Meditations Upon Eight Psalms, Part 2
The 32. Pſalme meditated.
1BleſſedOH my God, where ſhall that true felicitie bee found, which vngracious men weene to finde? Certainly man findes it not within him ſelfe. For who is he that can ſaye, hee is without ſinne in his ſoule? And where there is ſinne, doubtleſſe there is malediction alſo. And for the body, what man is ſo brutiſh, that can perſwade himſelf, the moſt ſoueraigne good ſhoulde fall into a lumpe ſubiect to ſo many euils and miſeries within and without, bringing it at length alſo to death? This felicitie then is out of our ſelues, and we muſt begge it from otherwhere. And from whēce? To ſeeke it among beaſtes were more then beaſtlike, and conſequently much leſſe will it be founde in the ſenſeleſſe creatures. O golde and ſiluer, ſo highly valued with men of no value for wit, how cā you make a man happie, ſith your beſt ſeruice to a man ſtandeth in leauing him, & to paſſe to another, & that tarying wt him, you bring him nothing but care to keepe you, feare to loſe you, and an vnſatiable deſire to hoarde you? Thou foode, whoſe taſte holdes not the ſpace of halfe a foote in all mans body, and cannot be felt, but while it is in looſing, which canſt not nouriſh but with thine owne corruption, which art moſt commonly the inſtrument of maladies, and finally of death, canſt thou bring bliſſe to a man? You celeſtiall circles turning about endleſly, is it true that mans happy or vnhappy ſtate hanges vponupon your influences? How ſenſeleſſe were he yt ſo would thinke, ſith you your ſelues muſt ſuffer chāge? And being ſuch as you are, you ſend vsus to ye knowledge of one farre greater, vponupon whom you your ſelues depende. You ſpirituall creatures ſo excellent, ſhal it be you yt ſhal furniſh vsus of this goodly felicitie? You be happie in deede & very puiſſaunt creatures, & yet but creatures, & therefore alſo vnable to repaire ye image of God in me, (without which I muſt remaine vnhappie) as to ſay trueth, it is not your woorke, but for God alone: neither were you created to beſtow on me yt which you hauehave not your ſelues receiued, but by ye free goodnes of him that is greater then you, & then all things elſe. And if I find none elſewhere, neither aboue, nor belowe, yt can giuegive me in part or in whole, that which I ſeeke, ſhould I bee ſo deuoyd of vnderſtanding, as to thinke yt I can giuegive it to my ſelfe? Shal I find bleſſednes in corruption, iuſtice in vnrighteouſneſſe, life in death? For what am I Lord in my ſelf but corruption, but vnrighteouſnes, but death? Alas then, ſhal I periſh? For out of al doubt, death is ye wages of ſinne. But ye caſe ſo ſtands, O God, that no euill is incurable to the Almightie. He which hath drawen all things out from nothing, can he be hindered to make againe his owne work? He that cauſed light to come out of darkneſſe, ſhal not he bring againe frō death to life? Yes certainly, otherwiſe death being ye ſtrōger, might thruſt God out of his ſeate. Nowe then, Lord, my diſeaſe being paſt cure of all creatures, I come to thee, who canſt doe all that thou wilt: and who haſt ſhewed yet more excellent teſtimonie of thy goodwil in ſauing man, then thou diddeſt of thy might in creating him. Thy might ſurely was witneſſed by a meane wel becomming thee, when thou madeſt all of nothing, framing man to thine image and likeneſſe: and this ſame infinite power appeares clearely in the conſeruation of all thy creatures. But what is all this in compariſon of that worke, mans Redemption?is hee, whoſe wickedneſſe is forgiuen, & whoſe ſinne is couered. Bleſſed then is he, not ſimply whome thou haſt created, (for man turned this bleſſing of creation into an aſſured curſe by ill vſing it but rather is he bleſſed, whome thou haſt ranſommed through ſuch a great goodnes of thine, as eueryevery way excels. For leſſe vnworthy of thy gratious boū tie is hee, which yet hath no being, then is the ſinner: And thou contentedſt not thy ſelfe (O great deapth of goodneſſe) to reſtore to ſinnefull man that bliſſe which hee had loſt, but thou gaueſt him a farre better: For hauing created him ſuch a one, as by ſweruing from his perfection (as in deede hee did) might fall alſo into ſinne, death, and curſe, thou finally makeſt him ſuch a one by redemption, as hee can neyther ſinne nor dye, but is bleſſed for euer. O ſtraunge thing, O great and chiefe maſter worke of God! Al wretchedneſſe comes by ſinne, and yet none comes to happines, but hauing paſſed firſt and formoſt by ſinne: not that bliſſe comes out of ſinne, but becauſe mercy preſuppoſeth miſerie, pardon a fault, and quickning a former death. But whence comes this pardon? From thy ſelfe, O Lorde, and from thy pure bountie.
2Bleſſed is the mā, vntounto whō the Lord imputeth not iniquitie,2 And howe? euen by quitting me my tranſgreſſions, by couering my ſinnes, and by not reckoning vy mine iniquities: yet muſt thy iudgement be ſatiſfied euen wholy and to the vttermoſt. Here beholde againe a depth of wiſedome and goodnes: For howe great is that ſecret, nowe manifeſted by effect, where pardoning all, thou yet puniſheſt all, and we hauing payed nothing, yet finde our ſelues to hauehave wholy ſatiſfied thee? Iudgement is become mercy to vsus: out of malediction thou dreweſt bleſſing, & death hath brought foorth life. All this was thy doing, O God, infinitely great and euen ſo good: for who alſo coulde hauehave done it, but thou? thou haſt done it, becauſe it pleaſed thee, for, who knewe thee, who loued thee, who gaue vntounto thee firſt? That Emmanuel conceiued by the holie Ghoſt, hath fully repaired in himſelfe this poore nature conceyued in iniquitie. This righteous pledge hath accompliſhed all righteouſnes for vsus. The ſuertic that ought nothing, hath payd for our diſcharge. Wherfore then troubleſt thou thy ſelfe poore conſcience? That corruption wherein thou art, is blotted out in the holy of holyes, conceyued and borne for thee. The obedience of the acceptable one, with the fulneſſe of his obedience, hath filled euen til it ouerflow againe, this want of righteouſneſſe, which thy Creator requireth of thee. The ſuffrings of the iuſt of al iuſtes are thine acquittance. Beholde thy life and thy felicitie: there is none elſewhere, there is, I ſaye, none other Ieſus, that one and onelyonly name of ſaluation. What remaynes then, but that cheerefully without gloſſe, and vnfaynedly acknowledging thy ſelfe to be in death, thou receiue this life by a liuely faith, liuely, I ſay, whoſe effects may ſhewe themſelues.And in whoſe ſpirit there is no guyle. For beſides that God can not bee deceyued, hee is no ſauiour of deceyuers. The God of trueth hateth all falſehood: and who doth waſh himſelfe, to the ende to returne to ye filth? Is pardon giuen that we ſhould ſinne more hardily? Doeth light bring vsus into darkeneſſe? And as no fitter example of all this may bee, then my ſelfe: euen ſo will I publiſh it,3 When I helde my tongue, my bones conſumed, or when I roared all the day. to the ende that I may ſerue for a mirrour and paterne to others. Alas, in what paine was I? Were not all my bones dryed with heauineſſe? Was there euer ſommer drought more partching, then this heate, which hath vtterly marred mee? Howe oft hauehave I bene ouerwhelmed with anguiſh, not able to vtter one worde? How often on the other ſide,4 For thine hande is heauy vpō me, day & night: and my moyſture is turned into the drought of ſummer. hauehave I cryed and howled all the day long?
4 And not without cauſe, my God, for daye and night I felt the terrible weighing ſtrokes of thine hande, a burden intolerable for any creature. But howſoeuer I toſſed & tormented my ſelfe, where found I remedy at length? Hearken hereto eueryevery one, and thou my ſoule forget it neuer.
5 Then I acknowledged my ſinne vntounto thee, neyther hid I mine iniquitie: for I thought, I wil confeſſe againſt my ſelf my wickednes vntounto the Lord, and thou forgaueſt the puniſhmēt of my ſinne.5 So long as I ſought to excuſe my ſelfe, and couer my faultes in all or any part: So long as I went about to counterbalance my faultes with my payne, ſo long as I ſpurned againſt the ſpurre, my miſchiefe grewe ſtill: I hauehave therefore learned a farre other waye. I come to thee, O eternall God, my Iudge and my aduerſe partie, I hauehave confeſſed all, I hauehave ſuppreſſed nothing in ſilence, nor diſguiſed any of mine iniquitie: and according as I did purpoſe it in my ſelf, euen ſo hauehave I done: condemning my ſelfe I found abſolution, & ſummoning my ſelfe I was diſmiſſed.
6 Therfore ſhall eueryevery one, that is godly, make his prayer vntounto thee in a time, whē thou mayeſt be foūd: ſurely in the flood of great waters they ſhall not come neere him.6 Nowe then, all ye not hautie and high looking ones, but whome God hath vouchſafed grace to taſte his goodneſſe in afflictions, aboue all in the combats of conſcience, ſearche for this onelyonly and moſt aſſured remedy. HaueHave recourſe to him which ſmiteth you: the meane to finde him is prayer. Let not your vnworthines hinder you, but rather let it driue you ſo much the neerer him. With God he is counted worthie, which confeſſeth himſelfe vnworthie. Yf ſinne diſpleaſe thee becauſe it is ſinne, and that thou deſireſt his grace, knowe that already thou art halfe heard: For, true ſorowe to hauehave offended, deſire to come before him, and an affection to cry him mercy, be ſo many meſſengers whereby he inuiteth thee firſt, and ſo many teſtimonies that he wil be found to thee. Come then and enter, but with an heart ſtricken downe, with an head bowed low, and thou ſhalt feele all thy torment vaniſh away, all thine anguiſhes flee as farre from thee as euer they were nigh thee: that flood of euils which had couered and ſwallowed thee, ſhall voyde it ſelfe.
7 Thou art my ſecret place: thou preſerueſt me from trouble: thou compaſſeſt me about with ioyfull deliuerance.7 Shortly, in ſteade of this miſerie thou ſhalt receyue the true peace which the worlde can neither giuegive, nor take away, and the true repoſe of conſcience, euen the very anchre and earneſt peny of that durable bleſſedneſſe to followe. Certainely my God, this is true, for, I knowe it by experience, and ſhall learne it more and more, hauing thee for my Protector, giuing mee eueryevery day new arguments to praiſe thee, by continuall aſſiſtance of thy fauour, O my deliuerer,8 I will inſtruct thee, and teach thee in the way, that thou ſhalt goe, & I will guyde thee with mine eye. as agayne on my part thou onelyonly art, and ſhalt be my refuge and recourſe.
8 Learne this leſſon hardily of mee, thou, whoſoeuer deſireſt to knowe the right way, and bee content to take mee thy guyde in this behalfe.
9 Be ye not like an horſe, or like a mule which vnderſtand not: whoſe mouthes thou doeſt binde with bit & bridle leaſt they come neere thee.9 Beware you take not the bit in your teeth, nor kicke like mule and horſe: for ſo doe beaſtes voyde of vnderſtanding, and thou ſeeſt them gayne nothing by ſo doing, ſaue that they are bitted ſo much the more roughly, and ſpurred more ſharpely, till they come to ſome order:10 Many ſorowes ſhal come to the wicked: but he, ye truſteth in ye Lord, mercy ſhal compaſſe him. Euen ſo will it befall him which will not profite by ſuch chaſtiſements from God, waxing obſtinately opinionate in his euil, which ſhall bring ſorowe vponupon ſorowe: whereas on the contrary, who ſo will hauehave recourſe to God, bowing vnderunder his puiſſaunt hande, ſhall bee compaſſed with his goodnes.
11 Be glad ye righteous, and reioyce in the Lord, and be ioyfull all ye, that are vpright in heart.11 O you louers of righteouſnes, you which by Gods grace giuegive your ſelues to vprightnes, vp, cheare vp your ſelues with mee to honour God eternall, & witnes ye by your ſonnets of prayſe, that the iſſue of afflictions, on their behalfe which can make profit by them, is ioy and conſolation to the glory of that great God, which chaſtiſeth his owne for their good, and puniſheth the hard harted with al rigour after their demerits.