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022 - Sermon 21 Verses 161-168 · Sermons on Psalm 119

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Speaker 1: Sermon twenty one of Sermons on Psalm one hundred and
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Speaker 1: nineteen by John Calvin, translated by Thomas Stocker. This LibriVox
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Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Shin princes have persecuted
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Speaker 1: me without cause, But my heart standeth in awe of
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Speaker 1: thy word. I am as glad of Thy word, as
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Speaker 1: one that findeth great spoils. I hate falsehood and abhor it.
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Speaker 1: But Thy law do I love. Seven times a day
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Speaker 1: do I praise THEE because of thy righteous judgments. They
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Speaker 1: that love thy law shall have great prosperity, and they
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Speaker 1: shall have no hurt. Lord. I have trusted in thy
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Speaker 1: saving health and have done thy commandments. My soul hath
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Speaker 1: kept Thy testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. I have
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Speaker 1: kept Thy commandments and testimonies for all my ways are
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Speaker 1: before THEE. When as men shall trouble us and do
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Speaker 1: us many injuries, or else anyway grieve and vex us.
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Speaker 1: Yet are there two things to lead us to walk
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Speaker 1: wickedly without the fear of God? The one is that
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Speaker 1: it will seem that God hath not compassion of us
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Speaker 1: to help us. The other that we will be more
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Speaker 1: afraid of men than indeed we ought, for we imagine
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Speaker 1: that all is in their hand, and that they may
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Speaker 1: do all things at their own pleasure, and as themselves
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Speaker 1: list do God what he can. To the contrary, lo
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Speaker 1: here I say what it is that He hindereth us
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Speaker 1: from persevering in the fear of God, That is that
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Speaker 1: when men trouble us with injuries, violences, and extortions, we
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Speaker 1: are straightways discouraged. And so we are here thoroughly to
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Speaker 1: consider of this place where David saith that he stood
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Speaker 1: in awe of the word of God, although princes persecuted
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Speaker 1: him without a cause. And indeed we ought even then
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Speaker 1: most specially to weigh it when as we see the
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Speaker 1: mightiness of men to astonish us, and our enemies to
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Speaker 1: be in great credit and authority. Yea, that it seem
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Speaker 1: we are even as sheep in the jaws of wool,
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Speaker 1: that we have no means to resist their violence, but
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Speaker 1: that they may do whatsoever seemeth good unto them, insomuch
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Speaker 1: that no man dareth once to open his mouth against them.
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Speaker 1: When as I say, our enemies shall have all this
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Speaker 1: and be thus highly lifted up over us, that we
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Speaker 1: know not what shall become of us. Then it is
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Speaker 1: a hard matter for us to conceive what the help
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Speaker 1: which God hath promised us is worth, so that we
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Speaker 1: are overtaken with this fear to say, oh, see, we
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Speaker 1: are utterly undone. All our cause is clean cast to
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Speaker 1: the ground. And yet in the meanwhile we never once
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Speaker 1: think that they are but gnats, or else when we
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Speaker 1: shall esteem most of them, that they are but frogs,
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Speaker 1: leaping and skipping up and down here below. Neither yet
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Speaker 1: have they so mighty thighs and legs as that they
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Speaker 1: are able to justle against God. But that whensoever He
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Speaker 1: shall stretch forth his hand, it shall throw down even
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Speaker 1: into the depth whatsoever men shall of purpose, with all
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Speaker 1: their accomplices, craftily or wicked devise, and whatsoever power they
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Speaker 1: shall be any way able to make. See then, what
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Speaker 1: we have here especially to note that is that whensoever
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Speaker 1: we shall fall into the hands of our enemies, and
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Speaker 1: that it shall seem they might at their pleasure bring
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Speaker 1: to pass whatsoever they listed, so that there remained no
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Speaker 1: way to withstand them. Yet, let us look under this
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Speaker 1: infinite power of God, and not to doubt, but that
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Speaker 1: when it shall please Him to deliver us, that the
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Speaker 1: devil nor yet all his rabble of maintainers shall be
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Speaker 1: able to do anything against us. And although all the
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Speaker 1: creatures in the world lifted themselves up against us, yet
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Speaker 1: are they not able to do us any hurt? So
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Speaker 1: long as God is on our side? And thus we must,
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Speaker 1: I say, receive the grace of God which he hath
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Speaker 1: promised us to the end. We might not doubt that
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Speaker 1: all the world can do us any harm, when as
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Speaker 1: He shall have taken us into his protection. And see also,
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Speaker 1: I pray you, whether it is that the scripture leadeth us.
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Speaker 1: Although Saith David Ane hundred thousand men did set them
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Speaker 1: against me, Yet will not I be afraid? And why so?
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Speaker 1: Because the Lord is with me? And again, if I
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Speaker 1: should walk in the shadow of death, so long as
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Speaker 1: I shall look unto God and see His shepherd crook
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Speaker 1: before me, I will not be afraid, but be assured
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Speaker 1: that I shall live. Saint Paul also comprehendeth all this,
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Speaker 1: speaking not only of this present life, but of the
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Speaker 1: health of our souls. Likewise, when as he saith, if
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Speaker 1: God be on our side, who shall be against us?
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Speaker 1: I cannot deny, but that we shall have a great
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Speaker 1: number of enemies, and Satan will labor by all means
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Speaker 1: possible to hurt us. We shall have great store of
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Speaker 1: His supporters to go about to cast us down headlong
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Speaker 1: into the bottomless pit. And yet all day shall do nothing,
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Speaker 1: when as we shall be in the safe keeping of
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Speaker 1: our God. Now this is the sum which we are
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Speaker 1: to gather hereby in the first place of this text.
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Speaker 1: But yet we must go on a great deal. Father,
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Speaker 1: For David doth not only show unto us that we
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Speaker 1: ought highly to esteem of this mighty power and great
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Speaker 1: goodness of God, wherewith he hath promised to help us
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Speaker 1: in our need, but also advertiseth and exhorteth us not
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Speaker 1: to turn aside from his obedience for any hurt that
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Speaker 1: men can do unto us. Now it is very true
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Speaker 1: that the one hangeth upon the other. For how can
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Speaker 1: it be that we should have hearts to serve God,
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Speaker 1: when as we should see the whole world to be
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Speaker 1: against us, and we always in danger to be hurt.
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Speaker 1: That is to say, let us put our trust in God,
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Speaker 1: although the alarm and assaults be given us on every side,
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Speaker 1: for otherwise it shall be impossible for us to stand
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Speaker 1: stoutly to it, without we be thoroughly persuaded that God
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Speaker 1: is sufficient to defend us. Yea, when as we see
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Speaker 1: all the men in the world to set themselves against us,
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Speaker 1: but that we, trusting in His power, cease not to
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Speaker 1: follow that which he hath commanded us, notwithstanding all the
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Speaker 1: lets that men can possibly labor for us. Moreover, we
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Speaker 1: must give our minds to this word of God, as
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Speaker 1: here it is said, I stand in awe of Thy word.
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Speaker 1: For David meaneth not that he would have God to
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Speaker 1: show himself in a visible manner, that he might come
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Speaker 1: unto him to do him homage. But he is contended
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Speaker 1: that God hath shewed unto him his will and pleasure,
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Speaker 1: and holdeth himself well pleased therewith. And even so must
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Speaker 1: we also do. For there are a great many of
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Speaker 1: people which will brag that they fear God and profess
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Speaker 1: it with open mouth. And yet notwithstanding see how God
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Speaker 1: calleth us unto him by his word, and we, for
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Speaker 1: all that are no wit moved therewith Yea, And we
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Speaker 1: scarcely vouchsafe once to open our mouths to declare that
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Speaker 1: we are contented to obey him. Where then, is that
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Speaker 1: fear whereof we so brag? Since the Word, wherein the
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Speaker 1: majesty of God appereth is so contemned of us. See then,
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Speaker 1: wherefore we ought a great deal. The more to consider
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Speaker 1: of this manner of speaking which David here useth that
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Speaker 1: he standeth in awe of the Word of God, and
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Speaker 1: that he desired none other visible presence. But it sufficed
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Speaker 1: him that God had only spoken that he made good
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Speaker 1: account thereof. Now, if we do not thus, we shall
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Speaker 1: ever be lettered from following that which God hath commanded us.
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Speaker 1: Neither shall we ever have the hearts to discharge ourselves
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Speaker 1: perfectly of our duties. Contrariwise, they that shall be resolved
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Speaker 1: as David was, only to give their minds to the
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Speaker 1: word of God, shall overcome all lets and stops. Moreover,
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Speaker 1: after they have walked aright, do they see that men
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Speaker 1: murmur against them? For it that it seemeth that they,
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Speaker 1: for their well doing shall be recompensed with evil, And
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Speaker 1: that this thing and that is mischievously wrought against them,
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Speaker 1: that they must needs languish in long attending without sparing yea,
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Speaker 1: that they have kindled the fury of men against them,
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Speaker 1: without any occasion given by them. Do they see, I say,
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Speaker 1: all this. And if they do thus, it is very well,
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Speaker 1: For then stand they in awe of the word of God,
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Speaker 1: knowing that they shall not be without the help of God.
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Speaker 1: As also our savior Christ exhorteth us. Fear not saith
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Speaker 1: he them which may kill the body. But I will
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Speaker 1: show you whom you ought to fear to wit, fear
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Speaker 1: him who hath both soul and body in his subjection.
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Speaker 1: When as then you shall look unto your God, then
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Speaker 1: shall you not need to fear whatsoever men go about
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Speaker 1: to cause you to turn aside and to withdraw you
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Speaker 1: from the right way. And thus we see in some
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Speaker 1: that it is our infirmities, or rather our infidelity, which
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Speaker 1: hindereth us, when as men threaten us, when as we
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Speaker 1: see the wicked practices which are imagined against us, and
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Speaker 1: that we are troubled and tormented without cause. For if
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Speaker 1: we still looked unto God, this should never be able
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Speaker 1: to withdraw us, but that we should always remain constant
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Speaker 1: to do that which He commandeth us. And by this
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Speaker 1: also we may see how all to the contrary reigneth
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Speaker 1: at this day in the world, and that there is
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Speaker 1: very little fear of the word of God. For so
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Speaker 1: that we can hold the favor of men in doing
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Speaker 1: our duty anyway, well, this goeth for payment. But if
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Speaker 1: there bloweth an ill wind, and that we perceive any
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Speaker 1: evil practice, or that we be threatened, and that the
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Speaker 1: ungodly bear the sway, we are incontinent astonished. Yea. And
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Speaker 1: that in such a fear as that we are not
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Speaker 1: able once to stir a finger, and that which is
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Speaker 1: more to gratify the wicked, whom we see to be
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Speaker 1: an authority, we will make no bones at it, as
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Speaker 1: we say, to offend the majesty of God. And from
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Speaker 1: whence cometh this, but that we look not into His word,
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Speaker 1: as here it is set down. We are then even
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Speaker 1: convinced of infidelity. When as we assure not ourselves, at
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Speaker 1: the help of our God, to do that which He
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Speaker 1: hath ordained and that which is our duty to do,
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Speaker 1: that we have not this invincible power to resist the
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Speaker 1: assaults of men. And why so, because it is most
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Speaker 1: certain that we have not earnestly stood in awe of
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Speaker 1: the word of God, which ought to be an assured fortress.
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Speaker 1: And not to make any account of whatsoever that Satan
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Speaker 1: can any way craftily invent against us. Now after that
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Speaker 1: David hath thus spoken, he goeth on and saith, I
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Speaker 1: am as glad of Thy word, as one that findeth
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Speaker 1: great spoils, that is to say, gladded more in the
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Speaker 1: promises of God than in all the riches in the world.
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Speaker 1: As we have seen in the ninth part, beginning with
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Speaker 1: the letter Tete, which hath been in that place, sung
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Speaker 1: that he hath esteemed more of the Word of God
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Speaker 1: than of all the gold and silver in the world.
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Speaker 1: And here he saith that he rejoiceth to hear God
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Speaker 1: speak more than if he had found all the goods
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Speaker 1: in the world, that all the riches in the world
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Speaker 1: were nothing to him. In respect of it, it seemeth
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Speaker 1: greatly at the first sight that here is some contrarity
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Speaker 1: as to stand in fear and awe of the Word
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Speaker 1: of God and also to rejoice in it. For joy
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Speaker 1: and fear are mere contraries. But we have already declared
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Speaker 1: what it is that David meaneth by this fear. Not
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Speaker 1: that he was abashed to serve God, nor yet that
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Speaker 1: he doubted of his salvation. But it was to bridle
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Speaker 1: him and to hold him in obedience, and also to
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Speaker 1: declare that God gave him such a constancy against all
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Speaker 1: the men in the world, as that, when he seeth
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Speaker 1: all the creatures of God to lift themselves up against him,
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Speaker 1: yet that he ceased not to go on to do
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Speaker 1: that which God had commanded unto him, and that which
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Speaker 1: he saw was his duty to do. To be short.
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Speaker 1: Let us then hold this for a resolute point, that
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Speaker 1: David had not such a fear as made him fierce
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Speaker 1: and cruel, nor yet which made him to fly from
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Speaker 1: the presence of God, but so reverenced that which God spake,
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Speaker 1: as that he stood boldly at defiance with all men,
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Speaker 1: declaring that he made no reckoning of their fury, poison,
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Speaker 1: nor yet of all their deadly enmities. David, I say,
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Speaker 1: cared for none of all this, And why so because
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Speaker 1: he so reverenced and honored God, as that he fully
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Speaker 1: reposed himself upon his word. Now, when as we have
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Speaker 1: such a fear, it is nothing contrary to the joy
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Speaker 1: which David here speak of. But it is rather an
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Speaker 1: excellent accord or sweet harmony. For it is impossible for
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Speaker 1: us rightly to give ourselves unto God and to obey
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Speaker 1: Him in such sort as we ought without we love
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Speaker 1: him and that his word be pleasant and sweet unto us.
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Speaker 1: And see wherefore David doth not only say that the
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Speaker 1: word of God was more dear unto him than either
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Speaker 1: gold or silver, but he saith that it was sweeter
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Speaker 1: unto him than honey. He setteth down these two things
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Speaker 1: which ought to be coupled together, to wit that the
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Speaker 1: word of God ought to be more dear and sweet
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Speaker 1: unto us than all other things, and that we ought
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Speaker 1: to take all our delight and pleasure therein, desiring nothing
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Speaker 1: else but to order and hold ourselves to it, knowing
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Speaker 1: that whatsoever God hath is to this end to communicate
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Speaker 1: the same unto us, that we might taste of His
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Speaker 1: bounty and love. Now we see that David did not
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Speaker 1: without cause join this joy which he conceived of the
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Speaker 1: Word of God with fear, signifying that he stood not
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Speaker 1: in awe of God perforce and with a slavish fear,
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Speaker 1: as we say. But he did it in acknowledging him
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Speaker 1: to be his God and Savior, and settling himself wholly
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Speaker 1: upon his promises. And thus much for this second verse.
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Speaker 1: Now he addeth soon after, I hate falsehood and abhor it,
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Speaker 1: But thy Lord, do I love this verse is not
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Speaker 1: here added but to good purpose. For David showeth that
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Speaker 1: we can never be glad as he hath declared, how
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Speaker 1: he hath been neither yet stand in awe of the
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Speaker 1: word of God. Without we detest falsehood. Now we of
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Speaker 1: our own nature are so nuzzled in vanity as that
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Speaker 1: it is lamentable. The law of God, then shall never
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Speaker 1: come so fully home unto us, as that we may
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Speaker 1: justly say that we earnestly hear it and receive it
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Speaker 1: from the heart, until such time as we have strived
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Speaker 1: against our fleshly affections, that is to say, against all
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Speaker 1: whatsoever is in our nature, because it is all but vanity.
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Speaker 1: In sum David, after he had spoken of this joy
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Speaker 1: which he had conceived, of the promises of God, wherein
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Speaker 1: he declareth unto us his goodness, after he had spoken
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Speaker 1: of the fear which we owe him to become subject
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Speaker 1: unto him, and after that he had given him the
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Speaker 1: authority which he deserved above all other men and creatures.
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Speaker 1: For a conclusion, he addeth the means how to attain
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Speaker 1: to all this, to it that we must a shew falsehood,
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Speaker 1: and not only a shoe and hate it, but also
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Speaker 1: detest it, yea signifying that we must greatly abhor it,
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Speaker 1: so that we overcome all our wicked desires and tame
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Speaker 1: them and all other our lusts, which carry us away
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Speaker 1: to wickedness, and withdraw us from the obedience of God.
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Speaker 1: So then we see now that natural men can never
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Speaker 1: be disposed to serve God until such time as they
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Speaker 1: have striven against the vanity of their own nature, and
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Speaker 1: that not only once or twice, but also to continue
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Speaker 1: it all the days of their life. For what are
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Speaker 1: the lusts which are in us, and which do wickedly
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Speaker 1: lead us from the right way? In very deed, the
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Speaker 1: more part are so prevented with them, as that they
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Speaker 1: feel them not, or else think that it is nothing
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Speaker 1: so marvelous. Thick darkness remaineth in them, as for those
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Speaker 1: which have a desire with all their heart to forsake them.
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Speaker 1: Yet shall we find them also to be over much
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Speaker 1: nuzzled in them. Moreover, if all the men in the
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Speaker 1: world were examined and an inquisition made, I confess that
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Speaker 1: we shall find the most wicked sometimes to be remorsed
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Speaker 1: and stung, and to be inwardly pricked and constrained marga
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Speaker 1: their hearts to have loathing to do evil, they have
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Speaker 1: an eye unto it by fits, and yet they cease
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Speaker 1: not to follow the evil with a continual course, although
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Speaker 1: between whiles they have a loathing of it. And we
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Speaker 1: must not greatly marvel at this, For carnal men, which
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Speaker 1: are not governed by the spirit of God, are carried
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Speaker 1: away with their wicked affections as with a fury, so
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Speaker 1: that their whole reason is altogether brutish. And even they
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Speaker 1: shall very well have an hatred of their evil, but
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Speaker 1: yet not so fly from it, as that we shall
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Speaker 1: not be able to say that they have such a
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Speaker 1: fear of God as it is required to forsake themselves
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Speaker 1: and wholly to submit themselves unto His will. See here
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Speaker 1: what we have to consider out of this place. But
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Speaker 1: in the meanwhile, one thing is to be observed that
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Speaker 1: David maketh a comparison between the law of God and
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Speaker 1: all whatsoever that men can imagine on their own head,
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Speaker 1: with all their reasons and desires, as if he should
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Speaker 1: have said that there is but only rule that is
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Speaker 1: good and worthy to be beloved to it, the law
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Speaker 1: of God. When then our life shall be conformable to
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Speaker 1: the word of God, all shall go well, but we
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Speaker 1: shall not withdraw ourselves, never so little from it, as
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Speaker 1: that we shall not by and by roll over thought
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Speaker 1: all the fields. And why so, for all our truth
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Speaker 1: and sincerity is enclosed within this rule which God hath
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Speaker 1: set down unto us. We ought then to bear this
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Speaker 1: honor unto the word of God, to hear it as
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Speaker 1: it is laid out unto us, and to follow it
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Speaker 1: in all simplicity, or else, so soon as we shall
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Speaker 1: decline from it, never so little. See, we are quite
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Speaker 1: out of the way of salvation, so that we cannot
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Speaker 1: choose but to be confounded until such time as we
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Speaker 1: are entered again into the way which God hath showed us.
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Speaker 1: Now he addeth seven times a day, do I praise
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Speaker 1: Thee because of thy righteous judgments. Here we may take
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Speaker 1: this word judgment for the manner which God holdeth in
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Speaker 1: governing the world, and the punishments which He laieth upon
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Speaker 1: the ungodly, as also for the grace which He causes
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Speaker 1: them to feel, which call upon Him, and which walk
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Speaker 1: sincerely before Him. For the Holy Scripture, oftentimes, when it
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Speaker 1: speaketh of the judgments of God, meaneth all this. But
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Speaker 1: because that in this sum, the judgments are for the
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Speaker 1: most part taken. For these statutes and ordinances that are
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Speaker 1: contained in the Law of God, I gladly mean to
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Speaker 1: handle it at this present. Thus that is that David
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Speaker 1: praised God because he had given unto his people a
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Speaker 1: law which was both just and full of equity, and
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Speaker 1: that therein he had whereofter be glad and to praise
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Speaker 1: and magnify Him. Lo here a place well worthy than noting.
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Speaker 1: For by these words David doth us to wit that
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Speaker 1: we cannot praise God. So long as we are not
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Speaker 1: instructed in his word. Our mouth shall be closed up
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Speaker 1: and our heart locked fast up, so that a man
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Speaker 1: shall not pull from us one good word which may
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Speaker 1: turn to the praise of God. And to prove this
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Speaker 1: to be so, we see that the unfaithful shall not
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Speaker 1: only be dumb to praise God, but they will also
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Speaker 1: fall out with Him, that whatsoever shall come to their
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Speaker 1: mouths shall be to blaspheme God and to murmur against
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Speaker 1: His divine majesty. As for the ignorant, they shall be
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Speaker 1: so blockish as that they shall have no desire to
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Speaker 1: praise God. And if they do praise Him, it shall
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Speaker 1: be but for fashion's sake, because it is but a
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Speaker 1: mocking of God and his word. How then may we
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Speaker 1: praise God in good, earnest and without hypocrisy forsooth, even
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Speaker 1: when as we shall be instructed in His ordinances, when
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Speaker 1: as we shall have known what care he hath of
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Speaker 1: our salvation, how he governeth his church, how he embraceth
18:31
Speaker 1: himself to apply himself unto our gross capacities, and to
18:35
Speaker 1: make himself to be familiarly acquainted with us. When then
18:38
Speaker 1: we shall seek God to have such a care over us,
18:40
Speaker 1: to instruct us that he hath so rightly ruled our life,
18:44
Speaker 1: that he so purveyeth for all our necessities, as that
18:47
Speaker 1: we want nothing ought, not we to give our minds
18:50
Speaker 1: unto Him, yea, even to be inflamed wholly, to magnify
18:53
Speaker 1: His holy name, and to be ravished with that desire
18:56
Speaker 1: which David here speaketh of. Now let us see what
19:00
Speaker 1: we have to gather in some out of this place,
19:02
Speaker 1: and thereby we may see how slenderly we have at
19:04
Speaker 1: this day profited in the school of God. For whence
19:07
Speaker 1: cometh this circumspection, Where is that zeal of ours in
19:12
Speaker 1: praising of God which David saith that he had, seeing
19:15
Speaker 1: that scarcely one word can be pulled from us when
19:18
Speaker 1: any speech shall be of praising God. Yea, were it
19:21
Speaker 1: not for fashion's sake and countenance only, this is far
19:24
Speaker 1: from continuing in it, and far from extending our whole
19:27
Speaker 1: study thereto as to make it the most principal thing
19:29
Speaker 1: that ought to be in our whole life. Now we
19:32
Speaker 1: are hereby convinced of our slender studying and meditating of
19:36
Speaker 1: the Word of God, because we are so cold and
19:38
Speaker 1: negligent in praising of Him, and without having a greater
19:42
Speaker 1: care in acknowledging his benefits bestowed upon us. And that
19:47
Speaker 1: which is more, let us thoroughly consider that David saith.
19:50
Speaker 1: Not only that he was stood up to prayer unto
19:52
Speaker 1: God for once, and so continued it for certain days,
19:56
Speaker 1: but he saith daily and after seven times. That is
20:00
Speaker 1: that he continued in it all his life long. For
20:02
Speaker 1: this word seven is taken in the Holy Scripture for
20:05
Speaker 1: a marvelous perseverance when a man continue in it and
20:08
Speaker 1: are not drawn away from any cause whatsoever, but do
20:11
Speaker 1: always hold themselves there too. And this is the meaning
20:14
Speaker 1: of the scripture for this number of seven. Now David,
20:18
Speaker 1: protesting that he daily praised God seven times, meaneth that
20:22
Speaker 1: he exercised himself therein from the morning unto the evening,
20:26
Speaker 1: and after that he exhorteth all other men to have
20:28
Speaker 1: the like desire and zeal to praise God. So then
20:32
Speaker 1: let us compare ourselves with David, and we shall find
20:34
Speaker 1: that we have learnt very little out of the word
20:36
Speaker 1: of God, considering that we are so slothful in praising
20:40
Speaker 1: of Him. And yet for all that we are greatly
20:43
Speaker 1: to give Him ya infinite thanks, when as we shall
20:45
Speaker 1: have known his grace and goodness towards us, in that
20:48
Speaker 1: He is so careful to govern and order our life,
20:51
Speaker 1: and to show us the way of salvation. The Papists
20:55
Speaker 1: have applied this saying to their set hours, and have
20:58
Speaker 1: laid hold only on the first part of the verse,
21:01
Speaker 1: saying that they praise God seven times a day when
21:03
Speaker 1: as they sing their mattins primes, their third hour, sixth
21:07
Speaker 1: hour at midnight their evensong, and complain see here how
21:12
Speaker 1: God shall be well praised seven times a day, as
21:14
Speaker 1: they think, yea yea good enough. As though God would
21:18
Speaker 1: call back that which he hath pronounced by his prophet Isaiah.
21:22
Speaker 1: This people saith, he honor me with their lips, but
21:25
Speaker 1: their hearts are very far from me. He goeth on
21:28
Speaker 1: Father and saith that he will show them that He
21:31
Speaker 1: cannot abide such mockeries, and to be so dallied withal
21:35
Speaker 1: See here how God threateneth the Jews with an horrible
21:38
Speaker 1: vengeance because they only praised Him with their mouth. Now
21:41
Speaker 1: we know what they are set. Hours which their monks,
21:44
Speaker 1: friars and priests do sing, or rather which they bleat
21:48
Speaker 1: and howl out in their churches, are that they are
21:51
Speaker 1: without either understanding devotion and any good desire whatsoever. And
21:56
Speaker 1: they think it not enough that they show themselves indeed
21:59
Speaker 1: openly to mock God God. But their devilish doctrine also
22:02
Speaker 1: importeth the same that they cannot but merit having this
22:05
Speaker 1: final meaning to praise God. So that when a cannon
22:08
Speaker 1: hath put on his grayamis and surplice, and going out
22:12
Speaker 1: of his chamber with this final intent, and yet Anon
22:16
Speaker 1: after thinketh of his gossip, his cheer, and his pastime,
22:20
Speaker 1: yea that he play the hypocrite there Yet forsooth he
22:24
Speaker 1: must needs merit. It is very true that they will
22:27
Speaker 1: confess that there is a venial sin intermeddled amongst. But
22:31
Speaker 1: yet that the same cannot hinder them from meriting, when
22:34
Speaker 1: as they had this final intent to praise God. Yea.
22:38
Speaker 1: And so also as that when they come home again
22:40
Speaker 1: under their house, they think themselves to have discharged their
22:43
Speaker 1: duty to be short, so that at the beginning and
22:46
Speaker 1: the end they had some motion to devotion. It is enough,
22:52
Speaker 1: and is not this holy to mock God and to
22:55
Speaker 1: dally with Him more than a man would dandle a
22:57
Speaker 1: young child. But see how they thiss. Miserable cursed people
23:01
Speaker 1: have perverted all the holy scripture in mingling it with
23:04
Speaker 1: so shameful things, that even the very heathen, when as
23:07
Speaker 1: they shall have gotten the understanding of the least spark
23:09
Speaker 1: of truth, will be ashamed to see such service in
23:12
Speaker 1: the papacy to be called godly service. When it is
23:15
Speaker 1: all after this manner, I pray you, what praising of
23:18
Speaker 1: God shall there remain. Let us then understand that these
23:22
Speaker 1: people are very far from David, and that if we
23:25
Speaker 1: would take example by them, they right well show that
23:28
Speaker 1: they know not what it is to praise God, but
23:30
Speaker 1: rather profane his holy name. When as they will thrust
23:33
Speaker 1: in such abominations amongst as we daily feel them to
23:36
Speaker 1: commit against His word. Now, David addeth soon after they
23:41
Speaker 1: which love Thy law shall have great prosperity, and they
23:45
Speaker 1: shall have no hurt. Here, David, being led by the
23:49
Speaker 1: spirit of God as a true prophet, contenteth not himself
23:52
Speaker 1: with speaking of the benefits which he had received, but
23:55
Speaker 1: instructeth others of that which they have to do. Although
23:59
Speaker 1: in truth all thee Protestations which we have seen here
24:02
Speaker 1: are full of doctrine. And that it is so. We
24:05
Speaker 1: see that David might very well have praised God in
24:08
Speaker 1: his heart without declaring what he had done, but it
24:11
Speaker 1: was needful that he might be set as a glass
24:13
Speaker 1: before our eyes to the end we might be led
24:16
Speaker 1: to follow him. But yet in this verse he more
24:19
Speaker 1: expressly setteth forth the office and duty of a prophet,
24:22
Speaker 1: when as he saith, they which love Thy law shall
24:25
Speaker 1: have great prosperity, and they shall have no hurt. Now
24:29
Speaker 1: by this he showeth unto us that we are even
24:31
Speaker 1: in good earnest accursed, when as we give ourselves up
24:35
Speaker 1: unto our own fleshly liking, because we would be esteemed
24:38
Speaker 1: amongst men and take pleasure in our pastimes and delights.
24:42
Speaker 1: And why so, because we shall be always tormented with
24:45
Speaker 1: unquietness and grief, so that we shall never be at
24:48
Speaker 1: peace and rest. And although we verily think ourselves to
24:51
Speaker 1: be assured of victory all the days of our life,
24:54
Speaker 1: yet shall we reel this way and that, and willingly
24:57
Speaker 1: hurt ourselves, so that it should seem we had a
25:00
Speaker 1: will to break both our arms and legs, and in
25:02
Speaker 1: the end neck and all. And the reason is for
25:06
Speaker 1: that we follow not the way which God hath set
25:08
Speaker 1: before us. Let us then, consider what the meaning of
25:12
Speaker 1: David is to it, that we must not make reckoning
25:14
Speaker 1: of any assurance here in this world, except we love
25:18
Speaker 1: the Word of God, and that so too, as that
25:20
Speaker 1: we desire nothing else but to be wholly ordered by it,
25:23
Speaker 1: to submit and hold ourselves there too, without being withdrawn
25:27
Speaker 1: by the enticements of Satan, and with all the temptations
25:29
Speaker 1: of our corrupt flesh and nature shall lay before our eyes.
25:33
Speaker 1: In very deed, it may very well seem at the
25:35
Speaker 1: first sight that experience teacheth us the contrary of that
25:39
Speaker 1: which David speaketh. For who are most grieved, vexed, and
25:42
Speaker 1: troubled forsooth even the children of God, who have all
25:46
Speaker 1: the shame and offenses done unto them, even the self
25:49
Speaker 1: same men. For it is said that our savior Christ is,
25:52
Speaker 1: as it were, a badge and mark of all these contrarities.
25:56
Speaker 1: We must then have all the ungodly to be our enemies.
25:59
Speaker 1: In some or all, they which intend to serve God
26:01
Speaker 1: cannot escape from shame and slanderous reports, from being despised,
26:06
Speaker 1: troubled and outraged, and to endure great numbers of injuries
26:09
Speaker 1: and violences. Lo, how the children of God are entreated
26:13
Speaker 1: and handled in this present life. And so by this
26:17
Speaker 1: reason it seemeth that David promiseth us here that which
26:20
Speaker 1: we have not. But we are here to consider that
26:23
Speaker 1: David promiseth us not such a rest as shall be,
26:26
Speaker 1: as it were, an earthly paradise. He speaketh of this
26:29
Speaker 1: true prosperity which the children of God have when they
26:32
Speaker 1: are content to serve Him, that in all their griefs yea,
26:35
Speaker 1: in all their anguishes and troubles, they run only unto
26:39
Speaker 1: Him and lay all their cares upon him, not doubting
26:41
Speaker 1: but that He will help them. And afterward hereupon not
26:44
Speaker 1: to fear whatsoever that mortal men can imagine or devise
26:47
Speaker 1: against them, when as then we shall have such a
26:52
Speaker 1: peace as this. Although our estate and condition be in
26:55
Speaker 1: the view of men, the most miserable in the whole world,
26:58
Speaker 1: Yet ought we to be thoroughly cans, knowing that God
27:01
Speaker 1: will raise us up and make us to triumph over
27:03
Speaker 1: all our enemies. Although we thought we should fall, even
27:06
Speaker 1: to be crushed and utterly beaten to powder. Yet will
27:09
Speaker 1: God be ready to uphold us and make us to
27:11
Speaker 1: be blessed. As it is said in the ninety first Psalm,
27:15
Speaker 1: that God will not suffer his faithful to tumble over
27:18
Speaker 1: and over, neither yet so to fall, as that they
27:20
Speaker 1: shall not be able to relieve themselves again, but will
27:23
Speaker 1: rather send His angels to lift them up into the air.
27:26
Speaker 1: In very deed, yet shall it not be so as
27:29
Speaker 1: that we shall not sometimes hurt ourselves, howbeit the assaults
27:33
Speaker 1: shall not be such as to thrush us deadly. However
27:36
Speaker 1: it be, we shall in the end feel in what
27:38
Speaker 1: sort God shall have assisted us by his angels. This
27:42
Speaker 1: is the means and the manner to feel by effect
27:44
Speaker 1: that which David speaketh of. Now. In truth, the wicked
27:49
Speaker 1: shall never be able to take any such hold because
27:52
Speaker 1: they are not worthy of it. For by reason they
27:55
Speaker 1: know not what God nor his word is. Without it
27:58
Speaker 1: be to hate him to anger him. It is meet
28:02
Speaker 1: that they prove by experiment the contrary of that which
28:05
Speaker 1: is here spoken of by David. To wit, because they
28:08
Speaker 1: love not the law of God, it is good reason
28:10
Speaker 1: that they should be inwardly troubled and grievously tormented without end.
28:15
Speaker 1: Now it followeth, Lord, I have trusted in thy saving health,
28:18
Speaker 1: and have done Thy commandments. Here David more lively expresseth
28:22
Speaker 1: and declareth that which I have already touched, to wit,
28:26
Speaker 1: that our affection in serving of God precedeth of thee
28:29
Speaker 1: trust which we have in Him in believing his promises.
28:33
Speaker 1: If then we conceive not that God is our savior,
28:35
Speaker 1: and so by that means trust that He will help us,
28:38
Speaker 1: it is impossible that we should be inflamed to serve him.
28:42
Speaker 1: It is true we may very well have some feeling
28:45
Speaker 1: of the duty which we owe unto Him, and be
28:47
Speaker 1: somewhat touched therewith, although indeed few there are which think
28:51
Speaker 1: thereof but admit it be so. Yet will no man,
28:54
Speaker 1: for all that freely and of his own accord, say, oh, come,
28:57
Speaker 1: let us serve, yea, let us serve our God even
29:00
Speaker 1: until such time as we are fully assured of the
29:02
Speaker 1: good which He meaneth and is ready to procure us,
29:05
Speaker 1: and of the true and full hope of our salvation
29:08
Speaker 1: thoroughly imprinted in our hearts. And so let us rightly
29:11
Speaker 1: consider that they which remember no more of that which
29:14
Speaker 1: is preached unto them. But this, to say, Lo, this
29:18
Speaker 1: is it which God commandeth us. We must either do
29:20
Speaker 1: this or that. Truly, there is no point of true Christianity.
29:24
Speaker 1: And why so, because the principal point of Christianity is
29:27
Speaker 1: to know the goodness of God and the mercy which
29:29
Speaker 1: He useth towards us. Lo, this is, I say, the
29:34
Speaker 1: true knowledge which we must learn in the school of
29:36
Speaker 1: our Lord Jesus Christ. And hold us to that which
29:39
Speaker 1: He has declared unto us. And besides, we are also
29:43
Speaker 1: to consider of that which He commandeth us. But his
29:46
Speaker 1: promises must be preferred and have the chiefest place. And
29:49
Speaker 1: by this also we are showed that in the Popish religion,
29:51
Speaker 1: the principal doctrine of Christianity is put out and made nothing,
29:55
Speaker 1: because that when the papists creak and chatter their prayers
29:58
Speaker 1: making as though they presented their soul implications under God.
30:01
Speaker 1: They say that they must never assure themselves of that
30:05
Speaker 1: which they pray for. And the cause is for that
30:07
Speaker 1: they look not unto the free promises of God. And
30:10
Speaker 1: how so, behold and hypocrite shall step up and preach
30:13
Speaker 1: nothing else but that which every man is bound to do.
30:16
Speaker 1: He will preach unto you of charity. He will make
30:18
Speaker 1: you another sermon of alms, one of this matter, another
30:22
Speaker 1: of that. And yet for all this we know not
30:25
Speaker 1: what it is to believe in God. Then do we
30:28
Speaker 1: a great deal less know what it is to call
30:30
Speaker 1: upon Him in full assurance, to say, God is our father.
30:33
Speaker 1: He alloweth us for his children, because He hath us
30:36
Speaker 1: as he would wish, and that our sins are forgiven
30:38
Speaker 1: us through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. There
30:41
Speaker 1: is no wit of this in popery, and therefore it
30:44
Speaker 1: is impossible that there should be one word of good
30:47
Speaker 1: and sound doctrine in it and profitable unto salvation. Let us, then,
30:51
Speaker 1: well consider of this saying of David, O Lord, I
30:54
Speaker 1: have trusted in thy saving health and have done thy commandments.
30:59
Speaker 1: Now in the end, he said, my soul hath kept
31:01
Speaker 1: thy testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. I have kept
31:05
Speaker 1: thy commandments and testimonies, for all my ways are before THEE.
31:10
Speaker 1: After that David hath sufficiently protested that he loveth the
31:13
Speaker 1: word of God, that it was so sweet and pleasant
31:16
Speaker 1: unto him, as that all his study and delight consisted therein,
31:19
Speaker 1: he concludeth and saith that his soul had kept it,
31:22
Speaker 1: as if he should have said, O, Lord, in that
31:25
Speaker 1: I was given to serve thee. It was not with
31:27
Speaker 1: my hands and feet only, but because I love thy word, yea,
31:31
Speaker 1: and that with all my soul, and I take my
31:34
Speaker 1: whole delight therein. For when the Hebrews mean to show
31:37
Speaker 1: a pure and sound liking, they say, my soul hath
31:40
Speaker 1: done this or that? That is as much to say
31:43
Speaker 1: as I have done it with all mine heart low
31:46
Speaker 1: here and hearty service, which David here expresseth. And this
31:50
Speaker 1: is yet a point which ought thoroughly to be considered of,
31:53
Speaker 1: for we see how men are given to play the hypocrites,
31:56
Speaker 1: even to set a very fair outward show of the matter,
31:59
Speaker 1: and that means think themselves to be discharged before God.
32:03
Speaker 1: Now we must begin farther off as David here showeth
32:06
Speaker 1: us that is, we must keep the word of God
32:09
Speaker 1: in our hearts. Wherein he confirmeth the matter which we
32:12
Speaker 1: have already heretofore handled, to wit that the question is
32:15
Speaker 1: not to have God simply to teach us, whereby we
32:18
Speaker 1: might know what He requireth at our hands, and what
32:21
Speaker 1: our duty is towards him. But he buildeth upon his promises.
32:25
Speaker 1: Howbeit David, having said that his soul kept the commandments
32:28
Speaker 1: of God because he loved them, by this which he
32:31
Speaker 1: addeth soon after, he joineth the promises with the commandments, saying,
32:35
Speaker 1: for all my ways are before thine eyes. It is
32:38
Speaker 1: true that he showeth by these words that except he
32:41
Speaker 1: had been sure that God protected him, it had not
32:43
Speaker 1: been possible for him to have had that true liking
32:46
Speaker 1: to have served his majesty. And hereupon hangeth the second
32:50
Speaker 1: point that God held him always in his presence, because
32:54
Speaker 1: he should not have leave to do evil, as if
32:56
Speaker 1: he should have said, O Lord, because I know that
32:59
Speaker 1: no man is able to hide himself from THEE. Lo,
33:01
Speaker 1: why I give myself wholly to fear and serve THEE
33:04
Speaker 1: and to say the truth, What is the cause that
33:06
Speaker 1: the ungodly takes such liberty to commit and devise such
33:10
Speaker 1: villainous and grievous acts, as that they themselves are ashamed of.
33:14
Speaker 1: Yea that it maketh the very hairs of their head
33:16
Speaker 1: to stand upright. What is the cause of this? The
33:19
Speaker 1: reason is for that they know not that God seeth them.
33:22
Speaker 1: For if they were sure of that, they would be
33:25
Speaker 1: somewhat moved with the fear of His majesty. So, then,
33:29
Speaker 1: in that the faithless war with us against God and
33:31
Speaker 1: take liberty to do wickedly, it is because they think
33:34
Speaker 1: that God seeth them. Not, according to that saying in
33:37
Speaker 1: the Scripture, the wicked man hath said, God seeth not.
33:40
Speaker 1: He knoweth nothing of that which is done here on
33:42
Speaker 1: the earth. I mean not that the wicked do thus
33:46
Speaker 1: openly speak. Yet for all that they think no less
33:50
Speaker 1: as by experience we see, for they think that God
33:52
Speaker 1: marketh not all their iniquities. Neither yet that it is
33:55
Speaker 1: needful for them once to make any account of their sins. Howbeit,
34:00
Speaker 1: David saith clean contrary that, because he knew that all
34:03
Speaker 1: his ways were before God. Therefore he kept his commandments.
34:06
Speaker 1: See also by the scripture in speaking of the Holy Fathers,
34:09
Speaker 1: which lived sincerely saith that they walked before God. To wit,
34:14
Speaker 1: they had this consideration that they knew that God did
34:17
Speaker 1: see them, and therefore they walked as if they had
34:19
Speaker 1: been in His presence. And this importeth that they took
34:23
Speaker 1: not such liberty as they themselves thought good, but that
34:26
Speaker 1: they wholly ordered themselves according to the will of God,
34:29
Speaker 1: as he had declared it by his word. See then,
34:33
Speaker 1: David his meaning. And even so must we also do,
34:39
Speaker 1: if we will have our life and conversation to be
34:41
Speaker 1: well ordered, to wit, to know that God seeth us,
34:44
Speaker 1: and therefore that we cannot fly from His hand, but
34:47
Speaker 1: must submit ourselves unto it. Albeit we will not do
34:50
Speaker 1: it freely and of our own accord. And so let
34:54
Speaker 1: us willingly be contented to be ruled by Him, being
34:57
Speaker 1: certified of His love and goodness towards us. To thee end,
35:00
Speaker 1: we might, in truth make this protestation which David here maketh.
35:04
Speaker 1: According to this holy doctrine. Let us humbly prostrate ourselves
35:08
Speaker 1: before the majesty of our good God, in acknowledging our offenses,
35:11
Speaker 1: beseeching him that it would please him to make us
35:14
Speaker 1: to feel the power of His word. In such sort
35:16
Speaker 1: as his Holy Prophet here showeth us, and so to
35:19
Speaker 1: feel it, as that we may wholly submit ourselves unto it,
35:23
Speaker 1: knowing that when it shall come in question for us
35:25
Speaker 1: to remit ourselves and cleave unto him, as he requireth,
35:29
Speaker 1: that we must forsake the whole world and all our
35:31
Speaker 1: carnal affections, which any way hinder us from coming unto
35:34
Speaker 1: him to the end, we may so climb up unto
35:37
Speaker 1: His majesty, as that, not fearing the world nor all
35:40
Speaker 1: his assaults, we may put our whole confidence in his
35:43
Speaker 1: merciful goodness, and boldly present us before his face to
35:47
Speaker 1: the end he may receive us, so that we might
35:49
Speaker 1: always be governed through His Holy Spirit, until such time
35:52
Speaker 1: as he hath brought us unto that perfection, whereunto he
35:55
Speaker 1: calleth and biddeth us that he will not only grunt
35:59
Speaker 1: unto us disgrace, but also et cetera. End of Sermon
36:04
Speaker 1: twenty one