place thereof. And, after one author in that church' had charged the Jews, that they had rased that clause out of the Hebrew, and that it was in the Hebrew at first, a learned and a laborious Jesuit", (for truly, schools may confess the Jesuits to be learned, for they have assisted there; and states, and council-tables may confess the Jesuits to be laborious, for they have troubled them there) he, I say, after he hath chidden his fellow, for saying, that this word had ever been in the Hebrew, or was rased out from thence by the Jews, concludes roundly, Undecunque advenerit, howsoever those additions, which are not in the Hebrew, came into our translation, authoritatem habent, et retineri debent, their very being there, gives them authenticness, and authority, and there they must be. That this, in the title of this Psalm, be there, we are content, as long as you know, that this particular, (that this Psalm by the title thereof concerns the resurrection) is not in the original, but added by some expositor of the Psalms; you may take knowledge too, that that addition hath been accepted and followed, by many, and ancient, and reverend expositors, almost all of the eastern, and many of the western church too; and therefore, for our use and accommodation, may well be accepted by us also. We consider ordinarily three resurrections: a spiritual resurrection, a resurrection from sin, by grace in the church; a temporal resurrection, a resurrection from trouble, and calamity in the world; and an eternal resurrection, a resurrection after which no part of man shall die, or suffer again, the resurrection into glory. Of the first, the resurrection from sin, is that intended in Esay, Arise, and shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Of the later resurrection, is that harmonious strain of all the apostles in their creed intended, I believe the resurrection of the body. And of the third resurrection, from oppressions and calamities which the servants of God suffer in this life, some of our later men understand that place of Job, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that in my flesh I shall see God; and that place of Ezekiel all understand of that resurrection, where God saith to the prophet, Son of man, can these bones 1 Leo Castr. VOL. III. Isaiah LX. 1. Lorinus. 5 Job xix. 26. live? Can these men thus ruined, thus dispersed, be restored again by a resurrection in this world? And to this resurrection from the pressures and tribulations of this life, do those interpreters, who interpret this Psalm, of a resurrection, refer this our text, (Say unto God, how terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.) Consider how powerfully God hath, and you cannot doubt, but that God will give them a resurrection in this world, who rely upon him, and use his means, whensoever any calamity hath dejected them, ruined them, scattered them in the eyes of men. Say unto the Lord, that he hath done it, and the Lord will say unto thee, that he will do it again and again for thee. We call Noah, Janus, because he had two faces, in this respect, that he looked into the former, and into the later world, he saw the times before, and after the flood. David in this text, is a Janus too; he looks two ways, he hath a prospect, and a retrospect, he looks backward and forward, what God had done, and what God would do. For, as we have one great comfort in this, that prophecies are become histories, that whatsoever was said by the mouths of the prophets, concerning our salvation in Christ, is effected, (so prophecies are made histories) so have we another comfort in this text, that histories are made prophecies; that whatsoever we read that God had formerly done, in the relief of his oppressed servants, we are thereby assured that he can, that he will do them again; and so histories are made prophecies: and upon these two pillars, a thankful acknowledgement of that which God hath done, and a faithful assurance that God will do so again, shall this present exercise of your devotions be raised; and these are our two parts. Dicite Deo, Say unto God, how terrible art thou in thy works! (that part is historical, of things past) in multitudine virtutis, In the greatness of thy power, shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee, (that part is prophetical, of things to come.) In the history we are to turn many leaves, and many in the prophecy too, to pass many steps, to put out many branches in each. In the first, these; Dicite, say ye; where we consider first, the person that enjoys this public acknowledgement and thanks 6 Ezek. xxxvii. 3. giving, it is David, and David as a king; for to him, to the king, the ordering of public actions, even in the service of God appertains. David, David the king speaks this, by way of counsel, and persuasion, and concurrence to all the world, (for so in the beginning, and in some other passages of the Psalm, it is omnis terra, All ye lands, verse 1. and All the earth, verse 4.) David doth what he can, that all the world might concur in one manner of serving God. By way of assistance he extends to all, and by way of injunction and commandment to all his, to all that are under his government, dicite, say, you, that is, you shall say, you shall serve God thus. And as he gives counsel to all, and gives laws to all his subjects, so he submits himself to the same law; for, (as we shall see in some parts of the Psalm, to which the text refers) he professes in his particular, that he will say and do, whatsoever he bids them do, and say; My house shall serve the Lord, says Joshua7; but it is, ego, et domus mea, I and my house; himself would serve God aright too. From such a consideration of the persons, in the historical part, we shall pass to the commandment, to the duty itself; that is, first dicite, say. It is more than cogitate, to consider God's former goodness; more than admirari, to admire God's former goodness; speculations, and ecstacies are not sufficient services of God; Dicite, Say unto God, declare, manifest, publish your zeal, is more than cogitate, consider it, think of it; but it is less than facite, to come to action; we must declare our thankful zeal to God's cause, we must not modify, not disguise that; but, for the particular ways of promoving, and advancing that cause, in matter of action, we must refer that to them, to whom God hath referred it. The duty is a commemoration of benefits; Dicite, speak of it, ascribe it, attribute it to the right author; who is that? That is the next consideration, Dicite Deo, Say unto God; non vobis, not to your own wisdom, or power, non sanctis, not to the care and protection of saints or angels, sed nomini ejus da gloriam, only unto his name be all the glory ascribed. And then, that which falls within this commandment, this consideration, is opera ejus, the works of God, (How terrible art thou in thy works!) It is not decreta ejus, arcana ejus, the secrets of his state, the ways of his government, 7 Josh. xxiv. 15. children, and hearken unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord". That you think not divinity an occupation, nor churchservice a recreation; but still remember, that the God of our salvation (God working in the Christian church) will answer you; but yet, by terrible things; that is, by not being over-fellowly with God, nor over-homely with places, and acts of religion; which it may be an advancement to your devotion and edification to consider, in some particulars in the Christian church. And first, consider we it, in our manners, and conversation. Christ says, Henceforth I call you not servants, but friends". But, howsoever Christ called him friend, that was come to the feast without the wedding garment, he cast him out, because he made no difference of that place from another. First then, remember by what terrible things God answers thee in the Christian church, when he comes to that round and peremptory issue, Qui non crediderit, damnabitur, he that believes not every article of the Christian faith, and with so steadfast a belief, as that he would die for it, damnabitur, (no modification, no mollification, no going less) he shall be damned. Consider to the nature of excommunication, That it tears a man from the body of Christ Jesus; that that man withers that is torn off, and Christ himself is wounded in it. Consider the insupportable penances that were laid upon sinners, by those penitential canons, that went through the church in those primitive times; when for many sins which we pass through now, without so much as taking knowledge that they are sins, men were not admitted to the communion all their lives, no, nor easily upon their death-beds. Consider how dangerously an abuse of that great doctrine of predestination may bring thee to think, that God is bound to thee, and thou not bound to him, that thou mayest renounce him, and he must embrace thee, and so make thee too familiar with God, and too homely with religion, upon presumption of a decree. Consider that when thou preparest any unclean action, in any sinful nakedness, God is not only present with thee, in that room then, but then tells thee, that at the day of judgment thou must stand in his presence, and in the presence of all the world, not only naked, 54 Psalm xxxiv. 11. 56 Matt. xxii. 12, 13. 55 John xv. 15. 57 Mark xvi. 16. but in that foul, and sinful, and unclean action of nakedness, which thou committest then; consider all this and confess, that for matter of manners, and conversation, The God of thy salvation answers thee by terrible things. And so it is also, if we consider prayer in the church. God's house is the house of prayer; it is his court of requests; there he receives petitions, there he gives order upon them. And you come to God in his house, as though you came to keep him company, to sit down, and talk with him half an hour; or you come as ambassadors, covered in his presence, as though ye came from as great a prince as he. You meet below, and there make your bargains, for biting, for devouring usury, and then you come up hither to prayers, and so make God your broker. You rob, and spoil, and eat his people as bread, by extortion, and bribery, and deceitful weights and measures, and deluding oaths in buying and selling, and then come hither, and so make God your receiver, and his house a den of thieves. His house is sanctum sanctorum, the holiest of holies, and you make it only sanctuarium; it should be a place sanctified by your devotions, and you make it only a sanctuary to privilege malefactors, a place that may redeem you from the ill opinion of men, who must in charity be bound to think well of you, because they see you here. Offer this to one of your princes, (as God argues in the prophet) and see, if he will suffer his house to be profaned by such uncivil abuses; and terribilis Rex, the Lord most high is terrible, and a great king over all the earth; and terribilis super omnes Deos, More terrible than all other gods". Let thy master be thy god, or thy mistress thy god, thy belly be thy god, or thy back be thy god, thy fields be thy god, or thy chests be thy god, terribilis super omnes Deos, The Lord is terrible above all gods, A great God, and a great King above all gods. You come, and call upon him by his name here, but magnum et terribile, Glorious and fearful is the name of the Lord thy God. And, as if the Son of God were but the son of some lord, that had been your school-fellow in your youth, and so you continued a boldness to him ever after, so, because you have been brought up with Christ from your cradle, and cate 58 Psalm XL.vii. 2, 63 Psalm cxv. 3. 59 Psalm xcvi. 4. |