The Way to True Peace and Rest, Sermon 14
THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON, VPONUPON THE 40. PSALME: PREACHED IN THE time of publicke fast.
1 I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined vntounto me, and heard my crie.
2 He brought me also out of the horrible pit, out of the mirie clay, and set my feete vponupon the rocke: and ordered my goings.
3 And he hath put in my mouth a new song of praise vntounto our God: many shall see it and feare, and shall trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and regardeth not the proud, nor such as turne aside to lies.
5 O Lord my God, thou hast made thy wonderfull works so many, that none can count in order to thee, thy thoughts toward vsus: I would declare and speake of them, but they are moe then I am able to expresse.
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire: (for mine eares hast thou prepared) burnt offering and sinne offering hast thou not required.
7 Thou said I, Loe, I am come, for in the rolle of the booke it is written of me.
8 I desired to do thy good wil, O my God: yea thy law is within mine heart.
9 I hauehave declared thy righteousnesse in the great Congregation: Loe, I will not refraine my lips, O Lord, thou knowest.
10 I hauehave not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart, but I hauehave declared thy truth and thy saluation: I hauehave not concealed thy merciemercy and thy truth from the great Congregation.
11 Withdraw not thy tender merciemercy from me, O Lord: let thy merciemercy and thy truth alway preserue me.
12 For innumerable troubles hauehave compassed me, my sinnes hauehave taken such hold vponupon me, that I am not able to looke vp: yea, they are moe in number then the haires of mine head: therefore mine heart hath failed me.
13 Let it please thee, O Lord to deliuer me: make haste, O Lord, to helpe me.
14 Let them be confounded and put to shame together that seeke my soule to destroy it, let them be driuen backward and put to rebuke that desire mine hurt.
15 Let them be destroyed for a reward of their shame, which say vntounto me, Aha, aha.
16 Let all them that seeke thee, reioyce and be glad in thee: and let them that louelove thy saluation, say alway, The Lord be praised.
17 Though I be poore and needy, the Lord thinketh on me: thou art mine helper and my deliuerer: my God, make no tarying.
THis Psalme for the most part, tendeth to praise and thankesgiuing: For the Author of it (Dauid) partly praiseth God from his owne late experience, and partly from the publike experience of the whole Church. Therefore for this his experience, he offereth his seruice to God, protesting to be thankefull to him, as he had bene thankfull in times past. And in the end of the Psalme, he retireth himselfe to prayer, and commendeth his estate to the protection of God, that as he had deliuered him in time past, so he would continue the same in mercy to him in time to come. This I take to be the summe of this Psalme.
Touching the parts of it, we hauehave three: in the first wherof we hauehave the praise and commendation of the mercy and kindnesse of God, whereby it commeth to passe, that he reiecteth not them that depend vponupon him. In the second, for this experience that he hath found, he offereth his seruice to God; & as he had proclaimed his iustice & mercy in time past, so he protesteth that he is ready to do the same in time to come. In the third, as I spake before, he retireth to prayer, he commendeth his estate to God, that as it had pleased him to preserue him in time past, so it would please him to preserue him in time to come. Following the literall meaning, this is the effect of the Psalme. If you take it otherwise, there is a notable prophecy concerning the office of Christ Iesus; concerning the abolishing of the old couenant, and establishing of the new: and concerning the sacrifice of our high Priest, the Priest of the new Testament, Christ Iesus.
Then to returne to the first part: therein we hauehave a singular experience set downe: Indeed, if the circumstances were well considered, his experience is more then singular; for by the last Psalme, the estate and care wherein he was at this time may be easily gathered. He was pursued by the treason of his owne sonne Absalon, he was pursued by the skornes and Iests of his owne seruants. In this great extremity, he bursteth out into prayer, & beggeth of God, that he would withdraw his hand from him for a space: and why? He was consumed with his owne iniquity, he desireth, that at the last he would incline his eares to his prayers, and keepe no longer silence at his teares, in respect he knew he was but a soiourner and a pilgrime in the earth, as the rest of his fathers were: he sayth, Withdraw thine heauie hand, O Lord, and let the mercy that I looked for, appeare to me. Now, in this Psalme he letteth vsus see, what issue and end his long wayting obteined, to wit, a most blessed and happy end: For in this Psalme we see, that the Lord at last inclined his eare vntounto him, and shewed in experience that though he answereth him not at first, yet he was not deafe, but accomplished his desire, in drawing him out of his misery in the which he lay; which misery he describeth by two proper similitudes.
The first similitude is taken from the pit. The second is taken from the myre of clay. At the last, the Lord drew him out of this horrible pit, and placed him vponupon the shore: he opposeth the rocke vntounto the pit, and the faire way to the myrie clay, and placed him vponupon a plaine and faire way, and directed his iourney. So his long expectation obtayned a most happy issue.
In this his experience, there are three things that offer themselues to be considered: First, what was this that he susteyned in this long wayting, what was it that made him to continue without despaire. Secondly, what was Dauids exercise all the time of this long wayting. Thirdly, what issue & end this long wayting obtayned. As for the wayting, there was no other thing that susteined him, but that same which we Christians call a Christian hope, or a Christian expectation; which hope is the worke of the holy Spirit, wrought in vsus by the power therof, whereby it cometh to passe, that we with great patience abide the performance of the Lords promises.
Hope.In this hope there are two things inclosed: There is first, the absence of the thing hoped for, & yet notwithstanding a certaine expectation of the same. This hope of ours is different from our faith,How hope differeth from faith. though it rise and spring thereof, in two speciall points: For the nature of faith, taketh hold on the promise; for nothing can be beleeued but the promise: promises are propounded to be beleeued, and commandements to be obeyed. The nature of faith then, taketh hold of the promise: The nature of hope looketh not so much to the promise, as to the thing promised. The nature of hope is to looke continually, vntil it possesse the thing that is promised. The nature of faith maketh the thing which is absent in it selfe and in very deede, to be present, as if it were extant and subsisting before thy senses: and therefore, faith is called the ground & substance of things absent; for faith maketh them as sure by the promise as if the thing promised were in my hand. It maketh me as sure of the promise, as if the debt were already payed. Hope againe, maketh not the thing promised present, but looketh on still vntill it be present, and wayteth on continually vntill it possesse it; and when it is obtained, then faith and hope ceasse: For what neede we (saith the Apostle,) to hope for the thing we see or hauehave in our hand? Now looke how sure our faith is, as sure, of necessity, must our hope be. A sure promise maketh a sure faith: a slacke promise will neuer make a constant faith. The promise of God is onelyonly sure: therefore the hope and faith that is grounded on God, is onelyonly sure. This sure Hope liueth in this world by way of patience, for impatiencie cutteth the pillars of hope.The life of Hope. Impatiency carieth vsus to despaire, and to lay violent hands on our selues. So hope liueth by patience, and patience by hope. Now the matter of patience is trouble vponupon trouble. Affliction engendreth patience (saith the Apostle,) Rom. 5. For a bed of ease is not a matter of patience, a prosperous course is not a matter to assay our hope: so trouble vponupon trouble, is the matter & exercise of patience; long putting off & delay of things hoped for, is ye exercise of true patience, Now, of this deduction I gather one proposition: That is a sure,Doctrine. constant & Christian hope, which being exercised by trouble vponupon trouble, by long processe and delay of time, yet remaineth constant. Who euer is indued with such an hope, he may wait on still, he hath a sure and constant hope; But so is this hope whereof we speake, the hope of the gaine. Therefore he had a Christian and sure hope. For his troubles, ye heard them the other day: he was pursued by the treason of his sonne, backbited by his seruants; yet he abideth patiently. Indeed sometime he bursteth forth through impatience, but in an instant he took vp himselfe; & to testifie his long putting off and delay, he sayth here, In waiting I waited. Then I say, ye hauehave it prooued, that Dauid had a sure, firme, and constant hope. The surer that an anchor is, and the more deepe it is fixed, it will be the worse to plucke vp. Let the storme rage as it pleaseth, continue as it wil, the anchor that is deeply fixed wil hardly be plukt vp. The anchor of our soule (sayth the Apostle) is Hope: Therfore the more sure & deeply it is fixed, it wil be the worse to pull vp. Our whole study, diligence & care should be, to see, when & in what place we should cast this anchor of hope. Cast we our anchor on any man, the storme shall not rise so soone, but it shall vnloose. Cast we it vponupon any creature, it can be no surer then the creature it selfe: Therfore when the storme cometh, it will rise vp. In summe, cast we it any where below vnderunder the cloudes, it must vnloose in time of storme: Then this anchor differs from other anchors, it must enter within the veile, and reach in in Sanctasanctorum. It must take hold on Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father. Th…re is no sure ground for our anchor, except it enter within the veile. And if we obtaine accesse that we enter within the veile, there is no storme nor continuance of storme, (blow as it pleaseth,) yt wil raise it vp, & consequently cause vsus to make shipwra…ke of our soules. …he Lord of his mercy grant vntounto eueryevery one of vsus, vnderstanding that we may cast the Anchor of our hope aright.
As for the second thing, concerning the exercise wherein he was exercised enduring his wayting on, he noteth in the end of the ve…se, that he was imployed in crying; and in the last Psalme, he was busied in praying, sighing and sobbing, enduring ye time of his long wayting. This was his exercise. And if this exercise had not cōtinued, it had not bene possible that his patience should hauehave continued. By this exercise he entertaineth patience, and by patience he entertaineth hope. For as to this sighing and mourning, it is no waies contrary to the nature of hope,Hope and mourning may stand together. no more then ioy is: for this mourning and sighing riseth of the long delay, and absence of the thing hoped for; as on the other part, the ioy riseth of the approching and drawing neere in our expectations of the thing hoped for. So this sighing, crying, and praying was his exercise, and they are the onelyonly meanes to purchase strength, to stand and continue in hope.
As touching the third thing, ye heare what end & issue this long waiting of his tooke, to wit; a prosperous and a happy end. The Lord enclined his eare to him, and not onelyonly enclined he his eare, but granted him his hearts desire. Vppon this ground I marke one or two things, and so I shall go forward.
The first thing I would hauehave you to learne, is this; learne of Dauid, your kinde of exercise in extremity of troubles: Learne of Dauid the right meanes whereby ye may entertaine patience in greatest calamity. The meanes that he setteth downe here, are crying, sighing, lamenting and praying vntounto God: and in other parts of the Psalme he addeth also many other meanes, though these be speciall. And if thou wouldest do well in these great agonies, thou shalt call to memory, the examples of the seruants of God, who hauehave passed the like straites. If thou do well, thou shalt call to memory the testimonies of the fauour of God, shewed to thy selfe, if thou hast felt any in thy life past: If thou do wel, thou shalt call to memory, that the decree of the Lords election is vnchangeable; call to memory that his power is omnipotent; call to memory the singular workes of the Lord toward his Elect. Let this be thine exercise in trouble. If this way thou be directed, thou mayst be assured, thou shalt obteyne that issue & end that Dauid did. Thus for ye first lesson.
The second thing I marke here, is this; I see here,How to know when God heareth our prayer, though he granteth not instantly our suite. that the Lord, though he put off and delay the effect of his prayer, and granteth not his desire at the first, yet he heareth him. I shall giuegive you a certaine argument, whereby thou mayst know that the Lord heareth, although he delay the effect of thy prayers. Continuest thou in prayer? hast thou this strength giuen thee to perseuer in suiting any thing? Thou mayst be assured he heareth: for this is an argument that he heareth thee, for naturally our impatiency carieth vsus to desperation: Our lust is so great, specially in spirituall troubles, that we cannot continue in suiting; When thou therefore continuest in suiting, thou mayest be sure that this strength is furnished of God, and cometh from heauen. If thou hauehave strength, he letteth thee see yt he heareth thy prayer, though he delay the effect and force thereof, yet pray continually.
This doctrine is so necessary for the troubled conscience, that I thinke it is the meetest bridle in the Scripture to restraine our impatiencie: It is the meetest bit to hold vsus in continuall exercise of patience. For if the heart vnderstand, that the Lord hath reiected our prayer altogether, it is not possible to continue in prayer:Not…. so when we know that the Lord heareth vsus, suppose he delay, let vsus desire patience to abide his good will.
The third thing that I marke is this, his crying and weeping obteineth a prosperous issue:Constant mourning in trouble, assures certaine deliuerance. for by his long crying he is drawn out of a terrible pit, by his long crying he is drawn out of the myre and deepe clay. There is no pit so deepe, take it as thou wilt, that can stay the eare of the euerliuing God. There is no distance of place, nor thicknesse of impediments that can stay the voyce of any suppliant. Be the pit neuer so deepe, wilt thou cry truly, thou shalt be heard. And it is as true on the other side, whosoeuer cryeth and showteth, if his pit were neuer so deepe, he is not drowned: hast thou this liberty to cry, in crying thou risest, the more thou continuest,Note. the nearer is deliuery: The…efore onelyonly he is in a miserable estate, who being throwne downe in a deepe and horrible pit, knoweth not, notwithstanding that he is there, nor feeleth not his misery. For as long as we hauehave the knowledge and some feeling of our misery, be the pit as vgly as it will, we are in danger, but not lost: but where knowledge & feeling is away, there we are drowned; there is not one of vsus all but so long as we are here, we are in one pit or other. The pit of iniquity circleth vsus so long as we are here, there is no meanes to be deliuered but by feeling our misery: for feeling maketh vsus to cry, and by crying we are heard. Thus much for the Prophets first experience.
VponUpon this in the third verse he taketh occasion to praise God by reason of this his singular experience, which gaue him the matter & argument of a new song; This song is called a new song, by reason of the new occasion of the new deliuery, which occasioneth to him the matter of new praise.
In the end of the verse, he setteth downe two speciall vses of this praise whereunto it tendeth. The first vse is, it tendeth to stirre vp the Church to follow his example in praysing God. The second vse of it tendeth to the edification of eueryevery member of the Church in the feare and worshipping of God. Of this verse I gather shortly two lessons, and so I shall go forward.
The first, who is it that putteth this song of praise in our mouth, who maketh vsus to sing this new song in our heart?Lesson. onelyonly God putteth the song of praise in our mouth, and maketh vsus to sing this new song in our heart; for by nature none hath knowledge to praise him, nor will praise him. The way and manner how to praise him is, by a taste and feeling of his sweetnesse. It is not possible that the heart can praise him, except it hauehave a taste thereof. All the benefites of the Lord whether they be spirituall or temporall, should be as many occasions of praise; but this silence is an argument of the hardnesse of our heart: for surely, if we were touched with a feeling of this sweetnesse, we would burst forth in praise; but our slothfulnesse sheweth the hardnesse of our heart. And where this foule death continueth, there is no reconciliation with God.
The second thing that I marke, is vponupon the end of this verse. It is not enough to praise God thy selfe;Lesson. it is not enough to thanke him in thine owne heart: But if thou be a true member of the Church, thou must propose this benefit to the Church: for benefites are not giuen as particular priuiledges to particular persons: but as publicke testimonies of the fauour of God towards his Church. Therefore eueryevery benefit should be proposed to the Church, that the Church may hauehave occasion to praise God in it. Now vponupon this third verse, he bursteth forth into that notable sentence which we hauehave in the fourth verse: Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and regardeth not the proude. Surely, that man is exceedingly blessed, who is not caried with the example of the proud and vaine in the earth: for why? by nature there is neuer a one of vsus, but we are all proud & vaine. Secondly, how forcible euill example is, all men by experience know. Thirdly, we know the multitude accounteth common custome and example for law. Therefore of necessitie, that man must be exceedinglie blessed, that in such a sight of euill examples, putteth his trust in God: Surely, these few in number that depend vponupon God, if they be compared with the rest of the world, of all men of the earth they will be counted most miserable and vnhappy: and as the Apostle sayth, they were the ofscourings and sweepings of the world. For as long as they are here beneath in the kingdome of patience, their life is hid with Christ, and will not appeare vntill the Lord appeare, to be maruellous in his Saints, 2. Thes. 1. At the which time their bodies shall shine as the Sunne, and their soules shall shine as the Angels. In hope of this estate, the poore members of the Church repose in the present peregrination. There are here two waies set downe; There is a broad and an open way, wherein rhe proud and vaine men of the earth walke. There is a narrow and a strait way, wherein the simple and they that depend on God walke. Indeed the broad way is large, easie and pleasant, there is no throng nor trouble in it, as would appeare for a while; but the end of it is straitnesse, euerlasting and terrible straitnesse. On the other side, the other way is strait in the entry, and many impediments are in that way, yet the end is large and pleasant, and bringeth a ioyfull eternity. I thinke that the soiourner, that is certaine of a good lodging, may well endure the difficulties of the way: And therefore, seeing we are certaine of our lodging, & that the way is short, let eueryevery one striue to enter into it, how strait so euer it be, the end is large. The Lord of his mercy worke in eueryevery one of vsus, that we may both know the way, and walke in it till our liues end.
Why the Lord delayeth to helpe his Seruants.The last thing that I marke vponupon this experience: ye see two ends why the Lord delayeth to helpe his seruants. The first and speciall end is, that he may be the more glorified, the more that he differeth: The second end is, that these hasty men that will not abide the leasure of the Lord, may see themselues disappointed, when they see the seruants of the the Lord so mightily deliuered. For there is not one amongst a thousand, that in patience will wait vponupon the deliuerance of the Lord, but runne to this or those meanes, vntounto vnlawfull meanes, and euer seeke helpe for the present,He that belieueth shall not make hast. although it be with the hurt of conscience. And these vnlawfull sorts of deliueries bring euer shame in the end: And therefore it is that the Lord delayeth his deliuerance, that partly these hastie men may be ashamed, and that his glory might be the greater in the deliuerance of his owne.
In the fift verse the Lord is praised from the publike experience of the Church; for ye number of his blessings which he bestoweth, & is to bestow vponupon his Church, cānot be expressed. There is no heart able to conceiue, nor mouth able to expresse ye infinite number of his blessings. The eare hath not heard (saith the Apostle,) ye eye hath not seene, nor hath it entred into the heart to cōceiue the ten thousandth part of the ioy prepared for the children of God: for if this heart of ours were able to cōceiue any part of that ioy, we should possesse more of it here then we do. The little sparkes of that ioy and the feeling thereof, hauehave such force in the children of God, that they carrie their hearts out of their bodies as it were, and lift them vp to the very heauens; then how great shall the full ioy be, I pray you, when the whole soule shall be possessed fully? As for the greatnesse and excellencie of the blessings of God, the heart of man is no way able to conceiue, or the tongue to expresse. Albeit how euer we are not able to conceiue them, let eueryevery one trauell to make a further and a greater progresse in this knowledge: for the more we profite in this exercise, the more thankfull may we be to God. Thus much concerning the first part of the Psalme.
In the second part (I shall be short by Gods grace,) for this his experience which he hath found, he offereth his seruice freely to God, he offereth himselfe most voluntarily; as one who delighted in the law of the Lord; as one who hath proclaimed his merciemercy and iustice, and the rest of his vertues in time past. And he confesseth in the 6. verse, that this obedience flowed not out of himselfe, but of the piercing of the eare of his heart. It pleaseth the Lord to prepare and open the eares of his heart, that he might obey him: for as to outward sacrifice and externall worshipping, when it is disioyned from the inward seruice of the heart, the Lord hath no liking of it. Therefore it pleased the Lord to pierce the eare of his heart: And of this it cometh to passe that he cometh and offereth his seruice willingly, saying: I heare thee crying on me (Lord) in thy booke. In the first word of thy booke, hearken and take heede (ô Dauid,) and here he saith, I am coming. If we follow the literall meaning of the words, this is the effect and meaning; but if we follow the mysticall sence,A mysticall meaning. there is here a cleare prophecie of the Messiah: For the Apostle to the Hebrewes, Chap. 10.5. bringeth in Christ Iesus speaking these same words of himselfe, which Dauid here speaketh in the 7.8. and 9. verses. And for the better vnderstanding of this prophecie, the Apostle in that place setteth downe the circumstance of time when he spake these words, to wit: when he came into the world, when he tooke on our nature and was clothed with our flesh, he spake these words contained in the 7.8. and 9. verses. As to the words, the Apostle applyeth them otherwise to Christ then Dauid here doth to himselfe: for in the words which the Apostle citeth, there is a clause changed: for where Dauid saith, thou hast pierced mine eare, the Apostle saith, thou hast giuen me a bodie. There appeareth to be a great difference here, yet I say the sentence remaineth one howsoeuer the words differ: And to let you see that the sentence is one,The Prophet and Apostle reconciled. this is my reason. As the boring of the eare was a signe of obedience of the seruant to the master, Exod. 21. so the taking on of our body and of our flesh in Christ, is a perfect signe of his obedience to his Father. And looke how sure a signe of seruice the boring of the eare was to the master, as sure a token is the assuming of our flesh, of the obedience of Christ to his Father. So obedience is signified by the one, and obedience is signified by the other; as for Christ, he tooke not on this seruile forme for his owne cause; but for our cause, and for vsus was his eare bored, soule and bodie sustaining that full wrath which we should hauehave endured eternally: And yet notwithstanding so vnthankfull are we, that except he bore our eare af…er another sort; that is, bore our hearts and soules as Lydias was, Act. 16. we can neuer thanke him nor know him for this benefit.
Then the effect and summe of the Prophecie may be this: Christ would testifie to vsus, that he is now by the benefit of the Father become our high Priest, not to offer legall sacrifices, the bloud of lambs and goats as before; but to offer his owne bodie which was the veritie of all other sacrifices, that by this sacrifice our conscience might be purged. We hauehave the abolishing of the old Testament set down in the 6. verse: the establishing of the new Testament in the 7. verse: the office of Christ in the 8. verse.
Now as to the lessons, I marke two or three shortly, and so I shall end. The first lesson riseth out of the 6. verse; he saith in the 6. verse, it is not the worthinesse of externall worshipping, it is not the worthinesse of legall sacrifices, that made the prayers of the ancients to be heard: It was not the worthinesse of their ceremonies that made their deliuerie to be purchased: It is not the worthinesse of our merits and satisfactions that maketh our prayers to be heard; it is onelyonly the bloud of the Lambe that made Dauid to be heard at that time, and vsus to be heard now,Lesson. that purchased his deliuerance then, and our deliuerance now. Accursed therefore is that religion that mixeth any other merits with the merits of Christ; and double accursed is the religion that derogateth any thing from the honour of this merite: This for the first lesson.
The second thing that I marke,The end why our prayers are heard. is the end why Dauids prayer is heard, and our prayer is heard: The end is, not to abuse the goodnesse of God to the wantonnes of the flesh; not to take occasion of the grace of God,Lesson. to prouoke him the next time to anger; but the end is, to consecrate soule and bodie to his seruice, and to make a publike protestation eueryevery one in his owne calling, to be thankfull to him in all time to come. This is the end wherfore the Lord deliuereth vsus, and heareth our prayers.
Two sorts of abusing the grace of GodI grant there is none of vsus but in one measure or other we abuse the grace of God, but there is an abusing with a fighting or reluctation; and there is another with a loose reine. And whosoeuer abuseth the grace of God with a loose reine, he casteth himselfe into the hands of God; and who so casteth himselfe oft into the hands of God, at the last he shall neuer come out. So in time let eueryevery one beware to abuse the grace of God this way; but beg a liberty and a renewing of the Spirit, that that which is pleasing to him, may be also pleasing to vsus: and that which is displeasing to him, may be displeasing to vsus.
The last thing that I marke is this, whereof cometh this willingnesse and free offering of our selues to the seruice of God? Dauid noteth it in a word: It proceedeth not of externall worshipping, but of the boring of the eare; except the Lord had prepared the eare of his heart, it was not possible for him to hauehave brought with him a mind or a will to serue God. Then this willingnesse is wrought by the Spirit of God, and not onelyonly this willingnesse, but the doing and execution of his will is wrought by the Spirit of God: For by nature we are hard hearted; and more vnfit then brute beasts to do the Lords will. And therfore whosoeuer would be partaker of the grace of the new Testament, let him looke into himselfe how farre his will is reformed: For the more we submit our will …o the will of God, the more we are partakers of the grace of the new Testament. So long as we make the will of man a rule to our will, we testifie that we hauehave not tasted of the grace of the new Testament: OnelyOnly then are we partakers of the grace of the new Testament when the Spirit of grace boweth our will, and maketh it to obey in some part the will of God. For I meane not that our whole will can obey the will of God: It is not possible so long as we are here, that we can runne one way: if the affections could runne one way, and bend themselues wholly to God, in a maner we should possesse life eternall in this life. But so long as we are here, we are compassed with two wils, from the which proceedeth …wo sorts of motions; affections and cogitations: In this battel the regenerate man continueth to the end. I require not a perfection of the will, or a perfection of the heart; but I desire a delight in the law and in the louelove of God: a will to louelove, and a preasing more and more to subdue our will to the louelove of God. Where this resisting is, the battell is;Note. and where a battell continueth, there is a true Christian, who at the last shall get the victorie. Resist thy wicked will, resist the motions thereof, resist the cogitations thereof, and sorrow for the actions thereof: if thou resist the motions and cogitations thereof, thou art in good estate. It is onelyonly the consenting to the actions and performance thereof that maketh thee guiltie before God.Euil thought… make vsus not guiltie, if resisted. Suppose thou hast euill cogitations & motions, yet if so be thou resist them, thou art not guiltie before God. But if t…ou consent and performe the appetites of sinne, the action will bring guiltinesse, and guiltines will banish light; and light being banished, God is banished. The obedience of sinne banisheth a good will, and placeth in stead thereof an euill will: so the perfection of a Christian in this life standeth in resisting: To trie night and day that thou consent not to the actions of thy wicked will.
O then! it is a matter of great consequence to subdue & tame that great idoll of euill will. We may speake of it as we please, and say, that we are able to do it, but of all the works of the earth it is the greatest: for such is the stubbornnesse of our will, that it will do nothing but what it liketh it selfe. Well, the perfection of a Christian standeth in striuing; we must either striue, or we shall not be crowned.
Therefore let eueryevery one beg of God, that he would worke by his Spirit in this life, that he may resist the motions and cogitations of his heart; that he would arme him against the enticements thereof; that resisting here we may be crowned hereafter. In the last part of the Psal. he returneth to prayer; and as he had found the mercifull deliuerie of God in time past, so he desireth that the Lord would continue the same merciemercy toward him in time to come, and vndertake his protection against the troubles that were to ensue as well as he had done against the troubles past.
In this part he letteth vsus see this lesson, which if it were well learned, might stand vsus in great stead the whole course of our life:Lesson. to wit, That the whole life of man in this earth (as Iob saith) is a continuall tentation, and the end of one miserie is but an entrie to a greater: so that our whole exercise should be to praise God for fauours past, and to pray to God for times to come; that in praysing and prayer our life being continually spent, we might hold Christ Iesus, who in life and death is exceeding aduantage. To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit, be all honour and praise, world without end. So be it.