Works, Part 4 · Biblical exegesis 1 · Portion 21
PORTION. 21. RESH.
Vers. 153.
Behold mine afflictions and deliuer me, for I hauehave not forgotten thy Law.
THe selfe same argument and matter is here repeated, which was before, but after another manner. Hee saith portion 16. 1. I hauehave executed iudgement and iustice, leaue me not to mine oppressours. The which in sense being all one with the other, and seeing we hauehave deliuered the doctrine at large before, here is not much to be spoken. OnelyOnly we may obserue this, he here laieth his misery open, and vnfoldeth his estate before the Lord: Behold (saith he) O Lord, thine eyes are vponupon the righteous, thine eares are open to their Note.prayers. Thou seest my case, let me s…e thy grace, that I may knowe for a trueth, that thou lookest on me. The cause then, why we oftentimes are not helped, is, because we hide our troubles from the Lord.
True it is, that the Lord seeth all, although we should hide all; neither needeth he the displaying of our owne miseries, but yet in all troubles hee would hauehave vsus to open and acknowledge our griefe vntounto him, that he might the better make knowne to vsus, that hee hath helpe laid vp for vsus.
Wherefore we must beware, least at any time we smoother our estate, or seeke vnlawful meanes, but in all things with prayer and supplication make our necessitie knowne to the Lord. His reason ioyned herewith is this: For I hauehave not forgotten thy Law: that is, although O Lord: there is great want of obedience in me, and I cannot, and hauehave not exactly kept thy commandements; yet I am none of them that contemne thy Law; wherefore O Lord help me. Thus we see stil that the man of God suffered as a weldoer, teaching vsus, that if we suffer as ill-doers, the rod of correction shall not depart from vsus, vntill in some measure it hath wrought in vsus repentance: but if we suffer with him as wel-doers, we may boldly vse this argument, and with this reason desire the Lord, that hee would take his owne cause which we maintaine, into his own hand. And although he was a sinner, which here he doth not denie, and did forget many particular points of the Law; yet hee purposeth rather to shew, how hee was no notorious sinner, or such a one as did fouly and gr…ssely forget the Law. So his meaning is thus much in effect; Although I hauehave offended, yet hauehave I not cast thy Law behind my backe; I find and confesse, how of frailtie and infirmitie I hauehave offended, … not maliciously and obstinately.
Wherefore although we cannot be free from all sins, yet we must beware of presumptuous … … ▪ and although we are weake, yet we must not willingly and wittingly depart from the law. What then is the cause, why oft it is so long ere we be deliuered? euen because weeSecret sinnes. lie in some secret sinne. For wee must plead our cause in a right plea, if wee will pleade with God; if we suffer as wel-doers, wee may pray to the Lord for defence: but if wee suffer as euill-doers, we must labour to repent. Wherefore in all discredit, reproches and ignominies, we must labour to say in the trueth of our hearts: I hauehave not forgotten thy Law.
Vers. 154.
Pleade my cause and deliuer me, quicken me according to thy word.
THis agreeth also in the second place with the second verse of the 16 Port▪ whereof we spake before, Answere for thy seruant in that which is good. The children of this world are wiser in their kinde, than the childrē of God, & the man of God had such enemies, as in subtilties were wiser, in force stronger, and more valiant than hee; which made him enforce his praier to the Lord, that he would be his tower against their assaults, and his aduocate against all their policies.
Thus we see he trusteth not to the equitie of his owne cause, but to the Lord: whereby wee may gather, that the cause why our oppressors preuaile oft against vsus, is, because wee trust too much in our owne wits, and leane too farre vponupon our owne inuentions, opposingNote. subtiltie to subtiltie, one euill deuice to another, matching and maintaining policie by policie, and not commit our cause to the Lord. Wherfore in such a case, we are to pray to the Lord, to put wisedome into our mouthes, that wee may bee taught what to speake, and strength into our hands, that we may know how to fight.
Quicken me according to thy word: whether the Prophet desireth to be quickned corporally or spiritually: whether for that hee was readie to be swallowed vp of his aduersaries, or for that hee needed some inward comfort, or whether it were for both, it is not greatly materiall; but I thinke we may safely take it in both senses. For if he were quickned in the spirit, he knew that the other comfort would follow after: So that if we vnderstand it spiritually, he prayeth that by faith and quickning grace, hee might be encouraged to goe on forward, and that he might no more faint hereafter than he had done heretofore. Without which grace supporting and renewing him he was like to quaile vnderunder the burden. Thus we see Gods children are often at deaths dore in body and soule, and therefore had neede to pray to be quickned.
In that he addeth, according to thy word: he giueth vsus to wit, that all our helpe is in the word of God, and that all our helpes which proceede not from the word and promise of God in the end become vaine. Although this doctrin seemeth at the first to be a common thing, yet the onelyonly cause why wee so often faint vnderunder the crosse, is, because wee forget Gods promises, or el…e we cannot beleeue that the truth of them particularly belongeth vntounto vsus. And this is that that maketh the very children of God, so often to stagger, the want whereof is great. Suppose yee saith our Sauiour Christ, that the Sonne of man when he comm…th shall find faith on the earth? whereby he noteth what an hard thing it is, to hauehave true faith, which so is fixed in God, as neuerthelesse there is no faith, but in his word.
Verse. 155.
Saluation it farre from the wicked▪ because they seeke not thy statutes.
HE said in the portion going before, they are farre from thy law: here he saith, they seek▪ not thy statutes: in which words he expresseth his meaning more plainely. In the former place he saith, they were farre from the law; here he confesseth they sought it not at all. His meaning of this verse is thus much: I see their manners are wicked, I know they cannot prosper in them, for thou art the iudge of the world, therfore they hauehave no interest to saluation. And why? there is no coherence betweene wickednes and saluation. If we were in truth perswaded of this, we would not so ly in sinne. For if we did surely beleeue that saluation pertaineth to none, but to them that keepe a true faith, and therewith labour to ioyne a good conscience, how durst we be so bold Idolaters, so prophane swearers, so vnreuerent breakers of the Sabbath? If blasphemous mouthes were throughly perswaded of this, would they not tremble and quake, that now mocke and scoffe at the ministerie, and ministers of the word? we see then how p…arcing words these are. They that depart from God, by going to wisards, they that go farre from his word by changing his holy Sabbath, which is as a day of medicine for the soule, into an hurtfull day, the Lord will also depart from them, the Lord will be farre from their saluation. All sinnes wherein men lie and continue, put them far from saluation. But who then shall be saued? euen they that labour for faith and a good conscience. Who then shall be damned? they that are farre from faith, and seeke not Gods law.
As this doctrine is to the terrour of the wicked, so it maketh for the comfort of the godly. We see the vngodly proue very couragious, and thriue very notably in their sinne, not being presently punished, because such is our corruption, that vntil we taste some outward smart, we become hardned. This declareth, in that we abstaine from sinne, onelyonly for punishments sake, and we would sinne at riot were there no punishing, that we are but Hypocrites, and such from whom saluation is farre off. Well if saluation be farre from them, that seeke not Gods law; then may we gather on the contrarie, that saluation is neere them that seeke his law: for like is the rule of contraries. If we then labour for faith and a good conscience, we may assure our selues of saluation. Wherefore, wouldest thou hauehave assurance to be saued? let the word be neere thee in thy mouth, and in thine heart, Rom, 10. 8 Let it dwell plentifully in thee with all manner of wisedome, Col. 3. 16. Here is also a good rule as we see, whereby we may discerne who be good, and who be euill. Here the Lord hath set downe one stedfast order, which is a touchstone to trie al men, and howsoeuer we account of it, it is alwaies the same, and like to it selfe, condemning sinne, commending holines. Oh to what extremities should we be brought in these latter dayes of sinne and iniquitie; wherein heresies hauehave so corrupted doctrine, and vngodlines hath so stained our liues, if we had not this constant rule of Gods word among vsus▪ Oh what a treasure is it whereby we may see heresie and auoide it: whereby we may see truth and follow it. Which rule of equitie, seeing willingly the wicked depart from, they are worthily plunged and plagued in their owne sinnes.
Vers. 156.
Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord, quicken me according to thy iudgements.
THat is: True it is, I am a sinner, O Lord, but yet I am not a desperate sinner, as mine enemies are; but such a one, as on whom thou wilt shew thy mercies: therefore I hope, that thou wilt helpe. If thou shouldest simply deale with me according to my deseruings, I should be condemned: for who can stand in thy sight iustified: but I compare not my selfe with thee, but with them who are become mine aduersaries.
According to thy iudgements. Such is thy fatherly mercy, which forgiueth my sinnes, and heareth my prayers, that thou wilt not reward me according to mine iniquities, but wilt fauourably looke vponupon me, according to the multitude of thy mercies.
Vers. 157.
My persecutors and mine oppressors are many: yet doe I not swarne from thy testimonies.
THis sentence is the same in effect with diuers other in diuers portions of this Psalm. As, The proude hauehave had me exceedingly in derision: the proude hauehave digged pits for me: the wicked hauehave laid a snare for me, and such like.
Now in that he saith, my oppressors are many: he sheweth that he had not to doe with one man or two, but with many. It is a matter, as wee hauehave shewed before, to be godly among the godly. but he is a diuel, that is euil among Angels, and therefore was he worthily cast downe into hell: and he is a sinner, that will sinne among Saints, and therefore iustly was Adam throwne out of Paradise. If we liue among the godly, what praise is it to be godly? nay, what an horrible thing were it not to be godly? If the Church discipline were truly executed, it were a small commendation to do well, and to abstaine from sinne; yet now in this want, it is praise-worthie to abstaine from sinne for feare of God. But it may be we taste not of such troubles, as the Prophet tasted of, because we liue not so carefull of godlinesse, as he did, which if in truth we did, we should hauehave troubles as he had. Well, we are in this world as sheepe among wolues, to trie vsus, whether we will be corrupted with the euil examples of this world, or whether we will swarue from the Lord our God, whilest he proueth vsus.
Their carnall reasoning commeth to nothing, which say, the world is set on euill, the world was neuer so wicked, charitie was neuer so colde, a man cannot now professe without taunts, scoffes, and troubles. For we see here, that the Prophet, in his time, had many and great persecutors, whom notwithstanding so manifold corruptions could nothing mooue. Wherefore we must learne, although sometime we are slaundered, though sometime we are euill spoken of, taunted and troubled, our estate is not worse than our forefathers hath bene, and the beloued Saints of God hauehave had before vsus. So long as we are well entreated of God and man, we will keepe the lawe: but when we suffer reproaches, taunts, iniuries, losse or discredit we then run either to euill meanes, or to reuengement, or to dispaire. Where many iniuries hauehave bene offered, many hauehave bene rendred againe: if they hauehave not requited iniury for iniury with reuenge, they hauehave vsed some ill means to escape out of their trouble: if they hauehave not vsed ill meanes, yet they hauehave secretly begun to mistrust God his promises and prouidence, and hauehave gone to wisards and witches: if they could doe nothing in malice, they would doe something in policie; if they could preuaile with neither, they would fall to dispaire.
But the Prophet of God vseth here no vnlawfull meanes, he goeth not in his afflictionWitchcraft. to Sorcerers, hee recompenceth not ill for ill, hee did not dispaire in God his promises, he did not thinke with himselfe, that the Lord would defend his enemies cause, and forsake him; but hoped still in God, his good and appointed time to receiue helpe: wherein the man of God is set before vsus for our imitation, in that neither his faith could bee shaken, nor his obedience slaked nor daunted. And surely this is Sathans last refuge, and most daungerous assault to perswade vsus in affliction, that therefore the Lord doth plunge vsus in miserie, because he hath no louelove towards vsus. But the man of God opposing his faith to all such temptations; saith, I know, O Lord, by the records of thy law, that thou hast laide vp helpe for mee, and that thou art my defender. How sweete and comfortable this is, they which are humbled, and well exercised by temptations know. What greater assault vsed the diuell to our Sauiour Christ, than this: what saith he, doest thou thinke if thou werst Gods childe, thou shouldest want bread: it is not like, if thou werst the sonne of God, that hee would or could suffer thee to be without food? Like are his temptations to vsus, art thou, thinkest thou the childe of God? then thou shouldest be helped, then thou shouldest not lie in this case. This was his last dart which he threw at Christ on the crosse, if thou art the childe of God, then we doubt there is nothing, but thou canst helpe thy selfe. Well, we see here, that the man of God neither mistrusteth Gods promises, nor forsaketh his law. Neither surely is our faith sound, vntill we can beleeue in miserie; neither is our obedience pure vnlesse we continue, euen when we are oppressed, not of a few, but of many. For then we may perswade our selues to hauehave true faith, when it is wrought in prosperitie and tried in aduersitie, and being voide of all helpe of men, wee still hope for helpe of God, that we may say: I will not be afraid often thousands of the people, that should beset me round about, Psalm. 4. 6. Though I walke through the vallie of the shadow of death I will feare no euill, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staffe doe comfort me, Psalm. 23. 4. I am perswaded that neither life, nor death, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other thing shall be able to separate vsus from this louelove of God, which is in Christ Iesus our Lord.
Verse 158.
I saw the transgressors and was greiued: because they kept not thy word.
THis also in substance we had before, where the Prophet saith, Mine eyes gush out with riuers of water, because they kept not thy law: my zeale hath euen consumed me, because mine enemies hauehave forgotten thy word. The Prophets words in a word hauehave this meaning: Lord, as for mine owne things or priuate iniuries, I am cōtent to put them vp, but when I saw they began to breake thy law, this pinched me at the heart. Here we see he was not very nice and delicate, in the defence of his owne case, but when it came to Gods cause he was notZeale. smally mooued. Whereby we must learne to translate our zeale to Gods cause, and in defence of his glorie, to hauehave our heart blood waxe hot, so that euen a godly anger with griefe be stirred vp in vsus. For this is the difference, betweene a holy and spirituall anger, and prophane and carnall anger: holy anger is with griefe of the sinne, and without reuengeAnger▪ of the person: carnall anger is with reuenge of the person, and without griefe of the sinne. Wherefore if we will hauehave our anger holy, it must be tempered with griefe, as we did speake before of zeale, wherein we taught, that our anger should feede vponupon the sinne, and cōpassion should make vsus bleed with griefe for the persons sinning. Well, we may learne, that if we will not swarue from Gods law, we must not onelyonly be grieued for our sinnes, but also for the sinnes of others. For this is the triall of a godly griefe, when we are first grieued with our owne, and then are grieued with the sinnes of others, because true griefe beginneth first in our selues, and from our selues it passeth truly vntounto others.
On the contrarie, we much bewray our hypocrisie, if we first wade vponupon other mensHypocrisie. sinnes, and suffer our owne to grow: and if we can fret angerly at a little sinne in another, and can be no whit displeased with a great sinne in our selues.
This is a preposterous griefe, to weep, to sorrow, to sigh for sinnes in others; and not to weepe for the sinnes of our owne soules: and this is want of the true louelove of Gods word, To be grieued when wee our selues doe sinne, and to be nothing grieued for the sinnes of others. Note.Wherefore if we be in place, where we want time and opportunitie openly to rebuke sinne and reforme it, at the least let vsus labour to be grieued, which griefe must sit so neere our hearts, that when any time or opportunitie serueth, we cease not, nor stay to vtter it with our mouthes. For they that are throughly grieued at the heart, will at one time or other burne, vntill they hauehave vttered it with their mouth. Wherefore we must labour, whatsoeuer sinne we mislike in iudgement, to be grieued for the same in affection: for many can mislike sinne, and it is an easie thing; but few are grieued for sinne, for it is an hard matter. If euer we had neede to mourne for the sinnes of others, we had neede at this day, that our griefe of sinne in time of prosperitie may shew vsus, what faith we shall finde in trouble. But no marueile though we be no more grieued with sinnes in others, because we are so little grieued with sinne in our selues▪ For if we were throughly and sincerely grieued with sins in our selues, we should also be grieued with it in others, wheresoeuer we found it: Which griefe we shall not truly hauehave, vntill we can deuoure all priuate iniuries. And seeing this is the ioy of a true Christian, to see the Gospell hauehave free passage; and this is the sorrow and griefe of the childe of God, to see this Gospell hindred: they who reioyce not at the one, nor sorrow for the other, hauehave either the louelove of the word cold in them, or altogether none.
And as it is an argument of Gods childe, to be grieued more for one breach of Gods law, than for many priuate offences; so it is an argument of selfe-louelove, to take to heart so grieuously priuate euils, and little to be moued as key colde to see the contempt of Gods glorie. Wherefore it followeth in the next verse.
Vers. 159.
Consider, O Lord, how I louelove thy precepts: quicken me according to thy l…ving kinnesse.
HEre is an argument of true louelove: Lord, saith the man of God, I louelove thy law in myNote. selfe, I louelove it also in others; for looke what good thing is in me, I wish the same in others: I hate sinne in my selfe, I am sorie for it in others: For looke what euill I mislike in my selfe, I am grieued for it in others.
That we may make this a rule, to examine our hearts by: doe we louelove the law of God? how shall we know it? euen when we are as glad, that others doe well, and fare well to their saluation, as we would be for our selues; when we are as much grieued, when others doe ill, as if we our selues had done it. For many will come so farre, as to mislike sinne, and to speake vehemently against sinne, but few come to be grieued for sinne: wherefore seeing sinne is so ripe, let vsus so be grieued for it as we may pray against it, and let vsus craue of God to hauehave this godly griefe stricken into vsus, that by that meanes we may be stir…ed vp to prayer, and so we shall in time to come, either reioyce to see our prayers graunted, and our mournings effectuall, or else we shall beare the testimonie of a good conscience, and in as much as in vsus doth lie, we shall be guiltlesse of their sinnes. Neither in saying, Consider how I louelove thy precepts, doth the man of God say out his good deedes, but humbly confesseth to the Lord his owne graces receiued, as may appeare by the words following, where he pleadeth merciemercy and not merit. This louelove wherewith he loued God came from thatRom. …. 3. 4. 5. Luk. 7. 47. louelove wherewith God first loued him. For he seeing the great louelove wherewith God loued him, he was mooued and inforced to louelove God againe: so that his purpose is thus much: Thou seest Lord, that I am an enemie to sin in my selfe, for I forget not thy law; thou seest I am an enemie to sin in others, for I am grieued to see them transgresse thy law: wherefore O Lord, quicken me, and let thy louing merciemercy whereby thou hast created me and redeemed me in Christ, whereby thou hast deliuered me from so many troubles, and enriched me with so many, and continuall benefits, renew, reuiue, quicken and restore me.
Thus we see it was not his deserts, but Gods louing kindnes, whereof he speaketh: which if we would often meditate of, in seeing how fearefully we are made, how gratiously we are preserued, how mercifully we are redeemed, from how many sinnes we are deliuered, what fearefull iudgements we hauehave escaped, we should prouoke our selues the more to the louelove of God and his word.
Againe, in that he saith, quicken me, we see he acknowledgeth no other life, but that which is from the word, and that we liue by faith: and therefore he teacheth vsus, that we should craue our life both temporall and spirituall of God. And if without the word we are not able to liue in the bodily life, much lesse without it are we able to liue the spirituall life.
Whereas he repeateth this request three times in this one portion, we may know, thatDulnes. he felt great dulnesse and deadnesse in himselfe, which often creepeth euen on the dearest Saints of God: but so as they struggle against it still, and referre themselues to Gods merciemercy, wherein consisteth our life both spirituall and corporall.
Vers. 160.
The beginning of thy word is truth, and all the iudgements of thy righteousnesse endure for euer.
AS if hee should say: I beleeue that thou wilt thus quicken men, because the verie beginning of thy Word is most iust and true; and when thou diddest first enter into couenant with me, I did finde that thou diddest not deceiue me, nor beguile me▪ and when by thy spirit thou madest me beleeue thy couenant, thou meanest trut… … I know that …s thou diddest promise, thou wil… performe: for thou art no more liberall in promising, than faithfull and iust in performing, and thy iudgement will be as righteous, as thy promise is true; wherefore as soone as thou speakest, trueth proceedeth from thee; so … know that thou wilt defend and preserue me, that thy iudgements may s…e as righteou, in thee.Esay. 25. …. And as this was particular to him: so is it generall to all for where the Lord doth in merciemercy promise, there in righteousnesse he will performe: and where the Lord in w…h do… threaten, there in iudgement he wil righteously execute. For where he …, he sheweth himselfe true; and when he performeth, he executeth righteousness & when the Lord threatneth, he manifesteth himselfe to be iust; & when he executeth, he proueth himselfe to be righteous. So the speech of the man of God containeth thus much: Though all men be liars, I know thou, O Lord, art true; thou doest promise that thou w…t watch ouer thy children, and that no temptation shall ouercome them; I know this promise is true, and therefore as thou diddest promise in truth in the beginning, so wil… thou performe in righteousnes in the ending. For both in beginning and in ending, thou … …like and true. How iniurious then are we to the Lord, who will doubt of Gods promises, that in prosperitie he will renue our hearts, and put into vsus a good spirit? And why doe we doubt of his prouidence in aduersitie, seeing his promise hath euer his issue in truth and veritie? and seeing the Lord will not leaue vsus, vntill eueryevery word that he hath spoken come to pass: for heauen and earth shall passe, but not one word of his mouth shall faile. And as the consideration hereof doth cōfort vsus in his promises, so also must it humble vsus in his threatnings. Seeing then he hath pronounced, and giuen out his sentence, that no vnrighteous persons, nor fornicatours, nor idolaters, nor adultere…s, nor wantons, nor buggerers, …r theeues, nor couetous, nor drunkards, nor …a…lers, nor extortioners, shall inherit then his kingdome: as this is truth, so it shall surely come to passe in his righteous iudgement. So that they that hauehave done these things, without speciall grace and singular repentance, shall surely be damned. For as true as the word of God is, so righteous are his iudgements. He is true of his mouth, when the word passeth from him; he is iust in his workes, when he is righteous in performing.
Thus we see that to be soundly grounded in faith, we must couple with the promises of God his performance, with his threatnings his executions. Thus also must we fight against vnbeleefe: so that if we will not … the Lord of vntruth, we must waite for the accomplishmēt of his truth. Whether then concerning …s mercy, his promise be of newnes of life, of forgiuenes of sinnes, of his prouidence▪ or of life euerlasting: we must strengthen our faith with assurance, that as his word is true; so also his executing of it is righteous. So that the word of God shall certainly hauehave an issue, either to humble vsus by profiting, or else to debarre vsus of his kingdome in refusing it.
The sense then of the man of God is plaine and euident, in shewing whatsoeuer the Lord hath spoken for good in his promise, he will performe it to his children. Whatsoeuer he hath threatned for euill, he will execute it vponupon the sinners: so that we may be assured of the full accomplishment of his promises, and of the righteous executing of his iudgements.