Exposition on the Seven Psalms of Repentance, Psalm 32 · Verse 2
VERSE 2. Bleſſed is the man, vntounto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie, and in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile.
Doctr. Sinne is a debt.THis third ſimilitud is taken from debt, that albeit we are oblieged and bound to God, either to ſatisfaction or obedience, yet the Lord taketh paiment from our ſurty and ſo freeth vsus. For God will not take twiſe paiment for one debt, ſo that we may ſay truly, if we beleeue in Chriſt, we are not oblieged nor bound to God for paiment for hee hath our obligation, and nailed it to the Croſſe. This the Apoſtle teſtifieth writing to the Corinthians, 2 Cor: 5.18 19.and all things are of God, which hath reconciled vsus vntounto himſelfe, by Ieſus Chriſt, and hath giuen vntounto vsus the miniſtrie of reconciliation, for God was in Chriſt, and reconciled the world to himſelfe, not imputing their ſinnes to them. See how the Prophet by reiteration of this remiſſion of ſinne, extennuats and annihilats himſelfe, and brings him ſo low, that by impietie, ſinne, and iniquitie, whereof hee granteth he found himſelfe culpable, and by lightening him of that burthen, couering of his ſinne, not imputation of his debt, hee aſſured himſelfe to be releeued.
But it may be asked,Ob: how farre we ſhould be mindfull of our ſinnes, and whether they are ſo couered by God that wee ſhould burie them by perpetuall ſilence. To diſſolue this queſtion, Anſ: wee muſt remember what is ſayd by the fathers, that our ſinnes are remitted before God, when wee accuſe our ſelues; then are wee iuſtified;Note. when wee concondemne our ſelues, our ſinnes are then couered beſt, when they are moſt diſcouered to God. And therefore wee ought to call our ſinnes to minde,Why wee ſhould remember our ſinnes. not that we ſhould diſtruſt of the remiſſion thereof, but that the remembrance thereof may make vsus more thankfull to God, and more prudent that we ſinne not againe, yea it maketh vsus readie to hauehave compaſſion on others who offended
But another queſtion ariſeth,Ob: whether we ſhould deſire that our ſinnes ſhould bee hid from mens eyes, or opened? I anſwere, Anſ: if God hath hidden them, reueale not thou them thy ſelfe, leſt thou be an authour of thine owne offence, and it being the honour of God to conceale ſinnes, Why ſhouldeſt thou diſhonor God ſo farre, Pro: 25.2.as to reueale that which God hath concealed, Ioſh. 7.20.But if it be publicke, why ſhould it not be publickely confeſſed, as was Achans.
Moreouer it may bee demaunded, how can it ſtand with the moſt righteous God,Ob. who is the iudge of the world, that he ſhould ſuffer an vnrighteous man to goe free without puniſhment, for if he diminiſh any part of his righteouſneſſe, hee muſt deny himſelfe and his owne nature. Anſ: It is anſwered that his iuſtice is perfectly ſatisfied, to the vtermoſt f…rthen by Ieſus Chriſt, neither could it ſtand with the equitie and iuſtice of the eternall God, that hee ſhould hauehave receaued ſatisfaction from Chriſt our ſuertie, and recouer and claime that of vsus, as I ſaid before.
Doctr. True felicitie ſtands in iuſtification and Sanctfication.[And in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile.] Yee heard the firſt part of the felicitie of man, which ſtandeth in his iuſtification, that is the remiſſion of his ſinnes, the ſecond part ſtands in his Sanctification, and purification of his heart, by the Spirit of God from Hypocriſie, which are the fruites anſwerable to the former.Note: For the Lord neuer beſtowed his Sonnes bloud to waſh away any ſinne, but he beſtowed his Sonnes ſpirit to Sanctifie that man, the chiefe vertue that he craueth in a Chriſtian is ſinceritie, the chiefe vice hee hateth, Hypocriſie. God eſteemes not of outward p…rts, but being a Spi…i… he looketh to Spirits My Sonne (ſaith hee) giuegive me thine heart▪ and a… …ee is a ſpirit,Pro: 23.26. ſo he will be worſhipp…d …n ſpi….
Baſilius as he commendeth that ſentence of Plato, Baſil ad popul. hom: 24.that is gre…teſt extremitie of iniquitie, when an vnrighteous man would ſ…eme to be righteous, ſo hee condemneth the opinion of Euripides, I had …ather ſome to be good, then be ſo. So that of all the things in the world the Spirit of God doth moſt abhorre and deteſt,diſſimlation moſt odious to God. Hypocriſie an enemie to faith. a diſſimulation in his ſeruice, neither is there any vice ſo oppoſite to true faith as Hypocriſie for faith lodgeth in the heart, Hypocriſie, in the countenance: faith ſtudies to pleaſe God, Hypocriſie ſeekes to pleaſe men, ſaith is liuely and conſtant, Hypocriſie as a fa…ling leafe fadeth incontinently: So that there is no ſocietie betwixt faith and Hypocriſie, Simil. more then betwixt a painted fire hauing neither light and heat, and a true fire hauing both; and a ſhadow, & the body. And as the painting of an Harlots face will ſoone melt before the fire, when the natiue and naturall colour of an honeſt woman will not change, ſo will counterfeit feinedneſſe ſoone evaniſh, foreign, a fained thing cannot be firme and ſolid.Nazian. De funere patris. Math: 23.27. Our Sauiour Chriſt accounteth them to be as painted tombes who hauehave a goodly ſhew before men, but within are full of dead mens bones, they hauehave a ſhew of life although they be dead. Simil. Were he not to be accounted a foole, that hauing nothing but a ſhew of Merchandiſe, would giuegive himſelfe out for a rich Merchant.
The ſinne of Witchcraft and Idolatrie, are two great ſinnes, but Hypocriſie is more dangerous then both, we hauehave heard of many thouſand Papiſts and Idolaters who hauehave beene reclaimed and turned to God, confeſſe it what great errors they had beene, alſo many Witches at their death hauehave renounced their Maſter the Diuell. But ſeldome hauehave I read that Hypocrites hauehave repented, when our Sauiour (who neuer brake a bruſed reed) thundered woes,Math: 23.13.14.15. He cryed woe vntounto you, Scribes and Phariſees Hypocrites, and when hee denounced iudgement, he ſaid, whoſe portion is with Hypocrites.
To be ſhort let no man thinke that remiſſion of ſinnes can be ſeparate from holineſſe and ſanctification,Remiſſion of ſinnes ioyned with holineſſe. for they are borne together as two twinnes, and liue together, yea the one cannot liue without the other, how canſt thou thinke from thine hart, that thine ſinnes are pardoned, vnleſſe heartily thou hate ſinne for which thou haſt repented, then wee may ſay that thoſe get pardon for their ſinne, who feele their ſinnes, and feeling, doe hate and flie from them, & flying from them with all the force of their heart, are caried to a contrarie vertue, being made free from ſinne, wee are the ſeruants of righteouſneſſe. Rom: 6.18. Ibid. 8.1.There is no condemnation ſaith the Apoſtle to them that are in Chriſt Ieſus, who walke not after the fleſh but after the ſpirit. God loueth ſincerily in a Chriſtian. Ioh: 1.47.But we hauehave deepely to conſider that in all our religion, the Lord loueth nothing ſo much as ſinceritie, Behold a true Iſraelit in whom there is no guile. Hee doth not looke to the meaſure of thy repentance, faith, or louelove, but to the vprightneſſe therof. Loueſt thou me, loueſt thou me, Ioh: 21.15. Pſal: 51.6.loueſt thou me, ſayth our Sauiour to Peter.
He craueth the truth in the inward parts. Simil: Men louelove not falſe gold, rotten ſtuffe, or any ſuperficial matter what ſo euer, and we alas care not to carrie about with vsus a counter. feited religion. Let vsus trie our ſelues therefore whither we be in the faith or not, God cannot be deceiued.
The Papiſts take from this text ſome occaſion of ſtumbling, for they would make a part of righteouſneſſe to be Chriſts, another to be ours, that which commeth from Chriſt is ours by imputation, ours againe to be inherent, becauſe he ſayth in whoſe heart there is no guile? But they confound iuſtification with the effects thereof,Anſwer to the Papiſts. oppoſing the ſpring to the fountaine, not driuing them from it. So is the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt the fountaine of all our happineſſe, Et cauſa regni, and the cauſe of the kingdome, and if there be any dropps of righteouſneſſe in vsus, they ſpring from that fountaine, Et ſunt viaregnandi, and they are the way by which we muſt attaine to that kingdome, and ſay with the Apoſtle, That Chriſt is made our righteouſneſſe. Albeit wee be of our ſelues vnrighteous,1 Cor. 1.30 yet by him we are made righteous, albeit wee are not able to pay the debt our ſelues, yet ſeeing Chriſt hath payed it for vsus we are freed. For as by one mans diſobedience many were made ſinners, Rom: 5.19.ſo by the obedience of one, many ſhall bee made righteous. By which wee are euidently taught that by Chriſts righteouſneſſe, we are righteous before God. I will not glory becauſe I am righteous, but becauſe I am redeemed:Ambroſ. de Iar…et vita beata lib 1. cap. 6. not by reaſon I am voyde of ſin, but becauſe my ſinnes are pardoned, not becauſe I hauehave done good, or receiued good from others, but becauſe Chriſt my aduocate is with the father interceding for me, for his bloud was powred forth for me. Indeed the Saints of God, yea the beſt of vsus all cannot purge our ſelues of Hypocriſie, neither doe we ſincerely ſerue our God as we ought to doe, but one thing we know, that we hauehave a diſpleaſure within our ſelues for it, and doth it not willingly, which ſpirituall ſight God pardons in his Saints.
The marks by which yee ſhall know whether yee be ſincere in Gods ſeruice or no,3 Markes to try our ſinceritie. are theſe.
1. Firſt, if yee hauehave an vpright indeuour to approue your ſelues to God in all things, ſeeking not to pleaſe men, but him, who ſeeth the heart, we care not to be iudged of men, we ſtand and fall to our owne Lord, whereas Saul knowing himſelfe in diſgrace with God,1 Theſ: 2.4. 1 Sam: 15.30. deſired Samuel to honour him before the people.
2. Secondly, a ſincere heart hateth all ſinne ſpecially his owne ſinne, and troubleth himſelfe little in amplifying other mens ſinnes, but very narrowly and ſharpely will taxe himſelfe, and will call himſelfe with S. Paul, 1 Tim. 1.15.The greatest of all ſinners.
5. Thirdly, a ſincere Chriſtian profeſſeth religion for the louelove of the ſame, and for no other reſpect, and loueth good men, for no other cauſe but for their godlineſſe, where as Hyprocrites may doe both outwardly, for ſome worldly reſpect either of a benefit or credit, which they may purchaſe by theſe meanes.
I pray God therefore that all of vsus may remoue from our hearts this vale of Hypocriſie and diſſimulation in Gods ſeruice, that we may ſtudie to approue our ſelues to God in the ſight of Chriſt, in all integritie and ſingleneſſe of minde, to the ende that all our ſeruice may be acceptable to him.