Davids Blessed Man, Part 5
The firſt Pſalme.
VERSE. 4.
The wicked are not ſo, but as the Chaffe which the winde driueth away.
The ſecōd generall part of the Pſalme.HItherto we hauehave heard the deſcription of a godly man, and of his bleſſed and happy eſtate wherein hee ſtands. Now hee proceedeth to a deſcription of a wicked and vngodly man. And he ſets out his eſtate by a generall ſpeech oppoſite to that which hath beene ſpoken of the godly: The wicked are not ſo. Then by a ſimilitude, comparing him to Chaffe, and then the propertie of Chaffe is noted to be light, vaine, & vnconſtant, carried away with the winde.
In the generall deſcription, or the Introduction into the Deſcription of a wicked man, The wicked are not ſo, the ſpeech is negatiue, and excludeth the wicked from all that which the Spirit of God hath ſpoken of the godly, both concerning their vertues themſelues, as alſo concerning the recompence of their vertues.
The vertues of a godly man were deſcribed two wayes, firſt negatiuely, They walke not in the counſell of the wicked, ſtand not in the way of ſinners, ſit not in the ſeate of the ſcorners. Now this negatiue in the godly is affirmatiue in the wicked; Becauſe they walke in the counſell of the wicked, they ſtand in the way of ſinners, and they ſit in the ſeat of the ſcorners.
The other deſcription of a godly man is affirmatiue, verſe the ſecond, But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, &c. But this affirmatiue in the godly is negatiue in the wicked; For their delight is in nothing leſſe then in the Law of the Lord. Neither do or will the wicked meditate therein, either day or night; So that in reſpect of the vertues of a godly man it may well be ſaid, The wicked are not ſo.
And laſt of all, for the recompence of the vertues of a godly man, the wicked are alſo excluded: the godly man is compared vntounto a Tree that is planted by the riuers of water, that brings forth fruit in due ſeaſon, whoſe leafe doth neuer fade, and whatſoeuer hee doth ſhall proſper. The wicked are not ſo. But as the chaffe, &c.
Where by the way wee may obſerue the care that God hath, that eueryevery man ſhould hauehave his part in that pertaineth to him, hee would not that the wicked ſhould encroch vponupon the portion of the godly, or that the Saints ſhould be diſmaied by the iudgements of the wicked, but hee laboureth as to a lot and allow to one their part, ſo to exclude the other from their portion,Pſal. 37.34 Eſa. 3.10.11 Mala. 4.2. to ſhew that they hauehave no intereſt in their Bleſſedneſſe. And ſo it is a vſuall thing in the courſe of the whole Scriptures, that where the Holy Ghoſt ſetteth downe the bleſſings and promiſes pertaining to Chriſtians: In the ſame place hee ſetteth downe the iudgements that belong to the wicked and vngodly.
Out of the generall Deſcription,Doctr. 1. The ſtate of the wicked moſt miſerable. or the Introduction into the Deſcription of a wicked mā, in theſe words The wicked are not ſo. We gather this Doctrine, That the eſtate of all wicked men, be they what they may be, neuer ſo great, glorious, rich, wiſe, beautifull, and learned in the world, yet their eſtate is wofull, curſed, miſerable and wretched; hee is curſed in his ſoule, curſed in his body, curſed in his goods, good name, wife, children, corne, cattell, &c. Thou haſt deſtroyed the proud, Deut. 28. Pſa. 119.21 Pſal. 5.5 Tit. 1.13. Acts 7.51 Eſay 63.and curſed are they that doe erre from thy Commandements: The fooliſh ſhall not ſtand in thy ſight, for thou hateſt all them that worke iniquitie. Now, what though a man ſhould abound in wealth, liue in honour, bathe himſelfe in pleaſures, yet if he be not a godly man, that is, truly ſanctified,Pro. 8.9. Pro. 11.7. hee can take no ſound comfort in any of theſe; For, to them that are defiled, is nothing pure. But euen their prayers are abhominable; he that turneth away his eares from hearing the Law, euen his prayers ſhall bee abhominable. And as Salomon ſaith, The hope of the wicked ſhall periſh. Wherein the wicked are accurſed.But it wil be asked, Wherein ſtands their miſery and curſed eſtate? I anſwere. Firſt in this, that they be out of Gods fauour, God hates them and all they doe; And is not this a miſery of all miſeries, to be curſed and miſerable indeed, to hauehave God our enemy, to hauehave Ieſus Chriſt the Iudge our enemy, to hauehave all the creatures in heauen and earth againſt vsus? For as thoſe be truly bleſſed that God loues, and be in his fauour; So they be moſt curſed and miſerable that be out of his fauour, whom his ſoule abhorreth; and ſuch are the wicked, according to that of the Prophet,Pſal. 5.5. The fooliſh ſhal not ſtand in thy ſight, for thou hateſt all them that worke iniquitie.
Secondly, they hauehave no pardon of their ſinnes,Luke 13.5 and ſo lie vnderunder the curſe of God, in danger of eternall death eueryevery day they riſe, without repentance there is no pardon. But the wicked cannot repent, being hardened in ſinne, and delight in ſin: yea all their ſinnes ſtand in account againſt them, the Lord keepes them in remembrance, and one day hee will bring out his Booke of reckonning, I will reproue thee, Pſal. 50.17 18.and ſet before thee the things thou haſt done. Oh full little doe wicked men thinke of this, that their ſecret ſins in hugger-mugger in darke corners committed, ſhall one day come to reckoning, and they called to a reckoning for the ſame: and then their owne conſciences, will they, nill they, ſhall cry out and ſay, Righteous is the Lord, and true are his iudgements.
Thirdly, they hauehave no peace of conſcience,Eſay 57. There is no peace to the wicked, ſaith my God, but a Hell in their conſcience, hauing in them either an Accuſing Conſcience, like Cain, Achitophel, Saul, Iudas, and the like; or elſe a dead and ſleepy conſcience, like Nabal, which iudgement is no way inferiour to the former: This fearfull iudgment of God vponupon the wicked is nothing elſe but a fore-runner of thoſe paines which are prepared for the wicked, and are as it were the ſmoake of that fire, which hereafter ſhall torment them.
Fourthly, a wicked man is the heire of vengeance, and the firebrand of hell, and ſhall as ſure bee damned as if hee were in hell alreadie: and therefore CHRIST ſaith, that The wicked are damned already: Ioh. 3.18.and that fiue wayes. Firſt, in Gods counſell before all worlds. Secondly, in the Word, wherein their ſentence of condemnation is read already. Thirdly, in their owne conſciences, which is a fore-runner of the finall iudgement. Fourthly, by the iudgements begun already vponupon them, as hardneſſe of heart, blindneſſe of minde, hatred of the light, and the like means of ſaluation. Fiftly, by the horrible torment of the ſoule, which it doth aſſuredly expect when the full viall of Gods wrath ſhall be powred vponupon it. O miſerable and vnhappy condition! woe worth the time may ſuch ſay, that euer they were borne.
Who is a wicked man? Anſwer.A wicked man deſcribed. (in generall) Hee that liues and lies in ſinne without repentance: But ſuch a man is a wicked man, as Doth walke in the counſell of the wicked, that doth ſtand in the way of ſinners, that doth ſit in the ſeate of the ſcorners. For as hee is a godly man that is carefull to ſhunne and auoide the bad counſell and lewd company of wicked & vngodly men: ſo he is a wicked man that loues and likes their bad counſel & lewd company. And as a noble mans ſeruant is knowne by his liuery; ſo we may certainly iudge of men by their companie. A good man loues good companie, a godly man makes much of them that feare the Lord.Pſal. 16.3. Pſal. 101.6 7. Gen. 37.2.4. My eyes (ſaith Dauid) ſhall bee vponupon the faithfull in the Land. This we may ſee in Iacob, who loued Ioſeph aboue all his brethren, becauſe he had grace in him; All my delight is vponupon thy Saints. But wicked men are like Birds of a Feather which flie together, and like will to like. So that if you wold aske a certaine rule how to iudge of men, whether they bee good or bad, godly or wicked, I know not any rule more ſure for a mans outward life, to iudge of him, then by his company. And therefore as S. Iohn makes it a marke of Gods childe, and a certaine ſigne of the louelove of God to vsus, If we louelove the brethren: 1. Ioh. 3.14ſo on the other ſide, it is a fearfull note of a wicked man, when hee hath no delight in the companie of Gods children and faithful ſeruants,Pſal. 50.17 18. but delight onelyonly in the company of the wicked and vngodly.
Vſe 1 Let all wicked men lay this Doctrine to heart, and be affected with it, and let me ſay to them, as Dauid ſaid to the vngodly;Pſa. 50.16. vntounto the vngodly ſaid God, what haſt thou to do to take my couenant in thy mouth, ſeeing thou hateſt to be reformed, and haſt caſt my word behind thee? When thou ſaweſt a thiefe thou conſentedſt vntounto him, and haſt beene partaker with the adulterer, &c. Theſe things haſt thou done, and I held my peace, and thou thoughteſt that I was like thee. But I will reproue thee, and ſet before thee the things thou haſt done. Oh conſider this yee that forget God, leſt I teare you in peeces, and there be none to deliuer you. Oh that the wicked & vngodly of the world would conſider in what a curſed ſtate they ſtand in, what extreame danger to looſe their owne ſoules, cleane out of Gods fauour, ſo as hee hates and abhorres them, and all they do: Now as Salomon ſaith, if the wrath of the King bee as the roaring of a Lyon, how much more the wrath of the eternall God, who is able not onelyonly to kill the body, but to caſt both ſoule and body for euer into hel fire? Oh then be admoniſhed! ſay you had a farre warning, repent in time, liue no longer in ſin, turne to God with all ſpeed, while it is called to day: Say with Dauid, Away from me yee wicked, I will keepe the commandements of my God. And this remember, that as bad company, and the ſociety of wicked men is a fearefull ſigne of a wicked man, ſo it is moſt dangerous; for ſin is as a ſpirituall plague or leproſie, it is of a ſpreading and contagious nature.Prou. 6. Can a man touch pitch and not bee defiled? Then may a man keepe company with the wicked, and not bee corrupted.Gen. 41.15.16. Ioſeph liuing in the Court of Pharaoh, how ſoone had he learnd to ſweare, by the life of Pharaoh? Beſides, we ſhal be compelled to winke at the ſins of thoſe whom wee louelove, and ſo conſenting to them, are guilty of them.2. Pet. 2.8. Pſal. 12.5 Againe, wee cannot but bee vexed with them, and greeued at the heart, as Lot was; yea, and in danger to bee puniſhed with them, as Lot in Sodome was taken priſoner, and all his houſhold: and therefore as men doe ſhunne a houſe infected, ſo let vsus ſhunne ſuch company as moſt dangerous, pernitious, and hurtfull.
And heere wee are to wonder at Vſe 1 the palpable blindneſſe of wicked men, at their blockiſhneſſe and ſenſeleſſe ſecurity, that though their eſtate bee as wee hauehave heard out of the word of God, and teſtimonies of holy Scriptures, ſo curſed, miſerable, wretched, and damnable; yet they ſee it not, they feare it not, they beleeue it not; they feare no danger, they deſire no remedy, their mindes are ſo blinded through ſelfe-louelove, and ſo hardned in all kinde of ſinne, that nothing can moue them, and do them good. They bee like the Smiths dogge, no ſtrokes nor ſparks can awake them. Of all diſeaſes they be moſt dangerous, that be leaſt felt: as the Apoplexy, dead Palſie, Lethargie, &c. So, when a man is ſicke, euen ſoule ſick, and ſick vntounto death, and feeleth no paine, his caſe muſt needes bee dangerous. Many men complaine of the ſtone in the kidny, and ride and runne night and day to find eaſe for it, but few complaine of the ſtone in the hart, men hauehave hard, ſtony and flinty hearts: And neither louelove of heauen, nor feare of hell, neither mercy, nor iudgement can moue them, or make them to repent. Well, to conclude this point, let men take their courſes, runne on in ſinne, walke in the counſell of the wicked, ſtand in the way of ſinners: and ſit in the ſeate of the ſcornefull. Let them refuſe the counſell and the company of Gods ſeruants, and when they hauehave done all that they can, they are but curſed caitifes; and the time will come that they will curſe the day that euer they were borne, and ſay, Woe worth the time they kept bad company:Wiſed. 5. Reue. 6.13 Oh what fooles and mad men were wee! When they ſhall wiſh the heauens to fall vponupon them, and the rockes to cruſh them in peeces, for feare of the anger of God. And thus much for the generall deſcription of a wicked man in theſe words, The wicked are not ſo.
But as the Chaffe which the wind driueth away.
THe Prophet Dauid hauing ſhewed the difference betwixt the godly and the wicked by a generall Introduction, It is not ſo, commeth now to ſet out their eſtate by a Similitude and Compariſon, where hee compares the wicked to Chaffe, And it is all one as if hee ſhould ſay: The wicked and vngodly man is not like a tree well planted and watered, that beares good fruit, and alwaies flouriſheth, but like vntounto Chaffe, which hath no root at al in the earth, no iuice nor ſap, but wants all kinde of good fruit and greeneneſſe, ſo as it is eaſily ſcattered and diſperſed with eueryevery blaſt of winde: Euen ſo the wicked are not rooted nor grafted into Ieſus Chriſt, and are altogether voide and deſtitute of all fruite of good workes, and of all ſauing grace, hauehave no iuice nor ſap of goodneſſe in them, and in time of trouble and temptation, they fall away; yea, eueryevery blaſt of falſe doctrine, eueryevery ſtorme of temptation, triall, or perſecution, yea the leaſt blaſt of Gods anger driueth them hither and thither, they know not which way to turne them.
So that in this Similitude or Compariſon there are two things to bee conſidered of vsus.
Firſt, the matter whereunto the wicked are compared, vntounto Chaffe.
Secondly, the condition of Chaffe, which the winde driueth away.
In the former of theſe wee are to conſider how the wicked reſemble Chaffe, naturally, and accidentally.
Wicked compared to Chaffe, How?Naturally Chaffe is light and vnprofitable.
Firſt, it is light, containing in it, no ſolide and weighty matter, but a very ſleight and frothy ſubſtance,1 Light. ſubiect to many alterations; euen ſo the wicked are not ſolide in their purpoſes & enterpriſes, & weighty in their carriage and courſes, but as Chaffe, light, eaſily toſſed, & blowne away.
It may appeare vntounto vsus, that the wicked are as Chaffe, light, becauſe they bee light of their words,Eccleſiaſtic. 12.26. they hauehave not their mouth in their heart, like a wiſe man, but they hauehave their heart in their mouth, like a foole. Do they promiſe any thing? their words are as wind, as the Prouerb is. Doe they vow any thing? they keep their vowes, like thoſe that vowed Pauls death. Do they ſweare any thing? they are but as belles and bubbles in the water, broken in a moment of time: So that the wicked, in reſpect of their words, vowes, or othes, may well be compared to Chaffe, light.
Againe, the wicked may well bee cōpared to chaffe, light; becauſe they are light of their minds, entertaining and excluding, one while admitting, another while reiecting, infinite purpoſes and thoughts of heart. Againe, they are light of their bodies, by cō mitting many fornications. Yea, let their vertues be compared with their vices, it will then appeare, That they are lighter then vanity it ſelfe.
Secondly, as the wicked are like Chaffe, light; ſo are they vnprofitable, and that two waies. Firſt, in matters temporall concerning this life, wherein though they hauehave ability, as they hauehave for the moſt part; yet they want wil to do good with the ſame. Secondly, in matters ſpirituall, wherin though they hauehave a will, which is a rare thing to bee found in the wicked, yet they want ability.
Vnprofitable.Firſt, the wicked are as chaffe, vnprofitable, in regard of matters temporall; For, who doth regard the afflictions of Ioſeph? For either their will is wholly bent vponupon Couetouſneſſe, or Prodigality. This is an euill which the Preacher ſaw vnderunder the Sunne;Eccl. 6.2. A man to whom God hath giuen riches, and treaſures, and honours, and he wanteth nothing for his Soule, of all that he deſireth, but God giueth him no power to eate thereof: but a ſtrange man ſhall eate it vp. Yea, ſuch is the caſe of many a man, that where hee locks vp his riches from others with one locke, hee lockes them vp from page missing all power is of God: Hee doth bring downe the mightie from their ſeate. Yea hee hath all creatures at a becke, and at a call, to humble man; yea, and the leaſt of all creatures, when it is armed and ſent of God, is ſufficient to deſtroy the wicked, as Frogges, Lice, Flies, and the like creatures did Pharaoh and the Egyptians;Exod. 10. and as the Palmer-worm and the like kind of Caterpillers did the men of Iuda and Iſraell: Ioel. 1.3.4.And therefore this muſt needes bee a terrour vntounto the wicked, who are no ſtronger then the chaffe to reſiſt the wind of Gods iudgements. This may teach them humllity, and pull downe the haughtineſſe of their hearts, when they ſhal heare the irreuokeableneſſe of their deſtruction.
Secondly, ſeeing the deſtruction Vſe 2 of the wicked are irreuokeable, and that the iudgements of God come ſuddenly: we are taught heere that it is our dutie to awake out of ſinne, and to bee watchfull ouer our owne ſoules. We muſt not ſleepe in ſinne, duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page neither giuegive your ſelues to ſecuritie, but be carefull and circumſpect that we be not ſuddenly ouertaken. This is that charge which our Sauiour giueth:Math. 24. watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor houre in the which the Sonne of Man will come. The iudgements of God are threatned to come vponupon thee ſuddenly, as the Winde: thou knowſt not whether thou ſhalt hauehave an houre, or a moment of time giuen thee to repent, thou mayſt bee ſmitten with ſudden death: When thou riſeſt out of thy bedde, thou knoweſt not whether thou ſhalt lye downe againe; When thou lyeſt downe vponupon thy bed, thou knoweſt not what may happen vntounto thee ere it be day.Prou. 27.1 Boaſt not of to morow, for thou knoweſt not what a day may bring forth. And therfore while it is to day let vsus repent and labour to bee reconciled to God in Chriſt, that when his iudgments ſhall come as the winde ſuddenly, the deſtroyer may paſſe ouer vsus, and wee remaine ſafe vnderunder the ſhadow of the Almighty.
Hitherto hath the Prophet deſcribed the wofull eſtate and condition of the wicked heere in this life. Now in the next verſe by way of propheſie, or threatning, he ſets our their eſtate and condition in the Life to come.