Christ. So that God is ever accumulating mercies, and heaping them on our head, 
Lam. 3.22.  that whatever befalleth us, certainly cometh from his mercy, and it is of his mercy that we are not consumed and daily brought to confusion.  
He comprehendeth the paths of the Lord in two words, 
Doct.  mercy and truth, 
All Gods ways are mercy and truth.  or (as others expound) justice. These are the two pillars which upholdeth a King and his kingdom. M●rcy and truth preserve the King, 
Pro. 20.28▪  for his throne shall be established with mercy. Whatever we hear or read of the ways of God, is either mercy or truth: mercy in pardoning sin, truth in performing his promises. 
Doct.  Other qualities that are in God may tend to the reprobate, 
Mercy and truth belong not to the wicked.  but with none of these two have they any thing to do, for they have no repentance, therefore no remission of sins; they have no fa●th, and therefore they depend not on his truth. But the godly are not to be afraid of his justice, because mercy interuenes: his power maintains them, his wisdom foresees their relief. 
Rom. 8.33.  Who shall intent any thing against the elect of God? Christ justifieth, who can condemn? But with the wicked he will deal very hardly, 
Psal. 18.25.26.  with the godly he will show himself godly, with the upright man he will show himself upright, with the pure he will show himself pure, and 〈…〉 the froward he will show himself froward.  
To such as keep his covenant:] But to whom will he show this mercy? To those who keep his covenant. Of this covenant which God made with his Church, read Gen. 17.2. Exod. 24.7. Iosh. 24 16. jer. 3.31. and in many other places.  
This is the third name which he giveth to those who shall be partakers of his mercy. 
Three names given to the chosen.  First, they are sinners; next, humble and penitent sinners; and thirdly, their repentance is declared by their life, in that they keep Gods covenants.  

What a covenant 〈◊〉. A covenant must be mutual.  A covenant is a mutual band between two persons, having mutual conditions. God humbleth himself, so fare, that he covenants with man to be his God, and promiseth to be their Father; we again oblige ourselves to be his children and people, if we forget to honour our Father, than he will not account us his children. He craves that we should keep his Commandments and covenants, 
Doct.  not the traditions of men; 
Man's traditions cannot bind the ●onsci●●ce.  which can never bind the conscience: yea oftentimes it falleth out▪ that those who are too curious in observing these idle and vain rites, are careless in keeping these things which are absolutely commanded by God. 
Note.    

VERSE. 11. For thy name's sake, O Lord, be merciful unto mine iniquity, for it is great.  
FOr thy name's sake, O Lord, be merciful unto mine iniquity:] What before he spoke generally of God's mercy promised to all humble & penitent sinners, 
Doct.  that in this verse he particularly applieth unto himself; 
Particular application of mercy needful. 1 Cor. 9.27  showing us hereby how necessary the application of mercy is to a Preacher, lest preaching to others he become a Reprobate himself.  
He runs ever to mercy pretending no merits, and craves pardon to his iniquity, which before he called sin, for he sinned against God, and did iniquity to Urias: 
Doct.  where observe that sin and the forgerfulnesse of God, 
Who sinneth against God hurteth his neighbour. 1 ●oh. 4.20.  causes us to do iniquity and wrong to our neighbours: how can we love God, whom we see not, and hate man made to his Image whom we see.  
For it is great: 
Doct. ] A true mark of a penitent sinner, to aggravate his sin. 
To aggravate sin, a true mark of a penitent.  Some use to extenuate their sins, by comparing them to others whom they think sin more than they do: others excuse them, as Adam did when he said, 
Gen. 3.12.13.  The woman which thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the Tree, and I did ●ate: she again excused herself, The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat: 
Doctr.  But let the children of God search and find out the greatness of their sins, 
When man remembreth sin God forgetteth it.  and aggravate them, that God may extenuate them, and so forget them. Are ye loadned with sin, remember it, and God will forget it, and ease you; if ye have it before your eyes, he shall cast it behind his back: but if▪ you think nothing of sin, God will bind it on your back, so that it shall press you down as a millstone.  
But he craveth this for God's names sake: his name is his honour, 
Doctr.  showing us that God purchaseth his chief honour by his mercy: 
God's chiefest honour is his mercy.  It is the honour of the King to try sins, but the honour of God to cover them. 
Pro. 25.2.    

VERSE. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord, him will he teach the way that he shall choose.  
IN this and the other two verses following is contained another quality which God craveth in his penitent, humble, and obedient sinner, to wit, that he have the fear of God, who is rewarded with temporal and spiritual blessings in his soul, body and posterity: So godliness is great gain, having the promises of this life and the life to come. 
1 Tim. 4.8.   
What man is he.] By this form of interrogation he would note the rarity of those that shall find mercy, and this indefinite speech answerable to an universal, declareth, that whatsoever they be, of whatsoever estate and condition, who fear God, shall be sure of these after following blessings. 
Doct.   

God directs them whom he forgives.  Next observe that God he directs all these in the course of their life whom he hath pardoned; therefore those who are not reconciled to God, need not look for God's direction, he was a Pillar of fire and Cloud to the Israelites, for they were under the Covenant. 
Exo. 14.19.   
The fear of the Lord is the chief virtue, 
Pro. 15.33. What the fear of God is.  even the beginning of wisdom. It is a secret reverence bred in the heart of a Christian proceeding out of the sense and feeling of God's love, whereby a sinner is afraid that he neither think, speak, or do any thing which he supposeth may offend God's Majesty. This secret fear if it be once planted in the heart will direct thee in all good actions acceptable to God, and correct thy evil doings. 
Note.  The love of God hath a constraining power, 
The two properties of God's fear.  whereby it compelleth and forceth us to serve him: the fear of God hath a restraining power, by which it restraineth and stayeth us, 
Simil.  and keepeth us back from offending him; this is like a bit, the other like a spur. Abraham feared that the fear of God was not 
Gen. 20.11.  in the place whereto he went. joseph being enticed by his Mistress to commit wickedness with her, answered, How can I do this great wickedness and so sin against God? 
Ge●. 39.9.  the Lord plant this fear in our hearts. This is a filial fear which he craveth, coming from love, & not a servile fear which cometh from a fear of punishment.  

How the fear of God is preserved.  The preserver of this fear is a continual nourishment in thy mind of the presence of God, to whom thou presentest all thy actions. When thou committest any thing unworthy of his presence, be ashamed of it, fly from it, crave mercy for it, & make the quiet Cabinet of thy mind the Chamber of his presence, wherein thou darest admit no lewd thought, no filthy thing. And because it is impossible to fray thy heart & mind from the conceptions of that sinning sin in thee; 
Note.  yet have this testimony, that it is no sooner conceived, but as soon repent.  
Will he teach the way that he shall choose.] He promiseth four benefits to the man that feareth God, he heapeth upon him grace upon grace: before he pardoned him, and now he directeth the man whom he forgave: for no sooner receiveth he any man in his favour when he immediately takes the protection and direction of him.  
But out of these words we see three things. First there are diverse, yea contrary ways, as there are contrary ends, the broad and the narrow, the King's way and by-rodes, the way of life and of death. 
Many promise to themselves a Kingdom not being in the way leading thereto.  This is against such as dream to themselves that whatsoever religion they profess, or howsoever they live they shall go to heaven; but they are deceived; for if thou be not in the way to the Kingdom, thou shalt never attain to the Kingdom: many, yea the most part are not going but riding, not running but posting to hell; whom if ye demand whither they go? they will answer, to heaven: yea and they will brag they shall be nearer God than the Preacher himself, even as if one would dream of life at the point of death.  
Next we see that a man cannot of himself choose the right way to heaven; 
Doct.  for the natural man cannot apprehend those things which pertain to God's Kingdom, 
Man of himself is ignorant of the right way.  neither yet can he see them, for they are spiritually discerned. Whereupon followeth the third, 
1 Cor. 2.14  that is, how man shall choose the good and refuse the evil way: Non est currentis, nec volentis, sed miserentis Dei: 
Rom. 9.16▪  It is not in him that runneth, nor in him that willeth, but in God that showeth mercy. 
Heb. 11.25.  Moses choosed rather to suffer with the Church then to be called the son of pharoh's daughter. 
Ios. 24.15.  joshua and his house choosed to serve God, though all the people should serve Baal. 
Psal. 4.6.  David the King choosed the light of God's countenance to shine on him. 
1 Kin. 3.9.  Solomon made his choice of wisdom. 
Luk. 10.42  Marry choosed the better part. Paul thought all things to be dung in respect of the excellent knowledge of Christ. 
Phil. 3.8.  The Church of Laodicea was counselled to buy gold. 
Apoc. 3▪ 18.  But all these their choices were of God, who put it in their hearts to choose good things. Wisdom cried in the streets that all that were destitute of understanding should come to her, 
Pro. 8.1.  but the fool heard the voice of the harlot, Go to our dalliance, 
Pro. 7.22.  saith she, and he went like a sheep to the slaughter. So by nature we choose the way to destruction; 
Nos. 13.9.  Thy perdition is of thee O Israel, thy salvation of me.   

VERSE. 13. His soul shall dwell at ease, and his seed shall inherit the Land.  

What the peace of conscience 〈◊〉.  HIs soul shall dwell at ease.] The second promise and spiritual blessing, the peace of conscience, which is the tranquillity of the soul, flowing from the assurance of God's favour in Christ wrought by the holy Spirit. This is that white stone in the Revelation, wherein a name is written, 
Revel. 2.17  which none can read but he that hath it. Thy good life may be a mark to others of thy salvation, but thy inward peace is a token to thyself, that howsoever thy outward man be afflicted; yet thy inward man hath that peace which passeth all natural understanding: of which Christ saith, My peace I give you, 
joh. 20. 1●.  not as the world; and he commanded the Apostles to give their peace.  
The giver of this peace is called the Prince of peace; the wicked cry peace, 
jer. 8.11.  when as sudden destruction is approaching, as the travel of a woman: But there is no peace to the wicked, 
Esa. 48.22.  saith my God; they may sometimes lie in careless security, not wakened by the sight of God's judgements, but sleeping in the bottom of the Sea, having no true rest: for the worldlings have three worms which ear them up, care, fear and dolour; 
Care, fear, and grief, are three worms which eat the worldlings.  care to conquest the things of this world so excessively, that they are eaten up by it, fear lest it be taken from them, and commonly God as he threateneth by his word, the thing they fear shall come on them, and then followeth an excessive sorrow for the loss of them, they despair and oftentimes are the cause of their own death: but the godly cast their care upon the Lord, they have a reasonable care of their Family, but with measure, they fear nothing but the offence of God, all other fears are swallowed up in the gulf of that fear; for they assure themselves that God will maintain their Lot; and finally, at the loss of any creature the godly have a natural sorrow, albeit not out of measure, 
job. 1.21.  but with job, saying, The Lord hath given and taken.  

The third benefit.  And his seed shall inherit the Land] The third blessing temporal, he promiseth wealth to the posterity of the righteous, that their days shall be long in the Land that God hath given them. First in this promise ye see the constancy of God's favour towards them, that fear him, their death doth not withdraw God's love from their posterity, 
2 Sam. 19.38.  as David after Barzillai went home, remembered his kindness in entertaining Chimham, and on Mephibosheth he shown the mercy of God for jonathans' sake: 
2 Sam. 9.3.  so God's love dies not with the Parents, 
Doctr.  but reviveth in their posterity, 
God's love dieth not with the Parents, but revives in their posterity. A note for Parents.  as the Lord promised to David, 2 Sam. 7.12. Here is a promise to the godly who fear him, of a sure and perpetual maintenance to their posterity. The consideration hereof should abate that excessive care that Parents have of their children, whereas the best care they can have of them is, that they fear God themselves, and labour to bring them up in that fear. King's have not such surety of the continuance of their crowns to their succession, neither Noblemen of their Lands, as a godly man hath of God's provision: I was young▪ saith David, and now am old; 
Psal. 37.25.  yet I never saw the just man nor his seed to beg.  
Moreover we see that Lands are at the disposition of God, 
Doct.  who will give them to whom he pleaseth, and altereth Dominions, 
All changes come of sin.  as the Monarchy of the Babylonians, Perfians, Grecians, and Romans, the cause of this alteration was their sin: and do we not see amongst ourselves within these thirty years, 
Example of our time  many and strange alterations of Lands and houses, translated from the right owners thereof to others neither of their name, nor any way belonging to them. Should not this teach us all to fear God, and make our houses as Sanctuaries to him, lest he be forced (as he extirped the Canaanites for their sins) to root us out, and sweep us away as with a besom.   

VERSE. 14. The secret of the Lord is revealed to them that fear him: and his covenant to give them understanding. 
4. Benefit and promise, revelation of his secrets.   
THe fourth benefit which the Lord will bestow upon the godly men, he will (if they fear him) reveal to them his secrets.  
First, 
Doct.  ye see the word of God is called a secret, 
God's word is a secret. Reu. 5.5.  a mystery, and hid treasure, a closed book which none is able to lose but the Lamb. For all the natural wit of man is not able to attain to the understanding of the meanest Article of faith. All things which we believe are above the compass of reason, or flat against it.  

The Gospel comes by revelation. Mat. 16.17.  The Gospel cometh by revelation: Blessed art thou Simon, the Son of jonah, flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee, but my Father: where he manifestly testifieth, that the confession of Christ is a hid matter, which must be revealed to us by himself. The wit of man can search the profundities of nature (albeit it is not able to attain to the hundreth part thereof, as of Physic, Astronomy, Geometry, etc.) but it cannot scanse upon Divinity without inspiration, which must come from above. It is no marvel therefore that so few believe the word, for faith is not of all men, it is the gift of God: as it is a secret, so are they called his secret ones to whom he revealeth it.  
But men may think, 
Object.  that it being a secret, why should it be made common to all, and God hath closed that book.  
I answer with Augustine, 
Answer.  it is a flood on which a Lamb may swim, and an Elephant may walk. 
Mat. 3.11.  To the children of God it is plain; to those it is given to understand, but to others they are parable, 
Esay 6.9.  That seeing they should not perceive.  
But to whom doth he reveal it? 
Doct.  To them that fear him, 
No true service without conscience.  and to these he giveth understanding, as in the 15. and 119. Psalm he testifies. By which I see there is no true service without conscience, and none can profit in the knowledge of the Scripture but such as fear God; and the more they fear him, the more they grow in knowledge. True piety and godliness is the nourisher of knowledge, for the fear of God is the beginning, growth, and perfection of all wisdom. And therefore Atheists and profane persons have not learned Christ aright, they are learning, but do never attain to the power of godliness and his covenant to give them understanding.  
His covenant is specially mentioned, 
Doct.  because the jews brag of the covenant made to Abraham their Father. 
God's covenant belongeth to such as fear him. john 8.33.  But here he declareth to them that they have no title to the covenant except they fear God. The jews bragged that they were descended of Abraham, but Christ sends them to their father the devil, because they follow his manners, and are murderers. Therefore there is no part in the covenant to those who have not the true fear of God.   

VERSE 15. Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord: for who will bring my feet out of the net.  
NOw he doth apply the benefits of God (which generally were propounded to the Church) to himself, & as he began the Psalm, so he ends it with a prayer for his delivery from his enemies.  
In this Verse he persuades himself by faith that God will set him free, for (as saith the Text) his eyes are ever towards the Lord; that is, he depended on God, as the eye of the handmaid is towards her mistress. This he testifieth when he saith, 
Psal. 123. Psal. 121.  And I lift up mine eyes to the mountains, my help cometh from thee O Lord, for thou wilt deliver me who trusts in thee. 
Note.  Men may look for help at the hands of men, but in vain. But God will not frustrate the expectation of his own; which should make us not to turn our eyes from him, seeking help from Aegupt. We cannot at one time look up to heaven, & down to hell or the earth, no more put our confidence in God and man.  
Next, ye see that if we desire to get delivery, we must in all our actions set him before our eyes, direct all our actions to glorify God, and edify his Church. 
Psal. 16.8.  I have set the Lord always before my face, for he is at my right hand, therefore I shall not slide. Will God defend an unrighteous man, who aimeth not at God's glory, but his own designs? 
Note.  If thou have him before thine eyes, then will he stand at thy right hand to maintain thee.  
He will bring my feet out of the net:] 
Comparison.  He compareth his estate to a bird ensnared in the fowler's net: for his enemies were fowlers, their engines were nets, himself was the poor bird circumnened. 
The Church's enemies using subtleties to entrap her.   
The Church hath many enemies, but none are so crafty as these fowlers: fraud and craft is a mark of God's enemies; they imitate their father the devil, who is a wily Serpent, and more subtle than any beast of the field. 
Gen. 3.1. Let Christians have their conversation in heaven▪ God will break the snare   
Thirdly, let Christians be birds, that as they have their chief abode in the air, so we may have our conversation in heaven; as they fill the air with their sounds, so let us praise God.  
Fourthly, God's children may be ensnared, but God will break their nets and deliver them, as Paul, Silas, and Peter out of prison; 
Acts 16.26.  for that which seems impossible to men, is possible with God. 
Psal 124. Simil.  Man is as the bird escaped out of the snare of the fouler; for as the bird compassed cannot deliver itself, no more can man escape their attempts by his own strength, but only by God's power.   

VERSE. 16. Turn thy face unto més: and have mercy upon me: for I am desolate and poor.  
HE thinks in adversity that God turns away his face, 
Doct.  whose presence to a creature is as the turning of the Sun unto the earth. 
Adversity makes men fear God's absence.   
He craveth mercy oftentimes in this Psalm, acknowledging that to be the fountain from which all blessings flow to him: 
Doct.  this argument is taken from God himself. 
God's mercy the fountain of all blessings.   
The next argument from his misery, For I am desolate and poor. This is the object of God's mercy, 
Doct.  upon which it must work; as the wounded jew was an object of the Samaritans mercy. 
Misery the object of God's mercy.  How would God's mercy be known, if man had no misery? How would the Physician's skill be tried, if not by the patient's diseases? 
Luk. 10.33.  How would the liberality of Princes & their justice be notified, 
Simil.  but by the poverty of their subjects, and their distresses.   

VERSE 17. The sorrows of mine heart are enlarged: draw me out of my troubles.  
THe sorrows of mine heart are enlarged:] 
Doct.  God hath many means to humble the sons of men, 
God multiplieses sorrows, because we multiply sins.  and namely he turns their joy of sin into sorrow; the right sorrow, whereof the Lord send us. God multiplies sorrows because we multiply sins. David found a cause of sorrew in every thing he got from God: for his brethren envied him, 
1 Sam. 17.28. and 18.9. 2 Sam. 6.20. and 15.31.  his father in law Saul persecuted him, his wife mocked him, his familiars and companions deceined him, his children pursued him, the Ziphims and the Lords of Keilah betrayed him, 
1 Sam. 23.12. and 26. 1. and 29.4  the Philistims rejected him. The joys which God propineth us with, are as so many roses; but in the bottom of them are enclosed as many thorner to prick us: 
Simil.  As Paul was pricked with the messenger of Satan, 
2 Cor. 12.7.  lest he should have been exalted through the great revelations. So if we found not some discomfort in every creature, we should be bewitched with the delight thereof, that we could not settle our affection on God: And therefore God peppers every pleasure, and gives us some sour sauce thereto, 
Exod. 12.8.  as he gave sour herbs to be eaten with the Paschal Lamb.  
Draw me out of my troubles: 
Doct. ] Many are the tribulations of the righteous, 
If the pleasures of this world were not painful we would too much delight in them.  but the Lord will deliver him out of them all. God useth to draw them, by which he would testify that it is a work of God's power to deliver the innocent; as David delivered his father's sheep from the Lion and the Bear, and the vessels out of the hands of a strong man.   

VERSE 18. Look upon mine afflictions, 
Psal. 34.11. 1 Sam. 17.34.  and my travel, and forgive all my sins.  
THere he acknowledgeth the root of all his troubles to be sin: 
Doct.  for which he craveth mercy at God. 
The root of all our trouble is our own sin.  Ye may see here that sin toucheth him so near the heart, that he cannot find ease but in the remission thereof. Sin is sweet in the mouth as honey, 
Simil.  but it is in the womb as gravel. 
Pro. 20.17  There is no venom in the affliction but sin, so being quit of sin, he esteems nothing of the affliction. Sin is the noisome humour; purge the humour, and save the patiented. The goodness & wisdom of God, which maketh affliction a bitter water to eat up the rust of sin. The affliction is not profitable which hath not made some diminution of sin. When God's anger was quenched, 
Gen. 8.1.  than the floods were abated, so as thy sin decreases, thy affliction diminisheth daily.   

VERSE 19: Behold mine enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with cruel hatred.  
THis endeth as the sixth Psalm; 
Doct.  for triumphing above sin his spiritual enemies, 
The subduing of sin is the triumph over our enemies. Acts 9.3.  he triumpheth above all his bodily foes, he prevails with God, he prevaileth also with men.  
He useth no imprecations against them, but that God would look on them either mercifully to convert them with Saul, who was called Paul, or to confound them, 
1 Sam. 31.4  as the first Saul who killed himself. His enemies are described from their multitude & number; next, from their malice & cruelty. Always God's honour is so much the more greater that he is one for all, & his love prevents their cruelty. He complained of their craft, before they had spread nets for him, and the devil who before was a Serpent and could not prevail, now becometh a fiery flying Dragon, 
Gen. 3.1. Apoc. 12.3.  to devour the seed of the woman: so craft disappointed, becomes cruel: he was first a Serpent, & yet he is more dangerous when he is a serpent, 
Doct.  cheaping, then when he is roaring as a Lion; 
Craft disappointed, becomes cruelty.  when he roars he is heard far off and is eschewed, but who can shun a Fox and a Serpent: therefore craft is always cruel. Since than we have to do with malicious enemies and crafty deceitful men, let us inarme us against them by the breastplate of righteousness, to strike by their darts, and by patience to suffer their wrongs.   

VERSE 20. Keep my soul and deliver me: let me not be confounded, for I trust in thee.  
HE ends as Christ ended his life, 
Doct.  In thy hand I commit my spirit. 
The soul is well kept when God keepeth it. Luk. 23.46. Mat. 6.19.  By the soul he meaneth also the life, for it is well kept when the Lord keeps it: no earthly place so sure, but the thief may come in, or rust consume, but if thy soul be bound up in the bundle of life, and treasured with God, no violence or consumption can attain thereunto. And he useth that same argument in the end which he did in the beginning, For I trust in thee.   

VERSE 21. Let mine uprightness and equity preserne me: for mine hope is in thee.  
LEt no man claim the patrociny of God, 
Doct.  unless he maintain a righteous cause & quarrel, 
God will not patronise an unrighteous cause. 1 San 26.17.  for what fellowship hath the Lord with the throne of iniquity? This he speaks because of his enemies to whom he never did injury, and the more ingrateful were they; yea these he benefited: as Saul, with whom in the field he pleaded his innocency, when Saul said, 
Psal. 143.2.  My son David thou art more righteous then I. But when he came before God he cried, Enter not in judgement with thy servant; but recountering with men he braggeth of his innocency: Our eyes are sharp sighted and bright enough to behold the earth, but when we look to the Sun they will be dim.  
For I trust in thee:] Ye see albeit he claims to his innocency, yet he retireth him to faith and hope in God. Our righteousness is not such as that we can altogether stand by it: there are some slips and faults in the best of our actions, 
Note.  therefore we are forced to retire to God, who can supply them all in his al-sufficiency.   

VERSE 22. Deliver Israel O god out of all his troubles. 
Doct.   
THis last verse containeth a prayer for the Church, so that he is not contented to enjoy any private benefit from God, himself, 
Atrue note of a Christian to be affected with the state of the Church. Psal. 51.8.  unless the Church of God be partaker thereof; whose welfare he promiseth to procure, and desires others to pray for the peace of jerusalem: 
Doct.  and this is a mark of a feeling member of Christ, 
The Church subject to infinite troubles.  who remembreth not his own sorrows without regard of the tribulations of God's Church.  
Next, ye see that the Church is subject to infinite tribulations, she is a Lily among thorns, 
Exod. 3.2. Mat. 14.24. Gen. 8.1.  there musthe a fire always in that bush. is no marvel to see the ship of the Disciples tossed in the seas, and the Ark of Noah in the deluge, but indeed it were a marvel to see the Church not persecuted. 
Doct.   

God will in the end deliver his Church.  Finally he prays for delivery to her, letting us see two things: First, that the Lor● will compass his Church with joyful deliverances, and not let the rod of the wicked lie always on the back of the righteous, but as they have many crosses, 
Doct.  so they get many comforts from God. 
The Church's deliverance is God's prerogative.  Next, God commonly takes that honour to himself to deliver his Church, when Princes persecute the same to their own ruin and shame. Let us pray unto our God to deliver his Church in Europe this day, which is fearfully assaulted by wicked men, and to give his Saint's patience and perseverance in the truth to the end. Amen.  
FINIS.    

A GODLY AND FRVITFUL EXPOSITION ON THE LI. PSALM, the fift of the Penitentials.  
THis Psalm is most memorable amongst the seven Penitentials: so that Athanasius that learned and divine Doctor instructeth Christian virgins, 
Tract, de Virg.  when they awake in the midst of the night to repeat the same; and the ancient Church made great use of it. And justly may it be called the sinner's guide. For as David by his sin led them to error; so by this his repentance he leads them to grace.  
This Psalm consisteth of a Title and Supplication. The Title contains the argument, 
The division of the Psalm.  substance and occasion of the Psalm. The Supplication containeth sixteen arguments, which he useth to move God to have compassion on him; and a prayer for the Church in the end.  

The Title. To him that excelleth on Neginoth. A Psalm of David when the Prophet Nathan came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathshebah.  
The Title bears four things. 1. the Author and penman of this Psalm, David; God's Spirit no doubt being the inditer. 2. To whom it was committed to be sung, To the chief Musician on Neginoth. 3. At what time, when Nathan had reproved him. 4. The occasion of the reproof, his going in to Bathshebah.  
David is not content verbally to utter his repentance, or to leave it in the perishing books of the records of his kingdom, 
His repentance is committed to the eternal monument of God's book.  but he committeth it to the everlasting momuments of God's book, where of one jot cannot perish, but shall endure for ever, in despite both of the Devil and Antichrist the Pope his first borne.  
A Psalm of David.  
He putteth to his name, prefixing and subscribing it himself, neither will suffer any to publish it but himself: as he was not ashamed to sin, he is not ashamed to repent; as he was not ashamed to sin openly, 
Let not those be ashamed to repent for sin, who have not been ashamed to sin. Theodosius his repentance.  he is not ashamed publicly to declare his repentance.  
Theodosius the Emperor is renowned in all the world for his humble repentance before Saint Ambrose, after the slaughter at Thessalonica, where in the place of the penitents he fell down on his face, and said, Agglutinata est terra anima mea, My soul is glued to the earth. None are ashamed to sin, but all are ashamed to repent; and so God poureth shame upon many, because they will not honour him whom they have dishonoured.  
To the chief Musician, or, to him that excelleth on Neginoth.  
This same is the title of the 4. Psal. Lammenatzeah oftentimes in the Scriptures is taken for the Precedents who are chief in any thing, as 2. Chron. 18. & 34.18. 
The sweet singer of Israel gives it to a sweet singer.  I think it to be best translated, To him that excelleth. Neginoth was an instrument of music, upon which they played. So they did not only read the Psalms, but also sing them; yea so distinctly, that the people easily might understand them: not so much addicted to t●● note or tune, as to the matter; as our Saviour did sing after the Communion; 
Mat. 26. 3●  and Paul commandeth it, Col. 3.16.  
Music is an Art very pleasant, delectable and profitable, to stir up the affections of man to God's service, 
The commodities of music. 2. Kin. 3.15  or to restrain the anger and perturbations of our nature, as was in Elizeus, who sought for a minstrel to appease him.  
But first we have to see, that this excellent Psalm is committed to an excellent person, who hath great cunning to put it forth to the use of the Church; teaching us hereby, that spiritual exercises are not to be put into the hands of ignorant dolts, who have no wisdom or skill to set forth the glory of their God. For the subject being most glorious, why should it be concredited to such as have neither learning nor wisdom? And if that singing should have so worthy instruments, what do ye think of the preaching of the Gospel? of which the Apostle saith, Who can be sufficient for those things? Happy then is that Church when learned men are promoted to good places, whereby the word may be further advanced. And in a miserable case are those who are committed to the charge of ignorants, 
Against ignorant and idle preachers.  idle bellies, and such like, who are unfit to take the care of God's people, for whom they shall be countable to God at the great day, and God's vengeance shall be upon them in this world.  
David he advanceth music very much, as Solomon also after him; 
1. Chron. 15.16.  and the Musicians were distributed into certain classes and orders. 
Col. 3.16. 1: Cor. 14.15.  The antiquity and ancienty hereof maketh much for its commendation, for God did invent it. This is a principal science, and yet it hath few advancers. men's deafened ears betoken their beastly ignorance, who will not suffer themselves to be wakened and roused up from their security and sleep.  
There are some good Christians challenged, 
Object.  who being of a melancholious nature, are thought to abhor all music and musical instruments. 
Solut.  But men are deceived herein: if music be free of profanity and superstition, there is no good man of religion who cannot but like it well, and delight greatly therein. But the avarice of our age, as it hath been the decay of many sciences, so likewise of this. 
Nota.  The Church being spoiled of her rents, is not able to entertain this science as it should be; which God supply when he thinketh time. And this I say not, that I do like either the profanity of beastly men, that in stead of heavenly songs sing bawdy ballads; or of such superstitious Papists; who sing and tune Latin words in their Masses, thereby mocking God, and making religion a sport. But the abuse of that science I disallow; the use I allow and approve, as most necessary to God's glory. And seeing it will be perpetual in the heavens, why should it not begin on earth? There shall be a natural, not artificial song; of which we shall sing for ever the song of Moses the servant of God. 
Apoc. 15.3  Let us therefore begin on earth, learn of our Gamma, and enter into our Alphabet here, 
Nota.  that we may be perfect Musicians, when we become perfect ourselves in glory. Here let us sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord, 
Col. 3 16.  rejecting vain, idolatrous and profane ballads, and sing spiritually unto the Lord.  
When Nathan the Prophet came to him. David (as is thought) lay a year almost in this sin asleep, till God wakened him by Nathan, 
jonah 1.6.  as he did jonas by the Pilot. It is certain we would sleep unto death before we awake from sin, if God did not put upon us, 
Man is lying asleep till God waken him  and stir us up. We are so benumbed by the spirit of slumber, and possessed by a lethargy, that all our senses are stupefied till Nathan come and awake us.  
Next, God sends him that which he prayed for, even a faithful admonisher. 
Psal. 119.  One Prophet cometh to another: yea a greater than himself; 
1. King. 13.18.  not as the old Prophet came to the young at Bethel to deceive him, but as a father to admonish his child.  

Pastor's should freely rebuke the vices one of another  There should be an holy freedom and liberty among Preachers, each one should freely rebuke another when they see them doing wrong. One should not wink at an other, as most part do; and others being reproved, rage mightily, saying with Zidkiah, When went the Spirit of the Lord out of me to thee? They rebuke the rebuker, 
1. King. 22 24. Esa. 30. 1●  They say to the Prophet, Prophesy not.  
Observe moreover, that Nathan cometh first to David, not David to Nathan: the Physician to the patiented, not the patiented to the Physician. Christ himself came to the sinners and Publicans, and called them to repentance.  
This is against the pride of some, 
Mat. 9.13. Against the pride and laziness of Preachers  and laziness of others, who will not come or take the pains to visit weak Christians, yea will scarce admit them to their presence when they come, as though they were Princes. Woe to their pride who come not to the sick, and heal not the broken, (as saith the Prophet) but feed themselves with the fat of the sheep.  

Let none of higher gifts despise those of lower. Acts 9.17.  God useth Nathan a Prophet, inferior to David both in Prophecy, wisdom and other gifts, to be an instrument to warn David. Let none then of greater gifts despise those of lesser. Ananias taught Paul, and here Nathan David.  
After he had gone in to Bathsheba. Albeit David thought he had hid himself well enough, yet God found him out by Nathan. Adam hid himself among the bushes, but God called to him. 
Gen. 3.8.  Where art thou? Let us not then dream, that God doth not see us, and whatsoever starting holes we seek to hide ourselves in. The woman lighteth the candle, 
Luk. 15.4.  and findeth the lost penny; and our Shepherd will seek his lost sheep, and bring it home again. No whither can we go from the allseeing eye of God.  
Gone in to Bathsheba. As David was an example of the frailty of man's nature, and Nathan of a faithful Preacher; so David setteth down what evils do come of the beauty of women, which is conjoined with impudency and levity. For if she had not washed herself naked before the palace, and consented so readily to the King, 
Against the impudence of women.  that he should come in to her (a filthy action spoken in clean terms, as Christians should do the like) there had not been such abominable crimes committed. She representeth many women in our days, shamelessly haunting such places where they may give occasion to men to suit after them, 
Gen. 38. 1●  as Tamar sitting by the high way when judah came by. This doth not disgrace honest women, but rather giveth them matter to glorify God, who hath not suffered them to be deborde in their filthy affections. As the wise mariner seeing others by throwing themselves in danger suffer shipwreck, 
Simi●  thanketh God who kept him from the like; so honest women may praise God that he hath preserved their honesty, which was not in their own hand.  

Beauty a blessing of God, if not abused.  Beauty is not to be evil thought of, being a benefit and blessing of God: but the abuse of beauty, by the tentation of the devil and deceitfulness of our own nature, when Satan allureth us to dishonour God, and destroy that goodly piece of workmanship which God hath made up in us, by that which should have been an instrument to provoke us to God's service. 
Pro. 31. 3●  Beauty is deceitful. Absoloms' beauty deceived him, 
2. S●. 14.15  and many with him have beauty, but have no grace to use it well.  
Finally, I see both the persons are noted by their names, and not obscured: wherein the Spirit of God in his word, as in a true mirror and glass, representeth every once natural face, either in their beauty or in their blemishes. So john Baptist spoke particularly to Herod, 
Math. 14.4.  and the Prophets to their Princes. They closed not up their reproofs under generalities, that they might interpret them any way which pleased them best; but called black, black, sour, sour, and sweet. 
whosoever sin openly, ought openly to be rebuked.  sweet. For particular applications to eminent persons is most requisite; and those that sin openly, should be openly rebuked, that others may stand in awe.   

Verse 1. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities.  
Have mercy upon me, O God. The thing he craveth most of God is mercy: fo● God hath many qualities which are essential to him, but none of them could do v● any good without his mercy; his power would destroy us, his wisdom confound us, his justice condemn us, his majesty affright us, but all these by it turn to our good.  
To beg for mercy is the first word of a supplicant. The first word of the forlorn son to his father, was, 
Luk. 15.18.  Father, I have sinned against heaven and against thee. This Christ in his prayer hath taught us to pray, 
Math. 6. 1●  Forgive us our sins. So in every prayer we should begin at have mercy upon me O God. We sin daily, and unless we offer up at the door of the Sanctuary a sin-offering, we cannot offer an offering of thanksgiving and the sweet incense of praises. Thus prayed the woman of Canaan, saying, 
Mat. 19.22.  Have morcie upon me, comprehending under that the cure of her daughter: and the two blind men cried, O Son of David have mercis; 
Mat. 9.27.  as also did many others.  
The greatest comfort that Christians have in their trouble, is, that they have to do with a merciful God, and not rigorous, nor one who will chide with us continually, 
Psal. 103.2.  but one who is slow to anger, ready to forgive, whose name is mercy, whose nature is merciful, who hath promised to be merciful, who is the Father of mercies. 
●. Cor. 1.3.  The earth is full of hi● mercies, they are above the heavens and the clouds; his mercy is above all his works, extending to a thousand generations, 
Exo. 20.6. Psal. 100.5. Hos. 6.6.  whose mercy endureth for ever. With the Lord is mercy and great redemption. I will have mercy, and not sacrifice. His mercies are often repeated in the Scriptures, as Psal. 5.6. 12.16.17.20.22.23.24. thrice, 25.30. thrice. 32. twice. 35. thrice. 39 twice. 41. thrice. 47.50.56.58. thrice. 60.61.62.63.68. twice etc. joel 2.13. Mica 7.18. Math. 12.7. rich in mercy, 
1. Tim. 1.2.  Eph. 2.4. etc. The Apostles salutation is Grace, mercy and peace. Since so i● is, 
As a garden i● replenished with flowers, so is the Scriptures with ●●●cie.  that this herb of mercy groweth in every corner of the garden of holy Scriptures▪ and all the Prophets and Evangelists by plucking thereof have nourished themselves; let us also in our greatest distress run unto it, p●●●●●ding ourselves that God will as soon deny himself unto us, as h● will deny his mercy, if we come with p●●nitent hearts, and beg it with such humility as becometh supplicants, such faith as believers, such hope and patience as becom●meth the elect; we need not doubt, he i● faithful who hath promised.  
The Papists, Bellarmine and Lorinus i● ●heir translations, following the Septuagints, and not Saint Jerome, as they confess, 
Lorinu●● Bellarm●● add to the Scriptures.  do add magnam, great, giving greater credit to their own translation, then to S. Jerome, who was known to have been a godly and learned translator, or to the Hebrew verity. They confess the Scriptures in the original language to be the best, and yet do not spare to add or pair therefrom as pleaseth them; and therefore that curse must fall upon them in the 22 of the Revelation, ●hat God will add all the curses of the law upon those who add to the Scripture and the words of this book and put their name out of the book of life who diminish any point of them. What need have they to put in magnam, great, as though the multitude which followeth, did not include the greatness.  
O God. The person to whom he prayeth, 
Object. Against invocation of Saints.  is God. But in regard of his baseness and un worthiness, why doth he not make suit to Abraham, Moses, Samuel, job, or some other holy men, only contenting himself with God. For I think the sinners of old time had as much need of the supplement of the old Patriarches and Fathers of the Church, as we have now of the help of our Apostles and Saints. If they had not mind of such Mediators, but fled only to God, I think we should follow their footsteps. When God is deficient, then let us go to them: and when the Sun of righteousness doth not shine, it is time to light our halfe● penny candles. Paul saith, O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you? 
Gal. 4.3.1.  and I say, O foolish Papists, when will you leave off your folly? If Christ's intercession, being God, who knoweth all our necessities, and pitieth them, were not perfect, than we might claim some subsidies; but it is vain to seek others, when he hath all; for that doth greatly derogate to his glory, as I have spoken in another place.  
He useth the word Elohim, representing the holy Trinity; 
He invocateth the. whole Trinity.  of which some of the ancients have this conjecture: because he failed against he Father's omnipotency, when he abused his regal power in slaying Vriah; against the Son, being the wisdom of the Father, using deceitfulness and fraud in this murder; against the Spirit, when he by his filthiness abused his holiness who is the Spirit of sanctification. Therefore (say they) he now prayeth to Elohim. judge of this nomination as ye please. Elchim representeth the Trinity, as jehovah the unity; of both which Saint Augustine in his Confessions admonisheth us: We should (saith he) never remember the unity of the essence, but we should as soon remember and dissolve our mind upon the trinity of the persons; and not so soon think upon the trinity of the persons, but to gather in our minds the unity of the nature, which albeit they be unspeakable and incomprehensible to us, it is enough that we speak with the Scriptures, believe with the Scriptures, and pray at the direction of the Scriptures, whose direction if we follow we cannot err; in whose paths (as being the undoubted writs of God) if we walk, we cannot fall.  
According to thy loving kindness. The thing which he reposeth and resteth upon, 
Against merits.  is not his own deserts, but God's good wil judge ye if this overthroweth merit or no. For if any man might have pretended goodworks, it was he. I give (saith he) my goodness to the Saints. 
Psal. 16.  I am companion to all them that fear thee. I wash my hands in innocence, and compass thine altar. Look the 101. Psalm concerning the government of his family and his own person. Of his upright life he saith, judge me according to my righteousness. While he hath to do with men, there was no man more pure in life and religion: but when he hath to do with God, he renounceth all, and taketh him to God's kindness and favour. While we look down to the earth, 
Simil.  our sight is sharp enough, and we may see far and clearly; but when we look to the Sun, than our sight is dazzled and blinded: so before men we may brag of our uprightness and honesty, but when we look up to God, we are ashamed of ourselves, yea of the least thought of our hearts. The Lord of his mercy keep us from presumption, that we presume not in any good thing we do, seeing that it is God's work in us: let him take the honour of his own work, and let us say with David, Shame belongeth to us, but glory to thee. Our best actions are contaminate with such imperfections and spots, that we have cause to stop our mouths, and blush, and be ashamed of them, we are conscious of the manifold faults and defects which are in them.  
According to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities. He exagge●ateth the weight of his sin, in that it hath need of many mercies; whereby he testifieth, that his sins were many, passing the number of the heirs of his head, and like waters that had gone over his head. So, 
God's mercies are more than man's miseries.  many sins require many mercies. Men are greatly terrified at the multitude of their sins; but here is a comfort, our God hath multitude of mercies. If our sins be in number as the heirs of our head, God's mercies are as the stars of heaven: and as he is an infinite God, so his mercies are infinite; yea so far are his mercies above our sins, as he himself is above us poor sinners.  
By this that he seeketh for multitude of mercies, 
The godly account one sin to be many.  he would show how deeply he was wounded with his manifold sins, that one seemed a hundred: where by the contrary, so long as we are under Satan's guiding, a thousand seem but one; but if we betake ourselves to God's service, one will seem a thousand.  
Again, we may admire the wonderful largeness of the mercies of God, the breadth whereof extends over all the world, the height to place us in heaven, the depth to draw us from the lower hell, the length betwixt hell and heaven. O the breadth, length, deepness and height of the mercies of our God, 
Admire the mercies of God.  the multitude of whose compassions neither man nor Angel is able to comprehend. Why then dost thou despair thereof O man? though thy sins were never so many, his mercies exceed them; and although thou sinnest seventy seven times a day, 
Mat. 7.  he can pardon and forgive thee.  
Thy compassions: the word in the original signifieth an ardent and earnest affection of the heart, compassionating that which it pitieth, as it were the commotion of the bowels (as I noted before,) that his very bowels are moved toward his children, as Paul writeth to Philemon. 
Philem. 12 Luk. 15.20 2. Sa. 18.33 Psal. 103.  This compassion was demonstrate in the father of the prodigal son, and in David to Absolom, much more in God toward his dear children. Look what pity parents have to their children, greater hath God towards us. Are not parents touched at the very heart, when they behold the miseries of their children? yea, would they not hazard their lives and estates, as many times they do to deliver them? and will not God be moved towards us, if we considering his compassion and meekness, would but pity ourselves by confessing our iniquities unto him?  
Put away. He borroweth a similitude from Merchants, who have their debts written in their account-booke, and at the payment thereof they score out that which before they have written. Therefore since our sins are written with a pen of iron and a point of a diamond, we must pray to God to blot them out, & that the hand-writ may be nailed to the cross. It is God that putteth away iniquities, he can remove them as a cloud. Daniel prophesying of the Messiah, saith, 
Dan. 9 24.  Seventie weeks are determinate upon thy people and upon thy holy City, to finish the wickednesses, and to seal up the sins, and to reconcile the iniquity. All our sins shall be washed away by the streams of his blood, so that they shall never be read, or brought to an account, either in this world or the world to come.  
Mine iniquities. He committed iniquity against Vriah, whom he killed, for which he is so charged in his conscience, being summoned before the bar of God's justice, that he can get no rest, until he get pardon; and none could give him pardon and rest in his mind, but God whom he principally offended, in killing and destroying one form to Gods own image. So, when we do wrong to men, 
In wronging our neighbour we do most injury to God.  let us not think it enough if we be reconciled to the party wronged, but by repentance and an humble confession of our sins, let us seek to be at one with God, who is the party whom we do most wrong to.   

Verse 2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  
HE expresseth by similitudes taken from washing and cleansing, the mercy which he craved in the former verse, that is, 
Similitudes are much used in the Scriptures.  remission of his sins. Similitudes are very common in the Scriptures, and in the ancient Fathers. The Prophets spoke by similitudes, Christ spoke by parables; the Epistles of the holy Apostles, and Sermons of the Fathers, are full of them. So earthly objects should serve us to this end, that in them we may see heavenly things: and there is no creature, 
There is no earthly thing which may not be applied to some spiritual use.  which doth not represent to thee the Creator: and if we had spiritual eyes, we would apply every earthly thing to some spiritual use. The dust teacheth us whereof we came, and what we are, even dust. The grass admonisheth us to seek a dwelling elsewhere; for here we are as grass, which soon fadeth. The worms will us not to be proud, for we are meat prepared for them. The Sun when it beginneth to shine, putteth us in mind to beg for the Sun of righteousness to shine in our souls. Every bird after his kind praiseth God, so should we. When we behold bread, we should remember that of our Saviour, Labour not for the meat that perisheth. 
joh. 6.27.  So God hath set all his creatures to be as so many masters to teach us our duty. The Lord sanctify our sight, that we may look attentively, and consider God in his creatures, and that they may be as steps of a ladder to draw us up to him.  
Wash me throughly from mine iniquities. There is nothing can make men appear filthy before God, but only sin: 
Sin maketh man to appear filthy before God  as natural Philosophers through the light of nature have been forced to confess. And therefore, saith Seneca, 
Seneca.  Si scirem homines ignoraturos, & deos ignoscituros, non peccarem tamen propter peccati utilitatem: If I knew (saith he) that the gods would pardon me, and men would not see me, yet would I not sin, because of the filthiness of sin. It blacketh the body with shameful ignominy, burdeneth the soul with an evil conscience, 
The eu●ls of sin.  disgraceth the gifts of the mind and defaceth them, blotteth them out, maketh them stink, and seem nothing. Virtue in a profane man, is as a gold ring on a swine's snout. The vomit of a dog seemeth filthy to us, and a sow wallowing in the puddle is loathsome, albeit not so in the sight of God; 
A man polluted with sin, of all creatures the most beastly.  but more loathsome is a man defiled with blood, whoredom and drunkenness, and such like, of all beasts he is the most beastly. Man was in honour, but became a beast; and when he is drunken, he is then inferior to a beast, which will drink no more than is necessary and having drank can discern the right way home. Alas, men now make no end of drunkenness, they add drunkenness to thirst, 
The evils of drunkenness.  whereby they weaken their nature, exhaust their money, impoverish their posterity, become infamous to the world, make shipwreck of their conscience, and so destroy body, soul, conscience, riches, name, and all. A woman though she were a Princess, and never so gallant a Lady, if she be known to be like Herodias, 
Psal. 15.  she is to be contemned in all godly men's eyes, and to be esteemed of as Mordecai esteemed Haman.  
Let us be ashamed of sin in any, and blush at our own filthiness, because of it. But alas, we are fallen in such a time, when sinners are become shameless, and women not of the meaner sort, 
Nota.  delight as much to be harlots, and defile their bodies with whoredom, then as honest women to be obedient to their husbands, and keep their bodies holy and clean vessels.  
Sin is filthy to think of it, filthy to speak of, filthy to hear of, filthy to do; 
Sin altogether filthy.  in a word, there is nothing in it but vileness. What can we see in a botch but filth? in a wound but filth? and look to sin, nothing in it but sin, which is more filthy, then if the filth of all worldly diseases were contracted in one heap. And therefore David seeing his own filthiness, craveth at God to be washed therefrom.  
He desireth to be washed. No element so fit to wash away filth as water; which serveth for many uses, but especially for that. And as God hath appointed that element to take away our outward uncleanness, 
The blood of Christ a fit element to wash away sin.  so he hath appointed his Son's blood to be the only jordan to wash and take away the leprosy of our sins. This is the fountain of David for remission of sins. Unless a man be borne again by the Spirit and water, 
joh. 3.5.  he can not come to the kingdom of heaven, which is our regeneration. This was prefigured in the Leviticall law, when there was frequent washing. The high Priest Aaron himself and the rest of the inferior Priests presumed not to offer sacrifices till they were washed. The vessels were in the Tabernacle, and the great Sea, for continual purgations and washings, not only to prefigurate the fountain of justification, by which all those who are consecrated to God must be once washed, but also the Spirit of sanctification, by which they must be sanctified. And he that is once washed, 
Daily sins have need of daily purgations  hath not need to be washed again. Yet our feet and affections must be daily washed. We sinne daily, and therefore have need of daily purgation. We contract daily guiltiness, for which we are commanded to pray daily, 
Mat. 6.12.  Forgive us our sins. This is signified by the holy Sacrament of Baptism, wherewith God hath commanded us to be washed, assuring us thereby of his favour, if we believe the remission of sins, which the Apostle calleth lavacrum regenerationis, 
Tit. 3.5.  the laver of regeneration. Those who seek to be washed by any other mean then this, do as those qui luto lutum purgant, as Erasmus hath in his Adages, wash one filth by another.  

Against the Papists merits. Simil.  Those foolish Papists who think by their foul merits to cleanse their filthy sins, do as those who having their clothes bewrayed by dirt, take dirty clothes to wipe the former dirt away, whereby they make them filthier than before. Yea, their hypocrisy and superstition, whereby they think to appease God's wrath, shall double their guiltiness before God and man.  
The word in the original includeth a multiplication of washing: whereby he acknowledgeth a multiplication in sinning▪ and his earnestness, that every sin may have some particular assurance of grace. For this is the hungering and thirsting after spiritual graces, that the heart cannot be satisfied till it be filled with them; neither will be content of a bare crust and outward show of pardon, unless the assurance thereof be doubled.  
And cleanse me from my sin. The second similitude is taken from cleansing; which is respective to the Leprosy under the Law, 
Le●it. 13.  for which God appointed purgations and cleansings.  

Why sin i● compared to leprosy  Sin is compared to a leprosy. Frst, because it is hereditary, being in the blood; so we are conceived in sin; and the more dangerous, because by no natural means it can be helped, but by God alone. Sin is from the descent of our parents; we are conceived therein. Who can bring that which is clean, out of a thing unclean?  
Secondly, as leprosy is ignominious and disgraceth man above all other diseases, that men who are infected by the plague, are not so much shunned as those that are leprous: so sin disgraceth man. The leprosy of Miriam made her to be separated from the camp; 
Num. 12.14  and the leprosy of Vzza made him to be shut out of the Temple: so sin depriveth us of the society of man & Angels.  
Thirdly, Leprosy maketh men's flesh senseless; so sin maketh men insensible of the judgements of God.  
Fourthly, Leprosy is incurable with men, 〈◊〉 are the frenzy, heresy, & jealousy, God keepeth those cures to himself: so sin can be purged by none but by Gods own cunning. As Abanah and Pharpar rivers of Damascus, 
2. King 5.12  were not of force to cure the leprosy of Naaman, and leprous might have died, if according to the Prophet's direction he had not washed himself in jordan: so are the merits of men, or holiness of Angels, Apostles, yea of the blessed virgin Marie, so much set by by men, unprofitable to purge us from our sins, only that blessed blood of jesus will do the turn, wherein if we be washed, our flesh shall be as the flesh of a child, even as though we had never sinned.  
But to the end thou ma●st be assured whether thou art cleansed from this leprosy or no, I will give you some infallible tokens and marks, whereof some are secret and only known to thy s●lfe, others are seen by others.  
The secret marks be these: First, if thou art ashamed of those things which thou hast done. 
Private tokens whereby thou mayst know if thou be washed. Rom. 6.21. job 42.6.  What profit have ye of those things (saith the Apostle) whereof now ye are ashamed, and cannot remember them without blushing? if thou abhorrest thyself when thou callest them to mind, and repentest with job in dust and ashes Secondly, if thou hast faith in Christ's blood, dost desire to be purged by these clean and clear waters, not running to others, or digging unto thyself cisterns of rotten waters. 
Externall notes whereby others may know if thou be washed.   
The external mark, is sanctification of thy person; being washed, thou goest not to defile thee in the puddle. And thy thankfulness to God, 
●▪ Kin. 5.15  as Naaman returned to Elisha, and not only offered a great reward unto him, but promised to be a worshipper of God all his days. Be not like unto the nine lepers, who outwardly cured, abode in the leprosy of sin, of the two the worst and most dangerous: 
Luk. 17.17  but with the tenth return to Christ with thankfulness. For if thou be unthankful to God, and art not diligent and earnest to celebrate praises unto him for his mercies, it is an evident token thou art not yet cured.  
Finally, thou must go to the Priest, and offer according to the law; receive the absolution from God's mouth, out of the mouth of his servants, and show thy thankfulness in obedience to God all thy life.   

Verse 3. For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me.  
THe first argument which he used to move God to pardon his sins, was taken from God himself, and that great mercy whereto he is inclined. The next, from his great filthiness & uncleanness, whose misery was an object of God's mercy, desiring God to purge and cleanse him from the same. Now followeth the third argument, taken from his acknowledgement of his sin, and true confession thereof. As though he would say: Lord, I know I have sinned, I confess my sin to thee, therefore pardon me. What force, think ye, this argument would have in a guilty man's mouth, if he came before an earthly judge, and would say: I have committed murder and adultery, I confess it? Surely the judge would answer, Ex ore tuo te iudico, I judge thee according to thine own confession; as David commanded him to be killed, 
2. Sa. 1.16. An humble acknowledgement of sin, a good argument to obtain pardon from God.  who reported that he had killed Saul. But before the heavenly Tribunal, such an argument hath only force. There is no mean to acquit us from God's justice, unless we come to him, humbly confessing our sin, and accusing ourselves, for than he will pardon and excuse us. Our condemning of ourselves, maketh him to absolve us: our remembrance of our sins, maketh him to forget them; and our repentance bringeth his pardon.  
But how cometh it to pass, that thus he lamenteth, 
Object.  seeing before Nathan had assured him that his sins were forgotten and pardoned? I answer, 
Solut.  the godly albeit they be persuaded of mercy, yet for the love they bear to God, they cannot but be displeased with themselves, so often as they remember how unhappily they have offended so gracious a majesty: 
The wicked forget the evils which they do, & remember the good which they have done, if they have done any; whereas the godly remember always their sins. 1. Cor. 15.9 2. Tim 1.13  but the wicked forget their sins most easily, and if they have done any show of good, they remember it continually. The godly by the contrary forget their good, and remember their sins, and the evil which they have done, as the Apostle Paul saith. I am the least of all the Apostles, and not meet to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church. And again, When before I was a blasphemer, a persecuter and oppressor, but I was received to mercy. And again, Christ died for sinners, among whom I am the chief. They account themselves the least among the godly, the greatest among sinners. So it is good to us to nourish a continual remembrance of our own sins, that it may humble us before God, & make God so much the more pity us, that he seethe us unfeignedly displeased with ourselves that we have offended him by our many many sins.  
For I know my sin. The knowledge of his sin (doubtless) came by God's word out of the mouth of Nathan For albeit by a general notice he knew he had done wrong, and the particular punctions of his conscience forced him to think so, yet the true knowledge came never unto him, until God said by his Prophet, Thou art the man. So the word of God serveth us to this use, that it openeth our blind eyes to see what is evil in us. And therefore woe to that people who have not the word, and faithful Preachers, who may let them see their sins. For when they know not sin to be sin▪ they die in their sins. By the law, saith the Apostle, is the knowledge of sin: 
Rom 7.7.  for if the law had not said, Thou shalt not lust, I would not think concupiscence to be sin. Ye may see how great an evil is ignorance, when men's eyes are blinded, whom the god of this world hath blinded in so great a light.  
The most part of the world covers their sin, by translating the cause over unto others, as Adam upon Euah, Euah upon the Serpent. But the Scripture saith, 
Gen. 3. Pro. 28.13.  He that hideth his sin shall not prosper. Non mediocre est (saith Ambrose) ut agnoscat peccatum suum unusquisque: It is not a small thing to every one to know and acknowledge his sin. So saith David, Delicta quis intelligit, Who understandeth his sin? He who knoweth them, may the sooner avoid them. If any knew a danger, he could easily fly from it▪ and go by it. Our Saviour wept, because they knew not the day of their visitation.  
That a man may know his sin, it is necessary he be admonished and rebuked; and he who desireth to attain this knowledge, must be content to receive rebukes kindly, 
How to attain to an acknowledgement of sin.  He must resolve before God to shun the occasions of sin, and such evil company as allureth him to folly; that he do call to mind what a gracious God he hath offended, what good things he hath lost, how many he hath offended by his example; and to address himself henceforth to lead a holy and religious life according to God's word.  
The Philosophers thought it most necessary for every man to know himself; and in their precepts had this ever, 
He who knoweth not himself, can never know God  Nosce teipsum, Know thyself. Then much more it becometh a Christian to know himself; for otherwise he can never know God in any of his properties. For if we know not our sin, how shall we either know God's justice pursuing us, or his mercy pardoning us. Oh that we knew ourselves.  
But Satan doth with us, as the Raven doth with the Lamb, 
Simil.  it first pulleth forth the eyes, then devoureth it: first he blin●eth us, than we follow him. Therefore we should labour upon our souls, that the darkened eye thereof may be clear, the dimness removed, 
Acts 9  the scales which lie upon them (as upon Saint Paul) may fall to the ground; that seeing ourselves and our nakedness, we may crave to be covered; seeing our wounds, we may desire to be cured. As also it is the principal part and duty of Pastors to deal in their Sermons with people, that they may see their sins. Son of man (saith the Lord to Ezekiel) make known to jerusalem their abominations. 
Pastor's ought to exhort the people to a sight of their sin.  We flatter the people in their sin, and use connivance to their wickedness. We are afraid, and belike dare not light the candle of the word and bring it to them being lying in darkness, lest they put forth the candle or smite us, who by the light thereof let them see their misbehaviour.  
And my sin is ever before me. When Satan doth present his baited hook of sin to us, 
Satan's policy in presenting the greatness of our sins, after we have sinned, to us  he never letteth us see the hook of God's judgements, but ever the bait of pleasure: but when we have swallowed the bait, he never letteth us see any comfort of God● mercies, but proposeth to us a troubled conscience, the flames of God● wrath, and the terrors of his judgements; as the Prophet saith, Our iniquities are multiplied before us.  
And yet we must take heed of the devil's craft, who obscureth from many their sin, so that they can never repent, for that which they never see or feel. And yet on the other hand, he letteth some see the mountains of their sins, and hugeness of them, that they see nothing else in God but his justice, thereby to lead them to despair, as he did with judas. But we must not look with such fixed eyes upon our sins, that we lift not up our eyes to God's mercy, which is ready to pardon, and to apply to our heart all the sweet promises which we read in the Scriptures; so that as fear beareth us down, faith may uphold us that we fall not. They must ever be before us in this world, and be purged by unfeigned repentance, not that our repentance can expiate them, or pacify God's wrath, or (as the foolish Papists think) that we can do penance for them. For what satisfaction can thy humiliation do, which is imperfect, to satisfy the wrath of an infinite God? Unless his Son had intervened by hi● satisfactio●● God's wrath could not have been appeased. 
The more we repent for sin, the more we are eased.  The more we remember our sin, and lament for the same, the more ease get we to our afflicted minds and consciences, and the more sensibly shall we feel the mercy of God pardoning our offences. Therefore we cannot be better exercised then in an humble confession of our sin, and by bitter tears with Peter weep for our offences; which I pray God the Lord may work in our hearts, that we may find that blessing upon us, which Christ pronounced, 
Math. 5.  Blessed are they who now mourn, for they shall be comforted.   

Verse 4. Against thee, against thee only have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight: that thou mayst be just when thou speakest, and pure when thou judgest.  
THe ancients have so far differed in expounding this verse, some running forth on Allegories, others on far sought interpretations, that Lorinus the jesuite numbereth twelve diverse interpretations hereof; of which, 
The diverse interpretations of this vers●  two are most agreeable to the words and meaning of the text. The first expounds it this way: Howsoever (say they) David did wrong to Vriah, yet it was hid from all men, and only known to God; and these sins are only done against God, whereof none is witness but he only. And surely albeit we would cover our sins from the sight of the world, there is one witness, whose sight we cannot flee.  
Plato affirmeth, that we should do nothing in secret, whereof we would be ashamed in public. And Cicero, Ne siquidem deos omnes celare possumus, albeit we could keep it secret from all the gods.  
The other, whereto I rather incline, is thus: Albeit (say they) David had offended man, yet it touched him more nigh at the heart the sin he did against God, in breaking of his law. For so Nathan said unto him, Why didst thou contemn the word of the Lord, 
2. Sa. 12.14  that thou shouldst do evil in his sight? As though David would say: Though all the world would absolve me, this is more then enough to me, that I feel thee my judge, & my conscience citeth me before thy tribunal. Let us have our eyes and our senses fixed on God, and not be deceived with the vain allurements of men, who either extenuate or connive and wink at our sins. For God, 
Nota.  as he 〈◊〉 witness to our sins, so is he sole and only judge, 
Admire the love of God.  who can punish both soul and body in hell fire; of whose wrath we should be more afraid, then of all ●he kings or tyrants of the world. As also we should be sorry that we have offended so gracious a God, who when he might have damned us, yet hath pleased to pardon us, and taketh no other satisfaction at our hand, but repentance for our sin, and faith in his Son jesus Christ. Who will not give us to our enemy's hand to be destroyed, but will set us free from prison, out of his free love. Therefore O sinner in time be reconciled with thy judge, and take no rest till thou have surety of his favour. Say with David, Peccavi, I have sinned; 
2. Sa. 12.13  and God shall say with Nathan, Peccata tua remissa sunt, thy sins are forgiven.  
Against thee against thee only have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight. The ingemination of the word (against thee) signifieth the deepness of his feeling and grief, who is the more wounded, the more he findeth the greatness of that majesty and goodness whom he hath offended. So it were happy for us, that we could be deeply moved with a conscience of our sin, that out of the deep places of a contrite heart we might redouble our sighs, which would pierce that fatherly heart if we could shoot up such arrows to heaven: but we laugh over the matter, not remembering that our laughter shall be turned to mourning.  
This also serveth to convince such miscreant Atheists, who can generally say, God forgive us, we are all sinners, as it were excusing their sins, whenas they are never touched at the heart with a sorrow for them. They feed their foolish humours with a cloak of the multitude that sinneth, quasi patrocinium error is sit multitudo peccantium, as though the multitude of sinners should be a patrociny and defence of errors, saith Augustine. Hell is spacious & large enough, having all the dimensions, which will contain all the devils and their children, if they were more in number than they are.  
That thou mayst be just when thou speakest, and pure when thou judgest. By this it is clear, that the justice of God shineth most in men's souls, and his truth in their lies. As though he would say: Because I have sinned so grievously, and have committed such wickedness, that thou canst not be blamed of unrighteousness, though thou shouldst punish me most rigorously, for I have deserved worse than I have suffered.  
But because the Apostle Paul, Rom. 3.4. would seem to turn this text to another sense, 
A reconciliation betwixt this place and that of Rom. 3.4.  we shall reconcile them easily. For the Apostle seeing the jews to bring the testament and covenant of God in slander, as though he had been the cause of their ruin, by casting that upon themselves, he freeth God of their fall. But David here vindicateth God's justice, laying all the cause on himself. Whereof we gather, that if any evil come to man, the cause of it is to be found in himself; we need not cast it on God.  
But out of this, that David confesseth God to be just when he judgeth, we learn first, 
Gen. 18.29.  that God (as Abraham said) is the just judge of the world: and albeit he hath reserved a general judgement after this life, 
God hath a particular judgement in this world.  as Augustine saith, yet he hath a particular judgement upon men in this world, both elect and reprobate; iudicio non semper manifesto, semper tamen iusto, not always by a manifest, yet always by a just judgement. He erecteth a tribunal in men's conscience, he summoneth the party, accuseth & convicteth him. This judgement is by his word & Spirit. For every man's work shallbe manifest as by the fire. For the fire both letteth them see their faults; and burneth up their dross. As also he punisheth them in the sight of the world, and in their posterity, as he did as well to David as to Saul; 
2. Sa. 12.10  for he said, that blood should not departed from his house, and so it was. Therefore let not men, although the best Christians, think to escape the censure of his justice; yea, what ever he doth, 
Psal. 143.17  we must say, God is just in all his works  
Next, he is pure when he judgeth or trieth. We may be assured, 
God will put men to trial.  God will put us to trial, by affliction, persecution, sickness and poverty. Then men will be made manifest, the hypocrisy of many will be detected. For as the wind is appointed to try the corn, 
Simil.  the fire to try the gold, the floods to try houses builded upon the rock and sand: so shall the day of the Lords trial discern those who have but a shadow of religion, and shall appear ere it be long, as it is begun already. Always God is pure in his trial, he knoweth the one from the other already, but he will have men trying and knowing them. 
Gen. 22.12  Abraham was tried in the slaughter or offering of his son, and his faith was approved; 
jonah 2.  so was jonas tried, and jobs patience, and Peter's weakness. In all these trials God was pure and free of any injury done to any of them; for they were known to be but men, although Prophets ●nd Apostles. And it is no marvel though ●t this time in the trial of the Church, 
Nota.  ma●y be found to be but men, God is not to be blamed, he is pure when he trieth.  
And seeing trial is prophesied to be not only the Church of Philadelphia, 
Reu. 3.10. 1. Pet. 1.7.  but also in all the earth, which is called the hour of tentation, or a time of fiery trial, either by heresies, schisms, or defection from the ●ruth of God, or by bloody persecutions of God's Saints and his Church, (as all Europe hath experience this day;) what shall we do but keep God's word, 
Nota.  possess our souls in patience, suffering the reproaches, calumnies, cruel dealings, yea all that the devil and his children can do to us. If we be tried by fire, let us be found gold; if by water, let us abide in the Ark and in the Apostles boat; let us be found sure builders upon the foundation which the Apostles laid, even Christ: 
1. Pet. 2.  if by the air and winds, let us be as wheat and not chaff. If finally by the earth and earthly allurements, let us be found to have our conversation above, the time of trial is come already.  
We learn also out of this, that in all our trials, whether inward in our conscience, or external in our bodies, yea though our bodies were given to the beasts and fowls of heaven, 
In all our trials, external or internal, God is pure  yet God is pure and without fault. In the best of us all there is cause why we should be tried.   

Verse 5. Behold, I was borne in iniquity, and in sin hath my mother conceived me.  
THis is the fourth reason, by which he would move God to forgive him. That our nature from the very original is corrupted, from the seminary and fountain of our conception. For from our mother's womb, we bring nothing but sin. And surely we cannot throughly acknowledge our sins, unless we condemn our whole natural powers and faculties of uncleanness. So the knowledge of this one sin, bringeth him to the examination of his whole life, 
Actual sins are as streams which proceed from original sin which is the fountain.  till he find nothing in himself but sin. For if the fountain be poisoned, what will the streams be that flow from it. If we would look back to our original sin, we might have cause the more to lament our actual sins, as poisonable streams flowing from such a fountain.  
So soon therefore as our conscience accuseth us of any one sin, we should call to remembrance the whole course of our life, 
Let the remembrance of one sin put us in mind of all the sins we have committed. Simil.  that it hath been nothing else but a continual sinning against God; that thus the last putting us in mind of the first, we may not be content to repent and ask pardon for one, but for all. A sick man having obtained health, doth remember how long be was sick, whereby for the present he both considereth his own frailty and God's mercy in delivering him, as also encourageth and inanimateth him in time to come, by remembrance of former mercies obtained. Happy were we if we would begin to remember our miseries and Gods mercies.  
Lorinus the jesuite to ecce addeth enim, which he confesseth is not in the Hebrew verity, and that Saint Jerome hath forgot it, yet maintaineth that it is rightly put in, to give force to the words of his sin. See the Sophist, who granteth the Scriptures, and yet would impair their credit: as though God's Spirit were not wise enough, and the sense could not hold without enim. The like do they in these words, Ho est corpus meum, they add enim, and say, Hoc est enim, which is not in the Scriptures, and were altogether ungrammatical. In a word, they altar and change the Scriptures as they please, bringing in their enim as a particle of reason, which carrieth with it no reason.  
Ye see then what the miserable corruption of our nature is, so soon as we take life, 
Man no soover beginneth to live, but he beginneth to sin. Gen. 6.5.  we begin to sin. An infant of one day, is not clean before God. The mass whereof we be form, is filthy and sinful; and so much the more filthy, seeing it is possessed with a soul unclean and polluted. The cogitation of man's heart is only evil continually. God knoweth our mould. 
Psa 103.14  We err from the womb. And albeit marriage be a bed undefiled, 
Heb. 13.4.  by reason of the institution, yet the concupiscence and lust polluteth the ordinance which is most holy.  

Children have of iginall sin.  Then children are not free of original sin: for then why should they be baptised; and why should they die, as many do daily?  
But it may seem wonderful & strange, 
Object.  that children who can neither do, think, or speak evil, should be culpable? I answer by another question; what is the reason that a young fox new whelped, 
Solut. Simil.  doth not slay a lamb? is it not because it lacketh strength, and is not come to that maturity to execute their inclination, which is naturally cruel. So are infants naturally inclined to sin; and therefore so soon as they can think any thing, speak or do any thing, it is evil, as daily experience teacheth us. 
Parents should take care to amend by good education that which is deficient in their children by nature. Simil. Original sin is sin.  And therefore it becometh Christian parents to take pains to amend that which is deficient and imperfect by nature in their children, by art, instruction and correction. That as wild beasts are tamed by the industry of men, and barren grounds have become fruitful by labouring and manuring; so evil natures may be corrected by good education.  
Ye see also out of this, that original sin is sin, and offensive to the law of God, and the root of all others: that the most secret thought of our heart is sufficient to condemn us, if God would deal extremely. Which impugneth that devilish and erroneous doctrine of some, who think that the first intentions and thoughts are venial, if consent come not with them. Our Lord sayeth, that whosoever seethe a woman, and lusteth after her, committeth adultery, 
Mat. 5 28.  and is as culpable before God as if he had sinned with her. But that concludeth not, that the motion is not sinful, to which such a wicked consent is added; the greater sin cannot excuse the lesser. Therefore we must go with Elizeus to the countaine, and cast in salt in those rotten and stinking waters, 
2 Kin. 2.20  that they being purified, all the streams flowing therefrom, may be also cured.  
This parental sin, hereditary, radical, the leaven of the primitive corruption, the law of the members natural and general to all mankind, 
Nota.  cannot be taken away, but by the conception and nativity of Christ.  
But here ariseth a question, how parents, both being Christians and received in the covenant, 
Object.  can beget sinful children? I answer by a familiar similitude; 
Solut. Simil.  the seed, ye see, when it is sown, is made as clean as the art and industry of man can do, and yet ariseth with a root, stalk, blade and beard; the cause is not in man, the force lieth in the seed: so in that the parents are purified, they have it of God; what the child hath, he hath by nature, which either must be repaired by grace, or he must perish. Adam, Noah, Samuel, Eli, David, etc. although they were godly & religious men, yet had naughty and wicked children; which showeth unto us, that religion and godliness cometh not by nature, but by the free grace of God.  

Godliness cometh not by nature but by grace.  I omit those vain & idle questions de originali peccato, which the Papists too curiously propound, and may be very easily answered, lest it should breed errors in your mind, which ye never dreamt of.  
And in sin hath my mother conceived me. The word iechematin, signifieih properly Calefacit, warmed me in her womb, fed or nourished me, referring it to the action of heating and feeding the child in the womb nine month. Wherein the greatness of God's work is to be seen, who so miraculously can preserve the infant in such an obscure place, so compassed with the interior parts. Always even there in that poor creature there is sin, albeit he be ignorant of it. So he hath a burden when he feeleth it not, and lieth wrapped with all miseries, and thinketh himself then to be in a best case; for when he cometh out of the womb, with great pain to his mother, and difficulty to himself, he weepeth poor soul because he is come to sorrow.  
Ezekiel maketh mention of a child new borne, whose navel was not yet cut, 
Ezech. 16.3.4.5.6.  neither salt put in it, nor washed, lying miserably in the pollution of nature; which representeth to us our natural filth in sin, that neither are we cutted away by the knife of the Spirit from our original corruption, neither washed by the blood of Christ from our natural uncleanness, neither salted by the salt of the word; and if it were not by God's grace, and care of our spiritual parents that we were helped, we would never live, but die and perish in the filth wherein we have been conceived and borne. There is no beast which nature hath not taught some means to help itself, 
Man were utterly undone, if he were not supported by the grease of God.  as some have naturally skins, or hair and wool to defend them from injuries, we have none. In a word, man were undone if he were not supported by the grace of God. We may weep, we have no more; and would God we could spiritually cry and mourn, that the Lord hearing our weeping might pity and help us.  
But because so many worthy writers, both ancient and modern, Papists and Protestants, have written largely of this place, and I must say, Sum minimus omnium, I cease to write any more hereof, lest I should repeat that which they have already observed.   

Verse 6. Behold, thou lovest truth in the inward affections: therefore hast thou taught me wisdom in the secret of mine heart.  
THis is the fift argument which he useth persuading God to forgive him, taken from the sincerity of his repentance, that it was not counterfeit or dissembled, which is very acceptable to God. Yea in all the actions of religion and parts thereof, there is nothing more pleasing to God then sincerity and uprightness. He cannot abide hypocrisy and dissimulation, and to put over with fair words and an outward show. It is a mocking of God to look up with our eyes to the heavens, 
Hypocrisy in religion is a mocking of God  to bow with our knees, to fold our hands, to knock on our breasts, if we want uprightness and soundness of heart. We must serve God in faith, love, repentance, humility, unfeignedly from our heart, as true Nathaniels, 
joh. 1.47.  in whom there is no guile.  
The parts of this verse are these: 1. who loveth, Thou. 2. where and what he loveth, truth in the inward affections. 3. the consequent following upon this love, therefore hast thou taught me wisdom in the secret of mine heart.  
Behold. Before he enter to any of these, he useth the particle of admiration Behold; which he never useth but in some remarkable matter, thereby the more to raise us up to the contemplation of such great matters to be told, as, Behold how good and how comely a thing it is, 
Psal. 133.1  brethren to dwell even together. And, Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world. 
joh. 1.29.  And this he doth, that he might move God, that as he beheld his misery, being conceived and borne in sin, so he might behold his sincere and unfeigned repentance. And this is the happiness of man, when God beholds him mourning, as he beheld him sinning. This second sight is as delightsome to the Lord, as the first was tedious. So, God seethe all our sins, 
No●●.  as he seethe our repentance. Sin not because he seethe thee, but repent unfeignedly, that he may take pleasure in beholding thee.  
Thou lovest. The person who loveth, is God. The Creator becometh a lover of the creature; even God becometh a lover of his image in him. Doth he then love? Above all things let us seek to depend upon this his loan. In our religion we should travel to know what he loveth most, 
God above all things loveth sincerity.  what he respecteth most, what best pleaseth him; for otherwise we los● our time in his service: he loveth sincerity best, and that we should present to him. We inquire what every man love's best, and we frame ourselves to seek after it: then I beseech you, among the rest, search out what God loveth best, seek after it, and present it to him; and if there were no other argument to move us to sincerity, this may be sufficient, because God loveth it. Love that which God loveth, hate that which he hateth; love sincerity, that he loveth; hate hypocrisy, that he cannot abide.  
Truth. By truth is meant sincerity and uprightness in his Majesty's service; that we do not gloze him by fair words and shows: he loveth not shadows but substances, no colours or coverts, but the body itself. For he pierceth with his eye to the lowest part of man's heart, and stayeth not upon the outward picture of man-actions, howsoever plausible to man, God looketh not as man looketh.  
In every action of religion, let us remember to keep sincerity. Who would desire to be called rich, if he want riches; esteemed valiant, if he have not strength? and shall we think it sufficient to be called religious, and not to be so? 
Better to be religious, then to be thought religious.  Better to be rich, then to be called rich; better to be religious, then to be thought or called religious.  
God loveth truth as he hateth all falsehood; for he is truth. Ego sum veritas, via & vita. 
joh. 14.6.  He loveth truth in our profession, truth in our civil life: truth in our profession, is that which he hath commanded in his word; truth in our civil life, is that which agreeth with duty of civil conversation, without fraud, deceit or guile, which is different from God's nature, and resembleth the devil who is a deceiver.  
In the inward affections. It is not a superficial or scroofe-worship which God regardeth. For cain's sacrifice outwardly was as pleasant as Abel's; 
Gen. 4.4. ●  but God looked to their hearts, accepted the one, and rejected the other. God above all things craveth the heart: My son give me thine heart. God will be worshipped in spirit and verity. 
Pro. 23.26   
Therefore hast thou taught me wisdom in the secret of mine heart. He amplifieth his sin by this circumstance, that he did it not as an ignorant, but as one who was enlightened with knowledge; and beside he had private informations and intelligence from God in his heart, and tasted of the heavenly doctrine, yea it was rooted and fixed in his heart, yet like a bruit beast he was carried to that filthy lust, and so was inexcusable, and suffocated the light of the Spirit which he had received. He had informations given by God, but he had not grace to follow them, which so much the more made him inexcusable, that he was taught, 
Christians perish not for want of information, but for contemning the warnings they get. God must teach us.  and would not obey. So Christians shall not perish for lack of information, but because they do not obey the warnings which they get. This age hath heard many lessons, and God hath manifested his whole will unto them; but because they obey them not their knowledge shall augment their pains. God he must be our great Doctor and Teacher, we must be Theodidactoi, taught of God. Neither nature, learning, experience, practice or age can teach us wisdom, only God's word must teach us.  
Nature prevailed among the Philosophers, but that never led them to God. For all the principles of our faith are contrary to nature, sense and reason. What is more against natural reason, than these points of our religion: God was made man; a virgin hath borne a child; a crucified man saved the world; a dead man arose, etc. in these and such we must be taught from above by God.  

God teacheth by the ministry of his word  God he teacheth by the ministry of his word, which whosoever contemneth, refuseth the means of his salvation; but that ministry will not be sufficient without divine inspiration. 
1. Cor. 3.6.  Paul may plant, Apollo may water, but God giveth the increase.  
Bellarmine translateth the Hebrew word (which he granteth signifieth abscondita) incerta, and so doth Lorinus; those doubting Doctors would have the mysteries of the Scriptures uncertain and doubtful. 
Not●.   
There is great diversity of judgements among men what is true wisdom; 
These are of the Lord is true wisdom. Eccles. 1.2.  but if ye would inquire at the wisest man that ever lived, he will tell you that having examined all things under heaven, he found all things to be but vanity and vexation of spirit; and that true wisdom consisted only in the fear of God, and keeping his commandments. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; 
Pro. 15.33  all other wisdom is foolishness.   

Verse 7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  
HE is not contented simply to crave pardon once or twice, but many times; yea he multiplieth his suits by metaphors, allegories, and such borrowed speeches, signifying how deeply he was wounded with his sin, that he would have himself assured and confirmed in the remission thereof: and now he borroweth a similitude from the washings and purgations used in the Leviticall law, desiring that God would look on his miseries, who was a leprous man by sin, and a filthy polluted sinner, that he might be washed in the blood of Christ, prefigured by the Mosaical washings.  
Purge me with hyssop. 
Three times made mention of hyssop. Exo. 12.22  There is made mention of hyssop, where it was used, in three places: first, in the 12. of Exodus, at the institution of the Passeover, where the blood of the Lamb was appointed to be sprinkled upon the door checks with a bunch of hyssop bound with a scarlet lace. The blood signified Christ's blood, the bunch of hyssop the saving, and the scarlet lace his blood died, which bond the bunch; all having their spiritual significations. For the blood no doubt signified the blood of that undefiled Lamb, shed from the beginning of the world. The hyssop, the instrument applying his blood by faith. The scarlet lace, the communion of the Saints, who are bound by love the bond of perfection, and sprinkled with that same blood to the remission of sins. And so the blood which washeth, faith which applieth, and the lace that coupleth, are all one; Christ by faith and love received to the purgation of all Christians.  
The second place, Levit. 17. is the purgation of the Leper, wherein the blood of the sparrow, the bunch of hyssop and the scarlet lace are likewise mentioned, and differeth nothing but in this, in the first was the Lamb, here the Sparrow, which is all one: for even as the Lamb is among beasts, so is the Sparrow base and simple amongst fowls; to which David compareth himself, I am as a sparrow on the house top sitting alone: 
Psal. 102.7.  so we must be sprinkled with his blood, which being contemptible to men, was acceptable to God.  
The third was, Numb. 19 about the red Cow, which must have hyssop dipped in the blood thereof. And Christ is compared ●o the Cow or fat calf, which being in so great a price with the Father, was given ●o death for the salvation of our fowls.  
The hyssop hath many things wherein ●t representeth Christ very nigh: 
Wherein hyssop representeth Christ. 1. Kin. 43●  for first it ●s obscure, humble and abject; so that Solomon is said to have written of all trees, from ●he Cedar the highest tree, opposed to the hyssop springing out of the wall, that is to be basest and most common growing amongst stones, not standing of man's industry to plant them, as other trees do. So Christ in whom we believe was contemptible, a worm, not a man, despised, 
Psal. 2●.  in him was no beauty, riches or earthly honours, which maketh men to come in credit and account.  
Next. the hyssop is bitter and four, ●ot pleasant to the drinkers: so the cross of Christ, by which our affections are mortified, is very odious to the flesh, and agreeth not with its taste. His cross is therefore 〈◊〉 stumbling block to the jews, and folly to the Gentiles.  
Thirdly, albeit it be sour, yet it is most wholesome: so albeit the doctrine of repentance be irksome and unsavoury to the flesh yet it is wholesome to the soul. Natural men esteem this doctrine to be an enemy to them, 
Simil.  which would slay their corruptions and lusts. Medicine, which at first seemeth bitter, afterward becometh more comfortable: so the doctrine which is salted with salt and hyssop, is fit for us then that which is sweetened with honey; for honey was never appointed to be used in the Lords sacrifices, but salt omnis victima sale saliatur.  

An observation of Cyrillus concerning hyssop.  Cyrillus observeth in the hyssop an hot operation, whereby it sharpeneth the gross humours, and purgeth the concretion of the privity; so grace maketh us fervent in the spirit.  
Moreover, hyssop purgeth the lungs, phtiriasis, rests, 
The property of hyssop. Plin. lib. 20. cap. 4.  nourisheth the native colour of the body, killeth filth and vermin growing on man, cureth the bites of serpents, provoketh appetite, sharpeneth the sight, is enemy to fevers; of which it is written. 
Parua calens, pectus purgans, petrosa streatrix  
Ius sapidat pleurae congrua, spargit aquam.   
So grace is hot by charity, purging by contrition, spitting forth by confession, seasoning the body by temperance, saving the soul and inward parts by application of Christ's blood, which being drunken purgeth our pleurisy and bloody eyes.  

The hyssop of Christ's blood a medicine for all our corruptions.  Then seeing all these diseases are in the soul of man, are we not much beholden to God, who hath made one salve to cure all our sores; the blindness of our mind is removed by the water of his blood; the foul cor●uptions of our heart are evacuate and dissolved, that we spit them forth; our coldness is warmed, our fiery fevers and in flammations quenched, our spiritual vigour & colour is restored, which we lost by sin.  
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than the snow. 
What meant by washing.  He acknowledgeth that none in heaven or earth is able to purge him, but God only: He hath that fountain in his own garden; he will communicate the glory of our redemption to none but to himself. For by this washing is meant the washing of justification and remission of sins; that as creation belongeth only to God, so doth redemption by Christ's blood. woe to them who leaving the waters of life, go to any other, to seek water out of these rotten cisterns.  
Then seeing it is the proper work of God to wash us, let us go to the laver of baptism, that there we may be once washed; and after daily pray, that he may wash our feet by sanctification.  
And I shall be whiter than the snow. He persuadeth himself of a full purgation by Christ's blood. Though I were as black as the Moor, yet shall I be white as snow. Nothing can blot out our sins but this blood. If we would wash ourselves with snow waters, our righteousness shall be as a menstruous garment. 
Esa. 64.6.  What is all the righteousness of man, but an abomination before God. Yea Christ himself if he had been only man, could not have been able to satisfy the justice of an infinite God; he must be God himself, and therefore it is called the blood of God.  
But how shall we be whiter than snow▪ I answer; 
Act. 20. Object. So●●●.  our estate is more perfect and surer by Christ, than it was by nature in Adam; forasmuch as we have our perfection by Christ, which cannot fail or alter; and it is the perfection of God which belongeth to us: so that we stand not before God as men, but as gods before God, being covered with his perfect obedience who is our Redeemer, blessed for ever. So there is no cause why we should fear or despair, seeing we are cleansed perfectly, if we believe & be sanctified. Let us put on Christ, whose garment is white as snow. 
Mat. 17.2.  And his Church is made white in him. Who is this that cometh up white? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Cant. 8.5. 
Apoc. 7.14  And the Bride hath white garments, made white in the Lamb's blood.  
The proper office of the holy Spirit is to wash us, and purify our conscience by Christ's blood, lest our filthiness keep us back from access to God. And this ye were, saith the Apostle, but ye are washed, 
1. Cor. 6.11  ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the name of the Lord jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. And again, speaking of the Church, that he may sanctify her, purging her by the washing of water, by the word, that he may make the Church glorious to himself, not having spot or wrinkle, 
Eph. 5.27.  or any such thing, but that she may be holy & blameless. So, it is the only work of God to sanctify his children & make them clean.  
Finally observe, that justification and sanctification are undivided companions; 
Doctr. Iustificati● and sanctification go together.  whomsoever the Lord washeth by the hyssop of his Son's blood, he also sanctifieth by his Spirit. Study therefore to get holiness, without which none shall see God. Let holiness to the Lord be written on your breasts. 
Exo. 28.36 Levit. 20.7  Holiness becometh the house of God. Be holy, 
Manystudy to attain to knowledge, but not to sanctification▪  as I am holy. For what fellowship can the most holy God have with unclean and profane people? This miserable age studieth to attain to knowledge, but not to sanctification. Let Atheists call you what they please, study you to purity of life. A true Christian will make more conscience of an idle word or filthy thought which will arise in their hearts, 
Nota.  and will correct it more sharply, than those lend miscreants will do for adultery and the worst actions they commit.   

Verse 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.  
Having craved before remission of sins, now he beggeth the fruit which follows upon the same, that is, joy and gladness, which is one of the fruits of the kingdom of God, and marks of God's children.  

joy proceedeth of sorrow.  This joy which he suiteth, must of necessity presuppose a sorrow which he had for his sin. For as repentance can never want sorrow, no more can remission want joy. So that joy springeth out of the bitter root of sorrow. And the greater sorrow we have, the greater shall our joy be. The deeper thy grief be, the higher shall thy comfort be.  
He doubleth joy and gladness both of soul and body; he will not be contented with some one or two consolations, but will have them to be multiplied; that as his tribulations did increase, so his comforts in Christ jesus might be enlargad,  

Of all men a Christian hath most cause to rejoice.  As a Christian is the most sorrowful man in the world, so there is none more glad than he. For the cause of his joy is greatest: in respect his misery was greatest, his delivery greatest, therefore his joy greatest: from hell and death is he freed, to life in heaven is he brought. What can make men more glad than this, if he will believe. No offers can satisfy the mind of a prisoner appointed to death, unless his remission be proclaimed and given him: 
Simil.  so all the joys in the world will not satisfy a conscience, till he hear that his sins are forgiven him. 
Psal. 4.8.  This joy David compareth with the joy of worldlings who rejoiced in their corn and wine, and saith, that he had more joy than they had, and more peace of conscience.  
This joy eateth up all false joys that men have in sin, 
True joy eateth up false joys. Exod. 7.12  as the rod of Aaron did the rods of the Egyptians. For it is not possible that men can have both joy in God & godliness and in sin; for the one will ever quench the other, as water doth fire.  

Nothing can alter this true joy.  All other joys will alter, whatsoever they be; but nothing can take this joy from us. Not tribulation; we rejoice in the midst of tribulation. Not death; no pain, no hatred of men, no persecution, all these rather increase it. 
Acts 5.41.  We rejoice with the Apostles, that we are thought worthy to suffer for the word of God.  
Why do worldlings call us melancholious persons, and too precise, that we cannot do away with an idle word, 
joh. 4.32.  let be an idle action; let them say what they please, we say as Christ said to his disciples, he had mere they knew not; so we have joy that they know not of. That which is thy joy. O hypocrite, that is my sorrow. I laugh with Democritus at that, 
Democritus always laughed, & Heraclitus always weeped jam. 5.1.  for which thou weepest; I weep with Heraclitus at that, whereat thou laughest. woe to them that laugh for they shall weep. Howle ye rich men, saith the Apostle.  
Make me to hear. The person from whom he seeketh this joy, is God: make me to hear, saith he; whereby he would teach us, 
Doctrine. Spiritual joy proceedeth from God.  that this joy cometh only from God; it is he who is the fountain of joy and all pleasure, for all good things come from above. Natural joys proceed from a natural and fleshly fountain, spiritual joys spring only from God: so he who seeketh these joys beneath, seeketh hot water under cold ice. Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? can any grace come from a graceless ground? 
joh. 1.46. ●   
The instrument by which he seeketh joy to be conveyed to him, is, the hearing of that word, Thy sins are forgiven thee. There is none other ordinary means by which God will work or ever hath wrought joy to the troubled heart, then by his word preached by the mouth of his servants, and believed by Christians. 
The word of God is the cause of this joy. Act. 16.14  Faith cometh by hearing. God opened the heart of Lydia. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. I have given eyes, and they do not perceive, ears to hear, & do not understand, their ears are heavy, etc. Preaching of the word is a necessary instrument by which spiritual gracesis conveied into our hearts. God craveth this often in the old & new Testament, that we should hear his voice. And David confesseth, that God had prepared his ear. 
Psal. 40.  God from heaven said. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, 
Mat. 3.17.  hear him. If then ye give an obedient ear to God's word, ye may be assured of this joy wrought in your hearts, after ye have believed the comfortable promises of salvation in Christ's blood.  
What think ye then of Atheists, who will not hear the word but for fashion's sake, 
Against Atheists and Papists loathing the word.  calling those too holy who will hear two Sermons on one Sabbath; or of Papists, who will no ways hear the word, which may be the means of their conversion. woe to the one and to the other. And because they have refused to hear him, of whom they may receive comfort and instruction; therefore the Lord shall refuse to speak to them any longer, unless betimes they repent.  
That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. The effect which he hopeth to receive of those glad tidings, is a restitution of his first estate; wherein he found himself wonderfully broken by his sin and affliction, and hopeth to be restored by remission and pardon thereof. Where he speaketh of the bones, he would let us to understand, that there is no strength of nature able to resist the stroke of God's justice. 
No strength in man able to resist the stroke of God's justice  For if he beg●n to fight with us, we are unable to resist. The bones are very hard, and the strength of man stands in them; but if God bring the ●ammer of his wrath, it shall be as iron and steel to crush them in pieces, being but as potter's vessels.  

God cureth none but those whom he hath wounded.  Which thou hast broken. The form of Gods curing: he first woundeth, and then healeth. He cureth none but those whom his hand hath pierced; and he who woundeth, can best cure the wound. And in this God differeth from man: 
Man woundeth, but hath no care to cure; God woundeth & seeketh to cure.  for man woundeth, but hath no care to cure; but when God inflicteth a wound on his children, he hath a present remedy appointed to cure the same. Let us therefore be content to be under his hand, who for sufficient causes crossing us, is ever ready to comfort us in jesus Christ.  
May rejoice. By this he letteth us see, what would be the effect of his delivery, even to burst forth in the praises of his God, by his words, by his actions, 
Let thy desire to be delivered from trouble be to glorify God.  by his writings. Which should teach us, that in troubler either spiritual or temporal, we ever have this the principal end for which we desire to be delivered, that we may praise and glorify God.   

Verse 9 Hid thy face from my sins, and put away all mine iniquities.  
NOw he reneweth his former suit of the remission of his sins, showing how earnestly he desired the same. He is not content once and again to cry for pardon, but many times. For he thought otherwise of his sin, than we do of ours, it touched him at the very heart. In this verse he useth two similitudes; one, that God would turn away his face from his sins; next, that he would blot out all his iniquities.  
Hide. The first similitude is taken from men, 
God cannot see sin in his children.  who will hide their face from that which they desire not to see. And it is certain, God is in every place, and seethe every thing, but he cannot see the sins of his elect children; for that intervenient righteousness of Christ will not suffer him to see any filthiness in his children. He seethe no iniquity in jacob, 
Num. 23.21 Simil.  saith Balaam. For as a red or blue glass being set before our eyes, what ever we see through it, seemeth to be of the colour of the glass: so God looking through Christ to us, all his righteousness seemeth to be ours, and we are of his colour.  
In the mean time, 
Use.  let us not sin because he hideth his face from our sin: for if we abuse the riches of his bounty, we shall appear in our own colours.  
And put away all mine iniquities. The blotting away, presupposeth an hand-writ of the law against him, wherein his name was put in the count-book, which must be scraped out, and taken away, which cannot be done away but by the blood of jesus Christ.  
All. Ye see that one sin calleth to mind many thousands: and he is not contented to be acquitted from one, unless he be acquitted from all. Call to mind all the sins of thy life; be not at quiet till thou gettest a general pardon for them all, which is to be purchased by jesus Christ. Be afraid to add new sins to thy old. 
Pro. 28.19. Ezech. 8.8.  Blessed is he that feareth continually. Do as Ezekiel did to the wall of the Temple, dig once, twice, thrice, and try thine heart; the more thou diggest, the more abominations shalt thou see in that place which should have been a Temple to God.   

Verse 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.  
DAuid hath prayed already for the remission of his sins, and hath doubled over that petition eight times; now he craveth new benefits, of sanctification, of the holy Spirit, of joy, etc.  
In all his petitions he prayeth for spiritual things; he seeketh first the kingdom of God. He prayeth not for the health of his body, 
Those are senseless of trouble, who seek to be freed of the pain, though not reconciled to God.  but for the health of his soul; he craveth not to be rich temporally, but spiritually in God. Those are sensual, who being fallen in trouble, crave no other thing then to be delivered from their present pain, never seeking to be reconciled to God.  
Next, he seeketh great things; for he is a great God, who according to his greatness can bestow ample gifts, 
God as he is a great God, bestoweth great gifts.  as the Ocean plenty of water. It stood not with Alexander's honour to propine Diogenes with a small gift. We bring small vessels to God, a weak faith, although we have great need; we think that he is not able to give great things. Our Saviour Christ could work no miracles amongh them, 
Mat. 13.58 2. Kin. 7.17  because of their infidelity. The Gentleman on whom the King ●eaned, died and was trodden under foot, because he believed not the Prophet.  
Thirdly, he suiteth importunately; and beggars ever speed best at God's hand. The Prophet Elizeus reproved King joas that he shot only three arrows forth of the window; for if he had shot six or 7 times, 
2. Kin. 13.19.  he might have utterly subdued the Aramites. Let us then pray instantly and importunately unto the Lord, and we may be assu●ed he will hear us.  

Sanctification followeth remission.  He prayed before for remission of sius, and now he prayeth for the Spirit of sanctification, an inseparable companion with the other. For you can never be assured that you have received pardon for your sin past, unless God's Spirit hath given you a care ●o live holily in time to come. Shall you be washen even now, and after puddle yourself in the mire? Not possible that ever Christ will bestow his blood to wash any, whom he denieth to sanctify by his holy Spirit.  
Create in me a clean heart, O God. The worker, God; the workmanship, in me; the work itself, create; the subject, a heart; the quality, a clean heart.  
O God. As in the first creation a man is a mere patient, and hath no part of it, but God by the parents worketh it: 
God must work our second creation.  so God worketh the second creation by his Ministers. There is no freewill or prepation to grace, or foreknowing godliness, as these heretical jesuits do affirm. Work the work thyself, and take the praise to thyself, O Lord.  
Create. A man must be twice borne before he can enter into heaven. As he is mad● to the similitude of the first Adam, 
Man must be twice borne: and his second creation is more excellent than the first.  so mus● he be made to the similitude of the secon● Adam; and the re-creation or regeneration is more excellent than the former. Fo● in the first, man was wrought out of clay● but in the other, God worketh grace out o● sin. What harder to work upon then th● dust? Next, he breathed in the dead bodi● a soul; but here he breatheth in the hol● Spirit in man's heart. Thirdly, in the creation he made man perfect in all his members; so in the regeneration, all the members of the body and powers of the soul● must be renewed; and if thou be deficient in the one, thou disgracest all the workmanship. 
Nota.  If thou haft in thy new birth th● eyes of knowledge, and lackest the bowels of mercy, and art maimed of the hands of bountifulness; or if thou be dumb and cannot praise God, or deaf and cannot hear his word, thou art not a perfect man. A greater work in the second birth then in the first. 
Nota.  A greater work to raise up a dead man in sin, then to raise Lazarus out of his grave. Blessed are they who are partakers of the first resurrection, for the second death shall have no power of them. Reformation should begin at the heart. Satan is an unclean spirit. As a fly is bred in filthiness, and leaveth ever filth behind it; so doth the devil defile every place whereinto he cometh.  
Our hearts are as open Taverns ready to receive all passengers. Now having tried sin and Satan to be so noisome to us, we should remove them, shut the door of our hearts, harbour them no longer; yea if any unclean thought arise, let us not entertain it, nor consent thereto, lest it bring worse with it.  
The subject upon which he must work, ●s the heart, the most noble part, the most secret part, which none can know but God; the seat of all the affections, by which man is ruled and led.  

Reformation must begin at the heart.  A reformation which beginneth at the members and external actions, is neither true nor constant. As if a man intending to dress his garden, and purge it from thistles and such like weeds, would cut off the upper part, and leave the root, which would spring up again: so if thou wouldst chastise thy body, and let thine heart remain luxurious, it is nothing. The heart is the fountain, wherefrom springeth all evil, the roo● wherefrom all sin groweth.  
He speaketh not of the substance but o● the affections and qualities of the heart. N● honest man will lodge in a filthy house, o● drink or eat except the vessel be mad● clean; 
Simil.  and God cannot abide in a foul● swinish heart. 
Pro. 4.23.  Keep thine heart diligently saith the Spirit. Since God then will be thin● hearts guest, 
Gen. 15.7.  thou must guard it diligently that others enter not in, neither lewd cogitations: but as Abraham chased away th● fowls from the sacrifice, so we must chas● away corrupt and evil cogitations fro● our soul, as vagabonds should be expelle● from the King's palace.  
The heart in Latin is called cor, 
●●ta.  note by three letters, to signify (as some think that it is the seat of the Trinity; and therefore the portraiture of the natural heart is of three corners, answerable to the same. As a vessel of gold or silver being through long use wasted and broken, 
Simil.  is sent to the Goldsmiths to be renewed; so our hearts worn by sin, must be sent to God, that he may put them in the fire, and cast them in a new mould, and make them up again. Alas, that we are careful to renew every thing, clothes, vessels, and all, only careless to renew our hearts.  

Many are careless of the best things.  Renew a right spirit within me. He doubleth his suit concerning his soul, as his principal desire. There are many who desire earnestly at God for earthly things, but few are serious in seeking that best thing, a new soul. Many are careful of the outward man, and careless of the hid man of the heart, that inner man.  
The spirit is right, when it is set upon the right object, which is God; but when it declineth to the world or to sin, than it is wrong and goeth astray.  
David craving first that he might be purged from his filthiness, craveth now strength of God to his spirit, that he may not wander again, but abide constant in the right way of God's commandments. For we must not only pray for a renewing grace, 
As we pray for renewing grace, so pray for accompanying and following graces.  but for an accompanying grace, and a following grace to keep us in the way of God's obedience. The crooked and broken backed were not admitted to the Priesthood; no more are crooked or perverse souls meet for God's kingdom. Try of what spirit ye are, whether of a right or a crooked; try whether it be of God, or not. Every man's ways are right in his own eyes, but the Lord pondereth the hearts. God must cast down the old building, and build up in thee a new building for himself, that thou mayst be one of the stones of that new jerusalem, which shall be inhabited by God.   

Verse 11. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me.  
IN this verse he craveth two evils to be averted from him; one, that he be not cast out from God's presence: the other, that the holy Spirit be not taken from him. God cast off Saul his predecessor, and took his holy Spirit from him, 
1. Sa. 16.15  and gave him over to be led by an evil spirit; David here craveth at God to be free of those two judgements. The chief thing which he seeketh after, is God's favour; from which nothing debarreth us more than sin. If any Courtier for his oversight were put out of his place (as Pharaohs butler) and out of the King's sight, 
Exod. 40.3  would they not think hard thereof till they recover his favour? We have sinned against God, should we take any rest till we be restored to his favour? 
Seek God's favour.  Should we not be afraid to be exiled and cast forth from his favourable countenance, in whose presence is fullness of joy? 
Psal. 16.12.   
The face and presence of God is as the Sun, 
Simil.  which in Summer looking favourably on the earth, quickeneth all creatures, man, beasts, the earth, whatsoever groweth, the fishes of the sea, and the birds of the ●aire; and by his absence all are discouraged, comfortless, and lose their vigour: so while we have God's favour, we are in good case, we have light, heat, comfort, pleasure, and all things; if he hide his face, all things goes wrong; and therefore our Poet saith well,  
Tu si me placido lumine videris,  
Cedent continuo caeterae prosperè. 
Buch. Psal.   
But do you think that God can cast away his elect child? No verily, 
God cannot absent himself foreves  totally and finally he will not do it, he cannot do it; though we ourselves and others beholding our crosses, may esteem so. The Sun may seem not to shine, 
Simil.  when it is covered with clouds, although it be shining: so God may seem to leave us, when he crosseth us, but it is not so. With an everlasting love have I loved thee. He loved his own who were in the world, to the end he loved them. 
joh. 16.27.  The gifts of God are without repentance. 
Rom. 11.29  False Christ would deceive the very elect, if it were possible. 
Mat. 24.24  Again Christ saith, No man shall take them out of my hands. 
Rom. 8.30  And Paul, Whom God predestinateth, he calleth, justifieth and glorifieth; therefore they cannot fall away finally. Which is against that damnable doctrine of the Papists, 
Against the Papists, who think the elect may be reprobares, which is repugnant to the whole Trinity. Against God. Against Christ.  who think the elect may be reprobates. This doctrine is injurious to the whole Trinity: for the Father is greatly wronged, in that he is thought to be impotent or inconstant; who hath ordaned us before the world to glory, & that his work could be hindered or altered by any intervenient fault or sin in us, as though he would or could not remove and pardon it. And our Saviour getteth no less injury by them, that one of his members can perish, and so he should have a defective body. For if any who once hath been a member of his mystical body fall away or be cut off, of necessity his body by want of that one member would be disgraced. And the ho●y Spirit who is the pledge of our adoption, 
Against the holy Spirit.  sealing up God's grace in our hearts, and giving us that full persuasion of God's promises, causing us to cry Abba, Father, 
Rom. 8.15  is greatly wronged, when his work is accounted nothing of, as frivolous, light and uncertain. So to speak the truth, the Papists do what in them lieth, to disgrace the holy trinity, and advance Angels and men, in plain contempt of that glorious God head, which we ought so much to advance in our doctrine and writings. This is a great comfort to us, 
The graces of the Spirit can not be taken away.  that the graces of the Spirit which we have once gotten, cannot be taken away again. For howsoever we do not feel them alike at all times, yet we have them: sin may take away the ceiling of grace, but not the possession thereof. Albeit God be angry by correcting his best children, yet whom he chastiseth he loveth. 
Heb. 12.6.   
But David saith, Blot them out of the book of life. 
Object. Psa. 69.29. Solut.  It is not to be thought that David supposed they were written in the book of life, but because they seemed to fear God, and were in the visible Church, but not of her, he prayeth that God would make it known, they were never written in it. And in praying that the holy Spirit may not be taken from him, he doubteth, yea he standeth in fear of the loss thereof. Blessed is he that feareth continually. He doubteth, but doth not despair. The Spirit may be grieved by us, and so cease to work in us good things, or to let us feel good motions, but he cannot go away; for when he hath brought us to ourselves, and let us feel our sins, than he purgeth his dwelling place, and maketh it more meet, to work in such divine operations as it pleaseth him to inspire in us.   

Verse 12. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and establish me with thy free Spirit.  
IN this 12 verse David craveth another necessary gift and effect flowing from the remission of his sins, to wit, the joy of his conscience. For the kingdom of God standeth not in external things, 
●●m. 14.17  as meat and drink, but in righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost, saith the Apostle. For being made righteous by Christ, and peace made with God, there ariseth a wonderful tranquillity in our consciences, from which finally ariseth a joy unspeakable. For all the joys of the earth could not make us joyful, vn●esse God were at one with him: neither can all the troubles that can fall upon our outward man discourage us, if we find the joy of God in our hearts.  
Nothing spoileth us of this joy and pleasure that we have in God, but only sin. 
Pleasure in sin taketh away our joy in God.  For once delighting in sin, we can have no pleasure in God's service; for these two can never stand together. Therefore we must loathe sin, that we may rejoice in God.  
Next, 
Christians have joy and sorrow intermingled. 2. Cor. 12.7  ye see the estate of a Christian is not always one; joy and sorrow is intermingled: he hath a Summer of joys, and a Winter of griefs. Saint Paul had the messenger of Satan to buffet him, that he should not be exalted above measure with his great revelations. After a Christian hath mourned, he will rejoice. He who never sorrowed for sin, will never rejoice for grace. He that never mourned for the affliction, never rejoiceth for the consolation of joseph. Mourn with them that mourn, and rejoice with them that rejoice, saith the Spirit.  
The substance and ground of this joy, is the salvation of God; so God is the matter of it: and this salvation is purchased by God only. 
Psal. 3.8.  Salvation is the Lords. Whereby he letteth us see, that the first grace will not do the turn to us (of initiation,) but we have need of the second grace of confirmation, which is the accompanying and persevering grace.  
Establish me. This stablishing is to make us sure: whereby he would advertise us of our instability and unsurenesse, if we were not yet supported. Samson was strong in grace; but being left to himself, he fell. Peter bragged presumptuously in his own strength, 
Mat. 26.33  Though all the world would forsake thee, yet I will not; yet being left to himself he fell, according as Christ had prophesied, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.  
Let us now take heed unto our selves, the time is come to try all Christians what is in them, and I fear our weakness will appear to the world to our shame and the dishonour of our profession. And I never saw any, who presumed above others of their own strength, 
Nota.  but they have proved the weakest soldiers, who by Thrasonical confidence in their wisdom, holiness, constancy, and other of their virtues, bragged above their neighbours, yea contemned them, but in the end they prove cowards, presuming in pride and falling with shame.  
This is one of the most certain marks of God's Spirit, that as he is free in himself, so he giveth liberty and freedom to all his children whom he possesseth. 
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. They are not bound with the chains of sin, they are not bound with men's traditions, but they freely serve God, as the children of the house are free. The Romans were free men; as citizens brag of their freemen, and there is great difference between them and other free men, that they may use their trades of merchandise without controlment; so is a Christian, of all men, the most free. Our Saviour said to Peter, Who should pay tribute, children or strangers?  
But I pray you, 
Mat. 17.25 Object. Solut.  is a Christian who braggeth of the Spirit, free to do what he pleaseth? God forbidden; he is only free to do God's commandments, and to stand in the liberty which God hath given him. He is bound to keep the commandments of God, to be free from the traditions and vanities of men. So a man needeth not to brag of the Spirit, that he may say and do what he pleaseth, and always pretend the Spirit and the liberty purchased by Christ's blood to every one of his follies; no, but that liberty hath her own bounds and circumscriptions; for the Spirit giveth us no more liberty, but that which is bound by his word.  

No true joy but in the salvation of Christ.  The word jasha importeth either Saviour or salvation, as jer. 3.18. To declare that there is no true joy but in the salvation by Christ. This joy Marie had in God her Saviour, Luk. 1.47. and john in his mother's womb leapt for joy, Luk. 1.44. Zach. 5.9. Isa. 60.5. Rejoice daughter Zion. This joy maketh us rejoice in tribulation, by the comforter who eateth up all our sorrows and perplexities, as fire eateth up the rust of iron. Other joys be but toys. Quicquid non est in Domino, non tam intus recreate, quam foras: What joy is not in the Lord, refresheth not so much within as without. This is the wine which Solomon commandeth to be given to the grieved in heart. 
Pro. 11.6.  And surely this joy is a foretaste of that future joy which we shall have in heaven, where there shall be no interchange of joy with sorrow, but a perpetual joy, wherein the creature shall rejoice in the Creator, and daily find new causes of pleasure. 
Psal. 16.12  At thy right hand is pleasure for evermore.  
But where he desireth a restauration of this joy, it is certain that he once felt and tasted of the sweetness of God's favour and the life to come; 
Those who abuse the favour of God, shall feel the want thereof  and this sense failing him for a while, he desireth that it may be repaired and restored to him. And God justly dealeth this way with men. For when they abuse the time of his gracious visitation, he letteth them feel themselves what they are without him. Therefore he is glad to seek now with the prodigal son, a restitution of the thing loosed.  
Establish me. He craveth now the gift of confirmation; as though he would say: Albeit thou wouldst bestow all the former benefits, of remission of my sin, of sanctification, and joy proceeding therefrom, yet I am likely to lose them, unless it would please thee to confirm and strengthen me to the end. Therefore he craveth to be established by the Spirit; and he addeth an epithet to that Spirit, calling it his free Spirit.  
Our Lord was reproached for his frequencle with sinners; they called him a drunkard▪ because he drank with them; 
Luk. 2.16.  and a glutton, because he eated with them. Who would reprove a Physician which frequenteth with patients; and who would reprove a Preacher who haunteth and converseth with penitents, 
Simil.  not to pervert, but convert them.  
Thy free Spirit. He letteth us see, that this stability cometh by no other means but by the Spirit of God; as oftentimes he doth make mention in this Psalm. The title which he giveth to the Spirit, is a free Spirit. The Spirit is free in himself, neither can he be limited: so those who have him cannot be bounded by any humane device or presumption. 
The Spirit is free in himself.  The wind bloweth whither it pleaseth; and shall not the Spirit have liberty to blow whither he pleaseth. N● man seethe the wind, yet it bloweth and overthroweth great houses and trees: and ye● they will bind the word of God. This 〈◊〉 speak not, that I would wish any to pretend the Spirit, and allege for whatsoever thing they say a warrant of the Spirit: thu● keeping that liberty to be a pretence an● safeguard of their imaginations; as the Ana●baptists say; but there is no warrant fo● such riot; for the Spirit seeketh nothing ●ut by the word.  

Christian liberty is to serve God.  Neither can this Christian liberty be a pretence for Atheists, who under covert of Christian liberty do what they please, ●pend their time in all manner of riot. Our liberty is to serve God, not sin, from the ●ondage whereof we are made free.   

Verse 13. Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked, and sinners shall be connerted unto thee.  
NOw followeth his promise; 1. that he will be a Preacher: 2. to whom, to the ●icked: 3. what shall be the effect of his la●ours; sinners shall be converted to God.  
Then shall I teach the wicked. He mindeth ●ot to hide his talon, but to put it forth to ●is masters advantage. So this is a sure mark of one who hath God's mercy, that he will ●ot keep it private, but publish it, and make 〈◊〉 known to others. Which is a duty necessarily craved in us, 
Doctrine. Every Christian should communicate their gift for the profit of the Church.  that we should be digent to communicate our gift to the utitie of the Church. Worldly men put out ●eir money for their own advantage; and ●ould not spiritual men put forth the ●ords gifts for his advantage?  
David a Kiing, is not ashamed to be a teacher of repentance and mercy, which he felt himself. So, none in all the world should be ashamed of the holy ministry▪ Saint Paul saith, 
None should be ashamed of the holy ministry. 1. Cor. 9.16 No●….  Vae mihi si non praedicavero▪ Woe be to me if I preach not the Gospel. Those who are ashamed to preach & publish their sins, let them be ashamed to sin.  
Thy ways. But what is his text he teacheth, thy ways, not men's traditions, which can in no wise either assure or pacify the conscience. David was not so bold, to put in his ways with God's ways. 
God's ways are the ways prescribed in his word.  God● ways are the ways prescribed in his word● which are perfect, just and holy ways. Bu● when men will bring in the altar of Dama●cus, opposing it to the true altar, they remember not that God brought lepros●… on the King's face, 
2. Kin. 16.13  till he was expelled ou● of the Temple. This is a rule to Prince that they teach the people, and make the● to be taught only the ways of God; an● bring not in men's traditions, and make mixture of them with the holy Scripture which here David shuneth.  
But whom teacheth he? The wicked, sinners. those who are in the very bonds an● hands of the Devil, these be the proper m●…er upon which Gods word worketh. Hypocrites set not by such lessons, but poor miserable creatures, who see by the word that they are worthy of hell, than they are touched with a remorse, and would be very glad to go to heaven. So the physic is lost, which is not bestowed on such as are sensible of their own sores.  
And sinners shall be converted unto thee. He persuadeth himself that his doctrine ●hall be effectual, forasmuch as it shall work ●he conversion of sinners. 
The word can do more than any thing Esa. 53.1. Rom. 1.16.  O the wonderful ●ower of God's word, that it can do that which all the world could not do. It is the ●rme of the Lord: To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? saith Isaias. It is the power of God to salvation, saith Paul. No doctrine ●an work faith in man, but the work whereto it persuadeth him, not forceth ●im.  

Conversion presupposeth aversion  Conversion prefupposeth aversion. The ●se of the word is to convert them that are ●uerted or perveted; as the shepherd brin●eth home the wand'ring sheep. Which ●eerly argueth the necessity of the word ●nd teachers thereof; so profitable, as without which, sinners cannot be converted to ●od: for no other instrument can convert them; and they cannot convert themselves. This teacheth Ministers to be diligent in their calling; if they would shine as stars in heaven, 
Dan. 12.3.  they must labour to convert sinners.   

Verse 14. Deliver me from blood, O God, which art the Gods of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing joyfully of thy righteousness.  
Having before so often begged pardon for all his sins in general; he now particularly confesseth which of all his sins grieved him most, 
The shedding of innocent blood David's greatest sin  which he setteth down to be innocent blood; and therefore he craveth to be delivered from the burden of it, from the terrors of an accusing conscience, the cries which it sendeth up to God.  
This verse hath a petition and a promise. In the petition two things: 1. of whom he beggeth this petition: 2. what he seeketh to be delivered, from blood.  
O God, the God of my salvation. His doubling and repeating the name of God, showeth unto us, that he taketh hold on God with both his hands; and it declareth his vehemency and earnestness in his suit at God, that he might be delivered from that blood. And all his suits he directeth only to God. Foolish Papists, God help you.  
When he calleth him the God of his salvation, he clearly showeth to us, that he hath no salvation either of his body or soul, but only of God, who will not give his glory either to man or Angel.  
When he saith, My salvation, he applieth salvation to himself, and doth not imply and enfold his salvation in generality, thinking it presumption to certify himself of his salvation, 
We can have no comfort unless we be persuaded of God's mercy. David's petition.  (as the Papists say.) For what comfort can we have in life or death, if we be not persuaded of God's mercy and favour: not that we presume of our merit, but persuading us of his majesty's constancy and truth.  
Deliver me from blood. His petition is to be delivered from blood, both from the guiltiness which he had contracted by his murder, as from the terrors of his conscience, as also from the punishment threatened by Nathan, that blood should never departed from his house; and finally from future blood, that he never fell into it again: 
2. Sa. 12.10  as God delivered him from the blood of Nabal by Abigail. And this is a great delivery, 
1. Sa. 25.33  that we do not evil; as we ate commanded to pray, Deliver us from evil, 
Mat. 6.11.  that we commit no sin; and when we have done evil, it is a great deliverance when God freeth us of the guilt of it, the condign punishment. But ou● greatest comfort is, when we are kept from doing of it, as joseph and Susanna; and it is God's greatest honour when we are delivered from the punishment which we have deserved for committing such evils.  
From blood. He both committed adultery and murder; but he is more touched fo● the one then for the other. Adultery is eui● because it defileth and defaceth God's imag● in man; 
Murder wo●●e then adultery.  but murder destroyeth his image▪ And there is no sin more odious in th● sight of God than blood: for which caus● he banished Cain from his presence; 
Gen. 4.14. Gen. 6.5.  he destroyed the first world. which was full o● cruelty; he removed Saul from his kingdom, 
2. Sa. 21.1.  who slew the Priests and the Gibeonites; he removed the Crown from th● house of Ahab and dogs licked his blood▪ Kings should pray with David, 
1. Ki. 21.38  to keeps them from the blood of innocents; for bloo● shall be in their house. 
Nota.  And often those wh● live in blood, die in blood, and make 〈◊〉 bloody testament; according to tha● of the Poet: 
Ad generum Cereris sine caedet & sanguine,  
Discedunt reges & sicea morte tyranni.   
The word in the original is bloods, in the plural number. 
Why called bloods in the plural number.  For such is the atrocity of that sin, that one is weightier than a thousand weights of Lead. So soon as it is shed, so soon doth it defile the shedder, as the purple dieth the cloth. It seemeth well coloured when it is shed, but within a little time it becometh so thick and black, that a man would abhor to behold it; therefore it is called bloods. 
Leu. 7.27.  The Lord in the Leviticall law forbade his people to eat any flesh with the blood; 
Nota.  that the detestation of beasts blood might make them so much the more to abhor the blood of man, wherein his life standeth. Blood hath a cry: 
Gen. 4.10. Gen. 4 10.  The voice of thy brother's blood crieth. Who so sheddeth man's blood, his blood shall be shed, which is either by the justice, or by revenge and repayment. The avengers' of blood are admitted by the law.  
Now men's hands are full and foul with blood. The earth is drunken with blood. In her wings there is found blood. Polluted with blood. Lam. 4.14. Full of blood, Ezek. 9.9. 22.2. 23.27. Blood hath touched blood. Hos. 4.2. 
joel 3.19. Mica 7.2. Nah. 3.1. Hab. 2.12. Mat. 23.35  joel complaineth of them, that they shed innocent blood. Micah, Nahum, and Habakuk, pronounce a woe to them that shed innocent blood. And Christ bringeth together all the blood shed from Abel to Zechariah. 
Mat. 27.8.  The jews bought Aceldema, a field of blood. 
Reu. 8.8.  Their feet are swift to shed blood. The third part of the sea shall be blood. God will revenge the blood of the Saints. So I see from the beginning of the world to the end thereof, 
Innocent blood is, hath been, & shall be shed  innocent blood hath ever been, is, and shall be shed, but namely the blood of God's dearest children.  
Sanguine fundata est, Ecclesia sanguine crevit,  
— sanguine finis crit.  
Let us then think it no uncouth thing, when we see innocent blood shed so abundantly, that the streets of jerusalem are filled, and like to be more filled with the blood of God's Saints.  
And my tongue shall sing joyfully of thy righteousness. He promiseth to be thankful unto God: for it becometh righteous men to be thankful. 
Psal. 33.1.  Sin took away, the use of his tongue, now grace restoreth it.  
The tongue is a noble instrument, and as it were a bell hanging in a high place. It is a shame it should not be occupied in sounding; and much more shame that it should be ill occupied in sounding evil things. It is best used when it soundeth Gods praises, 
Nota.  who form it. 
The tongue is best used when it praiseth God.  As the golden bell of Aaron's garment sounded, so should our tongues sound Gods praises, if we be his Priests.  
This condemneth two sorts of persons; 
Simil.  one, 
Those are to be condemned who do not speak for God.  who never speak any thing to God's honour, thinking they are well discharged when they do not openly blaspheme, or speak vild speeches out of the filthy groves of a polluted heart, although they hear others, and cannot open their mouths to rebuke them, being ashamed to speak for the Lord, and glorify him by maintenance of his truth.  

Those are to be condemned who speak against God.  The other sort is more to be condemned, who open their mouth daily to lies, blasphemies, slanders. But be assured, that if for every idle word we are to be countable, much more for every wicked speech we shall be answerable to God at the last day. 
Mat. 12.36   
Shall sing joyfully. He is not content to say, shall speak. For the more vehement intention of the mind kindled up with joy, maketh the tongue to burst out in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, to stir up thy self, and provoke others with greater delight and pleasure to praise God.  
This sweet singer of Israel answereth to his name, when he singeth sweet songs and ballads to the praise of our sweet God. So much in this are those to be condemned, 
Against those that sing profane ballads  who sing profane bawdy songs, to the dishonour of God, and offence of his Church.  
Of thy righteousness, that is, not of his justice in punishing him, but of his righteousness in covering his iniquity. For which Christ is called, God our righteousness. So he would be unrighteous and deny himself, if he should deny us mercy: so sure is our salvation, which is our great comfort. We must praise God for all his benefits, whereof we are less than the least; and if for the smallest, much more for the greatest, even that work of our redemption by Christ, that he is made our righteousness to save us, when we had nothing of ourselves, and knew not our danger, he prepared a salve for us before we were wounded, and the remedy before our danger. If we were sick, and had received health; poor, and were relieved, would we not thank God, and think ourselves obliged to him, as we are: 
Nota. The greatest benefits deserve the greatest praises.  but seeing he hath delivered us from our sins, and from hell, have we not the greater cause to be thankful; for the greatest benefits deserve the greatest praises.   

Verse 15. Open thou my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.  
HE promised in the former verse to sing joyfully of God's righteousness; now he bethinketh himself that this is not in his own power, but it must come from God. That as his faith and repentance was of him, so his thankfulness must also proceed from him. 
There is no temporal or spiritual gift which doth not come from God. Phil. 2.13.  So there is no temporal or spiritual gift, which doth not come from God. He worketh in us velle & perficere, to will and to do.  
The tongue was consecrated before to God; now he presenteth his lips, another instrument; and at last the mouth itself, which containeth both. Seeing God hath given to every member the own faculty and power, 
Every member should sound God● praises.  it is good reason it should be used to his glory. God hath given thee a tongue, mouth and lips, for no other end but to proclaim his praises. And cursed is that man (if he repent not) who soundeth any thing with his tongue, but God's honour.  
We see further, that we are all close an● bound up by nature, except the God of nature enlarge our hearts with his love, and fi● our mouths with his praises; God hath the key of his lips; he can make infants and sucklings proclaim his praises; 
Psal. 8.2. Num. 22.28. In Soliloq.  yea he ca●● open the mouth of Balaams' ass to utter his praise. Augustine thinketh non posse laudare Deum sine ipso, qui non ipsum habeat, qui se adiu●et, that God cannot be praised without himself, he who hath not him to help● them.  
Moreover observe, 
Doctr. Sorrow for fin will break open the dumb mouth to speak for God's mercy.  how sorrow for sin will break forth the dumb mouth to speak for God's mercy. I ●eade of Croesus his son, who seeing a traitor going about to murder his father, though before he was always dumb, began to speak and cry pitifully: why should not we when we see that God is wounded with our sins, once at last begin to cry.  
But there ariseth here a question, whether by our praises God's name may be more amplified? 
Object.  I answer with that worthy servant of God, 
Solut.  M. Robert Rollock a holy man writing on this Psalm, Deum in se ●sse perfectissimum, that God is most perfect ●n himself, without the work of any creature. The Father glorifying the Son, and ●he Son the Father, the Father and Son ●he holy Spirit, the holy Spirit the Father & ●he Son. But yet will be glorified by the creature. Because he is just, his righteousness craveth, that the creature should acknowledge the Creator, whose felicity standeth in this, that he should reverence his Maker with all dutiful service; he craveth it more for our weal, then for himself. Think ye that God can be either worse or better for our praises; but we ourselves are then best, when we have grace to praise him.  
Philip finding Nicanor detracting him, 
Plut.  relieved him from his necessity, and then he began to praise him; wherefore he said, Videtis esse in nostra potestate & bene & male audire: Ye see it is in our power both to be well and evil thought of. But God is not so, he careth not for our praises, and our obloquys do not touch him, he is so f●rre from the one and the other. We can neither augment nor impair his dignity, speak what we will or please, we may do ourselves evil, him we cannot offend.  
Sin taketh away the benefit of our tongue, 
Sin maketh a man d●● that he can not praise▪ God.  that we become dumb, and cannot praise God, till he forgive us our sins, and then we shall speak; and although we would speak, God thinketh nothing of our speeches, until we be reconciled to him. What hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances, 
Psal. 50.16  and to take my name in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest to be reform? But w● to the tongue, mouth and lips, which are not employed in the service of God that made them, to proclaim his praises: and double woe to them who employ them to his dishonour; for they shall say, would God they had been rather dumb, 
Nota.  and could have spoken nothing, then to have spoken to the dishonour of that Majesty which made them.   

Verse 16. For thou desirest no sacrifice, though I would give it: thou delightst not in  offering.  
NOw toward the end of the Psalm he is bursting forth in thankfulness, setting down the sacrifice which the Lord would not have, to wit, external sacrifices; and declaring that which he would have, a contrite heart. Sacrifices of old comprehended all God's worship. For the  offerings and sin offerings represented Christ's blood. The thanksgiving offerings, 
The use of the legal sacrifices.  peace offerings, the incense, the thankfulness of the Saints for his benefits; and what of all these, he was wearied with them, when they were not mixed with faith and repentance. Nazianzen saith, una Dei est purum gratissima victima pectus.  
Then if God delight not in sacrifices which were commanded by himself, 
Nota.  what careth he for trifles invented by men, of which he can have no pleasure. His delight is not in outward sacrifices at any time, if they be alone. 
Hos. 6.6.  I will have mercy (saith he) not sacrifice; much less doth he respect the sacrifice of the Mass, having no warrant in his word; neither yet of our prayers and praises, when we do but pretend religion, not serve God unfeignedly. Away with all our offerings, if we offer not to him that which he craveth chief, to wit, a penitent heart.  
Lorinus obserueth● well, Sacrificia non operari per se peccatorum remissionem posse●sed ●antum representare & praefiugare sacrificium ●llud unicum redemptoris: that is, that the sacrifices of old could not work by themselves remission of sins, but only did represent and prefigure the only sacrific● of our Redeemer. Then, as he saith truly, their sacrifices ex opere operato, by the external working of them, cannot give remission of sins. What reason then hath he to affirm that the Sacrament of the new Testamen conferreth grace by the very external giving thereof; 
Lorinus against himself.  seeing that same thing wa● prefigureted by their sacrifices which is represented by our Sacraments, that is, Christ● blood both in Baptism and in the Lord's Supper.   

Verse 17. The sacrifices of the Lord are 〈◊〉 contrite spirit: a contrite and broken heart, O God, thou wilt no● despise.  
WHen he hath removed that which God misliked and refused; now he placeth that which God liketh and receiveth, that is, the sacrifice of a contrite spirit. In the plural number called sacrifices, that is this one for 〈◊〉.  
A broken heart, is such a heart which is humbled through a sight and sense of sin. 
What a broken h●ar● is.  For it is needful, that as we have worn our heart by fin, so our heart should be worn again by repentance and sorrow for sin, and that we should take pains to subdue our hearts and all the thoughts thereof, and bring them captive to God's obedience.  
That is that poor spirit of which Matthew speaketh, 
Mat. 5.3. Esa. 66.2.  & Isaias speaketh of the spirit that trembleth at God's word. 
Why sacrifices in the plural number.  This cause d David to put the word sacrifices in the plural number, that he might express the better, that one contrite heart which is the sacrifice of repentance alone sufficeth for all legal sacrifices. If he had said that a contrite heart, is a sweet smelling sacrifice, they might have excepted that so are many others, as the papists do mix their works with the grace of God. But David excludeth purposely all sacrifices, and showeth, that what ever sacrifices God respecteth are comprehended under a penitent heart, believing in Christ's blood, and seeking mercy for the same.  
This sort of people are called mourners in Zion, who mourn to God for their own sins, and the sins of the people, who power out their heart with their tears to God, who do lament for the affliction of joseph. Oh, what cause have we to lament this day for our sins, and to break our hearts for the persecution of the Church in every place. Let our feasting be turned into fasting, our laughter in tears. Mourn with jeremiah for the desolation of Zion. 
Nota.   
A contrite and broken heart thou wilt not despise. Here he encourageth the penitent sinner; who may be affrayed to appear before the Tribunal of God, in regard of the conscience of his sin, and be feared that God will not accept him, howsoever he be humbled. Him here he encourageth, God will not despise a troubled heart, yea rather he will like it and manifest his skill in healing and comforting it. 
God liketh a troubled heart.  To which agree all those places in Isaias which comfort the Church, those sweet invitations of Christ to the laden and weary, to come unto him, and to those that were athirst, and he that calleth upon us, will not reject and cast us away.  
The Lord is nigh to them that be of a contrite spirit. Psal. 144.8. Who speak to him in the bitterness of their soul. job. 10.1. Crying like the Dragon or Ostrich. Mich. 1.8. Who cry wonderful being overcomed by the Elephants. As Saint Jerome sayeth, who slay their affections, and offer them as a sacrifice to God, as the Magdalen, Peter, other Saints, who forsake their former lusts, and say with a certain young man, who being temped by an harlot, and seeming to be ignorant who she was, she said ego sum, it is I, he answered, ego non sum, it is not I, for he was converted by repentance.  
If thou would prevail with God, 
Pro. 23.26.  give him thine whole heart, if thou do any thing for God do it with thine heart, 
2. Chro. 31 21  seek him with thine whole heart, love him, fear him, pray to him, turn to him, obey him with thine whole heart. Deut. 10 12. Rom. 6.17. jer. 32.40. joel. 2 12. Psal. 119.145. Their heart is divided saith the Lord of host, now shall they perish. 
Hos. 10. ●  God is one and undivided, and craveth an heart, one, and whole in affection, and rend only by de●ection, nothing can break God but a broken heart. The string can bow the bow, the fire can temper and mollify the steel, the goat's blood the adamant, and the heart contrite can move God saith Mantuan in these verses.  
Virga recens Zephyris, neruo curuabitur arcus  
Igne chalybs: adamas sangnine, cord Deus.  
Finally, observe that albeit repentance doth make a contrite heart, and as I said before we should take such pain on our contrition, that we should not let any thought of our heart escape unrepented & mourned for, yet, the only hammer which must burst our souls is the word of God, 
The word of God bruiseth the heart.  which bruiseth the rocks of a stony heart, 
Simil.  and maketh an heart of flesh. And as out of rags being bruised is brought forth fine paper, so is a troubled heart bruised with sorrow for sin turned into a gracious subject, whereinto God may work and write his law. And as the pool of Bethsaida being troubled, 
joh. 5.4.  brought health to men's bodies: so doth the conscience afflicted by God, bring certain health and salvation to soul and body. Saint Ambrose sayeth that repentance is so difficult and hard a matter, that he hath oftener found more who lived innocently, than who did truly repent. It is written of Augustine, that he caused the psalms of repentance to be put on the wall over against him, before he died, and reaped abundantly reading them ten days; at which time none came to him but either the physicians or his refreshment. Seeing therefore God liketh this sacrifice of a contrite heart, without which none other thing will please him, let us take the bests of our affections, separate them from their old pleasures to God, bind them by the coards of the word, lay them down at his feet, and slay them, and that sacrifice shall please him, offer thyself a living sacrifice, and be assured God will accept of thee; and never reject thee not thine offering, other sacrifices die being offered, 
Nota.  but we by offering ourselves to God yet live.   

Verse. 18. Be favourable unto Zion for thy good pleasure: build the walls of jerusalem.  
HE hath prayed for mercy to himself, now he prayeth for the Church, which he hath offended by his sin, and upon which he had brought such evils, that it would please God to be merciful to her, ●uild up her walls, and repair her ruins.  

No man can truly pray for himself unless he pray for the church.  No man can truly pray for himself, ●nlesse he pray for the Church also; as Da●id doth in many Psalms. If a man be a ●ensible member of the body, it is not pos●●ble but the evils which befall to any one ●ember (let be all) touch not him to the heart, as it were done to himself.  
In this verse are three things contained, first, for whom he prayeth, for Zion and jerusalem, secondly, what he suiteth, God's favour, thirdly, out of what ground, for thy good pleasure. But before we enter to any of these particulars, we have some generals necessarily to be marked.  

The chief care of princes should be for the Church.  First, that the chief care of Princes should be the weal of the Church.  
The Church is as the heart in the body, which being troubled, of necessity the body must be in danger: if ye love your head, keep your heart. The Church nurisheth the heart blood of Christ in her bosom, 
The Church is as the heart.  the rest of the members have also their own offices, but she hath the chiefest office, being the most noble part; and who should maintain her more, than the head, who hath all the senses infixed therein, and from which all the members, sinews and veins take their life. And what grea●er honour can they have, then to be nursing fathers of the Church. If a king concredite his child and his first borne to be nourished by any of his subjects, may not that subject think he hath gotten great honour, 
Simil.  and may expect for his travel great commodity: and when a king hath received God's first borne (for Israel is his first borne) in his custody, may he not think he hath gotten great glory; and if he neglect his first borne, shall he not receive great infamy. Those who are greatest officers in a kingdom, as Chancellor, Chamberlain, Precedent, Secretary, and men of estate, are in greatest estimation and credit; and shall not great men think they are greatly obliged to God, who hath made them administrators of his kingdom, whose standing is the weal of the Church, the principal estate of their Commonweal; if it stand, than they stand; if it fall, they fall, for their subjects obey them more for conscience, then for any terror or fear of their laws.  
Then it is best for them to be religious, and to propagate holy religion, for their own standing.  

The Romans wrought more by religion then the sword.  The ancient Romans, Lacedæmonians & Athenians were most careful of religion, because they affirmed that they wrought more by devotion, than they were able to ●oe by the sword. This was their good po●cie, as Plutarch amply reciteth in his History.  
Then when Princes invade religion, and draw the people to atheism, see if they be not gratest enemies to themselves, to their estate and posterity. The Turk and other polititions may give Christian princes sufficient proofs of this my assertion, as also if examples of David, 
Let princes follow David's example.  Solomon, josias, Ezechia, Constantine, Theodosius, may move them, whose posterity hath brought eternal renown unto them, and if not, let julian affray them, and wicked princes like unto him.  

The care of religion a prince's chiefest safeguard.  The care of religion, and to be a religious prince, is the greatest safeguard to a prince. For religion hath God's maintainnance; and God hath shown his mighty hand for Ezechia against Senacherib, and for David against all his enemies; for Queen Elizabeth who died in peace notwithstanding all the maginations of her enemies; and for our dread Sovereign Lord King james, 
Prince's religious bring wealth to their subjects.  against all the horrible and monstrous designs of his enemies.  
Prince's maintaining religion, bring great wealth to themselves and to their subjects as Solomon did, when gold was as dust, and silver as the stones.  
Next, 
1. King. 10.21.  the Church being under continual danger should be helped by princes. 
The Church being troubled should be helped by princes.  Since the Church is the princes depositum, which God gave to their custody, they ought to have a chief regard of her. The fatherless widow and orphans are concredited to them, much more they should defend the Church, because the devil and his instruments and her fight against her, and who should maintain her but princes, who are set in authority only for her cause, to debate and take her part against all the world. Her enemies are more than notorious, she was never at rest, her enemies are assaulting her continually; hell hath broken lose against her in these latter days; princes have put their diadems on the horns of the beast; people are raging. And seeing that eternal spouse of God is so hated of the world, should not princes with David procure her welfare even to their uttermost.  

Princes who would fight well must pray well.  Prince's must by prayer and power support the Church. Prayer hath more power than armour. Therefore princes who would fight well, must pray well. Moses did more with his hands lifted up to God, than josua did with his sword. 
Exo. 17.11 Gen: 32.28.  Israel wrestled with God, & got his name by prayer: for otherways he could not have prevailed with such a majesty. Therefore princes who be atheists, can never be good to the Church: and no marvel, because they know not what prayer is. Wicked princes cannot abase themselves so low as to pray to a superior; but David who will be renowned for ever, not only prayeth, but biddeth the people pray for the peace of jerusalem. In a word, the chief armour of the Church, and all Church wardens, and Church defenders are spiritual. Arma militia non sunt carnalia: The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual.  
Be favourable unto Zion. He prayeth for Zion and jerusalem, this is a novelty, should the king pray for the Church, I think the Church should pray for the king. Yea, but this king thinketh that all his prosperity standeth in the weal of the Church, and therefore he, as the most principal member thereof, prayeth for her.  

What Zion and jerusalem were, and what they signified.  The Church is represented by the names of Zion and jerusalem. Zion was the mountain upon which the fort and Temple were builded; jerusalem was the city. But these two have spiritual interpretations, being shadows of things to come, as all the Fathers confess, Zion was a mountain in the holy land, which the Lord loved more than all mountains. He might have chosen Olympus for height, Basan for fatness. And what was Zion, it is to be seen yet, there are many bigger, stronger, and fairer mountains in Scotland, then was Zion. (I will compare it to Authur-seate, at Edinburrough) how cometh it to pass that the Lord chooseth it before all mountains? What, but because he loved it, and made it a place of his habitation; there he built a Church, out of it he will let the law, yea the Gospel came to all nations, mount Zion is a place so firmly fixed by God's providence, that it shall never be moved. So is the Church a number indeed obscure and base in comparison of other people; but so sure by his power, that the gates of hell shall not prevail against her, for Zion is a watch tower, specula, and the watchman of Israel standeth on the top thereof, & who can take it or do it wrong, she seemeth weak in comparison of mighty mountains, who leapt and scorned her, yet she standeth and they are all fallen: for they exalted themselves by their pride and power, but she abideth strong, by the strength of God, and the arm of the Almighty.  
We have now left mount Sinai which is in Arabia where was earthquake and thunder, and are come to mount Zion, the Church in the Gospel, where is peace and grace. So our estate is better than theirs was, firmer than theirs, for God hath chosen it to be everlasting. What do ye then think of those persecutions and novations in the world; nothing for the Church but extremity; her enemies are seeking to root her out: but let these murders of Cain's seed, beware of themselves, let God root out their seed. Our mountain is fixed by God, which cannot be moved, and that little stone which came out of the mountain without hands, shall bruise that golden image in pieces. Therefore let us build ourselves upon mount Zion, and not on the sand of man's inventions, that we stand in the evil day, and be approved of God, rejoice therefore daughter Zion, for thy foundation is in heaven; they shall invade heaven, and pull Christ from the right hand of his Father, before they overthrew thee. Let them build up their tower Babel, but God will confound their languages, when the gates of hell cannot overcome her, the sword of princes, shall destroy her.  
jerusalem. The name jerusalem importeth a vision of peace, a vision or a sight, 
jerusalem a vision of peace.  for there is neither sight nor light in all the world but blindness and ignorance, as there was no light in Egypt for three days, but a palpable darkness, except among the Israelits in the land of Goshen: 
Exo. 10.23  so there is no knowledge of God, or Christ the light of the world to be found in all the earth, but in the true Church of Christ. Then as there is a great difference betwixt a blind man who seethe nothing and a seeing man, as great difference is there betwixt one who knoweth Christ, and an ignorant.  
These ignorants, blind leaders of the blind, do not see this peace of jerusalem; This peace is only in the true Church, ●t groweth where grace groweth, which two are inseparable, 
Gal. 1.3.  grace and peace was the salutation of Saint Paul, which he wished to ●ll the Churches, this peace is first with God, by the peacemaker jesus Christ: next, ●n a tranquillity of the conscience after reconciliation: and last, with all men. There 〈◊〉 no, peace to the wicked, saith my God. 
Esa. 48.22.  Therefore dwell in jerusalem, and ye shall see peace.  
Be favourable. 2. What he craveth to the Church; even that God would be favourable to her, and that he would build up her walls, as he saith in the 132. Psalm, Peace be within her walls, and prosperity within her palaces. 
The Church can neither prosper in peace or war without God bless her.  The Church have palaces, for peace, and walls for war, he prayeth the Lord to bless her in both, for neither can the Church of God flourish in peace, neither be victorious in war, unless God bless her in both estates.  
To be favourable to Zion, is to give her tokens of his good will and of his comfortable assistance. 
1 A special token of God's favour when the Church hath good governors.  This is a token of his favour when he giveth her good governors and heads, both in Church and policy. And again, a sign of his wrath when he giveth her such as Saul and Achab, wicked and evil governors.  
The next token of his favour is prosperity, when the Gospel hath free passage, 
2 When the Gospel hath a free passage.  the worship of God is enlarged, heretics are put away, true teachers are diligent and vigilant.  
Thirdly, when unity is in the Church, and all are in one mind, 
3 When unity i● in the church.  than God is among them; but when God hath casten them off, all are rend and spoiled, religion decayeth, heretics increase. Satan hath gotten the upper hand, God's Church is miserablely spoiled by wolves and foxes, troublers of the Lords vine.  
Build the walls. The second part of his prayer is for the walls, that they may be builded, for jerusalem is not only a city for peace, but to be prepared for war; she hath not only palaces, but castles, towers, fortresses, and walls; and therefore David craveth that these might be built up again.  
First see, what are these walls. Secondly, whereof they are builded: Lastly, who is the builder.  
What are the walls. The Church of God is a fortified town, which must have defences to resist the enemy, for the devil and ●ll evil men, princes, wise men, gentiles, ●ewes are conspired against the city of God: therefore God fortifieth his city with all necessary defences which may hold ●ut the enemy.  

The Church hath walls invisible & visible.  The walls are too fold: invisible, the protection of God, which the world seethe not, for the Lord is a wall of brass about his Church to repel her enemies, and a wall of fire to burn them, also he hath his Angels who pitch their tents about his holy and chosen ones, 
2. Kin. 6.7.  there was horses of fire compassing Elizeus.  
The outward and visible walls are made of a number of lively stones, compacted together by the mortar of love, strongly resisting all the enemies of the Church, for that unity of the Saints strengthen them by the power of their God. Boni enim ciues mania civitatis, good citizens are the walls of the city. And upon these walls compassing them on all sides be bulwarks, whereupon are set the canons of the word of God, mighty in operation, destroying the enemies; & the censures of the Church, namely excommunication, which being lawfully led, is of greater power to subdue the enemy and resist him, than all the power of civil authority.  
The sins of princes and people make great gaps in the walls, at which the devil and enemies of the Church and wolves enter and destroy the Lords vines. They with Tobias and Sanballat stay the building of these walls, 
Neh. 42.  and are striving to build the walls of jericho, which were forbidden by josuah to be redefied under a great curse, 
1. Ki. 16.34  which lighted on Hiel the Bethelite in the days of Achab; pity is it to see the princes of this world so much enfeebling jerusalem to strengthen jericho.  
David crieth to God that he would build them, whose power is greater than all the worlds, who as he hath invisible walls of his protection, so he hath outward defences to maintain his Church, he is master of it, yea master builder, and sendeth forth servants whom he strengtheneth for the building of his work. I see many pulling down the walls, yea with Edom in the destroying of jerusalem, crying sack, sack, 
Psal. 137.7.  raze, raze up the foundation. Few with ●●chemiah mourning for the ruins of God's house in all parts, and helping to restore them. Let us therefore go to the God of David; who albeit he was king of the town, and began to build the city and walls, and laid materials to the Temple, yet he knew that the labourers wrought in vain, unless the Lord of heaven builded the city, Lord repair the decays of thy Church, for thy Christ's sake.  
For thy good pleasure. He findeth the ground of all that perfection to be in God himself and his good favour, and not in men or their merits: for as the whole building of the Church is the only work of God; so is the reparation of her ruins only belonging to himself. 
It belongeth to God to build the Church.  Men might have builded with stone and brick the exterior walls, but it is proper to God to build his spiritual Church. And this is a token that God hath pleasure in his Church, when he is building it, sending good builders▪ materials of spiritual graces, fortifiers, as Cyrus and Darius good Princes, Nehemiah, good governors, Esdra and good Priests. And our obedient and careful people; who do take the sword in one hand and the instrument of building in the other, that the Lords jerusalem may be edified. But when his favour is departed, then in his wrath, he giveth Princes, Governors, Nobles, Preachers, and people who strive either to hinder the building, or to pull down the building, to build up jericho, and cast down jerusalem. David he craveth that God may be favourable according to his good pleasure, for the building of the Church dependeth upon God's good will and pleasure; who when he liketh his Church, can advance her, and when he is displeased with her cast her down. It appeareth evidently now that God is angry with his Church in all parts of Christendom, when he is pulling down, and not raising up his Church, we have provoked his wrath against us; and his soul abhorreth our hypocritical profession, and our wicked conversation.   

Verse. 19 Then shalt thou accept the sacrifices of righteousness, even the  offering and oblation: then shall they offer calves upon thine altar.  
THis is the promise of thankfulness to God, wherein is set down a correspondence or restipulation betwixt the people who shall offer sacrifices, and God who will accept them. And God's service than goeth well, when we offer willingly, and God accepteth gladly.  
Then. Mark the time, 
If our sins be forgiven us, God will hear our prayers Gen. 4.5.  when God hath been favourable to his Church in forgiving her sins, than he will accept the offerings. For pray what ye please, and distribute to the poor, if God do not like of it, all is in vain. Cain offered sacrifices, but the Lord accepted them not, because he hated his cruel heart. Abel offered i● faith and was accepted.  
But how shall ye know if your offerings be acceptable to God, seeing there is no fire to fall down from heaven, as that which burned up Elias sacrifice? 
●. King 18.34  Ye shall know that albeit an elementary or material fire falleth not down, yet the fire of the Spirit falleth on our hearts, 
Nota.  the fire burning up the dross of our corruptions by unfeigned repentance, warmeing our hearts with the love of God, kindling our hearts with a zeal of God's glory. This is the fire which will fall down from heaven upon our souls; which sensibly we feel, if the Lord hear our prayers.  
The sacrifices of righteousness. Some expound these offerings to be such as agree to his will. I reverence their judgement; but I see not how that exposition can agree with the text. But it may be expounded of that righteousness which we ought to do to our neighbours, as we offer a sacrifice of a contrite heart, the calves of our lips by praises, and these are the sacrifices of righteousness by our hands, so that heart, tongue, hand, should be all offered to God, for God liketh well of righteous dealings 〈◊〉 our hand be not defiled with thirst, copiousness, oppression, which if we sacrifice to Satan by sin, let us not lift to God by prayer, but lift up pure hands, wash our hands in innocence and then compass God's altar.  
It would seem to be some differenc, 
Object.  where God said, he would have none of their sacrifices, and now they promise sacrifices? Indeed if the sacrifices be only external, 
Solu.  what accounteth God of them, if they want mercy and righteousness, for he will have mercy and not sacrifice. Therefore let external and internal worship be conjoined, and then God will like best of it: but being separated from spiritual offerings, it is abominable and a burden to the Lord.  

Which be the sacrifices of righteousness. The altar jesus Christ by whom we must offer our prayers to the Father.  The sacrifices of righteousness are those which be lawful and are commanded by God.  
They shall offer calves upon thine altar. The calves are the calves of the lips; the altar jesus Christ, who was both represented by the brazen altar, and by the golden ●●lter. For no sacrifice or prayer could ever ●●e acceptable to God, unless it were offered upon jesus Christ, for he is sacrificium; sacerdes, et altar; Augustine saith, he is the Priest, the Altar, and the Sacrifice; the offerer, the thing offered, and the altar upon which it is offered.  

〈◊〉  All the mosaical altars are abrogated, because the sacrifice is made. The heathenish altars have no place; The popish altars are abominable, after the apish imitation of the jewish altars, they would offer that incrementum sacrificium missa; without any warrant of God's word. It is enough for us to offer, not Christ to the Father, but our prayers by Christ to the Father, who will smell a sweet savour of rest, of all our petitions and thankes which are presented upon Christ, and for thirst of him. Lord keep us from the altar of Damascus, and let us offer all our offences upon jesus Christ, with whom we shall be very hearty welcome to God Amen.