scatter abroad the congregation of Gods Church And although some dispute whether the kingdome at Christ be euerlasting seeing Paule saith 1. Cor. 15. 24. Then shall the sonne deliuer the kingdome vnto the father Yet the kingdome of the sonne without all doubting is euerlasting because in all eternitie hée raigneth together with the father and the holie ghost and remaineth the heade of the church And whereas Paule saith 1. Cor. 15. 24. That the sonne in the last day of the worlde shall deliuer the kingdome vnto the father let that be vnderstoode thus The sonne shall bring vnto the Father the Church gathered throughout all mankinde and then all the whole godhead shall be seene in presence and shall raigne not by the ministerie of the gospel but immediatly or without anie meane With this simple vnderstanding let vs be contented least we séeme to seeke to be more wise then it behooueth vs. He shal come down like the raine into fleece of wool euen as the drops that water the earth There is no doubt but the prophet doth allude in this verse vnto the historie of Gedeon which is recited in lib. Iudicum 6. and 7. chapters But other interpreters do applie this figure taken out of the history of Gedeon another waie For some doe refer it vnto the birth of the son of God borne of the virgne as the meaning might thus be Christ like vnto the deaw of heauen was conceiued by the holy ghost in the wombe of the virgin Mary without all spot of sinne This interpretation though I reiect not séeing it agréeth with the analogy or rule of faith yet I do more allowe the application thereof vnto the kingdome of Christ For like as grasse reuiueth and refresheth his colour when the deawe falleth vpon it so our hearts when we heare the preaching of the gospell conceiue new comfort which is the beginning and taste of life euerlasting Againe also that similitude maie well bee considered herein which in the same historie is set downe Before Christ was borne the sinagogue was a fleece of wool wet with heauenlie dewe Now the drie lande that is the Gentiles are watered with this dewe What shall I saie of the wonderfull and almost incredible victorie of Gedeon vnto whom Esayas in the 9. chapter compareth the triumph of Christ For as Gedeon leaueth forth a slender hoast against the huge multitude of his enemies and yet by God obtained the victorie so wee wretched and weake soules following the gouernement and good guide of the sonne of God our Captaine Christ in the onelie preaching of the gospell which we professe and with the sparke of faith shining in miseries doc ouercome most mightie enemies viz. sinne death and the deuill But this figure verie well and excellentlie doth Doct. Martin Luther set forth in his exposition vppon the ninth chapter of Esay Hee therefore that will may read thereof in that place In his time shall the righteous flourish yea and abundance of peace so long as the moone endureth He repeateth a sermon as it were of the effects of Christs kingdome namelie righteousnesse and peace In the Church shall both righteousnesses flourish the one of Faith whereby the person is accepted and pleasing vnto God fréely for the Mediators sake The other of a good conscience touching which let vs hold fast that most swéete saying of Nazianzen Nihil exhilarat nos ita vt conscientia pura spes bona Nothing so much reioyceth vs as a pure conscience and a good hope And where hee saith abundance of peace c. that is tranquilitie of the heart rising from faith hope and a good conscience Nowe consider what a thing it is not to be pluckt away from God and to be able to haue accesse vnto God to call vpon him craue and looke for helpe of him as in the 1. Epist 3. cap. and 20. vers of saint Iohn it is said If our heart condemne vs not then haue we boldness towardes God But the particle touching the eternitie of peace must not be at a blush as wee say but throughlie looked vpon For it containeth most sweet consolation which Isayas expresseth cap. 54 ver 10. in these wordes The hilles shall be mooued and the little hilles shall tremble but my mercie shall not depart from thee neither shall the couenant of my peace fall away saith thy mercifull Lorde That is though down-falles of kingdomes shall shake and terrifie the Church verie sore yet my couenant that I haue made with my Church shall be firme for euer ratified and vnmooueable Let vs be quietlie contented with this league or couenant yea though the whole world frushed togither fall downe about vs. His dominion also shall bee from the one sea to the other and from the flood vnto the worlds end The kings of Babylon and Persia held in their power verie rich kingdoms but these kingdoms were included within the limits of Asia Alexander the great ioined some part of Europe vnto the Empire of Asia The Romane Empire greatest of all others was extended no further then Euphrate Finally no gouernment in y e whole world was contained in the proper iurisdiction wherefore seeing Christes kingdome is comprehended within the same boundes wherein the whole world is comprehended doubtles we must confesse that this kingdome is not a worldlie Empire like as the Iewes do dream But peraduenture some man would ask what maner of kingdom the kingdom of Christ is There is nothing that we may so easily expresse The kingdome of the Christ in this life is to kéepe and restore the ministerie of the Gospell also to gather and reuiue the Church with his worde and holie spirit giuen and to protect her wonderfullie against the diuels and tyrants after this life to raise her members vp from death to life and bring them to his eternall Father Out of this description maie be taken the difference of Christes kingdome and a politike kingdome Also they differ in obiects in benefites in forme of gouernment glorie defences and stabilitie for first the politike power gouerneth the part which is moueable and brideleth the externall members that they may remaine within their duties but the kingdome of Christ not onelie gouerneth externall manners but reprehendeth and healeth the hearts as in Isay 61. ver 1. To binde vp the broken hearted Secondlie the chiefe benefits of politike power are discipline and peace of bodies but the spirituall and eternall benefits of this kingdome are righteousnesse and peace of conscience before God Thirdlie they differ in forme gouernment for other kings and princes chuse fit ministers to beare authoritie in the Common-wealth endued with wisedome and eloquence but Christ chooseth the foolish things of this world to confound the wisedome of the wise or as the 8 Psalme ver 2. saieth Out of the mouth of verie babes and sucklings he hath made perfect his kingdome Moreouer they differ in forme of execution as in defence and punishments
beginning of impracation or cursing and of gratulation or reioycing For hee curseth the enemies of Christ but he reioyceth at the welfare of the godly ones The declaration of the Psalme comprehendeth the description of the pompe The Lord commeth and bringeth with him his hoast of them which preach the Gospell Out of these are described the Apostles and Bishops as it were Princes of prouinces or countries which do comfort and refresh these countries afflicted and persecuted The Lord ascendeth vpon high hee leadeth in his triumph the captiues hee distributeth his gifts vnto his soldiours and people and threatneth punishment vnto his enemies The people go before and one commeth after which singeth the song of triumph This is almost the scope of this Psalme which let the godly ones reade not so much for the wonderfull and delectable diuine excellencie of eloquence wherewith it aboundeth ⧠The Psalme and Exposition thereof Let God arise and let his enemies bee scattered Let them also that hate him flee before him Like as the smoake vanisheth so shalt thou driue them away and like as the waxe melteth at the fire so let the vngodly perish at the presence of God LIKE as the next Psalme following describeth Christ humbled upon the Crosse and by reason of our sinnes sirtuing with most bitter sorrowes in this Psalme setteth forth Christ risen from death to life and gloriously sitting at the right hande of his Father He beginneth then with the effects of the most ioyfull resurrection of Christ namelie by the destruction and scattering abroad of his enemies and by the reuiuing or restoring of his church as if he said when Christ was dead and buried not onlie the blind and raging Iewes leaped for ioy but also the Deuill and his companions namelie sinne and death triumphed at full as if Christ shoulde so for euer remaine in the graue But this graund guide of life the third daie rising againe had a glorious triumph ouer the Iewes and the whole kingdome of the Deuill often times repeating that saying of the Prophet Osea cap. 13. 14. O death I will be thy death O graue I will be thy destruction For although the stubborne and vncurable Iewes carried stately mindes as then and resisted the Apostles with a malignant countenance yet in the xl yeare after Christes resurrection they suffered grieuous and iust punishmentes for their outrages And the kingdome of the deuill sinne and death is so broken and crushed in peeces by Christ that it can bring no danger vnto the godlie ones Let vs therefore with S. Paule sing this triumph song 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes be to God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lorde Iesus Christ verse 56. 57. And what is more elegant then the describing of these enemies which he here vseth comparing them unto smoke and ware Great is the pride of smoke when it bursteth out of the top of the chimney and his spreading heat couereth the ayre So an Image of waxe maketh both a terrible shew of grauitie ◠of hardnes but as the smoke which séemeth to pearce the verie firmament is scattered by the wind here and there and as the image of ware laide to the fire melteth quite awaie So the enemies of the Gospell and of the Church by the breath of Christes mouth which is both winde and flame are either healed or taken vtterlie awaie and destroied altogether So in like maner Athanasius compared Iulian the Apostat vnto a little cloud whome the Sunne within a while after should so driue away and vanquish that no man should sée anie trace therof more With these debasings and downfalles of the enemies of the gospell and of the church agreeth that sentence of Isay ca. 51. 7. Feare ye not the reproch of men neither be yee afraide of their rebukes verse 8. For the moath shall eate them vp like a garment and the worme shall eat them like wooll But let the righteous be glad and reioyce before God Let them also be merry and ioyfull An other effect of Christs resurrection is the reuiuing or restoring of his Church for as Saint Paule saith Rom. 14. 17. The kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holie Ghost It is indéed Righteousnesse as thus frée remission of sinnes reconciliation with God and free acceptation vnto life euerlasting It is Peace thus Tranquillitie of heart rising from faith hope a good conscience Finallie it is Ioy thus Consolation which is the vanquisher of all feares and doubtings All these benefites are the effects of Christs passion and resurrection which saint Paule acknowledgeth Phil. 3. 12. He hath not yet attained vnto but he tooke he saide the right course whereby he might attaine vnto this reach of wisdome The same thing let vs also confesse and craue of God that hee would illumine and increase in our hearts this light acknowledging the benefites of Christ O sing vnto God and sing praises vnto his name magnifie him that rideth vpon the heauens as it were vpon an horse praise him in his name yea and reioyce before him Not only in the heart saith Dauid let true knowledge of Christ shine whereto is ioyned spirituall ioy but let the toong also magnifie this Lord risen from death to life and raigning for euer who though he be the sonne of Dauid after the Sencalogie yet is hee declared the Sonne of God by his rising from death to life and by sending his holie spirit as in Rom. cap. 1. ver 3. 4 it is said This Lords diuinitie vnited to his humanitie and his victorie triumphes and benefits see that ye honor saith Dauid and in them rest and sweetlie repose your selues For he doth not thumpe nor thunder it out but is carried faire and softlie and suffereth suters to haue easie accesse vnto him Let no man therefore be driuen from him but let all and euerie one come vnto this Lord trusting in his most swéete promise who saith Matth. 11 28. Come vnto me all ye that labour and are laden and I will refresh you And where he saith Magnifie him that rideth vpon the heauens that maie be vnderstoode Make your way before him and is spoken as touching our true repentance not fained with amendment of life for the first step vnto health is To know the disease and seeke a Phisition But contrariwise it is a heauie signe if the minde being sicke know neither the disease nor looketh for phisicke Let vs therefore acknowledge our maladies namely sin and death and let vs craue to haue right medicine laide to these miseries by the phisition and sheepheard of our soules euen the sonne of God who came therefore into the world to saue sinners He is a father of the fatherlesse and defendeth the cause of the widowes euen God in his holy habitation
daie and making his glorious triumph and beginning his euerlasting kingdome in vs he restoreth vs vnto righteousnesse and life euerlasting as Daniel in the 9. cap. 24. verse saith Seuenty weeks are determined vpon thy people and vpon thy holy citie to finish the wickednesse to seale vp the sinnes to reconcile the iniquitie and to bring in euerlasting righteousnesse c. But although this destinction of the effects of the passion and resurrection of Christ seeme vaine vnto manie men yet notwithstanding seeing the Apostle S. Paule so often speaketh hereof and speciallie in the 3. cap. Philippians 10. verse That I may knowe him and the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions and be made conformable vnto his death c. let vs without feare of cauilling follow the speech or saying of Paule and let vs know that we must consider both the merit and efficacie of Christ crucified and risen from death to life Like as Paul in 5. Rom. 6. ioyneth together grace and the gift by grace And S Iohn Baptist saith 1. cap. verse 17. by Christ came grace and truth These are not spoken to corrupt the article of iustification wherein we discerne wiselie imputation from gifts and expreslie do affirme that we haue remission of sinnes and reconciliation with God and imputation of righteousnesse for the onelie obedience and merit of Christ but so that the full and whole benefit of Christ be not thereby obscured which is not onelie imputation but also a reuiuing and raising againe from death to life and glorie euerlasting To be briefe it is one thing to speake of the article of iustification and an other thing to speake of the whole kingdome of Christ which containeth as the ancients do speake graces priuatiue and positiue that is not onelie deliuerances from euils but also restorings vnto or giftes of euerlasting blessinges But so often as wee dispute of these matters in Churches and Schooles let vs follow Paules rule which biddeth vs 2. Tim. 2. 15. To deuide the word of truth aright and not indirectlie to confuse or separate the members from the bodie against the Analogie of the faith and against the simple and natiue meaning of euerie article The Article of iustification admitteth no copulatiue because of the exclusiues so often repeated Freely without workes without law in the seede not in the seeds And the Article touching the kingdom of Christ cannot be expounded without coupling together grace and the gifte by grace neither doe these striue betweene themselues because when wee seeke for consolation in feares of conscience we do not dispute of giftes but we are troubled touching remission of sinnes and reconciliation with God which is onelie obtained by faith for Christes sake whome in his bloudshedding God hath ordained our mercifull redeemer and Sauiour This is not the wisedome of vaine and secure minde but of the godlie ones who are mortified and quickened yea brought downe into hell and againe are plucked as it were out of the iawes of hell For the Lord heareth the poore and despiseth not his prisoners Let heauen and earth praise him the sea and all that moueth therein For God will saue Syon and build the cities of Iuda that men may dwell there and haue it in possession The posterity also of his seruants shall inherit it and they that loue his name shall dwel therein These last verses in this Psalme need no long decalration or interpretation for they exhort euerie creature to the aduauncing of the honour of God and of his sonne our Lord Iesus Christ and they promise stabilitie vnto the Church according to that saying Matth. 16. 18. The gates of hell shall not preuaile against her Wherefore sith it needeth not to make long commentaries vpon matters so euident I conclude the exposition of this Psalme And I beseech God to seale in the hartes of manie men the natiue meaning of the articles of the Christian faith Amen To him that excelleth ¶ A Psalme of Dauid to put him in rememberance for his deliuerance Deus in adiut orium meum intende The Argument SHort indeede is this Song but long is the effectuall conclusion thereof For it teacheth that by three Engins the walles of Faith are mightely shaken whereof the first is greatnesse of temptation and calamities The second is multitude or concourse of tempests or stormes and the third is the long continuance of these For whom doth not greatnesse ouercome him the same multitude of calamities do weaken and bring low but whome neither of these twaine doe ouermaster yet euen him doth long looking for helpe vtterly discourage These all may be plainely seene in Iob as it were in a looking glasse when worde was brought to this most holy man Iob of the losse of all his substance and death of his children whom his house slew when it fell vpon them Hee was so far from impatience not shewing any token thereof that hee euen as it were praised God with a notable verse saying cap. 1 verse 21. If wee haue receiued good thinges of the handes of the Lord why should we not also suffer euill thinges The Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken away as it hath pleased the Lorde so is it come to passe blessed therefore be the name of the Lord. But this so holy man when hee could not bee remooued from his purpose with greatnesse of calamities at the verie last of all being vanquished and sore broken with concourse of aduersities and with the long continuance thereof cryed out cap. 3. ver 3. Let the day perish wherein I was borne and the night when it was said there is a man child conceiued c. He therfore that standeth let him take heed he fall not For the diuell knoweth a thousand sleights wherewith the wals and towers of faith except they be by God defended may easilie be raced and ouerthrowne And seeing there is much danger in delay This Psalme three times rehearseth a praier vnto God to hasten his helping hand verse 1. Hast thee O God c. Hast to helpe me O Lord v. 6. Thou art my helper and my redeemer O Lord make no long tarrying For althought it is not in our power to prescribe God anie certaine meane or certaine time of deliuerance yet after a sort we must craue that God woulde euen at the very first instant according to his prouidence deliuer his church and the godly ones which are exercised in greatest miseries This indeed is not only to aske and seeke but also to knocke Or as the lawyers vse to say to cite God peremptorily And such a searching for finding and knocking for opening according to that most sweet saying ceaseth to our most wishful desires Aske and ye shal haue seeke and ye shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Thus much for the Argument of this Psalme ⧠The Psalme and Exposition thereof Haste thee O God to deliuer mee make hast to
27. Let them curse but do thou blesse Let my enemies be confounded but let thy seruant be glad and ioyfull Isay 52. 7. Feare not ye the reproches of men Math. 5. Blessed are you when men reuile you and presecute you and say all maner of euill against you for my sake falselie vers 11. And in such conflicts let the difference betweene the true Church and of that companie bee knowne which falsely arrogateth vnto them the title of the Church when it is most assured that the enemies of the truth are not the Church of God according to these sayings Iohn 10. 27. My sheepe heare my voyce But of the enemies it is said thus Ioh. 10. 26. Ye are not of my sheep Againe Iohn 8. 44. Ye are of your father the Diuell c. Cast me not away in the time of age forsake mee not when my strength faileth me For mine enemies speake against me and they that lay waite for my soule take their counsell togither saying God hath forsaken him persecute him and take him for there is none to deliuer him The first verse is a principall proposition of this psalme which is not onelie a praier but also a promise according to the rule All praiers of the holie Ghost are promises But I pray you thinke how necessarie a prayer is this Like as in aged persons all things are more faintlie seene in them so in this old age of the world the Church is more weake fuller of wrinckles in her forehead then the hath had before time because she is not onelie grieued with infirmitie of her age but is also fore worne and wrecked with punishments which are increased by reason of her sinnes And againe the outrage of the diuels both the more ercaede because they know within a short time their iudgement draweth neare wherein their filthinesse shall be clearelie and openlie reuealed before all Angels and men Let vs therefore craue with most seruent praier that God would not cast away the remnants of the Church now in her old age because of her dotings and other blemishes but seeing he knoweth that olde age had néed to haue quietnes and rest that he would vouchsafe mercifullie to succour help and comfort his Church now in extreame olde age as he hath promised so to do Isay 46. verse 3 and 4 Heare ye me house of Iacob and all that remaine of the house of Israel which are borne of me from the wombe and brought vp of me from the birth Therefore vnto olde age I the same euen I will beare you vntill the hoare haires I haue made you I wil also beare you and I will carie you and I will deliuer you Let vs with this promise comfort our selues when in these confusions and ruines of kingdomes we being disquieted do séeke where the Church shall remaine The latter of these two verses is easilie to be vnderstood of them which do consider the hystorie or state of these daies For what sleights hath not Sathan exercised by his instruments the Tyrants and Hypocrites of our time to oppresse and extinguish the light of the refined and purified doctrine He mooueth seditions he kindleth ciuill warres he deuiseth odde formes and orders of fained reformation in religions and opinions of men hee hath troubled our congregations with vnnéedfull and vnnecessarie disputations Finallie hee hath prepared and practised all manner of meanes which might seeme to tend to the destruction of the truth But like as the foming waues dashing and mounting vpon the rocks do with their owne force fall off againe into the sea when the rocks stand firme and immooueable so the mischieuous enterprises practises of Sathan so much as to the effect of the cause appertaineth haue beene are and shall be redounding to no purpose according to these sayings of Christ our Sauiour Mat. 28. 20. Behold I am with you euen vnto the end of the worlde Againe Mat. 16. 18. The gates of hell shall not preuaile against her Furthermore Iohn 10. 28. No man shall take my sheepe out of my hands Go not sarre from me O God my God make haste to helpe me Let them be confounded and perish that are agaynst my soule let them be couered with shame and dishonour that seeke to do me euill Such perspicuitie there is in this praier that he which will expound the same with long Commentaries shall séeme to lights a Candle euen at the midday Letting passe therefore diligence vnnecessarie and needlesse in this point I come to the verses next following As for me I will pacientlie abide alway and will praise thee more and more My mouth shall dayly speake of thy righteousnesse and saluation for I know none end thereof I will go forth in the strength of the Lorde and will make mention of thy righteousnes onely Thou O God hast taught me from my youth vp vntill now therefore will I tell of thy wonderous workes The Church in her olde age promiseth vnto God for his defence and preseruation of her some recompence namelie Confession and propagation of the true doctrine And euen this is specially to be obserued that thée affirmeth she will not be the aduancer of her owne righteousnesse but of the righteousnes of God according to that saying 1. Cor. 3. 1. He that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. Againe where he saith 3. Phil. 9. That I may be found in him not hauing my owne righteousnesse which is of workes but that which is from God by faith in Christ This pronounced praise as else where is often said attributeth vnto God and his sonne Christ true glorie and setteth downe firme consolation vnto our consciences and discerneth the church from other sects which maruaile at nothing but the figge leafe that is a wretched and vncleane hypocrisie of outward works And truely when I reade these verses it seemeth to me that the holie ghost fore-prophesied in them the refining or purifying of the doctrine which in this age hath beene made by the ministrie of the reuerend D. Martin Luther For which let vs bee thankfull vnto God and the same as an excellent gift and treasure of great price left vs by the power of the holie ghost faithfullie kéepe that it may passe and procéed vnto our prosteritie pure and vncorrupt without anie our default therein Forsake mee not O God in mine olde age when I am gray headed vntill I haue shewed thy strength vnto this generation and the power to them that are yet for to come The repetitions in Psalms are not vaine repetitions of the same things but signes of most feruent affects or motions of the mind For what thing is it that with greater force of mind can be craued of God then that he would not suffer the Church his spouse now in her extreame olde age almost dotage for or by reason of her manifold deformities to be either forsaken or cast out of his fauour Wherefore it is not inough that we make these prayers
once but that we do repeate them dailie yea euerie moment and truelie for this cause that there may be a propagation or publishing of doctrine in the posteritie for like as God graunteth vnto the Halcion bird the quietnesse and calmenesse of the sea to hatch and bring forth their yong ones so must we pray that God in the ruines and confusions of kingdomes in the latter age of the world would preserue his church and ministrie that in time to come there want no publishers of the most mightie workes of God Thy righteousnesse O God is verie high and great things are they that thou hast done O God who is like vnto thee This ioyfull conlusion which the Prophet here hath maie more easilie be vnderstoode if we consider the historie of the Church from the beginning when Adam and Eua had transgressed and could not be helped by the meanes of anie creature God of his immense grace and goodnesse published a promise touching the Redéemer which shoulde come which when these our parentes heard they vnderstoode that they should bee receiued againe into Gods fauour and brought againe from euerlasting death Afterwardes when all mankinde miserablie perished in the vniuersall deluge God according to his wonted goodnes preserued Noah and his wife and familie that they shoulde yet scape the daunger of the floud and remaine the young plantes of the Church And that I maie for breuitie sake omit particular deliuerances howe glorious was the bringing and deliuering of the Israelites out of Egypt And no lesse glorious was the bringing backe againe of the same people from out of Babilon and the restoring of them into their ancient state What shall I saie of the church gathered from out of the whole world by the ministerie of the Apostles What shall I speake of the continuall preseruation and defence of this little flocke against the violence of Tyrants and wicked deceipts of heretickes And that I would not repeat all stories I will cōprehend in briefe for so I purposed this last restoring of the gospell euen by God effected maugre the malice and repugning thereagainst all the gates of hell to be no lesse worthie of admiration then other deliuerances of the church mentioned in the histories of the Prophets and Apostles These and other thinges innumerable when we call to minde it cannot be otherwise but we must needes crie out with Dauid in this verse Howe great thinges are they O God which thou hast done O God who is like vnto thee O what great troubles and aduersities hast thou shewed me and yet diddest thou turne and refresh mee yea and broughtest mee from the depth of the earth againe Thou hast brought me to great honour and comforted me on euery side The historie of the Church doth speciallie set forth this interchange of temptations consolations The church of the people of Israell had some rest peace and quietnesse in the time of K. Salomons raigne but a little while after when the Kingdome was deuided there followed continuall ciuill warres vntill the tenne Tribes were by Salmanazar carried a waie into exilement The two other Tribes had great tryall of diuers changes calamities and deliuerances euen vntill the comming of our Sauiour Christ But the church of the newe Testament being first grieuouslie afflicted by Tyrantes next of heretickes and afterwardes by Antichrist hath had thenceforth some space of breathing So let vs not doubt but the Church of this last age tossed and turmoiled with diuers stormes and surging seas shall hereafter not verie long to getting out of these great troubles desire and attayne vnto the porte of euerlasting life Therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulnesse O God playing vpon an Instrument of musicke vnto thee will I sing vpon the harpe O thou holie one of Israell My lips will bee faine when I sing vnto thee and so will my soule whom thou hast deliuered My tongue also shall talke of thy righteousnesse al the day long for they are confounded and brought vnto shame that seeke to do me euill Oftentimes in the Psalmes Dauid keepeth these degrees of order Beleeuing he is tempted tempted he prayeth praying he is deliuered and being deliuered he giueth thanks vnto God So the Church beholding the destruction of her enemies or their purposes disappointed with ioyfull minde and mouth magnifieth and praiseth God who knoweth howe to deliuer his out of temptation ¶ A prayer composed by Dauid as touching the prosperitie of Salomons Kingdom which was a figure of Christ and his euerlasting kingdome 1. Kinges 3. Deus iudicium tuum Regi da. The Argument TIS Psalme with great excellencie of wordes preacheth of the person and office or of Christes kingdome of the calling of the Gentiles of the worshipping in the newe Testament and of the Crosse which the Church must beare But first to beginne with all the Iewes must bee refuted which with a blinde wilfull boldnesse contend that this Psalme must not bee vnderstoode touching Christ but touching Salomon And trulie the first refutation may bee taken from the limits and long continuance of his Kingdome touching whome the Psalme speaketh For he expresly affirmeth in verse 5. That the limits or boundes of his kingdome extend from the rising to the setting of the Sunne and this King shall rule and raigne verse 17. in all posterities without end Because therefore it appeareth sufficiently that neither Salomon nor any other King had euer anie Kingdome so largely limited and bounded and that all and euerie kingdome in the worlde haue their fatall periods Let vs here then confesse it to be most euident these things cannot bee spoken of any other King but of the promised Sauiour Christ Jesus Of this Argument such is the perspicuity that if the Iewes woulde burst themselues with vaine contention therein they cannot say so much as a word against it The second refutation is taken from the stability of peace touching which it is saide in verse 7. In his time shall the righteous flourish yea and aboundance of peace so long as the moone appeareth And wee knowe that the latter ende of King Salomns raigne was vnquiet and troublesome as the historie of the 1. lib. Regum cap. 11. maketh mention Therefore are the commentaries of the Iewish Rabines far wide from the scope of this Psalme But least I seeme to be too long in a thing so manifest and plain I will be content with the testimonie of the Caldean translation which interpreteth this Psalme as touching the promised Sauiour Christ Iesus This ground of the matter being thus ordained wee must thenceforth seeke who is the sauiour for the Iewes looke for a Guide and a restorer of their kingdome such a one as Hercules or Cyrus or Augustus And such a one doth Mahomet beleeue that Christ was and so haue manie heretickes alwaies thought and held opinion as Somosatenus Nestorius and others And I feare that euen this philosophie stirres vp great