For God therefore to forget DAVID , not to minde him , or looke after him , is much ! If his eie be neuer so little once off vs , the spirituall aduersarie is readie presently to seize on vs , o o Aeriae potestates tanquam milvi circumvolitant , ut pullum infirmum abripiant . Aug. in Psal. 62. & in Psal. 90. as the Kite on the Chicke , if the Hen looke not carefully after it .

But for God , DAVIDS p p Psal. 4. 6 , 7. & 18. 18. & 73. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Theophyl . ep. 30. ex Homer . Odyss. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . only ioy and stay , to turne his face away from him , that hee may not minde him , as if q q Psal. 27. 9. in anger and euill-will towards him , he had cast off all care of him , yea were resolued to reiect him , and were willing to expose him to the will of those that would * * Psal. 38. 16. reioyce in his ruine : this is much more . There is an vnmindfulnesse of him implied in the former ; an euill minde ▪ towards him implied in the latter .

And surely , if r r Psal. 30. 5. in the fauour of God there be life ; yea s s Psal. 63. 3. his fauour is better than life it selfe : then vndoubtedly “ “ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Theophyl . epist. 37. such apprehension of his disfauour and displeasure must needs be as death , yea more bitter than death it selfe to the soule so deserted .

2. Both these are further aggrauated by the circumstance of time ; the long continuance of either . Circumstance

Now for God t t Esai . 54. 8. Psal. 30. 5. for an instant to be angry with some of his , and to hide his face from them , cannot be but most † † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Theophyl . ep . 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem epist. 24. Nam fruendis voluptatibus crescit carendi delor . Plin. epist. 5. l. 8. E●… , Tum est tormentum carere divit●…js , cùm illas iam senseris . Sen con●…rov . 6. heauy to those that haue formerly enioyed it , and beene before in his fauour : ( for * * In carcere natus ac nutritus puer , de matris suae anxietate miratur . Bern. de diuers . 12. as for others ; those , we say , that were neuer out of hell , thinke there is no other heauen . ) The least frowne of his face , or bending of his browes , is a very hell it selfe to such : u u Psal. 30. 7. Thou turnedst but thy face away , saith DAVID , and I was troubled .

But to haue it last and continue so for a long time together , what a daunting and dismaying must it needs be to that soule , that shall esteeme it selfe in a manner to lie so long in hell , and to haue in some sort an hell so long here out of hell , where it had a kinde of heauen before ?

And yet further againe , though this heauy and disconsolate estate should last long , and were yet to last farre longer ; yet if there were some certaine stint of time set how long it should last ; the eye of the soule being fixed vpon that terme , it would be some comfort to consider how the time wore away . But where the eie of the minde meeteth with no obiect to stint it , but ( as it is with persons distressed at Sea in a thicke fog , that haue rowed and wrought long till their hearts ake againe , and beaten to and fro , but can descry no shore ; or as it is * * Quib' cruciatus & ad finem per torment a proper at , & sine fine deficiens durat . Ita fit miseris mors sine morte , finis sine fine , defectus sine defectu : quia & mors vivit , & ●…nis semper incipit , & deficere desectus ne●…cit . Greg. mor. l. 9. c. 47. with those that are in hell , whose torments haue no stint , but are boundlesse and endlesse ) it is as farre from an end still , for ought it can descry , as at first ; it hath lasted thus long , and “ “ Psal. 74. 9. it is vncertaine how long longer it may last : This is that that might breake an heart of stone or steele , that might enforce the forlorne soule to sinke downe vnder the heauy burden and vnsupportable weight of it , ouerwhelmed with horror , and swallowed vp with despaire , were there not somewhat else ( euen x x Psal. 37. 24. an hand of God himselfe ) to support and vphold it .

And yet was this , as we see here , DAVIDS estate at the present . He complaineth that God had forgotten him , yea he had hid his face from him : this discomfortable estate had lasted long with him alreadie , and it was vncertaine yet how long it would last .

Whence obserue we this Instruction , that Gods Doctrine . Church and dearest Children are oft in that case , what for outward afflictions , what for inward desertions , that both in the sight of others , and to their owne sense and feeling , God seemeth to haue reiected them , and not to regard them .

* * Aliorum judicio . Calvin . in Psal. 13. Sic Esai . 53. 4. In the sight , I say , of others : for so say the prophane proud , oppressing and pursuing the poore ; a a Psal. 10. 11. God hath forgotten them ; hee hath hidden away his face , and will neuer more looke after them . And DAVIDS enemies of him , ( if he were Author of that Psalme ; ) b b Psal. 71. 11. God hath forsaken him ; let vs pursue him , and seize on him : for there is none to deliuer him .

Yea to * * Exsensu proprio . Calvin . in Psal. 13. their owne sense and feeling . For so Sion c c Galat. 4. 26. the Mother of the faithfull complaineth ; d d Esai . 49. 14. The Lord hath forsaken me , and my God hath forgotten me . So the Children of the Church , and those no e e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . bastardly brood Maith. 12. 39. neither , but such as continued firme vnto God , and faithfull with him , complaine also , That f f Psal. 44. 17 , 18 , 24. though they had not forgotten God , nor dealt disloyally with him ; yet God had forgotten them and hid his face away from them . So DAVID , g g 1 Sam. 13. 14. a man after Gods owne heart , and ( as his name soundeth ) the Lords Darling , or h h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amasiu●… vel amabilis . Unde Dido Poenis . Inde & Salomon the beloued of the Lord , yet maketh grieuous complaints often-times vnto God , and in holy manner debateth the matter , and expostulateth with God , both here and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 12. 25. elsewhere : i i Psal. 42. 9. I will say to God my rocke ; Why hast thou forgotten mee ? And , k k Psal. 88. 5 , 14. Lord , why reiectest thou my soule , and hidest thy face away from me ? I am like to the dead , that lie slaine in the graue ; that are cut off from thine hand , and thou remembrest no more .

Yea not l l Psal. 22. 1 , 8. DAVID alone as a Type of him ; but the only begotten of God himselfe , m m Coloss. 1. 13. Ephes. 1. 6. Matth. 3. 17. his Sonne of Loue , as hee termeth him , his dearest Darling , ( though n n Rom. 8. 32. O quantum dilectus , pro quo filius ipse , aut non dilectus , aut saltem neglectus ? Bern ▪ de temp. Vide & Salvian . de pr●…vid . l. 4. he thought him not too deare for vs ) when he was on the Crosse , not in his enemies eies and account only , o o Matth. 27. 43. that twitted him with his trust in God , who seemed then not to regard him , but to his owne sense and feeling too , seemed neglected and forgotten , as by that bitter and lamentable complaint that hee then made , appeareth ; p p Matth. 27. 46. My God , my God , why hast thou forsaken mee ? And if it were so with Christ , q q Psal. 110. 1. Matth. 21. 45. DAVIDS Lord ; no maruell if the like also sometime befell DAVID : if this betided the head , no maruell if it betide the bodie too : If it were sometime the state of the r r Psal. 2. 8. Iohn 1. 14. natiue Son , that had neuer beene other ; no maruell if it be the state oft of adopted Sonnes , of such as haue s s Galat. 4. 6. of Seruants been made Sonnes , of such as haue from Bond-slaues beene aduanced to that honour .

Which yet we are not so to vnderstand , as if Explication . God could forget any man , or as if God could forg●…t ought . t t Oblivio in Deumnon cadit . Aug. in Psal. 9. & in Psal. 118. Conc. 15. Et Muscul. in hunc loc. Nihil Deus ignorat , nihil obliviscitur . Greg. Mor. l. 25. c. 4. Neque oblivio in Deum cadit , quia nullo modo mutatur , neque recordatio quia non obliviscitur . Aug. in Ps. 87. Obliuion is a defect , and cannot befall him , who is perfection it selfe . But as wee are said to forget things , when wee doe no more regard them , or take notice of them , or looke after them , than if we had forgotten them : u u Psal. 45. 11. Forget thy people and thy Fathers house , saith the Psalmist to Rharaobs Daughter ; And rich men are said to forget their poore kindred and acquaintance : So * * Tunc meminisse dicitur Deus , quando facit ; tunc oblivisci , quando non facit . Aug. in Psal. 87. & in sentent . Prosper . 108. Oblivisci dicitur , cum non miseretur . Hugo Victor . de essent . divin . is God said to forget m●…n , when he doth not respect them , when he taketh no care of them , when for good he no more regardeth them , than if he had cleane forgotten them .

Now in this manner doth God indeed forget Distinction . some ; some hee seemeth to forget , though indeed he doe not forget them .

As Ambrose saith , That x x Quosdam deserit , quosdam deserere videtur . Ambr. in Psal. 118. God doth wholly forsake some : as he did y y Matth. 27. 5. Iudas and z z 2 Sam. 7. 15. Saul , whom he vtterly cast off . Some he seemeth to forsake , but he forsaketh not indeed . As our Sauiour Christ , albeit a a Esai . 53. 4. God seemed to haue forsaken him , when not onely b b Act. 2. 23. hee left him in his cruell enemies hands , and c c Luke 22. 53. suffered them to worke their wils vpon him , but euen d d 2 Cor. 5. 21. Esai . 53. 6 , 10. powred out his owne heauie wrath and indignation vpon him ; and he complained therefore as before , That e e Mark . 15. 34. his God had forsaken him ; yet was he not indeed then forsaken , but euen then f f Hebr. 5. 7. heard and helpt ; g g Iohn 16. 32. nor was he euer left alone ; but though h h Matth. 26. 56. his Disciples all forsooke him ▪ and fled from him ; yet his Father forsooke him not , but abode euer with him : And DAVID , though i i Psal. 22. 1. he complain sometime in the same termes that our Sauiour did ; yet elsewhere k k Psal. 31. 22. he acknowledgeth that how soeuer he had said in his haste , ( in the heat of temptation , ) that he was cast out of Gods sight , yet euen then did God heare him , and grant his requests .

In like manner , some God thus forgetteth indeed . ( As * * Hosh. 8. 14. they forget him ; so hee forgetteth them . ) l l Hosh. 1. 6. Call the Childe Loruchamah , saith God to Hoshea ; for I will haue no more mercie on the house of Israel ; but ( as the Vulgar Latine hath it ) m m Oblivione obliviscar . Vulg. tanquam esset à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dextra . quum sit à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nistra . I will vtterly forget them : or rather ( after the Originall ) n n Ut omninò condonem . Iun. & Livel . Sed prorsus tollam eos . Leo Iud. à facie scil. meâ . Vatabl. I will neuer forgiue them : but o o Hosh. 4. 6 , 9. because they haue forgotten the Law of their God , I will forget them ; when I haue visited their waies on them , and rewarded them for their deeds . p p Minatur & memoriam damn andorum , & oblivi●…nē damnatorum . Ruffin . in Hose . God threatneth , ( saith Ruffine ) both to remember to damne them , and to forget euer to shew mercy vpon them , when he hath once condemned them . Some he seemeth to forget , when he doth not . q q Deus benos non negligit , cum negligit . Nec obliviscitur , sed quasi obliviscitur . Ruffin . in Psal. Hee neglecteth not the godly , no not when hee neglecteth them : Yea , r r Obscuris super nos dispositionibus Deus saepe unde nos aestimatur deserere , inde nos recipit ; & unde nos recipere creditur , inde derelinquit : ut plaerunque hoc fiat gratiâ quod ira dicitur ; & hoc aliquando ira sit , quod gratia putatur . Gregor. mor. l. 5. c. 5. hee remembreth them then best , when he seemeth least to regard them , when he seemeth most of all to forget them . Though the wicked , when he hath his will on the poore , thinketh that s s Psal. 10. 11. God hath forgotten them , and doth not at all minde them ; yet t t Psal. 9. 18. & 10. 12. the poore , saith the Psalmist , shall not alwaies be forgotten ; nor the hope of the afflicted perish for euer . But u u Psal. 9. 12. God when he maketh inquisition for bloud , will make it appeare then that hee remembreth them , and that hee doth not forget the poore mans complaint , nor will euer faile any of those that x x Psal. 9. 10. seeke to him and trust in him . And y y Esai . 49. 14. though Zion complaine that her God had forgotten her ; yet the Lord telleth her , and assureth her that euen then z z Esai . 49. 15 , 16. hee had her as fresh in minde , as if shee were * * In manibus sculpsi te . Humanitus dictum . Iun. written vpon his hands , and her present estate was neuer out of his eye : yea that he could no more forget her , than a woman could Question . her childe , or than the kindest and tenderest “ “ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Greg. Naz. orat . 31. Etsi filius minus interdum quàm debeat filialem affectum exhibuit ; mater tamen pro suis visceribus maternum deserere non debet , sed nec valet , affectum . Bern. ep. 300. mother that is the fruit of her owne wombe .

But why doth God , may some say , then deale thus strangely with his deare ones , and by seeming not to regard them , yea by seeming to reiect them , suffer them to be in so wofull and ruefull an estate , that they are in a manner like persons vtterly forlorne for the present ?

I answer : God doth this for diuers ends ; whereof these are some of the principall . Answer .

First , a a Ad examen . to trie their sinceritie , their confidence Reasons 8. in God , their constancie with God , whether their Reason 1. hearts be sincere toward him , and vpright with him , or no ; whether they will keepe constantly in Gods waies , though God seeme to neglect them , or seeke to indirect courses , because God seemeth not to regard them . b b 2 Chron. 32. 31. God left Hezekiah , saith the holy Ghost , to trie him and to kn●…w , that is , * * Tentat Deus ut sciat , i. ut stire nos fa●…iat ; non ut sciat ipse , quem nil latet , sine tentatione enim nemo satis probatus esse potest , sive sibi ipst , sive alij . Aug. in Gen. contr. Manich. l. 1. c. 22. & de Trinit. l. 1. c. 12. & ibid. l. 3. c. 11. & in Genes. quaest. 57. & 83. quaest. 60. & in Deut. quaest. 19. & in Psal. 36. & in Psal. 58. & in Psal. 44. & de serm. Dom. in mont . l. 2. to make knowne , what was in his ●…art . And c c Deu. 8. 2. & 13. 3. the Lord tempteth you , saith Moses 〈◊〉 the Israelites , to humble you , and to proue you , and to know what is in your heart , whether you loue him heartily , and will constantly keepe his Commandements or no. As a Father will sometimes crosse his Sonne , to trie the Childes disposition , to see how he will take it , whether he will mutter and grumble at it , and grow humorous and waiward , neglect his dutie to his Father , because his Father seemeth to neglect him , or make offer to runne away and withdraw himselfe from his Fathers obedience , because he seemeth to cary himselfe harshly and roughly toward him , and to prouoke him thereunto : So doth God likewise oft-times crosse his children , and seemeth to neglect them , to trie their disposition , what mettall they are made of , how they stand affected toward him : whether they will neglect God , because God seemeth to neglect them , forbeare to serue him , because hee seemeth to forget them , cease to depend vpon him , because hee seemeth not to looke after them , to prouide for them , or to protect them : like ●…orams prophane Purseuant ; d d 2 King . 6. 33. This euill , saith hee , is of God ; and why should I depend then on God any longer ? Or whether they will still constantly cleaue to him , though he seeme not to regard them , nor to haue any care of them ; and say with Esay ; e e Esai . 8. 17. Nec sic probatus ab officio recessit . Tu , inquit , avertis faciem tuam à me , sed eg●… non sum aversus à te . Ruffin . in Ps. 29. Yet will I wait vpon God , though hee haue hid his face from vs , and I will looke for him though he looke not on vs ; for f f Esai . 30. 18. they are all blessed that wait on him ; and he will not faile in due time to shew mercy vnto all them , that doe so constantly wait on him . As g g 1 Sam. 13. 8 , 10. Samuel dealt with Saul ; he kept away till the last houre , to see what Saul would doe , when Samuel seemed not to keepe touch with him . So doth God with his Saints , and with those that be in league with him ; hee withdraweth himselfe oft , and h h Psal. 10. 1. keepeth aloofe off for a long time together , to trie what they will doe , and what courses they will take , when i i Psal. 89. 19 , 38 , 39. 49. God seemeth to break with them , and to leaue them in the suds , as we say , amids many difficulties much perplexed , as it was with DAVID at this time .

Thus was Sauls hypocrisie discouered . Hee would seeme to depend on God ; and k k 1 Sam. 28. 6 , 7. sought to him in his troubles and asked aduice of him . But when God seemed to neglect him , and ga●…e him no answer , neither by dreame , nor vision , nor by Vrim and Thummim , neither by Prophet , nor by Prie●…t , then left he God and sought to the Sorceresse , and by the Sorceresse to Satan .