OESJD [...]; Sermon Notes on Psal. 6.4-5

[fol. 72v] d^r Duns notes y^e 16^th of October 1625 on the 6th psa v 5. or 6. Returne o Lord. deliuer my soule, oh saue mee for thy mercyes sake. for in death &c

it was diuided into a praier of 3 petitions, & a reason 2 fold. 1 for thy mercyes sake, 2. for in death.

1 Return o Lord, wch word implyeth a former presence 2 a present absence, 3^d a future residence.

by returneing is not meant a returne of p[ro]uidence for see god is neuer from vs, but in some perticular grace punctually  this returneing may be eyther in remooueing iudgementes, in vouchsafeing mercyes. or in turning vs to him self.  80 psa:

his applicatio[n] was a wisheing of a returne of vs to o^r  selues & in perticular for the tyme, that each knell minded vs of o^r  owne, each graue lifted vs one step higher to heauen.

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2 Eripe anima[m] meam.  w^ch is the same w^th st pauls to be said a stimulo carnis, ab angelo Sathanae, or libera nos a malo vt malu vt non tentent vt saltem non euertent, vt p[er]secuemur, vt ab, vt in rebellionib[us]q[ue]. that mischiefs may not averre or may not ouercome. for this word Eripere signifieth not onely a freedome, but a speedie deliueraunce.

[fol. 73r] Among those whome god hath marcked out for destructio[n], he often deliuer^th the soule.

Is. 66.3 Saluu[m] me fac, the same that eles wheare is spoken of god that he shall deliuer & send a sauiour.

the application[n] is verball / to each one to consider whither god hath not bin our sauiour, or shall not be amidst any dangers.

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1 The first reason & ground of these petitions was gods mercye wherein their is a contemplatio[n] onely of some thing in god in the 40^th psa 11.  there is mention of his mercy & his truth this mercye is benignity to nonedeseruers, yet p[ro]perly & formally the p[ro]mise it self in christ is tearmed mercye, the executio[n] whereof in tyme, to the faithfull is strictly calld truth & not mercye precisely. but the first motio[n] of gods p[ro]mise xli: whe[n] he shed not a thought on a[n]y thing but his beneplacitio[n]. this infinite mercy w^ch were not soe if god refused any such that apprehended christs meritts by fayth. the best course howeuer is to implore mercy & assurance of being in the couenant, & not p[re]sumptuously lay claime on gods faithfullness many haue bin mistaken herein & sent foorth to god hereby lef-handed & squint ey[e]d praiers.

2 The second reason contemplates humanity, mortality, miserie, who shall &c.

where we may quaestion how it is that holy men formerly haue seemd to loath mortality & desired Life.  & it must be confessed that tis imperfectio[n] nullo meliorum: & tis corruption not to affect incorruption. but tis indifferent in it self to a good man to liue or die, life or death to them stand in æquall ballance vntill Gods glorie in eyther turne the scale. as it appears by paule to the Phil. now desireing to be loosd. now to liue. holy men seeing their raritye imagind after their departure the church of god ^<by> glorie might be ecclipsd: & herein desireing to liue (it beeing a greate pleasure to win souls or glorie to god, in a truely holy man.  dauid also here perceued the neglect of gods seruice. the p[ro]mises alsoe of i[m]mortality before Christ were darker then now. besides we now need not be soe iealous of the thriueing of gods glorie after our departure as they were then, he shineing euidence in his gosple that the gates of hell shall not p[re]uayle ag[ain]st his church.

[fol. 73v] If dauid say there is noe memorie of god in death then is there little in old age or sickness soe neere death w^ch might inuite vs to earlye repentance.

Austin reports & interpretts of death as of habituall sinn in this place, & of the graue as of impenitency w^ch translatio[n] Ierome pursues & another of some note. who sayth tis impious to interprett it otherwaies litterally for he that remembreth god is not dead. soe that dauids praire should be ^<to> this effect returne, deliuer saue &c lest I fall into sin & impenitency, & in that graue not remember thee.

The applicatio[n] here is verball, soe now may it fall out w^th vs, & soe to the season co[n]sidring pesterd families.

God sends afflictions to preuent security in his saynts but he tyres not them, to preuent stupiditye.

Tis but a miserable comfort to acknowledg god in that large notion, vnless in the perticular apprehensio[n] of mercy & fauour in Christ.