VERSE 1. ‘The Lord is my light and my saluation, whom shall I feare? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I bee afraid?’

AS God hath giuen vs outward and corporall eyes to see and behold the workes of his hands here be­low, [Page 12] so hath he giuen vs in­ward and spirituall light to sée himselfe, and spiritually to behold the wonderfull things hee hath done for our soules saluation; therefore when we looke vpon his crea­tures with our corporall eies, wee should lift vp the eyes of our mindes to behold him that hath made, fra­med, and preserued these vi­sible things.

The Sunne is a visible creature, by whose beames our bodily eies are enlight­ned, for the eye it selfe giueth not, but receiueth the light which the Sunne giueth, for if of it selfe it gaue the light, wee should apprehend [...]no [Page 13] darknesse at all; but take a­way outward light, and the eye is darke: So the eye of the minde, the eye of the soule cannot of it selfe appre­hend that spirituall light, which is Christ, that lighteth euery man that commeth in­to the world: And without him the minde is darke, and runneth and rusheth vpon diuers stumbling blocks of errors and dangers. But he that is guided by that light which was Dauids light, séeth and walketh the way of safety and saluation: in that light ( Christ) is the well of life, he is the light in whom all the Elect sóe the true light and walke in it.

[Page 14] The ordinary meanes to apprehend Christ the light, is the word, which he taught and left vnto vs, yet not of it selfe that light, but onely sheweth it, for euery man that heareth the word, séeth not the light comprehended in the same; but they onely whose inward eies the Lord openeth to behold Christ the light, and they walke in the light. Many saw Christ, but not as hee was the light and their saluation; for they de­lighted in darknes more than light, working wickednesse euen against that light in whom, and by whom, and through whom, they onely that truly séeke that light [Page 15] haue assured saluation, nei­ther is there safety or salua­tion in any other. Therefore doth David ioyne light and saluation together, because that without that light there is no saluation, for light go­eth with or before saluation; for without the light of knowledge there can bee no faith, and without faith no saluation. Dauid through faith was bold to affirme that the Lord was his light, and consequently his salua­tion, and hee that would de­fend him from all his ene­mies, and therefore resol­ueth not to feare what man could doe vnto him.

Our owne naturall light, [Page 16] the light of our eyes is an e­speciall blessing of God: yet for vnruiinesse it may bee compared to the tongue; for as the tongue is an vnruly euill, in setting as it were the whole world on fire, so are the eyes extrauagant, and set the heart on fire; and therefore saith Dauid, Turne away mine eies from regar­ding vanity: for he found by wofull experience, that the light of the eye doth admini­ster vnto the minde diuers dangerous obiects, as to him­selfe the nakednesse of Ber­shaba, with the sight of whom he was so enflamed with the fire of lust, which first entred by the eie, that he committed [Page 17] grieuous sinnes in the ac­complishment thereof. Yet was Dauid himselfe repu­ted as it were the light of Is­rael, which hee assumed not vnto himselfe, but attribu­ted the true light that he had vnto the light of lights; say­ing, Surely thou art my light O Lord, and the Lord will lighten my darknesse: And a­gaine, the Lord is my light and my saluation.

By his owne naturall light hee could not sée his owne error of adultery and marther, vntill hee was in­wardly enlightned, then hee could confesse it: neither could he see and consider how the Lord had defended him, [Page 18] but by that dim light which gaue him courage & strength against the [...]eare and the Lion, the ouercomming of whom gaue him assurance of the victory against Goli­ah: his experience of Gods fauour towards him grew daily more and more, encou­raging others also to depend on the power, prouidence and loue of God by his ex­ample, saying, and assuring them that the Lord would be a sure refuge vnto them in their afflictions, for hee fai­leth none that faithfully séeke him; and how can we séeke him but by Prayer? I will call vpon the Lord, saith Da­uid, who is worthy to be prai­sed, [Page 19] so shall I bee safe from mine enemies: though they haue many meanes to hurt, yet God that is our light and our saluation, hath many more meanes to helpe and to defend vs: therefore saith Dauid, whom should I feare, the Lord is my rocke and my fortresse, and hee that deliue­reth mee, my God and my strength, in him will I trust, my shield, the horne also of my saluation and my refuge, of whom shall I be afraid? If I haue Iehouah on my side, what can man doe vnto me? If he be my light, I shall liue in light and walke in light, for in him is no dark­nesse at all; he offereth light [Page 20] by his liuely Word, and en­lightneth our inward parts by the bright beames of his heauenly Spirit. Being then inwardly armed, howsoeuer outwardly endangered, wée néed not feare, but as Dauid did, let vs cast our burthen vpon the Lord and hee shall defend vs; and let vs com­mend our care vnto him, for he careth for vs: of whom or of what then need we to bee afraid?

Saluation commeth not of flesh nor by fleshly meanes, as the true light is not of the world nor of worldly men. Therefore séeke not thy light nor safety through the policy or strength of the flesh, nei­ther [Page 21] dreame of saluation by worldly meanes, but breake through the walls of flesh, and mount vp in true con­templation of that sauing light that shineth from a­boue; from thence commeth the strength against which no carnall force shall pre­uaile: and beware of such as promise vnto themselues safety and saluation without this true light, as the wise by their policies, the rich by their wealth, the mighty by their much strength and mul­titudes, and as some by their owne workes: All which are broken réeds & vaine props, and weake meanes to saue the outward man, much lesse [Page 22] the inward soule. How then can they say, whom shall I feare? of whom shall I bee afraid? when indéed they cannot but bee afraid euen where no feare is.

Could Achitophels coun­sell, Nebuchadnezzars great­nesse, Pharaohs stoutnesse, Goliahs strength, Senache­ribs mighty army, Hasaels swiftnesse, or the Pharisies workes saue them? yet doth foolish flesh and bloud ac­count this weake and feeble meanes their glory, their life, and their saluation: But as Achitophel, whose coun­sell was like the Oracle of God, did hang himselfe; as Nebuchadnezzar in his grea­test [Page 23] pompe became as a beast of the field; as Pharaoh in his hot pursuit was drowned and his army; as Senacherib was slaine by his owne sons; as Goliah for all his great strength was slaine with a small stone; as Hazael for all his Roe-like swiftnesse, was slaine in his running; and as the Pharisies, for all their workes, were condemned by Christ the light: So neither the wisest of the world, the greatest and most glorious in the world, the strongest in strength, nor he that iustifi­eth himselfe most by his best workes, worke not onely no saluation vnto themselues as of themselues, but their [Page 24] owne destruction. But the Lord of Hosts is my light, my strength and my saluati­on, therefore will I not bée afraid.

Consider well the benefit of thy light in the Lord, em­brace the Lord thy light and thy saluation, embrace him in his Word, for God is the Word, the Word that light, that light thy life and thy sal­uation.

Here then is the light that guideth the blinde, and hap­py is the soule that hath this glorious light, he needs not feare she secret practises of the wicked, which this light discouereth, nor the force of the mighty, which this [Page 25] strength withstandeth, for God is his saluation.

Feare not man then, who killeth but the body, feare not the fire that consumeth but the body, feare not the Sea that drowneth but the body, feare not sicknesse that toucheth but the body, feare not the sword that pierceth but the body; feare nothing that can preuaile but against the body, for the Lord is thy light and thy saluation.

O feare this Lord and re­uerence this light; he séeth in darknesse, feare him that can kill both body and soule, and can cast both into vtter dark­nesse; feare this great God, feare none but him that can [Page 26] saue and kill, that can cast downe and exalt, that can with his Word worke what he will, when he will, and as he will; feare him in loue, and loue him in feare, call vpon him, despaire not in him, he is thy saluation.

Feare not the world nor worldly things, feare onely firme in the world, and flie from euill, which this true light hateth; then feare not man, for if a thousand assaile thee, feare not, but pray and beléeue, and trust in the Lord thy saluation: he will open the eyes of thy faith and thou shalt sée with Elisha millions of meanes to defend thée; if pouerty or want oppresse [Page 27] thée as it did sometimes Da­uid, feare not, he will reléeue thée, for hée preserueth with little as with much, hée fed many thousands with little meanes, and when they were all well filled, there was ta­ken vp in the remainder more then was before they had eaten. He increased the Oile and Meale of the poore Widow, that she fed her selfe and hers, and paid her debts with the remainder. Hee brought water out of the stones, and out of the dry Jaw-bone of an Asse. Hée fed his children with Bread from Heauen, and sent them Quailes in the hungry Wil­dernesse. He sent abundance [Page 28] of wheat extraordinarily vn­to distressed Samaria This is he, euen that great God, that is the sustainer of my life, my light and my saluation: and not mine alone, but the God of all that faithfully séek him in their distresse.

Should I then feare, though I be enuironed with enemies? though I were in distresse? nay, should I feare though I were in penury and want? though I were imprisoned for the constant profes­sion of Christs truth? did he not breake the fetters, and opened he not the very iron gates, and cast the watch­men in a slumber to fetch Pe­ter out of prison? did he not [Page 29] giue Ioseph and Paul fauour with their Jailors? of whom or of what then may the faithfull bee afraid? what crosses, what troubles, what afflictions, what threats of tyrants can make Gods chil­dren afraid? though the seas rage and rose, though the world be in confused combu­stion, though the mountains cleaue in sunder, though the heauens melt, though he that made all consume all, I will not feare. The Lord high & mighty, he is the strength of my life; nay, he is to mee life it selfe, who then or what can without him force my death? If he take away this life, he hath prouided for me [Page 30] a better and permanent: whom or what shall I be a­fraid of then? Shall I be a­fraid of Hell or Satan? Hée my Lord in Christ, my light and my saluation, hath con­quered both Satan and Hell, what néed I feare?

VERSE 2. and 3. ‘2. When the wicked, euen mine enemies and my foes, came vpon mee to eat vp my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3. If an host pitched against me, my heart should not be afraid; though warre be raised against me, I will trust in thee.’

IN all actions Experience is as the mother of know­ledge, and knowledge the [Page 36] ground of Assurance, which made Dauid strong in his re­solution to encounter Goli­ah, hauing formerly found that God assisted him in two seuerall dangers, the one in killing a Beare, the other in ouercomming a Lion; two strong, fierce, and deuouring beasts, and that when he was but young and a Shepherd; yet it seemeth he had learned to feare God and to trust in him, for that he acknowled­ged that he ouercame them, not by his owne proper power, but by the power of God, which two conquests wrought in him-assurance, that by the same aid hee should vanquish that mon­ster [Page 37] of men Goliah: though his vgly presence and furni­ture of armes amazed the whole host of Israel, Dauid yet not daunted, hauing a strong faith in God, vnder­tooke the combat and preuai­led, though that monster scorned him, and threatning that hee would giue his flesh to be deuoured of the Fowles of the aire, and wilde beasts of the field, which by the aid of him in whom Dauid trusted, came contrarily to passe, for Dauid tooke off his head and disarmed him, and left his carkasse to the Fowles of the aire, whereby he more and more increased in faith, strength and courage, and [Page 38] bold to assure himselfe, that as this monster stumbled and fell at his flying stone that would haue eaten vp his flesh; so should all his wick­ed enemies and foes when they should come vpon him to eat vp his flesh, namely, to take away his life, they should euen so stumble and fall, as by experience he after found that God still defended him, so that to the praise of God hee sung, When the wicked, euen mine enemies and my foes, came vpon me to eat vp my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

When Saul a mighty King sought Dauids life to destroy it, first by his owne hand [Page 39] with a speare, purposing to haue nailed him to the wall suddenly (which by Gods prouidence he auoided) and after commanded Ionathan his sonne, and other his ser­uants to murther him: but God stirred vp the heart of Ionathan to affect Dauid so entirely, that he reuealed vn­to him his fathers malicious intention against the life of Dauid, shewing thereby the wonderfull prouidence of God in preseruing his from most imminent dangers.

Dauid not yet secure, for feare fled from Saul, as not willing to tempt God by pre­suming vpon Gods deliue­ry, and not to vse lawfull [Page 40] meanes to prouide for him­selfe; hid himselfe in the Mountaines where Saul his enemy with a great power pursued him, suborning intel­ligencers to discouer Dauids abode wheresoeuer hee hid himselfe: where may be no­ted the heat of the malice of an enemy, and how ready some wicked wretches are to shew themselues officious to betray the innocent, to please a Tyrant.

But note further the pro­uidence of God, in finding secret & vnexpected meanes to preserue the innocent, for when Saul was in his most furious pursuit to kill Da­uid, his abode being discoue­red, [Page 41] God found a meanes to put a Ring in Sauls nose (in fauour of Dauid, and for his owne glory) inforcing him to retire from further fol­lowing that innocent man; and to hasten th [...] rescue and reléefe of his owne Territo­ries which the Philistines had euen then by Gods proui­dence inuaded: and being sore beset with his enemies, he desperatly fell on his own sword and died. So it came to passe, that when the wick­ed, euen Dauids enemies and his foes, came vpon him to eat vp his flesh, namely to take away his lise, they stum­bled and fell.

God was euer with Da­uid; [Page 42] for Dauid alwaies de­pended on God, which who so doth, shall neuer stumble nor fall. But euen his faith and integritie shall make his very enem [...]s to feare him: As Saul feared Dauid, be­cause God was with him, whose chiefe armour and weapons were his feare and trust, in the name and assi­stance of Iehouah, where­with he fought diuers bat­tels, and slew with great slaughter many Philistines his enemies; not onely be­fore, but after he was anoin­ted King, none preuailed a­gainst him, but they that came vpon him stumbled and fell.

[Page 43] Séeing then that Faith, and the feare of God and praier be approued of force, so far to preuaile with God, as to obtaine his helpe and defence against wicked ene­mies & foes, that when they assaile vs, he causeth them to stumble and fall; let vs imitate the faith, and fight with that assurance that Da­uid did: for he is the same God still, of the same power, of the same prouidence and loue. And we are not without like enemies as Dauid in his time had, though without cause.

To relate all Dauids dan­gers, troubles, and deliue­ries, battels and victories, [Page 44] though profitable for our encouragement: yet might séeme tedious, not altoge­ther impertinent, because by them is the loue, the power, and prouidence of God séene in defending and reléeuing the faithfull; and his iust iudgements against wicked enemies of their stumbling and fals. Yet let his fa [...]th and constancy moue all faith­full men to imitate his ver­tues; not in that he was a King, but in that hée was a godly King, of whom God giues testimonie, that hee was a man according to Gods owne heart; not that he was so conformable by nature, but so framed by the grace [Page 45] and good will of God: For, by nature he was no better in Gods acceptation than Saul, who was also a King: But God so seasoned Dauids heart (of his owne frée mer­cy) that he obeyed and con­formed his actions, according as God had wrought in his heart, and left Saul to the cor­ruption of his owne heart: yet did not Dauid glory in a­ny merit of his owne, but gaue the praise to God, say­ing, Blessed is he whom thou choosest and causest to come vnto thee. And againe, The wicked are strangers from the wombe, euen from the belly haue they erred: Yet Saul af­ter he was anointed King by [Page 46] Samuel, was turned into an­other man, and was num­bred among the Prophets; but no otherwise than Iudas among the Apostles.

God is the God of all that faithfully and constantly fly vnto him for succour; For, saluation belongeth vnto him alone; not vnto the power of Kings, bée they neuer so strong in multitudes of ar­med men, with shipping, or whatsoeuer military and warlike furniture; but where Gods continuall bles­sing doth accompany a few, they preuaile against many; though sometimes God may suffer his owne dearest chil­dren to bée encountred and [Page 47] beaten by his owne and their enemies: Especially when they presume to stand too much vpon their owne strength, as vpon allies, friends, and multitudes: pre­uailing with these, God is not so glorified, as when he by few ouercommeth a mul­titude: As when Dauid by a few slew two and twentie thousand Aramites: And Ioshua fiue combined Kings, wherein yet he would not haue the whole victory to bée ascribed to Ioshuahs forces, but was himselfe the princi­pall in the ouerthrow, not onely in aiding and directing Ioshuah, but in powring downe haile-stones from hea­uen [Page 48] vpon his enemies, wher­by he slew more men than Ioshuahs Army did by the sword. And sometimes hée taketh to himselfe the whole praise of the victory; as when Senacherib came against good Hezekiah, with a most in­uincible supposed Army, vnder the conduct of Tartan Rabsaris, and Rabsakeh, rai­ling vpon, and threatning Hezekiah, and blaspheming God, stiling himselfe the Great King of Ashur, whom he thought God himselfe was not able to withstand, flattering himselfe as proud Tyrants use to doe (as wée haue seene) that hée in de­spight of Hezekiahs God, [Page 49] would depriue him of his Kingdome▪ pretending that he came in the name of the Lord (as some of late haue done) Are wee come (saith he) or doe wee this without the Lord? Whereat Hezekiah, in déed, according to humane frailtie was afraid: But as­king counsell of the Lord by faithfull praier (the best re­fuge and defence in danger) he became assured of Gods assistance and banisht feare. And that night, that God (which that Tyrant blasphe­med, as not of power to re­sist him) sent his destroying Angell and slew Senacheribs army, one hundred foure▪ score and fiue thousand men. [Page 50] We may not forget our like deliueries fresh in our me­mories, euen by the méere hand of God.

It is not superfluous to recount other famous Histo­ries, recorded in the Booke of God, which for further confirmation of our Faith in God, in like danger are plen­tifull. Benadab, that mightie King of Aram, threatned Ahab King of Israel to de­priue him, not onely of his Kingdome, but of all that hée had, of his Siluer and Gold, of his Women and faire children: She wing here­by the insolency, pride, and securitie of Tyrants, who by reason of their carnall [Page 51] strength, force and multi­tudes, will dispose of the lands, and share the possessi­ons of them, whose Territo­ries they thirst after, and that before their arriuall, as though the victory were theirs before the incounter. As we with our eares haue heard that our enemies haue boasted, through the false and forged benediction of him that is a deceiuer, and yet taketh the falsly concei­ued authority from heauen. But our God laughed their pride, insolency, and securi­ty to scorne; taking our cause into his owne hand, confoun­ded their deuices, daunted their hearts, weakned their [Page 52] armes, abandoned their Na­uies by his owne power; euen as he gaue proud Be­nadab into Ahabs power, though a wicked King and an Idolater, therefore not for Ahabs sake, but for his owne Names seke, and his owne peoples safety. And to shew his Omnipotent power in defending his owne, and confounding his and their enemies. So that the truly faithful in God being threat­ned, beset and besieged by wicked multitudes, néed not to be afraid: for though war be raised against them; that God that defended Dauid, Hezekias, and all that haue truly called vpon him in like [Page 53] danger, will as hée hath euer hitherunto, defend vs.

They that haue the God of Hosts on their side, néed not to feare though Kings combine, and people rage, as if they would eat vp their flesh. Onely let them liue godly, pray faithfully; and vse ordinary meanes lawful­ly: then if an Host pitch a­gainst them, their hearts néed not be afraid though warre be raised against them, let them trust in him, and they shall sée the saluation of God.

They that fight against Gods people, fight euen a­gainst God himselfe: as Paul persecuting his children, per­secuted Christ. If therefore [Page 54] a mighty Host inuade vs, we may boldly, though in seeming weaknesse, encounter them; for there are more with the children of God, though not séene, than with the wicked. God neuer fai­leth nor forsaketh his, vnlesse they forsake him: he leaueth them not, vnlesse they leaue him.

Infinite are the examples hereof in holy Scriptures, which might be also produ­ced, further to confirme our assurance: And were it néed­full, there might be inserted not a few examples of Gods like deliueries, recorded in our owne Chronicles, and in our own remembrances. But [Page 55] where Gods Spirit speaketh by the pens of Gods owne Secretaries, there néed no humane testimonies, but onely to shew that God is still the same. He is Alpha and Omega, the same, yester­day, to day, and for euer; therefore may the man that is godly, assure himselfe with holy Dauid: If an Host of enemies pitch against him, his heart need not bee afraid, though war be raised against him he may trust in this; That when the wicked, euen his enemies and his foes come vpon him to eat vp his flesh, they shall stumble and fall.

VERSE 4. ‘One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will re­quire, euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to visit his temple.’

GReat is the diffe­rence betwéene the worldling & the true Christi­an; betwéene a carnall and a spirituall min­ded [Page 65] man: The one coueteth to dwell and to haue his con­tinuall abode here below, the other soareth and aspireth vpward: the one resembleth the Swine, the other the Ea­gle: the one is neuer satisfi­ed with earthly and carnall things, for hee hath as many desires as he hath senses, and euery pleasing thing that of­fereth it selfe to any of them he coueteth, for euery sense hath its particular delights: as many senses so many fan­tasies numberlesse, yet nei­ther of them can be satisfied, for the heart of a carual man ingrosseth them all, and the more vanities it apprehen­deth, the more desire increa­seth; [Page 66] for, the eye is neuer sa­tisfied with seeing, nor the care with hearing pleasing things. But the spirituall minded desireth onely one thing, namely, to be assured of his saluation and the glo­ry to come. And therefore ho­ly Dauid desired (as all true Christians ought) this one thing, for this only one thing is necessary.

Bershaba the wife of Da­uid, and mother of Salomon, desired but one thing of her sonne, and hee promised her faire, but performed it not according to her desire. But Dauid the father of Salomon, desired one thing which hée longed for, of a King greater [Page 67] than Salomon, and a matter of far greater moment than was Bershabaes, and his Pe­tition was accepted: both their Petitions séemed to procéed of loue, but the diffe­rence of their issues was great; the one procured ha­tred and death, the other a most blessed successe. Shée made her request to man, in whom to put confidence is vaine. He made his request to God, the holy one of Israel, in whom there is mercy and truth. To whom also Salo­mon made one especiall re­quest, only for wisdome, and obtained it, and with it ma­ny earthly blessings which he asked not. So bountifull [Page 68] is God, as if wée aske that one thing necessary, namely the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof, he will also adde blessing vp­on blessing, though we aske them not.

Dauids only Petition was, y ^t he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his life: A blessed (yet a strange) request of a King in the opi­nion of worldly men, who might thinke Dauid not to be so wise as some ambitious and carnall polititians are at this day, who had rather be in Kings Courts to take their pleasures, than to bee restrained in a Temple for a day. And Dauid being a [Page 69] King, might haue retired himselfe in his Palace, and haue taken what pleasure and delight hee would; ha­uing a Kingdome to supply whatsoeuer might haue plea­sed any of his senses. But these delights hée found not answerable to his affection, which was seasoned from aboue, hauing tasted so swéetly of the loue of Ieho­uah, who of a Shepherd made him a King, and who had so often deliuered him from his enemies; he had rather bée conuersant with him in his house one day, than a thou­sand in the Court of Saul, or in his owne Court among his Gallants. Nay, he would [Page 70] choose rather to be a doorekée­per in the house of God, than to command an earthly king­dome, and to be depriued of his heauenly exercises in the house of God.

It is a most glorious estate indéed to be a King, but farre more glorious to be a godly King. He is Gods Uice-ge­rent in that part of the earth wherein God in his proui­dence hath set him; yet must he looke to haue some discon­tents mixt with his great­nesse, and necessary too; o­therwise greatnesse might cause forgetfulnes, that he is a man, as former examples haue discouered. And there­fore did God visit Dauid [Page 71] (chosen after his own heart) with many troubles, to the end he should not be vnmind­full what he was, & whence, and from what estate God had raised him to that place of eminence: and that hée should serue the Lord, and maintaine his lawes, and defend his people, cherishing the good, and chastising the euill. And therefore was Dauid to forward in calling his people to serue the Lord, and himselfe to be the leader of them to the Temple of God, to which he had so sin­cere a desire, that hée reque­sted of the Lord that hee might dwell therein all the daies of his life, or at least [Page 72] haue frée liberty often to vi­sit it, to the praise of God and exercise of prayer.

This desire is commonly the last and least in great men, for the most part though no doubt they desire (as Ba­laam did) to die (when neces­sity requireth) the death of the righteous, and greater glory would it be vnto them if they would practice (while they haue time) the life of the righteous as they seldome doe; yet few or none, of whatsoeuer quality are so irreligious in shew, but they will looke into the house of God, peraduenture once, it may be twice in a Sabbath. And peraduenture thinke it [Page 73] long, as loth to spare their pleasures, delights or pro­fits to liue a whole day in the Temple of God with fasting and prayer. Some would thinke it as hard a taske as the bondage of Aegypt, or the captiuity of Babylon. But blessed bée God, some there are that haue Dauids desire, though not to dwell really in the Temple, yet to bee comfortably conuersant among Gods people, in hea­ring God speake vnto them, and they to speake vnto God.

This is that that great men should principally de­sire for their example in well doing much moueth inferi­ours [Page 74] to imitation, for it is commonly obserued, that ex­ample doth draw more to good or euill, than documents or dehortations. The godly life of a great man is as a Towre séene a far, and ma­ny especially his followers will imitate his steps, at least in shew, and euen that shew of a godly life is a good motiue to others to liue god­ly indéed: and as a good life giues comfort & encourage­ment to others to be good, so the president of euill makes many euill. If greatnesse and goodnes goe together, it is the swéetest consort y ^t a mortall man can make in this life, [...] the contrary as harsh & hel­lish.

[Page 75] This holy desire of Dauid was not for a day, for hée speakes of the time past. I desired, which implies a con­tinuall inward Petition; and argues his constancy in desi­ring, though he were often in such straits and distresses as he could not visit the ma­teriall temple as he desired; yet, wheresoeuer he was dri­uen by the malice and rage of his enemies, he euen there found Bethel, the house of God; in the Wildernesse of Ziph, in the holds of Engedy, in Maan and Gath, vn­coth and solitary places: hee found the Lord his God euen in his holy Temple, for where God is present there [Page 76] is his Temple. In the Lions den Daniel found him; in the Furnace the three children; in the Dungeon Ieremy; in the Prison Peter; vnder the stones Stephen; in Sodom Lot; in the floud Noah: God is euery where, where hée is called vpon faithfully.

Euery faithfull childe of God is alwaies in Gods house, where Dauid desired so earnestly to dwell: yet though he found God euery where where he called vpon him, he had an earnest desire to bée conuersant, euen in that materiall temple where the children of God did as­semble, to celebrate the prai­ses of God, and to heare his [Page 77] Word: and though he were their King, thought it no disparagement, but the grea­test part of his duty to ac­company his subiects (accor­ding to conueniencie) in the holy exercises of Religion: whereof being preuented by meanes of his enemies, hée complaineth that hée was as a Pelican in the Wildernesse, and as an Owle in the Desert: And déemed the Sparrow more happy than he, because that silly Bird could at all times resort vnto that holy place to which he could not come.

Lord (saith Dauid) who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle? and who shall rest in thy holy [Page 78] Mountaine? that is, who shall worthily enter into thy holy Temple and behold thy beauty? he answereth, Hee that worketh righteousnesse, &c. for God is holy and re­quireth holinesse of life, walking vprightly in a liuely faith. And therefore though it be the duty of all men to frequent the materiall Tem­ple of God, to accompany the congregation in prayer, praising of God and hea­ring his Word: yet all come not with that holy desire that Dauid did, nor qualified as Dauid was: yet hée that is vnprepared to day may bée fit to morrow, for the Word of God is as a Net, and of­ten [Page 79] times catcheth men ere they bee aware: therefore ought all men to desire as Dauid did, to visit Gods Temple, where this Net of the Word is spread; for being once taken, hee will then with Dauid require that one thing: namely, to dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his life, and often to visit his Temple.

Dauid did not onely make a bare request vnto God, but did euen presse him, hée re­quired him as if he had béen familiar with him, (as the faithfull may vse a holy fa­miliarity with God in their prayers) praying God to af­ford him that blessing of bles­sings, [Page 80] as to admit him into his holy presence, wherein is the fulnesse of ioy, and at his right hand are pleasures for euermore; not for a day a moneth or a yéere, as world­lings haue, and then perish, but begun here and shall ne­uer haue end.

To dwell in the house of Iehouah, is to dwell & abide in his fauour, to be partaker of his sanctifying grace, to haue the true knowledge of his diuine will, and to pra­ctice it by faith, obedience, zeale, prayer; and to beare about vs the markes of the Lord Jesus, in patient vn­dergoing the burthen of the Crosse, and in continuall ex­ercise [Page 81] of holinesse and righte­ousnesse: whosoeuer is in this case is safe in the ho­ly Temple of God as in a safe Sanctuary, and is a true member of the mysti­call body of our conquering Christ, the head of that Church which is the true Temple, neither made with hands, and which hands can­not pull downe: Out of which are barred all such as trust in lying miracles, and workes that cannot profit such as steale, commit idola­try, adultery; such as sweare falsly, and such as fall downe and worship false gods, or the true God after a false and idolatrous manner.

[Page 82] Though these stand in the materiall Temple, or seclude themselues in Cloisters, in séeming deuotion to seque­ster themselues from the world to God, and yet com­mit many barbarous sinnes and grosse impieties, think­ing themselues safe, and to be reconciled to God by a confessory penance, God will not onely not heare them but reiect them & their prayers, for they seeme religious and are not, obedient to God and are not, faithfull and are not: but are méere Hypo­crites, who resorting to the Temple of God, commit ra­ther sacrilege than offer sa­crifice acceptable to God. [Page 83] These visit not the Temple, but rather defile if with their counterfeit holinesse, who would séeme in shew Saints, but in heart enemies to Christ and Christians; yet cry they, the Church, the Church; and yet farre from being members of it. So many séeming-good Christi­ans cry out, Preach, Preach, and séeme neuer satisfied with Sermons; this desire is good, if their hearts desire it to profit and practise the word: but if it be but to séeme religious, and inwardly re­taine their corrupt desires, if they amend not their waies and their workes, séeme they neuer so holy they [Page 84] are but Hypocrites: for this is to bée in the Temple of God by his Word preached, to learne & to execute iudge­ment, not to oppresse the poore nor the stranger, the fatherlesse nor the Widow, not to deceiue nor to walke after other gods, after riches and pleasures. If this fruit of hearing appeare in them, they are no doubt of the fa­mily and house of God, and shall dwell in his Tabernacle and rest securely vpon his holy Mountaine, for they are of the generation of the iust: but there is a generation (saith Salomon) that are pure in their owne conceits, and yet are not washed from [Page 85] their filthinesse: they follow the deuices of their owne hearts, And assume vnto themselues a peculiar man­ner of seruing of God, not ac­cording to the sincere truth: but as God abhorreth all sa­crifices of vncleane things: so doth hee all counterfeit showes of sincerity.

God admitteth not sin­ners; namely, such as make no conscience of sinne, to come into his holy presence, much lesse to dwell in his ho­ly Temple, though they may séeme to honour him with their lips: He detesteth their forged sacrifices, and their very praiers are abhomina­ble, though they pertake of [Page 86] the holy Sacraments, and performe outwardly other diuine duties: Hee is not pleased with them, neither behold they the beauty of the Lord; but his seuere and fierce countenance is bent a­gainst them.

But such as desire with the like affection as Dauid did, to behold the beautie of the Lord, and to visit his Temple, are such as the Lord enuiteth and willeth to come, and louingly embra­ceth them. They come not for a spirt and away, but de­sire to make their continuall abode, where they may still behold his beautie and his glory; his louing kindnesse [Page 87] and mercies towards them, shewed in his word as in a glasse, which appeareth more swéet and amiable to the cies of their sanctified soules, than the most beautifull feature of Angels. This most heauenly beauty Dauid desired to sée, & saw it; as Paul teacheth, say­ing; That God cōmanded the light to shine out of darknesse, euen in our harts, that the light of the knowledge of the glory of God might shine in the face of Iesus Christ, whose glory we sée in the preaching of his word; wherein he de­clareth the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy, which he hath prepared vnto glory. This glory the more [Page 88] the spirituall man beholdeth, the more is he moued with desire to sée more and more, and can neuer be sufficiently filled with that heauenly Contemplation. Much were the Disciples moued at the sight of Christs transfigured glory; in so much as they desired to haue enioyed the sight of it still, so glorious it was, that their minds were euen rauisht with the beauty thereof. So Dauid desired to dwell in the Temple of the Lord; not for a day, but all the daies of his life, to behold the beauty, the goodnesse, and mercies of God, reuealed in his Word, and to exercise himselfe in prayer.

[Page 89] Where God is duly and truly called vpon by a holy Congregation, there appea­reth the glory and beauty of Iehouah. There is the Arke of the Lord, the presence of the mighty God of Iacob: whose glory filleth the Tem­ple, which the faithfull man séeth with a spirituall eye; but the carnall man, though bodily present in the same Temple, apprehendeth it not. As when Paul was con­uerted, he saw the glory of God shine vpon him; but they that iournied with him, though néere him, saw no­thing. So that God is onely séene of them, to whom hée pleaseth to reueale himselfe.

[Page 90] This beauty of the Lord shineth in the hearts of Gods elect children, by the reuela­tion of the holy Ghost, which none séeth but themselues. And they take such sweet de­light in the beholding of the face of God in Christ, as they doe receiue in their soules the very Impression of the Image of the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father, full of grace and truth: euen as Moses receiued tho­row the splendor of the glory of God vpon Mount Sinai in his countenance, such an impression of that glory, that the children of Israel could not endure to be­hold with their eies the glo­ry [Page 91] of his countenance.

What remaineth then, but that we neglect not the con­tinuall visitation of the temple of God, to accompany the Congregation in the hea­ring of that heauenly Word, to pray vnto God for his blessings, and to giue him praise for his benefits. And the Lord open our spirituall eies, that we may euen here behold his beautie, and bee hereafter pertakers of his glory.

VERSE 5. ‘In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his Tabernacle, in the secret place of his Pauilion shall he hide mee, and set me vpon a Rocke.’

THe very name of Trouble is feare­full to a worldly man, for he loues pleasure & ease, and when trouble commeth, he is cast downe, and is (as it were) at deaths doore: but the true childe of God being fore-warned, that if he will liue godly, he must looke for [Page 100] and prepare himselfe to suffer trouble and affliction in this life: Trouble therefore doth little or nothing moue him when it commeth, because when he first entred into the schoole of christianity, he lear­ned that the loue of God, & the loue of the world, could not stand together with his pro­fession, and that there is a kinde of enmity betwéene the children of God and the loue of the world, or at least no agréement; And that is the cause that the good are most afflicted, and the worldlings prosper most: The first are innocent, in whom there is neither gall nor bitternesse; the other, as they are coue­tous, [Page 101] so are they commonly proud and enuious. The first is commonly iniured, and beares it with patience: the other triumphs ouer them that resist them not, but haue onely in all their trou­bles recourse vnto God, whose they are, being assu­red that he in the time of trouble will be their defence, and hide them in his Taber­nacle, which was onely godly Dauids refuge, being often and many waies afflicted, as at large before appeareth.

God sendeth affliction vp­on his owne dearest children, when oftentimes he letteth the wicked goe frée; yet is not God vniust in this, nor [Page 102] partiall, in sparing the euill, and punishing the good. Hée hath his ends in both, accor­ding to his heauenly wis­dome, who knoweth how to deale with both. And he that séemeth most to be spared, and thinkes himselfe in best case, is in greatest danger; and he that séemeth in most danger, is néerest greatest happinesse: Howsoeuer in­discréet men measure their felicity by this worlds ful­nesse, and fréedome from troubles; and censure the dearest children of God to be surely out of his fauour, by reason of their manifold af­flictions. And yet they sée that the simple nurse, though [Page 103] she loue her Infant neuer so dearely, she will weane it from the breast by some bit­ter thing, when she thinkes her milke not good for the childe; And that a Father, if he loue his childe, will with the rod of correction restraine him from things dangerous. And thinke they, that our heauenly Father thinkes it not fit to weane his owne children from this hurtfull world, that they perish not with worldlings? But when he striketh the wicked, it is in his anger, as the begin­ning of their perpetuall sor­rowes, by whose seuere pu­nishments here, his owne children may bee terrified [Page 104] from committing like sins, by example of their punishments.

Hee that will liue godly must suffer affliction; yet not aboue their strength, for God putteth to his hand, to mode­rate and mitigate the weight of their burden. The trou­bles and afflictions of the faithfull séeme more intole­rable to the beholders, then to themselues that seele them, and haue a liuely faith and constancy to beare them: Great and many are the trou­bles, euen of the righteous; but God deliuereth them out of all. In the time of trouble he hides them in his Taber­nacle, in the secret place of his [Page 105] Pauilion shall he hide them, and set them vpon a Rocke. He hid Dauid from Saul, and Moses from Pharaohs mur­derers: his Tabernacle is alwaies open to entertaine them, that in their troubles fly for shelter to him: His fauour is the Rocke that can­not be mooued; his proui­dence, the mountaine of their rest and refuge.

Troubles are but for a moment, and then commeth comfort; therefore doe the children of God with pati­ence, great alacritie and ioy vndergoe them. But contra­ry, the comfort of the wicked is here short and momenta­ny; but the [...]r future mise­rie [Page 106] shall haue no end.

Séeing then that no man, especially such as are Gods dearest children, can liue here in this earthly Pilgrimage, but he must looke for and en­dure troubles: Who will not then prepare himselfe with constancy and patience to embrace them when they came?

The holy Ghost by the pen of godly Dauid, hath assured the poore oppressed & afflicted children of God, neuer to be forgotten: Their hope shall not perish for euer, for God is not an idle obseruer, or a carelesse spectator of the af­flictions and miseries▪ of those that are his: Though [Page 107] he suffer thē to be oppressed long; as some with enemies, as Dauid; some by losse of goods, as Iob; some by im­prisonment, as Ioseph; some with sicknesse, as Hezekiah; and withall to permit the wicked to mocke and deride them, for that they trusting in God, are suffered thus to be afflicted; and notwithstan­ding their praiers not to be deliuered or reléeued, which is no small tentation. But these men looke into the out­ward prosperity of men, and commend them, entertaine them, embrace them; as if all cause of loue were due to them that were loaden with lucre, As for the poore, they [Page 108] are despised, contemned, and had in continuall derision, of such onely indeed as are blinde, and sée not; ignorant, and know not; dull, and ob­serue not, That there is a God that careth for such as worldlings cast off: that hee embraceth his poore that the wealthy despise, and that he loueth them that the world­lings hate; And that in the time of trouble hee hideth them in his Tabernacle, with­in the secret place of his Pa­uilion shall hee hide them: Nay, the very Angels of God (whom man séeth not) pitcheth round about them that feare him and call vp­on him, and deliuereth them; [Page 109] therefore though the godly be poore, the Lord thinketh on them.

Many a meane contenmed childe of God, (hauing little m [...]anes) by the blessing of God, doe eat with more con­tented, and more salutary saturity, than many times doe the most wealthy of the abundance of all their table dainties: A little that the righteous hath, is better than the abundance of the vngodly rich. Let no man therefore faint nor feare, when trou­ble, affliction, or persecution commeth; but rather reioyce, knowing that tribulation bring [...]th forth patience; and patience, experience; and experience, [Page 110] Hope; and Hope maketh not ashamed; but assureth the faithfull of the goodnesse and loue of God, which is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost: so that howsoeuer we be scor­ned, we néed not blush at our troubles and afflictions, but at our sinnes that procure them: yet are they vnto the children of God but whole­some medicines to cure them, and to preuent them: onely vnsauory to the carnall minde, which also doe accu­stome to patience, which by experience cherisheth and confirmeth our hope, which through faith is an assured testimony vnto our consci­ence, [Page 111] that we are beloued of God, so much the more, by how much he kéepeth vs vn­der, and in obedience through afflictions. For, if he leaueth vs vnto our owne corrupt conuersations without cor­rection, so much the stronger grow we in sinne: therefore necessary it is, that we should often féele his correcting rod, lest at the last he should con­found vs with his deuouring sword; for if we should bée without trouble, which is our correction, whereof all Gods children are parta­kers, we could not but ac­count our selues bastards, and no sonnes: And if his corrections kéepe vs in obe­dience, [Page 112] then wée may assure our selues, he will hide vs in his Tabernacle, that no pow­er or policy of the wicked shall finde vs out to hurt vs.

As men are in number many, and their affections diuers, & none liueth with­out some trouble or afflicti­on, not all in one measure or in like degrée: so is euery man comforted or cast down according to the measure of his faintnesse or faith, for many men may bée equall partakers of one and the same trouble, yet not of e­quall resolution to beare it.

Some men haue great af­flictions, and beare them [Page 113] with great patience; some small, and yet cry out vnder the burthen of them; some men haue many troubles and yet account them few; some few, and yet account them many; some haue feare­full afflictions, yet they re­pute them fauourable; some very fauourable crosses, yet esteeme them very fierce and cruell; some haue long and tedious afflictions, yet sup­posed short; some very short, yet conceiued long and cum­bersome.

This ariseth onely of the difference of mens faith and frailty. The first is bold and strong, able to beare and vn­dergoe whatsoeuer it plea­seth [Page 114] God to lay vpon them; saying with faithfull Dauid, God is my hope and strength and my portion. The second is weake and sinketh vnder the burthen of most easie tri­alls, because they cannot say in their hearts as Dauid did, the Lord is my rocke and my saluation, nor assure them­selues y ^t God will hide them in his Tabernacle, in the se­cret place of his pauilion.

And what is this hiding of his Saints, but his conti­nuall watchfulnesse ouer them, and his prouidence in keeping and defending them? hee sets them vpon a rocke, namely, hée taketh them into his owne protection, and [Page 115] none is able to take them out of his hands; therefore are they constant in all their troubles, let them lose their children: let them be robbed of their goods, afflicted in their bodies, vpbraided of their enemies, condemned for Hypocrites, persecuted as Heretikes, or brought to extreme pouerty; let them endure all these and more troubles with holy Iob, yet will they retaine their con­stancy & confidence in God, still knowing that hée in whom they trust is faithfull in his promises; and his po­wer is absolute, and that in the time of their trouble hee will hide them in his Taber­nacle, [Page 116] in the secret place of his pauilion, hee will hide them and set them vpon a rocke.

There is no trouble, tri­all or affliction of what kinde soeuer, but the dearest and most beloued of God haue béene partakers of them. A­bel was murdered by Cain his wicked brother for his sincere worship of God. Faithfull Abraham was not free from troubles, from doubting and feare; he was commanded to offer his dearest sonne Isaak in sacrifice, in whose séede the generall blessing was promised: be­ing afraid of his life, for his wiues sake, was twice dri­uen to faine vntruths, both [Page 117] to Pharaoh in Aegypt, and Abimelech King of Gerar: Hée had trouble by Lot his brother, he had griefe for the destruction of Sodome, be­sides many other troubles. Isaak likewise for feare of his life for Rebeccah his wife, by his vntruth exposed her cha­stity to the will of a heathen King: he was afflicted by the Philistines, he was crossed in his desire of preferring Esau before Iaakoh in the blessing. Iaakob was forced to flie out of his owne Country, and from his friends, and to be a seruant in a strange land, for feare of his brother Esau, that threatned to kill him: being enuied by Labans his Un­cles [Page 118] sonnes, he fled with his wiues and children, he was pursued by Laban: hée was encountred by an Angel that wrestled with him all the night, shooke him fearefully and lamed him: he marched in great feare and perplexity with his wiues children and droues, towards his offen­ded brother Esau, who came against him with foure hun­dred men: he was miserably tormented for the supposed death of his dearest sonne Io­seph, and much perplexed for his sonnes murthering his neighbour Seehemites. Io­seph was guiltlesly accused and wrongfully imprisoned. Moses was like to haue béene [Page 119] slaine by the Angell in the Inne, for not circumcising his sonne, preuented by Zip­porah his wife, who after circumcised him, and cast the fore skinne of her sonne at Moses féet, saying, Thou art indeed a bloudy husband vn­to me: many other troubles he had for the disobedience of the people of Israel. Not one of Gods children haue béene frée from troubles, therefore let none refuse to take vp the Crosse of Christ, who in his owne person suffered many reproaches, ignominies, and at last the death of the crosse for vs: None of his Apostles escaped most cruell tor­ments, some were stoned to [Page 120] death, some slaine with the sword, euery of them had their troubles and torments, and all the Fathers of the Primitiue Church had their seuerall miserable ends for Christ, and yet tenderly be loued of God. Shall wée then that haue the like and the same benefit by the death of Christ, be ashamed of his Crosse? Shall we thinke to enioy his glory, and shall we suffer none of his disgrace? We are his members, and he is our head, and shall our head suffer and wée liue at ease?

Satan is malicious, hée can endure none that liueth vprightly, but hée will vse [Page 121] his instruments to molest them; if hée cannot induce them to sinne against God with a high hand, hée will procure them troubles, and such as wherewith if it were possible, he would so weaken their faith in God, that they should vse any vngodly meanes to frée themselues; and will perswade them that God punisheth none but such as he hath no loue vnto: but the truly faithfull know that he is a lier from the be­ginning, and therefore will not giue eare vnto his false suggestions; and therefore when any afflictions doe be­fall them, they will take them as indéed they are, Gods lo­uing [Page 122] corrections and whol­some preseruatiues, to kéepe them from all things that may offend God, and will in their troubles séeke no other refuge, but (as the lit­tle Chiekens flye to the wings of the Hen) so they runne and hide-themselues in Gods protecting Taber­nacle, who is ready to re­ceiue them into his sauing pauilion, and to set them vp­on the rocke of his salua­tion.

Experience hath found it a dangerous thing to liue in carnall security and without trouble; as long as Dauid was pursued by his ene­mies, as long as he was vi­sited [Page 123] with troubles, he could séeke the Lord, he was exer­cised in continuall prayer, and finding God ready to helpe him, he could say, I will goe forward in the strength of the Lord, then he could de­clare that God was his de­fence, and that he should ne­uer bée confounded: But when he had no enemies, and all his troubles were remo­ued, he forgat that euer hée was in danger, hée liued at ease, tooke his pleasure and delights, walking without feare on the top of his house securely, delighting himselfe in his pleasant prospects, and behold a woman bathing her selfe; then his heart [Page 124] which was before set vpon God, was set on fire of lust, & committed grieuous sins without remorse, vntill God sent Nathan to put him in minde of that which hee had forgotten a whole yeere to­gether, then was he stricken with another kinde of feare, not of humane enemies, but of Gods iustice, and where before hee continually be­sought God to hide him from his enemies, now he cryeth, Haue mercy vpon me▪ O God, according to thy louing kind­nesse, according to the multi­tude of thy mercies, put away mine iniquities. I know my iniquities, and my sin is euer before me. Sinne we see is [Page 125] the fruit of security, and by that godly mans example, it appeareth that some trou­bles are better than a quiet and secure estate, as appea­reth also by Hezekiah, who being magnified in the sight of all Nations, and was free from feare of trouble, he be­came proud, his heart was lifted vp; but when God had sent him an enemy Senache­rib, to rouse him by threats, & sicknes to afflict him, then he became humble, then he fel to his prayers to God, and God then did hide him in his Ta­bernacle, in the secret place of his pauilion did he hide him, & in his sicknes set him again vpon the rocke of health.

[Page 126] Gods owne children are knowne by his fatherly cor­recting them: and they that come into no troubles in this life, liue they neuer so car­nally contented, may suspect themselues, and may be sus­pected to be none of his: and therefore faith Eliphaz to Iob, Blessed is the man whom God correcteth and afflicteth here. If then affliction and troubles be the way to be­come blessed, or at least an argument of Gods fauour; with what patience should we endure them; nay, with what ioy should we embrace them? Saint Paul accounted the afflictions of this present life, not to be worthy of the [Page 127] glory which we shall enioy hereafter.

Why therefore should we feare or repine against trou­ble, séeing it is so necessary for vs? It is not yet meant, neither is it required of vs voluntarily to runne into, or to séeke troubles, as some Vo [...]aries do wilful pouerty & other néedlesse crosses, which is not onely not required of them of God, but offensiue vnto him, being méere idle­nesse, one of the sinnes of So­dome. It is required of vs, onely when troubles of what kinde soeuer befall vs, to vndergoe them with pati­ence, faith and constancy; and then shall God hide vs in [Page 128] his Tabernacle, in the secret place of his Pauilion shall hee hide vs and set vs vpon a Rocke. To him let vs com­mit our soules in well doing as vnto our faithfull Crea­tor, knowing that we are not afflicted by chance, but by the will of God our most louing Father in Jesus Christ, the Rocke of our saluation; him let vs séeke in trouble, and to him let vs pray.

VERSE 6. ‘That he will now lift vp my head aboue mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his Taberna­cle sacrifices of ioy, I will sing and praise the Lord.’

DAuid hauing bin long be­set with e­nemies (af­ter he was cōstituted & also anointed King by Sa­muel) by the malice of Saul, who sought his death, and continued many yéeres [Page 137] in continual troubles, wher­in being exercised, he betooke himselfe to prayer to God, liuing in hope that the time would come wherein hee should be fréed from Sauls tyranny, and as hée was a­nointed, so should he bée at length eustalled King, hauing in many yéeres little or no breathing time, or freedome from afflictions, yet was his faith strong, and his confi­dence in God firme, as ap­peareth by the first, second and third verses of this 27. Psalme, wherein hée decla­reth the fauour of God to­wards him, that he was his light and his saluation, and his strength, so that he feared [Page 138] not Saul, nor whatsoeuer wicked enemies, being assu­red that if they came vpon him to take away his life, God would make them to stumble and fall, as by his owne hands and Gods pro­uidence Goliah fell, and after Saul his enemy by his owne sword: so that in the first Uerse hée tooke courage through faith in God, and sang, In the time of trouble God shall hide me in his Ta­bernacle, in the secret place of his Pauilion shall he hide me and set me vpon a Rocke. And in this verse, Now shall hee lift vp mine head aboue mine enemies round about me.

[Page 139] When Saul was dead his mighty enemy, he tooke the Gouernment of his King­dome, but was not yet frée from enemies; whereby wée may see, that the death of one enemy is the life of another; and to teach vs not to be se­cure at any time, but when one danger is past, to looke for another: yet not without Hope, though cast downe, in the end to be lifted vp and raised againe. For as the Moone wareth full, and de­creaseth and the Sea ebbeth and floweth, and as the sky cleareth and cloudeth; so doe the estates of men, high and low, rise and fall, and fall and rise. What a fall had [Page 140] Ioseph, being the darling of his Father, to be sold as a slaue, to be falsely accused, and to be strictly imprisoned, and yet in the end to bée so highly aduanced?

Now, saith Dauid, shall he lift vp my head: as if hée could limit God the time to raise him. No doubt, it was not his meaning to tie God to a certaine time: but when Saul his Predecessor was dead, & the Crowne open sor him, he might well say▪ Now, that is, now hath God ap­pointed the time to bring that to passe, which long be­fore he had promised.

Indéed when he was made King, he might well say, that [Page 141] God had lifted vp his head a­boue his enemies round about him; for he had many, as be­fore is shewed, and net a few, euen of Sauls followers af­ter; who when they saw Da­uid exalted, might enuy his aduancement, being lifted vp so farre aboue them, and had then power to recompence their wickednesse against him. But he had no reuenge­full spirit; if he had had, hée would haue reuenged him­selfe vpon Shemey, that rai­led on him, and cursed him; and vpon Doeg, that discoue­red his abode to Saul: Nei­ther of these did he touch, but as touching Shemey, though he swore vnto him that hée [Page 142] would not slay him; yet hée commanded Salomon, that he should cause his hoare head to goe to the graue with bloud: which it séemeth hée spake by the spirit of prophe­sie, fore-séeing that he should die by the sword.

Thus Dauid deliuered from his enemies, and lifted vp aboue them, sheweth the wonderfull power of God in preseruing him, and his pro­uidence and loue in aduan­cing him, yet continued hée not long without his trou­bles, and enemies to exercise him, though he were now established in his Kingdome: for he hauing peace & securi­ty a while, we find into what [Page 143] sinnes he fell, though he were aduanced aboue his corporall enemies, his spirituall foes grew stronger than he; there­fore it is good that the chil­dren of God, though neuer so great in the world, haue afflictions and troubles, lest they forget God, as this god­ly King for a time did, yet vpon repentance God raised him againe: Which example of sinning we must auoid, and imitate his repentance.

By his assured confidence in God he still withstood, and preuailed against all that rose vp against him: none could make him afraid, but rested still assured that God would now, namely whenso­euer [Page 144] he was beset with dan­ger, lift vp his head aboue all his enemies round about him: His enemies in their policies, became fooles; in their strength, weake; and all their deuices brought to nought. So that Dauid might well sing this ioyfull Song, The Lord hath lifted vp my head aboue all mine enemies round about me.

Nothing preuaileth with­out or against God: None can be lifted vp to sit safely without God: therefore the man that is wise being ad­uanced, will-imitate Dauid in faith, and a holy resoluti­on: then shall he mount that rocke that shall neuer bee [Page 145] moued, God shall maintaine his lot, so that troubles shall not dismay him, enemies shall not hurt him, neither shall any thing make him a­fraid.

None must yet stand in conceit, that Dauids infirmi­ties and falls should bée a priuilege for them to commit sinne; but rather let his fall be a-motiue to them, to bée watchfull ouer their waies, for the preuenting of like danger, and to beware of se­curity: For easie it is for a man to fall of himselfe, as Dauid did, but without God not to rise againe, and repent as Dauid did. Though he fell and was lifted vp, Saul fell [Page 146] and neuer rose; Peter fell and rose againe; but Iudas fell, and that finally.

Dauid had an eie vnto his waies, and respect vnto his walkings, to preuent a se­cond fall, so as his enemies could not preuaile: yet hée confessed, that it was the Lord that supported him, and made him to abide in safety. It was not his owne power, or wit, or policy, but the mercy of God that preserued him, and that lifted vp his head aboue his ene­mies. He was constant, and waited the Lords leisure▪ he made not haste as hée might haue done, hauing Saul twice within his power: though he [Page 147] were anointed King, yet would he lay no violent hands vpon him that was pre-anointed and inuested, but waited his time, as Io­seph did, whose head was lif­ted vp aboue his enuious brethrer. Mordochay, and the Jewes likewise with pa­tience waited the time, and were lifted vp aboue H [...]man, but otherwise, higher by the gallowes than they.

Many are lifted vp aboue their enemies in conceit, and yet themselues lifted vp as enemies against themselues: for the more man insulteth in pride ouer other men, the more the mighty triumph ouer the weake, the rich ouer [Page 148] the poore, the glorious ouer the base: and the more that they in authority abuse and tyrannize ouer them they go­uerne, so much the further off are they from the true lif­ting vp, how high soeuer they cary their heads: and so much the more enemies they are vnto themselues.

There is no true lifting vp without loue, for God is loue, he lifteth vp the heart and soule through faith aboue the outward man, euen to haue their conuersation in heauen. This is the true and swéetest aduancement, this is the glorious lifting vp of the head: And thus was Da­uid also lifted vp spiritually, [Page 149] together with his outward lifting vp, aboue his corpo­rall enemies.

Many good men are aduan­ced to honor and office; To what end? Not onely not to gaine earthly glory thereby, or to enrich themselues by sinister meanes thereby, and to abuse their places, and wrong their lifter and lifting vp: but as Dauid being lif­ted vp, did acknowledge it to be the Lords doing: and as he was aduanced by him, so did he séeke by all meanes to aduance his glory; and though he were lifted vp a­boue his enemies, he insulted not ouer them, but gaue God the praise, that his enemies [Page 150] triumphed not ouer him.

Praise and thanksgiuing are due vnto God, for euery benefit and blessing hée be­stoweth vpon vs; and hée re­quireth it, especially of them whom he lifteth vp aboue their enemies: and that they be lowly in their owne eies, and louing to all, euen to their enemies. And to learne also of Paul, in a low estate to be patient, and being lif­ted vp to be thankfull, nei­ther to be grieued at the one, nor to glory too much in the other: In the one, pray to be constant; in the other, giue glory to God.

Dauid, when he knew by his anointing, that he should [Page 151] be King after Sauls death, continued yet humble, and was yet contented to kéepe his fathers shéepe (a meane office, for a man anointed to be a King) and thought it no disparagement. And when he was indéed exalted, hée set not out his glory by outward vanities: neither was hée guarded with swaggering, swearing Drunkards, and with vile and vitious per­sons, though with sufficient noble attendants (his Wor­thies) abandoning his house of the knowne wicked, and retained such into his seruice as he found to feare God. And in stead of worldly vain-glory, he went into the Tem­ple [Page 152] of God, and there offered the sacrifices of prayer and praise: and not himselfe a­lone, but called the people to­gether, and with them went, not once, but many times in­to the house of the Lord: He was not ashamed, being a King, to be the formost in the seruice of God. And let vs praise God for his like mercy vouchsafed vnto vs, and let vs imitate godly ex­amples.

Here is a liuely patterne of a thankfull heart to God for his aduancement, contrary to the course of many, who being lifted vp, not aboue their enemies, but aboue their equals; of whom many [Page 153] giue rather thankes to their owne wit and policy, and to inferior meanes, friends, or money. But such their ad­uancement is but as the building of Babel, & though their language be not con­founded (but many times changed) their manners of­ten altered: They rise with­out God, and oftentimes we sée them fall of themselues. If therefore thou be exalted, remember Dauid, by whom, and by what meanes he was lifted vp. He praied, and the Lord heard him, and he gaue the whole glory to God.

Whatsoeuer thou art, bée thou neuer so eminent, think not praier and praising God [Page 154] to be base exercises, or things indifferent. They are the works of Gods Saints, and therein they exercise them­selues day and night. But woe to them, that onely make their praiers and suits vnto men, forgetting God, and that being lifted vp, offer the sacrifice of praise vnto men to their own deuices, to their Siluer and Gold, &c. Forget not God▪ that can winke at ambitious mens lifting vp, and laugh at their fals.

But when God affordeth lawfull means to lift vp any, he giueth thē assurance of his approbation, and if they pray for good successe, they shall prosper and profit the place [Page 155] they execute, and the place shall iustifie their integritie: for, as without him, nothing can come to good effect; So, to whatsoeuer action he set­teth his helping hand, it can­not but prosper: And he that is by him lifted vp, let him not forget to pray and to praise God, lest he hurle him downe againe, and his latter end proue worse than the be­ginning.

VERSE 7. ‘Hearken vnto my voice, O Lord, when I cry, haue mer­cy also vpon me and heare me.’

THese words of Da­uid import a most earnest praier vn­to God, though séeming short, yet cōtaineth matter of good con­sideration euen of vs, y ^t in all our necessities we should cry vnto God, & teacheth vs that when we are in distresse wée may not lie still & thinke that God will helpe vs, if we call not vpon him; and againe we [Page 165] may call and cry and not bée heard. As Dauids enemies when they were deseruedly ouercome, cryed for helpe at God, but he neglected them and reiected them, because they cried being a wicked people in their distresse for helpe at Gods hands whom they before despised. But contrarily, the children of Is­rael, the people of God cried vnto him in their distresse, and the Lord heard them and deliuered them, 1. Sam. 12. 10, 11. There are vocall cries, and there are cries that none heare but God, as the guiltlesse bloud of Abel yet cryeth vnto God for ven­geance. Likewise the sinnes [Page 166] of Sodome and Gomorrah, cryed vnto God for iudge­ment, as sin and murther dai­ly doe: these are wofull cries, silent, and yet God heareth them in displeasure; whereby wée may learne, that sinne, and chiefely the murther of Innocents, be it neuer so se­cret, doe cry and shall be re­uealed, and though neuer so séeming to be grounded vpon pretended deuotion & zeale, it crieth to God for ven­geance.

Dauids cry was of another kinde; for where the former cries were the cries of the sinnes of the wicked against their wils, for reuenge a­gainst their owne impieties; [Page 167] Dauids tended to the glory of God and his owne succour and safetie: and therefore said he, Hearken vnto my voice, O Lord, when I cry; Which teacheth vs not to bée mute, when any occasion of feare or affliction may moue vs to séeke the helpe of God: We must cry vnto God, not vnto dumb stocks and stones, nor to any dead creature or Angell, whom they are fond­ly framed to represent, but vnto the liuing God; he one­ly can heare, be our praiers neuer so secret and silent. He heard Moses and Anna, onely mouing their lips without sound. So that it is not the loudnesse of the voice, but [Page 168] the affection of the heart that maketh the cry, where unto God giues eare: many no doubt can and doe cry Lord, Lord, and that loud enough, and yet they are not heard because they cry not in faith. And therefore Dauid did not onely say, Lord hearken vnto my cry, but withall craued that God would haue mercy vpon him, for men may cry long enough and loud e­nough, and not be heard vn­lesse GOD shew mercy. Therefore saith Dauid, Hear­ken vnto my voice when I cry, haue mercy also vpon me & heare me; for God heareth no mans prayer but in his mercy, and therfore is mercy [Page 169] in the first place so be sought, but by faith, for he y ^t trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall com­passe him about; though we be in neuer so great misery or danger, if wee cry faith­fully vnto God, he will heare vs, and in his mercy helpe vs: As Dauid complained vnto God, saying, I am in a wonderfull strait, let vs now fall into the hands of the Lord, (for his mercies are great) and let vs not fall into the hands of men. God shew­eth mercy vnto thousands that loue him and kéepe his Commandements, and hea­reth them: but the wicked and such as contemne his Word he will not heare, for [Page 170] they cry not in saith, they cry onely for their owne neces­sities, not referring the end of their desires to Gods glo­ry; they cry of themselues with the lips only, they come in their owne names, and re­spect onely themselues and their owne outward wants, and féele not nor acknow­ledge their inward defects; they are sinners and repent them not, they aske therefore and receiue not; They cry vnto mee, saith God, but I will not heare them, because they pray without faith and repentance. Therefore when affliction & anguish shall fall vpon them, they shall call vp­on me, but I will not answer; [Page 171] they shall seeke me, but shall not finde me. But the faith­full afflicted he heareth, and such as depart from their sinnes and walke righteously before him he considereth: as Dauid himselfe confes­seth, I cried vnto the Lord, saith he, and hee heard mee, and deliuered mee out of all my feare and trouble. They that feare the Lord néed feare no trouble, for mercy com­passeth them about, on euery side Gods prouidence atten­deth them, & they no sooner cal vpon God but hée heareth, nay before they cry he is rea­dy to helpe them; for his eie is euer vpon them, euen at an instant to preuent whatso­euer [Page 172] danger; therefore may the faithfull goe comfortably forward in the strength of the Lord trusting in him, and they shall neuer be ashamed: he is our strength and salua­tion and our defence: let vs powre out [...]ur hearts before him and say, Hearken vnto my voice, O Lord, when I cry haue mercy also vpon me and heare me. Then will he assu­redly heare vs and helpe vs: he will delay no further time than may be for our good, hee may séeme vnto vs long in comming, but he will come in a time conuenient, and his delaies worke onely pati­ence and hope in vs, which if these graces haue their per­fect [Page 173] working in vs, we shall finde that he will neuer faile vs nor forsake vs, howsoe­uer such as are ignorant of Gods power and prouidence may thinke, that vnlesse God come at our first call he will not come at all, which is an argument they beléeue not Gods promises, for if they did they would make no such haste, but wait the Lords lei­sure; not that he is so busted as he cannot intend either to heare vs or helpe vs, for his eare is alwaies open to heare, and his hand alwaies able to helpe euery man as well as one, and that at an instant; but we may not li­mit the holy one of Israel, for [Page 174] hee knowes the times and seasons fit for euery of his intentions; shall wee thinke that Dauid in his extremest dangers did not pray for de­liuery, yet though his saith were great, he was not pre­sently set frée, though he cri­ed out, How long Lord, how long, wilt thou absent thy selfe for euer? Ioseph like­wise in his captiuity and imprisonment, shall wee thinke that hée cried not vn­to the Lord for deliuery, and that instantly? and yet he suffered him to endure the very iron setters and stocks vntill Gods appointed time came, and then when the counsell of the Lord had suf­ficiently [Page 175] tried them, then he deliuered them, and shewed the abundance of his mercies towards them in aduancing them both: we may not there­fore murmure or repine at Gods corrections, though they continue in our opini­ons long; it is not onely that it is vnsauory to our carnall mindes but for want of faith, for where faith is strong it produceth hope, and in hope we wait with patience; and we finde by experience that hope and patience shall not be in vaine. Then whoso­euer is afflicted, let them cry vnto God to haue mercy vp­on them, and that in a liuely faith, and he will at least case [Page 176] them, if hée doe not altoge­ther deliuer them: hee will kéepe his owne vnder his owne hand, and not suffer them to haue the fréedome of the raines at their owne pleasure, knowing the vn­rulinesse of our owne na­ [...]ure, which if he curbe it not, will runne into euery sinne, and make no conscience of any impiety: as we may sée by holy Dauid himselfe, when God permitted him but to haue a little liberty, a small breathing time from his troubles; into what sinnes did he runne, yet a man cho­sen of God; if he so farre for­gat himselfe, how shall we that haue not his spirituall [Page 177] gifts refraine our selues from offending God more grosely in our security?

Troubles and afflictions fall not vpon vs without Gods prouidence, though Satan worketh what he can to trouble vs, as appeareth in his trying of Iob, to draw vs from God, but howsoer­uer he aimeth to make vs di­strust God by his tentati­ons and afflicting vs, the more doe the children of God cleane vnto God for succour, and cry vnto him for mercy: and that which Satan inten­deth to be for our hurt, God worketh it for our good, for all things worke together for the good of them that loue [Page 178] God, and are called of his pur­pose, namely, his owne elect, who as they are truly Gods owne, so they depend vpon him alone, and know that what crosse or affliction soe­uer befall them, it comes from none but from their owne louing father, for their especial good to preuent grea­ter danger, as the holy Apo­stle Paul himself confesseth, y ^t lest he should be exalted out of measure through the abun­dance of reuelations, there was giuen vnto him a pricke in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him, because he should not be exalted out of measure. God seeing our corrupt nature, alwaies apt [Page 179] to be puffed vp with a kinde of pride and security, when wee féele the abundance of Gods graces and fauours towards vs, in his wisdome and mercy taketh downe our ouer good conceits of our selues by corrections: as Da­uid before he was afflicted went awry; Manasses a great Idolater, by troubles was reclaimed, and then he prai­ed vnto God and humbled himselfe; wée may sée it also in the prodigall sonne, who as long as hée had money to bestow vpon his vanities and lusts, he liued a rebelli­ous life against his father; but when he was afflicted by penury and want, he retur­ned [Page 180] home to his father, re­penting and crying vnto him in effect as here Dauid doth; O father hearken vnto my voice, I cry vnto thee for par­don, haue mercy also vpon me and heare me, as much as if hée had said, Father forgiue mée.

Gods corrections, though grieuous and vnsauory for a time, yet good and profitable for vs, we are thereby the more drawne from the de­lighting in sinne, and made more obedient vnto the will of God, especially if they bée seasoned with reuerence to God that sends them with faith, repentance, and fer­uent praier: then shall wée [Page 181] finde that they will bring vs (being exercised with them) the quiet fruit of righteous­nesse: Wherefore let vs not onely not be discouraged at the chastisements of God, for they are in loue; but ra­ther make vse of them for our humiliation, and vnfai­ned reformation. Adding daily and continuall praiers vnto God, who smiteth vs; neither to kill vs orto maime vs, but onely to kéepe vs in awe, hauing a speciall eye vnto his hand: for, when we intend or are committing of any sinne against God let vs do as schollers do, who when they are in their vnhappi­nesse, haue one eie (as it [Page 182] were) to sée whether the ma­ster obserueth them or no, and should giue them a clap before they were aware: We are to be as wary of the hand of God, and as the maiden of the hand of her mistrisse; so shall God hearken vnto our voice when we cry, hée will haue mercy also vpon vs, and heare vs.

VERSE 8. ‘When thou saidst, seeke yee my face, mine heart answe­red vnto thee, O Lord, I will seeke thy face.’

IN this verse, there is (as it were) a familiar confe­rence betwéene the Lord and Dauid: God saies vnto Dauid, and in the plurall number, to all that are his, Seeke yee my face; And Dauid againe in the name of the faithfull replies, Thy face, O Lord, will I seeke. It séemeth to be a strange [Page 190] command, that we weake Creatures that cannot looke with stedfast eies vpon the Sun, that is but one of his inferior Creatures, but shall be striken blinde with the ra­diant beames thereof, should séeke and behold his face, which none could euer sée and liue. And it séemeth like­wise to be as strange a pro­mise in Dauid, to say that hée would séeke the face of God. To séeke the Lord, is in ma­ny places of Scripture en­ioyned vs: but to séeke and to sée his face, is not so fre­quently commanded. But these phrases of spéech differ not, for both signifie the séek­ing of his helpe, and are not [Page 191] literally to be vnderstood, as if God had a visible face to be séene; or that he had a cor­porall being to be felt. God is a spirit, and spiritually to be sought, and spiritually to be discerned, and is not o­therwise to be séene, but in the face of Iesus Christ, who is also now glorified in the heauens, not visibly to bee apprehended by vs, vntill his second comming.

What is then meant by the séeking of the face of God? onely his fauour and his protection in the time of our danger: And to séeke God, is to implore his pow­er, prouidence, and helpe in our afflictions: As Ieremiah [Page 192] comforting the captiue Isra­elites in Babylon: You shall goe and pray vnto me, (saith God) and I will heare you, and if you seeke me, yee shall finde me, if you seeke me with all your hearts. And againe, Azariah, said to Asa, Iuda and Beniamin, The Lord is with you while yee be with him: And if yee seeke him, he will be found of you; but if yee forsake him, hee will forsake you. God is present with the faithfull by his continu­all helping power, as long as they hold him fast by their praiers, and wrastle with him with their faithfull peti­tions, as Iacob did with the Angell, and cry vnto him till [Page 193] he answer, and neuer leaue seeking of him, till hee finde him. If we séeke him in the Word, wée shall finde him there, as the spirit hath de­scribed him, both a mercifull God, and a consuming fire. The faithfull finde him mer­cifull, euen in this life: the wicked shall finde him a se­uere Judge hereafter. The first shall sée his face, and re­ioyce: the second shall sée his face, and tremble. The first shall sée, and behold the beau­ty of his countenance with great gladnesse for euer: the second shall sée his face for a moment in his last sentence, and that with horror.

God saies vnto all, Seeke [Page 194] yee my face, but few with their hearts doe séeke him: And that is the reason that many call vpon him and are not heard; they séeme to séeke him, and finde him not: but vnto the truly faithfull, hée offereth himselfe as he did to Moses; My presence shall goe with thee, and I will giue thee rest. This is the true behold­ing of the face of God, to en­ioy his presence; namely, when he is ready in his pow­er and prouidence to helpe vs in our afflictions, and to deliuer vs in our dangers; any other presence of his in this life we néede not séeke, his glory is aboue the Hea­uens: What is man then [Page 195] that he should séeke to sée his all-glorious face here in earth, which Moses saw but in a bush obscurely, in respect of his full and compleat glo­ry; and yet with that sight his face did shine so, as the people could not abide the glory of his face? How much lesse, the glory of the most vn­speakable beauty of y ^e face of y ^e most high? whose dwelling is in the heauens, and whose power is ouer all his works in heauen and earth? And therefore saith Dauid; O Lord our God, how excellent is thy name in all the world, which hast set thy glory aboue the heauens, where he sitteth and séeth the troubles and af­flictions [Page 196] of his, and is néere them when they call vpon him, he turneth his face and louing countenance towards them, to cheare them and comfort them; as for the wicked, he beholdeth them a farre off. I haue set the Lord (saith Dauid) alwaies before me, for he is at my right hand, therefore I shall not slide: As if he had said, I sée the face of God continually: and hée it is that preserueth me from danger; so that mine heart is glad, and my tongue reioy­ceth, my flesh also doth rest in hope. The tongue of men or Angels cannot sufficient­ly expresse what God is: one­ly the heauens doe shew vn­to [Page 197] vs his glory, the Sunne, the Moone, and Starres fixed in the Firmament, the Earth, the Sea, and all that are therein, all being the works of his hands. This God did Dauid séeke, to this God did Dauid pray, and hée turned his face vnto him, and deliuered him out of all his feare: To him I will pray.

VERSE 9. ‘Hide not thy face from mee, nor cast thy seruant away in displeasure; thou hast beene my succour, leaue me not, neither forsake me O God of my saluation.’

BY this prayer of Da­uid it may appeare that God some­times hideth his face from his dearest chil­dren, and séemeth as if hée had cast them away in his anger, which yet though it be fearefull, it is not small, for he continueth not long in [Page 207] his displeasure; though the weaknesse of men (bée they neuer so sanctified) will ma­ny times shew it selfe, and produce such corrupt fruits as may incense God to dis­pleasure, and inforce him to absent himselfe from them for a time, in so much as he may seeme to haue left them quite to their owne corrupt wills, as it séemeth holy Dauid felt some alteration as it were of Gods dealing towards him, that he cried out, hide▪ not thy face from me, wherby it séemeth Dauid had not that comfort of Gods presence as in times past he had, especially when hée was afraid that God had cast [Page 208] him away in displeasure. It may be the weaknesse of Da­uids faith, (which is not at all times alike strong) could not so well apprehend Gods mercies as before, or that he felt his owne infirmities to grow stronger, and his spi­rituall powers weaker, so that in the combat betwéene the flesh and spirit, he found his inward part the weaker, and so suspecting as it were the loue and presence of God to aid the one and to suppresse the other, hee thought God had left him.

But it séemeth his out­ward enemies did more preuaile against him than be­fore, and being so oppressed [Page 209] by them or afraid of them, he turned himselfe vnto God, but he séemed to hide his face from him, and therefore praied so instantly that God would not cast him away be­ing his seruant, in displea­sure: yet Dauid had the true feare of God in his heart, al­though hée were a little sha­ken with doubting for the ab­sence of Gods presence; and necessary it is, that wee should sometimes feele the want of Gods presence with vs, that wee should not too much presume vpon our owne worthinesse, power and strength, to stand firme without him, for if he leaue vs, be it neuer so little, such [Page 210] is our frailty, that we begin to faint, and our spirituall strength saileth vs, which if we can apprehend, it is an argument that we are not al­together destitute of the grace of God, for if we be so carried away with our owne corruptions as we neuer féele our owne wants of spirituall graces, we haue no grace at all. The wicked and such as sinne without touch of con­science, they neuer féele the want of that they neuer had, the spirit of God, & therefore run on stil in their impieties, following euery kinde of car­nall destres with greedinesse.

It is not so with them that God hath chosen and enligh­tened, [Page 211] for they finde in them­selues the least of Gods ab­sence if but for a moment, for they are seldome idle in one kinde of holy duty or ano­ther; they either meditate on the word and works of God, they pray or offer the sacri­fice of thankes to God, and when they finde in them selues a dulnesse to pray, or ignorance how to pray, they presently suspect that they haue deserued by some meanes that God hath left them to themselues, who of their owne power without the helpe of the Spirit of God cannot thinke a good thought, much lesse faithful­ly and seruently pray vnto [Page 212] him, and then féeling the griefe of their hearts that they cannot be comforted by the exercise of these holy du­ties, finde the fault to bee in themselues, and that God for some sinne committed, or some good dutie omitted, is angrie with them. And there­fore, as Dauid doth here, they crie out vnto God, O hide not thy face from me, nor cast thy seruant away in dis­pleasure. So fearefull are the children of God, to lose the benefit of his presence, as they thinke nothing so irk­some vnto them as his ab­sence; and therefore haue al­waies a kinde of holy iealou­sie, that the least sinne they [Page 213] doe cōmit, wil cause the Lord▪ to hide himselfe from them. Therefore when Dauid con­sidered his infirmities, hée could confesse and say, Wic­ked deeds haue preuailed a­gainst me, but thou wilt bee mercifull vnto my sinne. God is mercifull to them that are sorry for their sinnes, which sorrow and repentance is the gift of God, and the chil­dren of God instantly and often call to God for it, as a meane whereby they may re­déeme his loue and obtaine his presence, and the beauty of his face againe. And there­fore saith Dauid, being as it were forsaken, and had lost his chiefe comfort, the lo­uing [Page 214] countenan [...] of the Lord. Turne vs againe, O Lord God of hosts (saith he) cause thy face to shine, and we shall be safe: Returne wee be­seech thee, O God of hosts, looke downe from Heauen and visit vs againe with the brightnesse of thy lo­uing countenance, and hide not thy face from vs, nor cast vs away in displeasure. There is nothing more cau­seth the Spirit of God to leaue vs than our sinnes, and neglect of the true seruice of God, and nothing retaineth him more than the continu­all meditation of heauenly things, seruent prayer with a godly life; he that thus ex­erciseth [Page 215] himselfe, hath God alwaies with him, he hideth not his face from such; but in what misery, trouble, feare or affliction they are, they are sure either to re­ceiue outward deliuerance or inward comfort, and to say with Dauid, yet my soule kee­peth silence vnto God, of him commeth my saluation; yet he is my strength & my defence, therefore shall I not much be moued; not much, we may haue some doubtings in our heauy afflictions, and cry out with Dauid, O God why hast thou forsaken me; and though we be moued, we shall neuer be remoued from the louing fauour of God; we shall ne­uer [Page 216] fall finally into his dis­pleasure, though for a time he séeme to hide his face from vs, which he neuer doth vn­till we couet to hide our sins from him, and to doe the things which we thinke hée séeth not; we may not thinke that God hideth his all-sée­ing cies from our transgres­sions, though he turne not his face towards vs to flat­ter vs (as it were) in our sinnes, for he loueth righte­ousnesse and hateth iniqui­ty; righteousnesse and equi­ty are the establishment of his throne, therefore dealeth he iustly when he hideth his face from them that deale vniust­ly, from them that obey him [Page 217] not, from them that neglect to call vpon him in [...]aith, and omit those holy duties which he requireth. How can hee looke vpon them in loue that leaue him? How can he but hide his face, and as it were, cast them away in his displeasure that neuer séeke him or serue him? Nay, that séeke him not with a pure heart, and that continually? for it is not enough to sinne and serue him by turnes, as if he allowed vs a time for our selues to take our car­nall pleasures & delights in, and a time againe for him, to haue our times wherein wée cannot sinne, either being glutted with sinne, or vnable [Page 218] to sinne. How can hee but hide his face from such? How can it be, but he must cast away such in his dis­pleasure? Dauid that thus crieth out, that God had hid his face from him, neuer tooke such prophane liberty, and yet through his humane frailty, fell, and that grie­uously: but he lay not in it as the reprobate doe; he exa­mined his heart, and found it corrupt, and falted it with the teares of repentance: Thou hast fed mee with the bread of teares (saith he) and giuen mee teares to drinke. This is the true medicine to cure the soule that hath sin­ned, Faith and Repentance. [Page 219] And who so applieth it truly to himselfe, as Dauid did, shall finde ease; and although God séeme sometimes to hide his face, it is but to cause vs the more to séeke it, and though he séeme to cast vs off in displeasure, it is but as a louing father that dis­sembleth extreme anger to his childe that hath offended him, and maketh a shew as if he will vtterly cast him off, determining yet nothing lesse. So though God the most louing father to his children séeme often angry with vs, as he séemed to bee with Dauid, it was more in shew than in déed (which we may not slightly regard, for [Page 220] so we may indéed turne his fatherly displeasure into iust reuenge) let vs obserue in wisdome the Lords waies, how indéed he neuer winketh long at our least sinne, for many little sinnes make a great cry, and when God heareth their clamour hée turneth away his face as a thing loathsome vnto him, as he did from Dauid for a time, who féeling it, ranne crying againe vnto God: O hide not thy face from me, O Lord nor cast thy seruant away in displeasure.

Thou hast beene my suc­cour (saith Dauid) leaue mee not, neither forsake mee O God of my saluation: though [Page 221] Dauid found that God had hid his face from him, and séemed displeased with him, yet he tooke a godly courage through saith, to put God in minde of his former fauours towards him, saying, Thou hast beene my succour, and thou changest not, thou art still the same, and whom thou hast once chosen, thou neuer forsakest. He may be angry with his dearest chil­dren for a time, but he endu­reth not long in his displea­sure: but when he with re­bukes doth chastise a man for his sinne, his beauty con­sumeth, and all carnall de­lights are as it were irke­some vnto him in respect of [Page 222] the losse of Gods fauour.

Though Dauid séemed much to bee troubled that God did hide his face from him, and to withhold his hel­ping hand against his enemies, yet he had hope to re­déeme his fauour againe, be­cause he was before his suc­cour, which no doubt hee in his heart acknowledged, not to procéed of his owne deser­uing, but of the meere and frée mercy of God. And ther­fore as hee first fréely chose him without his desert, he would not cast him off in re­gard of his humane frailties, incident to all men, euen to y ^e best men; but would rather renew, maintaine and con­firme [Page 223] those diuine graces which it had pleased God be­fore to plant in him, and so would returne againe vnto him in loue, and turne his face towards him againe, and not vtterly to leaue him nor forsake him; and why? be­cause he was assured, that as God had promised to be, so he was, and would be, the God of his saluation for euer: for he neuer faileth the per­formance of his promises to a thousand generations. And his gifts and callings are without repentance. There­fore if we be chosen of God, we cleaue vnto God; if we cleaue vnto God, God is faithfull to succour vs, & will [Page 224] neuer leaue vs nor forsake vs.

Though he seeme to hide his face from vs a little, as he did from Dauid, and to be displeased with vs as he see­med to be with him; we may with like boldnesse build our assurance of his future helpe, as Dauid did, by his former succouring of vs: And as Da­uid held it as an argument of Gods neuer failing help, in that hee was ence his suc­cour; how much more may such as haue often found him their defence and succour as­sure themselues, that though he hide his face for a while, he will neuer faile them nor for­sake them? But that he will establish his according to his [Page 225] promise, y ^t they may yet liue, & not be disappointed of his louing fauour again: howso­euer they seeme to be forsa­ken, Hee that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compasse him about on euery side.

VERSE 10. ‘Though my Father and my Mother forsake me, thou Lord wilt take me vp.’

IT is impossible for man to com­prehend the depth of Gods vn­searchable wisdome, proui­dence, and loue towards his children: his wisdome in dis­posing, his prouidence in finding out, and his loue in bestowing things, both spiri­tuall and corporall vpon his children necessary. In so much, as wée may admire [Page 233] with Saint Paul, and say; O the déepnesse of the vnsearch­able riches, of the wisdome, prouidence, and loue of God towards vs, who when fa­ther, mother, friends, and meanes faile vs, hée taketh charge of vs; we are all cast vpon his prouidence and care, euen as well before, as when we are borne. And if then father and mother faile vs, or forsake vs, he will take vs to himselfe, as he tooke vp Moses out of the riuer, being cast into it in a basket of réeds in a most desperate danger to be vtterly cast away. Did fa­ther or mother preserue him? Was it not the prouidence of God that saued him? Was [Page 234] not Ioseph cast into a pit by his Brethren, intending hée should haue there perished? Was hee not after sould to Merchants, and then as a slaue, depriued of the aid or comfort of father, mother, or friends, falsly accused, vn­iustly imprisoned? Who tooke him into protection? Who tooke care of him? was not God alone he that preser­ued him?

The prouidence of God ouer-ruleth all things that fall out in the world, for hée causeth them all to worke for the best, not onely for them that are of age to loue him, and to pray vnto him, as Dauid did, but euen vnto In­fants; [Page 235] as vnto Moses when he was a childe, preseruing him beyond the expectation of his owne Parents. It worketh also all troubles, crosses, and afflictions, to the good of his. There is none so young, nor any so old, but God disposeth of them; yea, when they haue neither fa­ther nor mother, or friend to helpe them, hée then comes and takes them into his own guard and kéeping, bée they neuer so base and vile in mans corrupt indgement; he can make them honorable, be they neuer so abiect and de­spised, either for birth, or poore estate, he is all one to all: he respecteth no degrée. [Page 236] Though he dwell in the hea­uens, farre aboue our appre­hension, yet he beholdeth all his creatures, and knoweth them; he can sée through the Clouds, and behold all the things on earth: He is good to all, and his mercies are ouer all his workes: He vpholdeth all that fall, and lifteth vp all that are ready to fall.

When a man loseth father and mother, being left naked and destitute of helpe, is it not a great tentation? When he knowes not which way, or to whom to turne for reléefe; What a comfort is it then, which the holy spirit hath here recorded of the proui­dence and loue of God, who [Page 237] hath promised, that when we are depriued of all earthly meanes, he will be a father and mother vnto vs?

Children commonly in their young yeeres, care for no prouision, for food or main­tenance, but relie onely vpon their parents: So the Chil­dren of God, howsoeuer old they are, yet vnable of them­selues to prouide things ne­cessary without their hea­uenly fathers helpe: And therefore as the young birds [...]ang at the bill of the old for food; so doe Gods children depend vpon God for all that they néed, and he doth nou­rish them. He is in stead of their naturall father and mo­ther; [Page 238] nay, fathers and mo­thers may haue a good desire to prouide for their children, but want the meanes; but our heauenly father wanteth none. To come to prefer­ment (nay to bee supplied with things necessary) is nei­ther from the East nor from the West (saith Dauid) nor from the South: But God is the Iudge, he maketh low, and he maketh high.

What a strange kinde of care then is it in many Pa­rents, that setting God (as it were) aside, his prouidence and care; and onely study how they may aduance their children to greatnesse after their deaths? As, if when [Page 239] they can sée them richly pro­uided for, it is sufficient; ri­ches, lands, and reuenues, are in stead of father and mo­ther, and of Gods prouidence also: And yet if these men were not wilfully blinde, or rather besotted (whether more with the fond loue of their children, or foolish desire of vaine-glory, I cannot tell) they might obserue more (poore) cast, and depending vpon the prouidence of God, by religious endeuors to liue more contentedly with their little, than many left rich with their plentie: and more from meane beginnings to rise to greatnesse, than in he­reditary greatnesse, to gaine [Page 240] glory and continuance.

Let them then that are in a meane estate, wanting fa­ther and mother, which im­ply all worldly meanes, take comfort and courage in this; That God to the faithfull is in stead of al helps; and if our naturall fathers that begat vs, our naturall mothers that bare vs, our friends that professed friendship to vs, and the meanes that wée had to sustaine vs, faile all; let vs not feare, for the Lord of heauen and earth, and the owner and disposer of all things within the same, hath giuen vs a promise to be a father vnto vs; if a father, he will loue vs; if he loue vs, [Page 241] he will not see vs want any thing that is fit and necessary for vs.

Though then our eies faile vs, our féet falter vnder vs, our hands be helplesse to vs, though our limbs become weake; though we hane nei­ther Gold, nor Siluer, nor food, nor raiment, nor friend, nor helper, but our ancient friends and companions to deride vs for our basenesse, enemies to rage and raile a­gainst vs for our poorenesse: let vs not dismay nor fall from our faith and assurance in God; he is our father, let vs returne vnto him though as Prodigalls, he will enter­taine vs into his house, not [Page 242] as seruants but as sonnes. Hée will regard vs as his sonnes, prouide for vs as his sonnes, and defend vs as his sonnes; and in stead of our naturall father he will be our heauenly father, hee will bring vs vp, and wée shall want nothing that is good, though hee séeme here to ex­pose vs to be as Apprentises for a time in the world, to learne to beare the Crosse of Christ; it is but seuen yéeres, be it seuenty, hee in the end will make vs frée men of the City, new Ieru­salem, where we shall worke no more in our former trade of life, but in stead of all the miseries and troubles wée [Page 243] here endure, wee shall haue peace, and rest, and glory for euermore.

Therefore in the meane time, while we shall liue as the worlds slaues here, let vs vndergoe it with patience, it is but a little while: If we want any thing for soule or body, hee willeth vs to tell him and hee will supply it; If any wrong vs or abuse vs, to complaine to him and he will redresse it. If we bée sicke, he knoweth our disea­ses; he is our Physician, and knoweth whether life or death be fittest for vs. If we die, he will restore vs to life eternall, therefore may wée fréely cast our care vpon him, [Page 244] for hee careth for vs.

Fathers (saith Salomon) are the glory of their children. How much more shall the God of all glory, our heauen­ly Father, be a glory to vs his children? who hath pro­uided for vs an inheritance, which no man can depriue vs of, yea a Kingdome whose glory shall haue no end. The remembrance of our futur [...] enioying it, is as a most deepe Sea of comfort in this infe­riour Kingdome of crosses. It cannot bee fadomed with the line of mans capacity; what hee hath promised hee will performe for his chil­dren, therefore may we stand assured and boldly affirme, [Page 245] that though the fathers and mothers of the faithfull doe forsake them, that God will take charge of them.

VERSE 11. ‘Teach mee thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a right path, because of mine enemies.’

IT is the proper­ty of an enemy to bée alwaies prying into the life of him hee hates, and to obserue what­soeuer faults hée doth com­mit (though he himselfe bée quilty of more) and to pub­lish and proclaime them to the world to his vttermost [Page 255] disgrace. And therefore it be­hooueth all men, especially a man that hath enemies (as Dauid had) to looke vnto his waies, lest by the errors of his life they take aduantage, and so make his cause (other­wise good) séeme the worst, though his errors no way concerne the matter in con­trouersie betwéene them, but méerely his frailty; falling as a naturall man, whereof Dauid being afraid, he pray­eth vnto God that he would teach him his way which is vncorrupt, and to leade him in an vpright path; not onely in his ordinary calling, but in the sincerity of his religi­on and profession, lest his [Page 256] enemies that are alwaies watchfull should haue cause to accuse him of some grosse sinne, and so draw him into the censure and condemnati­on of the world.

Dauid was a man chosen of God, but by nature apt and inclined to sinne like other men, who all haue their pe­culiar faults: No man liueth so sincerely, but if his life in all points, at all times, be narrowly obserued and ex­amined by his owne consci­ence, he may be taxed or tax himselfe, either for commit­ting things which God hath forbidden, or omitting things which God hath comman­ded: And therefore as Dauid [Page 257] here prayeth God to teach him his way, and to lead him in a right path, and as Moses before him prayed vnto God saying, If I haue found fauour in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, and that I may finde grace in thy sight; So ought euery Christian to pray that God would not onely teach him but lead him also, not onely because of his enemies whose slanders hée feareth (which yet is necessary) but because God should not be dishonou­red by his corrupt conuersa­tion and sinne.

There is no man, especi­ally Gods children, but haue enemies, not onely corporall [Page 258] but spirituall, among whom the subtillest and strongest is Satan, who looketh not so much into what a man doth, as into the inclination of his heart by the things hee doth: for by his workes he findeth what is in man (for thoughts are hid) and by his outward actions he can collect where­unto hée is inclined: and vp­on that he workes and laies his plots accordingly, and most commonly he obserueth in euery man some sinne that raigneth and ruleth aboue all other sinnes, which he hugs (as it were) in his bosome: there doth Satan apply his greatest battery, knowing that if he vanquish him in it, [Page 259] and sée him to continue in it, it is as much as if he had in­ticed him to a thousand sins, and therefore hee laieth baits (according to a cunning Fowler or Fisherman, that hath one especiall bait for each kinde of Fowle or Fish) according to the desire of that peculiar sin wherein a man most delighteth, entertaining euery occasion or fit oppor­tunity to féed his desire, which Satan finding, vseth his instruments to féed him with varieties.

Euery raigning or rather raging sinne in man, may be compared to the disease in mans body called the Wolfe, which if it be not continually [Page 258] [...] [Page 259] [...] [Page 260] fed with some kinde of satis­factory matter, will soone de­uoure the very flesh of y ^t part of the body wherupon it hath seized; so that sinne that a man holdeth so deare (to which hee cannot but yeeld vpon euery opportunity af­forded) must be fed with the satisfying of those corrupt desires which best agree with the nature of that woluish disease, otherwise it will euen eat vp their sen­ses, and they will become as mad men when they are restrained from what that sinne desireth: As for exam­ple, take game from the co­uetous man hee will become euen cut of his wits; barre [Page 261] the drunkard of his liquor, and he will rage like a shée­beare robbed of her whelps; preuent the lasciuious man of his Harlots, he will swag­ger, sweare, and aduenture his life to haue them: and so of the rest.

If therefore a man fall in­to any of these dominant sinnes, and liue in it, what an aduantage is it vnto his enemies? It is a double ad­uantage; first, it makes him scandalous in the world, whose good opinion with the vertuous and religious hée loseth; It offends GOD, whose hand is alwaies ouer the righteous to defend them, & against the wicked to con­found them.

[Page 262] How sottish then are these men that will giue entertain­ment at the first to such ser­uants, as at last shall become their masters? Sinne in the beginning is weake, and with ease may be subdued, but when it hath beene cheri­shed and nursed vp awhile in our brests, as beloued, and fed, as it will require, it be­conuneth predominant, fa­cing as it were a man, and as if it should say, I haue thus long ouerruled thée, I will yet make thée my slaue. O fearefull estate, yet not a few liue in this miserable seruili­ty; and doth not that enemy Satan triumph to obserue his vassals thus subiected? [Page 263] and doth he not stirre vp ene­mies to vpbraid them? some to mocke and scorne them? some to reproach and reuile them? and finally, doth hee not laugh at their destru­ction?

Had not holy Dauid thē good cause to be afraid to be thus carried away with the vio­lence of his owne corrupt na­ture, which no doubt hée felt something inclinable rather to goe astray, than to goe on y ^e way the Lord taught him? & had he not good cause (as eue­ryman hath) instantly to pray vnto God, Teach me thy way O Lord, and leade me in thy right path, because of mine enemies? Where it appea­reth [Page 264] that it is not enough to know the way of God vnlesse wee walke in it, and what power haue we of our selues to walke aright vnlesse the spirit of God leade vs? we may thinke wee are right when wee are cleane out of the way, as many deceiued silly soules doe▪ that thinke themselues right, and others out of the way, when indéed they walke in darknesse and haue no light at all.

Enemies are alwaies en­uious against the prosperity & good that the godly receiue, and reioyce when any dis­grace, misery, or misfortune befalls them: When my foot slipt (saith Dauid) mine ene­mies [Page 265] reioyced. So doth Sa­tan and his instruments, who neuer rest day nor night, seeking to draw (if it were possible) Gods owne chil­dren into the waies of the wicked, and then againe to moue and instigate the wic­ked to reproach vs for our sinnes, so that wée must not looke to liue here securely, euen in our séeming most quiet estate; for when wée thinke of none, and deserue least disgrace, Satan will raise vp one railing and reui­ling Shemei, some one traite­rous Iudas, or one trecherous Achithophel or another to trouble vs. And if wee haue committed any knowne sin, [Page 266] be it neuer so small, whether in our place, conuersation or profession, wee shall be sure to heare it. Let vs liue neuer so warily, neuer so ciuily, ne­uer so sincerely, we haue ene­mies enow to espy out our secretest actions, to heare our most priuate speech: for in the most godly little sinnes seeme great, and are soone dis­couered; and great sinnes in the wicked séeme no sinnes, therefore haue the wicked few enemies whom they feare to sée their waies, but the godly many. It is no dis­grace to a wicked man to bée wicked, it is his profession: as it is no blemish to the beauty of an Aethiopian to be [Page 267] blacke, it is his naturall co­lour; and therefore as long as none but wicked men scandalize vs and condemne vs, we néed not be ashamed; no, though they raile, reuile and curse vs, wee néed not feare it, for in stead of their curses God will blesse vs: yet let vs pray, Teach me, O Lord, thy way, and leade me in thy path aright because of mine enemies.

None but enuious and wicked men are malicous e­nemies vnto such as feare God, and they indéed cannot sléepe vntill they haue contri­ued some mischiefe against the innocent whom they would disgrace, taking all [Page 268] occasions and aduantages to worke them any violence; though they be already affli­cted, they will afflict them more; if they bee already fal­len, they will euen tread vp­on them to kéepe them downe that they may not rise. It is their glory if they can adde more sorrow to the sorrow­full, and more griefe to the grieued; they are continually trauelling with wickednes, conceiuing mischiefe, but they commonly bring forth a lie; for the mischiefe y ^t they intend to others fals in the end vpon their owne heads, and their cruelty vpon their owne pates: they are snared euen with the works of their [Page 269] owne hands, for God hath euer, he doth, and euer will preserue his owne from these wicked men; though he suf­fer them somtimes bodily to perish vnder their tyranny, it is but to aggrauate the sins of their persecutors, and the sooner to bring his vnto their finall glory. Therefore be­houeth the most godly to bée wary of their waies; for how much the more godly, religi­ous and zealous they are in walking with God, so much the more malicious is Satan to raise vp troubles, slan­ders and reproaches against them, by such as he can stir vp against vs; who howso­euer inwardly enuious they [Page 270] are, yet haue they learned of their master to speake plau­sibly, though deceitfully, flat­tering with their lips, ha­uing a venomous heart with­in, whereby they oftentimes allure the innocent without suspicion to bewray vnto them their secret thoughts and intentions: and in sim­plicity (by their inchanted subtilties) discouer that which these wicked serpen­tine wretches worke vpon, and wrest to bring, not only their names, reputation and credit, but their estates and liues in question. By their wicked counsell they com­passe our steps, they set their enuious eyes vpon our [Page 271] waies: If they finde wée walke vnblameable, they wil plot to haue some blockes to be laid in our waies, that if it be possible we might stum­ble, though they could not make vs fall altogether: If we erre (on the other side) neuer so little, they will in­sult ouer vs, they will blow the trumpet of our defama­tion and cry, There, there, so would we haut it. But these deuices of theirs God séeth, and what they practise a­gainst such as feare him: ther­fore let vs only say, Teach vs, O Lord, thy way, and leade vs in the right path because of our enemies.

As long as wee walke in [Page 272] the way of God truly, and be lead that path that is right, let vs not feare. Heare what Dauid said vnto Salomon his sonne, whom he exhorted to walke in the waies of the Lord, to keepe his Statutes and his Commandementes, his Iudgements and his Testimo­nies. We must endeuour to haue Gods lawes euer be­fore our eies, and neuer de­part from his precepts: This is the way, walke in it. Though it bee a strict way and vnpleasant to a carnall minde; it is a most swéet and comfortable way, a way that leadeth here to happinesse, and after to Heauen.

There is another way, a [Page 273] common high way, much beaten by diuers passengers, all carnall men traffike this way, a very pleasant way, wherein yet many haue wal­ked for a time, but they haue found that as a man that ea­teth too much hony, may sur­fet through the swéetnesse of it, so they were euen glutted with the vanities that are strewed in the way. It is a way full of carnall content indeed, but it is but short; men are at their waies end many times when they think themselues not halfe way there, and are grieued their iourney is so soone done. But when they come to the end of the race, they suddenly finde [Page 274] a most fearefull gulph which they cannot auoid; turne backe againe they cannot as ordinary trauellers often doe when they haue mistaken their way and take another; but they that walke this high and pleasant way must bée enforced to stay, and to take vp their hideous Inne, not for a night as waifaring men doe, but remaine there for euer with the Deuill and his Angels.

VERSE 12. ‘Giue me not ouer to the lust of mine enemies, for there are false witnesses risen vp against mee, and such as speake cruelly.’

WHat man is he that liueth, & is frée from enemies? Of what estate, condition, or quality soeuer? If he be good, the wicked will hate him, the world will disfauour him, and the Deuill will maligne him. If he be euill, the ver­tuous [Page 283] will dislike him, the godly cannot affect him, God cannot blesse him: yet ought euery man to endeuour to be godly, howsoeuer Satan will doe what he can to raise ene­mies against him, as he did against godly Dauid, and a­gainst all the holy men of God from the beginning; as first against Abel, against Iob, and aboue all, against Christ himselfe; whose ene­mies séemed to haue their full lust fulfilled against him, neuer leauing him vntill they had crucified him: And yet then were they néerest to their owne confusion when they had their wils of him.

Dauid in this Psalme sée­meth [Page 284] to haue béene much troubled with enemies, and yet sheweth in the second verse of the same, that when his enemies and his foes came vpon him to eat vp his flesh, they stumbled and fell. In the third verse, hee shew­eth such faith and confidence in God, that though an Host pitched against him, his heart should not be afraid: Yet in this twelfth verse, he séemeth to feare againe, lest his ene­mies might yet preuaile a­gainst him; and therefore praieth, that God would not giue him ouer to the lust of his enemies; which may teach▪ vs, that when we thinke our selues most frée from, and [Page 285] (as it were) out of the reach of all enemies, not to be se­cure: for a reconciled enemy may harbour secret mis­chiefe, which although hée will not for his counterfeit promise sake, execute by his owne publike violence; yet he may suborne such secretly, as may renew either the open quarrell againe, or fals­ly accuse the innocent party. And this as it séemeth did Dauid finde: for when hée thought all his enemies were at peace with him, he obser­ued some secret practises against him, By false witnes­ses which were risen against him, who accused him a­fresh, and procured him new, [Page 286] or moued his old Aduersa­ries against him, which sée­meth to afright him more, than before an Host of ene­mies could doe. For now hée praieth, that God would not giue him ouer to the lust of them that before he feared not; which sheweth, that a second danger is more feare­full than a former: And which also sheweth our too much securitie, after our de­liuery from a danger, as though we néed no more to feare another to follow: But if we obserue well the course of the waies of wicked men, we shal see, that they seldome giue ouer to prosecute them they once desired to perse­cute. [Page 287] And God hath likewise such an eie vnto his owne children, that he will not haue them idle; hee will exercise them as long as they liue heere; they must bee parta­kers of his crosses; they must haue enemies as hee had, they must suffer pouer­tie, ignominy and disgrace in the world as hee did: Though he being Lord of all, and could command all; hée was poore, yet all the world, and the things in the world were his; when he was hun­gry, he could haue plentiful­ly supplied his hunger; being disgraced by the reproba [...]e Jewes, he could haue done as Peter did with Annanias and [Page 288] Saphira, haue spoken but the word, and his enemies should haue fallen dead at his foot. But he patiently suffe­red all, to teach vs that are but seruants, to imitate him that is our master and Lord. If they called him. Belsabub, and he suffered them, why should we take scorne to bée despised, reproached, and ill intreated, and our enemies to insult ouer vs, and to haue their lust fulfilled against vs, euen to take away our liues? We are but seruants, hée was our Lord, yet he endu­red; and shall we thinke our selues better, or deserue to be more frée than he, that was guiltie of no offence a­gainst [Page 289] them that thus abused him? We being culpable of a thousand sinnes against him, and yet hath fréed vs from the guilt and punishment of all? Yet it behooueth vs to pray as Dauid did: Giue mee not ouer vnto the lust of mine Aduersaries; For as there were against Christ, so there are false Witnesses risen vp against vs, and such also as speake cruelly: Cruell and wicked men haue commonly attending them, such as will speake and practise what they will haue them for gaine: if they will haue them to accuse any man falsly, they can coine matter; This man said, If they did destroy the Temple [Page 290] of Ierusalem which was made with hands, he would build it in three daies without hands. Whereas indéed hée said, that if they did destroy the Temple of his body, hee would raise it againe in three daies, as he did. But by this may be obserued the cunning and subtilty of the Deuill, that can and doth prompt his wicked Instruments, how they may peruert the words and actions of the innocent, to a sense cleane contrary to their meaning, and make so false a Glosse vpon it, as if it were truth it selfe; and will set such an audacious face vpon it, as (if God deale not with the falsly accused, as hée [Page 291] did for the defence of inno­cent Susanna) they will haue their lust of them. Such a false witnesse was perfidi­ous Ziba against Mephibo­sheth, the sonne of Ionathan, Sauls sonne, who accused him most falsly to Dauid, perswa­ding him that Mephibosheth went about to take from Da­uid the kingdome, onely to get Mephibosheths patrimo­ny: as it is commonly the end of all the testimonies false witnesses giue, to gaine outward reward thereby. As the Iewes hired and subor­ned false witnesses against that most sanctified man Ste­phen, to put him to death. The like against innocent [Page 292] Naboth by wicked Iezabel, who was likewise stoned, to fulfill the lust of enemies.

It is a dangerous thing, for the most innocent man in the world, to fall vnder the testimony of false witnesses. The accused seldome es­capes, vnlesse there be a Da­niel to examine circumstan­ces to finde out the truth. A false witnesse is one of the six things that God himselfe ab­horreth: for of all men he is the most dangerous; and therefore no maruell, that Dauid hauing such enemies as made no conscience of whatsoeuer deuillish inuen­tion to betray him, and to haue their lust of him, did [Page 293] pray, Giue me not ouer to the lust of mine enemies; for there are false witnesses risen vp against mee, and such as speake cruelly.

Dauid feared more false witnesses than the open force of his enemies; who when they came vpon him they stumbled and fell; and there­fore was not dismaied if an Host pitched against him. Se­cret false combinations of enemies accompanied with false witnesses, who can withstand, or auoid?

The tongue which God made in the beginning good, and to be a faithfull witnesse of the heart, the Deuill hath made the instrument of fals­hood [Page 294] and lies: For now in many, the heart & the tongue are so estranged, as the one vttereth what y ^e other thinks not, & the other thinks what y ^e other vtters not. The tongue becomes an instrument to de­ceiue, which was made to ex­plaine the true meaning of the heart: But where the tongue speakes falsly, the heart cannot be right; and where the heart is corrupt, the tongue cannot be sound.

There was once a confu­sion of tongues; not of that part which moueth to frame the voice, for the tongue it selfe remained as before it was; but inforced to alter the language: but now there [Page 295] séemeth to be a confusion be­twéene the tongue and the heart, which should be as one: Both which being so farre disioyned in consent now, as it séemeth to be ano­ther confusion of our lan­guage. One knew not what another said, when that one language became so changed; and who vnderstands now what another speakes, when he speakes what he meanes not? How then can hee bee truly vnderstood what hée speakes? Men indéed are be­come (as it were) false wit­nesses against themselues, when the tongue beares wit­nesse against the heart, and the heart against the tongue. [Page 296] If then we become so con­founded in our language, when we call for one thing, we bee offered another; all good men had néed to craue a diuine Interpreter, who knoweth the heart; for by the tongue we cannot truly vn­derstand what some men meane. And that is the rea­son so many are at this day deceiued, and vniustly many times condemned; and there­fore not vnfit for euery man, though he obserue to haue no professed enemy, as Dauid seemed to haue, to pray, as Dauid did vnto God, the searcher and disposer of all hearts, and she restrainer of all false tongues, O giue me [Page 297] not ouer to the lust of mine enemies, for there are false wit­nesses risen vp against mee, and such as speake cruelly.

VERSE 13. ‘I should haue fainted except I had beleeued to see the goodnesse of thee in the land of the liuing.’

ENemies troubles and afflictions are heauy to bee borne of such as are weake in faith, and haue not perfect patience to beare them, as may appeare by godly Dauid himselfe; who acknowled­geth that himselfe, though he were a man chosen after Gods owne heart, should [Page 306] haue fainted vnder the ma­lice and fury of his enemies and other afflictions, but y ^t he beléeued to sée the goodnes of God, namely his timely deliuery in the land of the li­uing, euen here before the sonnes of men, where if hée had not found the goodnesse of God towards him, all men would haue thought as his enemies did, that God had vtterly forsaken him for e­uer: and therfore prayed God in a liuely faith that his de­fence might here appeare be­fore he were taken hence, no more to be séene, although he knew that after this life hée should bee in a farre more happy and blessed estate than [Page 307] his enemies, but that hee might finde Gods fauour here, to the end that other godly afflicted men, séeing the mercies of God towards him in deliuering him out of his troubles, might by his faith and patience take like godly resolution to depend vpon the power and proui­dence of God for their like deliuery.

Why art thou cast downe O my soule (saith Dauid in his troubles) and so vnquiet within mee? which argueth, that troubles and afflictions euen to a faithfull man doe at the first much disquiet his heart, like as they that first are committed to prison, [Page 308] they are much disquieted, their hearts faint and are much cast downe, vntill they haue béene for a time enured to their restraint, and then come by little and little to themselues againe; so doe they that vpon a sudden fall into any affliction as Dauid did, but hauing a little consi­dered that it is the Lords do­ing, hee could then say vnto his sad soule, Wait on God, for I will yet giue him thanks for the helpe of his presence. This sheweth the strong faith and confidence of Da­uid, who although his trou­bles were so many and hea­uy, euen at the present, that he was ready to faint vnder [Page 309] them, yet hee waited with a firme assurance, that the time would come wherein hee should reioyce againe and praise God againe for his helpe and certaine deliuery which hee knew was not farre off.

This teacheth euery faith­full man in his afflictions and troubles to repaire vnto God in prayer, not to bée daunted or dismaid, nor to disquiet himselfe, but in pa­tience to possesse his soule, waiting the time wherein God hath appointed to deli­uer him, for it is a vaine thing and vnprofitable for a man in affliction to goe be­fore the Lords prouidence; [Page 310] strugling and striuing by si­nister and vncommanded meanes to frée himselfe: he doth by that meanes the more intangle himselfe as the Bird in the Net: warranted meanes hee may vse, and those with faithfull prayer vnto GOD to blesse the meanes, for lawfull meanes profit not, vnlesse they be al­so lawfully done, and that is when and where God is made, not onely a party, but the principall in the meanes. It was a very weake wea­pon that Dauid vsed against Goliah, who was compleat­ly armed from the foot to the head, there was but one small part of his whole body [Page 311] vnarmed, and that was the fore part of his head, but God so directed the stone that came out of his sling, that it found that open way to cast that monster of men to the earth. If God had not added strength to Dauids armes, and by his prouidence carri­ed the stone aright, Dauids aime might haue failed the marke; so whatsoeuer means we vse, either in preuen­ting or easing our selues in any kinde of affliction, if our hearts be not seasoned with faith in God, ioined with prai­er, we may misse of our hope, and so faint in the expectati­on of our deliuery; and there­fore saith Dauid, I should haue [Page 312] fainted except I had beleeued to see the goodnesse of the Lord. Except I had depen­ded on his prouidence for my deliuery from mine enemies, and had taken hold and beene assured of the true perfor­mance of his promises to ease me of mine afflictions, I should haue sunke vnder the burthen of my troubles. God who is our Father is goodnesse it selfe, of whom and from whom wee obtaine all things through faith in his Sonne: by him we liue, moue and haue our being; and therefore there is none, in whom or by whom wée should séeke helpe in trou­bles, but in God alone. He is [Page 313] our hope and strength, and helpe in troubles ready to bee found: Therefore (saith Da­uid) I will neither faint nor feare: and againe, my defence is in God, who preserueth the vpright in heart. He is God, and none besides; he is migh­ty, and none else; Why then should we faint in any trou­bles? Why should wee bee daunted, though enemies rise vp against vs? Séeing this God is our God, whose good­nesse, helpe and deliuery (if we beléeue) we shall sée, and our very enemies shall sée it euen here, here in this vale of misery amongst the sons of men, he shall be our guide and defence vnto death.

[Page 314] Unbeléefe is a most dange­rous disease in the heart of man, nothing succeedeth com­fortably vnto them that be­léeue not in God: good things vnto vnbeléeuers turne to euill. As vnto a raw, crude, & a stomack ouercome with su­perfluous humors, the best meat turnes to increase their disease; so to an vnfaithfull man all things worke toge­ther to the increase of Gods iudgements against him. As to the sonnes in law of Lot in Sodome, who would not be­léeue the Word of God de­clared by Lot, for the confu­sion of the City perished. So the children of Israel, to whom God had promised to [Page 315] giue the Land of Canaan, in their iourney towards it, did not onely not beléeue the Lord, but murmured against him saying, Who shall giue vs flesh to eat? would God we had died in the land of Ae­gyt, or in this Wildernesse: would God wee were dead, were it not better for vs to turne into Aegypt? With many such reproachful, mur­murous & faithlesse obiurga­tions, as well against God himselfe as against Moses and Aaron: but for their in­fidelity, faintings & murmu­rings, God answered their impious desires to die, he de­stroyed them in the Wilder­nes in his heauy displeasure.

[Page 316] The frailty of a faithlesse man is great, he can beare no troubles, hee can endure no afflictions with any kinde of patience, because hée hath no true and sound vnderstan­ding of God and his proui­dence. He thinkes if he pros­per, and by his naturall po­licy and meanes, can preuent dangers and troubles, or ha­uing them can vse sinister meanes to ease them, hée as­cribes it to his owne carnall wisdome; but when that pre­uaileth not, but that hée is pinched and déeply plunged in distresses and miseries which he cannot ease; then hee begins to faint and to murmur and cry, Who shall [Page 317] giue mee flesh to eat? How shall I get mony to supply my wants? Would God I had di­ed when I was young; would God I were dead, and the like.

The troubles and afflicti­ons of the wicked and the godly differ not in the out­ward shew: the wicked may bee poore, so may the most godly: they may haue like outward crosses and afflicti­ons, but their bearing of them is vnequall; the wic­ked, as before is said, faint and fume, and murmur, and grudge at euery small crosse or affliction: and although they heare the promises of God, who is ready to helpe, yet they beléeue them not. [Page 318] They can bee assured of no­thing that hangs vpon Gods promises: they would think, and speake, and obiect a­gainst God, as that Prince in Samaria did, when Elisha foretold from the mouth of God plenty to that distressed and besieged City: Though the Lord (said hee) would make windowes in the Hea­uen, could this come to passe? So incredulous are men without sound faith, that once downe, they thinke they shall neuer rise; once in trou­ble, they shall neuer haue ease: and this is the cause that men séeming faithfull, faint vnder their crosses, and despaire in their afflictions: [Page 319] but it is otherwise with the truly faithfull indéed, who know by the foretelling of the Spirit of God in his Word, that troubles attend the godly as the shadow the body; and therefore prepare themselues before hand for them, and reioyce in them, in as much as they are parta­kers here of Christs suffe­rings: So they are likewise assured, that when his glory shall appeare, they also shall appeare with him in glory; yet the most faithfull may haue a kinde of fearefulnesse and fainting for a time, but not such as shall preuaile, but they will soone ouercome all such faithlesse qualmes by [Page 320] a liuely apprehension of Gods ready helpe through faith; and then they may in­déed say as Dauid did, I should haue fainted except I had beleeued to see the good­nesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing. There is none of himselfe so strong, but when troubles and afflicti­ons come will faint if faith in God faile them.

VERSE 14. ‘Hope in the Lord, be strong, and he shall comfort thine heart, and trust in the Lord.’

THis verse is a fit and comfortable conclusion of this Psalme; shewing herein that Da­uid in all his troubles depen­ded onely on God; and by his owne experience encoura­geth himselfe and all other men in all kindes of troubles and afflictions to doe the like; and then, as he found they [Page 329] shall finde, that God will ne­uer faile nor forsake them that truly trust in him. Though Dauid say héere, Hope in the Lord; he speaks not to the encouragement of other men, excluding him­selfe: but rather stirreth [...] his owne soule, his faith and affections; as if hee should haue said, O my soule, hope in the Lord: Thou hast pro­ued the goodnesse of the Lord sufficiently in all thy trou­bles: Thine enemies haue not preuailed against thée: Thy foes haue not had their lust of thee; therefore as thou hast heretofore hoped; so still hope in the Lord, faint not, but be strong; be not afraid [Page 330] whatsoeuer befalleth thée, or whosoeuer assaileth thée, be not dismaied; for he that hath hitherunto béene thy helper and refuge, will neuer leaue thée nor forsake thée, if thou hope in him and be strong in [...]ith. And though thou be in danger, in trouble, and in whatsoeuer affliction, and séest no deliuery present; trust in the Lord, and hée will deliuer thée and comfort thine heart: For if in trouble and danger there were in­stant deliuery, there were no place for Hope; for Hope is of things not séene, not of things presently enioyed. Wherefore Dauid exhorts himselfe (as it were) and [Page 331] others to wait on God for their deliuery out of their miseries & troubles, through faith. Hope in the Lord, wait on God with faithfull pati­ence: Grudge not though troubles arise, though crosses come, and afflictions befall thée; be strong, be constant, take courage, murmur not, fret not, disquiet not thy selfe, but be strong, and trust in the Lord.

There are some, no doubt, that can beare troubles, nay fortures, with a séeming inuincible patience in an ill cause; carying themselues with such a valorous force of spirit, as if they had the ve­ry Quintessence of faith, and [Page 332] an vndaunted hope; as wée may reade of Reualiack, Bal­thasar, and other murtherers of Kings. It is but a pati­ence without true patience; for without obedience to Gods precepts, there is no true religion; without true religion, there can bee no true faith; without true faith, no true patience; and therefore that patience that is shewed in such, and like capitall murtherers, howso­euer constantly they may séeme to endure their tor­ments, it is but the delusion Satan, that while they are yet breathing, doth stand to animate them to that séeming patience, and resolution out­ward, [Page 333] which (the parties be­ing dead) their consciences shall neuer approue, but their last gaspe shall carrie that horror with it, that if it might after outwardly appeare, would manifestly testifie, that as the cause for which they suffered, was in it selfe wicked, their punishments legally and iustly deserued and inflicted; their patience would shew it selfe a kinde of desperate running head-long into their owne perdition: Leauing then these men to their owne Diabolicall strength, let vs hope in the Lord, let vs pray to become strong in him, faithfull in him, and truly patient in [Page 334] him in all our sufferings, for there is no commendable suf­fering for euill doing; and therefore saith S. Paul, spea­king to the faithfull: Let none of you suffer as a murde­rer or a theefe, &c. But if any man suffer as a Christian, namely for Christs Gospels sake, and for well doing, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorifie God in this be­halfe, namely, that he is ac­counted worthy to suffer for the truth of Christ.

Hope in the Lord; Here is our confidence: Bee strong; here is our constancy: And he shall comfort thine heart; Here is the end of Hope and strength, comfort of the heart. [Page 335] Whosoeuer then hopeth of helpe from any inferior crea­ture, nay, from an Angell in heauen, and excludes God; or standeth vpon his owne strength, wealth, wisdome, friends, or worldly policy, and thinketh by these, or any of these to be freed from dan­ger, eased in troubles, or re­léeued in want, exempting God; nay, if hée take not the counsell of God, by the dire­ction of his word and prayer; his hope will proue but a sha­dow, and his strength as the strength of a Bull-rush.

Dauid bendeth his eies from all these, to the loue, power, and prouidence of God, in whom and whose [Page 336] aid he onely taketh for his strength: assuring himselfe, that he will not onely send him outward reléefe accor­ding to his hope; but with inward ioy and consolation comfort his heart: There­fore doth he encourage him­selfe and others, to hope in the Lord, and not in carnall meanes: To bee strong in faith in God, not in y ^e strength of humane aid. God must be totally our hope & strength, or else he will be no part: for a hope that is partly in God, and partly in other meanes, is not the hope that tieth the promise of the true comfort, but that hope that is confir­med and made strong by [Page 337] faith. To this hope is a pro­mise annexed, that when dangers, enemies and trou­bles, beset a man round a­bout, though he want things necessary, though sicknesse afflict him, though crosses without and griefes within doe oppresse him, though friends saile him, and euery thing séeme to goe against him, and he be depriued of all visible meanes to escape; there remaineth yet hope in the Lord to be patient, and not to faint.

This hope is the gift of God: But there is a hope that is common to carnall men. They hope vpon some probabilities séene, or con­ceiued: [Page 338] As the hope of a son for the inheritance of a fa­ther or a friend, for some­thing vpon death to be gi­uen them, and the like. This is not that hope that Dauid meanes, when he saies hope; but a certaine kinde of vn­certaine expectation of things desired. But Dauids hope is a sauing hope, necessarily ioyned with saith and a pati­ent waiting: For that which we stedfastly beléeue shall come to passe; and in nothing is the force of faith and hope more séene or felt, than in af­fliction and trials: For these bring forth patience, and pa­tience experience, and experi­ence hope; which maketh the [Page 339] godly to reioyce in tribulati­on, wherein is glory and no shame: whereas in carnall hope there is often shame and seldome glory.

Saint Paul was so farre from being ashamed of his afflictions, as he gloried in them, for the hopes sake that is set before vs all, of a most excellent issue, and end of our hope; and as through the holy Ghost, the God of hope plentifully filled Paul with ioy and strength, euen in his afflictions, and with peace in beleeuing the promi­ses, whereby he abounded in hope, that all his troubles, trialls, and afflictions should end with comfort; So let vs [Page 340] pray vnto the same God of hope to be filled with like hope, that our afflictions may likewise end in comfort; which though we presently possesse not, yet let vs with that blessed Apostle, with pa­tience wait for it.

But Pauls hope and pati­ence aimed to heauenly, not to earthly accomplishments; not looking for the euent of his hope in this life: How then may his hope of heauen­ly glory, and Dauids hope to be defended and reléeued here in the land of the liuing con­curre? They may well stand together: Euen as Christ by healing of corporall diseases, made men heauenly minded, [Page 341] and cleane by forgiuing their sinnes; so Dauid praied not so simply for corporall deli­uerie, but he praied also for the light of the truth, that he might dwell in the Temple of God, for mercy, and the like. And although Paul sée­med by his words to hope onely for heauenly glory, ne­cessaries for this life were necessarily included. He that duly and truly praies for heauenly, cannot be frustrate of earthly: and he that praies faithfully for earthly, cannot but therewith ioyne heauen­ly blessings; for true and sin­cere hope includes both. He therefore that through faith in Christ doth hope in the [Page 342] Lord, and becommeth strong in him: Hee will comfort his heart with the supply both of heauenly and earthly blessings. As it is lawfull for vs to pray vnto God for cor­porall necessaries; so are wée bound to hope and wait for them. Without hope of vi­ctory Dauid would neuer haue entred the combat with Goliah.

Wée must therefore hope in the Lord and bee strong, trusting in God, and our hearts shall bee comforted. We may not looke backe or about vs for helpe, our helpe commeth from heauen; there­fore must we not hope, and hope a hope partly from a­boue, [Page 343] and partly from be­neath; but our hope must bée in God alone: yet not to con­temne or despise the inferior meanes that God vseth here below, as his Instruments for our good; in whom wée may haue a kinde of hope, as Dauid had in Ionathan, that he would deale faithfully with him in the matter of Saul his father: so may wée hope in man: but our confi­dence must be in God alone.

What God hath promised in his Word, he will assu­redly performe to them that truly beléeue. And that did Dauid finde, euen when the Crowne was like to bée taken from his head: Hee [Page 344] fainted not, but held fast by the accustomed loue and help of God, and became strong in faith, euen when his enemies were in their fiercest fury a­gainst him. He waited still, vsing little or no other resi­stance against his enemies, than feruent praier to God, and his counsell: and his ex­pectation in patience was not in vaine; for the Lord sub­dued his enemies without the great force of Dauid; and thereupon he tooke courage, he hoped in the Lord, he was strong in faith, and the Lord did comfort his heart.

He sought not as the wic­ked doe, sinister and forbid­den meanes to be deliuered: [Page 345] For when Saul his mortall enemy pursued him with deadly malice to take away his life; yet when Saul fell into his hands, and had him twice in his power, and might haue ended the quar­rell, and fréed himselfe of danger, he would not doe it, no, though he might haue made present way for him­selfe to the kingdome, whose it was after Saul: yet neither his owne perill wherein hée daily stood, through the ma­lice and fury of Saul, nor his owne future right to the Crowne could moue him to touch the Lords anointed; contrary to the minds of ma­ny ambitious men, both of [Page 346] former and latter ages, who are loth to let slip any oppor­tunitie offered, be it neuer so vniust, to aduance their greatnesse. But Dauid staid himselfe vpon hope, that God who had so often deliuered him, would still doe it with­out any vnlawfull meanes of his owne, and in his time appointed would aduance him as he had promised, and therefore waited the time with patience, comforting his heart in the middest of his dangers. And long it was not before he came lawfully to that which before he might and would not, because hée hoped in God whom he knew he should haue offended, if he [Page 347] had taken the counsel of some that aduised him.

There is no hope to that hope whereunto Dauid en­courageth himselfe & others, no strength to that strength: and no mans heart can bée truly comforted, but by the comfort wherewith he affir­meth his heart was comfor­ted: therefore chéereth he vp his owne soule with this holy resolution, to hope in the Lord, with this heauenly strength, to be strong in the Lord, and with that comfort wherewith he was comfor­ted of the Lord. There is a hope that is vaine, a strength that is weake, and a comfort that is but coun­terfeit. [Page 348] Let vs then take hold of that hope, & that strength, and that comfort that is of God, and trust in him: So shall we not néed to be afraid of enemies, to faint in affli­ctions, but shall be sure to finde comfort in all our trou­bles.

Salomon saith, that hope that is deferred, is the fain­ting of the heart; but that is but to the faint-hearted: For if we wait not, it is no hope; but if we abide with patience Gods appointed time, we shall enioy what we hope for: And when the de­sire commeth it is a tree of life. And Dauid hauing often gathered the fruit of this [Page 349] trée, and fed thereon when he fainted, he giues here of the same fruit to others; Hope (saith he) in the Lord, bee strong, be not faint-hearted, though hope be deferred: for comming the thing we hope for will tarry no longer than a conuenient time, and then it will comfort the heart. Hope groweth strong, by the effects of Gods goodnesse for­merly hoped for, and had: which Saint Paul affirmeth, encouraging the Corinthians as Dauid did himselfe and others, To hope, to be strong, to trust in the Lord, and to lay hold vpon the hope that is set before vs, which hope we haue as an anker of the soule, [Page 350] sure and stedfast. And this is the comfort of the heart that Dauid meaneth, euen our faith in God, whereby wée take hold of the assured per­formance of his promises, not onely of temporall and corpo­rall, but of spirituall and ce­lestiall blessings: And the pa­tient waiting for them is our Hope.

How then can it bee, that God who hath promised vn­to the faithfull the life to come, that with patience in hope wait for it vnder the crosse, should not consider & regard their dangers, trou­bles, afflictions, euen in this life? For if he haue giuen his Sonne to die for our sinnes, [Page 351] how should he not with him giue vs all things to enioy? Though wée must wait his time▪ he is not slacke as some men count slacknesse, but is alwaies ready and at hand; he that hath promised, hee is faithfull and true. Though the vnfaithfull will not take his word, not his hand, not his oath; the faithfull know and are assured, that he will neuer faile them, nor forsake them; Therefore hope in the Lord, be strong, and he will comfort thine heart: And trust in the Lord.