Eighty Sermons, penitential psalms · Sermon 51
SERM. LI. Preached upon the Penitentiall Pſalmes.
PSAL. 6.2, 3.
Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weake; O Lord, heale me, for my bones are vexed: My ſoule is alſo ſore vexed; But thou, O Lord, how long?
THis whole Pſalme is prayer; And the whole prayer is either Deprecatory, as in the firſt verſe, or Poſtulatory. Something David would have forborne, and ſomething done. And in that Poſtulatory part of Davids prayer, which goes through ſix verſes of this Pſalme, we conſider the Petitions, and the Inducements; What David asks, And why: of both which, there are ſome mingled, in theſe two verſes, which conſtitute our Text. And therefore, in them, we ſhall neceſſarily take knowledge of ſome of the Petitions, and ſome of the Reaſons. For, in the Prayer, there are five petitions; Firſt, Miſerere, Have mercy upon me, Thinke of me, looke graciouſly towards me, prevent me with thy mercy; And then Sana me, O Lord, heale me, Thou didſt create me in health, but my parents begot me in ſickneſſe, and I have complicated other ſickneſſes with that, Actuall with Originall ſin, O Lord, heale me, give me phyſick for them; And thirdly, Convertere, Returne, O Lord, Thou didſt viſit me in nature, returne in grace, Thou didſt viſit me in Baptiſme, returne in the other Sacrament, Thou doeſt viſit me now, returne at the houre of my death; And, in a fourth petition, Eripe, O Lord, deliver my ſoule, Every bleſſing of thine becauſe a ſnare unto me, and thy benefits I make occaſions of ſinne, In all converſation, and even in my ſolitude, I admit ſuch tentations from others, or I produce ſuch tentations in my ſelfe, as that, whenſoever thou art pleaſed to returne to me, thou findeſt me at the brinke of ſome ſinne, and therefore Eripe me, O Lord, take hold of me, and deliver me; And laſtly, Salvum me fac, O Lord, ſave me, Manifeſt thy good purpoſe upon me ſo, that I may never be ſhaken, or never overthrown in the faithfull hope of that ſalvation, which thou haſt preordained for me. Theſe are the five petitions of the Prayer, and two of the five, The Miſerere, Have mercy upon me, and the Sana, O Lord, heale me, are in theſe two verſes. And then, the Reaſons of the prayer, ariſing partly out of himſelfe, and partly out of God; and ſome being mixt, and growing out of both roots together, ſome of the Reaſons of the firſt nature, that is, of thoſe that ariſe out of himſelfe, are alſo in this Text.
Therefore in this Text, we ſhall conſider, firſt the extent of thoſe two petitions that are in it, Quid miſerere, what David intends by this prayer, Have mercy upon me, And then, Quid ſana me, what he intends by that, O Lord, heale me. And ſecondly, we ſhall conſider the ſtrength of thoſe Reaſons, which are in our text, Quia infirmus, why God ſhould be moved to mercy with that, Becauſe David was weake, And then Quia turbata oſſa, why, Becauſe his bones were vexed; And againe, Quia turbata anima valde, Becauſe his ſoule was ſore vexed. And in a third Conſideration, we ſhall alſo ſee, that for all our petitions, for mercy, and for ſpirituall health, and for all our Reaſons, weakneſſe, vexation of bones, And ſore vexation of the ſoule it ſelfe, God doth not alwayes come to a ſpeedy remedy, but puts us to our Vſquequò, But thou, O Lord, how long? How long wilt thou delay? And then laſtly, That how long ſoever that be, yet we are ſtill to attend his time, ſtill to rely upon him; which is intimated in this, That David changes not his Maſter, but ſtill applies himſelfe to the Lord; with that Name, that he begun with in the firſt verſe, he proceeds; and thrice in theſe few words he calls upon him by this name of Eſſence, Iehova, O Lord have mercy upon me, O Lord heale me, O Lord how long wilt thou delay? He is not weary of attending the Lord, he is not inclinable to turn upon any other then the Lord; Have mercy upon me O Lord, &c.
Firſt then in our firſt part,1 Part. Quid miſereri. that part of Davids poſtulatory prayer in this Text, Have mercy upon me, This mercy that David begs here, is not that mercy of God which is above all his works; for thoſe works which follow it, are above it; To heale him, in this Text, To returne to him, To deliver his ſoule, To ſave him, in the next verſes, are greater works then this, which he calls here in that generall name of Mercy. For this word Chanan uſed in this place, is not Dele iniquitates, Have mercy upon me ſo, as to blot out all mine iniquities; It is not Dimitte debita, Have mercy upon me ſo, as to forgive all my ſins; but it is onelyonly Des mihi gratiam, Lord ſhed ſome drops of grace upon me, or as Tremellius hath it, Gratioſus ſis mihi, Be a gracious Lord unto me. For this word is uſed, where Noah is ſaid to have found grace in the eyes of the Lord; Gen. 6.8.which grace was, that God had provided for his bodily preſervation in the Arke. And this word is uſed, not onelyonly of God towards men,Pſal. 102.14. but alſo of men towards God; when they expreſſe their zeale towards Gods houſe, and the compaſſion, and holy indignation which they had of the ruines thereof, they expreſſe it in this word, Thy ſervants delight in the ſtones of Sion, & miſerti ſunt pulveris ejus, They had mercy, they had compaſsion upon the duſt and rubbiſh thereof. So that here this Miſerere mei, which is the firſt grone of a ſick ſoule, the firſt glance of the ſoule directed towards God, imports onelyonly this, Lord turne thy countenance towards me, Lord bring me to a ſenſe that thou art turned towards me, Lord bring me within ſuch a diſtance, as my ſoule may feele warmth and comfort in the riſing of that Sunne; Miſerere mei, Look graciouſly upon me.
At the firſt meeting of Iſaac and Rebecca, Gen. 24.63.he was gone out to meditate in the fields, and ſhe came riding that way, with his fathers man, who was imployed in making that mariage; and when upon asking ſhe knew that it was he who was to be her husband, ſhe tooke a vaile and covered her face, ſayes that ſtory. What freedome, and nearneſſe ſoever they were to come to after, yet there was a modeſty, and a baſhfulneſſe, and a reſervedneſſe required before; and her firſt kindneſſe ſhould be but to be ſeen. A man would be glad of a good countenance from her that ſhall be his, before he asked her whether ſhee will be his or no; A man would be glad of a good countenance from his Prince, before he intend to preſſe him with any particular ſuit: And a ſinner may be come to this Miſerere mei Domine, to deſire that the Lord would think upon him, that the Lord would look graciouſly towards him, that the Lord would refreſh him with the beams of his favour, before he have digeſted his devotion into a formall prayer, or entred into a particular conſideration, what his neceſſities are.
Upon thoſe words of the Apoſtle,1 Tim. 2.1. Bern. De 4. modis orandi. I exhort you that ſupplications, and prayers, and Interceſsions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, S. Bernard makes certaine gradations, and ſteps, and aſcenſions of the ſoule in prayer, and intimates thus much, That by the grace of Gods Spirit inanimating and quickning him, (without which grace he can have no motion at all) a ſinner may come Ad ſupplicationes, which is S. Pauls firſt ſtep, To ſupplications, which are à ſuppliciis, That out of a ſenſe of ſome Judgement, ſome puniſhment, he may make his recourſe to God; And then, by a farther growth in that grace, he may come Adorationes, which are Oris rationes, The particular expreſſing of his neceſſities, with his mouth; and a faithfull aſſurance of obtaining them, in his prayer; And after, he may come farther, Ad Interceſsiones, to an Interceſſion, to ſuch an intereſt in Gods favour, as that he durſt put himſelfe betwixt God and other men, as Abraham in the behalfe of Sodome, to intercede for them, with a holy confidence that God would doe good to them, for his ſake; And to a farther ſtep then theſe, which the Apoſtle may intend in that laſt, Ad gratiarum actiones, to a continuall Thankſgiving, That by reaſon of Gods benefits multiplyed upon him, he finde nothing to aske, but his Thankſgivings, and his acknowledgements, for former bleſſings, poſſeſſe and fill all his prayers; Though he be growne up to this ſtrength of devotion, To Supplications, to Prayers, to Interceſſions, to Thankſgivings, yet, ſayes S. Bernard, at firſt, when he comes firſt to deprehend himſelfe in a particular ſin, or in a courſe of ſin, he comes Verecunde affectu, Baſhfully, ſhamefaſtly, tremblingly; he knows not what to aske, he dares ask no particular thing at Gods hand; But though he be not come yet, to particular requeſts, for pardon of paſt ſins, nor for ſtrength againſt future, not to a particular conſideration of the waight of his ſins, nor to a compariſon betwixt his ſin, and the mercy of God, yet he comes to a Miſerere mei Domine, To a ſudden ejaculation, O Lord be mercifull unto me, how dare I doe this in the ſight of my God?
It is much ſuch an affection as is ſometimes in a Felon taken in the manner, or in a condemned perſon brought to execution: One deſires the Juſtice to be good to him, and yet he ſees not how he can Baile him; the other deſires the Sherife to be good to him, and yet he knowes he muſt doe his Office. A ſinner deſires God to have mercy upon him, and yet he hath not deſcended to particular conſiderations requiſite in that buſineſſe. But yet this ſpirituall Malefactor is in better caſe, then the temporall are; They deſire them to be good to them, who can doe them no good; but God is ſtill able, and ſtill ready to reprieve them, and to put off the execution of his Judgements, which execution were to take them out of this world under the guiltineſſe, and condemnation of unrepented ſins. And therefore, as S. Baſil ſayes, In ſcala, prima aſcenſio eſt ab humo, Baſal.He that makes but one ſtep up a ſtaire, though he be not got much nearer to the top of the houſe, yet he is got from the ground, and delivered from the foulneſſe, and dampneſſe of that; ſo in this firſt ſtep of prayer, Miſcrere mei, O Lord be mercifull unto me, though a man be not eſtabliſhed in heaven, yet he is ſtept from the world, and the miſerable comforters thereof; He that committeth ſin, is of the Devill: Yea, he is of him, in a direct line,1 Iohn 3.8. and in the neareſt degree; he is the Off-ſpring, the ſon of the Devill;Iohn 8.44. Ex patre veſtro eſtis, ſayes Chriſt, You are of your father the Devill.
Now, Qui ſe à maligni patris affinitate ſubmoverit, He that withdraws himſelf from ſuch a Fathers houſe, though he be not preſently come to meanes to live of himſelf,Baſil. Quam feliciter patre ſuo orbatus! How bleſſed, how happy an Orphan is he become! How much better ſhall he finde it, to be fatherleſſe in reſpect of ſuch a father, then maſterleſſe in reſpect of ſuch a Lord, as he turnes towards in this firſt ejaculation, and generall application of the ſoule, Miſerere mei, Have mercy upon me, O Lord, ſo much mercy, as to looke graciouſly towards me! And therefore, as it was, by infinite degrees, a greater work, to make earth of nothing, then to make the beſt creatures of earth; So in the regeneration of a ſinner, when he is to be made up a new creature, his firſt beginning, his firſt application of himſelfe to God, is the hardeſt matter. But though he come not preſently to looke God fully in the face, nor conceive not preſently an aſſurance of an eſtabliſhed reconciliation, a fulneſſe of pardon, a cancelling of all former debts, in an inſtant, Though hee dare not come to touch God, and lay hold of himſelfe, by receiving his Body and Blood in the Sacrament, yet the Euangeliſt calls thee to a contemplation of much comfort to thy ſoule, in certaine preparatory acceſſes, and approaches. Behold, ſayes he; that is, Look up, and conſider thy patterne: Behold, Mat. 9.20.a woman diſeaſed came behinde Chriſt, and touched the hem of his garment; for ſhe ſaid in her ſelf, If I may but touch the hem of his garment onelyonly, I ſhall be whole. She knew there was vertue to come out of his Body, and ſhe came as neare that, as ſhe durſt: ſhe had a deſire to ſpeake; but ſhe went no farther, but to ſpeak to her ſelfe; ſhe ſaid to her ſelfe, ſayes that Goſpel, if I may but touch, &c. But Chriſt Jeſus ſupplied all, performed all on his part, abundantly. Preſently he turned about, ſayes the Text: And this was not a tranſitory glance, but a full ſight, and exhibiting of himſelfe to the fruition of her eye, that ſhe might ſee him. He ſaw her, ſayes S. Matthew: Her; he did not direct himſelfe upon others, and leave out her; And then, hee ſpake to her, to overcome her baſhfulneſſe; he called her Daughter, to overcome her diffidence; He bids her be of comfort, for ſhe had met a more powerfull Phyſitian, then thoſe, upon whom ſhe had ſpent her time, and her eſtate; one that could cure her; one that would; one that had already; for ſo he ſayes preſently, Thy faith hath made thee whole. From how little a ſpark, how great a fire? From how little a beginning, how great a proceeding? She deſired but the hem of his garment, and had all him.
Beloved in him, his power, and his goodneſſe ended not in her;Mat. 14.36. All that were ſick were brought, that they might but touch the hem of his garment, and as many as touched it, were made whole. It was farre from a perfect faith, that made them whole; To have a deſire to touch his garment, ſeemes not, was not much: Neither was that deſire that was, alwayes in themſelves, but in them that brought them. But yet, come thou ſo farre: Come, or be content to be brought, to be brought by example, to be brought by a ſtatute, to be brought by curioſity, come any way to touch the hem of his garment, yea the hem of his ſervant, of Aarons garment, and thou ſhalt participate of the ſweet ointment, which flowes from the head to the hem of the garment. Come to the houſe of God, his Church; Joyne with the Congregation of the Saints; Love the body, and love the garments too, that is, The Order, the Diſcipline, the Decency, the Unity of the Church; Love even the hem of the garment, that that almoſt touches the ground; that is, Such Ceremonies, as had a good uſe in their firſt inſtitution, for raiſing devotion, and are freed and purged from that ſuperſtition, which, as a ruſt, was growne upon them, though they may ſeeme to touch the earth, that is, to have been induced by earthly men, and not immediate inſtitutions from God, yet love that hem of that garment, thoſe outward aſſiſtances of devotion in the Church.
Bring with thee a diſpoſition to incorporate thy ſelfe with Gods people here; and though thou beeſt not yet come to a particular conſideration of thy ſins, and of the remedies, Though that ſpirit that poſſeſſes thee, that ſin that governes thee, lie ſtill a while, and ſleepe under all the thunders, which wee denounce from this place, ſo that for a while thou beeſt not moved nor affected with all that is ſaid, yet Appropinquas, & neſcis, (as S. Auguſtine ſaid, when he came onelyonly out of curioſity to heare S. Ambroſe preach at Milan) Thou doeſt come nearer and nearer to God, though thou diſcerne it not, and at one time or other, this bleſſed exorciſme, this holy Charme, this Ordinance of God, the word of God in the mouth of his ſervant, ſhall provoke and awaken that ſpirit of ſecurity in thee, and thou ſhalt feele him begin to ſtorme, and at firſt that ſpirit, thy ſpirit,1 Kings 18. will ſay to the ſpirit of the Preacher, Tune qui conturbas? Art thou he that troubleſt Iſrael? (as Ahab ſaid to Eliah) Art thou he that troubleſt the peace of my conſcience, and the ſecurity of my wayes? And, when the Spirit of God ſhall ſearch farther and farther, even ad occulta, to thy ſecreteſt ſins, and touch upon them, and that that ſpirit of diſobedience,1 King 21.20. when he feeles this powerfull Exorciſme, ſhall ſay in thee, and cry as Ahab alſo did, Inveniſti me? Haſt thou found me, O mine enemy? God ſhall anſwer, Inveni te, I have found thee, and found that thou hadſt ſold thy ſelfe to worke wickedneſſe in the ſight of the Lord, And ſo ſhall bring thee to a more particular conſideration of thine eſtate, and from thy having joyned with the Church,Pſal. 1…2.13. in a Dominus miſerebitur Sion, In an aſſurance, and acknowledgement, that the Lord will ariſe, and have mercy upon Sion, that is, of his whole Catholique Church,Pſal. 67.1. And then come to a Dominus miſereatur noſtri, God be mercifull unto us, and bleſſe us, and cauſe his face to ſhine upon us, upon us that are met here, according to his Ordinance, and in confidence of his promiſe, upon this Congregation, of which thou makeſt thy ſelfe a part, thou wilt alſo come to this of David here, Domine miſerere mei, Have mercy upon me, me in particular, and thou ſhalt heare God anſwer thee, Miſerans miſerebor tibi, With great mercy will I have mercy upon thee; upon thee; For, with him is plentifull Redemption; Mercy for his whole Church, mercy for this whole Congregation, mercy for every particular ſoule, that makes her ſelfe a part of the Congregation. Accuſtome thy ſelfe therefore to a generall devotion, to a generall application, to generall ejaculations towards God, upon every occaſion, and then, as a wedge of gold, that comes to be coyned into particular pieces of currant money, the Lord ſhall ſtamp his Image upon all thy devotions, and bring thee to particular confeſſions of thy ſins, and to particular prayers, for thy particular neceſſities. And this we may well conceive and admit, to be the nature of Davids firſt prayer, Miſerere mei, Have mercy upon me; And then, the reaſon, upon which this firſt petition is grounded, (for ſo it will be fitteſt to handle the parts, firſt the prayer, and then the reaſon) is, Quia infirmus, Have mercy upon me, for I am weak.
Firſt then,Quia. how imperfect, how weak ſoever our prayers be, yet ſtill if it be a prayer, it hath a Quia, a Reaſon, upon which it is grounded. It hath in it, ſome implied, ſome interpretative conſideration of ourſelves, how it becomes us to aske that, which wee doe ask at Gods hand, and it hath ſome implied, and interpretative conſideration of God, how it conduces to Gods glory to grant it: for, that prayer is very farre from faith, which is not made ſo much as with reaſon; with a conſideration of ſome poſſibility, and ſome conveniency in it. Every man that ſayes Lord, Lord, enters not into heaven; Every Lord, Lord, that is ſaid, enters not into heaven, but vaniſhes in the ayre. A prayer muſt be with a ſerious purpoſe to pray; for elſe, thoſe faſhionall and cuſtomary prayers, are but falſe fires without ſhot, they batter not heaven; It is but an Interjection, that ſlips in; It is but a Parentheſis, that might be left out, whatſoever is uttered in the manner of a prayer, if it have not a Quia, a Reaſon, a ground for it. And therefore, when our Saviour Chriſt gave us that forme of prayer, which includes all, he gave us in it a forme of the reaſon too, Quia tuum, For thine is the Kingdome, &c. It were not a prayer, to ſay Adveniat Regnum, Thy Kingdome come, if it were not grounded upon that faithfull aſſurance, that God hath a Kingdomehere; Nor to ſay Sanctificetur nomen, Hallowed be thy name, If he deſired not to be glorified by us; Nor to aske daily bread, nor forgiveneſſe of ſins, but for the Quia poteſtas, Becauſe he hath all theſe in his power. We conſider this firſt acceſſe to God, Miſerere mei, Have mercy upon me, to be but a kind of imperfect prayer, but the firſt ſtep; but it were none at all, if it had no reaſon, and therefore it hath this, Quia infirmus, Becauſe I am weake.
This reaſon of our own weakneſſe is a good motive for mercy,Quia infirmus. Iohn 11.3. if in a deſire of farther ſtrength we come to that of La…arus ſiſters, to Chriſt, Ecce, quam amas, infirmatur, Behold Lord, that ſoule that thou loveſt, and haſt dyed for, is weak, and languiſhes. Chriſt anſwered then, Non eſt infirmitas ad mortem, This weakneſſe is not unto death, but that the Son of God might be glorified. He will ſay ſo to thee too; if thou preſent thy weakneſſe with a deſire of ſtrength from him, he will ſay, Quare moriemini, domus Iſrael? why will ye die of this diſeaſe? Gratia mea ſufficit; you may recover for all this; you may repent, you may abſtaine from this ſin, you may take this ſpirituall phyſick, the Word, the Sacraments, if you will; Tantummodo robuſtus eſto, (as God ſayes to Ioſhuah) Only be valiant, and fight againſt it, and thou ſhalt finde ſtrength grow in the uſe thereof. But for the moſt part, De infirmitate blandimur, ſayes S. Bernard, De gradibus humilitatis.we flatter our ſelves with an opinion of weakneſſe; & ut liberiùs peccemus, libenter infirmamur, we are glad of this naturall and corrupt weakneſſe, that we may impute all our licentiouſneſſe to our weakneſſe, and naturall infirmity. But did that excuſe Adam, (ſayes that Father) Quòd per uxorem tanquam per carnis infirmitatem peceavit, That he took his occaſion of ſinning from his weaker part, from his wife? Quia infirmus, That thou art weak of thy ſelfe, is a juſt motive to induce God to bring thee to himſelfe; Qui verè portavit languores tuos, who hath ſurely borne all thine infirmities;Eſay 53.4. But to leave him againe when he hath brought thee, to refuſe ſo light and eaſie yoake as his is, not to make uſe of that ſtrength which he by his grace offers thee, this is not the affection of the Spouſe, Languor amantis, when the perſon languiſhes for the love of Chriſt, but it is Languor amoris, when the love of Chriſt languiſhes in that perſon. And therefore if you be come ſo far with David, as to this Miſerere quia infirmus, that an apprehenſion of your owne weakneſſe have brought you to him, in a prayer for mercy, and more ſtrength, goe forward with him ſtill, to his next Petition, Sana me, O Lord heale me, for God is alwayes ready to build upon his owne foundations, and accompliſh his owne beginnings.
Acceptus in gratiam, hilariter veni ad poſtulationes: Sanae.When thou art eſtabliſhed in favour, thou maiſt make any ſuit; when thou art poſſeſt of God by one prayer, thou mayſt offer more. This is an encouragement which that Father S. Bernard gives, in obſerving the diverſe degrees of praying, That though ſervandae humilitatis gratia, divina pietas ordinavit, To make his humility the more profitable to him, God imprints in an humble and penitent ſinner, this apprehenſion, Vt quanto plus profecit, eo minus ſe reputet profeciſſe, That the more he is in Gods favour, the more he feares he is not ſo, or the more he fears to loſe that favour, becauſe it is a part, and a ſymptome of the working of the grace of God, to make him ſee his owne unworthineſſe, the more manifeſtly, the more ſenſibly, yet, it is a religious inſinuation, and a circumvention that God loves, when a ſinner huſbands his graces ſo well, as to grow rich under him, and to make his thanks for one bleſſing, a reaſon, and an occaſion of another; ſo to gather upon God by a rolling Trench, and by a winding ſtaire, as Abraham gained upon God, in the behalfe of Sodome; for this is an act of the wiſedome of the Serpent, which our Saviour recommends unto us, in ſuch a Serpentine line, (as the Artiſts call it) to get up to God, and get into God by ſuch degrees, as David does here, from his Miſerere, to a Sana, from a gracious looke, to a perfect recovery;Luke 10. from the act of the Levite that looked upon the wounded man, to the act of the Samaritane that undertooke his cure; from deſiring God to viſit him as a friend, (as Abraham was called the friend of God) to ſtudy him as a Phyſitian.Iames 2.23. Eſay 55.1. Eſay 53.4. Becauſe the Prophet Eſay makes a Proclamation in Chriſts name, Ho, every one that thirſteth, &c. And becauſe the ſame Prophet ſayes of him, Verè portavit, He hath truly born upon himſelfe (and therefore taken away from us) all our diſeaſes, Tertullian ſayes elegantly, that Eſay preſents Chriſt, Praedicatorem, & Medicatorem, as a Preacher, and as a Phyſitian; Indeed he is a Phyſitian both wayes; in his Word, and in his Power, and therefore in that notion onelyonly, as a Phyſitian, David preſents him here.
Now Phyſitians ſay, That man hath in his Conſtitution, in his Complexion, a naturall vertue, which they call Balſamum ſuum, his owne Balſamum, by which, any wound which a man could receive in his body, would cure it ſelfe, if it could be kept cleane from the anoiances of the aire, and all extrinſique encumbrances. Something that hath ſome proportion and analogy to this Balſamum of the body, there is in the ſoule of man too: The ſoule hath Nardum ſuam, Cant. 1.12.her Spikenard, as the Spouſe ſayes, Nardus meadedit odorem ſuum, Baſil:ſhe had a ſpikenard, a perfume, a fragrancy, a ſweet ſavour in her ſelfe. For, Virtutes germaniùs attingunt animam, quàm corpus ſanitas, Vertuous inclinations, and a diſpoſition to morall goodneſſe, is more naturall to the ſoule of man, and nearer of kin to the ſoule of man, then health is to the body. And then, if we conſider bodily health, Nulla oratio, nulla doctrinae formula nos docet morbum odiiſſe, ſayes that Father: There needs no Art, there needs no outward Eloquence, to perſwade a man, to be loath to be ſick: Ita in anima ineſt naturalis, & citra doctrinam mali evitatio, ſayes he; So the ſoule hath a naturall and untaught hatred, and deteſtation of that which is evill. The Church at thy Baptiſme doth not require Sureties at thy hands, for this: Thy Sureties undertake to the Church in thy behalfe, That thou ſhalt forſake the fleſh, the world, and the devill, That thou ſhalt beleeve all the Articles of our Religion, That thou ſhalt keepe all the Commandements of God; But for this knowledge and deteſtation of evill, they are not put to undertake them then, neither doth the Church Catechize thee, in that after: for, the ſumme of all thoſe duties which concerne the deteſtation of evill, conſiſts in that unwritten law of thy conſcience which thou knoweſt naturally. Scis quod boni proximo faciendum, ſayes that Father, Naturally thou knoweſt what good thou art bound to doe to another man; Idem enim eſt, quod ab aliis tute tibi fieri velis; for, it is but asking thy ſelfe, What thou wouldeſt that that other man ſhould do unto thee: Non ignoras quid ſit ipſum malum, Thou canſt not be ignorant, what evill thou ſhouldeſt abſtaine from offering to another, Eſt enim quod ab alio fieri nolis, It is but the ſame, which thou thinkeſt another ſhould not put upon thee. So that the ſoule of man hath in it Balſamum ſuum, Nardum ſuam, A medicinall Balſamum, a fragrant Spikenard in her ſelfe, a naturall diſpoſition to Morall goodneſſe, as the body hath to health. But therein lyes the ſouls diſadvantage, that whereas the cauſes that hinder the cure of a bodily wound, are extrinſique offences of the Ayre, and putrefaction from thence, the cauſes in the wounds of the ſoule, are intrinſique, ſo as no other man can apply phyſick to them; Nay, they are hereditary, and there was no time early inough for our ſelves to apply any thing by way of prevention, for the wounds were as ſoone as we were, and ſooner; Here was a new ſoule, but an old ſore; a yong childe, but an inveterate diſeaſe. As S. Auguſtin cannot conceive any interim, any diſtance, between the creating of the ſoule, and the infuſing of the ſoule into the body, but eaſes himſelfe upon that, Creando infundit, and infundendo creat, The Creation is the Infuſion, and the Infuſion is the Creation, ſo we cannot conceive any Interim, any diſtance, betweene the infuſing and the ſickning, betweene the comming and the ſinning of the ſoule. So that there was no meanes of prevention; I could not ſo much as wiſh, that I might be no ſinner, for I could not wiſh that I might be no Child. Neither is there any meanes of ſeparation now; our concupiſcencies dwell in us, and preſcribe in us, and will gnaw upon us, as wormes, till they deliver our bodies to the wormes of the grave, and our conſciences to the worme that never dyes.
From the dangerous effects then of this ſickneſſe, David deſires to be healed, and by God himſelfe, Sana me Domine, O Lord heale me; for that phyſick that Man gives, is all but drugs of the earth; Morall and Civill counſailes, rather to cover then recover, rather to diſguiſe then to avoid: They put a clove in the mouth, but they do not mend the lungs. To cover his nakedneſſe Adam tooke but fig-leaves; Eſay 38.11.but to recover Ezechias, God tooke figs themſelves. Man deales upon leaves, that cover, and ſhadow, God upon fruitfull and effectuall meanes,2 King. 20.7. that cure, and nouriſh. And then, God tooke a lumpe of figs; God is liberall of his graces, and gives not over a cure, at one dreſſing: And they were dry figs too, ſayes that ſtory; you muſt not looke for figs from the Tree, for immediate Revelations, for private inſpirations from God; but the medicinall preaching of the Word, medicinall Sacraments, medicinall Abſolution, are ſuch dry figs as God hath preſerved in his Church for all our diſeaſes. S. Paul had a ſtrong deſire, and he expreſſed it in often prayer to God, to have this peccant humour, this malignity cleane purged out, to have that Stimulus carnis, that concupiſcence abſolutely taken away. God would not do ſo; but yet he applied his effectuall phyſick, ſufficient Grace.
This then is the ſoules Panacaea, The Pharmacum Catholicum, the Medicina omnimorbia, The phyſick that cures all, the ſufficient Grace, the ſeaſonable mercy of God, in the merits of Chriſt Jeſus, and in the love of the Holy Ghoſt. This is the phyſick; but then, there are ever Vehicula medicinae, certaine ſyrups, and liquors, to convey the phyſick; water, and wine in the Sacraments; And certaine Phyſitians to ordaine and preſcribe, The Miniſters of the Word and Sacraments; The Father ſends, The Son makes, The Holy Ghoſt brings, The Miniſter laies on the plaiſter. For, Medicinae ars à Deo data, Baſil;ut inde rationem animae curandae diſceremus, Gods purpoſe in giving us the ſcience of bodily health, was not determined in the body: but his large and gracious purpoſe was, by that reſtitution of the body, to raiſe us to the conſideration of ſpirituall health. When Chriſt had ſaid to him, who was brought ſick of the palſie, Thy ſins are forgiven thee, Marke 2.and that the Scribes and Phariſees were ſcandalized with that, as though he, being but man, had uſurped upon the power of God, Chriſt proves to them, by an actuall reſtoring of his bodily health, that he could reſtore his ſoule too, in the forgiveneſſe of ſins: He asks them there, Whether is it eaſier to ſay, Thy ſins are forgiven thee, or to ſay, Ariſe, take up thy bed, and walke. Chriſtus facit ſanitatem corporalem argumentum ſpiritualis; Bernar.Chriſt did not determine his doctrine in the declaration of a miraculous power exerciſed upon his body, but by that, eſtabliſhed their beliefe of his ſpirituall power, in doing that, which in their opinion was the greater worke. Purſue therefore his method of Curing; And if God have reſtored thee in any ſickneſſe, by ſuch meanes, as he of his goodneſſe hath imprinted in naturall herbs, and Simples, thinke not that that was done onelyonly or ſimply for thy bodies ſake, but that, as it is as eaſie for God to ſay, Thy ſins are forgiven thee, as Take up thy bed and walke, ſo it is as eaſie for thee, to have ſpirituall phyſick, as bodily; becauſe, as God hath planted all thoſe medicinall Simples in the open fields, for all, though ſome do tread them under their feet, ſo hath God depoſited and prepared ſpirituall helps for all, though all do not make benefit of thoſe helps which are offered. It is true, that God ſayes of his Church, Hortus concluſus ſoror mea, My ſiſter, Cant. 4.12.my Spouſe is a Garden encloſed, as a ſpring ſhut in, and a fountaine ſealęd up; But therein is our advantage, who, by being enwrapped in the Covenant, as the ſeed of the faithfull, as the children of Chriſtian Parents, are borne if not within this walled Garden, yet with a key in our hand to open the doore, that is, with a right and title, to the Sacrament of Baptiſme. The Church is a Garden walled in, for their better defence and ſecurity that are in it; but not walled in to keepe any out, who, either by being borne within the Covenant, inherit a right to it, or by accepting the grace which is offered them, acquire, and profeſſe a deſire to enter thereinto. For, as it is a Garden, full of Spikenard, and of Incenſe, and of all ſpices, (as the Text ſayes there) ſo that they who are in this Garden, in the Church, are in poſſeſſion of all theſe bleſſed meanes of ſpirituall health; So are theſe ſpices, and Incenſe, and Spikenard, of a diffuſive and ſpreading nature, and breath even over the wals of the Garden: Oleum effuſum nomen ejus; The name of Chriſt is unction, Oyntment;Cant. 1.3. 4.16. but it is an Oyntment powred out, an Oyntment that communicates the fragrancy thereof, to perſons at a good diſtance; And, as it is ſaid there, Chriſt cals up the North and the South to blow upon his Garden, he raiſes up men to tranſport and propagate theſe meanes of ſalvation to all Nations, ſo that, in every Nation, they that feare him are acceptable to him; not that that feare of God in generall, as one univerſall power, is ſufficient in it ſelfe, to bring any man to God immediately, but that God directs the Spikenard, and Incenſe of this Garden upon that man, and ſeconds his former feare of God, with a love of God, and brings him to a knowledg, and to a deſire, and to a poſſeſſion, and fruition of our more aſſured meanes of ſalvation. When he does ſo, this is his method, as in reſtoring bodily health, he ſaid, Surge, Tolle, Ambula, Ariſe, Take up thy bed, and Walke: So to every ſick ſoule, whoſe cure he undertakes, he ſayes ſo too, Surge, Tolle, Ambula. Our beds are our naturall affections; Theſe he does not bid us caſt away, nor burne, nor deſtroy; ſince Chriſt vouchſafed Induere hominem, wee muſt not Exuere hominem; Since Chriſt inveſted the nature of man, and became man, we muſt not pretend to deveſt it, and become Angels, or flatter our ſelves in the merit of Mortifications, not enjoyned, or of a retiredneſſe, and departing out of the world, in the world, by the withdrawing of our ſelves from the offices of mutuall ſociety, or an extinguiſhing of naturall affections. But, Surge, ſayes our Saviour, Ariſe from this bed, ſleepe not lazily in an over-indulgency to theſe affections; but, Ambula, walke ſincerely in thy Calling, and thou ſhalt heare thy Saviour ſay, Non eſt infirmitas haec ad mortem, Theſe affections, nay, theſe concupiſcencies ſhall not deſtroy thee.
David then doth not pray for ſuch an exact and exquiſite ſtate of health, as that he ſhould have no infirmity; Phyſitians for our bodies tell us, that there is no ſuch ſtate; The beſt degree of health is but Neutralitas; He is well (that is, as well as Man can be) that is not dangerouſly ſick; for, abſolutely well no man can be. Spirituall Phyſitians will tell you ſo too; He that ſayes you have no ſinne, or that God ſees not your ſinne, if you be of the Elect, deceives you. It is not for an Innocency that David prayes; but it is againſt deadly diſeaſes, and againſt violent accidents of thoſe diſeaſes. He doth not beg, he cannot hope for an abſolute peace: Nature hath put awarre upon us; True happineſſe, and apparant happineſſe fight againſt one another: ſin hath put a war upon us; The fleſh and the Spirit fight againſt one another: Chriſt Jeſus himſelfe came to put a war upon us; The zeale of his glory, and the courſe of this world, fight againſt one another. It is not againſt all warre; nay, it is not againſt all victory that David prayes; He cannot hope that he ſhould be overcome by no Tentations; but againſt ſuch a war, and ſuch a victory, as ſhould bring him to ſervility, and bondage to ſinne, That ſin entring by Conqueſt upon him, ſhould governe as a tyran over him, againſt ſuch a ſickneſſe as ſhould induce a conſumption, it is that he directs this prayer, Sana me Domine, Not, Lord make me impeccable, but Lord make me penitent, and then heale me. And he comes not to take phyſick upon wantonneſſe; but becauſe the diſeaſe is violent, becauſe the accidents are vehement; ſo vehement, ſo violent, as that it hath pierced Ad oſſa, and Ad animam, My bones are vexed, and my ſoule is ſore troubled, Therefore heale me; which is the Reaſon upon which he grounds this ſecond petition, Heale me, becauſe. my bones are vexed &c.
We muſt neceſſarily inſiſt a little upon theſe termes,Oſſa. The Bones, The Soule, The Trouble, or Vexation. Firſt, Oſſa, Bones, We know in the naturall and ordinary acceptation, what they are; They are theſe Beames, and Timbers, and Rafters of theſe Tabernacles, theſe Temples of the Holy Ghoſt, theſe bodies of ours. But Immanebimus nativae ſignificationi? ſayes S. Baſil, Shall we dwell upon the native and naturall ſignification of theſe Bones? Et intelligentia paſsim obvia contenti erimus? Shall we who have our converſation in heaven, finde no more in theſe Bones, then an earthly, a worldly, a naturall man would doe? By S. Baſils example, we may boldly proceed farther: Membra etiam animae ſunt, Eſay 42.ſayes he: The ſoule hath her limbs as well as the body. Surdi audite, caeci aſpicite, ſayes God in Eſay; If their ſoules had not eares and eyes, the blinde could not ſee, the deafe could not heare, and yet God cals upon the deafe and blinde, to heare and ſee. As S. Paul ſayes to the Epheſians, The eyes of your underſtanding being enlightned; ſo David ſayes,Pſal. 3.7. Dentes peccatorum contriviſti, Thou haſt broken the teeth; That is, the pride and the power, the venom and malignity of the wicked: Membra etiam animae ſunt, The ſoule hath her Bones too; and here Davids Bones were the ſtrongeſt powers and faculties of his ſoule, and the beſt actions and operations of thoſe faculties, and yet they were ſhaken. For this hereditary ſickneſſe, Originall ſinne, prevayles ſo far upon us, that upon our good dayes we have ſome grudgings of that Fever; Even in our beſt actions, we have ſome of the leaven of that ſinne. So that if we goe about to comfort our ſelves, with ſome diſpoſitions to Gods glory, which we finde in our ſelves, with ſome ſparks of love to his precepts, and his commandements, with ſome good ſtrength of faith, with ſome meaſure of good works, yea, with having ſomething for the Name, and glory of Chriſt Jeſus: yet if we conſider what humane and corrupt affections have been mingled in all theſe, Conturbabuntur oſſa, our Bones will be troubled, even thoſe that appeared to be ſtrong works, and likely to hold out, will need a reparation, an exclamation, Sana me Domine, O Lord heale theſe too, or els theſe are as weake as the worſt: Oſſa non dolent; The Bones themſelves have no ſenſe, they feele no paine. We need not ſay, That thoſe good works themſelves, which we doe, have in their nature, the nature of ſinne; That every good worke conſidered alone, and in the ſubſtance of the act it ſelfe is ſinne; But membranae dolent; Thoſe little membrans, thoſe filmes, thoſe thin skins, that cover, and that line ſome bones, are very ſenſible of paine, and of any vexation. Though in the nature of the worke it ſelfe, the worke be not ſinne, yet in thoſe circumſtances that inveſt, and involve the worke, in thoſe things which we mingle with the worke, whether deſire of glory towards men, or opinion of merit towards God; Whenſoever thoſe bones, thoſe beſt actions come to the examination of a tender and a diligent Conſcience, Si oſſa non dolent, membranae dolent, If the worke be not ſinfull, the circumſtances are, and howſoever they may be conceived to be ſtrong, as they are Oſſa, Bones, works, in a morall conſideration, good, yet, as they are Oſſa mea, ſayes David, as they are My bones, ſuch good works as taſte of my ill corruptions, ſo long they are vexed, and troubled, and cannot ſtand upright, nor appeare with any confidence in the ſight of God.
Thus far then firſt David needed this ſanation, this health that he prayes for,Anima. that his beſt actions were corrupt; But the corruption went farther, to the very roote and fountaine of thoſe actions, Ad ipſam animam, His very ſoule was ſore vexed. It is true, that as this word Anima, the ſoule, is ſometimes taken in the Scriptures, this may ſeeme to goe no farther then the former, no more that his ſoule was vexed, then that his bones were ſo: for, Anima, in many places, is but Animalis Homo, The ſoule ſignifies but the naturall man: And ſo opponitur ſpiritui, The ſoule is not onelyonly ſaid to be a diverſe thing, but a contrary thing to the Spirit. When the Apoſtle ſayes to the Theſſalonians,1 Theſ. ult. 23. Now the very God of peace ſanctifie you throughout, that your whole ſpirit, and ſoule, and body, may be kept blameleſſe unto the comming of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. And where the ſame Apoſtle ſayes to the Hebrews, The word of God divideth aſunder the ſoule and the ſpirit; Heb. 4.12.here is a difference put between corrupt nature, and the working of the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghoſt in man: for here, the ſoule is taken for Animalis home, The naturall man, and the Spirit is taken for the Spirit of God. But beſides this, theſe two words, Soule and Spirit, are ſometimes uſed by the Fathers, in a ſenſe diverſe from one another, and as different things, and yet ſtill as parts of one and the ſame man; Man is ſaid by them, not onelyonly to have a body, and a ſoule, but to have a ſoule, and a ſpirit; not as Spirit is the Spirit of God, and ſo an extrinſecall thing, but as Spirit is a conſtitutive part of the naturall man. So, in particular, amongſt many, Gregory Nyſſen takes the Body to be ſpoken De nutribili, The fleſh and bloud of man, And the ſoule De ſenſibili, The operation of the ſenſes, And the Spirit De Intellectuali, The Intellectuall, the reaſonable faculties of man; That in the body, Man is conformed to Plants that have no ſenſe, In the ſoule, to Beaſts, that have no reaſon, In the ſpirit, to Angels. But ſo, The Spirit is but the ſame thing with that, which now we doe ordinarily account the ſoule to be; for we make account, that the Image of God is imprinted in the ſoule, and that gives him his conformity to Angels: But divers others of the Ancients have taken Soule and Spirit, for different things, even in the Intellectuall part of man, ſomewhat obſcurely, I confeſſe, and, as ſome venture to ſay, unneceſſarily, if not dangerouſly. It troubled S. Hierome ſometimes,Ad Hedibiam. l. 12. Epiſt. 150 how to underſtand the word Spirit in man: but he takes the eaſieſt way, he diſpatches himſelfe of it, as faſt as he could, that is, to ſpeake of it onelyonly as it was uſed in the Scriptures: Famoſa quaeſtio, ſayes he, ſed brevi ſermone tractanda; It is a queſtion often diſputed, but may be ſhortly determined, Idem ſpiritus hic, ac in iis verbis, Nolite extinguere ſpiritum; When we heare of the Spirit in a Man, in Scriptures, we muſt underſtand it of the gifts of the Spirit; for ſo, fully to the ſame purpoſe, ſayes S. Chryſoſtome, Spiritus eſt chariſma ſpiritus, The Spirit is the working of the Spirit, The gifts of the Spirit: and ſo when we heare, The Spirit was vexed, The Spirit was quenched, ſtill it is to be underſtood, The gifts of the Spirit. And ſo, as they reſtraine the ſignification of Spirit, to thoſe gifts onelyonly, (though the word do indeed, in many places, require a larger extenſion) ſo do many reſtraine this word in our text, The Soule, onelyonly Ad ſenſum, to the ſenſitive faculties of the ſoule, that is, onelyonly to the paine and anguiſh that his body ſuffered; But ſo far, at leaſt, David had gone, in that which he ſaid before, My bones are vexed.
Now, Ingraveſcit morbus, The diſeaſe feſters beyond the bone, even into the marrow it ſelfe. His Bones were thoſe beſt actions that he had produced, and he ſaw in that Contemplation, that for all that he had done, he was ſtill, at beſt, but an unprofitable ſervant, if not a rebellious enemy; But then, when he conſiders his whole ſoule, and all that ever it can do, he ſees all the reſt will be no better; The poyſon, he ſees, is in the fountaine, the Canker in the roote, the rancor, the venom in the ſoule it ſelfe. Corpus inſtrumentum, anima ars ipſa, ſayes S. Baſil: The body, and the ſenſes are but the tooles, and inſtruments, that the ſoule works with. But the ſoule is the art, the ſcience that directs thoſe Inſtruments; The faculties of the ſoule are the boughs that produce the fruits; and the operations, and particular acts of thoſe faculties are the fruits, but the ſoule is the roote of all. And David ſees, that this art, this ſcience, this ſoule can direct him, or eſtabliſh him in no good way; That not onelyonly the fruits, his particular acts, nor onelyonly the boughs, and armes, his ſeverall faculties, but the roote it ſelfe, the ſoule it ſelfe, was infected. His bones are ſhaken, he dares not ſtand upon the good he hath done, his ſoule is ſo too, he cannot hope for any good he ſhall do: He hath no merit for the paſt, he hath no free-will for the future; that is his caſe.
This troubles his bones, Turbata.this troubles his ſoule, this vexes them both; for, the word is all one, in both places, as our laſt Tranſlators have obſerved, and rendred it aright; not vexed in one place, and troubled in the other, as our former Tranſlators had it; But in both places it is Bahal, and Bahal imports a vehemence, both in the intenſneſſe of it, and in the ſuddenneſſe, and inevitableneſſe of it: And therefore it ſignifies often, Praecipitantiam, A headlong downfall and irrecoverableneſſe; And often, Evaneſcentiam, an utter vaniſhing away, and annihilation. David, (whom we alwayes conſider in the Pſalmes, not onelyonly to ſpeake literally of thoſe miſeries which were actually upon himſelfe, but prophetically too, of ſuch meaſures, and exaltations of thoſe miſeries, as would certainly fall upon them, as did not ſeeke their ſanation, their recovery from the God of all health) looking into all his actions, (they are the fruits) and into all his faculties, (they are the boughs) and into the root of all, the ſoule it ſelfe, conſidering what he had done, what he could do, he ſees that as yet he had done no good, he ſees he ſhould never be able to doe any; His bones are troubled, He hath no comfort in that which is growne up, and paſt, And his ſoule is ſore troubled, (for to the trouble of the ſoule, there is added in the Text, that particle, Valde, It is a ſore trouble that falls upon the ſoule, A troubled ſpirit who can beare?) becauſe he hath no hope in the future; He was no ſurer for that which was to come, then for that which was paſt; But he, (that is, all, conſidered in that caſe which he propoſes) he comes (as the word ſignifies) ad praecipitantiam, That all his ſtrength can ſcarce keepe him from precipitation into deſpaire, And he comes (as the word ſignifies too) ad Evaneſcentiam, to an evaporating, and a vaniſhing of his ſoule, that is, even to a renouncing, and a deteſtation of his immortality, and to a willingneſſe, to a deſire, that he might die the death of other Creatures, which periſh altogether, and goe out as a Candle. This is the trouble, the ſore trouble of his ſoule, who is brought to an apprehenſion of Gods indignation for not performing Conditions required at his hands, and of his inability to performe them, and is not come to the contemplation of his mercy, in ſupply thereof.
There is Turbatio Timoris, Mat. 2.3. Pſal. 107.27.A trouble out of feare of danger in this world, Herods trouble; When the Magi brought word of another King, Herod was troubled, and all Ieruſalem with him. There is Turbatio confuſionis, The Mariners trouble in a tempeſt; Their ſoule melteth for trouble, Luk. 10.41. Luk. 1.29.ſayes David. There is Turbatio occupationis; Martha's trouble; Martha thou art troubled about many things, ſayes Chriſt. There is Turbatio admirationis, The bleſſed Virgins trouble, When ſhe ſaw the Angel, ſhe was troubled at his ſaying. To contract this,John 11.33. There is Turbatio compaſsionis, Chriſts own trouble, When he ſaw Mary weepe for her brother Lazarus, he groaned in the ſpirit, and was troubled in himſelfe. But in all theſe troubles, Herods feare, The Mariners irreſolution, Martha's multiplicity of buſineſſe, The bleſſed Virgins ſudden amazement, Our Saviours compaſſionate ſorrow, as they are in us, worldly troubles, ſo the world adminiſters ſome means to extemiate, and alleviate theſe troubles; for, feares are overcome, and ſtormes are appeaſed, and buſineſſes are ended, and wonders are underſtood, and ſorrows weare out; But in this trouble of the bones, and the ſoule, in ſo deepe and ſenſible impreſſions of the anger of God, looking at once upon the pravity, the obliquity, the malignity of all that I have done, of all that I ſhall doe, Man hath but one ſtep between that ſtate, and deſpaire, to ſtop upon, to turne to the Author of all temporall, and all ſpirituall health, the Lord of life, with Davids prayer,Pſal. 51.10. Cor mundum crea, Create a cleane heart within me; Begin with me againe, as thou begunſt with Adam, in innocency; and ſee, if I ſhall husband and governe that innocency better then Adam did; for, for this heart which I have from him, I have it in corruption; and,Job 4. who can bring a cleane thing out of uncleanneſſe? Therefore Davids prayer goes farther in the ſame place, Renew a conſtant ſpirit in me; Preſent cleanneſſe cannot be had from my ſelfe; but if I have that from God, mine owne cloathes will make me foule againe, and therefore doe not onelyonly create a cleane ſpirit, but renew a ſpirit of conſtancy and perſeverance. Therefore I have alſo another Prayer in the ſame Pſalme,Pſal. 51.12. Spiritu principali confirma me, Suſtaine me, uphold me with thy free ſpirit, thy large, thy munificent ſpirit: for thy ordinary graces will not defray me, nor carry me through this valley of tentations; not thy ſingle money, but thy Talents; not as thou art thine owne Almoner, but thine owne Treaſurer; It is not the dew, but thy former and later raine that muſt water, though it be thy hand that hath planted; Not any of the Rivers, though of Paradiſe, but the Ocean it ſelfe, that muſt bring me to thy Jeruſalem. Create a clean heart; Thou didſt ſo in Adam, and in him I defiled it. Renew that heart; Thou didſt ſo in Baptiſme; And thy upholding me with thy conſtant ſpirit, is thy affording me means, which are conſtant, in thy Church; But thy confirming me with thy principall ſpirit, is thy making of thoſe meanes, inſtituted in thy Church, effectuall upon me, by the ſpirit of Application, the ſpirit of Appropriation, by which the merits of the Son, depoſited in the Church, are delivered over unto me.
This then is the force of Davids reaſon in this Petition, Oſſa implentur vitiis, Iob 20.11.as one of Iobs friends ſpeaks, My bones are full of the ſins of my youth, That is, my beſt actions, now in mine age, have ſome taſte, ſome tincture from the habit, or ſome ſinfull memory of the acts of ſin in my youth; Adhaeret os meum carni, as David alſo ſpeaks,Pſal. 102.5. Lam. 4.8. My bones cleave to my fleſh, my beſt actions taſte of my worſt; And My skin cleaves to my bones, as Ieremy laments, That is, My beſt actions call for a skin, for ſomething to cover them: And Therefore, not Therefore becauſe I have brought my ſelfe into this ſtate, but becauſe by thy grace I have power to bring this my ſtate into thy ſight, by this humble confeſſion, Sana me Domine, O Lord heale me; Thou that art my Meſſias, be my Moſes, Exod. 13.19.and carry theſe bones of thy Ioſeph out of Egypt; Deliver me, in this conſideration of mine actions, from the terror of a ſelf-accuſing, and a jealous, and ſuſpicious conſcience:1 King. 13.31. Bury my bones beſide the bones of the man of God; Beſide the bones of the Son of God: Look upon my bones as they are coffind, and ſhrowded in that ſheet, the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt Jeſus. Accedant oſſa ad oſſa, as in Ezekiels viſion, Let our bones come together,Ezek. 37.7. bone to bone, mine to his, and looke upon them uno intuitu, all together, and there ſhall come ſinews, and fleſh, and skin upon them, and breathe upon them, and in Him, in Chriſt Jeſus, I ſhall live; My bones being laid by his, though but griſtles in themſelves, my actions being conſidered in his, though imperfect in themſelves, ſhall bear me up in the ſight of God. And this may be the purpoſe of this prayer, this ſanation, grounded upon this reaſon, O Lord heale me, for my bones are vexed, &c. But yet David muſt, and doth ſtop upon this ſtep, he ſtayes Gods leiſure, and is put to his Vſquequo? But thou, O Lord, how long?
David had cryed Miſerere, he had begged of God to look towards him,Vſquequo. and conſider him; He had revealed to him his weak and troubleſome eſtate, and he had entreated reliefe; but yet God gave not that reliefe preſently, nor ſeemed to have heard his prayer, nor to have accepted his reaſons. David comes to ſome degrees of expoſtulation with God; but he dares not proceed far; it is but uſquequo Domine? which if we conſider it in the Originall, and ſo alſo in our laſt Tranſlation, requires a ſerious conſideration. For it is not there as it is in the firſt Tranſlation, How long wilt thou delay? David charges God with no delay: But it is onelyonly, Et tu Domine, uſquequo? But thou O Lord, how long? And there he ends in a holy abruptneſſe, as though he had taken himſelfe in a fault, to enterpriſe any expoſtulation with God. He doth not ſay, How long ere thou heare me? If thou heare me, how long ere thou regard me? If thou regard me, how long ere thou heale me? How long ſhall my bones, how long ſhall my ſoule be troubled? He ſayes not ſo; but leaving all to his leiſure, he corrects his paſſion, he breaks off his expoſtulation. As long as I have that commiſſion from God, Dic animae tuae, Salus tua ſum, Pſal. 35.3.Say unto thy ſoule, I am thy ſalvation, my ſoule ſhall keep ſilence unto God, of whom commeth my ſalvation: Silence from murmuring, how long ſoever he be in recovering me; not ſilence from prayer, that he would come; for that is our laſt Conſideration; David propoſed his Deſire, Miſerere, and Sana, Looke towards me, and Heale me, that was our firſt; And then his Reaſons, Oſſa, Anima, My bones, my ſoule is troubled, that was our ſecond; And then he grew ſenſible of Gods abſence, for all that, which was our third Propoſition; for yet, for all this, he continues patient, and ſolieites the ſame God in the ſame name, The Lord, But thou O Lord, how long?
Need we then any other example of ſuch a patience then God himſelfe,Domine. who ſtayes ſo long in expectation of our converſion? But we have Davids example too, who having firſt made his Deprecation,Ver. 1. That God would not reprove him in anger, having prayed God to forbeare him, he is alſo well content to forbeare God, for thoſe other things which he asks, till it be his pleaſure to give them. But yet he neither gives over praying, nor doth he encline to pray to any body elſe, but ſtill Domine miſerere, Have mercy upon me O Lord, and Domine fana, O Lord heale mee: Induſtry in a lawfull calling, favour of great perſons, a thankfull acknowledgement of the miniſtery and protection of Angels, and of the prayers of the Saints in heaven for us, all theſe concur to our aſſiſtance; But the root of all, all temporall, all ſpirituall bleſſings, is he, to whom David leads us here, Dominus, The Lord; Lord, as he is Proprietary of all creatures; He made All, and therefore is Lord of All; as he is Iehovah, which is the name of Eſſence, of Being, as all things have all their being from him, their very being, and their well-being, their Creation, and their Conſervation; And in that Name of Recognition and acknowledgement, that all that can be had, is to be asked of him, and him onelyonly, Him, as he is Iehovah, The Lord, does David ſolicite him here;Acts 4.12. for, as there is no other Name under heaven, given amongst men, whereby we muſt be ſaved, but the Name of Ieſus Chriſt; So is there no other Name above in heaven propoſed to men, whereby they ſhould receive theſe bleſſings, but the Name of Iehovah; for Iehovah is the name of the whole Trinity, and there are no more, no Queen-mother in heaven, no Counſaylors in heaven in Commiſſion with the Trinity.
In this Name therefore David purſues his Prayer: for, from a River, from a Ciſterne, a man may take more water at once, then he can from the firſt ſpring and fountaine head; But he cannot take the water ſo ſincerely, ſo purely, ſo intemerately from the channell as from the fountaine head. Princes and great perſons may rayſe their Dependants faſter then God does his; But ſudden riches come like a land-water, and bring much foulneſſe with them.Eſay 5.7. We are Gods vineyard; The vineyard of the Lord of Hoſts, is the houſe of Iſrael, and the men of Iudah are his pleaſant plant, ſayes the Prophet. And God delights to ſee his plants proſper, and grow up ſeaſonably. More then once Chriſt makes that profeſſion, That he goes downe into the Garden of Nuts, Cant. 6.10. Cant. 7.12.to ſee the fruits of the valley, And to ſee whether the Vine flouriſhed, and whether the Pomegranet budded; And he goes up early into the vineyard, to ſee whether the tender grape appeared. He had a pleaſure in the growth and ſucceſſive encreaſe of his plants, and did not looke they ſhould come haſtily to their height and maturity. If worldly bleſſings, by a good induſtry, grow up in us, it is naturall; But if they fall upon us,Pſal 11.6. Exod. 9.23. Rev. 16.21. Pluit laqueos, God rains downe ſpringes and ſnares, occaſions of ſinne in thoſe abundances, and Pluit grandinem, He will raine downe Hailſtones; Hailſtones as big as Talents, as in the Revelation; as big as Milſtones; He will make our riches occaſions of rayſing enemies, and make thoſe enemies Grindſtones to grinde our fortunes to powder. Make not too much haſte to be rich: Even in ſpirituall riches, in ſpirituall health make not too much haſte. Pray for it; for there is no other way to get it. Pray to the Lord for it: For, Saints and Angels have but enough for themſelves. Make haſte to begin to have theſe ſpirituall graces; To deſire them, is to begin to have them: But make not too much haſte in the way; Doe not thinke thy ſelfe purer then thou art, becauſe thou ſeeſt another doe ſome ſuch ſins, as thou haſt forborne.
Beloved, at laſt, when Chriſt Jeſus comes with his ſcales, thou ſhalt not be waighed with that man, but every man ſhall be waighed with God: Be pure as your Father in heaven is pure, is the waight that muſt try us all; and then, the pureſt of us all, that truſts to his owne purity, muſt heare that fearfull Mene Tekel Vpharſin, Thou art waighed, Thou art found too light, Thou art divided, ſeparated from the face of God, becauſe thou haſt not taken the purity of that Son upon thee, who not onelyonly in himſelfe, but thoſe alſo who are in him, in him are pure, as his, and their Father in heaven is pure. Neither make ſo much haſte to this ſpirituall riches, and health, as to think thy ſelf whole before thou art: Neither murmure, nor deſpaire of thy recovery, if thou beeſt not whole ſo ſoone as thou deſiredſt. If thou wraſtle with tentations, and canſt not overcome them, If thou purpoſe to pray earneſtly, and finde thy minde preſently ſtrayed from that purpoſe, If thou intend a good courſe, and meet with ſtops in the way, If thou ſeeke peace of conſcience, and ſcruples out of zeale interrupt that, yet diſcomfort not thy ſelfe. God … in the Creation, before he came to make thee; yet all that while he wrought for thee. Thy Regeneration, to make thee a new creature, is a greater worke then that, and it cannot be done in an inſtant. God hath purpoſed a building in thee; he hath ſat down, and conſidered,Luke 14.28. that he hath ſufficient to accompliſh that building, as it is in the Goſpel, and therefore leave him to his leiſure.
When thou haſt begun with David, with a Domine ne arguas, O Lord rebuke me not, and followed that, with a Domine miſerere, O Lord looke graciouſly towards me, and purſued that, with a Domine ſana me, O Lord heale me, If thou finde a Domine uſqucquo? Any degree of wearineſſe of attending the Lords leiſure, ariſing in thee, ſuppreſſe it, overcome it, with more and more petitions, and that which God did by way of Commandement, in the firſt Creation, doe thou by way of prayer, in this thy ſecond Creation; Firſt he ſaid, Piat lux, Let there be light: Pray thou, that he would enlighten thy darkneſſe. God was ſatisfied with that light for three daies, and then he ſaid, Fiant luminaria, Let there be great lights; Bleſſe God for his preſent light, but yet pray that hee will inlarge that light which he hath given thee; And turne all thoſe his Commandments into prayers, till thou come to his Faciamus hominem, Let us make man according to our own Image; Pray that he will reſtore his Image in thee, and conforme thee to him, who is the Image of the inviſible God, our Lord and Saviour Chriſt Jeſus.Coloſſ. 1.15. He did his greateſt work upon thee, before time was, thine Election; And he hath reſerved the confummation of that work, till time ſhall be no more, thy Glorification: And as forthy Vocation he hath taken his own time, (He did not call thee into the world in the time of the Primitive Church, nor, perchance, call thee effectually, though in the Church, in the dayes of thy youth) So ſtay his time for thy Sanctification, and, if the day-ſpring from on high have viſited thee, but this morning, If thou beeſt come to a fiat lux but now, that now God have kindled ſome light in thee, hee may come this day ſeaven-night to a ſiant luminaria, to multiply this light by a more powerfull meanes. If not ſo ſoone, yet ſtill remember, that it was God that made the Sun ſtand ſtill to Ioſhaah, as well as to run his race as a Giant to David; And God was as much glorified in the ſtanding ſtill of the Sun, as in the motion thereof; And ſhall be ſo in thy Sanctification, though it ſeeme to ſtand at a ſtay for a time, when his time ſhall be to perfect it, in a meaſure acceptable to thee. Nothing is acceptable to him, but that which is ſeaſonable; nor ſeaſonable, except it come in the time proper to it: And, as S. Auguſtine ſayes, Natura rei eſt, quam indidit Deus, That is the nature of every thing, which God hath imprinted in it, So that is the time for every thing, which God hath appointed for it. Pray, and Stay, are two bleſſed Monoſy lables; To aſcend to God, To attend Gods deſcent to us, is the Motion, and the Reſt of a Chriſtian; And as all Motion is for Reſt, ſo let all the Motions of our ſoule in our prayers to God be, that our wills may reſt in his, and that all that pleaſes him, may pleaſe us, therefore becauſe it pleaſes him; for therefore, becauſe it pleaſes him, it becomes good for us, and then, when it pleaſes him, it becomes ſeaſonable unto us, and expedient for us.