Exposition of Psalm 25, Commentary 2 · Verse 13
Verſe 13. Then ſhall I teach thy wayes vntounto the wicked, and ſinners ſhall be connerted vntounto thee.
NOw followeth his promiſe; 1. that he will be a Preacher: 2. to whom, to the …icked: 3. what ſhall be the effect of his la…ours; ſinners ſhall be conuerted to God.
Then ſhall I teach the wicked. He mindeth …ot to hide his talent, but to put it forth to …is maſters aduantage. So this is a ſure mark of one who hath Gods merciemercy, that he will …ot keep it priuate, but publiſh it, and make … knowne to others. Which is a dutie ne…eſſarily craued in vsus,Doctrine. EueryEvery Chriſtian ſhould cōmunicat their gift for the profit of the Church. that we ſhould be digent to communicate our gift to the vtitie of the Church. Worldly men put out …eir mony for their owne aduantage; and …ould not ſpirituall men put forth the …ords gifts for his aduantage?
Dauid a Kiing, is not aſhamed to be a teacher of repentance and merciemercy, which he felt himſelfe. So, none in all the world ſhould be aſhamed of the holy miniſterie▪ Saint Paul ſaith,None ſhould be aſhamed of the holy miniſtery. 1. Cor. 9.16 No…. Vae mihi ſi non praedicauero▪ Wo be to me if I preach not the Goſpell. Thoſe who are aſhamed to preach & publiſh their ſins, let them be aſhamed to ſinne.
Thy wayes. But what is his text he teacheth, thy wayes, not mens traditions, which can in no wiſe either aſſure or pacifie the conſcience. Dauid was not ſo bold, to put in his wayes with Gods wayes.Gods ways are the wayes preſcribed in his word. God… wayes are the ways preſcribed in his word… which are perfect, iuſt and holy wayes. Bu… when men will bring in the altar of Dama… cus, oppoſing it to the true altar, they remember not that God brought leproſ… on the Kings face,2. Kin. 16.13 till he was expelled ou… of the Temple. This is a rule to Prince that they teach the people, and make the… to be taught onelyonly the wayes of God; an… bring not in mens traditions, and make mixture of them with the holy Scripture which here Dauid ſhunneth.
But whom teacheth he? The wicked, ſi… ners. thoſe who are in the very bonds an… hands of the Diuel, theſe be the proper m…er vponupon which Gods word worketh. Hypocrites ſet not by ſuch leſſons, but poore miſerable creatures, who ſee by the word that they are worthy of hell, then they are touched with a remorſe, and would be very glad to go to heauen. So the phyſicke is loſt, which is not beſtowed on ſuch as are ſenſible of their owne ſores.
And ſinners ſhall be conuerted vntounto thee. He perſwadeth himſelfe that his doctrine …hall be effectual, foraſmuch as it ſhal work …he conuerſion of ſinners.The word can doe more then any thing Eſa. 53.1. Rom. 1.16. O the wonderful …ower of Gods word, that it can do that which all the world could not do. It is the …rme of the Lord: To whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed? ſaith Iſaias. It is the power of God to ſaluation, ſaith Paul. No doctrine …an worke faith in man, but the worke whereto it perſwadeth him, not forceth …im.
Conuerſiō preſuppoſeth auerſiōConuerſion prefuppoſeth auerſion. The …ſe of the word is to conuert them that are …uerted or perueted; as the ſhepheard brin…eth home the wandring ſheepe. Which …eerly argueth the neceſſitie of the word …nd teachers thereof; ſo profitable, as with…ut which, ſinners cannot be conuerted to …od: for no other inſtrument can conuert them; and they cannot conuert themſelues. This teacheth Miniſters to be diligent in their calling; if they would ſhine as ſtarres in heauen,Dan. 12.3. they muſt labour to conuert ſinners.