Exposition of Psalm 25, Commentary 2 · Verse 2
Verſe 2. Waſh me throughly from mine iniquitie, and cleanſe me from my ſinne.
HE expreſſeth by ſimilitudes taken from waſhing and cleanſing, the merciemercy which he craued in the former verſe, that is,Similitudes are much vſed in the Scriptures. remiſſion of his ſinnes. Similitudes are very common in the Scriptures, and in the ancient Fathers. The Prophets ſpake by ſimilitudes, Chriſt ſpake by parables; the Epiſtles of the holy Apoſtles, and Sermons of the Fathers, are full of them. So earthly obiects ſhould ſerue vsus to this end, that in them we may ſee heauenly things: and there is no creature,There is no earthly thing which may not be applied to ſome ſpirituall vſe. which doth not repreſent to thee the Creator: and if we had ſpirituall eyes, we would apply eueryevery earthly thing to ſome ſpirituall vſe. The duſt teacheth vsus whereof we came, and what we are, euen duſt. The graſſe admoniſheth vsus to ſeeke a dwelling elſewhere; for here we are as graſſe, which ſoone fadeth. The wormes will vsus not to be proud, for we are meate prepared for them. The Sunne when it beginneth to ſhine, putteth vsus in minde to beg for the Sun of righteouſneſſe to ſhine in our ſoules. EueryEvery bird after his kinde praiſeth God, ſo ſhould we. When we behold bread, we ſhould remember that of our Sauiour, Labour not for the meate that periſheth. Ioh. 6.27.So God hath ſet all his creatures to be as ſo many maſters to teach vsus our dutie. The Lord ſanctifie our ſight, that we may looke attentiuely, and conſider God in his creatures, and that they may be as ſteps of a ladder to draw vsus vp to him.
Waſh me throughly from mine iniquities. There is nothing can make men appeare filthy before God, but onelyonly ſinne:Sin maketh man to appeare filthy before God as naturall Philoſophers through the light of nature hauehave bin forced to confeſſe. And therefore, ſaith Seneca, Seneca.Si ſcirem homines ignoraturos, & deos ignoſcituros, non peccarem tamen propter peccati vtilitatem: If I knew (ſaith he) that the gods would pardon me, and men would not ſee me, yet would I not ſin, becauſe of the filthineſſe of ſin. It blacketh the body with ſhamefull ignominie, burdeneth the ſoule with an euill conſcience,The eu…ls of ſinne. diſgraceth the gifts of the minde and defaceth them, blotteth them out, maketh them ſtinke, and ſeeme nothing. Vertue in a profane man, is as a gold ring on a ſwines ſnout. The vomit of a dog ſeemeth filthy to vsus, and a ſow wallowing in the puddle is loathſome, albeit not ſo in the ſight of God;A man polluted with ſin, of all creatures the moſt beaſtly. but more loathſome is a man defiled with blood, whoredome and drunkenneſſe, and ſuch like, of all beaſts he is the moſt beaſtly. Man was in honour, but became a beaſt; and when he is drunken, he is then inferiour to a beaſt, which wil drink no more then is neceſſary and hauing drank can diſcerne the right way home. Alas, men now make no end of drunkenneſſe, they adde drunkenneſſe to thirſt,The euils of drunkenneſſe. whereby they weaken their nature, exhauſt their money, impoueriſh their poſteritie, become infamous to the world, make ſhipwrack of their conſcience, and ſo deſtroy bodie, ſoule, conſcience, riches, name, and all. A woman though ſhe were a Princeſſe, and neuer ſo gallant a Ladie, if ſhe be knowne to be like Herodias, Pſal. 15.ſhe is to be contemned in all godly mens eyes, and to be eſteemed of as Mordecai eſteemed Haman.
Let vsus be aſhamed of ſinne in any, and bluſh at our owne filthineſſe, becauſe of it. But alas, we are fallen in ſuch a time, when ſinners are become ſhameleſſe, and women not of the meaner ſort,Nota. delight as much to be harlots, and defile their bodies with whoredome, then as honeſt women to be obedient to their husbands, and keep their bodies holy and cleane veſſels.
Sinne is filthy to thinke of it, filthy to ſpeake of, filthy to heare of, filthy to do;Sin altogether filthy. in a word, there is nothing in it but vileneſſe. What can we ſee in a botch but filth? in a wound but filth? and looke to ſin, nothing in it but ſinne, which is more filthy, then if the filth of all worldly diſeaſes were contracted in one heape. And therefore Dauid ſeeing his owne filthineſſe, craueth at God to be waſhed therefrom.
He deſireth to be waſhed. No element ſo fit to waſh away filth as water; which ſerueth for many vſes, but eſpecially for that. And as God hath appointed that element to take away our outward vncleanneſſe,The blood of Chriſt a fit element to waſh away ſin. ſo he hath appointed his Sonnes blood to be the onelyonly Iordan to waſh and take away the leproſie of our ſins. This is the fountain of Dauid for remiſſion of ſins. Vnleſſe a man be borne againe by the Spirit and water, Ioh. 3.5.he can not come to the kingdome of heauen, which is our regeneration. This was prefigured in the Leuiticall law, when there was frequent waſhing. The high Prieſt Aaron himſelfe and the reſt of the inferiour Prieſts preſumed not to offer ſacrifices till they were waſhed. The veſſels were in the Tabernacle, and the great Sea, for continuall purgations and waſhings, not onelyonly to prefigurate the fountaine of iuſtification, by which all thoſe who are conſecrated to God muſt be once waſhed, but alſo the Spirit of ſanctification, by which they muſt be ſanctified. And he that is once waſhed,Daily ſins hauehave need of daily purgations hath not need to be waſhed againe. Yet our feete and affections muſt be daily waſhed. We ſinne daily, and therefore hauehave need of daily purgation. We contract daily guiltineſſe, for which we are commanded to pray daily,Mat. 6.12. Forgiue vsus our ſinnes. This is ſignified by the holy Sacrament of Baptiſme, wherewith God hath commanded vsus to be waſhed, aſſuring vsus thereby of his fauour, if we beleeue the remiſſion of ſins, which the Apoſtle calleth lauacrum regenerationis, Tit. 3.5.the lauer of regeneration. Thoſe who ſeeke to be waſhed by any other meane then this, do as thoſe qui luto lutum purgant, as Eraſmus hath in his Adagies, waſh one filth by another.
Againſt the Papiſts merits. Simil.Thoſe fooliſh Papiſts who thinke by their foule merits to cleanſe their filthy ſins, do as thoſe who hauing their clothes berayed by dirt, take dirtie clothes to wipe the former dirt away, whereby they make them filthier then before. Yea, their hypocriſie and ſuperſtition, whereby they thinke to appeaſe Gods wrath, ſhall double their guiltineſſe before God and man.
The word in the originall includeth a multiplication of waſhing: whereby he acknowledgeth a multiplication in ſinning▪ and his earneſtneſſe, that eueryevery ſin may hauehave ſome particular aſſurance of grace. For this is the hungring and thirſting after ſpirituall graces, that the heart cannot be ſatisfied till it be filled with them; neither will be content of a bare cruſt and outward ſhew of pardon, vnleſſe the aſſurance thereof be doubled.
And cleanſe me from my ſinne. The ſecond ſimilitude is taken from cleanſing; which is reſpectiue to the Leproſie vnderunder the Law,Le…it. 13. for which God appointed purgations and cleanſings.
Why ſin i… compared to leproſieSinne is compared to a leproſie. Frſt, becauſe it is hereditarie, being in the blood; ſo we are conceiued in ſin; and the more dangerous, becauſe by no naturall meanes it can be helped, but by God alone. Sin is from the deſcent of our parents; we are conceiued therein. Who can bring that which is cleane, out of a thing vncleane?
Secondly, as leproſie is ignominious and diſgraceth man aboue all other diſeaſes, that men who are infected by the plague, are not ſo much ſhunned as thoſe that are leprous: ſo ſin diſgraceth man. The leproſie of Miriam made her to be ſeparated from the campe;Num. 12.14 and the leproſie of Vzza made him to be ſhut out of the Temple: ſo ſin depriueth vsus of the ſocietie of man & Angels.
Thirdly, Leproſie maketh mens fleſh ſenſleſſe; ſo ſin maketh men inſenſible of the iudgements of God.
Fourthly, Leproſie is incurable with men, … are the frenſie, hereſie, & iealouſie, God keepeth thoſe cures to himſelfe: ſo ſin can be purged by none but by Gods owne cunning. As Abanah and Pharpar riuers of Damaſcus,2. King 5.12 were not of force to cure the leproſie of Naaman, and leprous might hauehave died, if according to the Prophets direction he had not waſhed himſelfe in Iordan: ſo are the merits of men, or holineſſe of Angels, Apoſtles, yea of the bleſſed virgin Marie, ſo much ſet by by men, vprofitable to purge vsus from our ſinnes, onelyonly that bleſſed blood of Ieſus will do the turne, wherein if we be waſhed, our fleſh ſhall be as the fleſh of a childe, euen as though we had neuer ſinned.
But to the end thou ma…ſt be aſſured whether thou art clenſed from this leproſie or no, I will giuegive you ſome infallible tokens and markes, whereof ſome are ſecret and onelyonly knowne to thy ſ…lfe, others are ſeene by others.
The ſecret marks be theſe: Firſt, if thou art aſhamed of thoſe things which thou haſt done.Priuate tokens wherby thou maiſt know if thou be waſhed. Rom. 6.21. Iob 42.6. What profit hauehave ye of thoſe things (ſaith the Apoſtle) whereof now ye are aſhamed, and cannot remember them without bluſhing? if thou abhorreſt thy ſelfe when thou calleſt them to minde, and repenteſt with Iob in duſt and aſhes Secondly, if thou haſt faith in Chriſts blood, doeſt deſire to be purged by theſe cleane and cleare waters, not running to others, or digging vntounto thy ſelfe ciſternes of rotten waters.Externall notes wherby others may know if thou be waſhed.
The externall marke, is ſanctification of thy perſon; being waſhed, thou goeſt not to defile thee in the puddle. And thy thankfulneſſe to God,… ▪ Kin. 5.15 as Naaman returned to Eliſha, and not onelyonly offered a great reward vntounto him, but promiſed to be a worſhipper of God all his dayes. Be not like vntounto the nine lepers, who outwardly cured, abode in the leproſie of ſin, of the two the worſt and moſt dangerous:Luk. 17.17 but with the tenth returne to Chriſt with thankfulneſſe. For if thou be vnthankfull to God, and art not diligent and earneſt to celebrate praiſes vntounto him for his mercies, it is an euident token thou art not yet cured.
Finally, thou muſt go to the Prieſt, and offer according to the law; receiue the abſolution frō Gods mouth, out of the mouth of his ſeruants, and ſhew thy thankfulneſſe in obedience to God all thy life.