Davids Repentance, Title page – To the reader
Dauids Repentance: OR, A Plaine and Familiar Expoſition of the 51. Pſalme, firſt Preached, and now publiſhed for the benefite of Gods Church.
Wherein eueryevery faithfull Chriſtian may ſee before his eyes the patterne of vnfeigned Repentance, whereby we may take heed of the falling into ſinne againe.
The ſecond Edition profitably amplified by the Authour SAMVEL SMITH, Miniſter of Roxwell in Eſſex.
LVKE 13.5.
Except yee repent yee ſhall all periſh.
LONDON, Printed by NICHOLAS OKES. 1614.
❧ TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL, SIR RICHARD WESTON, KNIGHT, ONE of his Maieſties Iuſtices of Peace in the County of Eſſex, SIR EDVVARD PYNCHON Knight, Grace, Mercy and Peace from IESVS CHRIST.
WHEREAS (Right Worſhipfull) but a ſmall and ſhort remnant of dayes is alotted vntounto eueryevery one of vsus, to try the hazard and adventure of this world in Chriſts holy Merchandize: I being ſubiect to this common caſe, and moſt certaine vncertainty of our life; neither knowing if, perhaps, at this preſent, my ſtaffe ſtandeth next the doore; hauehave beene, and am deſirous in this behalfe, ſo to beſtow all my poſſiblle endeuours, and labours, in this my Lord and Maiſters Traffique; as that neither I may returne vntounto him with a Talent in a Napkin, but may leaue behinde me ſome poore token and teſtimony of my louelove and duty towards his bleſſed Spouſe. This hath cauſed me to take in hand this ſhort Comment vponupon the 51. Pſalme, or, The Repentance of Dauid, an elect and choſen veſſell, pronounced by the mouth of the Lord, to bee, A Man after his owne heart. Where we may ſee the great weakneſſe & frailty of Gods Children,Iob. 9.3. Pſal. 130.3 Pſa. 143.2. when the Lord ſhall but a little leaue them vntounto themſelues. Our frailty appeares in this, that we cannot perceiue the things that are of God: if we cannot perceiue the good, much leſſe can we do it; yea, ſo that if the Lord ſhould looke ſtraightly what is done amiſſe, who ſhould bee able to ſtand? If the Lord ſhould enter into iudgement with vsus, none could in his ſight bee iuſtified. If Moſes, the faithfull, fell into infidelity; Dauid, the holieſt, became prophane; Salomon, the wiſeſt, committed ſo great follies; and Peter the louingeſt, denyed his Maiſter: If the Saints, and deere friends of God hauehave fallen before our eyes, let vsus lay aſide truſt in our owne ſtrength, not taking their falles to bee our ſtanding: but rather by them to meaſure our ſelues, and the guilt of our ſins; gathering, as it were, the whole Lyon by the paw. Let vsus riſe with them by repentance, let vsus ſorrow with them for our ſinnes; and that becauſe Chriſt all periſh. Luk. 13.5.And that we may, with Dauid, repe…t and turne vntounto the Lord.Rom. 2. Conſider his Mercies in forgiuing,Gen. 39.9 Rom. 2.5. Eſay. 26.9 Luk. 3.14 Pſal. 90.12. his Benefits in giuing, his Patience in forbearing, his Iudgements in puniſhing, the Word preached, Sinnes committed, and that Few ſhall be ſaued: the ſhortneſſe and vncertainty of life, & the certainty of death. Pray we cannot, vnleſſe wee repent; and periſh we ſhall, vnleſſe we repent: but bleſſed ſhall wee be if wee repent. Now becauſe this Pſalme is a moſt bleſſed Pſalme of true and vnfeigned repentance, I made choyce of it to treat of in my Cure, neuer intending that theſe weake exerciſes ſhould come to the publique view of the world: But being at laſt ouercome by the earneſt requeſts of diuers godly and well-diſpoſed Chriſtians, to yeeld my conſent to the publiſhing of this worke: And conſidering that in this writing Age of ours, amongſt the number of bookes without number, no man hath wholly trauelled herein in our tongue, that euer came to my hands; for then I ſhould hauehave denyed my Pen this honour: and withall, how many a deſperate ſinner, and ignorant ſoule hath been imboldened to ſinne by Dauids example, neuer looking into his repentance, How he watered his couch with teares, and how he ſate well-a-daying duplicate page duplicate page his griefe of heart, and cryed againe and againe, and still againe, for mercy and pardon at Gods hands, ere he could be aſſured of the pardon of them. Theſe conſiderations ſtriuing and ſtruggling ſo long within me, vntill they had gotten the conqueſt of ſuch ſhamefaſt and fearefull motions wherewith men are well acquainted, who are at all acquainted with their owne infirmities; I was thereby at length drawne to this bold & hardy reſolution, as to commit it to the Preſſe; and ſo to the eyes of them whoſe great and ſharpe cenſures I hauehave euer, with trembling, thought of heretofore; and euen now would ſhun them with all willingneſſe. And here I preſent vntounto your Worſhips this poore Talent of mine, as to whom of right it doth belong: for, Precedens beneficium, ſequatur officium: Which may it pleaſe you to accept at my hands, as at one that wiſheth all happineſſe to you and yours in the Lord, your worſhips acceptation ſhall be my ſole ſatisfaction. The bond of my duty hath this onelyonly bound of my hope, humbly crauing that your fauorable wiſedomes would ſupply the wants of this thing; and that this ſo ſimple a gift may bee accepted of you rather for my good meaning, and the end wherefore I do it, then for the value of the thing it ſelfe; hauing an eye to the matter, & not to the maner: for my deſire is not to bee ſeene in the high and intricate queſtions of mans wiſedome: but in the baſeneſſe and ſimplicity of the Goſpell, that it may appeare in the power thereof. Thus, as God hath ioyned you both in the neereſt ſocieties, ſo pardon me this boldneſſe, who hauehave ioyned you together in this Dedication. The God of Heauen giuegive you both that bleſſing of bleſſings, which (if Ierome ſay true) few men hauehave, that you may, tranſire à delicijs ad delicias, go on from grace to grace, and bee a long time happy in this life, and for euer happy in the life to come. Roxwell this 26 of Nouember.
Your Worſhips much bound, and in all Chriſtian duties to be commanded, SAMVEL SMITH.
To the Chriſtian Reader Grace and Peace.
CHriſtian Reader, ſeeing the burthen of the Miniſtry is this, To pluck Men out of the Kingdome of Sathan, and to bring them to the liuing God: ſurely then it is the duty of all thoſe that hauehave taken vponupon them this holy calling to helpe forward this worthy worke. And to this end I entertained my ſpare houres in the time of my long ſickeneſſe (when I was not able to performe my duty in the Congregation of my charge) in publiſhing this ſhort expoſition of the 51 Pſalme, to the view of the world: not for vaine-glory, or for any good conceit or opinion that I hauehave of the ſame, or of my ſelfe, as he knoweth that knowes all things; but chiefly for the honour of God, that if it pleaſe the Lord to giuegive a bleſsing, ſinners, euen ſuch as ſit in darknes, and in the ſhadow of death, might be moued to repentance. It is an opinion of carnall men, who remaine vnderunder Sathan and his dominion (as all men do by nature) that when ſin is committed, done and paſt, they ſhall neuer be called to account for the ſame. But (alas) no length of time can we are ſin away, if it bee not taken away by true and vnfained Repentance. Yea the ſinnes of our youth, which many yeares agoe wee hauehave committed (if now in time we do not repent, and ſtop the mouth of the ſame) ſhall ſtand vp as new and freſh againſt vsus, as the firſt houre we committed them. Oh that we could be wiſe to thinke vponupon theſe things! Our ſelues waxe old, our bodies are declining to the graue: and will we take no paines to weare away our ſinnes, but to let them ſtand in their ſtrength againſt vsus? This weare a great folly. Let men therfore thinke of this betimes: there is no going to Heauen with dry eyes, or beds of downe. Now if this poore worke of mine may finde entertainment with thee (I ſhall ſo much the more be encouraged to take paines in this kinde, vponupon other places of Scripture, as vponupon the firſt Pſalme, which thou maiſt ſhortly expect.) And withall may helpe thee forward to this neceſſary duty of Repentance, I hauehave thē my deſire: giuegive the praiſe to him from whom all good commeth, who worketh in vsus both the will & the deed, to whom be praiſe and honour for euer and euer. AMEN.
Thine in the Lord Ieſus, SAMVEL SMITH.