An exposition vppon the thirtie two psalme describing the true manner of humbling and raising vppe of Gods children. Set foorth by Maister David Blak.

3 When I held my tongue, my bones consu∣med whilest I waited all the day long.

4 For thine hand is heauy vpon me day and night, & my moysture is turned into the drought of sommer, Selah.

Hitherto the prophet hath declared that there is no true felicity where ther is no sanctified feeling of remission. Now it remaineth, that hee prooue the same which he doth by his owne exam∣ple, declaring the greate anguish and tor∣ment which he felt in his conscience, e∣ven to the wasting & soaking out of the

strength of his body so long as God hid his face from him, & left him destitute of the hope of saluation, the cause wher∣of he declareth in the first wordes of the verse to haue bin, because he held his peace that is denied to make a liberall confes∣sion of his sins, refusing no shame not other abasement what-so-euer belong∣ing thereto, whereinto the holy Ghoste reacheth vs, that cloking of sin, howsoe∣uer it serueth for an excuse in the world and saueth our credite amoungst men: Yet it keepeth his conscience vpon the racke, and maketh the arrowhead of dis∣paire to ranckle in his bowels, whereto the saying of SALOMON agreeth in that 2••. of PROVERBS, That he vvhich hideth his sinne shall not prosper, but hee vvhich confesseth them, and leaueth them, shall finde mercie. But this sentence before we proceede further, if it respecteth confes∣sion to be made to God onely, and not to the Church, hath neede of expositi∣on: For if DAVID might haue bin relea∣sed from the torments which hee heere

speaketh of, with a secret confession vn∣to God, all other witnesses being remo∣ued, so that no discredit might redound ••o him thereby, it seemeth strange, that he would abide such troubles the space of an houre, and would not rather gette him into some secret place, & in moste ample manner confesse all the wicked∣nes that he could remember, that he had committed euer in his life. The holie Ghost therfore in this place, by DAVID his silence, intendeth some greater crime ••gainst him, then that he was dainty of his words, & refused with his tongue to make confessiō vnto God; for it is certain that a domme man may make as accep∣table a confession, as he that can speake, but DAVID in this place accuseth him∣selfe of hypocrisie, and hardnes of heart, ••n this, that he refused to deale seriously with his owne conscience, and to persist ••n the meditation of mortification, till such time as he had a sufficient sight and detestation of his sinne, without which, ••ll the confession of men must be hypo∣criticall,

& their smoake infect the ayre. This then indeed was Dauids silence, that he refused to giue answere to the holy Ghost calling vpō his conscience, & for want of faith was kept either with some presumption, or elles with some terrour from entring into a most graue consul∣tation, and resolute determination, to take such perfite notise of the haynous∣nes of his sinnes, as the nature of true re∣pentance doth require: for this is com∣mon to vs all, that although we desire to be saved, yet there is not one amongst an hundreth that will taske himselfe so zealouslie, as hee ought with a sincere perseuerance in humbling himselfe to walke with God; yea, and least any man should resolue with himselfe, not to bee stripped of sackcloth, and ashes, nor to put away the purpose of sorrowe, and lamentation, in seeking after his vvelbe∣loued (as it is in the song of SALOMON) till he had found her. The diuel hath in∣fected the heartes of many men with a damnable errour in the definition o••

repentaunce, making them beleeue, that, euery terror of the heart for sinne, is the nature of true repentaunce, and to that purpose hee abuseth the Scrip∣tures, that CHRIST will not quench the smoking flaxe, nor breake the bru∣sed reede. And by these fallacions and false comfortes, he quencheth the zeale of many, and maketh them giue ouer their laboure and consultationes of humbling them-selues and seeking of CHRIST, before their conscience haue felt any comfort at all. As if euerie sor∣row were godly sorrow, or as if it were possible for mercie to bee founde and yet neuer felt, or for repentance to bee separated from faith, and the spirite of fredome. This cursed discontinuance of our trauel in Godly sorrow, the Prophet ESAY derideth, calling pennance for a daye, and bowing downe the head lik a Bul∣rush. And the Prophet AMOS likeneth it, to the dewe and the Morning cloude which is suddainelie gone, And this is the swept and garnished house, mentioned

by CHRIST, Repossessed by seuen wor∣ser spirites then before: For as this false repentance, feedeth their hearte with false hope, and suffereth not true com∣fort to take place; as appeareth in the daye of visitation: So may this negli∣gence, & giuing ouer our labour in mor∣tification, bee worthelie accompted the cause, why men wallow in fowler enor∣mities then before, swallowing againe, (as S. PETER sayth) The vomite which before they had cast; as it is most certaine and true: those men finde in themselues lesse power to doe well; and are carried with more raging affections to do wic∣kedlie, then euer they felt before. What shall wee say then? Do we require such a measure of sorrow, as might counter∣weight the same; or do we esteeme re∣mission, by the dignitie of repentance? nothing lesse: For we know, that if wee had a thousand eyes, it were too little to weepe them out all, because of our sins: yea, if we had a thousand hearts, though they al burst with sorrow because of our

transgressions; yet it were not this, but Christes hearte bloud, that could make the fathers heart to yearne; or could me∣rite remission at his handes; what is it then that we require? namely, that men returne not from the schoole of repen∣tance to worldly delights, which quench the spirite, till their hartes bee made joy∣full by the holy Ghoste, by feeling an heartie detestation of their wickednesse, and a resolute determination to conti∣nue cherefully in the course of godli∣nes, so long, vntill both faith & hope be abolished, that then resting from their laboures, they may solace themselues with loue celestial, as sainct PAVLE spea∣keth; for the trueth is, that manie when they compare themselues with DAVID & other of Gods children, I meane the difficulties and long afflictions of them, and the short worke which they them∣selus haue made, & so easiely dispatched in this worke of repentance, haue cause to suspect themselues vehementlie, and to examine themselues straightlie, by

the fruites of feeling, and conversion, whether they haue right repented or no▪ Sainct PAVL in the 2. Epistle to the Cor. the 7. Cap. like a man of experience, set∣teth downe seuen notable affectes of re∣pentance; I woulde they were well per∣vsed, that wee might trye our selues by them, for it is a care that ought to pos∣sesse all the powers both of bodie and soule; considdering that Sathan with this engine, maketh a number of soules pertakers of their owne condemnation▪ The matter therefore groweth to this poynt, that although we confesse neuer so absolutelie, that we are sinners, with the greatest vehemency of speach that can bee, yet so long as there remayneth selfe-loue in vs, prevailing so farre with vs, as to make vs take exceptions against the seueritie of this spirituall discipline al this while; because we cannot finde in our heartes to plucke out our eyes and cutte off our handes, at Christes com∣mandemente: that is, to deale seuerelie with our selues in mortifying euery pro∣vocation

to offence: wee doe but flatter our breath in the winde, and the hypo∣crise that is in vs drowneth the sounde of our confession, so as A voyce cannot ••e heard, as the Prophet ESAY witnes∣seth. Let vs therfore as we are aduised in the REVELATION, be zealous in repen∣••ance, that the holy Ghoste may assure our conscience, that our mourning is growen into the nature of true re∣pentance, not deceauing our selues with beginninges, because the Scripture say∣eth plainely, that the proceedinges of a ••rue convert, is not to stay himselfe with a perswasion of repentance, when hee ••s pricked at the hearte; but to steppe yet further, to lay holde vpon repentance it selfe, as vpon a more excellent and infal∣••ible grace; as we may reade, that it befel ••o PETERS auditorie, in that 2. of the ACTES, of whom the holy Ghoste say∣eth, first, That they vvere pricked in their heartes; which least it should be taken for ••epentance, he sayeth, that vpon further ••nstruction, and more carefull searche,

they atteyned to repentance it selfe af∣terward, that we may knowe, that prick∣ing at the heart, & repentance are not all one, but two seuerall thinges, whereof one may be in a lost child, as that was in IVDAS, but the other belongeth oneli•• to the sons and daughters of God. Thu•• hath DAVID declared how he brought himselfe into fearefull troubles, (as i•• were) by gagging of his owne consci∣ence, least he should make such a confes∣sion as it required at his handes.

Now it remaineth to be considere•• what troubles those were. My bones sait•• he, consumed and waxed olde, &c. That is care which eateth out the hearte, mad•• her impressione in my body, and th•• thoughts which I had taken, did so pyn•• me away, that it burneth the marrow•• out of my bones, & drieth vp my youth¦full humours with pensiuenes (as it ha•• beene with olde age) which he repea¦teth in the next verse in other wordes saying, That the hand of God vvas so he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vpon him day and night, that it spent his n••¦ture,

and turned the best moysture vvithin 〈◊〉〈◊〉 into the drought of sommer; as if it had beene entering into the most incurable consumption of all otheres, when that which is called, humidum radicale, begin∣neth to spende. These speeches are vsed ••o teach vs into what plight, concealing of sinne bringeth men, and we are the ra∣ther inforced, that we should not thinke that these clowdes would bee so easilie ouer-blowne, as those miseries which proceed of worldly causes. Marke then, what wee haue to learne in this place, what is the estate of them which be not in league with God, if wee looke vpon them with a worldly eye; I confesse wee shal see many of them with their breasts full of milke, & their bones full of mar∣rowe: yea they haue collopes in their flankes, (as IOB saieth) but if we look vpon their conditione with a spirituall eye, wee shal wel perceaue, that their conscience as often as their presumptione is inter∣mitted, is nothing-els but an hell, and themselues so terified with the horrible

stiching thereof, that it worketh the•• more woe nor all their worldlie peace i•• worth: for such is the estate of men no•• reconciled to God, That the sound of fear•• is neuer out of their eares, (as wee reade i•• IOB,) and this is the cause why these men cannot sustaine to heare the judge∣ment of God against sin, because they thinke themselues all the while to be ar¦rained at Gods barre; for where there i•• no truce with God, the law goareth th•• conscience, and the soule thinketh i•• selfe tormented before the time: and i•• this be so, how greate is the hardnes o•• those mens heartes? and how monste¦rous is their cruelty to their own soules▪ which can shake of the care of reconci∣lement, & can rejoyce with a Sardini∣an laughter in sinne, when the Lord•• bendeth his browes against them. Fur∣thermore, we haue here an ample testi∣monie of the frowardnes of our nature▪ which will not be reclamed without ex∣treame dealing; for DAVID himself•• (you see) is layde vpon the racke, and al¦most

streached a sunder, euerie ioynte one from another, before hee can bee brought to a sincere confession, such a work hath the Lord with vs before hee can make anie grace to growe in our ••eartes, which ought to teache vs these ••wo thinges. First, that we enter into an ••eartie mislike of our selues, and to bee ••rieuously displeased with our vntracta∣••lenes, which compelleth God to heare vs vp, and cast vs downe against the ground; (As DAVID elles where saieth,) and to ••fflict many so sore, that (God his secret grace excepted) they seeme otherwise ••n respect of the maruelous afflictions which God is driuen to lay vpon them, ••o be shackled foote to foote, with re∣••robate and desperate persons: all this I say) proceeding, not of cruelty or fu∣•••• in the Lorde, but of our owne vn∣••ractablenes (who otherwise coulde not ••ossibly be saued) should make vs to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 perpetual warre with our affections, ••nd to conceaue a present hatred, as it ••ere, even of our selues: for if the Lorde

might espie that in vs, that wee woulde Iudge our selues, hee woulde not bee our judge, but our comforter in such a con∣flict. The next thinge that wee haue to learne, is to judge wisely of the afflicted soule, & to beware how wee condemn•• anie, because the hand of God is terri∣ble vpon them, for the text saith, that e∣uen DAVID himselfe, who had consci∣ence of some former sincerity, and wa•• able to subdue manie assaultes, and ten∣tations in knowledge, yet was he eve•• brought to the brinke of dispaire, an•• was tormented with an horrible fear•• of damnation: euen as it is vsuall with God to exercise his children with those tryalls, no otherwise, nor if he whippe•• them with Scorpions. The worldly•• men, which neuer were translated from death to life, being ignorant of God•• spirituall miracles; in calling; morti∣fying, regenerating, and chastening o•• his children, when they see a man in thi•• perplexitie; they say hee is madde, me¦lancholious & desperat, increasing th••

griefes of the afflicted, with bitter tantes & mockes; which is to be feared, many one day wil rue it. It standeth vs there∣fore in hand, to expel such vncharitable conceipts; knowing that the dearest chil∣dren of God, may be wonderfullie per∣plexed and racked with exceeding and long torments of conscience; yea, many times their sayle is rent in peeces; their tackles, and all their tackling burst; their bruised bark left to the wilde waters & the winde; and yet for al that, at the last they obteyne a safe aryval to the shore. Let vs then, for the conclusion of this poynt (if any such thing be fall vs) be∣ware to lay any vn-reasonable thing to Gods charge; yea, rather let vs acknow∣ledge his mercie; who, when he might haue punished our long and tedious hy∣pocrisie, with hardnesse of heart; choose rather to put himselfe to all that payne, to reclayme vs by correction, that wee might take heede to our sores, how wee suffer them to runne long cured on the out-side, but festering within; knowing

that by these meanes, we shall put our selues to greater paynes at the last, be∣fore they can bee cured: how-be-it, for that which is past, and cannot be reuo∣ked; let vs not be dismayed with this ex∣ample, from submitting our selues to the mightie hande of GOD, For hee is a faithfull keeper of soules, and will not suffer them to bee tempted, aboue (mea∣sure, or) their power. Thus hauing con∣sidered the effect of DAVID his silence, we are to giue heed to a special circum∣stance, which he setteth downe in these words, that He roared all the day long. Sig∣nifying thereby, that his praiers so long as they were not mixed with faith, nor seasoned with true repentance, were no better then roaring: That is, then the crying or bellowing of some bruitish & vn-reasonable creature. For this is a me∣taphore, taken from Lyons, taken in a snare, or being in some other distresse, as appeareth in the third chapter of Amos, and in other places, where the worde is vsed in his proper signification; where∣by

we learne, what difference there is, betwixt the prayers of the faithfull, and of them which nowrish fraud & deceit ••n their spirit: The sacrifice of the one is ••indled from heauen, & when he hath ••oured out his spirite, he hath eased his hearte; hauing cast his burthen and care ••herof vpon the shoulders of CHRIST: ••ut the hypocrite, in the day of visitati∣on, fareth like a beast that is sticked or ••aled with ropes, wanting all reason & fore-cast to helpe it selfe: and therefore vseth no meeknesse nor entreatie, but with roaring and strugling, strayneth it selfe, and tangleth it selfe more; & with bruitish raging, doubleth the pain. There ••s no doubt, but where great afflictions ••ight vppon men that are taynted with hypocrisie: the aire is beaten with ma∣nie such roaringes, and men flutter like birdes in the net, when God hath caught ••hem: but all those senselesse prayers a∣••aile them nothing more, then if an Ox ••hould break out of the slaughter-house, with the roape tied about his hornes, &

his toung hanging out, with much bel∣lowing and madnesse, when hee had caught a knock with the axe. And ther∣fore we may see the excellency of faith∣full prayers: Yea, the Angell of GOD doth ascende vp in the smoke of this sa∣crifice, whereas men that wil not yeeld, but will reteyne their sins, cannot pray, but rage and roare desperatlie, like Ly∣ons and Beares. Neuerthelesse, it beho∣ueth vs wiselie to vnderstand this doc∣trine, that it concerneth hypocrites, and them that holde their falshood in the right hande. I say, it belongeth to them, because they haue not faith, nor conso∣lation in their prayers: For otherwise, it is certaine, that the most excellent chil∣dren of GOD, are many times so lowe brought, with the anguish of an afflic∣ted conscience, that they cannot vtter anie perfite prayers with their lippes: but do speake abruptlie halfe sentences; yea, halfe wordes, being broken off with the extreamitie of their pangues that come betuixt; (As Ezechiah writeth of

himselfe) That he chattered like a Crane or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Swallow, and mourned like a Doue. And there is no doubt, but all Gods Chil∣dren doe feele a strife and a combate in their spirite, in many of their prayers; e∣••en as we see green-wood lieth sobbing and smoking long before it will burne: We are therefore to put a differance be∣tweene this and roaring; because the Scriptures are full of examples of im∣perfite speaches in the prayers of Gods children: yea, in the praiers of CHRIST himselfe; which commeth to passe, be∣cause manie of those sacrifices, are so seasoned and peppered with salt, and with fire; yea, afflictions come so thick on Gods children, that they haue no time to swallow their spittle: But yet in them there is a sweete sense of Gods grace; and the Lorde inlargeth the foo∣ting vnder them; yea, he puts his owne arme betuixt them and the graue, that they should not bruise themselues with any fall; for although hee leaue some trouble of minde, yet hee looketh vpon

them through the chinkes of the doore, he hath compassion of their dolorous la∣mentations, and putteth all their teares into a bottel: For why, they haue yeelded vnto GOD, they haue kept nothing backe, and therefore can praye with a feeling spirite; whereas the hypocrite doth not pray, but roare; because hee will not trust God: For an euill consci∣ence, doth stoppe his mouth, & the sins of his youth, are still in his bones.