Davids Evidence, Sermon 5
THE FIFT SERMON, December 12. 4. Sabboth.
And doest set me before thy face for euer.
WE hauehave heard already that God did vphold Dauid in his innocencie, whereby he was assured of Gods fauour towards him. Now we shall heare, how God preserued him in safetie, which is another pledge of his louelove towardes him. In these words we hauehave two things to consider. First what God did for Dauid, he set him before his face ▪ Secondly, how long this louelove lasted, for euer: when he saith, Thou doest set me before thy face. It is as much as if he should say, by manifest signes and tokens of deliuerance, thou doest let me know that thou hast me in remembrance: for when God séemeth to forget his children, he is sayd to hide his face,Psal. 44.24 as appeareth in Psalm. 44.24. where the Church complaineth in this maner, Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our miserie and affliction? that is, why doest thou not shew vsus thy helpe, that we may knowe thou doest remember vsus? Therefore when he doth make it manifest that he doth remē ber vsus, he is said to set vsus before his face.
This sheweth what a care the Lord hath of them whom he loueth, and what affection he doth beare vntounto them whom he vpholdeth in the integritie of their heart, as a thing which a man hath alwayes in his sight: … doth God louelove his children, that he can no… abide for louelove to let them go out of his sight. As the husband that loueth his wife, thinket… him selfe not well till she hath his compani… & he her presence: so God loueth the Church his spouse, that he can not abide to be without her companie, and thinkes her not safe, except she be in his presence to behold th… light of his countenaunce, therefore it pleaseth the Lord Iesus, not onelyonly to call himsel… the head of his Church,Ephe. 1.23. and the Church hi… body, but also to terme his Church the fulnesse of him selfe, although he filleth all in a… things, as though he were imperfect witho… his Church. As the father or the mother will hauehave that infant in their sight, which they louelove most dearely, so God will hauehave his Church in his sight, which he loueth most tenderly. As the tutour will hauehave his pupill in his presence to shew his care and his louelove towardes him, so the Lord, which hath takē vponupon him our tuition doth set vsus before his face, that we may know what care he hath ouer vsus, therefore are such phrases vsed in the Scripture,Esay. 49.15.16. as Esay. 49.15.16. Can a womā forget her child & not hauehave cōpassion on the sonne of her wombe? though they should forget, yet will not I forget thee, saith the Lord. Behold I hauehave grauen thee on the palme of my handes, thy walles are euer in my sight, to shew that no enemies can come against his Church, but he must know thē, and no breaches can be made in the walles of his Church, but he must sée them, and sée who made them. And so long it cannot chuse but go well with his Church. And therefore it followeth in the next verse,17. Thy builders make hast, and thy destroyers, and those that made thee wast, are departed from thee. In the 10. of S. Iohn 28.Iohn. 10.28. The sonne himself saith of his spouse the elect. I geue vntounto them eternall life, neither shall any plucke them out of my hād, to shew how safe they are with him, and how mindfull he is of them. In figure whereof, Aaron the high Priest (who was also a figure of Christ) was commaunded by God in the 28. of Exodus to weare a breast plate with foure rowes of precious stones.Exod. 28.17.18.19.20. In the first row, a Rubie, a Topace, and a Carbuncle. In the second row, an Emeraude, a Saphire, and a Diamonde. In the third row, a Turkis, an Achate, and a Hemetite, In the fourth row, a Chrysolite, an Onix, and a Iasper. And the stones shalbe according to the names of the children of Israell, twelue according to their names, grauen at signets, euerie one after his name, and they shalbe for the twelue Tribes: all this is to shew what accōpt the Lord doth make of his chosen people. But where must these stones … worne? he sheweth where in the 29. verse. So Aaron shall beare the names of the children of Israell, in the breast plate of Iudgemēt vponupon his hart, whē he goeth into the holy place, for a remembraunce continually before the Lord. And Aaron shall beare the Iudgement of the children of Israell vponupon his hart continually. And what is this for, but to shew the continuall care that Christ hath of his Church. For Aaron is a figure and resemblaunce of Christ, the precious stones are a figure of the Church of Christ. Aaron must weare them vponupon his breast, that is in his sight, so Christ hath his people alwayes in his sight. As it was impossible for Aaron to forget the stones, which were in his sight, so is it impossible that Christ our true Aaron should forget his people, which beléeue in his name, but hath them in continuall remembraunce, being now gone into the holy of holies, that is the kingdome of his father, the most holy place of all. And the same care which the Lord Iesus had of the Iewes his choise people at the first, the same care hath he of the Gentils, that is of vsus and other nations of the earth, which beléeue in him: because the wall of separation is pulled down, and there is now no respect of persons with the Lord,Gal. but in all nations, he that feareth the Lord,Act. 10. and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him.
As for me thou doest set me before thy face for euer.
This then sheweth that none are in such safetie as the godly, none so wel guarded as the godly, none so well prouided for as the godly, for God doth set them before his face for euer, so that howsoeuer the world goeth, yet God doth alwayes remēber thē, as he did remember Abraham whē Sodome was destroyed,Gen. 19.29. for as he was mindfull of his promise, which he made to our forefather Abraham, Luke. 1.72 73.which is called the father of the faithfull, so will he be no lesse mindful of his promise, which he made to his séede, yt is to all ye faithfull for euer. Because he is the Lord & …haungeth not.Mal. 3.6. Who dareth offer violence to the Princes beloued in the presence of the Prince? Who shall presume to take the … gnet off the Princes finger? Who will take a praye out of the Lions claw? And who shal snatch the Lordes chosē out of his hand, whō he hath set as a signet vponupon his right hād? I… there be no safetie in the presēce of ye owner where is safetie? Nature doth teach vsus no lesse. The child (fearing to be h…rt of any body) runneth before his father or his mother, and then thinkes him selfe safe. Nature hath taught the very dogge to runne before hi… master, when he feareth any body, that commeth to hurt him, but yet these may be de…ceiued, for, what if the father be so vnnaturall that he will not rescue his child? or if he be willing, what if he be not able, being ouermatched? or if he be able and willing at one time, what if his minde chaunge, & what if his affection be estranged at another time? if he be not altered in affection, what if he knoweth not when his sonne is iniuried? if he knoweth when, what if he knoweth not by whom? if he knoweth by whom, what if he cannot come by him? And many things moe, what then? why then Vltra posse non …st esse. He can do no more thē he can. But with the Lord our heauenly father it is not so: for, as he is able being almightie, so he is most willing being our father through his sonne Christ. As he is willing, so is he vnchaūgeable, as he is vnchaungeable, so hath he all knowledge, and therefore knoweth by whō, at what time, in what place, in what maner, and for what cause any thing is done in the whole world, and as he hath all knowledge, so is his Maiestie eueryevery where present, therfore there is no flying from his presēce. And as he is eueryevery where,Psal. 139. so is he iust and true, and therefore cannot be bribed, nor peruerted, & as he is all in all things, so all things are his, and of him are all things whatsoeuer they be, and therefore he hath néede of nothing. What shall we say more? shall not therefore Gods children be most safe, & most happy before his face, in whose presence is life, and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore? no doubt of it. Let the wicked then tremble, let Sanballat and Tobias be astonished, let Ashur & Pashur be abashed, let Corah and his cōpanie be confounded, let Ioab and Iudas go hang them thēselues with their trecherous kisses, and their traiterous conspiracies, let Ananias dissēble, & his wif… take his part, and let them perish in their hypocrisie. And the foxes which séeke to destroy the Lordes vineyeard, (and their cubbes▪ by whose vndermininges the vine hath bu… small grapes,Cant. 2.15) let them take héede that they be not taken in their owne wilinesse, fo… they cannot go so closely, nor yet so cuning…ly to worke against Gods children, but th… Lord …ée…h them well inough. For he hath se… his children before his face for eu….
This was it ye dismayed Pa…rie y• bloud…butcher, when he came with a full resoluti… to lay hands vponupon the Lordes annointed: h… saw in her very countenaunce the face … God, that is some litle sparke of his Maiestie, which did so coole his courage, that his traiterous hand was not able to accomplish the bloudie deuise of his hart, the Lordes name be blessed for euer. And were it possible for her to hauehave escaped so many daungers as she hath passed through euen from her infancie, if the Lord had not set her before his face, and geuen his louing kindnesse charge to waite vponupon hir? The Lord therefore set her in his sight, and defend her with the light of his countenaunce for euermore.
But if this be true will some say, why do the wicked séeme to preuaile so often as they do against those which feare the Lord? Surely it is true, they séeme indéede to preuaile against them, when they confounde themselues. And for the most part their laughter is but from the téeth outward,Pro. 14.13 and the end of their mirth is heauinesse. But ye truth is so, that God séeing his children to were proude of his presence, and to forget themselues like the Disciples,Mat. 17.4. when they saw Christ a litle transfigured, he hides his face for a while, & sets the wicked vponupon them, and giueth Sathā leaue to sift them, yet not so, but that he hath stil an eye vntounto them, & will sée thē take no hurt. What a comfort is this to the godly? to thinke that when heauen and earth go together, yet their God hath them in an euerlasting remembraunce: but for this they were of all men most miserable, for but few in the world do care for them. But our vntamed nature will not so be aunswered. And our impatient humours will not so be satisfied, for we feare that if we should striue to lead a godly life, to put vp wrongs, and to walke in innocēcie and faithfulnesse, no body will care for vsus, or regard vsus, we shal lye open to the iniuries of all the world, eueryevery bodies plough will go ouer vsus,Psal. 129.3 & make long furrowes vponupon our backes. This indéede is the voyce of worldly reason…, but faith in Gods promises is of another minde, that saith, I beleeue in God the father almightie. that is, I am perswaded that God which is my father in Christ, is willing to saue me, and being almightie is able to saue me, and according to his gracious promise will sée m… take no wrong. When my father and mother forsooke me (saith Dauid) the Lord tooke me vp.Psal. 27. I am poore & in miserie (saith he) but ye Lord careth for me. But thou wilt say, this is particularly spoken of Dauid, what is that to me? yes saith the Prophet, it is for thee too, for who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high, shall abide in the shadow of the almightie,Psal. 91.1. I will say vntounto the Lord, O my hope and my fortresse, he is my God in him will I trust, surely he will deliuer me frō the snare of the fowler, and frō the noysome pestilence. &c.
As this comfort is great, and large, yet it perteineth to none, but to the godly: for this louelove token is giuen to none, but to such as stand in the integritie, and vprightnesse of their hart. Yet God is good to Israell (saith the Psalmist) but marke what followeth,Psal. 73.1. euen to those that are pure in hart, to teach vsus, that if we would be such as God wilbe g…d vntounto, we must first be such as God doth delight in, for not the Cananites, nor the Egyptiās, nor the Moabites, nor the Hittite… ▪ nor the Amorites, but ye Israelites were represented by the precious stones vponupon the hart of the high Priest. So, not the Idolatrous, nor superstitious, nor couetous, nor ye malicious, nor proude, nor prophane, nor beastly contēners of God, but the true worshippers of God, the méeke, the faithfull, the lowly, the godly, shalbe had in remēbraunce before the Lord. Whosoeuer can truly say with Dauid, Thou vpholdest me in mine integritie, may vndoubtedly follow, & chearefully sing with Dauid, and thou doest set me before thy face.
But how long will the Lord set his children before his face? for euer, saith the Prophet, y• is, he will neuer be wearie of doing good vntounto thē, but from time to time he will stand by them,Pro. 21.31 no power shall withstād him, no pollicie shall preuent him, no eloquence shall turne him, no wisedome shall circumuent him, no bribes shall peruert him, for he hath sworne once by his holinesse, that he will neuer faile his seruant Dauid, Psal. 89.35.nor alter the decrée that is gone out of his mouth. His knowledge decreaseth not. his strength abateth not, his arme is not shortned. His giftes are without repentaunce.Rom. 11. He is not like Isaac that hath but one blessing,Gen. 27.38. but the more he giueth the more he hath to giuegive, his storehouse is euer emptied, & euer full. The pooles of his mercy, are not like the poole about Ierusalē, which might be dried vp with tramplings of an armie of horsemen and horses,2 King. 19. but they are such as all the sinnes of a thousand worldes can neuer drie vp, much lesse the sinnes of his chosen. Therefore it is said in the Psalme,Psal. 130.7.8. with the Lord is merciemercy, and with him is plenteous redemption, and he shall redeeme Israell from all his sinnes, if they were moe then they are: for his redēption is not scant redemption, no more then néedes must, like a garment that is but fit for one mans backe onelyonly, but it is plenteous, and abounding,Psal. 136. euen for euer and for euer,Mat. 14.20 like the fiue loaues & two fishes, which fed fiue thousand to the ful, and yet were not spent, by twelue baskets full which remained, & that was more thē was set downe. His louelove to his Church was before all worldes. In this life he loueth, and for euer he loueth vsus: therefore his louelove is called euerlasting louelove. He doth set his people before his face for euer, that is, in prosperitie, in aduersitie, in sicknesse, in health, in peace and in warre, and at all times, in bed and at boord, in the house, and in the field, abroad and at home, at sea and at lād, in temple and in tent, & in all places: therefore is he called ye God of ye hills and the God of the vallies, what shall I say more?1. King. 20.28. He is for euer the same, and chaūgeth not. He hath not two willes, as the Papistes do teach: a former will, and an afterwill, a doctrine most damnable, and vncomfortable, but he is God and neuer chaungeth, Mal. 3.and the righteous shall therefore be had in an euerlasting remembraunce, he doth not say the rich or the pleasaunt conceipted, or the mightie, or the wittie, or the beautifull. &c. But the righteous shalbe had in remēbraūce. Psal. 112.6As if he should say, the wicked shall be euerlastingly forgotten, be they neuer so wise, neuer so wealthie, neuer so mightie, neuer so craftie, or neuer so well liked of amongst men, because they are not righteous.
Then you sée that no infirmitie, no sicknesse, no weaknesse, no simplenesse, no base parentage, no low estate, no miserie, nor affliction, no deuill of hell can make the Lord either to forget or to forsake those, which hauehave had once the assuraunce of his louelove, for whom he loueth he loueth for euer. Therefore if iniquitie come, or if securitie steal… vponupon vsus, let this doctrine be a staffe to stay vsus vp in our integritie▪ if sicknesse come, or pouertie come, or crosses come, or affliction come, nay if all the deuils in hell come, let this doctrine vphold our faith in his promises, which is faithfull for euer, 2. Tim. 2.13.and cannot denie himselfe, let it be a brasen wall to thy conscience against despaire, let it be a preseruatiue against the infection of sinners, let it be a cordiall for our fainting spirites, let it swéeten all our sorrowes, and swallow vp all our cares. And while we liue, let vsus comfort one another with these wordes. It is the Lord that vpholdeth vsus in our integritie, and doth set vsus before his face for euer, for the wordes are comfortable, and the Lord giuegive a blessing that they may be profitable. Now let vsus pray.