Dauids repentance, or, A plaine and familiar exposition of the 51 psalme first preached and now published for the benefite of Gods church : wherein euery faithfull Christian may see before his eyes the patterne of vnfeigned repentance, whereby we may take heed of the falling into sinne againe.

[Thou louest truth in the inward affection.]

[Doctr. 2] HEnce marke, that a sound, vp∣right, and sincere heart, is that the Lord loueth well, and taketh de∣light in: and without this, all that wee doe is loathsome and abhomi∣nable. This honest and good heart our Sauiour CHRIST commen∣deth in Nathanael; Behold a true Is∣raelite, in whom is no guile: This true Israelite, this vpright heart, the Lord loueth it, and the Lord deligh∣teth in it; And the good ground are those which with an honest and good hart heare the word, and bring foorth fruit with patience.

[Vse. 1] This serueth to cut the combe of all hypocrites and dissemblers, who thinke God wil be pleased with out∣ward shewes and colours, although they be rotten at the kore, like Ap∣ples

of Sodome: the Lord sheweth his dislike of these naughty and dis∣sembling heartes, This people come neare mee with their lippe••, and honour me with their mouthes, but their hearts are farre from me. So the Lord telleth the Iewes; They did but dissemble with him in their hearts, when you sent mee vnto the Lord to pray for you, and that you would doe his will and hit word, but now you will doe nothing but the cleane contrary euen after your owne lusts. And amongst vs in these dayes, there are many hypocrites and dissemblers, painted toombs, gay without, ma∣king faire shewes, and goodly co∣lours, but their hearts are rotten at the kore, they are but counterfeit Christians, and GOD abhorreth them, and hath no liking of them: for as hee loueth trueth, and sound∣nesse of the heart, so hee hateth and abhorreth all hypocrisie. Let all such looke vpon the fearefull hand of God on Ananias and Saphyra, who because they would seeme to be reli∣gious, and somewhat forward to

sell their land, and giue to the poore; because their heart was not sound and vpright, but they dissembled; therefore the Lord smote them both dead. And to shew how the Lord hateth al hypocrites and dissemblers, CHRIST in the foure and twenti••h chapter of the Gospel of Saint Ma∣thew and the one and fifty verse saith, All vile sinners shall haue their porti∣ons with hypocrites, because of all men, hypocrites shall haue the greatest measure of torment and condemna∣tion.

[Vse. 2] Seeing that the Lord loueth and delighteth in trueth, and sinceritie of the minde and affection, let vs be carefull all our dayes to get a sound and vpright heart, voyde of all hy∣pocrisie and dissimulation, so as i•• all things wee finde our heart sound and sincere in all the dueties of th•• worship of God, in speaking, hear∣ing, praying; yea in all things. Now this vprightnes and soundnes of th•• heart will appeare, as by many other things, so by this, when a man i••

carefull to please God, and to shunne sinne in priuate as in publique, in se∣cret as abroad: and making consci∣ence of sinne, although no man nor Angell could accuse him of it: then is it a signe his heart is sound and vp∣right. But if thou finde that in secret thou daiest commit those sins which thou wouldest bee loath to commit abroad in the sight & view of others, it is a signe thy heart is not vpright with God. Oh then let vs labour to get this honest and good heart, this soundnes and sinceritie of our affe∣ctions, this truth in the inward af∣fections, which will bring peace vnto our soules, and make all we doe ac∣ceptable, when our heart is purified by faith. When the Lord describes a blessed man, he shewes who it is; E∣uen in whose spirit there is no guile. And whatsoeuer a man doth, though ne∣uer so excellent and glorious in the eyes of man, though a man could ••peake with the tongue of Men and Angells, could pray neuer so excel∣lent for wordes or matter: yet if the

heart be not sound, but hollow, and full of hypocrisie, all is not worth a button: whereas if the heart be sin∣cere and sound, purified by faith in CHRIST, though men haue many wants and weakenesses, the Lord GOD regardeth the truth of the heart.

[Doctr. 3] Last of all, obserue hence what a singular fauour and grace of GOD it is, when we haue sound and sancti∣fied hearts, sincere and vpright with God, voyde of hypocrisie and dissi∣mulation. It is that the Lord so high∣ly esteemes of, that hee wisheth most earnestly for it, Deuteronomy 5.29. O that there were this heart in them! And the Prophet Dauid saith heere, that the Lord doth loue Truth in the inward affection. And againe, Prouer. 11.20. They that be of a froward heart, are abomination to the Lord; but they that bee vpright in heart are his de∣light. This vpright heart is in none but those that be truely regenerate, which haue truely repented of their sinnes and beleeue in Christ Iesus,

Acts 15.9. Because faith alone doth purifie the heart: and therefore those that doe not beleeue and repent, can not haue this pure heart: And it is such an heart as hath no purpose to liue in any knowne sin whatsoeuer, but a desire and carefull indeuour to performe obedience to euery one of the Commandements.

[Vse.] Well, seeing that the Lord GOD so highly commendeth an honest heart, and so earnestly desireth and wisheth it, Oh how should wee la∣bour for it, to haue a sound heart pu∣rified by faith in Christ Iesus, to car∣ry no purpose to sin in any thing, but in all things to please him, and to do his will; and therefore againe and a∣gaine I say, let vs locke to our harts, that they be sound, and that as wee professe our selues to bee Christians in shew, so we may proue our selues Christians in the sight of God: That he may approue of vs in that we haue sound hearts to walke with our God, and purpose in all things to doe his will, Iohn 1.48. It is no small com∣mendations

that Christ giues of Na∣thanael, that hee was a true Israelite in whom was no guile: And nothing indeed doth more distinguish a true Christian from a counterfeit: But this trueth and sinceritie of heart, E∣sau Genes. 27. can mourne like Eze∣chias: And Ahab can put on sacke∣cloth, 1. Reg. 21. And Saul as well as Dauid can say, I haue sinned, but their hearts were full of Hypocrisie: farre from sinceritie before God.

[Doctr. 4] Seeing GOD loueth trueth in the inward affections: we learne where trueth doth not raigne, sinne doth raigne, which is but a lying vanitie. And all those that haue beene in loue with it, in the end haue found the same too true. Achan through hi•• couetous desire thought to enrich himselfe by the wedge of golde, and the Babylonish garment which hee had purloyned contrary to the Com∣mandemenr of God; but it fell our to his owne destruction. Ahab rose vp and tooke possession of Nabaoth▪ Vineyard, but withall, he purchased

the wrath of GOD, the destruction of himselfe, & the ruine of his whole house. The like may be said of Iu∣das, who through his couetous de∣site was led to betray his Master, but how he digested the same in the end, the Euangelist declareth: when hee saw that Christ was condemned, hee brought againe the thirtie peeces of siluer to the high Priests and Elders, saying, I haue sinned betraying the inno∣cent bloud. And this shall all men one day be sure to finde, that the perish∣ing pleasures of sin shall haue sorrow in the end: that if they haue not truth in the inward affections of the heart, there must needes raigne sinne, and sin is but a lying vanitie and will de∣ceiue them in the end.

Indeed all sin to a naturall man is delightfull and pleasant, he findeth it sweete to his taste, but it is as sweet meate that hath poyson mingled with it: That howsoeuer it is sweet in the taste, yet in the end bringeth death; So is it with sin, it doth de∣light in the committing thereof, but

in the end it turneth to the destructi∣on of the whole man.

[Ʋse. 1] Heere then we may see the wofull fruit of sin, which na••urall men make their chiefe h••ppinesse and felicitie. They may indeed delight for a time, and please the carnall desires of Na∣turall men; but Oh alas, they bring an heauy accompt and reckoning in the end. So that wee may say to all naturall and carnall men, whose por∣tion is in this life, as Abner said in an other case; Knowest thou not that it will be bitternesse in the latter end? This wee may see in Cain, in Esau, in A∣hab, in Iudas, &c. That hauing ta∣sted of the bread of deceit, haue had their mouthes filled with the grauell in the end. For the Motions of sinne are like those locusts of the bottomlesse pit, hauing faces like men, and their haire like the haire of women, but a taile like a Scorpion which stin∣geth to death.

[Vse 2] Wee learne hence what must bee the christian practise of a godly man, namely, to walke plainely and sin∣cerely

to be a true Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. This is that which Salomon teacheth, He that walketh vp∣righ••ly walketh boldely, but he that per∣uerteth his wayes shall be knowne. Oh it is a gracious thing for a m••n, in all things to labour to keepe faith and a good conscience: such a man may assure himselfe that the Lord loueth him; For he loueth trueth in the inward affections. But such as commit wic∣kednesse without care or conscience, shall be sure to feele the smart in the end.

Notes

• Iohn 1.47.
• Luke 8.15
• Esay 19, 13
• Iere. 42.20.
• Actes 5.
• Actes 15.9
• Psal. 32.2.
• A sanctifi∣ed sanctifi∣ed heart the grea∣test bles∣sing of god
• Sinne is but a lying vanitie.
• Iosua 7.25
• 1. Reg. 21.
• Mat. 26.27
• Hebr. 3.3.
• 2. Sa. 2.26.
• Reuel. 9.
• Prou. 10.9