Eighty Sermons, penitential psalms · Sermon 56
SERM. LVI. Preached upon the Penitentiall Pſalmes.
PSAL. 32.1, 2.
Bleſſed is he whoſe trangreſsion is forgiven, whoſe ſinne is covered; Bleſſed is the man, unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie, and in whoſe ſpirit there is no guile.
THis that I have read to you, can ſcarce be called all the Text; I propoſed for the Text, the firſt and ſecond verſes, and there belongs more to the firſt, then I have delivered in it; for, in all thoſe Tranſlators, and Expoſitors, who apply themſelves exactly to the Originall, to the Hebrew, the Title of the Pſalme, is part of the firſt verſe of the Pſalme. S. Auguſtine gives ſomewhat a ſtrange reaſon, why the Booke of Enoch, cited by S. Iude in his Epiſtle, and ſome other ſuch ancient Books, as that, were never received into the body of Canonicall Scriptures, Vt in Authoritate apud nos non eſſent, nimia fecit eorum Antiquitas, The Church ſuſpected them, becauſe they were too Ancient, ſayes S. Auguſtine. But that reaſon alone, is ſo far from being enough to exclude any thing from being part of the Scriptures, as that we make it juſtly an argument, for the receiving the Titles of the Pſalmes into the Body of Canonicall Scriptures, that they are as ancient as the Pſalmes themſelves. So then the Title of this Pſalme enters into our Text, as a part of the firſt verſe. And the Title is Davidis Erudiens; where we need not inſert (as our Tranſlators in all languages and Editions have conceived a neceſſity to do) any word, for the cleering of the Text, more then is in the Text it ſelfe, (And therefore Tremellius hath inſerted that word, An Ode of David, we, A Pſalme of David, others, others) for the words themſelves yeeld a perfect ſenſe in themſelves, Le David Maſchil, is Davidis Erudiens, that is, Davidis Eruditio, Davids Inſtitution, Davids Catechiſme; And ſo our Text, which is the firſt and ſecond verſe, taking in all the firſt verſe, in all accounts, is now Davids Catechiſme; Bleſſed is he whoſe tranſgreſsion is forgiven &c.
In theſe words,Diviſio. our parts ſhall be theſe; firſt, That ſo great a Maſter as David, proceeded by way of Catechiſme, of inſtruction in fundamentall things, and Doctrines of edification. Secondly, That the foundation of this Building, the firſt leſſon in this Art, the firſt letter in this Alphabet, is Bleſſedneſſe; for, Primus actus voluntatis eſt Amor; Man is not man, till he have produced ſome acts of the faculties of that ſoule, that makes him man; till he underſtand ſomething, and will ſomething, Till he know, and till he would have ſomething, he is no man; Now, The firſt Act of the will is love; and no man can love any thing, but in the likeneſſe, and in the notion of Happineſſe, of Bleſſedneſſe, or of ſome degree thereof; and therefore David propoſes that for the foundation of his Catechiſme, Bleſſedneſſe; The Catechiſme of David, Bleſſed is the Man. But then, in a third Conſideration, we lay hold upon S. Auguſtins Aphoriſme, Amare niſi nota non poſſumus, We cannot truly love any thing, but that we know; And therefore David being to proceede Catechiſtically, and for Inſtruction, propoſes this Bleſſedneſſe, which as it is in Heaven, and reſerved for our poſſeſſion there, is in-intelligible, (as Tertullian ſpeaks) unconceivable, he purpoſes it in ſuch notions, and by ſuch lights, as may enable us to ſee it, and know it in this life. And thoſe lights are in this Text, Three; for, The forgiveneſſe of Tranſgreſsions, And then, The Covering of ſinnes, And laſtly, The not imputing of Iniquity, which three David propoſes here, are not a threefold repeating of one and the ſame thing; But this Bleſſedneſſe conſiſting in our Reconciliation to God, (for we were created in a ſtate of friendſhip with God, our rebellion put us into a ſtate of hoſtility, and now we need a Reconciliation, becauſe we are not able to maintaine a war againſt God, no, nor againſt any other enemy of man, without God) this Bleſſedneſſe David doth not deliver us all at once, in three expreſſings of the ſame thing, but he gives us one light thereof, in the knowledge that there is a Forgiving of Tranſgreſſions, another, in the Covering of ſinnes, and a third, in the not Imputing of Iniquity. But then, (that which will conſtitute a fourth Conſideration) when God hath preſented himſelfe, and offered his peace, in all theſe, there is alſo ſomething to be done on our part; for though the Forgiving of Tranſgreſſion, The Covering of ſinne, The not Imputing of Iniquity, proceed onelyonly from God, yet God affords theſe to none but him, In whoſe ſpirit there is no guile. And ſo you have all that belongs to the Maſter, and his manner of teaching, David Catechiſing; And all that belongs to the Doctrine and the Catechiſme, Bleſſedneſſe, That is Reconciliation to God, notified in thoſe three acts of his mercy; And all that belongs to the Diſciple, that is to be Catechized, A docile, an humble, a ſincere heart, In whoſe ſpirit there is no guile; And to theſe particulars, in their order thus propoſed, we ſhall now paſſe.
That then which conſtitutes our firſt part, is this, That David, 1. Part. Catechiſmusthen whom this world never had a greater Maſter for the next, amongſt the ſonnes of men, delivers himſelfe, by way of Catechiſing, of fundamentall and eaſie teaching. As we ſay juſtly, and confidently, That of all Rhetoricall and Poeticall figures, that fall into any Art, we are able to produce higher ſtraines, and livelier examples, out of the Scriptures, then out of all the Orators, and Poets in the world, yet we reade not, we preach not the Scriptures for that uſe, to magnifie their Eloquence; So in Davids Pſalmes we finde abundant impreſſions, and teſtimonies of his knowledge in all arts, and all kinds of learning, but that is not it which he propoſes to us. Davids laſt words are, and in that Davids holy glory was placed, That he was not onelyonly the ſweet Pſalmiſt, That he had an harmonious, a melodious,2 Sam. 23.1. a charming, a powerfull way of entring into the ſoule, and working upon the affections of men, but he was the ſweet Pſalmiſt of Iſrael, He employed his faculties for the conveying of the God of Iſrael, into the Iſrael of God;Ver. 2. The ſpirit of the Lord ſpake by me, and his word was in my tongue; Not the ſpirit of Rhetorique, nor the ſpirit of Poetry,Ver. 3. nor the ſpirit of Mathematiques, and Demonſtration, But, The ſpirit of the Lord, the Rock of Iſrael ſpake by me, ſayes he; He boaſts not that he had delivered himſelfe in ſtrong, or deepe, or myſterious Arts, that was not his Rock; but his Rock was the Rock of Iſrael, His way was to eſtabliſh the Church of God upon fundamentall Doctrines. Moſes was learned in all the wiſedome of the Egyptians, ſayes Stephen. Likely to be ſo,Act. 7.22. becauſe being adopted by the Kings daughter, he had an extraordinary education;Exod. 2.10. And likely alſo, becauſe he brought ſo good naturall faculties, for his Maſters to worke upon, Vt Reminiſci potiùs videretur, quàm diſcere, Philo.That whatſoever any Maſter propoſed unto him, he rather ſeemed to remember it then, then to learne it but then; And yet in Moſes books, we meet no great teſtimonies, or deepe impreſſions of theſe learnings in Moſes: He had (as S. Ambroſe notes well) more occaſions to ſpeak of Naturall philoſophy, in the Creation of the world, and of the more ſecret, and reſerved, and remote corners of Nature, in thoſe counterfeitings of Miracles in Pharaohs Court, then he hath laid hold of. So Nebuchadnezzar appointed his Officers, that they ſhould furniſh his Court,Dan. 1.4. with ſome young Gentlemen, of good bloud and families of the Jews; And (as it is added there) well favoured youths, in whom there was no blemiſh, skilfull in all wiſedome, and cunning in knowledge, and underſtanding ſcience; And then farther, To be taught the tongue, and the learning of the Chaldeans. And Daniel was one of theſe, and, no doubt, a great Proficient in all theſe; and yet Daniel ſeemes not to make any great ſhew of theſe learnings in his writings. S. Paul was in a higher Pedagogy, and another manner of Univerſity then all this; Caught up into the third heavens, into Paradiſe, as he ſayes;2 Cor. 12.2. and there he learnt much; but (as he ſayes too) ſuch things as it was not lawfull to utter; That is, It fell not within the lawes of preaching to publiſh them. So that not onelyonly ſome learning in humanity, (as in Moſes and Daniels caſe) but ſome points of Divinity, (as in S. Pauls caſe) may be unfit to be preached. Not that a Divine ſhould be ignorant of either; either ornaments of humane, or myſteries of divine knowledge. For, ſayes S. Auguſtine, Every man that comes from Egypt, muſt bring ſome of the Egyptians goods with him. Quanto auro exivit ſuffarcinatus Cyprianus, ſayes he, How much of the Egyptian gold and goods brought Cyprian, and Lactantius, and Optatus, and Hilary out of Egypt? That is, what a treaſure of learning, gathered when they were of the Gentils, brought they from thence, to the advancing of Chriſtianity, when they applied themſelves to it? S. Auguſtine confeſſes, that the reading of Cicero's Hortenſius, Mutavit affectum meum, L. 3. c. 4.began in him a Converſion from the world, Et ad teipſum, Domine, mutavit preces meas, That booke, ſayes he, converted me to more fervent prayers to thee, my God; Et ſurgere jam coeperam ut ad te redirem, By that help I roſe, and came towards thee. And ſo Iuſtin Martyr had his Initiation, and beginning of his Converſion, from reading ſome paſſages in Plato. S. Baſil expreſſes it well; They that will dye a perfect colour, dip it in ſome leſſe perfect colour before. To be a good Divine, requires humane knowledge; and ſo does it of all the Myſteries of Divinity too; becauſe, as there are Devils that will not be caſt out but by Faſting and Prayer, ſo there are humours that undervalue men, that lacke theſe helps. But our Congregations are not made of ſuch perſons; not of meere naturall men, that muſt be converted out of Ariſtotle, and by Cicero's words, nor of Arians that require new proofes for the Trinity, nor Pelagians that muſt be preſſed with new diſcoveries of Gods Predeſtination; but perſons imbracing, with a thankfull acquieſcence therein, Doctrines neceſſary for the ſalvation of their ſoules in the world to come, and the exaltation of their Devotion in this. This way David calls his, a Catechiſme. And let not the greateſt Doctor think it unworthy of him to Catechize thus, nor the learnedeſt hearer to be thus catechized; Chriſt enwraps the greateſt Doctors in his Perſon, and in his practiſe, when he ſayes, Sinite parvulos, Suffer little children to come unto me; and we do not ſuffer them to come unto us, if when they come, we doe not ſpeak to their underſtanding, and to their edification, for that is but an abſent preſence, when they heare, and profit not; And Chriſt enwraps the learnedeſt hearers, in the perſons of his owne Diſciples, when he ſayes, Except yee become as theſe little children, yee cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven; Except you nouriſh your ſelves with Catechiſticall, and Fundamentall Doctrines, you are not in a wholeſome diet. Now in this Catechiſme, the firſt ſtone that David layes, (and that that ſupports all) the firſt object that David preſents, (and that that directs to all) is Bleſſedneſſe; Davids Catechiſme; Bleſſed is the man.
Philoſophers could never bring us to the knowledge,2 Part. Beatitudo. what this Summum bonum, this Happineſſe, this Bleſſedneſſe was. For they conſidered only ſome particular fruits thereof; and it is much eaſier, how high ſoever a tree be, to come to a taſte of ſome of the fruits, then to digge to the root of that tree: They ſatisfied themſelves with a little taſte of Health, and Pleaſure, and Riches, and Honour, and never conſidered that all theſe muſt have their root in heaven, and muſt have a relation to Chriſt Jeſus, who is the root of all. And as theſe Philoſophers could never tell us, what this bleſſedneſſe was, ſo Divines themſelves, and thoſe who are beſt exerciſed in the language of the Holy Ghoſt, the Originall tongue of this Text, cannot give us a cleare Grammaticall underſtanding, of this firſt word, in which David expreſſes this Bleſſedneſſe, Aſhrei, which is here Tranſlated Bleſſed. They cannot tell, whether it be an Adverb, (And then it is Bene viro, Well is it for that man, A pathetique, a vehement acclamation, Happily, Bleſſedly is that man provided for) Or whether it be a Plurall Noune, (and then it is Beatitudines, ſuch a Bleſſedneſſe as includes many, all bleſſedneſſes in it) And one of theſe two it muſt neceſſarily be in the Rules of their Conſtruction; That either David enters with an Admiration, O how happily is that man provided for! Or with a Proteſtation, That there is no particular Bleſſedneſſe, which that man wants, that hath this, This Reconciliation to God.
Euſebius obſerves out of Plato, that he enjoyned the Poets, and the Writers in his State, to deſcribe no man to be happy, but the good men; none to be miſerable, but the wicked. And his Scholar Ariſtotle enters into his Book of Ethiques, and Morall Doctrine, with that Contemplation firſt of all, That every man hath naturally a diſpoſition to affect, and deſire happineſſe. David who is elder then they, begins his Book of Pſalmes ſo; The firſt word of the firſt Pſalme, is the firſt word of this Text, Bleſſed is the man. He comprehends all that belongs to mans knowledge, and all that belongs to mans practiſe, in thoſe two, firſt in underſtanding true Bleſſedneſſe, and then, in praiſing God for it: Davids Alpha is Beatus vir, O the Bleſſedneſſe of righteous men! And Davids Omega is Laudate Dominum, O that men would therefore bleſſe the Lord! And therefore, as he begins this Book with Gods bleſſing of man, ſo he ends it with mans praiſing of God: For, where the laſt ſtroak upon this Pſaltery, the laſt verſe of the laſt Pſalme, is, Let every thing that hath breath praiſe the Lord, Yet he addes one note more to us in particular, Praiſe ye the Lord; and there is the end of all. And ſo alſo our Saviour Chriſt himſelfe, in his owne preaching, obſerved that Method;Mat. 5.3. He begun his great Sermon in the Mount with that, Bleſſed are the poore inſpirit, Bleſſed are they that mourne, Bleſſed are the pure in heart; Bleſſedneſſe alone was an abundant recompence for all. And ſo the ſubject of Iohn Baptiſts Commiſſion before, and of his Diſciples Commiſſion after,Mat. 3.2. was ſtill the ſame, to preach this Bleſſedneſſe, That the Kingdome of God, that is,Mat. 10.7. Reconciliation to God in his Viſible Church, was at hand, was forthwith to be eſtabliſhed amongſt them.
Though then the Conſummation of this Bleſſedneſſe be that Viſio Dei, That ſight of God, which in our glorified ſtate we ſhall have in heaven, yet, becauſe there is an inchoation thereof in this world, which is that which we call Reconciliation, it behooves us to conſider the diſpoſition requiſite for that. It is a lamentable perverſeneſſe in us, that we are ſo contentiouſly buſie, in inquiring into the Nature, and Eſſence, and Attributes of God, things which are reſerved to our end, when we ſhall know at once, and without ſtudy, all that, of which all our lives ſtudy can teach us nothing; And that here, where we are upon the way, we are ſo negligent and lazy, in inquiring of things, which belong to the way. Thoſe things we learne in no Schoole ſo well as in adverſity. As the body of man, and conſequently health, is beſt underſtood, and beſt advanced by Diſſections, and Anatomies, when the hand and knife of the Surgeon hath paſſed upon every part of the body, and laid it open: ſo when the hand and ſword of God hath pierced our ſoul, we are brought to a better knowledge of our ſelves, then any degree of proſperity would have raiſed us to.
All creatures were brought to Adam, and, becauſe he underſtood the natures of all thoſe creatures, he gave them names accordingly. In that he gave no name to himſelfe, it may be by ſome perhaps argued, that he underſtood himſelfe leſſe then he did other creatures. If Adam be our example, in the time and Schoole of nature, how hard a thing the knowledge of our ſelves is, till we feele the direction of adverſity, David is alſo another example in the time of the Law, who firſt ſaid in his proſperity, Pſal. 30.6.He ſhould never bee moved; But, When, ſayes he, Thou hideſt thy face from me, I was troubled, and then I cryed unto thee O Lord, and I prayed unto my God; Then; but not till then. The ſame Art, the ſame Grammar laſts ſtill; and Peter is an example of the ſame Rule, in the time of grace, who was at firſt ſo confident, as to come to that, Si omnes ſcandalizati, if all forſook him, Si mori oportuit, If he muſt die with him, or dye for him, he was ready, and yet without any terror from an armed Magiſtrate, without any ſurprizall of a ſubtile Examiner, upon the queſtion of a poore Maid he denied his Maſter: But then, the bitterneſſe of his ſoule taught him another temper, and moderation; when Chriſt asked him after, Amas me? Loveſt thou me? not to pronounce upon an infallible confidence, I have loved, and I doe, and I will doe till death, but, Domine tu ſcis, Lord thou knoweſt that I love thee; My love to thee is but the effect of thy love to me, and therefore Lord continue thine, that mine may continue. No ſtudy is ſo neceſſary as to know our ſelves; no Schoole-maſter is ſo diligent, ſo vigilant, ſo aſſiduous, as Adverſity: And the end of knowing our ſelves, is to know how we are diſpoſed for that which is our end, that is this Bleſſedneſſe; which, though it be well collected and ſummed by S. Auguſtine, Beatus qui habet quicquid vult, & nihil mali vult, He onelyonly is bleſſed, that deſires nothing but that which is good for him, and hath all that, we muſt purſue, in thoſe particulars, which here, in Davids Catechiſme, conſtitute this Bleſſedneſſe, and conſtitute our third Part, and are delivered in three Branches, firſt, The forgiving of our tranſgreſsions, And then, The covering of our ſinnes, And thirdly, The not imputing of our iniquities.
Firſt then, that in this third Part, we may ſee in the firſt Branch,3 Part. Tranſgreſſion. the firſt notification of this Bleſſedneſſe, we conſider the two termes, in which it is expreſſed, what this is, which is tranſlated Tranſgreſsion, and then what this Forgiving imports. The Originall word is Paſhang, and that ſignifies ſin in all extenſions, The higheſt, the deepeſt, the waightieſt ſin; It is a malicious, and a forcible oppoſition to God: It is when this Herod, and this Pilat (this Body, and this ſoule of ours) are made friends and agreed, that they may concurre to the Crucifying of Chriſt. When not onelyonly the members of our bodies, but the faculties of our ſoul, our will and underſtanding are bent upon ſin: when we doe not only ſin ſtrongly, and hungerly, and thirſtily, (which appertain to the body) but we ſin rationally, we finde reaſons, (and thoſe reaſons, even in Gods long patience) why we ſhould ſin: We ſin wittily, we invent new ſins, and we thinke it an ignorant, a dull, and an unſociable thing, not to ſin; yea we ſin wiſely, and make our ſin, our way to preferment. Then is this word uſed by the Holy Ghoſt, when he expreſſes both the vehemence, and the waight, and the largeneſſe, and the continuance, all extenſions, all dimenſions of the ſins of Damaſcus;Amos 1.3. Thus ſaith the Lord, for three tranſgreſsions of Damaſcus, and for foure, I will not turne to it, becauſe they have threſhed Gilead with threſhing inſtruments of Iron; So then, we conſider ſin here, not as a ſtaine, ſuch as Originall ſin may be, nor as a wound, ſuch as every actuall ſin may be, but as a burden, a complication, a packing up of many ſins, in an habituall practiſe thereof. This is that waight that ſunke the whole world under water, in the firſt floud, and ſhall preſſe downe the fire it ſelfe, to conſume it a ſecond time. It is a waight that ſtupifies and benums him that beares it,Auguſt. ſo, as that the ſinner feeles not the oppreſſion of his owne ſins; Et quid miſerius miſcro non miſerante ſeipſum? What miſery can be greater, then when a miſerable man hath not ſenſe to commiſerate his owne miſery? Our firſt errors are out of Levity, and S. Auguſtin hath taught us a proper ballaſt and waight for that, Amor Dei pondus animae, The love of God would carry us evenly, and ſteadily, if we would embarke that: But as in great tradings, they come to ballaſt with Merchandiſe, ballaſt and fraight is al one, ſo in this habituall ſinner, all is ſin, plots and preparations before the act, gladneſſe and glory in the act, ſometimes diſguiſes, ſometimes juſtifications after the act, make up one body, one fraight of ſin. So then Tranſgreſsion in this place, in the naturall ſignification of the word, is a waight, a burden, and carrying it, as the word requires, to the greateſt extenſion, it is the ſin of the whole World; And that ſinne is forgiven; which is the ſecond Terme.
The Prophet does not ſay here,Forgiven. Bleſſed is that man that hath no tranſgreſsion, for that were to ſay, Bleſſed is that man that is no man. All people, all Nations, did ever in Nature acknowledge not onelyonly a guiltineſſe of ſin, but ſome meanes of reconciliation to their Gods in the Remiſſion of ſins: for they had all ſome formall, and Ceremoniall Sacrifices, and Expiations, and Luſtrations, by which they thought their ſins to be purged, and waſhed away. Whoſoever acknowledges a God, acknowledges a Remiſſion of ſins, and whoſoever acknowledges a Remiſſion of ſins, acknowledges a God. And therefore in this firſt place, David does not mention God at all; he does not ſay, Bleſſed is he whoſe tranſgreſsion the Lord hath forgiven; for he preſumes it to be an impoſſible tentation to take hold of any man, that there can be any Remiſſion of ſin, from any other perſon, or by any other meanes, then from and by God himſelfe; and therefore Remiſſion of ſins includes an Act of God; But what kinde of Act, is more particularly deſigned in the Originall word, which is Naſa, then our word, forgiving, reaches to; for the word does not onelyonly ſignifie Auferre, but ferre; not onelyonly to take away ſin, by way of pardon, but to take the ſin upon himſelfe, and ſo to beare the ſin, and the puniſhment of the ſin, in his owne perſon. And ſo Chriſt is the Lambe of God, Qui tollit, not onelyonly that takes away, Eſay 53.4.but that takes upon himſelfe, the ſins of the world. Tulit, portavit, Surely he hath borne our griefes, and carried our ſorrowes; Thoſe griefes, thoſe ſorrowes which we ſhould, he hath borne, and carried in his owne perſon. So that, as it is all one, never to have come in debt, and to have diſcharged the debt; So the whole world, all mankinde, conſidered in Chriſt, is as innocent as if Adam had never ſinned. And ſo this is the firſt beame of Bleſſedneſſe that ſhines upon my ſoule, That I beleeve that the juſtice of God is fully ſatiſfied in the death of Chriſt, and that there is enough given, and accepted in the treaſure of his blood, for the Remiſſion of all Tranſgreſſions. And then the ſecond beame of this Bleſſedneſſe, is in The covering of ſins.
Now to benefit our ſelves by this part of Davids Catechiſme,Sinne. we muſt (as we did before) conſider the two termes, of which this part of this Bleſſedneſſe conſiſts, ſin, and covering. Sin in this place is not ſo heavy a word, as Tranſgreſsion was in the former; for that was ſin in all extenſions, ſinne in all formes, all ſin of all men, of all times, of all places, the ſin of all the world upon the ſhoulders of the Saviour of the world. In this place, (the word is Catah, and by the derivation thereof from Nata, which is to Decline, to ſtep aſide, or to be withdrawne, and Kut, which is filum, a thread, or a line) that which we call ſin here, ſignifies Tranſilire lineam, To depart, or by any tentation to be withdrawne from the direct duties, and the exact ſtraightneſſe which is required of us in this world, for the attaining of the next: So that the word imports ſins of infirmity, ſuch ſins as doe fall upon Gods beſt ſervants, ſuch ſins as rather induce a cofeſſion of our weakneſſe, and an acknowledgement of our continuall need of pardon for ſome thing paſſed, and ſtrength againſt future invaſions, then that induce any devaſtation, or obduration of the conſcience, which, Tranſgreſsion, in the former branch implied. For ſo this word, Catah, hath that ſignification (as in many other places) there, where it is ſaid,Iudg ….16. That there were ſeven hundred left-handed Benjamits, which would ſling ſtones at a haires breadth, and not faile; that is, not miſſe the marke a haires breadth. And therefore when this word Catah, ſin, is uſed in Scripture, to expreſſe any weighty, hainous, enormous ſin, it hath an addition, Peccatum magnum peccaverunt, ſayes Moſes, Exod. 32.31.when the people were become Idolaters, Theſe people have ſinned a great ſin; otherwiſe it ſignifies ſuch ſin, as deſtroyes not the foundation, ſuch as in the nature thereof, does not wholly extinguiſh Grace, nor grieve the Spirit of God in us. And ſuch ſinnes God covers, ſaies David here. Now what is his way of covering theſe ſins?
As Sin in this notion, is not ſo deepe a wound upon God, as Tranſgreſsion in the other,Covering. ſo Covering here extends not ſo far, as Forgiving did there. There forgiving was a taking away of ſin, by taking that way, That Chriſt ſhould beare all our ſins, it was a ſuffering, a dying, it was a penall part, and a part of Gods juſtice, executed upon his one and onelyonly Son; here it is a part of Gods mercy, in ſpreading, and applying the merits and ſatisfaction of Chriſt, upon all them, whom God by the Holy Ghoſt hath gathered in the profeſſion of Chriſt, and ſo called to the apprehending and embracing of this mantle, this garment, this covering, the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt in the Chriſtian Chriſt; In which Church, and by his viſible Ordinances therein, the Word, and Sacraments, God covers, hides, conceales, even from the inquiſition of his owne juſtice, thoſe ſmaller ſins, which his ſervants commit, and does not turne them out of his ſervice, for thoſe ſins. So the word (the word is Caſah, which we tranſlate Covering) is uſed,Prov. 12.23. A wiſe man concealeth knowledge; that is, Does not pretend to know ſo much as indeed he does: So, our mercifull God, when he ſees us under this mantle, this covering, Chriſt ſpread upon his Church, conceales his knowledge of our ſins, and ſuffers them not to reflect upon our conſciences, in a conſternation thereof. So then, as the Forgiving was Auferre ferendo, a taking away of ſin, by taking all ſin upon his owne perſon, So this Covering is Tegere attingendo, To cover ſin, by comming to it, by applying himſelfe to our ſinfull conſciences, in the meanes inſtituted by him in his Church: for they have in that language another word, Sacac, which ſignifies Tegere obumbrando, To cover by overſhadowing, by refreſhing. This is Tegere obumbrando, To cover by ſhadowing, when I defend mine eye from the offence of the Sun, by interpoſing my hand betweene the Sun and mine eye, at this diſtance, a far off: But Tegere attingendo, is when thus I lay my hand upon mine eye, and cover it cloſe, by that touching. In the knowledge that Chriſt hath taken all the ſins of all the world upon himſelfe, that there is enough done for the ſalvation of all mankinde, I have a ſhadowing, a refreſhing; But becauſe I can have no teſtimony, that this generall redemption belongs to me, who am ſtill a ſinner, except there paſſe ſome act betweene God and me, ſome ſeale, ſome inveſtiture, ſome acquittance of my debts, my ſins, therefore this ſecond beame of Davids Bleſſedneſſe, in this his Catechiſme, ſhines upon me in this, That God hath not onelyonly ſowed and planted herbs, and Simples in the world, medicinall for all diſeaſes of the world, but God hath gathered, and prepared thoſe Simples, and preſented them, ſo prepared, to me, for my recovery from my diſeaſe: God hath not onelyonly received a full ſatisfaction for all ſinne in Chriſt, but Chriſt, in his Ordinances in his Church, offers me an application of all that for my ſelfe, and covers my ſin, from the eye of his Father, not onelyonly obumbrando, as hee hath ſpread himſelfe as a Cloud refreſhing the whole World, in the value of the ſatisfaction, but Attingendo, by comming to me, by ſpreading himſelf upon me, as the Prophet did upon the dead Child, Mouth to mouth, Hand to hand; In the mouth of his Miniſter, he ſpeaks to me; In the hand of the Miniſter, he delivers himſelfe to me; and ſo by theſe viſible acts, and ſeales of my Reconciliation, Tegit attingendo, He covers me by touching me; He touches my conſcience, with a ſenſe and remorſe of my ſins, in his Word; and he touches my ſoule, with a faith of having received him, and all the benefit of his Death, in the Sacrament. And ſo he covers ſin; that is, keepes our ſins of infirmity, and all ſuch ſins, as do not in their nature quench the light of his grace, from comming into his Fathers preſence, or calling for vengeance there. Forgiving of tranſgreſſions is the generall ſatisfaction for all the world, and reſtoring the world to a poſſibility of ſalvation in the Death of Chriſt; Covering of ſin, is the benefit of diſcharging and eaſing the conſcience, by thoſe bleſſed helps which God hath afforded to thoſe, whom he hath gathered in the boſome, and quickned in the wombe of the Chriſtian Church. And this is the ſecond beame of Bleſſedneſs, caſt out by David here; and then the third is, The not imputing of iniquity, Bleſſed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.
In this alſo,Impute. (as in the two former we did) we conſider this Imputing, and then this Iniquity, in the roote and Original ſignification of the two words. When in this place the Lord is ſaid, not to impute ſinne, it is meant, That the Lord ſhall not ſuffer me to impute ſinne to my ſelfe. The word is Caſhab, and Caſhab imports ſuch a thinking, ſuch a ſurmiſing, as may be ſubject to error, and miſtaking. To that purpoſe we finde the word, where Hannah was praying,1 Sam. 1.12. and Eli the Prieſt, who ſaw her lips move, and heard no prayer come from her, thought ſhe had been drunke, Imputed drunkenneſſe unto her, and ſaid, How long wilt thou be drunke? put away thy wine: So that this Imputing, is ſuch an Imputing of ours as may be erronious, that is, an Imputing from our ſelves, in a diffidence, and jealouſie, and ſuſpition of Gods goodneſſe towards us. To which purpoſe, we conſider alſo, that this word, which we tranſlate here Iniquity, Gnavah, is oftentimes in the Scripture uſed for puniſhment, as well as for ſinne: and ſo indifferently for both, as that if we will compare Tranſlation with Tranſlation, and Expoſition with Expoſition, it will be hard for us to ſay,Gen. 4.13. whether Cain ſaid, Mine iniquity is greater then can be pardoned, or, My puniſhment is greater then I can beare; and our laſt Tranſlation, which ſeems to have been moſt carefull of the Originall, takes it rather ſo, My puniſhment, in the Text, and lays the other, My ſinne, aſide in the Margin. So then, this Imputing, being an Imputing which ariſes from our ſelves, and ſo may be accompanied with error, and miſtaking, that we Impute that to our ſelves, which God doth not impute, And this miſ-imputing of Gods anger to our ſelves, ariſing out of his puniſhments, and his corrections inflicted upon us, That becauſe we have croſſes in the world, we cannot beleeve, that we ſtand well in the ſight of God, or that the forgiving of Tranſgreſſions, or Covering of ſinnes appertains unto us, we juſtly conceive, that this not Imputing of Iniquity, is that Serenitas Conſcientiae, That brightneſſe, that clearneſſe, that peace, and tranquillity, that calme and ſerenity, that acquieſcence, and ſecurity of the Conſcience, in which I am delivered from all ſcruples, and all timorouſneſſe, that my Tranſgreſſions are not forgiven, or my ſins not covered. In the firſt Act, we conſider God the Father to have wrought; He propoſed, he decreed, he accepted too a ſacrifice for all mankind in the death of Chriſt. In the ſecond, The Covering of ſinnes, we conſider God the Sonne to worke, Incubare Eccleſiae, He ſits upon his Church, as a Hen upon her Eggs, He covers all our ſinnes, whom he hath gathered into that body, with ſpreading himſelfe and his merits upon us all there. In this third, The not Imputing of Iniquity, we conſider God the Holy Ghoſt to worke, and, as the Spirit of Conſolation, to blow away all ſcruples, all diffidences, and to eſtabliſh an aſſurance in the Conſcience. The Lord imputes not, that is, the Spirit of the Lord, The Lord the Spirit, The Holy Ghoſt, ſuffers not me to impute to my ſelfe thoſe ſinnes, which I have truly repented. The over-tenderneſſe of a bruiſed and a faint conſcience may impute ſinne to it ſelfe, when it is diſcharged; And a ſeared and obdurate Conſcience may impute none, when it abounds; If the Holy Ghoſt work, he rectifies both; and, if God doe inflict puniſhments, (according to the ſignification of this word Gnavah) after our Repentance, and the ſeals of our Reconciliation, yet he ſuffers us not to impute thoſe ſinnes to our ſelves, or to repute thoſe corrections, puniſhments, as though he had not forgiven them, or, as though he came to an execution after a pardon, but that they are laid upon us medicinally, and by way of prevention, and precaution againſt his future diſpleaſure. This is that Pax Conſcientiae, The peace of Conſcience, when there is not one ſword drawne: This is that Serenitas Conſcientiae, The Meridionall brightneſſe of the Conſcience, when there is not one Cloud in our sky. I ſhall not hope, that Originall ſin ſhall not be imputed, but feare, that Actuall ſin may: not hope that my dumbe ſins ſhall not, but my crying ſins may; not hope that my apparant ſins, which have therefore induced in me a particular ſenſe of them, ſhall not, but my ſecret ſins, ſins that I am not able to returne and repreſent to mine owne memory, may: for this Non Imputabit, hath no limitation; God ſhall ſuffer the Conſcience thus rectified, to terrifie it ſelfe with nothing; which is alſo farther extended in the Originall, where it is not Non Imputat, but Non Imputabit; Though after all this we doe fall into the ſame, or other ſins, yet we ſhall know our way, and evermore have our Conſolation in this, That as God hath forgiven our tranſgreſſion, in taking the ſins of all mankinde upon himſelfe, for he hath redeemed us, and left out Angels, And as he hath covered our ſin, that is, provided us the Word, and Sacraments, and caſt off the Jews, and left out the Heathen, So he will never Impute mine Iniquity, never ſuffer it to terrifie my Conſcience; Not now, when his Judgements, denounced by his Miniſter, call me to him here; Nor hereafter, when the laſt bell ſhall call me to him, into the grave; Nor at laſt, when the Angels Trumpets ſhall call me to him, from the duſt, in the Reſurrection. But that, as all mankinde hath a Bleſſedneſſe, in Chriſts taking our ſins, (which was the firſt Article in this Catechiſme) And all the Chriſtian Church a Bleſſedneſſe, in covering our ſins, (which was the ſecond) So I may finde this Bleſſedneſſe, in this worke of the Holy Ghoſt, not to Impute, that is, not to ſuſpect, that God imputes any repented ſin unto me, or reſerves any thing to lay to my charge at the laſt day, which I have prayed may be, and therefore hoped hath been forgiven before. But then, after theſe three parts, which we have now, in our Order propoſed at firſt, paſſed through, That David applies himſelfe to us, in the moſt convenient way, by the way of Catechiſme, and inſtruction in fundamentall things; And then, that he lays for his foundation of all Beatitude, Bleſſedneſſe, Happineſſe, which cannot be had, in the conſummation, and perfection thereof, but in the next world; But yet, in the third place, gives us an inchoation, an earneſt, an evidence of this future and conſummate Bleſſedneſſe, in bringing us faithfully to beleeve, That Chriſt dyed ſufficiently for all the world, That Chriſt offers the application of all this, to all the Chriſtian Church, That the Holy Ghoſt ſeals an aſſurance thereof, to every particular Conſcience well rectified; After all this done thus largely on Gods part, there remains ſomething to be done on ours, that may make all this effectuall upon us, Vt non ſit dolus in ſpiritu, That there be no guile in our ſpirit, which is our fourth part, and Concluſion of all.
Of all theſe fruits of this Bleſſedneſſe, there is no other root but the goodneſſe of God himſelfe; but yet they grow in no other ground, then in that man,4. Part. Dolus. In cujus ſpiritu non eſt dolus. The Comment and interpretation of S. Paul, Rom. 4.5.hath made the ſenſe and meaning of this place cleare: To him that worketh, the reward is of debt, but to him that beleeveth, and worketh not, his faith is counted for righteouſneſſe, Even as David deſcribeth the bleſſedneſſe of Man, ſayes the Apoſtle there, and ſo proceeds with the very words of this Text. Doth the Apoſtle then, in this Text, exclude the Co-operation of Man? Differs this propoſition, That the man in whom God imprints theſe beames of Bleſſedneſſe, muſt be without guile in his ſpirit, from thoſe other propoſitions, Si vis ingredi, Mat. 19.17.If thou wilt enter into life, keepe the Commandements; And, Maledictus qui non, Curſed is he that performes not all? Grows not the Bleſſedneſſe of this Text, from the ſame roote, as the Bleſſedneſſe in the 119. Pſal. ver. 1. Bleſſed are they, who walke in the way of the Lord? Or doth Saint Paul take David to ſpeake of any other Bleſſedneſſe in our Text, then himſelfe ſpeaks of, If through the Spirit yee mortifie the deeds of the body, yee ſhall live? Rom. 8.13.Doth S. Paul require nothing, nothing out of this Text, to be done by man? Surely he does; And theſe propoſitions are truly all one, Tantùm credideris, OnelyOnly beleeve, and you ſhall be ſaved; And, Fac hoc & vives, Doe this, and you ſhall be ſaved; As it is truly all one purpoſe, to ſay, If you live you may walke, and to ſay, If you ſtretch out your legges, you may walke. To ſay, Eat of this Tree, and you ſhall recover, and to ſay, Eat of this fruit, and you ſhall recover, is all one; To attribute an action to the next Cauſe, or to the Cauſe of that Cauſe, is, to this purpoſe, all one. And therefore, as God gave a Reformation to his Church, in proſpering that Doctrine, That Juſtification was by faith onelyonly: ſo God give an unity to his Church, in this Doctrine, That no man is juſtified, that works not; for, without works, how much ſoever he magnifie his faith, there is Dolus in ſpiritu, Guile in his ſpirit.
As then the Prophet Davids principall purpoſe in this Text, is, according to the Interpretation of S. Paul, to derive all the Bleſſedneſſe of man from God: ſo is it alſo to put ſome conditions in man, comprehended in this, That there be no guile in his ſpirit. For, in this repentant ſinner, that ſhall be partaker of theſe degrees of Bleſſedneſſe, of this Forgiving, of this Covering, of this Not Imputing, there is required Integrapoenitentia, A perfect, and intire repentance; And to the making up of that, howſoever the words and termes may have been miſ-uſed, and defamed, we acknowledge, that there belongs a Contrition, a Confeſſion, and a Satisfaction; And all theſe (howſoever our Adverſaries ſlander us, with a Doctrine of eaſe, and a Religion of liberty) we require with more exactneſſe, and ſeverity, then they doe. For, for Contrition, we doe not, we dare not ſay, as ſome of them, That Attrition is ſufficient; that it is ſufficient to have ſuch a ſorrow for ſin, as a naturall ſenſe, and fear of torment doth imprint in us, without any motion of the feare of God: We know no meaſure of ſorrow great enough for the violating of the infinite Majeſty of God, by our tranſgreſſion. And then for Confeſſion, we deny not a neceſſity to confeſſe to man; There may be many caſes of ſcruple, of perplexity, where it were an expoſing our ſelves to farther occaſions of ſin, not to confeſſe to man; And in Confeſſion, we require a particular deteſtation of that ſin which we confeſſe, which they require not. And laſtly, for Satisfaction, we imbrace that Rule, Condigna ſatisfactio malè facta corrigere, Our beſt Satisfaction is, to be better in the amendment of our lives: And diſpoſitions to particular ſins, we correct in our bodies by Diſcipline, and Mortifications; And we teach, that no man hath done truly that part of Repentance, which he is bound to doe, if he have not given Satisfaction, that is, Reſtitution, to every perſon damnified by him. If that which we teach, for this intireneſſe of Repentance, be practiſed, in Contrition, and Confeſſion, and Satisfaction, they cannot calumniate our Doctrine, nor our practiſe herein; And if it be not practiſed, there is Dolus in ſpiritu, Guile in their ſpirit, that pretend to any part of this Bleſſedneſſe, Forgiving, or Covering, or Not imputing, without this. For, he that is ſorry for ſin, onelyonly in Contemplation of hell, and not of the joyes of heaven, that would not give over his ſin, though there were no hell, rather then he would loſe heaven, (which is that which ſome of them call Attrition) He that confeſſes his ſin, but hath no purpoſe to leave it, He that does leave the ſin, but being growne rich by that ſin, retaines, and enjoyes thoſe riches, this man is not intire in his Repentanne, but there is guile in his ſpirit.
He that is ſlothfull in his work, Prov. 18.9.is brother to him that is a great waſter; He that makes half-repentances, makes none. Men run out of their eſtates, as well by a negligence, and a not taking account of their Officers, as by their own prodigality: Our ſalvation is as much indangered, if we call not our conſcience to an examination, as if we repent not thoſe ſins, which offer themſelves to our knowledge, and memory. And therefore David places the conſummation of his victory in that,Pſal. 18.37. I have purſued mine enemies, and overtaken them, neither did I turne againe, till they were conſumed: We require a purſuing of the enemy, a ſearch for the ſin, and not to ſtay till an Officer, that is, a ſickneſſe, or any other calamity light upon that ſin, and ſo bring it before us; We require an overtaking of the enemy, That we be not weary, in the ſearch of our conſciences; And we require a conſuming of the enemy, not a weakning only; a diſlodging, a diſpoſſeſſing of the ſin, and the profit of the ſin; All the profit, and all the pleaſure of all the body of ſin; for he that is ſorry with a godly ſorrow, he that confeſſes with a deliberate deteſtation, he that ſatisfies with a full reſtitution for all his ſins but one, Dolus in ſpiritu, There is guile in his ſpirit, & he is in no better caſe,Berna… then if at Sea he ſhould ſtop all leaks but one, and periſh by that. Si vis ſolvi, ſolve omnes catenas; If thou wilt be diſcharged, cancel all thy Bonds; one chain till that be broke, holds as faſt as ten. And therfore ſuffer your conſideration to turn back a little upon this object, that there may be Dolus in ſpiritu, Guile in the ſpirit, in our pretence to all thoſe parts of Bleſſedneſſe, which David recommends to us in this Catechiſme, In the Forgiveneſſe of tranſgreſtions, In the Covering of ſin, In the Not imputing of iniquity.
Firſt then,Forgiving. in this Forgiving of tranſgreſsions, which is our Saviour Chriſts taking away the ſins of the world, by taking them, in the puniſhment due to them, upon himſelfe, there is Dolus in ſpiritu, Guile in that mans ſpirit, that will ſo farre abridge the great Volumes of the mercy of God, ſo farre contract his generall propoſitions, as to reſtrain this ſalvation, not only in the effect, but in Gods own purpoſe, to a few, a very few ſoules. When Subjects complaine of any Prince, that he is too mercifull, there is Dolus in ſpiritu, Guile and deceit in this complaint; They doe but think him too mercifull to other mens faults; for, where they need his mercy for their own, they never think him too mercifull. And which of us doe not need God for all ſins? If we did not in our ſelves, yet it were a new ſin in us, not to deſire that God ſhould be as mercifull to every other ſinner, as to our ſelves. As in heaven, the joy of every ſoule ſhall be my joy, ſo the mercy of God to every ſoule here, is a mercy to my ſoule; By the extenſion of his mercies to others, I argue the application of his mercy to my ſelfe. This contracting, and abridging of the mercy of God, will end in deſpaire of our ſelves, that that mercy reaches not to us, or if we become confident, perchance preſumptuous of our ſelves, we ſhall deſpaire in the behalfe of other men, and think they can receive no mercy: And when men come to allow an impoſſibility of ſalvation in any, they will come to aſſigne that impoſſibility, nay to aſſigne thoſe men, and pronounce, for this, and this ſin, This man cannot be ſaved. There is a ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt; and to make us afraid of all approaches towards that ſin, Chriſt hath told us, that that ſin is irremiſſible, unpardonable; But ſince that ſin includes impenitibleneſſe in the way, and actuall impenitence in the end, we can never pronounce, This is that ſin, or This is that ſinner. God is his Father that can ſay, Our Father which art in heaven, And his God that can ſay, I beleeve in God; And there is Dolus in ſpiritu, Guile in his ſpirit, the craft of the Serpent, (eyther the poyſon of the Serpent, in a ſelf-deſpaire, or the ſting of the Serpent, in an uncharitable prejudging, and precondemning of others) when a man comes to ſuſpect Gods good purpoſes, or contract Gods generall propoſitions; for, this forgiving of tranſgreſſions, is Chriſts taking away the ſins of all the world, by taking all the ſins of all men upon himſelfe. And this Guile, this Deceit may alſo be in the ſecond, in the Covering of ſins, which is the particular application of this generall mercy, by his Ordinances in his Church.
He then that without Guile will have benefit by this Covering, muſt Diſcover.Covering. Qui tegi vult peccata, detegat, is S. Auguſtines way: He that will have his ſins covered, let him uncover them; He that would not have them known, let him confeſſe them; He that would have them forgotten, let him remember them; He that would bury them, let him rake them up. There is nothing covered, that ſhall not be revealed, and hid, Mat. 10.26.that ſhall not be knowne. It is not thy ſending away a ſervant, thy locking a doore, thy blowing out a candle, no not though thou blow out, and extinguiſh the ſpirit, as much as thou canſt, that hides a ſin from God; but ſince thou thinkeſt that thou haſt hid it, by the ſecret carriage thereof, thou muſt reveale it by Confeſſion. If thou wilt not, God will ſhew thee that he needed not thy Confeſſion; He will take knowledge of it, to thy condemnation, and he will publiſh it to the knowledge of all the world, to thy confuſion. Tufeciſti abſconditè. ſayes God to David, by Nathan, Thou didſt it ſecretly, 2 Sam. 12.12.but I will doe this thing before all Iſrael, and before the Sun. Certainly it affects, and ſtings many men more, that God hath brought to light their particular ſins and offences, for which he does puniſh them, then all the puniſhments that he inflicts upon them; for then, they cannot lay their ruine upon fortune, upon viciſſitudes, and revolutions, and changes of Court, upon diſaffections of Princes, upon ſupplantations of Rivalls and Concurrents; but God cleares all the world beſide; Perditio tua ex te, God declares that the puniſhment is his Act, and the Cauſe, my ſin. This is Gods way; and this he expreſſes vehemently againſt Jeruſalem, Behold, I will gather all thy Lovers, with whom thou haſt taken pleaſure, Ezch. 16.37.and all them that thou haſt loved, with all them that thou haſt hated, and I will diſcover thy nakedneſſe to all them. Thoſe who loved us for pretended vertues, ſhall ſee how much they were deceived in us; Thoſe that hated us, becauſe they were able to looke into us, and to diſcerne our actions, ſhall then ſay Triumphantly, and publiquely to all, Did not we tell you what would become of this man? It was never likely to be better with him. I will ſtrip her naked, and ſet her as in the day that ſhe was borne; Hoſ. 2.3.Howſoever thou wert covered with the Covenant, and taken into the Viſible Church, howſoever thou wert clothed, by having put on Chriſt in Baptiſme, yet, If thou ſin againſt me, (ſayes God) and hide it from me, I am againſt thee, and I will ſhew the Nations thy nakedneſſe, and the Kingdomes thy ſhame.Nahum 3.5.
To come to the covering of thy ſins without guile, firſt cover them not from thy ſelf, ſo, as that thou canſt not ſee yeſter-daies ſin, for to daies ſin; nor the ſins of thy youth, for thy preſent ſins: Cover not thy extortions with magnifique buildings, and ſumptuous furniture; Dung not the fields that thou haſt purchaſed with the bodies of thoſe miſerable wretches, whom thou haſt oppreſſed, neither ſtraw thine alleys and walks with the duſt of Gods Saints, whom thy hard dealing hath ground to powder. There is but one good way of covering ſins from our ſelves, Si bona factamalis ſuperponamus, Gregor.If we come to a habit of good actions, contrary to thoſe evils, which we had accuſtomed our ſelves to, and cover our ſins ſo; not that we forget the old, but that we ſee no new.
There is a good covering of ſins from our ſelves, by ſuch new habits, and there is a good covering of them from other men; for, he that ſins publiquely, ſcandalouſly, avowedly, that teaches and encourages others to ſin;Eſay 3.9. That declares his ſin as Sodom, and hides it not, As in a mirror, in a looking glaſſe, that is compaſſed and ſet about with a hundred leſſer glaſſes, a man ſhall ſee his deformities in a hundred places at once, ſo hee that hath ſinned thus ſhall feele his torments in himſelfe, and in all thoſe, whom the not covering of his ſins hath occaſioned to commit the ſame ſins. Cover thy ſins then from thy ſelfe, ſo it be not by obduration; cover them from others, ſo it be not by hypocriſie; But from God cover them not at all;Prov. 28.13. He that covereth his ſin, ſhall not proſper; but who ſo confeſſeth and forſaketh them, ſhall have mercy; Even in confeſſing, without forſaking, there is Dolus in ſpiritus, Guile and deceit in that ſpirit. Noluit agnoſcere, maluit ignoſcere, S. Auguſtine makes the caſe of a cuſtomary ſinner; He was ready to pardon himſelfe alwaies without any confeſſion; But God ſhall invert it to his ſubverſion, Maluit agnoſcere, noluit ignoſcere, God ſhall manifeſt his ſin, and not pardon it.
Sin hath that pride, that it is not content with one garment; Adam covered firſt with fig-leaves, then with whole trees, He hid himſelfe amongst the trees: Then hee covered his ſin, with the woman; ſhe provoked him: And then with Gods action, Quam tu dediſti, The Woman whom thou gaveſt me; And this was Adams wardrobe. David covers his firſt ſin of uncleanneſſe with ſoft ſtuffe, with deceit, with falſhood, with ſoft perſwaſions to Vriah, to go in to his Wife; Then he covers it with rich ſtuffe, with ſcarlet, with the blood of Vriah, and of the army of the Lord of Hoſts; And then he covers it with ſtrong and durable ſtuffe, with an impenitence, and with an inſenſibleneſſe, a yeare together; too long for a King, too long for any man, to weare ſuch a garment: And this was Davids wardrobe. But beloved, ſin is a ſerpent, and he that covers ſin, does but keepe it warme, that it may ſting the more fiercely, and diſperſe the venome and malignity thereof the more effectually. Adam had patched up an apron to cover him; God tooke none of thoſe leaves; God wrought not upon his beginnings, but he covered him all over with durable skins. God ſaw that Davids ſeverall coverings did rather load him, then cover the ſin, and therefore Tranſtulit, He tooke all away, ſin, and covering: for the coverings were as great ſins, as the radicall ſin, that was to be covered, was; yea greater; as the armes and boughs of a tree, are greater then the roote. Now to this extenſion, and growth, and largeneſſe of ſin, no leſſer covering ſerves then God in his Church. It was the prayer againſt them,Nehem. 4.5. Auguſt. who hindered the building of the Temple, Cover not their iniquity, neither let their ſin be put out in thy preſence. Our prayer is, Peccata noſtra non videat, ut nos videat, Lord looke not upon our ſins, that thou maiſt looke upon us. And ſince amongſt our ſelves,1 Pet. 4.8. Prov. 10.12. it is the effect of Love, to cover Multitudinem peccatorum, The multitude of ſins, yea to cover Vniverſa delicta, Lovè covereth all ſins, much more ſhall God, who is Love it ſelfe, cover our ſins ſo, as he covered the Egyptians, in a red Sea, in the application of his blood, by viſible meanes in his Church. That therefore thou mayeſt be capable of this covering,Pſal. 37.6. Commit thy wayes unto the Lord; that is, ſhow unto him, by way of confeſſion, what wrong wayes thou haſt gone, and inquire of him by prayer, what wayes thou art to go, and (as it is in the ſame Pſalme) He ſhall bring forth thy righteouſneſſe as the light, and thy judgement as the noone day; And ſo there ſhall be no guile found in thy ſpirit, which might hinder this covering of thy ſin, which is, the application of Chriſts merits, in the Ordinances of his Church, nor the Not imputing of thine iniquity, which is our laſt conſideration, and the concluſion of all.
This not imputing, Imputing.is that ſerenity and acquieſcence, which a rectified conſcience enjoyes, when the Spirit of God beares witneſſe with my ſpirit, that, thus reconciled to my God, I am now guilty of nothing. S. Bernard defines the Conſcience thus, Inſeparabilis gloria, vel confuſio uniuſcujuſque, pro qualitate depoſiti: It is that inſeparable glory, or that inſeparable confuſion which every ſoule hath, according to that which is depoſited, and laid up in it. Now what is depoſited, and laid up in it? Naturally, hereditarily, patrimonially, Con-reatus, ſayes that Father, from our firſt Parents, a fellow-guiltineſſe of their ſin; and they have left us ſons and heires of the wrath and indignation of God, and that is the treaſure they have laid up for us. Againſt this, God hath provided Baptiſme; and Baptiſme waſhes away that ſin; for as we doe nothing to our ſelves in Baptiſme, but are therein meerely paſſive, ſo neither did we any thing our ſelves in Originall ſin, but therein are meerely paſſive too; and ſo the remedy, Baptiſme, is proportioned to the diſeaſe, Originall ſin. But originall ſin being thus waſhed away, we make a new ſtocke, we take in a new depoſitum, a new treaſure, Actuall and habituall ſins, and therein much being done by our ſelves, againſt God, into the remedy, there muſt enter ſomething to be done by our ſelves, and ſomething by God; And therefore we bring water to his wine, true teares of repentance to his true blood in the Sacrament, and ſo receive the ſeales of our reconciliation, and having done that, we may boldly ſay unto God, Doe not condemne me: Iob 10.2.ſhew me wherefore thou contendeſt with me. When we have ſaid as he doth, I have ſinned, Iob 7.20.what ſhall I doe to thee? And have done that that he hath ordained, we may ſay alſo as he doth, O thou preſerver of men, why doſt thou not pardon my tranſgreſsion, and take away mine iniquity? Why doeſt thou ſuffer me to faint and pant under this ſad apprehenſion, that all is not yet well betweene my ſoule and thee? We are far from encouraging any man to antidate his pardon; to preſume his pardon to be paſſed before it is: But when it is truly paſſed the ſeales of Reconciliation, there is Dolus in ſpiritu, Guile and deceit in that ſpirit, nay it is the ſpirit of falſhood and deceit it ſelfe, that will not ſuffer us to injoy that pardon, which God hath ſealed to us, but ſtill maintaine jealouſies, and ſuſpition, between God and us. My heart is not opener to God, then the bowels of his mercy are to me; And to accuſe my ſelfe of ſin, after God hath pardoned me, were as great a contempt of God, as to preſume of that pardon, before he had granted it; and ſo much a greater, as it is directed againſt his greateſt attribute, his Mercy. Si apud Deum deponas injuriam, Tertul.ipſe ultor erit, Lay all the injuries that thou ſuffereſt, at Gods feet, and hee will revenge them; Si damnum, ipſe reſtituet; Lay all thy loſſes there, and he will repaire them; Si dolorem, ipſe medicus; Lay downe all thy diſeaſes there, and he ſhall heale thee; Si mortem, ipſe reſuſcitator, Dye in his armes, and he ſhall breath a new life into thee; Add wee to Tertullian: Si peccata, ipſe ſepeliet, lay thy ſins in his wounds, and he ſhall bury them ſo deepe, that onelyonly they ſhall never have reſurrection: The Sun ſhall ſet, and have a to morrows reſurrection; Herbs ſhall have a winter death, and a ſprings reſurrection; Thy body ſhall have a long winters night, and then a reſurrection; OnelyOnly thy ſins buried in the wounds of thy Saviour, ſhall never have reſurrection; And therefore take heed of that deceit in the ſpirit, of that ſpirit of deceit, that makes thee impute ſins to thy ſelfe, when God imputes them not; But rejoyce in Gods generall forgiving of Tranſgreſsions, That Chriſt hath dyed for all, multiply thy joy in the covering of thy ſin, That Chriſt hath inſtituted a Church, in which that generall pardon is made thine in particular, And exalt thy joy, in the not imputing of iniquity, in that ſerenity, that tranquillity, that God ſhall receive thee, at thy laſt houre, in thy laſt Bath, the ſweat of death, as lovingly, as acceptably, as innocently, as he received thee, from thy firſt Bath, the laver of Regeneration, the font in Baptiſme. Amen.