they suffer togither so they cry vnto God for helpe and succour as well for other as for them selues Yea the common calamitie of their brethren is to them a greater crosse then their owne Haue mercy vpon vs c. This repetition as it doth declare a great vehemencie and feruentnes of spirite in the afflicted crying vnto God for helpe and deliuerance so it sheweth their affliction and calamitie to be exceeding greeuous For we haue suffered too much contempt He sayd before that the godly being brought to extreme miserie by the tyranny and oppression of the wicked did lift vp their eyes to God for helpe and succour Nowe he sheweth also what despite and reproch they suffred of the proud and scornfull Whereby it appeareth that the vngodly sought not only with crueltie and oppression but also with despite contempt and ignominy to tread as it were vnder foote the children of god He saith not onely we suffer contempt but we are filled with contempt and ignominie vsing a similitude taken of a vessell which is filled so full that it can conteine no more Thus the children of God do not burst out at the first into these gronings and grieuous complaints when so euer they are contemned and despised but patiently suffer in hope that God will at the length ease their miserye vntill they be filled with all maner of despite contempt and scorning of the wicked whereby they are compelled to cry vnto God doubling their complaint as followeth in the next verse Verse 4. Our soule is filled too ful of the mocking of the welthy and of the despitefulnes of the proude When the godly are not onely oppressed with iniuries hated and despised but also mocked and scorned of the wicked there can be to them no greater misery And this is it that they specially here complaine of as of all their calamities the moste greeuous The cause why he saith that the welthy and proud doe so spitefully sette them selues against the Church of God is for that they which are of power and authoritie in the world are alwaies wont to despise and contemne the godly which doe so much esteeme the glory wealth and prosperitie of this worlde that they regard nothing at all the spirituall kingdom of Christ yea the more they rise in wealth and dignitie the more their pride encreaseth This place teacheth then that it is no straunge or newe thing if the children of God be contemned of the children of this worlde which abound in wealth and riches And it is not without good cause that here the wealthy are also called proud for wealth and prosperity maketh men proude the children of this world and worldlinges I meane For Dauid and many other were also riche and yet they were so broken with afflictions and so exercised both within and without that they could haue no such pleasure or delight in their wealth and worldly prosperitie whereby they might waxe proude or fall into securitie But the case of the wicked is farre otherwise for their riches wealth and dignitie is as a rewarde of their securitie and vngodlines Contrariwise the godly are in misery and affliction despised of the world as abiects fooles and idiotes as the example of the auncient Prophets Christ him self and his apostles with all the deare Sainctes of God do teach we by daily experience doe proue For when we goe aboute to draw men from couetousnes blasphemy voluptuousnes and such other vices they laugh vs to scorne and when they heare of the iudgement of God the reward of sinne the punishment of the wicked they count 〈◊〉 this geare to be but a fable suche as Virgill imagineth of hell to make men afeard But if they were exercised with afflictions and calamities as the godly are and had a scholemaster to teach them that they are but men as Dauid prayeth in the ix Psalme they would learne another song The .124 Psalme If the Lord had not bene on our side c. This Psalme is a thankes giuing to God for his great mercy in preseruing his people placed as the stories doe shewe in the middes of the Gentiles and heathen people as a flock of sheepe in a wild forrest or in respect of the multitude as a citie compared to a mighty kingdom being compassed on euery side with the kings of the Assirians the Egyptians the Ammonites the Ismaelites the Moabites whom Satan had stirred vp with deadly hatred to vexe and persecute them seeking by all meanes to roote them out from the earth that thereby he might vtterly deface and abolish the word and worship of the lord This daunger Dauid sawe and thanked God which had preserued his people from the rage of so many lyons and dragons which notwithstanding that they neuer ceased to seeke their destruction yet all that they went about was in vaine And what a miracle was this that this people could so long continue notwithstanding the malice and rage of so many deuils Dauid therefore in this Psalme exhorteth his people to be thankfull to the Lorde their God so mightely preseruing defending and deliuering them from the violence of so many nations and kingdoms hating and persecuting them on euery side Which Psalme we also doe sing not onely against our aduersaries which hate and persecute the word but also against spirituall wickednes For we are taught by the Gospell that there are nowe seuen Deuills which lye in wayte for vs where as we were before in daunger but of one which cease not to styrre vppe the whole worlde against vs Yea our case were more tolerable if we had but onely the worlde and not Satan also with all his angells and the gates of hell wholy bent against vs But yet further to molest and vexe vs besides all these we haue also the third enemie which we cary alwayes about with vs which we nourish also and foster at home with vs and euen with in vs the flesh I meane which giueth vs no rest but continually tempteth vs to sinne fighteth against faith and striueth in our members against the spirite For as much then as the Church of God is neuer free from these daungers let vs also sing to the praise of Christ this psalme that he preserueth vs his members from all these enemies For it were extreme ingratitude not to acknowledge this miracle that notwithstanding all these the Church doth yet continue and that there be some which truely teach and confesse Christ beleue in Christ though Satan rage the world and false brethren conspire against vs and the flesh as an vntamed beast fight against the word and faith neuer so much This is the benefit then that Dauid so highly extolleth and wisheth that his people would vnderstand and giue thankes to God for the same Verse 1. If the Lord had not bene on our side may Israel now say Verse 2. If the Lord had not bene on our side when men rose vp against vs Verse 3. They had
enemies of the word rage they neuer so furiously shall not preuaile against the Church because the Lord hath promised that he wil there make the horne of Dauid to budd Some do vnderstand that by this word to budd Christ in whom the kingdom of Dauid is truely established is couertly bere shadowed and signified Against this interpretation I will not greatly stand and yet I rather rest in the simplicitie of the letter which seemeth playnely to promise vnto Dauid a certeyne place and posteritie The name of budding he vseth here to signifie an encrease and to encrease is to be preserued So the Church buddeth and encreaseth although outwardly it seemeth to be diminished and defaced because God preserueth and encreaseth it daily by his worde and his spirite The sense and meaning then is this that God will blesse defend and preserue the horne of Dauid that is to say the kingdome the strength and the power of that nation For here he would specially notifie the person to this ende that the posteritie might be certeyne of the house of the person and of the place of this kingdom That which followeth I haue ordeyned a light for mine anoynted is an hebrewe phrase which kinde of speech we also doe vse As when we saye that Iohn Hus was the lyght of the Church of Bohemia Leonard Kesar for his singular confession of the fayth and constancie in the truth of the Gospell was the lyght of Bauaria This maner of phrase is vsed also 2. Samuel 21. That the lyght of Israell be not quenched And in the 2. Chronic. 21. as touching Ioram For God would not destroy the house of Dauid because he had promised to giue a light to him and to his children for euer For Ioram was the laste of the posteritie of Salomon They that reigned after him were of the posteritie of Nathan which at the captiuitie of Babylon when the Citie was destroyed and the Kinge in captiuitie and bandes seemed to be vtterly extinguished But the Lorde chastised both the place and the person he neither chaunged nor reiected them Againe at the birth of Christ the kingdome was translated from the stocke of Dauid to the Machabees and the Romanes Wherefore as touching the outwarde appearance this light was vtterly quenched but to the spirituall man and to the eyes of faith it was yet glorious For there were certeine persons remayning of the tribe of Iuda of whome afterwardes Christ was borne Wherefore he calleth the preseruation of the kingdom a light but in respect of the thing it selfe and not of the outward shew for therby it seemed that both the place and the person were clene gone for God through idolatrie and presumption was constreined to destroy them So the kingdom was taken from the tribe of Iuda Then came Christ who builded a new Ierusalem which shall remaine for euer There is also a certaine vehemencie in this word haue prepared for it signifieth that this kingdome was defended not onely against all enemyes and conspiratours at home and amonges them selues but also against all the deuills and the gates of hel euen to the comming of christ Yet notwithstanding the historie sheweth howe it was humbled through many calamities and afflictions Likewise we haue a promise as touching the Church that it shall continue vnto the ende of the worlde and that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it and yet who knoweth not howe it hath beene humbled oppressed and in a manner abolished vnder the Pope There was taught and worshipped not Christ but the virgine Mary the Apostles c. So that according to the saying of Christ except the Lorde had shortened those dayes no flesh shoulde haue beene saued Wherefore we must regarde the Maiestie and power of the promiser more then all the offences that either the world or the deuill can raise vppe against vs and let vs not be discouraged when the Pope with his curse and the world with the sworde doe rage against the Church For although the Church neither in number nor in power be like vnto the aduersaryes yet shall it endure and the aduersaries shall perish For he is greater that is in vs then he that is in the world and the word because it is the eternall power of God shall easily ouercome Satan and all the furies of hel Verse 18. His enemies will I cloth with shame but on him his crowne shall flourish Not the King of Babylon not of Syria not of Edom not of Moab not of Egypte briefly no enemy shall preuaile against this kingdom but this kingdome shall stand vnmoueable and mightely established euen vnto Christ and the enemyes of this kingdome shal be all clothed with confusion This light shall neuer be quenched vntill he come which shall fulfill all thinges This throne although it be neuer so contemptible and odious to the whole worlde shall remaine in glory not onely before men but also before the worlde Neither could Satan yet euer bring to passe although with all his force power and policie he hath continually attempted it that the posteritie of Dauid should be extinguished before Christ should be borne To these promises as vnto a sure staffe yea as vnto a strong rocke the Saincts of God haue alwaies leaned in great calamities wherewith Satan exercised this people to the ende he might hinder the promise concerning christ And in deede Antiochus aboue all other laboured with maine and might to roote out and to destroy this people for euer But as the Psalme here promiseth because he was an enemie to this holy nation therefore he was clothed with shame and confusion But on him his crowne shall flourish That is to say although the crowne of Dauid often tymes shall seeme in outwarde appearance to decay and perishe yet by a secret and a diuine power it shall be renued plenteously fructifie and gloriously flourish But the trueth of this promise resteth in Christe of whose kingdome there is no ende For vppon his head hath flourished a crowne which could neuer decay as the crownes of worldly Princes do For the crowne of the sonne of God is farre otherwise to whom all power is giuen both in heauen and in earth In the meane time the Lorde preserued this temporall kingdome vntill that was accomplished in the person of his onely begotten sonne which he would â—ignifie vnder those shadowes and figures But because this externall kingdome of Dauid was of this world and earthly therefore was it but temporall and for a tyme But the kingdom of Christ because it is not of this worlde but heauenly and spirituall is eternall and shall endure for euer This Psalme conteyneth a prayer for the preseruation of the word and publike peace For this must we specially desire in our prayer except we will be found vnthankfull Moreouer we must not be offended when we see that the common wealth is disquieted through the disobedience of the people or wickednes of the Magistrates or
this is the difference betweene those that are infected with this poyson the comtempt of the word I meane and the children of God that as they are wholy bent to seeke and aduance the glory of the euerliuing God so are these either inflamed with a diuilish desire to maintaine set forth damnable doctrine wicked opinions and false worship being wholy giuen ouer to serue the god of this world and their god Mammon seeking with greedines and pleasure their owne perdition damnation and so albeit they are already wholy possessed in the kingdom of the deuill yet are they merry and ioyfull but the end shall be such as for their horrible example is set forth in the story of the Sodomites Let vs pray vnto God therefore that he will preserue vs from this impietie and let vs learne to sing this Psalme with gladnes and thankes giuing vnto him for this inestimable benefite of his word and the pure knowledge thereof whereby Christ the onely sacrifice for our sinnes and the sure hope of eternall life is reueiled vnto vs Let vs continually exercise our selues in reading hearing and meditating of this word and let vs neuer think that we haue attayned sufficient knowledge and tast thereof In deede this word is so plenteously set forth in these our dayes that it may seeme to bring with it a lothing and contempt in many but it is not enough an hundred times to haue read it and a thousand times to haue heard it as in the daungerous time of tentations by experience we feele Wherefore let vs abhorre the damnable impietie of lothing and contemning the word of life and let vs embrace that most soueraigne vertue which is called the Reuerence of the word For Satan sleepeth not and in deede he is neuer so strongly armed against vs as when he seeth that we loth and contemne the word or presume of our owne knowledge Verse 1. I reioyced when they sayd vnto me we will goe into the house of the Lorde The like saying he hath in the 60. Psalme God hath spoken in his Sanctuary therefore I will reioyce Wherein is conteyned a comparison betwene his kingdom and other mighty and welthy kingdoms of the worlde As if he should say My kingdom is but a small and a weake kingdom if you compare it with the power of other kingdoms of the world But this haue I that all Kings and kingdoms haue not namely that in my kingdom the Lord him selfe the King of all Kings speaketh out of his holy Sanctuary therefore my kingdom is the kingdom of God and therein I reioyce Euen so here sayth he I reioyced And why Because it was sayd vnto me we will goe into the house of the Lord. That is God hath promised that we shall be that people which shal enter into the house of the lord And should not this cause my heart to reioyce For when I behold all other nations I see them goe into the house of the deuill and the temples of Idols I see they know not the true God neither doe they worship him Great cause haue I therefore to reioyce because I haue the promise of God that I shall goe with my people into the house of the Lorde Dauid sheweth him selfe here to reioyce and be glad for 2. causes not onely that the Lord had appoynted a place wherein he would be worshipped euen the holy hill of Sion but also because he had the consent of his people so obediently to ioyne with him in the true seruice worship of the lord Often times the Lord had before promised by Moises that he would appoynt such a place for his Sanctuary as should be certaine and stable for euer and yet aboue a thousand yeares togither the Arke of the Lord was caryed hither and thither from tent to tent from habitation to habitation hauing no certaine place to rest in But afterwardes it was shewed vnto Dauid that the Lord would haue it remaine in the hil Sion and that he would haue there a temple builded wherein he would be worshipped By this example we are admonished that we haue double cause to reioyce when so euer the Lord doth not onely incline our hearts by his holy spirite to the obedience of his word but also doth draw other vnto the same with vs that we may be al ioyned togither in the fellowship of faith We see the stubburnes of mans heart to be such that the greater number alwaies murmureth when so euer the Lord speaketh and therefore no small cause haue we to reioyce when we all consent togither in one spirite and and one mind in the true seruice and worship of the Lord. These wordes I reioyced when they sayd c. seeme to be very simple and to conteine in them no great matter But if you loke into the same with spirituall eyes there appeareth a wonderfull great maiestie in them Which because our Papistes can not see they do so coldly and negligently pray reade and sing this psalme and other that a man would thinke there were no tale so foolish or vaine which they would not either recite or heare with more courage delight These wordes therefore must be vnfolded layd before the eyes of the faythful For when he sayth we will goe into the house of the Lord what notable thing can we see in these words if we doe but onely beholde the stones tymber gold and other ornaments of the materiall temple But to goe into the house of the Lord signifieth another maner of thing namely to come togither where we may haue God present with vs heare his word cal vpon his holy name and receiue helpe and succour in our necessitie Therefore it is a false definition of the temple which the Papists make that it is a house built with stones tymber to the honour of god What this temple is they them selues know not For the temple of Salomon was not therefore beautifull because it was adorned with gold and siluer and other precious ornaments but the true beautie of that temple was because in that place the people heard the word of the Lord called vpon his name found him mercifull giuing peace and remission of sinnes c. This is rightly to behold the temple and not as the visured Bishops behold their idolatrous temple when they consecrate it These are then great causes of ioy and gladnes to haue access vnto the Lord to heare this consolation that he is our God which will heare vs which will deliuer vs in the time of trouble which will forgiue vs our sinnes and at the last will giue vs euerlasting life For these great benefites sayth Dauid we giue thanks vnto God and we reioyce that we may come togither into that place wherein God worketh all these things by the power of his word For it is the word alone whereby we knowe God whereby we come vnto God and whereby he bestoweth these great benefites of his fauour and loue
profitable for vs and is of vs to be applied vnto our selues also for that we in like maner haue our Dauid and our Euphrata in the whiche we haue founde the Tabernacle or habitation of our God. For the selfe same thinges doe remaine and there is no more but the signification of the wordes to be chaunged Now like as they were in daunger as touching both the kingdom and the priesthood so is our daunger great also in them both Wherfore we may well sing with Dauid Remember c. Here I purpose simply to follow the sence and meaning of the letter declaring howe this Psalme was vsed and applyed of that people Afterwards it shall be easie for vs to apply the same to our owne time age Now like as that was a double kingdome that is to say corporall and spirituall so is the Psalme also diuided into two partes For first it prayeth for the Church and then for the politike state or the common wealth Verse 1. Lord remember Dauid with all his afflictions The history of the Kings doth declare that Dauid being persecuted of Saul suffered many and great afflictions But why did Saul thus persecute Dauid Because he was anoynted of Samuel to be king whiles Saul was yet liuing For hereof came the deadly persecutions the hatred sclaunders reproches all kindes of calamities which Dauid suffered Now whereas these troubles afflictions of Dauid were mentioned in prayer and in the presence of God either by his sonne Solomon or by the people it was not done as the Papistes thinke to the ende that Dauid should pray for them but they spake of Dauid in respect of the promises put God as it were in remembrance of those promises by speaking of Dauid as Paule also speaketh of Abraham Wherfore the name of Dauid is not here to be taken absolutely as though they spake of his person onely for as I said they spake of him as hauing the promises and clothed as it were with the promises of God so that here we must rather vnderstande the forme then the matter The promise I call the forme to teach set forth the thing more plainly and the matter I call Dauid him selfe to whome the promises were made This is then the sense and meaning of these wordes O Lorde God we pray vnto thee for the kingdom not counting our selues worthy or by any meanes to haue deserued that we shoulde be heard but as Daniel saith We present our supplications before thee trusting in thy great and tender mercies in that which thou hast promised to Dauid to witte that our kingdom shall endure for euer Thus he beginneth his prayer with a remembrance of Gods promises euen at the first entrance This is a singular example for vs that when we pray we should appeare in the presence of God as miserable wretched sinners not trusting vpon our owne merite or worthines but clothed as ye would say with his mercies and promises not as he that bragged I fast twise in a weeke but as he which said Remember Lorde thy promises For the promises of God are nothing else but mercies and compassions freely offered vnto vs in Christ. Thus we see that he speaketh not here of afflictions absolutely but in respect of an other thing for he vnderstandeth the afflictions which Dauid suffered for the promises in the which afflictions he helde fast the promises and suffered them not to be wrested from him The same promises did God likewise performe vnto Dauid Like as therefore saith he O lord thou diddest preserue Dauid suffering all calamities and afflictions for thy words sake and trusting in thy word so with like mercie preserue and saue vs trusting in thy promises and performe that thou hast begunne in vs For all thinges must be preferred to the promises like as Moses also doth which saith Remember Abraham Isaac c. For he doth not call vpon Abraham and Isaac as the vnlearned Papistes dreame but he alleageth the promises made vnto them as touching their seede and posteritie Nowe how could God be put in minde of these promises better then by reciting those persons to whom God had made the promises These promises the faithfull doe set against their sinnes and against their vnworthynes These thinges must be diligently taught that we fall not into the absurd and foolish opinions of the Papistes whose schoole diuinitie knoweth nothing of the promises of God but whereas the promises are the chiefest part of the Scripture they are vtterly ignorant thereof The other part of the Scripture which is the law they so maime and mangle that scarsely they set forth the one halfe thereof And hereof it commeth that they expound such sentences as this is so corruptly and peruersly as if the Psalme should speake after this maner Remember Dauid how good and howe holy a man he was and for his merites for his holines stablish vnto vs the kingdom But this sentence is plaine idolatrie for it looketh to the actiue or working person only As the Iewes thinke to obteyne their Messias by their owne merites So the religion of the Iewes the Turkes and the Papistes is all one for they all trust to their owne workes and worthines But we reiect the working person when we come into the presence of God and looke vnto that person which is altogither passiue clothed with the promises that is to say such a Dauid as bringeth and distributeth vnto vs not his owne merites but the promises giuen of God and by Dauid firmely reteyned in all afflictions Such a Dauid the Papistes doe not know and because they know but onely the actiue the working Dauid therefore they make of him nothing else but a plaine idol They know not that he is holy as the whole Church is holy not because it hath good workes and merites but because it hath the promise of grace which is the true bosome and wombe wherein the Church is caried and all the faithfull Verse 2. VVho sware vnto the Lord and vowed vnto the God of Iacob saying It seemeth that these wordes may not vnfitly be applyed vnto Salomon as the author of the Psalme For thus he sayth in effect Thou hast promised vnto Dauid the kingdom Dauid againe promised to build vnto thee a temple This vowe is now performed and accomplished Do thou also now O Lord performe thy promise and be thou present in this place and with this people Thus he offereth the temple and the Arke to the Lord in the faith of the promise made vnto Dauid concerning the light which should neuer be put out and desireth that this promise may be kept As touching this vowe of Dauid the Scripture speaketh nothing but maketh mention of that talke and consultation only which he had with the Prophet Nathan 2. Reg. 6. But the author of this Psalme goeth about to commend and set forth the good will of Dauid by the name of
he Amos hath conspired against thee The earth could not beare his talke For thus he saith Ieroboam shall dye by the sworde and Israell shall be ledde away captiue out of their owne lande As though this had bene a thing vnpossible and that the Kinge might commit wickednes and doe what he list without ehecke or punishment Notwithstanding the ende afterwards declared that this was a vaine confidence and that the prophet had said truely Thus the wicked do abuse the promises of God applying the same vnto them selues whereas they belong to the true Church onely and so they become presumptuous and careles They think not of their sinnes or of the iudgement of God but boldly without all feare doe persecute the Saintes of God as we see at this day in the papacie So the true church is oppressed of tyrannes oppugned of false brethren suffereth the contempt and hatred of the world and in outward apperance is euery hower ready to perish Here it is necessary that the godly should raise vp them selues with a trust in the mercies and promises of God for to this ende the promises are set forth But they which should beleue and comfort them selues with these promises doe it not For the infirmitie of the flesh will not suffer them which Satan also encreaseth in setting before their eyes their great daungers and terrours Contrarywise the Church of the wicked which for their sinnes ought to feare and tremble presumeth hopeth liueth in great fecuritie and without all feare So the Pope holdeth fast that promise with y which our Sauiour Christ comforteth his Disciples when he sayth I will be with you alway vnto the ende of the world perswading him selfe that Peters voate though it may be in daunger shall neuer be drowned But the true church to that which onely these thinges are spoken doth not so beleue them nor rayse vp it selfe with a trust and confidence in these promises as it should doe Thus in all times and ages the condition of the true Church hath bene alwayes one Now like as the wicked liue in great hope and comfort them selues maruelously so long as they are in prosperitie so when they are touched with aduersitie they most miserably despayre But the godly continue and constantly endure in hope and comfort in all troubles and calamities So this promise as touching the kingdom of Christ was hindred many and sundry wayes by rebellious people by enemies and wicked Kinges vntil at the last the citie and the temple were destroyed the people caried away captiue and none left but plowmen and such as were of the basest sort Nowe the word the worship and seruice of God the accustomed iudgements and briefly the Church the policie and the kingdom were gone Here what hope was left that there should remaine any posteritie vnto Dauid as this Psalme here promiseth This promise therefore was necessary that thereby the godly might be able to comfort them selues that it was impossible for this kingdome to fall before Christ the true seede of Dauid shoulde be reueiled Wherefore when all thinges seemed to be most desperate God raised vp certeine notable Prophets He set vppe Daniel also emonges great and mighty Princes Moreouer the time was appoynted by the Prophet Ieremy namely 70. yeares after the which they shoulde returne into their land The remnant of the royall stocke that is to say of Dauid was preserued euen in captiuity Thus although the kingdom seemed in outward shewe to be vtterly forsaken yet was it not forsaken and the godly constantly continued in hope of deliuerance when the wicked despayred and miserably perished In like maner doe we beleue and comfort our selues at this day that Christ will defend and mainteyne his kingdome and his Church euen to the end of the world though the Romish Antichrist triumph neuer so much sitting in the temple of God and exercising his tyranny as though he would vtterly oppresse the Church For these promises God left with his Church that in such necessitie and daungers it should not be without comfort Which promises albeit the Church can not fully and perfectly beleue yet doth it not deny or reiect the same And Christ accepteth and commendeth our fayth although it be no more then a grayne of mustard feede This to knowe this to teach it is necessary For the time will come if we be not preuented by the later day when Satan by his ministers with might and maine wil attempt all the meanes he can to quench the doctrine of the Gospell Here although we also shall see the kingdom brought into captiuitie and the Arke caried cleane away as the Iewes did yet must we trust that God will giue vs Prophets and that his Church although it seeme to be vtterly forsaken he wil neuer for forsake For the word of God whose promise we haue ought to moue vs more then the present daunger seeme it neuer so terrible For if God through much patience did preserue his Church vnder the Papacie if he suffered many abuses which blind guides and wicked teachers brought into the Church if at the length when all thinges were desperate and past all hope he caused the light of his worde to shine in the middes of most horrible darkenes why should we despayre The mercie of God is greater then heauen and earth is able to swallow vp all errors into the which the very elect by false prophets blind teachers and the iniquitie of time are often times ledde There is no man which would not wish for peace and quietnes in the common wealth and in the people obedience and godlines So is it to be wished that in the Church there might be vnitie and concorde and that there might be no offence either in doctrine or life that Princes and Magistrats would not hate or persecute but like loue embrace the word Notwithstanding such a common wealth and such a Church may well be paynted out of a cunning artificer but in this worlde they coulde neuer yet be founde Wherefore let vs not looke to see the face either of such a quiet common wealth or of so pure a Church But herewith let vs content our selues that the Church and common wealth although they are not without great troubles and daungers doe not vtterly perish that there is some maiestie in the common wealth and in the Church pure and sounde doctrine and that there are some which magnifie the word vse prayer and frequent the Sacraments although the greater part doe the contrary And to this ende doe perteine these consolations that whiles all things seeme to fall to wracke and ruine we cast not away all hope and vtterly despayre When I behold the miserable face of the Church at this day in that the Pastors and Preachers of the worde are so neglected yea so contemned and despised thus I often thinke with my selfe that the whole ministerie although there were no tyrannes to oppresse
it must needes fall euen of it self But we must more regard the promise of God then all outward shewes seeme they vnto vs neuer so likely For behold and consider the histories of all ages and you shall see that the Church hath bene alwayes oppressed hidden through the tyranny of Princes and through the lies and sclaunders of heretiks Moreouer the godly haue neuer bene without their tentations through the consideration of their sinnes and vexations of the deuill These things he that beholdeth and stil fixeth his eyes vpon these euills shal thinke that there is no church nor yet any God at all But of such shewes and outward appearances we must ground no iudgement For such a face the church ye shall neuer see in the which great offences infirmities and as it were great diseases are not to be found In deede it were to be wished that these thinges were not in the Church and that there were such a face and outward shew of the Church as is described here in other places where it is compared to a bewtifull spouse in whom appeareth neither spot nor wrincle But such a Church outwardly ye shall neuer see For it is alwayes oppressed of Tyrannes vexed of heretiks exercised with afflictions both inwardly and outwardly with disobedience contempt falshood dissimulation of false brethren c. In all these daungers we must holde fast this consolation that the gates of hell shall not preuayle against it and goe on forward with a valiant mind and Christian courage in teaching in exhorting in reprouing and in other duties perteyning to the ministerie If any be disobedient peruerse and obstinate let them goe let them perish in their owne sinnes and let this suffice that there are some vnto whom Christ and the ministery of the Gospell is appoynted for their rising againe and their saluation Thus did the holy Prophets which saw the captiuitie of Babylon to be euen at hand and that the temple and the citie shoulde be consumed with fire This was then the face of the kingdome which should afterwards be destroyed for euer There was nothing now therefore wherewith they might comfort them selues but this and such like promises made vnto Dauid that of that frute of his body God would set vp the royall throne that euen with an oth he had confirmed the same And this is in deede a singular promise in that he nameth and pointeth out a certeine person suffereth not the succession to wander in an vncerteine person Abraham Isaac and Iacob had also a promise concerning Christ but vnder an vncerteine person if ye respect the multitude of their posterity But in this promise is a certeine limitation because there is one certeine person named to the end that although the people should be all leede away captiue yet so long as the posteritie of Dauid did continue they should comfort them selues with this hope that the kingdom should neuer faile This I thinke to be the cause why the genealogies that is the line of the kinredes and progenies of this people were so diligently obserued and noted of the godly that through this hope of the promise to be accomplished the succession of the house of Dauid might be sure certeine For this familie was as a certeine starre emonges the people of whose posteritie so long as they sawe any remnant they continued in hope of their deliuerance by Christ yea euen in the captiuitie of Babylon although it were most horrible For euen in this captiuitie although they were without a kingdom yet had they emonges them certeine persons of the royall stocke as it were certeine sparkles of the kingdom and of the light of Dauid vnto whom the eyes of the godly did alwaies looke as vnto a pledge of the promise afterwards to be accomplished as touching christ Moreouer in this captiuitie they had the word the Prophets Daniel Ieremy Ezechiel and no doubt many other Now so long as such persons as were appoynted to the kingdom and the priesthood were yet remaining the kingdome was not cleane forsaken or destroyed Thirdly the number of the yeres was also limited which being expired their captiuitie shoulde haue an ende But the Iewes at this day haue none of all these thinges They haue no kingdome no persons appoynted to the kingdom no certeine number of yeares neither yet the word or the Prophets Therefore they are condemned with all their religion And this calamitie in the which the Iewes haue liued euer since Ierusalem was destroyed by the Romanes is no captiuitie but a generall destruction and desolation of that people for euer as Daniel also saith And after this shall be the ende Verse 12. If thy sonnes keepe my couenant and my testimonies that I shall teache them their sonnes also shall sit vpon thy throne for euer This promise is not generall for it hath a condition annexed vnto it There is a difference therefore betwene this promise and such as be without condition as are these The Lorde said vnto my Lord c. Againe Giue thy iudgements vnto the King O Lord. There the kingdom is promised vnto Christ absolutely but here it is not promised to the posteritie of Dauid but with this condition If they shall keepe the couenant of the Lorde So the kingdom was promised and giuen vnto Salomon but afterwards his stock was almost cleane cut of in Ahazia when onely Ioas remained all the rest of the Kinges seede were slaine by Athalia This was the practise of Satan to the ende be might hinder the promise concerning christ Afterwardes the kingdom came vnto Ioas who also was of the seede of Dauid was preserued by the meanes of his sister so that he was not slaine of Athalia Thus was the promise of the kingdome made vnto Dauid to endure for euer but yet so that God threatneth destruction if they keepe not his couenant So was the kingdom at the length also taken from the posteritie of Nathan and vsurped by Herode a straunger vntil the time came that Christ vnder the reigne of wicked gouerners was born of Mary the Bethlemite Thus for sinne one posteritie was destroyed after an other by the malice of Satan and yet the whole line and succession was preserued euen vnto Mary To consider these things it is very profitable namely how the kingdom promised vnto Dauid came vnto his sonne Salomon but yet for sinne it was taken from him againe The same hapned vnto Nathan yet notwithstanding God reserued a litle sparke out of the which this kingdom should afterwards shine mightely increase And these things were done to bridle our presumption Such is the promise also as touching the church I wil be with you vnto the ende of the world But here is a condition ioyned withal that is If ye walk in my waies For whoso neglect the word those doth God also neglect and reiect and reiseth vp others which shal be his Church So saith our
was accomplished it was so stablished by the word that notwithstanding it had a certeyne condition annexed vnto it Therefore many wicked Kinges with all their families neglecting this condition were vtterly destroyed and others succeeded them so that the temporall kingdom endured after a sort vntill the most holy one the King of Kings came who hath continued this kingdom vntill this day and shall doe for euer This condition therefore is added to beate downe proud and presumptuous spirites And if he sayd This promise as touching Christ will I accomplish and will vndoutedly establish the throne vnto my seruant Dauid but doe not ye whiche in the meane time sit in this throne and gouerne this kingdome presume of the promise and thinke that ye can not erre or that God will winke at your errors and not rather condemne and seuerely punish them Therefore either gouerne your kingdome according to my word or else I wil roote you out and destroy you for euer This promise he now amplifieth and setteth forth more at large Verse 13. For the Lord hath chosen Sion and loueth to dwell in it saying This is an amplyfication of the promise As if he saide Ye haue that promise But doe your indeuour that ye may become righteous and keepe my couenant shewing your selues obedient vnto my voice Then shall this kingdome endure and I will dwel with you and wil replenish you with all maner of blessinges both corporall and spirituall Here of a singular purpose he vseth the same word which Moses vsed Deut. 16.26 In the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there For at the beginning there was no certaine place appointed wherin the tabernacle should remain but it wandred not onely from place to place but also from tribe to tribe as Ephraim Manasses Dan c. Moreouer by this word hath chosen he ouerthroweth all kindes of worship and religion of mans owne deuising and choosing whereof there was an infinite number among the Iewes For thus they thought If it be lawful for the Priests to cary the tabernacle from one place to an other why may not we also do sacrifice in moe places then one This was plaine and grosse idolatrie For seeing that God did bind him selfe to the Mercieseate by his worde namely that there he would be and there he would be found therefore it was idolatrie to beleue that he was any where else or to seeke him in any other place Therefore when the people did deuise or choose any kind of worship which God had not chosen we see howe sharpely the Prophets did reproue them For there is nothing which God so much detesteth as to admitte or appointe for the seruice of God that which he hath not commaunded Wherefore election or choise belongeth not vnto vs but we must yeelde obedience to the voice of the Lorde Else shall that happen vnto vs which Ieremy threateneth That they haue chosen will I reiect These thinges destroy and confound the inuentions the deuises and deuotions the false and counterfet religions which we haue seene in the Papacie For whereas some gaue them selues to this order of religion some to that whereas they had certaine daies of abstinence certaine meates certaine Sainctes to call vppon and such other like if ye aske who commanded all these thinges their owne conscience will constraine them to aunswere that they were in deede of their owne choosing and their own deuising But this is to serue not God but Satan For God is not serued but when that is done which he hath commaunded Wherefore election or choise as I said pertaineth not to vs but to God alone but obedience belongeth to vs so that what God hath commaunded that must we doe Moreouer the word of Choosing beateth downe all confidence and presumption of workes For if he should say I giue vnto you Sion for a reward or this doe I to requite or to recompence you it were as much as if he said this doe I in respect of your desert But when he saith I haue chosen Sion according to myne owne will he sheweth that he doth it without all respect of merites so that he both condemneth all counterfet religion and all coÌ„fidence of merite For voluntary worshippings and chosen religions perteine to the deuils diuinitie And it helpeth vs nothing that they are chosen of a good intent For there is no good intent which is grounded vppon our owne iudgement and not vpon the word of God which ought to be the groundworke of all good intents For he onely intendeth well which knoweth that he is constrained to do this thing or that by the word of god This word who so hath not although he seeme in all things as holy as an Angel beware of him and auoid him as a deadly poyson This is a most certaine and infallible rule for vs to follow which if we doe we shall neuer be deceiued if we demaund whether God hath required of vs or commauÌ„ded this thing or that For he approueth nothing as good in his sight which he hath not chosen And this briefly as touching the word of Choosing I thought good to note Verse 14. This is my rest for euer here will I dwell for I haue a delite therein This is a singular promise and such as God neuer made in any other place Hereof Esay and the other Prophets seeme to gather that Ierusalem should endure for euer that is vntil the Messias should come who should make of a temporall an eternall Ierusalem As also the Angell sayth vnto Marie that Christ should sitte vpon the throne of his father Dauid for euer And here marke the sequele of this promise Ierusalem at this day is destroyed and gone and yet this promise doth plainly shew that this shall be the seate of the Lord for euer Wherefore it followeth as an infallible consequence that he is come which hath established this kingdom for euer For whereas it was destroyed in the captiuitie of Babylon yet notwithstanding there were certaine remnants reserued The time also was appoynted howe long the captiuitie should continue And moreouer there were yet both Kinges and Priestes remaining emongst them But now there is none of all these thinges as before we haue declared This is therefore a notable promise that this Ierusalem shall be the seate and throne of the Lorde for euer and shall neuer be abolished The Iewes presuming of this promise did crucifie Christ and committed all iniquitie For they thougâ—t it not possible that Ierusalem should be destroyed because of the promise which it had that it should remaine for euer But we haue heard that these thinges were promised conditionally to witte If they should keepe the couenant of the Lord and his testimonies Ierusalem therfore continued vnto the comming of Christ. Afterward it was plagued for sinne as other wicked cities and kingdomes were In like maner the Prophets doe certainly promise that the Gospel should come
the same in deede For first these euills which the father of lyes styrreth vppe by wicked doctrine the godly can not beholde without great griefe and sorrowe Besides this they are without all hope of remedie for that the rage of pestilent doctrine is more horrible then the force and violence of fire and water which suddenly consumeth and destroyeth all thinges The heart therefore is on ech side troubled and vexed both with feare of the calamitie that shall followe and also with the sense and feeling of the present euills Nowe if there be ioyned with all these thinges an inward crosse and affliction so that the hearte doe also feele the displeasure of God here it seemeth impossible for a man to pray And doubtlesse a man vnexpert and vnskilfull in these matters and presuming of the worde and his owne knowledge shall gayne nothing thereby but infinite troubles and vexation For to teache to reproue and to conuince is not sufficient but God withall must giue the encrease that not onely we with our brethren may be preserued in sound doctrine but also such as teach the contrary may be rooted out and brought to naught And this by prayer onely is obtayned But howe hard a thing this is we haue alreadie declared To read the word to heare the word and to teach the word are in deede excellent and heauenly works which require the help and aide of the holy Ghost but the inward practise of faith so to conuert vnto the Lord so to pray so to presume of Gods fauour that thy prayer shall please him and that he will heare the same that is a hard matter in deede For fearefull consciences many tymes feele not this certainty and assurance in them selues but are brought to such doubting and mistrust that they can conceaue no hope of helpe or comfort especially such as are touched with the remorse of conscience gilt of sinne and the feeling of their owne vnworthines For in this case it oftentimes commeth to passe that the minde beginneth first to doubt whether prayer will any thing auaile or not They that are brought to this poynt can not pray especially if they measure the same after the sense feeling of their owne vnworthines But here thou must not regard what thou art but rather looke to the promise of God the necessitie of prayer the daunger that followeth the neglecting thereof and the thing it selfe for the which thou oughtest to pray Setting these things before thine eyes albeit thine owne conscience and vnworthines call thee from prayer yet shalt thou be constrayned by prayer to flie to God for help and succour For if a man for examples sake haue committed theft murder or some other notorious crime and in flying away falleth into the water and so into daunger of drowning shall he not pray because his conscience accuseth him that he hath done wickedly Nay how much the more great and grieuous the sinne is and the necessity of praier more vrgent so much the more earnestly ought the mind to be stirred vp and more ready to prayer In like maner must we doe also in this tentation and daunger of wicked doctrine And whatsoeuer we be we must rather consider the great enormities that Satan raiseth vp by lying ministers then whether we be worthie to be heard or no. To this doth the promise also allure vs For we haue a promise in Christ that we shall be heard yea and Christ him selfe also hath prescribed vnto vs the very words syllables letters which we should vse in praier We haue also a commaundemēt to pray so that it is not in our choyse to pray or not to pray but it is a work cōmaunded of God. Now when we remember these thinges and then consider on the one side how necessary a thing it is for vs to pray and on the other side howe great the daunger is if we doe not pray then are our mindes quickned and the tentation or conscience of our owne vnworthines is as it were swallowed vp Like as it hapneth also in sudden daungers as when a man in his iorney falleth into the hands of theeues or is in great perill of drowning here before he can once think of his own vnworthines he bursteth out into these wordes or this cogitation O God be mercifull vnto me And here the saying of the Phisicians is found most true that sharpe sawces prouoke the appetite For there is no better scholemaster to teach vs to pray then necessity But whiles we walke in securitie and are not touched with any feeling of present daungers no maruell is it if our prayer be either no prayer at all or else in dede very faynt and cold For mine owne part I can say by experience that I neuer pray more hartely then in the time of trouble and affliction And this is that sharpe sawce which stirred vp also in Dauid a hunger as it were and an appetite to pray as he sayth I called vnto the Lord in my trouble c. We may learne therefore out of this verse that Dauid vsed this remedy against lying tongues that first by doctrine he stirred vp him selfe and others and then he prayed In like maner ought we to do euē in respect of the cause or necessity which the Lords praier also setteth forth vnto vs For in that the name of the Lord is polluted mens consciences peruerted and the profession of the Gospel hindred we haue in deede great cause to say hallowed be thy name that these abominations and blasphemies may haue an end Thy kingdom come which by the kingdom of Satan is in a manner oppressed He that prayeth after this sort shal fil heauen with his sighes and grones wheras if we liue at ease and feele no trouble our praier is so cold that scarcely our mouthes are filled therwith This cause and necessitie of prayer Dauid expresseth when he sayth I called vnto the Lord in my trouble c. For there must be some great necessitie to constrayne vs to pray as our owne saluation the saluation of our brethren death eternal our sinnes our troubles and afflictions the glory of God the kingdom of God c. all which are set forth in the Lordes prayer and if we consider them as we should doe they will constrayne vs to poure out true and harty prayer vnto God with sighes and grones Let vs consider well these thinges and with our prayer let vs burst through the cloudes which hide from vs the presence of our most gracious God and thinke that prayer is an acceptable sacrifice to God and such a seruice as he him selfe requireth of vs Some seeke a meane helpe and trust to other mens prayers which in deede are not to be neglected for the prayer of many hath a more force and power But thou also must pray as a member of the Church which with one voyce sayth Our Father c. For he will not be the father of
education First therfore we must beleue not doubt that our prayer is heard Secondly this hearing must be thus defined not that God geueth alway that which we pray for but that which is profitable for vs For God in that he is good can geue nothing but that which is good But we many times doctraue that thing which is not good in deede but seemeth so vnto vs. In such cases God euen then heareth our prayer when he graunteth not that which we desire In that prayer therefore which the Lord hath taught vs first we pray for the sanctifying of his name for the comming of his kingdom that his will may be done before we pray for the things which do pertayne to the vse and commoditie of this life so that in such things we desire that the Lord would do not that seemeth good vnto vs but that which is good in deede The difference therfore in asking those things which we pray for is here rightly set forth So that in those things which pertaine to the glory of God our saluatioÌ„ we must beleue our praiers to be heard without condition But in those things which pertayne to this life albeit we must hope that the Lord will graunt our petitions yet must we pray with condition resigning our wils to the Lords will to do therein as semeth good vnto him profitable for vs For he knoweth what is good for vs but we do not as aâ—so S. Paule sayth Thus must we restruâ— this title to our most faithfull gracious God that he is auditoâ— precum a hearer of prayers as Dauid here speaketh of him Verse 2. Deliuer my soule o Lord from lying lippes and from a deceitfull tongue This verse sheweth the matter or argument wherof Dauid entreateth in this psalme He prayeth for the prosperous successe of the holy word of God and pure doctrine against false and hereticall tongues I sayd in the beginning that this Psalme must not only be taken as an exaÌ„ple for vs to follow or a doctrine to teach vs what Dauid did in this daungerous case or what we ought to doe in the like but also is set forth to comfort and confirme vs against this great offence and stumbling blocke that wheresoeuer the Gospell beginneth to shine there Satan stirreth vp theeues and robbers enemies of true doctrine to hinder the course thereof and therefore when we see that the Anabaptistes and other Sectaries spring vppe at the preaching of the Gospell we should not thinke it straunge but rather it shoulde be to vs a meanes to stirre vs vp thereby the more diligently to watch and shake of all securitie forasmuch as we see that he which tempteth vs sleepeth not and to fight against spirituall wickednes against the which the children of God haue bene alwayes at continuall warre Abel was persecuted of Cain Isaac of Ismael Iacob of Esau. Of this enmitie Satan is the author which alwayes persecuteth God and his trueth not onely with slaughter but also with lying and falshoode To knowe these thinges it is a singuler consolation in such daungerous cases that we be not discouraged or dismayed but may be strengthened and confirmed thereby and moreouer it keepeth vs from securitie which lying tongues aud deceitfull lippes will not lightly suffer a man to fall into We must be ready therefore not onely with the word of God but also and especially with prayer to fight against false doctrine and deceitful tongues considering as Dauid here sayth that the Lord is our deliuerer who only in this daunger can deliuer vs and destroy our aduersaries For the continuall exercise of the word and prayer must goe togither Deliuer my soule that is deliuer me It is a phrase and kinde of speech proper to the Hebrewes Verse 3. VVhat doth thy deceitfull tongue bring vnto thee or what doth it auaile thee Verse 4. It is as the sharpe arrow of a mightie man and as the coles of Iuniper In demaunding this question he goeth about to stirre vppe him selfe and to finde occasion to accuse the deceitfull tongue as he doth in deede most liuely sette forth by two notable similitudes what a pestilent thing wicked doctrine is and what the godly and such as are spirituall doe iudge thereof First he compareth it to an arrowe that is not blunt but sharpe and moreouer which is cast not of him that is weake and feeble but that is stronge and mightie so that there is daunger on both sides as well of the arrowe that is sharpe and able to pearce as also of him which with great violence hurleth the same The Deuill therefore the father of all heresies is here plainly sette forth vnto vs as an olde exercised souldier strong and mightie who from the beginning hath made warre against the Church of God and albeit he hath bene often ouercome yet will he neuer geue ouer but returneth more fearce and subtill then before and the better armed the more holy and learned they be against whom he fighteth so much the more strongly fearcely he setteth vpon them Therfore the holy Ghost here speaketh according to the sense of man that is according to the cogitations which the godly haue in this daungerous case and he calleth a pestilent teacher an arrowe or dart in the hande of the strong and mighty For if ye beholde the multitude of the aduersaries their stoutnes proud bragges obstinacie and fearcenes with the subtill deceitfull sleights wherby they auoyd or wickedly peruert all thinges that make against them be they neuer so godly spoken it seemeth no otherwise but that they will vtterly oppresse and destroy the Church which appeareth to be in comparison of them but a small number and that also very weake and feeble It seemeth therefore that Satan as a dart which no armour is able to resist must needes preuayle and haue the victory But if you looke to the end you shall see the contrary As the Church when she compareth the multitude of her enemies with her poore litle flocke through her infirmity is troubled and feareth destruction euen so when Satan seeth his practises at the first to proceede as he would he is puffed vp and swelleth at the successe therof For wicked doctrine crepeth like a canker and mightely encreaseth euery hower so that if a teacher of erroneous and hereticall doctrine should be suffered in a reformed congregation he would soone ouerthrow altogither so violently perceth this dart And why because it is hurled of Satan and the common people are as it were the frame house of Satan because they loth and despise that which is dayly taught them Now because the heretikes doe not vse the accustomed and ordinary maner of teaching but fede the people with new strauÌ„ge thinges therefore as Moises sayth the drunken and the thirsty are mette togither and these arrowes perse through with greater violence Moreouer it is a figure vsed in the Scriptures to call the word of
a wonderfull thing to see howe ready it is to receiue helpe and comfort ▪ any way else ▪ sauing onely of God. This is then the praise and commendation of faith that it looketh onely towardes the healthfull and comfortable mountayne which is in Ierusalem refuseth the succour of all other mountaines Thus the prophet casteth his eyes aside as it were vpon the wicked who forsaking the helpe of the Lordes mercie and goodnes which was then in Ierusalem sought reliefe and succour in other mountaines In like maner in the kingdom of the Romish Antichrist there are infinite feets and swarmes of Monks and other supersticious votaries some holding of Augustine some of Benedict some of Francisce c. which by their vowes and monasticall life thinke to obtaine the kingdom of heauen hoping also by these comforts to ouercome the terrour of Gods wrath heale the woundes of conscience And this is alwayes the inclination of mans nature to follow his owne wayes and to forsake the wayes of the lord Therfore Dauid sayth Some forsake the temple abhorre the mount Syon but I abide in the simple way of faith true religion which is the healthfull hill that the Lorde him selfe hath appoynted In that he calleth it the healthfull hill or the hill from whence helpe and succour commeth he reiecteth and condemneth all other hills which haue a shewe of helpe and succour Such I meane as is visibly wrought in the seruice and honour done to the idols but true helpe they giue none So the Iewes sayd that Baall shewed more present help in the temple then god So they cry in Ieremy VVe will doe sacrifice to the Queene of heauen but thy commaundement we will not doe for since we left to doe sacrifice to the Queene of heauen the sworde and famine hath consumed vs And thus forsaking the temple and the true worship of God they ranne headlong to all impietie But you will say Why would God that Idolatry should haue such successe Euen to trye our fayth and whether we doe truely beleue and worship one God according to that commaundement Thou shalt haue none other Godds c. True it is in deede that Idolatry hath great successe yet is it but for a time So said King Achas The goddes of the Kings of the Syrians doe helpe them therefore will I also seeke their fauour and they shall helpe me But what sayth the Scripture The gods of Syria were the destruction both of them and of all Israell And this is the end of all such false trust So doth Mammon likewise helpe his worshippers For he is a great god and bringeth to them libertie ioy and comfort He lifteth them vp to wealth and dignitie he maketh them to swell with pride and glory But howe long For the time of this fraile brickle life but in death he doth not only forsake them but driueth them downe to the deepe pit of hell Therefore whatsoeuer worldly and visible comfortes and delightes the heart of man can here desire or enioy he findeth them vncertayne and shortly must forsake them and yet withall they bring vnspeakeable tormentes and afflictions of mind and lead men into such blindnes that they haue no regard of God at all who doth not delight his true worshippers with vayne pleasures of this worlde which endure but a moment but replenisheth them with euerlasting ioyes For thus he sayth I will see you againe and your heart shall reioyce and your ioy no man shall take from you Let vs learne therefore to cleaue fast to the Lord our God and those inuisible comforts and if trouble come as we can not looke to be without a crosse if we seeme to be desolate and distitute of all comfort yet God hath a time when he will shew him selfe to haue a care of vs and we shall finde that the afflictions of this life are not to be compared to the glory which shall be reueiled on vs as S. Paule comforteth vs. This is then the sense and meaning of this verse that fayth is a knowledge of thinges inuisible and yet to be looked for least we shoulde thinke it to be but a meere speculation as some doe make it There are thinges to be looked for of the which we haue experience in this life that is to say a good conscience a ioyfull heart an inuincible faith which is able to stande against all stormes of tentations against pouertie enuy reproche and sclaunder of the world against errours and false doctrine and euen against death it selfe Thus we must learne to know the nature of faith namely that it is a will or knowledge or an expectation resting vpon the word of God which word sheweth and setteth forth vnto vs inuisible helps and yet to be looked for as certaine and vnfallible and although we thinke it long before they come yet will they come when it shall be most to our ioy comfort And this is it that these words of the Prophet doe here expresse I lift vp mine eyes to the hils from whence my helpe commeth Here he sheweth him selfe to be destitute of helpe and succour and yet in sure hope and expectation thereof he looketh vp vnto those hills and hopeth for inuisible comfort In like maner must we doe also I am in distresse or affliction of body or mind I am in necessity and can see no meanes how to liue how to maintayne my family how to escape this daunger or that Here is the hart oftentimes oppressed with sorrow and miserably vexed as though there were no succour no comfort nor remedy to be founde But here must we be certainely perswaded that there is help and succour prepared for vs and the time therof also appoynted of God although we know not when it shall be But by this we may learne what a hard matter it is to beleeue when the hart must yeld and consent to any thing contrary to that which both we se heare feele I my self haue bene oftentimes in wonderful great daūgers when the whole world as it were conspired against me For the Pope my mortall enemy and the enemy of my Christ did not cease to stirre vp against me what power and terrour so euer he was able to deuise Here reason woulde rather perswade me to kepe silence and say nothing then to teach and bring my selfe thereby into trouble and daunger For reason can neuer see the Lordes maruelous help and deliuerance which is inuisible and hidden from the eies of the world therfore it thinketh onely of that which it seeth that is to say destruction In all these stormes how my mind was stablished in God what my faith and hope was I will here say nothing Albeit in these great daungers I graunt my minde was oftentimes troubled and yet at the length the inuisible help of God being hidden from myne eyes and from the eyes of the whole worlde appeared so that not onely my deadly and mightie
protection of this good keper and watchman whom Dauid here speaketh of Thus doth our diuinitie teach and thus doe the godly beleue For by their owne experience they proue and by experience of the whole Church that Satan wil neuer rest vntill he destroy if he may either soule or body The destruction of the soule he seeketh by lying by corrupt doctrine by wicked false worshipping and seruing The destruction of the body he attempteth by infinite sleights practises wherof we haue experience daily in our selues and other For as much then as these things doe not come to passe either in such sort or so often as Satan would it is the benefite not of Satan but of this our vigilant keeper and watchman Thus we are taught euen by our owne experience taking this for a principle that the kingdom of the deuill is the kingdome of sinne and of death that we are continually and euery moment preserued from death and other daungers both corporally and spiritually by the singular goodnes and grace of Christe into whose kingdom through baptisme and faith we are translated And hereof come these heauenly sayings of the Prophets The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord his mercy endureth for euer c. In deede sometimes Satan so preuaileth and hath such successe in that he goeth aboute that by sudden plagues he bringeth men to horrible destruction Such examples ought to warne vs of those mischeuous practises which he continually goeth about and faine would bring to passe as he might easily doe if he were not letted by the vigilancy of our good watchman in heauen For as for the power of this our aduersary I doe beleeue that he is able in one hower to destroy all the people that are liuing vpon the earth Now if both he be able and also leaueth no practise vnattempted so to doe why then is it not done Because our good keeper watcheth ouer vs But these be matters of faith they muste be beleued and therefore he addeth this word beholde Whereby it may appeare that his purpose is earnestly to commend and set forth the great vigilancie and tender care of God towards vs whereby he keepeth and defendeth vs that we perish not And here note that this care and vigilancie for the safety and preseruation of our life countrey cities familyes peace and tranquillitie amongst vs c. is of the Prophet wholy attributed vnto God when as notwithstanding God vseth to worke the same by other meanes as first by the ministery of Angels and then also of men as of Princes and other inferiour magistrates c. Wherby we are admonished that these inferiour meanes which God vseth as his instrumentes for our preseruation are not able to doe vs any good at all except God him self take vpon him to be our chiefe watchman and defender God therfore vseth the ministery of these for our succour and reliefe euen as he doth bread drinke and other sustenaunce For as bread and drinke doe not preserue our life for then no man should dye and yet because of the ordinance of God and the fraile condition of our nature they are necessary for the sustentation of our life so doe these meane helpes nothing auayle vs except God the keeper of Israel doe watch for our succour and defence This watching this defence the â—orde of God doth reueile but the fleshe can not see it and therefore by a contrary sense thus it expoundeth these wordes The keeper of Israell that is to say the forsaker of Israell doth not sleepe that is he is not onely in a moste deade sleepe but also is without all sense and is in deede nothing For reason iudgeth according to euery pinch and pange that the flesh feeleth and according to the beginning of afflictions or first assaults and not according to the word and the end or deliuerance which God promiseth in the word Verse 5. The Lord is thy keper and he is thy shadowe or protection at thy right hand In this verse he setteth foorth more at large the certainty of Gods ready helpe and protection Wherin speaking to euery one priuatly he sayth The Lord is thy keeper that no man should doubt to apply that vnto him selfe for his owne comforte which pertaineth to al Israel He is called the shadow at thy right hand to teach thee that he is at hand and standeth euen by thy side ready to defend thee Or else the Lord is thy shadow at thy right hand That is he prospereth all thy affaires he giueth successe to all thou takest in hand If thou be a preacher a teacher in the Church of God if thou trauell in thy vocation vprightly and with a good conscience to prouide for thy selfe and thy family thou shalt not lack thy crosses But be of good comfort for the Lord hath promised to be on thy right hand he will ayde thee and succour thee in all things that thou shalt either doe or suffer But here againe we must remember as I said before that these things are spoken and taught in vaine except we first thinke our selues to be as it were vtterly forsaken and destitute of al help and succour Therefore when he speaketh of this tender care that the Lord hath ouer his in keping in shadowing in defeÌ„ding them that they perish not he meaneth therewithall that they are such as seeme to them selues so to be forsaken and neglected of God as if he had no care of them at all This is therefore a sweete doctrine and full of consolation that the Lord sheweth him selfe to knowe and to pittie our miseries and calamities and commaundeth vs to beleeue that he is our shadowe to couer defend vs against all perils daungers In him therefore let vs assuredly trust with comfortable expectation of most ioyfull deliuerance who hath promised to be with vs with a fatherly care to prouide for vs to defend vs to strengthen to succour and to comfort vs in all our troubles afflictions and calamities Verse 6. The sunne shall not hurt thee by day nor the moone by night The heate of the Sunne maketh mens bodyes weake feeble So doth the Moone also hurt not onely with colde but also with moysture By these speeches he meaneth all maner of tentations and perils and that God will be with vs in the middest of them to succour vs and to deliuer vs albeit we seeme for a litle while to beare all the heate and burden of the day alone that is to be vtterly forsaken and destitute of all helpe and succour But if we were alone then should the tentation haue no ende yea it should presently swallow vs vp for we are not able of our selues to endure the space of one moment Now the Lord suffreth Satan to vomet out his poyson and to practise against vs the beginning of his malice but he will not suffer him to hurt so much as he would doe Therefore because we haue the shadowe to couer vs
to hope c. Yea the crosse and oppression of the Christians is the exaltation and triumph of the Church Let the aduersaries then doe what they liâ—t certaine it is that the more we are cast downe the more we are raised vp For there is no power against the Lorde Christ our captaine and our head hath a power aboue all power whereby he lifteth vp those that are cast downe whereby he raiseth the dead to life and those that are oppressed and ouercome he maketh able with ioyfull victory to ouercome For in that he is God it is his proper office to make all things of nothing and likewise of those thinges which be to make nothing Thus Dauid setteth forth the praise and commendation of Ierusalem For what a great benefite and blessing of God is it not onely to leaue a certain place where the people may come togither to serue and worship God but also a certaine sound of the presence of God by the publishing of his word When he saith This is my rest here will I dwel here will I speake here shall be my word my spirite then all is safe then what worke so euer it be though in outward appearance it seeme neuer so smal it is better then all the treasures of the world then the cutting away of the foreskin of the priuy meÌ„bers is an acceptable worship vnto god To take vp a strawe from the earth if God so commaunded is a greater a more excellent worke and also a worship more pleasing God then all the glittering works of the whole papacy which haue no ground of the word of god This the heathen understood not and therefore they contemned Ierusalem and marueled why the people should resort thether certaine times of the yeare rather then to other cities Like as Naaman Cirus thought at the beginning that the waters of Damascus were no worse then the waters of Iordane but he had no commaundement of the Lord that he shoulde wash him selfe in those waters for the clensing of his leprosie It is the word alone therefore that maketh a difference betwene the Church of God and the Gentiles Papistes and all the Antichristian rable By this word it iudgeth it teacheth it baptiseth it distributeth the Lords supper it comforteth it reproueth it excommunicateth c. Thus I say Dauid extolleth and magnifieth his Ierusalem first in respect of the spirituall building therof because there is the kingdom and priesthood there is the word worship of the Lord then also in respect as wel of the material building as also of those things which pertaine to the good gouernment of a city as peace and vnitie lawes and iudgement but principally he speaketh not of that building and therfore he saith It is edified as a city where all may participate togither that is may come togither to worship the lord For there was no other place in al the world where the people might come togither to celebrate the name of the Lord but Ierusalem alone So that this verse is as an exposition of that place in Exod. VVhere I shall leaue a memoriall of my name there will I come vnto thee c. As if he said that place is Ierusalem in the which the people of God must congregate togither to heare his word to celebrate his name where also the Lord him selfe hath promised to dwell whether the people do flie in all their necessities to call vpon God for help and succoure c. This is the glory of Ierusalem to the which all the glory of the worlde was not able to be compared Therfore in S. Matthew it is called holy is so magnified here of the Prophet Albeit it was afterward horribly prophaned of the Gentiles But why doe the people gather togither in this place Verse 4. VVhereunto the tribes euen the tribes of the Lorde goe vp for a testimony or to testifie to Ierusalem and to praise the name of the Lord. This verse also conteineth in 〈◊〉 the words afore recited out of Exod VVhere I shall put a mâ—moriall of my name c. For this memoriall signifieth the wholâ— worship of God togither with the word that is the preaching of the promises and the law with the ministery of the priestes not â—â—â—ly in the sacrifices of the law but specially in the chiefest sacrifiâ—es of all that is of the celebrating praysing the name of the lord In the which were set forth spirituall consolations of victory against sinne and death and also temporall concerning the kingdom and political order These benefits he setteth forth when he speaketh of ascending vp and maketh a comparison betwene Ierusalem and other cities As if he said Other cities may flourish with riches and power more then this citie but this is it to the which the tribes doe ascend not as they doe in other nations but the tribes of the Lord which the Lorde him selfe hath chosen to be his people aboue all other nations of the earth and he to be their god And here he doth not exclude the Proselytes which were of the Gentiles and did associate them selues vnto this people for he speaketh simply of those that did ascend vp to heare the word and to inuocate the name of the Lord as the words that followe do declare For a testimony vnto Israel to praise the name of the Lord. Whereby he signifieth no other thing but that there was a place in Ierusalem appointed of the Lord for the preaching of the word and prayer And this is worthy to be noted that Dauid speaketh of no moe kindes of sacrifice but of these two onely He saith not that the temple was appoynted of God that sacrifices should there be slaine incence offered oblations made and euery man shewe him selfe thankfull vnto God with his gifts Of these things he maketh no mention at all albeit they were commaunded to be done no where else but in the temple Onely he speaketh of preaching the word and thanks giuing or prayer And albeit he reproueth not these sacrifices yet he plainly declareth that the summe of true religion is to heare the Lorde when he speaketh vnto vs and to inuocate and praise his holy name This is it for the which Dauid so highly praiseth his temple which we also ought specially to beholde in our temples that the tribes doe ascend vp thether to testifie vnto Ierusalem that is to teach and to heare the worde of god For so he meaneth by this word testifie as the Hebrewes haue many words to signifie the ministery of the word and doctrine To vtter to promise to confesse to sitte to iudge to testifie to teach all these words in effect doe signifie as much as to preach or publish the word The preachers are witnesses to the people of that they knowe whiche is not sene nor felt but beleued They are also witnesses which he are the word For when they heare it they testifie or beare witnesse against the
deuill the kingdom of the world sinne and death also against adulterers murtherers theeues false brethren c for the glory of God the aduancing of his kingdom chastitie innocencie charitie c. For God is inuisible and therefore when they are heard which teach and preach vnto vs the word of God then God him selfe is heard For he can not be heard but by witnesses and as S. Paule calleth them by his messengers That which is taught them in the Church is inuisible and absent and therefore can be apprehended by no other meanes but by the testimony of the word So the whole Gospell is a testimony for it speaketh of things absent and it is nothing else but the preaching of faith This I speake for the simple and ignorant concerning this word testifie This is the cause then why Dauid so reioyceth namely that his Ierusalem was builded to this ende that the worde of faith might there be preached whereby the people might learne to know what the will of God is what he intendeth to do with his people what punishment and plagues he threatneth to the wicked And this preaching is the testimony which Dauid here speaketh of made vnto the children of Israell gathered togither in this place whereby they were knowne to be the peculiar and chosen people of God from all other nations as he saith in an other Psalme He hath not so dealt with euery nation Wherfore we also haue great cause to acknowledge the rich blessing of God that the word of God is now purely sincerely preached emongst vs as it was then in Ierusalem and the sweete promises of the Gospell sounding in the eares consciences of the godly to their singular comfort and consolation also the threatnings of God published wherby the wicked are called to repentance and the godly kept in the feare of God and mortification of the olde man through the assistance of the holy Ghost whom the father through Christ and for Christes sake poureth vppon them aboundantly which willingly and gladly receiue this testimony This is one part then of the true worship of God to learne the way how to worship God in such sort as best pleaseth him which consisteth in teaching of the word hearing of God when he speaketh vnto vs by his witnesses and therefore the Deuill desireth nothing so much as to hinder the preaching hearing of the worde For this cause he rayseth vp as ye heard in the first Psalme lying lippes and deceitful tongues he stirreth vp the worlde with sword and power to oppresse the godly and euen in our selues he goeth about to deface this kinde of seruice and worship of God by our deuilish contempt and lothing of the same But contrariwise to build Churches and gorgiously to decke them for the maintenance of masses oblations false worship and idolatrie all this he can abide well enough for by these thinges he knoweth that his strength is not diminished nor his power weakened But when the word of God is preached concerning remission of sinnes the righteousnes that commeth by Christ and life euerlasting this doctrine destroyeth his kingdom This causeth him to rage and to seeke by all meanes possible how he may hinder the course of the gospell The other part of the worship of God is to praise the name of the Lord. This Dauid maketh the second kinde of worship when he commendeth his Ierusalem And here againe note that he speaketh nothing of the sacrifices of the law for albeit he doth not discommend them as I said before yet he reckeneth them but as chaffe in comparison of the word and the fruite which followeth thereof which is thanks geuing And if he had named the sleying of sacrifices euery man had not bene able to serue God with that kinde of worshippe Therefore he requireth nothing else but that which they were able to do without great charges which yet notwithstanding very few did He did not condemne the building of the temple which afterwards should be done by his sonne Salomon but did earnestly desire the same and the cause why he did desire it here you see namely that first the name of God might there be preached and then that God might there accept the praiers of his people with praise and thanks geuing for his benefits receiued Hitherto we haue heard how the Prophete extolleth and magnifieth the incomparable gift benefit of God the word I meane with thanks and praise vnto God for the same For that is a benefite and blessing in dede which is knowne and acknowledged so to be All the world as we see is full euen glutted with the benefits of God notwithstanding it remaineth still in such blindnes that it knoweth them not to be the giftes of God and therefore it taketh and vseth them no otherwise then hogges doe their draffe swill But Dauid seeth that God had geuen him a kingdom wherin the pure word of God and true religion flourished This great benefite he acknowledgeth and therefore he so reioyceth and magnifieth his Ierusalem as a place appointed by the Lords owne mouth where the people might come togither to heare the word of God and to giue thankes vnto God for his benefites out of the which place it was not possible to find god The Gentiles because they had not the word nor this hearing whereof Dauid here speaketh could not find god Hereby we may see how horrible a thing it is to contemne and to loth the word For what can be more horrible then that man a weake creature nothing but earth dust should so lift vp him selfe in pride that when the maiestie of God speaketh most louingly inuiteth him to heare he will not heare And yet we see that there is nothing more common then this impietie this horrible contempt this deuilish lothing of the worde of God emongst all sortes of men The cause is for that we heare not the Lord speaking now vnto vs in his Maiesty as he spake in the moūt Sinai at what time the people were astonished trembled at the terrible voyce of the Lord yet how soone had they forgotten the Lord and murmured both against the Lord and against Moises Thus in his Maiestie he speaketh no more but he speaketh nowe vnto vs by men and therefore he is contemned Horrible it is that Sodome was burnt vp with fire from heauen Horrible it is also that the whole world was destroied with water Moreouer the daily examples of impiety and wickedness as murther whoredom c. are such that they can not be heard without horrour trembling But how horrible so euer all these thinges be yet is it much more horrible to contemne God when by his word he speaketh vnto vs which al the world doth at this day not only they which persecute the word with open tyranny but such also as are euen emongst vs at the beginning seemed to receiue this doctrine with great reioycing Wherefore Dauid exhorteth
vs in this Psalme with thankefulnes to acknowledge this singular benefite of the word and to beware of the horrible contempt thereof Howe much better is it to suffer pestilence famine and the sword howe much more tolerable for Dauid to become both an adulterer and a murtherer so that there remaine a reuerence to the word which repentaunce necessarily bringeth with it then to fall so farre as to contemne the word For this is to heape wrath vpon wrath like as it is to heape grace vpon grace with Dauid to hold fast the word and withall to acknowledge the great benefite thereof To be briefe like as there is no greater ioy and felicitie to the godly then to heare and to know the voyce of God speaking vnto them offering grace peace remission of sinnes and life euerlasting so can there be to them no greater crosse then the contempt of the worde For what doest thou else but contemne God him selfe yea crucifie againe the sonne of God and treade thy Sauiour vnder thy feete when thou contemnest the word of God which for thy saluation is reueiled offered vnto thee No mortal man can abide such intolerable contempt as the Lord our God continually suffereth For he is patient and would that we should conuert and repent but he payeth home at the length as we may see by the fall of the Synagoge and the destruccion of Ierusalem For Christ plainly sheweth that the cause of such horrible calamities was for that they did not knowe the time of their visitation Let vs learne then by these examples what a great blessing it is to heare the Lorde our God speaking vnto vs and as a tender mother with her children most louingly talking with vs For this is it which Dauid meaneth when he speaketh of the ascending vppe of the tribes to Ierusalem and to the house of the Lord to testifie vnto Israel that is there to teache and to heare the word of the Lord and to giue thankes vnto him for his benefites This is that citie therfore that is worthy to be decked with all precious ornaments This is the people of whom our Sauiour Christ sayth Blessed are they that heare the word of God keepe it with a good heart Here is the kingdom of heauen here is the true paradise here are the open gates to euerlasting life Verse 5. For there are the seates of iudgement euen the seates of the house of Dauid This may be vnderstand both of the ciuill gouernment and also of the Church but specially it is spoken of the church And here note that iudgement is taken for doctrine As if he sayd This is the glory of this people that in this place is stablished the chayre and seat in the which the word of the Lord is published taught weake consciences comforted and instructed and the way of saluation layd open vnto men Likewise in the first Psalme he sayth The wicked shall not stand in iudgement that is they doe not perseuer and abide in the doctrine of faith and therefore they are as chaffe which the winde scattereth from the face of the earth The Church of Rome wil now be called the seate of iudgement and euen there also the Lord had once his seate but nowe through wicked doctrine and damnable idolatrie it is the seate of Satan the chayre of pestilence and a denne of wicked spirites This is then the true sense and meaning of these words In this place the word of the Lord is fulfilled promising that he will leaue a memoriall of his name For here he is to be founde here he dwelleth Therefore here is life here is saluation here is remission of sinns here is the tyranny of Satan vanquished c. For all these he meaneth when he nameth the seates of iudgement that is the administration of truth the ministerie of faith the voyce of Gods maiestie speaking vnto his people For as I sayd iudgement signifieth here found sincere doctrine concerning grace faith works magistrates ciuill ordinances c. Where this doctrine is there are the seates of iudgement As we also may nowe glory of our Churches for the sincere doctrine wherby men are truely taught out of the word concerning grace sinne righteousnes faith works obedience to parents and magistrats This doctrin is as it weare a bright shining sunne from whence the Churches doe receiue their light And contrarywise where the word of God is not there are the seates of iniquitie and of Satan him selfe For the worde maketh the seate and not the seate the worde as the Antichristian Church of Rome most damnably teacheth Now whereas with a repetition he addeth Euen the seates of the house of Dauid this is the cause for that he looketh to the promise made vnto Dauid namely that the seate of the tabernacle or the temple should be builded by his sonne Salomon in Ierusalem where iudgement should be exercised that is to say mens consciences comforted terrified instructed by the word and also because the Lord would that Dauids posteritie should reigne after him vntill the eternitie of the heauenly Ierusalem should be reueiled Here is the image of the heauenly Ierusalem also to be consiâ—dered The earthly Ierusalem was builded on a hill so that there was no accesse vnto it but by ascending vpward The celestial Ierusalem is builded in heauen whereunto none can come but by mounting vp with alacritie of spirite out of this earthly mansion and corruptible life and therefore no earthly and carnall men can come there The earthly Ierusalem was builded as a citie for the people of God where they might meete together to serue worship god Likewise the celestial Ierusalem is builded for the tribes of the Lord the elect and faithfull people there to meete togither first in this life by faith and afterwardes by eternall societie both in soule body This Ierusalem Saint Paule meaneth when he saith If ye be risen againe with Christe seek for those thinges which are aboue And the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues admonisheth vs that by faith we are already come to this heauenly Ierusalem Ye are come saith he to the mount Sion and to the citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angells and to the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen to God the iudge of all and to the spirites of iust and perfect men and to Iesus the Mediatour of the newe testament c. The earthly Ierusalem celebrated the name of the Lord with praise and thankes giuing in the congregation In the heauenly Ierusalem the Angells and company of holy spirites doe praise and shall praise the Lord for euer more The earthly Ierusalem had in it the seate of Dauid The heauenly Ierusalem hath the throne of Christ the sonne of God the King of Kings the Lord of Lords of whom Dauid was a figure The earthly Ierusalem had tribunall seates where all things
the rodde of the wicked greeueth you but be of good comfort my people and patiently endure it for I wil not suffer the tentation so farre to preuaile ouer you that your confidence and trust in me shall vtterly faile you Stormes and tempestes shall arise and your daungers shall seeme so great as though the waues should presently swallowe you vp But I will not suffer you to perish I wil bridle their rage and make an ende of the rodde of the wicked If Satan your owne conscience doe accuse you as most wicked and vnrighteous yet will I not leaue you destitute of my righteousnes Thus doe tentations teach vs the true vse and meaning of the first commaundement the which none without afflictions and tentations shall rightly knowe or vnderstand Moreouer we are here admonished of the great daunger that followeth these afflictions tentations which they that through impatiencie forsake the word and faith doe fall into Therefore the Lorde here sheweth him selfe so carefull for his people leste they should fall into this danger For their state which haue once forsaken the word is much more perilous then it was before and into such as our Sauiour Christ pronounceth in the Gospel doe enter seuen spirites much more wicked then the first We must therefore patiently suffer and perseuere in all tentations and rather abide all extremities then once shrinke from the word of life lest we be possessed with seuen spirites more wicked then the first And moreouer we must assuredly trust as we are taught in this verse that so long as we haue a desire and a purpose so to doe the Lord will neuer forsake vs or suffer vs to fall into this impietie For here haue we a manifest promise and a liuely description of the Lordes singular care and prouidence ouer vs namely that he is mindful of the end of our tentations and afflictions â–ª so that we onely continue constant and patient vnto the ende â–ª And if the heathen Poet sayd Endure and reserue yourselues for more happy thinges how much more should Christians diligently stirre vppe them selues with mutuall exhortations to patience and perseuerance whether they outwardly suffer in things perteyning to the body and to this present life or inwardly in conscience For we haue a God which euen in death in hell and in the middes of all our sinnes can saue and deliuer vs. Verse 4. Do wel O Lord vnto them that be good true of hart The Prophet sayth not here doe well Lord to the perfect and such as offend in nothing but to the good true of hart The good and true of heart are they which are of a single sincere and vpright hart For these are they which are most accepted of God although they also through infirmitie doe sometimes offend Now where he prayeth that God will doe wel to the good and godly he meaneth also and secretly complayneth that the godly are in miserie and affliction and that the vngodly do abound with all worldly felicitie As we see at this day the enemies of the Gospel to enioy great riches and dignities whereby they vexe oppresse the godly This is a great offence and stumbling blocke to the godly and therefore the Church hath neede of this prayer that God would doe well vnto the godly which trust in him seeke his glory with their whole hart that they by stumbling at this offence do 〈◊〉 fal away to impietie This prayer conteineth in it a prophecie with a promise that like as he prayeth for the blessing welfare prosperitie of the iust so at the length it shall also come to passe Verse 5. But those that turne aside by their crooked waies the Lord shall leade with the workers of iniquitie but peace shall be vpon Israell He sayth not simply Such as turne aside but such as turne aside by their owne wickednes For to giue place to tentations by infirmitie of the flesh or weakenes of mind or else of faith and so to decline from the right way which commeth to passe sometimes euen in the Sainctes as the example of Peter teacheth is one thing and to fall away through wickednes and peruersenes of heart is another which can not be in the children of God but properly belongeth to the wicked and godles This sort of men hath euer corrupted the Church from the Apostles time and with a shewe of holines hath deceiued the simple which because God punisheth them not but spareth them and suffreth them to prosper in this world become so proud that they will be counted amongest the holiest and of the world are so commonly taken We see that not onely the godly are mixed with the wicked in this world but in the Lords floore also the wheate lyeth hidden vnder the chaffe We must pray therefore that God would bring these hypocrites to light giue vnto them their iust punishment with the workers of iniquitie Then shall peace ensue to the Church of god For whiles the Lord poureth forth his iust vengeance vppon the wicked which vexe and persecute his true members he gathereth togither the good and vpright of heare and openly declareth his fatherly good will and tender loue towards them The .126 Psalme VVhen the Lord brought agayne c. Touching the captiuitie whereof the Prophet speaketh in this Psalme the interpreters doe not agree Some vnderstand it to be means of the captiuities of Babylon some of the captiuitie vnder the Romanes other some doeth take that the Prophete meaneth here all the captiuitie and deliuerances of this people according to that promise Deut. 40. That if they should at any time be ledde into captiuitie for their transgressions and by repentance shoulde returne vnto the Lord he would shew mercy vnto them and bring them home into their land againe But in myne opinion they goe neare to the true sense and meaning of the Psalme which doe referre it to that great general captiuitie of mankind â—nder sinne death and the deuill to the redemption purchased by the death and bloodsheding of Christ and published in the Gospel For this kind of speech which the Prophet vseth here is of greater importance then that it may be applyed onely to these particular captiuities For what great matter was it for this people of the Iewes being as it were but a litle handfull to be deliuered out of temporall captiuitie in comparison of the exceeding and incomparable deliuerance whereby mankinde was sâ—e at libertie from the power of their enemies not temporall but eternall euen from death Satan and hell it selfe Wherefore we take this Psalme to be a prophecy of the redemption that should come by Iesus Christ the publishing of the Gospell whereby the kingdom of Christ is aduaunced death and the deuill with all the powers of darkenes are vanquished This Psalme being thus generally vnderstand may afterward be applyed to euery particular deliuerance Verse 1. VVhen the Lorde bringeth againe the
tentations continuing and succeding one after an other one still following vpon an other But what is the ende of this continuance Euen this that they shall possesse eternall ioy and felicitie As the author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes doth notably declare No chastising sayth he for the present time seemeth to be ioyous but greeuous here you heare of teares but afterward it bringeth the quiet frute of righteousnes vnto them which are thereby exercised here you heare that they shall returne with ioy Albeit then that this seede is prolonged and deferred yet is it not so for euer but the ioy that shall follow is euerlasting Thus the kingdom of Christ consisteth not in the power and riches of the world but in eternall redemption which we must attaine vnto through great afflictions and infinite crosses Wherein notwithstanding we are supported by the word and prayer vntill we come to the fulnes of our saluation in the kingdom of heauen The 127. Psalme Except the Lorde builde the house they labour in vaine that build it This Psalme beareth the title of Salomon and in deede it seemeth that Salomon was the author thereof For Salomon in all his books sheweth him selfe to be a politicall teacher and handleth not the principall article of his father Dauid as touching iustification or as touching Christ the heire and ofspring of Dauid but he treateth of those thinges wherein he him selfe was exercised and whereunto he was appoynted of God that is to say of things perteining to ciuill gouernment And this he doth in such sorte as in politicall matters no Philosopher did euer teach For he applieth all ciuill gouernment vnto faith whatsoeuer is done either in the cōmon wealth or houshold affaires the same he referreth altogither to the diuine spirituall gouernment which other writers whether they be Philosophers or Oratours do not For albeit both lawes do teach reason also doth shew by what meanes a cōmon wealth or a family may rightly be gouerned yet doe they not teach from whence the successe therof must be loked for that the things which are well deuised may prosper take good effect For reason knoweth but onely the materiall and the formall cause the finall and efficient cause it knoweth not that is it knoweth not from whence ciuill and houshold gouernment commeth and by whom it is preserued or to what ende it tendeth Aristotle Xenophon Plato Cicero and others although they wrote very well of ciuill gouernment yet doe they not teach the true efficient and the finall cause thereof For they thinke publike peace honestie and glorie to be the finall and the principall cause And the efficient cause they make a wise man or a prudent Magistrate or as they term him a good man or a good Citizen But we shall heare Salomon disputing farre otherwise For they haue and doe follow onely the iudgement of reason but he hath the holy Ghost which teacheth him the finall and efficient cause of ciuill and houshold gouernment He hath also reason and experience for he gouerned both a common wealth and a family Wherefore he is taught not only by the holy Ghost but also by experience to speake as he doth For he was occupied in great affaires and had experience of high and weighty matters And we ought the more highly to esteme of this Psalme for that it is written of so excellent a man concerning true politicall and houshold gouernment Which Psalme although it be but short for it conteyneth but only sixe verses yet is it full of singular doctrine And as for the formall and materiall cause he toucheth them not For he seeth that there are houses already there are common wealthes well ordered and also furnished with good lawes and Magistrates But is that enough No forsoth For the two principall causes are yet lacking For as touching the formall cause it may be that the Gentiles had better lawes then the Iewes And as touching the materiall cause it may be also that some Magistrates among the Gentiles were better then they which were among the people of god But these are but onely the matter and the forme We must goe further therefore and seeke to know the principall causes of common wealthes and houshold gouernment who it is that maketh a common wealth and familie also to what ende he ordeyneth the same These causes the Gentiles naturall reason do not know For reason beholdeth but onely the matter and the forme and because she knoweth not the efficient cause therof she goeth about to gouerne common weales and families according to that ende which she her selfe doth imagine Therefore she is deceaued and all her policies and deuises come to naught So Demosthenes taketh vpon him to rule the common wealth of Athens he maketh him selfe the efficient cause thereof that is he goeth about to gouerne it by his owne wisedom and policie as a wise man To what ende Forsoth to establish publike peace and tranquillitie to winne glory and quietnes to himselfe and his cuntrey and to the ende that all thinges may come to passe as he by his owne policie and wisedom hath deuised But God who hateth proude deuises and presumptuous enterprises worketh farre otherwise In the matter then and in the forme there is no default but in the efficient cause the wisest man of all is deceaued The same hapned to Cicero in the common wealth of Rome And the same also hapned to Iulius Caesar. Nowe therefore commeth this teacher Salomon which hath a farre other maner of spirite ioyned with great experience which teacheth who is the author and the ende that is to say the efficient and the finall cause of ciuill and houshold gouernment For he comprehendeth both and teacheth that he which would happily gouerne a familie or a common wealth should not make him selfe the principall cause therof for then should he ouerthrow al. For in both kinds of life a man shall finde many troubles which will vexe and torment his minde driue him to impaciencie cause him to despaire and to be weary of all togither yea and to say that Satan brought him into those calamities And not without cause For why doth he presume to take vppon him such a gouernment as is farre aboue his power So Demosthenes being oppressed with many troubles in the common weale sayd that if there were two wayes set before him the one leading to the common weale and the other to death he would chuse the way that leadeth vnto death before the other Likewise it hapneth in houshold gouernment He that entreth into matrimonie promiseth vnto him selfe all easy pleasaunt thinges He thinketh it an easie matter to frame his wife to bring vp his children and to order his family as he him selfe doth imagine When these things proue contrary to his expectation either his wife is disobedient his children stubborn vnthākful his family negligent or his neighbours troublesome
thinges which I haue giuen thee therefore will I preserue thee and thy familie Wherefore if troubles happen somewhat thou must beare and yet must thou not therfore feare that all things wil come to ruine What state or gouernment was more miserable then the gouernment of Dauid and yet it continued vntil Christ was borne and came therof Wherefore what things so euer seeme to be lacking do thou also commit and commend the same vnto me as the Creator and principall gouernour of all So teacheth this verse especially concerning ciuill gouernment And here marke the behemencie of these wordes they labour in vaine For hereof commeth either crueltie and tyranny as is sayd or else a confusion of all thinges and either they forsake their office and vocation or else they presume and wil rule all alone they will labour without the Lord that is to say they will rule by their owne wisedom policie and wil be the principal and efficient cause Therefore Cicero Iulius and others most excellent wise politike men were ouerthrowne which notwithstanding if all thinges had had prosperous successe woulde perhaps haue fallen into tyranny For such as are in authority and gouern with great sucâ—esse are not lightly voyd of tyranny Now as touching the grammaticall sense and meaning of the wordes I thinke ye know that to edifie signifieth not in this place to gather together a heape of tymber and stones but generally all that perteyneth to the house and the whole familie as to rule and gouerne to marry a wife to beget children to bring vp children to nourish the houshold to prouide thinges necessary for the same c. So that the building is here taken for the house well ordered where are good parents and fruitfull which liue in great loue concord togither which haue obedient children wherof springeth vp godly youth and then good men This is the house builded of parents children and a well ordered familie which is a singular blessing and gift of god But otherwise men so liue that albeit the master of the house commaund neuer so much yet is there none that will obey him And this is a ruinous house and a miserable gouernment Thus to labour is to weary thy selfe and so to gouerne in all thinges after thine owne will wisedom and policie that no fault be committed that euery one in thy familie doe his duety in all poynts diligently and vprightly that thou susteyne no losse or hinderance in thy goods or otherwise thus to gouerne sayth he is not to saue and to preserue but to destroy cast away What way then must thou take that thy labour be not in vayne Euen this cherefully gladly to doe what in thee lyeth with all thy strength witte and policie committing thy selfe and thine with all thy affaires vnto God and to trust in him who made thee a husband gaue thee a wife children a house c. If all thinges prosper and happily succede giue thankes vnto God who with these giftes hath so blessed thee If any thing happen otherwise ouercome it with patience what so euer it be and thus thinke with thy selfe that God tryeth and proueth thee whether thou take him to be the true master and gouerner of the house from whom alone come all good thinges or whether thou doest attribute the same vnto thine owne wisedom and policie This is therefore the true wisedom of the holy Ghost that neither can the house be builded nor the citie kept by the endeuour wisedom power or strength of man. But in vayne are all these thinges taught and are as a tale told to a deffe man For the world being both blind and deffe doth as alwayes it is wont that is to say cleane contrary to this doctrine Wherefore this Scripture is set forth for the instruction of that litle number which are godly and beleue in Christ which suffer them selues to be taught and instructed in the lord Others embrace the pleasures of this world and worldly thinges and thinke they belong to them alone and may be gouerned by their wisedom and policie Therfore it commeth to passe that they gaine nothing thereby but vexation and misery and in the ende confusion and destruction And albeit hereof they haue continuall experience and heare it dayly notwithstanding they are neuer the better Verse 1. Except the Lorde keepe the citie the keeper watcheth in vayne Like as before he called the house such thinges as perteyne to to the house houshold gouernment matrimony it selfe so here he calleth the citie a common wealth whether it be a kingdom a dukedom a citie or else any common societie be it great or small Now albeit these things seeme according to the flesh to be vnder our gouernment yet are they in deede farre aboue our power And euery godly minde must be taught to knowe that in some parte of this gouernment either priuate or publike he is as an instrument of god Wherfore we must looke vnto God and assure our selues that all things are wrought all things come to passe by Gods only prouidence and appoyntment aboue and beyond all that we can thinke imagine He that will not beleue this shal receaue the reward which is here set forth to wit that al his endeuour his counsell his policie his wisedom and all his labour shall be in vayne He sayth not Except the Lord build the citie as he did before of the house but he sayth Except the Lord keepe the citie For when the house is wel gouerned then shal it go well with the common wealth For houshold gouernment is the founteyne of the common wealth If father mother husband wife be lacking which should bring forth children nourish them and bring them vp there can be no common wealth Of a house therefore is made a citie which is nothing els but many houses families of cities is made a dukedom or a shire of dukedoms or shires is made a kingdom which ioyneth all these in one Of all these houshold gouernment is the founteyne headspring which was begun of God him selfe in Paradise where he sayd It is not good for man to be alone Also bring forth frute and multiply Salomon therefore doth not here teach howe common wealthes shoulde be planted lawes ordeyned For these were graffed in nature at the beginning For so sayth the text Let vs make man after our owne image And afterward he expoundeth what is ment by this image Rule ye ouer the fishes of the sea and ouer the foules of the ayre and ouer euery beast that moueth vpon the earth Here it appeareth that at the beginning there was planted in man by God him self a knowledge of his creatures a law how to rule gouern them a knowledge of husbandry of phisicke and of other artes sciences Afterward men of excellent wit by experience great diligence did encrease those gifts which they had by
sort For albeit in this Psalme he ioyneth houshold gouernment or matrimony with polycie and politike gouernment and wisheth the blessing of God and peace vnto them both yet hath he here a more respect to housholde gouernment because it is as it were the fountaine and beginning of politike gouernment For the children which we bring vp and instructe at home the posteritie will afterwardes make gouerners of the common weale For of houses are made cities of cities shires of shires a common weale or kingdome Housholde gouernment therefore is called the fountaine of policie politike gouernment For where housholdes and familyes are not maintained there can be no Citie no common weale no kingdome Wherefore to this Psalme we will giue this title that it is an holy hymme or a song in the praise of matrimony whereby the Prophets comforteth such as liue in that holye state wishing vnto them and promising all felicitie and blessinges of god These things may afterwarde be also applyed vnto polytike gouernment For as God blesseth matrimony because it is the ordinance of God and a kinde of life which highly pleaseth God euen so is the Magistrate also ordayned of God and hath a certaine promise of the blessing of God. And here appeareth the wisedome of the holy Ghost which hideth from vs those thinges that in this kind of life are greuous or odious and speaketh onely of those which are most meete to perswade and are good thinges in deede The world doth the contrarie For it is not onely ignoraunt of the good things which are in matrimony but also if it see any such it estemeth them as nothing because of the troubles which presently it feeleth No maruel is it therefore that when wicked men speake of this kind of life they speake after an other sort with other words then the holy ghost is wont to speake For they follow the sense and iudgement of the flesh onely and see nothing else either in ciuill gouernment or in matrimony and housholde affaires but those things which seeme to be painfull hard and full of trouble And not onely so doe but those thinges also which in these kindes of life are diuine and heauenly in deede they doe not perceiue because of those small troubles and discommodities which touch the flesh And hereof come these sayings There is no citie without a burde◠that is without a woman A wife is a necessary euill To bury a wife is better then to marry her If we could be without women we shoulde be without great troubles And such other like sayinges tending to the dispraise and reproch of women The cause why men doe thus peruersely iudge is this that the flesh is to poysoned with originall sinne that it can not be content to beare the punishmentes of sinne It seeketh after such thinges as are sweete and pleasaunt but troubles and trauells it can not beare Wherefore either it flieth altogither from matrimony and all ciuill affaires as the Epicures and bellygods doe or else abuseth the same to his owne lust and pleasure So blind is it through originall sinne with the desire of pleasures ▪ glory and riches Necessary it was therefore to apply some medicine vnto our corrupt nature and somewhat to represse and to bridle the wanton fleshe with those troubles which are both in matrimony and in ciuill affaires Wherefore when we reade these praises of matrimony in the holy Scripture and compare them with the iudgement of man we shall see the one to be clene contrary to the other We must say therefore that these thinges are true according to the spirite but according to the flesh they are not true So where he sayth afterwards of the godly married man Thou shalt be blessed it shall be well with thee the flesh thinketh the contrary and iudgeth the married person to be most miserable and most vnhappy because he is constrayned to get his liuing with great labour and trauell For the world knoweth not the thinges that pertaine to the holye Ghost and the good things and great blessinges of God that are in matrimony it seeth not but resteth onely in the creature and seeth not God creating gouerning and blessing the creature Contrariwise the holy Ghost loketh to the creator magnifieth the blessing of God although it be ouerwhelmed with neuer so many afflictions and tentations And for the troubles and discommodities that are incidēt to these kinds of life either he couereth them or else he maketh them lesse then they be And this the world can not doe The wisest men therefore as in histories we may see did refuse to beare office in the common weale or to deale in publike affaires The same thing commeth to passe also in matrimony For yong men will hardly suffer this yoke to be layd vpon them as the olde man sayth of them in the Poet. They sayth he which are in loue he meaneth vnchast loue and fleshly lust can not abide to heare of mariage They wil not forsake their filthy pleasures to liue chastly in holy matrimony And if there be any which thorough vehement loue are brought vnder this yoke when they see no such successe thereof as they looked for but that some troubles or other doe follow which they being blinded with loue could not foresee then they complaine then they repent that euer they brought them selues into such bondage hereupon it followeth that the husband will rather beare with all wickednes in an harlot a strumpet then with any litle fault in his owne wife as also the wife except she be very godly will sooner winke at the wickednes of an adulterer then at the small offences of her owne husband For nature can not beare these yokes if men be not well instructed by the word and lightned by the holy Ghost and so looke vnto the creator who hath ordeyned both families and common weales will haue them to be gouerned and guided by this miserable and frayle flesh They that haue not this knowledge are soone prouoked to impatiencie when they see that all thinges haue not such successe as they would Wherefore euen such as are godly minded must be taught exhorted and stirred vp to behold some thing aboue beyonde these troubles reiecting the iudgement of the wise men of this world and to looke to the true and inestimable good thinges which God hath hidden in these kindes of life Then shall they more easily beare their troubles and shew their obedience vnto God when he sendeth diuerse tentations And to this ende we will enterprete this Psalme this mariage song that we may behold those spirituall good things which God hath hidden in matrimony esteme the same accordingly to the end that we be not like to this world which seeth the works of God and yet doth not vnderstand them and heareth the blessing and sweete promises of God and doth not beleue them Verse 1. Blessed are all they which feare the Lord and walke in his wayes
man be blessed that feareth the Lord. For the true seruice of God is to feare God to trust in God and to haue thy whole affiance fixed in him Upon these godly motions of the mind afterwards followeth obedience in our vocation and other thinges which are commaunded of god For all these thinges the feare of God doth comprehend They that feare not God vnderstand nothing hereof neither doeth the holy ghost here speake any thing of them Verse 5. The Lord out of Sion blesse thee that thou maiest see the wealth of Ierusalem all the dayes of thy life Now after these high commendations of matrimony the holy ghoste addeth an excellent prayer wherein he desireth that God would blesse more more this kind of life and that for such married persons he would giue peace and tranquilitie to the common weale Nowe all such prayers haue a promise included that all things shall come to passe as they doe pray Moreouer where he addeth The Lord out of Sion c. he doth it because the worship of God was at that time in Sion Therfore not onely in hart they looked towards that place as before we haue declared but they turned their faces also that way when they prayed because God had promised that he would there dwell and there would receaue the prayers and sacryfices of the people Hereof come these sayinges To pray before the Lord To offer before the Lorde To appeare before the Lord that is to say in the tabernacle wherin was the Arke and the mercy seate to the which God had bounde him self that he would there be found Wherefore they called this place the fortitude the kingdom the Maiestie the glory the bewty and the rest of the Lorde as in the Psalmes and the rest of the Prophets is to be seene After the comming of Christ and the publishing of the Gospel this place had an ende Wherefore we say not now God blesse thee out of Sion or out of his holy temple but through Christ our lord For he is our true mercieseat whereof the mercie-seate of the olde Testament was but a shadowe or a figure For in Christ dwelleth the godhead corporally Therefore when we pray vnto God we desire to be heard in the name of Christe and for Christes sake like as by the example of the olde primatiue Churche publike prayers are all finished with this clause Through Christ our lord But hereof somewhat we haue saide before notwithstanding these thinges can not be spoken of enough For this is true Christian knowledge and wisedome that our cogitations shoulde not be wandring and scattered but gathered to one obiect that is to say vnto Christ For like as in the olde Testament the people was gathered togither vnto the Arke or tabernacle and was not suffered to sacrifice in Dan Bethel Gilgal and other places whiche the wicked Idolaters did choose vnto them selues so now to come vnto the Lorde there is no way to be sought by inuocation of Sainetes or any other kind of worship or workes but by Christ and in Christe alone according to that saying VVhatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name he will giue it you For God will no where else be founde or worshipped no not in Heauen but onely in this one person which was borne of the virgine Mary that is in Christe iesu He is the true mercieseate and the certaine throne of the Godhead where the godhead dwelleth and is founde corporally as these sentences of the Gospell doe teach No man commeth vnto the father but by me I am the way the trueth and the life Whoso haue not this obiect their mindes doe wander in infinite errours and opinions as in the example of the religious rable of Munkes Frears and such like it appeareth One order chooseth Frances an other Dominicke an other Benedict and others likewise finde out diuerse other for their Patrones by whose rule as a certaine and vnfallible way they might come vnto life And what did all these Examine their heart and they will all say with one concent that they sought god Nowe they thought God to be such a one in Heauen that if they were couered with a Munkes cowle if they abstayned from fleshe if they lyued without wiues if they touched no money c. then God would heare them and be mercifull vnto them Thus forsaking the true and onely way which is Christe they wandered euery man after his owne way no otherwise then did the Iewes who when they had one certaine way sette before them whereby they might finde God namely if they would goe into the Tabernacle and there worship God there offer sacrifice vnto him they forsooke the onely and true way and ranne to woodes valleyes riuers c. Thus whilest they thought to pacifie and please God they more greeuously offended him as in the Prophetes we may plainely see in diuerse places where God saith that he detested the wayes which they did choose vnto them selues and that he would not be founde of them For why did they not keepe the true and infallible way so plainly set forth and taught by the word of God This haue I spoken to the end we may reade with knowledge that which the Prophet saith here The Lorde out of Sion For he is constrained to make mention of this place for the auoyding of Idolatrie For God did reueale vnto them that in this only place he would be worshipped Wherfore vnder the veile and shadowe of the promise they worshipped Christ also who was included in the promise But now that Sion is destroyed and gone the treasure is opened that is to say Christ who then was hidde in the promise as vnder a veile Wherefore let vs remember that all such places must be applyed vnto Christe Like as also we are taught by experience that in tentations there is no consolation whereby afflicted mindes may be comforted and reysed vp no not in God but that onely which is in christ For it is not onely perilous but also horrible to thinke of God without christ For besides that Satan is then able most easily to oppresse vs with the brightnes of Gods Maiestie there is also great daunger euen in this that God will not so be comprehended or found We must therefore rest and dwell in this only obiect in the which God sheweth vnto vs his will euen Christ. But they which seeke any thing without Christ in their tentations shall feele by their owne perill how daungerous a thing that is But you will say howe doth God now blesse out of Sion any more Euen so that thou shalt see the wealth or prosperitie of Ierusalem that is to say God for the loue he beareth to godly married persons and such as feare God wil giue politiâ—e peace which is a thing most necessary not onely that they may be able the better to prouide for their liuing but also and especially to bring vp their children honestly and in the feare of god And this was
the cause why cities were first builded that men ioyning their strēgth power to gither might be able to defend them and theirs from the force and crueltie of others Afterwards when there was not ayde and helpe enough in one citie many ioyned their powers togither So common weales and kingdoms were first begunne to stablish and mainteyne peace which married persons haue neede of Nowe that nature did thus vnite and ioyne these thinges togither and taught men so to do reason it selfe doth see and perceaue But the true cause the holy Ghost here setteth forth to witte that these thinges come of the blessing which the Lord giueth to married persons but specially to the godly who ought to knowe and acknowledge that the first blessing is to feare God the next is to haue wife and children the third to enioy politike peace and quietnes What wouldest thou haue more Wherefore for thy vine and oliue plantes which thou hast in thy house thou shalt see that the Lord giueth Kings Princes lawes and whatsoeuer is necessary for the defence and preseruation of the common weale and peace And here we are admonished that since Kinges Princes and Magistrates are ordeyned for the benefite of married persons and families they ought likewise to yeld obedience vnto them and whatsoeuer else they haue neede of whiles they watch for the preseruation of peace For they are the ministers of God as Paule calleth them giuen of God for this purpose that we may enioy his blessinges in peace Which peace how great a benefite it is the common prouerbe of the Germanes witnesseth which sayth that a man which hath two kine should giue the one that he may quietly enioy the other For what auayleth it thee if thou haue thy house full of riches and are not able to defend the same against theeues and robbers Seeing therefore that this is done by the Magistrate yea seeing that iudgement and lawes doe restore that to the owner which is vniustly taken away good cause there is why honour and obedience is to be giuen to the Magistrate as the minister of Gods blessings which he bestoweth to the married persons For this third blessing of matrimony is here recited of Dauid that they may see the wealth and welfare of Ierusalem that is to say that they may see Ierusalem flourish first by true religion and sounde doctrine and secondly by godly Magistrates For these are the benefites and blessinges not onely of one house but of all Ierusalem Thus the holy Ghoste commendeth vnto vs the giftes of God in a goodly order The firste is the feare of god This feare comprehendeth the thinges which are conteined in the first table Nowe for the feare of God afterwardes God giueth house and famylye Thirdly for houses and familyes well ordered and gouerned in the feare of God followeth also the thirde blessing that is to say a happy common weale Wherefore let vs learne to vnderstande rightly the benefites which we receaue by godly Magistrates and for them let vs be thankful Againe let vs learne that this gift of God to haue good Magistrats is giuen vnto those and for those maryed persons and those familyes which feare god Which gift the wicked also doe enioy but yet no otherwise then swine doe their draffe and swill without any thankes giuing vnto God or thankful remembrance of this or any other of Gods giftes For as the destruction of Sodome was differred because of Loth so oftentimes for a fewe godly familyes or a godly Prince God blesseth the whole common weale Verse 6. That thou mayst see thy childrens children and peace vpon Israel It is giuen to many to haue children in matrimony and to many it is not Therefore we sayd before that this is a commendation and not a promise perteining to euery man perticularly but generally vnto matrimony to the kinde of life it self So vnto some it is giuen to see the children and nephewes of their children To some againe matrimony is all togither barren and fruiteles For these things the Lord distributeth to euery one as is most expedient for them Notwithstanding the godly married persons must pray vnto God for them and most commonly also they doe enioy them And maruelous is that naturall affection and loue especially in olde men which they beare vnto their childrens children for they loue them more tenderly then their owne Wherefore for as much as this Psalme tendeth to the setting forth and bewtifying of matrimony and wisheth all felicitie to the married persons the holy ghost addeth this moreouer concerning their long and fruitfull posteritie as a singular comfort because he would omit none of those good blessings whiche are giuen of God to suche as are marryed though not to all yet to the most parte Nowe although we sayde before that all such prayers haue a promise included in them yet notwithstanding this is the maner of corporall promises that God giueth them so as is most profitable and expedient for euery man Wherefore we must apply the promise which is included in this prayer to the kind of life it selfe and not to euery married person namely that such as liue in godly matrimony and feare God shall encrease and multiply vnto a fruiteful and a great posteritie and that for their sake the blessing shall flowe vnto all the people as he addeth in this clause peace vpon Israell that is to say all wealth and prosperitie I wish vnto Israell for thy sake Thus the Psalme commendeth and defendeth matrimony against those spitefull sclanders and reproches of the world which can not iudge but according to the sense and feeling of the fleshe Wherefore as it is offended with the troubles and burthens of matrimony so is it offended also with those things which happen in ciuill gouernment when it must obey lawes pay tribute to the Prince or be are any other like burthen For it would so liue that what soeuer is best or most pleasant in matrimonye that onely it would enioy without all griefe or molestation As we may see there be many whiche marry wiues because they imagine that there is nothing in matrimony but mere loue amorous delites and fleshly pleasures In like maner how many shal ye find which through an inordinate loue and desire of glory seeke to rule and be in authoritie But afterwardes when in matrimony they must suffer troubles and vexations and in politike gouernment enuy hatred cursed speaking and sclaunders they cry out that they were deceiued and become impatient Yea it can not otherwise be but that these things must so come to passe For that which is the best and most excellent in both kindes of life the blessing of the Lord I meane they nothing esteme Wherfore we must haue a speciall regard vnto the blessing and we must haue also the word of God before our eyes to the ende that when all other thinges are full of daungers full of troubles miseries and vexations we may rest and
repose our selues vpon the good will and pleasure of our God. Likewise in the Church are not all thinges I pray you full of troubles vexations and wofull calamities in so great a multitude of prophane godles people Notwithstanding all these things when we looke to the will of God are easily borne and ouercome So let vs also in matrimony consider first the word of God then the gift which the Lord bestoweth vppon vs when he giueth wife and children and thirdly Gods blessing and peace in the politike state and common weale For these giftes thus acknowledged let vs afterwards giue thankes vnto god So shal God be prouoked to bestow a greater blessing vpon vs whereas if these thinges be not done we shall prouoke him to take from vs those giftes which we haue So great Empires kingdoms cities common weales might longer prosper and flourish then they do But because they be vnthankfull vnto God and contemne his word they come to ruine and miserably perish Let vs therefore learne to be thankfull and the blessing of God shall abound in vs. The .129 Psalme They haue often times afflicted c. This Psalme consisteth of two partes In the former he giueth thankes to God for the defence and continuall deliuerance of the people of god In the later part he maketh his prayer against the aduersaries in praying he prophecieth withal Both these serue for our instruction and also conteyne an exhortation to patience vnder the crosse which perteyneth not to one age or tyme but as the continuall history of the Church doth shew to all times and to the whole life of man Moreouer we doe here comprehend both Churches of the Iewes and of the Gentiles as Paule also in a maner ioyneth them both togither when he sayth First to the Iewe and then to the Grecian For as touching the Church or people of the Iewes it appeareth by the histories that they were placed in the middes of their enemies as a goodly rose in the middest of thornes On the southside the Ismaelites the Arabians other cruell people vexed them On the west part the Egyptians the Ethiopians the Troglodites and other like On the North side the Philistines the Assyrians c. So the Church after the destruction of the Synagoge is compassed euery way with enemies and Christ according to the Psalme reigneth in the middes of his enemies Thus were they often times and many wayes afflicted But herewithall God shewed this miracle that when they were so afflicted he alwayes deliuered them And thus was the kingdom of Israel a miraculous kingdom in that the Lord when he would correct and chastise them suffered the Philistines Edomites Moabites Assyrians and Babylonians to haue victory ouer them Againe when they seemed to be vtterly oppressed they victoriously preuailed against their enemies So continued this kingdom in despite of the cruel nations round about it and of Satan him selfe as is to bee seene in the bookes of the Kinges and also of the Chronicles Now because this people had both threatnings and promises set before them as touching their afflictions deliuerance this was vnto them a great consolation euen when they were afflicted spoyled that they knew that all these things came to passe not by the wil or power of their enemies and much lesse by their righteousnes or desertes but onely by the will of God thus punishing and chastising his people yea threatning and forewarning them by the Prophetes that he would so punish the disobedient This is no small consolation that in thy affliction and calamitie thou mayst be able to say this is the scourge of God thus correcting me and visiting my sinnes It is not the wrath of God or the merite and deseruing of my aduersary These thinges must we apply vnto our selues also to the ende that when we be oppressed we may comfort our selues that we are not oppressed by the power of death sinne hell or any creature but by the will of God our creator afflicting vs and punishing our sinnes ingratitude and yet so that he leaueth vnto vs this fatherly promise the he will not forsake vs And such a figure of the whole kingdome of Christ is set forth in the Apocalyps For how much doth is speake of euill angells of cruel beasts such other plagues of the Church which should enter into the Church the kingdom of Christ God so permitting Notwithstanding consolation followeth afflictions and calamities and though the Church be neuer so sore afflicted yet shal it continue and endure at the length shall ouercome and victoriously triumph But this Psalme agreeth especially vnto our time wherein the Church hath bene most greuously afflicted both vnder the Turks and also vnder the Romish Bishops yea and as it were vtterly abolished So that if ye wey the matter well it may appeare that the condition of the Iewes in Babylon was better then the state of the Church vnder Antichrist where the true vse of the Sacraments was taken away the benefit of Christ darkned faith extinguished no true seruice of God vsed no true good workes exercised generally all thinges which perteyne to true religion were cleane abolished or most miserably deformed and defaced Wherfore like as the Iewes in Babylon were put from the sight vse of the temple the sacrifices the ceremonies all politike gouernment so the Church vnder Antichrist had no true ministery no true seruice of God not her owne kingdom and gouernment but was constrayned to obserue and keepe the babylonicall and hethenish rites and ceremonies of the Papistes Thus was the wrath and thus haue bene the punishments of God in a maner all one in the Church of the Iewes and the Gentiles Wherefore it is most necessary that we lay hold vpon this consolation that as the Psalme sayth we are afflicted we are cast downe we are troden vnder foote but we are not ouercome For the Church shall stand and remaine inuincible notwithstanding that through great incredulitie and incredible infirmitie the victorye therof is hidden can not be seene As it was vnder the Pope where all Scholes and all Churches taught nothing else but the blasphemous doctrine of the Romish bishops and doting dreames of the Monks This was the very same thing that the psalme 73. complayneth of where it sayth VVe see not our signes and yet God had euen then his Church although it was very litle obscure miserably deformed Before the kingdome of the Romish Antichrist what a swarme of heretikes sprang vp Of whem also the Church was sore vexed and afflicted euen as the Iewes were afflicted of the nations which dwelled nere vnto them And like as the captiuitie followed that affliction of the Iewes so the kingdom of the Romish Bishops was that captiuitie which fâ—llowed the outragious furie of the heretikes out of the which also haue flowed all the euills and plagues which haue bene euer since in the Church as out of a
liuely testimony against the gods Yea the godly are so vehemently tempted through this long continuance fall so farre that they thincke God hath no regard of them Wherfore we must so arme our selues with Christian patience that albeit we feele the tedious long continuance of these furrowes we be not therfore offended but when one tentation is ouercome we must prepare our selues to an other For our backes must be alwayes ready to beare the long continuance of these sorrowes This is the first part of the Psalme in the which he confesseth the diuine miracles and miraculous power of God whereby he preserueth his children not only against the world but also against sinne death and the deuill and praiseth God for that he giueth victory to those that are ouercome and putteth those to flight which doe ouercome This ioyful ende and this successe he willeth vs to looke and waite for and exhorteth vs to patience Now he turneth him selfe to prayer and not onely prayeth but also promiseth to the enemies of the Gospel that although they obstinatly continue in afflicting the faithful without checke or punishment yet shall their ruine ouerthrow be such that they shall neuer rise againe as experience doth shewe For I pray you what kingdom from the beginning of the world hath alwaies continued and prospered The places and spaces of the earth doe remaine void and desolate the kingdoms are gone as though they had neuer bene Againe the crueltie tyranny of the kingdomes of the world was neuer so great that it was able to oppresse the church For the Church stil continueth shall continue to the ende of the world as followeth Verse 4. The righteous Lord hath cut the cordes of the wicked These wordes are so full of consolation that to the children of God in their calamities and afflictions nothing can be more comfortable For they knowe that no munitions no furniture of war can be so strong Firste of all therefore wey and consider why he calleth the Lord Righteous and you shall see that he so doeth because that when a man considereth according to the iudgement of the fleshe the thinges which are here done and how God gouerneth and ruleth the same it seemeth no otherwise but that he is vnrighteous and vniust in supporting the tyranny of the wicked with great riches power dignitie c. When reason seeth this it can iudge nothing else but that if there be a God he is vniust For first of all thus doth reason gather If there be a God he is able to resist the wicked and vtterly to destroy them For to be a God is to be almighty Againe thus carnall reason argueth If there be a God he must needes knowe those thinges which are done in the world For it can not be said of God that he is ignorant of any thing Now what else followeth heereof but that if God knowe these thinges to be cruelly and vniustly done and is able to resist them he ought also to be no lesse willing to doe the same For if we thinke that he wil not doe that whiche he knoweth and is able to doe it must follow that he is not good but euil not iust but vniust Nowe lay these thinges togither If God haue power wisedom and goodnes in him if he be able to helpe if he knowe how and also be willing to help why are all these things done and gouerned in the world in such sort that the wicked haue power riches and dignitie as a rewarde of their impietie and contrariwise the godly for their pietie and godlines are many wayes and most cruelly afflicted All these thinges are a liuely testimony against God as before we said of Diogenes This argument of Epicurus and such like atheistes is to the flesh inuincible Wherefore reason beeing altogither blinded and wrapped in these snares inclyneth to this opinion that there is no God or else that he regardeth not the affaires of men Of this offence and stumbling blocke the holy Ghost warneth vs when he attributeth this name vnto God that he is righteous whom vnrighteousnes and impietie pleaseth not Therefore although he suffer the wicked to flourish for a time yet at the last he cutteth their cordes that is he destroyeth both their power and them according to that saying Thou art not a God that loueth wickednes Wherefore let Christians learne to iudge not by that which presently they fele but by that which the word of God promiseth and shall assuredly come to passe to witte that the wicked when they haue long plowed vppon the backs of the faithfull and many wayes afflicted them shal perish at the length For God is iust and his iustice wil not suffer the righteous to be oppressed Verse 5. Let them that hate Sion bee confounded and turned back This as before I haue said is a prayer But ye know that in euery prayer there is a promise included which promise this word Righteous doth expresse in the former verse with a singular vehemencie to the ende we shoulde not murmur or blaspheme God as though he were not mindfull of vs or had no regard of vs Now where he saith Let them be confounded turned backe it is an exposition of that which he saide before that their cordes should be cut that is to say their kingdoms their power their riches their lawes and finally their whole politike body and common weale should be brought to nought as it befell to Babylon Niniuie Ierusalem Athens Corinth Thebe Rome and briefly to all kingdoms and common weales which did not submit them selues vnto the Gospell For when they proudly stretched out their neckes and set them selues against Christ their Ring and by their power sought to oppresse him they were destroyed In like maner must we also pray and certainely looke for the executiō of Gods vengeance vpon those which at this day haue set them selues against the Gospell as the Pope and his Bishoppes with all their faction and with all the Kings and Princes of the earth which maintaine and defende their impietie for at the last they shall be confounded But the Gospell and the worde of the Lord shal endure for euer For the name of Christ shal neuer be oppressed but being faithfully called vpon shall alwaies be ready to help the afflicted and shall cut the cordes now of this wicked man and now of that Thus the holy Ghost comforteth vs sundry wayes For when we haue learned that Satan is such a spirite as neuer ceaseth to tempt and to vexe vs so that when he can not ouercome vs by the greatnes and the multitude of tentations he goeth about to doe it by the tediousnes and long continuance therof he would haue vs to comfort our selues herewith that albeit these tentations continue long yet notwithstanding they shall haue an ende And since we are forwarned both of the continuance and of the ende thereof it is the more easie for vs to beare them
extremitie of his tentation The minde oppressed with terrour and desperation can not pray so long as such desperate assaultes doe endure but bursteth out rather into blasphemy murmuring against God and can not thinke wel or reuerently of god But when the extremitie of the conflict is past theÌ„ beginneth this crying vnto God and this vehement desire which the mind before oppressed with anguish and sorrowe could scarsely once feele It helpeth an afflicted conscience also very much as I haue said to heare some faithfull brother with comfortable exhortation counsel out of the word of God saying on this wise Brother why art thou so heauy harted Doest thou not heare that God will not the death of a sinner hast thou forgotten that God commaundeth thee to beleeue in him to trust in him Looke vpon the first commaundement What is it what requireth it else but that we shoulde worship God in faith and hope Why then shouldest thou not trust in his gooâ—nes and mercie Why shouldest thou despaire This is to heape sinne vpon sinne and whereas thou wast a sinner before in the second table and in the inferior degre of the commaundements of God now thou settest thy selfe in the firste table also and in the highest degree adding to thy other sinnes desperation and incredulitie c. When the heauy and troubled conscience is thus earnestly stirred vp to a stedfast hope and trust in God and to the consideration of Gods great mercie and goodnes towardes the penitent and afflicted then beginneth to arise some sparke of faith and groning of the harte bursting out into these or the like wordes Oh that I could These vnspeakeable gronings the spirite helpeth and at the length there followeth some feeling of relese comfort For God can not reiect or neglect these gronings Of these gronings we see a shadowe as it were in the first verses But why doest thou grone why art thou heauie Harken what followeth Verse 3. If thou Lorde wilt streitly marke what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it This verse in our diuinitie is well knowne neither doe I seee how either our aduersaries or Satan him selfe can auoyde it For what can they say or what haue we here that may moue vs any way to doubt As for Dauid it is witnessed of him that he was a man after Gods owne hart and in deede he is a singular example to all posteritie in all kind of godlines For although through the murther of Vrias and his adultery with Barsabe he is not with out reproch yet how great was his humilitie when the Prophete reproued him and how feruent was his faith when he raysed him vp againe Beholde moreouer his singular patience in affliction his carefull and continuall trauell for the amplifying and adnauncing of the kingdome of God of the true seruice and worship of god What should I say more Dauid hath not many fellowes whether ye consider his life and his faith or the witnes pronounced of him by the Lorde him selfe and yet he notwithstanding so excellent and so holy a man is compelled plainely to confesse his imperfection saying If thou Lorde wilte straitly marke what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it Is not this then absolutely to deny all the righteousnes puritie holines of men what so euer they be Likewise in the 31. Psalme thus he speaketh euen of those whom he calleth godly and holy For this shal euery one that is godly pray vnto thee that is for pardon and forgiuenes of their sinnes Where are they then that so highly extoll the righteousnes of workes seeing that Dauid him selfe in the sight of God simply renounceth and reiecteth his workes and all manner of righteousnes and onely desireth that the Lord would not streitly marke his iniquities But in deede our aduersaryes talke now somwhat more moderately in this matter then heretofore they haue done For they doe not now deny that faith iustifieth but yet they say that that faith which iustifieth must be furnished with charitie Thus like pies parrets they chatter and prate that they them selues doe not vnderstand But furnish faith how so euer ye list yet is this a general sentence If thou Lord wilt straitly mark what is done amisse O Lord who who may abide it Surely no man liuing For if any man had bene able to abide it then Dauid no doubt had bene able being so holy a man so perfect in the word of the Lorde so often and so many wayes exercised and tryed with afflictions to confirme and stablish him in faith and in the feare of the Lorde For I doe not thinke that emongest all the Papistes there is any one so impudent that will not thinke him selfe farre inferiour to Dauid and yet Dauid saith that righteousnes commeth not by workes For sayth he If thou wilt marke what is done amisse no man shall bee able to abide it or to stande in thy sight O Lorde Wherefore let no man trust that by his owne merites or righteousnes he shall be able to stande against the terror of death and the iudgement of god Neither doe I suppose that emongest our aduersaries there is any suche as dare presume to enter into the iudgement of God trusting vpon his owne righteousnes and yet they teach commaund and exhort other so to doe But we teach a contrary doctrine leading the Church from this false trust to a trust and confidence in the merite and death of Christ and for this cause they condemne vs as heretikes Is not this extreme malice They will not doe them selues that they teach other to doe For when death coÌ„meth they dare not trust to their owne merits and yet will they force other so to doe or most cruelly condemne them for heretikes Thus we are taught by the experience of all such as are not vtterly voyd of vnderstanding that no man liuing ouercommeth by his owne works or righteousnes in Gods sight and yet the whole nature of man when it is not vnder tentation still looketh vnto workes and seeketh meanes how it may by them please god But here is set forth vnto vs a simple and a plaine doctrine If thou Lord will marke what is done amisse none shall be able to abide it Who would then desire to enter into iudgement that he may be ouercome condemned cast away for euer This is therefore the summe and effect of all togither that we all Dauid Peter Paule c. were borne that we are that we liue and we die sinners But this is our glory our health and safetie that when by the Gospel we be instructed of the mercie of God and merite of Christ we leape ouer the boundes of the lawe and out of our owne workes as it were into an other world and into a newe light and comming vnto God with boldnes we say O Lorde we can not contend with thee in iudgement we can not dispute with thee as touching our
assayle vs as pouertie sicknes vexation of minde and such like we should endure these tentations with faith hope declaring our patience towards God and hoping for deliuerance at his hande in his good time Like as Paule also writing to the Romans willeth vs to reioyce euen in our afflictions and tentations For if God did not loue vs Satan would not hate vs If we were not partakers of life our enemie woulde not persecute vs with death So those which are most iust and holy because they hold fast the hope of the remission of sinnes Satan tempteth most of all wich the horror of sinne yea and that in such wise as some times the taking of one litle cuppe of wine or of one word vnaduisedly escaped he maketh such a sinne that baptisme and al other giftes and blessings which we possesse seeme now to stande vs in no effect Yea many times euen those works which are good and holy he reproueth and condemneth as most wicked that he may bring the tender and timorous conscience into heauines All these thinges I say the godly doe finde and feele But if we should follow our owne sense and feeling without the worde howe farre and how miserably should we wander from God Thus Satan dealeth not with the Papistes but goeth a contrary way to worke excusing yea highly commending in them most horrible and detesâ—able crimes as excellent vertues Contrariwise we that desire and endeuour to liue according to the will of God and moreouer doe teach the word sincerely and faithfully doe often times suffer such trouble and vexation of conscience as if we liued most wickedly We must learne therefore out of the word that these thinges hâ—ppen to the godly and must be ouercome with such cogitations as the holy Ghost here setteth forth So that we must thus thinke with our selues I am called to the Communion and partaking of the merite of Christ and am baptised If in the common course of this life there be any offences by me committed there is mercy with the Lorde and in hope of this mercie I will let them passe Moreouer our doctrine although the world sclaunder it and most spitefully persecute it must needes be true This doctrine after that we once beleue in Christ sheweth vnto vs that with the Lord there is nothing else but mercie For God can no otherwise doe but loue vs and bestowe his benefits vpon vs Now if the contrary appeare to my sense and feeling I passe not neither if I should die for it would I suffer this knowledge to be wrested from me but I stedfastly beleue that in the earth beneath and in the heauen aboue there is nothing else but mercie Thus to beleeue I am perswaded not by feeling or by mine owne experience but by the word which saith that with the Lord there is mercie for me and all that doe beleue But for them that beleue not there is nothing else but wrath I will therefore ouercome my tentations with the word and will write this promise in my hart that since I beleue in Iesus Christ doubt not but that my sinns are pardoned through his blood I shall not be confounded although all sence reason and experience would perswade and proue to me the contrary In my selfe I perceaue nothing vut wrath in the deuill nothing but hatred in the world nothing but extreame furie and madnes But the holy ghost can not lye which willeth me to trust because there is mercie with the Lord and with him is plentiful redemption Redemption signifieth deliuerance and that generall as wel from the faulte as from the punishment but specially from the fault This redemption he calleth great and plentifull because the straitnes of our hart is such that it can not comprehend the same For when we pray we so pray that it seemeth we woulde be content with a litle So they that are in trouble heauines of minde doe wish for the comfort and quietnes of one day They that are in pouertie would be glad to haue bread for the preseÌ„t day But God doth not thinke this enough for he giueth aboue all that we can either conceiue or aske And most true it is that we do not knowe howe or what to aske And here I gladly vse mine owne experience For what and how much hath he giuen vnto me alone I wished no more but that the horrible abuse of the Popes pardons might be taken away but what a floode of wonderfull and incomparable benefites hath followed So is it alwayes true that no man dare aske so much of God as God is ready and willing to giue The cause hereof is the straitnes of our hart the slendernes of our hope and weakenes of our faith This plentiful redemption then aboue all measure exceedeth all our petitions and desires Wherefore the Lorde hath giuen vs all a forme howe we shoulde pray For if we had not this forme of prayer prescribed vnto vs which of vs durst be bold to aske so many and so great things We are now therefore not onely made conquerers of sinne hell and death by the merite of Christ but also doe feele the bountifull and liberall hand of God towardes vs euen in this life And albeit we could neuer haue bene bold to aske so much and so many thinges yet notwithstanding he hath giuen vs these thinges and will giue vs also more Therefore the Prophete saith that this redemption is plentifull because it exceedeth our capacitie For like as we slenderly beleeue so we slenderly aske But our father in heauen rayneth plentifully vppon the litle poore sparkes of our prayer and small droppes of our faith and recompenseth his delay in giuing with great abundance For although we must still waite yet is our deliuerance so much the greater Iacob which is Israell waited for the Lord what followed That people so mightely increasing and multiplying of so small beginnings afterward chaunged the whole world And if Abraham had seene all his posteritie and all the wonderful actes which God wrought amongst them woulde he not haue said thinke you that he coulde neuer haue hoped or once haue thought that this should euer haue come to passe True it is that Abraham beleued the promise of God But that there should be such a wonderful and glorious bewtie of his posteritie he could not beleeue because of the straitnes of mans hart So the Church after Christ prayed for the aduancing of Gods kingdom and after this praier followed the ruine of the Romane kingdom which before seemed to be inuincible We likewise pray at this day for deliuerance The day of the Lord therefore shall come and shall destroy the whole world with all the power of Satan hel This onely therefore let vs endeuour that we may continue in faith hope Then shall the Lord make a glorious ende of all our troubles For God wil not forsake vs except we first giue ouer to hope and
against an other but there was one temple one Arke one altar and no more Like as we haue one Christ in whom God dwelleth and in whom he is found Therefore by an excellent name and title he calleth it the Arke of strength that is to say of the kingdom Likewise he sayth Psal. 110. The Lord shal send the scepter or rodde of thy power out of Sion Also Psal. 8. Out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hast thou ordeyned strength So is that called the Arke of strength where God mightely reigneth where he helpeth and defendeth his people where he exerciseth his power for their succour and safety in hearing them in forgiuing their sinnes in comforting them against Satan death and hell it selfe This diuine power sayth he is bound to this Arke and therefore it is truely called the Arke of strength This strength and this power was also bound to the Altars of the fathers but now it is bound to the man borne of the virgine Marie To this man who so euer commeth shall feele a diuine power If he dye he shall find life If his conscience be oppressed with sinne he shall finde remission of sinnes If he be tormented of Satan he shall find peace If he be vexed of the world he shall find securitie and victorie For Christ whose kingdom it is doth not therefore reigne that he may enrich vs with worldly goods landes and possessions for these are promised vnto vs in the first of Genesis but that he may set forth his diuine power and rich mercie and set vs free from those calamities out of the which we are not able to redeme our selues Like as he deliuered the faithfull in those dayes from all daungers For the Arke was vnto them as an heauen where they found deliuerance from all miseries as the people was the kingdom and the faithfull were the â—tarres of heauen Therefore Daniel sayth of Antiochus that he should cast downe starres to the ground For whereso euer the word of God is there is the kingdom of God of heauen of life of victorie ouer death sinne and all miseries Thus ought the word which of the world is contemned and despised to be exalted and magnified Verse 9. Let thy Priestes be clothed with righteousnes and lee thy Sainctes reioyce This petition is the same which we vse in our preachings when we desire that the Lorde would giue vnto vs godly faythfull ministers of the worde and suffer no euill teachers to haue place among vs For God in his kingdome is like vnto an Emperour Wherefore as the noble men and chiefe Magistrates are Ministers vnto the Emperour and are the principall part of his kingdom so in the kingdom of Christ are the Angells of peace or the ministers of the Gospel They therefore which pray for the kingdom of God must needes pray that the Lord would giue faithfull Pastours and Ministers as he him selfe commaundeth saying The haruest is great Pray the Lord of the haruest that he would send forth laborers into his haruest The labour and trauell of these workmen is to communicate doctrine consolation threatnings c. and to minister the Sacramentes That these thinges may be rightly done the labourers must needes be clothed with righteousnes and not onely with that righteousnes which belongeth to euery man and is not without corruption but specially with that righteousnes which belongeth to the ministery and to the word which is pure and without all corruption This is that righteousnes whereby the kingdome of Christ is gouerned that is to say the word and the Sacraments Moreouer the Pastors and Ministers of the word are then clothed with righteousnes when they execute a righteous office that is when they teach the word sincerely as Peter sayth If any man speake let him speake as the wordes of God. Also when they minister the Sacraments purely and without corruption so that whatsoeuer they doe or speake be either the word or the work of god So he that baptiseth doth no worke of his owne but he baptiseth in the power of god Likewise he that comforteth the afflicted conscience doth it not of him selfe but by the direction of the worde and will of god Wherefore he also that heareth this worde must not take it as the worde of a man but as a voyâ—s sounding from heauen So the ministery is righteous which is truely executed in the power of God and this is true righteousnes Contrariwise they which teach men to trust to their owne merites works and worthines and prescribe a certaine forme of apparell of eating of fasting and such like wherein all the righteousnes of the Papistes and the Turkes doth consist such Priests I say are clothed with iniquitie For they haue lost the chiefe ornament and the true apparell of their ministery because they doe not teach rightly nor gouerne truely but seduce men rather with a false shew of their gouernment ministery and that by the malice motion of Satan which hateth this heauenly ministery and peruerteth the ministers The summe and effect therefore of this prayer is that they which attend vpon the Arke of strength may gouern righteously that religion may continue and flourish that the word may be effectuall and bring forth frute that terrified and afflicted consciences may be raysed vp and comforted that secure profane and presumptuous persons may be beaten downe with threatnings and the terrour of Gods wrath that the weake may be strengthened that the simple and ignorant may be instructed Which thinges by the grace of Christe are diligently and faithfully done in our Church And let thy Sainctes reioyce Here we see that God is not delited with the heauines vnquietnes and vexation of conscience which sinne and the feare which naturally followeth sinne is wont to bring but with a chereful hart Seeing therefore that there be two kingdoms namely the kingdome of death and the kingdome of life or the kingdom of hell and of heauen he desireth here that the faithfull may be kept in the kingdom of life enioy the peace and comfort of conscience which the righteous ministery of the Pastors and Preachers of the word bringeth With this prayer agreeth that prayer of the Apostles wherewith they begin their Epistles Grace be with you and peace from God the father c. Grace is the remission of sinnes After this grace followeth peace or a good conscience which here he calleth a reioycing Let thy Sainctes reioyce saith he that is let thy people togither with the Pastors and Ministers hearing the word of the righteous ministery be ioyfull triumph in that word He calleth them Sainctes or holy because of the vse of the word and the ministery which are holy So the Iewes are called holy because as before I haue said there were emonges that people which had the arke and the word of God which were holy thinges in deede and did sanctifie
and make men holy So our Church is called holy not onely for the holines of the persons but rather for the holines which the word and Sacraments doe bring vnto those whiche vse them rightly To those he wisheth ioy and gladnes and that they may reioyce and be mery in the Lord. The meaning then of this clause is this that Christ Iesus our King hath giuen vnto vs his word hath commaunded vs to be baptised to vse the Sacrament of his body and blood not be cause he would destroy vs oppresse vs with sorrow and driue vs to desperation but to this ende that we should reioyce and be merry hauing peace and a good conscience by his free grace and mercye The kingdom of Christ therefore is the kingdom of ioy and delyuerance as an other Psalme saith in the tabernacles of the righteous that is in the Church and among the faithful it is the voice of reioycing For they knowe that Christ their King would that they should haue comfort life and victory against death and Satan This is then the reioycing triumph of Christians or as here he calleth them of the Saincts Why then should a Christian be heauy or sorowfull since that he is called into the kingdome of Christ and of grace baptised and nourished with the body and blood of Christ and dayly raysed vp by the word against desperation and all terrours If I then doe yet remaine in bitternes and heauines of spirite the fault is not in this kingdome nor in the word or Sacraments but in me and in the deuill because I doe not with a true faith lay hold vpon the word and thorowly beleeue it For why should I feare if I did verely beleue that I am baptised called made pertaker of the body and blood of Christ and so receiued into the kingdom of life comprehended of grace as Paul speaketh and shut vnder the mercie of God These are nothing else therefore but the subtill sleightes and deceits of Satan which will not suffer vs to see our inestimable riches and glory but counterfetteth tentations and crosses where no crosse is but health and victorye Wherefore it was well said of that Christian virgine who being tempted of Satan answered that she was a Christian and so rested wholy in that man Christ. For we may not reason muche with Satan If he obiect vnto thee thy sinnes it shal suffice if thou obiect vnto him againe thy baptisme which he can not deny Also if thou lay against him the word whereby thou wast called into the kingdom of grace which for as much as it is the word of God how can it deceiue thee Thus in a Christian heauines can take no place if in his hart he doe acknowledge baptisme the word the communion of the body and blood of Christ the grace the fauour and the mercie of god How can he then but reioyce and be glad But because we often times suffer the worde and these giftes of God to be taken from vs and turne our eyes an other way it can not be but that heauines and terror must needes follow And this commeth to passe by the faulte partely of our selues as I haue saide and partly of Satan who leadeth vs from the word before we be ware and maketh vs to thinke of our owne worthynes or vnworthynes of our good or euill desertes also of the terror of death of the torments of hell c. When we thinke of these things if we lay not hold vppon Christ we perish and are swallowed vp with anguish and sorrowe for this is to lose the Arke of the couenant They therefore which in these daungers take holde agayne of the word are safe and are now able to say with Dauid VVhy art thou cast downe O my soule and why arte thou vnquiet within me For I am nowe in the kingdome of Christe that is in the kingdome of peace of ioy and eternall reioycing sauing that it is hindred by the deuill and by our owne flesh which is more ready to beholde her owne sinnes and vnworthynes then baptisme the word and the sweete promises of god And this is the wisedome yea the poyson which is hidde in our flesh that we are more moued with our owne vncleannes then with the purenes of the word and the Sacramentes They then whiche rest in the word are in a sure hauen of safegarde from all these tempests and terrours We must pray therefore that God would giue vs good Pastors faithful wise and godly disposers of the word of god For by their meanes and ministery the Churche doeth enioy this inestimable benefite and blessing whereby it triumpheth ouer death sinne and the deuill For it knoweth that it is nowe in the kingdome of grace This is true and perfect peace namely the peace of the hart and conscience Thus the Prophet desireth as an inestimable gifte that the pastors and Ministers of the word may be clothed with righteousnes and then that the people also may reioyce This is the firste parte of this Psalme Now followeth the seconde parte Verse 10. For thy seruaunt Dauids sake refuse not the face of thine annoynted This is a newe prayer which he maketh in the trust and confidence which he hath in the promises For here as also before the name of Dauid doth not properly ssgnifie the substance but â—he qualitie of Dauid that is to say Dauid clothed and adorned with the promises of the kingdom As if he sayd O lord I beseech thee preserue and blesse our kingdom be thou present with vs be thou our shield and our defence And this I doe desire not for myne owne cause onely as though there were any worthines in me wherefore thou shouldest graunt me this petition but I desire it in the trust of thy promises which thou madest vnto my father Dauid when thou saydest that thou wouldest giue a light vnto the house of Dauid c. And here haue we both an example and doctrine set before vs that we also when we pray vnto god should looke specially vnto the promises as we haue sayde sometymes heretofore Moreouer this place admonisheth vs of the difference which is betwene the spirituall the corporall promises For the corporal promises haue a condition as touching our workes ioyned vnto them So the corporal kingdom was promised to Dauid with this condition If his posteritie should continue in the word the wil of the Lord as in Moses it doth appeare But the spirituall promises are grounded vpon no condition of mens workes but vpon the onely mercy truth of the lord Therefore although the people of Israell were depriued of the kingdom driuen out of their land yet notwithstanding the promise as touching the seede of Abraham was not taken from them For thus sayth the text Although I cast them out viset them with scourges yet my mercy I wil not take from theÌ„ Likewise Esay sayth God
shall make the consumption which he hath determined in the whole lande That is to say God shall consume and destroy the people for their sinnes yet for his own mercies sake he will preserue a remnant out of the which shal rise a new people a new church So the promise in this place made vnto the house of Dauid is cōditionall as the ende declareth in that the whole kingdom is destroyed Notwithstanding this is also true which the Angel saith he shal sit vpon the throne of Dauid for euer This contradiction can neuer be reconciled vnlesse we make such a difference of the promises of god And hereof riseth all the errour of the Iewes that they know not this difference They see great and ample promises concerning their land their kingdom but they see not that they are conditionall And againe all those things which are promised as concerning the spirituall kingdome they apply to the corporall kingdom Hereof it commeth that they glory so much and conceaue so great hope that their kingdom shall be restored But it is an easie matter to iudge how foolishly they are deceiued But we will returne vnto the Psalme The cause why he maketh mention of Dauid we haue declared to be the promises made vnto Dauid for the which he desireth of God that he will not turne away the face of his anoynted that is to say of the King which was anoynted by the word commaundement of God. Now the face of the anoynted he calleth the presence of the King or the kingdom giuen and ordeyned of god As if he sayd Preserue O Lord thy people mainteyne the iustice the iudgementes the equitie the whole politike gouernment of this kingdom that all thinges may be done in due order so that publike peace be not troubled by sedition and ciuill discord that discipline be not defaced and deformed by adulteries and other offences For these things and such like doe perteyne to this kingdom For to enioy a kingdom is not to enioy a crowne or a scepter but a godly ordered common wealth in the which innocencie may safely dwell and contrariwise sinne and wickednes may be seuerely punished All these thinges he prayeth for when he desireth that the face of the anoynted may not be taken away Nowe the cause why he desireth these thinges is for that this people had the word the Church of God emonges them which can not prosper and flourish where all is full of murther adultery warre and contempt of lawes So Paule likewise exhhorteth vs to pray for Kinges and Princes that we may leade a peaceable and a quiet life To this prayer doe we also exhort those ouer whome we haue charge Why then do the wicked accuse vs as troublers of the publike peace ▪ I am verely perswaded that if peace and quietnes be mainteyned by any meanes it is specially by the praiers of our Churches For how should the aduersaries pray what should God giue vnto his enemies the persecutors of his word which are in deede vtterly ignorant what true prayer is or howe they ought to pray Verse 11. The Lord hath sworn in truth vnto Dauid he will not shrinke from it saying Of the fruite of thy body will I set vpon thy throne We are entred as I haue sayde into the second parte of the Psalme in the whiche hee prayeth for the politike or corporall kingdome For these two kingdoms namely the politike and the spirituall kingdom although they be farre vnlike yet are they so ioyned togither that the one can not stand without the other For where politike peace is lacking there can no pietie or godlynes be maintained without great daungers Againe where the worde of God is not there can be no ende of errours blasphemies and other impieties Prayer therefore for politike peace and the common wealth is necessary Now when the word is ioyned withall the greater cause we haue to giue thankes vnto god And this prayer as I haue said is also grounded vpon the promise of god For in prayer we must aske nothing but that wee are certainly perswaded we may or ought to praye for or may be obtayned Now that we may be certaine how to pray what to aske there is not onely a commaundement as touching prayer set forth vnto vs but also a certaine forme of prayer and the very words wherby we are taught how to pray and what we should pray for and moreouer certaine causes expressed for the which we may be assured that our prayer pleaseth God As when we pray for the sanctifying of the name of God the comming of his kingdome c. And here is also to be noted that this promise is confirmed with an othe that it might be the more sure and certaine This promise as touching the temporall kingdome as it is great so was it an occasion to many holy Prophetes of great affliction and cruel death For as the promises of God in their right vse doe raise vp and comfort afflicted and godly mindes so by occasion thereof secure and prophane spirits ware proud presumptuous and through the confidence they haue in these promises they afterwards persecute the godly as we may see by manifest examples in the Prophets who because they reproued the idolatries of the Kings and condemned their false and damnable worshippings threatning the destruction of the kingdome and of the people vnlesse they woulde forsake their abominations turne vnto the Lord were tormented and put to death as heretikes for that they seemed to speake against this and other promises And in deede this seemed to be an inuincible argument whiche they vsed against the Prophets If God said they haue promised that the sonnes of Dauid should sit vpon the throne of Dauid for euer it is impossible that the King should commit any such offence for the which the kingdome should be destroyed The kingdom of the Pope hath not so goodly and so glorious a pretence and yet doth he also abuse the promises of Christe in like maner to establish his tyranny his idolatries and abominations How doth he bragge of this promise of Christ when he faith I will be with you vnto the ende of the worlde As though this pertained to the establishing of the Popes tyranny So that sweete consolation The gates of hell shall not preuaile c. afterwards became bloody and cruel and was an occasion of death and destruction of many Sainctes for that the Pope did apply it vnto him selfe and abused it for the stablishing of his tyrannicall kingdome For this was the only argument whereby they proued that the Pope being the head of the Church could not erre Thus the wicked doe abuse the promises which God hath set forth to raise vp the afflicted minds and consciences of his people against the true Church This was the cause why Amazia the Priest could not abide Amos the Prophet In the middes of thy house sayth
Paule sayth that he is able through Christ to doe or to beare all thinges to abound and to lacke to be full and to be hungry to be praysed and to be dispraysed c. and that because we haue a kingdom in heauen and we looke for a Sauiour who hath begunne to giue vnto vs these thinges by the word and Sacraments And if he leaue vnto vs no more but the ministery of the word sincere and sound we care not much for all other thinges This is therefore a singular promise and consolation that the Church and the word shall endure to the ende of the world not by the counsell or wisedom of man but by God him selfe clothing his ministers with saluation Albeit therefore that vnder Achas and other vngodly Kings all thinges were full of idolatrie yet were there certeine Prophets by whom the word was preserued And in the time of Christ the blindnes of that nation was incredible and such as I thinke neuer was before Notwithstanding there was Anna and Simeon which then acknowledged and preached christ This is in deede the great worke of God thus clothing with saluation that is with his mightie and victorious word with his true and holy worshippe his ministers that out of the mouthes of men our saluation and our glory may be heard This is a farre more excellent clothing then were those Aaronicall garmentes of Moises that the Pastours and Preachers of the Gospell are furnished and adorned with the wordes of saluation and the doctrine of truth whereby they may be able not onely to instruct the people committed to their charge but also to confuâ—e and confound the aduersaries For to this ende serueth the garment and the clothing of saluation that is to say of victorie which is obteyned by the pure word and holy ministerie The second part of this promise is that he will giue successe and fruite vnto the word to witte that so many as heare these Priestes these Pastors and Preachers and beleeue the word are sanctified and their harts are replenished with peace and ioy they faithfully trust in God whom they know to be well pleased with them and of whom they beleue that they are beloued This peace of the hart is our kingdom of heauen which we haue in this life For it is an incomparable treasure in comparison whereof all the kingdoms and riches in the world are but dyrt and dunge So the Psalme ioyneth these two thinges togither that by the Preachers and Ministers he wil giue his mightie and victorious word and faith vnto those that heare them that so all may be saued and with ioyfull hart may prayse and magnifie such a gracious and a mercifull God. He that beholdeth the outward shewe and face of the Church will iudge these thinges to be false and farre otherwise For these wordes are spirituall and must not be vnderstand according to the flesh For if a man follow the outward appearance he will rather iudge the Pope and the ministers of Satan to be clothed with saluation For they triumph in great securitie euen when they think and speake those thinges which are most contrary to Christ and the true Church On the other side the Christians or the true Church are afflicted vexed tormented within and without of Satan and cruell persecutors No man will thinke these thinges to be saluation or ioy but miseries and perpetuall calamities But turne thou thyne eyes away from the outwarde shewe and appearance and beholde that Maiestie which speaketh to thee in the word and promiseth to be mercifull vnto thee If therefore thou be in the fauour of God if he hate thee not but loue thee if he cherish and defend thee I pray thee what are all the calamities in the world Are they not all be they neuer so terrible and intolerable swallowed vppe in that bottomles sea of the infinite and vnmeasurable mercies of God Verse 17. There will I make the horne of Dauid to budde I haue ordeyned a light for myne anoynted He continueth in the promise of the kingdom the priesthood that not onely the saluation and ioy of the Priestes and the faithfull people should be defended against fantasticall spirites which that nation was neuer without but also that this kingdom should be defended against outward enemies and other nations abroad and at home against seditious persons For like as amonges the Leuites there were many fantasticall and hereticall spirites so in the other estates there were also many seditious heades as the histories doe shewe Howe many had Saul which woulde not acknowledge him for their King After that Saul was killed and Dauid was saluted and taken of the trybe of Iuda for their King all the rest of the tribes forsooke him and followed Ishbosheth the sonne of Saul This dissension endured seuen yeares and six monethes as it is declared 2. Samuel 2. Now who knoweth not what stormes of seditions and battayles Dauid afterwardes suffered in the kingdom Agayne after the death of Salomon this kingdome was vexed with infinite seditions by wicked Ieroboam Agaynst these enormities the Psalme armeth and confirmeth the people and promiseth that the horne of Dauid shall endure being exalted and stablished by the Lorde him selfe Such was the condition of this kingdom that the pure and holy Priesthoode Satan corrupted by sectes and schismes to ouerthrowe the sound and true doctrine of the worde and in the ciuill gouernment he stirred vppe rebellious and disobedient persons Thus Satan rageth with lying and falshood agaynst the spirituall kingdom and with murthers against the politike gouernment that offences of lying and murther might no where be lacking Wherefore as this kingdome must not be esteemed and iudged according to the outward face thereof for then it shall appeare to be a weake a seditious and a miserable kingdome so the Church hath also certeyne promises of peace but yet so that for the most parte it is vexed with offences with persecutions and other afflictions Wherefore we must rest in the greatnes and the excellencie of the promise in the Maiestie of the worde and in the aucthoritie of the promiser who hath promised saluation but yet so notwithstanding that in the common wealth there shall remayne seditious and rebellious persons and in the Church heretiks and sectaries Here haue we neede to be of good courage and comfort assuring our selues that if we were of the world the world would loue vs If we would flatter the Pope and teach the thinges that please him he would loue vs he would not persecute vs he would not throw out the thunderboltes of cursing excommunication against vs as he doth They therefore which will be of the true Church must prepare them selues with a valiant mind to beare and ouercome these offences resting vppon the promises of God which doe wholy consist in this that he is and will be louing and gaatious vnto vs that he will neuer leaue vs comfortles and that the
which went downe on the borders of his garments This is a homely and familiar phrase of the holy Ghost The place is knowne 30. of Exodus where Moses was commaunded to make a certaine precious oyntment with this inhibition that it should be made of none else but of him nor employed to any other vse then to anoynt the bearde of the high priest With this oyntment the Psalme compareth vnitie and concorde as an holy heauenly thing whiche by no power or policie of man can either be gotten or kept For although it be giuen euen to the wicked also as we may see in those kingdoms which are out of the Church yet is it the gift of God and a most holy gift which ought to serue especially vnto holy vses for the aduauncing of religion for the confirmation of matrimony for the education of children and for the maintenance and continuance of all honestie and godlines In that he saith from the head he sheweth the nature of true concord For like as the oyntment ranne downe from the heade of Aaron the high priest vpon his beard and so descended vnto the borders of his garment euen so true concord in doctrine and brotherly loue floweth as a precious oyntment by the vnitie of the spirite from Christ the high priest and head of the Church vnto all the members of the same For by the beard and extreme partes of the garment he signifieth that as farre as the church reacheth so farre spreadeth that vnitie which floweth from Christ her head Or by the beard we may vnderstand those to whome the office of teaching belongeth because the bearde is ioyned vnto the mouth which is the instrument of doctrine and by the extreme partes of the garment the rest of the church which is the garment of christ This similitude expresseth most liuely how great the vertue of the spirite of concord is wherewith all the members of Christ are anoynted For it maketh their life sweete and pleasant in so much that whatsoeuer they do it giueth a sweet odor in the sight of God. If the vnquiet spirits which trouble the Church at this day could beleue that the peace and concorde of the Church is such an holy and a pleasant ointment to the Lord separate from all profane vses they would be more sober and circumspect then they be But because they beleue it not therefore they employ this holy ointment to vnholy vses seeking therby their owne glory Yea they turne the Psalme cleane contrary and say in their harts Behold how pleasant a thing it is to trouble the brethren they would not haue them to enioy this holy oyntment that is to dwell and liue togither in this heauenly concord These we must flie to these we must in no wise be like but must learne that the vnitie of the Church is the gifte of God which we must defend and maintaine with all our power For there is nothing more pleasant in the sight of God and his Angells then when the Pastors and gouerners of the Churches doe dwell togither in godly concorde teaching and following with one consent one true sincere and vniforme doctrine Betwene the Pope and his rable there is great concorde for there is a concord euen amongest theeues as there was betwene Iudas and the Phariseis But this is not the concorde whiche the Psalme here speaketh of but the Psalme commendeth that concord which is amongst those that haue the pure and sincere worde Therefore the Prophet here vseth a similitude which onely perteineth to Aaron named to be y high priest by Gods owne mouth signifying thereby that this concord is spread by the preachers of the word throughout the whole body of the Church so that not onely the body it selfe is refreshed with this oyntment but also the sweete smel thereof is dispearsed euery where and the fame of the Church is glorious both before God men those I meane which vnderstand and acknowledge this heauenly benefite Verse 3. As the dew of Hermon which falleth vpon the mountaines of Sion for there the Lorde appoynted the blessing and life for euer Hermon is a mountaine ioyning vppon Libanus Hereof it commeth that in an other place he calleth Iudea which is compassed with mountaines the land of Hermonijm As touching this similitude I thinke the Prophet vseth the common maner of speaking For whereas the mountaines often times seme to those that beholde them a far of to reach vp euen vnto heauen the dew which commeth from heauen seemeth to fall from the high mountaines vnto the hills which are vnder them Therefore he sayth that the dewe descendeth from Hermon vnto the mount Sion because it so seemeth vnto those that doe behold it a farre of And this clause after my iudgement perteineth to ciuill concorde like as the former similitude perteineth to the Church because God through peace and concord maketh common wealthes and kingdoms to flowrish euen as seedes herbes and plants are fresh and flourish through the morning dewe The beginning of this peace commeth from the Princes Magistrates as from mount Hermon â–ª From whom it floweth vnto euery particular person and to the whole common wealth which is refreshed therwith as it were with the dewe of heauen wherby all things doe prosper and flourish For like as by the dewe all things that growe vpon the earth do spring and encrease euen so small things through peace concord do grow to great increase Contrariwise like as in the time of great heat drowth all things wither away perish so warres seditions tumults suâ—uert and destroy common weales kingdoms Wherfore we haue neede not onely of diligent exhortations but also of continuall hartie and faithfull prayer vnto God that he would gratiously continue this heauenly benefite of peace and concord amonges vs as the Prophet now addeth There the Lorde appointed the blessing and life or liues for so it is in the Hebrewe As much to say as There will God dwell where concord is This is in deede an excellent commendation wherewith he so bewtifieth and extolleth peace And with this commendation ought the hartes of all men to be stirred vp to the loue of peace since they heare that God wil dwel with such Princes such Pastors and such people as loue peace and defende the same It followeth then that where the enemies of peace are and such as delite in vnnecessary warres as are those monsters which are idlely and wickedly brought vp in the Courts of Princes and courtly life togither with the profane godles multitude there dwelleth the deuill with his angells and there hath God appoynted malediction death and destruction There is a certeine vehemency in this word life or liues in the plurall number For it signifieth all kindes of life as the Priests the Leuites the faithfull the Magistrates artificers citizens husbandmen c. As if he sayd All states of life shall be blessed with