The Saints' Spiritual Delight

p. 1CHAP. I. Shewing that negative goodnesse is but a broken title to heaven.

AS the Book of the Canticles is called the song of songs by an Hebraisme, it being the most excellent; so this Psalme may not unfitly be entituled, p. 2the Psalme of Psalmes, for it containes in it the very pyth and quintescence of Christianity. What Hierom saith of St. Pauls Epistles [Breves esse pariter, ac longas. Hierom.] , the same may I of this Psalme; 'tis short for the composure, but full of length and strength for the matter [Psalmus hic reliquis anteponitur, estenim quasi pro •• mium in univer sam sacram Scripturam Moller.] . This Psalme carries blessednesse in the frontispiece; it begins where we all hope to end: It may well be call'd a Christians guide, for it discovers the quicksands where the wicked sink down in perdition, verse 1. and the firme ground on which the Saints tread to glory, ver. 2. The text is an epitome, and breviary of Religion. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in his Law doth he meditate day and night. Every word hath its Emphasis; I begin with the first word But [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] .

This But is full of spiritual wine, we will broach it, and taste a little, then proceed.

p. 3But] This is a tearme of opposition. The godly man is described,

1. By way of negation, in three particulars. 1. [Verse 1.] He walketh not in the councel of the ungodly. He is none of the Councel; he neither gives bad councel, nor takes it. 2. He standeth not in the way of sinners. He will not stand among those who shall not be able to stand in the judgement, verse 5.3. He sitteth not in the seat of the scornful. Let it be a chaire of state, he will not sit in it, he knows it will prove very uneasie at last. The word sitting [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] implies,

1. An habit in sinne [Moles imposita sepulchroipsa est vis dura consuetudinis qua premitur anima, nec resurgere nec respirare possit. Aug. in Mat. hom. 45. Adeo sunt pertinaces, suisque perfricta fronte peccatis addicti, ut jam nihil cos pudeat, sed omnem religionem habeant proludibrio. Moller.] Psal. 50.20. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother.

p. 42. Sitting implies familiarity with sinners. Psal. 26.4. I have not sate with vaine persons; that is, I do not haunt their company. The godly man shakes off all intimacy with the wicked [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Menander.] . He may traffique with them, not associate; he may be civil to them, as neighbours, but not twist into a cord of friendship: Diamonds and stones may lie together, but they will not sodor and ceament.

II. The godly man is described by way of position, or rather opposition, But his delight is in the Law of the Lord. From this word But] observe,

Doct.

That negative goodnesse is not sufficient to entitle us to heaven. To be no scorner, is good, but it is not enough. There are some in the world whose religion runs all upon negatives; they are not drunkards, they are not swearers [Qui flagitium nou committit non est vir bonus, sed tantum non malus. natal. com.] , and for this they do blesse themselves. See p. 5how that Pharisee vapours, Luke 18.11. God I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, &c. Alas, the not being scandalous will no more make a good Christian than a cipher will make a summe. The godly man goes further, He sits not in the seat of the scorner, but his delight is in the Law of the Lord. We are bid, not only to cease from evil, but to do good, Psalme 34.14. 'Twill be a poore plea at last, Lord I kept my selfe from being spotted with grosse sin. I did no hurt, but quid boni inest? What good is there in thee? It is not enough for the servant of the vineyard that he doth no hurt there, he doth not break the trees, or destroy the hedges; if he doth not work in the vine-yard, he loseth his pay; 'tis not enough for us to say at the last day we have done no hurt, we have liv'd in no grosse sin, but what good have we done in p. 6the vine-yard? where is the grace we have gotten? if we cannot shew this, we shall lose our pay, and miss of salvation.

Use.

Use.

Do not content your selves with the Negative part of Religion; [Virtutis est magis houesta agere quàm non turpia.] many build their hopes for heaven upon this crack'd foundation, they are given to no vice, none can charge them with any foule miscarriages, and these are their letters of credence to shew; to such persons I say three things.

p. 61. You may not be outwardly bad, and yet not inwardly good. You may be as far from grace as from vice; though none can say, black is your eye, yet, our soul may be dyed black. Though your hands be not working iniquity, your heads may be plotting it. Though you do not hang out your bush, yet you may secretly vent your commodity: a tree may be full of vermine, yet the fair leaves may cover them that they p. 7are not seen; so the faire leaves of civility may hide you from the eye of man, but God sees the vermine of pride, unbelief, covetousnesse in your heart: Ye are they (saith Christ) that justifie your selves before men, but God knows your hearts, Luke 16.15. a man may not be morally evil, yet not spiritually good. He may be free from grosse enormity, yet full of secret enmity against God; like the snake, which though it be of a fine colour, yet hath its sting.

2. If you are onely negatively good, God makes no reckoning of you; you are as so many ciphers in Gods Arithmitick, and he writes down no ciphers in the book of life: Take a piece of brasse, though it be not so bad mettal as lead or iron, yet not being so good as silver, there is little reckoning made of it, 'twill not passe for currant coine; though thou art not profane, yet p. 8not being of the right mettal, wanting the stamp of holinesse upon thee, thou wilt never passe currant, God slights thee, thou art but a brasse Christian.