mind he came to y e trust in the Lord. Ye may learne by these Psalmes indited by king Dauid that easily he taught Gods religion and how men should put their trust in the Lord and yet how hard it was to do and practise the thing himselfe that he taught vnto others Asaph also declareth the same For in the 73. Psalme he teacheth what men should thinke and iudge in aduersitie that God would be good vnto Israel But in this Psalme he himselfe being vnder the rod and persequution of God is come to questioning and demaunding Will God absent him selfe for euer Will he be no more intreated Is his mercy cleane gone for euer with many other demaundes declaring vnspeakable troubles and difficulties of the minde before it be brought to a perfect consent and full agréement vnto the promises of God So that we sée the excellent Prophetes and most vertuous organes and instruments amongest sinfull men knewe it was an easie matter to speake of faith vertue and yet a very hard thing to practise true faith and to exercise vertuous liuing Saint Paule sheweth the same to the Romanes to be in him selfe For he had more adoe in Christ to get the victorie of sinne in him selfe then to speake of the victorie vnto others by mouth and more adoe to mortifie and kill the fleshe and to bring it in subiection to the spirite then to practise the death of the flesh in him selfe and to followe the spirit He spake and vttered with his mouth most godly doctrine to the destruction of sinne but with what prayers teares and clamours to God he did the same in him selfe read 2. Corinth 12. The olde saying is Knowledge is no burthen and in déede it is a thing easie to be borne but to put knowledge in experience the body and the soule shal finde paine and trouble And yet Christes wordes where he saith My yoke is light my burden easie be most true to such as haue wrestled with sinn and in Christ got the vpper hand To them I say the precepts of vertuous liuing be easie and swéete as long as the spirite of God beareth the ouer hande in them But when faith waxeth faint and the flesh strong then can not the spirit of God command nor desire any thing but both body and soule be muche offended with the hearing therof and more gréeued with the doing of it S. Peter likewise maketh mention of the same For when Christ bade him followe him meaning that he should dy also for the testimonie of his word he liked not that but asked Christe what Iohn should do being doutlesse in great perplexitie when Christ tolde him that he should suffer the paines of death But here are to be noted two things The one that as long as affliction is talked of generally other mens paines spoken of so long can euery man and woman heare of affliction yea and commend the persons that suffered affliction as we sée at this day All men be contented to heare of y e death of Christ of y e martyrdome of his Saints and of the affliction and imprisonment of his godly members but when the same or like should be experimented and practised by our selues we wil none of it we refuse it and we abhorre it yea so much that where Christ and those Saints whose names be most common and vsual in our mouths suffered the vilest death that could be deuised we will not suffer as much as the losse of a frend or the deceiueable goods of this vnstable and transitorie world so that in the generalitie we be very godly and can cōmend al godly martyrs and sufferers for Gods sake but alas in the particularitie we be very vngodly and will followe no martyr nor suffer at al. Also as long as we be without danger for Christes sake we can speake of great daungers and say that we will suffer all extremitie and crueltie but when it commeth to passe that an enimie to God and his worde shall say in déede Forsake thy religion or else thou shalt dy as Christ said vnto Peter When thou art old an other shall girde thée and leade thée whether thou wouldest not then a litle threatening of an other man stark quayleth this man that said he wold suffer al troubles as Peter said If he shuld loose his life he would not refuse his maister but when an other yea a poore maide but asked him Whether he were one of Christes seruants and made no mentiō at al of losse of life or goods he would not hazard him selfe to beare so much as the name of Christes disciple Thus we sée the vilenesse frailtie of our owne nature how weake we be to suffer in déede when of necessitie we must beare the crosse and can by no means auoyd it How troublesome also it is both to body and soule this Psalme place of the scripture declareth and therfore in the end of these temptations is put Sela. A worde that maketh as it were an outcry against the corrupt nature of man for sin As S. Paule said I know that there dwelleth in my flesh no good thing To admonishe therefore man thereof in déede and to shewe him his owne damnation the word is put there to cause the reader or hearer of the place to marke and bewaile the wretchednesse thereof As the Prophete him selfe doth in the next verse ¶ The fourth part Howe a man taketh consolation in the time of his trouble 10 And I said This is my infirmitie but these things the right hand of God can chaunge HEre is life and death and the occasions of both meruellously set foorth He said that it was his infirmitie that caused him to question doubt of Gods mercy Wherein he hath disburdened God and charged him selfe with sinne and doubtfulnesse And so much al men sée and find in them selues that damnation is of our selues and saluation onely of God There is also to be noted in thi◠infirmitie y t it occupieth not only the body but also the soul. For he saith These cogitations and questions as touching the doubtfulnesse of Gods mercy were the deuises and actes of his mind so that both his body and soule were comfortlesse And good cause why for in both of them were sinne and abhomination against God And of these two partes of man the body the spirit came these dubitations of God and of his promises The which fruites of corruption ingender except sinne be forgiuen eternall death And here is the wisedome of the fleshe séene to be very enimitie vnto God working continually the breach of Gods commaundements and the destruction of mans saluation as much as lyeth in it But in the second part of the verse is life the occasion thereof which is a sure trust that God can remoue despaire put in place therof faith hope sure confidence And the
his maister and teacher that shall giue him holesome and commodious doctrine meete for the state of the life he hath chosen to liue in this world For all that shall be saued in time to come followe not one kinde of life Some be Magistrates and Rulers appointed to sée both the laws of the realme and the goodes and commodities thereof to be vsed and applyed to the vse and profit of such as be vnder them Some giue them selues to studie and contemplation of heauenly and diuine things not busying them selues with trauels of the body but to knowe them selues the way of life and to be teachers of the same to others Some be giuen to apply the lawes of the Common wealth some to exercise the trade and course of merchandize some one kinde of liuing and some an other But of what art facultie science or kinde of liuing so euer he be that is not contrarie to Gods honour or honestie he may vse therein to serue God to obserue iustice to exercise truth kéepe temperance and be acceptable to God who hath giuen lawes méete and conuenient to Publicans and Souldiers seruants and maisters parentes children husbandes and wiues and so to all other but all these sortes of people must assuredly knowe that in euery of these vocations be more daungers then he that must liue in them is able to beare Therfore from the bottome of his heart he must be assured of this beginning of king Dauids Hymne The Lord feedeth me and I shal lacke nothing And in déede the Lorde hath not only saide He will féede and defende him from all daungers but also saith He wil teach him howe to liue vertuously reuerently towards God and honestly and quietly towardes man what state or vocation so euer he choose to liue in so it be not against Gods lawes and the lawe of nature So saith king Dauid God hath appointed a lawe to rule and teach the man that feareth him what soeuer kind of liuing he appointeth him selfe to liue in What treasure is there to be compared vnto this that man is not onely fed and mainteined by God but also taught and instructed in euery craft and science that he appointeth him selfe to liue in Blessed therefore is the man that in the entrailes and déepe cogitations of his hart can say beléeue féele this to be true that Dauid saith The Lorde ruleth me and careth for me and I shall lacke nothing But yet there is almost nothing spoken that this king would haue chiefly knowne Howbeit doubtlesse they be wonderfull things that preserue and teache all persons both men and women in what so euer kinde of liuing honestly they appoint themselues to liue in He him selfe knew this to be true right wel as it appeareth when he saith Blessed be the Lorde my strength that taught my handes to battel For if the Lord had not taught and ruled him he had bene ouerthrowne many times bycause there was not onely more strength then he had of him selfe against him but also more wit more policie more experience But what things can ouercom that man that is couered with this shielde Dominus regit me The Lord ruleth me Doubtlesse nothing at all whether it be in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in hell vnder the earth Notwithstanding this is not all that this doctrine The Lord ruleth me doth for the poore shéepe that is ruled But here must the reader and hearer of this Psalme followe king Dauid and desire to haue the eye of his minde purged and made cleane for if the scales of infidelitie and the loue and delight to sinne remaine or else the minde be otherwise occupied then vpon the vnderstanding of the Hymne he shall heare it or sing it as the vngodly Colleges of Priestes doe that daily bo-o and rore the holy Scriptures out of their mouthes and vnderstand no more the meaning thereof then the walles which they sing and speake vnto We must therfore do as king Dauid did lift vp the eyes of our mindes into heauen and fire our faith as he saith fast in the Lord and then shall we sée the vnspeakable treasures and wisedome that lyeth hid in this meruellous and comfortable head and beginning of this Psalme The Lord feedeth me c. Our Sauiour Christ openeth plainely in Saint Iohn what it is to be the shéepe of God and to be fed by him and saith They wil heare the shepheards voyce but no straungers voyce and bycause they heare the shepheards voyce the shepheard will giue them euerlasting life and no man shall take them out of the shepheards hands There is the greatest treasure and most necessarie riches for the shéepe of God vttered which is not the knowledge of God alone to be preserued in this life and to lacke nothing that is expedient and necessarie for the preseruation thereof but also to vnderstand which wayes the heauenly father teacheth and leadeth vs to the mansion and dwelling place of life euerlasting And if man were wise he might soone perceiue how much the life to come is better then the life present yea be it neuer so fauourably fed and preserued by the heauenly father our shepheard and gouernour For his tuition here of vs although it be sure and so strong that none can take vs out of his handes yet is our safegard and life troubled and mingled with aduersities subiect to persecution and also vnto death but in the life to come Gods tuition is all ioy all myrth all solace with all perpetuitie and endlesse felicitie And of this treasure Dauid chiefly meant in the forefront of the Psalme when he said And I shal lacke nothing For as we sée vntill this life be taken from vs most troubles and most care beginneth and tarrieth in the house of GOD amongest his shéepe whiche be as lambes among woolues Wherefore the voyce and teaching of the shepheard doth heale the mindes of the shéepe Gods deare elect and pulleth from them all vnprofitable feare and carefulnesse it quencheth all flames of lust and concupiscence it maketh and giueth a man a noble and valiant minde to contemne al worldly things it bringeth a man in loue with Gods true honour maketh him ioyfull in trouble quiet in aduersitie and sure that the end of Gods people shal be glorious and ioyfull and also that this fauour of the shephearde shall be his guide into the place of blisse whereas be crownes of euerlasting glorie for such as haue bene led by the Lorde and there they shall lacke nothing For there is neither eye can sée nor toung can speake nor minde can comprehend these ioyes and glorie And therefore the Prophete both constantly and chearefully saide The Lorde feedeth me and I shal lacke nothing for all thinges of this world be but trifles in comparison of things to come Although it be a singular fauour of God to vnderstand his goodnesse and mercie towards vs in things
many times the word of God in a Psalme worthie much reading and more marking of the thinges conteyned therein For he intreateth all the Psalme thorough that a godly life doeth consist in the obseruation of Gods lawes and therefore doth he so many times in the Psalme pray God to illuminate and indue his spirite and hearte with these two vertues Knowledge and Loue of his word wherewith he may both knowe howe to serue God and at all times to be acceptable vnto him And our sauiour Christ himselfe in Saint Luke saith vnto a woman Blessed be they that heare the word of God and kepe it And in S. Iohn Christ exhorteth all men to the reading and exercising of the Scripture For the ignorance of Gods word bringeth with it a murren and rott of the soule yet for the sinnes of the people God said He would sende a hunger and famine amongst men not a hunger of bread nor water but of hearing Gods word King Dauid therefore as one assured both of the Authour of life also of the foode wherewith the life is mainteyned stayeth himselfe with Gods benediction and fauour that he is assured God féedeth him with his word And he sheweth also that none is the authour of this word neither can any giue it but God alone For when the first fall of Adam and Eue by eating forbidden meates had poysoned infected both body and soule with sinne and Gods displeasure so that he was destitute both of Gods fauour wisedome none but God could tell him where remedie and help lay nor yet could any deliuer him the help but God For till God made promise that the séed of a woman should make whole and saue that which the diuel and man had made sicke and lost by reason of sinne and also made open the remedie vnto Adam and inclined his heart to beléeue the remedie Adam was dead in sinne and vtterly cast away Then the pittie of the heauenly shéepheard said He should notwithstanding in time be brought into the same pasture againe and none should deceiue him nor bring him any more out of the pastures of life But onely God gaue this meate which was his holy word and promise and also the mouth of fayth to eate these promises of Gods onely gift And the same appeareth throughout the whole Bible that onely God by sending of his worde and preachers brought knowledge of euerlasting life to the people that were in ignoraunce As Saint Paule sayth God before time spake vnto our fathers by the Prophets and in these latter dayes vnto vs by his sonne and after the ascension of his sonne by his Apostles and Euangelistes in so much that none of the Prophetes-euer spake of Gods worde that mainteined the life of the soule otherwise then they receiued it of the high shepheard almightie God as Saint Peter saith Prophesie came not by the wil of man but the holy men of God spake as they were taught by the holy Ghost So that God is the onely authour and founteine of his true word the foode of all mens soules In like manner he is the onely giuer of the same as he is the giuer of it and none but him selfe so none can eate it but such as haue the same deliuered vnto them by the holy Ghost So our Sauiour Christ likewise in the Gospell of Saint Iohn telleth Nichodemus that it was not possible to vnderstand and to knowe the grace of redemption except he were borne from aboue And when Saint Paule preached the worde of God at Philippos amongest the women by the water side the Lorde opened the heart of Lidia to vnderstande the things spoken of by Paule And when Christe preached among the Iewes and wrought wonderfull miracles yet they vnderstoode nothing neither were they anything the better And Christe sheweth the cause Proptereà vos non auditis quia ex Deo non estis that is to say Therefore ye heare not bicause ye be not of GOD. But the fault was not in God but in the obstinacie and frowardnesse of their owne heartes as ye may sée in Saint Matthewe Christ offered him selfe but yet the malice of man rebelled at all times Sainte Paule to the Corinthians wonderfully setteth foorth mans vnablenesse and saith The naturall man is not able to comprehend the thinges that be of God And in Saint Iohn Christ saith No man can come vnto him except the heauenly father drawe him for they must be all taught of God Nowe as the Prophete sawe these things for him selfe and his saluation in Gods worde euen so must euery Christian man take héede that he learne the same doctrine or else it were no commoditie to haue the scripture of God deliuered and taught vnto vs. And euery reader and hearer must learn of this Psalme that there is none other foode nor meate for the soule but Gods word And who so euer doe refuse it when it is offered or preached or when they knowe the truth therof doe yet of malice feare lucre and gaine of the world or any other way repugne it they be vnworthy of al mercy and forgiuenesse Let euery man and woman therefore examine their owne conscience without flattering of them selues and they shal find that the most part of this realme of England in the time of our holy and blessed king Edward the sixt were fed with this holy foode of Gods worde or else might haue bene fed with it For it was offered and sent vnto them as well by most godly statutes and lawes of Parleament as by many Noble men and vertuous learned Preachers If they fed not vpon it accordingly or now their téeth stand on edge and their stomachs be cloyed with it to their perill be it Thus Christ saith They haue nothing wherby iustly to excuse them selues of their sin And likewise he faith that Whosoeuer hateth him hateth also his father By which words it appeareth manifestly that no man can hate Christes doctrine but he must hate Christe him selfe and no man can hate Christe but he must also hate the father of heauen Wherefore it is expedient for euery man to marke such places For it was not Christes name nor Christes person that the Iewes hated so mortally Christe for but they hated him to death for his doctrine sake and it was Christes doctrine that condemned the world and shewed the life and learning of the worlde to be euill and could not abide the light of Gods worde and therefore in no case they could abide to heare of it as ye sée the like in his poore Preachers For his wordes sake they be lesse passed of then dogges or brute beastes for they be hated to death and more fauour doeth Barrabas the murtherer finde then Peter the preacher of Christe that would leade the flocke redéemed with Christes pretious bloud into the pastures of Gods word with the Prophete Dauid and yet in
feare Therefore in this pointe the prophete correcteth the foolish opinion of man that woulde liue as one of the shéepe of God in this world without troubles It is contrarie both to the person that professeth God and also to the religion that he is professed vnto for in y e worlde both shall be as Christ sayth hated of which hatred commeth persecution and troubles so that the people of God shal whether they will or will not passe through many daungers and no lesse perillous then the shadowes and verie image of death as here King Dauid sheweth in this wholesome and blessed Hymne And as he séeth right well that the state and condition of Gods people and shéepe is to be troubled for Christe and his worde euen so did Zacharie the prophet speake of Christe and his people howe that not onely the shéepe should be troubled and scattered abroade but also the shéepehearde should be stricken with the sworde that both shéepe and shéepehearde shoulde be condemned in this worlde But nowe as Dauid and Zacharie declare that the life and condition of Christe and his shéepe be troublous in the world so do they both declare that whatsoeuer the troubles be they be both knowen and appointed vppon whom they shall fall and in what time they shal trouble the shéepe of God so that they can come no sooner then God appointeth nor do any more harme then the heauenly shéepeheard shall appoint them to do And this we may sée and learne as wel in Christ as in his shéepe Howe many times did the Priestes and Phariseis conspire Christes death Yet because his time was not come they had not their purpose but when the time of God was come Christ said to his shéepe Ye shalbe all troubled this night for my cause for the sheepeheard shall bee stricken and the sheepe shalbe scattered abroade Then as God had appointed the time it could be no longer deferred And because they should not misse of him whose death they sought he came and met them and offered himselfe vnto them and said that He was the same man Iesus of Nazareth whom they sought And when they had taken him and vsed as much crueltie towards him as their wicked malice and diuellishe hatred could deuise they killed him and made him to passe not onely the shadowe and image of death but also death it selfe They thought then they had him where as they would and said He hath saued other let him now saue himselfe if he can When he was layed in the graue with his fathers they thought to execute their plagues and tyrannie towardes him being dead purposing that as they had brought him to death and killed him so likewise they woulde kéepe him downe still that he shoulde neuer sée life againe but rotte in the earth like a wretche vntill wormes had eaten him And for the performance of this purpose to doe all their whole willes to the vttermost they came to Pilate and said that The deceiuer of the people that lay in the graue made his bost whiles he was aliue that the third day after his death he would rise againe but if it should be so it would be worse with them after then it was before Appoint therefore souldiers said they and watchmen to kéepe the Sepulchre till the thirde daye be past Whiles they yet minded to lay as much euil and contempt vppon Christ our shéepheard as they ment vnto him came the heauenly father that suffereth no more ignominie to fall vpon his nor will suffer them to continue any longer then him pleaseth with this inhibition and stay of further procéedings in dishonouring and persecuting his onely sonne and said I am redijt lux tertia surge sepulte meus That is as much to say Nowe is come the thirde day arise mine owne deare sonne buried And then was the sorrowe contempt of this our persecuted shéepeheard not onely ended but also turned into endlesse vnspeakable ioyes he passed with his forefather Dauid most bitter paines and also most vile death but he feared not because God was with him The same appointment also hath the heauenly father made with al dangers and troubles that shall happen vnto vs his poore and afflicted shéepe taken daily as it were to the shambles to suffer what Gods enimies can deuise But the heauenly shéepeheard doth sée all their doings out of heauen and mocketh them to scorne for they shall neuer do as much as they would against Christ and his people but as much as God will suffer them Dauid afterwardes in his 37. Psalme teacheth vs the same with meruellous woordes and diuine sentences Commite Domino viam tuam spera in eum c. Laye saith he thy care vppon the Lord and trust in him and he shall helpe thee It is most necessarie therefore for euery troubled man to knowe in his minde and féele in his heart that there are no troubles that happen vnto man whatsoeuer they be come they by chaunce or Fortune as many men say and thinke but that they come by the prouidence of God yea the very winds of the aire tempestes in the cloudes trembling of the earth rages in the sea or any other that come howe soudaine or howe vnlooked for soeuer they appeare as ye may read in the 29. Psalme of this Prophete wherein be wonderfull tempestes and troublesome thinges spoken of as well done in the wators as vppon the drie land But here alas is our nature and knowledge much to be lamented and complained vppon for as the knowledge we haue of Gods fauour and gentlenesse towardes vs in Christ for the most part consisteth in the vnderstanding of the minde and talke with the mouth but the vertue strength and operation of the same fauour of God is not sealed in our heartes and consciences euen so be the troubles and aduersities which God threateneth for sinne spoken and talked of with the tongue and knowen in the minde but they be not earnestly nor féelingly sealed in our conscience and heart And of this commeth it that we neither loue God nor reioyce in his promises as we ought to doe when we heare or read them neither yet hate sinne nor be sorrowfull for Gods displeasure as sinne and Gods displeasure should be sorrowed and mourned for of Christian men Hereof also commeth it dearely beloued that we loue no further then in knowledge and tongue nor hate vice but in knowledge and tongue But alas how miserable is this our state and condition that knoweth neither life nor death vertue nor vice trueth nor falsehood God nor the diuel heauen nor hell but halfe as much as they ought of Christian men to be knowen Read you therefore and marke the 37. Psalme and you shall knowe that it is not ynough for Christian men to vnderstand and speake of vertue and vice but that the vertue must be sealed in the conscience and loued and the vice
with anguish or heauinesse for sinne immediately the tongue saith He was borne vnder an euill Planet or in an euill houre and so findeth fault with the worke of God which God made excellent good Thus may ye sée where as the soule of man wayteth not vppon God the impatient man accuseth God and all his workes both in heauen and in earth But the godly féeling the rodde of God for sinne and iniquitie as GOD neuer punisheth withoute iuste cause he firste accuseth him selfe and acknowledgeth his owne offences and then sayeth with the Prophete Micheas I will suffer the indignation of God for I haue deserued it To this wayting vpon the Lorde without quarelling and desperate lamenting exhorted Ieremie the prophete the children of Israel for the time of their being in seruitude and captiuitie of Babylon bidding them to plante and grafte trées and so to prouide for themselues vntil the time were expired of their affliction and captiuitie Men may mourne and lament their sinnes and troubles that they suffer for sinne as we may sée howe the Psalme of the Prophet conteineth the bewailing and wéeping of the people that sate heauily and lamentably by the riuer side in Babylon And the like may ye reade in the Lamentations of Ieremie But this mourning was without desperation and quarelling as the letters and bookes do recorde Besides these thinges the cause of their bewailing and lamenting whiles their soules waited vpon the Lorde differeth from the moste forte of mourners and bewaylers nowe a dayes For we may sée nowe a dayes if the wife bewaile the death of her husbande it is moste commonly because she hath taken from her a louing head and gouernour If the husbande lament the departure of his wife it is because he is bereaued of a faithfull healper If the sonne mourne for the death of his father it is because there is taken from him not onely his father but also his patrone and defender If the parentes be sorrie for the taking away of their children it is because they want their daliaunce sport and pastime with them or such other worldly affections If the prince take gréeuously the calling away of his subiecte from this worlde it is because he lacketh a trustie souldier a faithful capteine a wise counseller or profitable officer If the subiect lamente the death of his prince it is because he hath lost his aduauntage authoritie or estimation If the seruaunt wéepe for his maister it is because with his maister is departed his commoditie and trust of wordly riches and friendship If the maister mourne for his seruaunt it is because there is taken from him a skilfull a diligente or a faithfull doer of his businesse And such like causes as men gréeuously of euerie sort féele and lament If the Parson lament his parishioner it is most commonly because he séeth the breach of an honest housholde decayeth his tenthes and profite And if the parishioner mourne for his pastour most commonly it is because he loss a good companiō or profitable friend If the Bishoppe bewaile the death of suche as dy in his diocesse it is most commonly because he is destitute of suche a one as fauoured much affection to set fourth and doe suche thinges as he worldly desired shoulde goe forewardes or else perchaunce such manner of one as coulde excuse him what negligence or faulte so euer he shoulde perpetrate or committe for the time he were in office If the diocesse be sorrie for the death of the Bishoppe it is because the one parte which is the Clergie doth feare leaste there shall come another that wilbe more diligent and quicke in doing his office and sée that they shall do the same The other partie called the Temporaltie lamente because they haue loste such a one as peraduenture fedd well their belies with bread and béefe or else was so remisse that he woulde suffer all sinne vnpunished and rather be a bearer of the euill then a mainteiner of the good Nowe this is suche béewayling and mourning as Ethnickes Publicanes and Infidels may haue But wherefore the Christian soule that wayteth vppon the Lord without quarell or desperation doth wéep lament reade you the Psalme before named and the lamentations of Ieremie and there shall you finde in the Psalme these words We sate by the riuers of Babylon and wepte when wee remembred thee ô Sion The chiefest cause of their wéeping was because the worde of God was not preached the sacraments ministred nor the Almightie God lauded and praised in the temple of Hierusalem as God had commaunded by his worde This is a moste iust also a moste worthie cause to wéepe for whiles God punisheth vs that for our sinnes not onely our quietnesse wealth but also the worde of God whiche is greater is taken away and his due honour giuen vnto idols For the children of Israel perceiuing that Gods honor was defaced for their sinns they wepte as often as they remembred it as God giue vs grace to doe the same The like did Saint Peter He lamented not because he leafte all his goods for Christes sake but wept that by his deniall of Christe he felte him selfe not constant in the faith and loue of his Maister So did Marie Magdalene bewayle that she hadde offended Christ and not because the world knewe her to be a sinner Saint Iohn Chrysostome hath a notable saying He that feareth more hell then Christ is worthie of hell And that ment the prophet when he cryed out What is there in heauen or in earth that I preferre before thee O Lord. As though he had saide There is nothing can make me as gladde as thy loue towardes me nor any thing so sorrie as thy displeasure good Lorde Thus doth the soule of the verie Christian waite vpon the Lord in all troubles and aduersities and patiently doth beare the punishmentes of sinne and not only beare patiently the paine but also considereth what is the greatest losse that may happen vnto him by reason of troubles Not the losse of worldly richesse landes and promotions nor the losse of health of bodie by sicknesse neither the lesse of the bodie it selfe by death ne yet the losse of the soule into eternall paines But the greatest losse that he weigheth is the losse of the good will of him that made him and of greate mercie redéemed him and with much kindenesse alwayes nourished him That is to be séene in the prodigall sonne whiche when he had spent all his goodes lecherously and brought him selfe to moste miserable pouertie to such extreame famine that he would haue bene glad to haue eaten the meate prepared for the pigs besides the great heauines of hart that weighed the time of prosperitie and conferred it with his estate of so extreame miserie yet nothing made him so sorie and pensiue as the calling to his remembrance howe vnreuerently he had vsed his moste gentle louing
Christ and his church Winchester fell into such a trembling and feare that with all hast he wrote his purgation in a booke named True obedience and Boner set an epistle before it both they crying our against the Pope as against a tyrant and false vsurper of authoritie in this Realme although they thought nothing lesse Thus we may sée how incōstant trembling and quaking these tottering wicked persequuters of Gods word be I could declare more of their religion to be of the same conditions but because these two and Tunstal the bishop of Duresme be knowen openly to y e world by their bookes to be such I speake onely of them When the prophet hath declared that the persequuters of the godly shall soudenly perish he telleth the cause why they shall perish Because they deuise how to put him downe saith he whome God will exalt And after that the Prophete hath shewed that the cause of their fall and punishment is their conspiracie against Gods elect he setteth foorth by what meanes the wicked vse to depose persequute tumble downe the people of God By lies saith the Prophet and by imagining of falshod and vntruth And when he hath declared that the wicked do purpose to bring their case and matter against the godly with lies he sheweth after what sort and fashion lies by wicked men be vsed To bring mischiefe to purpose This is the letter of the Psalme concerning the third part of it Now there is in euery of these sentences profite to be gathered by the reader or hearer of it First is to be noted the conspiracie and treason of the wicked against God If it please the Lord to fauour and aduaunce one the nature of the wicked is as much to deface that God would haue honoured as may be As God bare fauour and aduaunced Abel Cain wrought treason and killed his brother for the loue that God did beare him The Lord appointed Samuel to rule the wicked people misliked that which God best approued God would exalt Dauid Saule Absolon and Achitophel would prefer themselues Againe the Lord appointed Noah to teache the people to beware of the vniuersall floud the people preferred liers vnto whom God neuer gaue his holy spirite God elected Ieremie the true prophete the people aduaunced Passur the false prophete The Lord exalted his deare sonne and willed the world to learne of him the people preferred the Pharisées desired the Iudge to hange Christ. God commanded his word onely to be taught but the world plucketh it so downe that either they cleane refuse the word or els they will haue it none other wise then it is authorized and made true by man God saith That which is wisedome before the world is foolishnes before him The world recompenseth most arrogantly God with the like accompteth all his wisedome and learning foolishnes in respecte of worldly wisedome counsell and religion But what saith the Prophet Asaphe shall become of these Nemrods and controllers of God They shal saith he quickly fall and be destroyed as a tottering wall Here we sée howe controlling and amending of Gods workes at length spéedeth and what is the end of these persecuting Giants of Gods afflicted They fight they fare foule they moue heauen and earth to alter the purpose and minde of God but He that sitteth in heauen laugheth them to scorne And they themselues that thus wickedly vse Christe and his members fal downe and come to nought as old rotten and dustie walles And in the other part that these shameles tyrants conspire thus against Christ and his people by lies and falshoode is declared the filthines of their conscience that be so farre past shame and honestie that they care not so they may obteine their wicked purpose howe craftily or falsly they lie or calumniate any sayinges or doinges of God or man As the diuel their father when God had exalted man into Paradise he wished him out of it and began to worke mans destruction with calumniating and false lying vppon Gods owne word When God had set vp Dauid to reigne Absolon his owne sonne thinking the better to pull his father downe lied falsly vppon him to the people said that There was no Iudge appointed in Israel to heare causes and to end them betwene man and man So slaundered he his father a man of good iustice and aduaunced himselfe that neuer knewe what iustice ment The good Prophet Elias likewise whome God appointed to warne the people to beware of sinne king Achab to disgrace him lied falsly vppon him and said that He was the troubler of the common wealth So Christ whom God had elected to saue the world from death and damnation the wicked sort of the world said Hee hath saued others but he cannot saue himselfe Againe God sent him to be amongest the troubled to comfort them but such as wanted consolation when they sawe him prayed him to depart out of their countrie because with his presence they loste their swine God said that Paule was the chosen vessell to beare the name of him thorough all the Gentiles Tertullus and the other Iewes said He was one that molested all the world Euen so at this time there is neither honest nor vertuous man that God exalteth to speake the trueth but the wicked saith He is an heretique a scismatique a traitour But séeing it is none other then alwayes hath béene accustomed falsly to be layed to such as God loueth it must be borne patiently But nowe the Prophet sheweth how these liers and enuious persecuters vse their lies They giue faire woordes with their mouth saith the prophet but they curse with their heart By these wordes we may learne that there are thrée maner of ways that lies do harme The one when they be openly and plainly vsed The other when open falshoode outwardly is cloked with pretended trueth And the third when they be dissembled outwardly yet in the heart they lie hid tarying for a time when they may be put abroad to do mischiefe to worke the destruction of the godly But for as muche as the diuell the father of all lyes knoweth that such as he inspireth with lyes can not do harme with his lyes except they be vsed as the persons be qualified amongst whom the lyes must be sowen he teacheth his disciples to vse them as opportunitie and occasion shall serue Manifest and vncouered lyes he causeth to be vsed amongest suche as doe not knowe nor loue the trueth For those lyes shall stablishe and confirme the wicked in their errour and wickednesse As for example Absolon and Achitophel tolde the people as many lyes in maner as they did words against king Dauid and when they were by Absolons faire wordes alienated from king Dauid and bent vnto his sonne bicause he
the Gentiles Yet saith he The foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weakenesse of God is stronger then men And that had king Dauid good experience of when he said The Lord ruleth me and I lacke nothing hee putteth mee in a sweete pasture and leadeth mee by the riuers side hee turneth my soule and conducteth mee into the way and pathe of iustice for his names sake and for his mercies sake He sawe the diuel the world his flesh and sinne all conquered by the power of God and for his names sake brought both to liue also vertuously to liue to his honour that gaue the life and to his owne saluation that receiued the life 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 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 and 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 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 y e psalme aboue mentioned Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne in whose spirite there is no guile For there is no greater guile nor more danger in man then to think himself to be somwhat when he is nothing in déede or else to thinke him selfe to be of such puritie of minde as though he néeded not this frée remission and fauour of God And as there is nothing more proude and arrogant then such a minde so there is nothing in man more detestable and miserable Of the contrarie part they be blessed that hunger and thirst for iustice for God filleth the hungrie with good thinges but the proud he sendeth away emptie And that knewe this holie Prophete right well that it was humilitie and the casting downe of him selfe that was most acceptable vnto God and the séeking of health and saluation onely for his names sake that is to say for his mercie promised in the death and passion of his onely sonne our Sauiour Christe In the end of the .xxxij. psalme king Dauid that had thus humbled himselfe bringeth in God that speaketh vnto him whiles he is thus making his complaint of his corrupt nature and sinneful life saying in this manner Intellectum tibi dabo c. that is to say I will giue thee vnderstanding instruct thee in the way thou shalt goe and will haue mine eyes euer vppon thee Wherein he declareth that suche humbled men and lowly persons as knowe their iniquitie shall haue vnderstanding of God and shall not swarue from the right wayes not for their déedes and their deseruinges but for his mercie that vouchsafeth to instruct teach them And so likewise doeth this godlie king shew in this Psalme The Lorde ruleth me and I lacke nothing he feedeth me in sweet pastures and leadeth me by the riuers side he turneth my soule and bringeth me into the pathes of righteousnesse and all for his names sake When he hath opened the saluation of man and also the cause thereof and wherein it consisteth he procéedeth to the fifte parte of his oration and holie Hymne ¶ The fifte parte of the Psalme What trouble may happen to such as God giueth life and saluation vnto THE FOVRTH VERSE Although I walke thorough the vallie and shadowe of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rodde and thy staffe comfort me SEing I haue suche a guide and defender there is no difficultie of perill nor feare of death that I will passe of For what harme can death do to him that hath God the authour of all life with him Or what can the tyrannie of man do where as God is the defender In this fifte part King Dauid sheweth howe the Lord God doeth exercise his shéepe whom he féedeth with his blessed worde in daungers and troubles also how he will defende them in the middest of their troubles what so euer they be In the first wordes of the fift part of this sacred and holy Hymne the prophet declareth that the life of Gods shéepe and people in this worlde can not be without daungers and troubles Therefore Christ sayeth that He came to put fire in the worlde and that the same fire should burne meaning that he came to preache suche a doctrine as shoulde moue dissention and discorde betwéene friend and friend the father and the sonne and sette them at debate Not that his worde is a learning or doctrine of dissention and discorde of it selfe but that by the malice of men that can not abide to be rebuked by the worde of God they will be alwayes at discorde and variaunce with the worde of God and with any friende or foe that teacheth it And the same doeth Christ our heauenly shéepeheard shewe vs both in his doctrine and in his life who was hated and troubled more then any man before or sithens his time and assureth all his to haue troubles in this world yea and death also But it forceth not for he sayth I haue ouercome the worlde And whatsoeuer the dangers bée and howe horrible soeuer they séeme Christe being with vs we néede not to
kept out of the conscience and hated as Dauid saith Leaue doing of euill and doe good So like wise he speaketh of a féeling Christian man whose conscience hath tasted howe swéete and amiable God is Taste and feele saith the Prophete howe sweete the Lord is And this assure your selues that when ye féele your sinnes and bewaile the daunger and damnation of them the spirite of God hath wrought that féeling And that troubled and broken heart God wil not despise And there is no doubt nor mistrust of a sensible and féeling sinner but in case he can finde in himselfe no loue to the obedience of God nor desire to do his will by hearing of his word nor any féeling at all of sinne nor desire to be ridde from it by hearing of the lawe he hath knowledge in the minde and speache in the mouth but no consent and féeling in his heart and conscience And this knowledge liueth with sinne and speaketh with vertue whereas the heart conscience consenteth to good and abhorreth euil if the vertue nature of Gods woord by Gods spirite be sealed in the conscience And this doth S. Paule teach wonderfully as wel by faith that commeth by hearing of Gods woord as also of his pretious Supper the Sacrament of his bodie and bloud and passion He saith that The heart beleeuēth to righteousnesse that is to say The conscience and heart of him that is sealed and assured of the vertue and grace of Gods premises in Christ beléeueth to righteousnesse or is ascerteined and knoweth it selfe to be righteous and iust and before God because it hath consented and receiued the mercie of God offered in the Gospel thorough the merites of Christ and then the same faith which God hath sealed in the heart breaketh foorth by confession whiche confession is a very fruite of faith to saluation as it is written by S. Paule in the same place And where this faith is so kindled in the heart there can be none other but such a fruite following it And as possible it is to haue fire without heate or flame as this vertue Faith without the fruite of well doing And that is it that S. Paule saith to the Corinthians As often as ye eate of this bread and drinke of this cupp shew ye the Lordes death vntill he come Wherein Saint Paule requireth a knowledge of Christ in the receiuer not onely in his minde that he knowe Christ died for his sinne and the sinne of the world and to speake and declare the same death with his tongue vnto others but this is the chiefest and most principall commoditie of Christes holy Supper whiche men nowe vngodly call the Masse that the vertue and benefite of Christes death as it is appointed for the remission of his sinnes be sealed and fully consented vnto in his conscience And this knowledge of Christes death with the assurance of the vertue strengthe and power thereof in the heart will and ought to inflame vs to thankesgiuing and to preach and teach vnto others those commodities of Christs death that we knowe and féele first in our selues within our owne spirite and heart Thus I haue tarried longer then I thought in this matter bicause I would bring my selfe and all others as much as lyeth in me to féele that knowledge and talke of vertue and vice of Gods fauour and of Gods punishment is not sufficient and to bring my selfe and all men from knowledge and talke to féeling consenting and a full surrendring of our selues vnto the profite and vauntage of the things which we speake and knowe or else knowledge and speaking please not God nor profite our selues as Christe saith Not euery man that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Therefore did Dauid both knowe speake and féele signed in his heart the fauour helpe and assistaunce of God to be with him into what troubles so euer he should fall and in that féeling did say He would not feare But it may fortune I haue so written of vertue and vice to be knowne of in the minde spoke of with the mouth and felt in the heart that ye may iudge and féele in your selues neuer to haue come to this perfection For this is out of doubt he that hath Gods loue and feare thus sealed in his heart liueth in this life rather an Angelicall life then the life of a mortall man and yet it is euident by king Dauid in this Psalme and by his 121. Psalme and in many more that he was so sure and so well ascertained of Gods present helpe in his troubles that he cared nothing for death or any other aduersities that could happen And doubtlesse we perceiue by his Psalmes in many places y t his faith was as strong as stéele and he trembled not nor doubted any thing but was in manner without all kinde of mistrust and nothing troubled what so euer he sawe contrarie to Gods promises and he passed ouer them as things that could not once withdraw his cogitations from the trueth and veritie of Gods promises which he beleued As Abraham likewise did he staggered not but with constancie of faith would haue killed his owne sonne so strong was his faith But as the gift of faith is a treasure incomparable thus to knowe and féele faith to ouercome all daungers so maketh it the heart of him that is sealed with such a faith to féele the ioyes and mirth vnspeakable But as this faith is the gift of God and cōmeth only from him so is it in him only to appoint the time when it shall come how much and how strongly it shal be giuen at al times which is not at all times like but sometimes so strong that nothing can make the faithfull man afraid no not death it selfe and sometimes it is so strong that it maketh the man afflicted to be contented to suffer yea death it selfe rather then to offend God But yet it is with much cōflict great troubles many heauie meruelous cogitations somtime with such a feare as the man hath much ado to sée féele in the latter end of his heauie conflict the victorie and vpper hand of the temptation And at an other time the Christian man shal finde such heauinesse oppression of sinne and troubles that he shal not féele as much in manner as one sparke of faith to comfort him selfe in the trouble of his minde as he thinketh but that all the floudes and dreadfull assaultes of desperation haue their course through his conscience Nothing féeleth he but his owne minde and poore conscience one so to eate the other that the conflict is more paine to him then death it selfe he vnderstandeth that GOD is able to doe all thinges he confesseth with the knowledge of his minde and with his toung in his head that God is true and mercifull he would haue his conscience and heart to agrée therevnto and be quiet
and lead him into the pleasant pastures whereas vertue and iustice reigned for his names sake and not for any righteousnesse of his owne so saith he now That being brought into the pastures of trueth and into the fauour of the almightie and accounted and taken for one of his shéepe it is onely GOD that kéepeth and mainteineth him in the same state condition and grace For he could not passe through the troubles and shadowe of death as he al Gods elect people must do but only by the assistance of God and therefore he saith he passed through al peril bicause he was with him Of this part of the Psalme we learne that all the strength of man is vnable to resist the troubles and persecutions of Gods people and that the grace and presence of God is able to defend his people and nothing but it Therefore doth Saint Paule bid the Ephesians be strong through the Lord and through the might of his strength for he saith that Great and many be our aduersaries strong and mightie which goe about not onely to weaken vs but also to ouercome vs we of our selues haue no power to withstand Wherefore he willeth vs to depend and stay onely vpon Gods strength And Saint Peter also when he hath declared the force and malice of the diuell he willeth vs to resist him strongly in faith And Saint Iohn saith that This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen our faith And our sauiour Christ when the time was come that he shuld depart out of the world corporally and perceiued howe maliciously and strongly the diuell and the world were bent against his disciples that he should leaue in the world as shéepe amongest woolues and howe little strength his poore flocke had against such maruellous troubles he made his most holy and effectuall prayer for them present and them in trouble and likewise for vs that be nowe and also in trouble in this sorte Pater sancte serua eos per nomen tuum quos dedisti mihi c. That is to say Holy father keepe them for thy names sake whome thou hast giuen me Here hath euery one of Gods people suche learning as teacheth that our help is only in the name of the Lorde who made heauen and earth And in this learning we shall vnderstand two necessarie lessons The first that none can defende vs but God alone who is our protectour and none but he And by this learning he will beware to aske or séeke helpe any other where sauing of God as we be instructed by his holy word And herein we honour him to knowe and confesse that there is none that can preserue nor saue vs but he alone The other lesson is that our conscience vnderstanding that God can and will helpe vs shall cause vs in all trouble to commend our selues vnto him and so more strongly and patiently beare suffer all troubles and aduersities being assured that we shall ouercome them through him or else be taken by them from this world into a world whereas is no trouble at all So said this holy Prophet and King Dauid If I walke in the shadow of death I wil not feare for thou art with me Nowe in that he saith he will not feare he meaneth not that a man may sée and suffer these perils without all perils for then were a man rather a perfect spirite then a mortall creature but he meaneth that feare shall not ouercome him For Christe him selfe feared death neyther is there any man that shall suffer imprisonment for Christes sake but that he shall féele the paines neuerthelesse Gods spirit shall giue strength to beare them and also in Christe to ouercome them There is no man that can haue faith but sometimes and vpon some occasion it may be troubled and assaulted with mistrust no man such charitie but that it may be yea and is troubled with hatred no man such patience but y t it may at times féele impatience no man such veritie but that it may be troubled with falshoode howbeit in the people of God by Gods helpe the best ouercommeth the worst and the vertue the sinne But in case the worst preuaile and ouercome the man of God is neuer quiet vntill he be restored vnto God againe vnto the same vertues that he lost by sinne as ye may sée in this king by many of his Psalmes that he beléeued and found God to defend him howe so euer his state was and therefore attributeth vnto him the whole victorie prayse of his deliuerance saying Thou art with me and doest ouercome But nowe the Prophete declareth howe and by what means God is with him and doth deliuer him from all troubles And this means of Gods presence and defence he openeth by diuers Allegories and Translations wonderfull méete and apt to expresse the thing that he would shew to the world The first Translation or Allegorie he taketh of the nature of a rod the second of a staffe and saith They did comfort him and defend him the third he taketh of a table which he saith the great shepheard prepared before his face against as many as troubled him the fourth he taketh from the nature of oyle and of a cup that was alwayes full wherwith he was not onely satisfied but also ioyfully replenished in all times and all troubles whatsoeuer they were By the rod is many times in the scripture vnderstanded the punishment and correction that God vseth to cal home againe to amend his elect beloued people when they offend him He punisheth them and yet killeth them not he beateth them vntill they know their faults but casteth them not away as he saide to king Dauid that whē he dyed his kingdome should come vnto one of his own children in case he went astray from his lawe he would correct him with the rod of other Princes and with the plagues of the sonnes of men but my mercy saith God I will not take from him as I did from Saule This same manner of speache may ye reade also in his 89. Psalme and in the Prouerbes of his sonne king Solomon ye haue the same doctrine He that wanteth a heart must haue his backe beaten with a rod. And in the same booke he saith He that spareth the rod hateth the childe So doeth king Dauid here confesse that it is a very necessarie and requisite way to kéepe the shéepe of God from perishing to be chastened and corrected when they waxe wanton and will not heare the voyce of their shephearde And it is the part of euery wise godly man to loue this correction and chastisement of the Lord as Solomon saith He that loueth discipline and correction loueth knowledge he that hateth to be rebuked is a foole And king Dauid saith It is to my great good commoditie that the Lorde chasteneth me This rod of correction Dauid saith is one of the instruments and meanes
part of the Psalme that declareth why the troubled man trusteth in God 3 How long will ye imagine mischiefe against euerie man Ye shalbe slayne all the sorte of you yea as a tottering wall shall ye be and like a broken hedge 4 Their deuise is onely how to put him out whom God will exalte their delight is in lyes they giuâ— good wordes with their mouth but curse with theiâ— heart Selah The thirde parte of the Psalme wherein is shewed thâ— soudenly thy persequuters of the innocent shall perisâ— 5 Neuerthelesse my soule wayt thou stil vpon Goâ— for my hope is in him 6 He truely is my strength and my saluation he â— my defence so that I shall not fall 7 In God is my health and my glorie the rocke â—â— might and in God is my trust 8 O put your trust in him always ye people powâ— out your harts before him for God is our hope Selaâ— In these foure verses is conteyned the fourth part wheâ— in is mentioned the repetition of the two first verseâ— 9 As for the children of men they are but vaine thâ— children of men are deceiptfull vpon the weightes they are altogether lighter then vanitie it selfe 10 O trust not in wrong and robberie giue not youâ— selues to vanitie if riches increase sette not youâ— heartes vpon them Here is the fifte parte that teacheth no trust to be put 〈◊〉 man for he is not able to damne nor saue 11 God spake once and twise I haue also heard tâ—â— same that power belongeth vnto God 12 And that thou Lorde art mercifull for thou râ—â— wardest euerie man according to his worke In these two verses is comprehended the sixt parte whiâ—â— is that God hath promised to be mercifull in helpiâ—â— the afflicted and that he will performe his promises A briefe explanation of the Psalme generally MY soule doubtlesse wayteth still vpon God c. Be my troubles neuer so great and daungerous yet my soule shall trust continually and constantly in the Lorde that can and will remedie them For he is my strength and my saluation and he is my defence So shall I not greatly fall Although good Lorde by reason of mine infirmitie and sinne which is in all men my soule is weake and féeble that it wilbe oppressed with the lightest of all thy troubles whiche thou layest vpon man for his sinne yet when it taketh holde of thy mercie it waxeth strong And although it be weake and trembling by reason of infirmitie yet doth it not cleane fall from the trust of constancie and hope And let the wicked imagine their wicked imaginations against thy poore seruauntes O God yet at length shall they come to shame and destruction as the tottering wall doth fall and the rotten hedge is consumed with fire For that they go about they shal neuer bring to passe because they deuise to put him to shame that God hath purposed to exalt and magnifie And what so euer doublenesse they vse to speake faire with their mouthe and yet haue false and hollowe heartes it shall not bring their intent to their purposed end Sela. God be thanked of whom dependeth al the hope of my saluation And he is my strength my saluation and my defence so that I shal not fall Wherefore all Christian and afflicted persons saith the Prophet follow mine example and put al your hope and trust in the mercie of God who onely saue vs from euill and blesse vs with all goodnesse Powre out therefore before him all your cares and heauines and looke assuredly for help from him for doubtlesse the helpe of man is nothing worthe For If man and vanitie were bothe weighed in a paire of balance vanitie it selfe would be weightier then man How then can so light a thing as man is helpe in the time of trouble And as a man is but vanitie or else rather more vaine then vanitie so be al worldly riches that man possesseth and as little or lesse able to helpe an afflicted as man is vnable to helpe himselfe And this I knowe sayeth the Prophete not by mans wisdome but by the mouth of God that what so euer helpe man looketh for besides God he may be assured at all times to be both helpelesse and comfortlesse and trusting to God he shall be at all times both holpen and comforted For so saith the Lorde whose sayings no power is able to falsifie nor to resist ¶ What things are to be noted out of euerie particular part of this Psalme for the edifying and comfort of him that shall vse to say sing or meditate this Psalme THE FIRST PARTE My soule truely wayteth vpon God OVt of the first part wherein is conteyned what the Christian should doe in the time of trouble is to be noted what it is for a man to haue his soule wayting still vppon God or else to haue silence alwayes in his soule towardes God in the dayes of aduersitie As this Psalme speaketh When the Christian man or woman in the time of sorrowe and heauinesse without grudge or impatience looketh for the helpe of God and giueth not himselfe to quarelling or complayning of God as thoughe hée did him wrong and punished him too muche then doth the soule waite vpon the Lord or else hath silence towardes God As wee maye sée by Iob where his soule attended stil vpon the Lord. When his goodes cattell house and children were taken from him he said after this sorte The Lord gaue them the Lorde hath taken them away as the Lorde is pleased so is it done The name of the Lord be blessed All this while hee bore the crosse of God without murmur or grudge and had his soule still wayting vpon God as this Prophet here saith But when he was burdened further and from the sole of the foote to the top of the head was stricken with sores and botches he cursed the day that he was borne in and the night wherein he was conceiued with many more vnquiet and lamentable wordes as it appeareth in his Booke The like example we haue before of king Dauid in the Booke of the Psalmes where be these wordes In trouble and aduersitie I said I was cast away from the sight of thine eyes ô God And as Iob sometime saide If he should die yet he would trust in the Lord. So sayde Dauid a litle before If he should goe in the middest of the shadowe of death he would not feare In the whiche Psalme ye may sée how constantly his soule wayted vpon the Lorde yet in the 31 Psalme his troubles were so great that in them he saide I am cast from the sight of thee ô God So that these testimonies and examples of the Scriptures do declare that to haue the soule to wayte vppon the Lord is to be assured that God will helpe in trouble and patiently to beare the trouble without grudge vntill God sende remedie and helpe for it The second thing to be gathered of
the first parte is to marke and sée that in the verie electes of God and most excellent personages amongest holie men there is sometime quiet patient and thankfull sufferance of aduersitie strongly that it séemeth in the soule of him that is troubled there is so constant and strong faith that it maketh all sorrowes and troubles rather pleasaunt and swéete then heauie burdenous or painefull At another time troubles séeme vnto them so heynous and grieuous that the burden of them is as great a paine as death not onely vnquieting the bodie but also verie sore vexing of the spirite with these and like cogitations God hath cast me out of his sight God will haue mercie vppon me no more My soule is heauie and troubled And this diuersitie of increase and decrease of faith and hope of holie men and women before our time teacheth vs great wisedome and consolation wisdome in that we sée faith and hope be not naturall qualities in man although he be neuer so vertuous or neuer so gratiously elected by God to eternal saluation but they be the mercifull giftes of God giuen vnto man for Christes sake and wrought by the holie Ghost aboue mans deseruings We learne also that the giftes of God faith hope and charitie patience and sufferance with such like vertues be not at all times of like condition and strength in man but at sometime so strong that nothing can feare vs and at another time so weake that all thinges do make vs dismayed and fearefull Now and then it is so doubtfull that we cannot tell whether it were best to suffer for the trueth or else to be released consenting vnto falshoode Thus God vseth his giftes in vs not alwayes after one sorte partely for our sinnes and partely to proue vs and to bring vs to a certeine knowledge of our infirmitie and weakenesse From Saule Iudas and Caine he tooke his spirite cleane to punishe their iniquitie and wickednesse And from Iob to attempte his patience and to make his féele that of him selfe he coulde beare nothing We learne consolation out of this texte in this that in our troubles the Lord forsaketh vs not but comforteth vs. And the more our troubles and aduersities be the more is his grace and fauour towardes vs. As the Prophet sayth in another of his Psalmes As aduersities oppressed my heart so thy consolations Lorde reioyced me In the whiche Psalme ye may sée what consolation the afflicted conscience taketh in aduersities The Psalme is made against the wicked oppressoures and persequutors of the poore Wherein they say As the tyrannie of the wicked troubleth vs so thy consolations good Lorde do reioyce and comfort vs. and the same sayth Saint Paule to the Corinthians As the afflictions of Christe doe abounde in vs euen so by Christe aboundeth our consolation There is also to be noted in that the prophete sayeth His soule wayteth vpon the Lorde Many men can dissemble iniuries wrongs and oppressions outwardely Some times when they be not able to reuenge and some tunes when they dare not reuenge for lacke of opportunitie and occasion lest more harme mighte insue of that their enterprise As the Iewes durst not kill Christ a great while for feare of the people yet were they murderers in their hearts before God the fact outwardly not then being don Some againe reuenge not bicause they thinke dissembled patience will gaine worldly commodites riches Howbeit this quietnesse refraining from reuenging is nothing worth before God But when the hart soul waiteth vpon God is contented to be as God maketh it y t wayting seruice of the soul the Lord delighteth in and is pleased withall This is a godlie doctrine much to be desired to haue the minde contented with such things as be troublesome and painefull to the bodie outwardly And where the minde wayteth not patiently vpon the Lorde in trouble it will appeare diuers wayes Sometime many yeres after the displeasure is done the man that suffered the displeasure reuengeth it wrongfully and cruelly as the Phariseis and the highe priestes deferred the bloudie fact in the killing of Christ vntil they had gotten time and opportunitie for their purpose Sometime the impatience and vnquietnesse of the minde appeareth with checkes and taunting aunsweres vnto God as when God asked Caine Where his brother Abel was he asked God againe Whether he were his brothers kéeper or no The same wayes appeared Pharaoes vnquietnesse When God would haue had him to dismisse his people he asked What God he was vnto whome he should doe such homage and seruice Somtime it appeareth by desperate weighing the greatenesse of trouble not considering the mercie of God that is greater then sinne As Caines vnquieted soule for the killing of Abel brought his tongue to blaspheme the mercie of God saying that His iniquitie was greater then the mercie of God could forgiue So did the wicked soule of Iudas that betrayed Christ make his tongue confesse before the Pharisées his treason and wickednesse and neuer to call vpon Christe for remission thereof Sometime the impatience of the mind is knowen outwardly by finding fault with Gods workes As when Adams minde was vnquieted for the eating of the apple he said vnto God that his wife the woman that he gaue vnto him deceiued him Achab the wicked king being impatient with the scourges that God sent vpon his Realme for his owne sinnes and the peoples picked a quarell with the good prophete Elias saide that he troubled all his Realme So saide the Iewes against Paule This is he that troubleth all the worlde This is daily séene when so euer the minde and the soule is vnquieted the fault is laide vpon Gods worke As if the higher powers hang a true man and saue a théefe deliuer Barabbas hang Christ streight way the tongue walketh that He is set in authoritie by God In déede so he is but yet to punishe the euill and to mainteine the good and not to molest the good and mainteine the euill as commonly now a dayes is séene Simon Magus shalbe at libertie and Simon Peter in chaines Annas and Caiphas shall rule like Lordes Christe and Saint Paule shalbe ruled and suffer death althoughe not personally in their owne bodies yet in their members and disciples Let the minde of the théefe be touched for thefte streightway pouertie the worke of GOD beareth the blame Let whoredome vexe the whoremongers minde immediately the tongue complayneth vpon Gods worke youth strength and such other Let the minde be troubled with couetousnesse by and by Gods worke wife children be alledged for excuse For they must be prouided for saith the couetous man when he hath enoughe for himselfe and tenne times as many moe children as God hath sent him if it were thankfully vsed towardes God and liberally towardes the worlde So that if any man be touched
of God were no more nor yet so much as dogs in the respect of man And when she perceiued that man could be contented to spare his crumbes to the dogges she knewe right well that man was not so mercifull and liberall vnto dogges as God vnto sinners Wherefore she stoode stil with Christ constantly and least not calling vntill Christe gaue her to witte that she was in déede a verie well persuaded woman both of his power able to helpe and of his good will readie to helpe For in déede although she was a Cananite she knewe that if a man shut not out dogges from his table Christe woulde not shut from his mercie a sinnefull Cananite The same persuasion made Marie Magdalene créepe vnder the boorde to his féete with teares there to receiue and eate of his mercie to quenche the hunger and smarte of her sinnes These examples do declare why the troubled may put their trust in God Because he is omnipotent and can doe all thinges and he is mercifull and will help all penitent and faithfull sinners And so sayd this Prophete Asaph Of him commeth my saluatiō And he sheweth the cause why For he is my rocke my saluation and my defence These thrée woordes declare meruellousty the nature of God that alone helpeth and also the faith of him that calleth for helpe As for God whome the Prophet calleth first his Rocke by this worde he openeth meruellously how strong firme and sure and howe inuincible he is against all troubles aduersities and tempestes as well of the bodie as of the soule In Saint Matthewe the man that buildeth his house vppon the rocke or stone is called wise and the cause is that what windes soeuer blowe and what tempestes so euer arise they cannot cast downe the house nor ouerthrow the building for it is grounded vpon the stone The stone is God and his worde the builder is the Christian man and the building is the religion that he hath learned of God by his worde And although we sée God our rocke and sure stone is not assaulted with stormie and tempestuous shoures rayne yet the builder and the building that is to say the Christian man and his religion be blowen at and suche shoures of trouble fall vpon them that were not the rocke firme and sure all the building and the builder also for mans parte would surely fall and come to vtter ruine The experience of the same windes and floudes we may sée in the Actes of the Apostles For when Peter the rest builded the house of God that is to say taught men their saluation by the merites and passion of Christ there arose such winds and flouds that the builders were put into prison and the building in great danger When S. Stéeuen builded the congregation with Gods word in Christ whiles he was building such windes and floudes of malice assaulted him y t his braines were knocked out Whē Ananias and the rest planted builded the house of God y t is to say conuerted the infidels vnto the faith of Christ at Damascus there arose such windes and tempests at Hierusalem that Saul came frō thence towards Damascus with commission from the high priestes to kill the builders to ouerthrow all they had builded Let vs leaue off the examples of holie men sée what hapned to the head chiefe capteine al Saints good builders our sauiour Iesus Christ. When he called the worlde from ignorance to knowledge from death to life and from damnation to saluation there arose such winds and storms that had he not béene the rocke it selfe of strength and inuincible power he had béene ouerthrowen cleane and his buildings turned vpside downe For before he was of age to be borne in his mothers bellie y e diuel went about to slaunder him as a bastard and woulde haue persuaded the same to the godlie man Ioseph spoused in marriage to the blessed virgin Marie He had no sooner put his head out of his mothers bellie but streight way Herodes sworde was whette and bent to kill him Within a little while after the diuell stirred vp his owne kinse-folke countriemen to cast him downe from a hill toppe and to breake his necke and at length killed him indéede But what was the outgoing of this builder Forsoothe Father into thy handes I commend my spirite And what was the assuraunce of his building that is to say in what suretie stoode his disciples and folowers in the middest of these winds great stormes Doubtles Christ commended them to the custodie and protection of his heauenly father the rocke sure stone of all saluation from whome windes floudes temptations persequution death sinne nor the diuell himselfe with all his companie of wicked spirites be able to remoue the simplest of all Christes flocke In the Reuelations of Saint Iohn there is a meruellous doctrine what windes and floudes shall blowe and ouerflowe this rocke in the bulding and builders for the time of this life There is a woman that had broughte foorth a man childe and by and by there was a foule greate red dragon with seuen heads and seuen hornes that would haue deuoured this childe before he had come to his inheritaunce and kingdome appointed vnto him And when he saw he could not preuaile against the childe he caste out of his mouth water as it had bene a greate streame after the Mother but there was giuen her winges to escape For the rocke that she was builded vppon was sure that what soeuer windes or waters that is to say what troubles soeuer should happen nothing could ouerthrowe her And so sayeth Asaph here God being my rocke and sure fortresse my soule nor my bodie shal neuer be confounded As he declareth more openly by the two words that followe He is my strength and my saluation also sayth the Prophet As though he had sayd I do not onely knowe God to be sure strong inuincible but also I know this his might strength and surenesse is my wealth and my saluation For many men knowe that GOD is the rocke and strength of all powers but none doeth knowe that this power and strength is saluation for him selfe but such as be Gods in déede Therefore séeing this faith that beléeueth God particularly to saue a priuate person is onely Gods gifte and commeth not of man let vs pray that when we sée howe God hath bene the rocke of saluation to others that he will be so vnto vs likewise For it is a singular gifte of God to say boldely stedfastly and merrily from the bottome of the heart vnto him Thou Lorde art my rocke my saluation and my comfort And he that féeleth in him selfe for him selfe GOD to be his saluation hath suche a treasure that all treasures besides it are nothing to be estéemed and he will not passe of goodes landes nor life
HOOPER Bishop of Glocester and Worcester THE ARGVMENT THE matter and argument of this Psalme is a consolation for them that are wont much to be moued and afflicted when they see the vngodly flourish and prosper in all wealth and pleasure and contrariwise the godly and good people oppressed with pouertie and all other calamities afflictions As ye may see the Prophet Asaphe intreate of this matter in this his first Psalme the same ye may see also in king Dauid in his 37. Psalme Wherein he exhorteth men not to iudge amisse of God nor to leaue off godly conuersation although the best be punished and the worst scape quit These two Psalmes intreating of one matter are to be read and knowen of vs in these perillous dayes least the hatred persequution that happeneth to Gods truth and to the louers thereof might vnhappily make vs to iudge of God to forsake his trueth as many haue done and daily the number of them increase with the decrease of Gods honour and the increase of their owne damnation For nowe Christ trieth the chaffe from the come the rust from the metall and hypocrisie from trueth If we will not or cannot abide the hammar or trying potte that God setteth vs in to explorate and search whether our faith wil abide the fire of trouble and persequution or not if we suffer not all our religion is not worth a hawe For it is not woordes that proue faith but deedes If it abide the triall it is true and the more it is tried the finer it wilbe and at lengthe brought into such finenesse as corruption shall neuer hurt nor harme it in the world of grace and vertue GOD therefore graunt vs grace to suffer his triall and search strongly patiently and thankefully Amen ¶ The order of the Psalme 1 The text and letter of the Psalme 2 The Paraphrase or plaine explanation of the text and letter of the Psalme 3 The principall partes and most notable doctrines conteyned in the Psalme ¶ The text and letter of the Psalme of Asaphe THE FIRST VERSE 1. Truely God is louing vnto Israel euen vnto such as are of a cleane heart ¶ The Paraphrase or plaine explanation GOD loueth the godly although they be afflicted and hateth the vngodly althoughe they be in prosperitie The Lord is louing and merciful to such as be afflicted and specially if their hearts be pure and cleane iudge nothing of God amisse whether they sée the good oppressed or the euil exalted In their hearts they murmur nothing at Gods doinges nor in their mindes they find no fault with Gods order and prouidence THE second and third verse 2. Neuerthelesse my feet were almost gone my treadinges had welneere slipt 3. And why I was greeued at the wicked I doe see also the vngodly in such prosperitie ¶ The plaine Explanation Yet notwithstanding when I sawe the good afflicted and the euil prosper it troubled my minde so so that in manner I was forced and compelled thoroughe indignation to iudge of God as other euill men did and gréeuously offended his high maiestie in thinking his doings not indifferent in troubling the good and quieting of the bad THE fourth Verse 4 For they are in no perill of death but are lustie and strong ¶ The plaine explanation I perceiued further saith the Prophet that the wicked liued not onely quietly and pleasantly but also died in maner without heauines or any great tormentes Besides all these felicities pleasures and ease for their owne partes in this world it happeneth when they die they leaue also pleasant and delectable mansion houses great riches and large possessions to their children THE fift and sixt Verse 5 They come into no misfortunes like other folke neither are they plagued like other men 6 And this is the cause that they be so holden with pride and ouerwhelmed with crueltie ¶ The plaine explanation If any misse of losse and damage in this world it is they if sicknesse flieth from any it flyeth from them So that much felicitie and little aduersitie causeth them to knowe neither God they neighbours nor themselues THE seuenth Verse 7 Their eyes swell for fatnesse and they doe what them lust ¶ The plaine explanation Such as flourish with riches and authoritie waxe proud and arrogant for all thinges come so aboundantly vnto them that they haue more then they looke for THE eight Verse 8 They corrupt other and speake of wicked blaspheme their talke is against the most highest ¶ The plaine explanation They afflict and cruelly persequute the good and innocent and they are come to this insolencie and pride that they would not onely their abhemination should be knowen but also they themselues bost of it and in most abhomination most extoll and magnifie themselues THE ninthe Verse 9 For they stretch foorth their mouth vnto the heauen and their tongue goeth through the world ¶ The plaine explanation They be so blinded and deceiued with he felicitie and trouble of this world that they spare not God nor godly men but speake against both and do their willes and pleasures THE 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. and 17. Verses 10 Therefore fall the people vnto them and there out sucke they no small aduantage 11 Tush say they howe should God perceiue it Is there knowledge in the most highest 12 Loe these are the vngodly these prosper in the world these haue riches in possession 13 Then haue I clensed my heart in vaine said I washed my handes in innocencie 14 All the day long haue I beene punished and chastened euery morning 15 Yea I had almost said euen as they but loe then should I haue condemned the generation of thy children 16 Then thought I to vnderstand this but it was too hard for mee 17 Vntill I went into the Sanctuarie of God then vnderstoode I the end of these men ¶ The plaine explanation Because the wicked men prosper so well in this world the people of God conforme and applie them selues to do as they doe and frame their liues and manners vnto the rule and fashion of such wicked people as prosper And they sucke and drawe into their mindes the wicked mens opinions and conuersations and so replenish themselues with iniquitie as the thirstie man doth replenish himselfe with water And when the people sée the best part turne vnto the manners of the worst and be as euill or worse then the worst they muse and thincke whether there be any God or knowledge in God that suffereth these abhominations And not onely the common people saith the prophet Asaphe stoode in a mamering whether God tooke any héede or cared for the world séeing that wicked men did so prosper and the godlier sorte so vexed but I may selfe also considering these things with my selfe fell into such madnesse and error of iudgement that I had done euill so to applie my selfe
his helpe any longer they would yealde them selues into the handes of their enimies but God stayed their fall and that by the handes of a woman And if there had not bene more mercy in GOD then faith in them their féete had not onely slipt but also all the whole lande countrie and citie The like ye may sée also in the notable historie of Hester whereas the very rocke and chiefe stay of the Iewes health Mardocheus made suite to the Quéene for Asuerus pardon for the life of the Iewes when sentence and iudgement was past against them of death So that if faith in the promises of God had not stayed him he had slipt and falne downe to sée al things against him and his countrimen But before men vtterly fall the Lorde is with them and preserueth them with his mercy as Dauid saide When my feete were moued thy mercy oh Lord stayed me The thirde thing to be noted of these wordes is the manner of the Prophetes speaking which must be marked and vnderstoode or else the reader or hearer of the Psalmes shall take no profite My feete were almost gone and my treadings had well nigh slipt By the féete he vnderstandeth the minde and by the treadings well nigh slipt he vnderstandeth the iudgement and wisedome of the minde As foule and slipperie wayes be daungerous for the féete so be the workes of God to the minde that is not illuminated with the light of Gods word And as the slipping and running away of the feete causeth all the body to fall euen so the ignorance of the mind causeth both body and soule to fall and gréeuously to misseiudge the workes of God And as the fal of the body sowceth and defileth it self with mire and dirt euen so doth the fall of the minde defile both body and soule with impatience and enuious indignation at Gods workes So that the Prophete saith by these wordes My feete were almost gone and my treadings had well nigh slipt My minde was so troubled to sée God suffer the euill in such prosperitie and the good in suche aduersitie that my iudgement almost slipt from the right sentence of thée O Lorde and very scarsly I auoyded most haynons sinne towardes thée in controlling of thy most wise and iust doings If we marked the pithe and wisedome of the scripture we should sée many thinges more in our selues then we doe doubtlesse growe to an excellencie in wisedome and finde out what euils we be most inclined vnto Amongst all other hatred and indignation of other mens prosperitie is not the least nor the most seldomest And in déed the father of sinne the diuell hath that in him First he disdained God and his felicitie but he wan nothing thereby but euerlasting paines Then he enuyed man his felicitie yet the wicked spirit gayned nothing to him self but double damnation and losse of vs all And this séede of the diuell descended into our nature as we may sée and made Caine to kill Abel his brother made Ismael to persequute Isaac Esau Iacob Dathan and Abiron Moses and Aaron Aaron and Marie his sister Moses Iacobs children Ioseph Saule Dauid Herode and the Phariseis Christe and Iohn the Baptist the tenne Apostles Iohn and Iames Peter Saint Iohn the Euangelist and the members of the diuell and Antichriste in this our time the members of Christe So that they be not onely almost falne but also the Lorde help them and vs all altogether sliden to enuie and indignation and likewise to violent oppression of Gods holy word But let vs not slip ne fall into indignation that they prosper and we are afflicted but say in the middest of these oppressions of the good and prosperitie of the euill Truely God is louing vnto Israel and let vs praye also for their amendment ¶ The third part 3 And why I was grieued at the wicked c. HErein is conteined what the felicitie of the wicked is and wherein it consisteth that the godly be offended with all when they flourishe and be in honour and the poore members of Christe persequuted and without all honour and be rather worms then men yea the dogs and brute beastes of the enimies be in more estimation then the poore beléeuers in Christe Out of this part is to be noted First a great fault and ouersight in the people of God for lacke of iudgment and true knowledge wherein trueth and verie felicitie in déede consisteth the lacke of the which knowledge maketh men both impatient and lewde iudges of Gods holy workes The Prophete therefore herein amendeth his owne and our ignorance and willeth vs to knowe perfectly wherein felicitie and happinesse doth rest The Christian must vnderstand and assure him selfe that the felicitie and euerlasting beatitude of man is wrought by quietnesse of conscience and innocencie of life of which two partes and vertues in this tract I will speake more hereafter as well what they be what be the causes of them as what is the effect of them I wil assure you if we knowe not these thinges well our religion will be but a while permanent and true vnto God To enter therefore into the knowledge of the matter wherein the beatitude felicitie of man consisteth it is requisite to cast some cloudes and darknesse vpon these worldly things that wicked men possesse and godly men thinke them thereby to be happie Looke as the Sunne at the rising and passing ouer the earth doth hide and couer the globe sphere of the Moone and darkneth also the light and clearenesse of the starres euen so doth the tranquillitie of conscience and the brightnesse of faith and charitie that dwelleth in the heart of the faithfull darken and hide all things that séeme beautifull and voluptuous to the world and carnall lustes of man And he that hath a testimonie at home in his owne conscience that he is in the fauour of God will not greatly passe of other mens iudgements whether they saue or damne laud or disprayse nor yet greatly passe although he lacke such notes of riches and glory as worldly men iudge and knowe felicitie by For he that knoweth surely wherein felicitie doth consist will not take the worldly opinion of men for his recorde nor for his rewarde neither will he greatly feare for any damnation or punishment that the world can annexe and ioyne vnto his life for this mortall time It is therefore Christianitie to knowe that felicitie and beatitude resteth in the riches of the mind by Gods grace wrought by the holy Ghost for the merites of Christ. There was amongst the Philosophers great diuersitie of opinions in this matter wherin felicitie beatitude shoulde consist Some saide it rested in this a man still and continually to be voyde from anguishe and sorrowe Other saide it consisted in the knowledge of thinges Some saide in pleasure and voluptuousnesse Aristotle and Theophrastus and such other as were
Also Lord if thou wilt thou canst deliuer me As the Prophete vseth here in this Psalme He called and cryed vpon the Lord all the night and attended patiently when God would helpe leaning altogether to his blessed will and pleasure to doe or not to doe as him best pleased ¶ The third part What great and perillous daungers the man that is troubled shall suffer for the time of his trouble 2 My soule refused comfort 3 When I am in heauinesse I will thinke vpon God when my heart is vexed I will complaine Sela. 4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so feeble I can not speake 5 I haue considered the dayes of olde and the yeres that be past 6 In the night I called to remembraunce my song and communed with mine owne heart and my spirite searched diligently 7 Will the Lord absent him selfe for euer and will he be no more intreated 8 Is his mercy cleane gone for euer And is his promise come vtterly to an end for euermore 9 Hath God forgotten to be gratious and will he shut vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure HEre in these verses it appareth what terrible and fearefull thinges a man that is in trouble shall suffer and be vexed withall And the first that the Prophete mentioneth is in the end of the second verse and it is this My soule refuseth comfort Of this aduersitie and anguishe of the soule we may learne many thinges First that as long as sinne appeareth not nor is felt the minde of man is quiet iocund and pleasant and the mirth and pleasure of the minde reioyceth the body and maketh it lustie and pleasant not féeling at all the breache of Gods commanundements neither passing any thing at all of sinne nor euill conuersation but rather delighting in things that displease God then in any vertue or honestie But when trouble sicknesse or death commeth then most commonly though men sée not the horrour of their sinnes to repent yet féele they the horrour thereof to desperation and that once felt in the soule all the ioyes of the worlde can not comfort the troubled person As Adam with all the solace of Paradise could not reioyce when his soule felt the abhomination of his offence towardes God Caine could neuer plucke vp merrie countenaunce for the cruell killing of his brother Abel Peter coulde not stint wéeping for his denyall of Christ vntill Christ looked vpon him Marie Magdalene could not put vp her head from vnder the table for shame of her sinne vntill Christe had forgiuen her nor the poore woman that was taken in adulterie vntil her offences were pardoned Neither yet could this Prophetes spirite take any consolation as long as his sinnes were felt and not pardoned Whereof followeth this saying A small trouble of conscience putteth away all ioy and mirthe of the world Wherefore it is wisedome and also the duetie of all Christian people to auoyde sinne and the enimitie of God which onely troubleth the conscience and to put the body to all paines possible yea and to death it selfe rather then to put the soule in daunger towardes God as Saint Paule writeth to Timothie his disciple and not without cause For as the spirite that contemneth God and féeleth for his contempt Gods displeasure can not take comfort but is full of anguish heauinesse inward and in the outward man full of paine and sorrowe so likewise shal the soule in the life to come inwardly féele vnspeakable grudgings and sorrowes and outwardly the vnquenchable and euerlasting fire of hell And here is to be noted that the very elect and dearest friendes of Christe be not frée from trouble and anguish of minde for their sinnes perpetrated committed against God But this is a consolation that the elect as they finde anxietie and anguish of minde for sinne in this life so in this life is the consciēce that is troubled by grace quieted that it may after this life finde eternall rest And it is a common order and ordinarie way whereby GOD vseth to bring the sinner to acknowledge and repent his sin and so from knowledge and repentaunce to the forgiuenesse of his sinne to shewe and set before the conscience of the sinner his sinne as the example of king Dauid and others do declare My sinne saith Dauid is alwayes before me As though he had said In case I coulde hide mine iniquitie from all the world yet can I not excuse it before God nor hide it from mine owne conscience And euery mans sinnes thus open before God and knowne and felt in his own conscience bringeth the soule into this discomfort and heauinesse that it refuseth all consolation and comfort as this Prophet Asaph sayth meruellously in this second verse of his Psalme There is to be noted out of this comfortlesse spirite of the Prophete Asaph an other most necessarie doctrine for euery Christian creture which is this that there is two manner of discomfortes or two sortes of heauinesse in the word of God that is appointed to leade vs in the time of this wretched life as there is in it also two manner of consolations There is two manner of brightnesse and clearnesse and two manner of darknesse and obscurenesse in it as it shall appeare in the treatise of this Psalme hereafter And bycause the diuersitie is not marked the worde of God doeth many times and in many places and persons no good at all There is a discomfort inwardly and a discomfort outwardly in the scripture The discomfort inwardly is when the sinneful man or woman séeketh and suffereth the same discomfort in his soule that the lawe of GOD doth open and proclame against him for his sinnes committed against God and his lawe so that as the lawe commaundeth after this sort Agite poenitentiam Repent ye so the man that is commaunded by the lawe to be sorie and heauie for his sinnes is sorrie and heauie in déede by the working of Gods spirite as we may sée in Adam what inward feare and discomfort he had when he heard the voyce of God after the doing of his sinne Caine the like Dauid the same with Peter Paule and others in the word of God This discomfort inwardly is felt of al Gods elect that be able to learne and knowe the nature of Gods lawe and the damnation and curse of God vpon sinne For this is a generall commaundement to all fleshe borne and conceiued in sinne Agite poenitentiam Repent ye It is also many times felt of suche as dye and liued wickedly As Saule and Iudas whose spirites in their discomforts refused al consolation and so dyed without comfort in great anguishe and perturbation of minde But that is not generall in all wicked and damned persons for many times they féele no discomfort nor heauinesse of spirite inwardly in this world but God of his
vnspeakable wisedome and iustice maketh them for their sinnes aliue and in securitie of conscience to goe to hell As Pharao whilest he followed the Israelites in persequution into the red sea soudenly was drewned Chore Dathan and Abiron whilest they were doing their sacrifices God killed them in opening the earth that swallowed them aliue downe into hell Nowe this inwarde discomfort although it eude not in ioye but onely in such as beléeue their sinnes to be forgiuen in the death and passion of Christ yet we sée by the examples of the scripture that both good and bad suffer and féele this that their spirite will take no comfort But nowe as concerning outward and externall discomfort which is felt as well of such as haue the word of God as such as haue not the word of God but only the lawe of nature As we may sée in the time of the lawe of nature how Noah shewed the discomfort of all men and the destruction of the world for sinne but this discomfort did not enter into the spirites of the hearers Christ complaineth of the same that the people had both discomfort and comfort preached vnto them and yet they receiued none of them both To whome saith Christ should I compare this generation It is like boyes that sit in the streates and cry vnto their fellowes and say We haue played vpon our tymbrels to you and you haue not daunsed we haue soung mourning songs vnto you and ye haue not wept God by his Prophete Esaie saith the same All the day long haue I extended foorth my hand vnto an vnfaithfull and intractable people Meaning that what so euer he threatened or gently offered vnto the Iewes it came no further then the outwarde eare Whereof both the Prophets and Christ him self gréeuously complaine in this sort They haue eares and heare not and they haue eyes and see not Saint Paule rebuketh men also that by the lawe of nature knewe good whereof they should haue reioyced and euill whereof they should haue lamented and yet did not And to leaue off the examples of our fathers mentioned in the scriptures we may sée the same by daily experience amongest our selues We reade in the booke of God we heare by preaching we knowe in our owne consciences the displeasure and anger of God against vs for our sinnes God outwardly sheweth vs the same with many horrible plagues as by sicknesse warre sedition scarsitie enimitie and hatred by the deliuerance and surrender of a whole realme to the vtter destruction thereof into the handes and rule of a straunger and by the deliuery and giuing ouer of Christian soules into the hands and rule of the Antichristian Pope and his wicked Cleargie and yet this discomfort commeth no further then our outward eare If Asaph the authour of this Psalme were amongest vs he would say His spirite would take no consolation And this is an horrible plague that wéekely this Psalme is read amongest the Popish Cleargie and yet it bringeth their spirites to no sorowe nor féeling of God displeasure Wherefore our owne experience teacheth that there is an inward and an outwarde discomfort in this Psalme and in the rest of Gods most holy word The one penitent sinners féele and by it amend their liues and the other some wicked men féele and yet despaire but of the most part of the world it is not felt at all Whereof commeth the contempt of God the loue of our selues and of the world and the losse of our sinfull soules in the world to come Let vs therefore marke the scripture that teacheth this discomfort and pray to God that as we sée it in the letter so we may féele it in the spirite Of the two maner of consolations it shall be saide in the next verse and of the brightnesse and darknesse also in the Psalme hereafter Nowe in the trouble of the spirite is an other thing to be considered whereof the text also maketh mention that is howe the discomfort of the spirite had continuaunce all the night Whereof is to be gathered the greatnesse of discomfort For as the night is a very image of death and the bed a very similitude of the sepulchre and graue euen so is the discomfort of the spirite in the night that will not suffer the body to take rest but to be vnquieted with it selfe The which vnquietnesse of the spirite is a very similitude and image of eternall discomfort in the world to come that both body and soule whiche were created first to inherite the heauenly blisse after the fall of Adam should rest by night as king Dauid saith and after this life for sinne vnforgiuen should for euer be disquieted in the vnquenchable fire of hell Here may we learne the circumstances and causes how the trouble of the Prophet Asaphes spirite was increased It was trouble ingendered by sinne the occasion onely of al mens miseries opened and reuealed vnto the conscience by the law condemned by iustice to eternall fire and it continued al night yea how much more the scripture declareth not In the which night the darknesse thereof represented vnto his eyes outwardly the horrour of hell prison and also his bed the graue and sepulchre wherein al flesh is clad after the spirite departeth The shéetes of mans flesh after this life be nothing but earth aboue and earth vnderneath as whilest it liueth it is clad with such vaine thinges as grow vpon the earth This whole night in discomfort of the spirit declareth two notable things First howe earnestly God is angrie in déede with sinne that putteth man to such long paine for it And the next howe gratious a God he is that will not yet suffer the discomforted spirite to despaire in his discomfort as it followeth meruellously in the next verse 3 When I am in heauinesse I wil thinke vpon God when my heart is vexed I will complaine Sela. Whilest Asaph was thus troubled in spirite he remembred the Lord and called vnto him for helpe First out of this verse it is to be considered that nothing can quiet the comfortlesse spirit but GOD alone But for as much as it séemeth by the partes of this Psalme that followeth that this verse came in by occasion rather then to shewe a full remedie for the Prophetes trouble I will not write what I thinke thereof but deferre the remedie against trouble to such other verses as follow bycause the Prophete saide before that his spirite could take no consolation and that a great many of troubles followe as the Psalme declareth It sheweth that he was not able to beare the troubles of the minde alone without the inuocation and helpe of God Wherefore before he expresseth by writing al his troubles he writeth also howe in the middest of them he did remember and put his trust in the Lord. Out of this we learne howe necessarie it is
same members to rise againe at the generall resurrection and they shall suffer with the wicked spirite eternall paines Let this doctrine therefore teach all men to knowe and féele the crueltie of sinne that so painefully vnquieteth doth body and soule and think that if these grudgings discomforts terrours and feares be so great that death it selfe is more tollerable and easie to beare howe much more intollerable and vnspeakeable be the paines of hell which God hath ordeined for all impenitent sinners After this verse of trouble and anguish whereas we sée sléepe taken from the eyes and speach from the tongue followeth next how these great sorrowes were mollified and somewhat diminished 5 I haue considered the dayes of old and the yeres that be past 6 In the night I called to remembrance my song and communed with mine owne heart and my spirite searched diligently I did sayth the Prophet in this great discomfort and heauinesse consider with my selfe the times and worlds of old wherein the Lord had holpen and deliuered my fathers before my time from such troubles as I am in and also from greater And in the night while I was sléeplesse I remembred that many times I lauded and exalted the goodnes of God in my Psalms and Hymns giuing him thanks for his great mercie and goodnes vsed towards his Church at all times and in remembring Gods accustomed clemencie and pitie my spirite was much giuen to debate thinges Out of these two verses we may note diuers doctrines for our consolation in the dayes of our trouble And the first after my minde shalbe concerning the two brightnesse and the two darkenesse in the word of God The one brightnesse is in the letter outwardly and the other brightnesse is in the spirite and heart of the reader of the Scripture This brightnesse or claritie of the letter is this when by reading hearing or thinking of Gods word men learne and knowe that God made all thinges and that he preserueth all thinges and that Iesus Christ his onely sonne is the mediatour betwéene God and man and that he pacified Gods iust ire against man by his bitter death and passion Also he knoweth by the externall histories of the Scripture that GOD hath deliuered many times his people from dangers and perils in maner impossible to be holpen This claritie and brightnesse of the Scripture although it be necessarie yet it is not sufficient for if standeth alone in bare and naked knowledge whiche before God saueth no neither illuminateth the man that hath the knowledge in a sufficient claritie and brightnesse of faith and of Gods promises due in Christ vnto faith As we may sée how the children of Israel had the external claritie and brightnesse of Gods promises vnto Abraham Isahac and Iacob that they and their posteritie should inherite y e lande of Canaan that flowed with all plentie and aboundance yet notwithstanding such as came out of Egypt for the most part perished in the desart wildernesse The Phariseis and learned men amongest the Iewes had the clearenesse and brightnesse of Christes comming of the place he should be borne in and told in that part the trueth vnto Herod yet did they for all this knowledge and claritie abhorre Christ when he came and put him to death most wrongfully The people in like sort saw an external brightnesse in Christ that by his miracles and wonders they thought him worthie to be made a king and yet for all this they cryed out against him Crucifige eum crucifige eum Crucifie him crucifie him The diuel himselfe said he knewe who Christ was the sonne of the most highest and yet for all this knowledge and clearenesse shall he neuer be saued And Christ himselfe also perceiued that this external brightnesse was amongest a great many that called him Lord Lord Yet notwithstanding he said they should not enter into the ioyes of heauen So likewise be there very many at this present time that sée the claritie and brightnesse of Christ outwardly in the letter and yet follow it not here in liuing neither shall they haue the effect of their knowledge in the life to come for their clearenesse is onely knowledge without féeling or practise of the brightnes inwardly which deserueth more stripes then obscuritie or darkenesse doth There is another claritie or brightnes which is an inward vnderstanding and spirituall knowledge and sight of Gods trueth which no man hath but he that is possessed with the spirite of God that whatsoeuer he readeth in Gods word himselfe or heareth preached of other men he vnderstandeth it and consenteth vnto it gladly and willingly As for example God spake vnto Adam and his wordes made him afeard so that he trembled for feare Christ spake vnto Paule and he fell downe flatt and could not abide the peril of Christes voyce So that as the lawe rebuked sinne in the voice and letter it wrought also rebuke and discomfort in the hearts of Adam and Paul and made them afraid inwardly as the voice and letter was terrible outwardly Wherefore they had not onely an externall clearenesse of Gods hatred against sinne but also an internall sight and féeling of the same as the Scripture doth record The like is also in the promises of God when they be preached or read that promise remission of sinne The inward claritie and brightnesse of the same is to féele priuately euery man and woman in his owne conscience through faith in Christ that the same promises doe apperteine and belong vnto himselfe As the Prophet Abacuc saith The iust man liueth by his owne faith Also Christ said vnto the woman of Canaan that it was not good to cast the bread that apperteined to the children vnto dogges she said Yes Lord for the dogges do eate of the crumbes that fall from their maisters table And so doth Christ himselfe vse the brightnesse of his promises to Marie Magdalene Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Applying the clearenesse of the letter vnto the inward comfort of her soule The same is likewise meruellously expressed in the common créede whereas euery man saith Hée beléeueth in God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost and that he beléeueth the remission of sinnes meaning that whosoeuer saith his créed should sée feele in his soule the claritie and brightnesse of his saluation that is conteined in the letter and wordes of the créede But this clearenesse is not séene of all men nor yet of the most part of men As Christ declareth Many be called and fewe chosen Many say Lord Lord and fewe doe the Lords will Therefore Christ saith meruellously concerning the claritie and brightnesse of Gods word inwardly in S. Luke Blessed be they that heare the word of God and keepe it By the which words he declareth that many heare and sée the outward light and trueth of Gods word but very fewe there
himselfe for euer This may be vnderstood two maner of wayes For this English word euer hath two meanings in the Hebrue tonge Sometime it is taken for continuance and time euerlasting sometime for certeine yeres and the life of men If it be taken in this place for time euerlasting the sorrowes of the Prophete were the greater when he reuelued with his spirite that God iustly for sinne might cast him into euerlasting paines the remembraunce whereof is greater paine then the mortall death of the bodie If this word euer be taken for a certeine time and the life of man then meaneth the Prophet thus Will God as long as I liue absent himselfe And thus continue me in heauines of spirite and sorrowes as long as I liue Which sense soeuer be taken there be profitable thinges to be learned of it But I suppose the latter sense to be the better for diuers causes First in this that the Psalme conteineth the complaint and prayer of the Prophet a man of God that cannot be brought to this desperation that he should be cast away for euer from the fauour of God vnto eternall paines And the text that saith It is mine owne infirmitie and the right hand of the Lord can chaunge this doth beare with this latter sense and explanation For the words be of great weight and of meruellous wisedome and consolation and do declare that although the Prophete felt the iudgement of God against sinne and was in a meruellous terror feare with the horror and sight of his sinns yet the spirite of God did testifie with his spirit that he was the child of God and that it was a paine and punishment of the soule and body and not a desperation and thorough casting away and absenting of Gods mercie For the very electes of God be chosen so ordeined so preserued and kept that nothing is able to take them out of Gods hand For the godly men in the Scripture did reioyce with the assurance of Gods certein promise and did not presume to do euill as S. Paule in sundrie places doth giue testimonie Once to the Romanes where as he felt and perceiued the filthines of sinne the iust iudgement of God against the same as it appeareth by his wofull crie and complaint Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from this body subiect vnto death He felt as we may perceiue the heauie burden and weight of Gods displeasure and yet in the midst of terror and feare he stayed assuredly in the mercie of God through Christ. And the same he writeth also to the Corinthians to his disciple Timothie that his death was at hand that he knew although his quarell were neuer so good that he of himselfe was a sinner and by sinne worthie reiection casting away from God yet he said that Christ had in kéeping for him a crowne of iustice whiche he should assuredly receiue at the day of his death God is contented that his chosen people shall suffer and beare the burden and heauinesse of temptation and feare of euerlasting paine as Adam did first in Paradise Dauid many times Iob and others yea Christ himselfe that said his soule was heauie euen vnto death which made him sweat both water and bloud But these temptations and terrors shall neuer ouercome and cast away the person that hath his faith in Christ for none is able to take his shéepe out of his hand Yet God withdraweth his hand many times and suffereth his to be tempted and to be comfortlesse and as it were cleane ouerthrowen not that in déede their election can be altered or they themselues left comfortlesse vntill the end of their liues but for a time as ye may sée by Iob who spake as horrible words and as desperatly as might be Yet sée in the end of his booke and marke what a ioyfull outgoing his gréeuous temptations had What pitifull cryes were these of Christ our Sauiour vppon the crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Yet the end was Father into thy handes I commend my spirite It is written that we must enter into heauen by many troubles Now of all troubles the trouble of the minde and of the spirite is the greatest Who then can enter into heauen without such troubles Doubtlesse no man For the iudgement of God must begin at his house as Saint Pater saith That is to say None shall in this life more féele Gods displeasure for sinne in the spirite nor suffer more aduersitie in the bodie then such as be of Gods owne houshold and very electes Wherefore we be admonished in the troubles and sorrowes that this Prophete Asaph susteined in his soule that could not rest and in his bodie that could not sléepe nor speake that good men be not frée from aduersitie and that aduersities be they neuer so great shall not separate men from God for euer but for a time he punisheth sinne and hideth the consolation of God from vs As the scripture saith For a time a little while I haue forsaken thee but I will gather thee together in wonderfull mercies In a short time of my wrath I hidd my face a while from thee but I will haue mercie vppon thee for euer saith the Lord thy redeemer All men that shall profitably knowe and féele the certeintie of Gods promises in this life and enioy them in the life to come shall be troubled with some paine of doubtfulnes of them before he come to perfection For as by sinne death entered into the flesh and also the flesh is subiect vnto sicknesse and aduersitie so is there entered into the soule and powers thereof by reason of sinne great imperfection As the minde of all men is burdened with ignorance the heart with contumacie and the will with frowardnesse so that as they be before regeneration and knowledge of God in all godly matters starke blind very obstinate and naturally altogether froward euen so after regeneration and the knowledge of God they continually resist and fight against the spirite not onely of man in whome these powers dwell but also against the spirite of God that teacheth and leadeth the spirite of man to eternall saluation So that it is not man that is able to ouercome the wickednesse of his owne soule And therefore séeing life through grace dwelt in a bodie naturally full of sinne Saint Paule said I doe liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee So this Prophete Asaphe séemeth in wordes to be starke dead from grace but it was not for euer for he felt the spirite of God that told him that such heauie and vngodly thoughtes of his spirit came of his owne infirmitie and that Gods right hand could alter and chaunge them And this is the difference betwéene the affliction of the godly and vngodly as it is
wonderfully sett foorth in the Psalme next before this sauing one where it is said There is a cuppe in the Lordes hand full of redd wine and hee powreth out of it but the wicked shall drinke the dregges thereof and the vngodly of the earth shall receiue the bottom of it The cuppe in the Scripture is taken many times for aduersitie whereof God filleth a quantitie and a certeine measure vnto all his electe and chosen seruauntes but the wicked shall drinke the bottome and all and neuer come to rest nor ease Out of this temptation we may learne how foolish and how impatient we be When God sendeth troubles we thinke such to be best at ease that want them whereas the Lords booke declareth that it is necessarie and also very expedient that we should haue them Againe there is to be noted how that the Prophet in the cogitations of his minde maketh no mention of the griefe of the bodie whereof he spake before at the beginning of his troubles For in the second and fourth verse he declareth how he held vp his handes all night cryed with his voyce vntill he was speachlesse and lay waking could not sléepe Of the which sorrowes now he maketh no rehearsall but saith his spirite was searching and inquisitiue Whether God would absent himselfe for euer with diuers like interrogatories of Gods nature as followe in the Psalme Whereof we learne the vilenesse of our owne nature and also the treason and subtiltie of the diuel For as long as we sinne we haue such delight and pleasure therin as though it were but a play to transgresse and breake Gods holy commaundementes But when sickenesse and trouble haue layed the wicked the bodie abedd and made it weake and féeble our conscience is waked by the Lawe of GOD and we put in such terrour and feare that nothing can quiet vs. Also as long as we doe sinne the diuel beareth vs in hande that God is so mercifull doe what we will that hée will not be angrie but when sicknesse or death inuadeth then turneth the diuel his tale and persuadeth with vs that GOD is onely extreme iust and nothing at all mercifull And this griefe of the minde is so sore and vehement that all the paines of the bodie séeme nothing in comparison thereof as we sée in this place by the holy Prophete Asaph that was very sore vnquieted in his bodie yet did his spirite make no accompt of it but still hée stayed and staggered trembling and quaking at the heauinesse and sorrowe of the spirite that could not féele for the time of his trouble any certeintie or cōsolation in the promises of God Of this we be admonished that whatsoeuer we haue if Gods fauour lacke we haue nothing able to reioyce vs. And of the other side if we lacke all thinges and haue assuredly Gods fauour there is nothing able to make vs heauie and sorowfull As we see king Saule hauing a noble kingdome and lacking the fauour of God was alwayes vnquieted Poore Dauid hauing the grace and fauour of God was quiet and contented with all thinges saying If God will he may restore mee if he will not his will be done The assurance of Gods promises made Paule glad to die and the mistrust desperation of Gods promises made Iudas wearie to liue The certeintie of Gods trueth made Saint Stéeuen quietly to die in the assurance of eternall life the vncerteintie and doubtfulnesse of Gods mercie caused Saule to die in the feare of eternall death Riches of this world be treasures muche estéemed and made of friendes and louers much sought for and warily kept and health of bodie highly regarded and preserued with much care yet if the soule be destitute of the assurance of Gods grace the rest séeme to be of no valure at all As we sée Saule in his kingdome with riches strength and friendship yet his minde vexed still an euill spirite and Gods spirite departed his sorrowes were incomparable So that we learne that not onely the goodes apperteyning to the body be nothing worthe whereas the spirite wanteth the grace of God but also whereas the spirite is troubled the goodes of the bodie be little felt and nothing passed of as we sée by this Prophet in this Psalme The other part of his cogitations in the time of his sicknesse was this Will hee be no more intreated This gréeuous temptation whether GOD would be intreated to forgiue sinne any more may haue two vnderstandings The one generally and the other particularly Generally in this sort whether God once offended will be mercifull and forgiue or not Particularly whether God whose nature is mercifull will forgiue the priuate man that séeketh by saith mercie as he hath in time past forgiuen al men that asked it with repentance in faith The first sense and taking of the text generally is meruellous wicked and blasphemous to thinke that God once offended with any man will neuer for giue againe Of this opinion was Caine when he said his sinnes were greater then they might be forgiuen and he thought God would be no more intreated because he iudged his fault greater then the mercie of God that forgiueth faultes And wheresoeuer this iudgement of the spirite is this sentence is verified God will be intreated no more And as euery man that is priuatly thus minded that his owne sinnes be greater then can be forgiuen euen so hath he the like minde and iudgement also of all other mens sinnes that be like vnto his thinking them to be greater then they may be forgiuen For he that despaireth of his owne faultes cannot thinke well that other mens faults as great as his owne be remissible As Iudas that hanged himselfe for betraying of Christe could not thinke well of Peter that denied Christ but rather iudged of Peter as he did of him selfe saying God will be intreated no more Of this wicked iudgment of Gods mercie Whether he will be intreated any more of a sinner after that he hath sinned I wil speake no more But they that lust to read how horrible a thing it is may haue many Psalmes that do declare it namely Psalme 10. and 73. In the one of them it is said by the wicked that God hath forgotten the earth and careth neither for the godly life of the godly and vertuous nor the vngodly life of the vngodly and wicked And in the other Psalme they make a doubt Whether there be any knowledge in God of man and of his life or not But these sortes of people be too horrible and blasphemous and not to be rehearsed or muche spoken of The other sense of this place that is more particular is the better sense for the argument and meaning of the Psalme that is to aske whether God will be intreated no more as touching the remission of his owne sinne or els whether God will be
occasion of this helpe is not mans merites but the right hand of God y t is to say Gods power inclined to saue man by mercy Of this doctrine be certeine things to be marked of euery reader hearer of this Psalme First in this verse is declared how man taketh consolation in time of his trouble which is y e 4. part of the Psalme in the same part the Psalme endeth He saith It was his infirmitie that made him to question demaund in his spirit so doubtfull things of God and of his promises Whereof we learne that consolation beginneth where sorrowe and heauinesse is first felt for the spirit can take no solace by Gods promises vntill suche time as it féeleth by Gods lawe how sinnefull it is for the transgression thereof Therfore Solomon saith The iust man is the first accuser of him selfe And so doth the Prophet Asaph in this place confesse that these cogitations and profound thoughts against God came of his owne infirmitie and sinne And the knowlege of a mans owne wickednesse from the bottome of the heart although it be a shame to speake or remember the vilenesse of sinne wherewith sinner hath most gréeuously transgressed Gods commaundementes yet is this knowledge and confession of our sinne and iniquitie very necessarie and is as it were an induction to the remission thereof as it is to be séene in this Prophet and in the Prophet Dauid For here is first confessed that all sinnes in him came of his owne infirmitie and all consolation against sinne came of Gods right hand And the Prophet Dauid sayth whē he was in like trouble for sinne I determined saith he to confesse against my selfe mine owne iniquitie and thou Lord forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne But here is to be noted in this that the confession of sinne is as it were an induction and beginning of consolation that confession of sinne is not the beginning of consolation except he that maketh the confession be assured in his heart of Gods promises in Christe that of mercy in Christes death his sinnes be forgiuen as ye may sée in these two Prophetes The one said It is mine infirmitie the worketh this doutfulnes in my soule And the other saide I determined to condemne my selfe of sinne Thus farre it is death and an increase of diffidence in Gods promises and an induction to desperation to féele sinne to bewayle sinne to speake of sinne and to remember sinne But whereas knowledge and confession hath a certeintie and assurance of Gods forgiuenesse annexed vnto it there is confession and knowledge of sinne partly a beginning of consolation against sinne I call it partly or as an occasion bycause first of all God by his word or by his punishments through the operation of the holy Ghoste openeth the soule of the sinner to sée and know his sinne also to tremble and quake at sinne rather then to hate and abhorre sinne And from these principles and originalls commeth the humble and lowly confession of sinne not to man but vnto God except it be such an open sinne done against man as man knoweth of that the sinne is committed against Then must the offender of man also reconcile him selfe to man that is offended according to the commaundement of God Therefore we must marke what confession and acknowledging of our owne infirmities is For euery confession is not acceptable before God nor the beginning of consolation as these examples declare Iudas saide openly in the face of the court where Christe our Sauiour was arraigned that he had offended in betraying innocent bloud but there followed no faith nor hope of forgiuenesse So that for lacke of faith in Christes bloud desperation and hanging of him selfe ensued his confession Whereby it is euident that confession of sinne without faith is nothing worth but a testimonie of a desperate mans damnation King Saule after long impulsion by the Prophet Samuel was brought to confesse that he had offended in preseruing aliue Agag king of y e Amalekites and the fattest of his cattell I haue offended sayth Saule for I haue broken and transgressed the commaundement of God But what followed Gods right hand can remedie my sinne as this Prophete Asaph saith or God hath forgiuen the iniquitie of my sinne as Dauid sayde er else God be merciful vnto me a sinner as the Publicane sayd No but this ensueth I Pray thee sayth Saule to Samuel beare thou my sinne In this mans confession of sin was not the beginning of consolation but of more sorrowes for his heauinesse from that day more and more increased with his sinnes vntill he was slaine And the cause thereof was this He would that Samuel being but a man should haue pardoned his sinne whereas none can doe it but God as it is notably to be séene in king Dauid For when he sayde he had offended the Lord Nathan the Prophete sayde And God hath taken away thy sinnes Wherein is declared that the minister can but pronounce to the sinner that God in Christe forgiueth sinne So that we sée Iudas confession of sinne was nothing worth bycause he found no fayth nor trust for the remission thereof and Saules confession was of no valure bicause he trusted and desired consolation at mans hand and not at Gods Yet in Saules confession was some thing good in that he confessed although it were long first and in manner wrested out of his mouth by the Prophete Samuel his fault to God and in that point he did as Dauid did who sayde I haue offended the Lord. And this is to be noted bycause nowe adayes men be taught to confesse their sinnes to the Saints departed that knowe not what the outward works of men be vpon the earth much lesse the inward sinfull cogitation of the heart So that in this part the Papists confession is worse then Saules and in the other part it is like For as Saule trusted to the merites of Samuel and would haue him to beare his sinne so do the people trust that the Priestes hand vpon their head the penaunce inioyned them by the Priestes shall be a cleane remission and full satisfaction for all their sinne but before God their sinnes be as much forgiuen them as Saules were that is to say nothing at all But wheras sinne is knowne and confessed from the very hart vnto God although it be a bitter thing and also a shamefull thing to féele and beare Gods displeasure for sin the burden wherof is very death and more gréeuous then death it selfe yet whereas confidence and trust in the mercy of God is annexed with it there followeth great consolation and comfort As it is to be séene in this Prophet that spake with a strong faith boldly The righthand of God cā chaunge these things So that the latter part of this verse hath
more comfort then the first part hath discomfort And it is a plaine doctrine that although y e sinnes of man be many horrible yet be they fewer and lesse in estimation many thousande foldes then Gods mercies Death is declared in the first part of the verse in this that mans infirmitie is not onely sinful in body soule but also doutful of Gods mercy holy promises Yet in the second part by grace is set foorth life and cleane deliuerance from the tyrannie of the diuel the seruitude of sinne the accusation of the lawe and the infirmitie of nature by the strong and mightie power of God whose mercy in Christ is alwayes ready to helpe poore afflicted and troubled sinners After this confession of sinne and the great confidence that the prophet had in God for his mightie power and mercies sake that was both able by power and redy with will to help and remedie this troubled spirite and great aduersities of the Prophet he goeth foorth in the consolation taketh yet more and more of Gods benefites vsed in times towardes such as were afflicted after this sort 11 I will remember the workes of the Lord and call to my minde thy wonders of olde time 12 I will thinke also of thy workes and my talking shall be of thy doings 13 Thy way ô God is holy who is so great a God as our God 14 Thou art the God that doth wonders and hast declared thy power amongest people 15 Thou hast mightily deliuered thy people euen the sonnes of Iacob and Ioseph Sela. 16 The waters saw thee ô God the waters saw thee and were afraid the deapthes also were troubled 17 The cloudes powred out water the ayre thundered and thine arrowes went abroad 18 The voyce of thy thunder was heard round about the lightenings shone vpon the gound the earth was moued and shooke withall 19 Thy way is in the sea and thy pathes in the great waters and thy footsteps are not knowne 20 Thou leadest thy people like shepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron Of these meanes howe men take consolation in aduersitie that the Prophet nowe maketh mention of first we learne what difference is betwéene the consideration of Gods works aduisedly by faith the consideration of Gods workes rashly without faith The which diuersitie is to be séen in this Prophet For the one part as touching the remembring of Gods workes out of faith and in faith he spake before in the second verse and in the fourth verse how that he considered the workes and old doings of the Lord when he was troubled But as ye haue heard because his spirite was in a doubtfulnesse and mamering vppon the certeintie of Gods doinges he felt no consolation thereof but much heauinesse and anguish of minde For those demaundes Will God absent himselfe for euer Will he be no more mercifull and such like heauie and doubtfull complaintes could neuer procéed but from a sorrowful and much troubled conscience But now after that Gods spirit hath wrought in his spirit this assurance and iudgment that God can in him chaunge the conditions of his miseries as ye may sée he maketh no more complaint of doubtfulnesse neither remembreth any more the fearefulnesse of his conscience but goeth foorth with repetition and rehearsall of all thinges comfortably how that God in time past holpe troubled spirites and afflicted personages that put their trust in him So that of this we learne that whosoeuer hath a sure faith in God taketh consolation of Gods word and workes And such as haue not first true faith in God cannot in the spirite receiue comfort of Gods word or workes Outwardly men may meruel at God and his worker but inwardly it easeth not the heauinesse nor yet quieteth the grudge of conscience Wherefore it behoueth vs all that we pray earnestly vnto GOD to giue vs faith to beléeue his word and workes when we heare read or sée them For the word and workes of God do nothing comfort the vnfaithfull as we may sée by the Scripture where God saith He stretched foorth his hand al day long to a people that beléeued not for such as haue eares heare not eyes sée not be rather the worse for Gods word workes then the better Ye shal sée where the spirite of Dauid was replenished with faith he was in assured and ascerteined of Gods present helpe that he said he would not feare although a thousand men inuironed and compassed him round about No he would not feare thoughe he should walk in the shadow of death At another time when faith quailed and waxed faint he was trembling in his spirite and fearefull in his bodie as we may sée when he felt his spirite waxe faint he said My soule is troubled very sore and my bones be weakened And in other of his Psalmes he sheweth that his soule was very heauie and comfortlesse and could take no consolation Also when the spirite is assured of Gods grace then the eyes cannot looke vppon any worke of God but the mind taketh by the contemplation and sight thereof vnspeakeable consolation As Dauid declareth in his Psalmes and saith He would sée the heauens the workes of Gods fingers and would marke how one day was an induction to an other and how the heauens praised the Lord. At an other time when the consolation and life of the spirit was ouer whelmed with troubles he could not sée at all with his eyes but cryed and complained that he was starke blinde And also in that meruellous Psalme in number 88. whereas prayer is made to be deliuered from the horrour and féeling of sinne the Prophet saith that his eyes waxed dimme and blinde The same is to be séene likewise in the crosses and afflictions that God sendeth As long as true faith and confidence remaineth in the heart all troubles be wellcome and thankfully taken as we read When Iob had newes that his goods and chidren were taken from him in manner soudeinly he most patiently said God gaue them and God hath taken them away as God would so it is done But when faith quailed and the spirite was troubled then followed these impatient wordes I would my sinne were layed in one balance and my paine in an other As though God had layed more vppon him then he had deserued When the spirit was quieted for all his pouertie and nakednesse he reioyced and was contented with his birth and comming into the world and also with the state in the world appointed vnto him by God saying Naked I came out of my mothers bellie and naked I shall depart hence againe But when faith fainted then came out these woordes The day the night and the time be cursed wherein I was borne With many more horrible wordes as the text declareth So that we sée whereas Gods spirite wanteth there is no learning nor consolation to be
the children of Israel is mentioned as it is in this Psalme The doctrine touching man in this verse is a declaration of mans obstinacie and stubbernesse The insensible creature the water that lacketh both life and reason at euery commandement be as the Lord their maker commaundeth them to be With euery tempest they be troubled and with euery calme so plaine and quiet that it séemeth rather a stablished land then a variable sea But let God send his word vnto man and the contentes thereof threaten the tempest of all tempestes eternall death hell fire and Gods euerlasting displeasure yet man will not heare nor sée them nor yet be moued any thing at all Or let God gently and fauourably offer his mercies vnto man and by his word exhort him neuer so much to repentance it is for the most part in vaine Therefore God by his Prophets Moses and Esaie called Heauen and Earth to witnesse against mans stubbernesse and hardnesse of heart There is also out of this trouble of the water this doctrine to be learned how to receiue consolation and how to learne feare by the creatures of God that beare no life and yet be thus troubled Consolation in this sort When the penitent man that suffereth affliction and trouble séeth vnsensible thinges moued and vnquieted that neuer offended he shal iudge the lesse wonder at his owne trouble When he séeth that a sinner and wretched offender of God is punished he shal learne feare When he séeth God doth punish his creatures that neuer offended for the sinne of man what punishment is man worthie to haue that is nothing but sinne it selfe And what feare should this bring into Christian mens consciences to knowe that no creature deserueth punishment no creature disobeyeth God but the diuel and man Oh what man or woman can with faith looke vpon the least flowers of the field and not hate himselfe In Summer time when men shall sée the medowes and gardens so meruellously apparelled with flowers of euery colour so that he shall not be able to discerne whether their beautie better please the eye or their swéete sauour the nose what may they learne in thinking of themselues as the trueth is that there is nothing in them but filth and sin that most heynously stincke before the face of God And when man shal perceiue that flowers vade and loose both beautie to the eye and swéete sauor to the nose that neuer transgressed what may miserable man thinke he is worthie to loose y t is nothing but sinne and euer offendeth Againe when man shal perceiue that God thus meruellously after long Winter and great stormes doth raise out of the vile earth so beautifull flowers plantes and trées what consolation may the man take that hath his faith in Christ to thinke that all his sinnes in his precious bloud be forgiuen and after long persequution cruel death he shall come to eternall life After this sort did the Prophet consider the workes of God the troubles of his creatures receiued great consolation therby In the end of this verse the Prophete sayth The deapthes were troubled In the which words he hath aptly shewed the mightie power of God and perceiueth how the record of Gods fact may be his consolation In this that he saith The deapths were troubled there be diuers vnderstandings If the meane of the seas when they are troublesome tempestuous by soule weather he speaketh rather after the iudgement of such as suffer the trouble and peril of the waues that thinke at one time they fall to the bottome of the sea at an other time they be rather vpon high mounteins then vpon the waters the rages thereof be so extreme yet in déede the bottome of the seas be not felt neither doth the shippe that is saued descend so farre but the tempestes be so sore that it séemeth to the sufferers thereof that no extremitie can be more In this sense it serueth meruellously the Prophetes purpose For as they that endure the tempestes of the sea thinke there could be no more extremitie then they susteine so doe they that suffer the tempest of mistrust and despaire for a time of the conscience thinke they could endure no more extremitie of conscience whereas in déede if God should suffer them to féele the extremitie it were eternall death as the extremitie of the sea in tempestes is shipwracke and losse of man and goods But if it be vnderstoode as if standeth in the letter then hath the Prophet relation to the mightie hand of GOD that brake the red sea euen vnto the very bottome and also the water of Iordane that his people might haue both a nighe way a safe way a glorious way towards the land that the Lorde had promised them And then in this sense we learne that although water and winde with all troubles else couer the face of the earth in the bottome of the sea and is not possible to come to the vse of man euen so the troublesome temptations and great terror of Gods wrath against sinne couereth the soule of man that vnto the iudgement of the flesh it shall neuer come to haue the vse and fruition of Gods holy fauour againe But nowe as we sée by miracle God maketh drie the deapthe of horrible seas and turneth the bottome of them to the vse of man so doeth he in the bloud of Christ by the operation of the holy ghost drie vp and cleane lade out the ponds and déep seas of mistrust heuines out of the soule and turneth the soule it selfe to the vse of his owne honour in the ioyes euerlasting And as the water couereth the beautie of the land so do sinne temptation couer the image and beautie of mans soule in this life But as with a worde God can remedie the one so with the least of his mercies he can redresse the other And for the better experience and more certeintie thereof we sée it proued by this prophete Asaph in this place For the ground was neuer more ouerwhelmed with water nor the bright Sunne with dimmie cloudes then was this poore Prophetes spirite with heauinesse and sorrowe of sinne and temptations Therefore he féeleth howe God easeth the heart and recordeth howe he banished floudes and waters to make his people a way to rest and tranquillitie 17 The clouds powred out water the aire thundered and thine arrowes went abroad The Prophete remembreth the meruellous invndation and drowning of the worlde in the dayes of Noah that drowned all the world for sinne sauing such as were in the Arke or Ship with Noah And he remembreth also the horrible thunder that was heard of the people when God gaue his lawe vnto them vpon mount Synai Likewise he calleth to remembrance the plagues of Egypt wherewithall God punished Pharao his people and the whole land which paines and plagues he
this hatred of Gods worde the foode of Gods shéepe they would be séene and none but they to loue and honour God but it is not so in their heartes for they haue a contempt of God as their fruites well declare And Christe saith They hate both him and his father yea and that without cause But thou Christian reader sée thou féede thy soule with no other meate then with the holesome pastures of Gods word what so euer the world shal say or doe Looke vppon this text of Saint Iohn When the comforter shall come whome I shall send from my father euen the spirit of trueth which doth proceede from the father he shall testifie and beare recorde of me Weigh that place and thinke wherefore the sonne of man referred him selfe to the witnesse of the holy Ghoste and ye shall knowe that it was for no vntruth that was in the authour being Christe or in the doctrine that he preached but only to make the disciples to be of good comfort and that they should not estéeme the Gospel he preached vnto them any thing the lesse although it had many aduersaries and enimies and was spoken against in maner euery where for against the furie and false iudgement of the world that cōtemned the Gospell they should haue the testimonie of the holy Ghoste to allowe and warrant the Gospell Let vs therfore pray to the heauenly shepheard that he will giue vs his holy spirit to testifie for the word of God the only foode of our soules that it is true that God saith and onely good that he appointeth to féede vs. And this we may be assured of that in this heauie and sorrowfull time there is nothing can testifie for the truth of Gods word and kéepe vs in the pleasant pasture thereof but the very spirite of God whiche we must set against all the tumults and daungers of the world For if we make this veritie of GOD subiect to the iudgement of the world our faith shall quaile and faint euery houre as mens iudgements varie Wherefore let vs pray to haue alwayes in vs the spirite of adoption whereby when our faith shall be assaulted we may cry Father father and the same helpe for the maintenaunce of trueth God promised by his holy Prophete Esaie saying This is my couenant with them saith the Lord my spirit which is in thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouthe nor from the mouth of thy seede nor from the mouth of the seede of thy seede from hencefoorth vntill the world end Here doth the almightie God set foorth what a treasure and singular gift his worde is and that it shall not depart from his people vntill the worldes end And in these wordes is this parte of Dauids Psalme meruellously opened and set foorth It is the Lorde alone that feedeth and instructeth saith Esaie the Prophet It was not mans owne imagination and intention nor the wisedome and religion of his fathers what so euer they were but it was the Lord that spake and made the couenant with man and put his spirite in man to vnderstande the couenaunt and by his worde and none other worde he instructed man and saide that by this meanes all men should till the worldes ende féede and eate of Gods blessed promises For in his word he hath expressed and opened to euery man what he shal haue euen the remission of sinne the acceptation into his fatherly fauour grace to liue well in this life and at the end to be receiued into the euerlasting life Of these things the reader may knowe what mainteineth life euen the word of God as Christe saith If ye abide in me and my words abide in you aske what ye will and ye shall haue it He shall learne also that it is not Generall counsell Prouinciall counsell the determination and agréement of men that can be the authour of this foode but only God And as God is the only authour of this foode euen so is his holy spirite he that féedeth the poore simple soule of the Christian man with his blessed pasture and not the wisedome of man mens sacrifices or mens doings But as touching the foode of mans soule to be the only word of God I will if it be Gods blessed pleasure to whom in the bitter and painefull passion of Christe I commit my will with my life and death open vnto the shéepe and lambes of God at large in an other booke ¶ The third part of the Psalme Howe man is brought to the knowledge of life and saluation which part sheweth what man is of him selfe and howe he is brought into this life and to feede in the pleasant pastures of Gods worde THE THIRD VERSE He shall conuert my soule and bring me into the pathes of righteousnesse for his names sake MY soule erred and went astray from the right way of godly liuing but the Lord conuerted me from mine errors faultes of liuing and brought me to the obseruation of his holy lawes wherein is conteined all iustice trueth and godlinesse Here is to be noted what degrées and orders the Lord and heauenly shepheard doth vse in bringing his shéepe vnto the pasture of life First he conuerteth the man that is gone astray by his wicked wayes and sinnefull maner of liuing If he were an Infidel he bringeth him first to knowe féele and hate his infidelitie and afterwardes to a true faith If he be a persecuter he sheweth him first his tyrannie and afterward how to vse him selfe méekely If he be a sinful man that liueth cōtrarie to his knowledge profession he bringeth him first to the knowledge and hatred of his sinne and afterwards to the forgiuenes of the same As Christ our sauiour wonderfully teacheth in Saint Iohn where he saith The holy Ghost when he commeth shall rebuke the world of sinne iustice and iudgement By the which wordes he declareth that the faithfull of God can not profite in the Gospell of Christ neither loue nor exercise iustice and vertue except they be taught and made to féele the burthen and daunger of sinne and be brought to humble them selues as men that be of them selues nothing but sinne And therefore the lawe and threatenings of God be verie wholesome whose nature and propertie is to cite and call mens conscience vnto the iudgment of God and to wound the spirite of man with terrour and feare Wherefore Christe vseth a wonderfull way and teacheth the same vnto his Apostles that neither him selfe for that present time nor they in time to come could preach profitably the Gospell wherewith men are led into the swéete and pleasant fieldes of Gods promises by his word except they vse this order to leade them from sinne to iustice and from death to life And as iustice and life commeth by Christe shewed vnto vs in his bitter passion death and glorious resurrection