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

2 Doctrine. As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

Thus is the life of man compared Job 14.2.* 1.1 Isa. 28.1. & 40.6. Jam. 1.10, 11. 1 Pet. 1.24.

Why or in what respect David likens the flourishing estate of man to a flower,* 1.2 himself is his own best interpreter vers. 16. Which tending onely to this purpose, we may here consider it without further handling. In a flower therefore David observes two points of frailty or vanity. 1 In respect of the es∣sence of it: Though no hand pluck it, nor foot tread it down, nor beast crop it, nor any other casualty befall it; yet as soon as the wind (that is, the nipping or blasting wind, such as the cast wind Gen. 41.23.) passeth o∣ver

it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 it is not; that is, it neither con∣tinues any longer in being, nor returnes any more into being. So how greatly soever any man flourishes in his time, yet as soone as a deadly wound or disease cometh upon him, all his glory can not save his life, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, he is gone, he is not; he both must die, and be∣ing dead he returns to this life no more, Psal. 78.39. Job 14.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. 2 Sam. 12.23. & 14.14.

2 Which necessarily followes upon the former, in respect of the appearance of it. Though whilest it flourishes, the place of it seems as it were to know nothing but it, the glory and beauty of it drawes all eies to it, nothing else of all that is round about it is lookt at or regarded; yet, when it is once nipped with the wind, not onely the glory and beauty of it, but even all appearance and signe of it perishes together with the essence, and never returnes againe [the place thereof shall know it no more.] So, though whilest a man is in his flourishing estate, he is eminent in his place, lookt upon and regarded by all, pointed at and shewn by one to another, This is the man: yet when his life is once taken away, his glory and appearance in this world vanishes together with it, and never returnes againe, yea being once out of sight he growes

by litle and litle out of mind also, litle thought of, lesse spoken of, many times not so much as his name mentioned or remembred in the next generation. Job 7.8, 9, 10. & 14.10. Where is he? Eccles. 1.11. (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of former men) & 2.16. (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 every man) & 8.10. & 9.5. Hence the state of the dead is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the land of forgetfulnesse Psal. 88.12. And Psal. 31.12. I am forget∣ten as a dead man out of mind. And that this is the meaning of this phrase, appeares not onely by the place first before quoted Job 7.10. but by divers other places also, where this and the like phrases are so used. See Job 20.9. Nahum 3.17. Psal. 37.10. compared with vers. 35, 36. of the same Psalme.

[Object.] But we read of three in the Old Testament and five in the New raised from death to life.

[Answ.] I answer 1. These few examples of men raised from death to life by Gods extraordi∣nary power, do not infringe the truth of what the Scripture affirmes of all mankind accor∣ding to the ordinary course and law of na∣ture. 2 Even those men also afterwards died againe, and vanished, no more to return or appeare againe in this world.

Uses.* 1.3

Observe here 1 That men ordinarily have

a time of flourishing, whilest their gifts of mind (faculties and habits) their endowments of body (health, strength, beauty &c.) their outward good things (wealth, power &c.) are in their prime. And all these come down from the Father of lights, and are given unto men, partly that by enjoying them the many calamities of this pilgrimage may be mitiga∣ted; but chiefly, that they may glorify the Giver, promote their own salvation, benefit the Church, common-wealth, and particular persons, by the rightuse of these according to Gods word.

2 When they most flourish, they are but like unto a flower, whose short continuance and fading condition no man but knowes: And that to a flower not of the garden (which is much sheltered from sharp winds, fenced from the teeth and feet of beasts, from the hands of children, strangers &c.) but of the field, which lies open to all inconvenien∣ces. Psal. 39.5. Not some man, but every man; is, not vaine, but vanity; not in some measure, but altogether; not in his childhood or decrepit age, but in his best estate. Nei∣ther is this spoken as a thing doubtfull or probable onely, but as most certaine, Verily. Lastly, it is not spoken by some simple man of no experience, but by David enlightened

by Gods Spirit, and having experience in himself, what the endowments of mind and body, and outward privileges could doe.

3 At length, sooner or later, something (like a blasting wind) will passe over them, which will take away this life how flouri∣shing soever.

4 Being once taken away there is no re∣turning to it againe in this world. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 de∣nies it once for all; as not onely the places of Scripture before quoted plainly testify, but experience taught the heathen themselves, Hor. lib. 4. car. 7.

Cùm semeleccideris, & de te splendida Mines Fecerit arbitria; Non, Torquate, genus, non te facundia, non te Restituet pietas.

The life once lost God will not restore, the creatures cannot.

5 Together with their life their appearance also in this world must needs vanish, never to returne. Even in their own place, where they lived, they cease to be known, and by de∣grees their very names also to be remem∣bred.

This reproves 1 Such as trust in the goods of this life.* 1.4 Trust is a part of the honour due unto God by the prescript of the first Com∣mandement. Whence it is manifest, that it

can not be put in the creatures (except onely in a remisse degree and with subordination to God) without idolatry and horrible injury to the Creatour. But let us see what kind of cisterns these men dig for themselves: Certaine it is, that what ever they be, none of them can in this case hold any water. For they cannot make men to be other then like unto flowers, and those of the field too; and therefore can not defend them from death. Yea as the flower is many times blasted with the wind, or cropt by the hand of him that pas∣seth by, when the grasse remaines untouched: so these things many times expose those, that have them, to greater dangers. To omit o∣ther for brevities sake, Let us see concerning riches, which men are most prone to trust in, (Prov. 18.11. 1 Tim. 6.17.) because they may thereby procure other men (and Vis unita fortior) to use their skill, strength, care, (and what not?) for their help. But he that possesseth these, seeing he flourisheth but as a flower of the field, which, when the wind passeth over it, is not, therefore I can not by these preserve himself from death, Psal. 49.6, 7, 8, 9, 10. yea 2 is by reason of them ex∣posed to many dangers, Eccles. 5.13. Isa. 39.5, 6, 7.

2 Such as are proud of any endowments

of the body. And whereas of all temporall things beauty makes a man most like unto a flower, they who are proud of it may be more particularly here reproved. For what is the most beautifull face but a peece of red and white clay mixt together? And therefore beauty, even whilest it remaines, is not much to be esteemed, Prov. 31.30. is many times found in them that are none of the best, as in Cains posterity Gen. 6.2. harlots Prov. 6.25. &c. Yea the more beautifull men or women are, the more they are in danger (unlesse they take the more heed, and the grace of God re∣straine them) to defile themselves with un∣cleannesse, both in regard of their sanguine constitution, and in regard of mutuall tem∣ptations and allurements. Which if it hap∣pen, their beauty will be but litle praise to them, Prov. 11.22. Beside, the beauty, which is for the present, how long doth it continue? A fit of sicknesse may take it away, Psal. 39.11. But if sicknesse spare it, so will not old age, 1 Pet. 1.24.

Lastly,* 1.5 this should exhort us 1 To labour that we may flourish in the graces of the Ho∣ly Spirit.

Motive 1 From the beautifulnesse of grace in the eies of God and all good men, yea and sometimes even of wicked men also, so that

by seeing it in others they are converted unto God. 2 From the profitablenesse of it, as having the promise of glory, and enabling us to glorify God and to work out our own salvation. 3 From the necessity of having it, as without which we are unable to doe any good, without God and Christ and the Ho∣ly Ghost, dead in sinnes &c. 4 From the dura∣blenesse of it. Psal. 92.12, 13, 14.

Meanes. God is the fountaine of all grace, 1 Pet. 5.10. And in Christ He would have all the fulnesse thereof to dwell, John 1.14, 16. Christ communicates grace by the Spi∣rit, Heb. 10.29. The Spirit by the word Act. 20.32. Wherefore diligently using the word, and not quenching but cherishing the moti∣ons of the Holy Spirit, come to the throne of grace through the mediation of Christ, that thou mayst of God obteine mercy, and find grace to help in time of need, Hebr. 4.16.

2 To use the things of this life well, whilest we have them.

Motive 1. So may great benefit arise there∣by, as appeares by those ends before mentio∣ned (Instr. 1.) to which they are given by God, and fit by His grace. 2 If we neglect the present time, we know not how soon the wind may come, which passing over us we are gone. And then though we would never so

faine, we can not use them, but must be jud∣ged according to all that we have done in the body.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.3

  Instr.
• * 1.4

  Repr.
• * 1.5

  Exhort.