witnesseth Psalme 39.6 How can he then that begs his bread but for a day promise to spend his breath in magnifying the Lord for euer Answere is made that the Prophet will not only commend the mercies of the Lord in word but also commit them vnto writing h Eobanus Hessus Vt sciat haec aetas posteritasque legat As the tongue of the Prophet is termed i Psal 45.2 elsewhere the penne of a ready writer so the writing of the Prophet is heere termed his mouth as Euthymius vpon the place Liber Psalmorum * Acts 4.25 os Dauid k Wilcox Hee doth intend to note the mercies of God and to set foorth his truth in a book the which he will leaue behind him as an instrumēt to conuey the same from generation to generation from the generation of l Euthym. Incognit Turrecremat Iewes to the generation of Christians m Hierome Or from the old Testament to the new for the blessed Apostles in their Sermons vsually cite sentences out of the Psalmes S. n 2. Pet. 4.6 Peter telleth vs that the Gospell was preached vnto the dead so may we say that the Gospel is preached by the dead For the most ancient Fathers and other iudicious authors which haue spēt their daies in writing learned expositions godly meditatiōs vpō the holy scriptures although they be dead sleep in the bed of their graue yet they sing alway the mercies of the Lord and shew the truth of his word from one generation vnto another It is reported in our o Malmesbur de gestis Reg. Anglorum lib. 2. cap. 6. Chronicles of Athelstan Parum aetati vixit multum gloriae So many zealous and industrious Doctors haue liued in respect of their age but a little yet in respect of their acts a great while shining still in their works and writings as lights of the world Or the Prophet may be said to sing euer intentionally though not actually p Io. de Combis comp Theolog. lib. 7. cap. 21. For as the wicked if he could liue alway would sinne alway so the good man if God should suffer him alway to breathe on earth would sing alway the mercies of the Lord. Hee will in q 1. Thessal 5.18 all things giue thankes vnto God r Psal 92.2 early telling of his louing kindnes in the morning and of his truth in the night season In the morning ſ Dr. Incognit Turrecremat Glossa that is in a prosperous estate when as the Sunne shineth vpon him he will acknowledge that euery good gift in him is from aboue comming downe from the Father of lights and Father of mercies And in the darke night of aduersitie hee telleth of Gods iustice confessing ingenuously t Luke 23.41 We receiue things worthie of that we haue done Hee giueth thankes vnto the Lord in both in the one highly magnifying Gods fauour in the other humbly vilifying his owne fault u Placidus Jncognitus Or because God hath inspired into man not only the breath of x Gen. 2.17 this present life but of y Iohn 3.16 Apoc. 2.10 that also which is to come the Saints are said to continue their song of Gods praise in the kingdome of glorie which here they begin in the kingdome of grace For so the Spirit Apoc. 19.1 I heard a great voyce of a great multitude in heauen singing Halleluiah saluation and glorie and honour and peace be to the Lord our God It is obiected if the Saints in heauen alway sing the mercies of the Lord then they remember their miseries on earth and if they remember their sinne and sorrow here how can they be perfitly blessed there for the Lord saith z Esay 65.17 I will create new heauens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde a Gregor moral lib. 4. cap 42. Answere is made that as men in perfit health often remember their terrible fits of their former sicknesse with exceeding ioy yea the more they call into mind their danger past the greater is their delight present euen so the Saints in the kingdome of glorie remember happily their misdeeds and mishaps in this valley of teares but it is without any pollution of sinne or touch of sorrow So b Vbi sup Idem Augustin lib. 22 de Ciuit. dei cap. vlt. Gregorie the Great Erit in illa beatitudine culpae memoria non quae mentem polluat sed qua nos arctius laetitiae astringat vt dum doloris sui animus sine dolore reminiscitur debitorem se medico veriùs intelligat eò magis acceptam salutem diligat quò molestiae meminit quam euasit c August apud Io. de Combis comp Theolog. lib. 7. cap. vlt. Heauenly happinesse consisteth in two things in the necessarie possessing of euery thing which is good and in the necessarie remouing of euery thing which is euill Miserie then is not remembred of the Saints as a matter of griefe but as a motiue to ioy because they bee now d Rom. 7.24 deliuered from this bodie of death and enioy the Crowne of euerlasting life where God is to them e 1. Cor. 15.28 all in all a glasse to their sight hony to their taste musicke to their hearing Balsome to their smelling where f 1. Kings 3.12 Salomons wisedome seemes follie g 2. Sam. 2.18 Ahasels agilitie slownesse Samsons strength weaknes h 2. Sam. 14.25 Absoloms comelines deformitie Caesars empire beggerie Methusalems long life shortnes of daies or a speedie death Thus I haue shewed how the Prophet may be said to sing alwaies the mercies of the Lord in this life vnto the worlds end in the next for euer and euer world without end As for al meanes he praises the Lord with his mouth and all that is without him as also with his minde and al that is within him His i Psal 45.1 heart indites a good matter and his tongue is the penne of a ready writer All his members are for the seruice of his Maker as S. k In loc Augustine glosseth our text Obsequantur membra inquit mea domino meo loquor sed tua loquor annunciabo veritatem tuam in ore meo Si non obsequor seruus non sum si à me loquor mendax sum Ergo vt abs to dicam ego dicam duo quaedam sunt vnum tuum vnum meum veritas tua os meum Now let vs according to this copie draw the lines of our liues vsing all meanes to set foorth the louing kindnesse and truth of the Lord. l Psal 105.1 O give thankes vnto the Lord and call vpon his name tell the people what things he hath done O let your songs be of him and praise him and let your talking bee of his wondrous workes O my soule praise the Lord and all that is within me praise his holie name praise the
all power in heauen m Dr. Incognit as hauing the godly subiect to him out of their deuotion and all power on earth as hauing the wicked made subiect to his foot-stoole will they nill they For there is a n Euthym. Placid parmen in loc idem Aquin. in Philip 2. lect 3. twofold subiection one voluntarie another extorted All glorious Angels all blessed spirits all good men of their owne accord yeeld obedience to Iesus fully cheerfully but the wicked men on earth and the damned fiends in hell in despite of their teeth are blockes at his foot-stoole o August in loc Quaere ergo quem locum habeas sub pedibus domini dei tui nam necesse est vt habeas aut gratiae aut poenae for as euery knee should bow so euery knee shall bow saith p Esay 45.23 Esay that knee that will not out of faith shall out of feare so Dauid here the Lord said vnto my Lord sit at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole Vntill This word q Gregor moral lib. 8. cap. 40. Chrysost Incognit Agellius in loc notes here not a piece of time but a perpetuitie For Christ after all his enemies are made his foot-stoole shall euer sit at the right hand of God his throne is for euer and euer Heb. 1.8 And power is vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne for euermore Apocal 5.13 So donec is vsed Deut. 7.23 The Lord thy God shall destroy them with a mighty destruction vntill they be brought to nought heereby meaning that they shall vtterly bee consumed because they cannot any more resist after once they be brought to nothing And Psalm 112. vers 8. The good mans heart is established and will not shrinke vntill he see his desire vpon his enemies If his heart were not afraid for any euill tidings when his enemies stood vp against him how shall hee shrinke when he sees their neckes giuen vnto him And Matth. 1.25 hee knew her not vntill shee had brought foorth her first borne sonne c. Vntill in that place doth not import as the r Hierom. Chrysost Theophylact. Euthym. Doctors haue well obserued against Heluidius that Ioseph afterward carnally knew Mary for she was a perpetuall virgin as well after as before the birth of her sonne Iesus See 2. Sam. 6.23 Mat. 5.18 and 28.20 It is obiected against this interpretation out of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 15.24 that Christ after he hath put downe all things vnder his feet shall in fine deliuer vp the kingdome to God Answere is made by Chrysostome vpon our text out of Ioh. 16.15 Al things that the Father hath are mine And. Ioh. 17.10 All mine are thine and thine are mine Å¿ Marlorat in 1. Cor. 15.24 As then God the Father was not without his kingdome when as God the Sonne said t Mat. 11.27 Iohn 3.35 all things are giuen vnto me of my Father no more shall God the Son be de-thrond when he shall deliuer vp his kingdome to his Father u See Luther Anselm Lombard in 1. Cor. 15.24 Hee now raignes in secret but when all his enemies once shall be made his foot-stoole then he shall openly rule much more sitting at his Fathers right hand for euermore I make Christ is x Philip. 3.21 able to subdue all things vnto himselfe and according to his power hee shall also put all things vnder his feet 1. Cor 15.27 How then is it true that God the Father saith vntill I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole Answere is made that y Ioh. 5.19 whatsoeuer things the Father doth the same things also doth the Sonne z Euthym. for this action is common to the Sonne with the Father I say common to the Son a Bellarmin in loc in respect of his eternal generation as God and in respect of the hypostaticall vnion as man Yet this worke is ascribed especially to the Father as being a worke of might according to that orthodoxall axiome Works of power are ascribed to the father of wisdome to the Sonne of loue to the holy Ghost Thine enemies b Tileman Heere note that the Church is not a kingdome liuing alwaies in pompe and peace but as c Cant. 6.3 Salomon speakes as an armie with banners exposed to great danger as being opposed by cruel and cunning enemies If any man will take the Churches portraiture let him saith d Loc. Com. tit de persecut verae Eccles Luther paint a seely poore maid sitting in a forlorne wood or wildernesse compassed about on euery side with hungry Lions Woolues Boares Beares in one word with al hateful hurtfull beasts and in the mid'st of a great many furious men assaulting her euery minute as they did here Christ with e Mat. 26.47 swords staues and that which is more terrible threatening fire and water fire to consume her flesh and bones into ashes water to consume her ashes into nothing if it were possible To speake more distinctly Christ and his Church haue f Tileman two sorts of enemies secular and spirituall Secular as idolatrous Gentiles blasphemous Turkes and other barbarous Infidels out of the Church as also violent Tyrants virulent Hereticks fraudulent Antichrists in the bosome of the Church For as g Vbi sup Luther notes out of Augustine the Church hath had a threefold oppression The first violent by persecuting Emperours the second fraudulent by subtill heretickes the third both violent and fraudulent by pestilent Anti-christs in the kingdome of Poperie where the temporall power and spirituall are ioyned together against all that is called God Now Christ is a ruler in the middest of all these h Psal 99.1 the Lord is King be the people neuer so impatient hee sits betweene the Cherubims be the earth neuer so vnquiet Howsoeuer the i Psalm 2. Gentiles furiously rage together and vngodly Princes take counsell together against his annointed he that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne hee shall haue them in derision hee shall bruise them with a rod of iron and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell Albeit k Apoc. 7.1 foure wicked Angels stand on the foure corners of the earth holding the foure winds that the wind should not blow on the earth neither on the sea neither on any tree yet l See epist on Al-Saints day Christ hauing the seale of the liuing God cries with a loud voice to the foure angels to whom power was giuen to hurt the earth and the sea Hurt ye not the earth neither the sea neither the trees vntill we haue sealed the seruants of our God in their foreheads He sits at Gods right hand till his enemies are made his foot-stoole m Vatablus in loc that is vntill he say to tyrants and Hypocrites and Heretickes and Anti-christs and to the whole rabble of the reprobate depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell
to depend vpon the multitude for their number because the people mutinously rage together and imagine vaine things in their conuenticles nor vpon the mightie for their countenance because many Kings of the earth stand vp and Rulers take counsell together against the Lord and his Christ 2. We may know from hence c Bucer whether wee are the Lords annointed or no. The d John 15.19 world loueth his owne if then it hate Christ in vs it is an infallible signe that we are good e 2. Tim. 2.3 souldiers of the Lord and not seruants of the world f Bradford apud Fox Mart. fol. 1490. The way to heauen is to saile by hell if you will embrace Christ in his robes you must not thinke scorne of him in his ragges if you will sit at his table in his kingdome you must first abide with him in his tentations if you will drinke of his cup of glorie forsake not his cup of ignominie Can the head corner stone be reiected and the other more base stones in Gods building be set by You are one of Gods liuely stones and therefore be content to be hewen and snagged that you may be made more meete to be ioyned to your fellowes suffering the snatches of Satan and wounds of the world 3. From hence wee may be well assured that the sincere profession of the Gospell in reformed Churches is the most incorrupt and pure religion as being most opposite to the children of this world The Masse said holy g In a letter to his mother Bradford doth not bite them or make thē to blush as preaching And therefore the h Apoc. 17.2 Kings of the earth are drunken with the wine of the Babylonish whore's abominable fornication In i Relation of religion §. 13. Rome the humour of euery worldling is fitted and each appetite may finde what to feede on The mother of whoredomes is content to tolerate Iewes and other vngodly wretches of diuers and aduerse faiths in her Countrey but shee will not endure Lutherans All things are lawfull in great Babylon excepting this only to professe the Gospell after the manner of Protestants It is reported by reuerend k Martyr fol. 860. Fox that certain Lawyers and Aduocates in Prouince maintained openly that in a case of Lutheranisme the Iudges are not bound to obserue either right or reason order or ordinance for they cannot erre whatsoeuer iudgement they doe giue so that it tend to the ruine and extirpation of such as are suspected Lutherans Hitherto concerning the wickednesse of such as oppose themselues against the Lord and his annointed I am now to speake of their weakenesse implied in the word Why l Steuchus Genebrard for by this interrogation he doth admire their follie non enim tam interrogantis quà m deridentis as a learned m Agellius expositor vpon the place n Chrysost Placidus If they be derided as vnwise who shoote arrowes at the Sunne and barke at the Moone what errant fooles are they who fight against God dwelling in the heauen of heauens aboue Sunne and Moone o Acts 4.24 who made the heauen and earth and Sea and all things that are therein Alas all flesh is as the p Esay 40 7. grasse that withereth and God is a q Heb. 12.29 consuming fire readie to burne this stubble r Psal 144.4 Man is like a thing of nought but God is almightie measuring the waters in his fist and meating heauē with his spanne and weighing the mountaines in skales and the hils in a ballance Esay 40.12 Man is in the hāds of God his maker as the clay in the hands of the potter Ierem. 18.6 Now shall the thing formed saith ſ Rom. 11.20 S. Paul dispute with him who formed it or man imagine so vaine a thing as to stand vp and take counsell against his Creatour So that the Prophet here speakes as the t Virgil. Aenead lib. 10. Poet Quò moriture ruis maioraque viribus audes Quid tantum insano iuuat indulgere labori Or as u Epod. 7. Horace begins an Epod Quò quò scelestiruitis aut cur dexteris aptantur enses conditi He that dwelleth in heauen shall laugh them to scorne Note here the great oddes and difference between God and his enemies 1. He dwelleth in heauen x Caluin but his greatest opposites are Kings vpon earth vnsetled y 1. Pet. 2.11 pilgrimes in z 2. Cor. 5.1 earthly tabernacles and houses of a Iob. 4.19 clay 2. Whereas b Psal 39.7 man disquieteth himselfe in vaine raging running standing vp against the Lord and his annointed almightie God is said heere to sit in heauen at c Bucer rest and ease 3. Whereas men imagine vainly to breake his bonds and cast away his cords God in a moment is able to bruse them with a rod of iron and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell Albeit they fret and fume neuer so much he shall laugh them to scorne and haue them in derision As it is said of the monster d Job 41.18 Leuiathan He esteemeth iron as straw and brasse as rotten wood the archer cannot make him flee the stones of the sling are turned to stubble before him and hee laugheth at the shaking of the speare Now these things are said grossely for our capacitie because the Lord in deede can neither laugh nor crie yet the Scripture speaking after the manner of men affirmes plainly that God is grieued at our faults and that hee laugheth at our follies non secundum affectum as the Schoole distinguisheth aptly sed secundum effectum in that he carrieth himselfe toward his enemies as one that hath them in derision And this he doth in e Caluin two respects especially 1. For that he can at any time when he will as it were sportingly pull downe such as stand vp against him hee doth easily descrie their follie suppresse their furie 2. For that he suffereth his enemies in their rebelling and reuelling against his annointed only to play with his baite he hath as he told f 2. King 19.28 Esay 17.29 Senachorib an hooke in their nostrils and a bridle in their mouthes he can and he will at his good pleasure bring them back againe the same way they came g Psal 121.4 He that keepeth Israel howsoeuer hee seeme for a while to neglect his Church and kingdome of his Sonne shall neither slumber nor sleepe He will in his due time speake with al such as combine themselues against his annointed he will talke with them indeede h Bellarmine non verbis sed verberibus as it is in the text hee shall speake to them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure he shall bruse them with a rod of iron and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell and so shall hee make them a scorne to men and Angels hee derides them in that he sheweth
95.3 great King aboue all gods Who then is like to the Lord our God either among the clods on earth or cloudes in heauen h Esay 40.12 He measures the waters in his fist and meateth out heauen with his spanne and comprehends the dust of the earth in a measure The which i In loc Esai See Bellarm. de ascensione mentis in deum per scal creat Grad 2. cap. 1. Hierome out of Aquila doth interpret after this sort Hee measures the waters with his little finger the earth greater then the waters with three fingers the heauen greater then both with his hand and spanne He filleth all things and nothing is able to comprehend him according to that of k 2. Chron. 6.18 Salomon Heauens and heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee Nay the whole world in respect of his greatnes is but as a drop of the morning dew Wisdom 11.19 This may teach vs in whatsoeuer estate to l Luke 21.19 possesse our soules in patience to be m Ephes 6.10 strong in the Lord and in the power of his might albeit our enemies come about vs like n Psal 118.12 Bees hee which is higher then the highest and greater then all men and all Diuels is our protector stonie rocke tower of defence buckler saluation refuge Psal 18.1 And as God is most able to help vs in trouble so likewise most apt readie for as it followeth in the next clause though hee dwell on high yet hee doth humble himselfe to behold the things that are in heauen and earth o Apud Ambros de officijs lib. 1. cap. 13. Some Philosophers thought it too great a labour for God to gouerne the whole world and other on the contrarie too base But p Ambros in Hexam lib. 5. cap. 2. Diuines answere both of them in one word Deus neque laborat in maximis neque fastidit in minimis Indeed the Poet said Non vacat exiguis rebus adesse loui but the q Matth. 10.30 Scripture telleth vs otherwise that the very haires of our head are numbred and that not so much as a sparrow which is sold for a farthing can fall on the ground without our heauenly Fathers prouidence Disponit membra culicis pulicis as Augustine in Psal 148. For besides his r Caluin Instit lib. 1. cap. 16. Vide Thom. 1. part quaest 22. art 2. Caietan ibid. generall prouidence which is seene in the gouernment of the whole vniuerse he hath a particular also moderating euery singular action and accident He dwelling on high beholdeth vs as Emmots vpō the mole-hils of this earth in him we liue and moue and haue our being He supporteth all things by his mighty word Heb. 1.3 he reacheth from one end to another and ordereth all things sweetly Wisdom 8.1 We reade Mat. 9. that there was a woman diseased with an issue of blood twelue yeeres and Ioh. 5. that a certaine man had been sicke eight and thirtie yeeres and Ioh. the 9. that one was blind from his birth All which happened not by humane chance but by diuine choice that ſ John 9.3 the works of God might be shewed on them t Lipsius de Constant lib. 1. cap. 14. Omnia non permissa solùm à Deo sed etiam immissa The Lord doth not onely suffer and see what is done here below but also disposeth of euery particular euent to the glorie of his name and good of his children He beheld Dauid in his trouble Daniel in his dungeon Peter in his prison and ordered their short affliction to their endlesse consolation And this may comfort vs in all our wants and wrongs He that dwelleth on high humbleth himselfe to behold the things below u Psal 121.4 he that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleepes I x Esay 49.16 haue grauen thee saith the Lord vpon the palmes of my hands and thy walles are euer in my sight He heares the very * Psal 38.9 Iudges 2.18 groanes of his seruants in their closets and y Psal 41.3 makes all their beds in sicknes as S. z Confession lib. 3. cap. 11. Aug. sweetly he cares for all his childrē as if all were but one and for euery particular Christian as if one were all a See Mollerus Strigel in loc Some Diuines apply this vnto Christ Hee which is b Rom. 10.12 Lord ouer all is high aboue al heathen all lands are his inheritance all people his possession Psal 2.8 He triumphed ouer death and hell in his resurrection and his glorie shined aboue the heauens in his ascension A c Acts 1.9 cloude tooke him vp out of this world and hee did ascend farre aboue all heauens Ephes 4.10 Here then obserue the reason why the Church allotted this Hymne for this day because Christ in his d Rom. 1.4 resurrection from the dead is declared mightily to bee the Sonne of God high aboue all heathens and heauens That which is heere said hee humbled himselfe to behold the things that are in heauen and earth is all one with that Esay 61.1 and Luk. 4.18 The spirit of the Lord hath annointed me to preach good tydings vnto the poore to binde vp the broken hearted and to comfort such as mourne in Sion e Marlorat in Luc. 1. See Magnificant epist 3. Sund. after Trinit Almightie God can not looke aboue himselfe as hauing no superiours nor about himselfe as hauing no equals he beholds such as are below him And therfore the lower a man is the neerer vnto God hee resists the proud and giues grace to the humble 1. Pet. 5.5 he puls downe the mightie from their seate and exalteth them of low degree the most high hath a speciall eye to such as are most humble For as it followeth in our text he taketh vp the simple out of the dust and lifteth the poore out of the durt The Poet said Haud facile emergunt quorum virtutibus obstat res angusta domi that it is an hard thing for a man of low birth and small means to be preferred vnto high places of honour But our Prophet here to demonstrate Gods admirable power and prouidence sheweth how the Lord raiseth the poore man out of the mire that he may set him with the Princes euen with the Princes of his people f Aelian hist lib. 2. Darius was borne of a seruant Archelaus King of Macedonia base begotten Antigonus Themistocles Phocion Epaminondas and other noble worthies issued from ignoble parents g Knolles Turk hist pag. 4. Tangrolipix of an ordinarie Captaine became Sultan of Persia and first erector of the high and huge Turkish Empire Tamberlaine as h Apud Knolles in the life of Baiazet 1. fol. 212. some thinke the sonne of a Sheepheard was in his time the scourge of the great Turke treading vnder his foote insolent Baiazet the first of his violent and fierce nature surnamed
true heaven and earth shall perish and wax old as doth a garment and as a vesture thou shalt fold them vp and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy yeeres shall not faile Psal 102.27 Heb. 1.12 Thou sweet Iesus art a Priest for euer and a Prince for euer And surely God would haue Dauids earthly kingdom to determine in Iehoiachim and Zedechia that his people might g Hoc admonet vox intellectus in titulo posita Bellar. argum huius Psalmi vnderstand the holy couenant made with Dauid of Christ and that they might pray Lord where are thy old louing kindnesses which thou swarest vnto Dauid in thy truth See S. August de ciuit dei lib. 17. cap. 9.10.11.12.13 Now the Prophet in processe of his hymne describes the natures and vertues of Christ as well inherent in his owne person as infused into his people His Humane nature because the seed of Dauid a perfect man in soule and body against h Bellarmin de Christo lib. 2. cap. 2. Eutycheans i Epiphan haeres 77. Apollinarists k August haeres 11. Valentinians l Alphons de haeres lib. 4. fol. 70. Nestorians m Idem ibid. fol. 73. Monothelites c. His Diuine nature First for that the Church inuocates him as God vers 5. O Lord the very heauens shall praise thy wondrous works and thy truth in the congregation of the Saints By heauen is meant the n Euthym. Tileman Church and the o Augustin Hierom. Preachers of Christ in the Church Secondly Ethan proues Christ to be God by comparison in the 6.7.8.9 verses Who is he among the cloudes that shall bee compared vnto the Lord or what is hee among the gods that shall be like vnto him as if he should say there is neither Monarch on earth nor Angel in heauen his peere Thirdly from the preseruation of all things v. 10.11 Thou rulest the raging of the sea thou rulest the waues thereof when they arise c. Fourthly for that he created the world ver 12.13.14 The heauens are thine the earth also is thine thou hast laid the foundation of the round world c. Hauing thus expressed his natures and shewed him to be p Alphons de haeresibus lib. 1. fol. 25. verus homo verusque Deus tamen vnus vterque He begins in the 15. verse to sing of his vertues as well in his owne person as people For himselfe righteousnes and equity is the habitation of thy seat mercy and truth shall goe before thy face For his people blessed are they that can reioyce in thee they shall walke in the light of thy countenance their delight shall be daily in thy name c. These things affoord manifold instructions according to the prefixed title a Psalme for instruction of Ethan the Ezrarite But the point aimed at most is vndoubtedly q Vatablus Caluin that in all our tentations and tempests of conscience we should flie to the sure mercies and holy promises of God in Christ If once we stay our soules on this anchor hold wee shall escape shipw-rack of faith Ethan who was either penner or singer of this hymne is by r Augustin interpretation robustus one which is strong now no man is strong in this world but hee who relieth vpon the sure promises of God The consideration of our owne merits is able to make vs faint and feeble but our trust in the Lords euerlasting mercies maketh vs like mount Sion which cannot bee remoued but abideth fast firme for euer Psal 125.1 And therefore ſ Galat. de arcan lib. 6. cap. 12. some Diuines haue construed this Scripture by that Ierem. 9.23 Thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdome nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstands and knowes me to bee the Lord which shew mercy iudgement and righteousnesse And as the Fathers vnder and before the law comforted themselues in all afflictions and misery with the consideration of Christs first comming so let vs in the middest of our tentations and troubles bee stedfast and immoueable because we look for his second comming He deferred his first comming a great while yet in the t Galat. 4.4 fulnes of time he dealt with his seruants u Luke 2.29 according to his word So the Saints expecting his second comming crie with a loud voyce x Apocal. 6.10 How long Lord holy and true doest not thou iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on earth And mockers in the last daies also say y 2. Pet. 3.4 Where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers died all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation And yet the Lord saith Saint Peter is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slacknes but is patient toward vs and would haue all men come to repentance z Heb. 10.37 Yet a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie Behold saith he who neuer vttered vntruth a Apoc. 22.12 I come shortly and my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his workes are The life present is so full of diseases and disasters that our happinesse is b Coloss 3.4 hid with Christ in God but whē he which is our life shall appeare then we shall also appeare with him in glorie for hee shall c Philip. 3.21 change our vile body that it may be like his glorious body d Martialis ad Burdegal epist. 8 Non euacuabitur veritas corporis sed non erit pondus fragilitas corruptionis Wherefore let vs alway be rich in the work of the Lord for as much as wee know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord 1. Cor. 15.58 Hitherto concerning the dittie of the song I come now to the dutie of the singer I will alway sing thy mercies with my mouth I will euer be shewing thy truth from one generation to another I know e Bellarmine some ioyne in aeternum to the nowne misericordias and not to the verbe cantabo making the sense to bee this I will alway sing thy mercies which endure for euer But alwaies is referred as well if not better vnto the verbe I will sing as who would say Lord thy mercies are so manifest and so manifold so great in their number and so good in their nature that I will alway so f Psal 146.1 long as I haue any being sing praises vnto thee Happily some will obiect All flesh is grasse and the grace thereof as the flower of the field the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth away Dauid being persecuted by Saul said g 1. Sam. 20.3 there is but a step between death and me Nay Dauid thy life is shorter then a stride but a spanne long as thy selfe
Hierusalem aboue Gods owne Citie which is the mother of vs all And the Priest of the most high God in giuing himselfe for vs both an offering and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour to God In old time before the Law the kingdome Priesthood appertained by birth-right vnto the eldest sonne for so y Hierom. quaest sen tradit Haebraic in Gen. tom 3. fol. 226. Dio. Carthus Em. Sa Vatablus in Gen. 49. Tileman in loc Diuines haue gathered out of the words of Iacob vnto Reuben Genes 49.3 Reuben thou art my first borne my might and the beginning of my strength the excellencie of dignitie and excellencie of power that is primus in regno primus in sacerdotio But these two functions were seuered vnder the Law the kingdome being conferred vpon Iuda the Priesthood vpon Leui. So that Christ our Priest and Prince conioyning both againe in his own person abrogated the forme and frame of Moses Common-weale 2. Melchisedech is by interpretation King of righteousnes so Christ is not only righteous in himselfe iudging his folke righteously Psal 67.4 righteous in all his waies and holy in all his workes Psal 145.17 but also making vs iust and holy before God z Ieremy 23.6 The Lord our righteousnes a 1. Cor. 1.30 made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption 3. Melchisedech is King of Salem that is King of peace so Christ is the b Esay 9.6 Prince of peace c Ephes 2.16 reconciling vs vnto God and God vnto vs preaching peace to the Gentiles who were strangers a farre off and vnto the Iewes who were Citizens in the Common-wealth of Israel and so breaking downe the stop of the partition wall hath made of both one For it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell and by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe and to set at peace thorough the blood of his Crosse both the things in earth and the things in heauen Coloss 1.19.20 And heere note d Lombard Aquin. Anselm in Heb. 7 that Christ is first a King of righteousnesse and then a King of peace for he giueth vs first righteousnes and then peace So Paul expresly Rom. 5.1 Being iustified by faith we haue peace toward God thorough our Lord Iesus Christ 4. Melchisedech is said to bee without father and without mother e Theophylact. Primasius in Heb. 7. Chrysost in loc not that he was in deed so but for that the Scripture concealeth his genealogie so Christ f Hierome Agellius in loc as man was without father and as God without mother Nay Christ as God was without kindred hauing neither beginning of his daies neither end of life being Alpha and Omega the first and the last Apocal. 1.11 No God before him or after him Esay 43.10 5. Melchisedech blessed Abraham and receiued tithes of him and so consequently was greater then Abraham because without all contradiction the lesser is blessed of the better And so Christ is greater then Abraham as blessing him that had the promises g John 8.56 Abraham reioyced to see my day saith our Sauiour and he saw it and was glad 6. Melchisedech refreshed Abraham and his armie returning from the slaughter of the Kings with h Gen. 14.18 bread and wine so Christ feedeth and cherisheth his souldiers fighting vnder his banner against the world the flesh and the diuell euen with his owne i Iohn 6.55 flesh and blood represented in his holy Supper by k Matth. 26.26 bread and wine Melchisedech gaue bread and wine to Abraham he did not offer it vp vnto God as the l Apud Chemnit exam Con. Trident part 2. pag. 171. Latin Fathers vsually reade protulit non obtulit And therefore the m Caluin in loc Papists abuse this place when in the Masse they offer vp the bread vnto God which is to be communicated vnto men Christs Supper was ordained to be receiued of vs in the memoriall of his death for the confirmation of our faith that his body was broken for vs and his blood shed for our sinnes n Bradfords letter to his mother apud Fox Mart. fol. 1476. but in the Masse there is no receiuing because the Priest keepeth all to himself alone Christ saith Take eate but the Priest gape pepe The Masse-priests are grosse lurchers at the Lords table for first they take away the wine frō the laitie which is contrary to Christs owne voyce Drinke yee all of this And as for the bread they giue it not in euery Masse to the people but only at certaine times in the yeere and then also not so o A monument hereof in the Church at Stelft a Burg in Germany about 20. miles from Jnsprucke great an host or cake as themselues eate and that without either breaking on their part or touching of the people So their Masses vpon the point are Massacres of Christ a new killing and sacrificing of him againe so much as lieth in their power He shall iudge among the Heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies p Theodoret. Euthym. Turrecremat Some construe this of Christs iudgement on the last day for we beleeue that hee shall come againe to iudge the quicke and the dead hee shall in that day of his wrath fill the pits of hell with the bodies of the q Bellarmine reprobate and smite in sunder the heads of all such as haue lifted vp their heads against him r Caluine Tileman Tremellius Other haue better expounded this of his present iudgement in protecting his followers and in punishing his foes for Christ is described here by the Prophet as a valiant conquerour ouer his enemies He shall rule not among the Iewes only but among the Heathen also ſ Psal 96.13 iudging the world with righteousnes and the people with his truth He shall fill al places with the bodies of his aduersaries being dead and smite in sunder with his power and might the heads euen Kings and other chiefe gouernours of his enemies t In loc Augustine doth interpret this in the better part glossing it thus Implere ruinas est aedisicare quod cecidit conquassare capita humiliare superbos ad salutem per contritionem He shall drinke of the brooke in the way This may haue a double construction Either thus he that is the Messias shall drinke of the brooke which shall be made of the blood of his foes u Bucer Mollerus Vatablus as if he should haue said There shall be so much blood shed that the Conquerour may drink as it were of a riuer of blood in the way as he pursueth his enemies The like phrase wee finde Numb 23.24 x Caluin Tremel Or else it is a similitude taken from puissant and mightie Captaines who egerly pursuing their enemies stay not vpon dainties or pleasures but content themselues with floods and brookes which they finde in their