Doct. Reaf.1. Pfal.70.5. Reaf.2. Ifai.61 1. 3 The next ground of their hope is a strong faith, that he will make my feet like hynds feet. That is, he will give me a fwift escape out of all my affliction, and I fhall come again out of captivity. The Lord will loose the bonds of his Church, and give her deliverance out of all her troubles. This is a good ground of hope. From whence these words are taken, fo Thus David honoureth God with that great title, for it includeth a confeffion of prayfe,both of the power of God, able to deliver, and of his wifedome and love, applying that power to the comfort of his afflicted Church. Because it was the office of his anointed, the Son in whom he was well pleased, to deliver his people from the hands of all their enemies. 1 L He gave redemption to his peoples He fall fave his people from all their fins: he confeffeth it his errand hither. He hath fent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.o Reaf.3. Because God knoweth the weaknesse of his Church, and though he chaften them with the rods of men, yet will he not Pfal.125.3 take his mercy utterly from them, left the righteous should put forth their hand unto wickednesse. This hath speciall vertue to comfort us both. 1 Generally in our whole life: and 2, especially in the feverall croffes and diftreffes, incident to the body of the Church, or any member of the body. 1 3 And individually to each perticular perfon in their perfonall vexations and unreft. 1 For the generall calamities incident to life. Zob faith: Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of mifery. If If a man have no time of refpiration from forrow, if his body be in fickneffe, his mind in grief, his eftate in poverty, his person in prison, fuppofe him as much afflicted as his time and ftrength can bear, yet death determineth all, and fetteth the oppreffed and the prifoner free, as Job faith. 2 The Church or any part of it, be it afflicted and driven into corners perfecuted, as in the time of the ten bloudy perfecutions, and as at this day, the Proteftants are cruelly purfued both in our neighbour France, and in the Palatinate, and in Bohemia, Minifters banished as raisers, and strivers of sedition, which was laid to the charge of Jefus Chtift, and after of St. Paul. The Lord hath ever heretofore been a deliverer of his Church, and his hand is not fhortned, our hope is that he will alfo make his Saints hearts glad by a timely deliverance, and will give them hinds feet to escape from the arrow that fleeth after them by day, and from the dogs that hunt and pursue them with open mouth. 3 In the cafe of perfonall grievances, how can we either in dangers feared or in oppreffing griefs, and pains receive any peace to our fouls, but in the faith of deliverance, believing that no miferies can fo environ us, but that there may be found. an open way out of them: fo David faith; Many are the troubles of the righteous Dominus ex omnibus liberet. This admonifheth the afflicted to, call upon God for Ufe. 2: this deliverance, and to seek it no where but in his hand: wo be to them that go to Egypt for help: it was the undoing of Ifrael, their truft in the broken staffe and reed of Egypt. And they that truft to Idolatrous nations to help them in their diftreffes and wants, thrust thorns into their own eyes, and. goads into their own fides, and their truft fhall be their ru-ine, Ifrael did finde it fo, and smarted sharply for it. This alfo as all other favours of God, either poffeffed or expected, doth awake us to a duty of fervice of our God: for we are fervi quafi fervati, and we must ferve him that we may be delivered out of all our fears and griefs, and being delivered Eeee 3 from Vse 3. from the hands of all our enemies, we must serve him in holineffe and righteousneffe. Then fhall our feet be like hyndes feet, to run away lightly out of all our afflictions. More yet we shall fay, our foul is escaped as a bird out of Pfal.124 7 the fnare of the fowler, the Snare is broken and we are escaped. 4 The laft ground of hope is reftitution. Doct. Reaf. 1. Use. He wil make me to walk upon my high places: that is,he wil restore his Church again to their own pleasant Land, and re-plant them in the inheritance of their fathers.. He calleth this land high places, as you have heard, because it was a choice countrey, bleffed with plenty, and fruitfull with all abundance. Though they have been long banifhed from it, yet now they are perfwaded of a reftitution. God is the reftorer of the Church, and he will renew the face and glory of it. 1 In respect of his eternall love, for though his juftice do Imite it with some temporall chaftifement, yet he cannot be always chiding, neither doth he referve his anger for ever. 2 In refpect of his promife made to Abraham, for that he often remembreth, and his promise to David. 3. In refpect of his Word, that he hath fent by his holy Prophets, who have from the mouth of God promifed them return and replantation. 4 In refpect of their enemies, by whom he punifheth his Church, for they muft both feel the wrath of God in the sense of their own judgments, and in the envy at the profperous eftate of the Church. Obferve it here for a matter of great joy in the Church, to be restored to that which formerly they enjoyed; for it teacheth us to value and prize prefent bleffings and favours of God at a higher rate then we do, left God do take them from us, to teach us by their want how pretious, and how fweet they were. Do not we fee fome ambitious men climing and afpiring ftill Ligher and higher who being fuddenly caft down, it looking Even fo is it in the fpirituall favours and graces of God, for many times the elect of God by evill husbanding thefe do lose them, fo that they have no feeling of the love of God, and hardneffe over-grows their hearts, blindneffe be-nights their understanding, fin furprizeth all their inftruments of action, and maketh their members the weapons of iniquity, to work iniquity: when these come again to themselves, as the prodigall did, then they would ask no more of their father, but that they might be admitted into the house as fervants. David had a great defection from God in the matter of Uriah the Hittite, and flept in it the most part of a year, but recovering himself a little, as one awaked after drunkennesse, and finding himself in the dark, the light of Gods countenance eclipsed: then he prays. Reftore unto me the joy of thy falvation. Therefore, whilft the Sun fhineth upon our Tabernacle, let us rejoyce in the Lord, and ferve him, that our time may run no other but Sun-fhine days, in the cheerfull light of Gods countenance. 3 The Dedication of this Pfalm, to the ufe of the Church, is spoken of at large at the first Verse. Pfal. 51.13. 3 FINIS. |