All our teaching a great many of years, and also your whole labours, have been chiefly to know the misery of man, and the mercy of Almighty God. Wherefore, it shall not need long to tarry in opening of this place of the Psalm: for ye be rich in God in these 2. points, God give you grace well to use them. Yet in any case we must remember, that our souls be turned from sin, & we accepted as the people of ⟨image 21⟩everlasting life, only for Gods mercies sake. So doth king David wonderfully open unto us in the 32. Psalm, where he saith, Blessed be they whose sins are forgiven, 1and whose transgressions be covered: blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not his sin. Of the which words we learn, that the godly king called those happy and blessed, not that be clean and pure without sin, (for there is no such man in this life:) but those be blessed, whose sins the mercy of God forgiveth: and they be only such, as unfeignedly acknowledge their sin, and steadfastly from their hearts believe, that the death and passion of Jesus Christ is the only expiation and purging thereof: as S. Paul wonderfully expoundeth Davids words in his Epistle to the Romans. As the Prophet by these words, (For his names sake,)2 declareth, that there is nothing in him, nor in any other man, wherefore God should turn the soul of man from death to life, from error to trueth, from the hatred of God to Gods love, from wandering a stray to a stablished continuance in the verity of Gods word, but only Gods mercy: so doth he in other of his Psalms always, when he entreateth of Gods mercy & of mans sin, set forth man so naked and vile, as a thing most destitute of all health and salvation, and showeth that none of these gifts, remission of sin, acceptation into Gods love and favour, pasturing of them with his most blessed word, can happen unto any other, saving unto such as do know, and earnestly confess, that they be sinners and infected with many contagious & dangerous infirmities, And therefore he saith in the 2. verse of the psalm above mentioned, Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sin, 3& in whose spirit there is no guile. For there is no greater guile, nor more ⟨p. 25⟩danger in man, then to think himself to be somewhat, when he is nothing in deed:
All our teaching a great many of yeares, and also your whole labours, haue béene chiefly to knowe the miserie of man, and the mercie of Almightie God. Wherefore, it shal not néed long to tarrie in opening of this place of the Psalme: for ye be riche in God in these 2. points, God giue you grace wel to vse them. Yet in any case we must remember, that our soules be turned from sinne, & we accepted as the people of ⟨image 21⟩euerlasting life, only for Gods mercies sake. So doth king Dauid wonderfully open vnto vs in the 32. Psalme, where he saith, Blessed be they whose sinnes are forgiuen, 1and whose transgressions be couered: blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth not his sinne. Of the which wordes we learne, that the godly king called those happie and blessed, not that be cleane and pure without sinne, (for there is no such man in this life:) but those be blessed, whose sinnes the mercie of God forgiueth: and they be onely such, as vnfeignedly acknowledge their sinne, and stedfastly from their heartes beleeue, that the death and passion of Iesus Christ is the onely expiation and purging thereof: as S. Paule wonderfully expoundeth Dauids woordes in his Epistle to the Romanes. As the Prophete by these wordes, (For his names sake,)2 declareth, that there is nothing in him, nor in any other man, wherefore God should turne the soule of man from death to life, from errour to trueth, from the hatred of God to Gods loue, from wandring a stray to a stablished continuance in the veritie of Gods word, but only Gods mercie: so doth he in other of his Psalmes always, when he intreateth of Gods mercie & of mans sinne, set foorth man so naked and vile, as a thing most destitute of all health and saluation, and sheweth that none of these giftes, remission of sinne, acceptation into Gods loue and fauour, pasturing of them with his most blessed word, can happen vnto any other, sauing vnto such as do knowe, and earnestly confesse, that they be sinners and infected with many contagious & daungerous infirmities, And therfore he sayth in the 2. verse of ye psalme aboue mentioned, Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne, 3& in whose spirite there is no guile. For there is no greater guile, nor more ⟨p. 25⟩danger in man, then to think himself to be somwhat, when he is nothing in déede:
- 1Psalm. 32.
- 2Rom. 4.
- 3Psalm. 32.Psalme. 32.
