52q. Ma/eer green Verfe 63. I am companion ofal1them thatfeare thee,andkeepethyprecepts. Oreceiuehelpefrom the,andtobehelpfull vow.them: foPfalme i:6. Then if we T m will makeGod our portion, wewill makemuch of good men : for if Daviddid this, how muchmoreoughtwe? Itis anargument of pride to defpife the companyof others. If thou wantknowledge, it is tomaketheeIeeke it of themthat haue : if thouhave more then others,thcn oughtftthou to bellowitvpbothers: fo that thououghtftfnot,either for thegreatnes ofthy knowledge,orforthe want ofknowledge, towithdraw thy felfefrom thecompanie of them thatfearethe Lord. Rise tonedgood companie,he hated euill men, Prou.^.9. for theyare abominationone to another: as he faith,Ihatethemthat hatethee. And this is the propertie of a goodman, Pfalm.15. yetthis mull notftay vsfrom doing them good in our callings, as themagi- ftrate to thefubiedt,5tc. As theca'maybein goodmens companie,yet not companions to them; fomay thegood beWith the eutll,and yet not their companions: forwebeleeue -onelythecommunion of Saints. 7liatfeare. Here is the defcriptionofGods children : firft, that they feare Godwiichis the foundation of all: Prou. s. and then they that feareGodreft not in the judgement of men,but approuethemfeluesto God, to doe,or to leaue-vndoneany thing,as it pleafeth ordifpleafeth God. This feare bringeth forth obedience: and without this fruite, it is butto boalt of feare. And thefe men are theythat we muff becompanionsunto. Verf.64.. The earth, O Lord,isfallofthymercies teach me thrflatutes. PirHefame thing was in the fecond verfe, yet after anothermanner.Though thewhole earth bé full ofmercie,yet he delìreth onely theflitutesof God : and thisis the eight argument.Sohefaith,fhew use thy fauour,teachme thyftatutes, part.9.&r6. and becaufe hemade{this thecheefeft fighe ofGodsfauour, to know hisword, it is an argumentthat the Lord was his portion. Let vsfee howoft we hour made thispetition, andhowvaine our petitionsare defiringriches,&c. he defired not hiskingdoms fomuch as this. Hewes aProphet, yethe defyethit : and this is it, themore weknow, the more wemutt defire to know,andneuer snakeany 1fay. Hepraycth chiefelyi for the reachingofthe fpirit, without which hefhould erre.Hediffereth farrein defire from the menof thisworld : tòr theycrane many things beforeknowledge, andiftheyhaueknowledge, they reft therein, and neuer looke, noraske for the teachingof thefpirit. Secondly, he confirmed) lümfclfe thatthe Lordwill teach him, becaufehisgoodnes is oucr all the world : he letteth hisfunne aeon theeuill, how much more will he graunt the good requells of his children. Whenwe would then pray to receiue, wemuttremember all Godsgoodnes, and wemull defierthe teachingofthe fpirit, fo faras agreed)with the word, and not defire the reuclationofthe fpirit without the word. PORTION. 9. Verf.65. 0Lord,thasoh4dealtgracioufly withthyferuantaccording woothy word. Eputted' the Lord in mindofhisformermercies,!aitd focomforted]himfelfe.For when he had faid that the Lords goodnes was ouerthe earth,andthat he alfohad found the fame, herebyhecomfortethhimfelfe in that he 11ía1I receiue more. For Godis not as man is ; but takeweneuer foMuch from his trcafure,there isneuer the lelfe: and the morehe giueth,the readierhe is to giue. He knewthat Godsgifts are withoutre- pentance, and thathe is not wearieofweldoing,but will finifls the thing hee bath begun : and nothingis more forcible.toobtaine nsercie,thanto lay hisformer mercies beforehuh. Here aretwogrounds: firft,if lice dealt withhim well, when he was not regenerate,how much
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