Exposition on the Seven Psalms of Repentance, Psalm 32 · Verse 4
VERSE 4. (For thine hand is heauie vponupon me, day and night, and my moiſture is turned into the drought of ſummer. Selah.
YEe heard the amplificatiō of his ſorrow which pierced his bones, next made him caſt out ſuch cryes & roarings. 3. which cōtinued ſo long. Now he declareth the cauſe of all, euen the heauie hand of God vpō him,
[For thine hand is heauie vponupon me.] The hand of God is either a comfortable hand in feeding his Church. Thou openeſt thy hands and they are filled with good things, or defending her, Pſal: 104. Pſa: 136.28or chaſtiſing her. As the hand of a father both feedeth and chaſtiſeth his childe, the one in him being as neceſſary as the other,
Obſerue firſt that all afflictions are Gods hand, Doctr. All afflictions are Gods hand. Amos 3.6. 1 Theſ: 3.3.Shall there be euill in the citie and the Lord hath not done it; his hand ordaines them: Hence Saint Paul ſayth. That no man ſhould be moued with theſe afflictions, for yee your ſelues know that we are appointed therevnto. Secondly, His hand who executes them cauſed Iob to ſay, The Lord hath giuen, the Lord hath taken, Iob. 1.21.and this made David to ſay,1 Sam. 16.11. Suffer Shimei to curſe for the Lord hath bidden him. Thirdly, His hand orders and diſpoſes vponupon them, and turnes them to ſuch ends as are fitteſt.
Next, Doctr. We ſhould looke to God when we are ſmi… ten.See how David lifteth vp his eyes to God in the midds of his troubles, and acknowledgeth the hand of God ſmiting him, wherein many men faile, who albeit they acknowledge all things that befall them to come by Gods prouidence: yet when they are touched with ſome trouble, they looke not to God who chaſtiſeth them, but to the Secondarie means and inſtruments that God vſeth for that effect.Iſai. 1.5. Why ſhould yee be ſmitten any more; for yee fall away more and more, thou haſt ſmitten them (ſayth …er…mie) and they hauehave not lamented. Ier: 5 3.And Iſai. The people hauehave not turned to him who ſmot them. Iſa. 9.13.Euen as a man, being wounded, ſometime would accuſe his owne ignorance and ſlouth, who would not eſchew the ſtroake, ſometime would bite the inſtrument, Simil. dart, or ſword that hurt him, when rather hee ſhould ſeeke remedies to cure his wounds. So rather let vsus looke to God who chaſtiſeth vsus, then to ſecond cauſes and inſtruments. Let vsus returne vntounto the Lord who hath wounded vsus and muſt heale vsus againe. Hoſ. 6.1. Nazianz.Nazianzenus ſayth, a te percuſſus ad te reſpicio, & ſo doth the Prophet, ſaying. I am ſmiten by thee, to thee I looke, who haſt pierced me. Exod. 8.18.Let vsus not be like the Egyptians that acknowledge the finger of God, but they repented not therefore. See that we deſpiſe not the iudgements of God by a beaſtly ſtupiditie and ſenſeleſneſſe, or the ſharpneſſe of trouble extort words of impatiencie. It is enough that it is the hand of God who ſmites, to whom we looke, and from whom we beg mercy.
A ſure ground of patience.Here is a notable ground of patience in affliction, that it is Gods hand vnderunder which we ſhould humble our ſelues, that is, with meekneſſe bow vnderunder it,Ioh. 18.11. for it is the hand of our father. Shall I not drinke of the cup that my father hath giuen me to …rinke, Note.If it be a little bitter at the top, the bottome will hauehave a pleaſant farewell.
Moreouer the hand that ſmiteth the Church, Doctr. The troubles of the Godly turne to their good. Iſa. 59.1. Cant. 2.6. Pſal. 39 9. Iſa: 38.15. 1 Sam. 3.18 2 Sam. 15.is no further ſtretched then to her benefit, the Lords hand is not ſhortened, that it cannot ſaue. The ſame hand is vnderunder her head. This made the Saints patient. I was dumbe and hauehave not opened my mouth, becauſe thou dideſt it. It made Hezekias to ſay, what ſhould I ſay, for hee hath ſaid it to me and hath done it. And Eli, it is the Lord, let him doe as ſeemeth to him good. And Dauid, if he ſay I hauehave no delight in thee, Loe here am I, let him doe to me as ſeemeth good in his eyes.
Then if afflictions be the hand of God,2 Chron. 16.12. as they are indeed; what neede we run to Phyſitians with Aſa, or with Achaziah, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnez…, Saul, &c. to Beelzebub, Aſtrologians, Witches, Deuils &c. to ſeeke our deliuerie, ſince we hauehave the hand which made vsus, al-ſufficient to cure vsus.Note. Let vsus goe gripe and kiſſe that hand, which formed vsus, reformed vsus fed vsus, defended vsus, drew vsus from Idolatrie and hell it ſelfe.
[Day and night.] The Circumſtances of the time and the continuance of the ſame, ſhould remember vsus that wee ceaſed not night and day to offend him, and why ſhould not we be patient both day, and in the night, to ſuſtaine the markes of his diſpleaſure, and …uſt retributions of our ſinnes; therefore wee ſhould not, at leaſt hauehave no cauſe to be impatient when our trouble laſts longer, in regard we hauehave ſpent longer time in ſinne, without thinking long: Doctr. much time ſpent in ſin, requires a gre…t time of troubles.Yea iuſtly he might hauehave requited vsus with euerlaſting plagues in hel, whom he ſuffereth not but a little with momentaneal chaſtiſements to be afflicted. So Dauid giueth vsus a ſingular example of fortitude and patience, who could indure thoſe of long time, when wee will ſcarce abide eight dayes tryall with out grudging. Iob ſuffered his paines night and day, for he ſayth,Iob 7.13. Chriſtians indure …ong trouble. When I ſay my bed ſhall comfort me, then thou affraieſt me with viſions, &c. This threatening was giuen forth When it is euening wee will ſay, would to God it were morning, and in the morning would God it were euening, Deut. 28. Luk: 8.43A daughter of Iſrael was bowed by the Deuill 18. yeares. The woman with the bloudy iſſue 12. Yeares. Aeneas was ſicke of the Palſie 8. yeares, Act: 9.23. Ioh: 55.Doctr. The time of the Churches deliuerie knowne to God. Exod. 12.40 Leu. 26.19.the man cured at the Poole of Betheſda. 38. yeares. So we muſt not impoſe houres and dyets to God, for he knoweth the appointed time of our deliuerie, and hee will ſaue vsus when he pleaſeth. The Iſraelites were in Aegypt 400. yeares, and in Babilon 70. yeares. The ten general perſecutions laſt. 300. yeares. euen till Conſtantines dayes. For if wee walke ſtubbornely againſt him, hee will bring ſeuen times more Plagues vponupon vsus, according to our ſinnes. And againe God by the continuance of his hand will hold vsus in continuall exerciſe of grace, Doctr. Continuance of troubles exerciſeth our grace.as of humilitie, faith, patience, praier, and repentance; for as one hauing a precious Iewell in his hand, ſo long as hee watcheth he is carefull to keepe it, but being a ſleepe it may ready fall out of his hand. So God holds vsus waking by continuall exerciſe, Simil. that we may keepe the grace which we hauehave gotten. The fire is kept in by often blowing, which dieth out by diſcontinuance.
[My moyſture is turned into the drought of Summer.] Doctr. Body and ſoule iointly puniſhed, being yokefellowes in ſinne.The dolour of Dauid was not onelyonly internall but alſo externall by ſickneſſe, for as the body was an inſtrument of ſinne, it worthily and duely is puniſhed, and as they were yoake fellowes in ſinning, it is iuſt with God, that they ſhould be companions in ſorrow. It is no ſmall matter when the body is diſeaſed, although the mind were well eſtabliſhed, but when both are vnquieted it is harder.Pro: 18.14. The ſpirit of a man will ſuſtaine his infirmitie of the body, but who can beare a troubled Spirit. So that the Philoſophers ſuppoſed that man to be happie, who had mentem ſanam in corpore ſano, a ſounde minde in an whole body.
Then if we be whole, let vsus giuegive thakes to God and dedicate our liues to his ſeruice; if we be ſicke, craue him pardon and merciemercy, ſeeking reliefe at his hand, repent our ſinfull life. Therefore I thinke that many in their beſt health are ſicke, becauſe they abuſe their health,Many being whole are moſt diſeaſed. and many ſicke are whole, who turne to God, and from their greateſt ſickneſſe ſeeke medicine againſt their ſinne.
Selah.] It is here added,Bueherus firſt to ſhow what a torment it is rightly to feele the burthen of ſinne, ſo that hee leaueth this pauſe or groane, as we will doe at things wherewith we are greatly affected.
Next it declareth what weight this doctrine hath, and of what conſideration to rebuke vsus, who thinke ſo little of ſin, as we hauehave in all our dayes neuer mourned for it.