Davids Evidence, Sermon 7
THE SEVENTH Sermon, December 26.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israell. &c.
THe last Sabboth day, we heard, that Dauid hauing receiued assuraunces of Gods fauour towardes him, returned prayse and thankes vntounto the Lord for it: & how he was prepared thereunto we also heard then declared at large, we will now consider and sée in what manner and forme he praysed God.
First let vsus consider why he saith, not simply, Blessed be the Lord, but blessed be the Lord God of Israel. In these wordes be two points to be obserued. First, the cause why God loued him. Secondly, the largenesse, and the greatnesse of Gods louelove. But first, of the cause why God loued him, and why he did so assure him of his louelove & fauor. And that was not, I warrant you, any worthinesse that ye Lord found in Dauid, nor for his friēds sake, nor for his coūtrey sake, nor for his vertues sake, but onelyonly for his couenaūt sake, which the Lord made with his Church, wherof Dauid was a member, & therefore must néedes hauehave his part amongest ye rest, because God had so promised. Blessed be the Lord God of Israell. As if he should say, I giuegive the Lord prayse, & thankes, which hath chosē Israel, to be his people, which were not his peeple, and hath boūd him self, by promise to be ye God of Israel, & to watch ouer his people, & to assure thē of his fauor, which deserued …thing but his wrath & displeasure, for by this meanes I am now assured of his louelove, and fauor towards me, which I should neuer hauehave had if the Lord had not chosen me to be one of thē, vpō whō he meant to bestow his louelove, according to his gracious promise, which he made to my fathers Abrahā, Isaac, & Iacob (which was afterwardes called Israell:) and according to his promise which he made, not onelyonly to them, but also to all their séede, that is to all the faithful, so hath he delt with his seruaunts, blessed & praysed be his name for it.
Now we sée the fountaine from whence springeth all the good that we hauehave, blessed is Israell, because the Lord is their God, and blessed is England, because the Lord is our God. By this we may sée what an excellent thing it is to be of the Church of God, for thē the Lord Iehouah, the Lord almightie, is our God, and we are his people, and if he be on our side, who can be against vsus? or if any be against vsus, who cā preuaile against vsus? then are we in safetie from our enemies, then are we vpholden in our integritie, and prouided for according to our wants. So that the Lord doth not saue vsus, nor helpe vsus because we deserue it, but because he hath so promised in Christ Iesus, neither doth he chuse vsus, because he saw some goodnesse in vsus, but therfore is his goodnes, & grace bestowed vpō vsus, because he hath first elected and chosen vsus to be his people. But now sée what a thing it is to be of the Church of God, that is of the companie of Gods people, and within the cōpasse of Gods couenaunt.Psal. 87.2. The Lord loueth the the gates of Sion, that is, the gates of his Church, more then all the habitations of Iacob, to shew how he loueth his Church, for if he beareth such affection to the gates, what affection doth he beare to the Citie? If he loueth the most inferiour, euen the porters of his Church, that are set to kéepe the gates, what doth he for the chief Citizens, the common wealth of Israell? no maruell though Dauid desired to be a doore kéeper in ye house of God, for to be such a one, yea, to be the meanest in Gods Church, is to be the beloued of the Lord at the least, & that whē it is at the least, is greater then all ye pleasures, & treasures of the earth, yea it is better then wine,Cant. 1.1. saith the spouse of Christ, in the Canticles: that is, better then all pleasures & profites in the whole world. But what doth he for his Church? sée what he doth, God is knowē in Iudah, Psal. 76.1.(saith ye Psalmist) his name is great in Israel as if he should say, god hath made his will, and his counsels knowen to his Church, & the heathē hauehave not the knowledge of his wayes. The godly are of his coūsell as Abraham was, and is this a small matter?Psal. 147. But see yet more. In Shalē is his tabernacle, & his dwelling is in Zion, as if he should say, the dwellings of ye Lord they are in peace,Psal. 76.5. for Shalem is peace. There brake he the arrowes, and the bow, the shield, and the sword, & the battaile. The stoute harted are spoiled, they hauehave slept their sleepe, and all the men of strength hauehave not founde their handes. At thy rebuke ô God of Iacob, both the chariot, and the horse are cast a sleepe, & therefore, because thou art the God of Iacob, for he is so tender ouer his Church, that he will not abide any to annoy, or molest his Church, except it be for ye greater good of his Church, & the further, & greater confusion of their enemies. Whō shall we now praise for our deliuerance? we recken our ships, & giuegive them high prayses, we vse to say in the forgetfulnes of Gods goodnes, we may thanke such a ship, such a thing, and such a meanes & so forth, but we should say, Blessed be the Lord God of Israell: for it is he that wilbe, and must be knowen in his Church.
Whom hauehave we to stād by vsus, if euer our enemies come againe, but the Lord God of Israell? Let vsus say thē as the Psalmist saith, God is our hope and strength, Psal. 46.1.and helpe in troubles ready to be found. 2.Therfore will we not feare though the earth be moued. Some will say, we hauehave ships at sea, the hope, the reuenge, the dread nought, and so forth, nay, God is our hope, God is our reuenge, & God is dread naught indéede.3. Though the waues of the sea be troubled, and rage, and the moū taines shake at the surges thereof. 4.Yet there is a riuer, whose streames shall make glad the Citie of God, euen the sanctuarie of the Tabernacles of the most high. 5.God is in the midst of it, therfore it cannot be moued. 6.The Lord of hostes is with vsus, 7.the God of Iacob is our refuge. Now marke what followeth. Come, 8.and behold the workes of the Lord, what desolatiōs he hath made vpō the earth. He maketh warre to cease, 9.he breaketh the bow, and cuts the speare, and burneth the chariots in the fire. Now heare what ye Lord himselfe saith.10. Be still (saith he) & know that I am God, I wilbe exalted among the heathen, and I wilbe exalted in the earth. In the next verse they doe exalt him,11. saying. Th… Lord of hostes is with vsus, the God of Iacob i… our refuge. Noting, nothing to be the caus… of all these workes, but onelyonly his couenant which he made with his Church. In the first of S. Luke this is plaine.Luke. 1.54 55. He hath vpholdē Israel his seruant, being mindeful of his mercy. As he hath promised to our fathers Abrahā and his seede for euer. The virgine Marie is of the same minde.Luke. 1.71 He hath sent vsus deliueraunce (saith she) from our enemies, and from the handes of all that hate vsus, but the cause thereof was his mercy, which he shewed to our fathers in remembring his holy couenaunt, and the othe which he sware to our father Abraham, not mentioning any thing in her selfe. Therefore, whensoeuer we stād in néede of the Lordes helpe (as we do continually) let vsus be sure that we are the Israell of God, and then claime his promise, and let vsus not then doubt,2. Tim. 2.13. for he is faithfull, and cannot denie him selfe. And so much for the cause yt moued God to be so good vntounto Dauid.
The second thing that I obserue in these wordes is the large extēt of Gods louelove. For, therfore doth the Prophet call him the Lord God of Israell, to shew yt God is not a God of one onelyonly, but of all ye faithfull to the end of the world. He was not onelyonly Dauids God, but he is our God also, or els perhaps, some might say, Oh Dauid was an excellent man, and a man after Gods owne hart, and God did assist him wonderfully. But God is the same God to vsus, that he was to Dauid, and will assist vsus as mightely as he did Dauid, if we call vponupon him as Dauid did. Yea to eueryevery one of vsus he is the same, for God is no accepter of persons, not the Iewes more then the Gentils, the wall of separation being pulled downe,Gal. Act. 10.34 35. But in eueryevery nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him. Whosoeuer is a right Israelite is such a one as feareth God, and whosoeuer feareth God is a right Israelite: therefore when Iesus saw Nathaniell, he said, Behold indeede an Israelite, in whom is no guile, therfore he that feareth God, and is without guile, is an Israelite indéed, that is one of Gods children indéede, what a comfort is this to all the faithfull, though they be neuer so poore, and base in the sight of men, yet God is their God, they being his people, and they may chalēge his promise aswell as any other, and God will surely heare them, and they shall say, Blessed be the Lord God of Israell.
Now are we to cōsider of the next words, why he saith, world without end. He doth not praise God so long as the benefit of deliuerance lasteth, and no longer, but so long as his mercy endureth, and that is for euer: for it hath pleased the Lord to chuse vntounto him selfe a Church and a kingdome, out of Angels and men, which neuer shall hauehave end, and those shall praise him continually, as well for his iudgements as for his mercies. And this is it that S. Iohn set downe by the spirit of prophecie,Apoc. 19.1.2. when he saith, I heard a great voyce of a great multitude in heauen, saying, Halleluiah, saluation, and honor, and glorie, and power be to the Lord our God, for true & righteous are his iudgements. We vse to say, if a mortall man doth shew vsus any curtesie, or bestow any benefit vponupon vsus, Oh giuegive him great thankes, but how great thanks, and what presents shall we offer to God, who gaue it him first, and gaue him a heart to giuegive, & giueth for euer? If a Prince should send vsus any thing (were it neuer so litle) for a remembrance, we will thanke him according to the worthinesse of his person, & not according to the value of the thing which was sent. But God is the Prince of al Princes, and he giueth more then trifles, for in him we liue, and moue, and hauehave our being, and he hath giuen vsus his Sonne, who hath purchased a kingdome for vsus which shal neuer hauehave end. And if it were but our bare being here, he were to be praised for euer: how much more for such, and so many benefits, as can neither be numbred, nor valued? Yea for his infinite wisedome, which he hath caused to shine in all his works of creation: if we consider but the excellent wisedome of God in a poore litle flie, he is to receiue infinite praises for the same. How much more for his infinite goodnesse, power, merciemercy, iustice and prouidence ouer all his creatures, and his vnspeakeable louelove towards his children in his couenant of grace?
If a sily man shall frame a cunning péece of worke, or do some notable exploite, or accomplish some hard & great péece of seruice, which yet he could not do of him selfe, it is oftentimes presented to the Prince, & published to his lasting praise and renowne: but who is comparable with the Lord of hostes, whose curious and cunning workemanship appeareth in all his creatures, and whose right hand hath the preheminence, by doing of valiant things? shall not his name then be published to his euerlasting praise in his Church and congregation of his saincts? By this appeareth what difference there is betwéene our God, and the false gods of ye heathen: for who doth or can do such things as our God doth, who hath his being, and all sufficiencie of him selfe, and all others hauehave nothing but as he giueth vntounto them? who deserueth euerlasting praises but our God? By this it likewise appeareth, what dishonor and disgrace hauehave bene offred by grosse Idolaters, which wold take vponupon them to paint and picture out the inuisible, and incomprehensible maiestie of the Almightie, like a mā whose breath is in his nostrels, whose being is not of him selfe, whose yeares are but a span long, & in his best estate is altogether vanitie.Col. 3. What so euer ye do (saith the Scripture) do all to the glorie of God. That is, striue to do it so, as God may get most glory by it. Are such representations of God, to the aduancing of his glorie? what do they shew and teach vsus that we might giuegive him euerlasting praises for? he is painted as a man, as you sée in yonder storie of the creation,In S. Tho. Church of Bristol. in yonder window, in a dozen places together: what may we learne by them? A man hath his being from another, if God be as he is painted foorth, he hath so too, which to say, is blasphemie. A man hath father and mother, but who was the Lords father, & his mother? A man is first a babe, and afterward groweth in knowledge, shall we thinke the Lord to be such? A man hath neede of meate and drinke and apparel, and of tutors and counsellers, and many things mee, but who was the Lords draper or puruayour, or counseller at any time? O cursed creatures that euer first inuented them, and cursed wretches that dare maintaine them, if God giuegive them not repentance: for they are such abhominations as God hath flatly forbidden, and condemned to the pit, yea to the very bottomlesse pit of hell. Are these the pictures of him that is to be praised world without end? if they be not, why are they not defaced, which do so much deface the glorie of our Creator? if they be not, why are they tollerated? nay if they be not, why are they defended as lawfull, and not hurtfull to any? and that euen now (with shame inough) in the cléere light of the Gospell? And if they be not, why should any kéepe such a stirre, and be so out of patience and charitie with the minister of the Lord Iesus, for speaking against such filthie and damnable abominations? The Lord open these mens hearts, and giuegive them repentance if it be his will: and so much be spoken for that point.
So be it, euen so be it. These wordes do shew the agréement of his mind, and consent of his heart to that which he saide with his tongue, to teach vsus, that in Gods seruice we must neither doubt of that which we do, nor wauer in the perfourming of our vowes, neither must we do it fainedly, but with ful consent of heart and mind. Resolution is the thing indéed that we are here taught. Resolution in Gods matters is very requisite, as it is for a souldier in the field: for Christian souldiers shall hauehave many assaults to make them retire. For want whereof many leaue their standing, and run after the world as Gehezi left his masters house, and ran after Naman for gifts, till the leprosie caught him. A Christian without it, is like a doore without a locke, soone open and soone shut, for all commers, open with Agrippa till Christianitie be almost come in, and that is iust nothing, and shut with Festus, that Paule must stand without like a mad man. Hereof it cometh that many hauehave lost their first louelove, some are neither hote nor cold, some betake them selues with Demas to ye present world, some are for all companies, and are of all religions, and so are of no religion: and most men are like réedes shaken with the winde, when as they which are resolute in Gods matters, go constantly through all assayes, and stand stedfastly like mount Sion which endureth for euer. Therefore Dauid hauing set downe his mind, sets his hand, and his heart vntounto it. So be it (saith he) euen so be it, as if he should say, I am wel aduised of that I hauehave said, I doubt not of it but that it is truth, and I know it is my dutie, and therefore as I hauehave sayd, so I say againe, So let it be. But wilt thou stand to it Dauid whatsoeuer come of it? Yea that I will (saith he) & do not repent me of it, and therefore I am so farre from recanting of it, that I spake it, & I do speake it againe, Blessed be the Lord God of Israell world without end. So be it, euen so be it. There be thrée things in man must agrée together in the seruice of God, the tongue, the eare, and the heart: if all these agree vponupon the matter, the bill passeth: if all these be in tune, the harmonie is swéete an… the musicke pleasant. In eueryevery man that cō meth to heare the word of God preached, or to offer vp prayers to God, is a kinde of Parliament holden, & much a doe there is many times to hauehave bills passe, because all these do not agrée vpō the matter. Gods Minister in Gods name propoūdeth many things to the people,A Parliament. the equitie wherof he groundeth vpō ye word of God, & of all these billes, some cō cerne God himselfe, & some concerne our selues, & our neighbour. These billes come first to the lower house, yt is to ye outward sences, for first the eare heareth what the matter is: then the eye peruseth the bill, & searcheth the statutes of God in his word, to sée how they agrée together: frō thence they passe along to the higher house, that is to the vnderstāding, from vnderstanding to reason, if reason like of the matter, then it cōmeth to the will, & affections of the hart, when it cōmeth there, if the spirite of God be in the hart then is the hart framed & counselled by the same, if the hart likes of it, the will doth like of it too, thē is the toung sent backe with his answere frō the inward house, to signifie so much to God and the world: then aske ye toung, what saith the hart? the toung as the common speaker saith, So be it. On the contrary side, if any thing go against reason, then vnderstanding can no skill of it, ye hart forbiddes it, the toūg is silent, & So be it smothered. Many times a thing passeth through all to the hart, where the matter is debated betwéene natural reason & the hart, & there (for want of Gods spirite to countermaund naturall reason) it stayeth, & vnderstāding can no skil of it. But what saith the toung? In stead of So be it, he brings this answere, Sir, ye hart hauing cō sulted with worldly pollicie & naturall reason, doth finde this to be against his profit, or against his pleasure, or against his gaine, or against his custome, or against his credite in the world, & therefore this bill cannot passe: my master the hart, with reason, and pollicie do therefore desire you to be contented & speake no more of this matter, but of something els that may stand better with their liking, as for the rest of the house, vnderstā ding, will, & affectiō, although they know the matter to be true, iust & equal which you demaund, yet they can do no good in the matter, because the other two hauehave nipped it in the head. Sometime the toung saith Amen to that which the hart condemneth, because reason confirmeth it, & this is cōmonly when the eye séeth some body whom he feareth, or the eare heareth something that he cānot answere, & therfore though ye toung be a cōmon speaker, yet is he not alwayes a true speaker. Sometime againe the eare admitteth, & the hart affecteth, & desireth that which reasō subscribeth vntounto, but for wāt of faith, reason reuoketh, ye hart fainteth, & ye toūg foltreth, and either for feare, or for shame dareth not vtter what is agréed vpō within. A miserable Parliamēt, yt hath such a speaker, but this is ye matter indéed. This house hath two doores, at one doore ye billes are brought in, & that is by the eare and the eye, at another doore they passe out againe with their answeres & that is the lips within, at which the cōmō speaker stādeth. Now if ye Lord do set a watch there, & kéepe the doore of our lippes, then they are opē, & the toung doth boldly confesse ye truth, but if the fearefull deuill, or the bashfull deuill kéepe the doore, the toūg durst not for his life speake the truth: God in mercy remoue such porters, yt we may boldly confesse with our toūgs, that which we beléeue in our hart to saluatiō. So likewise in prayer, & thākesgiuing, if our toung doth speake any thing, which the vnderstanding is ignorant of, and therfore the hart cannot affect, our sacrifices are but a mockerie against God, because the Parliament house is deuided, & there is but a mutinie betwéene the hart, the toung, and the rest, but if all agrée vponupon the point, thē the toung sheweth the consent of the hart, and boldly without feare of any whatsoeuer stā deth forth and saith. So be it.
But why doth he double his speech & say So be it, euen So be it? it should séeme that the speaker of the Parliamēt house, is but a simple man, & wanted matter, he meant well it may be, but for want of matter he is faine to harpe vpō one string much. Surely beloued, ye Prophet spake as he was moued by ye holy Ghost, & this is Gods wisedome, therfore let vsus not finde fault withall, this is ye plaine, & simple dealing of a faithful soule indéede. It is vsuall in the Scripture to hauehave one thing oftentimes vrged in teaching, & no oftener then is néedefull: because, first it is long before we can learne Gods will, secondly it is lōger before we can remēber Gods wil, but principally, because it is lōgest of all before we can make a cōscience to obey Gods wil: therfore let no man in hearing one thing often, be wearie, because eueryevery mā may learne the same thing better: do not say, the preacher wants matter, but say rather that we want grace, or vnderstanding, or memorie, or zeale, or louelove, or something. Againe, let no man in teaching stand so much vponupon his reputation, as to compte it a disgrace vntounto him if he doth often repeate one thing being necessarie, for we sée it is Gods wisedome to teach so, & if any man wilbe wiser thē Gods spirite, he will proue him selfe a foole. In prayer also the same spirit hath taught Gods childrē to speake one thing oftētimes, partly because there is in eueryevery one great dulnes & want of féeling, & partly to note how earnest they are & desirous to obtaine yt, which they pray for. So doth Dauid here in this place say So be it, euen so be it, as though his hart had bene scarce awake at the first. A mā that would faine hauehave a thing, which he néedeth indeede, will say (being asked if he will hauehave it) oh yea, yea, yea, & if it be a thing that he cannot away withall he will say, oh no, no, no, often together, as if he could not deny it too often, as the first could not desire it too much. This may the Church do, if their harts be touched with their owne wants & weakenesses. But this doth not serue to maintaine any idle, & vnnecessarie repetitions, such as were vsed in Popery, & condēned by our Sauiour Christ in the Scribes & Pharisies.Math. 6. In Popery they bable one thing oftētimes, Iesus, Iesus, Iesus, & you must say ouer the Lordes prayer so many, and so many times together, and then you shall be heard, (say they). And so they play in their chaunting, & curious singing, which is more like the hunting of ye fore, thē any spiritual & holy seruice of God, they are sometime a quarter of an houre almost in singing some one word. Alas poore soules: they thinke yt God is delighted as man is, & they thinke that the Lord is a sléepe, as Baals Priests thought, & therfore they call often, but Gods children féele their owne harts a sléepe, & therfore it is that they cry often in the same wordes.
So be it, euen so be it, saith the holy Prophet, as if he should say, did I speake it? I will say it againe, I doe not repent me of it, I am not afrayde, I am not ashamed, if I said it not with such féeling the first time as I ought, I will say it againe. To shewe how carefull, how constant, how bold, and how holy we should be in praysing of God. For many times in our prayers our mindes are crossed with one thing or other, so that God hath not the hart, thē to it againe, Hart what sayest thou? then So be it, euen so be it. Some thinke a cold word, vnreuerently blustred out, to be good inough for God, and are ashamed to amend any thing if it be amisse, and afrayde to stand to a thing if it be well. Some will vtter in table talke, whatsoeuer commeth in their mindes of God, & against him too sometime, & when they should either defēd it, or deny it, or reforme it, they turne it away with a iest: Nay sir, it is not my profession, I will not reason of it, nor stand with you in it, you are to hard for me, this is but table talke, and if there should be no arguing & disputing, how should mē come by knowledge? &c. But sée their folly, or their weakenesse at the least, if it be true, & expedient, defend it for Gods glory, if it be false recant it to the shame of the deuill, if it be doubtfull, be instructed, for thy further comfort. But Gods children are well aduised what they say, & being so, they are not ashamed nor afrayde, if they heare of it agayne, but as they said it, so they will say it again. So be it, euen so be it.
This earnest and reuerent kinde of giuing thankes doth also notably reproue the prophanesse of some, who while thanks be offred vp to the Lord at Table, for nourishment receiued, they are otherwise busied, looking here, and there, toying with one thing or other, according to the affection of their hart. And when grace is done, they will not stand with you, for Amen, but it shalbe so snatchingly, and so shackled in the teeth and lippes, that it would leath a man to heare it, which they would not do if they thought the Lord worthie of thankes for his benefites: but so they doe, as if he were not worthie of one cold word, and if he get any more, then they are at very great cost with him, and he must néedes be indebted to them for it: but Gods children come with great feare and reuerence, and to that which is said they giuegive their hartie consent in most reuerent manner. So be it, euen so be it.
Furthermore the person of Dauid may teach vsus one thing more, for he being the King, giueth thankes to God him selfe: to teach vsus that it is an excercise for Kings and Princes: but now most men set their litle children to doe it onelyonly, and are ashamed to do it them selues, as though it were a childish thing to giuegive God prayse for his blessings. Say not now (as some hauehave said) yt I would not hauehave children say grace, yes I would hauehave you traine them vp in it, els whē they come to yeares they wilbe as much ashamed of it, as their fathers are now. But I would hauehave your selues to be the principall actours in so holy an action, because you hauehave the best vnderstanding, & if thou sayest no more but God be praysed for all his giftes, doe it with reuerence, and from the féeling of thy hart in faith and true repentaunce. But if thou wilt be ashamed to giuegive thy child so good an example, & lay all vponupon him, it may be said, thy child is come to grace, but thou art past grace. Last of all, as the king giueth thankes in his owne person, so in his owne person he confirmeth it, and saith, Amen, or So be it: he hath not a Clarke to say Amen for him, as they hauehave in Poperie, where the Priest, must pray, and the Clarke must say Amen for all the rest of the people. God said to Moses, the Leuites shall pronounce the curses,Deut 27.15.26. and all the people shall say Amen, if at the curses, much more at the blessings must all the people say Amen, for the one is against them selues, and the other is for them selues. In the primitiue Church, when the Minister had made any prayer in his Sermon, or before, or after. All the people (saith an auncient father) did say Amen, Amen, that the noyse went vp as a mightie thunder in the skies. Now if we speake of a thing that is waightie indéede, & say God graunt it, not ten amongest a thousand, will say Amen, but we will consider of the matter first, & fo we sit as blockes not one whit moued with the matter, and this is a great sinne▪ Againe, at publicke prayer, the people ought to attend to the wordes of the Minister when he prayeth, and all at once, as one body to say Amen. The Clarke hath no more warrant to doe it for them, then Vzzah had to hold vp the Arke from falling, for him selfe with the rest he ought to say Amen, but not alone for the rest, for not be, but the Minister is ye mouth of God, vntounto the people, and the mouth of the people vntounto God in prayer, but they must say, So be it.
Now to end, God doth now exhibite a Bill vntounto vsus his people, requiring that whatsoeuer he shall demaund at our hands, if we sée it standes with his glorie and our owne saluation, we will giuegive our consent and let it passe, or els the time will come that we shall put vp our Supplications to him, and they shall not passe. God graunt vsus grace, to graunt our consent to all his will.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Burton, Davids Evidence (1592)