doctrine of Christ or the glory of his kingdom should be diminished or blemished in any point The dauÌ„ger whereof they see not or doe litle regard which make so great a matter of the losse of that peace and tranquillity which hath bene and yet is seene in the kingdom of Antichrist Notwith standing let vs with all our power amplifie and set forth the glorie of our God and the frutes that come of the true preaching of the gospel and let vs contemne all such sclaunders which these Epicures do most maliciously and spitefully heap vpon vs commending nothing else but that peace tranquillity wherewith the deuill hath rocked them a slepe in all damnable security wherby we see what horrible impietie reigneth in the papacie There is not one word purely taught concerning sinne grace the merite of Christ faith the exercises of workes concerning magistrates and other degrees and kindes of life All thinges are miserablie corrupted with pestilent gloses and expositions Moreouer what prophanation and selling of Masses was there what deceite and robbery by pardons purgatory with such other abominations deuised only for vauntage and gayne When I looke into the kingdome of the Pope as it was before we preached the Gospell it seemeth to me that of verie purpose men were cast vnto Satan and eternall damnation by false teachers and ministers of iniquitie Now consider whether it were not better with trouble to kepe and enioy the word of God then with losse of the word to liue in peace and tranquillity though it were neuer so heauenly a peace As for me I woulde not desire to liue in paradise without the word and with the word to liue in hell it is an easie matter like as in this world we liue as it were in hell and comfort our selues only with hope which the word of God sheweth vnto vs and with this hope we ouercome all kindes of troubles crosses Let vs therefore lay sure holde on this consolation which the holy Ghost here setteth forth vnto vs whereof also all they haue great neede that teach the word of trueth namely that they are not the cause of offence trouble and sedition There must needes be offences there must needes be Lucians Epicures contemners and scorners of religion troublers of the peace and quietnes of the Church but blessed are they which are not the cause of these euills but are preachers of peace and seeke by all godly meanes peace and christian vnitie In the number of whom by Gods speciall grace we are at this day howe soeuer the world thinketh of vs and we will pray vnto God that for Christes sake he will so keepe vs euen to the vttermost breath Thus are the enemies of God and his word paynted out by Dauid in this Psalme and also the true state of the Church teaching vs thereby that we shoulde arme our selues against these daungers and giue thankes vnto God for this great consolation that whatsoeuer tumultes and troubles arise in the Church he doth not impute the same vnto them that teach the word but vnto the word it selfe which is not ours but Christes wherewith we may comfort our selues whatsoeuer followeth of the true preaching of the Gospell Let them stoppe their mouthes and kepe silence that so greatly commend peace but we wil speake and shew forth the wonderous workes of the Lord with boldnes and will not be disobedieÌ„t in our vocation If euil tongues be walking and troubles arise we will with Dauid fight against them by prayer commending to God the cause of his poore Church wherein he hath promised to kepe maintaine his word who also shall burne consume all wicked â—ongnes with the same fire of his heauy indignation wherwith they thinke the church of God shal be destroied The 121. Psalme I will lift mine eyes vnto the mountaynes c. The Psalme going before was a prayer for the preseruation and continuance of the word of God found doctrine against pestiferous tongues and wicked opinions For that is the chiefest assault that Satan maketh against the church of god Now this Psalme I take to be as an exhortation to the faithful for it conteineth the doctrine of faith Which faith is a knowledge of thinges inuisible and to be looked for and resteth in the promise word of god But because Gods word excedeth the capacity of man the thinges which it promiseth seeme either absurd vnlikely or impossible or else incredible against al reason therfore they which haue once begun to beleue haue nede of continual exhortations to stirre them vp against the teÌ„tations of the flesh which striue against faith the word of God least the spirit being pressed downe with the heauy burden of the flesh should be vtterly vnable to thinke of spiritual and heauenly things For our life is full of troubles tossed with continual tempests as they which are sayling on the sea and we are caried away euery moment with the blasts of tentations whiles our mindes are assailed either with prosperitie or aduersity with wealth or pouerty with glory or ignominy with ioy or sorrow And hereof yet doe fellow much more greuous daungerous tentations that is to say security and desperation Therfore when these stormes blowe it is necessarie that we shoulde be stirred vp with continuall exhortations out of the worde of God whereby we may learne to resist the same And thus doe I vnderstand this Psalme that it is a doctrine whereby we are admonished taught that we shoulde haue our faith exercised and stirred vp with continual exhortations so long as we liue least we being ouercome with the cares of this world should forget and neglect the rich blessings and euerlasting treasures of the life to come Verse 1. I will lift mine eyes vnto the mountaines from whence my helpe commeth These words do include a coÌ„parison betwene the mountaines which bring helpe and succour the mountaines that bring desolation and destruction as euery doctrine of faith euery promise importeth also the contrarie if you haue respect to the flesh The godly haue a promise of Christ that he will be their helpe and succour but if we looke to the outward appearance Christ himselfe hanging vppon the crosse seemeth to be vtterly forsaken In like maner there is a comparing togither of contraries to be vnderstande throughout this whole Psalme As though the Prophet should say when tentations trialls of faith are at hand one runneth to this place and an other to that seeking for helpe succour diuers wayes As amongst my people some runne to Bethel some to Gilgal some to Bethauen as mountaines from whence they looke for helpe and succour Euen as in popery they run to euery stocke and blocke as to their onely patrones and helpers with kneeling knocking creping kissing and licking For the reliefs and comforts are infinite which the heart beleueth and seeketh after when it is in trouble and distresse And it is
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
for this day or to morrowe but now and for euer So that ye muste haue a certaine continuall and a constant presumption if I may so say of the mercie of God of the forgiuenes of sinnes and of the righteousnes that commeth by christ Contrariwise ye must beware that ye neuer presume of your owne workes albeit they ought to be holy and according to the law of god For this naked and this onely trust ought to remaine which is called the confidence of the free mercy of God offered vnto vs in christ This trust is sure and neuer deceiueth vs For God is no lyer but faithfully performeth that he hath promised Doe thou therefore but trust and still faithfully rest vpon his promise But here we are not without daunger of the deuill whiche goeth about with all his might and power to bring vs from this assuraunce and trust of the mercie of God towardes vs in christ Wherefore we must fight and with continuall battaile practise this doctrine against the deuill and spirituall wickednes which by all meanes goe about first to lift vs vp with pride and presumption and afterwards to throwe vs downe againe to desperation But God worketh a contrary way For first he terrifieth vs and casteth vs downe that afterwards he may raise vs vp againe He bringeth vs downe to hel that he may bring vs back againe The dugge of grace also he sometimes taketh from vs that we may learne what our owne righteousnes is wont to doe namely to oppresse vs with desperation And this he doth to the ende that wee hauing experience thereof should not followe our owne sense and reason but raise vp our selues with a sure hope trust in Christe whereby the dead are restored to life and saued This mercie is as a strong heauen or firmament ouer vs wherwith we beeing couered are safe and sure where so euer we be So Esay calleth it a shadow against the heate because we are couered and defended by the mercie of God against wrath desperation the deuill death This shadow who so euer doe forsake shal suffer intolerable heat Thus we learne by this verse that Dauid speaketh of that damnable presumption of our owne righteousnes exhorteth vs to fight against it with a sure hope of Gods eternall mercie and a constant faith This is the onely way whereby we are saued The .132 Psalme Lorde remember Dauid c. This Psalme whether it be Salomons as it seemeth or whether it be Dauids it is a prayer for the kingdom the Priesthood for these two are the most principall giftes of God in this worlde Wherefore they haue neede of prayer and the helpe of God to defend them against the deuill whose double title ye knowe which Christ giueth vnto him in the Gospel of Iohn when he calleth him a lyer and a murtherer For he resteth not but busily laboureth seeketh by all meanes possible to replenish the world with lyes murthers Against these two policies and kingdoms of the deuill God hath erected two other kingdoms the politike state and the priesthood the one to fight against murther and the other against false doctrine and heresies So Dauid and all other Kinges and Princes in gouerning the common wealth ought to endeuor that their subiectes may liue a peaceable and a quiet life that mariages the education of children other dueties perteining to howshold gouernment may be mainteyned and defended against seditious and wicked persons The priesthoode is to this ende that children growing vp may be brought to the kingdom of heauen and the ministers of the Church are as Angells appoynted to defend the truth that the kingdom of Satan the father of lyes may be destroyed These be the proper offices of the ministers of the Church and of the worde which ministers haue bene alwayes in the world among the faithful and haue kept continuall battaile against heretikes and the ministers of Satan So the Patriarkes before the flood fought against the Canaites or ofspring of Cain after the flood against the Esauites and others The Prophets fought against the false prophetes as their writinges doe testifie and the Apostles likewise against the false apostles for Satan ceaseth not And besides this the kingdom of Satan was alwaies the greater For if ye cōsider the church there were euer moe godles and infidels then faythfull So in the ciuill gouernment the greater part consisteth of those which are disobedient which raise vp troubles seditions and warres Wherfore since the kingdom of Satan if ye consider the number is the greater and moreouer since both the politike state and the priesthood are such as farre exceede the power of man therfore can not be defended mainteyned by our strength or policie hereby we may see how necessary this prayer is whereby Dauid desireth that they may prosper and continue And here first of all marke the difference betwene Dauid and other Princes of the world Other Princes and rulers doe also vnderstand and see that common weales can not be preserued by mans power Wherfore they sayd that he which should well happily gouerne had neede to be endued with some diuine and godly power And albeit they were ignorant that these thinges are gouerned by God yet they preferred fortune for so they called the blessing of God the cause whereof they did not know before wisedom power iustice and all princely vertues For where as iust men for the most part be oppressed and the vniust doe rule and reigne therefore they thought that iustice is not the meane whereby kingdomes and common weales are preserued For then Cicero should not haue bene oppressed nor Antonius aduaunced to such power and authoritie If by power kingdoms could be preserued then should not Themistocles haue ouercome Xerxes Likewise many notable Emperours lacked no wisedom nor industrie and yet were they miserable notwithstanding These examples and this experience caused the Gentiles to thinke that there was a certeyne diuine power in great Monarches and Emperours to rule gouerne their earthly power wisedom and iustice whereby they did so prosper vppon the earth and this they called fortune But here behold and consider Dauid He also seeth that it is not in his power to preserue and vphold his kingdom and yet doth he not thinke that it is fortune which supporteth vpholdeth kingdoms for he beleueth that this perteyneth to God alone Besides this he beleueth as ye shall heare that God for his mercies sake will not reiect those that call vpon him But the Gentiles knewe neither of these thinges Moreouer the same necessitie which moueth the Prince or the Magistrate to pray for the common welth moueth him also to pray for the Priesthood and for the Church of god So we see that this Psalme is a prayer for the people of the olde Testament that God would preserue the kingdome and Priesthood euen for his promises made vnto Dauid It is likewise
out of Sion and a newe kingdome of Christe out of Ierusalem Notwithstanding they say that this Ierusalem should be greater then the whole earth and the walles thereof should be the endes of the earth These thinges can not be vnderstand of the corporall Ierusalem which notwithstanding was the first occasion of the beginning of the kingdom of Christ but after wardes it was horribly destroyed like as also the wicked sorte of Dauids posteritie were rooted out but the godly remained vntill Christ was borne Moreouer it is euident that this election and choosing began vnder Dauid For before that time the citie of Ierusalem belonged to the Iebusites but vnder Dauid it was chosen by the promise of God to be a citie for the Kinges and Priestes in such sort that like as before the persons of the Priests did not wander from tribe to tribe but were alwayes certaine so the persons and successions of the Kings should not nowe vncertainly wander as the Iudges and the Princes did which continued not in any certaine tribe and here againe he vseth the worde of choosing to confound the presumption confidence of merite which was so groūded in their hartes to the ende they might vnderstand that this citie was appointed by the good pleasure of God to be a seate and harborowe for religion and policie For this deuilish vice was peculiar vnto the Iewes that they gloried in their merites their seruice and ceremonies For this cause Moses also sharply reproueth them and warneth them that they should not thinke they had obteyned these great benefites through their owne righteousnes Not for thy righteousnes saith he hath the Lorde brought thee into this land This deuilish presumption we see also to be in the Papacie but much worse then it was emongest the people of god For they vsed that worship seruice which was commaunded of god But in Popery there is nothing but mans inuentions which are the worshipping of idolls Nowe whereas the Lord promiseth that he will dwell in Ierusalem this seemeth to be but a small matter But we must loke to the Maiestie of the inhabitour and then the place be it neuer so base and contemptible shall become glorious For this did the word promise that he whom the heauens could not comprehend should be found in Ierusalem This is therefore a singular promise when men may knowe and enioy a certaine place wherein God may be founde that they wander not in the imaginations of their owne harts euery man choosing vnto him selfe a God or a place where he may serue God according to his owne fantasie as Ieroboam did which is horrible idolatrie Wherefore it is the great mercie of God that he hath appoynted a certaine place for his word and his whole seruice to the which place the Scripture attributeth this excellent name and title that it is called the holy citie not for the holines of the people inhabiting the same but for the holines of the Lord sanctifying all things by his word This glory hath the Church of the newe Testament also in that she hath for her head not the Pope as the wicked Papists doe most wickedly affirme but Christ sitting at the right hande of the father who is present with his word Sacraments This is an inestimable glory which dependeth not vpon our righteousnes but vpon the great mercie of God accepting approuing and commending all thinges that we doe for Christ his sonnes sake our head But the citie of Ierusalem found Satan her deadly and cruel enemie in this respect also because it was as it were the worke-house of God in the which he dayly exercised and wrought all maner of holy workes blessings benefites for his people Yet was it of God notwithstanding meruelously preserued to this end that his people should not be vncerteine where he would be found worshipped and heard And here agayne we are admonished that all these thinges come of gift and not of merite of mercie and not of workes For he hath chosen vnto him selfe this rest it hath pleased him to dwell in this place So it commeth not of our desert that we enioy the Gospell and other great blessings of god All these are the giftes of God through his great mercie and goodnes bestowed vpon vs for Christes sake Verse 15. Her vitailes I will blesse and will satisfie her poore with bread This word vitailes signifieth properly a pray But why doth the Scripture so call the sustenance whereby we liue Euen for the same cause for the which Christ calleth it our dayly breade So that like as beastes doe dayly followe their pray and finde it they sowe not they labour not but by pray they atteyne all that they haue Euen so shoulde we not heape vppe that through couetousnes and incredulitie which may serue vs for many yeres but shoulde daily looke for and receiue at the handes of the Lord that which is dayly offered vnto vs employing our labour notwithstanding as a meane to atteine the same therewith be content as the beast is when he hath obteined his pray For couetousnes incredulitie is not content with present benefits although the Lorde doe neuer so faythfully promise to feede vs and giue vs all things necessary for this life Thus the Scripture properly very aptly calleth our foode and sustenance a pray which commeth vnto vs taking no care but labouring leauing the care vnto God as our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs Matt. 6. who commaundeth vs to labour and diligently endeuour to doe that belongeth to our vocation for of the Hebrewes that is counted labour which euery day hath and bringeth with it But withall he commaundeth vs to take no thought for worldly thinges but to leaue all carefulnes vnto the Lorde who promiseth that we shall no more lacke then the birdes and other beastes doe which haue that is sufficient and yet labour not nor make prouision for the same For this is not the ende of our labour that in this life we should still seeke to enrich our selues and neuer be satisfied For although we haue the treasures of this world yet with this life we must forsake them And like as this life is not certeine but is as a pray which we so long enioy as it pleaseth the Lorde euen so is the portion of our sustenance but as you would say a snatch wherewith we must be content to liue and not be carefull for the time to come So doth this word condemne all faithlesse carefulnes and carefull incredulitie wherewith notwithstanding we can nothing preuaile Cyprian hath a goodly saying to this effect and worthie to be remembred Christians saith he which haue forsaken this world doe so litle care for earthly thinges that they aske no more but foode and rayment For their hartes are fixed vppon the eternall treasures of the world to come They seeke to liue but from day to day as straungers hauing here no
God arrowes or darts as it appeareth Psal. 45. Thy arrowes are very sharpe c. And in our language by a prouerbial speech when a man vseth the wordes the counsell and iudgement of others and not his owne we say they be arrowes out of an other mans quiuer But properly this name doth agre to false doctrine which as I sayd perceth swiftly The other similitude likewise hath a notable signification of power and swiftnes By coles he meaneth here a hot burning fire and consuming flame As also he doth in the 17. Psalme He vseth the similitude of Iuniper because that tree besides the thicknes of the leaues hath a great fatnes withal therefore is lightly set on fire burneth vehemeÌ„tly The sense and meaning hereof is that heresie and false doctrine which is full of strong delusion hath a power to peruert and seduce men with no lesse celerity and swiftnes then fire hath to burne being kindled in a forest of Iuniper Likewise the Scripture in another place speaketh of a great fire like to the flame of thornes vnder a potte meaning such a fire as is suddenly kindled and swiftly encreaseth This description therefore is as it were a complaynt that the poysoned tongues of heretikes doe so suddenly preuaile and with such successe worke mischiefe in the Church of God as it came to passe after the preaching of S. Paule For when he with exceeding trauels had happily planted many Churches as soone as he had once turned his back all Asia was peruerted and turned from the Gospell This is the calamitie of all ages that whatsoeuer godly preachers haue builded with great trauells the teachers of wicked doctrine doe suddenly ouerthrowe Let vs therefore be thankfull vnto God for that litle poore remnant which as yet by his speciall grace remaineth in the sound doctrine of the Gospell and moreouer for this his gift that we are able to iudge such doctrines to be the dartes of Satan although they be neuer so glorious and agree neuer so much with the wisedom and righteousnes of the fleshe and further that they are like to a vehement fire euen suche as is the flame of Iuniper which we must labour to quench with all our power These be the spirituall battells which the world knoweth not farre passing all carnall conflictes for in those conflicts like are matched with like that is to say men with men but in these we fight not onely against the greater number mightely armed with malice and power but also against Satan him selfe and against spirituall wickednes Therfore in this warfare we haue neede of the helpe of the Lord and of the Angell Michael as it is the Apocalyps And for this cause the prayers and sighes of the godly in such a daungerous case are necessarie saying on this wise O Lord behold we will gladly teach and set forth thy word but what are we except thou helpe vs Stand for vs therefore against the enemies of thy truth defend thine owne cause This hope we haue in such great successe of wicked doctrine that that which is not of thy planting shall not endure and that which suddenly springeth vppe shall suddenly be cut downe There hath bene hitherto no heresie which hath not bene confounded and the word of God hath had alwayes the victory Cain Ismael Arius Manichee and such other haue perished for resisting the Gospell The Papacie also is now falling but the word of the Lord abideth for euer according to that sentence of the Psalme They haue fought against me eueÌ„ from my youth but they could neuer preuaile But here perhaps you will aske what were thefe heresies and deceitful tongues in the time of Dauid against the which he praieth in this place In his kingdom there was Achitophel Semeâ— and many others which spake cursedly of him with crafty couÌ„sell conspiracy stirred vp the hearts of his subiects against him But it appeareth that Dauid speaketh here of some great dauÌ„ger What is that you will say Albeit the holy histories do sufficiently declare what trouble the true Prophets of God alwayes had with false and lying teachers as the story of Ieremy doth declare yet Dauid him selfe expresseth in diuers places of the psalmes what was the cause of these his conflicts as in the fifty psalme it doth appeare in the which he speaketh of the merite and deseruing which the vnbeleuing Iewes did trust vnto because of their sacrifices For as it is now so hath it bene in all ages that many haue thought them selues righteous through their workes And this opinion did maruelously encrease and multiply the Iewish sacrifices for they thought that by their sacrifices their sinnes were forgeuen though their hartes were vnpure without faith Euen like to our aduersaries the Papistes which doe therefore so highly extoll and so mightely maintaine and defend their sacrifice in the Masse because as they say of it self by the work wrought it is auaileable for the remission of sinnes Against this heresie Dauid fought and taught that to offer vppe a bullocke it was no great seruice vnto God seeing he was both the creator and giuer of the same and being the Lord of al hath neede of nothing much lesse of a bullocke and therefore they that will offer a right sacrifice in deede must acknowledge their sinnes and also the great goodnes of the Lord promising vnto them a blessing by the blessed seede and giue him thankes for the same inuocate praise and magnifie his name c. Thus Dauid confuteth this heresie in that place But there were many other moe like vnto this For the Iewes were not onely fallen to the worshipping of the gods of the Gentiles as it is to be seene in Ieremy but forsaking the temple they resorted to those places wherin their forefathers were wont to offer sacrifice whereas the Lorde had appoynted the Tabernacle in Ierusalem for a place of sacrifice and prayer Some of their owne brayne did choose vnto them selues groues and hilles wherein they offered their sacrifice Because these thinges were contrarie to the will and worde of God and done of the Idolaters with great greedinesse it was necessarie that the people shoulde be warned and taught of the Prophetes of God not to choose to them selues any other way of seruing and worshipping God or to seeke any other righteousnes then that which shoulde come by the blood of the sonne of God whom S. Paule calleth the Lamb because he should be the sacrifice that should take away the sinnes of the world Thus we see that there hath alwaies bene for like matter like conflicts between the true Church and the false and also like daungers haue thereuppon ensued Wherefore we must vse like remedies also that is first by souÌ„d doctrine to defend the glory of Christ exhort men to the study loue of the worâ—d Secondly by prayer to fight against deceitful tongues and lying lippes Now the Prouphet after his prayer addeth
and our brethren when Satan beginneth to rage when troubles arise when for the words sake we are hated spoyled persecuted and put to death In these daungers whither shall we runne Euen this must be our refuge to say and confesse that God is greater then all our miseries And albeit we perish or rather seeme in our owne sence so to doe yet God perisheth not and therefore we must assuredly trust in his goodnes mercy and power and the sence and feeling of the spirite must be exalted as ye would say aboue the feeling of the flesh and of our owne hart Thus they that will not doe let them follow their own lustes and pleasures and yet let them be sure that they shal drinke vp the dregges of the cuppe wherof the godly drinke but a part as the Prophet saith Notwithstanding many times the godly doe finde also temporall helpe and deliuerance For God doth not so neglect his seruaunts that he will leaue them vtterly destitute of comfort in this life Dauid being driuen out of his kingdome was restored to the same againe Ezechias stricken with a deadly disease recouered and was restored to perfect health The Iewes also dispersed and scattered among the Gentiles were brought home againe And euen here also faith hath her proper office to waite and looke for this helpe and succour for it commeth not by by when we haue neede thereof or when we desire the same Now as the godly in such daungers find not alwayes help and deliuerance euen so the wicked doe not alwaies prosper but euen in this life are horribly plaged for their impietie The kingdom of the Pope hath flourished long and yet we see that much of his power wealth and riches is diminished and the terrible vengeance of God is ready to fall vpon him and his for their impietie Our nobilitie and gentlemen at this day contemne the ministery plucke away the liuings of the Church and spoyle the poore pastors and ministers therof But the time will come I nothing doubt when one Pastor shall be more regarded then x. such gentlemen And thus God sheweth and will shew his iudgement in the defence of the godly euen by corporall or temporall punishment vpon the wicked Therefore we ought so much the more strongly to cleaue to the word and to hope and looke for succour lifting vp our eyes from this sensible misery to Gods inuisible help and succour Such things as hereafter followe in the Psalme tende to the same sense and meaning for the meaning of the spirite is aboundantly with counsell and exhortation to edifie the Church Ver. 4. Beholde he wil not sleepe nor slumber that kepeth Israel These also after the iudgement of the fleshe are deceaueable words For is this to keepe and defend when we are cast into prison deliuered to the tormentor to be burned when we are vexed of Satan and of the world with many and sundry afflictions yea when as Christ him selfe is fastened to the crosse when Iohn Baptist is beheaded at the request of a strumpet Is it not extreme folly to call this a keeping and defending when we see nothing else but an vtter forsaking and desolation Therefore the flesh vnderstandeth these wordes in the contrary sense that is for God the keeper and defender God the forsaker and destroyer These are wordes therefore of the spirite and of faith and not of the fleshe or carnall sense For after the flesh God had no regarde of the Patriarke Iacob when Ioseph was cast away by the crueltie of his brethren and yet God did afterwardes declare that he had a care of him when he did so aduaunce Ioseph that he became in a manner the king of all Aegypt Likewise God doth not so kepe vs but that we must dye yea we must see the departing of our wiues our children our parents â–ª we must be continually troubled and vexed of Satan we must suffer many iniuryes of the ingratefull and wicked worlde How doth this care now appeare in keeping and preseruing vs wherein doth it appeare that God watcheth ouer vs Wherefore we must lift vp our eyes to the hilles where the Lord hath published his wil and his word There must we harken what he speaketh out of his holy temple namely that he neither sleepeth nor forsaketh vs as the flesh peruersely iudgeth but keepeth vs careth for vs and watcheth ouer vs This word faith layeth hold on according to this word it iudgeth although the flesh say and iudge the contrary neuer so much according to his own sense and feeling do think that God neither seeth nor heareth but is like to those which the Psalmist speaketh of They haue eares heare not they haue eyes see not Therefore he extolleth his owne god Mammon that he may haue alwayes money at hand and what so euer may maintaine the pleasures of this life This vanitie is it that the flesh so magnifieth But he seeth not what shall followe when he must dye and forsake his riches and therefore this keeper this watchman which keepeth and preserueth vs by faith and by the word he nothing regardeth Let vs therefore which do beleue and see this miserable blindenes of the world be surely perswaded that this hidden inuisible protection vnder the which we abide by the power of faith and of the word is almightie For to this the holy Scripture leadeth vs and teacheth that the kingdome of the deuill is the kingdom of sinne and death and therefore euery moment he causeth men to sinne murthereth them seduceth and bringeth them into errour or at least goeth about by all meanes so to doe Thus are we alwayes in death in daunger of sinne errour and damnable opinions And what doe we whiles Satan is thus occupyed we teach we write we reade we sleepe we eate we drink and we exercise such other offices and functions of the body of the senses Here our diuinitie teacheth vs euen by our owne experience that if God did not watch when we sleepe if he were not carefull for vs when we are careles we should perish euery moment we should lose our tongues our eyes our eares our hands our feete and our life also And for as much as these thinges doe many times chaunce and when we little doubt or thinke thereof our wiues our children or our frendes dye or else fall into some great daunger it is a minifest token that the kingdom of the Deuill is the kingdom of death and sinne In this kingdom because we liue whiles we are in this world hereof it commeth that we often times offend and fall into many sinnes Thus Dauid became both an adulterer and a murtherer So that hereby we may learne that the kingdome of the deuill in this world is to aduaunce sinne to murther destroy Now therefore that we yet liue and breath that we fall not dayly into greeuous and horrible sinnes it is the great mercy goodnes and
Herewithall was added that ioyfull promise of the eternall posteritie of Dauid and his true sonne Christ 2. Reg. 7. Dauid therefore in this Psalme as it seemeth to me intreateth of the first part of this promise wherein he reioyceth not onely for him selfe but also for the whole people of God for that God had appointed a place in Ierusalem both certaine permanent wherein he would be worshipped Albeit therefore that Dauid doth here partly signifie that house which Salomon afterwarde built yet specially he treateth of the fruite that should come of the building of that temple namely that the word of the Lord should there be published prayer made and sacrifice offered This is that ioy and gladnes which Dauid so notably setteth forth in this Psalme whiles he beholdeth the inestimable goodnes of God towards his people in giuing to them the knowledge of his worde in reuealing his face vnto them in perswading their hearts of his good will towards them The Papists dispute much of God but without the word the true knowledge of god They neither teach nor yet once thinke what that wil of God is towards vs or what he will do with vs for say they we know not whether god loue vs or hate vs And to this end they blasphemously allege this saying out of Ecclesiastes No maÌ„ knoweth whether he be worthy of loue or of hatred with other like For what is it to talke of God if thou knowe not what his will is towards thee to what end he hath ordained thee They that knowe not God thus knâ—w him not at all It is the word of God therfore that certifieth vs of the will of God towards vs what pleaseth or displeaseth him what he would haue vs to doe and what he wil do with vs The barbarous brutish ignorance wherof hath brought forth all those monstrous idolatries in the kingdom of Antichrist Theft which is forbidden by the law of God in the 7. commaundement is thought to be but a smal sinne in comparison of the rest as murther horedom c. NotwithstaÌ„ding suppose that this commaundement were not what great enormities what horrible impieties would ensue We should become like rauening wolues beares destroying and deuouring whatsoeuer they may come by yea-like vnto swine which when they come to their draffe swill if euery one could deuour so much as might suffice al they would leaue none for the rest Therefore that our goods are in safety yea rather all that we haue is not spoyled and taken from vs it is the benefite of the seuenth precept What a life would this be if our wiues were not in safety if our children were vncertaine if men might resist the Magistrate and do what they list would it not be a continuall hel That we inioy therfore true godly matrimony that the common welth and the lawes are preserued in which and by which we liue in safety rest and quietnes all these are the benefites of the second table But let vs ascend to higher matters â–ª What were this life if the first table were not if there were no Sabbots no Church no place wherein the word might be published taught if there were no knowledge of God no inuocation of God but euery man had his peculiar idoll to worship These are farre greater and more horrible euils then those that are committed against the second table and yet so much the lesse regarded because they are spiritual But if we had the eyes of the spirite and did see how many soules Mahomet the Pope do cary vnto hel it should be muche more greeuous vnto vs then if we were euery houre in daunger of losing both goods and life We ought first therfore to reioyce for these smal benefits which we inioy by the second table whereby both our goods and bodyes are in safety Small benefites I call them in comparison of those which we inioy by the first table wherby God so abundantly openeth the treasures riches of his mercy towardes vs in reueiling him self vnto vs in certifiyng vs what his wil is towards vs what he hath decreed to doe and how to deale with vs in giuing vs his word faith the holy Ghost in hearing our prayers increasing dayly the Church by his word These things are so great that no hart can conceiue them no tongue can expresse them wherby our soules are deliuered from the tyranny of the deuil whereby we inioy peace tranquillitie of mind a good conscience whereby also we attaine and retaine the true knowledge of God whereby many are instructed to eternal life These things Dauid beholdeth with the eye of faith these things he deepely wayeth considereth with him self therfore is stirred vp to thanks giuing which the inward ioy of hart coÌ„pelleth him vnto For such are thaÌ„kful in deed which doe embrace y graces gifts of God reioyce in the giuer But such as fele not this ioy albeit they set forth this psalm with piping singing with organs and mincing musicke neuer so much yet are they vnthankful because they do not vnderstand these benefits These things I doe therefore recite that all men may beware of that detestable impietie and headspring of all mischiefe in the Church of God the contempt or lothing of the word for that is an horrible apostacie and a falling away from god When men are once come to this lothing of y word it is not possible that any true or sincere cogitation of the spiritual life or remission of sinnes should enter into their heartes But alas we see that there is nothing at this day more common For how wickedly doe the nobility gentlemen rich welthy yea and all other inferiour sortes of men at this day contemne the word of life the gospel of saluation the ministery ministers more esteming their earthly possessions wealth and pleasures then all the sweete comfortes of the gospel These the children of God are compelled to behold as Loth did the Zodomites not onely despising molesting and spitefully intreating them but also liuing in all fleshly liberty and doing what they list It was an horrible thing for Dauid to fal into adultery murther but how much more horrible is it thus to offende against the first table as the Angels did and therefore were cast out of heauen But Dauid repenting returned vnto God found mercie And here the godly are so much the more in daunger of this euill by how much the fall is more easie For this venime so secretly infecteth the soule and so creepeth in by litle and litle that it can not almost be perceiued I call it a contempt of the word not onely when the word is despised derided persecuted but also when it is negligently and vnreuerently taught heard and learned according to the saying of the Prophet Esay This people honour me with their lippes but their heart is farre from me And
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
these things and earnestly thinke vpon them So this Psalme is a prayer against the mighty rich and welthy of the world which either cruelly molest and vexe or proudly deride and contemne the godly as the last verse doth declare And these are not onely such as preferre wicked doctrin superstition idolatrie before the vndefiled word of God but euen such also as glory in the word and sound doctrine and will be counted louers fauourers of the Gospell and partakers with vs of the name and glory of christ Of such there was a great number amongst the people of Israel For they had the lawe sacrifices and ceremonies instituted by Moises according to the word of god They had great plentie of Prophets and godly teachers yet how they vsed them the storyes doe declare When Elisha sent the sonne of a Prophet vnto Iehu the other said VVherefore commeth this madde fellow vnto thee The Psalmes also preachings of the Prophets concerning faith and true righteousnes before God doe shew that they were contemned and derided of the multitude yea condemned as heretikes because they seemed not to attribute so much to â— sacrifices ceremonies of y law as they should do Likewise Dauid was counted a seditious fellow a rebel a traitor and charged with ambition and greedy desire to reigne And afterwards when he went about to bring the arke of the Lord to Ierusalem with a good and a zealous mind expressed his ioy Michol his wife receiued him with these words Oh how glorious was the King of Israel this day which was vncouered in the eyes of the maidens of his seruants as a foole vncouereth him self Now we can not thinke that onely Michol did thus slanderously speake of that kings doings but there were no doubt other also in the court men both of wisedom dignitie which iudged the same For what so euer he be that professeth loueth the word vnfainedly zealously seketh the glory of God he shal be iudged and called of the cursed world worldlings both a foolish a mad man That it hath bene alwaies so the stories do declare also these our daies do witnes the same Wherfore this Psalme setteth before our eyes a goodly example that for as much as we are compelled to see suffer this contempt despite of the proude scornful we should pray with Dauid against al such that is first against the pope his whole kingdom of faces for they doe not onely proudly contemne vs but also coÌ„demne vs Then also against false brethren such as in our churches liue in al carnall godles securitie and albeit they will seme to be no enemies but frieÌ„ds vnto the gospel yet either deride or molest the true professors therof Against al such this Psalme is vnitteÌ„ for the troubled afflicted children of God which are counted of the world either heretical or sedicious or else fooles and abiectes But this consolation they haue that seeing the holy Ghost in this Psalme doth teach them how to pray in these distresses they shall be heard and though they be here contemned and counted the outswepings of the earth they shall be made glorious in the kingdom of God. Verse 1. I lift vppe myne eyes vnto thee which dwellest in the heauens This is a vehement groning of a troubled mind looking about and seeking euery way for comfort and succour but none could be found Whether then shall I miserable maâ—â—stie saith he in this distresse Strength to with stand mine enemies I haue none Of wisedom and counsell beeing compassed with such a multitude of aduersaries I am vtterly destitute To thee therefore I come O my God To thee I lift vp mine eyes which dwellest in the heauâ—â—â— â–ª Here note that the heauens are called the habitatioÌ„ of God not because he is there conteined for as the heauens are his seate so is the earth his footestoole but because he doth from thence more manifestly shew the maiestie of his diuinitie And what so euer he hath at any time done vppon the earth by reuelaâ—ions visions or oracles he seemed to doe it from heauen From whence also haue come the most notable and seuere punishments of the wicked as of the first worlde by the flood of the Sodomites by the rayning downe of fire with brimstone of the Egyptians by haâ—se mixed with fire of the Amorrâ—ans by the rayning of stones from heauen And hereof come these sayings He that dwelleth in the heauens shall laugh them to scorne The Lorde looked downe from heauen The Lord hath prepared his seate in heauen Our God is in heauen and doth what soeuer he will. VVhich dwelleth in the light that none can attaine vnto Therefore we reade that Christ commonly when he prayed or when he gaue thankes to his father looked vp to heauen And when he departed hence vnto his father he was seene to ascend vp into the heauens These things are spoken to this ende that we may knowe that God our father is not earthly â–ª infirme or corruptible but the Lord and inhabitour of heauen as a place without all corruption and therefore a most meete habitation for him almightie and ruling ouer all euerlasting incorruptible seing all things percing all things The prophet also calleth God here the inhabitour of heauen to signifie that the earth is full of the proude and scornefull and that the godly are troden vnder foote of those that dwel vpon the earth and are counted the ouâ—swepings of the world and therefore he seeth none besides the Lord and inhabitour of heauen of whom he may looke for helpe and succour The great daunger whereof the Prophete complayneth is herein expressed in that he looking about on euery side and seeking for succour could find none to helpe him but onely the inhabitour of heauen These thinges make the tentation much more greeuous and terrible and therfore he prayeth with such wordes in his tentation as perhaps he at that time did not perfectly vnderstand as Sainct Paule also sayth VVe vnderstand not what we pray The spirite knoweth and vnderstandeth what these wordes meane but man can not conceiue the power therof in the time of his tentation whiles faith is infirme and is yet in the conflict But when our petition is graunted prayer heard then faith hath her force and we haue more perfect vnderstanding both of the tentation and also of the prayer which we therein vsed The Prophet therefore in this verse setteth the inhabitour of heauen against the inhabitours of the earth and conceiueth comfort and courage that albeit the world is great and mighty yet God is more mighty This is the meaning of the Prophet in this verse And albeit the wordes bee but simple as ye see yet are they full of consolation to him that beleeueth The spirite which ministreth these wordes and stirreth vppe these groninges in the heartes of the afflicted knoweth with what maiestie and power they
then swallowed vs vppe quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs. Here the Prophet Dauid exhorteth the people to consider how mercifully God had deliuered them from the handes of their enemies and how miraculously he had preserued that kingdom and also to praise God with him for the same Which words are not to be restreyned to Dauids time onely For the heathen people had oftentimes before warred against them with such force and power as was like to the rage of most huge and terrible floodes of wateâ— whereof he speaketh here ready to ouerflow them Therfore seeing he mencioneth here no one kind of deliuerance it seemeth that he meaneth in these wordes of thankes giuing to set foorth what so euer God had done for the succour and deliuerance of his people at any time before Wherin he sheweth as it were in a glasse the daungerous state of the church from the beginning that the faithfull may learne to knowe that it hath not bene preserued by the strength and pollicie of man but by the miraculous power hand of God and therefore in their troubles and afflictions should alwaies flie to God for helpe and succour Israell signifieth the people of god Let vs acknowledge then that there is no way for Gods people to escape the hands of their enemyes but by the help and power of God and that he wil haue the glory and praise thereof to be giuen to him alone This praise can none giue vnto God but the true Israell hauing experience both of their owne weakenes the force power of their enemyes the daungers past and of the mercifull helpe and protection of the Lord. Verse 2. If the Lorde had not bene on our side when men rose vp against vs. This repetition is not in vaine For whiles we are in daunger our feare is without measure but when it is once past we imagin it to haue bene lesse then it was in deede And this is the delusion of Satan to diminish and obscure the grace of god Dauid therfore with this repetition stirreth vp the people to a more thankfulnes vnto God for his gracious deliuerance amplifieth the daungers which they had passed Wherby we are taught how to think of our troubles and afflictions past least the sense and feeling of Gods grace vanish out of our mindes And here note howe God dealeth with his people in their distresse who suffereth their enemies so farre to preuaile ouer them differreth his help so long till it seeme vnpossible for them to escape so that they are compelled to confesse and acknowledge that they must needes haue perished if the mighty hand of God had not deliuered them These 2. thinges then we see the Israelites here to acknowledge firste that the Lorde was on their side that is succoured and deliuered them then also that it had not bene possible but they must vtterly haue perished if God had not preserued and defended them By men is here vnderstand what so euer is great and mightie in the world As if he said we are counted as abiects outcastes of the world The Princes the rulers the wise the rich of the world rise vp against vs to destroy vs and to roote vs out from the face of the earth If ye beholde with how great and how many kingdoms we are compassed about which beare a deadly hatred against vs we may seeme like to a seely sheepe compassed about with a multitude of cruell wolues euery moment ready to deuoure it That we liue in safetie therefore and that our enemyes preuaile not against vs acknowledge it to be the great mercy of God O Israell whiche so miraculously preserueth and defendeth so small a flocke In like maner we are compelled to say and confesse at this day that if God did not miraculously defend and preserue his church the power of Satan is so great that one of his Angells is able in one moment to destroy vs all that either teache or professe Christe and to fill the world with bloodshed and slaughter We see the Princes the Pope the Prelates the mightie and welthy of the world yea the whole worlde in a maner bent to destroy vs Against whom what haue we to defend vs but that the Lord of hostes hath stretched out his mightie arme ouer vs which as a brasen wall defendeth vs against all the cruell dartes whiche both Satan and the worlde doe dayly cast against as That we liue then that we teache and you heare the worde that we haue place and libertie in the Church so to doe these thinges Satan can not abide and therefore he rayseth the gates of hell against vs notwithstanding he is compelled to suffer all these thinges through the power of Christ our King who sitteth at the right hand of God for by mans strength and power these things could not be retained and defended If Satan then at any time haue his will in troubling the Church in murthering the people of God and such like therefore it is because God would shewe what Satan is able to doe euery moment if he were not resisted by the almightie power of God to the ende that we should walke in the feare of God and acknowledging this inestimable benefite continually pray vnto God for the same Let vs learne then to sing with Dauid If the Lord had not beene on our side c. whose mightie hand hath defended vs whose power alone hath preserued vs And although the worlde rage against vs though Satan vexe vs neuer so sore they can not hurt vs Be of good comfort saith Christ our Sauiour for I haue ouercome the worlde Againe I giue vnto them euerlasting life and none shall take them out of my hand Verse 3. They had then swallowed vs vppe quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs. In these words he expresseth not onely the strength rage and crueltie of the enemies but also how weake and vnable the Israelites were to withstand them And here he vseth a similitude taken of fierce and outragious beastes whose propertie is when they haue taken their prayes to swallow them vp aliue Likewise when we would expresse the crueltie or malice of any towardes vs we are wont to say he hateth me so deadly that he could finde in his heart to eate me or swallow me vppe quicke The Prophet meaneth then that their enemies were so many and so mighty that they neded no armour or weapons to destroy them but were able like fierce and cruell beastes to swallow them vp aliue being so weake and so litle a flocke Verse 4. Then the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soule Terrible is the rage of fire but much more terrible is the violence and rage of water for that no power can resist Nowe sayth Dauid like as huge and mighty floods of water caried with great power and violence doe suddenly ouerthrow beare downe what so euer they meete withall euen such is the rage of the
holy Ghost permitteth here to the wicked dominion and tyranny ouer the godly which they are compelled to suffer Like as we are compelled not onely to see but also to suffer the tyranny of Antichrist and the power of his kingdom persecuting destroying murthering the Christians and raging against them with all kind of tyranny Yea we are compelled moreouer to suffer the tyranny of Satan vexing and terrifying my heart and the hearts of the brethren which beleue in christ This dominion or tyranny the holy Ghost calleth the rodde of the wicked and comforteth vs that as the Lord liueth their tyranny shal fall and shall not rest vpon the lotte of the godly The lotte of the iust is as much to say as the portion that is the number or congregation of the iust Like as Christ calleth them the little flock and Paule the poore Saincts Ouer these sayth he although the tyrannes doe rule yet shalt not their power endure Although the persecutors of the Church doe oppresse the faithfull yet shall they not doe so alwayes neither shall their counsells haue that successe which they desire For they thinke to roote out this doctrine for euer but that shall they neuer be able to doe Therefore albeit ye suffer in the meane time faith the holy Ghost yet know ye that my will is that they which beleue in me shall neuer perish but shall be preserued to life euerlasting Here then haue ye whereunte ye may trust in all your tentations But behold the reason which the holy Ghost here vseth to proue that the scepter of the wicked shall not rest vpon the iust God is moued saith he to helpe and defend the iust For else it might so come to passe that God should haue no Church at all and the iust should put forth their hands to wickednes So we finde in Ieremy that before the people were deliuered into the handes of the Babylonians they had a promise that after seuenty yeres they should returne againe to Ierusalem because they should not be brought into doubt of Gods mercy and so vtterly despaire and falling away from God should turne to gentilitie As it is in the Psalme lest the godly should turne to folishnesse that is to say should blaspheme and become impatient This is the cause why God ioyneth the promise of the word with the execution and performance of the deed or else the godly should be driuen to desperation We see how many are cast downe with aduersity by the losse of goods wife children and other things which are deare vnto them Except therefore their mindes were raised vp againe and comforted first with the worde and promise and then with the performance and execution of the same many would say there were no god Therfore God must needs shew him selfe to be a God not onely in word but also in deede Dauid had great promises of God and yet by his owne sonne he was driuen out of his kingdome and so persecuted that he was compelled to flie away barehead and barefoote This was a sore tentation Wherefore the great and ample promises made vnto him could neuer haue raised him vp comforted him againe except God had in deede deliuered him out of this greate misery and affliction Euen so if we had no more but the promises of God to support vs against the Papistes and aduersaries of the word yea if God did not in deede fight for vs and defend vs against their tyranny we should be swallowed vp with sorrowe and brought euen to desperation God therefore worketh both wayes he raiseth vp with the word and promise and deliuereth out of troubles and afflictions by execution of the deede that according to the saying of S. Paule the tentation should not be aboue our strength but should haue an ende and we learne by our owne experience that the first commaundement I am the Lord thy God is most certayne and infallible Therfore when he saith Least the iust should put forth their hand to wickednes it is as much as if he should say least the iust shoulde turne away from God and fall to gentilitie For God hath a double care ouer the faithfull first that they be not ouercome but may ouercome the tentation and this he doth by the word and promise The second is that the tentation be not perpetuall Euen so must we be vndoutedly perswaded that besides the infallible promises which we haue of the good will of God towards vs and in the end of euerlasting life we shall be also deliuered and our aduersaries destroyed albeit we can see no maner of way or possible meanes howe it may be done This is it then that this verse here setteth forth that God is so carefull for the safety of his people that he seemeth to feare least they shoulde put forth their hand to wickednes fall away from him whereby it might came to passe that he should haue no people so there should be no god For God is the God of the liuing and therefore he must needes haue a people Wherefore there must euer be some remayning which may praise and worship him If there must needes be such a number remayning God must of necessitie make an ende also of tentations But here we must beware that we doe not appoynt the time of this deliuerance For before that come God will haue vs tryed to the vttermost and brought to that extremitie that all our hope and trust shall be vtterly spent we at the poynt of desperation Now when we are brought into this case that we can see nothing but desperation then euen then God sendeth comfort in death he sheweth life and euen in damnation he bringeth saluation briefly of nothing he maketh all thinges and when all hope of remedie is past then beginneth he to worke and frameth all newe agayne in most perfect wise Thus can not the God of this world doe This is the singular worke of God therfore that when thou thinkest thy selfe cleane cast away and vtterly forelorne euen then thou shouldest be most sure and safe and most gloriously shine as the day starre in the firmament These things are easily taught but by experience we finde and feele how farre they passe all reason and power of man how hardly we can beleue that God maketh all thinges of nothing that he is carefull for vs whether we be afflicted in the flesh or in the spirit and that he is more mindefull of our deliuerance then we our selues can be These thinges therefore must be often diligently taught that we may learne that heauenly wisedome which the first commandement setteth forth vnto vs namely that our God is suche a one as of olde thinges is wont to make all new of poore to make rich of despised glorious And this last we would all gladly haue but that wil not be except contempt and pouertie doe goe before Here haue we then a singular promise and consolation As if he should say
In the which there was nothing hearde seene taught redde or exercised but mens traditions mens dreames which of their owne nature can doe nothing else but discomfort afflict the conscience For our tradition bringeth forth an other one obseruation followeth an other and that worst of all is they are not onely burthens to the body for to that ende tend all the ordinaunces of men if there be any profitable vse in them but are now become snares to the conscience Wherefore there was not one iote of this doctrine in the Popes kingdome that ministred any occasion of ioy or gladnes to the pore conscience No maruell then if in this kingdome of darkenes the conscience was terrified and found no comfort For if it be in anguish and terrour it can not make that distinction whereof we spake before Great cause haue we therefore to be thankfull vnto God for this inestimable benefite that we now knowe the doctrine of the Gospell to be the doctrine of consolation saluation Through the which doctrine looke how much ioy thou feelest in thy heart so much thou doest enioy of life and saluation But if thou feele thy heart still oppressed with heauines the deuill hath not yet giuen ouer to vexe thee Wherefore thou must haue thy heart well instructed in the true vse of the lawe and of the Gospell as we haue said before that thou mayst knowe that the lawe ought to be vsed onely against the obstinate and impenitent and that therein consisteth the true and proper vse of the lawe but when it vexeth and terrifieth such tender consciences as are to much feared already it is not rightly vsed and therefore terrified consciences may in no case harken vnto the law for to such perteineth laughter and ioy the preaching I say of the Gospell or remission of sinnes giuen vnto vs in Christ by the which we are also sanctified but by the law we are not sanctified but the power and gift of sinne is thereby rather increased in vs. Verse 4. O Lorde turne againe our captiuitie as the riuers in the south Hitherto he hath intreated and prophecied of the kingdome of Christ and of the redemption to be wrought by Christ and afterward to be published to all nations that thereby might be gathered one church of the Iewes and the Gentiles in the which should be preached nothing else but laughter and ioy praise and thanksgiuing Now he procedeth further to describe this Church and sheweth what followeth this fruite of redemption and this communion of the Iewes and Gentiles namely the great necessitie of continuall and faithfull prayer like as the Prophet Zachary also ioyneth with the spirite of grace the spirit of prayer that is with the redemption which was wrought by Christ the prayer of the faithful and of the redemed For although our redemption be fully wrought we redemed by the blood of the sonne of God yet is it necessary that we shoulde pray for this redemption as Christ also in his prayer commaundeth vs to do that Gods name may be sanctified which notwithstanding we know to be holy and sanctified already that the kingdome of God may come which is come and is within vs already As Christ saith Father glorifie thy name and the father aunswereth I haue glorified it and I will glorifie it againe Also Sainct Paule saith I count not my selfe to haue attayned vnto it c. He meaneth the fulnes of the knowledge of Christ and perfect tast of the power of his resurrection This is it which I touched before that this benefite of the gospell this inestimable gifte of our redemption and life euerlasting is easie to be vttered with wordes but moste hard to be beleeâ—â—â— with the heart For we haue in this life not the tenthes but thâ— first fruites of the spirite but the flesh yet liueth fully and wholly in a maner strong and lusty True it is that we haue entred one foote into the kingdom of God and haue thereby obtained the assurance of the promise â–ª But we must not there rest we mustâ— drawe the other foote after that is we must continually increase and goe forward in the knowledge of grace and of faith and for this cause the Prophet Zachary saieth that the spirite of prayer is poured forth vppon vs which spirite requireth this encrease in vs And Sainct Paule saith that the spirite sigheth with sighes that can not be expressed yea and that euery creature also groneth for the deliuerance of the children of god Wherfore whiles we are in this body which presseth vs downe as a heauy burden and hindreth vs that we can not fully apprehend these thinges we haue not onely the spirite of grace but the spirite of prayer also that we might be assured of the grace and good will of God towards vs for Christes sake in whom we beleue and yet should not cease to pray that God would make perfect in vs that he hath begunne Let no man then thinke that once to haue heard these thinges maketh him a true diuine or that he hath now aâ—teyned to the full and perfect knowledge hereof For this arrogancie maketh fanaticall spirites which like to Aesopes dogge follow the shadow and lose the thing In deede if we looke to the word to baptisme to Christ him self al is perfect But we speake not here of the things but of the apprehension thereof So life euerlasting is perfect In my fathers house are many mansions sayth christ But in these mansions we are not yet fully setled so long as we liue here In the meane time we are oppressed with cares vexed with sinne affâ—icted with tentations terrours and desperation Satan neuer ceaseth to assaile our faith hope and other vertues which God hath planted in vs. And this prerogatiue hath Satan because the grace which is begun in vs is not yet perfect Therefore he fighteth so busely against these beginnings fearing least they should come to perfection Such is the life of Christians which haue already receiued the first fruites of the spirite who by experience doe learne that these things can not be fully apprehended but that in the meane while they shall often times slippe yea and some tymes daungerously fall so that the sparke of faith and of the spirite may seeme to be in them vtterly quenched as it hapned to Dauid in his adultery wherein they haue neede of helpe to reise them vp againe as Christ aunswered to Paule my power is made perfect in infirmitie The infirmitie is theirs and remayneth theirs whiles they liue but the power and strength is Christes alone In this daungerous state they flie vnto prayer and say Leade vs not into tentation Giue victory O Lord that my faith fayle not that my hope be not confounded Make perfect the good work which thou hast begunne in me Notwithstanding these are they which not onely haue receiued the first fruites of the spirite as is sayd but also haue perfect redemption
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
in all thinges For if wisedom were enough to bring matters well to passe then Cicero and Demosthenes had not bene deceiued by their wise and honest policies If wisedom and strength were sufficient then Hector had preserued Troy and Iulius Caesar the Romane Empire For wisedom power policie carefulnes was not lacking in these excellent men They rose earely they lay downe late and did eate the bread of sorrow notwithstanding they were deceiued and miserably perished Therefore they were constrayned to say that fortune ruleth in all the affayres of men that all thinges are done by chaunce For commonly the wiser men they were the more foolishly they gouerned in all their affaires And true it is that great wisedom ouerthroweth great kingdoms And many times as the prouerb sayth wise men comit no small folly Therefore although the Gentiles not lightned by the word of God but onely taught by experience did confesse that the affaires of men are not gouerned by wisedom and power yet did they still presume vpon their owne wisedom and power and needes they woulde gouerne common wealthes by their owne counsells and policies But afterwarde when they saw that there followed no successe they acknowledged their errour and attributed all thinges vnto fortune But we must not impute any thing vnto fortune except we wil cal this fortune when the counsells the policies and enterprises of the wise and mighty come otherwise to passe then they them selues did purpose or determine but to the iudgement of God who after this maner punisheth pride arrogancie and presumption For why do they presume to bee wise and mighty in those thinges which are farre aboue the wisedom and power of man and are not gouerned but by God alone Why doe they not there vse their wisedom and power where as God would haue them to witte in those things that are vnder their power which are mentioned Gen. 2. Worthely therefore are they deceiued and crye out that all things are gouerned by fortune but to late when they haue destroyed common wealthes and kingdoms For this is the song of fooles to say I had not thought and so to accuse fortune For fortune is not the cause that thy deuises and policies doe deceiue thee but thine owne folly and the ignorance of God and thy selfe First for that thou dost not vnderstand who or what thou art Againe thou doest not see what the commaundement of God is and how farre forth he will haue thee to rule gouerne Thou beginnest with to high a note as the Asse doth and therefore thou makest an ill ende When thou seest this thou cryest out and sayest there is no God there is no prouidence of God For wise and politike Princes doe not accomplishe that which they haue most wisely deuised and determined mighty Princes bring not that to passe which they are able to doe as touching their strength and power Therefore either God is vniust or no God at all for else he would haue regard vnto wise men and all thinges shoulde be done as they haue determined O blasphemous mouth As though God must be such a God who when he seeth that thou hast deuised and ordered all thinges wisely must come vnto thee and say Master gouerner you haue done all thinges well you are a wise man and able to gouerne without me But thou presumptuous spirite whilest thou attributest all things to the wisedom policie power of man where is the glory and the maiestie of God yea where is God him selfe if thou doest prouide gouerne and bring to passe all things If all thinges be done by thy wisedom and power then is the wisedom power of God brought to nothing Nay rather let thy wisedom thy power and thy policie be vtterly confounded and brought to nought that thou maist learne by experience that the wiser a man is the lesse able he is to accomplish that he taketh in hand yea the more foolish he is and without all successe On the other side where lesse hope is there God giueth best successe to the ende thou shouldest know that the wisedom and power wherin thou doest glory and trust is nothing and can doe no good but rather much hurt Not that God condemneth wisedom and power for they are the gifts of God giuen vnto men but this he condemneth that men of great wisedom power through the confidence they haue therin doe exclude God from all houshold and ciuill gouernment and take vppon them to rule all thinges by their owne wisedom and power So Cicero Iulius Caesar Brutus by wisedom policie goe about to rule the common wealth They thinke with them selues Thus will I doe Who I Cicero I Caesar I Brutus By what meanes By mine owne wisedom policie power This arrogancie and pride they doe not know to be sinne Afterwards when they see their wise counsells disapoynted their deuises and policies ouerthrowne they become blasphemers thinke there is no God or else that God is vniust which giueth no honour to vertue no successe to wisedom But why haue they no successe Because they passe the boundes of their owne wisedom and are not content that they are set as Lords rulers ouer the beasts of the fielde the fishes of the sea the foules of the ayre c the gouernment whereof God hath committed vnto man Gen. 2. but also they presume of them selues to rule mā like vnto them selues house wife children kingdoms Empires and that by their owne authoritie and wisedom setting God a part and not asking of him either counsell or succour Wherefore this verse is an image and true resemblance of the whole world For what is all the world else with all his wisedom deuises and policies but an earely rising in vayne Beholde the higher powers Princes Magistrates behold the rulers and gouerners of families and ye shall see that they rise earely but in vayne From the highest therefore vnto the lowest the Prince as well as the poore handmayden in the hause sing this song I rise earely I tyre my selfe and I eate the breade of sorrowe There are very fewe lightned by God from aboue which haue the grace to knowe them selues to be but instruments and God to be the gouerner or thinke the successe of their trauells to be the gift of God and not the worke and fruite of their owne wisedom and policie All the rest doe walke in the arrogancie and presumption of their owne hartes and as though they were Lordes and rulers ouer all thinges they attribute all vnto their owne worke and wisedom And what gayne they hereby but vtter ruine and destruction So Cicero Demosthenes and other excellent men in the common wealth did not offend in that they were wise like as Achas and Achab in the kingdome of Israell did not which as it appeareth were men of great policie but in this they sinned because they thought those affayres and that kingdome to be subiect vnto their wisedome
Here is to be noted also that he sheweth to whom he wisheth euill namely to those which hate Sion And that hatred which they bare against Sion was an hatred against god For in that Satan hateth the Church he doth it not onely in respect of men but because he hateth God him selfe whom the church prayseth and magnifieth Moreouer Sion was a place which God had chosen vnto him self Like as therfore God had chosen that place to shew his great loue towards it so had Satan chosen the same to shewe his malice against it and with all his power to vexe it In like maner not onely Satan but also the malignant Church of the Pope doth persecute vs not because we are euil in the sight of the world For this they could wel suffer yea would be glad if they might heare that we are whoremongers murtherers as they are But the true cause why they so deadly hate and persecute vs is this for that it greeueth them that we in their eyes are innocent as touching the second table and also obedient to the first wherein we are commaunded to honour serue and prayse the Lord to feare him to trust in his mercie c. Verse 6. Let them be as the grasse on the toppes of the houses which withereth afore it commeth forth This is a goodly Psalme for the sundry excellent and most apte similitudes conteyned therein whereby the holy Ghost painteth out those great maiesties principalities of the world which fight against the gospel A litle before he compared them to plowers drawing out furrowes of a maruelous length To whom he so compareth them not in this respect as though it were graunted vnto them so long to abuse their power wealth and riches but in respect of the great tediousnes griefe and anguish of those which suffer the plowers the furrowes the wounds and treading vnder foote For vnto them it seemeth a tedious a long and as it were an infinite plowing Wherefore they desire to be deliuered and neuer so litle tarrying through this tediousnes and anguish of hart seemeth to them intolerable Against this wearines and this tediousnes therefore he comforteth the faithfull with this similitude of grasse in the toppe of the house As if he sayd Why seemeth the time so long and so tedious vnto thee Why doest thou not learne to vnderstand what these plowers thy aduersaries be Diddest thou neuer see grasse growing in the toppes of houses Who did euer complaine that that grasse flourished so long who euer went about to plucke it vp As though it were not wont of it selfe to wither and vanish away Learne therefore that the very same is the state and condition of thine aduersaries Thus with one similitude he fighteth against an other But if a man could effectually beleue that this similitude was made and here set downe by the holy Ghost close vp the same fully in his heart he should feare neither y Turke nor the Pope with all his cruel Prelats nor the tyranny of Princes but should contemne them all and as litle regard them as the grasse on the toppes of the houses But behold the outward shew of this grasse If any child should see it he would esteme it to be better then any barley for to barley it is most like since it groweth not as other thinges doe vpon the earth but in an higher and more notable place lodeth the topps of the houses But take a man that knoweth these thinges and he will say it is nothing else but a goodly shewe resemblance without any fruite Thus hath the holy Ghost chosen this similitude to teach vs not to wish that tyrannes may be like grasse but to knowe that they are in deede most like vnto grasse on the house toppes which withereth away before the haruest time come or any man goe about to cut it downe Senacherib who besieged Ierusalem did flie ouer kingdoms oppressed trode downe all things vnder his feete therefore he could not be counted of Ezechia and others like vnto grasse and yet before he achieued that he went about he was compelled not without great feare and also much slaughter of his souldiers to reise his siege and he him selfe also most miserably perished So Pharao seemed mightely to growe and encrease not vpon the earth but in the ayre vppon the house toppes but the miserable Iewes were oppressed and troden vnder foote like myre in the streetes This is a resemblāce of grasse not withering but freshly flourishing But how quickly did it wither and vanish to nothing For when Pharao did verely thinke to oppresse them he was suddenly oppressed him selfe and perished in the waters Such an image of tyrannes and tyranny the holy Ghost paynteth out vnto vs in this place Why then shouldest thou feare Why shouldest thou tremble Why shouldest thou despayre as though thou haddest neuer seene most flourishing grasse within few dayes to wither away of it owne accord or diddest not know the nature of it to be such as can not long continue Athanasius when Iulianus the Emperour did many wayes afflict both him the whole Church fought not onely with crueltie but also with craft and subteltie against the faithfull in so much that others as it were in a terrible tempest were vtterly discouraged and past all hope of deliuerance sayd that this persecution of Iulian was not a tempest but a litle cloude In deede this heart was full of fayth which could beleue that Iulianus was like not to a terrible and a violent tempest not to a mighty black cloud wrapping all things in darknes but vnto a very litle cloude which the Sunne doth quickly consume In like maner must we also extenuate and diminish the power of our aduersaries set at naught all their proude bragges and all their crueltie not in respect of our owne strength but because they are of them selues nothing else but a buble in the water grasse on the house toppes and a very shadow rather then men besides this that they prouoke God also against them selues whose fury and cruelty compared vnto his power is a thing more vaine then grasse on the house toppes or a bubble in the water for it is nothing else but a bare and a naked shew which semeth to be something when in deede it is nothing So are all the attempts of the aduersaryes full of threatnings but in the ende they come to nothing This is the wisedome of Christians to diminish the power of the aduersaryes contrariwise to amplifie the word the mighty protection of the lord The deuill sinne death and other spiritual tentations are greate but a Christian can make a distinction of greatnes For greatnes is vnderstand two maner of wayes The one is according to the eye which the eye iudgeth after the outward shew the other is according to the trueth which the truth iudgeth after the word The greatnes therfore of sinne death wicked kings Princes
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
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
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
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
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
the Church vexed through false brethren and heresies For thus will it be and no otherwise that where so euer the word ioyned with publike peace and concord is found there Satan that lying and murthering spirite will alwayes goe about to trouble them both And this is the cause of seditions of warres of sectes and heresies Wherefore we must be well armed that seeing our aduersary slepeth not we may valiantly oppose our selues against these offences and thinke that they are certein warnings and often times also roddes or punishments which God sendeth to amend vs and not to destroy vs Our sinnes haue deserued more greeuous punishments Better it is therefore to be afflicted of the wicked world then to be condemned and perish for euer God be mercifull vnto vs and turne from vs that we haue so iustly deserued The .133 Psalme Behold how good c. In this Psalme the Prophet commendeth loue and concord in both the kingdoms corporall and spirituall but specially in the spirituall kingdom and for the same he giueth thankes vnto god For this is not onely a singular gift of God when there is vnitie in the Church and quietnes in the common wealth but it is also the founteyne and headspring of inestimable benefites and blessings Here peraduenture you wil aske where Dauid learned that these are so excellent and so profitable things But he which marketh the historie of Dauid shall easily perceaue that the maisters of whom he learned this knowledge were Saul Doeg and other monsters in the Court of Saul his predecessour also Absolon Achitophel and such like that is to say Dauid by many tentations and by long experience did learne that nothing is better then loue and concord But they which haue not felt that Dauid did doe thinke that nothing is better then dissention discord according to the prouerbe Warre is sweete to those which haue not tryed it For yong men which are yet full of hoâ—e and youthfull blood thinke nothing more excellent then the glory of warre and victorie whereby they may winne prayse and fame These carnall motions and affections afterwardes are easily quenched when men haue felt the calamities both of them selues and theirs But before the calamities be knowne and felt the commodities of peace are not knowne vnto the world and so warre is sweete and pleasant to those which haue not felt the miseries thereof as the histories doe witnesse wherein we may see that often tymes seditious heades haue complayned of peace saying that in rest and quietnes men be come sluggerds cowards and dastards Therefore they desire warre as an encrease of glorie and occasion to set forth their manhood and courage This poyson is rooted in our nature through originall sinne that those thinges which are most excellent and necessary we loth and shunne and those things whereby Satan seeketh our destruction we greedely desire according to that dutch prouerbe Men often striue and take great paynes to bring them selues into misery and daunger It is naught it is naught sayth the byer For the mindes of men doe commonly mislike and loth the most excellent thinges when they haue plenty and are full thereof Wherefore it is an enestimable gift of God to haue peace both in the Church and in the common wealth And this is also a singular gift to acknowledge that it is a gift For howe many doe we see amonges the enemies and persecutors of the Gospell which haue an outward and worldly peace and yet they enioy not this gift For in the middest of this quietnes their mindes be vnquiet and they haue no rest nor inward peace whiles they being inflamed with an hatred against the Gospell deuise and continually seeke newe occasions to condemne and vtterly to roote out our religion Let vs therefore be thankfull vnto God for this gift and let vs not be like vnto the vnthankefull world which vnderstandeth not this gift and great blessing of God but in the very vse thereof forgetteth god God hasten his kingdom and giue vs a better life For I protest that this life is naught in the which we neither regarde the greate giftes of God nor yet acknowledge them to be his gifts To maintaine this gifte it is not in the power of the temporall or the spirituall Magistrate but men being both blind and deffe will needes doe not that they like and approue but that sinne and Satan prouoketh them vnto It is the Lord alone therfore which is both the giuer and maintayner of peace whiche preserueth kingdoms and common wealthes that they fall not to vtter ruine by warres vprores and tumultes This gifte the Psalme commaundeth vs to acknowledge and exhorteth vs to be thankful for the same For it is the mightie hande of God that there is any peace or concorde amongst vs And thanks be vnto God that we haue this knowledge that peace is the gifte of God although we be not able of our selues to maintaine and defend the same For this is a meanes not onely to stay vs that we despaire not in these outrages and hurly burlyes of the wicked world but also to driue vs to harty prayer that God would preserue that peace which he hath giuen vs and defende vs from the power of Satan and wicked men Verse 1. Beholde how good and how comely a thing it is brethren to dwell euen togither Dauid had bene in many and great daungers and by experience had learned in the troubles which he suffered through greate and long seditions and other afflictions not onely what mischiefe there is in discord and the doctrine of error but also what inestimable good things doe proceede of concorde and sincere doctrine Wherefore he assureth him self that God preserueth gouerneth blesseth these things For the Psalme treateth of both kinds that is of the peace and concorde of the common wealth and of the Church like as they also in nature are coupled togither For the peace of the common wealth is also the peace of the Church for that in the time of peace the worde of God may be freely published and preached Brethren he calleth as well those that liue in any societie togither as also the Ministers and Preachers of the word These liue in vnitie and concorde when they feede the people with one vniforme sound doctrine when the people obey and beleue the worde and when there is no contention among them This is a singular gift of God and not onely a ioyfull but also a profitable and a comely thing in the Church So is it also in the common wealth when the lawes are obeyed and the Magistrate hath a care of the people and againe when the subiectes doe loue and reuerence the Magistrates and obey their authoritie These gifts the Psalme exhorteth vs to acknowledge and to be thankfull for the same Verse 2. It is like to the precious oyntment vppon the heade that runneth downe vpon the bearde euen vppon Aarons beard
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
a complaint Verse 5. VVoe is me that I remaine in Mesech and dwell in the tents of Kedar Hitherto the Prophet hath declared the daungers both of him selfe and of the church with prayer to be deliuered from the same Now he addeth hereunto a complaint for that the church of God being in the middes of her enemies is continually vexed on euery side and true doctrine assailed with power subteltie As though he should say Being in this distresse and daunger this is all that I am able to doe faithfully to teach feruently to pray and paciâ—ntly to suffer To this ende I teache that the worde may be publikely mainteyned and kept I pray that the word may preuaile and haue the victory and till it shall ouercome I must paciently abide what trouble or affliction soeuer shall happen He that will not thus doe is but a shrinker and his fall will be fearefull In like maner haue we bene troubled in these our dayes with Epicures Libertines Anabaptistes c. We haue sustained the cruel oppression of the word by the power and subtelty of the Papists that cursed seede of Cain amongst vs there is also no smal number which fearing neither God nor deuill doe not onely contemne the ministery but would wish it to be vtterly abolished These are heauy crosses to the godly when they must be compelled both to see them and suffer them and yet can finde no remedie for the same This forceth vs to say with Dauid VVoe is me that I remayne in Mesech c. By Mesech and Kedar he meaneth two sorts of people inhabiting neare vnto the Iewes of which the first came of Iapheth as Moises teacheth and the seconde of Ismael Both of them were barbarous cruel and without all humanity dwelling in tents By these he meaneth such as were of his owne nation being no lesse cruell and spitefull against Gods people then these were like as in an other place the corrupt degenerate Iewes he calleth GeÌ„tiles And that he might the more sharpely reprehend Gods enemies and his of purpose he nameth those people which the Iewes knew to be most cruel and barbarous meaning that if he dwelt in Mesech Kedar he could not be amongst more cruel enemies As if he should say I am compelled to comfort my self with hope and pacience and would be glad that the churches were in peace quietnes and the pastors and rulers thereof in a godly vnity but this wil not be Wherfore I wil commit the whole cause of God by prayer teach the word faithfully In the meane season we must beare these offences that by the good we may ouercome the euill Thus we se then that the office of teaching is a miserable kind of life For besides other calamities which the preachers teachers of Gods word must suffer at the hands of the vnfaithful this also must nedes be vnto them a great crosse to see the word of God and true doctrine miserably corrupted and the Church disquieted by false brethren But for the Lords cause these things we suffer and we say with Dauid VVoe is me that I remayne in Mesech and dwell in the tents of Kedar barbarous and cruell people Verse 6. My soule hath too long dwelt with him that hateth peace Here he sheweth plainly whom he meaneth by Meâ—ech Kedar to wit those wicked Israelites which forsaking the wayes of their godly fathers became spitefull and cruell against the faithfull amongst whom he was compelled to dwell a long season and to suffer great iniuries and cruelty at their hands And this is the subteltie of the malignant spirite that whom he can not ouer come by the multitude and greeuousnes of tentations those he goeth about to weery with tediousnes long continuance therof Wherfore many being unskilful of this spiritual warfare fight valiantly at the beginning but in the ende they faynt and cowardly giue ouer This daunger Dauid did foresee complained therof Long haue I dwelt sayth he amongest those that hate peace that is which continually trouble disquiete the church of God and neuer will be at peace with it thinking by importunitie and long coÌ„tinuance at the length to get the victory So Iob with one kind of calamity was not discouraged but wheÌ„ one messenger followed an other and one calamitie likewise came vpon an other then his minde by litle and litle began to be troubled And this is the malignity and malice of Satan Wherefore let vs cast away all hope of peace so long as we liue here and let vs assure our selues that if this day we ouercome one kinde of tentation to morrowe Satan will set vpon vs againe with an other And here behold the craft and subtelty of the worlde The holy Ghost calleth them heretikes which are haters of peace and concord and this name they spitefully apply vnto vs Thou say they art he that troublest Israel Thus they which trouble the Church in deede accuse the true Church and call them selues the louers of peace and concord This must we also suffer and so content our selues with the testimony of a good coÌ„science which shall cleare vs before God that we seeke the peace of the church wherunto they are vtter enemies as followeth Verse 7. I seeke peace when I speake thereof they are bent to warre This is the testimonie of my conscience that I loue peare and seke after it Wherof then commeth all this trouble all this deadly warre of me I graunt but not by my default For if I would suffer these disturbers and haters of all godly peace and concord to say and to doe what they list then would they not so rage then woulde they not seeke my hurt as they doe then would they liue in peace But how can we hide those thinges that we haue seene that we haue heard that we are commaunded to speake and declare not in our chambers but on the house toppes For Christ saith God and preach the Gospel to all creatures And againe No man hideth a light vnder a bushel This is the cause that the word is in our mouth as a burning cole which can not be kept in but compelleth vs to open our mouthes Hereof then come all these troubles because they take away the commaundement of God yet would haue vs to holde our peace And here we see it come to passe that Christ saith in the Gospell when a strong man kepeth the house all things are in peace but when a stronger then he cometh then troubles arise This is then our consolation that what troubles soeuer doe arise we rest vpon the testimony of our owne conscience that we do nothing else but speake and declare that we are commaunded It is not our life therfore which they accuse but our doctrine abideth the blame which is not ours but Christes Wherefore let vs not only contemne all peace and concord but let heauen and earth also perish rather then the
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
foule sinke and filthy pudle But nowe by the great mercie of God the captiuitie beginneth to be turned the temple is repaired and the true seruice of God restored This Psalme after my iudgement speaketh generally of all such troubles and afflictions of the Church as haue bene at all times in all ages As first that the kingdom of the Iewes when they were yet vnder good Kinges was mightely assailed but yet not vtterly ouercome And that the people afterwards were spoyled of the Assyrians and Babylonians and carried away captiue but not cleane forsaken For they were againe deliuered out of captiuitie and in their owne land enioyed the promise concerning christ Thus speaketh the Psalme first of the Iewish Church Afterwards it comprehendeth as a prophecy the state and condition of the Church of the Gentiles to witte that God would preserue and defend it against all heretikes against all the rage and fury of the world against the kingdom of the Romish Antichrist moreouer against al the tentations of sinne which vexe and oppresse the conscience Thus must we apply this Psalme to all times and ages of the Church to all chaunges and alterations all daungers of the world the flesh sinne the lawe death and the gates of hell For the world assaileth it with power wisedome the deuil with desperation and dubitation heretikes with errors in faith and religion and the conscience with sinnes In all these perills we say Blessed be the Lord God who suffereth vs not to be teÌ„pted aboue that we are able to beare In deede we must be tempted and tried but in the tentation he will giue an outscape besides this that he giueth vs strength also to beare the tentation vntill the time of deliuerance come This benefite Dauid here setteth forth and sheweth vnto vs the state of his people to the ende we may thereby learne this comfort that like as he preserued that people euen so wil he also preserue vs For we haue one and the same God the same spirit the same word the same promises briefly all things else whatsoeuer Wherefore we may say and sing with Dauid Verse 1. They haue often tymes afflicted me from my youth may Israel now say Verse 2. They haue often tymes afflicted me from my youth but they could not preuayle against me He nameth no certein enemie to the ende he may comprehend all Where he sayth From my youth he vnderstandeth all the time from their primitiue Church as we call it vntill Israel beganne first to be the people of god For albeit we euer praise those thinges which are most auncient and of greatest antiquitie as the primitiue Church is in deede worthy to be praysed yet God regardeth not this difference For in all times and euen in the last ages of the Church he gaue notable Prophets to the people of Israell as before the captiuitie Esay of all other the most excellent after the captiuitie Aggaeus Zachary and others In the meane time betwene Moises and these were Helias Heliseus c. So we see that the primitiue Church was more pure from heretikes and wicked opinions But yet notwithstanding there were some notable Prophets and other excellent men euen in the later times And when the roote of Iesse seemed now to be withered yet God reised vp Anna Symeon Zachary Elisabeth For God preserueth his Church though it be neuer so much assailed and oppressed according to his promise Onely let vs open our eyes that we may see from whence this commeth And here we may not looke to those things which the world especially estemeth and magnifieth but we must behold the Church as it is afflicted oppressed full of calamitie For this is the true face of the Church of God that it is weake enuironed with all deadly engines and compassed with all the furies of the deuill the world the flesh â–ª sinne and death These thinges he that will not behold but flieth and abhorreth them shall neuer finde out the true Church in deede For that is not the true picture and image of the Church which the painters see forth which paynt her as a goodly virgin as a citie well armed adorned and bewtified In deede that is a true picture but not according to the eies of the flesh But spirituall eyes doe see this great bewty that Christ is her husband begot her vnto him self by the holy Ghost bewtified her made her glorious with his owne blood with his merites and with his righteousnes Of all these thinges the flesh can see nothing can iudge nothing but seeth rather the contrary how she is subiect to most bitter hatred malice vexations torments Wherefore if it would paint her out in such sort as he seeth and beholdeth her then must it paint and set her forth as a deformed and a poore maiden sitting in a daungerous wood or desart in the middest of cruell and hungry lyoâ—s beares wolues swine venimous serpents also in the middes of outragious furyous men attempting with sword fire and water to destroy her and to roote her out from the face of the earth As there is in the Apocalyps set forth a goodly picture then the which there is nothing more excellent in that booke that the church as a desolate woman flyeth from the old serpent or dragon persecuting her her child Wherfore these words which Dauid here vseth may very wel be applied to her Many times haue mine enemies afflicted me many times haue they vexed me But this affliction seemeth rather to be an vtter destruction if we follow the iudgement of the flesh As if the enemies did so preuaile and ouercome that the Church were vtterly oppressed and vanquished for euer As we all find by our owne experience in our conflicts which priuately we suffer in our harts when Satan terrifieth confoundeth our consciences For then are reysed vp such terrors that no man can otherwise iudge but that the victory is Satans oppressing vs with heauy bitter cogitations with tentations vexations and anguish of spirit spoyling vs as to the flesh it seemeth of all the sweete consolations which by the merite of Christ and the word are offred vnto vs According to this sence we may well say Often times haue they afflicted mee For this seemeth to be not onely an affliction but an vtter desolation destruction As we priuatly feele this euery one in our owne hartes and consciences so the whole body of the church in all times doth confesse that it is vehemently assailed with strong and mighty armies of most deadly enemies of all nations and oppugned with the engines of all tentations tribulations euen from her youth that is from the time that when the people were deliuered out of Egypt they began to be knowne from other nations and to be the people of God. But here the church and the children of God comfort and reyse vp them selues agayne hauing good experience that in all
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