Exposition on the Seven Psalms of Repentance, Exposition 51 · Verse 12 – Verse 13
Verſe 12. Reſtore to me the ioy of thy ſaluation, and ſtabliſh me with thy free Spirit.
IN this 12 verſe Dauid craueth another neceſſary gift and effect flowing from the remiſſion of his ſinnes, to wit, the ioy of his conſcience. For the kingdome of God ſtandeth not in externall things, …om. 14.17as meate and drinke, but in righteouſnes, peace, and ioy in the holy Ghoſt, ſaith the Apoſtle. For being made righteous by Chriſt, and peace made with God, there ariſeth a wonderfull tranquillitie in out conſciences, from which finally ariſeth a ioy vnſpeakable. For all the ioyes of the earth could not make vsus ioyfull, vnleſſe God were at one with him: neither can all the troubles that can fall vponupon our outward man diſcourage vsus, if we find the ioy of God in our hearts.
Nothing ſpoileth vsus of this ioy and pleaſure that we hauehave in God, but onelyonly ſin.Pleaſure in ſin taketh away our ioy in God. For once delighting in ſin, we can hauehave no pleaſure in Gods ſeruice; for theſe two can neuer ſtand together. Therefore we muſt loath ſinne, that we may reioyce in God.
Chriſtians hauehave ioy and ſorrow intermingled. 2. Cor. 12.7Next, ye ſee the eſtate of a Chriſtian is not alwayes one; ioy and ſorrow is intermingled: he hath a Summer of ioyes, and a Winter of griefes. Saint Paul had the meſſenger of Satan to buffet him, that he ſhould not be exalted aboue meaſure with his great reuelations. After a Chriſtian hath mourned, he will reioyce. He who neuer ſorrowed for ſinne, will neuer reioyce for grace. He that neuer mourned for the affliction, neuer reioyceth for the conſolation of Ioſeph. Mourne with them that mourne, and reioyce with them that reioyce, ſaith the Spirit.
The ſubſtance and ground of this ioy, is the ſaluation of God; ſo God is the matter of it: and this ſaluation is purchaſed by God onelyonly.Pſal. 3.8. Saluation is the Lords. Whereby he letteth vsus ſee, that the firſt grace will not do the turne to vsus (of initiation,) but we hauehave need of the ſecond grace of confirmation, which is the accompanying and perſeuering grace.
Stabliſh me. This ſtabliſhing is to make vsus ſure: whereby he would aduertiſe vsus of our inſtabilitie and vnſureneſſe, if we were not yet ſupported. Samſon was ſtrong in grace; but being left to himſelfe he fell. Peter bragged preſumptuouſly in his owne ſtrength, Though all the world would forſake thee, Mat. 26.33yet I will not; yet being left to himſelfe he fell, according as Chriſt had prophecied, Before the cocke crow twiſe, thou ſhall denie me thriſe.
Let vsus now take heed vntounto our ſelues, the time is come to trie all Chriſtians what is in them, and I feare our weakneſſe will appeare to the world to our ſhame and the diſhonour of our profeſſion. And I neuer ſaw any who preſumed aboue others of their owne ſtrength,Nota. but they hauehave proued the weakeſt ſouldiers, who by Thraſonicall confidence in their wiſedome, holineſſe, conſtancie, and other of their vertues, bragged aboue their neighbours, yea contemned them, but in the end they proue cowards, preſuming in pride, and falling with ſhame.
This is one of the moſt certaine markes of Gods Spirit, that as he is free in himſelfe, ſo he giueth libertie and freedome to all his children whom he poſſeſſeth. For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is libertie.Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is libertie. They are not bound with the chaines of ſin, they are not bound with mens traditions, but they freely ſerue God, as the children of the houſe are free. The Romans were free men; as citizens brag of their freemen, and there is great difference between them and other free men, that they may vſe their trades of merchandize without controlement; ſo is a Chriſtian, of all men, the moſt free. Our Sauiour ſaid to Peter, Who ſhould pay tribute, children or ſtrangers?
But I pray you, is a Chriſtian who braggeth of the Spirit,Mat. 17.2… Obiect. Solut. free to do what he pleaſeth? God forbid; he is onelyonly free to do Gods commandements, and to ſtand in the libertie which God hath giuen him. He is bound to keep the cōmandements of God, to be free from the traditions and vanities of men. So a man needeth not to brag of the Spirit, that he may ſay and do what he pleaſeth, and alwaies pretend the Spirit and the libertie purchaſed by Chriſts blood to eueryevery one of his follies; no, but that libertie hath her owne bounds and circumſcriptions; for the Spirit giueth vsus no more libertie, but that which is bound by his word.
No true ioy but in the ſaluatiō of Chriſt.The word jaſha importeth either Sauiour or ſaluation, as Ier. 3.18. To declare that there is no true ioy but in the ſaluation by Chriſt. This ioy Marie had in God her Sauiour, Luk. 1.47. and Iohn in his mothers wombe leaped for ioy, Luk. 1.44. Zach. 5.9. Iſa. 60.5. Reioyce daughter Sion. This ioy maketh vsus reioyce in tribulation, by the comforter who eateth vp all our ſorrowes and perplexities, as fire eateth vp the ruſt of iron. Other ioyes be but toyes. Quicquid non eſt in Domino, non tam intus recreat, quam foras: What ioy is not in the Lord, refreſheth not ſo much within as without. This is the wine which Salomon commandeth to be giuen to the grieued in heart.Pro. …1.6. And ſurely this ioy is a foretaſte of that future ioy which we ſhall hauehave in heauen, where there ſhall be no interchange of ioy with ſorow, but a perpetuall ioy, wherein the creature …hall reioyce in the Creator, and daily find …ew cauſes of pleaſure.Pſal. 16.12. At thy right hand is …leaſure for euermore.
But where he deſireth a reſtauration of this ioy, it is certaine that he once felt and taſted of the ſweetneſſe of Gods fauour and the life to come;Thoſe who abuſe the fauour of God, ſhall feele the want therof and this ſenſe failing him for a while, he deſireth that it may be repaired and reſtored to him. And God iuſtly dealeth this way with men. For when they abuſe the time of his gracious viſitation, he letteth them feele themſelues what they are without him. Therefore he is glad to ſeeke now with the prodigall ſonne, a reſtitution of the thing loſed.
Stabliſh me. He craueth now the gift of confirmation; as though he would ſay: Albeit thou wouldſt beſtow all the former benefits, of remiſſion of my ſin, of ſanctification, and ioy proceeding therefrom, yet I am likely to loſe them, vnleſſe it would pleaſe thee to confirme and ſtrengthen me to the end. Therefore he craueth to be ſtabliſhed by the Spirit; and he addeth an epithete to that Spirit, calling it his free Spirit.
Our Lord was reproched for his frequencie with ſinners; they called him a drunkard, becauſe he dranke with them;Luk. 2.16. and a glutton, becauſe he eated with them. Who would reproue a Phyſitian which frequenteth with patients; and who would reproue a Preacher who haunteth and conuerſeth with penitents, Simil. not to peruert, but conuert them.
Thy free Spirit. He letteth vsus ſee, that this ſtabilitie commeth by no other meanes but by the Spirit of God; as oftentimes he doth make mention in this Pſalme. The title which he giueth to the Spirit, is a free Spirit. The Spirit is free in himſelfe, neither can he be limited: ſo thoſe who hauehave him cannot be bounded by any humane deuice or preſumption.The Spirit is free in himſelfe. The winde bloweth whither it pleaſeth; and ſhall not the Spirit hauehave libertie to blow whither he pleaſeth. No man ſeeth the wind, yet it bloweth and ouerthroweth great houſes and trees: and yet they will binde the word of God. This I ſpeake not, that I would wiſh any to pretend the Spirit, and alledge for whatſoeuer thing they ſay a warrant of the Spirit: thus keeping that libertie to be a pretence and ſauegard of their imaginations; as the Anabaptiſts ſay; but there is no warrant for ſuch riot; for the Spirit ſeeketh nothing but by the word.
Chriſtian libertie is to ſerue God.Neither can this Chriſtian libertie be a pretence for Atheiſts, who vnderunder couert of Chriſtian libertie doe what they pleaſe, ſpend their time in all maner of riot. Our libertie is to ſerue God, not ſinne, from the bondage whereof we are made free.
Verſe 13. Then ſhall I teach thy wayes vntounto the wicked, and ſinners ſhall be conuerted vntounto thee.
NOw followeth his promiſe; 1. that he will be a Preacher: 2. to whom, to the wicked: 3. what ſhall be the effect of his labours, ſinners ſhall be conuerted to God.
Then ſhall I teach the wicked. He mindeth not to hide his talent, but to put it forth to his maſters aduantage. So this is a ſure mark of one who hath Gods merciemercy, that he will not keep it priuate, but publiſh it, and make it knowne to others. Which is a dutie neceſſarily craued in vsus, Doctrine. EueryEvery Chriſtian ſhould cōmunicat▪ their gift for the profit of the Church.that we ſhould be diligent to communicate our gift to the vtilitie of the Church. Worldly men put out their mony for their owne aduantage; and ſhould not ſpirituall men put forth the Lords gifts for his aduantage?
Dauid a K…ing, is not aſhamed to be a teacher of repentance and merciemercy, which he felt himſelfe. So, none in all the world ſhould be aſhamed of the holy miniſterie.None ſhould be aſhamed of the holy miniſtery. 1. Cor. 9.16. Nota. Saint Paul ſaith, Vae mihi ſi non praedicauero, Wo be to me if I preach not the Goſpell. Thoſe who are aſhamed to preach & publiſh their ſins, let them be aſhamed to ſinne.
Thy wayes. But what is his text he teacheth, thy wayes, not mens traditions, which can in no wiſe either aſſure or pacifie the conſcience. Dauid was not ſo bold, to put in his wayes with Gods wayes.Gods ways are the w…yes preſcribed in his word. Gods wayes are the ways preſcribed in his word, which are perfect, iuſt and holy wayes. But when men will bring in the altar of Damaſcus, oppoſing it to the true altar, they remember not that God brought leproſie on the Kings ſace,2. Kin 16.13. till he was expelled out of the Temple. This is a rule to Princes, that they teach the people, and make them to be taught onelyonly the wayes of God; and bring not in mens traditions, and make a mixture of them with the holy Scriptures, which here Dauid ſhunneth.
But whom teacheth he? The wicked, ſinners, thoſe who are in the very bonds and hands of the Diuel, theſe be the proper matter vponupon which Gods word worketh. Hypocrites ſet not by ſuch leſſons, but poore miſerable creatures, who ſee by the word that they are worthy of hell, then they are touched with a remorſe, and would be very glad to go to heauen. So the phyſicke is loſt, which is not beſtowed on ſuch as are ſenſible of their owne ſores.
And ſinners ſhall be conuerted vntounto thee. He perſwadeth himſelfe that his doctrine ſhall be effectual, foraſmuch as it ſhal work the conuerſion of ſinners.The word can doe more then any thing. Eſa. 53.1. Rom. 1.16. O the wonderful power of Gods word, that it can do that which all the world could not do. It is the arme of the Lord: To whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed? ſaith Iſaias. It is the power of God to ſaluation, ſaith Paul. No doctrine can worke faith in man, but the worke whereto it perſwadeth him, not forceth him.
Conuerſio preſuppoſeth auerſiōConuerſion preſuppoſeth auerſion. The vſe of the word is to conuert them that are auerted or peruerted; as the ſhepheard bringeth home the wandring ſheepe. Which cleerly argueth the neceſſitie of the word and teachers thereof; ſo profitable, as without which, ſinners cannot be conuerted to God: for no other inſtrument can conuert them; and they cannot conuert themſelues.
This teacheth Miniſters to be diligent in their calling; if they would ſhine as ſtarres in heauen,Dan. 12.3. they muſt labour to conuert ſinners.