Exposition of Psalm 25, Commentary 2 · Verse 10
Verſe 10. Create in me a cleane heart, O God: and renew a right ſpirit within me.
DAuid hath prayed already for the remiſſion of his ſinnes, and hath doubled ouer that petition eight times; now he craueth new benefits, of ſanctification, of the holy Spirit, of ioy, &c.
In all his petitions he prayeth for ſpirituall things; he ſeeketh firſt the kingdome of God. He prayeth not for the health of his bodie,Thoſe are ſenſleſſe of troble, who ſeeke to be freed of the pain, thogh not reconciled to God. but for the health of his ſoule; he craueth not to be rich temporally, but ſpiritually in God. Thoſe are ſenſuall, who being fallen in trouble, craue no other thing then to be deliuered from their preſent paine, neuer ſeeking to be reconciled to God.
Next, he ſeeketh great things; for he is a great God, who according to his greatnes can beſtow ample gifts,God as hee is a great God, beſtoweth great gifts. as the Ocean plentie of water. It ſtood not with Alexanders honour to propine Diogenes with a ſmall gift. We bring ſmall veſſels to God, a weake faith, although we hauehave great need; we thinke that hee is not able to giuegive great things. Our Sauiour Chriſt could worke no miracles amongh them,Mat. 13.58 2. Kin. 7.17 becauſe of their infidelity. The Gentleman on whom the King …eaned, died and was troden vnderunder foot, becauſe he beleeued not the Prophet.
Thirdly, he ſuiteth importunately; and beggers euer ſpeed beſt at Gods hand. The Prophet Elizeus reproued King Ioas that he ſhot onelyonly three arrowes forth of the window; for if he had ſhot ſix or 7 times,2. Kin. 13.19. he might hauehave vtterly ſubdued the Aramites. Let vsus then pray inſtantly and importunately vntounto the Lord, and we may be aſſu…ed he will heare vsus.
Sanctification followeth remiſſion.He prayed before for remiſſion of ſius, and now he prayeth for the Spirit of ſanctification, an inſeparable companion with the other. For you can neuer be aſſured that you hauehave receiued pardon for your ſinne paſt, vnleſſe Gods Spirit hath giuen you a care …o liue holily in time to come. Shall you be waſhen euen now, and after puddle your ſelfe in the mire? Not poſſible that euer Chriſt will beſtow his blood to waſh any, whom he denieth to ſanctifie by his holy Spirit.
Create in me a cleane heart, O God. The worker, God; the workmanſhip, in me; the worke it ſelfe, create; the ſubiect, a heart; the qualitie, a cleane heart.
O God. As in the firſt creation a man is a meere patient, and hath no part of it, but God by the parents worketh it:God muſt worke our ſecond creation. ſo God worketh the ſecond creation by his Miniſters. There is no freewill or prepation to grace, or foreknowing godlineſſe, as theſe hereticall Ieſuits do affirme. Work the work thy ſelfe, and take the praiſe to thy ſelfe, O Lord.
Create. A man muſt be twice borne before he can enter into heauen. As he is mad… to the ſimilitude of the firſt Adam, Man muſt be twice borne:and his ſecond creation is more excellent then the firſt.ſo muſ… he be made to the ſimilitude of the ſecon… Adam; and the re-creation or regeneration is more excellent then the former. Fo… in the firſt, man was wrought out of clay… but in the other, God worketh grace out o… ſin. What harder to worke vponupon then th… duſt? Next, he breathed in the dead bodi… a ſoule; but here he breatheth in the hol… Spirit in mans heart. Thirdly, in the creation he made man perfect in all his members; ſo in the regeneration, all the members of the body and powers of the ſoul… muſt be renewed; and if thou be deficien… in the one, thou diſgraceſt all the workmanſhip.Nota. If thou haft in thy new birth th… eyes of knowledge, and lackeſt the bowels of merciemercy, and art maimed of the hands of bountifulneſſe; or if thou be dumbe and cannot praiſe God, or deafe and cannot heare his word, thou art not a perfect man. A greater worke in the ſecond birth then in the firſt.Nota. A greater worke to raiſe vp a dead man in ſin, then to raiſe Lazarus out of his graue. Bleſſed are they who are partakers of the firſt reſurrection, for the ſecond death ſhall hauehave no power of them. Reformation ſhould begin at the heart. Satan is an vncleane ſpirit. As a flie is bred in filthineſſe, and leaueth euer filth behind it; ſo doth the diuell defile eueryevery place whereinto he commeth.
Our hearts are as open Tauernes ready to receiue all paſſengers. Now hauing tried ſinne and Satan to be ſo noiſome to vsus, we ſhould remoue them, ſhut the doore of our hearts, harbour them no longer; yea if any vncleane thought ariſe, let vsus not entertaine it, nor conſent thereto, leſt it bring worſe with it.
The ſubiect vponupon which he muſt work, …s the heart, the moſt noble part, the moſt ſecret part, which none can know but God; the ſeate of all the affections, by which man is ruled and led.
Reformation muſt begin at the heart.A reformation which beginneth at the members and externall actions, is neither true nor conſtant. As if a man intending to dreſſe his garden, and purge it from thiſtles and ſuch like weeds, would cut off the vpper part, and leaue the roote, which would ſpring vp again: ſo if thou wouldſt chaſtiſe thy bodie, and let thine heart remaine luxurious, it is nothing. The heart is the fountaine, wherefrom ſpringeth all euill, the roo… wherefrom all ſinne groweth.
He ſpeaketh not of the ſubſtance but o… the affections and qualities of the heart. N… honeſt man will lodge in a filthy houſe, o… drinke or eate except the veſſell be mad… cleane;Simil. and God cannot abide in a foul… ſwiniſh heart.Pro. 4.23. Keepe thine heart diligently ſaith the Spirit. Since God then wil be thin… hearts gueſt,Gen. 15.7. thou muſt guard it diligently that others enter not in, neither leud cogitations: but as Abraham chaſed away th… foules from the ſacrifice, ſo we muſt chaſ… away corrupt and euill cogitations fro… our ſoule, as vagabonds ſhould be expelle… from the Kings pallace.
The heart in Latin is called cor, …ta.note by three letters, to ſignifie (as ſome thinke that it is the ſeate of the Trinitie; and therefore the pourtraiture of the naturall heart is of three corners, anſwerable to the ſame. As a veſſell of gold or ſiluer being through long vſe waſted and broken,Simil. is ſent to the Goldſmiths to be renewed; ſo our hearts worne by ſinne, muſt be ſent to God, that he may put them in the fire, and caſt them in a new mould, and make them vp againe. Alas, that wee are carefull to renew eueryevery thing, clothes, veſſels, and all, onelyonly careleſſe to renew our hearts.
Many are careleſſe of the beſt things.Renew a right ſpirit within me. He doubleth his ſuite concerning his ſoule, as his principall deſire. There are many who deſire earneſtly at God for earthly things, but few are ſerious in ſeeking that beſt thing, a new ſoule. Many are careful of the outward man, and careleſſe of the hid man of the heart, that inner man.
The ſpirit is right, when it is ſet vponupon the right obiect, which is God; but when it declineth to the world or to ſinne, then it is wrong and goeth aſtray.
Dauid crauing firſt that he might be purged frō his filthineſſe, craueth now ſtrength of God to his ſpirit, that he may not wander againe, but abide conſtant in the right way of Gods commandements. For we muſt not onelyonly pray for a renewing grace,As we pray for renewing grace, ſo pray for accompanying and following graces. but for an accompanying grace, and a following grace to keep vsus in the way of Gods obedience. The crooked and broken backed were not admitted to the Prieſthood; no more are crooked or peruerſe ſoules meete for Gods kingdome. Trie of what ſpirit ye are, whether of a right or a crooked; trie whether it be of God, or not. EueryEvery mans wayes are right in his owne eyes, but the Lord pondereth the hearts. God muſt caſt downe the old building, and build vp in thee a new building for himſelfe, that thou maiſt be one of the ſtones of that new Ieruſalem, which ſhall be inhabited by God.