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019 - Sermon 18 Verses 137-144 · Sermons on Psalm 119

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Speaker 1: Sermon eighteen of Sermons on Psalm one hundred and nineteen
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Speaker 1: by John Calvin, translated by Thomas Stocker. This LibriVox recording
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Speaker 1: is in the public domain. T Saadi righteous art Thou,
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Speaker 1: o Lord and true in thy judgment. Thou hast commanded
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Speaker 1: justice by thy testimonies, and truth, especially my zeal, hath
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Speaker 1: even consumed me. Because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.
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Speaker 1: Thy word is proved most pure, and thy servant loveth it.
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Speaker 1: I am small and of no reputation, Yet do I
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Speaker 1: not forget thy commandments. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
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Speaker 1: and thy law is the truth. Trouble and heaviness have
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Speaker 1: taken hold upon me, Yet is my delight in thy commandments.
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Speaker 1: The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting. Grant me understanding,
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Speaker 1: and I shall live. It is certain that there is
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Speaker 1: no man but will easily grant the Law of God
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Speaker 1: to be both good and holy, and that we ought
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Speaker 1: not only to allow of it, but also to receive
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Speaker 1: it with all fear and reverence. Notwithstanding, there are very
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Speaker 1: few touched with this affection to understand that there is
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Speaker 1: such a perfection in the Word of God as that
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Speaker 1: nothing can be found therein but all purity and sincerity,
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Speaker 1: and to be so infallible. A truth and a righteousness
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Speaker 1: so certain as possible, cannot be more certain than sure.
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Speaker 1: But very few there are which understand this, or at
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Speaker 1: the least which are very greatly touched herewith. And therefore
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Speaker 1: it is not without cause that David, in this present
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Speaker 1: psalm useth such a repetition, that he so highly magnifies
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Speaker 1: the doctrine which he has learned out of the Law
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Speaker 1: of God, to the end to declare unto us that
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Speaker 1: we have greatly profited, when we shall have such a
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Speaker 1: favour and judgment thoroughly imprinted in our hearts, When as
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Speaker 1: I say, this righteousness, this wisdom, and this sincerity which
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Speaker 1: is contained in the Word of God, shall be very
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Speaker 1: well and thoroughly known unto us, then may we be
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Speaker 1: able to say, with David, righteous art, thou, o Lord,
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Speaker 1: and true in thy judgments. Now as the Holy Spirit
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Speaker 1: of God, speaking by the mouth of David, hath set
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Speaker 1: down here no superfluous matter, but such as he knew
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Speaker 1: to be profitable for our instruction. Let us also diligently
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Speaker 1: weigh and consider all the words which are here touched
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Speaker 1: in the first place, he saith, righteous, art thou, O Lord,
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Speaker 1: and true in thy judgments? We have already heretofore handled
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Speaker 1: that the judgments of God in this Psalm are called
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Speaker 1: the commandments of the Law, which He giveth unto us
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Speaker 1: to rule our lives by. Even so, when David saith
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Speaker 1: that God is righteous and true in his judgments, it
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Speaker 1: is as much as if he had said that God
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Speaker 1: hath declared what his nature is in his law, that
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Speaker 1: we might behold him in it as in a glass.
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Speaker 1: This then, is as much as if he should have said, O, Lord,
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Speaker 1: we have thine image truly and lively pictured and expressed
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Speaker 1: in this doctrine which thou hast delivered unto us in
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Speaker 1: thy law. There we see thee to be righteous, and
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Speaker 1: also that thou hast commanded nothing therein which tendeth not
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Speaker 1: to the same end. Will we then magnify God? Aright,
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Speaker 1: We must know him to be such a one as
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Speaker 1: he showeth himself to be by his word, and not
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Speaker 1: to fashion ourselves like unto a great number of scoffers
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Speaker 1: which will not stick to say that God is altogether good, wise,
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Speaker 1: and righteous, But yet they will separate themselves from His
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Speaker 1: word forge themselves a God in the heir, or else
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Speaker 1: they would be contented that there were such a medley
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Speaker 1: as that there were no more divinity known. Now, see
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Speaker 1: how God showeth himself, as I have said, by his word.
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Speaker 1: We must, then, if we intend to confess Him to
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Speaker 1: be righteous, good, true, and faithful, to give these commendations
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Speaker 1: unto his word, wherein he hath once for all declared
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Speaker 1: unto us his will. Now, after David hath used this
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Speaker 1: word righteous, he addeth thou hast commanded justice by thy
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Speaker 1: testimonies and truth. Especially. See then, how David handleth it himself,
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Speaker 1: showing that the law of God is wholly righteous, because
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Speaker 1: saith he that it leadeth us to righteousness and truth. Now,
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Speaker 1: when these two things are in it, what may we
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Speaker 1: say but that which hath already been before said? What
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Speaker 1: is that it is so far off with a great number,
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Speaker 1: that when they are convinced hereof are persuaded in good
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Speaker 1: earnest to say, our men, without dissembling, and to prove
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Speaker 1: it to be so. How many men shall we see
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Speaker 1: submit themselves in this point to the truth of God,
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Speaker 1: whereunto He desireth to lead us by his word? How
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Speaker 1: many I say, shall we find which will yield themselves
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Speaker 1: teachable unto it? But contrariwise we shall find the greatest
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Speaker 1: part clean. Contrary, it is very true we shall be ashamed,
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Speaker 1: yea even horribly afraid to say that there is anything
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Speaker 1: in the Law of God which is not true and just.
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Speaker 1: And Yet for all that it may as easily be
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Speaker 1: perceived that there is no such knowledge engraven in our
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Speaker 1: hearts as to be assured thereof to be short, this
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Speaker 1: is farther staff from our minds. When we shall say, thus,
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Speaker 1: I speak now of those which are not yet thoroughly
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Speaker 1: instructed by the spirit of God. Neither yet let us
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Speaker 1: think this to be a common and ordinary thing, when
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Speaker 1: as David saith, that the testimonies of God are nothing
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Speaker 1: but true and righteous. For although we have learnt somewhat
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Speaker 1: out of them, yet is not this enough until such
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Speaker 1: time as we are conformed and framed unto them, that
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Speaker 1: we fully and wholly agree with this saying and commendation
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Speaker 1: which is here given to the Law of God. Now,
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Speaker 1: because David would show with what affection he has moved,
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Speaker 1: he protesteth that he was not only grieved when, as
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Speaker 1: he felt in himself any rebellion against God. But when
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Speaker 1: he perceived it in others, that he conceived a wonderful
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Speaker 1: sorrow and grief, yea, even a marvelous torment of mind.
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Speaker 1: For he saith that his zeal had even consumed him,
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Speaker 1: that he was as one dead and so thrown down
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Speaker 1: as he could not be more. Now he namely speaketh
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Speaker 1: of his enemies, and of such as had afflicted him.
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Speaker 1: But he signifieth Anon after that all the mischiefs said
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Speaker 1: and injuries which they had done unto him, did not
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Speaker 1: half so mightily grieve him as the contempt which he
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Speaker 1: knew to be in them touching the law of God.
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Speaker 1: For he says, my zeal hath even consumed me, because
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Speaker 1: mine enemies have forgotten thy words. Here, then David showeth
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Speaker 1: in effect that he was not so greatly grieved, nor
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Speaker 1: yet so sorrowful for all the evils and wrongs which
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Speaker 1: he endured at the hands of men, as to see
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Speaker 1: the word of God to be cast under feet and
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Speaker 1: clearly forgotten. See here I say a most sure testimony
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Speaker 1: that he highly preferred the word of God before his
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Speaker 1: own person, that he had not that pleasure in his life,
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Speaker 1: nor in whatsoever concerned the same as he had in
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Speaker 1: the reverence which all the creatures of God ought to
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Speaker 1: have towards his majesty. Now, if he had not had
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Speaker 1: this zeal, he could never have been thus grieved and vexed,
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Speaker 1: when as men made no reckoning of the word of
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Speaker 1: God and cast it behind their backs. And here we
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Speaker 1: are thoroughly to consider that David spake not in this
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Speaker 1: place of a mean sorrow. For then this had been
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Speaker 1: enough to have said, Alas, my God, I have been
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Speaker 1: a great deal more grieved to see the wicked contemn
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Speaker 1: thy word than when as they persecuted myself, although that
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Speaker 1: I was sore, troubled and grievously oppressed. Yet had I
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Speaker 1: greater regard to Thy law than to all whatsoever concerned
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Speaker 1: my own person. This had been enough, say I, if
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Speaker 1: David had said but thus much. But he went a
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Speaker 1: great deal father, saying the zeal of the house of God,
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Speaker 1: hath even gnorn and eaten me. Up Here he saith
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Speaker 1: that he was consumed and brought to nothing, so that
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Speaker 1: he had no strength in himself. Now Here we must note,
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Speaker 1: by the way, that David spake not this to brag
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Speaker 1: of himself, but rather hath set forth this his example
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Speaker 1: for our better instruction. To the end we might learn
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Speaker 1: to have the honor of God and the reverence of
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Speaker 1: His word. In such recommendation as that, when we see
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Speaker 1: the world to make light of it and to forget it,
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Speaker 1: we should be grieved and tormented a great deal more
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Speaker 1: than if we did abide all the griefs, extreme wrong
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Speaker 1: and injuries that were possible. Yea, that all our particular
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Speaker 1: benefit or domage, and whatsoever is most dear or to
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Speaker 1: be nothing unto us in respect of this light reckoning
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Speaker 1: of the Word of God. Lo here what wholesome lessons
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Speaker 1: and instructions we have to gather out of this place? Now?
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Speaker 1: When he saith that it grieved him to see the
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Speaker 1: Word of God clean forgotten, What then shall become of
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Speaker 1: the matter, when as men shall not only forget it,
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Speaker 1: but even with a most detestable fury, oppose themselves wholly
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Speaker 1: against it. As at this day we shall not only
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Speaker 1: say that the Word of God is forgotten, but men
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Speaker 1: of a set purpose run violently upon it utterly to
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Speaker 1: abolish it and to prove it to be so. I
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Speaker 1: beseech you, whence cometh this cruelty and fury of the papists.
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Speaker 1: But because that they are purposed clearly to go against it,
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Speaker 1: to be angry with God, not abiding to suffer themselves
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Speaker 1: to be subject unto Him by any manner of means.
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Speaker 1: They will not say thus in plain words. But we
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Speaker 1: may judge of the matter so far forth as we
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Speaker 1: see it. For how should it be possible that they
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Speaker 1: should could so rage against the known and certain truth?
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Speaker 1: If they were not even the very professed enemies of God,
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Speaker 1: and without they went about to stand against Him, even
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Speaker 1: to the hard hedge. As we say, I will not
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Speaker 1: deny but that men many times shall forget the word
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Speaker 1: of God, when as they shall be carried away with
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Speaker 1: their wicked affections. And thus, when a man is greatly
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Speaker 1: given to lechery, this villainous desire so blindeth him as
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Speaker 1: that he clearly forgetteth whatsoever he hath heard spoken against it,
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Speaker 1: never so little before to wit, they which defile their
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Speaker 1: bodies with lechery, do to face, as much as in
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Speaker 1: them lieth the image of God, pollute his temple, divide
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Speaker 1: and pull in peaces the body of Jesus Christ, shut
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Speaker 1: themselves quite out of the kingdom of Heaven, and provoke
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Speaker 1: the heavy wrath and cure of God against them. And
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Speaker 1: yet an war master forgeteth all these notable sayings which
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Speaker 1: are set down to keep him within his reign. The
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Speaker 1: covetous man also forgetteth what equity and right is. Let
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Speaker 1: him be admonished, if thereof never so often as to
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Speaker 1: be pitiful to his neighbors, to help the poor and needy,
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Speaker 1: rather than to take away another man's goods and substance.
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Speaker 1: And to be so given to our own gain, to
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Speaker 1: procure and profit the welfare of our neighbors, rather than
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Speaker 1: to be given to seek our own private commodity. A
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Speaker 1: covetous man, I say, will quite forget all this, And
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Speaker 1: why so forsooth, because he is blinded with his covetous
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Speaker 1: desire of gain and to heap up together the goods
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Speaker 1: of this world. See then, when it is that the
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Speaker 1: word of God shall be forgotten, verily, even then when
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Speaker 1: as men shall be drunken with their inordinate greedy passions.
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Speaker 1: But they which set themselves against God, yea with a
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Speaker 1: fury and frenzy, utterly to abrogate his word, to turn
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Speaker 1: his truth into leasings. These men, I say, do not
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Speaker 1: only forget the word of God, but remember themselves of
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Speaker 1: it too too much even to set themselves purposely against it.
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Speaker 1: And we need to go no further but even into
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Speaker 1: the state of popery to see such a villainous and
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Speaker 1: detestable impiety. For we shall see these contemners of God,
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Speaker 1: which are even here amongst us, yea, and which which
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Speaker 1: come sometimes to defile the temple of God, to thrust
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Speaker 1: in their swinish groins, and to scorn the doctrine which
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Speaker 1: shall be read, which maketh even the very devils in
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Speaker 1: Hell to tremble. We shall see, then hear these contemners
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Speaker 1: of God, which will even lift themselves up against Him
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Speaker 1: and pour out their blasphemies. And is it meet that
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Speaker 1: we dissemble this? No, not so, But let us rather
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Speaker 1: stir up ourselves to groaning yea, to cry out with
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Speaker 1: a loud voice, beseeching God to stretch forth his mighty
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Speaker 1: and strong arm against such villains and fire brands of Hell,
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Speaker 1: such upholders of Satan, which thus come to defile the
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Speaker 1: sacred and holy things of God, which His Majesty hath
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Speaker 1: set before us for our salvation. And thus much for
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Speaker 1: this point, and again, let us not only be grieved
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Speaker 1: and sorrowful, because there are in us rebellious affections which
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Speaker 1: so hinder us, as that we cannot take any such
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Speaker 1: taste as is to be wished for in the word
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Speaker 1: of God. But also when as we see that men
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Speaker 1: so lightly esteem and forget this word of God, that
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Speaker 1: they outrage in all wickedness, it cannot be but that
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Speaker 1: we must be grieved and sorrowful for the same. And
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Speaker 1: yet there is a further matter to be required at
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Speaker 1: our hands, which is this, that when we shall see
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Speaker 1: and hear the name of God to be blasphemed, and
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Speaker 1: his majesty violated, we should be tormented and feel a
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Speaker 1: greater grief for the same than for all the evil
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Speaker 1: that might come to ourselves. For it is very good
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Speaker 1: reason that the majesty of God should be more dear
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Speaker 1: unto us, without all comparison, than our own persons and lives. Now,
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Speaker 1: since it is so that if we ought to be
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Speaker 1: sorrowful when as we see the word of God to
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Speaker 1: be forgotten by others, even to begin at the best end,
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Speaker 1: if the evil be found in us as Satan, moveth
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Speaker 1: us to fall unto wickedness, and we are far off
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Speaker 1: from truly serving of God and looking to His word
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Speaker 1: with such fear and humility as indeed we ought. Since then,
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Speaker 1: I say, we are so greatly to be amended that
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Speaker 1: we have so many sins fighting against the law of God.
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Speaker 1: Even so much the more ought we to fight and groan,
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Speaker 1: as Saint Paul right well showeth us, saying, O a
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Speaker 1: cursed man that I am, who shall deliver me out
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Speaker 1: of this mortal body. Lo Here, Saint Paul, in showing
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Speaker 1: their condition and state to be miserable which live in
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Speaker 1: this world, exhorteth them to groaning and to a continual
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Speaker 1: sorrow and care, because they are not able fully and
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Speaker 1: thoroughly to yield themselves to the Word of God, so
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Speaker 1: that whensoever we shall do but even so much, we
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Speaker 1: shall render a true proof and testimony of our faith
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Speaker 1: and Christianity. Now it followeth soon after Thy word is
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Speaker 1: proved most pure, and thy servant loveth it. Here it
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Speaker 1: verily seemeth as we have before said, that David bringeth
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Speaker 1: in a most manifest sentence, yea known even unto thee simplest,
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Speaker 1: to wit that the Word of God is pure and clean,
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Speaker 1: without spot and blemish. But what let us see a little,
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Speaker 1: whether we put this purity in practice or not, alas
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Speaker 1: we are far from it. For even then we may
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Speaker 1: say the word of God to be pure and without
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Speaker 1: spot when as without any gainsaying we only trust in Him,
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Speaker 1: and that we have a true certainty of our salvation,
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Speaker 1: because He hath once stretched forth his hand unto us,
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Speaker 1: and promise never to fail us. When then we shall
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Speaker 1: have such a confidence in God that we may boldly
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Speaker 1: walk through death and the very gulf of hell, that,
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Speaker 1: in seeing the bottomless pits open to swallow us up,
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Speaker 1: we should not doubt of our safety, since that we
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Speaker 1: are in the hand of God. Lo how the word
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Speaker 1: of God shall be pure unto us. But now are
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Speaker 1: we all in a clean contrary vein? And from whence
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Speaker 1: cometh this? It is because we are full of infinite
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Speaker 1: filthiness and pollutions. To be sure, there is nothing but
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Speaker 1: stench in us, and all our senses are defiled. Let
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Speaker 1: us first begin at our eyes, and we shall have
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Speaker 1: such a number of filthy, troublesome and glimpsing gloatings to it,
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Speaker 1: such a number of vanities which hinder us to know
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Speaker 1: the purity that is in the word of God, as
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Speaker 1: low we have already lost one of our senses. Afterward
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Speaker 1: we are deprived of our hearing, because our ears are
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Speaker 1: so filled with such trifling yea and perverse matters, that
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Speaker 1: we can give no ear unto God or else. That
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Speaker 1: which entereth in at one ear goeth out at another.
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Speaker 1: As we say now, if this be already a great
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Speaker 1: vice in us, to be so slack as to receive
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Speaker 1: but one good, lesson the second is no whit less
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Speaker 1: that when we shall have gotten even a very little,
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Speaker 1: it shall incontinent, so melt away from us as that
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Speaker 1: we shall never think more of it. We see how
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Speaker 1: jolly and frisking our feet and hands are when as
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Speaker 1: we hear any talk of ribaldry and filthiness, and altogether
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Speaker 1: dull and senseless. When any speech is of virtue and godliness,
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Speaker 1: there is never a finger in our hands, but will
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Speaker 1: be as good as a razor to cut even to
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Speaker 1: the quick, if any talk shall be hand to offend
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Speaker 1: the majesty of God. And in the meanwhile we shall
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Speaker 1: not find one man that will once lift himself up
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Speaker 1: to do any good. See how all our senses are corrupt,
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Speaker 1: and how full of pollutions and filthiness, and This is
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Speaker 1: it which hindereth us that we are not able to
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Speaker 1: know how the word of God is to be tried. Now,
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Speaker 1: it followeth I am small and of no reputation. Yet
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Speaker 1: do I not forget Thy commandments? This saying here importeth
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Speaker 1: more than at the first sight it seemeth to do.
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Speaker 1: It is very true that it should seem a far
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Speaker 1: harder matter for the mighty men of this world to
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Speaker 1: serve God than the meaner sort, insomuch as we will
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Speaker 1: never account it strange of a man of base condition
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Speaker 1: hath not forgotten the word of God? But what is
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Speaker 1: the cause why we so greatly prattle, jangle, and lift
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Speaker 1: up ourselves so arrogantly against Him? And that we submit
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Speaker 1: not ourselves wholly unto Him? Forsooth, even the very honours
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Speaker 1: and delights of this world are oftentimes the chiefest causes
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Speaker 1: when a man shall be any credit, estimation, and reputation.
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Speaker 1: He imagineth unto himself an idol in his own heart,
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Speaker 1: And hereupon forgetteth God, and thinketh himself to be no
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Speaker 1: longer under his government. When then our Lord God holdeth
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Speaker 1: us in a lower state, he putteth us in mind,
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Speaker 1: and forceth us by his means, not to forget his
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Speaker 1: commandments and to walk in his fear with all humility.
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Speaker 1: But David, his meaning tendeth to another end. That is,
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Speaker 1: although he was, as it were, contemned yet ceased, he
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Speaker 1: not to love God. Now, as I have said, this
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Speaker 1: is not yet set down without cause. It is very
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Speaker 1: true that when God liberally bestoweth upon us great store
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Speaker 1: of benefits, then are we so blockish as that we
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Speaker 1: think ourselves least beholden unto Him. And contrariwise, they upon
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Speaker 1: whom He hath not bestowed such graces, think themselves, for
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Speaker 1: their parts not so greatly bounden unto Him. And in
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Speaker 1: very deed the world will always find starting holes to
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Speaker 1: keep itself out from the service, and fear of God
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Speaker 1: or else will be so slightly discharged thereof as that
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Speaker 1: it may be done without any great pain. As how
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Speaker 1: I pray you, we see that they which pretend color
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Speaker 1: of ignorance, which will have neither knowledge of God or
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Speaker 1: of true religion, will say, surely, for my part, I
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Speaker 1: am but a poor simple man and without learning, And
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Speaker 1: therefore I will leave this gear to those that are learned.
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Speaker 1: One sort will excuse themselves one way, another another way.
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Speaker 1: But yet they all tend to this end, to exempt
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Speaker 1: themselves from the obeedience of the word of God, and
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Speaker 1: not to be subject either to him or yet to
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Speaker 1: his word. See hear the common saying amongst the papists,
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Speaker 1: Ah syrah, this is the office of the priests and
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Speaker 1: the cloisterers. Our prelates have the charge over us. We
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Speaker 1: are secular and laymen. We must have nothing to do
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Speaker 1: with this gear. And besides, even the meanest sort of
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Speaker 1: us have also our excuses, and will say, I am
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Speaker 1: a poor man. I must get my living with great
18:28
Speaker 1: pains all the day long by my handiwork. I have
18:30
Speaker 1: scarcely any leisure once to come to hear a sermon
18:33
Speaker 1: on the Sunday. See what starting holes we find out
18:36
Speaker 1: To the end, we might follow our vanities, pleasures, and
18:39
Speaker 1: idle times, or I know not what other our slothfulness,
18:43
Speaker 1: rather than we would hear the word of God and
18:45
Speaker 1: meditate thereon. So then David contrarily showeth that, whilst he
18:49
Speaker 1: was small and of no reputation, yet that he never
18:52
Speaker 1: ceased continually to be exercised in this lesson, even to
18:56
Speaker 1: submit himself to the obedience of God, and so we
18:59
Speaker 1: see him to be given from his childhood, and that
19:02
Speaker 1: he did not only take pleasure therein when God had
19:05
Speaker 1: advanced him to the kingdom, that he did not begin
19:07
Speaker 1: then to taste of the law of God and to
19:10
Speaker 1: apply his whole study there too, But when he kept
19:12
Speaker 1: his father's sheep and cattle, and was brought up in
19:15
Speaker 1: the sheep coats, before he came anything near the court.
19:18
Speaker 1: Even all that, while I say, he never ceased, but
19:21
Speaker 1: was wholly occupied in the holy study of the Law
19:23
Speaker 1: of God. Now, then let us learn hereby not to
19:27
Speaker 1: exempt ourselves by our trifling excuses, as a great number
19:30
Speaker 1: of men do. But let us understand that David here
19:33
Speaker 1: exhorteth all the faithful in general, that the contemptible, base
19:37
Speaker 1: and simple persons, yea even as simple as young children,
19:40
Speaker 1: and that have no knowledge of that which is most
19:42
Speaker 1: esteemed amongst men. That they ought not for all that
19:46
Speaker 1: to forget the word of God. And so that also,
19:49
Speaker 1: both great and small, give themselves to the study thereof
19:52
Speaker 1: that we may be all the scholars of the law
19:55
Speaker 1: and of the prophets, but especially of our savior Jesus Christ.
19:58
Speaker 1: Seeing that God hath now bestowed a more excellent grace
20:01
Speaker 1: upon us than ever he bestowed upon David, for over
20:04
Speaker 1: and besides the doctrine which David received from the mouth
20:07
Speaker 1: of Moses. See how God hath laid open unto us
20:10
Speaker 1: the infinite treasure of his heavenly wisdom. Insomuch as we
20:13
Speaker 1: have the Gospel out of which the Son of God
20:15
Speaker 1: hath spoken unto us, who is the master over the
20:18
Speaker 1: whole household, as it is said in the Epistle to
20:20
Speaker 1: the Hebrews. Now is this the doctrine that must make
20:23
Speaker 1: heaven and earth to tremble, as it is spoken by
20:25
Speaker 1: the prophet Haggai, And as this place is alleged by
20:28
Speaker 1: the apostle to show unto us that we ought to
20:30
Speaker 1: receive the Gospel with greater reverence than the fathers did
20:33
Speaker 1: the Law and the prophets. For God made the earth
20:36
Speaker 1: to shake when he gave the Law by Moses, which
20:38
Speaker 1: since that time hath been confirmed and ratified by the prophets.
20:42
Speaker 1: But when as He opened his holy mouth by his
20:44
Speaker 1: son to teach us, that was to make both heaven
20:47
Speaker 1: and earth to shake, because he hath laid open such
20:50
Speaker 1: a wonderful wisdom as that it ought to shake and
20:53
Speaker 1: astonish us, when as God speaketh with such power and
20:56
Speaker 1: majesty unto us. See then, as concerning this saying, where
20:59
Speaker 1: David saith that he did not forget the commandments of God,
21:03
Speaker 1: although he was small and of no reputation. Now he addeth,
21:07
Speaker 1: thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is
21:10
Speaker 1: the truth. Yea in such sort that when he was
21:13
Speaker 1: afflicted and grieved, that he took pleasure in saying thy
21:16
Speaker 1: righteousness is an everlasting righteousness. Here David repeatth a word
21:21
Speaker 1: which hath a double signification. For in the first place,
21:24
Speaker 1: righteousness signifieth the law of God, and that because it
21:28
Speaker 1: is the rule of all goodness. And then next he
21:31
Speaker 1: giveth it the title of righteousness, signifying thereby that this
21:34
Speaker 1: law is so certain a rule as that when we
21:37
Speaker 1: shall have thoroughly sounded it even to the bottom, we
21:40
Speaker 1: shall find that God hath set down therein a perfection
21:43
Speaker 1: of all equity and sincerity. As if he should have said,
21:46
Speaker 1: this is without all doubt a perfect rule of righteousness.
21:50
Speaker 1: Now he coupleth as he hath already before done truth
21:53
Speaker 1: with righteousness. I have already said that these words here
21:56
Speaker 1: are oftentimes repeated, and yet it is no superfluous kind
21:59
Speaker 1: of speech. And what is the reason? Because we might
22:03
Speaker 1: fully and wholly confess that God hath spoken most wisely,
22:06
Speaker 1: that all men's mouths might be stopped, and that we
22:10
Speaker 1: all at once might be silent and still to hear him.
22:13
Speaker 1: There is no man but will confess this at the
22:16
Speaker 1: tongue's end. But in the meantime for us to know
22:19
Speaker 1: this equity and truth which is contained in the Word
22:21
Speaker 1: of God, alas we are too too far off. So
22:25
Speaker 1: then let every man look well unto himself and see
22:27
Speaker 1: whether his life be agreeable unto the Word of God
22:30
Speaker 1: or no. And if it be, it is a manifest
22:32
Speaker 1: proof that the righteousness and truth thereof is deeply imprinted
22:35
Speaker 1: in his heart. Now, if this be so, then no
22:39
Speaker 1: doubt of it. God his word is honored as it
22:41
Speaker 1: is worthy. Then let us render unto him effectually the
22:44
Speaker 1: praises which are here attributed unto him, and as they
22:47
Speaker 1: do appertain unto His majesty. But if we do say
22:51
Speaker 1: that the Word of God is good and holy, that
22:53
Speaker 1: it is a wonderful righteousness and power that cannot fail,
22:56
Speaker 1: and yet despise it, indeed show ourselves clean contrary unto
22:59
Speaker 1: wis in our life and conversation. And may he a
23:02
Speaker 1: goodly show to honor it, to spit at it. What
23:05
Speaker 1: a kind of honor call ye this? Wherefore we are
23:08
Speaker 1: to consider that it is meet that this righteousness and
23:11
Speaker 1: truth of the law of God be imprinted in our hearts,
23:14
Speaker 1: that we may make such a confession thereof as David
23:17
Speaker 1: here hath done. And we see why he here addeth,
23:21
Speaker 1: yea is my delight in thy commandments? Yea, when he
23:24
Speaker 1: was afflicted and in adversity. For it is an easy
23:28
Speaker 1: matter for men to praise God while they are quiet
23:30
Speaker 1: and out of trouble, and have all their hearts desire. Yea,
23:34
Speaker 1: we shall see the very hypocrites cry out with open mouth, Oh,
23:38
Speaker 1: blessed be God and our good God. Forsooth when as
23:41
Speaker 1: He sendeth them even their wish and entreateth them according
23:43
Speaker 1: to their own desires. But when God shall afflict us
23:47
Speaker 1: so that we be grievously vexed, until we can no
23:49
Speaker 1: more lo here a good trial to make us feel
23:52
Speaker 1: that we have willingly and in earnest honored Him in
23:55
Speaker 1: his word. And we shall show it to be so,
23:57
Speaker 1: when as we shall not change our minds, but constantly
24:00
Speaker 1: persevere in it, and say, whither shall I now run?
24:04
Speaker 1: See how I am afflicted? Well, it is my God
24:07
Speaker 1: that must restore me. It is very true that I
24:09
Speaker 1: am not without great store of sorrows and griefs which
24:11
Speaker 1: trouble me. But yet I will content myself with this,
24:14
Speaker 1: that God loveth me. It is true that as touching
24:17
Speaker 1: the world, I am tormented. But I will comfort myself
24:20
Speaker 1: that my God hath called me unto him, that he
24:22
Speaker 1: showeth unto me. Indeed, that he will have compassion upon me,
24:25
Speaker 1: that he taketh me for one of his children, and
24:27
Speaker 1: will extend his fatherly goodness towards me. See here a
24:31
Speaker 1: very good proof and trial that we take the word
24:33
Speaker 1: of God to be true and righteous. That is, if
24:36
Speaker 1: we be grieved with trouble and adversity, yet that we
24:39
Speaker 1: do never forget Him nor it. But what let us
24:43
Speaker 1: once come to the practice thereof, and then we shall
24:46
Speaker 1: see how it fareth with us. For it is a
24:48
Speaker 1: matter of nothing to lend our ears and say, surely
24:51
Speaker 1: this is a very good sermon, and that there was
24:53
Speaker 1: nothing taught in it but very good and wholesome doctrine.
24:56
Speaker 1: And truly, if we have once said, But even thus
24:59
Speaker 1: much we will buy and by think that God is
25:01
Speaker 1: greatly in our debt. A man that cometh us, even
25:04
Speaker 1: with the ears of an ass to play the hypocrite,
25:06
Speaker 1: thinketh verily that God is bound unto him, because he
25:09
Speaker 1: hath done him thus much honor. Now this is an
25:12
Speaker 1: overgross and impudent kind of dissembling in this manner, to
25:15
Speaker 1: think to please the majesty of God. But yet the
25:18
Speaker 1: case so standeth as that the greater part is even
25:21
Speaker 1: so given. Now what is the next way for us
25:23
Speaker 1: to be rid of it altogether? Forsooth even this, that
25:26
Speaker 1: when we for a time shall make a show to
25:28
Speaker 1: give diligent ear unto the word of God, that all
25:31
Speaker 1: whatsoever we have heard will incontinent melt and vanish clean
25:35
Speaker 1: away from us. And here we be very well shown
25:38
Speaker 1: that the truth and righteousness which is in His Word
25:41
Speaker 1: is not so imprinted in us as it ought to be. Now,
25:44
Speaker 1: David addth in the end, yet my delight is in
25:47
Speaker 1: thy commandments. Whereby he advertiseth us that it is not
25:50
Speaker 1: enough that we call to mind that we have understood
25:53
Speaker 1: the Word of salvation to the end to profit ourselves
25:56
Speaker 1: in the time of affliction. But it must be of
25:58
Speaker 1: this strength and power to glad Us in the midst
26:01
Speaker 1: of our sorrows. It is very true that we shall
26:04
Speaker 1: not be senseless and without feeling. And David also hath
26:07
Speaker 1: very well experimented how greatly affliction and anguish tormented him.
26:12
Speaker 1: He felt then both hard and bitter passions. And yet
26:15
Speaker 1: this hindered him little to rejoice and to be glad.
26:18
Speaker 1: And although he was greatly vexed as touching the flesh,
26:20
Speaker 1: yet he felt such spiritual joy and the testimonies of
26:23
Speaker 1: God that sorrow overcame him. Not now, if David, as
26:27
Speaker 1: before we have declared, took such pleasure in the law,
26:29
Speaker 1: whereas God only showed himself to the ancient fathers, as
26:32
Speaker 1: it were in shadows, I beseech you, how ought the
26:35
Speaker 1: word of God at this day to glad Us, whereas
26:37
Speaker 1: He showeth himself so familiar a father towards us, even
26:41
Speaker 1: opening unto us the very bottom of his heart, hiding
26:43
Speaker 1: nothing from us. When then our Lord God poureth out
26:46
Speaker 1: the treasures of his infinite love and goodness upon us,
26:49
Speaker 1: so abundantly have we not a far greater occasion to
26:52
Speaker 1: rejoice than the fathers who lived under the law, Yes, verily,
26:56
Speaker 1: but our unthankfulness. So hindereth us that in the knowing
26:59
Speaker 1: we know nothing, and in seeing we see no wit
27:02
Speaker 1: at all. And yet is not this written without cause?
27:06
Speaker 1: Even so, when as we shall feel the griefs anguishes,
27:08
Speaker 1: and afflictions of this world to trouble us, let us
27:11
Speaker 1: have recourse unto the word of God, For in it
27:14
Speaker 1: we shall find him to stretch forth his hand to
27:16
Speaker 1: draw us unto him, declaring that he will help the afflicted,
27:19
Speaker 1: have pity of the miserable, and vexed aid the wretched.
27:23
Speaker 1: Desires nothing else but to bring back again poor sinners,
27:26
Speaker 1: which will yield themselves unto him, lay all their cares
27:28
Speaker 1: in his lap, so that He will unburden us of
27:31
Speaker 1: them all. When then we are sure and resolute of
27:34
Speaker 1: such God his goodness towards us by his promises, we
27:37
Speaker 1: ought to come unto Him, to call upon him, and
27:39
Speaker 1: to rejoice in Him, so that we may say, with David,
27:42
Speaker 1: O Lord, my delight hath been in thy testimonies, that
27:45
Speaker 1: they might glad me in the midst of my afflictions. Lo,
27:48
Speaker 1: how the children of God, in all the time of
27:50
Speaker 1: their affliction may continually do rejoice in the assurance of
27:54
Speaker 1: their salvation. Yea, when as they shall settle themselves upon
27:57
Speaker 1: His promises and receive them in such sort as that
28:00
Speaker 1: they may turn to their benefit. Now for a conclusion,
28:03
Speaker 1: David saith, the righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting. And
28:08
Speaker 1: afterward he maketh his prayer, and Saith, grant me understanding,
28:11
Speaker 1: and I shall live see yet again this word righteousness,
28:16
Speaker 1: which is here repeated, and that to very good purpose.
28:19
Speaker 1: For this is according to that which I have already said,
28:22
Speaker 1: that they which dare not openly rail and jangle against
28:25
Speaker 1: God to blaspheme his wood. Yet will they be for
28:28
Speaker 1: all that full of malice and treason, or else they
28:30
Speaker 1: will be so nuzzled in their vanities as that the
28:33
Speaker 1: righteousness of God shall not appear in them. So then
28:36
Speaker 1: David setteth it down to be an everlasting righteousness, signifying
28:40
Speaker 1: that we ought not to take them as puffs of wind,
28:42
Speaker 1: as a great number of men have done to magnify God,
28:45
Speaker 1: and after in the turning even hand to go clean backward.
28:49
Speaker 1: As at this day we shall have them which will
28:51
Speaker 1: make a show of great devotion, And say, oh, what
28:53
Speaker 1: an excellent sermon, or what notable doctrine was taught this day?
28:57
Speaker 1: But I beseech you what will they say the next day?
29:00
Speaker 1: Forsooth they will not, for all this stick to mock God,
29:03
Speaker 1: make one jest or other at his word, or else,
29:06
Speaker 1: if God send them any adversity, they will be grieved
29:08
Speaker 1: and angry with him, So that if they be put
29:11
Speaker 1: in mind of that which they before had heard, they
29:13
Speaker 1: will answer that they have clean forgotten it. David, therefore,
29:17
Speaker 1: meaning to show that we must not be so slack
29:19
Speaker 1: as at sometimes to commend the word of God, saith
29:23
Speaker 1: that it is an everlasting righteousness, as if he should
29:26
Speaker 1: have said that. It is very true that men are changeable.
29:29
Speaker 1: And this present life also is subject to very many changes.
29:32
Speaker 1: As today we shall have some grief or other, and
29:35
Speaker 1: tomorrow be well again. Oftentimes many troubles shall come unto us,
29:39
Speaker 1: and we shall see them at last to have an end.
29:42
Speaker 1: And yet for all these continual changes, men must not
29:45
Speaker 1: in the meanwhile be carried away with every blast of wind,
29:48
Speaker 1: to be inconstant and unsteadfast. But whilst they are sailing
29:52
Speaker 1: through the waves of the sea, they must hold themselves
29:54
Speaker 1: firm and sure in this righteousness and sincerity which is
29:58
Speaker 1: in the Word of God. See then, how we must
30:00
Speaker 1: know the everlasting stableness of the righteousness of the Law.
30:04
Speaker 1: And indeed we shall have thereof a full feeling and
30:06
Speaker 1: declaration in the Word of God, when as we shall
30:09
Speaker 1: receive it as we ought. But for so much as
30:11
Speaker 1: we fail herein, and that we have not as ourselves
30:14
Speaker 1: the spirit to comprehend this righteousness whereof in this place
30:17
Speaker 1: mention is made, nor yet to attain there too, yea.
30:21
Speaker 1: And if that we should attain there too, so that
30:23
Speaker 1: there were nothing to lead us to iniquity. Yet let
30:26
Speaker 1: us pray with David that it would please God to
30:28
Speaker 1: give us understanding. Now it is most true that David
30:32
Speaker 1: had already received some portion and measure of understanding, For
30:35
Speaker 1: else he could not have said, I have been grieved
30:37
Speaker 1: and troubled, and yet my delight was in thy law.
30:41
Speaker 1: He could not possibly be carried with such an affection,
30:43
Speaker 1: but that the Word of God had touched the very
30:45
Speaker 1: bottom of his heart. But when he besought God to
30:48
Speaker 1: give him understanding, he meant to have God to increase
30:51
Speaker 1: that grace which before he had received. Now, if he
30:54
Speaker 1: who was so greatly advanced yea that he had received
30:57
Speaker 1: the spirit of prophecy to instruct others, would which is
31:00
Speaker 1: the principal spirit to govern the people of God. If he,
31:03
Speaker 1: I say, had need to make such a prayer, what
31:05
Speaker 1: shall we do, which have scarcely any one spark of
31:08
Speaker 1: understanding in our minds ought? Not we? I beseech you
31:11
Speaker 1: to pray with a more fervent desire to have God
31:14
Speaker 1: to grant us understanding and a great deal the more
31:17
Speaker 1: ought we to be stood up there too, when as
31:19
Speaker 1: David saith that we are not able to live until
31:21
Speaker 1: such time as God hath so enlightened us to the
31:25
Speaker 1: end we might conceive this truth and righteousness which is
31:27
Speaker 1: in His law. See here I say how that the
31:31
Speaker 1: life of men cannot be but accursed until such time
31:34
Speaker 1: as they are come even unto this point. And so
31:37
Speaker 1: let us not learn to please ourselves as these miserable,
31:40
Speaker 1: wretched worldlings do, who are even drunken in their pleasures
31:43
Speaker 1: and pastimes, and think that there is no pleasure nor
31:46
Speaker 1: felicity without They exceed and outrage all in vanities and follies.
31:50
Speaker 1: But let us look a great deal higher. Let us
31:53
Speaker 1: seek after God and know that then our life shall
31:56
Speaker 1: be blessed whenas God shall have delivered us from these
31:59
Speaker 1: vain allure of this wicked world, to make us feel
32:02
Speaker 1: truth and righteousness, which is in His word, that it
32:05
Speaker 1: may be the only end of our life, of all
32:07
Speaker 1: our counsels, and our only exercise and study, to be
32:11
Speaker 1: short the very summary of all whatsoever we take in hand.
32:15
Speaker 1: According to this holy doctrine, let us prostrate ourselves before
32:18
Speaker 1: the Majesty of our good God, in acknowledging our offenses,
32:21
Speaker 1: beseeching him that it would please him to make us
32:24
Speaker 1: to feel them better than Heretofore we have that we,
32:28
Speaker 1: knowing our own wretchedness and miseries, and what need we
32:31
Speaker 1: have of his assistance, might have recourse unto him, having
32:35
Speaker 1: our whole refuge to His goodness and mercy, and stay
32:38
Speaker 1: ourselves upon his promises, not doubting but that He is
32:41
Speaker 1: true and faithful in all that he saith, so also
32:44
Speaker 1: that he will fulfill whatsoever he hath showed unto us
32:47
Speaker 1: in his word, to wit that he will so unite
32:50
Speaker 1: us unto himself, as that after he hath separated us
32:53
Speaker 1: from all the filthiness of this world, he will make
32:56
Speaker 1: us partakers of his righteousness, and finally, of his glory,
33:00
Speaker 1: that He will not only grant us this grace, but
33:01
Speaker 1: also all people and nations of the earth, et cetera.
33:06
Speaker 1: End of Sermon eighteen