Davids Learning, Title page – Dedication
DAVIDS LEARNING, OR THE WAY TO True Happinesse: In a Commentarie vponupon the 32. PSALME.
Preached and now published by T. T. late Fellow of CHRISTS Colledge in CAMBRIDGE.
To which is prefixed the Table of method of the whole Psalme, and annexed an Alphabeticall Table of the chiefe matters in the COMMENTARIE.
LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Henrie Fether stone, and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Rose. 1617.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE VICOVNT WALLINGFORD, Lord KNOLLYS, Baron of GREYS, Master of the WARDS and LIVERIES, Knight of the noble Order of the GARTER, and one of HIS MAIESTIES most Honorable Priuie Councell, Grace, Mercy, and Peace, here, and euerlasting.
RIGHT HONORABLE,
GReat is the affinitie of soule and body, neerely coupled and wedded by God, like Husband & Wife, for better and worse till death depart them. Like Hippocrates his twinnes, they weepe and laugh, stand and fall, liue and dye, and eueryevery way sympathize together. Both hauehave their seuerall life and nutriment, both hauehave their seuerall sicknesse and diseases, which tend to the issues of death. Among all other vncleane issues, both of them hauehave their leprosie, one the better knowne by the other. In neither any substance, Elephas, or elephantiosis.but in both an accident corrupting the whole substance.
Bodily leprosie is from the corrupt and poysoned humors in the body: Spirituall is from the corruption and poyson of the soule. The former quickly spreadeth ouer the whole bodie: The latter ouer the whole man. The former infecteth onelyonly some men: The latter hath poysoned all. The former corrupteth the breath, by which others are infected: The latter poysoneth and infecteth many others, not onelyonly by breathing out corrupt speeches, but also by corrupt example. The former was to be discerned by the law of leprosie, Leuit. 13. The latter, namely, the knowledge of sinne is by the law morall, Rom. 3. The former is hard to cure, and the most earry it to their death naturall, as Gehezi, 2. King. 15.Azariah: The latter is an harder cure, and therefore the most carrie the running sores of sinne incurably vntounto death eternall.
This disease being so loathsome, so dangerous, the Lord chargeth all Israel, with speciall care, both to discerne it, to preuent it, and (if it were possible) to cure it. They must discerne it by sundry marks, both for the certaintie and curablenesse. First, for the certaintie; Wee neede not halfe so much caution or curiositie to be perswaded of our spirituall leprosie, which is too too apparent: OnelyOnly those many ceremonies put vsus in minde how much more requisite our diligence ought to bee in finding out and hunting out our speciall sinnes.
The speciall markes which we read of, to shew whether the bodily leprosie be curable or no, are these: First; If, rubbing the place of Rules of inquisition:the leprosie, it grow not red, it is held incurable. 1.So if sinners, being rubbed and admonished, blush not, nor be ashamed of their sinne, there is little hope of their amendment. Secondly; If 2.pricking the place with an Instrument, there come out still a corrupt moysture, there is little hope of cure: So if after the preaching of the law, and pricking the conscience of the sinner, the corrupt issues of sinne still preuaile, there is lesse hope of the sound cure of such a sinner. Thirdly; If after pricking with a needle there 3.come foorth bloud, it is a signe it is curable: So if sinners, pricked with the needle of the law, cry out of the paine of their sinnes, and see the need of the bloud of Christ, and lay hold of it for saluation, their spirituall leprosie is in the way of full cure.
Secondly, when it is discerned, the Lord Rules of preuention.takes order to preuent it from others: first, They must vncouer their heads, that men might not mistake them, and in token also that God had thus humbled them: for that ceremony was a signe of humilitie. Secondly; They must couer their lippes, that by their breath they might not infect others. Thirdly; They must hauehave a rod put into their hands, that men might auoide them, as children doe the rod. Fourthly; They must proclaime themselues vncleane, and giuegive warning to others. Fiftly; They must bee shut vp many daies, and excluded the host vtterly if they be vncurable, as King Ozias, 2. King. 15. A notable type of the suspension and excommunication of impenitent and desperate sinners, shutting them out of the Congregation of God, lest they infect and poyson others with the contagion of their sinne.
Thirdly, after discerning they must speedily Rules of cure.attempt the cure, wherein the Lord enioyneth them, first, To goe to the Priest, signifying, that Iesus Christ the High Priest of our profession, is the onelyonly Phisician of this leprosie of sin. Secondly; They must rent their garments; a signe of great sorrow for sinne, and of casting off their owne raggs, that they may bee couered with a wedding garment, euen the garment of saluation. Thirdly; There must bee a vessell of water, which must be sprinkled on the party, and of oyle with which he must be suppled. This vessell is the heart, the water signifieth the bloud of Christ, the lauer of the Church, the sprinkling of this water noteth the washing of the conscience from dead works: and the oyle signifieth the glad tidings of the Gospell: all which the Lord vseth in this great cure. Fourthly; There is required the shauing of all the haire of the Leprous, that no infection any way cleaue to him: which noteth the purging away, and daily paring of lusts and superfluities, by the grace of sanctification, which are to the soule, as excrements are to the body. And this is the law of the Leprosie. This one Psalme presenteth in one view the whole truth of this excellent type, wherein holy DAVID cleerely discouereth the foule leprosie of his soule, which is so odious in his eyes, as hee pronounceth him the onelyonly happie man that hath got a couer and Verse 1. 2.cure. Loth he was for shame, according to the 3.law, to proclaime himselfe vncleane, he would hide his vncleannesse, and hold his tongue as 4.long as hee could; but all this while there was no hope of cure: for being let alone, it ate vp his marrow, consumed his bones, and dryed and drunke vp his moysture as in the drought of 5.Summer. Now when there was no other remedie, he goes to the high Priest, confesseth his vncleannesse against himselfe, who immediately answered him as that leper, Mar. 1. 42. I will, be thou cleane. And as that leper could not hide his ioy, but no sooner was he gone then he began to publish the matter: so this leper no sooner was cured, but hee calleth eueryevery one, to 6.teach them in the like estate how they may procure the like remedie. And then according to 7.the precept of Christ to the leper, he offereth the gift which MOSES commanded, euen the sacrifice 8. 9.of prayer and praise: and exciteth others 10. 11.by sundry arguments to doe the same.
These Meditations I hauehave presumed to dedicate to your Lordship: first, For the seruice I owe vntounto Your Lordship, as one whō you pleased to fauour as a soules Physician, whose businesse is to preuent or stop vp the loth some issue of this disease, which hath ouer-spred eueryevery mans nature, so as no man can say, My heart is cleane: neither are great Men freer from diseases of the soule then of the body. Secondly; 2.To testifie my true and humble affection in putting into your Lordships hand DAVIDS learning, fit for Princes and Counsellors, directing the high way to true happinesse. For it shewes, first, the entrance into this way, which is godly sorrow, confession, and mortification of sinne: secondly, the markes of it, that it is the straite, the streight, the lightsome, the cleanest, and shortest way of all: thirdly, the end of it, which is gladnesse, pleasure, and ioy, which none shall take away. Thirdly; To put Your 3.Honour in minde, that as the world hath made you almost as happy as it can, raysing you, first, out of an ancient, Noble, and religious Stocke: secondly, vntounto a goodly Inheritance: thirdly, into the grace & fauor of your Prince: fourthly, vntounto the most Honourable place and seruice, with such late accesse of Honours, as few of Your Noble Ranke are afore You: So Your Lordships care be to annexe that Honor which is from aboue, from which there can be no fall: whereas daily experience sheweth how miserable the world sometimes leaueth her greatest fauorites. Fourthly; To prouoke and pray your Honour, that imitating the gracious footsteps of your Noble Father, and following your owne religious beginnings, you proceed with full purpose of heart to cleaue to the truth of God, and with heartie and earnest affection continue to embrace the true Church of Christ, which the Antichrist of Rome oppugneth and oppresseth, yea, and with vnweariable endeuours to perseuere in the practice of that holy faith and religion, which you hauehave professed and loued, which is the one and onelyonly faith learned of God and his holy Scriptures; the onelyonly Catholike and sauing faith; the onelyonly ancient, because the onelyonly Propheticall and Apostolicall faith; the onelyonly true Christian faith, which the Truth himselfe hath taught, and ratified by his precious bloud, euen the bloud of the Couenant; the faith not onelyonly preached and written by the ancient Fathers, but professed and practised by all the faithfull in all ages. As for that Popish faith, falsly called Catholike, wee are sufficiently able (through God) to prooue it a new Samaritanisme, patched vp of Iudaisme and Gentilisme, thrust vponupon the blind side & part of the world, vnderunder the title of Christianisme. And yet in these our so perillous and last times, what great numbers and persons are daily carryed away from the faith of Christ, into that Apostacie and Idolatry of that great Antichrist? I wish other parts of the Land could not bring in euidence to this bill of complaint as well as ours.
Thus humbly crauing pardon for my boldnesse, I beseech God to strengthen your Lordships heart and hands to withstand by all your Greatnesse, this Gangrene, and long to continue you vnderunder His Maiestie by your faithfull Counsell a muniment to the decayed estate of our Church, an ornament of the Common-wealth, a prop of Religion, a pillar of Iustice, a father of Wards and Orphanes, and a comforter of comfortlesse Widdowes, the Noble Leiftenant of our Country, and high Steward of our Corporation. And the same God preserue you vnblamable in your spirit, soule, and body, vntill the day of his appearing.
Your Honours humbly at commandement, T. T.