Davids Learning, Commentary 1
VERSE 1.
Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen.
THe word translated Wickednesse, signifieth sinne in an high degree, and is in Scripture vsed for disloyaltie or treason to a King, disobedience to Parents or Masters, perfidiousnes or treachery to such friends, as to whom we owe the greatest testimonies of thankefulnesse.
The second word translated Forgiuen, signifieth to bee loosed, eased, or lightned. Wherein is implyed this point of doctrine, that
Sinne is an intolerable burden, which oppresseth the Doctrine.sinner with an infinite weight. The Prophet Isay calleth Sinne is an intolerable burden. Isay 1.the people of his time, a people laden with iniquitie: and our Sauiour calling sinners, doth it in this forme, Come vntounto me all yee that are heauy laden.
Heb. 12. 1. Sinne is said to prosse downe. In which sense also the day of sinnes finall destruction, is called the day of refreshing, and of finding rest to our soules.
And that sinne is such a burthen, it further appeareth by these reasons following.
First, because it presseth downe impenitent sinners into Reasons.Hell, and there for euer holdeth them vnderunder condemnation; nay, the weight of it pressed the Angels themselues from heauen, who are now held vnderunder chaines of blacke darkenesse for euer.
Secondly, it bringeth such a burden with it as all creatures cānot stand vnderunder, namely the wrath of God, which makes sinne so heauie, the which being laid vponupon Christ himselfe, hee felt such a loade as made him sweat water and bloud.
Thirdly, it is attended with the burden of conscience, which it burdeneth with terrors, feares, accusation and guiltinesse; the weight of which is so heauie, as Salomon saith, A wounded conscience or spirit who can beare? all other infirmities the spirit of man can sustaine, but this is impossible.
Fourthly, it burdeneth the sinner, first, with the burden of Gods word, which are the curses and threats of the Law; and secondly, with the burden of Gods hand, which are the load of affliction and executions vponupon sinners, Verse 9. by which he breaketh the wicked, and bendeth his children towards their dutie.
Fifthly, as a burden it keepes vnderunder the sinner, that he cannot bestir himselfe in good duties, nor walke in Gods wayes. But with this difference: the wicked moue not at all, the godly but weakely; they feele it not nor complaine, these grone and sigh and cry out, Oh who shall deliuer me? the good I would doe I cannot: the euill I hate, I doe. And if the sinnes of the godly repented of be so heauie, what are the sinnes of impenitent sinners?
There is no libertie in sinne, but bondage; it bindeth to the curse, to guiltinesse, horrors, shame and sorrow: Vse 1.none are such slaues as sinners, and yet they thinke there can be no freedome, but when they may doe what they list, and are indeed the sonnes of Belial, that is, men lawlesse, or without yoke: but by such Libertine courses they lay the most heauy yokes vponupon themselues; all the Mountaines in the world wil be nothing to their burden.
Labour to feele this burden, which is heauier then all Vse 2.the grauell on the Earth, and sand in the Sea. Neuer a one here present, but we are laid vnderunder the burden of Adams transgression, vnderunder the weight of our owne corruption, originall and actuall sinne, vnderunder the burden of the wrath of God, of accusing consciences, of Gods curses threatned and executed, bound hand and foote as men ready to be pressed to death; are wee senselesse and feele none of this weight?
If a man lay vnderunder an hundred or six hundred weight, and neuer felt it, nor groned, nor struggled, to get from vnderunder it, he is a dead man; so hee that carries the burden of his sinnes, and feeles no danger, no bondage, grones not vnderunder the Law of his members, is senselesse of his imperfections and corruptions, this man is dead while he liueth, as Paul speakes of widdowes laden with lusts, and liuing in pleasure; so this man abides vnderunder death till this houre.
What is the reason then, that the most men neuer feele Quest.this burden? neuer felt doubting nor trouble of conscience? nor torment of heart? they loued God euer, they hauehave grace at will, they serue God as well as the best, they beleeue strongly, they want no oyle in their lamps; they would be sorry to be tempted as some are, to bee so mopish and pensiue; they hauehave peace in their consciences.
The reasons are: First, because they are dead without Answ.the life of God and grace, without sense and feeling of Why men feele not such an heauy burden as sin is.this heauy burden, which is felt onelyonly by grace, not by corruption; and according to the measure of grace is the measure of this sense: the lesse sinne is felt, the lesse grace; and so mayest thou accordingly iudge of thy selfe. What is the reason that men can cry out of the stone in the reines, but neuer or seldome of the stone of the heart, but because they hauehave naturall life, which affects them with the sense of the one, but want supernaturall life, which should strike them with the sense and paine of the other? A spirituall burden, no maruaile if it bee not felt of them, that are all flesh, destitute of the spirit.
Secondly, they see not their sinnes in a right glasse, but in a false glasse, which lets them see them onelyonly in the profit or pleasure; or as in one of those trunke optick glasses, which make great things very small, and things at hand as if they were farre off: whereas if they did behold sinne in the true glasse of the Law, and of the curse of God, of the eternall damnation of sinners, and of Christs death for sinners, they would not account any sinne small, nor the iudgement of them farre off. This sight and view of sin makes the godly cry out, and continually bewaile the captiuity they are in, as Paul himselfe did, who was aliue without the Law, but the Law strucke him downe, and made him cry out of himselfe as a miserable man.
Thirdly, most men neuer meditate of their owne estate, nor consider of their owne condition, to apply the Law to their liues, to see their crookednesse and faylings, as they doe who are in the way to happinesse; they want will or skill, time or conscience; if it hap well, so it is. The godly meditate of their owne estate, and apply the Law to their owne sinnes, which made Dauid, Psal. 38. 5. cry out, that his sinnes were too heauy a burden for him to beare: so, could men try their owne strength with the burden of their owne sinnes, they would come to a little more quicke sense of their estate; and with holy Dauid here pronounce him a happy man that is eased.
Fourthly, the strong man is gone away with all, and hence comes in this vnfeelingnesse and peace, and he luls men asleepe in false perswasions, wherein they goe on vntounto death. What say many miscreants? Hell is not so hot, nor sinne so heauy, nor the Deuill so blacke, nor God so vnmercifull, as the Preachers say: or if all this were so, they are not alone, others hauehave as heauy burdens as they, they shall hauehave company whatsoeuer become of them: and though they heare the burden of the Word of the Lord daily, and see the burden of his hand lie heauy vponupon others, yea and often vponupon themselues, yet are they as senselesse as dead men, vponupon whom if you lay all the weight of the earth, they feele nothing.
O beware of this fearefull iudgement, which is a great part of this burden, the which the lesse it is felt, the greater it is, and know that there is no man, that shall not feele the burden of his sinne one time or other, though the wicked doe neuer, till it be too late. Shall the Lord himselfe be pressed vnderunder the burden of thy sinnes, as a Cart laden with sheaues, and art not thou? Amos 2. 13. shall all other dumbe and senselesse creatures grone vnderunder the burden of thy sinne, as Rom. 8. 20. and art thou thy selfe more senselesse then they?
Feeling this burden, seeke meanes to be deliuered and Vse 3.disburdened; and this will he doe, that findes this burden pressing and oppressing him. The meanes is, to come to Christ as he calleth, Matth. 11. 28. Come vntounto mee, all yee that are weary and laden, &c. Come, not with the body and feet, but with, first, Repentance: secondly, Faith.
First, come in confession of sinne and godly sorrow, Meanes to be disburdened of sinne.come groning and bewayling thy sinne and estate, come creeping to God with thy burden on thy backe; confesse thy sinne and forsake it, this is the way to finde mercy: thus Dauid found ease, vers. 5.
Secondly, come in Faith, hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse; lay hold on Gods mercy and Christs merit, which are as two shoulders to beare it quite away. Feare not, but, as the people said to Bartimeus, Be of good comfort, he calleth thee. He calleth thee in the Word, he giueth a gracious promise, Come to me, I will ease you; he sealeth vp his promise by the Sacrament, in which thou shalt finde him ready to giuegive thee ease, that longest and gronest after him. Doth any sinne oppresse thy conscience? thou hearest and seest in the Word and Sacrament, how he was made sinne, that is, a Sacrifice for sinne for thee. Doth any burden of misery or crosse, inward or outward presse thee? hee offereth himselfe to ease the laden, to pacifie the perplexed conscience, to strengthen the heart, and to remoue or mitigate all our burdens for vsus; according to the prophesie, Isay 53. 4. 11. He hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes: the word is sebalon of sabal, to carry as a Porter doth a burden, vsed in both places.
But alas! eueryevery man must carry his owne burden: Obiect.how then can Christ?
Legally eueryevery man must carry his owne, the Law requireth Answ.personall obedience and satisfaction: but Euangelically Christ our suretie beares them, and therefore come to him in the Word and Sacrament, with Faith and Repentance.
Once finding ease of this burden, lode thy selfe no Vse 4.more: Christ hauing cured the blinde man, and eased him of that burden, bids him, Goe thy wayes, and sinne no more, lest a worse thing befall thee. Heb. 12. 1. The Apostle foreign.aduiseth, if sinne presse downe, and so incumber vsus, to cut off this compassing sinne.
If a man be to deale with a great burden, he will once or twice try his strength with it; if it bee too heauy for him, he will let it alone. Hast thou euer felt the ouer-burden of sinne, euen the least: (with which, haddest thou the strength of all Men and Angels, thou couldest not encounter, nor stand vnderunder it) and wilt thou againe meddle with it? Besides, hast thou not, when thou art at the lightest, sufficient burden of that originall sinne, of which Paul said, Rom. 7. 21. Euill is present with me? it foreign.lies eueryevery-where vponupon thee: and of actuall sinnes without number? that still in stead of disburdening thy selfe, and lightning thy lode daily, thou addest to the heape, and it is neuer big enough, as though all thy sinnes had no weight at all?
O, but this is nothing, a small sinne, an oath, an idle Obiect.word, rash and hasty anger, to play the good fellow, to drinke with my friend, lose my time, credit, &c.
If thou couldest bring me an instance of any one sinne Answ.that had no weight, thou shouldest hauehave good leaue to wed thy selfe to it, neuer to depart: but no sinne is so small, but hath such a weight as will presse to the bottomelesse pit; bring me any sinne the wage of which is not death; an idle word, for which thou must not giuegive account; any tricke of youth, for which thou shalt not be brought to iudgement. Sand, euen eueryevery little sand hath his weight, and, though small in quantity, yet if great in number, will drowne the ship of the greatest burden: but what if all the sands of the Sea-shore were in one ship? must it not sinke? and are not thy sinnes for weight and number, like the sands of the Sea-shore?
If sinne be such a burden, then helpe thy brother from vnderunder this burden: the Law of God enioynes thee to Vse 5.helpe and pitty the beast of thine enemy, if thou see it faint vnderunder a burden, and, a mercifull man is pittifull to his beast; and oughtest not thou to helpe much more, and pitty, and ease to thy power, the burdened soule of thy brother? hast thou more sense of the groning of a beast, then of thy brother? Gal. 6. 2. Beare yee one anothers burden, and so fulfill the Law of God. Ephes. 4. 2. Support one another through louelove; that is, first, beare 1. Thess. 5. 14.with their wants and weakenesses, their infirmities, &c. Secondly, put vnderunder thy shoulders to helpe to beare their necessities: another part of the burden of sin, Rom. 12. 13. Thirdly, helpe his burden of sinne from off him, by admonishing, reprouing, exhorting, and praying. Thou shalt plainely reprone thy brother, and suffer not sin vponupon him. Oh, how vnmercifull are they, that make but a iest of mens sinnes? Would wee laugh, to see a man pulling a mill-stone vponupon himselfe, and crushing himselfe all to pieces? Iude wisheth vsus to pull others out of the fire, and not to throw them in. Others there are that force men to sinne, as to drinke more then one can beare; and so he doth indeed, hee drinkes the poysoned cup of Gods wrath. Doest thou reioyce to draw thy friend to drinke a cup of poyson? thou art a murtherer of his soule and body. Masters that force their seruants to breake the Sabbath, whereas they ought to helpe them from vnderunder their burdens, they lay heauier lodes on them.
If sinne be such a burden, take knowledge of the infinite Vse 6.louelove of God and Christ, who hath taken vponupon himselfe all thy burden, and be thankefull.
How?Quest.
First, By becomming Gods seruant, and taking his Answ.yoke on thee, that is sweet and easie: will any mans seruant suffer another man then his Master, to lay burdens and oppresse him, and make him his drudge? Doest thou professe seruice to God, and yet let Sinne and Satan toile thee with such infinite burdens, vnderunder which thou canst not stand? yeeld thy selfe to Gods Will and Word, and this will ease thee of those burdens. Secondly, walke as a man released of thy heauy burden, and now at ease and liberty: How thankfull was Dauid when he escaped the burden of one sinne? 1. Sam. 25. 22. Blessed be the Lord, and blessed be thy counsaile, and blessed be thou, who hast kept me this day from shedding innocent bloud: and as Peter was rauished with ioy, when the Angell vnburdened him of his bolts, and set him free out of prison, Acts 12. so must thou admire the goodnesse of God in this thy release from a far more miserable burden and bondage. Thirdly, because thou hast still some burden of corruption, which incumbreth the best, thou must be still lesning it, and see that it bee in continuall consumption. Fourthly and lastly, desire Christs comming, when all the burdens of sinne, all the guiltinesse, the filthinesse, the molestation, and corruption of it shall be abolished, and thy selfe set into the perfect liberty of Gods sonnes, to enioy the fullnesse and highest degree of that blessednesse, which our Prophet Dauid here pronounceth vponupon all them that are loosed and eased, from vnderunder the burden of their sinnes.
And whose sinne is couered:]
THe second phrase followeth, by which the remission of sinnes is set forth.
How can sinne bee couered, since God seeth it, and Quest.cannot but know all things, past, present, and to come?
God is al an eye, and nothing can shut his eyes against Answ.his will; but then sinnes are said to bee couered, first, When they come not into account. Secondly, When Tum tecta peccata dicuntur, cum Deus nolit punire, August.God doth not punish them. Thirdly, When Christs obedience, actiue and passiue, is as a vaile or couer, so hiding them as though they were not at all. To this purpose, the Lord promising to his people free remission of sinne, vseth this phrase, I hauehave put away thy transgression like a Isa 44. 22.cloud, and thy sinnes as a mist: that looke as the Sunne or Winde disperseth darke clouds, and makes the heauens as faire as if they were neuer clouded: so the grace of God disperseth the sinnes of his people, which as a cloud couered and hid his face from them.
This phrase of couering sinne, implyeth two things: First, that sinne is a most odious thing in the eyes of God. Secondly, that eueryevery man, that would be happy, must hauehave something to couer and hide it from his eyes.
First, Sinne is an odious thing.Doctrine.
First, because of the filthinesse of it, signified, first, in Sinne a most odious thing.the legall washings, lauers, purifications of garments, vessells, persons, &c. Secondly, in the comparisons, wherein it is likened to leprosie, to filthy clouts, to the Leopards spots, and to the Black-Moores skin. Thirdly, in those many Petitions; Wash me, clense me, purge me with hysope, &c.
Secondly, looke what way a man can, it is filthinesse; first, in respect of God, whose Law is violated and broken. Secondly, of the sinner himselfe, whose soule and conscience is defiled, and eueryevery thing that he toucheth, till his sinnes be pardoned, as the Leper in the Law was till he was clensed. Thirdly, in respect of others; by giuing scandall, and occasioning vncleannesse, and filthinesse in others, by example and imitation.
Thirdly, it is odious; because it is a shamefull nakednesse, vvhichwhich it euer carryeth with it. Adam and Eue before their sinne were naked, but not ashamed; presently sinne makes them see, and shame in their nakednesse, and sew Fig-leaues to couer them.
The Israelites making the Calfe, vvere naked; that is, Exod. 32.destitute of that holinesse, which should hauehave beene in Gods people, and of the protection and fauour of God: the nakednes of their soules made them naked to iudgements. Yea, the best fruit of sinne in those, whom God raiseth vp by repentance, is shame and sorrow. What fruit Rom. 6. 21.had you of those things, whereof yee are now ashamed?
Labour to see thy filthinesse, of nature and of practice, Vse 1.of knowledge and ignorance, of youth and of age, and cry out with the Leper, I am vncleane, I am vncleane, and run the next way to the lauer of the Church, the Fountayne which is opened to Ierusalem and Iudah, namely the bloud of Iesus Christ, which clenseth vsus from all sin; here only is the purification of all vncleane issues. And adde hereunto the daily and diligent vse of all the meanes of sanctification; get thee to the cleane vvaters; first, of Faith, which purifies the heart. Secondly, of the Word of God: Yee are cleane by the word which Act. 15.I hauehave spoken. Thirdly, of prayer, Psal. 51. 2, 3. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity; clense me from my sinne, purge me with hyssope, &c. These are the faire crystall waters, the only cleere and mundifying waters, That runne from vnderunder the threshold of the Sanctuary.
If sinne bee such a shamefull nakednesse, bee not the Vse 2.seruant of sinne: this is the Apostles reason, Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had you in those things, whereof yee are now ashamed? Beware of boldnesse in sinne, be not impudent in it, but ashamed of the nakednesse of it. Bold sinners Ieremie compareth to the shamelesse Whore: Thou hadst Ier. 3. 3.a Whores forehead, thou wouldst not be ashamed. The Sodomites were impudent and shamelesse in their brutish sinne, and this was the height of it, that brought fire and brimstone.
Yet it is not eueryevery shame, which is commendable. Caine was ashamed, but repented not; A thiefe is found and ashamed, but abides a thiefe still, saith the Prophet. Ier. 2. 26.But the profitable shame of sinne is that vvhichwhich bringeth repentance: hereof speaketh Ieremy, chap. 31. 19. After I conuerted, I repented, I smote vponupon my thigh; I was ashamed, yea euen confounded.
Let it teach vsus to couer and array our selues with the Vse 3.contrary vertues, and to embrace righteousnesse, pietie, and vertue: these make not ashamed. Whosoeuer calleth vponupon the name of the Lord, that is, is a pure worshipper, shall not be ashamed. Continue in well-doing, and seeke eternall life; this brings glorie, and honour, and immortality, Rom. 2. 7.
EueryEvery man that must be happy, must hauehave something to Doctrin. 2.hide and couer his sinnes from Gods eyes; and nothing in the World can doe it, but Christ and his righteousnesse, typified EueryEvery one must get a couer for his sin.in the Arke of the couenant, vvhose couer was of gold, and called a propitiatorie, that looke as that couered the Tables, that vvere vvithin the Arke; so God couers our sinnes against those Tables: so in the cloud couering the Israelites in the wildernesse, signifying God couering vsus from the danger of our sinnes.
Hence Christ is called a garment, and wee are commanded, First, to buy this garment, Reuel. 3. 18. I counsell thee to buy of me gold and rayment: that is, doe as men doe in buying of the commodities they want: First, see thy vvant of it, by viewing thine owne nakednesse. Secondly, esteeme it in the iust value of it: and thirdly, exchange all thy sinnes for this righteousnesse. Then, secondly, to put it on, Gal. 3. 23. that is, by Faith, and Repentance, 2.and vvith Christ to put on the graces of his Spirit. Col. 3. 12. Put on tender mercies, kindnes, humblenesse of minde, &c. We must buckle Christ to vsus, and neuer put him off againe.
This garment, first, hides our nakednesse: Secondly, protects vsus from the iniurie of weather and Gods wrath. Thirdly, it gets a blessing for vsus, as Iaacob did in Esaus garments.
This teacheth vsus how to iudge our selues, namely, so Vse 1.farre as we are not found in Christs righteousnesse, to be most vnhappy and lothsome creatures, yea the vilest of all, the Deuill and the Damned excepted. Our sinne vncouers vsus, and turnes vsus naked into Gods wrath: if once hee fixe his eye vponupon it, it makes him destroy his creature, it couers vsus with shame and confusion.
But how farre are men from seeing their estate? how miserable in not seeing their miserie? neuer perceiuing how naked and vncouered they be. Were it not thus, how durst they prouoke the eyes of Gods glorie? Isa. 3. 8. Doubtlesse Ierusalem is fallen, and Iudah is fallen downe, because their tongue and workes are against the Lord, to prouoke the eyes of his glory. They durst not sinne as Zimri in the sight of God, and of Gods people, in the sight of the Sunne, and in the cleere day; by horrible vncleanenesse, drunkennesse, thefts, blasphemies, and the highest contempts of God, as they doe. But blindnesse in sinne makes sinners so bold and impudent, that they shame not in most flagitious courses.
But farther off are they from happinesse, that iustifie, defend, and glory in their sinnes. A good man cannot abide the shape of his owne sinnes: for he seeth himselfe a mishapen creature by them, whereupon he daily seeks a couer for his deformity, and thinketh no couer sufficient: But many wretches are senselesse and shamelesse, and glory in nothing but in their shame, and shame at nothing, but that which should be their glory.
If thou wouldest be happy, neuer be at rest till thou Vse 2.hast obtayned some sound assurance, that thy sinnes are couered.
Here many deceiue themselues, and shrowde themselues in false couers. First, some if they can couer them before men, and hide them from mans eyes, if no man remember them thereof, all is well, they forget them and the danger is past: but a good man would rather hauehave his sinne put out of Gods sight, then all the worlds; hee stands not, nor falls to men, but to his owne Lord. Oh looke to thy cleanenesse, or vncleanenesse before God, discouer the matter to the Physitian, be sure that no man sinnes without witnesses, at least God and his conscience seeth him.
Secondly, some thinke a ciuill life a good couer, if they liue honestly and neighbourly, and doe no harme, though they sinne, God will spare them. This is a false couer of simple men, like Adams fig-leaues: God can and doth see many a wicked heart through a ciuill life.
Thirdly, others labour to couer their sinnes by ceremonies; they giuegive almes, say some prayers, doe some good deeds when they die, &c. but all this is as thin a couer as the former.
Dan. 4. 24. Breake off thy sinnes—by mercy toward the poore.Obiect.
This shewes not the cause, but the meanes of pardon.Answ.
Secondly, he speakes not in regard of God, but of Men, against whom he had beene tyrannicall, to whom hee counsells him to make some satisfaction, by this meanes to manifest the truth of his repentance, but not that he could satisfie God. Neither can Saints, Angels, Merits, or humane Satisfaction, couer sinne, which is the Popish couer. The sound couer we speake of, is aboue all that Man or Angell can bestow on vsus. I counsell thee to buy of me gold, and rayment, to couer thy filthy nakednesse. Reuel. 3. 18.Meanes to get thy sinne couered, are these.
First, labour to see thy sinnes in the numberlesse number and horrible nature of them, and what a fearefull Meane to get sinne couered.thing it is to hauehave God beholding them: for no Leper can bee so vile and lothsome in thine eyes, as thou art in his, while thou art in thy sinnes vncouered.
Secondly, vncouer them often to God by humble cō fession; the more thou vncouerest them to him, the more thou couerest them, and the more will hee couer them: and withall hauehave them often in thine owne eyes, if thou wouldest not hauehave them in Gods; for both these are ioyned as helpes one to the other. Psal. 51. My sinnes are euer in mine eyes; and then followes; Against thee, against thee hauehave I sinned: thus iudge thy selfe, if thou wouldest escape Gods iudgement.
Thirdly, because the whole life of a Christian is a way to blessednesse, eueryevery one must eueryevery day bee carefull in couering somewhat: daily corruptions shew a necessitie of daily couerings, the best of Gods Saints, after that they had a couer, still prayed to be couered, and Christ those, who hauehave God to their Father, to pray for forgiuenesse of sinnes. Dauid, after sinne pardoned, still prayed, that the Lord would couer the sinnes of his youth.
Fourthly, hee that would hauehave God couer his sinnes, must couer his brothers sinnes so much as he can. Men hauehave nimble eyes to rip other mens sinnes to the bottome, whereas louelove would couer a multitude of sinnes. Can we looke for a Sea of mercy from God, and will not let one drop fall on our brethren?