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.

5 Then I acknowledged my sinne to thee, neyther hid I mine iniquitie; for I thought, I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord; and thou tookest away the pu∣nishment of my sinne. Selath,.

Then I acknowledged my sinne, &c.) Thus farre DAVID hath set forth by his owne example, the disquietnes of them which hold their peace; and refuse in simplicitie of heart, to make confession of their sinnes. Now on the contrarie part, hee sheweth by his owne experi∣ence; what is the effect of Gods grace, when it hath brought men to godlie

humilitie, to resolue to confesse their sinnes to God, in that which followeth next. Then I acknowledge my sinnes vnto thee, &c. This diligence in describing his confession in so manie wordes, that hee would make knowne his sin, & woulde not hide iniquitie; but confesse his apo∣stasie vnto the Lorde; doth declare, that he hath gotten the victorie ouer all hy∣pocrisie; and at the last, after long siege, ••ad gotten the hold of simplicitie, and sinceritie: So as now, there remained no ••urning, nor winding, nor extenuating of his sinne, when hee had to doe with GOD, as there was before. As for the Lorde, he is not hindered with anie im∣••ediment of ignorance, or dulnesse, that ••e should not know by a word, what the ••hole meaneth; yea, though he confesse ••o sinne at all; yet for his part he taketh ••erfite notice of all our offences with∣••ut vs. It is not then for his sake, that we ••ake anie confession, as if we could a∣••••se him by our hypocrisie, for he see∣••th through the darke cloudes: but it is for

our owne sakes; to the end; that compa∣ring our liues, with the commande∣ments of God; & confessing how much wee swarue from that holie rule, wee might be stirred vp to great contrition, and might be more deepelie set in the meditation of our owne vnworthines, that being so humbled, Gods spirite might take occasion to fasten vpon vs, and to lay sure holde vpon our hearts▪ Thus we see, that it is the nature of true confession to aggrauate our sinnes, ac∣knowledging that confusion of face be∣longeth to vs, and charging vppon our heades, the sinnes of our selues, of our fathers and children, wiues, friends, and all others; so farre as our guiltinesse may anie way stretch; not in any set or labo∣red phrase of speech, but from a con¦science nurtured with feare and trem¦bling, vnder the just hand of GOD: i•• this sort, the Prophet calleth himselfe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 beast before God; And Saint PAVLL ac¦cuseth himselfe of blasphemie befor•• his conuersion, affirming, not with fay¦ned

humilitie: but euen as he thought ••n his heart, that he was the chiefest sin∣••er amongst them, whome CHRIST ••ame to saue. And in the Primitiue Church, Saint PAVLL sheweth, what ••umilitie was joyned to the confession ••f them which were conuerted by hea∣••ing the Prophecies, or exercises then ••sed; that they fell vpon their faces. As ••ndeede, if we be indued with the Spi∣••ite of true repentance, we can finde in ••ur heartes to humble our selues, euen ••elow to the ground: & the verie cause why sinners make it so strange, is, be∣cause the spirit of pride hath stil the pos∣••ession of their hearts; which euil spirit, ••ust be cast out of vs, befor we can mak ••nie such confession, as God will accept ••f at our hands. There is another thing, ••hich the holie Ghost setteth downe ••o be marked in this place; namely, that ••he children of God haue a joyfull issue ••f all their temptations, that the Lorde ••ill bring some excellent thing to passe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the last; by afflicting his, which is their

mortification and sanctification: Fo•• this is the end of all his hewing, to mak•• them liuing stones fit to his Church, an•• sorting to the chiefe corner stone, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 our Lorde IESVS CHRIST; to whose ••¦mage by this meanes we are confo••¦med. If the Lorde had brought all th•• worlde vnto captiuitie vnder DAVID yet, if hypocrisie had rested in his hear•• it had bene all accursed to him: but no•• that the Lorde hath renewed a right sp••¦rite in him, both heauen and earth a•••• sanctified to his vse: But aboue all, he hath gotten the libertie of conscienc•• and singeth with a joyfull note: Th•••• hast taken away the punishment of my sinn•• This is al in al, that his soule is refreshe•• with the feeling of remission; and s•• soone as the Lorde saw him willin•• to judge himselfe, he steppeth from th•• tribunal seat, to the bar; & of his judge becommeth his Advocat, to pleade fo•• him; taking away the punishment of hi•• sinne, which being so; who is he, wh•• wilbe affrayd to deale seuerlie with hi••

selfe, to call his conscience to a recko∣••ing, that he might repent him serious∣••••e of his sinne? Who shall blaspheme his way any more? calling it the waye ••f desperation, since we see the contra∣rarie in the example of DAVID; who ••••so telleth vs else where, That with God is ••ercie, that he might be feared: Whereto, ••aint IOHN also agreeth, denying that ••••ee haue anie such cause to dread dis∣••aire: For if wee acknowledge our sinnes sayth he) he will not take vs at the van∣••ge, and condemne vs out of our owne ••outhes, but hee is faithfull and iust, to ••••rgiue vs our sinnes, and cleanse vs from ••••l vnrighteousnesse: Yea, many times ••od chideth and comforteth both at ••ne instant: as we may see in the exam∣••le of the woman of Syrophenisse; who, if hee had bene terrified, with the sharpe ••••buke of CHRIST, she had lost her ••••bour, and the commendation of her ••ith.

At the end of this verse, & the former, ••••e setteth this word Selah; which is a

note of attention, staying the meditatio•• longer vpon these two sentences, the•• vpon the rest; declaring therby his judg¦ment, that both these his contrarie con∣ditions, are worthie of observing, be∣cause they afflicted his heart exceeding∣lie. Whereout we learne, that we ough•• not to passe by Gods proceedings, with a conscience blinde-fold; nor careleslie to passe-ouer, the strange things that w•• reade, in the secret book of our consci∣ence: but when-so-euer wee hitte vpon such notable experiences, to turne in a leafe there; to marke it with a Selah, and to peruse it ouer againe and againe, that we might get some holie experiences in matters of conscience; for this is th•• manner of Gods seruants, to bee cun∣ning in the estate of their owne con∣science; that they may knowe what kinde of Phisick will beste agree with them: For default whereof, wee see manie mens consciences by their owne confession, to haue surfeted often of the same thinges; and to haue escaped the

frute of many heauenly motions, which ••f they had bene receiued, might haue ••urnished them with much riches of ••odlie meditations. And indeed, this is ••he cause why the Psalter is more diuine ••or all the rest of the Bible; because, ••hen the Lorde had spoken once, DA∣••ID heard him twise; and all the way ••s he marched, he set downe the gestes ••nd circumstances of euerie dayes jour∣••ey in a Commentarie; so that his ex∣••erience, committed to the godlie me∣••orie, made him to excell in the sight, ••oth of Angels and men.