The care of a Christian conscience Ten sermons on the 25 psalme, preached in Tewkesburie in the countie of Gloucester, By Richard Curtis.

11 For thy name sake, O Lord, be mer∣cifull to mine iniquitie: for it is great.

THis is a prayer of the holy Prophet & king, Dauid, after his holy meditation of the vn∣speakable mercy and eternall truth of God, in kéeping his promi∣ses to them that truely worship him, and obey his holy lawes. Two special bran∣ches it containeth. The first, an earnest and zealous prayer to GOD, for his name sake, not for his merites, to par∣don his sinne. Secondly, is a déepe search of them, without soothing, excusing, or hiding them. For it is great. The forme that the Prophet obserueth in ioyning this prayer, to his former meditation of the mercie and truth of GOD towards

them that obey him, is this: When he had throughly meditated with himselfe, that God was good & gracious towards his seruants, he considered himselfe, ac∣knowledging, that except the Lord, of his great mercie would pardon his great and gréeuous sinnes, he should be none of them. Therfore he praieth (as the like he did at another time before, when hee spake of the reward which God layeth vp for the faithfull that kéepe his holy Lawe, Psalm. 19.10. And more to be desired (meaning the holy lawes of God) thē gold, yea, then much fine gold, swee∣ter also then the hony, & the hony cōbe. verse 11. Moreouer by them is thy ser∣uant made circumspect, & in keeping of thē there is great reward. vers. 12. Who can vnderstand his faults clense me frō my secrete faults.) that GOD for his name sake would pardon him.

The sence is briefly this: My sinnes, O Lorde, as a great burden, sore op∣presse mee; for whose sake (except thou pardon them of thy mercy) I am exclu∣ded from being in the number of them, that kéeping thy couenant and Testi∣monies, receaue thy great mercies and

true promises. Therefore, O Lord, sée∣ing I see how farre I am from kéeping the same, by heaping vp daily & howre∣ly so many and greeuous sinnes, I hum∣bly, euen for thy glorious name, and not for my deserts sake, beséech thée to par∣don and forgiue them all; so shall all thy pathes, be mercy and truth to mée.

[Doct. 1] 1. Doctrine. Whosoeuer desireth, that all thinges that the Lord doth to his Church, procéeding of his mercy and truth, should turne to his good, that hée may be not onely a member of it, but al∣so with it to be partaker of his mercies, must feruently, zealously, and earnestly pray vnto God, that for his names sake, he would vouchsafe to pardon him al his sinnes.

The 1. Reason is. Except our sinnes be pardoned (which without our pray∣er to GOD shall neuer bée) all that the Lord doth to vs, shall (euen our meate, drinke, hearing the holy worde, receiuing the holy Sacramentes, temp∣tations, afflictions, prosperities, and what else soeuer wée receyue from his hand) redound from him, not of his mercie, and so hée a blessing, but from

his wrath, and so bée a curse against vs.

[Vse.] The vse thereof is: First, let vs striue against that temptation, which perswa∣deth vs to cease praying to God for re∣mission of our sinnes. Sathan our aduer∣sary tempteth vs on the right hand, and on the left, that is, by aduersity and pro∣sperity: By aduersity to distrust in God, as he tēpted our Sauiour when he was hungry, to diffidence and distrust in the prouidence of God: when he perceiued that by aduersity he could not preuaile to ouercome him, he tempteth him by his confidence: That séeing he trusted in Gods protection, that therefore, if hée cast himselfe downe from the pinacle of the Temple, he should be protected of the Lord, by the ministery of his holy An∣gels. Lo, we sée, that by his confidence he would haue him to tempt God: Euen so he tempteth vs: if he perceiue that we haue no faith, he will perswade, not to pray for it: if he sée that we are perswa∣ded that the Lord loueth vs, he will per∣swade vs, that we need not pray to him for that which we already haue: for al∣though we are in our consciences, to the

great comfort thereof in all afflictions, perswaded, that the Lord loueth vs, yet notwithstanding, we must continually pray to his maiesty for the fame, and the forgiuenes of our sinnes: els we kéepe not his testimonies, & so by consequence, it is but a vaine perswasiō that we haue, that God fauoureth vs, which may pro∣ceede from an opinion thereof onely, which the infidels may haue: but as for a true faith, they onely that haue the Spirite of Praier, and exercise the same, haue it; and so by consequence, they one∣ly shall receyue remission of their sinnes. Let vs therefore resist this temptation. Let vs vse this holy exercise: for there∣by we both encrease in godlines, and all things that the Lord doth to vs, euen temptations and afflictions shall re∣dound to our good, and from the Lords mercie.

For thy names sake be mercifull to my sinnes.

[Doct. 2] 2. Doct. We must be perswaded, that God, when he forgiueth sinnes, doth for his owne sake, & not for any other cause whatsoeuer, pardō the same. The reason is: He is good and gracious of himselfe.

[Vse.] The vse is: That we acknowledge, that there is none other name giuen vn∣der heauen, whereby we are saued, that our sinnes are forgiuen vs, without the which there is no saluation, but onely the name of our Lord Iesus: none other meanes, none abilitie, power, aucthori∣tie in any, neyther in man or Angel, but in the Lord onely. God holdeth the reynes in his handes, to guide men at his pleasure: and if it please him to pu∣nish our sinnes, we haue nothing to reply why he should not condemne vs: and if it please him of his great mercy wholy to pardon vs, who shall resist him? who shall let him to shew vs fauour? True it is, that this is strange to mans vnder∣standing at the first sight. For seing that God accepteth not the persons of men, we aske, wherefore he forgiueth some, & forgiueth not othersome? wherfore tole∣rateth he y^e wicked, seing him so disorder∣ly? Then may we trouble our heads, to be curious to know, wherefore doth the lord so deale? But what cōclusiō must we make? Euē only to refer al things to his wisdome & purpose, knowing y^t it is not in vs to rule him, & we cānot cōprehend

those thinges that are aboue our reach. And if it please God to forgiue vs, let vs vnderstand, that it is not for our deserts, but of his frée mercy, through Iesus Christ onely. And this must bee well marked, because the matter that I haue already spoken of, comming naturally into mens imaginations, hath béene the cause, that false & wicked doctrines haue ouerflowed in Christendome.

Notes

• Text.
• Psal. 19.10, 11, 12.
• Math. 4. Luk. 4.
• Text.
• Similit. Euen as an horse∣man, hol∣ding the reynes of his horse, guideth him as he wil: euē so the Lord holdeth vs, to guide vs at his pleasure, either not to pardō, or to for∣giue vs our sins. Act. 10.