A brief commentary upon the CIII Psalme with the severall axiomes or doctrines therein conteined [sic], and uses thereupon inferred.

4 Doctrine. The LORD remembers this.

The memory in man is a faculty of the soule belonging to the understanding (largely ta∣ken) whereby notions once known and jud∣ged, are layd up and preserved: and that ei∣ther perfectly, so as that they readily occurre whensoever a man will actually think of them; or in part, when the notions are in some sort so obliterated, that to the renew∣ing of them there is need of reminiscency or recordation, whereby from those things which yet remaine, we recall those which are slipt out of memory. This latter act of memory can have no place in God (to Whom all things are alwaies most present) but onely the former, and that after an eminent manner be∣seeming God. And whereas the memory (as was said before vers. 2. Doctr. 2.) is either merely notionall or affective also, here the latter is to be understood.

To the same effect with this Doctrine is that Psal. 78.39. He remembred they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away and cometh not againe.

For 1 that we are dust, the former Do∣ctrine

taught us. 2 As God knows all things that are, all things that are done by the crea∣tures, so He can not be ignorant of that which is done by Himself. Now it was He Himself, Who first formed Adam of the dust, and also for sinne made both him and his posterity dust in this sense here in the Text, by taking away from them the means of immortality and appointing unto all men once to dy. 3 He can not by any means forget any thing of what He knowes; seeing this is a point of infirmity or imperfection, which can no waies agree to Him Who is absolute perfection it self.

[Object.] But God is sometimes said to forget, Jer. 23.39. & 31.34. Ezek. 33.13.

[Answ.] There is a twofold forgetfulnesse: 1 Pro∣perly so called, when a thing once known slips out of memory. 2 Metaphorically, when one so carries himself as if he had forgotten. The former can not be attributed to God: but the latter may; as in the places objected, Where God being provoked by the horrid sinnes of the Jewes so punished them as if He had forgotten that they were his people, and on the other side being appeased by the repen∣tance of them that had sinned so carryed Himself toward them as if He had forgotten that they had ever committed any sinne a∣gainst Him.

Uses.

Now if God remembers what we are, then by the same reason (seeing He is not like to us, who of those few things we know, re∣member some and forget many more; but as He knows all things, so He can never forget any thing) He remembers also whatsoever we doe, good or evil. 1 For good deeds, Heb. 6.10. Ephes. 6.8. So whosoever hath from the beginning of the world relieved Christ in His members, He, at His coming to judge the quick and the dead, shall remem∣ber, acknowledge, and recompense, Mat. 25. And therefore they are sayd to be written in a book Mal. 3.16. 2 For evil deeds Hos. 7.2. So 1 Sam. 15.2. I remember (saith God) that which Amalek did to Israel &c. though it was done about 400 yeares before. Yea Cains murther, & whatsoever other sinne hath been by any man committed since the beginning of the world, whereof he shall not have repented, God shall in the end of the world remember and punish as a righteous Judge. And therefore these also are sayd to be written Isa. 65.6. Jer. 17.1. Our sinnes may be concealed from men, but God can not be deceived. We may forget our own sinnes; but God will be sure most perfectly to remember them, and hereafter, unlesse we

repent, will set them in order before us. And both for good and evil deeds, if God should forget any of them, we might say with Saint Paul Rom. 3. How shall He judge the world? How should He bring every work to judgement with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil (Eccle. 12.14.) if He did not both know and remem∣ber all our works both good and evil?

And if God remember that our bodies are dust, why do we our selves forget it? Where∣upon we either on the one side too highly prize our bodies and too much pamper and trimme them; or on the other side are too litle sparing of them, laying more upon them then dust can beare, or not affording them such necessaries as their frailty requires.

Yea let us ever remember, and often actu∣ally recount with our selves what God here remembers, viz. That we all are dust.

Motiv. 1. In respect of our selves, If eve∣ry one of us remember that himself is dust 1 It will humble us before God, that when we are to pray (as Abraham Gen. 18.) or to performe any other duty of religion, we shall think with our selves, Behold we have taken upon us to speak unto the Lord in praier, to heare His word, to approch unto His Table &c. who are but dust and ashes:

with what reverence therefore had we need to come before Him? 2 It will beget in us a hatred of sinne, as out of sense of the punish∣ment, so especially because it is so hatefull to God: both which are here manifest in that God for one onely sin of Adam hath made us all dust in this miserable sense. 3 It will make us carefull to search our hearts and try our waies, vigilant against Satan and all occasions of sinning, and more diligent and constant in the use of the word, sacraments, and all other meanes serving to strengthen our soules. 4 Whereas no care can long preserve the body from death, it will excite us so to live, that when the dust shall be turned to the earth as it was, the spirit may with comfort return to God, Who gave it, in Him quietly resting, and expecting a joyfull resurrection of the body and reunion with it self. 2 In respect of others, If we remember that they are dust, 1 It will restraine us from envy∣ing the prosperity of wicked men. Psal. 37.1, 2. & 73.16. &c. 2 It will make us more favourable to them, who slip through infirmity. 3 It will make us not too much to trust in humane helps, Psal. 146.3, 4. Isa. 2.22. 4 On the other side, not to feare the wrath and power of men, Isa. 51.7, 8, 12. 5 It will moderate our grief for

the death of our friends: For to him that considers all are dust, it will not seem strange that the dust should returne to dust againe. So Anaxagoras when he had newes of the death of his sonne, answered, Sciebam me genuisse mortalem, I knew that I begat him mortall. 6 It more specially concernes ma∣sters of families, that they should not intreat their servants too hardly in imposing of work, inflicting of correction, abbridging them of necessaries &c. but afford them con∣venient rest, especially on the Lords day, moderate their corrections according to pru∣dence and clemency, and readily allow them all things necessary and convenient for them, Prov. 31.15, 21. Otherwise let them think they heare their servants complaining with Job (chap. 6.12.) Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh of brasse, that I should have so much businesse and correction layd upon me, and so slender pro∣vision afforded me? Let them also consider and say of their servants as Job of his, chap. 31.15. Did not He, that made me in the wombe, make him? &c. So S. Cyprian con∣tra Demetrianum, Domini & servi eadem sors nascendi, conditio una moriendi, corpo∣rum materia consimilis, animarum ratio communis &c. Whereupon he inferres to

such dominering masters, Non agnoscis Do∣minum, cùm sic exerceas dominatum?

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