General Observations upon the Text

Hence in general we may observe; that Grief gathered to a head will not be quieted at the first. We see here passions intermingled with comforts, and comforts with passions, and what bustling there is before David can get the victory over his own heart: you have some short spirited Christians, that if they be not comforted at the first, they think all labour with their hearts is in vain, and thereupon give way to their grief. But we see in David, as distemper ariseth upon distemper, so he gives check upon check, and charge upon charge to his soul, until a;t length he brought it to a quiet temper. In physic, if one purge will not carry away the vicious humour, then we add a second; if that will not do it, we take a third: so should we deal with our souls, perhaps, one check, one charge will not do it, then fall upon the soul again; send it to God again, and never give over until our souls be possessed of our souls again.

Again, In general observe in David’s spirit, that a gracious and living soul is most sensible of the want of spiritual means.

The reason is because spiritual life hath answerable taste, and hunger and thirst after spiritual helps.

We see in nature, that those things press hardest upon it, that touch upon the necessities of nature, rather than those that touch upon delights, for these further only our comfortable being; but necessities uphold our being itself: we see how famine wrought upon the patriarchs to go into Egypt: where we may see what to judge of those who willingly excommunicate themselves from the assemblies of God’s people, where the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are present, where the prayers of holy men meet together in one, and as it were bind God, and pull down God’s blessing. No private devotion hath that report of acceptance from Heaven.

A third general point is, that a godly soul, by reason of the life of grace, knows when it is well with it, and when it is ill, when it is a good day with it, and when a bad; when God shines in the use of means then the soul is as it were in Heaven; when God withdraws himself, then it is in darkness for a time. Where there is but only a principle of nature without sanctifying grace, there men go plodding on and keep their rounds, and are at the end where they were at the beginning; not troubled with changes, because there is nothing within to be troubled; and therefore dead means, quick means, or no means, all is one with them, an argument of a dead soul. And so we come more particularly and directly to the words, Why art thou cast down O my soul? and luhy art thou disquieted within me? &c.

The words imply, 1. David’s state wherein he was; and, 2. express his carriage in that state.

His state was such that in regard of outward condition, he was in variety of troubles; and that in regard of inward disposition of spirit, he was first cast downy and then disquieted.

Now for his carriage of himself in this condition, and disposition, he dealeth roundly with himself: David reasoneth the case with David, and first checketh himself for being too much cast down, and then for being too much disquieted.

And then layeth a charge upon himself to trust in God; wherein we have the duty he chargeth upon himself, which is to trust in God, and the grounds of the duty;

First, from confidence of better times to come, which would yield him matter oi praising God.

And then by a representation of God unto him, as a saving God in all troubles, nay, as salvation itself, an open glorious Saviour in the view of all. The salvation of my countenance, and all this enforced from David’s interest in God, He is my God.

Whence observe, first, from the state he was now in, that since guilt and corruption hath been derived by the fall, into the nature of man, it hath been subjected to misery and sorrow, and in that all conditions from the king that sitteth on the throne to him that grindeth at the mill. None ever hath been so ^ood or so great, as could raise themselves so high as to be above the reach of troubles.

And that choice part of mankind, the first fruits and excellency of the rest, (which we call the Church) more than others, which appears by consideration both of the head, the hody and members of the Church. For the head Christ, he took our flesh as it was subject to misery after the fall, and was, in regard of that which he endured both in life and death, a man of sorrows.

For the body the Church, it may say from the first to the last as it is Psal. cxxix. From my youth up they have afflicted me. The Church began in blood, hath grown up by blood, and shall end in blood, as it was redeemed by blood.

For the members, they are all predestinate to a conformity to Christ their Head, as in grace and glory, so in abasement, Rom. viii. 29. Neither is it a wonder for those that are born soldiers to meet with conflicts, for travellers to meet with hard usage, for seamen to meet with storms, for strangers in a strange country (especially amongst their enemies) to meet with strangle entertainment.

A Christian is a man of another world, and here from home, which he would forget (if he were not exercised here) and would take his passage for his country. But though all Christians agree and meet in this, that through many afflictions we must enter into heaven y Acts xiv. 22; yet according to the diversity of place, parts, and grace, there is a diflerent cup measured to every one.

And therefore it is but a plea of the flesh, to except

THE SOUL S CONFLICT* T

against the cross, Never was poor creature distressed as I am: this is but self-love, for was it not the case both of head, body, and members, as we see here in David a principal member? When he was brought to this case, thus to reason the matter with himself, Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?

From the frame of David’s spirit under these troubles, we may observe, that as the case is thus with all God’s people, to be exercised with troubles. They are sensible of them oftentimes, even to casting down and discouraging. And the reason is, they are flesh and blood, subject to the same passions, and made of the same mould, subject to the same impressions from without as other men; and their nature is upheld with the same supports and refreshings as others, the withdrawing and want of which affecteth them. And besides those troubles they suffer in common with other men, by reason of their new advancement, and their new disposition they have in and from Christ their head, they are more sensible in a peculiar manner of those troubles that any way touch upon that blessed condition, from a new life they have in and from Christ, which will better appear if we come more particularly to a discovery of the more special causes of this distemper: some of which are, 1. Without us, 2. Some within us,