Remains of John Boyse, Sermon 5
2. SAM. 24. 14.
Let vsus fall now into the hand of the Lord, (for his mercies ar… great,) and let mee not fall into the hand of man.
THree aMag de burg. Epist. pr…fix. Centur. 5.things vsually succeed one another, in the Church, great blessings, great sins, great punishments.
The people mentioned in this History, had receiued great blessings of the Lord, He dealt not so with any nation, as the Prophet sings in the 147. Psalme. verse last. In the ruffe of their prosperity, turning the graces of God into wantonnesse; They committed many great sinnes, and now the righteous Iudge of the whole world, threatneth to bring great punishments vponupon them, and bHabac. 3. 2.yet in his wrath, remembring mercy, He giues Dauid their King, by the Prophet Gad, a free, though hard choice, whether he would hauehave seuen yeeres of famine come vponupon the land, or flee three moneths before his enemies, or that there be three dayes of pestilence.
Now Dauid being in a great strait, returns in the words read to Gad, and so consequently, to God, his resolution, and the r…ason of his resolution.
1. His resolution, Let vsus fall into the hand of the Lord, and not into the hand of man.
2. The reason of his resolution is, for his mercies are great.
For the better vnderstanding of the whole text, one clause needeth explanation, and that is, what is here meant, by falling into the hand of the Lord: Because Susanna did wish, and Saint Paul (as it should seeme) writ the quite contrary. Susanna sayd to the lustfull cHist. of Susanna. 1. 23.Elders, It is better for me to fall into your handes, and not to doe it, then to sinne in the sight of the Lord, dHug. Cardi. et Estius in loc.answere is made, that Dauid makes his comparison here, betweene diuers kindes of punishment, but Susannes comparison, is there betweene the doing of euill, and the suffering of euill, (as the schoole speakes) betweene malum culpae, and malum poenae. She therefore resolued worthily, that it was better to suffer reproach and shame before men, then to commit an horrible sinne, in the sight of the Lord. So the renowned e2. Machab. 6. 23.Eleazar, answered those, who menaced him with exquisite torments. If hee would not breake one commandement of Gods law, that he would suffer himselfe, to be sent into hell and the graue, that is, that he would rather be killed, and cut in pieces, and to sinke a thousand degrees vnderunder the ground, with infinite dolours, and agonies, then to fall into such a fault. So reuerend fIn similitud. cap. 190.Anselme protested, that if hee should behold all the paynes of hell, deuoyd of sinne on the one side, and on the other the horrour but of one deadly sinne onelyonly, deuoyd of punishment, and that I must of necessitie chuse one of these two, I (quoth he) would chuse rather to throw my selfe into hell, then commit one foule fact onelyonly.
But St. Paul affirmes plainly. Heb. 10. 31. That it is a fearefull thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God. g Answere is made by distinction, almightyq Hugo. Card. in loc. God hath marring or destroying handes; Of which hands St. Paul there speakes; againe, making handes; Psal. 119. 73. Thine handes hauehave made me; protecting handes. Iohn. 10. 28. no man (saith the Shepheard of our soules) shall plucke my sheepe out of my handes, and sauing handes. Luke. 23. 46. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Of which Dauid here speakes.
Or as hAquin. Marlor. in Heb. 10. 31.other in this world, while there remaines hope for pardon, it is better to fall into the handes of God. But in that blacke day, when once the sentence of condemnation is past, it is an horrible thing to fall into his handes, for with the froward, hee will bee froward, Psalm. 18. 26. Dauid here speakes of a punishment which is temporall on earth, at the most enduring but three dayes. But iA…sel in Heb. 10. 31. …t Tostatus. in loc.S. Paul there speakes of a payne which is eternall in hell, inflicted by such an aduersary which is euerliuing, and so consequently, his Iudgements, in that dungeon of torture can neuer dye.
Or as kAquin. in Heb. 10. 31.other, it is better for one, who sinnes against God, and contemnes the riches of his mercies, esteeming the blood of his Couenant, where-wherewith he was sanctified, an vnholy thing, despiting the spirit of grace, crucifying Christ againe, and trampling him vnderunder his feet. I say, for such a reprobate, who dyeth in his sinnes, It is better to fall into the handes of man, who can onelyonly kill the body, but hath not power to destroy the soule. But for one that sinnes, and, as Dauid here, repents of his sinne, from the bottom of his heart; It is better for to fall into the handes of God.
Or in playner termes, (if it be possible,) God hath two handes, one of Iustice, another of Mercy; To fall into his hand of Iustice, an horrible thing: Of that hand, Iob sayd Chap. 13. 21. Withdraw thine hand farre from mee: The fingers of that hand, wrote terrible thinges, vponupon the wall of Belshazers pallace. Dan. 5. But to fall into his hand of mercy, full of comfort, b…cause his mercies are great. lOsi…der. Dr. Willet. in loc.Now S. Paul in that place, meaneth punishments inflicted by the Lord, as an angry Iudge; But Dauid in this place, meaneth chastisements, imposed by the Lord, as an indulgent father, in louelove, for the amendments of his children.
This rubbe being remooued, and the passage made cleare, let vsus proceed in the wayes of our text. And that as the blessed mGalat. 2 14.Apostle speakes, with a right foote.
In the resolution of Dauid, chusing the pestilence, rather then famine, or the sword, Interpreters obserue many notable vertues; as first his nComestor. Hugo Cardin. Pet. Martyr. Tostatus. Estius. in loc. Idem Iosephus Ant… l 7. c. 10. vel vt al…. 3…Iustice.
For had he chosen famine, that would hauehave pinched onelyonly the poorest, himselfe would hauehave fared well: And if hee had chosen warre, that would hauehave destroyed onelyonly the weakest; Or if the fury thereof, had ouerrunne most of the other, yet he might hauehave set a safeguard to defend his owne person▪, and so preserue his owne skin from the dint of the sword, and print of the speare: But hauing beene partaker with his subiects in their sinne, hee would not exempt himselfe from the punishment: He chose therefore the plague, which is common, Et regt, et gregi, to Prince, to people, to Peere, to poore.
The hand must bee equall, that handles the scale; Princes are sometimes partiall, in distributing Iustice betweene subiect and subiect▪ But in a cause concerning their owne particular, so well as the generall of their people, not to shew more of the party then of the King, (as Dauid in this answere to Gad,) is admirable Iustice.
Well fare his heart, oAuthor of P…rnassus.who sayd, Diuines are to blame, who write Cases of conscience for priuat persons, and teach exactly, what account shopkeepers are to make for false wares, and idle words, and in the meane time, neglect exorbitant errours, of higher powers, and potentates. And it is a good quaere, whether it bee not grosser Idolatry, to preferre reason of states, before the principles of piety, then to worship the golden calfe, or Nabuchodonosors Image.
pK… Epist. …efore B… Dor….Dauid vnderstood, that hee was obliged to God doubly, first that he made him a man, Secondly, in that he made him a little God, to rule ouer other men, a finger (as it were) of that great hand that gouerns al the world: as then he stood in Gods place, so did he follow Gods paterne; as God is qPsal. 145. 1….righteous in all his wayes, so hee desires to deale iustly with all men, in all things. Hee respects the ship of the common weale, more then the cock-boat of his owne fortune, and therefore would not hauehave the whole burden of the punishment, to be layd vponupon his people, but with bowed knee, stoupes to beare his part, saying, Let vsus fall into the hand of God, shewing himselfe so forward to suffer, as he was to sinne.
Secondly, Diuines obserue Dauids humility, laying no fault vponupon his subiects; their sinnes he knew not, his owne he knew, for which he had iustly deserued this plague. The text telleth vsus at the 10. verse, That after hee numbred the people, (for which all this tempest arose,) His heart smote him, and hee sayd vntounto the Lord, I hauehave greatly sinned, in that I hauehave done, And now I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy seruant, for I hauehave done very foolishly: and at the 17. verse▪ Loe, I hauehave sinned, and done wickedly, but these sheepe, what hauehave they done? That is, the people being innocent as Sheepe, what hauehave they done, that rHugo. Card. …t S…. in loc.they should thus suffer. I pray thee let thine hand be vponupon mee, and against my fathers house.
sAnnot elucid in loc.Hugo de Sancto victore, tIn loc etal…. ibid.Tostatus and other auow, that the people did offend, in numbring the souldiers, as much▪ if not more then Dauid.
First, because they did not entreat Dauid, to forbeare this muster, at this time, being needlesse, saying, as Ioab the generall of the host, in the 3. verse. Why doth my Lord the King, delight in this thing.
Secondly, because being numbred, they did not offer vntounto the Lord his due; for the law saith. Exod. 30. 12. When thou takest the summe of the children of Israel, after they be numbred, eueryevery man shall giuegive a ransome for his soule, to the Lord, when thou numbrest them, that there be no plague among them, when thou numbrest them. It was according to the law, for the magistrate, to number Israel, as we read. Num. 1. 2. But it was against the Law, for the people being numbred, to neglect their offerings.
For the better vnderstanding of this hystory, let vsus (if you please,) renew that text againe.
When thou takest the summe, uAinsworth. in Ex. 30. 12.The word in Hebrew, signifieth, Head, because the summe totall, howsoeuer it bee placed, at the foot of our account, yet indeed it is, the head of the number, or xCorn. a Lap. in Exo. 30. 12.Head, That is, the summe of the heades of the children of Israel, after they be numbred, and eueryevery man shall giuegive a ransome for his soule; yAinsworth.That is, for his life, which hee should now loose, when hee was particularly visited of God, If hee redeemed not himselfe with money; now the reasons of this law, deliuered by diuines, are these.
1. zCor…l. … Lap.To put Israel in minde, that this exceeding great multiplication of people, wa… onelyonly from the Lord, according to his gracious promise, made to their forefathers, I will make of thee a great nation, I will make thy seede as the dust of the earth, so that if any can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbred. Gen. 13. 16.
2. To shew the speciall care hee had ouer his people, aHab…s in numerato. Cornel a lapid.numbring them, and as it were noting eueryevery person in his booke. God careth for his people, saith b1. Epist. 5. 7.St. Peter, and so careth as a father careth for his child, saith cPsal. 103. 13.Dauid, and so careth for eueryevery child, as if hee had no more then one to care for, saith dConfes. l. 3. c. 11.Augustine.
3. To eCyril in Ioh. l 2. cap. 92.signifie, that no man is Lord of his owne life, but that hee depends vponupon God, in whom he liues, and moues, and hath his being. Acts. 17. 28.
4. This temporall offering, fCorn. a lapid.prefigured the spirituall tribute, which eueryevery one that hath giuen vp his name to God, in holy Baptisme, ought to pay, the which is to serue God in spirit and trueth. Iohn. 4. 23.
5. gAinsworth.By this Law, God taught his people, to iudge themselues for their sinnes, that they might not be iudged of him. Ezek. 20. 43. 1. Cor. 11. 31.
6. hIdem.This redeeming of their soules, with money, taught them also faith in Christ, who was to redeeme his people, not with siluer and gold, but with his owne precious blood. 1. Pet. 1. 19. The people then in omitting this duty, for so many good endes enioyned, transgressed the commandement of the Lord, and so prouoked his iust indignation against them.
But graunt, that the people did not offend in this one particular, Yet their manifold other sinnes, vndoubtedly, were the cause why the Lord permitted Dauid to fall into this errour, according to that of iMoral l. 25. c. 20. and. 23.Gregory the great. Secundummerita subditorum, disponuntur actar…gentium. Almighty God disposeth the hearts of Soueraignes, according to the merrits of their subiects, If they be not nursing Fathers vntounto the Church, and the ministers of God, for our good, It is because we gouerne our owne families ill, and our owne persons worse. It is a common fault, indeed the common fault, when any kPsal …1 10.mischiefe happeneth vntounto them, or plague comes neere their dwelling, Instantly to l…. Pet. 2. 10.speake ill of those which are in authority.
Now this murmuring against our gouernours, ariseth (as mMr. Mor…rai ser at the Spittle. An. 1602.one notes) from fiue defects in our selues.
The first is, want of humility, for when our hearts are sowred with the leauen of our owne pride, conceyting that we could manage state affaires, a great deale wiser (as Alphonsus the 10. said If he had beene with God in the beginning, hee could hauehave better d…sposed of many things in the world,) then often times a bitternesse ariseth out of the stomacke, into the mouth, So that we cannot forbeare to prophane sacred maiesty.
The second is, want of wisedome, to discerne the policies of Princes, for the disguising of a purpose, with a pretence, is not forbidden in the Bible. n1. King. 3. 25.Solomon pretended to diuide an infant, to good purpose, But did not, and oAct. 16 2.Paul pretended to Iudaize, but did not, arcana reipublicae mysteria regni, State plots are not easily digested, of pAnthony Perez in his politicall Aphorism.countrey stomacks, as Father qSer. … Sep…. Sund.Latimer sayd, they be no meate for mowers.
The 3. is, want of compassion, in not weighing the temptations of Princes, hauing al meanes of misdoing, and nothing to keepe them from outragious sins, but only the feare of the Lord. A bosome friend, is bold to tell a priuate person of his fault, But alas, who dares say to the Pope, of Prince, Domine cur ita facis? If his domesticall chaplaine, I meane his conscience chide him not, his other chaplaines are of his closer, and they quoth old Latymer, will keepe his follies close; rDaniel in Edw. 5.a miserie fatall vntounto great potentates, whom flattery will neuer suffer to know themselues, in health, or sicknesse. We should therefore construe Princes actions euer to the best, according to the lawes of the Thames, When two wherries meete, the banke is theirs by right, that hauehave wind and tide against them.
The 4. is, want of thankefulnesse, Princes are sHos. 4. 18.shieldes, vnderunder whose shelter wee lead a quiet and a peacefull life, in all godlinesse and honesty, Sweet peace is the greatest of all blessings temporall, and freedome of the Gospell, is the greatest of all blessings spirituall, as being the tRom. 1. 16.power of God, vntounto saluation. Yet there be refractorie fling-braines, enioying both, vnderunder the gouernment of pious princes, which are ready to quarrell their authority, concerning the tithing of mint, and other small matters of ceremonies, indifferent inioyned, to preserue the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace.
Hippodamus in • Aristotle, was censured forv Politic. …. 2. c▪ 6. writing of common wealths, being but an architect; yet Carpenters and Masons, among vsus, are busie builders of new Churches, and framers of new disciplines: but the greatest of all, is want of equity; when as we blame the King, for our owne faults; as for example, wee desire confident proceedings in the businesse of religion, and yet we weaken them with our owne diuisions, and dissentions: If eueryevery man in his place shall examine himselfe, and lay his hand on his owne heart, he shall vnderstand easily, that the bad ordering of his owne selfe, and his owne things, is part of the cause, why the wrath of the Lord, is kindled against Israel. If Dauid of himselfe takes the whole blame to himselfe, it is (as I hauehave shewed,) his humility. But if we cast it vponupon him, it argueth in vsus a great want of meekenesse, wisdome, piety, thankefulnesse, equity.
3. In the resolution of Dauid, here xMartyr. in loc.Diuines obserue his zeale; for in warre, the conquering enemy doth insult, and blaspheme, yPsal. 42. 13.where is now their God; Is not the Lord, in whom they trust, able to defend his Israel as with a shield? And in famine, good people should be forced to beg their bread of strange nations, and to receiue curtesies of enemies, which the Grecians aptly terme, Dora adora, giftes and no giftes; And the zFabius Verrucosus apud Sen de benef. l. … ▪ c. 7.Latines, panis lapidosus, a loafe so hardly digested as a stone: And that had bene dishonorable not only to their countrey, heretofore flowing with milke and hony; But also to God, as if the aPsal. 121 4.sheepheard of Israel, had not meanes to feed the people of his pasture, and the sheepe of his hands. And therefore Dauid here desires, to depend vponupon God only, Let vsus fall into the hand of God.
Many professours, in these dayes of relapse, began to be luke-warme, yea, some were so cold in their deuotion, and zeale, that they seemed frozen in the dregges of their profit, and pleasure, so little regarding the light of Israel, and honour of this our braue victorious nation, that they resolued vponupon the conclusion of the match, not onelyonly to be sonnes of the Pope, but also the seruants of a strange people. Yet (God be thanked) England had her Dauids, who did not cease, night and day, to call and cry to the Lord, For thy sonnes sake, for thy Sions sake, let not our insulting enemies, a bloody generation, drunken with the blo…d of the Saints, hauehave their desires ouer vsus: For their mercies are full of cruelty: But let vsus fall into thy handes, for thy Iudgements are full of mercy.
And it is vndoubtedly Gods owne worke, who brings light out of darkenesse, and can doe whatsoeuer he will, and will doe whatsoeuer is best for his people, sometime by weake meanes, and sometimes by no meanes, and sometime by contrary meanes, against whom bPro. 21. 30.there is no wisedome, nor vnderstanding, nor counsell: That our Dauids prayer is heard, our religion established, our peace setled, good men incouraged, our open enemies discomfited, and our false friends discouered, and worthily deluded, To whom I … now no more, but only this.
If you be good Christians, and setled Protestants, so remaine. If you were once, an… … now fallen, returne: If you neuer were, rep… If you neuer will be, perish.
Were it not for the honour of God, and glory of his people, the cast happily might prooue measurable, whether it bee better to bee slayne by the sword, in warre, or by the pestilence in peace. But a good man, and a good magistrate, especially considering, barbarus has segetes; That the cPsal. 74. 5.blasphemous aduersaries of God, roare in the middes of the congregations, and set vp their banners for tokens, dPsal. 79. 1.breaking into Gods inheritance, defiling the holy Temple, and making Hierusalem …n heap of stones; And how they giuegive the dead bodies of his seruants, to be meate vntounto the foules of the ayre, and the flesh of his Saints, vntounto the beastes of the land; I say, the new borne babe in Christ, vnderstanding these things, easily resolues, as Dauid here, Let vsus fall into the hand of the Lord, and not into the hand of man.
4. Learned Expositours obserue, the eMartyr. Will…t.wisedome of Dauid, in chusing, é malis minimum, of three mischiefes, the lesser. Abule…sis vponupon the place, notes aptly, That God made these 3. punishments inequall in time, 7 yeares of famine, 3 moneths of warre, 3 dayes of pestilence, that hee might make them equall in magnitude, and so put Dauid into his doubts, so well as his dumps.
The time being equall, the plague doubtlesse is more grieuous then warre, and warre more grieuous then famine. But seuen yeeres famine, may bee so bad as three moneths fleeing before cruell enemies, and three moneths of bloody warre, so bad as three dayes of plague, Yet Dauid chose the pestilence for these reasons.
1. In the rebellion of Absolon, he had …ryall of the sword, for there fell in that ciuill warre, f2 Sam. 18. 7.20. thousand of the people. And he had felt g…. Sam. …1. 1.3. yeeres famine, for the sinne of Sauls house: hMartyr in loc.But he neuer yet had experience of the plague; as then, Ignoti nulla cupido, so nulla formid….
2. The plague is Gods iA…lensis. Willetimmediat hand, his sword. 1. Chron. 21. 30. His arrow. Psal. 91. 5. The kHypocrates. Mercur…. apud D…. E…des. P… for the plague.physitians hauehave termed it, fulmen coeleste, The thunderbolt of heauen; and the canonists, Bellum Dei contra homines, the warre of God against men.
Happily you will obiect, is there any euill in the city, and the Lord hath not done it. Amos. 3. 6. It is true, that warre and famine are from the Lords hand, but herein hee doth vse other instruments, as the sword of men in warre, and other deuouring creatures in famine, and so consequently, whereas in the pestilence wee seeke onelyonly to the mercies of God, in warre and famine, we are to wrestle with the cruelties of men also, whose heart, saith lEs. 10. …. 7.Esay, is to destroy, To take the spoyle, to tread their enemies downe, like the mire in the streetes. (saith the Lord,) was a little displeased, but they helped forward the affliction. Zach. 1. 15. As if he should hauehave sayd, my purpose was only to try you, but theirend to destroy you, now we beare more then patiently the Lords rod, then the hand of man
3. Dauid did chuse that punishment, which was most agreeable to his sinne; his mGeneu… note. Cor…el. a Lapid in Exod. 30. 12.fault in numbring the people, was to try his power, and to put his affiance therein, and therefore being sorry for his errour, he desired the plague, that he might not trust any more to the arme of flesh, but altogether rely vponupon the Lord. nMartyr.For had he chosen warre, men of valour would hauehave resisted, and imagined that their sword should hauehave saued them: And if he had chosen famine, money-men would hauehave trusted in their purse, making oIob. 31. 24.gold their hope, and saying to the wedge of gold, thou art my confidence. Hee that hath siluer, may buy bread, and hee that hath enough bread, need not to starue for hunger, but a man infected and afflicted wi…h the plague, hath no weapons, or meanes to relieue his distressed estate, but onelyonly prayers, and teares.
Mysticall…, this numbring of the people, saith Ruperius vponupon the place, figures carnall Israelites, boasting in the works of the Law; for to thinke that a man is iustified by works, when as Abraham was iustified by faith, is to trust in chariots and horse.
Lastly, Diuines obserue Dauids faith, and affiance in the Lord, as being assured that pRom 8. 28.all things worke together for the best, vntounto those that feare him; he well vnderstood, that God ha…h a left hand of Iustice, so well as a right hand of mercy. But the godly feele each hand gentle, both hands of God are right hands vntounto them. Is there dearth in the land? Daniel will thriue with water and pulse, so well as other with wine and Iunkets. Is there persecution in the Church? To suffer death in Christs cause (quoth holy qFox Mart. pag. 14. 92.Bradford,) is the high way to heauen on horsbacke. Though Esa… bee stronger then Iacob, yet the greater shall serue the lesser. The number of Gods elect is small, the number of reprobate fooles, infinite. The Church is a little flocke of lambes, in the mids of wolues, and yet populus maior seruit minori, many that are bad, serue those few which are good, non obsequendo (quoth rSer. 78. de temp.Augustine,) sed persequendo, not by doing good, but by doing mischiefe to them, and so they turne Goldsmiths of God, to make crownes for all such as in his battailes hauehave fought a good fight. If other troubles arise, touching our goods, or good name, Dauids resolution is, sPsal. 119. 71.It is good for me that I hauehave beene in trouble. For affliction holdes men in, as hauing little outlets, or leasure for idlenesse and luxury▪ Doth sicknesse, and of all sicknesse in many respects the most vncomfortable, the pestilence, come nigh our dwelling? Yet let vsus not be afrayd for any terrour by night, or the arrow that flyeth by day; But instantly, and that constantly, resolue with Dauid here, let vsus fall into the hand of God and not into the hand of man. As we feele more sensible comfort of the Sunnes heate, when we are cold: So the greater our danger and extremity, the greater is that power and piety that deliuereth vsus.
These vertues are the brightest starres in the sphere of maiestie, manifesting Dauids duty to God and man; and the reason of all this high and holy resolution is, because the mercies of the Lord are great, great in their nature, as being riches of his goodnesse Rom. 2. 4. Exceeding riches of his grace, Ephes. 2. 7. Great in their number, as being multitudes of mercies, Psal. 51. 1. Great in their continuance, as being for euer and euer. Psal 103. 17. That is, as the doctours expound it, from euerlasting predestination, to euerlasting glorification: eueryevery way so great, that our Prophet saith in the 145. Psal. at the 9. verse. His mercies are ouer all his workes.
Of which I find a two fold construction, and each of them exceeding comfortable.
1. His mercies are ouer, That is, greater then all his works, not in propriety, for all the vertues of God are equal, as being essential attributes; But in tGenebr. in Ps. 145.effect and extent greater; For whereas Gods indignation is but vponupon the 4. generation of such as hate him, his mercies are vponupon thousand generations of those that louelove him, and keepe his Commandements: Among the 13. properties of God. Exod. 34. Almost all of them appertaine to his mercy, whereas one concernes his might, and only two his lustice.
The 2 construct on is, his mercies are ouer all, that is, uChrysost. August. …. in loc.sh…wed in all, and towards all his works, for the latter clause, his mercies, &c, is nothing else but a repe…ition of the former, The Lord is good vntounto all, His goodnesse is the same with his mercy, and all is all his works.
The mercies of God then are great to the whole vniuerse▪ more specially to the reasonable creatures, and among those, principally, to such as louelove him, and feare him, and call vponupon him faithfully, As our Prophet in the before cited Psalme. verse. 18. 19. 20. His mercies compasse them about, on all sides, and at all seasons, on eueryevery side, for hee maketh an hedge about them, and about their houses, and about all they hauehave. Iob. 1. 10. They bee his enclosed vineyards, of whom hee saith. Esa. 5. What could I hauehave done more for my vinyard, which I hauehave not done for it, and his mercies are toward them at al seasons, as the blessed Virgin in her Magnificat, throughout all generations.
To speake more distinctly, the mercies of God toward vsus, are seene in two things especially, donando et condonando, That is, in giuing vsus whatsoeuer is good for vsus, and in forgiuing whatsoeuer is euill, euill of sinne, euill of punishment for sinne, pardoning all our offences against himselfe, against our other selfe, against our owne selfe; lastly his mercies are great, in
Inferendis.
Differendis.
Auferendis.
supplicijs.
Mercifull in inferring punishment, for when as we deserue to be scourged with Scorpions, he chastiseth vsus only with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men. 2. Sam. 7. 14. We confesse, that we sinne greatly; So Dauid, verse. 10. of this chapter. But the Lord saith, I was but a little displeased.
Mercifull in deferring punishment, as being *Psal: 103. 8.full of pitty, slow to wrath, long suffering, of great goodnesse, cito struit, tarde destruit, making the whole world in sixe dayes, and yet was in destroying one citie seuen dayes.
Mercifull in remouing punishments, as in this present example, For the yApud Abule…s in loc.Rabbines hauehave a fable, that the plague threatned here 3 dayes, continued only for one houre, zAntiq. l. 7. c. 13.Ioscphus writes that it continued only from morning till noone; others conceiue, that it continued onelyonly till the time appointed for euening sacrifice, that day when it begun. aMartyr. Willet Comestor.They who stand vponupon the precise letter of the text, say that the time was shortned, for the Lord repented him, and sayd to the Angel that destroyed the people, it is enough. And that was in the beginning of the third day; For had not the Lord stayed the Angels hand, hee would hauehave gone on siniting, till that day had beene expired and finished.
It is reported of one, that hauing a booke of 2 leaues only, hee could not in all his life read it ouer; one leafe was red, wherein was registred, the Iudgements of God, in consideration whereof, he cryed out, enter not into iudgement with thy seruant, O Lord, &c. The other was white, in which were written, the mercies of God, in admiration whereof, hee cryed out, what is man, that thou art so mindfull of him; as being lesse then the least of thy mercies. If he could not read them in his whole life, how shall I repeate them in this munite of time? GiueGive mee leaue onelyonly to conclude in the words of our mother Church. O God whose nature and property is euer to hauehave mercy, and to forgiue, grant vsus thy grace, that in all time of our tribulation, in all time of our wealth, in the houre of death and as the day of iudgment, we may put our whole trust and confidence in thee, resoluing always as Dauid here, let vsus fall into the hand of the Lord, and not into the hands of man, for thy mercies are great.