Exposition on the Seven Psalms of Repentance, Exposition 51 · Verse 4
Verſe 4. Againſt thee, againſt thee only hauehave I ſinned, and done euill in thy ſight: that thou maiſt be iuſt when thou ſpeakeſt, and pure when thou iudgeſt.
THe ancients hauehave ſo far differed in expounding this verſe, ſome running forth on Allegories, others on far ſought interpretations, that Lorinus the Ieſuite numbreth twelue diuers interpretations hereof; of which,The diuers interpretations of this verſe. two are moſt agreeable to the words and meaning of the text. The firſt expounds it this way: Howſoeuer (ſay they) Dauid did wrong to Vriah, yet it was hid from all men, and onelyonly knowne to God; and theſe ſins are onelyonly done againſt God, whereof none is witneſſe but he only. And ſurely albeit we would couer our ſins from the ſight of the world, there is one witneſſe, whoſe ſight we cannot flee.
Plato affirmeth, that we ſhould do nothing in ſecret▪ whereof we would be aſhamed in publik. And Cicero, Ne ſiquidem deos omnes celare poſſumus, albeit we could keepe it ſecret from all the gods.
The other, whereto I rather incline, is thus: Albeit (ſay they) Dauid had offended man, yet it touched him more nigh at the heart the ſin he did againſt God, in breaking of his law. For ſo Nathan ſaid vntounto him, Why didſt thou contemn the word of the Lord, that thou ſhouldſt do euill in his ſight? 2. Sa. 12.14As though Dauid would ſay: Though all the world would abſolue me, this is more then enough to me, that I feele thee my iudge, & my conſcience citeth me before thy tribunall. Let vsus hauehave our eyes and our ſenſes fixed on God, and not be deceiued with the vaine allurements of men, who either extenuate or conniue and winke at our ſins. For God,N…t…. as he is witneſſe to our ſins, ſo is he ſole and onelyonly Iudge,Admire the louelove of God. who can puniſh both ſoule and bodie in hell fire; of whoſe wrath we ſhould be more afraid, then of all the kings or tyrants of the world. As alſo we ſhould be ſorie that we hauehave offended ſo gracious a God, who when he might hauehave damned vsus, yet hath pleaſed to pardon vsus, and taketh no other ſatisfaction at our hand, but repentance for our ſin, and faith in his Son Ieſus Chriſt. Who will not giuegive vsus to our enemies hand to be deſtroyed, but will ſet vsus free from priſon, out of his free louelove. Therefore O ſinner in time be reconciled with thy Iudge, and take no reſt till thou hauehave ſuretie of his fauour. Say with Dauid, Peccaui, I hauehave ſinned;2. Sa. 12.13 and God ſhall ſay with Nathan, Peccatatua remiſſa ſunt, thy ſins are forgiuen.
Againſt thee, againſt thee onelyonly hauehave I ſinned, and done euill in thy ſight. The ingemination of the word (againſt thee) ſignifieth the deepneſſe of his feeling and griefe, who is the more wounded, the more he findeth the greatneſſe of that maieſtie and goodnes whom he hath offended. So it were happie for vsus, that we could be deeply moued with a conſcience of our ſin, that out of the deep places of a contrite heart we might redouble our ſighs, which would pierce that fatherly heart if we could ſhoot vp ſuch arrowes to heauen: but we laugh ouer the matter, not remembring that our laughter ſhall be turned to mourning.
This alſo ſerueth to conuince ſuch miſcreant Atheiſts, who can generally ſay, God forgiue vsus, we are all ſinners, as it were excuſing their ſins, when as they are neuer touched at the heart with a ſorrow for them. They feed their fooliſh humours with a cloake of the multitude that ſinneth, quaſi patrocinium erroris ſit multitudo peccantium, as though the multitude of ſinners ſhould be a patrocinie and defence of errors, ſaith Auguſtine. Hell is ſpacious & large enough, hauing all the dimenſions, which will containe all the diuels and their children, if they were more in number then they are.
That thou maiſt be iuſt when thou ſpeakeſt, and pure when thou iudgeſt. By this it is cleare, that the iuſtice of God ſhineth moſt in mens ſoules, and his truth in their lies. As though he would ſay: Becauſe I hauehave ſinned ſo grieuouſly, and hauehave committed ſuch wickedneſſe, that thou canſt not be blamed of vnrighteouſneſſe, though thou ſhouldſt puniſh me moſt rigorouſly, for I hauehave deſerued worſe then I hauehave ſuffered.
But becauſe the Apoſtle Paul, Rom. 3.4. would ſeeme to turne this text to another ſenſe, we ſhall reconcile them eaſily.A reconc… liation betwixt this place and that of Rom. 3 4. For the Apoſtle ſeeing the Iewes to bring the teſtament and couenant of God in ſtander, as though he had bin the cauſe of their ruine, by caſting that vponupon themſelues, he freeth God of their fall. But Dauid here vindicateth Gods iuſtice, laying all the cauſe on himſelfe. Whereof we gather, that if any euill come to man, the cauſe of it is to be found in himſelfe; we need not caſt it on God.
But out of this, that Dauid confeſſeth God to be iuſt when he iudgeth, we learne firſt▪ that God (as Abraham ſaid) is the iuſt Iudge of the world:Gen. 18.25 and albeit he hath reſerued a generall iudgement after this life,God hath a particular iudgement in this world. as Auguſtine ſaith, yet he hath a particular iudgement vponupon men in this world, both elect and reprobate; iudicie non ſ…er manifeſto, ſemper tamen iuſto, not alwayes by a manifeſt, yet always by a iuſt iudgment. He erecteth a tribunall in mens conſcience, he ſummoneth the party, accuſeth & cōuicteth him. This iudgment is by his word & Spirit. For eueryevery mans work ſhalbe manifeſt as by the fire. For the fire both letteth them ſee their faults, and burneth vp their droſſe. As alſo he puniſheth them in the ſight of the world, and in their poſteritie, as he did as well to Dauid as to Saul; 2. Sa. 12.10for he ſaid, that blood ſhould not depart from his houſe, and ſo it was. Therefore let not men, although the beſt Chriſtians, thinke to eſcape the cenſure of his iuſtice; yea, what euer he doth,Pſal. 143.17 we muſt ſay, God is iuſt in all his works.
Next, he is pure when he iudgeth or trieth. We may be aſſured,God will put men to triall. God will put vsus to triall, by affl…ction, perſecution, ſickneſſe and pouertie. Then men will be made manifeſt, the hypocriſie of many will be detected. For as the wind is appointed to trie the corne, Simil. the fire to trie the gold, the floods to trie houſes builded vponupon the rocke and ſend: ſo ſhall the day of the Lords triall diſcerne thoſe who hauehave but a ſhadow of religion, and ſhall appeare ere it be long, as it is b…n already. Alwayes God is pure in his t…all, he knoweth the one from the other already, but he will hauehave men trying and knowing them.Gen. 22.12 Abraham was tried in the ſlaughter or offering of his ſon, and his faith was approued;Ionah 2. ſo was Ionas tried, and Iobs patience, and Peters weakneſſe. In all theſe trials God was pure and free of any iniury done to any of them; for they were knowne to be but men, although Prophets and Apoſtles. And it is no maruell though at this time in the triall of the Church,Nota. many be found to be but men, God is not to be blamed, he is pure when he trieth.
And ſeeing triall is prophecied to be not onelyonly the Church of Philadelphia,Reu. 3.10. 1. Pet. 1.7. but alſo in all the earth, which is called the houre of tentation, or a time of fiery triall, either by hereſies, ſchiſmes, or defection from the tru…h of God, or by bloodie perſecutions of Gods Saints and his Church, (as all Europe hath experience this day;) what ſhall we do but keepe Gods word,Nota. poſſeſſe our ſoules in patience, ſuffering the reproches, calumnies, cruell dealings, yea all that the diuell and his children can do to vsus. If we be tried by fire, let vsus be found gold; if by water, let vsus abide in the Arke and in the Apoſtles boate; let vsus be found ſure builders vponupon the foundation which the Apoſtles laid, euen Chriſt:1. Pet. 2. if by the aire and winds, let vsus be as wheate and not chaffe. If finally by the earth and earthly allurements, let vsus be foūd to hauehave our conuerſatiō aboue, the time of trial is come already.
We learne alſo out of this, that in all our trials, whether inward in our conſcience, or externall in our bodies, yea though our bodies were giuen to the beaſts and foules of heauen,In all our trials, externall or internall, God is pure yet God is pure and without fault. In the beſt of vsus all there is cauſe why we ſhould be tried.